Rainbow City

Adam Virus began to spread from a small village in Europe.The dark coat that spread the virus?That has been long revealed. In the French major company, Adam Pharmaceutical Company, they spread the virus to sell the vaccine they developed. However, even the pharmaceutical company that spread the virus could not handle the rapid spread of infection, and their vaccine did not work either. Incredibly, a money-blinded company destroyed the world.Those infected were called Adam, and the name of the vaccine researchers created with their heads wrapped was also Eve, the name of the vaccine that the pharmaceutical company put out.The president of Adam Pharmaceutical Company hid in a bunker as soon as the incident happened, but he was eventually infected and died, and those who were in the pharmaceutical company were also killed or infected.They wondered if humanity was in danger of being nuclear, and the threat came faster and in unexpected ways.All this happened long before Seokhwa and the three soldiers riding on JEEP were born. Seokhwa dozed off and ate the remaining peanuts on the way back to waking up to the sound of Kwak Soohwan eating. Outside, the ground spider has already settled down, and soon we’ll light up the headlight of the immovable settlement.“Anyway.”Seokhwa’s voice was trapped.“The 7th Adam looks strange.”“Dr. Seok is pretty neat. Did he look like Eve in his eyes?”Adam repeated the words to Kwak Soohwan, but he didn’t see that Adam was making such a mouth shape and didn’t show or have an attitude of interest.“I already said that I had taken the materials related to Dr. Oh Yangseok’s research at the Palace Guards.”“Maybe?”“Can I see that, too?”Kwak Soohwan moved his mouth.“Let me ask for a favor.”If there is still left, that is. Seokhwa guessed why Kwak Soohwan was told to watch him. It was to determine whether it could be carried as our person or whether it would be over. He did not know why Oh Yangseok had friction with the top. It wasn’t a fact that the top heads had removed it, it was just what I inferred.“Why? Because the message coming down through the mother showed that the upper part was still wary of the dead Dr. Oh Yangseok.The Rainbow City top was the one who first ordered to track Eden Garden. The relationship between Eden Garden and Dr. Oh Yangseok is just a relationship I associated with myself.Until now, the top has never given such an order. There were rare threats even though there was a rebellion. But since the top was interested in Eden Garden and Dr. Oh Yangseok, it was impossible not to doubt that the two were related.Maybe Seokhwa had more suspicions and reached several hypotheses than me. Actually, it didn’t matter how much suspicion was. The most important thing for Rainbow City is whether to stand in the way or not.Seokhwa was wiping his eyes as if tired. He was shocked when he suddenly hit the dark road. Seokhwa was surprised and raised his head. There was no big shock because I was wearing a belt, but Yang Sanghoon was more surprised and looked back.“Dr., are you okay?”“Yes, but just now.”It seems like I hit something…….“It’s not a person, it’s an Adam that ran to see the light.”It was an Adam who ran and fell on his side without hitting him head-on. I realized how safe the shelter was when I went out. Seokhwa just thought he had to go back to the shelter and talk to Kim about the anomaly.“Are you okay?”“Yes.”Seokhwa looked back at Kwak Soohwan with his belt in his hand. In the front seat, I could hear the hum occasionally, and Kwak Soohwan was turning the cube in the back seat. It was a 4×4 cube and was almost halfway done. However, he repeated putting it all over the place as he was not interested in completing it soon.Those who run like monsters, spitting thick blood, will always face them. They are ordinary people when they look like this. Seokhwa felt uncomfortable for some reason.The front two looked at Adam as if nothing had happened and laughed, and Kwak Soohwan also acted familiarly, but they were frustrated by the fact that they were not ordinary people to whom unusual is everyday.“Jeju Island……”“Yes?”Kwak Soohwan, who was turning the cube, asked.“It was peaceful, wasn’t it?”“I don’t know because I haven’t been there! Jeju Island is said to be very good? How?”Lee Chaeyoon held the passenger’s head and turned around and twinkled her eyes.“It’s hard to see even Adam’s baby there.”Yang Sanghoon was also interested in driving.“There are people looking for stones like mojis on the sand, so it must be peaceful.”“Let’s go later.”Kwak Soohwan stopped turning the cube with a stop. Lee Chaeyoon also widened his eyes, and Yang Sanghoon was also surprised.“Really? Dr., really?”“But I don’t know when I can go.”Yang Sanghoon sighed that he would send it here when this was the case. The reaction was that Kwak Soohwan was Dr. Seok or who had swallowed the stone. It was a change in sentiment, the first person to say where to go, and I wondered what kind of change it was.“Because it’s the first time there’s no Adam. It’ll be peaceful.”Kwak Soohwan inwardly swallowed laughter at the words.Dr. Seok doesn’t know what signal he’s pressing on now, but if we looked pitifully, we must have misunderstood from the beginning. I never wanted peace, including myself, Lee Chaeyoon, or Yang Sanghoon, and I didn’t know what kind of emotion peace was. Anxiety was an emotion that happened when Adam was afraid. So my heart was always stable enough.“Dr. Seok. But before Adam appeared, the world wasn’t always peaceful.”Kwak Soohwan started turning the cube again.“Before Adam appeared, it was called the era of peace.”“In this case, it’s simple. The doctor’s Jeju Island or the Yeouido’s shelter is very safe? It means that you can go even if you’re naked,”“Right.”“Shall we think about the time just before Adam appeared, which was called the era of peace? There must have been safe countries like the shelters or Jeju Island even then. But not every country was safe. There were places where civil wars broke out, and some say that gangs actually took over some countries. Dr. Seok is lucky to have been born with that brilliant mind, which guarantees his safety. Likewise, those who weren’t born in countries experiencing civil wars back then were also lucky.”“Ah, every time that bastard says something like that, I just want to punch him in the mouth.”Lee Chaeyoon clenched his fist and made a gesture as if swinging it backward. Seokhwa pondered Kwak Soohwan’s words. It was true. He was lucky to be born on Jeju Island. Lucky to have exceptional learning abilities. But if he had been born with a body that couldn’t even run a lap around the playground properly, should he be grateful for that luck too?Seokhwa decided not to think too deeply and tried to comfort himself.He lowered his head and was about to pick up a few more peanuts when intense headlights shone from beside them.Are there other vehicles on this road? He wondered for a brief moment. Less than a second later, a deafening bang erupted. A massive impact struck the vehicle, causing the jeep to spin wildly. The enormous centrifugal force made it impossible to comprehend what was happening, and he began to lose consciousness.“Protect the doctor first!”Lee Chaeyoon’s voice was urgent.The last thing he remembered was seeing a rainbow-colored 4X4 cube flying through the air.***Screeeeech-!Yang Sanghoon gripped the wildly spinning steering wheel tightly, trying to regain control of the vehicle. However, the jeep hit a utility pole and flipped over on its side.Kwak Soohwan’s first priority was to get the unconscious Seokhwa, still strapped in his seatbelt, out of the jeep. Seokhwa’s body had slumped over him due to the jeep being on its side. Kwak Soohwan quickly pulled out a military knife from inside his uniform and cut the seatbelt.Crack, the upper door was torn off simultaneously. The guy who rammed the car was wearing a white mask. He grabbed Seokhwa’s arm and yanked him out of the car.There wasn’t just one of them. At least three were moving systematically. One of them was pouring gasoline on the car. As soon as the fire started, Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon smashed through the shattered front windshield and jumped out, and Kwak Soohwan climbed out through the door Seokhwa had been pulled through.Kwak Soohwan pulled his Colt from his holster and shot the leg of the guy carrying Seokhwa. The man staggered as his thigh was pierced, and another masked man took over Seokhwa. He loaded Seokhwa into a car and sped away, abandoning his comrades.When Kwak Soohwan aimed at the tires, one of the men lunged at him. A knife, longer than the standard military issue, grazed his chin. He backed away and looked at Yang Sanghoon as if asking what he was doing. Two of his comrades were struggling against the guy who had been shot in the thigh.He had lost Seokhwa right in front of him. Not someone else, but him.He dodged the stab aimed at his chest and struck the man’s solar plexus with his fist. As the man groaned and staggered back, he regained his stance and attempted to stab again. This guy seemed more battle-hardened than the soldiers in the shelter. It was unsettling that he wasn’t an ordinary person. He had heard rumors of mutants among the rebels but had never encountered one.Timing his movements with the incoming knife, Kwak Soohwan twisted his body to control the man’s arm and stabbed him in the heart with his own knife. A dull sound escaped as the man’s strength faded. Kwak Soohwan looked down at the crumpling body. Blood dripped from under the white mask. He bent down, pulled out the knife, and wiped off the blood. He then threw the knife at the head of the remaining guy fighting his comrades.The knife lodged in the man’s forehead, splitting the mask. As the mask fell to the ground, Kwak Soohwan shouted.“You idiots, what are you doing with just one guy!”At the same time, Lee Chaeyoon, who had climbed onto the man’s back, twisted his neck.The jeep was burning brightly over there, two presumed rebels were dead, and Seokhwa had disappeared into the darkness in a car… Kwak Soohwan looked in the direction the car had disappeared and picked up the emergency radio.“Connect me to the nearest shelter. This is Major Kwak Soohwan from Yeouido Shelter 3121. Level 1 crisis alert, the chief researcher has been kidnapped. Name: Seokhwa, affiliated with Yeouido Shelter. Open GPS monitoring and track him. Also, send a vehicle this way.”Yang Sanghoon, breathing heavily, ran his hand roughly through his hair.“Who the hell are these guys?”Lee Chaeyoon removed the mask from the guy lying near Kwak Soohwan. It was an unfamiliar face.“Not a soldier, but how…”Despite being shot in the thigh, he had fought evenly with both of them. Yang Sanghoon’s hands trembled slightly, something he had never experienced before. He even had an unsettling thought that he might have lost if he had been alone.“What do we do? Wait until the car arrives? Can we track Dr. Seok’s GPS? Can we rescue him? How did you drive? Are you an idiot? Huh? How did you not see them coming from the side!”Lee Chaeyoon stamped his feet in frustration.“They came without headlights! They turned them on just before ramming us, so I didn’t see them. Damn it! Kwak Soohwan, the doctor won’t be hurt, right?”The way they took Seokhwa didn’t seem like they intended to kill him, but nothing was certain. Even the guy shot in the thigh passed Seokhwa to another before staggering.[Successful GPS tracking of researcher Seokhwa. Proceed with the route?]“Proceed. We need to rescue Seokhwa.”Kwak Soohwan spoke with a blank expression.***[Preservation of humanity, the new prosperity of humanity, that is our mission. At the forefront stands Rainbow City. We are the citizens of Rainbow City, city, city.][Prosperity has ended, humanity has declined, and those who seek to suck the lifeblood of people for their own gain are now the leaders of Rainbow City! They do not want change and are using Adam to fulfill their own selfish desires, sires, sires.]A chaotic mix of sounds flooded in. Seokhwa curled up, groaning from the intense headache. He still felt like he was trapped in the spinning car. He retched and vomited, tasting the sour bile. Gasping for breath, he barely opened his eyes but couldn’t see anything. He wanted to remove whatever was covering his eyes, but his hands were tied.“Have you woken up, Doctor?”Seokhwa flinched at the voice. Something touched his lips, and when he shook his head, the person reassured him and poured lukewarm water into his mouth.“I understand that you must be very frightened. But we had no choice but to use this method because we have been waiting for you to leave the shelter.”“……”Seokhwa wanted to press his forehead hard, but his hands tied behind him couldn’t move at all. His headache was severe.“Rest assured. We didn’t bring you here to threaten you, Doctor.”The man with the soft voice poured lukewarm water into Seokhwa’s mouth again.“……Where is this?”“This is a temporary residence we’ve set up. Once we’ve conveyed what we need to say, we’ll release you safely.”Seokhwa pressed his forehead again before lifting his head.“I’d like to remove your blindfold, but it seems premature, so I ask for your understanding.”“Who are you? The soldiers who were with me…?”“We had to focus all our efforts on bringing you here, which caused us significant losses as well.”“Are they unharmed?”“Of course.”The man chuckled softly.“Time is short, so I’ll get straight to the point.”As expected, the man’s voice, though gentle, carried a sense of urgency.“What we are about to tell you is Dr. Oh Yangseok’s last will.”“……What?”“We believe this message was left for you, Dr. Seok.”As Seokhwa listened to the man, he calmly collected his thoughts. If they intended to kill or harm him, they wouldn’t be trying to reassure him. It seemed that everything—the man’s identity and the reason for his abduction, even with the jeep crash—was related to Dr. Oh Yangseok.A clicking sound of a button being pressed was heard.[Preservation of humanity, the new prosperity of humanity, that is our mission. At the forefront stands Rainbow City. We are the citizens of Rainbow City.]It was the regular broadcast voice of Mother, which he had heard countless times in the shelter. Following that, a familiar laugh flowed in.[Do you hear that sound? It’s quite strange, isn’t it?]Seokhwa focused more on the sound. He couldn’t be mistaken. This was definitely Dr. Oh Yangseok’s voice.[Dr. Seok, since you went to Jeju Island, there’s been no contact, so I’m leaving this recording separately. The higher-ups must have been meddling. Do you remember our discussions about the virus mutation? Isn’t it strange? Every time a vaccine is developed, the virus mutates again. But is this truly natural? We’ve already reached the 7th mutation. I wanted to develop a treatment, not just a vaccine, while working with you, Dr. Seok. Do you remember what you told me before going down to Jeju Island? That the treatment… Zzzt… Zzzk…]Bang!The sudden gunshot made Seokhwa recoil. But after that, there was no more sound.“Don’t worry. The gunshot just now came from this speaker.”That was the end of the message left by Dr. Oh Yangseok. So, that gunshot… It seemed Dr. Oh Yangseok was killed while trying to convey something to him. Seokhwa bowed his head deeply and reflected on Oh Yangseok’s words.They had often discussed developing a treatment instead of a vaccine. However, the higher-ups had insisted on developing the vaccine first. Given the high costs, they said it was difficult to support other research, which he had understood at the time.“Doctor, Dr. Oh Yangseok tried to contact you continuously. But he couldn’t reach you by any means.”It was as if someone had forcibly cut off communication between Dr. Seok and Dr. Oh Yangseok. The man spoke this way. Seokhwa quietly caught his breath without saying anything.“Yes, you must be confused. It must be hard to trust me. But please don’t trust anyone in the shelter either. Rainbow City is not normal right now.”“Are you… the rebels?”Seokhwa managed to ask.“They call us that in Rainbow City.”The man laughed bitterly.***“Damn it! I’m so pissed off! Aaargh!”Lee Chaeyoon shouted and kicked the backrest of the jeep’s passenger seat.“Major, I know you’re angry, but I’ll fly out the front. Major Kwak Soohwan, keep going straight for 2 kilometers.”Kwak Soohwan was at the wheel, and Yang Sanghoon was directing based on the GPS tracking Seokhwa’s location.The GPS pointed to a location below the zoo. It wasn’t part of the areas designated by color, meaning it wasn’t affiliated with Rainbow City. This confirmed that the people who kidnapped Seokhwa were indeed rebels. However, even after searching the bodies of the dead, they couldn’t identify their exact affiliation.“Turn right at the big intersection over there.”Yang Sanghoon looked at the radar on the screen and pointed to the right with his thumb. Citizens of Rainbow City have a chip implanted at birth. Kwak Soohwan called it a dog collar, but today it proved useful, which was fortunate. Several more jeeps were following them, carrying soldiers from the nearest shelter.“Ah, this is so embarrassing.”Yang Sanghoon clicked his tongue after checking the jeeps in the side mirror.“You do feel embarrassed, huh?”It was the first time for Kwak Soohwan and the others to be ambushed like this. Protecting someone was much more challenging than taking care of oneself. Even for Kwak Soohwan, this wasn’t a familiar situation.“But those bastards were stronger than expected, right?”Despite his bruised pride, Yang Sanghoon asked honestly. Kwak Soohwan pressed the accelerator harder to increase the speed.“About A-grade.”Even in the Yeouido Shelter, there weren’t many A-grade soldiers. Yang Sanghoon sighed in disbelief at Kwak Soohwan’s words.“If they abandoned their own comrades so easily, what does that say about the rebel’s strength?”Both Yang Sanghoon and Lee Chaeyoon had rarely faced rebels directly. Typically, when something needed to be handled quietly, Kwak Soohwan would take orders from the higher-ups and deal with it.“Hey, Major Kwak Soohwan.”“Shut up and keep telling me to go straight?”“Hey. But Major Kwak Soohwan.”Yang Sanghoon’s demeanor was strange. Looking down, he saw Yang Sanghoon trembling as he held the GPS tracker.“This is just ridiculous.”It was beyond disbelief; it wasn’t even laughable.“This is the first time I’ve felt this way.”“Can you not use such creepy expressions?”“Hey! Yang Sanghoon, stop shaking your damn hand!”Lee Chaeyoon wrapped her arms around Yang Sanghoon’s neck from behind and squeezed.“Don’t be scared, you idiot. Commander Jang always said the world is big and there are lots of strong people out there.”Yang Sanghoon understood it was her way of comforting him. Kwak Soohwan took over the GPS and adjusted their direction. Embarrassingly, his hands were sweaty as he held the wheel. Seokhwa had mentioned an era of peace; in hindsight, it wasn’t entirely wrong. In such an era, he wouldn’t have lost Seokhwa right in front of him. He thought he was always composed, but maybe not.At first, he wondered if it was because of Commander Jang’s nagging, but that seemed insignificant compared to the haunting image of Seokhwa being carried away. He couldn’t have just died in the car, right? No matter how weak he seemed, Dr. Seok had shown resolve.The GPS indicated they were close. A crooked sign emerged in the headlights. It absorbed the light and revealed its identity as if it were still in operation. Honey Motel. The lettering was crude.“A motel?”As the car stopped in front of it, Lee Chaeyoon tilted her head in curiosity.“Stay put.”As Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon were about to get out, Kwak Soohwan held them back and listened to the jeep’s built-in radio. The soldiers in the trailing jeeps were also waiting.“This area isn’t affiliated with Rainbow City, so we don’t know where the Adam might appear. Arm yourselves. We’ll enter through the front, and the rest will take the rear entrance.”[Copy that.]Kwak Soohwan confirmed that all the jeeps received the message. Both the front and rear entrances were chained and would need to be broken.He tore off his half-torn cape and checked his pistol and combat knife. Seokhwa’s GPS signal was still inside without moving. The jeep’s spotlight illuminated the motel, but inside they would rely on flashlights. After watching the soldiers move to the rear, Kwak Soohwan signaled the front entrance with his chin. Yang Sanghoon cut the chain on the door with a silenced gun.Screech!A scream came from the rear entrance. Damn it. Kwak Soohwan kicked the front door, and the jeep’s light shone inside. Dozens of Adams, gathered at the rear, turned toward the light. The chaos began as they either staggered or ran towards the light, fighting with the soldiers at the rear entrance.“Clear the first floor!”Kwak Soohwan shouted, and Yang Sanghoon and Lee Chaeyoon fired at the approaching Adams. One shot per head, they aimed for the forehead until they ran out of bullets, causing some Adams to trip over fallen bodies. Fortunately, the Adams at the rear entrance moved toward the front light.Soldiers attacked the Adams from behind, while the three of them pushed forward from the front. The number of Adams in the motel suggested someone had deliberately gathered them.Kwak Soohwan grabbed an attacking Adam by the neck, twisted its body and head completely, releasing a stench of rotten blood that spread across the floor. The sound of their boots splashing through the blood echoed like wading through water. Adams’ bodies piled up, and as the rear and front teams met, he saw their numbers had dwindled.“Report the casualties.”A soldier at the rear shouted, and Kwak Soohwan punched an Adam in the face, crushing its skull underfoot. The bone-breaking sound was clear. A soldier at the rear counted their numbers with a pale face.“Two, two are dead.”“The bodies?”“The Adams devoured them.”Kwak Soohwan nodded and shone his flashlight around.“The rest of you, wait here. Are you the commander of this squad?”He looked at the insignia of the man at the front of the rear team. A captain from the supporting shelter.“……Yes, I am.”“Check and eliminate any remaining threats.”Finding the stairs to the second floor, Kwak Soohwan gripped his combat knife.“Understood…… Cough… Cough.”The captain coughed, blood seeping through his fingers as he covered his mouth. The soldiers around him stepped back. The captain looked at his comrades in disbelief. His arm bore a long wound, the flesh torn.“No…… Cough.”He tried to speak, but blood poured from his nose.“Grrr… Ugh…”As he convulsed and twisted, the mutation began.“Captain…”A rear team soldier drew his gun, aiming shakily at the captain without looking him in the eye.“Do you want to die too?”Lee Chaeyoon, who had shot the captain in the forehead, now aimed at the soldier who had shouted.“It wasn’t fully mutated yet!”“Then you should’ve offered your neck. Don’t get sentimental. That’ll get you all killed. A captain who can’t protect himself is useless.”The supporting soldiers fell silent. Lee Chaeyoon was harsh but right; Rainbow City’s military law dictated that even generals be killed if they began to mutate.“Clean up the captain’s body and have it incinerated or something. You, Major, check the status of the others, and Yang Major, cover me.” Kwak Soohwan glanced at the captain’s body before pointing to the second floor. With Yang Sanghoon covering his back, he quickly ascended the stairs. Dried dark red blood, presumably from the Adams, stained the staircase, leaving Kwak Soohwan’s boot prints in a bright red trail.At the entrance to the second floor, Kwak Soohwan shone his flashlight down the corridor. It was a typical motel layout with doors arranged in a zigzag pattern. Some doors were open, others closed.Kicking down the closed doors, Kwak Soohwan inspected each room. The stench of mold, almost as bad as the Adams’ foul odor, hit him immediately. Despite checking all the closed rooms, there was no sign of Seokhwa.“Second floor clear.”The motel had three floors in total. Since Seokhwa’s GPS signal was detected here, he was likely on the third floor. Thud! Thud! Thud! As Kwak Soohwan ascended to the third floor, he noticed the entrance was barred with metal bars, similar to a prison gate. Three Adams were reaching through the bars. Yang Sanghoon shot each one in the head in quick succession before kicking the gate open.“Where the hell are these bastards coming from?” Yang Sanghoon muttered, kicking a fallen Adam.“Major Kwak Soohwan, someone must have lured and trapped all these Adams here, right?”“Probably.”Kwak Soohwan scanned the third-floor corridor with his flashlight. Like the second floor, it had motel rooms, but only the room at the very end was closed.He detached his uniform belt and deliberately struck the first door with the buckle. The metallic sound echoed, but no Adams emerged from the rooms. After repeating this a few times, the surroundings remained silent. Kwak Soohwan signaled towards the last room, and Yang Sanghoon nodded in agreement.Kwak Soohwan kicked the door handle of the last room. Bang! The door slammed into the wall and swung back. He kicked it open again and entered. The room contained a round bed, a dusty two-person table, and a glass-enclosed bathroom, but no sign of life.Thinking the motel had no basement was a mistake. Kwak Soohwan and Yang Sanghoon hurried back downstairs. When they reached the first floor, Yang Sanghoon gasped. The Adams’ bodies were still there, but now the other soldiers were down as well. Lee Chaeyoon was struggling alone against a large figure in a white mask.Her gun was far away, forcing her to fight with a knife, and she was limping, likely due to a leg injury. Kwak Soohwan reloaded his gun and aimed at the figure in the white mask.“Major Lee! Fall back!”At his command, Lee Chaeyoon leaped back just as Kwak Soohwan fired. The white-masked figure retreated, then fled out the front door. Blood droplets marked his path, showing where the bullet had grazed him.Yang Sanghoon started to chase after him, but Lee Chaeyoon yelled, “Don’t follow!”Yang Sanghoon turned back, puzzled, as Kwak Soohwan quickly approached Lee Chaeyoon. She had tightly wrapped her leg wound with her uniform belt and was breathing heavily, her face as pale as Seokhwa’s.“Why not follow?” Yang Sanghoon asked, bewildered.“That guy… he’s really strong,” she panted.“Yeah, he looked tough,” Yang Sanghoon replied, examining her wound.Kwak Soohwan checked the fallen soldiers with his flashlight and sighed. “Did that guy alone take on you and the soldiers?”“Yeah, some fled. Make sure to demote those who ran. That guy suddenly came up from the basement.”Lee Chaeyoon pointed towards the back entrance. “Yang Sanghoon, take Major Lee back to the jeep. There’s a first aid kit inside.”“Are you sure you’ll be okay alone?”“I don’t want to deal with more Adams if I can avoid it.” Kwak Soohwan gestured to her wound. Yang Sanghoon agreed and helped her towards the jeep. She gritted her teeth in frustration, vowing to kill that masked figure next time they met.If those two could handle that guy, they’d be fine. If they couldn’t, they shouldn’t have their invincible titles anyway. Kwak Soohwan ran to the back entrance and saw a small side door that the soldiers missed while fighting the Adams.He opened the door and descended. Growls and moans echoed from below. Kwak Soohwan listened carefully, estimating at least five Adams. He checked his remaining bullets and put the flashlight in his mouth. With his gun reloaded, he rested his right hand over his left wrist and moved down.As he reached the bottom, Adams lunged at him. Bang, bang, bang! Three quick shots took down three Adams. He dealt with the remaining ones using his military knife and his bare hands, swiftly dispatching all five.Approaching the last Adam, he noticed it didn’t attack but instead seemed to be searching for an escape. “What the hell?” he muttered.The Adam appeared to be mumbling, trying to say something. Was this a rare type of Adam showing unusual behavior? Kwak Soohwan walked toward it, his priority still finding Seokhwa.Then he stopped. He noticed an open door and saw a person inside. Rushing in, he found Seokhwa trembling inside a cage. Despite being restrained, Seokhwa had no visible injuries. Kwak Soohwan kicked the cage door repeatedly until it broke open. Seokhwa flinched with every kick.He ripped off Seokhwa’s blindfold. The dim light was still too bright, making Seokhwa blink repeatedly. His pupils dilated in recognition. “Major…!”Roar! An Adam he had left alive pounced at that moment. Kwak Soohwan smashed its face and tore off its jaw. Seokhwa looked up at him, stunned and unable to blink. Kwak Soohwan smiled reassuringly.