Rainbow City

When the Allied Forces were active, each city had to relinquish ownership of nuclear or ballistic missiles for the preservation of humanity. As Rainbow City joined the Allied Forces, it also had to destroy a significant amount of its military weapons.

They couldn’t stop Adam’s infection, and if nuclear warfare broke out between cities under the Allied Forces, everything humanity had achieved would be in vain, and the survival of humanity couldn’t be guaranteed. Moreover, weapons had to be controlled due to human selfishness and impulsiveness.

In the early days of the Allied Forces, a general from the Russian city infected by Adam launched a large number of missiles at a city where his nemesis was located just before committing suicide. Innocent people died, and in the chaos, Adam ran even more rampant. After that incident, the Allied Forces reorganized military law, regressing instead. Since no military weapon could completely eradicate Adam, a significant number of weapons of mass destruction disappeared as humanity’s survival became the priority.

They were driving a jeep toward the helicopter. Kwak Soohwan, having taken over the wheel from Yang Sanghoon, cursed at the helicopter as it gradually moved further away. Choi Hoeon might be on that helicopter, and it was likely headed to Dangsa Island. To shoot down the helicopter from the ground, missiles or anti-aircraft guns were needed, but they also had to be in a position to shoot.

If the helicopter flew to Dangsa Island, it would need to refuel along the way, taking at least half a day.

“Can you connect to the Gwacheon Shelter now?”

“Yes, it connects via the jeep’s radio and relay towers.”

Major Cho Un handed Kwak Soohwan the radio.

“Gwacheon Shelter, do you read? This is Kwak Soohwan.”

The Gwacheon Shelter was still controlled by some of Kwak Soohwan’s S-class members and Emperor Penguin mercenaries.

“From now on, shoot down all helicopters visible in the sky. Launch all available emergency helicopters to pursue city military helicopters.”

Placing the radio back, they drove towards the 11-Green zone in Gwangju. This area, once a university campus, had been converted into an armory managing military weapons.

They could have boarded a helicopter elsewhere, but they needed to avoid chaos that could arise from conflicting with Gwacheon Shelter’s helicopters. While an aerial battle ensued above, they drove the jeep furiously along the ground. It had already been over two hours since they left the shelter.

Though worried about Seokhwa’s safety and feeling as if his head might explode, Kwak Soohwan knew he had to stay calm in such situations. Excitement could ruin everything. Still, the veins on his hands gripping the wheel were bulging as if about to burst.

“Identify yourself! Stop the vehicle!”

A guard post warned them as the city military jeep approached. Not slowing down, a soldier with a megaphone came out. Kwak Soohwan stepped on the gas, driving through. Shouts of “Intruder, stop them!” were followed by bullets hitting the jeep. Unfazed, he drove straight towards the watchtower from where the shots came.

Yang Sanghoon and Major Cho Un fired back at the watchtower, and as soon as they stopped the jeep, they started running up the five-story tower. They had to seize the watchtower first to take out the helicopter. Kwak Soohwan kicked the door open and fired his submachine gun inside. Bullets ricocheted, and screams followed. Yang Sanghoon, covering Kwak Soohwan, shouted at soldiers approaching from the stairs.

“If you don’t want to die, stay put! Think about the situation, damn it! The vaccine’s been developed, don’t you get it? What kind of undisciplined idiots point guns at their controllers? Who’s in charge here?”

Yang Sanghoon shouted, throwing down his dog tags. A lieutenant general aiming a pistol peeked out, nudging the tags with his foot before raising his voice.

“Is the vaccine real? Has Emperor Penguin taken over the city and the Master fled?”

“Yes! Are you deaf? Everything on the radio is true!”

While Yang Sanghoon and Cho Un dealt with the soldiers, Kwak Soohwan entered the watchtower, throwing down the anti-aircraft gun’s ammunition and firearms. He then picked up the receiver. With shelter phone numbers listed on the wall, he called Busan.

“If Lee Heechan is there, put him on.”

If he wasn’t in Busan, Kwak Soohwan planned to call Daegu next.

“This is Major Kwak Soohwan, now get Lee Heechan.”

He spoke quickly but with a threatening tone.

Upon hearing the name Kwak Soohwan, the person on the other end promptly connected the call to Lee Heechan, likely having been pre-informed.

“It’s me, Kwak Soohwan.”

“Did you send someone to Dangsa Island to kill Dr. Seok on Choi Hoeon’s orders?”

Kwak Soohwan’s harsh tone left Lee Heechan flabbergasted.

Did Seokhwa escape from Dangsa Island…?

“We’ve successfully seized the armory in Gwangju’s 11-Green Zone. I’m leaving Yang Sanghoon and Cho Un here. Send some soldiers over.”

“Damn it, I ordered all helicopters to be destroyed, so he must have moved by helicopter!”

Bang! A flash of lightning struck as if right in front of him.

Lee Heechan on the other end of the phone was equally stunned, reacting as if he was seeing what Kwak Soohwan was seeing. In the distance, a massive fireball shot into the sky and sizzled downward. The explosion was so intense that the sound was distinctly audible even from their far-off location.

“An unexplained explosion occurred in the 3 o’clock direction from the armory watchtower in Zone 11. I’m sending a fire suppression team immediately.”

Large explosions occurring in city centers suggest someone had planted bombs in advance.

“…The Eden Branch.”

Kwak Soohwan muttered.

Kwak Soohwan put down the receiver and picked up the watchtower’s loudspeaker.

“Listen up. The only remaining General of Rainbow City is General Park Woo-hwan, currently in the Busan Shelter. I’m relaying orders from General Park and the Controller. Explosions have occurred at Eden Branches across all regions, including our Gwangju area. Fire suppression teams should immediately move to the explosion sites, and Adam must be killed on sight. Remember, Adam must not infiltrate among the civilians heading to shelters. All members of Eden are to be arrested.”

He grabbed his gun and rushed down the stairs. Yang Sanghoon was talking with the armory manager.

“Major Yang, the mission to Dangsa Island is canceled. Soldiers from Busan will come to support, so guard the armory. Assemble and deploy fire suppression teams, and keep coordinating with Lee Heechan. I misunderstood him, so maintain our cooperation and stay in contact.”

“Hey, what about you?”

At that moment, the phone in the watchtower rang. Cho Un ran up to answer it, so Kwak Soohwan continued speaking.

“It seems Dr. Seok escaped Dangsa Island with the old man and Major Kim.”

“What?”

“They probably thought their location was compromised.”

“Then won’t they head to Busan after hearing the broadcast?”

“No, Dr. Seok is quite cautious, remember?”

He gave a bitter smile, thinking how it would be better if Dr. Seok was less cautious just for today. But he knew that Seokhwa wouldn’t fully trust Lee Heechan, so it was a foolish thought. Besides, it was unlikely that Seokhwa would head straight to Russia given the current situation.

If I were Seokhwa…

If he believed he was a host of the new mutated Adam virus, he would undoubtedly go somewhere with no people. A place he knew, close to Dangsa Island, and deserted.

“Heanam.”

“What?”

Yang Sanghoon was about to ask again when they were interrupted.

“Major!”

Cho Un shouted from the watchtower. Kwak Soohwan looked up to see him holding the receiver. If Cho Un was calling, it must be an urgent call. Kwak Soohwan quickly ran up the watchtower and took the receiver.

“This is Kwak Soohwan.”

“Old man?”

Kwak Soohwan couldn’t believe his ears for a moment.

“Are you in Busan right now? Where is Dr. Seok?”

“So where did you leave Dr. Seok?”

He couldn’t remain calm anymore.

“Put Major Kim on, quickly.”

The receiver was nearly crushed in Kwak Soohwan’s hand.

“Did you identify the attackers? Was it a helicopter with the Gwacheon Shelter mark?”

With a bang, he put down the receiver and ran straight to the Jeep.

“Hey! Kwak Soohwan!”

“I’m heading to Haenam. I’ll contact you if I find Dr. Seok. Keep cooperating with Lee Heechan.”

He reassured himself that Seokhwa, having experience with parachuting, would have landed safely. Without that thought, he felt his body might burst into flames. If Seokhwa was near Dalmasan, he might be heading to his stash. There, he could find enough food and weapons to survive for a while. If he could find a vehicle, he would drive there, trusting that Seokhwa would do the same. Searching for Seokhwa in such a limited yet vast area wouldn’t be easy.

***

“Huff, huff.”

Seokhwa was walking, panting heavily.

Had he ever sweated this much before? His clothes were soaked with sweat, never drying.

After the city helicopter attacked, he jumped out first, then saw the old man and Major Kim escape, but figured the distance would be too great to reunite with them via land.

He narrowly landed near Dalmasan, but the mountain was much farther than it looked. Seokhwa dragged his parachute to a nearby abandoned house to hide it. The pathfinding was made difficult by overgrown vines on neglected signposts. Still, he walked upward, feeling his throat dry and his lips and tongue crack.

Entering an abandoned countryside house, he looked around. There was no food, but luckily, there was a well. Rushing over, he looked down and saw it had long dried up, not even giving off a smell of water. The despair he felt was akin to seeing a mirage in the desert. The overwhelming helplessness made him want to lie down and sleep forever. His legs were heavy, and he had another nosebleed earlier.

With the vaccine developed, Rainbow City would thrive under Emperor Penguin’s care. If he just slept, everything would be easier. Lying on the floor and looking at the sky, he saw no stars. Dark clouds were covering even the moon.

Seokhwa.

He heard Kwak Soohwan’s voice. Knowing it couldn’t be, he managed to get up. Moving to the pump for groundwater, he pumped with all his strength. After dozens of tries, water finally poured out. Seokhwa drenched himself in the cold water, drinking until he choked and coughed, curling up on the ground.

Major, it’s too hard.

He fought back the weak words trying to escape. Entering the house again, he rummaged through the dusty, trash-covered floor. Coughing from the dust, he found two usable plastic containers. After rinsing them with water, he filled them up and sealed them. Putting the containers in his backpack, he wet his mouth again. He wanted to fill his stomach with water but knew it would hinder his walking.

With dark clouds fully covering the moon, it was pitch black. He pulled out a flashlight and a gun from his backpack, checking signposts several times. Hoping no wild animals or Adams would appear, he walked and walked.

The solitude of walking alone in a deserted city was overwhelming. It felt like he was the only one left in the world, making him want to aim the gun at his head. Each time, he turned on his phone to look at photos, then turned it off again. Any car he found was useless, as they were out of fuel.

Drinking water sparingly, Seokhwa finally reached the base of the mountain. An owl’s hoot from the mountain seemed to warn him not to enter. It’s okay, they’re just birds. Not wolves like in Russia.

Determined, he dimmed the flashlight as much as possible. Climbing cautiously to avoid tripping or rolling down, his pace was slow. What would take an hour on foot took Seokhwa two. He had to be careful not to injure himself and risk infecting others.

Did Kwak Soohwan hear the news? Would Lee Heechan really try to kill him? Where was Choi Hoeon? Seokhwa couldn’t sort out his thoughts as he kept his eyes forward, climbing the mountain. Taking a deep breath, he looked up and saw a faint light leaking from a container.

“!”

Shining the flashlight ahead, he saw the container that he thought he would never find—Kwak Soohwan’s container. He wanted to run and open the door and collapse into sleep, but his legs moved sluggishly. Seeing the lights on, it seemed Kwak Soohwan had arrived before him. Seokhwa felt a rush of relief, causing his breathing to become even more labored. His eyes kept welling up with tears, so he poured some water from his bottle over his head.

Major, I’m here. Soohwan, I’m here.

He wanted to call out but no sound came from his mouth. Seokhwa barely managed to reach for the container’s door handle. Just then, a rough engine noise filled his muffled ears. The blinding lights of a Jeep climbing through the grass made Seokhwa shield his eyes with his hand.

City military? How did they find this place? Seokhwa hurriedly turned the door handle to open it.

“Seokhwa!”

He heard the clear voice but not from inside the container. Seokhwa turned around in surprise and saw Kwak Soohwan jumping out of the Jeep.

This time, it’s not a mirage, right?

Major, it’s really you, right?

“Get away from there! Get away from Dr. Seok, damn it!”

He didn’t understand why Kwak Soohwan was angry, but his contorted face looked like he was about to cry. Seokhwa wanted to run to Kwak Soohwan, but his body wouldn’t move. No, someone was holding him back from behind.

The man holding Seokhwa was still smiling gently. The person inside the container was Choi Hoeon.

Seokhwa’s senses, which had been dulled as if covered by a film, began to sharpen. His dry throat stung with thirst. His senses heightened to the point where he could clearly see the sweat running down Kwak Soohwan’s cheek, even the gun pointed at him.

“How did you find this place?”

“At one point, I thought you had gone up to Russia and searched the whole country. I could have burned it all down, but I left it. Home is always home sweet home, right?”

Ignoring Choi Hoeon’s whispered words, Seokhwa subtly shifted the direction of his gun behind him. Kwak Soohwan, who couldn’t close the distance easily, didn’t take his eyes off Seokhwa.

“Major Kwak, you could become a part of our family. You have enough qualification. With my brother’s and my sacrifices, we are complete. Though I hate you, I can embrace you because I am the eldest son.”

“Ah!”

Choi Hoeon forcibly raised Seokhwa’s wrists to his chest. The gun, which had been aimed at Choi Hoeon’s thigh, was now pointed at Kwak Soohwan.

No…!

Click. Choi Hoeon pulled the trigger instead. Seokhwa tried to remove his finger from the trigger, but any wrong move could fire the gun at Kwak Soohwan.

In Kwak Soohwan’s world, there seemed to be only Seokhwa, as he continued to stare at him without blinking.

“There were explosions in the city. All Eden’s Garden branches have exploded, causing large fires. At this rate, the entire city will be engulfed in flames.”

How far was Choi Hoeon planning to go? Did he want to destroy the entire city? Seokhwa’s face twisted in pain.

“He doesn’t want to play family. He’s using it as an excuse to commit psycho acts.”

Thud, thud. Something fell onto Seokhwa’s shoulder. He thought it might be rain from the sky, but the drops were limited to his shoulder.

“Damn.”

Choi Hoeon was having a nosebleed.

“Are you infected…?”

Still looking at Kwak Soohwan, Seokhwa asked Choi Hoeon.

When Choi Hoeon was cooling down his fever and comforting him, there had indeed been a wound on Choi Hoeon’s forearm. It was only natural that Seokhwa’s blood had seeped into the bandage.

“But it’s progressing very slowly, thanks to those who sacrificed themselves for evolution.”

Choi Hoeon steadied the gun towards Kwak Soohwan, who had taken another step forward. It felt like he might end up shooting Kwak Soohwan with his own hand.

How did things end up like this? If he had climbed up a little later, could he have met Kwak Soohwan first? If he hadn’t gone to the container, he wouldn’t have been caught by Choi Hoeon.

Seokhwa had never felt such a deep, bitter curse of his own helplessness.

Why don’t I have the strength to push Choi Hoeon away?

A long-dormant sense of inferiority began to swell within Seokhwa. He had envied the physical prowess of soldiers and had lived alone to avoid being burdened or judged. Did I choose to be born this way? The reality of being unable to resist, even when he might have to shoot the person he loved, felt incredibly unfair.

“You must be wondering how to get out of this situation, Major Kwak. It’s something you’ve never had to deal with. But poor Dr. Seok, my brother, wants to escape the pain in his body but lacks the strength.”

Choi Hoeon pressed harder, making sure the gun was firmly aimed at Kwak Soohwan.

“Listen, Doctor. To make Major Kwak, the city did all sorts of vile things to your body. I was the first, and then it was my brother. If things had been as they should, my brother wouldn’t be suffering and weak like this.”

“Dr. Seok, you know that guy’s insane, right?”

Kwak Soohwan’s eyes were fierce, urging Seokhwa not to listen to any of it and to focus only on him.

“My father said Dr. Seok was free from the Adam virus from the beginning. But he was only immune to the Adam virus. Major Kwak’s parents used Dr. Seok as a test subject without our mother’s knowledge. They experimented on him to create the perfect child. If it weren’t for Major Kwak and his parents, Dr. Seok would have been able to walk, run, and be healthier than anyone else.”

The snake whispered.

“Do you envy his perfect body? It wouldn’t have been possible without our sacrifices.”

Seokhwa looked back at Choi Hoeon and then towards Kwak Soohwan. His eyes were genuinely shaken with anxiety. Like those who succumbed to the serpent’s temptation to eat the forbidden fruit, Seokhwa, too, opened his ears.

“Is it true?”