A mountain path in Segwang Metropolitan City.
Ryu Jaegwan panted, watching the person racing ahead of him.
The person on the bike… no, the 'Agent,' was making astonishingly fast and clear judgments, leading him onward.
"Hoo-wook."
They were now straight-up trekking through the mountains.
To be precise, they were taking a shortcut through a residential area, using a well-maintained mountain trail to avoid populated districts.
[Walking Trail & Rest Area]
The path was just maintained enough that a mountain bike wasn't strictly necessary.
The Counselor was perched on the back of the leading Agent's bike, while Ryu Jaegwan, on a bike he clearly wasn't used to, doggedly followed behind.
The Agent occasionally checked on his condition but didn't slow down. He could sense the man's will to escape the danger as quickly as possible.
He was calm and resolute, even in this surreally chilling and urgent situation straight out of a disaster movie.
But…
"Jaegwan, be careful!"
How on earth does he know me?
He was an orphan with no connections.
Then why is he trying to rescue me?
Something, whether it was anticipation or fear, stirred in his chest. A strange thrill rose through the fear of this extraordinary, extreme situation where he could die at any moment.
It was the admiration of a teenager.
The excitement of being given a special role.
But the situation was too dire for that feeling to come to the forefront.
Beeeep!
"…!"
"Turning!"
The moment the Disaster Alert sounded again, the bike in front swerved sharply.
Ryu Jaegwan hurriedly followed.
But he felt a sudden chill at the fact that he had almost let go of the handlebars to grab his phone and check the message.
This impulse was getting stronger and stronger….
And after who knows how long of riding.
"Let's, hoo, take a short break over there."
They stopped in front of a sign for a rest area.
Ryu Jaegwan reflexively scanned the interior.
The rest area, located midway up the mountain path, was a cabin. A small, flat clearing had been made around it, enclosed by a fence.
In a corner, through a crevice between rocks, he could see a water faucet shaped like a wooden sculpture and a small spring of collected water below it.
[Rest Stop Mineral Spring (Washing Prohibited)]
Following the Agent, Ryu Jaegwan dismounted and walked his bike, trailing him toward the entrance of the rest area cabin….
He heard the Counselor whisper softly.
"There are other people inside the cabin."
…!
"They're watching us from the window. …I don't think their intentions are very good. Don't look."
Ryu Jaegwan almost turned to look at the window. A cold sweat trickled down his temple.
…He could almost feel a sinister gaze scanning the bicycles, his group's builds, their luggage.
Just then, a calm voice, catching its breath, spoke from beside him.
"I wasn't planning on going in, anyway…. It's not good to be indoors if we need to move right away. Let's just sit outside the rest area for a moment. There's a mineral spring here."
The Agent's composed voice soothed the teenager's bristling tension.
"Are you all right, Jaegwan?"
"...Yes."
After checking on Ryu Jaegwan with a faint smile, the adults began to converse with grim faces.
"It's only been an hour since the disaster began, and there are already people thinking extreme thoughts…."
"No one's a hero in the face of death. They must have realized right away that this is no ordinary event, so it's to be expected."
They must have been talking about the 'people with bad intentions' inside the cabin.
Ryu Jaegwan swallowed.
But the Agent who looked back at him appeared unfazed, simply patting the spot next to him as if to reassure him.
Amidst his black hair, his eyes were placid.
As if he had been through this kind of thing countless times.
Unaware of the internal screams this person called an Agent was letting out, Ryu Jaegwan simply felt a slight sense of relief and sat down beside him.
And as they caught their breath, they began to talk about the situation.
"That alarm from earlier… it was probably for the area below the mountain, not the path itself. We should be safe here for a while. We don't know when we'll get another chance, so let's get some water and nutrition in us now."
The Agent took an empty plastic bottle from his backpack, filled it with water from the spring, and offered it to the Counselor.
The Counselor refused, but eventually, at the Agent's insistence, took a sip or two and popped a piece of candy into his mouth.
Then the Agent asked him.
"You said you were going to the station."
"Yes."
"You said there's a way to end this disaster… so where exactly in the subway are you trying to go?"
"I'm trying to get to Segwang Station."
At that, a flicker of agitation showed on the Agent's calm face.
Why?
"Counselor. The origin of this disaster is Segwang City Hall. That's right near Segwang Station."
Ah.
"You're saying you want to walk into a blazing inferno during a fire. With no manual, no basic equipment, in the middle of a newly occurred, large-scale disaster."
The Agent then paused, swallowed, and spoke.
Ryu Jaegwan somehow thought it seemed a little intentional, as if to build a sense of crisis.
"And this is no ordinary disaster. I… I think this is at least a Wave-form, or in the worst-case scenario…."
"I know."
The Counselor's slightly anxious voice was heard.
"That's why I have to be faster. And don't worry. I have my own methods."
Then, the Counselor suddenly held out an empty candy wrapper to them, as if showing it off.
And he clenched his hand shut so they couldn't see the contents, then opened it.
And then.
Sparkle.
Small, red, bead-like things poured from inside the candy wrapper onto his palm.
"…!!"
"Like magic, isn't it?"
They were small, ripened red berries.
"They're the fruit of a plant called the Fox Bead, Jaegwan."
Speaking with a hint of affection, the Counselor held the small berries and smiled, looking somewhat mischievous.
"If you eat this, you'll be fine for a while. You won't be mesmerized by the Disaster Alerts. …I can't guarantee you'll be completely safe, though, so we should get out of here as fast as possible."
As he said this, the Counselor's eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment, as if looking at the empty space where his right hand, which had melted and been cut off, used to be. But he quickly smiled again and held out the berries.
"Go on."
Ryu Jaegwan glanced at the Agent, and when he nodded, he took the berries.
He'd thought it when the security guard turned into a monster and he'd stuck his hand in, and when he'd cut that hand off.
The Counselor doesn't seem like an ordinary person….
....
Wait a minute, did my school even have a counselor?
…Was he a person like that?
A faint sense of unease arose, but his young, dynamic mind soon erased it.
Because the Counselor's next words followed.
"So, you two should eat this and go somewhere safe."
"..."
"I'm so grateful just for you taking me to the station. As for you, Agent… you should rescue those who want to be rescued."
The Agent's mouth fell shut.
Ryu Jaegwan studied his face.
Just as he felt a fierce conflict of thoughts flash across that face.
"Thank you."
A composed voice was heard.
"Jaegwan."
"…Yes?"
"We'll just take this person to the station, and then we'll continue along the mountain path until we reach a stream. That area has few people, so it'll be relatively safe."
The Agent's voice was gentle as his eyes met his.
"We can use that path to get out of this city. I'll go with you until you're safely out of the disaster, so don't worry."
"..."
In that moment, Ryu Jaegwan realized.
This Agent just gave something up for me.
"…Then are you also leaving with me, Agent?"
"That's the plan for now."
Ryu Jaegwan opened his mouth.
"That's a lie, isn't it?"
"...!"
"It looks like you'll help me escape, and then come right back here…. Didn't you say there were other people to rescue?"
"..."
"I want to accompany you."
"What did you say?"
Ryu Jaegwan said firmly.
"You don't need to send me out alone. Isn't that a huge waste of time?"
"…!!"
That was clearly something that weighed on the Agent's mind.
As the Agent's expression changed, Ryu Jaegwan felt a sense of relief.
Willpower was overriding fear.
"Since every second counts, you don't need to look after me separately until you find others to rescue. I'm… physically strong, and I can do whatever you ask without complaint."
"No,"
The Agent's face hardened, then he let out a sigh. The high schooler's heart lurched at that, but the Agent looked at him with an expression that somehow said, 'I knew this would happen.'
…How?
"First of all…."
The moment the Agent opened his mouth.
"Hey, you there!"
…!
His gaze shifted to the unfamiliar voice.
…A pair of eyes appeared through the half-open door of the cabin.
As Ryu Jaegwan shot to his feet in alarm.
"You not coming in?"
The door opened further, revealing a middle-aged man in ordinary hiking clothes.
"The situation outside doesn't look normal, so come on in! It's better to be even a little safer."
Ah.
'He was trying to help.'
The high schooler felt a moment of relief, but.
The two adults pushed the high schooler behind them, assuming a strange, guarded stance.
'…!'
"It's all right. We were just about to leave."
"Leave? I heard there was a terror attack at City Hall. Are you going to a shelter?"
And then he glanced over.
"Riding those would be fast, but wouldn't it be better to eat something first? Take a cup of ramen with you. We have some inside."
But as he spoke words of feigned concern, his eyes, which naturally fell upon the bicycles, held a look of greed.
And so, Ryu Jaegwan realized it too.
He's after the bikes.
When the roads are blocked, there's no better means of transportation.
Just as he was about to speak, a sudden sense of alarm rising in him.
"Agent…."
"Agent?"
The middle-aged man's eyes in the cabin scanned the Agent's jacket, and his expression changed as if he recognized it was a uniform.
"Hey, are you a public official?"
Oops.
"Police? Or military?"
He could hear other people getting up and murmuring inside the cabin.
Ryu Jaegwan gritted his teeth, but the Agent smiled and said.
"Hmm. Something like that, but… we're not on official duty. We don't have any support from our organization, either."
And he patted Ryu Jaegwan's back.
"I'm just with my little brother."
…!
"We're not going to a shelter, we're trying to get out of the city."
"Hey, wait a minute."
"The situation isn't great, so it would be best for you all to get out of this city too, in a direction where there are no people. Well then, we'll be on our way."
"Me too."
The two adults stealthily backed away, then climbed onto their bikes.
"Jaegwan!"
Without delay, Ryu Jaegwan grabbed his bike and started pedaling like mad.
"Hey!"
Glancing back, he saw people rushing out of the cabin door, holding hiking poles and what looked like wire cables.
Chilled to the bone, he pedaled harder.
Soon, the sound of the pursuers' footsteps faded into the distance.
"Jaegwan, the berries!"
"Ah…!"
Ryu Jaegwan hurriedly tossed the berries, which had been nearly crushed in his fist, into his mouth, his heart pounding.
Somehow, amidst the faint fear and disgust, he felt a dim sense of pleasure.
It was a sense of belonging.
* * *
Whoa, that was a close call.
I clicked my tongue and quickly pumped my legs harder.
'Those people looked like they were about to tie us up and steal our bikes.'
[It seems a B-grade thriller movie scenario was about to be screened this afternoon. How about the title 'The Cabin Murders'? The trite and base nature of it would be a perfect fit!]
Hahaha….
Hoo.
From behind my head, I heard the Counselor's voice.
"You're a flexible Agent. Some of the agents I know might have tried to persuade those people to be rescued, no matter what."
Ah.
"I've found that it's sometimes necessary to acknowledge the limits of what you can do. I've decided to rescue the people I can rescue within my reach."
"…I see."
"Are you disappointed?"
"No."
The Counselor's gaze was somewhat proud.
"I'm glad you seem to have found a good way to not harm your mental health."
"..."
What on earth could have happened to make this person's buttons get mashed like crazy by the Disaster Management Bureau's selection process….
'This is driving me crazy.'
I wonder if taking him to the subway station like this is really the right thing to do.
A feeling that went beyond bitterness, almost to despair, washed over me. I held back a sigh and pedaled again.
The Counselor clinging to my back was strangely light, and the bicycle zipped along, approaching the subway station.
Ju-i Station
The station name was different from that of the mutated subway station I had experienced.
But I could make a rough guess.
'…A broadcasting station.'
A huge local broadcasting station building was visible near the station.
Afternoon Station (Blood Broadcasting Station)
The subway station that was connected to the Segwang Metropolitan City local broadcasting station.
In this station, a temporary stage was set up in the concourse in conjunction with the broadcasting station, where citizen choirs or orchestras would sometimes perform.
I could clearly recall the contents of the Wiki I had read back then.
'This station is in almost the exact opposite location from Segwang Station.'
Fortunately, since it was far away, the chaos hadn't reached the same level as the disaster's origin point. It was a location that the 'entities' moving on foot from City Hall along the main road had not yet been able to reach.
'It was a good idea to take a shortcut through the mountains by bike.'
But the vicinity was already desolate, as if everyone had evacuated.
There were almost no pedestrians on the streets to begin with. Only a few people moving with quick steps, as if fleeing.
"..."
I looked at Ryu Jaegwan, who was stubbornly wearing a 'there's no way I'm leaving alone' expression, and held back a sigh.
This one's driving me crazy, too.
'Let's think while I escort the Counselor inside the subway station.'
In truth, the inside of the subway was a space that the disaster breaking out outside couldn't reach, so there was a high probability that Segwang Station was also in a relatively intact state.
'It might even be safer than when I visited.'
Whether I could safely get out of this city was also an issue, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to check for more information before making a move.
I suppressed my anxious heart.
'Hoo.'
I first stopped in front of the subway station entrance and collected the bicycles.
"Give it to me."
I stuffed both bikes right into my tattoo.
"…!!"
"Shh."
The high schooler Bronze nodded vigorously. His eyes had doubled in size.
After checking our surroundings, I started heading down through subway exit 3.
The exit, thankfully, had not yet been sealed off.
"..."
It felt strange to be entering the subway again.
And the subway I entered was….
"What do we do??"
"Mom's not answering her phone…."
"Aaaaaaaah!"
I found out where the people who had disappeared from the streets had gone.
"We're all going to die! They say this is a virus terror attack!"
"All paramedics are dead? Is this for real?"
"This video from just now…. Look at that, is that real? Is this really happening at City Hall?"
The concourse was swarming with civilians who had flocked to the subway station as a makeshift shelter.
It was a pandemonium, filled with the panicked testimonies of people who had fled from other stations.
The panic was intensifying with all sorts of rumors: that we were all already infected by biochemical terrorism, that a war had broken out and a nuke would be launched soon, and so on….
In one corner, someone was fighting to the death while others tried to stop them.
Another person was wandering around barefoot, muttering something….
'Dammit.'
It was a chilling situation.
We hurriedly tried to get away from the people in the concourse and head down to the platform.
"What's your plan?"
"I was thinking of taking the outer circle line…."
But the platform for the outer circle line was already blocked.
…Just like when I had explored the subway stations.
[Hoh, so it was already impossible from day one!]
"It's not in service! Go back!"
Station employees were blocking the way, controlling the crowd. Dammit!
We hurriedly ran back to the opposite platform.
"It's a circle line anyway, so it's fine to take the opposite direction. It'll just be a little more troublesome…."
"..."
I realized something.
In fact, taking the inner circle line would get us to Segwang Station a tiny bit faster.
Because there were fewer stations to Segwang Station.
But to insist on taking the opposite direction….
My gaze fell on the machine room on the platform across the tracks, where passage was restricted.
"By any chance, is the place you're trying to go… a facility on the opposite platform?"
"...!"
A Cheerful Research Institute facility.
For a moment, a chilling and bizarre look appeared in the Counselor's eyes as he stared at me.
An observing gaze.
"…Why do you think so?"
"..."
"What kind of facility… do you think is there…?"
At that moment.
The train is now approaching.
"…!"
A train began to pull into the platform. Beyond the platform screen doors, the train rushed in, stirring up a gust of wind before coming to a stop.
And then….
The platform screen doors are opening.
Some of the people who had been packed inside the train spilled out as if they were being pushed. I could see people who, despite struggling not to get off, were near the door and were shoved over….
"Aaaargh!"
"Help me!"
As soon as they got off the train, several people collapsed, covered in wounds.
From those clinging to each other and crying, to those who could barely move their bodies.
It was a scene of utter pandemonium.
'I'm supposed to get on the train in the middle of this?'
"Counselor!"
Thankfully, the Counselor, with all traces of his strange demeanor gone, was pushing through the crowd and approaching the subway train. I was gritting my teeth, debating whether or not to follow him.
'Should I just… check out the Cheerful Research Institute at this station instead?'
What on earth would it look like right now?
As I glanced at the opposite track, then back at Ryu Jaegwan….
In that brief moment the doors were open, as I was fiercely and rapidly deliberating.
"Ugh…."
…I saw another group of people getting off the train.
Among them, there was a familiar face.
A cool, pale face with sharp features.
It was Assistant Manager Eun Haje.
"…!!"
I stopped in my tracks reflexively.
"Agent…!"
With her hair, longer than I remembered, tied back tightly in a ponytail, Assistant Manager Eun Haje was being carried off the train on someone's back, unconscious.
"Reporter!"
"What do we do..."
The faces of the people who appeared to be her colleagues were stained with blood and sweat.
And then I realized.
"Huuuhng…."
She wasn't unconscious.
She was dead.
Eun Haje had already stopped breathing.