Rainbow City

“Actually, I don’t really care about evolution or reform.” Serpent glanced back at the Major, blood pouring from his widened wound. He was slowly dying, yet his eyes seemed to disbelieve his own death, staring blankly. The woman rummaged through the drawer and took out a box containing surgical thread. Choi Hoeon, who received the sterilized sutures, showed the box to the Major. Hope began to dawn in the dead fish-like eyes. Choi Hoeon checked his watch.

“Major, we’re going to suture now. Have I been too harsh? Hang on just a little longer.”

But the strength seemed to drain from the Major’s mouth, which was covered by gloves. The focus of his pupils vanished, and it was now impossible to know where he was looking. With a mournful expression, Choi Hoeon gently closed the eyes of the man who had died.

“Mother, he carried hope with him into the world.”

“Yes, I saw the last glimmer of hope too. No matter how much he lived for Rainbow City, he departed with hope, and he will rest in the embrace of the four rivers.”

The woman placed her hand on her heart and meditated briefly for the Major. Choi Hoeon turned the Major’s body on the surgical table.

“Moreover, Major Kwak Soohwan said he needs a helicopter.”

A helicopter?

Choi Hoeon turned around with a puzzled expression.

***

Seokhwa watched Kwak Soohwan, who was busy moving around.

Kwak Soohwan cooked instant noodles in the pot on the stove and even made rice. Seokhwa scooped up rice with a spoon, his stomach still feeling hot, having to crouch down several times.

“Still hurting even though you’ve taken everything out?”

“It’s not that painful.”

“See, I had a reason for not packing you into the chalet.”

Why is he so confident? Although it wasn’t wrong, Seokhwa stirred his spoon again.

“What do you think of Major Kwak if I go to Udo Island?”

“When did I say Udo? I said Jeju Island.”

Kwak Soohwan sat down in a folding chair and loaded ammunition into the handgun Seokhwa could use.

“Udo is part of Jeju Island.”

“That was back in the day. Now it’s a different area.”

“But it’s still part of Jeju.”

“Yeah, maybe. Jeju Island must be as big as Major Kwak’s… never mind, not important.”

Seokhwa’s words were preempted by Kwak Soohwan. He stood up with the gun and placed it on the mat where Seokhwa was sitting.

“It’s for emergencies.”

Seokhwa placed the pot he was holding on the floor with both hands.

“If not Udo, where in Jeju should I go?”

“To a safe house.”

The safest area in Rainbow City is still Jeju Island.

While the confrontation between First and Second reached its peak, Seokhwa thought he could hide out on Jeju Island, and I planned to assist in defeating Second and act as a close aide to First afterward. It was a plan set for the next ten years, but with Seokhwa appearing, it was just a little faster. All the rotten parts of Rainbow City must be cut out. Even if it means building a new city.

“Why?”

“Why? Because Dr. Seok said it’s safe.”

“Stay there indefinitely?”

Kwak Soohwan also plopped down beside Seokhwa.

“It’s dangerous outside. It’s better to lay low until the Master vote is over.”

Anyone qualified can run for Master in Rainbow City, but no one ran recklessly. It’s because they couldn’t get more votes than the current Masters who are already well-known. However, if one of them is eliminated or encounters a problem, new candidates can become Masters. The candidates for the election have not been confirmed yet.

“If one of them fails the Master candidate evaluation or has a problem, a new candidate could become the Master, right?”

Kwak Soohwan paused, about to kiss Seokhwa’s lips.

“Probably.”

“Who’s going to run for Master?”

Seokhwa looked at Kwak Soohwan with a skeptical gaze. Only those from prestigious families can run for Master, but it was already known that Choi Hoeon was Serpent. Whether there would be superiors who would believe this fact was uncertain.

Even if Kwak Soohwan’s controller unit or Major Colonel testified, there was no solid evidence to prove that Choi Hoeon was Serpent. Furthermore, Kwak Soohwan, who had hidden Seokhwa, who was suspected as an immune, couldn’t rule out the possibility of being branded as a rebel.

“Surely Dr. Choi Hoeon wouldn’t run for candidacy, right?”

“That would be the worst-case scenario, but Second isn’t an easy opponent, even though First is unknown. If Choi Hoeon runs, there will be suspicions from the start. And not just him, there will be eyes waiting for First and Second to fight each other.”

According to the Unified Nation law, there must be two Masters. Seokhwa suddenly remembered what Dr. Kim had said.

“I managed to get in touch with a friend in the China branch today. He said that Adam is still in the 7th stage mutation, right? Suddenly losing contact with other countries… We’re isolated since the 7th stage mutation began, do you know that?”

Seokhwa moved closer to Kwak Soohwan.

“Whose side are you on, Major Kwak?”

Kwak Soohwan chuckled at what that meant.

“I’m not on anyone’s side. Still, I don’t think the current regime in Rainbow City is normal. We need to overhaul it. That way, my brothers won’t be harmed… But for now, Dr. Seok’s safety is top priority.”

Kwak Soohwan gently wiped Seokhwa’s serious face. He said he wouldn’t side with Eden or First or Second. Aren’t the opponents too formidable to fight alone? If possible, Seokhwa also wanted to help. That way, even if a cure is developed, it can be provided to people without restrictions.

“Dr. Kim mentioned it before. He said there was no contact with other countries. We’ve been isolated since the 7th stage mutation began.”

That was a fact even Kwak Soohwan didn’t know.

“There was suspicion that the higher-ups were behind the 7th stage mutation, right?”

“They said they were using Adam themselves. But maybe… This 7th stage mutation wasn’t the doing of the higher-ups.”

“What?”

“Serpent told me he would destroy Rainbow City. Surely there will be followers of Eden within the shelters, but that alone won’t be enough. Saying a new religion will destroy a city belonging to the Unified Nation… It’s essentially saying that.”

“It could happen if the Unified Nation abandons us.”

Seokhwa nodded slowly.

“And the point where the 7th stage mutation was first discovered…”

Kwak Soohwan noticed why Seokhwa was suspicious. The place where the 7th stage mutation Adam was first discovered was the area where Dr. Seok’s mansion was located.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Seokhwa’s shoulders jerked at the sound of banging on the iron door. Kwak Soohwan reassured him that everything was okay and patted his back.

“Hey, come out!”

The familiar voice flowed through the closed iron door.

“Is it Major Lee Chaeyoon?”

“You’re here sooner than expected.”

Kwak Soohwan gently kissed Seokhwa’s cheek and checked the newly wrapped bandages on his arm before putting on a shirt. Seokhwa also changed into a pair of military trousers.

“You called me, but where did you go?!”

Lee Chaeyoon seemed to be trying to open the door by force, causing a creaking sound. Kwak Soohwan walked over and opened the iron door wide. Lee Chaeyoon just threw the upper part of a backpack she was carrying inside.

“Is Dr. Seok okay!?”

Seokhwa was also relieved to see her running towards them. After exchanging nods of greeting, fortunately, she didn’t seem to have any injuries.

“Are you okay, Major? I was worried too.”

“I’ll be fine wherever I go. I’m more worried about the Doctor.”

“How did you get here?”

“My mom told me to come here.”

As she spoke, she smiled and unfolded the V-sign. Kwak Soohwan widened the mouth of the backpack she had laid down.

“Are there people following you?”

“Of course not. Yang Sanghoon’s kid is waiting in Gwacheon. Major Cha said to give this to you.”

Kwak Soohwan looked down at the folded paper.

[Im Sangmu, Favor]

“What does that mean?”

In preparation for the fight between Second and First, Kwak Soohwan’s contact was none other than Lee Chaeyoon’s family. As a prestigious family adept at tightrope walking, they didn’t side with anyone for now, but if either First or Second fell, there was a possibility of siding with a new force. And if that new force became them, it would be the ultimate prize.

“What are you talking about, kid?”

“I don’t feel like explaining. Dr. Seok, take this.”

What Kwak Soohwan took out of the backpack was a bulletproof vest. Seokhwa put on the vest that was handed to him, slipping his arms through the openings. Kwak Soohwan suddenly burst into laughter.

“Not right now, wear it when we’re actually on the move.”

The vest was already heavy enough to weigh down his shoulders. Seokhwa took off the vest and neatly placed it on the mat.

“What are you really thinking?”

Although Lee Chaeyoon had known Kwak Soohwan for a long time, there had been times when she couldn’t understand his actions.

“I’m thinking of surviving.”

“Everyone heard the rumor that you flew away with Seokhwa Doctor. They’re all going crazy looking for you, you know?”

As expected, Seokhwa thought Kwak Soohwan had suffered because of him.

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll go straight to First after going to Jeju Island.”

“Jeju Island?!”

“You take this and go back to Yeouido.”

What Kwak Soohwan handed over were a few bandages stained with Seokhwa’s blood.

“Tell Major Chaeyoon not to do anything until she sends an encrypted radio message. You’ve been through a lot coming here.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. How are we going to Jeju Island? Are we going to swim?”

“Speak reasonably. We’re going by helicopter.”

He packed the bag full of medications like hemostatic agents and painkillers, along with emergency rations and water. Not only Lee Chaeyoon, but also Seokhwa, was surprised by Kwak Soohwan’s words.

“A helicopter?”

Seokhwa asked.

“Yeah, a helicopter.”

“Oh… you crazy bastard. Ah! You’re really! You son of a bitch!”

As if suddenly remembering something, Lee Chaeyoon flailed around like having a seizure.

“I lost the helicopter! You damn asshole! Do you know how much trouble I got in with my mom because of that?!”

Lee Chaeyoon had every reason to be angry.

When they were assigned to the Yeouido Invincible Unit from the provinces, there was a time when two helicopters were provided by Lee Chaeyoon’s family. One day, they took the helicopters out to respond to an urgent request from the province, but they crash-landed in an unknown mountain. It was Kwak Soohwan who piloted the helicopter.

Since they had to urgently go to the area where Adam had appeared in large numbers, they had abandoned the car and moved on, but when they tried to find the helicopter later, they couldn’t find it anywhere. Kwak Soohwan also couldn’t figure out its location at all.

“We’ll find it later, we’ll find it later.”

When Lee Chaeyoon clenched her fists, Kwak Soohwan gave an excuse that didn’t sound like an excuse.

“But thanks to that helicopter, Dr. Seok was able to safely go to Jeju Island, so it’s a good thing.”

Kwak Soohwan put on a training suit top over his head and zipped up the zipper.

“Major Kwak Soohwan.”

Seokhwa blocked Kwak Soohwan as he was about to go outside.

“Yeah?”

“Let’s go to Udo.”

Kwak Soohwan put on a stern expression that was clearly visible. But Seokhwa’s face was not resigned like it was last night.

“We can’t go to Udo.”

“I have a plan.”

“Everyone has plans. I don’t know what Dr. Seok is thinking, but Udo is out of the question.”

Seokhwa pondered how to persuade Kwak Soohwan.

There was a possibility that the Second Master would use him as an experimental subject, but he wouldn’t be foolish enough to blindly walk into a trap. It was more likely that they would use his blood to research the Adam virus rather than forcibly conducting human experiments.

It was Second who proposed building Mothers in each shelter and presenting the issue of preventing human experimentation. Then wouldn’t it be better to go to Udo rather than blindly avoiding Second? Moreover, there was a high probability that Rainbow City was not the one that produced the 7th generation Adam, so Seokhwa was also curious.

“Major Kwak, were you on the side of the Second Master?”

“I don’t want to keep picking sides. I wasn’t on anyone’s side.”

“There must have been a reason why you, as a Major, joined hands with Second instead of First.”

Seokhwa came off as firm, but Kwak Soohwan didn’t back down.

“Even if I caught them back then, it’s not the same now. Listen to me this time.”

“I met a Serpent in Eden Estate. Since the Second Master also wants to destroy Eden Estate, wouldn’t it be better for me, who knows the Serpent, to mediate and assist Major Kwak Soohwan? And the easiest way to lift the warrant for Major Kwak is for me to go to Second.”

“Are you trying to jump into the action after taking the wheel and play spy? I’ll handle the physical stuff, so for now, stay out of sight.”

Seokhwa looked over at the sound of someone munching on ramen. Lee Chaeyoon watched their argument with an interested expression. She chuckled as she sucked on the ramen powder stuck on her thumb.

“Just carry Doctor around in your mouth.”

Kwak Soohwan put on a serious expression, saying it wasn’t a joking matter.

“What’s the exact reason for trying to take Doctor away from Second?”

“It’s obvious they want to use him as a test subject.”

“But didn’t the Second Master prohibit human experimentation?”

“That was just a show to gain support.”

“I’m not sure about that, but outwardly, our family seems to lean towards the First line, but in reality, my mom prefers the Second much more.”

“What your mom prefers, I don’t need to know. Don’t interfere.”

“You’re such an annoying, stubborn bastard. I don’t even know what you’re thinking, but I’m still helping.”

Lee Chaeyoon scooped up the remaining ramen from the bag like a forklift.

“I’ll just move with Doctor. No matter how much you say Second, they can’t just mess with our family. And what Doctor says is right. If you want to move freely, you need to lift the warrant first.”

Seokhwa’s eyes widened. It was when he was about to refuse, fearing that Lee Chaeyoon might be in danger.

“Then report every hour.”

“Make it every three hours. I also have something my mom asked me to do, so I think it’s better to go to Udo for this reason.”

“Asked you to do what?”

Lee Chaeyoon brushed off the remaining ramen into the bag and avoided answering.

“I’ll find out what your family’s intentions are, but for now, I’ll hold off and see if throwing a few inducement newspapers can do the trick.”

Kwak Soohwan gauged the strength of the wind as he opened the iron gate and stood outside. Even though it was a military helicopter, it was not easy to take off in such strong winds. They had planned to bring the helicopter here and attempt to land, but it seemed like everyone needed to move. Seokhwa also knew that, hence he was wearing the bulletproof vest that he had taken off.

“We need to climb about another 20 minutes from here. Is that okay?”

“If it takes us 20 minutes on foot, Doctor will take an hour, right?”

“I’ll follow along.”

Seokhwa inserted the gun Kwak Soohwan had handed him into his holster.

Kwak Soohwan, seeing Seokhwa arming himself, understood the feeling of a parent sending their child on their first errand. It was impressive, but worry overshadowed it. Even when driving, Seokhwa seemed to have a serious expression.

Having spent his life confined to a laboratory and never experiencing an active lifestyle due to weak physical condition, Seokhwa seemed more energetic now than usual, perhaps because he was being chased.

Back inside, Kwak Soohwan tossed a submachine gun to Lee Chaeyoon. He also grabbed his own gun and holstered it on his thigh. After testing the mobility by moving his legs, he slung the backpack over his shoulder. Seokhwa also packed a few bottles of water into a small backpack, and another gun was stuck in the storage net. After extinguishing the fire of the stove and looking around, they were ready to go out.

Lee Chaeyoon went out first, followed by Seokhwa, and finally Kwak Soohwan came out and locked the iron gate.

“Help Dr. Seok up.”

“I’ll walk by myself.”

Seokhwa exhaled a white breath, indicating that if he had stored his energy well, and the thick mountain wind shook his head, making it sway.

“It’s better for you to be carried than to walk since we won’t be following a path.”

The mountain, devoid of people’s footsteps, had long since deteriorated its hiking trails. They literally had to climb up a wild mountain. Seokhwa looked up, then reluctantly turned towards Kwak Soohwan’s back. He had already put the backpack on the front. Lowering his body to make it easier to carry, Seokhwa wrapped his arms around Kwak Soohwan’s neck.

“Are you okay inside?”

“I’m fine, not feeling nauseous.”

“It’s not about that. Are you not hurting inside?”

“I’m okay.”

There was occasional discomfort in his buttocks and abdomen, but it wasn’t unbearable.

“Major, follow us.”

“I’m already coming.”

Lee Chaeyoon tightly tied the laces of her military boots. Kwak Soohwan rolled his leg once in place and then looked back. There was no pursuit, but he had a feeling someone might be following. They were the only ones around, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the branches.

“Dr. Seok.”

“I’ve got a tight grip.”

Seeing that Seokhwa didn’t just lift him once or twice, a smile spread across his face.

Kwak Soohwan firmly grasped Seokhwa’s thigh and started climbing the mountain. Even though they said it would take 20 minutes, he planned to shorten it much more. He ran up quickly, using the rocks embedded in the ground to prevent slipping.

Turning his legs so they wouldn’t get caught on the tangled dry branches, and Lee Chaeyoon was following closely behind. Seokhwa clenched his teeth to prevent them from chattering. While the scenery of the mountain passed by swiftly, Kwak Soohwan occasionally looked back and surveyed the surroundings. Whenever there was a hint of human presence, startled birds would fly up.

Before reaching the summit of the mountain, Kwak Soohwan suddenly turned right and started walking. White breaths kept emanating from his mouth without a break. As he pushed aside the barren branches with his hands, he finally set Seokhwa down. Having cut almost half the time, he took a deep breath.

“I was worried we might get lost.”

Of course, there was no such possibility, so he laughed confidently.

Behind a large rock towering up, a space resembling a courtyard emerged. In the center, a large body covered in soil and dry leaves was visible. Lee Chaeyoon approached the helicopter and brushed off the dusty door with her hand. Lo and behold, the mark depicting the profile of an emperor penguin was revealed. It was the mark of Lee Chaeyoon’s family.

“Damn it.”

He cursed more incredulously upon seeing it with his own eyes.

“After we’re done, let’s just dump it on the road.”

Kwak Soohwan opened the helicopter door and checked the interior. Unlike the exposed exterior covered in dirt and dust, the inside was relatively clean. He hung the backpack on the seat, then looked at Seokhwa, who was gaping in amazement.

“Please, Dr. Seok, have a seat.”

He pointed to the back seat. It was larger than a small helicopter, with the back part being elongated, and the seats were arranged sideways. There was also a belt in front of the door so that soldiers could use firearms from the air.

Seokhwa climbed into the back seat and sat down. It was Kwak Soohwan who had climbed up, but surprisingly, his heart was pounding wildly. Kwak Soohwan leaned forward in front of Seokhwa, telling him not to be tense, and then bent down.

“Spread your legs.”