Chapter 26: Who on Earth is She?
*
After spending a day in Deokcheon, South Pyongan Province, they finally encountered the first village inhabited by people on their way to Pyongyang. However, these individuals were not natives; they were all people who had fled from Pyongyang.
“Does it even make sense to be kicked out? By other humans at that?”
They explained that unless ‘he’ accepted them, they couldn’t live in Pyongyang. It was a kind of dictatorship, his own kingdom. Those who dared to oppose him vanished without a trace.
“Since civilization and the national system have completely collapsed, whether it’s a dictatorship or a monarchy, anything goes…”
“That’s not the problem. People were terrified just to speak up.”
These were individuals who had already experienced the undead. Knowing the horror of it, they stubbornly refused to give up their stay in Pyongyang. To them, ‘he’ was on par with the undead or perhaps even a greater source of fear.
‘Park Si-yeon. Who on earth is she?’
Gang-ho’s group arrived at their destination, feeling uneasy after learning about the unexpected situation in Pyongyang.
The outskirts seemed relatively free as they approached the center. This was a slight relief compared to what they had heard in the previous village. However, as they entered the city, a formidable-looking fortress appeared, completely isolating the area. The only entrance, resembling a city gate, was heavily guarded with machine guns.
“It looks like they built it up with something,” Reina said incredulously.
Gang-ho replied matter-of-factly, “They stacked up broken vehicles, scrap electronics, and rubble from collapsed buildings. Quite an impressive feat, really.”
This wasn’t merely about height; the structure was stacked two or three layers thick, seeming capable of withstanding quite a bit of impact. Gang-ho couldn’t help but think of the pyramids or the Great Wall.
‘A show of force. A flex of power.’
This wasn’t built with machinery; it was purely labor.
“Stop, turn off the engine, and the driver, please exit the vehicle.”
Neither Gang-ho nor Reina questioned the familiar procedural command and simply complied.
“We come from Baekdu Mountain. We are researchers from the World Species Repository,” they announced in unison as they stepped forward from the driver’s seat.
‘Four rotating Gatling guns at every corner, armed troops everywhere, and even rocket launchers inside. What, had they just been through a war?’
In the brief moment it took Gang-ho to scan and assess the surroundings, a few people approached, observing the unarmed status of the armored vehicle and glancing inside at the researchers before retreating.
“From here on, we will drive.”
Contrary to his worries, they were granted permission to enter. Thus, he willingly relinquished the steering wheel.
‘They must have really wanted that armored vehicle, not us.’
The inside of the fortress was vastly different from what they observed outside. Not only was it spacious, but the cityscape also remained intact. Most astonishingly, the buildings stood firm as if they had withstood time and conflict.
“The buildings we’ve seen since leaving the Species Repository are definitely different,” Lisa said quietly, indicating that people had continued to live here.
Gang-ho’s group waited in a small shop as directed. While various conversations flowed among them, the door suddenly opened, and a person in charge stepped in.
“Welcome, visitors! We are glad to have you here in Pyongyang.”
A tall, handsome man with a beaming smile introduced himself to Gang-ho and the others.
“I’m Lee Jeong-hoon, an agent of the district. I handle most operations here.”
Before his greeting could finish, someone from behind Gang-ho reacted first.
“Hey? A celebrity!”
“Yeah! An idol singer!”
“Wow, he looks good in person!”
The chatter of the crowd drew an annoyed expression from Lee Jeong-hoon.
“Oh, I see you’re not very polite.”
He quickly switched to a beaming smile and cheerfully continued, “But hey, it’s all good! You’re guests, donating angels—just passing acquaintances, that’s all.”
Right after he finished speaking, he raised his hand swiftly. That must have been a signal because the men behind him aimed their rifles.
Click. Click. Gunshots!
“Wha—why?”
“Gah!”
The crowd was thrown into an uproar. They had fled monsters only to find guns pointed at them. Not everyone was alarmed, though.
“If you kick us out or kill us, that armored vehicle will just be for show.” Reina said unimpressed.
Lee Jeong-hoon’s eyes widened slightly. “What do you mean? We personally drove it to the garage. Where do you get such nonsense…?”
“If something happens to me, it’ll go off. You can’t have never heard of that feature?”
“…”
Lee Jeong-hoon was left speechless, bewilderment evident on his face.
In an instant, a heavy silence descended on the surroundings. Both sides were completely focused on the dialogue between the two.
“Is that how you treat someone with courtesy?!”
It seemed to be a sudden realization. Yet, Reina maintained her relaxed demeanor, saying, “Ever since the Republic of Korea switched from conscription to volunteer service, wow, look at these bizarre situations.”
She added a slightly exaggerated gesture, causing more people to lean in to hear what she was on about.
“You’re military exempt, aren’t you? How would you know? I’m a former Captain in the U.S. Navy Aviation Forces. This here is a former Major from the Special Forces of the Republic of Korea.”
She dragged Gang-ho into the conversation. He felt a rush of warmth creeping up but managed to keep a straight face. Just a quick glance exchanged between him and Reina.
‘That was a brilliant provocation, Reina.’
Then he casually pulled out a military ID tag from under his T-shirt.
Clink.
“Ugh.”
Lee Jeong-hoon stepped back in surprise, seemingly unsure if Gang-ho was really military exempt or not. So did the men aiming their guns.
“He’s a Major?”
“A Major? Wow!”
Gang-ho was quick-witted. He seized the moment to say calmly, “I noticed the weapons as we came in.”
All eyes subconsciously turned to him. The gunmen redirected their aim toward him.
Clang. Clang.
Gang-ho shrugged dismissively, continuing, “The undead can only be countered to a limit with gunpowder weapons. A more dangerous presence will emerge soon. Survivors need to unite for survival. And—”
At the end of his statement, he narrowed his brows slightly, “Who points a gun at unarmed individuals? Lower your guns.”
Suddenly, Lee Jeong-hoon and the other men trembled slightly. There was an undeniable gravity in Gang-ho’s words, a force compelling them to listen.
Swish.
Someone lowered his weapon.
“Whoa! You crazy!”
Lee Jeong-hoon yelled angrily, kicking the man that followed Gang-ho’s order.
Thud!
“Ugh.”
Crash!
He immediately turned to pull a pistol from his waistband.
Click. Click.
The sound of disengaging the safety triggered a sense of dread, and without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Thwack!
People were in shock. The researchers behind Gang-ho screamed out in surprise at the gunfire and the sudden event.
“Gah!”
“Oh my!”
“Ahh!”
In contrast, the armed men stood dumbstruck, their eyes bulging in astonishment.
“…?”
“…….!”
The bullet fired by Lee Jeong-hoon hung suspended in the air. But it wasn’t actually frozen; the round was still rotating but unable to move forward.
“Uh, how…?”
Gang-ho had preemptively released electromagnetic energy, creating a densely packed shield around him. Unbeknownst to Lee Jeong-hoon, he was in sheer horror, staring wide-eyed at Reina, who seemed utterly unfazed, letting out a resigned sigh.
“This is why… tsk tsk.”
Gang-ho echoed her incredulous expression. “You should’ve shot me instead.”
With a gentle flick of his hand, the bullet reversed its course. Retaining its spin, a small whistling sound resonated through the air.
Whew. Phew.
When the bullet eventually halted, it was directed right at Lee Jeong-hoon.
“Ugh!”
He raised his arms and stepped back out of fear.
“An Awakened One!”
“Ahh! He’s an Awakened One!”
The armed men scattered in panic, diving for cover.
‘Awakened One? So that’s what they call superpowered individuals.’
They appeared to be familiar with the concept of individuals wielding special abilities.
‘Well, well, Gang-ho, your skills with that power have certainly increased.’
Reina felt quite satisfied to have delivered that blow to the cocky kid.
After a moment, Gang-ho finally relaxed his force.
Phew.
Clink.
The sound of copper hitting the tiled floor echoed lightly. Only then did the chaos retreat, as the men who were previously scuttling and hiding stood still, frozen.
Lee Jeong-hoon found himself crumpled in a corner.
“As I introduced before, we survived from the World Species Repository to here. And these are world-class scientists. I can’t believe you’re treating them like this!” Reina scolded angrily.
But no one dared to respond.
‘What on earth have they encountered to shake them up like this?’
Gang-ho’s head tilted slightly in curiosity.
Then he spoke up, “I want to see a person named Park Si-yeon. Guide us.”
Though it was a simple request, Lee Jeong-hoon and the others swallowed hard.
“Gulp.”
“Eek.”
“Ahh.”
Reina remembered that same reaction well.
‘What they felt was the same fear that haunted those chased out of Pyongyang.’
Park Si-yeon, who on earth is she?
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