Rainbow City

At the end of the long journey, they saw a sign marking the final destination.The people they had seen sporadically began to increase at some point, all of them applicants hoping to seek asylum in Rainbow City. They had set up base camps here and there or built huts to live in.Worried about Adam infection, they didn’t gather in groups larger than a certain number, but most settled near water. The city’s army was stationed about 15 kilometers outside the border, which prevented the asylum seekers from moving further inward, forcing them to stay in these remote areas. Even though the city had announced it would not be accepting any more asylum seekers for the time being, most stayed, clinging to the hope that the situation might change.Seokhwa gazed at those digging up potatoes or roots with an expressionless face. But his eyes were filled with unrest and compassion. It was a scene he hadn’t witnessed before, as it was during this stretch of the journey from the city that he had been fast asleep.“We can’t take them with us.”Kwak Soohwan, sitting behind the wheel, spoke firmly.“I know.”Seokhwa turned his gaze toward Kwak Soohwan, who was gripping the leather-worn steering wheel. Earlier this morning, their military jeep had broken down—the damper pulley had failed.Unlike other engine components, they had replaced the damper pulley before leaving the city, assuming it would hold up. In the end, the oversight of not bringing a spare had led to this. Since it was still driveable for a while before breaking down completely, they searched the area for abandoned vehicles. Some cars had been left by the roadside, out of fuel.Kwak Soohwan found one vehicle that looked to be in decent condition, connected a jumper cable to the jeep, and revived the dead battery. Unfortunately, it was a compact car, so they could only transfer the most essential supplies.Seokhwa still found it odd seeing Kwak Soohwan squeezed into the small car. It wasn’t particularly cramped for him, but for Kwak Soohwan, it looked incredibly uncomfortable.But there were only 50 kilometers left to the border. The road, however, was unpaved and frequented by both people and animals, making it impossible to drive fast.“Get some more sleep.”“I’m fine. I’ve slept enough.”Seokhwa pulled down the towel he had draped around his neck, which Kwak Soohwan had fashioned into a makeshift neck pillow for him.Kwak Soohwan wasn’t in uniform but was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and training pants, while Seokhwa wore a long-sleeved tracksuit. Kwak Soohwan had insisted on bringing white, but Seokhwa had stubbornly stuck to gray, thinking white would get dirty too easily.By now, there were only 30 kilometers left to the city, and the roads were packed with people. Seokhwa handed a cup of water to Kwak Soohwan.“How did you know I was thirsty?”He grinned and wrapped his hand around Seokhwa’s, bringing the cup to his mouth. As he gulped down the cool water, his eyes stayed focused on the dirt road. Then he finished with a kiss on the back of Seokhwa’s hand.“What’s that over there?”When Kwak Soohwan muttered, Seokhwa looked ahead as well. Although he had good eyesight, he couldn’t immediately make out what Kwak Soohwan was referring to. There seemed to be something up ahead, but it wasn’t clear until they got closer.At the entrance of a narrow iron bridge over a creek, a rope was stretched across. Below it, spikes to prevent vehicles from entering were lined up. The spikes were sharp enough to puncture the tires if they tried to pass. Nearby, there were men standing like border guards. As Kwak Soohwan slowed down, four men approached the vehicle.Seokhwa discreetly pulled the handgun from the glove compartment and placed it beside his seat.“You know what I’m going to say, right?”“I won’t open the window and will stay in the car.”“Good job. Gold star for you.”The men approaching from both sides had pulled their neck gaiters up to cover their faces up to their eyes. They banged on the windows, demanding them to get out of the car.“As soon as I get out, lock the door.”“I’m ready. Be careful.”When Kwak Soohwan opened the door and got out, Seokhwa quickly pressed the lock button. However, the lock mechanism must have been broken because it spun uselessly. Though unable to lock the doors, Seokhwa kept calm and watched Kwak Soohwan.Kwak Soohwan walked around the front of the car and stood blocking the passenger-side door. The four men surrounded him as if trying to intimidate him. They were all shorter and smaller than Kwak Soohwan, but their numbers gave them confidence.“This area is under our militia’s control, so turn back,” said the one who looked the oldest. Judging by his fluent pronunciation, he seemed to be from Rainbow City, but the mention of a militia was new to Kwak Soohwan.“Militia?”Kwak Soohwan leaned against the car door with his arms crossed.“Stick to your place in line.”“What line?”“Can’t you see those people over there, all waiting?”At the sudden outburst of profanity, Kwak Soohwan let out a hollow laugh.“If you don’t want to wait, just pay the toll.”One of the men standing behind added, “Tell the guy inside to get out too.”“No thanks.”Kwak Soohwan’s aggressive stance made the atmosphere even more tense. The car looked like a wreck, but the man who stepped out from the driver’s seat was clean and well-kept. His well-groomed appearance, unusual for this area, gave off the impression of someone from the upper class of Rainbow City. But regardless, he was still an outsider to those here. The man who had first spoken drew a machete from the sheath on his back.“In a nice way,” the man began.“In a nice way, what?” Kwak Soohwan interrupted, mocking him. “You want me to either pay up or leave the car behind?”He wasn’t surprised; driving a car all the way out here likely meant they had fuel, which would make the car desirable. The man holding the machete fixed his murderous gaze on Kwak Soohwan over the top of his neck gaiter.“No, there’s no talking nicely here. Leave the car and go. And leave everything in it behind too.”Kwak Soohwan bent slightly toward the man, a sarcastic grin on his face.“Wow, you’re creative. First, you said I could go if I paid, now you’re changing your story?”“We only accept Rainbow City currency.”“How would people outside the city have city money?”“The pale guy inside! You get out too!” one of the men standing at the side shouted suddenly. Although Kwak Soohwan was blocking the passenger door, the man at the edge had already spotted Seokhwa through the front window. Kwak Soohwan’s relaxed demeanor disappeared. If Seokhwa weren’t watching, the four men would already be sprawled out on the ground.“I’ll give you three seconds.”At the signal from the man holding the machete, the rest of the group pulled out various knives. One held a jackknife, another a camping knife, and the last one wielded a curved karambit. Some of the blades were stained with dried blood, as if meant to intimidate. They didn’t seem to realize that the blood had dulled the edges.“Hey, sweetheart!”Kwak Soohwan’s sudden shout startled the men. They tensed, clearly unnerved by a reaction they hadn’t expected.“These bastards attacked first, right? You see this is clearly attempted murder, don’t you?”Without turning around, Kwak Soohwan yelled to Seokhwa and then muttered to the men in front of him, “Three seconds are up.”In an instant, Kwak Soohwan threw a punch at the man holding the machete. The man swung back, but Kwak Soohwan easily ducked and landed a powerful blow to his abdomen. The sound was enough to make it clear something inside the man had ruptured. As the man collapsed backward, the other three lunged forward with their knives. The jackknife aimed at his stomach, the camping knife at his side, and the karambit, held by someone who seemed to know how to handle it, went for his throat.The curved blade of the karambit, as sharp as a tiger’s claw, could easily slit a throat if it caught on the neck. The man wielding it seemed more experienced, his blade untouched by blood, gleaming a cold blue.Kwak Soohwan grabbed the man with the camping knife and used him as a shield. The jackknife, intended for Kwak Soohwan’s stomach, buried itself in the arm of the shielded man.“Ah! You crazy bastard! How could you stab me?!” the man screamed. He had failed to keep up with Kwak Soohwan’s quick movements and had accidentally stabbed his own ally. As the jackknife-wielder stood there in shock, Kwak Soohwan delivered a punch to his jaw, sending broken teeth flying from under his neck gaiter. After knocking out that man, he moved to snap the neck of the man he had used as a shield but decided against it. Instead, he simply choked him until he passed out.The man with the karambit, who had been waiting for an opening, suddenly dropped his knife and raised both hands in surrender. Around him, his three companions were already unconscious.“You’re really going to end this so boringly?”At that moment, Kwak Soohwan heard the sound of a car window rolling down behind him, followed by the click of a gun being cocked.“Move, and I’ll shoot,” Seokhwa said, his voice steady as he pointed the gun at the remaining man.The man surrendered immediately upon seeing Seokhwa’s weapon.“Seokhwa-hyung, how do you manage to look this cool all the time?” Kwak Soohwan teased.“Major, there’s rope in the back seat,” Seokhwa replied.“Yes, Doctor.”Kwak Soohwan, who had been planning to just remove the spikes blocking the road and leave, changed his mind. While he opened the back door to get the rope, Seokhwa kept his gun trained on the man.Kwak Soohwan threw the rope at the man, hitting him square in the face. The thick rope fell to the ground. It was clear Kwak Soohwan had missed on purpose, but the man didn’t even think about picking up a weapon again.Kwak Soohwan turned to look at Seokhwa. Seokhwa’s face was tense, and he was gripping the handle of the gun tightly. Kwak Soohwan gently took the gun from his hand, disarmed it, and gestured at the man with it.“What are you waiting for? Tie him up.”***One, two, three. Kwak Soohwan assigned numbers to the men tied up in the rope. One, two, and three were still unconscious. He lined them up against the side of the vehicle. Kneeling at the end of the row, hands tied behind his back, was the man who had wielded the karambit.“Your name?”“…It’s Ilwol,” replied the young man.The man who introduced himself as Ilwol still had a youthful, boyish air about him.“You said you’re with the vigilantes, right?”Whether he was afraid of becoming a traitor or not, Ilwol pressed his lips tightly together.“Dr. Seok, should we just kill him and move on?”He turned to Seokhwa standing beside him, who appeared to ponder for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.“Go ahead.”With Seokhwa’s approval, Kwak Soohwan firmly gripped the karambit he had been toying with. Due to the curved nature of the blade, the karambit had to be held in reverse, with the four fingers wrapping around the top of the hilt, and the bottom of the hilt secured by the thumb. Unlike typical blades, the cutting edge pointed downward.As Kwak Soohwan’s forearm muscles, exposed beneath his short sleeves, bulged with tension, he brought the karambit to Ilwol’s throat.“Yes, yes! We are vigilantes!”The blade pressing against his throat forced Ilwol to scream out. After gulping down his saliva, he continued in a softer tone.“There are just over ten of us… The vigilante group was formed a little less than two months ago.”Two months would include the time they had been heading toward God’s Fortress. Since the military jeep was used to leave the city, it seemed the group had fled ahead of time. Kwak Soohwan scratched his chin with the hilt of the karambit.“And who’s in charge? Or are they sitting in the car?”He changed his tone mid-sentence and directed the question toward Seokhwa. Seokhwa shook his head. The incident had occurred near the Rainbow City border. And since the culprits were non-citizens of the city, it wasn’t something they could just ignore and pass by.Kwak Soohwan, frustrated and wanting to move on, knew that this situation was technically a violation of military law. Preventing illegal activities of non-citizens was the duty of the city’s military.“Who’s your leader?” Kwak Soohwan pressed further.“There’s no chief. We just kind of came together on our own.”“Why didn’t you register as citizens?”When Seokhwa, with his calm demeanor, asked the question, Ilwol, who had just been trembling in fear, furrowed his brow. Kwak Soohwan slapped him on the back of the head with a loud smack.“Chief, should I just bury this punk?”He spoke to Seokhwa like a loyal subordinate, overflowing with feigned allegiance.“Don’t bury him.”“Understood, Chief.”Kwak Soohwan had plans to elevate Seokhwa, no matter Europe or anything else. Seokhwa, slightly embarrassed by being called “Chief,” simply chalked it up to their usual role-playing dynamic.“We went to register as citizens, but they said the registration period was over, so we couldn’t enter the city. We’ve always lived outside the city.”They were people who had missed the registration period after the fall of the Master’s dictatorship. Having lived deep in the mountains, they were now no different from asylum seekers. The only thing they had to prove they were from Rainbow City was their language.However, in this place, the city’s language was power. These asylum seekers had convinced people they were part of the city’s vigilantes.“So, how many people have you killed?”Ilwol quickly shook his head.“We only threatened them; we never killed anyone.”“What about this?” Kwak Soohwan pointed to the blood on the machete.“That’s… that’s deer blood. The older guys said it scares people if we smear animal blood on the blades.”“That might work, but your blade was spotless.”Kwak Soohwan crouched down, tapping the ground with the sharp edge of the karambit.“Hey, you’re the leader, aren’t you?”And then it happened.“…!”Seokhwa gasped. Ilwol had cut his bonds and lunged toward Seokhwa, bypassing the crouching Kwak Soohwan. He had secretly used a pocket knife to slice through the rope binding his hands. Though Seokhwa saw the blade coming at him, his body froze in place. His brain registered the danger, but his body refused to move.Crack! Kwak Soohwan grabbed Ilwol’s wrist and twisted it until the bone snapped. The knife was still far from reaching Seokhwa.Writhing in pain, with his shattered wrist, Ilwol glared at both Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa. Kwak Soohwan had deliberately shown an opening, pretending to be weak, knowing the man would target the seemingly vulnerable one. This wasn’t Ilwol’s first time trying to kill someone.Kwak Soohwan kicked Ilwol’s head with his foot, hard enough to make a cracking sound like a watermelon splitting. His eyes, which had rolled back to show only the whites, finally closed.“This bastard lied about not killing anyone. He’s probably killed more times than he can count.”Seokhwa also felt the murderous intent emanating from Ilwol. Unlike Adam, who attacked out of primal instinct, Ilwol’s was a deliberate, cold-blooded intent to kill. In reality, even if Seokhwa hadn’t pulled out his gun, Kwak Soohwan could have easily handled the situation on his own. But Seokhwa had unnecessarily drawn his weapon.“Honestly, sometimes I think about this,” Soohwan began. “Adam was once human, right? If you think about it, I’ve probably killed more people than I can count. Maybe I’ve grown too accustomed to it. Just because the world’s changed doesn’t mean I won’t do it again. If anyone ever tries to hurt Dr. Seok, I don’t think I could control myself. That guy from the citizens’ council might be right — maybe mutants like us need to be kept on a leash.”At one point, Soohwan had considered leaving the military, reflecting on his violent tendencies. But now, as Kwak Soohwan faced their enemies, it was clear he took pleasure in fighting. He paid no mind to those who fell with just one blow, but Ilwol was different. Had Seokhwa not aimed his gun, Ilwol might have been dead already. And if that had happened, Soohwan would have surely regretted his violent tendencies once again.This was the thought process behind Seokhwa drawing his gun. But in truth, it was an arrogant notion. One should never show mercy to someone with murderous intent. If Kwak Soohwan hadn’t been there, Seokhwa would have lost his life to a blade barely the size of a palm.“Killing is easier, but it’s something you should never get used to.”All this time, Seokhwa had thought Soohwan was simply showing him kindness. But he realized now that Kwak Soohwan had already grown accustomed to bloodshed.While Seokhwa spent his days comfortably in a lab, Soohwan was out on countless missions. He had faced not only Adam but far worse enemies, making it inevitable that he’d have to take lives. So Seokhwa’s intervention out of concern for Soohwan was, in fact, pure arrogance. His poor judgment had nearly gotten them into danger just moments ago.When Kwak Soohwan had completely subdued and bound Ilwol, he looked startled. That was because Seokhwa had reached out to cup his face with both hands.“When someone tries to kill you, hurting them to save yourself isn’t wrong.”When Seokhwa first met him, even his name tag had been stained with blood. Back then, Soohwan was a soldier Seokhwa wanted to keep at a distance. But in retrospect, even the bloodstained name tag was part of Soohwan’s fight for survival.“Huh, why is our Dr. Seok being so sweet all of a sudden?”Kwak Soohwan nuzzled his face into Seokhwa’s hands.“Just now… If it weren’t for you, Major, I could have died. But if I hadn’t drawn my gun earlier, this whole situation wouldn’t have happened.”When it came to soothing and teasing Seokhwa, Kwak Soohwan was second to none. But this time, Seokhwa’s thoughts were a mystery to him. Moreover, Seokhwa’s entire premise was wrong.First of all, there was no way Soohwan would ever not be by Seokhwa’s side, and whether or not he had drawn his gun had no bearing on the outcome of the situation. This wasn’t the moment for playful banter as usual.“Are you mad? Because I beat those guys up? I mean, like I said, it was self-defense… Okay, maybe it was a bit overboard.”Seokhwa shook his head.Had he seen through Kwak Soohwan’s feelings about Ilwol? He couldn’t deny that he found it slightly amusing to face someone who could actually use a knife well, even if it had been a while. That’s why he hadn’t stopped Ilwol from cutting his restraints with the pocketknife. Of course, he hadn’t anticipated that Ilwol would go after Seokhwa.“That bastard Ilwol attacked the weakest person first. I didn’t realize he was stupid enough to go for looks alone without knowing who’s got the real power. If I had known, I would have knocked him out from the start.”Kwak Soohwan rambled, still uncertain of what Seokhwa was thinking.“Soohwan.”Kwak Soohwan looked down at Seokhwa, his eyes wide in surprise.“If anyone tries to kill us, don’t hold back just because of me. Just now, if you hadn’t acted quickly, or if you’d made the slightest mistake while crouching there… I’d be dead. I’m not strong enough to stop it. I’d be dead, leaving you behind.”A breath escaped Kwak Soohwan’s lips like a deflating balloon. Seokhwa’s expression was so serious that he couldn’t bring himself to admit he had deliberately left an opening.“I know you’re strong. But showing mercy could lead to something like this happening again. I get that you shouldn’t get used to hurting others, but you also shouldn’t get used to someone hurting me. Do you understand what I’m saying?”In other words, from now on, if someone attacks them, no mercy should be shown.“Yeah. I got it.”Kwak Soohwan smiled and kissed Seokhwa’s palm. But Seokhwa didn’t know everything. Kwak Soohwan had never shown mercy to his enemies.For those who tried to kill him, he returned the favor. And if anyone tried to disrupt the peaceful life he shared with Seokhwa, Kwak Soohwan ensured they would never come close again. He just made sure not to do it in front of Seokhwa.Seokhwa believed he had a close relationship with Prime Minister Lee Heechan, but even that was purely a matter of interest. If Lee Heechan ever turned on them, Kwak Soohwan was more than willing to ensure that the emperor penguin symbol would never again be seen in the city.Whether they were living outside the city or in the relative safety they had now, Kwak Soohwan had never shown mercy. If he had, he would already be dead.“Let’s hand these bastards over to the border soldiers and get out of here.”Since Seokhwa was already trying to make a good impression, Kwak Soohwan loaded two men into the trunk and another two into the back seat. Before doing so, he searched their bodies thoroughly to ensure they had no weapons that could cut through their bindings. He even tied their arms and torsos so tightly that no blood could flow.Seokhwa, sitting in the passenger seat, kept glancing back. He was still on high alert after the recent ambush. At least it was a relief that Ilwol was in the trunk.“You’re going to end up shooting me at this rate.”Kwak Soohwan half-turned to smile at Seokhwa, who was gripping a handgun.“You’ve practiced shooting a lot.”Seokhwa’s shooting skills were surprisingly decent. The problem was that it only applied to stationary targets. He couldn’t even hit moving targets, like those in clay pigeon shooting. On top of that, it took him a long time to actually pull the trigger, as he was always overly cautious.“Maybe I shouldn’t have loaded those guys. Should we just ditch them?”“Keep your eyes on the road.”Seokhwa checked the tightly bound ropes again and straightened up. He was once again reminded of how safe Rainbow City was. Outside, people still suffered from looting and pillaging. Yet, they couldn’t just accept refugees indiscriminately, so Seokhwa also understood Lee Heechan’s dilemma. Perhaps that’s why Lee Heechan seemed to be gradually expanding the city’s jurisdiction.Thinking back to the signs they’d seen 50 kilometers from the border, it was safe to say that Rainbow City’s reach extended that far. The city’s border was likely to grow even further, as soldiers were stationed 15 kilometers outside it, and buildings were already going up within that radius.Though they were still 15 kilometers from the city border, the sign for the armed border guards loomed overhead:Welcome to Rainbow City.It was their return to Rainbow City.***“I heard you traveled all the way to the Vatican by land?”“Did you see The Creation of Adam?”“How about Pietà?”Researchers who were into art flocked to Seokhwa. It had been five days since his return to Rainbow City and two days since he’d come back to the lab. Seokhwa’s face was burning with embarrassment. He hadn’t seen most of the artwork they were asking about.In fact, many relics had been neglected and damaged or lost after Doomsday. Seokhwa couldn’t bring himself to tell the truth to the excited researchers.“I didn’t have time. I returned in just a day.”“Well, Dr. Seok only cares about stones anyway.”That wasn’t true. Seokhwa also felt awe toward the relics left by ancient people, but he didn’t bother to correct them and simply nodded. It had taken over a month to return to Rainbow City from God’s Fortress. After splitting from the Invincible Platoon, Kwak Soohwan had tried to minimize the time Seokhwa spent in vehicles to preserve his stamina.Upon arriving at the lab, the first news Seokhwa heard was that Lee Heechan had been furious over their month-long absence. Apparently, Lee had been convinced that Kwak Soohwan had lured Seokhwa away for other business. But when they finally met, Lee simply smiled and commended them for their service.“Smarty-pants doctor.”“Yes, sir.”Currently, Seokhwa and the elder were sharing a research lab. After completing the development of a vaccine that could be stored at room temperature, they’d begun working with other doctors to develop treatments.“Is it true that Kwak’s been bedridden since he returned? That guy?”“…”Seokhwa clammed up. As soon as Kwak Soohwan returned to Rainbow City, he immediately took sick leave, citing muscle loss due to extreme fatigue. But everyone knew he hadn’t lost even a gram of muscle—if anything, he’d gained more.Lee Heechan, claiming that an important asset like Kwak Soohwan couldn’t be left unwell, officially declared a visit to check on him. He even brought a reporter and rang the doorbell at Kwak Soohwan’s house. However, Kwak refused to let the Prime Minister into his “humble abode,” sending them away at the door. All of this had happened while Seokhwa was at the lab yesterday.“The whole world knows Kwak is lying. Who takes sick leave for muscle loss?”“He’s been through… a lot.”Especially because of me. He swallowed those words.“And yesterday, that supposedly bedridden guy was waiting three hours before you finished work.”Kwak Soohwan, who loved to dress up, had shown up wearing a hat pulled low over his face. But it did nothing to hide his appearance, which always stood out no matter what.Rumors were already rampant within the shelter that the two of them were in some sort of relationship. While same-sex marriage hadn’t been legalized yet, people were betting that Kwak Soohwan would be the first to rush to file the paperwork if it ever was. But those people didn’t know Kwak Soohwan well.Seokhwa knew. If the government ever legalized it, Kwak would likely scoff and say, Who are they to decide whether I marry Dr. Seok or not?“Good grief, I just don’t get it. How does someone as impatient as Kwak manage to live with someone like you, Smarty-pants doctor?”The old man pounded his chest in frustration, claiming his insides were about to burst. Seokhwa remained silent, having nothing to say, but he didn’t mind since he was used to being misunderstood like this.“Well, I’ll head to the cultivation room now.”“I was just about to go there too.”Among all the research labs in Rainbow City, only this one in the Yeouido Shelter housed samples of Adam’s blood.It had taken quite a long time for the bill to develop the treatment to pass the council. The reason was that Adam’s blood was essential for the experiments. Most council members were vehemently opposed to storing Adam’s blood in the shelter. Fortunately, the Emperor Penguin and Owl families were supportive of developing the treatment, so it managed to pass.However, only five people were allowed to participate in the development. This precaution was taken out of fear that a crazy scientist like Choi Hoeon might emerge, so they only selected individuals with verified identities.Even Seokhwa, the vaccine developer, had to undergo a body search every time he entered the lab. This was to prevent any Adam blood from being smuggled out. Although it was a bit inconvenient, Seokhwa appreciated the thoroughness of the process. The other four doctors accepted the searches as a matter of course.The treatment development lab was located in the basement of the Yeouido Shelter. Previously, the military police had used the entire floor, but now it also housed the lab. The soldiers stationed there were essentially monitoring the developers as well. The seed of fear planted by Choi Hoeon still lingered in everyone’s hearts.“Hey, smarty-pants doctor. Do you still think monoclonal antibodies are the best approach?”Seokhwa walked in silence for a moment, thinking. As they boarded the elevator and pressed the button to descend to the basement, he finally spoke.“Compared to the spread of the Adam virus, the treatment will inevitably be slow, but for now, I believe that method is the most effective.”“I know. It’s just that the lack of progress is frustrating.”“Finding an anti-Adam virus antibody isn’t as easy as we’d hoped.”If they could develop a monoclonal antibody that could target the Adam virus, they would be able to destroy the virus in infected cells. The idea was to infuse the monoclonal antibody with a toxin that would kill the Adam virus, thus treating the infected. However, due to the nature of monoclonal antibodies, even if rejection was minimal, the treatment process would not be smooth.“The pharmaceutical companies have created something worse than the devil.”Even if a treatment was developed, it would likely require multiple rounds to fully eliminate the Adam virus. It was an illness that was easy to catch but hard to cure.“You know the city’s skeptical about the treatment, right?”Seokhwa barely smiled.“It’s a lot of money, so that’s understandable.”“Honestly, the vaccine should be enough, shouldn’t it?”“Having both the vaccine and treatment available would be more reassuring.”After all, in the event of an unforeseen accident, someone who hadn’t been vaccinated could still become infected. To completely eradicate the Adam virus, the treatment was necessary.“Tsk, tsk. The best candidates to find the antibody would be you or Kwak.”“As you know, neither Major Kwak nor I can do that because our host cells aren’t capable of fusing with the virus.”Their biology was already different from the average person’s, making them ineligible as clinical test subjects.“Huh? What can’t we do, you and me?”Seokhwa’s large eyes widened even more. As they walked down the corridor on the basement level, Kwak Soohwan appeared.“Tch, the guy on sick leave sure looks bright and shiny.”The old man’s sarcastic remark was just a jab since Kwak was wearing a hat.“Why are you picking a fight, old man?”“I was looking forward to some peaceful time with smarty-pants doctor here, and then you had to show up, that’s why.”“Your ‘peaceful’ time should be with your wife, not Dr. Seok, right? Oh wait, you’re alone, aren’t you?”Kwak Soohwan teased the old man as he walked over, pulling something out of his pocket.“Huh? What’s this?”“A souvenir from my trip.”Kwak handed the old man a piece of cracked marble. The fragment, with its wavy pattern, looked like it had come from a broken statue. At first, the old man didn’t seem pleased with the modest gift, but he soon softened, appreciating the thought behind it.“As expected, you have a real eye for gifts, Kwak. Smarty-pants doctor, I’ll head in first.”“Yes.”Seokhwa gave a polite nod. Then, Kwak handed Seokhwa the tumbler he had been holding.“How did you know I was here?”“I stopped by the military police for a moment and ran into you on my way up. See? Even in a place like this, we’re meant to be.”Curious about what was inside the tumbler, Seokhwa tried to open the lid, but Kwak had screwed it on too tightly for him to manage.“It’s Kwak Soohwan’s signature barley tea.”With that, Kwak loosened the lid for him. The comforting scent of barley and the rising steam tickled Seokhwa’s nose. As he sipped the perfectly warm tea, he stared at Kwak Soohwan intently. Kwak met his gaze, puzzled. Normally, Seokhwa would have thanked him by now, but today was different.“What? Is it too bland?”“Why are you giving a stone as a gift to someone else?”Kwak Soohwan, who had been watching Seokhwa’s moist lips, suddenly felt flustered.“Huh?”“That thing you just gave to the old man. You didn’t say it was a gift for me.”“Oh, I just picked that up randomly from the floor of God’s Fortress. And what even is that stone? It’s a piece that broke off a statue. I brought it to tease the old man.”“That’s disappointing.”“…Huh?”Kwak Soohwan was taken aback by the word “disappointing” coming from Seokhwa. He was so shocked that he nearly yanked off his hat.“Wait a minute.”As Kwak Soohwan moved to follow where the old man had gone, Seokhwa laughed and reached out his hand. However, he couldn’t catch him. Kwak Soohwan had already moved ahead. This time, Seokhwa became flustered and quickly closed the lid of the tumbler, calling out.“Major…! I was joking…!”Kwak Soohwan hesitated for a moment upon hearing Seokhwa’s voice but soon said he’d be right there and rushed to catch up with the old man. He snatched the piece of marble from the old man’s hands.“Oh no, have you lost your mind, you crazy Kwak! Why are you acting like this again?”The old man shouted, flailing in frustration. Seokhwa quickened his pace, trying to intervene.“I’ll get you a better gift later, old man.”Kwak Soohwan patted the old man on the back. The old man, who was already half-turned, coughed and cursed at Kwak Soohwan.“Hey, hey! You’re acting like a madman!”