The Predatory Genius of a Ruined World

Chapter 21 – A Peaceful Hell (4)

—–CROW—– 

In the past, Seong-ho participated in various programs run jointly by the orphanage and the cathedral. Classes conducted by volunteers were a prime example, and because of these classes, he frequented the cultural center building like it was his own home.  One day, he discovered something unbelievable in the school building.  He stumbled upon an open metal door leading to a deep underground area. To make matters worse, a flashlight, presumably left by someone, lay next to the door.

‘Someone must have been doing maintenance and stepped away for a moment.’

The problem was that young Seong-ho, overflowing with curiosity, discovered that brief window of opportunity.  He fearlessly entered the dark underground passage with only the flashlight in hand.  He later learned that it was an underground shelter built during the Japanese colonial era and the Korean War. It had been closed off because it wasn’t used in modern times.  Of course, at the time of his discovery, he knew nothing of this and was simply busy exploring. He eventually reached a spot with metal bars bound tightly with chains.

‘I racked my brains trying to figure out how to open it.’

But he never managed to unlock the chains and go beyond the bars. He was caught and scolded by the bishop, who had come down to the underground passage looking for him after he suddenly disappeared.

And now, that memory, which he thought was just a simple incident from the past, resurfaced today in an unexpected place.

‘Was that barred area connected to the mortuary?’

Seong-ho’s original plan was to set fire to the cultural center and then lead the survivors to this underground passage.  He had intended to reach the school, climb the outer wall to the roof, and then infiltrate the building.  But if he could reach the school without having to go above ground…?

‘I can’t believe my luck.’

Thanks to following the black beast, he had found a faster and easier route.  This confirmed that the fortune cookie’s fortune was indeed reliable.  Seong-ho took a deep breath and cut the lock on the bars.  As he removed the chains, the barred gate creaked open on rusty hinges.  It was definitely the same underground passage he remembered.  He stared into the dark passage for a moment.

Seong-ho moved all the five or six lanterns that illuminated the basement and the cathedral staff into the passage.  He did this out of consideration, so the cathedral staff wouldn’t be startled by the darkness when they woke up.  He didn’t stop there. He tied cable ties to the metal door connecting to the ground level.  He meticulously finished the job to prevent any camp members who might sense something amiss from entering the mortuary and coming down here.  While Seong-ho busily worked, the crow perched beside Jung Han-soo, observing everything.

‘I’ve done everything I can.’

Finally, his hesitant steps felt a little lighter.  As Seong-ho stepped back with a sigh of relief, the crow fluttered over and settled down beside Jung Han-soo again.  Seong-ho watched with mixed feelings.

‘…I don’t know what their relationship is, but…’

It was clear that the crow cared for Jung Han-soo.  Perhaps it had interfered with his path earlier because it wanted to save the bishop?

‘This is… like the crow who repaid a kindness… Interesting.’

Letting out a soft chuckle, Seong-ho picked up one of the lanterns he had brought from the basement.  He turned around without further hesitation.

As he walked through the underground passage, guided by the small light, his mouth felt dry. The faint light was swallowed by the deep darkness that stretched endlessly. It felt strangely like walking into the mouth of a monster. His mouth went dry with the tension of not knowing what might jump out from the darkness ahead.  He wondered what he had been thinking when he entered this place as a child.

Just as Seong-ho was marveling at his past self and clicking his tongue, he heard a muffled sound from above.

“——.”

“—! —-.”

It was definitely human voices.

* * *

Early in the morning, before the sun had even risen, the survivors trapped in Myeong-dong Cathedral’s cultural center gathered in the common lounge area set up in the basement.  They were all representatives of their respective families or teams.  A small, thin man spoke first.

“It seems everyone is here.”

The gazes of those who had been chatting amongst themselves focused on him.  It was Yoo Min-sang, the man who had woken them up and gathered them here.

“I apologize for waking you all up so early.  From my experience, this is the time when there’s the least activity outside.”

Meeting their gazes, he continued nervously,

“The reason I gathered you all at this hour is to discuss countermeasures regarding the missing people.”

“What countermeasures are you talking about?”

A sharp question was thrown at him as soon as he finished speaking.  Yoo Min-sang paused for a moment to avoid sighing and continued,

“That’s what we’re here to discuss. I don’t know if you all have noticed, but… something is strange here.”

Yoo Min-sang reflected on the past days leading up to this point.  He and his friends had entered this facility about two weeks ago.

‘Back then, I thought a miracle had happened.’

A year and a half had already passed since the virus outbreak. Yet, there was still a place where they could eat their fill and sleep comfortably.  He thought God had truly saved him and his companions.  That’s why he willingly underwent the two-day quarantine to determine his infection status, and after moving to the new facility, he put a lot of effort into getting along with the existing members.

But his enthusiasm didn’t last long. He realized that something was amiss.  The first strange thing was that it was impossible to enter or exit the building freely.  It wasn’t that no one ever went outside.  People were called out, supposedly for work.

‘The problem was that none of those who went out ever returned.’

It wasn’t just one or two people. And if their families or friends asked about them…

‘They would be called out the next day.’

And never return. That wasn’t the only strange thing.

‘No one stays here for long.’

He had been here the longest.  Those who had been here before him had already been called out for labor.  Yesterday, the family who had entered the facility a day after Yoo Min-sang’s group had been called out.

Naturally, they hadn’t returned either.  The situation made him uneasy.  Perhaps he would be next? What happened to those who went outside? Was this really a safe place to stay?  All sorts of thoughts and anxieties swirled within him, making every waking moment an ordeal. He couldn’t sleep properly, and even eating was difficult.

But that was just Yoo Min-sang’s situation. Not everyone felt the same way.

“What’s so strange? Seriously. Hey, stop nitpicking.”

“Mr. Yoo, you’re suspecting the priests, aren’t you? Is that how you should treat the people who have provided you with a warm place to sleep and food without any conditions?”

“There’s a limit to shamelessness…”

These were the people who had joined the facility recently.  They had arrived only two or three days ago and didn’t want to jeopardize the peace they had finally found.  So, they didn’t listen to Yoo Min-sang.  Of course, Yoo Min-sang, already convinced of his suspicions, didn’t give up.

“Where’s the proof that they’re priests?”

“What?”

He raised his voice in front of the complacent people.

“They confine people inside the building, board up all the windows from the outside, and on top of that, people keep disappearing! There are more strange things than normal things!”

But his words didn’t reach them.

“So what! They give us food and a safe place to stay, what’s wrong with a few strange things?!”

“You ungrateful bastard, do you think there’s another facility like this?!”

“If we get kicked out of here by mistake, my kids will have to live on the streets again!”

Their desperation to avoid losing the comfort they had finally regained made them turn a blind eye to the obvious oddities.  A memory suddenly surfaced.

– Something is strange here.

– I’m going to escape.

Not long after he had joined the facility, an elementary school classmate he had run into had said something similar. But back then, Yoo Min-sang hadn’t listened.

‘I even cursed him inwardly.’

Calling him a crazy bastard with delusions, wanting to leave such a good place.  He had prayed for days that nothing would happen because of that guy.  A few days after that, his classmate was called outside.  And he never saw him again.

‘If this continues, I’ll end up like him soon.’

Yoo Min-sang gulped nervously.  When he closed his mouth, the lounge fell silent. If the silence had continued, the secret pre-dawn meeting would have ended.  People tended to ignore uncomfortable truths and anxieties.

But fortunately, someone broke the silence.

“Twenty-eight.”

It was Song In-hye, a woman leaning against the wall near the entrance. Unlike the others, she had entered this facility alone.  This meant she had no allies to rely on in case of emergency.  So, she was more vigilant than the others.  Instead of letting her guard down after arriving, she continued her suspicious observations.  As a result, she had learned something.

“I arrived here ten days ago, and the number of people called outside and haven’t returned is twenty-eight.”

The faces of the others showed surprise as they heard a concrete number, not just a vague estimate.

“You’re saying that with so many missing people, it’s nothing? Then you go next. Everyone knows they prioritize those who volunteer.”

There were indeed people who had volunteered to be taken outside, hoping to gain favor with those in charge. If they volunteered like them, they would surely be taken outside.  But no one readily offered themselves.

“I know why you all can’t give this place up. But we can’t ignore the obvious facts. We might have walked into a tiger’s den.”

Song In-hye’s voice trembled slightly, subtly revealing her tension and anxiety.

“We need to find out what’s happening here.”

Logically, it was a conclusion everyone would agree with.  But not everyone was logical, and emotions often got in the way.

“You’re not all agreeing with her, are you?  We were starved all day because of that guy who tried to escape last time!”

“Th-That’s right! I don’t want to go through that again!”

They all felt the same way.  They didn’t want to experience that cruel hunger again. Who would want to return to those miserable days of survival?  But they couldn’t continue living in this constant state of anxiety either. It would be great if they could all agree, but…

“We have to do something!”

“No! Don’t cause any trouble and just stay put!”

Like a ship with too many captains, they couldn’t decide on a direction and wavered.  The confrontation between the two sides with differing opinions intensified.  Just then,

“It would be best to take action.”

An unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed from the doorway.  It was Seong-ho, who had come looking for them as soon as he exited the underground passage.

—–CROW—–