novelraw Chapter 6 : The World I Created (6)
Chapter 6 : The World I Created (6)
Chapter 6 - The World I Created (6)
The deer mask clung to his trouser leg, begging for his life. Kang Hyunseong tilted his head to the side.
“Why should I spare a bastard who giggled while watching my friend die?”
Not a trace of expression remained on Kang Hyunseong's face. Rage that has reached its peak is cold and biting.
The mask slipped, revealing a face contorted in terror. A yellow stain spread across his trousers.
“I-I'll pay...! M-My life! Name your price, huh?! You're the Resistance, right? All that talk about freedom and whatnot. In the end, it's all about the money, isn't it...!”
“Do you people think money can solve everything?”
Kang Hyunseong's brow furrowed deeply.
The man in the deer mask retorted, his expression showing genuine disbelief.
“O-Of course it is, i-isn't it? In Lake City, what is there that money can't d—!”
CRUNCH!
The man's jawbone dislocated, twisting in a strange direction. His tongue dangled from his lower face like the pendulum of a clock.
SWOOOSH.
Kang Hyunseong delivered a hook, and the man's cheekbone collapsed inwards. The internal pressure popped his eyeball out of its socket.
“How are all these city government guys the same? At this point, you'd think they screen for this kind of personality.”
Yoo Da-hee kicked a corpse with the tip of her boot. Behind her, the bodies had formed a mound. There were easily more than ten.
“Still, that Lee Taebaek kid is a real good luck charm. Maybe because it was his execution day, but there were fewer guards than usual, and their combat ability was pretty meh.”
Yoo Da-hee said, wiping her glasses with a relatively clean part of her coat's front flap.
“Besides, thanks to him holding out for over five minutes, we unexpectedly took almost no damage. He's a real talent, in more ways than one.”
“That's enough admiration. Hurry up and go check on Lee Taebaek's condition.”
“Geez. Spoken like a true Battalion Commander, with that bossy tone.”
“A doctor is supposed to look after the patient first. How have you killed more people than you've saved? That's why they call you 'You Die', isn't it? The doctor who kills people.”
“Want me to live up to my name one more time?”
Yoo Da-hee's eyes narrowed sharply, and Kang Hyunseong averted his gaze. She put her glasses back on.
“And I was going to do it even if you didn't say anything, so stop nagging. Honestly, you men and your loyalty.”
Clicking her tongue, Yoo Da-hee casually kicked aside the corpses blocking her path with the side of her foot and walked toward the electric chair. She didn't spare the bodies a single glance.
Soon, Yoo Da-hee stood at Lee Taebaek's feet.
She gave him a blunt look-over before opening her mouth.
“I can see why Kang Hyunseong likes you.”
Yoo Da-hee suddenly thrust her face close.
Whoa!
Lee Taebaek instinctively jerked his head back.
They were so close their breaths could mingle. From that precarious distance, she observed Lee Taebaek from various angles.
“You really withstood the electric chair for six whole minutes... That should be impossible even if your entire body was covered in rubber prosthetics.”
“Mind moving your face before you talk.”
Lee Taebaek retorted, glaring upwards. At that, Yoo Da-hee pursed her lips into an 'o' shape and took a step back.
“That tough look in your eyes... you're definitely our type.”
For some reason, Yoo Da-hee was smiling softly. The smile was familiar. She was a spitting image of Team Leader Seo.
However, only their appearances were similar; their auras were complete opposites.
A dark version of Team Leader Seo. She gave the impression of what Team Leader Seo might become if she were worn down by the world.
“Hmm.”
“......!”
For a moment, a crack appeared in Yoo Da-hee's expression. Immediately, she fixed her gaze on Lee Taebaek and drew her gun.
BANG–!
Warm smoke curled from the muzzle. From the point of impact, a death rattle could be heard.
“Kuh… urk.”
A guard was frozen in a firing stance. He fell backward, blood spraying from the hole that had been punched between his eyebrows.
“Kang Hyunseong said to leave the two guards alive, but I'm guessing the one pointing a gun at me is an exception.”
Yoo Da-hee blew on the muzzle, scattering the smell of gunpowder.
“Right?”
“Yep. Good job! That's one more kill for you, Doctor Yoo Da-hee!”
Kang Hyunseong called out from a distance. He was taking pictures of the faces with a camera. It was to check if there were any innocents among the casualties.
Kang Hyunseong himself had just gotten out of prison, but he was immediately deployed to the field. He showed no joy at his release. A battalion commander through and through.
“Hoo. It's over.”
His gaze, which had been lingering on the remnants of corruption, shifted to the stage. He approached, his presence filling the wide space.
“How's Lee Taebaek's condition?”
Kang Hyunseong asked, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Yoo Da-hee.
“His blood vessels are torn and all his muscles are ruptured, but still, this is so-so. If we take him back to headquarters and treat him, he'll make a full recovery. But putting that aside...”
Yoo Da-hee replied, then shot Kang Hyunseong a displeased glare.
“Kang Hyunseong, you. You barely worried about the rest of the squad, including me, so why are you looking after this one so much?”
Kang Hyunseong just scratched his brow with his thumb.
“Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I admit I got a little excited meeting a fellow Korean for the first time in a while. So let's not make a big deal out of it. It's been months since we've seen each other!”
It was strange to listen to. The character Lee Taebaek himself had created was showing him special concern... He just wished they'd hurry up and untie him. And stop chatting.
“Ah, right.”
Finally, Lee Taebaek's face brightened.
Kang Hyunseong suddenly started walking toward the stage's curtain call area.
Rrrrrip–.
He tore away the bulging part of the curtain. The last survivor, a guard, was cowering and trembling.
Snatch.
He grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and threw him like a sack of luggage at Lee Taebaek's feet.
Thump.
The floor trembled slightly from the impact.
“P-P-Please spare me! I-I-I'm sorry!”
Kang Hyunseong looked down impassively at the guard. Meanwhile, Yoo Da-hee placed her hands on Lee Taebaek's manacles.
“...The security code is a real pain. Probably because they're death row cuffs, the code system is different from the one you had, Kang Hyunseong.”
Despite her words, she was smiling.
“It'll take about 20 seconds.”
As soon as Yoo Da-hee finished speaking, green characters began to form on her glasses. Binary equations of 1s and 0s cascaded down the curved lenses like rain.
Clank.
A moment later, the restraints unlocked as if by magic. Lee Taebaek, with a grimace, tentatively moved his wrists back and forth. A rusty noise emanated from his joints and ligaments, like un-oiled machine parts.
...Still.
'After a week, I've finally regained the freedom of my hands and feet.'
He couldn't show it given the situation, but Lee Taebaek was ecstatic. The problem was that the people around him wouldn't just leave him be.
“Taebaek.”
The deep voice landed on his back. He flinched and turned around, only to have his vision filled with a hunk of metal.
It was a gun. A revolver, at that. Kang Hyunseong was holding it backward, thrusting the grip toward Lee Taebaek.
“You must be disoriented after just dying and coming back to life, but this is a gift for you.”
He looked into Kang Hyunseong's eyes. Though his eyes were crinkled in a smile, his pupils were cold and sunken.
In other words, Kang Hyunseong was pressuring him to kill. To kill the guard right in front of him.
'He's telling me to prove my innocence.'
He hadn't dismissed the suspicion that Lee Taebaek was a spy from Siesta.
And he didn't seem to have any intention of hiding his thoughts. If Taebaek hesitated to shoot for even an instant, Kang Hyunseong would immediately reverse the revolver and point the muzzle at him.
'In Recons, you'd have to be an even bigger idiot with a screw loose to trust someone completely after just a few words.'
Lee Taebaek wasn't the only one who read the situation. The guard turned his desperate begging toward him.
“Tae, Tae... Taebaek......!”
His words weren't even worth listening to.
Lee Taebaek swiftly snatched the revolver from the man's massive hand.
He placed his index finger on the trigger and cocked the hammer with his thumb.
Click.
The metallic sound stimulated his fingertips.
The guard seemed to be split in two by the line of the barrel. His aim was true. Now, it was time to let it spit fire.
BANG.
The gunshot was heavy. As the dead man fell, a silence descended upon the execution chamber, as if the final curtain had fallen.
He slowly straightened his bent arm. The recoil was heavy. The hand that had fired the gun had flown back past his shoulder.
But compared to the weight of a life, it was infinitely light.
This experience and this world were real and actual to Lee Taebaek. In this context, the normal reaction would be to have a seizure or be scared out of his wits.
And yet, Lee Taebaek was calm. How had he managed to castrate his emotions and obtain a principle of action based solely on reason?
Thump.
One of Lee Taebaek's shoulders dipped. Kang Hyunseong had put an arm around him. He lightly punched Lee Taebaek's chest with his fist, as if proud.
“Just as expected of a former Siesta guard dog, a shot fired without a hint of hesitation!”
It was a new feeling, being praised after killing someone. Though, to be fair, the act of killing itself was a fresh, new experience.
“You should have seen yourself firing that gun. Your eyes were so calm, it looked like you didn't feel a shred of pity for him.”
“I get it, that's enough.”
Far from showing any displeasure, Kang Hyunseong just grinned and added.
“You don't have to give the revolver back. It's my prison-release gift to you. It's an old model that's hard to find these days. The model name is Colt MK5 Python. A python is a type of snake. It's so sleek, just like a snake, right? You can't get one of those even if you have the money.”
Lee Taebaek looked down at the Colt Python in his hand. Other than some worn leather on the grip, it was in pristine condition. It must have been well-maintained, as the barrel had a silver sheen.
“Thanks.”
He awkwardly shoved it into his pocket. The waistband of his pants sagged slightly. The temperature of the metal against his leg was cold.
“Let's go.”
This time, Kang Hyunseong reversed the gesture, draping Lee Taebaek's arm over his own neck to support him.
He's even helping me walk.
“Yeah, let's go. I'm sick of this place.”
“What's the first thing you want to do when we get out?”
“Food. Please, I just want to eat a proper meal.”
“Hahaha! You and I are on the same page!”
And so, Lee Taebaek and Kang Hyunseong headed for the door. Yoo Da-hee followed behind them, keeping a moderate distance.
They left the execution chamber and entered a hallway. It was covered in the signs of a battle. Seeing sword marks instead of bullet wounds, he figured it wasn't Yoo Da-hee's work.
A highly skilled individual.
Even to the eyes of Lee Taebaek, who knew nothing about swords, it was clear that this was the work of a first-rate master.
Yoo Da-hee revealed the person's identity as if tossing out a casual remark.
“Looks like Fumito cleaned up here.”
After walking a bit further, a quiet, open area was revealed.
Corpses were strewn on both sides. At the vanishing point of the open area, there was a large door that led outside.
A sliver of light from the outside world leaked through a crack that was a few inches wide. Kang Hyunseong pushed the door with his free hand.
Creeeak.
Visible light suddenly stabbed at his retinas. After his eyes had mostly adapted to the brightness, Lee Taebaek opened them. Immediately, his pupils began to tremble violently.
“Ah...”
High-rise buildings sprouted like shark's teeth. A shimmering halo encircled the sun next to the towering skyscrapers.
Below, holographic advertisements blanketed the city. Flying vehicles floated between the sky and the buildings as if part of a self-regulating system.
The division between the upper city, overflowing with light, and the lower districts, denied even the right to sunlight, was as extreme as light and shadow.
“So, what do you think? Quite an eye-opener, isn't it?”
Kang Hyunseong said, his canine tooth flashing. Meanwhile, the sunset crumbled as if the city were devouring the sun.
'Ah.'
It was finally sinking in where this place was.
“Welcome, you country bumpkin from Seoul.”
This land he was breathing, feeling, and treading upon.
“This is Lake City.”
It is the world I created.