Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB
vt26vwmChoi Jaeha took the lead and began guiding us.U2VDL
oGGjO“No, it’s just that I’d never heard of Sammae Delivery before. I found it strange, so I remembered it. The companies here usually already have designated delivery services they use.”Dg2G
dvRoDirector Yoo Hyunjae, who had explored the same area as Choi Jaeha, showed no particular reaction.XdJXT
jTaWhich made sense. He was someone who had no need to know which logistics companies came in and out of the building.bHCpj
E0hau“Yes, it’s this one. Sammae Delivery.”jmj
EeYBOn the rectangular cargo compartment that Choi Jaeha pointed at, the words “Sammae Delivery” were written in large orange letters.2wiUJEf
L0H79Bae9502, white cargo truck, E02.fMleJ
u7GfBv1Just in case, I also memorized and photographed the vehicle’s information and location.G8O
mqz5Tzl“Can we open the cargo compartment?”MAYIgdH
nCDv“Isn’t it locked?”QCn7ES
DOuRNej“Yes. It looks like the latch is already open.”goMBW3Y
pxEWnhyJust as Hwang Juyeon said, it seemed all we had to do was pull the handles that looked like latches.SSXg
OILRather than thinking the driver of this suspicious truck had forgotten to lock it on this particular day, it was more reasonable to assume all of this was the labyrinth’s doing.EgGISs
Itwtc0Z“Then I’ll open it. Stay alert in case something strange comes out.”YYndw
7prZ6At those words, Choi Jaeha and Hwang Juyeon covered the child’s eyes and stepped back slightly.HzDE
qCBPDirector Yoo Hyunjae positioned himself behind me with an expression that was a mixture of tension and curiosity. I never expected him to help me open the door.z3h9Hf1
4GVQClack.JHdxqOD
il1WMI grabbed both handles and pulled.H5af
0l4TcfCreeeak…vDD
Za3roThe door began to open slowly, and a faint flashlight beam slipped through the gap into the dark compartment.iSsI
c6lIBAnd when the light reached the back.3va31RF
lIukOgT“Ah…!”JAK
zGuVtWPI let out an exclamation without meaning to.Ix1x
FknluV“W-what is it? What’s wrong? Ugh…!”Uf8SN
1ILSELg“It’s nothing. It’s just a dummy.”r6vSuQo
DbFThere was a flesh-colored dummy the size of a person.ADhrvP
fwJJIts joints were twisted into grotesque positions.tLprnQr
FYsUfIts appearance reminded me of a mannequin, and I felt a chill run down my spine.LER
XWdg7I tried not to think about that mannequin with the golden scale for a head.4ecWI
tHR9w1Nor about that formula that added and subtracted my weight by body parts.1bZvn
CzHlqo“It’s a crash test dummy.”iE0bW
ahrCreeeak.4qn9C
B4vhbtYoo Hyunjae climbed into the compartment without hesitation and examined the dummy.3LwnUl
aO9Q“A dummy?”KkO
s9Wu7Kn“Yes. A vehicle crash test dummy. See that yellow-and-black circular mark on its temple?”KV8l6
nf97At his words, I forced myself to push those thoughts aside and climbed into the compartment to get closer.GYKsC8I
yXAmSThe arms and legs were bent in impossible directions.WdkhpqR
14RcbkThe pelvis and thighs, in particular, looked as though they had been violently twisted.ct4tsOn
W6vnlXoNo matter how I looked at it.KYPm
7MZ2Yy“It looks like it was run over.”Cwt
lvhI could calculate exactly what conditions would leave a person like this.1GWI
Q9rvaThe model of the vehicle.J48
LIMUUThe distance between the car and me.DT6
X6qThe speed.NG8F063
smF7The moment the driver notices me.knaj
ftG0aTheir reaction time.HTN0
phQCczThe point where they hit the brakes.S2pQ
TOjeKOEvery possible scenario.Zpw
y7BvoIt was a very old habit.Jgz
K7KcSiSo old it felt engraved into my bones.hMy
wAMI1eSo old that I could barely remember the faces of my parents, who died in an accident.sH8a
TkaWg“Run over badly? This must be a clue too. Does anything come to mind?”t5u
IK62“Yes.”8Tq
SpF7ZEven though this dummy was smaller than me and did not seem to have the proportions of an average adult.wGbpJ
rxzHAnd even though there were still missing clues.RQmV
YIwJ4I had a few ideas.a1yNp
U2P“The skid marks we saw earlier. At a speed high enough to leave marks like that, this could happen.”eWJHNF
IHVVp“Then they’re evidence from the scene.”Mmit33d
MBB4Ls8Yoo Hyunjae nodded as if he understood immediately.OpGcQf2
lNyZn“A scene? Not an accident?”xgg
SInt3kChoi Jaeha asked from outside, leaning only his upper body into the compartment.DxKVjgy
dRtn“Director, are you saying this actually happened?”BtPABXc
y5xr9i“Not necessarily.”SN4Bs5s
8ADYoo Hyunjae smiled as if the question were almost a joke.3y5m
yyKe“But if it did happen, then it would be an unsolved case.”rRE8f
Oyx3Pif“An unsolved case? Why?”2zlakSQ
cmwnThe guild director who made his living exploring labyrinths curled his lips into a smile.RFt
GQbI“Because labyrinths are graves for unresolved problems. And those things are always waiting for someone to come and solve them.”uEX0Ydk
qOEfH0jIt was a poetic statement.fLG
0TI6And at the same time brutally straightforward.HJv4G0c
G34BqKFor the first time, I understood that Yoo Hyunjae was not someone who observed labyrinths only from the comfort of an office chair through written reports.gCl7T
KGSbtQHe also saw the real labyrinths that existed beyond those documents.Vmo
oodhNbz“Huh? Jiho, what’s wrong? What’s over there…? Aaah!”TSE
NkEKsSuddenly, a scream came from outside.tDZ2wE0
vmtH2“Hwang Juyeon-ssi?”Ok1o
vctbS3R“Are you alright?”hx1
C77CcrWe hurried out of the truck.BV9w
GEUK0uHwang Juyeon was sitting on the ground, gritting her teeth.LbFwyU
Vj7Jung Jiho was crouched beside her with a tearful expression, not knowing what to do.yyEYH
qqY2EHo“What happened?”YBnb0
o1chph“Ugh…”LeTX
f6MMHwang Juyeon pulled up her pant leg slightly while groaning.W4bVTTe
JejRThere were small drops of blood on her ankle.t6u4V
tZLc8YyThey looked like two tiny puncture marks left by a needle.4apW6cY
8IbRvL“A snake… a snake…”uCMmQ1t
H4eF970“A snake?”HIJXG0T
VrOO1iP“Agh, o-over there…”KI3v
xJSWhpHwang Juyeon pointed underneath the truck.HtmGaqP
RfbeAnd indeed.Ac8So
xe88There was a snake coiled up, watching us.qndV
1ZUPbf“T-there’s really a snake!”OOT6l1
A4w95IChoi Jaeha stepped back in horror.VKx37U
w7qOI quickly took off my tie and tied it above the wound to apply pressure.LDNdJ
MvPDYoKCurrent time.rxi
3mZ8B3z4:17 p. m.HgW2
evMdSIt did not look like a venomous viper.ffQs
YMiRBut this was a labyrinth.DdT
mg4mI could not be sure.kHXI5
VhbydtWe needed to observe how long it took for the bleeding to stop.hvrxiA
b4Bs…And also how much time would pass before the monster appeared.mfPGEfF
IjZRY“B-but I’m not going to die, right?”5InV5
PJZN122, 116, 109, 113, 120…SL8Gky6
72m8Ng7The numbers on Hwang Juyeon’s smartwatch fluctuated nonstop.i88qsHc
8dEGCXwShe seemed worried about the scream she had let out.9QGz3V3
mGuFrom experience, I was convinced that the false Buddha did not come because of screams but because of heart rate.erfs
H90But I did not say it with certainty.nJc4bmx
ztpcThey would not have believed me.GHxP
ebE“Don’t worry about the scream. Try to calm down first. If that monster really is attracted to heartbeats, we still have time.”vYH
JOILooking back on it, all of us had been startled many times.BMvFCkA
OlYnNBut the Buddha did not always appear.ugHcP
y6RdjBeAnd when it did appear, it did not arrive the very instant a heart began racing.3pW
Iy5SjA7There was always some delay.pgnof8
ERXSC“If it doesn’t appear immediately even though your heart is beating that fast, that means there’s another condition besides heart rate that involves time. So calm down and take deep breaths.”9EBpLw
Jf1R“Haa… ugh…”TaI
ipSSQtBut Hwang Juyeon’s heart rate continued fluctuating between 110 and 125.X25P
VneX“The blood… ugh… the blood won’t stop!”PRiAbi
gQSqC“What?”bfU
inlStartled, I looked at her ankle.4EyiT0
lxu95The bleeding had practically stopped.xGdM0t8
8oRoOnly a few drops remained pooled around the two fang marks.E1mn4
l3mb4qB“I… was bitten by a venomous snake, right?”ZL4zstl
BgIu“No. It’s not venomous. I don’t know what you’re seeing, but that’s an illusion…”FGx
6AfHwang Juyeon was seeing a hallucination created by the labyrinth.jY3tSA
BtHiY12“Hwang Juyeon-ssi, Seon Yuhan-ssi is right.”yKqE
czzYoo Hyunjae spoke while trying to calm the frightened Jung Jiho.X5JtNh
VBz2“It’s an ordinary snake. As far as I know, venomous ones have triangular heads.”jyRc
h2r9936“Ugh, don’t li—”vN5Ug
RRA—Clank.BkhqH
P1H“Damn it. Hwang Juyeon-ssi, please. Calm down. I’m begging you…”3Oj
PyDT“Seon Yuhan-ssi. It’s too late. We need to hide.”gHGPS
Y3CeThe blood-soaked Buddha was approaching.We5u
I32J“That which you cherish. That which you fear. That which makes you bleed. I come from all those cracks.”Txe
uahwEHYoo Hyunjae forcibly dragged me behind a pillar on the other side.PjmVz
GgX0Choi Jaeha and Jung Jiho were already crouched down, trying to hide.tmHO
mM0MX1“You still do not understand for yourself that your heart remains bound by the one hundred and eight afflictions. Then how could you cut them away? How could you free yourself from them and attain perfect enlightenment?”GtD
TYWCrack, splash…n8OMcB
7XWABOn“Kgh, aaaaah!”Nj8r4O
3glagI remained motionless behind the pillar, watching everything.MOLny
F2lcp3Without closing my eyes.q0WtX
NpL6N1Without covering my ears.2TVqd
jQoaWithout covering my mouth.OEqvn
oC7“……”mpYf
jnXMThe heart that had been racing wildly slowly began returning to its normal rhythm.VXf
3aVzGvfIt felt so unreal that it gave me chills.Q3b76
tGutAnd at the same time, strangely comforting.5pEu
UBiv9KThe same sensation as those times when, unable to endure any more violence, my incorporeal self was forcibly separated from my physical body to escape the pain.Z1VmZ
HsvtMStrangely.60i9Q39
rqPDsxzI felt that it was the most human thing of all.E7dkb
fNxE9DAnd also the most alive.EXRDlt
4ioP“Seon Yuhan-ssi? Seon Yuhan-ssi?”gZT2tBU
gaIK“Ah. Ah…”gDJVg
7QHWhen I came back to my senses.1ZQ
qNZgEverything was over.mUU02
Fa1The white truck had been stained red.boV
2ToPeAnd the monster had already left.lOySzkX
WeZ“Are you alright, Seon Yuhan-ssi?”IzTcco
VQBWd“Ah… yes…”7Z3n
kfFI stared blankly at my phone screen.0x2Y5tQ
o5Md4:19 p. m.NuCC
a5kzK4:20 p. m.0CC
niJ5KGu“Between the moment it started approaching and the actual moment of death, subtracting that time, and counting from when Hwang Juyeon was bitten by the snake until the first sound of footsteps was heard…”T2XBUA
JZc“Between a minute and a half and two minutes?”LNj3
qwMWithout realizing it, I muttered to myself as though reciting a sutra.YXVakY0
qwG7cAnd for some reason, I felt as though I had heard something similar before.xG5
GukjXb“Huh? D-director! Seon Yuhan-ssi! The snake is moving!”QNJNLSh
fP7tAt that moment, Choi Jaeha’s sudden shout brought me back to reality.HjNTYev
hKUThe snake that had emerged from beneath the truck began moving somewhere.XjEXJo
SSQcgST“Seon Yuhan-ssi, if you’re tired, you can stay here and rest with Jiho. We’ll go follow it.”o27T
Y3vnUYoo Hyunjae spoke without taking his eyes off the direction Choi Jaeha was pointing.YHfHvT6
ElVNMjU“Huh? You mean me?”fPzLq
9Vq7W“No. I’ll go. I’d prefer Choi Jaeha-ssi to stay behind and look after Jiho.”jdwy3c
46K“Ah, yes, of course. I have a niece, I’m very good with children.”fqF573w
5T1NuoAnd so, leaving Choi Jaeha behind as he hugged and comforted the trembling child, I followed the snake alongside Yoo Hyunjae.e1J
PJT70A9It was not moving very quickly, so we were able to keep our distance while following it.B18J
6Veh2R3“Could it be that car?”ReZ8Ror
uk4v7When he saw the vehicle in front of which the snake had stopped, Yoo Hyunjae made an odd expression, as if unsure whether to laugh or not.4IMs
2TA“Ah…!”wgB
ZxTFfkTap—!IqG
n8AVThe snake, which had been watching both of us, suddenly leaped.jLSgWu
nQzGwAnd disappeared into the car’s emblem.GlGhR
u7PIn other words, a snake the size of a human arm entered a flat emblem smaller than a palm and became the image of a snake.ou4vNzh
W0O“The logo of this car brand originally has a snake on the right and a cross on the left, though I suppose that isn’t important.”6Hrb
iIRSeo8102, red sports sedan, A11.qLIKos
4APKWhile memorizing the vehicle’s information and location, Yoo Hyunjae set aside that useless curiosity.mAV7
Gp7F“For now, I’ll open the door.”s0Z
GhysGnClick.OYv
GLzW1nOAs expected, it opened easily.zd75
KzWI sat in the driver’s seat and checked the sun visor, the door compartments, and the center console.e1Dfyh
X76I found nothing.iElTe
408“Oh.”lac
V3j2ZYoo Hyunjae, who had opened the passenger-side glove compartment, pulled something out.TR3F2Z0
60EjFx“There’s a catalog. A car catalog.”SUdH
AevDIt was a catalog describing several models from a well-known domestic brand.RI5R
Ji5lGox“Perhaps there’s a clue about the next car in here…”lCf
qUMnThe moment Yoo Hyunjae opened the catalog.wiMwYr
dZmARBang!Kxx7Y
gAWtLPLClick!g4ug5N
HPBzQPMThe doors on both sides slammed shut simultaneously and locked at once.v3wTaK0
n60H“Ha…”Ge2wx
1wGDamn it.4RsUMK
aJy3pI barely managed to hold back the curse and pulled on the handle.OkAN4wa
qiRRBut it was useless.WiA1F
zBadAs expected.ZuKGErv
rtTHv“It seems it wasn’t just my hallucination. This door won’t open either.”a46HmW
Kfz5xKKThen.bg3Pn
IS7WChzzzt, chzzzt…NH8gS
RzVxThe radio turned on.iTI
mgIn1And static began to play.Y1CLd4w
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