Chapter 46: Gangsol Prison (6)
y0W9IZiCentral Control Room.3u58K
swzN0RFIt was the only name that could be given to the space we found when we opened the door.dxZ6jN7
LbisdRUHowever, that place was filled with such grotesque and overwhelming chaos that the word control lost all meaning.P1qd3S
xJkDHundreds of monitors covered the walls, but what appeared on their screens was not limited to confinement cells.UOtGz
djIZ9Someone’s bloodshot eyes.fMr
gs6TLips that twisted endlessly.2I4i
ssSAnd recordings of unknown organs beating while deforming amid static and noise.dkme
cHJtqgHOn the ceiling, instead of electrical cables, thick blood vessels intertwined with one another.Fow8R
Iw9oiFrom the dozens of speakers hanging from them came an unending macabre harmony composed of prisoners’ moans and screams.CX4a8d
Aw6“…We came to the wrong place.”VXm
M8WgBae Hyeon-yu muttered in a low voice.w8EX7
xpjD1Even her normally steady voice trembled like a sandcastle before the grotesque visual pressure of that place.xSviR
wBzCShe’s right.lvwOF
qp8pD4QI nodded inwardly.oPA
ICPRggThis place was both the heart of Gangsol Prison and its deepest tumor.gIRQJ
53xWe needed to get out of there as quickly as possible.bE5aM
HwkivcLI tried to start moving again.m1c
wHT8But.4PRW
3qT“…!”Mro
wvaThe moment I tried to put weight on my left leg, something inside my brain screamed.xBKCp
YsePAn unbearable cold descended from my patched-up side down into the bones of my leg.WvSk25
Vc8oAs if the inside of my bones were hollow.GtZ
vjwqEAs if all my weight rested on a thin glass tube.US1
JvPAn ominous sensation.kIt
jGNMy knee gave out against my will.m0l
xz0oEWThud.hQwJ
eFAQbjn“Hyung!”MJWo
Tjz5Lee Seong-hoon hurriedly caught me, but my body had already collapsed to the floor.N9cNbVP
E2DioG“Haa… haa…”a4Q
DDwwEvery time I breathed, I could feel the tiny bone fragments that had repaired my side stabbing into my flesh from within.wGpM
asjNhcIt was the price of forcing it back together.oKNxBJd
GKKYMy legs no longer felt like part of my body.XUlN
0sZYoDThey were nothing more than old pieces of wood abandoned by someone.yyM
ZTRMAI could feel absolutely nothing.zlpje
8XOJ40jSilence fell over us.RVaZ8
46ogOnly the grotesque noise of the monitors filled the stillness.Spy
NMBwTI looked at the others’ faces.6gfL20n
OZxBThe hand with which Min Do-hyeon was supporting me had lost strength.FGN3h4e
zsOBae Hyeon-yu watched me without saying a word.Ohcc
yhF1iCold and merciless calculations crossed her eyes.j8Lkf
A5dso4RMin Do-hyeon cautiously glanced at Bae Hyeon-yu’s expression.jQ5F
X6Py“Hyeon-yu… Agent Jeong is too…”QywGd
te1dmANMin Do-hyeon’s voice faded before he could finish the sentence.5eTV81x
Gaey8QMy legs were as numb as dead logs.6LkDby
r7kEUBae Hyeon-yu’s eyes trembled.S98aavG
TZusOnly for an instant.mTrTTAF
Ub5vYhVAmid that heavy silence, I was the one who spoke first.hIDF
03k“I’m fine.”SH1AyOO
fd3LuMy voice was far too dry for someone with a hole through his side.mHz3y
lPVDIIt was reason, not emotion, that spoke first.5Czz
4RFrwWhen a team member loses mobility in an operational zone, there is only one way to increase the survival chances of the others.nXC
7CUNu“You two go ahead. I’ll rest here for a moment and catch up later.”PxAsYi
gD2UTFIt was a lie.URW
CdtHow was I supposed to catch up to anyone with these legs?flLLT
gJKBut I had something to rely on.vLrx
zO2Director Mok and Supervisor Shik, who had entered this strange hell with me.FaOH6X
jhtQuite a bit of time had passed since we got separated, and there was a high probability that both of them were actively searching for me.izEQP
iqShmcCThat was the foundation of my decision.AnFSs
Kw85HHOf course, it was a gamble.AcBVw
p25rsI didn’t know whether they would find me first or whether the prison guards would tear me apart first.vGXX9Q5
fhYAnd, honestly, I also had no idea what Director Mok and Supervisor Shik would do to these people.13qMqH
gB6dE3Perhaps it would be better if this chance encounter ended here.BtCI4
sqEXE“Agent Jeong! What are you saying…?!”mnz4RCA
C47Min Do-hyeon tried to stop me.YrgYy
kOaSLAP—!BSh7W3
aZb0A sudden impact made both Seong-hoon and me open our eyes wide.Zoe
GNiBae Hyeon-yu had just slapped herself hard across the face.G7ihs
CpD4SxkHolding her reddened cheek, she gritted her teeth and looked at us.nVM
CS3Kj“I’m sorry. I just had a really stupid thought.”LIQRs
g0cNFirm determination had returned to her voice.FigcSF2
NevSF5NShe tightened her grip on her expandable baton and looked at Min Do-hyeon.Qspms
Txl1Z“We crawled all the way into this hell to find people. We can’t abandon someone who’s alive right in front of us.”AkDzff
uhw“…Hyeon-yu.”ZwIHr2
x9WfG“Besides, didn’t he get hurt helping you?”dipSh
T571VI hadn’t expected that.IydcD
A5xq1ySeeing me so stunned, Min Do-hyeon gave a bitter smile and draped my arm over his shoulders again.TJI
58WUAnd then Lee Seong-hoon, who until that moment had only been trembling while clutching my clothes, stepped forward.e4abX3H
iRPJP“Um… Hyung, noona.”MsA
AMYJUoScratching the back of his neck shyly, he pulled a crumpled chocolate bar from his clothes.Wj3uZD
sDrBoJWWith hands covered in sweat and dust, he carefully split it into three pieces and offered them to us.Ta3B
I1vC“Here. I saw hyung eating candy earlier, and I thought maybe everyone needed some sugar.”IJiVA4D
MF6JNThough his lips trembled with fear, he showed us a faint smile.7VaNO
zt7“When you two started arguing earlier, I was honestly terrified.”NjiKMpW
Ql8“But when I saw you still worrying about others until the very end… I really appreciated it.”XBqF
3XJyxDTears glimmered faintly in Seong-hoon’s eyes.sugr
VYk“And hyung… thank you for bringing someone like me this far.”WdjI
wz2A trust so pure that it bordered on recklessness.dF6
K47zlk1His eyes were still filled with fear.DvucycF
8nLVZpBYet within them shone a kind of courage I was seeing for the first time.oembSyt
Fg9SThese people truly still retained their humanity.LhVp
aG8dO“Um… well… I’ll go first.”EysW6hZ
9mPVT“Since both of you have your hands full helping hyung, I’ll check what’s behind that door.”fpqrUwA
BUEFSy“Seong-hoon. Don’t be reckless.”MxwL
dJzgTEven though I tried to stop him, Seong-hoon shook his head.lwoX3f
21pJ“I was always the one being protected.”qfR
zbEegv0“I also… I also want to be useful. I just have to check what’s over there, right?”Hpxn
2AqIt seemed my cold resignation had ended up touching the reckless courage hidden deep inside his heart.ezy4jz
q07ShSeong-hoon tightened his trembling grip on that crude metal pipe and walked toward the massive iron door at the front of the Central Control Room.Blx
91ir7RAs I watched his slender back move away, I felt a strange premonition.XkU2mP
PB9QvThe necklace on my chest had gone cold, as though it were holding its breath.0BtMLSI
1VvLIt happened just as Lee Seong-hoon peeked his head through the gap in the iron door.2lW2N
M77vCn[Stand by]NvWmSl
eJ2UdhThe hundreds of speakers hanging from the ceiling simultaneously emitted a single voice.aHxD
0VnnEMCRUNCH!VVfljOr
YBf2It was not the sound of an explosion.4brJ
yDPjIt was a wet, revolting noise, like a giant press crushing flesh.Hyrj
7ln7AFrom the other side of the gap emerged a gigantic monstrous hand formed from dozens of rusted keys tangled together like vines.LJF1
wfNThe thing completely seized Seong-hoon’s head.cTt
hawzWithout even being able to scream, Seong-hoon’s body was lifted into the air.yWbn
b5pb“Seong-hoon!”vCR6
FRoVeBefore Bae Hyeon-yu could even leap forward, the door slowly began to open and that thing appeared.NZXjl
8mpBrIt wore a prison uniform.n3WR
PBENj8But its body was made of thousands of punishment chains and padlocks.8bxQY
QEAWhere its face should have been, a massive guillotine blade was embedded vertically.k8qPqq
9t55RHSomehow, I knew.zZ49S
sbjQf‘The Prison Director.’N6fvA
uSEh1Holding Seong-hoon’s head, it gently squeezed it as though it were a ripe fruit.xEQa
tJcCrack. Crunch.g8h
WnF5The sound of a skull shattering tore through the silence.5bBtZ
5QrnSeong-hoon’s eyes could not withstand the internal pressure and burst from their sockets, falling to the floor.A515Zq
IimUgYhNo response came from his mouth.S32
2JYPOnly blackish-red foam.g9tq1Mq
MxGCKUdBae Hyeon-yu’s and Min Do-hyeon’s steps froze before that brutally violent sight.7MKsU
XSdpAs though it had not the slightest interest, the Prison Director tossed Seong-hoon’s crushed head to the floor.PGqTmWJ
0HpSplat.6Zg
8ahxYThe dream of the boy who had wanted to be helpful only moments ago cooled forever, becoming part of the brain matter and blood scattered across the ground.Y4f
pZ7The metal pipe he had been holding rolled helplessly across the pool of blood.2hVD
ZUUfRDPOne of his old sneakers flew off and rolled across the floor.3tc5
5rFDF0The trembling voice of the boy who had said he wanted to help mixed with that horrifying mechanical noise, turning into a bitter auditory hallucination.Rae8
Bdmq98hMin Do-hyeon couldn’t even scream.gTpM89
lWSXYKyBae Hyeon-yu stood frozen with her eyes wide open.ALK
K5IOIt felt as though I could hear the sound of the humanity she had reinforced by striking her own cheeks shattering like glass inside her pupils.PcHVWw
gHkCrunch.AmI
LJGu9qThe Prison Director advanced while crushing Seong-hoon’s chest beneath his enormous shoes.6kQX
D6TA0wfThe sound of ribs breaking was amplified through the control room speakers and reached us.1Swa
IPatZ“Ah…”ERFxyJ
xNe44fAn empty groan escaped Bae Hyeon-yu’s lips.3E6mL1
ZzpxtMy vision began flickering once again in a red so dark it bordered on black, projected by the necklace.5vB
3NgOThe price of choosing hope.s7fQv6
K8lThe most miserable way possible to die.b3O
sNZLT3At the same time, the chains wrapped around the Prison Director’s body began pouring toward us with piercing metallic screeches.ggyH5O
veJi0f5BEEEEEP—!Ha3Wdlx
HJKgWhat shattered the silence was the sharp warning sound emitted by the extractor inside my clothes.mdV
JbVHBThe indicator, which had remained at 40% until moments ago, suddenly began skyrocketing.YHEs
wTtlSvsWhy?uYG
LIPHR5SWas it simply the energy radiating from the Prison Director?W3Sk4mH
OX22TBKOr was it the extreme despair being expelled by this place?nDqV5I
6of[45%]RaZp2
6dM7WThe number was increasing at an abnormal speed.ES9ISNa
JKQ[60%]WXsyb7
xRmeThe strange vibrations emitted by the extractor traveled through my wounded side and spread throughout my entire body.o5QGT
ZKk[70%]2gEHM
nv9w8Z3Every time the indicator rose, the patched-up wound in my side resonated with the extractor’s vibrations and screamed in pain.Epgh
uikl8L3It felt as though I was prolonging my own life by using the suffering and despair of others as fuel.YWVDo
EQU5YEThe numbers climbed frantically, flashing red like a brand burned into flesh.o4SQJMC
WCd“Min Do-hyeon! Move!”StHrg
MzDBpSnapping back to his senses, Min Do-hyeon practically lifted me into his arms.GKJ0izD
0FRzpcUBae Hyeon-yu gritted her teeth and swung her expandable baton, knocking aside the Prison Director’s chains as they lunged toward us.Bbrf
XX5C7j“Get a hold of yourself! If we don’t get out now, we’re all going to die!”ExkM
6EM8oxtAt Bae Hyeon-yu’s shout, Min Do-hyeon swallowed something indescribable and turned around.Ojt
84STWe ran through the complex mechanisms of the Central Control Room toward the emergency exit on the opposite side.aTemr
YmlFOPBut the metallic sounds behind us kept drawing closer.vzk
QPNMClank! Clang!NVf
TqNoqThe Prison Director’s chains slithered across the floor like snakes, threatening our feet.Hu7QJxS
pEaP8HThe Director wasn’t running.B4wxP
a8BsHe simply advanced one step at a time.ype
4PTT7And every time he took a step, the room’s monitors exploded and shattered.57bK
0CN25“Over there! If we get through that door…!”MoqZtr
D9d09iyThe door Min Do-hyeon pointed at was only a few meters away.P0d
XwceboBut at that moment, a massive bundle of chains wrapped around his ankle.LTu
bNKa“Aaaagh!”VxbOuPg
42toLlNMin Do-hyeon fell to the floor and began being dragged away.bQx
yZaWThe strange light descending from the ceiling reflected off the Prison Director’s guillotine blade, stretching grotesquely as it pointed toward Min Do-hyeon’s neck.1Ot9kC
BfRgMbAt that moment, I didn’t feel profound empathy.RIvYOGl
yIJURRNor burning rage.RFku
WXCNor some noble sense of duty.6U7j
DaUVHI was never someone who possessed those things by nature.yBR5wOH
NDjuI simply understood that this was one of those decisive moments that appear in life.fuJiRr
1jHSTDamn it… why me…?YBWSnd
jPljLI tightened my grip on the shoulder I was holding.eG7
QtajKMy ruined legs still weighed as much as mountains.niSpO
CQ9dPgLBut the extractor’s pulse, racing toward 100%, was forcefully pumping adrenaline into my heart.8HGgqfx
mdyI violently shoved Min Do-hyeon toward the door.jz7d
E1bTZB6“Agent Jeong!?”hBWN
bnt4Lj“GO!”dV6
PcynndI spun around and rolled across the floor.pEmMo
hjMjFsqPulling the knife from my pocket, I drove it between the links of the chain wrapped around Min Do-hyeon’s ankle.wc5i
CS16Sparks flew.wAd
6luAnd the instant the chain hesitated, I kicked Min Do-hyeon in the back and launched him through the doorway.XSvUCs
4IwX“Miss Bae Hyeon-yu! Take Min Do-hyeon and go! Hurry, close the door!”hIt
GjH6HM“But you—!”gEiCuRN
w2E“GET OUT OF HERE!”uwCcO4W
DvksIgnoring the hesitation in Bae Hyeon-yu’s eyes, I grabbed the handle from the inside and shut the door myself.yHO5CzN
kHNVj95BOOM—!L0BrFC
ofQbR4The massive iron door slammed shut.FybA
KF7rmmAnd with the final sound of the locking mechanism clicking into place, a suffocating silence settled over me once more.LzMc5
fWyIOCcNow the only ones left in that insane Central Control Room were me…9J8e
GeT…and the Prison Director, standing atop Seong-hoon’s corpse.1Co0DX
e5Bn0WBEEP—!h0j
CE48CAt that moment, the extractor’s indicator finally reached 100%.59uEj0
yK7YJThe entire device began emitting black smoke while vibrating with enough intensity to tear my body apart.IdYVe
BuEKCmStaggering, I faced the Prison Director.6Biuvz
HFnsoThe enormous guillotine blade cast an icy shadow over my head.puwp8
S3b7dfa“…Fuck. Come on.”UzjNC5
Yk0xFRSMy limbs trembled, and I could barely remain standing.yWVNRFR
0E3I wiped the blood from my lips and silently adjusted my grip on the knife.YnVY1
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