[The way people look at us changes in an instant, and the people who used to smile at us suddenly avoid and curse us. “It’s a Transcendent.” “A Transcendent. Scary!” “They’re glaring at us!” “They’re going to kill us all.” “Get lost! You unlucky bastard.” “What if we become Transcendents because of them?” All kinds of things are said. We’re scared and bewildered too, feeling like we’re going crazy. We beg for help, but when we move our bodies, we unknowingly use our abilities again. We can’t help it. This is our first time experiencing this too, so we can’t control the power that suddenly burst forth at all. Then people scream again, wail, and run away. “Save us! The Transcendent is trying to kill us!” they say.]
The man in the video acted out the tone of people terrified and afraid with great flavor. That made it feel even more real.
[The scene from a monster movie I saw when I was young unfolds before my eyes. In the movie, a monster suddenly appears in the city center and people run away. But I became that monster.]
Yeojin looked around. There was no one nearby. Only the man in the video kept talking endlessly.
[But think about it carefully. A monster suddenly appears in the city. Then the citizens would think it’s some bolt from the blue, right? We’re bewildered, but ordinary people must be scared out of their minds too. With just one gesture from us, cars fly. Walls crumble. Of course they’re scared. Fuck, why did such a monster suddenly appear? They’ll seek God, seek Buddha, seek Allah.]
At the man’s crude profanity, the sound of listeners in the video laughing could be heard.
[We’re wronged and resentful too. But we’re destroyers. You think that’s too harsh? But whether it’s our will or not, unless we control our power, we have no choice but to destroy. Then powerless citizens get hurt. We’re just wronged, scared, and resentful, but the citizens have to feel their lives threatened.]
In front of the wall where the video was playing, he could see a single chair placed there. But the chair was empty.
[So don’t hate them too much. They’re not doing this because they hate us—they’re doing it because they’re scared. We’re human just like you, and until recently we were the same as you, so why are you treating us like this! Everyone gets angry saying that, right? But rather than getting angry, controlling our tremendous power should come first.]
The man swept his gaze over the audience with profound eyes.
[If we control our power with our own will and use this power to benefit the world, will the citizens still unconditionally be wary of us like now? Just because they hold guns, should we hold guns too? Anger begets anger. Nothing changes through anger. Everyone. My pitiful comrades. Let’s calm down the anger that gnaws at us. Let’s recuperate our body and mind in our New Peace Town and develop the ability to control our power. Those we hate were also our friends and neighbors until recently, weren’t they?]
One moved audience member applauded and cheered even before the speech ended. Starting with that, everyone there poured out applause and cheers.
[Thank you, Leader Park Wiyeol!]
[Leader Park Wiyeol!]
The audience chanted the man’s name. That man appeared to be Park Wiyeol, the deceased leader of Earth. Park Wiyeol in the video smiled warmly at the people. A woman overcome with emotion ran up to the platform crying, and Park Wiyeol embraced her warmly.
As the NSP said, he looked more like the leader of a pseudo-religious cult than the leader of any organization. The sound of the audience in the video shouting Park Wiyeol! Park Wiyeol! echoed through the abandoned factory.
Then suddenly gunshots rang out. It was a sound that didn’t match the peaceful atmosphere in the video. People screamed. Terrified people ran around everywhere. The camera filming the video also shook wildly. Park Wiyeol also looked around in confusion. Soon armed soldiers burst through the church door and rushed in.
[If you resist, we’ll shoot!]
The lead team threatened with guns, and another team swarmed in from behind, pointing guns and subduing the people in the church, herding them into one place. The gathered people were of all ages and genders—men, women, young and old. There were children and elderly people. The children cried, and the women and elderly trembled, unable to even raise their heads in terror. The men glared at the soldiers with eyes full of wariness.
[What the hell is this! There are elderly and children here!]
Park Wiyeol furiously protested to the man who appeared to be the soldiers’ commander. But the soldier approached Park Wiyeol with an expressionless face.
[Can soldiers do this to powerless citizens?]
The soldier struck Park Wiyeol’s protesting face hard with the butt of his gun.
[Leader!]
The moment someone shouted, the soldier who struck Park Wiyeol suddenly screamed “Argh!” and collapsed. Someone had used their ability.
[Calm down!]
Park Wiyeol shouted, blood streaming from his head. The man who used his ability flinched.
[And you still call yourselves powerless citizens?]
The soldier sitting on the floor looked at Park Wiyeol and smirked. The soldier struggled to his feet and picked up the gun he’d dropped.
[Remember this! If you resist unnecessarily, your families in the outside world won’t be safe either!]
Then he shouted sharply at the people. The soldiers dragged the people outside the church. It was like taking prisoners of war. Threatening them with guns. Making cowardly threats by dragging in their families outside.
Park Wiyeol, who had smiled benevolently while preaching to understand the citizens’ fear, that they too were our friends and neighbors, was also dragged away covered in blood. With a thud, the camera fell over and the video abruptly cut off. The soldiers seemed to have smashed the camera.
“That was Leader Park Wiyeol’s last sermon video.”
That voice came from behind. Yeojin flinched in shock, his body jerking. When the hell did this bastard start standing there? Someone who had been whispering behind Yeojin walked forward. He was a slender, well-built young man wearing a white sweater and jeans.
“Back then, we were all transferred to the Jeju Island Quarantine Center. Those who violently resisted during the transfer were dragged to Iryeongdo Center. I was one of those dragged to Iryeongdo.”
At most, he might have been twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. He looked like a wholesome college student. He was extremely handsome—not just handsome, but looked intelligent and elegant. And it wasn’t that he was just pretty—his physique was quite solid too. Perhaps because of his upright posture with his back and shoulders pulled straight, his tall height looked even taller.
If he was handsome to that degree, he should be memorable, but no matter how much he thought about it, he wasn’t a person in his memory. That meant he wasn’t someone who had passed through Seoul Center.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Doctor Min Yeojin. Everyone who came from Seoul Center praised you.”
The man smiled brightly. Even his smiling face was perfect. He was like some movie actor. Still, our Haeju is much more handsome. While thinking such nonsensical thoughts, Yeojin opened his mouth.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Wi Seokwoo.”
Wi. It was an unusual surname.
“Who asked for your name? You’re not from Seoul Center, are you? I’ve never seen your face before.”
“Right. After awakening as a Transcendent, I immediately met Leader Park Wiyeol and went to New Peace Town. In the video you just watched, there’s a guy who dramatically shouts ‘Leader!’? That’s me.”
He seemed to be talking about the guy who used his ability and was restrained.
“What’s New Peace Town again?”
“It was a town Leader Park Wiyeol created by secretly calling together Transcendents who were hiding online, saying let’s gather and live together. Literally a village for new peace. Eventually the soldiers found it and smashed it all to pieces.”
That was enough explanation about New Peace Town. He didn’t want to know any more. What mattered was the situation he was in. What the hell were these bastards thinking, capturing and tying him up?
“Leader Park Wiyeol was wrong. Advocating non-violence, non-violence, he ultimately died at the hands of violence. The Leader described us as monsters appearing in the city center, but that’s wrong too. Monsters in movies are villains, but we’re not villains. Right?”
Wi Seokwoo’s voice was quite pleasant to listen to, but he wasn’t in the right state of mind to listen to it.
“I don’t have the luxury to listen, so cut the useless talk and what are you planning to do?”
Wi Seokwoo chuckled.
“Well, no matter how much I talk, could you even understand, Doctor?”
“Yeah. My head hurts too much, so even if you talk about your first experience, I probably won’t hear it.”
Wi Seokwoo threw his head back laughing. What a refreshing laugh. The handsome guy has a nice laugh too.
“I really like you, Doctor.”
“I don’t like you. A guy who looks like you isn’t my type.”
“Someone who looks like you isn’t my type either, Doctor. But Seo Haeju seems to really like your face, doesn’t he? Saying you’re pretty, this and that—honestly, it was so funny. You’re handsome, Doctor, but anyone can see you’re a man. Would he want to kiss, hug, and touch someone like this?”
The content of his phone call with Haeju had spread to everyone. He felt like dying from embarrassment.
“Ah, shut up! Stop with the useless talk!”
Does he have to embarrass people like this? Annoyed, he jerked his whole body. The chair made a clattering sound.
