114 – A Secret Base on a Certain Summer Day #2
“It took me twenty years to build this shelter. Exactly twenty years. It took as long as it took for you all to be born and grow up.”
Old Man Hugi claimed that for twenty years, he had been digging tunnels underground to construct a bomb shelter. He even did the work of mixing cement and concrete, and erecting the steel framework himself.
“The part I worked hardest on is the entrance. There need to be at least two entrances. That way, if one is blocked, you can still use the other.”
Afterward, Old Man Hugi spoke at length for an hour about the effort he put into sanitation-related aspects like the toilet system and air filtration devices, despite trying to keep the bomb shelter a secret. He seemed to boast quite a lot, as if showing off just how magnificent it was.
The stockpiled food was even more impressive. The shelves, arranged like those in a grand library, were filled with canned goods, dried fruits, vegetables, fried rice, and ready-to-eat meals.
“Dried food that you just add water to has a minimum shelf life of 25 years. Canned goods and ready-to-eat meals vary by product, but they can generally last between five and ten years.”
By now, it was lunchtime, and we each received and shared one of the military emergency rations Old Man Hugi had distributed.
“This pound cake is delicious to the point of d*ath…”
“This pound cake is utterly tasteless…”
Baonoi and Inonoi glared at each other. Even though they were both fairies, their tastes were vastly different.
What mattered was that the old man had shared food with us.
“Come to think of it, this is the first time he’s given me something for free.”
It seemed that there was a certain ease in the heart of Old Man Hugi before the collapse. Soon, Chang-sik, who had been playfully training, showed respect and gratitude.
“Master, thank you for sharing your food. It seems like it would cost quite a bit if we tried to get it ourselves.”
“That’s fine. Anyway, you need to eat these things before the expiration dates come up. Plus, you’re still students, right? To become fine adults, you need to eat proper meals without missing a meal.”
After roughly finishing our meal, Old Man Hugi directed his gaze towards me again.
“Isn’t your name Hanamjin? You can take a few more. You probably don’t have parents cooking for you at home, and even if you do go back, you’re probably only eating instant noodles, right? Military rations are better than that.”
Did I introduce myself as someone without parents who only eats instant noodles?
“Master, it seems like you know me well.”
“I remember now. I often saw your name in the newspaper, didn’t I?”
It was at that moment that I truly realized I was famous. Perhaps he felt pity for me being an orphan, but I’m an adult now and can handle myself just fine.
“Still, why would kids younger than me need a bomb shelter?”
The master asked curiously. Choi Chang-sik and Prince Juhyun also seemed interested, focused on my face as they awaited my response. I decided to give a straightforward answer.
“Black rain will fall within a few days. It will likely last at least ten days. Those who are caught in it will become ferocious, like demon beasts. That’s why we need a bomb shelter.”
I believed it was the Red King who would cause this black rain. If the girls who infiltrated the Witch’s Sect did their job well, I would be dueling with him within a few days.
From my perspective, always assuming the worst, I had to consider the possibility that black rain might fall upon the world due to my battle against the Red King.
At my story, Baonoi responded.
“Is this world about to experience that dire black rain, too…? If so, this filtration system will not hold up for long…! After all, it converts rainwater into drinking water…”
Baonoi was right. The filtration device installed in the old man’s bomb shelter was a machine that could turn rainwater into drinking water. But “black rain” wasn’t ordinary rain. In fact, now that I think about it, it might not even be real rain.
“Fortunately, this Baonoi knows how to purify black rain…! Simply by floating the leaves of the Baobab tree in water, they purify it marvelously efficiently…!”
The Baobab tree leaves purify black rain? I had never heard such a story before. When I asked if it was really true, Baonoi proudly puffed out her flat chest and replied.
“Unlike the nymphs who lived comfortably inside the Great Labyrinth, I have survived alone in a forest contaminated by black rain for a long time…! I conducted repeated experiments to purify the forest…!”
Baonoi claimed that, through many experiments, she discovered that the Baobab tree she cherished had the ability to cleanse soil contaminated by black rain. Floating the tree’s leaves in contaminated water easily purified small amounts of it.
“Chang-sik, can you make these Baobab tree leaves?”
“Creating the leaves might not be impossible as long as I have the right tools…”
Even if it’s hard for everyone to install a shelter in every home, creating a simple filtration device seems relatively easy.
Chang-sik is truly impressive, and Prince Juhyun coming along with me was, in a way, fortunate.
“Juhyun, there’s something I need you to do.”
“Why should I listen to you?”
“Do you want to owe me a favor? These kinds of opportunities don’t come to just anyone, you know.”
For a moment, a look of hesitation crossed Prince Juhyun’s face, sharpened by the hunter’s instincts.
“What is it?”
“You need to do a broadcast. Tell everyone to stockpile emergency food supplies that can last at least two weeks. And if black rain starts falling, tell them not to leave their houses.”
“What are you talking about?”
Prince Juhyun snorted derisively. Sensing I wanted an explanation, he provided one.
“Do you really think that strange rain or whatever it is will fall and the world will end? Do you think the world is so easy to destroy? Look at the zombie outbreak. People said the world would end then, but it didn’t.”
The reason the world didn’t end during the zombie outbreak was because I worked hard. But the Red King is an incredibly shocking guy compared to someone like Nam Suhwan. The chances of successfully eliminating him were slim.
“And if I go on saying some crazy stuff, how many people will mock me? No matter how scary I am, I won’t be viewed as someone ridiculous— that’s the family motto passed down from generation to generation.”
“Are you unfamiliar with the story of Noah’s Ark? How much did people mock Noah when he was building the ark? But they were wrong, and Noah was right. You could be the Noah of the 21st century.”
“When this fails, all you’ll get is mockery, but what about when it succeeds? You’ll be a hero! People on the internet will talk about nothing but you. I know this works incredibly well because I’ve drawn a lot of attention.”
“Drawing attention…”
Prince Juhyun, wrestling with my persuasive tongue, was distracted when Old Man Hugi rolled a cart over to us. On it were stacked cans and dried fruits in substantial quantities.
“You’ll eat for a few months even if you all eat this. Anyway, I have too much stashed in the shelter already to eat it all. Consider it a thank-you for the Baobab leaf information.”
Without even realizing it, Baonoi had been helpful.
That was the end of my meeting with Old Man Hugi. Prince Juhyun and Choi Chang-sik promised to regularly visit the old man for training.
“What exactly is that old man’s identity? I couldn’t land a single punch on him.”
Prince Juhyun rubbed the large lump on his head while expressing his dissatisfaction. Recalling the first time I trained with him brought back some nostalgia.
It’s funny. I never thought the days of hardship and hunger would be missed.
It must mean I’m well-fed.
At that moment, Old Man Hugi called me.
“Kid, do you want revenge? On the people who made you suffer? If you want, I’ll help you.”
It was surprising how quietly he asked. Offering food to someone he’s just met and eagerly proposing assistance in revenge—that wasn’t typical of him.
“Sir, let me ask you something then. Suppose you committed a grave error, and thanks to sheer luck, no one knows about it and it will remain undiscovered forever. What would you do?”
“An error?”
He wore an expression as if asking why I would bring that up. But, sensing my question was serious as a man, he soon answered seriously.
“If no one knows, then it could just be overlooked, right? However, as a man—”
“As a man, that wouldn’t be right, would it? I don’t want revenge. In fact, it’s the opposite.”
In the ruined world, I’ve committed too many errors, excusing them as necessities for survival. All I want is forgiveness for those. Seugal gave me that chance, and I’m merely clinging to it desperately.
—
# # #
As the boys walked away, the old man watched them until he finally exhaled with a groan. The story he had kept on the tip of his tongue never came out.
He felt unmanly.
He couldn’t help but think that way.
His eyes then shifted to the small fairy.
Nymph.
He clearly remembered her name.
“You must be Inonoi. Spring often talked about you. He also said he felt sorry for leaving you behind. He wished he could take you with him, but there was no time.”
“Indeed, you know Kore! Now, tell me where Kore is! Because this Inonoi is Kore’s companion nymph— I have the duty to guard and care for Kore!”
Inonoi, who lived in the forest like Baonoi, was an excellent nymph, having won a prestigious contest to become a servant to the fairy royalty. Due to this, she left the friends and forest she cherished for so long to head towards the palace. However, she took pride in her assigned role.
She remained proud of her role even after everyone left the palace.
Even after Prince Kore, whom she served, disappeared.
Inonoi battled alone for a long time, hoping she would soon find Kore again.
“I’m glad knowing that Kore didn’t abandon me intentionally! When I meet Kore again, I want him to pat my head in praise!”
“That… won’t happen. Kore is no longer in this world. I find it sorrowful too.”
“This is a lie! This cannot be true!”
“It’s not a lie.”
To Old Man Hugi, Kore and Spring were like the daughters of his heart. The thought of not seeing these daughters again brought tears rushing forth like a flooding river.
“Umph…”
Crying was an unmanly act, so Hugi suppressed his tears. Being a man was indeed regrettable since it didn’t even allow him to cry as he wished.
He became a man to avoid crying.
“Whaaaah—”
Instead, Inonoi opened her mouth wide and sobbed loudly. She had endured loneliness and fear in the Great Labyrinth for so long because she had the hope of reunion. The thought that she would never hear her beloved’s name or feel her head stroked by their hand was heartbreaking beyond words.
Some time passed.
Inonoi’s spirit snapped back.
“But if Kore is gone, it’s a grave crisis! Because the Red King has been enduring alone in the Great Labyrinth for too long! Without Kore, there will be no one to continue!”
Indeed, Inonoi, being Kore’s attendant, seemed knowledgeable about the identity of the Red King. Hugi felt a sense of responsibility for the situation.
Kore and Namsuhwan.
If he hadn’t introduced the two young lovers, perhaps none of this would have happened.
Therefore, he pledged to protect the young people’s future. It was the minimum and maximum responsibility that he, as a man, could take on.
“Children should live like children. Elders should d*e like elders.”
With that thought, Old Man Hugi picked up an old phone.
An internet-less, very old camo-colored feature phone. Dialing the saved number 1, someone picked up the phone after a few rings.
“Hello.”
“Hey, it’s Nam Tae-geon. It’s me, Hagi-hun Junwi. Since we both dislike long talks, let’s stick to the point: we’ll meet soon.”
Click.
That ended the conversation. Immediately, Old Man Hugi descended into the underground shelter, entering an emergency warehouse the students hadn’t seen.
Stacks of guns and grenades, which he silently shoved into a duffle bag.
—
# # #
“So, what happened?”
I asked over the phone, hearing the panting on the other end. Then Bangdaengi began to babble incoherently.
“Seugal suddenly went crazy and was attacking people! Then she chased after those who were trying to escape and disappeared!”
Seugal, who was outwardly strong but inwardly weak, attacking people like a rabid fox? Something must have gone terribly wrong at the Witch’s Sect.
—
“Stay there. I’ll be right there.”
