Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 463



Only Noblemtl

185. Railway (3)

During my time in China, most of the conversations I had with Kang Han-min were about mission-related instructions or small talk about things like the weather.

At that time, I was more rigid and narrow-minded than I am now, and Kang Han-min and I had completely different interests.

Still, there are a few stories that I remember.

It’s a story about life.

Kang Han-min often compared life to a railroad.

I remember a story we shared while facing off against hostile civilians across a wall.

I asked him abruptly as I watched the blood pooling from the bodies of the civilians we had killed.

“How did you survive there?”

I was talking about school.

At the time, I thought Kang Han-min’s fighting ability was nothing special, but I thought that at least his mental strength was above average.

It can’t be helped.

It is impossible for anyone other than a few to stubbornly endure the malicious harassment by instructors with powerful authority comparable to the power of life and death.

Among the blood donors for the pool of blood being created in real time was a boy who was only a middle school student.

So I think I said that without thinking.

Kang Min Kang didn’t seem to care much about the pool of blood we had created.

Instead, he answered me with a carefree look into the past.

“You mustn’t fall off the rails. Once you fall off, you can’t get back on.”

Life is often compared to a railroad.

Given the nature of the railroad, where even the beginning, end, and branches are fixed, it may seem like an overly narrow subject to use as a metaphor for life, which has ever-changing properties, but in reality, the opposite is true.

It is used as an object of metaphor because it has a beginning, a branch, and an end.

According to him, the so-called successful life has a common form and moves along a common path toward a destination that everyone aspires to reach.

Therefore, it is said that a life that slips on the rails is worthless and a failure.

The rail that Kang Han-min mentioned seems to be an extension of that metaphor.

More than ten years have passed since then.

People who grew up watching Kang Han-min brought up the same topic.

“I’ll be honest. The kids on this train, including me, are the ones who fell off the rails.”

According to Lee Ho-su, all of the friends who boarded this train were people who had bad reviews from the group.

“The kid named Ko Hee-seol who caused a fuss earlier has a personality problem. He has something like an intermittent explosive disorder. Since his skills were certain, I had no choice but to accept it, but now that he doesn’t go to Big Hole often, there’s no one who can accept his personality. Park Hae-min, a guy like me, has a good personality and skills, but he also has a habit of stealing. He also likes to gamble. Do I need to explain further?”

Lee Ho-su habitually rummaged through his pockets, and judging from his hand gestures, he must have been smoking a cigarette.

The cigarettes that are no longer there reflect part of this guy’s current reality.

“Moon Yang-gyeong, I don’t know why that woman came. She’s a good model student and a pureblood Inner Circle member who was praised by Kang Han-min, the savior. Well, I wonder if she got caught by him for some reason we don’t know about and fell off the rails?”

Lastly, Lee Ho-su also evaluated himself objectively.

“I’m tired. I did it because I had to because of my family, but my family died except for my brother, and I don’t get along with my brother’s kids. It makes me sick to see him trying to act like an older brother while being carried by his younger brother. Do you think I would want to work hard in this situation? In the end, I got a word from Kang Han-min, the savior.”

“What did he say?”

“What was it? That guy. He’s a bit strange. I think he said something like this.”

“Is that all?”

For a brief moment, Lee Ho-su’s eyes shook slightly.

“······Yes. That’s all. And that’s everything. So, isn’t that why I, who has never caused an accident and has a good personnel rating, was sent here?”

In a way, the worst case among the regular Awaken signers seems to be Lee Ho-su.

Because I was told that I was not needed by anyone else, but by a being like God.

There’s not much I can say in this situation.

“If you get off here, it’ll be difficult to live long.”

The only thing I can say is reality.

Lee Ho-su smiled in vain.

“I know.”

“And you still want to get off?”

“I fell off the rails anyway.”

“That’s your judgment. You can’t tell where the rails are and where they’re off from a first-person perspective.”

Then, Lee Ho-su suddenly asked.

“Then, sir, do you know where the rails are?”

Unfortunately, I cannot answer this question.

*

It’s been two days since we started our journey.

The Panokseon finally broke through the metropolitan area and entered the starting point of the Taebaek Mountains.

A visible change has come to the landscape that seemed like it would remain blue forever.

Areas of grayish-white erosion are scattered here and there, sometimes over large areas.

Especially in the wide eroded areas, the ominous fog that was often seen lingered like a ghost.

There were people too.

As we passed by the junkyard where abandoned vehicles were piled up endlessly like piles of rubble, we saw emaciated people pulling carts and going from one junkyard to another.

When the conductor stopped the train, they were frightened and ran away.

The train stopped.

At this stop, no one could spit out a word.

Dozens of drones soared into the sky and search parties with guns patrolled the area around the tracks.

Soon the soldiers made contact with some local people.

“They said they wanted to stay here. I mentioned Seoul, but they said they were satisfied with their current lives and didn’t want to take a chance and go somewhere they didn’t know.”

The captain supplied them with some food and medicine, and in return some of the survivors provided valuable information that could not have been obtained through reconnaissance alone.

“A little further south from here, there’s a group of raiders. They showed up out of nowhere last winter and crushed and absorbed the remnants of the nearby warlords.”

According to survivors’ testimonies, the organization located south of the tracks is led by Awaken.

Judging by the fact that it causes waves, it’s at least a regular Awaken.

Woo Min-hee called these Awakens “wild Awakens,” and as erosion accelerates, the number of Awakens increases, and some of these Awakens take the path of marauders, a phenomenon that can be frequently observed in China.

Not all wild Awakens follow the same path as King.

The Awaken, who settled in the south, are said to be vicious and cruel humans who maintain their organization only through harsh torture and executions.

Soon the drone operators informed us of a fortified settlement to the south, and shortly afterwards the raider gang in question contacted us.

“I don’t know where you came from, but this is my land. So get out.”

Like most mid-sized or larger groups of this era, this band of marauders also had an artillery corps.

Mortar shells, estimated to be 81mm in size, fell in the surrounding area.

It was a blatant artillery attack targeting nearby areas rather than us, as if they had no intention of engaging us in a head-on collision, but the warning was effective.

The train was pushed back 5 km.

Of course, a dreamer like Pyo Won-sang would never give up on this plan.

You’ve invested too many resources to just back out, and those resources include your own future.

“I’m planning on sending a special force.”

Anything other than Princess contact is none of my business.

Therefore, all other operational authority lies with the commander.

He came to me not to ask for my help, but to inform me.

“I don’t know about anything else, but he’s a very polite friend.”

As he left the room, Cheon Yeong-jae spoke in a complaining tone.

“Those kinds of kids are harder to deal with.”

Woo Min-hee blurted out while cleaning her fingernails.

Her mood seemed quite uncomfortable.

As expected, her sharp gaze is turned towards me.

“I’m talking about Kang Hanmin Kids.”

She clicked her tongue.

“Aren’t you upset? Those kids who haven’t even dried their hair yet are acting like fanatics. It wasn’t like that before. What on earth did that guy teach those kids?”

I had the same thought, but I didn’t show it.

It was only a few hours later that news of the death of one of those strong Min Kids was heard.

*

“Oh. Skeleton! Come in. This man knows all about the battle yesterday.”

There is a place to use the Petit Named Emgudo.

I was able to hear a detailed account of the battle from one of the soldiers who had become friendly with Emgu.

They say it was a fierce battle.

It is said that although they were able to secure the infiltration route and subdue the guards, they were unable to break through the leadership’s resistance because it was so strong.

In particular, the resistance of the water monster known as Awaken was said to be strong.

Let’s hear more detailed information from a man named Kwon Sang-sa.

“I thought it was just deflecting bullets, but it was some kind of magic trick. I saw a white line, and then it started burning.”

He was reportedly shot in the arm by a crossbow arrow called a Judge Killer. The wound was not very deep, so he was only hospitalized for a short time.

“There were two Awaken here too. One was brave, almost bold, and the other looked timid. The brave one was a young woman. The man was timid. The young woman was talking to the young man. Then suddenly the man, as if he had eaten something bad, screamed and ran into the Awaken’s main camp, swinging his machete. There were several shockwaves that made people dizzy, and the battle was over.”

The warrior’s name was Lee Ho-su.

He had hoped to get off the train and was able to leave it forever as he had wished.

There were several injured, but only one person died: Lee Ho-su.

After finishing his story, Kwon Sang-sa frowned for a moment, then made an expression as if he had remembered something and spoke to us.

“Oh, but that Awaken thing. It was a bit like that. That friend who was so timid suddenly got mad after hearing a few words and ran into the enemy lines. Like he wanted to die.”

Woo Min-hee didn’t hide her displeasure at all when she heard those words.

“······That’s why Kang Hanmin Kids.”

She looked at me with sharp eyes.

“That girl. Can I interview her?”

Perhaps what Woo Min-hee is talking about is Moon Yang-kyung, the leader of Kang Han-min Kids.

She seemed to have noticed too.

Kang Hanmin sent us that three of the Awakens were in poor condition and one was a poisonous snake.

The Munyanggyeong is that poison bowl.

I thought it would be better for us to interview him rather than Woo Min-hee.

If we’re not careful, the number of casualties could increase from one to two.

“Let me tell you.”

Moon Yang-gyeong was outside the train.

They were carrying shovels and pickaxes, and soon I could see the freshly dug dirt and a shabby, raised grave next to the railroad tracks.

The other Awakens avoided my gaze, but only Moon Yang-gyeong greeted me with a confident look, as if he had been waiting for me.

“Have you come to ask the whole story?”

He nodded.

Changed seats.

Cosmos flowers were blooming next to the railroad tracks.

Although it is known as the flower of autumn, sometimes seeds that miss the season germinate and bloom out of season.

While I was looking at the flowers, Moon Yang-gyeong was looking out across the wide open front, the railroad tracks stretching out towards the horizon.

“The lake has a history of running away from enemies. It ran away from monsters. It was the first rift battle since coming to Seoul, and unfortunately, it was a battle in which Kang Min-savior was present. Kang Min-savior saw what was happening. What a shame.”

“······.”

“He used to be a very brave and reckless guy, but I guess he’s the type that loses his temper.”

There is something Lee Ho-su didn’t tell me.

He committed the most dishonorable crime against those who fight, both soldiers and hunters, by fleeing before the enemy.

“Now Lake had two choices: take off his clothes and live as a civilian, or stay. He chose the latter.”

Her eyes still contain the railroad.

“I was trying to stay on the rails.”

And then he slowly turns his head and looks at the shabby grave.

As her gaze turned towards him, her colleagues who had been blocking the tomb stepped aside.

I have a lot to say, but I know that talking won’t get through.

So I asked briefly.

“How did he die?”

She answered.

“It was instant death.”

“okay?”

“But I think the lake could have gone by smiling.”

“Why do you think so?”

“At least you could get back on the rails at the moment of death, right?”

Well, that’s fine.

I think differently.

No one knows where the rails of life are and where they are headed.

Sure, you can come up with a few standardized templates and pretend they’re on normal rails.

But can we really say that such a life is a success?

Above all, Kang Han-min, who introduced them to the concept of “rail,” was already a person who had fallen off the rails.

I remember what he said just before he became Awaken.

“······No, sir. I’m really sorry. Could you give me a slightly higher score for this personnel evaluation?”

“······.”

“Oh, it’s nothing much. There were just a few problems. Sigh. Shit. I thought I’d get a higher rating if I was on the same team as Aniki, but it’s not that easy.”

“······.”

“If this continues, I’ll be dragged to Korea. Do you know that, too? If I go back to Korea, I’ll be nothing more than a dog guarding the cracks? I’ll be on a one-year contract!”

Although it was not confirmed, Kang Han-min’s return to Korea was virtually a decision.

“······.”

I decided.

I pushed him off the rails he was so obsessed with.

The future that awaits him is exactly as he said.

I guess I’ll go to Paju or Yangsan, or if I’m lucky, Jeju, and live a carefree life, then take off my clothes and film a miserable second act like Ha Tae-hoon or Baek Seung-hyun, and then end up being erased from social media without a sound.

On the rails created by those who fell off those rails, promising young people called Jeju Elite play and willingly choose death.

But I won’t tell you.

Because I don’t have the inner intimacy or loyalty to tell them the truth, and more than anything, I know very well that those friends won’t even listen to me.

“depart!”

The train departed again.

As the steel mass weighing hundreds of tons passed by, shaking the ground, the shabby tomb shook violently, and eventually the small mound of dirt collapsed, unable to withstand the shaking.

Beyond the collapsed mound of dirt, I could see what appeared to be an arm, but the accelerating train carried me far away from it.

Standing in the gap between the trains, I lean to the side and look out at the tracks ahead in the distance.

I know where this rail ends.

But no one knows what lies in between.

Even if you are standing on the rails.

That’s why I couldn’t answer Lee Ho-su’s question.