60. A Small Mistake, A Great Price (2)

'......'

I didn't lose my composure. By now, after everything I'd been through, it took more than this to tug at my heartstrings. What I'd seen at the hospital was far more horrific, so the shock wasn't that bad.

...That said, it didn't make this any less gruesome.

I started by examining Kim Minhyuk's corpse, his head severed and nailed to the wall.

His neck's cut, and these look like bullet wounds.

The cause of death seemed to be the visible neck wound at first glance, but checking the body revealed multiple gunshot wounds. Several holes in his torso and a laceration on his neck. High chance he was shot first, then half-decapitated and strung up.

Shooting a body after killing with a blade would just waste bullets—stupid.

...No.

The use of guns. And the brutal kill, displayed like a trophy. Pointed to the Liberation Army thugs we'd seen at Our Love Church.

If it's them, they could've pulled this shit.

Guns weren't easy to come by in Korea. No military bases around Northdong, so unless it was from the Northdong Office stockpile, no other way to get them. Jeong Suhyun said sixteen men had come out armed. We hadn't spotted them at Rocket Mart.

Strong possibility the Northdong Liberation Army did this. But not certain. Southdong Office could've raided a nearby station for ammo in an emergency.

Plus, with precedents like Our Love Church and the black folks, the Liberation Army Jeong Suhyun knew might differ from the ones Park Donghyuk and Kim Jungshik mentioned. We'd heard from Park and Lee Euna, but no guarantee they were the same.

Worst case, our own military gone mad, treating people like infectees and massacring them.

So, I headed inside to hunt for evidence.

—Thud thud

The stench thickened. I pushed through it, heading straight for Park Donghyuk's room—the closest. As leader here, if something went down, he'd be first target. Or if not, maybe he sold out the camp. Had to check his room first.

Betrayal? He'd be top suspect.

—Creak

The quiet subway interior. I reached his room—STAFF ONLY sign—and pried the door open with the crowbar, cautious.

'......'

There: Park Donghyuk, neck half-sliced like Kim Minhyuk, dead on the bed.

'......'

—Thud

—Thud

He lay quietly, no gunshot wounds—killed in his sleep, probably.

No bullets means assassination.

Did that mean Lee ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Euna died first? She had that 3-second barrier skill. Or her betrayal?

Who knows.

I searched his room anyway. Might find clues.

—Rattle

After rummaging the sparse space, I found a thick binder in his desk's center drawer.

'New Personnel Allocation List.'

Watch rotations, kids' names, food rations. No Kim Jungshik group—made after I met him and took them to Our Love Church.

—Flip

Flipping through, one fact hit: He was killed days ago, not recently. His handwriting cut off mid-entry.

Four days back exactly—day I traded with him and hauled Kim Jungshik's crew to church. If later, the log would've finished. No way he'd skip watch duty after losing people.

That satisfied look on his face is still fresh.

What if he hadn't died? Would Northdong Station have held? Unanswerable now.

—Thud

'......'

I closed the binder, shut his staring eyes, and wished him peace. Leading the elderly and weak proved he wasn't bad.

—Creak

'......'

Left his room for the living quarters—place I'd only heard about from Park and Kim Jungshik's spat.

Here it is.

Living area: from turnstiles to underground mall—wide space. No more lively bustle I'd sensed before.

'......'

Where blankets and tents once stood: corpses everywhere.

Corpses. Corpses. More corpses. Men, women, elderly, kids—hellscape.

Limbs hacked off children. Middle-aged women bleeding ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out. Old folks with tears frozen, necks slit.

One thing: all had gunshot wounds.

'Kim Gapsu, Choi Youngchul.'

Spotting the crippled elders who'd treated me kindly, I sighed. Gut-wrenching end for men who'd let me in and spilled everything.

Wanted to bury them. But reality: underground, zombies overrun outside. Just prayed for their souls and pressed deeper.

......

'The men.'

Found burn victims—three naked, charred bodies still oozing. Faces twisted in agony, like tortured by fire.

Probably the middle-aged family men I'd glimpsed wandering the subway alone.

Their builds—sturdier than others—confirmed males, though everything else burned away.

'......'

Brutal. Lips tight, I kept searching. Knew Park was dead, confirmed Kim Gapsu and Choi Youngchul, but some missing.

Kid said ten women, thirteen men. Minus seven from Kim Jungshik: six men, twenty-eight total corpses.

But...

'Too few.'

Specifically, no young women like Lee Euna.

'No, places I haven't checked.'

Moved on, seeking likely spots.

First: toward Southdong Station—where her barricade was.

'Gone.'

No barricade, no traces. Not bombed, then...

'Where'd it go?'

Besides here, only staff rooms upstairs.

Lee Euna might be up there. If not here, she did something.

That brief room I'd used seemed livable. Possible.

Turned back, climbed to living quarters above.

Empty rooms. Vacants. Dusty storage.

And...

'Lee Euna.'

After a few doors, corner room: youthful woman's corpse.

'...Third party did this.'

Not Park or her.

—Swipe

Pajamas, riddled with bullets. Position said she resisted, got shot down.

'Resisted for 3 seconds.'

Unlike others' torso shots, wounds on hands, thighs—fightback signs.

'Ambushed first, then.'

Table: soda, snacks. Killed relaxing before bed.

'......'

Bittersweet gaze, I searched. Her police uniform, underwear in closet. Drawer: sparse candies, saved treats.

...Corner: scribbled notebook.

Hamster cover. I opened it.

Her diary. Early entries gloomy: missing parents, fear. But consistent—diligent recorder.

—Rustle

Flipped on.

Area Surveillance. Not just Surveillance.

Kept flipping. Last page.

March 20th. Day I visited. Started 3rd, nightly entries—ironic last one.

Yearning for parents, died without seeing them.

—Swipe

Closed diary, shut her eyes. Agonized face to heaven.

"......"

I grimaced. Half-expected this. Warned their defense setup from start.

Over-reliant on Park and Lee Euna. Good skills, but breached? Done.

Watch duty lax: dozing, unfocused. Gaps inevitable.

This incident: internal hit, no attack skills for them.

3-second invincibility just buys time—no subdue means useless. Even with gas gun or pistol, ambushed? Resists and dies like this.

'Sigh...'

Sorted clues. Park and Lee's logs: died day I left. Entries end 20th—confirmed four days ago, when I took Kim Jungshik to church.

Next: Park's skill. Didn't detect me—dual wave/vision guard like Lee Yoon missed me. Nullified Jeong Suhyun's Status Window view too.

'But question here.'

Entering Northdong Station, Park and Lee Yoon detected me. Diary: one person sensed.

What? Detected then, but growth ignored now? Possible, but odd.

Suhyun's Clairvoyance no slouch—pre-growth, pre-Ice Shield Mage (Beginner), still ignored it.

'Post-Ice Shield, caught by surveillance?'

Passive growth? Status Window would've alerted.

Non-detection likely innate Status Window trait. Immune to detection/surveillance/mental skills.

Then what? Wrong assumption? Unknown passive?

No. Flaw: reverse it.

'Never caught by skills from start?'

Always immune. Someone tailed me undetected into camp.

'Awakener. Stalking me.'

Followed, slaughtered. Park/Lee Yoon detected them, not me. One person. Trailed me cluelessly.

And that skill...

"Stealth? Or camouflage?"

—Tok

—Tok

Explains everything. Park assassinated quietly, Lee resisted and shot. Eavesdropped my talks, hit key figures post-departure.

'No, don't assume.'

All speculation. No Status traits for immunity. Forced fit.

Plus, solo stealth gunman intel-gathering and massacre? Unrealistic. Park wouldn't die alone to knife sans reason. Lee wouldn't die isolated.

Intruder? Park's skill catches.

'Then what.'

Stealth speculation only. Assault/betrayal lacks proof.

'Communication possible.'

Stealth calls external backup. Kill Lee Euna, breach main base easy.

But near-thirty people, sneaky contact? Phone/internet dead. Radio loud for underground. Or external comms skill...

'Overthinking. Post-departure, armed group swarmed.'

But odd. Mad armed group breaches Lee Euna? No bomb/skill traces at entrances.

'She died inside.'

Internal betrayal.

'Missing women betrayed, or betrayed and killed.'

Why join psychos? They'd end same.

Or...

'Park betrayed, then discarded.'

Why hand camp? He was unchallenged boss post-Kim Jungshik.

'No clue.'

Frustrating. Stealth tied to my Status—uncertain. Armed clash refuted by intact barricades. Betrayal... young women motive-less. Why join killers leaving Park/Lee alive?

Other traitors? They'd die brutally too, no reason.

'Ugh...'

Headache. No detective here.

"Ice Spear."

Gripped crowbar. Re-sweep Northdong Station.

'Might've missed something.'

Restart Park's room. Re-examine clues, Status, events, logs slowly—answers might emerge.

—Creak

As I rose...

—Click

Familiar sound. Metal locking.

And.

—Bang!

—Reeeeng

Tinnitus screamed, eardrums tearing.

......

But body reacted instinctively. Ice Spear locked on sound source.

—Crack

—Boom!

Something exploded.