Chapter 365
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 365
Chapter Title: 149. Janggi (1)
Rumor has it that a trend called Madman's Janggi is circulating online lately. Unlike regular Janggi, one side uses all the pieces following standard rules, while the other side only has a single king. Naturally, that wouldn't make for a game, so the side with just the king gets special rules.
The king can move like any piece—chariot, cannon, elephant, horse, soldier—and it gets two moves per turn. This setup is so heavily stacked in one player's favor that the side with multiple pieces gets two special rules of its own.
One is the ability to freely rearrange their pieces before the game starts. The other is setting their own time limit for the game. Usually, they set it to eight turns, and if the opponent can't capture the king within those eight turns, the single-king side wins.
After the war, with entertainment in short supply, Janggi naturally became popular. But with the state of the world, there weren't enough pieces, so this variant emerged as a stopgap—and it turned out to have its own fun, spreading big in the provinces before going nationwide. I've never had much interest in games as entertainment, and Janggi's no exception.
I learned the rules under Janggi Young, but that was it. I've never played against anyone, and I figured I never would. Fate had other plans, dragging me to a Janggi board.
This was news to me. It had never come up on the forums or been mentioned by anyone. But apparently, among regular Awakeners, it's one of those well-known urban legends.
"John the Baptizer?"
Even An Seung-hwan, now running ops with me, knew the name.
"I've heard of him. Seen kids claiming they got baptized by the guy, too."
But the way he glanced around when saying the name told me the guy was extremely dangerous. It turned out John the Baptizer was suspected of leading a fanatic cult splinter group. Multiple testimonies from regular Awakeners who'd seen him noted a North Korean accent, thickening the suspicion.
Of course, the idea that a "baptism" could trigger an inexplicable mutation like becoming an Awakener is hard to swallow. It's said that being near powerful Awakeners—level 10 and up—increases the odds, but even that's dubious at best, and no one calls mere proximity a baptism.
If it were that easy, Kang Hyung-min and Na Hye-in would've churned out 100,000 regular Awakeners on Jeju by now. The legend resurfaced online, naturally. First on Necropolis, then on Viva! Apocalypse!, someone claiming to be John the Baptizer posted.
The post was simple: a single I-am-Groot-style photo of a man with faintly glowing eyes staring into the void, captioned below with one line.
- You can become one, too. Find "John."
"Looks like you've stirred up a real mess, sunbae. In all sorts of ways." Woo Min-hee was the one who first clued me in.
"Thanks to you, John the Baptizer's back in the spotlight. No clue if it's the real deal, but he's one of the few red-level wanted posters issued post-war."
"Few? Who's the other one?"
"Some embezzlement case, I think. Can't recall. Not important anymore."
Woo Min-hee used to recruit Awakeners from millions of refugees in Seoul, so she knows all about this guy.
"Basically a mad scientist type." The John the Baptizer she described was your garden-variety real-world demon—luring people with hope, then discarding the husks.
"Promised to turn kids into proud Awakeners, roped in desperate parents. No idea how, but kids who went through him did manifest minor Awakener traits."
"For real?" I was genuinely surprised. Woo Min-hee nodded with a sigh.
"But it always ended in ruin. The kids' conditions tanked hard afterward. Parents had no choice but to track him down— he'd told them upfront to come back if the kid got sick."
"Predictable."
"And there he was, waiting. Kidnapped the kid and parents, vanished."
"What for?"
"Who knows. No bodies found. But his hideout had some organs that hadn't been disposed of—likely harvested from victims."
"Ugh."
"Rumor has it he did Awakener research in North Korea. No qualms about live experiments there."
"...Is that so?" Plenty to say, but I'll hold back. Woo Min-hee isn't innocent of vivisection herself. Still, her open disgust suggests his experiments were way more unethical than hers.
"We cast a wide net for him during the Incheon migration, but no hits among the arrivals. No activity after. Thought he was dead. Guess not." She's briefing me on the threat—and maybe thanking me a bit for creating the conditions that flushed him out.
"Your internet passion let us spot his activity again."
"While we're at it, mind posting something for me?"
"What?"
"About how SKELTON brought Necropolis." Woo Min-hee's a reporter. Reporters have some cred as media users. If she vouches for me, even as a name already, my rep could shine brighter.
"Still investigating Necropolis's link to monsters."
"C'mon, just post it? I'll write it, you upload from your account."
"Doubt it'll make a real difference." Classic Woo Min-hee—brutally dismisses me.
"Anyway, gotta head to the next district. Get well."
"..."
If her heart was in the right place, she wouldn't have saddled me with these prosthetic limbs. Anyway, while I was laid up, the migration went smoothly. Regular Awakeners and regular/special Hunters reclaimed the power plant; her experts restored infrastructure fast.
Once power was confirmed stable, the new Seoul government under Kim Byung-chul started moving refugees. Herding people wasn't hard.
With electricity and heat secured—the keys to survival—they gladly braved the risks. These weren't the frail, passive refugees of old.
Armed, in small groups, able to protect themselves and family if needed. War's trials honed their snap judgments.
They figured sooner means better spots. With migration on track, my to-do list was short.
Cohesion between regular Awakeners and other Hunters already hit 80% of Woo Min-hee's goal. All that's left is forging joint doctrines. No wonder she shoved a convalescent like me into the hospital—that woman's all business. Wheelchair or not, she'd deploy me if needed.
Via the newly restored wireless network, I exchange comms with Hunter HQ.
Mostly frontline Hunters sending reports for my review and notes.
Wall between regular Awakeners and other Hunters persists, but no major friction yet. Regulars are taking initiative, even.
Partly my doing, but per Kim Daram, the real push is elsewhere.
"Word is elites from Jeju are coming soon." Not stragglers—frontline Awakeners who fought Rifts to the end. Their arrival will demote current "main" regular Awakeners to nobodies.
"They're sweating bullets. Real rice bowls, even dog bowls, at stake." Filter world-weary cynics like Kim Daram. Their words always have barbs.
Petty urge to drag others down, lift self up. Like rust leaching from pipes.
She's saying An Seung-hwan's crew would've moved without me—to feel better about her own failures. For her type, facts don't matter; mood does. Explains their longevity.
"Got it... How's your doctor hubby and Dong-tak doing...?"
"Why the tone? Fine. Oh." Kim Daram sighs, remembering something.
"Lately, my man's got worries."
"Why?"
"Hong Jung-ho's buddy. That filthy goateed, bespectacled blabbermouth. Ugh."
"Huh Jung-chul?"
"Yeah, that's him. Slipped my mind. That bastard." Calling him "that bastard" confirms 100% grudge.
"Eh, personal stuff. Nothing for you, sunbae. We're handling it—focus on healing." After signing off, I lie there fiddling with my tablet till a nurse enters.
"A Hong Jung-ho requests a visit?" Defender's here. Of course I approve. Moments later, two enter. The other's Da-jung, naturally.
"SKELTON! Long time!" Hong Da-jung looked surprisingly good. Better color, even gained weight since my domain.
"Oh. Yeah. Looking good?"
"Way better than there. Food's decent here."
Defender sets a gift on the table: a whole pineapple can.
Su pops to mind. She'd love this. Chatting idly with old friends felt nice.
Nothing deep, but sharing past and present thoughts brought simple joy. Mid-chat, Da-jung ambushes.
"Oh yeah, SKELTON. Rumor you and Director Woo got something going."
"?"
If not Da-jung, I'd snap "What bullshit?"
"What's that face?"
"...Min-hee and I go way back, but we've never been close. She was always another team. Temporary dispatch to mine, sure, but not personal."
"Hmm. If you say so." Hong Da-jung shrugs skeptically.
"If that's your story."
"Even desperate, I wouldn't go for someone missing limbs..."
"Hold up!" Silent Defender cuts me off.
"That's crossing a line, SKELTON."
"..."
Getting called out by a psycho is weird, but fair. I concede. Uncharacteristically emotional. Going there unfiltered proves it. Not bitterness over her ignoring my pitch, no.
"Knew from your pad-lipping online." Hong Da-jung smirks sideways.
"Face looks fine, though."
"...Anyway, that's my take." Minor static, then back to banter. Unexpected name resurfaces.
"Know a guy called John the Baptizer?" Defender brings it up.
"John the Baptizer?" As if. Hottest controversy lately, active online too. But only whispered among parents chasing kid Awakeners in Seoul gov days—no hot posts from his claimants. As Viva! Apocalypse!'s senior named user, if I don't know, who does?
"Heard the name. Why bring him up?"
"Remember Huh Jung-chul?"
"Oh, that guy. Kim Daram mentioned him too." Hong Da-jung chimes in laughing.
"Daram's hubby feels inferior to him lately."
"Why?"
"Patients skipping his elite ass for Jung-chul. Word in the hospital: Jung-chul's better, sharper."
"...Huh?" Hard to buy Huh Jung-chul—former quack—topping Daram's elite doc hubby. But thinking it over, probably his x-ray vision. No amount of study beats peering inside bodies more vividly than CT. Even basic internal med needs ultrasound, CT, MRI for hard-won insights; our Huh does it barehanded. Stack knowledge and experience, normals lose ground—like old-school Hunters to Awakeners.
"Anyway, that Jung-chul examined a guy claiming baptism from John the Baptizer." Defender reins in the chaos, twirling his knife like habit.
"Patient looked like an Awakener."