Deeper, Into the Deeper Underground
Deeper, Into the Deeper Underground
"Now then, please come this way."
The middle-aged man summoned a golden carpet.
What the hell kind of ability was that?
At a glance, it seemed similar in nature to Ha-yoon's...
"Daughter, it's time you pulled yourself together as well."
"Ah... yes, Cult Leader."
Mirkella, who had flinched at his appearance, stepped carefully onto the carpet.
Her gaze was uneasy, like a sinner awaiting judgment.
I hoisted Ha Hui-ryeong—whose legs were too weak to move—onto my back, and followed behind her with Kim Ha-yoon.
"Huh...? What's up with her? Who is she...?"
"Hell if I know."
Ha Hui-ryeong frowned as she studied the man Mirkella called the Cult Leader.
His sudden appearance had rattled her pretty hard.
"For now, he doesn't seem hostile, so let's just do as he says."
"Tch. I'm not in great shape right now, and of all times..."
I set her down gently, and she leaned against me, sighing heavily.
Kim Ha-yoon, settling in beside us, was clearly on edge too.
It was the first time her ability had been countered so easily, so her expression was far from good.
"What if he suddenly turns on us later?"
"We'll have to judge based on the situation. But it's not like we'd just sit there and take it, right?"
If the three of us combined our strength, we could manage to escape somehow.
Our strongest asset, Ha Hui-ryeong, wasn't in peak condition, but if a little more time passed she'd recover her stamina soon enough.
The aftereffects of sex just ran deep, that was all—nothing serious.
"Then we shall depart."
Once the Cult Leader stepped on last, the carpet began moving through the underground at a remarkable speed.
I had no idea where we were headed, but watching us travel without obstruction sent a creeping unease crawling up my spine.
'The scale... it's bigger than I thought, isn't it?'
The area Mirkella managed seemed to be just the tip of the iceberg. The basic framework was a subway passage, but as if it had been remodeled, everything was stark white like the previous place.
The rails were gone, too.
As if this carpet-transport method had been planned from the start, the long corridor was extraordinarily wide.
I quietly called out to Mirkella, who was keeping a slight distance from us with her head hung low.
"Hey, Mirkella. Is that guy your dad?"
"Yes? Ah... well... yes."
Mirkella paused as if struggling to answer, then finally gave a reluctant nod.
Her cute toes wiggled.
Since she hadn't had a chance to retrieve her original clothes or shoes, the sight of her naked body was highly stimulating.
She tried to cover herself, seemingly embarrassed, but at best she could only shield the vital parts.
She couldn't even hide the semen dripping out.
"Your real father?"
"...Yes?"
"Hah, he's out of his mind. His own daughter got raped, and he's just standing there grinning. A real nutjob, huh?"
"...Don't insult the Cult Leader."
It seemed she couldn't stomach me badmouthing her father, after all.
Mirkella glared at me briefly, then let out a small sigh.
"He's not someone you can treat carelessly. So please, mind your manners when we arrive."
"Fine. I'll judge that when the time comes. More importantly, aren't you cold? Want some clothes?"
I patted the outer layer I was wearing, and Mirkella chewed her lip for a moment before finally nodding. She seemed confused, as if she didn't know what to do with herself. My sudden friendly approach was throwing her off.
"...Thank you."
Mirkella accepted the priestly robe I handed her, her face flushing slightly. Unlike the vicious sparring with Ha Hui-ryeong, now she was blushing bashfully like a maiden who'd fallen in love for the first time.
Watching this, Ha Hui-ryeong and Kim Ha-yoon snorted in disbelief.
"Wow, did you see her expression? Gave me goosebumps, for real."
"I saw it. Total bitch in heat. We can't let our guard down."
"Exactly. That bitch is a femme fatale. Just lewd and trashy by nature."
This wasn't even behind her back.
It might have looked like they were whispering, but their voices were clearly pitched for her to hear, and Mirkella's brow furrowed faintly.
That was it, though.
As if she couldn't be bothered to engage, she just clamped her mouth shut and stared straight ahead.
"Look at that. Did you see her subtly sidling closer to you? When we badmouthed her, she was signaling for help without anyone noticing—seriously cunning."
"Hui-ryeong, isn't that overanalyzing it? Maybe she was just uncomfortable."
"No. I saw it too—that was definitely her intention."
Even Kim Ha-yoon joined in.
To think these two, always snarling at each other, could find common ground so fast.
Normally it'd be a heartwarming spectacle, but given the circumstances, I couldn't be genuinely pleased.
"Everyone, there will be a steep descent from here on, so please be careful not to fall."
That was when it happened.
The Cult Leader, who'd been observing this little farce while chuckling heartily, suddenly blurted out something completely unexpected.
Steep descent...?
We were already underground.
The moment bewilderment crossed my face...
"Whoaaaaaaah!?!?"
The pitch tilted drastically.
On the carpet, which lurched to a 45-degree angle, I let out a startled shriek.
One wrong move and we'd be thrown straight off.
Even though he'd given a warning, it was so sudden I clung desperately to the carpet, straining every muscle to keep from falling.
"Wh-what the hell is this!?"
Ha Hui-ryeong, who'd been leaning on me, grabbed me tight and cried out in panic.
Kim Ha-yoon seized me without a word, and at some point Mirkella pressed herself against us as well, her weight added to the pile.
"Ha ha ha! Your reactions are always a delight, no matter how many times I see them."
The Cult Leader, laughing boisterously, accelerated even faster.
In stark contrast, we, feeling the full brunt of the wind resistance, could only scream endlessly.
"St-stop! I said stop, you madman!!"
"Aaaah! Hey, Ha-yoon! Don't pinch me! That hurts, dammit!!"
How long did we descend like that? Just when it seemed we'd reached the end, the carpet steadied itself, and a bright light blinked before my eyes.
It was a surreal sight.
At the edge of the endless white backdrop stood brilliant verdancy.
A colossal tree at the center, a green sky, a bright sun that had no business existing underground, and beneath it, an expanse of living green.
The scale was overwhelmingly beyond the dome Mirkella had managed.
It was as if... a whole world had been constructed down here, beneath the earth.
As I stared blankly at the scene, dumbfounded, the Cult Leader steering the carpet spoke.
"Welcome. To the 'Promised Land, Eden.'"
*
The buildings spread around the great tree were all in European architectural styles.
Aesthetically beautiful structures—except for the fact that every last one was colored a maddening white.
The place we were heading to was the largest building of all.
A cathedral steeped in sanctity and majesty.
"Good day, Cult Leader."
"Please try some of this. It's a crop we harvested this time."
"Mister, over here, here!"
Even while walking, the people's attention never let up.
Of course, their primary focus was the Cult Leader striding ahead.
They paid little attention to us in our disheveled state.
Not even to his own daughter, Mirkella.
"Oh my, Cult Leader. Are these people the new initiates who've joined?"
How long did we walk? When we finally reached the front of the cathedral, a kindly middle-aged woman greeted the Cult Leader with a smiling face.
"No. But they are guests who must be treated with the utmost care."
"I see. Then preparations are in order. I shall call upon the sisters to pay extra attention to today's meal."
"Yes, please do so."
The woman bowed her head deeply and walked past us.
...Something about all this left a terribly unpleasant taste in my mouth.
Everyone we'd encountered so far wore such bright expressions.
That was the bizarre part.
They couldn't possibly be unaware of the chaos raging in the outside world, yet they were calm, cheerful, and utterly free of worry.
And hadn't they only recently escaped the disaster zone that was Gangnam?
Was it really possible to stabilize mentally that fast?
I couldn't wrap my head around it.
Everything, from A to Z, was just brimming with bizarre elements.
The scale of this underground space was equally stupefying.
'He clearly used an ability... but I have no clue what it is.'
Constructing all this within such a short period defied common sense.
What nagged at me most was that things which shouldn't exist—existed here.
Especially that sun.
If he'd built that with an ability, then he was practically a god, wasn't he?
"This way, please."
At that moment, a voice cut through my thoughts.
It was the Cult Leader.
He opened the door and gestured for us to enter.
'I don't like it, but now that we've come this far, there's no refusing.'
From the moment we followed him this deep, the die was cast. Our lives were already in his hands, essentially.
The distance we'd traveled was beyond anything I'd anticipated.
We were far too removed from the surface.
So far that even if we ran, we wouldn't have the faintest clue where to go.
If we resisted, we could probably hold out for a while.
But could we last until Angelica and the others came to back us up?
No—could they even make it here at all?
That was an unknown variable.
One with a possibility so remote it was practically nil.
'Hey. Should we go in, or what?'
Ha Hui-ryeong silently asked with her eyes.
I shrugged helplessly in response.
His guidance finally brought us to a reception room furnished with elegant furniture and decorations.
I glanced at him for a moment, then let out a sigh deep enough to crack the floor and sank into a spacious sofa.
After gauging the atmosphere, Ha Hui-ryeong and Kim Ha-yoon followed suit and sat down beside me.
Only Mirkella remained standing awkwardly, rooted in place.
"Daughter, you sit down as well."
"Ah... yes..."
Only then did she hurry to take a seat next to us.
For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was like a child uneasy around her parents.
'But... why sit next to me, of all people?'
Was that really necessary?
The stares from the two ladies beside me were prickling my skin, so to shift the mood I let out a dry cough and opened my mouth.
"Ahem... Don't you think you can explain now? Why did you call us here? Frankly, it wouldn't have been strange if you'd dealt with us on the spot back there."
Hearing my words, the Cult Leader across from me crossed his legs and lifted the corners of his mouth faintly.
"Why, because there was a need, of course. You all handle rather interesting abilities, you see."
...Don't tell me he'd been watching the entire time?
"The moment you subdued my daughter left the deepest impression. You—you are a multi-ability user, aren't you?"
His gaze settled on me.
Unlike the smiling mouth, his eyes behind his glasses weren't smiling at all.
Feeling the weight of that stare, I scratched my head awkwardly.
"What if I am?"
"Rarity. In any era, the rare is always of great value. Even more so in the current situation, where resources are bound to be limited."
He tapped the table in front of him with his fingers.
"I wish to hold you in high regard. The capacity to equip yourself with capable personnel, the fortitude to topple even the strongest opponents—I find it appealing. And above all..."
"...Above all?"
"The utility of mass-producing various items from a vending machine pleased me most of all."
...How the hell do you know about that?
I was deeply startled inside, but I hurriedly smoothed my expression, trying not to let it show.
But as if he'd read even that, his smile deepened.
"You have the face of someone asking, 'How do you know?' Ha ha, it's simple. The truth is, I've been watching everything through my trait. Every single step—from the moment you arrived in Seocho-gu to when you met my daughter."
Because Seocho-gu is the sanctuary I have established. No one can escape my gaze there.
In that instant, his eyes flashed a brilliant gold.
A sacred, holy, and almost untouchable aura swirled around him.
Goosebumps broke out on my skin.
I swallowed dryly and spoke.
"So? What is it you want to say? It sounds like you know us quite well. You must have brought us here because you want something, yes?"
"Yes. Indeed. This conversation will be brief. I would like to propose a transaction."
I urged him with my eyes to continue.
Then he went on.
"'The Promised Land, Eden.' This is a sanctuary I created, but there are a few problems regarding its operation."
Firstly: Water is freely generated from the Great Tree, but food is not.
The shortfall in provisions must be sourced from the outside, or purchased through the bulletin board.
For someone hosting a large population, this was somewhat burdensome.
"That is where you come in. Watching you trade on the bulletin board using the vending machine's ability—I had this thought. 'Let's use this man to procure rations more cheaply.' That was the idea."
In short, I had been selected as a favorable trading partner.
But the question here was: did he have any reason to negotiate with me at all?
He could have simply crushed us with force, couldn't he?
"Ah, it's not that I didn't consider that option. However, there were circumstances that made it impossible. Yes, didn't I say there were a few more problems?"
Second: Frequent raids.
He said it was a naturally occurring issue due to the sheer size of the base.
Well, since they governed the entire underground of Seocho-gu, it was only natural they'd struggle to respond to marauder packs attacking from all directions.
"No matter how much power I wield, my body is only one. My son and daughter have assisted me up until now... but there were limits. It is difficult to defend every corner."
"That's true. Like there's only one entrance or something? Paths are scattered everywhere."
When Ha Hui-ryeong sympathized, he nodded with a satisfied expression.
"Furthermore, as you've seen, one of my children showed weakness before an unexpected powerhouse. It was a matter of time before a crack appeared. That cannot happen. Yes, it's a tragedy that must never occur again."
At those words, Mirkella lowered her head, her face turning crimson.
As I listened, a peculiar point nagged at me, so I voiced it.
"Then if you smash the source, wouldn't things be safe for a while? Those bastards must have a base too."
"Given the choice, I would love to do so. However, I cannot leave Eden."
At my questioning look, he wore a bitter expression.
"Please consider it the price. A potent power comes with due restrictions, as a rule."
Well, that made sense for balance.
If a monster this strong could just rampage around destroying everything, that would be absurdly unfair, wouldn't it?
"Thus, here is my proposal. If you clear out those brutal fiends in Dongjak-gu and Gwanak-gu, we shall continue our association through trade going forward."
"And if we refuse...?"
"Then we'd have to change our method. Yes, using force, naturally."
So basically: refuse and die.
There was no refusing, anyway.
I let out a hollow laugh, as if I found the whole thing ridiculous.
"Hah, fine. Got it. I'll accept. In return, just one question."
"Of course, go ahead. I'll answer sincerely as a courtesy."
...Look at him, disgustingly courteous.
"By any chance, is there an older lady named Ha Ah-ri here? I heard she fled from Gangnam."
"Ha Ah-ri... Ha Ah-ri... Ah, yes. She was here. One of our followers."
The past tense was extremely ominous.
"Was here. Which means..."
"Not anymore. She eloped with one of our Sado, throwing away her duties as a follower."
The Cult Leader answered as if it were a trivial matter.
Ha Hui-ryeong couldn't help but reveal her devastated feelings at this.
"...She ran away again? Are you serious?"
"Yes. Despite there clearly being a boy she was seeing. A regrettable affair."
"Fuck, God almighty."
At the revelation that she'd even found a new man, Ha Hui-ryeong turned utterly pale.
Her face ashen, she pressed a hand to her forehead and squeezed her eyes shut.