Hell Scroll (12)
"What the hell? What're you doing over there?"
"The corpse's skull is empty."
"Huh? That...!"
Yuri whipped her head away in disgust, hit by the same eerie sense of familiarity. Cheol-woo examined the body with a grave expression. The corpse was pristine, without a single wound—except for the massive hole in the back of its skull. The inside of the empty cranium held not a scrap of brain tissue or flesh.
Possible to scoop out the brain so cleanly in that short time? And if so, where'd they dispose of the mess? Questions piled up.
Thud thud thud. Cheol-woo tapped the skull and tilted his head.
"Sis. Take off your helmet for a sec."
"Helmet? Fine."
"Urk...!"
"Hey!? It doesn't smell that bad!"
It did. Terribly. The morgue stench was tolerable, but the moment Yuri removed her helmet, a visceral revulsion—etched into his very genes—assaulted his nose like concentrated poison. Cheol-woo clicked his tongue, roughly brushed back Yuri's sweat-soaked bangs, and thud thud thud tapped her skull.
"Ow, why flick me?"
"Nothing. Just for reference. Put the helmet back on."
"Ugh...!"
Cheol-woo immediately called for Im Team Leader—alone, no other staff. Im came sprinting to the morgue, dropping everything.
"Yes, sir? You called for me, Section Chief?"
"This corpse. Skull's completely empty. Ever seen anything like it?"
"Ah, this one. Calm down and hear me out first."
"I'm calm. Spit it out."
"It's their funeral rite. The survivors here follow a cult leader. Priests blessed by him supposedly don't get attacked by mutants, so loyalty's sky-high. Weirdly, when a priest dies, they scoop out the brain like this..."
Im Team Leader tried to explain gently. It screamed cult, and it was—but those leaders had saved GeumMyeong staff lives more than once. Useful, at least.
"Then bring that cult leader here."
"Here?"
"Yeah. Should I go? He that precious?"
"N-no, sir. Right away."
Im scurried off, bowing obsequiously. Seeing Cheol-woo check his pistol's chamber, Yuri panicked.
Why's this psycho gearing up for a fight again...?
"Cult Leader, be careful. Heard the new section chief got into it with Im Team Leader..."
"No worries. It'll be fine. Heh heh."
The white-haired elder walked to the morgue amid concerned glances. He was their "Cult Leader," who'd preached global doom before Hong Kong fell. Ignored then, his followers exploded when hell broke loose—especially since his orders to drink only bottled water had saved them. Numbers dwindled to thirty through trials, but faith hardened.
They can't control themselves without me. Koreans hoard food and guns, but thirty fanatics? Im knows it's impossible—that's why he grants me leeway, ignores the religion. This new chief will too.
The cult leader entered without a care.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm the leader of the local survivors."
"Yeah. Hi. GeumMyeong Security Section Chief, Min Cheol-woo."
"..."
As the leader extended a hand, Cheol-woo snatched it, staring into his eyes. Micro twitches, pupil flickers, cold sweat—nothing off, but an odd dissonance. Like peering into a corpse, not a man? Uneasy, he reached for the skull—
The leader yanked back, retreating.
Broke my grip and pulled free? Weak compared to sis, sure—but Cheol-woo far exceeded normal. He could bend car doors. This guy wasn't ordinary.
"So, why'd you summon me?"
"A few questions."
"Ask away."
"Real name and age?"
"Li Xiao. Sixty-seven this year, I think. Memory's fuzzy."
"Heard you're second-gen leader. What happened to the first?"
"Died soon after Hong Kong fell. I inherited."
"They say your personality changed completely after."
"Yes. Upon inheriting, I received his full power and abilities—reborn."
"..."
Cheol-woo hummed, jotting notes. The leader hid bewilderment. Expected cult-bashing over weird rites. But these questions... Why? Harmless, answered truthfully—no gotchas. Yet sinking deeper into quicksand...
"Memories?"
"Pardon?"
"Do you retain memories as old man Li Xiao?"
"..."
"Kids? Grandkids? Youth job? Hometown?"
"...Can't recall."
"No memory continuity. Good. Got everything I need."
"Pardon?"
Cheol-woo snapped his notebook shut and stood. Suddenly, NewTontonMan pinned the leader's arms from behind.
What the fuck!? Can't budge!
The leader thrashed in vain. Cheol-woo approached, thud thud thud tapped the skull, and sighed.
"You're making a mistake! Think you'll get away with this? My priests and followers will rage! Harm me, and someone else inherits—"
"Too chatty."
Stab! The dagger pierced the forehead. No crunch—instead, smooth penetration past the skull, like a toll pass. Twist, yank. Green slime gushed out.
"Kyaaak!?"
Lee Joo-eem screamed, recoiling. Cheol-woo laid the limp body down, pried open the skull. Reached in—soft, familiar mass. Pulled it out: a four-legged alien corpse, legs dangling.
"..."
"..."
Cheol-woo and Yuri silently pulled plastic bags from their packs. The bisected parasite matched perfectly—the halves from the leader's skull. Inside: empty.
The impossible was real.
"Im Team Leader. Detain everyone."
"Yes, sir."
As priests slinked away, Team 2 swarmed, binding them before resistance. Kneeling, Im panted.
Crazy. It was real.
He'd thought Min nuts. "Non-humans among survivors"? But after the skull-crack... It clicked. Not human. Mimics. Brain-eaters puppeteering bodies.
"As expected of you, sir! Monsters sound different when you tap— that's how you knew?"
"Nah. Sounded the same."
"Huh?"
"Eyes felt off. So I split it open."
"...?"
Just a 'weird feeling'? That's it? Im's face went slack. To others, maybe vague—but to Cheol-woo, ironclad. Gut scream: not human. Cognitive dissonance raged; looked identical. He agonized till the stab. Instinct won. Bingo.
Insane. Intelligence level? Sea-scavenger looks, yet human-equivalent. No—observed speech, mimicked behavior in days. Smarter, maybe.
"Heard your priests dodge mutant attacks weirdly. Why? Look me in the eyes, folks."
"Ngh...!"
Priests desperately averted gazes. Cheol-woo approached one—
"Huh...?"
Suddenly, they sat in a circle, hands clasped in prayer. Familiar pose.
Ah—the morgue corpses—
Alarm blared in his head.
"Back away from the priests—now!"
"H-heugh!?"
Crack! Thud! Boom boom boom! Priests' skulls exploded in unison. Bone shards and brains sprayed; black shapes surged forth.