Chapter 188
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: Under the Black Water (6)
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“Anne, cover me.”
Winter cautiously approached the monster’s corpse. The sensory correction warning had vanished, but one could never be too sure. A creature this cunning might possess 「Deception」. The correction wasn’t Winter’s exclusive domain. Thus, he had to beware of technical counters, like Chadwick’s mask.
However, no reversal occurred. The torn throat was a fatal wound. The blood that had been gushing out was now just a thin trickle. Winter signaled to Joanna.
She approached at a brisk pace while maintaining her aim. But after confirming the lifeless body, her tension drained, and she covered her face with one hand.
“Damn it!”
The pressure door, still marked with bloody handprints, remained locked. Knowing it wouldn’t work, Joanna still inserted the card key into the recognition device. A beep sounded, followed by a red warning light.
“I can’t understand it. Suicide...?”
Leaning against the door, she brushed back her dull blonde hair.
“I’ve always thought their top priorities were spreading the infection and overcoming or destroying anything in the way. So why would it take its own life? Because it couldn’t open the door? Or because it realized it would be killed the moment it did? Neither seems reason enough for suicide. It would’ve been better to make a last desperate struggle...”
“People aren’t always killed by physical means alone.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just a guess, but maybe this thing knew about me.”
Christmas Eve came to mind. The trickster he’d deliberately let capture to infiltrate the base had grinned meaningfully upon seeing Winter’s face. Perhaps information about Winter had already spread by then—as someone more dangerous than an ordinary human, a formidable enemy. The dying broadcast from the Atascadero trickster right before death. That might have been the start.
“Rather than fight a battle it couldn’t win, it chose to die and give you despair and helplessness... That might’ve been its thinking. Judging it as the option most likely to harm me and Anne... It knows that when people lose hope, it’s over.”
Joanna’s mouth fell open.
“No way. That’s impossible. These things can’t have that level of higher cognition.”
“Probably the result of learning.”
“Learning?”
“Yeah. It’s been over a year since the quarantine war began. Even counting from the tricksters’ appearance, it’s nearly half a year. In all that time, were there really no humans who lost hope and gave up everything right in front of these mutants? Far from none, I’d bet there were tons. Plenty of chances to observe and learn. ‘Humans can be broken like this.’”
“...”
“So, Anne, don’t be disappointed. That’s exactly what it wanted.”
The FBI agent dry-washed her face. A heavy sigh leaked between her palms. She stayed like that, unmoving, as she composed herself. Meanwhile, Winter took in the pale, massive corpse once more. Even heavily mutated, it still retained human-like features. That made it feel like an object imbued with malice.
Winter felt fear too. Fear that he might not be able to wait for Autumn any longer.
But he didn’t waver in the face of this horrific terror because it was familiar.
‘I’ve always been afraid since I was little. Afraid of being abandoned at any moment.’
Winter had never deeply felt his mother’s or father’s love. So every night, falling asleep terrified him. Because when he woke, they might be gone. For a child, it was a life-or-death matter.
One day, it really happened—he woke in the middle of the night, and his parents were nowhere. Eleven-year-old Winter, instead of waking Autumn, trembled faintly but calmly rummaged through the dresser. The small box at the very back. Inside was a gold ring. The boy felt relieved. They’ll come back.
Later, he stopped trembling altogether.
It was the same now. Winter calmly suggested.
“Let’s look around once more. We might notice something we missed... Anyway, it’s better than just standing still.”
The FBI agent nodded weakly.
The experimental zone was a quiet, cold landscape. Even now, the ventilator hummed, so the smell of blood and death wasn’t too thick. The boy and agent walked slowly amid scattered papers and bodies like fallen leaves. It was more time for thinking than actual searching.
They completed one lap, paused before a blood puddle with dried edges, then silently began a second. Joanna’s expression darkened further.
They tapped the walls just in case, climbed tables to check the ceiling’s strength. But all it confirmed was solid construction. A facility meant to contain monsters with superhuman strength in emergencies—naturally.
At the deepest part of the experimental zone stood an emergency generator. It resembled a massive engine overall. Its actual mechanism wasn’t much different. The complexly intertwined pipes gave an intimidating feel. It was meant to supply power to the experimental zone in emergencies.
Joanna sighed regretfully.
“If only that were spaced away from the wall.”
Something that burned gasoline would need an exhaust pipe leading outside the hull. But the generator was flush against the hull, so no exhaust was visible.
Generator, power. Winter’s thoughts led to the incineration procedure. Whatever the format, the ignition would be electrical. Was there no way to cut that power? He wasn’t hoping to block the whole ship.
‘If I could just block signals coming into this experimental zone...’
Hm. Winter glanced toward the suicidal monster’s corpse.
“Anne. The trickster’s self-destruct was definitely by overloading itself, right?”
“...?”
Puzzled by the odd question, Joanna answered diligently anyway.
“Yes. Apparently, parts of their organs function like coils. When current and voltage exceed limits, the tissue expands and ruptures, creating an electromagnetic shockwave... I heard the mechanism is no different from conventional EMP warheads.”
“Then, if we overload a dead body, would it still produce a shockwave?”
“Uh, well...”
Winter explained his sudden inspiration to the bewildered woman.
“It wouldn’t open the door, but there’s a chance it could damage the ignition device, right? If the incineration is delayed here at least, we might get a chance to escape while the ship’s breaking apart. Twisted framework, collapsing deck... At minimum, we’d avoid instant death.”
Paralysis of the entire ship would be ideal, but unlikely. They’d prepared for the worst since capturing the trickster.
He didn’t mention the risk of failed escape, slowly roasting in superheated air.
No guarantee the ignition would fail either. Success would only be known after the procedure began. Until then, they’d wait in pitch darkness without lights or ventilation, breathing ever-thickening death smells.
Her response came after a long pause.
“It’s an idea I’d never have thought of, but there’s one thing bothering me.”
“What’s that?”
“I was hoping rescue might come from outside. Someone might notice Winter’s missing from the evacuation team. That might work for me, but you’re an important figure.”
Assuming Chadwick’s words were true, some intel agents wouldn’t even know of the private organization. So Joanna’s hope wasn’t baseless.
“But if the pressure door loses power, rescue itself gets tricky. Organized help would be hard with unknown enemies whose nature is unclear...”
From the former supervisor’s suspicious death onward. Who to ask for help when you don’t know the enemy? Searches would likely be solo.
“No, better to try it.”
After agonizing, Joanna changed her stance.
“The trickster’s corpse will degrade over time. Might not be possible later. Better than waiting idly—I want to do what we can.”
“Good. Then I’ll drag it here.”
“I’ll help.”
Once decided, haste was key. The boy and agent ran from one end of the zone to the other. The suicidal monster lay unchanged. Only its spilled blood had started coagulating.
When the two grabbed and pulled, the larger, heavier corpse moved easily. It carved long trails through the viscous blood pools. The swaying body was still soft. Too soon for rigor mortis. Wrists and ankles just slightly stiff.
The rest was straightforward. Plugging generator wires into the trickster sufficed. Packing EMP-sensitive gear into foil body bags completed prep.
Joanna stood before the generator’s control console. Winter secured a safe distance and signaled. She gripped the starter lever.
“Here goes! Three, two, one!”
Clunk. She threw the lever. A deep hum rose as the generator roared to life. The deck vibrated faintly. Instruments hit max output in about a second. The moment the signal shifted from red to blue—
Crackle! The grayish-white corpse reacted violently. Like a living seizure. For a split second, Winter smelled burning flesh. Acrid smoke rose from the special mutant’s body.
Then, explosion.
Lights died. Generator vibration ceased. Darkness swallowed the entire zone in an instant. Winter rummaged in his body bag for a flashlight. Click. The revealed scene was gruesome, even seen before: the monster burst from within. Blood-soaked bones and flesh splattered onto Winter.
Winter lit the way for Joanna. She approached carefully, then turned.
“My God. It actually worked. If we escape, I have to report this.”
Half admiration, half lament. After staring at the shattered corpse, she retrieved her gear. Then Winter’s turn.
Fully re-equipped, they sought seats. Time until midnight demolition was still long. They chose an empty space. Better no nearby objects to fall. Preparing for total collapse.
In pitch black, they sat back-to-back, leaning on each other. Lantern off to save battery. No light at all—night vision useless without. Could use disposable chemlights, but sparingly.
The FBI agent said quietly.
“Hope it worked.”
“We can only hope.”
An inevitable anxiety they’d foreseen.
Joanna checked time often. Nearly every minute. Her electronic watch’s self-illumination cast faint glows over her shoulder each time.
In harsh field conditions, electronic outdid mechanical in durability and reliability—so Winter’s watch was electronic too. He had the one from Lieutenant Colonel Siel, but.
The investigator grumbled to lighten mood.
“Time’s crawling. Even high school classes weren’t this bad.”
“Any subjects you hated?”
“Few I liked, but if I had to pick, English lit and art history. Just didn’t suit me.”
“Surprising. Thought you’d like that stuff, Anne.”
“Me?”
She burst into suppressed laughter at the casual remark.
To kill dark time, personal talk flowed. Hometowns, birthdays, favorite foods, music. Intel correction diligently informed Winter of this world’s Han Gyeowol. But he rarely recited verbatim. Harmless truths updated this world’s Winter each time.
Talk shifted from past to present.
“When you got angry earlier, I was a bit scared. But also relieved. Somehow, you felt more human than ever...”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. You always seemed a bit unnatural otherwise.”
The boy tilted his head in darkness. Sensing it, she quickly added.
“No offense. You’re a really good person. Never met anyone like you. Thought as an investigator, I’d seen every type after meeting all sorts.”
“...”
“Just... extremely disciplined, maybe. Moments you felt very distant. Hard to explain. Sorry. Did I offend?”
“No, not at all. Don’t worry.”
No reason to. Winter already knew what she meant.
Amid such talk, midnight neared.
Time: 11:30 PM. Joanna said.
“Evac’s probably finishing now. Set alarm for midnight.”
Not just her voice trembled.
“Winter.”
“Yeah.”
“If it’s okay... hold my hand?”
Facing death is always harsh. Winter granted the agent’s request.
After, she didn’t check time. Until the alarm.
============================ Author's Notes ============================
Q. Carpis: @Realizing human intent and even suiciding—mutants are getting more human-like. Destructive like humans. Next up, mutants with guns???
A. Hard to answer on future plot. What I can say now: the next special mutant is pretty decent.
Q. Geokda: Hey author. Question on skills. Assuming same grade (10+), what differences in cases like: 1. Someone who’s never fired a gun. 2. Like 1 but acquired high-grade skill via games like Winter. 3. Someone skilled with guns IRL (ex-military).
A. Obviously differences by personal ability. Story described huge gap in Insight use between Winter and others.
Q. svjk: @Wow. Thought trickster would挑戰 knowing we couldn’t kill it. Suicide instead... Those infected, what’s their goal? Human extinction? Just despairing locals? Suicide’s not great for extinction; too purposeful for blind killing rage. This trickster unique from experiments? Or all high-intel infected like this?
A. Answered in this chapter’s early part. Only tricksters among mutants think that deeply.
Q. Kaif: @Is this game multiplayer? Multi with wallet warriors sounds terrifying.
A. Main post-game policy: keep players from meeting each other.