The Predatory Genius of a Ruined World

Chapter 18 – A Peaceful Hell (1)

—–CROW—– 

In a priest’s room adorned with statues of winged saints and crucifixes, Go Ji-hoon, receiving a massage from naked women, opened his eyes at the sound of a knock.

“Come in.”

One of his subordinates entered.

“What brings you here at this ungodly hour?”

“Well… you said to inform you if anyone came looking for a priest…”

“Oh, a new survivor?”

“Yes, yes.”

The survivor who had come to the cathedral that morning said he had been passing by.  He had felt a presence within the cathedral and came to investigate.

A smile spread across Go Ji-hoon’s face at the welcome news.

“Another lost, pitiful lamb has arrived.”

His laughter was filled with mockery.  After a moment, Go Ji-hoon stopped laughing and picked up a cigarette from the bedside table.

“How many is this this week?”

“Uh, nine.  T-Ten, including the one who just arrived.”

“Keke, a bountiful harvest.”

*Click, puff.*

“See? I told you.  If we just sit here, those Jesus freaks will crawl in on their own without us having to hunt.”

Just this week, ten people had walked into their own graves, lured by the name “cathedral.”  Based on the past few months, there must have been over a hundred. Go Ji-hoon emphasized this point, blatantly taking credit.

“Th-That’s right. We’re all warm and well-fed thanks to you, Awakened One.  We are eternally grateful for your grace.”

Go Ji-hoon enjoyed the flattery for a bit before getting up. The naked women also rose with him, but with a flick of his wrist, they collapsed like puppets with their strings cut.  Rising from the bed alone, Go Ji-hoon put on a crisply ironed priest’s robe.

“By the way, how are the zombies doing?”

“Well… the guards are working in three shifts, but…”

His voice trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. But Go Ji-hoon knew what he was going to say.

‘The number of zombies has increased recently.’

Go Ji-hoon was aware of this as well. It was probably because survivors, running low on food, had ventured out and gotten bitten.  That’s why he had increased the number of guards to deal with the zombies.  But it seemed their numbers weren’t decreasing as much as he had hoped.

He was bothered by this setback, but…

‘Well, the barricades we’ve built around the cathedral grounds are sturdy, so it should be fine.’

In the worst-case scenario, he could use them as meat shields, so it wasn’t a serious problem.

Having finished dressing, Go Ji-hoon turned around.  A cheerful smile bloomed on his face as he left the room.  Dealing with those who came looking for a priest was one of his favorite pastimes.  Excited about what was to come, Go Ji-hoon’s steps quickened.

Soon, arriving at his destination, he put on a friendly smile.  He knocked on the door before him, then slowly opened it and entered.  A tall man, who had been pacing nervously inside, immediately looked towards the door. His expression shifted to one of relief as soon as he saw Go Ji-hoon.

“Ah, Father…!”

It was amusing to see the tension and vigilance melt away from his eyes, replaced by complacency.  These people who had struggled to reach the cathedral, clinging to a sliver of hope.  These people who had arrived at the safe haven of the cathedral camp after overcoming all sorts of hardships.  These people who shed tears of gratitude upon meeting the gentle priest who welcomed them with open arms.  The thought of their faces contorting in fear and despair sent a thrill through him.

* * *

– Welcome, brother. I am Peter.

– If you need a place to stay, I will provide you with one anytime.

– You wish to make a confession?

– I would love to help you right away, but I have only received the rank of deacon, not the official ordination of a priest.

– The other priests are currently overwhelmed with work, so you will have to wait a few days. Will that be alright?

– Then, while you wait, would you mind being quarantined? Matters related to infection concern everyone’s safety, so please understand even if it is unpleasant.

– Don’t worry too much, we will provide you with plenty of food during your stay. We still have a lot of relief supplies.

*Click.*

The familiar yet unfamiliar wooden door closed with a resolute sound.  And then, a cold, metallic sound followed.

*Click, clank.*

It was the sound of a separate lock being fastened to the door. This meant that Seong-ho was completely trapped in this space.

But Seong-ho didn’t react.  This was what he had planned for.

Seong-ho looked away from the closed door and surveyed the space he would be using during his quarantine.  It wasn’t large. A simple cot.  A sleeping bag on top of it.  A small wooden box and a lamp underneath.  Next to it, a portable kerosene heater and a generously sized blanket.  They weren’t anything special, but they were enough to comfort a weary survivor in the harsh city.

‘…They prepared thoroughly.’

To be able to lie down in a clean sleeping bag and bask in the warmth of a heater… It was the perfect condition to lull one’s naturally sharpened vigilance.  Seong-ho sighed deeply as he looked at the items provided in the quarantine room with mixed feelings.

‘It’s a good thing I’ve seen things while visiting the cathedral in the past.’

Thanks to that, imitating a Catholic believer wasn’t too difficult, and he had succeeded in deceiving the person who came to greet him, just as planned.

‘Baptismal name Peter… It must be Go Ji-hoon.’

Go Ji-hoon was described as someone who enjoyed tormenting Christians, including Catholics.  He would fill people with hope, as if he were their savior, and then relish pushing them into despair and ruin.  Indeed, Go Ji-hoon had appeared before Seong-ho wearing stolen priestly garments.  Facing the smiling pervert in person was quite an ordeal, but at least he had infiltrated the cathedral.

‘I was worried, but they didn’t even properly search me.’

They probably thought there was no need to be wary of a single outsider. They must have been confident that they could handle and prevent any trouble Seong-ho might cause. Considering Go Ji-hoon’s ability, that confidence wasn’t unreasonable.

Sighing inwardly, Seong-ho took off his shoes.  It didn’t take long to retrieve the lighter he had hidden in his sock. He slipped it into his pants pocket and strode across the room.  He arrived at the window, which was boarded up with wooden planks as if to restrict his view.  However, he could still observe the outside world through the gaps between the planks.  He watched with mixed feelings the unfamiliar people moving around the familiar cathedral grounds.

Suddenly, Seong-ho shuddered at the savory, oily smell that wafted through the air.

‘This is…’

He moved his head, trying to get a better view through the gaps in the wooden planks.  He spotted white smoke billowing from beyond the main cathedral building.

‘That’s the smoke I saw yesterday.’

It was bait to lure survivors outside the cathedral. Seong-ho stared at the smoke filling the air with a strange feeling.  The hot smoke and the smell of oily meat on a cold winter day. Even the faint sounds of laughter.  It was a peaceful scene, if one could call it that.

But unfortunately, Seong-ho, who was right in the middle of it, wasn’t feeling peaceful.  Because he knew what was happening here.

“Smells delicious.”

“Is it beef bone soup again this morning?”

“Ah, I can’t wait to eat.”

The faint voices coming from the next room churned his stomach.  He tried not to think about it, but it wasn’t easy.  A few dozen minutes later, the source of the smell arrived at his room.

“Lunchtime.”

A makeshift serving hatch at the bottom of the wooden door opened, revealing a food tray. The meat soup placed on it was not a sight one would expect to see in the middle of the day. Seong-ho stood by the window, clenching his fists.

‘If I leave any food, they’ll likely become suspicious.’

Right now, he was playing the role of a pitiful Catholic believer who had finally found refuge after hardship.  But to leave any of this precious meat soup?  It wouldn’t make sense.

Fighting back the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him, Seong-ho approached the door.  He lifted the food tray with trembling hands.  The serving hatch closed.  Seong-ho carried the tray to a corner of the room. He had no intention of eating it.  He dumped the food where it wouldn’t be visible from the door, and his stomach felt a little better.

“Phew.”

Letting out a long sigh, Seong-ho pulled out food from his worn backpack. He stuffed energy bars and crackers into his mouth, ignoring the commotion around him.

“Ah, I feel alive!”

“So delicious!”

“I wish they’d give me another bowl…”

They knew nothing. So, it wasn’t strange that they reacted this way.  He knew this logically, but his heart couldn’t accept it, leading to a sickening mix of contempt and disillusionment.

‘I think I’m going crazy.’

At first glance, everything seemed peaceful and comfortable.  Only Seong-ho, trapped within, was wandering through hell.  He covered his ears to block out the voices.  He forced his eyes closed, trying to catch up on the sleep he had missed the previous day.

* * *

Late at night, after the sun had set and all the lights were out, he heard snoring from beyond the door.  It seemed the person guarding the quarantine room had fallen asleep. This meant it was finally time for Seong-ho to move.  He ripped a long strip from the single blanket in the room. He poured some of the kerosene he had saved from the heater onto the remaining piece of blanket.  Next, he took out the lighter from his pocket.

At that moment, he heard the distinct sound of flapping wings.

*Flutter.*

Still holding the lighter, Seong-ho looked to the side. All he could see were the wooden planks covering the window. But instead of relaxing, he kept his eyes fixed on the planks.

How much time had passed?

*Tap, tap, tap.*

He began to hear the sound of something tapping on the glass window beyond the planks. It didn’t feel like someone was tapping with their hand. Considering the flapping sound he had heard earlier, perhaps a bird was pecking at the glass?  He could only guess since he couldn’t see, but he couldn’t simply ignore it.  Frowning at the unknown, unsettling feeling, Seong-ho got up. Just as he was about to approach the window, the sound from outside the door changed.

*Snore, gasp!*

A choking snore, as if someone’s breath had hitched. If he wasted any more time and the guard woke up, his plan to finish things while the guard was still half-asleep would be ruined.

In the end, Seong-ho turned his attention away from the window and resumed his preparations. He took the long strip of blanket and placed the kerosene-soaked piece in a suitable location.

*Click, click.*

Sparks flew as he struck the lighter’s flint a couple of times.  The crimson flames immediately caught onto the kerosene-soaked blanket.  Seong-ho waited for the flames to grow a little larger before approaching the door.  He banged on the door and shouted, feigning urgency,

“H-Hey! There’s a fire inside! Help me! Fire!”

The building, which had been silent in the dead of night, gradually became noisy.

“Fire, fire! There’s a fire?! Damn it! Fire!”

He heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.  They must have seen the bright flames flickering through the gap under the door. Seong-ho listened to the approaching sounds of running and stepped back.  He hid behind the door, holding his breath, and waited.

*Clank, click.*

The rattling of metal echoed loudly from the door.  And then, it burst open.

“You little puppet, put out the fire first, the fire! Where’s the fire…?! It’s over there!”

Two figures appeared beyond the hastily opened door.  Both were well-built men.

“What are you doing?! Put out the fire!”

Seong-ho lunged at the one who was talking.

—–CROW—–