DP Episode 114

Episode 114

The small, tightly packed neighborhood of aging villas was reduced to utter devastation within hours of a minor gate opening.

Powdered cement crumbled and settled on the rescue workers’ helmets like a fine gray mist. Black smoke billowed from multiple spots, accompanied by constant crashes and clouds of dust rising into the air.

Unlike other sites equipped with modern detection systems that allowed for some degree of pre-evacuation, this place—where civilian casualties had already piled up—was nothing short of hell.

On one side, responders were busy combating rampaging chitin creatures and ghouls, while on the other, chaos ensued as civilians were hurriedly carried out on stretchers.

— Building collapse risk detected. Guides are prohibited from entering indoor areas. Support with casualty evacuation from the rear.

— Understood.

— Acknowledged.

The gate, which had been spewing out monsters, had reached a temporary lull. This was the critical moment to rescue as many civilians as possible.

— Blinkers, respond. There are survivors inside the house with the blue door.

— Blinker from Team A is incapacitated. Emergency guiding underway; will be operational in 20 minutes.

— Blinker from Team C is also incapacitated.

— Are there any available Blinkers?

— Need backup here. Next to some pawn shop by the stairs… Keys, Gold Teeth Bought? Damn it, I have no idea where this is.

Unlike other well-organized urban districts, Shinhui-dong was a chaotic maze of disjointed paths and haphazardly placed buildings. Even with trackers, it was difficult to pinpoint each other’s locations.

“Those near Cheongmyeong Supermarket should see the sign. Go down the stairs to the left of the alley entrance—it’s the key shop,” Yeon-woo said into his radio, his familiarity with Shinhui-dong’s geography proving invaluable as he moved swiftly. Injured civilians, covered in dust and matted blood, were carried out on stretchers.

— Huggy Wuggy, headed to Porori.

— Ringo Star, en route.

His breath, shaky and shallow, fogged the inside of his transparent mask. Yeon-woo’s destination was a decrepit villa at the lowest point of Shinhui-dong, a place where he had lived for years.

It was also the area most severely hit, as the sloping terrain funneled the destructive chitin creatures straight there.

Yeon-woo tried not to look too closely at the bodies lying lifeless or the injured being carried away. He couldn’t help but think of the people he knew: the grandmother who always handed him banana milk, the elderly folks who chatted on the stairs and greeted him with, “Ah, our pretty student is here,” and even Choi Jeong-sook, his former landlady who discreetly helped him with meals and rent.

If he stopped to identify the bodies strewn across the street, he was certain most of them would be familiar faces.

— This is Agnes. Three survivors confirmed inside Jeongwon Villa. Building collapse in progress. Blinkers, immediate support required.

Hearing the transmission, Yeon-woo’s steps faltered for a moment before quickening. Jeongwon Villa was his destination.

— Ghost will be there in three minutes.

Lieutenant Jang Su-ho’s strained voice came through. As Blinkers played a crucial role in rescue operations, they had to endure extreme levels of exhaustion during missions like this.

A deafening crash echoed as a building somewhere collapsed. Gunfire and screams resounded faintly like distant echoes. Supporting an injured civilian, Yeon-woo guided them to safety before resuming his descent toward Jeongwon Villa.

Despite his speed, he couldn’t hope to match the Blinkers’ ability to teleport. By the time he reached the villa, Lieutenant Jang Su-ho was already descending from the roof with a civilian in his arms, carefully navigating down a rope. The injured were in no condition for teleportation, so the descent was cautious.

The villa, where Yeon-woo had once come and gone daily, was now half-covered by the massive corpse of a chitin creature. Below, Seo-joon was loading another injured civilian onto a stretcher.

As Lieutenant Jang prepared for another entry, a sudden, thunderous crash erupted.

Bang. Bang. Crash. The villa’s iron gate caved in with a loud groan as a cloud of pale dust enveloped the scene. The building groaned and collapsed inward, sending up a plume of debris.

Screams tore through the air.

“Mom! No, Mom! Nooo!”

The anguished cries were hauntingly familiar to Yeon-woo.

Turning toward the sound, he saw Sun-ae, covered in dust, screaming hysterically as she tried to push past rescue workers restraining her. She flailed violently, her voice raw and desperate.

Just moments earlier, Lieutenant Jang had watched helplessly as the building collapsed in front of him. Now, he knelt, his head bowed, before pounding his forehead against the ground.

— Damn it…

A faint curse crackled through the radio, accompanied by heavy, uneven breaths. The anguish of losing survivors weighed visibly on Lieutenant Jang’s trembling shoulders.

— Jeongwon Villa has collapsed. Civilian survival status inside is unknown.

— One survivor confirmed on the opposite side of the main gate. Voice heard through a window.

— Secure an entryway. We need access now!

— Bring the cutting tools, now!

— Requesting immediate equipment support!

The world seemed to slow, each detail dragging into focus like a video in slow motion. Sun-ae’s piercing wails stretched endlessly in Yeon-woo’s ears, refusing to fade.

Grabbing hold of Sun-ae, who was struggling madly, Yeon-woo restrained her from approaching the collapsed building.

— Agnes, attempting entry.

Blocked by Yeon-woo, Sun-ae collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably as she called out for her mother. Yeon-woo stared at the collapsed building with a devastated expression.

Seo-joon emerged from the rubble moments later, dragging out a bleeding man missing most of one leg.

It wasn’t Choi Jeong-sook, the one Sun-ae so desperately wanted to see. She remained buried under the debris, yet to be rescued.

✽✽✽

A blinding white light illuminated the collapsed building.

【Injured: 36 │ Deceased: 51】
【Injured: 38 │ Deceased: 52】
【Injured: 41 │ Deceased: 58】

Red numbers on a digital board set up nearby ticked upward relentlessly.

“Sun-ae.”

The rescue efforts continued deep into the night. Pulling civilians trapped beneath the collapsed building was a painstaking and time-consuming task.

“Your mom will be okay. Just hold on a little longer.”

Yeon-woo handed Sun-ae a bottle of water and draped another blanket over her trembling frame. Her tear-streaked, dust-covered face turned toward him.

“Why is it taking so long? Hic… Why… My mom, sob, she’s definitely on the third floor…”

Unending tears rolled down her cheeks. Yeon-woo unscrewed the cap of the bottle Sun-ae clutched and gently tried to reassure her.

“They’re being careful so she won’t get hurt. That’s why it’s taking a little longer. Don’t worry, drink some water first, okay? You’ll need to hug her when she comes out, Sun-ae.”

She took a few sips before pushing the bottle away, breaking down into sobs once more. Yeon-woo patted her back comfortingly, his eyes straying toward the workers clearing the rubble.

Earlier in the day, they had confirmed that Choi Jeong-sook was still alive, but her survival was becoming less certain as time dragged on. Trapped deep under the debris, her chances dwindled with every passing moment, especially as her body temperature dropped in the cold winter night.

From somewhere nearby came the sound of applause and relieved sighs. It echoed each time someone was pulled from the wreckage of a neighboring villa. Sun-ae’s bloodshot eyes darted toward the source.

“When will they rescue my mom? They save everyone else, but not her. Why…”

Her voice cracked with raw despair, and Yeon-woo’s expression twisted in anguish as he struggled to find words of comfort.

“Don’t worry… You’ll see your mom soon, Sun-ae. Don’t cry.”

— Access path secured. Access path secured.
— Prepare transport equipment.
— Rescue team on standby, rescue team on standby.
— Hey, don’t climb that recklessly!
— Do we have a cutting tool? The rebar is blocking the way.

Urgent voices crackled through the radio. Yeon-woo stared intently at the wreckage, praying silently. He didn’t tell Sun-ae about the transmission—there was no guarantee that Choi Jeong-sook would emerge alive.

— Agnes, initiating entry.

Though Yeon-woo wasn’t religious, he prayed to any and all gods in that moment. Take people like his father, he thought, but please let good people stay in this world. Please don’t let Sun-ae lose her mother.

As a precaution against Sun-ae dashing toward the debris, Yeon-woo hovered his hands near her arms, ready to restrain her if necessary. The seconds stretched unbearably long.

The tension broke when a faint cheer, almost like a gasp, came through the radio. Relief spread across the faces of the rescue workers. Yeon-woo let his hands fall to rest lightly on Sun-ae’s arms.

— Jeongwon Villa survivor rescue complete.

Applause erupted, accompanied by shouts of relief. Sun-ae sprang upright, shaking off Yeon-woo’s hands, and dashed forward. Yeon-woo followed closely behind, his eyes locking onto Choi Jeong-sook as she was carried out on a stretcher.

Only after spotting her face beneath the respirator did Yeon-woo exhale a deep sigh of relief. She was alive, albeit barely.

As Sun-ae flung herself over her mother, sobbing uncontrollably, a rescue worker gently pulled her back and loaded Choi Jeong-sook into the ambulance. Without looking back at Yeon-woo, Sun-ae climbed into the vehicle beside her mother.

Click. The ambulance door shut.

It was over. Yeon-woo watched the vehicle grow smaller in the distance, letting the wave of relief settle over him. Only then did he turn his gaze toward Seo-joon.

“……”

Amid the bustling rescue workers, Seo-joon knelt on the ground, staring blankly at nothing. Despite successfully rescuing a survivor, he looked as though he was drowning in despair.

Yeon-woo approached and placed a hand on Seo-joon’s shoulder.

Though Seo-joon’s voice over the radio had remained calm and steady, his body now trembled uncontrollably under Yeon-woo’s touch.