Rainbow City

Vatican City, Italy, East Gate, 5 PM.

“Close the gate!”

A middle-aged man in ochre-colored military fatigues shouted while firing his rifle from atop the high wall.

There were also several snipers around him. They all fired their guns at the mass of creatures below the wall. The blood and brains of numerous Adam creatures splattered everywhere.

“Lieutenant! Can’t you hear?! Close the gate!”

Assuming the gunfire noise made it impossible to hear, the man spoke harshly into the radio.

“Colonel! The food supply trucks haven’t entered yet!”

The lieutenant, who was also stationed at the East Gate, responded over the radio. However, the respite was short-lived as he fired at Adams clinging to the food supply trucks.

“1 o’clock! Adams are coming in from the 1 o’clock direction!”

A soldier stationed at the top of the cathedral dome reported the situation over the radio. The Adams, reacting to the noise, continued to swarm towards the East Gate.

The gates of the fortress-like wall surrounding Vatican City were only opened to bring in food supplies or admit survivors. Normally, this would have been a quiet and swift process, but unfortunately, this time was different.

A massive infection outbreak had occurred on a bus transporting survivors. Someone infected by an Adam had boarded the bus while concealing the fact, and the bus had turned into chaos in no time.

BANG—!

The horn of the bus that had crashed into the wall continued to blare harshly. The driver had died, trapped in the crumpled bus.

The soldiers defending the Vatican could not even begin to deal with the bus. The moment they tore open the bus doors, forty or so Adams inside would surge out like a tidal wave.

As if that wasn’t enough, Adams had also followed the trucks bringing grains and noodles from the farm. The first and second trucks had just entered the wall, but the remaining ones had turned away, trying to shake off the Adams.

The Colonel, standing by the wall, slung his rifle over his shoulder and picked up a megaphone.

“Defend the fortress! Close the gate! That’s an order!”

The harsh voice from the megaphone, the sound of gunfire, the bus horn, and the eerie cries of the Adams all mixed together. In the distance, the food supply trucks that had finally separated from the Adams were approaching. However, the area around the East Gate was already crowded with Adams. It was unlikely that the food supply trucks could make it through.

“I repeat the order! Close the gate!”

Screech, several men pushed the thick iron gate. Meanwhile, soldiers on the wall shot at the Adams outside the gate and dealt with the ones that had managed to enter. Thud! The sound of the wall reverberated as the double gates came together.

“Gate closure complete! All Adams that had entered the wall have been dealt with!”

A report signaling the end of the situation arrived from the lieutenant.

The Colonel shut his eyes tightly and then opened them. He watched the two trucks charging toward the closing gate until the end. He wanted to look away from the overwhelming guilt but had to bear the weight of his choice, even if today’s memory haunted him every night with terrible nightmares.

He couldn’t even judge whether the sacrifice of the few for the many was right or wrong. The only thing the Colonel knew was that he had a duty to protect this fortress.

Then, a fierce siren began to blare from somewhere. The Colonel, gripping the megaphone tightly, quickly turned his head towards the direction of the sound.

“Colonel! Two military jeeps are approaching about 500 meters ahead!”

A radio message arrived from the soldier manning the lookout tower. The Colonel swiftly grabbed the radio he had strapped to his shoulder belt.

“If they’re military jeeps, are they from our side?”

The siren noise came from the first jeep charging towards the gate.

“No, they’re not! But thanks to the siren, the Adams swarming towards the gate are getting confused!”

The honking from the bus was gradually drowned out by the piercing siren of the jeeps. Baaaaang! The military jeep at the front added its horn as if to overpower the bus’s sound. The two jeeps quickly overtook the food supply truck. Now, all of Adam’s attention was focused on the two jeeps.

There were at least fifty of them, no, even more would gather as the commotion intensified, making it impossible to estimate the number of Adams.

From the passenger side window of the first jeep charging towards the East Gate, someone leaned out. Though the face was not clearly visible, the short hair and petite frame suggested it was a woman.

Rat-a-tat-tat! The woman, who had leaned out of the window, fired a submachine gun at the Adams blocking the way. It looked like she was shooting haphazardly, but she accurately hit only the Adams’ heads, which exploded like rotten watermelons.

The jeep abruptly slowed down and stopped, and a large man also climbed out of the driver’s seat. As he quickly climbed onto the roof of the jeep, two assault rifles hung from his shoulders. He even held one more in his hands. The man fired the rifle in his hands, piercing through the heads of the Adams.

The following military jeep also came to an abrupt halt. A tall man swiftly jumped out and said something towards the passenger seat. Then, after quickly closing the door, he fitted his leather gloves perfectly.

The three who had suddenly appeared in the midst of the chaos were all dressed in black uniforms.

Unlike the two men and women ahead, the man who joined later did not use any firearms but smashed the Adams with his bare hands. With a single punch, he crushed the skulls of the Adams, and he tore off the jaws and faces of those that bared their teeth and opened their mouths wide. The Adams who survived the gunfire from the front were smashed or torn apart by the man’s hands one by one.

The only ones who could observe the situation unfolding below the wall were the snipers stationed on the watchtower and the wall. They all thought the same thing.

For a long time, silence fell as they watched the three take on more than fifty Adams. To be precise, they were stunned.

If not for the radio, the Colonel might have taken even longer to snap out of it. He shouted towards the soldiers below the wall, who were waiting for his orders.

“Open the East Gate! The assault team will go out to provide support! Sniper team, cover the assault team!”

The commander of the assault team was puzzled. He wondered why they were being ordered to open the gate when they had been told to close it earlier. However, his body moved faster than his thoughts, and he immediately complied with the Colonel’s orders.

Even though they opened the gate with high alert, the area in front of the East Gate was desolate. Only the two jeeps and the numerous bodies of Adams scattered around them could be seen in the distance.

With the siren no longer blaring, only the bus horn remained. The Vatican soldiers, who were dealing with the remaining Adams, closed the distance with the city soldiers.

Crash! The man in the lead grabbed an Adam’s head and slammed it into the ground. Around the man, it looked as if a heavy rain had passed, with puddles of blood everywhere.

On his chest, a blood-stained name tag was visible.

“You crazy bastards. Are you just sitting around dazed in the middle of the enemy camp? Haven’t you cleared the bus yet?!”

Kwak Soohwan, with black gloves dripping blood, shouted at the Vatican soldiers.

“Lee Chaeyoon, Yang Sanghoon! You two, join in clearing the bus!”

Lee Chaeyoon, who had been ensuring the Adams were finished off, shouted back, “Yes!” Yang Sanghoon was already leading the way, running towards the bus.

The bus windows were filled with blood-soaked handprints. The people who had turned into Adams were still pounding on the windows with their bodies. From a distance, it might have looked like red flowers blooming inside the bus.

Upon inspection, it seemed easier to pull out the driver stuck in the seat than to tear down the door or windows. Nevertheless, Lee Chaeyoon was trying to rip off the door, prompting Kwak Soohwan to shout as he returned to his jeep.

“Why don’t you just escort each one of those Adam bastards down yourself?!”

“What else do you expect me to do?”

Lee Chaeyoon yelled back as he struggled to tear off the crumpled front door.

“Cut off the head that’s stuck on the steering wheel.”

The suggestion to decapitate the driver made Lee Chaeyoon groan.

“Ugh! I can’t do that!”

“Then make Yang Sanghoon do it!”

“Hey! I can’t do it either! How can you cut off a human head?”

They were whining instead of dealing with the Adams that would gather even more due to the horn.

“Damn it, I should have brought Moon Gil instead of these guys.”

Kwak Soohwan muttered, referring to a subordinate who was adept at wielding a machete.

“Major.”

At that moment, the passenger side window rolled down. The voice was so small it was drowned out by the horn, but it was crystal clear to Kwak Soohwan.

“Honey, are you okay?”

Seokhwa’s face, pale from the long journey, appeared through the window. Seokhwa nodded, indicating he was fine. Yet Kwak Soohwan stood beside the passenger seat, continuing to worry about Seokhwa.

“There’s another way to stop the horn. I’ve seen the wiring diagram of a bus before. If you break the clock spring or cut the grounding wire, the horn will stop.”

In other words, he was suggesting either smashing the steering wheel where the bus driver had his head pressed or cutting an unknown grounding wire. Theoretically, it made perfect sense.

“Okay, got it. Don’t come out and lock the door tight.”

“Yes.”

Seokhwa closed the bulletproof window again and followed Kwak Soohwan with his eyes.

As Kwak Soohwan strode towards the bus, he cast a glance at the machete hanging from the belt of a Vatican soldier standing by. Then, he glanced back.

Seokhwa was looking this way, gripping a pistol with both hands. Kwak Soohwan, who had been about to chop off the driver’s head, immediately changed his mind.

The driver had died in an accident before becoming an Adam. The front door was tightly shut, as if he hadn’t even tried to escape. If he disrespected the body, he might have to face Seokhwa’s disappointed eyes.

Recalling Seokhwa’s voice, Kwak Soohwan smirked and muttered to himself.

“Right, Seokhwa. No matter how much of a hell this is, we have to live like humans.”

“Ah, there he goes again, getting all sentimental by himself.”

Kwak Soohwan easily ignored Lee Chaeyoon’s sarcastic remark.

“I’m going to smash the back door, cover me.”

“You told us not to open it before!”

Lee Chaeyoon shouted in frustration.

“Shut up.”

“He always acts like that when he has nothing else to say.”

“Vatican!”

Kwak Soohwan called out to the armed Vatican soldiers. They were exhausted from the relentless Adam attacks.

“Stand in an arch formation behind us.”

A year had passed since the Emperor Penguin first led the sale of Adam vaccines abroad.

The vaccine had proven effective, and Rainbow City continued to produce it without interruption. Moreover, the countries allied with them had learned their language to interact with Rainbow City. Though it’s said that the one in need digs the well, in reality, the majority of those who could communicate in City Language were the leaders of those groups.

“How many meters should we fall back?”

Fortunately, the lieutenant with the insignia could communicate with the Invincible Platoon. Kwak Soohwan, who was about to tell him to buzz off if he didn’t understand, paused to calculate the distance. The Adams raging inside the bus looked like demons.

“15 meters. Surround the bus without leaving any gaps.”

“Understood.”

The lieutenant quickly relayed Kwak Soohwan’s orders to the soldiers. The armed soldiers surrounded the bus on one side, maintaining a distance of about 15 meters.

“Those bastards will rush out and trip over themselves anyway, but stay on guard.”

Kwak Soohwan reinforced their vigilance towards the already tense soldiers.

“Got it, now open it quickly!”

“Major Lee, that wasn’t meant for you to hear?”

“It’s been ages since I was called Major, take this instead.”

“Hey, hey, stop fighting.”

Yang Sanghoon stopped Lee Chaeyoon, who was about to raise his middle finger. The Invincible Platoon soon joined the Vatican soldiers and positioned themselves in the center.

Kwak Soohwan, who received the remaining rifle from Yang Sanghoon, aimed it at the glass of the back door.

“I’m going to break it right away.”

He then fired repeatedly at the back door glass. Crash! One side of the rectangular glass door shattered into pieces from the impact of the bullets.

Roar! The Adams shrieked and thrashed, trying to escape outside, causing the remaining glass to shatter in an instant. Roar! Roar! The Adams, desperate to attack the humans, tried to rush out all at once, only to trip and fall just as Kwak Soohwan had said.

“Fire!”

At Kwak Soohwan’s command, the soldiers opened fire. The Adams, unable to properly exit through the narrow back door, piled up as corpses one by one.

As relentless gunfire shattered the windows, the Adams inside threw themselves out. However, the soldiers surrounding the bus fired simultaneously, leaving no survivors.

“Cease fire!”

Kwak Soohwan raised his fist and gave a hand signal. Only a few Adams remained, stuck in the window.

“Cease fire until I give the signal again.”

The Invincible Platoon stood by, along with the Vatican soldiers, and cleared the bodies of the Adams lined up at the back door. Some Adams, who were lucky enough to avoid the bullets, had their heads crushed under Kwak Soohwan’s boot.

The Invincible Platoon ordered the Vatican troops to stand by and cleared away the line of Adam’s corpses at the back door. Some of the Adams at the bottom managed to avoid the bullets, but their heads were crushed under Kwak Soohwan’s boot.

Yang Sanghoon pulled out an Adam that was caught on the broken bus window and finished him off. Meanwhile, Lee Chaeyoon and Kwak Soohwan attempted to enter the bus.

Bang, bang! After the two gunshots rang out, only the sound of the bus horn remained. But even that stopped shortly, as if the chaos had never occurred. The Adams that had been drawn by the commotion from other directions were already taken care of by the snipers on the barricades. Only then did the armed soldiers wipe the cold sweat from their brows.

Soon, the eastern gate that had been closed began to open again.

Kwak Soohwan and two others from the Invincible Platoon returned to their jeeps and each took the driver’s seat. The truck loaded with supplies headed inside first, followed by the Vatican troops, and finally, the Invincible Platoon.

Clunk, clunk. Only after the Invincible Platoon’s jeep drove over the corpses of the Adams and entered did the eastern gate firmly close.

This was the entrance to the former city-state of Vatican City, now the Fortress of God.

***

Nearly a hundred years had passed since the Adam Virus spread across the world.

By the fifth year after its outbreak, it was estimated that only 20 percent of the original population remained. The Adam Virus had achieved such rapid and powerful mutations. Everyone predicted that humanity would face extinction, but humanity’s resilience proved to be as formidable as the Adam Virus itself.

This place was also proof of that fact.

The ones who personally came out to greet the Invincible Platoon at the Fortress of God were mostly high-ranking officers, around a dozen or so. As they entered the square within the walls, many people watched them with interest from the surrounding buildings, but none dared to come outside due to the curfew in place.

Among those who came to greet them, a middle-aged man approached the Invincible Platoon with a bright smile. He appeared to hold a high rank, but Kwak Soohwan held up his hand, signaling him to wait.

The last to disembark from the jeep was Seokhwa, who opened the zipper of the backpack he had been carrying in front of him. He then pulled out several alcohol wipes and handed them to Kwak Soohwan.

Kwak Soohwan wiped the blood-stained gloves with the alcohol wipes before turning them inside out and removing them. Next, he poured lighter fluid on the leather gloves and set them on fire with a Zippo lighter. Since there were also bloodstains on his uniform, he changed into a spare uniform from the jeep.

Those who had come out to greet him watched Kwak Soohwan complete the disinfection process in silence.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to change?”

Kwak Soohwan casually directed his words at Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon.

“Unlike someone, we didn’t rip apart an Adam with our bare hands, so there’s no blood on us.”

“Yeah, you’re the only one who needs to change.”

Yang Sanghoon nodded in agreement with Lee Chaeyoon.

“You punk, Yang Sanghoon. I saw you dragging that guy hanging from the bus window with your hands earlier, didn’t I?”

“No blood got on me, I finished him off with a gun.”

Yang Sanghoon spread his hands wide. Just as he said, there wasn’t a drop of blood on them, only calluses as thick as bear paws. With the disinfection complete, the middle-aged man was about to approach again.

“Hey, let’s stretch.”

Without warning, Kwak Soohwan grabbed Seokhwa’s arms and stretched them upward. He was relieving the stiffness in his body after a long drive. Seokhwa let out a barely audible groan.

“Are you stiff anywhere else?”

“I can manage. Let’s greet them first.”

“Stretching comes first. If they knew how much you’ve been through, they wouldn’t say a word.”

Kwak Soohwan crossed Seokhwa’s arms in front of him and helped him stretch again. To anyone watching, it might have looked like they were playing with a doll. However, Seokhwa complied without complaint.

It had been a grueling journey that lasted well over ten days. They had driven from Rainbow City, heading far north, passing through Irkutsk in Russia, and traveling across the European continent.

They had traveled over 10,000 kilometers entirely by vehicle. If they hadn’t stopped to rest, they could have arrived in a week, but the maximum driving time per day was ten hours.

Seokhwa had slept through more than half of the journey. If it had been the old Seokhwa, he would have faced life-and-death situations several times along the way.

Seokhwa, who loved driving, had repeatedly tried to take the wheel, but Kwak Soohwan didn’t allow it, citing the danger of unfamiliar roads. He only let Seokhwa drive on sections of the road that appeared straight on the map.

“Hurry up and greet them.”

“Alright.”

Kwak Soohwan, who had emerged from behind Seokhwa, flashed a grin at the middle-aged man. The man, who had been waiting, stepped forward and extended his hand.

“Welcome. I’m Colonel Federico, responsible for security at the Fortress of God.”

Despite Kwak Soohwan’s potentially rude behavior, Federico didn’t mind at all. He was the Colonel who had ordered the eastern gate to be closed from the top of the barricade.

Unlike those who couldn’t hide their discomfort at the Invincible Platoon’s rudeness, Federico’s face was full of gratitude. After all, they had erased the nightmares that would have haunted him every night with guilt.

“Major Kwak Soohwan of Rainbow City.”

Kwak Soohwan maintained his smile as he shook hands with Federico, who opened his eyes wide in surprise. It was hard to believe that such a young man was a lieutenant general, three ranks higher than Federico, who himself held a field officer rank.

But that wasn’t the only surprising thing. Federico noticed another man who wasn’t in a military uniform but civilian clothes, standing among the group. He had a delicate appearance that seemed completely out of place among soldiers. Federico, along with the other officers, glanced curiously at Seokhwa.

Under the weight of their stares, Seokhwa lowered his eyes to the ground, where square stones were neatly embedded into the plaza, replacing asphalt.

Noticing the uneasy stares directed at Seokhwa, Kwak Soohwan moved behind him. Although he understood that the curiosity was natural, he couldn’t help but see all those gazes as disrespectful towards Seokhwa.

Grabbing Seokhwa by both shoulders, Kwak Soohwan introduced him.

“This here is our leader.”

Seokhwa quickly turned his head to look at Kwak Soohwan, a much better alternative than staring at the ground.

“That’s right! The genius who developed the Adam vaccine!”

From Seokhwa’s left, Lee Chaeyoon raised her fist enthusiastically as she exclaimed. She then gave Yang Sanghoon a look, urging him to contribute.

“…The master of rolled omelets!”

Yang Sanghoon blurted out after racking his brain, raising his fist as well. He was still moved by the rolled omelets Seokhwa had made during their journey. But a second later, Yang Sanghoon regretted not coming up with something grander, like calling Seokhwa the savior of the world.

“I’m such an idiot…” Yang Sanghoon muttered quietly to himself, prompting neither Lee Chaeyoon nor Kwak Soohwan to tease him further.

“Hello… my name is Seokhwa,” Seokhwa finally introduced himself in a voice that seemed to curl up and hide, unable to keep up with the quick antics of the others.

Kwak Soohwan, still holding onto Seokhwa’s shoulders, added, “And these two here are the tagalongs.”

Lee Chaeyoon flipped her middle finger, and for once, Yang Sanghoon didn’t try to stop her.

“They’re Commander Lee Chaeyoon and Commander Yang Sanghoon,” Seokhwa introduced them instead.

While the Invincible Platoon was full of playful banter, the welcoming party quickly grew excited. The name of Seokhwa, the developer of the Adam vaccine, had already spread in whispers. Yet, seeing how young he appeared, it was almost hard to believe that he was indeed the vaccine developer.

“Ahem,” Federico cleared his throat, trying to calm the growing excitement, before extending his hand towards Seokhwa.

“I’ve heard so much about you. It’s an honor to finally meet you.”

But just as Seokhwa was about to take the hand, Kwak Soohwan intercepted it with a firm handshake instead. Federico, caught off guard, tried to pull his hand back with a forced smile, but Kwak Soohwan’s grip was unyielding. Eventually, Federico had to abandon the handshake with Seokhwa, only regaining the freedom of his hand afterward.

“Let me escort you inside,” Federico offered.

“Before that,” Kwak Soohwan interrupted, gesturing towards the jeep with his thumb.

“There are vaccine crates in the back seat and trunk of the jeep. You might want to take care of that.”

“Thank you so much!” Federico’s face lit up as he eagerly gave orders to the soldiers behind him. A long scar stretched across his face, running through his eyebrow, with other smaller scars scattered across his features, telling the story of his hard life. Yet, such hardships were common among survivors.

“I’ve heard that all the Adams in Rainbow City have been taken care of. Is that true?” Federico cautiously asked as he led Invincible Platoon and Seokhwa inside.

“Well, it’s more or less true,” Kwak Soohwan answered ambiguously. Federico, sensing the delicate nature of the topic, didn’t press further.

Currently, Rainbow City prides itself on being an Adam-free zone, but the reality is that Adams have not been completely eradicated. Infected animals still roam, occasionally spreading the virus. Furthermore, those who live in hiding without getting vaccinated continue to cause problems.

Fortunately, thanks to the high vaccination rate among the population, the infection rate remains very low, and when infections do occur, they don’t spread far. A bigger problem, however, is the influx of refugees from around the world trying to enter Rainbow City.

Refugees arrive by land and sea, forcing the military to stay on high alert 24/7. The accelerated production of vaccines in Rainbow City is also driven by this. Although officially it’s done ‘for the stability of the world,’ the underlying reason is different.

The influx of refugees threatens to overwhelm Rainbow City, and even Emperor Penguin Lee Heechan had no choice but to distribute vaccines for free to countries where governmental functions have collapsed.

Other countries besides Rainbow City have also developed Adam vaccines. However, unlike Rainbow City’s vaccine, the effectiveness of these vaccines was minimal, leading to the global distribution of Rainbow City’s vaccine.

In the midst of this, Rainbow City received an urgent and somewhat embarrassing request—from Italy.

They were led to a massive cathedral towering at the center. Out of the five doors, only the central one was in use, while the others were chained shut.

Inside the cathedral, towering pillars and statues loomed over them, exuding an overwhelming presence. The statues, positioned high above, gazed down at the humans below with a solemn demeanor.

Due to Rainbow City’s long-standing dictatorship, information about religion or foreign countries was scarce. However, Seokhwa could easily tell that the statues were of religious saints.

When he saw the intricate golden decorations and ceiling paintings covering the roof, his lips parted in awe. Endless mosaic murals depicting scenes from the Bible lined the walls.

Of course, many statues were broken, and numerous parts of the mosaic murals were damaged and faded due to neglect. However, the fortress was so magnificent that the dilapidated areas didn’t detract from its splendor.

Seokhwa had seen many ruins on his way here, most of which were made of stone and captivating enough to catch his eye. However, he found small pebbles more appealing than massive marble pillars or statues.

If he had to pick the best stone in the world, it would undoubtedly be the phallic-shaped stone that Kwak Soohwan had given him. Although, he hadn’t brought it along, fearing he might lose it during the long journey.

“The first floor is used as a conference room and shelter, and the basement is where we store food supplies,” Federico calmly explained. It seemed that if the walls were breached and the citizens living in the square were threatened, they would gather here. In other words, this was the final line of defense.

Unlike Seokhwa, who was quietly impressed, the members of the Invincible Platoon were largely indifferent. Lee Chaeyoon was more concerned with food, and Yang Sanghoon was fixated on trains, so their reactions were understandable.

“I think I understand why people in the past believed in gods,” Kwak Soohwan suddenly remarked, his tone different from his usual indifferent demeanor.

“Why?” Seokhwa asked, curious about what had prompted that thought.

“Imagine building something so massive and then talking about divine punishment while giving everyone a sense of pressure. People would be scared out of their wits.”

“Were you scared?”

Seokhwa blinked. Kwak Soohwan smirked at the words that had just come out of Seokhwa’s mouth. It was amusing to hear such words from him, as they didn’t suit him at all.

“Do you know what I fear most in the world?”

“Me.”

Seokhwa replied without missing a beat.

“For the correct answer, Dr. Seok gets a deep kiss.”

“Stop it. This is a serious situation.”

“Did I call for them? They called for us.”

“Still.”

For the invincible mutant, who feared nothing in the world, the one thing he was truly afraid of was Seokhwa. To him, Seokhwa was the one who held power over life and death.

Federico, who was leading them, couldn’t help but be startled several times by the conversation between the soldier and the doctor.

“Here’s our leader.”

As Federico recalled Kwak Soohwan’s image of smashing through Adams with his bare hands, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine. Instead of showing the ominous feeling he had, Federico glanced back to see if everyone was following well.

Yang Sanghoon walked with his hands clasped behind his head, and Lee Chaeyoon rustled as she snacked on something. Ahead of them, Kwak Soohwan, who had keenly noticed Federico’s gaze, met his eyes directly. Seokhwa, although slower, was also busy observing the surroundings.

Come to think of it, the three soldiers had dealt with dozens of Adams on their own. It made sense that the strongest of them, Seokhwa, was the one giving orders. After all, the elite S-Class soldiers from Rainbow City were said to be mutants far beyond the realm of ordinary humans.

Perhaps Seokhwa was a case where both his body and brain were highly specialized.

Even though Lee Chaeyoon seemed like someone who couldn’t even handle a rabbit, she had shown incredible strength by lifting and disposing of a corpse with one hand.

Lost in thought, Federico suddenly realized they had arrived at the commander’s office. Quickly turning to face them, he gestured towards the door behind him.

“Our commander-in-chief is waiting for you inside.”

The commander’s office had previously served as a chapel. The space had been decently partitioned, and a door had been installed.

“Please, come in.”

Federico knocked and opened the door, saluting the commander inside.

“The reinforcements sent from Rainbow City have arrived safely!”

“Welcome!”

The battalion commander, who had been sitting in the chair at the head of the table, stood up with a bright expression. His pronunciation of the Cityo language was somewhat clumsy compared to Federico’s, but it was still understandable.

The items used for mass had disappeared, replaced by a carpet and luxurious leather sofa that looked like something one might find in Lieutenant General Yi Yeontae’s office. There was even a mahogany round table and an attached antique study.

“Thank you so much for coming!”

The battalion commander, who had graying hair, appeared to be in his mid-to-late fifties. His nose was oily, and the buttons on his military jacket seemed about to burst.

Lee Chaeyoon openly frowned, and the reason was simple. It reminded her of the old superiors who were only obsessed with living in luxury. The commander seemed to have avoided any training, unlike the regular soldiers. Yang Sanghoon, meanwhile, was busy comparing his own stomach with the commander’s. He felt relieved that his was simply large and not filled with soft fat like that.

After brief introductions similar to those exchanged with Federico, they were led to the round table by him.

When Seokhwa thanked him and sat down, Federico poured the pre-prepared espresso from a desk that had been pushed against the wall. It was a menial task for a Colonel, but given the seriousness of the situation, confidentiality was of the utmost importance.

Federico placed the espresso in front of the commander, Seokhwa, and the members of the Invincible Platoon.

“You didn’t call Dr. Seok all the way here to poison him, did you?”