Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 149.1: Janggi (1)

There’s a rumor going around the internet lately about a strange trend called Madman’s Janggi.

Unlike regular Janggi, in this version one side plays with all the standard pieces under normal rules, while the other side has only a single piece—the King.

Obviously, you can’t have a game like that under standard conditions, so special rules apply for the King-only side.

That King piece can move like every other piece—chariot, cannon, elephant, horse, and pawn—and it can move twice per turn.

With rules that skewed, the player with all the pieces is given two advantages to balance things out:

One, they can set up their board however they like before the match.

Two, they can decide the number of turns the game lasts.

Usually, it's set to 8 turns—if the opponent can’t capture the King within that limit, they lose.

When entertainment dried up after the war, Janggi naturally made a comeback.

But with not enough pieces to go around, people came up with this workaround—and strangely enough, it was fun.

It became a big trend in the provinces and soon spread nationwide.

I’ve never had much interest in games—even as a kid.

Janggi was no exception.

I did learn the rules from Instructor Jang Ki-young, but that was it.

I’d never actually played a match, nor did I ever think I would.

Fate had other plans.

*

A man has recently come up in conversation again

—In the past, there was someone strange in Seoul who went by the name John the Baptist.

—He was a cryptic figure, ageless in appearance with eyes that seemed to glow. Supposedly, those baptized by him awakened special powers. Back when Seoul still stood, some parents secretly arranged for him to baptize their kids, hoping they’d become Awakened. Many of those children later relocated to Jeju with their parents.

I hadn’t heard about any of this.

It never came up on the boards, and no one had given me any hint.

But apparently, among the regular Awakened, it’s a well-known urban legend.

“John the Baptist?”

Even Ahn Seung-hwan, who now works alongside me, knew the name.

“I’ve heard of him. Even met a couple people who claimed they were baptized by him.”

But the way he glanced around as he said it made it clear:

John the Baptist was considered extremely dangerous.

He was suspected of commanding one of the fanatic cult factions.

And most testimonies from regular Awakened who’d seen him said he spoke with a North Korean accent.

Of course, the idea that some baptism could trigger an Awakened transformation—something humanity still doesn’t understand—is hard to swallow.

Sure, being near a powerful Awakened (Level 10 or above) increases the chance of triggering another Awakening...

But we don’t call that “baptism.”

If it were that easy, Kang Han-min and Na Hye-in would’ve created 100,000 Awakened just by hanging around Jeju.

Anyway, the mysterious figure resurfaced online.

At first in Necropolis, and later on the Viva! Apocalypse! boards, someone began posting, claiming to be John the Baptist.

Dead76311: Do you want to become Awakened too?

It was a simple post. Just a dimly lit photo of a man staring into empty space—something right out of the IamJesus playbook.

Underneath it, just ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) one line:

— You can become one too. Find "John."

“You really stirred the pot, huh, Senior. Seriously. In more ways than one.”

The first person to tell me this was Woo Min-hee.

“Thanks to you, John the Baptist came back into the spotlight. No idea if it’s the real deal or not, but he's one of only two people currently on the postwar Red Notice list.”

“Only two? Who’s the other?”

“Some guy tied to an embezzlement scandal, I think. Don’t remember. Doesn’t matter now.”

In the past, Min-hee had been tasked with recruiting Awakened among the millions of refugees flooding into Seoul.

Given that, she knew plenty about John the Baptist.

“Long story short, he’s like a mad scientist. The worst kind of devil you’d find in real life. He’d lure in desperate people with hope, use them, and then toss them aside.”

“He conned parents into thinking he could make their kids Awakened. Some of them actually did show minor signs of Awakening.”

“Seriously?”

I was genuinely surprised.

Min-hee nodded with a sigh.

“But it always ended in disaster. Afterward, the kids would rapidly deteriorate. And since John had told the parents to come back to him if the kids got sick...”

“I can guess how it ends.”

“Yeah. They’d go back to him, and he’d snatch them up—both kid and parent.”

“What did he use them for?”

“No one knows. We never found any bodies. But we did find some organs in one of his hideouts. Ones he didn’t have time to dispose of.”

“...Damn.”

“There were rumors he used to do human experiments in North Korea, studying Awakened. Stuff like that was par for the course up there.”

“...Is that so.”

I had more to say, but I kept it in.

Min-hee herself isn’t completely innocent when it comes to unethical experiments.

Still, from the way she openly loathes John the Baptist, it’s clear his actions were far worse.

“During the Incheon migration, we set up a net to catch him. But among everyone who passed through, no one matched. After that, no record of him. We thought he was dead. But looks like he’s still alive.”

Min-hee had contacted me to give me this information.

To warn me, yes, but also to thank me for providing the conditions that forced this man into the open.

“All thanks to you, Senior. Your relentless internet activity helped smoke him out.”

“Since we’re talking about it... can you write up a post for me?”

“Huh?”

“Something like, ‘Skelton lured Necropolis into the light.’”

Min-hee was also Gijayangban—“Reporter Guy.”

She had just enough credibility as a user to count as semi-legit media.

If she wrote favorably about me, my already decent reputation might actually improve.

“We’re still investigating whether Necropolis is even connected to the monsters.”

“Can’t you just write it anyway? I’ll draft the post and you can upload it on your account. That’s not too much to ask, right?”

“...I’m a little skeptical we’ll get any solid results.”

As expected, Min-hee completely ignored my doubt.

“Anyway, I’ve gotta head over to the next district. Get well soon.”

“......”

If her heart had been kinder, maybe she wouldn’t be stuck with prosthetics now.

In any case, the resettlement effort continued smoothly while I lay in bed.

A team made up of regular, standard, and special Awakened had cleared the power station.

Min-hee’s specialists quickly restored infrastructure.

As soon as the plant was confirmed to be operational, the new Seoul government began relocating refugees under Kim Byung-cheol’s direction.

Moving people wasn’t hard.

With electricity and heating—two of the most essential resources—secured, people were willing to accept the risks. These weren’t the same soft, helpless refugees from the early days.

They were armed, organized in small groups, and capable of defending their families. Their rough experiences after the war gave them the ability to make fast, cold decisions.

They figured the sooner they moved, the better their position would be.

With things progressing so smoothly, I didn’t have much to do anymore. Now that the regular, standard, and special hunters were cooperating, Min-hee’s reason for bringing me here was about 80% fulfilled. All that remained was coordinating tactics between the different hunter classes.

In other words, Min-hee didn’t send me to this hospital bed out of kindness. If she had needed me, she’d have thrown me into the field in a wheelchair.

Beep—

The newly restored wireless network buzzed with activity. Most of it was frontline hunters sending reports.

They’d submit them, and I’d review and comment.

There was still a wall between regular Awakened and the rest, but so far, things were running smoothly. More importantly, the regular Awakened were starting to move proactively.

Sure, I probably helped with that... But according to Kim Daram, the real reason was something else entirely.

“There’s a rumor that elite units from Jeju are coming.”

Not dropouts—frontline Awakened who fought in the Rifts to the very end. Once they arrive, the regulars who’ve been acting like top dogs would be reduced to nobodies.

“They’re in panic mode. Forget the throne—at this rate, they won’t even get a dog bowl.”

Of course, anything Kim Daram says should be taken with a grain of salt. People like her always have a thorn in their voice.

Everything she says seems aimed at dragging others down so she can feel slightly elevated. Like rusted pipes leaking iron.

She probably meant that Ahn Seung-hwan’s group would’ve handled things fine without me. By putting me down, she could trick herself into thinking her own failures weren’t that bad.

It doesn’t even matter whether she believes it or not—people like that only care about how they feel in the moment.

Maybe that’s why they survive longer than most.

“...I see. So, how’s your doctor husband? And Dongtak?”

“What’s with that tone? They’re fine.”

She sighed like something came to mind.

“My husband’s been stressed lately.”

“Why?”

“Because of Hong Jung-ho’s friend. That annoying bearded guy with glasses who never shuts up.”

“Heo Jong-chul?”

“Yeah, him. Totally forgot his name. That asshole.”

If she’s calling him “that asshole,” it’s 100%.

She holds a grudge.

“Eh, it’s just personal stuff. You don’t have to worry about it. We’ve got things handled, so focus on recovering.”

After ending the call with her, I lay there absently fiddling with my tablet until a nurse came in.

“Someone named Hong Jung-ho is here to visit you.”

Defender came to see me.

Of course I said yes.

A moment later, two people entered.

The other was Da-jeong, obviously.

“Skelton! Long time no see!”

Surprisingly, Hong Da-jeong looked healthier than ever.

Better complexion, even a little weight gain compared to when she was in my territory.

“Looks like you’re doing well.”

“Way better than back there. The food here’s great.”

Defender placed a get-well gift on the table.

Canned pineapple.

It reminded me of Sue.

She would’ve been thrilled.

We chatted idly, catching up like old friends.

It was nothing special, but just being able to talk like that brought a quiet satisfaction.

The joy of shared pasts, and being able to reflect on the present because of them.

Then Da-jeong suddenly struck out of nowhere.

“By the way, Skelton. There’s a rumor going around you’ve got something going on with Director Woo.”

“?”

If it weren’t Da-jeong, I would’ve barked back, “What the hell are you talking about?”

“What’s with that look?”

“...I’ve known Min-hee a long time, sure. But we were never close. She was in another team. Only temporarily worked with mine. It was strictly business.”

“Hm. That so?”

Da-jeong didn’t look convinced. She just shrugged.

“If you say so, I’ll take your word.”

“I may be desperate, but I’m not about to chase after someone with no arms or legs...”

“Stop!”

Defender, silent until now, cut me off.

“You crossed the line, Skelton.”

“......”

Yeah. Getting lectured by a psychopath feels weird... but he’s right.

I admit it. I let my emotions get the better of me.

That line was too much.

It wasn’t because Min-hee ignored my suggestion or anything like that.

“I should’ve known you were a habitual trash-talker from the forums.”

Da-jeong snorted.

“Shame, with a face like yours.”

“......Anyway, that’s how I see it.”

There was a bit of tension, but we went back to chatting.

Then, unexpectedly, someone else came up.

“You know about that guy—John the Baptist?”

Defender brought it up.

“John the Baptist?”

How could I not?

The most controversial figure I’d heard of recently.

He’d been popping up online again, but never made the front page since only a small group of parents had heard of him back during the Seoul government days.

If even I, one of the top users of Viva! Apocalypse!, hadn’t known, who would?

“I’ve heard the name. Why bring it up now?”

“Remember Heo Jong-chul?”

“Yeah, Kim Daram was talking about him too.”

At that, Da-jeong burst out laughing and jumped into the conversation.

“You know her husband? He’s been feeling super inferior to Jong-chul lately.”

“Why?”

“Because patients are ignoring him, even though he’s a certified specialist, and flocking to Jong-chul instead. Rumor’s going around the hospital that Jong-chul’s got better skills.”

“...Really?”

Hard to believe that quack is outperforming an elite like Kim Daram’s husband.

But thinking about it, it’s probably because of Heo Jong-chul’s x-ray vision.

No matter how much knowledge or training someone has, they can’t match a guy who sees inside the human body better than a CT scan.

Even for basic diagnoses, doctors need all kinds of high-tech tools.

But Jong-chul just... sees through people.

If that kind of skill is backed by actual experience, regular doctors won’t stand a chance.

Kind of like how us old-school hunters got swept away by the rise of Awakened.

“Anyway, that Jong-chul... Recently examined a patient who claimed they’d been baptized by John the Baptist.”

In the unsettled silence that followed, Defender casually flipped a knife across his fingertips—a knife that had probably sent more than a few people to their graves—and continued.

“The patient... looked like an Awakened.”

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