The Council's Northern Headquarters
24. Security Company Council — It all began several decades ago with the event known as the Great Catastrophe. Gates erupted simultaneously across the globe, unleashing hordes of monstrous beasts that reduced the world to rubble. Conventional firearms and weapons proved woefully inadequate. Armies collapsed, major cities fell into paralysis, and the society and civilization people had taken for granted ceased to function in an instant.
Though the newly awakened individuals with supernatural abilities eventually managed to repel the alien creatures, that was as far as their success went. Rebuilding a society whose very foundations had crumbled was a bleak prospect. With law and order shattered, crime ran rampant, and countless people died fighting for survival. Nations too weak to endure the chaos collapsed entirely.
In that era of turmoil, swept up by the emergence of a new enemy, even the Republic of Korea could not escape the storm. As the government lost its ability to function, the entire country inevitably descended into lawlessness. Without any means of control, it became commonplace for awakened individuals to oppress ordinary citizens. In a single phrase, it was the greatest crisis since the founding of the nation. Had that state of affairs continued, Korea would have become nothing more than a jungle ruled by the strong.
Yet when the world plunged into chaos, heroes rose to challenge it. The legendary party known as Council still wields immense influence to this day. What began as a small ten-member group formed simply to clear nearby gates grew at an astonishing rate thanks to their perfect coordination, top-tier abilities, and exceptional combat talent. They soon made a name for themselves nationwide.
Their willingness to help the powerless and silently eliminate the beasts that had overrun the cities earned them fervent support from the public. As their prestige grew, they expanded beyond Seoul, reaching out to other regions. Their official goal was to clear rampaging gates and eliminate the beasts that had spilled out into the world. At the same time, they dismantled the various awakened organizations that had seized power in different areas, bringing them under their control one by one.
As a result, awakened individuals who had pursued selfish interests gradually disappeared, the number of beasts preying on people steadily declined, and each region slowly began to reclaim daily life. Inspired by their skill and achievements, countless awakened across the country lent their strength, accelerating the process even further. Eventually, the awakened who had united under the banner of Party Council achieved the monumental feat of driving every last beast from the nation. Considering how few countries worldwide managed the same accomplishment, it was truly an extraordinary triumph.
Yet many problems remained. Even after eliminating the beasts that had escaped the gates, new gates continued to appear throughout the country. The government, which might have coordinated a response, had already collapsed. Though the immediate threat had been dealt with, there was still much work to be done. Once again, the members of Council became the focal point for the people.
Having amassed vast human resources and tremendous authority during their great undertaking, they poured everything into rebuilding society. They gathered surviving government officials from across the regions to form a new administration, while simultaneously creating a massive new organization composed of awakened individuals to tackle the gates appearing nationwide. That was how the first security company, Council, came into being.
The mechanism of hiring skilled awakened with money and deploying them to clear gates was already common practice among various organizations at the time. What set Council apart was that their efforts were driven not by personal greed, but by the pursuit of public good. From that point onward, awakened individuals began to be recognized as professionals under the title of “hunter,” and public perception gradually improved.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the immense wealth, military might, and prestige of Party Council leading the way. Headquartered in Seoul, they established branch offices in every major city across the provinces. Bolstered by the enthusiastic support of citizens nationwide, their initiative proved a resounding success. They systematically assigned hired awakened to gates appropriate for their skill level. The compensation was generous, and stable growth was guaranteed, so even the awakened—who had long been forced to make sacrifices—found satisfaction.
Starting from the major cities, stability gradually returned. Once safety was secured, people’s lives slowly returned to normal. Later generations would come to call this period following the chaos the “Council Era.” Most of the original members of Party Council had taken positions as branch directors across the regions, exerting tremendous influence nationwide. Although this caused the new government’s power to be significantly overshadowed by their authority, the Republic of Korea nevertheless regained stability from that point onward.
As time passed and numerous security companies modeled after Council emerged, even remote areas in other provinces were able to secure safety. Though many years have passed since then, the balance of power between the newly formed government and the security companies remains intact—at least on the surface.
—
Screeech!... Click.
After traveling for quite some time, the car finally came to a stop, apparently having reached its destination. Still holding my breath in the back seat, I stepped out the moment someone opened the door from outside. At the same time, a powerful burst of sunlight poured down. I squinted against the glare, then slowly raised my head to take in the massive building that filled my vision.
It was a skyscraper in every sense of the word, stretching toward the heavens with an imposing presence. The enormous rectangular structure, whose height was impossible to gauge, was more than enough to overwhelm anyone who looked at it. Even among the other buildings nearby, it radiated an unmistakable aura of dominance. I clicked my tongue as I stared at it.
This was the Northern Branch Headquarters of the security company Council, which oversaw all of northern Seoul. As expected of the organization that had swallowed the entire industry whole, its influence far exceeded imagination. For someone like me, who had once spent my days as nothing more than a porter, this place had been completely out of reach. I had only ever heard stories about how grand the headquarters building was—I was seeing it with my own eyes for the first time.
Council was currently the undisputed number-one security company in all of Korea. Since Seoul was essentially their home base, no other security firms left even a trace here. In other words, excluding this building, there were four more just like it within Seoul alone—covering the central, western, southern, and eastern districts where their headquarters were located.
Feeling the weight of their influence anew, I gazed up at the seemingly endless tower for a long while. That was why I failed to notice the presence approaching cautiously from behind.
Grab!
“Eek!!”
“Kya~ First time seeing a building this big? Your surprised face is way too cute!”
The sudden sensation of hands on my shoulders made my body jolt as if electricity had shot through it. Clutching my pounding heart, I turned around to find the culprit exactly as I expected—her. Despite my resentful glare, the woman simply maintained the same thick smile on her face. That almost obsessive expression instinctively filled me with fear. It was largely because of what had happened just moments ago.
I stared at her standing right behind me with eyes full of dread, recalling the events that had brought us here—events that still gave me chills.
Originally, the plan I had been told was to head straight here from the temporary base. But that plan fell apart from the very beginning. The woman had strongly objected the moment she heard it. What she took issue with was the clothes I was wearing. No matter how you looked at it, she argued, that kind of outfit was unacceptable for a place with so many people and watchful eyes everywhere.
Indeed, the clothes I had been wearing since yesterday without changing were still in tatters. I had covered the worst parts with the outer garment I received from someone nearby, but there was no denying how shabby I looked. I had never really paid attention to that detail, but her words made sense. The man holding decision-making authority readily agreed, and the group made a brief stop at a nearby shopping mall.
At the time, I had no idea. I didn’t realize that the journey that followed would be a hellish ordeal disguised as shopping. By the time I belatedly understood, it was already too late.
Once the leash came off, she began roaming the mall as if she intended to explore every single corner. One outfit, two outfits… I lost count of how many times I changed. She kept switching stores, apparently unable to find anything she liked. For me—the one being dragged along—it was pure torture.
From my perspective, most of the clothes looked pretty much the same, so I couldn’t understand what made them so different. The man who had come along seemed to feel the same way. He accompanied us without complaint at first, but after several hours, exhaustion was clearly written across his face. Anyone could see he desperately wanted to leave. It was hard to believe these were the same two people who had just hunted a boss and closed a gate right before coming here.
Even so, his situation was far better than mine. All he had to worry about was physical fatigue. Every time I changed clothes, I was forced to face my own reflection in the full-length mirror inside the fitting room—alone. Looking at my own soft, delicate form was mental torture in itself. The drastically lowered eye level, the modest chest, and the wide hips compared to my slender waist—each detail was excruciating. The crushing self-loathing and shame that assaulted me in real time were so intense that my face flushed red every time I stepped out of the fitting room, to the point where people might have suspected I had a fever.
The horrific shopping session, enjoyable only to her, finally came to an end after nearly three hours. By then, I was completely drained—both mentally and physically—my soul halfway out of my body. Outwardly, I looked completely transformed in the new clothes I had bought, but inside, nothing had changed.
Walking beside me with a satisfied expression, she carried countless shopping bags on her arms. The man trailing behind us stared at her with lifeless eyes before finally opening his mouth in a dying voice.
“I… It’s really over now, right? How long were we supposed to stay here?”
His question, delivered with heavy dark circles under his eyes, sounded almost like a scream. She seemed to notice his condition only then and offered an awkward smile.
“Ahaha… Thanks for coming along, Leader. It’s really over now… Oh! Wait, I almost forgot.”
The man, who had thought the ordeal was finally ending, reacted with horror. So did I, standing right beside him. Ignoring our worried glances, she moved with unwavering determination.
Grab!
“Hyaa!!!”
The woman suddenly bent down and seized both my shoulders, as if pinning me in place. I let out an involuntary, meaningless sound. She paid no attention and maintained her grip. As I stood there confused, I soon realized what she was doing. My face turned deathly pale.
In that moment of dread and suspicion, she spoke in an innocent voice.
“Hmm… I’ve been feeling it since earlier, but you actually have more chest than it looks. Well, growing fast isn’t a bad thing, but at this size, it must be a little uncomfortable…”
Her gaze was directed at my chest, which was slightly protruding against the fabric of my clothes. The fact that she had said it out loud could only mean one thing. Realizing this, I desperately struggled to escape her grasp. But it was impossible to break free from her firm hold. Licking her lips like a wolf eyeing a trapped lamb, she wore a mask-like, gentle smile.
“Since we’re already here, we might as well get that measured too! Big sis will check your size and pick out something pretty for you. It’s best to take care of these things quickly… Hehehe.”
“!!!!... A… Aaa…”
As the worst-case scenario I had feared became reality, I frantically shook my head and looked toward the man standing far away. But he seemed to understand immediately that this wasn’t something he should interfere with. He simply crossed his arms and closed his eyes. With my last hope gone, I sank into deep despair.
Dragged along by her hand, I glanced at our destination and saw the display of luxurious women’s underwear. Realizing what was about to happen, I completely lost my grip on reality right then and there.