Fire Fist's Rebirth and the Assembly's Hidden Tentacle Horror
A week had passed since the dimension gate outbreak. The birth of a saint. The reincarnation of Fire Fist. The hero of the new generation. Korea's third S-rank hero. No matter where you went in the country, all anyone talked about was Lee Seung-hyung—Fire Fist.
"Getting S-rank through connections, of all things."
Same A-rank as him, and stuck at A-rank far longer than Lee Seung-hyung, he couldn't stand the guy. A fire magic ability rarer than hen's teeth worldwide. Looks handsome enough to shine in showbiz. Direct hero under Korea's top commander, Yoo Yeong-ho. Nephew of the president himself—a terrifying background. Even if the world was unfair, this was too much. Lee Seung-hyung had it all.
And even that common A-rank status he'd finally awakened to S-rank, putting him in an unrivaled position where he lacked nothing.
Dragon Slayer. The spectacle of him soloing and one-shotting the Fire Dragon had set heroes and fans worldwide ablaze.
"We can't just leave a hero like this alone! Recommend him as the Round Table's 13th hero at once!"
Rumors were already flying that he should fill a Round Table seat.
"We'll review it."
Sir Gawain of Britain's Round Table praised Lee Seung-hyung's prowess but politely declined with "it's too soon." Even that was enough to send his stock skyrocketing.
"Ptoo."
Phlegm splattered into the ashtray. Park Seong-tae used mana to blow away the cigarette smoke and straightened his tie.
He was at a funeral home. Suddenly assigned to guard it, he found Lee Seung-hyung—insisting on acting as chief mourner—utterly loathsome.
* * *
"Thank you so much, Hero Lee Seung-hyung."
"Without Fire Fist, we..."
"No, ma'am, sir. Please, speak comfortably."
Lee Seung-hyung led the elderly couple in black mourning clothes to the lounge. The white-haired old woman waved her hands, which had been pushing the wheelchair.
"Aigoo, how could we?"
"Acting as chief mourner in place of this old fogey... We're truly grateful."
The couple treated Seung-hyung—who was less than half their age—with excessive deference.
"Thanks to you, Fire Fist, we can send our child off in peace..."
Seung-hyung was going mad from the over-the-top respect. If someone was mocking him like that, he'd explode. But not with this couple. He felt guilty toward them—guilty as sin.
"I should've told her not to film in Seoul..."
"Aigoo, don't say that. Ga-eul chose to go in the end, didn't she? Who could've predicted a dimension gate would open in Seoul that day?"
"We're just grateful you protected our daughter's path. No need for guilt. You've become this country's new pillar."
Seung-hyung nearly burst into tears and turned away. The couple, devastated by losing their only precious daughter, were comforting him.
That made Cheon Ga-eul flash in his mind, hitting him even harder.
"So, just one request."
The old man in the wheelchair gripped both of Seung-hyung's hands. The wrinkled, callused hands were rough as bark.
"This time, go to Seoul for sure. Give our Ga-eul a grave at least—or her body, or even just her belongings."
"......"
Seung-hyung could only close his eyes. The funeral hall's casket stood empty, without its owner.
April 11, 2020. Yeouido National Assembly.
"Kyaaah!!"
Cheon Ga-eul screamed, clinging to Jo Deok-bae's arm. Slimy mucus with a sour stench brushed her hair.
"Told ya not to follow!"
Deok-bae scooped her up like luggage and leaped aside. Something whipped down from the ceiling like a lash, grazing her and smashing conference desks.
"I didn't expect this! Kyaaah! It's coming again!"
Something whipped from the ceiling again. Deok-bae rolled Ga-eul under a desk and dodged. Splat. Slimy liquid dripped, licking his rock skin. He barely suppressed his disgust and elbowed away the crimson tentacle.
Hiss... His rock skin melted from the strong acid.
Ga-eul's eyes widened in shock.
"You okay?!"
"Not okay, so get outta here!"
Filtered speech limited his cursing; despite his frustration, it came out as a polite plea to leave.
"B-but outside there are monsters too—"
"Hundreds of 'em are weaker than that!"
"I have no powers yet!"
Deok-bae's sudden rage made her wonder if monsters got high blood pressure too. He smacked down a falling tentacle and yanked her cardigan like tongs. She was in her school uniform.
"Ow! Gently!"
"Now's not the time for gentle!"
Deok-bae dodged a tentacle over their heads and bolted for the conference hall entrance. Tentacle swipe marks scarred the place everywhere.
Squish—! The single tentacle targeting them and Deok-bae was one of dozens whipped by the monster on the ceiling—aimed at the blue girl flitting below: Phoenix.
"Like a kid left in water, huh."
Phoenix floated leisurely like on a stroll, dodging tentacles. When one aimed too much at Ga-eul, she'd swoop in, slash it with her nails, and sever it.
"Seoul has exactly two S-rank monsters. 'Owner of the Han River' hiding in City Hall, and this hidden boss in the National Assembly ceiling: Tentacle Toad."
Phoenix ignited Azure Flame, illuminating the dark ceiling.
Gurgle?!
A truck-sized toad with dozens of tentacles on its back hung upside-down. It flicked its back tentacles, eyes shifting to Cheon Ga-eul.
Mmmph.
"Kyaaah!!"
Ga-eul screamed again at its overwhelming form—not fear of death, but visceral revulsion.
Phoenix extinguished the flames, resumed dodging while explaining to Ga-eul.
"Hides in ceilings, snags humans with tentacles, swallows and digests them. Its mouth secretes a substance that brings prey to climax..."
"Stop explaining! Kill it quick!"
Ga-eul shrieked; Phoenix smirked knowingly. She halted midair, wings spread. All tentacles surged at her.
"Alright then."
Phoenix rocketed vertically, barely dodging. Palm on the Tentacle Toad's back, she unleashed mana.
Whoosh!
Azure Flame from her palm engulfed it. The acrid stench of burning protein filled the hall.
Kek...
The heat dried and shriveled the suction-cup slime on the ceiling. Gravity pulled the Tentacle Toad crashing down.
Thud!
The S-rank monster died just like that. Phoenix folded her wings, landed, and plunged her right hand into the corpse's slime, rummaging inside.
"Can't ya just burn it and grab the leftovers?"
To Deok-bae's point, Phoenix wagged a finger with her other hand.
"Tsk tsk. That's why newbies can't handle S-ranks. Listen up. S-rank monsters—"
She caught Ga-eul's eye mid-explanation and hurried on, sensing interruption.
"—have such delicate cores—"
"Looks just like digging for wild ginseng."
Crunch.
Phoenix clenched her hand in the slime. Invisible to them, the hand that burst the toad's innards trembled with rage.
"Sigh. Anyway, Miss Ga-eul, drop this crazy idea of awakening in a crisis..."
"No way!"
Ga-eul stretched out her arms in refusal.
"You said future me awakened in a crisis! So if I face one too, I'll awaken as an ability user, right?"
"...This girl's lost it 'cause she can't awaken."
Deok-bae's jab went ignored. He'd already heard the truth of Phoenix's "woman" story from Ga-eul.
"Say you awaken from a monster attack. That justify this stunt? Huh?"
"Nearly dying to monsters was just a week ago. Forgot? What's the rush?"
Ga-eul clamped her lips, eyes anxious on Phoenix's smartwatch.
Phoenix noticed and covered her wrist.
"No."
"It's not a call! One text is enough!"
"Even one text tells them you're alive. Especially parents. Then rescue teams hit Seoul, track you. Not yet."
"But..."
Ga-eul bowed her head. From Deok-bae's updates on New Seoul, she was already dead there. She'd sobbed clutching her empty casket; Deok-bae had witnessed it up close.
"Just a moment, even a minute. 'I'm in Seoul now. Can't come yet. Wait a bit.' That much, right?"
"Can't. Awaken as ability user, then you can contact."
Deok-bae thought Phoenix was truly ruthless.
Ga-eul lunged for Deok-bae's smartwatch. His hand rose involuntarily.
"Kgh!"
Reading his helpless expression, Ga-eul glared at Phoenix.
"Already ordered him. No help unless you awaken. Especially no contact."
"...You're a bad person, Phoenix."
"Four more days. Till Cheonghwa-dan settles. If no awakening, I'll take you to New Seoul myself."
"...Promise."
Phoenix shrugged, yanking her right hand free. Core-less, the toad crumbled like sand.
Ga-eul slumped over a intact desk, burying her face.
Deok-bae approached cautiously.
"Gotta push her this hard? Drop her at New Seoul quick and done."
"Can't guard her forever. Won't send without power to protect herself. Ever."
"To me, you obsess over Cheon Ga-eul too much. Pointlessly."
"...Shut it."
Clink.
Something from the toad's body hit the floor. Phoenix snatched it.
"Isn't that a congress badge? But so big?"
"Yeah. A congressman who didn't flee to New Seoul turned monster. Just the outer shell protecting the Tentacle Toad's core."
Phoenix crushed and incinerated the palm-sized badge. It melted from Azure Flame's extreme heat, dripping down her hand to the floor.
Fwoosh.
The badge sparked red flames on landing. Deok-bae startled, hunting for an extinguisher.
"No need. I'm starting the fire on purpose."
Phoenix grinned, kicking the embers. Fire-attribute mana fueled it, spreading like poured oil.
"This is the National Assembly!!"
"Just ruins now. New Seoul's got a proper one, so no issue."
Phoenix pocketed her fist in her priestess outfit.
"Tentacle Toad's unknown publicly. But government knows and ignores it. It's their shame, a black history to bury."
"What do you mean?"
Ga-eul lifted her head. Phoenix fanned the flames, burning the slime.
"One of President Seon Ui-cheol's—then second opposition leader's—dark pasts."
Phoenix stood at the entrance.
"No holds barred against rivals. Actions alone make him a villain."
Grand, noble goals and motives, but the path soaked in blood and shadow.
Ga-eul smiled wryly at the president's scandals.
"So that toad monster was...?"
"Enough depressing talk. Lunchtime anyway."
Phoenix tapped her smartwatch, grinning.
"Back to base?"
The screen showed Guro.