A Girl from the Serpent's Maw
Ryu Yo-ho, the branch chief, stubbed out his smoldering cigarette in the ashtray.
"Hoo."
He knew better than anyone that smoking was bad for his health, but the person he was about to call was someone he couldn't face with a clear head without borrowing the power of nicotine.
Ring, ring, ring—
After several rings, there was a click, and the other party's voice came through.
"No, sir, Director."
He swallowed hard. His whole body stiffened with tension.
"Is that so?"
The branch chief let out a silent sigh of relief.
The branch chief still couldn't shake his unease about that "execution method." He understood calling Korea by that derogatory name given the other man's deep-seated grudge, but this time it felt extreme.
"Yes. That... you fired a missile, right?"
"...An S-rank monster?"
"Yes, of course."
As monsters began appearing worldwide and their corpses and cores became valuable resources, the world had forged a pact: "Monster subjugation falls under the sovereignty of the territorial nation." This international agreement granted nations exclusive rights to handle monsters within their borders while barring foreign interference. The Hero Association, a supranational organization, had protested fiercely, but the endless issues with monster byproducts left them no choice but to comply.
The branch chief had exploited this pact, shoving the monster from Chinese territorial waters into Korea's. Now, primary responsibility for subjugating that blue-haired girl villain—no, S-rank monster—had shifted to Korea.
"It's been a while since an S-rank monster showed up. Korea's really lucky."
The branch chief smirked along with the director's mocking laugh. Eight years ago—2012—the "Pyongyang Incident" that rocked the world had tanked Korea's standing in the hero community.
"Yes. Didn't a black scorpion hatchling show up in the desert?"
The conversation paused. The branch chief, still bothered by something, spoke up anyway.
"By the way... what if Korea hunts down that Phoenix?"
"Yes, that's true. But..."
The branch chief recalled Korea's two S-rank heroes registered in the Hero Association database. But what if those two teamed up and actually captured the girl—
"Ah, yes! Yes, sir!"
Click.
With the line going dead, the branch chief slumped back in his chair, tension draining from his body.
"What a headache."
As monsters emerged to threaten the world, the Hero Association—headquarters for countermeasures—gained immense prestige. China's difference from other nations? The Party's central authority, particularly the Monster Countermeasures Directorate, overshadowed the Association.
'The Association has many heroes, but headquarters has the Military God.'
Unjang was one of a kind—the strongest in China and the hero of all the people. The Association desperately wanted to register Unjang under their banner, but the Party aimed to leverage her fame to dominate the Association instead.
'The Association's leash still seems tighter for now...'
He was nominally with the Association but prepared to switch to headquarters anytime. That's why he was now using his branch chief authority to delete footage of today's Unjang battle.
Data deletion in progress... 90%.
The black box mounted on Red Hare's battle armor held footage of the fight with the girl—now being erased by the branch chief before anyone could see it.
"Still..."
He lit a fresh cigarette. At the end of the battle footage he'd replayed out of curiosity, Unjang's final move—with a swarm of fireballs lighting up the sky—wasn't a retreat; it was closer to a rout.
"...No way."
Unjang fleeing in fear? That kind of talk would land him in public security's custody. The branch chief inhaled deeply and deleted the video.
Yeongjongdo, Eulwangni Beach.
Old Man Park strolled the now-deserted, barren sands every day. A dangerous zone infested with monsters, the locals had all evacuated, even the military pulling out—but the old man couldn't leave yet.
"Damn monster bastards."
Shivering in the chilly sea breeze, he flicked on his radio. The telecom sharks who'd gouged him on fees vanished like ghosts when Incheon fell to monsters, cutting signals and turning his smartphone into a brick. So he'd dug out the old radio from storage.
Luckily, the frequency reached here fine.
"...We'll replay the Ministry of National Defense spokesperson's statement after this."
An exhausted announcer handed off to a solemn male voice.
"The Ministry of National Defense has confirmed a missile launch from Chinese territory into the West Sea..."
"...the government claims. Professor Do, your thoughts?"
"Come on, China denies it, don't they? What country shoots missiles at monsters?"
"China definitely fired it—confirmed even by the US!"
"Then where did it explode? Right in the middle of the West Sea—no evidence!"
Professor Do sneered sarcastically.
"If a missile was really fired, there'd be an explosion somewhere. Nowhere on Earth. Not even nearby monsters rampaging from the shock. On this, the Defense Ministry made a huge mistake—"
"There was an explosion! Hero Unjang fought a monster on the West Coast then!"
The Defense rep—a former soldier, now Association hero—cut in loudly.
"Unjang may be Chinese, but as one of the Twelve Heroes, she'd clean up any missile fallout—"
"You know that's absurd, right? Might as well say the monster ate the missile."
"Gives me the chills."
Old Man Park shut off the radio amid the escalating spat.
"Heroes or whatever, world's gone to hell—what can ya do."
The south might be peaceful, but this border area near old North Korea was a demon realm.
"Back in my day, they panicked about commies comin' down. Now it's just monster packs swarmin' instead."
2012. After the tragedy in Pyongyang, everything in this country had changed. Old Man Park recalled that day at sea—
Rumble rumble rumble—!
"Wh-what the?!"
The ground shook violently—like an earthquake. Old Man Park collapsed flat.
"M-monster?!"
Whoosh—!
Before he could flee, a massive shadow surged from the sea. A gigantic sea serpent leaping from the surface.
Old Man Park screamed at the sight.
"West Sea Weapon?!"
Thud!
Why had this deep-sea A-rank monster surfaced here? Before Old Man Park could run, the West Sea Weapon slammed its gaping maw onto the beach.
"...Dead?"
Decades at sea had honed his instincts—he could tell if fish were fresh or spoiled at a glance. Same for monsters. He'd clocked the serpent's state instantly.
"It's croaked?"
No way. Too cunning to surface; deemed untouchable. Yet here it lay, tongue lolled out, mid-body shredded like an internal bomb blast, guts spilling.
"Am I next to kick it...?"
Radio yapping about vanished missiles, now a dead sea monster washes up. Head throbbing, Old Man Park rose cautiously, approaching what seemed the corpse.
Gulp.
Gripping a shattered soju bottle from the sand, he edged toward the jaws step by step. Ten paces away—
Creak—!
"Gah, damn it!"
The jaws lifted suddenly. Startled, Old Man Park hurled the bottle. The green shard spun, striking the head of a blue-haired girl emerging from the mouth.
Thwack.
"Wha—hu?!"
High-school age, like his granddaughter. But the mana barrier flickering over her struck hair revealed her true nature.
"H-hero?!"
The girl said nothing, crawling out, dripping. Beneath a clinging pale-green veil, her body was provocatively alluring—enough to stir dark thoughts in a man ten years younger.
She stared blankly at Old Man Park and the serpent, then groaned.
"...Urgh."
Her vision swam. Old Man Park rushed over, kneeling.
"You okay? Raid gone wrong and ya got swallowed?"
"Mmph."
She clamped her mouth. Experience kicking in, Old Man Park dodged.
"Bluuuuurgh!!!"
Seawater spewed from her mouth. The sour stench made him step back further.
"W-water..."
Focus returning, she reached for him.
"Mo... Taek-pyeong... you..."
Cursing China's Monster Countermeasures Director, she face-planted into her own vomit and passed out.
"...Who's Mo Taek-pyeong?"
Head tilted, Old Man Park dragged her from the jaws.
Squelch, squelch.
"Yowch?!"
Slipping, he lost grip on her arm. She flopped face-first into the seawater puddle, still out.
"Ugh..."
Carry her? Touching her might bring trouble later. His grandfatherly worry deepened as she drooled seawater unconscious.
"...How'd she end up like this."
Pity winning, he hoisted her up. Smaller than his granddaughter, head barely reaching his chin.
"Poor lil' thing."
He didn't know details. Might not even be a hero. But leaving her fainted on the beach for monsters? His conscience wouldn't allow it.
World falling to monsters or not, folks gotta help each other.
"So don't die—live. I ain't buryin' more corpses."
Old Man Park piggybacked her home, staggering. Her body jostling roused her with groans.
"Hnn, ughhh..."
"Hey, comin' to?"
"Bluuuuurgh—"
"......."