The Assembly's Secret Summit
9 AM. Yeouido National Assembly.
Jang Hu-jeong gazed at the impeccably restored National Assembly building, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. This was where he'd worked before becoming a perennial undersecretary in the Monster Countermeasures Ministry—before losing his Seoul district and fleeing to New Seoul.
"......Hmm."
President Seon Ui-cheol had insisted on the National Assembly as the secret rendezvous point. The other side had accepted without hesitation. Jang wasn't sure why. Was it consideration for him, a former assemblyman? Or some ulterior motive?
"Not my concern anymore."
What mattered was fulfilling the president's directive: rescuing the ten heroes unharmed. Even if the counterparts were the villain alliance—former citizens of the Republic of Korea—they wouldn't slaughter hostages outright in negotiations with the government.
"Still..."
Jang swallowed hard as he glanced at his escorts, who had brought him here via the subway station. Their black suits—hard to imagine made in Seoul—and blue flame-patterned neckties marked them as members of the same organization.
"Everyone here?"
"......."
The organization members stayed silent. Only the team leader who had guided Jang spoke—and even then, only when necessary.
"Quite the quiet bunch, aren't they?"
"Trained types, that's what it means."
The man accompanying Jang nodded in agreement. Yoo Yeong-ho, the Hero Association's director, his eyes brimming with stress. Exiled to Busan on an "official trip," he'd stepped foot in Seoul himself to rescue the kidnapped heroes.
Jang whispered cautiously.
"Director. Even so, shouldn't I go the rest of the way alone from here? What if something happens to you?"
"The moment we left our guard heroes in Gwangmyeong, all three of us became targets. They won't take us hostage, though. Shows they're serious about negotiating."
Yoo scanned the surroundings. A bit sloppy, but their escorts—guards and watchers—clearly had training. Like the civilian patrols from the early monster outbreaks.
"Come to think of it, this place..."
Yoo swept his gaze around. Battle scars everywhere, yet the buildings looked freshly rebuilt, straight as new.
"What do you think, Mr. Eun Jae-min?"
Yoo turned to Eun Jae-min. The Yuseong Group chairman had come to the negotiation despite no ties to the government or association. If talks turned economically unfavorable, they'd leverage corporate funds. The business leaders balked at the government's heavy hand, but Eun alone complied meekly.
"Haha. Seoul stabilizing is great for me. Yuseong's HQ was here, right? Dad would love it too."
Eun beamed like a kid at an amusement park. Ruthless as a cold-blooded exec in boardrooms, he sometimes flashed the hot-blooded youth: intolerant of injustice, striving for social justice. People called him the "doormat chaebol."
"Haha, indeed. We appreciate your help. Government's budget is in shambles right now..."
"Don't worry. Spend whatever on the negotiations. Just get them back safe to New Seoul..."
"Leave Yuseong's sponsorship to me. I can handle that much."
"Thank you, Director."
Of course, even a saint was a businessman at heart. Funding the talks meant extracting concessions. The government could clam up, but the association offered maximum compensation.
Thud, thud.
The escorts straightened as a man descended the assembly stairs. Neat suit like a fresh corporate recruit. Sensitive to sunlight, he wore brown sunglasses.
Beep.
Yoo inputted visual data into his custom glasses. Build, gait, mana wavelength. His smartwatch database identified the man swiftly.
> B-rank Ability User
> Villain: Beacon (Kim Ji-hwa)
B-rank ability user. Villain. Beacon Kim Ji-hwa. The guy who'd ruled Guro's scaredy-cat kingdom under cover of night was out and about in broad daylight.
As Yoo pondered internally, Beacon bowed.
"Pleased to meet you. Call me Beacon."
"...You just reveal yourself like that?"
Yoo scratched his cheek. Beacon smirked faintly and gestured inside.
"This way."
Beacon headed into the building. The trio followed into the assembly hall.
"Hmm."
Jang pondered the pristine interior. Yeouido had been a brutal human-monster battlefield, reduced to ruins—or so the stories went. Yet this National Assembly looked spotless, cleaner than in his assemblyman days. It defied common sense. Looked newly built.
Thud.
Beacon stopped. No nameplate in the barren spot, but a taped A4 sheet read "Interim Conference Room."
"......Utterly unpredictable."
Jang clucked his tongue, growing more puzzled, as Beacon knocked.
"Coming in."
Creeeak.
The door opened. In the desolate conference room's center, a concrete table greeted the envoys.
"Welcome. ...Jang Hu-jeong?"
The fedora-wearing gentleman at the round table's center raised his voice. Jang instantly recognized him.
"Ryu Cheon-seong? Gangnam's four-term rep?"
Haneulseong—Ryu—glanced around in surprise. To his left, a masked woman covered her mouth in shock. Behind her stood a blue-haired girl like a secretary, head bowed.
Coat-wrapped woman and secretary girl. Beacon strode to the empty seat.
"Sit, for now."
Beacon gestured; the envoys took seats. Round table: Government rep Jang faced Haneulseong across the center; Yoo sat left of Jang, facing the masked woman; Eun took the last, facing Beacon—but eyes on the woman.
Silence fell. Jang spoke.
"...I see. So this is the conference room."
Tension gripped him. Opponent: four-term vet. He: rookie. This room was the senior's home turf.
"Didn't expect you as envoy."
"You two know each other?"
The masked woman spoke casually to the twice-her-age Haneulseong. Jang, steeped in Confucian respect for elders, bristled—but Haneulseong replied nonchalantly.
"Told you. He was an assemblyman. Rookie from Mapo before Seoul fell."
"Hmm. And now he's countermeasures undersecretary and envoy."
She recited classified intel casually. Envoy details were top-secret to Haneulseong alone. Her blurting it meant she held high rank here.
Yoo activated his glasses to scan her mana.
Flash! Blue light sparked.
Crack!
His lens cracked. He clenched a fist under the table.
The woman blinked, then chuckled.
"Sneaky photos? Didn't know you had that hobby, Director. Sex offender much?"
"No way. The director's a voyeur?"
"Beacon, that's not your line."
Beacon slunk at her rebuke, still wearing sunglasses indoors.
"Introductions first. Phantom."
She gestured beside her.
"Haneulseong."
"Beacon here."
The villains stated their aliases. Jang was certain: Yeouido's conquerors, the alliance's leaders.
"Envoy, government rep. Monster Countermeasures Undersecretary Jang Hu-jeong."
"Association rep. Executioner Yoo Yeong-ho."
"......."
Eun's turn. He stared blankly at Phantom. She snorted.
"Hey? What're you staring at? No name?"
"Ah, sorry. It's just..."
Eun bowed sheepishly.
"I travel so much, haven't hit the bathroom yet. Mind if I step out briefly?"
"Again? ...Tch."
Jang tsked. Eun's open secret: constant bathroom runs earned him the nickname "Constipation Prince."
Beacon smirked awkwardly.
"Bathroom? Already? Come on—"
"I'll guide him."
The girl behind Phantom stepped forward.
"What?"
"......."
"Ah, haha. Human needs, right?"
As villains flustered, the secretary swept them with a smile.
"Can't have our guest lost. I'll guide you per.so.nal.ly."
At her gesture, the prince brightened and stood.
"Haha, sorry. My gut's really bad... Undersecretary, start without me. I'll be late."
"What? Without you—?"
Eun bit his lip, face strained like holding an emergency. The room tensed.
"It's fine. Bid whatever. Yuseong's funds are ample."
"This way."
Eun grimaced a smile and hurried out after the girl.
"......Well, let's start. It'll be between us anyway."
Haneulseong raised a hand, drawing eyes. Jang clenched under the table.
Opponent: political monster who could've hit six terms. Now, mere villain after eight years away. Himself: years honing skills in New Seoul's key ministry, treated as minister-equivalent. Retired fossil vs. rising star. Winnable.
Jang straightened.
"Fine. First, the government's position..."
Government rep vs. villain rep. The ex-assemblymen's heated negotiations filled the room.
* * *
Thud, thud.
Eun couldn't tear his eyes from the girl ahead. Black suit skirt and jacket. White blouse beneath. Blue ponytail like a brush. Hard to spot, but he'd noticed.
"Office look with sneakers? Kinda off."
"Dragging a chaebol chair to the bathroom daily—how's that?"
The girl—Phoenix—shot back. They'd reached the bathroom.
Eun hesitated.
"What? Come in."
She entered naturally. Men's room. Eun clucked his tongue and followed.
Empty inside. Like a construction site mid-demo—no fixtures, no interiors.
"Knew our client was no ordinary..."
"Quiet spot, really."
Snap.
Phoenix flicked her fingers. Flame chairs materialized between them. S-rank power: mana solidified into physical force. Eun plopped down boldly, tapping armrests. Phoenix tensed instead.
"Heehee. As expected. You fought Ha-rang, right? Transformation ability? Which is real—you?"
"...Strictly, neither. More like."
Phoenix pointed at Eun. Mana flowed from her fingertip.
Instantly, an impossible scream echoed.
The woman's voice pitched high. Phoenix clutched her belly, cackling, then cut the mana.
Whirr, clunk.
Eun's mechanical eye opened; light projected a screen. A flushed, fuming blonde girl appeared. Her bangs singed.
"There. That's your real face. Reintroduce ourselves?"
Phoenix bowed mockingly.
"Yuseong Group's wastrel third daughter. Chaebol infamy's black sheep. But really: sole pillar running the whole group, puppeteering dead brothers' proxies. Black market chair I first met, this envoy Eun Jae-min—all your mech puppets, right? Puhuhu. Oh, five more besides?"
"Anyway, nice meeting you. A-rank ability user Puppet Master. Or..."
Phoenix flicked a flame.
"Miss Eun Yu-ha."
Blue flames bloomed beside the girl. Eun Yu-ha smiled radiantly.
In the forsaken men's room, another negotiation began.