Part 1 Chapter 4 (11)

“Are you really okay, hyung-nim?”

Jeok Song fidgeted, his eyes darting towards the battlefield in Guro. Cheolpyo smacked the back of Jeok Song’s head, who looked like he was about to rush back to Guro, and pointed at his watch.

“We just need to focus on our own job.”

On the small screen that popped up, there was a secret order delivered from someone. Jeok Song’s eyes widened.

– Search the Yeouido National Assembly Building. Immediately kill all beings found.

“Presid-“

“This bastard?!”

Thwack. Cheolpyo hit the back of Jeok Song’s head again. He hadn’t been in the Pine Tree Unit for long, so his recklessness from his Villain days still lingered.

“Listen carefully. We just have to follow orders. Understand?”

“But…”

“No ‘buts’ or anything. Since Team B couldn’t join us, we have to split up and complete the mission. Understand?”

Cheolpyo designated the unit members who had followed him. They were veterans who had already completed numerous missions with him.

“You, you, you. Move with Jeok Song. The rest of you, come with me to Yeouido.”

“Roger.”

Veterans of the Pine Tree Unit meant those who had completed countless missions. And most of those missions were carried out in the dark, according to the President’s will.

Assassinating key figures, eliminating undesirable elements, seizing Cores.

Despite being hotbeds of all sorts of crimes, they had to follow silently. It was partly because their original background as malicious Villains made them accustomed to crime, and partly because their sentences were reduced with each mission they completed.

Jeok Song reconfirmed the mission with his unit members.

“……Ah, seriously.”

Jeok Song scratched his red hair vigorously. Cheolpyo had already entered the station and stepped onto the subway tracks.

“Do we really have to do this?”

“If you don’t want to, then don’t. But your prison sentence won’t decrease; it’ll only increase.”

At another unit member’s words, Jeok Song sighed. He hadn’t known when he was a rampaging Villain, but now that he was in the Pine Tree Unit and shackled, he understood the feelings of those who yearned for freedom.

“But to this extent…?”

– Eliminate the spies hiding underground. (1 day per person).

It was truly a transparently deceptive act, but those referred to as ‘spies’ were clear.

Massacre.

Tens of thousands of refugees were hiding in underground tunnels beneath Dongjak.

* * *

“Currently, one B-rank and four C-ranks are missing! The Pine Tree Unit has left Guro as a separate detachment.”

“Understood.”

Unsa checked the movements on the map. As the Pine Tree Unit moved as a separate detachment under the commander’s orders, Team A’s strength was further weakened.

“It’s actually for the best, Team Leader-nim. The Pine Tree Unit kids just dampen the mood.”

“I thought they were excellent in terms of combat power, though.”

People might think differently, but the Pine Tree Unit Heroes were subjects of avoidance for other Heroes, precisely because of their origins.

To the point where Unsa, who judged without any prejudice, was unusual.

“All Hellhounds dealt with. Fire Giant arrested. Guro is finished with this.”

Unsa was still standing over Deokbae. Tempest Lady poked Deokbae’s unconscious body here and there, checking for a reaction.

“You handcuffed him with clouds? What if he escapes like this?”

“It will never come undone as long as I don’t lose consciousness.”

“Well then. But the true identity of that Fire Giant…”

It was surprising that the monster rampaging at Doksan Station was actually a human ability user and a Villain. The blue-white veins flowing through its grayish-white rock skin also looked somewhat mysterious.

“What do we do now?”

“I will give an interim report to the commander. We’ll need to find the kidnapped Heroes.”

Unsa called the commander. Shin Jingwang’s expression on the screen was somehow not good.

“……?”

Unsa forgot to report and checked beyond the screen. One man who had been there just a moment ago was gone.

“Commander. Excuse me, but where is Fire Fist?”

– Life-saving activities.

“Pardon?”

– He’s running around Seoul like he’s hunting for lice, doing life-saving activities. Honestly, it’s absurd…

Unsa received movement path information for Hero Lee Seung-hyung from headquarters. His northward movement, starting from Anyang, traversed Seoul as if sweeping the entire city with mana.

“He is truly an exemplary Hero. Even amidst this chaos, he’s trying to save people who might not have been able to evacuate-“

– Don’t be mistaken, Unsa. Everyone left in Seoul is nothing but a criminal. Understand?

Unsa frowned, a rare sight.

“……I cannot agree with that. They simply couldn’t escape Seoul and were left behind. If they become criminals just because they couldn’t escape a crisis management zone, does that mean we should reclaim Seoul and arrest everyone who lived here?”

– Ugh! Be quiet!

Unsa resolutely cut off Shin Jingwang’s words and continued her own.

“I will follow your orders, Commander-nim, but please know this one thing. We came here to defeat monsters and save people, not to conspire with Villains or arrest innocent individuals.”

Unsa took a breath and continued.

“Then, our Team A will resume the rescue of the kidnapped Heroes. Please understand that the signal might not be stable during this time. Over.”

– What? Hey! You Three Sages bastards…

Click.

Unsa closed the screen. Tempest Lady looked at Unsa with a bewildered expression.

“…Are you going to be okay? He’s still the commander, you know.”

“I’ll just receive disciplinary action later for insubordination, and that’ll be the end of it. Right now, rescuing the kidnapped Heroes is the top priority. Was there any reaction anywhere?”

Tempest Lady shook her head. There was absolutely no reaction from those the Hellhounds had taken in Guro.

“They’re not here. It seems they moved somewhere else.”

“…They might have gone towards Gangseo or Yeouido.”

Unsa shook Deokbae’s shoulder regretfully.

“If this person wakes up, we might be able to extract some information, but we don’t have time for that. Team A! From now on, Guro will be-“

Flinc. The mana in the air greatly trembled. Unsa hastily looked around and shouted.

“Be on guard!”

The Heroes, who had been catching their breath after the battle, formed a formation around Unsa, though they looked puzzled.

The data coming from headquarters showed no particular mana reactions. But the unpleasant sensation felt on site made them instinctively realize that something was happening.

“Tempest Lady!”

At Unsa’s call, Tempest Lady immediately shot up into the sky. It was a Sky Walk, often displayed by skilled wind mages. Tempest Lady, soaring high into the sky, scanned all directions.

“……?!”

Horror. At first, she couldn’t believe it. It was a sight she had never seen in her life, and even after seeing it with her own eyes, she couldn’t believe it.

“…This is insane!”

Tempest Lady turned her watch and sent video information to the Heroes and headquarters.

Unsa, watching the video from below, swallowed a gasp.

“…..Resurrection?!”

Would ‘zombie’ be the right term, or would it be more accurate to call them ‘half-flame monsters’?

– Hey, abnormal reactions from the Hellhounds! Fires have ignited from the corpses of Hellhounds, both in Guro and Gangnam!

The fires had ignited. But those fires were not flames incinerating corpses; instead, they became new bodies that filled the Hellhounds’ wounds, allowing them to stand up on all fours.

Grrrrrr.

Among the Hellhounds, which emitted blue flames from their entire bodies, one stood out particularly.

The left side of the Hellhound, which had been split vertically and killed by Jeok Song, resurrected, its entire body ablaze with blue flames.

Since humanity began warring with monsters, such a bizarre phenomenon had never occurred.

“……Is it the influence of the dimensional gate?!”

Unsa clicked her tongue and gathered mana.

The dimensional gate of the Fire Dragon, which had appeared for the first time in the world. Although the gate had closed, opinions were still divided in academia regarding its effects.

Hellhounds were already strong. If such creatures were to resurrect like zombies and charge again, the damage would be immense.

“What do we do?!”

Tempest Lady quickly descended and sought an opinion. Shin Jingwang’s command had not yet been conveyed.

It was unclear whether it was a petty revenge for Unsa closing the screen, or if he was in a panic and unable to issue commands quickly.

Unsa judged. If a siege was formed in Guro like this, they would be dead.

“…We’re heading north to Yeongdeungpo! It’s already too late to escape south!”

“What are you going to do?!”

Unsa, carrying the massive body on her back, quickly drew an escape route and conveyed it to the Heroes. A return route that headed north to Yeouido, then turned east and crossed Gwanaksan.

“Let’s escape!”

It was Unsa’s best judgment at this point.

* * *

At that moment. Gangnam faced an even greater crisis.

“Damn it! What are those things?!”

The Hellhounds, one by one, rose to their feet.

Hellhounds with severed legs stood up on legs of flame, and Hellhounds with severed necks grew heads of flame above their necks.

The blue flames filling the missing parts were like a voodoo priest awakening zombies, and the Heroes were terrified by the B-rank monsters resurrecting one by one.

“Usually, when they resurrect like that, they get stronger, right?”

“Oh my, I should have run away earlier when Divine Spirit-nim told me to!!”

Seonmudang buried his face in the road and wailed. His hands were already tied behind his back and handcuffed. The ability user-specific handcuffs, which interfered with mana flow, were all placed on the Villains under Seonmudang.

“Hahaha, God is angry! It’s divine punishment!”

Black Flame Dragon rejoiced at the sight of the blue flames. At his actions, as if he regarded the sight of the Hellhound zombies rising as divine salvation, Pungbaek swung his stick.

Thwack.

Black Flame Dragon was hit in the back of the neck and collapsed. Having exhausted his strength destroying the combined technique, Black Flame Dragon had already been subdued and handcuffed.

“Damn it. Should I have brought Unsa?”

Pungbaek clicked his tongue in regret. Wusa also twisted the corner of her mouth, agreeing.

Rain, Wind, Cloud.

The government grouped a mage who controlled water, an old man who ran enveloped in wind, and a unique ability user named Gluttonous Cloud into one team, bestowing upon them the epithet of the Three Sages from mythology.

Unsa, who already had a high reputation even before being grouped as one of the Three Sages, became a promising A-rank under the guidance of Pungbaek and Wusa.

“If that child had been here, they would have devoured everything with Gluttonous Cloud by now.”

“Don’t say such regrettable things, old man. They must be struggling in their own way.”

The battlefield map showed that the Guro side was also unusual. The red dots, increasing one by one, indicated that the defeated Hellhounds were resurrecting.

Gulp.

The Hellhounds, one by one, spewing flames, surrounded the Heroes. Pungbaek clearing the roads on both sides to secure the battlefield had become the root of the problem.

“Wusa. How much mana do you have left?”

“…Seventy percent? I’m still fine. If only those bastards wouldn’t interfere.”

Wusa glared at the Villains milling about in the distance. The Villains, led by Haneulseong, had already put that much distance between them.

“I knew they’d do that.”

Heroes and Villains. The option of fighting together, back to back against a threat to humanity, did not exist for the Villains. They turned tail and fled the battlefield to save their own lives.

“I still thought that Haneulseong fellow was decent, though.”

“A Villain is a Villain, is there such a thing as a good Villain and a bad Villain? Tsk tsk. It’s fine. This isn’t even a crisis anyway!”

As Pungbaek shouted valiantly, the Heroes agreed, raising their morale.

Over 100 Hellhound zombies. Compared to the peak of the Pyongyang incident eight years ago, this level was merely a trifle.

Wusa raised her staff high into the sky and shouted.

“Let’s just catch three per person!”

Kyaaaang!

The Hellhound zombies charged at the Heroes.

* * *

“We really have to leave Seoul! Haneulseong, this is insane!!”

His subordinates were agitated. They were thoroughly terrified by the resurgence of the Hellhounds.

Haneulseong, having released his ability and returned to his original body, adjusted his fedora. His upper garment was already tattered from his transformation.

“Wait.”

That person told him to wait for a moment. The instruction was that reinforcements would be sent, and those who survived should retreat.

Flap.

A small bird descended from the sky. His subordinates, startled by the Mini Phoenix descending while scattering blue flames, raised their weapons.

“As expected. That was your doing. What kind of magic did you use, exactly?”

– If you’re short-handed, you have to borrow even a cat’s paw. Ah, is it a Hellhound’s paw now?

A voice came from the Mini Phoenix perched on a streetlamp. Haneulseong was certain it was the same person he had seen at the National Assembly Building.

“You bastards! You deceived us!”

“Haneulseong, what on earth…?”

His subordinates looked at Haneulseong with the same eyes they had used to look at Black Flame Dragon. Haneulseong quickly realized what was happening from their puzzled gazes.

“Mana telepathy?”

– That’s right. Your subordinates will only hear bird chirps.

“Where are you? Are you hiding near Gangnam?”

– No. Not at all. But just know that Gangnam is visible from here. The Beacon’s eye is currently sweeping across all of Seoul.

“…You’ve enhanced your ability like Black Flame Dragon. That’s why the Beacon stuck with you.”

Haneulseong gritted his teeth. They had watched Gangnam turn into a mess with their own eyes, yet pretended not to know.

Of course, Haneulseong himself had refused the command. But at that moment, he couldn’t judge calmly enough to reflect on himself. The excitement of battle had not yet subsided.

“You son of a bitch! Is it that great to hide and watch from behind?!”

– What are you talking about? We’re fighting so hard in Guro too. Do you think this is the main force? The Heroes’ main force is still in Anyang.

“What do you mean?!”

Ding.

Haneulseong’s smartwatch rang. Haneulseong, who had taken out the watch attached inside his fedora lest it break from the aftermath of his transformation, checked the message.

“……!!”

The transmitted file contained headlines from breaking news articles. The content, conveyed rapidly from the command center, was provocative yet clearly revealed the war situation.

[Breaking News] C-rank Hero Lee Giseong, kidnapped by monsters

[Breaking News] A-rank Villain Fire Giant, arrested by Unsa

[Breaking News] Guro Digital Complex completely destroyed. How much is the property damage?

[Breaking News] Shin Jingwang, promises again to restore Seoul with full effort

[Breaking News] When will S-ranks be deployed? Professor Do’s remark “If you save it, it turns into shit” draws criticism

Breaking news, updated minute by minute, from the moment Heroes entered Seoul under the guise of a Seoul recovery operation. By merely scanning those headlines, Haneulseong quickly grasped the war situation.

“Guro collapsed… And the S-ranks still haven’t moved?”

– That’s right. Anyway, good work. Now, you all escape this way and hide. Until everything is over.

The Mini Phoenix flew back into the sky. Haneulseong stared blankly at its wing beats, then turned his eyes to the map that had arrived on his watch.

“…Underground?”

– Ah, can you hear me? Haneulseong, you haven’t died already, have you?

On the screen, a blond-haired, blue-eyed man appeared with soot on his face. Behind him, wearing a safety helmet, the words ‘Gangnam Station’ were visible.

– I came all this way after hearing I needed to save people, but I didn’t know it would be saving Villains. If you don’t want to die, come this way on your own. I won’t wait long.

A path opened underground. The Villains quickly moved towards the station.