Part 1 Chapter 5 (6)

Citizens, good evening. This is Seonui Cheol, the 20th President of the Republic of Korea.

On April 13th. I came here today to apologize to the citizens. Yes. The failure of the Seoul Reclamation Operation. Due to my hasty judgment, countless Heroes lost their lives. Shin Jingwang, the former Minister of Monster Countermeasures, even made an extreme choice, stating that he was sorry for failing to fulfill his responsibilities.

Once again, I take this opportunity to extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families.

However, today.

As we welcome the first day of May, I am deeply moved to be able to deliver some good news to the citizens.

On the 20th, after arduous efforts, the government obtained intelligence that 10 missing Heroes were still alive in Seoul. Abducted by monsters in Guro and dragged to the enemy’s nest, they barely managed to escape the monster nest with the resolve that ‘even if you enter a tiger’s den, you can survive if you keep your wits about you.’

There, they discovered people living underground in Seoul.

Yes! That’s right! People were still living in Seoul! Not just one or two righteous individuals, but a staggering 60,000 proud citizens of our great Korea were protecting Seoul!

Thanks to the help of the citizens of Seoul, the government barely managed to establish contact with the Heroes. And at 04:00 AM today, the government formed an emergency TF and deployed a special unit to rescue the Heroes.

This rescue unit, dispatched primarily with the Three Sages, Pungbaek, Unsa, and Wusa as its core, re-established its base in Anyang under the leadership of Jang Hujeong, the Vice Minister of Countermeasures, and Praetor Yoo Young-ho. They crossed Gwanak Mountain, rendezvoused with the Heroes in Dongjak, and successfully exited Seoul safely.

Citizens. Please send your praise to the citizens of Seoul. And now, please pray that they can safely leave Seoul and return to our embrace.

Citizens! Seoul is still alive! It is by no means an abandoned land, but a land temporarily seized by wicked monsters and Villains! Even today, 60,000 citizens of Seoul are holding their ground with swords and spears to reclaim that land.

We will create a great Republic of Korea with our own hands! Just as the 60,000 citizens of Seoul did not break even in despair, we will make Korea shine with integrity as green as a pine tree!

Citizens! We are the proud sons and daughters of Korea! Until the day we reclaim the glory of Korea, until we reclaim all the land of Seoul and Gyeonggi, our firm will shall not be broken!

The Republic of Korea will rise again!

* * *

May 1st, 8 PM, Yeouido Azure Syndicate Headquarters.

Seonui Cheol’s public briefing continued on the large screen mounted on the wall. Everyone sitting in the lounge had been anxiously awaiting the announcement’s content, and once the results came out, they breathed a sigh of relief.

“We’ve put out the immediate fire. That’s a relief.”

“Though more people will come up from New Seoul next week.”

The survival of 10 Heroes. And the resident registration of 60,000 refugees in Dongjak’s underground.

Of course, the content of the announcement was greatly distorted to Seonui Cheol’s liking.

The Heroes who had been abducted by monsters gathered their strength to escape the monster nest, joined the underground refugees, and with their help, escaped Seoul. In that process, Ryu Cheon-seong and James became leaders who guided the refugees through the monster threats.

Ryu Cheon-seong stroked his beard and scoffed.

“Can we tell the truth? That Heroes massacred citizens, and Villains saved them?”

“…When I was in New Seoul, I really didn’t know anything.”

At Gaeul’s words, everyone in the lounge turned their attention to her. Everyone in the lounge had been living on the outskirts of New Seoul.

In contrast, Gaeul had been a resident of New Seoul, living there with an address until just a month ago. Gaeul clenched her fist.

“We used to joke about it, saying that the Pine Tree Unit would arrest impure elements who criticized the government. But they really were those kinds of bastards, weren’t they?”

Gaeul’s gaze turned to Yooishin, who was standing behind her. Yooishin took out the whiteboard hanging on their back and wrote something with a marker.

– Jokes on the network are mostly true.

“Does that make sense? How is that possible?”

Jihwa asked in a flustered voice. Could a president, no matter who they were, actually commit such a terrible act?

When Yooishin seemed to want to say something at length, Gaeul gave Deokbae a look. Deokbae handed over his smartwatch and launched an app.

Clack, clack. The headless monstrous human typed quickly, and soon the content was conveyed in a mechanical voice.

[All networks within New Seoul undergo government censorship. Anti-government forces or reactionary elements are identified there, and then the Pine Tree Unit is deployed. They are either expelled from New Seoul or become new members of the Pine Tree Unit.]

“My god. Is it Big Brother?”

James snorted. Ryu Cheon-seong added with a bitter expression.

“He made it possible. He made deals with the National Assembly and the judiciary, muzzled the media, and brought them to his side. Just as the Pyongyang incident broke out, he established his own kingdom in New Seoul.”

“He’s a dictator.”

At Jihwa’s words, Ryu Cheon-seong chuckled.

“Where in the world is there a country that isn’t a dictatorship right now? Just look at China and Japan next door. Their entire nations have tilted to the right. China is trying to expand its territory in all directions, and Japan is itching to attack this country at any moment. At least the Association is mediating between them, preventing war.”

“…….”

Deokbae sat with his arms crossed, shaking his leg. He recalled something Phoenix had said in passing.

“They said something like that once.”

Everyone’s attention was drawn to Deokbae’s hesitant words.

Though Cheon Gaeul might be the closest to Phoenix emotionally, Jo Deokbae was the one who best knew the grand plan Phoenix harbored – a plan no one else knew. Deokbae scratched the back of his neck.

“They said the Azure Syndicate’s power must grow enough to wage war against a nation.”

“Are they crazy?”

Jihwa muttered to herself, then quickly clamped her mouth shut. Everyone turned their gaze at her true feelings, which she had blurted out unintentionally. Only Deokbae nodded.

“How can I understand that crazy bitch’s mind? Oh, I didn’t put anything in mine, did I?”

“I brought yours with plenty of syrup. Jihwa-ssi, yours is iced tea, right?”

“Ah, thank you. Leader-nim…”

Deokbae held an Americano that looked like muddy water. Jihwa’s movement, just about to pick up her iced tea, froze.

Silence. As everyone remained speechless, only the sound of Deokbae gulping down coffee and a drink being placed firmly on the table echoed in the lounge.

“What are you doing? Hurry and take it.”

Phoenix lifted their smoothie and plunged the straw in. Jihwa moved her hands as if turning a waterwheel, making excuses.

“Uh, Leader-nim. What I mean to say is…”

“It’s fine. It’s the fault of a certain Mr. Jo’s son, a certain Deokbae-ssi, who cut out all the context and made his superior out to be a bad guy.”

Phoenix tapped Deokbae’s crown. Thump, thump. A clear, crisp sound echoed.

“Alright. Since it’s my fault, can’t you tell me why they’re trying to wage war with another country?”

Slurp. The sound of the drink rising through the straw echoed. Everyone’s attention focused on Phoenix’s mouth.

“Anyway, today’s agreement was successful. With this, we won’t have to worry about New Seoul and things like the Seoul Reclamation Operation for a while.”

“Changing the subject, are we?”

Gaeul was thoroughly annoyed. Ever since Phoenix appeared, they had been glaring at Phoenix, radiating coldness. Phoenix picked up a cup and offered it to Gaeul.

“Want something sweet to drink?”

“What do you take me for…”

The sweet scent of maple syrup and caramel tickled her nose. Gaeul trailed off, glared at the caramel macchiato in her hand, then put her lips to the straw. Phoenix sat next to Gaeul and tapped the table to get everyone’s attention.

“Just listen while you drink. The possibility of war is only a worst-case scenario assumption, so there’s no need to worry too much about it.”

At Phoenix’s assertive words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Phoenix smiled contentedly and continued.

“So, let’s just deal with the immediate situation. First, review each of your roles and reconfirm your missions.”

Phoenix snapped their fingers. The drinks that hadn’t been picked up yet flew to their owners. There was none for the headless Yooishin.

Phoenix’s finger pointed at Jihwa.

“First, Beacon, Jihwa-ssi, please monitor the outskirts as you are now. Don’t let those ground-pounder bastards set foot in Seoul again. The command authority for the organization members rests with Beacon.”

“Understood.”

“Deokbae-ssi and Phantom are the interception unit. Deokbae-ssi takes the east, Phantom takes the west. Coordinate with Beacon to repel monsters or Villains entering underground. Conceal your identities as much as possible, but if you think you might be exposed, deploy the Hellhounds.”

“Understood.”

“Mm.”

“Haneulseong, please continue to reassure the residents as you are now. It might be annoying, but listen carefully to their complaints and cut off anything unnecessary at Haneulseong’s discretion. Although we seized the position of Seoul Mayor by force, the government will definitely try to get a piece of the pie later.”

“So, if there’s a by-election then, you’re telling me to actually become the mayor? Understood. I’m confident when it comes to elections.”

“Good. If there’s anyone among the refugees you think is suitable, feel free to recruit them as talent right away. Even if it’s just for show, make a separate list if there are useful people. We can negotiate with the government later to create a special recruitment format.”

“Understood.”

Phoenix took a sip of their drink to wet their throat. James, whose gaze Phoenix met, popped open a can of beer.

“Should I just continue restoring Dongjak as is?”

“Yes. Until May 14th. Just make sure it looks roughly presentable from the outside. For now, the role distribution is complete.”

Beacon Kim Jihwa: Surveillance.

Phantom Cheon Gaeul and Jo Deokbae: Patrol and Combat.

Haneulseong Ryu Cheon-seong: Administration.

Architect James Lee: Reconstruction.

To ensure all these tasks ran smoothly, Phoenix took charge of supplies.

They deliberately crossed the 38th parallel to hunt monsters and collect Cores, secured funds by trading with Eun Yuha through the Black Market, and received goods necessary for human survival with the proceeds from those transactions.

Even this morning, large trailers transporting massive amounts of food from Seongnam went missing. Only the perpetrator of the theft and the owner whose goods were stolen know where those items disappeared to.

Phoenix finished the remaining drink and gave James a special order.

“Oh, right. When you rebuild the houses in Dongjak, don’t put too much effort into the reconstruction. If you reveal too much of your capabilities, New Seoul will try to kidnap you.”

“What does that mean, exactly?”

Deokbae tilted his head in confusion. Architect also put down their coffee. Phoenix snapped their fingers and incinerated the cup.

“The government probably knows about Architect’s existence and abilities. They’re likely already registered in the Villain database, and since the special envoy reported back to Yeouido, there’s no way they wouldn’t know. They’d think, ‘Oh, so this is an ability user who can do all this if they just have enough mana.'”

Ryu Cheon-seong stroked his beard and laughed. Phoenix was the one who chose the meeting place with the special envoy.

“You deliberately chose Yeouido for the meeting place. To show off, I see.”

“Yes. Then Seonui Cheol will think. How could the Villain Alliance restore Yeouido to this extent? Why did the Villain Alliance choose the ‘National Assembly Building’ as the meeting place, of all places? Where on earth could they have gathered this much mana? If he combines all the information he has…”

“The Cube.”

At Gaeul’s words, everyone nodded.

“So you’re implying to President Seonui Cheol that the Villain Alliance has the Cube.”

Phoenix had already explained the existence of the Cube to the executives.

“On the surface, he acts bold, but inside, he’s probably fuming. All the Pine Tree Unit members died, so he can’t confirm anything, and the surviving Heroes found out the truth about the Pine Tree Unit. He’s probably desperate to find out what’s happening in Yeouido even now, isn’t he?”

“What if he already knows?”

At Deokbae’s point, Phoenix turned their head. Phoenix was frowning deeply.

“Yooishin! During the Seoul Reclamation Operation, was there any way for the Pine Tree Unit to inform Seonui Cheol?”

Yooishin, who was standing behind Gaeul, quickly typed on a virtual keyboard.

[Only the team leader of each team could contact directly. Park Seongtae, the leader of Team A deployed in Yeouido, also did not make contact again after receiving the order to kill Cheon Gaeul-nim.]

“What?”

Gaeul instantly crushed the cup. The paper cup burst, and the coffee inside flowed down her hand, but two tentacles that shot out from Gaeul’s back quickly wrapped around the cup.

Gulp, gulp. The tentacles swallowed the coffee in Gaeul’s hand, paper cup and all. The tips of the tentacles, moving as if chewing, swallowed only the drink and spat the paper cup onto the floor. Phoenix immediately incinerated it.

“Seonui Cheol ordered me killed? Really?”

[Team A received a secret order to find ‘the item.’ Seonui Cheol expected it to be in the National Assembly Building, so there was an order to kill all witnesses. He probably thought the same applied to Cheon Gaeul-nim.]

“This son of a bitch…”

Cheon Gaeul was about to curse but covered her mouth with her fist. Yooishin quickly typed.

[Is ‘that item’ the Cube that you, God, spoke of?]

“That’s right. The divine artifact that we must gather and destroy. We used and destroyed the one in Yeouido, so now there’s only one left in the Republic of Korea.”

Phoenix placed their hand on the map. Everyone’s expressions stiffened.

“My god. It’s there?”

Phoenix’s finger was pointing at Daejeon.

“Yes. Daejeon. Right next to New Seoul.”

Everyone fell silent. The city of Daejeon was not only a transportation hub but also, more importantly, a place where South Korea’s scientific technology was concentrated.

And one more thing.

“It was Seonui Cheol’s constituency when he was a congressman. Which means…”

“So, another Cube is enshrined in Daejeon by Seonui Cheol?”

Phoenix was about to nod, then smiled ambiguously.

“It’s practically Seonui Cheol’s possession, but he probably doesn’t know that he has the Cube himself.”

“Huh?”

Jihwa asked back blankly. Gaeul clicked her tongue, urging for an explanation.

“Don’t keep it to yourself again; can you explain it so we can understand?”

Everyone nodded. Phoenix twisted the end of the veil hanging around their neck with a finger for a moment, then clapped their hands.

“The Core Research Institute built in Daejeon. Someone will be researching there. Without Seonui Cheol knowing.”