When Park Sang-min entered the monster-controlled zone with Je Pung-ho, his authority was awe-inspiring.

He rode in a chauffeured car, accompanied by aides who yelled and grabbed people by their collars on his behalf.

Now, he was alone, driving a car running on fumes.

The vehicle, clearly using poor-quality fuel, belched thick black smoke from its exhaust, filling the air with a stench reminiscent of a forest fire.

“People really look down on proportional representation, don’t they?”

It was a topic he brought up after swallowing his dry spit several times, forcing the words out.

I remained silent, merely checking the direction the vehicle was heading.

It seemed to be heading toward Yeouido.

“But proportional representation is a legitimate form of public representation determined by law and the will of the people. It’s an advanced system first adopted by developed countries like Germany and Northern Europe, aimed at diversifying policies and expanding the interests of minorities.”

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Oh, to the National Assembly.”

“Just the two of us?”

“No, there will be reinforcements waiting in front of the Assembly.”

As soon as the short exchange ended, I turned my head to look out the window.

At least Park Sang-min was perceptive enough to realize I didn’t want to talk to him. Seeing him clamp his mouth shut confirmed that much.

In front of the National Assembly, whose roof was half-collapsed, stood a group of people, including soldiers.

It appeared they had arrived by bus parked nearby.

“Assemblyman!”

“Assemblyman~!”

Middle-aged men and women greeted Park Sang-min with beaming smiles.

They seemed like his followers.

What stood out was the predominance of middle-aged women over men.

Park Sang-min approached one of the women and bowed excessively. I didn’t care.

There was someone far more important here.

“It’s been a while.”

It was Baek Seung-hyun, my senior by one year.

My blood had already run cold, reptilian cold, during the ride with Park Sang-min, but seeing Baek’s face sent an icy chill deep into my core.

As I offered a brief nod of acknowledgment, I considered how to deal with this man.

“...”

For now, let’s keep the house a secret.

Yes, that would be best.

“Ah, Senior Baek, it’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Senior? That’s too much.”

He offered me a cigarette.

It was a pre-war product with a filter.

I held it in my mouth briefly before he could light it, but for some reason, I felt nauseated.

I wasn’t a non-smoker.

I had smoked my fair share.

What made me retch was the rancid, corpse-like odor seeping into my mouth through the filter.

“Good stuff. Pre-war cigarettes have their charm.”

I expressed gratitude while the nicotine-laden smoke chased away the stench of death in my mouth.

“I got it with great difficulty,” Baek replied with a faint smile.

I wanted to ask how he got it but held back.

We stood side by side, smoking, watching Park Sang-min’s actions.

Rather than preparing for a monster hunt, he seemed to be campaigning.

He shook hands and hugged each of his supporters who had come this far to see him.

Baek, his face indifferent, watched as he exhaled a puff of white smoke.

“Were you called here too?”

“Yes. I had some connections.”

“Got it. Are you still in your bunker?”

“No, I moved to Incheon.”

“Oh, I’m in Incheon too. Near Michuhol.”

“I’m in Gyeyang.”

“Gyeyang?”

Baek’s eyes widened in surprise.

“That place was declared a warzone. Didn’t giant monsters push that far in?”

“I evacuated south during that time.”

“I see. Is your house still intact?”

“I need to check. There wasn’t much worth calling a household, so I doubt there’d be much damage. What’s going on here, anyway?”

I smoothly shifted the subject.

Baek didn’t seem suspicious of my intentions.

In fact, he seemed to enjoy the change in topic, his subtle smile suggesting it pleased him.

“In short, it’s a show.”

Baek looked up at the sky.

Above, indifferent clouds floated leisurely against the blue.

“That guy—Park Sang-min—wants to act as the people's representative, but he has nothing to show for it. So, he’s staging a spectacle to hold a vote at the Assembly. The problem? Capsules are inside the Assembly.”

“He wants to make a name for himself by removing the capsules?”

“Exactly.”

“I thought they were monsters.”

“That’s the public narrative. They’re capsules.”

Baek spat on the ground with a click of his tongue.

He glanced at the forlorn children huddled in a corner of the crowd.

“For all we know, he might’ve placed them there himself.”

“That’s the kind of thing fanatics would do.”

“Are you going to do it?”

Baek glanced at the Assembly.

“We’ll see.”

He smiled faintly.

Shortly after, several vehicles arrived in front of the Assembly.

A flag fluttering from one of the vehicles identified them.

<9th Pioneer Corps>

“I’ll be off now. I wasn’t summoned by Park Sang-min but by those folks.”

Baek had connections with the Pioneer Corps.

Not just connections—he was fully part of their group.

Standing among the rugged, bandit-like men in civilian clothes, he laughed more freely and heartily than he had with me.

“Well then, Assemblyman, I’ll go on reconnaissance.”

Moments later, Baek and the Pioneer Corps entered the Assembly.

While waiting for their return, Park Sang-min approached me.

“Hunter Park.”

“Yes?”

“You seem to know Hunter Baek.”

“We went to the same school.”

“Ah~.”

“Assemblyman, didn’t you go to school?”

I asked, knowing full well he hadn’t.

“I’m from the Evaluation Institute.”

“Interesting.”

“We’re about to start the operation.”

“Let’s hear the briefing.”

I had no intention of getting involved in Park Sang-min’s schemes.

My favor to Woo Min-hee was just to assist his campaign, not ensure his election.

So, I just needed to go through the motions.

Honestly, would everyone gathered here even vote for him?

I doubted it.

Oblivious to my thoughts, Park Sang-min smiled naively as he eagerly explained his plan.

“It’s simple. You and I will enter the Assembly together. Inside, there’s a capsule. We deal with it. It’s not a difficult task at all. Honestly, compared to what Chairman Je Pung-ho faced, this is a breeze.”

“Assemblyman, have you ever been in combat?”

I directed the question at him.

He looked surprised, then shook his head.

“I won’t be participating in the combat.”

“Why not?”

“Hunter Park, you’ll handle it. I hear you can single-handedly destroy capsules with ease.”

A suspicion arose.

What kind of life does one lead to be able to force such sacrifices on others with a grin?

“Hunter Park?”

He tilted his head, awaiting my response.

With a sigh, I answered.

“That was a long time ago. Nowadays, I’m—”

I was about to make an excuse to back out when he interrupted.

“It’s for the people.”

“What?”

Despite my intent to remain composed, his words elicited an involuntary emotional response.

“What kind of bullshit is that?”

It was a sharp retort.

But Park Sang-min didn’t waver.

“It’s not bullshit. It’s for the people.”

For a moment, I wondered if the “people” he referred to were a twisted, first-person version of himself.

“Seriously, how is this for the people? Isn’t this just about you getting elected?”

“That too is for the people.”

“What?”

“Now—”

Today seemed to be my lucky day.

I didn’t even need to argue further; someone else shut him up.

“This is insane!”

Baek Seung-hyun and the Pioneer Corps burst out of the Assembly, their voices furious.

Both of us turned to look at the commotion.

“This is way too dangerous! Capsules? Without proper Hunter equipment, it’s suicide!”

It was Baek, shouting loudly.

Having spoken with him before, I knew he wasn’t one to raise his voice unnecessarily.

“This bullshit—what the fuck? Are you trying to get us killed?”

This time, it was clear—Baek’s anger was directed at Park Sang-min.

“Ah, Assemblyman.”

The man’s tone was anything but respectful. His casual demeanor and challenging gaze were a clear provocation.

“Our hunters said they can’t do it. They need more support.”

I glanced at Park Sang-min’s face.

Although he tried to maintain a neutral expression, his flushed cheeks betrayed his anger. It seemed he couldn’t entirely suppress his emotions.

“...Just leave.”

His voice was restrained, as if he were holding back a tidal wave of frustration.

The man from the Pioneer Corps didn’t even bother responding. He simply turned around and barked out orders.

“Hey, we’re done here! Let’s go!”

Engines roared to life as several vehicles started up simultaneously.

Vroom!

The tattered flags mounted on the vehicles trembled weakly, reflecting the vibrations of their engines.

Then, Baek Seung-hyun approached, riding his signature vintage motorcycle. His goggles and German-style helmet added to his unique appearance.

“Hunter Park!”

“Yes?”

“Do you have a personal identification number? Let’s grab a drink sometime.”

“No, I don’t have one.”

“Didn’t you have one before?”

“I did, but it’s gone now. A lot has happened since then.”

I noticed Park Sang-min giving me a peculiar look, but it was fleeting.

“Is that so? That’s unfortunate.”

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yes, Senior Baek. What’s your identification number? In case I ever get one again, I’d like to get in touch.”

As far as I knew, Baek Seung-hyun, unlike me, hadn’t been granted an identification number.

Apparently, that had changed. He seemed confident enough to flaunt it.

I expected him to answer—and he didn’t disappoint.

Baek, wearing a smile that made him look both mature and childlike, cheerfully replied, “DARAM.”

“Daram?”

“Yeah, I like squirrels.”

“What?”

I frowned, staring at him.

Seeing my expression, Baek quickly erased his smile and gave a more serious answer.

“...Actually, it’s from Hunter Kim Daram.”

That was a lie.

There was no way that possessive woman would hand something like that over to him.

“Ah, I see.”

“Let’s grab that drink sometime. You’re in Gyeyang, right? I’ll visit if I get the chance.”

I had many questions for him, but one thing was certain: he had more friends than I did.

Armed friends, numbering in the dozens.

Still, there was one thing I wanted to confirm.

“Do you know anything about Commissioner Kim Daram?”

I locked eyes with him as I asked.

“Not really,” Baek replied, revving his motorcycle engine.

“I’ve heard she’s joined the Legion faction.”

He looked at me and added, “She made the wrong bet.”

I wasn’t so sure.

Kim Daram was a smart woman. Among the people I knew, she was the sharpest.

I was convinced she wasn’t dead.

Baek’s motorcycle roared as he departed, leaving a deafening sound in his wake.

Park Sang-min approached me with an awkward smile.

“Haha... Hunter Park.”

It seemed I was his last hope now.

All those supporters, all his power, even the aides who used to grab people by the collar to show their loyalty—gone.

All that remained were a few powerless supporters.

“Go, Park Sang-min!”

One middle-aged woman shouted awkwardly, and the others followed suit.

“Go, Park Sang-min!”
“Assemblyman Park, stay strong!”
“U.Y.P.B.! Park Sang-min!”

They even threw in an outdated slogan that hadn’t been relevant for years.

“...”

Clad in tepid, lukewarm support, Park stood before me.

“Hunter Park.”

“I’m sorry, but I have no intention of taking any risks.”

I planned to politely decline and leave.

After all, there was no way this guy would offer me a ride, so I’d have to wait for someone from Woo Min-hee’s side.

But this guy—Park Sang-min—seemed intent on clinging to me.

Glancing at his supporters, he leaned in and started whispering.

“I made a mistake during Chairman Je Pung-ho’s time. I didn’t have connections because I’m not from a prominent school. I couldn’t recognize someone as remarkable as you.”

“I’m not the same as I used to be. It’s been over four years since I stood on a battlefield. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”

As I turned to leave, he blocked my path.

“For the people... Can’t you do it for the people?”

“What?”

This guy.

“For the people,” he repeated.

Why was he like this?

“I just need you to accompany me to the Assembly,” he pleaded, glancing back at his supporters.

A handful of people stared at him with expectant eyes.

“No.”

Suddenly, he looked like a scolded child about to cry.

“My mother is here...”

From the crowd, an older woman shouted in a raspy voice, “Sang-min! Stop and come here!”

It was the same woman he had excessively bowed to earlier. She must have been his mother.

“Come here!”

Tragically, the brave defender of our constitution, Assemblyman Park Sang-min, would never return to his mother’s embrace.