A Gate Opened On My First Day As A Politician - Chapter 18: Hunters (2)

“Pi Chae-won, I hear there are a lot of people in Apgujeong.”

– ‘I was aiming to recruit the pyrokinetic.’

“I’m planning to go to Seoul to help those people.”

– ‘It was also a good chance to raise my public profile.’

“Do you think you’ll come back safely?”

– ‘What could possibly go wrong?’

Pi Chae-won lay in bed, staring at me with a vacant expression for a long time before murmuring softly.

“Even if I told you not to go, you wouldn’t listen, would you?”

* * *

“…Are you saying you want to enter Apgujeong?”

“Yes.”

Cha Jae-kyun’s frosty gaze was followed by a sharp inquiry.

“An explanation is in order.”

I can’t let you take the pyrokinetic, that’s why.

“The people need reassurance.”

I’d learned many things from Yang Pan-seok, starting with the fact that anything with “the people” attached to it was already halfway convincing.

“The people are afraid.”

I maintained a resolute expression, pushing forward with my argument.

“Millions have died. That means everyone in the nation has lost at least one person they know. And now they’ve heard that thousands of people are alive in Apgujeong. How do you think they feel?”

Cha Jae-kyun, as always, maintained his stoic expression, remaining silent. I softened my voice with a somber look.

“Every person in this country must be hoping that one of those thousands is their family. And they are yearning for the government to save them. My going there will serve as a symbol. A testament that the government has not abandoned them—”

“I’ve heard enough of your justification.”

“What if Han Seung-Moon is present at that historic moment?”

“As I thought…”

Cha Jae-kyun shook his head, a look of weary exasperation on his face. His eyes showed a mix of admiration and disbelief.

“In my 38 years as a public servant, I’ve met many politicians. But I’ve never encountered a first-term assemblyman quite like you.”

“It’s simply my devotion to the people.”

Of course, my real goal was recruiting the pyrokinetic. The political ambition I was showcasing now was merely a smokescreen.

A politician’s antics always have hidden motives.

“First-term politicians are always hungry for attention.”

“And yet, you’re saying I should risk my life for it? I can’t authorize this. The military will handle the rescue mission.”

“I know! I understand that this is unreasonable!”

The second smokescreen: loyalty.

“…There’s someone named Kang Seok-ho in Apgujeong. I thought he was dead, but I saw his face on the news.”

“…”

“He’s a friend I used to drink with back when I was just a lackey for other assemblymen. Like me, he lost his parents early and has done everything he could to support his four younger siblings.”

I bowed my head, trembling, with an expression of deep regret.

“…When we fled Seoul, I left him behind.”

“…”

“I just want to go there and tell him I’m sorry. Please, Vice Minister.”

I smiled weakly from my wheelchair.

“Please, let me go there.”

– Translation: If you refuse after I’ve humiliated myself like this, I’ll take it as a sign you don’t want to work with me anymore.

I can’t lose the pyrokinetic, you bastard.

* * *

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Why does everyone keep saying that to me lately?”

“Seoul? *Seoul?!* Are you crazy?!”

Yeo Do-yeon hurled a pillow at me. With her naturally fierce look, she appeared even more pissed off.

“You’re not going!”

“It’s just a quick trip in a helicopter. Come on, let me go.”

“You must have a death wish! Do you want me to finish you off myself before the monsters get to you?”

“Ugh, why are you so overbearing?”

Though her reaction was less “clingy” and more physically aggressive, I wasn’t backing down on this.

If I wanted to break free from being Yang Pan-seok’s puppet and establish my own political identity as Han Seung-Moon, I couldn’t miss this opportunity.

Apgujeong had the nation’s attention.

The pyrokinetic was absolutely critical.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance I couldn’t let slip by.

I was the kind of person who pushed forward no matter what, and right now, my instincts told me this was the moment to act.

“I’ve always knocked when opportunity came. That’s how I earned my seat in the National Assembly.”

“What?”

I snapped firmly at Yeo Do-yeon, who looked startled.

“If you don’t seize the moment when it comes, you’re just a fool.”

“Yeah, well, you’re the fool.”

Hmm. That was a calculated jab.

“…Anyway, I have to go to Seoul myself.”

“Keep up with this recklessness, and you’ll get yourself killed.”

“If you want to play politics, you have to put yourself on the line. If you keep hiding in the background, you won’t even pick up scraps.”

“Hah! You’re unbelievable!”

Yeo Do-yeon pointed a finger at me in frustration.

“You’re risking your life just to grab power?”

“Who’s risking their life?”

I calmly brushed her finger away from my face and spoke evenly.

“Ten transport helicopters. Seven attack helicopters. Including Apaches.”

“…What?”

“Ten transport helicopters, each capable of carrying 50 people, and seven attack helicopters that could level a small village on their own.”

Cha Jae-kyun’s plan for the Apgujeong rescue operation was straightforward.

Alternate between the helicopters to evacuate civilians, with the seven attack helicopters providing protection.

It was an extravagant display. With oil imports from the Arab nations cut off, this level of resource usage was absurd unless aviation fuel was overflowing. They had even borrowed helicopters from the USFK.

However,

“The late president locked down all airports before his death.”

Gimpo, Incheon, Yangyang, Jeju, Daegu, Cheongju—

At the onset of the crisis, the president had sealed off every airport to prevent wealthy elites from escaping with their money. Then he died.

As a result, the military had taken control of all airports, and Vice Minister Cha Jae-kyun had requisitioned every drop of aviation fuel held by domestic airlines.

“Thankfully, our country refines and exports oil, so we have some reserves. Otherwise, we’d be in serious trouble.”

If we didn’t have enough fuel for tanks, the situation would be catastrophic. Fortunately, South Korea wasn’t that poorly prepared, with substantial wartime reserves in place.

“It’s a waste of resources, but Apgujeong carries significant political weight right now. That’s why Vice Minister Cha made this bold decision…”

You have to row when the tide is high.

I chewed nervously on my thumbnail.

“This is a golden opportunity. Do you get what I mean?”

“…Hey.”

Yeo Do-yeon slumped into a chair, looking exhausted.

“I don’t understand half of what you’re saying, but can’t you just avoid dangerous places? Do you really have to—”

“Noona.”

If I avoided danger, stayed silent, worked normally, got married, had kids, and lived an ordinary life…

“If that’s what I wanted, I wouldn’t have gone into politics.”

I might look like this, but I’m an ambitious man.

* * *

“…Can’t I go too?”

“Excuse me? Go where?”

Out of habit, I instinctively feigned ignorance, but Gam Chul adjusted his round glasses with a faint smile.

“I heard you’re going to Apgujeong.”

“Wait, how did you—anyway! Are you serious?”

It’s fine if I go, but not you.

“Assemblyman, please! Just this once! It’s not even supposed to be that dangerous!”

Why was this man suddenly acting like this? Had his reporter instincts finally exploded?

“Sir, what’s gotten into you?!”

“Does a journalist need a reason to be at the scene?”

The usually mild-mannered man suddenly seemed so assertive. Maybe he had a lead on something suspicious in Apgujeong.

“Let go of me!”

“Assemblyman!”

*Tsk.* I heard someone click their tongue nearby.

“Ji-yoon.”

“Hiyaaap!”

—*Thump!*

Gam Chul, flung midair, flew across the room and landed face-first into a bed, where he was promptly wrapped up like a burrito in the blanket.

Chun Hwa-ran and Gam Ji-yoon, who had easily subdued him, strode in confidently. Chun Hwa-ran spoke with a relaxed tone.

“It seems he’s starting to act like his old self now that he feels a little better.”

“…Was he always like this?”

“Completely reckless.”

Gam Ji-yoon, perched on her father’s cocooned body, giggled as she bounced up and down, reducing him to a quivering mess.

So this is the weight of fatherhood. She’s seven, so she probably weighs around 15 kilograms. Parents are expected to endure a 15-kilogram bundle jumping all over them.

Chun Hwa-ran smiled warmly.

“I’ll keep him tied up, so go on. He almost stopped you from doing something important for the Assemblyman.”

What an irony. Yeo Do-yeon had tried to stop me from going, while Chun Hwa-ran was stopping Gam Chul to let me go.

* * *

*-Eagle 5008. This is Eagle 4, preparing for takeoff. Affirmative. There’s some strong wind—please hold for a moment.*

The helicopter’s takeoff seemed slightly delayed. I fidgeted with the loose connection on my prosthetic leg, trying to calm my nerves.

What if a monster suddenly appeared in the sky? The thought was terrifying. But bringing Yeo Do-yeon along seemed risky, too.

I was going on this mission purely out of ambition; dragging my family into it would be irresponsible. And I knew full well that this was a dangerous endeavor.

Still, some things simply must be done, regardless of how you feel.

*-Eagle 5008, clear for takeoff. Roger. Wait, what—*

The helicopter’s engine settled down again. Someone was sprinting toward us in the distance.

Not at a normal human speed—

—*Bang!*

“Ugh!”

“Okay, let’s go!”

Yeo Do-yeon, who had sprinted at full speed, rammed into me and shouted to the pilot.

The pilot glanced back and flicked three switches on the control panel with a practiced wrist snap. Cool guy.

“Why are you here?”

“Why do you think?”

It’s because she was worried. That’s why I hadn’t asked her to come. And because she was worried, she’d followed me anyway—probably going straight to the upper ranks in the control room to get permission.

Looking at ease, she strapped herself into the helicopter seat. I spoke in a dull tone.

“Are you really coming?”

“What?”

“Put on the headphones.”

Yeo Do-yeon took a headset from a soldier. Once she was connected to the comms, she immediately picked a fight.

“You were talking crap about me, weren’t you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m asking if you’re really coming.”

“You said it’s safe.”

“And you believed that?”

She grinned, flipping me off instead of answering. The gesture was plenty of an answer.

*-Eagle 5008, awaiting final clearance for takeoff. Over.*

The helicopter lifted into the sky, heading toward Seoul.

* * *

“So, the plan is straightforward. Ten transport helicopters will rotate, each carrying 50 people from Apgujeong to Namyangju.”

“How many people are there?!”

“Don’t yell—your headphones have a volume control. Anyway, the exact number is unknown.”

“How long is this going to take?!”

“Don’t know that either. Best case, a day and a half. Worst case, much longer.”

“And what do we do?!”

“Stay until every civilian has been evacuated. Offer reassurance. Oh, and I’ll apologize to Seok-ho while we’re at it.”

And recruit our adorable pyrokinetic.

Make a nationwide appearance as a hero, too.

All before the public labels me as Yang Pan-seok’s puppet.

Yeo Do-yeon crossed her arms and frowned, clearly uneasy. I finally allowed myself to look outside the helicopter.

Smoke was rising from the city.

In the distance, a skyscraper—a corporate vanity project—was belching black smoke like a burning tree.

On the streets, fragments of people were visible. Blood that had spread across the pavement was now dried and blackened.

Strangely, the sight of human corpses didn’t feel as grotesque as one might think. When bodies are scattered in pieces, they barely register as human.

It just felt… pitiful.

These were people who had lived hard lives—each with their families, ambitions, and dreams—now reduced to feeding maggots on the roadside.

How had the world come to this?

No.

The world had always been like this.

Kashmir. The Middle East. South Sudan. The Balkans. South Ossetia. Moldova. Slums. The Mexican cartels. North Korea.

This was just how things were.

But.

“Why am I only realizing it now…?”

*-Eagle 5008, report your situation. Over. What the—?!*

The pilot’s voice was laced with disbelief just as the helicopter jolted violently.

A strong gust of wind hit us. Without seatbelts, we would have been thrown to the floor—

*SCREEEEEECH!*

A blood-curdling screech echoed, as if it tore through the very atmosphere.

The pilot nosedived sharply, almost crashing the helicopter. My body lifted from the seat momentarily.

Then, something passed above us.

A momentary whooshing sound accompanied by the chopper trembling violently.

We began to spin, spiraling downward as if about to crash.

“Shit!”

The pilot yelled, desperately wrestling with the controls. Somehow, he managed to regain partial stability.

A soldier beside him shouted.

“Captain Park! What’s going on?!”

“The tail’s gone, damn it!”

“W-what?!”

“The tail rotor’s destroyed, you idiot!”

Looking closely, it was clear the pilot wasn’t steering anymore; he was just trying to maintain balance.

In other words, if he let go of the controls, we’d crash immediately.

I spotted the monster that had passed above us—it was circling back.

Its massive bat-like wings were visible, and it was heading straight for us again.

The pilot abruptly tilted the helicopter sideways, sending us spinning toward a lower altitude.

“Jump—now!”

The helicopter hovered midair, still shaking, while the pilot masterfully maintained its position.

I looked out the window. Below us was the roof of a high-rise building. The fall was survivable, though still dangerous.

One soldier swore loudly before opening the door and leaping out—only to miss the roof and plummet to his death.

As soon as I unbuckled my seatbelt, Yeo Do-yeon scooped me up and leapt out with all her might.

I shut my eyes as the wind whipped through my hair. The roar of the helicopter engine filled my ears.

We hit the roof hard, rolling several times from the impact.

My ears rang, and my vision blurred. Slowly, I got up, confirming that a few soldiers had successfully made it onto the roof.

One had fallen like the first, but most had landed safely.

The pilot, however, was doomed.

The monster came back, colliding with the helicopter.

*BOOM!!!*

The explosion filled the sky with flames and a deafening roar. Helicopter fragments flew near us, but miraculously, no one was injured.

I stared blankly at the sky.

A Gate had appeared in the space we had just passed through.

As I stared at it in shock, Yeo Do-yeon smacked the back of my head and started dragging me away.

“…Damn it.”

The world doesn’t always go the way you want.

The gamble had failed.