A Gate Opened On My First Day As A Politician - Chapter 21: Hunters (5)

“Kiieeeeeek—!!”

A flaming wolf let out a piercing scream.

As the creature made its final desperate struggle, embers scattered in all directions, large flames raging uncontrollably.

A man wearing a helmet leaped off a motorcycle.

“…Uh, hey.”

The man, leaving his motorcycle, addressed Gam Chul, who was supporting Yeo Do-yeon.

“Hey, brother, can you ride this thing?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, yes…?”

While Gam Chul stammered in response to the abrupt question, the wolf swung its claws at his back.

“Ah, this damn thing…!”

Despite taking the hit directly, only his jacket tore; he didn’t even flinch. The man irritably pulled out a beer bottle.

“You bastard!”

He hurled the bottle at the rampaging wolf. With a sharp smell of fuel, the wolf started thrashing again.

“Hey! Can’t you hold it properly?!”

“S-sorry—!”

When he yelled and pointed at the sky, a woman appeared at the window of an apartment and apologized.

The flames began to move. As the flickering fire formed a circle around the creature, it became trapped, unable to move, and burned to ashes.

The man lightly tapped the motorcycle.

“…Can you ride this or not?”

“Yes, I can!”

“The lady’s bleeding like crazy. Get her on the back.”

Following his instructions, Gam Chul and Yeo Do-yeon got on the motorcycle. The man pulled a knife from his leather jacket’s inner pocket and gave directions.

“Two blocks straight, one right, two lefts. Basement parking lot of Building 703. Got it?”

“Y-yes, got it.”

“Tell the doorman to take the lady to the grandma on the 7th floor.”

Gam Chul swallowed hard and nodded. The motorcycle sped off in the direction the man had indicated.

“Damn it…”

He threw his torn leather jacket onto the burning monster, lit a cigarette from the flames, and took a deep drag.

The fire, fueled by the creature, filled the air with the smell of seared flesh under Seoul’s overcast sky. Amid the haze, cigarette smoke wafted faintly between the apartments.

“…Hmm? Oh, you there, in the suit.”

Finally, the man looked at me and grinned.

“Let’s have a chat.”

“It’s rare to see anyone walking around in a suit these days.”

The middle-aged man strolled over with cigarette smoke trailing behind him.

“And it’s even rarer to see someone take a hit from that wolf bastard and live.”

“…That’s my sister.”

“An outsider, huh.”

He extended his hand to me.

“David Kim Chun-sik.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Korean name Kim Chun-sik. American name David Kim. Call me whatever you like.”

I examined the man’s face carefully. The features inside his helmet were unmistakably—

“…Western?”

“It feels weird to suddenly be called a foreigner.”

“Oh, my apologies.”

“Well, I am foreign. U.S. military.”

“…Ah, I see. I’m Han Seung-Moon. Thank you for your help.”

I shook his hand firmly. He gave a slight nod and started walking. I limped after him as he began mumbling with a cigarette between his lips.

“The world’s gone to hell. These half-human bastards just shoot people like it’s nothing. You saw them earlier, right?”

“…You mean the people on the truck?”

“They were causing trouble all over the area, so I lured them here to feed the wolf.”

His words were chilling. He glanced back at me and added briefly.

“Didn’t expect anyone to follow afterward.”

I asked him, “Is this the camp with thousands of survivors?”

“It’s not really a camp. People isolated in apartments started mingling, and others nearby gathered here. Around 1,200, maybe?”

“That’s impressive.”

“You came here not knowing?”

By then, he had finished his cigarette. He flicked it to the ground so quickly I barely saw the motion. The cigarette was crushed instantly upon hitting the floor.

“So, what do you do, kid? These days, it’s rare to see someone dressed like that.”

“Oh, well, I’m in politics.”

“Ah, what, city council? An aide?”

Diplomacy had begun.

“I’m Assemblyman Han Seung-Moon. I’ve come from the Seoul Emergency Martial Law Command.”

—

“Who is it?”

“A distinguished guest. Where did those others go?”

“They went to the grandma for treatment.”

“When they’re done, guide them to Unit 504.”

“Yes, sir.”

David Kim issued strict instructions to the doorman, who replied cheerfully with a casual tone.

He seemed like the type to maintain an easy rapport with subordinates. I calmly asked a question.

“Are you the person in charge here?”

“The boss?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not like we have a rigid hierarchy, but if we had to pick, I’m kinda halfway there… Ah, whatever. I’m the boss. Let’s go upstairs.”

He led me toward the stairs. Just then, a woman came down from above.

She was a beauty with short hair dyed red at the ends.

“Uncle Chun-sik! Oh, who’s this…?”

She gasped as she approached me.

“Oh no, your leg…! What should we do…?!”

She fussed over me with concern. David Kim added dryly.

“He got hurt because of you.”

“R-really?!”

“No.”

“Hey!”

She kicked Kim Chun-sik’s shin hard, but—

“Ouch!”

With a strange groan, she grabbed her foot and crouched down. David Kim naturally supported me and muttered.

“Should I help you up the stairs?”

“That would be much appreciated.”

He slipped an arm under my shoulder. I cautiously climbed the stairs, one step at a time.

“Oh! Nice to meet you. I’m Hong Seon-ah!”

The crouching woman hopped up and grabbed my hand, shaking it enthusiastically. I was forcefully greeted.

“I’m Han Seung-Moon. Thank you for your help.”

“Nice to meet you, Assemblyman Han! Are you feeling okay?”

“Oh, yes. Thanks to you…”

Hong Seon-ah chatted away as we climbed the stairs. She was a stark contrast to the reserved David Kim.

“Sorry we couldn’t keep an eye on the area during the operation. Did you see the Gate open earlier? The sky was cloudy, so we didn’t notice until stuff started pouring out!”

She kept smiling as she bombarded me with questions.

“By the way, were you hiding around this area—”

David Kim cut her off to answer.

“Someone sent from the government.”

“…What?”

“They’re from the government.”

“Oh.”

Hong Seon-ah, who had been climbing the stairs, froze awkwardly.

“Really?!”

She began hopping up and down excitedly.

“You’re really from the government? For real?!”

“Yes.”

“Are we getting rescued now?”

“Probably.”

“Yay!”

She let out several squeals of joy before turning to David Kim.

“Uncle Chun-sik! Can I tell the others?!”

“No.”

“Why not?!”

“We need to hear what he has to say first.”

Whether this suit-wearing newcomer was really from the government, or perhaps a spy from another group, there were still several verifications I needed to pass. She seemed to realize this belatedly, blinking a few times before smiling bashfully.

“I’ll go prepare some food!”

—

“Please try this too!”

“Oh, uh, sure…”

“It’s instant tteokbokki mixed with tuna mayo rice balls and string cheese. It’s really good!”

Hong Seon-ah beamed brightly as she urged me to eat. Her enthusiasm was almost audible: *chu-rai, chu-rai*.

“It’s a secret recipe my friend from Apartment 801 taught me! It’s amazing—oh, wait, this isn’t important right now.”

Her ever-present smile was slightly disarming. Her cheerful demeanor made her striking beauty, with her sharp features, seem almost out of place.

Hong Seon-ah, her eyes sparkling, asked me a question.

“You’re really from the government?”

“Yes, from the Martial Law Command in northern Gyeonggi Province.”

“Oh, thank goodness…! What news do you bring? Rescue?”

While the real reason I was here was to recruit a pyromancer and bolster my public image, I couldn’t say that. Similarly, my plans to rescue Kang Seok-ho and provide hope to isolated citizens weren’t something I could mention just yet.

So, I simply smiled silently. It felt like walking a tightrope; I had to stay alert.

“Oh, you said you’d explain later…”

For now, we sat alone in a large house, eating cheese tuna mayo tteokbokki. David Kim had told us to wait while he called in the leaders.

I carefully asked her a question.

“David mentioned he was gathering the leaders. How does your organization function?”

“Hmm?”

Chewing on some tteokbokki, she answered cheerfully.

“Well, there are team leaders for hunting, heads of the apartment women’s associations, security guards, a grandma doctor, and the department store manager. There’s a whole bunch of people!”

Though the response wasn’t specific, it was clear the organization was decentralized, with distinct roles for combat, logistics, medical care, and operations.

It could be described as rudimentary—or resourceful.

“I see.”

“But the core is definitely the hunting teams! They handle food supplies, rescuing people, all of it, because they’re Awakeners.”

“You call them Awakeners?”

“Yes. This whole group started because Uncle Chun-sik wiped out all the monsters in the area and formed it. For reference, he’s the leader of Team 1, and I’m Team 2’s leader!”

I was starting to get the picture.

It was a horizontal organization, but David Kim clearly acted as the de facto leader. Hong Seon-ah, as the leader of Team 2, also held significant authority.

I watched the cheese tuna mayo tteokbokki with interest and took a bite. It was delicious, but that wasn’t the important part.

Prepared with water and fire—luxuries in a world where water and gas services were no longer functioning—it was an extravagant dish.

“How did you make this?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s really good. I didn’t expect to enjoy something like this when water and gas are cut off.”

Hong Seon-ah readily explained.

“We use bottled water! Surprisingly, there’s a decent amount if you scavenge PET bottles. Of course, it’s barely enough to survive. Washing or brushing your teeth? Forget it…”

She muttered gloomily. Now that I noticed, her hair was a little shiny.

“And as for fire, well—hiya!”

A small flame flared from her fingertips. She held it out with a proud smile.

“Ta-da!”

I clenched my fist unconsciously.

“…A pyromancer.”

“Ah, no need to call me something so fancy.”

I immediately adjusted my objective.

“No, I’ve seen you on TV. You were truly impressive. It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Hong Seon-ah.”

“Why are you saying that? You’re making me blush… hehe.”

She giggled bashfully and popped another piece of tteokbokki into her mouth. I gushed over her like a fan meeting their idol.

“That towering pillar of flame—you were awe-inspiring. Taking down monsters in one sweep was just—!”

“Ah, it’s not that easy!”

I managed to suppress a grin. Hong Seon-ah elaborated in a soft voice.

“Usually, it’s more efficient to toss small fireballs after dousing them in oil, like earlier.”

David Kim had hurled a beer bottle at the monster earlier, and small fireballs had followed from the apartment window.

Hong Seon-ah puffed out her chest and continued confidently.

“So! I’m really not that great—”

Beep. The sound of a door lock opening interrupted her.

As murmurs filled the air, David Kim entered the house with a group of people.

I put aside my thoughts about the pyromancer for now and stood to greet them.

“Hyung…?”

“…Seok-ho!”

I limped toward Seok-ho and clung to him.

“Seok-ho…!”

“Hyung, why—why are you here…?”

“I couldn’t leave you behind…!”

“No, Hyung, what are you—!”

“I’m sorry, Seok-ho…!”

A single tear rolled down my cheek like a perfect pearl.

…Save me, you bastard!