Chapter 660

〈 Chapter 660 〉 Part 2, Chapter 3, Section 25

<March 2nd, 11:00 AM, Anyang City Prison>

Layer upon layer of mountains.

If the unease caused by a massive influx of monsters wasn’t enough, adding another layer of anxiety would surely push people over the edge.

Especially if notorious criminals—those who had committed murders, rapes, and arson—were relocated to New Seoul, its citizens would undoubtedly harbor strong resentment.

Why New Seoul of all places?

Even with the mighty Light Blade standing guard, the people of New Seoul viewed villains and criminals as nothing more than society’s trash, deserving nothing less than exile. Thus, there was no positive sentiment toward the large number of villains and criminals recently captured in Seoul.

In the end, the only place left for these villains to be temporarily held was the existing facility: prison.

From lowly E-Rank petty offenders to high-ranking B-Rank bounty hunters with price tags in the billions, their presence alone would have been enough to overshadow any success from the Seoul Recovery Operation. Had it not been for the appearance of 20,000 *zo-ba-ri* (monsters), the mission might’ve still been considered a partial victory.

Normally destined for association investigations and eventual transfer to specialized villain prisons, these individuals were instead detained at Anyang Prison on a temporary basis. The situation was already precarious when prisoners began to stir unrest.

“Hey! Open the door!”

“Do you think I’ll ever do something as dumb as teaming up with Sun Icheol again?”

“If we’re doomed either way, let’s just break out and go down fighting!!”

The bars of rusted iron rattled violently as the villains inside seemed like an assembly of the worst dregs imaginable. Heroes sent by the Association tried their best to calm the prisoners but met little success.

“Uh, sir… what do we do now?”

“I don’t know. Everything feels so uncertain.”

Among them stood Guro-based villain <Lighthouse> Ji Hwa, sighing deeply. His attempts to use his千里眼 ability (clairvoyance) were thwarted by the anti-villain collar around his neck, preventing his powers from manifesting.

“Sir, can’t your power detect any escape routes?”

“If I could’ve done that, I’d already be long gone.”

It was a lie. Ji Hwa had already scouted an escape route but decided against moving too hastily. He knew triggering chaos prematurely would alert others. Instead, he opted for stealth.

“This situation will likely erupt into a full-blown riot soon. We’ll use that moment to slip away.”

“You’re truly the man, boss. Damn those crazy girls though…”

“…Dongbae, weren’t you caught later?”

“Yeah…so how’d the ‘Thousand Rags’ gang fare?”

“That…well…the Guro crew fought hard, but those insane women were even crazier than Thousand Rags and wiped us out.”

“What?! But I thought Thousand Rags was tough!”

“That raggedy group? They didn’t even fight properly because some blonde hooligan chick distracted them. She looked like she’d given up or something.”

“Aaaagh, damn it.”

Ji Hwa clenched his teeth, regretting not witnessing the scene firsthand. Most of the prisoners here weren’t just from Guro; they were infamous troublemakers from across the city.

“Shit, if we get sent to New Seoul, we’ll become lackeys for Sun Icheol.”

“Lackeys? That’d be lucky. Haven’t you heard some guys get their hearts ripped out and sold off to mines or salt fields?”

“Are you serious? This isn’t medieval times! Stop spreading rumors while everyone else is already restless enough…”

Ji Hwa swallowed hard before pretending to faint, closing his eyes and collapsing backward. One of his subordinates followed suit, cleverly playing along.

A short while later, the noise level dropped as prisoners began fainting one by one. Once everyone in the room appeared unconscious, a shadow emerged from the wall, slipping silently into the cell.

“Wow, there are so many. And these are all villains?”

The mysterious figure’s voice was distorted, making it impossible to determine gender. Clad in a black robe resembling a ghost, they surveyed the scene with eerie precision. Despite having his eyes closed, Ji Hwa could sense this intruder thanks to his latent abilities and continued feigning sleep.

“Hmm, marking each one individually is gonna be exhausting work. Better pick the useful ones first.”

The ghostly figure rolled up their sleeves and pulled out something from within their robes. Their slender wrist suggested they might be female, further reinforced by the neatness of their gloved hands.

“Hmm, this guy’s E-Rank? Still, he’s kinda cute, so pass.”

The mysterious woman circled the clavicle of a D-Rank male villain captured in Guanak Prison. She proceeded to mark various prisoners with either an “O” or “X.”

Clack, clack. Her footsteps stopped near Ji Hwa and his subordinate. After scrutinizing the latter for a moment—

“This is a C-Rank? Jackpot… Hmm, but bald heads… Nope, rejected.”

She drew a large “X” on the subordinate’s shiny scalp, causing visible veins to bulge in frustration.

“You bastards!”

The subordinate lunged forward, attempting to grab her collar. Startled, the woman jabbed him with her pen.

“Graaaah?!”

“Pens are mightier than swords. Sorry, but unless you’re A-Rank, you won’t stand a chance against me. Besides, pretending to sleep? Bit arrogant, aren’t we?”

With a flick of her finger, the necklace around the subordinate’s neck emitted a powerful electric shock, frying him instantly. Ji Hwa, keeping his eyes shut, witnessed everything through his abilities.

“Hmm, let’s see…your face…oh wow! Aren’t you the <Lighthouse> from Guro??”

The woman grinned widely as she squatted in front of Ji Hwa.

“I was actually looking for you. What a stroke of luck. Hey, wake up!”

“Who…who are you?”

“Me? The <Tattooist>.”

Her lips curved beneath the hood.

“There’s someone I work with who’s interested in you. Lucky you. I’ll pull you out separately.”

“What…does that mean?”

“Sleep for now.”

With a swift motion, she traced Ji Hwa’s eyelids with her pen. Darkness enveloped him immediately, accompanied by a burning sensation around his necklace and the icy tone of her voice piercing his soul.

“My client has a grudge against someone you owe a debt to.”

“Ugh…grrr…”

“You seem like a sharp one, so let me explain.”

Leaning closer, she whispered directly into his ear.

“You’ve been rejected. You cannot join the Patriotic Youth Corps. Hahaha!”

Swoosh. She slashed vertically from his forehead to his chin with her pen, leaving behind a mark resembling an “X.”

“<Lighthouse>, OUT.”

Moments later, individuals bearing the Tattooist’s emblem on their necks entered the prison, stripping the unconscious prisoners of their clothes.

“Take the Os, leave the Xs.”

Heroes from the Patriotic Youth Corps stationed in New Seoul collected those marked with an “O,” leaving the prison. Meanwhile, villains like Ji Hwa, marked with prominent “Xs,” were fitted with stricter restraints and abandoned in the cells.

“Where are they taking them?”

“To a deserted island.”

“What’s there?”

“Shh. Mind your own business. If you wanna go to America, keep talking.”

Of the prisoners captured in Seoul, half were taken somewhere unknown, while the other half remained imprisoned, awaiting societal condemnation.

—

<11:49 AM, Oracle Studio, New Seoul>

“And this is my local collaborator and former villain, <Masquerade>, Cheon Gaeul.”

I introduced Cheon Gaeul to the group. Yuna, Raon, Nuri, and Gaon glanced curiously at the petite high school girl sitting beside me.

“Is this really her?”

“Huh? I thought she’d be tall with big boobs, but nah, we’re about the same size. Kekeke.”

“Nope. That’s her real form. This is just a disguise.”

“…What a cruel world!”

Kim Nuri failed. Yuna was the only one who could hold her ground, but even Raon admitted Gaeul’s prowess was unmatched.

“Alright, I get it. For the boss’s grand plan, even villains are acceptable allies?”

“Thank you for understanding, Yuna. Yes, sometimes we must cooperate with former villains to save the world.”

Heroine exclusive dialogue.

“I have a question. Will Cheon Gaeul stay like this forever?”

“That’s the plan. Whose form did you transform into?”

“…A person I know from high school.”

Using Masquerade’s <Disguise> special ability, Cheon Gaeul decided to pose as a high school student to conceal her identity.

“Yuna, why are you staring at her like that?”

“It’s just…she resembles someone…”

“I’ll never tell. It’s a secret.”

By invoking her right to remain silent, we couldn’t uncover whose form she had borrowed.

“In any case, starting today, Cheon Gaeul will officially join our team, but until August, she needs to lay low.”

“What? Then what am I supposed to do?”

“What else?”

Snap. Yuna raised a prepared uniform.

“You need to earn money. Those who refuse to work shall not eat.”

“So…you’re basically telling me to fight you by working?”

“Fair labor deserves fair pay.”

“Fine…where should I work?”

I pointed downstairs.

“Cheongnyeon. I briefly discussed this with Gaeul earlier…aren’t you kind of from my generation…?”

“N-no way!”

At 32 years old, unemployed, Cheon Gaeul found new life as a part-time worker at an unnamed café in New Seoul.