Convict Unit: Black Parade

Jae-hee strapped on his two swords and new boots.

“Alright, perfect! All set!”

He walked over to Status Window, who was panting as he fumbled with the buttons on his suit jacket.

“Window!”

“Yeah? What’s up desu?”

“Here, wear this.”

Jae-hee handed his Foghowler-leather windbreaker to Status Window.

“I know that suit jacket has some defensive stats, but it doesn’t look like it fits you right. This one’s a bit bigger. Put it on.”

“Whoa… thanks desu. I’ll make good use of it desu.”

“I’m only lending it to you for this mission, okay? It’s not yours to keep. This is mine!”

Status Window immediately shed the ill-fitting jacket and pulled on Jae-hee’s windbreaker. It was still a little snug, but far more comfortable than the suit.

“Ah, I can breathe again desu! But isn’t this the jacket you treasure so much desu? Why are you lending it to me desu?”

“Hehe. I’m wearing a suit now. Just wanted to get into character.”

Despite what he said, the real reason was different.

I’ve got a bad feeling…

Not that any mission had ever felt good, but this time the sense of foreboding was different. It was the unpleasant feeling of being a piece on a board, toyed with by giant fingers…

That was why he’d given the extra armor to Status Window, the teammate with the lowest chance of survival. Just in case.

THUD!

The transport landed, and the hatch opened.

The five prisoners disembarked first, scanning their surroundings. Nearby, a line of bright yellow tape cordoned off the area—a Gate Line.

Beyond the tape, a small, purple Gate throbbed, pulsing with a violet aura.

“Good morning. We’re the Gwanaksan Mountaineering Club, the guild managing the Mt. Gwanak area.”

A local Hunter Guild was controlling the perimeter. A middle-aged man in a combat uniform—the apparent guild leader—approached and handed them a file.

“We sent in a reconnaissance UGV to check the interior. The only monsters are Slimes.”

“Huh? A you-gee what?” Jae-hee asked, prompting Status Window to step in and explain.

“Unmanned Ground Vehicle desu. It’s like an RC car with a camera.”

“Language… so hard… so scary…”

Commander Seo stepped forward, took the file, and signed it.

The Gwanaksan Mountaineering Club’s leader gestured toward the Gate with his chin.

“It’s an order from on high, so we’ll get out of your way. I don’t know what you’re planning in there, but… be careful. Accidents always happen when you let your guard down, thinking it’s an easy one.”

“We will. Thank you for your cooperation.”

With a pleasant smile, Commander Seo gestured, and her subordinates—along with the Secret Service agents—poured out of the transport.

The Mountaineering Club backed away as a literal red carpet was rolled out from the transport to the Gate’s entrance.

“This way, miss.”

The Secret Service agents who had laid the carpet escorted Dia out of the transport.

As they started toward the Gate, Jae-hee piped up. “Are the Secret Service people coming with us?”

“Of course we are.” The woman with the bob cut and sunglasses standing next to Dia nodded. “The Secret Service has selected only its most vetted Awakened. We will keep Miss Dia safe inside the Gate.”

“Then what are we…?”

“While we handle the protection, your group will be responsible for handling any approaching monsters.”

Letting out an “Ah,” Jae-hee scratched the back of his head. So that was the plan all along.

Behind him, Ghost adjusted her sunglasses, her eyes narrowing in silence. Her gaze was fixed on the five Awakened from the Secret Service escorting Dia.

“Alright, alright, let’s move! Miss Dia’s safety is the top priority… now, enter!”

“Entering!”

Five agents from the Secret Service. Five convicts from the Black Parade.

Escorted by a detail of ten, the President’s daughter walked with light, dainty steps toward the Gate.

***

Inside the Mt. Gwanak Gate, immediately after entry.

“Comms are working,” Ghost reported, tapping her in-ear communicator.

Perhaps because it was a micro-Gate, communications were still stable despite their being inside an other-dimensional realm.

“Atmospheric composition is normal. It’s identical to the outside,” a Secret Service agent in a gas mask reported to Dia after checking the air. “But just in case, Miss Dia, please keep your mask—”

Before he could finish, the President’s daughter pulled off her visor-style gas mask with a soft hiss.

“Hah.” Dia shook her hair—styled in two large buns—and spoke with a refreshed tone. “The air isn’t so different from outside. In fact, doesn’t it feel much cleaner?”

“M-miss! It could be dangerous!”

“If I was worried about safety, would I have come inside a Gate in the first place?”

The agent fell silent.

Dia surveyed the interior of the Gate. “It’s surprisingly underwhelming. I thought I might be able to feel the so-called Gate particles… you know, Aether, Mana, Aura, Ki, all that.”

“The concentration of Gate particles does increase inside a Gate, but not to a terribly significant degree. It has little effect, especially on a Non-Awakened.”

Non-Awakened. Dia’s face went stiff, but no one around her seemed to notice.

Meanwhile, Jae-hee was looking around in awe. “So this is the enemy’s forward base… a Dungeon, Master?”

“That’s right. We’re in enemy territory now.”

They had entered from the foot of Mt. Gwanak, yet the environment inside was completely different.

“I thought it would be an extension of the mountain, but this is another place entirely.”

“It’s a connection to another dimension. Still, there’s some level of synchronization. The air composition being the same, for example.”

After a slow look around, Jae-hee voiced his impression. “It’s so desolate…”

They stood on a parched wasteland, inside a massive cave formed from ochre-colored, caked sand.

“Not a single blade of grass,” Jae-hee muttered, looking at the cracked earth.

Ghost replied dryly, “That’s how it usually is. The worlds of monsters are almost always on the verge of collapse.”

On the verge of collapse? The monster worlds?

Confused, Jae-hee wanted to ask more, but their protection target, Dia, was already striding deeper into the cave, forcing him to hurry after her.

The Secret Service agents broke into a cold sweat as they tried to keep up with her reckless advance.

“Miss Dia? Perhaps we should just take a brief look and then head back…”

“That simply will not do!” Dia charged forward like a bulldozer. “I want to see the entire process, from finding the Gate Core to destroying it!”

“That’s far too dangerous…!”

“I want to witness with my own eyes the true nature of the enemy facing our Republic of Korea—and all of humanity—and the process of defeating them. Now, everyone! Forward!”

They hadn’t gone far into the Dungeon before they met its denizens.

Squelch! Squelch!

“Whoa, it’s a real Slime desu!” Status Window gasped with excitement, staring at the undulating, gelatinous monster. “It looks just like the ones from the comics desu! It’s even kinda cute desu! Ahh, I wish I could keep one as a pet—”

CRUNCH!

Just then, Rabid Dog charged in and stomped the Slime into oblivion.

SQUISH-SQUISH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH.

There was no time for the other prisoners or agents to act. Using his front paws, teeth, and back legs, Rabid Dog effortlessly pulverized the dozen or so Slimes that rushed him.

Rabid Dog stood tall before a dumbfounded Status Window, raised his head, and let out a triumphant howl.

“Awoooo!”

Dia clasped her hands, her eyes sparkling. “How magnificent, Sir Dog… To be so bold and proud before the world…!”

“Dogs… are wonderful…” the Doctor muttered, reacting the same way.

“Haaah, why was I born a human?” Dia lamented. “If only I’d been born a dog, I could live as freely and magnificently as Sir Rabid Dog…”

“I sometimes think the same thing. If I’d been born a dog, I wouldn’t be suffering in this hell of overtime and could just be happy every day…”

Ignoring the humans who had moved past admiration into a desire for trans-species reincarnation, Ghost quickly scanned the Dungeon’s interior.

Just as Hae-eun said. This Gate is nothing special.

Slimes were a notoriously weak species of monster. Though variant types occasionally appeared, the species as a whole was no significant threat. The danger level of this Gate was inherently low.

The Slimes were being mercilessly slaughtered by the invading humans. And yet, they continued to charge forward with desperate resolve.

It was as if they knew they were no match but were determined to hold the line, to trip them up, to do anything…

“They’re… really desperate, aren’t they?” Jae-hee said with a grimace, slicing through another Slime that had lunged at him.

Ghost replied coolly, “It’s because they, too, are a deathsworn legion… fighting for the survival of their race and their world.”

“Huh?” Jae-hee’s eyes went wide. “A deathsworn legion…? These monsters?”

Ghost didn’t answer. Behind her sunglasses, her piercing blue gaze was focused on Dia and the Secret Service agents surrounding her.

The deeper they went, the more agitated the agents became. Finally, as if having reached a decision, they exchanged glances and nodded.

Let’s do it here.

Right.

Ghost’s enhanced vision allowed her to read their lips. “Kid.”

“Yes, Master.”

“When I give the signal, grab the President’s daughter and get her over here. Top speed.”

“What?”

“Those rats are up to something.” Ghost’s eyes narrowed. “There are traitors.”

“Really? How many?”

“All of them.”

“What?”

Ghost slowly gripped the hilt of her sword, her thumb pushing the guard to slide the blade partially from its sheath.

“All five of them. They’re the enemy.”

The next moment, the agents’ hands went to their weapons.

Ghost slapped Jae-hee’s back.

WHOOSH…!

He shot forward.

His world slowed to a crawl, as if someone had hit pause. He streaked past the agents just as they drew their weapons, arriving beside Dia, who was still strolling along nonchalantly.

“Pardon the intru…sion!”

He grunted with effort, carefully scooping the President’s daughter into his arms. He dodged the agents’ attacks as they descended in slow motion and raced back the way he came.

FWOOM!

In the blink of an eye, he was back among his fellow convicts, Dia still in his arms.

The world snapped back to normal speed. A beat later, a gust of wind tore through the area, whipping at their hair.

Stunned for a moment, Status Window balled his fists in excitement. “Whoa! A picture-perfect princess carry desu, Boy-kun! Not bad at all desu!”

Even Status Window, who had seen Jae-hee’s movements before, needed a few seconds to react. It took far longer for Dia, an ordinary human, to process what had just happened.

Blinking blankly in Jae-hee’s arms, unable to comprehend what had just happened, she finally snapped back to reality.

“Wh-wh-what do you think you’re doing?! How dare you lay your hands on the body of a maiden who’s never even had a boyfriend?!”

“Gah! I’m so sorry, Your Ladyship! Please forgive me!”

“I don’t think so! I will have your family exterminated for three generations! You’d best be prepared!”

“I’m truly sorry, Your Ladyship, but…” Jae-hee, an orphan with no family to exterminate for three generations—or even a single living relative—looked toward the Secret Service agents. “I had to. You were in danger.”

Only then did Dia look toward the agents. Her eyes widened in shock.

The five Awakened from the Secret Service stood with their weapons brandished where she had been just moments before.

Their faces were melting, dripping like wax, before reforming into those of complete strangers—their features now hardened and resolute, filled with a chilling murderous intent and an inscrutable sense of duty.