Ha Uichan always called Mother or the other siblings to the office whenever he had personal business. Of course, it could only happen late at night, after everyone had gone home. And the reason he called them was always the same.It was about ‘Aengak.’ Uichan was searching for that unknown being—to take revenge.When Uichan sat down across from her after setting the bottle on the table, Mother put down her glass and got straight to the point.“I did look into it since you asked me, and there’s one place where some information came up. But are you sure about this? Hyde’s going to scold you if he finds out.”“You know, Hyde doesn’t stop me from looking for ‘Aengak.’”He was meeting Mother Ship tonight to receive news about ‘Aengak.’“Oh, that’s true. Hyde was the one who said we shouldn’t interfere in each other’s business anyway.”Mother patted Podo’s round bottom a few times as the creature nestled into her arms.“Still, it’s not good for you to move around alone when heroes are so desperate to find you. Should I go with you?”“It’s fine. I’m not going as Under Doom or anything, just to take a quick look.”“Alright, kid. Just sneak a look and come back. If you get caught, we’ll rescue you, but the others will nag your ears off. Heroes being crazy isn’t exactly new.”Grumbling, Mother took the cold water Uichan had been drinking and gulped it down, saying her nerves were burning. Uichan picked up Podo, who was crawling toward him, and asked,“The information about ‘Aengak’—it’s solid, right?”Mother let out a deep sigh and nodded. Recently, a trace of ‘Aengak’ had been caught in her information network. For Uichan, who had chased that being for years, it was a rare and precious lead. He couldn’t let it slip away.“You know, I’ve got hundreds of ‘my kids’ planted in the city. If you count the ones who keep their ears open, the amount of information is insane. Maybe that’s why… ay. I haven’t been able to sleep lately. Never happened before. Feels like something bad is coming. So be careful, Uichan.”Mother Ship was known as a puppet master, but that was something only said by people who didn’t know her true nature. She was a fox spirit born from a fox-shaped wooden carving.Maybe because she had been born from wood, all her familiars were wooden dolls. She would kill villains, wash their souls clean, and implant them into her familiars, using them as her informants.The shapes of her puppets varied greatly—dogs, cats, butterflies, birds, insects, even humans. Among villains in In the Hell, Mother Ship was the one with the most eyes and ears, possessing unmatched intelligence-gathering skills about the human world.“Apparently, ‘Aengak’ had something stolen. Some say a hero took it. Whatever it is, it must be important—he’s been rampaging around trying to get it back. There’s even talk that he’s planning to hit the storage at the Hero Association building soon.”“If heroes are involved… don’t dig too deep into it, Mother. It’s too dangerous.”“Don’t worry. I’m being careful. I heard a villain group backstabbed ‘Aengak’ recently. ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ Supposedly, they showed up near Gongdeok Station, and La Épée was dispatched to catch them.”“If ‘Aengak’ is involved, the Association will be moving. I’ll go there and grab one of them for questioning. Thank you, Mother.”“La Épée’s there too—are you sure you’ll be fine on your own?”Uichan only gave her an awkward smile instead of an answer. Seeing that he had no intention of backing down, Mother Ship could only sigh, both frustrated and worried.“Ugh… fine. I know you’ll go anyway. But if you insist, I’ll send one of my kids near Gongdeok Station. Follow its lead. Don’t go bumping into La Épée by yourself.”“I will, Mother.”‘Aengak.’That thing was the monstrous being who had caused the tragedy, which had stolen Uichan’s life and family in an instant. From the day he became a sixteen-year-old orphan, not a single day had passed without thinking of it.That was why he had thrown himself into the cruel, filthy hero world, crawling his way through it just to track its trace day after day.“Uichan, don’t forget—we’re always on your side. Be careful out there.”“Yes. Podo, go back to your mom. Big brother has to go.”“Kki-uk!”Uichan stood up and took out a bracelet from his pocket. It was a ‘Trace Diffuser’ support device made by the one supporter hero at Non-Hero.The bracelet, worn like thick-rimmed glasses around the wrist, blurred the wearer’s face and voice from anyone else’s perception. So whenever Uichan went on unofficial missions, he always wore it to ensure he left no trace behind.Once ready, he lifted his head. A cold light was seeping through the window. He judged the time—it must have been around eight in the evening.It had been a while since he’d last gone out on a mission, and his shoulders already felt sore. How much longer would he have to keep doing this? That was a thought that crossed his mind every night ever since he learned he was carrying a child.Just a little longer. Before the babies grew, before his stomach swelled too much—he wanted to find a clue about ‘Aengak’ and expose that thing’s true identity to the world.Then, renowned heroes would exterminate it, and every villain organization connected to it would be dragged out like a chain of sweet potatoes. What a satisfying, perfect ending that would be.Uichan’s goal was simple—to make sure nothing like the Seolhyang Village tragedy ever happened again, to witness its death with his own eyes, and then live peacefully with his children.That was why this mattered so much to him.He quickly grabbed his hat and said goodbye to Mother Ship. Click—the moment he opened the door, the heavy scent of night air pricked his nose.A slow, heavy footstep. That sound marked the beginning like the crack of a gunshot.***Swaeek—The wind roared past his ears. Uichan moved swiftly toward Gongdeok Station, where the villain had been sighted. When acting as Under Doom, he always dressed in dark colors to avoid drawing attention. He left his glasses behind, covered his lower face with a mask, and pulled his hood deep over his head.“That must be it.”The dazzling lights beyond the tall buildings stabbed at his eyes. The area around Gongdeok Station was crowded with patrolling heroes, and parts of the streets were blocked off due to La Épée’s pursuit.While he was scanning the street below, a blast sounded in the air. Ice and fire clashed together high above the dark skyline—La Épée’s power, unmistakably.“Gasp, it’s La Épée!”“La Épée! Look over here! Damn it, hurry, take a photo!”“It’s dangerous! Step back!”As the heroes controlling the crowd moved away from the barricades, Uichan easily slipped into the restricted zone. The cordoned-off street felt as bleak as a winter night. Armed heroes were chasing the villain group, closing in behind La Épée.‘Move in the opposite direction first.’A sparrow fluttered down, chirping. Its eyes glowed blue—it was one of Mother Ship’s puppets. It pecked insistently toward the opposite side of where La Épée had gone.“Ah, thanks. You’re telling me to go that way?”Chirp—!When acting as Under Doom, Uichan had crossed paths with La Épée several times before. Though never in full confrontation—he wasn’t capable of that anyway. Usually, his siblings were the ones who faced him.Modern heroes were not the same as the heroes of old. In the days when the nation trembled, first-generation heroes had subdued mobs and restored order with nothing but courage, asking for nothing in return.Then, were today’s heroes truly embodiments of good? Were their sacrifices and justice the same as those of the old heroes?The answer lay buried in Uichan’s chest—alongside the Seolhyang Village tragedy.Tak—Leaping across rooftops, Uichan stopped under a bridge. Nearby, glass shattered. A villain with a baseball bat was laughing like a lunatic, smashing every storefront window.“Shit, how could they just leave something this expensive behind? Everyone’s got rocks in their heads.”The villain stuffed gold trinkets into his pocket, pried open safes, and looted every shop in sight. Uichan watched him for a while, then picked up a metal pipe and struck.The man crumpled without a sound. When he came to, he was sprawled in a dark alley plastered with dirty flyers and stickers, choking for breath.“Keuhk… what the hell—”“Oh, you’re awake?”The villain raised his head, dazed, then started frantically patting his pockets. Gone. The bulging pocket that had been heavy with loot was now flat and empty. He flipped over and screamed.“You bastard!! You took it!”My money, my gold! His eyes bloodshot, the villain searched for a weapon. The moment he grabbed something, he planned to swing it down. But when he saw his opponent, his face froze in terror, eyes widening like fists.To the villain, Uichan’s figure looked like a distorted, mist-shrouded monster. And there was only one person in the world who appeared like that.“Your face… you’re… Under Doom!”Before his scream could echo down the alley, Uichan seized him by the hair and slammed his head into the concrete.Under Doom wasn’t widely infamous, but he was known for being merciless—even toward fellow villains. And when it came to heroes who had abandoned their calling, he was far crueler.

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