In the heart of Gangnam—Seoul's most powerful, painfully expensive business district—stood a towering structure that gleamed like a polished blade in daylight.From a distance, it looked like just another luxury corporate office.
But that was only its dazzling, deceptive mask.
Its name was The Black Pearl Tower. Entirely constructed of jet–black reflective glass, the building mirrored the outside world, but revealed nothing of what lay within. Chrome–lined edges, intelligent lighting systems, and sensor–locked security gates made it appear like a state-of-the-art corporate haven.
By day, it stood like a monument to success. By night, it became a spectacle—its shining walls daring anyone to uncover the secrets hidden inside.People often whispered: "It must be the headquarters of some international tech empire…"
But the truth?What you saw was never what it was.
The Black Pearl Tower was nothing more than a mask—a beautifully crafted front. Only those within the system, or dangerously close to it, ever passed through its locked gates. No information escaped its walls.
It had fifty-four floors. But past a certain point, they weren't meant for the public.
Up to floor thirty-eight, it looked like any other elite office building—employees bustling, clients shaking hands, meetings carried out with flawless etiquette. Every floor held "operations" that looked perfectly legitimate on paper.
But beyond floor thirty-eight… no regular employee had ever stepped foot.The elevators themselves responded only to encrypted keycards and authorized fingerprints. Whispers said the upper levels belonged to a defense supplier—an arms and security tech corporation.
But that was another lie.
In reality, the company was the front of a powerful mafia network—dealing in illegal arms, mercenary contracts, and cyber-espionage. A shadow empire operating both within and outside Korea's legal system.
And at the very top—floor fifty-four—existed only one room.
A silent, sealed conference chamber.
Tonight, something important was happening inside.
Twelve men sat around the table, most of them high-ranking officers from South Korea's most secretive military branches. At the head sat Joon-Hyunk—calm, imposing, unreadable. His presence filled the space like a heavy weight, suffocating and undeniable.
Beside him, Min-Jae flipped through a mission brief, his movements sharp, precise. Every detail mattered. In their world, a single mistake didn't just ruin plans—it cost lives.
The meeting was about to close when—
Knock. Knock.
A security guard entered, bowed low, and spoke softly."Chief… Lee Tae-Woo requests to see you."
Min-Jae's expression tightened. That name hadn't been spoken in this chamber for a long time. And Tae had been summoned personally by Joon-Hyunk the day before. That alone meant everything.
Without glancing at anyone else, Joon-Hyunk's cold, commanding voice cut through the silence."Clear the room. Except Min-Jae. Send him in."
The officers obeyed instantly.
Min-Jae straightened in his chair, sharp eyes fixed ahead. His gut twisted—something big was coming. He could feel it.
The door opened.
Tae entered.
The moment his eyes landed on Joon-Hyunk, his breath caught. The man sat like a war general upon a throne of silence—commanding, unshaken, terrifying without effort.
That calm… that absolute control… It wrapped around the chest like a rope, tightening with every heartbeat.
Tae's skin prickled. His throat dried. But the feeling was not new. Every time he stood before the Beast, it was the same.
Even the most decorated officers faltered under Joon-Hyunk's gaze. Because the most dangerous thing about him?
You never knew what might ignite his wrath.
And once the Beast was angry… death usually followed.
Tae took a careful breath and moved forward, forcing his face neutral, even as his hands trembled faintly. Weakness was not allowed in this room. Not in front of him.
Joon-Hyunk's cold eyes tracked every step—sharp, piercing, unblinking. Tae felt the stare cut through his chest like shards of glass. A bead of sweat slid down his temple. He wiped it quickly, but he knew—lying to the Beast was impossible. He saw everything. He always did.
Sometimes Tae wondered: How has my brother managed to stand beside a man like him for so many years? The thought echoed each time he saw Min-Jae with the Beast. Yet no matter how many times it came… he never found an answer.
This was the man who had committed his first murder at eleven. The man whose body count no one could trace. The underworld had already learned one truth—you either bowed to the Beast, or you disappeared.
Now Tae stood before the desk—the desk from which wars were waged, alliances broken, and empires shifted.
Joon-Hyunk leaned back slightly."I know you've told me before—that Yun never spoke to your friend about his brother's work. That he knows nothing. That he's clean." His voice was calm, low, edged like steel. "But I want to hear it again. From you. Directly."
Tae swallowed hard, then nodded."Yes… just like I said. He doesn't know anything about Mr. Hawan's underworld ties. He's completely unaware."
He paused.
And in that pause—every heartbeat thundered too loud. Because he hadn't delivered the full intel Joon-Hyunk had demanded. And failure meant danger. In their world, you could survive enemy fire. But disappointing the Beast? That was something else entirely.
Joon-Hyunk's eyes narrowed."And Yeo-Jun… what kind of boy is he?"
The question wasn't over.
Tae hesitated, then finally spoke the truth."He's… strange. Hard to read. Not easy to figure out."
A faint smile curved across Joon-Hyunk's lips. Not kind. Dark. Something unsettling.
He pulled a vintage silver lighter from his coat, lit a cigarette, and exhaled. Smoke curled upward into the dim light.
"Strange people…" he murmured, voice soft but sharp as a blade, "…are always the most interesting."
And Tae knew—the Beast wasn't merely curious.
He was watching.Thinking.Planning.
Something was coming. Something that would change everything.