I have no idea what kind of company holds meetings at this hour of the night.
But Black Cell was, in every sense of the word, a villainous organization.
Work-life balance for its members simply did not exist.
I had assumed it wasn't a particularly important meeting — the Director had said as much herself.
So I'd thought it would be the perfect opportunity to bring up the hardships heroes faced and pitch support for promising young talents.
But the conference room I'd expected to hold maybe a Chief Researcher and a few Senior Researchers contained…
[ CFO ]
[ Security Director ]
[ Chief Researcher ]
[ President ]
"Director, didn't you say this wasn't an important meeting?"
"Yeah, it's just a regular meeting."
Black Cell's core executives were all seated in that room.
One by one, they turned to me with smiles that made their thoughts perfectly transparent.
*Well, well — looks like you got dragged in too.*
*Welcome. First time here?*
*We've kept a seat nice and warm for you. Come on, sit down.*
The arrival of a fresh sacrificial lamb had put everyone in high spirits.
Seeing that even these top-ranking figures couldn't leave for the night made it abundantly clear just how much power the Director wielded.
And the sociopath herself personally pointed out where I should sit, graciously pulling out the chair for me.
"Here! Sit right here!"
"I'm not sure a first-year junior should be attending a meeting like this."
"Better to take your lumps sooner rather than later — these things are best done quickly."
My poker face nearly cracked as my stomach dropped.
Whether I'd been navigating things poorly or not, the odds of me becoming a high-ranking member of Black Cell had just gone up considerably.
The time limit was still more generous than I'd expected, of course.
But perhaps the moment to chart a clearer course was drawing closer.
For now, the escape routes had been cut off long ago.
I was forcibly seated at Black Cell's executive meeting.
As it turned out, there was almost nothing for a junior like me to do at this meeting.
The Director had almost certainly brought me here to signal to Black Cell's core executives that I was part of her inner circle — and to let me absorb the atmosphere and get a feel for how things worked.
I had never imagined I'd end up as a candidate for that sociopath's right hand.
But watching the late-night meeting unfold, it was proceeding in a rather peculiar fashion.
"Director Eileen, here are Black Cell's financial indicators for this period."
"The special agents have been reporting severe fatigue lately, Director."
"We've dealt with the whistleblower, and the new recruits have settled in well enough — I think we can start resuming the key research projects we had on hold."
Not only were the core executives reporting to the Director rather than the President, but—
"Miss Eileen, I've brought something rather interesting to share today."
"The way you say that, I suppose I should look forward to it?"
"Absolutely!"
The President was devoting his full energy to staying in the Director's good graces.
He even called her *Miss*?
That raised the likelihood that the President was someone from the Blackrock Family, the Director's own clan.
I had already assumed she was the true owner of Black Cell, but it seemed she had an even tighter grip on the organization than I'd thought.
In any case, the figurehead President had brought up an issue that caught my attention.
"A child capable of sealing superpowers has appeared in Seoul."
"Is that true!?"
"G-good heavens… an ability like that…"
The protagonist of this world had made their entrance.
***
So what, exactly, is the most powerful ability in the world?
Stopping time?
Magic — the pinnacle of the unscientific?
Or overwhelming physical enhancement?
There are plenty of candidates, but there exists one who counters them all.
The protagonist, who possessed Ability Seal.
Of course, it came with significant drawbacks.
"So… it's been confirmed the Ability Seal is purely Manipulation-type?"
"If there had been even a trace of Superhuman-type mixed in, New Korea would've been on the verge of producing the strongest hero in history."
"And if the target is too powerful, it only diminishes their ability rather than sealing it entirely…"
"On top of that, I'm told it puts a strain on the body."
The protagonist could defeat anyone.
And could be defeated by anyone.
Because of this, the protagonist — currently spending their early childhood years — was under the direct protection of the Hero Association, while Black Cell's senior figures, who had missed their chance, were deeply frustrated.
The Director, in particular, was in a genuinely foul mood.
"If we'd found them first, it would've been the perfect opportunity to uncover the secrets of superpowers…"
"Director Eileen, the opportunity will come again, I'm sure."
"Haah. Well, thank you for the information, President."
"Ha ha ha ha! It's the least I could do, Miss Eileen!!"
With the President's report concluded, the meeting picked up speed.
I was listening to a stream of various intelligence briefings and internal Black Cell matters when—
"Now it's time to discuss external activities."
"Director Eileen, do you have anything in mind?"
"Maxwell here will tell you about that."
Suddenly, every core executive's gaze converged on me, and the pressure spiked.
But the Director had given me a heads-up before the meeting — not quite a warning, but close enough — so I had already laid the groundwork.
"First, I should say that the proposals I'm about to present are likely things everyone in this room has already considered."
"Noted. Go ahead and speak freely."
"The most straightforward option is sponsoring the mutant students at the Hero Academy."
It was the most reliable and uncontroversial form of public outreach.
The scope of the sponsorship was genuinely narrow, and it would let us wear the mask of benevolence — caring for mutants, who were among society's most vulnerable.
And the ones receiving that support would eventually become heroes.
"Minimal investment, with returns that extend into the future."
"Done right, it could even offset what happened with the mutants last time."
"Hmm… Maxwell, do you have any other proposals?"
"If you want a more immediate effect, selling pharmaceuticals to heroes at a discounted price would be the next option."
I went straight into the grievances I'd heard from heroes at the Academy.
Even selling powerful drugs like Rapid Recovery Drugs at a lower price than before, we could move more volume than we currently did — and claim the title of a company that stands behind heroes.
The proposals I'd put forward were the kind anyone could have come up with, and they were simple enough that the core executives received them very positively.
"Honestly, I expected something impractical. This is surprisingly sensible."
"Or it simply means he has a clear-eyed view of reality."
"Now I understand why Miss Eileen went to such lengths to bring him in."
One of the cardinal rules of professional life is never to overreach.
By laying the groundwork beforehand and presenting myself with unrelenting humility, I managed to step out of the crosshairs of the core executives.
The problem was that I had now earned their recognition.
After that, I continued to dance on the edge of a razor-sharp double-edged sword, and the meeting concluded on a positive note.
Black Cell's core executives left for the night, visibly exhausted.
But I had to move alongside the Director, accompanied by Secretary Min Chae-rin, whose dark circles had migrated all the way down to her cheeks.
Our group walked the long corridor back toward the Director's office.
As I walked, I let my gaze drift briefly to the window.
The beautiful nightscape, glittering in every color, filled my eyes, and for a moment, I found a small measure of courage.
"Director."
"Maxwell, what is it?"
"Would you mind telling me why you keep pushing me forward like this?"
She had been showing me considerable favor ever since I joined Black Cell.
Even granting that it served her own purposes, there was no real reason to keep extending this kind of goodwill.
But the woman walking ahead of me was a far more dangerous entity than I had given her credit for.
"Because you have something I don't."
"You don't have to be so roundabout about it. Just say it directly."
"To be honest, originally…"
The Director paused, choosing her words before continuing.
"I simply wanted to acquire intelligence. But the true ability you possess, Maxwell, turned out to be something far beyond that."
She gave a small, wry smile and turned the question back on me.
"Maxwell, is there anyone in Black Cell right now who's hostile toward you?"
"There was Mr. Marlon, though he's no longer with us."
"Set that idiot aside."
"…No. There isn't."
"Exactly."
She was a sociopath who struggled to empathize with others.
But she had found the lubricant that would make her organization run more smoothly.
"Compensate for your own shortcomings by bringing in the right talent. Isn't that a simple enough reason?"
She had built this company to serve her own ambitions.
And yet, standing before me was the capable woman who had turned Black Cell into the world's foremost pharmaceutical company.
***
The long night meeting finally ended, and I returned to my quarters.
The moment I lay down on the bed, my mind filled with thoughts.
*The Director cares about Black Cell more than I expected.*
Having built the company with her own hands, her attachment to it ran deep.
She was still a villain, of course.
But the Director of the future would become something far worse than I could have imagined — openly conducting human experimentation without a second thought.
The reason she transformed into that might well be the collapse of Black Cell itself.
In any case, I now faced two choices.
The first was to refuse the senior position the Director was offering.
The upside: if Black Cell imploded, my survival odds would improve, and if I kept a low enough profile, no one would know who I was.
The downside: I would earn that witch's resentment, and she would undoubtedly keep making my life difficult. I'd remain an ordinary researcher with no power, easily swept up in external events — and there was a real chance I'd die before the time limit even arrived.
The second was to accept the position the Director was handing me.
But taking that title would sharply increase the probability of being killed by the rampaging test subjects later on, and I would be stepping further into the darkness.
I might even be crushed entirely under the weight of Black Cell's shadow.
And yet…
"I'd gain some degree of control over Black Cell's considerable wealth and power."
If I accepted the position, Black Cell's special agents would make me considerably safer.
And with access to that force, I could intervene in any external incident that arose — and gain access to far more information.
Beyond that, the faces of the children drifted through my mind.
Originally, I had wanted them to grow strong enough to protect me. But now, it seemed, the situation was reversed.
So what position should I hold until the time limit ran out?
The board was already set, and the dice were already rolling.
I had originally planned to become a whistleblower — to carve out the role of *the one who was actually on the right side all along.*
But as long as Secretary Min Chae-rin, that human lie detector, didn't resign from sheer exhaustion, reaching that goal seemed nearly impossible.
In that case, I needed to go further.
The sole conscience of Black Cell.
The traitor Judas who sold out his master.
That was the position I needed to aim for.