#162
Hahoe Mask Rise (2)
Hyun-kyung was in a state where she could be said to have transcended human limitations, and her status was so high that it was nearly impossible for others to manipulate her as they wished.
The spirit that had perfected itself and broken free from the mold had a strong tolerance to all external interference, and its noble and unique soul could not tolerate artificial changes.
Even the corpses of those who had already died were affected by residual thoughts and maintained homeostasis, so in order to recycle those bodies, not only skill was required, but all sorts of prior preparations and enormous effort were also required.
[Keuaaaah—!]
Of course, it was only a little too much for the Immortal King, who even corrupted dragons and turned them into undead.
[Wow— This guy was a member of the Bancheonhoe.]
Hans looked down at the abyssal mass, a writhing human-shaped thing with its head in his hands, and muttered softly, as if he had just been reborn.
Woohoo!
The magic circle that filled the inside of the barrier where the battle took place, and the countless undead used as sacrifices.
It was the result of using them to push the abyss to its limit in the flesh and soul of the Thousand-Year-Old Demon King.
‘He must have had a connection with them before he went to this world.’
He was the one who erased all traces of his life before being transmitted, and then committed an awakening terror attack and ran away according to orders from above.
About two years ago.
‘He’s a guy who’s been living in another dimension for nearly 20 years…’
Of course, as soon as he returned, he tried to contact the Bancheonhoe, but because of Hans, they had completely disappeared from Korea and there was no way to contact them.
Since then, he has been relying only on his own abilities and has ended up in this situation.
‘It’s strange. If he had reached a certain level now, then it would be different. But back then, he must have been just an ordinary person. What did he see that drew him in? Was it just a coincidence?’
The grace period after awakening is only 24 hours.
It’s hard to believe that he was persuaded in that short amount of time, so it must mean that contact had been made much earlier…
‘Those cautious guys wouldn’t have just made a plan to catch just one person. If they had, their existence would have been known a long time ago.’
However, it was a memory from too long ago, and perhaps because he had forcibly shaken his body and soul with the abyss, which was more toxic than radiation, he was unable to obtain any more information from the Thousand-Salm Emperor.
As he decided to order an investigation into this matter, he suddenly felt regret and inwardly lamented.
‘···Unlike Outerica, the path to information acquisition here is limited, so it’s frustrating.’
In the modern world, which can be called the information age, the only window he can use now is the blood alliance, including Heterosis.
Although they had now grown into a fairly large force, they were still limited by the fact that they were a shadowy organization that could not come forward openly.
‘Hmm, I wish I could find out information about the sunny side, separate from the blood alliance.’
If we could know the movements and information of the mainstream powers, as Heinrich did in Outerica, it would be of great help in many ways.
However, on Earth, where thorough systems and infrastructure are in place, using such methods was nearly impossible.
‘It’s one thing to prove your identity, but building trust afterwards is even harder. It can take a long time.’
It might have been possible to some extent with the help of Kang Tae-san, who had already joined the Agency for the Management of Extra-Ability, but he was still only a low-ranking official and I was reluctant to get him involved in something like this.
‘It’s not easy to have connections with the mainstream and have been with them long enough to build trust, and yet still meet the qualifications to access quality information… Hmm?’
At that moment, suddenly, a person passed through his mind.
‘It’s clear that he’s connected to the Ability Management Bureau, and if he’s helping with the investigation, then I guess he’s fairly trustworthy.’
Not long after Hans stole the third fragment of the Immortal King from the Great Temple and arrived on Earth.
There was a fairly skilled black magician whose eyes met mine through the curse he had left on criminals.
‘With that level of skill, you’ll probably be in good contact with the higher-ups. You might even be acquainted with the Guardians.’
No matter how much I thought about it, there was no one more suitable.
Even though he is a black magician, Hans is easy to handle. This is not just fate, it is destiny.
[Kuuuuuu, what a talented person. Well— Then, let’s take a look at where he is now.]
Today, the duration of “Object Projection” has run out, so I won’t be able to go find it right away, but I immediately activated “Abyss Eye” to at least figure out its location.
Saaaa—
Darkness filled Hans’ eye sockets, sucking in all the light.
Korea has a small land area compared to its population, and if a black magician is observed by his soul, then unless he has some special unique skill…
[There you are.]
I could never escape his gaze.
***
It was late at night, with streetlights coming on everywhere and people who had been out starting to return home one by one.
Seongjin Ahn, a black magician from the Ability Management Bureau, got out of his parked car and entered a restaurant that was being cleaned up.
“We’re done for business today… Oh my~ Seongjin’s here! He must be busy with work, so why are you here again?”
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m not that busy because I only have to investigate cases related to my major. Especially these days, public safety has improved, so there aren’t that many cases.”
He answered cheerfully, naturally helping with the cleaning.
Of course, it was true that the number of cases had decreased, but it was a lie to say that he was not busy.
It couldn’t be helped, since among those who committed crimes big or small, the percentage of black magic users was extremely high, and conversely, cooperative and capable black magicians were rare.
‘But that doesn’t mean I can sacrifice my daily life. How can I regain peace and reunite with my family?’
He had barely returned after struggling in a crazy world where half of the continent’s population was followers of black magic.
As my return was delayed due to the need to strengthen myself to survive in the extreme environment, this difficult daily life was all the more precious.
“Yeah, there’s been a lot of talk lately. That guy called Hahoe-tal is beating up all the bad guys.”
“Ah, ahahaha… That, that’s right. Hahoe mask… That’s amazing.”
When he heard that name from his mother’s mouth, the corners of Ahn Sung-jin’s mouth twitched, even though he didn’t tell his family exactly what he did.
Because the memory of that day still remained a nightmare to him.
“Ahem—Is Seongjin here?”
“Yes, Father!”
“Since you’re here, try this. In order to maintain quality, you need to check it periodically like this.”
At that time, his father, who was in the kitchen, forced him to sit down while he was cleaning and prepared a table full of food.
All of the food was cooked as soon as he arrived, and warm steam was rising from it.
“Father, why are you doing this again···.”
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“Oh! This is all for the store. Just cooperate!”
Of course, he knew very well that that was just an excuse.
How could you not know that as parents, you just want to provide a sumptuous meal for your children?
Slurp—
“As expected, Dad’s cooking is always the best.”
“Well, of course. Who made it?”
“Oh my~ This guy is really being cheeky today!”
The family is gathered around the dinner table, and laughter is incessant, and everyone’s faces are filled with smiles.
The peaceful daily life and harmonious family life he had been hoping for.
An Sung-jin looked at his family with a warm smile and gave thanks to God.
Thank you for allowing me to live and enjoy this little happiness.
And I hope that you will allow me to continue this routine in the future··· That was the moment I hoped.
‘······!’
God.
His little wish was ignored.
Creepy—
An unforgettable feeling that suddenly began to occur.
It stimulated his sixth sense from very close range.
“Huh? Why are you suddenly like that?”
“Seongjin?”
“···Is there something wrong with the liver? That can’t be. Oh, surely there’s a foreign substance···!”
My breathing is getting faster.
The voice heard right next to me echoes distantly, like a buzzing sound.
‘No, this is not the time!’
But his confused mind returned to normal as if it had been hit with cold water when he saw his parents leaving Busan with worried expressions.
As he regained his composure, his unique skills “Extreme Skill” and “Clear Mirror Index” that were activated belatedly helped him maintain his composure.
“Ah, ah···! Sorry! I just remembered that I forgot to upload the payment documents···! Ugh, I should have uploaded them before I left work today!”
“Huh? You surprised me! Where the hell are you thinking?”
“Oh, what can I do about what’s already happened? But is it something so important that you’re thinking about it like that?”
First, let’s start by taking care of the immediate situation.
“I’m sorry. I’ll call the person on duty first. Oh! I’ll pack the food and take it home…”
He left the restaurant after reassuring the two people who were still looking at him with worry.
‘Phew, then let’s go.’
A cool presence that was still standing in one place, secretly sending him signals.
Unlike before, Ahn Sung-jin was able to walk calmly and organize his thoughts.
‘It’s okay. I can’t believe you’re calling me so quietly. I guess you have something to ask of me.’
Earlier, I was so flustered that I momentarily panicked, but now the situation was different from last time when I fainted.
At that time, I was shocked when I faced that presence head-on in my weak spirit state, but now I had come to my senses early and was able to properly activate my “Overcoming Skill”.
The skill, which allows the user to remain unshaken under any circumstances as long as his will remains strong, was the greatest contributor to his ability to escape the influence of black magic.
‘Whew, is this the place?’
He finally arrived at an alley near a restaurant where the signal continued.
He took a deep breath and strode into that place that looked like the gates of hell, devoid of any light.
Gooooo—
At the same time, the surrounding scenery changed in an instant.
A thick, swaying darkness that covers the floor, the walls, and even the sky.
‘···It really feels like I’ve entered hell.’
And he was finally able to face the one who had called him at the center of that space.
That being, which spreads an overwhelming presence as if it were a human figure made up of death.
‘It’s so far away. I can’t even estimate the level of your realm. How deep must your karma be to become one with death? The fact that you were able to return means you’re not a true undead. You must have some special skill or something···.’
Just as his mind was about to become complicated, an ominous laughter that resonated with magical power interrupted his thoughts.
[Kekekeke— You came all the way here without running away even though you knew I was there. Is that reckless or brave?]
“Isn’t that what you wanted? And I don’t dare run away from you. ···Hahoe mask.”
An Seong-jin looked at the being in front of him and took a deep breath.
The air in this space, filled with the aura of death, was definitely not good for my health, but I felt like I had to do it now to calm my mind.
‘Damn, I’m in this situation even though I have no hostility towards the opponent. Is this the ability to control lower-level black magic?’
As he met that gaze, the dark magic within his body naturally withered away, and the aura of fear that naturally flowed out was mercilessly eating away at his mental strength.
If it weren’t for the “self-denial”, I might have just lay there and begged for mercy.
[That was a wise decision. Indeed, it was worth being considerate.]
I guess you’re saying that instead of rushing into the restaurant right away, you just quietly sent a signal like this.
An Seong-jin was also grateful for that.
If my parents had encountered this being, I’m not kidding, they might have had a heart attack.
“···So, can you tell me why you called me? I thought you only dealt with the worst criminals.”
An Seong-jin, who had been talking up to that point, hurriedly added the following.
“For your information, I am a warlock, but I have never committed a crime! My unique skill is from the influence of warlock magic…”
[Ah, don’t worry, that’s not why I came.]
Only then did his expression soften a little at Hahoe-tal’s nonchalant reply.
Before I knew it, my back was soaked with cold sweat, but I felt a little better now that I didn’t feel like I was going to be in any trouble.
“Then… why me?”
[I contribute significantly to the security of this country, but there are many annoying aspects to my work.]
An answer that feels a bit out of the blue.
Hahoe-tal raised his black-gloved hand and slowly pointed at him.
[You seem quite useful.]
“Ah? Thank you···.”
[Kuuuuuu— Then you must become my slave.]
At those words, Ahn Sung-jin’s face, which had been relieved a little too early, turned pale again.
