Chapter 44
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Chapter 44
A mountain not too far from a villa.
"Kuh... The barrier is stronger than I thought. I didn't expect it to be this taxing."
Moreover, he couldn't move as far as he had anticipated.
It must be due to the barrier set up by Hahoe Mask.
"Phew, his level is higher than I thought. It's better to leave this place quickly."
Park Gwangcheon forced his trembling legs to stand.
It was too soon to use "Spatial Manipulation" again, so he had to walk as far as he could.
'Still, it was worth enhancing my unique skill twice, even if it was a struggle. Unique skills are powerful but grow so slowly.'
Though skills grow steadily as proficiency increases, using the Karma Store for rapid growth had its merits.
The fact that he could set up an undetectable barrier, detect their infiltration, and hide his and his subordinates' presence was thanks to that.
Still, he ended up running away, but the enhanced effect of 'Immediate Activation' was helpful here.
'The recovery time has also shortened. In a few more minutes, I can use it again. This time, I can run farther since there's no barrier...'
[I've found you.]
Suddenly, from behind.
A voice that shouldn't be heard in this place.
More like an echo resonating in a cave than a human voice.
A shout that seemed to tear away at one's mental strength.
Park Gwangcheon's body stiffened.
'How did they know? From the remnants in the barrier? But that should only give them a rough direction, how did they pinpoint my location... No, that's not important right now. I need to buy time. As soon as I can use 'Spatial Manipulation'...'
Bang—
[You seem to be deep in thought.]
A cold hand in a black glove grabbed the back of his head.
It lacked any softness that a human hand might have.
Perhaps like a hand carved from ice.
[I wasn't planning to kill you easily at first, but then I thought you might escape somehow. So, I decided to just do what I usually do.]
"Ah... No..."
Dark magic energy seeped through the back of his head.
Park Gwangcheon twisted his body in resistance, but his entire body was already bound by black shadows.
"Cough! Just a minute... If I had just a bit more time... Urgh..."
His mind grew dizzy, and his thoughts intermittently cut off, as if his head was being prodded with a metal spike.
[Hehehe... Don't think it will end with death. In my presence, even death cannot be an escape.]
***
Hans's dark magic ruthlessly scrambled his brain, digging into his memories.
Of course, this guy was also under a seal.
Maybe because he had done it once before.
It was a bit more complicated since he was a high-ranking official, but not too difficult to unravel.
The memories I read were...
'What's this?'
In the slow passage of time, I encountered something entirely unexpected in the enemy's mind.
-I never thought you'd be able to break the security and enter this far.
[Ho? Who are you?]
A human figure glowing green.
Only the head and limbs were distinguishable, with no discernible facial features.
-I knew to some extent, but seeing it in a spiritual state is truly remarkable. Such a density of dark magic... Hahoe Mask, you are more than I thought.
Hearing that, I realized that I, too, had a similar form.
Unlike him, it was a deep, congealed blackness.
[So, you've been hiding in this fool's head, watching everything. Then you must be the brain behind Abyssal Conclave.]
-There's no point in denying it now.
He was a despicable character, hiding in a safe place while implanting seals in others' minds to spy on them.
-Hahoe Mask. It's surprising how rational you are for a user of dark magic. It's a pity, really. By the way, have you thought about joining us?
An unexpected offer to join them.
Still, it was a good opportunity to gather information about them.
[Ha! Trusting a group of unknowns? Alright, let me ask. What is your goal?]
-Returnees' freedom. To create a world where we lead.
'Sounds too formal. Is it genuine?'
It was hard to tell if he was serious.
From all I knew, it was just a superficial reason to entice Hans, a returnee.
[Your goal seems too ambitious for an organization that has only recently become prominent.]
-We have existed for much longer. We have always been fighting for freedom.
The word 'fighting' somehow irritated me.
As did the phrase 'for a long time'.
[So, you mean to say you've been carrying out terror all this time?]
The battle with Hahoe Mask had taken place in the mental realm.
A familiar battlefield and a familiar fight.
Except for the unfamiliar opponent.
"Ugh—!"
Blood mixed with pieces of his innards spewed out.
Not only that, but something pale and bloody was also oozing from his left eye.
Crash!
"Lawgiver!"
"Hurry! Prepare medical treatment immediately!"
The door to the guest room burst open as subordinates and healers rushed in frantically.
'...Cough, but it's probably useless.'
This wasn't a physical injury.
It was a backlash from damage to the spirit body.
Still, it was better than nothing, so he resigned himself to his subordinates' care and closed his eyes.
Blood continued to flow from his mouth, but thanks to the healing abilities, it didn't get worse.
[Hehehe—! Got you—!]
As he closed his eyes, the last scene in the mental realm replayed in his mind.
The moment when the black figure, like a condensed abyss, reached out towards him with a grotesque laugh.
"Ugh..."
At the very last moment, if it hadn't been for his unique skill, 「Mental Projection」, the situation would have been much worse.
...Even after using that and still losing the battle, his trust had hit rock bottom.
'Why did I lose? It's not just a matter of mental strength. A difference in skills? It's unlikely that my mental skills are lacking. It's something more fundamental...'
At first, the battle was somewhat even.
Sharpening his mind to slash at the opponent, erecting barriers to block each other's attacks.
But at some point, the opponent's responses changed.
His attacks were like cutting through fog, doing no harm, while the other's strikes were deadly, wielding all the world's madness and malice.
So powerful that they shattered what he had believed to be his impenetrable mental barrier.
The opponent's form at that time was anything but normal.
A conglomeration of negative emotions: fear, despair, sorrow, pain, anger, death.
It felt like fighting a monster, not a human.
'I didn't sense that madness when we talked. How could he hide such insanity? Or, initially...'
Is it even possible for a human to harbor such evil?
Was Hahoe Mask really human?
'His form was more like a high-level undead... No, that's impossible.'
In the other world, if an awakened person becomes undead, they are considered dead, unable to return to Earth through the Karma Store.
Even if they seemed to have a consciousness, it was nothing more than a dense, twisted remnant of their human days.
If it were an undead from this world, it couldn't escape the laws of Earth, and creating such a high-level undead on Earth was nearly impossible.
'But when I first encountered him in spirit form, he was definitely human. He had an enormous amount of dark magic, but that was certain.'
Of course, he had transformed drastically during the battle.
Yet, there were still traces of humanity in him.
If anything, somewhat similar to him.
The level of madness and disparity was much greater, though.
'...Did he have a demon sealed inside him?'
And had he unsealed it in a crisis...
'For now, that hypothesis seems most plausible. Then he won't be unscathed either. To reseal such an entity would require a heavy price.'
Thinking that it wasn't a one-sided defeat gave him some comfort.
He sighed and opened one eye.
"Lawgiver! Are you alright?!"
The first guard who noticed his distress asked urgently.
Other subordinates were still trying to treat him.
His insides were in tatters, the left eye permanently damaged, and there was no feeling in both legs.
Part of his soul had been torn away, and his magic circuit had suffered critical damage. His current state was practically that of a living corpse.
But there were still matters to attend to, so he needed to hurry.
"Send an urgent order to the Seoul branch. Cease all operations immediately, destroy information, and go into hiding. From the Blood Alliance, retrieve only Alpha, cut off all minor connections, and cover our tracks."
He paused to catch his breath and continued, "Send a first-class directive to all branches in Korea. Close current bases, erase all traces. Establish new bases at your discretion and report later. Cease activities until further instructions... Cough!"
Speaking so much caused him to cough up blood again.
"Lawgiver! You need to rest now!"
The healers screamed, but he gritted his teeth and delivered his final message.
"And tell the Leader there's a monster in Korea. ...I need at least a few years of recuperation."
With those murmuring words, he let go of his forced consciousness and dropped his head.
Receiving his orders, a guard hastily moved out, while others who had finished emergency treatment began moving him to a more secure location.
With the collapse of the Lawgiver, who oversaw operations in Korea, Abyssal Conclave's operations faced a sudden halt.
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Chapter 44
A mountain not too far from a villa.
"Kuh... The barrier is stronger than I thought. I didn't expect it to be this taxing."
Moreover, he couldn't move as far as he had anticipated.
It must be due to the barrier set up by Hahoe Mask.
"Phew, his level is higher than I thought. It's better to leave this place quickly."
Park Gwangcheon forced his trembling legs to stand.
It was too soon to use "Spatial Manipulation" again, so he had to walk as far as he could.
'Still, it was worth enhancing my unique skill twice, even if it was a struggle. Unique skills are powerful but grow so slowly.'
Though skills grow steadily as proficiency increases, using the Karma Store for rapid growth had its merits.
The fact that he could set up an undetectable barrier, detect their infiltration, and hide his and his subordinates' presence was thanks to that.
Still, he ended up running away, but the enhanced effect of 'Immediate Activation' was helpful here.
'The recovery time has also shortened. In a few more minutes, I can use it again. This time, I can run farther since there's no barrier...'
[I've found you.]
Suddenly, from behind.
A voice that shouldn't be heard in this place.
More like an echo resonating in a cave than a human voice.
A shout that seemed to tear away at one's mental strength.
Park Gwangcheon's body stiffened.
'How did they know? From the remnants in the barrier? But that should only give them a rough direction, how did they pinpoint my location... No, that's not important right now. I need to buy time. As soon as I can use 'Spatial Manipulation'...'
Bang—
[You seem to be deep in thought.]
A cold hand in a black glove grabbed the back of his head.
It lacked any softness that a human hand might have.
Perhaps like a hand carved from ice.
[I wasn't planning to kill you easily at first, but then I thought you might escape somehow. So, I decided to just do what I usually do.]
"Ah... No..."
Dark magic energy seeped through the back of his head.
Park Gwangcheon twisted his body in resistance, but his entire body was already bound by black shadows.
"Cough! Just a minute... If I had just a bit more time... Urgh..."
His mind grew dizzy, and his thoughts intermittently cut off, as if his head was being prodded with a metal spike.
[Hehehe... Don't think it will end with death. In my presence, even death cannot be an escape.]
***
Hans's dark magic ruthlessly scrambled his brain, digging into his memories.
Of course, this guy was also under a seal.
Maybe because he had done it once before.
It was a bit more complicated since he was a high-ranking official, but not too difficult to unravel.
The memories I read were...
'What's this?'
In the slow passage of time, I encountered something entirely unexpected in the enemy's mind.
-I never thought you'd be able to break the security and enter this far.
[Ho? Who are you?]
A human figure glowing green.
Only the head and limbs were distinguishable, with no discernible facial features.
-I knew to some extent, but seeing it in a spiritual state is truly remarkable. Such a density of dark magic... Hahoe Mask, you are more than I thought.
Hearing that, I realized that I, too, had a similar form.
Unlike him, it was a deep, congealed blackness.
[So, you've been hiding in this fool's head, watching everything. Then you must be the brain behind Abyssal Conclave.]
-There's no point in denying it now.
He was a despicable character, hiding in a safe place while implanting seals in others' minds to spy on them.
-Hahoe Mask. It's surprising how rational you are for a user of dark magic. It's a pity, really. By the way, have you thought about joining us?
An unexpected offer to join them.
Still, it was a good opportunity to gather information about them.
[Ha! Trusting a group of unknowns? Alright, let me ask. What is your goal?]
-Returnees' freedom. To create a world where we lead.
'Sounds too formal. Is it genuine?'
It was hard to tell if he was serious.
From all I knew, it was just a superficial reason to entice Hans, a returnee.
[Your goal seems too ambitious for an organization that has only recently become prominent.]
-We have existed for much longer. We have always been fighting for freedom.
The word 'fighting' somehow irritated me.
As did the phrase 'for a long time'.
[So, you mean to say you've been carrying out terror all this time?]
The battle with Hahoe Mask had taken place in the mental realm.
A familiar battlefield and a familiar fight.
Except for the unfamiliar opponent.
"Ugh—!"
Blood mixed with pieces of his innards spewed out.
Not only that, but something pale and bloody was also oozing from his left eye.
Crash!
"Lawgiver!"
"Hurry! Prepare medical treatment immediately!"
The door to the guest room burst open as subordinates and healers rushed in frantically.
'...Cough, but it's probably useless.'
This wasn't a physical injury.
It was a backlash from damage to the spirit body.
Still, it was better than nothing, so he resigned himself to his subordinates' care and closed his eyes.
Blood continued to flow from his mouth, but thanks to the healing abilities, it didn't get worse.
[Hehehe—! Got you—!]
As he closed his eyes, the last scene in the mental realm replayed in his mind.
The moment when the black figure, like a condensed abyss, reached out towards him with a grotesque laugh.
"Ugh..."
At the very last moment, if it hadn't been for his unique skill, 「Mental Projection」, the situation would have been much worse.
...Even after using that and still losing the battle, his trust had hit rock bottom.
'Why did I lose? It's not just a matter of mental strength. A difference in skills? It's unlikely that my mental skills are lacking. It's something more fundamental...'
At first, the battle was somewhat even.
Sharpening his mind to slash at the opponent, erecting barriers to block each other's attacks.
But at some point, the opponent's responses changed.
His attacks were like cutting through fog, doing no harm, while the other's strikes were deadly, wielding all the world's madness and malice.
So powerful that they shattered what he had believed to be his impenetrable mental barrier.
The opponent's form at that time was anything but normal.
A conglomeration of negative emotions: fear, despair, sorrow, pain, anger, death.
It felt like fighting a monster, not a human.
'I didn't sense that madness when we talked. How could he hide such insanity? Or, initially...'
Is it even possible for a human to harbor such evil?
Was Hahoe Mask really human?
'His form was more like a high-level undead... No, that's impossible.'
In the other world, if an awakened person becomes undead, they are considered dead, unable to return to Earth through the Karma Store.
Even if they seemed to have a consciousness, it was nothing more than a dense, twisted remnant of their human days.
If it were an undead from this world, it couldn't escape the laws of Earth, and creating such a high-level undead on Earth was nearly impossible.
'But when I first encountered him in spirit form, he was definitely human. He had an enormous amount of dark magic, but that was certain.'
Of course, he had transformed drastically during the battle.
Yet, there were still traces of humanity in him.
If anything, somewhat similar to him.
The level of madness and disparity was much greater, though.
'...Did he have a demon sealed inside him?'
And had he unsealed it in a crisis...
'For now, that hypothesis seems most plausible. Then he won't be unscathed either. To reseal such an entity would require a heavy price.'
Thinking that it wasn't a one-sided defeat gave him some comfort.
He sighed and opened one eye.
"Lawgiver! Are you alright?!"
The first guard who noticed his distress asked urgently.
Other subordinates were still trying to treat him.
His insides were in tatters, the left eye permanently damaged, and there was no feeling in both legs.
Part of his soul had been torn away, and his magic circuit had suffered critical damage. His current state was practically that of a living corpse.
But there were still matters to attend to, so he needed to hurry.
"Send an urgent order to the Seoul branch. Cease all operations immediately, destroy information, and go into hiding. From the Blood Alliance, retrieve only Alpha, cut off all minor connections, and cover our tracks."
He paused to catch his breath and continued, "Send a first-class directive to all branches in Korea. Close current bases, erase all traces. Establish new bases at your discretion and report later. Cease activities until further instructions... Cough!"
Speaking so much caused him to cough up blood again.
"Lawgiver! You need to rest now!"
The healers screamed, but he gritted his teeth and delivered his final message.
"And tell the Leader there's a monster in Korea. ...I need at least a few years of recuperation."
With those murmuring words, he let go of his forced consciousness and dropped his head.
Receiving his orders, a guard hastily moved out, while others who had finished emergency treatment began moving him to a more secure location.
With the collapse of the Lawgiver, who oversaw operations in Korea, Abyssal Conclave's operations faced a sudden halt.
Chapter 44A mountain not too far from a villa."Kuh... The barrier is stronger than I thought. I didn't expect it to be this taxing."Moreover, he couldn't move as far as he had anticipated.It must be due to the barrier set up by Hahoe Mask."Phew, his level is higher than I thought. It's better to leave this place quickly."Park Gwangcheon forced his trembling legs to stand.It was too soon to use "Spatial Manipulation" again, so he had to walk as far as he could.'Still, it was worth enhancing my unique skill twice, even if it was a struggle. Unique skills are powerful but grow so slowly.'Though skills grow steadily as proficiency increases, using the Karma Store for rapid growth had its merits.The fact that he could set up an undetectable barrier, detect their infiltration, and hide his and his subordinates' presence was thanks to that.Still, he ended up running away, but the enhanced effect of 'Immediate Activation' was helpful here.'The recovery time has also shortened. In a few more minutes, I can use it again. This time, I can run farther since there's no barrier...'I've found you.Suddenly, from behind.A voice that shouldn't be heard in this place.More like an echo resonating in a cave than a human voice.A shout that seemed to tear away at one's mental strength.Park Gwangcheon's body stiffened.'How did they know? From the remnants in the barrier? But that should only give them a rough direction, how did they pinpoint my location... No, that's not important right now. I need to buy time. As soon as I can use 'Spatial Manipulation'...'BangYou seem to be deep in thought.A cold hand in a black glove grabbed the back of his head.It lacked any softness that a human hand might have.Perhaps like a hand carved from ice.I wasn't planning to kill you easily at first, but then I thought you might escape somehow. So, I decided to just do what I usually do."Ah... No..."Dark magic energy seeped through the back of his head.Park Gwangcheon twisted his body in resistance, but his entire body was already bound by black shadows."Cough! Just a minute... If I had just a bit more time... Urgh..."His mind grew dizzy, and his thoughts intermittently cut off, as if his head was being prodded with a metal spike.Hehehe... Don't think it will end with death. In my presence, even death cannot be an escape.***Hans's dark magic ruthlessly scrambled his brain, digging into his memories.Of course, this guy was also under a seal.Maybe because he had done it once before.It was a bit more complicated since he was a high-ranking official, but not too difficult to unravel.The memories I read were...'What's this?'In the slow passage of time, I encountered something entirely unexpected in the enemy's mind.-I never thought you'd be able to break the security and enter this far.Ho? Who are you?A human figure glowing green.Only the head and limbs were distinguishable, with no discernible facial features.-I knew to some extent, but seeing it in a spiritual state is truly remarkable. Such a density of dark magic... Hahoe Mask, you are more than I thought.Hearing that, I realized that I, too, had a similar form.Unlike him, it was a deep, congealed blackness.So, you've been hiding in this fool's head, watching everything. Then you must be the brain behind Abyssal Conclave.-There's no point in denying it now.He was a despicable character, hiding in a safe place while implanting seals in others' minds to spy on them.-Hahoe Mask. It's surprising how rational you are for a user of dark magic. It's a pity, really. By the way, have you thought about joining us?An unexpected offer to join them.Still, it was a good opportunity to gather information about them.Ha! Trusting a group of unknowns? Alright, let me ask. What is your goal?-Returnees' freedom. To create a world where we lead.'Sounds too formal. Is it genuine?'It was hard to tell if he was serious.From all I knew, it was just a superficial reason to entice Hans, a returnee.Your goal seems too ambitious for an organization that has only recently become prominent.-We have existed for much longer. We have always been fighting for freedom.The word 'fighting' somehow irritated me.As did the phrase 'for a long time'.So, you mean to say you've been carrying out terror all this time?The battle with Hahoe Mask had taken place in the mental realm.A familiar battlefield and a familiar fight.Except for the unfamiliar opponent."Ugh!"Blood mixed with pieces of his innards spewed out.Not only that, but something pale and bloody was also oozing from his left eye.Crash!"Lawgiver!""Hurry! Prepare medical treatment immediately!"The door to the guest room burst open as subordinates and healers rushed in frantically.'...Cough, but it's probably useless.'This wasn't a physical injury.It was a backlash from damage to the spirit body.Still, it was better than nothing, so he resigned himself to his subordinates' care and closed his eyes.Blood continued to flow from his mouth, but thanks to the healing abilities, it didn't get worse.Hehehe! Got you!As he closed his eyes, the last scene in the mental realm replayed in his mind.The moment when the black figure, like a condensed abyss, reached out towards him with a grotesque laugh."Ugh..."At the very last moment, if it hadn't been for his unique skill, Mental Projection, the situation would have been much worse....Even after using that and still losing the battle, his trust had hit rock bottom.'Why did I lose? It's not just a matter of mental strength. A difference in skills? It's unlikely that my mental skills are lacking. It's something more fundamental...'At first, the battle was somewhat even.Sharpening his mind to slash at the opponent, erecting barriers to block each other's attacks.But at some point, the opponent's responses changed.His attacks were like cutting through fog, doing no harm, while the other's strikes were deadly, wielding all the world's madness and malice.So powerful that they shattered what he had believed to be his impenetrable mental barrier.The opponent's form at that time was anything but normal.A conglomeration of negative emotions: fear, despair, sorrow, pain, anger, death.It felt like fighting a monster, not a human.'I didn't sense that madness when we talked. How could he hide such insanity? Or, initially...'Is it even possible for a human to harbor such evil?Was Hahoe Mask really human?'His form was more like a high-level undead... No, that's impossible.'In the other world, if an awakened person becomes undead, they are considered dead, unable to return to Earth through the Karma Store.Even if they seemed to have a consciousness, it was nothing more than a dense, twisted remnant of their human days.If it were an undead from this world, it couldn't escape the laws of Earth, and creating such a high-level undead on Earth was nearly impossible.'But when I first encountered him in spirit form, he was definitely human. He had an enormous amount of dark magic, but that was certain.'Of course, he had transformed drastically during the battle.Yet, there were still traces of humanity in him.If anything, somewhat similar to him.The level of madness and disparity was much greater, though.'...Did he have a demon sealed inside him?'And had he unsealed it in a crisis...'For now, that hypothesis seems most plausible. Then he won't be unscathed either. To reseal such an entity would require a heavy price.'Thinking that it wasn't a one-sided defeat gave him some comfort.He sighed and opened one eye."Lawgiver! Are you alright?!"The first guard who noticed his distress asked urgently.Other subordinates were still trying to treat him.His insides were in tatters, the left eye permanently damaged, and there was no feeling in both legs.Part of his soul had been torn away, and his magic circuit had suffered critical damage. His current state was practically that of a living corpse.But there were still matters to attend to, so he needed to hurry."Send an urgent order to the Seoul branch. Cease all operations immediately, destroy information, and go into hiding. From the Blood Alliance, retrieve only Alpha, cut off all minor connections, and cover our tracks."He paused to catch his breath and continued, "Send a first-class directive to all branches in Korea. Close current bases, erase all traces. Establish new bases at your discretion and report later. Cease activities until further instructions... Cough!"Speaking so much caused him to cough up blood again."Lawgiver! You need to rest now!"The healers screamed, but he gritted his teeth and delivered his final message."And tell the Leader there's a monster in Korea. ...I need at least a few years of recuperation."With those murmuring words, he let go of his forced consciousness and dropped his head.Receiving his orders, a guard hastily moved out, while others who had finished emergency treatment began moving him to a more secure location.With the collapse of the Lawgiver, who oversaw operations in Korea, Abyssal Conclave's operations faced a sudden halt.
