Top floor of a building in Shanghai.
Crackle—
A chilling coldness spread through the usually warm and comfortable space, rapidly encroaching on the surroundings.
Frost formed on surfaces, the air grew frigid, making it difficult to breathe, and the normally smooth flow of the activated barriers stuttered and faltered.
[“I see you’ve been well. You look… healthier.”]
All of this was caused by the appearance of a single being.
‘How?’
Amidst this unsettling phenomenon, Yulryeongja, the office's owner, struggled to compose himself as he glared at the uninvited guest.
‘How did he find this place… No, that doesn’t matter now.’
It was common knowledge that Hahoe Mask was a master of dark magic.Heaven’s Turn Society had naturally prepared thorough countermeasures, and their East Asia branch, which shared his area of operation, had implemented additional security measures specialized against dark magic.
‘But they were all useless. Did I underestimate him?’
Yulryeongja gritted his teeth, his eyes scanning the numerous barriers and magical devices that were activating around him, and slowly retreated.
The unexpected intrusion had bypassed their initial defenses, but this was the control tower for the entire East Asia branch. Their security couldn't be this easily breached.
Wooong—!
Zing—
Dimensional barriers, spatial isolation, coordinate fixation, ability control, dark magic suppression, holy altar construction…
One after another, the various magical devices and barriers began to manifest their power, their activation triggered by Hahoe Mask's intrusion.
A synergistic combination of diverse abilities, prioritizing efficiency above all else.
It was a complex and powerful sequence of spells, possible only through Heaven’s Turn Society’s unique technology.
[“Hmm, quite impressive.”]
Hans, slightly impressed, surveyed the surroundings.
Now he understood why he hadn’t been able to track Yulryeongja.
He had encountered him twice before in his spirit form, but he had been unable to follow his trail. It made sense now, considering the level of security protecting this place.
‘It’s a shame I didn’t capture him right away. Things would have been much easier.’
But despite his outwardly relaxed demeanor, Hans’s mind was racing.
His initial plan to capture Yulryeongja upon entry had failed due to an unexpected spatial distortion.
He had managed to redirect himself at the last moment and reach the office, but the activated barriers had prevented him from taking immediate action.
‘But… this isn't a bad situation either.’
Yulryeongja, retreating nervously, and the numerous magical defenses protecting him.
Hans, using 「Abyssal Eye」, observed the complex and layered spells, a signature of Heaven’s Turn Society.
‘This is…’
The information he gathered was immediately analyzed and dissected by his skills, 「Path of Magic」, 「Forbidden Knowledge」, and 「Unholy Sage」.
‘A feast.’
And the results were then absorbed by 「Path of Magic」, further enhancing its power.
‘I wouldn’t have this skill if it wasn’t for them.’
He had acquired it after his first encounter with Heaven’s Turn Society, thanks to their valuable research materials and Yulryeongja’s… involuntary personal tutoring, which had cost him an eye and his legs.
And now, they had prepared another generous offering.
[“You are diligent… and foolish. Did you really think you could stop me with this?”]
A sinister black light seeped from beneath Hahoe Mask’s eyeholes.
The surrounding barriers trembled violently, as if screaming in protest, as his aura surged.
[“I am death, and I feed on your fear—.”]
Crash!
Rumble—
At that moment, the office door burst open, and several awakened individuals charged in.
All of them were at least master-level, and one of them had clearly reached transcendence.
Even with their combined strength, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Hahoe Mask in a direct confrontation.
They must have assumed they could hold him off with the barriers until reinforcements arrived.
But—.
[“…And no one can escape it.”]
That was wishful thinking.
____________________
Kaboom—!
Another explosion shook the building.
‘Such a powerful impact, despite the multiple layers of barriers.’
Yulryeongja frowned at the tremors but continued his descent, his footsteps hurried.
He would leave the fighting to the others and escape.
His role wasn't a combatant, but an administrator.
Of course, his unique skill, 「Mental Projection」, could destroy an opponent's mind regardless of their physical strength, but he had already experienced firsthand that such methods were ineffective against Hahoe Mask.
‘It cost me dearly.’
He glanced down at his withered legs, equipped with mobility-enhancing prosthetics, just like his right arm.
‘The Shanghai branch is compromised. I’ve attracted too much attention, despite the arrangements with the Public Security Bureau. I can’t risk further exposure.’
Heaven’s Turn Society had numerous branches throughout China, a vast country with a large population.
Relocating to another branch wouldn’t disrupt his work. All the necessary information was stored in his mind.
‘The problem is… Hahoe Mask won’t stop with this.’
The thought of the masked intruder sent a shiver down his spine.
Most of China’s transcendent-level awakened individuals were scattered throughout the country.
Gathering them in one place would only decrease their efficiency.
But that also meant it would take time to assemble them.
‘And of all times, the Master is away…!’
Just yesterday, the Master had been in Shanghai, preparing for Hahoe Mask’s potential reappearance.
But he had left, unable to wait any longer.
What a terrible coincidence.
Yulryeongja gritted his teeth in frustration, then forced himself to calm down, taking deep breaths.
Panicking wouldn’t help.
He glanced at the information displayed on his cybernetic eye.
<Scan Data>
-Code Name: Hahoe Mask
-Energy Type: Dark Magic Power + Death(?)
-Main Abilities: Dark Magic, Undead Summoning, Teleportation, Barrier Manipulation, etc.
-Origin Dimension: Unknown
-Unique Skill: Unknown
-…
The data had been compiled when he first encountered Hahoe Mask.
It was mostly based on the information extracted from his mind, not direct analysis from the cybernetic eye. Even the most advanced magical technology had its limits when it came to analyzing a transcendent being like Hahoe Mask.
But the lower section contained some useful information.
-Measured Energy Level: 93,853,126
-Threat Level: S+
-Energy signature comparable to a Giga-class starship reactor. Immediate evacuation recommended.
The numbers were constantly fluctuating in real time.
The cybernetic eye was a product of Calicas, a dimension where magical engineering had reached the level of interstellar travel.
Naturally, the ‘starship’ it referred to was a massive vessel capable of traversing the cosmos.
‘S+? Most of the transcendent-level individuals I’ve encountered since acquiring this eye were barely A-rank…’
Of course, energy levels weren’t directly proportional to combat power.
In a large-scale space battle where energy was constantly being exchanged, it would make a difference, but in a duel between masters who could manipulate energy with extreme efficiency, the gap wasn’t that significant beyond a certain point.
Even if they couldn’t completely neutralize a direct energy blast, they could easily deflect it. That was the power of a transcendent being.
But even so, the sheer difference in scale was overwhelming.
Especially for someone like Yulryeongja, who relied on objective data and calculations.
‘I have to get out of here. Even with the barriers and the Earth-rank awakened individuals, Chen Weiming won’t last long.’
The fastest escape route was on the top floor, but he had been forced to descend because of Hahoe Mask.
Normally, intruders would be teleported to the lowest level, regardless of their entry point, giving him ample time to prepare and escape through the top floor’s transfer formation.
‘Damn it, that’s why all the other escape routes are blocked…’
He hadn’t anticipated that his thorough preparations would backfire.
‘Almost there…!’
But then.
If he could just escape.
Kaboom—!
A powerful shockwave, far greater than any before, erupted from the top floor, sweeping through the building.
“Ugh! What was that?!”
Yulryeongja stumbled, caught off guard, but the prosthetic legs automatically adjusted his balance, preventing him from falling.
But…
<High-Energy Approach Alert!>
His luck had run out.
-Measured Energy Level: 156,759,142
-Threat Level: SS-
-Energy signature comparable to a Terra-class starship reactor. Initiating emergency escape sequence.
A new alert flashed across his eye, the numbers significantly higher.
And at the same time.
[“We meet again. It seems you’ve been busy.”]
A familiar voice echoed through the air.
The same voice he had heard just moments ago.
Yulryeongja glanced at the updated threat level and closed his eyes tightly.
He opened them again, his heart sinking, and turned to face the speaker.
“…Where’s Chen Weiming?”
It hadn’t felt that long, but only a few minutes had passed.
He couldn’t believe Chen Weiming had been defeated so quickly.
[“Hmm? …Ah! You mean him?”]
But as he looked past Hahoe Mask, he understood.
Thump, thump—
Swish— Swish—
The sound of approaching footsteps, mixed with a dragging sound…
And then, several figures emerged from the shadows of the hallway.
‘That’s…!’
Yulryeongja gritted his teeth.
A group of undead, their bodies exuding a sinister, dark aura.
He recognized them instantly.
‘Transcendent-level undead…! And the others are all master-level? How did they get to Earth?!’
They were Abyss Revenants, created from the bodies of awakened individuals.
An elite squad, hand-picked from among them.
And their leader, Salma, held something in his hand, dragging it along the floor.
He raised it slowly.
“…Chen Weiming.”
It was a head, its hair clutched in Salma’s hand.
A face Yulryeongja recognized.
The transcendent-level expert who had stayed behind to buy him time.
But now, all life had drained from his eyes.
[“Kuh kuh— Thanks to him, I’ve acquired a valuable asset. He’ll be reborn as a powerful warrior. I’m very satisfied.”]
“…”
The Demon King of Death, followed by his undead legion, chuckled ominously.
Yulryeongja, paralyzed by fear, could only stare.
[“But… wait.”]
But Hans wasn’t done yet.
[“You also seem to have some… interesting trinkets.”]
His gaze, filled with the abyss, swept over Yulryeongja’s body.
He was a non-combatant, a mental-type awakened individual who hadn’t even reached transcendence… but his unique abilities made him a valuable asset.
And more importantly…
‘That eye… I want it.’
A cybernetic eye, its edges glowing with a faint blue light, its iris filled with intricate, geometric patterns, emitting a mystical glow.
He had never seen such advanced magical engineering.
And his Dwarf avatar, Howard, was currently working on similar technology.
And that wasn’t all.
‘He was in a wheelchair last time. And that right arm…’
His limbs, moving naturally, as if there was nothing wrong with them.
And the prosthetics were so seamlessly integrated that they were barely noticeable beneath his clothes.
‘The ultimate exoskeleton.’
It would be a perfect gift for Howard, who was currently working on improving his power suit.
There were still some limitations to using magic tools from other dimensions… but that was a problem for later.
Hans, pleased with his potential harvest, chuckled softly.
He slowly approached Yulryeongja and extended a hand.
[“Let’s see if you can escape this time.”]
“…Damn it.”
But of course.
Yulryeongja couldn’t escape.
Not before Hans’s hand reached his forehead.
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