Hero’s Footsteps (1)
“Wow… the internet is buzzing with Hahoe Mask these days. I mean, if it’s making it to the news, that says it all. They did a bit of mosaicking in the video, probably because of its influence.”
“But it seems like they’re overreacting more than I expected.”
“Well, it’s not surprising. A Bone Dragon appearing on Earth for the first time? Plus, our people love that sort of thing, so the fires of gossip just keep burning.”
“Is that so?”
Seeing Heinz tilt his head, Jin So-Ran smirked and playfully continued.
“You know, they now call it K-Hahoe Mask. I heard it even made it to the ‘Do You Know Club’ nominees? Hehe.”
“…Hmm, that’s utterly pointless. Anyway, the important stuff is mostly done, so I think I’ll take my leave now. Jin So-Ran, you can handle the remaining tasks.”
“Ah, yes! Understood, Lord. Please take care.”
Wrapping up their casual chat, he exited the office of Heterosis and immediately concealed himself using ‘Existence Denial’ as he leaped back to his place.
Of course, the real Heinz II was still in the Talia Kingdom; he was currently in a state of ‘Entity Projection.’
‘I should avoid projecting as Hans until the work in Japan is finished. By the way, Buncheon Society…’
The recent clash between Hans and the Buncheon Society had given him plenty to think about.
Thanks to Heratos this time, he ended up breaking a trap and turning the tables, but that didn’t give him a reason to underestimate them.
‘Quite the opposite. If I hadn’t been careful, my only option would have been Summoning Release. The Undead were pretty useless against such a level of enemy.’
In fact, he hadn’t chosen to bring out the undead from the start.
He realized midway that their half-assed power would only be a hindrance in the fight.
Considering the fierce battle where he had to unleash black magic like a bombardment, that was a natural conclusion.
Undead created using only black magic without special materials and processes had their limitations.
Of course, if he’d unleashed high-tier undead from his Undying Army, it would have helped significantly…
‘When I made the subordinate Spatial Dimension, I thought I could freely summon otherworldly undead… But back then, I didn’t know much about the rules.’
Unlike the Awakened Ones who deviated from the world’s laws, the otherworldly undead, which moved under their own systems, collapsed as soon as they were summoned from Earth, making normal operations impossible.
Except for Heratos, who had taken on the role of that heart because of the uniqueness of being a Bone Dragon.
Plus, as in Auterica, it was impossible to send reinforcements through a teleportation network when needed, so currently, his only option for safety was to release summons if it looked dangerous.
‘Still, I managed to acquire quite a few quality materials this time, so things should improve moving forward? The preparations for the Undeadification of Salma are nearing completion.’
In that sense, he had high hopes for the Earthling and Awakened Undead currently being painstakingly crafted.
Their levels might drop a bit compared to their living selves, but the Undead that transcended while ignoring the world’s laws would be a great help going forward.
‘Just in case, I’ll have to do the final touches on Earth. Being able to perform lengthy processes in another world while enjoying the benefits on Earth is something every necromancer would envy.’
The newly acquired corpses would take only a few days in Earth time to be reborn as top-tier Undead, which meant the Buncheon Society was facing unimaginable speed in power enhancement.
However, from the present standpoint, it still felt quite insufficient.
‘That kind of power is just the Japan branch… including a few from China who came to lend support at best?’
He hadn’t had the luxury of capturing them alive this time, so he couldn’t thoroughly search their heads, but according to the information he’d gathered, the Buncheon Society wasn’t just an organization limited to Asia.
If their East Asian power was only that level, he couldn’t even imagine how vast their global influence might be.
‘No kidding, if they really set their minds to it, they could gobble up several countries right away.’
But if they did that, the Buncheon Society would have to take on unnecessary losses, so they must have chosen their current course.
Perhaps, although it wasn’t revealed yet, some countries might have already fallen into their hands.
‘…Honestly, no matter how I think about it, one Hans isn’t enough. I need, more, more power.’
No matter how strong Hans was, there were limits to what he could do alone.
To effectively counter their ambitions, he needed to increase numbers on this side…
‘Relying on the Returnee Association or each country’s Awakened management institutions is daunting because they’re too large. Information always leaks in discussions with many people involved.’
Or there could even be spies in those prominent positions.
Likewise, he couldn’t just trust those who are ‘hostile to the Buncheon Society’ would always be there.
‘It’d be simpler if I just handled everything myself. Well, I can provide indirect support whenever I really meet them, but…’
Again, the best approach would be to train a bunch of strong avatars, as originally planned.
The Buncheon Society folks would definitely never understand.
Why the disturbance from the Hahoe Mask was so relentless.
And soon, beside Hahoe Mask, other troublemakers would begin to appear, hindering them.
*
[Kiihiihik!]
Clatter! Clatter—!
In the center of the Northern Mountain Range of the Ion Continent, shrouded within towering mountains and transmuted into a domain of perpetual chill due to environmental issues, there stood a solitary ebony castle.
With countless Undead densely packed around, suffocating the air with death’s energy, it was a magical realm exuding a constant sense of death.
It was the infinite labyrinth summoned by the Undead King Hans, also called ‘Undying Castle.’
[Indeed, splendid. Actively utilizing the Abyss seems to have shortened the maturation period more than I expected. Well done, Dwell.]
[You flatter me, Undead King! This is nothing at all!]
In the deep corners of this gloomy castle, two skulls engaged in pleasant conversation, enhancing the eerie ambiance of the already sinister interior.
Magic circles adorned every wall, with bizarre talismanic tools scattered throughout.
The ever-wiggling biological tissue samples showcased their presence, and various experimental instruments reflected chilling light.
On a surgical table sticky with blood, fierce restraints hung, blatantly designed to suffocate any defiance, not to mention something resembling an incubator bubbling with Abyssal energy—.
It was truly the epitome of ‘a mad wizard’s laboratory.’
‘Considering it’s a research lab for liches, it’s not entirely wrong. Currently, it’s also a workshop for crafting special undead.’
Hans glanced around the room filled with liches and turned his gaze back to Dwell, the lab’s overseer.
Thanks to the different flow of time, he was able to return from Earth without much burden, but even that was only once every ten days, so he had to leave most tasks to his subordinates.
But although Dwell’s combat strength was somewhat lower compared to other high-ranking officials, he was still a veteran archlich who had lived for an extraordinarily long time.
For him, managing the undead creation process wasn’t that difficult, thus earning the undead king’s trust by executing tasks flawlessly.
[Alright, then… these are next.]
Crash—
And fueled by that trust.
Hans dumped the bodies of Awakened Ones he selected back on Earth onto the lab floor.
One from the Buncheon Society who could be classified as equal to Salma, and several more that, with some effort, could become useful powers.
[…Uh, are we processing these in the same manner as that fellow?]
[Cough! Yes. They’ll each serve their purpose, so be sure to give them special attention.]
[Ah, understood, my king! Just leave it to me!]
While he said it wasn’t very hard, handling a process involving the Abyss was no walk in the park.
Naturally, there would be plenty to pay attention to and an intense focus required for this job, yet suddenly being saddled with so many…
[Then I will take my leave for now.]
[…Yes.]
However, having gathered a number of capable subordinates and grown accustomed to such a harsh work environment, this was simply part of his daily routine for Hans.
After all, the Undead Army was rooted in being a black company from the start.
After throwing a pile of tasks at Dwell, he proceeded to check on the progress of the orders he’d given around the castle and busily moved about, issuing new commands.
And finally.
[Good, then I’ll consider the future proceedings settled.]
[The girl… will give it her all… .]
After wrapping up matters with Olivia, Hans quietly faded from the Undying Castle once again.
To finish what he was doing on Earth.
However, even after such a storm had passed, some individuals remained utterly unfazed…
Clatter—!
“…Wow, isn’t this really going too far?”
“Ooh! This is fun! Is there anything harder than this, Riley?”
Princess Riley and Hesperon, confined to the living quarters within the Undying Castle while engrossed in their magic training, were in conversation.
Riley gazed at the sprawling cluster of ice flowers blossoming vibrantly on the garden floor, shaking her head with an exasperated chuckle.
It had been nearly two months since she was captured, while Hesperon had been here for over a month as a new resident.
And the statement she just unconsciously uttered had become her catchphrase over the past month.
So ingrained was it that it now popped out instinctively.
“Hesperon, do you know what you just did?”
“Uh? Did I do something wrong?”
“…Not that it was exactly a mistake. It’s just that you’ve surpassed the level I took over ten years to reach, and that was just in a little over a month.”
“Really?”
Riley sighed once again at Hesperon’s dazed expression as his eyes blinked vacantly.
This situation was completely different from when she got overtaken by Isea a month shy of turning 11.
‘It’s been a hefty 8 years since then… But only managing to gain a few extra days beyond Isea’s threshold?’
Even so, that was just the time she took to transfer all her theoretical knowledge, having been lacking in talent in magic.
She wasn’t in a position to receive aids like magic books or magical equipment, unlike before!
‘Ah… I’m lucky I didn’t work too hard on my magic. If I had worked hard and got surpassed like this, it would’ve definitely crushed me.’
While the princess was trying her best to rationalize and calm herself.
Hesperon was reading the phrase that had popped up unexpectedly in front of him with vacant eyes.
《The entity has gained enlightenment through repeated training. Skill ‘Introduction to Magic’ acquired.》
‘As expected, I underestimated how high the theoretical level would be. So this happens too.’
Despite the princess not reaching a significant level as a wizard due to her talent limits, the teachings she received as the imperial princess wouldn’t be of low quality.
Additionally, her sharp mind ensured there wouldn’t be any distortion in her memory, so it wasn’t surprising such a skill came to be.
“Phew, well, that’s fine. After all, I’m not even a real wizard…I just learned this for general knowledge… No matter what, I’m meant to be the emperor…”
“Ah— of course, Riley. So please calm down.”
“Honorifics!”
She frowned and grumbled, but he slid in effortlessly, causing her to react once more.
They began to bicker again.
However, this was all part of Hesperon’s effort to show he was still very much a clueless and naive youth of another world, unfamiliar with the social hierarchy.
He didn’t know the details about Earthlings, but if he didn’t set things straight in advance, Riley might eventually sense a discrepancy between him and another Earthling… Isea.
‘Alright, now it’s about time to move on to the next stage… The princess’ escape scenario.’
Having befriended Riley to an extent as initially intended, she had started to call him casually, and on top of that, she took her first steps as a real wizard, so he had already gained everything he could.
Although it was regrettable that she couldn’t learn more about summoning magic since she wasn’t interested this time, he knew there would be plenty of opportunities later on while being around the princess.
In truth, if he utilized Hans, he could learn it immediately, but now that Hesperon was in contact with the princess as an Awakened being from Earth, a justification was necessary for him to gain strength.
‘Alright… so what… huh?’
As he was continuing his thoughts.
He suddenly halted at an unexpected message that reappeared in front of him.
《Achievement unlocked! You have embarked on the path of ‘Salvation’ to save the world.》
《More than half of the sentient beings in the dimension of Auterica recognize your struggles against evil. As a reward, you gain the special trait ‘Hero’s Footsteps’.》
《You achieved an accomplishment that greatly impacted the world. Your karma has increased additionally.》
Of course, this message was not in front of the novice wizard Hesperon, but the hero ‘Heinrich Saint Landgard.’
