#205
The evening glow was spread out before him, gentle yet beautiful.
It was a mesmerizing sight that could captivate anyone’s gaze, but Hans couldn’t enjoy it leisurely.
Crack!
Well, of course, as the sunset light seemed to tighten around his throat by the moment, that was to be expected.
‘This is quite dizzying.’
He moved his jaw slightly to check if the recently regenerated parts fit together well and twisted his neck a bit.
‘If it weren’t for the 「Heart of the Undying」, no matter how much of an undead I was, I would have been obliterated ages ago.’
His jaw had been completely blown off by an attack infused with holy power, shattering his mask in the process.
The skull that was starkly exposed radiated an unspeakable, sinister aura when combined with the pitch-black energy emanating from his body.
“Are other undead planning to hide to the end? Do they still have some leeway? Or is there some kind of limitation?”
Hehehe, I don’t think there’s any need for that. Why don’t you bring something out instead?
Despite looking quite in a pinch, Hans replied confidently, just like before.
After all, as long as his heart was safe, he was undying.
Whether his whole body got torn apart or shattered, a little damage was nothing to worry about.
“Phew, you’re quite full of yourself.”
In response, the Head of the Buncheon Society, floating in the air with shimmering wings, let out a chuckle, seemingly incredulous.
A pair of large, pure white wings and a brilliant halo radiated from behind their head.
In addition, their glowing eyes that seemed to pierce through the darkness and the holy aura flowing over their entire body made them look like a righteous judge descending to purge evil, no one could deny.
Especially with a skeletal monster like Hans standing right in front of them, oozing sinister energy.
‘Hmm… I can’t help but feel like I’m the bad guy here, somehow.’
In reality, it was the exact opposite!
While it felt utterly unjust to him, the current standoff was so starkly clear in its depiction of good and evil that he could hardly defend himself.
Yet he was treated like a dark hero back on Earth.
“I was hoping to finish this quickly, but healing constantly is really a hassle. Should I pick up the pace a bit?”
Just as he was thinking that, a low voice from the Head of the Buncheon Society made holy power surge up fiercely.
At the same time, the crumpled space began to surge in like a tsunami from all directions.
Boom—!
Hans calmly reinforced the space and sought a way out, just as he had been doing.
Now, it was getting tricky to respond to the space erosion since it was mixed with holy power, but his level of magic wasn’t low enough to make it impossible.
However, it couldn’t be helped that the process took a considerable amount of time.
By the time he thought he had made it to safety, hundreds of swords made of reddish holy power had already begun raining down from the sky like a storm.
‘This is really dizzying.’
Adding to that, the space erosion resumed without a break.
Given such a situation, it was inevitable that the damage would continue to accumulate.
‘It’s the first time I’ve been such a mess after becoming the Undead King.’
It didn’t matter much if his body was broken, but the repeated exposure to high concentrations of holy power and the burden on his energy management was a serious issue.
If this situation continued, he would soon face limits in protecting his heart as well.
‘I think I’ve done enough for now. Maybe I should let myself fall into a situation I can’t escape from when it really seems critical.’
It seemed like it was about time to retreat after having some fun with the monster.
*
Boom—!
A deafening sound resonated in one corner of the space.
Hmm, hmm! Indeed, this is quite interesting!
A messy middle-aged man, the Doctor, was nodding as he ardently observed Hans with the 「Eye of Truth」 from within the safe space created by the Head of the Buncheon Society.
Hahaha~ but it’s a pity, such a pity! To get a closer view, it seems I might need to dissect him! But capturing him doesn’t seem to be that easy!
However, even the 「Eye of Truth」, which could analyze all techniques and structures of mysteries, had its limits.
Since he had developed this ability narrowly for research purposes, he couldn’t obtain satisfactory analytical results against an opponent surrounded by rough energy from this distance.
In other words, to conduct his desired research properly, he required the opponent’s cooperation.
Whether that cooperation was voluntary or somewhat coercive.
“Truly, Yul Ryeong-ja, I will need your help!”
“…Are you talking about me?”
At the sudden conclusion, Yul Ryeong-ja, who had been quietly glaring at the Hahoe Mask beside him, turned around with a dubious expression.
“You can see that smile mask will continue resurrecting as long as the heart’s core isn’t destroyed. But if we actually break the heart, the precious sample will be gone! That’s a global loss! It’s unacceptable! We must capture it alive!”
“But in that case, there really isn’t much we can do, is there?”
“Why not? We have just the right candidate right here!”
The Doctor looked at him with delight and grinned.
Cold sweat rolled down Yul Ryeong-ja’s back.
Of course, while mental suppression was his specialty, hadn’t he already failed once against the Hahoe Mask?
Recalling that fact, he tried to defend himself as calmly as possible, crafting his words to be clear and resolute so that even this lunatic could understand.
“I think you know this, but the reason I am in this state is that I lost to the Hahoe Mask while fighting in the mental world. The ethereal damage I suffered back then still hasn’t healed, and my physical condition is at its worst. And you, Doctor, understand this best after examining my body, don’t you?”
He continued speaking while glancing down at his own body with a grimace.
He had mechanical eyes, and his once-strong legs had turned emaciated, leaving him reliant on a wheelchair. Moreover, numerous injuries inside were still making him cough up blood now and then.
Asking him to invade the mind of the Hahoe Mask in such a condition was akin to asking him to court death!
Hmm! I understand! Of course, I understand! But that’s exactly why you must take action, Yul Ryeong-ja!
However, his calm explanation didn’t seem to resonate with the Doctor.
Yet he hadn’t blurted out those words without a thought…
You need to get your revenge, don’t you?
The man, with a desire-glazed gaze, whispered sweetly with a devilish smile.
“I’ll help you. Based on what I’ve gathered, I have a rough idea of how we can proceed. In fact, I have a few preparations ready! Hehehe!”
Hearing his words, Yul Ryeong-ja took another careful look at the Hahoe Mask—and received the object from the Doctor, nodding resolutely.
*
Amid the ongoing battle.
Wow, is there something in play?
Hans tilted his head slightly at the sudden mutter from the Head of the Buncheon Society.
From the looks of it, it didn’t seem to be directed at him.
“Well, that’s alright. Let’s see what you’re capable of, Yul Ryeong-ja.”
But his opponent was unaffected and continued talking to themselves.
It wasn’t until a brief moment later that Hans realized who the Head was speaking to.
Swish—
Just like when the middle-aged Westerner had intruded earlier, a man in his thirties suddenly popped up from thin air.
He appeared to be in a wheelchair, seemingly impaired in his legs.
It seemed the Head of the Buncheon Society had been doing something with the space since Hans hadn’t sensed the arrival of this new opponent either.
‘…How frustrating. It feels like my usual sharp senses are dull; it’s as if I’ve become blind. But Yul Ryeong-ja, huh?’
It was indeed a name he had heard while collecting information.
Someone occupying a position responsible for all of East Asia.
‘So this guy is Yul Ryeong-ja? An interesting aura. A returnee from a dimension with advanced technological civilization? …Wait a minute, this feels strangely familiar…’
Just as Hans was raising his guard while observing the newly appeared individual.
Whoosh—!
In the darkness, he unexpectedly encountered a being he had met once before.
-Long time no see, Hahoe Mask. You seem to have been doing fairly well. I, on the other hand, have been in agony every day since that day.
The figure with a greenish hue resembled a human, but his limbs were raggedly torn, with only traces left.
‘It was that pervert from before.’
He was the one who had lurked inside the head of the Buncheon Society minion while Hans dealt with the Blood League Hardliner.
Hehehe! Indeed, it’s been quite a while. But, I never thought you were still alive. I thought you might have died!
In a way, he was a grateful fellow.
Thanks to that guy discarding fragments of the ethereal form, Hans was able to gain the 「Path of Magic」 and undergo significant growth.
‘Indeed, I thought he was an executive when I saw that ability. Could it be that he was the regional chief for East Asia back then?’
The impression of narrowly escaping from the fragment of the Undead King was still too strong for him to recall immediately. Yet reflecting on it now, he realized that even back then, he hadn’t been an ordinary opponent.
It was also true that he had been quite a threat before he had used the fragments against him.
Even now, just making eye contact allowed this being to easily penetrate his mental realm, which felt equally troubling.
It seemed he had poured excessive energy in attempting to break through Hans’s mental barrier, rendering outer time nearly frozen. Furthermore, it didn’t seem that he could maintain such a state for long.
I never thought you’d pop up after running away. Was what happened last time not enough for you?
Just when he had concluded that it would be cumbersome to simply disengage, here came the delightful opportunity presenting itself on a silver platter.
A chance to grow even further and take out a high-ranking Buncheon Society member at the same time, Hans gathered his mental energy and began to thicken the ethereal form as he slowly approached the being.
-Back then, I thought maybe you were sealing a demon within yourself. But ‘The Death of the World’… Well, it wouldn’t be too different. I’ve grown drastically stronger than that time.
At that very moment, Yul Ryeong-ja quietly looked up at the colossal Hans, who seemed to resemble a mass of abyss, as if he were admiring a masterpiece.
He couldn’t possibly be unaware of the dangerous situation, yet there was no sense of crisis in his demeanor at all.
Ha! It seems like you must have some faith in something.
At that, Hans stopped moving toward him and slowly began to draw out the death dwelling within him.
Though now he seemed much stronger than before, perhaps it was wise to prepare just in case.
Of course, he made sure not to forget to prepare the summoning release in case of an emergency.
-Oh dear, I’m already reaching my limit after just a few words. Even if forcibly intervening is tough, this is a bit excessive. You really are a monster, Hahoe Mask.
But watching him yap on and not doing anything would be a wasted effort.
Hans immediately poured the sharpened mental energy imbued with death into the being’s ethereal form.
-I definitely can’t defeat you in an outright fight.
However, his opponent was not someone who would yield easily either.
No matter how weak he was in his current condition and even though the attack was laced with death, breaking through his firmly established mental barrier would require more than a few attempts…
-Indeed, Doctor is remarkable. I never expected there would be such a device that could be used in the mental world.
The being quietly murmured while glancing at the orb he had pulled from within himself.
-Now, let’s see how long you can hold out.
Immediately afterward, the orb in Yul Ryeong-ja’s hand emitted a radiant green light, radiating in all directions.
Fwaaa—
Deep within Hans’s mental world, right down to its very bottom.
Had he once likened fighting in the mental world to warfare?
As it was back then, the situation unfolding now could be simply summarized.
The enemy had smashed down the doors of the rebel stronghold through internal terrorism and had started supplying them with military supplies.
*
…Ugh, what the hell is this nonsense?
Watching the situation on Hans’s side, I hurriedly established the 「Mind Hub」 firmly, frowning.
As I lightly massaged my temples, trying to ease the mild headache, I sighed softly and observed the events again.
Though I was slightly startled by the sudden surge of information like a bomb explosion, the immense karma I had poured into my unique skill and my mental abilities weren’t weak enough to fall apart from this.
Of course not. Just think of how much karma I’ve poured in!
But, while it wasn’t a significant problem immediately, facing the Head of the Buncheon Society while in this state would definitely be unwise.
Perhaps that was what they were aiming for.
“Tsk, shall I just end it here? I was hoping I might gain something more.”
With that, I promptly released the summoning of Hans, pressing my temples again.
While I managed to prevent Hans’s mental realm from completely collapsing, a fierce storm had passed, which meant I needed to stabilize things for a while.
I’d need to send him to Auterica soon to recuperate in the Undying Castle.
But the one who stirred up the trouble wouldn’t come out unscathed either. They likely won’t try the same trick again next time.
Yul Ryeong-ja had infiltrated Hans’s mental world to wreak havoc.
It seemed he intended to slip away amidst the chaos of the attempted terror, but…
That terror had been only half successful, meaning he too hadn’t made a complete escape.
He had successfully slithered away, but this time he had to leave behind his entire arm that was holding the orb.
Surely, that experience wouldn’t have been pleasant for him either.
That orb certainly doesn’t look ordinary. I’ll have to verify it slowly back in Auterica.
For a brief moment, thoughts about the Buncheon Society’s members left in Japan crossed my mind, but confronting them would certainly turn into a long-term affair.
I still had plenty of time, so based on the information I collected this time, I could methodically devise my next moves.
Thus, Hans departed for the Undying Castle of another world, taking along Yul Ryeong-ja’s ethereal portion that would serve as nourishment, as well as the mysterious gift he left behind.
Oblivious to the absurd reactions of the Buncheon Society higher-ups.
