#276
The Return of the Hahoe Mask (1)
Deep in the Abyss.
The existence suddenly observed the living being that trespassed into its domain.
No matter how meaningless the concept of time was to it, it wasn’t entirely devoid of the feeling of boredom.
So it was only natural that it found the unexpected arrival of an irregular intriguing.
“Could it be, a god? A god stuck in a place like this. Hmm, then…”
Maintaining its form in this space was already a pass.
Its physical body and the stature it possessed were beyond reproach.
It decided to toy with its rising curiosity a bit.
Gooong—
The chaotic waves of turmoil swept in all directions.
Yet, the living being, the Head of the Buncheon Society, did not flinch.
It simply flowed through the distortions of the surrounding space as if it was completely natural.
“…Is this such a world? How bothersome. I prefer the laissez-faire type.”
Even amidst all this, the Head of the Buncheon Society muttered nonchalantly.
However, the dominant being in this place was equally indifferent to whatever the other had to say.
After all, it had long ceased to care about the personality or ego of mortals.
Thus, it had no hesitation in its subsequent actions whatsoever.
Aah— My lord! My god!
A being it owned, a slave, and a toy.
It extracted one of the souls it had cloned and stored, and forcefully pushed it into the body of the intruder.
If it could obtain that physical vessel, wouldn’t it be faster to retry the endeavor that had failed not long ago?
‘As expected, gods are all self-righteous regardless of the world.’
The Head of the Buncheon Society squinted.
“Tsk, useless tricks.”
Kwaaack—!
It tore apart the foreign substance that had infiltrated its body.
And at that moment, a pair of massive wings, each exceeding three meters in length, appeared behind it.
Paaah—
A radiant glow, tinged with crimson hues, burst forth, pushing back the chaos and the Abyss enveloping the area.
This was an alien holy power not seen in this world.
Twitch—
The surrounding space convulsed in disgust.
The torn soul of the slave was hardly an issue; there were still plenty of replicas left.
What disturbed it was that pesky energy.
How dare it wield holy power within its territory?
Yet, while feeling anger, it also sensed curiosity.
A holy power it had never seen before.
That was undoubtedly the aura of an external deity from outside the Auterica.
Yet this living being wasn’t borrowing it from someone else; it was emanating it from itself.
This meant the other was a being of holiness.
At the very least, it had earned the qualification to confront it.
Ah— Aah… my god…
Even as the clone of the soul cried out until its end, it no longer paid it any attention.
“A god… It seems you’re in a position of expulsion from that throne.”
Wobble—
As if it had touched a nerve, the space trembled and reacted fiercely.
No matter how fallen it was, a god was a god.
Just expressing emotions twisted the space with its intimidation.
But even amidst such turbulence, the Head of the Buncheon Society continued without flinching.
“How about a brief conversation before getting all excited? If you come at me that way, I’ll simply turn around and leave.”
And with bizarrely lit eyes, it gazed calmly at that which had sunk into this depth.
It didn’t like the kind known as gods, but the existence trapped here was… perhaps not a true god anymore.
It seemed to have been expelled and sealed away from the divine council long ago.
And this meant—.
‘That being has something it desires as well. I can take advantage of this.’
If that were the case, it would undoubtedly aid in finishing tasks here.
Though it was a problem that it was happening in a dimensional prison and garbage dump.
‘It seems to be taking longer than I expected. But still…’
As it carefully surveyed its surroundings, its brow slightly furrowed.
Amidst the chaotic energy currents all around, there was a hint of a familiar aura.
‘…Hmm. Just my imagination?’
However, it soon shrugged it off.
After all, the refuse of the world was mostly similar everywhere, and it had no time to care about trivialities right now.
Thus, in the depths suffocated by the Abyss.
The two worlds’ shadows met.
*
The internet site, the Dawn of the Shaman, rapidly increasing its membership.
Even that site, which had shown astounding growth since its inception, recently showed a slight slowing trend.
It contributed to the fact that all potential members had already signed up, but also because the center figure’s prolonged absence had quite an impact.
‘Well, it’s a fan site, so it can’t be helped.’
All had gathered, inspired by the dark hero known as the Hahoe Mask, and now that the very person had suddenly vanished, who could blame them?
As a result, even among those continuously wishing for the hero’s return, a sense of unease began to circulate slowly.
[Reports say the Hahoe Mask died in Japan?]
-(Link) There’s even a bloodied and broken Hahoe Mask, along with a robe. Is this for real?
-No, no, no. Just rumors, rumors, rumors!
-How long has the Hahoe Mask been missing? It feels like it’s been over a week, right? Isn’t it about time?
-No, it’s not even been a month! Everyone’s flipping out over a little break, huh?;;
└Honestly, if he had handled Japan and just vanished, I’d think he was taking a break, but the fact he stopped halfway is concerning, isn’t it?
└Wah— even in Korea, there are no sightings. He might not be dead, but is he hurt for real?
└Eh, if he’s alive, at least send in a survival report, okay? I’ll let him rest, but seriously, please respondㅠㅠ
The unyielding judgment of a criminal and its resulting enhancement of domestic safety, coupled with his media exposure abroad, seemed to have garnered even more support for him than expected.
Not only among that fan site but it had become easy to find followers in other communities as well.
Meanwhile, naturally, speculations began linking him with Heinz II, the ‘Phantom,’ who had started making a name for himself recently.
Of course, it wasn’t just a simple inquiry about their relationship…
[Those copycat fans are so annoying]
-How do you think Korea is this peaceful? In the past, it was only the Hahoe Mask doing things, now there’s some guy in an opera ghost mask following him around and flipping everything!
There were quite a number of people overly immersed, perceiving them as rivals.
Yes, the ones who had received direct help from the Hahoe Mask or benefited from his acts in some way.
But there weren’t many who responded positively to such comments.
-That’s true. They seem to be trying to put down the Hahoe Mask during this time.
-No, but did the Hahoe Mask even file a patent? Isn’t it good if things have become safer, regardless of who did it?
└Right— whether the cow is yellow or black, isn’t it about doing the job well?
-I appreciate the efforts so far, but honestly, I feel a bit uneasy about the dark magicians…ㅎㅎ;
└Ugh, what if he immersed himself in dark magic and disappeared? He might just suddenly pop up as a villain.
└Wow… that might actually happen;
└Ugh— those helpers are so disgusting, seriously.
The Hahoe Mask had gained such support mainly due to the public security it brought, and the Phantom’s fan site ‘Opera House,’ which had newly opened and started growing, actively opposed this.
‘Hmm, the Hines fandom is growing faster than I expected. I guess it’s because they’ve engaged without caring about cameras from the start.’
While Hans couldn’t teleport in the blink of an eye, Heinz’s operational range wasn’t too narrow either.
As long as it was within Seoul, he could reach anywhere in just a few minutes.
Moreover, he had no associations with the dark magic that many found uneasy, and everything that could lead to doubts about him being a vampire was thoroughly concealed using ‘Existence Denial,’ and above all…
[Seoul Dark Hero Phantom Legend Photo]
[Oh my god, look how handsome he is!ㅋ]
His remarkably attractive appearance compared to Hans also played a significant role.
It stemmed from a single photo taken right after his judgment.
That photo had captured his beauty to such an extraordinary extent that no opera ghost mask could conceal it.
‘That was indeed… even for me, it was something else.’
A single photo that became a hot topic on the internet.
Under the pouring moonlight, wearing an exquisite luxury suit and a white masquerade mask, Heinz II was turning to face the cameraman.
Even though he didn’t pose for the photo, it seemed the person taking it was in the industry because even from a considerable distance, zooming in, it perfectly evoked a runway scene.
‘Moreover, it seems like a trace of ‘Seduction’ was captured through that photo.’
It looked like the increased effect of Heinz’s elevation had naturally influenced the picture.
After having acquired it right after taking care of Alpha but having had no particular use for it, it was as if the sprawled-out criminals around him were objects accentuating his dangerous yet alluring charm.
‘Really, there’s no way to compare him with the dark magician Hahoe Mask, who is wrapped up in gloom and shadow.’
It was likely that the rise of the charismatic Heinz II gained rapid traction especially among women due to this reason.
Though the reality of appearance-based favoritism was unfortunate, it couldn’t be helped.
‘Well, they’re all me, so I don’t really care how it turns out. Perhaps I could actually form a masked secret organization and operate publicly?’
How about something like a Masquerade?
Since it had come to this, gathering not only Heinrich but all other avatars would be fun…
‘No, let’s put that aside for now.’
He pulled his wandering thoughts back as he refocused on the upcoming plan.
Since an important schedule was just around the corner.
Shhhh—
The sound of wind slicing through the stillness rushed fiercely around.
The night, where even the moonlight held its breath.
The hazy glow of the sea below gradually transformed into the splendid neon of a busy city.
A fantastical city shining beautifully in various colors.
‘Let’s see. Where is the location…’
Having crossed the sea, at a certain point high above Shanghai.
[…Found it.]
Using the ‘Eye of the Abyss’ to pinpoint the exact location of the target, Hans coldly whispered.
An extraordinary level of security that would have been impossible to miss without prior information.
From within that, a familiar presence was detected.
‘The Head of the Buncheon Society East Asian Branch, Yul Ryeong-ja.’
There was no need for any further hesitation now.
Given their expected level, they would have noticed his appearance in Shanghai by now.
From here on, it was quick and decisive.
Hans’s body descended faster than it had ever flown.
And at last.
Boom—!
The barrier that obstructed him shattered with a loud explosion.
It was the brilliant fireworks announcing the resurrection of the Hahoe Mask.
*
In an ornate office, adorned with splendid decor and city lights.
“Hoo.”
Having finished the consultation with the North American branch’s secretary, Yul Ryeong-ja sank deeply into his chair.
Turning toward the window, he extended his right hand to grasp a tea cup.
Slurp—
A leisurely break accompanying the stylish night view.
As he idly gazed out the window, his gaze suddenly shifted to his right arm, and his expression naturally darkened.
At the end of his five fingers was a thin metallic wire branching long from his nape, intricately connected.
This was a cutting-edge magical equipment created by the Doctor to forcibly move his body— since he had lost his arm in the Hahoe Mask’s mental world.
‘Hahoe Mask…’
As he slowly wiggled his fingers looking at it, he fell into deep thought.
It had been quite some time since the confrontation with the adversary who had disappeared after losing track in Japan.
By now, the enemy must have something wrong after that incident.
That it wasn’t a unilateral loss on their part.
With that thought, his previously furrowed brow gradually relaxed.
‘Preparations to deal with that one are underway. Once this collaboration with the secretary wraps up, this time, I can surely…’
However.
As the saying goes, speak of the devil…
If even a simple tiger can hear you mentioning it, how much more likely was it for a Demon King of a world to do so…?
Bing—! Bing—! Bing—!
It wouldn’t even be odd if it were to appear just from thoughts alone.
-Yul Ryeong-ja! Urgent matter! Right now over Shanghai’s airspace…!
An urgent communication came from the subordinate in the security office, as alarms installed in the base blared loudly.
And at the same time.
[High energy approaching alert!]
[High energy approaching alert!]
[High energy approaching alert!]
<...>
Crimson messages streamed across his left ocular implant.
Crash—!
The tea cup that slipped from his hand shattered loudly, but with the aide of the auxiliary device, he leaped up, not even giving it a glance.
No, he couldn’t afford to.
Boom—!
What followed was a fierce shock that shook the building.
Hehe— it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?
The voice that was just floating in his thoughts froze the very space around him.
