#72
A New Order (2)
Inside a barrier filled with darkness, Hans turned his head and gazed intently to the side.
As if looking at something beyond that black space.
[This is interesting.]
His level had skyrocketed, and he showcased a newly created, more effective curse as his activities resumed.
However, he felt something subtle from a thin thread connected to it, and upon taking a moment to look, he locked eyes with a certain black magician.
‘What should I do…’
They briefly crossed thoughts, but he already had a decent grasp of who that person was.
Although Hans was sensitive to malice, he didn’t get the feeling that this person was a villain.
Rather, they seemed to be a rather skilled black magician who wasn’t tainted by madness—a unique opponent.
‘Looks like they might have skills related to me as well. More importantly, this location…’
A map of Seoul’s entirety formed in his mind, with the recently identified location marked.
Immediately, his main body checked the information about that place online.
‘…As expected.’
It was a hospital under the management of the government agency known as the Supernatural Management Bureau.
There was no need for him to intervene there.
He would only offer a moment of condolence for the bureaucrats continuing their meaningless investigations.
‘That black magician seems quite useful, though. Should I remember them for now?’
As long as he set his mind to it, he could find them anytime. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to contact them quietly later.
[Kukuhuh, more than that, I like this. If those criminals carelessly investigate my curse, that moment…]
They would immediately receive a counterattack and be pinpointed to Hans’s location.
And since the ratio of black magicians was high among criminals, it was likely.
If they were at a level capable of investigating his curse, they wouldn’t be a small fry, making it a decent trap.
‘If I want to increase the number of those who could be cursed without execution, I need to act more diligently.’
“Gah… huff! A, a monster…!”
At that moment, while he was momentarily distracted, the villains who were eagerly banging on Hans’s barrier grit their teeth.
Stuck in a barrier surrounded on all sides, unable to escape, they were crying in despair while resisting despite their miserable state.
[Sorry, but I no longer have time to spend on you guys.]
Hans’s blue eyes dimmed, and soon the “Eye of the Abyss” looked at them.
“A, ah…”
“Ugh—”
Thus, Hans busily moved again today for the peace of Seoul.
Thanks to his efforts, criminals began to lay low, resulting in a drastic drop in the crime rate…
The citizens residing in Seoul could clearly feel the difference.
*
[Reasons why incidents in Seoul have decreased lately.]
[Is there a Korean dark hero hunting down criminals wearing a mask?! Who is he?!]
[A collection of interviews with witnesses of the Hahoe Mask.]
Rumors about Hahoe Mask, which had been spreading like urban legends, exploded across the internet.
The Supernatural Management Bureau, concerned about the idolization of him, had not yet reported it on mainstream news, but given the speed at which it spread in online news and communities, it wouldn’t take long.
To avoid Hans’s direct exposure to the public, sketches drawn by witnesses were used as materials instead of photographs.
Some were rough drawings of a dark silhouette with only blue eyes, while others were well-detailed portraits that closely resembled reality.
One representative piece was a drawing of someone in a black robe with blue eyes looking down, extending a gloved hand, wearing a Hahoe Mask.
The artist claimed that it depicted the moment he was rescued by Hahoe Mask from the flesh factory of demons, and insisted that the scene was still vivid in his memory.
-Wow, LOL, he kills all the villains, feels so refreshing.
-What rights do criminals have? Instead of worrying about that, they should focus on our right to survive.
-Thanks to Hahoe Mask, I’ve been living with a bit more peace lately. Hoping for more great works in the future!
The reactions were mostly full of praise.
Of course, there were also voices stating that individuals should not endorse personal punitive measures against mere criminals, but they were quietly buried amidst the prevailing public sentiment.
As Hahoe Mask gradually became an issue, the eagerness of reporters and individual creators to cover him intensified, leading to the gradual revelation of information through witness interviews and various data collections.
Real-time tracking of incidents occurring throughout Seoul.
The mobility to teleport instantly to identified locations.
Overwhelming combat ability that resolves any villain in an instant.
However, there was no clear information on his combat style, as he would simply put the victim to sleep upon his arrival.
Criminals who survived encounters with him often fell into extreme fear, unable to provide proper testimonies.
But no one dared to question his might.
Above all, the achievements he had accomplished up to that point proved everything.
Thus, the title he earned was none other than “Unofficial Strongest in Korea.”
However, with only hearsay anecdotes, there were no evidence photos or CCTV footage, leaving ongoing debates about him in a continuous cycle.
-Is this just fabricated? How can one person cover all of Seoul?
-The drop in crime rate is a fact. Whether it’s really because of Hahoe Mask or not, something’s going on.
-If it’s true, doesn’t that make the Guardians look bad? It means that such a huge organization is less effective than one person, LOL.
-Unlike Hahoe Mask, who practices swift execution without mercy, the Guardians have to look out for criminals’ rights as if they were fools.
-Then isn’t it an organization, not an individual? There could be several people dressing like him.
Even in Korea, this was the situation, so overseas communities were adamant that it was a manipulation from the Korean side, refusing to engage any further.
But there, someone who felt the overwhelming stress of Hahoe Mask’s activities more keenly existed…
“Uwah—! How long has it been to clock out! Hahaha! Seong-hyun, what are you doing? Let’s drink—!”
Right in front of me, my friend, Kang Tae-san, was holding a can of beer and laughing like a madman.
“You seem to be working hard? It hasn’t been long since your training ended, but already you’re complaining?”
“Don’t even mention it. Of all places, I had to get assigned to the Hahoe Mask investigation team! It’s the busiest department in the Crime Investigation Division right now! I heard other departments became relatively relaxed, but it just had to be me who ended up as the rookie in that team!”
Kang Tae-san exploded with frustration, downing the alcohol harshly.
He was the only friend who popped by with a load of beer, claiming that he could finally clock out after a while.
‘At this point, I don’t even need to worry about him.’
He had been by my side, supporting me since the incident when I locked myself away at home.
Helping out by taking the trash out for me or visiting regularly to talk—small yet warm gestures that made me feel less alone.
“You seem to be getting better, right? I saw you briefly before, but I must say… it feels like you’ve found a zest for life again?”
“Yeah, I can’t live hung up on the past forever. My parents wouldn’t want that either…”
“Yeah… good thinking, man! You know how worried I’ve been all this time, right?”
The bond with Tae-san had formed back in elementary school.
After losing his parents early on and growing up under the care of his grandmother, he had become close to me, leading my parents to treat him like their own child.
As time went on, especially throughout middle and high school, that bond solidified, and later, he also leaned on my parents as if they were his own.
We were practically brothers at this point.
“How is your grandmother doing? Has she gotten any better?”
“Ah… haha… Well, it’s pretty much the same. She’s at that age now…”
His expression darkened for a moment, clearly worried about his grandmother, who had been hospitalized for several years.
“I should visit her soon.”
“Huh? No, it’s alright! You don’t have to force it.”
“I’m not forcing it. I can go out now, you know. Oh, and I’m moving soon. I won the lotto.”
“…Huh?”
After sharing such big news, chaos erupted.
I had to forcibly calm the astonished Tae-san and gather my thoughts.
Thinking of ways that might help his grandmother.
‘Heinrich’s holy power should have some effect. I’m not sure how much it could influence aging, but it’s better than doing nothing.’
I could sneak in and quickly heal her before sending her back.
It might be tedious to set up the situation, but with the help of my other clones, it shouldn’t be too difficult.
“…Thank goodness. Seong-hyun, you seem to be completely healed as well.”
The drinking party resumed, and Tae-san quietly murmured.
He started cautiously gauging my reaction.
“What? Is there something you want to say?”
Seeing him hesitate, I frowned and asked, and he let out a sigh before fixing his gaze on me.
“Honestly, I debated whether to say this or not. Until now, I thought it was better not to mention it… But seeing you today, I think it’s okay.”
With that sudden serious atmosphere, I put down my beer and looked at him.
“I know why you applied to the Crime Investigation Division, right?”
Of course, I knew.
He had held his parents dear, just like his own.
During the incident, he had personally been present, traumatized in mind and body, locking himself away in his room…
However, hearing news of his grandmother’s illness, Tae-san became even more tenacious, eventually getting into the Supernatural Management Bureau.
To delve deeper into the events of that day and prevent similar crimes from happening again.
“…The incident back then was concluded as a random act of terror by an Awakened One. That’s what everyone has believed until recently.”
In an instant, I felt my body freeze.
I seemed to understand what he was about to say.
“There was an organization that had been lurking in the shadows for a long time. Until recently, they were relatively quiet, but about half a year ago, they began to move in earnest.”
That was when safety in Korea had begun to deteriorate.
“They were so thorough that we only vaguely recognized their existence and couldn’t even catch a glimpse of their tails…”
Then, Hahoe Mask showed up.
“After he started hunting criminals, the underworld was shaken, and rules began to crumble, leaving gaps for those who built their power on that.”
Thus, the Supernatural Management Bureau finally managed to catch a whiff of them.
They had been orchestrating various terrorist attacks behind the scenes—the organization known as the Buncheon Society.
And Tae-san realized that they were behind the “Seoul Station Terror Incident.”
“Honestly, this is classified information, and I shouldn’t be saying it… But I think you have the right to know, if not anyone else. Just don’t say a word to anyone else, alright? I could end up in jail! Kukuhuk…”
The first piece of information obtained came from the Hahoe Mask investigation team, and oddly, the rookie, who was Tae-san, happened to be there at that time.
“And they seemed to have started cutting ties right after clashing with Hahoe Mask. Since he’s still active, it’s obvious who won this round.”
Tae-san scoffed and downed his beer refreshingly.
“Since then, it’s been hard to track them down anymore. We don’t know how quietly they’re hiding, but judging from the size of their forces, it doesn’t seem manageable, so we’re keeping a close eye on them.”
He began dishing out internal affairs of the Crime Investigation Division as if he didn’t care about confidentiality.
It showed how much he believed in Seong-hyun himself.
As he laid everything out and cautiously gauged my reaction, I calmly munched on some snacks, appearing unfazed.
“Hahoe Mask is more impressive than I thought. Isn’t he the reason they figured out such a criminal organization? But why does the Supernatural Management Bureau keep chasing him?”
“That’s what’s even more irritating! Why chase after a guy who’s doing his job well? It’s so exhausting for both sides! Just let him do his thing—!”
Seemingly relieved by my reaction, Tae-san crumpled his empty beer can and exaggerated his frustration.
Like me, Tae-san was anti-villain.
He joined the Supernatural Management Bureau to catch criminals, yet found himself tormented by the fact that they were chasing after Hahoe Mask, who seemingly shared similar values.
“It’s work, so it can’t be helped. Come on, drink up!”
“Yeah! Anyway, I’m not the type to get caught over my hard work. Ah, whatever—!”
“Still… thanks for letting me know. I’ve shaken off all my fears, so you don’t need to worry about me anymore. After all, I’m just a civilian; all I can do is leave the rest to you guys or the Guardians… and Hahoe Mask.”
“…Well, he does do his job well. And since he doesn’t care about what others think, his work is efficient.”
The atmosphere became lively again as the drinking party erupted in noise.
Matching Tae-san’s pace as he poured himself another drink, I pretended to be suitably tipsy, enjoying the moment.
Despite the slight disappointment at not being able to get drunk easily due to my physical capabilities and recovery, I felt satisfied just being together with a like-minded friend.
…And thus, the night deepened in Seoul.
*
In a filthy back alley.
Among the sprawled figures on the ground, a shadow, seemingly enveloped in darkness, stood.
[Huh… busy, busy. But taking out the big ones has lowered the overall level quite a bit.]
Hans was striving hard again today to maintain peace.
He lifted his head, looking up at a starless, pitch-black night sky with his blue eyes.
No matter what anyone said or what difficulties arose… he had no intention of ever stopping.
From the villains rampaging everywhere to the Buncheon Society quietly hiding now.
He wouldn’t stop until he destroyed them all with his own hands.
Hans reached out one hand, grasping the night sky.
[Kukuhuh… I like the darkness.]
For now, he was the new order of this age.
