Burning Flame (2)
A room filled with giant electronic devices.
Woo—
Beep— Deedididic!
Crackle— Jing—
Even with the air conditioner running at full power, the sweltering heat could be felt in that space, mixed with the sound of the cooling system and various electronic noises.
In the midst of all that noise, a sudden voice broke through.
“…Finally made contact. It’s going smoothly so far.”
In the center of a room lined with expensive supercomputers, a figure lay reclined in a plush armchair, connected by multiple cables to the machines, adorned with metallic exoskeletons glowing softly like circuit boards.
“Is this really the ‘Eye of Odin’? It’s more useful than I expected.”
Fully armed with a titan summoned from a spatial dimension, it was Hesperon.
He gently clicked his tongue while observing hacked satellite imagery through “Machina: Callicas.”
To test things out, he briefly linked the newly upgraded “Eye of Odin” with satellite vision and thought it was definitely worth its karma cost for occasional use.
“I can penetrate pretty much any mystery, and there’s no limitation from Andrew’s ‘Trail Observation’ preventing me from spying on high-ranking individuals.”
This could be considered a highly enhanced unique skill.
Considering that all he needed to do was pay with karma to use it endlessly!
While it was a limited ability confined to Earth and the karma consumption for frequent use was quite burdensome, combining it with other means like he was now could maximize efficiency.
Hadn’t he just effortlessly wrapped things up based on the information gathered by Andrew?
“If I can just use it for final confirmations of information, it’s definitely worth it.”
As he looked at a rundown house in a remote part of Vietnam reflected in his eyes, he slowly closed them.
Then, through the “Chain of Pact” connected to his right arm, he concentrated on Ken’s senses and conveyed his will.
– You know not to fight too loudly if they pick a fight, right? Just calm them down and move to the next designated location together. While you’re at it, build some rapport. They’re pretty capable individuals.
– …Mmm, as expected, this totally feels like our Demon King’s style of making use of people. Is it my fate to be caught up with masters like this…?
Ken grumbled in response to the naturally flowing command.
However, he didn’t find it too displeasing to be ordered around by someone he had no prior acquaintance with.
It was only natural.
No matter the circumstances, the reason he was back on Earth now had everything to do with Hesperon summoning him, right?
‘Moreover, if I finish the job properly, it’ll provide some assurance of freedom to act on Earth as a reward.’
Suddenly, he recalled how confused he was after first being summoned to Earth, letting out a small laugh.
Wondering if he was under some mental attack, it took him several checks to confirm that this was indeed Earth…
If he hadn’t used “Chain of Pact” to adequately restrain things, it would have taken a lot longer for him to set out for the destination.
‘The fact that they’re demons means Ken should help gauge the enemy’s level more accurately. Even if things get dicey, I’ll have enough time to prepare.’
Besides, he could offload the annoying tasks of darting around Southeast Asia close to enemy territory onto him.
After a while.
With Ken diligently moving as instructed, Hesperon opened his eyes and slowly surveyed the surroundings.
A room filled with electronic devices, including large-scale computing units and servers, hard to come by for ordinary folks.
This place was designed solely for him.
Meticulously crafted to use his capability, “Machina: Callicas,” in the most efficient manner possible.
‘An enemy’s enemy is a friend. I can’t let them fall apart like this.’
Noticing the presence of the Buncheon Society, with its subtle yet powerful influence, Hesperon knew he had to act before they crumbled.
Surviving this long was proof of their abilities.
Just linking up with them would not only allow him to fight more efficiently but also gain new information he wasn’t aware of before.
However, the situation wasn’t smooth when he first attempted to approach them.
The recent repeated defeats against the Buncheon Society had nearly scattered their leadership into hiding.
It was reasonable to think that it would be hard to pinpoint their locations in such circumstances, as their daily hustle involved moving like guerrillas.
Their immediate survival was at stake, so they had no choice but to be desperate.
‘So I had to find them before the Buncheon Society did…’
And it was Hesperon’s top-notch facilities prepared for him that played a pivotal role here.
A complex data center combining Earth’s technology with items and technology from another world, secured through his subordinates.
The price had been terrifying, but money was not an issue for him.
Having already established a strong presence through Howard Industries, setting up a few secret bases like this wasn’t too hard.
Woo—
Beep!
Light radiated from a multitude of cables connected to the central titan, spreading to all the electronic devices around.
Hesperon’s “Machina: Callicas” integrated with him to grow together—a kind of ‘mechanical spirit’ in essence.
Moreover, the synchronized titan was the pinnacle of magic engineering that wouldn’t falter against any competition.
With the connection to surrounding equipment not merely exchanging electrical signals but also enhancing performance beyond their limits, it didn’t seem unusual at all.
‘Indeed, defense for important facilities is no joke. I’ll need more preparation to break through that. …Then again, as offensive means develop, so too do defensive measures.’
Of course, implementing interdimensional technology on Earth required vast resources, making such sophisticated systems quite rare.
All information related to the area he was monitoring—gathered through satellites, wired internet, and various wireless communications—poured in endlessly.
In this process, fragments of information that could only be mistaken for garbage due to their fragmentation beyond the capacity of most supercomputers.
Yet the over-technology itself, an evolving artificial spirit, mobilized all connected devices to process the flood of information swiftly.
[Analyzing collected data.]
[Re-exploring paths based on added information.]
[Movement of suspected hostile forces has been detected. Displaying their location on the satellite map.]
An entity with the power to exert greater influence on Earth than in another world, where scientific civilization was at a suitable level.
Hesperon gently closed his eyes.
Maxing out the performance of “Machina: Callicas” to ensure he wouldn’t miss a single clue amid the deluge of incoming information.
*
Ken rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at the four busy moving figures.
‘Buncheon Society… And the Burning Flame, huh.’
Returning to Earth after a long time, this was the first he heard of either name.
Of course, even if he hadn’t been kidnapped to another realm, he wouldn’t have expected to get wrapped up with such clandestine organizations.
‘What on earth is that guy’s identity? How can he summon me from the demon realm to this planet? And what he’s doing now…’
In that sense, the man who summoned him, Hesperon, remained a shrouded figure.
Reflecting on when he first met him, it didn’t seem like much time had passed since he returned to Earth, yet this man was skillfully managing to summon him and tackle secret organizations.
As if he had been dealing with them for ages.
‘Could he really be traversing both worlds freely?’
Naturally excluding the answer based on common sense, Ken ruffled his hair and sighed deeply.
Well, it didn’t matter too much now.
From the moment the curse trapped in the shrine slipped into that man’s grasp, he lost his choice.
Rather, thanks to that, he had the opportunity to breathe the air of Earth again, so it could be considered a good thing for Ken.
‘I wonder if my family is alright. If I drop in now, they’d be in for a surprise, right? …Of course, to do that, I need to wrap up this task first.’
Fortunately, the chaotic fight that broke out right after their first meeting didn’t last long.
Partly thanks to Ken easily brushing aside the ambush and continuing to try and converse without much retaliation, and partly because Jose, who rushed back upon hearing the commotion, regained his composure.
“What? What the hell is going on here?!”
“An! Jose! Are you okay? …Huh? Who are you? How did you get in here?”
“…Becky? Tolla? You two are safe?”
Judging that their reconnaissance team had already fallen prey, their initial hostility was the biggest reason for the sudden attack.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t expect an intruder to slip in without a sound to where they should be safe.
The fact that someone infiltrated their home without ringing the bell suggested they had something to hide, right?
‘Ugh, you’re not wrong there.’
Ken, who had carelessly intruded due to demonic instincts and a desire to resolve things swiftly, found himself misunderstood.
“…So you’re just a messenger?”
“That’s right. Actually, I’m hearing about you and the Buncheon Society for the first time this time. All I know is that we need to unite against the common enemy, the Buncheon Society.”
“Well, if that’s so, shouldn’t the actual parties be here? What are we supposed to talk to a messenger about?”
“Well, if you all were in good shape, that would have been the case… But look at the situation now?”
The representative of their group, a woman named An, frowned in response to Ken’s shoulders shrugging.
Then he looked around, glancing at the desolate mountain area without a single decent base in sight.
Even if they had some higher-ups with them, there were only four of them.
It was basically wishful thinking to expect the actual parties to come to connect with them, who were effectively fugitives.
“Tsk.”
An sighed in agreement, unable to retort.
Most importantly, she was just one of the scattered leaders, not the Buncheon Society’s representative.
“An, are you really okay?”
At that moment, Jose, who had returned to human form and had stuck by her side all this time, quietly spoke up.
Clearly still wary of Ken.
Having caused a ruckus for a while, they knew it wouldn’t benefit them, so they momentarily halted fighting, yet Jose’s gaze remained glued to Ken from start to finish.
“It’s okay. So far, everything he said has been true. It’s true we’re opposing the Buncheon Society, and it’s true he approached us with goodwill.”
“But we’re talking to a demon here. A monster like him…”
“Of course, I’m not trusting him completely. I don’t know how many secrets there are that he hasn’t mentioned. But given our current situation, don’t you think we can’t afford to nitpick?”
“…True, he’s definitely stronger than us.”
Knowing full well that the man before them was the culprit, An and Jose whispered among themselves, while Ken’s mouth twisted a bit in frustration, but he didn’t say anything.
Having lived among demons for a long time, he recognized that the public perception of demons was, for the most part, not entirely wrong.
If it weren’t for “Before the Incident,” he would have lost his human side long ago.
“Just when we were deep in conversation, I have urgent news.”
“News?”
But that didn’t mean he simply watched their discussion unfold.
After all, his orders were to help them escape to safety.
For his own freedom on Earth, he had to make this mission a success regardless.
“A group suspected to be from the Buncheon Society is approaching this place. It seems they don’t have that Executioner demon, so the fight shouldn’t be a major issue… but getting held up by them would be troublesome, right?”
That was obvious.
Their current status as fugitives meant that their survival rate would drop dramatically the moment their location was discovered by pursuers.
“…How do you know that?”
However, the crux of the matter was how much they could trust this demon—Ken.
If they trusted him carelessly and it turned out to be a trap, everything would be over.
As if he could read their thoughts, Ken grinned and pointed to the sky with his finger.
“My employer is watching from above. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the area is firmly in their grip.”
“Ha!”
Anyone could tell it was a jokey remark.
Yet An, leading the group, couldn’t brush off that statement lightly.
The unique skill that had helped her survive until now and enabled them to endure against the Buncheon Society whispered in her ears.
The choice she had to make right now was only one.
“What will you do? Will you trust me and follow?”
“…”
Naturally, her decision had already been made.
*
In a room filled with pastel fog.
Hoo— The flow has changed.
A woman seated on a floor couch let out a sigh mixed with sky-blue smoke.
Her hazy gaze watched the swirling vapor hanging in the air.
“Finally, the challenger has appeared.”
The entity that turns the course of fate.
An existence that shrouds the future in uncertainty.
A being hiding behind the curtain, mocking the world.
“Then we must prepare in accordance.”
Like sand slipping through her fingers.
On that particular day, the remnants of the ‘Burning Flame,’ believed to have been fully cut off, began to slip away.
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