#173
Kyushu Crisis (5)
Korean Returnees Association Southern Branch in Seoul.
Hmmm hmmm hmmm~ Oh, a new release out? Gotta grab this right away!
Branch head Yoon Ji-yoon was humming a tune in a leisurely manner while messing around on her work computer.
Back when she used to be busy, such luxuries would’ve been unimaginable, but these days, it had become quite the normal routine after finding a bit more free time.
You seem to be in a good mood, Branch Head.
Ah, Kim, you’re here? Of course! These days, life feels quite nice! This is what living is. Honestly, it was a bit… well, you know?
Hahaha… I can’t quite deny that.
The secretary, smiling bitterly, handed her a new report.
Naturally, he was always busy whenever she was, and just like her, he also preferred things this way now compared to before.
Hmm, seems like Japan is in quite the uproar for various reasons. The Association President must be having a headache. The Ability Management Bureau too.
What else could it be? It’s an undeniable fact that Hahoe Mask is Korean.
But really, what does it matter what people say to us? Politicians everywhere just act out whenever some incident happens, right?
After placing the documents she’d read down on her desk, the branch head stretched and leaned back in her chair.
Even though she had received the report, there wasn’t anything she could do about this matter, so it wouldn’t change much from before.
Being in a moderately high position is the best. There’s only a bunch of annoying things to deal with if you climb the ranks unnecessarily. It’s just like now, right?
Hahaha… Wisdom from experience, I see.
The secretary put on an awkward smile.
In fact, Yoon Ji-yoon, the head of the Southern Branch in Seoul, wasn’t someone who should even be in her current position.
Whenever people mentioned the strongest in Korea, she’d always make it to the top three. Having ended a grand war that spanned a hundred years in the other world, she was a great hero who brought peace to the world.
Even though decades had passed since she returned due to time differences, those who visited that world afterward could easily find traces left behind everywhere.
Of course, it was covered in history books, with gigantic statues erected in major cities, biographies, plays, songs, and so on.
Moreover, the ‘Yoon’ family, where she had taken in her followers and war orphans, had already become a prestigious family. This meant that those who encountered her after her return would often find themselves overwhelmed with awe.
Some even made special trips from foreign countries just to meet her, so you could imagine the level of reverence afforded to her.
But still, thanks to Hahoe Mask, crime rates have decreased, making work easier and quite pleasant. Well, Japan’s circumstances are different, so I guess there’s not much we can do.
Was that why you didn’t step in directly?
Hmm? No, honestly, I didn’t think my involvement would change much… and it wasn’t just me, right? Everyone thinks similarly. Well, I suppose there are some genuinely scared folks as well.
As she had said, the pursuit of Hahoe Mask continued, yet there had rarely been any instances where a top-tier Awakened One directly sought to capture him.
Even the few who did were mostly coerced by political pressure.
However, because Hahoe Mask was so unpredictable, there had been no direct clashes between them.
Honestly, how many are actually relieved by Hahoe Mask’s actions? Just look, the crime rate is dropping on its own, making things so much easier. …If only he was a bit more cooperative, it would be even better.
While there had been some grumbling about ineptness, when considering the current peace, she felt it was worth enduring.
Deep down, I wish Hahoe Mask would wipe out the corruption in politics entirely.
But if he became a direct target for the powerful in Korea, the Ability Management Bureau and the Returnees Association would have no choice but to abandon their current policy of trying to win him over and act aggressively instead.
Hahoe Mask was probably fully aware that he was only going after dangerous criminals.
Leaving the more complicated issues and social purification to those involved in the system.
…I feel a bit sorry for not living up to expectations though.
She rubbed her temples, recalling the politicians’ murky dealings.
While she was lost in thought, she suddenly noticed the secretary moving urgently and glanced over.
He seemed to have received some sort of urgent message, checking his tablet with a serious expression before freezing on the spot.
No matter how you looked at it, something major must have happened.
Feeling anxious, Yoon Ji-yoon cautiously called out to him.
What’s wrong? What’s happened? Did something go wrong?
…
If you keep acting like that, you’re making me nervous. Why? What’s going on?
At her repeated prompting, the secretary silently handed over his tablet.
At the same time, he disconnected the wireless earbuds from one ear…
[Kyaaahhh——!]
A roaring sound that resembled a massive roar echoed painfully through the office.
Wait, what the…!
Yoon Ji-yoon hurriedly grabbed the tablet and checked the video again.
The looped video wasn’t particularly long.
An ominous black column surged into the sky as the empty space shattered like glass.
A monster that seemed straight out of CGI appeared, gliding through the air of a nearby mountain, cloaked in dark energy.
Although it was a distant shot and not very clear, it featured a familiar silhouette and outfit above its head.
Hold on, could this be…
This video was filmed near Kagoshima in Kyushu, Japan!
…You mean this was filmed on Earth?
Her mouth dropped open.
Not only did it feature an unfamiliar monster she’d never seen in the world she visited, but how powerful was it that even through the screen, it emanated such an overwhelming presence?
Even before that, was it even plausible that something from another realm appeared on Earth?
This has to be Hahoe Mask, right?
…That seems likely.
Ha, haha… This is quite the situation.
Setting the tablet down on the desk, she leaned back in her chair, letting out a hollow laugh as she rubbed her face.
I didn’t think the prince hiding his identity would debut on such grand news.
Although she had only seen one video, at that moment, similar content was flooding the internet.
People filming with their smartphones, footage from car dashcams, and even live broadcasts from internet influencers casually introducing local restaurants.
Just a moment ago, the event in Japan was immediately viewable from her location in Seoul.
In this era of globalization, with such undeniable ‘evidence’ in video form, the repercussions were already clearly foreseeable without needing to think deeply.
And as she suspected…
This incident was spreading to people worldwide at lightning speed.
*
An explosive reaction.
It was the perfect phrase to describe the Bone Dragon incident that had arisen in Japan.
The interest was spreading regardless of whether it was returnees from the other world or ordinary citizens who had only encountered the realm’s artifacts indirectly, resulting in a massive surge.
-What is that? Is that a dragon? Bone Dragon?
-Crazy! Why is that bursting out from Earth? Is this a hoax?
└It’s not just one video coming in. They’re all filmed from various angles.
-How can an Undead from another realm move around so smoothly? How did it bypass the laws? Please tell me! Because I can’t even retrieve my children I struggled so hard to bring back!
└Whoa, caught a Necromancer. Here! Quick, capture him! LOL!
└?? Where do you live? Hiring a hacker isn’t that expensive.
└I’m sorry. Please spare me. I was wrong.
Most people didn’t know it, but there were indeed returnees specializing in summoning beings from another realm.
However, the aptitude of Earthlings for this ability was so poor that they remained stuck at a fairly average level, forced to choose other paths as a result.
There were even fewer of them than the elementals, which were already famously low in numbers due to environmental constraints.
Thus, in a situation devoid of immunity to ‘other realm beings,’ the sudden appearance of the formidable Bone Dragon led to panic.
-What’s up with those claiming it’s all fake? Even watching from the screen, I felt my guts shrink.
└Right? That’s why those who directly witnessed it on screen were screaming and going haywire. Even from a great distance away.
└I showed it to my dog as a joke, and it suddenly wet itself. Don’t do that. Never show it to kids!
Above all, the element that captured the public’s interest was the overwhelming realism that was palpable even through the video.
Even though it was definitely somewhat diluted, the vividness and chilling roar made many engrossed in it even more.
In such a scenario, it was only natural that the videos were swiftly analyzed by various people.
Ultimately, it didn’t take long for the identity of the ‘figure standing above the Bone Dragon’ to be revealed as the widely discussed ‘Hahoe Mask’ in Korea.
-??? Why is this real? I thought it was just some clickbait ghost story;;
-Ahhh! Finally! Truth prevails! You filthy and ugly slanderers!
-Haha! I can’t wait to see those who doubted it get smacked down.
Many who had been persistently proclaiming the existence of Hahoe Mask rejoiced and scattered his achievements, which quickly spread in various languages alongside the videos across the globe.
…Somewhat surprisingly.
Wait, is it really getting this much attention? I had some expectations, but this is too much.
Seong-hyun Han scratched his head in disbelief while researching materials online amidst this societal phenomenon.
While the existence of Hahoe Mask was proven, this did not provide justification for recognizing his previously circulated achievements.
However, the video of the Bone Dragon that left a deep impression turned out to be a form of persuasion, giving strong credibility to the stories that had until then merely circulated as urban legends—
As a result, the terms used to refer to him were being tossed around everywhere.
Unofficially the strongest in Korea, the ruler of the night in Korea, the reaper of criminals, the guardian of the darkness, and the eternal death creeping in with dawn…
Wait, that last one isn’t right. Who’s playing pranks here? No creeping in for anyone!
Recently added nicknames included ‘Dragon Rider’ and ‘Island Bombardier’.
…Worrying about undesired fame here. But thinking about it, it might not even be that bad.
There hadn’t been a special reason for avoiding leaving behind evidence.
It was only that, in societal norms, he knew well that what he was doing wasn’t right, so it just came naturally.
Looking back now, I didn’t really need to hide that thoroughly.
In fact, promoting his name in this manner would likely serve as a much more effective deterrent against crimes.
Maybe it would make villain scum think twice before doing anything.
But that was a different matter entirely; the issue at hand was something else.
Oh right, those guys are pretty tough. The Buncheon Society.
Immediately after using Heratos’s Abyss Breath to smash their hidden world.
Hans promptly installed a new barrier to block any escape route to ensure they couldn’t flee.
The short length of the videos circulating right now was a result of that, but the problem was they had prepared thoroughly and anticipated every situation.
Who would’ve thought they could escape using spatial movement in that situation? I did manage to capture a few extra guys beforehand, but the yield is still lacking.
It was understandably challenging to block unique skills with barriers, so there was nothing to be done.
Furthermore, they were already elite personnel who had been carefully selected, so it wasn’t surprising they could break through hastily established boundaries.
The only consolation was that, after persistently targeting the suited man using the hidden space, he eventually succeeded in killing him.
That man was quite formidable, but his combat power was relatively low as most of his abilities were focused on unique skills.
There was also the fact he wasn’t in a normal state due to the backlash from his skills being forcibly destroyed.
…Wait a minute? Thinking about it, there’s really no reason to feel regret for missing them?
If you looked at it closely, the invader was Hans who had barged into their home turf, and they were an intercepting unit that met him to guard their base.
Plus, he had only just tidied up Kyushu.
There was still plenty of territory left to clean up, and they were already in a state of retreat, with the primary influence pushing Hans, the user of the ‘hidden world,’ also having been killed.
Now, even if they tried to escape, how could they possibly get away?
Heh—
Let’s see how long you can hide when your house is burning down!
With a sneaky laugh echoing from a corner in Korea.
Hahoe Mask, Hans, quietly moved toward the next region in Japan.
To set fire to their den.
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