Convo 2
Black Dragon Society.
It was a name that had almost no presence these days, overshadowed by the Buncheon Society, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if it vanished completely.
The only reason it hadn’t completely crumbled was that it had been a venerable organization existing in the shadows of China for at least several decades before the great cataclysm.
Of course, that was also a long-gone tale.
‘Black Dragon Society… What an unfamiliar name, yet there’s a mountain of information left in the database?’
That meant they had once been a formidable force in the past.
Back when returnees were just starting to appear in ones and twos.
They had successfully improved their organization thanks to one of their core executives returning as a master of Huakyung, allowing them to enjoy considerable success.
While the process did involve an enormous amount of blood flowing both internally and externally, that was a usual occurrence every time there was a change in power.
The master of Huakyung, who had turned the organization upside down, also lost his life to someone stronger than him within just a few years.
‘The important thing is that, in the process, the Black Dragon Society has gained several distinctive traits.’
One of the most notable aspects was that they came to favor returnees from the martial arts world who utilized ‘martial arts.’
Of course, there were practical reasons for that.
For some reason, the ratio of returnees originating from China classed as coming from the martial arts dimension was extraordinarily high.
Considering that most individuals transported to the martial arts world were East Asian, it may have had something to do with the awakened ones’ unconscious influence on selecting the target dimension.
‘Just like how vampires are particularly strong in Europe.’
Furthermore, in order for those who had returned to Earth and stagnated in their growth to become stronger, they had no choice but to mingle with their kind and hone their skills, which meant it wasn’t all that strange that the Black Dragon Society was composed mainly of martial artists.
Well, in the end, there was a sense that being so extreme in their direction led to them being more easily eliminated.
“…Thus, we have determined that our only chance to revive the Black Dragon Society lies in migrating to Korea. The Korean Peninsula has been strangely overlooked by the Buncheon Society for a long time now.”
The Buncheon Society’s power in Korea was merely a handful of crumbs compared to that of mainland China.
So even when they heard that the group had finally entirely withdrawn, they hadn’t taken it seriously—so thought Heuk-Young as he quietly lowered his head.
‘To put it bluntly, it’s saying that they completely disregarded the blood alliance representing the shadows of Korea, right?’
It was nothing new for Chinese people to look down on Korea as a small nation.
Even an exalted transcendent like Phantom couldn’t properly respond to a devious scheme sprawling like this on his own.
“Yeah, I understand the motivation clearly.”
Heinz II nodded slowly.
Heuk-Young was the vanguard dispatched for that preparatory work.
If the plan succeeded and the blood alliance completely crumbled, that would be ideal, but even if it didn’t, it was to make it so they wouldn’t have any time to focus on other matters.
“So what you’re saying is…”
Just the fact that someone of Heuk-Young’s level, a master at the brink of Huakyung, was dispatched for such a covert operation revealed the significance they attached to this.
“That means the head of the Black Dragon Society is over there, doesn’t it?”
“…That is correct, Lord.”
However, they committed a critical mistake by misjudging the opposing side’s capabilities.
With one hand stretched out, Heinz II pointed toward a looming city in the distance, as he directed his finger to the area in the vast eastern region of China—Heilongjiang, home to one of its largest cities, Harbin.
‘Alright, then let’s check out the face of the one in charge.’
As he personally stepped forward to ensure a proper conclusion to the unfolding events, the city’s night view unfolded beautifully before his eyes.
*
Currently, it was estimated that there were about a hundred individuals known as transcendent beings on Earth.
The uncertainty of that number was unavoidable.
Not everyone revealed their existence and conducted activities publicly, and many regions had ironically become hard to connect with for various reasons.
Countless warlords lurked in Africa where it had become no different than a savage land, the influence of superhuman cartels had surpassed governments in South America, and extremist terrorists prowled through the Middle East, making gathering information nearly impossible without special means.
All that could be done was to estimate based on the projected ratio of transcendent beings to the population.
However, one fact was something the general public never anticipated.
In regions where external interaction was completely cut off, there was always a single identical background force behind it.
After all, they were the ones who sparked the disorder in the first place.
Whether it was Africa, South America, the Middle East… or any other region, the same held true.
In that sense, today was an exceedingly special day.
It was the day the shadowy organization—having long manipulated the world from behind the curtain—held its meeting.
The entirety of the surrounding area was adorned with pure white marble, with elegant patterns carved everywhere, giving it a solemnity akin to a shrine.
Creeeak—
With a slight noise, the door connecting to the outside swung open wide, and a middle-aged Hispanic man with a stylish Kaiser mustache and a scar across his eye strode in confidently.
He briefly scanned the surroundings and immediately headed towards the central round table.
Clank! Clunk— Clam!
With every step he took, a weighty metallic sound echoed throughout the area.
He was entirely outfitted in thick metal armor, wielding a battle hammer the size of an adult man, with a large shotgun swaying on his back.
As the fully armed man approached the round table, a black man, already seated and waiting, grinned and sneered at him.
“Showing off your grand entrance, aren’t we? Dictator. Not very fitting for someone so late.”
Unlike his opponent, he bore no meaningful weapon or gear.
He wore only what seemed like jewelry woven from bones and feathers.
But for him, who had transcended through sorcery, these artifacts could be called true weapons.
“Guhuhuhu! I apologize! It seems a minor ruckus occurred in my territory. Business requires too many considerations, you know? Unlike those war-obsessed idiots who just waste money!”
As the middle-aged Hispanic withdrew a fat cigar from his pocket, he bit the end and spat it on the floor, lighting it up before drawing deeply and exhaling towards the black man.
Simultaneously, the atmosphere around them began to grow tense.
“…Huh! What’s so proud about a drug dealer boasting about making money through smuggling?”
“Isn’t it better than being a pig, endlessly feasting while engaging in meaningless wars? Isn’t that right, self-proclaimed liberator?”
“Meaningless? The number of nations freed from plundering thanks to our struggles and the villages that regained their freedom are countless! Did you just say our holy crusade is meaningless, you filthy dictator?”
“…”
“…”
A chilling silence flowed between the two.
But it didn’t last long.
Whoooooosh—!
A fierce surge of energy rushed through, like a raging storm.
The muzzle of the large shotgun, imbued with incredible energy, pointed at the liberator, and something revealed itself in mid-air, baring its teeth towards the dictator.
An explosive confrontation seemed imminent.
“If you both don’t want to get wrecked, how about we stop here?”
However, they weren’t alone in that space.
The moment a languid female voice interjected, their bodies flinched.
Although she lay in a slumped position, with her head still face-down on the round table, her messy blonde hair gave off a nonchalant air.
Yet no one could ignore her warning in that moment.
Despite both being transcendent beings who were heads managing South America and Africa, they had to shrink back in the face of her overwhelming power.
“Zzz…. count yourself lucky.”
“Ha! That’s my line.”
Eventually, both retreated to the far opposite ends of the round table.
Despite the circumstances, their eyes were still locked in a hostile stare.
Naturally, it was unavoidable that tensions would arise when two individuals, whose ideologies and inclinations were of polar opposites, ended up sharing the same space.
However, until now, their activities had been far apart, so they’d had little need to clash…
‘Ugh, I’m feeling fatigued already.’
The blonde woman, resting her head on the table as a judge, let out a deep sigh.
In truth, this wasn’t her first time intervening to quell a conflict.
It hadn’t been long since they had confronted each other, but there had already been several previous tensions between them.
‘Everyone just has to have such strong personalities. Not to mention, the camaraderie among them is at rock bottom.’
It was only natural given that everyone joined the Buncheon Society carrying their own reasons.
Some had taken on debts that were impossible to pay back, whether it was for saving their own lives or gaining growth, while others believed that sticking with this faction would best suit their ambitions, and there were those who felt fear or awe toward the Buncheon head…
It’d be nice if they could fight it out among themselves whenever they disagreed, but given the head’s orders, she couldn’t simply leave the executives to their own devices.
Besides, a comrade of her rank was currently absent for reasons related to carrying out the head’s orders, making her presence even more necessary.
And then…
Her gaze shifted towards a few empty seats now devoid of their owners.
‘It’s one thing to hear about it, but seeing it directly leaves a more distinct impression.’
Despite being a gathering personally convened by the head of the Buncheon Society, meant for high-ranking executives including branch leaders to participate, many of the seats remained empty.
‘Starting with Yul Ryeong-ja, there are the Duke, Secretary, and Nagaraja…’
Not just that.
Even the Executioner, an individual who could be considered second in authority just below the head, and the Oracle, along with the Doctor, who served as the head’s trusted aide—had all faced defeat at the hands of their foes!
Moreover, the Executioner failing to withdraw in time was partly due to her responsibility in controlling the supporting bombardment, meaning she couldn’t simply overlook the current situation.
‘I checked to ensure he could escape safely before ceasing the bombardment. Why on earth couldn’t he escape properly despite having such unfair abilities?’
Was the Executioner incompetent, or was the Masquerade simply too capable?
As she internally griped about things, she took a light breath.
Regardless of personal dislike, she had to firmly separate public and private matters.
Just as much as the enemy force… if the Masquerade’s power was too strong, those of them in opposition would need to hurriedly devise countermeasures.
Creeeak—
Just when she was lost in a tangle of thoughts racing through her head.
Once again, the door connecting to the outside opened.
A dozen or so high-ranking executives, radiating an unusual aura regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity, simultaneously turned their gazes to that direction.
It was clear who had just entered, as all those who could participate had already arrived.
“Apologies for the wait.”
And as expected…
A presence they had been anticipating stepped forth, the voice echoing from the direction of the door.
“Aah!”
“Head is here.”
“Head!”
A voice that felt neither like an ordinary young man nor a remarkable elder, embodying mystique and divinity.
She swallowed hard and wiped the sweat pooling in her palms on her clothing.
“Hmm, you all seem to be staying in line. Well done?”
Following that came the voice of the Oracle, laced with a hint of laughter.
As he cast sidelong glances at her, it appeared he understood perfectly what had transpired in this gathering.
‘You’re dumping all this on me, knowing full well what happened. You have such a poor sense of humor.’
It was at that moment an unexpected variable made an appearance.
“Hoho! It has been a while, everyone! Have you all been well? Ah… by the way, I’ve heard news too. The Executioner… that dear Executioner…! Ugh!”
He began speaking in a high-pitched, hasty manner, suddenly growing genuinely sorrowful, his eyes welling up with tears as he earnestly wept—referring to the brown-haired middle-aged man who appeared to be a cyborg.
The Doctor, who had gone into hiding to modify his resurrected body.
“Ughuhuhu—! Guhhh! Cough!”
While all stared in disbelief at his increasingly erratic reactions, his emotional turmoil was far from over.
“Ahhhhh! This is insane! To lose the body of the Great Demon to them! There’s still so many experiments I haven’t conducted! To lose such a precious top-tier specimen like this!! How infuriating! How infuriating!”
Rage gave way to jealousy.
It was inevitable for his grief over a lost comrade to take a divergent direction.
After all, he was a man who had lived his life that way.
“…Phew, but I’m relieved. Just in case, I secretly created a homunculus while the Executioner was away. Without it, I would’ve gone absolutely insane. Hehehe!”
And the culmination of that rampage left everyone bewildered.
The Executioner had repeatedly challenged the head of the Buncheon Society, and every time it ended with him sustaining severe injuries just enough to barely recover.
The Doctor had actively assisted him in healing throughout that time, and listening to him, it was clear that he had performed every experiment he could even during those adjusted sessions.
He even went to the extent of creating a homunculus without permission.
Had the Executioner ever found out, it wouldn’t have ended well.
The existence of an artificial lifeform resembling one with divine attributes was virtually a critical weakness that could threaten his established divinity.
Though that was a tale for another time.
“Hmm? Why are you all looking at me like that?”
Yet, the Doctor just tilted his head, seemingly oblivious to the situation.
“Isn’t there a purpose to our gathering here? Come, come! Let’s get started!”
And with a bright smile, he clapped his hands enthusiastically and cheered.
“Let’s hold a strategy meeting to capture all the Masquerade members as test subjects!”
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