Buncheon Society (2)
A mountain not too far from the villa.
“Kreeuk… The barrier is stronger than I expected. I didn’t think it would be so burdensome.”
Moreover, he hadn’t moved as far as anticipated.
That must be because of the barrier laid by Hahoe Mask.
“Hoo, his level is higher than I thought. I should hurry to get out of this place.”
Park Kwangcheon forced his trembling legs to stand.
It was impossible to use 「Space Manipulation」 again immediately, so he had to move as much as he could on foot.
‘Still, it was worth pushing myself to boost my Unique Skill twice. The Unique Skill has good performance, but its growth is so slow.’
Although it consistently grows as proficiency increases, there’s a significant merit to rapid growth using the Karma Shop.
Setting up a barrier that no one could notice and detecting their infiltration, as well as hiding his and his subordinates’ presences—all thanks to that.
In the end, he found himself in a situation of fleeing, but even now, the enhancement effect of ‘Immediate Activation’ was helping.
‘The recovery time has also sped up. Just a few more minutes, and I’ll be able to use it again. With no barriers this time, I can escape even further…’
[So you were here.]
Suddenly, a voice that should not be heard in this place echoed from behind.
It sounded less like a human voice and more like a resonant echo from a cave.
Just hearing it felt like his mental fortitude was being chipped away.
Park Kwangcheon’s body stiffened.
‘How did he know? From the traces left on the barrier? That could only point to the direction at best… How could he pinpoint my exact location… No, that’s not important right now. I need to buy time. Once I can use「Space Manipulation」again…’
Kwaak—
[You seem to be deep in thought.]
A cold hand, covered by black gloves, grabbed the back of his head.
There was no softness that one would expect of a human hand.
It felt like that of a doll carved from ice.
[At first, I had no intention of killing you easily, but thinking about it, I never know when you might escape. So, I decided to just carry on as usual.]
“A…no…”
A sinister dark magic surged into him through the back of his head.
Park Kwangcheon twisted his whole body to resist, but his entire physique was already bound by the black shadow.
‘Cough! This… It’s only been a minute! If only I had a little more time…! Grrk…*’
With a sensation like a metal skewer stabbing into his head, his consciousness blurred, and his thoughts began to stutter.
[Don’t think death will be a way out. Even in front of me, death cannot be an escape.]
Hans’s dark magic ruthlessly rummaged through his brain and pried into his memories.
Of course, this guy was also under a restriction.
But perhaps having tried it once made it easier.
It was a bit more complicated since he was a high-ranking member, but it wasn’t too hard to unravel.
The memories he read were…
‘…what the hell is this?’
In the endlessly slow flow of time, he faced something completely unexpected in the guy’s mental world.
– I didn’t expect you to lower your guard and allow me in.
[Oh? Who are you?]
A humanoid form glowing green.
Only the head and limbs could be distinguished; facial features were indiscernible.
– I had an idea, but seeing you in spirit form is quite impressive. That density of dark magic… Hahoe Mask turned out to be more than I expected.
Realizing he was in a similar form, he noticed that, unlike the other, he was shrouded in a mass of abyss.
[You’ve been hiding in this guy’s head? So, you must be one of the Buncheon Society’s top brass.]
– It’s no use denying now.
He was someone who hid in a safe place and planted restrictions in others’ heads to spy on them—a despicable individual.
The term ‘tribal hatred’ popped into his mind, but he wasn’t that kind of person, so it must be a simple misconception.
Maybe it was the guy’s mental attack.
– Hahoe Mask, I would never expect someone like you to be so rational despite using dark magic. It’s a shame. Just out of curiosity, would you be interested in joining us?
A scout offer he never expected.
Still, it was a good opportunity to gather information about them.
[Ha! What do you expect me to trust you, a faceless figure? Well then, I’ll ask. What’s your organization’s purpose?]
– The freedom of returnees. A world led by us.
‘Sounds formal. Are they serious?’
He couldn’t tell if what he said was genuine.
It could merely be a superficial reason to sway a returnee like Hans.
[Considering you’ve only recently made a name for yourselves, that’s quite an ambitious goal.]
– We’ve existed long before that. And we have been fighting for freedom all along.
The word “fight” somehow struck a nerve.
The expression “long before” did as well.
[So, that means you’ve been engaged in terrorism all this time?]
– Terrorism… you could think of it that way. But it was necessary. An unavoidable sacrifice.
‘I figured this would come up.’
There it was, ‘unavoidable sacrifice.’
These guys thought nothing of others’ sacrifice for their own objectives.
There was no need to argue further—it was clear they were ‘evil.’
They’re just rationalizing the terror they’ve enacted… my ‘enemy.’
With a sudden rush of memories, he hurriedly suppressed his rising emotions through the「Mind Hub」.
But perhaps due to his lack of familiarity with spirit form.
In a fleeting moment, it seemed a part of his emotion slipped away.
Noticing this shift, the guy’s demeanor changed.
– I hope you make a wise choice. This is a mental world. Here, mental abilities take precedence over magical capacity. You cannot defeat me here.
[Oh? Finally showing your true colors. What if I accept? Do you plan to plant restrictions in my head as well?]
– That too is unavoidable. If you don’t like it, you’re free to resist. Damage done to the spirit here will also affect the physical body in reality. It’ll be a good opportunity to eliminate obstacles.
He had an attitude that seemed to say he was absolutely in charge.
It would be nice if one followed along obediently with a collar, but even if one resisted, he could dispose of them anytime.
There was a certain leisure about him.
– Make your choice. By the way, you won’t find it easy to escape. Even if you manage to leave, you will have sustained severe injuries and will have to sacrifice a lot.
Since this was a mental world, time outside was still flowing slowly.
It hadn’t even been a few seconds since Hans had squeezed the commander of the Buncheon Society’s head and shoved dark magic into it.
That meant there was still plenty of time…
[Keugh, kheuhuhah— so it’s a mental world… Does that mean superiority is determined by mental factors?]
That implied there was plenty of time to hit that guy.
[How dare you threaten me, the one who commands death. It’s utterly ridiculous.]
As for that aspect, he was indeed a veteran here.
*
“Yul Ryeong-ja? Yul Ryeong-ja! Are you alright? This is strange. Your body seems fine…?”
His distant consciousness gradually returned.
Before he knew it, an old man wearing a priest’s robe approached Yul Ryeong-ja and observed his face closely.
“Ah! Sorry, High Priest. I was just lost in thought for a moment… Haha!”
“Ehh… Where on earth is this young man’s mind wandering? I thought you were snoozing with your eyes open. I understand since you’ve been trained from dawn, but—”
He just needed to concentrate urgently for a bit.
But it was a problem he couldn’t share with others, so he hurriedly constructed an excuse.
“Oh, I was reminded of the past upon achieving some results. It’s been such a hard time for me…”
“Pfft! Stop the dramatics! That you’ve come to be able to use such a level of Holy Law in just that duration is remarkable talent! You have the qualities to become a splendid combat priest!”
Indeed, just before he had lost focus, he had seen the fruits of his Holy Law training.
《The individual has gained enlightenment through repeated training. You have acquired the skill「Auterica Holy Law」.》
The spell utilizing Holy Power he mastered shortly after receiving the blessing.
It took longer than expected as it differed greatly from the other energies he had grown accustomed to.
“Thank you, High Priest. But soon I will become a Knight. I will strive to save more people with the Holy Law you have taught me as a Knight!”
“Yes, indeed! You need not worry, for you will excel as a Knight. I’m often surprised to see how you grow day by day!”
Of course, the notion of it having taken long was just from his perspective.
The buffs bestowed on awakened individuals in this world and the acceleration of growth from the copies attached to the ‘Avatar’ provided a tremendous growth rate that would astonish the people here.
As Heinrich exchanged greetings with the High Priest who led the Holy Law training and stepped out of the training center, he gazed at the sky where the morning sun was rising.
‘Finally, I’ve achieved my first goal!’
Indeed, soon Heinrich would receive the induction he had longed for as a Knight.
After reporting the acquisition of 「Blessing: Strong Body」 last night and meeting the conditions to become a Knight, he promptly received approval.
Achieving this remarkable feat just six months after joining the Holy Church Order.
Of course, it’s unthinkable for someone to become a Knight in just six months.
Heinrich was merely exceptional.
It wasn’t just talent, but the timing aligned perfectly.
The characteristics of the Holy Church Order, allowing for rapid ascension if one was filled with Holy Power and had the ability, also played a role.
‘This side is going smoothly, and things on that side are going well too. …But what did that guy say earlier?’
He mentioned something about sustaining severe injuries and sacrificing a lot, even if he managed to escape?
Heinrich chuckled as he walked towards the training ground to sweat a bit before meal time.
“Hmph… what luck?”
Leaving behind a strange smile, unclear to whom it was directed.
*
Inside a luxurious guest room filled with dazzling red and gold decorations.
“Kueh… cough—cough!”
Crash—!
A man in his thirties who had been sitting on a chair collapsed to the floor, coughing blood.
“Cough… damn…!”
“Yul Ryeong-ja! Are you alright?!”
In a sudden state of emergency, hidden guards emerged and scanned the surroundings, but it was pointless since it wasn’t an external attack.
‘This nonsensical… I lost? Me? In a battle in the mental world?’
The battle with Hahoe Mask had taken place in the mental realm.
A familiar battlefield and familiar combat.
Except for the unfamiliar opponent.
“Uweck—!”
Blood spattered from his mouth, mixed with bits of internal organs.
Not to mention, from his left eye, something pale along with blood was flowing out.
Bang!
“Yul Ryeong-ja!”
“Hurry! Prepare healing immediately!”
The door to the guest room burst open, and subordinates alongside healers rushed in.
‘…Khugh, it won’t matter.’
This wasn’t damage to the physical body.
It was the backlash from the spirit being harmed.
Still, it was better than nothing, so he surrendered his body to the helpers and closed his eyes.
Though blood continued to surge from his mouth, it seemed thanks to the healing abilities that it didn’t worsen further.
[Kukakaka—! I got you—!]
As he shut his eyes, the last scene of the mental world lingered in his mind.
The black shape, resembling an abyss, burst into grotesque laughter, reaching out towards him at that moment.
“Kreek…”
In the last instant, had it not been for his Unique Skill 「Mental Reflection」, this would have ended right then and there.
…Even after using that, the moment he lost in battle, his credibility dropped to an all-time low.
‘Why did I lose? It’s not just a matter of mental strength. Was it a skill difference? There’s no way my mental skills are lacking. Rather, it’s a more fundamental issue…’
Initially, it had been a somewhat equal battle.
He sharpened his mental focus to slice through the opponent while blocking each other’s attacks with barriers.
But suddenly, the opponent’s response changed.
His attacks seemed like useless fog, causing no damage, while theirs felt lethally overwhelming, wielding all the madness and malice in the world.
His once-impenetrable mental barrier shattered.
At that moment, the opponent didn’t appear normal in any way.
A collection of all negative emotions: fear, despair, sorrow, pain, anger, death…
It felt like he was fighting a monster rather than a human.
‘When we talked, I didn’t sense that kind of aura. How could he hide such madness normally? No, to begin with…’
Is it possible for a human to harbor such malice?
Is Hahoe Mask truly human?
‘That existence was more like a high-level Undead… No, that can’t be…’
A returned Awakened individual had been declared dead the moment they changed into an Undead and couldn’t return to Earth through the Karma Shop.
Even if it seemed to have self-awareness, it was just a twisted version of a human’s notion after death.
An Undead from another world wouldn’t escape the laws of Earth, and creating an Undead of that level on Earth would be nearly impossible.
‘Putting all that aside, when I first met them in spirit form, they were clearly still human. The amount of dark magic they had was immense, and that was undeniable.’
Admittedly, they transformed drastically once combat started.
At least a hint of humanity remained.
If one had to compare, it was somewhat similar to a Demon.
Though the level and quality of madness were significantly more severe.
‘…Had they sealed away a Demon within themselves?’
If a crisis struck, it might have unsealed it…
‘For now, that hypothesis seems the most plausible. If so, they wouldn’t come away unscathed either. A great cost would be needed to re-seal such an existence.’
Thinking it was not just one-sided pain made him feel a bit better.
He let out a sigh and opened one eye.
“Yul Ryeong-ja! Are you alright?!”
The guard who first noticed his distress urgently questioned.
The other subordinates were still struggling to hold him and provide treatment.
His body felt like a rag, his left eye was permanently damaged, and he felt no sensation in both legs.
A part of his soul had been torn away, and his magic circuit had suffered severe damage, leaving him in a state akin to a living corpse.
But there were still matters to attend to, so he needed to hurry.
“Send a special order to the Seoul branch. Immediately halt all operations and erase all information before going into hiding. Retrieve only Alpha from the Blood Alliance; cut off all minor connections and sever all ties.”
Pausing momentarily, he caught his breath and continued.
“An urgent order to all branches in Korea. Close down the current base and erase all traces. Establish a new base at your discretion and report later. Cease all activities until further instructions… Cough!”
After saying too much, blood burst once again from his mouth.
“Yul Ryeong-ja! You need to stabilize now!”
The healers screamed, but he gritted his teeth and delivered his final words.
“And tell the Head. There’s a monster in Korea. …I’ll need to rejuvenate for at least a few years.”
With that muttered half-heartedly, he relinquished the last shreds of his consciousness and let his head drop.
The guards who received his order hurriedly leaped into action, while those remaining moved him to a safer location after finishing first aid.
As the commander overseeing Korea collapsed, a halt was placed on the Buncheon Society’s operation.
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