Episode 199 Approaching Footsteps
A community forum in Korea.
<After the Bone Dragon appeared in Japan>
-It seems like Hahoe Mask has given up and isn't trying to hide from photos and videos anymore. Suddenly there's a flood of evidence after a few days, lol. They're all filmed in Japan, though.
└It would be funny to try to hide now after such a flashy debut. But why isn't he summoning that Bone Dragon again? I want to see it again!
└Ha, bro… When are you coming back to Korea…? I'm scared to walk at night without you, bro ㅜㅜ
└But the villains who were starting to reappear after Hahoe Mask went to Japan are disappearing quickly these days? It seems like the Guardians are finally doing their job, lol.
It hadn't even been a week since Hahoe Mask revealed the Bone Dragon in Kyushu.
Naturally, the internet was still buzzing with the topic.
Of course, new incidents were happening every day, but the shock wasn't something that would fade away in just a few days.
Not only was his presence deeply imprinted in people's minds, but it was even a hot topic overseas!
It was only natural for Koreans, who were sensitive to reactions from other countries, to be deeply interested in Hahoe Mask, who was active overseas wearing a traditional Korean mask.
Of course, it wasn't all positive…
-But is it okay for a Korean to act so freely in another country? Won't it cause diplomatic problems?
└Fact) Hahoe Mask was already a criminal who acted freely in Korea.
└But come to think of it, isn't this embarrassing for our country? A criminal who couldn't be caught in our country is now active overseas and making a name for himself, what does that say about Korea?;;
└What does it matter? Even Japan can't catch him.
Because there were many who were uncomfortable with his radical actions.
After all, he was a criminal who was arbitrarily passing judgment, and on top of that, it had been revealed that he was a necromancer who used the infamous dark magic power.
And the reactions from overseas were similar.
A subtle aversion mixed with curiosity.
In that sense, public opinion in Japan, where the 'purification operation' was currently underway, was truly a melting pot of chaos, with all sorts of opinions mixed together.
-That masked dark hero visited my neighborhood yesterday. And today, the area was swarming with police.
-I've been living in fear because those guys didn't care about the police or the Guardians… Can I finally relax?
Some expressed subtle expectations for the changes that would follow Hahoe Mask's visit.
-I live in Fukuoka, and I definitely felt it. Of course, small fry took over their places soon after.
-But it's on a different level in terms of scale, so it's much better than before. I don't know how long it'll last, though.
└It's the same where I live. The new guys are at least being cautious for now. I hope the Supernatural Bureau takes care of this while they're weakened, but it's probably faster to pray for that masked hero to return than to expect those incompetent guys to do their job properly.
Some expressed subtle satisfaction with the results after he had already visited.
-Are you all idiots? A Korean criminal entered our country and is massacring Japanese people, why are you happy about it?
└I know, right? What's the Supernatural Bureau doing? Catch him quickly! I can't live in peace!
└But Hahoe Mask only hunts criminals like the Yakuza.
└Aren't the Yakuza Japanese too? If we're going to catch them, we should do it ourselves, why is a Korean doing it?! We should demand compensation from Korea.
└The problem is that they're all in cahoots, so they're not catching them.
From those who expressed their disapproval based on national sentiment to those who argued against them.
Naturally, they were more sensitive than those in other countries because they were directly involved.
And that interest couldn't help but become even stronger when it came to certain organizations.
The criminal organizations in Japan, who were in a dire situation, and Heaven's Turn Society, which had been pushed back after trying to capture Hahoe Mask, were prime examples.
____________________
A luxurious lodging in China.
Buzz— Ching—
A man in his thirties, sitting in a wheelchair, moved his eyes mechanically with an expressionless face, like a robot, as a faint mechanical sound vibrated in his head.
And as he did so, information collected from all over the world was stored in his head.
Not only the information they had investigated themselves, but also the information that others had analyzed and uploaded online for fun, was thoroughly reviewed and attached.
It was literally the result of the branch's all-out information gathering efforts.
"Tsk."
But Yulryeongja, the man who had finished reading the reports displayed on the monitor in his office, leaned back in his chair and clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
He frowned and massaged his forehead as if he didn't like something.
"Yulryeongja~? It seems like things aren't going well!"
At that moment,
His body flinched at the sudden frivolous voice.
He was sure he had been alone in this room.
But after a brief moment, he lowered his hand, which had been massaging his forehead, and calmly turned his head.
"…Doctor."
As expected, a familiar middle-aged man with messy brown hair and a scruffy beard was looking at him with a grin.
"It's been a while! So, how's the new eye?"
"Thanks to you, it's…"
"Pfft! That's right, it's thanks to me! That's why… I'm even more disappointed."
Doctor's voice lowered, his expression suddenly becoming serious.
Yulryeongja just bowed his head at his mood swing, which was as unpredictable as always.
"I heard about what happened in Japan. You messed it up big time, they say?"
"…I apologize."
"Well~ It happens! A Bone Dragon, to think of it! Even I didn't expect that! He's more interesting than I thought. Hahaha!"
Doctor laughed again as if he was having a manic episode, then wiped the tears from his eyes and brought up the reason why he came here.
"I received word that the Master is back."
"…Is that so."
The Master's movements were top secret.
Of course, Yulryeongja was also the head of the East Asia branch, including China, the origin of Heaven's Turn Society, and he was in charge of the restrictions on the key members, so he wasn't in a low position.
He would probably receive the news soon too.
But he would inevitably be lower in priority for information than Doctor, who was practically the Master's right-hand man.
And the reason why he came all the way here to tell him this…
"The Master was also very interested in that Bone Dragon! He always liked unusual things, didn't he?"
"You're saying…"
"That's right! He said he wants to see that Smile Mask in person! Of course, I'm planning to tag along too! Hehe!"
"The Master himself said that? Oracle is…"
Yulryeongja, flustered by the sudden news, called out someone else's name, and Doctor's expression crumpled as if he had heard something he shouldn't have.
"…Hmph, that woman doesn't seem too sure this time. So what can I do? Just stay quiet!"
But he quickly regained his composure and spoke triumphantly.
"It feels so good that the woman who always nagged me whenever I tried to do something is finally quiet! The future isn't something that's set in stone, it's something we create ourselves! I wish the Master wouldn't listen to her so much!"
They were at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of their abilities and personalities, and they had a very bad relationship.
If Doctor was the Master's right-hand man, she was his left-hand woman.
They wouldn't even be in the same organization if it hadn't been for him.
"Then the Master is currently…"
"Pfft! You know his personality, why are you asking?"
As expected.
Yulryeongja slowly nodded, sensing something.
"He should be arriving…"
Clank—
At that moment, the door suddenly opened without warning, interrupting Doctor's words.
"It's been a while, everyone. Yulryeongja, how's your body?"
A man entered the room, enveloped in a strange aura.
He seemed ordinary at first glance, but then he emitted a suffocating pressure, and when you tried to look at him properly, he even felt blurry—.
He was an elusive being.
"Yes, I'm much better thanks to your concern."
"Wow~ Speak of the Devil! He arrived just in time, Master!"
The leader of Heaven's Turn Society, a transnational criminal organization that exerted immense influence over the world from the shadows.
He had been away for a long time for some reason, and now he had finally returned to China.
To personally capture Hahoe Mask, who was active in Japan.
____________________
"Why are my ears itching?"
Thump—
I carefully placed the heavy barbell down and scratched my ears after my usual routine in the home gym.
'Tsk, is someone talking about me?'
The thought crossed my mind for a moment and then quickly disappeared.
There were too many possibilities.
I shrugged lightly and bent down to pick up the barbell again.
"Hooo—!"
Hans couldn't help but be the target of criticism.
It went without saying in Auterica, and he had recently become a hot topic even in Japan because he had started to act openly there.
Naturally, he was aware of the public opinion trend.
'But I'm not planning to change my course of action based on public opinion.'
Everything had been going smoothly so far.
He had broken through Heaven's Turn Society's trap while turning Japan upside down and even inflicted considerable damage on them.
Based on his experience so far, they weren't the type to just take it, so there would probably be some kind of retaliation soon.
He just had to continue what he had been doing, preparing for that moment.
'Which is completely burning down their bases.'
He couldn't help but chuckle.
What was more fun than destroying a tower that someone else had painstakingly built?!
'It's only been a few days since the first clash. They need time to regroup. But they probably won't abandon Japan completely, so it won't be that long.'
Of course, they would come more prepared next time, but it didn't matter what Heaven's Turn Society did.
He could now freely summon and use Bone Dragon Heratos, and the newly joined Abyss Revenant Salma, and…
'And if things get tough, I can just run away.'
He could always use 'Dismiss', the ultimate escape method.
'So Earth is taken care of. The situation in Auterica is a bit complicated, but… it's going relatively smoothly.'
Thump—
The barbell was placed back on the ground with another heavy thud.
I finished the set, stretched my shoulders, and subtly looked to the side.
"Huu! Huff—! Huff!"
Sweat was pouring down his body like rain, and he was gasping for breath.
A tall, handsome young man in casual clothes was doing squats with a barbell on his shoulders.
'Hmm, as expected, he's handsome.'
I nodded with satisfaction, watching him.
Naturally, it was my newly created avatar, 'Hugo'.
He had entered extreme hard training mode as soon as he was created, as usual.
But one unique thing was… this time, I hadn't modified his appearance, so he looked exactly like me, just like the clones I created at the beginning.
'Anyway, I can change his appearance with "Customization" whenever I want.'
Hugo's current task was to handle various chores and act as my stand-in when I was away.
This would cleanly solve the problem of me frequently being absent after using "Individual Projection" lately.
Of course, nothing major would happen in that short time, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.
'Hmm, but…'
As I was walking towards the shower room with a towel on my shoulder,
I leisurely checked the situation in another world and nodded.
'I should focus on that side for a while.'
A meaningful event was about to begin in Auterica.
____________________
When he emerged from the swirling blue gate,
The first person Heinrich saw was a very familiar face.
"Welcome, Saint. You've worked hard."
A girl with bright silver hair that seemed to scatter the surrounding light and sparkling golden eyes.
Saintess Liesta Saint Hatianuss, enveloped in a halo that brightened the surroundings just by her presence, greeted the hero party with a gentle smile.
"Welcome to the Roselia Cathedral."
It was the moment when Heinrich finally returned from his long journey and arrived at the cathedral in the holy land to participate in the second Continental Summit.