After the arrival of Marquis Lawrence, the Head of the Imperial Magic Tower, and his battle mages,
The situation in the slums quickly came to an end.
Staub, who had been putting up a fierce resistance, was swiftly subdued, and the few masked figures who attempted to take their own lives upon realizing escape was impossible…
“Ugh!”
“Gah!”
“Hold still!”
…were entangled by Hesperon's black threads before they could even act, their bodies stiffening, and then apprehended by the mages, their abilities sealed.
‘This is quite useful.’
Hesperon glanced at his right arm, now emanating an even denser aura, and nodded.
The masked figures had been caught off guard in their moment of desperation, but even so, being able to completely subdue such high-level opponents was thanks to the increased power of his “Craving Right Arm”.The fact that he could now more skillfully manipulate specific curses, like the paralysis he had just used, was also a significant gain.
-Situation clear! You saved me. Thank you, Riley.
-Ha— I’m glad we made it in time… And I should apologize. This is my fault. I should have dealt with them more thoroughly…
-It’s alright, it’s alright. Things don’t always go as planned. You did your best. Just focus on dealing with the aftermath…
As Hesperon leisurely reassured the self-blaming Riley, he suddenly stopped.
His gaze shifted back to his right arm.
Sizzle—
A dark, ominous energy, the aura of the curse, was slowly seeping out.
“Craving Right Arm”, satisfied after devouring the resentment of the masked figures, was stirring again, as if protesting.
-Heron? What’s wrong? Are you alright? Are you hurt…?!
-It’s nothing. Just… Staub and I made eye contact. I glared at him a bit.
He calmly replied to her concerned questions, but his gaze remained fixed on his right arm, now twitching violently.
‘This is bad.’
Despite his calm tone, his face was pale, his blood draining away.
Drip— Drip—
Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, and blood dripped from his nose, splattering on the ground.
A few mages, who had been cleaning up the area, rushed towards him, but he ignored them.
Saaaa—
The curse, which had been subtly testing its limits, began to rampage.
“This… Is it a side effect?”
Maintaining his composure with “Mind Hub”, he frowned and meticulously examined his body.
Even though he had successfully formed a contract with the curse and gained control over it, its nature as a double-edged sword remained.
And it wasn’t just an ordinary curse. It was a special entity, possessing sentience and its own level.
Unless you were someone like Hans, the Immortal King, who was completely immune to curses, you had to be cautious when handling it.
‘…I did overdo it this time.’
He hadn't just used its power, he had also used it defensively, clashing head-on with dark magic attacks several times.
Even the filtered impact had been enough to make his insides churn, so the accumulated damage to his arm was significant.
Sizzle—
And then, the black dragon, which had manifested from his arm, stared at him, its eyes glowing ominously.
Unlike its usual majestic appearance, its gaze was sharp and serpentine.
And the curse, once confined to his right arm, began to spread.
“Tsk, I should have listened to the doctor. He told me to be careful…”
Hesperon clicked his tongue.
It had been an unavoidable emergency, but he needed to find a solution.
He didn't know what would happen if the curse grew stronger.
“But not now, you little rascal.”
Crackle—
And as expected, the curse, trying to expand its influence, couldn't go past his shoulder, writhing and contorting.
The bandages wrapped around his shoulder, imbued with holy power, and his “Curse Devourer” skill, were actively resisting its encroachment.
‘Now!’
Flutter—
As the curse faltered,
The bandages on his shoulder unraveled and then swiftly re-wrapped his entire arm, as if guided by his will.
Crackle— Crackle!
Black sparks erupted as the curse reacted violently, the black dragon flickering in and out of existence, its form unstable.
An overwhelming pain surged through his arm, but his “Mind Hub” and “Soul Firewall” blocked it, protecting his consciousness.
But even he couldn’t completely suppress his physical reactions. He wasn’t Harley, able to control every muscle and cell of his body.
His pupils dilated, his muscles convulsed from the pain that overwhelmed his nerves, his face paled, and blood trickled from his nose and mouth, while his body was drenched in a cold sweat.
After about five minutes,
Perhaps thanks to his constant efforts to control it with “Chains of the Oath”,
The rampaging “Craving Right Arm” finally began to subside, and his body slowly regained its stability.
‘Whew, if that had happened during a fight…’
He sighed in relief, massaging his aching arm.
He flexed his bandaged hand, testing its movement, and then looked up.
“Are you alright?”
Marquis Lawrence, who had been watching from a distance, cautiously approached him.
He had met the Marquis several times while learning magic in the imperial palace.
Perhaps because of his connection to Riley, the future ruler, the Marquis had occasionally offered him advice.
“Yes, I’m fine now.”
“Hmm… If you say so…”
“Ah, I apologize for the late greeting. Thank you for saving me. That was a close call.”
“You fought well, despite your lack of experience. You’ve only been training for a short time, and you’re already at that level.”
The Marquis, his eyes narrowed, continued to observe him.
His body covered in dust and bloodstains, his pale face and sweat-drenched body, his still trembling muscles…
He didn’t look fine at all.
‘Even if he was physically unharmed, anyone who witnessed that would be concerned.’
Marquis Lawrence stroked his beard thoughtfully.
The clash between the rampaging curse and his will to suppress it.
The physical reactions alone were enough to convey the intensity of the pain he had endured, yet Hesperon’s expression was calm and composed, as if nothing had happened.
‘His mental fortitude and self-control are incredible. What a waste.’
His rapid growth rate, his ability to withstand Staub's attacks until his arrival…
He would have made a fine disciple, a potential successor…
‘Hmm, should I suggest it to him later?’
But now wasn’t the time.
He had to make sure Hesperon was alright.
He couldn’t risk him succumbing to the curse’s aftereffects, especially after saving him. That would only incur Riley’s wrath.
“You should get that checked out.”
“…Pardon?”
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Ah… Yes.”
And so, Hesperon was half-dragged to the imperial hospital by Marquis Lawrence.
And upon hearing the news, Riley immediately ordered his long-term hospitalization.
Along with a barrage of worried scolding through their mental link, asking why he had lied about being fine.
______________________
A base on the outskirts of Seoul.
Tap— Tap— Tap—
A rhythmic tapping echoed through the quiet room.
I stared at the monitor, displaying a report received through a secure email, and fell into thought.
‘Auterica is nearing its final chapter.’
There were still some loose ends to tie up, but the major events that would significantly impact the world were mostly resolved.
All that remained was for his avatars to consolidate their power and for him to successfully conclude his Home Theater.
‘The biggest remaining issue is the Hermanheart ducal family…’
But even that wouldn't last long.
Riley was taking aggressive action, fueled by her anger.
She was still at the Roselia Temple, but she was remotely commanding her forces, orchestrating a large-scale operation.
From the political and economic spheres to academia, the magic towers, and even the mercenary guilds.
She had even contacted the Church, requesting the Heresy Inquisitors to investigate Staub, the fallen dark knight.
‘I gladly accepted, since I also have a score to settle with him.’
It was a request from the Empire’s representative, after all.
More than enough justification for the Church’s intervention.
‘And if that’s not enough, I’ll just plant some evidence linking him to the Immortal Army.’
And then… Boom!
A prestigious ducal family would become traitors to humanity!
Conspiring with the Immortal King, blinded by their greed for power.
Even a ducal family wouldn't last long against the combined forces of the Empire and the Church.
Especially with the imperial family turning their backs on them.
‘Come to think of it, it’s not even a false accusation.’
And then he realized it wasn't just a convenient fabrication.
He had already confirmed that Duke Hermanheart was an executive of Oath of Heaven’s Defiance.
And what were they?
The ones who had resurrected the Immortal King, opened the abyssal gate, unleashed madness upon the world, and orchestrated the near-destruction of the Enamel Continent and the Great War on the Ion Continent.
‘I don’t know how much he knew or how deeply he was involved… but the fact remains.’
It didn't matter if he had knowingly collaborated with them, aware of the potential consequences, or if he had simply been trying to exploit the situation for his own gain.
This was now a justified execution.
‘…I got sidetracked. So, about that…’
My gaze returned to the secure email on the monitor.
And my mood, which had been artificially elevated, plummeted.
The sender was Andrew Weber.
The slave… no, the valuable asset with the useful information gathering skill “Trajectory Observation”.
And the report he had sent… contained promising results.
<Confirmed Location of Heaven’s Turn Society’s East Asia Branch>
<List of Potential Locations for Yulryeongja, Head of East Asia Branch>
‘Yulryeongja…’
I recalled the mangled figure I had encountered in Japan, crippled by Hans.
And the memories from the recent hospital terrorist attack resurfaced.
The flames, the explosions, the heat, the screams, the scent of blood.
The voice calling his name, the gaze fixed on him, the warmth, the memories.
“Haa… Huu…”
I took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.
The anger and resentment I had buried within my “Persona”, telling myself it wasn't time yet…
‘I’ve waited long enough. It’s time…’
…began to stir.
Yulryeongja, the Head of the East Asia Branch.
Which meant…
<Operation Plan: Seoul Station, August 20XX>
…He was the one responsible for the terrorist attack, the one who had given the order.
He wasn't the only target, but he would be a good start.
A way to quench his thirst for revenge.
I closed my eyes, leaning back in my chair.
Darkness enveloped my vision, the only sound the hum of the computer.
And then.
“Hans.”
The room…
…was plunged into darkness.
______________________
Deep within Auterica.
The abyss.
A chaotic realm where time and space, matter and concepts, lost all meaning, drifting aimlessly.
As it had always been, and as it would always be.
Crackle!
But then.
Something unexpected began to occur in that unchanging space.
Crack— Crunch!
A shattering sound, as if something was breaking apart, echoed through the distorted realm.
Or perhaps it wasn’t space itself that was shattering.
This was a place where such concepts didn’t even fully exist. Perhaps it was just an illusion, a trick of the senses.
But regardless of the cause, the change continued.
And then, it spat out something else.
“Hmm.”
A man, suddenly appearing as if he had always been there.
Unaffected by the chaotic surroundings, he calmly surveyed the area and muttered softly.
“Another dead end?”
But he wasn’t certain yet.
He had entered this space through unconventional means, exploiting a loophole, and such attempts often led to dead ends.
Vulnerabilities in security were often found in neglected and isolated areas, after all.
The man— a being whose presence was both ordinary and overwhelming, a blur of reality—.
The Master of Heaven’s Turn Society, smirked.
“I was hoping for something useful this time…”
But before he could finish,
《The XXed XXX gazes upon you.》
Thump—
The space trembled, accompanied by a powerful heartbeat.
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