The New Millennium Tower—in Manhattan, New York—was constructed eight years ago by the Millennium Industry, having steadily gained its current fame in Manhattan over time.
On top of its sleek exterior, due to recent construction, its interior was also packed with attractions that showcased the latest magic engineering technology developed by the company, leading to its popularity. Additionally, several inner spaces were often rented out at low rates, leading to daily events and even larger crowds of visitors.
And the weekend he arrived was no different.
[19th Antiquarian Technology Advancement Committee: 3rd Floor Conference Room]
Reading the sign on one side of the first-floor lobby, a man with soft eyes—Se-Hoon in disguise—examined his surroundings.
I had a hunch when they said the branch was in Manhattan... but I didn't expect it to actually be here.
It was where he had arrived to attend a secret black market event hosted by Dawn to buy materials—the place where he first encountered the Blast Dog, who was attempting an act of terror.
Looking back, it's a wonder I survived that.
He still clearly remembered the fiery blast he had been caught in that day.
A security guard in a black suit approached him.
“Are you Mr. Jackson, one of the guests invited to the Antiquarian Technology Advancement Committee?”
Hearing the unfamiliar alias, Se-Hoon scanned the guard from head to toe.
He could clearly sense the Seeker’s mana radiating off the guard, even though they were trying to conceal it.
“R-right, this way, please.”
Stuttering, the guard suddenly tensed as if he sensed something and began leading the way with Se-Hoon following leisurely.
Soon, they arrived at a room that exuded the air of a chairman’s office on the building's top floor. Feeling the air, Se-Hoon spoke without even looking at the guard. “Open it.”
Gulping, the guard nervously opened the door and revealed a spacious, well-decorated room that was sleek like the building’s exterior. Within were also unique-looking objects scattered throughout, all appearing to be hextech devices, making it stand out.
Looks like these are the things they manufacture here.
Seeing no other notable features, Se-Hoon slowly walked in and the door closed behind him.
Then, the moment he felt the room become sealed off, a strange sound reverberated through the entire room.
It was as if it was triggering a specific power. Annoyed by the sound, Se-Hoon furrowed his brow when he suddenly heard a sharp voice whispering into his ear.
Hearing the irritated whispers of the Seeker, who always resided within him, Se-Hoon became curious.
“Does the noise bother you?”
“It’s like someone’s poking my side constantly. Seriously, I want to wreck this entire place.”
At the sound of the Seeker gritting her teeth, Se-Hoon inspected his body, focusing on the Seeker’s mana which was contained with the power of Boundaries. The sound was agitating it, making it surge.
It seems different from the Leash.
The Leash was a piece of equipment that generated a curse using the Seeker’s mana to trigger its victim’s trauma. It had been used before to hinder Luize during her sparring session and later to control her when she became the Blast Dog.
But while their effects and activation processes were normally somewhat similar, the current noise was producing a completely different effect.
Is it accelerating the corrosion process?
The Seeker’s mana within him was being stimulated, accelerating the rate of corrosion. And from how the Seeker was so agitated despite the effect being somewhat mitigated by the power of Boundaries, it was definitely potent.
If they’re using something on me...
Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.
Then, the noise suddenly stopped, and the chair in front of him, which had its back facing him, swiveled to reveal a man.
He had neatly combed back short brown hair and a beard that covered his jaw. With his powerful, weighty presence and strong build, the man, who looked to be in his early forties, was the kind who naturally commanded authority.
“Are you satisfied with the test results?” Se-Hook asked, looking at the man who had stood up.
In response, Jimmy Glenn—the man who was the president of Millennium Industry and known as the Left Arm in Dawn—bowed his head.
“I see no issues with the results. Please forgive my ignorance.”
Rather than coming up with excuses, Glenn immediately opted to apologize directly.
However, Se-Hoon still looked at him with cold eyes.
“I’ve got an important announcement coming up, and I don’t want any unnecessary conflicts. Keep it brief and to the point.”
“...I suspected that by acquiring the Dream Demon’s power, you might have been trying to suppress Him.”
“So, you thought I was a traitor?”
Staring at Glenn, who had not raised from his bow, Se-Hoon squinted.
So he’s Left Arm. He’s quite a cautious one.
Even though Glenn had confirmed that the Seeker had descended upon Se-Hoon, he hadn’t dropped his guard. Glenn seemed to still consider Se-Hoon’s abilities a potential threat, likely due to how Se-Hoon was a recent addition.
He might be the mastermind behind the kidnapping plan.
Quickly sorting out his thoughts, Se-Hoon stared at Glenn coldly for a prolonged silence before finally nodding.
“Well, fine. If I were in your position, I might have had my doubts too.”
“Thank you for your understanding—”
“But. I think we should hear what He thinks about it.”
Switching his attention to the Seeker, who was still grumbling in his ear, Se-Hoon asked, “What should we do?”
“Give him a solid punch.”
Acting immediately, Se-Hoon cast an incantation.
Seeping into Glenn’s black suit, the spell triggered the Seeker’s mana, which began glowing crimson.
An explosion sent Glenn’s body flying backward into a bookshelf.
Watching indifferently, Se-Hoon casually sat down on a nearby sofa and waited. Moments later, the debris stirred as Glenn, bloodied, stood up and checked his body. There was a gruesome wound in his chest, one deep enough to expose his ribs, dipping blood.
However, despite the injury, Glenn smiled faintly.
“You definitely seem to understand His power.”
Thinking it was a good thing he tested it, Glenn loosened up his creaking body and immediately used the Seeker’s left arm to cast a spell.
With a crimson flash originating from his arm, Glenn instantly healed his body of all wounds. But while the regeneration itself was impressive, what really caught Se-Hoon’s attention was the restoration of Glenn's suit.
That should be regeneration, then... no, more like restoration?
His appearance had returned to how it was before the injury, almost as if time had reversed.
As Se-Hoon meticulously observed, the Seeker began commenting with an intrigued voice. “He stored his physical state in the Akashic... that’s quite clever.”
“Is that even possible?”
“It’s not entirely impossible, but to be more precise...”
Now calmer thanks to unleashing her temper, the Seeker began chattering away. But Se-Hoon only half-listened to her, having noticed that Glenn had finished restoring himself and was now seated across from him.
“That’s a relief. Let’s get to the point then, as we don’t have much time to spare.”
Without blinking an eye, Glenn began the discussion as if nothing had happened.
“There are a total of ten participants, including us. One representative from Transcendence and Exuviation will attend, while Offering, Succession, and the Demon Force will each send two.”
“Who is going to show up from the Demon Force?”
“Doppelganger and Apostate.”
Se-Hoon’s expression grew contemplative. Not only were the heads or senior members of Watchers attending, even two of the Ten Evils had gathered in the building. It was an incredible opportunity to call in the Perfect Ones and wipe out the building right now, but Se-Hoon decided against moving hastily.
I shouldn’t make a move without seeing all their cards first.
Though he had considerable knowledge about the Watchers, that was knowledge of the future. The present situation—who they were and what they were doing—was a mystery to him. Therefore, for now, it was better to assess the situation as an undercover member of Dawn.
With his thoughts sorted, Se-Hoon asked Glenn another question. “They seem somewhat amicable. Do you know anything about their relationships?”
“Hmm. They don’t have any particular relationships with anyone, but if I had to say, it would be with Succession. Succession is the largest group, and the versatility of Succession’s technology makes them frequent collaborators with the Ten Evils.”
“So, there’s a chance Succession could monopolize support from the Demon Force?”
“Depending on the circumstances, yes.”
Se-Hoon fell into thought.
It’s obvious that Succession has significant influence.
After all, even Doppelganger, who attended as a delegate from the Demon Force, was essentially in an alliance with Succession. For now, it was unclear where Apostate’s interests lay, but given the current atmosphere, Succession seemed likely to monopolize the budget of Watchers, regardless.
It doesn’t really matter to me who receives the money, but... I guess it’d be better if most of it went to Dawn.
If another subgroup were to receive more monetary support, his enemies would only grow stronger, but if Dawn secured the investment, Se-Hoon could have some control over it.
Having grasped the general situation, Se-Hoon looked at Glenn.
“Alright, I’ll handle the details. Just try to push my presentation to the end of the schedule.”
“Are you confident that we can gain the interest of the Ten Evil?”
Shrugging, Se-Hoon calmly answered, “Who knows? I’m not the one presenting—it’s going to be Him.”
“Let’s head down now. I’ll be seeing these people often, so I should get familiar with their faces.”
However, just as Se-Hoon was about to stand, Glenn asked another question. “There’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”
“Why are you meeting the Perfect Ones so frequently? It’s dangerous, and things could get really dicey if you’re not careful.”
Glenn, being an executive of Dawn, often utilized whatever faction was convenient, but it easily looked like betrayal to others, especially when dealing with the Demon Force. And now, the same went for Se-Hoon, being one of the Regions.
Under Glenn’s gaze, filled with both curiosity and doubt, Se-Hoon thought for a moment before answering, “What reason is there for me to not meet them?”
“The desire for knowledge is His core principle. Therefore, the Perfect Ones and their power are just subjects for me to explore.”
To anyone else, he would sound like he was mad, but to another member of Dawn, it was the most appropriate answer.
“Hmm, a good mindset.”
Judging from the Seeker’s murmur in satisfaction, she was pleased with his response. Glenn, however, seemed surprised by the unexpected response, judging by his widened eyes.
“Shall I give you some advice?”
At Glenn’s answer, Se-Hoon calmly told him, “The only reason you weren’t able to receive His grace is because you failed to understand that.”
“Let’s try to stick to our roles, Left Arm.”
Though Left Arm could do many things, in the end, he was still just a tool. Understanding that, Glenn’s expression hardened, and Se-Hoon rose from his seat.
“I’ll go down first.”
Alone in the office, Glenn reflected on their conversation. Se-Hoon’s words were clear despite their indirectness—a tool should behave like a tool and follow its master’s will. He was demanding that no matter what he did, Glenn shouldn’t question it and just cooperate fully.
Normally, one would likely have felt humiliation or anger, but Glenn didn’t. With a twitch of his eyes, a smile slowly crept up his lips, replacing the stern expression he had worn moments with jovial delight.
He’s definitely the one.
For Him to return to this world, Se-Hoon was definitely the most suitable vessel.
I must protect that body, no matter what.
Now completely certain, Glen basked in ecstasy, his eyes gleaming. Previously, he had considered kidnapping Se-Hoon as a backup plan, but now it was a sacred duty of theirs.
His resolve clear, Glenn approached his desk and pressed a button.
“Bring in the guest.”
Taking the elevator down to the third floor, Se-Hoon entered the hall where the conference was taking place.
“Ah, Mr. Kim, it’s been a while.”
“Mr. Han, were you invited too?”
“I’ve got quite the knack for the Blood Arts. I like to be of some use at events like these.”
The hall was buzzing with the chatter of many. Surveying the hall, Se-Hoon estimated that close to a hundred people were present, more than he anticipated, and became curious.
So they’re infiltrating an existing gathering, huh?
Continuing to survey the hall, Se-Hoon soon heard the whispers of the Seeker in his ear.
“What do you think will happen?”
“The warning earlier about not doing anything weird—do you think he’ll follow it?”
It was a question Se-Hoon didn’t need to think about before answering.
“No, he’ll definitely try something. I’ve already proven that I’m an exceptional match for the Vessel.”
If Se-Hoon had turned out to be mediocre, Left Arm likely wouldn’t have bothered with kidnapping and instead would have prepared for a smooth handover later.
However, after their meeting, Se-Hoon was sure that Left Arm would definitely attempt to abduct him, and the intensity of the attempt would depend on how favorable the conference became.
“Hmm, the situation seems pretty risky, but you’re awfully confident, huh?”
“It’s only risky if one has no clue about the ambush. Since I’m aware, I can just prepare accordingly.”
Though the situation was far from safe, Se-Hoon considered the risk to be manageable.
“Well, I hate to say it, but you really are a strange one.”
“Stop talking nonsense and get ready for the presentation.”
“Aye aye, I’ll stay quiet and do my job as a tool~”
Ignoring the Seeker’s sarcasm, Se-Hoon resumed his scan of the bustling hall.
Assuming they’re hiding among the crowd... where would they be?
But just as he was about to head deeper into the hall to look for the attending Watchers before the event began, Se-Hoon overheard some people’s murmurs.
“Tsk, how rude of her to act like that in front of everyone...”
“Someone really needs to get rid of those kinds of people one day.”
Following their gazes, Se-Hoon looked toward a corner of the hall, where a woman was sitting with her feet propped up on another chair right next to hers. She had a cigarette in her mouth, blowing smoke into the air occasionally, and her dull eyes were staring blankly at the ceiling.
She looked completely unfazed by the whispers of those around her, like someone entirely indifferent to the world—a strange and familiar figure.
Frozen, Se-Hoon stared at her for a long time, until finally—
A long-lost figure from the past had unexpectedly appeared.