Citizens across the world were in a panic.
Black portals had appeared simultaneously across the world, causing fear that the Demon Force was launching an all-out assault.
However, the chaos did not last long.
“To all citizens: the Heroes Association and UD Group are conducting a joint operation. Please evacuate to a safe location to prepare for potential clashes...”
Semi-transparent ghosts roamed the cities, declaring the announcement to all upon emerging from the portals.
And just as they said, a mass of undead began raiding the locations where the suspects were believed to be hiding soon after.
However, despite all the resulting turmoil, Gregory had received the news of the operation taking place slightly late.
“...You’re saying the UD Group launched a large-scale assault?” Hanging up the phone, Gregory looked at the investigator with a bewildered expression.
“Yes, sir! We’ve confirmed over 198 cases so far!”
The count didn’t seem too significant, but when factoring in the fact that more than half of the incidents were occurring in major cities worldwide, it was nothing short of a global operation.
He said he’d act in a week, so why now?
Gregory recalled the conversation he had the previous night with Seon-Woo about Se-Hoon.
Was Wurgen acting on his own then? Or was the Heroes Association so untrustworthy in Se-Hoon’s eyes that he took action sooner? Trying to clear his head of the confusion, Gregory bit his lip and forced himself to calm down before giving orders to the investigator.
“Declare an emergency alert in the reported regions and assist with the civilian evacuations.”
“Also, conduct an internal audit of every branch in the Association immediately.”
Hearing the unexpected order, the investigator was stunned.
Seeing that, Gregory firmly stated his words once more. “Inform them the internal audit is a collaborative investigation with the Perfect Ones. All personnel are to comply without resistance.”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the investigator dashed out, pale-faced.
The world was in chaos, with sirens blaring across the world as the large-scale search operation commenced.
And the Barmuth family estate, where Se-Hoon had arrived personally, was no exception.
“Don’t let them enter the main building, no matter what!”
“Muster every ounce of strength to hold them off!”
The main estate of the Barmuth family was enveloped in a shimmering blue barrier, the staff firing ranged weapons to fend off the approaching undead from inside. They were putting up a relentless onslaught that made it difficult to approach the main building.
They’re weaker than I thought.
Is some low-rank demon controlling them?
When the undead first appeared, they claimed to be from the UD Group, but no one believed it. After all, the Barmuth family and the UD Group were linked through a strategic marriage. The mere idea of Wurgen’s undead suddenly attacking the Barmuths seemed less plausible than a deceptive tactic by the Demon Force.
“The family head is requesting reinforcements from the UD Group and the Heroes Association right now. Hold out until they arrive!”
“If the main building falls, we’re all dead!”
With their lives on the line, the staff fought desperately and slowed down the undead’s advance, albeit slightly. Hope was beginning to flicker among them.
But then the tail of a massive serpent skeleton descended from the black portal above.
The blue barrier they thought unbreakable shattered without leaving a trace, and the roof of the building was ripped off, exposing the sky above.
Staring blankly as the colossal skeletal tail of the serpent disappeared back into the portal, the staff then collapsed to their knees, realizing just how narrowly they had escaped death. If that tail had swung even slightly lower, they would all have been obliterated.
“Lay down your weapons and lie face down on the ground.”
“Anyone caught resisting will be forced into subjugations as traitors.”
The undead stormed into the building, issuing the cold warning to all. Hearing it, the staff dropped their weapons and prostrated themselves without hesitation.
They knew they were no match, and the earlier display of power had confirmed the undead belonged to Wurgen’s army.
If we die here, it won’t be a clean death.
We’ve never even considered siding with the Demon Force...
Trembling in terror, the staff were subdued and dragged out.
Meanwhile, Se-Hoon descended from the sky, with Luize and Helena by his side. They landed inside the building, which was now in ruins, where an elderly man stood, unyielding despite the chaos.
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Barmuth.”
The sturdy elder with neatly combed golden hair, Max Barmuth, stared at Se-Hoon.
“I never thought we’d meet .”
“Well, that’s typical. Criminals rarely see themselves getting caught.”
Max’s jaw clenched at Se-Hoon’s remark, his anger evident. However, internally, his thoughts revealed a different story.
So he’s the type who forces his way through until he achieves his objective.... No wonder the others couldn’t stop him.
Most would gather information, verify details, and meticulously plan their moves. Only once those were complete would they launch such a large-scale operation.
In contrast, Se-Hoon acted as soon as a framework was in place, adapting to unforeseen circumstances and leaving cleanup to others. It was a reckless yet highly effective approach that left no time for Watchers to cut ties or cover tracks.
It wouldn’t be surprising if he has even more tricks up his sleeve. I should approach with maximum caution.
With heightened vigilance, Max shifted his gaze to the two figures behind Se-Hoon—Luize, who was glaring at him with disdain, and Helena, who was shooting daggers with her bloodshot eyes.
Recognizing who they were and his connections to them after a moment, Max finally spoke. “So, which of them has business with me? The one whose throat I slit or the one whose son I killed?”
Max’s right shoulder exploded, sending his severed arm tumbling to the floor.
Clutching the remnants of his right shoulder, Max turned to see Helena aiming her crossbow with an icy glare.
“The next shot will sever your head. If you think you can provoke me, go ahead and try. I don’t mind killing you, since we can just resurrect you.”
The sound of her reloading made her intentions clear: she was ready to fire at a moment's notice.
Seeing Helena’s determination, Max glanced at Se-Hoon, who was standing in the back, seemingly indifferent.
So he plans to trap my soul with the power of Boundaries.
Figuring out the interrogation method they intended to use, Max took a moment to calm his breathing before saying, “What is it you want from me?”
“Tell me why you killed my son.”
“The reason, you ask.... I’d like to call it an accident during an experiment, but you wouldn’t have come all this way if that explanation would have satisfied you.”
Helena’s finger hovered over the trigger. Despite that, however, Max continued in an unnervingly composed tone. “Your son, Nathan Hunt, was a brilliant alchemist. He always stood out among the researchers in our family, and in no time at all, he discovered his own ‘truth.’”
An alchemist’s ultimate pursuit was the perfection of the synesthetic mindscape and soul, together creating a state often referred to as the “truth.” Nathan, as a genius alchemist, had achieved it by his thirties, making it an accomplishment few could rival.
“But learning and reaching the truth are entirely different matters. Nathan felt he had hit a wall and sought my guidance. So, as his mentor, I offered him advice.”
Max’s lips curved into a chilling smile.
“Transcend the limitations of your body and soul, and you’ll reach the truth.”
A gaping hole appeared in Max’s chest. Startled, Helena looked at her crossbow, wondering if she’d accidentally fired—she had not.
And that was when she realized: Max had created the hole in his own chest.
Panicking, she raised her crossbow again, but it was too late.
From the void in Max’s chest, a black gemstone emerged, glowing with an ominous radiance before unleashing a blinding flash that consumed everything.
A towering black pillar of destruction swallowed the building, the shockwave sending the undead and staff who had been dragged outside flying into the distance.
Condensed and focused for maximum destructive force through an alchemical formula, the explosion was powerful enough to annihilate the entire surrounding area.
I wonder if it worked...
Now only a core, Max waited to gauge the results of his sacrificial move. The black gemstone, the core of one of his most prized disguises—a fabricated identity he used to infiltrate the world’s upper society—had power sufficient to drag even S-rank heroes to meet instant deaths. Then, suddenly, he heard a voice.
Unharmed without even a scratch, Se-Hoon stood amidst the destruction, grasping the black gemstone in his hand.
“This is your true form.”
Not even a speck of dust was visible on him.
Shocked, Max’s core trembled in his grasp.
It was utterly incomprehensible for a human to amass such overwhelming power in less than a year. Had he been secretly nurtured by Perfect Ones all along?!
“Who knows?” Se-Hoon flatly replied, clenching the gemstone. “You should think about it until we meet again.”
Crushing the gemstone in his hand, the sound of it shattering echoed in the air. And once Se-Hoon opened his hand, black dust scattered into the air, carried away by the wind.
Watching the remnants fly away, Se-Hoon soon heard Luize’s voice ring out from above.
“Hey! Can we come down now?”
Floating in midair, Luize and Helena were unscathed thanks to the Veil of Whitespace Se-Hoon had covered them with just before the explosion.
“Yeah, it’s safe now. Come down.”
Double checking there were no additional traps, Se-Hoon dispelled the veil with Shadow Thread, allowing the two to descend to the ground.
“Whew... I thought we were done for. What happened?” Luize asked.
“He ran away. It seems the one here was just a clone.”
Though he spoke as if speculating, Se-Hoon already knew exactly who they had encountered.
The leader of Transcendence... Magnum Opus
That elusive monster, known only through rumors before the regression, had turned out to be the very enemy they had just faced.
I thought he’d turn out to be just another pawn of Watchers... but he was Ascension’s leader all along.
Truthfully, the unforeseen discovery left Se-Hoon momentarily stunned. It made him carefully review the situation once more, wondering if he had overlooked anything else.
Helena suddenly collapsed to the ground, staring blankly at the floor.
“So that’s... what happened...” she muttered in despair.
She recalled her son Nathan had faced a wall he couldn’t overcome. Back then, she had dismissed his struggles outright, just telling him to persevere, even during their last conversation a week before his death.
“If you can’t even overcome this one obstacle, how do you expect to achieve anything in the future? If you want to continue practicing alchemy, strive further.”
Scolded for visiting her at Babel, Nathan had left for the Barmuth family’s research lab, only to die in an unexplained explosion that left no trace of his body.
Searching for a reason, Helena had then discovered evidence suggesting the Barmuth family’s involvement in a cover-up, strengthening her conviction that they were to blame and driving her quest for vengeance.
But upon finally learning the truth, that conviction had been completely shattered, leaving her broken and drowning in guilt.
Her emotions spiraled out of control, and her soul began to fracture. Blood-red tears streamed down her face, and she coughed up blood as her mana rampaged violently.
Translucent Sacred Flame enveloped Helena, burning away her rampaging mana. However, the overwhelming lethargy caused her to lose consciousness, making her fall forward into Se-Hoon’s arms.
Seeing that, Se-Hoon quickly extinguished the flames and checked her condition.
She narrowly avoided the collapse of her synesthetic mindscape...
He immediately decided against using the Sacred Flames once again. Her unstable mental state made it far too dangerous. Turning to Luize, who was staring in alarm, he gave instructions.
“Luize, take her to a hospital and then to my workshop. Ask the Sacred Craftsman to look at her.”
“The Sacred Craftsman? Not the Pilgrim?”
“He specializes in this. Just tell him it’s for research, and he’ll begrudgingly help.”
Though confused, Luize supported Helena with a nod.
“Got it. And after that?”
“Wait for me there. I’ll call if I need you.”
Noting down the instructions, Luize created a portal to Babel and carried Helena through. Normally, such long-distance teleportation would be risky, but the Ascension Ring and Ludwig’s monitoring from Babel ensured their safety.
Okay, onto the next destination.
Wasting no time, Se-Hoon teleported to a nearby Void Space Terminal and immediately headed for the Seoul-bound gate leading to the Flame Sect.
The Watchers and Barmuth family had already caused enough trouble, but the possibility of new variables couldn’t be ignored.
Arriving in Seoul a moment later, Se-Hoon emerged from the terminal, and just then, an announcement blared.
—Warning: Multiple demons and Doppelganger of the Ten Evils have been detected at the Flame Sect. Citizens are advised to evacuate immediately.
“Damn this butterfly effect!”
Cursing loudly, Se-Hoon sprinted toward the headquarters of the Flame Sect.