Chapter 161

Chapter 161
## Chapter 161

The Hahoe Mask Emerges (1)

“There is an undeniable drop in crime and chaotic incidents lately, visible both in daily life and across the media.”

“Absolutely. Not too long ago, I genuinely worried society was on the brink of collapse.”

This sentiment was shared by citizens throughout South Korea, extending far beyond the borders of Seoul.

The level of domestic public safety had reached an incredibly high standard.

While the global landscape continued to deteriorate, Korea experienced a peculiar, contrasting peace that had rapidly integrated into the civilian routine.

Naturally, multiple factors contributed to this shift.

The Supernatural Ability Management Bureau, a state department, maintained a relentless operational pace, while the Guardians operating under the Returnee Association secured numerous victories against rogue elements. Their structural impact was undeniable.

Yet, those familiar with the inner workings of the underworld recognized a different truth.

There was a singular entity whose shadow loomed far above these official organizations.

-Honestly, without Hahoe Mask, our nation would have devolved into the same chaos gripping the rest of the world. Who’s with me?

-The Guardians are doing their part, but the sheer shift in safety before and after Hahoe Mask arrived is too massive to minimize.

-Has anyone uncovered Hahoe Mask’s actual identity? Could it be a collective of operatives utilizing a single alias?

Hahoe Mask—the enigmatic vanguard who originally stabilized the dark alleys of Seoul before expanding his vigilantism across the entire peninsula.

Speculation regarding his background intensified daily, capturing the attention of mainstream media personalities and trending heavily across social platforms.

Consequently, a particular digital hub experienced unprecedented user growth…

This was ‘Dawn’s Shrine’, a virtual community dedicated entirely to the veneration of ‘Hahoe Mask’.

The title derived from the traditional design of his visage and his penchant for midnight operations, drawing thousands of new members daily.

Inevitably, the fascination with this contemporary dark champion extended beyond the civilian population.

—

Supernatural Ability Management Bureau, Criminal Investigation Division, Hahoe Mask Investigation Team.

“Argh! Exactly how much longer must we pursue this phantom?! We should drop the case entirely and let him handle the syndicates!”

“The rookie is losing his mind again. Quick, someone fetch his medication!”

“Understood, Team Leader. But honestly, sir, do you think we enjoy this wild goose chase? We are simply bound by bureaucracy.”

Smack!

A senior officer struck Kang Tae-san across the skull while he was reviewing surveillance feeds, swiftly delivering the requested disciplinary action.

The junior operative possessed a habit of spiraling into dramatic rants unless physically grounded, making this a recurring office necessity.

“Striking this kid’s head is oddly therapeutic today.”

“Ouch! Senior! I’ve recovered my focus! Please stop!”

“Excellent, rookie. Remember, our primary mandate is monitoring crimes committed by awakened individuals. Keep your personal biases out of the field.”

“…Understood, sir.”

Thus, the government’s quiet pursuit of Hahoe Mask persisted.

—

Korean Returnee Association, Seoul Southern Branch.

“I still suspect a direct link between Hahoe Mask and the Blood Alliance, particularly the Heterosis faction.”

“Heterosis is that elite martial unit within the Blood Alliance that has been rapidly consolidating power, correct? Commanded by a Level 8 vampire known as Heinz.”

“Precisely. Since they neutralized their radical elements, they’ve kept a low profile, which is why we permitted their territorial growth…”

Ultimately, eliminating clandestine syndicates permanently was akin to weeding an endless field; they always returned.

A more pragmatic approach involved empowering a compliant faction, like the current iteration of the Blood Alliance, to police their own domain.

The strategy yielded remarkable results. The structured governance of the Blood Alliance paired with the looming terror of Hahoe Mask ensured unparalleled stability within the sector.

“The evidence suggests Hahoe Mask is utilizing an independent intelligence channel provided by the Blood Alliance to supplement his hunts.”

“An intelligence channel… meaning a designated execution list?”

“That is the current hypothesis.”

Yoon Ji-yoon, the branch director, massaged her temples and leaned back into her office chair during the briefing with her aide.

Investigating Hahoe Mask carried immense political and physical risk, even for someone of her stature.

Verified reports indicated his combat threshold mirrored that of a Demon King from outer realms.

Provoking such an entity into an adversarial stance could result in the absolute devastation of metropolitan Seoul.

“…We will maintain a passive observation strategy for now.”

With a weary sigh, she elected to monitor the chess board rather than move a piece.

The Supernatural Ability Management Bureau and the Returnee Association were not alone; countless global intelligence cells, syndicate syndicates, and even the Heaven’s Turn Society conducted covert operations to unmask Hahoe Mask.

The vigilante had become an inescapable variable in any discussion regarding South Korea’s geopolitical climate.

—

Meanwhile, in a secluded space…

Hummmm—

[Hehehe… To think a parasite like you still breathes. Your audacity is amusing. Perhaps I shall slice open your abdomen to see what lies within.]

“A barrier formation? Who stands there?!”

Hans found the immediate defiance quite refreshing.

He believed the dread he instilled had thoroughly paralyzed the underworld, yet here was a target executing targets in broad daylight, showing zero humility when cornered.

“…So you are the fabled Hahoe Mask. Your moniker has echoed frequently of late. That is indeed a remarkably foul source of sorcery.”

The target actually manifested an aggressive intent upon recognizing his opponent.

This wasn’t the blind bravado of a newly returned novice who lacked perspective.

Even with Hans suppressing the core resonance of his heart, very few entities possessed the fortitude to stand resolute in his immediate presence.

‘He holds genuine confidence in his martial prowess.’

Vroooom!

Predictably, a dense, suffocating pressure erupted from the target’s frame, his spiritual weight multiplying.

A chaotic, contaminated energy—resembling a volatile amalgamation of stolen essences yet undeniably heavy—flooded the boundaries of the boundary field Hans had manifested.

‘He has amassed power by harvesting the vitality of others. Astonishing that his pathways haven’t collapsed under such discordant pressure.’

He likely possessed a specialized attribute tailored for assimilation.

The sheer volume of his current energy reservoir eclipsed that of Conwell, the renowned Commander of the Azeria Empire’s Royal Knights.

“It appears your notoriety is somewhat justified. I did not anticipate Hahoe Mask to be a variation of a Jiangshi, though you seem to have mastered a highly irregular grand ritual.”

Though Hans utilized the traditional wooden mask to obscure his skeletal visage, concealing his fundamental nature from an combatant of this caliber was impossible.

Of course, the vast array of anomalous traits present on Earth provided an easy cover story for his condition.

[Hehehe, encountering a mortal who doesn’t instantly collapse in terror is a rare pleasure. Delightful.]

“Hmph. Let us see how long your arrogance endures.”

Crackle!

The words had barely left his lips when a sharp fracture echoed through the air.

An instantaneous, blistering strike shattered the outer layer of the dark magical warding.

However, the ambush stalled immediately as dozens of abyssal constructs materialized from Hans’s form upon impact.

While the counter-offensive failed to inflict lethal harm, it disrupted the sequence.

The moment the dark tendrils surged forward, the martial artist had already retreated to a safe distance, his gaze turning profoundly cautious.

‘Incredible velocity. A true master of movement arts. I have rarely encountered an evasion technique of this sophistication.’

A rapid strike followed by an immediate retreat.

Such footwork methods were native to worlds centered around internal cultivation and martial supremacy—often categorized as ‘Murim’ realms—and they historically presented a nuisance to conventional spellcasters.

“…What manner of resource is that? It transcends standard mana. A force so malevolent yet strangely untainted… Even the Heavenly Demon lacked this absolute density.”

The swordsman, whose hands were now coated in a crimson shroud resembling a fiend’s talons, spoke through a heavy frown.

His initial superiority had vanished, replaced by extreme vigilance after directly testing the quality of the abyss.

‘A realization that comes far too late.’

Thud.

A dark resonance rippled across the terrain from Hans’s subtle step.

A dense manifestation of the abyss, thick enough to neutralize light itself, surged from the impact point and fortified the surrounding barrier.

Snap! Snap!

He reinforced the perimeter, judging the previous boundary too fragile to guarantee the elimination of an agile opponent.

It would complicate matters if the target exploited his speed to breach the perimeter and escape into the city.

“…Ha! You dare compose an elaborate ritual mid-combat while facing me? In the presence of the Heavenly Demon Emperor?!”

The calculated action clearly wounded the pride of the cultivator, who ground his teeth as his aura flared wildly.

He proclaimed his grandiose title with absolute seriousness.

‘How incredibly embarrassing… Dubbing himself the Heavenly Demon Emperor without a shred of irony.’

Hans felt a wave of second-hand mortification.

Yet, despite finding the adversary’s theatrical nature pathetic, he chose to play along to preserve the gravity of the duel, acting as a courteous host.

[Hehehe… Losing a prize already ensnared in my web is a habit I despise. Let us elevate this conflict to its proper stage.]

Naturally, his long-discarded sense of shame remained entirely unbothered.

—

Boom!

“Gah! You absolute monstrosity!”

An hour elapsed.

The engagement persisted far longer than anticipated.

The target’s intrinsic power was formidable, but his extreme mobility proved to be the primary complication.

The physical boundaries of the barrier, repeatedly strained by his desperate attempts to break out, sustained noticeable degradation; escape would have been guaranteed had Hans not reinforced the structure earlier.

‘The conclusion is nigh. I shall terminate this before the expiration of the Individual Projection.’

Swish!

Abyssal elements deployed like an expansive web from his extended palm, neutralizing all vectors of retreat and constricting the battlefield.

“Curse it! What manner of corrupting plague is this?!”

The martial emperor resisted frantically, forcing his limbs to move even as the aura of mortality eroded the flesh around his lacerations.

‘His confidence was well-founded. He simply lacks experience against high-tier necromancy due to his isolation.’

Standard black magic proved ineffective against this particular Heavenly Demon Emperor.

The celestial shroud protecting his physique granted immense resistance to spells, while his refined Demon Hands shattered the structural integrity of oncoming offensive hexes.

His ability to redirect, neutralize, or sever standard magical flows forced Hans to expend significantly more tactical effort than usual.

[Yet all defenses crumble before the true abyss.]

Unfortunately for the cultivator, his internal energies shared a disastrous compatibility with Hans’s primary power.

His chaotic, unstable internal reservoir destabilized further upon contact with the void essence.

The decay accumulated relentlessly, overriding his parries and eroding his protective shroud.

It was an agonizing, systematic dismantling.

In reality, this display represented a version of Hans’s power heavily suppressed by the laws of this world compared to his zenith in Auterica.

‘Unlike pure dark mana, the essence of the abyss operates at half its capacity on Earth. Similar to the suppression faced by divine energy… There is an underlying universal law dictating this, though the mechanics remain unclear.’

It was a nuance he had previously ignored during lesser skirmishes, but the limitation became transparent when fully engaging a top-tier adversary.

Experiencing and analyzing various energy systems allowed him to map these differences with extreme precision.

Yet, even at half capacity, the destructive output remained vastly superior to standard terrestrial magic.

The fact that the swordsman had endured this long earned him a degree of professional respect.

Thud! Crash! Whoosh!

However, the resistance reached its absolute limit.

“Aaargh!”

Inevitably, abyssal spears impaled his torso, bypassing his dulled reflexes.

The necrosis, acting with the ferocity of a predatory beast, began to systematically consume his failing anatomy.

[Your foundation is magnificent. You will transition into an exemplary undead thrall. A most rewarding harvest.]

“Raaah! Silence your tongue! I am the Heavenly Demon Emperor, the scourge of the Kanghwan Realm! Do you truly believe an ascendant of the ‘Mysterious Realm’ will perish in this wretched ditch?!”

Vroom!

The Demon Hands tore desperately at the binding shadows, his remaining internal pathways fluctuating violently.

But with his physical vessel completely compromised, any remaining internal energy was entirely academic.

‘The Kanghwan Realm… A destination noted during my historical cross-dimensional research.’

To be categorized as the nightmare of an entire world made him quite a kindred spirit to Hans.

Acknowledging a fellow sovereign of terror required a fitting response.

Clack!

“Guh!”

The Heavenly Demon Emperor found himself utterly immobilized, pinned by massed shadows converging from every angle.

Hans stepped forward unhurriedly, coming to a halt before placing a cold palm atop the man’s head.

[The nightmare of the Kanghwan Realm… Our profiles share a striking similarity. Out of respect for this cosmic coincidence, I shall grant you a final revelation.]

Allowing an opponent’s self-introduction to go unanswered lacked etiquette.

Within the confines of the absolute, lightless barrier, a monstrous manifestation of pure primordial negativity towered over the broken mortal, delivering a final statement.

[I am the Immortal King, the cataclysm that walked Auterica, the despair of kingdoms, the sovereign of the dead.]

He withheld his mortal name.

Sharing it with a dying thrall served no practical purpose.

An instant later, the torrent of abyssal energy discharging from Hans’s hand completely consumed the form of the Heavenly Demon Emperor.