Chapter 164

Chapter 164
## Chapter 164

The Hahoe Mask Rises (4)

Nearly fourteen days had passed since Princess Riley had been taken captive and delivered to the stronghold of the Immortal King.

Yet, true to the adaptable nature of humankind, she had grown accustomed to her surroundings and was now experiencing a surprisingly tranquil existence, a stark contrast to her initial days of captivity.

Dwelling on her plight, after all, would achieve nothing.

Consequently, she chose to cast aside her pointless anxieties and focus on achieving internal serenity.

There was a particular individual who played a major role in altering the princess’s perspective…

“Oh? So Hesperon isn’t your actual name?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Pretty cool, isn’t it? I figured I needed a striking moniker to mark a fresh start in an entirely new world… Ahaha!”

This speaker was Hesperon, a self-proclaimed wanderer from another realm who had recently taken up residence here.

“What is your true name, then?”

“It’s Ha Seung-hoon, but sticking to Hesperon is fine. It has a much better ring to it!”

“Ha Seu… Right, well. That doesn’t matter.”

Riley directed a critical gaze at the simple-minded fellow.

He shared the same heritage as Isea, possessing identical dark hair and eyes, yet their temperaments were worlds apart.

While Isea embodied the intelligent, studious, and diligent type despite an initially detached demeanor, this man appeared intellectual but behaved in an entirely careless and oblivious manner.

He remained completely unbothered and relaxed in a perilous situation where they were hostaged by the Immortal King and vulnerable to any whim, making her feel foolish for having worried so much.

Nevertheless, he shared one striking trait with Isea…

Crackle—

An astonishing innate capacity for wielding magic.

“Wow! I managed it, I did it! Riley, come take a look!”

“Watch your manners. Remember to use proper honorifics!”

“Ah, my bad! I just got carried away. But look at this. This step is far simpler than the previous one.”

Pale electrical sparks danced across Hesperon’s hand.

Accepting it as a twist of fortune, she had resolved to guide him through the basics, reminiscing about the days she spent instructing Isea in the mystic arts…

Yet his rate of comprehension outpaced even what her previous pupil had shown.

‘…Is it possible that individuals from Earth possess an inherent gift for arcane arts?’

There seemed to be no other logical explanation.

Many practitioners remained trapped at the novice tier even after a decade of study, yet these interdimensional travelers were casually threatening to outpace her own achievements!

‘Ugh, even if I wasn’t pushing my absolute limits, I still have ten years of experience.’

However, this assumption was merely an error born from her ignorance of his unique circumstances.

While it was accurate that ‘Hesperon’ was experiencing magic for the very first time…

‘This level is trivial. Even if the principles differ from dark magic, it would disgrace the reputation of Hans if basic sorcery proved troublesome.’

He was actively sharing a consciousness with Hans, the Immortal King.

Naturally, physical restrictions prevented him from executing high-tier incantations, but they were currently only navigating the foundational tiers.

Furthermore, he was receiving subconscious assistance from potent, magic-aligned capabilities such as “Wicked Wisdom”, “Forbidden Knowledge”, “Path of Magic”, and “Magic Domination”.

It was impossible to falter on intermediate concepts when a mind equivalent to a Nobel laureate was stationed right beside him, utilizing a supercomputer to provide every solution.

“…Well done. Let us advance to the subsequent tier. Goodness— I never expected to find a student who makes Seah look slow.”

As a side note, Isea, who had outstripped the princess without any such supernatural assistance during her early days in this world, was simply an absolute prodigy.

While Princess Riley and Hesperon killed time together,

What occupied the thoughts and time of Crown Prince Simon…?

“Your Highness? I gave explicit instructions for you to complete the sweeping, the washing, and the yard work… It appears my commands carry no weight with you.”

“Ugh— I am the Crown Prince of the Azeria Empire! I have never been subjected to such menial…”

“Retorting once more? Clearly, the previous lesson was insufficient… This leaves me no choice.”

“N-no, that is incorrect. I merely…”

“Hehehe! Step forward. I shall discipline you thoroughly until you reform. True advancement always requires suffering.”

“This is unjust! Why am I singled out for torment while Riley faces no such duties?!”

He had only just broken free from the cruelties of Andrew, only to fall straight into the clutches of Siana, who was operating under the false name Lilith, ensuring his days were filled with hardship.

Slap—

Siana wore a delighted expression as she flicked a slender leather crop.

It offered immense gratification for her, a hidden operative among the imperial aristocracy, to manipulate the royal heir entirely at her whim.

Naturally, Princess Riley assumed the Crown Prince was simply receiving his just rewards, though the hidden hand of the Immortal King was undeniably at play.

Hans reposed upon a grand seat at the heart of the dark monarch’s fortress, keeping watch over every occurrence within the domain.

‘Right, the captives require no extra oversight. Should any issue arise, Hesperon’s presence ensures I will detect it instantly.’

He assigned the supervision of the cultists within the citadel to Siana, while directing Arch-Lich Dwell to oversee Salma, who was currently absorbing the essence of the void and developing flawlessly.

As it stood, no immediate crises required his personal attention.

[I shall place the remaining matters in your hands during my absence, Olivia.]

[Rest assured… Your commands will be executed flawlessly…]

Olivia offered a deep, respectful gesture in response to the quiet mandate from Hans.

Naturally, she harbored curiosity regarding his destination and the reason for leaving his forces behind…

Yet she would never presume to interrogate the Immortal King, choosing instead to signal her compliance.

Casting a final glance across the expanse of his domain, Hans…

Vanished from the chamber.

—

The depths of the night.

Whoosh—

A dark silhouette glided soundlessly across the blackened waters, which reflected nothing but the dim glow of the moon.

The entity advanced at incredible velocity without leaving a ripple, completely integrated with the nocturnal gloom.

This was Hans, the Immortal King, who had successfully transitioned over to Earth.

‘Instantaneous transit is too risky since I lack familiarity with the coordinates. It is tedious, but this approach remains necessary.’

Upon materializing in Busan, he immediately charted a course toward the southeast.

He maintained a low altitude to evade detection from monitoring systems and orbital trackers, though ‘sluggish’ by his standards was still immensely fast.

He traversed past Tsushima Island a mere ten minutes after departing from Busan, and by the twenty-minute mark, the outline of the Japanese main islands emerged on the horizon.

‘Reaching Fukuoka within half an hour from Busan is entirely feasible. In fact, the distance is shorter than traveling from Seoul to Busan.’

Fukuoka, situated on Kyushu, the third-largest territory of the nation, stood as the closest major urban hub to his point of departure.

He selected this urban landscape because he desired a location of significant scale to mark the grand debut of the Hahoe Mask within Japan.

‘Additionally, this marks my initial venture across borders.’

He picked up the faint vibrations of a protective perimeter during his transit, likely designed to track unsanctioned crossings, but he bypassed it effortlessly to make landfall.

Just as he prepared to descend toward the harbor, which gleamed vibrantly despite the late hour,

‘Oh? What do we have here?’

He perceived a highly recognizable signatures a short distance away.

‘…Perhaps a brief detour is warranted.’

An energy signature recognized by Hans rarely signaled something benign.

Sensing that his duties would commence before he even stepped onto the mainland, he shifted his trajectory instantly toward the source of the vibration.

Whoosh— Splash—

Guided by the sensation, he arrived before a massive vessel anchored in the open waters.

The ship floated aimlessly in total darkness like a derelict vessel, tossed by the black sea and the rolling swell.

Traces of dark sorcery and the stench of demise, which would elude any ordinary observer, were bleeding from the interior.

‘They certainly exerted some effort here; the concealing boundary is expertly woven.’

Nonetheless, Hans stepped onto the deck as smoothly as if he owned the vessel, making his way directly toward the lower decks.

The scene awaiting him inside aligned perfectly with his expectations.

A crimson array intended for profane sorcery was inscribed across the surfaces, accompanied by grotesque focal points arranged to amplify the unsettling aura.

At the focal point lay the remains of the slaughtered offerings, their torsos ripped open atop a central stone structure.

‘Why must every practitioner of negative energy follow the exact same patterns?’

It was the same with the individuals he secured in Auterica, and those he eliminated back in Korea.

Given the inherent nature of their power, such behavior was predictable, yet it still provoked a weary sigh from him.

“………!”

In that instant, the group of individuals who had been conversing and laughing around the sacrificial stone finally registered his presence, erupting into chaos.

Defensiveness, shouts of alarm, anxiety, and lethal intent washed over the room…

Though their power could never hope to rival his own, Hans refrained from executing them immediately, pausing to reflect instead.

[This presents a slight inconvenience.]

“%*#%&!”

“@&*#%#?”

They shouted demands at him, but the phrases were entirely incomprehensible.

He had grown so accustomed to effortless communication that he had momentarily overlooked the language barrier.

They were undoubtedly hostile toward an uninvited intruder, but since he intended to operate within Japan for the foreseeable future, clear comprehension was vital.

‘Relying solely on contextual clues could lead to critical errors.’

Operating in unfamiliar territories demanded a firm grasp of the local tongue, regardless of the objective.

Fortunately, this obstacle was easily surmounted.

[Hehehe— I can simply acquire the knowledge this very moment.]

Lacking the vocabulary merely meant he had to absorb it.

The solution was elementary.

Goooo—!

At least, it was for an entity of his stature.

“Gasp!”

“Ugh!”

A suffocating pressure saturated the enclosed space.

The cultists, who had just been mobilizing their strength, clutched at their chests and lost their footing.

They attempted to mount a defense, but their internal dark energies turned volatile and chaotic, rendering their bodies entirely paralyzed.

Hans closed the distance between them as they lay helpless, extending a hand to grasp the skull of the nearest individual.

“Kraaagh!”

In an instant, he extracted the consciousness contained within the brain.

Departing from his usual methodology, he bypassed significant life events and historical secrets, channeling his focus entirely into decoding the structure of their speech.

Yet, absorbing an entire linguistic system presented its own challenges.

‘It appears necessary to elevate not just my psychological fortitude, but supplementary cognitive attributes. Aspects like recollection, logic, and analytical speed… ‘

Such enhancements would yield long-term benefits regardless.

With a massive surplus of unspent resources that accumulated continuously, there was zero incentive to hoard them.

‘The timing is ideal anyway, given the ongoing magical instructions back home.’

While his secondary manifestation expended the required resources, Hans casually surveyed the chamber.

The surviving cultists cowered in absolute terror, having just witnessed their associate utilized as a direct sacrifice.

Their expressions betrayed deep indignation, as though they considered themselves victims of an unwarranted catastrophe.

‘…The hypocrisy is astounding.’

He averted his eyes from them to look upon the desecrated remains of their victims, before diving back into the absorption process with full concentration.

Conveniently, he possessed an abundance of native instructors remaining to complete his education.

And every single one proved to be an exceptionally cooperative subject.

—

An industrial storage sector situated on the fringes of the docks, presenting an ominous environment that contrasted sharply with the illuminated waterfront.

Within this secluded zone, a assembly of individuals engaged in a clandestine exchange.

“Well? What is the quality of the cargo on this occasion?”

“See for yourself. I ensured they were completely fresh.”

A member of the receiving party unlatched a metal shipping unit to inspect the contents, his face twisting into a satisfied grin.

Terrified young men and women, including several who looked underage, sat bound together, shivering violently from dread.

“Hehehe— You have our gratitude as always. Securing sustenance is a massive chore for our group since we cannot operate openly. Your services are invaluable.”

“We accommodate any request provided the compensation is adequate. We look forward to future transactions.”

The arrangement concluded swiftly, ending with a firm handshake between the entity possessing crimson eyes and the heavily tattooed human smuggler.

Right then,

A freezing tone, sounding as though it vibrated from the subterranean depths, shattered the cooperative atmosphere…

[Splendid, I can comprehend your speech perfectly now. The method is successful.]

“What?!”

“Who goes there?!”

This sector was heavily fortified and monitored, rendering it completely off-limits to uninvited guests.

Sensing immediate peril, the criminals spun around to locate the origin of the words.

Swoosh—

A drop in temperature swept through the space, and a figure emerged deliberately from the darkness.

A midnight-colored form that seemed to swallow the ambient light, a wooden visage carved into a bizarre, mocking grin that appeared exceptionally vivid against the dark,

And a pair of azure flames flickering like supernatural lanterns within the eye sockets.

[Hehehe— Yet it remains slightly incomplete. I require your further cooperation.]

This marked the exact instant the ‘Hahoe Mask’, having journeyed across the ocean, finally set foot upon the soil of Japan.