Chapter 173

Chapter 173
## Chapter 173

Kyushu Crisis (5)

Korean Returnee Association, Seoul Southern Branch.

“Hmm, hmm, hmm~ Oh, a fresh drop? I need to pick this up immediately.”

The branch manager, Yoon Ji-yoon, was casually whistling a tune while multitasking on her office computer.

It was a form of relaxation she couldn’t have dared to indulge in during her past frantic days, but now that her schedule had cleared up considerably, it was a regular occurrence.

“You appear to be in excellent spirits, Branch Manager.”

“Oh, Secretary Kim, you’ve arrived? Absolutely! Life has been wonderful lately. This is exactly how human beings are meant to live. Frankly, before this, it was just… you know?”

“Haha… I certainly can’t dispute that.”

The assistant offered a wry grin as he handed over a fresh briefing.

Naturally, he also favored the present circumstances over the past, given how he had constantly been running himself ragged right alongside her.

“Hmm, things are genuinely chaotic across the sea in Japan. The association president must be dealing with quite the migraine. The Supernatural Ability Management Bureau too.”

“It’s an unavoidable situation. After all, Hahoe Mask is a Korean national.”

“Honestly, it’s utterly futile for them to direct their grievances at us. Politicians will seize upon any pretext to cause a ruckus, no matter what nation they belong to.”

The branch manager elongated her spine, sinking back into her seat while tossing the reviewed paperwork onto the desktop.

She had skimmed the update, but there wasn’t a single thing she could do regarding this particular event, meaning her routine remained largely unaffected.

“A moderately elevated rank truly is the sweet spot. Once you climb too high, the anxieties just pile up endlessly. It remains true even to this day, doesn’t it?”

“Haha… True insights born from firsthand experience.”

The assistant gave a slightly constrained chuckle.

In truth, Yoon Ji-yoon, who currently oversaw the Seoul Southern Branch, was a figure whose caliber far exceeded her current title.

She stood as one of the ultimate triad of powerhouses within South Korea—a legendary savior who had brought a conclusion to a century-spanning conflict and restored harmony to the alternate dimension where she had once been summoned.

Even though multiple decades had rolled by since her homecoming due to the temporal divergence, citizens of Earth who ventured to that foreign realm afterward could still effortlessly encounter her legacy.

Not only did she occupy a prominent place within historical records, but massive monuments, chronicles, theatrical productions, and ballads dedicated to her honor remained prevalent across major metropolitan areas…

Furthermore, the ‘Yoon’ clan, which she had founded by adopting casualties of war and loyal disciples, had grown into one of the most illustrious lineages. Consequently, Earthlings who learned of her grand legacy second-hand were frequently struck with absolute reverence whenever they crossed paths with her in reality.

A few dedicated individuals even journeyed across oceans solely to catch a glimpse of her.

“Still, it’s rather fortunate we have Hahoe Mask around; local lawbreaking has plummeted, and our daily operations are far smoother. Well, Japan is dealing with an entirely different predicament, so they’ll just have to endure it.”

“Is that the reason you chose not to personally get involved?”

“Hmm? No, I simply doubted that my presence would alter the trajectory… And I wasn’t the solitary one abstaining, was I? Everyone shares that sentiment. Though, a fair number are likely terrified out of their wits and merely observing from the sidelines.”

Just as she remarked, the pursuit of Hahoe Mask was technically ongoing, yet it was exceptionally rare for elite-tier awakened individuals to volunteer to apprehend him.

The few who did were almost exclusively coerced into action by intense lobbying from government factions.

Moreover, because Hahoe Mask operated like a ghost, an actual physical confrontation between them had never materialized.

“To be perfectly blunt, I wouldn’t mind if Hahoe Mask completely eradicated the rot festering within the political landscape.”

However, if the governing authorities of Korea were to become explicit prey, the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau and the Returnee Association would be forced to discard their current strategy of peaceful negotiation and shift toward aggressive containment.

Hahoe Mask was undoubtedly intelligent enough to grasp that boundary, which was why his blades fell strictly upon heinous predators.

He was leaving the convoluted structural dilemmas and the internal purging of society to the individuals operating within the lawful framework.

‘…I do feel a pang of guilt for failing to meet their demands, though.’

She massaged the space between her eyebrows, reflecting on the state officials who were bound to still be whining.

While anchored in her contemplation, her eyes drifted toward her assistant, who had abruptly started acting with frantic speed.

He had clearly caught wind of some development, given how intensely he was staring at his portable monitor with a pale complexion, completely paralyzing where he stood.

Something momentous had undeniably transpired.

Yoon Ji-yoon, catching the infectious wave of dread, called out with measured caution.

“What’s the matter? What occurred? Did a crisis break out?”

“………”

“Don’t just freeze up like a statue, you’re making me nervous. Speak to me.”

Spurred by her persistent demands, the immobilized assistant wordlessly extended the screen toward her.

Simultaneously, he pulled the wireless audio device from his ear, severing the private connection…

[Kyaaaaagh—!]

A thunderous screech, carrying the force of a detonating warhead, blasted from the audio system, rattling the walls of the workspace.

“Wait? What on earth…!”

Yoon Ji-yoon snatched the portable monitor, restarting the footage immediately.

The recording, which was cycling continuously, was brief.

The open atmosphere fractured like delicate porcelain, and a sinister, pitch-black column erupted directly toward the heavens.

A beast, boasting an appearance that defied reality as if crafted by cinematic digital effects, manifested and soared through the airspace above a mountain range, cloaked in a miasma of absolute darkness.

Because the event had been captured from an immense distance, the resolution was compromised, but an unmistakable, familiar outline was positioned squarely upon the apex of its skull.

“Hold on, it can’t be…”

“The event was recorded in Kagoshima, Kyushu, within Japanese territory!”

“…Are you claiming this occurred on our planet?”

Her jaw dropped in sheer disbelief.

Setting aside the fact that this particular monstrosity was entirely alien to her despite the domains she had traversed, what terrifying tier must it possess to project such an overwhelming aura through a mere digital recording?

Moreover, did it even defy logic for an entity originating from an entirely different realm to cross over onto Earth?

“The individual riding it is Hahoe Mask, correct?”

“…That appears to be the case.”

“Ha, hahaha… We are in massive trouble.”

She dropped the monitor onto the desktop, sinking deep into her chair while dragging a palm down her features, releasing a mirthless chuckle.

“To think his grand unveiling to the global audience… would explode with this level of insanity.”

She had analyzed only a single perspective, but identical recordings were saturating the digital space at that very second.

It wasn’t merely files generated by cellular devices—the ubiquitous tool of the contemporary era—but also footage preserved by automotive security cameras, and even an active stream from an online content creator who had randomly been profiling a dining establishment in the vicinity.

She was fully capable of witnessing the catastrophe that had just unfolded in Japan in real-time, despite being stationed in Seoul, Korea.

And precisely as she anticipated,

The phenomenon was rippling across the global population with terrifying velocity.

—

An absolute wildfire.

That specific phrase captured the essence of the public’s response to the Bone Dragon emergency over in Japan.

Fascination gripped both the returned veterans who had survived foreign realms and ordinary civilians who had only known the phenomena through cultural osmosis, instantly transforming the event into an unprecedented global sensation.

-What the hell is that thing? A dragon? An actual Bone Dragon?

-This is insane! Why is a creature like that roaming Earth? Is this CGI?

└ There are literally thousands of clips flooding the internet right now. They’re all from completely different locations and angles.

-How is an unholy undead from an alternate world able to exert that much physical force here? How does it bypass the terrestrial restrictions? Someone explain this! My own summoned entities won’t even manifest because of the atmospheric suppression!

└ Holy crap, lmao. A necromancer just exposed themselves. Right here, officers! Secure this guy immediately!

└ ?? What’s your location? Commissioning a digital tracker isn’t even that pricey.

└ I apologize. Please have mercy. I spoke out of turn.

While the general populace remained oblivious, there were indeed gifted individuals capable of calling forth entities from alternate dimensions.

Yet, humanity’s innate compatibility with that particular magical discipline was notoriously atrocious, meaning the vast majority stagnated at a subpar tier and were eventually forced to transition into alternative specializations.

It stood as an even rarer phenomenon than Spirit Summoners, whose ranks were already thinned due to severe environmental constraints.

Within that climate, entirely devoid of any psychological tolerance for ‘transdimensional entities,’ a horror of that magnitude—a Bone Dragon—had materialized without warning.

-To anyone claiming this is a hoax after witnessing the footage, what is wrong with your senses? Just watching this on a tiny phone screen makes my blood run cold.

└ Exactly, look at the bystanders in the background. They are shrieking and losing their minds despite being miles away from the epicenter.

└ Ah, damn it, I showed the clip to my dog as a joke, and the poor thing instantly lost control of its bladder. Seriously, don’t test it. And absolutely keep it away from toddlers.

More than anything else, what utterly captivated the collective consciousness was the suffocating weight of authenticity radiating from the media.

Though compressed through digital lenses, the raw terror and the piercing, agonizing shriek felt as though they would shatter the glass boundaries, pulling viewers into an intense state of shock.

Under those conditions, it was only natural that the visual data was systematically dissected by countless experts and enthusiasts.

Consequently, it required very little time for the public to identify the ‘figure perched upon the skeletal dragon’s crown’ as none other than ‘Hahoe Mask,’ the phantom who had been driving the rumor mills of Korea.

-??? Is this actually verified? I genuinely assumed he was just an urban legend;;

-Ugh! At long last! Validation! Suck on that, you miserable skeptics!

-Ah, lol. Imagining the faces of everyone who kept screaming ‘delusional fabrication’ shutting their mouths all at once brings me immense joy.

The faction that had fiercely defended the reality of Hahoe Mask’s campaign, despite facing endless mockery from the masses, rejoiced wildly and began systematically archiving his mythical exploits.

Naturally, the information was rapidly translated into dozens of dialects, circulating across the international web alongside the primary media.

…Which, to a certain degree, brought a wave of awkwardness.

“Wow, for it to trigger an uproar of this scale? I foresaw a significant wave, but this is bordering on ridiculous.”

Han Seong-hyeon, who was currently reviewing the digital metrics online, couldn’t prevent a sharp click of his tongue, completely stunned by an aftermath that had ballooned into a literal cultural crisis.

While the reality of Hahoe Mask had been solidified, that confirmation alone shouldn’t have sufficed to legitimize the absurd laundry list of myths associated with him until now.

Yet, the imagery of the Bone Dragon, now permanently seared into the collective human mind, operated as irrefutable validation, instilling absolute authority into folklore that had previously been dismissed as mere internet ghost stories—.

As a direct consequence, an assortment of grandiose titles was being manufactured to classify his identity.

The uncrowned king of South Korea, the sovereign of the Korean underworld, the executioner of transgressive souls, the sentinel of the shadows, the terminal shadow that creeps forward with the first light…

‘Wait, definitely not that last one. Who even conceived that? Who exactly is creeping?’

Furthermore, the latest designations appended to his profile were ‘Dragon Rider’ and ‘Island Bomber.’

“…I’ve accumulated an absurd amount of notoriety out of nowhere. Though, I suppose it’s not entirely disadvantageous.”

There was never a profound calculation behind his choice to avoid leaving physical traces of his operations.

He had simply functioned with natural discretion, fully cognizant of the fact that his brand of retribution strayed far outside the boundaries of established civilization.

‘Reflecting on it now, there wasn’t a strict requirement to mask my steps so flawlessly.’

Amplifying his reputation and projecting an aura of absolute terror like this could actually serve a functional purpose, operating as a psychological barrier to paralyze criminal intent.

It would force predators to pause and recalculate before executing their schemes.

However, that element belonged to future considerations; the critical crisis demanding his immediate focus was entirely separate.

‘In any case, they are far from simple adversaries. The Heaven’s Turn Society.’

Following the destruction of their isolated pocket dimension utilizing the primordial breath of Heratos, Hans had instantaneously erected an alternative boundary field to seal off their routes of retreat.

That accounted for why the recordings currently propagating through cyberspace were so brief; the core issue lay in the fact that the enemy had calculated their contingencies flawlessly, remaining prepared for total collapse.

‘To think they possessed the coordination to execute a mass displacement spell. I managed to terminate a few stragglers before they vanished, but the conversion rate is deeply unsatisfying.’

It was an expected complication, given that neutralizing highly specialized unique attributes remained incredibly difficult even with advanced sealing formations.

Furthermore, they comprised an elite contingent, meticulously assembled, meaning it wasn’t overly shocking that they possessed the capability to rupture a hastily anchored perimeter and slip through his fingers.

The solitary silver lining was his success in executing the formal-attire-clad operative who had commanded the pocket dimension, achieved by aggressively focusing all offensives on him until he broke.

Though that individual possessed high-tier energy reserves, his actual engagement efficiency was remarkably deficient, likely because the vast majority of his potential was tethered strictly to his dimensional attribute.

Additionally, his physical vessel had been severely compromised due to the immense feedback suffered when his pocket realm was violently shattered.

‘…Hold on. Why am I even lamenting the escape of those remnants?’

In reality, Hans was the aggressor who had violently breached their sanctuary, while they were merely the defensive garrison deployed to shield their stronghold.

Moreover, he had only just concluded the purge of the Kyushu sector.

Countless territories remained waiting to be cleansed, their operational infrastructure was already shattered, and their ultimate asset for resisting Hans—the master of the ‘pocket dimension’—lay rotting in the dirt.

Under those constraints, where could they possibly seek asylum?

A dark grin pulled at his lips—

“Let us observe precisely how long they can survive exposed to the elements while their sanctuary turns to ash.”

Thus, accompanied by a low, menacing laugh that rippled through the shadows of a quiet room back in Korea,

The Hahoe Mask, Hans, silently shifted his focus toward the adjacent province of Japan.

Prepared to reduce their remaining fortresses to cinders.