Chapter 253

Chapter 253
## Chapter 253

Closed Dimension (2)

Within a lavishly appointed room,

Data raced across a computer screen at a velocity that would induce vertigo in an average individual.

‘I have grown accustomed to this by now.’

Yet the man observing the monitor remained completely unaffected, his features locked in a mask of indifference.

Bzzzt—

A subtle pulsation emanated from his left eye socket, and the torrent of data streamed directly into his consciousness.

Such an influx would utterly overwhelm a normal mind, but for someone possessing his extraordinary cognitive capacity, it amounted to nothing more than a minor mental exercise.

‘Is this the extent of it?’

Utilizing that pinnacle of scientific advancement, his cybernetic eye,

He had assimilated the colossal stack of intelligence briefings in a mere moment. Yulryeongja, the individual outfitted with the cybernetic eye, lowered his eyelids to internalize what he had just read.

‘…Where have you hidden yourself, Hahoe Mask?’

The elusive Hahoe Mask, who had vanished entirely following their clash on Japanese soil, remained unaccounted for.

An undead entity going by the name of Heinz had initiated operations within the borders of Seoul, but that fell under Doctor’s jurisdiction, not his own.

‘He remains missing… This implies he must have sustained severe trauma during our confrontation.’

He offered a slow, deliberate nod.

He had unleashed a calculated psychological assault with the explicit intent of breaking his opponent’s mind.

It would defy logic if the man had walked away unscathed.

Yulryeongja parted his eyelids and cast his gaze down at his shriveled right arm.

A wave of fury rippled through his veins as he contemplated his immobilized limbs—an enduring testament to his ultimate failure against Hahoe Mask.

‘Hahoe Mask… ’

While he sat submerged in his bitter reflections—.

-Beep!

An alert chime resonated through the room’s communication system.

He verified the source of the transmission and permitted the audio link to open.

-Ah, greetings! Doctor speaking. Am I connected to Yulryeongja~?

“Yes, Doctor. State your business.”

He knitted his brows slightly at the superficial, singsong tone broadcasting from the speaker, yet he maintained a composed vocal delivery as he answered.

-Uhyaha~ The Master has departed once more! He delayed his departure for as long as permissible, but it appears pressing engagements required his presence elsewhere. What a pity!

A considerable duration of time had elapsed since the conflict in Japan.

The Master had remained stationed in place, awaiting the reemergence of Hahoe Mask while simultaneously restructuring the organization of the Society… yet it seemed his patience had finally run out.

-It appears the commotion surrounding Smile Mask has generated far too much public scrutiny! He desired to remain behind and capture him, but… It is an immense setback!

“…You have my apologies. It appears my shortcomings have squandered the Master’s invaluable time.”

In truth, he did not internalize the blame entirely, yet recognizing the gravity of the circumstances, he could not simply brush it aside.

The grand design of the Society had suffered delays as a direct consequence of his inability to secure victory.

-Ah, do not trouble your mind over it! Events rarely unfold precisely as intended! When the primary strategy fails, an alternative strategy is always at the ready! The Master will manage perfectly fine, so our attention must turn to our immediate responsibilities!

Doctor refrained from castigating him.

He merely channeled his irritation toward the fundamental origin of their current predicament.

-Even so… I find this state of affairs deeply displeasing. For what reason must we move to the rhythm dictated by those divine entities?!

His grievance was directed not at Hahoe Mask, but rather at the underlying constraint that prevented the Master from operating without restriction—the very purpose behind the foundation of the Society.

“This remains within a manageable variance. The climax draws near.”

-Indeed! You speak the truth! My anticipation grows by the day! The mere reality of divine beings… It renders all technological progression, fresh breakthroughs, and novel creations completely futile! Mankind ought to settle its own disputes! What right do deities have to meddle?!

He had commenced the conversation with relative composure…

However, as his monologue progressed, Doctor’s tone steadily shifted into a state of unhinged, manic fervor.

‘He is repeating his usual pattern.’

This was precisely the Doctor he was familiar with—the resident lunatic of the Society.

Yulryeongja offered a quiet sigh and murmured in agreement, accommodating the man’s psychological state.

Doctor’s zealous tirade persisted for several minutes.

Unable to contain the sheer intensity of his emotions, he announced his intention to channel this chaotic energy into his ongoing laboratory experiments and abruptly severed the connection.

The room returned to absolute stillness.

“Ha…”

Yulryeongja let out a heavy breath, closing his eyes once more as he reclined against the backrest of his seat, drifting deep into contemplation.

He summoned memories of the declarations he had made while inside the mental landscape of Hahoe Mask.

-The autonomy of the returnees. To forge a realm governed exclusively by our kind.

-Our presence predates theirs by an eternity. And we have unceasingly battled to secure our liberty.

‘Liberty… ’

Every syllable he had uttered had been entirely genuine.

He had merely omitted the detail that their true adversary was not any mortal governance, but rather the cosmic deities themselves.

Ultimately, however, their objective culminated in total global dominion, rendering the distinction largely irrelevant.

‘Loss of life is a necessary consequence for the grand objective.’

The campaigns of terror were integrated components of their overarching strategy—a mandatory phase required to manifest their ultimate goal.

Should the blueprint unfold without disruption, roughly half of the mortal population on Earth would perish.

Hahoe Mask appeared fundamentally opposed to such devastation, but there was only so much a solitary combatant could achieve to halt it.

Their operations were advancing without a hitch.

—

‘The supreme leader of the Heaven’s Turn Society… Could he be the true culprit?’

It was an unverified hypothesis, completely lacking in tangible proof or situational context, yet his intuition, honed past mortal limits, was sounding an alarm.

The suspicion that the individual pulling the strings behind this reality was none other than that specific figure.

Harris, recognizing the critical necessity for deeper intelligence, exerted every effort to extract any remaining memories from Jin Deok-man.

Crackle—!

“Ugh! I am ignorant of it! I truly possess no further knowledge!”

“Are you… abandoning your respectful speech?”

“No, absolutely not! I am merely proclaiming that I have nothing more to share! That comprises the entirety of my information!”

Yet regardless of the intensity of his methodology, employing an array of systematic techniques… he proved unable to squeeze another drop of utility from the man.

The captive’s knowledge extended no further than a unverified piece of folklore regarding a shrouded truth behind the fall of the Empire.

“In that case, from whose lips did you receive this account?”

“Ugh, my blood brother… The commander of the Changjiang Waterway Stronghold! He claimed to have gathered the rumor from an undisclosed location, though he lacked the source. He merely brought it forward as a amusing anecdote while we were drinking!”

“The Changjiang Waterway Stronghold…”

The Changjiang Waterway Stronghold.

They represented another coalition of bandits, comparable to the Dongting Eighteen Strongholds, yet vastly superior in size, power, and capability in every measurable metric.

In a realm devoid of mystical arts, riverways served as the primary arteries of commerce, and because they commanded the immense Changjiang River, their leverage was monumental.

The imperial authorities had frequently attempted to curb their activities, but the outlaws possessed immense skill in bypassing such legal blockades.

‘Furthermore, this is a realm where a handful of extraordinarily potent warriors can decimate an entire battalion.’

They had transformed into a persistent thorn in the side of the ruling class, amassing vast wealth through illicit trade and demanding passage fees along the currents.

With the current collapse of the Empire, they had effectively assumed total administration over the river networks.

“Hmm, this presents a significant obstacle.”

Harris creased his brow as he evaluated the intelligence.

The span of the Changjiang River was staggeringly vast, and his remaining time was severely restricted.

He possessed a mere seven days before his window closed.

Locating his intended quarry and squeezing the necessary answers from them within such a brief timeframe would be a daunting task.

‘…Still, I cannot realistically demand total success in a single stroke. I must maintain my composure. My primary directive was merely to gather intelligence and secure a protected sanctuary for future advancement.’

He had inadvertently embarked on a massive campaign of eradicating localized bandit factions…

However, there was no pressing need to obsess over that enterprise at this particular juncture.

“…If your desire is pure information, for what reason are you tormenting minor outlaws like ourselves? Why not direct your inquiries toward those who actually possess genuine records? Such as the Zhuge Clan situated in Yungjung, within Hubei Province.”

Jin Deok-man muttered resentfully, clearly attempting to redirect the stranger’s destructive attention away from his own people.

It was a highly practical recommendation.

“The Zhuge Clan?”

“Ahem, their reputation for historical and tactical wisdom is unparalleled. They have filled the ranks of the imperial bureaucracy for generations. Furthermore, they were the absolute first to identify the degradation of Ki and the critical nature of the Dragon Veins.”

The probability was exceptionally high that an organization of their stature would hold keys to understanding the current state of the world.

Moreover, unlike the commander of the Changjiang Waterway Stronghold, who constantly migrated among diverse bases of operation, their ancestral seat was permanently established. Pinpointing their location would be a far simpler endeavor.

‘Additionally, they are a highly respected bloodline.’

In an era defined by such lawlessness, a truly secure haven did not exist.

He required the sponsorship of an established local faction to guarantee his personal safety and streamline his intelligence-gathering efforts.

Yet he could not simply align himself with any random group…

‘…Perhaps I should pay them a visit?’

Directly after confiscating the remaining treasures of these outlaws, naturally.

—

A dilapidated settlement of fishermen bordering the waters of Dongting Lake.

Scarcely a few dawns prior, the populace had been blanketed in utter hopelessness… yet presently, the inhabitants walked with a rejuvenated sense of optimism.

The outlaws who had methodically bled them dry had met swift retribution, and the once-barren granaries were now overflowing with sustenance.

It was an incredibly fragile optimism, with no guarantee of how long such peace would endure, yet it provided them with the necessary fortitude to carry on.

“Heavens… This defies imagination…”

A mature gentleman clad in frayed, ascetic garments stepped into the perimeter of the village, his speech dripping with profound reverence.

“State your name and purpose.”

A bent, elderly villager resting within the canopy of a tree observed the newcomer with deep-seated wariness.

Travelers from the outside world were an anomaly in this tiny, isolated coastal settlement, particularly during the current age of strife.

The stranger presented a highly questionable figure.

“Ah! Forgive my unannounced arrival, elder. I am known as Qingguan.”

“…A practitioner of the Way? What business commands your presence here…?”

The senior resident’s defensiveness softened marginally as the traveler executed a respectful, low bow.

Even monastic wanderers could harbor severe danger in these perilous times, but at the very least, this man exhibited appropriate manners.

“I seek enlightenment on a specific matter, elder…”

As the old man paused to hear his query, Qingguan shifted his eyes toward the expanse of the water.

“Are you aware of the events that transpired across the waters?”

He was gesturing toward a solitary landmass rising from the immense waters of Dongting Lake.

The precise location where the Eoryong Stronghold had formerly stood.

“Oh! Your spiritual eyes can perceive it, can they not, Master Taoist? Hahaha! The Dragon King of Dongting Lake has executed divine judgment upon those marauders!”

“The Dragon King…?”

The elder’s eyes sparkled with vitality as he spoke with intense fervor regarding the grand and miraculous display he had personally beheld.

The spinning gyre of black storm clouds, the tempestuous gales, and the continuous barrage of lightning that had descended from the heavens, resembling the arrival of a supreme deity of storms upon the mortal soil.

Qingguan absorbed the testimony with absolute focus, nodding with immense gravity.

His eyes drifted back toward the distant island, where the lingering scars of that celestial event remained visible.

Had he not traveled to this place to witness the remnants with his own senses, he would have discarded the senior’s narrative as mere folklore and hyperbole.

The account sounded far too miraculous to belong to reality.

Yet his internal senses could still perceive the truth.

The suffocating, alien spiritual resonance that saturated the entire atmosphere.

‘…This energy does not originate from our earthly realm.’

The villager had credited the phenomenon to the fury of a localized deity like the Dragon King, but he possessed the spiritual cultivation to know better.

Be it a Dragon King, a transcendent immortal, or a malevolent spirit… they were all bound by the natural laws of this specific existence.

Qingguan offered his gratitude to the elder and departed from the settlement with haste, making his way toward an isolated clearing.

He unloaded his spiritual apparatus and constructed a rudimentary altar, taking his place at the epicenter while elevating a parchment talisman before his eyes, murmuring an incantation.

After a few heartbeats,

Whoosh—

A vibrant cerulean spark ignited upon the parchment, casting a gentle, ethereal radiance over his form.

Remarkably, the paper medium itself sustained no damage, remaining entirely untouched by the flame.

“This is Qingguan communicating.”

Following this, the spiritual practitioner, a trained mystic belonging to the Maoshan Sect, spoke in a tone of deep subservience.

“Vesting evidence of an extra-dimensional entity wielding cosmic power has been identified at Dongting Lake, within Hunan Province.”

Directing his spiritual transmission toward the grand citadel of his order, located far across the lands in Jiangsu Province.