Chapter 72

Chapter 72
## Chapter 72

New Order (2)

Deep within the pitch-black barrier, Hans shifted his gaze, focusing intently on a specific point off to the side.

It was as if his eyes could pierce right through the dense, shadowy void.

[Fascinating.]

He had deployed a refined, upgraded version of his hex, taking full advantage of the power boost from his rapid leveling since resuming his operations.

Yet, while monitoring a subtle, peculiar sensation vibrating along a microscopic strand tied to the magic, he unexpectedly locked eyes with a dark mage.

‘How to handle this…’

Their minds had only brushed against one another for a fleeting second, but that brief contact was enough for Hans to gather a substantial amount of data on the individual.

Hans was incredibly perceptive when it came to hostile intent, but he didn’t sense any true corruption radiating from this person.

On the contrary, he was a fascinating anomaly—a highly capable dark mage who had somehow kept his sanity completely intact.

‘He must possess a passive trait similar to mine. And as for this location…’

A mental map of Seoul materialized in his thoughts, pinpointing the exact coordinates he had just traced.

Simultaneously, his main body instantly looked up the area’s background details online.

‘Just as I suspected.’

The coordinates led straight to a medical facility overseen by the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau, a state-run organization.

There was no reason for him to interfere over there.

The best he could do was offer a silent moment of respect for the government workers wasting their time on a dead-end investigation.

‘That dark mage seems quite capable. Perhaps I should keep tabs on him?’

Tracking him down again would be effortless, so planning a discreet meeting down the line wasn’t a bad idea.

[Heh, this works perfectly. The moment those outlaws attempt to decipher my hex…]

They would trigger a severe backlash, exposing their exact whereabouts and practically inviting Hans to pay them a personal visit.

Given that a massive percentage of active criminals dabbled in dark magic, the odds of this working were incredibly high.

Any sorcerer capable of actually analyzing his hex would have to be an elite asset rather than a common thug, making this an exceptional snare.

‘I need to put in more effort to curse these bastards en masse rather than just executing them on the spot.’

“Gah… Haah! Y-you monster…!”

Right then, taking advantage of his momentary distraction, the trapped thugs who had been frantically bashing against Hans’s barrier snarled through clenched teeth.

They had kept up their resistance simply because the enclosing walls left them no escape, but absolute hopelessness had finally set in.

[My apologies, but I can no longer spare any time for the likes of you.]

The azure flames dancing in Hans’s eyes grew cold as the “Abyssal Eye” locked its gaze onto them.

“Ah… no…”

“Sigh—”

With that, Hans returned to his relentless routine of preserving peace across Seoul.

Owing to his ruthless efficiency, wrongdoing plummeted across the board as thugs grew paralyzed with caution…

And the everyday residents of Seoul could tangibly perceive the newfound safety in their streets.

—

Whispers surrounding the Hahoe Mask, which had previously circulated merely as a spooky urban myth, suddenly went viral across the internet.

Mainstream televised news had refrained from broadcasting the story yet due to censorship from the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau, which desperately wanted to prevent the public from idolizing a vigilante. However, considering the sheer momentum of the topic on digital news outlets and forums, mainstream coverage was inevitable.

Because the public had never gotten a clear look at Hans’s actual face, hand-drawn sketches based on eyewitness descriptions served as the primary visual reference instead of photographs.

Some depictions were rudimentary scribbles of a dark silhouette with glowing blue eyes, while others were incredibly detailed, lifelike portraits.

The definitive image that captured public attention featured a figure donning a traditional Hahoe mask, cloaked in a sweeping midnight robe, peering down with burning blue spectral flames while reaching out a gloved hand.

The creator of that specific drawing swore it captured the exact second they were saved by the Hahoe Mask from a horrific human butchery run by the Devil, claiming the terrifying yet awe-inspiring imagery remained burned into their mind forever.

-Wow, damn, hearing that he’s wiping out all those syndicates gives me pure catharsis.

-Why should we care about the human rights of murderers? Focus on protecting the rights of innocent citizens trying to survive instead.

-Honestly, I feel so much safer walking at night now because of the Hahoe Mask. Keep doing what you’re doing, hero!

The overwhelming majority of public sentiment skewed incredibly positive.

Naturally, a few strictly law-abiding voices argued that he was nothing more than an outlaw and that rogue justice shouldn’t be celebrated, but those arguments were utterly drowned out by the populist consensus.

As the Hahoe Mask grew into a cultural phenomenon, the competitive drive among journalists and independent content creators hit a fever pitch. Piece by piece, more details about his capabilities began leaking through comprehensive witness interviews and data aggregation.

An absurdly wide-range sensory perception capable of tracking unfolding crimes across the entire expanse of Seoul in real time.

An instantaneous movement technique allowing him to manifest at the crime scene in the blink of an eye.

And an unstoppable tier of combat prowess that let him neutralize any adversary, regardless of their threat level, in seconds.

Even so, specific details regarding his personal combat techniques remained completely shrouded in mystery, primarily because he induced a deep slumber upon victims the moment he arrived.

Furthermore, the few criminals who survived his encounters were left far too traumatized to articulate a coherent description of what happened.

Yet, nobody could dispute his sheer dominance.

If nothing else, the mountain of results he left behind spoke for itself.

Consequently, the public bestowed a fitting title upon him: the ‘Unofficial Strongest in Korea’.

Still, because tangible proof like clear photography or security footage was nonexistent, leaving only word-of-mouth legends, skeptical debates frequently broke out.

-Isn’t this whole thing just a massive hoax? How can a single person monitor the entirety of Seoul by himself?

-You can’t deny the crime statistics have hit rock bottom lately. Whether it’s actually the Hahoe Mask or not, something massive is shifting behind the scenes.

-If this guy is legitimate, it’s a massive embarrassment for the Guardians. It basically implies a lone wolf is outperforming a multi-million dollar coalition, lmao.

-Unlike the Guardians who operate like total pushovers because they’re legally tied to protecting a criminal’s civil liberties, the Hahoe Mask operates on absolute zero tolerance and immediate elimination.

-What if it’s an underground syndicate rather than one guy? It could easily be a specialized squad all wearing the exact same outfit to throw people off.

With local discourse being this chaotic, international online communities largely dismissed the phenomenon, writing it off as nothing more than exaggerated Korean internet propaganda.

However, there was one particular individual who was directly experiencing the collateral damage of the ‘Hahoe Mask’s’ crusade, enduring an unbelievable amount of professional anxiety as the vigilante’s activities ramped up…

“Ugh—! I can’t even remember the last time I clocked out on time! Bwahaha! Seong-hyeon, what are you just sitting there for? Grab a drink with me—!”

It was my close buddy, Kang Tae-san, who was practically hysterical with relief, popping open a beer can right across from me.

“Is the new gig really pushing you to the brink? You’re throwing a tantrum already when you barely finished your academy training?”

“Don’t even get me started on that place. Of all the luck, I got thrown straight into the Hahoe Mask task force! That is literally the most overworked department in the entire Criminal Investigation Division right now! I checked around and every other unit is having a breeze, but I’m the miserable rookie who got dragged into this meat grinder!”

Kang Tae-san chugged his beer, aggressively letting off steam.

He was the sole companion in my life, showing up at my apartment unannounced with a crate of booze the second he finally got a breather from duty.

‘He really doesn’t have to constantly fret over me anymore.’

He was an incredibly loyal friend who had steadfastly remained by my side, offering unwavering support ever since I locked myself away from society following that horrific incident.

He used to handle throwing away the trash for me back when stepping outside felt impossible, making it a point to visit routinely just to keep me company and keep my mind occupied.

His presence was a vital lifeline of genuine human warmth during a time when I felt entirely abandoned by the rest of the world.

“Hey, but you look radically different today? I caught a glimpse of you a little while back, but now… how do I say it… it actually feels like you’ve got some spark back in your eyes?”

“Yeah, I can’t keep myself buried in the past indefinitely. My mom and dad wouldn’t want me wasting away like this either…”

“Exactly… That’s the spirit! You have no idea how much sleep I’ve lost worrying about you, man.”

I had been tight with Tae-san since our elementary school days.

He had lost both of his parents when he was just a kid and was brought up solely by his elderly grandmother. Once we became inseparable, my own parents embraced him fully, looking after him as if he were their own flesh and blood.

That familial connection only deepened throughout our teenage years, to the point where he genuinely viewed my mother and father as parental figures.

To put it plainly, our bond was no different from actual brothers.

“How is your grandmother holding up? Has her condition improved at all?”

“Ah… modern medicine… Well, it’s a stalemate. She’s just getting fragile with age…”

His posture slumped slightly, a shadow of dread crossing his face regarding his grandmother, who had been confined to a hospital bed for several years now.

“I ought to head over and pay her a visit sometime in the near future.”

“Huh? No way, don’t force yourself! You don’t need to overextend your comfort zone just yet.”

“I’m not forcing anything. Stepping outside isn’t an issue for me anymore. Oh, and I’m actually planning to relocate to a new place soon. I hit a massive jackpot on the lottery.”

“…What?”

A chaotic sputter followed as I dropped one massive bombshell right after another.

I had to physically restrain Tae-san, who was flailing around in absolute disbelief, calming him down before silently mapping out my internal strategy.

There was a definitive way to restore his grandmother’s health.

‘Heinrich’s holy power ought to be highly effective against her ailments. While I’m uncertain how much it can reverse the natural process of biological decay, it will certainly provide a massive recovery compared to standard medicine.’

I could easily slip into her ward, administer a swift healing spell, and vanish.

Orchestrating the perfect window of opportunity without drawing suspicion would require some coordination, but it would be a walk in the park with the assistance of my alternative clones.

“…Man, it’s just such a massive relief. Seeing you like this proves you’ve truly stepped out of the dark, Seong-hyeon.”

As the tension melted, our drinking session got back on track, and Tae-san spoke softly, staring down at his drink.

Then, he began hesitantly reading my facial expressions.

“What’s up? Something on your mind?”

He was acting uncharacteristically tentative, which caused me to question him with a slight furrow of my brow. He let out a heavy sigh, locking eyes with me directly.

“Truth is, I’ve been tearing myself apart wondering if I should share this with you. I figured keeping my mouth shut was the safest bet until now… But looking at how grounded you are tonight, I think you can handle it.”

Sensing the sudden shift into a gravity-laden atmosphere, I set my own beer container down and gave him my undivided attention.

“You’re well aware of the real reason I busted my ass to get into the Criminal Investigation Division, right?”

Naturally, I knew his motivations inside out.

He loved my parents just as deeply as I did.

While I was left physically shattered and psychologically broken by the disaster that fateful day, isolating myself in total solitude…

Tae-san, who only discovered the tragedy late due to being preoccupied with his hospitalized grandmother, channeled his grief into absolute drive, pushing himself to the absolute limit to secure a position within the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau.

All of it was to unearth the deeper truths of that catastrophe and ensure such a nightmare never claimed innocent lives again.

“…That disaster years ago. The official reports permanently archived it as a completely spontaneous, random act of public terrorism carried out by a rogue awakened individual. That was the consensus everyone accepted. Right up until a few weeks ago.”

I felt my muscles freeze up slightly.

I could already deduce the direction this revelation was heading.

“There turns out to be an underground syndicate that’s been operating deep in the shadows for an incredibly long time. They kept their heads down historically, but they went into overdrive roughly half a year ago.”

That precisely aligned with the exact timeframe when public safety in Korea began spiraling into absolute chaos.

“Their operational security was so flawless that our higher-ups only had vague theories about their network without ever grasping a shred of actionable evidence… but then…”

That was the exact moment the Hahoe Mask burst onto the scene.

“The second he started aggressively slaughtering the criminal element, the entire underworld structure fractured. Their established codes fell apart, forcing the masterminds who were exploiting that chaos to expose their operations.”

Because of that structural collapse, the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau finally secured a concrete lead.

They uncovered a massive, shadow organization operating under the moniker ‘Heaven’s Turn Society’, the true architects behind an array of coordinated domestic terror campaigns.

And through his position, Tae-san… uncovered undeniable proof linking them directly as the masterminds of the tragic ‘Seoul Station Terrorist Attack’.

“Strictly speaking, I’m violating major federal law by leaking this to you since it’s classified as a top-secret ongoing operation. But… I firmly believed that you, above anyone else alive, deserved to know the truth. Just make sure this dies with you, alright? I’m looking at major prison time if this gets out. Haha…”

The specialized Hahoe Mask task force happened to be the primary unit that intercepted the intelligence, and he just so happened to be stationed there as their newest operative.

“From what we can gather, they’ve completely halted all operations within domestic borders and started purging their own local branches after running into a wall against the Hahoe Mask. The vigilante is still walking around doing his thing, so it’s painfully obvious who came out on top in that bloodbath.”

Tae-san let out a bitter laugh, taking another massive swig from his can.

“We’ve completely lost their trail since that clash. There’s no telling how deep they’ve burrowed into hiding, but their global reach and resources are terrifyingly vast, so our agency is keeping our highest alert level active.”

He was completely disregarding protocol and organizational hierarchy to lay bare the innermost secrets of the Criminal Investigation Division to me.

It was the ultimate testament to the absolute trust he placed in our brotherhood.

I kept my composure, casually picking up a piece of finger food and chewing on it with an air of mild indifference, ensuring I didn’t give away anything while he carefully watched my reaction, looking slightly on edge after laying all his cards on the table.

“The Hahoe Mask is proving to be far more influential than anyone gives him credit for. Your agency only managed to identify this shadow syndicate because of his interventions, right? So why on earth is the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau still wasting resources trying to hunt him down?”

“That is exactly what drives me absolutely insane! Why are we actively targeting a guy who is single-handedly cleaning up the streets?! It’s completely draining the morale of the ground units! They should just look the other way and let him do his job—!”

Seemingly put at ease by my stable demeanor, he crushed his finished beverage container in his fist, venting his irritation with an exaggerated exclamation.

At his core, Kang Tae-san harbored the exact same deep-seated hatred for criminals that I did.

He had enlisted in the Bureau out of a righteous desire to lock up bad guys, so being forced to hunt down the Hahoe Mask—a figure who perfectly executed the exact brand of justice he believed in—was causing him immense psychological stress.

“It is what it is, it’s his mandate. Come on, stop stressing and drink up!”

“Salute to that! It’s not like a greenhorn rookie like me is ever going to actually catch a guy like him anyway. Whatever, I’m clocked out—!”

“And… I really appreciate you filling me in on this. You don’t have to carry the weight of worrying about my mental state anymore, I’ve genuinely put the grief behind me. There isn’t much a regular citizen like me can do regarding international syndicates anyway, so I’ll leave the heavy lifting to your department, the official Guardians… and the Hahoe Mask.”

“…Well, you can’t deny the guy gets results. Operating entirely outside the law makes him terrifyingly efficient.”

The heavy mood evaporated completely, and our casual drinking match resumed in full swing.

I feigned a slight state of intoxication to match his rising energy, keeping pace as my companion continuously downed his drinks.

It was a bit of a bummer that my enhanced biological traits and accelerated cellular regeneration made it virtually impossible for me to experience a real alcohol buzz, but simply spending quality time with a true friend who shared my core principles made the evening incredibly fulfilling.

…And like that, midnight settled deeply over the sprawling metropolis of Seoul.

—

A derelict, trash-strewn alleyway.

A lone silhouette, appearing completely integrated into the heavy darkness, stood motionless amidst a sea of unconscious bodies scattered across the concrete.

[Tch… My schedule is packed. Yet ever since I reaped the prime targets, the overall quality of these encounters has severely degraded.]

Hans, continuing his tireless crusade to uphold his own brand of justice through the night.

He tilted his face upward, staring into the pitch-black celestial void through burning azure spectral fires, a sky where not a single star managed to pierce the gloom.

Regardless of public criticism, regardless of whatever immense hurdles blocked his path… he had absolutely zero intention of freezing his campaign.

Ranging from the low-level thugs currently terrorizing the street corners, all the way up to the elusive remnants of the Heaven’s Turn Society currently nesting in hiding.

He would not rest until every last one of them was utterly pulverized by his own hands.

Hans reached out a lone, gloved hand, symbolically clenching his fist against the midnight sky.

[Hehehe… The dark suits me perfectly.]

From this moment onward, he was the definitive architecture of the new era’s order.