Chapter 369

Chapter 369
Chapter 369

—

“Who might you be?”

Our gazes locked.

It was a stare that bore down on me, heavy with a peculiar fascination.

Yet, something felt off.

In that brief instant, a wave of inexplicable familiarity washed over me.

I was certain this was our first encounter in such a setting, yet the sensation itself felt like a ghost of a memory I had experienced before.

The curves of her eyes and the slant of her lips were shaped into a grin, but…

‘…She isn’t actually laughing.’

Lee Arin was not truly smiling.

If this was a “performance,” it was an execution so flawless it sent a shiver down my spine.

She was perfectly mimicking the physical manifestation of “mirth” that a human being is capable of displaying.

The curve of her mouth, the clarity in her gaze, and every subtle movement were polished beyond the point of doubt, yet I felt an oppressive weight from her presence.

‘A lethal woman.’

Of that, I was positive.

It was a dazzling smile, the kind that could easily ensnare any man.

To most, that expression would seem entirely harmless.

But I wasn’t most people.

Because of the Hidden Traits **【God of Eternity】** and **【Eye of Truth】**, I was able to bypass mere surface-level observation and clinically perceive the fundamental essence of the person before me.

‘Is she testing my depth?’

Lee Arin was currently weighing me.

Behind that mask of joy, she was meticulously scrutinizing me.

She wanted to decipher my identity and the nature of my existence.

However, the curiosity was mutual.

Lee Arin.

The Vice-President of the Heroes Association who had ascended to prominence as suddenly as a streak of light across the sky.

Public opinion suggested her capabilities were formidable enough to challenge the Association President, Park Taewoo, but…

I suspected even that was a low estimate.

‘Someone who has shattered the limit through a lifetime of trials.’

It takes a peak combatant to recognize another.

Even without the clash of blades, I could sense it.

While Lee Arin was projecting her presence through the release of demonic power, she was doing so with “calculated” restraint.

She had deliberately suppressed the true extent of her demonic energy.

The sheer disparity between the energy she allowed to leak past her skin and the refined harmony of her physical form was glaringly inconsistent.

By my rough estimation, the power coiled within her had already reached a level far beyond the human norm.

‘Her raw demonic capacity has already eclipsed that of Gracia.’

Naturally, possessing a higher volume of demonic energy didn’t automatically make her superior to Gracia in combat.

It did, however, mean she was fully capable of standing on equal footing with those considered the absolute summits of the human race.

My internal evaluation concluded.

Then, I spoke.

‘I had no reason to seek her out.’

“Why are you masking the true scale of your demonic power?”

“….”

At my retort, the warmth vanished from Lee Arin’s eyes, replaced by a biting chill.

Ah. That was clearly not the response Lee Arin had anticipated.

Still, I had no desire to dance to her tune.

What I saw now was likely the genuine face of Lee Arin, stripped of the manufactured smile.

She was a woman far more frigid than a winter storm in July.

She directed a look of utter disdain—as if viewing a common pest—at anything that failed to interest her, seemingly immune to any emotional influence from those around her.

This was precisely what I wanted to see.

Her unfiltered self.

Lee Arin was positioned at the very pinnacle of the ten individuals Hudson had categorized as the “most lethal threats.”

> **「Lee Arin (Supreme Danger Level, extreme vigilance required)」**
> * A high-tier powerhouse who emerged abruptly during the era of Isera’s incursion.
> * A first-generation Awakened who operated in Pangenia under the same name. Records show she gambled away her entire wealth in the Golden City ‘Arcana’, and debt records persist at ‘Hudson Casino’. Initial assessments suggested her level was remarkably low.
> * Until recently, she was never mentioned in the Hall of Fame for anything other than ‘Survival’. Her personality was noted as cowardly and averse to violence.
> * Following Isera’s invasion, she began to excel, rapidly climbing to the rank of Vice-President of the Heroes Association. It is believed President Park Taewoo holds her unique talents in extremely high regard.
> * Possesses an uncanny ability to trigger the latent powers of others, earning her the title of ‘Great Master’.
> * Her character, temperament, and sheer combat prowess have undergone a radical transformation. The catalyst for this change remains a mystery.
> * Attempts were made to track her for a definitive profile, but all efforts were thwarted.
> * While the body belongs to Lee Arin, it is uncertain if the soul inhabiting it is the same.
> * Highest level of caution is mandatory.
>
>

This was the intelligence dossier Hudson had prepared and sent to me earlier.

Utilizing the persona of the British Prince Oliver and the influence of the Demonic Blood Clan, he had established a sophisticated “intelligence network” on Earth.

The primary goal was to monitor the trajectories of the Awakened.

Specifically, uncovering the true backgrounds of the first-generation Awakened was the top priority.

By identifying them in both Pangenia and on Earth, we could prepare for any contingency.

‘Of all of them, Lee Arin represents the greatest variable.’

According to Hudson’s findings, Lee Arin was a complete “cipher.”

Meeting her face-to-face, I finally understood why.

…Who are you, really?

“…How were you able to tell?”

Lee Arin questioned me once more, this time her voice tinged with a raw, genuine curiosity.

I replied with total indifference.

“I simply monitored and crunched the numbers on the demonic power you were emitting.”

“…Heh.”

She let out a short, disbelieving breath.

Following the faint trails of intentionally leaked energy to reverse-engineer the exact amount of sealed demonic power was a feat no human should be capable of.

In fact, even for a Dragon of Wisdom, processing such a staggering amount of variables would be a daunting challenge.

This was an admission that his proficiency in reading demonic energy was peerless.

It was definitive proof that he held “pure demonic power” in a concentration greater than anyone else.

Only a being possessing such untainted energy could accurately gauge the power of another.

“I see now that there truly was no point in you coming to find me.”

Lee Arin gave a slow shake of her head.

Here was a man who had grown powerful at an exponential rate, naturally refining “pure demonic power” within his own soul without ever needing her guidance or tutelage.

Pure demonic power isn’t something one simply gathers by grinding levels.

Contaminants are an inevitable byproduct.

This holds true even for those who cultivate energy through what the human world refers to as “mental cultivation techniques.”

One might reduce the impurities, but eliminating them entirely is an impossible task.

…Where on this planet did a human like this come from?

He was the first person on Earth to leave such a profound impact on her.

Wilhelm had been the first, but setting him aside, this man was in a league of his own.

He was fundamentally different from anyone she had encountered before.

‘Who are you?’

The urge to know consumed her.

She wanted to understand the man known as Park Hyunmyeong.

She wanted to see the truth of his soul.

For the first time since her arrival on Earth, Lee Arin’s eyes sparked with a deep, personal interest and a hunger for answers.

Lee Arin went to great lengths to keep Park Hyunmyeong’s profile as low as possible.

Park Taewoo concurred with Arin’s strategy.

The upcoming mission to the “Black Dome” was an international affair involving the world’s most powerful leaders.

If the full details of “Park Hyunmyeong” were leaked, the resulting chaos would be astronomical.

A global bidding war to recruit him would erupt instantly.

At this moment, Park Hyunmyeong was the most controversial and sought-after figure on Earth.

Yet, a formal “vetting process” had never been completed.

That lack of data made them even more wary.

More than anything else…

“Park Hyunmyeong…”

Association President Park Taewoo stared out his office window, lost in thought.

He clutched a single piece of parchment.

On it were the results of a comprehensive investigation into “Park Hyunmyeong,” conducted using every resource at his disposal.

Despite his vast influence, the report consisted of a single, haunting word:

-None.

…There was nothing to find.

Every trace of Park Hyunmyeong’s existence had been systematically scrubbed.

Someone had gotten there before him.

But how was that even achievable?

A citizen of Earth, especially in a place like the Republic of Korea, is supposed to leave a digital and physical trail.

For the leader of the Heroes Association—the most powerful organization in the country—to find absolutely nothing despite a full-scale search was chilling.

Consequently, President Park Taewoo felt a primal instinctual warning.

‘There is a massive, hidden entity standing behind him.’

Behind Park Hyunmyeong lay a shadow organization whose power dwarfed that of the government or the Association.

This was the primary reason he hesitated to move against him or expose him.

He had allowed him to join the “Black Dome” strike team only because Arin had been so adamant, but…

“I truly wonder if I’ve made a mistake…”

A dull ache throbbed in his temples.

He had spent so much time looking for Park Hyunmyeong, yet the version of the man that finally appeared was a complete enigma.

Who was he?

…Was he truly a second-generation Awakened?

…For that matter, was he even the real Park Hyunmyeong?

“Sigh…”

Park Taewoo exhaled a long, weary breath.

The tedious flight finally reached its conclusion.

The moment I stepped off the aircraft and onto the tarmac.

-I apologize for the delay. It is an honor to stand before you once more. I am ‘Alkar, the Black-Stained’, your loyal servant.

A shadow coalesced beside me.

Alkar, the Black-Stained.

Ranked third within the Demonic Blood Clan, he stood as the most powerful warrior after Isera and Lucaria.

Seeing him was a relief, given our history together.

However, it struck me as odd.

Given Isera’s recent instability, the entire Demonic Blood Clan should have been occupied.

As if reading my thoughts, Alkar responded.

-Do not fret over Lady Isera. She has entered a period of relative calm for the time being. We cannot predict when the madness might return… but until it does, I am here to serve you.

‘Understood.’

It seemed the situation had stabilized enough for Alkar to be dispatched to my side.

My mind briefly flickered back to the chaos Lucaria had caused in the Tower of the War God.

That would have been a total disaster if Wilhelm hadn’t intervened personally.

Fortunately, Isera was being looked after by the Blade Dragon God Hana and the rest of the Demonic Blood Clan, keeping the damage contained.

I shifted my focus to the massive black void looming in the distance.

-That is our destination. The Elemental Kings are losing control within that space. Furthermore, I can detect the presence of entities known as the ‘Abyss Kings’.

That was a surprise.

‘He can actually sense them?’

I was aware that Alkar, the Black-Stained, possessed an extraordinary intuition for danger, but this level of perception was beyond anything I had expected.

Alkar was detecting things that even I had missed.

Moreover, it was clear that Alkar had grown significantly more powerful since our last meeting.

‘Has the strength of the entire Demonic Blood Clan surged this much?’

“Heroes of the Republic of Korea! We welcome you to the United States.”

*Click! Flash!*

A man stepped forward through a barrage of camera shutters.

Observing him, Choi Kang-nam whispered under his breath.

“…Darkstar?”

The figure who had assumed leadership of the Seven Heroes Association following the passing of the Master.