Given the circumstances, he had used every means available to him, within the limits of what he could mobilize.
Calling in Harris, the High Elf of the Elven Kingdom, and Hesperon, who had been staying as a guest at the Imperial Palace, was part of that effort.
‘Of course, no matter how much advance notice they received, they can’t be away from their posts for very long. It would be best to finish things and return as quickly as possible.’
And, naturally.
Those two were not the only ones mobilized for this matter.
“Everyone has been deployed to their respective sectors, Lord. I’ve also given the subordinate organizations strict instructions, so they won’t dare act rashly. Even if the Beoncheon Society tries to make a move under cover of the chaos, they won’t be able to accomplish their goals easily.”
“Good. Tell them that anyone caught fooling around during this incident will receive not the slightest mercy. Tell them I’m in a very foul mood right now.”
“...Yes. I’ll make sure they understand that once again.”
Deep within an alley where an oddly peculiar silence hung in the air, as though it were a lie that all of Seoul had fallen into chaos—
Heinz II, having received Jin Soran’s report in her usual polite manner, tilted his head slightly and gazed at the object in his hand: a small crystal sphere cracked here and there.
‘I suspected as much. So they didn’t rely solely on gunpowder bombs.’
It was an explosive disposable magical device that he had managed to retrieve himself just before it detonated, thanks to the synergy between his keen senses and 「Insight」.
They seemed to have hidden it quite thoroughly and paid considerable attention to security, but once it had entered his awareness, something of this level could never escape Heinz’s control.
‘It feels excessive, almost to the point of being overkill. Why go this far? What on earth are they thinking?’
Wasn’t this far more serious than he had expected?
Even if they had been provoked by the actions of Korea and Howard Industries, launching an operation on this scale would inevitably place a considerable burden on the Beoncheon Society as well.
‘This is the capital of a country that ranks among the developed nations. Naturally, the time and resources required to secretly prepare something on this scale must have been astronomical. To throw all of that away in a single terrorist attack...’
Above all, this incident could also heighten the entire world’s sense of crisis regarding an unknown enemy, which was another negative factor for them.
The United States was already on edge after one of Pantheon’s leaders had been attacked. If news of this spread as well...
‘...For now, let’s do what we can. Just in case, it would be best for my main body to lie low as much as possible. No matter that I’ve used 「Projection of an Individual」 through Hans, it would be troublesome if the Beoncheon Society Lord were to step in personally.’
In that sense, deciding not to put his main body on the front lines and instead prioritize tracing the forces behind this incident had been a sound judgment.
Of course, if a truly dangerous situation arose, he could summon Hans himself along with all his other avatars and create an opening somehow. But that was a trump card to be saved until the very last moment.
‘To conceal the attention directed at my main body, it would be better for my other identities to act even more spectacularly than they are now. If I let this opportunity slip away, who knows when another will arise? Now that they’ve shown their tails, this time I’ll uproot the hidden roots of these bastards in Korea for good.’
Just as Heinz was reaffirming his resolve—
Jin Soran, who had been communicating with her subordinates via telepathy, frowned and approached him.
“Lord, we’ve received a report that something suspicious was detected in Gangseo District. A Level 6 executive has already gone there personally, but...”
“I’ll go myself.”
He had been thinking of moving again soon anyway.
If he dealt with the problems he encountered along the way, he could draw attention even more effectively.
At his speed, he would still arrive at his destination with time to spare.
“Yes, then...”
“I’ll hear the details on the way.”
Without even waiting for her answer, Heinz immediately launched himself westward.
A streak of red wind tore rapidly across Seoul.
Wherever that wind paused, the fiercely burning flames subsided, the rubble blocking the survivors crumbled into dust and vanished, and bombs lying in wait for an opportunity were dismantled and rendered harmless before they could explode.
That alone was more than enough to draw the attention of numerous people, but now that he had decided to focus attention on himself as dramatically as possible, he had no intention of stopping there.
In the middle of a scene reduced to chaos after a disaster had swept through—
A brilliant light suddenly burst forth from its center.
Fwaaash—
A warm radiance, more comforting than dazzling, swept across the surroundings.
As everyone nearby turned their eyes toward it, a lone figure slowly emerged through the rays of light, taking measured steps.
Clack— Clack—
Beautiful, pure-white armor encased a body of imposing stature.
With each movement came the heavy sound of interlocking metal, while a gentle aura spreading from him softly embraced the bodies and minds of those whose strength had been drained by the sudden disaster.
“Ah! Th-that person is...!”
“N-no way!”
Citizens sprawled here and there in their disheveled state recognized him and began to rise one by one.
The same was true of those groaning as they struggled to hold up their injured bodies, and those who clung helplessly to loved ones whose lives hung by a thread.
“Saint!”
“P-please, save my mother...!”
“Ahhh—!”
Heinrich, suddenly the focus of all those yearning gazes, immediately lived up to their expectations.
Shaaah—
The blade of the holy sword slid smoothly from his palm, scattering glittering light around it.
Tracing an elegant arc, it was seized in both hands covered with thick calluses and driven straight into the ruined asphalt beneath his feet.
“O Great God, extend Your merciful hand to the pitiful lambs of this land...”
Along with the quiet prayer that followed, 「Grand Blessing: Wings of Radiance」 unfolded.
Immediately afterward—
A miraculous proof that a god existed somewhere in this world manifested.
The divine power swelling fearlessly around the holy sword spread in every direction through wings of light, covering the entire surrounding space in waves of platinum radiance.
The vitality of those who had been utterly exhausted began to return, the bodies of the injured were restored to their normal condition, and the breathing of those hovering on the verge of death stabilized.
“Ah! Thank you! Thank you!”
“Saint! Thank you!”
Hope began to bloom on the faces of those who had been sunk in grief at the sight of that majestic spectacle.
After all, they had been confronted with a hand of salvation that embraced both body and mind at the moment they had fallen into despair.
Of course, not everyone reacted that way.
“Y-you’re supposed to be a saint! Th-then please, please save my mother...!”
“Waaah— Taehyeon—!”
For even Heinrich could not resurrect someone who had already died.
With a solemn expression, he quietly shook his head, closed his eyes, and prayed for the victims’ peaceful rest.
But even that moment could not last very long.
Nearby hospitals, temporary wards established because they could not accommodate everyone, accident sites, and more—
There were simply too many places that needed his help for him to linger in one spot and delay.
Following the information collected by Hesperon’s 「Mechanical Eye: Callicus」, he immediately moved on to the next location.
With the premonition that today would be busier than any day before.
***
It was not only superhumans possessing extraordinary abilities who sprang into action during the sudden national disaster.
The Association and the Guardians moved frantically to rescue citizens and eliminate dangerous factors.
Awakened individuals affiliated with the state, regardless of their organization, stepped forward to use their abilities and help in any way they could.
Priests of Pantheon began relief efforts of their own accord to treat the injured.
And even without supernatural powers, firefighters, police officers, other public servants, and brave ordinary citizens threw themselves into danger in accordance with their convictions.
Amid the chaos, countless people stepped forward, and thanks to them, the disorderly situation was able to regain stability quickly.
The chaos had only intensified because incidents had erupted simultaneously across an enormous area. Once a certain amount of time had passed, however, the accumulated problems were rapidly resolved, and the situation gradually began to settle down.
And there were those who had been observing Korea’s situation from beginning to end while recording something—
“The Thunder Emperor’s capabilities exceeded expectations. When he fought Alpha not long ago, he wasn’t anywhere near this strong...”
“Could obtaining that ‘Mjolnir’ really be the cause of his sudden growth? This is troublesome. It looks as though we’ll have to discard all the data we’ve gathered so far.”
“The Black Smoke of the Bureau of Anomalous Ability Management didn’t show himself this time either... The Association President hasn’t changed much from the existing data. Should we consider that fortunate?”
In a spacious underground room filled with countless glowing monitors like a command center, a man with indistinct features slowly stroked his chin from the seat of honor among those busily exchanging opinions.
Before him, various materials gathered from numerous locations were divided among several monitors and displayed.
‘Hahoe Mask and Phantom. Since they rule Korea’s underworld, it was only natural to expect them to make a move. And... should we really regard the Saint’s appearance at this exact moment as a coincidence? If not, then that means there’s a way for them to monitor Korea’s situation in real time even from the other world...’
Deep in thought as he stared at one of the screens, he turned his head to the side.
There, photographs and observed information on the individuals who had newly appeared and performed during this incident had been neatly organized.
Two figures stood out in particular.
“A helmeted freak presumed to be an elemental spirit mage, and a hero-addict in a power suit.”
The power-suit user was more impressive for his unique abilities utilizing magical tools than for the level of his cultivation. But the spirit mage was not merely highly likely to be a Transcendent—his status as one was practically certain.
He could not be sure that these were all the eccentric figures hiding in Korea, but discovering the existence of yet another Transcendent was a tremendous gain in itself.
‘Good grief. Just how many Transcendents are there in this tiny country?’
He clicked his tongue lightly and shook his head.
This operation had been launched with several things in mind.
Various secondary objectives had been woven into it, but the greatest was to gauge the potential of Korea, which was practically the enemy’s main base.
Hadn’t the Beoncheon Society suffered its defeats thus far primarily because they lacked information about that enemy?
To learn as much as possible about the number of enemies who had yet to reveal themselves, their tendencies when responding to a sudden disaster, and the limits and weaknesses of the abilities they could employ.
That was the mission handed down to him from above.
Any side effects arising in the process would be dealt with by those above him. They were not his concern.
They had issued the order after taking even that into account, after all.
‘It’s a little disappointing. Things were resolved far too quickly. If we could have dragged it out longer, we would have been able to gather much more data.’
With so many Transcendents who had surpassed human limits, it was only natural that the situation was resolved quickly as well.
The fires, toxic gas, chain explosions, and other threats that should have caused additional damage after the initial terrorist attacks had all been helplessly neutralized.
‘If only we’d detonated a nuclear suitcase...’
The organization had the capability to procure one if necessary, but causing that much trouble was still premature.
As the man in charge of the severely diminished Korean branch, he did not even have the authority to force such an operation through.
‘It can’t be helped. Shall we just wrap up this operation here?’
Clicking his tongue in disappointment, he slowly rose from his seat and lightly clapped his hands.
Clap—
“Attention.”
At that, everyone who had been murmuring among themselves turned their gazes toward him.
“We’ll conclude things here. You’ve all worked hard despite the limited circumstances.”
Everyone present was a talent of the Korean branch, more than worthy of being called an elite force.
They were the key figures of this operation, survivors who had proven their abilities amid an unrelenting campaign of pursuit and purges.
Of course, quite a few were absent because of their missions, but even this group alone amounted to well over half of the personnel remaining in the Korean branch.
“Then confirm once more that the backed-up data has been transmitted properly. After erasing all traces left here, we’ll disband—”
In other words, this was none other than the nest where the remnants of the Beoncheon Society’s Korean branch had gathered together.
[Who Decided That?]
Before they scattered and went into hiding again like a cell-based organization, it was also a clue that could reveal the whereabouts of every one of their members who had gone outside.
“…What?!”
“An emergency… Ghk!”
“Ugh…! How…?”
A chill voice, as though it had seeped out of Hell.
At the same time, an immense pressure slammed down upon the entire space in an instant.
The quick-witted ones moved nimbly the moment they sensed something was wrong, trying to do something, but the intangible force exerted at the same time the voice entered left them unable even to twitch a finger.
Crack— Crack—
Then, the temperature of the basement plummeted below freezing in an instant.
A thin layer of ice gradually spread over the bodies of those sprawled on the floor and convulsing.
It was black magic that reduced their vital signs to the extreme while ensuring they would not actually die.
[Heh— This was a blind spot. I never imagined they would have settled in the Demilitarized Zone.]
Once everyone had been subdued.
From within the abyss that had already covered the floor, a figure slowly rose to his feet.
A being wrapped in pitch-black darkness from head to toe, as though he himself were darkness incarnate.
Ghostly flames blazing and leaking from the corners of his eyes slowly swept across the surroundings.
The desolate concrete walls, devoid of even wallpaper, were covered by a concealment field employing all manner of composite spells, while the various electronic devices positioned throughout the room gave off an atmosphere that was anything but ordinary.
‘These are devices incorporating the technology of machine civilization. In practical terms, they’re no different from magical tools. And they even have a device that generates electricity on its own?’
The same went for the food supplies they must have consumed. It was impossible to know how they had transported all these provisions here without anyone noticing.
This place was even closer to North Korea than South Korea…
‘No. They’ve already taken China into their hands. North Korea won’t be much different.’
After the emergence of Awakened Ones, defenses along the ceasefire line had become more thorough than ever.
Even the Transcendent, rumored to be the strongest agent within the Bureau of Ability Management, was stationed near the Military Demarcation Line at all times.
‘Well, I can find out the details from here on.’
Hahoe Mask casually shifted his gaze toward the man with the indistinct features who had been giving a speech until moments ago—the one presumed to hold the highest position in this place.
His eyes opened wide in disbelief as he repeatedly struggled violently, as though trying to break free of the restraint binding his body.
Though it was utterly futile for someone who had not even reached the Transcendent realm.
‘A mind-control ability user. If Andrew had been even slightly later in discovering this bastard’s movements, we would have lost track of them.’
Did the man realize that this place had been exposed because of him?
Internally sneering coldly, he slowly extended one hand toward the man’s head.
‘I ought to reward Andrew. …Yes, a language-translation magical tool would be good. I’ve only recently become capable of making one thanks to the “Forbidden Truth.” With that, he’ll be able to use his ability more efficiently.’
It was a reward that would have made Andrew cry out in despair.
All Andrew wanted was a leave of absence or an extended vacation, but gifts were meant to contain the giver’s feelings.