Darkness settled heavily—a quiet, murky dawn.
Inside a dark building where not a single light had been lit, many shadows moved busily.
At the center stood a massive mound of earth in humanoid form.
Groooaan…
“Can you not keep that thing quiet?”
“Once we breach the inside, the sound will not escape.”
“Breach!”
Kukwakakakaka….
The human figure made of earth began sucking in dirt at tremendous speed. As it did, it discharged the absorbed soil above, below, and to the sides, creating sturdy walls.
A tunnel formed rapidly, and the burrow being dug deepened just as quickly.
Only a few remained behind to stand watch at set intervals, while most of those who had been together followed after it.
Those digging through the earth from five kilometers away from Suho’s house were North Korean special forces.
Bastards who had seized a residence, murdered the occupants, and begun digging through the basement floor.
Leading the way was an earth golem summoner Admite, followed by other Admites and regular troops.
The North Korean regime, overflowing with greed despite having not the slightest chance of coaxing Suho, had drawn up plans to kidnap his entire family including Suho, and had thoroughly prepared, taking Russia’s failed infiltration as a lesson.
The earth golem summoned by the summoner was nothing less than a tunnel-making machine.
It devoured dirt at tremendous speed, stacked walls, and advanced while expanding the tunnel. Behind it, fully armed soldiers and Admites followed with bated breath, holding flashlights.
As befitting a nation of burrows, their strategy of infiltrating underground by making good use of the earth golem was quite efficient.
The downside was that it consumed a great deal of ether, but because this was such a critical operation, they had been deployed with a large supply of Etherium, so this was not a problem.
They bypassed the numerous androids guarding the area around Suho’s house and, without encountering any Sanare Clan members either, advanced toward the basement of Suho’s penthouse.
“We just need to go a tiny bit further.”
“Wait, stop. From here, we must go up in a staircase pattern to the right.”
“Already?”
“We have to, or the distance won’t match.”
One of the troops, looking at a tablet displaying a detailed map, spoke, and the golem slowly began turning upward at its summoner’s command.
Having gradually risen from around fifty meters underground directly beneath Suho’s house, the bastards finally stopped before the penthouse’s basement.
They were a mere three to five meters from breaking through to the end of the burrow.
“All units, prepare for combat.”
“Send the golem in first.”
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud….
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud….
Breaking through the building’s floor caused unavoidable noise and vibration.
It could not be helped.
Besides, it would only be a moment—so they intended to force their way through.
Crash!
Finally, just as the floor broke through and the penthouse basement came into view,
A figure could be seen from above, and,
“About time you showed up.”
To the special forces members, who were not wearing automatic translator earpieces, English was heard out of nowhere.
* * *
Joshua, who had started the night watch.
Unlike human guards who circled around checking the situation with their own eyes, or security androids that detected enemies using infrared, S+ rank mage Joshua Evans sensed the surrounding movements through the flow of ether.
Whenever he began guarding Suho, he would sit quietly near the center of the penthouse roof—what could be called the center of Suho’s house—and to the uninformed eye, he looked as leisurely as someone out for a night stroll.
However, at this moment Joshua had spread out a wide barrier that detected all objects in the vicinity. Centered on him, almost everything within a radius of over one hundred meters fell within its sensory range.
The intangible, thin membrane spread in the shape of a sphere, and this was no exception whether in the sky or underground.
Because the barrier detected even the smallest movements and the flow of ether within its area, it was virtually safe to say that no more perfect detection system existed.
“Hmm…?”
A minute disturbance in the ether was detected within his range.
“What is it?”
Joshua sprang up from his spot and heightened his senses toward the direction where the external intrusion had been detected.
It was not just one or two.
“Ten ordinary humans, five Admites…”
The corner of Joshua’s mouth rose ever so slightly.
Because for the first time in a long while—truly, after a very long time—he felt he would be able to earn his keep.
The multiple movements detected from over a hundred meters away approached Suho’s house in a straight line, then suddenly stopped.
That location was the basement of Suho’s penthouse.
Joshua moved in an instant, seized the spot, let out a light breath, and closed his eyes.
From his fingertips, blazing flames of ether began to swirl. Though fierce in appearance, they seemingly burned nothing at all.
Then, at once, they explosively spread out, forming a perfect spherical magic circle centered on him.
It was the ‘Domain of Fire’ of S+ rank flame mage Admite, Joshua Evans.
Having completed his domain, he waited for several minutes. Then, with a loud noise, the earth vibrated and heaved, and finally the basement floor collapsed.
Along with the earth golem, a group of figures could be seen behind it.
Joshua greeted them warmly.
“You finally showed up.”
The North Korean special forces, who had never imagined someone would know of their infiltration and be waiting, were considerably flustered at the sight of Joshua.
“Thank you. I’ve done nothing but receive from Suho-nim all this time, so I’ve had no way to shake off my guilt. I’m grateful in many ways. Who’s the captain of this team?”
Among the special forces members who had no way of understanding Joshua’s softly spoken greeting, one man shouted.
“What are you standing around for! Attack!”
But with the earth golem standing at the very front blocking the entrance, they were unable to attack.
Joshua, spotting the man shouting over the golem’s shoulder, smiled chillingly.
“Oho, no need to tell me. You’re the captain. I’ll keep only you alive for now.”
Hwa-ra-ra-rack——
With a single gesture from Joshua, a sharp, scorching wind manifested and sliced the golem at the front to pieces.
Crash…
Fssssss…
The earth golem collapsed, literally chopped into fine pieces.
The earth golem summoned by a B-rank summoner was at least C-rank, yet it had perished helplessly without being able to react at all.
Joshua pulled the collapsed earth golem’s core with an intangible force, grasped it in his hand, and burned it with flames of tremendous heat.
The core then crumbled like fragile ash left after being completely burned.
“Haah!”
The close-combat class Admites behind the golem drew their swords and hammers and charged, but they could not break Joshua’s flame shield.
All their attacks were blocked by the flame shield, and far from advancing, they only suffered burns.
While lightly blocking the close combatants’ attacks, Joshua gestured with his other hand and pulled in the one who appeared to be the captain.
“Uwoooah!”
Joshua grabbed the captain’s neck with one hand as he was pulled in at tremendous speed.
The man, lifted high into the air, finally went limp from the neck-crushing force as if his spine would snap. After confirming that he was still breathing, Joshua threw him into a corner.
He must have been strong among them, for the other troops froze solid upon seeing their captain subdued.
To them, Joshua asked again,
“By any chance, is there anyone besides this man who would be more cooperative with interrogation?”
As expected, there was no answer from those who could not understand his words.
“Tsk, then all of you, have a safe trip.”
Hwarururuk——
Pillars of ultrahigh-temperature fire surged from all around Joshua and engulfed the burrow.
They were columns of fire large enough to completely fill the burrow’s entrance.
“Kyaaaaak!”
“Aaaaaaak!”
With nowhere to flee, the bastards’ infiltration route became a crucible of flames that incinerated them.
The pillars of fire that turned them to ashes did not lose their strength even after burning them all, and raced straight along the burrow.
The pillars of fire of ‘Inferno’ Joshua Evans, the world’s highest S+ rank flame mage, were enormous, like a dragon’s breath.
The flames erupted from the basement of Suho’s house and spewed out to somewhere five kilometers away.
Joshua flew to the rooftop and looked around. In a corner of Cheongdam-dong where darkness had settled, a pillar of fire rose clearly into view.
“Hmm… that must be the entrance.”
Shwiiik——
Flying quickly with magic, Joshua closed the distance in an instant and found a few remaining stragglers flusteredly guarding the burrow entrance while fully armed.
Hwaruruk——
“Kuaaaaaak!”
Without asking anything, he burned them as well.
Security androids finally came running after hearing the noise.
Joshua, having already cleaned up the entire situation, pointed at the unconscious special forces captain and commanded the androids.
“Bind him. Since he is no ordinary human, tie him up completely and lock him in a special vault. Oh, and since there is a possibility of suicide, remove all his teeth.”
The security androids were set to Suho’s settings, in a state of absolute obedience to commands from Joshua, Danbi, and Taewoong as well.
Several androids that received the command pulled the unconscious man’s teeth and bound his limbs.
Joshua thought about contacting Korea’s National Intelligence Service or Management Bureau, but stopped and called someone instead.
—Hello?
“You answered. I thought you wouldn’t pick up.”
—Who… Joshua? What the hell. You call me first and then…
“Yeah, it’s me. Long time no see.”
—Oh my god… Oppa, you left the US without a word… and never answered your phone.
“I’m sorry for many things. My contact information changed after I came to Korea.”
—That’s awful… How could you go without even saying goodbye to me…
“Sorry, I had no choice. I had to save Connie.”
—…I see… So, did that go well?
“Yeah, it went well. Connie is really healthy now. She even goes to school.”
—Really? That’s so good. I miss Connie… Doesn’t she say she misses her aunt?
“She mentions it sometimes. How have you been?”
—Just so-so… Oppa, are you not coming back from Korea?
“Hmm… I’m planning to stay here for the time being.”
—Really…? The more I think about it, the worse you are. How could you throw away your only family and leave without a word.
“I am sorry. What about your investigator job?”
—I quit.
“You quit? Why?”
—It was dangerous. Since I got involved with Admite suspects, everyone was trying to kill me first. Apparently if they kill me, no evidence remains… The FBI and CIA said they’d protect me, but I have to be able to trust them… I quit because I was anxious. Still, I’m just as anxious as ever.
“I see… Sophia, will you come here?”
—Huh? To Korea?
“Yeah.”
—No thanks. What would I even do there.
“You said you aren’t doing anything there anyway.”
—That’s true, but I don’t know anyone there either…
“You have me, Jennifer, and Connie. And you can make new friends here. There are many good people here too. Besides, you don’t really have many relationships there anyway.”
—That’s true, but… I don’t have any foundation for life there.
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll get you a house near ours. I’ll look for a job for you too.”
—Pfft, stop bluffing… You haven’t even been there that long. How established could you possibly be…
“I’m not joking. I’m making a lot of money here too. So don’t worry and come.”
—Hmm… I’ll think about it.
“Take your time thinking, and if it’s hard to come right away, at least come for a trip.”
—Huh…? Why are you in such a hurry?
“I need your ability. Right now.”
The one Joshua had contacted was Sophia Evans, his younger sister.
She was an Admite who had awakened a special ability—one of only a few in the entire world.
Her little-known ability was ‘Psychometry’—the power to read information about an object or place by touching inanimate things.
When touching a specific object, she could see the memories, events, and emotions contained within it. Because this ability was neither a combat class nor a production and support class, it was not welcomed in tower climbing.
However, the FBI and CIA highly recognized the utility of that ability and recruited her.
She had been active in various criminal cases and produced results for a time, but after getting entangled with Admite criminals at some point, she felt her life was threatened, became gripped by fear, and withdrew.
Joshua had urgently called her.
It was to identify the identities of the unidentified intruders they had captured, the assailants targeting Suho.
Because they appeared to be trained special forces members, he had judged that there was a high possibility they would not open their mouths to simple threats or torture alone.
After obtaining Sophia’s promise that she would come right away, Joshua ended the call and followed behind the androids moving the bound captain to the vault.