Chapter 278
Chapter 278
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 278
Chapter Title: Hahoe Mask Returns (3)
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The Hahoe Mask's assault on the Bancheon Association's East Asia branch in Shanghai didn't end there.
As if the period of silence had been a lie, he rode that momentum to wipe out every subordinate faction in the vicinity.
From there, news of the incident in one of China's most bustling cities, Shanghai, spread rapidly across the internet.
Not just within China, but overseas beyond its borders as well.
And the place that reacted most fiercely to the news was...
📰 Breaking News Sudden Disappearance of Hahoe Mask in Japan Leads to Sighting Frenzy in Shanghai, China 📰 Breaking News Why Did Korean Dark Hero Hahoe Mask Head to China? 📰 Breaking News Shanghai Triads and Subordinates Annihilated – Chinese Authorities on High Alert The Republic of Korea, neighboring country and Hahoe Mask's homeland.
From yellow journalism reprinting Chinese articles verbatim, to clickbait sites chasing views with sensational headlines, to even somewhat reputable outlets.
All showed keen interest in the news.
And as expected when things reached that point.
Korea's online communities were burning hotter than ever on the surface.
💬 Hahoe Mask Glorious Comeback ㄷㄷ — Anon1 Classy move starting shit right after coming back lol. Yakuza and now Triads? ㅎㄷㄷ — Anon2 ??? : Just got bored wandering Japan, took a break for some China tourism. Back to work now, so citizens, rest easy and get back to your lives! — Anon3 Bro's back! I believed in you! ↳ Reply Weren't you the one whining last time about where Hahoe Mask went? The Hahoe Mask fan site 'Shrine of the Dawn Witch', which had been drying up, saw traffic surge nonstop starting from the morning the news broke.
💬 You Fucking Bastards, Hahoe Mask is Alive! — Fanboy1 All you fucks who said he was dead, smash your heads. I'll go first ㅇㅇ — Fanboy2 Quick confession accepted ㅇㅈ — Fanboy3 I'll smash too... — Skeptic Damn, he's really alive? Not a body double? ↳ Reply On this scale with evidence popping up nonstop, you think it's fake? ↳ Reply If they can pull off a perfect double like this, just call it real lol ↳ Reply For real ㅋㅋ Even those skeptical of Hahoe Mask's disappearance flipped their stance like ghosts.
Like it or not, everyone acknowledged his prowess and reputation.
Whether positively or negatively.
However, some couldn't take the news lightly.
None other than Korea's high-ranking officials, now facing protests from Japan and China.
Having no real ties to Hahoe Mask, they felt unjustly dragged in, but international relations didn't allow ignoring such issues.
Diplomacy meant taking action—cooperation or otherwise—to smooth ties between nations.
And one facet of that.
"Then let's start the emergency meeting. Everyone knows the agenda, right?"
At the Korean Returner Association headquarters on Namsan in Seoul, the executive meeting was kicking off.
"Isn't this already settled? It fizzled out with Japan too. Why bring it up now?"
"Yeah. Busy as hell, why drag us here again?"
-Well, unavoidable issue. Not sure what we can do though.
"...Can't I join remotely too? Why force Seoul folks... Unfair..."
Under the chairman's lead, executives chimed in casually.
Seoul branch heads and remote provincial ones via video.
Unlike government bodies, the informal gathering turned the room rowdy fast.
Awakener abilities scaled with status.
These executives were power players from their worlds: heroes, nobles, leaders, famed named ones.
Confident and assured, they respected others but didn't grovel.
Truly a merit-based elite, battle-tested.
"China's protests are fiercer than expected. Government's getting pressure from all sides."
Such elites got proper respect too.
Proven ability meant surviving dire trials.
The chairman's words quieted the chatter, drawing focus.
"Huh? That much? Just nabbed some criminals, right? A few Shanghai gangs at most?"
-Ego bruised? Arrogant foreigner stirring shit in their turf?
"Who knows, only they do. Maybe Hahoe Mask hit someone connected to their elites."
In the midst of the back-and-forth, Seoul South Branch Head Yoon Jiyoon—dragged here reluctantly—grimaced at her pad's intel.
'Definitely looks like Hahoe Mask himself.'
All Hahoe Mask sightings in China: photos, CCTV vids, witness accounts, analyses.
Impressively thorough intel, not even a day old.
'Mostly China's 'evidence', sure.'
The meeting dragged predictably.
No real solution from the start.
Hahoe Mask was in China; what could they do now?
'Just flexing for diplomatic leverage. They'd totally do it... Hm?'
Flipping docs, her eyes locked on one.
A building flagged first: publicly an investment firm, but shady vibes uncovered.
'Something fishy here.'
Others were routine: indiscriminate punishment of local Triads and affiliates.
Standard Hahoe Mask MO.
'Hahoe Mask... Come to think...'
Mulling it sparked a connection.
'Bancheon Association surfaced right after Hahoe Mask went wild.'
The group hiding 9th-level Mad Bloodkin Alpha, ex-Blood Alliance boss, who terrorized her turf.
They vanished from Korea after clashing with Hahoe Mask.
'Didn't think much before, but...'
His trail from Korea to Japan to China was suspicious too.
Why hunt criminals abroad?
Link between Japan vanishing act and Shanghai?
Maybe chased a lead from Japan to China hunting them?
'...Need to talk to Heinz.'
She'd long suspected, just hadn't dug.
Hahoe Mask and Heterosis ties.
'Phantom filled his absence. ...Same world origin?'
Her sharp guess made, she refocused on the meeting.
Plenty of time to probe later.
But soon bored by the stall, she stealthily pulled her silenced smartphone for a game.
Superhuman control to stay subtle.
'Gaming.'
'She's gaming.'
'Lucky...'
But all were superhumans.
No one missed it.
Only the chairman frowned briefly her way—
'Maybe more microtransactions...'
Lowly branch head by rank, but power rivaled the chairman's; no one scolded.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Crash—!
A clamor echoed in the high-tech cluttered lab.
Usual scene, but today the perpetrator's mood was foul.
"Argh—! Infuriating! My gut's twisting!"
Smash—crash—crunch!
Untouched flasks exploded like bombs.
Reacting to his rage.
"Hoo, no good. Can't waste reagents like this."
Calming, but as words ended, shards and contents rewinded to place.
A gray-haired middle-aged man nodded relieved, confirming.
Then—
"Useless!"
Crash—smash—!
He swept them to the floor.
Doctor, Bancheon Association's tech backbone and vice-leader's right hand, ruffled his messy hair irritably.
Bad news today, nothing going right lately.
Traps set ages ago for the vampire Heinz—key to 'Complete Evolution Creature Project'—stayed in Europe.
Decent Rate Ruler fell to sudden Hahoe Mask.
Losing East Asia controller was huge loss.
Control there would slip obviously.
"Agh! What a treasure!"
But Doctor's rage veered off.
"I yielded it grudgingly! Ah—such a waste. Planned to snag it after field data!"
He lamented the magitech item given Rate Ruler more than the man.
Despite the victim's top single-digit rank.
'Limb braces remakeable, but Kallikas' prosthetic eye... must recover.'
He'd already sent underlings to scour the site.
But like prior Hahoe victims, no artifacts or corpse.
"Shouldn't have yielded! Should've grafted to my eye... no, forehead! Then three eyes by now... Huh?"
Muttering wildly, Doctor froze, blinking.
"Three eyes? Third eye?"
Tilting head repeatedly.
"Uhohot~! Fascinating!"
Grin spreading, curiosity alight, rage gone.
"Pick a subject first! Skull hole to pineal gland... sturdy Awakener ideal!"
Rubbing hands, he skipped out lightly.
'East Asia cleanup? Someone'll handle. That woman or whatever.'
Rate Ruler's fate already forgotten.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Right after snagging the highest-rank prey yet, the Rate Ruler.
Naturally, Hans peeked his mind.
Hoping for prime intel this time.
'Not satisfying.'
Mind realm expert made it tough from start.
Near pinnacle, yet difficulty transcended.
'Didn't expect that psycho to format his own brain.'
Over before Hans reacted.
Self-destructed psyche too.
Barring soul extraction.
Truly vicious.
'Good thing I had the Mind Bead.'
Forensic restore via prior mind attack bead saved scraps.
World's unpredictable; artifacts proved handy.
With rough intel gained.
First thing he did...
"Elder, I'll be away awhile!"
"Eh? Suddenly?"
In Taralk's dwarf forge.
Zaonik blinked at Howard's abrupt words.
But Howard just nodded firmly.
"Yes... wanna touch new stuff, gain enlightenment."
The dwarf youth's eyes gleamed with desire for Earth study abroad.