Chapter 360
Chapter 360
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 360
Chapter Title: Authority of Gluttony (3)
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A three-story house with a garden on the outskirts of Seoul.
It looked like an expensive luxury mansion just from its size and scale, but strictly speaking, such residential areas weren't particularly favored.
For one, they were far from the bustling city center, so the infrastructure was lacking compared to downtown Seoul. Above all, it was disadvantageous to receive help from the Guardians or others in emergencies.
No matter how much Korea's public safety had improved lately, that didn't mean the crime rate was zero, did it?
Of course, it was true that the risk of large-scale terrorism targeting crowded areas was lower.
However, petty crimes were far more common in everyday life than the kind that made the news.
Especially for thieves who rarely exposed themselves to the outside world, such homes were the perfect prey.
'That's the place.'
That was why people who chose such locations usually fell into one of two categories.
Either the homeowner was an Awakener confident enough to protect their own safety and property, or they had the capital and power to hire such people.
Well, there were also those who had nothing but moved in cheaply hoping for good luck, though that wasn't entirely unheard of.
If you ignored the risk of not knowing when something might happen, the cost-performance was arguably the best.
'I wonder which one this place is.'
A spacious garden surrounded by high walls, with a serene three-story house standing in the center.
The self-proclaimed "Great Thief," who had recently begun making waves in the underworld, licked his lips as he observed his target through binoculars.
In truth, a thief who gained fame went against the virtue of utmost secrecy, making him unqualified from the start. But as a new-generation thief, he dismissed that as outdated prejudice.
After all, weren't there countless beloved phantom thief stories around the world?
'As long as my real identity doesn't get exposed, it's fine, right?'
And he had absolute confidence in that regard.
From the early days of entering that other world.
After being taken in by his master, who noticed his unique skill, and learning all his abilities, he had returned to Earth without ever being caught once, boasting a flawless record.
'I want to feel that thrill again. No, something even greater...!'
For him, Earth—where mysteries from all worlds intersected—was more than enough to ignite his burning desire for challenge.
Of course, if he wanted the ultimate difficulty, he could go for the Returner Association or the Blue House, but honestly, challenging those places directly was a bit intimidating.
'Step by step, step by step. Once I'm fully accustomed to other worlds' ways...'
So far, he had raided around a dozen high-end mansions.
Considering he had returned less than half a year ago, that was remarkably diligent.
'Hahoe masks or whatever, who cares? They won't even know what hit them or where I came from—how could they catch me? The Ability Management Bureau, the Association, and even the underworld's Blood Alliance only recently noticed my existence.'
He was different from the small fries who got caught due to lack of skill.
Even if those famous monsters hunted him openly, he was confident he could escape.
'Now, what about this hunting ground? Let's see what you've got.'
With that confidence, he activated his signature skill, Ghost Step, and quietly approached the mansion.
All his other skills were activated simultaneously, erasing not just his appearance but his presence entirely.
In this state, even a decent Awakener probably wouldn't detect him dancing tap right in front of their nose.
Thus, the Great Thief smoothly reached the mansion's outer wall.
But in the next moment, an inexplicable unease made him stop unconsciously.
'...What is this?'
A chill ran down his spine, stimulating his instincts with a sense of crisis.
It was the first time he'd felt this since his immature days, when he ignored his master's advice, relied only on his unique skill before mastering his techniques, and nearly died.
If his master hadn't followed him then, he wouldn't be standing here now.
'Tch.'
At the same time, his pride stung.
He wasn't that reckless kid anymore.
Though his master had retired before he fully matured, preventing direct comparison, his subsequent exploits had long surpassed him in both skill and experience.
'Yeah, I can't just strut around robbing easy targets forever. It's time to move to the next level. I'll use this to surpass my past and leap even further.'
Of course, he had no intention of ignoring the crisis.
He mobilized all his detection abilities and magic tools to meticulously analyze the situation beyond the wall and judge coldly.
'Impressive. An enormous security barrier, thoroughly concealed too. Is this the source of the unease?'
This level of security was top-tier among those he'd encountered.
It might even rival a government office.
'For a single house on the outskirts to have defenses like this...'
Curiosity bubbled up within him.
Whoever could set up such defenses must be a real big shot.
And they had something to hide, hence the precautions.
'Slush funds? A mistress? Or maybe covering up some heinous crime. Drugs? Human trafficking? Organ trade?'
Dangerous imaginings flooded his mind.
At the same time, a gut feeling told him getting involved would be exhausting.
'Logically, I should back off now, but...'
A strange resolve flickered in his briefly closed and reopened eyes.
This was a crossroads.
Stay a petty crook or become a legendary phantom thief from stories.
And he had already made up his mind.
Of course, the defenses inside were dangerous, but known mysteries had limits.
It might be tough, but they couldn't stop him at this level.
'Let's go!'
He activated his unique skill, Wormhole.
An ability to pierce through space, ignoring all defenses.
Though its effective range wasn't long, it was his lifeline, optimized for infiltration and escape.
'Whatever secrets you're hiding, I'll uncover them all!'
With that, the Great Thief stepped confidently into the mansion.
"...?"
And got trapped in the formation array set up in the garden.
'Huh?'
Was it like a primeval forest?
Dense foliage and trees towering over ten meters filled the space, disorienting his eyes.
"...What is this? How?"
He involuntarily blurted out, breaking his held breath.
He had clearly bypassed the security and aimed for the mansion interior, avoiding the garden.
His distance calculations were perfect, and he hadn't sensed anything unusual.
If this happened, there was only one cause.
'Crazy! Space distortion that ignores even my Wormhole? No, I didn't detect that from outside...!'
As alarms blared in his mind, he instinctively knew.
What he'd scouted beforehand was just the tip of the iceberg.
And he'd arrogantly walked into the trap of his own accord.
Zzzzt!
He tried Wormhole again, but only white sparks flew in the air. No matter how many times, no passage formed.
'Kugh, this is... divine power? Was this covering the trap's exterior!'
With his last resort blocked, he had no choice but to find an escape from within.
But even leaping to the treetops on the wind revealed only endless sea of trees.
An enormous grand barrier.
To erect something this massive required at least a grand archmage at the transcendent level.
No, with divine power involved, maybe two or more transcendents collaborated...
'A mere house garden with a barrier like this? What the hell is this place? Some secret organization's base plotting to overthrow the nation?'
In a way, it was similar.
It was the residence of a force opposing a group aiming for world conquest.
Though the only official member was one person.
As if to prove his reputation wasn't in vain, the Great Thief moved swiftly, searching for a path through the barrier.
No matter how elaborate the trap, nothing in the world was perfect.
However, he painfully realized that while nothing was perfect, some things came infinitely close.
"Haa— haa—."
As time passed, his stamina and energy drained as if being sucked away by something.
A body that could stay up a week straight wilted like a waterlogged sponge in less than a day.
"...Ha, haha! Insane... This is ridiculous. What kind of lunatics built a demonic realm like this in Korea...!"
Peacefully resting plants suddenly came alive and attacked.
Magic traps triggered without warning, preventing even a moment's relaxation.
Monsters made of fatigue pursued relentlessly, choking him with thick bloody stench.
Even trying to catch his breath was impossible; curses and nightmares filling the space denied proper sleep or rest.
Finding an exit was out of the question; just surviving was grueling.
No, honestly, he was at his limit.
Enduring nearly a day was a miracle in itself.
"Fuck, damn it... Me, in a place like this... ."
Thud—
In his fading mind.
He clearly realized amid deep regret.
The place he'd entered wasn't some moderately challenging dungeon for leveling up.
It was the worst demonic lair ever designed by ultra-high-level veterans.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hm, is it over? Took longer than expected. This intruder's pretty skilled."
I leisurely sipped my coffee as the intruder's reaction faded, then slowly closed my eyes.
The view inside the barrier showed a man on the brink of exhaustion, bound by blood ghosts—Blood Spawn—formed from blood.
'Hmm... What to do with him? He seems useful.'
He was far beyond a mere petty thief.
I wasn't sure about his combat prowess, but in infiltration alone, with thorough prep, the target's carelessness, and a bit of luck, he might fool even a transcendent temporarily.
'Too wasteful to just kill him like the others.'
This had happened a few times before, and my choice was always the same.
Interrogate for contingencies, then clean up any organizations or accomplices who knew his movements.
None among those sharing planned targets were innocent, so I felt no hesitation.
'If they were truly innocent, I'd just alter their memories.'
Then, a few magic tools he carried caught my eye.
Among the items pulled from his subspatial pouch for safety checks, they definitely drew my attention.
And for good reason...
"They're the ones I sold."
To be precise, some of the magic tools bought through Hubert's Merchant Guild and sold via the Blood Alliance.
Of course, it wasn't strange.
Stable magic tool supply met explosive demand smoothly, benefiting both Hubert's and the Blood Alliance to reach their current positions easily.
Even as an underworld force, the Blood Alliance grew to dominate Korea's nights largely thanks to that steady trade alongside their moderate policies.
Without that prior lubrication, no amount of cooperation would have avoided suppression and decline.
'...Yeah, send him to the Blood Alliance. Turn him into a vampire, bind him, slap on some restrictions.'
Vampirization on Earth was inefficiently power-intensive, but for talent like this, it was worth it.
Besides, for Heinz 2nd—who could freely procure blood without mental corruption—it was hardly a constraint.
"Alright, that's settled."
Having decided the intruder's fate for daring to invade my turf.
I scanned the other views once more, then nodded slowly with a satisfied smile.
'Good, everything's proceeding smoothly.'
The situation in the Returner Realm was unfolding exactly as predicted.
Everyone knew the severity, so no complex maneuvers were needed.
'It's everyone's problem in the Returner Realm from the start.'
Some had doubted until the end, but the recent incident flipped that completely.
The thick demonic clouds laced with magi that blanketed Beijing's skies.
Visible clearly across all of Hebei Province surrounding it, and even distant areas felt the domineering aura.
That spread through informants, connections, and footage from Jin'ao Island's shaman who watched Beijing closely, spiking everyone's crisis sense.
Coordinating the unified opinion and moving to the next phase was easy thereafter.
'Gather the strongest elite few as fast as possible and strike the Demonic Cultists in Beijing.'
Even Shaolin Temple, having suffered heavy losses, sent their one-armed divine monk personally.
With all Murim aware now, sitting it out would damage their reputation and face regardless of righteous, evil, or neutral factions.
'Of course, some will play it safe for profit until the end.'
Those would crumble soon after resolution.
By the Murim Alliance's hand, or mine.
"All that's left is time."
The plan progressed steadily.
My role in the meantime was set.
Clack— patter—
Items piled up on the table with my busy hands.
Each exuding extraordinary energy.
'Time to do this properly.'
Prepared to use Authority of Gluttony most efficiently.
Spirit medicines from Outerica, the Returner Realm, Earth, and various other worlds.