Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: New Order (1)
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Flutter, flutter—
⚙ INNER VOICE ⚙ [Heh heh heh... No matter how much trash I clear out, it just never ends.] A pitch-black night where not even moonlight pierced the darkness.
Atop a high-rise building, black robes billowed in the wind.
From that shadow-cloaked figure, the only clearly visible feature was a pair of glowing blue eyes.
Those eyes gazed down at the dazzling city lights, shining coldly like an absolute ruler surveying the world.
In truth, calling him an absolute ruler wasn't wrong at all.
He was none other than the Immortal King, the calamity of the Outerica dimension itself.
'Crime rates drop in areas I've swept through once, but as the coverage expands beyond that, the workload just keeps growing.'
With the infinite mana gained from becoming the Immortal King, and skills like "Path of the Sorcerer" and "Mana Dominion," he'd overhauled his longtime favorite spell: 'Contagious Servant Magic Final Edition_Revised_2nd(3)_ReallyLastOne.'
The result was the "Contagious Servant Magic Complete Edition."
It was stealthier, more precise, and capable of scanning even wider areas.
Thanks to it, his activity range had expanded to blanket all of Seoul and kept growing, while the number of villains he punished swelled beyond what he could handle.
⚙ INNER VOICE ⚙ [This era teeming with evil is truly lamentable. How deep must the poison in their hearts be to act this way?] Could society's chaos really be blamed solely on them?
Weren't they just another set of victims scarred by this world?
So...
⚙ INNER VOICE ⚙ [Yes, I'll take all that rage you harbor against the world. So you can never spew that malice outward again... You'll find eternal peace in my embrace. Keh heh heh—] Someone had to break that cycle of misfortune.
And Hans, the very incarnation of all negativity, was the perfect being for the job.
Then, a new signal pinged.
A robbery-homicide using abilities—tragically, several victims had already fallen.
⚙ INNER VOICE ⚙ [Oh... They've gone and done it.] This meant he'd have to take them in again.
Hans's body was engulfed in darkness, his form gradually fading.
Just before he vanished completely, hundreds of shapes writhed wildly in the shadow at his feet.
As if fervently welcoming the new arrival soon to come... in the roughest way possible.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "So, what do you think? Figure anything out?"
"Hmm... I get the gist. It replays trauma on loop once certain conditions are met, and it's mixed with lingering thoughts to block any workaround."
A man in a baseball cap pulled low placed one hand on the head of a sleeping patient in a hospital bed and replied.
"We already knew that. What about dispelling it? Can you do it?"
"Oh, that? No way in hell. The system's totally different, and it's way above my level anyway. Mess with it wrong, and I'll catch some of that malice myself."
Dissatisfied with the answer, the suited man who'd asked frowned and shot him a glare.
"Then what can you do? Find out anything else?"
"One thing's for sure. Whoever cast this curse is a ridiculous monster. I'd rather off myself cleanly than fight this guy."
"...That bad?"
Park Hancheol, team leader of the Ability Management Bureau's Crime Investigation Division, scratched his head roughly and sighed.
Seeing that, the capped man pondered before elaborating further.
He was consulting on Black Magic to assist the investigation, after all.
"First off, the Black Magic is top-tier. The structure's complex and rock-solid—like it's from a dimension where it's been systematically developed over ages."
Not some superficial grasp, either. He'd clearly mastered their secrets fully.
"Second, the density of the dark mana is insane. It's not just the quantity; the quality itself is on another level. I'd love to ask how he accumulated such pure energy."
Building power always accumulates impurities, but this dark mana was astonishingly refined.
He'd only learned now that Black Magic, inherently impure, could reach such purity.
"Finally... Not sure if it's unique to their system or some secret technique, but the way this curse is used doesn't feel human."
"What do you mean by that?"
The capped man—An Seongjin—stared sharply at the man on the bed, as if peering into his very soul.
"Curses are double-edged swords. You have to be extra careful when using them, right? They can easily backfire on you."
"...I've heard that plenty."
"But this one has zero safeguards against that. It's optimized purely for speed, power, and efficiency. And yet, it fits so naturally."
No excess protections for the caster whatsoever.
Normally, you'd expect some detour or workaround to attempt a dispel, but this left no opening.
"Maybe he has a curse immunity skill?"
"Could be... but this feels beyond that. It's subtly off somehow? Lacks any human touch, I guess..."
"Ha! Humanity in a curse? That guy's been batshit crazy for ages."
"Nah, it's just a vibe. And not every dark mana user goes insane, right? I'm pretty stable, aren't I?"
Park Hancheol stared silently at An Seongjin before sighing again.
Sure, he was mild-mannered usually, but he'd snapped once, caused an incident, and gotten caught.
He blocked mental corruption with a special skill, but it wasn't perfect.
Right after returning, he'd witnessed thugs wrecking his struggling parents' shop, and his control slipped.
Luckily, no murders, so with mitigating factors, he now aided the bureau.
'He looks harmless, but he's a high-rank Black Mage. Could've run but turned himself in for his parents—shows good head on his shoulders.'
He'd been genuinely helpful, so no more complaints.
"You said the Hahoe Mask cast this? Kills criminals and hauls off the bodies?"
"Yeah. Sometimes leaves pools of dark mana behind, other times no trace at all."
"Whoa... Necromancy from a mage this skilled? Terrifying. Their souls become slaves too."
"...For real?"
"Death's not the end against a necromancer. That body—and soul—gets recycled till it's worn out. That's why I said suicide's better."
Of course, An Seongjin wasn't a specialist, so maybe the guy was weaker there.
Bodies could just be practice material.
But banking on that against this level was foolish.
"This guy's been here a while, actually. Hit during the Hahoe Mask's peak activity and still hasn't been discharged."
Park Hancheol nodded toward the sleeping criminal on the bed.
Another crook, so they'd knocked him out for easy questioning.
"The Mask went quiet for a bit, but now he's active again. Some fresh cases came in today—treatment's done, so check them out."
"How's time change anything?"
"Maybe you can read more from ones hit recently?"
"Hmm... Fair enough. Let's take a look."
Hard to argue, so An Seongjin nodded.
They entered the ICU and faced a mummy wrapped head to toe in bandages.
"Whoa... What'd this guy do to end up like that?"
"Lemme see... Arson. No deaths, so he got off light. The Mask mostly executes major offenders on sight these days."
His expanded range meant busier schedules—and quicker judgments.
An Seongjin nodded and approached the sleeping patient, placing a hand on his head and closing his eyes.
A moment later...
"Gasp!"
He snapped his eyes open, yanked his hand back, and stumbled several steps away.
"Ah..."
"What? Something different?"
"Aha... Ahaha— So, Team Leader! Wh-what are you gonna do if you catch the Hahoe Mask?"
An Seongjin giggled off-topic, ignoring the question.
Park Hancheol frowned but answered anyway.
"Less 'catch' and more 'identify first.' Then verify, and if he's amenable... recruit him. He's got power and seems to stick to his own code."
"Like me?"
"Yeah... sorta? But why the sudden weirdness? Find something?"
As frustration built and he snapped, An Seongjin smiled softly, eyes distant.
"Guess I gotta take back what I said earlier."
"Oh? Spill it!"
He nodded proudly and spoke slowly.
"I think... I need to die right now. ...I've helped the country plenty, so maybe a hero's pension? How much savings do I have..."
Suddenly rambling, An Seongjin alarmed Park Hancheol, who finally read his expression.
Pupils dilated, unfocused eyes stared blankly; trembling lips forced a grin, face slick with cold sweat.
"...You okay?"
An Seongjin blankly recalled the moment.
Peering deep into the curse for info.
He'd locked eyes with that existence.
👁️ EYE CONTACT 👁️ [Hmm? And who might you be?]
He'd thought it a simple lingering thought from before, but... no.
A form like coalesced abyss, a pair of glowing blue eyes staring straight at him.
That soul-piercing gaze blanked his mind instantly.
When he came to, he was frantically severing the link...
And those eyes watched him unblinkingly the whole time.
Until he fled.
"Hey! Snap out of it!"
"Ahaha... I'm fine. But I gotta call my mom—mind letting me go? Say it's a secret mission and process me as KIA."
The difference between this curse and the first.
Not just stronger or evolved.
The existence's very density was different.
A mere glimpse shook his soul.
As a high-rank Black Mage, he grasped a bit.
He looked down at his trembling hands, clenched them into fists, and steeled himself.
'He knows I exist. Having observed my soul directly, he could find me anytime he wants.'
The Hahoe Mask's whims could endanger those around him anytime.
If he showed up at home...
'No! Better to die now! Maybe my soul can ascend cleanly if—'
Slap—!
"Hey! An Seongjin! Pull yourself together!"
The stinging pain on his cheek snapped him back.
The surroundings finally came into focus.
"Hey! I get the gist, but calm down first!"
Park Hancheol sighed as An Seongjin's eyes cleared after the slap.
"Listen up. So far, the Hahoe Mask has only punished criminals. With his own standards—tiered by crime."
Instant execution for major stuff like intentional murder; others got judged variably, like the guy beside them.
"And he's known we're after him from the start. Hasn't touched us."
The Mask had a clear line: only criminals.
"Got it? You're not thinking straight. Cool off and think rationally."
"Ah..."
An Seongjin took deep breaths, sorting his thoughts.
Right—he hadn't uncovered anything major.
Not identity, location, or even specifics beyond "impressive."
Just accidental eye contact via lingering thought.
Now he saw objectively.
A brief glimpse through the curse had sent him into panicked terror.
"Ahaha... I see..."
"Better?"
"Yeah... Um, Team Leader?"
"Yeah? What?"
"Mind if I... take a break?"
Thud—!
Tension released, An Seongjin collapsed unconscious.
"Huh? Hey! Right here?"
Park Hancheol's distant voice faded as exhaustion overtook him.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ INNER VOICE ⚙ [Hmm... All sorts of cases, huh.] In a space shrouded in darkness all around, Hans stared quietly in one direction.
At the end of his glowing blue gaze... lay a certain hospital.