Chapter 276

Step, step-

The sound of footsteps echoed from outside.

If it were just a passerby, hiding would suffice. However, how many people would wander into an abandoned warehouse left to rot in the countryside, especially one that sheltered someone on the run from underground organizations for a month?

“...”

Se-Hoon suppressed his breath and the faint traces of his mana as much as possible. Then, he even slowed his heartbeat using his Blood Art, making his consciousness hazy as his presence faded.

However, he couldn’t let his guard down, even for a second. Losing focus now would just turn him into a fool who fainted while holding his breath.

So, he focused solely on the sounds around him.

“Hm?”

The person who walked into the warehouse suddenly stopped in their tracks. Judging by the faint sounds, Se-Hoon estimated their approximate position to be roughly two meters away from the place he installed his traps.

However, before he could decide whether to strike now or wait just a bit longer, he heard the intruder’s voice.

“Let’s see.”

Bang!

The intruder leapt straight into the place where Se-Hoon had laid the traps, as if they'd known exactly where they were. Realizing that, Se-Hoon reflexively slammed down the switch on his right, triggering the traps he had hastily set around the abandoned warehouse.

Clang!

Metal beams strewn across the area rushed inward, forming a massive cage, followed by a series of firebombs hidden below, exploding one after another.

Boom!

The bombs, designed to detonate inside the steel prison, unleashed intense flames without destroying the cage itself but would consume anything inside in an instant. Immediately after, the last trap was then triggered.

Rumble!

A powerful force bloomed from the center of the warehouse, pulling everything inward. In ten seconds, the entire warehouse would collapse into the center, trapping the intruder in scorching flames. It was a trap capable of incinerating even an A-rank hero—a masterpiece Se-Hoon crafted with every piece of equipment and tool he had.

But...

“Oh, shit... I'm screwed,” muttered Se-Hoon.

The steel beams, which should have compacted into a tight mass, had instead formed a structure, almost like a skeletal frame, that was holding something up. Following the beams with his eyes, Se-Hoon saw the flames swirling into a glowing sphere, blazing brightly.

Somehow, the intruder had modified Se-Hoon’s carefully concealed trap after it triggered, bending it to their will. Realizing there was an overwhelming difference in power, Se-Hoon’s urge to jump out the second-floor window and flee vanished completely. He simply stood still, watching from above.

“...How did you do that?”

Hearing Se-Hoon’s question, the intruder turned to face him, their slight smirk visible under the flickering flames.

“Does that really matter if you’re about to die?”

“...Well, considering I'm about to die, it wouldn't hurt to know.”

“Hmm.”

The intruder gazed up at Se-Hoon through the flames.

“I heard you were the lunatic who threw a Bulgasari into the furnace while it was still alive... but you seem more normal than I thought,” they murmured, with an air of intrigue.[1]

“...”

“Anyway, you asked how I did it, huh? Isn't the answer obvious?”

The intruder then flicked their finger, and all the traps Se-Hoon had set around the warehouse immediately floated into the air and headed for the intruder.

That sight, of all his hard work being dismantled in an instant, made Se-Hoon unable to do anything but laugh in disbelief. And that was when he saw it—the red seal stamped on every single trap, like a mark of ownership.

“...You disarmed them before even coming inside?”

“I mean, who would ignore a trap that was practically being advertised in their face? And besides...”—the intruder flicked one of the traps for manipulating gravity—“these are all simply pathetic.”

Crack!

The marked traps exploded in quick succession, causing the flames swirling in the air to scatter and the steel beams to crash to the ground.

In seconds, his elaborate, two-day trap had fallen apart. At that moment, a whirlwind of emotions passed through Se-Hoon.

He felt relief that he had tried, exhaustion from constantly being on the run, and...

Clench.

...humiliation from seeing his masterpiece mocked and dismantled so effortlessly.

“Oh?”

Noticing the furious expression on Se-Hoon’s face, the intruder chuckled and then slowly pulled something out of their coat.

Fwoosh!

A small flame flared up before disappearing, leaving behind a soft glow and a trail of white smoke.

“Did you know? Once you turned that Bulgasari into molten metal, your death was guaranteed. You have no connections nor talent; you’re just a worthless nobody.”

“...”

“But I'll make you an offer.”

The soft glow of her cigarette illuminated the female intruder's features, revealing her face. She looked up at Se-Hoon with a playful smile.

“Would you like to become my disciple?”

***

Memories rushed through Se-Hoon’s mind in an instant. Realizing he’d basically relived the moment he first met his master, he blinked a few times before focusing on the distant figure once more.

Click.

Unbothered by the gazes on her, she brazenly smoked a cigarette with her legs crossed on the chair facing the opposite direction, right in the middle of the meeting.

Her long black hair shimmered with a hint of blue, and her eyes were a deep, pure black. She was beautiful, but her casual demeanor and sloppy red floral-patterned shirt under a loose-fitting suit gave her the air of a thug.

...There’s no doubt about it.

While her looks might have been deceiving, there was no mistaking her for anyone else. She was definitely his former master, Blood Master Ryu Meirin.

What is she doing here...?

Se-Hoon stared at her, bewildered.

According to the files he received from the Frost Dog a few days ago, she should have still been on the run, hiding her identity.

Then again, maybe it’s not so strange to find her here.

With everything going so differently after he regressed, running into her here wasn't entirely unexpected. After all, Meirin had long been acquainted with Offering, having been one of their master blacksmiths.

She wasn’t exactly a friend or a foe to humanity...

Like the Three Dogs, she moved only for her own goals, indifferent to the ongoing war between humanity and the Demon Force. And that had remained the same even after she joined the Human Alliance in her later years.

If Aria had been a Harbinger of Destruction from the start, Master probably would have even joined their side.

In other words, it wasn’t too surprising for Meirin to appear at the conference, especially with the butterfly effect of everything that had changed. Satisfied with his own reasoning, Se-Hoon focused his gaze on her again, watching her smoke one cigarette after another.

It’s a good thing I finally met her, but the timing couldn’t be worse.

It wasn’t exactly the best place to approach her, not with the top representatives and executives of Watchers all gathered. Moreover, he needed to figure out what kind of identity she was undercover as, first.

With no choice but to delay their reunion for now, he finally shifted his focus away and scanned the room for others.

Hmm, I can see a few standing out.

Though some were disguising themselves by mimicking other people's forms, a close inspection revealed subtle differences. But just as Se-Hoon was about to pick more out, he heard familiar footsteps approaching his side.

Step, step-

He desperately hoped the owner was just passing by, but his hopes quickly faded when they stopped right next to him.

“First time here?”

The slow, lazy voice that broke the silence was thick with nonchalance. Hearing it, Se-Hoon hesitated briefly before resigning and turning his head to lock eyes with Meirin, who was staring up at him.

“It seems the same goes for you, too.”

“I suppose so. Which is why both you and I are busy doing this nonsense, regardless of the attention we draw,” Meirin replied, pulling out a silver cigarette case from her coat and casually placing a new cigarette between her lips.

It was such a familiar scene that Se-Hoon instinctively lit a flame at his fingertips.

“

Hm?

”

Seeing Meirin glance at the fire he'd offered, slightly puzzled, made Se-Hoon pause.

Damn it...

Lighting his master’s cigarette had become a habit of his before he regressed, so his body had acted before he could stop himself.

Now, there was no talking his way out of it, so, without so much as blinking, he just calmly responded, “It’s just a habit of mine.”

“

Hm...

you know I’m rather particular about fire, given my profession,” Meirin replied, tilting her head slightly, the cigarette still dangling from her lips.

And upon seeing her challenging gaze, Se-Hoon smirked.

“I suppose you’ll need to be even more particular from now on, then.” He didn’t miss a single beat.

Her eyes widened in surprise at the bold retort, and then a sly smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

“You know how to push the right buttons, don’t you?”

With a look of approval, she leaned in closer and lit her cigarette using the flame he'd conjured. The tip of the cigarette quickly glowed red, and soon, a soft trail of smoke swirled around them, releasing a crisp and refreshing scent that seemed to clear the mind with just a whiff.

It was a handmade cigarette, crafted personally by Meirin—a product renowned for its sky-high price.

Though it’s not exactly classy to be smoking something like that indoors...

Se-Hoon made a bemused look as he watched her. She was the same as she had been in the past, with a cigarette practically glued to her lips. But before he could dwell too much on the memory, Meirin had inhaled deeply, blowing out a plume of smoke, and was looking at him with eyes widened in surprise once again.

“...Were the stories true?”

The temperature and mana infused into the flame had burned the cigarette’s leaves perfectly, enhancing their properties to their fullest. It was almost as if she were smoking something entirely different.

But that just made her more suspicious.

“How did you do this?”

Meirin knew it wasn’t something one could just eyeball, especially not with her custom-made cigarettes. It was incredibly impressive that Se-Hoon had ignited her unique blend with such a perfectly tailored flame.

She scrutinized him closely, visibly intrigued.

However, to her suspicion, Se-Hoon just calmly gave the answer he had prepared in advance. “If you know the ingredients of the cigarette and the usual flame used, it’s not too hard to optimize the flames to maximize the quality of the cigarette. It’s just a matter of talent or skill.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie, either. The flame he’d used was the result of years of practice by adjusting the flames of portable lighters; it was a skill honed over time.

“Hm...”

Meirin studied the remnants of the flame flickering at the end of her cigarette. Then, after a moment, she asked in an even tone, “Which one are you then? Talent or skill?”

It seemed the flame had impressed her enough to ask about his background.

I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell her...

But gaining too much interest right now might raise suspicions. Hesitating, Se-Hoon decided in the end that the conversation had gone on long enough.

“You’ll find out once the meeting starts,” he nonchalantly answered, avoiding it.

“...True enough. Thank you for the flame, then.”

With a lazy flick of her cigarette, she turned and headed back to her seat. Watching her, Se-Hoon saw her create a small fire at her fingertips, trying to replicate what she had just seen.

Though that just drew even more displeased looks from the people already glaring at her for smoking indoors.

Looks like I got through that relatively well,

Se-Hoon thought to himself.

He’d made a mistake, but at least he hadn’t drawn any more unwanted attention. Settling back into his thoughts, he suddenly heard the whisper of a voice he’d rather not hear in his ear.

“Well, well. So that’s your type.”

“...What the hell are you talking about”’

“Oh, stop pretending you don’t know. I’ve got to say I’m surprised, though. So that’s why you were always so indifferent when others came onto you. Turns out you’ve got a thing for older women, huh?”

The voice in his head prattled on as though it had stumbled upon an amusing new research subject. Rather than engaging in the argument further, however, Se-Hoon responded differently.

Ting!

A small pulse reverberated through his body, cutting the voice off mid-sentence.

“

Aagh!

What the—?!”

“Keep it up and I’ll do it again.”

“

Ugh

... fine.”

Realizing Se-Hoon truly wasn’t joking, the Seeker fell silent.

Feeling satisfied, Se-Hoon withdrew the pulse within his body.

At least I didn’t accidentally spill anything important.

He had displayed a slight emotional stir, but nothing beyond that. Assured that no significant reaction had slipped through, Se-Hoon turned his attention back to the meeting.

Just then, the heavy doors of the conference room slowly creaked open, and three figures entered.

One of the three was Left Arm, who he had encountered earlier. The other two were unfamiliar, but their presence immediately made Se-Hoon uneasy. And that was when he figured out who they were.

The Ten Evils.

The raw, unsettling energy radiating from those powerful demonic beings filled the room. Having confirmed their identities, Se-Hoon was about to turn his head when he heard Glen’s whisper in his ear.

“Stay still.”

“...?”

Se-Hoon’s eyes narrowed in confusion. Were they not supposed to move at all?

Trying to understand what was going on, Se-Hoon saw the pale-faced man who had been standing at the back step forward, pulling out a strange, broken golden ring from his coat. From it, a murky black light rippled out, and then the man whispered something softly under his breath.

“Confession Veil.”

The black light pulsed throughout the room, enveloping the entire hall in an eerie shroud and causing a chilling silence to settle over the room.

However, the skill wasn’t like those that isolated a given space; it seemed completely different. And after a quick look, Se-Hoon immediately understood what was happening.

Are we... hidden from the outside?

It felt as though the entire room had been cut off from the rest of the world and had transformed into a completely separate place. It was almost as if a dimension had been created entirely new; the sense of disorientation was overwhelming.

Can no one sense this large amount of demonic aura oozing in the room?

Though the dark veil had sealed the room and the atmosphere was oppressive, the people inside continued their discussions as if nothing had happened.

Standing there, in that bleak and unsettling scene, Se-Hoon slowly scanned the room again. Unlike earlier, he immediately noticed a few individuals due to how the black veil didn’t obscure them—they were still showing their true colors.

And that proved that they were, no doubt, the actual participants of the conference.

Four people hiding their true forms...

The four of them remained obscured among the others, their appearances concealed. But since the newly arrived trio didn’t seem concerned, it appeared revealing one’s true identity was optional.

“Let the conference commence. The representative of Exuviation may present their plan.” Glen’s voice echoed across the room.

However, instead of beginning, a playful voice said something else from somewhere among the crowd.

“Are we not even going to introduce the two newbies first?”

All eyes turned to Se-Hoon and Meirin.

And upon sensing the change in mood, Glen glanced in their direction and asked, “Do either of you wish to introduce yourselves?”

In the meeting, everyone was equal, and no one had to participate.

Considering his response, Se-Hoon remained silent, allowing Meirin to speak up first. “Apprentice of Offering. If this turns out to be a complete waste of time, I’ll just leave this place. So don’t care about me too much.”

Saying nothing else, she sat back down and lit another cigarette.

And after checking there was no further comment, Se-Hoon responded next. “I’m the new Right Arm of Dawn. I believe that further explanation is unnecessary.”

Both introductions were brief and to the point, leaving a momentary silence in their wake. Eventually, it was the representative from Exuviation, who had spoken earlier, that broke the silence with a wry chuckle.

“Looks like we’ve got a real bunch of troublemakers this time... well, I guess that’s par for the course.”

Whoosh!

Someone tossed a small object into the air, and with a faint shimmer, the tiny orb expanded into a massive projection of an endless expanse of black waves.

It was a familiar sight that made Se-Hoon narrow his eyes at it.

The Black Sea...

The projection showed one of the Six Great Demon Realms, the birthplace of the final Harbinger of Destruction that they slayed.

Watching intently, Se-Hoon soon saw something massive breach the surface of the black waters—a giant white whale, swimming all alone in the eerie expanse, let out a haunting cry.

The mysterious scene was captivating, keeping all eyes on it. And at that moment, Exuviation’s representative spoke again, amusement evident in his voice.

“I’ve found a way to turn that thing into a Harbinger of Destruction.”

1. A Bulgasari is a metal-eating legendary creature that appears in Korean mythology and folklore. It is able to increase in size the more metal it consumes. ☜