Chapter 416

“!”

The moment Step saw the sincere smile on Se-Hoon’s face, her instincts screamed that something was wrong. Listening to them, she immediately deployed her final card without hesitation.

Woong!

Scarlet mana surged from both her legs, spreading outward and covering the ground. Within that crimson aura, letters began coalescing, forming knowledge that shot up into the air.

Her skull also began mutating, attempting to form the horns necessary for connecting to the Akashic records—

Smack!

Se-Hoon’s left hand clamped down on Step’s head.

BOOM!

Before she could react, her head was slammed into the ground. And before the impact even fully registered, the Beads of Omniscience emitted a scarlet glow, forming a magic array.

Woong!

The mutation of her skull was instantly halted, and every spell she had reflexively attempted to cast shattered into fragments that scattered into the air. In the blink of an eye, all of her options had been stripped away.

Completely countered, Step’s eyes widened in shock.

H—How...?

It was one thing to counter her magic, but interrupting an Akashic connection mid-activation—something supposedly irreversible—was a feat only their god, the Seeker, should have been capable of.

Wasn’t he a defect? No, but if he follows the will of our God, then why would he attack me...?

Thrown into disarray, Step desperately tried to make sense of the situation. In the meantime, the Seeker, who had been observing her thoughts, clicked her tongue.

“

Tsk, tsk.

If someone attacks you, they’re an enemy no matter what. What’s with all these pointless thoughts? This is why I hate zealots. Their rigid thinking makes them useless at—”

“Shut up and just bring me the information.”

“As cold as always.... Fine, give me a moment.”

Muttering in annoyance, the Seeker burrowed deeper into Step’s mind to extract more and more information that flowed naturally into Se-Hoon.

Sophia Belova. Runs a sponsorship foundation, operates dozens of orphanages...

Se-Hoon’s gaze sharpened as he processed the identity of the woman before him. If Regions’ Left and Right Arm had conducted experiments on existing heroes, Sophia had chosen a different path—orphans.

She exposed children with underdeveloped mana circuits to the Seeker’s energy, trying to create compatible hosts for the body.... This doesn’t look too out of the question.

Outwardly, they disguised it as a talent assessment program. And because it functioned similarly to legitimate tests, neither the government nor the Association had caught on.

I guess they were aiming for long-term results instead of going for the short-term yields.

Then, upon finding out that the children in the orphanages had even been conditioned with subliminal suggestions, Se-Hoon gazed down at Sophia with cold eyes.

“Ah, found it!”

At the Seeker’s triumphant voice, a memory naturally surfaced. It took place in a small office, where Sophia was in conversation with another Region.

“It seems the Demon Force has decided to eliminate us.”

“W-What? In a time like this, why...?”

“They’re doing so precisely because of the current situation. The body we’ve been safeguarding has become too desirable for them.”

An old man’s somber voice echoed from a crystal orb.

“Even with His eyes, this outcome cannot be avoided. So forget about me. Just make sure you rendezvous with Vessel and secure the Heart and Voice at all costs—”

Boom!

Before he could finish listening, the office wall exploded. Then, from the dust and debris, a red giant and a blue giant stepped forward. And between them, a young man wrapped by a black serpent slowly entered the room.

“Tsk.”

A familiar voice sounded from behind him.

Snapping out of Sophia’s memory, Se-Hoon released her head and spun around.

“I thought I hurried, but... it looks like I was a step too late.”

The young man standing before him, Inoue Ren, wore a troubled expression while flanked by the red and blue giants.

“Didn’t expect to see you here like this,” Se-Hoon said with a smirk.

“Same here. If I’d known, I would’ve given you a call beforehand...

haah.

”

Letting out a deep sigh, Ren glanced at Sophia, sprawled at Se-Hoon’s feet.

“I can already guess, but... are you going to hand her over?”

“Not a chance.”

“...Figured.”

Ren sighed again and pressed his temple with the edge of his black fan. After dismantling the entire facility and chasing her so far, leaving empty-handed was frustrating. But he couldn’t exactly demand ownership from Se-Hoon.

If he were willing to hand her over, he wouldn’t have intervened in the first place.

Pressing the issue would only escalate into a direct confrontation, which, in turn, would mean turning a monster on par with the Perfect Ones into an enemy. Thinking about the other operations still ongoing, Ren quickly set aside his disappointment.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way. I’ve got unfinished business.”

But just as Ren turned to leave, Se-Hoon called out, “Wait a second.”

Ren stopped and turned back, meeting Se-Hoon’s steady gaze.

“Which side are you really on?”

It was a simple, straightforward question. But depending on Ren’s answer, he could end up just like Sophia—restrained and powerless.

Yet Ren still took a moment to think before he ended up making a wry smile.

“...Who knows? I’m not even sure myself.”

With that, he turned and disappeared down the path he had come from. And Se-Hoon didn’t even try to stop him.

“Seriously? You’re just letting him go?”

There’s no proof.

Se-Hoon had long suspected the Inoues’ involvement with Succession, but accusing them based on mere suspicion wouldn’t hold up. If Ren had shown up with demons in tow, it would be a different story.

Even Sophia’s memories indicated her pursuers were solely Inoue shamans.

They must have already accounted for situations like this.

Not knowing when or where external forces like the Perfect Ones might interfere, the Inoue family coordinated with the Demon Force while keeping their movements independent. They acted boldly but left no loose ends.

Thinking about their carefully calculated maneuvers, Se-Hoon’s eyes narrowed.

Still, they wouldn’t usually take such direct action.... There must be a reason.

It was a situation where Ren could easily be branded as a traitor for collaborating with the Demon Force. Yet, if the Inoues had gone to such lengths, it meant that the Seeker’s body was that important to them.

It’s probably related to Heaven’s Well somehow... I’ll just think about it later.

For now, securing as much of the Seeker’s body as possible from Dawn was the priority. Switching his focus back, Se-Hoon revisited Sophia’s memories.

Sight is in Las Vegas. Vessel is in New Delhi.

He didn’t know how much information the Demon Force had uncovered, but judging by the situation, it was safe to assume both locations were under attack.

Then New Delhi it is.

According to the memories he had just peeped into, the base where Vessel was hiding also stored Voice and Heart—fragments of the Seeker that hadn’t yet been transplanted into a compatible host.

No one knew when Dawn would collapse under the Demon Force’s assault, so right now, the best course of action was to strike the location where the Seeker’s remains were most concentrated.

That just leaves one thing...

Se-Hoon looked down, and Sophia flinched when their eyes met.

Se-Hoon’s gaze was devoid of emotion; it was a cold, mechanical stare.

At that moment, Sophia understood her fate.

She didn’t know whose will he was following, but she saw no path to survival. It was the harsh reality she just had to accept.

Sophia squeezed her eyes shut.

Please...

May my death serve some purpose in reviving our god. As Sophia surrendered to fate, ceasing all resistance, Se-Hoon gathered his mana to retrieve the Seeker’s legs—

“

...

Wait!”

The Seeker’s sudden, urgent voice made him pause. Se-Hoon cast a questioning glance at the Beads of Omniscience.

“I just thought of a much better way to go about this.... Want to hear it?”

The Seeker chuckled slyly.

***

A massive museum stood tall on the outskirts of New Delhi. Expanded multiple times, its interior boasted grandiosity and opulence. Yet, today, there was something unsettling lingering in the air.

Step, step-

Countless visitors strolled through the museum, seemingly enjoying the exhibits. On the surface, nothing was amiss. But their eyes told a different story.

Instead of admiring the displays, they were scanning the surroundings—searching for something.

Among the exhibits was a painting of a woman. And beyond that painting, Vessel anxiously stomped her feet.

“Danger...! It’s dangerous...!”

She had hoped that if she stayed hidden long enough, the crowd would eventually leave. But instead, their numbers only grew. Then, at some point, they began spreading out methodically, supposedly following a coordinated plan.

And after just a bit of observation, Vessel immediately deduced their intent.

They’re trying to destroy every exhibit at the same time!

Currently, Vessel—Anushka—was concealed using Dawn’s most advanced technology: the Reversed World. To enter that dimension, one needed to find a specific exhibit, decipher its ever-changing entrance mark, and infuse it with the Seeker’s mana.

But rather than going through the process, their enemies chose a more brutal method: destroy every exhibit except one, leaving only the true entrance.

But they’ll die too if they do that. Idiots...!

As such, it was the expendable pawns of the Demon Force filling the museum, unaware of their impending deaths. Clutching her head in frustration, Anushka trembled.

“What should I do...? What should I do...?!”

Among the Regions, Anushka’s individual combat abilities were among the weakest. She had received the Seeker’s torso, which came with severe aftereffects—which rendered her nearly incapable of using mana.

As a result, she took on a different role. Since she bore less burden from the connection with Akasha, she was tasked with maintaining the Reversed World and safeguarding the remaining body parts.

That made her location the most classified secret within Dawn.

Did someone betray us? Or was this place just discovered by chance...?

Even with access to the Akashic Records—the power of Omniscience—she had no answers to her doubts. Desperate, Anushka prayed to her god, the Seeker.

Click-

It was then when she suddenly felt a familiar presence enter the museum. Anushka’s eyes widened as she peered beyond the painting.

A lone figure had appeared, walking leisurely through the museum, smiling brightly: Sophia.

However, her typical composed demeanor was gone, and she carried herself with an entirely different air.

Yet Anushka failed to notice the discrepancy, blinded by the hope sparkling in her eyes.

She... She came to rescue me!

She wanted to throw open the entrance and rush to Sophia immediately. But that would be reckless; their enemies were most certainly waiting nearby, ready to pounce.

Anushka held back, anxiously watching as Sophia approached.

“

Hmm...

I see. You actually thought this through.”

Unaware of Anushka’s anticipation, Sophia leisurely examined the museum as she walked. She moved like a teacher grading a child’s workbook.

In actuality, however, she was evaluating the enemy’s formation.

“...Oh, there it is.”

After a while, Sophia’s gaze eventually settled on the painting of the woman.

She strode toward it.

Swish-

The surrounding crowd closed in.

Sophia observed those surrounding her, smirked, and then said, “You guys wanted to get inside, didn’t you? I can offer some help.”

“Sophia Belova. You are confirmed as a kill target.”

“We don’t know what might happen if she gets inside. Eliminate her now.”

Because the entrance could be opened at any time, there was no need for them to introduce any unnecessary variables.

“No, no...!”

Anushka watched in horror as the encirclement around Sophia tightened. A moment later, the crowd moved in to strike—

Swoosh.

Sophia calmly raised her hands, the scarlet Beads of Omniscience on her left wrist swaying slightly. With all eyes focusing on her, her hands came together to form a mudra.

Her lips curled.

“Let’s first start by revealing the hideout.”

BOOM!

With a blinding crimson flash, Dawn’s most prized creation—the Reversed World—was forcibly dragged into reality.