MAEPG: Episode 33
Episode 33 Shadows of Seoul (3)
Hans gathered the undead after achieving a satisfactory result.
The undead, whose numbers had increased by the number of Devils, melted into the abyss that had spread across the floor.
‘Come to think of it, I need to research a subspace magic that can be used across dimensions.’
The subspace I was currently using utilized the negative dimension on the other side of the current dimension, so it was impossible to share the contents.
The reality was that I had to carry them myself or use a small and rare subspace magic tool to cross dimensions.
‘It would be convenient to have mind control magic, so I should research it. There are mind control methods in “Forbidden Knowledge”, but… those aren’t methods I can use.’
It wasn’t difficult to destroy the target’s ego and turn them into a puppet using dark magic.
I just didn’t use it because it was more efficient to turn them into undead.
But the process of manipulating their perception and turning them into subordinates while leaving their ego intact was very complicated.
It required a lot of time and effort because I had to delicately handle their fragile minds, and I also needed a lot of various materials in the process.
‘I can somehow obtain the items that are only found in Auterica. The problem is the other things.’
There was a reason why “Forbidden Knowledge” was called ‘forbidden’.
The materials needed for the process were all horrifying.
I couldn’t use things like the blood of a young child or parts of a fetus just for my convenience.
‘I might as well research a new method based on that knowledge. There’s so much to do, but I don’t have time. It would be efficient to go to Auterica to save time, but to do that, I need to find a way to avoid the Church’s pursuit. This is a headache.’
I then headed to the warehouse where the survivors were trapped.
Beyond the thick iron door guarded by undead, I sensed the life force of about ten people.
They seemed to be huddled together in a corner, trembling, having heard the commotion outside.
I looked around for a moment before breaking down the door and opening it.
‘I’m better than these guys, right? I have things to check.’
Wouldn’t Hans, who was completely covered, be better than moving corpses with horrifying appearances, even if he was a bit scary?
I pulled down my hood to cover my glowing eyes and suppressed the fear effect as much as possible.
Crack—
As I broke down the door and entered, I saw people huddled together in a corner, terrified.
There was no point in wasting time in front of scared people.
I immediately took out the smartphone I had taken from the Devils and called the police, throwing it to the survivors.
“Uh… huh?”
The smartphone, controlled by magic power, gently glided through the air and landed in the hand of a surprised survivor.
-Yes, …police station… this is…
Soon, the police officer’s voice could be heard faintly from his hand.
He fumbled for a moment, then cautiously talked to the police officer, glancing at me.
I watched until then and then quietly left, leaving them behind.
‘It doesn’t seem like there are any spies. It should be fine now.’
It was a long-standing tradition of criminals to plant their own people among the hostages.
Hans was sensitive to negative emotions like fear and despair.
After directly facing them and checking their emotional changes, I didn’t find anyone suspicious.
This place itself was a secret place, and since the guards were all Devils, they probably didn’t pay much attention to ordinary people.
‘This adds another achievement to Hahoe Mask, the Devil Hunter.’
At first, I was planning to operate as stealthily as possible, but my thoughts changed at some point.
There was no way for them to track me anyway, so it was a hassle to control the witnesses one by one.
And I also thought that if the story about me spread, it might help deter crime, even if it was just a little.
To be honest, it was also fun to see the story of Hahoe Mask become a hot topic on the internet.
So I just hid my identity and let the rumors spread through the witnesses.
As a result, information about Hans, wearing a Hahoe mask, was spreading through online communities.
‘By the way, what is Heaven’s Turn Society? They seem to have their fingers in everything. But there’s no real entity.’
Information obtained by reading the memories of the Devils.
The guys I had just dealt with were in a cooperative relationship with Heaven’s Turn Society, but they were connected in a way that made it difficult to track, receiving indirect support.
The information I obtained from the organization I had raided before was similar…
‘But if I keep cracking down on criminal organizations like this, I’ll eventually catch their tail.’
If they were the reason why public order had become so chaotic lately, I would inevitably encounter them soon.
Hans confirmed that the police sirens were approaching and left.
As always, only a Hahoe mask drawing in blood remained at the scene of the fierce battle.
Hans gathered the undead after achieving a satisfactory result.
The undead, whose numbers had increased by the number of Devils, melted into the abyss that had spread across the floor.
‘Come to think of it, I need to research a subspace magic that can be used across dimensions.’
The subspace I was currently using utilized the negative dimension on the other side of the current dimension, so it was impossible to share the contents.
The reality was that I had to carry them myself or use a small and rare subspace magic tool to cross dimensions.
‘It would be convenient to have mind control magic, so I should research it. There are mind control methods in “Forbidden Knowledge”, but… those aren’t methods I can use.’
It wasn’t difficult to destroy the target’s ego and turn them into a puppet using dark magic.
I just didn’t use it because it was more efficient to turn them into undead.
But the process of manipulating their perception and turning them into subordinates while leaving their ego intact was very complicated.
It required a lot of time and effort because I had to delicately handle their fragile minds, and I also needed a lot of various materials in the process.
‘I can somehow obtain the items that are only found in Auterica. The problem is the other things.’
There was a reason why “Forbidden Knowledge” was called ‘forbidden’.
The materials needed for the process were all horrifying.
I couldn’t use things like the blood of a young child or parts of a fetus just for my convenience.
‘I might as well research a new method based on that knowledge. There’s so much to do, but I don’t have time. It would be efficient to go to Auterica to save time, but to do that, I need to find a way to avoid the Church’s pursuit. This is a headache.’
I then headed to the warehouse where the survivors were trapped.
Beyond the thick iron door guarded by undead, I sensed the life force of about ten people.
They seemed to be huddled together in a corner, trembling, having heard the commotion outside.
I looked around for a moment before breaking down the door and opening it.
‘I’m better than these guys, right? I have things to check.’
Wouldn’t Hans, who was completely covered, be better than moving corpses with horrifying appearances, even if he was a bit scary?
I pulled down my hood to cover my glowing eyes and suppressed the fear effect as much as possible.
Crack—
As I broke down the door and entered, I saw people huddled together in a corner, terrified.
There was no point in wasting time in front of scared people.
I immediately took out the smartphone I had taken from the Devils and called the police, throwing it to the survivors.
“Uh… huh?”
The smartphone, controlled by magic power, gently glided through the air and landed in the hand of a surprised survivor.
-Yes, …police station… this is…
Soon, the police officer’s voice could be heard faintly from his hand.
He fumbled for a moment, then cautiously talked to the police officer, glancing at me.
I watched until then and then quietly left, leaving them behind.
‘It doesn’t seem like there are any spies. It should be fine now.’
It was a long-standing tradition of criminals to plant their own people among the hostages.
Hans was sensitive to negative emotions like fear and despair.
After directly facing them and checking their emotional changes, I didn’t find anyone suspicious.
This place itself was a secret place, and since the guards were all Devils, they probably didn’t pay much attention to ordinary people.
‘This adds another achievement to Hahoe Mask, the Devil Hunter.’
At first, I was planning to operate as stealthily as possible, but my thoughts changed at some point.
There was no way for them to track me anyway, so it was a hassle to control the witnesses one by one.
And I also thought that if the story about me spread, it might help deter crime, even if it was just a little.
To be honest, it was also fun to see the story of Hahoe Mask become a hot topic on the internet.
So I just hid my identity and let the rumors spread through the witnesses.
As a result, information about Hans, wearing a Hahoe mask, was spreading through online communities.
‘By the way, what is Heaven’s Turn Society? They seem to have their fingers in everything. But there’s no real entity.’
Information obtained by reading the memories of the Devils.
The guys I had just dealt with were in a cooperative relationship with Heaven’s Turn Society, but they were connected in a way that made it difficult to track, receiving indirect support.
The information I obtained from the organization I had raided before was similar…
‘But if I keep cracking down on criminal organizations like this, I’ll eventually catch their tail.’
If they were the reason why public order had become so chaotic lately, I would inevitably encounter them soon.
Hans confirmed that the police sirens were approaching and left.
As always, only a Hahoe mask drawing in blood remained at the scene of the fierce battle.
___________________
A private room in a high-end restaurant that guaranteed user privacy.
Two people were sitting across from each other, sharing drinks.
“I heard there’s a crazy guy wearing a Hahoe mask, going around playing hero.”
The man with an indistinct face poured alcohol into the glass of the person sitting across from him and spoke.
“They say he uses dark magic power.”
The middle-aged man in glasses received the alcohol and replied nonchalantly.
They exchanged drinks and continued their conversation.
“I’ve never seen a dark magic user who’s sane.”
“But that guy is at least crazy in a good way. He doesn’t harm civilians, and he seems to have some kind of belief.”
“Ha, a dark magic user’s belief. That’s scary. It must be more extreme than a fanatic terrorist.”
Dark magic power, which was created by distorting the energy of nature, was aggressive, grew quickly, and had a fatal effect on those who faced it.
But as it was a contaminated energy, the more you used it, the more it negatively affected the user’s mind.
When you were weak, it started with obsessions and compulsions, and as you became stronger, your moral sense gradually faded, and you became a Devil.
“His territory is expanding. We need to do something, but we still haven’t found any clues?”
Hahoe Mask’s territory, which started in the southwest of Seoul along the Han River, now encompassed several districts.
And he occasionally appeared in completely random places, making his behavior unpredictable.
“…It’s not easy to catch him. They say he uses teleportation like it’s nothing, and it’s difficult to detect his presence before he uses his power.”
“Huh, teleportation. And that concealment ability too. He seems to be a bigger shot than we thought. Is he someone who recently returned to Earth?”
The man with the indistinct face drank the alcohol in his glass in one gulp and looked at the middle-aged man sitting across from him.
The middle-aged man avoided his gaze, repeatedly adjusting his glasses at his inorganic stare.
“Anyway, that guy running around is interfering with our business.”
“…I’ll pay more attention.”
“I’d appreciate that. We’ll also take measures on our end.”
The man smiled wickedly, put his glass down on the table, and stood up.
“Then, I’ll be going because I’m busy. I’ll take care of the bill, so take your time.”
He waved his hand once and left without a sound.
“Whew…”
The middle-aged man, left alone after the uncomfortable company left, sighed with a relieved heart.
And he poured himself more drinks.
Perhaps because it was an expensive place, the alcohol tasted damn good.
How much time had passed?
Ring, ring—
He frowned and checked the caller ID as the sudden ringing broke the silence.
His subordinate’s name was displayed on the screen. What was going on at this late hour?
He reluctantly answered the phone, and an urgent voice came from his smartphone.
-Manager! I’m sorry to call you so late! There’s been a report from the outskirts of Seoul, and it’s quite a big deal.
His subordinate quickly explained the situation.
A large-scale human meat factory discovered through a survivor’s report, and Hahoe Mask.
He sighed again after hanging up and got up from his seat.
It wasn’t the time to be drinking anymore.
A private room in a high-end restaurant that guaranteed user privacy.
Two people were sitting across from each other, sharing drinks.
“I heard there’s a crazy guy wearing a Hahoe mask, going around playing hero.”
The man with an indistinct face poured alcohol into the glass of the person sitting across from him and spoke.
“They say he uses dark magic power.”
The middle-aged man in glasses received the alcohol and replied nonchalantly.
They exchanged drinks and continued their conversation.
“I’ve never seen a dark magic user who’s sane.”
“But that guy is at least crazy in a good way. He doesn’t harm civilians, and he seems to have some kind of belief.”
“Ha, a dark magic user’s belief. That’s scary. It must be more extreme than a fanatic terrorist.”
Dark magic power, which was created by distorting the energy of nature, was aggressive, grew quickly, and had a fatal effect on those who faced it.
But as it was a contaminated energy, the more you used it, the more it negatively affected the user’s mind.
When you were weak, it started with obsessions and compulsions, and as you became stronger, your moral sense gradually faded, and you became a Devil.
“His territory is expanding. We need to do something, but we still haven’t found any clues?”
Hahoe Mask’s territory, which started in the southwest of Seoul along the Han River, now encompassed several districts.
And he occasionally appeared in completely random places, making his behavior unpredictable.
“…It’s not easy to catch him. They say he uses teleportation like it’s nothing, and it’s difficult to detect his presence before he uses his power.”
“Huh, teleportation. And that concealment ability too. He seems to be a bigger shot than we thought. Is he someone who recently returned to Earth?”
The man with the indistinct face drank the alcohol in his glass in one gulp and looked at the middle-aged man sitting across from him.
The middle-aged man avoided his gaze, repeatedly adjusting his glasses at his inorganic stare.
“Anyway, that guy running around is interfering with our business.”
“…I’ll pay more attention.”
“I’d appreciate that. We’ll also take measures on our end.”
The man smiled wickedly, put his glass down on the table, and stood up.
“Then, I’ll be going because I’m busy. I’ll take care of the bill, so take your time.”
He waved his hand once and left without a sound.
“Whew…”
The middle-aged man, left alone after the uncomfortable company left, sighed with a relieved heart.
And he poured himself more drinks.
Perhaps because it was an expensive place, the alcohol tasted damn good.
How much time had passed?
Ring, ring—
He frowned and checked the caller ID as the sudden ringing broke the silence.
His subordinate’s name was displayed on the screen. What was going on at this late hour?
He reluctantly answered the phone, and an urgent voice came from his smartphone.
-Manager! I’m sorry to call you so late! There’s been a report from the outskirts of Seoul, and it’s quite a big deal.
His subordinate quickly explained the situation.
A large-scale human meat factory discovered through a survivor’s report, and Hahoe Mask.
He sighed again after hanging up and got up from his seat.
It wasn’t the time to be drinking anymore.
_______________________
3 am.
Heinz, who had finished the gold transaction and left, was walking through the streets at night.
Hans, who had raided the factory, had just finished the battle and was cleaning up.
He was planning to meet Hans here, far from home, and check if there were any tricks on the lottery tickets, waiting until he was done.
‘And if they sent someone to follow me, I was going to turn the tables and rob them…’
I was secretly looking forward to it, but there was no news so far.
When we parted ways, the masked man seemed suspicious of me, so I thought it was possible.
Was it the effect of the warning, or were they just cautious?
‘Well, if they know their place, they’re not bad as business partners. We’ve made a deal, so that’s enough. If they try anything funny, I’ll just take care of them.’
This place was also within Hans’s surveillance area.
I could just pay more attention to managing them for the time being.
I was wandering the streets for that reason, but since it was so late, there were far fewer people than before I went to the transaction.
It was probably this crowded because it was a relatively busy area.
Hans had already swept through this place once, so even the people in the shadows seemed to be keeping a low profile.
An atmosphere of avoiding trouble as much as possible.
My heart swelled with pride, thinking that I had created this peace.
‘Whether it’s peace created through violence or whatever, it doesn’t matter. An eye for an eye, violence for violence. The effect is definitely there.’
Two drunk men were fighting on one side, but that was a common occurrence.
It was a trivial matter that didn’t require my intervention.
‘Oh, hook! Uppercut! The opponent is no pushover either? It’s a close match.’
They were both drunk, so they didn’t even feel pain and just kept attacking recklessly, adding to the excitement.
Most of their punches missed rather than hit because they were both stumbling around drunk.
As I was watching the drunkards’ fight with interest,
“Hey, you, come talk to me over there for a second.”
A voice spoke from behind Heinz.
Tension surged in an instant, and my nerves were on edge.
My senses became so sharp that I could hear the heartbeats of the drunkards fighting in front of me.
But I still couldn’t feel the presence of the person who spoke.
I slowly turned my head and looked back.
He was standing there, looking at me, less than a meter away.
As our eyes met, he tilted his head towards the alley and walked ahead.
‘I still can’t feel his presence. What should I do?’
I hesitated for a moment, flustered by the sudden situation, but the answer was already decided.
‘Since when did I start avoiding trouble? If it doesn’t work out, I can just run away. Running away is my specialty.’
I immediately followed him into the alley.
He was waiting, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
“Well, you have some sense.”
He must have been talking about me following him without running away.
I didn’t answer and just looked at him.
I didn’t know who he was, but he must have called me because he had something to say.
“Don’t be so wary. I don’t intend to harm you.”
He chuckled, pushed himself off the wall, and approached me.
He came right up to me, ignoring my frown, and kept sniffing the air.
What was this guy trying to do?
“Hmm, I don’t know. It’s a scent I’ve never smelled before.”
The man stepped back and looked into my eyes.
“So, where are you from?”
“What do you mean? You suddenly smell me and ask where I’m from?”
I asked back, displeased.
I could tell he wasn’t an ordinary person, but I felt like I was being toyed with before I could even grasp the situation.
“What? Are you new to Earth?”
He muttered to himself and then nodded.
And then he said nonchalantly, as if it were nothing.
“You’re a vampire, right?”
A strange smile appeared on his face.
“Actually, so am I. But we’re probably from different places.”
It was the moment Heinz encountered a vampire from another dimension.
3 am.
Heinz, who had finished the gold transaction and left, was walking through the streets at night.
Hans, who had raided the factory, had just finished the battle and was cleaning up.
He was planning to meet Hans here, far from home, and check if there were any tricks on the lottery tickets, waiting until he was done.
‘And if they sent someone to follow me, I was going to turn the tables and rob them…’
I was secretly looking forward to it, but there was no news so far.
When we parted ways, the masked man seemed suspicious of me, so I thought it was possible.
Was it the effect of the warning, or were they just cautious?
‘Well, if they know their place, they’re not bad as business partners. We’ve made a deal, so that’s enough. If they try anything funny, I’ll just take care of them.’
This place was also within Hans’s surveillance area.
I could just pay more attention to managing them for the time being.
I was wandering the streets for that reason, but since it was so late, there were far fewer people than before I went to the transaction.
It was probably this crowded because it was a relatively busy area.
Hans had already swept through this place once, so even the people in the shadows seemed to be keeping a low profile.
An atmosphere of avoiding trouble as much as possible.
My heart swelled with pride, thinking that I had created this peace.
‘Whether it’s peace created through violence or whatever, it doesn’t matter. An eye for an eye, violence for violence. The effect is definitely there.’
Two drunk men were fighting on one side, but that was a common occurrence.
It was a trivial matter that didn’t require my intervention.
‘Oh, hook! Uppercut! The opponent is no pushover either? It’s a close match.’
They were both drunk, so they didn’t even feel pain and just kept attacking recklessly, adding to the excitement.
Most of their punches missed rather than hit because they were both stumbling around drunk.
As I was watching the drunkards’ fight with interest,
“Hey, you, come talk to me over there for a second.”
A voice spoke from behind Heinz.
Tension surged in an instant, and my nerves were on edge.
My senses became so sharp that I could hear the heartbeats of the drunkards fighting in front of me.
But I still couldn’t feel the presence of the person who spoke.
I slowly turned my head and looked back.
He was standing there, looking at me, less than a meter away.
As our eyes met, he tilted his head towards the alley and walked ahead.
‘I still can’t feel his presence. What should I do?’
I hesitated for a moment, flustered by the sudden situation, but the answer was already decided.
‘Since when did I start avoiding trouble? If it doesn’t work out, I can just run away. Running away is my specialty.’
I immediately followed him into the alley.
He was waiting, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
“Well, you have some sense.”
He must have been talking about me following him without running away.
I didn’t answer and just looked at him.
I didn’t know who he was, but he must have called me because he had something to say.
“Don’t be so wary. I don’t intend to harm you.”
He chuckled, pushed himself off the wall, and approached me.
He came right up to me, ignoring my frown, and kept sniffing the air.
What was this guy trying to do?
“Hmm, I don’t know. It’s a scent I’ve never smelled before.”
The man stepped back and looked into my eyes.
“So, where are you from?”
“What do you mean? You suddenly smell me and ask where I’m from?”
I asked back, displeased.
I could tell he wasn’t an ordinary person, but I felt like I was being toyed with before I could even grasp the situation.
“What? Are you new to Earth?”
He muttered to himself and then nodded.
And then he said nonchalantly, as if it were nothing.
“You’re a vampire, right?”
A strange smile appeared on his face.
“Actually, so am I. But we’re probably from different places.”
It was the moment Heinz encountered a vampire from another dimension.
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