MAEPG: Episode 44
Episode 44 Heaven’s Turn Society (2)
On a mountainside some distance away from the villa.
“Ugh… The barrier is stronger than I thought. I didn’t expect it to be this much of a burden.”
And he couldn’t move as far as he expected.
It must have been because of the barrier that Hahoe Mask had set up.
“Whew, he’s stronger than I thought. I should get out of here quickly.”
Park Kwang-cheon forced his trembling legs to stand up.
He couldn’t use “Space Manipulation” again right away, so he had to move as far as possible, even if it meant walking.
‘Still, it was worth pushing myself to enhance my unique skill twice. Unique skills are powerful, but they grow so slowly.’
Although they steadily grew as proficiency increased, there was a great advantage to rapid growth using the Karma Shop.
The fact that he was able to set up an undetectable barrier, detect their infiltration, and conceal his and his subordinates’ presence was all thanks to that.
Even though he ended up running away, the enhanced effect ‘Instant Activation’ was helpful even here.
‘The recovery time also decreased. I should be able to use it again in a few minutes. This time, I can escape further since there’s no barrier…’
[You were here.]
Suddenly, from behind him.
A voice that shouldn’t be heard here.
It wasn’t like a human voice, but more like an echo reverberating in a cave.
An energy that seemed to drain his mental strength just by hearing it.
Park Kwang-cheon’s body stiffened.
‘How did he know? From the traces left on the barrier? He could only tell the general direction from that? How did he pinpoint my location… No, that’s not important right now. I need to buy time. Once I can use “Space Manipulation”, I’ll immediately…’
Grab—
[You seem to be lost in thought.]
A cold hand, wearing a black glove, grabbed the back of his head.
It didn’t feel soft at all, unlike a human hand.
Perhaps this was what a hand made of ice would feel like.
[At first, I wasn’t going to kill you easily, but then I thought, who knows when and how you might escape again? So I decided to do it my way.]
“N… no…”
A sinister dark magic power surged through the back of his head.
Park Kwang-cheon twisted his body and tried to resist, but his entire body was already bound by black shadows.
‘Ugh! I… I have less than a minute left…! J-just a little more time…! Ugh…’
His mind became hazy, and his thoughts were cut off, accompanied by a sensation as if an iron skewer was piercing his brain.
[Hehehe… Don’t think you can escape with death. Even death can’t be an escape in front of me.]
Hans’s dark magic power mercilessly rummaged through his brain, digging through his memories.
Naturally, this guy also had a restriction.
But perhaps because he had done it once before,
It was a bit more complicated because he was an executive, but it wasn’t that difficult to solve.
And the memories he read…
‘…What’s this?’
In the endlessly slow flow of time, he encountered something completely unexpected in the enemy’s mind.
-To think you could bypass the security and enter this far.
[Oh? Who are you?]
A human figure glowing green.
Only the head and limbs were distinguishable, but the facial features were unclear.
-I knew to some extent, but seeing you in spirit form, I’m impressed. Such dense dark magic power… Hahoe Mask, you’re more than I expected.
Listening to his words, he realized that he was also in a similar form.
But unlike him, his form was black, as if darkness had been gathered together.
[You were hiding in this guy’s mind and watching? Then you must be the leader of Heaven’s Turn Society.]
-There’s no point in denying it now.
Hiding in a safe place, implanting restrictions in others’ minds, and spying on them, he was a truly insidious bastard.
The phrase ‘self-loathing’ came to mind, but I wasn’t that kind of person, so it must be a misunderstanding.
Or perhaps it was the enemy’s mental attack.
-I hope you make a wise choice. This is the mental world. Mental abilities take precedence over magic power here. You can’t beat me here.
[Ha! Now you’re showing your true colors. What if I accept? Are you planning to implant a restriction in my mind too?]
-That’s also inevitable. If you don’t like that, you can resist. The damage your spirit suffers here also affects your physical body in reality. It would be a good opportunity to get rid of an obstacle.
He was acting as if he had the upper hand.
As if he could easily deal with me whether I obediently followed his orders or resisted.
No wonder he was so relaxed.
-Choose. And you won’t be able to escape easily. Even if you’re lucky enough to get out, you’ll suffer fatal injuries and have to give up a lot.
Time outside was still flowing slowly, perhaps because it was the mental world.
It hadn’t even been a few seconds since Hans grabbed the Heaven’s Turn Society executive’s head and poured dark magic power into it.
In other words, it meant that there was still plenty of time…
[Heh, hehehe— The mental world… You’re saying we determine superiority through mental factors?]
It meant that there was enough time to deal with this guy.
[How dare you… threaten me, the one who rules death. You’re pathetic.]
I was the veteran in this field.
__________________
“Heinrich? Heinrich! Are you alright? This is strange. There’s nothing wrong with your body…”
His fading consciousness slowly returned.
An old man in priestly robes was standing in front of Heinrich, looking at his face closely.
“Ah! I’m sorry, High Priest. I was lost in thought for a moment… Hahaha!”
“Tsk, tsk~ Where do young people leave their minds? You suddenly spaced out, I thought you were sleeping with your eyes open. I understand, since you’re here for training from dawn.”
He just had something urgent to focus on for a moment.
He hurriedly made an excuse because it was something he couldn’t tell others.
“Ah, I achieved something and was reminiscing about the past. How much I struggled…”
“Don’t exaggerate! It’s a great talent to be able to use holy magic at this level in such a short time. You have the potential to become an excellent battle priest!”
As he said, he had just achieved the fruits of his holy magic training right before he ‘spaced out’.
《The individual gains enlightenment through repeated training. You have acquired the skill “Auterica Holy Magic”.》
“Auterica Holy Magic”, a spell using holy power that he learned after obtaining a blessing.
It took longer than expected because it had many differences from the other energies he was used to.
“Thank you, High Priest. But I’ll be a holy knight soon. I’ll do my best to save more people with the holy magic you taught me as a holy knight!”
“Right, that’s right. You’ll do well even as a holy knight, so don’t worry. I’m always surprised to see how much you grow every day.”
Of course, the fact that it took a long time was only by my standards.
The synergy of the bonus given to awakened ones in another world and the growth acceleration of the avatar’s clone provided a growth rate that would shock the people here.
Heinrich, after greeting the high priest in charge of his holy magic training, left the training hall and looked up at the sky where the morning sun was rising.
‘I finally achieved my first goal!’
Yes, Heinrich would finally be knighted as a holy knight, which he had been longing for.
He had reported obtaining “Blessing: Fortified Body” last night, and as soon as he met the requirements for becoming a holy knight, it was immediately approved.
It was an achievement Heinrich had made in just half a year after joining the Main God Church.
Of course, it was normally impossible to become a holy knight in half a year.
Heinrich’s case was very special.
Not only his talent, but the timing was also perfect.
The characteristics of the Main God Church, where you could quickly rise in rank if you had abundant holy power and ability, also played a part.
‘Things are going smoothly here, and things worked out well over there… Heh, what did that guy say earlier?’
Did he say that even if I was lucky enough to escape, I would suffer fatal injuries and have to give up a lot?
Heinrich chuckled and headed towards the training ground, thinking he would work up a sweat before mealtime.
“Heh… Lucky?”
Leaving behind a strange laugh, as if he was sending it to someone.
On a mountainside some distance away from the villa.
“Ugh… The barrier is stronger than I thought. I didn’t expect it to be this much of a burden.”
And he couldn’t move as far as he expected.
It must have been because of the barrier that Hahoe Mask had set up.
“Whew, he’s stronger than I thought. I should get out of here quickly.”
Park Kwang-cheon forced his trembling legs to stand up.
He couldn’t use “Space Manipulation” again right away, so he had to move as far as possible, even if it meant walking.
‘Still, it was worth pushing myself to enhance my unique skill twice. Unique skills are powerful, but they grow so slowly.’
Although they steadily grew as proficiency increased, there was a great advantage to rapid growth using the Karma Shop.
The fact that he was able to set up an undetectable barrier, detect their infiltration, and conceal his and his subordinates’ presence was all thanks to that.
Even though he ended up running away, the enhanced effect ‘Instant Activation’ was helpful even here.
‘The recovery time also decreased. I should be able to use it again in a few minutes. This time, I can escape further since there’s no barrier…’
[You were here.]
Suddenly, from behind him.
A voice that shouldn’t be heard here.
It wasn’t like a human voice, but more like an echo reverberating in a cave.
An energy that seemed to drain his mental strength just by hearing it.
Park Kwang-cheon’s body stiffened.
‘How did he know? From the traces left on the barrier? He could only tell the general direction from that? How did he pinpoint my location… No, that’s not important right now. I need to buy time. Once I can use “Space Manipulation”, I’ll immediately…’
Grab—
[You seem to be lost in thought.]
A cold hand, wearing a black glove, grabbed the back of his head.
It didn’t feel soft at all, unlike a human hand.
Perhaps this was what a hand made of ice would feel like.
[At first, I wasn’t going to kill you easily, but then I thought, who knows when and how you might escape again? So I decided to do it my way.]
“N… no…”
A sinister dark magic power surged through the back of his head.
Park Kwang-cheon twisted his body and tried to resist, but his entire body was already bound by black shadows.
‘Ugh! I… I have less than a minute left…! J-just a little more time…! Ugh…’
His mind became hazy, and his thoughts were cut off, accompanied by a sensation as if an iron skewer was piercing his brain.
[Hehehe… Don’t think you can escape with death. Even death can’t be an escape in front of me.]
Hans’s dark magic power mercilessly rummaged through his brain, digging through his memories.
Naturally, this guy also had a restriction.
But perhaps because he had done it once before,
It was a bit more complicated because he was an executive, but it wasn’t that difficult to solve.
And the memories he read…
‘…What’s this?’
In the endlessly slow flow of time, he encountered something completely unexpected in the enemy’s mind.
-To think you could bypass the security and enter this far.
[Oh? Who are you?]
A human figure glowing green.
Only the head and limbs were distinguishable, but the facial features were unclear.
-I knew to some extent, but seeing you in spirit form, I’m impressed. Such dense dark magic power… Hahoe Mask, you’re more than I expected.
Listening to his words, he realized that he was also in a similar form.
But unlike him, his form was black, as if darkness had been gathered together.
[You were hiding in this guy’s mind and watching? Then you must be the leader of Heaven’s Turn Society.]
-There’s no point in denying it now.
Hiding in a safe place, implanting restrictions in others’ minds, and spying on them, he was a truly insidious bastard.
The phrase ‘self-loathing’ came to mind, but I wasn’t that kind of person, so it must be a misunderstanding.
Or perhaps it was the enemy’s mental attack.
-I hope you make a wise choice. This is the mental world. Mental abilities take precedence over magic power here. You can’t beat me here.
[Ha! Now you’re showing your true colors. What if I accept? Are you planning to implant a restriction in my mind too?]
-That’s also inevitable. If you don’t like that, you can resist. The damage your spirit suffers here also affects your physical body in reality. It would be a good opportunity to get rid of an obstacle.
He was acting as if he had the upper hand.
As if he could easily deal with me whether I obediently followed his orders or resisted.
No wonder he was so relaxed.
-Choose. And you won’t be able to escape easily. Even if you’re lucky enough to get out, you’ll suffer fatal injuries and have to give up a lot.
Time outside was still flowing slowly, perhaps because it was the mental world.
It hadn’t even been a few seconds since Hans grabbed the Heaven’s Turn Society executive’s head and poured dark magic power into it.
In other words, it meant that there was still plenty of time…
[Heh, hehehe— The mental world… You’re saying we determine superiority through mental factors?]
It meant that there was enough time to deal with this guy.
[How dare you… threaten me, the one who rules death. You’re pathetic.]
I was the veteran in this field.
__________________
“Heinrich? Heinrich! Are you alright? This is strange. There’s nothing wrong with your body…”
His fading consciousness slowly returned.
An old man in priestly robes was standing in front of Heinrich, looking at his face closely.
“Ah! I’m sorry, High Priest. I was lost in thought for a moment… Hahaha!”
“Tsk, tsk~ Where do young people leave their minds? You suddenly spaced out, I thought you were sleeping with your eyes open. I understand, since you’re here for training from dawn.”
He just had something urgent to focus on for a moment.
He hurriedly made an excuse because it was something he couldn’t tell others.
“Ah, I achieved something and was reminiscing about the past. How much I struggled…”
“Don’t exaggerate! It’s a great talent to be able to use holy magic at this level in such a short time. You have the potential to become an excellent battle priest!”
As he said, he had just achieved the fruits of his holy magic training right before he ‘spaced out’.
《The individual gains enlightenment through repeated training. You have acquired the skill “Auterica Holy Magic”.》
“Auterica Holy Magic”, a spell using holy power that he learned after obtaining a blessing.
It took longer than expected because it had many differences from the other energies he was used to.
“Thank you, High Priest. But I’ll be a holy knight soon. I’ll do my best to save more people with the holy magic you taught me as a holy knight!”
“Right, that’s right. You’ll do well even as a holy knight, so don’t worry. I’m always surprised to see how much you grow every day.”
Of course, the fact that it took a long time was only by my standards.
The synergy of the bonus given to awakened ones in another world and the growth acceleration of the avatar’s clone provided a growth rate that would shock the people here.
Heinrich, after greeting the high priest in charge of his holy magic training, left the training hall and looked up at the sky where the morning sun was rising.
‘I finally achieved my first goal!’
Yes, Heinrich would finally be knighted as a holy knight, which he had been longing for.
He had reported obtaining “Blessing: Fortified Body” last night, and as soon as he met the requirements for becoming a holy knight, it was immediately approved.
It was an achievement Heinrich had made in just half a year after joining the Main God Church.
Of course, it was normally impossible to become a holy knight in half a year.
Heinrich’s case was very special.
Not only his talent, but the timing was also perfect.
The characteristics of the Main God Church, where you could quickly rise in rank if you had abundant holy power and ability, also played a part.
‘Things are going smoothly here, and things worked out well over there… Heh, what did that guy say earlier?’
Did he say that even if I was lucky enough to escape, I would suffer fatal injuries and have to give up a lot?
Heinrich chuckled and headed towards the training ground, thinking he would work up a sweat before mealtime.
“Heh… Lucky?”
Leaving behind a strange laugh, as if he was sending it to someone.
__________________
Inside a luxurious room filled with red and gold ornaments.
“Ugh… Gah— Cough!”
Thud—!
A man in his thirties, sitting on a chair, coughed up blood and collapsed on the floor.
“Ugh… Damn it…!”
“Lord Lawmaker! Are you alright?!”
A bodyguard, who had been hiding, appeared and guarded the surroundings at the sudden situation, but it was pointless because it wasn’t an external attack in the first place.
‘This is unbelievable…! I lost? In a battle in the mental world?’
The fight with Hahoe Mask in the mental world.
It was a familiar battlefield, a familiar battle.
Except for the fact that the opponent was unfamiliar.
“Ugh—!”
Pieces of his internal organs came out mixed with the blood he coughed up.
And something whitish was flowing out of his left eye along with blood.
Boom!
“Lord Lawmaker!”
“Hurry! Prepare for treatment!”
Subordinates and healers rushed in as the door to the room burst open.
‘…Ugh, it’s useless.’
This wasn’t physical damage.
It was a backlash from the damage to his spirit.
Still, it was better than nothing, so he obediently let his subordinates take care of him and closed his eyes.
Blood continued to flow back up his throat, but thanks to the healing ability, it didn’t worsen.
[Hahahaha! I got you—!]
As he closed his eyes, the last scene from the mental world lingered in his mind.
The moment the black figure, as if darkness had been gathered together, reached out to him, laughing grotesquely.
“Ugh…”
If it hadn’t been for his unique skill “Mind Projection” at the very last moment, it wouldn’t have ended with just this.
…But his confidence had already hit rock bottom after losing the battle, even after using it.
‘Why did I lose? It wasn’t just a difference in mental strength. A difference in skills? There’s no way my mental skills are lacking. Rather, something more fundamental…’
At first, it was a relatively even fight.
He sharpened his mind to cut the opponent, and they both erected barriers to block each other’s attacks.
But at some point, the opponent’s response changed.
His attacks didn’t inflict any damage on the opponent, as if he was cutting through fog, and the opponent’s attacks were fatal, as if he was wielding all the madness and evil in the world.
His mental barrier, which he had prided himself on being an iron wall, was shattered.
The opponent’s appearance at that time was anything but normal.
An aggregate of all sorts of negative emotions: fear, despair, sorrow, pain, anger, death.
It felt like he was fighting a monster, not a human.
‘I didn’t sense that when we were talking. How could he hide such madness? No, in the first place…’
Was it even possible for a human to harbor such malice?
Was Hahoe Mask really human?
‘His appearance was more like a high-ranking undead… No, that’s impossible.’
An awakened one who was transported to another world was declared dead the moment they became an undead and couldn’t return to Earth through the Karma Shop.
Even if they seemed to have self-awareness, they were just a being whose human memories had gathered and transformed.
An undead from another world wouldn’t be able to escape Earth’s laws, and it was almost impossible to create an undead of that level on Earth.
‘And besides all that, he was definitely human when I first encountered him in spirit form. The amount of dark magic power he possessed was enormous, but there’s no mistaking it.’
Of course, he had rapidly transformed after the battle started, but…
There was still some human element left in him.
If he had to define it, it was similar to a Devil.
Although the madness and the difference in level were much greater.
‘…Was there a demon sealed inside him?’
If he had unsealed it when the crisis hit…
‘That’s the most plausible hypothesis for now. Then he won’t be fine either. It would take a great price to reseal such a being.’
He felt a bit relieved, thinking that it wasn’t a one-sided defeat.
He sighed and opened one eye.
“Lord Lawmaker! Are you alright?!”
The bodyguard, who had first noticed his abnormality, asked urgently.
The other subordinates were still holding him and trying to heal him.
His insides were still a mess, his left eye had suffered permanent damage, and he couldn’t even feel his legs.
A part of his soul had been ripped out, and his magic circuits were fatally damaged, so he was practically a living corpse right now.
But there were still things he had to do, so he had to hurry.
“Emergency order to the Seoul branch. Immediately cease all operations, dispose of all information, and go into hiding. Only recover Alpha from the Blood Alliance, cut off all other connections, even minor ones, and cut your losses.”
He paused for a moment, caught his breath, and continued.
“Code Red to all branches in Korea. Close your current bases and erase all traces. Choose new bases at your discretion and report later. Cease all activities until further notice… Cough!”
Perhaps because he had spoken too much, blood spurted from his mouth again.
“Lord Lawmaker! You need to rest now!”
The healers shouted as if screaming, but he gritted his teeth and conveyed his last words.
“And tell the Master. There’s a monster in Korea. …I need to recuperate for at least a few years.”
After muttering those words, he let go of his consciousness, which he had been forcing himself to maintain, and dropped his head.
His bodyguard hurriedly caught him, and the rest moved to take him to a safer place after administering first aid.
It was the moment Heaven’s Turn Society’s operations in Korea came to a halt as the Lawmaker, who had been in charge of everything, collapsed.
Inside a luxurious room filled with red and gold ornaments.
“Ugh… Gah— Cough!”
Thud—!
A man in his thirties, sitting on a chair, coughed up blood and collapsed on the floor.
“Ugh… Damn it…!”
“Lord Lawmaker! Are you alright?!”
A bodyguard, who had been hiding, appeared and guarded the surroundings at the sudden situation, but it was pointless because it wasn’t an external attack in the first place.
‘This is unbelievable…! I lost? In a battle in the mental world?’
The fight with Hahoe Mask in the mental world.
It was a familiar battlefield, a familiar battle.
Except for the fact that the opponent was unfamiliar.
“Ugh—!”
Pieces of his internal organs came out mixed with the blood he coughed up.
And something whitish was flowing out of his left eye along with blood.
Boom!
“Lord Lawmaker!”
“Hurry! Prepare for treatment!”
Subordinates and healers rushed in as the door to the room burst open.
‘…Ugh, it’s useless.’
This wasn’t physical damage.
It was a backlash from the damage to his spirit.
Still, it was better than nothing, so he obediently let his subordinates take care of him and closed his eyes.
Blood continued to flow back up his throat, but thanks to the healing ability, it didn’t worsen.
[Hahahaha! I got you—!]
As he closed his eyes, the last scene from the mental world lingered in his mind.
The moment the black figure, as if darkness had been gathered together, reached out to him, laughing grotesquely.
“Ugh…”
If it hadn’t been for his unique skill “Mind Projection” at the very last moment, it wouldn’t have ended with just this.
…But his confidence had already hit rock bottom after losing the battle, even after using it.
‘Why did I lose? It wasn’t just a difference in mental strength. A difference in skills? There’s no way my mental skills are lacking. Rather, something more fundamental…’
At first, it was a relatively even fight.
He sharpened his mind to cut the opponent, and they both erected barriers to block each other’s attacks.
But at some point, the opponent’s response changed.
His attacks didn’t inflict any damage on the opponent, as if he was cutting through fog, and the opponent’s attacks were fatal, as if he was wielding all the madness and evil in the world.
His mental barrier, which he had prided himself on being an iron wall, was shattered.
The opponent’s appearance at that time was anything but normal.
An aggregate of all sorts of negative emotions: fear, despair, sorrow, pain, anger, death.
It felt like he was fighting a monster, not a human.
‘I didn’t sense that when we were talking. How could he hide such madness? No, in the first place…’
Was it even possible for a human to harbor such malice?
Was Hahoe Mask really human?
‘His appearance was more like a high-ranking undead… No, that’s impossible.’
An awakened one who was transported to another world was declared dead the moment they became an undead and couldn’t return to Earth through the Karma Shop.
Even if they seemed to have self-awareness, they were just a being whose human memories had gathered and transformed.
An undead from another world wouldn’t be able to escape Earth’s laws, and it was almost impossible to create an undead of that level on Earth.
‘And besides all that, he was definitely human when I first encountered him in spirit form. The amount of dark magic power he possessed was enormous, but there’s no mistaking it.’
Of course, he had rapidly transformed after the battle started, but…
There was still some human element left in him.
If he had to define it, it was similar to a Devil.
Although the madness and the difference in level were much greater.
‘…Was there a demon sealed inside him?’
If he had unsealed it when the crisis hit…
‘That’s the most plausible hypothesis for now. Then he won’t be fine either. It would take a great price to reseal such a being.’
He felt a bit relieved, thinking that it wasn’t a one-sided defeat.
He sighed and opened one eye.
“Lord Lawmaker! Are you alright?!”
The bodyguard, who had first noticed his abnormality, asked urgently.
The other subordinates were still holding him and trying to heal him.
His insides were still a mess, his left eye had suffered permanent damage, and he couldn’t even feel his legs.
A part of his soul had been ripped out, and his magic circuits were fatally damaged, so he was practically a living corpse right now.
But there were still things he had to do, so he had to hurry.
“Emergency order to the Seoul branch. Immediately cease all operations, dispose of all information, and go into hiding. Only recover Alpha from the Blood Alliance, cut off all other connections, even minor ones, and cut your losses.”
He paused for a moment, caught his breath, and continued.
“Code Red to all branches in Korea. Close your current bases and erase all traces. Choose new bases at your discretion and report later. Cease all activities until further notice… Cough!”
Perhaps because he had spoken too much, blood spurted from his mouth again.
“Lord Lawmaker! You need to rest now!”
The healers shouted as if screaming, but he gritted his teeth and conveyed his last words.
“And tell the Master. There’s a monster in Korea. …I need to recuperate for at least a few years.”
After muttering those words, he let go of his consciousness, which he had been forcing himself to maintain, and dropped his head.
His bodyguard hurriedly caught him, and the rest moved to take him to a safer place after administering first aid.
It was the moment Heaven’s Turn Society’s operations in Korea came to a halt as the Lawmaker, who had been in charge of everything, collapsed.
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