MAEPG: Episode 72

Episode 72 New Order (2)

Inside the barrier filled with darkness, Hans turned his head and stared intently at something to the side.

As if looking at something beyond that pitch-black space.

[Interesting.]

He had unveiled a new and improved curse, utilizing his rapidly increased level, as he resumed his activities.

But as he was briefly examining a faint, strange feeling from a thin thread connected to it, he happened to make eye contact with a dark mage.

‘What should I do…’

They only briefly met through their thoughts, but he had already grasped a certain amount of information about him.

Hans was sensitive to malice, but he didn’t get the feeling that this guy was evil.

Rather, he was a unique opponent, a skilled dark mage who wasn’t consumed by madness.

‘He must have a related skill like me. And this location…’

A map of Seoul appeared in his mind, and the location he had just identified was marked.

The original body immediately checked the information about that place on the internet.

‘…As expected.’

It was a hospital managed by the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau, a government agency.

There was no need for him to do anything there.

He would just offer a moment of silence for the civil servants who were diligently conducting meaningless investigations.

‘That dark mage seemed pretty useful. Should I keep him in mind?’

He could find him whenever he wanted, so it wouldn’t be bad to quietly contact him later.

[Heh, I like this. If those criminals try to investigate my curse, the moment they do…]

They would be counterattacked and their location would be identified, leading to a visit from Hans.

And since there was a high proportion of dark mages among criminals, the possibility was also high.

If they were at a level where they could investigate his curse, they wouldn’t be small fry, so it could be a pretty good trap.

‘I need to work harder to increase the number of guys I can curse instead of executing.’

“Gasp… Huff! M-monster…!”

At that moment, while he was distracted, the villains who had been diligently pounding on Hans’s barrier gritted their teeth.

They had been resisting because they couldn’t escape due to the barrier surrounding them, but they had finally fallen into despair.

[I’m sorry, but I don’t have time for you anymore.]

Hans’s blue ghost fires faded, and “Abyssal Eye” gazed upon them.

“Ah, ah…”

“Huu—”

And so, Hans was once again busy maintaining order in Seoul.

Thanks to his efforts, the crime rate plummeted as criminals became cautious…

And the citizens of Seoul could clearly feel the difference.

___________________

<The Reason Why Incidents and Accidents Have Decreased in Seoul Lately>

<Is There a Korean-Style Dark Hero Who Hunts Criminals Wearing a Mask?! His Identity Is!>

<Collection of Hahoe Mask Witness Interviews>

Rumors about Hahoe Mask, which had been spreading like an urban legend, exploded on the internet.

It hadn’t been reported on public broadcast news yet due to the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau’s intervention, which was concerned about his idolization, but judging by the speed at which it was spreading on internet news and online communities, it wouldn’t be long.

Since they had avoided directly exposing Hans’s appearance to the public, drawings by witnesses were used as data instead of photos.

Some were just black figures with blue eyes roughly drawn, while others were portraits that were almost lifelike.

The most representative one was a drawing of a figure wearing a Hahoe mask, draped in a black robe, looking down with blue ghost fires, and extending a gloved hand.

The artist who drew it claimed that it was a scene from the moment they were rescued by Hahoe Mask from a Devil’s human meat factory, and that the scene was still vivid in their memory.

-Wow, lol, they’re saying he’s killing all the villains, it’s so satisfying.

-What human rights do criminals have? Take care of our right to live instead of worrying about that.

-Thanks to Hahoe Mask, I’m living more comfortably these days. Please continue your good work!

The reactions were mostly positive.

Of course, there were also righteous opinions that he was just a criminal and that vigilantism shouldn’t be condoned, but they were quietly buried under the overwhelming public opinion.

As Hahoe Mask gradually became a hot topic, the enthusiasm of reporters and individual creators also intensified, and information about him began to be revealed little by little through witness interviews and various data collection.

Ultra-wide-range detection ability to grasp incidents happening throughout Seoul in real time.

Mobility to teleport to the detected location immediately.

And overwhelming combat power to instantly resolve any villain, no matter how strong.

However, there was nothing concretely known about his fighting style because he put the victims to sleep as soon as he appeared.

The criminals who survived his attacks were also too terrified to give proper testimonies.

But no one could argue about his power.

Above all, his achievements so far proved everything.

And the title he earned was ‘Unofficial Strongest in Korea’.

But since there was no evidence like photos or CCTV footage, only anecdotal accounts, there was also a lot of debate.

-Isn’t this just fake? How can one person cover the entire Seoul?

-It’s a fact that the crime rate has decreased lately. I don’t know if it’s really because of Hahoe Mask, but something’s definitely going on.

-If it’s real, isn’t it embarrassing for the Guardians? It means one person is better than that large organization, lol.

-Unlike the Guardians who are pushovers and have to protect even the human rights of criminals, Hahoe Mask’s principle is zero tolerance, immediate execution.

-Then isn’t he an organization, not an individual? There could be several people with the same disguise.

The situation was like this even in Korea, so overseas communities dismissed it, saying it was Korean propaganda.

But there was one person who was deeply feeling the effects of ‘Hahoe Mask’s’ activities and was under tremendous stress as his activities continued…

“Ugh—! It’s been so long since I got off work! Hahaha! Seong-hyeon, what are you doing? Let’s have a toast—!”

It was my friend, Kang Tae-san, who was laughing like a madman, holding a beer can in front of me.

“Work must be tough? You’re already complaining even though it hasn’t been long since your training ended?”

“Don’t even get me started. To think I was assigned to the Hahoe Mask investigation team! It’s the busiest department in the Criminal Investigation Division right now! I heard other departments are actually more relaxed, but I’m the only one who got stuck in that team as the youngest!”

Kang Tae-san gulped down his alcohol, venting his frustration.

He was my only friend, who had come to my house with a bunch of alcohol, saying he was finally off work.

‘He doesn’t need to worry about me anymore.’

He was a grateful friend who had stayed by my side and supported me ever since I shut myself in my room after the accident.

He took out the trash for me, who couldn’t go outside, visited me regularly to talk to me, and so on.

It was a warm hand of concern for me, who felt like I was left alone in the world.

“But you seem much better? I saw you briefly before, but… how should I put it… it’s like you have a will to live now?”

“Yeah, I can’t be stuck in the past forever. My parents wouldn’t want that either…”

“That’s right… Good thinking! Do you know how worried I’ve been?”

I had known Tae-san since elementary school.

He had lost his parents early and was raised by his grandmother, and after becoming close to him, my parents always took care of him like their own son.

That bond grew stronger as we went through middle and high school, and he eventually came to rely on my parents as if they were his own.

To put it bluntly, we were practically brothers.

“How’s your grandmother? Is she doing better?”

“Ah… haha… Well, she’s the same. She’s old now…”

His expression darkened for a moment, as if worried about his grandmother, who had been hospitalized for several years.

“I should visit her sometime soon.”

“Huh? No, it’s okay! You don’t have to push yourself.”

“It’s not pushing myself. I can go outside now. Ah, I’m also going to move soon. I won the lottery.”

“…Huh?”

There was a commotion as I delivered big news one after another.

I forcibly subdued Tae-san, who was expressing his surprise with his entire body, calmed him down, and calmly organized my thoughts.

A way to help his grandmother.

‘Heinrich’s holy power should be effective to some extent. I don’t know how much it can affect aging, but it’s better than doing nothing.’

I could just go there, quickly heal her, and then return.

It would be a hassle to create the situation, but it wouldn’t be difficult with the help of the other clones.

“…But it’s a relief. It seems like you’ve completely recovered, Seong-hyeon.”

The drinking party resumed, and Tae-san muttered quietly.

And then he started to cautiously gauge my reaction.

“Why? Do you have something to say?”

He hesitated, which was unlike him, so I frowned and asked, and he sighed once and looked me straight in the eye.

“Actually, I’ve been debating whether to tell you or not. I thought it was better not to say anything until now… But seeing you today, I think it’ll be okay.”

I also put down the beer I was holding and looked at him at the sudden serious atmosphere.

“You know why I applied to the Criminal Investigation Division, right?”

Of course I knew.

He also treated my parents like his own.

I was injured both physically and mentally from the incident that day and shut myself in my room…

But Tae-san, who heard about it late because he was taking care of his grandmother, worked even harder because of that incident and eventually got a job at the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau.

To investigate the incident in more detail and to prevent the same crime from happening again.

“…That incident back then. It was already concluded as a random terrorist attack by an awakened one. Everyone knew that. Until recently.”

I felt my body stiffen.

I think I knew what he was going to say.

“There was an organization that had been operating in secret for a long time. They were relatively quiet, but they started moving in earnest about six months ago.”

That was when public order in Korea started to become chaotic.

“They were so thorough that we were only vaguely aware of their existence and couldn’t even catch their tail… but…”

That’s when Hahoe Mask appeared.

“After he started hunting criminals, the underworld was shaken, and the rules were broken, creating an opening for those who were building their power based on that.”

And so, the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau finally caught their tail.

About an organization called ‘Heaven’s Turn Society’, which had been behind all sorts of terrorist attacks.

And Tae-san… learned that they were behind the ‘Seoul Station Terrorist Attack’.

“Actually, I’m not supposed to talk about this because it’s classified information. But… I thought you, of all people, had the right to know. But don’t tell anyone else, okay? I could go to jail. Hehehe…”

The Hahoe Mask investigation team was the first to obtain the information, and he happened to be there as a new recruit.

“And it seems like they stopped their activities in Korea and started cutting their losses after clashing with Hahoe Mask. He’s still active, so it’s obvious who won.”

Tae-san scoffed and took a large gulp of beer.

“We haven’t been able to track them down since then. I don’t know how deep they’re hiding, but it seems like their power isn’t insignificant, so we’re keeping an eye on them.”

He didn’t seem to care about security or anything and even revealed the internal affairs of the Criminal Investigation Division.

It meant that he trusted me that much.

I calmly picked up a snack and ate it, as if it didn’t matter to me, seeing him cautiously gauging my reaction after revealing everything and looking a bit nervous.

“Hahoe Mask is more amazing than I thought. You only found out about that criminal organization thanks to him, right? But why is the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau still chasing him?”

“That’s what’s so frustrating! Why are they chasing someone who’s doing a good job? It’s just making everyone tired! Just let him do his thing—!”

He seemed relieved by my reaction and crumpled the empty beer can, shouting exaggeratedly.

Kang Tae-san was also a villain hater, like me.

He joined the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau because he wanted to catch criminals, so he seemed stressed out that he was chasing Hahoe Mask, who shared his values.

“It can’t be helped, it’s his job. Hey, drink up, drink up!”

“Right! It’s not like he’ll get caught just because I work hard. Whatever, I don’t care—!”

“And… thanks for telling me. Don’t worry about me anymore, I’ve already moved on. I can’t do anything as a civilian anyway, so I’ll leave the rest to you guys and the Guardians. …And Hahoe Mask.”

“…Well, he’s definitely good at his job. He doesn’t have to worry about anyone else, so he’s very efficient.”

The atmosphere became lively again, and the drinking party continued.

I pretended to be tipsy, matching the mood, drinking with my friend who was gulping down his alcohol.

It was a bit disappointing that I couldn’t get drunk easily because of my physical abilities and recovery ability, but it was a satisfying gathering just being with a friend who shared my values.

…And so, the night deepened in Seoul.

_____________________

A dirty back alley.

A figure, as if swallowed by darkness, stood in the middle of people lying on the ground.

[Hmph… I’m busy. But after taking down the big fish, the overall level has decreased.]

Hans, struggling to maintain order even today.

He raised his head and looked up at the pitch-black night sky with his blue ghost fires, where not a single star was visible.

No matter what anyone said, no matter what difficulties he faced… he had no intention of stopping.

Starting with the villains running rampant everywhere, to Heaven’s Turn Society, who were currently laying low.

He wouldn’t stop until he destroyed them all with his own hands.

Hans extended a hand and grasped the night sky.

[Hehehe… I like the darkness.]

Now, he was the new order of this era.

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