Chapter 57 – Dark Night

Because the Han River Bridge had already collapsed, we had to use a boat to cross the river.

Black Armor’s raiders rowed the oars themselves.

As Lee Lee Se-min passed by Nodeul Island, he saw the beasts biting each other. Since there was no food, they just eat each other. If there was one last one left, it too will soon starve to death.

All the scenery was different from before.

Oh Jeong-hee, who was standing at the stern and feeling the wind, said.

“Are you following along well?”

There were several ships. They were leading all civilians and outlaws captured by the common people.

“Nothing wrong.”

“Good, good.”

Oh Jeong-hee spread her arms like a scene from a movie.

Oh Jeong-hee’s black aura that Lee Lee Se-min felt was minimal. It was one of two things. Either the black aura was weak, or it was stained so badly that Lee Lee Se-min could not detect it.

Yesterday, Oh Jeong-hee overwhelmingly killed a black-level demon beast.

It was easy to find out which side I was closer to.

“It’ll be quick. Everyone, get ready.”

Soon we arrived at the river.

There was a separate department in charge of managing the ship, and radars were on standby. I handed the ship over to them.

Lee Lee Se-min looked around and broadened his mood. But I couldn’t feel the magical beast. The area was quiet.

“We cleaned up the Heron area.”

Oh Jeong-hee approached.

“Can’t you feel anything?”

“I see.”

“Our kids have a hard time cleaning every time the gate opens.”

Oh Jeong-hee stroked the head of Hyun Jae-young, who was ahead.

“This is just the beginning. There is a lot more to do in the future. Let’s do our best.”

The closer we got to the Heron base, the more intact the buildings looked. Occasionally raiders would pop up from the roof of the building and salute. Its role was to scout out gates and demonic beasts from outside the base.

Upon arriving at the Heron base, the personnel guarding the entrance were also wearing black armor.

When they found Lee Lee Se-min, their eyes lit up. My eyes were glued to Lee Lee Se-min. When Lee Lee Se-min returned that staring gaze, they looked away.

I didn’t like any of the guys called Black Armor.

The eyes were strangely challenging.

“From here on out, this is where civilians stay.”

People began to appear. They were using carts to transport the bodies of demonic beasts or to transport food they had procured from outside.

People noticed Oh Jeong-hee and Black Armor and bowed deeply. I didn’t look up until it had completely passed. Seeing that scene, Lee Lee Se-min felt a sense of strangeness.

After passing a wall, a different scenery appeared again.

Qualified Aurors were training. At their appearance, the sound of weapons clashing stopped. They bowed to Oh Jeong-hee. When Oh Jeong-hee waved his hand, they smiled brightly. It was like treating an idol.

When he finally passed one more wall, Lee Lee Se-min frowned.

The gathering of Auror aptitudes was the same as before.

But there was an ominous smell.

These were the people who use black aura.

They saluted Oh Jeong-hee. Oh Jeong-hee nodded. The atmosphere was quieter than before.

Oh Jeong-hee pointed to the huge building that appeared in front of him.

“This is the current Radar Bureau headquarters.”

The Radar Bureau headquarters towered like a fortress.

The gray exterior wall made of piled concrete had small windows here and there, and the camera continuously moved its lens as if to monitor all directions. Firearms were installed on the higher floors, so the muzzles of guns flickered.

“Wait a moment.”

Oh Jeong-hee approached the entrance alone and talked to the guard. He seemed to be in touch with the inside and soon returned and spoke to Lee Lee Se-min.

“Director, you can’t do it today, you want to talk about it tomorrow, is it okay if you stay for a day?”

I didn’t know if it was true, but Lee Lee Se-min nodded.

“Okay. I’m going to take the kids with me to report, so Jaeyoung and Lee Lee Se-min can take care of them separately. You can also find the knife.”

“All right.”

“When Lee Lee Se-min has time, meet Seongjun and hang out. He’s here. You two should become friends.”

That’s what he always said, even before the world turned upside down. Lee Lee Se-min chuckled. Oh Jeong-hee also smiled and led Black Armor into the headquarters building.

Lee Lee Se-min looked up at the building.

The scale was beyond imagination.

What on earth was going on here?

Then suddenly, Lee Lee Se-min realized that this building resembled something.

I couldn’t quite remember what the feeling came from, so I thought about the memory carefully.

“why?”

Hyeonjaeyoung asked.

“No. Just.”

While searching his memories, Lee Lee Se-min realized the identity of the déjà vu.

It was a temple I saw in another world.

Although they didn’t look alike, the feeling was somehow similar. Lee Lee Se-min turned towards Hyeonjaeyoung and tilted his head. He didn’t know why he thought that way.

First, I decided to look for lupus first.

“Give me the knife first.”

“okay.”

Hyeonjaeyoung guided Lee Lee Se-min to another building.

It was an annex building located a little distance away from the headquarters. When Hyeonjaeyoung appeared, the member guarding the place saluted. Hyeonjaeyoung nodded and then placed her palm to certify her visitation qualifications.

The door opened.

It was an armory.

Various weapons were listed by type, but there were no ordinary items. They were all luxury items full of antiquity.

Hyeonjaeyoung led Lee Lee Se-min underground.

It was a place where you could feel the chill.

“Lufus is a good sword. This place only collects really great swords.”

The weapons on display were unique.

Lee Lee Se-min suddenly saw a knife. I felt a different kind of excitement than lupus. It seemed like it was holding heat. Lee Lee Se-min picked it up and looked at the strange pattern engraved on the sword body.

“Are you okay? That’s what Seongjun hyung decided to receive.”

“Ahn Seongjun?”

“Yes. I am the team leader of another team.”

“Then that guy too….”

Lee Lee Se-min trailed off.

Seongjun Ahn belonged to Peacemaker, and Jeonghee Oh was the leader of Peacemaker.

Perhaps guessing what Lee Lee Se-min didn’t say, Hyeonjaeyoung said with a bitter smile.

“Use black auror.”

“okay.”

Lee Lee Se-min hung up the sword again.

Hyeonjaeyoung took out Rufus from inside.

It was the same as before.

The moment Lee Lee Se-min grasped the handle, the sword cried once, as if it had been waiting for him. Taijihye’s aura flowed into Rufus, and the strange energy contained in Rufus also flowed into Lee Lee Se-min.

Lee Lee Se-min realized once again that Rufus was his sword.

Numerous things that could be done with this sword were drawn on the palm of one’s hand.

“Good.”

Lee Lee Se-min put Rufus in the sheath and carried it on his back.

The weight felt good.

My heart felt lighter after embracing lupus again.

As he left the armory, Hyeon Jae-young handed over the old iron sword that Lee Se-min had been using to the guard.

“Would you like to eat something?”

In response to Hyeonjaeyoung’s question, Lee Lee Se-min thought for a moment and then said.

“Where is Eugene?”

“He’s probably working. So, shall we go from there?”

“okay.”

I climbed over the wall again twice. The scenery changed every time I passed it. When we reached the outside, we could see ordinary people again. They seemed to be in charge of various types of labor.

“They must be distributing clothing.”

“rationing?”

“Everything is rationed here.”

Every time Hyeonjaeyoung passed by, ordinary people bowed their heads. When Lee Lee Se-min looked at them, Hyeonjaeyoung laughed.

“You’ll get used to it once you stay here.”

“Why are you like this?”

“The world has changed. People without Aurors can live by radars with Aurors. I guess that’s how they show their gratitude.”

Lee Lee Se-min once again felt a strange sense of heterogeneity from those words. Seeing the sight of people bowing their heads made Lee Lee Se-min feel bad, but Hyeonjaeyoung seemed fine.

Hyeonjaeyoung guided him to a small warehouse-like place.

There were all kinds of clothes piled up, all without labels.

People seemed to be sorting it out, but when Lee Lee Se-min and Hyeonjaeyoung entered, they stopped working. Hyeonjaeyoung waved his hand.

“Do what you’re doing.”

They hesitated and then started playing with their hands again.

Soon, a man who appeared to be the director of this place ran up to Hyeonjaeyoung, bowed his head deeply, and laughed.

“What brings you here?”

“Is Eugene’s older sister here?”

“Oh, there is. There is. Shall I call you?”

“yes.”

“I understand. But from what I heard, Mr. Eugene….”

“It’s okay. Just call me.”

“Ah, yes. I will colonize you now.”

He hurriedly ran somewhere again.

Soon Lee Yu-jin was called.

She spotted Lee Lee Se-min and opened her eyes wide. He looked alternately at the director, Hyeonjaeyoung, and Lee Lee Se-min who were standing next to him, then tried to lower his head hesitantly.

“Eujin, you don’t have to.”

She stopped.

“huh.”

Yujin Lee looked somewhat awkward.

Lee Lee Se-min took her out of the warehouse.

“Have a good time.”

The supervisor bowed his head from behind.

Hyeonjaeyoung walked a little away and made sure they could talk. Lee Lee Se-min walked with Lee Yu-jin and watched people moving carts.

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

When Lee Lee Se-min spoke, she laughed.

“Yes. You too.”

“What about here? Is it worth living there?”

“Well… it’s better than outside.”

There was silence between the two.

As the world changed, it seemed like all the topics between them disappeared.

Avoid mentioning things you want to avoid, such as how your family was doing. I keep quiet about sad and depressed things. Then, only an insignificant topic remained. Yujin Lee was the first to speak.

“Are you staying here now?”

“I don’t know yet.”

It seemed somewhat disappointing.

Lee Lee Se-min added with a grin.

“Why, please stay?”

“Then it’s good for me.”

“Why do I like you?”

“Because you have a problem?”

She said it as if it were a joke and laughed.

Lee Lee Se-min didn’t feel like those words were a joke.

“Is the back needed?”

“It’s a place where people live, so it might be different. It’s the same now as it was before. It’s even worse here.”

“Severe?”

“It’s a place where Aurors are the best, whether it’s the law or not….”

Yujin Lee glanced back at Hyeonjaeyoung, who was standing behind her. He was looking into the distance with his arms crossed. She smiled at Lee Lee Se-min again.

“Still, where are you alive?”

Suddenly, I remembered the Black Armor member who stabbed an ordinary person at the CCC’s base. He complained that he had made a mistake due to Heron’s habit. No one in Black Armor tried to stop him.

Even Hyeonjaeyoung was like that.

Lee Lee Se-min looked again at the Radar Management Bureau headquarters towering over the wall.

The grand gray building looked somewhat ominous.

“So, Lee Lee Se-min, you’re not staying here and you’re leaving?”

“I haven’t decided yet. I stopped by because I had something to see.”

“okay…….”

The conversation stopped again.

Lee Lee Se-min thought for a moment and then blurted out.

“Isn’t it almost lunch time now?”

***

The diet wasn’t bad.

Lee Lee Se-min finished eating with Yujin Lee and took her to work.

The man who was said to be the supervisor of the clothing distribution center treated Lee Yu-jin strangely cautiously. As she said, it may be because a person named Lee Lee Se-min appeared.

Lee Lee Se-min entered the lodging assigned to him, citing the reason that he wanted to rest for a while.

Hyeonjaeyoung told him that he would be in the next room, so if he wanted to go anywhere, he should call him. Lee Lee Se-min said he understood and pushed Hyeonjaeyoung away and closed the door.

The atmosphere here was somehow suspicious.

Lee Lee Se-min looked around the accommodation given to him. Considering the overall situation of Heron Base that I had seen so far, it was a room that could be said to be luxurious.

The bed had clean sheets, and the floor was clean and free of dust. Tea pots and tea bags were arranged on the table so that you could drink tea at any time.

But Lee Lee Se-min was not interested in such things.

He sat down at the dressing table.

A haggard face was reflected beyond the mirror.

Lee Lee Se-min lifted his chin and looked around at his face. I raised the corners of my mouth and made a grinning expression. It’s not bad either.

“Has your jaw line revived and made you look more handsome?”

Of course, I didn’t sit here to look at the state of my face.

Lee Lee Se-min took a deep sigh and closed his eyes.

And muttered something.

It was an unidentified language. He continued to chant something like a spell. At the same time, he raised the Taegeukhye and formed geometric shapes and otherworldly symbols in the air that even he could not understand.

Then letters appeared on the mirror.

We welcome the visit of Radar member Lee Lee Se-min.

Transcendent Network.

“This is a community that connects transcendents of all dimensions.”

“Oh, you’re doing some magic now?”

“For all your hard work, we will give you 100P as service!”

After the world nearly collapsed, Lee Lee Se-min was unable to properly use the transcendental network.

When the Internet was paralyzed, it was no longer possible to access it via cell phone or computer like before, and at best, people could only use a voice interface version through a walkie-talkie. However, it was very difficult to listen to each word with my ear.

So, I searched the tip board and learned a simple communication magic.

It was difficult.

As can be seen from the fact that there were more combat-type transcendents than wizards in the transcendental network, magic requires innate intelligence and intuition.

However, with the single intention of connecting to the transcendental network, Lee Lee Se-min mastered magic.

I still don’t know what the principle was, but it was the result of blindly following it over and over again.

“As expected, I am a genius.”

Lee Lee Se-min grinned and muttered deceiving words to himself.

When he used Taijihye according to the principles of magic, the mirror was transformed into a communication tool.

If there was a receiver, you will be able to communicate over a long distance.

However, there was no such person, at least not within the range allowed by Lee Lee Se-min’s magic skills.

But it doesn’t matter.

He didn’t learn this magic to meet someone on Earth.

Lee Lee Se-min looked at the mirror and thought about what he wanted.

Then it appeared.

Transcendent Network.

We welcome the visit of Radar member Lee Lee Se-min.

Transcendent Network.

“This is a community that connects transcendents of all dimensions.”

“Oh, you’re doing some magic now?”

“For all your hard work, we will give you 100P as service!”

The always kind Transcendent Network showed him a small sincerity.

For 100 pointed, you can read one more post on the tip bulletin board.

It didn’t mean much since I had a lot of remaining pointed, but I was still satisfied with being able to read an article for free.

The reason he logged on now was to read a tip post.

“Let’s see….”

The interface was no different from when accessing the Internet. When writing, it was actually more convenient because the sentences he was thinking of were printed out automatically.

Lee Lee Se-min accessed the bulletin board first.

Lee Lee Se-min spoke about the situation on Earth after his world was turned upside down, and the Transcendents gave him their own advice.

It didn’t help much.

Since they were basically old people who had lived for a long time, their comments eventually turned into stories about their own sagas.

Stories like the self-made story of having had one’s parents and siblings murdered in front of one’s eyes and rising to the current position by practicing martial arts to avenge it, the story of the ‘I was like that’ type of story, reciting the past and saying that the dark times when the devil came out of his dimension were no different from the situation that Lee Se-min was facing now, and the story of the passionate, omnipotent style of saying that everything can be overcome with effort and determination continued.

Still, Fersen and Imunkazer, who were close to him, did mention practical help.

“Sword Demon Fersen: What should I do with Lee Lee Se-min? If it’s dangerous, call my brother. ㅜㅜ Even if I lose all my points, I’ll use my super special move ‘Grand Sword Blaster Hurricane’~~~ㅋ”

Dragon Lord Imunkazer: Suffer your troubles, I have quite a few points, I will give you a breath and disappear. If a crisis arises, call your brother,,,~~~~!!!!!

Just like when Iana and Dokgocheonma visited, a huge amount of pointed were consumed to directly appear in another dimension.

As their influence directly involved in the world increased, point consumption also increased proportionally.

If this was the level of help they were talking about, the moment they use their skills once, all their pointed will be consumed and they will be immediately thrown back to their original level.

Lee Lee Se-min only gratefully accepted their hearts.

The advice that truly touched him was the words of Brother Dokgo Cheonma.

Dokgocheonma answered briefly.

The best horse of all time, Dokgocheonma: Become stronger.

Lee Lee Se-min thought that those words contained everything.

It was the world he lived in, and the life he had to overcome.

Lee Lee Se-min himself must become strong.

However, in order to save the world that had already been devastated by demonic beasts, he did not know how much stronger he had to become or what he should do with his stronger power.

“Whoa.”

Lee Lee Se-min threw away his idle thoughts and remembered the purpose of logging in.

After briefly posting a survival report, I moved on to the tip bulletin board.

He logged on to learn martial arts.

And it wasn’t Dokgocheonma’s martial arts.

“A neck falling silently, death without a shadow. “No regrets.”

It’s so pretentious that you can tell who it belongs to right from the title.

It was Muyeongsal brother Dam Woo-gwang’s martial arts skills.

Dam Woo-gwang, the best killer in the world, flows in without a shadow, cuts off the enemy’s head, and disappears leisurely. The death he gave was so absolute that it can be called heavenly destiny!

Brother Damwoogwang explained himself.

I don’t know if it’s real, but in any case, he was someone who was recognized in the Transcendent Network when it came to the art of hiding and erasing presence.

Lee Lee Se-min was already learning the art of hiding, but in order to hide better, he purchased Muyeonggyeol, which Dam Woo-gwang calls himself the ultimate in stealth.

Consume 100P to receive ‘Neck falling silently, death without shadow. You have purchased the ‘No Yeonggyeol ()’ post.”

“Are you going to a women’s bathhouse somewhere?”

“Please become a just thief!”

It seemed like the Transcendant network interface was getting more and more annoying these days.

Lee Lee Se-min ignored it, raised his taijihye, rotated his head as quickly as possible, and practiced his technique.

It was not an easy martial art.

However, as I applied the realization I gained while learning Jamyeonghaeng to Muyeonggyeol, I started to get a feel for it.

His appearance became increasingly blurred.

Lee Lee Se-min left the room and walked through the hallway through Muyeonggyeol.

There weren’t many people around the accommodation during the day. Then, he spotted a Black Armor member passing by and projected himself onto the wall.

He didn’t know anything as he passed by Lee Lee Se-min.

It seemed like he was completely unaware that anyone was there.

Lee Lee Se-min was impressed.

Brother Dam Woo-gwang was also a transcendental person.

No, you can say this was two or three tunes.

Then, Lee Lee Se-min saw Hyeonjaeyoung come out of the room. As Lee Lee Se-min continued to stay in the room, he seemed to be curious. He was thinking about something and was listening to Lee Lee Se-min’s door.

Lee Lee Se-min showed his presence.

“What are you doing?”

“Wow!”

Hyeonjaeyoung turned around in surprise.

“Oh, no, he kept not coming out from inside, so I thought he was sleeping.”

“I looked around the building.”

“When did you get here? I didn’t see you when I just looked around?”

“I move at Mach speed.”

Lee Lee Se-min checked the time.

It was lunch time when I entered the room, but after learning Muyeonggyeol, it was already dinner time.

“Let’s go have dinner.”

“Oh, yes.”

Hyeonjaeyoung guided Lee Lee Se-min.

The restaurant was different from the place I had lunch with Yujin Lee. At that time, except for Lee Lee Se-min and Hyeonjaeyoung, most of them were ordinary people, but this time, all the people who went there were Black Armor members.

The sight of black auror traces emerging from the restaurant was somehow annoying to the eyes.

“why?”

“No, because I don’t want to see it.”

“what?”

“There is such a thing.”

Lee Lee Se-min looked at the plate given to him and lifted his chopsticks.

The diet was completely different.

What I ate with Lee Yu-jin were canned food and cold loaves of bread suitable for a destroyed world, meager food no different from what he had eaten in the bases he had passed through.

But here, wonderful dishes that were difficult to eat even in the old world were served.

He remembered the two walls he had seen.

It must had been a fence dividing classes.

Lee Lee Se-min bit into the steaming meat with an uncomfortable feeling.

It was demonic fish.

Well, there were a lot of demonic beasts in this world. The food problem can be solved by using witch hazel for food. Lee Lee Se-min chuckled and shoved the meat into his mouth again.

“You’re Black Mark Lee Lee Se-min, right?”

The Black Armor member sitting next to me asked.

“But.”

“Ah, as expected. Are you coming to our base this time?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Hyeonjaeyoung was watching their conversation.

The agent said with a smile.

“If you have time, let’s spar….”

Lee Lee Se-min chuckled.

This was why he was fundamentally displeased with the Black Armor guys.

Their Jinshin skills were at a miserable level. Most of them were blue and green marks that did not even reach gold, let alone platinum marks.

However, it gains a black aura and exerts even more power than that.

Then they seemed to delude themselves.

His actual skills and level were at the bottom, but he seemed to believe that he had really become stronger by obtaining the Black Auror, and he exudes a desire to compete against Lee Lee Se-min.

The member of Black Armor, who was beaten to the point where his teeth were knocked out by Lee Lee Se-min at that time, must had acted bravely in that context as well.

Taegeukhye reacted to Lee Lee Se-min’s emotions and revealed them.

His deadly force was compressed and fired at the Black Armor member sitting next to him.

The agent’s complexion turned pale.

Beneath the table, Daewon’s legs began to tremble like aspen trees.

Lee Lee Se-min extended his chopsticks toward his plate. He could not react and remained frozen. Lee Lee Se-min took a large piece of meat from his plate and put it in his mouth.

“when?”

Lee Lee Se-min asked.

He spoke slowly while gritting his teeth.

“Oh, no. You must be busy, but I thought wrong.”

Lee Lee Se-min’s life stopped.

“Heo-eok, heo-eok.”

He lowered his head and took a deep breath.

The surrounding Black Armor members, including Hyeonjaeyoung, were quietly watching the scene. There was less talking around the table where they were sitting. Only the sound of Lee Lee Se-min chomping down and swallowing his food echoed in the background from the laughter at the distant table.

At that time, someone placed a hand on Lee Lee Se-min’s shoulder.

“Why are you so quiet? Are you holding weight?”

It was a lively voice.

When Lee Lee Se-min turned his head, there was a familiar face.

Strictly speaking, this face itself was not that familiar, but I was familiar with other faces that resembled this face, so it felt like the other person was also familiar.

So Bang Yu-bi’s younger brother, Bang Jin-young, was standing there.

“uh?”

“Radar. It’s been a while.”

“Why are you here?”

“Yes, I joined Black Armor too. There were no handsome men, but it was the same at my previous company, so I adapted quickly.”

She said with a grin.

Lee Lee Se-min asked.

“Well, what about your sister?”

Jinyoung Bang raised his eyebrows strangely.

“Yes. My older sister, Bang Yubi, I don’t really pay attention to, but she’s probably at the Iron Mage’s base.”

“okay.”

“Why are you asking that?”

“Why do you ask why I ask?”

“Just like that.”

“It’s just me too.”

“All right.”

At that moment, the man sitting next to Lee Lee Se-min who had mentioned sparring stood up with a pale face, holding a tray of food.

Jinyoung Bang sat there.

She immediately joined the conversation naturally, playing with her spoon.

“Did Team Leader Hyeonjaeyoung bring you here?”

“It’s similar.”

“As expected, Raider, you are very loyal.”

When she intervened, the stiff atmosphere from earlier eased. Black Armor’s members began talking among themselves again.

Lee Lee Se-min nodded.

“If you don’t have loyalty, you’re not Lee Lee Se-min.”

“It’s cool. After all, I don’t think anyone gets a black mark.”

“You have to be loyal to be chosen by Black Mark. If you live with righteousness and morality, you too can become like me.”

“I’ve never met someone who gets along so well with Landace. I guess the way he speaks varies from person to person. I respect him.”

“Of course.”

“Awesome. What do I need to do to become as great as Radar?”

“It’s not an easy path, but if you want to know, I’ll tell you.”

“I really want to know.”

Perhaps because it was difficult to listen to their increasingly bizarre conversation, Hyeonjaeyoung stood up with a shaky expression on her face.

“I’ll go out and wait, bro. Let’s talk slowly and come back.”

“okay.”

When Hyunjaeyoung went out, Bang Jinyoung kept his mouth shut.

She engrossed herself in eating in silence.

The atmosphere suddenly changed.

Jinyoung Bang, who was chewing his food, spoke softly.

“Raider is so loyal, but I feel sorry for my younger brother because he doesn’t seem to be so loyal.”

Lee Lee Se-min looked at her.

Jinyoung Bang was still looking down at the food tray.

She crunched a grain of rice with her chopsticks.

“It’s a world like this, so there’s nothing we can do. I guess that’s what happens to me, right?”

Lee Lee Se-min couldn’t answer what he said.

Lee Lee Se-min emptied all the food on his plate and stood up.

Jinyoung Bang said.

“Radar, please be careful.”

Lee Lee Se-min looked down at her.

Suddenly, the image of Bang Yu-bi overlapped his small head. Lee Lee Se-min chuckled and ruffled her hair.

“Oh, what is it?”

“This great Raider knows everything, so you don’t have to worry.”

***

Night had come.

Lee Lee Se-min silenced his voice with his Aura and left the dorm.

After confirming that Hyeonjaeyoung in the next room was completely asleep, I passed the Black Armor member standing watch in the hallway and went out of the dorm.

I took a deep breath of cold air.

The night sky remained unchanged.

Lee Lee Se-min crossed the wall through the sky and came out to the outermost area of ​​Heron Base. It was a place where ordinary people live. He observed their daily lives continuing even after the lights went out.

The children couldn’t sleep and whined.

The mother hugged her child and told him an old story.

In an age where civilization had collapsed, how long ago must the story of the Humpbacked Old Man feel to children?

Would a goblin bat with gold and silver feel precious?

The night got deeper.

Black Armor members appeared in the realm of the general public.

A more depressing scene unfolded.

The method here was no different from that of primitive times.

Those without Auras survive by the mercy of those who can use Auras.

What humanity had built up became a facade and was torn away.

From afar, the long cries of a demonic beast rang out.

Lee Lee Se-min turned around.

I climbed over the wall again.

I stood in front of the Heron base headquarters.

It filled his vision like a citadel. The huge, aging building with cracks and stains looked like the remnants of a lost civilization. Infrared cameras installed here and there were alert in all directions, their red eyes flashing.

He walked through the air and sneaked inside through the open window.

The stench became thicker.

It’s the smell of black aurors.

Cameras were monitoring movement in every hallway. Lee Lee Se-min hid himself without any warning and used the blind spot to advance.

Lee Lee Se-min knew where to go.

It’s underground.

I could feel a terrible black aura there.

He found the stairs and went down. The stairs continued continuously, but were blocked at the boundary between the ground level and the basement level.

To get through there, you must verify your identity by placing your palm on the device.

It was the same device that Hyeonjaeyoung used when passing through the armory.

Lee Lee Se-min closed his eyes and expanded his energy. I felt a presence nearby. When I headed there, there was a room with light coming through the window.

I quietly opened the door.

A man wearing glasses was organizing something.

He continued to record the numbers that appeared on the monitor and analyzed them through another computing device. Lee Lee Se-min raised his eyesight and checked the identification card he was wearing around his neck.

It was not a low position.

I checked the route leading from this room to the basement. Two cameras were watching. Lee Lee Se-min moved quickly and tore them off. He then immediately burst into the room and knocked the man unconscious.

I dragged him and pressed my palm against the door.

The door opened.

Lee Lee Se-min carried him around and went down.

Several members of Black Armor were leaning against the wall and chatting among themselves. After putting down the unconscious researcher, they rushed towards them and hit their neck, knocking one of them to the ground. The other one looked shocked and tried to shout, but Lee Lee Se-min grabbed his neck first.

He was grabbed by the neck and struggled without even making a sound.

Lee Lee Se-min hit him in the solar plexus and knocked him out.

The researcher’s body was brought back and the door was opened.

The road continued downward.

From then on, there were no more mechanical locks. There were occasionally members of Black Armor, but after he knocked out one more group, there was no one to stop him. Lee Lee Se-min put down the researcher and went inside alone.

Lee Lee Se-min stood in front of the huge door.

A terrible smell was coming from beyond.

It was a force that had been getting on his nerves ever since he arrived at this base.

The door opened by itself.

[It’s rude to come to me at night without warning.]

There was a director there.

***

[Why is your expression like that? Laugh.]

Lee Lee Se-min was speechless for a moment as he looked at him.

There was a hint of laughter in the director’s voice.

[Are you surprised?]

Lee Lee Se-min watched his face, and then he opened his mouth.

“little.”

[So let’s meet tomorrow.]

“I wanted to talk to you while looking at your face.”

[What do you think?]

“It’s a bit like that.”

The director was floating inside the capsule.

His face was that of an old man.

But the body was not human.

His face was stuck in the center of an unidentifiable black lump of flesh. Tentacle-like things were waving around the flesh, and things like the face and hands and feet of a monster that seemed to had been created, and internal organs and body organs that could only exist in the body, swayed along the water current inside the capsule. As he grinned, the mouth of the beast hanging above his head opened.

“you are…….”

While Lee Lee Se-min was about to ask how this happened, he realized that it was not necessary.

So Lee Lee Se-min asked something else.

“Are others like you?”

Black aura was flowing from his body. Lee Lee Se-min had stronger energy than anyone he had ever met.

While Oh Jeong-hee was hoarding black auras with her advanced skills, the director could not handle the black power that was constantly being generated and was spraying it out in all directions.

[Someday.]

Lee Lee Se-min’s face hardened.

The director laughed out loud. The voice coming out of the speaker imitated a human’s voice, but the laughter was no different from the cries of a demonic beast.

[Don’t worry too much. Because it can delay the process indefinitely. Even though I ended up like this, strictly speaking, it is proof that the research was successful. Think and talk like a human, right?]

“I don’t think so. So did you open the shelter when Black Castle appeared?”

The director smiled again.

[Because we are human, we can do that.]

“I didn’t come here to play with words.”

[I apologize for what happened then. I couldn’t help it. Since this happened right before the research was completed, the base had to be protected somehow. As a result, I was able to protect people thanks to you stopping Black Castle, so I am grateful.]

Lee Lee Se-min sighed.

There were many things I wanted to ask the director, but when I looked at him, it seemed like all of them lost their meaning.

It was the director who spoke again.

[I’m sorry about your parents.]

“What do you mean?”

[I was protecting you because I thought I could lure you in. I was planning to take them to Heron, but there were stronger demonic beasts than I expected, so the crew wasn’t enough. All the crew members are also dead.]

The house was in ruins, and the body was never found.

I guessed that it had been eaten by a demonic beast.

It was that kind of era.

I was used to loss, and the sadness was infinitely faint.

“What is your purpose in doing this?”

[It’s the purpose, you can’t tell even when you look at it.]

“I want to hear it for myself.”

[I am an ordinary person. Being ordinary means being like other people.]

He turned his head to the side. Then a screen appeared in the air. It was a hologram. Beyond that, the landscapes of other countries began to emerge.

It was America.

A huge hemispherical dome stretched out over the wilderness.

It was a wall without substance.

Lee Lee Se-min realized that it was the fantasy barrier he had seen in the ruins of the other world.

The screen was divided into several. Such refuges existed throughout the American continent. Demonic beasts wandered around, but could not invade.

Just as the aliens did, the United States was protecting the survivors by recreating the barrier.

The screen immediately appeared as a lump.

It was the dragon heart that was the center of the barrier.

[America searched the ruins of the other world to find crystals of power, and succeeded in creating a barrier for the other world using magic stone technology.]

“I guess so.”

[You react as if you knew.]

“A little bit.”

[Anyway, thanks to your help in the subjugation war, we also received one. We plan to install a barrier as soon as the base is stabilized. It will be the last bastion on the Korean Peninsula.]

“Is that going to last?”

[I wish so, but nothing is permanent in this world.]

The screen changed again. It was China. The raiders there were chewing on unidentified pills and fighting against demonic beasts.

[They survive by taking drugs made from magic stones. It’s not as efficient as the black auror, but it still seems to hold up somehow.]

Scenes from other countries came to mind again.

Some places were completely wiped out and became the land of demonic beasts, while others were seen hiding underground and surviving.

Humanity was living on its own.

[They and I are aiming for the same thing.]

“…….”

[Survival of mankind.]

The words that someone who no longer had human form would protect humanity somehow sounded empty.

[There will be side effects. As you have seen, people are no longer equal. Even if we do that, we will maintain humanity. Because heaven exists only in the heart, and this world is closer to hell.]

“You don’t have to make excuses to me.”

[There is a need for that. I want you to join us.]

The director said with a grin.

Lee Lee Se-min stared into the eyes of the old man buried in the swollen body of the demon beast.

Many thoughts passed by.

They asked questions.

“They gathered outlaws.”

[Because we need radar.]

“I heard that no matter what you do to civilians, you won’t be held accountable.”

[Because I have to collect at least some trash.]

“Black Armor uses civilians as playthings.”

[Because desire is the biggest driving force.]

“It looks like trash.”

[Because humans are inherently that kind of species.]

Lee Lee Se-min gritted his teeth.

“Why do you want to protect such a species?”

[It is my duty.]

“Don’t you think the method is wrong?”

[I accept it.]

“Is this the best?”

[It’s the best.]

“I have no intention of changing it.”

[Of course.]

“Then.”

Lee Lee Se-min asked him the question he wanted to ask the most.

“Do you think humanity will survive until the end?”

The expression fell from the smiling director’s face.

He answered without hesitation, but was silent for a moment.

The old man smiled again and answered.

[no.]

Lee Lee Se-min looked at his wrinkled face, then turned his gaze back to his body swollen with magical cells.

I wasn’t sure if his reason was working properly or if his arguments were based on the truth. That old man’s mind may already be polluted and he may believe that what was wrong was right. The system here may be nothing more than a means to satisfy his ugly desires.

But there was also no alternative.

Lee Lee Se-min couldn’t figure it out.

[Would you like to join me?]

“I don’t like it.”

[I guess my persuasion wasn’t enough.]

“You don’t really have a face you want to be with, do you?”

[Think slowly. Because there is enough time. You too will soon change your mind.]

“Do you want to get plastic surgery?”

[ha ha ha. I like that about you.]

The director turned his gaze away from Lee Lee Se-min and looked at the door beyond.

[It’s coming.]

The door opened.

Black Armor members swarmed in and surrounded Lee Lee Se-min. Their spirit was ferocious. Lee Lee Se-min also did not lose and smiled belligerently as he picked up Rufus.

[Stop.]

At his single word, the black aurors of the Black Armor crew subsided.

Lee Lee Se-min also lost his temper and developed lupus.

[This friend is talking to me, so put away your weapon.]

“Did you listen to that guy? I’m having a meeting, so get out of there.”

The Black Armor member who was in the lead glared at Lee Lee Se-min once and spoke to the director.

“Director. I have something else to report to you.”

[Is it urgent?]

“Yes.”

[Then just say it.]

He glanced sideways at Lee Lee Se-min and continued speaking.

“A gate has opened near the Iron Mage’s base.”

[You probably didn’t come to me directly for that reason, so please go into more detail.]

“That…”

He swallowed and spoke.

“It is presumed to be a disaster beast.”

Everyone was silent.

People divided harmful beasts into various classes based on radar marks.

However, disaster beasts do not belong among them. Instead of creating a new level within harmful demons, people created a new category called disaster demons.

that.

The level was different.

That was the disaster beast.

“All of Black Armor, including the leader, are on standby.”

The Black Armor member said with a stern face.

There was a tendency to sortie at any moment.

But the director said something different.

[No, I’m not going.]

Lee Lee Se-min looked at him.

The director was smiling at Lee Lee Se-min.

[We will not save the Iron Mage’s base.]