Chapter 54

It was 5 o'clock on a Saturday morning.

Before the sunrise, Hajoon was traveling in the association president's car, heading somewhere.

"Yaaawn~ Hmph-"

Hajoon stretched and yawned in the president's car.

However, in contrast to Hajoon's relaxed expression, the president Kim Jeongyong looked worried.

This worry came from what Hajoon had asked him the night before.

Kim Jeongyong carefully turned his head towards Hajoon and started to speak.

"Are you really sure about this? Going by yourself..."

It's not that he didn't trust Hajoon's abilities.

But, breaking into the villain's headquarters alone was a different matter.

"This time, the two villains you captured, Hajoon, were thought to be A-rank threats. Of course, we're not doubting your skills, given you managed to capture such dangerous villains alive, but wouldn't it be risky to go by yourself?"

When Kim Jeongyong found out that the estimated threat level of the two villains Hajoon captured was A-rank, he couldn't help but feel more shocked.

From A-rank onwards, they're seen as threats on par with earthquakes or tsunamis and are typically recommended for immediate execution.

Furthermore, during interrogation, they learned that the organization known as the Altar had six more such people. How could he not be worried?

"Do you want to think it over again?"

"Ah, well... It's fine."

Of course, Hajoon's answer was indifferent.

Obviously, he was only thinking about finishing this quickly and getting back to the academy.

About an hour later, they arrived at an unusually normal two-story house, which was apparently the villain's headquarters.

"You might find it hard to believe, but the interrogation results, using the association agent's skill, pointed us to this location."

"Hmm..."

Hajoon started to check out the outside of the house.

A place that looked normal no matter where you look.

However, to Hajoon's eyes, this place was familiar.

It was a place that presented a twist in the Haruna Ruel episode.

It was here where Zehar first showed that he was the main villain of Haruna Ruel's episode.

Hajoon immediately turned his head and said to the president.

"Please wait a moment."

"Ah, Hajoon. Aren't you going to use that artifact?"

He was referring to the artifact that the president had given him before.

Hajoon pulled out the artifact given by the president from his pocket.

The artifact looked like a plain bandage.

[Perception Obstruction Bandage]

Rank: Rare

Attribute: {Mosaic}

Description: Creates a mosaic on a part of your choosing when used.

The Perception Obstruction Bandage.

Its power was simple.

After wrapping the bandage around your arm and thinking of a specific part, a basic power that creates a mosaic in that area would be activated.

The issue was that it was hard to control exactly as you wanted.

'There's no recoil, so I can use it...'

Would you say I naturally lack skill in using artifacts?

Even when I think about my face, the mosaic keeps appearing on my lower body. Although I can use it, I couldn't use it correctly.

"Shouldn't you cover your face just in case something happens?"

"Uh, um...."

Hajoon made a slightly awkward face but wrapped the bandage around his arm anyway.

After all, it felt weird not to use it in front of the person who had paid a substantial amount for it.

"It will be done soon, so please wait a bit."

"Huh? It'll be done soon....!? Ah, no...."

In an instant, Hajoon, who had been in front of the association chairman, vanished.

Taken aback, the chairman blinked his eyes and simply waited quietly in front of the house.

After activating Time Stop (SSS), Hajoon headed towards a room that looked like a library on the first floor.

Hajoon took a moment to recall his past memories.

'Hmm, was it black? Or was it blue?'

He was sure that in the game, when Zehar pressed a certain book, stairs leading to the basement showed up...

Well, I'm not some fanatical user who played this Haruna Ruel obsessively, I just played it now and then to pass the time. I can't possibly remember all of it.

Hajoon decided to just deactivate the Time Stop (SSS), then pulled out Maharazu and began to strike the bookshelf randomly.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Creak-

Then, as if a button was pushed, the bookshelf opened like a door, revealing the staircase leading down to the basement.

Hajoon grinned and activated Time Stop (SSS) again, descending into the basement.

Upon descending, he found himself in a dark room filled with the smell of snuffed out candles.

Hajoon quickly scanned the room before continuing further in.

"Is it there...?"

Soon, he discovered a figure with six wings shaped like a person and an altar positioned in front of it.

Next to it was a massive stone gate.

A gate emitting a somewhat dark purple aura.

Hajoon was sure that this gate led to the headquarters and moved towards it again.

Just then.

Thud-

"Hmm?"

He tried to step through the gate, but strangely, he couldn't.

Was it simply blocked?

Hajoon reached out to the gate, trying to get through, but it was as if an invisible wall stopped him from moving forward.

Looking blankly at the gate, Hajoon thought.

A week had passed since the incident, it was unlikely that the altar was unprepared. Most likely after Zehar died, they immediately shut the gate from the headquarters.

"Hmm... Well-"

Regrettably, Hajoon had no choice but to turn back.

If they had locked the entrance from the headquarters, there was no way for him to do anything at the moment. Staying here would also be wasting time.

Hajoon deactivated the Time Stop (SSS) once more and reached out to confirm the condition of the gate before turning his back on it. It wasn't as if there was anything especially interesting here.

Staying here would be wasting time, he thought.

Just then.

-Master.

Philaten, the curse inside Maharazu, spoke to Hajoon after a long time.

-Someone is coming.

A few minutes later.

Through the gate came six people, their faces hidden by hoods and their hands tied with rope, escorted by a group of four wearing black priest robes.

The six people began shaking with fear at the sight of the robed figures.

Truthfully, they couldn't remember why they were here or who these robed individuals were.

At that point, one of the men in priest robes started speaking while looking at the tied-up individuals.

"How should we deal with these guys?"

"Kill them here and close the gate. Now that Lord Zehar's magic has been undone, we can't leave them alive."

"I can't believe that he's suddenly gone…"

"According to Riall, except for Dorje, the other two high priests are still alive, so we need to find them quickly. They surely wouldn't have been caught by the Association and are likely hiding somewhere."

Neither the Association nor anyone else knew the specifics. No matter how unusual the situation, they couldn't believe that all the high priests, including Zehar, were dead.

Moreover, since one of the pillars, Riall, had said that the other two high priests were still alive, it was concluded that they must have escaped the irregular.

"End them and scatter to find the high priests. I will take care of the Child of Everything."

With those words, the priests began to hold knives to the throats of the captured people.

As they realized they were about to be killed, the captives shook with fear.

Then it happened.

A bright light, which shouldn't exist in this dark space, lit up the entire area.

As the light shone, the priests began to slowly turn their heads towards its source in surprise.

And the moment they saw the hammer at the center of the light...

The priests began to be filled with fear, their faces shocked.

"Th-, the Irregular…"

The beast known for killing Zehar, one of the pillars of the altar.

The beast began to approach them, slowly, with the hammer in hand.

"H-, how did he get here... D-, don't move!"

Soon, they quickly understood the situation, held the knives to the hostages' throats, and started shouting.

When the hostages, whose sight was hidden by hoods and unaware of the situation, were shaking, Hajoon just calmly looked at them and activated Time Stop (SSS).

At the same time.

"Ugh-!"

"Gah!!"

Thud- Thump- Thud-

Apart from the priest who seemed to be the leader, everyone else fell, choking on their own blood as the knives they were holding stabbed into their hearts.

"H-, how could this..."

As the lone priest was shaking in disbelief at the unfolding events,

"That's strange?"

A voice from a boy was heard from behind him.

The lone priest quickly turned his head and saw the boy touching the gate repeatedly.

The priest was filled with fear.

No one other than the priests of the altar could use the gate. However, if this beast could go through the gate to their headquarters, he would undoubtedly cause tremendous damage.

The priest, thinking he couldn't leave even a small margin of error, immediately shouted to someone on the other side of the gate.

"Close the Gate!! Hurry!!"

The moment his voice was heard, Hajoon's head slowly started to turn towards him.

The priest, who felt a breath-taking pressure, began to slowly back away, his body shaking.

Then the boy started muttering to himself quietly as he looked at the priest.

"Um..., should I leave at least one person alive?"

"...?"

The priest's face began to tighten.

He didn't understand the intention of the irregular.

Was he saying that he would spare his life?

At that unexpected act, the priest was surprised.

Then, the boy opened his mouth while looking at the priest.

"Deliver it to the remaining two pillars."

At the same time, the boy disappeared again.

Simultaneously, with a thud sound, the priest's two legs broke and he fell forward.

Soon after, the priest who felt the gaze began to slowly lift his head with a terror-filled face.

The boy was looking down at the priest with dry eyes.

The boy's dreadfully low voice echoed in the cavern.

"Tell them I have the Child of Everything."

"?!!"

The boy disappeared again with that statement.

Thud-

And again, the bone-chilling sound rang out, and the priest's two hands were smashed.

"Argh!!"

When the priest, with his legs and hands smashed, was sweating in pain, the boy grabbed the priest's arm and started dragging him to the front of the Gate.

"Argh!!!"

When his smashed legs were dragged along the ground, writhing in pain.

He had arrived in front of the Gate before he knew it, and the boy pushed the priest into the Gate and warned him with his last words.

"Tell them to come themselves if they want to get back the Child of Everything."