Chapter 422: Chapter 422

A room filled with large electronic devices.

The air conditioner was running at full blast, but the room was still hot, filled with the whirring of cooling fans, electronic beeps, and other noises.

“…Finally made contact. So far, so good.”

…a man’s voice echoed through the room.

In the center of the room, lined with expensive supercomputers,

A man clad in a sleek, metallic suit, its surface glowing with a faint, otherworldly light, like intricate circuits.

“So, this is ‘Odin’s Eye’. It’s… surprisingly useful.”

It was Hesperon, fully equipped with his Titan suit, which he had summoned from his subspace storage.

He clicked his tongue, impressed, as he looked at the satellite images displayed on his HUD, hacked and accessed through 「Cybernetic Eye: Callicas」.

He had been testing out ‘Odin’s Eye’, a new feature added to the Karma Shop after its recent upgrade, linking it to the satellite network… and it was definitely worth the Karma cost.

‘…It can see through most magic and barriers, and unlike Andrew’s “Trajectory Observation”, it’s not limited by the target’s level.’

It was practically an enhanced version of his unique skill.

To think he could use such a powerful ability just by paying Karma points…

It was limited to Earth, and the continuous Karma consumption was a bit… steep… but if he used it in conjunction with his other abilities, he could maximize its efficiency.

After all, he had just successfully completed a task thanks to the information Andrew had gathered.

‘…Even if I only use it to verify information, it’s still worth the cost.’

He closed his eyes, his gaze still fixed on a small, abandoned house in rural Vietnam, displayed on his HUD.

He focused his senses, connecting to Ken’s perception through 「Chains of the Oath」, his right arm, and transmitted his instructions.

-“Don’t make too much of a fuss, even if they provoke you. Just… appease them and then bring them to the designated location. And… try to… build a rapport with them. They’re quite capable, despite their… current situation.”

-“…Ugh, this is so… Hella-nim’s style. Is this my fate… to be surrounded by such… demanding masters…?”

Ken, receiving his orders, grumbled, his tone filled with a hint of… annoyance.

But he wasn't exactly… offended by being ordered around by a stranger.

…he was back on Earth, thanks to Hesperon, who had summoned him.

‘…And he promised to give me some… free time on Earth if I complete the mission.’

He chuckled softly, remembering Ken’s reaction when he first arrived on Earth.

He had been so confused, so… disoriented, that he had repeatedly checked his surroundings, wondering if he was being… mentally manipulated, or if this was even… Earth.

If he hadn’t intervened with 「Chains of the Oath」, it would have taken him a lot longer to… calm down and head towards his destination.

‘…He’s a demon, after all. He should be able to… assess the enemy’s strength more accurately. And even if something unexpected happens, he can buy us some time.’

And he could also delegate the… tedious task of gathering information in Southeast Asia to him.

Hesperon, having observed the ‘Burning Torch’ members through Ken’s eyes, opened his eyes and looked around.

A room filled with advanced computers and servers, a high-tech facility that would be difficult for ordinary people to access.

It was a workspace created exclusively for him,

…to maximize the efficiency of 「Cybernetic Eye: Callicas」, one of his unique skills.

‘…The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I can’t let them be destroyed .’

The ‘Burning Torch’, a secret organization that had somehow managed to survive despite being targeted by Heaven’s Turn Society… their skills and abilities were undeniable.

By cooperating with them, he could not only fight more effectively against Heaven’s Turn Society, but also acquire valuable information.

But contacting them hadn’t been easy.

Their leadership, weakened by their recent clashes with Heaven’s Turn Society, had scattered and gone into hiding.

It was their usual modus operandi, operating in the shadows like guerrillas… but their current situation made it even more difficult to track them down.

They were desperate, their survival at stake.

‘…So, I had to find them before Heaven’s Turn Society did…’

And that was where Hesperon and this facility came in.

A high-tech data center, equipped with supercomputers incorporating technology and materials from other worlds, acquired discreetly through his various connections.

Its construction cost had been… astronomical… but money wasn’t a problem for him.

He had already established a solid foundation through Howard Industry, a legitimate business, so setting up a few secret bases wasn’t a big deal.

The lights on the devices flickered and pulsed, the energy flowing through the wires connecting them to Titan, the central hub.

「Cybernetic Eye: Callicas」, a cybernetic implant that had become one with him, evolving alongside him, a… mechanical spirit, in a sense.

And Titan, a marvel of magic engineering, synchronized with the AI, its capabilities far surpassing its original design.

It wasn't just exchanging electrical signals, it was… enhancing the performance of the connected devices, pushing them beyond their limits, into the realm of magic.

‘…Their security is impressive. I’ll need more preparation to bypass it. …Well, as offensive technology advances, so does defensive technology.’

Of course, replicating otherworldly technology on Earth required a massive amount of resources, so only a few organizations had such advanced security systems.

Data, from satellites, wired networks, wireless communication channels… everything related to his target areas was pouring into the system, an endless stream of information.

Fragments of data, too fragmented and distorted for ordinary supercomputers to process, practically useless…

…but 「Cybernetic Eye: Callicas」, a self-evolving AI, a technological marvel, processed the data torrent with ease, utilizing the connected devices.

A being capable of wielding power beyond the limitations of this world, its influence amplified by Earth’s relatively advanced technology.

Hesperon closed his eyes,

…maximizing 「Cybernetic Eye: Callicas」’s processing power, to avoid missing even a single clue amidst the flood of information.

Ken, glancing at the four people moving busily around him, massaged the back of his neck.

‘…Heaven’s Turn Society… and the Burning Torch…’

They were both unfamiliar names.

Of course, even if he had returned to Earth on time, he wouldn’t have been involved with such… secretive organizations.

‘…Who is he? How did he summon me from the Demon World? And what is he even doing?’

Hesperon, the man who had summoned him, was a mystery.

He seemed to have been on Earth for a while, judging by his familiarity with the situation and his ability to command him and deal with the secret organizations…

…as if he had been fighting them for a long time.

‘…He can’t possibly be traveling between worlds freely.’

He dismissed the possibility, following his common sense, and then sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Well, it didn't matter anymore.

He had no choice since the curse that had been trapped in the temple was now under Hesperon’s control.

In fact, it was thanks to that that he was back on Earth.

‘…I wonder how my family is doing. They’ll be surprised to see me. …But first, I have to complete this mission.’

Fortunately, the fight that had broken out after their first meeting hadn't lasted long.

He had been able to hold his own against his opponent, focusing on communication rather than combat… and Jose, seeing the arrival of his comrades, had calmed down and agreed to listen.

“Ahn-nim! Jose-nim! Are you alright? …Huh? Who are you? How did you get in here?”

“…Beki? Ddol? You’re safe?”

They had attacked him because they thought their scouts had been eliminated.

After all, there was no way an intruder could have reached their hideout undetected.

And the fact that he had infiltrated their home without even ringing the doorbell… it was suspicious.

‘…Well, they have a point.’

He had simply been following his demonic instincts, eager to complete his mission… but it seemed like he had caused a misunderstanding.

“…So, you’re just a… messenger?”

“That’s right. I’ve never even heard of you or this ‘Burning Torch’ organization before. All I know is that we have a common enemy, Heaven’s Turn Society, and we should work together.”

“Then the person in charge should have come himself. What’s the point of talking to a messenger?”

“Well, if you were in a… better position, I suppose he would have… but right now?”

Ken, who had been talking to Ahn, the leader of the group, shrugged,

A remote, mountainous area, devoid of any signs of civilization.

And there were only four of them, even if they were all executives.

It wasn’t exactly a… secure location for a high-ranking official to visit.

Ahn clicked her tongue, seemingly at a loss for words.

After all, he was just a messenger, not the leader of the Burning Torch.

“Ahn, are you sure about this?”

Jose, who had returned to his human form and had been standing next to her, protectively, spoke, his voice low and cautious.

He was still wary of Ken.

They had stopped fighting to avoid causing further trouble… but his gaze, sharp and focused, hadn’t left Ken even once.

“It’s fine. He hasn’t lied so far. He’s really against Heaven’s Turn Society, and he’s approaching us with good intentions.”

“But he’s a demon. Like… that thing…”

“I’m not saying we should trust him completely. He probably has secrets he’s not telling us. But we’re not exactly in a position to be… picky about our allies, are we?”

“…Well, he’s definitely stronger than me.”

They were whispering to each other, right in front of him, as if he wasn't even there. Ken’s lips twitched, but he didn’t say anything.

He had been living among demons for a long time. He knew their reputation wasn't entirely undeserved.

If it weren’t for 「Thought Transference」, which had… stabilized his ego, he would have probably lost his… human side long ago.

“I just received an urgent message.”

But he wasn’t just going to stand there and listen to their gossip.

His mission was to help them escape, to guide them to a safe location.

He had to succeed, to earn his freedom on Earth.

“A group presumed to be from Heaven’s Turn Society is approaching. It doesn’t seem like the Executioner is with them, so the fight itself shouldn’t be a problem… but we can’t afford to be delayed.”

It was a simple matter.

If their location was compromised, their chances of survival would decrease dramatically.

“…How do you know that?”

But the question was… how much could they trust him, a demon?

Ken, sensing their suspicion, chuckled softly and pointed at the sky.

“My employer is watching from above. This entire area is… under his control.”

It sounded like a joke.

But Ahn, the leader of the group, couldn’t dismiss it so easily.

Her unique skill, the one that had allowed her to survive until now, to resist Heaven’s Turn Society’s pursuit…

…it was whispering to her, telling her what to do.

“What will you do? Will you follow me?”

Her decision had already been made.

A room filled with pastel-colored smoke, swirling and dancing in the air.

“Huu… The flow has changed.”

A woman, reclining on a low sofa, exhaled slowly, her voice soft and almost… dreamy, a cloud of light blue smoke escaping her lips.

Her gaze, unfocused and hazy, was fixed on the smoke, its amorphous shapes shifting and changing.

“So you’ve finally appeared, my nemesis.”

A being that defied fate, a disruptive force, a hidden player mocking the world from behind the scenes.

“Then we should also… prepare accordingly.”

Like sand slipping through her fingers,

…the remnants of the ‘Burning Torch’, whom she had thought she had completely contained,