Chapter 198

Words : 1627 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

Chapter 198 At a table in a secluded corner of Cafe Lilac, its frequent visitor, Se-Hoon, was gazing at the person across the table, sipping his coffee while waiting for them to respond. “...” That person, Luize, was in deep thought. Today, she wore a black T-shirt with a tooth pattern and jeans instead of her academy uniform, as there were no classes during the vacation. A while later, she finally responded, asking, “So, you're saying you're going to meet Gerwin's father?” “That's right.” Gerwin Kruger, who had conspired with Vier, had preyed on Luize's innocence during the Ivory Tower’s student scholarship competition. He, both before and after the regression, was the root of Luize’s torment at Dawn’s hands. Before the regression, she had even been ultimately forced to leave Babel. “Hmm...” Frowning, Luize seemed dissatisfied with the situation. However, the frown eventually disappeared and she let out a sigh. “What are your thoughts about it?” she asked Se-Hoon. “Are you wondering if it has anything to do with that incident?” At Luize’s nod, Se-Hoon reassured her, not even taking the time to think. “This has nothing to do with it. I'm sure of it.” “...You’re sure?” She couldn’t understand the basis for his confidence. Noticing, Se-Hoon started explaining, “Wurgen is completely laissez-faire. He judges his children solely on the results they bring, not caring about the methods they use to achieve them.” Even if Gerwin used dirty tricks to be selected for the student scholarship, as long as he wasn't caught, Wurgen wouldn’t care. In fact, Wurgen might even have rewarded him for it. However, that also meant that Gerwin would be discarded without mercy if he was caught and deemed irredeemable. “Besides, he encourages competition for management rights among his children, essentially promoting the use of such dirty tricks blatantly.” If the competitors saw that they would be rewarded instead of punished for using underhanded tactics, it was natural for them to be tempted. Luize’s expression turned into one of disbelief. “So he’s a complete bastard.” “Yeah. He’s been notorious as a corrupt businessman since even before the age of the Towers of Heroes. His war achievements and status as a Perfect One just whitewashed him a bit.” Aside from that, Wurgen had also been quick to adapt to the new world. By purchasing corpses to form his own undead army and recruiting ostracized necromancers for their use of corpses, he established the foundation for necromancy. His contribution to the advancement of humanity couldn't be denied. He's still a morally corrupt person, though. Having heard Se-Hoon's full explanation, Luize fell silent to organize her thoughts. When she finished, she gave her verdict. “If it's unrelated to that incident, then it's also unrelated to me. His lousy parenting is likely the reason behind everything... but I can complain about that after I become stronger.” “Okay. Thank you for understanding.” “Hey! Stop saying such embarrassing things...” Exasperated, Luize sipped her coffee and suddenly thought of something she wanted to ask. “Oh, do you have any plans for this summer break?” “Hmm? Well, I do have some.” Although uprooting the Pleasure District and killing the Dream Demon was quite grandiose for a first-year student’s summer vacation plan, as a regressor, it was very reasonable. “Are you going to be busy?” “I will, but it's not like I have no free time at all. Why do you ask?” “If you have some spare time, I want you to go somewhere with me.” Taken aback by Luize’s proposal, Se-Hoon's lips soon curled into a smirk. “Despite hanging out with me so much, you still—” “Don’t say another word. It’s this.” Shutting Se-Hoon up, Luize pushed her phone forward to show a brief overview of a tour for promising students at educational institutions, hosted by the Marionette Factory—which Se-Hoon suspected to be related to Dawn. “You were planning to investigate this place anyway, right? Let's go together, then.” “Hmm...” Reading through the details of the tour of the Marionette Factory, Se-Hoon found out that the content wasn't bad; it included a workshop tour and training from affiliated artisans. However, if Dawn truly was involved, there would be some kind of reaction the moment they applied. It might be a bit risky, but then I just need to make backup plans for it. Thinking it was a good idea, he returned the phone to Luize. “Alright, I'll clear my schedule for that day.” “Okay. I'll be training hard until then, so make sure you get something useful out of it.” “Of course.” “Sure.” Walking down the aisle together, guarded on both sides by the skeletons, they entered the car when the skeleton at the end neatly opened the car door for them. Its interior was luxurious, befitting of the vehicle of a global company president, and appeared quite sturdy. It feels strangely cold; is it reinforced with necromancy? Guessing the car had been reinforced with specially crafted bones, he examined the undead limousine in fascination. When the door closed, the car started moving smoothly. Hum Its top-tier soundproofing muted even the engine noise as the limousine glided down the quiet evening roads. Through the windows, he could see other cars with undead following as an escort and bone birds flying around in the sky above them. The thorough security prepared by the UD Group genuinely impressed him. Hmm... It seems he was really touched. While he looked forward to seeing Wurgen’s reaction when they met, he was also a bit anxious. Continuing to gaze out the window, he only turned his gaze a while later. “...” “...” Like Benjamin, who was sitting as still as a corpse, Eun-Ha sat like a statue next to him. While they were both naturally taciturn, there was an additional sense of tension in the air. Are they on guard against each other? Benjamin was wary that Eun-Ha would make a sudden move, and likewise, Eun-Ha was wary that Benjamin would launch an unexpected attack. There was no trust between them at all, a seemingly indirect reflection of the relationship between Babel and the UD Group. Two forces allied out of necessity and necessity only. And that relationship applied both to his own safety while he was here, as well as the cooperation between Babel and the UD Group, which was clearly only because of the results of Ludwig’s research on the Tower of Heroes. Speaking of which, I should ask about that at some point. Recalling how Ludwig had connected the Tower of Heroes to an external space during the special exam, something he had never even heard of before, he made a complicated expression. What was the purpose of Ludwig’s research? What was he ultimately planning to do? He couldn't even begin to imagine. It might just be to help train heroes... but if so, why didn’t he disclose it before the regression? Unable to figure it out, he became lost in thought. In the meantime, the limousine finally pulled up in front of a massive building. “We've arrived.” When the car fully stopped, a single undead guard, having been waiting for them, opened the door. Exiting, Se-Hoon stretched his neck to look up at the building in front of him. Its size and height dwarfed the surrounding buildings, and unlike what he expected, there were no additional guards—it was a show of confidence. It's like he’s saying, “From here on out, it’s my domain.” Just like how Babel was safe as the Emperor of Ascension’s private garden, the UD Group’s headquarters was under Wurgen's protection. Taking one last look at the building, which exuded an imposing aura like a living creature, he followed Benjamin inside. “If there are any places inside our headquarters that you'd like to visit, please let me know. I’ll arrange a tour for you.” “Oh... got it.” Walking through the building, Se-Hoon glanced around at the undead busily working instead of humans. A few moments later, they boarded an elevator. Ding- Quickly reaching the top floor, the doors of the elevator carrying the three of them opened and revealed a luxurious hallway. At first glance, it was obvious one person occupied the entire floor. Walking down the hallway, Se-Hoon stopped in front of a door at the end. “...” He had finally arrived at the office of the president of the UD Group, the leader of one of the world's leading megacorporations and the most capable necromancer among the seven Perfect Ones. Behind the door in front of him, the Eternal Nocturne Wurgen Kruger was waiting. He glanced at Benjamin standing beside him. “You can go right in.” Stepping aside, Benjamin gestured for Se-Hoon to open the door and enter. But upon seeing that, Eun-Ha, who had been walking alongside him, stepped forward. “Then I will—” “No, I'll go in first.” Stopping Eun-Ha, Se-Hoon placed his hands on the firmly closed door. Then, as soon as he pushed open the door that felt almost weightless— “Is it you?” The darkness within suddenly surged out, engulfing the entire hallway in an instant. Standing within the darkness, lines began to form everywhere they could see. The lines slowly split open vertically, and hundreds of eyes soon stared down at them from the ceiling, walls, and floor. Under their heavy gaze, Se-Hoon looked at the skull inside the room. “Die.” The darkness swept his body across the boundary.

Chapter 198

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