Chapter 220

Words : 1901 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 220 Early morning the next day, Se-Hoon arrived at the Void Space Terminal. Currently, he was sitting in the lobby, staring blankly ahead. Like always, the terminal was bustling, packed with people at all hours of the day. And as he sat there, absorbing the gazes of those around him, he recalled the call last night with Ha Baek-Yeon. Meeting face-to-face... With most people, it was a simple suggestion to catch up with one another. But when it came from Ha Baek-Yeon, the Visionary, it meant something very different. Because she was a monstrous figure who could oversee the entire world from the summit of Everest, she rarely met others in person. Normally, if she found someone interesting, she would just call them or send a letter by tying it to an arrow—a unilateral message, nothing more. She’s really asking me to meet her in person... Having never experienced such a thing before, even during the war against the demons in his previous life, Se-Hoon was unable to gauge Baek-Yeon’s intentions. Wondering how to handle their upcoming meeting, he got lost in his thoughts until he heard a heavy sigh behind him. “Haah...” Turning around, he found a grumpy old man, Kwang-Soo, who had finally arrived at the lobby. Dissatisfaction oozed from his face like he had just been dragged out of bed. Se-Hoon rose to greet him. “Good morning, Professor.” “...” Instead of responding, Kwang-Soo squinted at Se-Hoon and then sarcastically asked, “Do I look like I’m having a good morning?” “...No, not really.” “Then why did you say good morning? You trying to pick a fight with me?” At the nitpicking, Se-Hoon’s expression became slightly awkward. Why is he acting like a stubborn three-year-old...? The thought of complaining immediately crossed Se-Hoon's mind, but he knew there was no point when a superior started nagging like this. Moreover, the old man had diligently shown up early to escort him, even though Baek-Yeon had asked Kwang-Soo to do so, so he decided to let it slide. “I’ll be more careful.” “...Tsk.” With a dissatisfied click, Kwang-Soo headed toward the turnstile of the B-class Danger Zone, and Se-Hoon quickly followed behind. [Lee Se-Hoon, student. Permission to enter B-class danger zone required...] “Accompanied.” [Ma Kwang-Soo, professor. Accompany confirmed for B-class Danger Zone.] After both scanning their IDs, the two passed through the turnstile and headed down the corridor until a blue portal came into view. It looked just like the portals they had used before, but this time, Se-Hoon noticed something different. What is that...? Inside the blue portal, he saw a white diagonal stripe pattern. The familiar feeling it gave off tugged at his senses until he recognized what it was. Ah, it’s a fragment of the Whitespace. Judging by the structure, it was apparently a support mechanism for the portal. Before now, Se-Hoon had always thought the portal stood on its own, but now he knew it had been meticulously crafted by Ludwig that way. It was interesting. I guess no other spatial magic user can tamper with it if it’s like this. Unless they could meddle with the Whitespace like Ludwig, any attempts to interfere with the portal would be futile. And that was why the Void Space Terminal had remained intact even until the end of the world. Intrigued, Se-Hoon carefully examined the structure as he passed through the portal. “Hurry up.” Having already walked through, Kwang-Soo seemed impatient. “Okay, I’m coming.” Quickening his steps, the two soon left the terminal. Standing under the clear sky, towering mountain ranges stretching into the distance could be seen beyond the barrier. The landscape looked like a painting, with multicolored clouds adding a mystical touch to the peaks. It’s been a while since I’ve been here... This was the B-class danger zone, Mount Baekdu. In the past, it was renowned for being the tallest mountain on the Korean Peninsula, but now it was for being a special Danger Zone and the home of the Visionary. Taking in the familiar sight of Mount Baekdu, Se-Hoon only refocused when Kwang-Soo turned to him, an annoyed expression on his face. “Don’t stray off the trail. It’s dangerous out there, so just follow me quietly. Do you understand?” “Yes, I understand.” “Let’s get moving, then.” The two of them headed east and soon reached a hiking trail with a sign pointing the way to Baek-Yeon’s family home, the Ha Sect. [Ha Sect (2,600m) →] Following the sign to the summit, the two began their ascent along the well-maintained trail. Unlike a normal mountain, as they climbed higher, the air grew heavier. If it were like other Danger Zones, they would also require a period to adjust to the thickening of demonic aura, but Mount Baekdu was different. Despite the signs of demonic aura corruption around them, the air was filled only with mana. The atmosphere is almost the same as before, thought Se-Hoon, glancing around. Continuing their ascent, they encountered several heroes along the way. Some were jogging up and down the trail, while others were resting on picnic mats in open areas like they were simply enjoying the day at a local park. The peaceful scene didn’t resemble a Danger Zone at all. “Ahem. I heard you learned something from that bastard Wurgen... Is that true?” Turning his gaze away from their surroundings to Kwang-Soo, Se-Hoon calmly responded, “Yes, I managed to pick up a few things from his lessons.” Kwang-Soo fell silent for a moment. “Do you find them useful? That bastard’s got such a nasty personality. I doubt he taught you anything properly.” As expected of a first-generation hero, Kwang-Soo seemed somewhat familiar with Wurgen. “I found them quite useful,” Se-Hoon honestly answered, noticing the worry in Kwang-Soo’s tone. “Great-aunt asked to see you...?” Understanding how rare it was for Baek-Yeon to request a personal meeting, Seon-Woo grew more serious. At that moment, Kwang-Soo also chimed in with a warning. “If she offers to teach you something, don’t be too quick to accept.” “Huh?” “If you try to learn too many new things at once, you’ll end up mediocre at everything. It’s better to hone the skills you already know before picking up something new.” After saying that, Kwang-Soo glanced warily toward the summit, clearly concerned about another arrow possibly flying at them. At the sight, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. So that’s why he’s been so agitated all morning. To think Kwang-Soo was jealous. Although the unexpected emotion wasn’t a particularly flattering sight for the grumpy old man, Se-Hoon could understand why he felt like that. To Kwang-Soo, Se-Hoon was quite valuable since he could help locate Doppelganger. So if Se-Hoon got too cozy with others, it likely felt like betrayal. But instead of just saying that, he’s letting his pride get in the way... tsk, tsk. However, despite what Se-Hoon thought about Kwang-Soo’s behavior, he still responded reassuringly, “You’re right. I’ve already planned to spend some time refining my existing skills.” “Hmm. Good. Just be mindful of what will actually be useful for you later on.” Like that, they continued chatting and soon reached the top of the stairs, where a small pavilion sat. In it, they spotted someone standing with her back turned, wearing a white coat and a fedora. Naturally, they headed toward her, but then Baek-Yeon raised her left hand without turning around. “Stop right there.” Her tone was calm but authoritative tone. “Kwang-Soo and Seon-Woo, wait down below.” Annoyed, Kwang-Soo’s eyes narrowed at the order. “What am I, a damn mutt...?” “If you keep complaining, I won’t help you find the Doppelganger.” “...Tsk.” Glaring at Baek-Yeon, Kwang-Soo turned in frustration and descended the stairs. “I’ll see you later.” On the other hand, Seon-Woo turned back obediently, albeit a bit reluctantly. Now alone, Se-Hoon continued looking at Baek-Yeon’s back until she casually beckoned him with her fingers. Having gained permission, he stepped toward the pavilion and the summit’s scenery spread out before him. A lake, filled with vibrant colors due to demonic aura, could be seen filling the crater of Mount Baekdu. It was the transformed Celestial Lake. The colors are a bit clearer compared to what I remember. While Se-Hoon observed the late, Baek-Yeon, who had taken a seat in the pavilion, spoke calmly. “It’s your first time seeing the Celestial Lake, isn’t it?” “Yes, I’ve only seen pictures of it before.” “It’s become much prettier since it was tainted by demonic aura. Unfortunately, it now creates monstrous clouds that devour people. Unbefitting of their mystical appearance from afar, the multicolored clouds that clung to various parts of Mount Baekdu were extremely deadly; they clung to living creatures and completely dissolved them. They were the reason Mount Baekdu had become a B-class Danger Zone and why no monsters resided here. Although the information had already been disseminated to the public and casualties decreased, it was a bit too late as the clouds had already claimed numerous heroes. “Don’t just stand there. Have a seat.” “Thank you.” Tearing his gaze away, Se-Hoon entered the pavilion, sat across from Baek-Yeon, and observed her from up close. She wore a white fedora and an outfit consisting of a white coat over a black vest and pants, and her long hair was tied back in a single strand. Standing over one hundred and eighty centimeters tall with her long legs, she effortlessly pulled off the look. I heard she is always dressed in white, and the story turns out to be true. He continued observing her closely, as she was someone he had only heard about through rumors. And of course, she knew. Baek-Yeon opened her eyes slightly and smiled. “You’re looking at me like I’m some sort of strange creature.” “No, I didn’t mean to—” “You don’t need to apologize. It’s quite natural. After all, we Perfect Ones aren’t quite humans anymore. So, neither I nor the others care much about that.” From her words, anyone would have been worried that they’d offended a Perfect One. But Se-Hoon knew right away that she wasn’t being sarcastic. He had heard similar things from her over the phone before regressing. She’s almost the same... no, she’s exactly the same. Although high-ranking heroes tended to have firm mindsets, their personalities and values still changed slightly over time. However, there were exceptions, and the Perfect Ones—specifically, Baek-Yeon—were ones. She hasn’t changed at all after all those decades.... Can that even be considered normal? Pondering the resilience of the Perfect One’s psyches, Se-Hoon fell into thought. But Baek-Yeon soon cut through them with her next words. “That’s enough small talk. Let’s get to the point.” She faced Se-Hoon, her gaze now direct and cold. “You can either answer truthfully or lie; it doesn’t matter. But just know that, whatever you say, you’ll have to take full responsibility for it.” There was a distinct chill in her calm words. Bracing himself, Se-Hoon nodded. “I understand.” “Good. Then I’ll get straight to the question.” With her eyes still only slightly opened, she focused her gaze on Se-Hoon and removed all the emotion from her voice. “Are you a Watcher?”

Chapter 220

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