Chapter 276

Words : 1852 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 276 Step, step- The sound of footsteps echoed from outside. If it were just a passerby, hiding would suffice. However, how many people would wander into an abandoned warehouse left to rot in the countryside, especially one that sheltered someone on the run from underground organizations for a month? “...” Se-Hoon suppressed his breath and the faint traces of his mana as much as possible. Then, he even slowed his heartbeat using his Blood Art, making his consciousness hazy as his presence faded. However, he couldn’t let his guard down, even for a second. Losing focus now would just turn him into a fool who fainted while holding his breath. So, he focused solely on the sounds around him. “Hm?” The person who walked into the warehouse suddenly stopped in their tracks. Judging by the faint sounds, Se-Hoon estimated their approximate position to be roughly two meters away from the place he installed his traps. However, before he could decide whether to strike now or wait just a bit longer, he heard the intruder’s voice. “Let’s see.” Bang! The intruder leapt straight into the place where Se-Hoon had laid the traps, as if they'd known exactly where they were. Realizing that, Se-Hoon reflexively slammed down the switch on his right, triggering the traps he had hastily set around the abandoned warehouse. Clang! Metal beams strewn across the area rushed inward, forming a massive cage, followed by a series of firebombs hidden below, exploding one after another. Boom! The bombs, designed to detonate inside the steel prison, unleashed intense flames without destroying the cage itself but would consume anything inside in an instant. Immediately after, the last trap was then triggered. Rumble! A powerful force bloomed from the center of the warehouse, pulling everything inward. In ten seconds, the entire warehouse would collapse into the center, trapping the intruder in scorching flames. It was a trap capable of incinerating even an A-rank hero—a masterpiece Se-Hoon crafted with every piece of equipment and tool he had. But... “Oh, shit... I'm screwed,” muttered Se-Hoon. The steel beams, which should have compacted into a tight mass, had instead formed a structure, almost like a skeletal frame, that was holding something up. Following the beams with his eyes, Se-Hoon saw the flames swirling into a glowing sphere, blazing brightly. Somehow, the intruder had modified Se-Hoon’s carefully concealed trap after it triggered, bending it to their will. Realizing there was an overwhelming difference in power, Se-Hoon’s urge to jump out the second-floor window and flee vanished completely. He simply stood still, watching from above. “...How did you do that?” Hearing Se-Hoon’s question, the intruder turned to face him, their slight smirk visible under the flickering flames. “Does that really matter if you’re about to die?” “...Well, considering I'm about to die, it wouldn't hurt to know.” “Hmm.” The intruder gazed up at Se-Hoon through the flames. “I heard you were the lunatic who threw a Bulgasari into the furnace while it was still alive... but you seem more normal than I thought,” they murmured, with an air of intrigue.[1] “...” “Anyway, you asked how I did it, huh? Isn't the answer obvious?” The intruder then flicked their finger, and all the traps Se-Hoon had set around the warehouse immediately floated into the air and headed for the intruder. That sight, of all his hard work being dismantled in an instant, made Se-Hoon unable to do anything but laugh in disbelief. And that was when he saw it—the red seal stamped on every single trap, like a mark of ownership. “...You disarmed them before even coming inside?” “I mean, who would ignore a trap that was practically being advertised in their face? And besides...”—the intruder flicked one of the traps for manipulating gravity—“these are all simply pathetic.” Crack! The marked traps exploded in quick succession, causing the flames swirling in the air to scatter and the steel beams to crash to the ground. In seconds, his elaborate, two-day trap had fallen apart. At that moment, a whirlwind of emotions passed through Se-Hoon. He felt relief that he had tried, exhaustion from constantly being on the run, and... Clench. ...humiliation from seeing his masterpiece mocked and dismantled so effortlessly. “Oh?” Noticing the furious expression on Se-Hoon’s face, the intruder chuckled and then slowly pulled something out of their coat. Fwoosh! A small flame flared up before disappearing, leaving behind a soft glow and a trail of white smoke. “Did you know? Once you turned that Bulgasari into molten metal, your death was guaranteed. You have no connections nor talent; you’re just a worthless nobody.” “...” “But I'll make you an offer.” The soft glow of her cigarette illuminated the female intruder's features, revealing her face. She looked up at Se-Hoon with a playful smile. “Would you like to become my disciple?” *** Memories rushed through Se-Hoon’s mind in an instant. Realizing he’d basically relived the moment he first met his master, he blinked a few times before focusing on the distant figure once more. Click. Though that just drew even more displeased looks from the people already glaring at her for smoking indoors. Looks like I got through that relatively well, Se-Hoon thought to himself. He’d made a mistake, but at least he hadn’t drawn any more unwanted attention. Settling back into his thoughts, he suddenly heard the whisper of a voice he’d rather not hear in his ear. “Well, well. So that’s your type.” “...What the hell are you talking about”’ “Oh, stop pretending you don’t know. I’ve got to say I’m surprised, though. So that’s why you were always so indifferent when others came onto you. Turns out you’ve got a thing for older women, huh?” The voice in his head prattled on as though it had stumbled upon an amusing new research subject. Rather than engaging in the argument further, however, Se-Hoon responded differently. Ting! A small pulse reverberated through his body, cutting the voice off mid-sentence. “Aagh! What the—?!” “Keep it up and I’ll do it again.” “Ugh... fine.” Realizing Se-Hoon truly wasn’t joking, the Seeker fell silent. Feeling satisfied, Se-Hoon withdrew the pulse within his body. At least I didn’t accidentally spill anything important. He had displayed a slight emotional stir, but nothing beyond that. Assured that no significant reaction had slipped through, Se-Hoon turned his attention back to the meeting. Just then, the heavy doors of the conference room slowly creaked open, and three figures entered. One of the three was Left Arm, who he had encountered earlier. The other two were unfamiliar, but their presence immediately made Se-Hoon uneasy. And that was when he figured out who they were. The Ten Evils. The raw, unsettling energy radiating from those powerful demonic beings filled the room. Having confirmed their identities, Se-Hoon was about to turn his head when he heard Glen’s whisper in his ear. “Stay still.” “...?” Se-Hoon’s eyes narrowed in confusion. Were they not supposed to move at all? Trying to understand what was going on, Se-Hoon saw the pale-faced man who had been standing at the back step forward, pulling out a strange, broken golden ring from his coat. From it, a murky black light rippled out, and then the man whispered something softly under his breath. “Confession Veil.” The black light pulsed throughout the room, enveloping the entire hall in an eerie shroud and causing a chilling silence to settle over the room. However, the skill wasn’t like those that isolated a given space; it seemed completely different. And after a quick look, Se-Hoon immediately understood what was happening. Are we... hidden from the outside? It felt as though the entire room had been cut off from the rest of the world and had transformed into a completely separate place. It was almost as if a dimension had been created entirely new; the sense of disorientation was overwhelming. Can no one sense this large amount of demonic aura oozing in the room? Though the dark veil had sealed the room and the atmosphere was oppressive, the people inside continued their discussions as if nothing had happened. Standing there, in that bleak and unsettling scene, Se-Hoon slowly scanned the room again. Unlike earlier, he immediately noticed a few individuals due to how the black veil didn’t obscure them—they were still showing their true colors. And that proved that they were, no doubt, the actual participants of the conference. Four people hiding their true forms... The four of them remained obscured among the others, their appearances concealed. But since the newly arrived trio didn’t seem concerned, it appeared revealing one’s true identity was optional. “Let the conference commence. The representative of Exuviation may present their plan.” Glen’s voice echoed across the room. However, instead of beginning, a playful voice said something else from somewhere among the crowd. “Are we not even going to introduce the two newbies first?” All eyes turned to Se-Hoon and Meirin. And upon sensing the change in mood, Glen glanced in their direction and asked, “Do either of you wish to introduce yourselves?” In the meeting, everyone was equal, and no one had to participate. Considering his response, Se-Hoon remained silent, allowing Meirin to speak up first. “Apprentice of Offering. If this turns out to be a complete waste of time, I’ll just leave this place. So don’t care about me too much.” Saying nothing else, she sat back down and lit another cigarette. And after checking there was no further comment, Se-Hoon responded next. “I’m the new Right Arm of Dawn. I believe that further explanation is unnecessary.” Both introductions were brief and to the point, leaving a momentary silence in their wake. Eventually, it was the representative from Exuviation, who had spoken earlier, that broke the silence with a wry chuckle. “Looks like we’ve got a real bunch of troublemakers this time... well, I guess that’s par for the course.” Whoosh! Someone tossed a small object into the air, and with a faint shimmer, the tiny orb expanded into a massive projection of an endless expanse of black waves. It was a familiar sight that made Se-Hoon narrow his eyes at it. The Black Sea... The projection showed one of the Six Great Demon Realms, the birthplace of the final Harbinger of Destruction that they slayed. Watching intently, Se-Hoon soon saw something massive breach the surface of the black waters—a giant white whale, swimming all alone in the eerie expanse, let out a haunting cry. The mysterious scene was captivating, keeping all eyes on it. And at that moment, Exuviation’s representative spoke again, amusement evident in his voice. “I’ve found a way to turn that thing into a Harbinger of Destruction.” 1. A Bulgasari is a metal-eating legendary creature that appears in Korean mythology and folklore. It is able to increase in size the more metal it consumes. ☜

Chapter 276

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