Chapter 242

Cold sweat dripped from the man’s hand gripping the icy handle.

Questions continually bloomed in his mind. Was this really meaningful at all?

However, the large sum in his account and the worried faces of his wife and son swallowed up those doubts.

‘As long as I can hit those bastards back, that’s all that matters.’

To wet his parched mouth from the tension, he grabbed the liquor bottle he’d tossed onto the passenger seat.

As the icy liquid slid down his throat, a wave of warmth rose in his belly, but his mind felt somewhat cooled.

Haunting memories of humiliation flickered through his foggy thoughts.

‘Damn Restraid bastards.’

He gritted his teeth, reflecting on the past.

He was a transport worker. No, “porter” would be a more accurate title.

For nearly ten years, he had worked under Restraid, shuttling back and forth to dungeons.

He drove a truck while donning protective gear and sometimes carried cargo barehanded.

One day, he received unreasonable orders from a group of armored knights.

In the end, the cargo was damaged and when he had to shoulder the massive compensation costs, he protested.

The response was an insult and violence for a mere porter daring to speak up.

Receiving a notice of dismissal, he staggered home to find his wife in tears.

Waiting for the powerless head of the family was their son, teetering between life and death in a hospital room.

When he heard it was the deeds of delinquent Awakened Students, his mind went blank.

All the students, who were the children of influential clan leaders, were merely released with a warning.

No one was on the side of the Non-Awakened. At least, not until they appeared.

A man approached like a devil and made an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“Don’t you want revenge? I’ll give you the cost.”

There was no room for choice. When an enormous sum that overflowed his account came in, more than enough for his child’s hospital and family living expenses, he cast aside his doubts.

They kept their promise and offered the opportunity for a glorious fire.

Taking another sip, the man felt a slight consolation. He was not alone in his plight.

Trampled, frustrated, and repressed ones.

They prepared everything, waiting only for orders.

Without consolation or encouragement, the dry command fell.

“Let’s get started.”

The engine roared to life. The car, which had been moving slowly, began to pick up speed.

The convention center loomed ahead. The eyes of the police and guards on duty sharpened as they approached.

They grew closer. The massive vehicle intruded. Hunters charged in to stop them.

Quickly, faster!

-Bang!

The truck exploded.

Outside, gunfire echoed loudly. The organization members who had been hiding around the building launched their attack in unison.

A laid-off worker, a young man wronged, and boys filled with resentment rushed in with determination.

“Die! Just die! You bastards!”

In their anger, they remembered what those people had yelled.

“Long live the Ariel Group!”

As they cried the name of the extraordinary terrorist organization that had blown apart the massive clan, courage surged within them.

-Tatatang!

Flashes of light, dense smoke from gunpowder. The police quickly sought cover.

A frantic voice crackled over the radio.

“Ahhh! Sam got hit!”

“Central, requesting backup!”

As gunfire covered the area outside the exhibition hall, the mastermind who ignited the situation watched as the guards inside began to move and issued new orders.

“Okay. Let’s move to the next stage.”

According to the orders, all electricity in the convention center was cut off. The security systems were entirely disabled.

Amidst the panicked guards, Team Leader Aspen and his agents headed for the relic exhibition room. Due to the blackout and gunfire, the exhibition hall was engulfed in darkness.

Only the faint glow of emergency lights illuminated the space.

-As soon as the target is confirmed, take it immediately!

The agents scattered throughout the hall slowly converged on the relic exhibition room.

In the center of that room, under the faint emergency light, they spotted the massive red glowing artifact inside the display case.

The Heart of Sunset radiated a bizarre presence even in the darkness.

Visitors, caught off guard by the sudden blackout, displayed clear signs of panic. Some screamed, while others used their smartphone lights to illuminate their surroundings.

“What the hell! Why is this happening all of a sudden?”

“I can’t see anything. What if I trip?”

“Didn’t you hear gunfire outside? Could it be a terror attack?”

Among the students, a flurry of anxiety was palpable.

“Ugh! Why did something like this have to happen on my day?”

“The sound of gunfire isn’t a joke. Is it really a terror attack?”

“It seems like something’s happening outside.”

In the commotion, several students were peering around cautiously with their smartphones in hand.

-Move to the next stage. Begin.

At that moment, the fire alarm began to blare loudly within the building.

Smoke bombs installed everywhere erupted, quickly enveloping the exhibition hall in thick smoke.

The screams of the visitors became muffled within the smoke.

“Cough, cough, what the… is there a fire?”

“I can’t see!”

Confusion escalated, and some terrified individuals rushed toward the exits.

Among the smoke, only coughs and alarms reverberated. Sensing something amiss, the higher-ups responsible for the event quickly dispatched reinforcements.

“While the safety of the guests is important, the relic! Secure the relic!”

Inside the smoke-filled exhibition hall, a portion of the guard troops, following the higher-ups’ orders, converged towards the display case holding the Heart of Sunset, guided by the emergency lights.

They surrounded the display case, taking up defensive positions.

“Let no one approach! We must protect the Heart of Sunset at all costs. If anything goes wrong, it’s over. Do you understand?”

Everyone nodded at the superior’s command. However, the hazy smoke prevented a clear line of sight, creating a sense of unease.

Aspen and his agents moved through the smoke like shadows. Their steps were as silent and swift as a cat.

As a guard turned his head for just a moment, an agent’s hand lightning-fast seized his neck. A precise strike to the vulnerable spot at the back of his neck.

“…!”

The guard collapsed without making a sound.

Just as another guard spotted his fallen comrade and was about to scream, another agent emerged from behind him.

With a fierce grip, the guard’s neck was choked, and he too fell.

Figures continued to drop in the smoke, as if an invisible black wave was swallowing them whole.

Agents who pulled the downed guards away began to swiftly encircle the display case.

“We’re starting.”

One agent drew out a dagger. The magical energy coalescing on the dagger formed a sharp blade. The glass shattered like butter under a hot knife in an instant.

Another agent carefully picked up a piece of the broken glass. With that opening, a hand dove in to seize the Heart of Sunset.

The large gem was swiftly transferred into a pre-prepared metal bag.

It was a spatial bag capable of holding a large amount of items and blocking external detection.

The empty space was filled with a replica that had been prepared in advance.

That should buy them enough time.

In the blink of an eye, everything was done.

The agents lowered their bodies beneath the smoke as they aimed to exit the display case.

It was just as the last agent was replacing the broken glass in its spot.

“Excuse me, what are you doing there?”

At that moment, a blonde girl appeared through the haze of smoke.

With an adorable face and doll-like features, her ruby-like clear red eyes focused on the agents.

Exchanging quick glances, the agents silently approached the girl.

In the blink of an eye, one of them moved behind her and struck her neck strongly.

“Eeek!”

With a small scream, the girl fell to the floor.

The agents glanced at the fallen girl and quickly began to leave the spot.

Then it happened.

“Halt!”

As the agents turned their heads, an unbelievable sight unfolded before them.

Down the hallway, through the thick smoke, numerous red eyes began moving toward them.

As the eyes grew closer, the silhouettes of girls rushing toward them, their blonde hair billowing, became visible.

As if they were all copies of the downed girl, they looked exactly the same.

Dressed in white masks, the girls held large flashlights and colored lights in their hands.

-Paang!

As a grand finale, dozens of sparkling lights erupted from the ceiling of the exhibition hall. It was light magic.

“What the hell…?”

With the whisper of someone, the agents exchanged silent glances, trying to comprehend the situation, but their minds were filled only with confusion.

That was as far as their thoughts reached. A strange group of girls had rushed in the blink of an eye.

“Over there! It’s a thief!”

“Kill her!”

Our Violets first felt something was off when someone began impersonating us.

“Why are they impersonating the Ariel Group?”

“I don’t know!”

Though we didn’t know their identities, these guys were definitely suspicious. What shocked us the most was their actions.

The Violets outside witnessed a ragtag group of Non-Awakened shouting the name of the Ariel Group while spraying bullets and executing suicide bombings.

“What the heck! Why are they suddenly attacking people?”

This situation was utterly outrageous. Our Violets do not attack innocent police, security, or students.

But what was even more shocking was the fact that they had detonated themselves.

“They exploded! The truck just blew up!”

“How dare they impersonate us and even imitate a suicide bomb!”

Not only was there trademark infringement, but it was also akin to copyright violation! We couldn’t let these guys go unpunished.

“What about those outside?”

“If this continues, our image will be ruined!”

While the Violets hurriedly debated amid the chaos of the blackout and fire, an ominous feeling began to creep up on the Violets wandering the relic exhibition.

It was an all too familiar yet unfamiliar sensation.

“What’s going on? Why does my sense seem to fade in and out?”

Currently, our Violets were temporarily spread throughout the dark convention center to deploy a tactical map.

Upon seeing the map, the Violets in command widened their eyes in disbelief.

Countless gaps were forming among the multitude of people displayed on the map.

“Strange! Everyone, keep an eye out!”

The ward Violets quickly detected the anomaly.

Senses were inexplicably moving to odd places, as if their eyes and ears were clouded by something.

The once full space felt momentarily empty as if a flow of magical power was washing over it.

We knew what it was. The unique atmosphere that only the Recognition Interference Device could create.

“What’s happening? Why are those people going towards the relic?”

Then, we finally saw it. The guards near the Heart of Sunset were being incapacitated in an instant!

I realized everything.

“They’re relic thieves!”

“How dare those thieves impersonate our Ariel Group!”

“Sophie! Look over there at the relic!”

Hearing my explanation, Older Sister Sophie immediately noticed the scene unfolding beyond the hazy silhouette.

“…They’re not ordinary. Are you sure we can handle this?”

With a cautious tone, my sister whispered, and I confidently answered.

“I’m sure!”

What we need first is to illuminate this dark situation.

Power creates light. Darkness cannot win against light that holds enough power!

“Ready the lights!”

“Prepare the magic!”

Numerous lights brightened the dark exhibition hall as if it were daylight from the blackout.

Summoning a gentle breeze with beginner magic to clear the smoke revealed a group poised for battle beyond it.

Though recognition interference had shaken our senses, we focused our magical power on our eyes and ears to shake it off.

“Attack! Attack! Let’s catch those thieves!”

“For the honor of the Ariel Group!”

At the forefront stood a man in a suit. He was holding the metal bag that seemed to contain the relic and, true to a thief’s nature, attempted to jump and flee.

Leading the charge, the 1925th clone boldly stepped up to block him.

-Clang! Clang!

As we exchanged blows head-on, we could tell. He was no ordinary thief!

“A one-on-one is impossible! We need to group up!”

Dozens of Violets leaped in one after another, surrounding him and engaging in a fierce brawl. Everyone was using techniques that were anything but ordinary.

But our Violets were not alone.

“Ahhh! Sister! Hurry!”

As the moment collided with the one in the suit, the 1925th clone purposefully took a hit from his one-handed sword and grabbed his wrist.

At the moment the thief tried to shake me off, a Black Figure interjected like a meteor.

-Kwaang!

“Kiyaaah! Success!”

With the impact, the 1925th clone spewed blood and flew into the corner of the exhibition hall.

He was indeed no pushover. Even in that fleeting moment, the 1925th clone managed to pull free and draw two daggers to face off against my sister.

And there we saw it.

The scene of two swift trajectories colliding in an instant.

-Kaang!

After two collisions, the suited man was roughly knocked back, staggering to regain his balance.

On the opposite side, Sister Sophie raised her sword as if nothing had happened, confronting him.

Beyond the distorted visage caused by the interference, the silhouette of the suited man’s face shook noticeably.

“What the…?”

Hearing the murmured words, my sister shot back.

“You’re using the Ryx-Hyven system, huh?”

There was no need to ask what that meant. My sister immediately explained to the nearby Violets.

“Those guys probably belong to the Obsidian Legion. They’re using their unique combat techniques.”

“The Obsidian Legion!”

I gasped. I could hardly believe that those impostors were from that notorious villain organization.

‘How dare they commit petty theft in our name!’

“Hey! You Obsidian Legion! Are you really just pulling off petty theft like this?!”

As I provocatively called out, the impostors remained unmoving, pointing their swords with even more threatening gazes.

Nearby students and people turned their attention our way. With my words, everyone gasped and drew their weapons.

“M-Madness! Is that really the Obsidian Legion?”

“Everyone, be careful!”

Before long, the impostors were surrounded by our Violets, who drew their clones and weapons, standing in a defensive stance.

“Don’t move!”

By coincidence, a siege was forming.

At just the right time, reinforcements were rushing in from outside, along with bounty hunters participating in the clan promotional exhibition, and a multitude of students visiting this place.

Having failed their escape, the impostors had no way out.

“Hey, terrorists! Surrender and drop the relic!”

And before all those people stood the Violets.

“For the honor of the Ariel Group!”

The encirclement line did not advance further. They were the terrorists.

Like us, they could commit suicide or pull some trick.

Sensing their hesitation, the bounty hunter leader stepped forward to deliver a warning.

“Surrender, terrorists! The Restraid and Federal Army forces will arrive soon! Do you understand? There’s no way you can escape from here!”

Upon hearing the warning, the impostors immediately raised their weapons. An unsettling atmosphere enveloped the area.

“Violet, I think they’re planning to break through. Can you block them from the front?”

“Yes!”

There was no doubt it was a dangerous tactic. We would repel their attacks, then counterattack!

I quickly drew my shield. I could block any fatal strike!

If they crashed into me directly, it would be enough to stop them!

Then, the fatal blow came from behind.

“Ahh, my lord, long live!”

-Thud!

“Ugh!”

Someone pierced Violet’s back with a sword.

As she screamed and fell, 1566th clone caught sight of a female student with foggy, vacant eyes.

“I-I will kill you all. Yes, all of you!”

And screams and shouts began to resonate throughout the exhibition hall.

“Y-You! Who are you? What’s going on! Aahhh!”

“Cough!”

What was shown on the Violet tactical map was an unexpected betrayal.

The once neutral-colored icons suddenly turned red, starting to attack the surrounding people.

“In the name of the lord! Long live!”

“God is with us!”

‘Is it a feint operation? Could it possibly be their doing?’

I glared at the impostors in rage. However, the Obsidian Legion members also seemed taken aback by something.

“Hand over our relic!”

At that moment, a group of people burst through the convention hall’s partition wall and stormed into the exhibition room. Their gaze was locked on the metal bag held by the legion members.

“Damn it! Prepare for an all-out attack!”

In a situation where everything moving was considered an enemy, chaos broke out in an instant.

Outside the convention center, engulfed in smoke and flames, two men and women approached slowly, weaving through the burning vehicles and chaos.

Their leisurely strides indicated a detachment from the surrounding turmoil.

“How interesting. I never expected someone would make a move before we did. Was it those humans? The bastard offspring of the Federation, I take it.”

The man mumbled. The woman, seemingly his companion, frowned as she replied.

“Right? It’s pathetic how they fight amongst themselves.”

They were dressed neatly and orderly, reminiscent of religious figures.

At one point, their gaze landed on something that resembled a camera, dropped by fallen guards nearby.

The detection device prominently bore MagnaVis’s round emblem.

“At least it’s fortunate for us. While primitive, they’ve laid the groundwork to detect and identify us, leading to the early deployment of their followers.”

“I agree. Even if discovered, they wouldn’t have been able to prevent the incident, but it would certainly have become a hassle.”

As the man pointed to the camera, the woman nodded and smiled slightly.

“I thought Restraid were just stubborn knights, but they did well to create something like this with the knowledge of the tricksters.”

“A basic toy, however.”

At that moment, a new commotion bubbled within the exhibition hall. The discord of metal and screams reverberated, mixed with flames and smoke.

It was the chaos created by their followers.

“Still, we must remain cautious. We should not interfere too directly until we receive further orders. Remember what happened last year at Aegis Academy when we lost one of our members to one of those humans.”

“I know the rules. But I can’t help but wonder if it’s really necessary to hide. The Federation and clans already know our existence. Though they may not have openly disclosed it…”

As they bantered, soldiers of the Federal Army stood in their path, blocking their way.

“Stop! This area is dangerous! There are ongoing terrorist activities; please cooperate!”

The soldiers approaching the man and woman watched as the woman raised her hand.

“I’ll confirm your identity—”

The lead soldier started to speak, but his voice was abruptly cut off in mid-sentence.

The soldier’s sudden sensation shifted dramatically.

A chill engulfed him, then transformed into searing heat.

His legs buckled, causing him to collapse onto the ground.

And in the next moment, terror washed over him.

“Ah, ahhh!”

In the blurred vision, the soldier looked down at his body.

A scream erupted from the depths of panic.

Flesh and bone were dissolving into a viscous liquid.

Before long, even his screams morphed into incomprehensible howls.

“B-Brother Sergeant…? Aaaaah!”

The other soldiers were horrified at their superior’s condition. Paralyzed with fear, none dared help.

At that moment, a soldier with a monitoring device caught sight of the man and woman’s figures on his screen.

Realizing something, he shouted.

“Code Omega! Code Omega! Report immediately! They’re the monsters—”

The soldier could not finish his sentence. Smoke billowed from the walkie-talkie and gun he held, turning them a deep black.

Before long, the soldier himself was reduced to dust, scattered by the wind.

Another soldier suddenly ignited in flames. Screaming in agony as his flesh burned, he rolled on the ground, but the fire refused to extinguish.

“No… This can’t be happening!”

A soldier, terrified and desperate to flee, found that he could not take a single step.

His flesh and bones hardened like stone before shattering into pieces.

Another soldier trembled, lifting his gun. But before he could draw the trigger, he felt an eerie pain from beneath his flesh.

“Ah! No! I don’t want this! Aaaah!”

Thousands of insects emerged from his eyes, mouth, nose, and skin. Even those that burst through his skin began to eat away at the soldier’s flesh.

The soldier writhed in pain before going limp.

“This… this isn’t magic. This is…”

The last soldier alive ended in a disintegrating explosion of fragments.

The man and woman watched the soldiers’ demise indifferently from beginning to end.

“Of course not. This is a finesse that can’t be replicated by your trivial calculations.”

The woman murmured with a faint smile.

The two slowly moved toward the convention center. Only ashes remained where the soldiers had once stood.

Behind them, a slow-moving group followed. Their followers.

Their eyes stared vacantly at nothing.

With expressionless faces, they appeared monstrous, almost unrecognizable as human.

“Are you all ready?”

“Yes, we are.”

As the followers responded like machines, the man and woman gestured toward the entrance of the exhibition hall.

“Then go ahead. Miracles will come to those who believe. Fulfill your wish, perform miracles.”

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