Gyeonggi Province, Goyang City, Ilsan’s ‘K’ Convention Center.
It was the largest exhibition venue in South Korea, hosting thousands of expos each year.
The reason I had come all the way to Ilsan on a golden holiday was simple.
I looked up at the banner hanging at the exhibition entrance.
-<Regarding the Warriors Who Left Their Footprints in the Martial History of the Korean Peninsula>
Wonder if there’s anything decent here.
Inside the exhibition hall, a docent was explaining the displayed items.
“Recently, during the battle between the Villain Alliance and the Hunter Surveillance Bureau, the factory site in Ansan was completely devastated, right? At that time, a large number of new ruins and artifacts were discovered beneath the factory grounds. Among them were relics presumed to belong to figures that only appeared in legends or unofficial histories……”
The synchro with the Lokpia Continent did not discriminate against specific groups of people.
In other words, even the most heinous criminals could awaken.
Awakened criminals, commonly called ‘Villains’.
Villains were incomparably more dangerous than ordinary criminals, and since the Synchro Incident, the villain crime rate had risen sharply.
But recently the situation had changed a little.
The so-called ‘Villain Alliance’.
The villains had begun to organize.
Systematic and organized criminal activities by the Villain Alliance were occurring across the country.
That’s why they say the Hunter Surveillance Bureau is working itself to death these days.
I looked around the inside of the exhibition hall.
Thirty to forty artifacts were stored inside glass display cases.
Weapons, armor, pottery, books, and so on—various types.
However, because they had been buried underground for a long time, their preservation state didn’t look very good.
Well, that doesn’t really matter to me.
There were two materials needed to create Shadow Knights.
Relics related to the person and a body to serve as the vessel.
For the relics, the process of absorbing the essence of the deceased embedded in the relic through the Archlich’s finger was necessary.
Soon, a small voice reached my ear.
“Then I’ll be going. Master.”
At the same time, miniaturized Jean jumped down from my shoulder.
Jean was in charge of absorbing the energy of the deceased.
The number of Shadow Knights I could summon had increased to nine.
Yi Seonggye, Cheok Junseong, Yi I.
Excluding those three, I could now command six new Shadow Knights.
I listened attentively to the docent’s explanation.
“……This sword is a Joseon-style hwando used by a person named ‘Sogi Pa’. Has anyone heard of this figure?”
The docent pointed to two 50 cm-long Joseon-style hwando swords.
When no one answered, the docent continued.
“Sogi Pa was a mid-Joseon military officer active from King Seongjong’s reign to King Jungjong’s reign. In his youth, he defended the northern borders by subjugating the Jurchens, and he was said to be exceptionally skilled with both sword and bow. However, the most impressive anecdote about Sogi Pa is from when he was dispatched to the Gyeongsang Province region.”
The docent pointed to a map depicting the waters of Gyeongsangnam-do.
“Around 1510, Japanese merchants residing in Joseon and Japanese pirates joined forces and caused an uprising. This is the famous Three Ports Wae Rebellion. Ports and villages such as Busanpo, Jepo, and Yeompo fell, so the court dispatched generals including Sogi Pa and soldiers to suppress the Three Ports Wae Rebellion. The suppression was very successful. Sogi Pa was said to be a fierce general who mercilessly slaughtered enemies using two swords.”
The docent pointed to the two swords while speaking.
“Sogi Pa was said to slit open the enemy ships, take out their gallbladders, and use them as drinking snacks. That’s why he was called ‘Soyacha’ in the world. In the Korean Peninsula, the term ‘yacha (night demon)’ is attached to extremely terrifying and cruel humans. Showing the act of pulling out and chewing the enemy’s intestines was probably also intentional to display a horrifying image and instill fear in the enemy.”
The explanation continued.
“However, you know, among the words used by today’s MZ generation, there’s ‘reverse charm’, right? Sogi Pa also had reverse charm. To the enemy he was an object of fear, but to the Joseon people he was benevolent and fair, so it’s said he won the hearts of the people and was loved wherever he was posted. For these achievements, he even received rewards from King Jungjong.”
It was quite an interesting story.
A character who showed a yacha-like appearance to enemies but was warm to allies.
……If he becomes a Shadow Knight, he’d probably be in the berserker category.
Even while the docent was explaining, miniaturized Jean was hopping between the exhibits, collecting essences.
Then, a familiar voice came from behind.
“Oh my, Hasang student?”
Professor Park Ahjeong was standing where the voice came from.
“We meet again here? At this point it must be fate…… You really should come to graduate school, right?”
Professor Park Ahjeong covered her mouth and laughed.
“Just kidding~ Like this~.”
Even so, sincerity could be felt.
Meeting Professor Park Ahjeong was the first time since escaping Maslow’s Tower.
After parting with me, Professor Park Ahjeong had stayed on the second floor to take care of the survivors.
Without Professor Park Ahjeong’s healing magic, the hunters who suffered fatal injuries probably wouldn’t have survived.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Luddite’s robots had also greatly contributed to the survivors’ return by protecting the civilians remaining on each floor.
……LDX-3021. I wonder what happened to that one.
Then Park Ahjeong said.
“Hasang student, how’s your physical condition?”
“No particular problems.”
“Still, we need to keep monitoring the progress. Dungeons affect not only the body but the mind as well. No one knows how post-traumatic stress will manifest.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
Professor Park Ahjeong winked.
“What’s there to thank? If you’re coming to graduate school, you need to manage your health strictly from now on. Relying only on youth, and you’ll collapse in an instant.”
“What was that display of prowess you showed back then? Do you remember I said I’d ask once we escaped?”
“That was……”
Professor Park Ahjeong chuckled and said.
“I won’t pry too much, so relax your expression, Hasang student.”
“?”
“I didn’t say anything to the Association side. I also instructed the hunters who were there at the time to keep their mouths shut.”
“Keep their mouths shut?”
Park Ahjeong smiled playfully.
“I used a little…… memory alteration magic. This is a secret from the Association. See? Now we each share one secret?”
Soon, Park Ahjeong continued with a serious expression.
“I want to support you, Hasang student. As a researcher, and as someone who hopes society becomes even a little more just. But I think you should be a bit cautious. It seems my friend still hasn’t let go of her suspicions about you.”
“Friend? Ah, that person from back then……?”
Professor Park Ahjeong’s friend.
A person came to mind.
Hunter Surveillance Bureau Investigator Bae Minji.
Park Ahjeong continued.
“She was demoted after getting caught up in an incident, but she was originally a highly capable person in a fairly high position. Anyway…… where did that girl go?”
“Huh?”
“We were supposed to meet here. Strange~ She said she arrived 10 minutes earlier than me?”
At that moment, a shadow fell over Professor Park Ahjeong’s face.
“No way……”
“?”
“No way, the Vigilantes attacked again or something!?”
Come to think of it, something similar had happened before.
The group of awakened beings that had attacked the National History Museum—the Vigilantes.
A force different from the Villain Alliance; they described themselves as ‘outlaws operating in the blind spots of the law.’
Still just a criminal organization, though.
Recently, they were also a group that increased the workload of the Hunter Surveillance Bureau.
In my personal opinion, the Vigilantes were a far more troublesome group than the Villain Alliance.
Because a half-baked ideological group is much more dangerous than a group of hundreds of criminals.
Just look at terrorist groups like IS.
My expression must have hardened, because Professor Park Ahjeong smiled awkwardly.
“Did I throw it out too bluntly? Words can become seeds, so I’ll be careful. Relax your expression, Hasang student.”
Noisy sounds came from deeper inside the exhibition.
Far away, people were gathered in a circle inside the exhibition hall.
Click click click—
Visitors were holding up smartphones, taking photos and videos.
Did a celebrity come? Perfect timing.
If there was something drawing attention, Jean’s work would become much easier.
Beyond the visitors, two silhouettes were visible.
“……! ……! ……! ……!”
“..! ……………! ……………! ……!”
Different voices were fiercely exchanging.
As if arguing, the voices gradually grew louder.
Then, Professor Park Ahjeong pointed toward the source of the commotion and exclaimed.
“Huh? Minji, that girl! She’s over there! But the person next to her is……”
The one raising her voice inside the exhibition hall.
One of them was Hunter Surveillance Bureau Investigator Bae Minji.
Soon, Investigator Bae Minji’s voice could be heard.
“The thing I’m investigating isn’t that side, so why are you being so sharp with me?”
Standing opposite her was a very, very familiar woman.
An inexplicable fatigue washed over me.
At the same time, an annoying situation began to be predicted.
A beautiful woman with flowing red hair opened her mouth.
“Is there something wrong with frowning at the power’s bitch?”
A voice dripping with irritation.
Red Mage Tower Lord Shin Sodam was standing at the end of the exhibition hall.