Chapter 430
The reaction to the live broadcast of the Three Dogs’ announcement was nothing short of explosive.
They had come back, the mysterious group that had swept through the Heroes Association Beijing Branch—despite it being guarded by S-rank heroes—and vanished without a trace.
Not only that, they even publicly declared they would steal the Earth-Weaving Loom, one of the Five Elemental Equipment, shocking countless with their brazen arrogance. Even the Ten Evils hadn’t shown such audacity—a notion that made a creeping sense of unease spread among the populace.
“What’s the Association even doing? I’m pretty sure they said they’d catch them in no time...”
“I’ve got a friend who’s an investigator there, and even they said they’re going nuts. They couldn’t find any evidence or motive—even if they wanted to, they aren’t able to begin a proper investigation.”
Unidentified terrorists were roaming the world freely, facing no resistance. While the recent incident had resulted in no casualties, who could say the same for the future? As fear spread among civilians, talks about a certain solution also began circulating.
“If the situation is out of the Association’s hands, shouldn’t the Perfect Ones step up? I’m sure they could handle this...”
“Whoa, hold on. Don’t say you don’t know how the Perfect Ones never get involved unless they’re attacked first. The terrorists would have to attack them directly to get them moving.”
“Right... still, haven’t they been a bit more active lately?”
“That’s probably because of Lee Se-Hoon. The Perfect Ones only started changing after he showed up.”
With the Heroes Association failing to propose a solid response, public expectations shifted to the Perfect Ones, then naturally to Se-Hoon, the one rumored to be able to mobilize them.
It didn’t take long until inquiries about Se-Hoon flooded Babel from all corners of the world. Overwhelmed, the administrative staff screamed and yanked out the phone lines in desperation.
But that just made confusion spread further, and the Three Dogs and Se-Hoon only grew more and more infamous.
“What... What is this...?”
Li Wen stared at the newspaper in his hands blankly. A bold photo of a towering banner flapping proudly atop a blazing building dominated the front page of the newspaper.
Having yet to hear the news, Li Wen’s pupils trembled.
Did... I make some kind of mistake?
Thankfully, there had been no casualties—but he still couldn’t understand what Se-Hoon was thinking to pull something like that. Dazed, Li Wen flipped through the newspaper and found an article covering Caden’s, the recent victim’s, press conference.
“There will be no negotiation with terrorists. The Earth-Weaving Loom is a cultural asset of the People’s Republic of China, and we will never allow a traitor to take it,” declares Caden Miller, CEO of MT Industries. In response, the Heroes Association...
“...”
Reading the article, Li Wen knew it was a statement clearly for an all-out war. Even Gregory, the President of the Heroes Association, had publicly declared they’d lend their full support alongside the Seven Saints. Se-Hoon’s actions had practically made the entire world gather into a combined force.
Are they really planning to face him head-on? Even if it’s Se-Hoon...
Li Wen couldn’t help but think it all just seemed recklessly suicidal. But on second thought, he remembered what he had witnessed at the Beijing Branch: Se-Hoon’s overwhelming power. He had killed an S-rank hero in less than thirty seconds, even if it was a surprise attack.
With power like that, perhaps it wasn’t impossible to challenge the world.
As long as the Perfect Ones don’t step in, he just might pull it off.
He didn’t know what others thought, but from what he had seen, he was convinced it wasn’t actually impossible. Still, it made him anxious, and Li Wen began ruminating over the increasingly dangerous situation—
“Is there anything you need?”
Startled, Li Wen flinched before turning to the skeleton in a suit standing nearby.
“N-No, I’m fine. Just lost in thought...” he replied, making an awkward smile.
“I see. Then, if you’ll excuse me. If you need anything, just call.”
With a respectful bow, the skeleton sank below the floor while watched by Li Wen with a strange look. Then, once it had gone, Li Wen turned his head to stare out the window from the sofa.
Clear blue skies, a perfectly manicured garden, and in the far distance, a towering black pillar reaching toward the heavens—the new Netherworld, just as the rumors described.
Sighhhhh.
I feel so useless...
Hiding in the Netherworld until the whole situation was over.... Was that really the best he could do? The thought, which had plagued him for days, left him even more depressed—
“Why do you look so sad?” Se-Hoon suddenly rose from the floor, his expression puzzled.
Li Wen gasped silently, clutching his chest. Once again, he had been startled.
“You can’t just... appear like that out of nowhere...”
“Ah. My bad. I was in quite a hurry.”
Giving him a sheepish smile, Se-Hoon sat across from him with a sheepish smile as Li Wen sighed internally while studying him.
“So... why are you here?”
“I came to explain how things are going. We’re on the same boat, after all.”
“...”
Li Wen’s expression turned complicated. He didn’t want to say it out loud, but he highly doubted his abilities could be of any real help to him.
“Don’t worry about it too much. I’m just here to share my plan. That’s all.”
With a smile, Se-Hoon waved his hand through the air and the darkness of the Netherworld coalesced to project a map of China.
“I assume you’ve probably seen what I did in the news. Let me explain my motives behind it first.”
Hearing the quick rundown of the ritual Caden and the Seven Saints were preparing, Li Wen’s face went pale. Sacrificing hundreds of millions of lives to forge new Sacred Equipment?
It was so unbelievable that he had to ask for confirmation with a trembling voice, “Is... Is that really true...?”
“I can’t say for certain. But if that array I identified back then is really what I think it is... then yes, hundreds of millions will die overnight.”
“...”
Hearing the certainty in his voice, Li Wen flinched back, stunned. The ceremony wasn’t just any ritual—it involved using living humans as components. It genuinely involved human sacrifice.
Considering that it’s also on a scale of hundreds of millions, how could anyone not be shaken?
If even Se-Hoon had found it surprising, how must it sound to someone hearing it for the first time? And given Li Wen’s close relationship with Caden, such an utterly deranged plan must’ve been even more shocking.
“Father...”
Muttering to himself, Li Wen looked at Se-Hoon, and with great difficulty, asked, “Do... you think my father knows about this?”
Se-Hoon stared at him.
“I’m not sure. While Caden does act according to Li Kenxie’s orders... there are still quite a number of inconsistencies in his recent actions.”
Se-Hoon was honest. Considering that Caden had publicly declared that he would kill Li Kenxie at the conference, it seemed highly unlikely that the two were really allies. And on the other side, before the regression, Li Kenxie used to call Offering “a bunch of fools lost in armchair theorizing.” If Li Kenxie really knew what was going on, he most likely wouldn’t just stand by.
“I see...” Li Wen took a deep breath, calming his expression. “So... how are you planning to stop all of this?”
“I’ve come up with two plans. The first is to put pressure and infiltrate through the Association. The second is constructing a separate ritual to counter theirs.”
He pointed to the newspaper on the table, specifically at the photo of the Three Dogs’ warning notice.
“The Association has already decided that the Earth-Weaving Loom must not fall into the hands of this terrorist group. Now, Caden and the Seven Saints are left with two options.”
Either they hide the Earth-Weaving Loom in a safer place or reinforce security and attempt to capture the Three Dogs when they inevitably come. However, the first option would interfere with the ritual, making it impossible—thus leaving only the second.
“If they choose to reinforce the security...”
“Then they’ll need help from the Association, since the heroes in China alone won’t cut it. They would need reliable heroes—like me.”
While the facility that stored the Earth-Weaving Loom was known not to hire outsiders, rejecting someone like Se-Hoon wasn’t easy. He was publicly considered second only to the Perfect Ones—and, in some ways, even more dependable—which meant they couldn’t refuse without solid reason.
“Well, normally, they would refuse to hire me anyway, but not this time. There are just too many people who have their eyes on this situation.”
To avoid suspicion, they’d have to accept his involvement. But if they didn’t, Se-Hoon would just show up with the Three Dogs regardless, and the outcome wouldn’t change.
“Huh...”
Li Wen couldn’t help but be impressed. The plan was simple, but the pressure Se-Hoon and Three Dogs exerted was domineering.
“And how do you plan on coming up with the counter-ritual?”
“I’m going to work on that here.”
“By here... you mean the Netherworld?”
Se-Hoon nodded.
“If I build it up there, they might be able to detect it. But in the Netherworld, I can set up a reversal array and activate it as soon as their ritual begins, with no worry.”
“Is... is that even possible?”
“It’s definitely going to be tough to pull it off alone, but if I have my friends to help out, we should be able to manage.”
Seeing Se-Hoon shrugging, acting so casually like it was just another school group project, Li Wen let out a short, involuntary laugh.
To think Se-Hoon was talking about dismantling a national-level ritual like it was no big deal. However, the craziest part was that his plan didn’t sound unrealistic at all.
“You... really are incredible.”
He had been anxious over whether Se-Hoon could really stop the nation-wide ritual earlier, but now he felt reassured—certain he had made the right choice in trusting him.
“Ah, there’s something I wanted to ask.”
“Hmm? Oh, yes, go ahead.”
Li Wen blinked in surprise. Was there anything he could even help with?
He waited for Se-Hoon to gather his thoughts, and after a moment, Se-Hoon asked seriously, “Why do you think Li Kenxie confined you?”
“...?”
The question caught Li Wen off guard, putting clear confusion on his face.
“You do know that there’s a high chance Li Kenxie orchestrated your confinement, right?” Se-Hoon elaborated.
“Yes... I’m aware of that.”
“And you remember how Caden tried to convince you to use your power to mass-produce the Sacred Equipment, right?”
Led on by Se-Hoon’s words, Li Wen puzzled over how it was connected to the question when something odd occurred to him, and his eyes slowly enlarged in realization.
“Isn’t it strange? Your daughter, Li Fei, was always right by his side. If he wanted, he could’ve just used her right then—but instead, he tried to convince you.”
“...”
“While getting parental approval is the normal procedure, that rule surely doesn’t apply here.”
Why did Li Kenxie lock him up if he could just force Li Fei himself?
Now understanding, Li Wen pondered deeply and soon, a conflicted look crept onto his face.
“Maybe... maybe there wasn’t any reason at all.”
Li Wen glanced awkwardly around, uncertain about what he was saying himself.
“This is a bit of an old story, but... when I was young, I ran away from home because I didn’t want to take over the family business. But my father brought me back and locked me in an outhouse.”
The outhouse wasn’t a proper room, more like a warehouse next to the forge. It was cramped, uncomfortable, and filled with hammering noises.
“He didn’t starve me or hit me, but he said he wouldn’t let me out until I agreed to inherit the family business. So I stayed there for two years.”
“Two years?”
“Yeah.... In fact, being stuck there made me even more determined not to inherit the family business.”
Recalling those wild days in his early twenties, Li Wen grimaced in embarrassment.
“But you know... during those two years, Father never tried to persuade me. Every morning, he’d just ask if I was ready to inherit, and when I said no, he’d leave without another word.”
He wasn’t forceful, but he wasn’t laid-back—just in-between. Back then, he thought his father had been trying to break his will. But now, looking back, Li Wen realized that wasn’t it.
“I think... it didn’t matter when I was going to be persuaded. He just needed someone to take over, and I was the only one suitable. That’s why... he just left me there until I gave the answer he wanted.”
Li Kenxie had no pride in the craft, nor any emotional connection to it. He just did what had to be done, like a mechanical machine with a given set of instructions. At that realization, a chill ran down Li Wen’s spine. It was something he had ignored all this time—or perhaps refused to accept—until now.
If I had ever become useless to him...
Would his father have discarded him without a second thought? His face went pale at the sudden, terrifying possibility.
On the other side, watching Li Wen’s expression harden, Se-Hoon’s expression grew uneasy as well. A part of him thought that Li Wen was thinking too far ahead of himself, but another part thought that the hypothetical Li Wen was fearing wasn’t exactly far-fetched.
That’s just how the Perfect Ones are, after all.
They merely mimicked their past human behavior, their essence having long since become the law of the world itself. Even now, all of Li Kenxie’s incomprehensible actions were just shadows left behind by his former self.
The past...
Ever since the death of Li Kenxie’s daughter-in-law, he had been obsessed with finding the contradiction in his power. But... what had really driven him to such extremes?
Unable to make sense of it, Se-Hoon shook his head.
Let’s try not to jump to conclusions for now.
He had a rough idea of Li Kenxie’s thought process. The next logical step was to meet him face-to-face and find out the rest.
Organizing his thoughts, Se-Hoon ended the conversation.
“Thank you for answering my question. Once things get moving forward, I’ll come back to update you.”
“Ah, okay!”
Li Wen stood up as Se-Hoon turned to leave.
“Um...” he called out hesitantly.
Hearing his voice, Se-Hoon looked at him, curious. And upon meeting his gaze, Li Wen bowed deeply with a serious expression.
“Please take care of my daughter.”
Seeing the concern for his daughter clearly reflected in his eyes, Se-Hoon responded with a gentle smile.
“Don’t worry about it.”
With those final words, he crossed back into Babel—and gazed into the dark, unlit workshop for a bit. Then he snapped his fingers, turning on the lights.
“You’re late.”
Hidden by the darkness, Li Kenxie turned to face him from the center of the workshop.