Chapter 428
The kidnapping incident at the Beijing Heroes Association Branch drew global attention.
An unidentified group breaking into a branch of the Heroes Association—one in the capital of a nation and guarded by five S-rank heroes alongside dozens of A-rank heroes—was so shocking that it sparked intense public interest and a meticulous investigation into it by the Association.
And during that investigation, even more astonishing truths surfaced.
“So you’re saying the amount of mana observed at the scene was equivalent to that of dozens of S-rank heroes?”
“Yes. The data from the observation equipment says so, and according to the heroes who were on site...”
Se-Hoon’s Silver River shook the entire hero industry due to its sheer amount, which had been enough to envelop the entire building. Until now, only the Perfect Ones had ever displayed such immense power.
Could it be...? Has a new Perfect One been born? But then why hasn’t there been any information about them?
Maybe it’s someone who had been stuck in a Tower of Heroes for a while and had only now returned.
Unlike in the past, access to the Towers of Heroes was strictly controlled by governments around the world. However, that still depended on the governing nation or the size of the Heroes Association branch there, which meant the security could be lax at times.
That was common knowledge, which was why the first possibility was that someone had used such a weak point to climb the Tower of Heroes with a delay.
With that suspicion in mind, the investigation continued, which only made it grow.
“How strong was he? Hmm... Honestly, the only thing I can say is that he was insanely powerful. We got completely wrecked from the start.”
“It’s a bit frustrating, but you could say he simply toyed with us. We didn’t even get to fight back properly.”
“If that guy had really intended to kill me, I would’ve been torn to shreds... Ugh... I-I need to use the restroom...”
“I ran away, pride be damned, but looking back, I think he let us go on purpose. I felt this chill back then, like someone had already grabbed me by the neck.”
The testimonies from the S-rank heroes who fought the unknown enemies threw society into total chaos. It was bad enough that they were dealing with someone suspected to wield the strength that rivaled the Perfect Ones, and now there were three more capable of utterly overwhelming S-rank heroes?
There were too many dangerous beings, each capable of annihilating a major city in minutes, prompting the Heroes Association to discuss countermeasures immediately.
“We must eliminate them! We can’t let such dangerous entities roam around freely!”
“Hmm... isn’t that a bit of an overreaction? There were no traces of demonic aura, so we should try to figure out what their objectives are first—”
“Chairman, are you serious right now? An S-rank hero died in this attack! Do you understand what a tremendous loss that is to humanity?!”
“Well, we do have the Blessing of the Eternal now...”
“That system hasn’t yet been verified! And don’t you know how long it might take for them to resurrect? If we’re not careful, our forces could be picked off one by one!”
Watching the outburst of the man representing the Seven Saints, all gathered in the meeting exchanged grim expressions.
Funny how they stayed silent when asked why so many S-ranks were stationed in one place...
Tsk, they act as if they truly care about humanity.
There were plenty of questions surrounding the Beijing branch and the Seven Saints, but no one dug too deep. After all, everyone knew Li Kenxie backed them.
They were people without their own Perfect Ones backing them, so they shared a simple unspoken rule: let sleeping dogs lie.
Thus, it was only natural that the discussion shifted to how to deal with the mysterious group—tentatively called the Three Dogs—instead.
“Let’s first investigate whether they have any possible connection to the Demon Force.”
“Depending on what their intentions are, we might try negotiating—”
“No. We must exterminate them!”
Approaches were thrown back and forth, and several hours passed until the meeting finally ended. They had discussed many options—investigation, negotiation, extermination—but they all shared one problem.
How do we even find them?
Before anything could be done, they had to locate the Three Dogs and the kidnapped Li Wen. The Heroes Association quickly launched a search, and for it, Gregory specifically sought out someone suitable.
“The Three Dogs, huh.... Just from the name, I can tell that these people aren’t normal.”
Clicking his tongue, Se-Hoon looked over the information about the Three Dogs laid out on the cafe table. With so many witnesses, their faces and appearances had been rendered almost perfectly. It was quite fortunate that the recognition inhibition effect of Silver River had worked well enough that the drawings were slightly off.
Hmm, good. It seems like the three of them won’t get caught.
Flipping through the wanted posters, Se-Hoon stopped at the last one, which had nothing drawn on it at all. Instead, the description of the leader of the Three Dogs was written on the page.
“Uses a special deep blue-colored mana. Possesses strength comparable to Perfect Ones. No further information known.”
It was a wanted poster in name only. Virtually nothing about the wanted individual was known.
“Why is this one so lacking in info?” Se-Hoon asked, showing Gregory the wanted poster.
“Ah. Unlike the others, no one has actually seen them. If the heroes who died on-site show up in the Netherworld, we may get a composite sketch then...” Gregory trailed off, unable to continue.
That was why Se-Hoon finished his words for him. “But if resurrection was that easy of a concept, they wouldn’t have been killed in the first place.”
What unsettled the Heroes Association the most about the attack was how the enemy perfectly neutralized the Beijing branch yet selectively killed only a few heroes. That led some investigators—particularly Seon-Woo—to argue they should investigate the murdered heroes themselves.
But given how controversial it could become, the idea was temporarily shelved.
“That part is still uncertain, so I can’t say much about it. If we reach a conclusion later, I’ll let you know.”
“Hm... Running an organization isn’t easy, huh?”
To have suspicions of betrayal and not even be able to investigate.... If it were any other group, Gregory might have pushed ahead, regardless. However, because the Seven Saints were involved—and Li Kenxie in the background supporting them—there was no way forward.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve gotten used to it,” Gregory said with a bitter smile, sipping his hot chocolate overloaded with toppings.
A calm silence fell between them.
“...President, what do you think their goal is?”
Gregory stayed silent. Then, a moment later, he slowly opened his mouth. “At this stage, I can’t say anything for certain. But my informal answer would be...” Pausing, Gregory lowered his voice before continuing. “I believe they’re targeting the Sacred Craftsman.”
They had kidnapped a blood relative of Li Kenxie, right in what was essentially his territory—practically a declaration of war to the Sacred Craftsman. Although no one dared to say it aloud, everyone understood that. It was for that reason that the Heroes Association was scrambling to contain it before Li Kenxie exploded in fury.
Everything’s going just as Amir predicted.
Having already heard that the situation would most probably flow in the way it was currently going from Amir, back when Amir first asked him to help kidnap Li Wen, Se-Hoon didn’t bat an eye.
“What reasons would they have to target the Sacred Craftsman?”
“I’m not sure. I’m only familiar with the human named Li Kenxie, not the Sacred Craftsman.”
“...”
The words carried a sharp edge, making Se-Hoon shoot Gregory a curious look. Yet instead of explaining, Gregory, with a serious gaze, turned the question back to him.
“Actually, I’d rather ask you that question. Why do you think they’re after the Sacred Craftsman?”
Depending on how one took it, it sounded like Gregory suspected Se-Hoon was related to the Three Dogs.
But of course, Se-Hoon didn’t even blink.
“I’m not sure either. It’s not like I’m that close to Li Kenxie.”
“You?”
“Well, he hides just as much as Wurgen, if not more.”
Surprised, Gregory’s eyes widened behind his sunglasses before he leaned in.
“Are you being serious?” His tone was solemn.
“At least that’s what I felt until now.”
It was still unclear whether Li Kenxie had cooperated with Caden while knowing of the existence of Offering. Regardless, however, one thing was: everything Caden was doing publicly with the Seven Saints was with Li Kenxie’s tacit approval.
Imprisoning Li Wen, using Li Fei... it all was approved by him beforehand.
No one was sure what Li Kenxie was after. Depending on how it played out, it could spiral into a global catastrophe—just like with Wurgen before.
Understanding the weight behind Se-Hoon’s words, Gregory thought for a long time before slowly nodding his head.
“Alright. Thanks for coming today. If you ever need my help, don’t hesitate to call.”
“Will do. If I happen to pick up some clues about the Three Dogs, I’ll let you know right away.”
With their conversation completed, Gregory downed the last of his hot chocolate in one gulp. But just as he stood up to leave, something occurred to him.
“Oh, I have one last question I’d like to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“What are your motives for fighting the Demon Force?”
It was an unexpected question.
Yet, Se-Hoon met Gregory’s gaze through his sunglasses without hesitation and replied, “To fulfill my duty as a hero.”
It sounded cliche, but to him, that was the one thing a hero should neither exceed the scope of nor underperform.
“...If you ever want to take over my position, let me know. I’ll hand it over to you that day.”
“Sorry, but no thanks.”
Giving Se-Hoon a bitter smile due to the instant and blunt rejection, Gregory walked out of the cafe.
He’s probably caught on.... This is getting a bit tricky. Se-Hoon stoked his chin, watching Gregory’s disappearing figure.
He had considered explaining everything to Gregory, but remembering what Amir had told him, he deliberately kept it vague. Even if suspicions arose, no one could be certain without proper evidence.
As for Caden... I doubt he even has the time to think about this right now.
The entire world was watching, and a key part of Caden’s plan—Li Wen—had vanished. And with a wild card like the Three Dogs suddenly entering the game as well, the pressure Caden was feeling had to be overwhelming.
Before I regressed, he would've cut ties and disappeared... But he might just lash out instead this time.
The Demon Force was weakening, and most of Watchers’ influence in the Heroes Association had already been eradicated. With Dawn even completely gone as well, there was no guarantee Caden would move as cautiously as before.
That means I’ve got to be more aggressive too...
The problem was finding out where to strike if he wanted to dismantle the enemy’s plan in one go. Se-Hoon fell deep into thought, wrestling with the issue, when...
Vrrr-
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Putting his thoughts aside, he pulled it out quickly and saw the name he’d been waiting for.
Amir: I finished organizing all the information. I’d like to give it to you in person. Where can we meet?
Right on time.
Replying that he’d go himself, Se-Hoon wasted no time and teleported to Amir’s office in the Middle East.
Whoosh!
Knowing the coordinates, he didn’t need multiple jumps, allowing him to arrive in an instant. He then took a look around the empty office and noticed that the office had changed a bit since his last visit.
In the place of the old sofa was a massive table. On top of it, the snowmen Amir had crafted were stacking thin sheets of paper like puzzle pieces, which together formed a very familiar shape.
“A map?” Se-Hoon frowned in confusion as he looked at the detailed map of all of China.
And at that moment, Amir’s voice came from behind him. “What, did you come straight from a cafe?”
“Yeah, I had a quick chat with the President of the Heroes Association.”
“You could’ve at least brought a drink or something...”
Hearing Amir grumbling about his lack of manners, Se-Hoon turned around with annoyed eyes.
“As if I’m your delivery man or something... wait. What the hell happened to you?”
From the neck down, Amir was wrapped in bandages like a mummy. Even his head was bandaged, with some plasters here and there. But what was more shocking was Amir’s expression in spite of his injuries: he was grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying himself.
Don’t tell me... he hit his head too hard?
It hadn’t been that long since Se-Hoon gave him the job—had he already messed up the most important part?
In contrast to Se-Hoon, who was sighing inwardly, Amir had puffed up his chest.
“Yeah, it’s been a lot. I’ve got so much to tell you—”
“Right. But first, let’s heal those wounds.”
Se-Hoon began drawing on Divine Power to heal him, but Amir flinched and quickly stepped back.
“W-wait! Not now!”
“Why not?”
“There’s something I need to confirm first. I have to stay like this for now.”
“Confirm what?”
What could possibly be so important that he needed to keep his injuries? Se-Hoon gave him a puzzled look.
Woong-
A faint purple light shimmered in Amir’s silver eyes. Soon, it separated from his body and formed into a fist-sized, semi-transparent mass like one of those ghost mascots that could be easily found online.
But that was exactly why Se-Hoon’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Ha, ha... Hello there.”
Before Se-Hoon’s eyes, Zayed was scratching the back of his head with an awkward smile.