Blazing Torch (2)
A room filled with large electronic devices.
Ugh—
Beep beep—tidi dik!
Jijijik— Jiing—
Even though the air conditioner was already running at full power, the space was filled with intense heat, and all kinds of noise, including the sound of the cooler running and electronic sounds, were mixed together.
At a certain moment when only such loud noises continued…
“…I finally made contact. “It’s going well so far.”
Suddenly, a man’s voice came out.
In the middle of a room lined with expensive supercomputers.
There was a being lying down on a soft armchair, with various wires connected to the devices dangling from a metal suit.
A man wearing a piece of metal all over his body that mysteriously glows with a soft light, like an electronic circuit.
“Indeed, is this the ‘Eye of Odin’? “Is it more useful than I thought?”
Hesperon was fully armed with titans brought from subspace.
While looking at the satellite image hacked through 「Inside the Machine: Callicas」, he quietly stuck out his tongue.
As an experiment, I briefly used the newly created 『Odin’s Eye』 in conjunction with the satellite view when the store was upgraded, and I thought that it would be worth using it often even if I had to pay karma.
‘Not only is it possible to see through most mysteries, but there is also no limitation of Andrew’s “trajectory observation” that a high-ranking person cannot peek into it.’
At this point, it was no exaggeration to say that this was a unique skill that had been strengthened quite a few times.
You can use this as much as you want as long as you pay karma.
There was the problem that it was a limited ability only on Earth and the amount of karma consumed was quite burdensome to just use it, but if you use it in parallel with other means like now, you can use it as efficiently as possible.
Didn’t Andrew finish the job easier than expected based on the information he had just collected?
‘Even if it can only be used for final confirmation of information, it can be considered to be worth it.’
He slowly closed his eyes as he looked at an abandoned house on the outskirts of Vietnam reflected in his eyes.
Then, he focused on Ken’s five senses and conveyed his will through the “Covenant Chain” connected to his right arm.
-You know you shouldn’t fight too loudly if you’re going to argue over there, right? First, calm him down a bit and then move together to the designated location. As we went, we made some friends. Even so, they are quite capable people.
-···Keuung, no matter how you look at it, manipulating things is exactly our Demon King’s style. Is it my destiny to be associated with these masters…?
Ken responds with a grunt to commands given as naturally as breathing.
However, there was not much discomfort at having been given orders by someone who was not particularly familiar with them.
That has to be the case.
No matter what the circumstances were, wasn’t it all thanks to Hesperon, who summoned him, that he was able to set foot on Earth again?
‘Furthermore, if you complete the job properly, you will be guaranteed a certain degree of freedom of movement on Earth as a reward.’
Suddenly, I remembered how confused he was when he was first summoned to Earth and burst out laughing.
The sight of him checking several times to see if he had been mentally attacked somewhere or if this was the real Earth…
If it had not been properly restrained using the “Chain of Covenant”, it would have taken much longer to set off to its destination.
‘Because the other person said he was the devil. Ken would be helpful in understanding the enemy’s level more clearly. Even if an emergency occurs, you will be able to make enough time to organize.’
In addition, they passed on to him the annoying chores of having to move around in Southeast Asia, which is close to the equator.
So for a while.
Hesperon, who was looking at the members of the ‘Burning Torch’ through Ken’s vision as they worked hard as instructed, opened his eyes and slowly looked around.
A space filled with electronic devices, including large-scale computing devices and servers that are difficult for ordinary people to obtain.
This was a work place prepared just for him.
It was carefully created to use one of his abilities, “Mechanical Eye: Callicas”, as efficiently as possible.
‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend. We can’t let them fall apart like this.’
The mere fact that he noticed the existence of the secret yet powerful Beoncheonhoe and survived until now against it was nothing short of proof of his abilities.
Just by connecting with them, you will not only be able to fight more efficiently than before, but you will also be able to obtain additional information that you did not know.
However, the situation when I first tried to approach them was not so favorable.
The problem was that the leadership, which had been repeatedly defeated in recent battles with the Beoncheonhoe and was on the verge of collapse, was scattered in all directions and went into hiding.
Even otherwise, it is their daily routine to hide and move like guerrillas, but with the situation like this, it was natural that it became difficult to pinpoint their location.
Because their immediate survival was at stake, they had no choice but to be desperate.
‘So I had to somehow find them before the Buncheonhoe…’
And it was Hesperon and this state-of-the-art facility prepared in advance for him that played an active role there.
A complex data center that includes a supercomputer that incorporates elements and technologies from other worlds that have flowed to Earth, which was secretly secured through subordinate forces.
The price was also terrible, but money was not a big problem for him.
Since they had already established a solid position through a well-known company called Howard Industries, it wasn’t that difficult to set up a few secret bases.
Ugh—
Beep beep!
The light emitted through numerous lines connected to the titanium in the center spread to electronic devices in all directions.
Hesperon’s “Machine Eye: Callicas” becomes one with him and grows together with him—a mysterious crystal that is no different from a kind of “machine spirit.”
And the Titans synchronized there were also the essence of magic engineering that would never be inferior no matter where it was presented.
It was not surprising that connection with peripheral devices did not simply involve exchanging electrical signals, but also reached into the realm of supernatural abilities and raised performance beyond its original limits.
‘As expected, the defense of important facilities is no joke. You’ll need a bit more preparation to break through that. ···Well, as attack methods develop, defense methods also develop.’
Of course, implementing otherworldly technology on Earth requires enormous resources, so only a very small number of systems were equipped with such defenses.
All the information related to the area he was watching was endlessly collected through satellites in space, the wired Internet, as well as wireless communication networks, including radio waves.
In the process, the remnants of information have become fragmented to the point where they cannot be analyzed by even a decent supercomputer, making them almost like trash.
However, Machinean, which is overtechnology itself and an artificial spirit that evolves in real time, quickly processed the flood of information by mobilizing all the devices connected to it.
＜Analyzing collected data.＞
＜The route is re-searched based on the added information.＞
＜Movements of forces presumed to be hostile organizations have been detected. Show location on satellite map.＞
A being that can exert greater influence on Earth, which has a moderate level of scientific civilization, than in another world.
Hesperon gently closed his eyes.
In order to maximize the performance of “Inside the Machine: Callicas” and not miss a single clue from the enormous amount of information constantly pouring in.
***
Ken slowly turned his head to look at the four men and women moving around busily, and massaged the back of his neck.
‘Buncheonhoe… and a burning torch.’
For him, who returned to Earth after a long time, this was the first name he had ever heard.
Of course, even if he had not been kidnapped by the demon world and was able to return in time, it was unlikely that he would have become involved with such secret organizations.
‘What on earth is he? How were you able to summon me from the Demon World to this Earth? And the things I’m doing now…’
In that sense, the man named Hesperon who summoned him was a being shrouded in mystery in many ways.
Thinking back to when I first met him, it seems like it hasn’t been long since he returned to Earth. Isn’t he really good at everything, whether it’s summoning him to work or dealing with secret organizations?
It’s as if we’ve been dealing with them on Earth for a long time.
‘There is no way I can go back and forth between the two worlds at will.’
He naturally ruled out the correct answer based on common sense, rubbed the back of his head roughly and sighed.
Well, it didn’t matter what happened now.
From the moment the curse trapped in the temple fell into the man’s hands that day, he had no choice.
In fact, it was actually a good thing for Ken, as he was able to smell the Earth’s air again thanks to it.
‘I don’t know if my family is doing well. If you come and visit us now, you will be surprised, right? ···Of course, for that to happen, I have to make sure to finish this first.’
Fortunately, the sudden fight that broke out right after their first encounter did not last long.
This was partly because Ken, who had easily taken the surprise attack, did not make any counterattacks and continued to try to talk, but another reason was that Jose regained his cool after hearing the commotion and seeing his colleagues hurriedly return.
“what? “What on earth is this…!”
“An! Hey Jose! Are you okay? ···Huh? Who are you! “How did you get here?”
“···Becky? Tola? “Are you guys safe?”
The biggest reason for attacking first was that the colleagues who had gone out on reconnaissance judged that they had already suffered.
Otherwise, they thought there was no way an uninvited guest would come to the center where they were without a rumor.
Doesn’t the fact that you sneak in without ringing the bell while visiting someone else’s place mean that something is holding you back?
‘Well, that’s true, so I don’t have anything to say.’
Ken, who ignored the outskirts reconnaissance and infiltrated simply because of his instincts as a devil and because he wanted to solve the problem quickly, ended up being misunderstood.
“…So, you’re just an errand boy?”
“yes. Actually, this is the first time I heard about you guys and the organization called Beoncheonhoe. “All I know is that we must join hands against our common enemy, the Buncheonhoe.”
“If that’s the case, shouldn’t the person involved come in person? “What are you talking about with the errand boy?”
“That would have been the case if you were in a healthy state… but in this situation?”
Ken, who was talking to the representative of their group, a woman named Ann, shrugged her shoulders.
Then I turned my gaze and took a quick look around.
A remote mountain valley with not a single house in sight, let alone a humble home base.
Plus, even if you include executives, the number of people is only four.
In fact, hoping that the other person would come directly to connect with them, who were practically fugitives, was nothing short of greed.
“Tsk.”
Ando just clicked her tongue, as if she had nothing else to say.
Above all, isn’t he just one of the scattered executives and not the representative of the burning torch?
“Are you really okay?”
At that time, Jose, who had returned to human form and had been by her side the whole time, opened his mouth softly.
He still seemed wary of Ken.
He only stopped the fight for a moment because making a fuss for a long time wouldn’t be good for either of them, but his eyes never left Ken from beginning to end.
“are you okay. First of all, there are no lies in anything I’ve said so far. “It is right to be hostile to Beoncheonhoe, and it is also right to approach it with goodwill.”
“But the opponent is the devil. “Just like that guy.”
“Of course, I don’t intend to believe everything. I don’t even know how many secrets there are that I haven’t told. But right now, we’re not in a situation where we can consider all of those things one by one, right?”
“···Well, it’s clear that he’s stronger than me.”
Two people who openly gossip among themselves even though they know that the person in charge is right in front of them. The corner of Ken’s mouth twitched at that, but he didn’t say anything.
As he had lived with demons for a long time, he knew very well that the world’s perception of demons was not that wrong.
If his ego hadn’t been fixed to some extent thanks to ‘Thought Transfer’, his current human appearance would have been worn away long ago.
“I’m sorry we’re in the middle of a conversation, but there’s some urgent news that just came in.”
“News?”
Of course, I didn’t just sit back and watch the discussion.
In any case, the order he received was to help them escape to a safe place.
For the sake of freedom on Earth, this mission had to be successfully completed somehow.
“A group presumed to be the Beoncheonhoe is approaching this place. There doesn’t seem to be a demon called the Executioner, so the fight itself won’t be a big problem… “It would be difficult to get caught by them, right?”
It was a natural story.
Their current status is fugitives.
Isn’t the survival rate bound to drop exponentially from the moment the pursuer discovers the location?
“…How did you know that?”
The only problem was how much one could trust the devil who was speaking these words—Ken.
If I believed it too quickly and it turned out to be a trap, it would really be the end of everything.
As if he had guessed their feelings, Ken smiled and pointed his finger at the sky.
“My employer is watching from heaven. “It is no exaggeration to say that this area is already in the palm of his hand.”
“under!”
It’s a joke no matter who hears it.
But Ahn, who was leading the group, could not just ignore those words.
The unique skill that had helped her survive until now and that had enabled her to withstand the Buncheonhoe was whispered in her ear.
There is only one choice you have to make now.
“What are you going to do? “Will you trust me and follow me?”
“······.”
Of course, her decision was already made.
***
A room filled with pastel colored clouds.
“Whoa—the tide has turned.”
Words like a sigh escaped from the lips of a woman who was sitting on a sofa in the middle of the room, accompanied by sky-blue smoke.
Her hazy gaze gazed at the smoke fluttering in the air.
“You’ve finally appeared, the enemy.”
A being who twists the flow of fate.
An entity that makes the future uncertain.
A being that hides behind a veil and mocks the world.
“Then we should prepare accordingly.”
Like sand slipping through your fingers.
It was a day when the remnants of the ‘Burning Torch’, which I thought had completely taken hold, began to disappear one by one.
