Chapter 194: Union (5)

The Last Knight, the Lion King.

That existence was one of the beacons of hope for humanity.

Despite the power inflation going off the charts, he was still a significant force, and later, he perished alongside an apostle, a power comparable to a dragon.

It clearly signified that he had entered the realm of transcendence, and it was also evidence that his power was nearly equal to that of an extraterrestrial being.

In short, it meant he was a person who shouldn’t die now.

“…The Lion King’s disappearance.”

“Even in the UK, only a few know him, but it won’t be long before it spreads. The Lion King is practically a symbol of the UK.”

Therefore, this mission must succeed, Baek Ji-yeon muttered.

“Where do we go then?”

“The last known location of the Lion King was in Nazi territory. Typically, if someone is kidnapped by the Nazis, their life cannot be guaranteed, but considering it’s the Lion King, the Association believes he’s still alive.”

If it were the Lion King I knew, he would be safe for at least a week.

The problem, however, was when he went missing.

“His disappearance is presumed to be yesterday. Although the Lion King possesses extraordinary abilities, the Association thinks he can last about three days.”

“I see.”

“So the Union will depart from France and invade Nazi territory. One side will cause a commotion while the other tracks the Lion King. That’s the outline of the operation.”

“If I’m the bait, I should depart first.”

“Yes… and there’s a high chance you’ll die.”

“It’s okay. Didn’t I say I can take care of my own life?”

“Indeed.”

Baek Ji-yeon’s expression remained grim.

“It’s quite a bitter task. Alright, I knew you’d go regardless of what I say. Do you know where you’re headed?”

“The northern part of Paris, Amiens, right?”

“Correct. Head towards the border area. You can collaborate with other heroes there.”

“Have you informed them already?”

“Of course. They have a deep-seated grudge against the Nazi regime. Families abducted and turned into demonic soldiers, lovers dissected and transformed into high-ranking demonic soldiers.”

“I see.”

“They’re driven by revenge. Tragic individuals.”

Baek Ji-yeon looked at me.

“I’ll ask one last time. Are you going?”

“Yes.”

I smiled bitterly.

‘Dinner is out of the question.’

I sent a text to Hong Yu-hwa with a sorrowful smile.

I headed straight to the Warp Gate. In this world where Warp Gates were commercialized, traveling to Europe was a matter of moments.

Paris, France.

It took less than 30 minutes to get there. Of course, thanks to the official documents from the Association, it didn’t cost me a penny.

‘Power sure is convenient.’

I walked around lazily, yawning.

The expressions of people on the streets were bright. A girl laughing joyously and a father smiling at her. And a boy stealing a wallet from the father’s back pocket.

The streets of peaceful Paris. On the surface, at least.

After taking a photo of the boy stealing the wallet with my phone and sending it to the nearby police, I started moving.

‘Only the strongest are sent, so the Nazis will react too.’

The members participating in the Lion King rescue operation were all incredibly powerful heroes.

Heroes who could create their own guilds and families. Individuals who would be highly rewarded no matter which country they settled in.

Even if the Association moved covertly, there were many people involved. Most of those moving were quite significant figures.

Moreover, the Nazis excelled in information and espionage. Even when the Association didn’t know the identity of the being of prophecy, the Nazis found out and launched an attack, indicating the vast information gap.

‘In an extreme scenario, the Lion King might not have been kidnapped by the Nazis but lost in some forbidden place.’

Considering the Lion King’s personality, it was possible.

He had a terrible sense of direction.

I gazed at a part of Paris.

There stood a cathedral.

In the UK, the Round Table awoke; in Greece, Olympus descended; and in Sweden and Finland, Asgard emerged.

And in France, gods and holy knights descended.

They revered knights, and holy knights were born. Compared to the Hundred Temple, their power was weak, but their organization ranked within the top 20 worldwide.

It was an organization.

I started moving, using the alleys. I put on a coat and equipped the Mask of Illusions.

With a flick, flames burst at my feet.

With a roar, simultaneously, a Golden Light erupted. The Conceptual Stat’s Refining strengthened the ground.

[Your proficiency in 'Phantom Body (S)' has increased.]

I moved cautiously with a single leap, jumping over five-story buildings with ease.

[There’s a modified motorcycle at the end of Paris. Take that.]

The Electronic Witch marked the location on the map. I followed her guidance toward the motorcycle.

It would have been great to use a Warp Gate, but the closest Warp Gate to the border area of Amiens was only in Paris.

I mounted the motorcycle. A panel in front lit up, revealing the SD form of the Electronic Witch.

[From now on, I’ll contact you here. You can just speak. It even has voice recognition.]

“Really? So, how long will it take to get to Amiens?”

[It’s about 110 km to Amiens Cathedral, roughly one-third the distance between Busan and Seoul.]

“…That’s pretty far.”

[Don’t worry. It’s been through several modifications and can reach a top speed of 300 km/h. It took quite a bit of effort to get it.]

The Electronic Witch puffed out her chest proudly. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Then let’s get moving.”

I rode the motorcycle towards the battlefield. As the Electronic Witch boasted, the motorcycle displayed incredible speed, quickly surpassing 250 km/h.

After a short ride, a city area appeared in the distance.

I focused on one side.

At the edge, the sky was dark. It was tainted by demonic energy.

Beneath it were many people.

Those who appeared to be heroes, those who couldn’t become heroes and lived as hunters. Women trying to entice them to make money, and the thick smell of alcohol.

It was neatly organized yet oddly disheveled.

Well, it made sense. This was a border area that had been maintained for decades.

Thump.

The Black Flame Star lodged in my heart trembled. It wasn’t dragon blood. This was the trait of the Energy of Defying Heaven, hostile to demonic energy.

‘So hostile.’

It was my first time experiencing this.

Perhaps it had become this way because of my influence. No, rather than being hostile…

Footsteps approached.

I sensed their presence heading towards me.

Turning my gaze, I saw two people in uniform, a man and a woman. Black uniforms. The Taegeuk mark was pinned on their hearts, evidence that they were Association employees.

And the black uniforms indicated they handled the darker tasks. The man looked at me expressionlessly.

“Are you ‘Alpha’ for this mission?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Not bad. It seems they’ve sent the right personnel this time.”

“Your reputation precedes you. But… that mask is quite familiar. Are you Korea’s Dark Hero, Masked Man?”

“Masked Man?”

The man frowned.

“A peculiar nickname.”

“But the skills are certain. You overwhelmed two high-ranking demonic beings and villains alone, didn’t you?”

“…Baek Ji-yeon must have assigned you here for a reason.”

The man looked at me.

“Let’s start with the briefing. The mission is simple. The ‘bait’ draws the attention of the Nazis. Then the ‘net’ cleans up the enemies attracted to the bait. During this, the ‘eyes’ unit searches for the Lion King’s whereabouts.”

“Don’t worry about finding the Lion King. The British royal family is frantic. If they don’t find the Lion King, they won’t have anyone to protect them, so they’re searching desperately too.”

As I listened to the plan, I thought it wasn’t a bad strategy. Though the personnel seemed sloppy, everyone involved was of the highest rank.

At this level, they had confidence in their combat sense and individual strength, so they were likely to act independently.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

They wouldn’t easily follow others’ orders due to their strong pride.

I nodded appropriately after hearing the mission overview.

Shortly after, all the other teams arrived.

“Now, we commence the Lion King rescue operation.”

In a place shrouded in darkness, a man sat on a chair.

“Indeed, he’s a man worthy of recognition. Already taking action.”

Adolf closed his eyes. It had been a long time since he’d faced such an opponent. His spine tingled, and his instincts told him to kill the enemy immediately.

But a man of that caliber deserved a fitting death. Not yet.

“I admit my arrogance. But this won’t be easy.”

He had taken a fierce jab in the first encounter.

The wound hadn’t even fully healed. Most of the SS members were deemed irrecoverable.

Most painful of all was the death of Himmler.

In the skirmish, he and his empire had taken a hit from the Masked Man.

But this time would be different. This time, it was on his turf.

“Look forward to it, Masked Man. I’ll give you the best night of your life.”

It wasn’t time for him to die yet.

He would offer an indelible, dreadful nightmare instead.