Ch.581Chapter 22. The Price of Labor (13)

It may seem obvious, but this is the age of superpowers.

Despite North Korea’s destruction from a nuclear explosion in Pyongyang, the world overcame it through supernatural abilities.

In such an era, there’s no way a superhuman couldn’t stop terrorism carried out by someone like a relic of the past using non-supernatural methods.

Especially not a hero.

Crack.

The entire tilted chairman’s office froze solid.

The cold air entering through the broken window transformed everything from ceiling to floor into an ice cave.

The sofa and desk that had been sliding down the incline froze in place along with the floor.

A chair that had been rolling and about to shatter the window became one with the ice extending from the floor.

Like an arm reaching from the floor, the ice gripped one leg of the chair and froze it in place.

Though it appeared thin and fragile, the ice was far stronger than most metals.

Was it just the chairman’s office?

Not at all.

I turned my attention to the live footage playing on my Syndicate Watch, showing the view from external cameras.

Waaaaaah!

The air trembled.

If screams and terror had dominated Busan moments ago, now jubilation echoed throughout the city.

‘It is impressive.’

The Haeguneul headquarters building had frozen while tilting.

The structure had stopped at an angle just before colliding with the building opposite, frozen in place.

The entire building was coated white, with something white extending from below firmly supporting it.

Frozen hands.

Two enormous hands, much longer than the building’s width, reached up from below to grasp the entire Haeguneul headquarters.

And centered on those giant hands, ice spread like branches, penetrating throughout the building.

In the blink of an eye, a miracle had unfolded before us.

What if the building collapsed?

What if something fell from inside?

The faces captured by the camera revealed people’s anxiety, but their feet remained planted on the ground.

They had stopped their fleeing footsteps, instinctively recognizing what was happening.

[This is what a hero is.]

The arrival of a champion.

Waaaaaah!

Cheers erupted again.

What if the vibration from the cheering caused the building to collapse again?

What if the concentration broke and the two ice hands supporting the building crumbled?

Or what if the magical hands currently supporting the building were only temporary, and it would soon collapse?

People exchanged glances, revealing their anxiety, but nothing happened.

The ice hands, like a sculpture designed that way from the beginning, firmly held the building from below.

L-look over there!

The camera swung sharply toward where people were pointing.

Despite the shaky footage, the cameraman zoomed in on the rooftop of the Haeguneul headquarters.

Between the collapsed building and the standing one.

As if about to rendezvous, between the two buildings that were about to meet, a white-haired woman calmly held the building with one hand.

With her hand gently resting on the rooftop railing, dressed in an all-white hanbok, she floated silently in midair.

This is Busan.

Naturally, Busan has heroes protecting Busan, just as the capital has heroes protecting the capital.

Even if a building dozens of stories tall collapses completely, there exists someone who can stop it with a single touch, just like now.

That protagonist is none other than Snow White—Baek Seol-hee.

Others said all sorts of things about her retiring due to pregnancy, or being a traitor for getting pregnant right before the World Cup.

But fundamentally, she is a “hero.”

And this stage is the most appropriate place to make such a hero the protagonist.

Click, click.

Baek Seol-hee removed her hand and began walking across the rooftop.

People stepped back again, worried the building might collapse after she let go, but they all relaxed seeing her leisurely stride.

Sh-she’s going in!!

After crossing the rooftop, Baek Seol-hee threw herself through the broken window.

I immediately turned off the Syndicate Watch video and lightly adjusted my scholar’s mask.

[Good work.]

“…….”

Judging by her silence—a sensible precaution in case of nearby listening devices—she’s now worthy of being a Syndicate member.

[I am Goblin.]

“It was nothing. This much is easy.”

After I signaled that it was safe, Baek Seol-hee shrugged and made light of it.

“Is it over?”

[For now.]

Anger had exploded, but now it was frozen.

[Now that people have seen how excessive anger can erupt like this, they’ll probably cool down the heat in their heads for a while.]

“Even though you’ll keep adding fuel to keep it burning.”

[That’s a given.]

I tapped my Syndicate Watch to check the internal files.

The saved files were intact.

Despite the massive magical wave, the data had been saved without any issues.

[I’m sorry, but people probably did die.]

“…No need to apologize. According to your explanation, Haeguneul caused those deaths, right? Then I should be after the people at Haeguneul who gave those orders, not you.”

Baek Seol-hee covered her glowing red Taegeuk Watch with her hand.

“A nationwide arrest warrant will probably be issued soon. Someone will have to take responsibility, and that someone will naturally be the chairman of Haeguneul.”

[It won’t be easy. The Association and many others still cooperate with Haeguneul.]

“They’ve decided to go all in. Everyone’s accumulated frustrations… exploded when the leeches appeared. The Association President feels the same.”

[That person?]

“Yes. He said if not now, when would we ever catch them definitively?”

The Association seems to have chosen its path.

Then we should also ride that wave decisively.

[As soon as you return, send the edited data to the Tavern Owner. For now—]

I lightly tapped my mask, and Baek Seol-hee nodded vigorously and reached out to me.

Whoosh!!

Mist-like magical energy flowed along the incline and enveloped me.

Like the ice hands holding the Haeguneul headquarters, I allowed myself to be caught by her, and soon human shadows appeared through the main entrance where Baek Seol-hee had entered.

“Snow White!!”

“Wait.”

Flutter.

“Hold on.”

Baek Seol-hee fluttered her sleeve, stopping the heroes rushing into the chairman’s office.

With that clearly drawn line, no one dared to talk back to or approach Baek Seol-hee.

After all, hardly anyone could freeze an entire building like this, even among the Association’s powered individuals.

“You.”

Baek Seol-hee slowly approached me.

“What’s your purpose?”

[Normally in this situation, wouldn’t you ask who I am?]

“!!”

The people behind Baek Seol-hee widened their eyes one by one.

Perhaps because no one could be seen behind me due to the angle, the corner of Baek Seol-hee’s mouth trembled slightly.

[Isn’t that right, Snow White?]

“…Ah, yes. But you’re going to say you’re Scholar’s Mask, aren’t you?”

Step, step.

Baek Seol-hee approached until she was nearly one meter away from me.

“I don’t know who you are, but I should know your purpose first. Why did you attack Haeguneul headquarters?”

[For justice.]

“Justice?”

[I’m different from those who only speak eloquently of justice. I’m saying I’m different from monsters who claim to eradicate corruption while secretly colluding with the corrupt and being tainted by darkness.]

“That’s….”

Baek Seol-hee deliberately held back her words.

Behind her, the Association’s heroes gasped “Huh” or started to say “Hwal-” before pressing their lips shut.

“Then you’re… alone?”

[Well. I might be alone, or I might be many.]

“I don’t really like that kind of talk.”

[I could become many from now on.]

Hiss.

[Walking together is better than walking alone. Will you join me?]

The ice hands enveloping me dissolved.

Soon the agents behind me were startled and tried to rush forward, but—

[Join me.]

Seeing me extend my hand respectfully before Baek Seol-hee, they stopped in their tracks.

“…I’m sorry, but I don’t deal with masked people.”

[…….]

“I’ve been harassed too much by a certain bad man. Can you take off your mask?”

[…That’s unfortunate.]

I lightly pointed to the floor.

[Until Haeguneul is completely eradicated from this country, I cannot put down this mask.]

“…Is that your goal?”

[Yes.]

The purpose of Scholar’s Mask’s existence is ultimately the downfall of Haeguneul.

Once Haeguneul collapses, this alternate persona will no longer be necessary.

More precisely, I’ll remove Scholar’s Mask and reveal my identity to tell everyone the truth.

That truth will come in the distant future, or perhaps the near future.

When Haeguneul is completely driven out of this land and the chaos is quelled.

[Well then, I’ll see you again soon.]

Thump!

I jumped backward.

Baek Seol-hee remained still while the surprised Hero Association agents rushed past her and began chasing me.

-What are you going to do?

Baek Seol-hee’s gaze held a question as she looked at me.

Not disappearing as Goblin through spiritual transformation.

Not disappearing through a dimensional gate as Platinum Sun’s comrade.

‘What else?’

I’ll disappear using the most classic and reliable method.

Rustle.

Just as when I appeared, I landed lightly on the ground.

Murmurs spread.

Citizens were startled by my sudden appearance in the middle of the road, and soon heroes began dropping from the building’s exterior.

“Wait!! Come quietly, Scholar’s Mask!!”

“You can’t just leave after causing this chaos! The Association isn’t your enemy! Cooperate willingly!”

The Association agents landed and surrounded me as soon as they touched down, but I tucked my daegeum into the sash at my waist and clapped my hands lightly.

The location: the center of a Busan road.

My escape method—

‘I have plenty.’

“Ah, Scholar’s Mask is escaping!”

At full speed, I run.