This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 640

Like moths drawn to a flame, they had all been neatly dealt with. Those sprawled here and there would be tidied up by the ones dispatched from my sister’s side, so perhaps I should return to Dogun’s side for now.

Lingering here too long might have Dogun slip away on his own, dashing off to the Heogye, leaving me to resemble a dog chasing after a chicken.

Thus, I turned my body towards the direction of the stairs once more.

And so, I stepped towards the staircase unfolding before my eyes.

As I moved my foot… I raised the hand holding the sword high.

The scabbard, unable to withstand gravity, began to slide down the blade with a soft rustle.

Crack!

Just like metal shavings magnetically sticking to a magnet, a sword hidden in the dark jumped out as the scabbard slipped away, sparking embers right after.

I thought this was a sneak attack that couldn’t possibly fail, yet I couldn’t believe that it had been blocked.

Was it to hide their identity? A wave of horror surged in the black eyes that were the only part visible above the half-masked face.

“How, is it?”

The voice accompanying that question was a bonus.

Though speaking in Japanese was a downside, it wasn’t something I couldn’t comprehend.

I had practiced enough simple conversation before heading off to a business trip to Japan, so understanding what they said wasn’t difficult.

How so, you ask?

Well, obviously… I heard it.

They might have thought they were hiding their presence as much as possible, but there are things in this world that just can’t be hidden by effort alone.

For instance, like the sound of a heartbeat that reverberated at least once a second even in this moment.

Footsteps and breathing could be concealed to a degree, depending on one’s effort.

But the sound of a heartbeat?

How many people in the world can truly hide the sound of their own heartbeat?

No, is there even such a person to begin with?

To hide the sound of a heartbeat, you would have to stop your heart altogether.

Logically, there shouldn’t be such a person, so the moment I combined powers with Dogun to form the current detection network, I instinctively felt assured.

There shouldn’t be anyone who could deceive this detection network.

And the proof that this certainty wasn’t incorrect was right before my eyes.

Eyes filled with horror.

Seeing that, I suddenly became curious.

What if I said that I had known of your existence from the start? How would that horrified expression currently reflected change?

Curiosity began to bubble up within me as I imagined that very scenario, but I held it back.

Holding it back… I continued the actions I had originally intended to take.

Kikikih—!

The sound of sharp objects rubbing against each other created a chilling wave in the air, easily capable of slicing through delicate skin.

I gathered the scattered fragments into one.

Consolidating them… I struck them straight towards the opponent’s ear.

The black eyes, filled with horror yet still retaining their strength, shot upward and vanished right after.

Gak—!

With a sound akin to a dying gasp, the opponent’s body collapsed right there.

The sight resembled a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Confirming that, I picked up the fallen scabbard.

I sheathed the sword back into the scabbard and kicked away the sword that had rolled away on the ground.

Only after that did I start rummaging around the area.

Maybe it was because this building was set for demolition.

I found what I was looking for after just a few quick searches.

In a room that appeared to have once been a restaurant, I stumbled upon a bundle of red twine hanging next to a faded menu.

Testing my luck, I tried pulling it hard.

Contrary to its appearance that seemed as if it would snap with a single tug, it was surprisingly sturdy.

I thought I was giving it quite a bit of force. When I pulled it, it barely stretched and remained intact.

At this level of strength, unless one possessed enhancements related to physical abilities, it wouldn’t be easy to snap.

Especially when bound in an uncomfortable position, that would be all the more true.

‘But just in case…’

I decided to reinforce my bindings.

After stripping the shirts off the sprawled individuals, I used those secured items to strengthen the bindings.

Well, strictly speaking, I didn’t really need to go this far.

With the sound waves already having thoroughly shaken their brains, even if they recovered consciousness faster than expected, the chances of them moving properly would be slim.

Considering the likelihood that they would be writhing on the floor for at least an hour or two after regaining consciousness, using the twine and shirts to “package” them might have been an unnecessary addition, but… better safe than sorry.

It wouldn’t hurt to secure everything just in case.

And doing this would also make things easier for those arriving at the scene later.

So, after finishing the packaging neatly, I started dispersing the unconscious bodies as much as possible around.

All to return to Dogun’s side as quickly as I could.

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At the very moment the preparations for crossing over to the Heogye were going smoothly, what was Yoonseo doing in the Heogye…?

‘What in the world is going on…?’

Feeling that the situation had undoubtedly improved compared to before, she was engaging with the Another Ones.

Naturally, this led to questions in Yoonseo’s mind.

Just moments ago, their side had been overwhelmingly disadvantaged…

With the sound of fingers snapping cheerfully, that situation had completely vanished, making way for an entirely different scene unfolding right before her.

‘Could it be… Is this Miss Almighty’s ability?’

This thought crossed her mind immediately, and although she was still half unsure, it was close to firm conviction.

Honestly, it couldn’t be anything else, considering the nature of the power that made past events vanish as if they never happened.

It was a talent that surely belonged to Miss Almighty, ranked as the world’s number one.

The real question was, what kind of ability was it…?

What could she possess to pull off such an outrageous feat with just a wave of her hand?

Was it the ability to manipulate time?

That was the very first thought that came to mind, but it probably wasn’t that simple.

There were just too many nuances that could not be explained by merely saying time had been reversed.

Then what could it be?

Was it that she had been faced with an utterly unexpected situation?

As questions began to swirl like a whirlwind, one thing remained undeniably clear; compared to the “past,” this situation was overwhelmingly fortunate.

In the “past,” they had clearly been unable to perform at their full capacity due to elemental disadvantages, but “now,” they were conversely holding the upper hand in terms of elemental advantages.

This situation was possible thanks to the presence of one person.

In the “past,” she had certainly done nothing but stand there quietly, but her prior inaction turned out to be merely a setup for the “now,” as Miss Almighty began actively directing those around her.

At first, everyone had been somewhat lukewarm towards some of Miss Almighty’s commands.

Though she was undeniably the strongest Hero in the world and held significant shares in the Expedition Team, those present also had pride of their own, and in terms of ability, they were certainly not lacking.

As a result, their response was less than positive at the start, but that sentiment was confined to the early stages of the situation.

It became clear that under Miss Almighty’s commands, they could gain an overwhelming advantage in terms of elemental compatibility.

Especially so against higher-tier entities that appeared formidable at first glance.

Thanks to that, the situation gradually began to tip in their favor; or so it seemed.

Was it with dissatisfaction that they witnessed that transformation?

The girl, who had remained silent since her initial reveal, finally began to show movements that could indeed be called actions.