Chapter 119: Gathering (2)

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Carl had several reasons for choosing Dirsen instead of Turgar.

The biggest share of the decision came from his paranoia, which made him obsessively cautious about those guarding him.

Since Turgar had belonged to one organization for a long time, information about him had not been difficult to obtain.

He was a man who never trusted others, with a perfectionist nature that leaned into paranoia.

Could he really trust people who appeared suddenly like NOX, with a shady past to boot?

Even if they joined hands, they would only be used as meat shields or left wandering on the outskirts, never stepping into the heart of power.

Turgar’s very personality was as solid as stone.

Not even Carl, not even NOX, could easily break into his inner circle.

Moreover, unless someone’s identity was absolutely certain, he would never hire them as subordinates, making infiltration impossible.

He had thought about kidnapping and replacing one of them, but Turgar’s sharp eyes would surely see through it, so he abandoned all such plans.

Here was a man who even doubted his lifelong subordinates and his own family—touching him recklessly would be like striking a hornet’s nest.

Still, his abilities were undeniable.

With his perfectionist drive, Turgar had stubbornly raised Lahan from the ground up into its current form.

Even Carl acknowledged that about him.

He knew how difficult it was to establish the foundation of an organization.

‘If that guy had become the boss of Lahan, he would have unified the Western Third Commercial District and expanded into others as well.’

He had that much capability.

Of course, once Carl and NOX intervened, all such plans had already gone astray.

‘The meeting side is fine.’

There was Queen, and there was Second.

Alongside them were the Black Label executives and the vast forces they had gathered.

Unless some heavyweight of the underworld moved in person, nothing in Lahan could withstand them.

The real challenge was how much they could reduce the damage.

That was why Carl moved alone.

Toward the Demonic Arena, which surely hid the deepest, darkest secrets.

Tap.

Leaping across rooftops, he landed on the ground.

Turgar’s base was four or five times larger than Dirsen’s.

He was using Lahan’s old base as it was, so it was inevitable.

Except for the legitimacy of bloodline, he overwhelmed Dirsen in every respect.

“Well then.”

Behind the mask, Carl allowed a faint smile.

Unlike his days as an assassin, the best thing about NOX was that he could act without weighing consequences.

Meticulous planning, luring the target, analyzing situations…

Such tedious steps were no longer necessary.

He only had to destroy, and NOX would devour what remained.

Crack.

He clenched his fist and twisted his waist slightly.

The black demonic energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art surged up, writhing in a menacing shape.

When that condensed power reached its peak—

The unstoppable force of a single punch burst forth toward Lahan’s headquarters.

Boom!

Lahan was a fairly large organization, and their buildings had been equipped with many mechanisms and protective magic.

But before overwhelming power, all of it was useless.

The entire front of the building collapsed, the entrance sinking down in rubble.

Carl dusted off his hands and stepped onto the wreckage.

He was human, and with time, stress naturally built up inside him.

Especially when he had to disguise his true self, wearing false skins and masks.

That was why assassins learned, first of all, how to suppress their urges and senses.

But now, Carl had no need for that.

If something bothered him, he broke it.

If something blocked him, he smashed through it.

He had the power to do so.

Ding, ding, ding, ding!

The urgent alarm bell for a raid rang out furiously.

Caught off guard, Lahan’s members rushed out in a panic.

Carl did not spare them even a glance as he walked further inside.

‘Interesting.’

He chuckled to himself.

It was true that part of this spectacle came from his pent-up stress, but more than that, it was because of the murderous energy he had felt from the moment he arrived.

The original plan had been to sneak in quietly and observe the situation.

But with the other side so eager for battle, he gladly obliged.

“Who’s there!”

“The Black Mask?”

“NOX! It’s NOX!”

Slash.

Carl moved forward, tracing a light gesture through the air with his finger.

Those who rushed in on him fell, blood spraying.

“Ah!”

“Fall back! Get back!”

“Guh…!”

It was an invisible blade.

Over a dozen were cut down before they knew what was happening, and Lahan’s men shrank back in fear.

Enter that bloodstained zone, and you would die.

An absolute truth had been established in that space.

Step.

Carl did not stop walking.

Even though this was his first time here, finding his way was not difficult.

Someone was provoking him, guiding him deeper.

Creak.

Entering the heart of the building, Carl opened a door.

A portrait of Turgar hung there, suggesting it was his office.

Contrary to his appearance, the room was rather clean and orderly.

…And on the sofa inside sat a man, calmly sipping tea.

Clink.

The man had black hair and black eyes.

A rare combination in Artenia.

For a moment, expectation welled up in Carl’s chest.

But the instant he took in the man’s exotic features, he clicked his tongue inwardly and sat across from him.

‘I got my hopes up for nothing.’

Perhaps a hero from the Central Plains, or a descendant of some great figure.

But he soon realized it had only been his own misconception.

What lingered in those hair and eyes was an unpleasant energy, like chewing mud.

It must have been the demonic power Gallon had spoken of.

“Quite a poor way to treat a guest.”

“……”

At Carl’s words, the man gave a small laugh and slowly rose from his seat.

He brought out a new teacup and poured black tea into it.

Carl reached out and drank the steaming cup.

As expected from tea drunk by Lahan’s next boss, the sensation that touched his tongue was quite enjoyable.

In the man’s eyes, watching Carl drink, a strange light flickered.

Bang!

Just then, the office door burst open, and a group of men rushed in.

It was Lahan’s elite, arriving late.

The man glanced back slightly and shook his head.

“……But.”

“……”

The man did not answer.

He only looked at them with pitch-black eyes.

The members of Lahan shut their mouths tight, bowed their heads, and left.

With just a glance, the man had ordered them out, and he turned his gaze back to Carl.

“You look more like a boss than Turgar. Or have you already swallowed him whole?”

“Did you come from NOX?”

“This mask must have become rather famous.”

Carl tapped the rim of his mask with satisfaction.

The man raised the corner of his mouth as he answered.

“You and yours are the ones who have drawn the most attention in recent times.”

“Right, I thought so. But I didn’t expect there to be ones darker than us.”

“Is that so? Interesting. That there are those darker than the organization that calls itself ‘Night.’”

“And where are you from?”

“Would you even know if I told you?”

“That’s for me to judge.”

The man and Carl’s gazes clashed in midair.

“…Take off your mask, and I’ll tell you.”

“It’s not such a priceless face.”

“I’ve grown curious. Other than that you came from the Leipzig side, there’s no information at all. Which provincial group could possibly wield such strength?”

The man drained his cup and smacked his lips in regret before setting it down.

“But I didn’t expect you to come here in person. I thought you would value the meeting with Turgar more.”

“…Wasn’t it me you were waiting for?”

“Not really.”

“There’s someone else, then.”

At Carl’s words, the man gave a meaningful smile.

“Don’t you think you’ve already met them?”

“……”

Carl narrowed his eyes.

Who was he talking about?

As he turned the thought over in his head, his eyes widened slightly.

“You know them.”

“As I thought.”

The man snapped his fingers and laughed.

“Those heretics contacted you too, then.”

“Heretics? The Cult?”

Carl immediately asked back.

The man was speaking of that mysterious group which had attacked Six and kept him under surveillance.

And perhaps they were the same ones who had staged the terrorism in the Erendal Forest.

‘Weren’t they supposed to be a band of Demon Humans?’

From the moment the Demon Humans’ true nature was revealed, Carl had suspected that the mysterious group clashing with them were mere underlings of the Demon Humans.

Otherwise, there was no reason such powerful individuals would suddenly appear.

“Well, I’ve told you too much already. From here on, it’s a paid service.”

“……”

Carl’s eyes grew darker.

It didn’t seem like bluffing.

He didn’t look like the sort to pull such a clumsy trick.

“So, I’d like to hear the reason you’ve come to see me.”

“…A reason.”

Carl chuckled.

“Originally, I only meant to see your face and leave.”

Slash.

A long cut traced itself across the man’s face.

“I just found myself a reason.”

The office wall split apart, debris flying as the building twisted.

Even as ominous sounds rang from the ceiling, the man remained unscathed.

“Quite the violent greeting.”

“That means I’m glad to see you.”

“Then I should return the courtesy.”

Clap.

The man clapped his hands lightly.

At once, pitch-black demonic energy surged up from below Carl and engulfed him.

It rose like a pillar, forming a half-sphere that covered him from head to toe.

“I’m glad to meet you as well. For some reason, you feel familiar to me. Almost like meeting a long-lost brother…”

Crack.

Suddenly, a fissure appeared in the black pillar, and it twisted.

The man fell silent, eyes narrowing as he observed.

Clang!

Like breaking glass, the pillar that had encased Carl shattered and released him.

“That’s where you’re wrong. All I feel from you is disgust.”

“That’s how it is. When faced with something beyond what they can handle, people either ignore it or loathe it.”

The man stretched out his hand again.

Black demonic energy gushed out from his entire body, swallowing the whole area.

Carl, left alone in the middle, looked around with curiosity.

‘A formation? No, he reconstructed the very space itself?’

It was a remarkable technique.

The demonic energy of a devil and the demonic energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

They were both called ‘demonic energy’—perhaps he could master a technique like this as well.

“Well, I’ll think about that later.”

Boom.

Carl unleashed the power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art he had been restraining.

His hair and clothes fluttered as the energy radiated out.

Pitch-black darkness surged, warping the space that confined him.

Boom!!

Just like when he had shattered the pillar.

The fierce eruption of Heavenly Demon Divine Art tore the very space apart.

The shockwave blew away the upper portion of Lahan’s building.

Step.

Carl stepped onto the heap of rubble and looked down at the man, a grin tugging at his lips.

“Don’t you have anything else? That last one was quite entertaining.”

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