Chapter 85: Echoes Behind the Mask

In a distant place, deep beneath the earth, there was a cavern shrouded in darkness.

The cave was vast and ancient, its jagged stone walls illuminated only by the flickering glow of torch flames mounted along the sides. Shadows danced endlessly across the surface, giving the place an eerie and almost living atmosphere.

At the center of the cavern stood a throne carved entirely from black stone.

Upon it sat Helena.

She was alone.

There was not a single subordinate standing before her, not a single voice echoing in the hall. The silence was heavy, pressing down on her senses like an invisible weight. Normally, this place would be filled with whispers, reports, or the presence of servants awaiting orders—but today, there was nothing.

Helena rested her chin against her hand, her posture elegant yet relaxed, as if the throne itself belonged to her by absolute right.

She was bored.

Terribly bored.

Especially after Flinch had been eliminated.

“Tch… How foolish of him to dare oppose my Indigo…”

She muttered the words with clear irritation, her voice echoing faintly through the cavern. The memory of Flinch’s defiance still annoyed her. Not because he failed—but because he had believed, even for a moment, that he stood a chance.

Helena slowly rose from her throne.

Her movements were graceful, almost regal, as she descended the stone steps. Each step echoed softly in the vast cavern as she walked forward, her presence alone commanding the space.

She headed toward a wooden door set deep into the cave wall.

The door looked ordinary compared to the grandeur of the throne room—aged wood, reinforced with iron bands—but it radiated a strange, unsettling presence. As Helena reached it, she placed one hand on the handle and pushed it open.

The door creaked.

Inside the room, the torchlight revealed something unexpected.

The walls were covered in photographs.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of photographs.

All of them were of the same person.

Yoo Jinhoo.

The photos ranged from his infancy to his adulthood. There were pictures of him as a baby, smiling innocently in someone’s arms. Pictures of him as a child, laughing, running, completely unaware of the fate that awaited him. Photos of his teenage years, and then his adult life.

Every stage of his existence was there.

Helena’s lips curved into a faint smile.

She stepped inside the room and gently closed the door behind her. The room was silent, almost sacred in its stillness. It was impossible to tell how she had obtained all these photographs, or why she possessed them.

All of these images were of Yoo Jinhoo before his transmigration.

Before his life had been torn from its original path.

Helena slowly walked along the wall, her fingers brushing lightly over the frames. Her expression was calm, yet there was something deeply unsettling beneath her composed exterior.

Just who was Helena, truly?

*Elsewhere — Boris’s Location*

Indigo stood quietly in front of Boris, who was seated comfortably behind his desk. The room was well-lit, modern, and carried the atmosphere of authority and wealth.

Without a word, Indigo placed a USB drive on the table in front of Boris.

“It already contains the crimes and weaknesses of the officials you’re targeting. Use it wisely.”

Indigo’s voice was calm, controlled, devoid of emotion.

Boris reached out and picked up the USB, examining it carefully as if weighing its value. A thin smile formed on his lips before he spoke.

“You didn’t put anything strange in here, did you?”

Indigo tilted his head slightly, clearly confused.

“What do you mean?”

“You didn’t include something like a tracker or any hidden surveillance software, right?”

For a brief moment, Indigo stared at him—then let out a small laugh.

’Why is he suddenly thinking something like that?’

He thought to himself.

He then spoke aloud, his tone steady.

“Why would I do that to my ally? We’re part of the same alliance.”

Upon hearing those words, Boris burst into loud laughter.

He stood up, walked around the desk, and placed a hand on Indigo’s shoulder, patting it playfully.

“Hahaha! Of course not! There’s no way you’d do something like that!”

Indigo simply gave a faint smile in response.

Boris then raised his voice, shouting loudly as if calling for someone outside the room.

“Alea! Bring it here!”

The door opened.

Alea entered the room, holding a heavy iron box in her hands. Her expression was serious, focused, as she walked toward Indigo and Boris.

When she reached them, she carefully placed the box on the table and opened it.

Inside was a small bottle, wrapped in a red cloth.

Within the bottle, something metallic could be seen moving slightly—almost as if it were alive.

Indigo’s eyes narrowed with curiosity.

“What is this?”

Boris smiled faintly as he wrapped an arm around Indigo’s shoulders and spoke.

“This is Nano Arc. Alea’s latest invention.”

Indigo’s eyes widened.

Nano Arc.

The name alone sparked immense curiosity within him.

“Uh… then… why are you showing this to me?”

Boris laughed loudly once more.

“Isn’t it obvious? This is a gift from me to you.”

“A gift? For me?”

“Yes. Consider it a reward for providing us with information about those officials.”

Indigo’s lips curved into a slight smile.

He reached out and picked up the bottle containing the Nano Arc. Slowly, he opened the cap.

Instantly, the tiny metallic object inside began to move rapidly. It leaped out, slid beneath Indigo’s clothing, and merged seamlessly with it.

“Oh? What does it do?”

Boris answered without hesitation.

“Nano Arc allows you to create weapons instantly. Once it merges with the owner’s clothing, it automatically links to your thoughts. Simply imagine the object you want to form.”

’Seriously? With something this small, I can create anything I want?’

Indigo thought, his curiosity growing stronger.

He extended his hand forward and slowly closed his eyes. In his mind, he imagined a sword—perfectly balanced, fitting his grip.

In the next instant, the Nano Arc surged through his clothing, racing toward his hand. Metallic particles gathered, shaping themselves rapidly.

A sword formed in his grasp.

Indigo’s eyes snapped open.

“Woah… It really worked. How can something this small form a weapon perfectly suited to my hand?”

Alea spoke up calmly.

“Nano Arc is a newly discovered elemental form. This is actually a secret of ours, but since you are our ally—and also as an apology for my rude behavior toward you yesterday—we decided to share it.”

’Hmm… A new element… This is completely different from the webtoon. There was never anything called Nano Arc in the original story. Even though it’s small, it can create long weapons… This is an incredible discovery.’

Indigo thought, clearly pleased.

“Alright… I understand. But… am I the only one who can use this?”

Alea hesitated briefly before speaking again.

“I conducted many experiments on our subordinates—including myself and His Excellency. However…”

Boris continued, his voice tinged with disappointment.

“We couldn’t use it. The Nano Arc rejected us completely. You’re the only one it accepted.”

“Well, even so,” Boris added with a grin, “it seems the Nano Arc really likes you.”

Indigo glanced at the Nano Arc sword still in his hand.

Alea spoke once more.

“The Nano Arc is adaptive. There’s a high possibility it can merge with your original power.”

Indigo’s eyes widened.

’Merge with my power? Isn’t that incredibly cool?!’

He smiled.

“Alright… Thank you for this valuable item.”

The Nano Arc sword dissolved instantly, flowing back into his clothing as if it had never existed.

“It seems my business here is done. Call me if you need my help.”

“Of course, my friend!”

Boris replied enthusiastically.

Indigo put his black mask back on, stepped backward, and vanished through teleportation.

*Hero Association — Korea Branch*

Ji-hye sat at her desk, focused intently on the laptop in front of her. Her fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard as she typed.

[Where has Indigo been for the past month?]

She leaned back slightly, frustration evident on her face.

’Where is he really…? Normally, he would have committed some kind of crime by now, but he’s been completely gone for over a month.’

She clicked on an article titled:

[Indigo Has Been Missing for Over a Month — What’s the Reason?]

She began reading.

[It has been more than a month since Indigo last committed a criminal act after manifesting a massive fireball in Seoul. While this may seem like good news, we must remain cautious. If he remains inactive for this long, there is a high possibility that he is preparing something far more dangerous than the fireball incident.]

’Preparing something bigger… That makes sense… But what exactly?’

Ji-hye thought, a growing sense of unease settling in her chest.

She scrolled down and began reading the comments.

[Aristoteles2836: Something bigger? Wasn’t last month’s fireball already massive? What else could he possibly be planning?]

[Exkid67: I was there during the Seoul incident last month. I still can’t believe he created such a massive fireball—it could’ve covered the entire city! What do you mean by something bigger?!]

[LightnovaShipper9381: No matter what happens, Lightnova will save us!!]

Ji-hye let out a long sigh as she finished reading.

’Just what are you planning…?’

Her worry deepened as Indigo’s absence became more unsettling than his presence ever was.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep