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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 11: New Face (2)
The world outside the city is divided into two parts:
The “Hell” that was lost to the Beasts.
The “Paradise” reclaimed from them.
As of the year 2088, only 6% of Earth remains Paradise.
WOOOOOOOOM—
Above Sector 81 of Paradise, a massive airship emerged.
Its deck stretched wide and black as night.
Turrets bristled from its metallic hull like thorns.
Thrusters spat blue fire like a volcanic eruption.
The constant, deep roar of its engines was like the mythical sea dragon Leviathan coming back to life.
This airborne fortress was the Commanders’ central stronghold: Grave.
THUD!
Commander Baek stormed out of the Deputy Commander’s office, the door slamming hard behind him.
His eyes were cold as he walked the hallway, murmuring under his breath.
Siléntĭum.
With that incantation, sound was sealed. He reached behind his ear.
“Sophia.”
–Yes, Commander. Did Masamune acknowledge it?
“Of course not.”
–…Ugh. I’ll testify myself. Should I head to Grave right now?
“No need. They never intended to go after Baek Ho from the start. They knew you’d intercept them—they planned for that.”
–Why would they—?
“To pull me out of Sector 17.”
–You're saying… they did this to delay the operation?
“Exactly. Our special ops team kept pulling off successful missions. It put them in a tight spot. I didn’t think they’d resort to this kind of move.”
–How petty and low… In that case, I’ll return to Sector 17 right away. We’ll show them by finishing the mission right in their faces.
“No. You stay in UnderHeaven.”
–Why?
“Wataru hasn’t returned to Grave. Word is, he’s been reassigned to the Central Government.”
–Was he punished because of this?
“No. Wataru’s one of Masamune’s most loyal men. That wouldn’t happen. He’s definitely plotting something inside UnderHeaven.”
–Then what do you want me to do?
“Watch him. Keep an eye on Wataru. Find out what he’s up to.”
–Understood. But he’ll definitely notice me. If he suspects I’m spying on them, he’ll lie low.
“That’s why I’ve got a better idea.”
–Let’s hear it.
“Stick close to Baek Ho.”
–…What?
“Act like you’re a bodyguard sent by his concerned father. That’ll create openings.”
–Ah… I see. But let me ask—what’s your real motive here? Are you more worried about keeping tabs on Wataru? Or protecting Baek Ho from danger?
“Of course, I’m—(bzzzt)…”
–Commander?
“Comm… ugh… not… good…”
–Sigh.
Sophia ended the call with a sigh of disbelief.
And Commander Baek paused—something clicking in his mind.
Between a necromancer and their undead, especially one bound through a vessel, there could never be communication issues.
“…Damn it.”
＊ ＊ ＊
Back in Baek Ho’s office.
Sophia sat on the torn-up couch, giving a long-winded explanation.
“So basically…”
To summarize, she ‘was’ the Witch of Chernobog, a former free Reaper who spent over twenty years on the frontlines before retiring not too long ago. After stepping down, she put her experience to use and became a broker.
“So what brings you back to me now?”
“Before that, there’s something I need to admit first. Honestly… at first, I came looking for D because you reminded me a lot of someone I once knew.”
“Someone you knew?”
Baek Ho asked, even though he already had a pretty good idea.
If she’d been out on the frontlines for two decades, then it was practically guaranteed she’d crossed paths with his father.
“No—it’s nothing. Forget I said anything. After meeting you, I’m sure now you’re not him.”
“…What convinced you?”
“If you were really part of that family, you wouldn’t be here in the city. You’d be out on the frontlines.”
“Is that so?”
Baek Ho just shrugged, playing dumb.
“Then I’m definitely not him. I’ve got zero interest in becoming a Commander.”
“I see.”
Sophia smiled gently, and Baek Ho met her gaze directly.
He still wasn’t sure.
Did she know who he really was or not?
Then again—did it even matter? Whether she knew or not, nothing was going to change.
“Guess I’ll admit this now too… I was suspicious of you at first.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because the pay for that job was way too high. It didn’t make sense for Devin’s wife to be able to afford that kind of money.”
“Ah~ that.”
Sophia waved her left hand, transmitting something to Baek Ho.
A holographic business card appeared in front of him.
It read—Guardian Lady Center
“It's my company that I just established not long ago. We solve people's problems at affordable prices. You could call it a sort of social welfare project.”
“…A witch? Why?”
At Baek Ho’s question, the corners of Sophia's mouth twitched slightly. Beneath her smile, a deadly aura lingered.
“I don't know what rumors you've heard about the Witches, but… is there any reason why I shouldn't be doing this kind of work?”
“No.”
Baek Ho quickly answered.
If Sophia had been a Witch active on the frontlines for over twenty years, she must have accumulated substantial wealth. If she wanted to use that to give back, what was the problem?
Furthermore, he had seen people build an image like this and later exploit it for their own gain more times than he could count.
What mattered was that it didn’t cause him harm. He just needed to get his share of the honey before the jar ran out.
“So, why did you come looking for me again?”
“I wanted to work with you. The center needs a solver to help with its work.”
“Hm...”
“I hope you'll consider it positively, since we’ll focus on good deeds.”
Despite the thoughtful expression, Baek Ho had already made up his mind. He would suck every bit of honey from this honey pot.
“What’s the pay? I don’t have the luxury to volunteer.”
“It’ll be similar to last time. How about it? Would you like to work with me?”
“That works.”
Baek Ho's response was about the pay, but Sophia interpreted it as agreeing to the cause itself.
She believed Baek Ho was a good person, especially after seeing him solve the Undeadog issue.
That’s why she’d gone ahead and set up something that didn’t quite follow the usual logic of the world—the Guardian Lady Center.
You can't exactly seduce a wealthy heir with money, can you?
“Shall we start talking about the job?”
“Wait a minute.”
Baek Ho, with a neutral expression, tapped on his SmartCore. He sent a message to Holiday.
[Send the G-Wagon! Right now!]
“Done. Let's begin.”
“This request is to find a missing person. I’ll show you the details through a VO (Virtual Observer) video, just like last time.”
Sophia extended her left hand, and Baek Ho grasped it in return. A notification appeared before them.
{Playing video.}
⋮
Moments later…
Baek Ho's focus returned as the blurry vision cleared. The video was brief, with little to show. It depicted a young woman consulting with a tech surgeon about facial surgery, including scenes of her getting anesthesia for the procedure. The video had been automatically uploaded to the web.
⋮
“The client, the husband, says she went missing after this day.”
“......”
“The investigating officer pointed to the surgeon who performed the procedure as the culprit. The surgeon has also disappeared by now.”
“......”
For such a simple video, Baek Ho’s expression grew serious.
“D? What’s going on?”
Baek Ho gritted his teeth, standing up from his seat.
He turned and glared at Frank, who was lying on the mattress.
Then, he lunged at him.
“You son of a bitch!”
With a sharp elbow, he struck Frank in the ribs.
“Ugh! What the hell did you do that for?!”
Frank yelped in surprise, but Baek Ho continued to struggle on top of him.
“I told you! Don’t trust that long-tongued bastard!”
The surgeon from the video was the same person as Frank.
He was the one who had taken the upfront payment for the surgery. It was the same individual.
＊ ＊ ＊
Just as doctors and hospitals were once exclusively for the living, tech-surgeons and cyber-clinics were originally created for the undead.
But as more and more humans began replacing perfectly healthy body parts with machines, the line between the two blurred.
Now, there are more tech-surgeons than traditional doctors, and clinics have become more common than hospitals.
Murmur— Murmur—
A crowd had gathered outside the “Eternal Beauty: Full-Face” clinic, which had opened just two weeks ago.
Some people were clutching themselves in anguish, others collapsed on the ground, sobbing.
“My money! That was my entire life savings!”
“I’m gonna kill that bastard!”
“What do I do?! What am I supposed to do?!”
In UnderHeaven, the most famous saying was: Don’t even trust your own family.
The number of victims was staggering.
They’d fallen for the sweet-talking ads and the too-good-to-be-true discounts.
“Step back!”
UHPD officers (UnderHeaven Police Department) formed a blockade in front of the clinic, waving their submachine guns to push the agitated victims away.
“The investigation isn’t over yet, so—”
“Move.”
Just then, someone stepped right in front of a rifle barrel.
Slicked-back black hair. A long black coat that nearly touched the ankles.
Pale skin and a cold expression.
It was Baek Ho.
The officer looked him up and down with a skeptical scowl.
The black coat was standard Reaper gear—but these days, anyone could be wearing one. There was no way to tell for sure.
And even if he was a Reaper, that didn’t give him the authority to meddle in UHPD affairs.
There was no real reason to let him in.
“If you don’t back off right now, I’ll open—”
Baek Ho raised his right hand.
Black mist hovered above his palm.
The UHPD officers and the victims instantly fell silent.
A Necromancer.
Afraid even to meet his eyes, they lowered their gaze.
“S-Sorry, sir.”
The officer lowered his weapon and stepped aside.
Whatever his connection to the case was, it didn’t matter—when it came to necromancers, the safest option was to stay out of their way.
As Baek Ho walked into the clinic, the officer tilted his head slightly.
What made him pause was Frank’s face—a mess of fury and frustration, like one of those orcs being hauled off to a lab. The kind you’d only ever see from a distance.
Inside the clinic was a mess.
Just yesterday, it had been elegant and pristine. Now, it looked like a pigsty.
Apparently, it had been this way since the moment UHPD stormed the place.
The space was crowded with investigators still in the middle of their forensic sweep.
According to Sophia, there were nine missing persons cases tied to this clinic.
It was a major crime scene, and a lot of officers had been dispatched.
Baek Ho stood among them, casually looking around.
He was standing exactly where he would be in the way—but no one said a word.
That was thanks to a warning passed through the team's secure chat by the officer at the door: "Don’t mess with the necromancer."
Standard protocol from the top.
“Find anything yet?”
Sophia walked in, having just finished checking the building’s CCTV footage.
“Not really.”
“I was on my way to meet the client. So why’d you come all the way out here?”
He had been hoping to scavenge something valuable.
But there was no way he’d admit that.
“Call it a hunch.”
“Oh wow, another one of your hunches?”
Sophia smiled brightly behind him as Baek Ho continued to scan the room.
“How did that bastard know when to run?”
“Someone tipped him off. Bribing an investigator doesn’t take much these days.”
Nearby officers overheard the conversation, but none reacted.
“What about the surveillance cams?”
“Just like the investigator said—there’s no footage of the surgeon leaving the clinic. He must’ve had a hidden exit.”
“Hmm…”
Baek Ho glanced around the waiting area, then stepped into the operating room.
A massive surgical table sat in the center, surrounded by strange tools hanging from the ceiling like vines.
The image of Frank lying on that table flashed through his mind, and he scowled.
He turned and glared at Frank.
Frank, who had been picking his nose, suddenly froze in panic.
For a moment, it seemed like he was thinking something over, but then he pulled his finger from his nose and held it out to Baek Ho.
“Ta-da...”
“Seriously, I’m going to kill you.”
Inspector Otis trembled with frustration as he watched the two.
‘They’re treating the scene like it’s nothing, huh?’
As the person in charge of the case, he was already irritated.
No matter if he was a necromancer, this behavior was unacceptable.
“Alright, alright! If you’ve checked everything, let’s wrap it up and leave!”
Otis shouted at his subordinates.
There was nothing more to see here.
Any potential evidence had either disappeared or been destroyed.
“Hurry up! We’re busy!”
As Otis’ orders were carried out and the officers began to withdraw, Baek Ho stood with his arms crossed, staring at a particular spot.
“Necromancer, you should go too. If you have any questions about the case, just give us a call.”
Otis extended his left hand toward Baek Ho.
He tried sending a hologram business card, but it was rejected.
“Damage.”
Baek Ho passed by Otis and walked toward the wall on one side of the operating room.
‘Did that guy forget how to be polite...?’
Otis glared at Baek Ho’s back.
He knew necromancers had terrible personalities, but he didn’t expect it from someone so young.
It was obvious.
Even though he lacked the skills to become a commander, he was the type to flaunt his necromancer status and act tough.
Not worth dealing with.
“Alright then, good job.”
Otis turned around and headed for the exit.
Just as he was about to walk out, he heard Baek Ho’s voice from behind.
“Break it.”
“Break what?”
Otis was about to turn around when—
“Ura-cha!”
Frank, who had been crouching in the corner, suddenly charged across the operating room like an angry rhinoceros.
He swung his fist and struck the wall.
BANG!
“What the hell?!”
Otis was startled and fell to the ground.
The other officers, hearing the commotion, rushed in.
Debris fell from above.
Dust rose in the air.
Amid the shattered wall, chunks of a dismembered body began to fall.
Head, body, arms, legs.
It was one person.
“What... what is this?!”
Otis gaped.
He had seen countless corpses, even during his rookie days when he was assigned to carry bodies from slums.
There was no reason to be shocked by a body, but this time, it couldn’t be helped.
The dismembered body was the criminal he had been looking for.
“The surgeon? Why—!”
The criminal was dead!
Was this case more complicated than he thought?
How would he find the missing people?
Could this be another cold case? Another failure?
While Otis grew more serious, Baek Ho appeared pleased with himself.
He gave Sophia a sly smile.
“See? I told you I had a good feeling, didn’t I?”
“Y-Yeah...”
With a satisfied look on his face, Baek Ho crouched in front of the surgeon’s dismembered body.
“And there’s something I didn’t mention earlier.”
He reached toward the surgeon’s head.
“This guy was undead from the start.”
Crunch—
The dismembered body was enveloped in black mist and began to pull itself together.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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