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Chapter 160

[A monocle created by combining a special lens with a frame made from unique ores.

It allows the user to either project or push the consciousness of the target into the boundary of dreams. However, each activation permanently consumes some components made of dream mana.

*Dream mana components are permanently consumed with each skill use

*Enables the use of the skill ‘Dream Projection’

*Enables the use of the skill ‘Dream Bloom’]

“Hm, it’s well-made indeed.”

The fact that not one but two unique skills were created indicated it was of a high quality.

Satisfied, Se-Hoon checked his newly acquired skill.

[Ethereal Vision] 『A』

[A vision technique for observing dream mana.

It allows one to freely traverse the boundary of dreams by adjusting their vision. However, prolonged activation can result in the loss of one’s eyes.

*The denser the dream mana one observes, the greater the strain]

...Freely traverse the boundary of dreams?

It was extremely surprising. Typically, it was extremely difficult for a living being to cross the boundary of dreams since just a slight lapse in concentration could cause the body to disintegrate into dreams—a completely irreversible state.

Therefore those who researched dream mana considered the ability to freely traverse the boundary as the highest level of mastery in dream mana. And now, Se-Hoon had acquired such “mastery” out of the blue.

Is it because I constantly use and observe dream mana...? No, this ability is too good for that.

Even if his soul had changed somehow due to the regression, such a talent emerging didn’t make sense. Lost, he thought about it deeply before eventually shaking his head.

Let\'s focus on the task at hand first.

Deciding to directly verify how Ethereal Vision worked, he promptly triggered the skill.

Woong!

He could feel something surging up from his chest to gently cover his eyes. It felt like something was being nibbled away bit by bit, making him feel ticklish.

I see. If I let my guard down, my eyes will gradually disappear because of this.

Making a mental note to only use the technique when he was mentally sharp, he looked at the Ethereal Monocle with his changed vision.

The once-faint purple mist around the Ethereal Monocle was now clearly visible, exposing the previously hidden dream mana. Naturally focusing on it, he increased the intensity.

Immediately, the surroundings darkened slightly and the purple mist around the Ethereal Monocle became more vivid. He carefully extended his hand, inserting his fingers into the mist.

Whoom-

And his fingers promptly vanished, entering the boundary of dreams.

So this is how it works.

Deactivating Ethereal Vision in one eye, he verified that parts of his fingers had really disappeared into thin air. And upon confirming that they had, he made a thoughtful expression.

It’s convenient but dangerous...

Ethereal Vision was purely an auxiliary technique. It didn’t directly enhance one’s abilities, and entering the boundary of dreams carelessly could result in one’s limbs disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Furthermore, there was the issue where mixing one’s real-world view with the dream view, whether intentionally or unintentionally, could destabilize the technique, causing it to break easily.

Luckily, however, the skill completely blocked one’s view of their surroundings, allowing them to focus solely on the boundary of dreams. That came with the bonus of preventing the user from making any novice mistakes.

“Ah, damn.”

Belatedly remembering his fingers, he quickly withdrew them before they dissipated and deactivated Ethereal Vision.

“This’ll be quite useful...” he murmured.

Se-Hoon then picked up the Ethereal Monocle.

Now to test this.... Hmm, who to use it on?

Since the monocle revealed one’s inner self, using it on just anyone would arouse suspicion. And for now, its existence had to remain a secret.

So in that case, who was the best candidate? Making his choice, he called someone who showed up shortly after.

Creak-

Luize entered, somewhat disheveled, wearing a hooded jumper over her sweatsuit.

“Oh, you\'re here—”

“Dude. Do you know what time it is?”

“Hm?”

Only now did Se-Hoon check the time on his phone.

“4:00 am...”

Though initially surprised that it had already been twelve hours since his lunch appointment with the two Yeoms, he soon felt somewhat accomplished.

I managed to work this long without feeling tired. I’ve finally hit my stride.

If it were his past self of just a few months ago, both his mana and stamina would have already waned.

Sighing at the content rather than guilt on Se-Hoon’s face, Luize just sighed deeply.

“So? What did you call me here for? If it\'s not anything important, you’re dead meat.”

“Oh. I just need to try out a piece of newly made equipment. Could you help for a moment?”

“You mean you want me to be a test subject?”

Though Luize\'s displeasure visibly grew, Se-Hoon still nodded casually.

“That’s right.”

“You little...”

“It’s supposed to be a secret for now, so I can’t ask just anyone to try it out.”

Luize paused. Then, after sighing again, she frowned.

“Fine, just hurry up. I have a morning class later.”

“Great.”

Having gained her consent, Se-Hoon immediately put the Ethereal Monocle over his left eye. Through it, he could now see far clearer than before.

And on top of his vision, the monocle’s effect also enhanced his other abilities, allowing him to notice things. That, when combined with his insight, meant he could even detect subtle emotions that were not yet apparent on one’s face.

Hm. She’s currently trying to hold back her laugh...?

Though Luize seemed expressionless initially, he could now see that her lips and eyes were subtly trembling.

Oddly annoyed, Se-Hoon squinted before quickly refocusing on the experiment.

First, Ethereal Vision.

Woong!

Dream mana filled both his eyes, turning them purple. Then, once his vision stabilized, he used the equipment skill Dream Projection.

Stirred, dream mana began swirling around the lens of the monocle, compressed into the center, and finally, dispersed like mist.

“Ugh...!”

Feeling a peculiar force surging toward her, Luize flinched and reflexively tried to summon her mana before catching herself.

Let’s just let him do his thing...

While anyone else would have immediately cast a defensive spell, Luize was absolutely certain Se-Hoon wouldn’t harm her. And thanks to that, Dream Projection could begin to form an image in the Ethereal Monocle.

Is that a... light?

The first thing Se-Hoon saw was a sphere of mana floating in the air. Feeling like it was familiar, he watched as the rest of the scene appeared—a hazy hospital room with a dirty-looking young man and a girl in a hospital gown standing on either side of the mana sphere.

Could this be...?

Se-Hoon\'s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected scene.

“Ah! AAaah!!”

Screaming, Luize gathered her mana.

Snap!

With the sensation of a thread snapping, Se-Hoon watched the scene disappear from the monocle before looking at Luize.

“You... what is that weird monocle? You’re not spying on my thoughts or anything, are you?”

Did Dream Projection show the same scene to the target? Having quickly grasped the situation, Luize glared at Se-Hoon.

“Well, you see...”

Although the current Luize was already different from the Blast Dog, Se-Hoon thought the synesthetic mindscape they manifested would still be similar. However, it turned out that learning incantation magic from him in the hospital was quite an event for the current Luize.

Honestly, Se-Hoon felt like he had peeked into her personal diary, so he hesitated in guilt.

“Well... thanks for thinking so much about me, but...”

“Go die!!!”

***

Eventually, Se-Hoon somehow managed to calm Luize down and send her on her way. Sighing, he straightened his disheveled clothes and hair—the results of the commotion—lost in thought.

The effect is pretty clear.... Hmm, how should I use this?

Ideally, he’d hand the Ethereal Monocle to someone trustworthy and take a break, but unfortunately, he had no such person around. So, with only one route left, he sighed and took out his phone.

“Yes, Ha Seon-Woo speaking.”

Despite it being 4:00 am, the voice on the other end was clear. So, Se-Hoon quickly got to the point.

“I’ve got something useful. Can we meet?”

“...Okay. I’ll be there right away.”

Without asking for further explanation, the call ended. Feeling quite satisfied by Seon-Woo’s promptness, Se-Hoon stood up.

Then, while gently rubbing his cheek and chin, he murmured, “A squint should be good enough...”

***

The Pavard Guild of France, despite its medium size, was known for its skill and business acumen.

And right now, its leader, the veteran quasi-S-rank hero Maurice Pavard, was cautiously walking through a secret storage under his lavish mansion, a place the founder also used to reside.

“Whew...”

Was he this nervous when he fought his first-ever battle? Struggling to calm his racing heart, he quickened his pace. Reaching his destination, he placed his palm on an unmarked wall.

Click!

At the sound, the wall opened to reveal treasures, equipment, and valuable elixirs. But Maurice ignored them all and just headed straight for a necklace adorned with purple jewels.

“...”

Standing before the luxurious necklace embedded with purple gemstones, he took a deep breath and put on a glove that glimmered with a violet hue from his void pocket.

Focusing his mind, he reached for the necklace.

Whoom!

Along with the ebb of a purple mist, a bead dropped into his hand. Gingerly holding the bead mixed with shades of violet and crimson—the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device he obtained from the Barmuth family—Maurice directed his gaze inside.

“Ah...”

Deep within the bead was a more powerful and overwhelming image of himself moving vigorously—the S-rank status he wasn’t able to reach over the years. Just a glimpse filled him to the brim with a sense of fulfillment.

Yes... this is the feeling...

Grasping the sensation of enlightenment he hadn’t felt in a long time, he quickly stowed the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device and ran out of the vault.

I need to embody this feeling as much as possible...!

He had stopped training for a while now, as it never showed much progress; however, after obtaining the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device, he immersed himself in it daily, reducing even his sleep time.

Just the fulfillment from steadily making progress toward a goal revived a hero who had been stymied by a seemingly insurmountable wall.

Just eliminating those three individuals has helped me gain such power.... Maybe I should target Lee Se-Hoon as well.

With rewards like this upon success, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to seriously consider it. Indulging in such thoughts, he left the vault and returned to his study.

“Subdue him.”

Appearing out of nowhere, six men in black suits rushed at him as if they had been waiting.

“What the...”

Bang!

The study shook violently.

When the dust settled, Maurice’s figure was revealed again. But he was now fully subdued, with his limbs, back, and neck pressed down with restraining devices. In a state where any movement could be lethal, he looked at his attackers in shock.

“Sp, Special Operations Division?”

“Activate mana freeze.”

With no delay, a strange power flowed from the devices pressing him down, freezing his mana completely in place—he could no longer resist.

It had all happened in the blink of an eye, and all Maurice could do was look at the Special Operations agents above him in astonishment.

How? Did they find out about what happened last time? But I definitely erased the evidence...

While countless thoughts swirled in his mind, a young, black-haired man slowly approached with lightly squinted eyes. He wore a monocle with a purple frame and a chain over his left eye that fit oddly well with his calm demeanor.

“Hmm...”

The young man, now right in front of him, fiddled with his monocle while squinting at him quietly. After a moment, a chilling sensation enveloped Maurice’s entire body and the image of himself becoming an S-rank hero floated into his mind. Even in this situation, the sight was so enchanting that Maurice wore a dazed expression.

“Oh dear. This guy’s seriously delusional.”

Looking exasperated, the young man shook his head and stepped back.

“How is he?”

“He\'s imagining himself as a demon. At this point, he’s basically a ticking time bomb.”

Maurice’s jaw dropped, utterly shocked by the young man\'s calm words.

“Wh—what nonsense is this?! Why would I imagine myself as a demon?!”

“Well, shouldn’t it be not that surprising? Since you\'ve killed three innocent heroes already, you\'re no different from a demon.”

The nonchalant reveal of his secrets sent a chill down Maurice’s spine. Where had information leaked? If everything he had done so far were to be revealed, what would happen to him?

I was so close to reaching S-rank too...

Overwhelmed with frustration, resentment, and confusion—rather than guilt—he stared at the young man. At that moment, Ha Seon-Woo, standing next to the young man, declared, “Maurice Pavard. You are under arrest for collusion with the Demon Force...”

“Evidence! Show me the evidence!!”

Trembling in anger, Maurice screamed in a fit of rage, glaring at the Special Operations agents with bloodshot eyes.

“How dare you treat someone who has contributed to humanity for decades like this without any proof!!”

He struggled desperately without a care for if his body was torn apart. The disgraceful display made the agents frown.

“Then let\'s find it, shall we?”

Still calm, the young man with the monocle looked toward the study.

“The evidence seems like it might be in there. Let\'s check it out.”

At his words, the Special Operations agents exchanged glances and nodded. Grabbing Maurice, they all entered the secret vault together.

No matter what, they’ll never be able to find out, Maurice scoffed inwardly, wearing a resentful expression.

He remembered the Barmuths’ assurance that even an S-rank hero couldn\'t recognize the device, and indeed, when he had his wife wear it at the last charity party, no one had noticed.

I’ll get through since there’s insufficient evidence.... Then I’ll discuss the next steps with the Barmuths.

If they didn\'t want to be caught for collusion, he was sure they would help him. Scheming, Maurice soon arrived at the underground vault with the agents.

“Ah, there it is.”

Without any searching, the young man with the monocle immediately pointed directly at the purple necklace.

“...”

Maurice stared in stunned silence, unable to maintain his composure. He watched as the young man strode over and reached out.

Snap!

In one swift motion, the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device was removed from the necklace. Holding it in one hand, the squinting young man, who was actually Se-Hoon in disguise, turned to face the still-dumbfounded Maurice.

“All set now?”

He flashed a maddeningly confident smile, infuriating Maurice even further.