TRPM 27

chapter 27

I knew my mother might be in danger, so I immediately pulled out the doll from subspace.

The one known to the public as the Artist.

Then I put the usual mask on the doll.

Seeing that, Yeon Mirae also took out an artifact from her subspace that concealed her face.

“…Why are you doing that?”

My doll doesn’t have an official identity, so it makes sense to mask it.
But Yeon Mirae doesn’t need to.

She could just blend in naturally with the other awakened ones who responded to the distress message.

So why did she put on an artifact as well?

“Today, I plan to act not as Sword Flower Yeon Mirae, but as the Artist’s disciple.”

“…”

Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter.

Her artifact, like the mask my doll wears, was also a reward obtained from conquering a fairly large dungeon.
That meant it would be nearly impossible for ordinary people to see through its effect and recognize her.

“Leave your smartphone here. They could trace your location.”

The Association had once shamelessly sent information-type Awakened into the disposal site for the byproducts Mirae brought back, trying to steal her information.

Even though most of the executives were in the process of being replaced, it was hard to believe such reckless people wouldn’t resort to smartphone tracking.
They might even try wiretapping.

I had prepared some countermeasures, but since there are countless ways to extract information in this world, I couldn’t rest easy.

“Yes.”

Yeon Mirae seemed to understand my reasoning and placed her smartphone on the desk where my computer was.

Then she pulled out a hoodie from her subspace and put it on.

“…That hoodie…”

“It’s the same design as the doll’s. Wouldn’t this make us look more like the Artist and their companion?”

She glanced at the doll I had dressed, explaining.

It seemed she had long been preparing for a situation like this, determined to present herself as the Artist’s companion if the time ever came.

After finishing her preparations, Mirae left through the window alongside my doll.

Our home was on a fairly high floor, but that was no problem for either of them.

Even if they fell from that height, their skills would keep them safe—and if not, my doll could walk on air.

As I watched them leave, I thought to myself:

“Did this ever happen before my regression…?”

No matter how young I was at the time, if my mother had been directly involved in such an incident, I wouldn’t have forgotten.

That meant this might be something that hadn’t happened in my previous life.

“Or… maybe it did happen before, but played out differently?”

Back then, my mother usually stopped by the supermarket on her way home from work, or ordered delivery if she was too busy.

If she had done the same today, she probably wouldn’t have been caught up in this incident.

So why did she suddenly go to the market this time?

“…Because of Yeon Mirae.”

Now that there was one more person eating dinner at our house, my mother had more reason to shop for groceries.

Of course, she could have ordered delivery—but my mother preferred to choose fresh ingredients with her own eyes.

And since Mirae was staying with us, she felt more at ease leaving me at home alone.

That was why she went shopping by herself, and why she got caught in this mess.

“Haa…”

I had thought my mother would be safer with Mirae living next door, yet ironically, it was Mirae’s presence that drew her into danger.

Not that it was anyone’s fault.
Just bad luck.

“I knew my actions might cause butterfly effects someday, but… I didn’t expect it to come back like this, at a time like this.”

I reflected inwardly as I focused my consciousness on the doll.

“…There are a lot of people.”

Mirae, realizing I had shifted my awareness into the doll, spoke to it.

“Yeah. Quite a lot.”

Because of the hostage situation at the supermarket, police and Awakened surrounded the area.

But they weren’t just surrounding it.

“…Helicopters are circling above, and underground forces are slowly cutting off escape routes too.”

At first glance, it looked like a decent siege.
But it was far from perfect.

If the hostage-takers had someone with teleportation abilities?
If their combat power surpassed that of the Awakened surrounding the supermarket?
If they decided to use the hostages’ lives as shields to break through?

This “siege” would crumble instantly.

“In truth, it’s nothing more than a façade. A show to reassure civilians that the criminals are trapped inside, while putting psychological pressure on the hostage-takers.”

That was its only real effect.

“Now, where’s the sniper…?”

There had to be one nearby—someone using a gun, bow, or magic to take out targets from afar.

“Ah, there.”

I spotted a sniper positioned on a nearby rooftop.

If necessary, they’d try to take out the criminals.
Even if it meant sacrificing hostages.

Not right away, of course.
For now, experts would attempt negotiations to secure the hostages’ safety.

Because hostage situations always had reasons behind them.

Which, in turn, meant…

“We have some time.”

I looked at Mirae standing beside my doll.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes. But… how do you plan to make your entrance? Will you appear dramatically, like in Yeouido? Or sneak in and assassinate them?”

“Neither.”

The first option might endanger the hostages.
The second… was tempting, but—

“I don’t want my mother to witness a criminal’s body disintegrating.”

In my previous life, she had been kidnapped repeatedly, forced to see horrifying sights no ordinary civilian should ever see.
Even just seeing those things must have been traumatic—but she had always worried about me more than herself.

This time, I didn’t want her to go through that at all.

“You really are devoted to your mother.”

“But… you still haven’t answered me.”

“How exactly will you make your entrance?”

Instead of replying, I jumped lightly off the rooftop.

Mirae followed without hesitation, and we both landed on the asphalt road below.

I signaled for her to follow me and said:

“On foot.”

Then I dispelled the veil that had concealed our presence.

“…! Halt! Who goes there?!”
“Two unknown individuals approaching!”

Naturally, the police blocking the road reacted in shock, shouting into their radios.

Their cries drew every gaze in the area toward us.

“What the…? Their faces can’t be identified?”
“They must be using some kind of ability or artifact.”

The Awakened nearby couldn’t recognize us.
Of course they couldn’t.

Back in Yeouido, my doll hadn’t used an artifact, so my future face had been revealed.
But now, with the mask concealing its features, no one could identify me.

And so—

“Wh-what the hell…?!”
“The swords… they’re floating?!”

I recreated something similar to what I had done back then.

I pulled countless swords from my subspace and made them float in the air.

It wasn’t sword-control technique, just simple psychokinesis.
But the effect was undeniable.

“He’s not a telekinetic…! The mental power scanner shows nothing!”
“Then what is he? What kind of ability…?”

The existing detection devices couldn’t register internal energy unless I deliberately made it flow like aura.

Awakened could sense it if they faced me directly, but they wouldn’t know exactly what it was.

That’s why every Awakened present thought of one person.

Someone immensely powerful, yet whose true abilities were still unclear—debated as either an aura user or a psychic.

“Th-the Artist?”
“No way… the savior of Yeouido? Why is he here…?”

Even though my face was completely hidden by the mask, they quickly realized the doll was the Artist.

I felt their gazes as I walked forward.
Mirae followed quietly beside me.

“…”
“…”

The police and Awakened blocking the road said nothing as we approached.

The Artist’s power was described only in vague terms: unfathomably strong.

Perhaps they had thought the rumors were just that—rumors.
But standing before me now, they couldn’t think so anymore.

Of course they couldn’t.

Even Mirae, with little internal energy and a relatively low realm, already possessed combat ability rivaling Korea’s strongest Awakened.

And I?

My physical abilities, skills, energy, and realm were all far beyond hers.
What must my doll feel like to them?

“Simple.”

At least within Korea, there was no one stronger than my doll.
Perhaps one or two in the world might rival it—but not here.

For beings like that, even breathing properly in my presence, even standing without their bodies freezing, was unnatural.

Step.
Step.

My doll walked past the frozen police and Awakened.
Mirae followed close behind.

Without any hindrance, we reached the entrance of the supermarket where the hostage crisis was unfolding.

“Well then…”

I focused my senses inside.

It wasn’t just about locating enemies—I had to clearly distinguish hostiles from hostages.

“What should I do?” Mirae asked beside me.

“Nothing.”

She didn’t need to step in.

“Just watch me. This is a realm you may one day reach yourself.”

It was something possible only after surpassing even my pre-regression self, and only with the help of word-magic.
For her, it was still an impossibly high wall.

“But shouldn’t you aim high?”

Having completed the map in my head, I drew out my mental image.

I pictured the sword within my heart, slashing down the targets.

And when I spoke the words, the imagination would not remain mere imagination.

“Heart-Sword (心劍), Mind Is Kill (心卽殺).”

In the next moment—

Without any warning.
Without any sign of energy flowing.

“…!”
“Ugh?!”
“—kgh…!”

My thought and those two words pierced every criminal inside the supermarket.