TRPM 132

chapter 132

About fifteen hours later.

Alex retrieved my doll from the pocket dimension.

“… You arrived later than I expected.”
“There were some complications…”

Alex sighed, unable to hide his fatigue.

“The flight was delayed because of traffic, and once we finally landed, the immigration checks took forever.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Normally, it’s a bit slow, but today it was worse than usual. Judging by the situation, there are a lot of visitors this time because multiple ability users are gathering… and they’re being thorough with immigration checks, just in case something happens.”

Alex handed me the pocket dimension artifact and asked,

“But what exactly is this bracelet? It didn’t even trigger the magic detectors. Thanks to that, it made passing through immigration and security fairly easy…”
“That’s because it’s a bracelet designed to hide the fact that it’s an artifact using just ordinary means.”

Though, in reality, there’s not much to it.

‘My pocket dimension artifact is a growth-type artifact that develops alongside its user.’

And growing alongside its user means absorbing the user’s energy as it grows.
My pocket dimension artifact absorbed my internal energy and, as a result, came to possess the same properties as my energy.

‘The biggest feature of my energy is that it can absorb any type of energy… but it has another characteristic as well.’

Secrecy.

A subtlety undetectable to martial artists like Nana or Yeon Mirae.

My pocket dimension artifact inherited this trait perfectly. That’s why ordinary inspections can’t reveal it.

‘The design itself is also similar to an ordinary bracelet.’

So unless the pocket dimension is open, it just looks like a normal bracelet.

“Anyway, good job. Make sure you arrive at the airport on time on the day of departure.”
“Yes. You too, Artist.”

After saying that, Alex left. I, keeping my presence minimal, headed to the rooftop of the tallest nearby building.

I knew I was in New York, but not exactly where, so I wanted to survey the area.

‘Of course, just seeing the surroundings won’t tell me my exact location, since it’s my first time in New York.’

Still, if I could spot a famous building, I could estimate my position. Something like the Empire State Building.

‘There it is.’

I easily found the Empire State Building, and from that, I roughly determined the location of my doll. Not that I memorized New York’s geography—just comparing what the doll saw with maps and photos I found online gave me a rough estimate.

‘According to this map, the World Awakener Association headquarters should be over here.’

After confirming the location, I moved the doll toward the headquarters. Soon enough, I reached a position where I could see the building with the naked eye.

“Let’s see…”

I first extended my ki-sense to scan the headquarters.

I learned several things. The headquarters’ security was visibly tight. Every guard was heavily armed, and among them were even aura masters.

‘Well, it makes sense. This isn’t just any country—it represents the global association.’

With multiple ability users present, just like at the airport, security was stricter than usual. They needed to check every person trying to enter to distinguish genuine ability users from reporters and potential troublemakers.

‘Purely there for the inspection, or reporters pretending to be ability users, and those troublemakers hiding in between.’

The problem was that some reporters and troublemakers were pretending to be ability users, so the guards had to differentiate them from real ones. Even so, the headquarters’ security managed to distinguish between actual ability users, reporters, and troublemakers in just a brief inspection.

While real ability users passed quickly, the reporters were blocked, and the troublemakers were identified and subdued.

‘You can’t fool the guards with half-hearted tricks.’

Clearly, they weren’t just any guards.

‘And it’s not only the guards.’

Even if someone tried to sneak past, the building had many defenses. There was a visible barrier, a magic seal that even someone like me—knowledgeable in magic—found hard to interpret. Even a great mage would take a long time to breach it quietly. And beyond the barrier, the building had countless security measures.

I thought to myself,

‘How did Albatross PMC manage to breach this security and infiltrate the headquarters before?’

The defenses were airtight. How many people could get inside?

“(…Identity confirmed. Please proceed inside to the multiple ability inspection room.)”
“(Multiple…? Not multiple powers?)”
“(They say that calling them multiple ability users would confuse them with those who have powers labeled as “multiple.” So in the future, those with various powers will be officially called multiple ability users.)”
“(I see… But did they even have such powers…?)”

As I pondered this, I saw a multiple ability user finish a brief check and enter the headquarters.

If that was all, he wouldn’t have caught my attention. But…

‘Oh-ho…?’

His energy was clear in my ki-sense. The energy used by psychic ability users, often called mental energy. And…

‘That aura surrounding his body isn’t his own.’

In other words, this person entering as a multiple ability user was a fraud. A con artist. One skilled enough to fool even the guards who caught every other fake ability user and reporter.

‘Since the guards let him in, he probably won’t be stopped by the building’s barrier either.’

Thinking this, I pulled out the Harmonizing Divine Sword from the pocket dimension and slashed the air.

Whoosh!

A familiar rift appeared. I leapt through it, emerging inside the headquarters. I had ignored all the guards and the barrier, simply walking inside.

‘This process feels smooth now.’

The first time I did this, trying to understand the inside of the rift caused my main body to suffer a nosebleed and even a cerebral hemorrhage. But now, I felt no headaches or dizziness. I had grown stronger.

And…

No one noticed.

[Yes. The intruder’s reaction was detected.]
[You didn’t use teleportation, but it was as if you did, breaking the barrier and emerging here. Even bypassing the anti-space disruption devices.]

The only person aware I had moved through space the first time was Grand Mage Shin Hanji.

Using rifts to move through space is extremely covert. Now, stronger than before, I could mask the rift with my energy, making it even more secret. Even the headquarters would struggle to detect it.

‘But that’s not the main point.’

I turned to see where the con artist who had fooled the guards was. He was being guided to the multiple ability inspection room by a staff member.

“Invisibility, transparency.”

I used word magic to conceal myself and followed the con artist and the staff.

‘He fooled the guards, but can he fool the inspection equipment?’

The guards had felt both his mental energy and aura, but the equipment would detect the truth. He must know that. I watched him carefully.

[(Boss, I’ve infiltrated safely.)]
“?”

The con artist secretly transmitted a message using a method I had previously registered in the Awakener System database.

[Using transmission in secret in front of the person who made it… bold.]

I recalled words I had said to a criminal who only threatened Ji-hyung before. The situation was different, but…

‘They seem to have adapted it their way… but to use it right in front of me?’

This allowed me to eavesdrop on their conversation.

[(Good. Current location and status?)]
[(Heading to the multiple ability inspection room as planned. No problems so far.)]
[(Good. Report any anomalies immediately.)]
[(Yes.)]

The conversation was brief, but one thing was clear: this con artist wasn’t ordinary. He was confident he could hide that he wasn’t a multiple ability user during the inspection.

‘And he’s not acting alone. There’s an organization behind him…’

Not an Oracle. They don’t use transmissions. He must have thought their own method was more efficient than the basic transmission registered in the database. So…

‘…Albatross PMC?’

It was the only possibility that came to mind. Not certain, but plausible. I followed him into the inspection room.

“(We’ll begin the examination. Please lie down on this bed.)”
“(Yes.)”

The con artist complied. The staff manipulated the equipment in front of him.

“…!”

I sensed a change in his body. The staff didn’t notice, but through my internal energy, I felt it clearly.

‘…The aura is centered on his heart.’

The aura that had been surrounding him seemed now to originate from his heart.

‘…He’s been hiding this ability…!’

No matter how sophisticated the equipment, they would detect him as an aura ability user.

But this technique is extremely dangerous. The aura could clash with his mental energy or damage his heart if mismatched. He was gambling with his life.

‘Why go to such lengths…?’

I couldn’t understand him.