Two days passed by in a flash.
And me?
I was on my way to the Association's research headquarters—where Mr. Heri, the President of the National Hunter Association, was waiting for me.
It should've been a serious moment.
But my stomach... had other ideas.
"Ugh... I'm starving."
On the way there, I spotted a satay vendor on the roadside. Without thinking twice, I stopped and ordered twenty skewers. Spicy, sweet, and slightly charred—just how I liked it.
But man, this satay guy was chatty.
"Sir, lately a lot of people have been disappearing around here. Every night, someone goes missing. Some even say... they turn into the living dead! Creepy, huh…"
I just nodded lazily.
"Yeah, yeah... super creepy, sir."
[Honestly, I'm more scared of the satay getting cold.]
After finishing the meal, I finally arrived in front of a tall glass building:
National Hunter Association Research HQ – Surabaya Branch.
The building looked like a mix of a fancy university and a space lab—futuristic, cold, and full of sensors on every door.
Just as I was about to step in, quick footsteps echoed from inside.
Was Mr. Heri coming to greet me? Wow, special treatment?
Nope.
It was just a thin guy with glasses, middle-parted hair, and a digital tablet in hand.
"Welcome, sir. Please follow me," he said formally, without a smile.
"Uh... okay?"
I followed him without any suspicion.
We passed the sleek lobby, cold corridors, emergency stairs, storage rooms, and finally…
"Wait… where is this going?"
We stopped in front of a rusty metal door labeled:
"WASTE PROCESSING CHANNEL – RESTRICTED ACCESS"
"EH?!"
"I'll be counting on you. Goodbye," the man said, then vanished.
"Wait—WAIT! WHAT IS THIS?!"
I was left alone in front of a sewage gate.
Some time later...
I finally reached the President's private office on the fifth floor—the topmost and fanciest room. White marble walls, high ceilings, and the aroma of expensive coffee filled the air.
I sat on a premium leather sofa, legs crossed, snack bag in hand.
"So ridiculous..." I grumbled while chewing.
"Haha, forgive my intern's mistake," said Mr. Heri, bowing apologetically.
"I think he needs to be taught a lesson. I mean, he didn't even recognize me."
"I'll be sure to reprimand him," Heri replied with an embarrassed smile.
"So, why did you call me here today?" I asked casually.
"It's about the C-Rank Gate incident nearby."
I straightened up.
"The missing people case?"
Mr. Heri looked momentarily surprised.
[Incredible. He got it instantly.]
"Amazing. Truly worthy of your title: The Lord of a Thousand Lies."
[Well... I actually heard it from the satay guy.]
Mr. Heri handed me some documents and digital files.
"Take a look at these."
Photos of the incident.
Reports from the investigation team.
And one photo… that made me freeze.
A hunter was taking a selfie inside the C-Rank dungeon. But what caught my attention wasn't the hunter.
In the bottom-right corner... a small stone, and next to it—
"Wait... that... that's the Mask of Lies!"
A rare artifact from our guild that went missing long ago. I recognized its shape, the crack pattern, even the tiny scratch under the left eye.
"Ahem, Mr. Heri. I believe... we need to investigate this Gate again."
[Obviously, so they can retrieve that mask for me.]
Mr. Heri sighed.
"But I already sent an investigation team. They found nothing."
"Look at this photo. Next to the stone—clear as day—is a terrifying artifact." I pointed dramatically.
"A mask? That's an artifact? Looks disgusting."
"Exactly. It's... extremely dangerous," I lied smoothly.
"Dangerous? Is that what caused all the incidents?" Heri asked, alert.
[How should I know... it's just my favorite mask.]
"Exactly," I said confidently.
"We should send an elite squad, joined with the Defense Bureau team. If this is tied to an illegal guild, we need to take it seriously."
"Agreed!" I replied quickly.
"And... make sure they retrieve the mask. Give it to me."
"What's the mask for?" Heri asked, puzzled.
"You don't need to know," I answered flatly, trying to sound mysterious.
"Alright... I'll prepare an A-Rank Hunter team."
[Huh? Just for a mask? Isn't that overkill?]
"Stupid. Send the elite for the missing person case. For the mask, just send some low-rank hunters."
Whatever it takes, that mask must return to me.
Because I know...
That mask isn't just some artifact.
It's the source of all the lies I need to survive.
Mr. Heri still looked hesitant.
"Isn't it risky to send a low-rank team if the artifact is dangerous?" he asked seriously.
I just shrugged.
"Of course. But that's not the issue here."
Inside, I let out a long sigh.
[Seriously, it's just a mask. The report didn't even mention monsters. Worst case, they'll get dusty…]
I leaned back lazily on the chair.
"Let's focus on the missing persons. That's far more important. They might be hidden deep in the forest or some hidden area near the gate."
Mr. Heri rubbed his temple slowly.
"But field reports said there were no tracks leading out of the dungeon…"
"That's why I said, inspect the outer area more thoroughly. Maybe they weren't taken out—maybe they were moved to a hidden chamber inside the dungeon or nearby forest. Criminals can be creative."
[Or... maybe they're already in pieces. Ugh, never mind. Focus on the mask.]
Mr. Heri fell silent for a moment. His eyes scanned the screen on his desk, then locked back onto me.
"Alright. I'll deploy an elite task force from the Association and the Bureau to sweep the entire area. But about the artifact…"
He narrowed his eyes.
"I'll send a small team. But if anything goes wrong, you'll take full responsibility."
I chuckled softly.
"No worries. I'll assign someone from Guild 404 who's... very enthusiastic about tracking down weird objects."
[And hopefully, he doesn't ask what the mask is for.]
"And... are you sure this artifact is dangerous?" Heri asked, still uncertain.
"Totally. It can even cause fatal hallucinations," I replied quickly, lacing it with a sly lie.
[Hallucinations of confidence and killer looks. That's for sure.]