#243
_Vampire Rise (3)_
Right after gathering all the power snatched from Obaifo.
“Hah—.”
Heinz, who exhaled a cloud of misty breath, slowly alternated clenching and opening his hands.
A sharpness that felt more acute than ever, coupled with an indescribable power coursing through his body, overwhelmed him with exhilaration.
《The entity has completed the conditions for growth. The special skill 「Blood of the Lineage (Pureblood聖血)」 evolves into 「Blood Sovereign」.》
《The special skill 「Blood Sovereign」 absorbs the sub-ability 「Enhanced Regeneration」 and becomes even more powerful.》
And it wasn’t just in his head.
The twelve bloodlines, which had split apart, rejoined within Heinz’s body, bringing his existence closer to its ultimate evolution.
‘I haven’t completely surpassed the barrier of Pureblood yet.’
To truly reach the status beyond that of a vampire’s pinnacle—tentatively called Divine Blood—merely unifying one dimension’s lineage wasn’t enough.
Although he couldn’t be certain such a stage existed, he felt instinctively that he hadn’t reached his limits yet, and that an even higher stage still awaited him.
‘My abilities feel at least twice as strong as before.’
Since 「Blood Sovereign」 was the ultimate stage of the 「Blood of the Lineage」 series, its power and efficiency were incomparable to before.
Most importantly, his already formidable regeneration power had become even more potent; with just energy, he could essentially resurrect from ashes like a true immortal.
‘At this rate… I can seriously say I’ve caught up to Hans!’
For now, it seemed their destructive potential as singular entities would be similar.
If they fought, Hans would have an overwhelming advantage due to their racial traits, making the true power of the Undead King immeasurable in a group battle.
‘Well, anyway, getting stronger is good. That’s what I wanted. But for now…’
Though many things still needed confirmation and issues to deal with lay ahead, the first task was clear.
He had to quickly take care of the Obaifo Clan, which was now under his control, and wrap up the situation that had erupted in the republic.
‘Now everything belongs to me. I can’t let it get any worse.’
With his eyes closed, Heinz spread his will across the entire city.
As the command of the undeniable ruler of all vampires on the continent—Undead King Heinz II—was issued, the chaos that had been ringing loudly began to subside rapidly, as if it had never occurred.
Dramatic peace came before further damage could escalate.
Furthermore, it marked the moment when the last arrangement of the Oath of Reversal, rooted in the eastern Ion Continent, crumbled.
*
In an office located in downtown Seoul.
A beautiful woman with her long hair tied in a ponytail sat before a computer, scrolling through the mouse wheel while conversing on the speakerphone.
“…I see. So you’re saying there are no unusual reports besides the main report?”
-Um… Yes? I’ve worked even harder, as the vice president advised. But…
“It’s alright to speak in English, Andrew.”
-Oh! Thank you. I’m trying my best to learn but… Korean is really not easy. I can listen and read somewhat now, but speaking and writing are so…
“You’re progressing incredibly fast compared to how long you’ve been learning. You’re smart, and you’ve invested a lot in your mental and intelligence stats, so that helps. Of course, you should keep studying. That’s the order from our Lord… uh, I mean, from the president.”
Jin So-Ran, the second-in-command of Heterosys, was having this conversation while rapidly scanning through the reports on her monitor.
After re-checking, she found that there were indeed no noteworthy issues.
-Hah, is that so… By the way, I still haven’t met the president even once. They must be very busy, huh?
“Well, yes. You were recommended by a friend of the president, right? So we’re grateful to have someone capable and diligent like you here with us.”
-Oh, is that so? Ha, haha…
Andrew Weaver, who had been forcibly brought to Korea by the Undead King and joined Heterosys, let out an awkward laugh.
It wasn’t like he was genuinely working hard out of his own free will.
However, he had recently found some satisfaction in his current life.
Due to certain constraints, he had to work hard within the time allotted and was busy with language classes in not only Korean but also Japanese and Chinese, leaving him little room for leisure…
‘This place is like a paradise compared to the endless toil under Olivia in Undying Castle!’
There were sodas, pizzas, TVs, and even the chance to game if he found some free time.
A world apart from where he was desperately struggling amid crazed lunatics and undead monsters.
‘Living this way isn’t so bad. There’s no black magic driving me crazy and the pay is good too.’
He completely forgot about the reality where he didn’t even have time to spend the money he earned.
Thus, he was becoming a grateful volunteer slave, satisfied with his situation, while still working in an environment that was little more than a black company.
“Anyway, thank you, Andrew. Please keep examining and contact me anytime if you find anything unusual.”
-Got it, Vice President.
Click.
The call ended, and silence returned to the office.
After rubbing her temples for a moment, Jin So-Ran sank into her chair and let out a deep sigh.
“Hoo— it feels unsettling. Although it seems like there’s no major issue.”
In fact, her mood hadn’t been bad at all until this morning.
More specifically, it had been fine until just a few hours ago when she received a warning from Aria, her boss and the leader of the moderate faction.
‘Aria wouldn’t say something for no reason.’
Once a high-ranking member of the moderate faction, Jin So-Ran couldn’t easily dismiss her words.
No matter what anyone said, she had been a remarkable person who had long kept the mighty hardliners in check, relying solely on her own abilities.
‘It’s probably a foresight ability.’
When she was under Aria, she had thought there was a separate intelligence network she was unaware of, but now, in her position within the Blood Alliance, she understood well.
At least she realized that the warning she received now was not information obtained through those connections.
‘If she contacted me directly, it must mean something big is about to happen to me or Heterosys. Or maybe somewhere in the Blood Alliance?’
This was why she urgently contacted Andrew.
Knowing well about his information-gathering ability, he was the perfect candidate to quickly look into related matters.
‘I need to be cautious for a while. I might even need to relocate my office. Where would be a good place…’
Having concluded her thoughts, Jin So-Ran stood up from her seat, opened the office door, and stepped outside.
“No, you can’t just come in here like this…!”
“Eh, it’ll just be a moment…”
As she crossed the soundproof barrier installed for information security, she picked up on the noise outside the office with her sensitive hearing.
Among them was a voice she found familiar.
‘What’s going on?’
Curiously, she walked to the office entrance and opened the door, only to find the back of a young girl who looked no older than a middle school student.
Alongside her was a boy with an unfamiliar face.
“Nahee? What’s going on?”
“Ah! U-uh, Vice President!”
The girl, Lee Nahee, turned around to greet her.
A once fellow crew member of the moderate faction, she was now a spirited girl learning office assistance at Heterosys alongside Jin So-Ran.
“Ah! Hello! Are you the responsible person here?”
Meanwhile, the boy who had been arguing with Nahee at the entrance chimed in with a bright smile.
“Well, technically I’m the highest here.”
“Aha!”
Upon her unexpected admission, the boy’s expression brightened even more.
At that moment, Nahee, frowning, interjected between them and raised her voice again.
“Don’t engage with him, sister! He’s strange! He keeps insisting on getting in here, and then…”
“Are you all vampires?”
However, she had no choice but to halt her response due to the boy’s direct question.
Contrarily, the boy remained smiling.
Jin So-Ran, unable to mask her expression, sighed deeply, naturally blocking Nahee, who appeared bewildered.
“Look, I don’t know what you heard, but this isn’t a place for games. Can’t you save the silly stuff for your friends?”
Ignoring the boy’s persistence, she calmly admonished him like an adult.
“Ah! I understand your concerns, but don’t worry. I’m not trying to cause any trouble…”
“Forget your worries. How about you just leave before I call the police? You’re causing quite the distraction for the employees.”
“That’s not it! I’m a vampire too! I came because I was excited to find my kin. So, please accept me as a comrade!”
With that, Jin So-Ran narrowed her eyes at the boy.
He still grinned, but she didn’t sense any blood magic or even a whiff of blood from him.
‘It’s a lie.’
Originally, she was in the upper echelon at level 6, but after accepting Heinz’s 「Refined Blood Essence」 in Heterosys, she had risen to level 7.
In terms of Auterica, she was Trueblood and was on par with only two, Beta and the hardliners, in terms of strength.
There was no way she wouldn’t recognize the true identity of someone like him.
Moreover, notably…
The boy appeared to be around the same age as Nahee, making the situation even more suspicious.
“Hah, a friend? I’m holding back a lot right now, you know? How about you leave before I lose my patience? I’m scarier than I look when I’m angry.”
Yet she tried to exert her patience while speaking gently.
Even though they were disguised as a perfectly normal company, having this place catch the eye of the police was far from ideal.
Not to mention, she didn’t want the boy to say something unnecessary to the police.
“Ah, you don’t believe me. I swear it’s true! Look, I have fangs, see?”
“Those are just buck teeth. Go to the dentist for braces.”
Jin So-Ran replied coldly to the boy, who was showing off his teeth by putting his finger in his mouth.
“I hate garlic!”
“Everyone does at your age. But if you’re picky, you won’t grow.”
“If the landlord doesn’t invite you, you can’t just barge in!”
“Exactly. If you do, it’s trespassing.”
Despite the boy’s ongoing attempts to prove he was a vampire, she remained indifferent, crossing her arms.
Flowing rivers don’t carelessly cross boundaries!
“Right, it’s dangerous. So be careful in the future.”
“I have a lower body temperature than others!”
“Seems like you have a cold constitution. Dress warmly.”
“I’m sensitive to sunlight!”
“Sunblock is important. But you still need to get some sun for Vitamin D.”
The boy, seemingly provoked, kept rattling on, and Jin So-Ran parried back without yielding.
As Nahee watched the escalating contest of wills, she stood by, her mouth agape.
“I have an aversion to silver!”
“Metal allergy, huh?”
“If you drive a stake through my heart, I’ll die!”
“Same here. That applies to everyone.”
“…”
“…”
Finally, running out of retorts, the boy gazed up at Jin So-Ran, standing confidently before him.
With a light sigh, he shook his head.
“Ah, this won’t work.”
“Are you done? If so, how about you leave now?”
In response, Jin So-Ran retorted, sounding tired.
But again, the boy ignored her, looking at her with a cheerful grin.
“Actually, that was a lie.”
“I knew it.”
Jin So-Ran replied shortly, but—
“I can’t die even if you drive a stake through my heart.”
The boy’s words took on a different meaning.
And simultaneously, the innocent smile that had adorned his face twisted strangely.
“…What are you?”
The atmosphere shifted palpably, making it clear that he was no longer the same person.
Feeling the change, she cautiously stepped back, protectively positioning herself in front of Nahee.
“Ah! I realize I haven’t introduced myself yet. How rude of me!”
While he spoke brightly, it was obvious something was off.
His exaggerated mannerisms suggested he was mentally unhinged, and his appearance began to twist into something unsettling.
“Anyway, I no longer have a real name that I wish to use.”
Three eyeballs appeared in his right eye while four swarmed in his left, roaming around chaotically.
“Just call me Alpha.”
“…Alpha?”
His skin started to split like a spiderweb.
Then a thick aroma of blood seeped from his body.
It was overwhelmingly potent, and Jin So-Ran couldn’t comprehend how she had missed it until now.
“Oh! By the way…”
His mouth tore into a shark-like grin, revealing jagged teeth.
Two bifurcated tongues slithered out from within.
“Where’s that guy Heinz?”
This was happening while Heinz was busy dealing with the situation in the Zephia Republic.
