[Woo-hoo! Is that Masquerade? What a fantastic name! It suits you all very well!]
A middle-aged man, the Doctor, clapped his hands in genuine delight.
However, Heinz II, who had finally managed to set foot in this place after breaking through the dungeon, did not respond to his words but slowly surveyed his surroundings instead.
He frowned slightly at the information he sensed with his newly awakened spiritual perception.
‘Just a little trickery.’
At first glance, it seemed he had finally arrived at his destination after overcoming various obstacles, but in fact, this place was by no means ordinary.
It was merely an illusion that mirrored the actual space like a mirror.
Naturally, the Doctor, who was chattering in front of him, was the same.
‘The final struggle, huh.’
But now, this level of resistance was laughable.
As a dark crimson aura flickered in Heinz’s eyes, the distorted space around him began to tear apart.
Krzzzzzz—
He ignored whatever the opponent was babbling about and continued with his own tasks.
A tiny localized dimension formed from artificially overlapping and twisting the status of hidden space.
That was his rough assessment of the Doctor’s method.
‘If Hans or Horus were here, they could have grasped this much faster and more accurately.’
With the various spells applied in this space being so intricately entangled and at such a high level, he was bound to face some limits when doing indirect analysis through other avatars.
After all, isn’t sensory perception an absolute criterion for absorbing and interpreting information?
‘I’m still not fully accustomed to this newly developed sense.’
Furthermore, the level of energy needed to smash whatever was blocking his path was sufficient with just that level of ability.
No matter what anyone said, he was the only level 10 in this world and a Pureblood Vampire.
[Oh? How troublesome! Bwahahahah! Is this what being backed into a corner means?]
“…It’s noisy.”
And the Doctor, who was directly affected by this situation, was well aware of that fact.
Given that the last barrier preventing him from facing that monstrous being was about to collapse, it was no wonder.
[Hya-hya-hya-ha—!]
Yet, he laughed unnaturally mixed with strange madness, as if nothing were amiss, even though it was clear that the final moment was approaching.
No matter how mad one was, Heinz frowned slightly at such an incomprehensible attitude.
‘Is he desperate? If not, why would he react like that… Hmm?’
At that moment, his thoughts were interrupted by an incoming sensation.
Wooooo—
The energy surrounding him suddenly began to surge violently, shaking under the overwhelming flow of causality.
His heightened senses quickly deduced an outcome stemming from that.
His lips involuntarily quivered.
Could it be…?
“…Self-detonation?”
[Oh? You’re quite sharp!]
The bizarre phenomenon that unfolded around this mansion, engulfing all mysteries, had begun to swell in size, causing the surrounding area to separate from reality.
‘So it’s a spell that unfolds at the cost of one’s own life. It doesn’t seem like it was an original function… Did he set this up in such a short time?’
Heinz couldn’t help but marvel internally as he looked back at the Doctor.
The consciousness that would return everything inside the combined dungeon space to nothingness.
As a result, the land where they stood would surely vanish from the world, leaving nothing but a massive crater.
‘Of course, that is, if it succeeds.’
A smirk escaped his lips.
‘…There’s no way he could succeed.’
He wasn’t hiding away to pull off a scheme; he was right in front of him, ready to charge head-on—there was no way he would just sit idly by!
No matter how abnormally fast the ritual was initiated, there were certain limits that couldn’t be exceeded.
Ziiing—
Heinz’s thoughts accelerated quickly.
Time flowed as slowly as an eternity while deepening gradually.
The crashing flow of causality around him became clearer than ever, almost tangible.
‘Then now.’
Feeling all of that, he slowly extended his hand.
He grasped a fragment of that overwhelming thought.
Wooooo—
And then.
…That was it.
The interior of the mansion, which had just been noisily shaken, fell silent again.
The only thing that changed was the Doctor, who crumpled to the ground, bleeding profusely from every orifice as if he had absorbed all the aftereffects alone.
“Cough! Wow, I didn’t expect it to be stopped this easily… Cough, I never thought it would be possible… You’re way more capable than I thought!”
But even amidst this, his loud mouth didn’t close.
After a fit of giggling, he curiously examined his limbs as they scattered into the air, as if he had encountered an intriguing research topic.
“It’s unfortunate that I can’t study this right away! This could turn out to be quite an interesting topic.”
He sighed lightly, letting out a mild complaint.
The scene of someone thinking about research in the face of their imminent doom was a true representation of a mad scientist.
However, that phase of the Doctor didn’t last long.
In an instant, the backflow of decay that consumed his body surged through his limbs, soon reaching his torso and head.
“…Then I hope to see you again next time! I’d love to meet you, of course, along with your friends! Hahaha!”
Pssssss—
With that parting line, which could be interpreted as a curse, the Doctor’s body turned to dust and scattered.
Although it felt somewhat unsettling due to the somewhat empty conclusion, there wasn’t much he could do about it right away.
‘…It would have been best if I could capture him alive, but since he came out with the intent to die from the beginning, it can’t be helped.’
After all, in terms of spells, they held the upper hand.
Yet, at least he had managed to prevent the collapse of space while gathering additional information from the Doctor’s laboratory, so it wasn’t all bad.
‘This entire space is a fantastic teaching resource. If I thoroughly examine it, I should be able to find even more useful items. Oh? That looks like it could help Howard’s research.’
Heinz finally stepped into the Doctor’s private laboratory, marveling at the chaotic interior.
Research journals bound in folders and various instruments whose uses could not be discerned were scattered everywhere, making it resemble a garbage dump at first glance.
Yet, everything in this place held immense value outside, every single item forged by the world’s top ability engineer, the Doctor, or containing records of his thought processes.
“Hmm? What’s this…?”
Just then, while casually skimming through research plans, a very familiar phrase struck his mind.
‘…Complete Evolutionary Organism Project?’
This was a research subject he had found useful once before when creating Harley.
After briefly examining the contents, it seemed that, thanks to the passing of time, a clearer progression compared to what he had previously encountered was apparent.
“Still far from it.”
However, Heinz dismissed it without hesitation and tossed the document onto the table.
Because, unlike those still struggling in the design stages, he had already birthed a flawless ultimate masterpiece!
Even with additional theoretical updates, it was only natural that it would seem laughable to him.
‘Anyway, it looks like there’s still much to do. I need to choose someone to lead the remnants of Dracul in Romania, and make sure the underlings don’t start thinking of other things, plus gradually hand out ‘Refined Blood Essence’…’
Lost in thought about what to do next, the notion of a Masquerade had already faded from his mind.
Thus, the day when the Buncheon Society’s European Branch Chief, ‘Duke,’ and the Chief Technical Officer, ‘Doctor,’ perished came to pass.
Their control in Europe plummeted to unprecedented lows, and the events that unfolded had ripple effects reaching other countries.
*
No matter how chaotic the world became, the strength of modern society still lay in its swift information dissemination.
Even if events occurred on the opposite side of the Earth, they could be conveyed in real-time through ultra-fast networks.
And this played a significant role in rapidly transmitting the recent occurrences in Europe to East Asia, particularly South Korea.
Even though it was an event that took place an incredibly long distance away, the undeniable facts were successfully conveyed with almost no information loss.
In fact, the news had sufficient hype to keep the public’s interest peaked and even overflowing.
That was certainly the case.
A single vampire from this remote realm was consistently toppling prestigious European vampire clans and absorbing their forces, after all!
Naturally, people found it hard to believe initially.
Yet, the more they dug into the evidence, the clearer the truth became.
The Phantom was already well-known enough to have quite a number of photographs, making comparative analysis extraordinarily easy.
Inside the Heterosys office located in the heart of Seoul.
After the recent incident involving Alpha, Jin So-Ran, the deputy head of Heterosys, was quietly looking over a report.
“…I had a hunch when the Lord said he would briefly visit Europe…”
The woman, dressed in a neat suit with her long hair tied in a ponytail, uttered with a hint of discomfort as she glanced at Heinz’s photo attached to the report.
After all, who could blame her?
How long had he been abroad to be swiftly integrating multiple national dark organizations under his control?
Especially as these fellas happened to be living on territories far larger than Korea’s!
To be frank, in terms of scale or strength, Korea’s allies had no chance of competing.
Europe wasn’t a region notorious for its powerful vampire influence for no reason.
‘Hmm, if it’s truly the Lord’s abilities, as long as he can successfully win over the leader, the rest should be relatively simple.’
Yet still, the difference in scale was evident.
As she observed the trending keywords that had set the Korean communities ablaze, she sighed.
[Korean Dark Hero Phantom Takes Down the ‘Phantom of the Opera’ in France and ‘Home of the Opera’ Italy in succession!]
[Did he visit to bring peace to the streets of Europe? Crime rates in Paris have plummeted since his visit (with statistics)]
[The vampire’s domain of madness, Europe, was nothing for Korea’s Phantom! The reason why even clan lords rated as top-tier threats on an international scale knelt before a single Korean vampire.]
Honestly, everything here was fine.
This was, in some ways, a source of national pride, and thus the atmosphere was generally favorable among the press and the domestic community.
The problem lay elsewhere.
Mostly in foreign media, particularly those in Japan and China.
[Formation of a massive global vampire cartel originating from Korea imminent. Citizens are in fear and apprehension.]
[Exploring the dangers of Demon Vampires. The fundamental measures highlighted by the Bloody Vampire Incident?]
[The dark magician Hahoe Mask and Vampire Phantom: Korea has become a republic of criminals ruled by demons. That poison has started spreading to other countries. The Korean side must take full responsibility for this situation…]
“Buncheon Society must be involved in this…”
Recently, as Phantom had been overtly hostile towards the Buncheon Society, pressure began to mount externally as well.
Above all, China had always been their territory, and Japan’s clearing was far from complete.
‘They wouldn’t need the Buncheon Society’s incitement to strongly pressure the Korean government from now on.’
The crux was that this method was proving more effective than anticipated.
Regardless of the situation, it was undeniable that Phantom and his vampire subordinates were lawbreakers disregarding the laws of the state.
If they failed to reshape this image somehow, it would convert into a long-term obstacle.
“What should we do about this?”
Cradling her head in her hands, Jin So-Ran buried her forehead into the desk and groaned.
In order to counter the Buncheon Society, which had entrenched itself deeply into society, the best approach would be to gather as much cooperative strength as possible for a combined response.
In that case, she should aim for a more approachable and friendly route rather than a hardline stance…
But could vampires, who inherently required human blood, ever seem friendly to humans?
“Hmm, maybe we should place some advertisements? Like, ‘Our children won’t bite?’ Is there any use in doing that? It’s not like we’re celebrities…”
While she continued her musings, she abruptly hesitated.
Then, cautiously stroking her chin, she fell into deep thought.
Is it really impossible?
Considering Phantom’s popularity right now, it didn’t seem entirely out of reach.
Moreover, vampires were usually quite handsome.
They would be a perfect fit for the entertainment industry.
‘Conveniently, through the Korean Returnees Association, positive interactions with the government are currently flowing. If we handle this well…’
Her eyes sparkled as she grinned, revealing her sharp fangs.
Jin So-Ran, the deputy leader of Heterosys and head of external affairs for their blood alliance.
Unknown to many, she was a former idol hopeful and a current internet broadcaster.
