Jin So-Ran (2)
“Oh! May I ask how you ended up in that place, benefactor?”
Jin So-Ran, who had been chatting for quite a while, suddenly snapped back to reality and looked over here again.
“Call me Heinz. I just followed that guy Gamma because he was sweet-talking me. I was confident I could get myself out if things got dicey.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. Y-yeah…”
She swallowed her words with a somewhat nuanced expression.
She wanted to say it was reckless, but since she had been saved alongside me, her expression said otherwise.
Even if she didn’t expect her ally’s betrayal, she was the one who got captured.
“Oh, right! This isn’t the time for that!”
Suddenly, Jin So-Ran hurriedly rummaged through her pocket and pulled out her smartphone.
She must have wanted to report what had just happened, but unfortunately, that smartphone didn’t have self-recovery functions like she did.
“Ah~ no! I still have so many installments left…”
The completely shattered screen.
Naturally, it wouldn’t turn on.
As she stayed frozen with a crying face for a moment, she cautiously began to fidget and glance at me.
It seemed she wanted something but couldn’t bring herself to ask.
“…Want me to lend you my phone?”
“Ah! Yes! Thank you!”
She eagerly accepted as soon as I offered.
Then, she took the massive phone I handed her and fiddled with it for quite a while.
“Phew, done! Oh! Can I delete the call history?”
“Doesn’t matter. But are you really going to contact someone with an outsider’s phone?”
“It’s fine. That’s what the emergency contact system is for.”
Once she sent the message, she seemed to relax, leaning back in her seat.
Then she started giving me sidelong glances again.
“…What do you want?”
“Yes! Heinz, you look quite strong. Are you affiliated with any organization?”
Returning her gaze as if she had been waiting for this moment.
She really was a woman who didn’t shy away from opportunities.
“Well, actually, I haven’t been back to Earth for long. The reason I followed Gamma was that I was interested in the blood alliance he mentioned. Apparently, it’s an organization where most vampires in Korea gather?”
Perfect timing!
But Heinz kept a straight face and seamlessly steered the conversation elsewhere.
“There are probably others affiliated with different organizations. Still, I’d guess around 70% belong to the blood alliance? I’m not sure how many are captured by the Abilities Management Office or hiding, though.”
“What happens if a vampire who hasn’t committed a crime gets caught by the Abilities Management Office? They wouldn’t just kill them, would they?”
I asked questions about the things I had been curious about during our conversation.
You wouldn’t find this kind of information online.
“Ha… they don’t kill them. But they don’t get treated well either. It’s basically like a prison.”
She added that she had heard this from someone who escaped after being captured.
“There were attempts to embrace the more moderate vampires even after the blood fiend incident. Things didn’t turn out well, but after that, they were treated almost like potential criminals.”
“Hm, so it was a good thing you didn’t voluntarily report back after coming home.”
“Right. So, about that…”
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.
“Would you consider joining our blood alliance if you’re looking for a place to belong?”
Then she started earnestly promoting the crew she was part of.
She mentioned how she was affiliated with the moderate faction that sought peace within the blood alliance, how they provided a stable supply of blood packs in coordination with blood centers, and sometimes even got to feed on clinical trial subjects.
“We buy people who want to be fed on. Knock them out, drink just enough blood so that their health isn’t compromised, treat the bite marks, and send them off.”
She paused, watching for my reaction.
“Uhh~ so, if you’re looking to gain power, our crew might not be a fit for you. If you want that sort of thing, I can recommend you somewhere else. Something less reckless…”
“No, that’s fine. I don’t particularly want to get stronger by drinking human blood.”
Yeah, I’m planning to get stronger by sucking the blood of vampires.
Jin So-Ran’s expression brightened, completely unaware of my thoughts.
“Then it’s perfect! Wow~ this meeting might be fate!”
She was all giggles until she suddenly stopped.
Then, blinking, she looked out the car window.
“But where are we going, exactly?”
“Is that what you’re asking now…?”
I had been driving the whole time since she woke up.
But now she decides to ask? I guess I didn’t mention it, so it’s half my fault.
“I don’t have a specific destination. My original goal was to escape. After getting away from that location, I’ve just been driving around the nearby roads. So, if you have somewhere you want to go, just say it. I’ll drop you off.”
If I knew the conversation would go on this long, I would’ve just dropped her off at a suitable place.
I was thinking of smoothly taking Jin So-Ran to the crew headquarters and subtly showing interest.
“Ah! Then don’t be shy! Would you like to come along, Heinz? It’s getting late, and I’ll arrange a place for you to rest!”
After a long night of events, dawn was slowly breaking.
*
“Soran unnie~! I heard the story! Are you okay?!”
As we entered the lobby of a building in a villa neighborhood, a girl who looked to be in upper elementary school ran out and threw herself into Jin So-Ran’s arms.
It was quite the powerful body tackle, but she softly absorbed the impact as she hugged the girl.
‘Seems pretty skilled.’
By the way, how can such a young girl be a vampire? How old was she when she went to another world?
Maybe she’s older than she looks.
“…Who’s this uncle?”
The girl peeked out from Jin So-Ran’s arms, cautiously eyeing me.
“This is Heinz, who decided to join our crew. He helped me out this time. Say hello, Nahee.”
“…Hello.”
“Yeah, hello.”
The girl nodded as she greeted me softly in response to Jin So-Ran, her wariness somewhat eased.
Though she remained in Jin So-Ran’s embrace.
“Umm~ Nahee? I have something to do, but… can you let me go?”
Shake shake…
The girl buried her face again in her embrace, shaking her head.
“Will you come back fast? I’ll wait up for you!”
“Yeah, I’ll be back soon, okay?”
But after patting the girl’s back and barely sending her off, she had to deal with others as well.
It seemed everyone had good ears because they must have heard Jin So-Ran returning.
‘She’s well-liked, huh?’
“Phew, let me show you a place to rest first.”
After the greetings and introductions were done, Jin So-Ran finally freed herself and began leading me up the stairs.
“By the way, I’ve been curious since a while ago, but how long are you going to keep wearing that mask?”
“I’m a bit shy around strangers. I’ll take it off once we get to know each other better.”
“Ah… I see. Feel free to do as you like…”
Her awkward face showed reluctance, but she pretended to agree and silently guided me to an empty room.
The room was simply furnished but tidy enough.
It looked accommodating for a brief stay.
“There was a really young girl in the crew earlier, right?”
“Ah… that was Nahee.”
“I’ve never seen such a young returnee before. I was wondering if she could be older than she looks.”
As per information so far, the youngest recorded returnee was a high school student.
And even that was extremely rare, mostly, they send people over twenty.
But looking at Nahee, she seemed like an upper elementary or, at most, a middle schooler…
“That girl isn’t a returnee. Her father was a returnee who turned her into a vampire to save her from an incurable disease.”
That’s when I realized my misunderstanding.
Not all vampires were returnees.
The vampires who returned to Earth could also turn others into vampires, so they could be spreading infections on Earth.
‘So that’s why the government is trying to control vampires. It’s essentially like a plague coming from the outside.’
No wonder I’d occasionally seen low-grade vampires being taken down when clearing criminal organizations.
Not much strength for foot soldiers, that’s for sure.
But looking at it from that angle, it seems there aren’t that many of them.
“Ah, but that doesn’t mean vampires can reproduce endlessly. For some reason, it requires ten times more power to infect someone on Earth.”
Indeed, that makes sense if there’s an issue like that.
It must be a difference arising from being in another dimension.
The more you turn others into vampires, the weaker you become; that would limit how much they could expand their ranks recklessly.
“But that girl, Nahee, looked stronger than I expected.”
To make a target stronger, you would need more power, obviously.
But when I checked with “Insight,” that girl looked to be at least mid-tier among the weakbloods.
“Her father pushed himself hard because he wanted Nahee to live proudly under the sun.”
Level 1 is reduced to ashes under sunlight, and Level 2 suffers from continuous burns.
However, from Level 3 onwards, despite a bit of trouble, they won’t take damage.
Since it seemed like Nahee was above Level 3, her father must have suffered considerable losses for that.
“What about her father?”
Jin So-Ran awkwardly smiled and shook her head at that question.
“You should get some rest. It’s late, and you’ve had a lot to deal with today. Let’s talk again over dinner.”
After those cheery words, she waved goodbye and slipped out.
Even if she was a vampire, everyone has their own circumstances.
In the darkened room with blackout curtains.
Heinz lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.
*
Breakfast consisted of a warm and hearty bowl of soup.
Plus scrambled eggs and a pork bulgogi rice bowl, finishing with a hot dog and a tub of ice cream for dessert.
“Hmm… is that enough?”
No, breakfast is just right at this level.
My main body doesn’t squeeze calories to the extreme like an avatar.
I watched my avatar wolf down healthy food like chicken breast and boiled eggs while chomping on high-calorie protein bars.
<Entity Information>
-Entity Name: Harley
-Common Traits: 「Mind Hub」, 「Persona」, 「Super Recovery」, 「Crystal Clear」
-Entity Traits: 「Adaptation」
-Special Notes: Seong-Hyun Han’s fifth avatar. Adapts quickly and efficiently even in extreme situations.
About a week had passed in Earth time since Heinz heroically perished in Azhantu.
That was around the time Heinrich was able to be recalled to the church.
‘And I learned something from that. This time it took a week, but the next time to regenerate a deceased avatar, it’ll take around a fortnight.’
The longer it repeats, the longer the required period would become.
‘Well, if things get dangerous, I can just release the summoning, so I shouldn’t die too easily. That time was a special case, anyway.’
Coincidentally, Hans, Heinz II, and Heinrich all gained survival capabilities beyond that of roaches, so I just needed to be careful with the newly created avatars from now on.
‘But looking at the initial skills, this one’s likely to be quite durable too.’
The newly born ‘Harley’ had the initial skill of 「Adaptation」.
An ability to survive and adapt even in extreme environments, truly like a cockroach.
Furthermore, while training, the physical strain applied also seemed to be recognized as an extreme situation, and combined with 「Super Recovery」, its efficiency was remarkably high.
‘Well, it’s uncertain when or where they’ll be utilized, but I’ll prepare ahead just in case.’
Next, I checked the Karma shop.
After using up most of it when leaving Azhantu, I didn’t expect much more, but…
『Karma Shop』
『Unique Skill Enhancement (800,000)』
『Status Enhancement – View Details』
『Available Karma – 331,087』
Surprisingly, I had accumulated more Karma than I thought.
It wasn’t shockingly large, but, considering what I had done, it felt like an unexpected income.
‘What have I even done? The last time I got 「Persona」 was when… Hans had a brief clash with the church while researching magic, helped take the siblings to Rapella City, and…’
I encountered the trueblood vampire in Talia and Heinrich dove into the Holy Order.
Most significant occurrences were on Earth afterward, but since Karma wasn’t accrued on Earth, it didn’t count toward my actions…
‘…I really haven’t done much, have I?’
The clash with the church was very brief, and Heinrich was still just a candidate for knight.
It’s hard to see that I had a significant impact on the world.
‘Oh, wait. Now that I think about it…’
I recalled what Heinrich was told while heading to Rosellia Temple by the knight who guided him.
‘In fact, he mentioned that the vampire and black magician conflicts were more frequent than that involving the undead king’s heirs. In the process, the black magician syndicates lost their base in Talia and were forced into hiding…’
Hmm, I see.
So what that means is…
“…Is it my fault?”
I did stir the pot quite a bit.
But I didn’t expect it to turn around like this.
“…Eh~ who cares? That just means it’s a good thing. Good things will come back to those who do good! Indeed, if you live well, you’ll be rewarded. There’s nothing wrong with old sayings!”
Even though no one was listening, I rambled to myself and then returned my focus to the Karma shop.
It was still significantly lacking to enhance a unique skill.
So I was left to either enhance my status or save it for later.
‘I’ve already invested a decent amount in status enhancement.’
Before Heinz died battling a vampire, Heinz II was about to be deployed.
I had incrementally boosted various statuses like strength and agility in anticipation of similar future events.
‘Investing enough to acquire related skills felt too inefficient, so I left it at that.’
In fact, raising status to obtain related skills is incredibly inefficient.
When I obtained 「Super Recovery」, I’d poured a total of 310,000 points into ‘Body – Vitality – Recovery Enhancement.’
Initially, the need for recovery from injuries was urgent, so it made sense to pour resources into recovery without giving it a second thought.
‘Now that my physical abilities seem sufficient, as I have 『Super Recovery』, training can effectively enhance me, anything beyond this would be overreaching.’
That said, strengthening my mental power with stats also fell short in efficiency.
As enhancing the unique skill of 「Avatar」 naturally increased mental power, that was far more cost-effective.
‘Then it’s settled. I’ll save up until the next unique skill enhancement.’
Having settled my thoughts, I proceeded to scour the internet for information.
‘Let’s see, Nocturnia… found it. It’s a rather well-known dimension.’
A world where vampires and humans wage war against each other.
Its technology level is on par with the early 20th century on Earth, but it has vastly advanced techniques against vampires.
Vampires receive bloodline abilities based on their lineage, and the slayers hunting them gain temporary superhuman strength using drugs refined from their blood.
The endless wars persist, and even by only performing safe logistics work at the rear for ten years, one could gather enough karma to return.
Since vampire detection technology is highly developed, dangers can be avoided if one can survive.
Of course, if one is confident in their survival, they could also cut down that time by participating in the frontlines.
‘Even ten years would only equate to a year or so in Earth time. There’s plenty of information as returnees are common.’
These collected information have increased the survival probabilities for later returnees.
Thanks to that, the recent return rates have surpassed 20%.
‘Initially, it was less than 10%.’
Next, I searched for Jin So-Ran.
There was nothing under her real name, but when I searched by her alias…
“Oh, Orchid… here we go. Oh~ she’s quite a famous person!”
With 300,000 followers, she is definitely a well-established streamer.
But upon closer inspection, her face seemed slightly different, possibly due to makeup.
Though her actual beauty might have decreased, she looked more lively and approachable.
‘Well, vampires look attractive, but there’s a subtle inhuman quality to them. They have a doll-like feel.’
I clicked on a past broadcast replay, where her joyful appearance came to mind.
After watching for a moment, I noticed a notice for a break on one side of the screen.
‘If Heinz hadn’t been there, it’s likely the broadcast would never have resumed after that notification.’
I sank deeper into the chair, closing my eyes.
Currently, Heinz was at the tail end of pureblood status, around Level 6 or 7 by Earth standards.
‘First, let’s start with making Heinz into a trueblood.’
To do that, more prey was needed…
And all the information on their habitats and hunting tools was right in my hands.
