Jin So-Ran (3)
As the sun began to set.
While properly greeting the clan members here and looking for Jin So-Ran, I saw her engaged in conversation with someone.
“So, we can’t do anything about it for now?”
“Yes. It seems the higher-ups are being cautious given the situation.”
“Sigh… Well, there’s nothing we can do. I understand.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
After her conversation partner disappeared, Jin So-Ran was left alone, glancing at the ground with a frown and lost in thought.
Haines observed her for a moment before approaching.
“Looks like things aren’t going well?”
“Oh! Haines! You’ve come!”
“Yeah, what’s going on? You don’t look so good.”
She awkwardly averted her gaze, let out a deep sigh, and finally spoke.
“It’s not exactly confidential, plus you’re involved, Haines. You remember that report I made to my higher-ups?”
“About the Gamma gang devouring their own kind?”
“Yes, that. They dispatched an investigation team for it, but after the Hahoe Mask attack, they couldn’t find any evidence because everything was burned to the ground. It seems it’s a sensitive issue, so they can’t move recklessly without proof…”
With a gloomy expression, she struggled to continue her words.
After all her efforts, it was upsetting that there was no progress.
‘I did go overboard to erase traces of Haines.’
In a world filled with various magical arts, thorough measures were taken to conceal Haines’ act of devouring his own kind.
Using Hans’s dark magic, I had set the building’s interior ablaze completely.
‘Essentially, only the exterior is intact while everything inside has melted away. It wouldn’t be surprising if it collapsed at any moment. Plus, due to the effect of dark magic, no search can be conducted.’
I felt bad for her, but the chances of things going her way anyway were slim, so it was for the best.
Now, there were other crucial pieces of information.
“Huh? You’re asking where the hardliner base is?”
It seemed Jin So-Ran was taken aback by the unexpected question.
“Um, may I ask why you want to know…?”
She wore a look of unease, as if worried that I had changed my mind.
The moderate faction was inherently weak in force, especially since two strong members betrayed and left just yesterday.
She was one of the first to welcome Haines’ joining.
“After seeing what happened yesterday, they seem to be more dangerous than I thought. If things have come to this, I need to know their location to avoid them.”
“Oh! Right! We need to be careful until it’s all sorted out. I’ll have to warn our crew members again.”
Nodding in agreement to her hasty explanation, Jin So-Ran willingly shared all she knew about the hardliner base.
“Ah… My phone got smashed, so could you please open the map app? I’ll mark what I know.”
She was a bit too eager.
The blood alliance was a group formed by various factions, so detailed information about each other was scarce.
However, through periodic exchanges, they had some knowledge about those in the vicinity.
“All done. This is what I know for now. Is there anything else you need?”
“No, it’s fine. Thanks for your help.”
I could just dig into that lot’s brains for whatever else I needed.
I only needed to roughly select those infused with vampire genes and hand them over to Hans.
While I was lost in thought, I suddenly remembered something from the information I had recognized that morning when I saw Jin So-Ran’s smile in front of me.
“Are you planning to stream soon?”
“Uhh… huh?!”
Taken aback, it seemed she bit her tongue in shock with the strange response.
“D-did you know…?”
Her ears turned red, seemingly embarrassed, but ignoring it would be the gentlemanly thing to do.
“I knew from the beginning. Orchid, right?”
“Ehh… I probably looked quite different from when I was streaming, so I’m surprised you recognized me. Hearing it directly from you is a bit embarrassing…”
As she twirled her hair with her fingers, she tried hard to regain her composure.
Her ears and neck flushed red, but I chose not to bring it up.
“Huh… Have you seen my stream? You didn’t, like, follow or subscribe, did you?!”
Her voice grew increasingly higher, finally bursting out in excitement.
It felt like she was too tense meeting a viewer all of a sudden.
“No, it just reminded me of what I had seen online, so I briefly looked it up.”
“Is that so~? What a relief.”
Though she seemed relieved, there was a slight tinge of disappointment in her expression.
“By the way, that’s definitely a good strategy. You can engage in social activities without a face-to-face meeting. How did you start?”
“Well… I used to be an idol trainee before I ended up in this world. I quit because something unfortunate happened, but after struggling to return, I felt really regretful.”
So she began streaming out of a longing for public attention.
She added that when she streamed, she tried to make herself look like her pre-vampire days.
“Wasn’t that thing about the Special Skills Management Office discovered right after you returned? You must have been away for several months.”
“It didn’t exist when I awakened. It seemed to have come about shortly after I returned…”
She awkwardly smiled while answering.
But there was something I was curious about.
“If you went to this world when you quit being a trainee… how old are you now?”
“Oh, I awakened at 18. I quit school to become an idol, so no one really knows about it. Right now, I’m 22.”
So she was older than me.
I quickly averted my eyes, struggling to maintain a serious expression.
It felt awkward to treat her as an older woman now.
“Wait a minute, didn’t you spend several years in this world?”
“That’s right?”
“Then if you include that time, your real age is…”
“22.”
She interrupted my words, still smiling brightly.
“Hmm…”
“22. Should I show you my ID?”
“No, that’s fine. Normally, age is calculated based on the year of birth.”
As I pushed her away, she grinned with shining eyes, and I desperately acknowledged her point.
Right, age was an important issue. I had been too careless.
“Then take care. I’m going now. If anything comes up, contact me.”
Just because they were crew members didn’t mean they all lived together.
Of course, it was recommended for safety, but those who had separate homes could gather when necessary.
‘So, where should I visit first?’
I glanced at the map app, my mouth watering silently.
It felt like planning what to eat first at a buffet.
*
Late at night.
“C-cough, you think you can get away with this…?”
Crack—!
There was quite a commotion in a luxury apartment, but no one seemed to notice.
‘「Concealment」 is quite useful in many ways.’
Ambushing an unguarded vampire dealt them severe damage while creating a concealment area around me to eliminate any signs of battle.
This was Haines’s primary skill that enabled him to hunt vampires solo.
‘I’m truly grateful to the Gamma. I can’t believe they provided such high-quality support.’
Packing not only 「Concealment」 but also Haines’s new toy, a sports car, as well as anything that could be sold and various magical tools and research equipment in Hans’s spatial dimension was like having a generous tree giving gifts nonstop.
‘Thanks to that, I could work comfortably.’
Sipping the blood of the subdued vampire, Haines organized where to strike next.
Based on the information from Jin So-Ran, Hans and Haines planned to ambush the hardliner crew’s gathering place.
Subduing the inside personnel was a quick process, and Hans searched the heads of a few sharp-looking individuals.
From the newly acquired information…
‘While they belong to the crew, they’re from elsewhere and don’t dwell in that base. Since the ambush information wasn’t passed to them, it’s a great opportunity to pick off the unsuspecting ones one by one.’
The two of us scattered, each setting our targets as we proceeded to eliminate them one by one.
《Collecting new vampire genes. The special skill「Hybrid Evolution」 enhances the individual’s blood control capability.》
Though lacking compared to Hans, Haines was certainly no slouch now.
And while he remained a pureblood due to insufficient vampire genes, considering the strength of his evolved genes, he could match Trueblood in combat.
‘And now that won’t be much longer. This might be the last time, it feels like.’
He sensed his cells evolving further as he reflected within.
The vampire genes reached a certain limit, boiling with inner power.
“Sigh…”
Synesthesia had blossomed.
After evolving, the dizziness of new senses started to stabilize quickly.
‘If I hadn’t been used to sensing through「Avatar」, I would have struggled for a while.’
Considering it was already somewhat disorienting, it said it all.
It must have been a side effect of such rapid growth.
Normally, a Trueblood would have adapted to their power over a long time, growing slowly.
“Chhh~ sigh…”
As I adjusted to my new senses with deep breaths, my reflection in the room’s mirror caught my attention.
‘… I can’t find my original look at all now.’
A pale-skinned, sharp-eyed, coldly handsome figure.
Even the lethally alluring aura that lingered was irresistibly attractive.
Thanks to the alterations I made with the technique learned from 「Hybrid Evolution」 not too long ago, even alongside my true form, it would be hard to find any traces connecting us.
After a brief moment of admiring the flower boy in the mirror, I shifted my gaze.
Moving my body, I began to test my new abilities.
The skill I acquired from the recent hunt, 「Blood Flow Amplification」, was a buff skill that enhanced physical prowess and recovery abilities.
Having already significantly increased my physical stats through evolution, with this ability, I could probably tear apart any opponent barehanded.
‘But the 「Regeneration」 skill has evolved again. At this rate, I could probably just stand there and still not die.’
Haines raised his right hand, extending his index finger.
Blood began to seep out from around the fingernail, elongating and solidifying into a sharp, solid claw.
‘My blood control ability has improved. My blood magic can also be absorbed better now.’
Using that finely sharpened claw, he sliced his left arm.
Whoosh—!
Blood gushed out in an instant.
For just a moment, the red liquid adorned the air.
The splattered blood suspended momentarily before being drawn back into the opened wound, reversing time, and leaving no trace behind on his left arm.
‘Combining the blood control of Trueblood and 「Enhanced Regeneration」 creates a fearsome synergy.’
Though a small amount of energy was consumed in the healing process, that was barely noticeable compared to the effect.
‘And if I absorb blood from around during battle?’
Not only the blood scattered across the battlefield but also the blood flowing from the opponent’s wounds could be utilized.
While I couldn’t control blood within someone’s body due to their mana and intentions…
‘But, if it’s Pureblood…? That might allow me to do so.’
Pureblood serves as a kind of faith for the Auterica vampires.
It wouldn’t be easy to reach.
‘When was anything easy.’
Of course, I had no intention of giving up just because it was difficult.
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