< Preparing for War (2) >
In war, the most important thing has always been to seize information.
Understanding when, where, and how the enemy moves is an indispensable condition for victory.
With that in mind, information organizations across Auterica began to act simultaneously with the same goal.
To gather even the smallest clues.
Of course, no one in the world knew that this phenomenon was caused solely by one person’s will.
‘The only problem now is how much time we have left.’
It had been quite a while since the Head of the Buncheon Society had left Earth.
However, the fact that he still hadn’t revealed himself in this world means…
‘Perhaps he stopped somewhere else before arriving in Auterica, or he’s struggling to enter this world.’
Considering the circumstances surrounding his divination, the latter seems more likely.
After all, invading a world isn’t an easy task.
But he was someone who had already succeeded several times in this regard, so he could never be underestimated.
Isn’t Ganghwan Realm suffering significantly since he passed through it?
‘I also need to think about the enemy’s objective. Right after he crosses over to Auterica, what will be his primary target?’
In Ganghwan Realm, the Head of the Buncheon Society had stolen the Dragon Heart, the core of the dragon veins that supply energy to the world.
Though the laws of each world differ and the structure of energy varies vastly, there were points worth referencing for Auterica.
‘Auterica has neither dragon veins nor a dragon heart. Still, if I had to pick something that might attract his interest…’
Two places immediately came to mind.
The first was a holy site located in the center of the Ion Continent.
While it lacked the practical function of a dragon heart, it was an important location due to its symbolism as the world’s center and its theological significance where the gods have tread.
Still, given the unpredictability of the situation, it would be prudent to prepare thoroughly.
And the second is…
‘Come to think of it, this place could be closer to the dragon veins than I initially thought.’
A divine incarnation descended upon Earth, its very symbol.
Proof of the miracle that sustains an entire continent.
An entity that could be said to be a fragment of holiness.
The World Tree.
‘…I need to prepare with Harris as the center.’
It seemed the diverse races of the Enamel Continent weren’t getting their rest either.
*
Focusing on the defenses of Auterica, the main base here.
However, one couldn’t neglect Earth either.
After all, isn’t it true that the Buncheon Society had already established its presence on Earth, making it nearly the enemy’s stronghold?
From a long-term perspective, this opportunity to shake them up couldn’t be missed.
‘Just defending isn’t my style… plus, it will help maximize Heinz’s power before the decisive battle.’
Heinz II’s trip to Europe, in charge of some part of the attack, was progressing relatively smoothly.
Upon arriving in Italy, he first contacted the minions of Termidor lurking in the area.
In France, he had to intervene from start to finish, but now that he had some operatives to use, he could skip the cumbersome processes.
Given that they were competitors from neighboring countries, the basic preparation against the Italian vampire clan, Gomorrah, was quite substantial.
‘Maximize efficiency.’
Until now, he had been moving a bit leisurely, but now there was no time to spare.
Using the “Dimensional Teleportation Circle Summon” that could be utilized twice a day allowed him to shuttle back and forth between worlds, and actively utilizing “Lord’s Authority” to manage his forces pushed his efficiency to the max.
And as a result…
Boom! Rumble—!
“Attack!”
“Cough! Is Termidor crazy? Where are we!”
“Clear the way! Tear the pizza apart!”
“Freaking baguettes, shut up! Kill them all!”
In less than two days, Heinz stormed into the mansion located in the outskirts of Naples, the central city of southern Italy where Gomorrah’s leader resided.
With nearly everything being handled by the underlings, the development was much faster and smoother compared to his time in France.
Heinz nodded slowly as he headed deeper into the mansion, feeling its strong presence.
‘Picking them up as subordinates was definitely a good call. They’re useful in many ways.’
Naturally, the thought that it’d be great to forcibly subjugate Gomorrah’s leader just like a tyrant surfaced in his mind.
If that happens, it would help extract Europe from the influence of the Buncheon Society even more.
With such thoughts, he finally arrived at his target point and confronted the owner of the mansion.
“…To barge into a lady’s home without permission. Your manners are truly lacking.”
A spacious yet luxurious interior befitting its scale.
A tall woman with a strong impression, looking like a formidable warrior, opened the door to greet him.
“I heard that tyrant was beaten and surrendered by an oriental vampire… I didn’t think it was true. I should apologize for tearing apart the mouth of the messenger who brought the news.”
With her short black hair, pitch-black eyes, smoky makeup, black lipstick, and tattoos scattered here and there, the all-black-clad warrior growled like a beast while flexing her densely packed muscles.
‘…Indeed, this is a different case compared to a tyrant.’
Rather than powers as a vampire, what emanated from the opponent before him was a wave violently vibrating from the vampire essence.
It seemed ready to pounce and tear apart at any moment.
Additionally, the amount of energy she possessed was comparable to the purebloods he encountered in Auterica.
‘If it weren’t for someone like me, crossing the wall with just vampire essence would be difficult… No, thinking about it, that too might be a fixed notion.’
After all, each dimension has its own characteristics and structures; there could surely be means to make it happen.
Not to mention, the individual in question was also an Awakened One who disregards the laws of the world!
However, the downside was that this would make it nearly impossible to completely subjugate her without her yielding.
‘Honestly, subduing the tyrant was quite a close call… I’m not confident I could control that level of vampire essence.’
If he were to fail, who knows what problems might arise?
Then it would be much more reassuring to suck them all dry instead.
Though a bit disappointing, he had no intention of taking unnecessary risks and complicating matters.
‘Here, I can just grab a suitable lieutenant and use the tyrant as a backup.’
Being adjacent to France and using shadow abilities would make mobility reasonable enough.
For that, it was crucial to eliminate the vampire leader of Italy, Bestia, as quickly as possible.
Only then could he properly choose a candidate before larger sacrifices occurred outside.
Straightening his suit’s collar, Heinz calmly muttered.
“I’ll finish this quickly. I still have a lot to do on my end.”
“Hah! So confident! It’s been a while since I felt this thrilling sensation! I didn’t think there’d be another bastard like the Duke of Romania!”
Bang—!
And as those words finished, the upper part of the mansion completely vanished.
Had they not set up barriers like usual, it wouldn’t have ended just there.
Rumble—!
“Hah! Strong! So strong!”
“Hmm.”
Bestia, now taking on a nearly beastlike form, surged forward violently.
Her appearance was closer to a werewolf than a vampire, but given that she held vampire essence, that wasn’t a significant issue.
“A beast that bites people cannot be left alone.”
With that, Heinz II clashed with her using all his power.
Immense physical forces, ferociously raging blood magic, the splitting of recognition, and torn space.
The earth-shattering battle caused all vampires fighting nearby to retreat far away, and it continued long after the mansion’s location vanished…
“Cough! No wonder that tyrant would yield. At this rate, I might actually beat him…”
“Let’s wrap it up soon.”
“Wait a minute…! Why did you take that French guy as a subordinate but keep your mouth shut around me?”
“…What do you want to say?”
“Heh— Hey, big brother, don’t you want a good hunting dog?”
Out of nowhere, he could pick up a submissive beast.
Of course, she had to give up more power than she had against the tyrant, but since it was also significantly enhanced by “Refined Blood Essence,” the difference wasn’t that great.
《Collecting a new vampire essence. Due to the special skill “Hybrid Evolution,” the entity’s existence becomes more prominent.》
And when all that process finished…
‘Hmm? Could it be…?’
Heinz II… no, Seong-hyun Han realized.
He could further evolve his “Avatar” with “Unique Skill Enhancement.”
*
The capital of Romania, Bucharest, located in the south.
“Why have you come this far, Doctor?”
There, the Duke, the head of the Buncheon Society’s European branch, greeted the unexpected guest.
“Wahaha! I’m just in a hurry after an important matter! I think the time has come to discuss it!”
His filthy lab coat did not match the classic mansion’s interior, and every word spitting out made him look frivolous.
However, the elegantly dressed Duke only furrowed his brow and stroked his mustache without saying a word.
Despite being part of the Duke’s elite guard, which possessed top-tier power within the Buncheon Society, this was a meeting held in his capacity as head of the European office.
Essentially, as the branch leader, the Doctor was beneath him, so he chose to show respect out of courtesy.
‘Even if I’m dealing with a downright insolent fellow.’
This was what noblesse oblige was all about!
Keeping the dignity expected of a noble.
With his eyes closed gently, the Duke nodded slowly.
While he was lost in self-satisfaction, the Doctor continued speaking without pause.
“The Phantom has begun to move in Italy. It seems he will soon come within range here as well, so we should check our preparations ahead of time, don’t you think? I prefer to examine everything myself for comfort!”
Phantom.
At the mention of that word, the Duke’s expression slightly twisted again.
Tch, what the hell is he…
In truth, the Doctor’s forceful demeanor had made him begrudgingly comply, but he was internally dissatisfied with all situations related to it.
That he, the first of the elite guards, and his clan, Dracul, must set traps just to catch a single oriental vampire!
Although he was somewhat soothed by the Phantom’s recent activities in France, that was hardly satisfying.
‘Whether it’s Termidor or Gomorrah, I could have wiped them out anytime if I wanted. The only reason I hadn’t was because Dracul grew too large to act recklessly.’
Unlike other level 9 vampires who only govern a single nation, he ruled over more than ten dark alleys throughout Eastern Europe.
In every country’s intelligence agency, the term “Europe’s Strongest” was commonly used to describe him.
That phrase referred to the ruler of the Dracul clan and the lord of the Eastern European underworld.
“…So it seems I will have to be busy starting tomorrow! I imagine you have other matters keeping you busy, Duke, so you don’t need to worry until things start in earnest. I’ll prepare things cleanly!”
Finally, the Doctor’s monologue disguised as greetings came to an end.
Half-listening to his last remark, the Duke felt satisfied and stroked his mustache, happy that he wouldn’t have to face this insipid person again that day.
“…Hmm, it’s getting late. You should at least have a meal before you leave. It wouldn’t be polite to neglect a guest from afar.”
“Oh? That’s great! I happen to be quite hungry! I won’t decline!”
So he graciously offered a meal, feeling more generous.
After all, that was part of the dignity he must maintain as a noble.
Since he was a vampire, it wouldn’t trouble him to have a sip or two of blood anyway.
As he snapped his fingers lightly, quietly, the door opened, and those who seemed like ghosts began to prepare an elaborate feast in an instant.
“Wow! This is a feast fit for a king! Absolutely excellent! …But, what’s that?”
While the Doctor clapped with excitement, praising the meal, his gaze inevitably landed on one item.
Staring at the food that drew his attention, he looked unintentionally back at the mansion’s owner.
“Ah, I’ve prepared that for you, knowing you like pizza.”
Menu choices taking the guest’s preferences into account!
Embroiled in his own meticulousness, the Duke responded confidently.
Surely he’d find no better news than being spared from meeting that lunatic!
“…Hmm, then since it’s late, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“Uhoh! I was just thinking it was a perfect time to eat! I shall not decline!”
So basically, he generously offered to share a meal.
After all, that too was part of the dignity he needed to maintain.
For the same reason, with the excuse of being a vampire, he could simply satiate himself with a sip or two of blood.
When he lightly snapped his fingers…
Ugh! Ghost-like footsteps softly entered the room, making preparations almost instantly.
“Oh wow! This is definitely a delicious feast! Truly excellent! …But, what’s that?”
As he applauded and cheered, the Doctor’s gaze quickly went toward one specific dish.
And upon encountering that enticing dish, he inevitably glanced at the mansion’s owner.
“Ah, I’ve prepared that one because I heard you liked pineapples.”
Thinking of the guest’s preferences while selecting the menu was indeed commendable.
Munching on the Duke’s self-praising tone, the Doctor gazed at the dish with both curiosity and horror.
“…Pineapple?”
Catching sight of the Hawaiian pizza topped with slices of pineapple, an instinctive sense of disgust contorted the Doctor’s expression for a moment.
He brought a hand to his mouth and, with an unusually serious demeanor, fixed his eyes directly on the Duke.
“…Duke, you don’t seriously eat something like this, do you?”
His face bore the complexity of an acquaintance faced with the reality that their friend was a food abomination.
The glint in his gaze could hardly conceal his reluctance.
“…Doctor, I thought you liked such things,” the Duke replied with a hint of defensiveness.
Naturally, the look on his face wasn’t particularly pleasant, being treated as though he were a madman.
After all, he had taken the time to prepare a meal fitting of the other’s taste, only to be met with such a response!
But the Doctor shook his head firmly, continuously condemning the dish.
“Tch, Duke. There are foods you can eat and those you cannot. And surely, pineapple pizza belongs to the latter. Can you believe I’d see such horrors here?”
When he began to ramble about the dreadful aspects of Hawaiian pizza…
As the chatter extended, the Duke inwardly scolded himself for having suggested the meal in the first place.
“…Alright, I’ll take note of that. The dessert was meant to be mint chocolate ice cream, and I suppose I ought to revoke that as well. I’ll have to reconsider my own faulty biases…”
“Uhoh—! Mint chocolate is fantastic! The sweetness followed by a refreshing flavor, truly the best dessert there is! You exhibit discernment, Duke!”
“…”
“Mint chocolate, you see, unlike other chocolates with clingy aftertastes, has a downright artistic finish! One could enjoy it without needing to brush their teeth! Also, that means…”
Ultimately, the conversation dragged on again.
The Duke soon gave up on assessing his companion.
From the start, maybe it had been a mistake to try reasoning with a madman.
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