< Advancing into Europe (4) >
In a laboratory where all sorts of junk was strewn about like a mess.
Wheeing— Kagakak!
The sound of the motor turning furiously was followed by the loud sound of something being gnawed.
This was followed by loud crashing and breaking noises.
It was a sound of work that did not quite fit with the appearance of high-tech devices lined up everywhere, but it was just a normal, everyday scene here.
In the midst of such an ordinary day.
Beep—
In the midst of the commotion, an unusual, alien sound was heard.
-Doctor, are you there?
But the lab workers didn’t seem to hear it, and the loud noise that continued to resonate only gradually died down after several more calls.
-Doctor?
By then, five minutes had already passed since the first time I called, but the voice continued speaking in a calm tone as if it was familiar.
“Huh? What is this? Things were going so well.”
The doctor, a worker in the busy laboratory, grumbled and crossed the cluttered space.
I picked up a towel that was hanging anywhere and roughly rubbed the red liquid on my hands.
Beep—
Then he walked over to the desk in one corner and lightly tapped the magic tool on it to establish communication.
“Yes, yes, this is Doctor. What may I ask you?”
-Oh, Doctor. Sorry to contact you so suddenly.
“Okay, then. Just tell me what you want to do. I have a feeling that an idea is just coming to me that could open up a new paradigm for how to use the eye, a biological organ!”
He was beating around the bush, but in the end, it meant that nothing had really progressed right away.
But since this wasn’t the first or second time he had said something like this, the person he was communicating with calmly relayed the message without any particular reaction.
-I have received intelligence that the game the doctor told me to keep an eye on has entered Europe.
The good news he had been eagerly awaiting.
-The Korean Phantom, Heinz, has gone into hiding in Paris, France. He is currently destroying the Thermidor branches in the surrounding satellite cities and is on the verge of a clash with the tyrant.
“Huh?”
The doctor’s chubby eyes widened into crescent shapes when he heard those words.
I was waiting anxiously without any news, but who would have thought that you would suddenly come at such an unexpected moment?
Isn’t that just a surprise gift!
“Wow~ Finally! France, huh? That’s a bit disappointing. Well, it’s not so bad though! Since I’ve come all the way to Europe, I guess I’ve achieved my goal!”
It would have been better if we had arrived in Eastern Europe, but it was only a matter of time so it didn’t really matter.
Now, sooner or later, I will naturally follow the pre-arranged lead and head to Eastern Europe, and especially Romania.
Once we got there, the situation was over.
“Tell the Duke! He must prepare without fail so that he does not make any mistakes later!”
-Yes, then I will make sure to convey that to His Majesty the Duke.
“If anything unusual happens in the future, please report it immediately.”
-Okay, Doctor.
Soon, the light from the magic tool that had been gently ringing began to subside, and silence fell over the room where all sorts of junk was rolling around.
“······.”
The doctor, who had been lightly stroking his beard since the end of the call, slowly looked around his office and became lost in thought.
I couldn’t help but feel excited and full of anticipation as I thought that I was close to getting my hands on a sample that would be the crucial clue to my long-term research.
Soon he nodded heavily, one corner of his mouth turning up.
“okay···.”
And then he opened his mouth in a solemn tone, as if he had made up his mind.
“I guess I’ll go with pepperoni pizza.”
Today’s lunch menu.
No matter what the situation was, eating was an important issue.
***
In a strange space where all sides are dyed red.
Cradduduk—
A pitch-black darkness engulfed that part.
The shadow of a ferocious monster that writhes as if it were alive and devours the area.
It continued to expand its size and expand its territory without rest—.
“You’re being a nuisance.”
Choaaaak—
Soon, it was torn to shreds by the force exerted from all sides, as if being torn apart by hundreds of invisible hands.
But, as has always been the case, things didn’t end there.
The shattered fragments of shadow began to come together, and soon a swarm of demons took flight, flapping their bat wings.
No matter how many times you destroy it, the army of shadows keeps regenerating and pushing forward.
Heinz II, who was dealing with it, could clearly feel why his opponent’s name was a tyrant.
‘Besides, you can’t just see it as a simple summoning system. It’s truly omnipotent… This is tricky.’
He was floating lightly in the air, and he glanced down to see the darkness moving and settling all over the land.
The shadow used by that tyrant was not limited to creating servants, but was an all-weather ability that could be utilized in all aspects, including exploration, hiding, movement, attack, and defense.
In addition, his skill level was quite high, and his opponent was handling all of his skills with great skill and was persistently opposing him.
‘I guess I was taking it lightly even though I realized that the vampire factor was not a measure of strength. I need to reflect on that.’
Maybe that’s why the fight was taking longer than originally thought.
Even though I had deliberately lured him into the barrier during the day when his main force, Shadow, would be weak, as per the information I had gathered in advance.
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But Heins wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
···No, rather, after the first few clashes, the opponent felt the difference in strength and avoided a head-on confrontation as much as possible.
‘This is ridiculous… Where did such a monster suddenly appear? Korea? What kind of country is that…!’
The ruler of the underbelly of France and the master of Thermidor—a 9th level vampire, the Tyrant frowned.
Living up to its reputation, it still hides in the shadows, constantly moving between spaces.
wickedness-
He, who had been waiting for an opportunity like that, rushed into the barrier on one side again.
Phagejik—
About a second after colliding with the barrier.
It seemed like if I just invested a few more seconds, I would definitely be able to break through, but…
“shit.”
He left immediately, unable to finish his work, disappearing back into the shadows.
And right after that, I forced myself to swallow a sigh as I saw the damaged barrier being instantly repaired and the shadows in the area being torn apart in an instant.
‘How much alternative energy is there?’
After he began to avoid a direct confrontation, the first thing he tried was to escape the barrier surrounding him.
Perhaps it was for the sake of stealth and quick activation, but the barrier didn’t have any special functions other than confining the surrounding area. But that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to do whatever the enemy wants on the battlefield they’ve prepared, right?
Also, although he initially came forward with confidence due to misjudging the opponent’s strength, his forte, which was his shadow nature, was guerrilla warfare rather than all-out warfare.
To take advantage of that advantage, a wide space rather than a limited space would be much more advantageous···.
‘No, it’s not just a matter of energy. While dealing with the Shadow Army, I maintain a barrier that cannot be breached at once, and on top of that, as soon as signs of escape are detected, I counterattack and restore the barrier at the same time?’
Thinking back on it, I found myself twitching my eyes without realizing it because it was so absurd.
Even if you had prepared to some extent in advance, you probably wouldn’t have been given that much time.
As expected, a one-on-one fight with that monster was impossible in the current situation.
Shikakak—
“Huh!”
On top of that, whenever he had a chance, he would know his location like a ghost and attack him, so it was frustrating for him, who had no other means at his disposal.
“···That’s fast.”
But Heinz, who had such a one-sided advantage, was not at ease.
He clicked his tongue, pushed away the sharp shadows extending from all directions, and focused his mind again.
However, since the opponent was also at a considerable level, he was determined to dodge, so an attack using the flow of cause and effect was not effective.
‘We can’t waste any more time here.’
No matter how carefully they prepared the barrier in the uninhabited forest, this place was not far from the capital city, Paris.
As time goes by, the chances of intervention from those around you will increase, and if you are interrupted in that way, you will lose the opponent you were lucky enough to capture.
If things turn out that way, I probably won’t get another chance like this.
‘You should consider this as your only chance, since the guy who let his guard down has come crawling in on his own two feet.’
After coming all the way to Europe and investing so much time, I can’t afford to end up wasting my first hunt.
It seemed that in order to finish this quickly, this side also needed to push itself a bit.
‘···It’ll be okay if it’s just for a little while.’
Even after he ascended to the Holy Blood, many things happened to him.
In Outerica, along with Obaipo, I obtained the blood vessels left behind by other beginnings.
On Earth, he absorbed the blood of an Alpha who had reached Level 9, albeit imperfectly.
‘I couldn’t use my full power in the fight with the revolutionaries that followed because I wasn’t able to properly recover my strength.’
Besides, at that time I was so focused on assisting Heinrich and Halle that I didn’t even need to do that.
Given that situation, it wasn’t such a bad idea to get some real-world data this time.
It was a time for other vampires to truly test their power, which had reached the peak in ways they could never have imagined.
“ha-.”
Heinz took a deep breath as he made up his mind.
And while maintaining the “denial of existence” that hid the energy within the body, he awakened the foundation of the vampire race – the “lord of blood”.
Thump!
Blood that had evolved to its limit through “Mixed Evolution”… blood that had been purified to the utmost purity through “Refined Blood Essence” contained the “mystery of blood” and circulated throughout the body.
Thump!
He observed his own body with “Insight” and brought about change in an instant by controlling causality using “Sudden Acceleration.”
Pitter-patter— Pitter-patter—
Chewy—!
Blood circulating throughout the body at constant speed and heat and steam gushing out from the pores throughout the body.
The increased blood flow caused the muscles to dilate and the skin to turn red.
‘They say a craftsman never blames his tools…’
Isn’t it common sense that you can achieve much better results when you have better working conditions and tools?
That was something that Howard, who was directly involved in the production process, had always felt.
“Hoooo.”
And the body is the most perfect tool a living being can have.
‘then···.’
That’s how it was sleeping deep inside Heinz II’s body.
Factors that were normally sealed to reduce the burden on the body.
I opened my eyes all at once.
***
The relentless storm has ceased.
But the tyrant, who was hiding and waiting for an opportunity, could not act rashly.
‘what?’
I don’t know.
Clearly, now that the enemy had suddenly stopped would be the perfect opportunity to escape, but the instinct that had protected his life for so many years was screaming at him to hold his breath.
He paused for a moment, but soon made a rational decision.
‘First, get out.’
For some reason, opportunities like this don’t come easily.
Just try it and if something feels wrong, you can quickly hide.
Just like it has always been.
He rushed into the barrier in an instant and launched a full-out attack towards it.
Phagejik—
Just a few seconds.
The moment when a hole was finally made in the wall blocking the space in a situation where there were no other restraints—.
Creepy!
A chill ran down his spine.
Immediately afterwards, he used his power as his instincts had imprinted on him.
In an instant, sharp thorns shot out from the darkness that covered the entire body and pierced all directions, and the pitch-black giant’s hand shot out from the ground and covered the space.
At the same time, all the shadows within the barrier began to wiggle and stretch out towards me in the blink of an eye.
And in the time it took him not to breathe while all of those phenomena were happening, he was buried deep in the shadows of the floor…
“Finally caught you, rat.”
Along with the cold voice that followed.
Swish— swish!
I was caught by the neck in a strong grip that dug deep into the ground, and pulled up to the surface like a fish caught on a harpoon.
‘···Ugh, when on earth will that be?!’
And around it.
The shadows he had scattered just before shattered and scattered like cherry blossoms.
It wasn’t very atmospheric, as it was all a gloomy black.
