Chapter 122

Chapter 122
## Chapter 122

### The Ufersh Clan (1)

The grand heart of the Talia Kingdom, Talaria.

“Sigh—”

For the past forty-eight hours, Briki had been in a state of constant, restless tension.

The cause was a fleeting sensation that had disrupted her ease while she was relaxing in her bed within the guest quarters of the Bright family estate, per her usual routine.

‘Did it merely pass through? Was it just a fluke?’

Though it lasted for only a fraction of a second, her otherworldly perceptions had distinctly identified a deeply malevolent presence.

One could easily rationalize it as a trick of the mind since the feeling vanished the very instant it registered…

However, her instinct was a gift that rivaled the divine, practically granting her foresight.

Furthermore, that exact sensation was one she had encountered multiple times across her immense lifespan, wasn’t it?

‘As of this moment… I cannot be certain. I discern an inkling, but it does not pose an immediate hazard.’

Even so, she found it impossible to remain calm.

After all… it bore the unmistakable imprint of the Immortal King’s chilling essence of ‘death’, a force she had faced on several occasions in the past.

“…Huh?”

The rigidity in her frame suddenly vanished, and her focus shifted gradually toward a specific path.

For a moment, Briki merely stared into the blank surface of the wall…

Yet in the blink of an eye, she was already standing outside the entrance to Mulo’s private study.

Thump, thump, thump—

“Mulo? I am entering.”

Giving the wood a brief rap, she pushed her way inside without bothering to wait for permission.

“…Lady Briki?… Please, come in.”

Though caught off guard by the unannounced intrusion, Mulo suppressed any irritation and offered a strained greeting.

He could not help but grow rigid, however, when he noticed the grim and unyielding expression on Briki’s face as she stepped into the room.

“Mulo? It would be wise to mobilize for combat immediately.”

“What has occurred? For you to show such urgency, Lady Briki…”

While inquiring, his hands were already at work, dispatching a crisis notification to the nearby members of the household.

If a person who normally carried herself with such detachment was exhibiting this level of alarm, a catastrophe was undoubtedly on the horizon.

“…Well, it is difficult to articulate…”

With Mulo frantically organizing defenses, Briki’s features relaxed slightly as she crossed her arms, sinking into thought.

She possessed no tangible proof, and explaining a sudden wave of paranoia born from hypersensitivity was no easy task.

Granted, her personal intuition carried the weight of absolute certainty…

“Oh, just carry out the preparations as instructed! Do you truly believe I would raise an alarm over nothing?”

Ultimately, she simply snapped at him, voicing her irritation.

Simultaneously,

Far in the direction of her gaze, right where Raffella City was situated—.

A crimson rift known as a Blood Gate tore open, and the vampiric forces of the Ufersh Clan began to rapidly manifest.

—

“…This place is highly repulsive.”

Such was the initial observation of Visque Ufersh upon stepping foot into Raffella City.

The deep furrow in his brow had remained fixed from that moment onward.

He was unable to find peace due to a subtle, unrecognizable irritation that seemed to crawl up from the earth beneath him, taking hold of the nape of his neck.

‘What is the meaning of this? Why am I experiencing such unease?’

It mirrored the sensation of an invisible observer tracking him, yet even with his sharp perception, he could not locate the origin.

It left him utterly aggravated. This was a bizarre phenomenon he had never encountered since the day he inherited the Sacred Blood.

‘Is it an ill omen? Simply because I walk through Brokoslack’s domain?… As if the Ufersh would be deterred by such a trivial matter.’

While Visque remained locked in his contemplation,

“…My Lord? Is there an issue?”

The individual tasked with organizing the gathered vampire forces neared him, leading a small contingent.

This was Theodore Ufersh, the second-highest authority within the hierarchy and the architect of this entire endeavor, flanked by three other True Bloods.

“No, it amounts to nothing. More importantly, are the forces assembled?”

“Indeed, they are. Four True Bloods and forty-four Purebloods. Every single one is a seasoned warrior; we possess ample strength to eradicate Brokoslack without delay.”

This was the absolute peak of the Ufersh Clan’s military might, composed strictly of individuals at the rank of Pureblood and above.

Guided by the hand of the Sacred Blood Visque Ufersh himself, this army held sufficient power to lay siege to the Talia Royal Palace itself.

Naturally, the scattered and oblivious remnants of Brokoslack stood no chance of withstandng such a blow.

“Words are unnecessary. We march directly upon Talaria before they can divine our presence, and we shall conclude this matter before dawn.”

““Understood!””

Visque deliberately pushed aside the lingering discomfort plaguing his senses, locking his focus entirely onto his target.

The destruction of the Master of Brokoslack, who currently resided within Talaria.

The instant his command left his lips…

Swoosh—!

Flutter—

An immense swarm of bats rose, streaking swiftly through the midnight sky.

—

Suspended several miles in the air above the path connecting Talaria and Raffella City, a silhouette cloaked in shadow drifted silently.

Whoosh—

A sovereign of absolute power, wrapped in the void, calmly surveyed the lands below from his high vantage point in the heavens.

It was Hans, the Immortal King.

‘The gears have begun to turn.’

The Talia Kingdom, covertly under the thumb of the Brokoslack Clan, served as a vital cornerstone for his ambitions.

While the sentimental value of it being his starting point within the Auterica Dimension was a minor factor, the ability to manipulate an entire sovereignty via Heinz was far more valuable than initially anticipated.

It was imperative that he oversee this territory with greater precision than Tarak—where Hubert and his companions resided—given that this realm possessed genuine global diplomatic relevance, despite its status as a minor principality on the continental fringe.

Moreover, it functioned as the core of the intelligence web he was laboring to establish, rendering its safety paramount.

[Ha— So it commences.]

This critical importance was precisely why the Immortal King, a being at the absolute apex of sorcery, was masking his own existence to keep a personal vigil.

He scrutinized every development on the terrain through the use of his “Abyssal Eye”, monitoring the world below much like an orbital device.

‘In truth, it is preferable for Hans to remain uninvolved.’

Under normal circumstances, the most seamless resolution would involve only Heinz the Second taking action.

Hans and his legions of the dead would draw immense scrutiny simply by mobilizing, and Heinrich was forbidden from abandoning the consecrated grounds on a whim.

Harley was presently occupied slaughtering beasts at the Iron Fortress, while Harris remained stationed across the distant Enamel Continent…

‘To say nothing of Howard, who remains an unrefined artisan, and Hubert, who is currently recovering from his wounds.’

Furthermore, there remained the risk that dragging additional manifestations into the fray might forge a spiritual link, thereby impeding his future latitude of movement.

However…

‘The current circumstances leave no alternative.’

Indeed, putting those strategic dilemmas aside…

He could hardly sit idly by while his own domain was targeted for plunder!

‘Still, given that Harley possesses a direct link to this dilemma—having drawn hostility due to his commercial associate—their suspicions should not be overly aroused.’

Granted, curious minds might wonder how such intelligence was gathered, but he was under no compulsion to reveal his secrets.

‘Nonetheless… ’

Hans redirected his gaze toward Talaria, tracking Harley’s position.

Their imposing barbarian champion… was once again detained by the metropolitan sentries for a rigorous screening.

It was understandable that his bizarre look caused the guards to overreact, but this scenario had repeated itself far too many times…

‘Were it not for the introductory credentials provided by the Church, his movements would be entirely paralyzed.’

Even back in Tarak, his own stronghold, a multitude of citizens were paralyzed by Harley’s overwhelming aura.

How much worse would it be in a foreign land unaccustomed to his presence?

He practically broadcasted a threat to everyone in his vicinity by merely breathing, making it inevitable that he would face constant scrutiny and delays.

‘…Provided it does not delay the onset of the engagement, it matters little.’

Hans cast a brief, indifferent look toward that spectacle before turning his focus back to the manor of the Bright family.

‘At any rate, the vampires are converging on the estate. Did the Sacred Blood detect a disturbance?’

He had identified a distinct sharpness in her the moment she appeared to register his spiritual presence earlier.

He had failed to completely shroud his aura at that moment due to the immediate aftermath of a teleportation spell, but the perception required to catch even that faint trace was formidable.

Because of this, he was now masking his existence with far greater diligence than usual.

‘This development bolsters our likelihood of success. It provides an excellent theater to evaluate the capabilities of those empowered by the “Refined Blood Essence”. Fortune favors us, as a Sacred Blood is present to balance the scales.’

The exact timing of Sacred Blood ‘Brokoslack’s’ arrival remained a mystery, but her presence ensured an adequate defensive front against Visque Ufersh.

Had their side lacked a Sacred Blood entirely, they would have faced an absolute slaughter, regardless of any enhancements from the “Refined Blood Essence” or Harley’s physical assistance.

‘In that scenario, Hans would have been forced to directly intervene.’

Desiring to avoid that outcome if possible, he viewed this turn of events as highly advantageous.

Hans then shifted his focus toward the cluster of bats soaring rapidly through the upper atmosphere.

It was a formidable vanguard, counting one Sacred Blood, four True Bloods, and upwards of forty Purebloods among its ranks, yet…

His eyes locked onto a singular entity within the swarm.

‘…Is that the one?’

This individual was neither of Sacred nor True Blood, being a mere Pureblood, yet he held a unique significance for Hans.

This was the crimson-haired, red-eyed vampiric assassin who had decimated Hubert’s internal organs, leaving him at death’s door.

Though presently utilizing a bat transformation, his identity had been indelibly seared into Hans’s consciousness the moment he materialized in Raffella City.

He would ensure the creature could never break his tether, regardless of where it chose to flee.

[Hehehe… Vengeance is the most exquisite prize. The hour has arrived to return the agony carved into my very marrow. Your path is set; resistance is entirely futile.]

For a brief second, the creature’s wings seemed to waver beneath the weight of Hans’s unyielding gaze…

Yet, given that his presence was cloaked with absolute perfection, the vampire likely dismissed it as mere imagination.

—

“Bah— Those guards are relentlessly troublesome. Why must they harass an upright individual such as myself?”

Having finally been permitted to pass by the city watch, Harley rubbed the back of his scalp as he traversed the nighttime thoroughfares of Talaria.

Naturally, as he had replaced his ruined headpiece—destroyed during the clash with the dragon—with a fresh beast hide, his fingers merely scraped against thick, rigid hide.

‘Careful now, I must control my output. I nearly damaged the pristine replacement I just acquired.’

Harley lowered his massive, heavily muscled arm and cast a wary eye over his surroundings.

Likely due to the city being under the covert governance of vampires, a nighttime ban on movement did not exist, allowing a considerable number of citizens to populate the streets despite the late hour.

‘It is undeniably more convenient to travel without the restriction of a curfew after dark.’

He took his time absorbing the novel environment, watching the pedestrians pass by.

Predictably, the citizens were returning the favor, fixing their eyes intently upon Harley.

“Good heavens… Is that a tribal warrior? Or perhaps a denizen of the south?”

“My word, I have never witnessed anyone strolling about in such attire.”

“Look at that physique… Quiet, he is glancing our way! Keep your eyes down!”

The familiar reactions he no longer encountered in Tarak, his primary residence, were playing out once more in this place.

From hushed murmurs to looks of disdain and disapproval.

It brought an odd sense of comfort to witness these behaviors again after such an absence.

‘It is quite pleasant to encounter this reception once more. Thanks to my welcoming expression, such incidents are a rarity back in Tarak.’

Regardless, he would not be parading around in this fashion if the judgments of onlookers caused him any distress.

“Hmph!”

Harley, a man who relished being the center of attention, subtly flexed his exposed pectoral muscles and intricate body art, striding with absolute confidence along the cobblestones of the boulevard toward his objective.

The night deepened, and the thoroughfares began to empty of foot traffic.

Even the local brigands lurking in the shadows went out of their way to give him a wide berth, while his path guided him directly toward…

The estate of the Bright family, where a seemingly commonplace yet strangely chilling atmosphere hung in the air.