Chapter 128

Chapter 128
## Chapter 128

Sacred Blood (3)

The instant he transformed into a Sacred Blood, Heinz the Second experienced an infinite expansion of his senses.

His transcendent awareness, which had attained the realm of absolute synesthesia, shattered its boundaries, allowing him to nearly grasp the fabric of space and even the passage of time—.

Furthermore, his consciousness, refined by this surge in level… grew capable of perceiving a fraction of the causal tapestry weaving through the cosmos.

‘I understand now… so this is the domain in which Sacred Bloods wage war.’

Heinz realized this through pure intuition.

If he channeled merely a fraction more of his resolve, he could physically interact with that cosmic current.

‘The mental toll is immense, and the range is restricted to the space immediate to Heinz, but… beneath this threshold, lesser entities wouldn’t even possess the capacity to approach.’

The reality of an ‘evasion’ would be set in stone before an adversary could even initiate a countermeasure, and his strikes would connect the very instant he resolved to launch them.

Against such an adversary, how could anyone hope to contest?

‘Had Briki not interfered, even Harley and Heinz combined would have faced a devastating war of attrition… ’

The sole reason they had managed to trade blows directly with Visque Ufersh was entirely due to her disruption.

Without her presence, Hans, whose level eclipsed Visque’s, would have been forced to step onto the battlefield himself.

It was an undeniable stroke of immense fortune.

And that fortune showed no signs of fading.

《The subject satisfies the requisite parameters and undergoes advancement. The capabilities “Concealment” and “Invisibility” merge and transition into the unique capability “Existence Denial”.》

As his level ascended to that of a Sacred Blood, the two distinct traits he had stolen by preying upon vampires of foreign realms and through the mechanism of “Hybrid Evolution” coalesced into a singular form.

It manifested as a capability bearing an extraordinary title.

‘…This development was undoubtedly guided by the potency of the Sacred Blood. A stealth-category asset that twists causality itself, nullifying the literal reality of being perceived. It completely outclasses its predecessors in every conceivable metric.’

While it would have been a welcome boon for his remaining traits to undergo a similar transformation, dwelling on that would be mere greed.

Heinz settled the turbulent energy roiling within his core and summoned his personal status display.

* Individual Name: Heinz the Second
* Race: Vampire (Sacred Blood)
* Common Traits: “Mind Hub”, “Persona”, “Clear Mind”
* Individual Traits: “Blood Kin (Sacred Blood)”, “Hybrid Evolution”, “Blood Mystery”, “Refined Blood Essence”, “Existence Denial”, “Acceleration”, “Super Regeneration”, “Insight”
* Special Notes: Forcibly claimed the heritage of the Sacred Blood, achieving evolution via “Hybrid Evolution”. Retains a minor degree of authority over the ‘Ufersh’ bloodline. All baseline statistics have experienced monumental growth, granting the capacity to sway a fraction of causality.

‘Well, this is an unexpected development.’

An innate leverage over the vampires born of Ufersh’s lineage.

It appeared that by consuming the Sacred Blood, he had simultaneously inherited dominion over them.

The qualifier ‘minor’ was attached simply because his absolute command was heavily degraded, owing to the fact that this was an unorthodox theft rather than a legitimate succession…

‘It is of little consequence, considering I intended to utilize “Refined Blood Essence” regardless. Still, this will streamline the process considerably.’

Directing subjects who possessed a natural inclination toward obedience was vastly preferable to managing those who offered fierce resistance and open malice.

He had previously been concerned regarding the methodology required to subjugate the Ufersh Clan, given their vast distribution across the mainland, a stark contrast to Brokoslack…

“Sigh.”

As Heinz harbored an internal grin and shifted his attention,

He locked eyes with Briki, who had been studying him with a trace of curiosity, her eyelids drooping lazily.

“Hehe— You truly are a marvel. This marks my very first occasion witnessing the birth of a fresh Sacred Blood. Done through act of devouring one’s own kind, no less.”

She had remained a passive observer throughout, choosing not to intervene even as his teeth pierced Visque Ufersh’s throat, and through that cannibalistic feast, he ascended to the rank of Sacred Blood.

She was undoubtedly aware that in her current compromised state, she would lack the means to defy him once his evolution to a Sacred Blood concluded.

‘Naturally, Harley maintained a vigilant stance just in case, meaning she could have attempted a disruption had she wished, yet she chose to remain a mere spectator.’

At this juncture, it was safe to deduce that she harbored no malevolent designs toward him.

She was powerless against him now that he stood as a Sacred Blood.

“This is simply the nature of my talent. Nevertheless, Briki, I recognize that your contribution was substantial. I shall ensure this assistance is properly repaid.”

“Hmm— Do not concern yourself over it, as I had my own stakes in the matter. There are numerous subjects we must discuss.”

She replied with an airy nonchalance, her demeanor appearing as drained of vitality as withered greenery, a sharp departure from the lethal intensity she displayed during the conflict.

He recognized the necessity of a profound dialogue with her to decipher her true underlying motives, but at this particular instant…

“Bwahaha! I have truly witnessed a rare spectacle. However, now that my vengeance is settled, I must take my departure! My own obligations await me!”

Harley, who had been silently observing the exchange, took a natural step forward to offer his farewells.

The collaborative effort between Harley and Heinz had reached its successful conclusion, signaling that the hour had come to dissolve their temporary alliance.

“Indeed, Harley. Your assistance was invaluable. I shall hold this favor in high regard.”

“Ah, think nothing of it! They made the mistake of targeting my companion first. Furthermore, you share a mutual interest with our Hubert’s Trading Company! Hahaha!”

“In that case, I shall look forward to our continued cooperation. We will likewise extend greater consideration toward Hubert’s Trading Company.”

“That is precisely what I like to hear! With that, I shall take my leave!”

The moment their performative dialogue concluded, Harley strode confidently out of the structure, passing through the grand threshold.

Mulo’s restrictive boundary dissolved completely as the echoes of battle faded, and with Heinz—the reigning Lord and Sacred Blood—granting his blessing, no individual moved to obstruct his path.

“Hmm, are you entirely certain it is wise to permit his departure so freely? His very introduction carried an aura of deceit…”

Briki murmured in a tone thick with drowsiness, and yet…

“It is of no consequence. I have already set a strategy in motion.”

Heinz effortlessly brushed her apprehensions aside.

He then escorted her, as she began to succumb to exhaustion, back to her personal quarters before turning his attention to managing the grim aftermath of the conflict.

‘A period of intense activity lies ahead.’

From evaluating the clan’s current status in the wake of the violence to organizing the surviving Ufersh loyalists and structuring future defensive postures.

An immense mountain of obligations loomed before him.

—

A massive two-handed blade rested in one grip, while dense, pitch-black plate armor encased his massive frame.

Though the entity possessed a bipedal shape, not a single soul present perceived him as a mortal man.

Not only did his gaze radiate a crimson luminescence and his corrupted arcane energies blaze like wild torrents, but the suffocating shroud of mortality that emanated from his very presence was something no living human could ever manifest.

And above all else, his identity was instantly recognizable to them.

He was, after all, an entity of mythic proportions to those who treaded the path of darkness.

“…The Death Knight Lord, Karam.”

“The supreme commander of the undying legions… How has such a terror manifested within these walls…!”

They had been thoroughly severed from the external world by the abrupt manifestation of a sealing ward, immediately followed by the onslaught.

Every defensive fortification meticulously arrayed across the threshold was obliterated in an instant, while the flesh-wrought chimeras and corrupted guardians stationed to protect the gates failed to impede his advance for even a heartbeat.

Under those dire circumstances, he penetrated the innermost sanctuary of the stronghold within moments, leaving the dark sorcerers of the Oath of Heaven’s Defiance’s Tulk Kingdom branch frozen in sheer terror.

“…I deduced that the Holy Church had launched a grand crusade, given how rapidly our auxiliary outposts were falling silent. To think it was the work of the undying legions instead.”

Old Man, the presiding governor of the branch and a ranking patriarch within the Oath of Heaven’s Defiance, muttered in a hushed tone, his brow furrowing deeply.

The direct intervention of the undying legions carried a grim implication: the resurrected Immortal King was actively monitoring their activities—.

This realization meant they were forced to discard their designs of reaping wealth by manipulating the friction between the continental nations and the Immortal King.

‘…That matter must be weighed at a later time. Transferring this intelligence to the core leadership is our absolute priority. Given how long this operation remained concealed, they must have orchestrated this with absolute precision… ’

He reordered his chaotic thoughts and cast a steady gaze across the chamber.

Corrupted knights stood arrayed in rigid ranks at the vanguard, while dark sorcerers were already weaving their destructive incantations.

Their numbers climbed into the hundreds.

This location served as the grand command center directing all subordinate cells within the Tulk Kingdom, existing on an entirely different scale compared to the lesser outposts that had vanished from the network.

Though the perimeter had been shattered by the suddenness of the assault, those stationed at the gates were merely disposable assets meant to buy precious moments.

The true military might rested within this central battalion, which had utilized those moments to complete absolute combat preparations.

‘Regardless of Karam’s legendary prowess, there exists a threshold to what a solitary combatant can achieve. Even if he summons minor skeletal thralls, that capability has its constraints.’

Furthermore, as this was their sovereign stronghold, an array of esoteric enhancements designed for fortification defense had been layered across the environment.

Strengthening charms for allies, debilitating curses for adversaries, and a multitude of minor hexes.

[Oh— This assembly surpasses my initial estimations.]

Karam, standing defiantly before them, rumbled in a quiet tone.

Their collective presence, with all mortal terror purged and their focus elevated to its absolute peak via mind-bending enchantments, felt as keen and lethal as a sharpened blade.

Old Man allowed a grim smile of contentment to cross his features as he witnessed his elite guard standing unfazed by the specter of demise.

“I remain ignorant as to why the Immortal King directs his malice toward our order, but for you to trespass here entirely unassisted is madness. It appears you have grievously miscalculated our strength, Karam! You shall forfeit your existence for this boundless conceit!”

He bellowed with absolute certainty, slowly summoning his corrupted arcane reserves as he began structuring a high-tier spell of annihilation.

No matter how flawless their defensive measures appeared, their adversary was a historical terror, demanding that he unleash his absolute maximum potential to mitigate ruinous losses.

Yet, before the incantation could even take physical form…

[Observe this, Karam… My request for your cooperation was not born of idle whim…]

[Hmm, quite true. It is a necessary measure to ensure His Majesty’s mandate is perfectly executed.]

A secondary entity materialized from the shadows behind Karam.

A feminine form draped in a somber veil and gown, her silhouette shimmering like mist yet remaining distinct to the eye.

Her vocalizations, which dulled the intellect and eroded the fundamental instinct to survive upon mere contact, belonged exclusively to…

“The Banshee Queen, Olivia…!”

Old Man’s face twisted in profound horror.

Not merely Karam, but a secondary high-ranking commander of the undying legions had descended upon them?

Furthermore, it was readily apparent she did not arrive unassisted, as phantasmal apparitions began to manifest one after another from the ether.

Yet, to their ultimate misfortune, the assembly of commanders arriving at this theater did not conclude there.

Swoosh—

The stone floor across the entire chamber instantly darkened, radiating a chilling, malevolent vitality.

And from that churning pool of midnight,

Whoosh—!

Clatter— Clatter!

Creak—!

An endless stream of thralls, ranging from severed Dullahans to bone-wrought Skeleton Knights, emerged from the abyss, completely saturating the environment within moments.

[Heh— Your preparations are admirable, yet you possess no avenue of salvation.]

Dwell, making his entrance as the final figure emerging from the twilight, cast a mocking gaze down upon the gathered sorcerers with a rasping voice.

A trio of high commanders had been assigned to this singular theater for the sole purpose of securing them as living captives.

Old Man clenched his teeth, his features despondent as he faced the insurmountable disparity in military power.

Dealing with Karam alone would have yielded a completely different scenario, but with a secondary commander of the undying legions integrated into the vanguard?

Furthermore, she had brought her own forces, with spectral thralls continuously bleeding into reality.

Yet, to their ultimate misfortune, the assembly of commanders arriving at this theater did not conclude there.

Swoosh—

The stone floor across the entire chamber instantly darkened, radiating a chilling, malevolent vitality.

And from that churning pool of midnight,

Whoosh—!

Clatter— Clatter!

Creak—!

An endless stream of thralls, ranging from severed Dullahans to bone-wrought Skeleton Knights, emerged from the abyss, completely saturating the environment within moments.

[Heh— Your preparations are admirable, yet you possess no avenue of salvation.]

Dwell, making his entrance as the final figure emerging from the twilight, cast a mocking gaze down upon the gathered sorcerers with a rasping voice.

A trio of high commanders had been assigned to this singular theater for the sole purpose of securing them as living captives.

Old Man clenched his teeth, his features despondent as he faced the insurmountable disparity in military power.

Not merely the Death Knight Lord Karam and the Banshee Queen Olivia, but now…

“…An Arch-Lich as well. What cosmic design warrants deploying such an absurd force against us?!”

As a point of fact, Dwell possessed immense talent in organizing the unliving hosts and formulating grand military strategies, yet his identity remained largely obscured from the world because he preferred to avoid the public gaze.

[…I am Dwell McCain, an unwavering instrument of the Immortal King! Ensure that name is etched into your final memories!]

He proclaimed with immense pride in response to their panic, though it was a futile gesture given that no living witness would depart to spread accounts of this encounter.

Naturally, not a single mortal possessed the capability to break through the encirclement.

A short time later,

Another clandestine skirmish, waged far from the sight of mortals, reached its quiet conclusion without the wider world gaining any inkling of its occurrence.

However, Olivia, who was presiding over the collection of captives and securing the battlefield, found herself forced to transition to her next objective before she could even conclude her current duties…

[This servant, Olivia… has been summoned to the sovereign’s presence…]

For the Immortal King Hans had explicitly called for her attendance.

[Olivia, I have secured some rather intriguing specimens.]

Hans’s focus shifted toward several figures suspended in midair, immobilized by heavy cords of dark energy.

[They comprise the agents of the Oath of Heaven’s Defiance who attempted to breach the borders of Talaria. It appears a high-ranking official is counted among their number.]

The presence of the Oath of Heaven’s Defiance at that location served as definitive confirmation that they were actively manipulating the maneuvers of the Ufersh Clan.

Though they operated as a decentralized network of independent cells, they would never deploy a detachment of this caliber as mere disposable assets.

‘Even if the mandate was routed through numerous intermediary layers, Olivia possesses the unique capability to retrace the lineage of the command.’

And if her retrogressive tracking was synchronized with the data extracted from the interrogation of the Ufersh Clan, discovering the coordinates of the masterminds who engineered this entire plot would merely be a matter of time.

[Extract everything they know and pinpoint the exact coordinates of their superiors.]

[Your command shall be executed…]

Consequently, an additional burden was placed upon the shoulders of the most overextended commander within the undying legions.

Olivia offered a deep, respectful bow, her countenance appearing spectral and nearly translucent.

Evidently, possessing unmatched efficiency carried its own distinct set of trials.