Chapter 20

Chapter 20
## Chapter 20

Arch-Lich (1)

“Crunch—!

“Argh! How did things turn out like this?”

Vyrrak, who commanded the Ajantu division of the Brokolak Clan, simply could not process the unfolding chaos.

The sanctuary nestled in the center of the city, fortified by protective boundaries woven across the entire urban expanse, had been abruptly and violently raided.

He had a strong suspicion regarding the identity of the perpetrator.

‘It has to be the individual who slipped away with the shard! Their objective was undoubtedly the shard in our keeping!’

The part he found completely incomprehensible was how they had pulled it off.

‘We maintained absolute surveillance over the whole city to track that shard. How did they slip past our net? And by what means did they pinpoint the precise location where the shard was concealed?’

Regardless of these baffling questions, the paramount task at hand was safeguarding the shard at any cost.

Regrettably, the circumstances had compromised their defensive readiness due to the daylight nature of the assault, resulting in a delay of more than ten minutes before anyone could react to the disruption.

[Finger of Death.]

Thwack!

“Curse it!”

An even greater issue, however, was the massive army of the dead swarming the perimeter of the structure, cutting off any path inside.

‘Right when the sun is blazing… Naturally, they timed this deliberately. But there is zero time to waste.’

An urgent call had brought the vampires rushing into the skirmish, but it remained uncertain how long the Tiafoll holding the interior lines could withstand the siege.

Kurrrung…

In that exact moment, the pristine sky vanished beneath rapidly swelling storm clouds that cast the entire city into pitch-black gloom.

“Blast it! We are a step too late!”

This was the magical defense system configured at the central headquarters.

Even though its activation had been sluggish due to the sudden nature of the raid, Vyrrak, gripped by panic, was in no mood to be patient.

“Break through at once! Clear a path!”

Krieeek!

“Force your way in!”

Clatter—Clank!

Executing Vyrrak’s commands, the vampires consolidated their ranks with the sole purpose of penetrating the building.

Though the heavy cloud cover in the city’s skies alleviated some of their daytime limitations, the vampires, stripped of their peak capabilities, dropped one after another during the desperate charge.

[Guidance of the Commander.]

“Urgh! Vyrrak, press onward without us!”

Thanks to his followers throwing themselves forward to absorb the incoming dark sorcery, he finally managed to breach the threshold of the structure.

“I am heading into the interior. The rest of you secure this threshold!”

Arriving at the descent to the lower levels, Vyrrak barked orders to the companions who had managed to keep pace with him.

Though there were a mere ten or so half blood remaining, that number should suffice to hold the subterranean entrance where the sun’s rays could not penetrate.

‘Tiafoll! Just survive until I get there!’

Sprinting through the lower levels toward the chamber housing the shard, he offered up a desperate plea.

This assignment had been handed down directly by the Clan Lord, Claude.

If failure were to occur here…

‘No! I cannot allow that! It is unthinkable…’

Spurring his legs to move even faster, he at last came to the chamber where the shard was locked away, but the sheer force of the air brought him to an abrupt halt.

An incredibly dense wave of dark sorcery was pulsing from the sealed room.

‘It is already over…’

Right then, as the subterranean portal gradually unsealed… a fracture formed, unleashing an overwhelming torrent of abyssal shadow.

His entire frame locked up, and his perceptions became hyper-focused.

The brief window in which the portal parted felt like an eternity to Vyrrak.

He caught himself holding his breath without even realizing it.

His gaze was utterly locked onto the threshold.

It felt precisely as though the jaws of the underworld were parting wide.

And momentarily, he would be forced to confront whatever lay beyond.

Shrouded in a face-concealing mask and swirling dark vestments, the entity advanced amidst a halo of pitch-black embers, resembling an otherworldly Overlord, radiating sheer hopelessness and dread—a walking apocalypse.

—

-Name: Hans

-Species: Undead (Arch-Lich)

-Common Traits: “Mind Hub,” “Myeonggyeong Index”

-Characteristic: “Decayed Heart,” “Vile Wisdom,” “Forbidden Knowledge,” “Immortality,” “Affinity for Magic,” “Dark Magic.”

-Specifics: Utilizing the essence of the ‘Immortal King’s Fragment (2/3),’ his capabilities had surged dramatically.

His intrinsic dark sorcery had experienced a massive, explosive amplification.

He possessed the ability to isolate his own vital spark to secure eternal life, reshaping his form perpetually provided the hidden spark remained unscathed.

I centralized the newly acquired essence and opened my eyes.

The sanguine defensive perimeter established by the vampires around my position could not endure the sheer torrent of energy and ripped to shreds.

[My, this truly is extraordinary, isn’t it?]

Integrating the second shard did not merely double my raw capacity.

‘Judging by this sensation, the throughput is easily five times greater… and factoring in the fresh capabilities, the total output feels ten times more potent, doesn’t it?’

The utility of the newly unlocked “Forbidden Knowledge” was entirely direct.

True to its designation, it granted immediate comprehension of taboo lore, spanning both dark sorcery and the mechanics of the unliving.

‘It feels as though an endless archive has been planted in my mind.’

It was a repository overflowing with corrupted grimoires, containing incantations designed to summon fiends or offer up living tributes.

‘Furthermore, I now have ‘Immortality’… Though first, I must settle the matter standing before me.’

I stepped through the threshold and stood face to face with Vyrrak, who remained petrified where he stood.

Even though he had hacked his way through the unliving to reach this chamber, his arrival was entirely futile.

[We have no need for a lengthy dialogue.]

Extending my hand, which was wrapped in dark leather gloves to mask the skeletal structure beneath, waves of shadow erupted from the surroundings and swirled around him.

“Grahhh! Dammit! From what abyss did a monstrosity like you emerge!”

Vyrrak bellowed, slashing through the constricting shadows with eyes that glowed a ferocious crimson.

He was undeniably far more potent than the Tiafoll.

In stark contrast to the Tiafoll, who relied exclusively on sanguine sorcery, this opponent masterfully deployed incredible physical strength alongside highly competent mystical abilities.

‘Nonetheless, for the moment, he serves as an ideal training partner.’

Relying solely on the dark sorcery granted by my new “Forbidden Knowledge,” I unleashed an assault.

After all, firsthand experience is the finest method of evaluation, is it not?

A blade resembling a reaper’s scythe sliced through the air, the acrid stench of infernal embers singing the atmosphere of the subterranean room.

A multitude of protective screens encircling my form barred any chance of his approach.

Kugwung!

He attempted to spot a vulnerability several times in a bid to break away, but this entire zone had been converted into my personal sanctuary.

The surrounding gloom constricted the available space, crushing and battering his frame.

“Urgh, blast it… What sort of preposterous magical reserve is this! Has he utterly integrated the shard?”

[Heinz! I shall anchor his focus, so seek out an exit route and deliver this intelligence to our kin!]

Directly following Vyrrak’s shout, a mental transmission reached Heinz, who was lurking off to the side.

I had believed my concealment was flawless, but given that he was a direct progenitor, it appeared completely masking my presence from him was unfeasible.

[Heinz! Do you fail to hear me? This is a direct directive!]

Even as I maintained my hidden posture, he dispatched another mental command.

I sensed the heavy pressure of the bloodline mandate trying to take hold, but since there was zero incentive to obey, I chose to dismiss it entirely.

[Curse it, are you likewise pinned down and unable to stir?]

It appeared the notion that someone might actively ignore his mandate had never crossed his mind.

As Vyrrak’s struggles began to wane, he was rapidly ensnared by obsidian links and crashed heavily onto the floor.

Thud!

“Hah, hah. What is your identity?”

His tone was entirely defeated, indicating he recognized his impending demise.

Even so, his twin eyes remained locked onto Hans with a burning defiance.

An expression of pure stubbornness, as if rejecting the very concept of surrender.

Observing this display for a brief moment, I smiled silently within my mind and answered.

[I am called Hans.]

Revealing this moniker carried no risk whatsoever.

After all, it did not represent my authentic identity in the slightest.

[Now, trouble me no further.]

To prevent any additional complications, I immediately deployed dark sorcery to plunge him into unconsciousness.

Vyrrak’s frame went entirely limp.

Following that, Heinz stepped out from the sheltering gloom, knelt beside the fallen figure, and drove his fangs into the neck to drain the vital fluid.

[The subject has satisfied the prerequisites for advancement. The unique capability ‘Bloodline of the half blood’ refines into ‘Bloodline of the Pureblood.’]

The drained form of Vyrrak dissolved into mere detritus.

It required harvesting a second Pureblood’s vital essence for Heinz to finally achieve this breakthrough.

‘It appears a portion of the power dissipates during the extraction process. He has just barely crossed the threshold into the ranks of the Pureblood.’

Even though he had ascended to a Pureblood by consuming Vyrrak, Heinz still appeared to fall short of a figure like Tiafoll.

‘Well, considering he has only just stepped into this tier, such a gap is natural. But as he continues to harvest more targets, his strength will undoubtedly skyrocket.’

Once he set himself upon the path of consuming his own kind, Heinz’s developmental pace would utterly outstrip any standard vampire.

Straightening up, Heinz directed his gaze toward the upper levels.

A multitude of vampires remained trapped above, pinned down by the unliving and unable to find a path of retreat.

—

Securing total control over the environment required very little time.

As I systematically drained the vital fluid from the resisting half blood, I could sense the refinement of the Hemoglyph—the core wellspring of energy inside me—steadily elevating.

“Pah, I simply cannot tolerate the flavor of this. I finally comprehend the meaning behind Rosillica’s words.”

I muttered in dissatisfaction as I sampled a thrall’s vital fluid and sprayed it onto the floorboards.

Rosillica had previously mentioned that thralls and low-tier underlings were not even viewed as genuine vampires.

Their systems were saturated with corrupted, degraded Hemoglyphs, meaning consuming them merely tainted one’s own internal refinement.

‘It makes total sense why their existences are so flawed.’

These were merely tools whose cellular structure had been forcibly altered through the introduction of a minuscule trace of Hemoglyphs.

The process was simple to execute and highly economical relative to the investment, so strict boundaries on their potential were inevitable.

Heinz surveyed the surroundings.

The shattered remnants of the sanctuary building and the courtyard that had been reshaped into a chaotic warzone.

Hans reassembled the damaged unliving, animating the remains of the thralls that Heinz had passed over during his feeding.

Fortunately, owing to the concealment screen Hans had kept active throughout the encounter, the chaotic battle had gone entirely unnoticed by the local populace.

“Well, is it about time we make our departure from this settlement?”

Eliminating the vampires who pulled the strings of this town did not signify an end to all difficulties.

In fact, with the figures who held the leashes of the underworld syndicates suddenly wiped out, public security was bound to degenerate significantly in the days ahead.

The current moment offered the perfect window to slip away.

Heinz rapidly retraced his steps toward the location where the pair of siblings awaited him.

The youths would have completed their travel preparations ahead of time and would be anticipating his arrival.

‘Even so, slipping away in this manner feels slightly inefficient.’

As I reflected on the matter for a brief interval, I quickly realized it was an empty anxiety.

Did I not command more than a single vessel within this realm?

“Perfect! Given that Heinz has obtained sufficient capability, and I no longer require the direct oversight of Hans, let us part company at this juncture.”

Heinz would depart the settlement alongside the siblings, whereas Hans would remain behind for a period to oversee alternative matters.

‘Operating through multiple forms introduces an incredible amount of flexibility.’

While Heinz journeyed toward the rendezvous point with the youngsters, Hans applied his newly mastered lore to transmute the fallen vampires into ghouls, securing them within a subordinate space via the dark dimension.

[Hmph… If I dedicate time to analyzing this mechanism, I might eventually manage to manifest it back on Earth, wouldn’t you think?]

The harmony between the fresh “Forbidden Knowledge” and my existing “Vile Wisdom” was exceptional.

Owing to this synergy, I could seamlessly orchestrate the dark sorcery I had so recently acquired.

Presently, the solitary spatial manipulation available to me involved accessing the subordinate pocket within the Outerica Dimension.

Nevertheless, by leveraging “Vile Wisdom” to dissect this unfamiliar lore, fabricating a subordinate pocket capable of opening on Earth would soon be entirely feasible.

[I shall deliberate on that matter progressively; for now, let us proceed to claim the remaining assets.]

There was still an abundance of wealth to secure.

After organizing the entirety of the unliving forces, Hans dissolved into the shadows and traveled at high speed.

His destination was, naturally, the primary manor of the vampires.

‘Even though I can technically attempt a spatial jump now, the calculation remains unpredictable, so I shall defer it to a later date. Besides, they likely have a transit disruption perimeter established around their estate.’

The primary manor I approached was already gripped by frantic combat preparations.

The garrison had clearly mobilized due to the emergency alert triggered by the raid on their sanctuary.

‘Naturally, such efforts amount to nothing more than futile posturing.’

My first action was to cast a comprehensive concealment screen around the entire estate.

Now the stage was perfectly set for a total purge.

[Emerge. Step forth and erase every living thing.]

Hundreds of unliving entities manifested from the blackened floorboards.

Injecting dark sorcery to bolster the unliving cohort, I trailed behind their advance at a leisurely pace.

Creak!

“Aaargh!”

[Kieek—!]

A chaotic clash erupted between the estate thralls and the unliving forces waiting within the halls.

A massive underling sporting a bat-like visage measuring over two meters traded blows with a ghoul of identical proportions, tearing into one another.

A thrall ambushing from the rafters shattered the skull of a skeleton, only to be overwhelmed by a secondary unliving assailant and brought down in a pool of blood.

[Hmm… Their numbers surpass my initial projections.]

Far more underlings than the rough calculations I had made while operating as Heinz materialized from the recesses of the manor.

I recalled information indicating they kept a massive reserve in stasis for crisis scenarios, but still…

“Repel the attackers! Maintain your ground, Lord Vyrrak is en route!”

“Grahhh!”

It was evident they remained completely ignorant of the fact that Vyrrak had already been terminated.

It appeared the most formidable defender left on the property was a lone half blood assigned to oversee the estate’s defense.

‘In that case, there is no purpose in spinning this out.’

I progressively blanketed the entire estate with dark sorcery.

The ink-like shadows crept across the surfaces, painting the floors, partitions, and ceilings in darkness.

“Kieeek!”

“Grr! What is the meaning of this?!”

Moments later, once the shadows had successfully claimed every square inch of the interior, I struck the floorboards softly with the skeletal staff gripped in my hand.

Phoobubook—!

Phoohwaak!

“Ugh—!”

“Kwuwoeok!”

Instantly, a fine crimson vapor blanketed the interior of the manor.

From every surface claimed by the shadows, obsidian spikes erupted violently, skewering the vampires where they stood.

“Ah… L-Lord… Vyrrak…”

The half blood, pinned in place with spikes perforating its entire frame, twitched briefly before becoming entirely still.

A sudden, heavy silence settled over the grand house.

[My… That proved substantially more devastating than I anticipated.]

Having executed a wholesale execution in a single heartbeat, I could vividly perceive the sheer scale of my upgraded power.

Commanding this tier of capability, I would hardly be dismissed lightly regardless of what region I traveled to.

‘No, that is putting it mildly.’

Standing amidst hundreds of casualties submerged in a pool of vital fluid, surrounded by an army of the unliving broadcasting an ominous pressure, Hans held his position at the epicenter, radiating a dark aura.

Far from being dismissed, any ordinary observer would likely choose to flee in absolute terror upon witnessing such a terrifying spectacle.

‘Who does he think he resembles, some sort of dark deity…?’

I scanned the environment for a brief moment, assessing which casualties could be recycled into unliving assets while noting the valuable-looking ornaments visible through the debris.

An abundance of assets remained ripe for sorting.

‘I must systematically gather every single item of value. Where did they say the primary treasury was situated in this estate?’

I ordered the unliving to fan out through the halls of the manor while humming a quiet melody to myself.

As the old maxim goes, one can never possess too much wealth.