Chapter 239

Chapter 239
## Chapter 239

### Zepia Republic (2)

In this era where a worldwide catastrophe forced everyone to endure immense suffering, the internal fissures fracturing the mighty Zepia Republic were far more devastating than they appeared from the outside.

The Obaifo Clan sought to manipulate the entire nation by pulling the strings of the high-ranking politicians and elites they held captive in their grasp. Opposing them were various emerging factions, some driven by a genuine patriotic desire to rescue their homeland from these hidden masters, and others simply looking to seize authority by exploiting the ongoing turmoil. Even minor organizations and underground criminal syndicates were quietly making their moves, taking advantage of the pervasive instability.

It was a volatile state of affairs, one that threatened to spiral completely out of control if left unchecked any longer.

‘This is the path I must take.’

Vice President Kayla McClair of the Republic found herself forced to make a definitive choice. She believed this was the solitary method available to suppress the chaos and re-establish stability before the current friction escalated into full-scale ruin.

‘…Was there truly no alternative?’

Yet, a persistent thread of skepticism continued to plague her conscience. She had personally facilitated the entry of the Hybrid vampires from the Talia Kingdom into the Republic. No matter how she attempted to rationalize her actions, the truth remained that she had invited foreign entities—monstrous vampires—to resolve the internal crises of her own nation. If she had only turned to the Church for assistance…

‘No, that would have exacerbated the problem. Besides, their resources are already stretched to the limit. It is far wiser to let those beasts tear each other apart…’

She let out a heavy breath, cutting off her spiraling thoughts. Even to her own ears, it sounded like a hollow justification. Nevertheless, it was undeniable that she had arrived at this conclusion out of a desperate desire to protect her country after weighing all options.

Even so, a small measure of personal motivation had influenced her final choice.

‘Temi…’

Kayla pressed her lips together, her mind drifting to her only son, who had vanished more than two decades ago. The truth regarding her child’s fate, along with the chance for vengeance—that was the prize Hybrid had promised her in return for her betrayal.

The social order of the vampires was a rigid, uncompromising hierarchy. Lower-ranking thralls were incapable of deceiving their masters. For powerful vampires, utilizing aggressive blood sorcery to forcibly extract long-faded memories was a simple task, and any minor mental damage caused by the process was negligible to their resilient physiology.

To put it simply, if they could successfully defeat Obaifo, they could wrest the unvarnished truth directly from the perpetrators and ensure they faced retribution. It stood as the most viable path to unearthing the reality of a tragedy that had occurred over twenty years prior.

‘…I hold onto the hope that he still draws breath somewhere… but even if he has perished…’

Should a parent not at least understand the manner and location of their child’s passing? Even if it meant discovering nothing more than where his bones rested.

“Sigh…”

Kayla exhaled a weary breath and stepped toward the window. She gazed up at the night sky, silently pleading that her decision would bear the right fruit. The full moon gleamed with immense brilliance, indifferent to her internal turmoil as it cast its serene radiance over the lands below.

She remained concealed within a dilapidated safe house located on the outskirts of the Republic’s capital. Nearby, the grand conflict for dominance over the vampire realm between Hybrid and Obaifo had officially ignited… a theater of war where Heinz the Second, the High Lord himself, had taken the field.

‘…The sky is perfectly clear.’

It was a stunning evening, a fitting backdrop for the dawning of a new age.

—

*Swish—! Snap!*

A whip-like stream of crimson blood lunged from the shadows, striking like a viper toward the defender’s throat.

“Gah, you won’t catch me that easily!”

The target pivoted sharply, hoisting his forearm to intercept the strike and blunt its force before lunging aggressively at his attacker. A dense, crimson mist of magical energy radiated intensely from both combatants.

“You pathetic wretches, nothing more than domesticated cattle! How dare you desecrate this domain!”

“You blind fools, trapped in your own ignorance! A fresh hierarchy has already taken root! He is the Sovereign who will guide us toward true glory!”

This was a clash between vampires, an absolute taboo within mortal society. Astonishingly, this skirmish was not unfolding in a secluded, abandoned wasteland. It was taking place directly within Ulethor, the primary capital of the Zepia Republic, a dominant power in the eastern territories. Furthermore, it was not an isolated incident; similar violent clashes were erupting simultaneously across the entire metropolis.

“Code Red! Code Red! Their strike teams are hunting the parliament members!”

“Hold the line! Keep them from breaching the perimeter!”

Naturally, a conflict of this magnitude could not be concealed from the public. This city served as the primary stronghold for Obaifo, where their roots ran deep from decades of covert operations. They had anticipated external aggression and were systematically pulling back, utilizing their bewitched mortal thralls as physical shields.

While Hybrid’s vanguard was comprised of elite warriors meticulously gathered from across the continent, Obaifo compensated for their inferior numbers by commandeering the official military forces of the Republic.

‘I calculated this scenario.’

Heinz had specifically chosen the vampires under his command with this exact battlefield dynamic in mind. The localized security forces stationed throughout the municipal sectors stood no chance against them.

‘They will find no opportunity to ascend. And while their attention is divided…’

Heinz pressed forward through the urban landscape, entirely unbothered by the violence surrounding him.

“Halt! Advance no fur— Argh!”

“Wh-what just happened?! I couldn’t even register his presence…”

*Swish— Thud!*

A handful of arrogant guards, misinterpreting his concealed aura as a sign of vulnerability, attempted to block his path. Before they could step within striking distance, they were instantaneously dissolved into stagnant pools of gore. He did not grant them a second thought, maintaining his steady march toward his ultimate goal.

Through Olivia’s exceptionally precise espionage network, he had acquired the exact coordinates of the sanctuary where Obaifo, the commander of the enemy forces, was currently entrenched.

“Ugh— What sort of monster is he…?!”

“Fall back! We cannot even get within range of him—!”

*Whoosh! Crackle—!*

Without lifting a hand, Heinz merely cast a cold glance in their direction, causing bursts of crimson spray to erupt from their bodies, painting the cobblestones red. Yet, the carnage did not linger. The spilled blood coating the path began to writhe as if possessed by an independent will, drawing backward and seeping directly into his boots.

The pathways, which had been awash with gore moments before, were instantly left pristine, leaving no trace of the violence. As he continued his tranquil walk, several notifications from the system materialized in his field of vision.

《Insight achieved through the parameters of the unique trait “Hybrid Evolution”. You have successfully unlocked the capability “Fusion”.》

《The unique trait “Hybrid Evolution” has assimilated its derivative capability “Fusion”, enhancing its base properties.》

He observed the long-absent notification of a trait awakening, a cold spark igniting in his eyes.

‘“Fusion”. I had assumed the Auterican vampires possessed no further ancestral traits worth extracting. It appears my assessment was premature.’

The mechanism of “Hybrid Evolution” permitted him to perpetually upgrade his condition by harvesting diverse genetic markers, offering a rare chance to usurp the latent talents of his targets. Given that he had already cataloged virtually every available blood strain on the planet, the likelihood of plundering traits from entities far weaker than himself had become negligible, causing him to relegate the feature to the back of his mind.

‘…Though it matters little, seeing as it was assimilated the very moment it manifested.’

The primary trait, “Hybrid Evolution,” which had triggered the awakening, immediately devoured the new sub-skill. It was an act of complete internal efficiency. In practical terms, a single consolidated, high-tier capability was far more advantageous than possessing an array of redundant skills. His alternative powers had undergone a similar transformation.

> ****
> * **Name:** Heinz the Second
> * **Species:** Vampire (Sacred Blood)
> * **Universal Attributes:** “Mind Hub”, “Persona”, “Clear Mind”, “Super Strength”, “Xenoglossy”
> * **Personal Attributes:** “Blood Clan (Sacred Blood)”, “Hybrid Evolution”, “Blood Mystery”, “Refined Blood Essence”, “Existence Denial”, “Rapid Acceleration”, “Super Regeneration”, “Insight”
> * **Special Designations:** Has broken through the inherent constraints of his lineage by achieving the rank of Sacred Blood. Commands absolute dominion over his lineage as the progenitor of the ‘Hybrid’ bloodline. Velocity has been drastically amplified through the parameters of “Rapid Acceleration”, and the pathways of destiny are rendered visible via “Insight”.
>
>

His foundational techniques, “Acceleration” and “Hypersensitivity,” had coalesced into the superior form of “Rapid Acceleration”. Meanwhile, “Insight” stood as the combined evolution of his previous “Discernment” and “Foresight” attributes. Their devastating utility was beyond question.

At his current level, he could disintegrate Pureblood vampires and any lesser entities into liquid remains with nothing more than a passing gaze. This power would undoubtedly prove highly effective even against adversaries of comparable or superior classification. It was finally time to evaluate these refinements in a true theater of war.

‘Ah, this must be the location.’

He had deliberately walked the streets openly to properly ready his body for conflict, and his travels had at last brought him to his destination.

Before him stood the sprawling estate of a veteran politician who had held authority within the government for decades. This location served as the primary command post for Obaifo’s local operations… a setup highly reminiscent of Duke Bright’s estate back in the Talia Kingdom.

‘It is an elementary strategy to entrench oneself within the ruling class prior to subjugating an entire commonwealth.’

Heinz closed his eyes, projecting his heightened spiritual perception across the area. Just as he anticipated, the adversary’s stronghold was enveloped by sophisticated defensive wards… yet he could distinctly pinpoint a concentrated, formidable life signature deep within the interior.

‘He is present without a doubt.’

The sensation was unmistakable. The lines of destiny twisted and frayed as they ground against his overwhelming spiritual pressure.

‘Yet he refuses to show himself.’

Heinz had openly marched directly to the front gates to observe how the master of the house would respond, but his arrival was met with absolute silence. The occupant clearly had a countermeasure waiting.

“Well, I am entirely capable of demolishing whatever trap he intends to spring…”

Standing at the threshold of the estate, Heinz rubbed his jaw, deliberating on his entry strategy. The situation was an obvious ambush; his quarry remained hidden, and the structure was shielded by dense layers of protective barriers that made an external assault impractical. He could simply walk through the front door, and if an exceptionally lethal mechanism was triggered, he could always rely on ‘Dismiss’ to extricate himself…

‘However, something fails to align.’

A persistent feeling of irritation lingered in his mind. It was proper etiquette for a host to welcome a visitor at the gate, was it not? Instead, the man remained stubbornly entrenched within, practically issuing an invitation to break entry. It was an incredibly insolent display, an offense he could not overlook as an properly raised young gentleman from the East.

‘I am left with no alternative. I shall have to forge my own path.’

An iconic piece of wisdom suddenly echoed in his thoughts. *If no path presents itself, carve one with your own hands.* It was an excellent philosophy, regardless of who had originally spoken it.

—

Deep within the grand estate, Obaifo, maintaining the illusion of a fragile old man, sat calmly while lightly swirling the contents of his porcelain teacup.

“He arrives slightly ahead of schedule… but this is acceptable… My arrangements are entirely complete… This spares me the inconvenience of seeking him out myself…”

He was the entity destined to rule as the ultimate Monarch of all vampire kind. He had no intention of displaying poor manners to a prospective underling who had traveled all this way to greet him. Naturally, a slight correction in the youth’s demeanor would be required. This opening game was merely a necessary phase of that education. By the time the guest managed to navigate his way to this inner chamber, he would likely be in a much more cooperative frame of mind for dialogue.

As these calculations crossed his mind, he registered an entity penetrating the outer perimeter of his wards. The signature was incredibly faint, suggesting an attempt to mask its presence, but the unique magical wavelength and spiritual weight undeniably belonged to Heinz.

“I am curious to see what manner of creature he truly is… Let us discover if he possesses the qualities necessary to claim the title of Vampire King…”

A thin smirk touched his lips in anticipation of their impending confrontation as he lifted the teacup toward his face.

*Rumble—*

His hand stopped mid-air as a distinct vibration rippled through the structure. He knit his brows slightly, tilting his head in confusion.

‘What is this? Is he throwing a tantrum simply because he cannot decipher the outer ward? Unleashing mindless destruction against the barrier will yield him nothing. If he lacks the aptitude to bypass even this introductory test…’

*Rumble— Crash—! Thud!*

Yet, completely defying his predictions, the chamber began to violently shudder as structural supports began to disintegrate.

“…What madness is this? He is disrupting the structural integrity of the ‘Overlapping Phase Inversion Subspace’ from within… without even navigating to the central anchor where I sit…?”

Furthermore, the force was not originating from an external bombardment. This pocket dimension, engineered with interwoven and reversed spatial phases, possessed near-absolute immunity to conventional attacks from both sides. Even if an intruder managed to fracture a portion of it, the undamaged spatial layer would instantly slide into place to absorb the impact. While a method to dismantle it existed, it remained an entirely abstract concept…

*Kaboom——!*

His internal analysis was utterly shattered by a cataclysmic detonation that reverberated through the foundations of the entire mansion. Once the thunderous echoes died away, a fresh sound filled the room.

“So, we finally stand face-to-face.”

An unfamiliar voice, carrying a distinctly confident cadence he had only ever received reports of, vibrated through the air of the chamber. Obaifo deliberately shifted his gaze toward the point where the sound had originated.

“Pray forgive my somewhat forceful entry. The master of the estate appeared to be hard of hearing, leaving me with no choice but to improvise.”

He had quite literally obliterated the barrier of the doorway. Heinz stood there speaking completely casually, his features devoid of any genuine remorse. He carried himself as though he had performed a helpful service by increasing the room’s airflow.

Obaifo forced down the instinctual reprimand rising in his throat, forcing his features into a measured smile instead. A true monarch was required to preserve their dignity under any circumstance. Even if—.

‘…That is far more than just the doorway…!’

Stretching all the way from the outer threshold of the estate directly to the private receiving room where he sat… a colossal, gaping tunnel wide enough to accommodate an entire horse-drawn carriage had been violently bored straight through the center of the mansion.