Chapter 269

Chapter 269
## Chapter 269

An Excursion (1)

“Hey! Shift that piece over there!”

“Watch it! Don’t let it drop!”

“Where are the spellcasters? We aren’t supposed to handle this directly!”

The territory surrounding Tarak Castle was completely devastated, filled with citizens frantically attempting to clear away the wreckage.

The settlement had endured brutal, successive onslaughts from both the titan and the Deathless Monarch, leaving the entire area in utter disarray.

It was solely due to the sudden retreat of the Deathless Monarch that further slaughter had been averted, yet the destruction remained severe.

The defensive wards and auxiliary spell arrays, which had been desperately sustained through the raw willpower of the mages, were completely shattered beyond restoration. The ramparts lay in ruins, the soil was poisoned with foul energy, and the casualties alongside material losses were immense.

Furthermore, having stood against the Unliving Host and the suffocating malice that served as a bane to all breath, the majority of the surviving defenders were crippled by sheer terror and psychological scars.

Consequently, in the immediate aftermath of the engagement, the individuals responsible for mending not only flesh wounds but also comforting these fractured minds were…

“It has been far too long, Holy Maiden, Holy Son. Pray forgive my delayed welcome. The chaos of these events…”

“It is wonderful to encounter you once more, High Prelate Donovan! Your devotion today has been exemplary.”

“You flatter me. My contributions pale when measured against the deeds of the Holy Maiden and her brave compatriots. Had the Deathless Monarch persisted, Tarak would be nothing but cinders.”

…the clergy members dispatched from the Picaol Sanctuary.

Their commander, the High Prelate, had only just managed to find a brief window to formally greet the champions after managing the crisis of the Deathless Monarch’s arrival, directing the battle along the parapets, and overseeing the immediate triage of the maimed.

While High Prelate Donovan regarded Holy Maiden Liesta with the gentle, benevolent expression of a proud patriarch, Heinrich offered a response layered with astonishment.

“Your arrival was incredibly swift. Mobilizing such a grand contingent in this timeframe must have been a monumental task.”

“We harbored an ominous premonition that a crisis was looming, so we remained vigilant, prepared to march at a moment’s notice. The frantic distress signal from Tarak merely confirmed our fears.”

The elder cleric added, accompanied by an amused, self-deprecating chuckle, that they had still failed to arrive on time.

His colossal physique, as remarkably robust as ever, rippled and tensed with movement.

‘His vitality is staggering, despite his advanced years.’

Heinrich thought back to their initial encounter at the Picaol Sanctuary, a time when he had journeyed there to face the trial of the sacred blade.

Naturally, during that period, he was nothing more than an aspiring Paladin initiate, whereas currently, he stood as a celebrated Holy Son… their societal standings had completely inverted.

“Regrettably… Ah, it appears the children of the night have already departed.”

“Indeed, they took their leave the moment the conflict concluded. I had hoped to express our profound gratitude for their intervention…”

“They truly provided indispensable aid. Our lines would have broken swiftly without their presence… To think we would find salvation through vampires. It leaves a peculiar impression.”

A nearby commander, who had dedicated his entire existence to viewing vampires as mortal adversaries, let out a soft murmur.

He had previously harbored deep skepticism regarding the Holy Son’s doctrine of harmony and alliance with the vampire race… yet after witnessing their battlefield valor with his own eyes, he could not dispute the outcome.

The Holy Son’s vision had been vindicated.

Heinrich offered a subtle nod, a gentle expression gracing his features.

‘This outcome will undoubtedly hasten the acceptance of vampires within the populace. The mercantile syndicate operated by Hubert can also step forward to fund the settlement’s restoration, thereby expanding their leverage. Moving forward…’

Simultaneously.

Heinz the Second, having retreated to his secret sanctuary following the clash, watched his followers assemble the Gate of Gore while organizing his own priorities.

He had initially journeyed back to Auterica to conclude the affairs plaguing the eastern territories of the Republic.

Then, the sudden distress call had compelled him to redirect his path here.

Now that the immediate threat was neutralized, he was required to journey back to finish his original assignment.

Granted, there remained the matter of collecting the promised rewards for defending the Sovereignty of Tulk…

‘That can be managed at a later date. I have thoroughly demonstrated our military might. They will find themselves lacking the leverage to offer anything short of exceptional terms.’

It would be beneath his dignity as the supreme voice of Talia to engage directly in such mundane bargaining.

That burden belonged to his subordinates.

Deliberations regarding financial reparations and future alliances were obligations for sovereign states to untangle. There existed no pressing motive for him to linger in this place.

‘Furthermore, I must conduct another audience with Kayla McClair.’

The regional administrator of the Republic, who had aligned with him to uncover the truth surrounding her child’s abduction.

A fresh dispatch had just reached him indicating that an anomaly had been unearthed during the interrogation of the Obaifo Syndicate affiliates linked to the case.

‘…It is within the realm of possibility that the youth still draws breath.’

Naturally, certainty was elusive.

The odds of a youth kidnapped and missing for over two decades remaining among the living were astronomically unfavorable.

‘My desire was to wrap this up rapidly and embark on a gastronomic journey across Northern Europe…’

Heinz ran a tongue over his lips, a flash of longing surfacing within his gaze.

Yet he could not simply abandon a pact forged with an individual possessing the potential to be a highly advantageous partner.

He directed his gaze toward the shimmering Gate of Gore, which was gradually materializing amid a vortex of crimson mist, and inclined his head slightly.

‘The resolution will not require much time.’

Now that their greatest adversary, the Insurgent, had been eliminated.

There remained no entity within this realm capable of standing against his dictates.

—

『Remnant of the XXed XXX’s XX (27,200,000)』

“Hmph, just as I suspected, this item shares a bond with that entity shackled within the abyss.”

I pulled my brows together slightly, fixing my gaze upon the object showcased inside the 『Vault of Acquisitions』 display.

An anonymous treasure that had initially demanded a price of 30 million tokens.

Following the crisis involving the Obaifo, right after I fashioned the draconic incarnation, its valuation had dropped by 300,000 credits.

And currently, it had plummeted by a margin exceeding a million.

‘At this tempo, the connection is undeniable.’

The reality that this object was intrinsically tied to the titan, the Insurgent, and the primordial entity he revered.

‘An entity shackled within the abyss.’

Understandably, upon discovering this reality, I had deployed every asset at my disposal to unearth records.

Utilizing everything from the espionage rings commanded by each incarnation to the deep lore accessible via Heinrich’s elevated status as a Holy Son… yet the collection of data I managed to harvest from the far reaches of the realm…

“This defies belief.”

…amounted to absolutely nothing.

There existed no chronicle, nor even a passing whisper in regional fables or ancient myths.

Even the Inquisitors of Heresy, who served as the premier intelligence extractors within the central faith of the Main God, were entirely oblivious.

When I carefully introduced the subject while keeping my identity obscured behind a cowl and visor, their genuine bewilderment was impossible to mistake.

Heinrich was unable to press the matter further without raising suspicion, forcing him to abandon any hope of extracting lore from their archives.

Naturally, their total ignorance was a revelation in its own right.

‘It implies that any memory of its existence has been thoroughly expunged from this reality.’

Erasing the very legacy of a immortal power from a whole world was no small feat.

Only a single entity possessed the authority to execute such an erasure.

‘Now the absolute backing of the Main God becomes logical.’

The Deathless Monarch functioned as the primary edge, the most lethal instrument, unleashed by the entity shackled within the abyss.

And an interloper, possessing no ties to this reality, had claimed ownership of it.

With the balance of the cosmos jeopardized by a persistent anomaly, the Main God had deployed him, Han Seong-hyeon, to act as a corrective protocol.

“Well, the arrangement benefits us both, so I have no grounds for dissatisfaction.”

I gave a casual shrug and diverted my gaze away from the mysterious object.

My original purpose in summoning the interface was to review my gathered Destiny reserves, but I had permitted myself to become distracted.

‘Regardless, eliminating a significant adversary of that caliber proved remarkably lucrative.’

I had been consistently upgrading my innate capability and consuming the Elixir of Development, causing the acquisition rate of my Destiny to diminish to a degree… yet neutralizing the Insurgent had triggered an immense windfall of wealth.

Securing nearly 2 million tokens from a single operation was unprecedented.

‘I ought to preserve these resources for the time being. They could prove vital down the road. Besides, further progression of my innate capability is currently restricted.’

I had already pushed its development through twelve successive phases.

At this profound tier, an instinctual awareness resonated within me.

An awareness that my vessel was not yet prepared to transition into the subsequent boundary.

‘Ah well, I anticipated that a bottleneck would present itself eventually.’

My ascent had been incredibly rapid, leaving my technical mastery struggling to match my raw tier.

The double progression experienced during the previous breakthrough had undoubtedly contributed to this stagnation.

‘There is no impending crisis, so haste is unwarranted. I possess an abundance of time. My priority should be stabilizing my current power structure.’

It was frequently difficult to track the true flow of days while occupying multiple vessels in a realm where time progressed at an accelerated rate… yet in reality, I had operated as an awakened soul and master of the 「Avatar」 attribute for a period under six months.

Such a transformation rate was unprecedented, even when compared to the most gifted extra-dimensional travelers.

Greed would only invite ruin.

Chime—♪

While I was weighing my prospective choices, the chime from my mobile device echoed in the quiet room.

“Ah, the hours have slipped away from me.”

The clock was rapidly approaching midday.

I swiftly snatched my outerwear and stepped out into the brilliant radiance of the afternoon sun.

‘The sky is remarkably clear.’

I raised a hand to block the glare, narrowing my eyes slightly as I accelerated my stride.

Navigating the outside world posed no physical threat to me now, yet after spending several years living as a complete recluse, the aversion to abandoning my sanctuary lingered.

My residence contained every luxury imaginable, providing specialized zones for physical training and personal entertainment alike.

-Kang Tae-san: Hey, are you genuinely making the trip? My grandmother insisted that you shouldn’t overexert yourself on her account.

Yet that very reclusive nature was the reason I needed to compel myself to venture out, particularly for monumental occasions.

Furthermore, these individuals were far from strangers.

I could not justify discarding my remaining interpersonal ties merely for the sake of comfort.

-Me: I am currently en route. I have already boarded the transport.

-Kang Tae-san: Splendid, travel safely.

It felt as though an eternity had transpired since I last set foot within the capital city utilizing my primary vessel.

This particular day marked the occasion when Kang Tae-san’s grandmother was finally being released from medical custody.

—

As I journeyed toward the capital, migrating between various transit lines without experiencing any delays, I formed a resolute vow to acquire a operating license at the earliest opportunity.

Having grown accustomed to the effortless luxury of instantaneous displacement, the sheer tediousness of communal transit had slipped my mind. Even with flawlessly synchronized connections, the journey remained an ordeal.

‘I could deploy “Individual Projection” to bypass the distance, but… utilizing that method for ordinary social calls is risky.’

Lapses in concentration could easily expose my hidden nature if I grew complacent.

It was vital to preserve the illusion of an ordinary existence to safeguard the alibi of my primary vessel.

“Oh, Seong-hyeon! What a pleasant surprise! You truly shouldn’t have burdened yourself with such a long journey.”

“Haha, please don’t mention it. I welcomed the opportunity to get out of the house anyway.”

“Precisely, he spends far too much time cooped up indoors. Grandmother, you cannot fathom the scale of his residence. The place features a personal fitness center, a lap pool, and an actual screening auditorium!”

As I entered the medical facility and located his relative, who was currently concluding her discharge documentation, a peculiar sensation washed over me.

‘The application of sacred energy is truly miraculous.’

Observing the elderly woman, who had previously hovered on the brink of demise, now sufficiently revitalized to return home, I reflected upon the mystical intervention Heinrich had channeled.

‘While arresting the natural decay of age remains impossible, replenishing her core life force and fortifying her internal defenses achieved wonders.’

Heinrich’s mastery over sacred energy was aligned with the tier of a Grand Prelate during that period.

It lacked the absolute majesty of his current standing as a Holy Son, yet a Grand Prelate remained a towering figure of spiritual authority.

An individual of equivalent status to a regional Peer, a high-ranking spiritual leader governing a vast territory.

‘The recovery required an extended period, yet her health has been entirely restored.’

Sacred energy and divine blessings were remarkably practical tools.

It offered a logical explanation for why countless minor spiritual movements were expanding so rapidly within contemporary civilization.

Had the expression of divine arts not been so heavily suppressed by the natural laws of this world, the priesthood would likely command an even greater share of global authority.

“Very well, let us make our departure.”

I fell into step behind Kang Tae-san as he guided his grandmother’s mobility chair forward.

Just as our group approached the threshold of the main exit,

“Heh… Ahaha…”

A muffled, sinister chuckle drifted into my perception, heightened by my supernatural attributes and the passive awareness granted by my ascended innate capability.

A malicious laughter, imperceptible to ordinary ears.

A sudden tremor of danger raced down my spine, causing my reflexes to lock into absolute readiness.

I sharply pivoted my gaze toward the origin of the disturbance—.

And reality dawned on me.

‘I was a fool to believe things would remain peaceful!’

Safety truly existed nowhere outside my own walls.

In the next instant.

Boom—!

A thunderous detonation tore the medical facility’s entrance hall asunder.