Chapter 284

Chapter 284
## Chapter 284

### European Expansion (3)

Daylight arrived.

As though the evening had passed without incident, Paris, the vibrant core of France, commenced its familiar, lively routine.

Residents stepped out into the morning, heading to classes, jobs, and managing their households.

Yet beneath that mundane exterior, the metropolis’s underbelly, which had remained entirely awake through the dark hours, was far from tranquil.

Individuals whose rest had been shattered by the prior night’s chaotic events were still rushing about frantically.

“Give me an update.”

“No new intelligence has come in since the incident in Nanterre three hours ago. This brings the count of demolished Thermidor locations to five, starting with the initial hit on the Versailles branch.”

“Five? They lost five branches over the course of a single night?”

The Director of the Paranormal Security Bureau—the administrative body tasked with overseeing awakened individuals across France—offered a skeptical laugh at his underling’s briefing.

Thermidor was no ordinary syndicate.

They effectively controlled the Milieu, the criminal underworld of France, stretching their authority into every corner of the nation’s illicit enterprises, whether directly or from behind the scenes.

They represented a formidable and hazardous syndicate, one that even state authorities preferred not to antagonize.

And the individual responsible for transforming a common gang into such a juggernaut…

“The Tyrant isn’t going to take this sitting down.”

…was the commander of Thermidor and the undisputed master of the Milieu, the Tyrant.

“If he launches a counteroffensive, the fallout will be catastrophic. He doesn’t suspect our department, does he? We aren’t prepared for a confrontation…”

It could appear bizarre for a state department to fret over the retaliation of a underworld syndicate, but the reality of their predicament was far more complicated.

‘He isn’t merely a man; he functions as a weapon of mass destruction.’

A select few exceptionally gifted people held powers that broke the boundaries of normal human logic.

The most problematic figures among them were those like the Tyrant, who could not be dealt with through conventional warfare.

‘Should he choose to hunt state officials and key societal leaders, the entire nation could grind to a halt.’

If he prioritized stealth operations and targeted executions, even enlisting transcendent-tier awakened individuals would fail to guarantee protection.

Furthermore, even if they succeeded in taking him down, the collateral damage would be devastating.

For this reason, the administration only crossed swords with Thermidor when the syndicate overstepped specific boundaries, demanding extreme retaliation.

Ultimately, survival was the primary driving force for everyone involved.

Most nations dealing with dominant rogue groups found themselves in a parallel gridlock.

“We haven’t observed any atypical movements from them yet. They are likely gathering intelligence before initiating a counterstrike.”

“…That provides some breathing room. Do we know who did it? To accomplish a feat like this single-handedly, whoever it is must be terrifyingly proficient.”

He felt a twinge of humiliation, finding comfort in a criminal’s hesitation… yet he had little choice.

His main objective was unmasking the assailant.

They required an identity before they could construct a strategic response.

“Speaks fluent French, stands above 180 centimeters, possesses a refined and commanding aura, a striking appearance featuring dark hair matched with crimson eyes, and conceals his face with a white opera mask…”

Owing to the wealth of eyewitness observations and survivor accounts collected before dawn, they possessed a vivid rendering of the prime suspect.

Naturally, tracing someone using such fragmented details was a monumental task, but—

“We touched base with the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE), and their records point toward a specific individual.”

—They had successfully focused their attention on one highly credible target.

The French foreign intelligence service, which kept tabs on global affairs, had supplied them with a swift confirmation.

“He operates under the moniker Phantom.”

“…Phantom? Given the disguise and the style… Could it actually be the Phantom of the Opera?”

“Precisely. Furthermore, their data indicates he commands a vampire clan that recently seized dominance over Korea’s underworld.”

“A vampire? What business brings an entity like that to our shores?”

A sequence of visuals flashed onto the wall, cast by the office projector.

The files ranged from pixelated surveillance frames to high-fidelity photographs resembling professional portraits.

The final picture, given central focus, was the renowned “Phantom’s legendary photo” that had circulated extensively across internet platforms.

“…He is undeniably… memorable. Even with his face partially covered.”

“We have verified this against the descriptions provided by survivors. While we haven’t released a formal statement to the public, we are confident in this identification.”

“A Korean vampire, you say? It defies logic. Why would an individual from across the globe journey to this region? The distance is far too vast for a simple play to grab more territory.”

The Director scowled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

His familiarity with Korea was limited, having only encountered the region during occasional international briefings.

‘I recalled that the country lacked significant powerhouses outside of Lightning Empress and Hahoe Mask…’

It appeared his intelligence was out of date.

He had been too preoccupied with domestic crises to monitor global developments. He realized he needed to dedicate more attention to events transpiring abroad.

While the Paranormal Security Bureau organized their next steps, favoring a strategy of close observation and rapid deployment against emerging dangers,

Simultaneously, in a separate district of Paris,

“…A Korean vampire. So that is the man.”

Another individual observed the identical portrait, a bizarre gleam reflecting in his gaze.

The chamber was pitch-black, its glass panels sealed with heavy drapes that shut out the brilliant morning light. The only illumination came from the soft radiance of a computer monitor.

“…He actually made the journey here. What is his objective?”

A shape, enshrouded in the dark, whispered quietly to himself.

Yet his approach was far less passive than that of the bureaucratic office.

‘This cannot be overlooked.’

He remained ignorant of Phantom’s true motives for coming to France, but the action constituted an overt insult.

A gauntlet thrown down for everyone to see.

A multitude of his safe houses lay in ruins, and a significant portion of his soldiers had been eliminated. He could not permit this to slide. If he failed to strike back with absolute force, Thermidor’s standing would be permanently ruined.

He was required to execute the perpetrator and reestablish his dominion.

‘The man possesses talent. It might be wiser to draft him into our ranks. That outcome would more than offset the personnel we lost… Besides, I am growing weary of dealing with that Romanian bastard.’

His brow furrowed as he thought of his irritating rival who constantly attempted to bleed into his operations.

That insatiable vampire had already brought the majority of Eastern Europe’s criminal networks under his thumb and was perpetually scouting for ways to push westward.

With Thermidor currently compromised, that rival would undoubtedly attempt to capitalize on the vulnerability.

‘I will settle this matter swiftly and organize my forces.’

The form, concealed by the darkness, rose deliberately from his seat.

In a deep, unhurried tone, he commanded.

[“Find him.”]

His utterance, saturated with an uncanny energy, resonated through the walls.

The shadows occupying the room responded to the call, twisting and rearranging themselves.

[“And bring him to me.”]

Discover his location.

The darkness swelled, rolling outward like pigment dissolving in fluid, bleeding into every crevice of the chamber, passing beneath the windows, the entryway, and down the corridors, flowing past the threshold of the property and spilling into the metropolis.

The shadows stretched without limit, blending with the natural darkness of Paris, expanding even toward the outlying communities to build an immense, linked web.

Despite the intricate and delicate composition of the technique, its functional boundary spanned greater than twenty kilometers.

A talent that utilized the mundane presence of everyday shadows, rendering it virtually undetectable to ordinary senses.

That was his ultimate asset.

The unique ability belonging to Thermidor’s Tyrant, 「Lord of Shadows」.

And that particular capability, into which he had invested the vast majority of his accumulated Karma to refine,

“…Located him.”

…proved its worth once again.

—

A densely wooded estate located in Versailles, to the southwest of Paris.

Heinz the Second, standing motionless among the greenery, spoke in a quiet murmur.

“You have arrived.”

The words seemed directed at nothing, given the apparent solitude of the clearing…

“Hm, I sensed an anomaly. So you were waiting for my arrival?”

“I anticipated your appearance before long.”

“Your perception is commendable.”

…Yet a form, cloaked in darkness, emerged directly from the earth behind him, offering a relaxed reply.

Heinz, who had barely anticipated the arrival using his augmented perceptions and the aid of 「Insight」, regarded the newcomer with a spark of curiosity.

‘An expert who dedicated his entire progression toward a single unique skill. Unquestionably level 9, yet his blood factor metrics are exceptionally minimal. I was unaware such a balance could exist.’

He reflected on a past dialogue with Gamma, an individual aligned with the radical faction of the Blood Alliance, shortly after his arrival in Korea.

Gamma had outlined the grading framework utilized to categorize the diverse vampires originating from various realms who had clustered on Earth.

They were categorized collectively due to their mutual dependency on blood, yet their traits diverged so radically that they could scarcely be defined as the same lineage.

Much like chimpanzees and orangutans, both falling under the umbrella of primates, yet entirely separate creatures.

‘Consequently, they established a grading framework centered on the density and volume of the blood factor.’

It had served as an essential compromise given the lack of a uniform metric.

Ultimately, a superior density and greater volume of blood factor typically indicated a more formidable vampire.

However, it did not serve as a flawless gauge of combat capability.

‘It is a logical conclusion, upon deeper reflection.’

While Heinz had maximized his capabilities via aggressive blood reaping and the application of 「Hybrid Evolution」, a vampire’s ultimate lethality was not tethered exclusively to their blood factor.

Every awakened soul held a distinct unique skill, and even those destitute of one could ascend to a lofty tier through alternative disciplines.

A common Fledgling could evolve into an Archmage through rigorous study, and a Master of the Sword could be converted into a vampire through a turn of poor fortune.

Heinz perceived this reality with absolute clarity now, standing before the Tyrant.

The man’s blood factor parameters barely reached the threshold of True Blood, yet the pressure radiating from him carried the undeniable weight of a transcendent entity.

‘It appears achieving transcendence solely through the vampire lineage is nearly unachievable without resorting to… anomalous practices.’

Similar to Alpha, who had sacrificed his sanity in a desperate bid to artificially elevate his blood factor density.

It seemed the Tyrant, the obscured figure standing across from him, had arrived at a comparable realization.

“What…? You… How do you command such an impossible volume of blood magic power…?”

Conversely, his astonishment ran entirely counter to Heinz’s calm evaluation.

“Refining blood factors to such an extreme state within a mere handful of decades is fundamentally impossible…!”

Following a brief greeting, the two had spent the silence calculating each other’s parameters.

The Tyrant, finally fracturing the quiet, spoke in utter bewilderment.

Heinz’s 「Existence Denial」, even at this minimal distance, failed to completely mask his presence against an entity of transcendent status.

“Is there a need for conversation?”

Heinz, who had likewise been calculating the perfect moment to strike, answered instantly.

As the Tyrant wavered in his confusion, Heinz triggered his prepared incantation.

*Wooong—!*

A crimson barrier of blood, manifested in a fraction of a second via 「Blood Mystery」, aided by the probability altering effects of 「Rapid Acceleration」.

The Tyrant, identifying the immediate peril, counteracted without delay.

His form exploded with darkness, resembling a hedgehog raising its defensive needles.

“Let us conclude this swiftly. My schedule demands my presence elsewhere.”

“Ha! Do you truly believe a handful of basic parlor illusions will suffice against me?”

“We shall determine that momentarily.”

Heinz, experiencing the severe pangs of 「Bloodline Craving」, conjured a prolonged, crimson edge in his right hand while gathering a swirling vortex of scarlet energy in his left.

“Are they truly nothing more than… illusions?”

After all, he was far more than a simple vampire possessing a massive reservoir of blood.

He had broken through his limits through systematic blood harvesting and the process of 「Hybrid Evolution」, taking the very Karma of those he defeated into himself.