Chapter 299

Chapter 299
## Chapter 299

### Romania (3)

A colossal, muscular frame radiated an overwhelming, suffocating presence.

“Khehehe…”

Heinz’s energy was cold and treacherous, while the Duke’s was heavy and dominating; this newcomer’s aura, however, triggered a primitive dread—a sudden realization of mortal peril that transfixed everyone present.

It felt like a volatile volcano on the verge of bursting, harboring a force that was both unpredictable and uncontrollable.

“Be careful! Avoid reckless engagement!”

“Keep the outer groups managing the perimeter! Do not scatter our numbers!”

“What is that thing… is it human? Or a demon?”

The vampires, who survived by draining lifeblood, and the transcendent warriors, who had pushed past mortality, all instantly sensed his true nature the moment he appeared.

He possessed a human shape, yet he was undeniably something else entirely.

*Gulp—*

‘What sort of creature have we encountered…?’

A true abomination.

That single thought resonated among all who watched him.

The animal pelt draped over his skull like a grotesque visor concealed his facial features, only heightening his terrifying allure.

He appeared to be a demonic hybrid of man and beast.

“…Identify yourself. By what means did you infiltrate this place? Do you comprehend the gravity of your actions?”

Stepping out in front, the Duke demanded answers in a low, resonant growl that vibrated through the tense atmosphere.

The primitive interloper had just arrived and already severely wounded a transcendent operative from the Heaven’s Turn Society, while simultaneously ending two of Dracul’s vampires.

Though he was unmistakably a foe, they possessed zero intelligence on him, prompting the Duke to seek answers before initiating combat.

‘What drove his assault? Is he allied with Phantom? If so, who is currently engaging our outer teams? How did he breach our security? It is conceivable he possesses a specialized infiltration trait. But why launch a sudden raid now?’

The Duke’s mind raced with conflicting theories.

Even the Heaven’s Turn Society, a global clandestine syndicate boasting unmatched espionage networks, possessed no records regarding these raiders.

They had conducted an exhaustive investigation into Phantom and Heinz.

Yet this was completely unforeseen.

However, Harley, the unidentified intruder, had absolutely no desire to satisfy his curiosity.

“Huh? What gibberish are you spouting? I can’t make heads or tails of it. Try speaking English!”

He answered in English, deliberately playing dumb.

Though tongue barriers were irrelevant to him because of 「Xenoglossy」, he used the minor deception to mask his origins and confuse his targets.

The Duke’s brow furrowed as he prepared to counter…

“Don’t sweat it! We can just use the universal tongue… brutality! Khahaha—!”

…But Harley’s thunderous roaring laughter drowned him out completely.

His muscle fibers swelled and rippled violently.

*Creak! Crack—!*

An artificial, mechanical screech—completely unnatural for a biological body—reverberated through the clearing, mimicking the strain of heavy industrial gears.

*Sizzle—*

His skin burned a deep crimson, vapor scalding out from his pores as the surrounding air warped from the radiating thermal energy.

*Crack— Crackle!*

His already gargantuan physique expanded further, his arms and legs inflating as hooked, razor-sharp talons burst from his fingertips.

A dark maroon vapor, resembling a heat mirage, bled out from beneath the protective scales coating his torso—his “Bio-Aura”, supercharged by pure insanity.

He stood as the apex of developmental biology, a creature that achieved transcendence through perpetual adaptation.

He was the literal manifestation of the “Ultimate Evolved Lifeform”.

“…What monstrosity is that?”

“An altered demon? No, this goes far deeper…”

“The energy is incredibly foul. Keep your focus sharp! Resist its corrupting influence!”

The operatives of the Heaven’s Turn Society instinctively shrank back, reacting exactly like prey cornered by a dominant predator.

The moment they recognized their own cowardly hesitation, their expressions twisted with humiliation.

Showing such vulnerability was a profound disgrace to proud, high-tier combatants.

“Huu…”

Now towering well over three meters in height, Harley merely blown out a plume of vapor, tracking them with a cold, predatory gleam in his eyes.

“Kuhut— Well then…”

His beastly visor shifted slightly, exposing rows of jagged, shark-like teeth.

That terrifying maw, stretching far beyond normal human limitations, contorted into a malevolent smirk—.

“…Let the culling commence! Khahaha!”

—And with a final burst of primal amusement, he lunged forward into the fray.

—

A dark silhouette slipped away from the chaotic warzone, sprinting stealthily toward the boundary of the woodlands.

‘I dropped my guard.’

The fleeing figure, an assassin sent from the Greece branch of the Heaven’s Turn Society under the Doctor’s direct orders, forced himself to stay focused, maintaining a cold and calculated mindset.

He had managed to slip away by the skin of his teeth, but his physical condition was dire.

‘Losing my limbs puts me at a severe disadvantage. At the very least, the hemorrhaging is controlled for now…’

He cast his gaze down toward his right flank.

Where his arm and leg used to be before being ripped away, dark, obsidian prosthetics now hung.

These makeshift limbs, forged from the shadowy chakra he commanded, served as a temporary patch to keep him mobile.

‘…I never anticipated his strength would be so absurd.’

Remaining close to evaluate the trespasser’s combat capabilities had been a fatal miscalculation.

He never envisioned the brute would pierce his camouflage and sever his limbs with a careless swing of his hand!

‘I want nothing more than to retreat…’

Yet abandoning his assignment was out of the question, particularly given the current anarchy.

Furthermore, unlike the regenerating anomalies who could regrow missing flesh, he was a basic human who needed to prove his utility to the Doctor to earn medical restoration later.

‘Engaging that juggernaut directly is suicide. I will reinforce the perimeter teams and assassinate the secondary trespasser instead…’

However.

His line of thought shattered instantly.

*———!*

A silent, blinding streak of illumination manifested right before him, easily evading his compromised perception.

“………!”

A sudden ambush struck before his mind could even register the threat.

‘Curse it…! Not another anomaly…!’

*Kaboom—*

The individual responsible for unleashing the devastating projectile, Harris, a High Elf summoned from Earth, let out a soft whistle. His physical form remained perfectly synchronized with the surrounding woodland due to traits like 「Natural Body」 and 「Assimilation with Nature」.

‘He reacted at the absolute final microsecond? Impressive, given his severe mutilation.’

He gripped Themis, the legendary longbow shaped from a branch of the World Tree, in one hand while nocking an arrow with the other, his eyelids drooping slightly.

“You will not be escaping me, however.”

His brilliant green eyes, featuring star-patterned pupils, triggered 「Watcher of the Milky Way」, mapping the entire woodland terrain before him with fidelity surpassing any orbital sensor.

The exact coordinates, shifting positions, vitality markers, and combat techniques of every entity were laid bare.

He processed and cataloged the incoming data seamlessly within moments, drawing his bowstring taut as he aimed directly at a targeted coordinate.

‘Every individual here is merely a chess piece of the Heaven’s Turn Society. I will ensure none leave this place alive.’

His primary objective was to wipe out the Heaven’s Turn Society’s outer teams, ensuring they could not rally to reinforce the primary engagement.

He also needed to safeguard his identity. Fortunately, his environmental cloaking, amplified by the 「Gentle Eight Trigrams Secret Art (Modified)」, made concealment effortless.

He had already neutralized the utility awakened tracker responsible for spawning those bizarre surveillance eyes, and the high-tier assassin capable of sniffing out his position…

*Kaboom—*

…had just been obliterated into cinders by his opening salvo.

‘That eliminates a major threat. Having Harley cripple him beforehand made this far simpler than expected.’

Under normal circumstances, pinning down a master of stealth and evasion would have proven much more tedious.

With that high-value target eliminated, Harris shifted positions fluidly and noiselessly.

Immediately following his departure,

*Crackle—!*

*Koooong!*

A spatial-tearing sniper round, followed by a heavy salvo of offensive sorcery, pulverized the ground where he had stood moments prior.

The retaliation came from the Heaven’s Turn Society’s outer groups, who continued to offer frantic opposition despite their rapidly thinning numbers.

‘Ruining the natural environment like this… they must pay for their arrogance.’

Harris grimaced, surveying the scarred earth.

As a protector of the wild, he harbored a deep distaste for such reckless ruin.

He called forth his elemental spirits and pulled back his bow string once more.

…Naturally, the individual most guilty of catastrophic eco-destruction on this field was someone on his own side, but he chose to push that thought out of his mind.

Meanwhile, at the heart of the conflict,

*Kaboom!*

A fist radiating dark crimson vitality collided violently against a heavy war hammer cloaked in aura.

“Khahaha! Yes, this is magnificent! Absolutely magnificent!”

“Hrrrragh!”

A massive shockwave surged outward from the impact zone, accompanied by a booming, crazed laugh.

The outcome of the brief clash was immediately apparent.

“Gah! You absolute freak!”

The giant brawler, who had oozed confidence regarding his physical prowess, was sent hurtling backward through the air.

Yet his predicament only worsened.

Stripped of his footing, he tried frantically to parry a massive hand zooming straight for his skull.

*Clang—!*

An ear-splitting metallic shriek rang out as the war hammer met the descending palm.

Utilizing that split-second distraction, his allies darted inward, narrowly plucking him away from the jaws of death.

“Avoid a head-on brawl! We must bleed him dry gradually…!”

“Do you honestly believe attrition tactics work on a freak of that caliber?!”

“We have no alternatives! Just focus entirely on staying alive…!”

The engagement felt exactly like an organized raid against an endgame boss.

The terrifying twist was that this particular boss possessed high-level martial intelligence and refined combat arts.

“Khaha! Don’t back away now, my friends! Let’s keep this party going!”

An anomaly utilizing sophisticated human combat styles tore through their ranks, drowning out the frantic shouts of those desperate to contain him.

“Whew— That clears the air a bit. Duke, we still have outstanding matters between us, don’t we? Let us bring this to a close.”

“…Phantom!”

Heinz, watching the chaotic display from the periphery, remarked casually.

His gaze was detached and analytical as it washed over his adversary.

Like an appraiser calculating the precise market value of an asset.

—

Deep within a secure facility located in Bucharest.

*Crash—! Clatter!*

The Doctor bolted upright from his seat, inadvertently flipping the refreshments on his desk and sending them clattering across the floor.

He paid the mess no mind.

He simply lacked the luxury to care about such irrelevant trifles right now.

“What… What on earth is that thing…?”

He gaped at the projection flickering before him, his voice reduced to a stunned murmur as his brain struggled to process the feed.

Yet he recognized it instantly.

It was impossible for him to mistake it.

“Could it truly be…? No, that defies logic…”

The Complete Evolution Project.

An ambitious undertaking he had personally conceptualized and formulated roughly a decade ago, inspired by his discovery of the ‘Predator Dragon’s Blood’ sourced from the Lauveda dimension—a realm defined by countless draconic variants and the hunters who tracked them.

Was that breakthrough not the exact catalyst for his scheme to abduct Heinz in the first place?

“Ahhhhh—! That is unmistakably…!”

This was no basic amalgamation or a poorly stitched combination of divergent species.

It was a master plan designed to birth the pinnacle of biological life—a specimen built for infinite adaptation by absorbing superior genetic codes.

“But… how…”

No matter how intensely he attempted to rationalize the data, his own 「Eye of Truth」 provided an undeniable verdict.

“…Why does that creation exist out there?!”

The entity tearing through his forces was, without a shadow of a doubt, a product cloned directly from his own stolen blueprints.