Chapter 305

Chapter 305
Chapter 305
Doctor (3)

Heinz the Second nodded slowly as he took in Jin So-ran’s update from Romania detailing the Blood Alliance’s foray into the entertainment market.

‘If they pull it off, it’s actually a solid concept.’

Ultimately, mortals were helplessly attracted to striking physical forms.

And beautiful visages were practically a birthright for the vast majority of vampires, weren’t they?

Their mesmerizing charm had always been a primary instrument for drawing in their targets.

‘There is zero point in neglecting the natural assets at our disposal.’

Granted, they would face distinct limitations and skeptical surveillance, but such hurdles could be managed.

‘Besides, plenty of them yearn to step into the daylight of high society.’

They had merely been laying low out of sheer necessity. It wasn’t as though every single vampire relished a life confined to the dark corners of the world.

Jin So-ran, who was overseeing the current project, stood out as a perfect representation of that sentiment.

For that reason, Heinz granted her absolute autonomy over the venture.

He instructed her to manage the situation precisely as she deemed appropriate, matching her usual standard.

‘…My own schedule is simply too packed. She can reach out if she hits a wall.’

A faint prick of conscience struck him, but the reality of his situation left him no choice.

She was receiving ample compensation for her efforts, so she would certainly comprehend his position.

His own plate was overflowing at the moment.

“Still nothing, I see. I was expecting at least a minor discovery.”

Heinz sighed and shook his head, having thoroughly scoured Doctor’s abandoned refuge.

He had returned to this spot to perform a final inspection, just to be absolutely certain, while Hans and Horus analyzed the data files and mechanical gear he had previously salvaged… yet nothing of true value had appeared.

‘He acted as though he was practically inviting me to do this.’

His brow furrowed slightly as the final utterances of Doctor echoed in his mind.

-”…We shall cross paths again down the road! And I genuinely anticipate meeting your companions as well! Mwahahaha!”

That specific declaration was the precise reason he was investing so much effort into this investigation.

Those words did not belong to a creature that believed it was facing permanent obliteration, making it impossible for him to feel at ease.

“Mm, there is no question that his body expired.”

On that front, there was zero ambiguity.

Heinz the Second existed as a vampire who consumed the vitality of others, amassing immense karma and raw might.

He stood at the absolute zenith of his supernatural lineage.

Differentiating a genuine living entity from a fabricated construct was second nature to him.

Every marker, from the intrinsic pulse of life to the very threads of causality, verified that Doctor was the authentic individual. Furthermore, he had watched the man disintegrate with his own sight.

Consequently, he had initially categorized those parting words as a bitter curse, a vow of vengeance in the realm of the dead…

‘Yet the sensation lingers that it wasn’t the conclusion.’

As days passed and his perception adjusted to his elevated state of being, a distinct premonition—a certainty that he would face Doctor once more—began to take root inside him.

He possessed no physical proof, but his intuition, forged through endless fields of slaughter, was almost never mistaken.

“…The man must possess an avenue for resurrection.”

That was the sole logical deduction.

The figure was capable of forging an entirely independent dungeon on Earth that functioned under completely foreign laws.

For someone wielding that tier of power to embrace demise so casually meant an insurance policy was firmly in place.

‘Hold on.’

A sudden memory flashed through his thoughts.

He himself possessed the “Extra Life” benefit, an absolute revival trait!

‘Hans obtained that specific reward after turning into a target of enmity for more than half of the global population.’

What if Doctor commanded a comparable mechanism?

That would completely clarify his utter lack of dread.

“Tsk, this creates an annoying complication.”

Not a single piece of evidence regarding a revival process existed within the files he had secured.

Even so, he wasn’t entirely out of options.

Sizzle—

A solitary droplet of crimson fluid welled up from Heinz’s finger.

It gave off a subtle luminescence, broadcasting a peculiar, rhythmic vibration.

‘It is a good thing I preserved this sample, just in case.’

This was Doctor’s own blood, gathered directly from the battlefield.

The entirety of the crimson fluid he shed during his attempt at self-destruction had vaporized alongside his physical form, meaning this tiny remnant was all that endured… yet it would suffice.

Wooong—

A bizarre, weightless sensation rippled outward, propelled by the pulse radiating from the blood sample.

It drifted through the structural causality of the world like an invisible tide, instantaneously harvesting data matching specific parameters across a span of several hundred kilometers.

‘Even if he occupies a completely different vessel, it changes nothing. Blood functions as more than a physical element; it serves as an anchor connecting the form to the spirit.’

And when it came to the domain of blood and blood magic, he was an absolute authority.

Though he was still acclimatizing to his newly achieved tier of might, his mastery was perpetually expanding and transforming.

“…He is not within this territory.”

Heinz focused his gaze sharply on the suspended droplet, his eyes flashing with intensity.

The crimson speck trembled briefly, then went perfectly still, yielding zero indications. He lowered his hand and dismissed the effort.

His current perception spanned roughly just under 800 kilometers.

That reached from Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, all the way to Athens in Greece, and extended down to the southern borders of Italy.

Despite that vast net, no trace could be found…

‘He either materialized far beyond this boundary, has yet to complete the revival process… or he is hunkered down in some sanctuary utilizing his advanced camouflage.’

Regardless, hiding indefinitely was an impossibility.

Heinz was rapidly mastering his newly acquired attributes, meaning his tracking precision was sharpening by the hour.

Locating the target was merely a matter of patience.

‘My agenda already involved securing total dominance over the vampires of Europe utilizing my Divine Blood anyway.’

He would journey across the European continent, widening his authority and pooling intelligence.

He would cross paths with him eventually.

‘I will dismantle him completely during our next encounter. Even if it requires calling upon Hans.’

He would ensure no avenue for survival remained.

He swept his cold gaze across the empty chamber one final time, then spun around and departed.

A mountain of tasks still demanded his attention.

—

Aberdeen, a coastal city situated in northeastern Scotland.

A massive, concealed laboratory complex, nestled deep underneath an entirely ordinary structure.

It was a highly classified installation, completely hidden from public knowledge, its true function a total secret.

It had remained virtually derelict throughout recent times, devoid of any human traffic… yet a shift was now taking place.

Whirr—

The mechanized infrastructure, which had slumbered on idle power, whined to life as its various protocols reinitialized.

Bubble—

Gas pockets began to rise through the vivid green fluid filling the cultivation vats that lined the perimeter of the chamber.

And immediately after,

Gurgle— Thump!

A massive air pocket burst at the top, causing the glass chamber to vibrate intensely.

Thump! Thump! Crash!

A heavy, rhythmic pounding sound, amplifying in volume and urgency, reverberated from the interior, as though a creature was fighting to break free.

And at last—.

Crash! Shatter—! Rumble—

The structural glass gave way entirely, and the contained fluids cascaded violently across the flooring.

A stark naked male form, slick with the glowing green residue, twitched and convulsed on the ground.

Cough, cough—

He wheezed violently, expelling the chemical fluid that had congested his airway, and proceeded to drag in a ragged breath.

Gasp—

The gesture carried a strange sense of awe,

Mirroring a newborn experiencing its very first inhalation.

After a brief period,

He managed to prop himself upward, though his limbs continued to shudder uncontrollably.

His damp, brown hair, saturated by the vat fluid, clung messily to his features, but he dismissed the discomfort, prioritizing the stabilization of his lungs before slowly tilting his face upward.

“Hehehe… It actually worked?”

A cracked, distorted tone, accompanied by a soft chuckle slipping past his teeth, drifted through the silent laboratory, punctuated only by the steady drone of operational hardware.

A malicious grin warped his mouth, visible through the strands of hair obscuring his countenance.

“The degradation percentage… Well, I cannot be certain. I must conduct a comprehensive system analysis at a later juncture…”

He attempted to push himself to his feet, but his muscles failed him entirely, causing him to drop right back down to the tile where he laughed quietly to himself.

He could perceive a massive deficit, having forfeited the vast majority of his personal parameters and the raw energy reserves he had spent an age gathering… yet the loss failed to bother him.

He retained his exceptional intellect, his exclusive talent, and a functional physical vessel to dedicate to his research.

“Phantom… and Masquerade…”

He whispered, a pair of titles slipping into the open air.

Doctor’s gaze, burning with an intense blend of yearning, raw obsession, and pure avarice, flared with terrifying brilliance.

“Hehehehehe!”

Moments later, a wild, echoing laugh drifted through the completely isolated facility.

—

While these developments unfolded across Europe, steering the global landscape toward a highly volatile path,

A female figure within Auterica was currently confronting an utterly unbelievable reality.

“Um… What exactly did you claim…?”

Isea blinked rapidly, her consciousness struggling to grasp the sudden revelation, prompting her to ask for clarification.

The words themselves were perfectly intelligible, yet the underlying reality was so completely irrational that she couldn’t bring herself to process it.

“So… your claim is that you traveled to Earth? Saint-nim?”

“That is correct. Specifically to Korea, the land of your origin and that of Hesperon. It appears the structural ties we share played a significant part in the destination.”

“…H-how could that be?”

“Mm, if you require a technical explanation… I can merely state that the Main God provided the path. I exist solely as an instrument of His purpose.”

Isea stared directly at him, completely at a loss for words.

Her lips parted and closed repeatedly in silence before she finally gave a slow nod, yielding to his statement.

It offered no genuine explanation, and she remained entirely unable to rationalize the event, but an assertion from the Saint, framed around ‘God’s will’, was impossible to dispute.

“…This is… mind-boggling. I never conceived that such an event was within the realm of possibility. I have never encountered even a rumor of this nature.”

“I have likewise been informed that this breaks all historical precedent. Consequently, a vast number of individuals on Earth refused to credit my words as well.”

Isea offered a solemn nod in response.

She remained anchored in disbelief, yet he possessed absolutely no motive to fabricate such a tale, meaning it had to be reality.

The passing theory that Heinrich might actually be a native of Earth rippled through her mind, but even that hypothesis failed to clarify how he could cross the threshold between Earth and Auterica at will.

Furthermore, it was incredibly jarring for her to abruptly alter her fundamental view of him, given her deep-rooted conviction that he belonged to this world.

“In that case, what brings you to share this disclosure with me…?”

“I harbored the belief that I might offer you some measure of solace. You have appeared visibly burdened of late, have you not?”

“…How were you able to perceive that?”

“We are brothers in arms. We have weathered substantial hardships side by side.”

Heinrich offered a soft, comforting smile, his expression radiating warmth and piety.

He operated as a flawless deceiver, his body language offering not a single trace of insincerity.

‘Could it be that Heinrich’s “Persona” grants an innate mastery over falsehoods?’

To be more accurate, it developed as a direct product of his ‘fanatical faith’.

He fully embraced the validity of his own assertions the exact instant they crossed his lips, transforming him into an entity that defied conventional detection.

Even an ability like 「Eye of Truth」 would fail to identify any deception in his words.

On account of that trait, their interaction proceeded without a single hitch.

Isea felt genuinely touched by his apparent solicitude, while Heinrich systematically laid down the foundation for future orchestration.

Regrettably, their tranquil interlude proved short-lived.

Right in the middle of their harmonious dialogue—

[“Saint!”]

…The panicked telepathic call of Saintess Liesta struck his consciousness.

[“The event has commenced!”]

The benevolent expression vanished from Heinrich’s features, his expression turning entirely rigid.

There existed only a single matter of such gravity that would prompt her to initiate contact with such frantic speed given current conditions.

[“Breaching the abyssal seal…!”]

Long before the message could even be fully articulated, his form had already vanished, his physical frame cutting through the air like a gale.

He moved to position himself for the grand arrival of their uninvited visitor.