Chapter 39

Chapter 39
## Chapter 39

### Blood ties (3)

—

As the dimming twilight settled over the area and the sun dipped below the horizon, I once again went through the motions of exchanging polite greetings with the local clan members.

While scanning the area for any hints regarding the recent chaos, I spotted Jinsol deep in conversation with another individual.

“Well, there’s really nothing we can do to alter the situation now, is there?”

“Correct. Everyone seems to be exercising extreme caution given how sensitive the matter is.”

“Sigh… It is what it is, then. Fair enough.”

“Understood. I shall take my leave now.”

Once the person she was speaking with departed, Jinsol remained in place, staring blankly at the ground with her brow furrowed in deep thought.

Heinz watched her for a brief moment before stepping forward.

“It looks like things aren’t progressing very smoothly.”

“Oh! Mr. Heinz. You’ve arrived?”

“Yeah. What’s the issue? Your expression speaks volumes.”

She offered a strained smile, shifting her gaze away before letting out a heavy sigh and opening up to him.

“It’s not exactly confidential, and given your involvement, it’s only right that you know. Do you recall the report I submitted to the higher-ups?”

“The one regarding the Gamma faction hunting down their own kind?”

“Yes, precisely that. A team was dispatched to investigate, but they failed to uncover any proof. By the time they reached the scene following the incident, the entire place had already been reduced to ashes. Because it’s such a delicate topic, they refuse to take action without concrete evidence.”

Her voice trailed off, a look of deep frustration settling over her features.

Toiling so intensely without achieving any results was clearly draining her spirits.

‘Perhaps I was a bit too thorough in erasing Heinz’s presence.’

In a reality filled with diverse mystical arts, I had completely dealt with the remnants of Heinz’s cannibalistic acts by utilizing Hans’s hellfire, which was saturated with dark magic.

The entire interior of the structure had been utterly ruined.

‘To be precise, the exterior appears perfectly intact, but the inside has melted away entirely. It’s on the verge of structural failure. Furthermore, the residual dark magic ensures that any attempt at exploration is completely out of the question.’

I felt a twinge of guilt for my actions, but given that events rarely align perfectly with one’s desires, it had been the most effective course of action.

Right now, securing a different piece of data was far more critical.

“By the way, where exactly is the base of operations for the hardliners?”

The abrupt inquiry caught Jinsol completely off guard, leaving her visibly startled.

“Well, um, may I ask what brings about this sudden curiosity…?”

Anxiety flickered across her face, as if she feared I had altered my stance during this period of instability.

Because the moderate faction adhered to a strictly pacifist philosophy, they were severely lacking in combat power—a vulnerability made worse by the fact that two formidable assets had defected just the previous day.

For that very reason, she had been more thrilled than anyone else when Heinz decided to align with them.

“After witnessing the events of yesterday, it’s clear these individuals are far more hazardous than I initially anticipated. Since the situation has escalated to this point, we ought to at least track their position to prevent any subsequent ambushes, shouldn’t we?”

“Oh! That makes total sense! We must remain vigilant until this storm blows over. I’ll make it a point to caution our team members once more.”

Jinsol nodded along in agreement, fully buying into the vague justification.

Without hesitation, she freely relayed every detail she possessed regarding the stronghold of the hardliners.

“Ah… Since my cellular device was ruined, would you mind opening your navigation application? I’ll pinpoint the locations I’m aware of.”

She threw herself into the task with immense dedication.

Because their coalition was formed from a patchwork of diverse groups, comprehensive data regarding one another was quite limited.

Even so, due to regular interactions over time, she possessed a solid understanding of the factions operating nearby.

“There. That covers everything I currently know. Do you require any further assistance?”

“No, this is perfect. I appreciate the help.”

The remaining details could easily be extracted by prying directly into the minds of those targets.

It was simply a matter of identifying the targets who had already collected vampires and delivering them straight to Hans.

However, as I gazed at Jinsol’s bright, smiling face, a piece of information I had stumbled upon earlier that morning suddenly crossed my mind.

“Are you preparing to start a live broadcast shortly?”

“Wait… what?!”

She sputtered out a shocked reply, looking as though she had physically bitten her tongue in surprise.

“Uh… how did you find out…?”

A deep crimson flush began creeping up from the tips of her ears, though it seemed wisest to downplay the revelation given the awkward circumstances.

“I recognized you right from the start. You’re Orchid, correct?”

“Uh… Well… I suppose you managed to spot the resemblance even though my appearance during streams is quite distinct. Hearing someone use that name in person feels a bit surreal and embarrassing…”

Jinsol attempted to regain her composure by nervously twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

Though the flush had spread entirely from her face down to her neck, I chose to let the matter rest without teasing her.

“Um… by any chance, have you actually watched my content? You aren’t a regular viewer, are you? Don’t tell me you haven’t even subscribed?!”

Her initial embarrassment quickly shifted into high energy, her voice rising as the words tumbled out rapidly.

It seemed that unexpectedly encountering a viewer in real life had made her incredibly self-conscious.

“No, I simply recalled encountering mentions of it on the internet and did a quick search out of curiosity.”

“Oh, so you just saw it floating around online~ What a relief.”

Her expression shifted into a subtle blend of comfort and slight letdown.

“Still, it’s an incredibly effective approach. It allows you to participate in community life without the necessity of physical interactions. What drove you to begin streaming?”

“Well… prior to crossing over to the alternate realm, I was actually preparing to debut as an idol, you see. I was forced to walk away from it due to some highly unpleasant circumstances, but after facing immense hardships to return here, I found myself filled with lingering regrets.”

Consequently, she turned to broadcasting as a means to capture public attention once more.

She further explained that during her sessions, she utilized cosmetics to recreate the facial structure she possessed before her transformation into a vampire.

“Weren’t you flagged by the Ability Management Bureau upon your return? There must have been a gap of at least several months.”

“That particular regulatory framework didn’t exist when my awakening took place. It appeared to have been implemented shortly after I made it back…”

She replied with a somewhat strained smile.

Nevertheless, there was one particular detail that piqued my curiosity.

“If your transition to the alternate world occurred after leaving your idol agency… what is your current age?”

“Oh, my awakening happened when I was 18. I had dropped out of school to pursue my idol career, so my absence didn’t draw much attention. Currently, I am 22.”

That meant she was my senior.

I made an effort to keep my expression entirely neutral while subtly shifting my eyes away from hers.

It felt slightly awkward to realize I had been addressing her with such formal deference up until now.

“Hold on, didn’t you spend a span of several years residing in that other realm?”

“That is correct.”

“In that case, shouldn’t you factor that duration into your true age calculation…?”

“I am 22.”

She maintained her bright smile, cutting off my logic entirely.

“But normally…”

“I am 22 years old. Do you need me to present my identification?”

“No, that won’t be necessary. It’s standard practice to calculate age based on birth year anyway.”

I gave in to her beaming expression, noticing the sharp gleam in her eyes.

Indeed, age was clearly a sensitive topic. I had stepped out of line by bringing it up so casually.

“Well then, I wish you the best. I’ll be taking off now. Don’t hesitate to reach out if any issues arise.”

The alliance members didn’t all reside under a single roof.

While congregating in one location was advised for mutual protection, those who maintained independent residences simply assembled whenever circumstances demanded it.

‘Now, which location should be my initial stop?’

I scanned the navigation application, feeling akin to someone browsing a vast buffet, trying to decide what to sample first.

—

Deep into the night.

“Cough… gasp, you… if you think you can pull this off and walk away completely unharmed…”

Thud—!

A massive disturbance shook the interior of a luxury condominium unit, yet the surrounding neighborhood remained completely oblivious.

”Concealment’ proves to be incredibly versatile across various scenarios.’

My strategy involved ambushing off-guard vampires to deal devastating, lethal blows, while simultaneously deploying cloaking barriers over the vicinity to completely erase any indicators of a struggle.

This was the signature capability that had allowed Heinz to successfully hunt down vampires entirely on his own.

‘I really must express my gratitude to Gamma. His contributions have been immensely bountiful, yielding not only the ‘Concealment’ art but also Heinz’s pristine sports vehicle, alongside a variety of enchanted instruments and testing systems housed within Hans’s dimensional pocket. The benevolence found here is truly boundless.’

With these assets at my disposal, executing the plan had become far more seamless than before.

Heinz, currently drawing sustenance from the blood of a defeated vampire, began plotting the coordinates of his next destination.

Utilizing the intelligence gathered from Jinsol, Hans and Heinz launched a coordinated assault against the assembly point of the hardliner faction.

Subduing the individuals inside the facility was achieved in short order, allowing Hans to dive deep into the thoughts of a few captives who appeared moderately well-informed.

This yielded fresh data.

‘There are individuals affiliated with the faction who maintain residences outside of the main base. Because news of our assault has yet to spread, this presents the perfect opening to eliminate those who are currently letting their guard down.’

The two operatives split up, systematically neutralising their respective marks.

‘Absorbing additional vampires. Under the parameters of the unique trait ‘Blood Fusion Evolution,’ the subject’s mastery over blood manipulation undergoes significant refinement.’

When measured against Hans, Heinz still lagged behind, but he was far from being considered fragile.

Though a portion of unrefined blood remained within him due to the limited number of fresh vampire targets, the sheer potency of his altered genetic traits elevated his martial prowess to a level matching that of noble bloodlines.

‘And at this stage, very few targets remain. It’s highly probable that the next encounter will mark the conclusion.’

As I sensed the cellular structure throughout my frame undergoing an even deeper transformation, I monitored the internal chaos.

The sheer capability of a vampire who appeared to have pushed past a distinct threshold, alongside a surging internal reservoir of power, could be felt vividly.

“Let’s conclude our business in this location and proceed to the next.”

Heinz called upon his newly unlocked capability.

The skin on both of his palms split apart, forming gashes from which a fine crimson vapor erupted.

Splatter!

The fluid sprayed out across the entire room.

Instantly, from the surfaces stained by the fluid, striking crimson blossoms began to sprout.

Flourish—

Igniting and surging upward, a vivid garden of blood-red flora expanded across the space in a breathtaking, brilliant exhibition.

Prior to arriving at this location, I had successfully secured the technique known as ‘Blood Blaze’ during the raid on the hardliners’ main base.

These blazing blossoms of blood produced neither smoke nor thermal heat; they focused entirely on devouring the structure’s interior before rapidly dissolving into nothingness.

It was an intensely destructive fire that would persist indefinitely unless the user willed it otherwise, consuming absolutely nothing but the designated mark—a specialized art known as ‘Blood Blaze.’

‘Granted, such a technique yields little utility when a massive disparity in raw power exists.’

The previous owner’s execution of ‘Blood Blaze’ had beensnuffed out as easily as a candle flame when subjected to Hans’s crushing dark magic.

‘The physical remnants have been utterly incinerated via ‘Blood Blaze,’ while the residual mystical signatures are masked by ‘Concealment,’ which should cover our tracks perfectly.’

The darkness was still young, and the urban landscape offered an abundance of targets.

—

“The objective has finally been realized.”

Following immense expenditure of effort, the payoff arrived. The targeted state had at last been achieved.

[Absorbing additional vampires. Under the parameters of the unique trait ‘Blood Fusion Evolution,’ a deeper comprehension has been unlocked. Unlocking the technique ‘Blood Circulation Amplification.’]

[The subject has satisfied the parameters required for advancement. The unique trait ‘Blood Kin (Pure Blood)’ undergoes a transformation into ‘Blood Kin (Noble Blood).’]

[The subject’s capacity for recuperation has shattered its prior boundaries. The technique ‘Regeneration’ undergoes a transformation into ‘Super Regeneration.’]

Every single sensory perception expanded dramatically.

The surrounding world came into incredibly sharp focus, allowing details that previously fell outside my sensory range to be registered clearly.

Thermal signatures became visible to the naked eye, and it became possible to perceive sounds through a sense of smell.

As my skin registered atmospheric vibrations, the surrounding environment burst into life through an array of distinct scents.

“Phew…”

My capacity for empathetic perception had likewise transformed.

The intense rush of sensory data that flooded my mind immediately following the advancement quickly settled into a manageable state.

‘Had I not grown accustomed to managing a diverse array of perceptions while operating the ‘Avatar,’ navigating this transition would have been incredibly overwhelming for a period.’

Even now, a slight sense of disorientation lingered.
This was almost certainly a byproduct of such an accelerated spike in development.

A standard Noble Blood would typically acclimate to such immense power progressively over a vast span of time.

“Phew~ Haah…”

As I exhaled deeply to align myself with these unfamiliar perceptions, Heinz’s image caught my eye in the room’s mirror.

‘…It’s highly unlikely that any trace of my original visage remains at this point.’

Extremely pale skin, piercing eyes, and a cold, hazardous aura radiating subtly from his frame—he possessed an undeniably mesmerizing appearance.

Consequent to the structural refinements brought about by the ‘Blood Fusion Evolution’ obtained a while back, tracing any line of inheritance between this current form and my past self was an impossible task.

After offering a brief moment of appreciation to the strikingly attractive figure reflected in the glass, I shifted my focus. I began moving my limbs to fully integrate with my altered senses while validating the new utility acquired from the recent engagement.

The freshly unlocked ‘Blood Circulation Amplification’ served as a reinforcing mechanism, significantly bolstering both physical output and healing thresholds.

Given that successive advancements had already caused his raw physical power to reach incredible heights, utilizing this enhancement would likely allow Heinz to physically dismantle the majority of adversaries with his bare hands.

‘Furthermore, the ‘Regeneration’ art has undergone another leap. With a threshold of recovery this advanced, simply standing motionless and absorbing enemy assaults would make it practically impossible for anyone to terminate my existence, wouldn’t it?’

I deliberately lifted my right index finger.

Surrounding the tip, crimson fluid manifested and crystallized into a set of sharp, incredibly dense talons.

‘My authority over blood manipulation has intensified. It permits a far more efficient assimilation of blood magic.’

With these razor-sharp implements extended, I made a sudden slash across my left arm.

Splat—!

A brief spray of crimson erupted.

The dislodged fluid hung suspended in the air for a fraction of a second before reversing its trajectory entirely, pulling back into the laceration on my forearm as if rewinding a film.

Within the blink of an eye, the flesh healed completely, leaving no sign that Heinz’s arm had ever sustained damage.

“The collaborative effect between a Noble Blood’s command over blood and the ‘Super Regeneration’ trait is truly staggering.”

Though a minor expenditure of internal reserve occurred to fuel the mending process, the cost was entirely negligible when weighed against the sheer utility.

‘What would happen if I were to harvest and draw power from the blood pooling across a field of combat?’

It wouldn’t merely be a matter of utilizing the fluids scattered across the ground; even the blood seeping directly from an adversary’s open gashes could theoretically be turned to my advantage.

While wresting control of the fluid circulating inside an active opponent’s frame might prove impossible due to their personal mana and conscious spirit being thoroughly woven into it…

‘Then again, if I manage to ascend to the status of a Holy Blood, such a feat might actually fall within the realm of possibility.’

The concept of a Holy Blood was viewed with a reverence akin to religious devotion among the vampires of Autérica.

Reaching such a pinnacle would certainly be no simple endeavor.

‘But then, when has any stage of this journey ever been simple?’

There was absolutely no intention of faltering simply because the path ahead promised to be arduous.