Chapter 439

Chapter 439
## Chapter 439

Black Dragon Society (1)

‘Damn it, my body won’t listen to me.’

Black Shadow clenched his jaw tight.

Never in his wildest dreams did he anticipate finding himself in such a predicament.

Far from executing the original plan—which was to destabilize the Blood Alliance that held absolute power over Korea’s underworld and look for an opening—he had been completely subverted instead. Now he was reduced to this miserable state!

Who could have predicted that he would act as a personal guide, leading Phantom, the absolute ruler of the Blood Alliance, right into the hidden sanctuary of the Black Dragon Society?

‘The amount of blood used to turn me into a creature of the night wasn’t even that immense. So why? Why am I completely powerless against this absolute obedience!’

The vast reservoir of Purified Blood Essence that Heinz 2nd had forced into him had mostly been depleted just trying to crush his fierce psychological resistance.

Consequently, only a minuscule portion had actually remained to reconstitute Black Shadow’s physiology and bind him to the supernatural blood covenant.

In reality, his current standing within the vampire hierarchy was rather mediocre.

By the standards of Outerica, he had barely transitioned from a Lesser Blood into a Pureblood, while by Earth’s system parameters, he merely hovered around level 4 or level 5.

Given that his martial prowess had already peaked at the absolute summit of the Profound Realm, he rightfully should have possessed the spiritual fortitude of an 8th-level vampire. As a seasoned martial artist, Black Shadow’s original identity and internal cultivation should have easily suppressed the supernatural taint.

Yet the reality of the situation was entirely inverted.

For some inexplicable reason, he was utterly incapable of resisting the cosmic weight of the blood covenant, leaving him with no choice but to carry out every single command issued by the individual who had subjugated him.

He was forced to execute these orders with absolute dedication, maximum effort, and zero room for hesitation or deception.

“Argh!”

“Ugh, Black Shadow! What the hell are you doing?!”

“This sinister energy… Don’t tell me you’ve fallen to vampirism? How could someone who reached the pinnacle of the Profound Realm suffer such a disgrace…?”

And that brought them to the chaotic scene unfolding right now.

The hidden stronghold was thrown into utter disarray by the sudden, inexplicable betrayal of one of their most trusted core members.

As a practitioner of assassination, he was a distinct anomaly within the Black Dragon Society, an organization overwhelmingly dominated by traditional martial artists. However, strictly in terms of lethality and combat effectiveness, his status was second only to the supreme leader, the Black Dragon Lord.

Because of his specific role within the faction, he possessed intimate knowledge of every defensive formation, hidden trap, and layout within the facility. Furthermore, until just a few moments ago, he understood the personal habits, combat styles, and critical vulnerabilities of his former allies better than anyone else alive.

Therefore, the moment he weaponized that knowledge to systematically eliminate them…

Claaaaang!

“What is the meaning of this, Black Shadow?!”

“…Blazing Lotus Sword.”

Those who lacked the fundamental strength required to even stand before him in open combat were utterly defenseless, dropping to the floor one after another.

The sole saving grace—if one could even call it that—was the fact that he possessed no genuine lethal intent from the very beginning. They would all eventually recover after a period of prolonged rest.

Black Shadow released a quiet, weary breath.

A young woman was currently engaging him, her fiery red blade—radiating intense heat like an active inferno—clashing violently against his scythe as she yelled at him in defiance.

She was a fellow martial artist of the Black Dragon Society who had successfully stepped into the prestigious Profound Realm, matching his own cultivation tier.

“Control yourself, Blazing Lotus Sword. You can clearly perceive the bizarre state Black Shadow is trapped in, can’t you?”

“This defies all logic. For someone like Black Shadow, who is standing on the very precipice of Transcendence, to succumb to blood corruption and be reduced to a vampire? How can such a thing even occur?”

“It is deeply unsettling, even if we take into account that Phantom is a transcendent vampire…”

A vanguard of seasoned martial artists quickly moved in, forming a tight perimeter around the two combatants.

A middle-aged practitioner clad in flowing green robes while brandishing a massive crescent blade, a lean youth dressed in contemporary hip-hop clothes gripping a pair of dual swords, an elegant middle-aged matriarch adorned in expensive luxury brands, and positioned further back in the shadows, a towering, muscular man keeping a massive bow drawn tight.

Every single one of them was a Profound Realm master, the very pillars that kept the fractured Black Dragon Society from collapsing entirely.

“What is the status of the Asura Fist King? Is he functional?”

“His life is not in immediate danger. He was subjected to a potent toxin, but his physical constitution is so unnaturally resilient that he will purge it from his system given time.”

“…Understood.”

Hearing the status report from the middle-aged practitioner wielding the crescent blade, Blazing Lotus Sword released a tense breath and carefully adjusted her stance, stepping backward.

Though she had successfully ascended to the Profound Realm herself, she harbored no illusions about her chances in a prolonged one-on-one confrontation against Black Shadow.

Regardless of the fact that his primary expertise lay in stealth and assassination, there were still immense, undeniable gaps in raw capability even among masters sharing the same cultivation realm.

‘However, with all five of us united!’

In all honesty, utilizing all five of them was likely an overestimation of the threat.

Unless Black Shadow managed to maintain his signature stealth parameters—which was currently impossible given that he was completely cornered in an open space—a coordinated effort by just two of them would guarantee a swift victory.

The seven individuals present—these five, the compromised Black Shadow, and the Asura Fist King who had been incapacitated during the initial ambush—were collectively revered as the legendary Seven Dragons of the Black Dragon Society.

Yet, despite their overwhelming numbers, they had converged here not with the intent to execute their rogue comrade, but to subdue and capture Black Shadow unharmed.

They held onto the desperate hope that a method might exist to reverse the vampiric transformation.

The distinct absence of any casualties up to this point gave substantial weight to that optimism.

“Surrender without further resistance, Black Shadow. We will stop at nothing to find a cure for your condition. It is the only logical choice…”

“Do you honestly believe appeals to reason will work? If he were capable of listening, he wouldn’t have systematically dismantled our defenses.”

The dual-blade wielder abruptly cut off the soft-spoken, middle-aged martial artist, taking a decisive step into the vanguard.

“We’ve passed the point of civil discussion—the only option left is to resolve this through absolute force! Subdue him until he loses the capacity to fight, bind him securely, and throw him into confinement!”

“Agreed.”

“Heh, a fair point. With Black Shadow compromised in this manner, our entire strategic operation in Korea has likely fallen apart. Our immediate priority is to secure him until the Black Dragon Lord makes his return.”

The wealthy, luxury-clad matriarch offered a sharp nod of concurrence.

The absolute failure of Black Shadow’s mission meant that the separate relocation protocol orchestrated by the Black Dragon Lord had to be put on immediate standby.

They had already initiated emergency communications with their leader; it would not take him long to make his way back to the stronghold.

Their immediate objective was unmistakable.

“…Very well. Let us prevent any further collateral damage. We shall conclude this matter immediately.”

Following that declaration, the crescent blade sliced through the atmosphere, pointing directly at the target.

“Tch, I despise relying on numerical superiority, but circumstances leave us no alternative.”

The twin swords gleamed sharply alongside the flickering, crimson-heated edge of the blazing saber.

Thin, lethal needles hidden within the luxury handbag shimmered with a deadly glint between the woman’s fingers.

Yet, Black Shadow maintained a completely indifferent expression, showing absolutely no panic despite the array of lethal weaponry focused on his position.

It was not born out of arrogance or contempt.

There was simply no longer any practical requirement for him to engage them in combat.

He slowly and calmly shut his eyes.

And then, it happened.

“Hmm, it appears the supreme leader is indeed absent from the premises? It seems my arrival was slightly mistimed.”

In a fraction of a second—the ambient temperature plummeted to absolute zero.

A distinct, unfamiliar voice manifested, carrying an unbearable, suffocating weight of sheer spiritual pressure.

The Profound Realm masters felt their bodies stiffen instantly, spinning around wildly toward the origin of the sound.

There the individual stood.

Adorned in a flawless, pristine white opera mask, his gaze casually drifted across each of them… the phantom architect behind the absolute chaos engulfing the Black Dragon Society.

‘When did he get here?’

‘How did he bypass our security?’

Not a single soul among them could fathom it.

At what exact moment had he entered the chamber? By what methodology had he managed to completely blindside their highly trained sensory perceptions?

And why had they failed to register that terrifying, blood-chilling aura until the moment he chose to speak!

Thud!

Suddenly, breaking through the absolute silence of their paralysis, a massive, unmoving form was tossed onto the floor between them.

There was not a single person in the room who failed to recognize the identity of the fallen man.

“Bow Ghost…!”

The unconscious, completely limp body belonged to the muscular archer.

One of their esteemed Seven Dragons, who had been maintaining a vigilant overwatch from the rear perimeter until mere moments ago.

Even if one argued that his primary discipline was long-range marksmanship, for an elite practitioner of the Profound Realm to be neutralized silently without uttering a single cry of alarm was unprecedented!

‘No—it is far worse than that, we failed to perceive the threat until his defeated body was literally dropped right in front of us…?’

An icy wave of sheer terror cascaded down their spines.

And through sheer survival instinct, the realization washed over them.

The monstrous entity standing before them belonged to an entirely different category than any transcendent being they had ever encountered in their lives.

It wasn’t merely a question of a higher level or superior stats.

It was something far more intrinsic… his very metaphysical state of existence operated on an entirely superior plane…

“Hmm, your overall composition appears reasonably capable.”

Heinz 2nd spoke in a thoroughly detached, conversational tone, casually evaluating the paralyzed martial artists.

Even as they hovered on the absolute precipice of sheer terror, entirely frozen by the fear of making a fatal miscalculation!

However, Heinz had a definitive reason for not leaving the entire subjugation to Black Shadow, choosing instead to remain concealed using his Existence Denial ability.

To accurately assess their combat potential and determine their most optimal application, this hands-on evaluation was the most practical approach.

‘It would complicate matters significantly if they scattered in panic during the initial breach.’

Regardless of the fact that this facility functioned as an isolated Chinese outpost, it was still legally situated within the recognized sovereign territory of the Heaven’s Mandate Society.

There was zero utility in drawing unnecessary external scrutiny before he had fully determined how to best leverage the assets of the Black Dragon Society.

‘…That being said, transforming every single one of them into vampires would be an incredibly inefficient allocation of resources.’

He shifted his gaze slightly toward Black Shadow.

On the world of Earth, entirely separate from the baseline process of turning human subjects, elevating a vampire’s developmental rank required an exorbitant expenditure of Purified Blood Essence.

That specific resource constraint was the precise reason Black Shadow’s development had plateaued at his current baseline.

‘If the process were easily replicable without cost, I would have elevated not just Jin Solran but the entirety of the Heterosis faction to level 8 by now.’

When an individual’s personal martial cultivation significantly outpaced the inherent power of their supernatural bloodline, the binding force of the master-servant covenant naturally experienced degradation—but such a limitation posed absolutely no threat to someone of his caliber.

His status as a Sacred Blood entity, augmented by specialized administrative authorities like Blood Sovereign and Subordinate Domination, easily compensated for any structural deficiencies.

‘Even so, allowing the blood purity to drop too low might compromise absolute tactical control, which means a baseline investment remains mandatory.’

However, any expenditure beyond that baseline would represent a total waste of capital.

Given that these individuals had already constructed highly advanced internal energy networks and deeply integrated martial philosophies appropriate for their current realm, deepening their vampiric evolution would not yield a proportional increase in overall combat effectiveness.

‘In fact, it might actively degrade their performance if the forced transformation disrupts their internal energetic equilibrium.’

Black Shadow’s fundamental archetype as an assassin made him highly compatible with the physiological traits of vampirism, but the remaining martial artists? That was an entirely different matter.

Therefore, the challenge lay in devising a highly efficient methodology to command them…

Kaaaaang—!

An incredibly loud, metallic screech shattered his train of thought.

The massive crescent blade, completely saturated with dense martial aura and swung with absolute lethal velocity directly toward Heinz’s exposed neck, had been stopped dead in its tracks by a single, outstretched finger, sending shockwaves through the air.

The coordinated counterattack did not cease there.

Shiiik—

A dozen specialized piercing needles shot toward his vital acupoints with the velocity of natural lightning.

Three separate blades thrust forward simultaneously, targeting the precise structural gaps in his unguarded posture.

A torrent of highly destructive martial aura erupted with dense, unadulterated killing intent, violently tearing through the atmospheric pressure.

“Oh? Fascinating.”

Heinz offered a slow, deliberate nod of approval.

“Eh?”

“Cough!”

“W-what is happening…!”

Then, as if a segment of reality had been abruptly excised from the timeline, he looked down with a mocking smile at the groaning figures who sprawled across the floor, entirely ignorant of the mechanism that had just neutralized them.

Their tenacity and willingness to fight back despite perceiving the astronomical disparity in power was certainly commendable, but at their current tier of development—lacking the conceptual mastery of the Mind Sword—how could they ever hope to lay a single finger upon his person?

‘These individuals possess a significantly higher threshold of talent than I initially anticipated. To successfully break through the weight of my passive spiritual pressure to execute a coordinated ambush? Their actual combat capabilities far exceed what their raw aura metrics indicate.’

He observed the defeated martial artists with renewed analytical curiosity.

They had only suffered an instantaneous defeat because their opponent happened to be Heinz; from an objective standpoint, their capabilities far eclipsed those of standard, run-of-the-mill Profound Realm masters.

This wasn’t merely the result of utilizing specialized individual skills or system-assisted modifiers—it stemmed from a much deeper foundation of martial comprehension.

‘Now that I reflect upon it, Black Shadow exhibited similar traits. Being capable of actively trading martial exchanges with Hari while she was operating at the absolute peak of the Profound Realm, even for a brief duration… ‘

Gently stroking his chin, he arrived at a definitive conclusion.

These assets were far too valuable to simply liquidate or cast aside.

‘The Black Dragon Society managed to maintain its operational integrity for more than two decades deep within the hostile territory of the Heaven’s Mandate Society.’

There had to be a profound structural reason behind that longevity.

Including the underlying factors as to why prominent returnees from the traditional martial world consistently chose to provide them with logistical and financial backing, even when subjected to intense relocation coercion.

‘This situation carries the distinct scent of a highly lucrative opportunity.’

Heinz directed a knowing grin toward Black Shadow, who immediately shifted his eyes away to avoid direct eye contact.

It appeared his newly initiated vampire subordinate was deliberately withholding a substantial amount of sensitive intelligence.

That was an entirely expected operational risk when enforcing loyalty through absolute coercion, but it remained a minor annoyance nonetheless.

‘I find myself anticipating my eventual meeting with the Black Dragon Lord.’

Establishing control over this specific organization would provide immense strategic leverage for his overarching goals.

Not merely because they shared a mutual existential adversary in the Heaven’s Mandate Society, but more importantly…

It would serve as the ultimate catalyst to dismantle the absolute barrier that his alternative manifestation was currently struggling against.

—

“Ha Gongzi? Are you experiencing any discomfort?”

The tentative, soft voice of a woman reached his consciousness, interrupting his deep internal contemplation.

Ha Seung-hoon—known to the world as Hugo—shook himself out of his thoughts and flashed a reassuring smile.

“Ah, I was simply recollecting a few minor matters. Everything is perfectly fine, Miss Zhuge.”

“…D-did my intervention disrupt your thoughts? If you were on the verge of a critical martial epiphany or a sudden moment of enlightenment…”

“It was nothing of the sort, please do not worry yourself. I was merely evaluating our subsequent destination now that this specific objective has been successfully concluded.”

“Phew, that is a relief. I experienced a momentary surge of anxiety after addressing you so abruptly. I have heard accounts that practitioners must be left entirely undisturbed during moments of sudden insight, but I lack prior experience traveling alongside a companion of your caliber…”

Zhuge Hyemi let out a long sigh of genuine relief, proceeding to speak with a bright, cheerful cadence. Her long hair—which now featured distinct, stark white streaks as a permanent physical consequence of performing the complex world restoration ritual—looked precisely as though she had deliberately sought out high-end aesthetic highlights.

“Hey! What gives you the right to slip away into the shade all by yourself? I was pushing myself to the absolute limit of exhaustion back there!”

Right at that moment, another young woman, her hair bound tightly into a highly functional, athletic ponytail, forcefully wedged her way into the space separating the two.

She was an incredibly energetic girl in her late adolescence, radiating a vibrant, healthy vitality, her expressive eyes practically gleaming with a sense of playful mischief.

“You have my sincere apologies, Soran.”

“Heehee, your apology is officially accepted! However, I trust you fully comprehend the practical implications of that apology?”

“Huhu, naturally, I am well aware.”

“Honestly, I cannot begin to fathom how you managed to navigate your travels without big sister around to manage things! Having immediate access to properly prepared, hot baths makes an astronomical difference in our quality of life!”

Hugo could not help but let out a soft chuckle as he watched Namgung Soran affectionately wrap her arms around the youthful-looking Zhuge Hyemi while chattering away without a single care in the world.

In all objective honesty, given her complete mastery over advanced dragon arts that allowed her to manifest pristine, purified water entirely at her own discretion, Zhuge Hyemi had quickly evolved into an absolutely indispensable member of their traveling party for an array of highly practical reasons.

Had she not been present to facilitate their daily comforts, even someone of his considerable standing would have been reduced to wandering across the terrain looking no better than a common vagrant.

‘Then again, I certainly never anticipated our circumstances evolving in this specific direction either.’

He released a quiet, gentle sigh, his gaze resting softly upon the two young women who were completely immersed in their own private conversation.