Chapter 442

Chapter 442
## Chapter 442

The Dark Serpent Cartel (4)

The integration of the Dark Serpent Cartel into the Masquerade as a subservient branch proceeded without a hitch, primarily due to the total compliance offered by its supreme leader, the Dark Serpent Patriarch.

The organization had maintained a vigilant watch over them initially, anticipating some concealed motive, but their investigations yielded absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

It truly appeared that their sole objective was to establish a connection and align themselves with the faction, precisely as the Dark Serpent Patriarch had maintained from the beginning.

Even so, it was far too early to dismiss all caution.

As a safety measure, they deployed Nightshade—a creature of the night who had fallen under the absolute command of Heinz immediately upon being turned—positioning him to intervene instantly should any complications arise.

Given the immense utility the newcomers offered, the most prudent course of action for the time being was to maintain this baseline level of supervision and observe their conduct for a temporary period.

‘I never intended to place absolute faith in them from the very beginning. One can never be certain where an informant might be lurking.’

This philosophy applied not only to the freshly inducted Dark Serpent Cartel, but to every other faction under the umbrella as well.

It encompassed the nocturnal bloodlines established across the European continent, the Searing Signal operating throughout Southeast Asia, and even the novel intelligence operatives that Harley had personally scouted and brought into the fold.

Each distinct faction operated with total autonomy and separate counter-intelligence frameworks to guarantee that a breach or act of treason in one sector would not cascade into the others.

He alone held the comprehensive blueprint of their operations and exercised unmediated authority over them.

While managing such a web was incredibly tedious, it remained an absolute necessity to counteract the Uinverted Paradise Alliance, a monolithic entity that commanded the global underworld and stretched its influence across the entire globe.

‘They are far from matching the scale of the Uinverted Paradise Alliance, but bringing in the Dark Serpent Cartel—hardened veterans who survived on the mainland of China—is a massive acquisition. No matter how one evaluates it, they have validated their worth simply by enduring for so long deep within hostile territory.’

Furthermore, absorbing the Dark Serpent Patriarch, who possessed intimate knowledge of their internal mechanics due to his former tenure as a regional director, was an unforeseen windfall.

And precisely as anticipated, he had secured the foundational blueprint for Hugo’s advancement: a comprehensive codex of internal arts compiled from innumerable martial realms…

When balancing the ledger, the entire venture yielded nothing but absolute advantage.

“Sigh.”

Yet, even as he reclined in his automatic therapy lounger with his eyelids lowered in his customary fashion, his consciousness remained deeply troubled.

The source of his unease was a terrifying reality that had been brought to light through his discourse with the Dark Serpent Patriarch.

“A moiety of the human population on Earth…? Ha! This borders on absolute madness.”

That metric translated to billions of souls—a staggering, almost incomprehensible quantity.

And that represented merely the baseline projection.

Under the most calamitous scenario, upwards of ninety percent of the human race could suffer absolute annihilation.

When he had urgently pressed the Dark Serpent Patriarch to elaborate on the mechanics of the plan, he was forced to concede that the elder warrior was not indulging in hyperbole.

‘They intend to completely decimate alternative realities, harvest their vital essences, and discharge the entirety of that accumulated energy onto Earth simultaneously?’

All of this was engineered to force the germination of supernatural anomalies within a realm completely barren of mystical properties.

That was the grand objective that the Sovereign of the Uinverted Paradise Alliance had formally declared, a decree transmitted directly through the testimonies of the Dark Serpent Patriarch.

“The truly terrifying aspect is that this is no mere idle threat.”

This was not a catastrophe limited strictly to the human population.

Such an event would trigger a planetary upheaval equivalent to total world-shattering ruin.

Earth was not designated as an absolute dead zone for mystical energy without valid justification.

Across the vast catalog of discovered realities, there existed several realms with planetary conditions and societal structures analogous to this one.

Yet, not a single one was so thoroughly divorced from supernatural elements—affecting not merely the human inhabitants, but the native fauna, flora, and basic mineral compositions alike.

‘If an overwhelming deluge of metaphysical force abruptly impacts a world where even the unawakened populations possess zero immunity to supernatural phenomena… ’

It would result in a violent, total restructuring of the planetary environment, shattering the fundamental laws of this reality.

Any living entities incapable of adjusting to such drastic, turbulent shifts would simply cease to exist.

Naturally, the Sovereign of the Uinverted Paradise Alliance harbored no desire to witness the absolute extinction of the planet and was implementing specific measures to mitigate the body count according to his own philosophy.

The glaring issue was that these supposed “measures” effectively amounted to offering up mass human sacrifices through orchestrated global catastrophes.

‘Immolating the minority to preserve the majority, is it.’

His hands clenched into tight knots against his will.

He could not shake a profound sense of disgust at the realization that he had unknowingly been categorized as one of those disposable “minorities.”

Because of this grand design, inert materials like common minerals would be able to assimilate supernatural properties without breaking down, and a specific ratio of plant and animal life would merely adapt into predatory beasts rather than suffering total extinction.

The critical vulnerability lay with humanity—the primary sentient species of Earth, and its most intricate biological organisms.

‘And even under the absolute best-case parameters, half of them will perish.’

He relaxed his rigid fingers, massaged the bridge of his nose, and released a quiet breath.

Despite possessing physical capabilities that transcended standard human boundaries by an immeasurable margin, an inexplicable sensation of deep exhaustion settled over his consciousness.

‘For what purpose? What could possibly motivate him to pursue such an extreme? He already wields power that defies comprehension.’

He could comprehend such motivations if they originated from a typical Awakened individual.

While it did not apply to his own circumstances, since he remained actively engaged across multiple realities, individuals who permanently repatriated to Earth frequently endured a profound sense of stagnation due to their arrested development—a ubiquitous grievance among veterans.

A vast majority even lamented their choice to return, making the desire to reshape the planetary landscape to reignite their personal evolution a highly logical, if desperate, ambition.

‘Yet the Sovereign of the Uinverted Paradise Alliance has absolutely no requirement for such measures. His personal might already approaches the threshold of genuine godhood, and he commands the ability to cross dimensional rifts at his own whim.’

For the purposes of absolute dominion, a larger population of subordinates was always preferable.

Rule through absolute terror possessed distinct thresholds; orchestrating the slaughter of billions defied all governance logic.

Therefore, there had to be an objective far removed from basic conquest…

‘Is his ultimate desire truly to establish himself as the singular deity of Earth?’

At that moment, a specific declaration relayed by the Dark Serpent Patriarch flashed across his recollection.

—“The Sovereign has already descended into absolute mania. He is convinced that he alone represents the ultimate arbiter of righteousness, and that this remains the sole viable trajectory. He will stop at nothing to manifest his design.”

It was the unyielding psychological profile of a true zealot.

Even if the realization of his dream demanded the cessation of billions of blameless lives, it would not give him pause for a single second.

Because within his own distorted psyche, he was entirely convinced that it was the noble path.

“…Very well. Irrespective of his grand designs, my personal objective remains entirely unaltered.”

No matter what machinations the Sovereign of the Uinverted Paradise Alliance set into motion, his own mission endured.

To eradicate the entity responsible for the slaughter of his kin and to utterly dismantle the Uinverted Paradise Alliance from its foundations.

Following a brief interlude of contemplation, he summoned the interface of the Destiny Exchange and scanned the lowest tier of the display.

⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙

Destiny Proprietorship Ratio (6%)

The metric stood exactly one percentage unit greater than the initial value he had observed.

Ever since unlocking the “Destiny Exchange Version 3 Upgrade” after accumulating a threshold exceeding twenty million points of destiny, and having avoided any significant outlays, his stored capital had expanded continuously.

Even while a multitude of crises played out across the surface of Earth, the bounty harvested from his agricultural estate in the alternate realm drifted in without interruption.

‘Proprietorship ratio.’

He was increasingly convinced that this specific integer did not merely quantify accumulated destiny points.

This realization crystallized with immense clarity immediately after digesting the grand designs of the Sovereign of the Uinverted Paradise Alliance as exposed by the Dark Serpent Patriarch.

‘There is no mathematical possibility that he can execute a ritual of that magnitude purely through raw physical dominance.’

He was already restricted by an array of environmental boundaries within this reality, was he not?

Aside from ravaging external realities to harvest destiny and divine authority, satisfying specific cosmic parameters native to Earth made far more sense for the execution of his strategies.

“This proprietorship ratio must represent exactly that mechanism.”

With that realization, his forward trajectory became unmistakable.

Elevate the proprietorship ratio to the absolute highest metric achievable.

Acquire a sufficient quantum of institutional shares to position himself as a primary stakeholder of Earth, thereby granting him the leverage to counter the Sovereign’s grand design.

‘No matter how many external realms he reduces to ash, he will find himself entirely unable to subvert this specific world.’

No, relying solely on that strategy was insufficient.

This line of reasoning remained, at its core, merely his own logical deduction.

Rather than adopting a purely defensive posture, he required a far more aggressive, preemptive strategy.

Indeed—for instance—

‘There must be countless realities analogous to the Steel Temper Realm that currently teeter on the edge of total collapse due to his systematic resource harvesting.’

The Sovereign navigated through diverse dimensions, destabilizing entire civilizations to fuel this specific project.

Interrupting those external supply operations was absolutely paramount.

Granted, given the infinite catalog of identified dimensions, focusing all resources on a singular theater might yield higher operational efficiency than drifting aimlessly through the void…

“That presents no obstacle for me.”

His physical manifestations were not restricted to a singular vessel.

He retained the capacity to manage a multitude of complex operations across different sectors simultaneously if the situation demanded it.

‘Nevertheless… to ensure the smooth execution of this campaign, I ought to resolve the outstanding matters on my plate first.’

He lowered his eyelids once more, shifting his awareness to the various physical vessels he had deployed across the outer realms.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

The Dark Serpent Patriarch reposed quietly upon a simple wooden bench within a public square, his gaze fixed serenely upon the firmament above.

A pristine azure canopy painted with drifting, pale formations of vapor—truly flawless conditions.

“Greetings, Grandfather!”

Precisely at that moment, a youth navigating the path offered a cheerful salutation accompanied by a radiant expression.

The elderly warrior mirrored the warm expression back toward the youngster.

This specific recreational plaza was situated within an affluent residential sector surrounded by an educational complex segregated by age groups.

Owing to the prosperity of the surrounding households, municipal security was of the highest standard, and the individuals strolling past exhibited entirely unburdened countenances.

Naturally, the local youth were not so undisciplined as to offer unsolicited greetings to unfamiliar elderly men without a preexisting reason.

The reality that the youngster had approached with such uninhibited warmth indicated that the presence of the Dark Serpent Patriarch was a thoroughly integrated element of the scenery.

While his official obligations prevented him from appearing on a daily basis, he had frequented this specific bench, observing the local youth transition through their developmental years, for over a decade.

“Hey! It has been an eternity since we went to the singing lounge…”

“Rather than that, you should migrate to my residence later today…”

“In that scenario, along the route, we can acquire some…”

Abruptly, a cluster of secondary school students traversed the open square, engaged in animated banter while clad in pristine academic blazers.

The focused gaze of the Dark Serpent Patriarch locked onto a single youth positioned within the center of the gathering.

“Ah! Greetings, Grandfather.”

“Oh, you have materialized today. Good health to you~!”

The party exchanged brief acknowledgments as their paths crossed visually.

That constituted the entirety of their interaction, naturally.

Regardless of how familiar his form had become over a decade of observation, anticipating a deeper relationship with an anonymous elder was entirely unrealistic.

Yet, for his personal desires, that brief exchange was more than sufficient.

As the cluster of students drifted further down the path, the Dark Serpent Patriarch lowered his eyelids and angled his face toward the sky above.

Was this reflective state brought on because he had recently stood before Phantom, the supreme authority of the Crimson Covenant, and engaged in deep dialogue?

All at once, historical recollections flooded back into his consciousness like an uncontrollable tide.

The primary catalyst that had driven him to abandon his administrative seat as a regional director within the Uinverted Paradise Alliance.

The specific date he chose to turn his back on the Sovereign, the very individual who had provided unbounded resources to enable him to shatter the restrictive boundary of the Transcendent Realm.

“Sigh.”

Forcibly displaced to an alien dimension while leaving his newly wedded partner behind, he had beaten the odds and repatriated with his physical form intact.

An even greater stroke of fortune: despite the completely chaotic nature of dimensional displacements during that historical era, his partner had maintained her vigil for over a year, awaiting the return of her vanished companion.

However, the euphoria of a safe repatriation proved agonizingly short-lived.

He was plunged into an abyss of psychological torment upon discovering a singular fundamental truth.

As an early-generation returnee, he had possessed no prior knowledge that all personal development would lock down permanently the moment one stepped foot back onto Earth.

The material support provided by the Alliance guaranteed an existence of unparalleled opulence, yet such trivialities held zero value for him.

Poised precariously at the absolute zenith of the Ascendant Blossom Realm, his psychological fixation on attaining superior martial might intensified with each passing day.

Lamenting his choice to return to his native world, he completely alienated the partner who had waited so faithfully for him, channeling his entire existence exclusively toward shattering the developmental barrier.

That borderline psychotic obsession eventually bore fruit after years of agonizing experimentation: he finally transitioned across the threshold into the Transcendent Realm.

Simultaneously, he unlocked the unique attribute designated as “Cosmic Dissident,” a reward bestowed for being the inaugural inhabitant of Earth to achieve such transcendence while remaining on its native soil.

He forfeited his youthful vitality as the mandatory toll for this advancement, yet he deemed the trade entirely acceptable given the immense power harvested.

Even so, presenting this severely aged, withered physical vessel to his partner felt like an unforgivable offense.

Consequently, their final interpersonal contact occurred just prior to his evolutionary breakthrough; he chose to never seek her presence again.

He limited his involvement to arranging an immense fortune to ensure she lived in absolute material comfort.

He forged ahead with single-minded intensity, operating as an independent master of the martial path and serving as the primary administrator for the Alliance’s East Asian operations.

Then, several months subsequent to those events,

the defining crisis materialized without warning.

Much like the present moment, the climate was pristine and illuminated by bright sunshine.

Yet he possessed absolutely no mental real estate to appreciate the firmament, racing forward with reckless, desperate velocity.

Completely ignoring the shattered infrastructure and the casualties that accumulated along his trajectory.

Within the medical facility he eventually infiltrated,

the physically withered Dark Serpent Patriarch finally came face-to-face with the individual before him.

The executioner responsible for the death of his partner.

The heavily lined, fragile countenance of his adversary contorted into a profound grimace.

The pale lips twitched in a mocking fashion, mirroring her exact physical mannerisms.

And yet, he found himself utterly incapable of projecting hatred toward this adversary.

The authentic culpability rested entirely upon his own shoulders for deserting her to face the world in absolute isolation.

—“Are you the designated next of kin for the mother? We executed every available medical protocol, but her physical state was extremely compromised upon arrival…”

—“By some miracle, the newborn has survived. We will require an extended period of close observation, but…”

With ultimate gentleness, he gathered his adversary into his arms.

The microscopic spark of life shifting within his embrace.

The singular remaining testament that he and she had manifested within this material reality.

And by virtue of the properties of “Cosmic Dissident,” which granted him the ability to discern the hidden mechanics of destiny, he realized with absolute certainty.

This specific infant possessed no viable future within the new world order that the Sovereign was working to manifest.

Without a shred of hesitation, he evaporated from the grid alongside the newborn.

The power of “Cosmic Dissident,” which actively resisted the established natural order, thoroughly erased his energetic signature and completely reconstructed the infant’s identity records, placing her under the guardianship of a benevolent, ordinary couple.

Operating under the guise of an untraceable patron, he secured a luxury residence for them within this elite municipal sector and monitored her development from a safe distance across the years.

Far too terrified of attracting the attention of pursuers to initiate direct contact, he contented himself to linger within the boundaries of this public square, relying entirely on random happenstance to catch glimpses of her life.

‘Heh, an endurance test of this nature is trivial.’

The Dark Serpent Patriarch initiated a slow ascent from his position on the bench.

Averting his gaze from the retreating silhouette of his adversary—which remained visible to him after so much time—he directed his steps forward.

To execute the singular directive that remained assigned to his existence: safeguarding the final vestige of her presence so that it would never be wiped from the world again.