Chapter 45

Chapter 45
## Chapter 45

Abyssal Conclave (3)

Once the conflict within the mental realm concluded, Hans began examining the cerebrum of a captured operative from the ‘Abyssal Conclave’ to harvest intelligence. Although the ethereal plane had been thoroughly ruined by the collateral damage of their clash, the physical brain tissue remained relatively whole, permitting this extraction. Naturally, certain gaps existed due to the trauma of the engagement, but it remained a gamble well worth the effort.

‘Hm, the task proved far more challenging than anticipated.’

The confrontation against the high-ranking member of the ‘Abyssal Conclave’ inside the psychological landscape had been fierce. Hans had initially assumed the ‘Mind Hub’ would guarantee a swift triumph, yet the adversary possessed distinct, personalized capabilities that made the duel quite arduous. This proficiency explained how the operative had been capable of anchoring mental restrictions within others while maintaining complete autonomy.

The foe possessed immense psychological fortitude, but Hans, by pooling the collective power of his avatars, held an equally formidable position. Nevertheless, whenever an adversarial strike bypassed his defenses, the ‘Crystal Mirror of Clarity’ fractured slightly, causing a massive influx of overwhelming data to strike the ‘Mind Hub’, creating a precarious predicament.

Compounding this, Hans was already keeping the ‘Mind Hub’ constantly active to fend off the perpetual psychological decay radiating from the ‘Fragments of the Immortal King.’ Under such taxing conditions, the accumulation of enemy offenses caused the suppressed information to surge backward, threatening a catastrophic failure.

‘Consequently, I simply ceased resisting.’

When a kingdom faces an internal uprising simultaneous with an external invasion, trying to contain both is foolish. Why endure such a double-fronted assault? Hans merely threw open the gates to welcome the invader’s advance, steering the enemy directly toward the insubordinate entities while consolidating his defensive resources on the opposite flank to completely secure his core territory. The oblivious invading force plunged headlong into the rebels…

The outcome was an absolute triumph for the insurgent forces. Even the Order classified that entity as an embodiment of ‘mental corruption that no living being could overcome.’ That fragment, the apex of malice, remained entirely unaffected by their offenses. Though the psychological domain serving as the war zone was utterly shattered and reduced to ruin during the carnage, Hans remained indifferent, given that the operative’s mind was already destined for destruction.

In truth, the very territory where the conflict raged had originally belonged to the adversary.

‘Such a stratagem was only viable because I operated in a spiritual manifestation within an alien mental plane.’

Ultimately, a favorable outcome justified the means. Hans had casually observed the progression of the slaughter… Once the emerald entity, consumed by insanity, charged forward only to be mangled by a dark hound and narrowly escape, Hans calmly refastened the restraints upon the displaced fragment.

‘Even so, failing to eliminate him entirely leaves a lingering regret.’

Although the adversarial spirit form had been so grievously mangled that it would certainly never truly recover, Hans still lamented his inability to deliver the final blow. Furthermore, the engagement yielded no tangible rewards save for the data gained via interrogation, while conversely inflicting severe degradation upon the recollections that could have been harvested from the executive’s physical remains.

Yet, such disappointment proved premature.

[The subject has plundered the destiny of an external entity and achieved higher realization. The capability ‘Black Magic’ has transitioned into the advanced capability ‘Path of Sorcery.’]

‘What? So suddenly?’

Hans had certainly sensed he was approaching a breakthrough point in his advancement, yet he anticipated the transition would require a longer period of cultivation…

However, the underlying rationale quickly became apparent.

‘Ah, it makes sense now; I have integrated the residual essence of the spirit form that was scattered across the psychological realm. This is an incredible windfall.’

While utilizing black magic to decipher the operative’s memories, drifting remnants of the emerald spirit form left behind in that mental space were pulled into his own being. This brought an influx of diverse understanding and profound wisdom. The notification regarding the plundered destiny signified that his own advancement corresponded directly to a permanent reduction in the adversary’s capabilities.

‘I wondered if such resources could be systematically exploited… but this is hardly a repeatable strategy.’

The phenomenon required a specific alignment of variables: the adversary had to sustain catastrophic damage while in an ethereal state, and the host mental realm had to be rendered completely barren, losing all utility like a discarded object. Furthermore, an undead creature—an entity defined by its inherent void—had to be forcefully anchored to that psychological plane via black magic. Every single one of these elements played a vital role in the outcome.

Naturally, this procedure carried an immense hazard of psychological degradation, but as was his custom, Hans paid the danger no mind.

‘Setting aside the other criteria, I require a target capable of projecting their soul to infiltrate the psyches of others… and practitioners of that caliber are exceedingly rare.’

The individual who had just suffered defeat at his hands would undoubtedly flee in terror if their paths crossed again. This scenario was a singular occurrence.

Regardless, the event had allowed him to shatter his bottleneck, providing a genuine reason for satisfaction. Armed with the ‘Path of Sorcery’, his capabilities could now expand past basic black magic and reach into entirely new domains.

‘First, however, there are immediate tasks demanding my attention.’

Swish—

A sudden torrent of dark energy erupted, and Hans, cloaked in shadows, shifted through the spatial fabric. He manifested directly at the location he had just uncovered: the regional headquarters of the ‘Abyssal Conclave’ situated in Seoul.

—

During the period Heinz remained at the estate supervising the captured assets, Hans was relentlessly executing his mission. Regrettably, the spatial markers obtained from the operative’s mind had suffered corruption, preventing an instantaneous transit to the interior, but Hans successfully pinpointed the base by systematically scouring the surrounding territory. The amplification of his mystical energies courtesy of the ‘Path of Sorcery’ proved immensely advantageous during this hunt.

Even so, the syndicates’ defensive measures were remarkably swift.

‘I mobilized instantly upon deciphering the recollections, losing minimal time during the geographical search… ‘

Yet, by the moment of his arrival, the occupants were already systematically dismantling the outpost in a frantic bid to escape.

“Damn it… How did they track us down this quickly!”

“No, stay back!”

Fortunately, his arrival was timely enough. Hans successfully subdued the panicked operatives who were desperately trying to incinerate documentation, immediately draining their consciousness for data.

[The directive for evacuation has already been disseminated…?]

He discovered that the central command had issued a total withdrawal order, prompting the high-ranking officials to vanish into hiding instantly. The low-level cultists had been abandoned with orders to erase all records before scattering. Because each individual fled along isolated routes, the abandoned personnel possessed no actionable data regarding the whereabouts of their superiors.

‘It is a redeeming feature that I secured one high-ranking official earlier. I managed to salvage crucial intelligence.’

“Gargle… aaah…”

Hans looked coldly down at the mature man writhing helplessly within his iron grip. This individual served as the overseer of technological research for the Seoul outpost of the Abyssal Conclave. In stark contrast to his peers, his obsessive desire to safeguard his experimental datasets had delayed his evacuation, resulting in his capture.

Because of this blunder, the vast majority of their empirical findings were secured without damage, which was a highly satisfactory outcome. Naturally, this preservation did not guarantee the researcher a painless demise.

“Ugh… krrk, hihihi…”

Hans cast a brief look at the researcher, who had now been reanimated as an undead thrall, before turning his attention to the salvaged paperwork. The critical files, such as recent strategic directives, had been systematically destroyed beforehand, leaving behind mostly basic historical summaries of past operations.

These fragments were only preserved because Hans had violently interrupted the final demolition of the archives. The overseer, possessing an exclusive fixation on scientific experimentation, held little awareness of matters outside his department, rendering him useless for broader strategic inquiries.

‘The assertions regarding their multi-generational operations appear accurate.’

The records were systematically categorized by chronological periods, each accompanied by compact storage drives. Even so, judging by the insights gleaned from the captured minds, precise operational details were transmitted to central command before being instantly erased locally. The archives maintained within this facility were merely high-level overviews.

Without delay, Hans gathered every piece of material from the ruined outpost and transitioned back to the estate where Heinz kept watch. A multitude of captive subjects remained at the property, waiting to be drained of information.

[It matches my hypotheses; none of these lower subjects possessed insights comparable to the initial executive.]

It became evident that the Abyssal Conclave operated utilizing an isolated cell network, ensuring no subordinate possessed broader systemic knowledge than the first high-ranking captive Hans had broken. Nevertheless, the unique proficiencies and specific insights harbored by each subject offered distinct advantages to his own repertoire.

‘It appears the current phase has reached its conclusion. The leadership of the hardline faction within the blood alliance has been broken, and the Abyssal Conclave that backed them has sustained a severe counterblow.’

[Hehehe… The executive’s recollections indicate that Alpha had maintained a partial affiliation with the Abyssal Conclave for a considerable duration. Following these events, he has completely vanished from the grid.]

Heinz ran his tongue over his lips, expressing clear discontent. He genuinely regretted their failure to completely eliminate Alpha, the commander of the militant faction. Evaluating the sophistication of the ambush prepared for them, had Alpha been present on the battlefield, the duo might very well have failed to shatter the trap and been forced into a humiliating retreat. Viewed in that light, fortune had favored them.

This abundance allowed Hans to gorged himself to the point of absolute satiety. Naturally, had they discovered lifeblood belonging to an even more monumental entity, they would have forced themselves to consume it, even if it necessitated purging the lower-quality essence they had already claimed.

“With the militant faction dismantled to this degree, he must recognize that attempting a return now is an exercise in futility. Deprived of options, he will likely integrate himself entirely into their ranks.”

[It would have been far more advantageous to pursue him immediately and seal off his extraction routes. A true disappointment.]

“The Abyssal Conclave represents a significantly greater global presence than our initial assessments suggested. The data acquired thus far indicates they are far from a localized Korean phenomenon.”

[Regarding that, we have the accumulated archives seized from their outpost. Latent traps might be embedded within the data, making a thorough re-examination here imperative.]

Hans and Heinz continued their back-and-forth exchange. In truth, it amounted to a singular consciousness externalizing its analytical processes to sort through variables, but the distinction was irrelevant given the circumstances. After all, no living soul occupied the space save for Heinz.

Hans unpacked the entire collection of documents salvaged from the Abyssal Conclave’s regional headquarters. Because he had relocated entire filing arrays and reference structures utilizing spatial containment, reviewing the systematized papers was highly efficient. Hans directed his attention toward analyzing the experimental logs, whereas Heinz methodically processed the chronological overviews of past missions.

While conducting a preliminary scan of the physical files before interfacing with the accompanying storage drives.

“…What is this?”

Heinz froze mid-motion as his eyes locked onto a particular leaf of parchment. Simultaneously, Hans, who was deep in his own analysis, instantly locked up like an automated machine stripped of power. The text that had paralyzed Heinz’s focus read:

It was a specific chronicle and setting that Hansung Hyun could never erase from his consciousness.

—

“Ah! Greetings, Mr. Heinz, you have arrived.”

As dawn began to break, Heinz arrived at Jinsol’s location to deliver the report regarding the outcome of the nocturnal operations and…

“…Pardon? The militant faction suffered what? And you require another audience with our paramount leader… Hold on, give me a moment. Could you state that one more time?”

“During the night, we successfully eliminated the vast majority of the militant faction’s high command, with the sole exception of Alpha. A handful of Gamma-grade operatives stationed in peripheral regions eluded us, but their survival will not alter the strategic landscape. I require a conference with the director of the moderate faction to address these developments.”

Heinz repeated his declarations with a flat, mechanical cadence, maintaining absolute composure.

Profoundly rattled by the abrupt revelation, Jinsol experienced a wave of cognitive dissonance before intensely analyzing Heinz’s demeanor.

“Heinz… I shall transmit this intelligence upward, but our organization requires verification to confirm these assertions… everything is simply shifting too rapidly…”

“Jinsol.”

The unfeeling tone of Heinz’s voice instantly severed her sentence. An abrupt, heavy stillness settled over the room. Heinz simply stared down at her without expression.

“……!”

An incredibly compressed, suffocating pressure of absolute blood essence saturated the chamber. Having gorged upon a vast number of vampires during the previous night’s purge, his vampiric attributes had amplified exponentially, radiating a terrifying manifestation of blood mastery. The crushing weight of the air, which felt as though it was physically compressing her vital organs, caused Jinsol to lock up, her throat tightening as she forced herself to swallow.

‘I recognized Heinz’s immense capability, but for him to possess power of this magnitude…!’

It was not merely the sheer volume of his mystical energy that paralyzed her. An entirely different, primal variable was manifest. It was an existential terror that triggered the fundamental survival mechanisms of the subconscious, akin to a defenseless creature pinned under the gaze of an apex predator.

She suddenly became aware that her respiration had turned ragged and frantic.

‘He is baseline tier 7, potentially scaling even higher… calculating his true ceiling is entirely beyond my parameters.’

She rapidly calculated the power dynamic and instantly shifted her demeanor to reflect complete compliance.

“I shall establish communications with the high command immediately to schedule a conclave at the absolute earliest opportunity!”

The commander of their moderate faction operated at tier 7. She had never experienced this degree of primordial terror even when standing before her own superior, leading her to conclude that Heinz easily eclipsed that standard. Whispers existed claiming Alpha of the militant group had achieved tier 8 status, but those accounts remained unverified and she had never personally encountered the man, rendering such metrics irrelevant.

“Excellent. We shall also utilize that forum to outline strategies for reinforcing the Blood Alliance’s operational assets. Furthermore, we must address the management of the militant faction’s remaining personnel.”

“Understood, that is… wait, what did you say?”

For Heinz, an overriding imperative now existed to scale his personal authority with maximum velocity. The Blood Alliance represented an ideal vehicle to achieve this amplification. Despite the militant wing being broken and the group’s total combat effectiveness being truncated, the syndicate maintained an incredibly robust infrastructure built over centuries of covert existence. Within the domestic boundaries of Korea, they remained one of the most dominant syndicates in the clandestine sectors regarding informational gathering, stealth operations, and structural leverage.

Now that he possessed the leverage required to place them on a leash, he intended to exploit their assets to the absolute limit. This arrangement would likely present itself as a highly advantageous proposition from the perspective of the moderate leaders as well. Depending upon the compliance they exhibited, the narrative could be steered toward an outcome that served his ultimate designs perfectly.