Chapter 79

Chapter 79
## Individual Projection (1)

The residence of the bright ducal family.

“So the ones nearby have been taken care of?”

“Correct. It would make more sense to bring the remaining ones in one by one.”

“…”

“…Yes, My Lord.”

Standing beside Heinz, who rested casually in an armchair, the man carefully amended his phrasing under a lingering gaze.

Adapting to respectful terminology was incredibly uncomfortable after decades of speaking otherwise, yet he had no alternative but to adapt.

His days as the secret ruler of the Talia Kingdom were over.

‘The reorganization of the clan proceeds without a hitch because the Lord remains present.’

Heinz felt a wave of internal amusement as he observed Mulo, who stood next to him letting out a heavy breath.

He had briefly debated his choices regarding the man after subduing him, but turning him into a subordinate had proven to be the ideal path.

His original intention in seizing the clan was to leverage Brokoslack’s vast authority.

He could hardly claim absolute mastery over this organization if he omitted Mulo, its most vital asset.

Mulo Brokoslack was the architect who had guided the clan from the dark corners of the Talia Kingdom for decades to establish a dominion of this scale.

He possessed an irreplaceable value that neither Obor nor Freesia could match, despite their status as True Bloods operating out of the field.

‘Yet it is fortunate that the strategy succeeded. Had it failed, I would have been forced to destroy him.’

Mulo possessed a reservoir of blood magic that surpassed his own, and his level was so formidable that absolute dominance was never a guarantee.

But a sudden notion had entered his mind.

If a target’s high level presented a risk, one could simply diminish it through raw force…

A vampire’s fundamental strength resided in the bloodsucking element within their veins.

What if he drained that essence entirely, leaving just enough to preserve the creature’s life?

The consequence of that action stood before him now.

‘His standing did not drop beneath a True Blood, owing to the massive level he had accumulated over time.’

The stolen vitality would slowly replenish as the vampire consumed fresh blood.

The journey toward recovery would be grueling, but Heinz had provided an abundant supply of “Refined Blood Essence” as a recompense for consuming the Clan Lord’s blood, ensuring that the drop in actual martial capability was mitigated.

‘Though it demanded a significant portion of “Refined Blood Essence”, I secured a far superior quality of blood in return, making it a highly advantageous trade. Furthermore, Mulo’s absolute obedience is now unshakable.’

With no further reason to conceal his manipulation of their bloodlines, he called upon the remaining blood relatives sequentially, bestowing copious amounts of “Refined Blood Essence” upon them.

It was a logical investment, given that they represented the vital assets destined to serve as his instruments and agents.

Consequently, the clan’s operational numbers within the metropolis had expanded to more than twice their original strength.

“Allow them to manage the summons for the regional members and the restructuring of the network. Moving on, you mentioned a communication from the Main God Church?”

“That is… accurate, My Lord. The message concerned the revival of the Immortal King.”

The vampire still faltered occasionally with formal speech, but proficiency would come with repetition, so Heinz overlooked it.

‘I am aware that the Church is making extensive arrangements. However, their capacity to expand their reach within the Talia Kingdom has reached its limit.’

This realm was now fundamentally under his own governance.

There was little reason to invite friction with an inconvenient neighbor, making it wisest to maintain his existing stance regarding the clergy.

“I shall carry out the remaining tasks precisely as we outlined.”

“One more thing: arrange to harvest continental intelligence from multiple perspectives. Whether you build a dedicated spy ring from scratch or negotiate an alliance with an established syndicate, the choice of strategy rests with you.”

“…Very well. I recognize your capabilities, so I shall dedicate my full efforts to assisting you from this moment on.”

Mulo offered a brief, respectful bow and vanished into the shadows without making a single sound.

‘…Ah, of course, there was that obligation.’

Heinz, recognizing the underlying meaning behind Mulo’s demeanor, rubbed his jawline with a finger as he drifted into deep contemplation.

The matter had slipped his mind amidst the chaotic aftermath of taking complete control of the clan.

It was a pledge he had offered to secure Freesia’s compliance, though its necessity had dwindled by now.

Yet upon further reflection, the concept was far from impossible.

‘In fact, it carries immense potential. I ought to formulate a serious strategy for it.’

If one intended to pursue an ambition, it was always superior to aim for the absolute pinnacle.

Ascending to the position of ‘Blood King’—ruling over every vampire existence rather than a solitary faction—was a highly appealing prospect.

“Hmm… Blood King…”

Heinz leaned back into the depths of his seat and permitted his eyes to close.

—

“Sir Heinrich! Are you returning to active service?”

“Haha— I have enjoyed a sufficient period of rest, so it is time to resume my duties. A man must earn his keep, after all.”

“Come now, what are you saying? Not a soul would dare criticize you, Sir Heinrich. You are fully entitled to a longer recovery.”

“Truthfully, staying idle was making me restless.”

A full month had elapsed since the devastating incursion of the Immortal King.

Heinrich, clad in his martial armor as he walked toward his assigned post, noted the distinct shift in how he was perceived.

The change became obvious every time he ventured into public spaces and interacted with others.

The residents and clergy within this holy sanctuary were displaying an extraordinary degree of warmth toward him.

‘Though I orchestrated events to achieve this exact outcome, the response has exceeded my expectations.’

The fact that the sanctuary remained tranquil despite the return of the Immortal King was attributed entirely to the grievous injury Heinrich had dealt to the monster, which provided the realm with vital time to fortify its defenses…

This narrative had circulated throughout every rank of the Church, making the adoration entirely predictable.

As he walked along, enjoying the internal satisfaction, his eyes caught sight of the Saintess crouching low before a patch of flowers.

He tracked the direction of her gaze, which remained locked onto a specific spot, and found exactly what he anticipated…

A tiny pill bug was slowly crawling along, making its way toward some unknown destination.

‘Her nature never alters.’

Allowing a soft smile to form, he drew closer to the Saintess and gave a polite, quiet cough.

“Ahem… Greetings, Saintess.”

“Oh! Sir Heinrich! It is wonderful to see you. I was informed that your recuperation has progressed beautifully. Have you achieved a full recovery?”

“Indeed. To be perfectly honest, I felt restored quite some time ago, but the healing priest overseeing my care is remarkably strict. She insisted on a full month of rigorous observation to ensure no lingering spiritual corruption remained… Hahaha.”

Her meticulousness stemmed entirely from a place of deep concern for his well-being, yet it proved quite tedious for Heinrich, who possessed no lingering injuries whatsoever.

As a direct consequence, he had been restricted to using the rudimentary training area set up within the medical ward.

‘The facility lacked any serious heavy training apparatus. I must apply myself vigorously starting today to recover the physical conditioning I lost.’

He remained appreciative that the space existed at all, given that it had been established long ago at the request of prior holy knights.

“One cannot exercise too much caution when dealing with malevolent blights. The necessity is redoubled when the corruption originates from the Immortal King himself! The precaution is entirely justified.”

The Saintess gave a firm, supportive nod before her expression suddenly shifted to one of quiet remorse, as though a sudden memory had struck her.

“Regrettably, Sir Heinrich, I must apologize for my infrequent visits during your recovery. The burden of organizing our defensive measures consumed all my time…”

She let out a heavy sigh, her countenance falling into a sullen look.

She explained that her schedule had been entirely monopolized by the threat of the Immortal King.

Disseminating critical intelligence to disparate factions and analyzing collaborative strategies constituted merely the baseline of her responsibilities.

She was also buried in ancient records, holding councils with the Magic Tower Alliance, communicating with clandestine networks, and attempting to dissect the nature of the Immortal King Hans by ordering the Heresy Inquisitors to perform intensive interrogations on captured dark mages…

Every conceivable asset was being deployed simultaneously, leaving the Saintess, who stood at the center of these operations, perpetually running from one task to the next.

“Granted, the brave souls stationed at the borders are enduring far greater hardships than I…”

She cast a softened, distant gaze toward the soil and offered a quiet, weary smile.

“I managed to conclude my duties ahead of schedule today, allowing me to visit the garden for the first time in an age… and I was fortunate enough to cross paths with you, Sir Heinrich. It is a fortuitous day on multiple fronts.”

The small insect that had captured her attention had already departed, yet the Saintess continued to stare intently at the patch of earth where it had traveled.

Heinrich tilted his head slightly, observing the profound tenderness in her expression.

‘…I get the distinct impression I am being viewed on the same tier as a common garden bug.’

Perhaps even a step below it, though he told himself it was merely a trick of his mind.

Most likely.

“Ahem, Saintess, I must take my leave and report to my station.”

“Ah! I have detained you for far too long. If I recall correctly, your instruction under the Radiance Guardian remains ongoing?”

“Yes, that is correct. I was scheduled to transfer to an alternate holy knight order within a matter of days, but then the calamity occurred…”

The delay was unavoidable, as the weeks he spent confined to the medical wing were excluded from his official training ledger.

“I understand… You previously mentioned that your ultimate aspiration is to operate as a freelance holy knight, correct?”

“Yes. My desire is to wander across the continent, offering aid to the defenseless and manifesting the path of the Main God.”

Operating as an independent agent would allow him to retain the material backing of the Church, whereas being formally bound to a specific holy knight order would severely impede his ability to set up the grand scenarios he required.

An actor always found it far more convenient when the director faced fewer bureaucratic constraints.

“Hmm— I see.”

The Saintess nodded her head gradually, apparently pondering the deeper context of his response.

Just as Heinrich offered a final parting nod and began to walk away, she spoke up once more.

“Oh, wait! You can look forward to wonderful tidings in the very near future!”

He halted and spun back around at her unexpected statement, but she merely offered a bright smile and dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

‘To pique a man’s curiosity and leave him completely in the dark…’

Even so, he could deduce the general nature of her comment.

It almost certainly pertained to an advancement in rank.

He had achieved a monumental feat during the crisis, and it would look highly unusual for the hierarchy to retain a warrior possessing holy energy equivalent to a bishop within the lowest echelons of the order.

‘I will gladly accept whatever recognition they offer.’

Amused by the pleasant anticipation, Heinrich quickened his pace toward his destination.

He needed to move swiftly to ensure he arrived precisely on time.

—

『Karma Shop』

『Unique Skill Enhancement (900,000)』

『Status Enhancement – View Details』

『Karma Owned – 1,393,934』

As a natural consequence of bringing the Brokoslack Clan under his dominion, he had accumulated a massive windfall of Karma.

The outcome was immensely satisfying, particularly when taking into account how little time had passed since his previous skill upgrade following the crisis at the holy cathedral.

‘The entire grand design is unfolding flawlessly. Now then, what manner of power will manifest this time?’

During his previous breakthrough, he had unlocked the capacity to fashion his Elven manifestation, Harris, due to the acquisition of “Customization”.

The feature had also proved invaluable to his progression as a Spirit Summoner, given that it afforded him the ability to recalibrate individual attributes.

Furthermore, it had allowed him to modify the physical features of Hans, who was presently occupied with overseeing matters of stability.

The alteration was technically redundant since the figure consistently hid his face behind a mask, yet it felt wasteful to leave such an option unutilized.

‘I refrained from implementing drastic structural alterations since a mask must still fit properly over the visage, but I dedicated a fair amount of creativity to the process.’

The final creation consisted of…

An aesthetically striking skeleton featuring a flawlessly smooth, pristine skull, an elegantly defined jawline, perfectly aligned teeth, and sharply stylized contours around the ocular cavities.

‘The sovereign of undeath ought to possess a visual presence befitting the title of Immortal King. In any case, let us initiate the progression.’

There was no purpose in delaying the moment any further.

He immediately targeted the option for ‘Unique Skill Enhancement’ and squeezed his eyelids shut, bracing his mind for the inevitable wave of mental agony.

《The latent capability of the manifestations expands significantly. The developmental progression of the entities accelerates dramatically.》

《The singular capability evolves, unlocking its dormant attributes. You have unlocked the specialized trait “Individual Projection”.》

Once the customary throbbing in his skull subsided, he opened his eyes, feeling a sense of confusion as no additional notifications materialized despite a lengthy wait.

‘…Is that the extent of it?’

The standard ‘avatar count increase’ that had consistently accompanied every prior advancement was entirely absent from this tier.

The entirety of his massive investment had yielded nothing beyond the two brief systemic pronouncements floating in front of him.

‘This was an upgrade that demanded a staggering 900,000 Karma…’

He could not shake the irritating sensation that he had been shortchanged.

Granted, the accelerated development of his manifestations was a welcome benefit that would allow them to achieve higher ceilings of power in a shorter timeframe, but the return felt remarkably scarce for the price.

“Wait, what is this?”

As he began to inspect the mechanics of the unfamiliar trait with a deeply skeptical mindset, a sudden gasp escaped his lips.

Hans, Heinz the Second, Heinrich, Harley, Hubert, and Harris.

Every single one of them represented a distinct manifestation of his being, each possessing personalized talents and individual identities.

And the operational function of “Individual Projection,” which had just been added to his repertoire…

Granted him the power to manifest the exact capabilities and form of any chosen avatar directly onto his primary physical body once per day.