Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Silent War (2)
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“Keuk...!”
His fading consciousness sharpened abruptly.
His ruptured lungs regenerated, clearing his airways as his heart pounded fiercely, sending blood surging through his body.
As the fatal wounds began to slowly mend under Super Recovery, strength gradually returned to his limbs.
‘...That was really a brush with death...!’
If not for the Instant Death Immunity perk earned from achieving the Immortal King milestone, Hans truly would have died.
But the damage had been so severe that full recovery would take quite some time.
His pulverized organs reforming as if time itself had rewound was a good sign, but they were far from pristine.
“Merchant master! Here's a potion!”
“We'll rush you to the temple right away! Just hang in there!”
Watching the mercenaries swarm around him, stuffing emergency potions into his mouth, Hubert accelerated his thoughts and coolly assessed the situation.
‘The assailant was a vampire—one I'd never seen before.’
Moreover, their skill had been extraordinary enough to slip past everyone's eyes and strike him down in secret.
They'd ignored not only the mercenaries' protection but the Brocoslak Clan's surveillance net entirely.
‘My detection skills aren't the sharpest, so I couldn't get a full read, but pulling this off requires at least a Pureblood—at minimum.’
One of the elite among them, specialized in assassination no less.
But...
‘Why would elite talent like that target a run-of-the-mill merchant like Hubert?’
Suspects who might have ordered the hit raced through his whirring mind.
Rival merchant houses clashing over recent territorial expansions, nobles who'd long eyed his company covetously, back-alley gangs he'd crushed into submission...
...Too many to single one out.
He prided himself on growing the business legitimately, but where profits were involved, enemies were inevitable.
‘And why a vampire of all things? Just coincidence? ...Damn it, not enough intel. Better start digging into the unknown vampire angle first.’
He didn't suspect betrayal from the Brocoslak side.
Bound to Heinz 2nd by the Purified Blood Crystal, they couldn't defy the order to support Hubert unconditionally.
‘Best way to get a handle is through Heinz mobilizing the clan, but he's away right now... And the teleportation circle's on cooldown after sending Howard.’
Resolving this neatly wouldn't be easy.
But his top priority lay elsewhere.
“Cough! Hold on...”
Hubert halted the guards trying to feed him potions and cart him off to the temple, issuing his instructions unilaterally.
He'd hole up somewhere safe to recover, then return.
‘Once they realize I'm alive, they'll come back to finish the job for good.’
They'd left convinced he was dead, but who knew when they'd return.
With no guarantee of Instant Death Immunity saving him again, fleeing this place ASAP was wisest.
“...I'll contact Howard personally, so relay business through him in the meantime... Hoo, spread the word to the company...”
“Y-yes? Wait, how exactly are you going to hide...”
No time to waste.
The moment he judged the message delivered, Hubert vanished from the spot via summon cancellation.
Of course, trusting those mercenaries fully was another issue, but he couldn't fret over that right now.
‘They're talents recommended by the Southern Warrior Trio, so reliable enough... Though you never really know with people...’
If they proved false, he'd unleash Harley, Brocoslak, and every resource at his disposal for payback.
“Hah, talk about a bolt from the blue.”
Wooong—
A brilliant glow lit the room, seeping into the body sprawled on the floor.
I'd become Heinrich via Entity Projection, pouring holy power into the resummoned Hubert back on Earth.
‘Instant Death Immunity saved his life, but...’
He'd been hanging by a thread, so quick improvement seemed unlikely.
Heinrich might be saint-recognized, but his powers skewed heavily toward combat.
He lacked any blessings tied to healing or recovery, so this was expected.
‘Still, brute-forcing holy power yields decent results with Auterica Holy Method alone.’
Plus the shared Super Recovery skill—after a few solid days of rest, he'd be mobile enough.
That wasn't the pressing issue, though.
‘This is getting messy. No clue where the snag started.’
Was it company-related? Vampire ties? Or Harley? No intel meant no judgment.
He'd built an intelligence network precisely for times like this, only for it to blow up while Heinz was away.
“Hoo— What's done is done. Key is the follow-up.”
Luckily, another intel outfit was at hand.
Not the ideal fit for this, but...
‘Eh, that's what it's for. Slight mismatch in focus, but even a rough picture would suffice.’
Weak on human scheming or political maneuvering, yet superior in other ways.
‘Order them to jump on it now. Don't care who—they picked the wrong mark.’
And so, under Immortal King Hans, Undying Legion Intelligence Chief Olivia and her host of ghosts mobilized to unearth the shadows behind a mere merchant's assassination.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In a space thick with the acrid stench of blood.
The white-haired, crimson-eyed vampire—Viscount Yuphersh—drew a deep breath and spoke in a low murmur.
“How go the preparations?”
“Proceeding smoothly. Combatants are assembling per summons, and we're installing multiple blood gates along the route to Talia Kingdom.”
A shadow in the darkness replied calmly to his query.
Blood gates were a signature of the Yuphersh Clan—a portable spatial transfer gate, their unique blood magic that enabled activity across the continent.
Short range and high blood cost were drawbacks, but the convenience outweighed them.
“A straight shot to Talia risks detection, so we've set Rapella City—a few days out—as the initial target. Of course, we'd reach the capital in under half a day.”
“Hmmm— Excellent.”
Viscount Yuphersh nodded in satisfaction.
“And a report just in from Tarac in Tulk Kingdom: mission complete.”
“Hm? What was there?”
He tilted his head at the shadow from his slouched perch.
He'd ordered total focus on Brocoslak in Talia—why bring that up now?
“...Intel suggested Brocoslak was expanding influence there via ties to a local merchant group. We reported plans to assassinate their leader and divert attention, but...”
“Ahh— Right. Forgot about that trifle.”
Viscount Yuphersh stroked his chin, finally recalling.
To him, a single human life was beneath notice—utterly trivial.
“Klein was nearby and handled the merchant master alongside a few Brocoslak vampires. Since he took the field personally, no trace worries.”
“Klein... I remember him. Solid for a Pureblood. No one matches him for quiet, thorough work.”
“Precisely. He's the Pureblood with the highest shot at True Blood.”
“Good. He'll have managed. Doesn't matter either way.”
Viscount Yuphersh waved it off indifferently—the clan's might alone sufficed.
He'd watched his subordinates toil without comment, supremely confident he could solo the job.
He was simply biding time per plan—the endgame was total annihilation.
“So, when do preparations wrap?”
“Aiming for maximum secrecy, we estimate a week...”
“Too long. Cut it down.”
“...We can rush mobilization and shave time, but rushing blood gates risks exposure...”
“A week means two days compressible. Finish in five.”
“...Yes, Lord. Your will be done.”
Viscount Yuphersh cut off further protest decisively; the shadow bowed without demur.
A Sacred Blood's command was absolute.
“Can't wait to face him. How'd he seize clan control? Same bloodline, yet... No idea.”
Anticipating answers in days, Viscount Yuphersh smirked coldly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Thank you! Goodbye!”
“Yes, dear~ Goodness, what a sharp young lady. If only my boy learned from you. Ohoho~”
Diana straightened from her bow, seeing off the smiling customer leaving the grocery with a stretch.
The sun had dipped; time to close shop.
“Good work today, Diana. You don't have to help—aren't you busy studying?”
“Not at all, Uncle. Hands-on work is helpful too. Teacher says book learning is dead knowledge!”
Diana—the girl who'd bonded with Heinz and traveled from Azantu to Rapella—beamed brightly.
She'd mastered letters and arithmetic at the tutorial hall, now studying accounting and commerce privately with a favored instructor.
Tuition was steep, but Heinz's generosity covered it easily.
‘We can live like this all thanks to that man—I want to help him somehow.’
But Diana's frail build and lack of skills limited her; brains were her only asset, and she excelled there.
Her tutor had gasped in genuine awe at her intellect more than once.
‘Plenty of competent money-handlers, but trustworthy ones? Rare!’
Unaware of Heinz's pursuits, she figured finance aided any venture.
She was green, but hard work would make her indispensable.
As Diana reaffirmed her resolve while tidying...
Sniff sniff—
A nose-stinging scent wafted from somewhere.
‘Again...’
Blood smell—several times today alone.
Shed noticed it often before, but lately the frequency had spiked.
‘And this recent scent feels... different.’
Unfamiliar vampire aroma, steadily increasing—not the accustomed ones.
‘Hope it's nothing...’
Diana scowled, hastily finished up, and retreated inside.
Time to remind Aaron and Rafi to stay vigilant.
And so.
The silent war drew ever nearer, moment by moment.