Chapter 235
Chapter 235
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 235
Chapter Title: Karma Shop (3)
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A remote mountain village a short distance from the capital of the Zepia Republic.
As the largest religion on the continent, the Church of the Main God had even established a modest prayer hall for the villagers in this tiny settlement with scarcely any population.
Of course, it was quite understaffed—just a novice priest dispatched for training and a couple of local monks—but no one in the village looked down on the place.
Even the faint divine power of a novice priest was more than enough for emergency treatments, putting the villagers in a position to receive those blessings anytime.
Regardless of faith, no one could dislike something so practically helpful in daily life.
Yet right now, inside this prayer hall, which should have been the most sacred spot of all—
A covert meeting was underway among irreverent individuals who hadn't received permission and lacked even a shred of faith.
"What are your impressions of His Grace's blessing, Obaypo? As a vampire, you must have quite the affinity for it."
"Heh, indeed... It's not bad at all... I wondered what ploy you were scheming when you showed up out of the blue like that..."
"How disappointing. I thought we'd built up some trust after associating for so long."
Blasphemous conversation echoed inside the prayer hall, emblazoned everywhere with the symbols of the Church of the Main God.
Obaypo, the lord of the Obaypo Clan based in the east, a Sacred Blood vampire... and...
"You're the one who betrayed that trust first, Revolutionary... You won't claim no responsibility for the deaths of Enamel the Clown and the Southern Barbarian King, will you...?"
"Sorry about that. I had no choice but to cut contact due to urgent circumstances."
The Revolutionary, founder of the Oath of Reverse Heaven and the greatest culprit behind the world's plunge into chaos.
"But I'm here now to offer help, aren't I? With that power of yours, you wouldn't fall easily like the others."
"Keh heh... I've long since eliminated Zepia's Supreme Commander, the biggest obstacle anyway... I wanted to make him one of my kin, but subjugating a transcendent martial artist proved no easy task... Such a pity..."
The shocking revelation that even Imajor, hailed as the republic's strongest, had fallen.
The Hero, another potential hurdle, had already acquiesced to the vampires' domination of the Talia Kingdom, making it unlikely he'd meddle in the republic's covert internal affairs now.
Moreover, with incidents erupting everywhere, public attention was scattered, creating a situation highly favorable to Obaypo in every way.
"What about the vice president? Can you really leave her be? She's essentially the leader of the opposition."
"Hmm, that woman...? She's outlived her usefulness, so I was planning to dispose of her soon anyway... With all her limbs severed, she can't do much regardless..."
They'd kept her alive precisely because of her strong animosity toward vampires—it made gathering intel on her anti-vampire allies all the easier.
They'd laid extensive groundwork around her long ago for that very purpose.
"You're awfully relaxed, even knowing she's already made contact with the western hybrids."
"Heh, that self-proclaimed Vampire King...? What a joke... A fool who knows nothing of blood's true origins strutting around like a king..."
Of course, he'd long since grasped the vice president's movements and those of the hybrids.
But with his ace in the hole, he felt no worry even now, as the situation teetered on the brink of explosion and collision loomed.
"No matter what power that fool wields... As long as vampire blood flows in his veins, he can't defeat me, who holds the might closest to the origin... If anything, I should commend him for handling my nuisances for me..."
Far from concerned, he seemed expectant.
He genuinely hoped this so-called Hybrid King would come to him.
The moment he subjugated him would be the day he claimed all vampires on the continent.
"Once I obtain the essences of Brocoslak and Ufershi... all the lost Origin Bloodlines will converge once more... That day, this world shall face its true Vampire King...!"
Obaypo, who had gathered the legacies of the 'Origin Bloodlines'—severed across generations over long ages—dreamed of completing the perfect bloodline and reigning supreme, lost in ecstasy.
He couldn't even imagine that the two bloodlines he coveted, along with everyone under the hybrid's command, had long lost their purity, corrupted by vampire factors from another dimension.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I crossed my arms and glared intently at the number indicating the item's price.
"Hmm."
It was a mere 300,000—a change of less than 1 percent compared to the overwhelming 30 million.
But seeing the figure actually shift for the first time naturally drew my attention.
'What is it? What's with that sudden drop...? Did one of my subordinates uncover a clue related to it?'
I'd speculated it was priced based on the item's value and acquisition difficulty, but of course, that wasn't 100 percent certain.
Still, given the pricing of other common items, it was the most credible theory.
So it was only natural to think something had brought me closer to 'that' item.
'If I can pinpoint the cause, I might uncover its identity. First, check if any related intel has come in...'
But as I swiftly analyzed the situation like that,
I soon realized, upon considering the next steps, that it wasn't as simple as it sounded.
'Just the channels through which I can obtain information right now...'
The ghost intelligence network scattered across the continent under Olivia, the overall head of my undead army's intel.
The hybrid-affiliated vampires infiltrating the world's shadows and the dark organizations under them.
The Church of the Main God's intelligence analysis team, exerting influence across the continent to gather and provide needed information.
Hubert Merchant Company's informants, organized to collect trade-related intel and track goods flow.
'And that's not all. There are indirect channels too.'
Hari in the south and Harris on the Enamel Continent were inextricably linked to events in their domains, and Hesperon's influence, backed by the princess's favor, couldn't be ignored either.
Everyone except Howard, holed up hammering away in his workshop, served as excellent intel conduits.
'...The sheer volume of reports pouring in from everywhere every moment is staggering—impossible to pinpoint something tied to an unknown entity.'
I pondered briefly, then shook my head and neatly cast aside the worry.
I was interested in it, sure, but obsessing over an unsolvable issue was a waste of mental energy.
'A 1 percent drop isn't a huge change anyway.'
Whatever it was, the number still showed it was dauntingly distant.
If a decisive shift occurred, I'd learn of it somehow.
What truly mattered to me now wasn't some vague uncertainty.
Gulp gulp—
I shifted my gaze to the child below, cutely clutching a potion vial with both hands and drinking it down while wearing nothing but an oversized T-shirt like a dress.
"Kyaa—!"
The little one pulled the empty bottle from her lips with a refreshing sigh.
She smacked her lips and wiped her mouth with her palm.
Every action was fatally adorable.
'Does the younger body influence her behavior too?'
Or maybe it was just normal kid stuff, amplified by her appearance.
Either way, no need to dwell on it now.
Unique avatar personalities were nothing new.
'Anyway, Outerica is more efficient for rapid growth than Earth. But I can't just send child-form Horus anywhere alone. She needs a nominal guardian at least.'
As I mulled this over, Hugo quietly entered, approached Horus, and began dressing her in otherworld children's clothes received via Avatar Cloud.
It was clothing Hubert had hastily prepared and sent as errand and supply manager.
'...Yes, that's the best spot after all.'
Seeing that settled my decision on Horus's destination.
Someone prominent enough to attract less scrutiny yet unremarkable for bringing a child along under any pretext.
'Tarack, where the Hubert Merchant Company is.'
The moment childcare was added to Hubert's duties alongside errands and supplies.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Dracarion is gazing upon you. This message floated before Horus's eyes right after she crossed into the otherworld.
'The Dragon God?'
Not the first time seeing it, so it felt like an annual routine now—no big surprise.
'These days, I'd actually feel something's off without this attention.'
A life drawing the gods' gaze, albeit limited to the otherworld.
Of course, with that attention came satisfying patronage, so no complaints.
They'd toss occasional gifts if something caught their eye while watching.
"Huuup— Phaa—!"
Horus took a deep breath right there, flashing a satisfied smile.
'Man, being in a mana-rich world really is different.'
Unlike Earth, a mana desert devoid of any energy, Outerica's abundant mana surged into her Dragon Heart with every breath, making her stronger by the moment.
Whether from growth buffs or pricey elixirs working overtime, even she was astonished by the pace.
'On Earth, I could only recover lost energy—no actual growth.'
Thus, returning awakener's skills might refine and prowess improve, but core capacity stayed fixed.
Their limits were set the moment they returned.
'Not my problem, though...'
She already had powerful avatars, but they still fell short.
She needed even greater, more overwhelming power than before.
To topple that angel... the Heavenly Assembly Leader bastard.
And her most promising prospect lately was this little dragon right here.
Horus clenched her chubby fists, steeling her resolve.
'Of course, not ready for direct action yet. Need time to adapt to the dragon body and abilities first.'
The spot where she took her first steps in the otherworld was Hubert's private residence.
With hired staff handling food, clothing, and shelter, it was ideal—no distractions, pure focus on what mattered.
'Alright, let's get started.'
Horus flopped onto the bed in her lodging for serious training.
"Huuu— Haa—."
Deep breaths and meditation followed.
She calmly observed her body.
After a bit in human form, she Polymorphed back to dragon and repeated.
From afar, it might look pointless, but Horus was dead serious about her routine.
Operation: Lying Dragon.
A baby dragon holed up in a fancy mansion, dreaming of the day she'd soar, curled tight.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Somewhere in Outerica.
Inside a small cave shielded by every physical and magical concealment, pitch-black without a speck of light.
Rumble—
A deafening rustle shattered centuries of silence, and a pair of eyes slowly ignited in the darkness.
The being blinked leisurely, surveying surroundings as if assessing the situation, then tilted its head...
[Hmm? This is...] It let out a low murmur upon sensing something.
The presence of a kin so novel it was impossible to tell where it sprang from—
[...Dracarion.] An incredibly young energy by their standards—practically a newborn—its birth at this timing a mystery.
But having sensed it, the being could no longer remain idle.
[As you will.] This occurred in a secluded cave on a deserted island, far removed from the continent's escalating turmoil.