Chapter 305
Chapter 305
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 305
Chapter Title: Doctor (3)
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Blood Alliance's foray into the entertainment industry and the establishment of external policies regarding it.
Heinz, having received Jin Solan's report from Romania, slowly nodded his head.
'If things go according to plan, it wouldn't be a bad approach.'
Like it or not, people were instinctively heavily influenced by appearances.
In fact, wasn't the fact that most vampires were strikingly handsome or beautiful aimed precisely at that?
It meant that an alluring exterior was incredibly useful for luring prey.
'No need to leave existing weapons unused.'
Of course, they'd have to endure various restrictions and wary gazes in the process, but that was something they could fully accommodate.
'There are plenty who desperately want to step into the light, even if it means putting up with that.'
They were just holding back due to practical issues—not every vampire was satisfied with life in the shadows.
Come to think of it, Jin Solan, the current operations lead, was a prime example of that.
That was why Heinz had delegated full authority on the matter to her.
Just like always—handle it all on her own.
'...I'm busy enough as it is. If she really needs me, she'll speak up.'
He felt a twinge of guilt, but it couldn't be helped.
At least she was receiving commensurate compensation—surely she'd understand.
Right now, he had far too many things demanding his personal attention.
"As expected, nothing new. I had a hunch."
Heinz shook his head after meticulously re-examining Doctor's hideout one more time.
While Hans and Horus were combing through the seized documents and equipment, he'd come back just in case—but nothing additional turned up.
'How could I sit idly by when he's blatantly dropping foreshadowing like that?'
Heinz's brow furrowed slightly as Doctor's parting words flashed through his mind.
-" ...Then, until we meet again! I hope next time I get to see not just you, but all your friends too! Kyahahahaha!"
That was exactly why he was putting up with all this hassle now.
No one hearing those words could think they came from someone on the verge of death—it naturally left a nagging unease.
"Hmmm, no doubt that guy died back then."
He was absolutely certain of that.
Heinz 2nd was a vampire who accumulated karma and rank by devouring others' lives.
One who had reached the pinnacle, no less.
How could such a being fail to distinguish a true human from an artificial fake?
Everything—from vital signs to the flow of causality—proved it was the real deal, and he'd witnessed the death firsthand.
That final statement had even been interpreted as a curse to meet again in the afterlife...
'But it seems that wasn't the end of it.'
However, as time passed and he grew accustomed to his new senses, a growing intuition told him he'd face that man again soon.
No concrete evidence, but the instincts of someone like Heinz bordered on precognition—something that couldn't be ignored.
"...Looks like he has some other means of resurrection."
That hypothesis held the most weight.
A guy who could create dungeons operating on entirely separate laws even on Earth.
Someone with that level of ability wouldn't accept death so easily without countermeasures in place.
'Wait.'
Suddenly, something clicked in his mind.
Come to think of it, didn't he himself possess the resurrection perk called "Extra Life"?
'That was the ability Hans received when over half the world's intelligent beings saw him as an enemy.'
What if that bastard had something similar, or at least comparable?
It would fully explain that brazen attitude.
"Tch, what a headache."
No hints related to resurrection in the documents he'd left behind.
Fortunately, they weren't entirely without options.
Swoosh—
A single drop of blood seeped from the tip of Heinz's extended finger.
It soon began faintly vibrating, emitting strange ripples.
'Good thing I kept this just in case.'
This was the blood Doctor had left on the scene, collected due to that inexplicable unease.
The blood from his interrupted self-destruct had vanished with the corpse, leaving only this—but it was more than enough.
Hummm—
A peculiar floating sensation spread through the blood, riding the emitted waves.
It flowed along the world's causal currents like ocean tides, instantly reading information on specific conditions within a radius of several hundred kilometers.
'Even if he switched bodies and altered his flesh, it's useless. Blood isn't just a bodily accessory—it's the bridge between soul and body.'
And he stood at the pinnacle in handling blood and blood magic.
Still adapting to this power with some shortcomings, but he was steadily growing accustomed to it.
"...Nothing in this area, huh."
Heinz stared intently at the blood droplet on his fingertip, eyes gleaming sharply.
After several vibrations with no reaction, it fell silent. He withdrew it with a shake of his head.
His current detection range fell just short of an 800-kilometer radius.
Vast enough to span from Romania's capital Bucharest to Athens in Greece and the tip of Italy.
Yet nothing...
'Either he resurrected outside this range, hasn't revived yet, or used his tech to hide deep somewhere.'
Regardless, he couldn't evade Heinz's eyes forever.
He was rapidly adapting to his current state, steadily enhancing his tracking abilities.
Finding him was only a matter of time.
'Perfect timing, too. I was planning to tour Europe and properly bring the vampires to heel using my Sacred Blood power.'
For now, he'd sweep across Europe comprehensively.
That should give him a clearer picture.
'Next time, I'll finish him for good. Even if it means calling in Hans.'
Leaving not even a sliver of possibility.
With cold, sunken eyes sweeping the room once more, Heinz turned and walked away.
He still had much to do.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Aberdeen, a city in northeastern Scotland, UK.
In the basement of an unassuming building devoid of foot traffic lay a fairly large secret laboratory.
Not only was its purpose unknown, but it had been treated as top secret from the start—few even knew of its existence.
Recently abandoned with no one entering or leaving, a long-awaited change stirred in the space.
Whirr—
The fully automated system, idling in standby and repeating basic tasks, sucked in electricity and began reactivating its functions one by one.
Bubble bubble—
Bubbles continuously rose in the incubator fixed to one wall, filled with glowing fluorescent green culture fluid.
Then, in one moment—
Bubble bubble— Boom!
A massive bubble burst inside, and the resulting shock made the incubator shake violently.
Thud! Boom! Bang!
Dull thumps came from within at ever-shortening intervals, as if something inside was rampaging.
And finally—
Kaboom! Crash—! Rumble—
The cumulative impacts shattered the incubator, and its contents tumbled to the floor.
The naked male body sprawled there, drenched head to toe in fluorescent green fluid, twitching intermittently.
Cough, cough—
After writhing and crawling on the floor for a while, he finally vomited up the contents of his stomach with coughs, then drew a deep breath.
Huuuuh— Haaa—
An inexplicable reverence emanated from his actions.
As if a newborn taking its first breath.
Time passed.
Once he could support himself somewhat, he shakily raised his upper body.
His ash-brown hair, soaked in culture fluid, clung plastered to his face, but he focused solely on breathing before slowly lifting his head.
"Fufufufu— Success?"
A raspy voice leaked through gritted teeth in a chuckle, quietly filling the lab where only machine hums droned.
Beneath the hair draping his face, twisted lips curled visibly upward.
"Loss rate... Hmm, not sure. I'll have to check carefully later..."
He tried staggering to his feet but tumbled back down, then simply lay sprawled comfortably on the spot, letting out another empty laugh.
He felt considerable loss from the accumulated energy and abilities he'd built up in his old body, but he couldn't care less about such trivialities.
What mattered was that he had a body capable of experimentation, his genius mind, and the unique skill to assist it.
"Phantom... and Masquerade..."
Two words slipped from his lips in sequence.
Ambition and desire blazed greedily in the eyes of the man—Doctor.
"Heeheeheehee!"
For a not-insubstantial time, mad laughter echoed softly within the thoroughly soundproofed lab.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ While the disturbance in Earth's Europe pushed global affairs into even more unpredictable directions—
One woman in Outerica faced a situation she never could have imagined.
"Uh, what? What did you just say...?"
Isea blinked dazedly, unconsciously repeating herself to the unexpected speaker.
Her sharp mind and perception grasped the words instantly, but their absurdity made acceptance impossible.
"So... you went to Earth? Saint?"
"Indeed. To Korea, your and Hesperon's homeland, no less. It seems our connection influenced that greatly."
"...How?"
"Hmm, if you ask how... I can only say the Main God guided me. I am forever His sword."
Isea stared blankly at his confident reply.
She worked her lips a few times before nodding silently.
It explained nothing and was utterly unconvincing, but a devout saint's invocation of "the will of God" was an ultimate trump card.
"...This is incredibly bewildering. I've never even considered something like this. Never heard it was possible before."
"I've heard the same. That's why many on Earth refused to believe it too."
Isea nodded gravely at his words.
She still couldn't quite believe it, but he had no reason to lie to her—so it must be true.
For a fleeting moment, she wondered if Heinrich the Saint was secretly an Earthling, but even that didn't make casually commuting between Earth and the otherworld any less ridiculous.
Especially since she'd firmly believed him to be a native until now.
"So, why are you telling me this...?"
"I believe I can assist you in various ways. You've had many worries lately, haven't you?"
"...How did you know?"
"We're comrades. We've spent quite some time together."
Heinrich smiled gently with a kindly expression.
No trace of hesitation in his now everyday "con artistry."
'Maybe his Persona includes a hefty dose of con artist traits?'
To be precise, it stemmed from his foundational "fanatical faith."
The moment words left his mouth, even he believed them true—his very existence was a scam.
A lie detector or even Eye of Truth would register his statements as truth, no doubt.
Thanks to that, their conversation flowed smoothly.
Isea expressing gratitude for his kind consideration; Heinrich laying groundwork to exploit her later.
But the peace didn't last.
As they chatted amiably—
["Saint!"] Riesta the Saintess's sudden cry echoed in his mind.
["It's begun!"] Heinrich's softened expression hardened in an instant.
In this situation, only one thing warranted such urgency from her.
["Through the Abyss Seal right now...!"] Before she could finish, his body shot forward like the wind.
To welcome the uninvited guest as grandly as possible.