Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Jin Soran (3)
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As the sun dipped toward the horizon in a hazy twilight.
While exchanging proper greetings with the clan members here and searching for Jin Soran, I spotted her talking to someone.
"So, there's nothing we can do about it right now?"
"Yes. Given the sensitivity of the matter, the higher-ups seem cautious as well."
"Haa... I suppose there's no helping it. Understood."
"Then I'll be off."
Once her conversation partner left, Jin Soran stood alone, staring at the ground with a furrowed brow, lost in thought.
Heinz watched her for a moment before approaching.
"Looks like something didn't go as planned?"
"Ah! Mr. Heinz. You're here."
"Yeah. What's wrong? You don't look so good."
She gave an awkward smile and averted her gaze before letting out a deep sigh and opening her mouth.
"It's not exactly classified, and since you're involved, you should know. You remember that report I sent to my superiors?"
"About Gamma's gang committing cannibalism on their own kind?"
"Yes, that. An investigation team was dispatched, but they said they couldn't find any evidence because Hwayeotal burned everything after the attack. Since it's such a delicate issue, they can't act without proof..."
She trailed off, her expression downcast.
After all that effort, with no progress, she must have been frustrated.
'I did go a bit overboard to erase Heinz's traces.'
In a world full of all sorts of sorceries, he'd responded thoroughly to hide the cannibalism.
He'd roasted the entire interior of the building with hellfire infused with Hans's black magic power.
'The exterior looked fine, but the inside was completely melted. It could collapse at any moment. Plus, the black magic influence made any detection impossible.'
He felt sorry for her, but it wasn't likely to go her way anyway, so this was for the best.
More importantly, other information took precedence now.
"Pardon? You want to know the hardliners' bases?"
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Jin Soran asked back in surprise.
"Uh... may I ask why...?"
She seemed anxious, wondering if he'd changed his mind.
Given the moderate faction's nature, they inevitably lacked martial strength, especially after two powerhouses betrayed and defected yesterday.
That's why she'd welcomed Heinz's joining more than anyone.
"After yesterday, they seem more dangerous than I thought. With things turning out like this, I need to know their locations to avoid them, right?"
"Ah! Of course! We have to be careful until everything's fully resolved. I should remind my crew members again too."
Jin Soran nodded, accepting the hastily made-up excuse.
She readily shared all the hardliner bases she knew.
"Ah... my phone got smashed. Could you open the map app? I'll mark what I know."
Very enthusiastically, even.
The Blood Alliance consisted of various factions, so they didn't have detailed info on each other.
But through periodic exchanges, they knew the nearby ones to some extent.
"There we go. That's all the places I know for now. Need anything else?"
"No, that's fine. Thanks for your help."
The rest I could dig out from those guys' brains.
I just needed to select the ones with the acquired vampiric factors and hand them over to Hans.
As he looked at Jin Soran smiling brightly in front of him, the info he'd checked that morning suddenly came to mind.
"Planning to go live soon?"
"...Y-Yes?!"
She bit her tongue in surprise, giving a strange reply.
"Uh... you... knew...?"
Her ear tips gradually turned red from embarrassment, but pretending not to notice was the gentlemanly thing to do.
"Knew from the start. Orchid, right?"
"Euuu... My look's totally different from streaming, but you still recognized me. Hearing it right in front of me for the first time is embarrassing..."
Jin Soran twirled her hair around her finger, trying to regain her composure.
Her neck flushed red beyond her ears, but he decided not to mention it.
"H-Have you watched my streams? Don't tell me you're a follower? Not subscribed too?!"
Her voice rose higher and higher from embarrassment until she practically shouted at the end.
She seemed overly tense from suddenly meeting a viewer.
"No, I just remembered seeing you online and looked it up briefly."
"Oh, really~? That's a relief."
Her expression was a mix of relief and subtle disappointment.
"Still, it's a good method. You can engage in social activities without direct contact. How'd you get into it?"
"Well... I was a trainee idol before coming to this world. Some bad stuff happened, so I quit, but after struggling to return, I regretted it."
So she started streaming to chase public attention.
She added that she did her makeup similar to her pre-vampire days for streams.
"Didn't the Ability Management Bureau catch on after you returned? Must've been months of blank time."
"There was no such system when I awakened. It started right after I came back, I think..."
She answered with an awkward smile.
One thing puzzled him.
"If you quit training and went to the other world... how old are you now?"
"Ah, I awakened at 18. I dropped out of school to become an idol, so it didn't spread around. I'm 22 now."
She was older.
He forced a stern expression and subtly avoided her gaze.
Acting respectful now would just be awkward.
"Wait, didn't you spend years in the other world?"
"Yeah?"
"Then including that time, your real age..."
"22."
She cut him off with a bright smile.
"Mm..."
"22. Want to see my ID?"
"No, it's fine. Age is counted from birth year anyway."
He pushed away her face as she leaned in with sparkling eyes and a grin, pretending to accept it.
Right, age must be important to her. He'd been thoughtless.
"Well, take care. I'll head out. Contact me if anything comes up."
Not all crew members lived together.
Safety was recommended, but those with separate homes gathered only when needed.
'Now, which to visit first.'
He eyed the map app, smirking slightly like pondering buffet options.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Late at night.
"Kuh... guh, you... think you'll get away with this...?"
Kwajik—!
A considerable commotion erupted in a luxury apartment home, but no one noticed.
'Concealment proves useful in so many ways.'
Ambush a careless vampire for fatal damage, then erect a concealment field to erase the battle's presence.
It was Heinz's main skill for solo vampire hunting.
'Gamma's gift keeps on giving. Handing over so much so generously.'
Not just Concealment, but a new sports car steed for Heinz, cash-rich items, talismans, research gear—all packed into Hans's sub-space. A true giving tree.
'Thanks to that, jobs like this are a breeze.'
Heinz drained the subdued vampire's blood while organizing the next target.
Based on Jin Soran's info, Hans and Heinz hit hardliner crew assembly points.
Subduing insiders was instantaneous; Hans rifled promising brains.
The newly acquired intel.
'Crew members not living at bases. No raid info spread, so perfect chance to pick off the complacent ones individually.'
Thus, the pair split, each targeting and eliminating one by one.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Acquired new vampiric factors. Due to the influence of Special Skill Hybrid Evolution, the entity's blood control improves. Compared to Hans, it felt lacking, but Heinz was no weakling now.
Still Pureblood due to insufficient factors, but evolved factor power matched True Blood in combat.
'And that won't last much longer. Probably the next one is the last.'
He sensed whole-body cells evolving further, introspecting his interior.
Vampiric factors at a limit, inner power roiling.
"Time to clean up and move."
Heinz drew up his newfound power.
Palms tore open, wounds birthing blood mist that sprayed out.
Puhwaak!
Blood scattered everywhere.
And then.
Beautiful red flowers bloomed where blood touched.
Hwaruruk—
A blazing blood flower field spread, engulfing surroundings.
Blood Flower, acquired from raiding a hardliner base earlier.
The burning blood flowers emitted no smoke or heat, incinerating only the home's interior before vanishing swiftly.
Unyielding unless the caster willed it, devouring only targets in destructive flames.
'Of course, useless against vast power gaps.'
The previous user's Blood Flower snuffed out like a candle to Hans's overwhelming black magic.
'Physical traces burned by Blood Flower, magical ones concealed by Concealment. That should suffice.'
The night was young, prey plentiful.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'Finally achieved the goal.'
Hardship ends in fruit; he'd reached his desire.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Acquired new vampiric factors. Due to the influence of Special Skill Hybrid Evolution, enlightenment gained. Acquired Skill Blood Flow Amplification. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Entity meets conditions for growth. Special Skill Blood Clan (Pureblood) evolves to Blood Clan (True Blood). ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Entity's recovery transcends limits. Skill Regeneration evolves to Skill Super Regeneration. All senses expanded repeatedly.
The world sharpened in perception; things beyond cognition registered.
He could see heat, smell sounds.
Skin sensed scents, waves echoed around.
"Huu..."
Synesthesia awakened.
Post-evolution dizziness stabilized swiftly.
'Without Avatar experience handling multiple senses, it'd have been rough for a while.'
Even now slightly disorienting.
Side effect of rapid growth.
Normal True Blood adapted gradually over time.
"Tsk~ Haa..."
Deep breathing to adapt, he caught Heinz's reflection in the room's mirror.
'...Can't see my original look anymore.'
Pale skin, sharp eyes—a coldly handsome sculpture.
Fatal allure permeating subtly.
Recent Hybrid Evolution facial tweaks made him unrecognizable beside the original body.
After admiring the mirror's pretty boy briefly, he turned away.
Moving to adapt senses, he tested new abilities.
Blood Flow Amplification from this prey buffed physical and recovery prowess.
Already skyrocketing physique post-evolution; with this, he could tear most foes barehanded.
'And Regeneration evolved again. At this level, hard to die even standing still.'
Heinz raised his right index finger calmly.
Red blood oozed around the nail, elongating and hardening into a sharp, sturdy claw.
'Blood control enhanced. Blood magic affinity improved too.'
That keen claw slashed his left arm long.
Puhwak—!
Blood sprayed momentarily.
Red liquid briefly painted the air.
Then scattered droplets halted midair, sucked back into the forearm wound like rewinding time.
No trace left on the healed arm instantly.
'True Blood control plus Super Regeneration—synergy's terrifying.'
Slight power drain in process, negligible vs. effect.
'And absorbing battlefield blood mid-fight?'
Spilled blood everywhere, even from foes' wounds.
Can't control blood inside others due to their mana and intent...
'But at Sacred Blood, maybe possible.'
Sacred Blood—object of faith for Outerica vampires.
Not easily attained.
'When was it ever easy?'
Of course, no thought of quitting.