Chapter 430
Chapter 430
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 430
Chapter Title: Dark Side (2)
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The night filled with so many events had passed.
Dawn broke over the small city in southern Thailand, which had been wracked with turmoil from the sudden uproar.
The incident that could have potentially wiped the entire city off the map had occurred just a few hours earlier.
But those who had survived without dying had no choice but to return to their daily lives to keep going. As such, the city's residents bustled about as usual, as if nothing had happened.
"Hey, you saw it too, right? That thing last night..."
"Of course. Man, I thought I was dreaming."
"I was so shocked, I thought maybe war had broken out..."
Of course, not everything was exactly the same as before.
The chaotic atmosphere among those gathered in small groups whispering, and the exhaustion etched deeply on their faces from lack of sleep, clearly showed how much the previous night's events still weighed on their minds.
And this reaction wasn't limited to the locals.
📰 Breaking News Midnight Mayhem: Awakened Ability Terror Attack? 📰 Breaking News Angel Appears in Skies Above Yala City, Thailand! What Exactly Happened There? 📰 Breaking News Beautiful Aurora Shields City from Barrage of Explosions. Public Eyes Turn to Photo of Angel at Epicenter... Thai Government—No Signs of Missile Attack Found. Currently Suspected to Be Awakened Terrorist Act. Investigation Team to Be Dispatched to Yala City for Further Details. Videos vividly capturing the scene flooded the internet, drawing massive public attention in this day and age.
Ability terrorism was a regular occurrence, but events on this scale—and so spectacular—weren't all that common.
How could anyone resist being drawn in by the massive explosions erupting high in the sky one after another, and the mysterious entity streaking through like a beam of light, intercepting each one?
💬 Comments — Anonymous The sheer intimidation is insane even from the video. The space around the explosions is warping... — ReplyGuy For real;; If all that had hit the city... But why the hell did this happen out of nowhere? What's in that backwater place? — Skeptic Is that really an angel? It's too far away to see clearly. — ZoomMaster ↳ Reply There's a high-zoom close-up photo. It's an angel with three pairs of wings wearing armor. — ConspiracyNut That armor looks familiar... No way, is that Heinrich, the otherworld saint? — Wowser ↳ Reply Wait, for real? Some even deduced that the angel was Heinrich, but since there were plans to use this incident to their advantage anyway, there was no intention of hiding it.
Of course, few knew the full details of why it happened, how it unfolded, and how it ended.
"Then allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Frey, representative of the Burning Torch. Once again, my deepest thanks for Masquerade's assistance."
Aside from those gathered here—the very parties involved in the incident.
Frey, the leader who had been unconscious throughout the battle, bowed her head politely in gratitude.
She addressed Heinrich, representing Masquerade, and Ken, who had been with the Burning Torch from the start and thus joined the meeting.
Heinrich accepted her greeting with a gentle smile.
"It was only natural. The Reverse Heaven Society isn't just some group's problem—it's an enemy of all humanity, one we must confront together."
And as he continued, his gaze lingered oddly on Frey while implying that 'humanity' included more than just Earthlings.
"That said, are you feeling alright? It seemed like that Mimic had taken over your body for quite a while."
"Ah, much better now. It's all thanks to you, Heinrich. I was lucky, really. My Unique Skill kept me from being fully absorbed."
She gave a wry smile, clenching and unclenching her hand.
Unlike the bearded, rugged man she had pretended to be to maintain her dignity as leader, her gesture was gracefully feminine, like any young woman.
"I never imagined my Unique Skill—which I thought only changed appearances—had such a bonus effect."
"You haven't invested much in your Unique Skill, then?"
"...You've got quite the insight for an otherworlder. I've focused on tempering my ether to break through walls rather than my Unique Skill. Well, it did help craft the perfect body for training and avoid gender biases."
With their shared victory over a common enemy fresh, the conversation flowed smoothly between both sides.
As Ken shot uncomfortable glances at Heinrich and An looked at Frey with concern, tossing in a few words here and there, the mood grew even warmer.
Until Ken casually dropped his remark with a hint of regret.
"Still, it's a shame we let that Executioner slip away. We should've taken out such a dangerous foe when we had the chance."
No sooner had he spoken than Frey and An's faces visibly darkened.
It was inevitable.
Frey, who had faced him directly and been captured, and An, who had witnessed the battle up close, knew all too well how terrifying the enemy was.
It was obvious where he'd strike first upon returning, so worries were bound to mount from every angle.
After all, blocking him with just the Burning Torch's power was practically impossible, wasn't it?
"Ah, didn't I mention?"
But their concerns didn't last long.
"We've taken care of the Executioner on our end, so no need to worry anymore."
Heinrich's offhand follow-up swept away all their fears.
"...Huh? Really?"
"When did that...?"
Everyone, including An—who had noticed Phantom's absence—couldn't help but be shocked.
They'd hoped it might be true, but no one had expected it to be wrapped up this quickly.
Even Frey and Ken, who had fought him firsthand, thought the same.
'So Masquerade didn't bring their full force here after all? Where the hell have they been and what have they been up to all this time...'
Frey sighed deeply, her eyes fixed intently on Heinrich.
A secret organization with a saint from another world—and even an angel—under its banner.
It had been years since she realized the Reverse Heaven Society's threat and began her activities, yet she'd never dreamed of such a faction.
'...Still, they're undeniably opposed to the Reverse Heaven Society right now, so I have no choice but to trust them for now.'
She shouldn't fully rely on such suspicious figures, but there were no other options at the moment.
For the sake of those who had followed her faithfully, she had to bet on the most promising ally.
Resolving herself firmly, she exchanged a glance with An beside her and slowly nodded.
Heinrich, watching the room's reactions calmly, wore a confident smile.
'Sent a clear message about our power. There's no way those three could've let him escape.'
Somehow, dispatching even the avatars' dark side to Earth had turned into a 'Masquerade full assembly!' spectacle... but it wasn't a bad outcome.
They'd gone all-in and gained accordingly.
Whether for the grand cause of dismantling the Reverse Heaven Society,
or elevating the secret society Masquerade.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Phew, good. That wraps up all objectives for the Southeast Asia deployment."
The alliance with the Burning Torch had been forged smoothly.
For now, it was more like an alliance of two independent forces, but this level was plenty sufficient.
With the massive damage their organization had suffered, they had no choice but to rely on us for survival.
As time passed, a hierarchical relationship would naturally form, solidifying them as a subordinate faction without extra effort.
'The Reverse Heaven Society's Southeast Asia branch... Well, capturing all their top brass already marks it as done.'
Draining their souls dry could be left to Hans, already on-site.
That process would also yield info on branches with other transcendents, far exceeding initial goals.
'As for the avatars on Earth, I'll rotate them back one by one.'
Reclining in my massage chair as usual, I closed my eyes and reviewed the avatars still on Earth.
The first to return was High Elf Harris.
His helmet and clothes were all magic tools infused with air purification effects, but even that couldn't fully suppress the stifling feeling from being cut off from nature itself.
'He could endure it if forced... but no need to push that far.'
Harris, harmonizing with nature in his laid-back way, was like a mental stabilizer for me.
Operating multiple avatars inevitably built stress, but he eased it while aiding restful sleep.
Plus, surrounded by ceaseless beautiful music from all directions, just lounging there was beneficial.
'Let's see, next up—.'
Hesperon, the first summoned to Earth, was still diligently at work.
Mobilizing the data center's supercomputers, Titans, and [Mechanical Eye: Kallikas], he was stoking public outrage against the Reverse Heaven Society tied to the incident.
'But... it's tougher than expected. No wonder they've stayed hidden underwater all this time.'
Even linking it to the hot topic hadn't yielded the desired impact.
In modern Earth, aiming for world conquest, this level of info warfare was basic.
With someone like Doctor—the pinnacle of tech—involved, it wouldn't be hard for them either.
"I knew something was off when there was zero info on them online... They're thorough."
They might even have modified AIs like ours.
Better tighten security on Hesperon's data center, just in case.
To avoid being traced back.
'Keep Heinrich on external duties for now. Remaining ones...'
Neutral mercenary Halli, shuttling between light and dark.
And the solid dark side: Hans, Heinz 2nd, and Hela.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A space swirling with all manner of negative energies.
"Hmm, that concludes what I can do."
Heinz—one of the dark side who aided in capturing the Executioner—wiped his mouth and slowly rose.
[————!] He stepped out from the space echoing with incomprehensible thoughts, into the fully isolated outer world.
Unlike the other two avatars, with no role beyond blood, his task had ended quickly.
[Kuhaha! As expected of a being infused with divinity? Holding out longer than thought. Excellent, splendid!] "Hehe~ If I extract this right, maybe I can use it myself? No different from vampires in this regard. Even across dimensions, some things are universal."
As excited voices from the other avatars echoed behind him,
Heinz, emerging from the artificial space, took a deep breath.
'That air over there just doesn't agree with me.'
It would've been nice if [Dragon Lair] could house other lifeforms too.
Unlike the two more attuned to magi, he preferred only blood, so the unease was unavoidable.
Still, with the analysis of the power in the Executioner's blood complete, no need to return.
'Got some decent gains from it too.'
Some eternal archdemon, was it?
Even if demon blood wasn't ideal for vampires, the karma of draining such a foe greatly aided his Sacred Blood's growth.
'Not comparable to the other two, though.'
Hela, ripping out and devouring the 'Demon King's' accumulated karma whole,
and Hans, pickling his soul and body in the abyss to turn him into a puppet.
By contrast, Heinz taking just some blood power and minor karma was tame.
Though he'd drained the captured transcendents to the brink of death as well.
With his task done, he headed straight to 'his territory.'
The place in Seoul, Korea, protected under his name.
"Ah, it's been a while, Lord!"
"Mm."
Heinz nodded to Jin So-ran's welcoming greeting as he entered the office.
This was the heart of the Blood Alliance.
The Heterosis building where Jin So-ran, managing the organization in Lord Heinz's stead, worked.
'No trace of an underworld group anymore.'
Glancing around, Heinz nodded.
The single building they occupied looked no different from any company.
Aside from the drawn curtains keeping it dim even by day and most staff working nights.
"I've been checking the reports. Seems like there's still a lot on your plate."
"Well, it's gotten much better lately. When Howard Industries officially launched, I thought I'd actually die from the workload... Having professional managers makes a real difference."
She shook her head with a sigh, as if cold sweat broke out just thinking about it.
"No need to handle everything yourself. A captain just ensures the crew does their jobs right. The world is full of specialists who dive deep into one field and capable talents."
"...Coming from you, Lord, it really hits home."
Jin So-ran, one of those overworked crew members, eyed Heinz wryly.
And reaffirmed her resolve once more.
To emulate him, gather competent subordinates, and offload the tedious work.
"No major issues right now, then. Anything noteworthy?"
"Noteworthy... Ah! That project I reported on last time! All preparations for implementation are finally complete."
"Project?"
What was it again?
As Heinz stroked his chin, recalling,
Jin So-ran, beaming before him, continued with sparkling eyes.
"The Vampire Perception Improvement Project."
A memory flashed through his mind.
Though slightly eased by Howard Industries' launch, perceptions of the Blood Alliance—which had swallowed Korea's and Europe's underworlds whole—remained poor overseas.
To the point where public opinion openly trashed their Korean base.
And the countermeasure he'd delegated full authority for was...
"Entertainment industry entry!"
The proposal on establishing external policies via the Blood Alliance's foray into showbiz.
—That was the project's name.