Chapter 515: The Blood Sanctuary (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 515: The Blood Sanctuary (2)
Preparations to leave Korea went more smoothly than I expected.
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say there wasn’t much to prepare.
Back when I was Son Si-woo, the most important thing whenever I set out to conquer a dungeon in another country was, without a doubt, information.
The environment inside the dungeon.
The types and numbers of monsters that appeared.
And based on that, forming a party.
I used to gather all the information I could, formulate a hypothetical strategy, and then board the plane.
This time, however, that kind of preparation was meaningless.
Because there was next to no information about the Blood Sanctuary.
“…It’s been locked for ten years, so I guess that’s to be expected.”
After the brilliant efforts and tearful sacrifices of the raid team led by Francis Meyer, the king of vampires, the True Ancestor, fell into a deep slumber.
They say a hemispherical red pulse then emanated from the castle where he slept.
The pulse, which swelled at a ferocious speed, pushed every human standing on the cursed land out of its domain. It then stopped at the border, becoming a great barrier that prevented any external invasion.
That barrier is now called the Blood Barrier.
Apparently, the reek of blood is so strong up close that people with weak stomachs pass out on the spot.
In any case.
Because of that barrier, no one knows what’s inside the Blood Sanctuary.
The only thing observed from beyond the barrier is that vampires fly patrols in pairs.
“This is daunting.”
Having no information meant we would have to learn by throwing ourselves into the fray.
It was obvious that unnecessary sacrifices would increase in the process.
That’s why I was conflicted.
“…Should I take them or not?”
Should I bring our guild members to a land where a path of hardship—no, a land where death lurked around every corner—was clearly visible?
First, Ju-yeon was a definite.
From her experience as a Hunter to her skills, she was at the top of the industry, flawless in every aspect.
She was someone who could more than pull her own weight anywhere. It would make less sense not to take her.
Next was Seo-yeon.
“…I have to take her.”
She, too, was a member of the Guardians.
And unlike me, who was just an ordinary member, she was closer to the leadership that guided the Guardians.
Her skills were still lacking, but like the Saintess, she was an Apostle chosen by one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.
Therefore, I had no choice in the matter.
If she wanted to go, she would go. If not, she wouldn’t.
When I explained the situation a few days ago and asked her intentions, she said she would go without a moment’s hesitation.
It didn’t seem to be out of a sense of justice.
My guess is that she wants to break through her wall.
An A-rank Hunter who confronts their wall and begins to knock on it soon suffers from a severe thirst.
A thirst to dive in and flail about in the vast sea of possibilities that lies beyond that thick wall.
You can feel it just by tapping on the wall.
You realize that a world on a completely different level from what you’ve known unfolds beyond it.
That’s why Seo-yeon wants to go.
To break the wall.
Consistent training is important, but in the end, a Hunter gains the most from actual combat.
“Alright, so they’re confirmed.”
It stung a little, but what could I do?
She was a grown adult volunteering to go.
“…Besides, I’m not her parent anymore.”
I no longer had it.
The right to stand in the way of her choice.
“Anyway, the problem is what comes next.”
The real problem started now.
The remaining guild members.
Im Na-eun, Elena, and Shin Yu-jeong, who had just reached the cusp of A-rank.
And going a step further, Yoon Si-hoo and Jin Ha-rin, who had gone from trainees to official guild members.
“Ah… this time, it’s really dangerous.”
The place we had to go to this time was more dangerous than anywhere we had been before.
So dangerous that a single misstep could cost you your life.
With so little information, there wasn’t even a guarantee that I could keep them safe.
Looking at it this way, there was absolutely no reason to take them.
“The problem is that there’s also a lot to gain.”
Francis Meyer and Angela.
The elite of the Guardians, who are active in Europe with those two at the forefront, will be gathering.
It meant that everywhere you looked, there would be something to see and something to learn.
That’s why I was certain.
If they could make it back from there alive, they would undoubtedly climb one or two levels.
“What should I do…?”
I mulled it over and over, but the same answer came back every time, like a broken record.
Knock, knock!
“Guild Leader, everyone has gathered in the conference room.”
“Yes, I’ll be right there.”
I would explain the situation to them and let them choose.
I’d be worried if they went, and I’d be worried if they didn’t, so this was the only way.
“Shall we?”
I rose lightly from my seat and left the guild leader’s office.
My destination was the executive conference room on the 4th floor, one level below.
It was a space prepared for when only the guild’s founding members gathered for meetings.
Clack!
I kicked the door open with gusto and asked the members, who were chatting amongst themselves.
“Who wants to go to Romania?”
“……”
The atmosphere instantly turned cold.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I took my overly concise, single sentence and stretched it out.
“So, the Saintess, our guild’s sponsor, has requested our help in a villain subjugation operation.”
“Uh-huh, right.”
“And the operation area is Romania, specifically the castle where the True Ancestor sleeps…?”
“Exactly right.”
That’s Im Na-eun for you.
She’s the smartest one among us.
Since it’s come to this, should I just give her a position like secretary or strategist?
As I was entertaining that trivial thought, Shin Yu-jeong asked.
“Seriously… how ballsy are those bastards to use the True Ancestor’s castle as their hideout?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
I’m curious too.
That’s why I plan on asking when I get there.
“The True Ancestor… you mean the True Ancestor…?”
“And on top of that, Francis Meyer, the one who put him to sleep, is going with us.”
“The scale of this has gotten way too big…”
The guild members added their own comments with dazed expressions.
They all looked as if they couldn’t believe the situation.
Well… it was understandable.
Even if they had decided to live the life of a Hunter, they probably never imagined they’d get caught up in something this huge.
I spoke up to help them with their choice.
“It’s a very dangerous place. There’s little information, lots of vampires, and the villains are quite skilled.”
“……”
“To put it more bluntly, you could lose your life if you let your guard down for even a moment.”
In the worst-case scenario, not even a piece of their corpse might make it back to Korean soil.
I swallowed those last words and said something else.
“So, this time, I absolutely don’t want to force anyone.”
I wouldn’t even allow them to state their intentions here and now.
This was to avoid the misfortune of someone getting swept up in the mood and setting foot in a place they didn’t want to be.
“Three days from now, 8 AM, in front of the guild headquarters. Those who want to go to Romania, show up. Those who don’t can enjoy a short vacation. But, just remember this.”
A choice like this is bound to be followed by pain, no matter which path is taken.
Both those who decide to go and those who decide to stay.
It meant that all of them would have to suffer, at least for a little while.
“Whatever you choose, nothing changes between us.”
I won’t praise them for deciding to go, nor will I rebuke them for deciding to stay.
I will simply respect their choice.
“You all worked hard listening to such heavy news. That’s all for today, dismissed.”
The guild members filed out of the conference room with heavy steps.
*
The day was approaching.
The bet he himself had made.
The moment the shackles binding both their ankles would finally be broken.
On that not-so-distant day, the one who would have to kneel was him.
While he was living a miserable life in a broken body, the other man had taken his trash-like body and soared high into the sky.
Furthermore, considering what he was about to do, it wouldn’t be strange if he were beaten to death at any moment.
But he didn’t want that.
He didn’t want to beg him, nor did he want to be crushed under his feet.
He was the one who started it all.
But he was also the one who had suffered.
‘I have every right to feel wronged, too.’
Of all the things he had sought to gain by stealing this body, he hadn't managed to grasp a single one.
No, he had become even more miserable than when he had watched from afar.
The agony of having what he so desperately wanted right in front of him, yet being unable to even reach out for it.
And now, even his broken body had been discovered.
After that, the other man’s blatant acts of "consideration" only made him feel more pathetic.
“No… this isn’t what I wanted…”
He had wanted a brilliant life.
He wanted to hold her in his arms and enjoy everything a human could possibly enjoy.
He had done what he did to live like that, even if only for a single day.
“How is this any different from how I was back then…?!”
Only his body and the house he lived in had changed; he himself hadn’t changed at all.
No, perhaps it was more accurate to say he couldn’t change.
Deep despair enveloped him.
He had believed his own body held not a shred of dream or hope, yet the other man had succeeded in it, as if to mock him.
Even after obtaining a body he thought would be full of dreams and hope, he remained the same.
That drove him to the brink of malice.
And, seizing that moment, they had whispered to him.
“Everything you’ve cherished deep in your heart… we’ll help you achieve it all.”
Michelle.
The subordinate the Apostle of Envy had given him.
He followed her counsel.
In the process, he did not hesitate to commit inhuman acts.
Even that was only difficult the first time.
With the second and third time, the guilt faded, and he even began to feel a sliver of ecstasy.
And so, step by step, he had arrived at this point.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in a seductive voice.
“There’s only one last thing left to do.”
“…What do I have to do?”
“Not more, not less, just one person is all it takes. Kill him brutally and take everything.”
If he did that…
“You’ll be able to have everything you desire.”
A twitching corner of the mouth.
It was, at best, a repeat of what he had been doing until now.
At the prospect of such an easy final step, a faint smile formed on his lips as he asked.
“So… where is the target?”
“Unfortunately, not in Korea.”
His brow furrowed slightly.
“If not in Korea…”
She answered.
“Romania.”
A long, sensual finger traced its way down his chest.
Lower.
And lower still.
Just as it reached his waist, she continued.
“Your final target, Master, is hiding there.”
Her hot breath, paralyzing his reason, whispered into his ear.