Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: The Vampire Princess Awakens
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Shin Yu-hyun sent all his summons back into the shadows, keeping only Fluffy, Chiron, Ka-mang-i, and the Janissaries behind.
Afterward, he stepped through the open door with the remaining summons.
"This place is..."
A massive room filled wall-to-wall with intricate machinery.
Cryo-pods straight out of a sci-fi movie lined up five to each side.
And in the central cylindrical chamber floated a stunning red-haired beauty in deep slumber.
Likely Ruber il Tezhi.
A mechanical voice echoed through the room as Ruber's seal began to unravel.
"One of the Seven Arcs and Immortal Legion Commander Ruber Bernstein greets the successor."
A beauty in a crimson dress knelt before Shin Yu-hyun. Behind her, ten kin in black uniforms knelt as well.
"Shin Yu-hyun."
He introduced himself in response to her greeting and looked down at Ruber.
Fiery red hair cascading to her waist, blazing scarlet eyes, and a woman who appeared to be in her early twenties.
Her snow-white skin and the red dress adorned with a rose emblem on the chest gave her the air of a European noble lady.
She was one of the Seven Arcs: the Executor of Green Star Citadel, the progenitor princess leading the vampires, Ruber Bernstein.
"We've been waiting for you, successor."
"You knew I'd come?"
Ruber covered her mouth with a fan etched with rose patterns and smiled at his question.
"He would never abandon us. We believed someone would come one day to carry on his will."
"I'm not the original Immortal King."
She gazed at him with softly curved eyes.
"What matters is that you came for us. That's more than enough."
She had faith in the original Immortal King.
That he would one day come for them.
And now, before her eyes stood his successor, bearing the Immortal King's power and legacy.
"Is that really enough for you all?"
"Yes. To us, you are no different from him."
Ruber smiled, echoing the words she'd spoken when they first met Shuv.
The Seven Arcs were beings who had sworn eternal loyalty to the original Immortal King.
By that contract, they were bound to his successor as well—and they harbored no complaints.
Most of the Seven Arcs Shin Yu-hyun had encountered so far had been amicable.
"By the contract with the Immortal King, I pledge my loyalty to the successor."
"We pledge our loyalty."
Ruber and her ten kin bowed their heads to Shin Yu-hyun, swearing fealty.
"Understood."
He nodded.
There was no reason to refuse those bound by the original Immortal King's contract to follow him.
Besides, Ruber led the Immortal King's special forces handling intelligence and assassination.
Her addition to the legion would prove invaluable.
"Looking forward to working with you."
"Leave it to me."
Ruber snapped open her rose fan, covering her mouth with a smile.
Shin Yu-hyun returned to the clan with Ruber and her ten kin.
"Mission accomplished."
"Master, you're back?"
As soon as they arrived from the dimension of the Temple of Jealousy to the Black Tortoise Hall's underground training ground, Shuv and Dia welcomed them.
"Everyone's still kicking."
Ruber gazed at Dia and Shuv with misty eyes full of emotion.
"Ah! Ruber sis!"
Dia spotted her and came toddling over, latching onto her waist.
"What's this? Why's Dia so tiny now?"
Ruber was taken aback by Dia's much younger appearance.
"Hehe."
"Her mental age seems younger too."
Ruber stroked the head of Dia, who giggled cutely from her waist.
Dia had once been in her twenties at her peak, mature and composed.
But after centuries sealed in the grimoire Phnacoic Bible, she lost her power and regressed in age.
Her mental age had regressed to match.
"Long time no see, Ruber."
"Shuv."
After eons apart, Shuv and Ruber finally reunited.
They glared at each other.
Rumble...
An immense pressure emanated from their silent stare-down.
"Not this time. Things won't go your way."
"That's not for you to decide."
Shuv and Ruber exchanged cryptic words.
Then they both turned to Shin Yu-hyun.
"Which of us will Master choose?"
Shuv and Ruber fixed him with heated gazes.
Shin Yu-hyun blinked in confusion at Shuv's sudden question.
"What do you mean?"
"Now that you've released Ruber's seal, it's time for the next step."
"Next step...?"
Ruber spoke up, her cheeks flushing, as he tilted his head.
"Tonight. Who will you call?"
"What?"
In that moment, realization dawned on him.
The meaning behind their looks and words.
And depending on his answer, trouble could brew.
In more ways than one.
'Hmm.'
He pondered, glancing away.
There, he spotted Dia smiling innocently.
"Then Dia."
"Huh?"
"D-Dia?"
Shuv and Ruber recoiled in shock at his words.
Of all people, choosing Dia here?
"Dia, let's sleep together tonight."
"Yay!"
Blissfully unaware, Dia threw her arms up in triumph at the prospect.
'Gotta use Dia as a shield for a while.'
Shin Yu-hyun scooped up Dia, who clung to his waist.
She rubbed her cheek against his face with a delighted grin.
His expression softened at the gesture.
With her cat ears and tail, Dia was utterly adorable.
"If it's Dia, then no helping it."
Shuv smiled gently, petting Dia's head.
"No, even so... losing to a little kid like this...?"
Ruber stared at Dia in disbelief.
"Dia wuvs Ruber sis. Don't hate her."
Dia looked up at Ruber anxiously, ears perked.
"Can't help it, can I?"
Ruber sighed and patted Dia's head.
Young as she was now, Dia remained beloved by the Seven Arcs.
'She's got the specs, alright.'
Thanks to Dia, Shin Yu-hyun averted the crisis with an inward wry smile.
That evening, he bought a mountain of Godiva chocolate balls—Dia's favorite.
The next day.
Shin Yu-hyun was swamped with tasks. With Ruber—one of the Seven Arcs—joining, he needed to inform Black Tortoise Hall and the clan.
But he'd already revealed himself as a necromancer with summons like Dia, Shuv, Fluffy, and others.
Talent recruitment had already brought in Golden Arrow Guild members and Red Tower mages to Black Tortoise Hall.
Adding Ruber and her ten kin wouldn't be an issue.
'No need to specify she's one of my summons.'
And that was just the start.
Ruber was the progenitor princess of vampires.
Thus, he kept her true nature from the clan.
As long as she avoided vampire-specific skills like mist form or bat transformation—and hid her fangs—it was easy to conceal.
'The issue is sourcing blood...'
Ruber and her ten kin needed regular blood intake.
Human blood, at that.
Even as his summons, he couldn't have them raid humans for it.
Not unless he wanted to play the villain.
'No choice. Time to tap the clan's resources.'
In modern society, blood meant one place: hospitals.
With the clan's influence, procuring blood packs was straightforward.
'A hassle, but worth it for the boost.'
Ruber and her kin were serious firepower.
Ruber alone matched Shuv at six-stars, her kin ranging from low to mid five-stars.
Even that was below their peaks.
Sealed for ages, and with their master Shin Yu-hyun not yet high-leveled, they were restricted—like Dia and Shuv.
'Gotta feed those worshipper scum to them.'
Shin Yu-hyun ground his teeth thinking of the Getia devotees.
Mere thoughts of them ignited fury deep in his chest.
'About time those bastards talked.'
He recalled the ten worshippers captured alive from the five-star Monolith raid dungeon.
Despite conquering the raid and storming Pungrim Volcano Guild, gains were slim.
The Ashen Church worshippers had already massacred the guild.
Afterward, the Hunter Association and government mobilized.
Shin Yu-hyun had warned them of Getia worshippers' covert activities in this era.
Thus, the Hunter Association and government formed a joint task force to hunt the Ashen Church's base.
As part of that, he handed five captives to the Association and five to the government.
'Even if they talk, they won't know much.'
The worshippers slaughtered Pungrim Volcano members at the first sign of trouble.
Without hesitation, any number.
The captured ones were surely low-rank grunts.
Even Iron Chain Squad officers knew only fragments about the Ashen Church.
What could mere footsoldiers know?
'Anyway, raid cleared—time to secure preemptive investment from Namdu Group.'
Shin Yu-hyun grinned.
He'd already scheduled a meeting with Chairman Nam Hyun-cheol via Nam Yeon-ah.
All that remained was negotiating details, with Black Tortoise Hall's finance chief Kim Jae-hyun in tow.
'With Ruber secured, time to prep.'
For reclaiming Gangneung, overrun by magic beasts.
'Those beast-held zones are nearing their limits too.'
People of this era didn't yet know.
Just as dungeons overflowed with beasts causing stampedes, occupied zones would follow suit.
And the first breach on the peninsula would be...