NOVEL NEXT Chapter 40
Ambush (1)
An unending ambush, day and night, for three days straight.
Having smashed the stronghold of the hardliners for the seventh time, they began to take cover.
They responded with all sorts of means, but against the overwhelming difference in force, it was nothing but meaningless resistance.
No matter how much they hid or fled, they could not escape Hans’s grasp that read their memories.
[Oh, how creative! Have you merged magic with a unique skill? It seems you could twist it for other applications…].
The vampire, caught by Hans, trembled in fear.
He had sought refuge in a secluded one-room apartment to avoid the ambush, but unfortunately, a colleague who knew his whereabouts existed.
If Heinz prioritized targets that might possess new vampiric elements…
Hans mainly hunted those believed to have valuable information or new spells.
[By the way, it seems they are starting to respond proactively.]
Hans murmured quietly as he read the target’s memories.
It felt a bit late, but it was understandable.
They must have needed to assess the previous incident, manage immediate matters, and gather opinions within the blood alliance for future responses.
‘I sent evidence of the kin’s predation found at the hardliners’ base to the moderates. It’s going to be tough to unite forces.’
He had already gathered research materials last time, so he forwarded the newly obtained items, complete with documentation and photos, to Jin So-Ran.
He placed them in the lobby of his villa, and it seemed the delivery went well.
‘Still, there are no immediate orders from above. They told me to stay hidden for a while while they devise a plan.’
If that was the case…
He didn’t know what kind of response they would make, but…
‘Before that, I’ll devour as much as I can.’
*
Jin So-Ran was no fool.
The sudden incident of the Hahoe Mask blood alliance’s hardliner ambush and the evidence of their wrongdoings delivered to her.
Naturally, it was reasonable to suspect that Heinz might be involved in some way.
‘The incident happened just after I informed them of their stronghold.’
Then, the very next day, when she was downhearted from losing evidence against Gamma’s gang, goods were conspicuously sent to the crew’s base.
At this point, it seemed they had no intention of hiding it at all.
In fact, she had no intention of interrogating him either.
‘Actually, I feel the same way.’
Hadn’t they endured the same incident and forged a bond?
The only difference was that he was strong enough to navigate his crisis and had the drive to act to resolve problems right away.
‘I’ve already burned bridges with the hardliners. Had I continued like this, the weak would have become prey for them.’
In essence, they were merely enemies, sharing the same name but operating under different banners, hunting one another.
‘I presented evidence, and yet they would act like this.’
She painfully realized this from the current situation.
Her complaints conveyed through the upper echelons were neatly ignored by the hardliners’ leadership.
Dismissed with neither affirmation nor denial.
If it weren’t for the sudden ambush leaving everyone disoriented, it would have escalated to the point of them mobilizing their forces to swallow her side whole.
Consequently, Jin So-Ran had no choice but to spiral into contemplation regarding future responses.
As the leader of a crew, she was also one of the moderate faction’s executives.
‘I need to gather the fighters and prepare for any eventualities.’
Twenty years had passed since the trans-dimensional transport incident began.
The blood alliance had endured in the darkness for over fifteen years without crumbling…
‘Internal strife… I hope the casualties aren’t too great.’
But she couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.
In that sense, the recent incident with the hardliners was a significant boon for them.
At the very least, they had bought time to gather forces and prepare.
‘I’d like it if the hardliners did crumble, but that’s unlikely.’
No matter what anyone said, they constituted the majority of the blood alliance’s military might.
In fact, they greatly outnumbered moderates.
It was the presence of neutral factions striving to maintain balance that had allowed them to endure so far.
Even if the hardliners decided to take losses and engage fully, both sides would collapse together.
For that reason, Jin So-Ran silently watched, waiting for Heinz to take the lead.
He had proven helpful so far, and if he betrayed them halfway, she had little to lose.
‘Though I don’t know the nature of his relation with that notorious black magic user…’
Hahoe Mask hunted criminals, leveraging immense power.
She wasn’t sure if it was mere coincidence or some deeper connection…
But he would surely explain when the time came.
‘For now, let’s focus on what I need to do.’
What she needed to accomplish was just as important.
“Oh-ha~ Ta-ha~ Nice to meet you all! Thank you for coming to my broadcast today!”
Jin So-Ran… No, the internet broadcaster Okid had brightly smiled and greeted the camera showcasing her.
A job that satisfied her hobby and earned her money.
Since the moderates espoused the principle of riding social systems, no amount of money was ever enough.
She needed money just to procure blood packs.
Setting aside more complex matters for a moment, she cheerfully continued her broadcast.
They say when a hobby becomes a job, the joy diminishes, but that was just a parenthesis for her, who craved public attention.
*
Dropping hints to Jin So-Ran was a deliberate action.
There was nothing she could gain by hiding, and having suffered personally, she was antagonistic toward the hardliners.
‘Above all, to engulf the blood alliance, this truth had to come out eventually.’
Having arranged everything for easy consumption, she couldn’t just hand it over to someone else.
To have subordinates follow, she needed to first prove her abilities.
‘Furthermore, crushing the hardliners’ scheme and punishing them would be an impressive achievement.’
Of course, she would reveal this openly once it was all over, but for now, this hint was enough.
She also needed to keep an eye on how Jin So-Ran would react.
Devouring an entire organization was no easy task, and to do so, one must first create loyalty within.
As the most promising candidate for her right-hand, maintaining a suitable relationship from now on was crucial.
‘That said, it seems they prepared quite thoroughly here.’
Heinz was currently hiding in the shadows using Concealment, gazing at the lavish villa nestled in the mountains.
With the power of Insight in his eyes, Heinz could uncover the villa’s defenses.
‘The barriers and the vigilance level are considerable… The level of those inside is no joke.’
Of course, it wasn’t insurmountable.
What mattered was that he wasn’t alone.
[Kuhuhuh], sneaking in swiftly and silently to take out the leadership was the plan.
The reason he and Hans had come to this villa.
Just recently acquired information indicated the hardliners’ leadership would be gathering for a meeting to devise countermeasures.
The source of that information had significant clout, and the intelligence was encrypted so tightly that its credibility was unshakeable.
If it were true, it would be an excellent opportunity.
‘If I could wipe out the leadership in one fell swoop, things would become much easier from here on.’
Based on the information he had gathered so far, he felt confident that the two of them could handle the hardliners’ leadership well enough.
Hans was already powerful, and now Heinz was just as formidable.
But indeed, there were always contingencies.
So, he intended to assess the situation personally before deciding to launch the attack…
‘Given this level of security, I think it’s doable?’
It seemed he had worried too much.
Naturally, thorough preparations were necessary for a complete wipeout.
Heinz began wide reconnaissance around the villa and established a barrier to enclose the interior.
Combining Hans’s mastery of stealth magic with Heinz’s Concealment, they constructed a perfect barrier.
‘With this level, there’s no way we will be detected before activation.’
Right after finishing all preparations, Hans enveloped himself in darkness, melding into Heinz’s shadow.
Heinz then cast Concealment on himself and used stealth.
This was a blood magic control technique learned not through a skill but through Hybrid Evolution.
Combined with the power of Concealment, it had an effect comparable to any sorts of transparency, allowing him to approach the villa undetected.
‘There are lots of security measures, huh? Had I not been a Trueblood, overcoming this would’ve been quite tough.’
With Heinz’s senses transcending all limits, he detected anything—infrared, weak electromagnetic waves seeping from hidden electronic devices. Modern science could not halt Heinz.
Navigating around guarding vampires and security systems, Heinz silently approached the villa… staring up at the building.
A grand, elegantly designed structure with a flashy exterior.
…No matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find an open door.
‘Ah… Normally, the door should be opened at this point, allowing someone to sneak in when someone else comes and goes.’
That was the deal.
Yet reality was different.
After wandering around the building for a while, he found that it was locked up tighter than a drum, not a single open window in sight.
And there were no signs of anyone coming in or out either.
‘Well, I guess there’s no choice then.’
Heinz headed toward a secluded window, activating Concealment as strongly as possible.
‘Done. In this state…’
Hans’s hidden shadow shifted.
One corner stretched and seeped through the window frame.
Although there had been an alarm device on the window, it meant nothing to a formless shadow.
Thus, a link was formed between the inside and outside through the window.
Shh!
Heinz’s body slowly began to be sucked down to the floor outside…
And then quietly surged up over the shadow extending on the other side.
‘No alarm triggered. There aren’t any cameras aimed this way either. Perfect.’
Together, Hans’s expertise in seamless magical manifestations and the power of Concealment allowed a natural intrusion without leaking dark magic.
‘The place the leaders are gathered should be with a room connected to the lobby on the first floor.’
He double-checked the location before silently moving closer to where the vampires were gathered.
His plan was to reach the leadership and activate the barrier to prevent anyone from escaping before wiping them out entirely.
As he reached the innermost part of the lobby…
‘Hmm?’
An unfamiliar presence registered in Heinz’s senses.
His heightened synesthesia tingled with warning.
And Hans, hidden in the shadows, sensed the anomaly after Heinz relayed the information.
They had to respond immediately.
Drawing on blood magic and quickly readying for combat while scanning the surroundings.
Zing—
At that moment, a mysterious barrier activated around the lobby Heinz had just entered.
‘No, not just the lobby… it seems a barrier has been constructed using the whole building.’
Hans quickly diagnosed the barrier he had begun to deploy.
…Yeah, that Hans. He hadn’t noticed it activating first.
‘…I thought I was quite confident in Hans’s level of magic. This is quite humiliating…’
Biting a growl of frustration within, there was little time to complain.
As the barrier activated, the power of Concealment surrounding Heinz began to fade, ultimately exposing him.
“This is something~ I was trying to catch the Hahoe Mask, and here comes a vampire instead?”
The booming voice of a man echoed from the top of the grand stairway in the lobby.
Clunk!
Shssshh!
Simultaneously, a door that Heinz had aimed for burst open, and a swarm of vampires surged out, surrounding him in an instant.
The very ones he had sensed beforehand using Insight.
‘What… I’ve really fallen into it, haven’t I?’
Among the black-masked figures that emerged from nowhere, they surrounded the balcony railing on the second floor, staring down at where he stood.
They were the ones he hadn’t sensed beforehand.
“So then… who are you? What’s your connection to the Hahoe Mask?”