Since ancient times, the most important thing in war had been to seize information first.
Grasping when, where, and how the enemy would move was an indispensable condition for victory.
Thus, intelligence organizations all across Auterica began to move at once, all with the same purpose.
To obtain even the smallest clue.
Of course, no one in the world knew that this phenomenon had occurred solely by the will of one person.
‘The problem is how much time we have left.’
It had already been quite some time since the Beoncheonhoe Lord had left Earth.
And yet the fact that he still had not shown himself in this world meant…
‘Either he stopped by somewhere else before coming to Auterica, or he’s having some trouble entering this world.’
Judging by the circumstances, even a revelation having descended, wasn’t the latter more likely?
Then again, invading an entire world could not be an easy task.
But he was a being who had already succeeded in doing so several times, and thus one could never afford to let one’s guard down against him.
Wasn’t the Ganghwan Realm, too, still suffering through the aftermath ever since he had passed through it?
‘I need to think in advance about the opponent’s objective as well. Once he finally crosses over into Auterica, what will he target first?’
In the Ganghwan Realm, the Beoncheonhoe Lord had stolen the dragon vein, the passage that supplied qi (氣) to the world, and the Dragon Heart (龍心) that served as its center.
The laws that composed each world were different, and the structures of their energies varied in every possible way, so it did not perfectly correspond to Auterica. Even so, there were certainly points worth referring to.
‘Auterica has neither dragon veins nor a Dragon Heart. Still, if I had to pick something that might interest him…’
Two places came to mind immediately.
The first was the holy land at the center of the Ion Continent.
Unlike the Dragon Heart, this place had no practical function, but it was valued because of its symbolism as the center of the world and its theological significance as a place touched by the footsteps of a god.
Still, one could never know, so it would be best to make thorough preparations just in case.
And the second was…
‘Now that I think about it, if I had to say, this side is closer to a dragon vein.’
The incarnation of a god descended upon the earth, and the symbol thereof.
Proof of the miracle that sustained an entire continent.
A being that could be called a fragment of divinity itself.
The World Tree.
‘…I’ll have to prepare that side with Harris at the center.’
It seemed that the heteromorphic races of the Enamel Continent were still not fated to rest just yet.
***
He had been focusing for some time on defending Auterica, which could be called their main base.
However, he could not neglect Earth either.
After all, when one thought about it, wasn’t Earth, where the Beoncheonhoe’s forces had already taken root, no different from the enemy’s stronghold?
From a long-term perspective, he could not let this opportunity to shake them pass by.
‘Just staying on defense doesn’t suit my temperament either. …And it should also have the effect of raising Heinz’s combat power as much as possible before the decisive battle.’
Heinz II’s trip to Europe, in which he had taken on one part of that offensive, was proceeding rather smoothly.
Upon arriving in Italy, the first thing he did was make contact with Thermidor’s minions, who had been lying low locally.
In France, his first destination, he had needed to intervene in everything from start to finish, but now that he had obtained limbs he could use as he pleased, he could skip all the troublesome steps.
As befitted a rival force from a neighboring country, they had also made quite excellent preparations against the Italian vampire clan, “Gomorrah.”
‘As efficiently as possible.’
Until now, he had moved somewhat leisurely, but now he truly had no room to take it easy.
He made frequent round trips to the other world using 「Interdimensional Teleportation Circle Summon」, which he could use twice a day, and actively utilized 「Sovereign’s Authority」, which allowed him to manage his forces, pushing efficiency to the extreme.
And as a result.
Kwaang! Rumble—!
“Strike!”
“Kgh! Has Thermidor gone mad? Do they know where this is?”
“Open the way! Tear the pizza apart!”
“The baguette bastards are barking nonsense! Kill them all!”
In less than two days, Heinz was able to storm into the mansion located in the mountains on the outskirts of Naples, the central city of southern Italy, where Gomorrah’s leader resided.
Since those below took care of nearly everything on their own, the development was incomparably faster and more comfortable than it had been in France.
Heading deeper into the mansion, where he could feel a powerful presence, Heinz slowly nodded.
‘As expected, it was a good choice to bring them under me. They’re useful in many ways.’
A thought naturally welled up that it would be nice if he could forcibly subordinate Gomorrah’s leader as he had the Tyrant.
Wouldn’t that be even more helpful in removing Europe from the Beoncheonhoe’s influence?
With that thought, he finally arrived at his destination, and soon came face-to-face with the owner of this mansion.
“…Barging into a lady’s home as you please. Your manners are truly awful.”
An interior as splendid and spacious as befitted its scale.
A tall woman with a strong impression, who looked every bit a heroine at a glance, greeted him as he opened the door and entered.
“When I heard that the Tyrant had been defeated by some Eastern vampire and surrendered, I tore the mouth of the one who brought me the news… Don’t tell me that was actually true? My apologies, then.”
Short black hair cut close, pitch-black eyes, smoky makeup around the eyes, black lipstick and manicure, and tattoos placed here and there.
The female warrior, adorned entirely in black, twisted the densely packed muscles of her large frame this way and that as she growled low like a beast.
‘…She’s definitely a different case from the Tyrant.’
Unlike him, whose unique skill had been the main factor rather than his authority as a vampire, the opponent before his eyes was radiating waves from her vampiric factor that vibrated wildly.
As though she would rush in and bite him at any moment.
On top of that, the quantity of that energy was great enough that it was not significantly inferior to the Sacred Bloods he had encountered in Auterica.
‘I thought it would be difficult to cross the wall with vampiric factors alone unless it was a case like mine… No, now that I think about it, was that also just a preconception?’
To begin with, every dimension had entirely different characteristics and structures, so there was no reason there couldn’t be some means that made it possible.
Moreover, wasn’t the person in question an Awakened who ignored the laws of the world?
The only regrettable point was that, in this case, it would be nearly impossible to fully subordinate her without her surrender.
‘Honestly, even with the Tyrant, it was a little close. …I’m not confident I can control all those vampiric factors in that quantity.’
If he truly failed, who knew what problems might arise?
In that case, it would be far more comfortable simply to drain her completely.
It was a little regrettable, but he had no intention of taking unnecessary risks and complicating matters.
‘I can just capture a suitable second-in-command here and set the Tyrant up as their backing.’
Since this was a neighboring country to France, and his mobility was not bad if he used shadow abilities, wouldn’t that be a fairly decent method?
For that, it was important to deal with that Italian vampire leader, Bestia (Bestia; Beast), as quickly as possible.
Only then could he properly choose the candidate before greater sacrifices occurred outside.
Heinz adjusted the lapels of his suit and tossed out a heavy sentence.
“Let’s finish this quickly. I still have piles of things to do.”
“Kahahah! So confident! Good, it’s been a long time since I felt my flesh tremble like this! To think there was another one like the Duke of Romania!”
Kwaaang—!
And the moment those words ended.
The upper portion of the mansion vanished as it was.
If he had not prepared a barrier as usual, it would not have ended at merely that.
Rumble—!
“Kahat! Strong! You’re strong!”
“Mm.”
Bestia, who had somehow become half-beastlike in form just like her alias, charged in savagely.
Her appearance was closer to that of a werewolf than a vampire, but as long as she possessed vampiric factors, that was not such an important matter.
“I can’t simply leave a beast that bites people alone.”
In response, Heinz II clashed with her with all the power he possessed.
Bodies colliding while holding tremendous physical force, blood magic rampaging fiercely, streams of blood that split perception, and space being torn apart.
That earth-shaking battle ended only after all the vampires fighting nearby had retreated far away, and even after a long time had passed since the place where the mansion had stood had been cleanly erased…
“Khahak! Indeed… No wonder that Tyrant tucked his tail. If it’s this much, you really might be able to beat that guy…”
“It’s about time to finish this.”
“Uh, wait…! You took that French guy in as a subordinate, so why aren’t you even bringing it up to me?”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“Pkhukh— Brother, do you perhaps need one hunting dog that bites well?”
For some reason, he was able to pick up one wild beast who had become obedient.
Of course, in the process, she had to have more of her power taken away than the Tyrant had, but the power strengthened through 「Refined Blood Crystal」 was that much greater as well, so there was not that large a difference.
《A new vampiric factor has been collected. Due to the influence of the special skill 「Mixed-Blood Evolution」, the individual’s existence becomes even more distinct.》
And when that process was fully complete.
‘Hm? Could this be…’
Heinz II—no, Han Seonghyeon—
was naturally able to realize that he could evolve 「Avatar」 once more through 『Unique Skill Enhancement』.
***
Bucharest, the capital located in southern Romania.
“What brings you all the way here, Doctor?”
There, the “Duke,” the European branch chief of the Beoncheonhoe, received an unexpected guest.
“Uhyahyat! Aren’t we on the verge of something important? My heart was impatient, so I came running in one breath. It seems the time is just about right!”
A dirty lab coat that did not suit the interior of the antique mansion, and frivolous movements that sent spit flying every time he opened his mouth.
But the Duke, clad in an elegant nobleman’s suit, merely frowned and stroked his beard without saying anything.
No matter how much this man was a member of the chairman’s personal guard, which possessed power ranked among the very highest even within the Beoncheonhoe, this was still a meeting he was attending as the branch chief in charge of Europe.
For the time being, the position of branch chief was below the Doctor, so he had decided to respect the other party as a matter of courtesy.
‘Even if the other party is such a vulgar person.’
This was precisely noblesse oblige!
It was the dignity that a noble person ought to uphold.
The Duke, slowly closing his eyes, nodded.
Even while he was sunk deep in self-intoxication, the Doctor’s words continued without pause.
“That Phantom has begun moving in Italy. In that case, it seems this place will soon enter his field of view as well, so shouldn’t we check in advance what we’ve prepared? I’m the sort who feels more at ease when I inspect everything myself!”
Phantom.
At that word, the Duke’s expression twisted slightly once more.
‘Tch, what exactly is that man supposed to be…?’
In truth, he was only forcibly going along with it because the Doctor’s will was so firm, but inwardly he was dissatisfied with everything about the situation.
To think that he, a seat of the personal guard, and his subordinate clan “Dracul” would have to lay a trap just to catch a single Eastern vampire!
The feats that this so-called Phantom had shown in France had at least softened him slightly, but it still could not be helped that it was far from enough to satisfy him.
‘Whether Thermidor or Gomorrah, if I had made up my mind, I could have swept them away long ago. I simply couldn’t act rashly because Dracul’s size had grown too large.’
Unlike the other level 9 vampires, who claimed only a single nation as their territory, he ruled over the entirety of the underworld across more than ten Eastern European countries.
Even among the intelligence agencies of various nations, the phrase “Europe’s strongest” was accepted as the established view regarding him.
That was the term referring to him, the ruler of Clan Dracul and the hidden monarch of Eastern Europe.
“…And so, it seems I’ll have to start moving busily from tomorrow! Well, the Duke must also be busy with this and that, so there’s no need for you to concern yourself until things begin. I’ll prepare everything nice and cleanly!”
At last, the Doctor’s chatter disguised as a greeting came to an end.
At those final words, the Duke, who had been half-listening, nodded reflexively and stroked his beard in satisfaction.
The thought that he would not have to face that frivolous man again until the day itself seemed like no less than wonderful news.
“…Hmm. Then, since it is late, have a meal before you go. You are still a guest who has come from afar, and it would be discourteous to treat you coldly.”
“Ooh? I was just getting hungry, so this works out perfectly! I won’t decline!”
And so, in a far more magnanimous frame of mind, he offered him a meal.
Was that not also part of the dignity a noble being ought to uphold?
In any case, he himself could simply use the excuse of being a vampire and drink a few mouthfuls of blood, so there was no great risk of his stomach turning.
Thus, when he lightly snapped his fingers,
the door opened silently, and those who entered with ghostlike steps began setting out a full-course dinner in the blink of an eye.
“Whoa! Now this is what I call a feast! Excellent, absolutely excellent! ...But what’s that?”
The Doctor, who had been clapping excitedly in welcome, soon fixed his gaze on one spot.
And upon seeing the dish that so thoroughly seized his attention, he unconsciously turned to look at the master of the mansion.
“Heh. I heard you liked pizza, so I instructed them to prepare it separately.”
A menu selection that even took the guest’s tastes into account.
At the Duke’s confident reply, intoxicated by his own thoughtfulness, the Doctor’s gaze returned to the dish.
A delicious-looking pizza, its round dough giving off the savory aroma of cheese, topped with all manner of ingredients.
It was certainly a food he often ate.
The only problem was...
“...Pineapple?”
That pizza happened to be Hawaiian pizza, with pineapple as a topping.
After staring at it blankly for a moment, the Doctor’s expression twisted slightly with instinctive disgust.
Then he brought one hand to his mouth and stared straight at the Duke with an unprecedentedly serious expression.
“...Duke, don’t tell me you actually eat this?”
On that rarely seen solemn face of his was the complicated state of mind of someone who had just discovered an acquaintance was a lover of bizarre foods.
There was even an undisguisable sense of revulsion in his eyes.
“...I was under the impression that the Doctor liked such things.”
At that, the Duke offered a brief protest with an uncomfortable air.
Naturally, his expression was none too pleased either, having been treated like a lunatic by a lunatic.
He had gone out of his way to prepare food according to the other party’s tastes, only to receive this reaction?
But the Doctor merely shook his head firmly and continued in a cold voice.
“Tsk, Duke. In this world, there are things that can be eaten, and things that cannot. And pineapple pizza very clearly belongs to the latter. Good heavens, to think I’d see such an abomination here!”
Then, making a great fuss, he began listing one by one the horrors of Hawaiian pizza.
As it began to look like his speech would stretch on again, spittle flying in every direction, the Duke closed his eyes firmly and hurriedly cut him off.
All the while blaming himself inwardly for having offered a meal in the first place.
“I see. I shall keep that in mind. Dessert was to be mint chocolate ice cream, but I suppose that should be canceled as well. It seems I had a needless prejudice—”
“Woohoo—! Mint chocolate is splendid! That freshness that comes after the sweetness—why, isn’t it the finest dessert there is? As expected, Duke, you truly know what’s what!”
“......”
“Mint chocolate, you see, unlike other chocolates with their sticky aftertaste, has a finish that is simply art! To the point that you needn’t brush your teeth after eating it! And on top of that, it—”
In the end, the chatter began to grow lengthy once more.
The Duke soon gave up trying to assess the other man.
Perhaps the mistake had been trying to converse with that lunatic in the first place.