My Alter Ego’s Path to Greatness

Episode 246 Vampire Rise (6)

Whoosh—

A crimson flame blazed fiercely.

Lightning Empress Yoon Ji-yoon, who had been immersed in battle, stared at it with sharp eyes.

The sudden intrusion and surprise attack by an outsider in the midst of a fierce battle.

The fight that had been shaking the surroundings ended absurdly easily because of that intervention, which cut off the flow of the battle in an instant.

‘No, it wasn’t an easy attack.’

From the outside, it just looked like he had suddenly appeared behind Alpha, pierced his heart with a hand blade, and burned his body with flames…

But she could sense the dozens of complex and delicate causal flows that intertwined in that brief moment.

It was an attack that Alpha, exhausted from the fight against her and caught off guard, couldn’t have defended against.

‘The leader of Korea’s vampires, Heinz.’

That was why she, who was facing the so-called ‘Heinz’ for the first time, was tense.

‘This is more than I expected.’

Despite the Blood Alliance’s recent shift towards a more moderate approach, its members were still mostly vampires, a race ostracized by society.

Even while maintaining a cooperative relationship, constant vigilance was essential. She had thought they had made sufficient preparations, thoroughly investigating them and establishing countermeasures…

‘But the information about their leader was completely wrong! Barely level 8, even at his best… but…’

She had misjudged him.

Even now, the oppressive presence emanating from him was sending chills down her spine.

This was clearly level 9.

A level so high that it wasn’t even officially recognized, a being she, the branch manager, had only heard existed in Europe. To think such an existence was in Korea…

‘And even if I was distracted by the fight… I’m the Lightning Empress! How could I not sense him until he was right next to me?’

She perceived the world differently from others through the magnetic field that enveloped her.

This was the first time someone had bypassed her senses and approached her so easily.

Of course, if she had been prepared and on high alert, she might have noticed him, but what if such a being had launched a surprise attack while she was going about her daily life?

‘…No, now’s not the time to worry about that. I’ll think about it later.’

Conversation was the priority.

She turned to Heinz, who was looking down at the fading flames, and spoke.

“Nice to meet you. You’re the leader of Heterosis, Heinz, right?”

“Hmm, likewise. To think I’d meet the renowned Lightning Empress here.”

He seemed willing to talk, readily responding to her greeting and turning his gaze towards her.

She had been slightly worried, as this was their first official interaction, despite their unspoken cooperative relationship…

“Thank you for your help. Thanks to you, we were able to quickly resolve the situation.”

But there was something she had to address first.

“But… was that… devouring your own kind?”

Yoon Ji-yoon narrowed her eyes, observing Heinz, and tilted her head slightly.

A Guardian of her level wouldn’t miss the signs of blood absorption, even amidst the chaos of battle.

Vampire cannibalism was a sensitive issue.

Not just among themselves, but a taboo act condemned worldwide.

The culprit of this incident, Alpha, was a prime example, wasn’t he? A Mad Blood Devil.

But despite her pointed question, Heinz remained calm and collected.

“You misunderstand. I simply extracted his blood and stored it separately. It was the easiest way to stop his regeneration.”

It was a plausible explanation. Blood was the source of a vampire’s power.

The problem was that taking control of a level 9 vampire’s blood was practically impossible.

Even Heinz wouldn't have been able to handle him so easily if it hadn't been for this opportunity.

“…I see. So you’re not planning to use that blood?”

“That’s not what I said. Even contaminated blood can be useful at that level. It would be a waste to discard it.”

Yoon Ji-yoon stared into Heinz’s eyes as he gave his indifferent reply.

She could sense the cold ruthlessness of a predator and the arrogance of a powerful being, but there was no trace of the twisted madness that Alpha had displayed.

‘He’s strangely cooperative… He doesn’t seem antisocial.’

He was the one who had transformed the volatile Blood Alliance into the relatively stable and socially acceptable Heterosis, wasn’t he?

She wanted to demand that he dispose of Alpha’s blood, but it was best to avoid escalating the situation and damaging their relationship.

“I apologize if I overreacted. It’s just a sensitive topic.”

“It’s fine. It’s a valid concern.”

He exuded the dignified aura of a king, but that wasn’t strange. She herself had held a position that even emperors couldn’t ignore in another world.

Swish—

At that moment, the barrier that had been erected around the area began to dissipate.

It seemed like the outside forces had sensed the end of the battle.

She would soon be busy dealing with the aftermath, as the investigation and cleanup teams arrived.

“There’s a lot to discuss, but the timing isn’t right. Perhaps we should schedule a meeting soon?”

“Alright. It seems unavoidable.”

Heterosis was also a victim, but they were still involved in this large-scale incident, so they couldn't just walk away.

It was a troublesome situation, but Heinz didn't seem too concerned.

‘He’s probably going to leave the tedious work to Jin So-ran. And he might even exploit this opportunity…’

Alpha was a member of Heaven’s Turn Society, a blacklisted terrorist organization.

This meant he could use this incident to establish a formal alliance with the Korean government!

‘They’re a secretive global organization operating in the shadows… I’ve been thinking about forming an anti-Heaven’s Turn Society group, and having Korea on board would be a significant boost.’

Whatever his plans were, he wouldn't just follow her lead.

Heinz vanished again, leaving behind the shattered remains of Alpha and avoiding the approaching crowd.

He calmly collected the spoils of war, absorbing Alpha’s essence.

__________________

<Breaking News! Large-Scale Terrorist Attack in Daeran-dong, Seoul. Hundreds Dead, Damage Still Being Assessed.>

<The Impact of a Single Powerful Individual on Society. Korea’s National Security Shaken by One Villain.>

<Culprit Identified as a Mad Blood Devil Belonging to an International Terrorist Organization?! Is Vampire Regulation Sufficient?>

After the Alpha incident.

The Korean media was ablaze, reporting on the rare large-scale terrorist attack.

The scale of the damage was shocking, but there were other factors that drew the public’s attention.

-Wow, crazy; even the Association responded quickly, but hundreds died in just a few minutes because of one guyㄷㄷ

-Did you see the CCTV footage? He was just casually moving, and buildings were exploding like they were hit by bombs.

-But the Lightning Empress caught him lol. Without even a scratch lol.

The villain’s overwhelming power was one of them.

People knew about awakened individuals through various media, but experiencing it through an actual incident was different.

The branch manager who caught him was also a hot topic.

Condolences for the victims, anger towards the villain, disgust for vampires, and criticism of the government and the Association's incompetence flooded the internet.

But there was one unexpected reaction—.

-Sigh, what's Hahoe Mask doing? You’re gone, and now our base is being attacked;;

-Seriously lol. Look at what’s happening now that he’s gone lol.

-Is he really dead? I heard he suddenly stopped his activities in Japan?

└No way, Hahoe Mask is alive.

└If he was caught, someone would have bragged about it. It wouldn’t be this quiet.

-He probably ran away because the terrorist was too strong lol.

└Go watch Hahoe Mask’s achievements and the videos of him.

It was about Hahoe Mask.

“Ah, I guess that’s understandable. This is the first major incident since Hahoe Mask appeared.”

I nodded, looking through the online reactions.

After Hans started his vigilante activities, countless criminals were executed daily, and as a result, large-scale incidents had practically disappeared.

There were even cases where he had quietly prevented terrorist attacks that could have caused damage comparable to this one.

‘Hans is still busy with his research, and using “Individual Projection” is a bit risky right now.’

It had only been a week since Hans encountered the Heaven’s Turn Society Master and escaped.

He had been able to use ‘Dismiss’ to retreat, but if he used “Individual Projection” and encountered the same situation again, there would be no way out. He had to be cautious.

‘The research on Ganghwange is almost complete… Once that’s done, I should resume my activities. And finish what I started in Japan.’

Judging by the progress, it shouldn’t take much longer.

And since things had come to this, Heinz, who had recently earned a lot of Karma, could take over in the meantime.

“Well, as expected, he wasn’t strong enough to break through.”

I clicked my tongue, slightly disappointed.

Alpha’s blood had been helpful, but he was still an incomplete being, forcibly transcending through a patchwork of bloodlines.

‘It would have been much better if he had properly inherited the essence of a single bloodline.’

Like a being who had reached level 100 by focusing on one path.

Alpha was like a level 30 with seven level 10s. Considering the loss from blood absorption, it was obvious which was more efficient.

‘Well, I’m just being greedy.’

I checked the system message that had appeared after absorbing Alpha’s essence.

《New blood factor acquired. Physical abilities, magic resistance, and regenerative abilities have been enhanced due to the influence of the special skill “Hybrid Evolution”.》

《Enlightenment gained through the influence of the special skill “Hybrid Evolution”. You have acquired the skill “Charm”.》

It seemed like there were still many blood factors left for Heinz to collect on Earth. His body had evolved further, becoming closer to completion, after absorbing the new factor.

He had even unlocked the hidden potential within the blood, despite the low probability. He had practically gained everything he could from this encounter.

‘A mental ability to charm the opponent. A very suitable skill for a vampire.’

And that wasn’t all Heinz had gained.

《The individual meets the conditions and gains enlightenment. You have acquired the special skill “Bloodline Craving”.》

“Bloodline Craving” was the most suitable skill for him right now.

It was a guide ability, leading him to complete the incomplete factors within his body.

And that ability was currently telling him to leave this place and head somewhere else.

To a place far from Korea.

To Europe.

‘It’s a timely skill.’

“Mind Hub” was subtly reacting to it, a strange feeling of discomfort.

It wasn’t just a simple guide, it was more like a forceful urge.

He could feel his desire being amplified, a ‘craving’ for something.

‘I can’t just blindly follow it. Well, there’s no need to rush. I wasn’t planning to go there right away anyway.’

For now, maintaining public order in the chaotic aftermath of the large-scale terrorist attack was the priority.

He could also use this opportunity to strengthen the Blood Alliance members and eliminate any remaining dissidents.

‘Since I’m taking over for Hans, should I get Heinz a mask too?’

Hans had worn a mask to conceal his skeletal face, and Heinz’s appearance was completely different from his main body, so there was no need to hide…

But it didn’t matter anymore.

He just wanted to.

After much deliberation, he chose a white opera mask.

The Phantom was about to make his debut.

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