Chapter 305: Doctor (3)

< Doctor (3) >

Heinz II slowly nodded as he received Jin Soran's report from Romania regarding the Blood Alliance's venture into the entertainment industry.

'Not a bad strategy, if it works as intended.'

People were instinctively influenced by appearances. Wasn't the fact that most vampires were attractive part of that? An alluring appearance was useful for luring prey.

'No need to avoid using the weapons I have.'

Of course, there would be restrictions and wary eyes, but those were manageable issues.

'There are many who want to step into the light.'

Not all vampires were content with living in the shadows. They were just biding their time due to practical reasons. Jin Soran, the current acting head, was a prime example.

So, Heinz entrusted her with full authority on the matter. He told her to handle it as she saw fit, as she had done so far.

'…I'm too busy. She'll let me know if she needs me.'

He felt slightly apologetic, but it couldn't be helped. She was being compensated well, so she would understand. He had too many things to worry about.

"Nothing new, as expected. I was hoping for something."

Heinz shook his head after thoroughly searching Doctor's former hideout again. He had returned to double-check while Hans and Horus were examining the retrieved data and equipment, but there was nothing more to be found.

'He wouldn't drop such an obvious hint and just leave it at that.'

Doctor's last words echoed in his mind.

-"…Then I'll see you next time! I hope to see you and your friends then! Pahahaha!"

That was why he was taking this extra precaution. Those weren't the words of someone who was truly accepting death.

"Hmm, he definitely died back then."

He was certain. Heinz II was a vampire who thrived on the life force of others, accumulating karma and power. He was at the pinnacle of his kind. There was no way he wouldn't be able to distinguish between a real human and an artificial creation. The life signs, the flow of causality, everything proved it was Doctor himself, and he had witnessed his death with his own eyes.

He had interpreted Doctor's last words as a curse, a promise to meet again in the afterlife, but…

'It seems that wasn't the end.'

As time passed and he grew accustomed to his new senses, a premonition that he would encounter Doctor again began to surface. There was no concrete evidence, but the intuition of a being like Heinz was sometimes akin to premonition. He couldn't ignore it.

"…He must have another means of resurrection."

That was the most plausible explanation. He was capable of creating a dungeon that operated under different laws, even on Earth. Someone with such abilities wouldn't accept death so easily unless he had a backup plan.

'Wait.'

A thought suddenly struck him. He himself had the resurrection perk 「Extra Life」!

'I received it when Hans was considered an enemy by more than half of the world's sentient beings.'

What if Doctor had something similar? That would explain his brazen attitude.

"Tsk, this is a headache."

There were no clues related to resurrection in the materials he'd left behind. But fortunately, there was something he could do.

Drip—

A drop of blood oozed from Heinz's fingertip. It vibrated faintly, emitting a strange wavelength.

'Good thing I kept this, just in case.'

It was Doctor's blood, retrieved from the scene, driven by a sense of unease. All the blood spilled during his interrupted self-destruction attempt had vanished along with his body, so this was all that remained. But it was enough.

Woooong—

A strange, floating sensation spread through the wavelength emitted from the blood. It rode the currents of causality, instantly gathering information about specific conditions within a radius of several hundred kilometers.

'Even if he transferred to another body and changed his physical form, it's useless. Blood isn't just a bodily fluid; it's a medium connecting body and soul.'

And he was a master of blood and blood magic. While he was still getting used to his new powers, he was constantly adapting and growing.

"…Nothing in this vicinity."

Heinz stared intently at the drop of blood on his fingertip. It vibrated a few times, then fell silent. He withdrew it, shaking his head. He could currently scan a radius of just under 800 kilometers. A vast area, covering from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, to Athens in Greece, and even reaching the edge of Italy. And yet, he couldn't find him…

'Either he resurrected outside this range, or he hasn't resurrected yet, or he's hiding somewhere using his technology.'

But he wouldn't be able to hide forever. He was quickly adapting to his new state, and his tracking abilities were constantly improving. It was only a matter of time before he found him.

'I was planning to use my True Blood powers to control the vampires throughout Europe. This works out well.'

He planned to tour Europe and conduct a thorough search. That should give him a clearer picture.

'I'll eliminate him for good next time. Even if it means calling Hans.'

Leaving no room for error.

Heinz, his eyes cold, scanned the room one last time and turned to leave. He still had much to do.

Aberdeen, a city in northeastern Scotland, UK.

A large, secret laboratory was hidden in the basement of a deserted building.

A mysterious lab, its purpose unknown, its existence kept secret since its creation. Recently, it had been practically abandoned, with no one entering or leaving. But a change was occurring.

Whirr—

The automated system, usually in sleep mode, performing only basic tasks, hummed back to life, reactivating its functions one by one.

Bubble—

Bubbles began to rise in the incubators filled with fluorescent green liquid, lining one wall.

And then…

Bubble— Thump!

A large bubble burst inside an incubator, shaking it violently.

Thump! Thump! Bang!

Dull thuds echoed from within, growing stronger and more frequent, as if something was rampaging inside.

And finally—

Crash! Shatter—! Splash—

The incubator shattered from the accumulated impacts, and the being within fell to the floor.

A naked male, covered in fluorescent green liquid, twitched sporadically.

Cough, cough—

He coughed up the liquid, then finally took a deep breath.

Gasp— Haa—

There was a strange reverence in his actions, as if he was taking his first breath.

After a while…

…he slowly sat up, his body trembling. His mousy brown hair, soaked in the liquid, clung to his face. He focused on his breathing, then slowly lifted his head.

"Hehehe— Success?"

A chuckle escaped his lips, his raspy voice echoing in the quiet lab. A twisted smile appeared beneath the hair covering his face.

"The loss rate… Hmm, I don't know yet. I'll have to check later…"

He tried to stand, but stumbled and fell back, then simply lay down, chuckling again. He felt a sense of loss, having lost the energy and abilities he had accumulated, but he didn't care. The important thing was that he still had a functional body, his genius mind, and his Unique Skill.

"Phantom… And Masquerade…"

He uttered the two words.

Doctor's eyes burned with a mixture of longing and desire.

"Hehehehehe!"

And for a while, his mad laughter echoed softly in the soundproof lab.

As the incident in Europe caused the global situation to become even more unpredictable…

…a certain woman in Auterica was experiencing an unimaginable situation.

"Uh… what did you just say…?"

Isea, blinking in confusion, asked again, unable to believe what she'd just heard. She had understood the words the moment they were spoken, but their content was so absurd that she couldn't accept it.

"So… you're saying you went to Earth? Saint-nim?"

"Indeed. To Korea, the homeland of you and Hesperon-nim. It seems our connection played a role."

"…H… How?"

"Hmm, if you ask how… I can only say that I was guided by the Main God. I am merely His sword."

Isea stared at him blankly, speechless at his confident reply. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, then finally nodded silently. His explanation wasn't satisfactory, but the 'will of God' from a devout saint was an irrefutable argument.

"…This is quite surprising. I never imagined such a thing. I've never even heard of it being possible."

"I've heard the same. So, many people on Earth find it difficult to believe."

Isea nodded heavily. She still couldn't believe it, but he had no reason to lie, so it must be true. The thought that Saint Heinrich might be an Earthling briefly crossed her mind, but even then, freely traveling between Earth and this world was still absurd. It was difficult to change her perception of him so suddenly, having firmly believed he was from another world.

"So, the reason you're telling me this…"

"I believe I can be of assistance to you, Isea-nim. Haven't you been troubled lately?"

"…How did you know?"

"Because we're comrades. We've spent a considerable amount of time together."

Heinrich smiled gently, a benevolent expression on his face. There wasn't a hint of guilt in his demeanor, now accustomed to deception.

'Perhaps his 「Persona」 is heavily influenced by a deceptive nature?'

It stemmed from his 'near-fanatical faith.' The moment he spoke, even he believed his own words. He was practically a living embodiment of deception. Even a lie detector or 「Eyes of Truth」 would probably judge his words to be true.

Thanks to this, their conversation proceeded smoothly. Isea expressed her gratitude for his kind consideration, while Heinrich laid the groundwork for using her in the future.

But the peace didn't last. As they were chatting amicably—

["Saint-nim!"]

—Saintess Liesta's urgent cry echoed in his mind.

["It has begun!"]

Heinrich's relaxed expression hardened instantly. There was only one reason for her to contact him so urgently in this situation.

["Through the seal of the abyss…!"]

Before she could finish, he was already gone, moving like the wind.

To prepare a grand welcome for the uninvited guest.