"Ah! So, may I ask how you ended up in that position?"
Jinsol, who had finally regained her senses after making a commotion for a while, turned her attention back to this side.
"Call me Heinz. I followed Gamma and trailed him carefully. Even if he tried some trickery, I had the confidence to take him down."
"Well, impressive, huh?"
She swallowed her words with a subtle expression.
Although she wanted to criticize recklessness, she couldn't say much since I had actually rescued her.
Even though she didn't anticipate betrayal from her colleague, she was the one who ended up captured.
"Oh, right! Not the best time for this!"
Suddenly, Jinsol frantically searched her pocket and pulled out her smartphone.
She seemed to want to report what had just happened, but unfortunately, her smartphone didn't have a self-recovery function like hers."Oh, no! I still have a lot left on my installment plan..."
The screen was completely shattered, and, of course, it wouldn't turn on.
For a moment, she froze in despair, but then cautiously glanced in this direction while fidgeting.
It seemed like she had something in mind but couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Would you like to use my phone?"
"Oh! Yes! Thank you!"
She accepted the offer eagerly, and after receiving Heinz's phone, she fiddled with it for a while.
"Phew, done. Oh! By the way, is it okay if I delete the call history?"
"It's fine. But can you contact outsiders using a stranger's phone?"
"It's okay. It's an emergency contact network for times like this."
She sent the message, visibly relaxing in her seat.
Then, she glanced in this direction again.
"Do you have something to say?"
"Yes! Heinz, you seem quite strong. Are you affiliated with any group?"
A response came back as if it had been anticipated.
She was indeed a woman who wouldn't hesitate to seize an opportunity when it arose.
"Well, to be honest, I've only recently returned to Earth. The reason I followed Gamma was because I was interested in the Blood Alliance he mentioned. It's an organization where most vampires in Korea gather, right?"
It was perfect timing, and Heinz brought up the topic casually without revealing too much.
"Perhaps some of them belong to other organizations. Still, I'd say about 70 percent are likely affiliated with the Blood Alliance. It's hard to be certain since we don't know how many are captured by the Ability Management Bureau or hiding."
"What happens if a vampire, who hasn't committed a crime, is captured by the Ability Management Bureau? They wouldn't just kill them outright, would they?"
I asked questions that had been on my mind during our conversation.
Such information wouldn't be found on the internet.
"Hmm, they don't kill them. However, they don't receive favorable treatment either. It's practically like being in prison," she added, mentioning that she heard this from someone who had been captured but managed to escape.
"After the incident with the Bloody Night Clan, there were attempts to embrace vampires with a moderate disposition. It didn't resolve well, though. Since then, they've been treated almost like potential criminals."
"Well, it was a good decision not to voluntarily report back after returning."
"That's right. By the way..." she said, sparkling with excitement, "If you're looking for affiliation, how about joining our Blood Alliance?"
She eagerly began promoting her crew, emphasizing their commitment to peace within the Blood Alliance, stable blood pack supply through collaboration with the Blood Center, and occasional bloodsucking on clinical trial subjects.
"We buy people who are willing to pay for blood. We suck just enough after putting them to sleep, ensure there's no harm to their health, treat the bite marks, and send them on their way," she explained enthusiastically.
She paused and looked in my direction again.
"So, if you want to grow stronger, our crew might not be the right fit for you. If you're interested, I can introduce you to another place. More on the side of causing less trouble..."
"No, that's fine. I don't particularly have the desire to suck human blood to get stronger."
Oh, right, because I do have the intention of getting stronger by sucking vampire blood.
Jinsol's expression brightened, unaware of my thoughts.
"Then it's perfect! Ah~ meeting like this might be fate!"
She was cheerfully continuing when suddenly she paused, glanced out of the car window, and asked, "By the way, where have we been heading since earlier?"
"Are you asking that now..."
I had been driving since she woke up.
While it was partly my fault for not mentioning it.
“There is no specific destination. Because the purpose was to escape in the first place. After moving away from that place, I was just circling the nearby road. So, if there is a place you want to go, tell me. I’ll give you a ride.”
I thought if the conversation went on for so long, I should find a suitable place to stop and subtly show some interest in Jinsol's crew by taking her to their headquarters...
"oh! Then without hesitation! Would you like to come along, Heinz? It's getting late, and I'll arrange a resting place for us."
After a busy dawn had passed, the first light was gradually breaking.
***
"Soran, sis~! I heard the news! Are you okay?!"
As we entered the lobby of a building in the villa village, a girl who looked like an upper-grade elementary school student rushed out and threw herself into Jinsol's arms.
It was quite a powerful body tackle, but she smoothly absorbed the impact and embraced the girl.
'She seems quite proficient.'
By the way, for such a young child to be a vampire, did she go to another world at such a young age? Maybe she's older than she looks.
"···Who is this man?"
Peeking out from Jinsol's embrace, the girl kept her eyes fixed on my side, on guard.
"This is Heinz, who's joining our crew this time. He helped me this time. Say hello, Nahee."
"···Hello."
"Yeah, hello."
The girl patted her back and, nodding to Jinsol's words, greeted me with a bob of her head.
Upon hearing that I had helped Jinsol, there seemed to be a bit of a relaxation in Nahee's guard, although she was still nestled in Jinsol's embrace.
"Uh, Nahee? Sister has something to take care of briefly... could you let go?"
Wriggle, wriggle...
The girl buried her head in Jinsol's embrace again, shaking her head.
"After I finish, I'll go to Nahee's room. Let's sleep together in a bit. Can you let go for a moment?"
With a gentle voice while patting her head, the girl reluctantly released herself from Jinsol's embrace with a displeased expression.
"You have to come quickly. I'll be waiting without sleeping, you know?"
"Yeah, yeah. I will come back soon."
But after finally reassuring the girl, Jinsol had to deal with others in succession.
It seemed like everyone had good hearing, as they all appeared to have come out upon hearing Jinsol's return.
'Popular, huh?'
"Phew, let me show you where to rest for now."
After exchanging greetings and introductions, Jinsol, who had finally freed herself, took the lead, climbing the stairs and leading Heinz.
"But I've been wondering since earlier, how long are you planning to keep wearing the mask?"
"I'm a bit sensitive to unfamiliar faces. I'll take it off once we get to know each other better."
"Ah... Yes. Please do as you feel comfortable..."
She reluctantly accepted my shameless reply with a resigned expression and silently guided me to an empty room.
Though lacking in household items, the room was neatly organized, appearing sufficient for a short stay.
“Isn’t there a very young-looking kid in the crew earlier?”
"Ah... Nahee?"
"It's the first time I've seen such a young returnee. I was wondering if she might be older than she looks."
Although not precise, the youngest known record until now was a high school student.
Even that was an extremely rare case, as typically adults aged twenty or older were sent.
However, looking at her, she seemed, at most, an upper-grade elementary or middle school student...
"That girl is not a returnee. Her father was a returnee, and he turned Nahee into a vampire to save her from a terminal illness."
Only then did I realize my misconception.
Not all vampires were returnees.
Vampires who had originally returned to Earth could also infect others on this world, turning them into vampires.
'Now I understand why the government is trying to control vampires. It's almost like an external infectious disease entering Earth.'
No wonder lower-tier vampires of servant-like quality occasionally appeared when cleaning up criminal organizations.
To use it as a weapon, there wasn't enough power.
But then again, from that perspective, it seems like there are fewer numbers than expected...
"Oh, it's not like vampires can infinitely increase their numbers. I don't know why, but on Earth, it's said that infecting others consumes more than ten times the power."
Indeed, if there's such a problem, it's understandable.
The difference occurred because it's in a different dimension.
If turning others into vampires diminishes one's own power, there must be limits to blindly expanding the scale.
"But that kid, Nahee, seems stronger than I thought."
Naturally, more power is needed to make the infected stronger.
However, the kid confirmed through "discernment" seemed to be at a mid-level even among the bloodsuckers.
"Her father hoped Nahee could live confidently under the sun, but it was a bit ambitious."
At level 1, they burn into ashes under sunlight, and even at level 2, they suffer continuous burns.
From level 3 onward, despite possible issues with their condition, they don't incur damage.
Nahee seemed to be at the latter part of level 3, so her father must have experienced significant losses in power.
"And her father?"
Jinsol didn't answer the question, just awkwardly smiled and nodded.
"... It's already late, and you should take a break now. It's been a busy day in many ways. Let's continue our conversation in the evening."
She spoke cheerfully, exchanged greetings, and disappeared outside.
Even as vampires, they're still people with their own circumstances.
A room with blackout curtains.
Heinz lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.
***
Morning started with a warm and hearty bowl of rice soup.
In addition, I had scrambled eggs, pork belly rice bowl, and for dessert, devoured a hotdog and a tub of ice cream.
"Hmm... Is it a bit lacking?"
No, this amount is just right for breakfast.
Since the main body doesn't squeeze calories like an avatar.
I devoured health foods, including chicken breast and boiled eggs, and looked at the avatar chewing on a high-calorie protein bar.
<Entity Information>
- Entity Name: Harley
- Common Traits: "Mind Hub," "Persona," "Rapid Recovery," "Enlightment Index"
- Entity Trait: "Adaptation"
-Special Note: Hansung-hyun's fifth avatar. Adapts quickly and efficiently to changes even in extreme situations.
About a week in Earth's time had passed since Heinz valiantly oxidized in Ajantu.
It was around the time Heinrich joined the Church that this guy became summonable again.
'I learned something during that time. This time it took about a week, but it'll take around two weeks to regenerate the next avatar that dies.'
And as that repeats, the required duration keeps increasing.
'Well, if it's dangerous, just release the summon. There shouldn't be much chance of dying unless it's a special case like that time.'
Coincidentally, Hans, Heinze II, and Heinrich all gained survival skills exceeding that of cockroaches, so as long as I am careful with the avatars to be born in the future, there shouldn't be much to worry about.
'But judging from the initial skills, this guy seems to have quite a sturdy lifeline.'
The newly born 'Harley's initial skill is "Adaptation."
It's a truly cockroach-like ability to adapt and survive in extreme environments.
Not only that, but the load on the body during training was also recognized as extreme, and when combined with “Rapid recovery,” the efficiency was extremely outstanding.
'Well, I don't know when or where it will be deployed, but it's about preparing in advance to be able to use it when needed.'
Following that, I checked the karma shop.
Leaving Ajantu after using most of it, I didn't expect much since there were no significant events...
『Karma Shop』
『Enhancement of Unique Skills (800,000)』
『Status Enhancement – View Details』
『Owned Karma - 331,087』
More karma had accumulated than I thought.
It wasn't an astonishing amount, but from my perspective of not really doing anything, it felt like a windfall.
"What did I do? After obtaining 'Persona' last time... Hans clashed with the Church while researching magic, and took the siblings to Raphela City."
Encountered a vampire in Talaria and Heinrich joined the Church.
Most major events occurred on Earth, but since karma isn't supplied on Earth, that's irrelevant...
"... I really didn't do much?"
The clash with Hans and the Church was brief, and Heinrich was still just a candidate for a paladin.
It wasn't something that had a significant impact on the world.
"Oh, wait. Now that I think about it..."
While Heinrich was moving to the Roselia Cathedral, there was a story he heard from the knight who guided him.
'He fought more against vampires and dark wizards than the descendant of the Immortal King. In the process, the power of the dark wizards in the Talaria Kingdom crumbled, and they ended up hiding...'
Hmm, that's right. So that means...
"...Is it my fault?"
I did poke around quite a bit.
I didn't expect it to come back like this.
"...Ah, well. Whatever. It's a good thing. Karma, karma! They say good things come to those who live kindly, right? An old saying never lies."
Even though there was no one to listen, I mumbled to myself and then focused on the Karma Shop again.
For now, it's quite lacking to raise the unique skill.
So, it's either to enhance the stats or keep them as they are.
"I've already done some stat enhancement..."
Heinz fought against vampires, died, and Heinze II was summoned.
To be cautious about similar incidents in the future, I had strengthened various stats such as strength and agility several times.
'But I haven't dared to invest enough to obtain related skills.'
In reality, enhancing stats to obtain related skills was quite inefficient.
The time when I acquired "Rapid Recovery" was when I invested a total of 310,000 points in 'Physical - Stamina - Recovery Enhancement.'
Initially, the recovery from obstacles was urgent, so I poured points into recovery without much thought.
'Now, physical abilities are sufficient. With 'Rapid Recovery,' I can strengthen through training. Going beyond this would be excessive.'
However, enhancing mental strength through stats was also inefficient.
When enhancing the unique skill "Avatar," an increase in mental strength naturally accompanied it, and it was much more cost-effective.
"Alright, decision made. I'll keep it until the next enhancement of the unique skill."
With that decision made, I proceeded to gather information by searching the internet.
"Let's see... Nokternia... Found it. It seems to be a well-known dimension."
A world where vampires and humans are the main forces engaged in a war.
The known technological level is around the early 20th century on Earth, but the technology for anti-vampire measures is extremely advanced.
Vampires gain Bloodline abilities based on their lineage, and slayers, who hunt them, temporarily gain superhuman strength through medicines made from purified vampire blood.
The ongoing war provides enough karma for safe rear support duties alone to accumulate a sufficient amount in about 10 years.
As advanced as vampire detection technology is, there is usually no danger.
Of course, if one has the confidence to survive, it's possible to go to the front and shorten that period.
'Even if it's 10 years, it's about a year in Earth time. There's a lot of well-known information because there are many returnees.'
This information contributes to increasing the survival probability of latecomers.
Thanks to this, the returnee rate recently surpassed 20%.
'It wasn't even 10% in the beginning.'
Next, I searched for Jinsol.
Since there was no result under her real name, I searched under her alias...
"Orchid... there she is. Oh, she was quite a famous figure, huh?"
With 300,000 followers, she's a successful streamer.
However, upon closer inspection, her face looked subtly different, perhaps due to makeup.
Although her overall beauty had decreased, she seemed more lively and friendly.
"Well, vampires do have pretty faces, but there's a subtle inhuman quality. It feels a bit like a doll."
Pressing play on the replay of her recent broadcast, the joyful image of her came to mind.
I briefly glanced at the screen, noticing a notice of a break on one side.
'If Heinz hadn't been there, there would have been no broadcast after that notice.'
I buried myself in the chair and closed my eyes.
Currently, Heinze is at the tail end of the purebloods, roughly between level 6 and 7 by Earth standards.
"Let's start by turning Heinz into a full-fledged vampire."
To do that, more prey was needed...
All the information about their habitats and hunting tools was in my hands.
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