Chapter 302: Chapter 302

Just as there were countless dimensions, there were also countless names for those who had reached the transcendent level.

Mysterious Realm, Grand Master, Awakened One, Overlord, Grand Magus, Immortal, and so on.

While there were subtle differences, they all shared a common trait: they had surpassed their limits and established themselves as beings of a higher order.

Whether through rigorous training and the mastery of new techniques, wielding powerful and unique abilities, or inheriting the accumulated karma of a long and prestigious bloodline,

Those who had reached transcendence ruled their respective worlds, and it was no different on Earth, the intersection of countless dimensions.

‘Overwhelming power is… practically synonymous with authority.’

But naturally, even among those who had broken through that wall, there were differences in their levels.

Just as the top student in high school could become the bottom student in a prestigious university, hierarchies existed everywhere.

‘And Earth’s awakened individuals are generally weaker than those from other worlds.’

They were… mass-produced, in a sense.

‘Well, my avatars also benefited from the system, but…’

Harley, who had transcended his limits as a living being and even acquired ‘madness’, and Harris, who had achieved harmony with nature thanks to the World Tree and further enhanced his abilities with martial arts from Ganghwange…

They were simply too powerful to be lumped together with the others.

They could easily wipe out the remaining enemies here.

And Heinz the Second, also a high-ranking transcendent,

…was currently undergoing another transformation.

His breath hitched, a crimson mist escaping his lips and dissipating into the air.

He stood before the crumbling remains of the ‘Duke’, his body trembling as he struggled to control the power surging within him.

The Duke, a powerful being on par with him, couldn't be subdued.

Heinz’s only option was to completely drain his blood.

He hadn’t expected anything else, so he didn't hesitate.

He was overwhelmed by the unexpected backlash, his body frozen in place as he struggled to regain control of his energy.

If Harley and Harris hadn’t been keeping the others in check, he would have been in serious trouble.

‘I would have had to use Dismissal…’

His blood churned within him, as if it had a life of its own.

「Blood Ancestor」, the core of his being, activated, its influence spreading to all his related skills.

「Hybrid Evolution」, 「Blood Mystery」, 「Refined Blood Essence」…

They intertwined, their strengths complementing each other’s weaknesses, enhancing each other’s power, evolving further.

And naturally, his physical body also underwent a transformation.

A considerable amount of time passed.

And as the other battles neared their conclusion,

《New blood factor acquired. The individual’s presence becomes more distinct due to the influence of the special skill “Hybrid Evolution”.》

《The individual’s accumulated Karma has reached a critical point.》

…The long-awaited messages finally appeared before him.

More lines of text appeared below the initial message.

《All abilities have increased dramatically.》

《The individual meets the conditions and grows. The special skill “Bloodline Craving” has evolved into “Return to Origin”.》

As something within him expanded, threatening to burst forth—.

《The individual has awakened. Race changed to ‘Vampire (Divine Blood)’.》

…He finally achieved his goal.

“Trying to run away? I almost lost you if it wasn’t for the barrier.”

A dying man’s groan and a gruff voice echoed through the trees.

A sickening crunch, and then a massive figure, a barbarian, emerged from the bushes, something clutched in his hand.

Harley, having returned to his normal size, carefully collected the bodies of his victims, including the one in his hand, and then looked around.

‘I’ve secured plenty of materials for Hans. All high-quality.’

And he had significantly weakened Heaven’s Turn Society’s forces.

They hadn't expected to be trapped in their own barrier and hunted down.

Harley scratched his chin, his beast mask still covering his face.

In the past, he would have immediately started devouring the corpses to replenish his energy… but now that he could consume madness, he wasn’t particularly hungry.

He could continue fighting if he wanted to.

“…I should clean up this mess.”

But Harley, a specialist in destructive, all-out battles, wasn’t very good at other tasks.

Someone else was more suited for the current situation.

Harris, lounging on a tree branch, surveyed the area with 「Watcher of the Milky Way」 and nodded slowly.

He gently stroked the colorful spirits that surrounded him, then turned his attention to the barrier that still enveloped the forest.

‘It’s quite resilient. Still functioning after all that commotion… impressive.’

It was tattered and worn, close to collapsing… but the fact that it was still functioning after withstanding such a powerful impact was remarkable.

And it had been activated almost instantly.

‘…Doctor’s work, huh? Then he’s probably observing the situation through it…’

Harris tilted his head slightly, a languid expression on his face.

He had sensed someone observing the inside through the barrier when it had flickered during the battle.

It didn’t matter if his identity was revealed. He was planning to reveal himself soon anyway.

But the thought of being watched was… unsettling.

‘…Wait, the barrier’s weakened. I can probably sneak a spirit through.’

It wouldn't have been possible if the barrier was at full power.

But the situation was different now.

And spirits were intangible, so it would be even easier.

‘Perfect. And if I use this properly…’

Harris carefully manipulated his energy, sending Pascal, the Wind Spirit, through the barrier.

The barrier flickered for a moment, as if reacting to his presence, but he managed to bypass it, using the harmonizing principles of 「Gentle Eight Trigrams Secret Art (Modified)」.

‘Now then, Pascal. Search the city thoroughly and find any suspicious locations. There must be a connection to this barrier somewhere.’

He had come to Europe for Heinz’s growth.

And that objective had just been achieved.

And now, Doctor, another target, had entered the picture.

‘Pascal, a Highest-rank spirit, should be able to search the entire city quickly.’

A gust of wind, cool and refreshing, swept towards Bucharest, the capital of Romania, where Heinz had been heading.

A holographic image, playing on repeat on one of the walls.

Doctor, using 「Eye of Truth」, stared intently at the screen, his gaze fixed on the battle unfolding in the forest.

He didn't even blink, as if he was afraid to miss a single moment.

Of course, he wasn't an ordinary person, so his eyes weren't damaged… but they were bloodshot and swollen, a disturbing sight.

“…He can control his size? What about his muscle density? He seems quite heavy… Is he manipulating the surrounding energy? Judging by the amount of energy and the depth of the craters he creates, he must weigh over a ton. Then what about his internal structure…”

He muttered incessantly, his breath ragged and his voice manic, further enhancing his unsettling appearance.

His eyes, gleaming with a disturbing intensity, were fixated on a single figure, analyzing and dissecting it.

He looked like a dangerous criminal, obsessed with his target.

And he was a criminal.

“…Hmm? It’s already over? And the others… Tsk, how pathetic!”

The outcome of the battle, a defeat for Heaven’s Turn Society, only served to further fuel his frustration.

He no longer cared about the European branch’s well-being.

He was simply annoyed that he couldn’t continue observing his test subject.

“I overestimated that Duke! I thought he was at least somewhat competent! To be defeated so easily… Hmm? What’s that? Oh…”

As he was ranting, his gaze, which had been fixated on Harley’s physique, finally shifted to another part of the screen.

And he saw Heinz, who was undergoing a dramatic transformation after absorbing the Duke.

Phantom, enveloped in a massive, crimson aura.

Doctor’s eyes gleamed with a renewed intensity.

A vampire, having just devoured another vampire!

And both of them were level 9, the strongest in their respective regions!

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It was truly extraordinary.

An overwhelming amount of blood magic power, purer than anything he had ever seen, surged and swirled around the vampire.

But there was one thing he truly regretted…

“Ahhh—! No! It’s not enough! I should have been there! I should have seen it with my own eyes!!”

…That the energy was too dense, too concentrated, obscuring the internal changes taking place within the vampire’s body.

Even the high-quality magic tool projecting the image had its limits.

He couldn’t possibly observe such a high-level phenomenon through a mere recording.

“Aaaagh! Such a missed opportunity!”

He pounded his chest in frustration, his voice rising in a frustrated scream.

But his gaze remained fixed on the screen.

“Two such valuable test subjects…! And I can’t even get my hands on them?! That useless Duke ruined everything! That worthless insect! I should have just drained all his blood—!”

As he was ranting, his thoughts suddenly shifted.

Both of them were fascinating subjects.

Then what about the other one?

He checked another part of the barrier, and…

…He gasped again as he saw a figure, seemingly one with nature, through his 「Eye of Truth」.

“That’s… It’s real! I can’t believe it! An actual otherworlder on Earth!”

His eye, which could see through all illusions, confirmed it.

That wasn’t a transformation or a disguise. It was a being from another dimension, its very essence otherworldly.

He couldn’t grasp the details, as its level was too high, but that was enough for now.

“A fairy! I’ve always wanted to see one! They don’t exist in my world! What a gift from the heavens!”

Doctor exclaimed, his voice filled with awe and excitement.

But his elation was short-lived. He realized he couldn’t acquire them right now, and his face fell, like a child whose precious toy had been taken away.

Three valuable treasures had appeared at once, and he couldn’t have any of them. It was a tragedy.

His emotions fluctuated wildly, and finally, overwhelmed by frustration and resentment, he clutched his chest.

A trickle of blood escaped his lips and splattered on the floor.

He bit his lip, his eyes burning with obsession and possessiveness.

And as Doctor was completely absorbed in the holographic image,

A subtle smile appeared on the lips of one of the figures on the screen, Harris.

Bucharest, the headquarters of Heaven’s Turn Society’s European branch, was filled with suspicious locations, including areas protected by barriers.

But Harris, focusing all his energy on Pascal, had finally found a faint connection to the barrier.

If it hadn’t been for the real-time signal, he wouldn't have found it so quickly.

Speed was of the essence.

The newly awakened Divine Blood vampire,

Earth’s one and only level 10 vampire,

…was about to make his move.