Chapter 303: Chapter 303

- Individual Name: Heinz the Second

- Race: Vampire (Divine Blood)

- Common Traits: 「Mind Hub」, 「Persona」, 「Clear Mind」, 「Super Strength」, 「Xenoglossy」

- Individual Traits: 「Blood Ancestor」, 「Hybrid Evolution」, 「Blood Mystery」, 「Refined Blood Essence」, 「Existence Denial」, 「Return to Origin」, 「Rapid Acceleration」, 「Insight」, 「Charm」

- Special Notes: Has become closer to the origin, the progenitor of all vampires, by collecting various blood factors. However, the origin is not yet fully integrated, resulting in an incomplete state. Receives additional bonuses to all blood-related skills. Exerts a strong influence over all vampires.

Heinz the Second looked down at his hands, slowly clenching and unclenching his fists.

A powerful energy surged from deep within his body, radiating outwards.

A new sense, a new way of perceiving the world, washed over him.

‘…It’ll take some time to get used to this.’

It was a kind of… intuition, a sixth sense that transcended mere energy perception.

He had experienced various sensations through his other avatars, from undead to dragons, so he was able to adapt… but if he hadn't, he wouldn't even be able to move properly in his current state.

He frowned slightly, sensing the strain on his 「Mind Hub」 and 「Soul Firewall」.

His 「Persona」, amplified by his increasing level, was the cause.

‘And this isn’t even its complete form?’

He would need to reinforce his mental defenses with 『Other Skill Enhancement』.

It was better to be safe than sorry. He couldn’t risk his ego being contaminated.

He received the target’s location from Harris’s Wind Spirit, Pascal, just as he finished assessing his condition.

‘I’ll examine the rest later.’

He immediately began preparing to move.

It seemed like Doctor was still observing the situation, but he didn’t know when he would leave Romania.

He might not have another chance to encounter him.

He was currently in a nature reserve between Bucharest and a satellite city to the north.

About 15 kilometers from his target in the south of the city.

And to him, 15 kilometers was—.

He activated 「Existence Denial」, and his figure vanished from the forest.

The already weakened barrier shattered and crumbled.

And moments later, Heinz reappeared in a completely different location.

The exact spot Pascal had indicated.

A pale, crimson mist erupted from his body, enveloping the surroundings.

「Blood Mystery」 activated.

The area was instantly isolated from the outside world.

“Let’s see that brilliant face of yours.”

He didn’t care about the traps that were undoubtedly set within Doctor’s hideout.

Heinz vanished again, and—.

…The protective barrier surrounding the mansion exploded.

When Phantom’s image disappeared from the hologram, Doctor simply tilted his head slightly.

But when the barrier was also destroyed, his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

He was confident in the barrier he had personally designed. There was no way the target could escape undetected.

If he tried to force his way out, it would just break.

And if the target had escaped, his next destination was obvious.

As soon as he realized that, the emergency alarms in his hideout blared.

The alarm system he had set up around his base, separate from the surveillance barrier covering Bucharest.

Its meaning was clear.

“He bypassed the city’s barrier and came straight here.”

Doctor’s eyebrows twitched.

It had only been ten seconds since Phantom disappeared from the forest.

To arrive here so quickly… he must have known something.

“Hmm, and those… timely reinforcements. There’s no way they could have arrived so quickly unless they knew about the trap… This isn’t something I can ignore!”

He had been too distracted by their unique abilities to consider the implications.

There was no way such powerful individuals could have just appeared out of nowhere.

And one of them was a fairy from another world!

‘There’s an unknown organization backing Phantom. They have the intelligence to uncover my traps and the power to deploy such high-level reinforcements!’

He had personally designed the traps in this place. It wouldn't have been easy for a spy to uncover them.

Perhaps they had someone with precognitive abilities or clairvoyance.

They must have anticipated his plan…

But his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden explosion and the resulting tremors.

And as the owner of this place, he immediately knew.

An intruder had breached his defenses.

The monster who had devoured the Duke, now even stronger, was right outside.

“A level 10 vampire…”

Doctor shuddered at the thought of being in the same space as that unprecedented being he had only seen on video.

But his face wasn't filled with fear.

“I’m excited! I wonder what that unique being is capable of…!”

His face flushed with anticipation, like a fan meeting his idol, or a lovesick teenager finally encountering their crush.

His curiosity trumped even his fear for his life.

And he had something he believed in.

The loud noises and tremors continued.

It was absurd, considering that his hideout was just a large mansion… but in this world of magic and supernatural abilities, it wasn’t that strange.

-First floor breached.

-Second floor breached.

-Third floor breached.

-Fourth floor in progress.

He was currently focused on research, safe and secure… but he hadn't always lived .

To survive in a dangerous world filled with otherworldly threats, one needed power.

And in those days, Doctor’s specialty had been ‘Dungeon Master’.

-Fourth floor breached.

-Fifth floor in progress.

He was the one who had designed an impenetrable dungeon, known as the ‘Demon King’s Castle’, in his origin dimension.

According to the rumors, even after his return, the dungeon remained unconquered, and the Demon King who used it as his base eventually conquered the continent, turning it into a closed dimension.

-Sixth floor in progress.

Of course, Doctor didn't care. Thanks to the Demon King’s patronage, he had been able to establish himself as a researcher.

“…Wait, this is… a bit too fast, isn’t it?”

But even he couldn't help but be slightly concerned by the rapidly changing situation.

Earth was different from other worlds. Resources were limited, so there were limits to what he could create.

That’s why the dungeon he had prepared only had nine floors.

He was confident in its quality, thanks to the synergistic combination of various spells…

-Seventh floor in progress.

How long had it been since the intrusion began?

Even a level 10 vampire shouldn’t be able to clear a dungeon designed to stall even other transcendent beings for several hours, this easily…

“Hmm, it seems this is it! What a shame!”

Doctor, a forced smile on his face, began to back away.

He instinctively knew that if he hesitated any longer, he would be devoured before he could even react.

“What? Spatial isolation?”

But as he tried to escape, he realized he was already trapped within a separate space, and his face contorted in surprise.

‘Space’, along with ‘time’, was one of the most difficult fields of magic.

It wasn't something that could be casually deployed without extensive preparation.

A transcendent Archmage might be capable of such a feat… but Phantom wasn’t one, was he?

He couldn't possibly understand, unaware of Heinz’s 「Blood Mystery」, which allowed him to quickly construct spells using blood, his 「Rapid Acceleration」, which manipulated causality to shorten the casting time, and the indirect assistance from Hans and Horus, who possessed various magical affinities.

-Eighth floor in progress.

The Grim Reaper was closing in.

If he had a little more time, he could break through the spatial isolation… but the intruder was moving too fast.

Only one floor remained.

And once that was breached, he would have to face the monster himself.

The world’s only, perhaps even the entire dimension’s only, level 10 vampire!

“…Hmm, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad…”

It was a tempting thought, but he quickly dismissed it.

He assessed the situation objectively.

What could he possibly do against Phantom?

“Nothing! I’ll be dead before I even realize it! Mwahahaha!”

Or perhaps he would be forcibly turned into a slave, forced to switch sides… but he didn’t like that idea.

He knew Heinz’s personality from his research.

He didn't seem like the type to allow ‘free research’.

It was truly… unavoidable.

Heinz, having shattered the ‘Unbreakable Wall’, charged through the dungeon.

He ignored the monsters, golems, magic circles, chimeras, and mechanical traps that sprung up around him, focusing solely on speed.

He had already cleared eight floors, each more difficult than the last, and yet, there was no end in sight.

He was impressed by Doctor’s ability to create such a space on Earth.

‘It’s like the laws of Earth don’t apply here. A different set of rules… It’s practically another dimension. How is this even possible?’

He knew Doctor was the source of Heaven’s Turn Society’s technology, a master of magic and sorcery… but witnessing it firsthand was a different experience.

It would have taken him at least thirty minutes to get this far before.

He had only been able to progress so quickly because his newly acquired Divine Blood allowed him to ignore the dungeon’s ‘Unbreakable Wall’ mechanic.

‘He can probably break through my barrier easily. I have to reach him before he escapes…!’

He quickly adapted to his enhanced abilities, speeding through the dungeon.

He sensed that this floor would be the last, and then…

[“Can you hear me? Phantom!”]

…A voice echoed through the space.

[“This is… unexpected! I didn’t think your allies would be this strong. Hahaha!”]

A frivolous voice, devoid of any sense of urgency.

Heinz frowned, his movements still a blur.

Was he already preparing to escape?

[“I’m a curious man, you see. There’s something I have to ask you before we move on!”]

He focused all his energy on moving forward.

As his concentration intensified, his newly awakened intuition stirred, and his awareness expanded.

Not just the current floor and the ones he had already cleared, but also Doctor’s location and the mansion itself…

He could even see a single drop of blood on Doctor’s floor.

His newly awakened senses were incredibly sharp.

[“So… could you tell me the name of your organization? As a sign of… respect!”]

Heinz was now certain.

Doctor was still trying to break through the spatial isolation barrier, this was the last floor of the dungeon, and he was almost there.

[“Unbelievable. No one knew about such a powerful organization? They’re all useless. I’ll have to fix their brains! Surgically! Uhyaha!”]

He could see the end.

Doctor’s attempts had created some cracks in the barrier surrounding the mansion, but they weren’t large enough to escape through.

‘Is he trying to stall for time?’

A word he had once thought about suddenly came to mind.

He had dismissed it as a future possibility, but…

Heinz smiled faintly and took the final step.

A shattering sound, like breaking glass.

He stepped onto the marble floor of the mansion’s living room and, looking at the middle-aged man standing before him, casually said,

It was a meaningless word, a simple greeting.