Chapter 362: Chapter 362

The appearance of otherworlders and the emergence of returnees were major turning points in human history.

The existence of magic and supernatural abilities, once considered mere fantasy, shattered the existing paradigm, and humanity, caught in the maelstrom of change, had to adapt to survive.

Supernatural management agencies in each country, the World Returnee Association, Guardians operating in the light to maintain order, villains lurking in the shadows, driven by their desires…

Earth, amidst global chaos, began to change rapidly, and that change wasn't just about the returnees themselves, but also the new technologies and knowledge they brought from other worlds.

Countries, corporations, and various organizations invested astronomical sums of money and resources, offering rewards, resorting to threats, and even conducting unethical experiments, all to study the awakened individuals’ abilities.

They analyzed potions and elixirs with miraculous effects, dissected magic tools to understand their principles, and top scholars locked themselves away, racking their brains to solve the mysteries of other worlds.

…after years of research, they had achieved nothing.

All they learned was that magic from other worlds couldn’t be replicated on Earth.

So, those in power had no choice but to accept the reality and adapt.

Humanity, having adapted to the changes, grew accustomed to the new world.

Technology advanced rapidly, thanks to the indirect influence of otherworldly knowledge, battles between Guardians and villains in urban areas became commonplace, and artifacts from other dimensions became luxury items, symbols of wealth and power, inaccessible to ordinary people.

“Oh my, what’s that? I haven’t seen that bracelet before.”

“Ah— This? It’s a magic tool that creates a protective barrier in dangerous situations. Dad bought it for me because he was worried.”

“Wow… Where did he get it? I heard they’re incredibly rare.”

“He should have just bought me a subspace handbag. How often am I going to be in danger?”

“It’s better if you don’t have to use it. It means you’re safe. I’ll ask my dad about it.”

“Do you want me to ask him where he bought it? He might have more.”

“Really? That would be great!”

High demand, limited supply, and increasing value.

The Blood Alliance, led by Heterosis, Heinz the Second’s vampire faction, took advantage of the situation and rapidly expanded their influence.

They gifted rare magic tools to the families of influential figures, subtly bribed Guardians, offered potions to those with sick family members, and hired ordinary people, extending their reach throughout Korea.

With their overflowing coffers, it was easy to find ‘voluntary blood donors’.

Direct blood consumption, not through blood packs, but through willing participants, in exchange for compensation.

It not only increased the size and quality of their organization, but also strengthened their loyalty to Heinz, the one who had made it all possible.

The Blood Alliance was about to take another leap forward.

From the shadows to the light.

From Korea to the world.

There was no one who could stop them.

Yoon Ji-yoon, the branch manager of the Korean Returnee Association, frowned and double-checked the document in her hand.

But no matter how many times she read it, it didn’t change.

She finally looked up at her secretary, who had brought her the document.

The information it contained was already known to the Association… but she couldn’t help but ask.

“As you can see, this is the Blood Alliance’s current plan. They’re bringing their magic tool trade into the light, expanding its scale. They’ve already completed the legal procedures and established a corporation…”

“Yes, I know that, but…”

She cut off the secretary’s explanation and looked back at the document, her face filled with disbelief.

The Blood Alliance’s previous actions had already been surprising.

They had somehow managed to avoid any interference from those who should have been cracking down on their expansion.

Even among her own Guardians, there were many who were reluctant to confront the Blood Alliance’s vampires, some even forming personal relationships with them.

‘But this is on a completely different level.’

A corporation specializing in the sale of otherworldly magic tools.

There were already companies that acquired and distributed such items, acting as intermediaries…

But the supply was incredibly limited, so it was more of a premium service, offered by a select few brokers…

“…Is this scale even possible? Nationwide stores? And… overseas branches? They’ve already finalized deals with European partners?”

This was beyond the scope of ordinary intermediary trade.

Even if someone brought a large number of magic tools to Earth, it wouldn't be sustainable.

“It’s clear that there’s a manufacturer involved. And not just any manufacturer…”

Mass production on Earth.

Something even the world powers and mega-corporations had given up on… had been achieved by a vampire organization operating in the shadows of Korea.

‘How? Even if they could find the craftsmen, where did they get the materials? And in such large quantities…’

Her thoughts were in disarray.

Thanks to the cooperation of Hahoe Mask, Phantom, and the Blood Alliance, they had been enjoying a period of unprecedented peace and stability…

…but she could sense a storm brewing in the distance, a threat looming on the horizon.

“Huu, I shouldn’t worry about this yet. The Association President will discuss it with the government. I’m just a branch manager.”

She had made the right choice, settling for a comfortable position.

She took a deep breath, calming her mind, and then looked back at the document.

“Howard Industry… Not Heinz, but Howard?”

“Our intelligence suggests that Howard is the key figure in their magic tool production. But Heterosis is practically impenetrable, so we haven’t been able to gather any concrete evidence.”

“…Their loyalty is legendary. Phantom’s ability to subdue any vampire, regardless of their origin, is his trademark.”

Unlike Hahoe Mask, who operated alone, Phantom, Heinz, was a powerful figure with a vast network of subordinates, including not just the Blood Alliance, but also several overseas vampire clans.

He was arguably a greater threat to national security than Hahoe Mask.

He was already banned from entering most countries, but of course, that was meaningless to him.

‘Should I contact him?’

Yoon Ji-yoon had a connection to Heinz, thanks to their cooperation against Heaven’s Turn Society.

He had probably launched this project with that in mind… but its scale was so large that it might backfire.

‘He’s always so busy… I’ll have his spokesperson relay the message.’

She sighed again, then turned her attention to the last page of the document.

Several images, screenshots of web pages, banners, and posters, all professionally designed and meticulously crafted.

“Promotional materials for Howard Industry. They’re going all out. They haven’t even officially launched yet, but they’re already flooding the internet and other media outlets with advertisements. They’ve even created a website and social media accounts.”

She flipped through the pages, her hand pausing as she saw something that caught her eye.

“…Acquiring elixirs? And… custom-made, high-grade magic tools? They’re not even trying to hide it.”

She chuckled softly, then paused, a thoughtful expression on her face.

It actually made sense.

Phantom, Heinz, the owner of Howard Industry and the leader of the Blood Alliance, was a transcendent being, having defeated several level 9 vampires, including the ‘Duke’, once considered the strongest in Europe.

With such a reputation, there weren't many who would dare to cross him.

‘If it wasn’t for that, the Blood Alliance wouldn’t have been able to grow this much, even with all their… bribes. Those greedy pigs would have tried to take more than they were given.’

Most of the influential factions were already aware of his exploits in Europe.

They wouldn't risk offending him, unless they wanted to be drained dry and turned into mummies in the middle of the night.

“I’m curious. How confident is he, to be so blatant about this?”

She set the document down on her desk and stroked her chin thoughtfully.

There were two main points in their advertisement.

A stable supply of otherworldly magic tools, and custom-made, high-grade artifacts.

She already knew the quality of their magic tools.

The Blood Alliance had been distributing them for a while, and she had even used some of them herself, gifts from Heinz as a token of their cooperation.

“High-grade… They’re not as rare as Special-grade, but they’re still quite valuable. And they can custom-make them?”

Special-grade magic tools, like Saint Heinrich’s holy sword, were priceless artifacts, so high-grade was practically the highest level of magic tool an Awakened could use.

‘The ones I used in my world were only considered mid-grade on Earth.’

They had been top-of-the-line in her origin dimension, but magic tool crafting wasn't very advanced there. They prioritized enhancing one’s own abilities.

But their alchemy was quite advanced…

“Hmm, should I… offer them a trade?”

She muttered to herself, recalling the elixirs she had brought from her world.

She had a connection to him, so she doubted he would try to scam her.

It was the first day of their advertisement campaign, and they hadn’t even officially launched yet.

The Howard Industry project was proceeding smoothly.

‘I’m glad I laid the groundwork.’

The complex preparations, like establishing the corporation and setting up the stores, were progressing smoothly.

Thanks to his… generous donations and subtle bribes, there hadn’t been any significant opposition, and many had even offered their assistance, accelerating the process.

-Howard Industry? A magic tool company? Anyone know about them?

└Otherworldly magic tools? Is that even possible? Sounds like a scam.

└If it was a scam, they wouldn’t be advertising on major portals. And it’s even on the news.

└It’s on all the major news channels. And not just the major ones, practically every news outlet is covering it. Is this some kind of subsidiary of a mega-corporation? How much money did they spend?

The advertising campaign was also going well.

He was setting up physical stores nationwide, but he wasn't planning to limit himself to offline sales.

‘The internet is the best for accessibility. For both acquiring information and purchasing products.’

Of course, he wasn't planning to use ordinary delivery services for such high-value items.

He would personally deliver the purchased items to the customer’s designated location.

‘With the Blood Alliance’s vampires handling the deliveries, no one will dare to try anything funny.’

From security and logistics to customer service…

Having such a versatile workforce made things so much easier.

‘And most of the Blood Alliance’s vampires have joined Heterosis, so they’re resistant to sunlight now.’

Heterosis, which had started as a small faction within the Blood Alliance, a coalition of Korean vampires,

…had grown rapidly, attracting new members without even trying.

They had seen the benefits of joining, the advantages outweighing the inconvenience of being subservient.

‘And I haven’t been asking for anything unreasonable.’

After all, hierarchy and obedience were inherent in any organization.

Heterosis now controlled over 90% of the Blood Alliance.

They were practically synonymous.

“But it’ll still take time to achieve my objective.”

Even though they had been distributing magic tools in Korea’s underworld for a while, Howard Industry was still a new company in the public eye.

There would always be those who questioned their credibility, no matter how much they advertised.

It was just a matter of time.

‘But I can accelerate the process. If I use celebrity endorsements and start selling potions…’

Magic tools weren’t the only valuable items from other worlds.

Potions, with their seemingly miraculous healing properties, were also highly sought after.

And since they were directly related to health and well-being, their marketing potential was even greater.

‘Hubert’s potion production facility is also ready. It took a while to hire enough alchemists.’

He had funded the project by trading various spices and other unique items from Auterica and Earth.

His goal was mutual growth and cooperation, not a one-sided exchange.

“We’ll also need various promotional events… but I’ll leave that to the experts.”

He would simply reward them for their performance.

That was enough for a manager. He didn't need to micromanage every aspect of the business. He had plenty of skilled and experienced professionals working for him.

‘I’ll focus on supplying the products. Let’s see… for the high-grade magic tools for promotion and display…’

Perhaps because he had been so relaxed,

The public’s reaction to ‘Howard Industry’ was much more… explosive than he had anticipated.