MAEPG: Episode 40
Episode 40 Ambush (1)
The third day of relentless attacks, day and night.
After destroying seven hardliner bases, they started to lay low.
They tried to resist using all sorts of means, but it was a futile struggle against the overwhelming difference in power.
And no matter how much they hid and ran away, they couldn’t escape the clutches of Hans, who read their memories.
[Oh, how creative. Did you combine a unique skill with magic? If I tweak it well, I think I can apply it in other ways…]
The vampire, whose head was being held by Hans, trembled.
He had hidden in a studio apartment in a remote area to avoid the attacks, but unfortunately, he had a companion who knew his whereabouts.
If Heinz prioritized those who might have new bloodsucking factors…
Hans mainly targeted those who seemed to have a lot of information or new spells.
[It seems like they’re finally planning to respond actively.]
Hans, who had read his memories, muttered quietly.
It was a bit late, but I could understand.
They had to grasp the situation, deal with the immediate aftermath, gather opinions within the Blood Alliance, and come up with countermeasures.
‘And I sent the evidence of cannibalism I found at the hardliners’ bases to the moderates. It would be difficult for them to join forces.’
I had already taken the research materials last time, so I sent the newly obtained items, along with photos of the data, to Jin So-ran.
I left them in the lobby of the villa, and it seemed like they were delivered properly.
‘But there haven’t been any orders from above yet. They just told me to lay low for the time being and that they’re preparing a safe house.’
If that was the case…
I didn’t know what countermeasures they were planning, but…
‘I’ll clean them out as much as possible before that.’
The third day of relentless attacks, day and night.
After destroying seven hardliner bases, they started to lay low.
They tried to resist using all sorts of means, but it was a futile struggle against the overwhelming difference in power.
And no matter how much they hid and ran away, they couldn’t escape the clutches of Hans, who read their memories.
[Oh, how creative. Did you combine a unique skill with magic? If I tweak it well, I think I can apply it in other ways…]
The vampire, whose head was being held by Hans, trembled.
He had hidden in a studio apartment in a remote area to avoid the attacks, but unfortunately, he had a companion who knew his whereabouts.
If Heinz prioritized those who might have new bloodsucking factors…
Hans mainly targeted those who seemed to have a lot of information or new spells.
[It seems like they’re finally planning to respond actively.]
Hans, who had read his memories, muttered quietly.
It was a bit late, but I could understand.
They had to grasp the situation, deal with the immediate aftermath, gather opinions within the Blood Alliance, and come up with countermeasures.
‘And I sent the evidence of cannibalism I found at the hardliners’ bases to the moderates. It would be difficult for them to join forces.’
I had already taken the research materials last time, so I sent the newly obtained items, along with photos of the data, to Jin So-ran.
I left them in the lobby of the villa, and it seemed like they were delivered properly.
‘But there haven’t been any orders from above yet. They just told me to lay low for the time being and that they’re preparing a safe house.’
If that was the case…
I didn’t know what countermeasures they were planning, but…
‘I’ll clean them out as much as possible before that.’
____________________
Jin So-ran wasn’t stupid.
The sudden attack on the Blood Alliance hardliners by Hahoe Mask, the evidence of their wrongdoing that was delivered to her.
It was only natural to suspect that Heinz might be involved in those incidents somehow.
‘The incidents started right after I told him about their bases.’
And the day after she was feeling dejected because the evidence against Gamma’s group had disappeared, the items were delivered to the Crew’s base as if to show off.
At this point, it seemed like he had no intention of hiding it.
Actually, she didn’t intend to confront him either.
‘Because I feel the same way.’
They had experienced the same incident and formed a connection.
The only difference was that he was strong enough to overcome the crisis on his own and had the drive to act immediately to solve the problem.
‘Things have already gone too far with the hardliners. If we continued like that, we would have been absorbed by them by force.’
If that happened, the weaker members of the moderates would have become prey first.
They were practically enemies under different banners, even though they shared the same name.
‘To think they would react like that even after I presented the evidence.’
She realized that painfully through this incident.
The protest she conveyed through the higher-ups was completely ignored by the hardliners’ leadership.
Neither confirmation nor denial, just silence.
And that was only because they were preoccupied with the sudden attacks. If it hadn’t been for that, they would have already mobilized their forces and tried to swallow them up.
Therefore, Jin So-ran couldn’t help but worry about how to respond.
She was also one of the executives of the moderates, leading a Crew.
‘I need to gather the combatants and prepare for any contingency.’
It had been over twenty years since the interdimensional transfer phenomenon began.
The Blood Alliance was a group that had endured in the shadows for over fifteen years without collapsing, but…
‘Internal conflict… I hope there won’t be many casualties.’
But they couldn’t just stand there and take it.
In that sense, the recent incident with the hardliners was a blessing in disguise.
At least they could buy time to gather their forces and prepare.
‘I wish the hardliners would just collapse, but that’s not going to happen.’
They were the faction that held most of the Blood Alliance’s military power.
They were several times stronger than the moderates.
It was only thanks to the neutral faction, who tried to maintain balance, that they had endured until now.
But if the hardliners accepted the losses and took action in earnest, both sides would collapse.
For that reason, Jin So-ran was just quietly observing, waiting for Heinz to reveal himself first.
He had been helpful so far, and even if he betrayed them in the middle, they had nothing to lose.
‘I don’t know what his connection is with that infamous dark magic user.’
Hahoe Mask, who hunted criminals with his overwhelming power.
She didn’t know what kind of connection he had with him, or if it was just a coincidence, but…
He would explain it when the time came.
‘For now, let’s focus on what I have to do.’
The task she had to do now was also important.
“Oh hi~ Thank you for coming to my stream again today!”
Jin So-ran… no, Orchid, the internet broadcaster, smiled brightly and greeted the camera that was filming her.
A job that satisfied her hobby and earned her money.
Since the moderates’ motto was to integrate into the social system, they could never have enough money.
They needed money even to get blood packs.
She put aside the complicated issues for now and continued her stream energetically.
They say that when your hobby becomes your job, the fun decreases, but that didn’t apply to her, who craved public attention.
Jin So-ran wasn’t stupid.
The sudden attack on the Blood Alliance hardliners by Hahoe Mask, the evidence of their wrongdoing that was delivered to her.
It was only natural to suspect that Heinz might be involved in those incidents somehow.
‘The incidents started right after I told him about their bases.’
And the day after she was feeling dejected because the evidence against Gamma’s group had disappeared, the items were delivered to the Crew’s base as if to show off.
At this point, it seemed like he had no intention of hiding it.
Actually, she didn’t intend to confront him either.
‘Because I feel the same way.’
They had experienced the same incident and formed a connection.
The only difference was that he was strong enough to overcome the crisis on his own and had the drive to act immediately to solve the problem.
‘Things have already gone too far with the hardliners. If we continued like that, we would have been absorbed by them by force.’
If that happened, the weaker members of the moderates would have become prey first.
They were practically enemies under different banners, even though they shared the same name.
‘To think they would react like that even after I presented the evidence.’
She realized that painfully through this incident.
The protest she conveyed through the higher-ups was completely ignored by the hardliners’ leadership.
Neither confirmation nor denial, just silence.
And that was only because they were preoccupied with the sudden attacks. If it hadn’t been for that, they would have already mobilized their forces and tried to swallow them up.
Therefore, Jin So-ran couldn’t help but worry about how to respond.
She was also one of the executives of the moderates, leading a Crew.
‘I need to gather the combatants and prepare for any contingency.’
It had been over twenty years since the interdimensional transfer phenomenon began.
The Blood Alliance was a group that had endured in the shadows for over fifteen years without collapsing, but…
‘Internal conflict… I hope there won’t be many casualties.’
But they couldn’t just stand there and take it.
In that sense, the recent incident with the hardliners was a blessing in disguise.
At least they could buy time to gather their forces and prepare.
‘I wish the hardliners would just collapse, but that’s not going to happen.’
They were the faction that held most of the Blood Alliance’s military power.
They were several times stronger than the moderates.
It was only thanks to the neutral faction, who tried to maintain balance, that they had endured until now.
But if the hardliners accepted the losses and took action in earnest, both sides would collapse.
For that reason, Jin So-ran was just quietly observing, waiting for Heinz to reveal himself first.
He had been helpful so far, and even if he betrayed them in the middle, they had nothing to lose.
‘I don’t know what his connection is with that infamous dark magic user.’
Hahoe Mask, who hunted criminals with his overwhelming power.
She didn’t know what kind of connection he had with him, or if it was just a coincidence, but…
He would explain it when the time came.
‘For now, let’s focus on what I have to do.’
The task she had to do now was also important.
“Oh hi~ Thank you for coming to my stream again today!”
Jin So-ran… no, Orchid, the internet broadcaster, smiled brightly and greeted the camera that was filming her.
A job that satisfied her hobby and earned her money.
Since the moderates’ motto was to integrate into the social system, they could never have enough money.
They needed money even to get blood packs.
She put aside the complicated issues for now and continued her stream energetically.
They say that when your hobby becomes your job, the fun decreases, but that didn’t apply to her, who craved public attention.
_________________
Subtly dropping hints to Jin So-ran was intentional.
There was nothing to gain from hiding it, and she was hostile towards the hardliners because she had experienced it firsthand.
‘And to take over the Blood Alliance, I had to reveal it eventually.’
I couldn’t just give it to someone else after preparing it so nicely.
To make my subordinates follow me, I had to prove my abilities first.
‘And crushing the hardliners’ conspiracy and punishing them would be a great achievement.’
Of course, I was planning to reveal it openly after it was all over, but this much of a hint was enough for now.
I also needed to observe how Jin So-ran would act.
Taking over an entire organization wasn’t easy, and to do that, I had to build my own people first.
She was the most promising candidate for my right-hand woman, so it was important to maintain a good relationship with her from now on.
‘Anyway, this place seems to be thoroughly prepared.’
Heinz was currently hidden in the darkness using “Concealment”, observing a luxury villa located in the mountains.
The villa’s defenses were exposed by the power of “Insight” in his eyes.
‘The barrier and the security level are no joke… the level of those inside is insane.’
Of course, it wasn’t insurmountable.
Above all, he wasn’t alone.
[Hehehe, we just need to infiltrate stealthily and quickly and eliminate the leadership first.]
The reason Hans and Heinz came to this villa together.
It was because of the information they had accidentally obtained recently.
That the hardliners’ leadership was gathering for a meeting to discuss countermeasures against them.
The source of the information was someone with considerable influence, and the information itself was heavily encrypted, so they judged it to be highly credible.
If it was true, it was a great opportunity.
‘If we can just wipe out the leadership, things will be much easier.’
Based on the information they had gathered so far, they could handle the hardliners’ leadership with just the two of them.
Hans was already strong, and now Heinz was no less so.
But there was always a possibility of unforeseen circumstances.
So they were planning to observe the situation firsthand and decide whether to attack, but…
‘At this level, I think we can do it.’
It seemed like they were worrying too much.
Of course, they would need some preparation to wipe them out all at once.
Hans first went around the villa and set up a barrier that enveloped the interior.
Combining Hans’s magic, which was skilled in stealthy magic activation, with Heinz’s “Concealment”, they were able to create a truly undetectable barrier.
‘There’s no way they’ll detect this before it’s activated.’
As soon as all preparations were complete, Hans, shrouded in darkness, melted into Heinz’s shadow.
And Heinz used “Concealment” on himself and activated stealth to hide his appearance.
It was a blood magic power manipulation technique he learned through “Hybrid Evolution”, not a skill.
But combined with the power of “Concealment”, it had an effect comparable to invisibility, and thanks to that, he was able to approach the villa without being detected.
‘There are also a lot of security devices installed. It wouldn’t have been this easy to disable them before I became a True Blood.’
They were all detected by Heinz’s senses, which had surpassed their limits.
He could sense the surveillance range of the security cameras, as well as the faint electromagnetic waves emanating from hidden electronic devices, so modern technology couldn’t stop him anymore.
Heinz, who had approached the villa, avoiding the vampires standing guard and the security devices, looked up at the building.
A large and impressive building with a luxurious exterior.
…No matter how much he looked, he couldn’t find an open door.
‘Originally, a door should open around this time, and I should sneak in with someone entering or leaving…’
That was the promise.
But reality was different.
He walked around the building for a while, but they had locked up so tightly that there wasn’t even an open window.
And there was still no sign of anyone entering or leaving the villa.
‘Sigh, it can’t be helped.’
Heinz headed towards a secluded window and activated “Concealment” as strongly as possible.
‘Done. In this state…’
The shadow where Hans was hiding squirmed.
And then one corner stretched out and seeped into the gap in the window frame.
There was an alarm installed on the window, but it was useless against a formless shadow.
Thus, the inside and outside were connected by a shadow through the window.
Swoosh—
Heinz’s body, standing outside, was slowly sucked into the ground…
And he quietly emerged from the shadow that extended to the other side.
‘No alarm reaction. There are no cameras filming this side either. Perfect.’
Combining Hans’s expertise in stealthy magic activation with the power of “Concealment”, he was able to infiltrate naturally without any leakage of dark magic power.
‘The place where they’re gathered is a room connected to the first-floor lobby.’
He reconfirmed the location and quietly moved towards where the vampires’ presence was concentrated.
He was planning to first reach the place where the leadership was, activate the barrier to prevent anyone from escaping, and then wipe them out, starting from the head.
As he reached the inside of the lobby…
‘Huh?’
Heinz’s senses detected a strange presence.
His transcendental senses, which he had acquired with synesthesia and become accustomed to, sounded the alarm.
And Hans, hidden in the shadows, only sensed something strange after receiving that information, a step too late.
The response was immediate.
The moment he raised his blood magic power and entered battle mode, cautiously guarding the surroundings,
Buzz—
An unknown barrier activated, surrounding the lobby where Heinz had entered.
‘No, not just the lobby… it’s a barrier built using the entire building.’
Hans quickly analyzed the barrier that had started to activate.
…Yes, Hans. He hadn’t noticed it before it activated.
‘…I was confident in Hans’s magic level. This hurts my pride…’
I gritted my teeth inwardly in frustration, but it seemed like I didn’t have time to complain.
As soon as the barrier activated, the power of “Concealment” that enveloped Heinz weakened, and his appearance was eventually exposed.
“Well, well~ I was trying to catch Hahoe Mask, but a vampire appeared instead?”
At the top of the grand staircase in the lobby.
A man’s voice, leaning against the railing, echoed through the space.
Thud!
Swoosh—
At the same time, the door that Heinz had been aiming for burst open, and a group of vampires rushed out, surrounding him in an instant.
The people Heinz had detected in advance with “Insight”.
‘This… I think we’ve been had.’
Men in black masks had appeared, surrounding the second-floor railing and looking down at where he was standing.
They were the ones he hadn’t detected in advance.
“So… who are you? What’s your relationship with Hahoe Mask?”
Subtly dropping hints to Jin So-ran was intentional.
There was nothing to gain from hiding it, and she was hostile towards the hardliners because she had experienced it firsthand.
‘And to take over the Blood Alliance, I had to reveal it eventually.’
I couldn’t just give it to someone else after preparing it so nicely.
To make my subordinates follow me, I had to prove my abilities first.
‘And crushing the hardliners’ conspiracy and punishing them would be a great achievement.’
Of course, I was planning to reveal it openly after it was all over, but this much of a hint was enough for now.
I also needed to observe how Jin So-ran would act.
Taking over an entire organization wasn’t easy, and to do that, I had to build my own people first.
She was the most promising candidate for my right-hand woman, so it was important to maintain a good relationship with her from now on.
‘Anyway, this place seems to be thoroughly prepared.’
Heinz was currently hidden in the darkness using “Concealment”, observing a luxury villa located in the mountains.
The villa’s defenses were exposed by the power of “Insight” in his eyes.
‘The barrier and the security level are no joke… the level of those inside is insane.’
Of course, it wasn’t insurmountable.
Above all, he wasn’t alone.
[Hehehe, we just need to infiltrate stealthily and quickly and eliminate the leadership first.]
The reason Hans and Heinz came to this villa together.
It was because of the information they had accidentally obtained recently.
That the hardliners’ leadership was gathering for a meeting to discuss countermeasures against them.
The source of the information was someone with considerable influence, and the information itself was heavily encrypted, so they judged it to be highly credible.
If it was true, it was a great opportunity.
‘If we can just wipe out the leadership, things will be much easier.’
Based on the information they had gathered so far, they could handle the hardliners’ leadership with just the two of them.
Hans was already strong, and now Heinz was no less so.
But there was always a possibility of unforeseen circumstances.
So they were planning to observe the situation firsthand and decide whether to attack, but…
‘At this level, I think we can do it.’
It seemed like they were worrying too much.
Of course, they would need some preparation to wipe them out all at once.
Hans first went around the villa and set up a barrier that enveloped the interior.
Combining Hans’s magic, which was skilled in stealthy magic activation, with Heinz’s “Concealment”, they were able to create a truly undetectable barrier.
‘There’s no way they’ll detect this before it’s activated.’
As soon as all preparations were complete, Hans, shrouded in darkness, melted into Heinz’s shadow.
And Heinz used “Concealment” on himself and activated stealth to hide his appearance.
It was a blood magic power manipulation technique he learned through “Hybrid Evolution”, not a skill.
But combined with the power of “Concealment”, it had an effect comparable to invisibility, and thanks to that, he was able to approach the villa without being detected.
‘There are also a lot of security devices installed. It wouldn’t have been this easy to disable them before I became a True Blood.’
They were all detected by Heinz’s senses, which had surpassed their limits.
He could sense the surveillance range of the security cameras, as well as the faint electromagnetic waves emanating from hidden electronic devices, so modern technology couldn’t stop him anymore.
Heinz, who had approached the villa, avoiding the vampires standing guard and the security devices, looked up at the building.
A large and impressive building with a luxurious exterior.
…No matter how much he looked, he couldn’t find an open door.
‘Originally, a door should open around this time, and I should sneak in with someone entering or leaving…’
That was the promise.
But reality was different.
He walked around the building for a while, but they had locked up so tightly that there wasn’t even an open window.
And there was still no sign of anyone entering or leaving the villa.
‘Sigh, it can’t be helped.’
Heinz headed towards a secluded window and activated “Concealment” as strongly as possible.
‘Done. In this state…’
The shadow where Hans was hiding squirmed.
And then one corner stretched out and seeped into the gap in the window frame.
There was an alarm installed on the window, but it was useless against a formless shadow.
Thus, the inside and outside were connected by a shadow through the window.
Swoosh—
Heinz’s body, standing outside, was slowly sucked into the ground…
And he quietly emerged from the shadow that extended to the other side.
‘No alarm reaction. There are no cameras filming this side either. Perfect.’
Combining Hans’s expertise in stealthy magic activation with the power of “Concealment”, he was able to infiltrate naturally without any leakage of dark magic power.
‘The place where they’re gathered is a room connected to the first-floor lobby.’
He reconfirmed the location and quietly moved towards where the vampires’ presence was concentrated.
He was planning to first reach the place where the leadership was, activate the barrier to prevent anyone from escaping, and then wipe them out, starting from the head.
As he reached the inside of the lobby…
‘Huh?’
Heinz’s senses detected a strange presence.
His transcendental senses, which he had acquired with synesthesia and become accustomed to, sounded the alarm.
And Hans, hidden in the shadows, only sensed something strange after receiving that information, a step too late.
The response was immediate.
The moment he raised his blood magic power and entered battle mode, cautiously guarding the surroundings,
Buzz—
An unknown barrier activated, surrounding the lobby where Heinz had entered.
‘No, not just the lobby… it’s a barrier built using the entire building.’
Hans quickly analyzed the barrier that had started to activate.
…Yes, Hans. He hadn’t noticed it before it activated.
‘…I was confident in Hans’s magic level. This hurts my pride…’
I gritted my teeth inwardly in frustration, but it seemed like I didn’t have time to complain.
As soon as the barrier activated, the power of “Concealment” that enveloped Heinz weakened, and his appearance was eventually exposed.
“Well, well~ I was trying to catch Hahoe Mask, but a vampire appeared instead?”
At the top of the grand staircase in the lobby.
A man’s voice, leaning against the railing, echoed through the space.
Thud!
Swoosh—
At the same time, the door that Heinz had been aiming for burst open, and a group of vampires rushed out, surrounding him in an instant.
The people Heinz had detected in advance with “Insight”.
‘This… I think we’ve been had.’
Men in black masks had appeared, surrounding the second-floor railing and looking down at where he was standing.
They were the ones he hadn’t detected in advance.
“So… who are you? What’s your relationship with Hahoe Mask?”
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