Clatter—
"Well, sometimes instant noodles are good too."
I slurped the noodles, savoring their chewy texture.
The spicy aroma and the tantalizing taste of artificial seasoning stimulated my taste buds.
Even though my bank account had grown healthy recently, allowing for some indulgences like pork hocks or sushi, I still found myself drawn to instant meals occasionally.
"Anyway, this time the real Heinz is really gone."
Hans had been resurrected as an undead not long after I thought he had died, but it was unlikely to happen this time.
His body had been torn apart by a vampire and lay in the ruins of a building, so finding an intact corpse would be difficult.
However, the thought of the siblings waiting for him drove me crazy.
'I said I would be back within three days. I could just send a new avatar in his place. That means I won't be able to engage in any external activities for a while, right?'
It would take about a week to regenerate the deceased avatar, which meant more than two months in the other world's time.
That's why I had no choice but to use the avatar currently active outside.
Bleep-
Clunk
Just then, the avatar came into the house carrying the luggage, including the bullet proof vest and other items.
'I've already paid a week's worth of rent for the place I had reserved, so when the transfer device is activated, we'll move straight to the room, change clothes, and go find the kids.'
I didn't want those kids to worry if I were any later.
'Now I have to decide on a name for this guy... Hmm...'
I glanced at the avatar sorting through the luggage, briefly pondered, and then made a decision right away.
'Yes, let's call him Heinz too. Heinz the Second, if we're going to be picky.'
He would soon have to face the siblings in place of the dearly departed Heinz, so having a different name might be confusing.
Inheriting Heinz's strong determination, I settled on the name "Heinz the Second."
<Individual Information>
-Name: Heinz the Second
-Common Characteristics: "Mind Hub," "Rapid Recovery," "Enlightenment Index"
-Individual Characteristic: "Acceleration"
-Special Note: Hansung-hyun's third avatar.
"Should I invest some karma to slightly enhance his physical abilities, just in case?"
There were still about six hours left before the cooldown of the teleporter.
******
[The transfer to the Outerica dimension has been completed.]
Once the transfer was complete and I opened my eyes to survey my surroundings, I found myself in the lodging I had reserved in Ajantu.
I rummaged through my belongings, throwing on an overcoat over my bullet proof vest and grabbing necessary items.
'I only brought one longsword. It must be inside that rubble now.'
I briefly felt regret for the lost weapon, but there was nothing to be done about it. I would have to get another weapon separately.
As I stepped out of the room and towards the door of the lodging, the proprietor, who was at the counter, was surprised by my sudden appearance.
I mumbled something appropriate and quickly made my way out.
'I don't feel any significant changes, but I wonder how it's actually going to be.'
Despite the incident of one of the vampires ruling the city being killed, there didn't seem to be much noticeable difference outwardly.
They probably existed in the underbelly of the city, away from public scrutiny.
As I walked through the alley toward the siblings' residence, I could feel the tension in the air.
Things were bound to be different here compared to elsewhere, especially since it was near Barkolak's headquarters, who controlled this part of the street.
"Wait, hey, can I have a word?"
As expected, a man with Barkolak's tattoo on his neck grabbed me and stepped forward.
"I haven't seen you around. What brings you here?"
His demeanor was different from the bulky man who used to extort bribes before.
The situation was complicated, so I had to be more cautious.
"Oh, I'm an adventurer who arrived in the city not long ago. I formed a connection with some young siblings inside here a few days ago, so I came to see their faces."
"Siblings? Ah, I know who you mean. But what about those orphans?"
As the man continued to look at me suspiciously, one of his associates approached him.
"Boss, a while ago when the boy got lost and the girl was asking around, she mentioned that a young man helped them find their way. Could it be this gentleman?"
"Really? Is that true?"
Fortunately, it seemed Diana had handled the situation well.
"Yes, that's right. Due to our previous encounter and some other reasons, I came here to meet them again."
I slipped some money into his palm while answering, trying to smooth things over.
He naturally accepted it and nodded, tucking it into his pocket.
"Yeah, considering the current situation isn't great, let's not cause any trouble."
"Of course. Thank you, and take care."
Once again, I managed to get through without any major issues.
Being a part of an organization lurking in the back alleys, it was inevitable to go along with things.
I soon arrived at the siblings' residence.
***
Diana had spent the past few days sleepless with worry.
After the day she saved Aaron, she went to the people she had asked about Aaron and casually dismissed any suspicions.
Following Heinz's instructions, she tried to act as normally as possible outside.
She had to minimize her activities outside just enough to not look suspicious.
She waited at home for Heinz's return.
"Sis... Is that man gonna be okay?"
"He'll be fine. He promised to come back."
Diana hugged her worried younger sibling, reassuring herself as she whispered.
She had stayed up all night, waiting with bated breath the day she parted with Heinz.
And the next day, she had to contain her inner turmoil upon hearing that Barkolak's building had been engulfed in flames.
She had to keep believing Heinz's promise and continue to wait.
And today was the third and final day Heinz had promised to return.
"Sis, we should eat. Here, have some bread."
"Thanks."
Aaron approached Diana, who had been looking outside all day, handed her some bread, and sat beside her.
He carefully softened his own tough bread and ate it.
She didn't use the money Heinz had left, as she would have to return it soon.
She hid all his other belongings in the house and waited for the owner to come.
'But what should I do now? Thanks to him, I was able to save Aaron this time, but if this happens again...'
As long as she lived in this city, there would come a moment she couldn't avoid.
Diana feared that.
"Huh?"
At that moment, Aaron, who had been licking his bread, shouted as he looked outside.
"It's him!"
"What?!"
Diana, who had been lost in her thoughts, quickly got up and rushed out of the door.
His attire was different, but his face was unmistakably the one she had seen when they parted.
"Mister!"
Diana embraced Heinz and burst into tears.
"Yeah, there, there. Diana, you've waited a lot, huh? Sorry for being late. Oh! Aaron, have you been well?"
Heinz comforted Diana in his arms and gently patted Aaron, who had come closer.
'His scent... has it changed?'
Amidst her tears, Diana sensed a subtle unfamiliarity in Heinz's embrace.
But as she sniffled, she quickly realized.
'No, it's definitely him.'
Diana, who could detect the scent of the soul, switched off her senses with certainty that Heinz the Second was the same person as before.
'While the smell on the body could change under various circumstances, the essence of the being remained the same.'
"Why were you so late? What happened?" Diana, who had barely stopped crying, asked in a small voice.
"Well, it's a bit complicated to discuss here. Oh! How about we go eat something delicious first?"
Heinz chuckled at the sight of the bread Aaron was holding.
After all, variety is the spice of life.
***
I headed to a local restaurant with Diana and Aaron.
"Oh, I gave this to you to use."
"No! It's something Mister left in our care for a while!"
Diana firmly handed over the belongings I had left before the fight with the vampire, making her point clear.
"Sure, well, we can use this to buy something expensive. Let's go in!"
I brought the siblings for an early dinner and took them back to the lodging where I was staying.
Other places were not suitable for discussions.
'I shouldn't expect soundproofing in this kind of building, so we still need to speak quietly here, though.'
It should still be better than other places.
I explained that I had killed the vampire responsible for Aaron's kidnapping and had escaped the building, hiding and starting the fire.
While Aaron looked at me with sparkling eyes as I spoke, Diana couldn't hide her concern.
"Are you really okay after killing the vampire?"
"There might not be any major problems for now, but we'll have to find a way to leave the city together soon."
"Leaving the city... Is that possible? You can just leave alone. We'll be fine. We've managed fine on our own until now."
Diana replied, bowing her head low.
Despite her words, her voice contained a sense of resignation.
"Well, if we search, we might find a way out, right? It doesn't make sense to block everyone altogether. Besides, I have a plan, so don't worry."
I smiled gently, reassuring Diana.
The belief within me helped comfort her.
Now that the immediate danger was over, I could wait for the cooldown of the teleporter for a few days and leave the city with Hans's help.
'I'll hide Hans nearby. If those guys come to catch me, we'll sneak out without them knowing!'
"It's getting late now, let's go. I'll walk you home."
I wanted to keep them with me until I left, but that could raise unnecessary suspicions.
Waiting just ten more days wouldn't have been a big deal, but I couldn't risk it unnecessarily.
After escorting the siblings to their shelter, I returned to my lodging alone and laid down on the bed.
'I ended up staying longer than I thought. But since I've already started, I have to finish it properly,'
I thought as I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.
How long had it been since I dozed off?
"Ugh!"
Startled by the pressure I felt on my neck, I gasped and opened my eyes.
"Hmm, this is strange. He seemed to be the most likely one. Did I make a mistake?"
The pale-faced handsome vampire, reflected in the moonlight streaming in from the window, had his hands around my throat.
Even though he only had my neck, I couldn't muster any strength to resist.
"Moreover, there were clear signs heading in this direction from the forest, and coincidentally, one of the city's vampires was killed."
The vampire examined me closely, sniffing around and furrowing his brow.
"However, I can't sense any traces of dark magic or even the scent of my kin from this one. Was it all just a coincidence?"
I realized that everything that had happened so far had been uncovered, including my trail leading from Hans.
And seeing the way he was observing me, I understood,
'He's testing me right now!'
He was just testing me without any real conviction.
I used all my mental strength, employing "Mind Hub" and "Mental Fortitude" to control my mind.
"I don't know what you are talking about! I'm just startled from suddenly being awakened from sleep. I'm just an ordinary adventurer who happened to come to this city!"
The vampire stared at me for a while before withdrawing his gaze, seemingly convinced by my intense denial.
"I might have made a mistake after all. I don't know, I really don't know."
Thankfully, it seemed like my intense gaze had swallowed up his suspicion.
'Damn it, I underestimated the ones ruling this city too much!'
So far, things had been resolved quite favorably by luck, but in the end, I had been caught in the end.
And from the moment his grasp tightened around my neck, I realized that resistance was impossible.
'He's much stronger than the one I killed in Barkolak! I have to find a way to dispel any misunderstandings and move on somehow.'
However, due to the grip on my neck, I couldn't utter a word to make excuses, and the vampire didn't seem inclined to let me off either.
"Hmm... but still, there seems to be something about you. Moreover, the remaining kin in this jurisdiction has been reduced by one, and this one looks quite sturdy."
Staring at me as if critiquing, he swiftly turned my rigid body and brought his sharp fangs to my neck.
"We'll have time for discussions later. It's more convenient for both of us, as you can't afford to tell lies."
With a swift motion, I could feel the sensation of my blood being sucked out for the second time, followed by something else flowing in.
'Why does everything always have to turn out like this!'
[The species value of the individual has been changed to 'vampire.' You have acquired the special skill 'Blood Kinship (Hemophage)'.]
[The individual's recovery ability has surpassed its limits. The skill 'Rapid Recovery' has evolved into 'Regeneration.']