"How did this happen?" flustered Ovor looked around.
Nothing.
No matter how hard he searched, there were no traces.
"How is this even possible?"
To ensure the capture of the culprit, he had spent time constructing a barrier, successfully confining him.
The Nobleblood himself formed the core, surrounded by dozens of vampires forming the backbone.
Even with these precautions, he had personally taken measures to constrain the culprit.
"But he succeeded in escaping the barrier through spatial teleportation?"
Was the culprit's level that high?
To the extent of subduing all of them?
"There's nothing abnormal with the barrier. We haven't found any traces of him escaping," reported the Blood Mage, a Pureblood skilled in blood magic.
It had been confirmed several times.
He could have feigned disappearance and waited for the barrier to be released.
Therefore, while maintaining the barrier, he personally checked the interior several times.
Even if he had succeeded in breaking the barrier, they investigated to find any traces, but "He vanished without a trace."
They were thoroughly deceived.
He attacked the hideout, seized the fragment, and annihilated the vampires in this branch.
He even leisurely waited in the city until they came, taunted them and disappeared at his own pace.
Crackle!
The ground near Ovor exploded.
As the area around him crumbled, cracks spread.
"How dare you... play with me? Hans... Hans!"
Ovor, who had been venting his anger for a while, soon caught his breath and looked at the subordinates waiting around.
Five Purebloods and over twenty half bloods.
"Search the city and its surroundings thoroughly. Do not miss even the smallest trace; investigate thoroughly!"
Vampires scattered at his command.
Ovor surveyed the last location where Hans had been.
Squelch—
The moment he vowed to settle the score while sharpening his resolve.
"Oh... Ovor! Something big happened!"
Subordinates who had just left their positions hurriedly approached.
"What is it? Did that guy do something?"
The first thing that came to mind was what Hans might have schemed before disappearing.
However, the problem was more serious.
"The forces of the Holy Order, including the Holy Knights and combat priests, have surrounded the area!"
"Why all of a sudden? No, how did they go unnoticed until they got here?"
A special combat unit dispatched by the Holy Order to prevent the resurrection of the Immortal King.
To prevent them from noticing their approach and fleeing, even the Archbishop participated, concealing their presence with a large-scale holy spell.
Approaching stealthily, they suddenly lost track of the Immortal King's aura and quickly sealed off the surroundings, encircling them.
"We fell into his trap. Staying in the city, luring us, everything from the beginning was a trap!"
How he managed to draw the Holy Order into his trap is unclear.
But it was certain that they had been played by his scheme until the end.
"Everyone, gather and break through in one direction! We have to escape before dawn breaks. Hurry!"
Powerful holy auras approaching rapidly could be felt from this direction.
Symbols of the Order's military, the Holy Knights. And among them, one particularly powerful aura.
"Darn it! They even brought a Paladin!"
The pinnacle of Holy Knights at the Master level. A formidable opponent that he couldn't ignore.
"You, Hans! Even the Executors of the Divine Oath! I will definitely make you pay!"
Thus, the Holy Order's Immortal King suppression force clashed head-on with the Brokolak vampire clan.
It was a moment when the clash was imminent.
It was around the time Hans was kicking away the blanket.
***
"Sigh... I'm hungry."
I put down the tattered blanket and picked up my phone to order chicken.
Maybe the peace came to my mind after emitting the Inner Demon while kicking away the blanket for a while.
It might have something to do with the merit of the "Enlightenment Index" for calming down quickly.
'Thanks to the skill, I seem to have developed resistance. Now I can confidently deliver lines in dialogues!'
Not that I really planned to do that.
"Anyway, Hans was reverse summoned again. Ugh."
I couldn't roam freely in this world anyway, but I thought I would try it as much as possible.
'I didn't expect the Nobleblood to pop out. Should I have just left the city right away?'
Absorbing another fragment, Hans evolved into an "Arch-Lich," overflowing with confidence.
So, I thought I could handle it reasonably well.
'Stronger than I thought. I could probably win if I fought seriously, but...'
There was no merit in fighting immediately, so it was better to just avoid it.
Hans had obtained the "Forbidden Knowledge" just a few days ago, so given time, he would become even stronger.
The decisive moment would come then.
'Extracting the source of 'Immortality' might be a bit ambiguous to use immediately.'
By absorbing the second fragment, he evolved from an incomplete Demilich, skipping the intermediate stage of a Lich and becoming an Arch-lich.
Although it was a skill he gained, it seemed challenging to use effectively.
If it was Hans's source, it probably referred to the heart created by fusing with the fragment.
It would be great if it could be used while stored safely on Earth, but it was doubtful whether the dark magic of the heart located in another dimension would be properly transmitted to Hans.
'Because even the [Avatar] skill cannot transfer energy directly.'
If that were the case, without the support of the dark magic from the heart, Hans would become a simple empty skeleton.
It would be better to have Hans, who is not easily defeated by the powerful force and can be reverse-summoned at any time.
Still, it wasn't entirely useless.
If we could somehow preserve the heart, even if his limbs turned to dust, he could be instantly restored with almost infinite dark magic.
'I'll have to research that aspect in the future. But training is more advantageous in Outerica. If Heinz gets farther from Ajantu, I'll have to teleport him back.'
Currently, Heinz II had arrived in Tilark City with the group, focusing on resupply and information gathering.
Since it wasn't good to stay near the vampires' sphere of influence in his vampire state, the plan was to move even farther.
Fortunately, becoming a Pureblood allowed him to conceal his presence well, and defeating the direct descendant, Vyrrak, made tracking even more difficult.
'No, they might already think I'm dead. Hans caused quite a scene.'
Still, it was better to avoid notice as much as possible.
'But I gained a lot. Heinz II obtained a useful weapon, and Hans absorbed another fragment.'
On top of that, I also acquired various treasures and magical items. It was a very satisfactory outcome.
"I did quite well, so my Karma should have accumulated, right? Let's see how much is left until the next enhancement of the unique skill... huh?"
I opened the Karma shop to check the values and paused for a moment.
[Unique Skill Enhancement (700,000)]
[Current Karma - 731,002]
'...Is it normal for it to be so generous?'
Not long ago, I had used the remaining Karma to evenly boost my physical abilities.
Somehow, now I noticed that my Karma was full.
Although the Brokolak Clan was said to be among the top three in the vampire world, they were a minority race in Outerica, and Ajantu was nothing more than a small city on the outskirts.
'Is the value of the Immortal King's fragments that significant? Maybe meddling between vampires and the Oath of Reversal influenced it.'
After a brief contemplation, I roughly concluded that.
More Karma was always better, and the important thing now was that I could enhance my unique skill once more.
'I don't really think there's anything necessary, but how should I evolve? Will I get another Avatar?'
Choosing the enhancement with an excited heart, a throbbing headache followed.
After a short moment passed, I realized that I could now create another Avatar.
But it didn't end there.
"Oh?"
[Your unique skill has evolved, unlocking new possibilities. You acquire the special skill "Persona."]
The related skill I had secretly anticipated had also appeared.
Since "Mind Hub" had been quite helpful, I eagerly checked the information.
But...
"Ha..."
Without realizing it, my expression stiffened, and a disappointed laugh escaped.
The growth of a unique skill occurs in the direction the user needs.
So, the system judged that "Persona" was necessary for me.
The skill's effect was simple: using the Avatar as a vessel to convey one's emotions.
"..."
In the silence, time passed endlessly.
In that daze, I unconsciously realized that I was shaking one leg.
It was the leg that had traces of "that day," which had healed not long ago.
Now, it was a smooth leg without any scars.
I closed my eyes and immersed myself in thought within the silence.
I seemed to understand why this skill had emerged.
Slowly, I reflected on the past.
In this new world, I built friendships with people I met for the first time, mingling comfortably with them.
Turning undead, I dealt with dark wizards, suppressing villains on Earth.
I sacrificed myself to help siblings in distress, defeating the city's vampires.
'I, who had been confined to my room for two years.'
Terrified of the outside world, with only one friend in terms of human relationships.
Yes, in reality, every move after obtaining "Avatar" was nothing more than playing a game.
Although it felt vivid and real to experience everything firsthand, it wasn't real to me.
Speaking to NPCs without hesitation, eliminating villains, and helping the weak, just like clearing quests.
While I adventured energetically in this other world with the Avatar, the real me remained stuck in my room.
The physical traces were gone, but my mind still lingered in those times.
"Phew."
I exhaled a breath, opening my eyes that had been closed.
The house was silent.
The faint sound of the refrigerator was particularly annoying today.
Once a lively and bustling home, now not a trace of life could be felt.
The space I had once considered a sanctuary now felt like a prison, with dust settling in the silence like invisible chains.
Facing the reality I had deliberately avoided, a sense of discomfort overwhelmed me.
"Hans."
I uttered his name softly, and darkness spread across the room as Hans slowly ascended.
Despite suppressing his energy in various ways, the aura of death that made onlookers fearful persisted.
It was much more terrifying than when he was a Demilich.
"Transfer the stagnant and decaying emotions into the vessel..."
Focusing on Hans, I used "Persona."
Loneliness, sadness, anger, and other accumulated negative emotions naturally flowed into him.
Perhaps due to his natural affinity as an undead, Hans absorbed them like a sponge.
"Phew... Is it over?"
After facing and transferring the accumulated negative emotions, my mind felt refreshingly clear.
It wasn't about completely discarding the emotions but rather organizing them neatly in a box for future use.
In one way or another, the Avatar was still me.
"It's fine for me, but is Hans okay?"
Already heavily influenced by negativity as an undead, if it worsened...
Concentrating on Hans, I delved into his consciousness.
I don't feel anything unusual.
If anything, using dark magic seems more convenient due to the influence of absorbing negative emotions.
[... Pain and despair are companions in life. Now, they don't bother me anymore.]
Without realizing it, I uttered those words at first. It just seemed natural.
"Uh?!"
Suddenly, I felt discomfort and jumped.
No, I did say those words for sure...
[Hehehe... I see. Avatars containing emotions develop personalities accordingly? It's somewhat natural when you think about it.]
Hans chuckled sarcastically.
It felt so natural that it sent shivers down my spine.
'Is this a projection of part of my inner personality? I definitely can't have him interact with people in public.'
While I could control it, if I didn't consciously do so, the speech naturally changed.
Whether this was a side effect or not...
'Well, whatever. It doesn't matter anyway since I don't have to deal with people as Hans. As long as it helps me, it's fine.'
As I concluded and nodded, a thud! echoed from a distance.
Followed by sirens wailing.
Although the sound was faint due to the considerable distance, I had a vague idea of what might have happened.
'Is it a terrorist act by villains?'
Recently, villains had become more active, and incidents had increased.
The news and the internet were filled with related stories.
'Not that I actively seek out these things...'
Unless something happened right in front of me like last time, I had no intention of deliberately going out to investigate.
There was nothing to gain, and I wasn't directly affected.
I waited patiently for the chicken I had ordered.
Ding~
After some time, along with the vibrating sound, a message arrived on my phone.
- Delivery Team: "Due to an accident, the operation of the 'Cerberus Three-piece Chicken,' the store you ordered from, has been suspended. Your order has been refunded. We apologize for the inconvenience."
I glanced at the message and then looked out the window.
I tried to estimate the direction of the disturbance and compared it with the location of the chicken restaurant I had ordered from.
"Ah..."
It turned out to be the best place I had discovered after exploring several chicken joints.
They used fresh meat, resulting in a crispy exterior and a moist interior.
The various seasonings and generous portions always satisfied my cravings.
For almost a year, I had been using that place whenever I wanted chicken.
Lately, the owner, who was also generous with services, had become a familiar face.
"...Yeah. I left it alone, and now it's affecting me."
In reality, I might have been looking for excuses.
A means to rationalize myself.
Grounds to justify irrational judgments.
[Do you need a reason to eliminate evil? No. As the world's order shakes, chaos arises, and outlaws run rampant everywhere. ...Now, I will become their law.]"
Hans, who was beside me, disappeared into the shadows.
Yes, despite various justifications, the conclusion was clear.
I dislike villains.