Chapter 94

Rumble…

Concrete dust from the destroyed building spread out in a thick, hazy cloud.

‘...What in the world is this?’

Jang Sung-jun could hardly believe the scene of destruction unfolding before his eyes. Was this a dream or reality?

Though it was still night, and the dust had not yet fully settled, making visibility poor, his abilities as a telekinesis user allowed him to sense the transformed surroundings.

‘Expand.’

As he extended the range of his telekinetic spatial perception, his jaw gradually dropped.

“!!!”

Thanks to his consistent use of telekinesis, Jang Sung-jun’s spatial awareness had expanded to a radius of several hundred meters.

‘This is impossible.’

This allowed him to confirm the reality of the situation before anyone else.

‘Unbelievable.’

Where the target building—the hotel—had once stood, there was now a massive crater several dozen meters wide.

It was as if an enormous bomb had gone off.

The surrounding buildings were completely devastated.

Those closest to the explosion were half-destroyed, while even those over a hundred meters away were heavily damaged.

‘This must be… Mr. Jae-hyun’s doing.’

Right before the explosion, Kim Jae-hyun had issued a warning and ordered everyone to maintain a considerable distance from the target.

This sight could only have been caused by Kim Jae-hyun’s power.

‘Is this truly…’

Something one person could accomplish?

However, Jang Sung-jun didn’t know that what he was seeing was far weaker than Kim Jae-hyun had calculated.

The barbell had accelerated far too much.

The heat generated by air friction had caused over half of its mass to vaporize, significantly reducing its destructive power.

Even so—

Squirm.

“Huh?”

Jang Sung-jun sensed something stirring within the crater.

[Stay alert, everyone! It’s not over yet..!]

Kim Jae-hyun’s voice echoed in his mind, sounding strained.

And then—

‘What?!’

Jang Sung-jun sensed the squirming presence rapidly approaching their location.

He shouted in alarm, “Everyone, get back!”

But in doing so, he unintentionally revealed his position to the mass of blood hurtling toward them.

‘This is dangerous!’

Sensing the incoming threat, Jang Sung-jun hastily wrapped himself in layers of telekinetic barriers.

One layer, two layers, three layers—

Despite his best preparations—

Thud!

The blood mass pierced through his barriers with ease and impaled his abdomen.

“Urgh!”

Then—

Squelch, squelch.

Blood began draining from Jang Sung-jun at an alarming rate.

It was only then that he realized what had pierced him—a tentacle made of blood.

Focusing his mind, Jang Sung-jun retaliated.

“Hup!”

He sharpened his telekinesis into a blade and slashed at the tentacle impaling him.

Slash!

The tentacle was severed, and dark red blood spilled onto the ground.

Some of the blood splattering in the air was undoubtedly Jang Sung-jun’s own.

“Haah… Haah…”

Panting heavily, having come face-to-face with death, Jang Sung-jun glared in the direction from which the tentacle had come.

A figure was slowly approaching, limping toward him.

It was clear the entity wasn’t in perfect condition, likely due to being hit directly by the falling "bomb."

Then—

Swish, swish!

Jang Sung-jun sensed another presence appearing behind the figure.

‘It’s him! Mr. Jae-hyun’s father!’

Jang Sung-jun had witnessed Kim Dong-hyuk’s strength firsthand.

True to the formidable reputation of Kim Jae-hyun’s family, he had single-handedly wiped out rampaging vampires on a bridge—a scene that still sent shivers down Jang Sung-jun’s spine, reminiscent of Zhang Fei defending Changban Bridge.

But—

‘...What?’

Suddenly, both the vampire and Kim Dong-hyuk’s movements disappeared from his telekinetic perception.

It felt as though his abilities were malfunctioning.

Boom! Boom-boom!

Explosions echoed in the distance.

A battle was unfolding, but Jang Sung-jun realized he couldn’t follow their movements.

‘This is beyond me.’

The thought of using his telekinesis to assist the fight now seemed like sheer arrogance.

Crumble!

As the remains of a nearby building collapsed, Jang Sung-jun swallowed hard.

Then—

Squirm.

The pool of blood on the ground stirred, setting off alarms in his hyper-alert senses.

Whoosh!

Reacting instantly, Jang Sung-jun leapt away using telekinesis.

Moments later—

Squelch, squelch.

The blood swelled up, forming the grotesque figure of a vampire shaped entirely from blood.

It charged at him.

Staying calm, Jang Sung-jun crafted a telekinetic blade and aimed for its heart.

Slice!

The vampire appeared to be easily subdued.

But then—

Splatter!

The severed blood mass surged over him.

Sizzle!

The blood clinging to his body began dissolving him instantly.

“Aaaargh!”

And this wasn’t happening in just one place.

As the dust settled over the city at night, the incomplete moon illuminated the streets, where vampires made of blood clashed with Jae-hyun’s retainers.

[Citizen Kim Gun’s loyalty has reached 100.]

[Citizen Kim Gun is already registered as a retainer.]

[Retainer limit has increased.]

[Citizen Jang Sung-jun’s loyalty has reached 100.]

[Citizen Jang Sung-jun is already registered as a retainer.]

[Retainer limit has increased.]

Two retainers’ loyalty had reached 100, increasing the limit by two slots.

Yet even this development did not bring any relief.

‘Why are those monsters…?’

The vampires fighting against the retainers were unmistakably higher vampires.

‘Seven of them.’

Though their faces were blank, their distinct features made it clear who they were.

‘All of them except that female vampire who came with him earlier are here.’

No notifications of higher vampire kills had appeared, which had already felt strange.

Now it was clear—they had become like this.

‘Were they consumed by him?’

Judging by their appearance, they had been devoured by the one they had worshipped as their lord.

‘This is troublesome.’

The real issue was that their power seemed amplified after being consumed.

‘And they have no weaknesses.’

The usual rule of destroying their heart no longer applied.

Their bodies, being entirely composed of blood, had no hearts to target.

“Piercing Arrow, summon.”

Even Kim Ga-young’s arrows, which pierced their chests with precision, were ineffective.

‘The only abilities that seem to work are Jun-hyuk’s water manipulation and the twins’ freezing powers.’

Lee Jun-hyuk’s water control and the freezing abilities of Moon Ji-hoon and Moon Sang-hoon were effective, thanks to their unique traits. However, the rest were struggling to hold their ground.

Fortunately, Kim Da-jeong was among them.

Her healing abilities, enhanced by leveling up, could restore even severe injuries in an instant.

Of course, healing wasn’t an all-encompassing solution.

However.

‘Assign quest to Jang Sung-jun. Quest reward: complete recovery.’

[Citizen Jang Sung-jun has completed the quest.]

[100,000,000 KRW has been consumed for the quest cost.]

There was nothing that couldn’t be solved with money.

The problem was that even this method of using quest assignments had its limits.

‘Three times per individual is the maximum.’

The atmosphere on the battlefield was shifting rapidly, and it was clear the retainers were being pushed back.

‘This is not good.’

Fighting against vampires that couldn’t die only drained stamina and morale.

To make matters worse, each of these creatures was a higher vampire, wielding unique powers derived from their manipulation of blood. Confronting them was no easy task.

‘They’re nothing more than puppets.’

Ultimately, the root cause had to be eliminated for this situation to end.

‘Father can’t handle it alone.’

Thanks to the shockwave from Babel’s impact and Kim Da-jeong’s blessings, the balance of power had been barely maintained. But little by little, the tide was turning against him.

“If this keeps going...”

It would be a disaster.

Once all the quest opportunities were exhausted and my support was cut off, the retainers wouldn’t stand a chance against the blood-drenched vampires.

If those creatures then joined the fight between my father and the progenitor, the outcome would be inevitable.

‘I was hoping Father would finish the hunt himself.’

The best way to maximize experience gain was for a family member to hunt the monsters directly.

This method allowed for a fivefold experience bonus alongside the buffs all citizens received.

‘It’s disappointing, but there’s no other choice.’

This was an enemy I had intended to kill with my own hands anyway, so there was no point in regretting it now.

‘The time is now.’

After a moment of hesitation, I made my decision.

Among all the retainers present, only one met the conditions necessary to use that.

[Ms. Oh Eon-ju, can you approach the target closely?]

If Oh Eon-ju left the frontlines, the other retainers would struggle more. But as long as the puppetmaster vampire was dealt with, this battle would end.

“Grrr!”

Oh Eon-ju nodded as if to say she understood, then launched herself forward.

She used the crumbling walls of nearby buildings, shattered by the earlier explosion, to leap toward the center of the blast zone.

Crash!

Concrete fragments scattered as Oh Eon-ju charged toward the crater's heart.

Boom! Crack!

Father and the vampire were locked in a fierce battle.

The progenitor’s blood continuously lashed out at Father, who was holding his ground with a protective aura enveloping his entire body.

A faint glow of Kim Da-jeong’s blessing shimmered around him, but its dimming light signaled that its effect was nearing its end.

Father used teleportation at a critical moment to dodge an attack and reappeared behind the vampire, aiming for a decisive blow—

Thunk!

—but his kick was blocked by a blood membrane that materialized instantly.

The shockwave rippled outward, and another barrage of blood surged forth, scattering explosively in every direction.

Even as a bystander, the battle was harrowing to witness, with no clear opening to intervene.

[Can you get closer?]

“Grrr…”

Oh Eon-ju hesitated, her instincts wary of the overwhelming danger.

For a moment, I considered leveling her up. But the cost to raise her from level 50 to 51 was staggering.

‘300 billion won.’

It wasn’t an unmanageable sum. The profits from battles against vampires far exceeded it.

‘Retainer management. Level up Oh Eon-ju.’

I invested 1.5 trillion won, raising her level to 55. The hesitation in her eyes disappeared, and her gaze locked onto the battle between Father and the progenitor.

“Grrr!”

Determined, Oh Eon-ju surged toward the progenitor.

At that moment—

BOOOOM!

The blood swirling around the progenitor suddenly exploded outward.

And then—

“Grrr?”

A torrent of blood flooded the surroundings, turning the ground crimson.

It looked as though they were standing atop a river of blood.

‘What is this…?’

From Oh Eon-ju’s perspective, it was hard to grasp what was happening.

But from Kim Gun’s aerial vantage point, the entire scene was clear.

A massive river of blood flowed throughout the city, forming a vast circle with the progenitor at its center.

The rivers, originating from the outskirts, converged toward him.

It resembled a ritualistic blood festival.

‘Is this the Blood Festival they spoke of?’

Crack-boom!

A massive lightning bolt struck, and a dense mist of blood spread from the crater’s center.@@novelbin@@

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

The progenitor’s maniacal laughter echoed within the mist.

It was clear something extraordinary—and catastrophic—was about to happen.

The ominous crimson energy surrounding the progenitor began to swell, increasing his size.

“Grrr!”

Oh Eon-ju reached her destination just in time.

Then—

‘Domain Expansion.’

Vwooom!

A bright light radiated outward from Oh Eon-ju, covering a narrow semicircular area with a radius of 15 meters.

Though small, it was imbued with immense power.

This was a newly unlocked feature of the "Dignity of the Absolute Dweller" skill at level 6.

It was a one-time use ability tied to retainers with 100 trust and loyalty, with a brief duration.

‘Descent.’

Flash!

The surrounding landscape flickered and shifted as I descended.

When I opened my eyes again—

“Kyaaaaargh!”

I found myself at the heart of a blood-soaked hellscape, where the apex of vampires, engulfed in black flames, writhed in agony.

I spoke to the progenitor.

“The festival is over, you damned mosquito.”