Chapter 300: Of Vampires, Elves, and Experiments (1) |
Rumble—!
Harley, who was in the midst of battle, glanced at his surroundings.
‘This feels ominous. Is there another trap?’
But his senses didn’t pick up anything unusual.
Only Heaven’s Turn Society and Dracul’s forces were swarming around him like gnats.
‘But I can’t ignore my instincts. I should be more careful.’
Even as he cautiously observed his surroundings, his body, accustomed to multitasking, continued to fight.
Thump— Slash!
With a heavy thud, his massive arm, thick as a log, swung through the air, its five claw-like nails tearing through space.
His body, already powerful even with simple movements, was now a force of nature, wielding the principles of martial arts.
Whoosh—!
“Ugh, this monster…!”
“Don’t be reckless! Salmon! Is it ready yet?”
“Damn it! What kind of body is that?! How much resistance does he have?!”
The fight wasn’t as easy as he had initially thought.
Even with the difference in their levels, his opponents were transcendent beings who had surpassed their limits.
And they were supported by high-ranking vampires, each possessing unique skills and supernatural abilities.
‘They brought some of their best. They’re taking this seriously.’
Harley tilted his head, meeting their gazes.
He had already eliminated quite a few vampires, but it wasn’t enough.
He needed to get rid of Heaven’s Turn Society’s minions first, but they were master-level experts, skillfully evading his attacks.
‘I shouldn’t be holding back.’
He had been trying to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and prevent information leaks, but it seemed like he had underestimated them.
If any of them escaped, it would be a major loss.
The number of powerful individuals determined a faction’s influence. He had to eliminate as many of Heaven’s Turn Society’s elites as possible.
“Kuh— It can’t be helped.”
There was no point in holding back now.
He had already revealed his presence.
“What are you planning…!”
“Be careful! Don’t engage recklessly…!”
His opponents tensed up, sensing his shift in demeanor.
Thump—
The “Seed of Madness” within him pulsed, the madness flowing through his body surging uncontrollably.
「Tattoo of the Fighting King」, fueled by that energy, glowed beneath his dark red scales, and his “Bio-Aura”, blazing like a raging inferno, enveloped his body.
“Wait, that energy signature…!”
“Falcon! Defense…!”
And then,
Crouching low, his fingers digging into the earth,
He launched himself forward like a rocket.
Crack— Boom!
“Khahaha!”
“Fast…!”
“······!”
An unknown force, an attempt to restrain him, pressed down on him, but it was useless.
The madness-infused aura flowing through his dragon scales repelled the external energy, and the mystical power of his tattoo negated the hostile effects.
Whoosh!
A vampire, who had rushed forward to intercept him, was swatted aside, his body exploding into a bloody mist.
Even with their regenerative abilities, there was no recovering from that.
Kaboom—!
And then, Harley’s clawed hand, now twice its original size, collided with an invisible barrier.
The hammer warrior’s defensive ability, which had been instrumental in Heaven’s Turn Society’s survival.
Cracks, spiderwebbing outwards from the point of impact, appeared on the barrier’s surface… but that brief moment was enough for the other master-level experts to react.
‘Until now.’
He had made up his mind. There was no turning back.
Harley’s transformed jaw unhinged, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
And then, with a ferocious grin—.
Crackle!
…He bit into the barrier.
“What?!”
“Voracity”, the skill that amplified his bite.
Combined with his madness-infused energy, its destructive power was far beyond its previous level.
The invisible barrier shattered, a large hole appearing where his teeth had sunk in.
And then, everything unfolded in an instant.
Crunch! Crunch!
A muscular giant, its mouth agape, revealing rows of sharp teeth, charged through the shattered barrier.
It was a grotesque and terrifying sight, but the seasoned veterans reacted calmly, despite their fear.
The hammer warrior, wielding his massive hammer, met him head-on. The swordswoman, her blade imbued with a strange energy, aimed for his back. The martial artist, descending from the sky like a hawk, unleashed a barrage of shockwaves. And the remaining vampires supported them.
If this had been before, Harley would have been more cautious, maintaining a steady pace… but now that he had decided to go all out, such considerations were meaningless.
Zing—
A green light erupted from his left eye as 「Gem Eye: Coercion」 activated.
An overwhelming force, fueled by his madness-infused energy, erupted from his body, restricting the movements of those around him.
“Ugh?!”
“What’s this…?”
Of course, they were also master-level experts, so the effect wasn’t long-lasting. But to Harley, that brief moment was all he needed.
Koooong—
“Gah!”
The hammer warrior, caught off guard, was sent flying like a ragdoll, struck by a powerful blow.
He had managed to block the attack with his hammer, but it was meaningless.
This was just the beginning.
‘I’ll finish him off quickly.’
And in that split second,
Harley’s hands and the warrior’s hammer clashed in a flurry of movements.
Fists and hammer collided, creating shockwaves, and sparks flew as his claws scraped against the hammer’s handle.
Rumble—
The warrior’s companions joined the fray, trying to support him.
A sword, imbued with a strange power, sliced through his dragon scales, leaving a deep gash, and the martial artist unleashed a barrage of shockwaves, trying to push him back…
But Harley, with his near-immortal regenerative abilities, ignored them.
He was focused solely on the hammer warrior.
And the outcome was inevitable.
“No!”
“Falcon!”
The hammer warrior, having lost his weapon, his neck in Harley’s grasp,
“One down.”
“Gah!”
Crack!
…had his neck snapped.
And that was…
…the beginning of the massacre.
____________________
Harley, the Ultimate Evolved Lifeform.
His creation could be traced back to the time when Hans and Heinz eliminated the Blood Alliance’s hardliners.
When Hans first encountered Yulryeongja in the mental world of a captured Heaven’s Turn Society executive.
He had learned the location of their base in Korea from the memories he had read and, after raiding it, had acquired various valuable data…
Including the ‘Complete Evolution Project’ and a sample of the ‘Predator Dragon’s Blood’.
Doctor, who had been busy with various research projects, had distributed the topic to several branches, hoping for new perspectives.
He believed that scientific and technological progress stemmed from collaboration and wasn't concerned about potential information leaks.
He was confident in his own abilities.
No matter how many gathered their heads together, they couldn't surpass him.
If someone made a breakthrough, even better.
It would all become his nourishment in the end, and he would be the one to complete it…
Or so he thought.
Gnash— Gnash— Gnash—
Doctor, his eyes bloodshot, stared at the holographic image, biting his nails.
He didn't even notice the blood trickling from his fingertips.
His mind was completely focused on the image before him, amplified by 「Eye of Truth」, leaving no room for other thoughts.
“…The added parts are based on dark magic? Very similar to the Hadesian system. It seems like a complex spell, with various elements mixed in… and a high level of chimera engineering. Modern biotechnology as well…”
He muttered incessantly, like a madman.
Even though it wasn't as good as seeing it in person, the hologram was a high-quality magic tool, providing him with a significant amount of information.
And the conclusion he had reached was…
“…Undeniably…”
…that despite the minor differences, it was clearly based on his own hypotheses, arguments, theories, and proofs.
“Haa… Huu… Huu…”
He bent over, gasping for breath, then straightened up, his gaze fixed on the muscular monstrosity, over three meters tall, that was rampaging through Heaven’s Turn Society’s forces.
That beautiful ‘work of art’.
“Who…?”
The pinnacle of efficiency, something he had only theorized but couldn't create.
The epitome of beauty, a physical manifestation of the concept of evolution.
An artificially created being, surpassing even God’s creations, transcending its limits and reaching an unimaginable level.
“How…? How? How? How…?!”
A feeling he had never known before began to boil within him.
Doctor clutched his face, his bloodstained hands digging into his skin, as he muttered to himself, his voice filled with a manic desperation.
The fact that his research had been stolen wasn't the problem anymore.
It was something else.
“How?!”
He couldn't understand.
How was that possible?
Even as he witnessed it with his own eyes, he couldn't comprehend it.
And that drove him mad.
“Khehehe—! Kihihihik—!”
Complex spells, advanced science, dark magic, chimera engineering, alchemy, chemical treatments…
He had tried it all.
And he had failed.
While someone else had created such a masterpiece.
‘Who? How…? Is it the madness energy? No, that was clearly added later. Then how…’
Curiosity, questions, doubts.
A sense of inferiority, defeat, and jealousy, knowing that someone had surpassed him.
And the humiliation of being forced to accept it.
He couldn’t possibly understand, unaware of Harley’s unique nature as an avatar, his 「Adaptation」 skill, and Immortal King Hans’s abilities.
No, even if he knew, his feelings wouldn't have changed.
The fact remained that someone else had succeeded where he had failed.
“…This isn't enough.”
Doctor, having vented his frustration, suddenly stopped and muttered softly.
The endless pursuit of knowledge was the greatest virtue of an intelligent being.
He couldn’t just give up because he had encountered something he couldn’t understand.
‘If it’s not enough, I’ll just acquire more.’
A more thorough analysis would change the situation.
Research was conducted in the lab.
If he could just get his hands on that masterpiece, dissect it, and analyze it thoroughly…
“Khehehe—!”
Doctor’s eyes, gleaming with a strange fervor, were fixed on the image of Harley projected onto the hologram.