Chapter 181 |
"I will make my report."
The chief analyst gripped the microphone, the color drained from his face.
"Every entity in transit is a high-risk blood mage connected to the ritual. An apex predator concentration of this scale abandoning their hiding places and converging on a single location has never once been observed in recorded history."
A heavy silence swallowed the situation room. The Bureau Chief spoke in a curt voice.
"Those arrogant, self-absorbed monsters are casting aside all their power and safety—even breaking from hibernation—to set off on a pilgrimage to a single point."
"……."
"The only thing capable of moving them this blindly is… to the best of our knowledge, there has only ever been one such thing in the history of this planet. Has there not, Analyst?"
At the voice calling on him, the analyst swallowed hard.
"Yes, sir. The cursed ritual that the Foundation—believed to have been annihilated five years ago—carried out countless times as a project… the one that failed even after grinding through tens of thousands of lives."
"That's impossible."
"It appears that someone has succeeded in that ritual."
For the European agencies, which contended with rampant vampires, Blood Magic was not optional but essential. Every one of them was well-versed in Blood Magic, and precisely for that reason, they understood full well what the analyst's statement meant.
Into the clamor of the situation room, the analyst's cracked voice fell.
"Velmareth."
The origin of blood, believed incapable of descending into reality.
"It has been born."
* * *
The Global Boundary Council, commonly known as the GBC.
They were a supranational body that existed to monitor, suppress, and at times thoroughly conceal the cosmic horrors and supernatural catastrophes writhing beyond humanity's shallow common sense.
The Central Control Center, situated hundreds of meters beneath Geneva, Switzerland, was the heart of that suppressive power. A place that quantified and monitored magic-wave readings from across the globe in real time, and controlled out-of-spec monsters by reducing them to the bureaucratic text of "managed entities."
A request from this place was of such weight that even the President of the European Commission or the President of the United States would process it on an emergency basis.
"……."
"……."
But right now, before the enormous holographic world map filling the control room's walls, no one could afford composure.
"Velmareth, he says…."
One of the executives loosened his tie with an irritable tug and spoke.
"Wasn't that supposed to exist only in theory?"
"Those lunatics at the Foundation spent years upon years on it, and all they ever produced were dregs who'd lost their reason and craved blood."
"In the first place, the idea that a single entity could perfectly control the blood and egos of tens of thousands while maintaining its reason is a contradiction, both biologically and thaumaturgically."
"Separate from the Foundation… when limiting it to those who have performed the ritual of becoming Velmareth, the most successful case was 'Count Dracula' alone, if I'm not mistaken."
"And the stage at which he plateaued was Lidmar, was it not?"
The chief analyst nodded.
"Correct. The success rate of this ritual effectively converges on zero. That is precisely why our Council has been treating the ritual itself as an unrealizable myth, has it not."
Murmurs of denial from the executives. But when the chief analyst's fingers struck the keyboard, the trajectories of the red dots on the main screen connected into sharp, vivid lines.
"Look at this."
"The movement is…."
"Yes, exactly."
The analyst enlarged the display.
"A 'hibernator' that had been entombed for centuries in the catacombs beneath Paris has smashed open its coffin and risen. The entity beneath the Vatican Secret Archives, and the one in the Romanian caverns—all the same. The fundamentalists who had been in hibernation have awakened in unison and are crossing continents."
Another executive asked.
"Is it only the sleeping elders who are moving?"
"No. The blood mages who had been perfectly parasitizing the uppermost echelons of modern society are doing the same. At this very moment, emergency reports are pouring in from regional branches across the globe."
The analyst split the main screen and brought up a live feed on one side.
New York, United States—a penthouse in a top-tier hotel in Manhattan. The venue of the year-end charity gala for the biopharmaceutical corporation "Apex." A banquet hall where political figures in tuxedos and gowns clinked glasses.
And standing at its center, Apex's CEO, Robert Sterling.
"In our GBC database, he is registered as 'First-Generation Blood Mage Target Alpha,' but he is a high-ranking vampire who has chosen to live as a human for the sake of legal blood-sample collection and genetic-experimentation infrastructure."
"A quintessential first-generation blood mage."
"And one hour and twenty-two minutes ago, the FSC's agent withdrew from the event."
"The situation in America shouldn't be all that different from ours…."
The vampires were shedding the shells of human society and preparing to bare their true nature in unison. The overture to a grand massacre to welcome the blood god, Velmareth. The GBC's bureaucrats were certain of it.
"What is the targets' final destination?"
"East Asia."
The analyst's voice cracked faintly.
"However, beyond that, the trajectory tracking has been severed and a specific location could not be pinpointed."
"They won't disclose anything further to us, is what you're saying."
"Yes, sir. It appears that the high-ranking blood mages across the board have become extremely agitated and cut off the surveillance network."
"Then it would be difficult to probe any deeper recklessly."
A head-on clash with "Count Dracula's" senior disciples was not a wise choice. Provoking them, spread through the world's power structures like poisonous mushrooms, could cause serious problems.
The Bureau Chief broke the heavy silence and asked.
"Was there not a country where high-risk labyrinths have been concentrating in recent years?"
"Yes—the Republic of Korea. We have looked into that as well."
A map of Korea appeared on the screen beyond.
"It's not as though there are no active vampires in Korea…."
"But not in numbers sufficient for us to keep watch. Markedly few."
"This is largely due to 'Count Dracula's' primary theater of operations being Europe."
"No unusual signs within Korea?"
"None, sir. However, there is one interesting development."
He pointed to a single spot on the enlarged map, an area designated as the labyrinth "Fox Den."
"The labyrinth 'Fox Den,' located in the rugged mountainous terrain near Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, has been confirmed to exhibit characteristics closer to 'disappearance' or 'dormancy.' As it happens, that location is one of the central sites of the labyrinth where the Foundation self-destructed five years ago."
"Disappearance, you say."
The Bureau Chief murmured low.
"Is it large enough to completely conceal another Recognition Species or a massive magic-wave?"
"No, it is not. At most, it's a one-dimensional labyrinth whose sole trick is swallowing Artists who've lost their way. It hasn't even grown into a Recognition Species, so it appears correspondingly unsophisticated."
"Even so, it would be wise to keep it in mind. The timing is too convenient."
The Korean Peninsula, though small in territory, was home to an unusual concentration of anomalous labyrinths and Recognition Species with their own independent ecosystems, making it one of the regions even the GBC was reluctant to intervene in lightly.
There were, in fact, Arcana Member agents who used that as an excuse to fly over on a whim, but unfortunately, the "Republic of Korea Sensitivity Bureau," which managed the area, was not a body that obediently followed GBC directives.
"Let us send a formal notice."
At the Bureau Chief's instruction, the analyst answered with a troubled expression.
"Last time, the European Union sent one and it was summarily ignored."
"The European Union was ignored, not the GBC."
The Bureau Chief added coolly.
"If I recall correctly, there was an inquiry document that flew in first from the Korean headquarters, was there not?"
"Yes, sir—it was an inquiry regarding the Recognition Species oversaturation you just mentioned."
"Let us draft ours in the format of a reply to that."
At the Bureau Chief's words, another executive asked.
"Wouldn't it be better to simply leave it alone? Communication with the Republic of Korea is difficult."
"I'm aware they've built up quite a store of grievances with various nations, but burying it and hoping for the best cannot be the optimal course."
"But the vampires' blood-forged community is far too solid."
"Other nations will be having the same conversations."
How convenient would it be?
"Cancer cells that have only been observed suddenly gathering in one place—wouldn't that feel rather satisfying?"
"Ahem, that's not what I meant…."
"You'd hope they'd all blow up and die in one go. But if that were to happen, it would also leave a gaping hole in the real-world society. Before even getting to the ethical issues, it would upset the balance."
"My thinking was short-sighted."
"Unfortunately for all of you, this matter cannot be resolved by dumping the bomb onto another country."
He operated the console and issued his order.
"Have the Korean government and Sensitivity Bureau enforce a total blockade on those monsters' entry. The moment the world's vampire lords converge on that patch of land and build an altar for Velmareth, this will not end as a mere matter of one provincial city in another nation being blown away."
The red warning lights of the situation room flickered ominously.
"We must prevent such a scenario, must we not?"
* * *
"—These goddamn slab-of-meat bastards!!"
For the eightieth time, she crashed against the barriers between nations that had suddenly shot sky-high. The nine-tailed blood mage cursed the GBC's humans as she crossed the sea.
"I will chew every last one of these bastards alive!!"
"Sister, this is our first time visiting your homeland."
"Sister, is your homeland always this treacherous?"
"Eeeeagh, hold still, you distracting little—! Do you want to fall into the sea?!"
SHRIEEEEK—!! The fox's muzzle snarled. The sea's mood was foul enough as it was, with air currents far from normal, and truly nothing was going right.
"Sister, foxes are canids."
"I'll be angry however I please, so why are you picking a fight about it?!"
"Sister is angry."
On the great fox's back, two small foxes flapped helplessly in the sea wind.
* * *
"Ugh."
The Water Wraith shuddered.
"Once my friend comes to his senses, he won't let this stand."
Her precious home was on the verge of being smeared with masses of blood.
* * *
"Come on, let's go. Kid."
The Director clamped Kwon Do-heon under her arm with a rough grip.
"Ah, please! I can walk on my own two feet!"
"Hush up and stay still—cross that insolent creature's nerves and you'll be the first one carved up."
"And this isn't crossing its nerves?!"
"With this many Dokkaebi about, you think you can stroll along on two feet like it's a park?"
Squirming or not, Dan-cheong tucked him under her arm like a light parcel and took the lead. Behind them, Seome followed in silence, staying close.
"Sigh— hoo—"
"Sounds roughly like worrying."
Walking down the corridor, Dan-cheong asked Seome.
"You're a mage, aren't you."
"Hoot."
"Water? Something moist and sleek…."
"Hoo-hoot."
"Must've been through a lot."
"Hoo."
Seome did not deny it. Rawi was truly a peculiar junior with terribly lopsided knowledge. She'd wondered who on earth had taught him, but upon seeing Master Nakdo's face, she understood.
"Hoot."
"There won't be any big problems."
It wasn't as if they were going empty-handed.
"If worst comes to worst, we'll just have to call the master out."
Their destination was the 22nd-floor Dining.
The elevator presently came to a stop with a DING—. Walking deeper inside, they found the "guest" they'd been looking for. At the head of a candlelit table, the "Guest Without Taste" sat in an elegant posture.
Dan-cheong was briefly lost for words.
"……."
What manner of Dokkaebi sits like that in someone else's labyrinth?
'How peculiar.'
"May I have some?"
"Good heavens, cursed thing—think I'd let you?"
The Director rejected the vampire's "invitation" with a vulgar oath. She could have used Word Spirit, but in that case the affront to his temperament would have been excessive. An oath wasn't exactly a refined refusal, but.
At the very least, it was better than rejecting him with Word Spirit—that would have meant a declaration of war.
"Well now…."
TAP—
The vampire rose from his seat.
The man's jet-black pupils swept over the three who had entered, one by one. An unmistakable gaze of appraising prey. His eyes landed first on Dan-cheong.
Presently, the vampire—mimicking the appearance of an East Asian man—smiled with a face that stirred a sense of déjà vu.
"Welcome to my kitchen."
"Would you look at that?"
"You caught on?"
The old labyrinth, leaning on her cane, looked down at the two and soon grinned with eyes curved in amusement.
"I wanted to try it out at least once, you see."
It was a manner of speech that somewhat resembled the "General Manager's."
* * *
And the General Manager watched this, and thought.
"……."
He only thought.
"……."
"Pathetic."
"Now, now, Coco."
In this world, there was in fact a law called defamation by truth.