My Alter Ego’s Path to Greatness

A large room, filled with a strangely heavy atmosphere.

Grand paintings adorned the walls.

Creatures prostrating themselves before a divine being gazing down from the heavens.

People fleeing from storms and tidal waves, while a giant laughed, towering above the raging waters.

A woman, bathed in light, holding a sick person in her arms with a warm smile.

The style and technique varied, but the theme was consistent.

They were all depictions of the relationship between gods and humans.

Click—

A sharp, mechanical sound, out of place in this reverent space, echoed softly.

A woman’s voice followed, low and calm.

In a corner of the office, beyond the displayed paintings, various images flashed across a computer monitor.

CCTV captures, a giant Bone Dragon in Japan, and the chaotic interior of a Shanghai building.

“Vampire Heinz.”

Another click, and a new set of images appeared.

A chronological record of his activities, from his conflict with the Blood Alliance to his vigilante work as Phantom.

“Unidentified paladin.”

The next set of data was much smaller.

It was all related to a single incident.

The miraculous healing at the hospital terrorist attack.

“Three high-priority targets emerging from a single country in less than six months. And we failed to track any of them.”

The woman’s voice, languid and indifferent, accompanied the clicking of the mouse as the images on the screen scrolled rapidly.

Korean Returnee Association President, Seoul Southern Branch Manager Yoon Ji-yoon, Supernatural Management Bureau’s secret agent…

After reviewing the list of Korean awakened individuals, she finally muttered a single word.

“Incompetent.”

Her tone was cold and dismissive, devoid of any sympathy.

After all, no matter how she looked at it, the conclusion was the same. They were incompetent.

‘…But I should at least finish what I started. This isn’t entirely unrelated to me.’

A previously viewed image reappeared on the screen.

A composite sketch of the paladin’s armor, based on eyewitness accounts.

The woman stared at it for a moment, then slowly rose from her chair.

‘It’s always good to have more allies. Especially a capable one.’

A subtle smile played on the lips of the gray-haired woman, Scribe.

“…For the salvation of this world.”

At the same time,

A team of investigators from Pantheon headquarters in the US arrived in Korea.

____________________

“If I… combine this… with this…!”

Howard, having returned to Auterica after ten days of studying on Earth,

Immediately went to his workshop.

And without a moment’s delay, he began working on integrating the newly acquired knowledge into this world’s technology.

He had already grasped the underlying principles.

He understood how it worked.

All he needed was to fill in the missing steps.

Of course, he couldn’t replicate the advanced technology of the “Cybernetic Eye: Calicas” yet.

Even a dwarf couldn’t fully comprehend such complex technology in just a few days.

‘The most efficient way would be to use it myself…’

But he couldn’t just pluck out his perfectly functional eye.

Even if its specs were inferior, a dwarf’s eye was far superior when it came to crafting.

That’s why he had given the cybernetic eye to Hesperon.

‘I have a general idea, so the rest is just a matter of time. With real-world usage data, it shouldn’t take too long.’

Howard, with his innate talent, growth bonuses, and the constant boost from the “Growth Elixir,” was growing at an incredible rate.

He was practically a cheat character, a genius even by otherworlder standards.

And as always,

It was the few exceptional individuals who drove the world’s progress.

“…Done.”

After several days of seclusion in his workshop,

He stared at the small metal gauntlet before him, a look of satisfaction on his face.

Its sleek, silver surface and futuristic design shimmered in the firelight.

“Whew, now then.”

He picked it up without hesitation and put it on his left hand.

He had made it to fit his own arm, so it snugly covered his hand from fingertips to elbow.

‘The fit is good.’

He walked over to the testing area in the corner of his workshop.

Various metal plates, of different materials and thicknesses, were mounted securely.

‘Let’s start with something simple.’

Steel, about a handspan thick…

He took a deep breath, preparing for the test, and then clenched his left fist.

Click—

Sizzle—

A grinding sound, followed by a hissing of compressed energy escaping from the vents.

The magic stone embedded in his wrist glowed, and lines of light spread through the gauntlet, tracing the circuits etched on its surface.

‘Here we go!’

Howard might have been a pure craftsman, with no combat experience… but as an avatar, sharing the memories and skills of his other selves, such a minor detail was irrelevant.

The small, stocky dwarf assumed a perfect fighting stance, his body moving with surprising agility. The force of his movement flowed through his legs, his core, his shoulders, and finally converged in his fist.

“Hrrrragh!”

Whoosh—!

As his fist shot forward, a jet of energy erupted from his elbow.

And then.

Kaboom—!

A deafening roar echoed through the workshop, a powerful shockwave sweeping through the room.

“Cough! Cough!”

Howard coughed, his eyes watering from the dust, and frowned slightly.

‘…That might have been a bit too much.’

He had gotten carried away.

His excitement had led to an unexpected surge of power.

But it was too late now.

Crash!

“What was that?! An attack?! Howard! Are you alright?! Howard!”

A frantic voice, followed by the sound of running footsteps, and then Zaonic burst into the room, a massive hammer in his hand, his eyes scanning the area.

His vigilance didn’t subside until his gaze finally landed on Howard.

“…”

“…Um, well… Haha!”

Howard, his left arm embedded in the steel plate, his posture still perfect, chuckled awkwardly.

He tried to pull his arm free, but it was stuck fast.

‘…It’s not coming out. This is a problem. I’ll need a reverse thruster.’

As the workshop guards rushed in, their footsteps echoing through the room, Howard averted his gaze, avoiding Zaonic’s increasingly disapproving stare.

It was just a normal day in the workshop. A minor setback in the development process. Nothing to worry about.

____________________

As Howard continued his research and development on Earth, time passed quickly in Auterica.

The Pope’s funeral, a major event that affected everyone on the continent, had concluded, and the unofficial third Continental Summit that followed had also ended smoothly.

“It was just the same old song and dance.”

Heinz the Second, lounging in a comfortable chair, closed his eyes and sighed.

He hadn’t attended the meeting.

He had simply sent Duke Bright as Talia’s representative.

After all, it wouldn’t be appropriate for a Vampire King to attend a Pope’s funeral.

‘And I was busy.’

He had been managing both Earth and Auterica simultaneously.

He hadn’t been able to operate as Phantom lately due to various circumstances… but…

‘Well, I’m still busy.’

Even though he delegated most of the work to his capable subordinates, he still had his duties as the leader.

Having absorbed the Obaifo Clan and become the Vampire King, the fate of his species now rested on his shoulders. The workload was immense.

He wouldn’t have had a moment’s rest if it weren’t for 「Monarch’s Authority」, the management skill he acquired after becoming the Vampire King.

‘But… there’s one thing that’s been bothering me.’

Not everything was going according to plan.

The search for the missing person, Kayla McClair’s son, was taking longer than expected.

He had assumed it would be a simple matter of interrogating the Obaifo Clan members…

‘I didn’t expect the Revolutionary to be involved.’

But the trail had led to an unexpected figure.

The deceased leader of Oath of Heaven’s Defiance, the Revolutionary.

‘…That troublesome bastard.’

Even with his control over Auterica’s intelligence networks, he couldn't track an event from over twenty years ago.

The Revolutionary had been so elusive that even Hans had struggled to find him.

He had assumed he had been sacrificed in some ritual…

‘I’ll keep looking, but… I’ve avenged her son, so I have something to tell Kayla.’

The giant who attacked Tarak was the Revolutionary himself.

He had inadvertently avenged Kayla’s son.

That should be enough to appease her.

“Now, what’s next?”

Heinz trailed off, his thoughts shifting.

His initial goals of uniting the vampires and bringing them into the mainstream were practically complete.

Things would probably continue smoothly even without his direct intervention.

Then what should Heinz the Second strive for?

What should be his next objective?

‘…It’s time.’

He had accomplished most of what he needed to do in Auterica.

Then the next step was obvious.

“Earth.”

And the timing was perfect.

Heaven’s Turn Society’s East Asia branch had been completely annihilated.

They would be on high alert, their attention focused on that region.

‘Hans, a high-priority target, left Korea and attacked their main base in China. They won’t stay quiet.’

And Hahoe Mask’s reappearance had shifted their focus away from Heinrich, another potential threat.

He had learned from Yulryeongja’s fragmented memories that they were planning to collaborate with Scribe, the North America Branch Manager.

‘If I had more complete memories, I could have learned more.’

It was a shame, but unavoidable.

He would have to be satisfied with knowing that Scribe was a high-ranking member of Pantheon.

Regardless of the details, one thing was certain. Their attention would be focused on Hans and Heinrich in East Asia, leaving their other operations vulnerable.

‘Even if it’s just a small opening, I’ll take it.’

He would maximize any advantage he could get.

‘I need to prepare for any potential traps.’

Heinz’s eyes narrowed.

This was a chance to push past his current limits and reach a new level.

He couldn’t afford to hesitate.

Having made up his mind, Heinz stood up.

He licked his lips, a predatory glint in his eyes, and muttered softly.

“Let’s go. To Europe.”

The land where vampires held the most power on Earth.

And the center of the world's culinary delights.

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