Mirror World: Destined Return

Murmurs sounded from the private chamber of the court palace, a place inside the Sanguis bloodline’s Palace of Sovereignty that was known to be restricted to everyone but Haema Sanguis.

“Mmm... What’s going to happen to us now?”

“Hurgh! Who will lead us now that Marquis Demens is gone?”

“We must avenge him in the name of Rabies!”

The hundreds of people inside were aristocrats of the Rabies bloodline, weakened by the internal injuries they had suffered at the Palace of Madness.

“That aside... Why do you think Lord Haema summoned us here?”

“Into his private chambers, no less.”

“Will he offer us a chance to take revenge?!”

The aristocrats looked around Haema’s chambers. The ceiling was so tall that it was as if ten stories of a building were combined into one. The light of the red moon entered the chamber through the arched stained glass.

Although it was mystical and majestic, the Rabies bloodline aristocrats felt uneasy just being inside because of the coffin in the middle of the room and the countless brass pipes connected to it, covering the floor and walls.

“What is all this?”

“A coffin in the center... Could this be Lord Haema’s bedroom?”

“His tastes are quite classical.”

The aristocrats suddenly heard footsteps as they chatted. They immediately shut their mouths and waited for the owner of the footsteps to arrive.

“Thank you for waiting,” said a handsome man with long white hair that reached his waist and red eyes, his black silk cloak fluttering behind him. “I sympathize with the agony you must feel from Demens’s passing.”

“Hurgh!”

“Lord Haema Sanguis! We beg of you, avenge Marquis Demens!”

“Please sate the Rabies bloodline’s resentment!”

Haema glanced at the rallied aristocrats and smiled, saying, “Very well. I will use you all.”

He raised his hands as if he were a conductor and activated a skill.

[Activating Race Skill: Blood Control.]

The heads of the Rabies bloodline aristocrats simultaneously exploded. Haema had used Blood Control to send all of their blood to their heads.

Blood Control normally couldn’t be used this way—it was supposed to be a skill that allowed one to control the blood they extracted from themselves. However, Haema had taken control of the blood of hundreds of people when it was still in their bodies. It was only possible because of Haema’s masterful control over his overpowering Blood Force.

“There wasn’t much of Demens’s madblood left on the scene. Albeit lacking, I shall replenish it with yours,” Haema remarked.

A drop of Demens’s blood came out from the end of Haema’s finger, and the blood of the Rabies bloodline’s kin was compressed into that drop. As the drop grew bigger, the more dried up the corpses became, as all their blood was taken.

Haema walked past the corpses and opened the coffin in the center of the room with a large creaking sound, revealing a mummy inside. His skin was dry and cracked like arid land suffering from drought, and he was so skinny that the outlines of his skull, clavicle, ribs, and pelvis were clearly visible.

“Ahhh! Almighty Lord Mulleus Rubens Sanguineus!” Haema shouted, licking his lips as he stared at the mummy with loving eyes.

The mummy was the Primordial Vampire, the progenitor of the entire vampire race.

“The title of Progenitor belongs only to you!”

Although Haema’s alias was the Progenitor, it was originally meant only for Mulleus.

“For now, at least,” Haema mumbled as he smiled cunningly.

He couldn’t even remember how much time and effort he had put into finding this dungeon. He had been searching ever since he had been Lost to the Mirror World and learned about the existence of dungeons, searching for a dungeon where Lord Mulleus was still alive.

Since dungeons are theorized to be parallel universes that reflect the possible futures of the various dimensions, I had a feeling that he would be somewhere! Haema thought.

Once Haema discovered Blood Castle after his long search, he immediately put the vampires’ entire focus on that dungeon.

“I would expect nothing less from Lord Mulleus. Even in this state, you are still alive,” he mumbled.

The Mulleus inside the coffin was under suspended animation; he was not dead.

“I offer you today’s blood,” Haema said as he used Blood Control.

Sounds echoed from the pipes covering the entire private chamber as if they were the tubes of a pipe organ. The countless pipes that were connected to Mulleus’s coffin filled the coffin with blood like a bathtub, but it didn’t overflow because Mulleus absorbed all the blood with immense force. The enormous amount of blood vanished in an instant, like throwing a cup of water into a desert.

“I have a special treat for you today,” Haema said as he brought the compressed drop of blood of Demens and the Rabies bloodline’s aristocrats and dropped it into Mulleus’s mouth.

The mummy, who had been unresponsive until now, slightly regained his vigor as his cheeks wriggled.

Seeing that, Haema mumbled ecstatically, “Hehehehe! Not long now. Very soon!”

Everything was going swimmingly. Haema had devised two plans ever since he killed Squama, the Ocean King, and became the Ninth Fiend over a decade ago. The first was to obtain Rust of Ruin, and the second was to restore the body of Lord Mulleus to its original state.

Cheon Seong-Hwi, the user of Rust of Ruin, is currently in Blood Castle! And the body of Mulleus is also regaining its vitality!

He could feel fair winds—the flow was shifting in his direction.

“Please conserve your royal body,” Haema said to Mulleus as he closed the coffin. “Because it will soon be mine.”

***

The hideout’s door slowly opened with an unsettling creak, and a dejected Tigrinus peeked inside.

“Grrr... I found the wolves... but they... Well, they’re not just wolves—”

“Fucking get in there already!” someone said as they conked Tigrinus on the head.

“Growl! That hurt, Master Ranko!” Tigrinus complained as he walked into the hideout.

“It was meant to hurt, you brat!”

“Tig?” Tae-Jin called.

“Hurgh! Tae-Jin!” Tigrinus said as he approached Tae-Jin sorrowfully, rubbing the top of his head.

Seong-Hwi stared fixedly at the hideout’s entrance in silence without even blinking. Two individuals bickered as they tried to enter the hideout.

“Argh! Why the hell is this entrance so tiny?”

“Lose some of that fat, damn tiger.”

“The hell are you talking about? This is all muscle!”

One of them closed the door after entering the hideout, and a large cracking noise sounded across the hideout.

“Huh? I think the door broke.”

“Learn to control your strength already, damn wolf. It would be bad if you killed every human in here by accident.”

“Uhhh, shouldn’t we close this door properly? We’re gonna be talking about some super secret stuff or whatever.”

The large, robed individual kept trying to close the door as if it were a toy, but he was only breaking it more.

“Someone stop him already,” Seong-Hwi mumbled.

“I-I will close it,” Ilia Volok remarked as he ran to the door with the Almighty Multipurpose Tool in his hand.

“Oh! Thanks, human. That’s a neat trick you have.”

“Yeah, are you a repairman?”

“I noticed all humans have unusual skills like that.”

The two individuals stared at Ilia repairing the door with great interest, then shifted their gaze straight to Seong-Hwi without even looking at anyone else.

“Oh?”

“You must be the one.”

Seong-Hwi stood up and greeted respectfully, “It is nice to make your acquaintance. I am Cheon Seong-Hwi, a World Ranker of Underground.”

The two individuals nodded and discussed.

“Underground, huh?”

“It’s the group that Old Man Modak mentioned. The one that the Steel King joined.”

The Underground Confederation was a hot topic even in the inner zones.

“Are you Lee Kang-San?” one of the individuals asked.

“Lee Kang-San is dead, you stupid wolf. Were you even listening to Old Man Modak?” the other robed individual said.

“Oh, really?”

“He’s Cheon Seong-Hwi. He literally just introduced himself.”

“I thought he was Lee Kang-San using a fake name.”

The humans expressed displeasure at the two individuals chatting without paying attention to anything or anyone around them.

“Who the hell are they? Hey,” Tae-Jin said as he was about to get up, but Tigrinus grabbed his shoulder.

“Grrr. Don’t, Tae-Jin. You’ll die.”

“What?”

Just then, one of the robed individuals stomped his foot. “That aside... I can smell it on you,” he said as he approached Seong-Hwi and sniffed. “You’ve killed a wolf, haven’t you?”

Seong-Hwi smiled tauntingly and said, “And what if I have?”

He tensed every muscle in his body, overflowing them with enormous amounts of mana. He prepared to swing a cannon-like fist when needed.

You wanna go? Sure, let’s have a fucking dirty brawl. I won’t win, but I can at least get Haema Sanguis to come running! Seong-Hwi shouted inwardly, his eyes filling with madness that showed he was willing to ruin everything if needed be.

He was number one in the human ranking; he couldn’t bow down under any circumstances.

“Gehehe! I like your guts. Not only did you declare to me, Pseraslav, the Sun Wolf King, that you killed a wolf, but you’re even willing to fight me.”

The humans’ expressions paled at the mention of the wolf’s name.

“Sun... Wolf King?”

“Pseraslav!”

“Twenty-third in the world ranking!”

Pseraslav, the monster before them, removed his black robe. A blinding light filled the hideout, coming from the mystical golden and red fur covering the wolf beastfolk. He was Pseraslav, the Sun Wolf King, known to be able to change night to day by his presence alone. He stared intently at Seong-Hwi with his golden eyes and unleashed his immense caliber, causing everything around him to rumble.

“Let’s hear the reason,” Pseraslav said.

***

“Is that so? You made the right call, then,” Pseraslav said lightly as he scratched his nose after Seong-Hwi explained why he killed Gilles Garnier, a wolf beastfolk of Sol.

The humans remained silent, dumbfounded by the continuous shifts in the atmosphere.

“Those who covet what belongs to others deserve to die. Not only that, but he tried to use my name for his benefit. He’s no wolf—he’s nothing but a mutt,” Pseraslav remarked.

“I killed one of your kind. Do you feel nothing about that?” Seong-Hwi asked.

“My kind?” Pseraslav said, his golden eyes expressing confusion. He looked back and forth between Seong-Hwi and the humans behind him and asked, “Hah, would you look at that? Don’t tell me you think you’re the same as them. For real?”

Seong-Hwi remained silent, understanding that Pseraslav was talking about the difference between those of common caliber and unique caliber.

“No matter how long a wolf lives among dogs, a wolf is a wolf the moment they realize they are one,” Pseraslav added.

The humans, including Tae-Jin, couldn’t understand the exact meaning behind those words, but they frowned because of the derogatory undertone.

I more or less have an idea of what kind of man he is, Seong-Hwi thought as he stared at Pseraslav.

Pseraslav had used the death of his kind to probe Seong-Hwi and had put aside the act once Seong-Hwi expressed his intentions to fight if needed.

He’s clever and confident.

The level of his confidence could be inferred just from his infiltration into Blood Castle, which was no different from enemy territory.

If such an individual is willing to back down... it must mean they need me! Seong-Hwi thought as he smiled.

Seeing that, Pseraslav also smiled and said, “You’re quick-witted. Very good. So, how about it? Want to kill Haema Sanguis with us?”

Several gasps and expressions of surprise sounded like an acapella.

Seong-Hwi’s eyes shone as he replied, “It is an interesting offer.”

“Right?”

“Are you aiming to become one of the Ten Lords and Fiends?”

Pseraslav nodded and said, “To be exact, I am aiming to become the Ninth Fiend. Insectum’s vacant seat is a nuisance. Whoever it is that sits on that throne, no one will acknowledge them. If that’s the case, I might as well aim higher.”

“You’re quite tough.”

“Gehehe! I’m rather charismatic, if nothing else. Have you fallen for me? I could offer you a spot in Sol... Interested?” Pseraslav asked half-jokingly.

Seong-Hwi shook his head and answered, “I prefer being the top dog over a wolf underling.”

“Gehe! Gahahahaha!” Pseraslav laughed heartily.

Seong-Hwi then asked doubtfully, “That aside... I am unsure of whether you can defeat Haema Sanguis. You’re not Rahab or Natantes, twenty-first and twenty-second in the world ranking, respectively.”

Pseraslav’s nose wrinkled as he growled, “Grrr! A dragon born to good parents, and a fish who only travels in schools! I would beat them in a fight!” Thick Beast Force exuded from him as he remarked, “The Sēmen only put Rahab at twenty-first because he is a superior race, and Natantes at twenty-second because he is ranked first among the merfolk!”

“Tsk, tsk, there he goes again,” Ranko remarked as he clicked his tongue and shook his head.

Pseraslav opened his hand, creating a red-gold ball of mana, and shouted, “I’ll kill that wicked vampire and prove that I deserve to be one of the Ten Lords and Fiends! Awooooo!”

“Kurgh!”

“H-huh?!”

“T-the ground is tilting!”

Those excluding Seong-Hwi and Ranko lost their balance and fell from hearing Pseraslav’s howl.

“Stop it, wolf! You might as well advertise to everyone in the dungeon that the Sun Wolf King is here!” Ranko shouted.

Pseraslav stopped his howl and coughed awkwardly. The humans who got back up with difficulty were shocked by the monster who stripped them of their will to fight with just one howl.

Urgh, that crazy wolf!

So... that’s a World Ranker!

Does that mean... Seong-Hwi is also that strong?

Tsar!

Terror, distrust, respect, and other emotions filled their eyes.

Now, it’s time to make a choice again, Seong-Hwi thought.

He stared at Pseraslav, who was staring intently at him even as he coughed awkwardly—everything he had done was likely an act.

My original goal was to kill Demens and enter the world ranking. I’ve accomplished that.

Seong-Hwi would not lose anything even if he left Blood Castle right now. From here on was ad hoc. He had won his game, but had the choice to join an extended game with much higher stakes. There was only one condition —the benefits must outweigh the risks.

Seong-Hwi first calculated the benefits. What do I gain from joining them?

First, humanity would deal significant damage to vampires, a hostile race. Regardless of whether the Sun Wolf King killed Haema Sanguis or not, Consanguineus would be dealt irreparable damage. Second, he could gain ties to Barbaria if he helped the beastfolk.

Lord Bafor has ties to Modak, the Sixth Lord, but relationships are meant to be grown.

Third, Seong-Hwi could earn Karma and heighten his caliber during the war. He could even enhance his star’s magnitude if he managed to write history.

Lastly... I might have the chance... to rescue the human captives, Seong-Hwi thought as Hector’s earlier shouts echoed in his head.

“YOU’RE POWERFUL ENOUGH TO DEFEAT DEMENS RABIES, SO YOU WOULD’VE BEEN MORE THAN CAPABLE OF SAVING ALL OF THEM!”

Next, it was time to calculate the risks. What do I have to put on the line?

First, his life—in other words, humanity’s destiny. Before Nivalis invaded the Capital, Seong-Hwi could put his life on the line without a second thought. But now that Kang-San was dead, he understood that his death would mean an irreversible decline in humanity’s power. Hence, Seong-Hwi needed to make his choices even more carefully than before and was obligated to survive and climb higher, no matter what.

The people in the room only stared at Seong-Hwi’s eyes, flashing like lightning.

Seong-Hwi completed his calculations after several minutes and replied, “Very well. I will join you.”

“Ohhh! Gahaha! I like your style!”

“However, you must promise me a few things.”

“Hm?” Pseraslav expressed. He then gestured with his chin, allowing Seong-Hwi to say what he wanted.

Seong-Hwi’s goal-oriented black eyes sank, devoid of emotion, as he said, “If it comes to it... I will prioritize what benefits me and humanity.”

“Gahahahaha! You’re assertive! I like it! You don’t have to state the obvious. I will do so as well. Is that all?”

“No, I have another one. Everything must be done before the Night of the Full Moon is over.”

“Eh? Why?” Pseraslav asked.

“Because the more time passes... the lower the chances of killing Haema Sanguis get,” Seong-Hwi said with certainty.

Haema’s infamy had skyrocketed from around Seong-Hwi’s third year in the Mirror World. He had brought a storm of blood by killing the Eighth, Seventh, Sixth, and Fifth Fiends in order.

All this time, I thought it was because he had Rust of Ruin, Seong-Hwi said inwardly.

Of course, Rust of Ruin was an incredible skill, and it synergized well with Haema. However, now that Seong-Hwi had realized his unique caliber, he found it hard to believe that Haema’s abnormal growth in power had been due to one measly skill.

He has something else up his sleeve! I’m sure of it!

It had been a year and eight months since Seong-Hwi was Lost. If he took his time because there was still over a year left, an incident like the World Tree War happening four years earlier might recur.

“We must strike while the iron is hot. I propose a short-term battle,” Seong-Hwi said.

Pseraslav nodded with great satisfaction and replied, “You read my mind!”