Chapter 193

He had absorbed the blood-kin far too easily with the effect of Blood Monarch.

It was too simple.

‘Is this really okay?’

It was a situation that made even Seonghyun, who had always played the game to his advantage, wonder if this was allowed.

In truth, it was a stroke of luck that was practically a bug.

He was currently in first place.

[Contribution Ranking]

[1st Place 『Seonghyun』 - 10 Kills]

[2nd Place 『Evora Party』 - 3 Kills]

...

All ten of those kills were the ones who had bowed their heads to Seonghyun before disappearing.

Not a single battle had taken place.

They were simply startled the moment they saw him and were absorbed just like that.

‘What is going on?’

The skill did say he was their ruler, but he had just assumed it would give him an advantage in combat if they tried to resist.

To think they would be absorbed this obediently.

That was the part that Seonghyun couldn't understand.

Being absorbed instantly just because he was their Monarch.

Well, considering Lajeare, it did make some sense.

‘He summoned his vassals from his own blood, didn't he?’

Thinking about that structure…

Right now, the limit was bestowing power upon the blood-kin, but… if he raised the skill level, wouldn't he be able to summon the absorbed blood-kin as his own vassals?

The thought occurred to him.

He was probably right.

However, he now wondered if he should continue with the event like this.

‘I’ve already gained 10 additional stat points from absorbing 10 of them.’

He wondered when he’d ever get another chance like this.

Honestly, it felt like too much of a waste to let this opportunity pass.

What if he absorbed as many as he could to gain additional stats?

He would literally become stronger.

He couldn't just stand by.

And so, Seonghyun began to move even more frantically.

He moved quickly, determined to sweep through all the blood-kin in this labyrinth before heading to the next.

As time passed, Seonghyun’s kill count naturally rose rapidly in real-time.

He was absorbing them on sight, so it would have been strange if the number didn't increase quickly.

The players currently active in the labyrinth could only watch, speechless.

They didn't know how he was hunting, but they knew they couldn't beat that speed.

“Hah, they said the Demon King was really strong…”

“He’s strong beyond words.”

“I never imagined it would be like this.”

“Hah, they called him a legion, and it was true.”

Even the parties who thought they still had a chance finally gave up.

They all started moving frantically to at least claim 2nd place.

First place was already as good as decided.

2.

Whenever a large-scale event occurred, a few standout users were bound to appear.

That’s why, unlike the Event Management Team which was busy before the event, this was the time for the User Management Team to get busy.

However, despite being busy, there was one person staring at a screen with a crooked smile.

Associate Oh Jinhyeok felt a chill run down his spine and asked.

“S-Sir, what’s wrong?”

It was none other than Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong.

The crooked grin on his face was quite unsettling.

At Associate Oh Jinhyeok’s question, Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong smiled and replied.

“Hm? Oh, I’m just happy.”

“…H-Happy that the player Seonghyun is getting it so easy?”

“Yep! Of course~!”

Seeing Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong speak with such genuine joy, Associate Oh Jinhyeok seriously contemplated recommending a psychiatrist.

Regardless, Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong continued to stare at the screen with a truly delighted expression.

He had mentioned it to Team Leader Baek Jiwoo before, but to think it would actually turn out like this.

He had half-expected it, but he never imagined Seonghyun would get such a ridiculously broken skill.

The reward details were classified information, hidden even from someone at the Assistant Manager level, so he had no way of knowing.

But to think it was something like this.

Just when he obtained a power related to vampires, an event overflowing with vampires begins.

“Team Leader Baek Jiwoo is going to have to write a formal apology.”

“Sir?”

“It’s nothing. Just something on my mind.”

Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong said with a smirk and let it go.

Even if left alone, Seonghyun would be given three Legendary-rank rewards.

Having given up, Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong was now watching the screen in full-on ‘enjoying the show’ mode.

To be precise, it was a ‘misery loves company’ mindset.

He was grinning, thinking that Team Leader Baek Jiwoo would soon be joining him in his suffering.

Then, he suddenly remembered another player connected to this kind of event.

‘What’s he up to right now?’

Wasn't that player also in a labyrinth region?

As Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong looked around, Associate Oh Jinhyeok chimed in as if he knew.

“Oh? It’s the player Embris, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, were you in charge of the player Embris?”

“Yes, yes! This user is going to make a killing from this event, you know?”

“Hmm, I suppose he will. His class is…”

“Apostle of Blood! It was a Legendary-rank, but he upgraded it to Almighty-rank during his 3rd Class Advancement! He’s the 13th Almighty-rank on the East Asia server.”

Hearing Associate Oh Jinhyeok’s detailed explanation, Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong’s face turned pale as he asked back.

“He became Almighty-rank with his 3rd Class Advancement?”

“What? Yes! I was just writing the report for it.”

“Th-Then wait a minute? Isn’t Apostle of Blood related to… Blood Monarch…”

“Sir?”

“Aren’t they related?”

At Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong’s words, Associate Oh Jinhyeok stared blankly for a moment.

Then, with a look of sudden realization, his face turned pale, just like his superior’s.

If this was the case, it would create a connection to Seonghyun.

“I-It shouldn’t get tangled, should it? The Ch-Chairman left a comment about it.”

Chairman Park Won, the man called the genius of the century who created E-World?

Hearing that, Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong spoke quickly.

“Wh-Where, let me see.”

He stared at the screen.

[Park Won: If the user who acquired Apostle of Blood and the user who acquired Blood Monarch check each other’s power, it will not result in absorption like with other blood-kin, but will instead stop at activating a new system.]

Reading the part about a “new system,” Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong gulped.

As long as the two didn’t meet and check each other’s power, there wouldn’t be a problem.

But if, by some chance, they did meet and check each other’s power, it would become a massive headache.

He sincerely hoped they wouldn't meet.

“This is driving me crazy.”

This was no time to be teasing Team Leader Baek Jiwoo.

Just as Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong, in a state of emergency, was rushing to report to Team Leader Jihyejeong…

Team Leader Baek Jiwoo, who was monitoring the event status, was staring blankly at her own screen.

It was none other than the situation where Seonghyun had quickly seized 1st place and, not satisfied with that, was continuing to grow stronger.

Watching this, alarm bells rang in Team Leader Baek Jiwoo’s head as her mind began to calculate rapidly.

‘The additional stats the player Seonghyun is getting from absorbing the blood-kin, plus the three Legendary-rank rewards he’ll get if this continues… Huh?’

No matter how she calculated it, there was only one conclusion.

Since this was a developer’s mistake and not the user’s, she couldn't revoke the rewards.

The problem was with Team Leader Baek Jiwoo, who had designed an event that was exceptionally advantageous for a single user.

She checked other documents just in case, but she found the warnings that Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong had sent beforehand.

Team Leader Baek Jiwoo’s face turned deathly pale.

It looked like…

‘A-A formal apology is definitely in my future…’

At that thought, her vision went dark.

She had meddled with Seonghyun’s 3rd Class Advancement to create this event specifically because she didn't want to write a formal apology.

And yet, in the end, she had to write one anyway.

Holding back tears, Team Leader Baek Jiwoo opened a file and began to write her apology.

If she had known it would turn out like this, she would have just taken her time and designed a new event from scratch.

3.

[The large-scale event 『The Awakened Blood-kin』 has ended.]

[Contribution Ranking]

[1st Place 『Seonghyun』 - 100 Kills]

[2nd Place 『Embris Party』 - 12 Kills]

[3rd Place 『Fireball Party』 - 10 Kills]

...

[Calculating rewards.]

[Please wait a moment.]

Although it was a large-scale event, it had only lasted for a few hours, so it was over quickly.

It was said that more than half of the vampires awakened in the labyrinths had escaped.

They had missed a lot, but it could still be called a successful event that left the users quite satisfied.

They had fun with content that was enjoyable for the first time in a while.

However, a few users tilted their heads as they looked at the rankings.

1st place was the Demon King, Seonghyun, just as expected.

That much was a given, so few people questioned it.

The Fireball Party, ranked 3rd, was also a well-known named user party in the labyrinth regions.

But everyone was puzzled because they had never seen the name in 2nd place, Embris, before.

“Embris? Who’s that?”

“First time hearing that name.”

“Some unknown is suddenly in 2nd place?”

“But they killed two more than the Fireball Party, though?”

Seonghyun’s record was already in a league of its own, so no one paid it any mind.

However, everyone tried to find out more about this name, Embris, who had beaten 3rd place by more than two kills, but it wasn't easy.

They had no known name, nor were they a user who had ever shown themselves before.

“Oho, looks like we have a new rising star.”

“Right?”

“These kinds of events bring one or two of them out.”

“Honestly, if it wasn't for the Demon King, they would’ve been 1st. What a shame for them.”

“I know, right? 12 kills is seriously amazing. 4th place only got 7 kills.”

By creating a gap between themselves and both 3rd and 4th place, they showed off their skill, and the name spread quickly through word of mouth.

As the name Embris was becoming widely known, there was a party walking through a labyrinth, exuding a grim and gloomy aura.

Well, it was a little small to be called a party.

Typically, parties consist of six to eight members, but this one had only four.

“Honestly, I thought we’d be number one when it came to fighting vampires.”

“I know.”

“Hmm, that Demon King is really something else.”

Unlike the three who had just spoken, a character with an androgynous appearance was deep in thought, checking the rankings.

As they stared blankly at the rankings…

“…”

“Embris? What are you doing?”

“Looks like they’re lost in thought.”

“Are you feeling bitter about it?”

Everyone asked the user, Embris, who was looking at the rankings without a word, but there was no reply.

Then, after a long moment, Embris spoke.

“I need to see the Demon King.”

“What?”

“All of a sudden?”

“No, why?”

As all three of them responded similarly, Embris answered.

“Maybe their class is related to my own?”

The faint smile they wore as they said this was etched with an indescribable beauty.

Seeing it, their companions nodded as if they had no other choice.

“If the leader says so, I guess we have to go.”

“Alright.”

“Because it’s Embris.”

With everyone in agreement, Embris smiled.

It seemed another user had now begun to pursue Seonghyun.

4.

Seonghyun, who hadn’t the slightest idea that someone had made him their target, finished the event.

Along with a pang of guilt, wondering if this was really okay, he looked at the reward acquisition message.

[You have led countless 『Awakened Blood-kin』 to their eternal rest.]

[Your fame spreads far and wide throughout E-World.]

[As a reward for 1st place in contribution points, you have acquired Legendary-rank Item, Random Box ×3.]

[These kills were due to 『Blood Monarch』.]

[You will not gain experience.]

‘Hmm.’

He really did receive three Legendary-rank rewards.

He had been anxious that they might take them away, calling it a bug, but there was no such message.

‘That’s a relief.’

It wasn't as if he had obtained Blood Monarch through a bug, so he had thought this might be the case.

And yet, for some reason, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.

It was like getting paid for playing around while everyone else worked hard.

It was nice, but it still pricked his conscience a little.

Anyway.

He got the rewards.

‘I should see what I got.’