Thanks to the full cooperation of their leader, the Black Dragon Lord, the Black Dragon Society smoothly integrated into Masquerade as a subordinate organization. Although they were kept under close observation in case they were plotting something, nothing suspicious was found. It seemed that, just as the Black Dragon Lord himself had said, their only intention was to contact and join Masquerade.
However, they couldn't be completely trusted. Heukyeong, who had become a vampire and was under Heinz's control, had been dispatched as a precaution, so they could respond immediately if any problems arose. Considering their usefulness, the best course of action for now was to keep them under observation.
'I never intended to fully trust them from the beginning. Who knows where a spy might be lurking.'
This applied not only to the newly joined Black Dragon Society but also to all the other organizations. Including the vampire clans based in Europe, the Burning Torch operating in Southeast Asia, and the new intelligence agents personally recruited by Harley.
All organizations maintained strict independence and surveillance systems to prevent betrayal in one place from affecting others. Only he could clearly grasp their situations and directly control them. It was a hassle, but it was necessary to check the Heavenly Change Society, which was exerting its influence across the entire globe from behind the scenes.
'Gaining the Black Dragon Society, which has deep roots in China, even if it's no match for the Heavenly Change Society, is a big win. They've proven themselves capable enough to survive in the territory ruled by those guys.'
Moreover, recruiting the Black Dragon Lord, who knew a lot about the Heavenly Change Society as a former branch manager, was an unexpected bonus. Also, as he had originally hoped, he had obtained the key to Hugo's growth, the culmination of martial arts principles from numerous martial arts dimensions…
It was a win-win situation in many ways.
"Sigh."
However, despite sitting in his massage chair with his eyes closed as usual, he couldn't feel at ease.
Because of something he'd learned from the Black Dragon Lord.
"Half of Earth's population…? Ha! That's insane."
It was a staggering number, amounting to billions. And that was just the minimum estimate. It was a dangerous plan that could potentially kill up to 90% of humanity.
When he heard the details from the Black Dragon Lord…
He had to admit that what he said wasn't an exaggeration.
'He's going to pour all the energy he's stolen from destroying other dimensions onto Earth at once?'
To sprout a new mystery on this barren land of mystical power. That was the ultimate goal of the Heavenly Change Society, as relayed by the Black Dragon Lord.
"It's even scarier that he's serious."
It wasn't just a human problem. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that it would be a shock comparable to the end of the world. Earth wasn't called a barren land of mystical power for nothing. Among the many known dimensions, there were worlds with similar environments and civilizations. However, there wasn't a single place where mystical power was completely drained from everything, including humans, animals, plants, and minerals, like on Earth.
'If a massive amount of energy suddenly flows into this world where, except for a few Awakened individuals, there is no resistance to supernatural powers…'
It would be a terraforming that would completely overturn the world's foundation. Those who couldn't adapt to the drastic change would inevitably perish. Of course, the Lord of Heavenly Change didn't intend to completely destroy the world, and he was taking measures to minimize the casualties. The problem was that it wasn't much different from offering sacrifices, like the terrorist attacks happening around the world.
'Sacrificing the few for the many?'
He unconsciously clenched his fists. He couldn't help but feel disgusted, as he had become one of the sacrificed "few" against his will. Still, thanks to this, inanimate objects like minerals could embrace mystical power without much difficulty, and the ecosystem wouldn't go completely extinct, even if a certain percentage of animals and plants mutated into monsters.
The problem was humans, Earth's only intelligent species and the most complex life forms.
'So, the best-case scenario is half of humanity surviving?'
He unclenched his fists, rubbed his eyes, and sighed softly. Despite possessing a body that far surpassed that of an ordinary human, he felt an inexplicable fatigue.
'Why? Why is he going so far? Why, when he already possesses such power?'
If another Awakened had said that, he could understand. It was unrelated to him, who still had a foot in various dimensions, but it wasn't uncommon for returnees to Earth to feel a sense of loss due to their stagnated growth. Some even regretted returning to Earth, so it wasn't strange for them to want to return to their previous state, even if it meant changing this world.
'But the Lord of Heavenly Change doesn't need to do that. He already possesses power comparable to a full-fledged god and can even freely traverse dimensions.'
The more subjects, the better for a ruler. There was a limit to ruling through fear. No matter how he thought about it, pushing a plan that would kill billions of people was incomprehensible. That meant there was something more to it than simply ruling this world…
'Does he want to become the god of Earth, even if it means doing this?'
Then, the words of the Black Dragon Lord suddenly came to mind.
-"The Lord is already completely mad. He firmly believes that only he is righteous and that this is the best way. He will do anything to achieve his goal."
It was no different from the mindset of a fanatic. He wouldn't care even if billions of innocent people were sacrificed in the process. Because he firmly believed that this was the truly righteous path.
"…Well, fine. Whatever his intentions, I can't just stand by and do nothing."
Whatever the Lord of Heavenly Change was thinking or planning, his mission remained unchanged. To punish the one who killed his family and completely destroy the Heavenly Change Society.
After a moment of contemplation, he opened the Karma Shop and checked the bottom section.
『Karma Occupation Rate (6%)』
The number had increased by 1% since the last time he checked. Since he hadn't made any significant purchases since obtaining the 「Karma Shop Ver.3 Update」 after his Karma Points exceeded 20 million, the bullets had been steadily accumulating. His farm in the other world continued to produce a steady harvest while various events unfolded on Earth.
'Occupation rate.'
He didn't think the number simply represented the amount of Karma Points. Especially after hearing what the Lord of Heavenly Change was aiming for from the Black Dragon Lord.
'It's impossible for him to do such a thing just because he has the power.'
Wasn't he already bound by various restrictions? It was more logical that he had to meet certain conditions to carry out his plans on Earth, separate from gathering the necessary karma and divinity by destroying other dimensions.
"That must be this occupation rate."
Then, what he had to do was already decided.
To increase the occupation rate as much as possible.
To secure a stake and oppose the Lord of Heavenly Change's plan as a shareholder of Earth.
'No matter how many worlds he destroys, he won't be able to do anything on Earth.'
No, that wasn't enough. This was just his assumption. He needed to take a more proactive approach, rather than just focusing on defense.
For example—
'There must be other worlds like Ganghwan, on the verge of destruction because of him.'
The reason the Lord of Heavenly Change was going around destroying other dimensions must be for this plan. Then, hindering that was also essential. Although there were countless known dimensions, it might be more efficient to focus on one thing rather than wandering aimlessly…
"That doesn't concern me."
He wasn't limited to a single body. If there was something that needed to be done, he could do it simultaneously.
'Still… to proceed smoothly, I might need to take care of some backlogged tasks.'
He closed his eyes and focused on his avatars moving around in various places.
The Black Dragon Lord sat on a park bench, gazing quietly at the sky. A clear, blue sky with white fluffy clouds drifting by. Beautiful weather.
"Hello, grandpa!"
Then, a child passing by greeted him with a bright smile. He smiled kindly back at the child. This was a park in an affluent neighborhood, where schools for all ages were concentrated. Since wealthy families lived here, the security was good, and the faces of those passing by were filled with composure. Of course, that didn't mean the children were naive enough to greet a stranger without hesitation.
The reason the child had greeted the Black Dragon Lord so readily was because he was a familiar face. Although he didn't come here every day due to his work, he had been watching the children passing by from this spot for over a decade.
"Hey! Let's go to karaoke…"
"More importantly, let's go to my house today…"
"Then let's buy something on the way…"
Then, a group of boys crossed the park. Boys in their mid to late teens, chatting animatedly in clean school uniforms. The Black Dragon Lord's gaze settled on one of them.
"Ah! Hello, grandpa."
"Oh, you're here today. Hello~!"
The boys greeted him one by one as their eyes met. Of course, that was all. Even if they were used to him from seeing him since they were young, it was difficult to expect more of a reaction from a random old man.