Chapter 40 Part5 (1/2)

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First off, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo visited the Lawrence shop's capital branch, checked the interior, and dumped items from his inventory into the storehouse. He was then led to the residence Bisher Moon had acquired for him. Seeing the huge size of the house was an indirect confirmation of Bisher Moon's success.

Jin complained as he was the only one who couldn't enter the building, but there was no helping it. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo once again thought that he needed to hurry up and master the Disguise skill.

[It's been a long time, Lord Paul Zero.]

”Long time no see. It seems like you've exceeded my expectations.”

[It's an honor that you feel that way. I've made a list, albeit poorly, of all the forces and goods we've acquired, so I'll present it to you later.]

As promised, Bisher Moon met with Lee s.h.i.+n Woo in the evening; he wore a stylish suit and was refined, so much so that Lee s.h.i.+n Woo would believe it if he said he were a n.o.ble's butler.

He was a handsome man that evoked a cold feeling, with gray hair and reddish-brown eyes. No matter how you looked at him, he looked like a proper human. He didn't look like an undead at all.

”Alright. It's a relief that you were able to properly transform into a human.”

[Yes. I was a bit concerned, as I had never made the attempt after becoming an undead, but...]

Bisher Moon's original species was the Moon Wolf. They were a race of werewolves who hovered between the boundary of human and wolf. Bisher Moon's kind were the elites, blessed by the moon more so than any other werewolf tribe. The 'Moon' t.i.tle was a dead giveaway; amongst the Moon Wolves, Bisher Moon was equivalent to royalty.

However, he had become undead and degenerated into a mere ghoul. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had played on Bisher Moon's desire for revenge and as a result, Bisher Moon had pledged his loyalty to him and evolved into a completely new species: the Wolf Avenger. He regained his abilities as a Moon Wolf and had even gained the t.i.tle of Avenger, so if he excluded the fact that he'd turned into an undead, he had become much stronger than before.

'No, wait. Avengers are undead created only after one has experienced death before and then revived due to their thirst for vengeance... In other words, it seems like a cla.s.s that only the undead can get.'

In any case, Bisher Moon had regained his long lost power as a Moon Wolf, and by subordinating himself to Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, his darkness magic had become even stronger; this was especially true regarding his original transformation skill. He had been influenced by Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's innate abilities and had become noticeably stronger.

That's right. While incomparable with Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, Bisher Moon could also use his magic to disguise himself as a living being. This was one of the reasons that Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had picked Bisher Moon to accompany him, despite having so many subordinates to choose from.

[It's supposed to be difficult to obtain the ability to disguise an undead's mana unless you're a vampire. However, by subordinating myself to you, I was able to obtain that ability. I'm in awe of your abilities, Lord Paul Zero.]

”Thanks for the compliment, but you saying that makes me feel kind of tense; I feel like I'll meet a vampire somewhere down the line.”

[To tell you the truth...]

”d.a.m.n it. I knew this would happen...!”

What he said next was cla.s.sic. The darkness within the capital would deepen at night, and there was a group that hid inside said darkness. Both Bisher Moon and that group fought against each other to increase their power!

With the goods Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had entrusted to him, as well as his own skills, Bisher Moon was quickly able to increase his power, but by doing so, he had come into contact with the capital's deepest darkness. With the backing of a Count that resided within the capital, the organization went wild; however, the organization had a huge secret.

[And I was recently able to figure it out, just barely. A vampire lurks within the 'Red Moon' faction, the group that opposes our own 'Moon Shadow'.”

”Yeah, I saw that coming. By the way, everyone sure loves the moon.”

The Underground Empire had been filled with things he'd never experienced before, but once he'd come to the surface, he repeatedly experienced things that would happen in any fantasy novel.

But a battle between the vampires and the werewolves in this city of the night? Aside from the original, he couldn't acknowledge or understand it. Moreover, both factions had the word 'moon' in it! It was a relief that his side only one had werewolf in it.

”Don't waste your time on such a pointless fight and end it already. Want me to help?”

[Not only do they have a n.o.ble in their group, but information on our group has spread, so it would be difficult to fight them head on. If we attack them half-baked, then we'll lose our standing in the capital. If we're going for it, then we have to strike at their core. Perhaps then I'll ask you for your help, Lord Paul Zero.]

”Alright, I got it.”

The Count that Bisher Moon had found was likely under the control of a vampire. The fact that Bisher Moon could easily find information on them meant that there was a key figure in the 'Red Moon' that used them as s.h.i.+elds.

A giant force that had power over day and night... It probably wasn't the Emperor, but it had to be someone close, like a high ranking n.o.ble.

'Both sides are really daring. When all the undead were forced into the underground, they weren't purged and instead have been operating in the capital and raising their forces all this time. Which means...'

They were powerful and daring enough to fool even the Emperor. An unexpected compet.i.tor had shown up. Knowing this information beforehand would prove indispensable.

”Wait a sec. Then, what's most important is...”

[It's to ensure that they don't figure out the link between us, Lord Paul Zero. But you don't have to worry about that. Since I can use darkness magic as well.]

”Are you sure you're up for it?”

[Of course. You can count on me.]

”Alright. Then I'll leave it to you.”

After that, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo accepted and read Bisher Moon's report. The report summarized Bisher Moon's successes, including how many troops he'd gathered and managed, important figures, and an account of their finances.

With feats like this, Bisher Moon could raise his head up high. He was surprised that Bisher Moon had gathered so many troops in such a short period of time (less than a month).

”300 buildings, with at least a hundred of them in the capital's main street. As expected, they're disguised as either shops or inns. Moreover... you won over a n.o.ble too?”

[My ident.i.ty wasn't revealed, but I was able to recruit those who opposed the Red Moon, which is where most of the low ranking n.o.bles gather. In the process, I tried to imitate you, albeit poorly and was somehow able to resolve the issue well. Now they're completely loyal to the organization (Moon Shadow).]

”Unbelievable.”

They say a child learns from their parents. This was a good example of that. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo didn't know when Bisher even had the opportunity to watch and learn from him, but this was quite the success!

”Good. You've done well. Now I don't have to meet them one by one.”

[There were several people I couldn't persuade. If you just give me a little bit more time, then...]