Over 5,000 Terror Points.

In his standards, he wasn't poor anymore, as he was capable of upgrading several monsters at once. But that didn't deter him from setting his gaze on the final bastion that divided the New World into halves.

"Hmm... should I start upgrading the Paranormal Monsters now, or begin after the destruction of the last stronghold?"

Damien tilted his head, pondering what must be done. His current amassed Terror Points were capable of augmenting all of them. But he would be bankrupt by then.

It was, without a doubt, expensive.

However, investments were required for him to grow stronger. Besides, the Paranormal Monsters were necessary for the assassination of the president.

With this in mind, Damien decided to stall until the final bastion was defeated and the next harvest of Terror Points concluded.

Stretching his arms upward, he took a deep breath and glanced at the stormy skies. They had marched deeper than the farthest the Federation had taken a step into.

Humanity practically had no information about its surroundings. Only the fact that the final northern bastion of the vampires lay beyond the mountains on the horizon.

"I wonder what the boss and my partner are going through..." he muttered to himself while yawning. It wasn't that he was exhausted.

Since the beginning of the mission, he hadn't done much other than order his monsters around. Not facing danger felt good, but it was boring regardless.

The thought of facing armies alone brought him a tinge of exhilaration.

However, Damien would never be alone since he held the power to command a monstrous army that would hammer every obstacle in his path.

He wasn't complaining, since it was the most secure as it could possibly be. He'd rather have his monsters face dire consequences. Then face the possibility of death itself.

Of course, that didn't mean that he was a coward.

Damien considered himself a realist. As long as the situation didn't require it, he wouldn't throw himself into danger.

For this reason, he repeatedly deployed his summoned monsters at every possible moment. There was no way he would fight alone.

That was giving his enemies an advantage.

"Well, perhaps they're doing well." The edges of his lips curved into a subtle smile while a Prothonean silently stood behind its master.

"It shouldn't take long for them to find evidence to handle the infiltrators." Once again, Damien yawned as he looked in the direction of the final bastion.

The Clan would be preparing, whether it'd be their Aetheric Weapons or the True Bloods. The final battle against them would be far from easy.

He could watch from afar and get his monsters to take care of everything.

It was an adequate strategy.

But even if he was a logical realist, Damien was a young man whose heart brimmed with confidence and ambition. There was no way he would be staying in the rear.

"I look forward to the trouble they cause." He smirked, hoping for the best for his boss and his partner. It was the least he could do.

Meanwhile...

Somewhere in the Federation, a crimson-haired girl was darting through the alleyway, becoming nothing more than a blur. Behind her was a group of cops, chasing after her while commanding her to surrender.

Hecate looked back at the ordinary humans and smirked before leaping towards the roof of a nearby building. The authorities could only watch as she disappeared from their sight.

Bolting from roof to roof, her velvet lips curved into a satisfied smile.

Never did she think that being chased by people would become so enjoyable for someone like her. At first, it was a strange experience, reminding her of her past.

But after escaping from her pursuers, it became her passion.

As she arrived at the rendezvous point, Hecate stretched her limbs. Sweat dripped from her pale skin as she yawned. The exercise was adequate, without a doubt.

"That was a good start."

Since temporarily partnering up with her master, she had become a fugitive on the West Coast for so-called severe crimes.

The authorities knew nothing of her true identity, considering her a criminal who managed to evade the cops. It was troublesome, to be honest.

But all things must be done for the sake of the plan.

"I'm getting the hang of my body."

Exercising was the best way to adapt to the changes in one's body. Since she awakened from the penthouse of Doctor Krieger, she had been moving her body.

As she leaned on the rooftop's railings, Hecate watched the horizon and wondered what her partner was doing.

He was probably wreaking havoc on the southern frontier.

The thought alone made her chuckle as a snap rang through her ears. In an instant, a gorgeous white-haired lady emerged, her pearl-like eyes pervading with arrogance.

"Miss Alastair, did we have a breakthrough in our investigation?" Hecate asked, her crimson eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Alastair shrugged as she leaned onto the metallic railings and answered. "Unfortunately, not... The federal government was a bit more tight-lipped than I expected."

"I guess this is how it goes in politics."

Hearing the answer of her master, the crimson-haired vampire sighed and pouted in annoyance. "Here I thought we would have finally gathered the evidence we need."

"It seems that it was much harder than expected."

Alastair narrowed her pearl-like gaze and muttered. "It's not that hard, to be honest. One single move, I can crush all of them."

"The reason why they are alive is because of the fact that we are playing it safe. But since progress has been halted."

"We would have to change our strategies." Her supple lips curved into an arrogant smirk as she continued. "It's time to light the powder keg."

"Summon your juniors... I want the three of you to start throwing rumors about the legitimacy of the current party around."

"The data sent to us by Damien should be enough to make it so that the chaotic aftermath can be controlled." Her silver hair fluttered with the breeze.

Hecate chuckled when she heard her master's proposal and gave a thumbs-up. "As expected of Miss Alastair, no one can rival you in dismantling something."

"I don't know if that is an insult or a praise, but I accept regardless." Alastair grinned, unbothered by the remark of the crimson-haired vampire.

"In any case, I will be returning to New Janus and taking care of Francine for the meantime. Don't forget to brief your juniors about the plan."

Without wasting a moment, the silver-haired lady snapped her fingers and reality contorted in an instant. She teleported out of the rooftop, making Hecate feel a bit envious.

"Whether it'd be my master or my partner, the two of them can easily teleport to where they want to be. I wonder when I could learn such power."

She glanced at her pale palms and clenched her fingers together. Her Blood Technique was Severance, so alongside the assistance of the ancient progenitor, it should be possible.

Before she could keep pondering about it, a cop appeared from the fire exit and pointed in her direction. "I found the fugitive! Hey, stop and surrender in the name of law!"

The policeman pointed his gun towards her, but Hecate merely smiled at him before bolting away from the rooftop.

His colleagues climbed up and saw the silhouette of their target getting farther in the distance.

"Damn it!" A senior officer cursed out loud, pissed at how the crimson-haired girl had managed to escape the pursuit.

It didn't even matter if they had more men or helicopters roaming the skies. She would disappear with ease, as though she didn't exist.

Just when the authorities thought of her as nothing more than a once-in-a-lifetime nightmare. The fugitive resurfaces in another city, and the hunt continues.

"This is beyond what ordinary people can do! I am calling for the assistance of Jaegers!" The senior officer gritted his teeth while his subordinates merely gave him space.

Hecate continued leaping through buildings, heading towards Los Angeles. It was about time for her to meet her juniors once again.

While feeling the breeze surge through her pale face, the crimson-haired vampire wondered to herself. "Hmm... Can I change my appearance again with the help of Echidna?"

"It shouldn't be possible."

On the other hand, Damien watched as the final bastion emerged from the blurred horizon. Unlike before, his monsters weren't concentrated into one single spot.

They were separated from one another, maintaining distance to avoid collateral damage. After all, a single Aetheric Weapon was devastated.

The Third Stronghold was already capable enough to wield almost a dozen of them. Who knows what the final bastion of the Clan borders deployed?

It was better to be cautious.

Damien furrowed his eyebrows and noticed the change in the aetheric background. No weapons were capable of doing this. Only the pinnacle could do so.

With this in mind, a smile carved into his face as he remarked. "A True Blood has finally been deployed, huh?"

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