Chapter 149: Black Faction

The next morning came far too quickly.

I woke up at 6:00 AM while the sky outside was still a dark, deep blue. My body felt surprisingly light and well-rested.

After taking a quick shower and throwing on a black long-sleeved shirt and tactical cargo pants, I headed downstairs into the quiet kitchen.

I spent the first hour of the morning sitting at the wooden dining table with my laptop open. My screen was glowing in the dim light, displaying private mercenary boards, hidden hunter forums, and encrypted registry databases.

Ever since we returned from the gate, the name ’Black’ had been ringing in my head like an alarm bell.

I clicked through dozens of encrypted threads until I finally found a hit on a private underground network.

"The Black Faction..." I muttered to myself, scrolling down the dark web page.

It wasn’t an official guild recognized by the Hunter Association. It was a massive underground mercenary syndicate—a place where rogue hunters, black-market info brokers, and illegal raid parties gathered to buy forbidden gate items and take unrecorded contracts. They operated in the shadowy gray zones of the city, completely outside the law.

And according to the underground boards, Black was one of their top-ranking enforcers.

’If Black is part of this syndicate, then whatever he was searching for,’ I thought, my fingers tapping against the keyboard. ’If I want to find out what he’s planning next, I need to get inside their local guild branch.’

I leaned back in my wooden chair, staring at the glowing screen.

I couldn’t just walk in alone. My Association profile listed me as a low-rank hunter, but if Black or his close associates saw my face, they might recognize me from the gate run. Viora couldn’t come with me either. Her physical power was far too distinct, and her demon horns—even hidden under a cap—would draw way too much attention in an underground guild full of experienced trackers and sensory hunters.

"Woo Jin?"

A soft, hesitant voice brought me out of my thoughts.

Carmilla was standing at the entrance of the kitchen. She was wearing the dark blue jeans and cream knitted sweater we had bought her yesterday at the mall. Her dark hair was neatly tied back in a low ponytail, and her pale face looked well-rested, though a quiet look of boredom lingering in her red eyes.

"Good morning, Carmilla," I said quickly, slanting my laptop screen down so she couldn’t see the dark mercenary forums. "How are the kids?"

"They are still sleeping peacefully," Carmilla replied, stepping into the kitchen.

"That’s really good to hear," I smiled.

Carmilla walked over to the counter, pouring herself a glass of cold water. She looked out the kitchen window at the peaceful back garden, letting out a small, restless sigh.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"No..." Carmilla murmured, taking a slow sip. "It is just... strange. For two years, I was running, fighting, and hiding from shadow beasts every single day. Now, sitting in a quiet house with nothing to do... my body feels restless. I am used to standing guard."

I looked at her, an idea suddenly forming in my head.

Carmilla knew nothing about Black, his guild, or my personal investigation into his motives. But Carmilla was still a powerful vampire who possessed incredible high-tier physical instincts.

If I needed a hidden bodyguard while I registered at the underground guild—someone who could suppress her presence completely—Carmilla was perfect. She wouldn’t ask complicated questions about human guild politics, and she desperately needed a reason to step outside and stretch her legs.

"Carmilla," I said, leaning forward on my elbows. "I have to head out to the eastern district today to do some private errands. Do you want to come with me?"

Carmilla didn’t hesitate for a second. A tiny, eager spark lit up in her dark red eyes.

"I will come," Carmilla said firmly. "I am very good at watching from the shadows. Nobody will notice me."

"You’ll have to wear a complete disguise," I reminded her with a grin. "And you have to suppress your blood-mana completely. If anyone realizes what you are, things will get messy."

"I can hide my mana easily," Carmilla replied smoothly, a rare, confident smile touching her lips. "In our realm, royal vampires learn how to blend into dark crowds from a young age. Give me a hoodie and sunglasses, and I will be invisible."

An hour later, Viora walked downstairs into the living room.

When I explained that Carmilla and I were heading out for a quick trip to the eastern district hub while she stayed with the sleeping kids, Viora didn’t throw a fit or object. She sat on the soft armchair, her blind purple eyes turning toward us as she listened calmly.

"It is a logical choice," Viora noted, her tone deadpan as usual. "My presence is too easy to recognize. If any scouts see a girl with masked eyes and high physical strength, they will pay too much attention."

"Are you okay staying here alone with Leo and Mia, Viora?" I asked, walking over to her chair.

"Yes," Viora nodded, reaching up to adjust her black cap over her long purple hair. "I will protect them. But Woo Jin..."

She reached out, her cool, slender fingers lightly touching my wrist. Her grip was firm, sending a subtle, reassuring warmth straight through my skin.

"Do not do anything reckless in the eastern hub," Viora said softly, her voice dropping into a gentle, serious tone. "You are still recovering your base stats. Gather what you need and come back safely."

Remembering our sweet, chaotic kiss from yesterday by the big window and our sudden dive into the cold pond, a faint blush touched my cheeks. I gently squeezed her hand back.

"I promise," I smiled warmly. "We’ll be back before dinner."

By 10:00 AM, Carmilla and I were completely ready to leave.

Carmilla looked totally transformed into a quiet human mercenary. She wore a dark gray oversized hoodie over her sweater, black cargo pants, and sturdy leather boots.

She pulled a dark beanie low over her forehead to cover her ears, and wore dark tinted sunglasses that completely hid her bright red eyes. Using her innate vampiric magic, she pulled her overwhelming royal mana deep inside her chest, suppressing her presence until she felt like a completely average, low-rank human.

I put on a dark leather jacket, pulled a black face mask over my nose and mouth to hide my jawline, and strapped my trustiest iron dagger to my lower back under my coat.

We quietly slipped out of the villa, leaving Viora to watch over the sleeping children, and caught a local taxi toward the industrial district on the far eastern edge of the city.

The eastern district was a grim, rundown area filled with rusting warehouses, abandoned factories, and flickering streetlights. The air here smelled of old iron, engine oil, and damp concrete.

The taxi dropped us off near an old, crumbling brick building that looked like an abandoned auto repair shop.

"This is the place," I whispered to Carmilla, checking the GPS coordinates on my phone. "The basement of this building serves as the main entry point for The Black Faction’s local recruitment hub."

Carmilla stood close beside me, her hands tucked deep into her hoodie pockets. "It smells like blood, old beer, and rust inside."

"That’s illegal guild hubs for you," I muttered under my mask. "Keep your head down and let me handle the talking."

We walked up to the heavy steel door at the back of the repair shop. I raised my right fist and knocked on the thick iron plate four times—three slow knocks, followed by one hard tap.

CLANG. CLANG. CLANG... CLANG.

A small square slot on the door slid open with a harsh metallic screech. A pair of sharp, suspicious yellow eyes stared out at us from the dark interior.

"Names?" a rough, raspy voice grunted from behind the steel door.

"Ghost and Red," I replied calmly, using the fake mercenary aliases I had registered on the underground forum earlier this morning. "We’re here for the entry trial. We want freelancer passes."

The guard behind the door stayed silent for three long seconds, his sharp eyes scanning my leather jacket and Carmilla’s quiet, hooded figure standing right behind me.

CLICK. HEAVY RATTLE.

The heavy steel door unlocked and swung open an inch.

"Get inside. Fast," the guard grunted.

We stepped through the narrow doorway into a dark concrete hallway lit only by flickering red strip lights along the ceiling. The air was thick and heavy, carrying the faint, metallic scent of unrefined mana and sweat.

"Follow the red lights down to the pit," the guard ordered gruffly. "The trial master is waiting. If you fail the test, you walk out bleeding. If you die, we throw your bodies in the incinerator. Understood?"

"Understood," I said plainly, not showing a single trace of hesitation.

Carmilla didn’t utter a word. She simply gave a short, cold nod, her hands remaining completely still inside her deep hoodie pockets.

We walked down the long, sloping concrete corridor, the sound of our heavy boots echoing against the damp stone walls. As we went deeper underground, the faint sound of cheering, angry shouting, and heavy metallic impacts began to grow louder and louder.

At the end of the tunnel, the corridor opened up into a massive, cavernous underground arena.

"There are many humans here," Carmilla whispered close to my shoulder, her hidden eyes taking in the chaotic layout. "Most of them are weak... but a few near the back pillar have decent mana reserves."