But something felt different this time.  

It didn’t hurt at all.  

Wondering what was happening, I opened my eyes.  

In front of me, I saw a few messages floating.  

[Conditions fulfilled]  

[Provide the highest quality dishes to over 100 people in a single meal (1/1) (Achieved)]  

[As the conditions have been met, the user’s innate talent has been awakened]  

[Talent: Large-Scale Cooking]  

Huh?  

***  

“Damn it…”  

“To be driven out by such lowly creatures.”  

Deep within the bunker, where not a speck of light entered, the vampires spoke in frustration.  

“Calm down, everyone.”  

“That’s right. Just wait a little longer. Our time will come.”  

Those who find comfort in the darkness.  

Inside the bunker, they tended to their wounds, recovered their strength, and waited for the time to pass.  

To prepare for the hunt that would take place as soon as night fell.  

“They said the blood of the strong provides greater power…”  

“If we can hunt those puny humans all at once, we’ll become much stronger than before.”  

“I’m actually looking forward to it.”  

That’s when it happened.  

From the far end of the bunker,  

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.  

The sound of something approaching.  

It wasn’t their own kind.  

“Surely not.”  

“Have those soldiers stormed in?”  

“That’s impossible.”  

The bunker was designed to withstand even a nuclear explosion.  

No matter how much firepower they brought, it was inconceivable that they could breach the bunker’s entrance.  

And even if they somehow managed to destroy it,  

There should have been a tremendous noise accompanying that kind of destructive force.  

“But I didn’t hear any sounds of destruction.”  

“Wait, now that I think about it, those guys said they were a special forces unit.”  

“…Could they have known how to open the bunker’s doors from the outside?”  

Whether the speculation was true or not,  

The important thing was that the thick door had been breached, and the enemy had invaded.  

The flustered vampires stirred, but…  

“Calm down, my brethren. This is actually a good thing.”  

A middle-aged man in a suit appeared among them, smiling.  

Behind him stood a blonde woman with an indifferent gaze, assisting him.  

“You are the first member of the family, the first progenitor”  

“My queen…”  

The vampires recognized their presence and knelt in reverence.  

One of the kneeling vampires asked the middle-aged man, the first progenitor, “What do you mean by ‘this is actually a good thing’?”  

“Think about it. What was the reason we were waiting for the night?”  

Looking around, the man spoke passionately with outstretched arms.  

“Isn’t the darkness our divine domain?”  

“Ah!”  

“The darkness within this bunker, where not a single ray of light enters, is even deeper than the outside. Did they really think they could just crawl in here? They seem quite arrogant. We call that kind of arrogance hubris.”  

The man addressed the vampires with fervent enthusiasm.  

“Should we just let those arrogant invaders be? In this darkness, their guns and tanks are no match for us. Let’s show them what we can do!”  

Inspired by his words, the vampires rose, wielding their weapons.  

Their morale was unwavering, as if the previous confusion had never existed.  

Observing this, the queen thought, ‘I’m lucky, this one is quite useful.’  

The man in charge of managing the bunker was a high-ranking official of some kind.  

Through him, the queen had gained knowledge of this world.  

Most of the strategies that had built up their current power originated from him.  

He was also the leader of the [Gangwon-do Survivor Union].  

And this time as well,  

The first progenitor’s words were not wrong.  

‘In this world, even holy knights are considered fantasy. In the darkness, there is no one who can stand against us and our progeny.’  

It was quite noisy, but…  

It would be resolved soon, the queen thought, looking at the first progenitor.  

“I don’t need to be present for the battle, do I?”  

“No, I believe we will be sufficient on our own.”  

“Then I shall return to my room. It’s usually my sleeping time, but I’ve been awake too long… I’ll leave this to you.”  

“Of course, my master.”  

As the queen received the man’s polite bow and was about to return to her room, yawning…  

…She paused.  

“You.”  

The queen, who had stopped in her tracks, turned around.  

“What is it, my master?”  

The first progenitor asked questioningly.  

And then,  

Grab!  

The queen’s hand roughly seized his throat.  

“Ack, ack…”  

“You. You lied to me.”  

The first progenitor was only confused by the queen’s words.  

“Gah. I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve always been loyal to you, my queen…”  

“Oh, really? Then what is that?”  

Her hand pointed to the end of the bunker’s corridor.  

The long corridor, filled only with darkness.  

At the end,  

Thump, thump, thump.  

The sound of military boots echoed.  

“You, who said there were no holy knights, exorcist soldiers, or demon hunters, go ahead and explain this!”  

“Guh… I mean, I truly don’t understand what you’re talking about.”  

“That foul aura emanating from over there!”  

The footsteps at the end of the corridor were drawing nearer.  

Around the corner at the end,  

“That ‘Anti Demonic Aura’… is it not that of the holy knights?”  

“Huh?”  

Brilliant light pierced through the darkness, illuminating the bunker.  

Dazzling, sacred radiance, blinding one’s eyes.  

From within,  

A mighty roar erupted.  

“Glory to the Legion!”