Chapter One

"Lady Mathiasen … We have intelligence on the issues going on in Korea." A young woman said reverently, kneeling before her mistress. Lise Adelheid Mathiasen had been the leader of the Holy Knights of Tobias for centuries. She had always taken great issue with the Nobles, and supernaturals in general. They flouted the rules of society, and were a danger to the world at large.

They had cost her her family. Her brother and she were the sole survivors of her village when a Vampire attacked the town. They were taken in by the Holy Knights, and eventually, Lise became the leader of the whole organization.

"Thank you, Maisie… What is the verdict?" Lise asked softly. Her voice never rose above room volume, and rarely just above a whisper. She was a soft-spoken woman.

"I-I…" Maisie blushed. She had been in love with Lise for as long as she could remember. Lise had never given any indication that she reciprocated her feelings, and Maisie was afraid that if she confessed, that Lise would pull away from her.

"Um… The Noblesse has relatively recently returned from Lukedonia, having executed three traitorous Nobles, Ma'am…"

"Good… The fewer the better. What of the Noblesse's condition? I know his life force is limited."

"H-his life force is stronger than ever. Recently, he was in a battle with an elder of the Union who had the same power that you did. Between him, and a young red haired man, who also seemed to have a similar power…"

"Do you mean that the elder had the same power, or that the Noblesse did?"

"S-sorry! I wasn't clear! The elder had the same power as you. The Noblesse's power was similar, as was the young red haired man. Their power was slightly different, though, and seemed to exceed that of the elder. Because the red haired man defeated the elder."

"I thought you said that the Noblesse was doing battle with the elder?"

"Yes, Milady. He was. But then, after the red haired man got his temper under control, the Noblesse permitted him to do battle with him. I suspect that the red haired man is, or was, a human servant of the Noblesse. He is no longer human, and has the same power that the Noblesse possesses."

"Do you mean that the Noblesse allowed himself to be modified?" Lise asked, her eyes widening slightly in surprise."

"Yes, Milady. That is what it seems like."

"How surprising. I knew that the previous Lord was very liberal in terms of what he permitted of his subjects. But I never expected Raizel himself to permit his human pet to modify him."

"Sorry? Human pet?" Maisie asked in puzzlement.

"Oh, of course. The infamous Viktor Frankenstein. Approximately 1000 years ago, Frankenstein, a terrifying man who once was a prominent member of the Union, entered into a contract with Cadis Etrama DiRaizel. Although this was very controversial, Frankenstein never faltered in his service, and is still one of the most powerful and dangerous men in the world."

"H-he can't be more powerful than you, Milady?"

"That is debatable. His ability to defeat enemies who are more powerful than himself using brilliant battle tactics and his unpredictable nature make his actual power difficult to gauge. Do you understand, Maisie?"

"Yes, Milady."

"Now, what is this power that Cadis Etrama DiRaizel supposedly possesses?"

"It's… Remarkably similar to your own. But… Its signature is different, and… Forgive me my rudeness… More pure… As if his power can control pure energy, free of the tether of mass…"

"Bioenergy Manipulation… That devil, Frankenstein… I hypothesized that if a person could manipulate Biomass, then manipulating Bioenergy was the next step. But… I never had enough material to do the research on the subject properly." Lise gasped. Maise nodded uncertainly.

"W-would… You like me to approach the red haired boy? His energy signature is identical in its modification signature to the Noblesse's. I believe that the boy got his power from the Noblesse."

"Yes. Do that. But wear these glasses. They are made of my own biomass, and will analyze him on a sub-molecular level. Remember, the longer you talk with him, the more data you will get. Then bring the glasses back to me, and I will analyze the data. Oh, and Maisie." Lise said, as soon as Maisie bowed, and began to walk away.

"Y-yes, Milady?"

"Two things. Don't call me 'Milady', and be careful. These clearly aren't people to be underestimated. They have many allies just in Seoul alone, including the current Lord, and three Clan Leaders."

"Thank you, Lise…"

"Seira… I… We've been dating for six months, now… And… Well, I got you a gift to commemorate the occasion… And your inexplicable ability to put up with me for so long…" Shinwoo said with a light, self-effacing laugh. He took Tesamu's necklace out of his pocket, and gave it to Seira. He had had it cleaned with silver polish. The person had never seen a necklace quite like it before, and had offered to buy it from him, offering him 50,000 Won.

Shinwoo refused, though. Frankenstein had told him at one point that the necklace was worth over 8.5 million Won. So, he just got it polished, and left the dishonest jeweler. Seira gasped, holding the necklace up for a moment, before putting it around her neck.

"It's beautiful, Shinwoo. I love it. This was Tesamu's necklace, correct?"

Shinwoo blushed guiltily.

"Yes… I… I had hoped you wouldn't notice…" Shinwoo said, taking out some wine, and pouring it for Seira, who took a short sip of the wine, smiling at Shinwoo all the same.

"I think that makes it even more special. It's proof of your strength, and more importantly, of your courage. You fought a man with hundreds of years more experience than you.

"You defeated him, and absorbed him, and overpowered him mentally. I was extremely impressed when I heard that you had done that. Your loyalty to your friends is remarkable."

"Thank you. I'm glad you like the gift. Are you sure that I can't convince you to accept even a minor Biomass enhancement?"

"Yes, Shinwoo. I appreciate the offer. But, unlike Raizel-nim, I am not in danger of dying if I do not have the modification. I think Regis and Rael would… How you say, flip their lid… If I did."

"I understand. Sorry. I won't bring it up again."

"Thank you for offering. I know you're simply looking out for my wellbeing. I appreciate it." Seira said, kissing Shinwoo tenderly, much to the envy of the other men in the restaurant.

Shinwoo could hear several mutterings of "lucky bastard". As Shinwoo paid the bill, and they went out of the restaurant, he could still feel their jealous stares. Seira was a gorgeous woman. He didn't wonder why they were jealous. He would have been jealous if someone else had been dating Seira. As they walked out of the restaurant, they were stopped by a young brown haired woman with green eyes. She was clearly a foreigner, but spoke excellent Korean.

"Good evening… My name is Maise McKay… I saw you at the tournament six months ago, and was amazed by your performance. I've always wanted to learn martial arts, but my parents don't approve…" She said shyly. She was clearly in good shape. Shinwoo could see that she was by looking at her with his enhanced senses.

"Oh, hello, Maisie… Nice to meet you… I… I'm not sure what to say."

"Say you'll give me all your money…" Came a voice from behind. Suddenly, there was a gun to Seira's head, and a growling voice came out of the shadows. Shinwoo and Seira both put their hands up.

"Okay. Calm down." Shinwoo said, his tone changing from cheerful to calm and controlled. What was money, right? He had plenty, after all.

He and Seira could easily survive a battle with a gun toting idiot. But he wasn't sure that the young woman could. She just looked like a normal girl, albeit a very athletic one.

"Give me your money! Now!" The man snapped. Shinwoo reached into his pocket and took out his wallet, handing over five 10,000 Won notes to the man, who grabbed it, and then shot Shinwoo, who collapsed to the ground. Maisie shrieked as blood spurted from Shinwoo's chest.

He was about to shoot Seira when Shinwoo disappeared, and reappeared behind the man, chopping the base of his neck, causing him to collapse to the ground, clearly dead.

"Y-y-you… Y-you were… Shot… I-I saw him sh-shoot you! W-what did you… What are you?"

"Ah… This is always the hard part. Maisie… I'm a modified human… I have more power than most humans do. Before you ask, Seira is normal…"

"I-I see… That was incredible… Did you always have that power? Could you teach me to use that kind of power?" Maisie asked, secretly hoping that Shinwoo would give her the same power that he had. That way, she could be closer to her beloved Lise.

"I wouldn't even if I could. I didn't choose to be modified. I was modified against my will, and I wouldn't inflict that on anyone. I'm just making the best of my situation."

"Please? I really want to be powerful like her… I love her!" Maisie cried. Shinwoo raised an eyebrow.

"Mind control doesn't work on me, sis… You should know that… 'Specially if you know another biouser."

"I-I'm sorry… I love her… I just…"

"Who is she?"

"Well… A… A member of the Union… H-high ranking scientist… Beautiful… Smart… Talented… Her name is Lise Adelheid Mathiasen." Maisie stuttered, barely making sense.

"You're lying. Stop wasting my time! Stop wasting Seira's time!" Shinwoo snapped, causing Maisie to draw back, shocked by his sudden outburst.

"I'm sorry! I… I am wasting your time… I… I just…"

"Don't worry about it. Love makes people do crazy things… But… I won't give you what I have… First of all, there's no guarantee you'd even survive."

"I know… I don't care… Fine… Just… Give me the regeneration… That way I can live forever, just like her. She's a kind woman, but she doesn't have a lot of friends."

"Why should I? You've…"

"Shinwoo… Do it… It won't hurt you." Seira said gently, putting a hand on Shinwoo's shoulder. Shinwoo nodded, and gathered Biomass in his fingers, touching Maisie's forehead.

Maisie gasped, and nearly collapsed, just barely catching herself before her knees truly gave out, locking them and staggering slightly, but staying upright.

"There. Your regeneration should be increased drastically. Now tell me, why did you really stop me. This is Seira's and my six month anniversary. It's… Kinda special… To me, anyway."

"Sorry… I wasn't lying when I said how impressed I was by your victory… Even with Biomass Manipulation, your skill at martial arts was incredible. Apparently, you have quite a reputation around town. Is it true you could beat up ten enemies at once even before you were turned."

"Yes… I guess so."

"Thank you for your time… See you later…" Maisie said, smiling and running off. For a moment, Seira and Shinwoo stood there, still a bit bemused.

"That was a good thing you did, Shinwoo… You did not have to grant her that regeneration. You have obviously heard of, and faced the Union. But I doubt you've heard of a much smaller organization called the Holy Knights of Tobias. Master and I have fought them on a few occasions. They're a Church run organization. They believe that Nobles, Werewolves, and modified humans in the employ of the Union are dangerous, and need to be fought.

"I have faced members of that group on one occasion. He was a brutal man, Tobias Ásketill Bykwist, who gave even me a run for my money. His skill in martial arts, even his creativity in battle made it difficult for me to defeat. I have defeated more powerful enemies before, but rarely have I ever faced an opponent as cunning as myself in battle."

"Boss, are you sure you're not overestimating your opponent?" Tao asked, laughing. Frankenstein, for once, didn't laugh back.

"No. He was as talented as I was. We nearly killed each other, and leveled an entire village. Of course, that was approximately 900 years ago. I can't say for sure if he's still alive. I won, but it was a pyrrhic victory. It was only because of Master's assistance that I avoided losing myself to my Dark Spear."

"As I recall, you showed no hesitation entering battle with him, and leveling the village." Raizel said with a smirk. I worried that the Lord would insist that I penalize you. I told him that I would speak to you on my own, and that official sanctions were unnecessary."

"Ahaha! I remember. That was when you commanded me to seal my powers. Best thing for me, really."

"Cadis Etrama DiRaizel…" Raskreia said quietly. Raizel looked up at her, the same serene look as always on his face.

"I have to go back to Lukedonia. I have been away for too long."

Raizel merely nodded, his expression not changing one bit.

"I'll… Miss you while I'm gone. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Me too…" Raizel said, standing and kissing Raskreia softly on the lips. Raskreia sighed gently, actually smiling. She rarely did, but she was really happy that their relationship actually meant something to Raizel.

"I apologize, Han Shinwoo… It's getting late. You have school tomorrow."

"Ah, right! I love you, Seira… I'll see you tomorrow at school… We'll all miss you, Ras… Come back soon…"

"Han Shinwoo…" Raskreia said, her expression changing only nominally.

"Y-yes?" Shinwoo asked.

"Your voice… You're not speaking so loudly anymore…" She said, just as a statement of fact. Shinwoo had been working on keeping his voice down, since he had realized, ever since he had gained psychic empathy through absorbing Tesamu, that the loudness of his voice startled and grated on people. Regis had not mentioned that Shinwoo was becoming less loud, and in fact, less pressured as well. But he had noticed the same thing.

Regis would say that Shinwoo was becoming ever so slightly more elegant. He just attributed it to Seira's influence, though, forgetting that Shinwoo had probably gained a number of powers from Tesamu.