Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 013
Chapter Title: Blood Ghost Hunt (1)
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Two weeks had passed since the first Anomalous Studies lecture.
Ahn Sang-sik, that guy, must have had at least a shred of humanity after all. He hadn't thrown us into any anomalies since that initial class.
The closest he'd come was showing off low-level anomalies like the Parasitic Carnis, bred specifically for training purposes.
Thanks to that, I'd been able to coast through the past week at the bureau without much hassle.
Anyway, since I'd skipped straight through physical training and combat drills, I ended up getting my department assignment ahead of my fellow 22nd intake recruits. And awkwardly enough, it was alongside the 21st intake seniors, who were one class ahead.
The department I got assigned to was exactly as expected.
[Kim Woojin - Exorcism Squad 1]
Of all places, it had to be Exorcism Squad 1, home to Lee Chang—the Mad Dog of the Exorcism Division.
The 21st intake seniors who'd heard the news all patted me on the shoulder one by one.
Those subtle expressions, like they were seeing off a comrade heading to their doom... or looking at someone already dead.
"Just stay alive. I'll buy you food and drinks every now and then."
"Of all people, under that section chief... What did you do in a past life to deserve this?"
Even Seo Ji-yoon looked at me with pitying eyes.
For reference, things had gotten a bit awkward between Seo Ji-yoon and me after Ahn Sang-sik's Dream Demon test incident last time. But going through that mess together had actually opened us up to each other a little, turning us into proper close underclassman-upperclassman friends.
"...Do your best, Woojin."
No, Seo Ji-yoon, you're in the Investigations Division.
Why are you giving me that look when your division has the lowest survival rate in the entire bureau compared to Exorcism?
I brushed off the seniors' sympathy with a scoff.
From the few times I'd already met him, Lee Chang seemed less like a mad dog and more like a lazy uncle who couldn't be bothered with anything.
Sure, that type could be exhausting and annoying to deal with at times, but at least he wasn't a psycho like Ahn Sang-sik who treated people like lab rats. Predictable boredom was way better than unpredictable madness.
The Exorcism Squad 1 office was buried in the deepest, darkest spot: Basement Level 7 of the National Intelligence Service building.
The moment the elevator doors opened, a sinister, acrid chemical stench hit my nose—like poison straight out of a bottle.
A bizarre stink of formalin, old dust, and some unidentifiable air freshener all mixed together.
With my naturally sensitive sense of smell, I couldn't help but wrinkle my brow.
The inside of the office was a disaster beyond imagination.
Piles of paperwork—unclear if they'd even been processed—were stacked like mountains ready to collapse at any second. The floor was littered with who-knows-how-old paper coffee cups and energy drink cans.
And smack in the middle of that filthy, chaotic space, someone was snoring away on a worn-out leather sofa.
A familiar man in a rumpled suit. Lee Chang.
Sensing my presence, he sluggishly opened his eyes and sat up.
"You're here."
"No other seniors around?"
"Out on field duty. It's just us two right now."
I nodded and cut straight to the chase. Past experience had taught me that formalities meant nothing to Lee Chang.
"What's my first mission?"
Lee Chang let out a long yawn with that dazed look unique to someone who'd just woken up, then took a sip of the instant coffee on the desk.
It was obviously cold and just tasted like sugar water by now, but with his senses probably numbed from overwork, he downed it like it was fine.
"Exorcism Division, duh. Killing anomalies. What else?"
"So, what exactly is the anomaly we're killing?"
To my follow-up question, Lee Chang stared at me for a moment before giving a curt reply.
"Blood Ghosts."
The word instantly brought back memories of the convenience store incident. That ghoul whose head I'd turned into mush with the fire extinguisher—it had been a human infected by Blood Ghost blood.
Which meant the anomaly I'd be facing this time was at least way stronger than a ghoul.
Lee Chang stood up, rummaged through the stack of files on his desk, grabbed a few at random, and tossed them to me. I caught them.
Flipping open the file revealed several photos of foreign men and women, grainy like CCTV footage. Most looked Eastern European, with sharp, menacing features.
Lee Chang shrugged on his suit jacket, which had been slung haphazardly over an office chair, and began explaining.
"You'll see. This guy's the target. Vladimir Ivanov. Used to be the enforcer for the Amur Bratva, a notorious Blood Ghost mafia outfit in Amur Oblast."
He added,
"After getting branded a Class 1 wanted criminal by Russia's paranormal agency, GRU-P, he slithered through Harbin and Busan before crawling into Seoul. Now he's set up a new crime syndicate called the 'Vladimir Crew' in Guro-gu, dealing drugs and murders. Oh, and that ghoul you killed last time? His group's handiwork."
"So, the mission is to capture him?"
"Not capture. Kill. We've pinned down his hideout, so head to Guro-gu and blow off Vladimir Ivanov's head along with all his Blood Ghost underlings."
I asked in disbelief.
This was like something out of a gangster movie wipeout op, stated so casually.
"Blood Ghosts are stronger than ghouls, right? And we're doing this with just two people? What about backup?"
"You think we'd get any?"
Lee Chang shook his head like it was the most obvious thing in the world, as if I'd said something naive.
"Even Blood Ghosts, at 10th generation, are just a bit stronger than—or on par with—that Patrol Entity from the practical eval. Two Exorcism agents can smash 'em flat."
He opened an old cabinet in the corner of the office and tossed me a familiar item. The Four Tiger Sword from the practical evaluation.
Gripping the cold hilt, it fit strangely comfortably in my hand.
Lee Chang holstered two massive revolvers on his thigh holsters. Each barrel looked at least 40cm long—hard to believe you could fire them one-handed. More like grenade launchers than pistols.
"...What are those?"
"Pistols made from the nails of Christ's cross, for taking down Blood Ghosts. Beast."
Everything from the design to the name screamed bad news. Glancing between the crude Four Tiger Sword and the badass guns, I grumbled,
"Why don't I get something like that?"
Lee Chang gave a faint chuckle at my complaint and eyed me.
"A guy who never even did military service wants a gun? Stick to what you're used to."
I followed him toward the parking lot and said,
"Come on, wouldn't a gun be better than charging monsters with a sword?"
"That's just you talking out of ignorance."
Beep beep. Lee Chang casually hit the smart key, opening the doors to a sleek black sedan.
"Guns aren't all that. This line of work is full of anomalies that dodge bullets just by reading your aim and line of sight. And pulling aggro with gunfire draws even more. That's why seasoned agents prefer cold steel over guns most of the time. Quieter and surer."
He gripped the wheel familiarly and added,
"Besides, your real weapon is that Physical 200 monster body of yours. The strength to cleave a bulletproof monster skull like a watermelon with one sword stroke. Reflexes that let you take on ten Parasitic Carnis without a scratch. That's your specialty. No point ditching your strengths to learn guns sloppily. Waste of time."
He wasn't wrong. Thinking about it, I was always more comfortable with my fists or any heavy object in hand than a gun.
Before long, the car merged into downtown traffic. Sunlight flickered between skyscrapers.
"By the way, any regrets?"
Lee Chang broke the silence again.
"Huh?"
"If you'd just stuck to studying for the civil service exam like a good boy, you could've lived a normal life. So why crawl into this hellhole on your own?"
After staring out the window for a bit at his question, I answered honestly.
"Good pay, lifetime job security, and a solid pension."
Lee Chang went quiet at my response, then let out a deflating laugh. Not from amusement, but from sheer absurdity.
"Heh, I like the honesty."
He nodded and continued,
"The ones who last long here aren't burning with some grand sense of duty. It's realistic types like you, looking out for their own rice bowl first, who survive. At least you won't drop dead chasing pointless ideals."
His voice carried deep cynicism and exhaustion.
His words sparked a sudden curiosity. Then why was he still doing this?
"What about you, Section Chief... Why do you keep at it?"
To my cautious question, he pulled up at a red light.
"Who knows."
That was all he said after a long pause. He turned his gaze out the window, signaling he was done talking.
"Someone's gotta clean up other people's shit."
Sunlight flashing across his face briefly lit up the deep scar etched there.
That scar surely had a story. But it wasn't my place to pry.
The car soon pulled into a parking lot near the lounge where Vladimir Ivanov was reportedly holed up.
Guro-gu on a Friday afternoon was surprisingly quiet.
Monsters sucking human blood hiding in this peaceful scene...
If I'd heard this before joining the bureau, I'd have dismissed it as nonsense. The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Lee Chang popped a blue pill from a vial in his pocket as soon as he parked.
Then he tossed me a familiar stick of gum from his pocket—the perception-blocking gum he'd given me back when I was a murder suspect.
"Chew it. Don't want to deal with getting caught on camera."
Apparently, they chewed this on anomaly cleanup missions to keep civilians from spotting their identities.
Lee Chang and I chewed the grape-flavored gum as we got out of the car.
As we neared the lounge, Lee Chang pulled out a pack of the cigarettes I'd seen before and scattered them around the alley. They ignited on contact, billowing thick smoke.
A bunch of blond, blue-eyed bruisers huddled in the building entrance, avoiding the sunlight.
Spotting us, they asked in broken Korean,
"Afternoon reservation?"
"Yeah."
"Your name?"
"Jesus."
With that, Lee Chang drew the Beast from its holster. He aimed the massive barrel right between their eyes and said,
"I'll give you light and salt."
The light was muzzle flash. The salt, the tears Blood Ghosts shed before dying.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots shattered the entertainment district's silence. The bruisers' heads burst like overripe watermelons. Lee Chang watched the blood and pale brain matter spray everywhere and said impassively,
"Unlike ghouls, Blood Ghosts have super regeneration. So decapitate them or blast the brain in one go like this."
Sticky blood and chunks of white brain matter poured out. Add in the nauseating metallic tang and gunpowder smell.
I sighed as I followed Lee Chang inside.
"Whew."
Looks like dinner was off the table tonight.