Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Vampire Uproar #5
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In this insane situation, I reacted with the same shock as any ordinary person spotting a ninja.
I'd heard all about Section Chief Lee Do-hyung's strength.
Even Sal-hyung, Islam's great hero, the highest-ranking holy warrior commanding the jihad spirits, couldn't guarantee victory against him. Jaaldi had been rattled by his mere appearance.
My report had already reached the Management Bureau. The agents had all assumed Lee Do-hyung was dead—only to get hit from behind.
Flutter.
The suit jacket draped over Section Chief Lee Do-hyung's shoulders billowed.
He stood motionless, gripping his katana, surveying the battlefield.
...A man of pure steel.
Could someone who looked that indomitable really exist?
I had no idea how he'd come back alive, but just his presence made the entire battlefield feel like his "domain."
My body grew cold as alarms blared in my brain.
What should I do?
Blow his head off right now?
Impossible.
I'd already seen his speed.
My bullets would never touch him.
Unless it was the Hospital Director entrenched at Cheongak Mary Hospital, no one could win...
"Tactical retreat..."
The moment Jaaldi started to say it.
My mouth opened first.
"Team Leader Jaaldi. Can we beat Section Chief Lee Do-hyung right now?"
"I can't be sure. He's not someone we can break through head-on. He's our Management Bureau's longtime nemesis. Grong. I heard he was definitely dead."
"Calm down."
My eyes were still fixed on Section Chief Lee Do-hyung.
Not a scratch on him. Perfectly fine.
Splat!
I still remembered him ripping apart left and right with that eerie sound. If that hadn't been the Fake Management Bureau's fake Lee Do-hyung...
It was weird.
This was abnormal.
Conclusion.
"Team Leader Jaaldi. There's a high chance this is a bluff."
"A bluff?"
He'd definitely been killed by the Hospital Director.
So that one's a fake.
"Look. The moment he showed up, all our agents froze. Just by showing his face. And just showing a face? A body double could do that easily."
"That's...!"
"I'm the only one who actually witnessed Section Chief Lee Do-hyung's death. Logically, they'd assume we don't know. That's why they brought in a double now. Watch. He won't make a single aggressive move. The second we advance, he'll retreat. If he tried to fight, it'd be exposed."
This was the truth after racking my brain to its limits.
These freaks were trying to weaponize fear, true to form.
They thought sticking Lee Do-hyung there would paralyze us into inaction. It was all a lie.
"Reasonable deduction. Worth testing. Everyone hear that? Advance slowly."
At Jaaldi's command, the assault began.
Rat-tat-tat!
We advanced while firing.
We had multiple superpowered agents here.
Without Lee Do-hyung, we'd win.
Whoosh!
Agent Quras's flames erupted.
Agent Kalehyu had unusual gear: a submachine gun in her left hand, a steel pipe in her right. She advanced while shooting, too.
I provided covering fire while checking on our team's status.
And then.
"Ah! He's retreating! Lee Do-hyung's retreating!"
Agent Quras shouted.
Sure enough, the fake Section Chief Lee Do-hyung and his goons were falling back. Suit-wearing men fired while covering each other, escorting him in retreat.
"Fuck! I aged ten years!"
Agent Kalehyu gasped next.
Seeing that, I finally exhaled. It was fake after all. If it'd been real, my position would've been seriously awkward... No, beyond awkward—I might've been totally screwed.
"Looks like a body double for sure. To think they'd pull a bluff like that."
"That's how strong Section Chief Lee Do-hyung was. A ploy banking on his reputation. I didn't expect our main Management Bureau to even consider retreating, though."
At my words, Jaaldi's face flushed slightly.
"This is... embarrassing. The second I saw him, retreat was all I could think of. Grong, even your report made me doubt for a second. Sorry."
"It happens."
That's Lee Do-hyung for you. That's why the reaction.
"He's a legend."
If it had been Section Chief Jo Seong-chun, no one would've reacted like that.
Plus, that Fake Management Bureau was such a shady outfit. Who knows if they could've pulled off some mysterious resurrection. That possibility must've made Jaaldi consider retreat.
"Anyway. Without Lee Do-hyung, we're superior. Now finish off the remaining vampires and ghouls, then start civilian rescues. Kill any Fake Management Bureau stragglers on sight."
"Got it!"
With the Fake Management Bureau retreating, cleanup would be quick.
There weren't many live ghouls nearby. Most were corpses, and the few alive were too busy devouring bodies to notice us—easy kills.
We took out a few more Fake Management Bureau stragglers.
And luckily, we found a surviving civilian, though he was in full panic.
"N-No! Stay back! Stay awayyy!"
"Calm down. We're not here to hurt you. We're here to rescue you."
"Rescue my ass, you bullshit! You're here to kill us all! I saw everything!"
"..."
The Fake Management Bureau bastards had gunned down civilians on sight. Natural reaction. He'd probably witnessed it.
"Mmph!"
Then Agent Spandal appeared behind the civilian. She deftly jabbed a needle into his neck. He went limp as the sedative kicked in.
"Calming him down first, right? Now, get him to evac. Support team will handle the rest."
"Yes. They'll wipe his memory too?"
"Yep."
I hoisted the limp man and carried him to the evac vehicle.
In this huge city, civilian survivors were rare. Mostly bullet-riddled or incinerated corpses.
Regrettable, but no time for sentiment. I laid him in the vehicle and returned to the field.
The Fake Management Bureau had clearly dealt a heavy blow to the vampire forces, but they hadn't wiped them out. Vampires were surely still lurking somewhere in this city.
Maybe even...
That blonde vampire who'd humiliated me in the subway. I needed confirmation she was dead. I'd kill her for sure.
"Fake Management Bureau stragglers! Grong! Follow me!"
"Got it, Senior Agent Quras! My life for the Management Bureau!"
I hustled after Agent Quras.
"You a zealot or what? Why're you so gung-ho! You gotta join Suppression Team no matter what! StarCraft one round—if I win, you join! Deal?"
"Forget Star, let's do Warcraft!"
"What?! I ain't played Warcraft!"
"Ah!"
Why does Korea only do Use Maps in Warcraft 3!
"Hey! Use that detection ability first!"
"Senior. It flickers on and off. Hard to detect Fake Management Bureau guys. Regular agents aren't that strong anyway, so nothing stands out."
"I see? Ah, so that's how you knew Lee Do-hyung was fake? Nothing felt off?"
Close, but I just nodded.
"Yeah. No massive Force or anything."
"This is gold! You gotta join Suppression Team! Plus, your shooting earlier? Pro level! Rumor's you're the one who dropped a hundred ghouls!"
Not quite a hundred...
"If I tell Kurosna that prick, he'll deny reality! Thinks he's the world's best shot—go humble him!"
"Oh man! How could I challenge a senior like you!"
Listening more, my interest in this Agent Kurosna skyrocketed. Gotta meet him sometime for a friendly shootout.
Bang!
A shot rang out then.
But.
Fwoosh!
Agent Quras's flames incinerated the incoming bullet!
"No way! That works?!"
"Take cover!"
"Yes!"
"Enemy that way! I'll flank left—cover me from here!"
"Got it!"
Agent Quras snapped her fingers, unleashed flames, and dashed out. Her skill was so polished, I trusted her.
I aimed my K2 to cover Agent Quras.
Bang!
Any head-popping bastard. Any drawing a gun. I fired to suppress whenever I spotted one. Others? No more? Agent Quras advanced into no-cover zone with flames. I moved to follow.
"Uwaaaah!"
Rat-tat-tat!
Some guy sprayed bullets while charging us. Hiding behind that car ahead? Closer than I thought. I ducked to dodge.
But.
Thud!
He tripped or something.
"Urk!"
Chance!
Fwoosh!
I rose, aimed my K2.
"Huh?"
His face.
Fallen sunglasses.
Pudgy features.
My head spun as I said it.
"Jinseop...?"
Jinseop.
It was Jinseop.
That's Jinseop!
"Y-You know my name?! How'd you identify me?! A new specimen...?!"
Jinseop raised his gun. I shot it to pieces instantly, then approached.
Jinseop.
Why the hell is this guy here...?
"S-Stay back! You monster!"
"You."
"U-Uwaaaah! Long live the Management Bureau! For humanity!"
"Jinseop! Wait!"
Jinseop's hand dipped into his suit, yanking a cord inside. Memories of Sal-hyung—instinct screamed bomb. I dove.
KABOOM!
Blast.
Heat.
Ears ringing, vision spinning.
Suicide bomb.
Jinseop blew himself up.
I was losing my mind.
"Jinseop! Jinseop!!!"
Why the fuck is this bastard with the Fake Management Bureau!!!
—Grong! You okay?!
Mechanical voice boomed. Powered armor Gorgodio descended from the sky, grabbing me.
—Gotta evac now...! Gorgodio! Taking Grong to the rear!
Vroom!
I flew skyward in Gorgodio's arms.
My heart felt like bursting.
What the hell just happened?
Was it really Jinseop?
Or did I mistake him after so long? But he freaked at me knowing his name! No reason if it was a lookalike namesake... Bullshit!
Why was Song Jin-seop with the Fake Management Bureau!
Splat!
Then.
Blood sprayed before my eyes.
—Guh...! Urgh!
"Gorgodio?"
Hole through Gorgodio's armor chest. Sky visible beyond. Crimson blood gushing from inside. Something pierced him... My shoulder, too, torn where I was held.
Boom!
We plummeted mid-flight.
I felt my bones shatter.
"Urgh...!"
Gritting teeth, they cracked.
Torn shoulder. Body-wide pain.
All agony.
What hit Gorgodio?
"Gorgodio..."
Before I could speak.
Splat!
Gorgodio above me tore in half.
"Ah."
Under blood-sprayed sky.
Familiar.
Blonde woman stood.
"Long time no see...?"
Vampire's face twisted in rage.
"Didn't expect to meet here?"
The vampire wasn't unscathed.
Heavy wounds.
"...How'd you find me."
"Like I'd forget you?"
Sizzle.
Vampire's body melted in spots, real-time. Smoke like acid poured on. I knew it was my cross necklace. Garlic bulletproof vest burst too.
"You tracked me the whole time?"
"Yeah."
Of course.
I'd hunted this bitch relentlessly, dying to kill her.
She'd wanted me dead just as bad.
"Those idiots botched it, but... killing you makes it worth it."
Crunch.
Vampire grabbed my throat, hoisting me.
"How to kill you? Rip you in half like that tin can? Or bite and make you a ghoul?"
Here.
If I became a ghoul.
What then.
"Ghoul it is."
Vampire brought fangs to my neck. Facing my arch-nemesis, not even landing a hit—reduced to this. Pure chaos, madness.
And.
"Huh?"
Vampire.
Dropped me.
"H-Hiiiik?!"
Screaming.
What?
"What's this! What's happening! Aaaah!"
"What...?"
"No...! No! This isn't it! Nooo!"
Vampire suddenly convulsed.
Chills exploded over me.
"You! Wake up! Now! Hurry! Hurry!!!"
And I opened my eyes.
Management Bureau Lights Out #5
