Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Vampire Detective
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It was the very day Kang Yu-jin managed to track down the elusive high-end establishment known as Tenpro through an illicit underworld website.
The destination was the infamous SW Room.
Kim Jin-cheol, the managing director of that renowned Gangnam Tenpro venue, clicked his tongue in quiet disapproval as he watched Kang Yu-jin approach the entrance.
SW Room was not an establishment that accepted just any random customer off the street; the manager met prospective clients in person to evaluate their pedigree beforehand, a stringent screening process that had long allowed SW Room to maintain its prestigious standing as the paramount luxury pleasure house in the district.
As a matter of fact, the overwhelming majority of patrons frequenting SW Room were elite figures holding substantial wealth and elevated standing within society.
'What in the world is with this guy? Why is his suit so terribly wrinkled, and does he even have enough coin to be here in the first place?'
Kang Yu-jin had merely arrived straight from a local public sauna, paying virtually no heed to the state of his rumpled suit. After all, he was intending to strip out of the clothing shortly anyway, making any fuss over fabric entirely pointless in his eyes; he had always prioritized the cleanliness of his own flesh far above the presentation of his attire.
"Uh... are you Omu-han-ssi?"
Omu-han was the public alias Kim Jin-cheol consistently utilized, a necessary precaution given that SW Room provided illicit adult services and required meticulous discretion at every turn.
"Yes, that would be me. And you must be Kang Yu-jin... correct?"
"Yeah, that’s right. I'm looking to enter SW Room tonight, and I've already prepared twenty million won in cash right here."
Kang Yu-jin pulled a thick wad of currency bills from his coat pocket, displaying an amount that was undeniably substantial; however, in the discerning eyes of Kim Jin-cheol, nearly everything about the young man reeked of suspicion.
First and foremost, he had arrived completely alone.
While SW Room was willing to entertain common patrons provided they passed inspection, no customer ever arrived unaccompanied; pairs were exceedingly scarce, and groups of three or more were the universal standard.
'...What on earth is his angle? Why show up completely solo? Could he be an undercover journalist?'
Secondly, the demeanor he projected was entirely anomalous. Guests visiting SW Room typically radiated one of two distinct temperaments: overbearing arrogance or restless anxiety. Yet Kang Yu-jin displayed neither trait, exhibiting a detached nonchalance unlike anyone Kim Jin-cheol had ever handled before.
Thirdly, his youthful appearance made him look like a mere college student, whereas the regular clientele of SW Room were seasoned men well into their thirties and beyond.
Fourth, he possessed no vehicle, and fifth, he carried an enormous bundle of banknotes stuffed carelessly into his jacket pocket without so much as a proper wallet.
'......Could this lunatic be looking to squander his life savings on one last wild night before ending it all?'
Though an extreme assumption, the bizarre nature of the nightlife industry meant that unthinkable tragedies occurred on rare occasions.
"Um, Kang Yu-jin-ssi. Are your acquaintances perhaps waiting for you elsewhere?"
"I came here by myself."
His answer came with an edge of sharp, dismissive irritation.
That single remark was all the justification Kim Jin-cheol needed to make his decision.
"I must apologize, but SW Room strictly refuses to accommodate solo guests."
"What did you just say?"
Kim Jin-cheol flinched in surprise as Kang Yu-jin's expression transformed in the blink of an eye, the bored annoyance vanishing entirely to reveal a chilling, lethal glare that sent a cold shudder down his spine.
'Th-this bastard is genuinely dangerous!'
Kim Jin-cheol subtly took a backward step, discretely clenching his fist behind his hip—a prearranged silent signal to summon the enforcer stationed in the shadows.
"No solo guests? Are your eyes blind to the massive pile of cash resting in my hand right now? Why the hell are you pulling this nonsense after dragging me out here? Go fetch your boss right this second, you piece of trash."
Kang Yu-jin spat his words with venomous disregard.
"Haha, please calm yourself first..."
Right at that moment, the muscular enforcer Kim Jin-cheol had summoned stepped forward from the adjacent corridor.
"Fuck's sake, do you even know where you're standing, you little punk whose blood hasn't even dried from your skull yet..."
The newcomer was unmistakably a street gangster, sporting a severe buzz cut, a scarred and menacing visage, and an unbuttoned dress shirt that exposed his chest.
"And what sort of nuisance is this supposed to be now?"
Kang Yu-jin narrowed his eyes, glaring down at the advancing thug.
The gangster suddenly froze in his tracks, his belligerent expression draining of color before he promptly bent his entire upper body into a flawless, ninety-degree bow toward Kang Yu-jin.
"I beg your forgiveness, Hyungnim! I failed to recognize your face in the dark! The lighting was poor, so I had no idea it was you!"
"......Hyungnim?"
Kang Yu-jin muttered in sheer bewilderment, briefly questioning his own identity; while he was undeniably a genius hacker who dabbled in illicit underworld schemes, he was certainly not an organized mobster.
"Yes, Hyungnim! I received word regarding your identity directly from the organization's higher-ups!"
"......You're referring to Manager Park Chan-seong, aren't you? Tsk. Whatever the case, stop calling me Hyungnim."
"Th-then by what title should I address you?"
"Don't call me anything at all, you idiot."
Beads of cold sweat formed across Kim Jin-cheol’s forehead as he witnessed the exchange.
The enforcer before him was an active member of Tusung-pa, the dominant syndicate that ruled the entire Seoul underworld with an iron fist.
For a ruthless brute from the nation’s preeminent syndicate to bow subserviently on sight meant the customer was someone of terrifying stature.
'Wh-what kind of catastrophe have I brought upon myself?'
The patron he had dismissed as a strange oddity was actually a fearsome heavyweight capable of commanding deference from syndicates, leaving Kim Jin-cheol frantically scrambling for a way to save his own skin.
"So, when is that boss of yours arriving?"
"I-I was completely blind! I misjudged your esteemed presence, so please show mercy and forgive my insolence!"
Kim Jin-cheol dropped immediately to his knees, pressing his palms to the floor and ready to kowtow repeatedly if necessary.
"......Hah."
Kang Yu-jin let out an exasperated sigh at the pathetic display before cutting to the chase.
"......Omu-han-ssi. Where is the actual SW Room situated?"
"It is located right inside that building with the red sedan parked out front. I truly committed an unpardonable offense just now..."
"Spare me the excuses. I'm heading inside."
Kang Yu-jin turned on his heel and strode directly toward the designated building. Kim Jin-cheol waited until the man had completely vanished through the doorway before daring to stand back up, immediately turning an anxious gaze toward the gangster.
"Is that person... an executive within Tusung-pa?"
"No, he's definitely not an executive."
"Th-then what on earth is he...?"
"The bosses described him as a cold-blooded killer."
"A ki-killer?!!"
Kim Jin-cheol gasped in terror, his head darting around in panic before confirming that no bystanders were near enough to hear the disclosure.
He lowered his voice to a strained whisper.
"A-an actual assassin?"
"I don't know the full details, but the higher-ups circulated his photograph and warned us to be extraordinarily careful around him, claiming he's the kind of monster who executes people without batting an eye."
"G-good grief..."
"Right, and they mentioned he has a massive penchant for reserving rooms with women and that we should avoid interfering with him at all costs... Hey! Where do you think you're scurrying off to?!"
"I-I need to head inside and arrange complimentary VIP service immediately!"
Returning to Kang Yu-jin's apartment, I pulled out a chair and sat before the computer desk.
However, rather than booting up the machine right away, I grabbed a random scrap of paper lying on the desk and hastily scribbled a direct instruction before propping it up against the monitor.
[Target: 1 Billion Won! Earn it without fail!]
"Leaving this note should ensure that my avatar works diligently to bring in that fortune while I'm away, right?"
A broad grin of satisfaction spread across my face as I admired the note.
Reflecting upon the matter, it was an ingenious approach; after all, my initial intelligence stat being stuck at a miserable 1 made complete sense in retrospect.
"Intelligence simply measures academic competence, nothing more~"
No matter how many angles I considered, intelligence was merely a metric of one's ability to study. Throughout my life, academic pursuits had always been my greatest weakness, consistently placing me dead last in examination rankings.
Even whenever I attempted to buckle down and apply myself, my grades barely shifted upward. Mathematics was particularly hopeless; during my high school years, receiving a flat zero was a routine occurrence. It was genuinely baffling how someone could manage to guess incorrectly on every single multiple-choice question.
'My mother used to recount that I’d eagerly eat dropped cookie crumbs off the floor during my toddler years... but that was ancient history.'
Such childish antics had nothing to do with genuine cognitive capacity; after all, virtually every young child indulged in strange behaviors.
'My measured IQ was 90 back then, but that was only because I rushed through the exam without caring; had I put in genuine effort, scoring 100 would have been easy.'
In essence, the intelligence parameter likely governed things like mental calculation and analytical deductions. Since mathematics was an insurmountable wall for me, the low baseline was completely justified.
'Besides, what practical benefit does calculating numbers offer if one's physical body isn't primed for absolute pleasure?'
The conclusion was glaringly obvious: pouring my scarce points into the Libido attribute was vastly superior to wasting them on Intelligence.
'End Playful Life.'
Playful Life has concluded. Calculating accumulated experience. Kim Mi-ok's Bond Level has reached 1. Shin
Hye-jin's Bond Level has reached 2. Bond Level 2 Milestone: Acquired 1 bonus point. [......] Level up. Level up.
Successfully acquired 14 stat points.
Returning to reality, a broad smirk formed on my face as I promptly retrieved my smartphone from my pocket, having paused the progression of the 'Vampire Detective' scenario for the time being.
'Libido! Prioritizing Libido is the only path!'
Available Points: 17
A total of seventeen unallocated points.
While spending an entire week within the Playful Life realm might make that quantity appear somewhat modest, considering not even a fraction of a second had elapsed in the physical world, it was an overwhelmingly lucrative harvest.
Yet before I could celebrate further, my expression crumpled in sudden dismay.
"...What the fuck is this?"
Hoping it was merely a temporary glitch, I tapped on the Strength attribute to verify the cost.
My grip involuntarily tightened against the smartphone casing. Biting my lip in frustration, I redirected my attention toward Agility and raised it instead.
Available Points: 14
I had desperately prayed that the scaling would differ, but reality proved unforgiving.
Pushing any parameter beyond the baseline of 10 demanded double the investment, requiring two points per level; extrapolating from that trend, reaching level 20 would undoubtedly demand three or four points per increment.
'...Damn it all. The steep point requirements on higher skill tiers were a clear omen of this system mechanic.'
From a purely mechanical standpoint, the harsh scaling was understandable for the sake of balance.
After all, accumulating points was relatively effortless; merely experiencing the scenario yielded a steady influx, just as living through a single week had granted me fourteen points.
'......I must allocate every remaining point with utmost precision.'
Available Points: 4
Exercising immense discipline, I invested ten points to raise my Libido attribute by an additional five tiers.
'Since my ultimate ambition involves reveling alongside a dozen women simultaneously later on, maintaining this degree of sexual vitality is a non-negotiable requirement.'
That left precisely four unspent points in my reserve.
After weighing my options with intense deliberation, I resolved to invest the remainder into the Random Gacha feature.
'A four-draw streak! Let’s see what fortune brings!'
Soft Tissue
Sanitary paper boasting a texture as delicate as raw silk.
Spicy Cup Ramen
A serving of spicy instant ramen. Exquisitely flavorful.
Holy Water
Consume internally or apply externally to invite miraculous occurrences.
Potential Potion
Unlocks a dormant portion of your innate potential. May reveal unforeseen talents.
"Now this is far from a disappointing haul."
I had harbored anxieties that all four draws might yield utterly useless junk, yet securing both the Holy Water and the Potential Potion meant two solid successes out of four attempts. The Potential Potion in particular had my anticipation soaring.
"My dormant potential, is it...?"
First, I turned my attention toward the Holy Water. It materialized as an ordinary cylindrical glass vial holding roughly half a liter of clear liquid, devoid of ornate decorations.
'Should I consume it internally, or apply it externally?'
Without hesitation, I stripped off my garments and hurried into the adjacent bathroom, pouring the sanctified liquid generously across my groin and member. In appearance and consistency, it seemed virtually indistinguishable from regular tap water.
"Heh heh. Now I possess a genuinely consecrated weapon."
A faint, ethereal luminescence began shimmering across my flesh.
"Oh, incredible."
I marveled at the transformation, thoroughly impressed by the visible proof of its blessing. However, a sudden wave of apprehension quickly dampened my excitement; if my member radiated light like a glowstick, wouldn't women be utterly terrified upon seeing it?
"......Can this enchantment even be dispelled? It's not as though it's emitting dangerous radiation, right?"
Anxious for answers, I hastily checked the interface of the Playful Life application. Sure enough, my digital avatar’s groin was faintly glowing in identical fashion, accompanied by an active status notification appearing along the edge of the display.
"...Phew. So it’s merely a temporary buff lasting an hour. What a relief."
Reassured that the effect was transient, I strolled back into the bedroom, feeling the radiant weight swinging rhythmically between my thighs with every stride.
I reached for the Soft Tissue to dry the remaining moisture from my skin. The material was unimaginably gentle, possessing such velvety softness that distinguishing between the tissue and pristine silk proved nearly impossible. Indulging in such luxury could easily become addictive.
"Now then, it's finally time for the Potential Potion."
Uncorking the vial, I emptied the contents down my throat in rapid gulps.
It tasted entirely neutral, slipping down my esophagus like plain water.
I stood frozen in eager anticipation, waiting for profound cosmic shifts to awaken within my meridians or mind. Yet after a full minute passed without the faintest ripple of change, I anxiously brought up the application window to inspect my status.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me!"