Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Vampire Detective
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“What the hell is going on!”
The head of the Korean Black Cross Society, Lee Moon-hyun, bellowed at the executives gathered in the conference room.
The room fell deathly silent as Lee Moon-hyun, who usually resembled a mild-mannered neighbor, twisted his face in fury like a wrathful demon. The seven executives bowed their heads, avoiding his gaze.
“Investigator General Baek!”
“...Yes, sir.”
Investigator General Baek Ji-wook stepped forward.
The Korean Black Cross Society was divided into three departments: Support, Investigation, and Combat. Baek Ji-wook was the top official in the Investigation Department.
The Investigation Department handled vampire investigations—tracking down hidden vampires or probing incidents suspected to be vampire-related.
“You tell me! What the hell happened!”
Baek Ji-wook swallowed a sigh. The headquarters' atmosphere was grave. He couldn't afford any slip-ups.
He recalled the incident from two hours ago and opened his mouth.
“......Around 11:10 a.m. today, the headquarters' commuter bus suddenly accelerated and crashed into the entrance. Casualties: Hunter Park Ki-soo is dead, and Hunter Jo Joo-hyun is critically injured and remains in a coma. The cause of the sudden acceleration is still under investigat—.”
“...Investigator General Baek Ji-wook. Consider this a warning. If you're just going to spout that nonsense as a report, get out right now!”
“...My apologies. While nothing is confirmed, we've launched an investigation treating this as a vampire terror attack. The shuttle bus had no passengers. It appears a vampire progenitor used superpowers to orchestrate the bus attack.”
“Now that's more like it. It's up to you in Investigation to identify the progenitor... What’s their ability?”
“We're inferring psychokinesis.”
“Psychokinesis? Ridiculous! The bus didn't fly—it charged in! The wheels were turning. Psychokinesis? Are you messing with me?”
“There's a possibility they used psychokinesis for precise control of the bus's operation.”
“Fine, let's say that's true. But the bus slammed in at 300 km/h. Does that make any sense?! Like it was a KTX train!”
“......We'll investigate thoroughly.”
“How?”
“We'll recall 80% of investigators nationwide to root out every vampire hiding in Seoul.”
“Not enough. Pull in half the hunters scattered across the country too. And scour every CCTV nearby to find the bastard.”
Huff, huff. Lee Moon-hyun exhaled roughly. After venting his rage, his demonic expression softened slightly.
“......Combat Chief.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell the hunters to stay vigilant. If they dared hit headquarters openly, they won't hesitate elsewhere. Teams of three minimum for the time being.”
“Understood.”
“How's Jo Joo-hyun?”
“Surgery's underway. Doctors say success rate is under 30%.”
“......We'll have to pray. Assign hunter guards nearby. And Support Chief.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Contact the NIS for assistance. This is a vampire declaration of war on us, but from Korea's perspective, it's a terror attack by vampires—they'll step up.”
Lee Moon-hyun shot to his feet.
“I'm heading to the Blue House.”
He glared sharply at the gathered executives and continued.
“...This attack is unprecedented in Korean Black Cross Society history. You know it's an emergency without me saying it. Find and kill the bastard. If we look weak to those vampire scum, you know what'll happen to Korea... I trust you do.”
Lee Moon-hyun stormed out.
Due to an unexpected intervention that wasn't in the original plan, fate began to flow differently.
???
Moon Ji-hyuk scratched his head as he looked at the traffic department policewoman in front of him.
Officer Yang Jeong-min. With her neat hairstyle falling to her collarbone, she had a very kind face, and lately, he'd been running into her every day. It wasn't intentional. Pure coincidence. The problem was how frequently it happened—enough to wonder if it was fate.
“Mr. Moon Ji-hyuk. Why do you keep following me? Are you a stalker or something?”
“I'm the one who catches stalkers. I'm not following you—I'm here for work.”
“Work about what?”
“The major shuttle bus crash today.”
“Why that? Are you in charge of it?”
“No, not our case... Just something off about it. I saw the CCTV footage—the acceleration was too fast for a sudden surge. And it looked like no one was in the driver's seat...”
Online, it was buzzing as the “haunted bus.” A ghost with a grudge against the company possessed it and rammed the building... or so the rumors went.
This mystery had drawn public attention.
‘...Absurd, but since vampires exist in this world, ghosts aren't impossible. Plus, the station's treating the accident like it's hush-hush.’
It happened in his precinct, yet the station atmosphere was business as usual.
“Well... The traffic chief told us to stay out of it, so... we don't know much.”
“I see...”
Something was wrong.
Before, he'd have brushed it off as another department's issue, but now it felt dissonant.
‘Maybe the government has known about vampires for a long time. And if this was a vampire's doing...?’
Moon Ji-hyuk decided to investigate the incident personally in his spare time.
“Got it. I'll be going then.”
“Wait. Take this on your way. It's tasty.”
Yang Jeong-min approached. Her dizzying feminine scent hit his nose, startling him.
“Gasp!”
“...What's wrong? Don't like grape candy?”
“No, no. Thanks, I'll enjoy it.”
Moon Ji-hyuk hurriedly backed away from her.
‘...I'm losing it. Thinking her neck looks delicious... Really hits home that I'm a vampire now. Gotta turn human again soon.’
It was a urge blending lust and hunger.
Embarrassed by the sudden craving, Moon Ji-hyuk covered his face with his hand, then felt a chill and yanked it down.
Vampire body temperature was lower than human.
‘Creepy.’
???
I entered Yukseong-dong as evening darkness began to fall. This Seoul outskirts spot was a classic slum hill neighborhood—and the worst for public safety among them.
Endless adult entertainment spots lined the streets, plus hidden illegal brothels. Yukseong-dong was also crawling with gangsters and ethnic Koreans from China.
‘Brothels, huh... Maybe check one out.’
But I dismissed the thought. The entertainment joints here looked low-rent at a glance. Brothels wouldn't be different. Hunting hookers would just waste time and disappoint.
‘Better spend it elsewhere.’
I turned into an alley and spotted a shabby pawnshop. Junk-filled, with a sky-blue gate rusted badly. “Pawnshop” was scrawled crudely in red spray paint.
I pressed the intercom. A ding sounded, followed by an old man's voice.
“......Come in.”
I opened the gate. The yard was littered with odds and ends and a few container boxes. More junkyard than pawnshop.
I headed to a shack that looked ready to collapse. Inside was better than expected. True to its name, decent items were on display.
“You're here. Sit.”
A 60-something old man sat before a wooden table. Short, wrinkled face, but sharp eyes.
I glanced at the two pale-faced men flanking Kang Uk-seong. They glared, silently warning against funny business.
I walked to the table and sat opposite him.
“......Younger than I thought. How old?”
“21. The money?”
“Under the table.”
I peeked below. A box held stacks of 50,000-won bills.
“Exactly 400 million as agreed. Where's the list?”
I set my backpack on the table and dumped out the contents—zipped open, fake bank books and a USB spilled out.
“Launder the accounts, list's on the USB. Check it.”
Kang Uk-seong nodded to a subordinate, who plugged the USB into a laptop and verified.
The list checked out.
913 total Korean Black Cross Society members. 174 pro vampire hunters.
Names, addresses, phone numbers, combat records—all personal info.
‘...On second thought, this is worth over 3 billion.’
I shook off the regret. If I'd demanded 3 billion, he might not have bitten.
About 10 minutes later, the vampire reported to Kang Uk-seong.
“......List matches. More accurate than ours.”
Kang Uk-seong nodded.
“Take the money. The remaining 600 million in three days.”
“Oh, thanks.”
I neatly packed the bills into my backpack. That's why I got a sturdy 200,000-won one.
“How'd you get this?”
“What do hackers do? Hacked it.”
“...Think we didn't try? Black Cross uses country-specific networks. Can't hack without physical access.”
“Ways always exist. You just don't know them.”
“What way?”
“Trade secret. Figure it out. Plenty possibilities. Like... a Black Cross traitor working with me?”
The money was exactly 400 million.
I zipped the backpack and stood.
‘Got the cash—time for Yeonghyejeong. Gonna have a blast this time.’
A grin spread involuntarily.
‘Yeonghyejeong, here I come!!!’
I hurried to prepare to leave.
“Taker. Mind a question?”
“Sure. What?”
“Needing cash that urgently—what for?”
I smirked. Probably the coolest smile of my life, self-assessed.
“To become king.”
???
“That guy's... not normal. Better kill him now, thinking ahead?”
“......”
Kang Uk-seong pondered his quietly standing vampire subordinate's suggestion.
Dangerous.
He admitted it.
Whatever method, he brought the Black Cross list. If true hacking skill, even Kantura vampire org risked breach.
‘Lucky we're no friends with Black Cross.’
Meant potential ally still.
Many humans cooperated with Kantura despite not being vampires. Humans would ally with monsters for gain.
“...No. Taker's no enemy. More like, his skills are too valuable to kill. Steady trade's fine.”
“I'll tail him.”
“No tails. Didn't you see how he treated us? No ordinary guy. Walked in bold, knowing it could be a trap. He's hiding something. And...”
Kang Uk-seong replayed the memory.
Sung Yu-jin's voice, speech, expression, eyes. Piecing it together, one conclusion.
“He's crazy. Doesn't truly fear us. Seen that look before in a few.”
“......What do you mean?”
“Guys with those eyes are two types: psycho killers or monsters beyond us.”
Kang Uk-seong swallowed the rest. That his eyes resembled the boss's.
“Track all Black Cross on the list, monitor from afar. Tell the underlings: don't touch hunters.”
The man frowned slightly, displeased.
“Just leave the hunters be?”
“Clearing a hive needs proper gear. Especially hornets. Korea's Black Cross has the government behind it. Botch it, and we're the ones in danger. This ain't Africa or South America. Don't screw up rashly.”