Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Vampire Detective
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This was the current breakdown of my accumulated stats and unallocated points.
I hadn't spent a single bonus point on boosting these raw attributes; every single point increase had been earned through grueling, disciplined workouts in reality.
'My Strength has crept up a bit at least... though considering I've been grinding daily for nearly a month, the needle barely moved.'
At first, I was ecstatic upon realizing that stats could naturally increase through old-fashioned training without burning valuable system points. But as time went on, the harsh reality set in: pumping points directly into attributes was dozens of times faster and far less excruciating.
'Even so, I had a far higher priority than raw physical stats.'
I figured these baseline numbers were more than enough to hold my own inside the Vampire Detective world.
Where I’d poured all my genuine effort and points was my combat skill: the Yeongcheon Style.
Yeongcheon Style Lv. 5
You can execute the advanced sword techniques of the Yeongcheon Style.
My proficiency with the Yeongcheon Style had ascended into an entirely new realm. I was confident that as long as I kept my guard up, no E-rank Hunter—let alone anyone below that mark—could match me in pure close-quarters swordplay.
'I would love to push it even higher if I had the resources, though.'
Pushing the skill to level 5 had already demanded a steep thirty points, but unlocking the next threshold required more than double that investment.
'I'd have to grind through at least a full month of continuous operations in the Playful world just to scrape that amount together.'
Point rewards were calculated entirely based on how active I was during a scenario. If I sat on my hands and did nothing, the system paid out pennies; but the moment I made big moves, the yield jumped substantially.
'Then again, running around causing senseless mayhem doesn't guarantee a jackpot either... I still can't crack the exact scoring mechanism, and trying to overthink it just gives me a migraine.'
At the end of the day, all I really had to do was dive into the Playful world and live up to its namesake—indulge, mess around, and play hard.
'Four spare points... that's the perfect amount for a quick Random Gacha pull. Let’s see what I get!'
A pair of bright red socks, one extra inventory expansion slot, a silly clown mask, and a standard water balloon.
All things considered, I couldn't complain.
"Not bad at all. Extra inventory space is always a massive win in my book."
Glancing over the contents of my inventory, I gave an irritated click of my tongue.
Those three dead gangsters were still taking up space. Almost two months had slipped by inside the Playful world, and I’d completely spaced on disposing of their remains. Partying non-stop and sleeping around with beautiful women had been so distracting that the bodies slipped my mind entirely.
"Not like I had a discreet place to dump them anyway... I'll find a quiet spot and ditch them this time around."
***
The moment I logged into the Vampire Detective scenario, I quickly scoped out my surroundings. I was right back in the familiar motel room where I'd spent the afternoon tangled up with Hera.
Everything remained quiet and undisturbed. Pulling out my smartphone, I immediately opened the internet browser to scan the latest domestic headlines.
-Exclusive: Secret meeting four months ago between a sitting National Assembly member and a prominent Japanese upper house official! What was really discussed behind closed doors?
-Assemblyman Kim Pil-jung responds: 'I admit to meeting with Japanese officials, but the discussion revolved around the upcoming Olympic Games, not clandestine economic deals.'
-Treasonous dealings by a high-ranking politician: Trading national interests during the current diplomatic crisis?!
-The trail of corruption: At least 70 billion won in illicit profits skimmed by Assemblyman Kim Pil-jung and collaborating corporate conglomerates.
-Prosecution announces formal probe: 'We are actively investigating the allegations and will brief the public once substantial findings emerge.' But is the inquiry truly making headway?
-Public outrage boils over: Mass rallies erupt across Gwanghwamun demanding Assemblyman Kim's immediate arrest and resignation!
"It finally hit the news cycle."
Reporter Han Sung-woon had been sitting on that explosive scoop, likely squeezing every drop of leverage and political capital out of it behind the scenes before finally pulling the trigger.
None of this came as a surprise. I knew the timeline well, and the media was bound to feed on this scandal for days on end.
What truly caught my attention, however, were the disturbing crime reports buried beneath the loud political fallout.
-Darkness blankets Seoul: Over 30 bizarre homicides reported this month alone.
-Unsolved violence: Fatal stabbing reported in an urban park at dawn.
-Midnight gunfire echoes through the streets: What is the truth behind the rising night-time violence?
"The public safety in this city really is going down the drain. Even Madam Kim Mi-ok was complaining earlier about how many vampire hunters are flooding into Seoul lately."
Madam Kim and I had grown quite close. We met up on a regular basis to sleep together, and spending that much time between the sheets naturally built a casual familiarity between us.
Because of our comfortable rapport, she frequently dropped useful bits of street gossip my way, usually warning me to keep a low profile.
'Did ramming that shuttle bus into the front lobby of the Black Cross headquarters stir the hornet's nest a bit too much? It definitely feels like that stunt is the reason hunters from across the nation are swarming Seoul right now.'
Just as the news articles indicated, law and order across Seoul was unraveling fast. If ordinary civilians were starting to feel the tension, the underworld was feeling it tenfold.
'It's already forced at least three major luxury salons to shutter their doors over the past week.'
With things heating up, the smarter venues were temporarily closing shop to weather the storm. Luckily, every single one of the spots that shut down happened to be places I'd already visited and crossed off my list.
'Let’s see... I’ve already hit most of the top-tier Tenpro venues in Gangnam, so maybe it's time to check out the nightlife scene over in Incheon instead.'
Gangnam reigned supreme when it came to luxury parlors, but from what I’d heard on the grapevine, Incheon held its own respectable share of exclusive clubs.
'Before I plan any trips, though... I desperately need to refill my pockets.'
I had burned through roughly three billion won on sheer hedonism since starting this scenario.
Whenever my wallet ran thin, I’d typically broker stolen intelligence or shake down wealthy targets, but that well was running dangerously dry. As of right now, I had virtually no high-value leaks left on hand to sell.
Bzzz.
Right on cue, my smartphone buzzed against my palm, displaying an alert on the encrypted Taker messenger app.
'Wait, Moon Ji-hyuk? I handed him the dirt on that marriage scammer barely two weeks ago, and he's already reaching out again?'
That was unexpected. I figured he'd be too tied up with precinct work to contact me until at least next month.
"Well, well."
A smirk crept onto my face.
At this point in the narrative, Moon Ji-hyuk was making massive waves as an elite detective thanks to the heightened physical senses of his vampire body, all while secretly scouring every lead he could find to track down information on his condition.
'According to the original plot, it isn't until he chases a hit-and-run suspect out into the rural provinces that he stumbles upon a rogue vampire who teaches him how to control his powers—that's when the true dark fantasy plotline really kicks off.'
In other words, that fateful encounter hadn't occurred yet. If Moon Ji-hyuk already had a clear understanding of the vampire underworld, he wouldn't be messaging me out of the blue like this.
I chuckled quietly to myself. Moon Ji-hyuk’s response had taken roughly five full seconds to come through, completely giving away his inner panic.
'Having meta-knowledge of the plot is absolute god-tier. It really feels like I'm playing him like a fiddle.'
"Hmm..."
I leaned back against the headboard, weighing my options.
Moon Ji-hyuk was asking for everything in my head, and the real challenge was deciding just how much truth to feed him.
'Considering Seoul is crawling with bloodthirsty vampire hunters right now, I need to arm him with enough knowledge so he doesn't get himself killed like an idiot.'
I snorted at his blatant complaining.
He was whining about 1.5 million won being too expensive? That price was practically highway robbery in reverse; with how much protagonist discount I was giving him, I was practically donating state secrets out of charity.
'Then again, a detective's monthly salary isn't exactly groundbreaking.'
"Whew."
I slipped the smartphone back into my pocket, feeling satisfied with the exchange. Now Moon Ji-hyuk had obtained critical intelligence regarding the Black Cross Society much earlier than he had in the original timeline. I’d even armed him with the mercury mirror trick, which meant he would navigate his double life with far greater caution.
"Moon Ji-hyuk needs to stay alive and kicking at least until the 'Orb of Life' makes its official appearance. That way, I can swoop in and claim the prize while he keeps everyone distracted."
I pushed myself off the mattress and stretched my stiff limbs.
"Time to go make some real money."
If I couldn't rely on selling small-time intel anymore, that was completely fine—I could easily leverage my meta-knowledge of the story's hidden wealth to rake in a fortune.
Stepping out into the crisp evening air, I strolled across the motel parking lot toward a sleek black sedan parked in the corner. It was a vehicle I’d quietly lifted from the airport’s long-term parking lot a few days back, my facial features thoroughly concealed behind a thick neck warmer and a pulled-down beanie.
I took great care to stay out of the direct line of sight of neighboring dashcams; even if local patrols somehow traced the license plate, there wasn't a shred of physical evidence pointing to my true identity.
Hacking Successful
You have successfully seized control of the K19 vehicle for a duration of 3 minutes.
The car was a domestic K19 model, a standard sedan that suited my tastes quite nicely.
Through trial and error, I had discovered an incredibly useful quirk about my system: so long as I left an electronically hijacked vehicle powered on, the engine and essential systems remained running even after the three-minute hacking window expired.
The same logic applied to hotwiring cars. Once the hacking skill forced the ignition alive, the engine purred indefinitely by tricking the onboard computer into believing the smart key was resting safely inside the cabin.
"Driving like this genuinely feels like playing a video game."
Settling behind the wheel, I guided the sedan out of the stall without ever having to touch the steering wheel directly, letting my system input command the vehicle's trajectories effortlessly. It was absurdly convenient—all I had to do was mentally designate the speed and direction, and the car responded instantly without any fuss.
Still, to avoid looking like a phantom driver to passing patrol cars, I kept both hands casually resting on the leather wheel as I pulled onto the main road.
'I might not hold a valid driver's license in reality, but driving really isn't that complicated when you think about it.'
All it took was checking the rear-view mirrors, monitoring blind spots, and strictly adhering to the traffic lights.
Sure, you’d occasionally run into reckless idiots who loved tailgating your bumper or cutting across lanes without signaling, but giving them a royal middle finger out the window and ignoring their nonsense was more than enough to handle it.
'I should probably go through the motions and get a legitimate driver's license once I return to reality. Cruising around the city like this is surprisingly addictive.'
Thud!
Lost in my daydreaming, I took a tight turn into an alleyway and lightly scraped the sedan's side mirror against an unspotted utility pole.
"...Well, it's not like it's my car anyway."
I decided to stay positive and shrug it off.
'Guess I’ll be taking another trip out to the airport parking lot tomorrow.'