Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Vampire Detective
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After the Halloween cruise ship incident, the influence of the Korean Black Cross Society had plummeted to rock bottom.
Up until then, the Korean Black Cross Society had received the consideration and support of the South Korean government. This was because the Black Cross Society enjoyed the backing of the United Nations under the banner of hunting vampires for the sake of humanity.
In fact, the Korean Black Cross Society had racked up no small number of achievements. They had steadily hunted the vampires lurking in Korea for a long time, safeguarding the nation's nights. That is, until recently.
'......This time, trust in the Korean Black Cross Society has completely collapsed.'
Headquarters Director Lee Mun-hyun gritted his teeth. Previously, he could contact the president directly. But now, he had to go through the Blue House Chief of Staff to reach him. Just this change alone made the decline in the Korean Black Cross Society's influence painfully clear.
The Korean government was currently deeply troubled over Red Light. Red Light had to be eliminated somehow. He was extremely dangerous, disrupting the laws and order of existing society.
The problem was how to kill Red Light. The Black Cross Society, experts in vampire hunting, had failed. Moreover, this incident had made it clear that the police alone couldn't capture him.
That said, they couldn't mobilize the military just to catch one Red Light. The South Korean public would react sensitively to any movement by the national armed forces. Besides, deploying the military for a single Red Light would be a humiliation and an insult to the nation.
'The Korean government can't act aggressively. At best, they'll just move the police.'
This was because public opinion in South Korea supported Red Light.
Red Light was a dark hero with superpowers.
This was the image of Red Light that the public held nowadays. Of course, there were plenty who condemned him. It was true that a vampire hunter posing as a police special forces unit had been wiped out by Red Light. However, the fervent support from young people buried their criticisms.
At the same time, the Halloween cruise ship incident had highlighted the police's incompetence.
The fact that they hadn't even noticed a Chinese human trafficking ring operating openly in Korea, let alone investigate it.
The distrust toward the police, built up from issues like Kim Chun-seok's sex services scandal involving high-ranking officers, had exploded all at once.
'The Black Cross Societies in the UK and US refused our request for support.'
The official reason was that they needed to deal with vampires in their own countries.
'......They know it too. That Red Light is different from ordinary vampire progenitors.'
They knew Red Light's danger. Sending amateur vampire hunters wouldn't even be a match for him.
'In the end, it's someone else's problem. Damn bastards.'
Red Light only operated in Korea. There was no sign of him heading to another country. Ultimately, the foreign Black Cross Societies had decided to leave him alone.
'Even contacting Black Cross headquarters is the same.'
All they got back was that they lacked the resources to help.
'Did they think Red Light would stay in Korea forever? Idiots.'
Lee Mun-hyun walked along the mountain path, struggling to maintain his composure. The person he was about to meet was one he deeply revered. No matter how bad the situation, he didn't want to show a pathetic side to him.
At the end of the mountain path stood a temple.
Hudan Temple.
It was a temple hidden deep in a mountain in Gangwon Province. However, there were no monks here. The last one had passed away ten years ago. Currently living in this temple was the monk's master and close friend, a man.
Lee Mun-hyun swallowed once and stepped into Hudan Temple.
'...Every time I come here, it feels like entering another world.'
Hudan Temple was silent. Not even the sound of crickets could be heard. Only the moonlight from the sky illuminated the temple's interior. At a glance, it looked like an abandoned ruin.
Lee Mun-hyun paused for a moment before heading not to the house, but to the garden. There was a pavilion there.
Atop the weathered pavilion sat a man who appeared to be in his early to mid-twenties, quietly seated. Dressed in a black hanbok, the man simply stared blankly into space. Beside him lay a curved sword in its scabbard.
Lee Mun-hyun deliberately made some noise as he approached the pavilion where the man sat.
"It's been a long time, Elder Baek."
Baek Sang-gi slowly turned his head toward Lee Mun-hyun. Lee Mun-hyun quickly bowed his head to avoid his eyes.
Lee Mun-hyun had always felt a chill whenever he met Baek Sang-gi's gaze. His eyes seemed not human, but something else's.
"It's you, Mun-hyun. Long time no see. You've aged. How many years has it been?"
"Eight years, Elder Baek."
"...Hm. Already eight years? Doing nothing makes time slip by unnoticed."
Baek Sang-gi's tone was gentle. But listening closely, it was utterly flat and emotionless.
Baek Sang-gi.
A man who had lived for 300 years.
Having accidentally consumed the Orb of Life 300 years ago, he hadn't aged and had lived to this day. Called an exorcist or immortal, he was a legendary vampire hunter who had slain every vampire he encountered during the Joseon era.
However, he had retired 30 years ago and secluded himself in the mountains.
Lee Mun-hyun couldn't fathom what he was thinking. Or rather, could a human who had lived 300 years even be called human?
"......We need your help, Elder."
"My help? If it's vampire hunting, you all handle it well enough. No need for me to step in."
"......The Korean vampire hunters have been wiped out."
"Wiped out? That's surprising news."
Baek Sang-gi's voice remained unchanged.
Was he really surprised? Lee Mun-hyun pushed aside the doubt that arose.
"It's a vampire progenitor called Red Light. We couldn't handle just that one. We need your help, Elder."
"Wouldn't it be better to ask the court... no, the government?"
"Relations between the South Korean government and the Black Cross Society have broken down. The foreign Black Cross Societies lack the resources to help. You're all we have left."
"......That Red Light, that true blood ghost, must be no ordinary foe."
"If you don't step in, Elder... He'll dominate Seoul... no, Korea's nights. We must hunt him down as soon as possible."
"......"
Baek Sang-gi gazed at the night sky, lost in thought for a moment before speaking.
"What kind of guy is this Red Light?"
"We have footage. Please watch it and judge for yourself."
Lee Mun-hyun pulled out his smartphone, played the video, and handed it over. These were videos he had watched endlessly while researching Red Light.
Baek Sang-gi took the smartphone with awkward movements. He owned one as a gift, but even after years, he wasn't used to it and rarely used it.
"Hoo."
As he watched Red Light's combat footage, light flickered in Baek Sang-gi's eyes. Unlike the empty gaze from before, these were human eyes.
"This guy's name is Red Light? Interesting fellow. Never mind the ridiculous clown mask... His swordsmanship is no joke."
"His superpowers are bizarre too. We suspect he's the first progenitor with two or more abilities."
"Is that so?"
Baek Sang-gi replied offhandedly. He was engrossed in the footage.
"......Any other videos?"
"Yes."
"Show me. You've piqued my interest in him."
Lee Mun-hyun played the videos as requested. Baek Sang-gi taking interest was good news for him.
"Using a sword instead of a gun in this era... I want to cross blades with him once."
Baek Sang-gi asked Lee Mun-hyun to rewind Red Light's combat videos several times.
Eventually, Baek Sang-gi asked with a hint of doubt.
"Is this guy really a true blood ghost?"
"Pardon?"
"I've slain thousands of vampires in my time. Most prefer fighting styles relying on their superior physical abilities. But this one is different. His physical prowess is excellent, but he relies on technique, not brute strength. He fights like a human."
"Isn't that... just his preference?"
"Could be. However... I've seen the swordsmanship Red Light uses. Or rather, something similar."
"We investigated his swordsmanship too, but couldn't identify it."
The Korean Black Cross Society had thoroughly investigated Red Light. From the origin of his clown mask, his clothes, to his swordsmanship.
No leads. They couldn't even tell who made the clown mask, the brand of his clothes didn't exist, and no one in Korea, China, or Japan recognized the swordsmanship.
"That figures. It's a forgotten art now. Mun-hyun, do you know of the Sword Covenant?"
"......A Joseon-era martial group? I know they were vampire hunters on the side. In a way, precursors to our Korean Black Cross Society."
Sword Covenant. A Joseon-era martial organization. Records didn't paint them in a good light.
"Yes. I was once part of the Sword Covenant. I had the chance to witness the techniques of some executives. I thought the lineage had died out completely... but it survived."
"...No way. Red Light's swordsmanship is from the Sword Covenant?"
Baek Sang-gi nodded.
"Not exactly the same. It's probably been refined over time."
A smile crept onto Baek Sang-gi's lips.
"The Sword Covenant's Killing Blade... It's been decades since my blood last boiled like this."
"Killing Blade..."
"Our original swordsmanship encompasses combat, self-defense, philosophy, and mind-body training. But the Killing Blade exists solely to kill. Its principle is efficient slaughter."
"......How does it compare to your swordsmanship, Elder?"
"It's the polar opposite of my Nature and Principle Sword. Mun-hyun, you can't judge superior sword arts until they clash. I don't think I'd win easily. My own technique... stopped evolving the moment my aging halted."
Lee Mun-hyun knelt before him and bowed his head. The cold earth chilled his knees.
"Please help us, Elder. No one but you can stop Red Light."
"Very well."
Baek Sang-gi replied crisply. Lee Mun-hyun was taken aback by the straightforward answer, beyond his expectations.
"I was going to refuse until you showed me his footage. But seeing his swordsmanship changed my mind. I have to stop him. No one else can. For the future generation... no, honestly, for my own end. I'll kill him."
"Your end...?"
"After I kill him, I'll die too. I'm glad to have found a place to die."
Lee Mun-hyun and Baek Sang-gi's eyes met in the air.
Lee Mun-hyun felt chills run down his spine.
"Mun-hyun. Immortality is no blessing."
In the meantime, I had been quietly monitoring the broker Kang Wook-seong. I even used the hidden cameras and bugs I'd salvaged from the Code: XTK world.
'These aren't easy to detect with modern tech.'
Kang Wook-seong belonged to the vampire organization Kantra.
And the one bringing the Flower of Life to Korea was a Kantra executive.
There was a connection, so they'd be in contact. In fact, the original drama casually mentioned that the Kantra executive had met Kang Wook-seong.
I'd been meeting Kang Wook-seong regularly lately.
Under the excuse of collecting money laundering fees and payment for the art sales I'd requested earlier. My real goal was to monitor him and hack his smartphone.
'Haha. Bingo!'
My efforts paid off, and I got the info I wanted.
November 21st.
The day Kantra executive Doris Ziegler would sneak into Korea. She planned to come from Japan by boat to Busan.
'As expected, faster than in the original.'
In the original, she entered Korea after December.
I hadn't trusted the original plot and monitored Kang Wook-seong myself because events had already diverged.
'The Korean vampire hunters... the Korean Black Cross Society suffered near annihilation. If she's coming to Korea, now's the perfect time.'
I chuckled to myself.