Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Vampire Detective
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A suite room in a luxury hotel somewhere in Seoul.
Baek Sang-gi sat in a chair, sipping green tea as he gazed down at Seoul. He almost always took in the scenery of the world. There was no particular reason for it. It was simply his habit, his routine.
"Is everything to your liking, sir?"
Lee Moon-hyun asked from behind him. Lee Moon-hyun had taken it upon himself to attend to Baek Sang-gi.
Care or surveillance. It made no difference to Baek Sang-gi either way.
"The food was excellent, and the bed was warm. How could there be any discomfort?"
"I'm glad you're pleased."
"Yes. This view in particular catches my eye. Seoul has developed dazzlingly in the short time since I was last here. My memories still vividly hold the Hanyang of 300 years ago."
Baek Sang-gi stroked his chin. It was a habit he had whenever he reminisced about the old days.
He had grown accustomed to the absence of a beard, yet he still felt a twinge of regret.
Aging had stopped, but hair and nails continued to grow. Up until 30 years ago, he had kept a beard. He had shaved it off upon realizing how much Korea had changed. These days, it was rare to see anyone on the peninsula sporting facial hair.
"Have you found Jeokgwang?"
"......I'm sorry. We haven't."
"I'm not blaming you. He's no ordinary foe—he can even turn invisible. Tracking him down isn't easy. Time holds no meaning for me anyway. We'll wait patiently until Jeokgwang shows himself."
"We'll devote all our efforts to finding him."
Baek Sang-gi simply brought his teacup to his lips. Lee Moon-hyun's eyes burned with hatred and rage. It was clear he wouldn't heed any advice to take it slow.
Silence filled the room. Baek Sang-gi continued sipping his tea, staring out the window.
Lee Moon-hyun was the one who felt the awkwardness. He rolled his eyes for a moment before speaking up.
"Elder. This morning, we received word that a foreign vampire had entered Busan."
"Busan, eh. They haven't slacked on surveillance, I see."
"Yes. While searching for Jeokgwang, we're maintaining a minimal watch network."
"Good. ......Hm? You said a foreign vampire?"
"Yes. We're investigating his identity. An agent is quietly tailing him. As a professional, he won't be spotted."
Baek Sang-gi set down his teacup.
"......He's likely a Kantara executive. Ah, so it's been 300 years already. That time has come."
"Pardon?"
"Have you heard of the Orb of Life?"
Lee Moon-hyun nodded at the question. He had heard about it in his youth from his benefactor, the previous head of the Korean Black Cross Society.
"The Fruit of Immortality, they call it. And I know you consumed the Orb of Life, sir."
"Indeed. By eating the Orb of Life, I gained physical abilities rivaling a vampire's and ceased to age. What exactly do you know about it?"
"Humans who consume it gain immortality and superhuman physical prowess. Vampires revert to humans, and purebloods grow stronger in their abilities."
"You know most of it. Then, do you know what happens if one consumes multiple Orbs of Life?"
"......No, I don't."
Lee Moon-hyun answered honestly. The Orb of Life was incredibly rare even to obtain one. Consuming multiples? He'd never heard of such a thing.
"For humans, the second one and beyond have no effect. Trust me—I speak from experience. A vampire would become human, then superhuman. The issue lies with the purebloods. They grow stronger with each Orb they consume."
"What? Is that true? So if they have enough Orbs of Life, they could grow infinitely stronger...?"
"In theory, yes. But there aren't many Seeds of Life left in the world."
"Seeds of Life?"
"Long ago, a pureblood created them using supernatural powers. Nurtured properly, a Seed of Life blooms into the Flower of Life, which bears Orbs of Life."
Lee Moon-hyun's eyes widened. It was the first time he'd heard this in all his years.
Baek Sang-gi rose from his seat.
"300 years ago, three purebloods came and planted the Flower of Life to siphon the peninsula's vital energy, producing Orbs of Life. One flower bore a total of four orbs. No matter how I look at it, those purebloods are far too dangerous with Orbs of Life. Moon-hyun, we must head to Seoraksan."
"...Yes. I'll prepare the car right away."
???
I considered the possibility that Moon Ji-hyuk might obtain the Orb of Life.
I'll handle it personally, so it shouldn't happen... but given the original story, I can't dismiss it entirely.
There was only one Orb of Life. If Moon Ji-hyuk got to it first and devoured it outright, everything could go wrong.
I need to control Moon Ji-hyuk completely. To do that......
I picked up my smartphone. For the current Moon Ji-hyuk, there was something more precious than his own life.
Taker - Hello. Yang Jeong-min.
I waited quietly for a reply. It was a weekday; Yang Jeong-min would be at work.
Yang Jeong-min - Who is this?
Taker - Taker. You could call me Moon the detective's colleague.
Yang Jeong-min - You're Ji-hyuk's informant, then.
She already knew about me. That surprised me a bit. Had Moon Ji-hyuk mentioned me? No, he wasn't the type. Given Yang Jeong-min's personality, she wouldn't have investigated his background either.
That left only one possibility...
Moon Ji-hyuk, you bastard... Can't you manage your phone properly?
Yang Jeong-min - You're contacting me... Is something wrong?
Taker - Moon the detective is in danger.
Yang Jeong-min - Are you with Ji-hyuk right now?!
Taker - Moon the detective is still safe. So please calm down first. Stay level-headed and read my messages.
Yang Jeong-min - ...Okay.
Taker - Moon the detective is trying to become human again this time.
I explained the Orb of Life to Yang Jeong-min, along with Doris and the vampires.
Yang Jeong-min - Ji-hyuk is attempting something like that...
Taker - Moon the detective is obsessed with becoming human again. In my opinion, you're the reason, Yang Jeong-min.
Yang Jeong-min - ...Should I try to stop Ji-hyuk?
Yang Jeong-min - Yeah, I should stop him.
"No. That won't do. Absolutely not."
Startled, I hurriedly typed a message to her.
Taker - Even if you try to stop him, Moon the detective will head to Seoraksan anyway. That's who he is.
Yang Jeong-min - Yes. Ji-hyuk is that kind of person. So what should I do?
Taker - Help Moon the detective a little, Yang Jeong-min. I'll head to Seoraksan too to assist him. The only people he trusts are me and you.
In the original drama, Moon Ji-hyuk was aided by his fellow detectives. But now, his department colleagues weren't as close as in the story, and trust was lacking.
Yang Jeong-min - Got it. I'll go right now.
Yang Jeong-min - I won't tell Ji-hyuk...
Fortunately, Yang Jeong-min wasn't a complete fool. If she'd contacted Moon Ji-hyuk, I'd have been in trouble.
Taker - I'll send you the location. Once at Seoraksan, stick with me. It's safer that way.
Yang Jeong-min - Yes. Thank you for telling me. It's a relief Ji-hyuk has a friend like you.
Taker - Friend might be a bit of a stretch... but somehow, I've grown attached to Moon the detective without realizing it.
I chuckled softly.
Friend, my ass. Well, messing with him has been fun.
???
At the base of Seoraksan.
A black sedan pulled to a stop. The doors opened, and four men piled out.
"Mr. Ziegler. Are you sure you'll be all right alone?"
Kang Wook-seong asked Doris politely.
"It's fine, Mr. Kang. The task the boss entrusted to me is of utmost importance."
"May I ask what that task entails?"
Doris's gentle gaze sharpened.
Kang Wook-seong's face stiffened. He had misjudged. He'd thought a courteous man like Doris wouldn't mind such a question.
"S-Sorry. I overstepped."
"No, it's all right. I overreacted a bit myself. My apologies."
"Not at all."
"Mr. Kang, this mission requires absolute secrecy. Forget everything you've seen today. Your duties end here. Return to your original posts."
"...Understood. But there was a tail on you earlier today. The Black Cross might interfere."
"I know. But the Korean Black Cross is powerless now. Lucky break. I'd love to recruit that Jeokgwang fellow. Any info on him?"
"None. Jeokgwang moves meticulously, leaving no traces."
"A pity. Well, I'll be off then. I'll return alone."
"Yes. Take care."
"You too."
Doris moved. With a light push off the ground, he leaped nearly 2 meters high and began scaling the mountain. He unleashed the full might of a vampire pureblood's physical prowess.
Doris vanished from Kang Wook-seong's sight in an instant.
That's executive-level power... They said he's top-tier among purebloods. Not wrong.
Kang Wook-seong admired silently. He'd conversed or met executives a few times before, but this was his first glimpse of their true ability.
"Our job's done. Let's head back."
Kang Wook-seong said as he got back into the car.
???
This way, I suppose.
As Doris raced up Seoraksan, he occasionally pulled out the map he'd prepared to check his direction.
Doris's mission was to plant the Flower of Life at the designated spot, allowing it to absorb the peninsula's vital energy and bear its orbs. The Flower could produce up to four orbs, and at this time, the peninsula's energy would suffice for all four.
Orbs of Life. Ah... How I've longed for this.
Doris planned to consume all four Orbs of Life. He already had the boss's permission. The boss intended to bolster his own teleportation ability.
Eating the Orbs will extend my lifespan too. Ah! What a joyous day!
According to the boss, one Orb extended a pureblood's life by 15 years. Four would grant a full 60.
Doris had originally planned to enter Korea in December. That is, if the vampire hunters hadn't been nearly wiped out. He would have proceeded cautiously, wary of the Korean Black Cross.
Korea was now relatively safe for vampires. No need to watch for hunters, so he could act boldly.
Here.
After over an hour of running, Doris reached his destination. A clearing with no trees, where the moon shone brightly.
He opened his briefcase and took out the Flower of Life. It resembled a 20cm sunflower. Doris carefully planted it in the clearing's soil.
...Whew. Tense business.
A soft glow emanated from the properly planted flower, proof it was absorbing vital energy.
Good. It's set.
He gazed at the Flower of Life with affection. It looked like a sunflower, yet paradoxically, the faint glow on its petals mimicked moonlight.
Two hours from now! The longest two hours of my life.
If it absorbed the energy properly, it would bear an Orb every 30 minutes. Once four Orbs formed, the flower would wither. Uprooting it prematurely would have the same effect.
Thus, he had to guard it against wind or beasts.
How beautiful...
Doris stared blankly at the Flower of Life. Time seemed to crawl by.
30 minutes passed.
A small Orb of Life formed at the flower's center.
The Orb shimmered with iridescent light. More gem than fruit. Doris thought of opal unbidden.
...What a foolish notion. The Orb of Life is infinitely more beautiful than any opal...
Doris swallowed hard. He wanted to pop it into his mouth right then. The boss had said it would melt on the tongue, absorbing instantly.
Must endure.
Plucking it now would wither the flower. A little patience would yield three more.
He wouldn't be so stupid as to sacrifice greater gains for immediate temptation.
Rustle!
A sound caught his ear. Startled from his daze, Doris leaped up and shouted.
"Who's there!"
Bang!
The response was a silver bullet. Shocked, Doris instinctively teleported behind a nearby tree.
Peering around the trunk, he saw where the shot had come from.
A man holding a revolver.
It was Moon Ji-hyuk.