The Vampire Concert
The Sangam World Cup Stadium, usually a soccer arena, had transformed into a massive concert venue. A colossal stage had been erected over the grass where players usually sprinted and rolled soccer balls toward the goalposts. The spectator stands were packed so tightly that there wasn't an inch of space left. Every single gaze was fixed upon the stage.
There stood Lee Ji-hye, the nation's little sister, recognized by all in South Korea, now hailed as the "Solo Queen." Debuting at the age of 15 and now in her mid-twenties, her achievements were staggering. She held the record for the most number-one songs on the Banana Chart, had achieved 200 wins on music programs, and had been awarded the Order of Cultural Merit at the Popular Culture and Arts Awards—things that would be considered legendary if any other singer had achieved even one, yet she possessed them all.
"Everyone, thank you so much for being with me today!"
As her voice rang out, the cheers of the audience grew even louder. Soon, the instruments began to play, and her voice started weaving a harmony. The audience began to sing along in unison. One song, two songs, and then a few more followed.
"Everyone, thank you so much. The next song is 'Miracle'!"
Miracle was the song that had brought her to where she was today. It was just as the song reached its climax.
Koo-woong!
The lights and special equipment that had brilliantly decorated the stage went out all at once. The stadium was instantly swallowed by pitch-black darkness. A power outage? But Lee Ji-hye was a veteran singer. She had experienced this many times before. Moving in surprise at a blackout could lead to even greater danger. She stayed still. The audience did the same. They had been instructed beforehand not to panic in case of a power outage.
That was when it happened.
"Hello?"
Someone was whispering right into Lee Ji-hye's ear.
[This is a news flash. Around 9:00 PM today, an unbelievable incident occurred at the Sangam World Cup Stadium!]
The anchor's voice trembled.
[Entities presumed to be vampires have occupied the stadium. All exits are currently sealed, making entry impossible. We will now relay the situation inside the Sangam World Cup Stadium through drone footage we have secured.]
The screen switched. The interior of the stadium, captured by a high-resolution drone camera, was clearly visible.
[As you can see, the scene inside the stadium is unbelievable.]
The interior was horrific. The grass was soaked in blood. People could be seen lying on the ground, having been attacked. Judging by their lack of movement, they appeared to be dead. Furthermore, those who hadn't been attacked yet were fleeing in every direction. And those chasing them were...
[Viewers, what you are seeing now are the entities presumed to be vampires, as previously announced by the National Police Agency. Their movements are not those of ordinary humans.]
The vampires on screen moved at an unbelievable speed. Every time they moved, people fell. What was even more shocking was that the fallen people began to stand up one by one. They checked their own bodies and then moved with incredible speed. Then, just like the vampires that had been chasing them, they began to chase after the fleeing people, who were screaming in terror.
Even the anchor was speechless. A broadcasting accident occurred where the audio cut out during the broadcast, but no one noticed. It was just that shocking.
That was when it happened. One of the vampires, who had been watching the chaotic situation from the stage, looked up and stared directly at the drone. Not long after, the drone's screen shook, and it suddenly went black. The last thing captured was the image of a bat with glowing red eyes.
"So, it finally blew up in a big way."
Park Hae-soo, standing next to Cheon Yooshin, muttered with a bitter expression. The breaking news was playing on the TV. The vampires were now roaming about openly, as if they no longer intended to hide their existence. They had even reached the point where they didn't hesitate to appear on TV.
Meanwhile, the screen switched back to the anchor at the Sangam World Cup Stadium, but Yooshin's expression remained frozen, unable to relax. 'Wait, why is Jina there?' His younger sister, Cheon Jina. She had flashed across the camera footage just a moment ago. It was a quick glimpse, but Yooshin's dynamic vision had caught the scene clearly.
"Then I will report back to the Section Chief and the Minister. That our Hunter Department will wash our hands of this incident."
Yooshin said this to Park Hae-soo, who was turning his back to leave.
"Wait a second."
"Is there something else you'd like to say?"
"Let's go right now. To the Sangam World Cup Stadium."
At Yooshin's words, Park Hae-soo's eyes widened. That meant...!?
"Are you saying you intend to intervene?"
"My sister, who's like a wild colt, is there."
She should have been busy with the college entrance exams, so why on earth did she go there? She wasn't the type to like things like that. Regardless, he had to drag his heavy body there. Still, she was his only sister, wasn't she?
Bae Seong-woo was watching the horrific scene from the stage with languid eyes, as if contemplating it. Over 80% of the people gathered here had already transformed into vampires. However, the person he was looking for was not yet visible. She had to be here. He ordered the three vampires standing behind him.
"Find her immediately. Cheon Yooshin's sister is here. Bring her to me."
"Understood."
With a short reply, their figures soared high into the air. Bae Seong-woo's red eyes, which had been blankly watching the thousands of people, flashed.
"If I awaken everyone here into vampires, even Cheon Yooshin won't be able to handle it easily."
Cheon Yooshin's known abilities were truly staggering. He wanted to sink his teeth into Cheon Yooshin's neck right now, but he had to endure it. He couldn't do anything at Level 1. So, as soon as he awakened, he had focused entirely on going to remote areas overseas to level up. Thanks to that, his current level was 32. It was an incredible speed that would be impossible for an ordinary hunter, but the nature of being a vampire was truly amazing. Because 50% of the experience points from all the monsters his familiars hunted went to him. It was no exaggeration to call it a "cheat" trait in the eyes of others. Now, he had a sufficient chance of winning even if he clashed with that guy. Of course, he had to have insurance.
'First, I'll catch the woman who is his sister.'
That was when it happened. Kwa-ang! Bae Seong-woo's brow furrowed. Everyone here was a resource. 'I clearly told them not to damage their bodies, didn't I?' People who would turn into vampires and become his subordinates. That was why he had even instructed them to keep their bodies intact. But what on earth was that impact sound he just heard?
Bae Seong-woo's figure vanished. And where he reappeared, the three vampires who had just flown off under his orders were standing.
"What are you doing right now?"
The vampires trembled at Bae Seong-woo's voice.
"I-I'm sorry. But we can't get close because of that."
Bae Seong-woo turned his gaze to where the vampire was pointing.
'Found her.'
The woman who was Cheon Yooshin's sister. However, a hazy barrier was wrapping around her. '...A shield? She's clearly an ordinary person, not a hunter?'
Bae Seong-woo walked toward her, step by step.
"W-who are you?! Are you really a vampire or something?"
Cheon Jina, hiding her fear, barely managed to open her mouth from inside the shield. But Bae Seong-woo did not answer. He simply stroked the shield.
"How did you do it? You shouldn't be an Awakened."
"Hmph! Do you think I'd tell you!? Hurry up and turn everyone back to normal! If you don't, I'll tell my brother everything!"
In the meantime, Bae Seong-woo discovered the ring on Cheon Jina's finger.
"I guess that's it. The thing that created this shield."
"Forget it! Hurry up and let us go!"
Bae Seong-woo laughed as he watched her shout at him. A blood-red energy gathered in Bae Seong-woo's fist.
"Wh-what are you trying to do?"
Cheon Jina tried to step back, but the area behind her was already full of vampires. Cheon Jina felt like she was going to lose her mind. It was a situation she had only seen in zombie movies. Like a protagonist surrounded by zombies. But the situation was even more serious than that. Those things didn't even have reason. These things were glaring at her with glowing red eyes.
'I shouldn't have come!'
Regret was all she felt inside. The college entrance exam wasn't far off. So, she had been studying and studying, but a friend had said they got two concert tickets and begged her to go just once, so she had come. It was just her luck that this disaster had happened. Her friend had already disappeared. The only reason she was able to hold out was because of the ring her brother had given her. The Guardian's Ring. An item that activated a shield for 30 minutes, three times a day, if the wearer was in danger.
In the meantime, Bae Seong-woo struck the shield once more. The shield, which had been slightly distorted by his fist, restored itself to its original state. However, the color of the shield was a bit fainter than before.
"It's not an ordinary shield."
Bae Seong-woo stared at the ring on Cheon Jina's finger once again. If he had had an item like that, his family would have survived. Bae Seong-woo smirked. It was an absurd imagination. It was impossible for ordinary people like him at the time to possess such items. Not only did they not have the money, but such items would have had their owners decided the moment they appeared. Just like that woman.
Bae Seong-woo smirked and looked at the vampires.
"Now, make all the other humans your kin. I'll take care of this woman myself."
His hands began to turn blood-red.
"No, I'm telling you, just drop me off there!"
Yooshin said, sounding annoyed. But.
"That won't do. It's dangerous. You said your sister is there. That's all the more reason we need to be thoroughly prepared."
They were... even if they were vampires, those countless people were someone's head of the household, son, or daughter. They weren't classified as monsters yet. So, he couldn't just slaughter them all like monsters. If he killed them all like usual, there could be a flood of collective complaints. No, beyond complaints, there was a high possibility of a national-level lawsuit. This wasn't North Korea. So, he couldn't send the reckless Cheon Yooshin alone. He needed him. Even if he couldn't control Cheon Yooshin, he needed someone who could grasp the situation.
Yooshin said as he walked down the stairs.
"I'm telling you, my sister is there right now! You don't know what might happen if we're even a little late."
There was no time to leisurely gather them now.
"Even so, I'm telling you that you have to go together!"
This time, Team Leader Park Hae-soo didn't back down either.
"Ah, forget it! There's no time. How long are we supposed to wait?"
Cheon Yooshin, who had brushed past Park Hae-soo and exited the main gate at high speed, shut his mouth. More than five black vehicles were lined up. Yooshin's body was beyond human, no, beyond hunter level. His eyes could clearly see inside the cars, which were covered in dark tint. Hunters armed with hunter equipment were already sitting inside.
Park Hae-soo, who had followed him, gasped for air and said.
"There's no need to wait. They were already on standby."
Baek Woohyun, who had stepped out of the lead car, approached Yooshin quickly.
"Captain, are you really going to follow? I told you, they aren't monsters!"
Yooshin shook his head and said. Their appearance was unmistakably human. Furthermore, he couldn't kill them. Suppressing them was the guideline of the Hunter Management Department, no, the government. The difficulty level was double what it usually was. However.
"I know. Everyone is prepared. Besides, the issue is different this time. So it's right that we all participate."
Baek Woohyun expressed his opinion with a serious expression. 'Ugh...' He couldn't just beat them up and stop them from following. For now, speed was life.
"Alright. Then let's go quickly. Don't regret it even if you get hurt."
Baek Woohyun nodded.
"I won't regret it. Let's go quickly. They must be desperately waiting for a helping hand."
An expression full of conviction. Even the will to save them without fail. 'I like that.' After leaving North Korea, the Hunter Conquest Team 1 had gathered once again.