I Am Higher Than Your Superior's Superior!
Cheon Jin-ah’s breathing grew ragged. A shield shimmered around her body. ‘This is the last one.’ Despair flickered in her eyes. The shield could only be activated three times in total. However, the Bae Seong-woo standing before her had already shattered the two previous shields. The one that had just manifested was the end of the line.
“You’re quite tenacious.” Bae Seong-woo’s eyes were stained blood-red. “I wonder how much longer you can keep that shield running.”
A dark, blood-red energy swirled around his hands. The energy writhed as if it were a living creature. Cheon Jin-ah bit her lip. There was no one left alive in this stadium. Everyone else had turned into vampires with blood-red eyes, just like the man before her. There was nowhere to run, and no one to lean on.
‘Should I just die?’ She thought it might be better to die than to become one of those terrifying things.
Boom! Bae Seong-woo’s fist struck the shield, causing it to shake violently. At the same time, its color began to fade.
Boom! Boom! Boom! After a few more of Bae Seong-woo’s blows, the shield began to flicker. ‘I-it’s over….’ Cheon Jin-ah knew from her previous experience. A flickering shield meant the end.
“This is the last of it.” Bae Seong-woo’s voice was a mix of cold cruelty and anticipation. Time seemed to stop. To Cheon Jin-ah’s eyes, his fist began to move in slow motion as it flew toward the shield.
Kuaaaaang! The moment the fist and the shield collided, the shield exploded in a blinding flash of light. Cheon Jin-ah closed her eyes. The sound of the shield shattering rang loudly in her ears, and her body was sent flying backward.
‘It hurts….’ Falling onto the bare ground without any cushioning, Cheon Jin-ah felt the pain. Agony dominated her entire body. But there was nothing left to protect her. The last remaining shield had just shattered. Her consciousness began to fade.
Thud… Thud…. Bae Seong-woo’s footsteps could be heard in the distance, but even that sound grew fainter and fainter.
“What the hell are these bastards doing?”
Just then, right before Cheon Jin-ah lost consciousness completely, she thought she heard a familiar voice. ‘…Brother?’ But she couldn’t continue her train of thought. She had already passed out.
The area around the World Cup Stadium was under strict guard by military and police forces. They had set up barricades and were waiting with their fingers on the triggers, ready to fire at any moment. Amidst the heavy atmosphere, there were people running around busily and noisily. They were the broadcasting station crews beyond the perimeter set by the military and police.
The price of a filming drone used by broadcasting stations usually hovers around 30 million won. But those drones were being destroyed rapidly. Drone Operation Team Leader Seo Jun-ho wiped cold sweat from his brow and held his phone to his ear.
“Director, at this rate, all our drones are going to be wiped out. We’ve already lost ten. You know how much one of these costs, right?”
A deep, gravelly male voice came from the other end of the line.
-Whatever the cost, you cannot miss this scoop. Losing a few drones is nothing.
“But Director, even when we fly them, those swarms of bats are crushing them like toys. If we keep this up, we’re going to lose every single drone we have.”
-I’ll be the one to write the apology letter if I have to. So don’t worry about it. This is an order from the Director. Just keep sending them. It doesn’t matter if they get destroyed. Just make sure you get good footage of the inside of the stadium. If we fall behind the other stations, we’re finished. Do you understand?
Hoo…. After hanging up and letting out a sigh, Seo Jun-ho saw drones cutting through the darkness and flying toward the stadium. It wasn’t just the drones owned by his own station. Drones bearing the logos of other stations—small, medium, and large—were all flying toward the target. Everyone was desperate. Those working in the broadcasting industry knew instinctively: the moment they broke through the interference of the bat swarms and reported exclusively from inside the stadium, it would be the scoop of the century.
Just then, a staff member ran over.
“Team Leader! We succeeded!”
Seo Jun-ho’s eyes lit up. The hesitation from a moment ago was gone. Holding his walkie-talkie, Seo Jun-ho shouted.
“Get the reporter ready right now! Control room, start the live broadcast immediately! This is a race against time! The one who gets it out first is the winner takes all!”
The surrounding staff began to move in perfect order.
“Sound team, mic check! Lighting team, make sure the reporter is well-lit!”
The broadcast went live quickly. Reporter Kim Hae-soo stood in front of the camera.
“Countdown starts! 10, 9… Standby!”
Suddenly, everything went quiet.
“Viewers across the nation, this is an urgent breaking news report.” Kim Ji-yeon’s voice began to air on the broadcast. “Something unbelievable is happening at the stadium right now. We will now show you the footage captured exclusively by YPW News.”
TV screens across the nation began to show the interior of the World Cup Stadium. The drone’s camera scanned the entire stadium. At first, nothing seemed visible. But as the focus gradually sharpened, goosebumps rose along the spines of the viewers watching the news. Thousands of pairs of red eyes were staring at the drone in unison. A hideous, blood-stained smile hung on their lips.
“Haa….” Seo Jun-ho let out a groan. The vampires were standing in place as if they were fixed there. If they were normal people, they would have fled, but no one did. In other words, it meant everyone had become a vampire. The YPW website was almost paralyzed due to the overload. Comments were pouring in like a bomb because of the shocking footage.
Just then, the fingers of everyone writing comments stopped. The screen showing the inside of the stadium suddenly switched. To the outside of the stadium. A man appeared there. Behind him, hunters wearing the black uniforms that symbolized the Hunter Management Department also appeared. And the moment the broadcasting people flying the drones spotted Cheon Yushin walking toward them, they all stopped moving in unison. With his appearance, the air around them grew thick.
Cheon Yushin was walking along, his brow furrowed as if something displeased him. In an instant, all cameras focused on Cheon Yushin. Before long, Cheon Yushin stood before the barricade. Two soldiers behind the barricade looked at Cheon Yushin, hesitating. One of them, a sergeant, opened his mouth cautiously.
“U-uh, this is a restricted area. Please turn back.”
A small smile flickered on Cheon Yushin’s lips. As he took a step toward the barricade….
“Stop! If you move, we’ll shoot!”
The sergeant aimed his rifle at Yushin, and the private next to him hurriedly aimed his rifle as well. Although he had shouted it out by the book, his fingers were trembling. Then, the barrels of their rifles began to shake like aspen leaves.
Just then, a soldier who had rushed out of the barracks ran toward Yushin at high speed. Kim Hyun-sung, the owner of the three diamonds on his combat cap, opened his mouth.
“We haven’t received permission for Mr. Cheon Yushin’s entry yet. Therefore, you cannot enter.”
“I have to go in.”
He looked at Kim Hyun-sung once and then at the sealed iron gate. He could feel it. Countless energies. Most were weak, but one presence he felt was making his blood boil.
Watching Cheon Yushin, who wouldn’t listen to reason, Kim Hyun-sung swallowed hard. ‘This is crazy! What the hell am I supposed to do?!’ There was still no answer from above. From the moment he appeared, he had radioed his superiors requesting entry, but the superiors who had been chattering noisily until just a moment ago had sealed their lips. It was obvious they were asking their own superiors again. But with Cheon Yushin right in front of him demanding to enter, Kim Hyun-sung, a mere captain, felt like he was going to lose his mind.
That was when it happened. Team Leader Park Hae-soo, who had appeared late, stood beside Cheon Yushin. And then.
“Let us in quickly. We’re people like this.”
Park Hae-soo shoved his Hunter Management Department badge in front of Kim Hyun-sung’s face. However.
“That’s not possible. You know how it is. We haven’t received permission from above.”
“Is that procedure important right now?”
“I have no choice.”
At the stubborn captain’s response, Park Hae-soo shook his head and pulled out his phone.
“I don’t usually like to use this.”
Park Hae-soo muttered, and once he confirmed the call was connected, he opened his mouth.
“Please let us in here. The military is blocking our entry. Ah, just a moment.”
Park Hae-soo handed the phone to the captain. The captain looked at him with a look that asked what this was, but Park Hae-soo ignored him and eventually forced it into his hand.
“C-communications security?”
-This is Han Cheol-soo.
“Who is that?”
-Minister of National Defense, Han Cheol-soo.
At the words "Minister of National Defense," Kim Hyun-sung’s face turned deathly pale.
“L-loyalty!”
-Never mind the salute, let the Hunter Management Department inside. Right now.
“B-but….”
-What do you mean "but"? Let them in immediately. I am the Minister of National Defense.
“I haven’t received orders from my direct superior, the battalion commander yet….”
Then, a string of profanities erupted from the other side of the phone.
-Are you crazy? I am higher than your superior’s superior! Where are you looking for a direct superior! Open it right now!
“L-loyalty!”
Kim Hyun-sung, who had hung up the phone, said with a deathly pale face.
“Open the barricade immediately!”
The soldiers and officers who had gathered around looked on in surprise. One of his fellow officers opened his mouth.
“Hey, Captain Kim! Don’t you know we haven’t received permission yet?”
“The Minister of National Defense gave the order himself!” Kim Hyun-sung’s voice was filled with strength. “Permission has been granted, so open it immediately!”
The barricades were cleared in an instant. Park Hae-soo turned his gaze to Yushin.
“Let’s go in now.”
“Team Leader, you stay here.”
Park Hae-soo’s eyes widened as if asking what he meant.
“Of course. I don’t want to become a vampire either. Please, go safely. Mr. Yushin.”
At that, Yushin chuckled and nodded. Baek Woohyun and Yoon Heewon began to walk side-by-side on either side of Yushin as he moved forward.
“You’ll have to be careful. There are quite a lot of energies felt inside.”
At Yushin’s words.
“Hmph! You don’t know how strong we’ve become in the meantime, do you? Don’t worry. We don’t go around getting beaten up anywhere anymore!” Yoon Heewon pouted her lips, but she held several throwing knives in her hands.
“They are people who haven’t been vampires for long. Their basic stats might rival or exceed those of hunters, but it won’t be easy for them to beat experienced hunters.” Baek Woohyun said in a low voice.
Just then, Yushin stopped walking abruptly. At the same time, his expression crumpled.
“This won’t do.”
Yushin had already expanded his domain into the stadium. He realized that the shield protecting his younger sister was on the verge of shattering. Under the questioning gazes of the hunters who had followed him, Yushin said.
“I’ll go play first, so you guys come in slowly.”
Cheon Yushin kicked off the ground and soared high into the sky. Seeing Cheon Yushin’s figure turn into a dot in an instant, Yoon Heewon frowned.
“Wow, damn it! I wish I had that kind of ability too.”
Joo Jowoon, who was following from behind, said with an envious gaze.
“As expected, Brother is a god!”
Under everyone’s gaze, Cheon Yushin disappeared.