Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Vampire Hunt
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The small parking lot behind the club.
Ian smoked a cigarette in the smoking area next to the parking lot as he gazed up at the moon hanging in the sky.
It wasn't that he was lost in sentiment. The moon had been high in the sky for quite some time now, but the vampire hunters still hadn't appeared.
“……Hoo.”
He exhaled a plume of cigarette smoke and pulled out his phone to check the message.
The location was spot on. A fairly large club in southern Gyeonggi Province. It had high entry standards, making it famous among club regulars as a great spot but a picky one.
Ian had never set foot in a club, so he had no idea how the industry really operated, but he didn't assume it was squeaky clean either. If it were, vampires wouldn't have snuck in here to begin with.
Anyway.
He had arrived at the meeting spot about ten minutes ago, and exactly five minutes remained until the appointed time. They were overdue to show by now, but there was still no sign of the hunters.
‘No way they bailed.’
The thought crossed his mind for a moment, but Ian shook his head inwardly.
These were people who went by the name of vampire hunters. No matter what, they wouldn't be idiots enough to flee with vampires right in front of them.
The Cartel had vouched for them, so they had to have at least some reliability.
‘If they don't show, I'll just head in alone.’
The reward was a whopping 7 million won. It was too good an opportunity to pass up.
It was right then, as Ian lowered his head to stub out his cigarette, that the smoking room door suddenly burst open. Two men wearing hats pulled low over their faces stepped inside.
“…….”
“…….”
An awkward silence hung in the smoking room.
The two men stared piercingly at Ian for a moment before one pulled a cigar from his pocket. He expertly clipped the end and lit it up.
“Sip…… Hoo…….”
Thick smoke billowed from their mouths and noses. Ian tossed his spent cigarette into the ashtray and plopped down into a chair.
“You're right on time.”
Following Lee Seo-ah's advice, Ian addressed them in an arrogant tone rather than politely.
As if they had anticipated it, they chuckled while pinching their cigars between their fingers.
“You the mage joining us for this vampire hunt? You look like a total nerd.”
“Got a plan?”
Ian skipped the small talk and got straight to the point.
They seemed to like that. The older vampire hunter spoke up.
“There are fifteen vampires holed up in the club. One can disguise itself as a human. The rest are all mindless ones living on instinct.”
Meaning they were simple monsters. Ian lit up another cigarette and listened intently.
“First, we go in and scout their positions. Then we stir up some chaos on purpose to evacuate the civilians inside. After that, we take out the vampires. That's it.”
“Simpler than expected. Who's handling the scouting?”
“You are. Use your magic to find them. You can do that, right?”
The old man's sharp gaze swept over Ian. Ian met his eyes without flinching, thought for a moment, then nodded. There was a spell in the Grimoire for locating anomalies.
“I'll cast it in the bathroom.”
“Good. We'll do our own sweep too. Watch yourself when you move. If they bite you, you'll turn into one of them before you can do a damn thing.”
The young man standing next to the old man spoke up. He flashed Ian the pistol tucked into his coat pocket and grinned.
“Wouldn't want to have to put a highway through your skull.”
“……You worry about everything.”
“Be confident, then. Anyway, take this.”
The young man tossed Ian a pistol and a pair of sunglasses. Ian winced at the weight of the hefty gun and turned to look at him.
“It's loaded with silver bullets. We only met thanks to the Cartel, but right now, we're brothers with the same goal. Use it to watch your back.”
“……Hoo. I won't turn it down. Thanks.”
Though he hadn't planned on handling a real firearm, Ian calmly checked the magazine count and racked the slide.
Thankfully, the gun seemed to function properly. He hadn't pulled the trigger yet, but it shouldn't jam in a pinch.
He slipped the pistol into his coat pocket, straightened his clothes, and stood up.
“Let's move. We're not here just to smoke.”
“Yeah, yeah. So what do I call you?”
The old man asked. Ian pondered briefly before giving a straightforward name.
“Call me Mage.”
“Got it. I'm Alpha. Call that one Beta.”
“Will do.”
And with that, the introductions were done. The three headed to the club's main entrance and joined the line.
Soon, it was their turn. The club guard checked Ian's face first and immediately waved him through. He gave Beta a dubious look before reluctantly approving.
Surprisingly, the guard let Alpha in without a second glance. Beta scowled jealously, but Alpha just let out a chuckle and said nothing.
“Haa…….”
Ian entered the club to the sound of Beta's sigh.
“Waaaaaah!!”
The moment they stepped inside, ear-splitting cheers and music assaulted them.
Nude men and women embraced and ground against each other everywhere. In the pitch-black space, tiny lights flickered dimly.
“Don't move.”
Alpha said. Ian nodded and immediately headed for the bathroom.
“Oh my, handsome. New face? First time here?”
A woman approached him midway. Ian gave her a soft smile and nodded.
“Yeah, that's right.”
“I knew it! No way I'd miss a guy as hot as you! Hey, wanna go chat alone over there? I'll buy you a drink.”
“Sure. But I really gotta hit the bathroom first. Give me a sec.”
“Okay! Table three!”
The woman planted a kiss on Ian's cheek and sauntered off, swaying her hips.
Ian kept smiling until she was out of sight, then frowned and wiped the lipstick off his cheek the moment she vanished.
He had tried to respond gently to avoid any fuss, but he should have just brushed her off firmly.
Ian sighed and entered the bathroom.
The bathroom was filled with all sorts of people sprawled out in various states of disarray.
Ignoring them, he slipped into an empty stall and locked the door.
‘Summon.’
The moment he thought it, the Grimoire appeared in his hand. Without hesitation, he cast the spell as written.
[Anomaly Tracking]
[Locates anomalies within a 20-meter radius.]
[Materials: Anomaly flesh, ether.]
As simple as the effect was, the materials were straightforward too. Ian pulled out the cube from his pocket and drew a magic circle on the wall with a pen.
When he placed the cube on top, it didn't fall—instead, it stuck fast to the circle and emitted a faint glow.
Preparation complete. Ian immediately chanted the incantation.
“Find them. The punisher stands here.”
The magic circle vibrated once, and the cube melted away. In that instant, information on the vampires' locations flooded into Ian's mind.
It felt less like sensing with his faculties and more like suddenly recalling forgotten knowledge.
As if he had known their positions all along.
‘Three in the basement. Five inside the club. All crouched in boxes. Four hiding in the ceiling pipes, two holding their breath in the staff lounge. Looks like they've already been hunted here.’
The most crucial one—the vampire disguised as a human—was right in front of the DJ spinning tracks. Ian nodded and hid the Grimoire behind the toilet.
[Bzzz!]
The Grimoire vibrated as if voicing its displeasure. Ian gave a wry smile and stroked the cover.
“Sorry. Just stay here a bit. I'll summon you right back.”
Perhaps sensing his sincerity, the Grimoire settled down. He stroked the cover a few more times before unlocking the door and stepping out.
He wove through the crowded club interior in search of Alpha.
The old man was on the second floor, leaning against the railing and sipping whiskey. As Ian approached, Alpha asked immediately.
“Locations?”
“Three in the basement. Five inside the club. Four in the ceiling pipes, two in the staff lounge. The disguised one's right in front of the DJ.”
“Hm. The one disguised is probably that blonde standing over there.”
“Basis?”
“Blood scent.”
Alpha smirked and pulled a bandana from his coat pocket to cover his face.
“No matter how they hide it, a vampire's foul stench never fades.”
“…….”
“Put on the sunglasses.”
Alpha said. Ian stood there with a reluctant expression for a moment before putting them on anyway.
His vision darkened slightly, but it wasn't a big deal. Watching Alpha pull his hat low, Ian asked.
“When do we start the chaos?”
“Now.”
Before Ian could respond, a small orb dropped from the second floor to the first.
A smoke grenade.
One laced with garlic.
Pssshhhh!!!
It burst with a pop, spewing yellowish smoke in all directions.
Through the spreading haze, Ian spotted Beta tossing more grenades around and let out a hollow chuckle.
“What the fuck!”
“Kyaaaah!! It's terrorism! Everyone out!”
The sudden uproar threw the club into chaos. The packed crowd bolted for the stairs without a second thought. The guards tried to control the situation at first but cursed and fled as the smoke spread everywhere.
Now, the only ones left inside the club were one mage and two vampire hunters.
And.
Boom!!
“Gya啊啊啊!!!”
The fifteen vampires.
“Hoo…….”
Ian summoned the Grimoire and gripped the pistol in his other hand as he glared at the vampire dropping from the ceiling.
The club's signature EDM pulsed joyfully, thumping the bass in time with his heartbeat.