"What in the world is going on here?!"
Lee Munhyeon, the head of the Korean Black Cross Society, roared at the executives gathered in the conference room.
The usually mild-mannered Lee Munhyeon, who normally resembled a friendly neighbor, now looked like a wrathful deity, his face contorted in fury. The conference room fell into a deathly silence as the seven executives bowed their heads, avoiding eye contact with him.
"Investigation Department Head Baek!"
"...Yes, Director."
Baek Jiwook, the head of the Investigation Department, stepped forward.
The Korean Black Cross Society was divided into three departments: Support, Investigation, and Combat. Baek Jiwook was the highest-ranking official in the Investigation Department.
The Investigation Department was responsible for investigating vampires. They tracked down hidden vampires and investigated any incidents suspected to be caused by them.
"Tell me! What exactly is happening here?!"
Baek Jiwook suppressed the urge to sigh. The atmosphere at headquarters was tense; he couldn't afford to give anyone reason to criticize him.
He opened his mouth, recalling the incident from two hours earlier.
"...Around 11:10 AM today, the headquarters' commuter bus suddenly accelerated out of control and crashed into the main entrance.
The casualties are as follows: Hunter Park Gisu was killed, and Hunter Jo Juhyeon sustained severe injuries and remains in a coma.
The cause of the bus's sudden acceleration is still under investigation..."
"...Baek Jiwook, Head of the Investigation Department, I'm warning you. If you're going to spout such nonsense as a report, just get out of here now!"
"...My apologies. While we lack definitive proof, we've classified this incident as a terrorist attack by vampires and have launched a full investigation.
The high-speed bus was empty at the time, leading us to believe a True Ancestor Vampire used their supernatural abilities to carry out the attack."
"Now you're talking sense. It's your job, the Investigation Department, to find out who this True Ancestor Vampire is. What are its abilities?"
"We're speculating it might be psychokinesis."
"Psychokinesis? That's ridiculous! The bus didn't fly; it drove! The wheels were turning. Psychokinesis? Are you joking with me?"
"It's possible the psychokinesis was used to precisely control the bus's movements."
"Fine, let's say that's true. But the bus crashed at 300 kilometers per hour! Do you think that makes any sense?! It was moving at Korean Train Express speeds!"
"...We will conduct a thorough investigation."
"How?"
"We'll summon 80% of our investigators from across the country to Seoul and hunt down every last vampire hiding here."
"Not enough. Summon half of the Hunters scattered across the country. And scour all nearby CCTV footage to find him."
Huff, huff. Lee Munhyeon gasped for breath. Having vented his rage, his ghost-like face seemed to relax slightly.
"...Combat Department Head."
"Yes, sir."
"Tell the Hunters to proceed with caution. If the headquarters was attacked so openly, why wouldn't they strike elsewhere? For now, operate in teams of three."
"Understood."
"How's Jo Juhyeon?"
"Surgery is underway. The doctors say the success rate is less than 30%."
"...We'll have to pray to God. Assign Hunters to guard Jo Juhyeon nearby. And Support Department Head."
"Yes, Director."
"Contact the National Intelligence Service and request assistance. This is a declaration of war from those vampire bastards, but from South Korea's perspective, it's a terrorist attack by vampires. They'll have no choice but to act decisively."
Lee Munhyeon shot to his feet.
"I'm heading to the Blue House."
He glared at the assembled executives and declared, "...This attack is an unprecedented crisis in the history of the Korean Black Cross Society. You understand the urgency without me needing to spell it out.
Find that bastard and kill him. If we let these vampire bastards make a fool of us, you know what will become of South Korea... I trust you all understand."
Lee Munhyeon strode out of the room.
Due to the unexpected intervention of someone not originally involved, fate began to flow in a different direction.
***
Moon Ji-Hyeok scratched his head as he looked at the female constable from the Traffic Division standing before him.
Constable Yang Jeongmin, with her neat, collarbone-length hair, had an exceptionally kind face. Lately, they'd been running into each other almost daily entirely by accident.
The problem was, these coincidences were becoming so frequent that it was starting to feel like fate, and that worried him.
"Mr. Moon Jihyuk, why do you keep following me? Are you a stalker?"
"I'm the one who catches stalkers. I'm not following you; I'm here on official business."
"What for?"
"The major highway bus collision that happened today."
"What about it? Are you handling the case?"
"No, it's not our jurisdiction... it just seems odd. I reviewed the CCTV footage, and the acceleration was too rapid for sudden unintended acceleration. Plus, it looked like there was no one in the driver's seat..."
The bus was infamous online as a haunted vehicle. Rumor had it that a vengeful spirit, harboring a grudge against the company, had possessed the bus and crashed it.
This mystery was drawing public attention to the incident.
...It sounds absurd, but if vampires exist in this world, then ghosts might too. Besides, the atmosphere within the police station is strangely hushed about the accident.
Despite the incident occurring within the police station's jurisdiction, the atmosphere remained eerily normal.
"Um... the Traffic Division Chief told us to stay out of it... so we don't know much either."
"I see..."
Something felt off.
In the past, he would have dismissed it as another department's business and moved on. But now, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
Perhaps the government has known about vampires all along. And... if this incident was caused by vampires...?
Moon Ji-Hyeok resolved to investigate the case personally and discreetly, making time for it despite his busy schedule.
"Understood. I'll be going now."
"Wait a moment. Take this with you. It's delicious."
Yang Jeongmin approached him. For a moment, her dizzying scent of flesh pierced his nostrils, startling him.
"Huh!"
"...What's wrong? Don't you like green grape candy?"
"Ah, no, I'll enjoy it. Thank you."
Moon Ji-Hyeok quickly moved away from Yang Jeongmin.
...I'm going crazy. Thinking a woman's neck looks delicious... It's really sinking in that I've become a vampire. I need to turn back into a human as soon as possible.
It was a desire that seemed to combine sexual and predatory urges.
Moon Ji-Hyeok, feeling ashamed of his sudden urge, raised his hand to cover his face, then hastily lowered it, struck by a chilling realization.
A vampire's body temperature was lower than a human's.
How dreadful.
***
I entered Yukseong-dong as dusk began to settle. Located on the outskirts of Seoul, this area is what people commonly call a "moon village" one of the poorest and most crime-ridden neighborhoods in the city.
Entertainment establishments lined the streets, and there were even clandestine brothels operating in the shadows. Yukseong-dong was also home to a large population of gangsters and Korean-Chinese residents.
A brothel... should I check it out?
But I quickly dismissed the thought. The entertainment venues here looked distinctly low-quality, and the brothels would likely be no different. Visiting a prostitute would only lead to disappointment and wasted time.
"It'd be better to go somewhere else at this hour."
As I turned into an alley, I spotted a dilapidated pawnshop. The place was crammed with junk, its sky-blue gate rusted beyond recognition. "Pawnshop" was crudely spray-painted in red across the gate.
I pressed the doorbell beside it. A ding echoed, followed by an old man's voice:
"...Come in."
I pushed open the gate and stepped inside. The yard was cluttered with miscellaneous junk and a few shipping containers. It looked more like a junkyard than a pawnshop.
I walked toward the ramshackle wooden building that looked like it could collapse at any moment. Opening the door, I found the interior surprisingly decent.
Despite its run-down exterior, the place stayed true to its pawnshop roots, displaying a respectable collection of valuables.
"You've come. It's here."
A man in his sixties sat at the wooden table. Though short and wrinkled, his eyes burned with intensity.
I glanced at the two men flanking Kang Wooksung. Their pale faces glared at me, silently warning me not to try anything foolish.
I walked to the table and sat across from him.
"...Younger than I expected. How old are you?"
"Twenty-one. The money?"
"Under the table."
I leaned over and peered beneath the table. There was a box filled with stacks of fifty-thousand-won bills.
"Four hundred million won, as agreed. Where's the list?"
I placed the backpack I'd been carrying on the table, unzipped it, and dumped its contents out in a rush. Several bankbooks and a USB drive tumbled out.
"Launder the money in the bankbooks. The list is on the USB. Check it."
Kang Wooksung gestured to the man beside him, who plugged the USB drive into the laptop on the table and began reviewing the data.
The list was comprehensive.
The Korean Black Cross Society had a total of 913 members, 174 of whom were professional Vampire Hunters.
The list included their names, residences, phone numbers, combat histories, and other personal information.
...Looking back, this seems worth more than 3 billion won.
I quickly shook off the lingering regret. If I had demanded 3 billion won, Kang Wooksung might not have agreed to the deal.
After about ten minutes, the Vampire spoke to Kang Wooksung.
"...The list is accurate. It matches our information and is even more precise."
Kang Wooksung nodded.
"Take the money. The remaining 600 million will be ready in three days."
"Oh. Thank you."
I began carefully packing the stacks of cash into my backpack. I had prepared a sturdy 200,000 won backpack specifically for this purpose.
"How did you obtain this?"
"What else would a hacker do? I hacked it."
"...Do you think we haven't tried hacking? The Black Cross Society uses its own network in each country. Hacking is impossible unless you physically infiltrate the building and access the computers."
"There's always a way. You just don't know it."
"What way?"
"That's my secret weapon. Think for yourself. There are plenty of possibilities.
One of them could be... a traitor from the Black Cross Society joining forces with me?"
The money was exactly 400 million won.
I zipped up my backpack and stood up.
Now that I've got the money, I should head to Yeong Hyejeong. Time to have some real fun this time.
A grin spread across my face.
Yeong Hyejeong, here I come!
I hurried to get ready to leave the house.
"Taker, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Why are you in such a rush to get the money? What are you going to use it for?"
I smirked, thinking it was the coolest smile I'd ever given.
"To become king."
"That human... is no ordinary man. Wouldn't it be better to kill him now and prevent future trouble?"
"..."
Kang Wooksung quietly pondered the vampire's suggestion as it stood silently beside him.
Dangerous.
He had to admit it.
Somehow, the man had obtained the Black Cross Society's list. If this was truly the result of his hacking skills, even Cantra, the vampire organization, was at risk of being hacked by him.
Fortunately, he's not on good terms with the Black Cross Society.
This meant there was still a chance he could become an ally.
Many humans collaborated with Cantra, despite not being vampires themselves. Humans were creatures capable of partnering with monsters if it served their interests.
"...No. Taker isn't an enemy. More importantly, his abilities are too valuable to kill. Maintaining a steady trading relationship with him might be worthwhile."
"I'll assign someone to tail him."
"Forget about tailing him. Didn't you see how Taker treated us? He's no ordinary man. He walked in here with his head held high, knowing this place could be his death trap. He must be hiding something. And..."
Kang Wooksung replayed the recent encounter in his mind.
Sung Yujin's voice, mannerisms, expression, and the glint in his eyes. Combining all these elements, he reached a single conclusion.
"That man is insane. He doesn't genuinely fear us. I've seen that same look in a few others before."
"...What do you mean?"
"A guy with eyes like that can be one of two things: a crazed killer or a monster beyond our comprehension."
Kang Wooksung swallowed the rest of his thought that the man's eyes resembled the boss's.
"Identify all the Black Cross Society members on the list and keep them under surveillance from a distance. Tell the subordinates to avoid provoking the Hunters unnecessarily."
The man frowned slightly, clearly displeased.
"Should we just leave the Hunters alone?"
"To clear out a hornet's nest, you need the right safety gear. Especially if it's a hornet's nest.
The Korean Black Cross Society has the backing of the Republic of Korea's government. If we move carelessly, we'll be the ones in danger.
This isn't Africa or South America. Be careful not to act rashly and ruin everything."