"Damn it! Just kill him! He's not the kind you can capture alive! Shoot him!"
Im Bujeon's judgment was swift and accurate.
But no matter how rigorously they trained, they were still just ordinary humans.
They couldn't hit me while I was using acceleration. Plus, the gym was littered with convenient shields: exercise equipment and corpses.
Bang! Bang!
I wouldn't get hit. I already knew the exact positions of everyone with a gun. To hit me, they'd have to pull the trigger from outside my field of vision.
"..."
I swung my sword almost unconsciously.
Perhaps it was the influence of Yeongcheon Ryu's Level 5 special trait. Even without consciously thinking about it, I could naturally execute the style's practical techniques.
I wasn't thinking with my head as I swung my sword. I simply moved as Yeongcheon Ryu guided me, reacting to what I saw.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!
The assault rifle spat fire. I dodged the bullets, sprinted up the wall, and slashed the rifleman's throat. Blood gushed forth.
The crimson blade never stopped. With each arc it carved through the air, crimson liquid followed in its wake.
Kill. Kill. Kill.
"..."
Suddenly, I regained my senses. I was the only one left standing. Blood and entrails littered the surroundings.
"You... you fucking monster!"
Im Bujeon, his legs severed, spat curses at me, his face contorted in agony. His body trembled with fear.
He hurled the hand axe in his hand at me. I deflected it with my sword.
"Ah."
Combat Awakening.
An experience that Hunters of D-rank or higher have all encountered at least once.
This wasn't the same kind of pleasure as sex. It wasn't just a saying that some Hunters push themselves to the brink in battle, even to death, just to experience Combat Awakening again.
"...I don't have time for this."
With a hand holding the slightly trembling blade, I stabbed Im Bujeon through the heart. My mind remained cold, but my body was surging with excitement.
Today, I had killed a total of 28 people. I repeated the number to myself as I ascended to the upper floor.
The upper floor was an armory. The iron door stood wide open, as if weapons had been hastily retrieved.
"Oh."
Stepping inside, I let out a small exclamation of admiration and smashed the ceiling-mounted camera.
Just like in the dramas, the armory was stocked with a variety of weapons, from cold steel to firearms. I grinned at the sight of the guns.
"Even real-world Hunters struggle to obtain firearms."
In the Republic of Korea, Hunters are prohibited from owning ordinary firearms. The only weapons they're allowed to possess are melee weapons.
The firearms used by Hunters are specially crafted for monster hunting, and ownership of these specialized weapons requires approval from the Association.
The Republic of Korea maintains an almost obsessive level of strictness regarding firearms.
"These melee weapons are all garbage."
The melee weapons used by real-world Hunters are crafted from monster byproducts, granting them unique abilities and durability surpassing that of steel.
The melee weapons here, however, failed to meet my standards.
I retrieved a box from the real world, packed the firearms inside, and teleported back to reality.
Wow, there's a ton of ammo too! Must be tens of thousands of rounds.
I tossed the entire ammunition crate into the box.
"Is that a sniper rifle? Am I even in the Republic of Korea right now?"
Of course, I also grabbed the sniper rifle.
The primary method Vampire Hunters used to hunt vampires was long-range sniping.
While vampires might be manageable during the day, their physical abilities surged to superhuman levels at night, making sniping the safest way to hunt them.
However, the vampires were well aware of this tactic and avoided areas vulnerable to snipers.
"I saw this in a game... what was it called? M24?"
I wasn't particularly good at gaming, but I had an inexplicable fondness for sniper rifles. I knew they were difficult to handle, but the thrill of a successful shot was simply irresistible.
Come to think of it, I'd always been drawn to assassin characters.
"Let's gooooo!"
Fully armed, I shouted loudly as I descended the stairs and leaped out of the third-floor window. Considering my superhuman physical abilities, a three-story drop was nothing.
Bang!
I landed on the truck parked in front of me.
"Aaaah!"
People nearby screamed and scattered in terror when they saw me.
My body was drenched in blood. My white shirt had turned crimson, and my black suit was soaked through.
To top it off, I was carrying a sword and its sheath in my hands.
I must look like a crazed killer.
I shrugged and sprinted toward the car I'd arrived in. Just in case anyone tried to attack, I stowed the sword in my inventory.
"Time to ride."
I blasted the latest hit song by a popular girl group idol and floored the accelerator.
Traffic lights? Ignored.
Lane-splitting? As natural as breathing.
Speed limits? I'm unlicensed, so what are those?
"Traffic's not too bad, considering it's past rush hour."
Wail! Wail! Wail! Wail!
Before long, a police car appeared, tailing me. The siren was so loud I cranked up the music.
I wanna see you~
The sound reminded me of playing cops and robbers with my neighborhood friends when I was a kid.
I never liked that game much. If I was the robber, I'd get caught too quickly, and if I was the cop, I'd just end up working my ass off without catching anyone. Hide-and-seek was more my style.
"Whoops."
A group of police officers had blocked the road ahead. They'd predicted my route and set up a barricade with police cars and buses.
"My car doesn't stop for barricades~ ?"
[Hacking successful.]
[You can hack the police bus for 1 minute and 30 seconds.]
The police bus lurched forward, shoving aside nearby police cars to create an opening. The officers scrambled away from the bus in panic.
I calmly steered through the newly cleared space in the barricade.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed the police cars urgently pursuing me.
"We're approaching the alleyways I planned for... Time to shake them off."
[Hacking successful.]
[You can hack the traffic signal controller for 5 minutes and 12 seconds.]
[Hacking successful.]
[You can hack the traffic signal controller for 4 minutes and 28 seconds.]
[Hacking successful.]
[You can hack the traffic signal controller for 3 minutes and 41 seconds.]
I sped down the road, hacking over ten traffic lights. By turning all the red lights green, I plunged the streets into chaos. The intersections I passed were particularly chaotic.
No matter how skilled a driver might be, it would be impossible to chase me through such utter pandemonium.
I abandoned the car at my destination and sprinted into a maze of alleys, where CCTV cameras were conspicuously absent. I ducked into a random shop, wiped myself down with a damp towel I'd brought from the real world, and quickly changed clothes.
My inventory proved invaluable for such situations.
Removing the Jester mask and swapping my costume for jeans and a hoodie, I transformed into an ordinary college student. With my hands in my pockets, I strolled out of the alley.
Watching the police officers frantically running around, I melted into the crowd, blending seamlessly into the throng of pedestrians.
Before long, three police officers blocked my path.
"Hold it right there. We're conducting a check."
"A check?"
"Yes. Please show us your belongings and identification."
"...Belongings? Why the sudden check?"
"The Jester Killer has fled this way. We need your cooperation."
"...If that's the reason, I suppose I have no choice."
I pulled out my wallet and showed it to the officers. It was the only thing I had on me.
"Thank you for your cooperation. Since the killer is still at large, it would be safest for you to return home immediately."
"A killer... Ugh, how terrifying. I should get back right away. Good luck with your work."
Instead of returning to Kang Yujin's apartment, I headed back to Hera's studio apartment.
My body, still buzzing from slaughtering over twenty people, refused to calm down. It felt like only sex could release this tension.
I desperately wished for Hera to return home quickly.
***
The atmosphere in the Black Cross Society's headquarters conference room was as brittle as thin ice.
No one dared to speak, their eyes cold and sunken.
The executives, including Chief Lee Munhyeon, were watching a video projected onto a large screen on one wall.
The footage showed the carnage at Sunset Fitness Club, one of the Vampire Hunters' training facilities, which had occurred just an hour earlier.
A red-haired Jester in a suit was slaughtering Vampire Hunters with a crimson blade.
Slaughter.
He was literally killing twenty-three Vampire Hunters single-handedly. The blade danced, leaving trails of red that flowed like living creatures.
Silver bullets, typically a Vampire's weakness, didn't even graze his clothing.
The Jester's bloody massacre concluded with him stabbing Im Bujeon, whose legs had already been severed, through the chest.
Before ascending to the upper floors, the Jester glanced at the security camera, smirked, and looted the armory.
He discarded all melee weapons but took every firearm.
Theories abounded about how he managed to carry them all, but the most plausible explanation was that he had a hidden accomplice.
The destruction of the armory's security cameras likely served to conceal this collaborator.
The problem was that none of the witnesses near Sunset Fitness Club had seen any accomplice. This led the Black Cross Society to suspect that the Jester and his collaborator might be True Ancestor Vampires using superpowers.
"...What kind of superpower does the Jester have?"
After more than ten minutes of silence, Lee Munhyeon finally spoke.
Chief Baek Jiwook of the Investigation Department immediately responded.
"We're inferring his abilities from his manipulation of machines. We've confirmed he can move stationary police buses and manipulate traffic lights to disrupt their control circuits."
While the Traffic Signal Controller itself remained undamaged, some components of the traffic lights needed replacement.
"So the bus terror incident recently was also the Jester's doing. That damn bastard... What are the limitations of his superpower?"
"It appears he can't use it indiscriminately. The duration for which he can maintain control over machines is short, and there seems to be a range limit.
Based on footage of him manipulating the police bus, we estimate it to be around 30 meters."
"...Right. There must be limitations. Still, it's an absurdly powerful superpower. What's our countermeasure?"
"It's simple. When facing him, don't bring any machines at all. Even if you do bring machines, maintaining a distance of 50 meters should prevent him from manipulating them. However..."
"However, it's not a guarantee. He might be deliberately restricting his superpower to deceive us."
"Yes, that's correct."
Tap. Tap.
Lee Munhyeon's fingers drummed rhythmically on the desk. The thought of the Jester ignited his anger, but he needed to assess the situation calmly.
"...Can we capture him?"
"We can capture him," Combat Division Commander Gi Hanjun declared firmly, his eyes burning with fierce determination.
He was the superior officer of the Vampire Hunters who had died today. Training and managing them was his primary duty. He still vividly remembered the faces and voices of the fallen Hunters.
"If we're properly prepared... if we can pinpoint his location, we can definitely capture him!"
"..."
Lee Munhyeon fell into deep thought.
It wasn't that he underestimated the Vampire Hunters of Korea. But as a peaceful nation, it was undeniable that Korean Hunters lacked real-world combat experience.
Lee Munhyeon was considering requesting assistance from the British and American Black Cross Societies. Though it would be a blow to his pride, stopping the Jester's rampage took priority.
"...Can you do it?"
"We will succeed, no matter what."
"If you fail, immediately request support from the British and American branches. Don't fail."
"...Yes, sir!"
RINGGGG!!!!
"It's the Blue House."
After a brief warning, he connected the call.
"Yes, Chief of Staff. ...What do you mean? That's not in line with our regulations. ...Understood. I'll be there shortly."
Lee Munhyeon hung up his smartphone, closed his eyes, and sighed.
"..."
In the awkward silence, Lee Munhyeon rose to his feet.
"Support Department Chief, we may need to cooperate with the police. Be prepared."
"...Huh? That's against our regulations."
The Black Cross Society rarely cooperates with the military or police unless absolutely necessary a rule that has been in place since ancient times.
"Ah, do you mean information sharing?"
If that were the case, it would be understandable. Several organizations, including the National Intelligence Service, maintain such relationships.
"No. Full-scale cooperation."
"Yes...?"
"The Jester really messed things up this time, leaving the police completely stumped. They're furious about it.
What's worse, the Jester's existence is now public knowledge. The police can't just stand by and do nothing."
From the Black Cross Society's perspective, he's a True Ancestor Vampire.
But to the rest of the world, the Jester is just a mad killer. The police have no choice but to intervene.
"That bastard broke the unspoken rule."
This unspoken rule governs the relationship between Vampires and Vampire Hunters: never reveal their existence to the public.
For Vampires, it's about avoiding turning the entire human race into enemies. For Vampire Hunters, it's about preventing unnecessary panic and fear among the populace.
"We have to find and kill him before he does something even worse."