Having arrived at Incheon Port, I stored my electric bike in my inventory. The police chasing me would likely arrive within five minutes.
October 31st, Halloween. The episode set on this day revolves around a Chinese human trafficking syndicate.
Originally, the case begins when Moon Ji-Hyeok hears the lament of a woman working at a restaurant near the police station he frequents. Her daughter has disappeared without a word.
Moon Ji-Hyeok is currently working with the Red Light Task Force, so he hasn't been able to investigate these criminals.
Moon Ji-Hyeok knows nothing about this human trafficking syndicate, and I haven't bothered to tell him. Even if he knew now, there's nothing he could do.
"In the drama, this episode ended ambiguously."
The people kidnapped by the Chinese had been rescued.
However, only three kidnappers were captured, while most escaped. Entangled in international complications, the case ultimately fizzled out without resolution.
"It was my least favorite episode. Those Vampire Hunter bastards were subtly sabotaging Moon Ji-Hyeok too. Watching it made me feel frustrated and annoyed the whole time."
My personal feelings played a part in why I chose this place.
I can enter fictional worlds. That means I can intervene in stories I dislike and rewrite them according to my will.
"Wow. There are so many containers here!"
Containers were stacked neatly in rows, suggesting a deliberate system for their arrangement.
Among these containers, some likely held the kidnapped people. Thanks to the drama, I had a rough idea of their location.
This must be it.
Six containers marked with the character "?" at their entrances. These were the ones holding the captives.
I drew the Fire Lotus Flying Dagger. Cutting through container seals didn't require a cutter; the Spirit Spring Style would suffice.
Spirit Spring Style Combat Technique: Killing Sound.
A faint ting echoed as the container seal snapped.
Still made a sound. Maybe if I level up the Spirit Spring Style further, it'll become silent.
I opened the container door.
The kidnapped people stared at me. There were seven of them, huddled on the floor with their arms and legs tightly bound by rope. Duct tape covered their mouths.
Two were men, and the rest were women. Among them was a girl who couldn't have been older than ten.
They're all exceptionally attractive.
Both the men and women were strikingly beautiful. I could guess what they were being used for. And when they outlived their usefulness, their organs would probably be harvested.
"Hello, everyone! Happy Halloween!" I greeted them brightly.
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Their frantic reactions were touching. They clearly knew who I was. Well, anyone in South Korea would recognize me.
"Trick or treat!"
They stared at me, clearly bewildered.
"Since you don't seem like you're going to give me any candy, I guess I'll have to play a trick."
I chuckled and approached them, swinging my knife to sever the ropes binding their arms and legs. They could remove the duct tape from their mouths themselves.
When rescuing pretty women, I'd subtly grope their breasts or buttocks. They never resisted. After being imprisoned for about two days, they likely lacked the strength to resist, and besides, I was their savior.
Ah, this woman... she's got quite the chest. F-cup. Wonder if she'd give me her number if I asked?
I kept the thought to myself. I had more pressing matters to attend to.
"Th-thank you for saving us, Jeokgwang-nim!"
"Thank you!"
Leaving their repeated thank yous behind, I moved to the next container. They kept bowing and saying "thank you" over and over, but I felt nothing. I could offer empty words of gratitude just as easily.
It was while rescuing people from the third container that I heard the thud-thud-thud of a helicopter overhead.
Police?
No, it was a helicopter from a terrestrial broadcasting station. The media's response was faster than I'd anticipated, which worked in my favor.
A cameraman perched on the helicopter's skid was filming me. I slowly waved at them before moving on to another container.
The cops are fucked. Heh heh.
The police treated me like a madman, a murderer, and a heinous terrorist. The news constantly portrayed Jeokgwang as nothing more than a common criminal, not some dark hero.
And it had been working.
Until now.
What will people watching the live broadcast think now?
Jeokgwang is rescuing human trafficking victims. All this time, the police had no clue about the human trafficking ring. Their missing persons investigations were sloppy at best. They'll be torn apart online, and public trust in the police will plummet.
The number of internet sycophants praising me will skyrocket. Heh heh heh.
After freeing everyone trapped in the container, I addressed them:
"The police will be here soon. Explain everything clearly to them. Don't hide anything from the reporters either tell them exactly what happened. Victims like you should never exist again. Shed some tears during the interviews, okay? Tears are said to be the most powerful evidence, after all. Well, I'm off. I have things to do."
I started running. My goal was the passenger ship bound for China tonight.
The guys on the cargo ships are just small fry. The real bosses are on the passenger ships.
These were the ones Moon Ji-Hyeok missed in the original story.
Tonight, the passenger ship would be stained with blood the blood of Chinese human traffickers and the Vampire Hunters rushing to kill me.
What? They figured it out?
When I reached the port, the passenger ship was already slowly moving away. They must have realized something.
It wasn't surprising.
The internet was already in an uproar because of me, and live broadcasts on TV were showing everything happening at Incheon Port.
The moment they saw me rescuing the kidnapped people from the container, they must have realized they were screwed. Since the Captain was in league with them, they probably decided to set sail immediately.
But you guys are already fucked beyond redemption.
The Maritime Police would have mobilized the moment they realized I was heading for Incheon Port. And the ferry's sudden departure would have tipped them off that something was amiss.
Most importantly, this whole incident was being broadcast live. The police couldn't afford to let these guys escape, even more than they needed to capture me.
You think setting sail will stop me?
I pulled out my smartphone and saw a message from Choi Seonmi.
As expected.
After quickly reading the message, I pulled an electric bike from my inventory and hopped on. A helicopter was filming me, but I didn't care. Even if my abilities became public knowledge, I doubted the police or the Black Cross Society could capture me. On the contrary, people would likely worship me even more for possessing such extraordinary powers.
I sped through the harbor on the electric bike, the nitro booster on the back spitting flames.
I pressed the red button at the center of the handlebars.
"Transform!"
Wings unfolded from the sides of the bike. Propellers emerged from the wings and began spinning downward like a drone.
The bike lifted into the air. It couldn't stay airborne for long; this bike wasn't designed for flight. Flying consumed a lot of power and was slow it was more of a supplementary feature.
"Damn, this is awesome! Is this how ET felt?"
The electric bike soared through the air and landed on the passenger ship's deck. I stowed the bike in my inventory and infiltrated the ship.
In my right hand, I gripped the Fire Lotus Flying Dagger; in my left, the Black Kite F automatic pistol. Instead of heading to the upper decks, I rapidly descended to the lower levels.
They'll be gathered in the restricted underground areas where ordinary people can't go, so there's no need to go to the Captain's Quarters.
The Captain was merely a collaborator more of a broker who accepted money from them to transport them to China.
The passenger ship was eerily silent, as passengers hadn't yet boarded.
Occasionally, I encountered sailors. Upon seeing me, they screamed and trembled, which was understandable given my armed appearance.
But sometimes, there were strange sailors who looked at me with admiring eyes.
I simply ignored the ordinary sailors I encountered. They knew nothing. All the sailors involved in this operation would be gathered in the Captain's Quarters.
Kill all the Chinese on the passenger ship. They're all human trafficking scum.
Then I spotted one. He crossed paths with me as I was heading downstairs.
Bang!
The moment I saw him, I put a bullet hole in his forehead. His corpse tumbled down the stairs.
I know all their faces from the drama.
There were twelve targets to eliminate on the passenger ship. But I wouldn't jump to conclusions. There might be others who weren't featured in the drama.
"Gasp!"
As I descended into the underground area, the thugs were gathered, having sensed my arrival. They greeted me with pistols drawn.
The Chinese thugs chattered in their language as they opened fire. Probably just telling me to die, I thought.
I ducked behind a wall, and when the barrage of bullets paused briefly, I picked them off one by one with my pistol.
A real gun is so convenient.
There was no weapon more effective for killing ordinary people than a gun. All it took was aiming from a distance and pulling the trigger.
I stopped in front of the VIP room. Inside was their leader, Jang Gusan.
Jang Gusan. This bastard knows how to use hostages well.
In the original drama, Moon Ji-Hyeok had a chance to capture him once, but he missed it because of the hostages.
I activated the Illuciter on my left wrist and opened the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets poured out as if they'd been waiting, then abruptly stopped. They couldn't see me. I seized the opportunity and slipped inside.
Two Chinese men with pistols looked panicked. I put bullets through their heads.
Where's Jang Gusan?
I found him quickly. He was in an inner room, the door slightly ajar.
Jang Gusan sat on a sofa, holding a young girl by the temple with a gun pressed against her head. Just as I'd suspected, he was using her as a hostage. There was a reason the door was open: to prevent me from opening fire indiscriminately.
Behind Jang Gusan, twenty children, their hands and feet bound, knelt on the floor, trembling violently. They were even younger than the ones in the container, around six or seven years old, and all appeared healthy.
"Please spare me! Please spare me!"
"Quiet," Jang Gusan murmured, his voice low and menacing. He turned to the door and shouted, "Jeokgwang! I know you're here! You've come to rescue the children, haven't you? Don't even think about pulling any tricks! Their lives are in my hands!"
Bang!
A bullet pierced Jang Gusan's forehead. I'd grown tired of his ranting and simply shot him.
Jang Gusan knew I was nearby, but he had no idea I was invisible.
I saw no need to reveal myself to the children.
The police will rescue them soon enough.
The frustration and helplessness I'd felt watching the human trafficking episode had finally dissipated. Satisfied, I climbed to the upper deck of the passenger ship. From the corridor, I surveyed the scene outside.
The passenger ship, which had been fleeing toward China, had come to a halt. As expected, the Maritime Police had arrived and surrounded the vessel. Helicopters hovered overhead, their rotors thudding through the air. There were no broadcast helicopters in sight, suggesting government intervention.
The police special forces stormed the passenger ship. I recalled the message Choi Seonmi had sent me earlier.
If Choi Seonmi's information is correct, these aren't police special forces at all, but Vampire Hunters disguised as them.
The passenger ship was about to become a battlefield, and the victor would undoubtedly be me.
I'll show them the true terror of the Illuciter and the Spirit Spring Style.
I began moving stealthily through the ship's interior.
Police special forces.
No, Vampire Hunters disguised as police special forces had successfully infiltrated the passenger ship via helicopters and boats.
Vampire Hunter Shin Daejun heard a familiar male voice in his ear.
Don't act rashly! Jeokgwang is a dangerous opponent! Individual actions are strictly prohibited. Always move with your team!
It was Gi Hanjun, the combat division leader of the Korean Black Cross Society, who was commanding the Vampire Hunters.
Shin Daejun surveyed his surroundings. Twelve people, including himself, formed a team, and he was the Team Leader of Fourth Team.
They had undergone daily specialized training just to kill a single vampire. Yet, for some reason, Shin Daejun felt a vague sense of unease.
First Team, Area A, check. All clear!
Sixth Team, Area B, check. All clear!
Third Team, Area D, check. All clear!
Second Team, Area C, check. Battle traces detected!
"Fourth Team, Area E, check. All... [ Gahhhh! ]"
Shin Daejun screamed as a crimson blade pierced his neck. Before his wide-open eyes stood a man wearing a grotesque clown mask.
"Why stop talking? Let me finish for you. Fourth Team, Area E, check. Jeokgwang present!"