Following the Halloween cruise ship incident, the Korean Black Cross Society's influence plummeted to its lowest point.
For years, the Korean Black Cross Society had enjoyed the Republic of Korea government's support and patronage.
The Black Cross Society's international legitimacy stemmed from its mission to hunt vampires for the sake of humanity, earning them backing from the United Nations.
In reality, the Korean Black Cross Society had achieved considerable success. For decades, they had diligently hunted vampires in Korea, safeguarding the nation's nights until recently.
...This incident has shattered public trust in the Korean Black Cross Society.
Director Lee Munhyeon gritted his teeth. Previously, he could contact the President directly. Now, he had to go through the Chief Presidential Secretary. This alone was enough to demonstrate the society's diminished influence.
The current South Korean government is deeply concerned about Jeokgwang. He must be eliminated at all costs. Jeokgwang, who disrupts the law and order of society, poses an extreme threat.
The problem lies in how to kill him. The Black Cross Society, renowned as experts in vampire hunting, has already failed. Moreover, this incident has made it clear that capturing Jeokgwang with police forces alone is impossible.
Yet mobilizing the military to capture a single individual is out of the question. The South Korean public would undoubtedly react sensitively to any military deployment.
Furthermore, deploying the military against Jeokgwang would be a national humiliation and insult to the Republic of Korea.
The South Korean government can't act decisively. At best, they'll only be able to mobilize the police.
Public opinion in the Republic of Korea overwhelmingly supports Jeokgwang.
Jeokgwang is a dark hero with supernatural abilities.
This is the image most citizens now hold of Jeokgwang. Of course, there are still plenty of critics. After all, it's true that a Vampire Hunter posing as a police SWAT team was annihilated by Jeokgwang. However, the fervent support from young people drowns out their criticisms.
Simultaneously, the police's incompetence was glaringly exposed during the Halloween cruise ship incident.
The fact that Chinese human trafficking rings were operating openly in Korea without the police even noticing, let alone investigating.
The involvement of high-ranking police officials in scandals like Kim Chunseok's sex bribery case.
All these accumulated grievances against the police have now erupted at once.
"The British and American Black Cross Societies have refused our request for assistance."
The official reason given was to focus on dealing with vampires within their own borders.
"...They know too. They know Jeokgwang is different from ordinary True Ancestor Vampires."
They understood Jeokgwang's danger. They knew that sending Vampire Hunters against him would be futile.
"In the end, it's just someone else's problem. Fucking bastards."
Jeokgwang had been operating exclusively in Korea, showing no signs of expanding his territory. The foreign Black Cross Societies had ultimately decided to leave him alone.
"Contacting the Black Cross Society headquarters yields the same result."
The only response was that they lacked the resources to provide support.
"Did they really think Jeokgwang would stay in Korea forever? Idiots."
As Lee Munhyeon walked along the mountain path, he tried his best to maintain his composure. The person he was about to meet was someone he deeply revered. No matter how dire the situation, he didn't want to show him a weak or undignified side of himself.
At the end of the mountain path stood a temple.
Hudan Temple.
A temple nestled deep within the mountains of Gangwon Province. However, this temple had no resident monks; the last one had passed away ten years ago. Currently, the only person living there was the late monk's master and close friend.
Lee Munhyeon took a deep breath and stepped inside Hudan Temple.
Every time I come here, it feels like entering another world.
Hudan Temple was eerily silent. Not even the chirping of insects could be heard. The moonlight alone illuminated the temple's interior. At first glance, it looked like an abandoned, uninhabited house.
Lee Munhyeon paused briefly before turning toward the garden instead of the house, heading toward the pavilion.
A man in his early to mid-twenties sat quietly on the weathered pavilion. Dressed in a black robe, he gazed silently into the empty air. A sheathed hwando sword lay beside him.
Lee Munhyeon deliberately made his presence known as he approached the pavilion where the man sat.
"It's been a long time, Elder Baek."
Baek Sanggi slowly turned his head toward Lee Munhyeon. Lee Munhyeon quickly lowered his gaze to avoid meeting his eyes.
Ever since childhood, Lee Munhyeon had felt a chilling unease whenever he looked into Baek Sanggi's eyes. They seemed to belong to something other than a human.
"Moon Hyunah, it's been a while. You've aged. How many years has it been?"
"Eight years, Elder Baek."
"...Hmm. Has it already been eight years? Doing nothing makes time slip away without me even noticing."
Baek Sanggi's tone was gentle, but upon closer listening, his voice was remarkably dry and emotionless.
Baek Sanggi.
A man who had lived for 300 years.
Three centuries ago, he had accidentally consumed the Pearl of Life, an artifact that granted him immortality. Revered as a demon hunter or immortal, he was a legendary Vampire Hunter who had relentlessly hunted down every vampire he encountered in Joseon.
Yet, thirty years ago, he had retired and retreated to a secluded mountain village.
Lee Munhyeon couldn't fathom what Baek Sanggi was thinking. Or, for that matter, could someone who had lived for 300 years even be considered human anymore?
"...Elder, we need your help."
"My help? If it's about hunting vampires, you've been handling things well enough. There's no need for me to intervene, is there?"
"...The Korean Vampire Hunters have been completely annihilated."
"Annihilated? Now that's surprising news."
Baek Sanggi's voice remained unchanged.
Is he truly surprised? Lee Munhyeon forced down the rising doubt.
"It's a True Ancestor Vampire named Jeokgwang. We couldn't handle him alone. We need your help, Elder."
"Wouldn't it be better to ask the Court... no, the government for assistance?"
"The Republic of Korea's relationship with the Black Cross Society has collapsed. Foreign branches of the Black Cross Society lack the resources to support us. You're the only one left we can turn to, Elder."
"...This Jeokgwang True Ancestor must be truly extraordinary, then."
"If you don't intervene, Elder... he will dominate Seoul... no, the nights of all of Korea. We must hunt him down without delay."
"..."
Baek Sanggi gazed at the night sky, lost in thought for a moment, before finally speaking.
"What kind of creature is Jeokgwang?"
"We have video footage. Please watch it and make your own judgment."
Lee Munhyeon pulled out his smartphone, played the video, and handed it to him. It was one of the countless clips he had reviewed while researching Jeokgwang.
Baek Sanggi awkwardly took the smartphone. Though he owned one, he had never grown accustomed to it, even after several years. The device had been a gift, and he rarely used it.
"Hmm."
A glint appeared in Baek Sanggi's eyes as he watched Jeokgwang's combat footage. This was a stark contrast to his earlier gaze, which had dismissed everything as meaningless. Now, his eyes seemed almost human.
"This fellow... his name is Jeokgwang? He's quite intriguing. Setting aside that ridiculous clown mask... his swordsmanship is extraordinary."
"His supernatural abilities are also remarkable. We suspect he may be the first True Ancestor to possess more than one power."
"Is that so?" Baek Sanggi replied absently, his attention fully absorbed by the combat footage.
"...Are there any other videos?"
"Yes, there are."
"Show them to me. I've grown quite interested in this man."
Lee Munhyeon played the video as Baek Sanggi requested. Baek Sanggi's interest in Jeokgwang was a good sign for Lee Munhyeon.
"Using a sword instead of a gun in this day and age... I'd like to cross blades with him."
Baek Sanggi repeatedly asked Lee Munhyeon to replay Jeokgwang's combat footage.
Eventually, Baek Sanggi turned to Lee Munhyeon, his voice laced with doubt.
"Is this guy really a True Ancestor?"
"Huh?"
"I've slain thousands of vampires over the years. Most prefer to exploit their superior physical abilities in combat. But this one's different. His physical prowess is exceptional, yet he relies on technique rather than brute strength. He fights almost like a human."
"Could that just be... his preference?"
"That's possible. But let me tell you, I've seen Jeokgwang's swordsmanship before. Or rather, something very similar to it."
"We've investigated his swordsmanship thoroughly, but we couldn't identify it."
The Korean Black Cross Society had conducted a meticulous investigation into Jeokgwang. They tried to trace the origins of his clown mask, his clothing, and even his swordsmanship.
None of their efforts yielded any results. The creator of the clown mask remained unknown, and the brand of his clothing didn't exist. The same was true for his swordsmanship. They consulted experts in China and Japan, but no one recognized it.
"That's to be expected. It's likely a forgotten style. Moon Hyunah, are you familiar with the Sword World?"
"Weren't they a martial group from the Joseon Dynasty? I also know they were secretly a vampire hunter organization. In a way, they could be considered predecessors to our Korean Black Cross Society."
The Sword World. A martial group from the Joseon Dynasty. According to historical records, they weren't exactly a virtuous organization.
"Yes, I was once a member of the Sword World. I had the opportunity to witness the swordsmanship of some of their leaders back then. I thought their lineage had completely died out... but they still exist?"
"...Could it be? Is Jeokgwang's swordsmanship related to the Sword World?"
Baek Sanggi nodded.
"It's not exactly the same style. They've likely continued to evolve it over time."
A faint smile played on Baek Sanggi's lips.
"The Sword World's Killing Sword... After decades, my blood is finally boiling again."
"Killing Sword..."
"Originally, our swordsmanship encompassed combat, self-defense, reason, and the cultivation of mind and body. But the Killing Sword is a technique solely for killing. Its principles are all about maximizing efficiency in taking lives."
"...How does it compare to your swordsmanship, Elder?"
"It's the polar opposite of my Nature's Principles Sword, Moon Hyunah. The superiority of different swordsmanship styles can only be determined through direct confrontation. If we were to fight, I doubt I could easily defeat it. My swordsmanship... it froze in time, just like my aging."
Lee Munhyeon knelt before him, bowing his head. The cold dampness of the earthen floor seeped through his knees.
"Please help me, Elder. Only you can stop Jeokgwang."
"Very well," Baek Sanggi replied decisively. Lee Munhyeon was taken aback by the unexpectedly straightforward answer.
"I was going to refuse until you showed me this video. But after witnessing his swordsmanship, I realized I must stop him. If not me, who else could? For the sake of future generations... No, let's be honest. I will kill him for my own final act."
"Final act...?"
"I will kill him, and then I will die as well. I'm glad to have found a place to meet my end."
Lee Munhyeon and Baek Sanggi's eyes met in the air.
Lee Munhyeon felt a chill run down his spine.
"Moon Hyunah, immortality is not a blessing after all."
For some time, I had been quietly monitoring Kang Wook-sung, the broker. I even used hidden cameras and eavesdropping devices I'd acquired in the Code: XTK world.
These devices are nearly undetectable with modern technology.
Kang Wook-sung was affiliated with Cantrada, a vampire organization.
And the one who would bring the Flower of Life to Korea was a Cantra executive.
Given their connection, they would inevitably communicate. In fact, the original drama briefly mentioned a Cantra executive meeting with Kang Wook-sung.
I had been meeting with Kang Wook-sung regularly recently, using the pretext of money laundering and collecting the proceeds from the art sales I'd previously requested. My true purpose, however, was to monitor him and hack his smartphone.
"Ha ha! Bingo!"
After much effort, I finally obtained the information I wanted.
***
November 21st.
The day Doris Ziegler, a Cantra executive, would illegally enter South Korea. She planned to arrive in Busan by ship from Japan.
Just as I suspected, she's entering Korea earlier than in the original story.
In the original narrative, she didn't arrive until after December.
I had already stopped relying on the original plot and began monitoring Kang Wook-sung directly because the story had already diverged from the source material.
The Korean Vampire Hunters... the Korean Black Cross Society has suffered near-total annihilation. If she's coming to Korea, now would be the perfect time.
I chuckled to myself.