53 chapter - Preliminary Skirmish (3)

The vampires didn’t just come through the windows—they forced their way in through the front door as well.

They squeezed themselves into the cramped officetel.

Fortunately, I’d bought myself enough time.

While keeping the bastard vampire talking, I’d quietly moved over to the corner of the living room where my gear was stacked. I immediately pulled out a dagger.

I slashed my palm in one quick motion and brought it up to my right eye.

Drip.

The instant a drop of blood fell into my right eye, the mana lying dormant inside me stirred awake.

“Kyaaaah!”

At the same time, vampires lunged from every direction.

Thanks to being backed into the corner, only two of them could come at me at once.

I shot my foot out toward the jaw of the first one rushing in.

Thud!

One was knocked out of the fight in an instant—now it was one-on-one.

Except he was barehanded, and I had a sharp dagger.

Stab! Stab!

“Guhhhk!”

I buried the blade into his solar plexus and then into the nape of his neck.

He clutched at his gut and throat before toppling forward.

Two were down already, but behind them more of the creatures were coming for me.

Five.

They showed no hint of anger or fear over their comrades’ deaths.

That look alone made it clear they weren’t human.

They wore human skin, but they were beneath even beasts.

At least a beast could think and make its own judgments.

These things aren’t people anymore.

I lifted my dagger and smeared a streak of vampire blood into my right eye.

Bzzzt.

I felt my Trait respond.

From here on, killing vampires would translate directly into experience points.

It was my own way of treating them like nothing more than monsters.

“Kyahhh!”

One of them crouched low and charged.

Looked like it wanted to grapple me, but this wasn’t a barehanded brawl.

I seized its hair mid-charge and slammed its head into the floor.

It thrashed its limbs to break free, but it was useless.

The difference in strength between us was overwhelming.

Stab!

I drove the dagger straight through its throat.

“Screeeech!”

“Hraaah!”

The remaining four rushed almost simultaneously.

I wrenched my dagger free and met them one by one.

“Aghhhk!”

“Graaaaah!”

All they could manage was to scream as they died.

When I finally slit the throat of the last one, the narrow officetel was drenched in blood.

“Wow. That’s not C-Rank Hunter level at all.”

“…So it seems.”

Now only the two who had first appeared were left.

I snarled at them.

“What are you waiting for? Come at me.”

“Amusing.”

The one who had introduced himself as Oh Jeongjin pulled a knife from his jacket and said,

“Hyung-nim. This bastard’s about to get himself killed. What do you want me to do?”

Arrogant bastard—he turned his head to ask his comrade even with his opponent right in front of him.

While he played it casual, I was already closing in on his back.

“…!”

Too late for him to react.

Slash!

My dagger cut through, separating his head from his body.

Thump!

His head dropped to the floor.

Splaaash!

A beat later, a fountain of blood erupted from the stump.

I stared down at his dead face, eyes wide open, and muttered,

“Your tongue was too long.”

Then I slowly lifted my gaze to the last one standing.

He clapped his hands together.

“Impressive.”

His reaction was so unexpected I was caught off guard.

I asked,

“You’re this relaxed in this situation? Are you saying you could take me down anytime you want?”

“To be honest, watching you dispose of low-rank vampires in a single strike… it’s doubtful that someone like me, only a mid-rank, could subdue you.”

“…Low-rank vampires?”

“Our organization categorizes them: lowest-rank, low-rank, mid-rank, high-rank.”

“Those feral ones are the lowest-rank?”

“Correct.”

I narrowed my eyes at the way he was spilling information so freely.

“What’s your game?”

“…Generally speaking, low-rank vampires can match C-Rank Hunters. Mid-rank vampires can match B-Ranks.”

“And why the hell are you telling me this? Lost your mind?”

“What I’ve told you applies to ordinary people. For Hunters, who carry mana within from the start, the effect is far more dramatic.”

“…”

“You can grow stronger. With your abilities, even becoming just a low-rank vampire might grant you strength rivaling an A-Rank Hunter.”

He extended a hand toward me.

“Become a vampire. I’ll make you one.”

I looked him straight in the eye.

“An A-Rank Hunter, huh. Sounds nice. So you’re offering to turn me into a vampire for my sake?”

“That’s right.”

“Not because once I become a low-rank vampire I’d be bound to obey your commands?”

At that, his body gave a visible twitch.

“Bullseye, huh.”

So his plan was to make me his thrall and force me to reveal where Kang Juhui’s corpse was.

And as a bonus, he’d gain a powerful subordinate.

“I refuse.”

“…A pity.”

He let out a thick killing intent.

“Allow me to correct your misconception. It might be difficult for me to subdue you, but killing you? That’s well within my ability.”

“Oh? I’m shaking.”

He had his reasons for sounding so confident.

He pulled a pistol from inside his jacket.

He pointed the muzzle straight at my head and resumed negotiations.

“Don’t forget—my physical abilities are on par with a B-Rank Hunter. If you so much as twitch, I’ll shoot.”

He began walking toward me slowly.

“Accept your fate quietly. You’re going to become a vampire.”

Squelch.

As he stepped into the bloody puddles soaking the floor, I shouted,

“Now!”

The call was for Lee Yuna and Hong Soo-ah, who had been waiting by the officetel entrance.

Thwip!

An arrow flew from behind him, piercing the hand holding the gun.

“Kh!”

Crack!

At the same moment, crimson ice erupted from the blood pool and froze both his feet solid.

“!!”

I took that opening, rushing in and smashing a low kick across his legs.

Crash!

His frozen leg shattered clean through.

“Graaahhh!”

I stomped on his back and snapped both his arms.

“Oppa! Are you okay?”

I shouted back at Yuna, who tried to rush in.

“Yuna, don’t come here!”

“What?”

“Go inside your room!”

“…Okay.”

Still bewildered, she obeyed.

“…Captain. What the hell is all this?”

“Vampires broke in.”

“…Vampires.”

Hong Soo-ah surveyed the blood-drenched chaos of the room and asked,

“…Are you planning to let this one live?”

“His mouth runs like a feather. I’ll take him to headquarters and show him to the Chief.”

Even with his limbs ruined, the mid-rank vampire thrashed desperately, still trying to bargain.

“Think again! I’ll promise you a mid-rank’s place, no—a man like you could even rise to high-rank! You could enjoy wealth and glory beyond anything your current life can offer!”

I ignored his babbling and asked Soo-ah,

“Can you freeze him solid?”

“…I can, but won’t that kill him?”

“It’s fine. Their vitality is insane. And if he dies, it doesn’t matter much anyway. Just freeze him whole.”

“…Got it.”

Even as the ice crawled over his body, he kept flapping his tongue.

“You could be living in a Han River-view condo instead of this dump! Just think—!”

The ice sealed his mouth shut and at last he fell silent.

I eyed the wand in Soo-ah’s hand.

“Nice performance.”

“…It’s Baek Jang-in’s work.”

The Mana Stone we’d handed over to Lee Yechan had been given to Baek Jang-in, who reforged it into a top-grade artifact.

Epic grade, no less.

It would fetch billions if auctioned.

Thanks to that, just wielding the wand boosted Soo-ah’s specs severalfold.

“Think you can keep him contained until we get to headquarters?”

“…As long as I don’t fall asleep.”

“I’ll leave it to you then.”

She nodded slowly.

“Alright. Let’s clean up here and head out—”

“Eeek!”

A scream made us turn.

There, pale-faced and trembling, stood a middle-aged man.

It was the ajusshi from Room 306 across the hall.

We’d exchanged greetings in passing before—but now he was frozen in panic.

The blood-soaked room.

The corpses scattered everywhere.

In his eyes, we must look like murderous psychopaths.

I walked toward him slowly.

“Ajusshi.”

“Eeek! P-please don’t kill me. I didn’t see anything, I swear!”

As I drew closer, tears streamed down his face as he groveled.

“This is a misunderstanding.”

“Stay back! M-murderer! Murderer killing people!”

Then—

Without me noticing, Soo-ah had moved behind him and swung her wand.

Thwack!

“Guhhk!”

The blow landed squarely on the back of his head. He spun around in horror.

Soo-ah muttered under her breath, looking sour.

“…In movies this usually makes people faint.”

The ajusshi glanced at the blood on his hand after touching his head—his own blood.

“B-blood…!!”

He collapsed sideways in a fit, foam at his lips, body shaking.

I let out a deep sigh and called Hong Yura.

“Hello? Noona. If you don’t want Soo-ah branded a murderer, you’d better get to my place right now.”

Thanks to Hong Yura, who rushed over like lightning at the mention of her younger sister, the situation was patched up.

The unconscious ajusshi was treated and laid in his Room 306.

Soo-ah and Yuna stayed inside 301.

Hong Yura didn’t want her sister exposed to any more brutality.

Using her water control, she cleaned the blood-soaked living room until it was spotless—even the stains that had seeped into the wallpaper.

Looking at the pile of vampire corpses we’d set aside, Hong Yura asked,

“What do you plan to do with these bodies?”

“I’ll take them to headquarters. Submit them as evidence of the vampire organization.”

“Yeah, that’ll help make them believe there’s really a monster group operating in the middle of Seoul.”

At that moment—

Waaaahhhhnk.

The wail of police sirens.

Hong Yura leaned out of the shattered window to check, then turned back with a grim face.

“It’s the police. Let’s get rid of the corpses, quick.”

“Can’t we just tell them the truth? That we were attacked by vampires.”

“Idiot. These vampires used to be actual people. A simple ID check will bring up their real identities. Then you’re ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) just a murderer.”

I hadn’t spoken carelessly.

I trusted Yura’s power and the influence of the Taeseong Guild.

“Can’t you fix it with your ability, noona?”

She’d once made a lie real during the Lizardman Gate incident.

This time we were telling the truth—should’ve been easier.

But reality was different.

“This isn’t the same. Listen carefully. The Taeseong Guild is covering for the vampires. And the ones doing it outrank me.”

“But if we tell the truth—”

“The world doesn’t care about truth.”

Her voice was sharp, resolute.

“What matters is power and authority. That’s all. As long as they want to bury the vampires’ existence, you screaming the truth means nothing.”

Her expression turned bitter as she spoke the truth of this world.

“No one listens to the powerless.”

“…”

While we were talking, the sirens grew louder—closer.

They were definitely here for our building.

That ajusshi never had time to call. Must’ve been a neighbor who reported it.

We’re screwed.

If the police searched the place, Yura was right—it’d be the end.

What do I do?

Just then, Yura’s eyes lit up as if she’d thought of something.

“Take off your clothes.”

I stared at her blankly.

“…What?”

“I said take them off.”