"Stop! Detective Moon!"
Moon Ji-Hyeok turned to look at me, his face quickly contorting in shock.
"Taker...?!"
He collapsed to the floor, clearly reeling from the revelation of my true identity. Well, we had been getting quite close lately.
...And his physical condition is a mess too.
Moon Ji-Hyeok's eyes darted wildly as he stared at me.
"...That sword... You were Jeokgwang all along?"
I glanced at Baek Sanggi, wondering why he had suddenly intervened. Perhaps it was because of me.
"That's right. I am Jeokgwang," I replied with a smile.
According to the conversation I'd overheard through the eavesdropping device, Baek Sanggi didn't seem to covet the Life Orb.
Baek Sanggi's current goal was to feed the Life Orb to Moon Ji-Hyeok and restore him to human form.
"So he was human after all," I muttered, ignoring Baek Sanggi's words as I approached the Flower of Life.
The Flower of Life was the most critical thing right now. I had to protect it so it could fully form the four Life Orbs. Of course, the most important thing was to prevent anyone else from stealing them.
I kicked Moon Ji-Hyeok away to create some distance. He was too close to the Flower of Life.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Yang Jeongmin struggled to escape my arms. I tightened my grip on the hand covering his mouth and pressed the knife against his neck, tilting it sideways. The cold steel against his skin seemed to calm him down.
Moon Ji-Hyeok couldn't get up easily. Even with a vampire's regenerative abilities, he would need several hours of rest to regain his full strength.
The one I need to focus on here isn't Moon Ji-Hyeok. It's Doris and Baek Sanggi. Especially Baek Sanggi he feels like the most dangerous person I've met in this world.
Doris was rolling her eyes around, still not fully grasping the situation.
In contrast, Baek Sanggi calmly observed me. When I kicked Moon Ji-Hyeok, he didn't even glance at him.
Wasn't Baek Sanggi's goal to help Moon Ji-Hyeok? Why is he looking at me like that?
Baek Sanggi raised his sword and pointed it at me. I frowned.
"What? Can't you see I have a hostage?"
"If one hostage is all it takes to kill you, it's a cheap price to pay."
"Weren't you Moon Ji-Hyeok's comrade?"
"I was impressed by the will of a young man who hadn't succumbed to the power of vampires. But my target is you, Jeokgwang. I never expected you to be human... which makes you even more dangerous."
Baek Sanggi laughed.
As the actor portraying him was a male idol, he was undeniably handsome. Yet his smile carried an unsettling edge.
Baek Sanggi approached me and swung his sword. I extended the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger, which I had been holding against Yang Jeongmin's neck, to block the blade.
Clang!
Yang Jeongmin bit down hard on my left hand.
"Argh!"
My grip weakened, and Yang Jeongmin escaped from my arms. The bite marks were vivid, evidence of the force he had used.
"Mr. Ji Hyeok!"
"Ugh, not him again."
I didn't have time to chase after Yang Jeongmin, let alone complain. Baek Sanggi had begun swinging his sword at me in earnest.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I grimaced as I parried Baek Sanggi's strikes. He was no ordinary opponent. Every time I tried to deflect his blade and counterattack, he effortlessly disrupted my momentum.
Our physical capabilities were similar. I couldn't hope to overpower him through brute force.
I'll end this with Jade Stream.
I retreated from Baek Sanggi and unleashed Jade Stream.
"As expected. A truly remarkable killing technique."
The attack was blocked with absurd ease.
I saw his pupils flicker. Jade Stream had clearly connected, yet the outcome was the opposite of what I'd expected.
Ki sense. He's sensing my presence not through his eyes, but through ki sense.
Immediately, Baek Sanggi's swordsmanship transformed. His previously unremarkable blade movements now flowed with a lifelike fluidity. Sensing the unnatural shift, I forcefully parried his strike and retreated.
"My swordsmanship is the Nature's Principles Sword," he declared. "Originally, it was a martial art for cultivating both mind and body."
I paused, recalling Jin Seyoung's earlier words: If your opponent reveals the name of their martial art, you must reciprocate. It's a matter of etiquette on the Martial Way.
To be honest, I hadn't fully understood Jin Seyoung's reasoning. But in this world, revealing the name of one's swordsmanship was a simple matter.
"Youngcheon Style," I replied.
I glanced toward Moon Ji-Hyeok. Yang Jeongmin was supporting him as they descended the mountain. Good. We're deep within Seorak Mountain. At Yang Jeongmin's pace, even on a proper trail, it would take at least three to four hours to reach the base.
Yang Jeongmin followed me blindly, so he won't know the way back. He'll probably get lost after going down a bit.
Just in case, I'd attached a transmitter to the hem of Yang Jeongmin's clothes. No matter where he runs, he'll be in the palm of my hand.
"Are you worried about those young people?"
"They saw my face, so I can't let them live. And you too."
"Ha ha. It's been ages since I last had a life-or-death duel with a prosecutor... This is great. With the moon so bright tonight, it's the perfect day to meet your end."
Baek Sanggi's sword flew toward me in a graceful arc. I parried and prepared to counterattack, but I was startled to see his blade suddenly flying in the opposite direction.
Did I lose track of his sword's movements for a moment?
I hastily adjusted my grip, switching to a reverse grip to parry Baek Sanggi's blade. But I was too late. His sword sliced across my left forearm.
Blood flowed, but the wound wasn't deep. I could still move my arm without difficulty.
I can't just keep taking hits.
Dawn.
My sword traced a crimson arc, aiming for Baek Sanggi's neck. He parried my blade from below, using the pommel of his hilt.
"Ha ha!" Baek Sanggi laughed aloud.
I couldn't laugh. In my current state, I didn't think I could defeat him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
It was our umpteenth clash.
My body was drenched in sweat and blood. To an observer, I looked like I could collapse and die at any moment, but in reality, all the cuts were shallow.
Baek Sanggi was sweating too, but he wasn't bleeding like me. For every fifteen times I was cut, he had only been hit three times at most.
Damn it. He's not giving me a single opening to pull out a grenade or gun from my inventory.
Frustrated by my ragged breathing, I searched for a gap in Baek Sanggi's defenses. There was none.
The Nature's Principles Sword technique itself was unremarkable compared to the Youngcheon Style. However, its fundamentals were so meticulously honed they were almost nauseatingly thorough. It was an utterly defensive sword style.
I'm conserving my acceleration, but... he's not fighting at full power either. Even if I use it, I don't think I can win... Wait, what?
My eyes widened. Doris had suddenly appeared before the Flower of Life, reaching out her hand. My body moved faster than I could think.
Youngcheon Style Combat Technique: Flying Tiger.
I charged forward like a tiger, gripping my sword with both hands and swinging it with all my weight.
"Kuaaaah!"
I didn't stop there; I aimed for Doris's neck. She teleported away just in time.
"Gah!"
Doris's scream came from my right. I turned to see Baek Sanggi standing behind her, his sword plunged into her heart.
"H-how did you know I'd teleport here?!"
"I figured it out after watching you a few times. Every time you activated your supernatural power, your pupils shifted toward your destination. In the end, teleportation is limited to your field of vision. I simply predicted your move and hid behind the tree. Now, die, True Ancestor."
Baek Sanggi lowered his sword. Doris's body collapsed to the ground. Even a True Ancestor couldn't survive such a fatal wound.
"We've eliminated the True Ancestor. Now, let's continue..."
Acceleration activated. Duration: 10 minutes.
Youngcheon Style Combat Record: Flying Tiger
I accelerated, building momentum to deliver a massive, weight-laden sword strike.
Despite the near-perfect surprise attack, Baek Sanggi reacted effortlessly, raising his sword to defend. The impact reverberated, momentarily disrupting his stance.
Seizing the opening, I unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.
Ten minutes passed, and the acceleration wore off. Even with the enhanced speed, I couldn't kill Baek Sanggi.
"...Fuck. Why isn't anything working?" I spat out, my breath coming in ragged gasps. A few minor attacks had landed, but every decisive strike had been blocked.
"Jeokgwang, your swordsmanship is exceptional. I know this because we shared blades. Your Youngcheon Style possesses unfathomable depth."
Baek Sanggi approached me, as exhausted as I was.
"Swordsmanship is just swordsmanship, Jeokgwang."
I charged at Baek Sanggi again. With a subtle twist of his wrist, he parried my blade aside. This wasn't swordsmanship; it was just a cheap trick.
Baek Sanggi plunged his sword into my abdomen.
"It's been fun, Jeokgwang. Thanks to you, I can finally sever all my lingering attachments to this world."
"..."
Instead of collapsing, I took another step forward. I grabbed Baek Sanggi by the collar and thrust my sword into his chest.
I grimaced.
"...Why didn't you dodge?"
He could have easily avoided the blow by simply releasing his grip on the hilt and stepping back. But Baek Sanggi didn't move.
"I'm keeping you company, Jeokgwang. Wouldn't it be lonely going to the afterlife alone?"
His nonchalant attitude ignited a murderous rage within me. I wanted to draw my sword and hack him to pieces right then and there.
"...Hah."
I let out a short sigh, shoved him aside, and yanked the knife from my abdomen. He collapsed to the ground, looking up at me.
"Thank you, Jeokgwang."
What's he thanking me for? I frowned, utterly bewildered.
"Idiot."
I activated Full Recovery.
The minor wounds across my body vanished, and even the knife wound healed completely, leaving no trace.
Baek Sanggi's eyes widened, his mouth gaping. His look of utter shock was almost amusing.
But the moment passed quickly.
Baek Sanggi soon regained his composure, closing his eyes with a faint smile playing on his lips.
He looked like an old man facing a peaceful death. It was infuriating.
I turned my back on Baek Sanggi and approached the Flower of Life.
Seeing the two Life Orbs clinging to the Flower of Life instantly melted away my irritation.
Wow~. The luster is unreal. Seriously.
I stared blankly at the Flower of Life before snapping out of my daze and changing my clothes.
There was no way I could handle the Life Orbs while wearing blood- and sweat-soaked, filthy clothes. Who would take responsibility if I tainted them?
They said four orbs would form in total, right? It shouldn't take too long... I'll just wait.
I sat cross-legged right in front of the Flower of Life, never letting go of my Hwaryeon Flying Dagger. I couldn't guarantee 100% that there wouldn't be unexpected variables like Baek Sanggi.
Ah, right. Where are Yang Jeongmin and Moon Ji-Hyeok now?
I pulled a tracker from my inventory. It looked like a palm-sized rectangular pad. Activating the tracker revealed the location of the transmitters.
"As expected, they didn't get far."
Moon Ji-Hyeok and Yang Jeongmin were moving slowly. Judging by their disheveled appearance, they were undoubtedly lost.
When stranded in the mountains, the best course of action is to calmly call 119 for help.
"But Moon Ji-Hyeok and Yang Jeongmin are unlikely to ask for help. They know that calling for backup would only lead to their deaths at my hands."
Even if they did report me, it wouldn't matter. My goal in "Vampire Detective" was nearly achieved. Though I felt lingering attachment to Yeong Hye-jeong, Hera, and Choi Seon-mi, it wasn't enough to keep me from cutting ties with the Vampire Detective.
As I gazed at the Flower of Life, I recalled my battle with Baek Sanggi. Irritation flared, but I couldn't deny there were lessons to be learned.
"My swordsmanship itself was superior."
But I couldn't win.
I tried to figure out why, but nothing came to mind. I'd have to ask Jin Seyoung about it later.
Time passed.
Four Life Orbs had formed on the Flower of Life.
When I uprooted the Flower of Life from the ground, it withered rapidly and turned to dust, vanishing completely. All that remained in my hand were the four Life Orbs.
I placed the rainbow-colored Life Orbs into a plastic bag and stored them in my inventory.
"Objective achieved!"
Clap, clap, clap!
I even clapped in self-congratulation before getting to my feet.
Checking my surroundings, I confirmed that Yang Jeongmin and Moon Ji-Hyeok weren't far away. At my physical capabilities, I could catch up to them in about thirty minutes if I ran.
"Alright then. Let's go complete the sub-mission."
I sprinted through the dark mountain forest.
Soon, I spotted Yang Jeongmin supporting Moon Ji-Hyeok by the shoulder as they walked. Moon Ji-Hyeok's steps were surprisingly steady, suggesting he had recovered somewhat.
Silently, I circled around them and cut them off.
"...Jeongmin, I'm fine. Just run. My body will heal on its own eventually."
"How could I abandon you, Ji-Hyeok? We'll call 119 when it's light out. By then, the Taker... no, Jeokgwang will have fled."
I smirked and blocked their path.
"Why would I run?"