Into the Creations-Chapter 68: [] World of Vampire Detective [41]

In a luxurious suite at a high-end hotel in Seoul, Baek Sang-gi sat in a chair, sipping green tea as he gazed out at the city below. He often found himself observing the world like this. There was no particular reason—it was simply a habit, a part of his routine.

"Is there anything you find uncomfortable?"

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Lee Moon-hyun asked from behind. Lee Moon-hyun had taken it upon himself to attend to Baek Sang-gi's needs. Whether it was out of consideration or surveillance, Baek Sang-gi didn't care either way.

"The food is excellent, and the bed was warm. How could I be uncomfortable?"

"I'm glad you're satisfied."

"Yes. I especially like this view. Seoul has developed so dazzlingly in the short time I've been away. In my memory, Hanyang from 300 years ago is still vivid."

Baek Sang-gi stroked his chin, a habit he had whenever he reminisced about the past. He felt a pang of regret at the lack of a beard. Even though his aging had stopped, his hair and nails continued to grow. He had grown a beard until 30 years ago but shaved it off when he realized how much Korea had changed. Nowadays, it was rare to see anyone on the Korean Peninsula with a beard.

"Have you found Jeokgwang?"

"...I'm sorry. We haven't found him yet."

"I'm not blaming you. That guy can turn invisible. Finding him won't be easy. Time means nothing to me anyway. I'll wait patiently until Jeokgwang shows himself."

"I'll do my best to find him."

Baek Sang-gi simply brought the teacup to his lips. Lee Moon-hyun's eyes burned with hatred and anger. It was clear that even if Baek Sang-gi told him to take it easy, he wouldn't listen.

The room fell into silence. Baek Sang-gi continued to sip his tea and gaze out the window. It was Lee Moon-hyun who felt the awkwardness. He rolled his eyes for a moment before speaking up.

"Sir, I heard that a foreign vampire arrived in Busan this morning."

"Busan, you say? It seems they're not neglecting their surveillance."

"Yes. While searching for Jeokgwang, we've maintained at least a minimal surveillance system."

"As you should... Hmm? Did you say a foreign vampire?"

"Yes. We're currently investigating their identity. Our agents are quietly tailing them. Given their expertise, they won't be noticed."

Baek Sang-gi set down his teacup.

"...He's probably an executive from Kantra. I see. It's already been 300 years. That time has come again."

"Excuse me?"

"Have you heard of the Orb of Life?"

At that question, Lee Moon-hyun nodded. He had heard about it from the former head of the Korean Black Cross, who had been like a benefactor to him in his youth.

"I've heard it's the fruit of immortality. And I know that you, sir, consumed the Orb of Life."

"That's right. By eating the Orb of Life, I gained physical abilities comparable to a vampire and stopped aging. How much do you know about the Orb of Life?"

"I know that if a human eats it, they gain immortality and superhuman abilities. If a vampire eats it, they return to being human. And if a Pureblood eats it, their supernatural abilities are enhanced."

"You know most of it. Then do you know what happens if someone eats multiple Orbs of Life?"

"...I don't know."

Lee Moon-hyun answered honestly. The Orb of Life was already an incredibly rare item. Eating multiple? He had never even heard of such a thing.

"For humans, there's no effect after the first one. I speak from experience, so this is certain. A vampire would become human and then a superhuman. The problem lies with the Purebloods. Every time a Pureblood eats an Orb of Life, their abilities grow stronger."

"What? Is that true? Does that mean they could grow infinitely stronger as long as they have Orbs of Life...?"

"Theoretically, yes. But there aren't many Seeds of Life left in the world."

"What are the Seeds of Life?"

"They are artifacts created by a Pureblood from ancient times using supernatural abilities. If you nurture a Seed of Life, it grows into a Flower of Life, which bears the Orb of Life."

Lee Moon-hyun's eyes widened. This was the first time he had heard such a thing in all his years.

Baek Sang-gi stood up from his seat.

"Three hundred years ago, three Purebloods came and used the Flower of Life to absorb the spiritual energy of the Korean Peninsula, creating Orbs of Life. At that time, one Flower of Life produced a total of four Orbs. No matter how I think about it, the Orbs of Life are too dangerous for Purebloods. Moon-hyun, we need to go to Mount Seorak."

"...Understood. I'll prepare the car right away."

***

I thought about the possibility of Moon Ji-hyuk obtaining the Orb of Life.

'If I step in personally, it shouldn't happen... but considering the original story, it's not something I can completely ignore.'

There's only one Orb of Life. If Moon Ji-hyuk gets to it first and eats it, everything could fall apart.

'I need to control Moon Ji-hyuk completely. To do that...'

I picked up my smartphone. There was something more precious to Moon Ji-hyuk than his own life right now.

[Taker: Hello, Ms. Yang Jung-min.]

I quietly waited for a reply. It was a weekday, so Yang Jung-min was probably at work.

[Yang Jung-min: Who is this?]

[Taker: This is Taker. You could say I'm a colleague of Detective Moon.]

[Yang Jung-min: You're one of Ji-hyuk's informants, right?]

Yang Jung-min knew who I was. I was a bit surprised. Did Moon Ji-hyuk tell her No, he wouldn't do that. Considering Yang Jung-min's personality, it was unlikely she had investigated Moon Ji-hyuk's background.

That left only one possibility...

'Moon Ji-hyuk, you idiot... Can't you manage your phone properly?'

[Yang Jung-min: You're contacting me... What's going on?]

[Taker: Detective Moon is in danger.]

[Yang Jung-min: Are you with Ji-hyuk right now?!]

[Taker: Detective Moon is safe for now. So please calm down and read my message carefully.]

[Yang Jung-min: ...Alright.]

[Taker: Detective Moon is planning to become human again this time.]

I explained to Yang Jung-min about the Orb of Life, Doris, and vampires in general.

[Yang Jung-min: Ji-hyuk is trying to do something like that...]

[Taker: Detective Moon is obsessed with becoming human again. I think you're the reason for that.]

[Yang Jung-min: ...Should I stop him?]

[Yang Jung-min: I should stop him, right?]

"No. That won't work. It's no good."

Startled, I quickly moved my fingers to send her a message.

[Taker: Even if you try to stop him, Detective Moon will eventually head to Mount Seorak. That's just the kind of person he is.]

[Yang Jung-min: You're right. Ji-hyuk is that kind of person. So what should I do?]

[Taker: Please help Detective Moon. I'll also go to Mount Seorak to assist him. The only people he can trust right now are you and me.]

In the original drama, Moon Ji-hyuk is helped by his colleagues from the detective division. But now, his colleagues aren't as close or trustworthy as they were in the original.

[Yang Jung-min: Alright. I'll go right away.]

[Yang Jung-min: It's probably better not to tell Ji-hyuk about this.]

Fortunately, Yang Jung-min wasn't a foolish woman. If she had contacted Moon Ji-hyuk, I would have been in trouble.

[Taker: I'll send you the location. Let's move together at Mount Seorak. It'll be safer that way.]

[Yang Jung-min: Okay. Thank you for letting me know. I'm glad Ji-hyuk has a friend like you.]

[Taker: I wouldn't exactly call us friends... but I guess I've grown attached to Detective Moon without realizing it.]

I chuckled.

'Calling us friends... What a joke. Well, it's been fun playing with him.'

***

At the foot of Mount Seorak.

A black sedan came to a stop. The doors opened, and four men stepped out.

"Mr. Ziegler, are you sure you'll be alright on your own?"

Kang Wook-sung asked Doris politely.

"I'll be fine, Mr. Kang. The task the boss has entrusted to me is of utmost importance."

"May I ask what that task is?"

Doris's gentle gaze turned sharp.

Kang Wook-sung's face stiffened. He had thought that Doris's gentlemanly demeanor would make this question acceptable.

"I-I'm sorry. I overstepped."

"No, it's fine. I overreacted. My apologies."

"Not at all."

"Mr. Kang, this mission must remain confidential. Please forget everything that happened today. Your duties end here. Return to your original tasks."

"...Understood. However, there was a tail earlier today. The Black Cross might interfere with your mission."

"I'm aware. But the Korean Black Cross won't be able to do anything right now. We got lucky. I'd like to recruit that Jeokgwang fellow. Do you have any information on him?"

"No. Jeokgwang operates thoroughly, leaving no traces."

"What a shame. Then I'll be on my way. I'll return alone."

"Yes. Please be careful."

"You too, take care on your way back."

Doris moved. With a light step, he leaped nearly 2 meters into the air and began scaling the mountain. He was using the full extent of his Pureblood vampire abilities.

Doris disappeared from Kang Wook-sung's sight in an instant.

'That's the power of an executive... They say he's among the top-tier Purebloods, and it seems true.'

Kang Wook-sung silently marveled. He had spoken with executives a few times before, but this was the first time he had witnessed even a glimpse of their abilities.

"Our job here is done. Let's head back."

Kang Wook-sung got back into the car and spoke.

***

'I should go this way.'

As he ran up Mount Seorak, Doris occasionally pulled out a map from his pocket to check his direction.

Doris's mission was to plant the Flower of Life in a designated location, allowing it to absorb the spiritual energy of the Korean Peninsula and produce Orbs of Life. A single Flower of Life could bear up to four orbs, and given the current spiritual energy of the peninsula, it was possible to produce all four.

'The Orb of Life... Ah, I can't wait.'

Doris planned to consume all four Orbs of Life. He had already received permission from the boss. The boss intended to enhance his teleportation abilities.

'Eating the Orbs of Life will also extend my lifespan. Ah! What a joyous day!'

According to the boss, consuming one Orb of Life would extend a Pureblood's lifespan by 15 years. Eating all four would extend it by a whopping 60 years.

Originally, Doris was supposed to arrive in Korea in December. That would have been the case if the Korean vampire hunters hadn't been nearly wiped out. He would have moved slowly, keeping an eye on the Korean Black Cross.

But now, Korea was relatively safe for vampires. With no need to worry about vampire hunters, his actions had become bolder.

'Here it is.'

After running for over an hour, Doris finally reached his destination. It was a clearing with no trees, allowing the moonlight to shine through brightly.

He opened his briefcase and took out the Flower of Life. Externally, it looked like a small sunflower, about 20 cm tall. Doris carefully planted the Flower of Life in the clearing.

'...Whew. This is nerve-wracking.'

A faint light began to emanate from the properly planted Flower of Life. It was a sign that it was absorbing spiritual energy.

'Good. It's planted correctly.'

He looked at the Flower of Life with loving eyes. Though it resembled a sunflower, the faint light it emitted was paradoxically similar to moonlight.

'Just two more hours! These will be the longest two hours of my life.'

If the Flower of Life successfully absorbed the peninsula's spiritual energy, it would produce an Orb of Life every 30 minutes. Once four orbs were produced, the Flower of Life would wither. The same would happen if the flower was uprooted before then.

So, Doris needed to keep watch, ensuring that the wind didn't blow it away or that animals didn't come to harm it.

'How beautiful...'

Doris stared blankly at the Flower of Life. Even so, time seemed to pass incredibly slowly.

Thirty minutes passed.

A small Orb of Life formed at the center of the Flower of Life.

The Orb of Life emitted a faint rainbow-like glow. It looked more like a gem than a fruit. Doris couldn't help but think of opals.

'...What a mistake. The Orb of Life is many times more beautiful than opals...'

Doris swallowed hard. He wanted to put the orb in his mouth right then and there. According to the boss, it would melt and be absorbed into his body the moment it entered his mouth.

'I have to resist.'

If he plucked the orb now, the Flower of Life would wither immediately. If he waited a little longer, he could obtain three more orbs.

He wasn't foolish enough to be blinded by immediate gains and miss out on a greater opportunity.

Rustle!

A sound reached his ears. Startled, Doris, who had been staring blankly at the Flower of Life, jumped to his feet and shouted.

"Who's there?!"

Bang!

The response was a silver bullet. Startled, Doris instinctively used teleportation to hide behind a nearby tree.

Peeking out from behind the tree, Doris looked in the direction the bullet had come from.

There was a man holding a revolver.

It was Moon Ji-hyuk.

***

Hey readers!

Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance Chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.

🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹

Thanks for being awesome! ❤️