Se-gun looked over the business card he had received from Kim Seong-hee and clicked his tongue. It even listed the address of somewhere called the Daehyeon Building located in Bukgajwa-dong. Truly, it seemed the man had guts spilling out of his body—more than just a little.
“Damn. Is this really okay?”
Se-gun also did not like the man called Sahyuk. But he also owed him from last night, and since he was already marked by Tetra Anax, he needed to get closer to them so he could use them as shields. They would want information about Father Sylvester through Se-gun as well, so they would accept him.
—At least, according to Se-gun’s calculations.
“The question is whether they'll let me walk away cleanly when it’s time to say goodbye.”
After filling his motorcycle tank full at a gas station, Se-gun checked the bike. The paint had been scraped off a lot from rolling over last night, but fortunately the body itself was intact. Still, if it kept getting banged up like this, he’d have no choice but to sell it for a pittance when he replaced it.
‘Money isn’t really an issue anymore, though.’
Se-gun went to look for the Daehyeon Building listed in the address. It wasn’t hard to find. It was a small building located in a semi-residential area with little foot traffic, with a tiny factory attached beside it.
“Hm….”
Judging by the Hummer and Dynasty parked in the factory lot, the factory itself probably also belonged to Sahyuk. Yet the building looked far too ordinary in comparison.
“Guess I’ll go in, then.”
Muttering to himself, Se-gun stepped forward. And the moment he entered the entrance, he sensed something off. The walls and lobby were lined with soundproofing material, and in the places where the finishing was poorly done, he could see Kevlar inserted beneath it. It seemed they wanted both soundproofing and protection from ricochets. In concrete stairwells, people sometimes get killed by stray bullets even while in cover, so this seemingly excessive measure made sense.
“Not ordinary at all.”
Se-gun murmured. Judging by these measures, their financial resources were no joke. The building looking run-down was likely a conscious choice—picking a quiet location. Just like how gangster offices often look shabby despite their wealth.
He lifted his phone and made a call. Even if the man bragged openly about illegal activities, showing up at his workplace directly felt rude. Soon, a voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Ah, excuse me. Is this Mr. Sahyuk’s phone?”
“Uh… yeah?”
“Yes, well—”
Just then, footsteps came down the stairs. The owner of those footsteps was Sahyuk.
“Hey. You’re already here and calling? Is your body healed?”
“Ah, yes. Actually, I just—”
“You want to join our team? I’d welcome it. We’re short on people and it’s tough. Come in.”
With a broad smile, Sahyuk dragged Se-gun into the office. The office looked ordinary—except for the double soundproof windows, soundproof walls, and electronic safe-walls.
“If you ever got audited, you’d be in trouble.”
“It’s not a company, it’s privately owned. Even if someone audits us, it’s all black market anyway, so there’s nothing to find. Ahahahaha!”
Sahyuk laughed cheerfully.
“By the way, fighting that guy yesterday? Impressive. Even if Jeokyo-dang is washed up, that guy was still a big shot.”
Hearing that, Se-gun felt a bit relieved. Last night, aside from landing one solid knee kick, he had been pummeled senseless. If someone that strong had been a nobody, it would have been embarrassing.
Then someone objected.
“But boss, we don’t even know this guy’s background for sure yet—”
“What do you need background checks for in a vampire hunter? Right?”
“Oh! R-right.”
“See? Now, shall we talk business? First, our base pay is 2 million won per month. Then we calculate by VT at 10,000 won per unit. No upfront costs. Okay?”
“Heh?”
Se-gun was shocked. Such good conditions—anyone would be tempted to become a vampire hunter just for the money. Sahyuk seemed pleased with himself and shrugged.
“Our team’s motto is harmony, love, and compassion for humankind. Right, guys?”
Smiling, he glanced at his men. They only snickered.
“Hm.”
Just then, someone coming down the stairs saw Se-gun and recoiled.
“What—him? What’s going on, boss?”
“Ah, he’s applying for a job change. Don’t worry about it.”
Sahyuk smiled. But at that moment, Se-gun noticed a strange scent—blood, and something else.
‘This… is semen?’
He didn’t say it aloud, but he was certain. Had the guy been rolling around with a woman? In broad daylight? Possible, sure. But then what was that blood smell? Se-gun frowned. Judging by their hierarchy, they were essentially gangsters—no, exactly gangsters.
“I’m curious: through what distribution network does vampire blood become profitable?”
“Oh, that? You refine it into drugs, or use it as medicine. In Japan, for example, some new religious cult leader used it to show miraculous powers.”
“Hm.”
“Worried about getting a heavy sentence for drug production? Don’t be. Using firearms also gets you heavy sentences, right? And vampire brokers did the same thing—they’re still supplying raw materials for drugs.”
Se-gun opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. His goal wasn’t actually to change jobs—it was to learn more about them. Then Sahyuk asked:
“So, about Father Sylvester. How strong is he?”
“Well… he can slice open a car roof with a sword, jump about three stories high, and he can lift a Barrett with one hand and use it like a pistol.”
“A Barrett? You mean the M82 rifle?”
“Yes.”
Se-gun explained. He judged that revealing this much wouldn’t be harmful. But Sahyuk did not seem surprised.
“Figures. But that’s still a bit lacking for hunting a True Vampire, I think. Anything else? Rumor says the True Vampire Hunter Sylvester was excommunicated from the Vatican over 200 years ago.”
Se-gun couldn’t hide his shock. He had sensed the man was old, but this old? And those physical abilities—weren’t those of a vampire?
“Well… I’ve never seen him fight a True Vampire. Didn’t know he was that incredible. Anyway, he doesn’t even use Psychedelic Moon.”
As he said this, Se-gun realized he was making a big mistake. What Sahyuk wanted to know wasn’t Sylvester’s combat ability—it was the secret to immortality. Since Se-gun didn’t know it, he was of little value to them.
“Hmm. Really? Heh. Guess my expectations were too high. He doesn’t seem to trust you much, does he?”
“…He trusts no one.”
Se-gun swallowed. Of course, there was someone Sylvester trusted—Kim Seong-hee, the owner of Arjuna. But mentioning her might endanger her life. If necessary, Se-gun was ready to fight his way out.
“Hey now, relax. We’re comrades fighting against vampires, aren’t we?”
Sahyuk laughed.
“Let me show you our workplace.”
“Boss!”
His men screamed, trying to stop him. But he ignored them.
“Oh, by the way. Do you know why they call me the Alchemist?”
“Uh, not really…?”
Seeing Sahyuk suddenly radiate murderous glee, Se-gun hesitated. The man was insane—anyone could tell that after meeting him just a few times. Compared to vampires, he was malignant—someone who’d kill many humans and revel in their blood. Yet, wearing a kind smile, he continued:
“You’ll understand when you see our workplace. What we do is far more efficient than turning lead into gold.”
The basement entrance was sealed by a reinforced alloy door, the kind that wouldn’t budge even under machine-gun fire, operated by electronic lock.
“Welcome—this is our business floor.”
He opened it with exaggerated flair.
The moment it opened, the stench of blood stabbed into Se-gun’s nose—and human screams tore through the air. Ah. That’s why they soundproofed everything! he realized.
“Ghh—!”
A vicious aura struck him like a blow, making him tremble. Even Se-gun—who had lost his family and became a vampire hunter with nothing to fear—was overcome with terror. The air was thick with murderous intent.
‘What… is this!’
It was dark and damp inside. Sahyuk stepped in and flipped on the lights. A mercury lamp buzzed sharply as the basement lit up.
“Humanity once lived as hunter-gatherers, then discovered the laws of nature and moved to agriculture and livestock. You know that much, right, boy?”
“Boy?”
Se-gun tried to retort, but then fell silent as the scene before him unfolded.
Ughhhh!
Kyaaaak!
Screams wove a grotesque symphony as cold mechanical noises cut through the dark. Sahyuk watched, face flushed in ecstatic delight.
“Vampire hunting is still stuck in the hunter-gatherer phase. But business? Oh, business must evolve. Hahaha! This is how it should be!”
He pointed ahead. There, a naked female vampire was strapped to a thick metal frame. A large knife was lodged in her abdomen, containing cellular, preventing even a drop of blood from spilling.
Her arms had been severed, the stumps sealed with cellular, yet blood still leaked from her ankles where needles had been inserted and taped down. Tubes carried the blood steadily away—like a grotesque dialysis machine.
“Wh-what is this?!”
“Vampire farming. Isn’t it great? No need to hunt vampires—you just keep extracting their blood. Of course, their VT drops, their value plummets, and eventually they die.”
With that, Sahyuk placed a hand on Se-gun’s head. The enormous grip crushed down.
“Ghhhhh!”
“Come on. Observe closely. It’s the first time I’ve given an outsider a tour.”
He pointed to another iron cage. Inside were homeless people with vacant expressions.
“T-those?”
Se-gun felt as if he’d been hit in the chest with a hammer. The kidnappers mentioned in Finder’s information—and by homeless man Gu—were these people. Seeing Se-gun struck speechless, Sahyuk became even more excited. If newcomers didn’t react like this, showing the facility wouldn’t be worth it. After all, such a brilliant business idea was hard to come by.
“Vampire feed. Ah, we don’t kill them carelessly. Organs sell for good money. First we drain their blood, then we dismantle them one by one. Corneas, kidneys, liver, pancreas, esophagus, large intestine, heart… anything worth money, we harvest. Ahahaha! At one time, this business made nearly 30 million dollars. Isn’t this modern alchemy at its finest?”
“…”
Se-gun was speechless. Their attack by Gyeong had been no coincidence. They had been tracking him. Sahyuk continued:
“We have multiple vampire samples, but having a high-VT one would be nice. That guy Gyeong from yesterday—estimated VT around 9,800. High grade. Jeokyo blood can sometimes cause corruption, but VT 9,800 is worth acquiring. Ah, right. If you catch him, I’ll pay handsomely. If he comes after you again, make sure you capture him. Got it?”
“Y-you…”
Se-gun looked toward the surgical room. They were currently dismantling a homeless man—completely stripping all organs of value. And they force-fed that blood to the vampires. This was true modern alchemy—turning “useless” homeless people into expensive vampire blood.
‘Useless?’
Who decides who is useless? Even if they were—how could someone turn them into money through such evil means?
Se-gun had always slaughtered vampires without discrimination—children, women consumed by vengeance, anyone. Kill vampires. That was the creed, the commandment, the only way to survive this insane world.
“Bwahahaha! Business booming! This is killer! It’ll be a huge hit in Korea too!”
Laughing like a madman, Sahyuk slapped Se-gun’s shoulder like a friend wanting praise. But Se-gun only stared blankly. Maybe that annoyed him.
“Hm. But this isn’t even the best part. Do it.”
“Boss?”
“Do it. Like usual.”
Sahyuk barked at one of his hunters.
The vampires being drained were mostly women. One hunter casually approached a restrained female vampire, pulled down his pants, and shamelessly thrust himself between her legs—raping the powerless, immobilized woman.
The one thrusting into her, the ones dismantling humans without remorse, the one selling their blood for profit, and Se-gun, just staring—
No one in this foul basement, this modern alchemist’s lab, was sane.
Squelch. Squelch. Squelch. Squelch.
The disgusting rhythm echoed as the man pumped his hips. Sahyuk tapped his foot in time to it.
“Hahahahaha! Good! Keep going!”
Grit—!
Se-gun clenched his teeth. Something black and poisonous surged up from his chest, consuming his mind. These filthy, depraved bastards! And he himself was hardly better!
Yes—Se-gun held the moral high ground compared to them. But how much did that really matter? Claiming morality because he killed without violating them was just self-deception.
‘Cry for me, you slut!’
Blood dripped from Se-gun’s clenched fist. Now he understood why Father Sylvester was so emotional toward these guys. They were worse than vampires—absolute garbage. The falling price of vampire blood in America—this must have been the reason. This mass-produced supply.
“You… you bastard!”
Regaining his senses, Se-gun whipped out his Tokarev and aimed it at Sahyuk’s head.
Click!
Instantly, the other vampire hunters aimed their guns at him. But Se-gun ignored the muzzles pointed at him and glared only at Sahyuk.
“You son of a bitch! You filthy bastard lower than a dog! What the hell are you doing?! Huh?!”
“Hooh. Can’t you see? A vampire and a vampire hunter are making love. Isn’t it beautiful? Love & Peace. Hippie spirit, you know. Hehehe.”
“Cut the bullshit. Figures a dog like you would bark this crap, you bastard! What the hell are you doing?! Let those people go! Now!”
Se-gun could demand the release of the humans, but he could not bring himself to say the same for the vampires. Maybe it didn’t matter in this situation, but even now, he couldn’t forgive vampires—and he was disappointed in himself for it.
“Oh? A humanitarian, are you? How disappointing. I thought you were like a younger version of me.”
Sahyuk was grinning slyly. In this place reeking of blood, that slimy smile was more revolting than a vampire in hell. A vampire would probably be cleaner. Se-gun exploded with rage.
“Don’t talk shit, you son of a bitch! I’ll kill you!”
His finger tightened on the trigger. The metallic click echoed through the room, and the vampire hunters who had guns aimed at Se-gun glanced nervously at Sahyuk. But Sahyuk only shook his head with a smile.
“If you kill me, you die too, friend. Calm down, yeah?”
“You bastard! I’ll kill you and die with you! My life is already—”
Se-gun shouted and pulled the trigger. But far faster than that, Sahyuk’s hand slid along the Tokarev’s slide, pushing it back past the hammer. Naturally, the gun could not fire like this.
“My, my. I thought we could be friends. A shame, baby.”
Whud!
Sahyuk’s heavy fist slammed into Se-gun’s torso. Se-gun felt his vision swim. He had taken a punch from someone who could lift a multi-hundred-kilogram motorcycle without Psychedelic Moon. His organs churned, and he felt like he’d pass out. If he hadn’t trained and hardened his abs, he might have died instantly from internal rupture.
“Ghhk!”
Se-gun gritted his teeth. If he collapsed here, he wouldn’t just die—he would be chopped into pieces for organs. He had no intention of donating anything to these scum. Anything was better than that fate.
“Graah!”
Mustering the last of his strength, Se-gun moved like a basketball player dodging a defender, slipping past Sahyuk and sprinting up the stairs. But from behind him—a crossbow fired.
Thwack!
A crossbow bolt pierced his right shoulder and emerged on the other side. It felt like red-hot iron branding his flesh. If it had gone through the bone, his arm might be crippled forever. But Se-gun clenched his teeth, spun around, and fired the Tokarev wildly.
“That little shit!”
“Damn it!”
The hunters scattered to avoid the indiscriminate gunfire. Se-gun took advantage of their confusion and bolted toward the entrance, leaping onto his motorcycle. He had never been so grateful to have parked it right outside.
“Gh… Just you wait, you bastards!”
Shouting, Se-gun rode off one-handed. The hunters burst out of the building moments later, rushing to their vehicles to chase him.
“Stop.”
But Sahyuk stopped them.
“B-but boss!”
“Kikikikik.”
Sahyuk stroked his smooth jawline and laughed. The sunset cast shadows across his mixed-blood features, making him look as solid as stone. His will truly was rock-solid—whether for good or evil.
“He’s the perfect messenger to convey our intentions to Sylvester, don’t you think? Get back to work. Police might come, so be ready.”
“Boss—why let him live? That reason isn’t—”
They protested, but Sahyuk wouldn’t change his mind.
“Why? Didn’t I say? He’s just like me was when I was young. Kukuku.”
With that, Sahyuk walked back into the building.
* * *
Se-gun leaned against a wall and yanked out the crossbow bolt embedded in his shoulder. Then he injected himself with vampire blood. Normally, such a wound would heal instantly—but this crossbow bolt had been made of silver. Silver interferes with a vampire’s regeneration—and it works just as effectively on vampire hunters. A weapon made to kill vampires also performed exceptionally well on those who hunted them.
“How ironic.”
Grumbling, Se-gun mounted his bike. He had treated the wound in a quiet place, but his condition was still bad. If Gyeong appeared now, he’d die instantly. Being hunted by vampires and getting injured like this—what terrible timing.
‘I’m an idiot.’
He cursed himself. He had known full well how dangerous Sahyuk was, yet had gone anyway. Sahyuk’s strength far outmatched Se-gun’s. The equipment, the organ-trafficking routes, the drug distribution networks—this man wasn’t just wealthy. He was an empire.
‘If I get ambushed now, it’s over.’
Se-gun grabbed the accelerator with his barely responsive right arm. The sun was still up, so vampires wouldn’t appear yet—but the sun was dipping toward the rooftops, and if he wasted even a little time, he could die without anyone knowing.
“Damn… can I even make it to Arjuna with this arm?”
Groaning, Se-gun forced the bike forward toward Arjuna.
* * *
Deok-yeon sat at Arjuna’s counter, watching Father Sylvester stare out the window. The priest sat in the dim lighting, motionless except for his vacant gaze through the glass.
“Hey. How are you?”
“Hmph. Old raccoon.”
“I’m not that old.”
Deok-yeon said and sat across from Sylvester. The priest raised an eyebrow briefly but showed little interest.
“Sahyuk coming to Korea, huh. When blood prices drop, margins shrink. It gets hard.”
“That’s why they don’t leave him alone. He crashes blood prices and ruins hunters’ livelihoods.”
“We’re doing this to make a living. If we can’t make money, it becomes a problem.”
Deok-yeon said seriously. Vampire hunting was hard work, and if the pay didn’t match the risk, no one would do it. Why choose to be drenched in blood when easier ways to make money existed? No matter how much you shout vengeance, without profit you eventually lose to lack of equipment.
“Old Ju, is it?”
Sylvester immediately saw through him. Deok-yeon had been sent by Old Ju, who brokered vampire goods behind the scenes. If someone like Sahyuk rose to power, vampire brokers would suffer huge losses. They weren’t law-abiding citizens, so it was only natural they wanted to eliminate Sahyuk through extralegal means.
“But why tell me?”
“If you lend your strength, it would be like having a whole army.”
Deok-yeon said it, but he knew Sylvester wouldn’t get involved. Old Ju had offered a staggering reward of 300 million won for success. Even fighting that many vampire hunters for 300 million was cheap—but the issue wasn’t the payout. If Sahyuk wasn’t stopped, vampire hunters’ income would plummet, destroying their entire trade.
“An army, you say.”
Sylvester scoffed.
“I don’t waste my time on pointless matters. If you all want to fight and shed blood among yourselves, I won’t stop you.”
He did not hide his disgust for Sahyuk. But if he killed out of mere disgust, countless humans would also fall under his blade.
“But I didn’t expect you to ask me to roll in the gutter with the likes of you.”
“N-no. Forget I said it. I don’t want you to hate me for asking something stupid.”
Deok-yeon shook his head quickly.
“But… seeing what that Sahyuk bastard is doing—it makes me think humans and vampires are no different in the end. Who’s the victim and who’s the perpetrator, really?”
He shrugged. He had abandoned ideals of justice long ago, but Sahyuk had lit a spark in his long-dead conscience. Sylvester looked at him and chuckled faintly. Like people who suddenly become sentimental only during the holidays—reacting only when confronted with tragedy right before their eyes. People generally kind but apathetic and busy—there were many of them.
A man who had probably put bullets through countless vampire skulls—now claiming to pity them?
‘If he thinks that way… what about that boy?’
Father Sylvester closed his eyes, thinking of Se-gun. He felt the scent of blood on the wind.
Had the Alchemist turned lead into gold?
No comments yet. Be the first to leave a review!