Into the Creations-Chapter 70: [] World of Vampire Detective [43]

"Stop! Detective Moon!"

Moon Ji-hyuk turned to look at me. Soon after, his face was filled with shock.

"Taker...?!"

Moon Ji-hyuk collapsed to the ground. It seemed he had suffered a significant mental shock upon learning my true identity. Well, we had been getting along quite well lately.

'...Well, it's not just that. His physical condition is a mess too.'

Moon Ji-hyuk's eyes were trembling violently as he looked at me.

"...That sword. Were you Jeokgwang?"

I glanced at Baek Sang-gi. I wondered why he had suddenly stepped forward, but perhaps it was because of me.

"That's right. I am Jeokgwang."

I answered with a smile. According to the conversation overheard through the wiretap, Baek Sang-gi didn't seem to have any desire for the Orb of Life. His current goal was to feed the Orb of Life to Moon Ji-hyuk and turn him back into a human.

"So you were human after all."

I ignored Baek Sang-gi's words and approached the Flower of Life. The most important thing right now was the Flower of Life. I had to ensure that the Flower of Life could fully bear four Orbs of Life. Of course, the most crucial point was that it shouldn't be taken by anyone else. I kicked Moon Ji-hyuk to create some distance. He was too close to the Flower of Life.

"Ugh!"

Yang Jung-min tried to escape from my grasp. I tightened my grip on her mouth and pressed the sword against her neck. The cold touch of the blade calmed her down. Moon Ji-hyuk couldn't get up easily. Even with a vampire's recovery ability, it would take several hours of rest to regain proper strength.

'What I need to focus on here isn't Moon Ji-hyuk. It's Doris and Baek Sang-gi. Especially Baek Sang-gi, who gives me the most dangerous vibe among all the people I've met in this world.'

Doris was rolling his eyes. He hadn't fully grasped the current situation yet. On the other hand, Baek Sang-gi was calmly watching me. When I kicked Moon Ji-hyuk, he didn't even glance at him.

'...Wasn't Baek Sang-gi's goal to help Moon Ji-hyuk? Why is he looking at me like that?'

Baek Sang-gi raised his sword and pointed it at me. I frowned.

"What? Can't you see I have a hostage?"

"If I can kill you with just one hostage, it's a bargain."

"Aren't you Moon Ji-hyuk's comrade?"

"I was impressed by the will of a young man who didn't succumb to the power of a vampire. However, my target is you, Jeokgwang. I never thought you were human... That makes you even more dangerous."

Baek Sang-gi smiled. The actor who played him was as handsome as a male idol. But that smile was somewhat eerie. Baek Sang-gi approached me and swung his sword. I extended my sword, which was pressed against Yang Jung-min's neck, to block his strike.

Clank!

Yang Jung-min bit my left hand.

"Ah!"

My left hand lost strength. Yang Jung-min escaped from my grasp. The bite marks were clear, showing how hard she had bitten.

"Ji-hyuk!"

"Ugh, that guy."

I didn't even have the leisure to complain, let alone chase Yang Jung-min. Baek Sang-gi had started swinging his sword at me in earnest.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

I blocked Baek Sang-gi's strikes while frowning. He wasn't ordinary. Every time I tried to counterattack, he effortlessly disrupted my flow. His physical abilities were similar to mine. It didn't seem like I could win by overpowering him physically.

'I'll end this with Byeokgye.'

I stepped back from Baek Sang-gi and used Byeokgye.

"As expected. Impressive swordsmanship."

But it was blocked surprisingly easily. StilI, I saw his pupils shake. Byeokgye had definitely hit. But the result was the opposite.

'Aura sense. He sensed my presence through aura, not his eyes.'

Immediately after, Baek Sang-gi's swordsmanship changed. The previously unremarkable sword movements now moved as if alive. Feeling a sense of unease, I strongly parried his sword and stepped back.

"My swordsmanship is Seongri Sword. Originally, it's a swordsmanship for mental and physical cultivation."

I hesitated. I remembered what Jin Se-young had said before. If the opponent reveals the name of their martial art, you should also reveal yours. It's the etiquette of those who walk the path of martial arts. Honestly, I didn't fully understand Jin Se-young's words. But in this world, revealing the name of your swordsmanship wasn't difficult.

"Yeongcheon Style."

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I glanced at Moon Ji-hyuk. Yang Jung-min was helping him down the mountain. That's fine. We're deep in Seoraksan Mountain. At Yang Jung-min's pace, it would take 3-4 hours to descend even if they took the right path.

'Yang Jung-min followed me blindly, so she doesn't know the way back. She'll probably get lost after going down a bit.'

Just in case, I attached a transmitter to Yang Jung-min's clothes. No matter where she runs, she's in the palm of my hand.

"Are you worried about those youngsters?"

"I can't let them live since they've seen my face. And you too."

"Haha. It's been a while since I've had a life-and-death duel with a human... Good. The moon is bright, perfect for parting ways."

Baek Sang-gi's sword flew in a graceful arc. I tried to parry and counterattack but was startled. His sword was already coming from the opposite direction.

'Did I miss the sword's movement for a moment?'

I hurriedly responded. I held the sword in reverse and parried Baek Sang-gi's strike. But I was a bit late. Baek Sang-gi's sword grazed my left forearm. Blood flowed, but it wasn't a deep wound. I could still move my arm.

'I can't just keep taking hits.'

Sogwang.

My sword drew a red trajectory, aiming for Baek Sang-gi's neck. Seeing this, Baek Sang-gi used the hilt of his sword to parry my attack from below.

"Haha."

Baek Sang-gi laughed out loud.

I couldn't laugh. It didn't seem like I could win against Baek Sang-gi in my current state.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

I lost count of how many exchanges we had.

My body was drenched in sweat and blood. From the outside, it looked like I could collapse and die at any moment, but in reality, they were all shallow cuts.

Baek Sang-gi was also sweating. However, he wasn't bleeding like I was. While I had been cut over 15 times, Baek Sang-gi had only been cut 3 times.

'Damn it. He doesn't give me any room to pull out a grenade or a gun from my inventory.'

I felt irritated by my rough breathing and looked for an opening in Baek Sang-gi's defense. There was none.

The Seongri Sword itself wasn't particularly special compared to the Yeongcheon Style. But its basics were thorough to the point of being annoying. The Seongri Sword was a thoroughly defensive swordsmanship.

'I've been saving my acceleration... But he's not using his full strength either. Even if I use acceleration, I don't think I can win... Huh?'

I opened my eyes wide. Doris had appeared in front of the Flower of Life and was reaching out his hand. I immediately moved towards him.

Yeongcheon Style Practical Technique: Flying Tiger.

I charged like a tiger, holding the sword with both hands and swinging it with all my weight.

"Kyaaaah!"

I didn't stop there and aimed for Doris's neck. So, Doris used teleportation to disappear.

"Kuh!"

I heard Doris's scream from my right front. When I looked, Baek Sang-gi was behind Doris, stabbing his sword into Doris's heart.

"Huh, how did you know I'd come here?!"

"After seeing it a few times, I figured it out. Every time you use your teleportation, your pupils move to where you're going. In the end, teleportation is limited to moving within your line of sight. I just predicted it and hid behind a tree. Now die, True Blood."

As Baek Sang-gi lowered his sword, Doris's body collapsed. Even for a True Blood, surviving that situation was impossible.

"I've taken care of the True Blood too. Now, let's continue..."

[Acceleration activated. Duration: 10 minutes.]

Yeongcheon Style Practical Technique: Flying Tiger.

I increased my speed with acceleration and swung my sword with added weight. Even though the surprise attack was almost perfect, Baek Sang-gi reacted effortlessly, raising his sword to defend himself. The impact reverberated, and Baek Sang-gi's posture faltered slightly.

I didn't miss the opportunity and unleashed a barrage of attacks.

Ten minutes passed, and the acceleration wore off. Even with acceleration, I couldn't kill Baek Sang-gi.

"...Damn it. Why isn't anything working?"

I exhaled and spoke irritably. A few minor attacks had landed. But all the decisive strikes were blocked.

"Jeokgwang. Your swordsmanship is excellent. I can tell because we crossed swords. Your Yeongcheon Style has a depth that's hard to gauge."

Baek Sang-gi approached me. He was as exhausted as I was.

"Swordsmanship is just swordsmanship. Jeokgwang."

I charged at Baek Sang-gi once more. Baek Sang-gi moved his wrist, holding the sword subtly, parrying my sword to the side. It wasn't swordsmanship. It was just a trick.

Baek Sang-gi stabbed his sword into my abdomen.

"It was enjoyable. Jeokgwang. Thanks to you, I've completely severed my lingering attachments to this world."

"..."

Instead of collapsing, I took another step forward. Then, I grabbed Baek Sang-gi by the collar and stabbed my sword into his chest.

I grimaced.

"...Why didn't you dodge?"

He could have simply let go of the hilt and stepped back to avoid it. But Baek Sang-gi didn't dodge.

"I wanted to be your companion. Jeokgwang. It would be lonely to go to the afterlife alone."

His calm demeanor made my blood boil. I wanted to swing my sword and cut him into pieces right then.

"...Hah!"

I let out a short sigh, pushed him away, and pulled the sword out of my abdomen. He looked up at me as he lay on the ground.

"Thank you. Jeokgwang."

What was he thankful for? I couldn't understand and frowned.

"Idiot."

I used Complete Recovery.

All the minor wounds on my body disappeared, and the stab wound healed without a trace.

Baek Sang-gi's eyes widened, and his mouth opened. His shocked expression was somewhat amusing.

But only for a moment.

Baek Sang-gi soon returned to a peaceful expression and closed his eyes. A faint smile lingered on his lips. He looked like an old man who had met a peaceful death. It was annoying.

I turned away from Baek Sang-gi and approached the Flower of Life.

Seeing the two Orbs of Life hanging from the Flower of Life, my irritation instantly dissipated.

'Wow~ The quality is no joke. Seriously.'

I stared blankly at the Flower of Life for a moment before snapping out of it and changing my clothes.

I couldn't touch the Orbs of Life while wearing clothes drenched in blood and sweat. Who would take responsibility if they got tainted?

'It's said that four will form. It shouldn't take long... Whatever, let's wait.'

I sat cross-legged right in front of the Flower of Life.

I didn't let go of my sword. I couldn't be 100% sure there wouldn't be another variable like Baek Sang-gi.

'Ah! Right. Where are Yang Jung-min and Moon Ji-hyuk?'

I took out a tracker from my inventory. It looked like a palm-sized square pad. Turning on the tracker, I could see the location of the transmitter.

'As expected, they didn't get far.'

Moon Ji-hyuk and Yang Jung-min were moving slowly. Judging by their state, they were definitely lost.

When lost in the mountains, the best thing to do is to quietly call 119 for help.

'Moon Ji-hyuk and Yang Jung-min are unlikely to ask for help. They probably know that if they call for help, they'll die by my hand.'

Even if they did report it, it didn't matter. The goal of the 'Vampire Detective' was almost achieved. Thinking of Yeong Hye-jeong, Hera, and Choi Sun-mi, I felt some lingering attachments, but not enough to stop my plans within the Vampire Detective world.

As I looked at the Flower of Life, I recalled the battle with Baek Sang-gi. It was irritating. But there were still things to learn.

'In terms of swordsmanship, I was superior.'

But I couldn't win.

I thought about the reason, but it didn't click. I should ask Jin Se-young about it later.

Time passed.

Four Orbs of Life formed on the Flower of Life.

When I pulled the Flower of Life planted in the ground, it rapidly withered and turned to dust. All that remained in my hand were the four Orbs of Life.

I put the four rainbow-colored Orbs of Life into a plastic bag and stored them in my inventory.

"Mission accomplished!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

I even clapped in self-congratulation and stood up.

Checking the tracker, Yang Jung-min and Moon Ji-hyuk weren't far. At my physical ability, I could catch up to them in about 30 minutes.

"Then. Let's go complete the sub-mission."

I ran through the dark mountain.

And I found Yang Jung-min walking while supporting Moon Ji-hyuk's shoulder. Moon Ji-hyuk's steps were more stable than expected. It seemed he had recovered somewhat.

Quietly, I circled around and got ahead of them.

"...Jung-min. I'm fine, so just run away. My body will recover on its own over time."

"How can I just abandon you, Ji-hyuk? When it's light, we'll call 119. But by then, Taker... no, Jeokgwang will have run away."

I smirked and blocked their path.

"Why would I run away?"

***

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