Chapter 26 – Blood Moon

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The codename of the target is <Vampirfürst>.  

It’s said that the name came from the phrase scribbled in the corner of every ledger they secured.  

The sky was dark.  

The harbor near the damp sea exuded an eerie atmosphere as the night deepened.  

The black seawater swaying beneath the dock stretched as far as the eye could see.  

It felt like something might leap out of the water at any moment.  

Even in the dead of night, people who need to move will move.  

Especially those we were targeting—people whose jobs required them to move at night.  

Whether it’s a proper job or not is debatable, but since they earn money, it can be considered a job.  

It’s just that it’s illegal, which makes it problematic.  

Deep in the harbor, where foreign cargo ships gathered, secretive movements were taking place.

Black sedans came and went, and a few men dressed as fishermen, relying on small lanterns, exchanged hushed conversations.  

Unfortunately, they had no idea what was about to happen to them.  

“They’re incredibly sloppy.”  

“Maybe it’s just your perspective. Despite appearances, they managed to root out and purge all the spies sent by Eucalyptus Pharmaceuticals.”  

They’re a fairly large organization.  

In fact, just by looking at the types and numbers of black sedans coming and going, you could guess as much.  

But our current goal is simply to sever this connection.  

If the drug couriers disappear, the root of the problem will be solved.  

The bright full moon hung in the sky, but the towering stacks of containers blocked any light from reaching this place.  

Not being able to bask in the moonlight made me feel drained.  

Compared to when I drank Mertzel’s blood, that is.  

Is the blood of knights always that delicious? I’ll have to find out later.  

“So, those guys are the main reason Cheong-an settled in this country,” Cheongung said.  

He was right.  

The reason Cheong-an flew to this small country, far from his own, to establish the shell of the White Wolf Faction.  

The reason Cheongung crossed the sea to face Cheong-an in a life-and-death duel.  

It was all because those drug criminals had set up shop in this small country.  

‘The distribution process is closed off… Why do they only sell drugs here?’  

If it’s for business, it would be more efficient to distribute to many countries.  

It was an absurdly focused strategy.  

Today, that would come to an end.  

“Ahem, cough.”  

“Why are you suddenly like that?”  

“Ah, um, no. I was just thinking about how to start.”  

When facing individuals, it’s one thing, but standing before so many people makes every action feel scrutinized.  

I might end up saying something strange and becoming a laughingstock.  

“…Now that I think about it, why am I even worrying about this?”  

I realized there was no need to overthink it.  

After all, it’s a one-time encounter. It’s not like we’ll be seeing each other for a long time, like at work or school.  

What I needed to do was simple.  

Just go and crush them.  

I took a deep breath and stepped forward to hide my tension and fear.  

I landed silently on the ground.  

“…What are you?”  

Someone who had been watching turned and noticed me.  

I thought I was well-hidden.  

I just wanted to see how far they’d go.  

At that one remark, everyone else turned to look at me.  

They all froze as if they’d seen a ghost.  

Then, someone finally mustered the courage to speak.  

Their voice was full of bravado.  

“Ah, damn, you scared me.”  

“Kid, how did you get here? Why are you here at this hour?”  

They seemed quite clumsy.  

Why is that?  

Are they not seasoned professionals?  

Maybe they’re just middlemen.  

They seemed like hired hands sent to handle simple tasks.  

There’s no need to engage in conversation.  

It’s just business, after all.  

I grabbed the red-painted cargo container I had jumped down from.  

The containers were stacked two high, so the one on top came crashing down.  

The drug dealers’ faces turned to horror in an instant.  

“What the hell!! Shoot!! Shoot!!”  

“Shoot what, you idiot!! Run!! Run!!”  

Cheongung landed beside me on the lowered container.  

Some turned and ran, while others, pissing themselves, aimed their guns.  

It was quite pitiful.  

Let’s just call it bad luck for crossing paths with the corporation.  

I took a deep breath and hurled the red cargo container.  

* * *  

I was rummaging through the drug dealers’ containers, my hood pulled low.  

Seeing the red powder spilling out, it was clear they were serious about their operation.  

Well, who would smuggle drugs as a joke?  

It was only natural.  

“Alright, this should do it. I’ve checked all the nearby containers, and we’ve caught all the runners.”  

“Good. We’ll need to ask Cheong-an how to use this.”  

“Why not wake one of those guys up and ask?”  

Cheongung looked at the pile of drug dealers, now resembling a trash heap.  

After a moment, he shook his head.  

“No need. Even if we wake them, they won’t be able to speak properly.”  

A reasonable judgment.  

But regardless of reason, there was no need to take the long way around.  

The people involved were right in front of us.  

Even if they’re just low-level grunts, they might have something useful.  

There’s always information to be gained from those directly involved, rather than those who just profited, like Cheong-an.  

I pulled out one of the less injured ones and stomped on him a few times.  

“Wake up, unless you want to die.”  

“Gasp, sob, ugh!”  

The man in the checkered shirt trembled a few times, then let out a horrifying groan as he opened his eyes.  

When his eyes met mine, he let out a blood-curdling scream, the kind you’d expect from the depths of hell.  

“Shh, quiet.”  

“Sob, cough…!”  

His trembling body was pitiful. But considering what he’s done, he should be grateful we’re letting him live.  

I turned to Cheongung and nudged the sobbing drug dealer with my foot.  

“Ask him whatever you want. He’ll answer everything he knows.”  

“…Can you be sure of that?”  

I looked at the drug dealer.  

“I’ll talk! I’ll talk! If I lie, I’ll bite my own tongue! Please trust me!”  

“…I said quiet, how many times….”  

“Sorry, sorry….”  

Cheongung’s face seemed to pale.  

Even though his skin was hidden under fur, I could feel it.  

I stepped aside to give him space.  

But the chilling premonition that followed made every nerve in my body tense.  

A clear night with a full moon.  

The black sea with its towering waves.  

The quiet harbor swept by cold, rain-laden winds.  

The towering stacks of containers, like the Tower of Babel, rising into the sky.  

And beyond the shadows cast by those towering stacks, a woman stood with her back to the full moon.  

Though she made no sound, Cheongung and I instinctively turned to look at her.  

The drug dealer I had woken up convulsed a few times, foamed at the mouth, and fainted.  

“…A Vampire Lord.”  

Her features were distinct, even in the faint light, with her back to the moon.  

Her body curved beautifully, her skin glowing white.  

But what stood out more were the massive bat wings, rivaling those of a dragon, and her white hair.  

Her red eyes glowed as she stared at us.  

In the eerie silence where even the wind seemed to stop, Cheongung barely managed to squeeze out a voice.  

“…Why does that vampire look so much like you?”  

Cheongung was right.  

The vampire with wings large enough to blot out the night sky looked so much like me, as if she were my grown-up version.  

A situation I couldn’t begin to understand.  

And before we could react, something else happened.  

Suddenly, flashes of light erupted from all directions, and dozens of men in suits poured out in droves.  

Leaping into the air as if half-flying, they charged at the white-haired vampire.  

“What, what are those?”  

“Huh? Weren’t they your allies? They were all around when we first met.”  

I had no idea.  

They were there from the beginning? What the hell, that’s creepy.  

“…!”  

At that moment, I held my breath.  

The white vampire smiled enchantingly.  

Her gaze was unmistakably fixed on me.  

Before the attackers could reach her, threads of red blood stretched out from her body.  

Like paint splattered across the sky, the blood spread in an instant.  

Then, all sound ceased.  

With a ringing in my ears, Cheongung collapsed, and the attackers fell like puppets with their strings cut.  

The sky turned red.  

The moon bled red.  

Breath stopped.  

My head grew hot.  

I…  

“Gasp.”  

With the sound of something bursting in my chest, I lost consciousness.