A back alley in Daegu, far from the main street, littered with all sorts of junk. Dimly lit and uninviting, it was a place ordinary citizens wouldn't even glance at. Even with the recent improvements in Korea's public safety, there were limits. While general crime prevention measures might be effective, anyone who set foot in such an openly shady place out of curiosity couldn't be guaranteed safety. Even more so in a region other than Seoul, where the Blood Alliance's influence was strong.
"Hehehe, idiot. I heard that dude messed up again."
"Really? Again?"
"Shut up. I'm already pissed."
"I knew it. People should live honestly. What's the point of always looking for a quick buck?"
But such a dangerous environment was just part of everyday life for the denizens of the underworld. A group of young men, their faces flushed as if drunk, strolled along, giggling boisterously.
"I said shut up, right? And honestly my ass, what are guys like us supposed to…"
Perhaps because they were drunk and preoccupied with their own conversation, without paying attention to their surroundings…?
Thud
The young man walking in front, grumbling irritably, bumped shoulders with a figure approaching from the opposite direction.
"Ah, shit! What the hell?"
"Kehehe! What's that guy doing?"
"Kikiki."
He sprawled on the ground as if he'd collided with a steel pillar, then grimaced and staggered to his feet. Perhaps due to the alcohol, the pain wasn't that severe, but that wasn't important right now. The guys who had been chattering around him were now pointing and laughing at him, pushing his irritation to the limit, and his lid flipped.
"This bastard, who the hell are you, bumping into people's shoulders…"
"Huh? Me?"
The moment he glared at the person opposite him, about to unleash his rage…
A robust figure slowly emerged from the darkness of the alley.
"Well, I'm sorry about that. It's been a while since I've had to worry about such things."
The large man in sunglasses, who had apologized politely, scratched the back of his head. He said he hadn't expected to bump into anyone because people usually moved out of his way.
"You think an apology is enough? Forget it, just give me the money for treatment."
"Yeah, yeah, and leave your clothes and sunglasses too. They look expensive."
But very unfortunately…
The young men, already drunk and with their reason clouded, didn't accept his sincere apology. Despite his opponent's extraordinary appearance, looks weren't a significant factor for them, members of the "Black Viper Gang," the largest organization in Daegu's underworld.
"Consider yourself lucky. It wouldn't have ended like this in the past."
"Hehe, we would have broken his shoulders first."
"Back then, you'd be lucky to escape with your life."
Although they belonged to an organization, these individuals who were wandering around drunk in such a dangerous zone couldn't be ordinary thugs. A mystical aura flickered around them, as if threatening to half-kill anyone who dared to resist. Although their individual levels weren't that high, the mere presence of supernatural abilities made them dangerous.
Surrounded and threatened by a group of returnee gangsters, the man—Harley—who had come here following the information brought by his newly recruited employees, clicked his tongue.
'This is a new experience. Maybe it's because I'm hiding my energy as much as possible in Manager Ha mode.'
Still, most people would feel a certain instinctive wariness… It seemed that alcohol had completely numbed not only their reason but also their instincts.
In this situation, there was only one thing he could do.
"Sigh, it can't be helped. I didn't want to practice medicine without a license, but…"
Contrary to his words, he smiled brightly, rolled up his sleeves enthusiastically, and prepared to begin physical therapy.
"Oh, you wanna go?"
"Let's break his limbs first."
There was no need to explain in detail what happened next.
"Ugh…"
"Cough! Cough!"
The men were scattered throughout the alley like crumpled trash, their previous arrogance gone. They blended in perfectly with the surrounding scenery.
"Y-You… You dare… Do you know who we are…? You messed with the Black Viper Gang in Daegu, you'll never get away with this!"
As he was looking at the scene with satisfaction… Perhaps his diligently administered treatment had taken effect, as one of the seemingly less injured men cried out angrily, his drunkenness seemingly cleared.
'Maybe it's because it was their first treatment. They haven't fully recovered yet.'
Judging by his words, further treatment seemed necessary, but…
Harley nodded and strode toward the patient who seemed lively despite being on the ground.
"Hiek! M-My older brother is an executive of the Black Viper Gang! If something happens to me, do you think my brother will stay still?!"
His confident strides faltered. Thinking his threat had worked, the shouting man's face brightened, and he continued.
"You must have heard of Black Yaksha Kwon Chul-yong, right? The boss of our Black Viper Gang, Black Yaksha! My brother, Jang Tae-hyuk, serves him directly! If something happens to me, he'll… uh? He'll step in right away! If you understand what I'm saying, right now…"
"Oh? Did I come to the right place?"
A carefree voice interrupted his rambling. Speechless, the man stared blankly upwards from where he lay.
Behind the dim alleyway lights…
The teeth of the shadowed figure were revealed in a bright smile.
As if genuinely pleased, as if he'd stumbled upon a windfall.
'…Shit, I think I messed up…'
Only then did the effect of his gentle treatment seem to kick in, as his completely lost reason and instincts returned, beginning to function properly.
"I was just looking for that friend of yours. Since we've met like this, why don't you guide me?"
It was too late, but…
The Blood Alliance had existed in Korea's underworld for over 15 years.
Although most of their forces were currently concentrated in Seoul to consolidate their influence there, the Blood Alliance was originally more of a federation spread across the country in crew units.
Bang!
"Damn it! These rotten bastards… These so-called law enforcement organizations, instead of hunting down vampires, have become the dogs of those bastards, making me lose face?"
As such, it wasn't unusual for them to cause various problems throughout the country, and to clash with established underworld forces over territorial control. No, the number of casualties from such fights was likely much higher than the officially known damage. Due to the nature of vampires, it was much more convenient and efficient to obtain blood through underworld conflicts than through blood banks in the open.
'This is troublesome. This is truly troublesome. I don't think they've noticed yet, but considering those tenacious Guardians, it's only a matter of time before they're discovered.'
Kwon Chul-yong, the boss of Daegu's Black Viper Gang, was one of those who had formed a bad relationship with the Blood Alliance during this process. At the time, it hadn't been difficult to defend Daegu's control against the scattered forces of the Blood Alliance, but unfortunately, many of those he cherished like brothers had been sacrificed in the process.
"Ha! Shameless bastards. Do they really think they can live under the sun just by coming out into the open now? The stench of the blood they spilled in the past is still vivid, how can they even think such a thing?!"
When the Blood Alliance conquered Korea's underground and became the rulers of the night, he had reluctantly joined their ranks. After all, this world operated on the logic of power. He had thought that accepting the outcome was inevitable, even if resentment lingered, as long as a clear advantage had been established…
'But this is a different case. You were the ones who broke the rules of the underworld first.'
They remained in the light while controlling crimes happening in the dark. This could no longer be considered part of the same underworld organization, could it? Perhaps if they were another police organization, but…
It wasn't unreasonable for him, who pursued the darkness thoroughly, to betray the Blood Alliance by joining forces with the outside.
'Damn it, things have gone wrong. The bombing didn't matter if it failed, but I didn't expect them to immediately subdue the celebrities who caused the commotion and hand them over to the Returnee Association. To hand over a directly related issue to an investigative agency instead of resolving it themselves… Do those guys have no pride as the rulers of the night?'
Eliminating Lycoris through the bombing was a plan that would be good if successful, but didn't matter if it failed. The plan he was truly aiming for was the next step. If the celebrities who had clashed with them were all assassinated right afterwards, who would the public point to as the culprit?
'If the bombing had succeeded, it would have been one hundred percent certain. Even if it hadn't, they would have thought of Lycoris, the victims, and the vampires behind them first.'
With so many witnesses, it would have been useless to deny it. With the additional preparations he'd made, public opinion would have erupted, and the government and the association would have found it burdensome to continue protecting them. His plan was to gradually erode the trust the Blood Alliance had built
up, sow discord, and completely destroy their foundation in the open, but…
"Damn it, all my plans have gone to waste. This leaves me with nothing to say to that side…"
Kwon Chul-yong gritted his teeth, thinking of his secret collaborator. The most crucial stage of this operation, the assassination, was impossible for him to carry out alone. Even though he was a powerful figure who had reached the Master realm, it was impossible for him to secretly assassinate the celebrities representing the entertainment industry, including Chun Seol-hyang.
To be honest, he wasn't confident he could defeat her even in a straightforward fight, so naturally, the one appointed to assassinate them had to be another being of comparable skill.
[There's no need to say anything. I've already grasped the situation.]
"Huh! When?"
As if appearing behind him without Kwon Chul-yong, a Master-level figure, even noticing…
[Tsk, this is completely messed up. If it weren't for the Thunder God at the Seoul Southern Branch, I could have managed somehow.]
The shadow, which communicated by vibrating the air rather than with a voice, slowly shook its head. Even though it specialized in assassination and was on the verge of transcendence, it couldn't fool the senses of a true transcendent and kill them secretly, unless it surpassed its current limitations.
"…There's still a chance. They can't keep those people detained for long…"
[The timing is off. It's better to devise a new plan.]
The shadow—Heukyeong—inwardly clicked its tongue at Kwon Chul-yong, who was still clinging to hope. It had chosen him after considering various factors, thinking he seemed somewhat useful, but it didn't seem like he was someone it could work with for long.
'I'll have to take care of him after this is over. Keeping a guy like this around will only make things more complicated.'
Now that the Heavenly Change Society had completely withdrawn from Korea, this was the perfect opportunity to infiltrate this land. For their Black Dragon Society, which was on the verge of collapse in China, completely controlled by the Heavenly Change Society, the best course of action was to shake the Blood Alliance that occupied this small peninsula and exploit the chaos that followed.
'But with a collaborator like this, it'll only put me at risk.'
If it handled things clumsily and ended up under attack from both the Blood Alliance and the Heavenly Change Society, everything would be over. In that sense, it needed to find a more competent person who could handle things more reliably…
Knock, knock
"B-Boss. It's Tae-hyuk. I have an urgent report…"
A subordinate's voice came from outside the office. Kwon Chul-yong, exchanging a brief glance with Heukyeong, snapped irritably at the door.
"I'm busy, come back later!"
"It's urgent. For some reason, investigators from the Guardians suddenly raided our territory, and they won't listen to reason. If we don't respond immediately…"
But he couldn't help but frown at the urgent reply. Only he knew about this plan within the organization. The others had only cooperated indirectly, without knowing what he was doing. Could it be that the trail had already been traced here?
Heukyeong, grasping the situation, slowly nodded and melted into the darkness of the room.
"…Come in."
Click
The moment the security barrier on the door deactivated in response to Kwon Chul-yong's words…
"Sniff, sniff! I smell it, I smell it! The stench of conspiracy is strong here! Hahaha!"
…a stranger burst in, flinging the door open. A large man in a suit with slicked-back hair, looking every bit a gangster.
Kwon Chul-yong, flustered, quickly turned to his subordinate, Tae-hyuk, but…
"…I'm sorry, Boss."
"Y-You… You…! How did you…!"
The man standing by the door hung his head with a battered face.
As Kwon Chul-yong seethed with betrayal…
Harley, striding into the office, smiled brightly at the darkness in the corner.
"Wow~ What a catch! I came to nab the perpetrator as instructed by our competent new recruits, and the mastermind is here too?"
Immediately after…
The shadow in the darkness tried to quickly escape, but…
"[Ugh!]"
"Whoa! I just got here, where do you think you're going?!"
Whether it was far away or not, once it entered his field of vision, there was no way to escape.
Crash!
The office, which had been surrounded by a sturdy barrier, exploded in an instant. The shadow desperately trying to slip away like a loach, and Harley chasing after it like a tiger. After a brief series of events, the hunter finally grabbed the prey by the scruff of its neck and grinned ferociously.
'I almost lost it, didn't I? I got lucky.'
Its escape skills were beyond imagination, as if all its stats were focused on stealth instead of direct combat power. If he had barged in as usual, destroying everything in his path, he would have lost it for sure.
'As expected, one should live a virtuous life.'
Who knew that the method he had chosen to minimize the commotion in his 'Manager Ha mode' would lead to such a result!
It was all thanks to the young men he'd met on the street, to whom he had readily provided physical therapy.
Thus, Harley was able to smoothly accumulate violence points again today.
Just like always.