***
Even after he split from Deok-yeon, Se-geon’s daily routine had not changed significantly. He could not do things like shooting or sparring practice—which either required an opponent or cost a lot of money—but he never skipped his physical strength training.
Se-geon wore a lead-weighted vest and sandbags as he climbed to the mountain spring well, and once there, he performed a forced march, jumping rope until his heart rate reached 200. Then, after doing some weight exercises, he immediately entered shadow boxing.
The weight equipment at the mountain spring was not in good condition because it was exposed to the wind and rain, but the fact that he could use it for free was a quite significant advantage.
“Phew!”
Se-geon wiped away his sweat and sat on a bench. Since it was the time when most other people went to work or school, there were only a few elderly people around. Looking at the sky while sitting on the bench, several magpies were flying against the backdrop of pure white clouds.
Though they were birds that caused massive damage to the Korea Electric Power Corporation by building nests on top of telephone poles, their form while flying through the sky was not entirely detestable. Se-geon stared blankly at the sky and caught his breath.
The late autumn sky was truly blue and lofty. Recently, smog had been rampant in Seoul, but even so, the air near Gwanaksan Mountain was still clean. Se-geon looked up at that clean sky and brushed back his sweat-drenched hair. The hair, dyed green along the part, suited him quite well. The fact that he looked a bit prematurely old was a problem, but since he was a fellow who had used growth hormone therapy, he couldn't complain about that much.
“I shouldn’t just be sitting here; I should go find my motorcycle. Even if it’s not finished yet, I need to check the estimate.”
Se-geon muttered like that. The money remaining in his bank account and elsewhere was about 5 million won, and since he had about two bags of vampire blood, if he assumed he sold them for 5 million, he had assets of about 10 million won.
Though 10 million won was a large sum of money, it was very insufficient for Se-geon, who had to live on it and purchase equipment.
Even if there were many vampires in the Sangdong-pa, he couldn't exactly list those he hadn't even caught yet on his asset ledger.
“Should I get a part-time job?”
Se-geon muttered that and imagined various jobs. It would be a funny thing for a vampire hunter to work part-time at a convenience store or a pub, but given the current situation, it really felt like he had to do even that.
The motorcycle repair costs seemed likely to be quite high; even if the bent frame was restored, it would be easy to break anyway and its durability would be low.
Replacing the frame meant taking out the engine, removing all various parts, and re-doing the wiring—it was essentially a complete overhaul, so the repair cost would be very high. Se-geon took a deep breath.
<><><>
“I knew it would be like this.”
Jeong Yong-jin held his phone and nodded. After calling several repair shops, as expected, one RX-125 had been brought in. When entering a shop, one brings their driver’s license or registration, so it was almost impossible to hide one’s identity.
The person Cheon Yeong-hu was looking for was indeed Se-geon.
The RX-125 that had been brought in was not particularly different in appearance, but perhaps because he had spent a lot of money on the suspension and disks, he wanted the suspension and disks replaced along with the frame. There were clear traces of the license plate being frequently removed and attached, and the user’s maintenance skills seemed to be good.
The name of the person who brought it in was Han Se-geon. The fellow who hadn't been seen for the past year had suddenly become a bold guy who ambushed gangsters.
“It’s him.”
Yong-jin muttered that and closed his cell phone. Memories of being surprised by Han Se-geon’s skill and laughing as they rode the night streets together remained, but they were not close friends who shared their inner thoughts. No, he was closer to an object of envy and jealousy.
So, for 8 million won, he had no choice but to sell him out. But how did that greenhorn from back then manage to half-kill gangsters and stack them up in the hospital? On top of that, he had a gun?
“No way? Is that true?”
Next to Yong-jin, a woman with brown hair asked, her eyes sparkling. She wore bracelets on her arms, a small piercing on her nose, and a cluster of earrings on her ears. It was a concern that they might be so heavy they would tear her ears, but she herself shook her head left and right without a thought.
She was Hwang Seon-yeong, Yong-jin’s current girlfriend, and since she had viewed Se-geon as cute since the old days, she didn't believe he was the one who had sorted out the gangsters like that.
“Aren't you caring too much about it? Se-geon rode a motorcycle better than you, Yong-jin, and he was handsome, but to care that much…. Besides, he was a comrade anyway. I think it’s bad to take money and sell him out.”
She said that and opened a beer can.
“A long hit toward second base! It’s going all the way!”
In a corner of the underground parking lot where old TVs were stacked like the works of the video artist Nam June Paik, the blue light from the TVs illuminated the faces of those gathered there. They had gathered things discarded in garbage dumps and stacked them up, and seeing it like this, it was no exaggeration to call it video art.
Perhaps because it was an underground parking lot and the radio waves didn't reach, the noise was severe. For a while, they focused their eyes on the TV as if possessed by a fox.
“He certainly was a comrade.”
Some of them seemed to agree with her opinion, but most were distracted by the 8 million won.
“He's certainly an arrogant fellow enough to finish off gangsters or whatever, but how does he have that kind of skill? On top of that, a pistol?”
“Yeah. Let's just tell them and take only 2 million won. There’s such a thing as loyalty, and it seems like it might be dangerous.”
“Even if it's 2 million won, it won't be much once we split it among ourselves.”
When those words came out, Jeong Yong-jin snatched the beer can from Seon-yeong’s hand.
“Ah! I wasn't finished drinking yet….”
Seon-yeong said that, but Yong-jin had already hurled the beer can with a terrifying momentum, smashing the televisions.
“Damn it! Who cares! This is Korea! No matter how crazy a guy is, he won't just use a gun recklessly! And a comrade! Do you think that fellow even once thought of us like that? That arrogant little brat! Let the Sangdong-pa kill him or whatever, let him handle it himself!”
“Then you’re going to catch him? If he really has a gun, he might shoot if he’s driven into a corner.”
“No… I don’t intend to use violence.”
He said that and clenched both hands.
“I have to settle the match we couldn't finish in the past!”
At that, the bikers looked at each other’s faces. Yong-jin had made his own resolution, but they didn't think that way.
“The match we couldn't finish? He got pulverized by Se-geon.”
“Exactly. Honestly, is there anyone among us who can beat that guy on a motorcycle? Probably not.”
“…….”
<><><>
A young man wearing a flight jacket and jeans was walking through a crowd of people. There were shadows of chronic fatigue on his face, and he had a pessimistic expression that made it seem like living was quite a chore; however, there was strength in his stride, and there were no special injuries or scars on his skin other than mental fatigue.
If there was something unusual, it was that his hair was dyed a dark green. He probably used hair dye, but it was a bizarre choice of color.
“So… that fellow.”
“Oh my. I can’t believe it.”
People passed by the young man. The voices of people chatting as if they were having fun while walking were sucked into the young man’s ears. The young man likewise did not spare a single glance for the people around him.
Until the Bloodstone Pendulum hanging from his neck made a slight movement….
“Ah!”
He was startled and looked around. It was because the pendulum that senses the presence of vampires had moved. But to have a vampire when there was still sun? The only vampires that can move properly without losing strength under such a sun are the 24 Jinma.
“Jinma…….”
Aside from the Jinma Hunter Sylvester, a Jinma is a being that humans cannot possibly face. They control human hearts, change their forms into mist or bats, control wind and rain, and bring down lightning.
The low-VT vampires that had appeared in Korea until now were nothing more than powerless beasts compared to a Jinma, possessing neither nobility nor strength.
If so, did one of the Jinma appear in Korea again? The young man was startled and looked around among the people.
However, if it were a Jinma, they might not be detected by the Bloodstone Pendulum, and if they were detected, it wouldn't end with such a slight vibration. If so, there was only one answer.
“Is it Psychedelic Moon? Or are they in the middle of a mutation?”
If it were a human who had taken a stable conversion factor, Psychedelic Moon, they would be detected by the Bloodstone Pendulum. And even if it were a human who had taken an unstable conversion factor and was in the middle of turning into a vampire….
“Either way, it’s concerning.”
The young man in the flight jacket muttered that but did not stop his footsteps. He left the main road and turned onto a small road. The human presence gradually decreased, and instead, there was a large factory there. It was a large repair shop, something hard to see in Seoul these days. Though it probably specialized in cars, it was a place that also repaired motorcycles.
“Are you coming now?”
At that moment, a voice that seemed to know the young man was heard from the entrance. When he turned his head, quite a few motorcycles were stationed there. And there was Jeong Yong-jin, mounted on his still-sturdy-looking Kawasaki Vulcan 800.
“It’s been a long time, Se-geon. You’ve changed so much I almost didn't recognize you. What’s up with your hair? That dye job is totally out there.”
“Really? I don’t know who you guys are, though.”
Se-geon said that and shrugged his shoulders. At that, Hwang Seon-yeong, who was sitting on the back seat of Yong-jin’s Vulcan, saw Se-geon and made a fuss.
“Wow, you’ve grown so much, Se-geon.”
But Se-geon ignored her fussing and looked at the bikers.
“What’s the matter? Gathering in such a crowd? I don't think this is a coincidence, no matter how I look at it.”
“Your arrogant way of speaking is the same as ever. You little brat who hasn't even eaten enough years yet.”
“I don’t think you flocked here in a crowd after a year just to air such grievances. If there’s no further business, would you mind moving aside?”
Se-geon said that and tried to pass forward. But at that moment, Jeong Yong-jin blocked Se-geon’s path.
“Of course, I didn't come here to air such grievances.”
The Se-geon he saw after a long time had truly turned into a bloodcurdling fellow. Well, he had thought he was a scary and strange guy since before, but now his eyes were sunken as if he were really doing drugs, yet his eye-light was as sharp as a blade. He looked like some kind of killer who would appear in a horror movie rather than a human.
Befitting such a transformed appearance, Se-geon spat out only one sentence with a sharp expression.
“I’ll kill you.”
It could have been an unremarkable threat commonly tossed around by street thugs. However, that cold voice contained a murderous intent that even a movie actor couldn't imitate. In an instant, the surroundings became quiet at once. Since they knew through Cheon Yeong-hu that Se-geon had a gun, no one could act rashly.
“…….”
Then Se-geon’s eyes went to the bandage wrapped around Yong-jin’s forearm. It didn't seem like a very large wound, but Se-geon felt a strange sense of heterogeneity.
‘No way.’
He made an effort to ignore the bikers and headed toward the repair shop. The shop employee, who was nervous that a gang fight might break out at the entrance, quickly pulled out an estimate when he saw Se-geon approaching.
“Ah, so, if we straighten the frame, it will probably come to about 560,000 won, and if we replace it with a new frame, I have to take 880,000 won for the frame price and this and that….”
The employee kept turning his eyes as he spoke, seemingly concerned about the bikers waiting outside the office. At that, Se-geon pulled out a bundle of ten-thousand-won bills and placed it on the employee’s desk.
“Write me a receipt. Since I need to ride right now, lend me a motorcycle.”
“Eh? You want me to lend you one?”
“Because I have to convince those guys.”
Se-geon said that. It was a somewhat unreasonable request, but it was better than having the bikers stationed in front of the factory. So, he went toward the motorcycle warehouse that was just waiting for release, as if he had no choice.
“They all belong to customers, so please handle them carefully.”
“Mmm. I will.”
Se-geon said that and examined the items inside the warehouse. There were Kawasaki KDXs and Honda CRMs, of course, and there were also makers that were rarely seen in Korea, like Italy’s Ducati. But what caught Se-geon’s interest wasn't such shiny foreign bikes, but an old MX-125.
This MX-125 had an old frame, but the engine, suspension, and such were new; no matter how you looked at it, it was a modified bike. After examining it for a moment, Se-geon discovered a surprising fact.
“That… you mounted a V2 2-stroke racer engine on it?”
For a lightweight frame bike like an MX to have such a monstrous engine—there could be no greater imbalance than this. But when Se-geon showed interest in that bike, the employee who had opened the warehouse out of desperation was startled and stopped him.
“Th-that one is difficult. There aren't many people who can ride it.”
“What’s it like?”
“Even if you only turn the throttle halfway, the front wheel will lift because it can’t overcome the power pushing the rear wheel out. Besides, since it’s a 2-stroke, it’s a bit much for a customer who used to ride an RX-125 to handle.”
The RX-125 was a stable 4-stroke engine, so it would be difficult to adapt if one rode a 2-stroke that jumped around like a wild horse. When you pull the throttle in the same gear and at the same angle… a 4-stroke engine doesn't have a large R.P.M. (revolutions per minute) variance, but a 2-stroke engine has a large variance. Moreover, the power doesn't increase slowly but rises abruptly, so it was a bike for professional off-road racers.
If one rode such an unfamiliar, and balance-ignoring monster bike, no one knew what kind of accident might occur. However, Se-geon gave a smirk.
“I’m telling you, this is my specialty.”
He said that and mounted the monster bike. The Hyosung MX-125 was an old bike from before the RX-125, but it seemed almost every part had been fully modified, replaced except for the headlight. The engine, oil, suspension, brakes, absorbers, spokes, wheels, bearings, clutch….
“At this level, it’s no exaggeration to call it a custom bike. Where did you get the V2?”
Se-geon asked the employee that. Then the employee let out heavy sighs and said.
“It’s mine, that one. I got it because I was lucky, so please don’t break it.”
“Ah. I’ll ride it carefully.”
Se-geon said that and pulled the throttle. At that, the bikers waiting at the entrance were startled and looked at Se-geon.
“What’s that?”
“Is it an MX-125? No… the parts are completely different?”
Se-geon brought that monster bike and stopped in front of Yong-jin. He had ridden it briefly for a distance of about 10m from the warehouse to the entrance, but it was so difficult to control that he wondered if he had mounted the back of an angry tiger. Certainly, just attaching a good engine and good parts doesn't immediately make it a good bike. But Se-geon looked at Yong-jin while managing his expression.
“The Sangdong-pa sent you, didn't they?”
“Ho-oh. You know all at once. This is good as it reduces things I need to ask.”
“How much did they say they’d give you for it to be like this?”
“Eight million. It’s not much once it’s split up, but it’s still not a small amount of money.”
Yong-jin answered Se-geon’s question quite readily. Se-geon let out a sigh and started the motorcycle’s engine.
“You gathered that many for 8 million. You guys really are cheap labor.”
Se-geon looked at the bikers as if he truly felt sorry for them. In particular, the look in his eyes as he watched Yong-jin was almost overflowing with compassion, because he knew the fate that would soon befall Yong-jin.
If it were a human to whom the Bloodstone Pendulum reacted, they would soon become a vampire, and if they became a vampire without awareness, they would crawl out under the sun, be hit by direct sunlight and lose consciousness, and eventually burn up and die without even leaving a corpse.
But Se-geon only pitied him; he had no intention of saving him. Once the vampire progression had already begun, there was no way to save him, even for a god.
“It’s even a bother to kill you guys. You said bikers have their own rules, right? Let's settle it with that. Do you want to do a Chicken Race like before?”
“No. Since I saw your skill well back then, let's do a Cannonball.”
A Cannonball is the simplest race where you win by arriving at a set distance first. This is truly determined by the performance of the machine. To request a Cannonball from Se-geon, who was riding an off-road bike, while riding a Vulcan 800 shamelessly…. However, since Yong-jin knew Se-geon’s skill well, he chose something where he at least had a chance of winning. He could never beat Se-geon in any other race.
“Well, fine. I accept.”
But what Se-geon was riding now was not even a replica, but a monster bike equipped with a true racing engine.
Vrooooom!
“If it’s a Cannonball, where are we going?”
“To the entrance of the Gyeongin Expressway! Are you ready?”
Yong-jin said that and picked up a tin can and held it in his hand.
“The signal to start is when this hits the ground!”
“That sounds good.”
Se-geon answered like that and idled the engine while the brakes were engaged. Then Yong-jin also idled his engine like that and threw the can. From the opening of the empty can, a little bit of remaining coffee rotated, spraying a long, dark brown liquid line.
Clang!
And at that moment, the two of them released their brakes together and began to run forward at full speed. Se-geon was ahead in clutch operation, reflexes, and everything else. But perhaps because he had made a sudden start, the front wheel immediately lifted and his body rose as if it would be thrown backward.
The high engine sound of the 2-stroke echoed like a siren.
Aeeeeeeeeeeng!
But Se-geon continued to run while the front wheel was lifted. Surprisingly, the MX-125 overtook the Vulcan in an instant.
“What! What is that!”
Yong-jin screamed as he chased after Se-geon’s MX-125, which was shooting forward.
Vrooooom!
The two motorcycles ran fiercely through the streets in broad daylight. Se-geon and Yong-jin—their second, and perhaps last, match in a year had begun.