Back in reality, I immediately checked the Life Orbs I had stored in the zipper bag.
I took one of the four Life Orbs and placed it on my palm.
"It looks and feels just like a glass marble," I remarked, holding it up between my index finger and thumb. I brought it close to my eye for a closer look.
Inside the Life Orb, there was a swirling cluster of light. The seven-colored lights were constantly shifting and moving.
Wow.
It's beautiful. That was my objective assessment.
It's pretty enough to use as a decorative item.
And its effects are beautiful too.
But ultimately, it was meant to be consumed. I put the Life Orb in my mouth.
The moment it touched my tongue, the Life Orb melted. The molten substance seeped into my body.
It's warm.
That was my impression.
"...That's it?"
What should I say? There was no dramatic transformation like I had expected.
"...So the Life Orb is also a special item."
Special items obtained from the Game World don't function properly outside that world.
I now realized this applied not only to items like the Illusioner but also to consumables.
"But items like the motorcycle and eavesdropping device work fine."
The technology in the motorcycle and eavesdropping device I purchased from Code: XTK was far superior to modern technology, yet their performance remained unaffected.
Considering the difference between the Illusioner and the motorcycle, I could formulate a hypothesis.
"The bike runs on electricity, while the Illusioner operates on Ecluss, an energy source unique to the Game World."
Well, it was just a hypothesis. I couldn't be certain.
"More importantly, what changes occurred after consuming the Life Orb?"
I pulled out my smartphone and opened the Pleasure World App.
[Sung Yujin]
[Level: 28]
[Strength: 21 Stamina: 21 Agility: 17 Intelligence: 10 Vitality: 24]
[Available Points: 41]
My stats had changed.
There was also a notification:
[Consuming the Life Orb has increased your stats: Strength +5, Stamina +8, Agility +5, Vitality +7.]
The Life Orb's effects are only active upon initial consumption.
"My stats went up! But what about immortality?"
According to the Life Orb's lore, consuming it grants humans eternal youth and superhuman physical abilities.
Eternal youth.
Isn't that the universal desire of all humanity? Yet nowhere in the notification window did it say, "You will no longer age."
"...So there's no immortality effect."
I nodded bitterly. I wasn't particularly disappointed, as I had already anticipated this.
Three Life Orbs remain. Where should I use them?
If I entered the Vampire Detective world and consumed a Life Orb there, I might gain the immortality effect. The Life Orb would likely function properly in that world.
But there's no point. I've already achieved my objectives in Vampire Detective.
I plan to leave Vampire Detective unfinished. There's so much to gain from that world.
Women like Hera and Choi Seonmi are too precious to abandon, and I need to visit Yeong Hyejeong occasionally to reminisce.
Besides, you can't play "hide-and-seek" in real life, can you? Heh heh heh.
"These damn mosquito bastards..." I muttered under my breath, scowling.
Before me, three vampires lay sprawled on the alley floor, their bodies lifeless.
These punks had been causing a ruckus at a Seoul hostess bar I occasionally visited.
The hostesses huddled in corners, trembling with fear, while the thugs who had beaten down the gangsters guarding the rooms guzzled drinks and roared with laughter.
My amusement was disrupted. A surge of fury coursed through me. I beat them senseless, dragged them into the alley, and executed them, driving silver bullets into their hearts.
I left the corpses where they lay. Once the police realized they were vampire corpses, they wouldn't bother investigating. Even if they did, it wouldn't matter. The police couldn't stop me now.
"Why the hell are they acting up lately? Acting up, I mean."
Vampires are operating almost openly in Seoul.
I know the reason. I've nearly wiped out the Korean Black Cross Society. Now, the Vampire Hunters in Korea are barely functioning. Even if Korea were a tiny country, fewer than ten Vampire Hunters could never protect it.
The True Ancestors and ordinary vampires hiding in Korea seized this opportunity and began actively operating.
The True Ancestors are forming their own factions, while the ignorant fools who became vampires by chance are running wild, relying solely on their enhanced physical abilities.
And Cantra is still hunting me.
Cantra has realized that Jeokgwang is the culprit who killed Doris Ziegler and stole the Orb of Life. With Baek Sanggi's corpse discovered, Jeokgwang became the only suspect in Korea.
Acting like they're my comrades, spouting nonsense about blood vengeance. Annoying bastards.
At first, I ignored them. I hadn't worn the Clown Mask since that day, and I treated the vampires' rampages as someone else's problem until now.
I was going to spend tonight with Mary... How dare they ruin my plans?
Mary was the hottest newcomer in the Entertainment Industry, a rare talent with both stunning looks and a captivating personality. Rumor had it that Younghyejeong was already preparing to scout her.
Tonight, I had a briefcase full of cash and was ready to give Mary a proper initiation.
If it weren't for these damn mosquito bastards, I would have had the night of my life.
If we let these mosquito bastards run wild, they'll completely disrupt the night's ecosystem.
Since vampires can't operate openly, they'll target the night world. And the gangsters who currently dominate South Korea's night world are inextricably linked to the entertainment industry, especially the Ten Percent Clubs I frequent.
Cantra's been acting up lately. For my own amusement, I should wipe out these mosquito bastards.
Assassinating vampires is easy for someone with an Illusionist. I just use my Illusionist to cloak myself, sneak up, and slice their throats.
How long would it take to deal with all these bastards alone? And the information I get through hacking has its limits.
More than anything, it was just a hassle. I come to the Vampire Detective world for sex, not to play exterminator for these mosquito bastards.
Today, viewers enjoying their personal internet broadcasts were startled when the streams they were watching suddenly changed.
The screen went black. The broadcast hadn't ended; the stream was still running.
-?
-???
-Seeing the question marks, I guess it's not just my screen that changed.
-Wait! Isn't this Jeokgwang's broadcast?
-Yeah, it's Jeokgwang's. All the other channels are like this too. He hacked us again.
-Again? The admins are screwed now.
-Why hasn't that Jeokgwang bastard been caught yet?
The chat room erupted in chaos.
Most viewers felt a surge of anticipation at Jeokgwang's reappearance after several months.
A few, however, scowled and hurled curses.
A light flickered on in the black screen. The previously dimmed lights in the broadcast room had been activated.
The place resembled an abandoned house. Wallpaper was torn, windows were shattered, and the floor was littered with dust and trash.
At the center stood a man in a suit, wearing a clown mask with a bright red wig.
"Hello. I'm Jeokgwang."
The viewers didn't react to Jeokgwang's greeting. Their attention was fixed on the man chained to a chair beneath him. Duct tape covered his mouth, and his upper body was stripped bare. His arms and legs were bound by chains, rendering him immobile.
- Kidnapping?
- Wow, is this real?
- If Jeokgwang kidnapped him, he must be a criminal.
Jeokgwang placed his hand on the man's head. The man trembled, his eyes wide with fear.
"This man is not a criminal," Jeokgwang declared.
"No way."
"Jeokgwang kidnapped an ordinary person?"
"I knew it. Jeokgwang, a dark hero? He's just a mad killer."
"But in some ways, he's even worse than criminals. Today, I'm going to reveal a secret about the world that has been hidden for ages."
Jeokgwang pulled out a knife a folding knife with a blade less than a handspan long.
"Now, watch closely. Let me be clear: I have no intention of torturing anyone, especially since there are young children among you. Just think of this as a simple experiment."