Into the Creations

[Devil's Clown Mask]

[A clown mask imbued with the power of a devil.]

I decided to try on the mask first. I thought it might be a bit difficult since it was my first time, but as soon as I brought it close to my face, it attached itself seamlessly. Startled, I tried to remove it, and it came off easily.

"…So the power of the devil isn't just a saying."

Pushing aside a slight unease, I put the clown mask back on. Once I wore it, I realized the mask was anything but ordinary. Normally, wearing a mask feels stuffy, but this one didn't give that sensation at all. It didn't even feel like I was wearing a mask. Even when I rolled my eyes, my vision wasn't obstructed.

"As expected. The Devil's Clown Mask."

I faced the mirror and opened my mouth. The mouth part of the clown mask opened, revealing my own mouth. When I closed my mouth, the mask's mouth closed as well. It seemed like I could even eat while wearing the mask. The same went for the eyes. When I closed my eyes, the mask's eye parts closed too. I tapped the mask with my fingers, feeling its hard texture.

"Incredible."

I reached out to grab the edge of the mask and tried to remove it, but it wouldn't budge.

"It won't come off because I don't intend to remove it."

It seemed there was no risk of it falling off accidentally. Finally, I touched the wriggling red wig attached to the mask. Thanks to the wig, none of my real hair was exposed. I grabbed a strand and pulled hard, but it didn't come off. Of course, there was no pain.

"This is amazing."

I chuckled as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. The clown's mouth stretched into a wide grin.

***

I changed clothes in a secluded spot and drove a stolen car to the "Noel Fitness Club" in Yeoksam-dong, parking it in front of the building. My face was covered by the clown mask with its red wig. In my gloved hand, I held the Hwaryeonbido Sword. Inside its black sheath, it looked like nothing more than a black stick. This was the original purpose of the Changpo Sword—a blade designed for assassination.

'I changed clothes in a place without CCTV and put on the mask at the right moment. The car was just one I hacked and stole from the street. If I need to escape, I'll use my abilities and inventory to avoid being tracked.'

A chuckle escaped my lips.

In most dramas, movies, or comics, the existence of hunters is often ignored. If there were hunters with powerful abilities, the story would lose its appeal because they'd solve everything too easily. In reality, the vast majority of people are ordinary, so stories resonate better when hunters aren't part of the equation. And that's incredibly fortunate for me. The fact that there are no hunters in this world means there's no one to stop me.

"Let's do this."

People walking by glanced at me curiously. Some were even secretly filming me with their smartphones. A man in a dishevelled black suit, wearing a clown mask with a curly red wig—most would assume it was some kind of event or cosplay. I didn't pay them much mind. If they wanted to film, let them.

"Excuse me, could I take a photo with you? I'll post it on SNS."

Someone approached me.

"Go…"

I was about to reflexively say "Go to hell," but then I noticed she was quite a beauty.

"Sure. Go ahead. Take it." 

"Could you tilt your head a bit?"

Her face came close to mine, and the fragrant scent of her makeup wafted over me.

Snap!

"Thank you!" 

"No problem. Make sure to post it right away. You might become an SNS star by tomorrow." 

"Huh? Oh, sure. By the way, the quality of the mask is amazing. Did you make it yourself?" 

"Something like that. Anyway, I've got things to do."

As a farewell, I slapped her butt. Even through her clothes, I could tell it was firm.

"Kyaaah?!"

Whether she screamed or not, I didn't care. I walked toward the entrance of the Noel Fitness Club. The club, which operates on a strict membership basis, is actually a training ground for Korean vampire hunters. All the staff are part of the Black Cross Society, and everyone working out here is a vampire hunter. I kicked the automatic glass door with all my strength.@@novelbin@@

Crash!

The glass door shattered, scattering shards across the floor. I stepped over the broken glass and entered. The female staff at the counter looked startled and immediately picked up the phone to call someone.

"We're under attack at Noel Fitness! Requesting immediate backup! Hurry!"

She was probably calling the Black Cross headquarters or the vampire hunters upstairs.

"Hi. You're quite pretty too. But sorry."

The flustered staff member was indeed attractive. She was a minor actress who appeared in the original drama. I would've liked to get her contact information, but unfortunately, I had business to attend to. As I approached, she pulled something out from a drawer—a revolver. Not surprising. Handguns are the primary weapons of vampire hunters.

"I'm a bit busy."

*Yeongcheon Style Practical Technique: Seogwang.

The blade left a red trail in the air as it severed the staff member's head. Her blood splattered on me. Seogwang has the drawback of requiring a large pre-motion, but when executed properly, even a hunter would struggle to react.

"Kyaaaah!" 

"M-Murder!" 

"Aaaah!"

Screams erupted from behind. The people who had been watching me break the glass door were now horrified by the murder I had committed. Some, however, were boldly filming the scene with their smartphones.

'Modern people, huh.'

I stepped over the headless corpse and headed to the second floor of the fitness club. I considered taking the elevator but decided to use the stairs instead. The second floor was a sauna and changing room, divided into male and female sections. Naturally, I headed toward the women's side.

'This is instinct.'

But when I opened the door, I was disappointed. There wasn't a single woman inside. Thinking about it, most vampire hunters are men.

"Tsk!"

I clicked my tongue and opened the door to the men's side. Inside, I locked eyes with a muscular man who was in the process of taking off his shirt.

"Damn. A man's body. Disgusting."

I walked toward him. The man didn't panic and quickly pulled out a revolver from his bag, aiming it at me. His movements were trained.

"Who the hell are you?! A vampire?! Take off that mask!" 

"If I were going to take it off, I wouldn't have worn it in the first place." 

"Don't come any closer! This is a silver bullet! If you're a vampire, you know what it can do!"

I didn't stop.

"Just shoot already." 

"You bastard!"

Bang!

I twisted my body slightly. The bullet was aimed at my shoulder. It seemed they wanted to capture me alive for interrogation.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I dodged the bullets, actively using the Yeongcheon Style practical techniques. Unless they shot from outside my field of vision, there was no way they could hit me head-on.

Bang! Ping!

The last bullet, I deflected with my sword.

"Oh, that worked."

I had tried deflecting a bullet on a whim, and it worked. By the way, my sword was fine. It's made from the scales of an SS-grade monster, the Red Dragon. A mere silver bullet couldn't scratch it.

"D-Damn it…!"

The man turned to run.

"Didn't they teach you not to turn your back in a fight?"

I ran after him and swung my sword, severing his upper body from his lower half. Blood and entrails spilled onto the floor. I stepped over the blood and entered the bath area. Three naked men charged at me, accompanied by hot steam.

'They must've been lying in wait after hearing the gunshots.'

They tried to disarm me. That was a huge mistake. If I didn't know the Yeongcheon Style, I might've been in trouble, but not now.

Yeongcheon Style Practical Technique: Yuseon.

My sword moved gracefully through the air, cutting down the men. The blade used their blood as paint, drawing lines in the air. The lines didn't stop until the men were motionless corpses. Yuseon is an excellent technique for dealing with multiple opponents. By the time my sword stopped, the three men were in pieces. My body was drenched in their blood as if I had taken a shower in it.

"Tsk!"

I kicked the head of one of the men in front of me. It flew into the large hot tub, turning the clean water red. I glanced around the bath area.

'No one left here.'

I stepped out of the bath area and noticed a drink fridge. I grabbed a banana milk and drank it.

"Banana milk in the bathhouse hits different."

I tossed the empty carton aside. Since I drank it without touching my lips, there'd be no DNA left behind. I headed to the third floor, the gym filled with workout equipment. There, I smiled broadly. In front of me stood over 20 vampire hunters, each armed and staring at me.

"What the hell is this lunatic?" 

"Is he a progenitor?" 

"What's with that ridiculous clown mask?"

"Don't kill him. He might be connected to the bus terror attack." 

"Cut off his arms and legs, then interrogate him. We need to find out how he found this place and who he's affiliated with."

23 men and women.

A lot, but I wasn't scared at all. If anything, they should be the ones afraid. I twisted my lips into a smirk.

"It's a slaughter."

I moved first. Since more than half of them had handguns, I needed a suitable shield. Their comrades would do just fine.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunfire rang out, but not a single bullet touched me. I dodged the bullets, using workout equipment as shields when necessary.

"Stop shooting! We'll hit each other! Just get close and take him down!" 

"You'd be better off just shooting."

I mocked them. The only reason I couldn't go all out was because of the guns. While my body is superior to that of an ordinary person, it's not bulletproof. My body is made of flesh. I swung my sword at the first fool who charged at me.

'He's holding a dagger, so he must be confident… but he's got no chance.'

His movements were fast by human standards, but to me, they posed no threat.

"Don't engage him one-on-one! His skills are extraordinary! Surround him!" 

Someone shouted loudly. The vampire hunters began to move in an organized manner. I glanced at the middle-aged man who had given the order. 

'Im Bu-jeon. So he's here. I didn't think I'd get to kill a squad leader here. Lucky me.'

Im Bu-jeon is one of the top-tier vampire hunters. Not only is he strong, but he's also smart. Killing him here would be to my advantage. 

The vampire hunters surrounded me. Swords, spears, blunt weapons, and handguns were all aimed at me.

"…Hey, clown. Let me ask you something. What's the reason for this reckless act?" 

Im Bu-jeon's eyes gleamed as he questioned me. In his right hand was a well-maintained hand axe.

"You're in the way of what I need to do." 

"…We're in your way? Are you planning to turn Korea into a nation of vampires?" 

"A nation of vampires. Not a bad idea."

An impossible task. At best, vampires could become a mafia organization in Korea. If I wanted to create a vampire nation, I'd be better off heading to West Asia.

"Your actions are a declaration of war against us… no, against Korea. Because of your reckless behaviour, countless vampires in Korea will die." 

"Ah, that's a bit of a problem. Oh well. I'll just have to kill you all more aggressively."

[Acceleration activated. Duration: 10 minutes.]

I moved. I charged at the woman closest to me, sword in hand.

"…!"

She swung the sword in her hands. Reacting to my increased speed was impressive, but to me, it was still too slow. I stabbed her through the chest, piercing her heart, then grabbed her neck and threw her at the man next to her. Taking advantage of his hesitation to strike down his comrade, I pierced his throat and killed him. In less than 10 seconds, two were dead.

I didn't stop there. I continued swinging my sword, killing those closest to me. Their attacks barely grazed my clothes.

"Damn it! Just kill him! He's not someone we can capture alive! Shoot him!"

***

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