Codename Vestia

Chapter 1: Joonie

“My name is Doyeong Deper.”

Sizzle, crackle. The old, rusty recorder made an irritating mechanical noise.

The recorder was so outdated that it could only be found in museums now, and it had taken quite some effort to get it working. However, since even this was a blessing in the current situation, Doyeong didn’t complain.

“Affiliated with MCTC TF-Pacific Team 1, rank universal code OF-0, callsign Eagle Seven. Nationality: France. Current time: May 12th, estimated time 19:00.”

This was the third time Doyeong was recording the same message, switching languages each time. Whether this recording would ever reach someone was unknown, but it was the only option.

“Current location: unknown.”

Screeeeech…. The mechanical noise from the recorder continued for a long stretch.

It was probably a useless effort, but Doyeong gripped the recorder tightly, hoping the noise would subside.

“I’m still alive.”

The surroundings were dark.

Creak.

At that moment, the sound of a door opening echoed, and light seeped through the gap. A dark silhouette loomed in the middle of the light. The shadow stretched long, as if it was about to engulf Doyeong.

Bringing the recorder close to his lips, Doyeong whispered.

“I’ve been captured.”

By that beast—

***

Red eyes stared directly at Doyeong. They were so large and clear that, even in the dim space beneath the rock, they gleamed like polished glass reflecting sunlight.

The woman pushed Doyeong further against the rock, gripping one of his arms and pressing down on the other forearm. The rock, damp with moss, felt slippery against his bare back.

Roooaaarrr….

The waterfall they had just come through roared violently, crashing against the surrounding rocks and splintering into white sprays.

The brief moment when they stared at each other felt like it would never end. Doyeong couldn’t help but wonder how he had ended up in this situation.

***

Thirty hours earlier.

“Major.”

At the call, Doyeong lifted his head from the book he was reading. A sergeant standing at the entrance gestured with his head.

“We’re arriving soon.”

The plane shook lightly as it hit turbulence. The team members, all dressed in combat uniforms, sat in their seats attached to the wall.

Some, like Doyeong, were reading books or checking their equipment, while others had their arms crossed, catching a brief nap. Among them, one soldier was drinking a liquid that looked like apple juice from a transparent pouch, similar to a hiking water bladder.

Noticing this, the sergeant glanced at the soldier and, with his thumb hooked into his military vest under his arm, asked,

“Sergeant McCoy, aren’t you going to be too full? We’re landing soon.”

“The great thing about this is, no matter how much I drink, I never feel overstuffed.”

Sergeant McCoy glanced over as he replied. His eyes, still blue from his human days, hadn’t yet turned red, a sign that he was still too young for that change.

“It actually gives me a quick boost of energy.”

The other sergeant shrugged one shoulder.

“I wish we had something like that.”

“We have steroids,” another soldier chimed in.

The sergeant shook his head.

“Yeah, but what if it doesn’t… you know… work? My junior is precious.”

Despite being a special forces team about to enter a mission, their tone was casual and light.

Doyeong put the book into his chest pocket and stood up. Walking over to the sergeant, he pulled out his special tactical gloves and slipped them on while peering outside. The land was gradually coming into view as they passed over the sea.

In the present world, humans and vampires coexisted, living side by side.

One day, an unexpected event revealed the existence of vampires. Following this revelation, humanity struck a peace treaty, under the condition that the vampires—beings with superior physical abilities—serve in the military.

This led to the formation of the Multilateral Counter-Terror Coalition (MCTC), a multinational anti-terror task force where both human and vampire soldiers worked together. Doyeong’s team was a part of this coalition.

“Hand it over.”

Just then, the sergeant reached out to McCoy, the vampire, or more accurately, what they were now called, a “Luas.”

“I’ve always wondered what that stuff you guys drink instead of blood tastes like. Let me try some.”

The sergeant, likely bored, had developed a curiosity about unnecessary things.

There wasn’t much to do right before the mission. The entire team had already memorized the operation plan so thoroughly that they could recite it in their sleep. Overthinking it would only lead to tension, so a little distraction was actually better to keep their nerves in check.

Taking the pouch from Sergeant McCoy, the sergeant took a sip and immediately pulled his mouth away, grimacing as if he’d been burned.

“What the hell is this taste?”

“Tastes terrible, doesn’t it?” McCoy grinned.

The sergeant waved his hand in disgust.

“It tastes like a melted, watered-down mojito mixed with saccharin.”

McCoy burst out laughing.

“That’s harsh, don’t you think?”

Then, flashing a smile, he added,

“Humans wouldn’t understand the taste of raw meat.”

“You don’t know the taste of raw meat either!” the sergeant retorted, refusing to back down.

“Don’t you know what a metaphor is?” McCoy teased.

Listening to their banter, Doyeong put on his helmet. He pressed the button located behind his ear, and a glass-like visor, equipped with NVG (night vision goggles) functionality, slid down in front of his face like the visor of a motorcycle helmet.

“Alright, let’s go. Time to earn our paycheck.”

***

Through the green-tinted NVG (Night Vision Goggles) view, Doyeong spotted the camp’s guards in the distance.

There were two directly ahead and one on the side. Although they were heavily armed, comparable to a regular army, the boredom on their faces suggested they hadn’t seen any action in a long time.

Doyeong signaled with hand gestures, and the team moved swiftly in the darkness.

“Wha—!”

In an instant, they subdued the guards. It was done so quietly that even if there had been any nearby Luas, they wouldn’t have noticed a thing.

The team quickly entered the camp.

Inside, it looked like the occupants had left in a hurry, packing up their belongings in a rush. A few items were left behind, but none seemed to be significant evidence—just discarded trash.

However, on one side of the desk, a pile of white powder had been spilled, as if someone had been in the middle of packing it up.

Doyeong touched the powder and brought it close to his nose. It had been crushed, but it resembled crystal-like shards—likely methamphetamine, commonly known as “Ice.”

The sergeant, still on high alert, asked, “Is it Ice?”

Doyeong brushed the powder off his glove.

“No.”

The sergeant looked back, surprised.

“It’s not?”

“We’ll need to take it for testing to be sure, but it’s not drugs.”

As Doyeong moved past, the sergeant dipped his finger into the powder and tasted it.

“Yeah, what is this?”

It could have been some new drug, but creating one that didn’t work seemed pointless. After all, human drugs had no effect on Luas, meaning their only use for drugs was to sell them to humans. But if a Luas, with their godlike body, was reduced to being a drug dealer, their ambitions were pitifully low.

Sure, some Luas still acted like thugs, chasing easy money like they did as humans, but setting up an entire operation with a location like this didn’t seem profitable for a major drug circle.

At that moment, Sergeant McCoy, the only Luas on the team, entered the room, and the sergeant called out to him.

“Hey, Nine, taste this.”

McCoy dipped his finger into the powder and tasted it. The others stared, curious about his reaction. After a moment, McCoy’s face twisted in a peculiar way before he spat out the substance.

“It tastes strange.”

It was clear this wasn’t a typical drug.

“Let’s keep looking.”

Doyeong gestured, and the team moved further inside.

Crunch.

The sound of debris being crushed under military boots echoed in the room. Suddenly, Doyeong’s instincts kicked in, and he shouted,

“Eight!”

But the sergeant hadn’t yet realized what was happening. Doyeong, reacting purely on instinct, bolted toward him.

He tackled the sergeant just as—

Boom!

An explosion erupted from a cabinet next to the sergeant.

The explosion’s force hit Doyeong head-on, slamming him into the wall, which cracked in a spiderweb pattern upon impact. A wave of pain surged through him, the kind that only comes from bones breaking.

*Tat-tat-tat!*

Suddenly, the rapid sound of gunfire erupted. Enemies, their origin unknown, appeared from all directions.

‘It’s a trap.’

Doyeong realized immediately.

Through his blurred vision, he could see his teammates covering each other, firing at the oncoming attackers. Doyeong struggled to regain his focus, but a persistent ringing in his ears made it impossible to stand properly.

Even for a well-trained soldier, a shock like this was overwhelming, especially for a human.

At that moment, the sergeant shouted something and pulled Doyeong, dragging him along. Doyeong stumbled a step forward under the force but then collapsed.

*Thud.*

As his body hit the ground, Doyeong lost consciousness.

***

There was a distinct smell—one that alerted him to the fact that something was wrong. The unfamiliar scent of chemicals hung in the air.

Doyeong’s eyes fluttered open, his vision blurry. His head was tilted down, and he could see his own legs, still clad in his combat uniform. His feet were tied to the legs of the chair he was seated in, and his hands were bound behind his back.

Without even fully looking around, he knew this wasn’t a hospital. His weapons were all gone, and he was only wearing a black military undershirt beneath his combat uniform jacket, which had been removed by someone else.

*Creak. Thud.*

The sound of a metal door opening and approaching footsteps reached him. Doyeong lifted his stiff neck to see who it was.

A woman entered the container, flanked by several men in black.

She was dressed in a striking red suit, a skirt with a slit running down to her ankles. Her hair was a bright platinum blonde, and her eyes and lips were the same vibrant color as her outfit, making her appear almost too vivid to be real.

Doyeong knew instantly that she was a vampire.

It was something he had grown accustomed to recognizing instinctively after encountering so many of them. But beyond that, the cold, predatory gaze she gave him—like a snake eyeing a plump mouse—confirmed she was a predator.

Despite her fiery appearance, her eyes were icy, exuding a cruel and unfeeling aura.

A man from behind the woman approached and shone a light into Doyeong’s eyes before speaking.

“He’s not a Luas.”

The woman let out a soft laugh.

“I could tell just by his scent. Men of our kind don’t smell this sweet.”

She stepped forward, standing in front of Doyeong, looking down at him.

“Handsome, aren’t you?”

Doyeong smiled faintly.

“Thanks.”

In truth, Doyeong knew exactly who she was.

Rahel.

Three years ago, when the leader of the vampire terrorist group “SN” was captured, the organization was almost entirely dismantled. However, one of the splinter factions, *Legion*, had recently emerged as one of the most dangerous and was now classified as a major threat. Rahel, standing before Doyeong, was a high-ranking official and recruiter for Legion.

Doyeong wasn’t sure what had happened after he lost consciousness, but it was clear now that this entire mission had been a trap set by Legion. His biggest concern was whether his teammates had made it out safely.

Although, at the moment, he needed to focus on how he was going to survive.

“Bring it over.”

At Rahel’s signal, the men around her began placing items on a nearby table.

They were Doyeong’s belongings. Rahel inspected them as if she were a woman browsing rings at a Tiffany store. She picked up his wristband, turning it over. Engraved on the inside was his identification tag.

“Major Doyeong Deper….”

Rahel tossed the wristband aside with a flick of her wrist.

“How old are you? Twenty-seven?”

She probably didn’t expect him to answer, but Doyeong just shrugged. For someone in a job where skincare was hardly a priority, he figured being mistaken for twenty-seven at thirty-one wasn’t too bad.

“Well, you’re a major, so you must be a bit older.”

Rahel placed her hand on Doyeong’s shoulder.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t say anything.”

With that, her fingers lightly brushed the back of his neck as she turned and walked behind him.