The sun was hitting Do-hyun's eyelids like a hammer. He groaned, turning in bed, his body protesting with every move. For a brief moment, confused between sleep and waking, he hoped that everything had been a feverish dream. Then his fingers met with the smooth scar on his arm, and reality hit him hard.
[Reactivated system]
[Hello, Host]
[PV: 25/25]
[Blood Energy: 10/10]
[Full regeneration]
"Good morning to you too," he grumbled as he sat down.
His first thought was for Ji-eun. He grabbed his phone, expecting to see dozens of worried messages. Nothing. Just one message sent at 11:04 p.m. the day before:
[Ji-eun]: You forgot my chemistry book!!! See you after class at 4pm. Don't forget this time.
A relief mixed with guilt invades her. She was safe, oblivious to danger. She thought he had just forgotten a book, not that it had come close to death.
"System, how long before the new moon?"
[Delay: 6 days 21 hours]
[PROGRESS REQUIRED: LEVEL 3 (100/200 EXP CURRENTLY) ]
Six days. Time was running out.
His morning was strangely normal, almost disconcerting. He took a shower, dressed himself, carefully avoiding looking at his reflection for too long. Every ordinary gesture - brushing your teeth, preparing a bowl of ramen - seemed to belong to another life, the one before.
But when he left his apartment, normality shattered.
[VAMPIRE SENSE ACTIVED AUTOMATIOUSLY]
[DETECTION OF MULTIPLE WEAK SIGNATURES IN A RADION OF 500 metres]
[Estimate: 8-12 LEVEL ENTITIES 1-2]
[RECOMMANDATION: STAY VIGILANT]
Do-hyun froze on his doorstep, gasping. They were everywhere. Not concentrated like last night, but scattered throughout the neighborhood. Like an invisible infestation that only he could see.
"They are... everywhere," he whispered, feeling nausea.
[Affirmative]. Low-level vampires prefer dense urban areas.
[Their presence is constant but generally discreet.]
[Control your reaction - DO NOT ALERT THEM.]
Do-hyun took a deep breath, forcing his muscles to relax. He must have looked normal. Just an ordinary student going to his classes.
The journey to university was a test. Each red aura in his peripheral vision gave him cold sweats. He met a smiling young woman pushing a stroller - she'd get scarlet. A delivery man - pressed on his scooter - will have scarlet. A group of elderly people playing chess in a park - two scarlet auras among them.
They were integrated. Camouflaged. Invisible to others.
[OBSERVATION: Day vampires are less aggressive]
[Hypothesis: Solar light weakens their offensive capabilities]
[DATA INSUFFICIENT TO CONFIRM]
"So they hide during the day," Do-hyun understood. "But why don't so many people notice anything?"
Ordinary humans cannot detect vampires without help.
[Bloodline users are rare.]
[YOU ARE CURRENTLY AN ANOMALIA.]
An anomaly. The word sounded unpleasantly in him.
At university, the atmosphere was even more tense. Several red auras were moving among the students. Do-hyun kept his head down, avoiding eye contact.
"Do-hyun!"
He jumped, recognizing the voice of his friend Min-jun. The boy's normal blue aura was a relief.
"You look pale, man. Did you have a bad night?"
"Something like that," Do-hyun replied, forcing a smile.
"Look, there's a party at Hyun-woo's house tonight. You should come. It will relax you."
A party. People everywhere, noise, alcohol. A potential nightmare.
"I... I can't. I have things to do."
Min-jun looked at him, puzzled. As usual, you mean. Look, you can't stay locked up all the time. Girls are starting to think you're a ghost."
Social analysis: ACCEPTING the invitation could help maintain a normal appearance.
[Risk: Increased exposure in an uncontrolled environment.]
"I'll think about it," Do-hyun finally said. "I'll tell you that later."
When Min-jun left, Do-hyun headed for the university library. If he were to practice, he might as well start with theory.
He found an isolated corner on the top floor and pulled out his laptop.
"System, show me everything you have about training methods."
[Display of training programmes available:]
[> INTENSIVE PHYSICAL TRAINING]
[> BLOOD ENERGY CONTROL EXERCISE]
[> COMBAT SIMULATIONS]
[> Vampire Behavior Study]
"Let's start with the physics."
A detailed program appeared, listing specific exercises, diets, hours of rest.
[daily programme recommended:]
[- 1H RUNK RUMP (ENDURANCE) ]
[- 30 min of MUSCULATION (FORCE) ]
[- 30 MIN OF REACTION EXERCISES (AGILITY) ]
[- 1H OF SKILL PRACTICE]
"What about skills?"
[EXCURICE RECOMMENDED FOR [VAMPIRE SENSE]:]
[Maintaining active competence for long periods]
[Learn to filter signatures to avoid sensory overload]
[Practice detection at different distances]
Do-hyun spent the next two hours taking notes, creating his own training program. It was strange - for the first time in his life, he had a clear purpose, a direction.
In the afternoon, he went to a nearby park to begin his physical training. The run was more difficult than expected - every foot impact on the ground sent twinges into his still-soloved muscles.
[ENDURANCE +0.1%]
[FORCE +0.05%]
The notifications were discouraging. So much effort for so little progress.
"How am I supposed to reach level 3 in six days at this rate?"
[Initial progress is slow.]
[The gains accelerate with consistency and increasing difficulty.]
[REAL FIGHTS OFFER MOST EXPERIENCE.]
Do-hyun stopped, panting. The real fights. That was the solution, but also the biggest risk.
As he caught his breath, his phone vibrated. Ji-eun.
"Where are you?" she asked, her voice tinged with impatience. "You've forgotten again, haven't you?"
Guilt overwhelmed him. "No, no, I'm coming. Ten minutes."
He rushed to his apartment to collect the book, then to Ji-eun's school. At each step, he watched the red auras around him, calculating the risks, the loopholes.
When he saw his sister waiting outside the school gate, his heart sank. She was so... normal. So oblivious to danger. Her hair tied in a ponytail, her school uniform, her sulky teenage expression - all within her screamed innocence.
"Finally!" she said, catching the book. "You're getting worse than granny with your memory."
"Sorry," he said, unable to take his eyes off a red aura that was moving two blocks away.
Ji-eun followed his gaze. "What is it?"
"Nothing. Just... tired."
She stared at him, skeptical. "You've been weird lately. Weird than usual, I mean."
[Subject Concern Detection: JI-EUN]
[RECOMPENDATION: Reassure without revealing the truth]
"It's just studies," he lied. "And work."
She nodded, seeming to accept the explanation. "Well, I'm going home with So-yeon. See you tomorrow."
He watched her go, her heart heavy. How can we protect her without scaring her? Without drawing attention to her?
When he returned to his apartment, exhaustion caught up with him. But he wasn't done.
System, combat simulation. Level 1."
[LUNCH OF SIMULATION...]
The room around him seemed to distort, the colors becoming more saturated. A level 1 vampire appeared, identical to the one he had fought the day before.
The fight was quick, brutal. Do-hyun used the same tactics, but this time he was prepared. He dodged, counterattacked, and "eliminated" the creature in less than a minute.
[Simulation completed]
[RESULT: VICTOIRE]
[EXP +5]
[Combat instinct +0.5%]
It was not much, but it was a start.
He went on simulation simulation, until his blood energy was almost exhausted and each muscle screamed thanks.
[Blood Energy: 2/10]
[PV: 22/25]
[Progress: LEVEL 2 (125/200 EXP) ]
"Not enough," he whispered, collapsing on his bed. "It's too slow."
As he closed his eyes, exhausted, an unexpected notification appeared.
[NEW FUNCTIONALITY UNlocked: DAILY MISSIONS]
Objectives: Objectives: _: _:_:.
[- TRAVEL 5 KM (0/5) ]
[- FEAT 3 COMBAT SIMULATIONS (3/3 - TERMINATED) ]
[- MAIN VAMPIRE SENSE FOR 30 MIN (12/30) ]
[REWARD: 25 EXP + OBJECT AFTER]
A small smile appeared on his face. Maybe the road to level 3 wasn't impossible, after all.
But as he fell asleep, a disturbing thought passed through him: somewhere in the night, vampires were activating. And some were looking for him.
The new moon was approaching.