The dawn found Do-hyun still awake, his mind too alert to find rest. The new features of the System danced before his eyes even closed - the real-time map superimposed itself on his vision, showing the movements of the red auras that began to retreat with the arrival of the day.
New Moon: 2 days 22 hours
[SYSTEM IN ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE MODE]
[DETECTION: VAMPIRIC ACTIVITY IN DECLIN - DIURNE CYCLE]
Do-hyun stood up, his body slightly protesting. Fatigue was piling up, but a new determination was surpassing it. He had a plan. Objectives. For the first time since the beginning of this madness, he felt that he was regaining control.
His daily missions were updated with almost prescient precision.
[Daily Missions - DAY 5]
Objectives: Objectives: _: _:_:.
[- MASTER [LIGHT LAMES] 25% (0/25) ]
[- FEAT A RECOGNIZATION PATROY (0/5 ZONES) ]
[- Identify 1 Level 2 Target for Training (0/1) ]
[- TEST THE EARLY ALERT SYSTEM (0/3 ALERTS) ]
[REWARD: 50 EXP + ARM IMPROVED]
A level 2 target. The System no longer suggested only escape or observation, but deliberate confrontation.
"System, show me the potential targets within my range."
The real-time map zoomed in on his neighborhood, with several red dots flashing. Most were level 1, but two were level 2, distinguished by their sharper intensity. One of them, according to the System's data, had a predictable movement pattern and operated alone during its daytime patrols.
Right, then.
Do-hyun devoted the morning to mastering his new weapon. In the privacy of his apartment, he made the Blade of Light appear again and again, varying the intensity, the shape, the duration. The weapon responded to his will with surprising sensitivity.
[LIGHT LAMES - MASTERY: 12%]
[discovery: The blade can be modulated in intensity]
[FUNCTIONALITY UNlocked: DISCRET MODE (LIGHT ATENDED, COST REDUCED) ]
At noon, while he was training, his early warning system gave a discreet signal.
[ALERT: Unusual MOVEMENT DETECTED]
[LOCALISATION: 350M NORTH-EST]
[DETAILS: 2 VAMPIRIC SIGNATURES DE LEVEL 3]
[Behavioural: PATTERN RESEARCH DETECTED]
Do-hyun gela. Two levels 3, so close? And they were looking for something - or someone.
He activated the map in real time. The two signatures moved methodically, examining residential buildings with a precision that left no doubt about their intentions.
"System, analyzes the probability that I'm the target."
[Calculated in progress...]
[Probability: 87%]
[BASED ON: CONCENTRIQUE RESEARCH SCHEMA, CENTERED ON YOUR APPROXIMATIVE POSITION]
[RECOMMINDATION: IMMEDIATE EVACUATION OR PREPARED CONFRONTATION]
His heart raced, but strangely, panic did not come. Instead, a cold determination set in. It was an opportunity to test his new abilities in real conditions.
He chose confrontation.
"System, prepares a plan of engagement. Target: both levels 3. Priority: Survival and Strategic Retreat."
[GENERATED PLAN: AMBLANT TRAP]
[STRATEGY: USE URBAN TERRAIL TO Isolate Targets]
OPTIMAL ZONE: JONGNO COVED MARKET - MULTIPLE FOLLOWING POINTS, PROTECTIVE FOUR FOOD
Do-hyun smiled. The system was learning. He no longer proposed only flight, but active strategies.
He quickly prepared himself, checking his mental equipment: [Light Blade] ready, [Vampire Sense] in passive mode, [Aura Control] active as much as possible.
The journey to the market was a test of concentration. Maintaining its masked aura while monitoring its pursuers required constant divided attention.
[COMPETENCE: COMBATIVE MULTITASK +5%]
The two vampires followed him at a distance, thinking they were discreet. But with the real-time map and its vampiric meaning, Do-hyun saw them as clearly as if they were walking beside him.
When he entered the covered market in Jongno, the atmosphere changed abruptly. The dense crowd, the colorful stalls, the calls of the merchants - it was the perfect hunting ground.
"System, marks vanishing points and potential ambush areas."
Blue indicators appeared on his mind map, showing emergency exits, accessible back shops, passages between stands.
Do-hyun positioned himself near a fish shop stand, the strong smell partially masking his own perfume. He waited.
The two vampires entered the market, their eyes sweeping the crowd with an intensity that made ordinary people flee without them knowing why.
[ANSIS ANISTALY IN CURRENT...]
[Target A: Male Vampire, Level 3, Specialty: DETECTION]
Target B: FEMALE VAMPIRE, Level 3, SPECIALITY: BACK FROM BACKGROUND]
Identified Vulnerability: Accentuated Night Vision (Sensitive to Intense Light)
Do-hyun adjusted his strategy. The Light Blade would be particularly effective.
When the female vampire approached his position, he launched his attack.
Not directly. First, a diversion.
He dropped a crate of fish with a small burst of energy, diverting the male's attention. During this moment of confusion, he materialized behind the female, his Blade of Light appearing in a muffled burst.
The surprise was complete. The vampire barely had time to turn around when the energy blade ran through her shoulder. She shouted, a piercing sound that only Do-hyun and her companion could hear fully.
[Successful attack]
[Damage: Moderate]
[EFFECT: Stunning (5 SECONDS) ]
[EXP +15]
The male vampire charged, but Do-hyun had already disappeared into the crowd, using civilian panic as a cover.
"System, status of target B?"
Target B: Right shoulder injury, 40% reduced mobility, DETECTED ENERGY bleeding)
Right, then. He had divided his opponents.
The next few minutes were a cat-and-mouse game across the market. Do-hyun used every nook, every crowd, every strong smell to his advantage. His urban discretion skills, combined with his newfound mastery of the aura, made him almost invisible.
[URBANIUM DISCRETION +8%]
[Control of aura +6%]
[LIGHT LAMES - MASTERY: 22%]
When the opportunity arose, he struck again. This time, the frustrated and reckless male vampire charged him into a narrow alley between two stalls.
Bad decision.
Do-hyun let the attack come, dodging at the last moment and sticking his blade in the vampire's back as he passed.
[Critical attack]
[Damage: high]
[EFfect: Temporary PARALYSIS (10 seconds) ]
[EXP +20]
Both vampires were now wounded, angry, but considerably weakened. Do-hyun felt that he could finish them. The System displayed their vital points, exposed vulnerabilities.
But he remembered Soo-ah's words: "An intelligent hunter knows when to retreat."
"System, optimal retirement path."
A green path appeared, leading to an uncrowded secondary exit.
Do-hyun threw a last blinding burst of light to cover his retreat and disappeared, leaving the two vampires wounded and humiliated.
Back in his apartment, the adrenaline was just beginning to fall when his phone vibrated.
[Soo-ah]: You were reckless. But effective. See you at 4 p.m. I have important information.
The message was typical of Soo-ah - both rebuke and compliment.
When they found themselves in their usual café, she looked both impressed and worried.
"Two levels 3 in broad daylight, in a public market," she said, shaking her head. Very bold."
They were looking for me. I chose the terrain."
"And you chose well." She pushed her tablet towards him. "But look at that."
The screen showed market surveillance images after he left. The two vampires he had wounded were being taken in by other members of their clan. But what was disturbing was the presence of a third figure watching the scene from a nearby roof.
Kael.
"He watched you throughout the fight," said Soo-ah. "And according to my sources, he was impressed."
Do-hyun felt a shiver. Being noticed by a level 5 bounty hunter was not good news.
"What does he want?"
"Understand your abilities. Assess the threat." She looked at him seriously. "You're no longer just a nuisance to them, Do-hyun. You've become a potential threat. And threats, they eliminate them."
[MISSION: Identify 1 Level 2 Target for Training (1/1 - TERMINED) ]
[MISSION: TEST THE EARLY ALERT SYSTEM (3/3 ALERTS - TERMINED) ]
[REWARD: 50 EXP + IMPROVED LIGHT LAME]
A new, more important notification appeared.
[Evolved Competence: Light Blade - Level 2]
[New effects:]
[- ACCUMULATIVE CHARGE (damage increases with the duration of the fight) ]
[- ENERGY PROJECT (INCREATED RANGE) ]
[- Luminous resonance (cumulative effects on multiple targets) ]
Do-hyun looked at his hand, sensing the increased potential of his weapon. He was getting stronger, more dangerous. But the stakes were also rising.
"The new moon is less than three days away," Soo-ah recalled. "Now that Kael has seen you fight, he will adapt his strategy."
"And we will adapt ours," Do-hyun replied, a new confidence in the voice.
Soo-ah smiled, a real smile this time. "That's the spirit. Now, let's talk about how to turn this unwanted attention into an advantage."
The conversation that followed lasted for hours, crafting countermeasures specific to Kael's likely tactics, exploiting combat data collected during market engagement.
When Do-hyun finally returned to his apartment, night had fallen. But for the first time, the darkness didn't seem threatening to him.
It was his territory.
[PROGRESSSION: LEVEL 3 (90/300 EXP) ]
New Moon: 2 days 8 hours
[STATUS: HUNCHER RECOGNIZED]
He was no longer a hiding prey. He had become a predator waiting for his time.
And the new moon was approaching.