The last hours before the new moon passed with the relentless slowness of a countdown to execution. Do-hyun didn't sleep. He couldn't. Every minute was devoted to the final preparation, to sharpening his abilities like sharpening a blade.
New Moon: 18 hours 27 minutes
[SYSTEM IN MAXIMUM PREPARATION MODE]
[OPTIMIZATION OF ALL COMBAT FUNCTIONS]
Soo-ah arrived at dawn, his face grave. She brought with her equipment that Do-hyun had never seen before - devices that emitted weak energy fields, maps even more detailed than those of the System, and a weapon that seemed to be made of money and obsidian.
"It's more serious than I thought," she announced without preamble, deploying a holographic map on Do-hyun's table. "The Purple Dawn Clan declared a bloody hunt. All their available hunters converge on Seoul."
The map showed dozens of red dots moving towards the city from all directions.
[ANALYSIS: Vampire Invasion Force Detected]
[Estimate: 40-60 VAMPIRES DE LEVEL 3 AND SUPERIOR]
[Primary Objective: YOUR ELIMATION]
[Secondary objective: RETAINS OF TERRITORIAL CONTROL]
Do-hyun felt a cold ride across his back. "They send an army for me alone?"
"Not just for you," Soo-ah corrected. "You are the pretext. The new moon gives them the opportunity to regain control of territories they have lost to other clans. Your elimination is a show of strength."
She zoomed in on the map. "But it gives us an opportunity. Their forces will be divided between searching for you and securing territories."
[MISSION: SURVIVER THE NEW Moon - FINAL PHASE]
Objectives: Objectives: _: _:_:.
[- DEVELOP THE FINAL DEFENCE STRATEGY (0/100%) ]
[- PREPARE 3 CONTINENCE ZONES (0/3) ]
[- COORDIN WITH ALLY (0/4 phases) ]
[- Achieve LEVEL 4 (230/300 EXP) ]
[REWARD: SURVIVAL + ACCESS TO SECRET ARCHIVES]
Reaching level 4 before the confrontation seemed impossible. But Do-hyun had no choice.
The day was a marathon of frantic preparation. Soo-ah taught her fighting techniques that she had kept secret - movements designed specifically against vampires, exploiting their biological weaknesses.
"Vampires have a different muscle structure," she explained as they trained in the secret room. "Their tendons are denser but less flexible. Target the joints."
[COMPETENCE: Vampire Combative ANATONY UNlocked]
[level: ★]
[EFFECT: +25% DAMAGE TO LOW POINTS]
Meanwhile, the System optimized its interfaces, creating mental shortcuts for each ability, preparing predefined attack sequences for different situations.
[OPTIMIZED COMBAT INTERFACE]
[REACTION TIME: 40%]
[accuracy: +35%]
[ENERGY MANAGEMENT: +50%]
At noon, Do-hyun received a message from Ji-eun that broke his heart.
[Ji-eun]: The school is closed because of a weather alert??? It's weird. I'm staying at So-yeon's house. See you tomorrow.
The weather alert was a pretext for the Clan to empty the areas they intended to attack. At least Ji-eun would be safe.
Soo-ah noticed his expression. "Your sister?"
She's with a friend. Far from conflict zones."
"Good. Mainton, let's focus on your survival plan."
They spent the next few hours developing a multi-level strategy. Do-hyun would use Temporary Cloaking to confuse people, exploit his knowledge of the urban terrain, and use the enhanced Light Blade as his main weapon.
"But your greatest advantage," Soo-ah insisted, "is that they still underestimate you. Even Kael doesn't realize how far you've come."
[Strategy: Using Underestimation as Armed]
[Phase 1: Feast of Weakness]
[Phase 2: SURPRISED AGAINSTACK]
[Phase 3: USE OF THE TERRAIN]
[Phase 4: Strategic retirement]
In the afternoon, they spotted three contingency zones - a network of maintenance tunnels, a shopping complex with multiple exits, and most importantly, the abandoned Gwanghui-dong subway station that Soo-ah knew well.
"Vampires avoid abandoned underground places," she explained. "Too many echoes, too many blind spots. That's our advantage."
[MISSION: PREPARE 3 CONTINENCE ZONES (3/3 - TERMINATED) ]
As the sun began to descend, Do-hyun felt the change in the air. Pre-storm tension, but without clouds. The vampires were getting ready.
New Moon: 4 hours 12 minutes
Vampire activity: +300%
[RECOMMANDATION: FINAL POSITION]
Soo-ah checked his equipment one last time. "It's time. Remember everything you've learned. And trust me."
They separated according to plan - Soo-ah would take a high position to provide support and information, while Do-hyun would face the first waves in the streets.
The city seemed strangely quiet. Too quiet. The few humans still outside rushed in, instinctively feeling the danger without understanding it.
Do-hyun positioned himself near the entrance to the chosen subway station, activating his camouflage. The effect was immediate - his aura disappeared completely, making him invisible to the vampiric senses.
The first patrols appeared as twilight set in. Groups of three or four vampires, methodical, professional. They weren't looking - they were cleaning.
[DETECTION: ALPHA PATROILLE - 4 VAMPIRES (LEVEL 3, 3, 4, 4) ]
[BEHAVIOUR: ZONE BAYAGE]
Do-hyun let the first patrol pass. That wasn't his target.
The second patrol was more interesting - two levels 4 and one level 5. Kael was not with them, but they were quality opponents.
[Phase 1: Feast of Activated Weakness]
Do-hyun dropped his camouflage abruptly, appearing as if he had just hidden awkwardly. Vampires smiled - easy prey.
When they charged, he feigned panic, retreating to a seemingly dead end.
[Phase 2: AGAINSTACK SURPRISE ACTIVE]
The moment the vampires thought they had stuck him, the two Blades of Light appeared. Not one, but two. And not with the brightness they expected, but with a doubled intensity.
The two levels 4 fell in the first few seconds, their sensory systems submerged by pure light energy.
Level 5 held up longer, but Do-hyun's new combative anatomy made a difference. He specifically targeted the shoulder and hip joints, limiting the vampire's mobility before striking the final blow.
[FUNDING - VICTORY]
[EXP +85]
[Progress: LEVEL 3 (315/300 EXP) ]
Congratulations! Level 4 Reached!
The wave of energy was more intense than anything he had ever known. It was as if a dam was yielding into him, unleashing a potential he had no idea of.
[LEVEL 4 REWARDS 4:]
[- ACCESS TO [Luminous Shield] Unlocked]
[- SECRET ARCHIVES PARTAY UNlocked]
[- Increased regeneration capacity]
Vampire Senses Extended to 1 KM
The Bright Shield was a revelation - a barrier of pure energy that could block physical and energetic attacks.
But it was the secret archives that caught his attention. For the first time, he had access to his parents' files.
[ACCESS TO SECRET ARCHIVES - FILE: KIM JONG-HOON & LEE MI-YOUNG]
[STATUS: HUNTERS OF THE PHENIX ORDER]
[SPECIALITY: RESEARCH ON THE ORIGIN OF SYSTEMS]
[Last Mission: Investigation of the Purple Dawn Clan]
[STATUS: DISPARUS - PRESUMS DEATH]
His parents were not just soldiers. They were researchers. Investigators. And they had been killed investigating the same clan that was now chasing him.
The revelation hit him like a punch. It wasn't a coincidence. The System chose him because he was their son. Because he had a birthright to this war.
New Moon: 1 HOURS 03 MINUTES
[DETECTION: MAIN FORCE IN APPROACH]
[Estimate: 20+ Vampires Including Kael]
Do-hyun stood up, a new determination in his eyes. He was no longer fighting just to survive. He was struggling to finish the job his parents had started.
Soo-ah contacted via the secure channel. "Do-hyun, they arrive in force. This is the time for strategic retirement."
"No," he replied, his voice firmer than it had ever been. "It's time to show them why they were afraid of my parents."
He felt the System adapt to its new resolution, rearranging priorities, unlocking capabilities that he kept in reserve.
[MAXIMUM COMBAT ACTIVE MODE]
[All restrictions lifted]
[Temporary ACCESS TO ADVANCED ACABITIONS AUTHORIZED]
The streets began to fill with red-eyed silhouettes. Not a patrol, not a hunting group. An army.
And in their center, Kael, his scarlet aura shining like a beacon in the moonless night.
"Do-hyun!" cried the vampire, his voice carrying strangely into urban silence. "The comedy is over. Come and die with dignity."
Do-hyun came out of the shadows, his two blades of Light shining brightly that pushed back the weakest vampires.
"You wanted my legacy, Kael?" he said, his voice calm but carrying up each vampire.
The first wave charged. And Do-hyun, for the first time, charged to meet him.
The battle for the new moon had just begun.