Chapter 1713 – 1713. Hunter Vs Vampire
[Death Resistance has been activated. You will not die for the next 15 seconds.]
I’m screwed.
I died less than 10 minutes after using Full Recovery. I can’t use Full Recovery. Potions won’t work. The wounds that would have instantly killed me without Death Resistance can’t be healed with even the highest-grade potions. Plus, the effects of potions are weaker in this world.
But it’s not like there’s absolutely no way out. Three methods immediately come to mind.
Elixir, Resurrection of the Dead, and Absolute Royal Authority.
The cheapest of these is the Elixir. 15,000 points. Resurrection of the Dead is 300,000 points. Absolute Royal Authority was an item that couldn’t be purchased from the random draw.
‘But considering the cost-effectiveness, even the Elixir feels like a waste.’
Blood Compass.
It was an item obtained as a quest reward. It costs 10,000 points. It’s a one-time-use item optimized for tracking. It’s only 5,000 points cheaper than the Elixir. Is the Blood Compass that good of an item? No way. The Elixir is cheap for its effect. You could say it has good cost-effectiveness.
‘I didn’t even have much attachment to the Blood Compass in the first place. I did this quest because the Helper System looked fun.’
I made a decision.
I’m giving up on the quest. It’s the first time I’ve failed a Play Life app quest.
It’s a bit annoying, but the reward wasn’t as big as I thought, so it’s not that much of a loss.
[Remaining time for Death Resistance: 10 seconds]
“Seo Yujin!”
Joo Seo-hyun grabbed my body. She wasn’t in a normal state either. Her right arm was shattered. Not just broken, but completely shattered. You could barely make out its shape. Covered in blood, she was distorting her face, not knowing what to do.
Are those sweat or tears welling up in her eyes?
‘Tears, probably.’
That’s more natural. And I want to believe that. I ended up like this trying to save Joo Seo-hyun, so even if it’s Joo Seo-hyun, she should at least shed some tears for me.
‘Should I make this a bit more dramatic?’
[Remaining time for Death Resistance: 6 seconds]
“Joo Seo-hyun…! This sword… Sonata… take it…!”
I forced out the words while spitting blood. Unlike what I was thinking, it took me more than 3 seconds just to speak.
If I die, Joo Seo-hyun will probably return to Atlantis. She brought weapons when she came, so she’ll probably take them back when she leaves. Even if not, if I can leave a cool impression on Joo Seo-hyun, I can afford to use a Moonlight Sonata 7.
“Why, why did you push yourself to save me?!”
“Just…”
I wanted to say something cool, but there wasn’t enough time. There are only so many words you can say in one second.
“Seo Yujin! You…!”
[Remaining time for Death Resistance: 0 seconds]
[You have died.]
Old memories come to mind.
Not long after I awakened to Play Life, I died in the Play World once. Back then, the play ended against my will, and the settlement began.
‘What is this?’
But the play didn’t end this time. I was in a dead state. There’s no pain. For some reason, my body feels very light. Like it has no mass at all. And I can see ahead.
“……”
Joo Seo-hyun’s eyes are shaking. She’s sitting on the floor, holding my corpse with her only remaining hand.
‘Astral projection…? Did I become a ghost? This is a world with vampires, werewolves, and witches… It wouldn’t be strange if there were ghosts too….’
[The Helper has not died.]
[The quest continues.]
[Do you want to abandon the quest, ignoring the Helper’s will?]
Play Life told me the reason.
Right. This quest was different from normal plays. It seems I can watch over Joo Seo-hyun in a ghost state.
‘Let’s… continue the quest. I’m curious about Joo Seo-hyun’s reaction.’
[The quest continues.]
[You can adjust the progress speed.]
Joo Seo-hyun put down my corpse. She gets up, holding the Moonlight Sonata 7 in her only remaining hand.
She glared at Yoon Seo-jin, who had been quietly watching from a distance.
“…I’ll kill you.”
“Nice killing intent, Butcher. But weren’t you right-handed? Can you kill me with your left hand?”
“……”
Joo Seo-hyun took a step forward. Her body is shaking. Her right arm was shattered by the vibrations, and she lost too much blood. It wouldn’t be easy to maintain her balance after losing an arm in an instant. Similarly, her complexion wasn’t good either. But her eyes, filled with anger and hatred, were more ferocious than ever.
“It’s the perfect opportunity to turn you into a vampire.”
Unlike his words, Yoon Seo-jin didn’t move his legs. He didn’t approach Joo Seo-hyun. He was clutching his side. Blood kept flowing from his side.
‘The anti-magic power of the Sonata is acting like a poison.’
It’s so toxic that even the vampire lord can’t easily adapt to it. Yoon Seo-jin isn’t in a normal state. As Joo Seo-hyun kept approaching, Yoon Seo-jin retreated.
“Let’s call it a day for today. Anyone can see that I have the upper hand… but I can’t guarantee everything against that Butcher. I don’t gamble.”
“You’re… running away?”
Joo Seo-hyun gritted her teeth. Blood droplets splattered from her mouth.
“I only fight at the right moment. That’s how I became a vampire lord. And right now, there are too many variables. But I’ve confirmed that if we have a head-on confrontation in a normal state, I’ll win. And you’ve lost your right arm. Next time, there will be a definite conclusion. I can already see you ruling this world as a vampire queen.”
“Shut up…! I’ll kill you right now…!”
Joo Seo-hyun ran towards Yoon Seo-jin. Her body was constantly staggering.
“Too obvious. I won’t fall for that kind of act. More than anything… that sword is too dangerous.”
“Yoon Seo-jin…!”
“We’ll meet again soon. I’ll be looking forward to that day.”
Yoon Seo-jin turned and left. His running body was shaking slightly, and blood kept flowing from his side.
Joo Seo-hyun collapsed to the floor. Even the sword she never let go of slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor.
‘Joo Seo-hyun’s condition is too bad. She might die.’
In the distance, I could hear the sound of sirens and gunshots. If she can hold on a little longer, she’ll be able to go to the hospital.
I reached out my hand to Joo Seo-hyun, who was sitting there blankly. My hand passed through Joo Seo-hyun’s body without touching it. All I could do now was watch.
• • •
Joo Seo-hyun, who had collapsed on the spot, stared blankly at the ground. Seo Yujin was on her mind.
That bastard.
Enemy.
Rapist.
Target of revenge.
That annoying Seo Yujin was dead, so she should have felt relieved. But it felt like her insides were rotting.
‘…I should have killed Seo Yujin! With my own hands! I, I should have killed him…!’
That Seo Yujin died trying to save her.
Why?
Wasn’t she just a plaything to him? A sex toy, a place to release his lust, a sex slave. That’s how he treated her. But he gave his life to save her. And the reason was absurd. Just because.
“Damn… bastard….”
Joo Seo-hyun wiped away the tears that were dripping down with her only remaining arm.
She couldn’t be sure if the tears were from sadness, pain, or resentment. She just wanted to believe they were tears of resentment.
‘Why do I keep remembering Seo Yujin’s smiling face….’
Memories of them going out together on holidays came to mind. She couldn’t understand why these memories were coming up instead of all the other terrible ones.
“Seo Yujin…. I’ll repay the debt.”
He saved her.
Joo Seo-hyun didn’t want to owe him anything. But Seo Yujin was already dead. There was only one way to repay a debt of life.
“I’ll get revenge. I’ll kill Yoon Seo-jin.”
But it was impossible in this state. She couldn’t use one arm. And that was extremely critical. Go to the hospital? She didn’t think they could fix her completely shattered right arm. If she had a potion, maybe, but she didn’t have any potions.
Joo Seo-hyun reached out with her left hand. What she held wasn’t a sword, but a syringe. A syringe that Yoon Seo-jin had dropped the moment he was attacked. It contained Yoon Seo-jin’s blood.
She would become a vampire.
Then she could gain power.
Joo Seo-hyun’s lips trembled. In exchange for gaining power, she would have to give up her humanity. Giving up her humanity meant… shattering the beliefs she had held onto in this world.
But.
Seo Yujin, who had saved her, came to her mind. At the same time, her hatred and anger towards Yoon Seo-jin grew. Revenge consumed her body.
She was a vengeful spirit.
She had been prepared to give up anything for revenge since she was in Atlantis. She could endure becoming a monster for revenge.
She picked up the syringe and stuck it into her neck. She pressed the syringe. Yoon Seo-jin’s blood, the blood of a vampire lord, spread through her veins.
“Ah, aaaaaaah…!”
Joo Seo-hyun lowered her head. Her long hair fell to the floor.
Her whole body was hot. The heat felt like it was burning her brain. More than anything, her senses were fluctuating. Her whole body was changing.
She instinctively moved her left hand to find her sword.
Sword.
Something she could trust more than herself. The sword was her, and she was the sword. Joo Seo-hyun tightly gripped the hilt of the Moonlight Sonata 7.
The transformation had begun.
The starting point was her right arm. Her completely shattered right arm began to regenerate. The process of her muscles and bones being reassembled was accompanied by tremendous pain.
“……!”
Joo Seo-hyun gritted her teeth and endured it.
She wouldn’t succumb to the pain and would maintain her sanity. She remembered something she had heard before. The reason why vampires become monsters is because most of them can’t endure the transformation process and lose their minds.
‘I can’t let my mind become a vampire.’
She wasn’t becoming a vampire to be consumed by power. She was becoming a vampire to use power.
The pain, which had reached its peak, disappeared at some point.
She felt the sensation in her right arm and the sensation of her elongated fangs. She was hungry. Her eyes fell on Seo Yujin’s corpse. It was a mess, but the blood was still fresh.
“……”
She closed her eyes tightly and then opened them again. Suppressing her urge to feed, she got up.
Joo Seo-hyun’s hair had turned blood red.
