EP2. The Vampire's Castle
'Crazy bastard!'
Jae-jun seized the moment amid the chaos and moved.
The vampire hovering in the air didn't notice Jae-jun slipping behind it.
The sounds of falling debris and people's groans drew the vampire's attention.
He'd planned to stay put if possible.
'A lunatic like you needs a beating to set things right!'
Gulp.
Despite his bold words, Jae-jun swallowed dryly.
The closer he got, the sharper the tension spiked from the vampire's crackling aura.
But Jae-jun didn't stop. He pressed closer to the vampire.
He'd glimpsed it earlier—the thing wore no armor.
Jae-jun decided to trust his S-rank agility stat.
'A surprise attack might just work!'
Stealth was essential, not optional.
Even with fatigue setting in, he had to end this in minimal clashes.
His heartbeat quickened, and his eyes sharpened like blades.
Every tiny twitch of the vampire registered clearly.
'Here goes!'
He gripped the Frost Blade and charged straight at the vampire.
Tat-tat-tat!
'Acceleration!'
Acceleration cast.
With full power poured in, Jae-jun's speed fused with the skill, slowing the world around him.
Swoosh!
His blade sliced through the hazy dust toward the vampire's nape.
The vampire still showed no reaction.
'Yes!'
Then something oozed from the vampire's skin.
Red blood.
It coated the skin, hardening into a solid membrane.
'Pierce it in one go!'
Thwack!
The blade struck the blood membrane.
Blood droplets sprayed everywhere, but the blade didn't even graze the vampire's skin.
'Slash away!'
The blade hacked relentlessly at its body.
But the membrane moved faster.
No matter how he struck, Jae-jun's blade was blocked, never touching the vampire.
Thud!
Jae-jun's eyes widened.
The vampire had turned and caught the blade barehanded.
Its hand, too, was wrapped in the red blood membrane.
The vampire grinned wickedly.
Pop!
The defensive membrane sharpened into needle-like spikes, aiming straight for Jae-jun's heart.
'Fast!'
It matched Jae-jun's own speed perfectly.
Tch.
No choice—he abandoned the sword and leaped back.
"Not bad... for a human scum."
The vampire started to speak, but Jae-jun had no interest in listening.
He gathered max mana in both hands and thrust them toward the vampire.
'Inferno!'
Superheated flames instantly filled the space around the vampire.
The incoming blood needles vaporized in a flash.
Sizzle!
The protective blood membrane evaporated too.
'It works!'
Jae-jun kept pouring out the flames without pause.
They obscured the vampire completely.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a dark silhouette punched through the fire.
Bam!
Jae-jun instinctively raised his arms to block, but the force slammed him into the wall.
His barrier shattered uselessly.
'Ugh!'
As he tried to stand, his left arm wouldn't move right.
It was swelling—probably a bone issue.
"Kuh!"
But that wasn't the problem.
Before he could even gasp in shock, Jae-jun desperately raised his right hand to shield his face.
The vampire loomed right in front of him now.
Its clothes and skin were charred black.
But its flesh regenerated visibly, at eye-blurring speed.
"Filthy worm!"
The vampire's fist rocketed toward Jae-jun's face again.
Bam!
He blocked with his right hand, but the guard crumpled, sending his body flying.
Jae-jun crashed into the wall, rolled across the floor several times from the rebound, and finally stopped.
"Cough!"
Blood poured from his mouth.
His vision swam from the impact.
Jae-jun shook his head repeatedly and forced himself up.
He couldn't afford to stay down.
Through his blurry sight, he spotted the vampire approaching.
Step by step.
Still...
Inferno had worked.
He'd definitely dealt damage!
'Then create another opening.'
Jae-jun steeled himself and clenched his fist tight.
The advancing vampire swung again.
'Acceleration!'
In his slowed time, the fist became visible.
Roughly matching Jae-jun's speed.
He ducked, barely letting the fist graze overhead.
At the same time, Jae-jun's hand shot toward the vampire's side.
A dagger was now in his grip.
The hobgoblin's poison needle from his first F-rank dungeon.
Its awl-sharp blade clashed with the blood membrane.
The membrane was definitely weaker now.
The tip pierced through, ever so slightly.
His C-rank strength was too lacking compared to S-rank agility.
Whoosh!
The vampire's fist plummeted from above.
No dodging this one.
Jae-jun twisted his head aside as far as possible.
Thud!
The fist grazed his shoulder, tearing flesh.
The next punch hammered his gut before he could react.
Crack!
Ogre's Chestplate durability depleted—shattered!
The ogre chestplate he'd worn crumpled from a single blow.
Another fist flew in.
This one aimed at his face.
He saw the vampire's bloodshot eyes.
'Not a fan.'
Jae-jun seized the long-awaited chance.
'Blink!'
His body flickered white and vanished.
He reappeared right in the vampire's face.
The vampire flinched in surprise at the sudden appearance.
Jae-jun swung his right hand without missing a beat.
The vampire, trusting its blood shield, made no defense.
'Inferno!'
Superheated flames engulfed it once more.
The blaze weakened the blood membrane in an instant.
And in that split-second gap, the hobgoblin's poison needle plunged into its eye.
Squelch!
"Gaaahhhh!"
The vampire's chilling scream echoed through the space.
Jae-jun swiftly retreated.
Then unleashed full-power Inferno again.
Its screams grew thicker amid the flames.
"Just die already!"
Suddenly, the screams cut off.
'Dead?'
But a sound from the flames answered.
Crackle!
Crackle-crackle!
Black sparks.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
Electricity tore through the flames, swelling massively.
Soon, Jae-jun's fire was devoured and snuffed out.
"Grrr."
The vampire heaved ragged breaths amid the black currents.
One eye impaled by Jae-jun's dagger, its body charred black.
Low on blood now, regeneration had nearly stopped.
The black currents shrank gradually to basketball size.
Danger.
Alarms blared in his head nonstop.
'Blin—!'
He tried to flee far, but the vampire's hand seized his nape.
Skin stung and burned from the currents.
"Just die already, you cockroach!"
Black electricity surged toward Jae-jun.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
But the rending agony he expected never came.
'What?'
Jae-jun cracked his eyes open.
Something floated before him.
White and round.
His inventory's summon beast egg.
The egg, materialized between them, was absorbing all the black currents.
Grade: Ungraded
Mana Infusion: 92,912,111 / A
Time Remaining: 8 seconds
Mana Infusion: 97,552,834 / A
Time Remaining: 5 seconds
Crackle-crackle!
Crack!
The egg devoured every last bit of the vampire's black electricity.
The mana numbers blurred with speed.
"What the hell?!"
The vampire yelled in panic.
But the unleashed currents couldn't be recalled.
The grip on Jae-jun's neck loosened, the hand pulling away.
Mana Infusion: 99,985,109 / A
Time Remaining: 2 seconds
Mana Infusion: 100,000,000 / S
Time Remaining: 0 seconds
Crackle!
And finally.
At zero seconds, A upgraded to S.
A week's worth of grueling mana infusion, done in moments—absurdly fast.
Ding.
Summon beast egg is now hatchable.
Hatch? [Y/N]
The system window only Jae-jun could see popped up before him.
He nodded furiously and shouted.
"Hatch!"
And at last, the egg cracked, Jae-jun's summon beast poking its head out.
Jae-jun's eyes widened in shock at the sight.
Thank you.