PETF 10

Chapter 10

After receiving the black card from Woo-hyun, Serin handed it back to the blacksmith.

“Please put this on the bill too. Make it exactly 3.1 billion.”

She said it with a calm, nonchalant expression, and both the blacksmith and Woo-hyun turned to stare at her, utterly dumbfounded.

Then, the blacksmith looked at Woo-hyun with a face full of genuine envy.

“Did you row an oar on a turtle ship in your past life or something? I thought a chaebol beauty girlfriend was something that only happened in dramas. How does something like this exist in real life…?”

At his words, Woo-hyun pulled out his own humble debit card, which looked shabby compared to Serin’s black card, and replied,

“She’s not my girlfriend, but she is a chaebol beauty. And put my stuff on my card.”

The blacksmith waved his hand dismissively.

“Forget it. Honestly, I was just struggling with the idea of who in the world would pay 3.097 billion in a lump sum, but this works out. Just take Dracula and the gear as service. Normally, ‘no freebies, ever’ is this forge’s policy, but since I sold over 3 billion in a single day, even my grandpa won’t be able to complain.”

At that, Serin pushed the equipment box that had belonged to Dracula’s former users toward Woo-hyun, who was still hesitating.

“I’m not buying it, it’s being given as service. Just take it—it’s free.”

‘Right. I let her buy Lycaon too. I’ll accept this much.’

Thinking that way, Woo-hyun quietly accepted the box.

“Thanks. I’ll make good use of Dracula and the gear.”

That evening, in Serin’s mansion courtyard

Having spent 3.097 billion in a single day, Serin carried Lycaon out to her mansion’s courtyard that night.

I must draw it tonight. If I do, the 3 billion I spent will multiply into over 300 billion.

“I’ll know why this sword is worth 300 billion once I pull it out.”

Recalling what Woo-hyun had told her earlier that day in front of the National Forge, Serin gripped Lycaon’s hilt.

Clink—

The chains coiled tightly around Lycaon’s blade loosened just enough for her to draw it.

Shing!

In an instant, Serin pulled Lycaon free, and the chains that had bound it clattered to the ground before transforming into light and vanishing.

The moment the sword touched the light of the large, beautiful full moon overhead—

Fwoooosh!!!

A brilliant blue glow erupted from Lycaon.

[<Hidden Piece – Infuse Lycaon with the energy of the moon!> has been achieved.]
[Lycaon absorbs the light of the Supermoon.]
[Lycaon’s potential exceeds its maximum and breaks its limit.]

The reason Woo-hyun had insisted she draw Lycaon tonight was because this was the night of the Supermoon—larger and brighter than an ordinary full moon.

Staring at the system messages glowing above her eyes, Serin’s eyes widened.

She swung Lycaon, now imbued with the power of the Supermoon.

“It feels so light.”

Whoosh! Whoosh!

When she’d carried it back from the forge, it had felt far too heavy and unbalanced for her to use. But now, none of that mattered. It was so light it hardly felt like a greatsword at all, and the hilt fit perfectly in her hand, as though it had been crafted specifically for her grip.

[Moonfang Sword Lycaon has fully absorbed the Supermoon’s light.]
[From now on, you may use the Gift – Moonlight even in the daytime, as if it were night.]

Reading that, Serin could no longer even muster surprise.

Moonlight was a Gift that became more powerful at night.

But players did not fight at night.

Night was too dangerous.

So, that had always been the one flaw in the Gift of Moonlight. But now, she could wield its full power in broad daylight.

“Another debt…”

That night, Serin realized something with certainty.

Woo-hyun wasn’t just a honey pot—he was overflowing with honey.

“Hehe. I’ll follow him again tomorrow.”

And being the greedy daughter of a chaebol family, she had no intention of sharing the honey pot she’d discovered with anyone else.

The next day, Odaesan Hunting Grounds

Before the Great Cataclysm, this had been a national park. Afterward, it became a hunting ground for players.

Because the park’s environment was preserved, with plenty of animals and plants for monsters to feed on, and because humans—the monsters’ natural predators—had been restricted from entering, it had turned into a massive monster habitat.

Thus, all the former national parks had been converted into player hunting grounds, providing prey for players in exchange for usage fees.

The former Odaesan National Park—now known as the Odaesan Hunting Grounds—was home to large numbers of low-rank monsters. It was a popular spot for rookie players like Woo-hyun.

Before his first regression, when his vampiric disease worsened, he had needed to drink blood three times a day just to survive. But now, since the condition had only recently begun to manifest, he could endure without blood—for a while.

Still, his limit was approaching fast. Feeling his condition worsen, Woo-hyun knew he was running low on blood and immediately headed to the hunting grounds.

“She won’t have followed me here… right?”

If Serin had awakened Lycaon under the Supermoon, she might cling to him even more. To avoid her, he had come to the Odaesan Hunting Grounds at dawn.

Fortunately, he made it inside without running into her.

“Player license, please.”

Woo-hyun pulled out his F-rank player license and showed it to the staff guarding the entrance.

They checked the authenticity, compared the photo to his face, and returned it while pressing a button to raise the gate.

As Woo-hyun passed through, he overheard the staff muttering.

“Another corpse to clean up soon.”

“What? He’s carrying decent gear, though.”

“Idiot. That’s the sword that eats its owners. Dracula.”

The other staffer paled and glanced at the longsword on Woo-hyun’s hip.

“That’s the one?”

“Yeah. And everything he’s wearing belonged to Dracula’s previous owners. No one knows how he got them all.”

“Must’ve been scammed by someone.”

“Right? Otherwise, why would anyone use such cursed gear?”

Ignoring their snickers, Woo-hyun stroked Dracula’s pommel with his left hand.

“I’ll clear your bad name. That way, you survive—and so do I.”

With that thought, he headed toward the goblin habitat within Odaesan.

Some time later, Goblin Habitat

Step—step—

Woo-hyun wandered near the goblin habitat, Dracula in hand.

Kiik—kiik—

“They finally show up.”

Five goblins emerged from the brush, surrounding him. Woo-hyun immediately drew up his mana.

Fwoosh—

Scarlet mana flared along Dracula’s blade like fire.

At that moment, the goblin in front raised its poison-tipped spear. Woo-hyun shaped his left hand into a gun and aimed.

Whoom—Bang!

Boom!!

Mana gathered at his fingertip, shot forward like a bullet, and blew apart the goblin’s head.

“I’m not on Serin’s level, but my talent’s not bad either.”

He had created his own technique after being inspired by watching Serin combine two Abilities during the player exam.

By fusing Body Hardening (Stage 1) and Lightness Skill (Stage 2), he’d created Bullet Arts—condensing mana, then releasing it like a projectile.

Unlike Serin, who had based her technique on the extremely advanced Form Manipulation (Stage 3), Woo-hyun couldn’t reach that level. But this was his own answer after much thought.

Kiirik?! Kiriirik!!

Enraged at their fallen comrade, the goblins drew crude axes and rusty shortswords, charging him.

Dash!

Woo-hyun rushed forward, thrusting Dracula into the leading goblin.

Shhk—!!!

He had targeted the one with the short-reach stone axe. Its head was pierced instantly.

Splaaat!!!

Woo-hyun raised Dracula upward, cleaving the goblin’s head in two, and used the momentum to knock aside two incoming shortswords.

Clang!!!

Grab—Swing! Clang!!!

He snatched up the dead goblin’s axe and blocked simultaneous strikes from both sides.

Wham!!!

Then he kicked the pommel of the goblin’s shortsword straight on, forcing it to drop the weapon.

Whirl—Stab!!!

Grrrk!!!

In the same instant, Woo-hyun hurled the axe at the goblin ahead. It embedded right between its brows, killing it on the spot.

Whoom—Bang! Boom!

Now with his left hand free, he formed another finger-gun and blasted mana straight into the face of the goblin rushing from the left.

“As expected of dumb goblins. No learning ability at all.”