Chapter 103: THE NIGHT HUNT AND THE LOOMING DAWN

After the tenth Slime, I stopped counting.

Not because there were too many, but because Mira moved too fast to count. The first Slime had still startled her, but by the fifth, her body had found its rhythm. She waited for the blob of goo to leap, shifted half a step, then slashed upward from below. Her movements resembled someone chopping vegetables on a cutting board, except the cutting board was a monster and she was doing it under the moonlight.

Ting!

[System: Mirabelle defeated Green Slime Lv. 2. EXP +14]

Ting!

[System: Mirabelle has reached Level 2! You gained 3 AP.]

Mira paused and stared at the notification window in front of her, brow furrowed. "Syl, what’s this? I got three points."

"Attribute Points," I answered, leaning against a fence post. "AP is for raising your base stats, and you get three with every level. You can split them across any stats you like. But there’s a little trick you should know."

"A trick?"

"The racial night bonus multiplies all of your stats. Including the ones you add yourself."

Mira fell silent for a moment, then her eyes widened. "So if I add one point, at night it’s worth two points?"

"Exactly. This race gives you double AP efficiency during the night. It’s one of the most powerful things about Vampires. But remember, during the day everything gets cut down to almost nothing. So don’t put all your points into a single stat that depends entirely on the night bonus."

Mira nodded, tapping her chin with a finger, exactly like she did whenever she was choosing items from the grocery menu in the kitchen. After a moment, she put two points into AGI and one into DEX.

"Why AGI and DEX?" I asked.

"Because a knife works best when your hands are fast and precise," she answered innocently. "I’m not very good at defending, so it’s better if I try not to get hit at all."

I couldn’t argue with that logic. It was almost the same reasoning I’d used when building my own character.

Then another notification appeared in front of Mira, and this time she looked at me in confusion as she read it aloud.

[System: Repeated activity detected. Basic skill available: [Knife Mastery]]

[Learning Cost: 1 SP. Remaining SP: 10. Learn this skill?]

[System Note: User’s real-world experience with similar tools detected. Skill EXP bonus +50%.]

"Syl, I have ten SP," she said quietly. "I hadn’t noticed it until now. Is this free?"

"Ten is the starting capital for every new player," I explained. "It’s used to pick up basic skills. There are two ways to do it: learn from a teaching NPC, or through repeated activity like just now. Each basic skill costs one SP. After that, new SP comes from leveling up the skills you use. So the more diligently you train, the more points you earn."

"So I have to diligently cut up monsters?"

"Or vegetables," I said. "Both happen to be the same type."

Mira pouted, then pressed the confirm button with her fingertip.

Ting!

[System: 1 SP deducted. Skill [Knife Mastery Lv. 1] learned. Remaining SP: 9]

[Effect: Increases accuracy and attack speed with dagger- and knife-type weapons by 5%.]

"Real-world experience bonus," I murmured with a soft laugh. "So years of slicing onions turned out to be useful."

"That’s not funny at all, Syl," Mira protested, but the corner of her mouth lifted, and her ears turned red.

The next two hours passed far faster than I’d imagined.

Mira’s level rose at a pace that made me envious. With her stats doubled at night, Slimes were easy targets, and she began to venture farther from the south gate boundary into the deeper grasslands. I followed ten meters behind, watching every shadow around her and making sure our retreat path stayed open. A habit of archers.

Every few kills, a small notification would pop up, and Mira would turn to me with sparkling eyes.

Ting!

[System: Skill [Knife Mastery] has reached Lv. 2! You gained 1 SP. Remaining SP: 10]

"I got another point!"

"That’s the result of your own work," I said. "Save it for now. Don’t spend it carelessly until you know which skills you truly need."

But just as I’d warned her, nighttime in Second World Online was no game.

I realized it when the howls in the distance no longer sounded distant. First one voice, then two, then a whole chorus answering one another from behind the small hill on the west side. The grass around us rustled without any wind. I raised my hand to signal Mira, and she stopped at once, knife drawn.

From the shadows of the sparse trees, four yellow-eyed figures emerged.

[Nightfang Wolf Lv. 7]

[Nightfang Wolf Lv. 7]

[Nightfang Wolf Lv. 8]

[Nightfang Wolf Lv. 8]

The wolves had dark gray fur and long fangs that gleamed like wet steel. They didn’t walk but crept low, tails raised, glowing eyes fixed on Mira. Daytime monsters in this area were usually level one to five. Night raised their aggression and their levels by almost double.

"Syl..." Mira whispered without taking her eyes off the wolves.

"Back up two steps," I said flatly, raising the Musket V2 and aiming past her shoulder. "Let them come one at a time. Don’t let them surround you."

Too late. The leftmost wolf leapt first.

Mira had no time to retreat. She bent her knees, tilted her body sideways, and her knife slid into the wolf’s throat in one short sweep.

Ting!

[System: Mirabelle defeated Nightfang Wolf Lv. 7. EXP +190]

One hundred ninety EXP in a single slash.

Two other wolves attacked at the same time from the right and front. I pulled the trigger, and the crack of the rifle split the night. The lead bullet pierced the right-side wolf’s head and sent its body flying three meters back.

[System: You defeated Nightfang Wolf Lv. 8. EXP +5 (Level Difference Penalty)]

Five EXP. My head had already memorized the number. The level gap was so large that the EXP from my kills was nearly meaningless, so I wasn’t taking the attack seriously. My job was just to make sure Mira didn’t get surrounded.

The last wolf lunged at Mira from the front. This time Mira was ready. She ducked, her knife slashed across its belly, and before the monster’s body touched the ground, she had already spun away. Her movements were smooth. Too smooth for a level two player.

Ting!

[System: Mirabelle defeated Nightfang Wolf Lv. 8. EXP +205]

Ting!

[System: Mirabelle has reached Level 3!]

Ting!

[System: Mirabelle has reached Level 4!]

Ting!

[System: Skill [Knife Mastery] has reached Lv. 3! You gained 1 SP. Remaining SP: 11]

Mira stood panting, the knife in her hand smeared with black fluid. Her hair was a little disheveled, and her chest rose and fell, but her eyes glowed a faint red in the dark. When she turned to me, she smiled wide, like a child who had just won a race.

"I beat them! Three of them!"

"Two," I corrected, lowering the rifle. "I shot one. But no matter. Well done, Mira. Very well done."

My praise made her cheeks flush. But then she fell silent, touched her lips with a fingertip, and frowned.

"Syl... I feel strange."

I immediately went on alert. "Strange how?"

"Like there’s something in my throat. I’m... thirsty." She looked at the black fluid on her blade, then hurriedly looked away, her face pale. "But not thirsty for water. I don’t understand."

I checked her status window with her permission, and found a small note at the bottom that hadn’t been there before.

[Racial Status: Bloodlust (Mild). Killing living creatures during the night gradually increases bloodlust. Satisfy it with special food or do not let it exceed its limit.]

I frowned. The Developers clearly hadn’t given out a race this strong without a price beyond a daytime penalty.

"It’s a racial mechanic," I said quietly. "Not a disease, not a random curse. As long as we pay attention to it, it’s fine. You don’t need to panic."

"I... don’t plan on biting anyone," Mira whispered, half joking and half afraid.

"I won’t let you either." I patted her shoulder. "We’ll find out how to handle it later. For now, focus."

Toward midnight, the howling returned.

This time it wasn’t just a pack of wolves. The sound was deep, heavy, and echoing, like something far larger than an ordinary wolf. Night birds scattered from the trees, and the whole grassland suddenly went silent.

I immediately pulled Mira behind me. "Stay alert."

From behind the hill, a gigantic shadow slowly emerged. A wolf as big as a horse, with silver-tinged black fur and three long scars running down the side of its face. Its eyes blazed red, and around its feet, smaller wolves lined up like an army.

[Moonshadow Alpha Lv. 14 (Elite)]

"An Elite Night Mob," I muttered. "A special night-only monster. They rarely appear in beginner areas, but there’s always a chance."

"That’s too strong, isn’t it?" Mira’s voice began to tremble. "I’m only level four."

"For an ordinary player, yes. But you’re not an ordinary player." I quickly reloaded my rifle, pouring black powder and inserting the lead ball. Fifteen irritating seconds of reload. "Listen. Your stats at level four during the night might be equal to a level twenty player. You have the speed and the precision. All you lack is experience. I’ll hold it off. You focus on finding openings, strike its weak points, and don’t get hit by its claws."

"Weak points... where?"

"The neck and the flanks." I took aim. "If it attacks you, don’t try to block. Dodge and counterattack."

The Alpha howled once more, then shot forward.

Its speed far exceeded what I’d imagined. In the blink of an eye, that horse-sized body had closed twenty meters and swiped its claws at Mira. Mira leapt back just in time, and the claws struck the ground, tearing up a clump of grass the size of a table.

I pulled the trigger.

The crack of my rifle echoed, and the lead bullet hit the Alpha’s shoulder at full force. Black fluid sprayed, and the wolf staggered with a roar of fury.

[System: You dealt 1,500 Damage to Moonshadow Alpha. Alpha HP: 62%]

"I see," I muttered, pulling the powder pouch’s cord and beginning to pour again. "One shot every fifteen seconds. Mira, hold it off for that long."

"Hold it... for fifteen seconds?" Mira’s voice nearly squeaked. But she was already moving.

The Alpha turned and charged at me, realizing the source of the attack was behind me. And this was the moment I had feared. In front of me was only open ground, with no cover, and my HP was only one hundred twenty. A single claw could end my life.

I chanted two syllables, cutting in half the incantation I would normally need.

Wind Walk.

Thanks to Incantation Compression, wind swirled at my feet almost instantly. My body glided sideways, slipping away just one breath before the Alpha’s jaws snapped shut where I’d been standing. Grass was sheared off, and I felt the wind from those jaws sweep across my cheek.

Fifteen percent faster, and I still nearly died, I thought with a grin. What a delightful world.

By then, Mira was already on the Alpha’s back.

She had leapt from the left side, stepped briefly on a protruding rock, then landed on that furry back with her knife raised. Her red eyes blazed in the dark. Her hand plunged down toward the Alpha’s neck in one straight thrust, and black fluid gushed out.

The Alpha roared, writhing wildly, and flung Mira aside like a rag doll. Mira’s body flew and hit the ground with a dull thud.

"Mira!"

[System: Mirabelle took 310 Damage. HP: 190/500]

I held my breath. Three hundred ten in a single impact. If she was already that weakened, her body could withstand only one or two more attacks.

But Mira was already standing again. Her hair was a mess; there was a scratch on her cheek, and her gaze was different from a few minutes ago. No hesitation, no fear. Only a sharp calm, like someone at work.

"I already know which part I need to cut," she whispered.

The Alpha charged. Mira ducked, slid beneath its jaw, and the knife in her hand sliced along the creature’s flank from front to back. I fired in sync with her movement. The crack of my rifle struck the Alpha’s head from a perfect angle.

A moment of silence.

The giant body trembled, lost its strength, then collapsed sideways with an impact that shook the ground.

Ting!

[System: Mirabelle defeated Moonshadow Alpha Lv. 14 (Elite). EXP +2,800]

Ting!

[System: Mirabelle has reached Level 5!]

Ting!

[System: Mirabelle has reached Level 6!]

Ting!

[System: Mirabelle has reached Level 7!]

Ting!

[System: Skill [Knife Mastery] has reached Lv. 4! You gained 1 SP. Remaining SP: 12]

Mira dropped her knife onto the grass and sank down weakly. Her face was pale and her breathing heavy, but she smiled softly. The remaining small wolves behind the leaderless Alpha fled into the darkness.

I walked over and held out my hand.

"You stopped my heart twice just now."

"Mine too," she answered, taking my hand, her small laugh trembling. "But... it felt... incredible, Syl. Not just winning. It felt like I could do something for you."

My chest felt warm. "You’ve been doing it since you were little, Mira. You just didn’t realize."

We had just finished checking the Alpha’s drops, two large fangs, a sheet of black-silver hide, and a few silver coins, when Mira suddenly clutched her head.

"Syl... why does my body feel so heavy?"

I looked up at once. On the eastern horizon, far beyond the hills, the sky that had been pitch black was beginning to change. A thin pale-gray line lay there, like a fingernail scratch on black glass. I opened Mira’s status window, and my heart dropped.

[Racial Warning: Dawn Transition Detected. Nocturnal Blood is weakening. All stats reduced by 70%.]

[Estimated Time Until Sunrise: 18 Minutes (Game Time)]

"Dawn," I said, trying to hold back the panic in my voice. "We hunted too long."

Mira’s stats plummeted even before the sun appeared. The girl’s knees trembled, her breathing grew shorter, and I could see the skin on her upper arms turning paler, almost transparent. If the sun truly rose and she was still out on the open plains, her stats would drop ninety percent. A level seven player with stats like that couldn’t even defeat a Slime.

"Can you walk?" I asked.

"I can... slowly."

"There’s no time for slowly."

I crouched with my back to her. "Climb on."

"Syl, no, I’m heavy..."

"With my STR? Of course you’re heavy. But Wind Walk will help. Just climb on."

Mira hesitated for a second, then wrapped her arms around my neck. She was much lighter than I’d expected, perhaps due to her weakened racial effect. I channeled mana into my legs and felt wind swirl around my boots.

"Hold tight."

Then we shot across the grassland toward the south gate.

The bitterly cold night wind lashed both our faces. Mira’s black hair streamed beside my cheek, and her heartbeat pounded against my back. The sky in the east grew brighter, and behind us, the hills began to lose their black shadows. We burst through StoneBrook’s south gate at a speed that made several NPC guards turn in shock, then crossed the plaza and streets that were starting to fill with morning merchants.

The "Silver Moon" inn appeared at the end of the street. I shoved the door open with my shoulder, and the NPC innkeeper, who had been wiping a table, jumped.

"One room! One without windows!" I shouted, panting. "Or the one with the thickest curtains!"

"Eh? There’s one, at the end of the second-floor hallway, but..."

"That one!"

I tossed a gold coin onto the counter, snatched the key, and dashed up the stairs with Mira still on my back. I slammed the door open. The small room was dim, with one bed, one table, and one small window covered by a thick, dark purple velvet curtain. I set Mira down on the bed, then pulled the curtain tight and made sure not a speck of light came in.

Right at that moment, the first golden rays of the sun swept across the rooftops of the city outside.

I held my breath and checked Mira’s status window. The numbers there had already plunged into freefall.

[Time: Daytime. Nocturnal Blood Inactive. All stats reduced by 90%.]

[Status: Safe (Inside enclosed room).]

I collapsed onto the wooden floor and let out a long breath. From the bed, Mira looked at me, panting, and then, as if she couldn’t help it, laughed softly.

"Syl..."

"What?"

"You carried me while running like a hero in a fairy tale."

"Don’t say anything," I grumbled, wiping my forehead. "I nearly died of stamina depletion. Spending two hundred stamina to carry someone running that far is blasphemy."

She laughed again, louder, then lay on her side on the bed with a smile that wouldn’t leave her face. Her eyes slowly began to close.

"Thank you for looking after me."

"Sleep," I said gently. "You’ll log out and have breakfast first, okay? The nurse is already waiting for you. I’ll keep watch until you disappear from here."

Mira nodded faintly, and a few seconds later her body turned transparent, then vanished in a blue shimmer. The bed was empty, leaving only the dent in the pillow and a lingering warmth.

I leaned against the wall, staring at the purple curtain swaying gently.

Eight game hours for one full night, I thought, rubbing my face. And tonight showed that even if the race is strong, Mira’s sleep schedule is going to be a real headache.

I opened my own status window. Level 35, EXP 4,015 out of 70,500, and those five EXP were the only result of my shooting all night. With a crooked smile, I filed that data away in my mental notes. For the first time, I had become the bodyguard of someone who leveled up far faster than I did.