Full Moon Stone

“You’ll regret it! Sword Phantom! We are Lady Scherazard’s….”

“Why do I only meet such bastards?”

Did people get stronger the more they talked here? Kim Bongpal rushed in, ignoring his opponent’s yells.

Silver hair and Western clothing. According to Kim Bongpal’s classification method, they weren’t from the Moorim but the Lupaine side. He didn’t know why those from Lupaine were chasing after this 300-year-old supernatural being from Moorim, though.

Tap-!

Kim Bongpal’s sword collided with his foe’s nails. However.

Clank!

The sound that rang out was of metal clashing.

‘Inhuman?’

He was wondering why no one was holding a weapon, but their entire body were weapons. Their lips pulled back to reveal sharp fangs, and now he caught the scent of blood in the air. It was similar to the Blood Mages but with its own distinctive vibe.

“Sword Demon! We have shown you enough respect! Nevertheless, ignoring Lady Scherazard’s name…!”

“Respect?”

How the fuck did these bastards keep talking?

“How rude. What the fuck are you going on about respect after you followed us around?”

“Right! What kind of respect could you have for someone who works for that Scherazard!”

“This cheeky bitch…!”

Kim Bongpal glanced at Maya’s cry from behind. A sphere had formed around her, and she was screaming inside it. So, she must’ve secured her own safety.

Kim Bongpal lowered his posture and turned back to his opponent.

“Kill him! Kill that human man and rip that cheeky woman’s tongue out before taking her to Lady Scherazard!”

Were they trying to talk him to death? Even Shi Wu-yuan, who boasted so much, was also only a fucking noob, wasn’t he? Kim Bongpal attacked them with that thought.

And with that-

“Gaaargh!”

They let out a sound that didn’t sound human. But, well, that made sense given that there wasn’t much else about them. Rather, their method of attacking resembled the humanoid monsters Kim Bongpal had fought on Earth.

His opponent’s fingernails grew longer as their murderous intent flowed.

Swoosh!

However, Kim Bongpal’s sword moved several times faster than his opponent’s. Maybe it was because he concentrated more mana than before, or maybe their flesh wasn’t as hard as their nails, but the silver-haired man’s arm was sent flying.

But then.

“Be careful! Those bastards can reattach severed limbs!”

Maya shouted from behind. As she said, the severed arm stopped mid-air and was quickly reattached by a string of blood. At this point, Kim Bongpal had to wonder if all the Otherworlders had the passive ability to regenerate.

Thinking so, Kim Bongpal dug in his feet and swung his sword. He had intended to cut his opponent’s throat in the first place.

Splash!

Red blood jetted between the flying head and the falling body. However.

“Ha?”

This time, even Kim Bongpal couldn’t help but be surprised. He was already rushing to the next opponent when he noticed the fallen head was drifting back toward the body.

Swoosh!

Kim Bongpal cut his next opponent’s body in half, but the result was the same. The body began to repair itself at a rapid pace.

Step!

Kim Bongpal jumped back and watched his opponents while keeping his distance. At this level, it couldn’t be called a simple regenerative ability.

“Hey, what the hell? These bastards come back to life even if I cut off their heads.”

“I-it’s not supposed to be like that…today isn’t even the full moon.”

It seemed that Kim Bongpal wasn’t the only one surprised by their incredible regenerative ability. Maya also looked confused.“Haha. You fool. How long did you think we would wait for the full moon to rise?”

“Scherazard, that crazy bitch! Did she hand them the Full Moon Stone to catch me?”

“You! Even if you talk like that, I will tear your mouth apart, so shut up.”

“You shut up! Hey! It’s rather good! Take it from them no matter what! That stone will make it much easier to avoid that crazy old man’s eyes!”

“…Hmm.”

Kim Bongpal organized his thoughts while listening to Maya and his opponent’s conversation. Scherazard must be the head of the group chasing Maya…Full Moon Stone? He didn’t know what it was, but it helped to avoid the Monstrous Immortal. This was an unexpected income.

Anyway, Kim Bongpal was slightly curious about what his opponents really were.

Listening to them now…he thought they might be something familiar to Earthlings.

“Full moon? How are you? Werewolves? Or vampires?”

“Tsk. To treat the proud nobility of the night like those bastards. Human, and that’s one more reason for you to die.”

His prediction was right: vampires. It might not be the same as in the movies, but there were some commonalities.

“Damn it. What difference does it make for a guy who just had his head cut off to brag like that?”

Kim Bongpal clicked his tongue and cursed at the Vampires.

In fact, individual strength wasn’t of much concern. They were better than those first Blood Mages but weaker than Shi Wu-yuan. If it weren’t for their regenerative power, they wouldn’t be an issue.

“I’ll make you beg me to kill you, arrogant human.”

The vampires surround Kim Bongpal, revealing their fangs and licking their lips. Kim Bongpal frowned. It was easy to guess what that action meant; they were drooling over their food.

Dash!

Kim Bongpal kicked off the ground.

“Damn it, let’s see if they keep coming back to life.”

* * *

They made a mistake. A big one.

Evan, the leader of the vampires who were chasing after Kim Bongpal and Maya, wore a look of disappointment.

‘How come…?’

Vampires were usually stronger than humans and grew even stronger when the full moon rose. Their vitality approached immortality, and their body grew in strength and speed. Vampires were loved by the full moon.

Of course, there wasn’t a full moon out tonight. But they had a Full Moon Stone. It couldn’t be compared to the real thing, but the stone contained the same energy.

There was one reason they had such a precious item. Maya, who was once strong enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with their master, Scherazard, was their target. Although she’d fallen from grace, their master remained cautious, and she might be hiding her strength. Hence, they needed the power brought out by the Full Moon Stone.

‘So how the hell…?’

They had never thought that they would be matched by a human.

Shi Wu-yuan, who claimed to be the Lord of Dreimoor? Of course, he was strong. That was why they expected the Sword Phantom to be strong. However, the strength of the vampires was also formidable. Although their individual strength was less than Shi Wu-yuan’s, they were ahead of him as a group.

Besides, no matter how strong the Phantom Sword was, he was still human. On the other hand, they had the Full Moon Stone that gave them half immortality. They didn’t chase Kim Bongpal and Maya without taking precautions first.

The Sword Phantom was a new powerful force that emerged in the past few days, so they completed their investigation into him due to their master’s preference for strong blood. He was a Moorim who used martial arts, his strength was slightly higher than Shi Wu-yuan, but he had no other abilities.

Therefore, the Vampires confidently approached him and Maya as they fled the city.

Yet their expectations were wrong. Shi Wu-yuan? He wasn’t close to being this strong.

Splash!

Blood spurted out again as another of the vampires’ heads was cut off. It regenerated within seconds, but there was a noticeable lag compared to before. This was the main difference between the stone and the actual thing – the stone had a limited energy supply and would eventually run dry.

“Huh? It seems like your head is sticking a little slower?”

Kim Bongpal noticed the change. But instead of enjoying it, he frowned.

“Hmm. I still have more to test.”

It was actually Kim Bongpal who had been dragging out his fight with the Vampires. This battle wasn’t fun, but he used them to experiment with the concepts he’d learned from his books.

Crunch!

Evan’s face cracked under Kim Bongpal’s fist, making a strange sound.

“Oh, that’s definitely good acceleration.”Kim Bongpal muttered to himself. He tucked his sword back into his waist to further test the Black Shot Energy Technique, and he wasn’t yet skilled enough to use it with his sword.

It was also because he was not yet skilled enough to use it as with his sword.

But that wasn’t all he had learned. He also learned to put mana on his legs more efficiently, though he had his own step technique. Though really, it wasn’t a simple technique.

Anyway. Kim Bongpal was developing himself little by little through slight modifications added to the contents of the martial arts books.

And how long did it take? He wasn’t sure, but the energy of the Full Moon Stone dissipated. The vampire’s regeneration had slowed considerably.

“P-pwease”

Yet, they still regenerated. Evan pleaded with a blurred pronunciation through his smashed lips. His attitude of a predator leaping upon his prey had vanished along with his pride. Now, he looked as if he were servile. Though…

“What did you just say?”

It would be of no use to this opponent.

Crunch.

A terrible pain fell upon Evan. Suddenly, his mind was blown like a fuse, and when it came back-

“I guess it’s over now? Now you are the only one left. What will you do?”

Sitting on the ground, waiting for his regeneration to kick in, Kim Bongpal watched him. Beyond the man were the fallen and still forms of his colleagues.

Evan had a hunch about his death.

‘Ah. Lady Scherazard.’

Evan shouted their master’s name inwardly and let out a cry.

“Brothers!”

And at the same time.

Rumble.

Not only Evan’s but the other vampires’ bodies began to shake.

“Evade!”

Maya shouted. Kim Bongpal retreated and concentrated his mana in front of him as Maya’s chant came from behind him to aid in his escape. And-

Boom!

The vampires blew themselves up. But in the end, it was a meaningless suicide.

Bang!

A shockwave hit Kim Bongpal and Maya, but nothing more. Once the dust settled, they could see the gore covering their surroundings. Not a single one of the vampires remained.

“Fuck. It spilled all over my clothes.”

Only a man who was pulling out a cigarette from among his blood-soaked clothes and…

“The best! You’re the best! Our team is the best! Awesome!”

…an Inhuman, who took on the role of cheering hard throughout the battle, remained.

“Leave it to me! It seems like that crazy bitch Scherazard used a Full Moon Stone to catch me! Heehee. How lucky am I?”

Or, to be correct, that supernatural being wasn’t only the cheerleader but also the graverobber.

Sizzle-

Kim Bongpal lit a cigarette and asked Maya as she searched the corpses.

“But what does that have to do with avoiding the old man’s eyes?”

“Yes? Of course, I’ll eat it! Then I can cast more powerful spells by recovering some of my strength!”

“…?”

Tap-

Kim Bongpal stopped Maya from taking the Full Moon Stone.

“So, why are you eating what’s mine?”

“…H-huh?”

Maya looked between Kim Bongpal and the Full Moon Stone.

“I-I want to eat it…can I eat it?

Gulp-

Maya swallowed her saliva, her eyes pleading. Of course, Kim Bongpal was…

“Tell me your offer first.”

…a man who would take everything he could.