Chapter 8 – Blood Moon

After a brutal battle, with the orc's blood still soaking into the concrete floor, I, feeling the weight of fatigue slowly lifting, made my way toward the nearest vending machine.

The girl, still trembling from the strain, cautiously followed behind.

I stopped before the strange metal contraption, its surface flickering with glowing symbols.

As I approached, the system seemed to awaken. A transparent menu appeared before my eyes:

Lottery Active!

Rules: 1 spin = 100 coins.

Your balance: 490 coins.

I calculated: around 200 coins from the goblins, another 200 from the orc, and 50 from clearing the treacherous goblin. Everything adds up.

Below, a table of odds shimmered:

50% — Gray Capsule

30% — Green Capsule

10% — Blue Capsule

5% — Purple Capsule

4% — Red Capsule

1% — Yellow Capsule

I smirked between clenched teeth.

"Just like the gacha systems in games... and luck was always on my side back then," I thought, eyeing the buttons.

My hand, as if moving on its own, pressed "Spin."

The gears within the machine clashed to life, the screen blinked, and out dropped the first capsule — green. Then another — green again.

I was about to chuckle at how my luck seemed bound to stay in games only, when suddenly a blue capsule fell.

And then — a red one.

A red one.

I froze, staring at it.

Behind me, the girl gasped sharply:

— "A-a red one? Even among my classmates, the best we got were green ones... This... This is rare!"

I scooped up the capsules, feeling them hum warmly against my palms.

The first green capsule crumbled in my hand, releasing a faint green glow.

Acquired: Mana Potion (+100 MP).

I smirked:

— "Not bad at all. Considering I can recover HP quickly, but mana's another story."

The second green capsule flickered dimly:

Acquired: 20% Discount Card (valid for purchases up to 20,000 coins).

— "Hm... a discount card. Useful, in its own way," I muttered.

Then came the blue capsule.

The light it gave off was colder, sharper.

It cracked open to reveal a delicate bracelet, woven as if from shadows themselves.

Acquired: Shadow Bracelet [☆☆] (+10 Agility).

I turned it over in my hand.

Lightweight, nearly ethereal.

Far better than a rusty pipe. No questions asked.

When it came time to open the red capsule, the air seemed to thicken with tension.

I touched it carefully, and a burst of crimson light blinded me.

Acquired: Special Evolving Item → Blood Moon Sword [☆☆☆☆] (Upgradeable).

Instinctively, I stepped back, watching as the shape of a sword formed in the air.

It wasn't a weapon in the usual sense — more like a cluster of crimson stars, intertwined in a chaotic mist of blood.

At the center of the blade gleamed a symbol — a cross enclosed in a circle.

The moment I touched it, a wave of crimson aura erupted from the sword and engulfed me.

For an instant, I felt the sword's heart beat in unison with my own, as if we were parts of the same whole.

The system immediately issued a new message:

Attention! You have become the owner of the Blood Moon Sword. Please name it!

I thought for a moment.

Then, with a crooked smile, I said:

— "From this day forth... your name shall be Ragnarok."

The sword seemed to vibrate lightly in approval.

Attributes:

Attack: 200

Durability: 100/100

Effects:

Blood Drinker (Absorbs blood to restore HP)

Evolution (Can grow stronger under certain conditions)

Night (All attributes +10 under the moon)

Blood Moon (All attributes +50 and Attack +200 during a Blood Moon)

Skill:

Sword Aura (Creates a crimson aura, MP cost — 1 per second)

I swung the sword experimentally.

— "Hmm... Two hundred attack. That's serious firepower."

I glanced at the battered remains of my old pipe.

Rusty Iron Pipe [-] Attack 25, Durability 3/20.

I chuckled.

— "Well... Farewell, my faithful pipe. You served me well in your own way. But here we part ways."

With a hint of sorrow, I laid the pipe beside the vending machine.

Perhaps someone else would find a use for it.

Turning to the girl, I asked:

— "Is there a safe place nearby?"

She nodded:

— "Most people have barricaded themselves in the gym, waiting for rescue. There are also groups scattered throughout the school... They're hunting monsters, gathering resources."

I raised an eyebrow:

— "And you were part of one?"

— "Yes. We were told to gather 200 coins each... They said that would buy us a place in the protection group. They're camped out by the closed exit behind the school."

— "Who came up with that?"

The girl frowned:

— "His name is Ho Bin. He was a third-year delinquent before all this. Everyone used to call him Pig because of his size..."

— "Charming," I muttered.

— "But after this all started, he received the Barrier Master class [☆☆☆☆]. He can create shields twenty meters wide. No monsters can break through.

He's leveled up the skill even further — now almost nothing can breach his defenses."

— "And he's collecting coins... for 'protection'?"

She nodded:

— "His gang levels up while doing it. If someone refuses to pay... they just take the coins by force."

I shrugged.

— "Not my concern. Actually, no — it's a perfect chance to see what other players are capable of... and maybe earn a few coins myself. Perfect. Let's go."

The girl hesitated.

— "But... I don't have 200 coins..."

I smiled:

— "Don't worry. We'll figure it out. Lead the way."

And so, we moved forward, through the ruined alleys between the shattered school buildings — stepping into the unknown, toward new trials.