Ch.8Equipment Items

“You’re saying I can’t cross water?”

I had been worried since my skin started burning in the sunlight, but it seemed I truly had acquired all the weaknesses of a vampire.

I stepped back and asked Aurel.

“Aurel.”

“Yes?”

“Can you possibly transform into mist and cross over?”

Aurel shook her head with a pale blue face at my question.

She refused without a moment’s hesitation.

I also tried various methods to cross the water, like using shadows or getting into a long-jump position, but the intense aversion etched into my mind couldn’t be overcome.

Nothing else to do.

I sighed and said to Aurel.

“Wait here. I’ll go outside for a moment.”

“Gasp…! You’re not abandoning me, are you?”

“It’s not like that. I’m going to find some wooden planks or something, so just wait here.”

I said, pushing away Aurel who was trying to cling to me.

If I had wanted to abandon her, I would have done so already and wouldn’t have given her the shop-system weapon.

After leaving the sewer, I headed to the nearest building.

Vampires can’t cross water. So I just needed to build a bridge over it.

After rummaging through the debris of a collapsed building for quite some time.

I managed to find a suitable metal plate.

It was sturdy enough that it wouldn’t bend even if Aurel and I jumped on it.

This would do.

I carried the metal plate toward the sewer entrance.

I ran really hard, waddling along.

“Hmm…”

But one problem arose.

The metal plate was larger than I thought and wouldn’t fit through the round manhole.

After pondering what to do, I applied force and bent the metal plate.

Screech-!

The metal plate screamed as it was deformed.

The bent plate eventually became small enough to fit through the manhole.

I called down to Aurel through the hole.

“Aurel!”

[Yes!]

An immediate response.

She must have been waiting right below the hole.

I pushed the metal plate down and said:

“Catch what’s falling!”

[Yes!]

Could I trust her?

I stared down the hole with a suspicious gaze for a while.

Finally, with a small sigh, I let go of the metal plate.

Whoosh-

The heavy metal plate fell instantly due to its weight.

Right after, I also launched myself toward the hole.

“Charlotte!”

I heard Aurel’s voice the moment I landed.

Turning my head slightly, I saw her holding the bent metal plate in her arms.

She must have caught it without mistake as it fell.

I nodded and said to Aurel.

“Put that over there.”

“Yes!”

The metal plate placed over the water served its purpose as a makeshift bridge.

Of course, the aversion to water hadn’t completely disappeared.

Step by step, very carefully.

Aurel and I crossed the metal plate bridge with extreme caution.

After crossing, we’d retrieve the plate and place it elsewhere to make another bridge.

Moving this way for quite some time.

Aurel and I slowly but steadily explored the sewer.

The interior of the sewer was just as miserable as the outside world.

I frowned at the various pieces of garbage floating on the water and the mold covering the walls and floor.

Throughout the sewer, there were traces of people who had sought refuge here to escape the dangers outside.

After wandering around the sewer for a while.

Aurel and I discovered an unusual place.

“This must be it, right…?”

I silently nodded at Aurel’s question.

At the end of the sewer path.

At the dead end, there was a very suspicious-looking door.

Only that spot remained clean without any mold, and above the door, a small sign was shining brightly.

[OPEN]

A sign emitting light in an area without electricity.

Very out of place.

No doubt about it. The shop NPC must be beyond this door.

I carefully reached out and opened the door.

Ding-

As soon as I opened the door, a small bell sound rang out, and bright lighting from inside the store filled my vision.

Right after, fresh air completely different from the humid air of the sewer enveloped my entire body.

It felt like entering a different world.

Aurel and I entered the store with our mouths agape.

The first thing that caught my eye was the wall filled with close-combat weapons like swords.

While admiring the numerous weapons.

I spotted a Black man sitting in a chair with a very nonchalant posture.

“A customer?”

The Black man spoke without even turning his gaze.

Wearing flip-flops, gray three-quarter pants, and a sky-blue Hawaiian shirt, he was definitely someone I recognized.

How could I not?

Anyone who played Blood Carnival would know.

This man looked exactly like the shop NPC from the game.

Even his strangely relaxed voice was identical to the game.

I frowned and stepped back.

His empty, lifeless gaze was quite chilling.

“You… what are you?”

“Hmm…”

The Black man tilted his head at my question.

He glanced at the numerous blades hanging behind him and spoke.

“A weapon merchant?”

Even Aurel standing beside me would know he was a weapon merchant.

I shook my head and asked a more specific question.

“Are you actually human?”

“What an absurd question. Do I look like a vampire or werewolf to you?”

The conversation kept going off track.

I sighed and continued.

“You know about a game called Blood Carnival, right?”

“Blood Carnival…? Don’t know it.”

He looks exactly like the shop NPC from Blood Carnival but claims not to know Blood Carnival?

I carefully exchanged glances with Aurel.

“I think this person might have been created.”

“Created?”

“Yes. Fusion bodies and items that respawn in the field weren’t originally part of this world, right? I think he might have been created just like those things.”

“You mean the god who made the world like this also created this shop NPC?”

“Yes. That’s what I think.”

I crossed my arms and glared at the Black man.

He didn’t seem interested in the topic of our conversation.

“There was nothing like this for the past 5 years, right?”

“That’s true…?”

“So why has it appeared now?”

“Maybe the patch was implemented late?”

“Patch?”

“Yes… since it’s a game after all.”

I sighed at Aurel’s words.

The god who made the world like this is implementing patches in real-time?

I wanted to call it nonsensical, but the world had already become nonsensical.

Her words did make some sense.

Aurel, watching my reaction, carefully approached the Black man.

“Can we see what you’re selling?”

“Of course!”

The Black man took down weapons hanging on the wall.

Three weapons were placed on the table.

[Matte Katana]

[Military Longsword]

[Military Dagger]

I frowned at the sight.

There were more bladed weapons on the wall, but the Black man acted as if these were all he had to offer.

“Is this all?”

“This is all I can sell right now.”

“What about those hanging in the back?”

“I can’t sell those right now.”

“Why can’t you sell them?”

“It’s not time yet.”

“What do you mean by ‘time’?”

The Black man, who had been diligently answering Aurel’s consecutive questions, firmly sealed his lips.

As if he couldn’t answer any further.

Unable to get an answer, Aurel sighed deeply and asked another question.

“How much are these items?”

“5,000 credits each.”

“Credits…”

Aurel turned to me with a bewildered expression.

But looking at me wouldn’t suddenly make non-existent credits appear.

I also didn’t have any of this currency called credits.

After pondering with a gloomy expression for a while, Aurel’s eyes lit up as if she’d thought of something.

“Excuse me, do you also buy items?”

“Of course. Show me if you have anything useful.”

Aurel smiled brightly at the Black man’s words.

She rummaged through her pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle.

“I’ll buy each for 100 credits.”

It seems this NPC buys other items as well.

I took off the backpack I was carrying and tossed it in front of the Black man.

“How much for everything in there?”

“Oh…”

The Black man’s calculations were very quick.

He offered 100 credits each for recovery consumables like potions and bandages, 200 credits for canned food, and 500 credits for books that could level up passive skills.

I sold everything except the potions.

The total amount received was only 2,000 credits.

After the transaction.

I frowned and gave an order to my shadow.

To kill the man in front of me.

But the shadow only twitched slightly and didn’t follow my command.

Finally, I clenched my fist and struck the table hard.

Thud-!

A strange sound echoed as my small fist hit the table.

Despite hitting it with all my strength, the table didn’t break.

I had my suspicions, but they were confirmed.

The interior of Blood Carnival’s shop is a no-attack zone.

That setting was being maintained in this world as well.

“Ahem…”

I cleared my throat and hid my fist behind my back.

Because Aurel was looking at me with a strange expression.

I avoided Aurel’s gaze and spoke.

“Shall we go…?”

“Are you done with your business?”

“There’s nothing more to buy… and nothing to sell, right?”

Aurel looked at the equipment hanging on the wall with regret but eventually followed me out.

We confirmed the existence of the shop NPC with our own eyes.

We also learned that items collected from the field could be exchanged for credits.

That meant our task was set.

Until we found another shop, we needed to farm as many items as possible to earn credits.

Aurel and I left the sewer and continued exploring the city.

After a full day of exploration.

Aurel and I managed to accumulate 10,000 credits.