nycdaug Chapter 195 Vampires (1)
Chapter 195 Vampires (1)
Chapter 195 Vampire (1)
After leaving the library, Morse immediately returned to his lodgings. He had been searching for clues outside for hours, without a break since morning.
After the battle and a series of events, his condition had begun to decline, and he needed rest. He immediately hailed a taxi and headed to the hotel that Emilia had arranged, with her paying for the accommodation.
call!
The automatic doors opened, and Morse walked into the hotel lobby.
"Ah...you're back."
Two girls waiting at the door greeted him warmly; they were sitting and drinking tea. Emilia and Sylvie looked up at him, their eyes showing both worry and relief.
'They must be very anxious.'
"Morse!" Sylvie was the first to rush to him, immediately looking him up and down and carefully checking his condition. "Are you alright?"
"I am fine."
“…” Sylvie did not respond, but she was clearly relieved.
'It seems she hasn't completely let go yet.'
Morse thought this was normal. After all, no ordinary person could recover immediately after experiencing such a scene.
"Have you found any clues?" Emilia asked, standing up from the sofa.
"A little bit."
"I understand... Come, sit down first. You must be tired."
The lobby was quite deserted, with only the receptionist sitting in front of the computer, his attention not on the three young people.
“A little,” Morse replied, gesturing for Emilia to sit down.
"Would you like some tea?" Emilia asked, pointing to the small teapot beside her.
"can."
Sylvie immediately poured him a cup of tea, and then poured one for herself. Emilia waited until Morse relaxed a little before asking her question.
"So, what did you find?" Her voice was filled with curiosity and unease. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, and dark circles were already appearing under her eyes.
“I didn’t find much,” Morse began, meeting Emilia’s expectant gaze. “I re-examined the place where I clashed with Sylvie and the demon followers. This is the only clue so far, and I think there might be some details we’ve overlooked.”
Morse would certainly not mention visiting the locations where other victims disappeared, as that would reveal his methods of obtaining information; therefore, he could only reveal some of the clues he discovered.
Although Emilia and Sylvie are not bad people, they are still human. As long as someone knows, the information has the potential to spread.
Sylvie trembled slightly at the mention of battle, but she listened intently, her eyes filled with anticipation. Emilia nodded, signaling Morse to continue.
"The place was deserted, there was no sign of demonic followers, and nothing unusual. They were very professional. But my focus wasn't on them."
"Have you noticed anything unusual?" Emilia asked.
"Yes."
Emilia was a little excited when she heard this. "What—!" she raised her voice, but stopped when she saw Morse raise his hand.
"Calm down."
“…Yes.” She realized she was getting too excited and stopped. “Then, what is it?”
“First, I found landing marks on the roof. That must be Senior Maya; according to your description, she flew here.”
"That's right, she flew away using wind magic."
"After confirming it was Senior Maya, I tracked her trail. She didn't leave many traces after landing, but as I continued tracking, I arrived at the place where we fought the demon followers."
Where did she go?
“That’s right, I’m pretty sure our fight is the reason she flew away.”
"Then……"
“I didn’t meet her. But what’s strange is that she went to that place, but that there were signs of battle and claw marks everywhere.”
"Claw marks?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Those marks belong to some kind of monster or non-human creature."
Morse didn't mention the details of his own blood being licked, but that was enough for Emilia to understand.
"So you mean she was attacked after she got there?"
“That’s right,” Morse said firmly, his gaze resolute. “I sensed remnants of demonic energy during my investigation, and the creature that attacked her left unique traces.”
Emilia frowned, her expression filled with worry. "But Maya is so strong, who could do this?"
Morse shook his head. "I can't be sure. Whatever it is, it leaves traces of unnatural power. Senior Maya may be strong, but this opponent is no ordinary enemy. I can sense that it is beyond the enemies we usually encounter."
“I understand…” Emilia lowered her head. If this enemy is powerful enough to defeat the Maya, then they will also have a hard time fighting back.
Although Emilia was an upperclassman, she knew the gap in combat ability between herself and Maya. Maya was much stronger than her peers; she could even take on third-year students on her own.
Morse noticed her low spirits and decided to change the subject.
"So, have you found any clues related to the past?" Morse asked, shifting the focus away from the grim situation.
Emilia looked up, trying to shake off the worry that clouded her face. "Sylvie, you tell her."
Sylvie nodded, temporarily forgetting her fatigue, and began to speak: "We went around town asking locals about folk tales and legends of Xiux. Most people were very enthusiastic after learning that we were students of the Arcadia Hunter Academy, and surprisingly, we received quite a few responses."
Morse leaned forward, curious about their discovery. "What do you know?"
Sylvie took a deep breath. "This town has a supernatural history. Do you remember what Mr. Jones said?"
"Is there a possibility that magic existed here before the 'Day of the Nexus'?"
"Yes."
What is the relationship between these two things?
“Many locals have told stories of a series of rituals that took place here many years ago. It is said that a cult performed dark rituals in an attempt to summon some kind of being.”
"But what does this have to do with 'hub integration'?"
“They say that most of these records come from the ruins of this town, and the calendar used belongs to an ancient empire.”
"Did the calendar belong to an ancient empire?"
"Yes, even the writing system belongs to them."
"I understand……"
Morse nodded, digesting the historical background Sylvie provided. His interest grew even stronger as she continued.
“A particularly bizarre story caught our attention; it’s about an old count who ruled the town centuries ago. Locals say that one day, this count underwent a tremendous change.”
Morse's interest was piqued. "Change?"
"Yes. Legend has it that the count became a completely different person overnight, becoming violent and bizarre. One day, for no apparent reason, he killed his servants and, in a frenzy, drank their blood."
Morse's expression changed, curiosity appearing in his eyes. "Drink their blood?"
Sylvie nodded solemnly. "This is the most disturbing part of the story. The Earl's behavior became so extreme that the entire town began to rebel against him. To escape the townspeople's anger, the Earl fled into the city's underground tunnels. Legend has it that he sealed the entrance with his own blood, sealing himself there forever."
'tunnel.'
When the tunnel was mentioned, Morse's eyes widened slightly, but neither Sylvie nor Emilia noticed.
"After that, no one heard from the Earl again, as if he had vanished. The townspeople, also puzzled by the Earl's change, avoided the tunnel, believing it to be cursed. As time passed, this story became a legend, passed down from generation to generation."
Morse nodded, concealing his inner emotions. "It is indeed a dark chapter in my history."
Sylvie nodded. "I know these are just stories, but they are certainly more terrifying than ordinary folk tales."
"Isn't that why we came to this city?"
"Too......"
As the conversation ended, Morse yawned, rubbed his eyes, and decided it was time to rest. "Thank you for your hard work, well done. I need to take a break."
Although he said that, his eyes were sparkling with excitement, which clearly contradicted his claim of exhaustion.
Emilia smiled. "We should rest too. Sylvie must be tired."
"I...I am really tired."
"Then let's rest."
"……All right."
After Morse received the key from Emilia, everyone returned to their own rooms.
......
Upon entering the room, Morse sat on the bed and began organizing the information he had gathered. The old count's terrifying legends, the city's underground tunnels, and the stories shared by the librarian—every fragment left a deep impression on his mind.
She said the count drank the blood of his servants.
Mentioning blood triggered his memories; he recalled the scene of his blood being licked. The second trigger was the underground tunnel.
'If this is truly true, then it explains how demons were able to roam freely in the city without being captured.'
After all, there is no clear indication yet that the demon has been captured.
'A demon sealed underground... If that's the case, perhaps it's regaining its power...'
Then, a passage flashed through his memory: "Those scum who call themselves 'Midnight Parties,' all I saw there was bloodshed and brutality. They used disgusting blood magic to capture other humans, treating them like livestock, turning them into their minions."
Morse leaned against the bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. The connection between Maya's disappearance and the city's ominous past seemed more than just a coincidence. The demon he was chasing might have intricate connections to the Count.
Moreover, demons specifically target awakened beings.
These clues began to connect in his mind. The demon deliberately chose the awakened as its prey and could move through the city through hidden tunnels, silently hunting its prey.
'The Count sealed the entrance with his own blood…with his own blood…with blood…it feels familiar.'
I began to explore my memories through the game, searching for something similar.
You're no different from those fanged beasts.
Then, a short sentence reminded him of the source of this familiarity. It was a story that would take place later in the game.
'A beast with fangs.'
You are just like them; you are also searching for my people. You also want our blood, to hunt us like animals.
When I recalled something a villain had said, everything started to become clear.
[Those scum who call themselves "midnight parties"—all I saw there was bloodshed and brutality. They used disgusting blood magic to capture other humans, treating them like livestock and turning them into their minions.]
When these words came to mind, I naturally thought of the enemy I was facing.
'A vampire.'