Chapter 463: Chapter 463

It had been some time, but Professor Burns looked even more vigorous. He must have been younger than Bishop Parrold and Papa Oliver, so he never gave the impression of a frail, aging man.

He greeted Jenkins with a cheerful laugh, and the two walked side-by-side into a nearby tavern. There was still some time before the gathering, and there was no point in standing around to talk in the chilly night air.

They chose a round wooden table against the wall. Since the professor hadn't had dinner yet, he ordered a plate of roasted vegetables for himself—quite a treat to have in the winter.

Jenkins stuck to his usual: a cup of hot tea. Fruit juice was too expensive this time of year.

"The trip went smoothly enough, but I did run into some very interesting things," Jenkins said. "Have you heard the legend of the Kremen Treasure?"

"When I was young and studying in Bel Diran, I heard my teacher mention it."

He looked up, realizing what Jenkins was implying. "You found it?"

He recited the line in a low, operatic tone, then chuckled to himself. "It must be quite a story. We can discuss it in detail when we have time."

"Of course. Oh, and I have your documents and souvenirs at my home. You can come straight to my place after the gathering."

"Excellent. This will be my first time visiting your home, won't it? Young people these days are truly remarkable. I was still living in the faculty dorms at the university until I was thirty." Thɪs chapter is updated by Nov3lFɪre.ɴet

Jenkins hadn't noticed the tavern's name, but it seemed like any other ordinary tavern in the city. Although some of the patrons looked shady, at least no unlucky thief had dared to approach the two men by the wall.

Jenkins took the opportunity to ask the professor's opinion on the moon. He, too, was aware of the period in history when only a single blood-red moon hung in the sky, but he knew nothing of the story behind it.

"These are matters we needn't delve into," Professor Burns advised. "Ancient secrets are often connected to indescribable, terrifying entities. I imagine the moon is related to this as well. Oh, that reminds me of something..."

He carefully set down his spoon and gestured for Jenkins to listen closely. Jenkins immediately placed his hands on the table and leaned forward.

"I remember you once asked me if other worlds exist beyond our own. I've recently been looking through some rather hard-to-find documents, and I did indeed find some interesting information. Besides the 'Magma Hell,' 'Forest of White Bones,' and 'Sea of Eternal Damnation' you mentioned, I found another interesting place-name on an ancient stone tablet that chronicles stories of exotic species."

Jenkins's overcoat was draped over the back of his chair. On the table, the ears of the cat lying there twitched twice.

"The Bloody Fortress."

He breathed the words carefully, then leaned back and made the sign of the holy emblem over his chest.

"That stone tablet was severely damaged, but the general story was about the vampire species searching for their ancestral homeland. I thought you might be interested in that."

"It is indeed interesting."

Jenkins nodded thoughtfully. The 'Bloody Fortress' was likely another world ruled by some sovereign, probably occupied by a specific species, much like Magma Hell. And the blood coins among the Sin Coins very likely corresponded to that place.

"So, are vampires real?"

"And are they like the ones in the novels?"

Novels about vampires were wildly popular at the moment. Half of them were adventure stories about demon hunters, closer to traditional thrillers, while the other half were erotic tales, said to be quite common in the boudoirs of young ladies in high society.

"Don't believe that sort of thing," the professor scoffed. "While the vampire species is humanoid, their appearance is by no means pleasing to the human eye. They are creatures as terrifying as demons; it's just that demons want souls, while the vampire species wants blood."

He waved his hand in annoyance, evidently having heard about such novels from his students. Though he was open-minded, he had a very low opinion of those who wrote erotic fiction.

"Furthermore, the vampire species has no weakness to garlic or silver. Their aversion to sunlight is real, however, but it's more like our distaste for the stench of a garbage heap. Of course, a few small details are true, such as their power coming from blood and having no shadow in the sun. The second floor of the Secret Trace Library in the Hall of All Things has some information, under the 'Exotic Species' classification."

Jenkins nodded slowly and subconsciously stroked the cat's head. It quickly squeezed its eyes shut again, only relaxing when it realized Jenkins was just petting it. Then it cracked one eye open to watch him.

"So, is it possible for the vampire species to appear in Nolan City?"

"I can't answer that question."

The professor wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief from his pocket. "They don't possess the gift of mimicry, so their appearance would easily give them away. If they really appeared in the city, they would obviously be discovered right away, wouldn't they? Even if they wear veils and hats when they go out, there's always a chance of accidental exposure."

As the two were leaving the tavern, two drunkards at the entrance suddenly started fighting. One of them nearly collided with Professor Burns as he passed, but the professor shoved him back with a single hand.

The two men then crashed into each other and fell in a heap like bowling pins.

With the arrival of winter, traveling at night had become increasingly difficult. As they left the tavern, they saw a dark cloud drifting in from the northern sky. By the time the abandoned hospital was visible in the distance, sure enough, a light snow had begun to fall.

Once again, they climbed over the fence, and that intensely oppressive feeling washed over Jenkins. This was the first time he had brought Chocolate here. Because he was dressed so warmly for the season, hiding a cat was no problem.

Of course, he hadn't forgotten to instruct Chocolate to be absolutely quiet. That Corpse Gentleman had always given him a very strange feeling. He had met his fair share of demigod-level Enchanters, but whether they were healthy, weak, half-dead, or fully dead, none of them felt as uncanny as this Corpse Gentleman.

Adding to that was what he had recently learned from the huntress about her opinion of this place. His sense of apprehension deepened.

He made his way to the small building that led to the morgue, passed through the dilapidated corridor, and descended the stairs to the basement. It was the same as always: the Enchanters who had arrived early were leaning against the walls, while a lone Sealing Room Candle stood in the center of the room.

The professor and Jenkins stood together beside a broken hospital bed, feeling the utter cold of the place. An abandoned hospital would naturally have no steam pipes; Jenkins even suspected that back when it was decommissioned, the large-scale installation of steam pipes hadn't even begun.