Chapter 25: New Vampire

After obtaining the sealed artifact formed from the Clown's characteristics, Rekton took Pas and left that place, heading for the Deep Crimson Advanced Hospital where Pas's owner Eliza was located.

"Aren't we supposed to wait here for that person just now, meow?" Pas asked curiously.

"That was just an excuse I left behind to pick up the sealed artifact formed from the Clown's characteristics." Rekton waved the coat rolled up into a bundle in his hand.

This coat was being used as a wrapping to store that Great Magician's top hat. Due to the top hat's special nature of being usable as a weapon, even just holding it in hand counted as using it, without needing to wear it on his head. As the time holding the top hat grew longer, Rekton could clearly feel his temper gradually becoming more irritable, so he had to first find a way to insulate himself from direct contact with the Great Magician's top hat.

"But what if we encounter other Clowns, meow?" Pas asked with some concern.

"Uther is walking ahead of us, and even if we do encounter one, it should be a weakened Clown. Those enforcers and the people from the Earth Church are at least on Uther's level or even stronger." Rekton explained.

"Meow! You're so cunning! Eliza was right, humans really are a cunning and terrifying species." Pas stared warily at Rekton.

"What does Eliza teach you all day! Such a fine cat, what a pity it grew a mouth." Rekton retorted speechlessly.

"Meow~ You're not allowed to say bad things about Eliza! And you're not allowed to say bad things about me either!" Pas argued loudly.

"Fine! You're not allowed to say bad things about me either!" Rekton said.

"I didn't say bad things about you, meow, that's the tru—"

"Hmm?" Rekton interrupted Pas's following words in a threatening tone.

"Meow~" The cowardly cat capitulated quickly.

A moment of silence passed, Rekton and Pas, one person and one cat, walked forward in silence like this. The crimson moon brought a different atmosphere to the quiet streets, as if something were brewing in the darkness.

"Why do I feel so uneasy? But my spirituality hasn't produced any warning premonition." Walking along the road, Rekton couldn't help feeling unsettled in his heart, but for the moment couldn't figure out the reason.

"Meow~ Me too, Pas feels panicky inside, as if something bad is happening. Should we go back, meow?" Pas indicated that it also felt a sense of panic, and very timidly proposed returning the way they came.

"Don't you think it's already too late for us to turn back now?" Rekton stopped in his tracks, gripping his loaded gun tightly in his hand, his eyes fixed ahead.

Ahead, a flock of bats came flapping past, then converged together in a spot beyond the reach of the gas streetlamp's light, transforming into a figure wearing a black long trench coat over a red vest, fitted dark red trousers and black tall boots. His features couldn't be made out clearly, but his build was lean, tall, and extremely upright, his hair color was light, close to silver, and his eyes were vivid red, as if concealing blood within.

The other party also noticed Rekton and Pas standing over here. His gaze first froze for a moment, then he began sizing Rekton up warily, as if he would strike immediately the moment Rekton made any suspicious move.

"It's Yas, meow!" Pas said excitedly.

"Yas, meow? What breed is that, meow? It can even turn into a person?" Rekton teased Pas to ease the tension in his heart.

From Pas's reaction, the other party shouldn't be an enemy, and with those eyes and attire, no matter how you looked at it, he resembled a vampire. Rekton thought of Eliza's older brother, the vampire whose collection had been stolen by the Clown.

"Clearly, I am not a cat, but a vampire. Why is Pas by your side? Did you steal it? What is your relationship with that Clown?" Yas had obviously heard the exchange between Rekton and Pas, withdrew some of his hostility, and walked over, though the look in his eyes toward Rekton remained very guarded.

Once the other party came closer, Rekton finally got a clear look at his appearance: very pale skin, the kind of pale from not seeing sunlight for a long time; vivid red eyes as if concealing blood; a prominent nose bridge; lips as bright red as if dyed with blood; well-defined facial contours; an apparent age of about twenty-something, actual age unknown. Anyone who saw his face would consider him a remarkably handsome young gentleman.

"Pas? It insisted on staying by my side. As for my relationship with the Clown, we just had a fight and killed one — that's the relationship." Rekton tilted his head, meeting the other's scrutinizing gaze.

"Killed a Clown? You?" Yas didn't quite believe Rekton's words. He was a vampire from the Deep Crimson Advanced Hospital, and regarding Clowns, he considered himself more knowledgeable than these outsiders, so he knew even better the terror of the Clowns. If there weren't something very important in the hospital, he would have taken his sister and left this city long ago.

"And me, and me, meow!" Pas excitedly raised its paw and said.

Yas couldn't help but furrow his brow. Though he didn't believe Rekton, he did believe his sister's pet cat. Although this cat was a bit too playful, it wouldn't lie about something like this.

"If you don't want to believe it, then forget it. But that Clown forcibly split himself into three and is currently fighting the people from the Church of Knowledge and the Earth Church. The one we killed was only one of them, even the weakest one. He was only Sequence Eight, but he had characteristics from more than one pathway. With the two combined, the strength he could exert certainly exceeded that level. I imagine the other two avatars are about the same. You were in such a sorry state just now — did you encounter one of them?" Rekton quietly activated rapid thinking, striving to observe some different reaction from the other party.

Yas remained silent for a long while before speaking again: "I do know about this, but I didn't encounter the Clown. I was fighting the people from the Church."

"Why? Meow~" Pas hurriedly asked.

"For a secret!" Rekton answered on Yas's behalf.

Yas's gaze toward Rekton turned cold again, as if considering whether to deal with him right now.

"No need to look at me like that, I was guessing. You all made it too obvious, didn't even bother to hide it — unlike me. Basically, the Church of Knowledge and the Earth Church should both know some information, but each side has its own plans, so the three of you seem to have reached some kind of balance. But with the Clown's appearance, this balance is already on the verge of being broken." With the aid of rapid thinking, Rekton continuously recalled his encounters over the past few days and the information he knew, making a bold guess, and Yas happened to be someone he could use to verify it.

"Meow~" Pas stared with wide cat eyes at the two confronting parties. He clearly knew both of them, and understood both of them, but right now they both looked so unfamiliar.

Sighing, Yas retracted his imposing aura and said in a helpless tone: "The balance has already been broken. The problem now is that things have somewhat exceeded their control. I don't know if they'll be able to clean up this mess in the end."

He then added: "But regardless, Eliza and I can no longer stay in Fenepot. I plan to take Eliza and leave here tomorrow. Pas, do you want to stay or come with us? If you come with us, there will never again be the kind of life we had before."

"Leave here, meow~" Pas looked at Rekton, its eyes full of reluctance to part.

"If you don't want to leave, that's fine too. They won't make things difficult for a cat, and besides, this person from the Church of Knowledge beside you can vouch for you." Yas stopped before he even finished speaking.

"Can you keep my premium cat food and special dried fish, meow! If not, just keeping the special dried fish is fine too. I'll have Eliza write letters later, and you can send them to me." Pas's reluctance was all reserved for the special dried fish and premium cat food that Rekton had previously promised.

Rekton's mouth twitched. He shouldn't have held any expectations for this cat — its eyes were only on its dried fish and its Kitty Agent Squad.

"Sure, if you go to Loen or out at sea later, I'll deliver them to you personally," Rekton said speechlessly.

"Okay, meow!" Pas's sadness and reluctance vanished in an instant, and it turned and ran to Yas's side.

Yas looked at Pas happily running to his side and nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Rekton and said: "You don't plan to stay in the Church of Knowledge forever?"

"Staying in the Church of Knowledge doesn't mean staying here. Coming to this world, one should at least go and see it properly, shouldn't they? Only after walking and seeing can one appreciate the weight of knowledge." Rekton, who had wanted to make up an excuse to brush him off, ended up voicing his true thoughts after opening his mouth.

"Your way of thinking is truly unique, different from every Church of Knowledge person I've met. More precisely, you're different from the vast majority of people I've met. I look forward to the day we meet again." Yas finally revealed a smile carrying goodwill.

"You're also different from most vampires I know. I wish you a smooth journey," Rekton nodded.

"Why? Do you know vampires well?" Yas asked with a puzzled expression.

"I'd say I know them fairly well. As far as I know, it seems some vampires have a hobby of collecting various dolls." Looking at this vampire's serious demeanor, Rekton suddenly got the urge to tease him.

Yas's face instantly darkened. He picked up Pas and quickly disappeared into the night.

(End of this chapter)