Chapter 2011: Old Friends in Moon Bay

Originally, Xia De wanted to directly invade the house, but since the owner of the house is a vampire species with rules, he thought it would be better to be polite.

After inquiring in the neighborhood, he learned the location of the morgue where Mr. Ptolemy Albert worked. It was not in the Moon Bay City Police Department or the hospital, but in the lower city area. It is generally used to handle unclaimed corpses in the lower city area and corpses fished out of the Taton River. If the police department receives too many corpses at once, they will also let them be responsible for inspection and dissection.

Speaking of vampire fortune tellers, Xia De immediately thought of Mr. Orlan Wilson, whom he found with Mr. Bernhardt during the Pantanal incident. Because of a relic dagger in his hand, he was hunted down by the Pantanal Voodoo Society.

When Mr. Bernhardt took Xia De to see him, he also met Mr. Shawn Asmon, the "Demon Scholar," in the tavern where he was hiding.

And the prophecy made by the vampire fortune teller at that time, Xia De still remembers it vividly—

"I saw the angel with pure white wings flying in the lake, I saw the vine tentacles wriggling ten thousand years ago returning to the material world, I saw the wise man holding a book, laughing and standing at the top of the lighthouse, I also saw the crying purple-eyed female fortune teller, watching all this go to destruction. (Chapter 1085)"

So there are still some very capable fortune tellers in the material world, but most of them are mentally abnormal.

Such a place as a morgue is not suitable for being placed in a very conspicuous place. After all, even the coroner himself would be discriminated against and criticized by neighbors when renting a house. The place where Mr. Ptolemy Albert works is at the end of Spider Alley in the lower city area of Moon Bay City.

The street called "alley" is not narrow at all. In the yard surrounded by wooden fences on the left, the chickens raised by the residents walk around, and on the right is a wooden two-story building "Spider Hotel." This kind of slum hotel that fits Xia De's impression probably really has many spiders inside.

Spider Alley is a dead end. The end is a high wall formed because of the terrain in the city. Above the high wall belongs to the area where the middle class is active. And the place like the entrance of the downspout at the end of the high wall is the entrance of the morgue. The entrance is a stone wall like a tunnel, and there is no sign hanging. If Xia De hadn't inquired all the way, he probably wouldn't have thought that he could walk inward here.

There is an iron fence blocking the way at the entrance of the stone tunnel. Although the fence is closed, it is not locked. Standing here, Xia De can smell the special smell unique to corpses and preservatives in the depths of the tunnel with his developed sense of smell, and can also see a small amount of dried blood residue using "Echo of Blood."

There are no guards, but Xia De doesn't know how to get in. He just wants to talk to the vampire coroner to confirm whether the other party is a fortune teller. It seems very impolite to break in rashly.

"Is the guard in such a place so negligent? Or is the Moon Bay citizen simple and honest, and there are no thieves stealing corpses?"

Reaching out to push open the fence door, Xia De didn't use spells to perceive the internal terrain, nor did he use "Heart of Stone" to perceive the heartbeat, but stood there very politely and asked toward the depths of the tunnel illuminated by gas lamps:

"Is Mr. Ptolemy Albert here?"

The special environment caused the sound to produce an echo effect, but at least Xia De could guarantee that if there was anyone inside, they would definitely hear it.

Before long, footsteps came. Xia De hadn't seen clearly what the black-haired man wearing a brown robe looked like, but he had already seen the small blood-colored bat logo floating on his head.

"Looks like I didn't find the wrong person."

The robe is to prevent getting dirty things during work. Standard equipment also includes long boots, goggles, and gloves. The vampire species with messy black hair is of medium build, looks like he is in his forties, has a beard on his chin, but looks capable.

He came to the fence and looked at Xia De suspiciously:

"I am Ptolemy Albert. Sir, may I ask you..."

Probably seeing that Xia De is a Delarion-looking person, he even used Delarion language that was not very proficient.

"Mr. Albert, good morning."

Xia De greeted in Kassenrik, and after the other party nodded hesitantly, he said enthusiastically with a smile:

"You can call me John Watson, a writer traveling in the Old Continent. I have some things I want to ask you for advice. Can we go inside and talk?"

The latter hesitated:

"Yes, but you cannot enter the morgue."

He led Xia De to walk down a downhill road in the depths of the tunnel where a carriage could drive, and then it was a crossroads in the sewer, but the left side and the front were completely blocked. So after turning the right-angle corner and continuing inward, there were three iron doors on the left, right, and front after a few dozen steps. Aromatherapy used to disperse strange smells hung on the doors, some telescopic iron beds and metal pipes stood on the walls next to the doors, and there were five or six pots of flowers on the ground that looked withered because they had not been exposed to sunlight for many years.

They stood between these three doors, and Xia De also explained his intention:

"I'm really sorry to bother you. I know you are a ring warlock. Oh, please don't be so surprised. I know such a visit of mine is very abrupt, but I came here after seeing the mark on your door."

This man who is probably a Fifth or Sixth Ring frowned and looked at Xia De again:

"But Mr. Watson, you don't look like a vampire species."

He is right. Although Xia De has fought the God of Vampire Species and absorbed the divinity of that Vampire Earl, he is still not a vampire species:

"I have a vampire species friend... I have no intention of bothering you, I just want to ask about some things."

Saying that, he took out his wallet:

"Pay for information, I am very sincere."

Mr. Albert shook his head:

"Since you know that symbol, although I don't trust you, I won't take your money. You can just ask directly. After asking, leave immediately. We will pretend we haven't met each other. But I still have to say, you are really impolite to do this, especially coming to my workplace to find me."

Xia De didn't insist:

"Are you a fortune teller?"

"Of course not. I specialize in alchemy and potions. Although I am interested in fortune telling, unfortunately, I have no talent. Otherwise, if I go to take the registered fortune teller license exam, maybe I can hang it on the Fortune Teller Association to earn a few crowns."

There are six exams for registered fortune tellers in total, and you need to pass them all within five years to get the qualification certificate. Once you pass and get the certificate, regardless of your background, you can find a job in the three major miracle academies or the Five Gods Church later. Speaking of which, Luweiya is still taking the "Registered Fortune Teller License" subject in this summer exam, but if she passes this time, she should be able to get the license.

"Not a fortune teller... Then do you know if there is a reclusive fortune teller in the lower city area centered on Herring Street?"

"What a strange question."

The man wearing a robe still shook his head:

"Even if there is, I can't tell you casually. After all, I don't know who you are, and I don't know if you are good or bad. You don't want to use my identity as a threat to force me to answer your question, right?"

"Of course not, I am a good person. Then can you tell me how to contact the local black market? I just arrived locally and am not very familiar with the local situation."

"You are really strange. Who exactly told you the identification method of vampire species?"

"This I can't say either, that gentleman from Huntington City... who?"

Xia De looked fiercely at the iron door directly facing the tunnel, which was located in the deepest part. He felt someone behind the door just now, but the other party didn't disturb this conversation, and Xia De didn't care. But when he mentioned "Huntington City," the breathing sound of the person behind the door increased.

"My friend is behind the door. You just disturbed our meeting."

Mr. Albert moved a step and blocked the door:

"Let's go to the Spider Hotel outside to continue talking. This is not a good place for conversation."

He didn't want to expose his friend's identity. Xia De nodded, but just as he wanted to turn around, he hesitated again and said to the closed iron door:

"Miderhill?"

After two seconds of hesitation, the door was pushed open from the inside. The yellow-haired gentleman wearing a black formal suit with a small bat logo floating on his head looked at the outside very pleasantly:

"Han... Mr. John Watson! I felt the voice was very familiar just now. It really is you! It's been a long time!"

Xia De also showed a smile:

"Viscount Armand Bernhardt! We haven't seen each other for half a year since we parted in Huntington City last winter, right?"

The person appearing in front of him is the friend he met during the Miderhill adventure. In fact, Xia De had just seen the soul of this vampire species in the "past life" not long ago. And seeing the real person again this time is equivalent to meeting an old friend in a strange city, which is indeed extremely pleasant.

The two shook hands enthusiastically. This Seventh-Ring vampire species didn't seem to have changed much after half a year. The Moon Bay region is thousands of miles away from Huntington City, and it is even across the entire Old Continent from Miderhill, which is close to the East Coast. But like Xia De, they were both very happy to meet a friend unexpectedly:

"I really didn't expect to meet you here! Come, let me introduce you to each other. Ptolemy, don't be so nervous anymore. This is the very capable friend I mentioned that I met last year. John Watson, a writer traveling in the Old Continent."

Xia De nodded to the coroner with a smile:

"Please allow me to apologize to you again. The rash visit was really rude."

The coroner was obviously relieved:

"Armand's friend, hello. You really scared me just now."

Viscount Bernhardt continued to introduce:

"Mr. Watson, this Mr. Ptolemy Albert is a good friend of mine in the local area. We have been friends for almost thirty years. He has lived in Moon Bay for many years and is very familiar with the local situation."

With Viscount Bernhardt acting as a bridge, Xia De and this vampire species both let go of their vigilance.

So Viscount Bernhardt suggested that the three of them go to the Spider Hotel next door for a drink. However, Mr. Albert had to tidy up the morgue and lock the door, so he let Xia De and Viscount Bernhardt go first. ===== CHAPTER 2012 =====