Chapter 28: Remnants of the Old Gods |
Under safe circumstances, Xia De felt quite satisfied after obtaining information unrelated to himself. He turned to leave, planning to recount today’s discoveries to Dr. Schneider.
But at that moment, the elegant whisper of a woman echoed in his ear again:
“You have come into contact with ‘Enlightenment.’”
Xia De paused, frowning. The element of [Enlightenment] was linked to civilization, but its strong traces of Miracles and Arcane Arts could also indicate its presence. However, here...
Standing in the narrow space between pipes and the wall, he noted that, being a dead-end, there wasn’t much garbage around. Instead, the place was littered with more animal droppings.
Xia De carefully examined the wall in front of him. It was covered with vulgar graffiti, drawn with chalk and paint, and filled with obscene shapes and phrases. Among them, bizarre markings that he preferred not to imagine caught his eye.
He didn’t possess Vision Enhancement abilities among his two runes, but his exceptional ability to interpret nearly any written language set him apart.
Beneath the blasphemous words against the gods, at about waist height, Xia De noticed some peculiar patterns. Recognizing them as text, he discerned their meaning and pronunciation:
“Manifest.”
A faint white light flickered before Xia De amidst the thin mist. He took a step back but stayed within the narrow gap between the pipes and the wall.
The curious cat woke from its nap, startled by the light. As for the person holding it, Xia De saw an old stone statue slowly rise from the ground.
Its square pedestal supported a statue that was half his height, depicting a cloaked nobleman with bat-like wings.
Closing his eyes, Xia De felt tears of blood stream down his eyelids. He covered the cat’s eyes and quickly turned away. A whisper of joy filled the air, narrating tales untold:
“You have encountered remnants of the Old God, Vampire Duke Loael.”
“Born from the primal corrupted blood, an ancient deity lusting for blood and driven mad by it. During the twilight of the old days, it spread its curse through blood, enslaving minds and roaring deep within its dark castle.”
“You have heard the tale of the Old God, Vampire Duke Loael, and have glimpsed one of its miracles.”
“Can I engrave a rune with this?”
After confirming the limited information, Xia De, recovering from his shock, asked eagerly. The headache from his close contact with the statue lessened as hope filled his voice.
A woman’s voice chuckled in his mind:
“You have obtained the arcane art: Echoes of Blood. But you have yet to acquire enough of this deity’s tales, Outsider. Miracles are not so easily obtained.”
As the whispers faded, the Old God’s statue imparted new power to Xia De. The Fate Wheel hidden behind his soul spun, absorbing faint traces of golden elements. This mingled with his brass ring, forming a unique aura within his spirit.
Xia De’s right eye turned blood-red, granting him the ability to perceive residual bloodstains, even the faintest traces, when he actively invoked the arcane art.
Realizing the magnitude of the event, Xia De first checked the cat in his arms. Though it had witnessed the statue’s emergence, its attention was caught by the dispersing white light, sparing it from the full visual impact. The orange tabby, Mimia, appeared slightly lethargic but otherwise unharmed.
The power Xia De gained allowed him to see residual blood traces on surfaces and in the air during activated Arcane Arts. While similar results could be achieved with technological methods in his world, his ability required no equipment and worked on even the faintest remnants.
Although it wasn’t a particularly powerful ability, it complemented his detective profession remarkably well.
Xia De had never heard of Vampire Duke Loael, nor, in fact, any Old Gods except the Father of the Infinite Tree. This god’s tale didn’t suggest benevolence, and Xia De’s judgment was spot-on. The whispers confirmed that the silver element of [Blasphemy], characteristic of evil gods, was at play.
However, Xia De either had a weaker sensitivity to Blasphemy, or the statue leaned more toward Miracles, as he gained no benefit from [Blasphemy]. Nonetheless, acquiring arcane arts was still a significant reward.
Arcane Arts, unlike Miracles, didn’t require runes and were universal abilities among Ring Warlocks. Their effects were generally weaker than Miracles but came with fewer usage restrictions. According to notes from Dr. Schneider, arcane arts acquired through contact with Old God remnants were rare and impossible to learn otherwise.
Satisfied with this unexpected gain, Xia De decided it was time to leave. He couldn’t take the statue with him and didn’t dare touch it directly. Its presence was undoubtedly linked to Madame Lasso, and bringing such a relic into the city was a grave crime.
Confirming Madame Lasso’s unsavory nature, Xia De reversed the syllables of the ancient word “Manifest,” causing the statue to sink back into the ground.
Carefully, he slipped out of the alley. He wasted no time and hailed a carriage at the next corner, heading straight to Dr. Schneider’s clinic in Tobesk City’s eastern district.
Unfortunately, Dr. Bill Schneider was not in.
The clinic staff, familiar with Xia De after his visit the day before, informed him that Dr. Schneider had been called to the estate of an unnamed count to treat the wife and daughter suffering from gluttony—a case thought to have psychological origins. Dr. Schneider would spend the night at the estate and wouldn’t return until tomorrow.
“For discretion, we cannot disclose the estate’s location or the count’s name,” Dr. Clay, who attended to Xia De, explained politely.
“But Mr. Hamilton, you can leave a note for Dr. Bill. He’ll see it when he returns,” he added warmly but firmly declined to provide further details.