The Record of Unusual Creatures - Chapter 276

Chapter 276: An Old Friend from Far Away

 

Before they departed earlier on, they had gotten two important things done. One, Hao Ren had broadcasted the news of the crashed spacecraft to the entire universe; two, Vivian had couriered a swarm of bats to contact her old friends. So far, they heard nothing about the crashed spaceship. They just knew that a few civilisations had found accident reports most likely linked to the crash, and they were currently in liaison with the concerned chambers of commerce. Meanwhile, Vivian’s bat parcels had already arrived in their destinations.

However, the veteran vampire, Vivian was totally immersed in her happy home life with her misplaced talent. Waking up every morning to find her food always there in the kitchen was the best thing in her life. For three days, she did not think about her bats. If Hao Ren had not asked about them, she would have totally forgotten about the bats until the next spring festival.

Hao Ren was curious about how Vivian connected with the tiny bats. Ever since they went to the Otherworld a month ago, these Blood Fog creatures had been operating independently with amazing self-care ability. This was despite the fact they were completely cut off from Vivian, whose mind was totally off the matter.

In the kitchen, Vivian was preparing the breakfast. She was enthusiastic when Hao Ren mentioned the bats. “That’s my specialty. Many of my juniors tried to acquire the skill, but none could do it like quite like me. The bats they summoned had no consciousness. Even if they injected pieces of their consciousness into the summoned creatures, it only extended their lifespan for a week or so. Mine is totally at another level; my summoned bats live and think independently. They’re my shadow clones when I control them with my mind, and they still live like the real thing even after mind control is disconnected. It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been on their own, as long as mental connection is reestablished, they’ll come back into my consciousness without a hitch. I’m an expert in blood magic.”

Hao Ren looked at Vivian, bewildered. “Wouldn’t you get schizophrenia?”

“Not at all. How complicated can the mind of a bat be?” Vivian shook her head. “They’re just an extension of my consciousness. Their independent thinking isn’t complicated. Once they return, they’re no more than a memory to me. There have been issues, though; on longer missions, these little bats burn more energy, and need food. So, they eat anything…”

Vivian could not continue. She had a grotesque look on her face as if she recalled something she could not bear to think of.

Hao Ren could only wonder and decided not to press on his curiosity. He waved to Vivian, trying to bring the conversation back to business. “Let’s focus on reestablishing contact with the bats. I wonder how many of them have found those people.”

Vivian nodded as she cooked the vegetable soup while trying to interact with her bats, which were scattered all over Eurasia. Three of the bats were sent to wrong addresses, so they were on their way back, puffing and blowing while the rest had arrived at their respective destination. Some even found her old friends. She then began to contact these individuals, whom she had not seen for hundreds of years one by one.

Regardless, that did not affect her work at hand: she still cooked like a pro as though she had developed a separate brain, which specialised in household chores. It seemed like nothing could keep her from adding parsley into the wok…

As there was no more business for him in the kitchen, Hao Ren went back to the living room. He ended up glued to the morning news on TV, pondering what to do next for the next couple of days while waiting for breakfast. Nangong Wuyue checked her watch, it was time for Lil Pea’s flu treatment session again. She picked her up and went into the kitchen. “You busy, Vivian? Would you please heat the water for Lil Pea?” Nangong Wuyue asked.

Meanwhile, Vivian was doing two things at once: she was cooking, and making long-distance calls. She replied, “No problem, just leave her here. No need for the rice cooker, just leave her in her pot will do. I can control temperature better than the rice cooker.”

Nangong Wuyue placed the pot with Lil Pea in it on the stove and left. Vivian fired up the stove and knuckled Lil Pea’s tiny head, all the while smiling as she poured some sesame oil into the pot. When the water was heated, Lil Pea breathed a sigh of comfort as she began to swim with her belly skyward.

Meanwhile, Vivian furrowed her brows because she had successfully made contact with one of her old friends, who apparently knew something about the Day of Return.

Using the bat as a transmission medium, the clear, deep but gloomy voice of a woman rang in her mind “…You’ve been shedding your responsibility towards your race for far too long. Many families have not been following the rules and got the Blood Clan involved in the Day of Return sh*t.”

Vivian looked down at the vegetable soup in the pot. She kept stirring it while she spoke with her old friend. “Please don’t tell me you were harrassed by the naive juniors as well. You’re into the Day of Return too?”

“Indeed, someone came to see me—Heather-Anna, the Lucas Family and even the Ebbens. Perhaps they thought that an old fellow like me who survived since the Mythological Era would know more secrets than them. But I declined,” the gloomy voice spoke a with steady tone of voice. “It’s too dangerous. They don’t know what demon hunters can do. They’re not people who they can easily defeat even if the demon hunters are at their weakest. No doubt, the current generation of demon hunters can’t be compared with those from the past, but they’re still like the old hats. In a real battle, you don’t want to take these young chaps lightly.

Vivian twitched her mouth slightly as she said, “You still haven’t changed. Staying alive is your ultimate goal in life.”

“So is yours. We’ve both survived since the Mythological Era. Those who don’t put it as their goal are already dead.”

“Don’t equate the both of us. I was never interested in quarrelling or fighting in the first place, and I’m still not interested. Unlike you, who’s always bending with the wind.” Vivian tried to mock her, but not in a malicious way.

“You’re not interested in the Day of Return?

“Why not?” The gloomy voice laughed coarsely. A picture of a sombre face amid flickling candlelight came to mind. “The sirens brought the news. They’re even more mysterious than the demon hunters. Who knows what they know? Aren’t you curious if the Day of Return is true?”

“Not in the slightest.” Vivian gave a dry laugh as she grabbed some chopped green onions and sprinkled them inside the pot where Lil Pea was lying in. “Sometimes, when your perpective is broadened, you will realise how childish you were in the past. Fighting for dominance in this tiny Earth is… too narrow-minded.”

“What do you mean?”

“You used to be a god, living in the high heavens, but have you ever really raised your head and looked up at the stars in the sky?”

The voice paused. Then, the woman said, “…You used to study the stars a few thousand years ago and everyone laughed at you. Now, humans have gone interstellar, and those old hats who laughed at you are no more. They’re dead. So, I guess you were right, but what’s the point? We let the opportunity slip away and now people are only concerned about survival. A race with no chance to speak its mind is not fit to talk about the stars.”

A deafening silence ensued, after which Vivian said, “I’m exhausted. Let’s end it here. But your intel is very valuable. My friends and I will visit you soon.” So, she ended the long-distance telephatic dialogue.

“If you come, please come quietly. The situation here isn’t particularly welcoming. I don’t want some demon hunters coming after my a**.”

Vivian smiled confidently. “Don’t worry—I’ve probably spent more time with demon hunters than you.”

“Then, I wish you peace, countess.”

“Peace be with you too, Hesperides.”

Chapter 277: New Lead in the Day of Return Case

 

Vivian had reconnected with all her summoned bats. While most of them arrived at their respective destinations, only a few managed to find their targets. These old friends, whom Vivian had no contact with since a hundred years ago would not have stayed in one place for too long. Finding these hermits was not going to be easy. In the past, Vivian would not have cared; for the last thousand years, she seldom made an effort to contact the other-kind; those she met, she met by chance. But now, she had a headache: as an ancient vampire, she understood no more about the other-kind than the demon hunters, and that made her feel useless.

In any case, she managed to contact a few and obtain useful intel. However, news of the Countess of the Crimson Moon resurfacing and contacting the ancient ones quickly spread among the other-kind. She knew her actions were bound to arouse suspicion, but she had no choice. “The Most Ancient Vampire” was a title too heavy to bear; even if she was not fighting with anyone, speculation could abound because of the epithet. But heck, screw it. If they wanted to take a cheap shot at her, so be it.

As far as she was concerned, she only cared about whether the vegetable soup was done. She tried not to keep those voracious creatures at the dining table waiting. Strangely, for some unknown reason, she felt like this was the best moment in her life, much better than the tumultuous and violent life during the mythological times.

“Here you go!” Vivian summoned two swarms of bats to serve the steamy soup and fresh-out-of-the-pot Lil Pea on the table. The listless voracious creatures all bounced up like kangaroos. Hao Ren affably pulled out a chair for Vivian and said, “We’ve been waiting for you.”

Lily was always the first one out of the gate when it came to eating. Before the pot even landed on the table, she already helped herself to it, filling up her bowl to the brink. “Haha, early bird gets the worm…”

Such was life, better than fruitless labour during the Mythological Era.

The moment Lily gulped down a spoonful, she frowned. “Something’s not right, Battie. You haven’t just forgotten about seasoning, a lot more’s missing.”

In disbelief, Hao Ren said, “How could it be? Vivian has never screwed up—”

Before he could finish his word, water splashed out from one of the pots and a small thing emerged from it—it was Lil Pea. She had chopped green onions as well as other vegetables hanging all over her, and two cooked parsley leaves in her hands. Her face was reddish and she smelled like vegetable soup…

Vivian blushed when she finally realised her mistake: while she was in the kitchen multitasking, she had unknowingly added salt and green onions into the wrong pot. And the little one did not say a thing; did Lil Pea not find it weird with all the vegetables floating around her?

“I’m so sorry, I was distracted.” Vivian waved her hand in embarrassment. Meanwhile, Hao Ren was holding a spoon in front of Lil Pea, wondering about the soup. “Is this even edible?”

Lil Pea was a good girl, she removed the vegetable pieces that hung over her head and put it into the spoon. She then added a complementary handful of water. She shoved the spoon of soup towards Hao Ren and said indistinctly, “Eat… eat…” Although she only ate bamboo and wood, she knew the ingredients in the pot were edible.

Hao Ren put the spoon of soup back into the pot; no matter how strong his will power was, he was not going to drink that soup.

“I was just contacting an old friend. As we chatted I got distracted.” Vivian smiled in embarrassment. It was a stupid mistake especially for a god-level cook like her. She wanted to distract Hao Ren’s attention away from her blunder, so she said, “Most of them have moved. But I still managed to reach seven of them who care less about shifting places.”

Hearing that, Hao Ren shifted his attention away from Lil Pea and the soup. He was obviously into the Day of Return stuff. “So, what have you got?”

Tidying up her hair, Vivian said, “Firstly, news of the Day of Return has spread among the other-kind, even the small-fry. A few reputable families of the Blood Clan have become active in Northern Europe. They were planning to unearth some relics in the Arctic but rumour has it that demon hunters pinged them, so the plan was scrapped. Meanwhile, others are seeking for help outside—help outside of their own race. This is something new.”

The other-kind was a secluded and stuffy community. As blunt as it may sound, it was a fact. Most families of the other-kind were backwards, but they had an almost insecure, arrogant attitude. They would not seek help even from others within their own race, much less from the outside.

That was what Vivian told Hao Ren before.

But somehow, the excitement of the Day of Return had loosened the stubbornness of these creatures that they were willing to put aside their family and racial prejudice in favour of cooperation. They even seeked help from outside their own race.

Hao Ren smirked, then said, “That sounds like big news. However, the way I see it, their alliance won’t work. Their deep-rooted, mutual repulsion will work against them, not to mention the demon hunters are gonna make sure that the alliance of these dangerous elements fails.”

“That’s right. That’s why the actual alliance hasn’t existed yet. There are just a couple of families trying to rope in their seniors; for instance, those from the Mythological and Post-Mythological Eras, who are still alive. These old ones have lived in solitude for far too long. They don’t care about race, and they’re certainly interested in the Day of Return, so they’ll most likely come back. Those whom I’ve contacted have all more or less been sweet-talked to. Two of the old, not-so-smart ones have decided for a come back. Tsk… they were swayed by their juniors just like that. Apparently their principles have gone to the dogs.”

Suddenly, Lily, the husky hit the table and said, “Hey, mind your words! Are you insinuating that I have something to do with this?”

Hao Ren grabbed a half-eaten bun and quickly stuffed it into Lily’s mouth. “Just shut up and eat. Don’t you know when not to become too sensitive?”

He then turned back to Vivian. “So, according to what you’ve just said, they must’ve also talked you into it. After all, you’re o… I mean, you have years of experience.”

Hao Ren almost said the word “old” by slip of the tongue. But looking at Vivian’s face, which was ever young and pretty, he choked. The age stuff was a really confusing thing when it came to the other-kind; could you believe that this maiden had thrown hundreds of men into the moat during the battle of Troy? Could you believe that this same maiden was only 18 years old 13,000 years ago? And could you believe that after 13,000 years, she was still 18 years old?

Vivian giggled at Hao Ren. For some unknown reason, age was not a taboo for her. She even liked the idea of self-deprecation. “Yeah, an old thing like me might be their target. Unfortunately, they’ll have a problem finding out where I live, or maybe, they already know from the beginning that I won’t be joining their ranks.”

In the meantime, Lily was still trying to swallow the bun. “Or possibility number three: they know you’re suffering from dementia due to prolonged malnutrition. They think you’ve forgetten your own name and even your kung fu skills, thus making you totally hopeless.”

Hao Ren had no choice but to stuff another bun into Lily’s mouth.

“Any more specific intel on the Day of Return?” Hao Ren asked while he quietly glanced at Becky, who was also munching on a bun. She was playing with Lil Pea using a chopstick and staring blankly at the chopstick after Lil Pea gnawed it. It appeared that he would not have her attention anytime soon. Hao Ren then continued, “Especially intel on the ‘door’.”

Based on Hao Ren’s thinking, the crux of the Day of Return probably lay within objects like the “door”, or some other natural phenomena. If he could find the loophole, which the other-kind had used to travel through to Earth, he would not only solve Becky’s problem, it was also going to be a commendable achievement for an inspector like him. Therefore, he was pretty into it.

“I tell you what”—Vivian nodded—”one of the Blood Clan families has found an important piece of relic; the location: the Greek peninsula. That’s why they’re talking a local ancient one into helping them solve the relic’s puzzle. And guess what, my source of intel is none other than this ancient one in question. If you’re free, why don’t we go to Greece?”

Chapter 278: Greece

 

Vivian had managed to obtain some important information about the Day of Return but, just barely.

“Important relics?” Hao Ren responded with an expectant look on his face. “What’s that about? Something to do with ‘the door’?”

“No idea,” Vivian replied as she spread her arm. “Its existence is still a speculation. I heard a group of Blood Clan members say that they found a sacred item, which can be used to unlock a secret place behind some of the temples in Greece. But it’s unknown what the secret place is all about. The family has been very discreet about it as they’re afraid that the demon hunters may get wind of it. Anyway, it’s said that the Blood Clan members have found some sort of ‘primordial power’ that’s been preserved till today. My wild guess is, this primordial power must have something to do with The Plane of Dreams.”

Hao Ren nodded as if in deep thought. He had many discussions about The Plane of Dreams with them prior to this, and many conjectures had been made; one of them was the decline of the other-kind had something to do with the Earth’s environment. These creatures of The Plane of Dreams had a hard time adapting to Earth’s low-energy environment; as they were cut off from The Plane of Dreams and receiving inadequate energy supply here on Earth, they were slowly weakened from one generation to the next. So, the Day of Return naturally became an attractive proposition to regain power, which most likely referred to their reconnection process with The Plane of Dreams.

If anyone found the primordial power on Earth, chances were high that this primordial power leaked from The Plane of Dreams. Probably, an opened loophole did exist?

The more Hao Ren thought about it, the more he was convinced of the possibility. So, he decided. “Let’s go! After all, I’ve got nothing to do at the moment. What about you guys?”

Everyone was free, everyone said yes. Even Becky, who was busy and having loads of fun at the TV station, decided to join Hao Ren. She wanted to travel the world and widen her perspective. The mercenary just basically had a tourist mentality; new things, new places, you name it and she would be interested. No prize for guessing why everyone could travel impromptu; aside from Lily, who had a so-called proper job and Hao Ren, whose job was travelling around, no one else actually had work.

Another day, another “family trip”. Hao Ren started to guffaw. “I can’t believe we’re at it again. I mean, we just came home… It’s a busy life alright.”

Lily looked happy. “As the saying goes, ‘the more able a man is, the busier he gets.’”

“Speaking of which, this is the kind of intel we’ve been looking for. You should have told me earlier, not waited until now, Vivian.” Hao Ren looked at the vampire maiden, who did not particularly enthusiatic. “Why do you look unhappy?”

“I’m just worried about this very difficult person,” said Vivian, looking tense. “This person isn’t an enemy, just very difficult. Okay, screw it. Since you’re going, I’ll just tag along.”

Hao Ren glanced at Vivian quizzically, wondering how the low-profiled vampire got herself into trouble with others. The difficult person Vivian mentioned was certainly not a werewolf, as werewolves were her customary enemy. It had to be someone more complex than that. Also, judging from Vivian’s tone of voice, that person had to be someone she knew, maybe even a friend—just that, something had happened between them.

Knowing that Vivian did not want to talk about it, he did not press the matter further. After stuffing down the breakfast, he went upstairs, made the bookings for flight tickets and applied visas for his “children.”

In fact, he had a better alternative, which was faster and more convenient: courier the MDT to Greece; the MDT would send back the coordinates, which would then be used to teleport everyone over. An even better way was to forget about the courier and let the MDT fly to Greece—it was faster than any manmade aircraft. It was the perfect plan.

However, it was inexecutable: the MDT made a death threat against its own life. If Hao Ren did not respect its dignity as a PDA, it would download 200 episodes of braindead dramas and play it 24/7—it was called suicide, but Hao Ren felt it was more like poisoning…

But, it did not matter even if the MDT did not want to cooperate. He was not in a hurry—the all-paid-for first class cabin ticket seemed like a more attractive proposition. Furthermore, Becky had never flown before. It was an opportunity for the mercenary to get a taste of flying, she may just forget about going home all together after that.

They were not first-time travellers anymore; no more a bunch of clueless rookies. Just as Hao Ren said, after having been to the Otherworld, sliding across a few time zones on Earth in lateral direction seemed like child’s play. Even the Petrachelys could travel triple the Earth-Moon distance with just a single press of its pedal, so everyone could now travel overseas like they were just visiting their own backyard. They lazed around the house for a few days as they waited for the flight tickets and visas to be ready. After that, they boarded the flight to Athens.

As they landed, they roamed through the intricate cobweb of streets like headless chickens at noon. They became lost in between the old, classical and mordern architecture before they finally found their pre-booked hotel in the evening.

Reality check: having been to the Otherworld and having sense of direction on Earth were a world of difference!

Hao Ren’s global translator device was a savior indeed. It saved them from getting into bigger sh*t when they got lost. Everyone was ready to drop as they checked in and got into their rooms. After they sorted themselves out, night fell. Like in the past, their plan for a street tour in the foreign land was dashed. As usual, Lily had lost her fight with jetlag—she already dropped dead in the hotel lobby in the middle of checking in. In the end, Hao Ren had to seduce her back to her room using a piece of meat floss bread…

Hao Ren was standing by the large windows in his hotel suite, looking out at the city, which was a fusion of the old and new. He was immersed in the exotic atmosphere for a while. Then, he turned and thought to himself, “Someday, I’ll to get used to life where I’ll always be on-the-go; thousands of miles from home. Even now, I’m starting to feel unaffected by jetlag.”

The funding Raven 12345 allocated for the trip was enough—in fact, it was more than enough; they were staying in a high-end hotel, sitting between the old and new sections of Athens. It came complete with a private suite for privacy—a good hiding spot for a bunch of weird, non-human creatures.

Lily was completely defeated by jetlag and she lay half-dead on her bed. On the other hand, Becky had enthusiastically dragged Nangong Wuyue out to loiter around the city: the night was not able to stop the hyper-energetic lady from going out. Ever since she experienced night life on Earth, she came to the realisation that the sunset was not the end of a day; the only thing that prevented one from having fun was energy. She had loads of it, so she decided to have fun.

Meanwhile, the siren—Becky’s escort— was completely worn out.

The only ones who stayed were Hao Ren, Vivian and Y’zaks. Three of them gathered in the living area to discuss about their itinerary the next day. Vivian was looking out from the windows at the old town section. “Tomorrow, we’re going to see someone. Just like me, she’s from the Mythological Era, a bit weird but a nice person.”

“She’s your source?” Hao Ren recalled what Vivian had said before they arrived.

Vivian nodded lightly. “Yeah, I haven’t seen her for a hundred years—the longest among the old friends I’ve been in contact with. I’ve got to thank her weirdness; she refuses to leave her home no matter how bad the situation is, so I could contact her because of that.”

“How does she look like?” Y’zaks became curious.

“You’ll know when you see her.” Vivian gave out a secretive smile. Then, she recalled something. “A few Blood Clan families are here too. They may be able to smell us out. So, stay calm if you bump into one. Don’t approach them. One of them’s very difficult to deal with. Once she warms up to you, there will be no end.”

Judging from the strange look on Vivian’s face, Hao Ren finally figured out who the “difficult fellow” was. It was one of her own kind!

He wondered what the social circle of this vampire maiden looked like.

Suddenly, there was a signal coming from his Dimensional Pocket. It was only then that he realised he almost messed up. “Lil Pea’s still inside!”

That’s right. He brought the fish along this time.

Chapter 279: Vivian, Oh, Vivian

 

It took a lot of effort to bring Lil Pea along. After all, it was near impossible to smuggle a living mermaid through airport security. Hao Ren initially planned to leave her at home with a nanny like the last time. But having been left behind once, Lil Pea had smartened up. The moment she felt that the group was about to embark on another long journey, she glued herself to Hao Ren, refusing to let go. Hao Ren reluctantly agreed to bring her along after the little mermaid was so adamant about it. While the little one was joyous, it was nothing but headaches for the adults, and Hao Ren had no other choice but to stuff the little one into his Dimensional Pocket…

Normally, you would not want to put any living thing into the Dimensional Pocket. It was a dimension without light, sound or gravity and it would swiftly drive any living creature insane with its crushing emptiness. The user guide even had a disclaimer that went along the lines of, “Unless you are seeking revenge, please do not use the Dimensional Pocket to transport any living being. The administration is not responsible for any psychological trauma, which may arise from the experience.”

Well… there was one thing Hao Ren was particularly good at, and that was being creative. Before they left, he purchased an enormous aquarium and grabbed a miniature gravity field generator from the Petrachelys as well. He then got some decorative items for the aquarium, alongside an air pump (purely for Lil Pea’s bubbly amusement). Just before they left for Greece, he also tossed the MDT into the Dimensional Pocket. Hence, Lil Pea was rather well entertained while she was in the pocket. If she wanted lights, there were lights; if she wanted bubbles, there were plenty of bubbles; if she became really bored, she had her beloved lantern. That was how she passed her time on the approximately 10-hour flight…

Hao Ren went into the attached bathroom in his hotel suite and filled the jacuzzi halfway before letting Lil Pea out of the Dimensional Pocket. The little mermaid had been cooped up in the pocket for an entire day and she was very restless. The moment she was released, she leaped into the tub and swam in circles. Shortly after, she got up and sprayed Hao Ren’s face with water. This was basically her way of protesting.

The MDT floated to Hao Ren’s side too, looking exhausted as it dried itself in a spin. “Your girl will turn out to be a great person in the future. I was almost driven mad by her antics. She spun me about like a top for the whole day…”

“Oh, so you did bring the little one along…” Y’zaks peeked over to see what the commotion was all about and saw Lil Pea swimming around in the jacuzzi. A frown appeared on his face. “…We’re going out to do some work later… Are we really bringing her along?”

“What choice do I have?” Hao Ren shrugged. “Worse comes to worst, I’ll just stuff her in the pocket and let her out when no one’s around. God, The Plane of Dreams was so much more convenient. We could simply grab a pot and call it an alchemy alembic. Over here on Earth, the rumors alone could be the end of us.”

Lil Pea tilted her head as she listened to the adults, who were discussing their business. After realising that they were ignoring her, she pouted angrily and dove back into the tub, sucking in a load of water. Upon resurfacing, she spat a torrent of water at Hao Ren’s face again…

Becky and Nangong Wuyue had been out in the streets of Athens, shopping until it was about midnight. As they entered the hotel room, both of them were carrying bags stuffed with a whole bunch of items, from local food to crafts. It was rather obvious that Becky purchased the bulk of the items and the two seemed to have unlimited stamina when it came to shopping. They were still fresh enough to chatter about the things they saw during their sojourn. Hao Ren was a little worried that the two ladies would be waylaid by unscrupulous tour guides and be swindled in the process. These types of cheating syndicates were very common in popular tourist destinations and with Becky’s purchasing ability, she was definitely a prime target for these crooks.

Becky grabbed a bead necklace and put it on Wuyue’s as she said, “You already have someone paying the bill. What are you so concerned about? I heard it all, you’re working for a god. With such a divine backing, why don’t you just go all out? I’ve planned it all out. If I have time, I’ll go on a shopping spree and stuff all the stuff into your Dimensional Pocket. Once we get home, I’ll sell them off. This trip should earn me a few hundred MP5s…”

Because Hao Ren’s first gift to Becky was an MP5 from Earth, the mercenary lass took a keen liking to it and treated it almost like a currency, which only she could understand. God knows how she was going to use it to barter with someone.

“How are you going to sell them off? You don’t even have any contacts…” Wuyue asked.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I met quite a lot of people when we were recording and I got hundreds of phone numbers. From my conversations with them, I feel like the’d like stuff like this. If I can’t sell those MP5s, I can try grabbing a load of stuff from Athens and post it up on Weibo for sale. I’m sure there’s a market for overseas souvenirs. While I don’t really understand how you people on Earth think, I do admire your entrepreneurship.”

All present were stunned by Becky’s economic acumen and ability to grasp details. Even more surprising was, in her short time on Earth, she could easily understand the needs and wants of the people she just met. Her observational skills were certainly well honed during her time as a mercenary.

Hearing how Becky lay out her business plan had Hao Ren thinking. He realised that a lot of times, the chance to strike it big stood right in front of people’s eyes, but not many had the ability or courage to grab hold of it. Just look at the difference between Becky and the rest of the tenants in Hao Ren’s home.

Vivian sighed deeply in a corner. “I really do envy you and your ability to earn money… I too tried my hand at international business a long time ago….”

The room fell into an awkward silence, even Hao Ren was shocked by the revelation. “You’re joking, right? You and international business?”

“I’ve been around for a long, long time now. When you humans started bartering goat skin for grains, I was already watching. What makes you think I haven’t tried my hands at this?” Vivian’s eyes looked forlorn as she turned towards Hao Ren. “A few thousand years back, I learned that international trade could earn you big money and I tried my hands at the trade of spices as well as emeralds between Egypt and Rome to try to turn my fortunes around… While the history books may not have recorded it, I’m quite certain that I was the first to do such business…”

Hao Ren’s interest was piqued by Vivian’s tall tale. “And then?”

“I almost lost everything after I left Rome.” Vivian sighed again. “I don’t even know what went wrong, I earned something then I proceeded to lose it. It didn’t take long for me to have no money left for my capital. I did get some of my juniors to go into a venture. Needless to say, they went bankrupt after a while. After that, I tried getting money from a few priests in Egypt who worshipped me. However, Octavian had Cleopatra killed and Egypt turned into a Roman province. Took me another 2,000 years of trying my hands at trade before I realised I wasn’t cut out for it. By then, no one dared to go into a venture with me.”

“…You never fail to surprise me when you talk about your past… How many more epics do you reckon you haven’t told us yet?” Hao Ren said.

Vivian pondered about it for a moment. “I’m sure there are quite a few. Just not sure when I’ll actually recall them. All in good time I guess. Perhaps I can tell you about the Trojan War, or maybe we can visit the Old Town. Who knows if we might find something that I dropped years ago.”

While Hao Ren and his crew were busy listening to Vivian’s stories in their hotel, the sky had turned dark. The most ancient of cities in human civilisation started its slumber as the night came about.

As the humans who lived in the light slept, the creatures of darkness woke.

Shadows that were too quick for human senses darted through the city, bringing news to the other part of town. There was a dark, uncomprehensible secret in Old Town District of Athens. The power of shadows had sliced the city in two; one was corporeal and another was beyond the senses of a normal human being. This was one of their main “lairs” in the world and Athens was made into an impenetrable fortress by its shadowy denizens through thousand of years. Even the most experienced of demon hunters would be hopelessly lost in its labyrinth of paths.

News was spreading like wildfire among the shadowy populace.

The oldest of vampires, the oddball amid the supernaturals and one of the most ancient of creatures—the Countess of the Crimson Moon had arrived in Athens and she was uncharacteristically active while in town.

As Hao Ren and the crew continued talking about Vivian kicking Acherus into the moat, there were many who were speculating if the countess would intervene in the Day of Return.

Chapter 280: The Shadowy Divide

 

Athens, the world’s most well preserved ancient city in existence. Humanity went from hunting to agriculture, and slowly tumbled into the gate of civilisation. When men did not need to worry about food, weather and wild animals, the more intellectual of men started to learn. When men started learning letters and used mystical icons to symbolise their thoughts and marvel of the universe, cities grew and kingdoms flourished.

Those intellectuals who escaped the shackles of basic survival could now focus their sharp minds on more monumental pursuits. Stone upon stone, rock upon rock were put in place, carved and chiselled, forming high walls, arcs, domes and steps as cities rose. They were symbols of humanity’s strength, with intricate statues and carvings of various religious connotations decorating them. Humanity had long moved on from building simple shelters. They created awe-inspiring monuments, which rose skywards, quickly becoming remarkable products of this planet.

However, humans were not the sole contributor to the rise of cities on this planet. There was another group of beings living side by side with humans. Despite being driven into the shadows and disappearing from the minds of current generations, they lived and thrived on Earth. Human records may not have included them, but another kind of record would never forget their existence: Cities.

The older the city, the more prominent the trail of these ancient creatures, so much so that the oldest cities became inseparable with the shadowy denizens. Earth was not only the home of humans, creatures of the shadows lorded over this land. While the demon hunters and churches may say otherwise, it was a fact that this planet still had lairs that housed many other unusual creatures. These lairs were built by the supernaturals through blood, sweat and tears. They were not about to give it up so easily.

In the age where lines between mythology and written history were blurred and cross-contaminated, very little unusual creatures lived openly with humans or developed cities alongside them. Most creatures viewed humans as inferiors who were meant to be brutally ruled over. The more benevolent kind that viewed humans as their flocks of sheep were in the minority. These “benevolent” ones were hence viewed as gods and worshipped. There were plenty of cities built in their worship and this lasted over several thousand years until humans obtained the aid of the demon hunters, breaking free from this “enclosure-like” existence. With that, part of these cities’ original founders were driven into the shadows.

Today, no one would believe that unusual creatures actually lived in those temple ruins a long, long time ago.

Even though things had taken such a turn, these cities were still home to a few supernatural beings . They built them, maintained them and even went to war for them in the past. Despite being driven underground or into the shadows, these unusual creatures never really left town. They simply rebuilt their hearth and fortress in places humans were unable to detect.

A ground of people were slowly approaching an entryway into one such fortress.

After having a good rest in the hotel, Hao Ren and the crew followed Vivian to look for the rumoured supernatural who came from the Mythological Era; a rare acquaintance by Vivian’s standards. She was living in one of the oldest areas of the city, and the group had been walking for quite some time ever since they got off their car.

“You sure we’re at the right place?” Hao Ren said as the surrounding area looked awfully familiar after the third time around. “If I’m not wrong, this is the third time we’ve passed by this stone wall.”

“Yes, it’s supposed to be like this—going in circles.” Vivian nodded. “Athens is a very special place, many supernatural survivors live here. But, we need to use a special method to find them. The demon hunters were always out looking for blood, and those who did not know how to hide their trails would be dead.”

Hao Ren could only nod as he followed Vivian, circling the oldest streets in Athens without knowing that they were getting closer and closer towards the heart of the of Athens’ ancient quarter. He occasionally looked around the structures that he passed through and could not tell if the structures were ruins or newly built or refurbished buildings. A sense of spatial and chronological dissonance then started to well inside him. He felt like he was going through a reverse slideshow of human history. The further he went, the more ancient the scenery looked.

In the present, there were no true ancient cities on Earth anymore. Even Athens, the cradle of human civilisation was now a modern metropolis. The city looked no different than any other with its busy streets and modern buildings, leaving Lily rather disappointed. But as they left the modern city centre and headed towards the more ancient areas of Athens, they finally saw the old Greek columns and statues—they were not sure if these were originals or replicas. As the items blended into the background of the modern metropolis, the sight invoked a feeling of historical nostalgia.

The further they went into the old quarter of Athens, the heavier the feeling got. Reaching the end, old houses became the mainstay on both sides of the road. Beautiful statues and columns replaced the bright neon lights, traffic lights and any modern signage. As they went further in, with Vivian at the front, Hao Ren finally sensed that something was wrong.

He looked at the buildings next to him. He noticed that the street looked very familiar, and he had passed it three times in the last hour. Howeverm upon closer inspection, he realised that the details around the scene before him had changed. The street lights were gone, shop signs were fading and the cement road had changed into a neat, flat stone road. Even the sun, which was previously on the east had moved west.

Lily, who was not the sharpest tool in the shed also sensed that something was up. “Eh? Something’s not right. There are very little pedestrians now.”

While this was indeed an older part of town, it was definitely not a deserted area. When they first came, the area was filled with locals and tourists but their numbers were much reduced as time went by. It was not obvious, but the numbers became so little that Lily raised the alarm. Hao Ren also felt odd about the weird scene unfolding around time. He noticed that the remaining pedestrians were strange as well: they were almost like walking corpses, but with soul as they trudged along their path. There were no interactions among them at all and no one stopped to do anything. They were almost like props on a stage, just to give the scene some form of normalcy.

“We are reaching the Shadowy Divide. Stay alert from here on.” Vivian slowed her steps. “Don’t open any doors by the road, and avoid places where the sun doesn’t shine. Do not speak to anyone, and most importantly, don’t walk past me. This is the start of a labyrinth, and one wrong step will send you plunging into a trap of the shadowy world.”

She even specifically reminded Y’zaks. “You too, big guy. This Shadowy Divide has been built by the strongest of the unusual creatures for thousands of years, even you might fall victim to it.”

Y’zaks nodded solemnly while Hao Ren started to get goosebumps all over him. “F*ck my life… This sounds like a bloody horror movie…”

“The surviving unusual creatures are split into two kinds; solo adventurers like me and those who band together. The latter formed alliances and families under these circumstances, so they would have their own way of doing things.” Vivian smiled. “This is one of the few remaining settlements for our kind, and it has been around for thousands of years. Its layers of defences are nothing to scoff at. Even the demon hunters have no way of breaching the place. At least, for now.”

The group continued to circle the winding streets. The scenery changed every moment they passed through it again. The changes were subtle at first but they slowly got more and more obvious until they arrived at the Shadowy Divide, where all forms of smoke and mirrors were abandoned. Hao Ren noticed that the modern buildings by the streets had completely disappeared and were replaced by stone houses. They were jutting out in weird angles as if the houses themselves were taking a peek at the newcomers. While the buildings had some modern signages on it, they were all faded, almost monochrome. Hao Ren turned towards the entrance and noticed a veil of fog. The entryway had vanished.

They finally arrived in front of a weird looking shop. It was the only “modern looking” building on the street.

A beautiful yet gloomy looking lady clad in black was waiting in front of the door for them. She smiled the moment she saw Vivian. “It has been a while, Your Excellency.”

“Your place is sure a difficult one to find, Hesperides,” Vivian said as she stepped forward.