Under the night, the tranquil church was exceptionally beautiful, perfectly complementing the crimson moon hanging high in the sky, casting its cold light upon the earth.
Leonard entered his private single room, took off his pair of red gloves, and tossed them onto the wooden table.
With a grim expression, he sat down in front of the patterned glass window, his back to the outside, bathing in the moonlight.
After a dozen seconds of silence, he suddenly spoke in a voice that was almost a gnashing of teeth:
"So you are a 'Parasite'!"
Leonard's voice faintly echoed in his own ears, suppressing clear anger, tension, bewilderment, and fear.
In an instant, a slightly aged voice directly sounded in his mind:
"That's one way to put it."
"What exactly do you want? To parasitize my body and drain my life? Or wait until I grow stronger and directly devour my Beyonder characteristics, like cultivating a humanoid potion?" Leonard's voice was very low, but his speech was fast.
The slightly aged voice in his mind chuckled:
"I am your fortuitous encounter. Haven't you always thought so? That you are unique, one of the protagonists of this great era...
Actually, you are not as arrogant and proud as you usually appear. You have been wary of me all along. Heh, after I taught you the 'Acting Method', you didn't really delve into it. You made very simple and superficial attempts, spending a long time barely digesting it, and deliberately concealed it, not seeking the 'Nightmare' potion.
It wasn't until you encountered the offspring of the '
Leonard, think about it carefully. Don't you think I know the
Don't you think I know the Church of the Evernight Goddess has some understanding of 'Parasites', and wouldn't have anticipated that the 'Red Gloves' would grasp some secrets to guard against the infiltration of high-sequence Beyonders?
But did I stop you from joining the 'Red Gloves'?"
His expression shifted briefly, and Leonard eventually fell silent, saying nothing.
The voice in his mind chuckled again:
"Do you feel any older than your actual age? No, right? I can live for at least another hundred years, I'm not in a hurry to take the host's life.
As for your Beyonder characteristics, hmph, we aren't on close pathways that can be substituted. If I devoured them, it would be like drinking poison. I'd go half-mad and increase the risk of losing control. Do you think I would do that?
'Eternal Night' is in the same category as '
Leonard looked at his own shadow cast by the crimson moonlight, pondered silently for a while, and asked again:
"What exactly do you want? What is your goal?"
The slightly aged voice in his mind sighed:
"Haven't I already told you?
I suffered a severe trauma and must have a host to recover slowly. In addition, I have to avoid a terrifying enemy... The Nighthawks, the Church of the Evernight Goddess, is a good choice."
Leonard raised his head, stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, and said in a deep voice:
"Will you be discovered by the Archbishops, the senior deacons, or some Sealed Artifacts?"
The slightly aged voice replied leisurely:
"If 'Parasites' could be found so easily, that senior deacon named Sekma today wouldn't have just given a warning without taking you all for a check-up.
Of course, 'Parasites' do leave traces. The Church of the Evernight Goddess has ways to confirm this, but it's quite complicated, quite troublesome. It would cause some losses, bring no small danger, and might even affect their goddess. So, until you become a senior deacon, qualified to participate in the church's highest-level meetings and contact certain Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, you don't need to worry about this.
And by that time, I should have recovered and embarked on my own journey."
Leonard listened with a grave expression, and after a while, he said:
"You have a terrifying enemy? Who is he?"
The slightly aged voice snorted: "I don't know his name, but I know his surname..."
"What is it?" Leonard pressed.
The slightly aged voice suddenly became low:
"
...
South District, 46 River Bay Avenue.
The owners, who were enjoying their dinner, heard the jingling doorbell.
The only maid came to the door and, through the peephole above the lock, saw a police officer in a black-and-white checkered uniform.
She opened the door and asked somewhat timidly:
"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"
This policeman was, in fact, a disguised Klein. To attempt active acting, he was confirming whether the companions of the vampire
Well, law-abiding monsters! Although it sounds a bit off and a bit ridiculous, it is a reflection of my true thoughts... Klein emphasized in his heart.
The police uniform he wore was not a specially tailored fake, but a product of ordinary clothes enhanced with illusion effects.