"...Do I look like someone who's been lost for this long?" Klein was about to retort when the pounding on the basement's stone door grew more intense. A male voice accompanied it, shouting, "Let me out!"
"What's this about?" Klein took an inconspicuous step back, ensuring he was at a safe distance before he couldn't help but ask.
Bishop Utravsky replied with a warm smile, "A vampire."
As soon as he said this, the voice from inside the basement yelled, "What about being a vampire? Does that mean I should be locked up here? Forced to listen to your incessant preaching and recitations of scriptures? And even made to transcribe Roselle's manuscripts?! Bah, I am a noble Blood Clan member—don't use such vulgar terms to describe me!
"I'll tell you this: I revere the moon and will never convert to the Earth Mother! Give up, you accursed priest!"
It was Klein's first time encountering a real, living vampire. He couldn't help but glance at the stone door etched with the "Holy Emblem of Life" and numerous mystical symbols, but there was nothing unusual to see.
"When I captured him, he was in a state of bloodthirst," Bishop Utravsky explained with a smile. "That's why I had to detain him."
"Bah! Don't mention blood to me! I need the blood of beautiful young maidens, like that lovely priestess—not your filthy old blood!" The vampire inside suddenly became agitated.
The priestess… could he mean Miss Hazel? Klein wondered. Before he could follow the thought further, Utravsky responded seriously, "You can't drink Reverend Macht's blood right now—it would cause issues."
"Bah, you're making excuses! Do you think I don't know?" the vampire shouted back with insults.
However, Klein discerned that Utravsky wasn't lying. There might indeed be something special about Miss Hazel's blood…
Does Mr. Tower know about this? Should I subtly remind him during the next Tarot meeting? Klein pondered.
"What can I do for you?" Utravsky shifted the topic to Klein, addressing him directly.
Snapping back to the moment, Klein quickly explained his purpose for coming.
The bishop's expression turned slightly peculiar as he gestured toward the basement. "Then you should ask him…
"He was the original owner of the 'Universal Key.'
"That day, he stumbled into this church by accident."
That key is this troublesome? Good thing I'm proficient in divination, Klein thought with a sense of relief.
What followed was a series of "simple" mental and verbal battles. The vampire, unable to outwit the cunning human, reluctantly confessed that the "Universal Key" was stolen by a thief from a house at 32 Wildy Street, South Bridge District. The thief, while attempting to rob a hospital's finance room, got lost and ended up in a blood bank, where the vampire captured him on the spot.
Using divination, Klein confirmed the vampire wasn't lying. Satisfied, he politely bid farewell to Bishop Utravsky. Just as he was turning to leave, the vampire's loud voice echoed once more:
"Remember, my name is Emlyn White. Remember it, Emlyn White!"
---
Damir Island, outside Mr. Gaston's workshop. Ebner held the "repaired" hat in his hand, muttering in frustration, "What is this? A universal fake wig?"
Indeed, after Ebner's "repair," the hat had completely lost its protective functionality. All that remained was its ability to change hairstyles, along with the added feature of concealing the hat itself…
Now, it was purely a tool for altering hairstyles—though it did allow for free adjustments of style.
"Well, it's something. The 'Faceless' ability I simulate lacks a function to change hair, so this hat compensates for that shortfall…"
Amusing himself with this consolation, Ebner assumed a "Notary" stance and solemnly declared his first "craftsman" project a resounding success. He then stowed the hat and returned to his room to prepare for the night's "role-playing."
Although the feedback he received from Miss "Justice" during the Tarot meeting had given him some insights, his progress still fell short of expectations. Thus, he had to explore other avenues.
After erecting a spiritual wall and setting up the necessary ritual items, Ebner activated the "Pure White Eye" and employed "Roselle's Dream Technique."
His plan was straightforward: use the technique to enter the dream of the young Terrance and create a mysterious scene within it. There, he would showcase his "erudition" and guide Terrance to seek his counsel, solving the boy's problems and fulfilling the requirements of his "role."
In truth, using the abilities of a "Nightmare" or "Dream Walker" alone could achieve a similar effect. However, their range was far more limited than Roselle's method, which could span hundreds of nautical miles. In terms of safety and practicality, Roselle's approach was superior.
Moreover, Ebner's ultimate goal was to reverse the process, allowing seekers to enter a pre-designed "safe" dream through rituals or recitations of mantras. This would help avoid potential ambushes and official scrutiny.
After all, if I were to enter a dream and find a team of official demigods waiting, how awkward would that be?
Ultimately, Ebner's "grand" goal was to create an "urban legend." He wanted extraordinary individuals, whenever troubled, to think of "Doctor Strange" and perform a ritual to enter a dreamscape where their questions would be answered. This would then spread organically, forming a self-sustaining cycle.
Of course, there would be an entry screening mechanism: overly powerful individuals would be denied, and excessively difficult questions would go unanswered…
For now, these ideas were just rough outlines. But Ebner believed that with the "Pure White Eye," he could eventually perfect them.
Today marked his first attempt at testing this method's effectiveness in advancing his role-play.
---
In a foggy dreamworld, young Terrance was indulging in a vivid, indulgent dream. Suddenly, his comfortable bed and the girl on it vanished, replaced by sneering sailors who gossiped about him with disdain. Despite his desperate attempts to please them, he was met only with even more contemptuous gazes.
Just as despair began to set in, a bridge of starlight descended from the heavens, landing directly in front of Terrance.
At the bridge's end, a circular portal crackling with sparks appeared. Out stepped a gentleman in a blue coat, red cape flowing behind him, boots clicking softly on the starlit bridge. He walked down slowly, smiling as he approached Terrance.
Fixing the boy with a steady gaze, the gentleman asked:
"Young man, what troubles you?"