After her training, Yukino followed Dr. Liao Mei through the large Aisle, entering a section of the facility they were in. A huge section, filled with people cleaning some large blocks they scavenged from something.
" These, blocks, ruins... " Yukino sees it.
" It's from the Abyss Tower... "
" After that final battle and the rise of White Demon. "
" Oh yeah, speaking of that 'Final Battle'... " Liao Mei stops for a while.
" Do you remember Adrian Waterson? " Liao Mei asks Yukino which made her remember it quickly.
" Yes, he becomes that winged demon thing, yes? " Yukino remembers him, remembering how powerless she was at the time.
" Indeed, speaking of Waterson... "
" Do you know that he's the one this 'White Demon is probably Human' Theory is based on? " Liao Mei tells Yukino that.
" Pardon? "
" Of course it does..., this is still a minor clue about it, but... "
" If Adrian Waterson, a human..., can evolve like that after entering the Abyss Tower... "
" Therefore..., using this logic... "
" Shouldn't there be at least another, who happened to undergo the same kind of evolution, just like Waterson did, a fellow Human? " Liao Mei asks Yukino which made her think again.
"( I can see why Lord Sal told me the White Demon 'strayed far from his roots'... )"
"( Now that I think of it, the logic is sound... )"
"( It's not some wild theory nonsense, it's not some imaginative answer it's..., that kind of thing... may happen..., if another already exists and publically known to people. )"
"( Besides, many human Heretics were told to enter the Tower..., so the sample is large as well as the chances. )"
"( But, speaking of large samples... )" Yukino thinks of it while following Liao Mei to see one of the ruined blocks, filled with paintings of red color.
The painting with red color looks like a winged creature with armor, flying in the skies and creatures parading below, the painting shows the skies cracked, and people with wings falling below, there's also a painting of people fighting the parade of creatures or getting trampled.
" Scary, isn't it? " Liao Mei asks while Yukino sees it in horror and disgust.
" What is this horror? " Yukino asks her.
" I don't know, but I'm going to find out. " Liao Mei tells her.
" It was found from the Tower's ruins of what the excavates predicted to be the 6th Floor of the Tower... "
" One of them found this while excavating and immediately alarmed the others to take this and present them to the gods, especially Lord Loki. "
" As it happened, they all transported this from District T to this place so we can learn about these images. "
" Images painted so perfectly and for my hypothesis, I believe these were painted with blood. " Liao Mei approached the painting and tried to touch it with her hands which were already covered with gloves.
" A red blood so thick..., this is human blood, no doubt. " Liao Mei says it while looking at the staff around, ordering them to approach and give them her gloves.
" Take this as a sample, after you clean the images for the photo shoot, try to ask the research team to identify the blood for me... and..., "
" Tell the team that this picture had to be messed up a bit for another research sample I've been interested in. " Liao Mei orders them as they quickly do it for her.
" You're giving them the Blood Sample now? " Yukino asks her.
" Not just that, you're talking about a photo shoot, how long did you transport all of them here to even not think about taking a picture of it first...? " Yukino wonders about it.
" We're few on staff, some of them are taking rests, the sample is just too many, and the procedure always takes time to be perfect... "
" Well, that's research for you, any of the processes must be done with great attention to detail. "
" Didn't you know the procedures of research back in your Academic Days, I thought the basics of the research process had already been taught in basic science. " Liao Mei asks her.
" Yeah, but it's rare for us to read it or even be interested in it..., it's also rare for us to dream of becoming a scientist anyway... "
" Right, you Gen Z's... " Liao Mei sighs.
" What's the word 'Process' for you guys, you all get things in an 'Instant', screw the process, instant results. "
" Just like your recovery... " Liao Mei adds it to Yukino, referring to how much she was rejuvenated after days dwindling in the Gates' worlds. "
" I was lost, Doctor... "
" If it were not *humph* " Yukino is suddenly silent, her mouth refusing to say it.
"( Yukino... )" Sal told her from within.
"( I told you, no spilling, right? )" Sal tells her as he releases her when he knows she doesn't intend to say things about him anymore.
" What is it? " Liao Mei asks her.
" Nothing... " Yukino replied as calmly as she could.
" I'm your recovery Doctor, tell me if some of your systems suddenly had a problem... "
" Or perhaps there's something you need to tell me, something that I missed when returning you to this state. " Liao Mei says that but Yukino sighed and told her.
" It's nothing, Doctor... " she tells her.
" Everything is still in control, it's just. " Yukino looked at the paintings of blood in front of her, which is behind Liao Mei.
Liao Mei catches the notion and sees again the painting, placing her right hand on her waist, and looking at the picture once more.
" Yes, it is indeed a scary one... "
" So scary as I see it was made with such detail, don't forget, if it was made by real human blood, then the painters of this should get praise, his or her name shall be put in the 'World Records' even. "
" Painters? " Yukino asks.
" You expect one person to paint things like this? " Liao Mei asks, her logic is sound, there's no way a person, a human, had a sufficient blood supply that could paint paintings this large.
" Unless the painter had unlimited blood supply or may have the ability to regenerate and heal. "
" Speaking of painters, I also decided to ask some professional painters and artistic experts to interpret this for us, perhaps their view on art may help. " Liao Mei tells her decision.
" I'm not that interested in art, Doctor..., so I let you do the job. "
" Besides, back in my house, we believed Art and Entertainment were the jobs of the poor, the peasants. "
" My Mother would scorn me if I'm even dared to interested in Dramas or anything, saying it just a distraction for me. "
" Because of that..., I obeyed her and became like this... "
'Speaking of obeying, my Mother always advised me to train, so I'm going to train again to defeat the White Demon and- "
" I thought you were in the Girlband before.* " Liao Mei suddenly says that to Yukino pausing her movements.
Hearing that, Yukino froze despite not freezing herself with her own Blizzard, she looked back at Liao Mei who looked at her with a soft smile.
" What? You're telling me Girlbands are not part of Art and Entertainment? "
" You were internationally known, remember? " Liao Mei asks her that.
" I heard the band disbanded since you had to return to Japan per your Mother's orders, before coming back to Trinia, go to the Uni and walaa~..., "
" Became the S-Rank Hunter you are now. "
" Hmmm? " Liao Mei says that but it falls to cold ears, as the person she was referring to decides to leave her, despite things here that should interest her.
" I see, Mommy issues, huh? "
" Guess old customs and Gen Z will never mix, never. "
" If it does, then the denial-type will come as a result, I've seen this many times. " Liao Mei says that while deciding to continue her work in that place.
__________
Extra:
* I thought you were in the Girlband before.
This was mentioned in Chapter 202: "Ragna's Memo: Yukino Fubuki Part 3".