Chapter 48 - Earth Intermission - 15
Entering the house, Vesper is taken aback by the grandeur of the mansion. Despite appearing as a 2,000-square-foot three-story luxury home from the outside, the interior seems to stretch far beyond that initial estimation.
The first reception room is a vast hall with indoor balconies on the second and third floors. Two side staircases lead up to these balconies, while a massive portrait of an elderly man decorates the inner wall. The ceiling mimics a cathedral's oval dome, showcasing water paintings of Heaven and angels.
However, what catches Vesper's attention are the three enormous eyeballs at the center of the dome ceiling. Unlike traditional angel depictions, these creatures have tentacles instead of wings, giving them an amusingly octopus-like appearance.
The elder butler, still armed with his double-barrel shotgun, sizes up Vesper with a hint of disapproval. He remarks in disdain.
"Seems you've chosen a greenhorn to escape from that world, Miss Ex-Hunter. You should have gone for someone seasoned. What a waste."
Alanna responds with a smirk, "Bend the tree when it is young. We can't bend an elder oak."
The butler nods in understanding. "True, veterans like us tend to grow complacent. I forgot about that."
Vesper, curious about their conversation, interjects, "What are you two discussing?"
The butler sighs, "Unfortunately, this young tree is not the smartest,"
Alanna, proud of her choice, winks at Vesper. "I can tell, but he is unique."
"Indeed, he is special," the butler shakes his head. "Gods are dead, and the universe is unfair. How many can he carry? Six or seven? My appraisal rune can't read his soul."
"Seven for now. But everything is just a shell. The real him has nine."
"Was he sealed?" The butler raises an eyebrow.
"More like brain damage or memory loss. He doesn't remember."
"Ah, I see. Quite unique indeed."
Alanna and the butler cease their small talk and ascend the stairs, making their way to the third floor.
As Vesper listens to their cryptic conversation, he furrows his brow in confusion. However, he soon dismisses their chatter as nonsense and joins them on the ascent to the third floor.
…
Upon reaching the third floor, the butler continues along the interior balcony walkway. He unlocks a wide door, leading to the east side of the building.
"Follow me. Do not touch anything along the way." the butler instructs as he leads the group forward.
Entering the door, they find themselves in a straight, long corridor that stretches towards a set of double doors at the far end. However, the corridor's walls are made of one-way glass, offering a view into the room beyond.
Vesper and Alanna's curiosity leads their eyes to wander, peering through the transparent walls. Inside, cubic cells hold prisoners who are bound by glowing purple chains.
Noticing their interest, the butler issues a warning. "Ignore those prisoners. They're sacrifices for my master's future rituals."
But Vesper, driven by his curiosity, refuses to heed the butler's advice. His left eye activates, scanning the prisoners to gather information.
.
General Information and Attributes
Name: Sam "the Zombie Lover" Aster
Career: Ex-Undertaker, Arch Lich
Strength: ????
Dexterity: ????
Vitality: ????
Stamina: ????
Aura: ????
.
Name: Richard "the Ghost Arsonist" Knox
Career: Ex-Firefighter, Serial Killer, Arcane Sorcerer
Strength: ????
Dexterity: ????
Vitality: ????
Stamina: ????
Mana: ????
.
Name: Mahat "the Woman Butcher" Hussar
Career: Ex-Butcher, Serial Killer, Rogue Knight
Strength: ????
Dexterity: ????
Vitality: ????
Stamina: ????
Aura: ????
.
Vesper is surprised when he realizes he can't see anybody's status attributes. He wonders why everyone here has a title and nickname.
"Why does everybody here have a nickname?" Vesper asks curiously.
The butler turns around, glaring at Vesper as he warns him, "I said, ignore them. Do you want to die?!"
"Err, I'm sorry? What? Why would I die if I look at them?" Vesper is taken aback.
Alanna places a hand on Vesper's shoulder and whispers, imparting an important lesson.
"My dear, those people are 'graduated' survivors. Their stats are superior to yours, and some of them can teleport like me. That's why the prison requires a special security system, which can also harm the wardens and guests if we're not careful."
"Security system?" Vesper gulps nervously. "But why use glass walls if they don't want us to see them? And why not imprison them underground or somewhere more secure if they're so dangerous? I don't get it."
The butler rolls his eyes at Vesper's questions. "Youngsters these days have no idea how proper security works. Stop looking at them and pay attention to the corridor before you attract that psychopath nun."
"Oh."
Vesper turns his gaze away from the prisoners and focuses on the corridor. However, a sudden chill runs down his spine as his Scardy Cat rune activates automatically.
Without even looking, Vesper senses a dangerous presence glaring at him from the other side of the wall.
Alanna lets out a deep sigh, whispering a warning as she anticipates what might happen.
"Whatever you do, do not respond or make eye contact with her. DO NOT USE YOUR EYE SKILLS!"
"…"
As Alanna's warning echoes in Vesper's mind, a stone statue of a 7-foot-tall blindfolded nun suddenly teleports in front of him. Despite her pretty face and slender figure, she wields an iron mace in her left hand and a sledgehammer in her right. Her entire stone form is soaked in dried black blood while her mace is dripping red juice as if she recently bashed somebody's head not long ago.
Leaning forward like a slithering snake, the statue towers over Vesper. The blindfolded nun tilts her upper torso, and her voice echoes in the corridor as she questions Vesper.
"Sinner? Are you a sinner?"
"…"
Nobody speaks a word. Even Alanna freezes in place. Vesper shuts his eyes and holds his breath as if he were a statue himself.
Contrary to their stillness, the stone statue's eyes snap open. Its neck stretches and coils around Vesper and Alanna while she sniffs them.
"I smell a sinner... a weird sinner," the statue muses aloud. "The woman has been baptized. The man has also been baptized. But why do I detect sin? Is there a runaway prisoner here?"
Alanna flinches, covering her face with her hands. The butler drops to the ground, and his face presses against the floor. Vesper, however, keeps his eyes shut, though his left eye's vision pierces through his eyelid, witnessing the bizarre scene.
In a brief moment, Vesper's gaze meets the statue's eyes. The nun statue chuckles and leans closer to Vesper, her coiled neck tightening around him.
"I SEE YOUR SOUL! CONFESS YOUR SIN!!"
Abruptly, the statue transforms into white smoke, entering Vesper's body through his left eye.
Startled, Vesper staggers backward.
But he feels nothing.
Confused, Vesper blinks open his eyes.
"…Huh?"
The butler and Alanna glance around but find no trace of the statue. Both baffled, they exchange bewildered looks.
"What just happened?" Vesper asks Alanna.
"That's what I wanna know. Butler, where did the reverse weeping angel go?" Alanna queries, her voice tinged with panic.
The butler, still on the ground, confesses, "The nun always indiscriminately killed anyone who met her gaze, even fellow Tarnished Saint Faction members. That monster was the captured slave from the 99th stage that my master got when he graduated! Her purpose is to hunt and purge sinners!"
"But where is she now?"
Meanwhile, Vesper rubs his left eye, trying to make sense of what he just witnessed.
The nun statue slipped into his eyeball and vanished without a trace. However, he finds himself at a loss for words to explain this bizarre occurrence.
Fortunately, his system steps in to provide some clarity.
*DING*
"..."
Vesper remains speechless, struggling to find words to describe the strange turn of events. He's still trying to comprehend what exactly the nun was doing inside his body.
"Um... guys..." Vesper's wry smile conveys his confusion. "I think I know where she went."