Chapter 14
“Mr. and Mrs. White, the biopsy is done. But the results will take 2 to 3 weeks.” Nathan said as he came out of the procedure room.
Vincent frowned.
“Dr., can we speak about making it a bit faster?”
“Well Mr.White, we absolutely can speak about it but I'll let you know that some procedures will still take time.”
“Do what you can.”
“Very well I'll pull a few strings, and ask the pathology to prioritise the specimen.”
“Thank you.”
The door creaked open, Asmodeus had a doubt.
“Dr. Human?”
“Nathan. And why are you walking? Get back to the bed.”
“It doesn't hurt now, so I came to say something.”
“Are you sure? Well then, what did you want to ask?”
“Can I go home now?”
“You have severe anemia, you even fainted
We need to observe you a bit more.”
“Can I go home and make you a video call?”
“That is not how it works.”
“Why?”
“Because if something goes wrong, we cannot take immediate action.”
“That's a valid reason.”
‘This kid accepts answers? I'm learning something new.’
“Sir, are you uncomfortable here?”
“Kinda… I can't annoy Lucy here.”
“Your sister?”
“No, it's the family cat.” Cassandra answered.
“Ah, I see. Though you still have to stay here overnight and you'll be discharged day after tomorrow.”
“Damn.”
***
Back in the ward, Asmodeus had quite a few questions for Vincent.
“Dad, do you remember Crow?”
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“Crow? I've seen crows but why?”
“No no, from your childhood.”
“Kid, we did not have a crow. We only had a dog named Tommy, who was a good boy and liked biscuits.”
“Dad, not the dog. Your grandpa, Crow.”
“My grandparents weren't birds kid—wait, do you mean Christopher, my grandfather?”
“Yes Crow. Do you know anything about him?”
“Kid that's your great-grandfather. Show some respect. Also so he was a lot like you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Both of you are obsessed with fantasy. Especially vampires.”
“Oh so that's where our kid got his obsession from.”
‘Didn't Crow write that it should be kept a secret?’
“I don't like that comparison. Anyway, dad did he really tell you about vampires?”
“Yes he did, a lot to be honest. How bad they were and how we shouldn't be like vampires and all.”
‘And then he asked me to keep it a secret. What a hypocrite’
“Though, sweetie, why are suddenly asking about your great-grandfather?”
“For no reason at all. Just wanted to know.”
“Wait a second, where did you even hear about him?”
“I don't really remember…”
“That's strange. Alright then, I still have to go to work, I'll meet you later kid.”
“Bye dad.”
Vincent ruffled Asmodeus hair and Asmodeus immediately tried to salvage his hairstyle, getting a small chukle out of Cassandra.
“You're gonna stay here mom?”
“Why you don't want me to?”
“That's not what I meant.”
“Well I do actually have to go. The clothes aren't sewing themselves now, are they?”
“Take care mom.”
Once the door shut, Asmodeus kept staring at it for quite a while, as if someone might come in at any time.
Confirming no one would enter, he looked down at his right hand, shifting his attention to the ring.
‘Let's see, the ring acts as a key to that space. And I didn't clearly choose a door last time.
Will the first choice be considered or will both doors be available.’
‘Also for how long should I be gone this time?’
The tablet displayed 11:53 a.m.
“Half an hour seems reasonable. Wait can I take this with me? And if I leave it out here, can I hear the alarm?”
“What if digital stuff doesn't work there?”
“Damn I have more questions than answers.”
Asmodeus’ eyes fell on the wall clock.
“That'll work.”
Asmodeus got up from his bed and using the visitor chair as a stepping stool, he swiftly collected his clock.
Coming back to the bed, hugged the clock tight in his left arm and looked at the ring.
“Alright, ring, take me to Crow's sub-space.”
“...”
The ring turned a deaf ear to his requests. Perhaps it didn't recognise any crows.
“Maybe it's because of the clock? But that doesn't make sense though. If objects can't be taken, then I'd be naked the last time I went there.”
“You need more specifications or something? Alright then, ring take me and this clock to Christopher Whittington Rosenvein's sub-space.”
This time the ring reacted. Asmodeus once again sensed the feeling of the fabric exchange.
The same white room appeared and this time too there were the same two doors in front of him.
“Oh, the doors stayed. Guess it wasn't a choice trial after all.”
Asmodeus looked down and found that the clock had travelled with him too.
“So it was about the specifications… wait does that mean, I'm still the decendent and not the inheritor?”
“Why does this ring not come with a manual?”
“Anyway, I left that book in the hall so let's go there.”
Asmodeus placed the clock on the ground. He picked the book up and perched against the wall nearby.
“Which page? Ah… this one.”
[Now I'll begin the explanation about vampires.
Vampires are similar yet different from humans. They can't produce their own blood. And back in Velacia, we produced blood by processing a plant called blood vein.]
“Wait so vampires are vegetarian or something? Also how are you getting blood from plants and couldn't animal blood satisfy you guys?”
[The animals ate the plant while we processed it. I don't know how the specialists did it, I was a duke not a worker.
As for the language, I'll teach it to you in another book. We spoke a language called Hedhret in the kingdom, Ysvera, the one I was part of. As for other languages, you don't really need to know all the languages of that planet.]
“Hey I'm not done with the blood part yet, Crow. And now you're talking about language?”
“Crow, you are answering me less and making me question more.”
“I'll read that languages book later, for now I wanna know what's happening to me.”
[As long as Hedhret hasn't changed much since my time, you'll have no trouble communicating there.
But I'd advise against going to that planet.]
“So you want me to stay on Terris and become an immortal lab-rat?”
[While that said, you should also know about how we vampires increase our life span.]
“...”
“The WHAT?!”
[Oh and I've read human tales on how vampires live forever but that's an exaggeration. The base life span of a vampire is just a thousand years.]
“Just a thousand. Crow is your metric system broken?”
[So vampires increase their lifespans by making their souls nether rich, it in return strengthens their body making them live longer.
Wait have I talked about nether?]
“No! You haven't.”
[I don't remember. I'll just give you a quick explanation on it.]
“Finally.”
[It is the energy that you can use to strengthen yourself and cast spells.]
“So basically mana? Do I also sit down and try to take it in or something?”
[It's simple in theory, you sit down, feel it around yourself and try to guide it into your soul.]
“I never thought reading fantasy would help me so much.”
[Feeling nether is innate. But the hardest part is guiding it into the soul.]
“Wait isn't it supposed to be heart? Or maybe lower abdomen? What happens if you don't guide it to soul?”
[If you don't guide it to soul and it attacks your brain instead, you become a mindless living being who just keeps attacking everything.]
“Okay that's scary. I don't wanna read anymore.”
Asmodeus closed the book and glanced at the clock. It showed 12:25 p.m.
“It's almost half an hour, let's go back
Damned crow scared me.”
Asmodeus asked the ring to take him and the clock back.
Hanging the clock on the wall, he sat on his bed and picked up his tablet.
However, the tablet displayed 11:54 a.m.
“What the…”