Chapter 263 Vampires in the Church
Angel arrived at the Harvest Church in the South Bridge area early Thursday morning.
Before leaving, she put on the Madness Ring again and saw in the half-length mirror that her appearance had changed back to that featureless woman with black hair, freckles, and a round face. However, the "Erin Watson" in the mirror today looked a little better. Angel guessed that this was probably a change brought about by the promotion to Sequence 6, and even psychological disguise could not completely suppress it.
"Father Utravsky, hello, we meet again."
She took advantage of the fact that not many believers came to pray in the early morning and greeted the priest who was already cleaning.
The latter put down the rag he was using to wipe the candlestick and looked back at Angel.
"Hello, I didn't expect we would meet again. Are you lost again?"
Angel got a little angry when she mentioned getting lost. She took out the master key that had cost her so much money to hire a carriage, waved it in front of the priest, and said with suppressed anger:
"This key has gotten me lost countless times, but today I came here on my own initiative. I need to know its origins and how to resolve the 'curse' on it."
If the problem of the master key cannot be solved, she will have to use it with caution, and she may not even be able to carry this magical item with her most of the time, which will greatly reduce its value. After all, when she really needs to go through a wall, open a door or pick a lock, she cannot go home to get the key.
Moreover, the strange red color when she was promoted yesterday was probably caused by the influence when Angel was divining the origin of the key. This made her suspect that the curse of the master key might be related to the blood moon.
Even thinking further, is it the blood moon that causes the out-of-control performance during promotion, or is it my own promotion that causes the temporary blood moon?
The latter was a bit too shocking. The fact that the Tarot Club's magician also sought refuge in the gray fog indicated that the blood moon that suddenly appeared last night wasn't just her "exclusive" phenomenon, but a real change that could affect others as well. Could the promotion of a Sequence 7 trigger such an unusual astronomical phenomenon?
While thinking, Angel saw the priest instructing another priest to continue cleaning, then he waved to her and walked to the back of the church.
Following the priest, the two men passed through the living area at the back, walked down a narrow staircase to the underground, and stopped in front of a stone door.
"That 'Master Key' is not mine. It came from a vampire who got lost and broke into the church. He is behind this door."
It seems that what Pharmacist Darkwill said was true. There is indeed an unlucky vampire imprisoned in the church...
Angel was sighing when a loud rebuttal came from behind the door:
"What vampire? Call me a vampire, a noble vampire! And why should a vampire be locked up in a basement by you, listening to your sermons every day, and asking me to convert to the Mother Earth?
"We all worship the moon, it's impossible for us to change our beliefs. Give up as soon as possible and let me out!"
"us?"
Angel repeated, could it be that this vampire knew more of his kind?
The sound behind the door stopped abruptly, and then there was a strange rustling sound.
"I'm not discriminating against other races, but he happened to be craving blood when he came to the church. I locked him up here to prevent him from hurting others, and occasionally I would draw some of my own blood for him."
The priest explained.
"Bah! I don't want to drink your blood, old man. What I need is the blood of a beautiful girl!"
The vampire couldn't help but speak again.
Watching the two people's skillful conversation, it seemed that this kind of conversation was not the first time it had happened.
Angel turned his head to observe the basement and found that the holy emblem of life was engraved all around and on the stone door. It and other symbols together sealed the room behind the door, forcing the strong vampire to refute the priest's words with words instead of trying to escape.
"I came to you for a magical key that can open all locks and pass through most walls. I heard that it was with this key that you got lost in the Harvest Church?"
She asked, interrupting the chattering vampire.
There was a moment of silence, and then a chuckle came from behind the door.
"Oh, that's true. As long as you rescue me, I will tell you everything. I can also give you the key directly."
But I already have the key, so your asking price is a bit too bold...
Angel covered the pocket containing the master key, looked back at the priest standing silently beside him, and came up with a plan in his mind.
"Father, do you still have that nightmare candle with you?"
Father Utravsky, a former pirate, quickly reacted to Angel's gaze, nodded, and replied:
"I always carry it with me, what do you need it for?"
"It seems this friend isn't cooperating. I plan to use this magical item to delve directly into his soul. It might also have some implications for your upcoming sermon..."
"Wait, wait!" Angel hadn't finished speaking when the vampire's panicked shout came from behind the door. "What candle? What are you doing?"
"I'm looking for matches. Do you have any?"
"I'm telling you, you two lunatics, stop using those candles!"
The few words heard through the stone door allowed the vampire to unleash his boundless imagination, frightened himself, and then quickly succumbed.
In his narration, Angel quickly learned the origins of the Master Key.
Over a month ago, the vampire who called himself "Emlyn White" was drinking blood from a vial at a South Side hospital when he encountered a thief who was using a "master key" to break into a house and got lost. He bumped into Emlyn and was caught red-handed. He was only allowed to leave after handing over his key.
The thief had discovered this strange brass key in the basement during another burglary. Initially, he thought it corresponded to a specific lock in the house, but upon testing, he discovered it could open every lock and every door. Using this universal key, the thief roamed the streets and alleys of Backlund, stealing every night and repeatedly succeeding, until he was caught red-handed by Emlyn.
After listening to Emlyn's words, Angel leaned against the stone door and thought carefully.
It seems the thief found the key in the home of a member of the Abraham family who died after taking the potion. As the first owner, he got lost and was captured by Emlyn. Emlyn, who also used the master key to steal blood for his own use, eventually got lost in the Harvest Church and was imprisoned there by Father Utravsky...
The third holder of the key—well, to be more precise, the fourth after the priest—was me. I had already encountered a demon dog while lost. If it weren't for Detective Moriarty, I would have found it difficult to deal with that Sequence 6 "demon" on my own...
Could it be that this master key has the tendency to kill its holder, and the so-called getting lost is just one of the manifestations of this tendency, which will lead the holder to nearby danger without his knowledge?
No wonder Ms. Bernadette, who's suspected to be a High-Sequence Expert, told me to use it less. Not only did I ignore her, I even carried it with me every day. The end result was that I nearly died yesterday while advancing to Sequence 6...
"Hey, hey, are you still there? I've already said it, can you let me out now?"
The silence outside the door made the vampire Emlyn White ask a question with a hint of panic.
"We were still here. Didn't you ask the thief where he got the key?"
Angel continued to ask.
"Of course I did ask him. He said it was at 48 Riverbend Avenue in the South District. Before I could go there, I was locked up here. Hey, we agreed on this. I told you everything. Let me out now!"
This slightly hesitant answer, which quickly changed the subject, made Angel feel a little strange. She untied the silver chain on her wrist and performed a quick divination with the pendulum. The conclusion was very obvious: Emlyn had lied about the address.
"Father, please come here," Angel first said loudly, and walked up the stairs a few steps with the priest. Then he continued in a voice that could just be heard behind the door, "That vampire is lying. He probably gave a false address, or even the address where his companions are hiding, hoping to trick me there. Then his companions will catch me and ask for his location."
"He's certainly not been very honest," Father Utravsky said, grinning as he agreed with Angel. "I'll check out this address later. Maybe I can capture a few more vampires and add some more believers to the Mother Goddess."
He didn't seem to be acting; he really wanted to fill the basement with vampires and convert them to the Earth Mother...
Angel watched as the priest's smile faded and his face became serious, and he suddenly became alert.
Their deliberate "loud plotting" made Emlyn, who was probably lying behind the stone door, listening carefully to the movements outside, shout:
"Are you still there? Damn it, I was just kidding you. That's not the address. It's 32 Wildey Street in the South Bridge District, not Riverbend Avenue!"
This time it should be true.
Angel returned to the stone gate with a smile and said in a voice just loud enough for the other party to hear:
"Thank you, Mr. Vampire."
"If you want to thank me, get me out of here!"
Emlyn replied unhappily.
"As long as you convert to Mother God, you can leave the basement immediately," the priest followed and replied, "It's time for our daily sermon again. Today we will continue studying the contents of the Bible of Life."
There was a sound of a vampire gasping from behind the door.
"Do you want to listen to it together?"
The priest sat directly on the steps in front of the door. His tall body contrasted with the low steps, making him look as if he was squatting rather than sitting. Then the devout believer looked at Angel who was about to leave and asked.
"Thank you. I am a believer of the goddess."
Seeing that he seemed to be intending to lock him up and "reform" him together, Angel quickly revealed his identity.
In the Kingdom of Loen, the Church of Mother Earth, which was in a weak position in religious status, would try its best to avoid conflict with the three major churches. Even people like Father Utravsky did the same. This was how Angel was able to leave the basement.
"Wait, don't go... Remember, my name is Emlyn White, remember..."
Many followers of the Earth Mother were already holding mass in the church. The Holy Symbol of Life hanging above the altar emitted a faint light under Angel's spiritual vision, which made Emlyn's curse, which could barely be heard from the basement, gradually become lower and finally disappeared.
No wonder this vampire was imprisoned for so long without being discovered by the believers above. It seems that the holy symbols and other charms of the Earth Mother Goddess can be strengthened by the prayers of believers. The more people there are, the harder it is to hear his cries for help. What a clever design...
Angel watched the believers praying thoughtfully, and left the Harvest Church after a while.
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