Chris, Leo, and Ray finally returned to their rest room and entered their room. Chris was still carrying the unconscious elf girl in his arms. Due to her weakened condition, she had yet to wake up.
Walking over to one of the beds, Chris carefully laid her down and covered her with a blanket. After that, Leo and Ray sat on a nearby bed while Chris joined them a moment later.
For a while, neither Leo nor Ray spoke. The idea that someone could completely take another person's face was something they had never even heard of before.
Seeing their confused expressions, Chris rubbed his forehead and sighed.
"I know both of your brains have probably stopped working after seeing all that," he said with a tired smile. "Trust me, I understand."
The three shifted their positions and sat in a circle on the bed. After taking a deep breath, Chris finally began explaining.
"Leo. Ray. Look at my finger."
The two immediately looked toward Chris's right hand. There was a small cut on his index finger, and tiny drops of dried blood could still be seen.
"When I picked up the elf girl and turned around, I saw the carriage driver's face," Chris explained. "It was the same person who brought us from town to the 9th Division."
Leo and Ray listened quietly while Chris continued.
"The moment I saw him, I felt something was wrong. Then when we left the 9th Division, the same carriage appeared again. There was no way that was just a coincidence."
Chris raised his injured finger slightly.
"So I made a small cut and let some blood drip out. The moment that driver noticed the blood, he immediately lowered his cap and tried to hide his face."
A faint smile appeared on Chris's face.
"And at that moment, my suspicions were confirmed."
Leo let out a long sigh and leaned back.
"You could've at least warned us. My heart nearly stopped because of your stunt."
Chris chuckled.
"You haven't even seen half the things I usually do."
Ray ignored their banter and asked the question that had been bothering him.
"Forget that. What about the symbol on that cultist's hand?"
Leo immediately nodded.
"Yeah. We never saw that mark on the other cultists."
Chris tapped his forehead a few times while trying to remember something. Seeing that, Leo narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Inside his mind, he thought,
He's definitely casting some kind of magic spell.
A few seconds later, Chris suddenly snapped his fingers.
"I remembered."
Leo immediately raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.
"Wait... you weren't using a spell?"
Chris stared at him for a moment.
"Why would I do that? There was no need."
Before Leo could reply, Ray interrupted.
"Leo, be quiet. Chris remembered something important."
Leo slowly turned toward Ray with a betrayed expression.
"Are you my friend or Chris's friend?"
Ray blinked.
"What kind of question is that?"
Leo crossed his arms.
"I see. So you've chosen your side."
Ray looked completely confused.
"What side?"
Seeing the two argue over something ridiculous, Chris burst out laughing. He even had to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye.
"Enough. If you two keep going, I won't be able to stop laughing."
The room quickly became quiet again. Chris's expression slowly turned serious.
"What I'm about to tell you is important, so remember it carefully."
Both Leo and Ray nodded.
"When I was studying at the academy, I once found a book in the library that contained the same symbol we saw on that cultist's hand."
The atmosphere inside the room immediately changed.
"And that symbol belonged to a Demon Goddess."
The moment those words left his mouth, both Leo and Ray became serious.
"A Demon Goddess?" they asked together.
Chris nodded.
"According to the book, that symbol belongs to a blood-worshipping Demon Goddess. Anyone who devotes themselves to her loses the ability to drink normal water."
Leo frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The only thing that can satisfy their thirst is blood," Chris replied. "Water, juice, or any other drink becomes useless to them."
Ray looked disturbed.
"So they're basically vampires?"
Chris immediately shook his head.
"No. They aren't vampires. Vampires drink blood because it is part of their nature. But these people drink blood because they worship that Demon Goddess. Their faith forces them to consume blood, making them completely different from vampires."
He leaned back slightly before continuing.
"The Demon Goddess herself survives only on blood. Because of that, everyone who worships and follows her is forced to do the same. Blood becomes the only thing capable of satisfying their thirst, while water and most other drinks become nothing more than poison to them. Over time, their bodies adapt to this unnatural lifestyle, causing their sense of smell to become terrifyingly sharp. They can detect the scent of blood from incredible distances."
Silence filled the room for a few seconds.
"And then?" Leo asked.
Chris awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"And then... nothing."
Leo blinked.
"What do you mean nothing?"
"The next page was torn out."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"I'm serious," Chris replied. "I only picked that book up because I was bored. I read a few pages and put it back."
Leo and Ray exchanged glances.
"A page doesn't just tear itself out."
Suddenly, something clicked inside Leo's mind.
"Wait."
He immediately turned toward Ray.
"Do you remember the Gravity Mage from our first year at the academy?"
Ray's eyes widened.
"The guy who stole a page from the library?"
Chris looked confused.
"Can one of you explain what you're talking about?"
Ray nodded.
"A few days after we joined the academy, someone tore a page out of one of the library books and ran away with it."
Chris frowned.
"What was written on that page?"
Leo answered.
"We didn't know at first. Later, after investigating, we found out he was trying to bring his dead family back to life."
Chris's eyes widened slightly.
"What?"
Leo continued.
"He created a massive magic circle. According to witnesses, something started emerging from it."
"What kind of thing?"
"A giant hand."
The room immediately fell silent.
Chris rubbed his temples before speaking.
Wait... a spell that can bring someone back from the dead actually exists
" But the book containing that spell is one of the most protected treasures in existence. Only kings are allowed to read it."
His voice became more serious.
"Even the Emperors aren't allowed to touch that book. There's no way a spell like that could end up inside an academy library."
Leo and Ray exchanged uneasy glances.
"If it wasn't a resurrection spell..."
Ray slowly swallowed.
"Then what exactly did that person steal?"