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Ugh, I can't figure it out…123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaGDIVNEGJ
11:00AM. In front of the company desk.
Other colleagues were either dealing with documentation or were caught up answering phone calls from clients. The company was busy preparing for a new product exhibition while negotiating a partnership deal with a major overseas client. Therefore, regardless of their seniority, everyone was swamped. The department manager had even given everyone a heads-up that they ought to be mentally prepared for overtime in the weeks to come.
My desk was piled with documents of all sorts, and the computer screen displayed several contract documents and a presentation that my boss had just sent over to me for review. Pondering, I sat in front of the computer, carefully reading every word on the screen ─ or at least, that seemed to be the case from others’ point of view, but my attention was actually drawn to a set of handwritten notes on my desk.
It was a summary of the information obtained during my battles against the ‘vampires’, including their magicae attributes, attack power, and behavioural patterns. With a pen in hand and a serious expression, I leaned my head on my wrist and studied its contents while everyone around me likely assumed I was contemplating how to modify the powerpoint presentation and diligently jotting my thoughts down on paper.
‘Pretending to work’ is a skill that every office worker must acquire! If you don't feel like working at certain times but can't make up a sound excuse to take a break, what should you do? Just pretend to be very busy; then your boss won't assign tasks to you that easily.
But first, I had to clarify: I was not ‘pretending to work’ just because I did not feel like working.
I already had thoughts on how to modify the presentation, and that was mostly done. However, if I returned the file to my boss too quickly, she would get an idea of my actual work efficiency and consequently tighten up the deadlines of future tasks assigned to me. So, to avoid shouldering more of a burden, this was a strategy I employed to buy myself some time and flexibility. Plus, with nothing else to work on at the moment, I had decided to dedicate my mind to personal matters.
It had been two weeks since the last battle against the ‘vampires’ in the back alley in North Point. During these two weeks, whenever I had free time, I would head out, try to locate the ‘vampires’, and fight them. Gradually, I began to grasp some of their characteristics; however, it was precisely these characteristics that plunged me into deeper thought.
Undoubtedly, the ‘vampires’ were Dark Creatures. They looked human on the outside, even while all of them were deceased, soulless beings. Seemingly without individual consciousness, these nocturnal creatures would attack and suck the blood of living beings based on instinct. Nonetheless, their attack power was extremely low – so much so that I could easily finish them with one or two simple spells every time. I had never encountered one with powers that could evenly match mine, nor one that could force me to unleash even a quarter of my power. Of course, the high extent of my magical powers accounted for some of this, but what I focused on was not the difference in strength between us - rather, it was the whereabouts of the blood they sucked.
According to the autopsy report provided by Mr. Chong, all those suspected of being killed by ‘vampires’ had one thing in common: over eighty percent of their blood was missing. Blood was the most important element in all living beings, and without blood, it would be impossible for one to stay alive. In the theory of magic, blood was the life source of every creature. Its presence and significance were equivalent to those of magical powers. In this sense, sucking blood meant absorbing magical powers. Based on the data provided by Mr. Chong, these ‘vampires’ have likely absorbed a considerable amount of magic over the years, with the total equivalent being to that of dark creatures of a higher rank. However, I had not yet sensed such a mass of magic from the creatures I have encountered in battle.
If it’s true that these creatures have sucked human blood, where exactly did the absorbed magic go? Was it immediately consumed as the body was incapable of storing it, or was it handed over to, possibly, a leader behind the scenes?
And if it’s the latter, this leader must be a very powerful Dark Creature. Would this being also be called a ‘vampire?’ Could it also be a soulless being?
Speaking of which, why should ‘vampires’ even be called ‘vampires’ in the first place?
When translating the word ‘vampire’ into Chinese, why not use a name like ‘blood-red demon’ instead of three characters carrying the meaning of ‘suck’, ‘blood’ and ‘ghost?’ Was it done deliberately?
Names carried considerable significance in the field of magic. To mages and magekas, names represented the essence of every living being, whether it was humans, animals, or magical creatures like ‘vampires’. They entailed every individual’s magic, existence, and their entirety; and at the same time, relative power was supplied to the beings. Plus, with how names also concealed important information about one’s identity, they were not to be altered nor called upon recklessly.
If we analyse the name ‘vampire’ separately, ‘suck blood’ refers to the behaviour of these creatures. But what about ‘ghosts’? Are they collectively addressed as ‘ghosts’ because they’re active at night, or is there a special purpose behind it?
However, there’s no use digging deep at this stage, because thus far I don’t even know the real names of those creatures. The only reason I’ve been addressing them as ‘vampires’ so far is because they behave like stereotypical ‘vampires’. It’s possible that they’re actually the real deal, but they also might not be.
The fact that my thoughts are stuck in a loop, and no solid conclusion is being drawn, is giving me a headache.
What can I do to break through the stagnation and uncover the truth about ‘vampires’ with Kou as soon as possible?
*BZZZ......*
At this moment, my phone’s screen lit up.
It was a message from Kou.
"Awoke?" I immediately perked up and replied.
I could really use some distractions right now. Anything is fine with me.
"Yeah...I’m beat…" she replied two minutes later. She must have just washed her face or brushed her teeth, I guessed.
"Are you done?" I asked instantly, staring at the screen without blinking, hoping she would type faster.
"Let's have lunch together later. Which restaurant would you prefer?" She did not answer my question right away, but asked for a lunch venue preference.
"I won’t have much time to spare, so I can’t really go too far. Let's just pick a restaurant in Two IFC," I said.
Although I did not have much work to do at the moment, my sixth sense told me that there would be a lot of incoming tasks in the afternoon. It would be an inconvenience if something happened to delay my return if we had lunch in a restaurant that was farther away. So, I suggested dining in the Two International Finance Centre located nearby.
"Well then... let's meet at the Japanese restaurant we went to last Monday," she replied.
After sending her a thumbs up emoji, I put down my phone at once, tucked away the set of personal notes on my desk, switched off my ‘pretending to work’ mode, and focused on finalising the presentation.
I guess Kou has something to show me later.
Only forty-five minutes away from lunchtime. Oooh I can’t wait!
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