The Old Royal Capital, Tallo.
The chilly streets were deserted, every household's doors tightly shut. Even starving stray dogs, reduced to skin and bones, did not dare run into the streets. It was late at night, and "monsters" prowled here.
In reality, that was only a rumor. Over the past few years, the number of people who had gone missing in the Old Royal Capital was several times greater than the number who had died from hunger, disease, and corruption combined. The phenomenon was especially rampant at night.
The reason was that the Soul Bell Tower had seemingly withdrawn from the Old Royal Capital, but had actually made it its base of operations. It did not need the place to prosper, nor did it need order. As long as ordinary people continued living here, it would not stop.
It was less a matter of ruling than of "preying." The Old Royal Capital was a mildly corrupted region, and as long as the corruption did not worsen, ordinary people could continue living here.
It was not that they did not want to flee; they simply had no choice. At least in the Old Royal Capital, Tallo, they could struggle to survive. If they ran into the wilderness, they might encounter those corrupted, foul-smelling, rotting monsters.
On Twinmoon Street, inside Duva Clinic.
The name Duva Vaughn was widely known throughout the Old Royal Capital. As a doctor, he was already notorious.
Doctor Vaughn's medical skills were "superb." He was best known for two treatments: bloodletting and amputation. Internal diseases were treated with bloodletting, while external diseases were treated with amputation.
Unless a patient had only one breath left in them, they would not be sent to Duva Clinic for Doctor Vaughn to treat. Even so, Doctor Vaughn still had many patients. His