After sneaking into Crowley Steam Bathhouse, Shade and Mr. Bernhardt entered the secret passage again and made their way to the area the black cat's soul had guided them to yesterday. The slain monster's corpse still lay on the ground. After confirming that the ritual they had left behind yesterday had not been triggered, they began one final attempt to investigate this place that seemed devoid of clues.
The two split up. Mr. Bernhardt used his Bloodkin talents to search for hidden bloodstains, while Shade walked through various places and listened with "Echoes of the Past."
But too much time had passed since the incident, so his listening did not yield any more useful clues. Mr. Bernhardt, on the other hand, successfully discovered something unusual, though it was not a bloodstain.
"How is this possible?"
He crouched beside the monster's corpse and, wearing gloves, cut open the area around its heart. He had already crushed the creature's heart during yesterday's battle, yet he could still use his blood-controlling talent to draw a drop of blood from where the heart had been. It was no ordinary blood; its crystalline clarity was remarkably uncanny.
"What does this blood mean?"
Shade, who had found nothing, asked. Mr. Bernhardt's expression had already darkened.
"The Bloodkin race generally possesses a degree of immortality, but that is really only because our regenerative ability is exceptionally strong. The heart and head are fatal weak points. The brain needs no explanation, while the heart stores the Bloodkin's most fundamental power, which can usually manifest in the form of blood. I merely wanted to see what was going on with this mongrel's blood, but I never expected to extract Blood Essence."
He did not explain what "Blood Essence" was.
"The Dragon Devouring Order used Bloodkin blood for Human Transmutation.