Vol·2 [Christmas Eve]

The Rolls-Royce was parked on the south bank of the Thames River.

You can see the history museum on the opposite bank from the pier.

Winston was a little nervous--

--Because along the way, as he chatted and joked with Robert Tang Ning, he suddenly realized that all the boasts he had ever made in his life seemed so pale and powerless.

The two arrived at the third pier and headed towards the Imperial War Museum.

They talked about work in fits and starts.

"Young Master, you've always told me that there's a spiral staircase leading underground in the Imperial War Museum."

"Right."

"This story is too bizarre; I find it hard to believe."

"Seeing is believing."

"I felt both anticipation and regret."

"What's there to regret, Winston?"

"I regret living so long only to meet you, young master."

The two followed the line of passengers onto the deck of the Belfast battleship —the Imperial War Museum.

Tang Ning showed his Security check Braille card to the station staff, and an armed employee came to escort the two distinguished guests into the cabin, where they found the sliding door and the iron-walled passageway.

The armed employees escorted them to this point in the passageway; the passengers had to walk the rest of the way on their own.

Winston felt utterly magical; he was like Alice falling down the Rabbit Hole, his long-awaited adventures about to begin.

Judging from the shape of the observation windows on both sides of the passageway, it looks like it was pieced together from the rest areas of many submarines. At first, the path is steep and rapid, and the sound of footsteps changes from crisp to muffled, which means that you have stepped onto a stable riverbed.

Walking another 800 meters or so, this seemingly endless steel corridor transforms into a semi-transparent, dark green glass dome.

Winston stared in disbelief; it was the Dadu beneath the London Tower.

The Thames River connects to an underground reservoir, and following this tunnel, it transforms into a waterfall with a drop of nearly 1,000 meters, cascading into the underground city's water circulation system.

At the end of the waterfall is the Baptism Pool of the Sky Station.

--The first place each passenger arrives at after exiting the passageway.

It was a huge pond containing about 40 tons of disinfectant water, made by diluting White Lady's products at a concentration of about 3%. The water was just deep enough to reach the guests' knees.

Its luxurious decor far exceeded Winston's imagination of extravagance and wealth. As he passed this inevitable path, Winston looked down at the decorations in the pool, which were twenty-four silver cat statues, spouting cool water from their mouths.

Tang Ning grabbed Uncle Winston's arm, and the two waded through the water, one step deep and one step shallow.

"This is the station's antivirus program. Any vampire that dares to step into this sacred place will be turned into a pile of minced meat in the Baptism Pool."

Winston immediately put his mind to work, unleashing his wonderful imagination.

"Don't vampires fly?"

Tang Ning immediately pointed to the rock walls surrounding the Baptism Pool, where red monitor lights shone from the relief murals depicting giant figures, and spoke to the butler.

"Being able to fly is useless, why don't you try jumping?"

Winston stepped out of the Baptism Pool and hopped around a few times on the marble tiles.

--A temperature gun extended from the giant's Barry and "beeped" at the mischievous guest.

"If your body temperature drops below 20 degrees Celsius," Tang Ning said with a meaningful smile, "The temperature guns in the mouths of these relief sculptures will be replaced with Phalanx CIWS—do you know what Phalanx CIWS is?"

Winston nodded immediately. "It's a 20mm naval close-in weapon system."

"Many decommissioned ship equipment eventually end up here, continuing to protect the British Empire," Tang Ning said as he continued leading the way.

After passing through the secondary hall and lounge of the Baptism Pool, there is a huge tower.

It runs almost through the entire Sky Station, like the Tower of Babel in Babylon.

Tang Ning, acting as the tour guide, spoke to Winston about the history of the place.

"Above us is the London Tower. Following this tower down leads to the area under the jurisdiction of Sky Station, which is called [Rain City], or the City of Tears."

Winston walked down the stairs, looking at the view outside the tower windows.

It was a vast, Sauvage plain, and from a height of over a thousand meters, one could see the distant scenery.

The sound of a train came from the depths of the earth, the rails rumbling and the whistle echoing in the distance.

"This tower is called [Arthur] – it's four hundred meters tall," Tang Ning gestured, describing it as, "About a hundred stories high, which we'll have to climb step by step on our own two feet."

Winston was embarrassed. "Didn't the property management think of adding an elevator?"

Tang Ning gave a strange look. "It might be some weird sense of ritual at play. Arthur Tower has a one-way elevator."

Before the words had even finished --

--A gleaming golden birdcage rapidly rose from the center of the giant tower.

It came and went quickly, and the passengers were like riding a roller coaster, pulled by a huge force from the bottom of the tower, soaring into the sky at almost sixty kilometers per hour.

Winston leaned against the spiral staircase railing of the tower and looked up. This one-way elevator consisted of two steel cables and a simple pulley system. One end was connected to a strange golden skull, and the other end was a birdcage elevator.

Whenever a guest enters the elevator from the bottom of the tower, the golden skull will fall from the height, and natural gravity will pull this golden birdcage down to the ground.

A long, drawn-out bell rang from the deep pit of the tower, as if it were the sound of the golden skull striking the iron urn.

Tang Ning explained, "The boss calls this ceremony a Christmas gift."

Winston asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Tang Ning continued, "Passengers exit the Merlin Elevator, leaving the Sky Station, returning from Hell to Earth, and from Earth to Heaven. They return from Rain City to the Belfast —the bells signify the passing of Christmas Eve and the approach of dawn."

Winston: "Why use a skull to ring a bell?"

Tang Ning was pondering and recalling. This naive young man hadn't read much about the history of the station since leaving the Great Library, so he could only piece together a relatively vague answer.

"It might be a story from Celtic Mythology, where the spirits of warriors return to the Nine Heavens, using the skulls of their enemies as goblets—when the goblets fall, bells toll, and birds, carrying their cages, fly into the sky, eventually breaking free of their confinement and returning to their homeland."

Winston's eyes lit up with anticipation. "That's interesting."

Tang Ning started muttering to herself, looking at the endless staircase. "But I have to say, this path is really difficult to walk on. For an overweight guy like me, going down a hundred floors in a row would definitely make his knees hurt all day."

Once the master and servant reached the area of Tear City, they stopped there.

Further down is the station's jurisdiction. Winston has no Inspiration, no clairvoyance, and cannot see the inverted pentagram mark on the ticket; he can only move around in the Tear City.

Tang Ning and Winston boarded the bus.

--On the bus, Winston would meet many strange and unusual people.

Like the young master, most of these people were dressed in beige long robes. They spoke very little, but made a lot of small gestures.

For example, writing or drawing in a journal, or sending and receiving messages on your phone.

Their jewelry looked expensive and exquisite, and their perfume, shirts, shoes, socks, scarves, and bags were all high-end items.

Tang Ning said to Winston, "Uncle Spencer, I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Winston immediately replied, "That's exactly why I came."

Tang Ning continued, "I'm afraid there's danger."

Winston then replied, "I have thwarted the danger; I have been waiting for this opportunity for over twenty years."

So, Tang Ning then told Winston his story in its entirety.

Including Masha, his vampire ex-girlfriend.

This includes why one would buy a villa in the London suburbs.

Including how this Rolls-Royce was purchased.

This includes the source of the money and the true identity of the BOSS.

After listening for a while, Winston could roughly understand how intense the hatred in this kid's heart was.

He thought about how he could find the love of his dreams.

After years of devoted companionship, only to discover that the lover who shared your bed should have been sent to a museum as an artifact, and ultimately died before your eyes because of this tragic and hateful curse, is something that probably no one could accept.

After Tang Ning explained all the rules of the underworld to Winston.

The bus had stopped near a cemetery in Shakespeare District.

Tang Ning instructed, "I'm going to take care of some business; you don't need to come along."

Winston nodded. "To find the vampire henchmen who stole the corpses?"

Tang Ning nodded in agreement.

Winston pressed, "What am I supposed to do in the cemetery?"

Tang Ning: "Keep watch for me. It's a simple job—you don't need to put yourself in danger. If there are any other suspicious people or suspicious noises, blow the whistle immediately. If these suspicious things are sensitive to the whistle, ring the bell."

He handed Winston the Summoning Bell and whistle, adding, "Ring the bell first, then call me."

When Winston received the Summoning Bell, a heavy sense of responsibility suddenly weighed on his heart.

"Yes, young master, I hope you have a Christmas Eve."

The old man stood beside the large iron fence of the cemetery, looking out at the dark and deep mass grave and the petrified forest two kilometers away. He finally came back to reality and suddenly woke up from his state of high spirits.

The bus slowly drove away, puffing out exhaust fumes.

Without looking back, the young master, carrying his hunting rifle and silver stake, plunged headlong into the endless night.

Alone, Winston followed the road around the cemetery, listening to the cold howling of the wind caves in the underground cavity, and found a sheltered guard post. It seemed that a long time ago, there were guards on duty here, but now it was an abandoned and isolated building, and the dilapidated prefab house was empty.

Winston crouched in front of the door, looking around warily.

Suddenly I received a text message from the young master.

[Uncle Spencer, I've thought about this for a long time, and I still feel I should talk to you about this.]

I'm so sorry to have dragged you into this. Stepping into this dark cemetery, I started to feel afraid again. My sluggish brain finally realized how terrifying it would be to leave you all alone in this underground world.

[Whatever happens, you can take another bus back to Arthur Tower, or ride the birdcage back to Belfast. I won't blame you. If I don't come back, everything in the house is yours, and my car is yours too.]

[You're a good person, thank you.]

[If you insist on keeping watch for me, please be very careful. These vampire monsters are masters of disguise; their body temperature and silver allergy reactions can expose them.]

[Shakespeare Cemetery is the largest public cemetery in the City of Tears, with a main burial area spanning almost six square kilometers. The poisonous miasma and dense fog in the cemetery can cause hallucinations, and getting lost is common. Many hunters take their prey to the Sky Station for valuation, and the unsold carcasses of calamity beasts are carelessly discarded here. They may not be completely dead, or they may revive by feeding on the corpses.]

[Many scavengers come here hoping to find some treasure. Don't talk to strangers; you look very scary. I believe you can protect yourself.]

In short, Uncle Spencer, whatever happens, do not go into this cemetery.

After reading the message, Winston felt that his young master was like a sentimental old woman.

He said viciously, "You little brat! How dare you look down on me?"

Four hours later, in the desolate Land of Eternal Night, this quiet and eerie burial ground welcomed its first guest.

Winston yawned and let them go—he simply glanced at the guest's clothes and demeanor; in his eyesight, this wasn't a target the young master needed to be wary of, but rather a tourist looking for fun.

Another half hour passed, and a suspicious-looking bald man got off the bus.

Winston finally roused himself, turned on the recording function, and meticulously described the bald man's facial features and clothing details.

"Young master, it's 9:11 PM now. I saw a bald man carrying a fishing bag sneaking into the cemetery. He's probably around thirty years old, doesn't seem to mind the cold, likes to drink, and has scratches on his watch and rings. His right eyebrow is unnaturally raised, a muscle reflex left from his often menacing facial expressions."

"His right leg was slightly longer than his left, a very rare leg length discrepancy. The fishing bag was very heavy; the nylon rope was almost snapping. I'm not sure if it was digging tools or a corpse."

"He had no hair, no eyebrows, and no beard—characteristics of a professional killer who leaves no hair at crime scenes. His fingertips had a polished nail polish finish, a common method killers use to erase fingerprints."

He dropped his fishing bag and prepared to leave. Should I ring the bell?

"You don't need to reply immediately if you're busy."

Winston recorded the audio but didn't press the send button.

--Because the bald man had already looked over.

The bald man heard Winston's ramblings perfectly.

The bald man simply flashed a terrifying smile and shouted at Winston from a distance, "Old man! What are you babbling about?"

Winston immediately replied, "Little brat! I said you look like a killer! My young master should be careful!"

The bald man pulled a wide-brimmed hat from his coat, obscuring his face, and his tone softened. He took out a cigarette case from his clothes and tossed a cigarette to Winston: "This young master you're talking about? He's hunting in the cemetery? You're keeping watch for him?"

Winston caught the pipe, glanced at the brand, lit it with disgust, and said in a familiar tone, "That's right!"

Beneath the wide-brimmed hat, you could see the bald man's bright white teeth and radiant smile, "Sounds pretty good! If you ever run into someone like me again, be careful not to blurt out your innermost thoughts—I won't hold it against you, but I'm afraid some people might get their sore spots from your comments and come looking for trouble."

"Oh! Thanks for your concern!" Winston tried to be friendly. "What's your name?"

The bald man didn't move, standing still waiting for the car. "Barry, Spaniard, thirty-one years old."

Winston didn't move either. "I am forty-six years old, Winston Spencer, United Kingdom."

The two were about ten meters apart, one inside the house and the other outside.

"Don't worry, I'm just here to dispose of the body. I don't want to step into this cemetery. If you can help me get the body into the cemetery, I'll give you some money." Barry said, mentioning a cigarette of friendship, wanting to ask Winston for a favor.

"Ah," Winston was momentarily speechless, then decided to immediately sever this friendship over a cigarette, "I promised the young master I would never set foot in the cemetery."

Barry looked regretful. "What a pity. If the Lapis Lazuli Guards find this fishing bag, I'll have to pay a hefty fine."

Winston, curious, pressed on, "What is it?"

Barry: "It's a monster."

Winston: "What kind of monster is it exactly?"

Barry shrugged dismissively. "I don't know. I haven't had much schooling; I have to kill monsters I don't even recognize."

Winston: "You're just going to leave it here? Just leave it like that?"

Barry was a little embarrassed. He turned around, took a picture, and prepared to reason with the Lapis Lazuli Guards: "If the concentration of Spirit Calamity in the other cemeteries hadn't recently exceeded the safety standards, I wouldn't have come here to dispose of the body—I'm not familiar with this place, it's my first time here, and after disposing of the body, I'm going to take a car back to pay the fine."

Winston chuckled, "This is my first time here too."

At that very moment--

--The fishing bag trembled slightly.

Winston, with his sharp eyes, immediately exclaimed in surprise.

"Barry! The bag behind you moved!"

Before he could finish speaking, the bald man glanced back, immediately pulled a gun from his coat, and fired several shots at the body bag.

The piercing gunshots carried far, far away.

It was a lever-action smoothbore shotgun, and it looked a lot like an M1887.

Winston couldn't see Barry's expression; under the cold streetlights, he could only see the cold sweat on the burly man's chin.

"Winston, are you sure it just moved?" Barry asked.

Winston insisted, "I'm sure it just moved."

Barry then asked, "Do you think it will still move?"

Winston looked at the fishing bag; through the tattered bullet holes, he could see chunks of white flesh and charred wounds.

"It"

At this very moment--

--The fishing bag suddenly expanded; it was originally a strip shaped like a human body, but in the blink of an eye, it swelled into a round sphere.

Winston felt a splitting headache, as if sharp, malicious thoughts were piercing the sensitive crevices of his brain like steel needles.

At that moment, Barry's eyes glazed over, and he saw only a fat, spherical monster emerging from the scattered pieces of fishing bag cloth.

It was a grotesque fish resembling a pufferfish, with two-foot-long sharp spines growing from its back. Its supple belly bore bullet marks, and the sticky, oily substance had deflected almost all the bullets, leaving its internal organs completely unharmed.

It exhaled moist steam from its gills, its fish-shaped head swayed gently, and its two blood-red eyes moved nimbly before finally locking onto its target.

It let out a twisted, grotesque laugh towards the sky, its mouth full of sharp teeth, as if it had finally found an opportunity, an opportunity to catch the hunter alone—to turn the tables and feast to its heart's content.

Its skin still bears the red welts of Vita Imprint, and its two twisted, deformed thighs support its bloated, obese body.

From the soft flesh of its neck emerged a ferocious, skeletal face, whispering in a sinister tone, "Kill it, eat it."

For a moment, Barry almost forgot to resist. He was immersed in this bizarre and overwhelming fear, smelled the strong odor of rotting mold, lost consciousness amidst the enormous noise, and lost all reason due to the extremely close contact with the Blood-giving Monster. His brain nerves went numb, and he fell into the Gate of Death in an instant.

Two sharp fins were about to smash Barry's head open, about to grab Barry skull and gnaw on it with a crunching sound.

--At the critical moment

The sharp, piercing metallic notes drowned out the fat monster fish's cackling laughter.

A tall human figure emerged from its obese belly.

The gleaming silver sword ripped it open from tail to tail.

Barry was covered in blood, not a single part of his body was clean.

Winston could see it clearly.

A tall man in a black overcoat had just flashed through the cemetery. Like a cannonball, he crashed into the monster's body and burst out in one swift motion.

The wolf-shaped mask was stained with foul-smelling blood and fish oil.

The gleaming rifling and the light sword sliced the monster to pieces.

As soon as it fell, the strong, strange wolf-headed man rushed back into the depths of the cemetery without stopping, leaving only the trembling corpse of the dead fish behind.

Barry's pants were ice-cold, and he was so frightened that he wet himself.

Winston couldn't comprehend these bizarre people and events.

He could vaguely see that the wolf-headed stranger had brought a laughing human head with her in her hand. It looked like a young woman who was only about twenty years old and was wearing a miner's hat that was suitable for lifting.

After the head was stained with blood, it could only utter curses similar to those in Japanese horror movies.

Immediately afterward, he became certain that this was the "suspicious person" the young master had mentioned.

-- Or to say that using "suspicious" to describe it is far too conservative.

Uncle Winston was trembling all over; his brain was shaking.

It was so natural of her to ring the young master's Summoning Bell.

The next bus is here--

--Barry scrambled to escape, clinging to the car window and yelling at Winston.

"Aren't you coming?! Aren't you coming with me? Your life is more important!"

Winston stubbornly insisted, "This deal isn't finished yet!"

Brother Barry dropped off a whole pack of cigarettes.

Take care of yourself!

Winston gritted his teeth--

--Grab the cigarette pack.

Thank you!