Skull No. 1

The Skull Museum has no windows and is small and dark.

Hope brought Elizabeth here to wait for Professor Armitage; but he wasn't sure if Professor Armitage would actually come.

He was eager to find something to talk about with Elizabeth to kill time.

"When did you realize you had been forgotten?" Hope asked.

"I'm not sure," Elizabeth said, "But it should be... within the last few days."

"They don't recognize you anymore?"

"When I woke up, Nancy could still remember my name after I reminded her."

She added, "Nancy is..."

"He's your best friend," Hope said. "You told me."

"Really? I don't quite remember," Elizabeth said, touching her hair.

Her hair was longer than her shoulders, and it had all been tucked behind her ears, but now, as she looked down at her skull, some strands had fallen down again.

She rested her elbow against the glass cabinet, placed her hand on the drooping hair, and let the hair move between her fingers.

Hope guessed that she had just washed her hair; he could smell a faint fragrance in the air.

He didn't completely neglect washing his hair at the Whateley House; he used a simple packaged shampoo that seemed to contain a soap-like substance.

People with albinism already have poor hair quality. After using that kind of shampoo, their hair will stick together, be difficult to comb, and become dry and brittle like weeds.

But Elizabeth's hair was much better—clean, smooth, and fresh.

Hope suddenly brought up Dr. Morgan, saying that he had originally planned to ask Dr. Morgan about Elizabeth, but the two of them were arrested by Professor Armitage.

"It seems Dr. Morgan is really good to you," Elizabeth said.

"Huh?" Hope asked, puzzled.

"The last time I met Dr. Morgan was here. He stopped me from coming in, but you've only known each other for three or four days, and he brought you here on his own initiative."

"Dr. Morgan might just be... well, is he already married?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. I'm sure."

"You know it very well?"

"Some people know. Nancy, and some other girls, investigated Dr. Morgan 'Dr. Morgan background thoroughly when the Press Club named him 'the second most handsome teacher at Miskatonic University.' Furthermore, Professor Armitage has also inquired about Dr. Morgan's marital status."

He must be at least twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, Hope thought.

Professor Armitage was clearly a conservative thinker who cared deeply about the younger generation.

"Who is the most handsome teacher?" Hope asked.

"It's the principal. Apparently, it's a fixed position; the Press Club has never changed his ranking since he became principal."

"Dr. Morgan, have you never thought about finding... a girlfriend?"

"I don't know," Elizabeth said. "I only see him a few times a semester, and he only ever asks me gardening questions."

"So, you're not familiar with him?"

"Phew... You can't say that. After all, we're both gardening enthusiasts. I'm a member of the Gardening Club, and he used to be the Gardening Club's president."

That means we're not familiar with each other, Hope thought.

"Look at this skull," Elizabeth said.

She made way for him because Hope could only see clearly by pressing her face against the glass.

Hope detected a more distinct scent of soap, mixed with the fragrance of Rose.

He looked at the skull under the glass.

Its lower jaw is transparent, made of a glass-like material.

The description next to the skull reads, "Green Eyes," whose real name is unknown. He claimed to be from the "All-Seer" The Cult and was later killed by Professor Armitage.

The line below shows the date of "Green Eyes'" death: 1889.

It is now 1928, thirty-nine years ago. Professor Armitage should have been only in his thirties.

"Professor Armitage did this," Elizabeth said. "I wonder if the Cult the All-Seer still exists."

It should still be there, Hope thought.

He also remembered that he had a contract from the Cult of the All-Seer.

But the origin of the contract paper...

Hope couldn't remember.

Elizabeth quickly discovered another skull fragment and showed it to Hope.

It has no patterns, no fillings, and no damage; it doesn't look ferocious at all, but rather quite ordinary.

Its name is written in the description below:

Oliver.

Apart from that, there was no writing on this rather large piece of paper.

"This is also Professor Armitage's achievement," Elizabeth said, "From Dunwich."

Hope remembered that he had heard the name "Oliver" in Dunwich, from Elizabeth.

But why would they be discussing this...?

Hope quickly overlooked this.

They glanced past the skull and naturally looked at its neighbor, another skull without any patterns.

Skull No. 1.

"I feel it's special," Elizabeth said softly.

From the moment her gaze met that of the Skull No. 1, her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

She suddenly sobbed in Affliction.

"Are you alright?" Hope asked, looking helplessly at the person in front of him.

Elizabeth raised her head, and the muscles in her face began to twitch.

Hope bit her nails and grabbed her hand:

"Close your eyes, I'll take you to the hospital, or find someone else who can help."

He didn't know where the hospital was, but Lizzie or Bean would.

Elizabeth didn't close her eyes, Hope reached out to cover them.

But Elizabeth grabbed Hope's hand.

Elizabeth stopped convulsing, but her expression began to become blank.

Hope couldn't use "Uncertainty" to get her away, and he waited anxiously, silently counting down the time.

If Elizabeth showed any further unusual behavior, or if the situation persisted for too long, Hope would break free from Elizabeth's grasp, forcibly cover her eyes, and take her away.

Elizabeth mumbled something, Hope leaned closer to listen.

"... Very good..."

"What?" Hope was unsure of what she had heard.

Elizabeth's expression softened as she released Hope's hand and simultaneously pulled her hand away from Hope's grasp.

She rested her elbows on the glass cabinet again, her brown hair falling down to obscure her face, and her hands no longer fiddled with the strands.

"Nothing happened," she said. "I just..."

She thought for a moment and said, "Oh, it's just a bit of a headache. People often get headaches, sometimes for no reason."

Hope did not respond to her.

A string of numbers appeared in his mind.

Agility: 1.01, Constitution: 1.41, Vision: 1.56, Mana: 1.73

Hope looked down at Skull No. 1.

Another string of numbers:

Agility: 0, Constitution: 0, Vision: 1.09, Mana: 0.01

Elizabeth's attributes are as follows:

Agility: 1.01, Constitution: 1.41, Vision: 1.09, Mana: 0.01

It seems that agility and physical strength are only related to the physical body, while the other two are somewhat different.