Is That All?

Vivian's proud neck finally could not hold up anymore, and tears of surrender streamed down her face.

Ahab Gul was simply too ruthless. Three days and four nights—three days and four nights!

Weren't you sleepy?

Wasn't your head spinning?

Didn't your whole body ache, your temples throb, and your stomach churn with acid?

"Hmm? It's only been three days and four nights. You're done already?"

Ahab's assessment of Vivian dropped sharply.

He had thought she would at least last five or six days.

Who knew she was only this much?

Back when Ahab had first been subjected to this, it had been in North Burma.

That one time, he had endured five days and five nights.

After that, accidents would happen every two or three years, and Ahab's record for enduring sleep deprivation kept growing.

His strongest showing had been seven days and eight nights. He had stubbornly worn down even the people on the other side working in two shifts.

Vivian was talented, and with this world's supernatural powers enhancing her, her mental strength was formidable. Accordingly, she should have been able to last even longer.

Who would have thought she would give out after only three days and four nights?

"Then tell me, where did you hide the Three-Headed Hound's Fang?"

Ahab rubbed his eye sockets and the dark circles beneath them.

At the same time, he tore the tape from Vivian's mouth.

"It's actually not far from the General Affairs Hall. Go two streets west, beneath the roots of an oak tree too big for two people to wrap their arms around. Slurp..."

As Vivian spoke, drool flowed uncontrollably from her mouth.

"Mm, good."

Once Vivian had finished, Ahab nodded in satisfaction. He gave her some more water, then kept her tied up and refused to let her sleep.

"I already told you! What else do you want?"

Vivian swayed from side to side, making the chair creak along with her.

"You did tell me."

"But I don't believe you."

Ahab smiled meaningfully and counted on his fingers.

"Twenty-four sandglass hours from now, whether or not you tell me anything new, you can sleep."

"But if you tell me something else, you can rest right now."

With that, Ahab tugged at the tape, preparing to seal Vivian's mouth again.

"Devil! You devil!"

Vivian cursed through her tears. Seeing the tape draw closer and closer, she could only say in a tearful voice, "That hiding place is real! What else do you want to know?"

"Where are you planning to find the Vampire King's Nail?"

Ahab revealed the other purpose of the kidnapping.

Leaving aside whether the General Affairs Hall even sold it, Ahab had no plans to buy anything there anytime soon.

Ahab's finances had completely blown up this month. His only remaining Magic Stone had to cover his living expenses.

Besides, even the dumbest person learned their lesson after falling for a trick once. If Ahab stepped into the same pit twice in a row, he would have to start slapping himself.

Even though there was compensation for faulty goods, it was not immediate compensation.

"You need this material too, for that? No, how could you possibly know this formu—"

Seeing that Ahab, after staying awake for several days, seemed to be in a bad mood, Vivian quickly stopped rambling.

"When I worked at the General Affairs Hall, I heard that a Second-Rank Apprentice named Loghart from the East District had supplied the General Affairs Hall with many Vampire King's Nails."

"I heard he often appeared at the Third Prison."

"I was planning to meet him and see how I could get the nails."

At the same time, Vivian pondered inwardly.

My research formula came from divine revelation. How did Ahab Gul know about it?

After opening Spirit Vision, I can't see any sin on Ahab. Could he also be...

"If I make the trip for nothing, you know what that means."

Ahab left behind that threat, sealed Vivian's mouth again, then walked outside the stone house and reapplied the seal.

Ahab had weathered many storms. A little drowsiness was nothing to him.

Since it was nighttime, he had to hurry and get the Three-Headed Hound's Fang.

Then he would sleep for three sandglass hours. By then, it would be daylight, and he could go straight to find the Vampire King's Nail!

As for Vivian, after staying awake for three days and four nights, she would probably sleep for an entire day.

Listening to Ahab's footsteps gradually fade away, Vivian suffered through another half sandglass hour.

Once she was sure Ahab Gul had finally left, Vivian's eyes snapped open, filled with ruthlessness.

Once dawn came, Ahab Gul would definitely head to the East District to find Loghart and figure out a way to obtain the Vampire King's Nail.

That way, Ahab Gul would have gathered both major materials needed to research Corpse Dissolving Powder.

More importantly, if Ahab succeeded, her chances of getting anything from Loghart afterward would be slim.

She had to get there before Ahab.

She was exhausted, but she could not sleep yet!

Gritting her teeth, Vivian violently threw herself to the right, then fiercely swung herself to the left.

Bang!

With a loud crash, Vivian and the metal chair fell to the ground together.

Amid the sound of the impact came a crisp cracking noise.

"Hiss... Argh... My left forearm is broken. This should let me pull it out of the rope loop..."

Enduring the excruciating pain of the fracture, Vivian desperately yanked at her left hand.

Three sandglass hours later, dawn arrived.

Ahab woke on time in his dormitory and touched the fang in his inner pocket.

Vivian had not lied this time. Ahab had truly retrieved the Three-Headed Hound's Fang from that spot.

Next, it was time to find the Vampire King's Nail.

Loghart, the Second-Rank Apprentice... Since Vivian had made this plan, it meant she knew some inside information.

Perhaps that Second-Rank Apprentice urgently needed something, or perhaps he needed an assistant.

Ahab decided to find a helper.

At Mensis Academy, he knew only two people: Little Potato Tolia and the blond eunuch Bill.

Bill was obviously ruled out immediately.

Ahab had crippled him with one slash. Though he was behaving himself for now, he was surely waiting for a chance to take revenge.

As for Little Potato Tolia...

She really was a good choice.

The girl was weak and kind, and she seemed quite afraid of him.

Maybe he could trick her into helping him count his money!

Ahab pushed open his door and went straight to knock on the neighboring dormitory door.

The academy did not separate male and female apprentices into different residences. Everyone had their own room anyway.

Moreover, apprentices under the same instructor generally lived near one another.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Who is it?"

Mornings were Tolia's novel-reading time.

She was sitting obediently by her bed, tying a silk scarf around her ankle while reading a romance novel like a well-behaved girl.

"Who is it? What do you need?"

When no one outside answered, Tolia asked again.

The person outside still did not answer, only kept knocking.

Could it be Ahab Gul trying to trick me again...? That was Tolia's first reaction.

But perhaps another apprentice needed help.

For example, an apprentice whose heart had suddenly started hurting, who could neither call out nor walk, and had crawled with all their strength to her dormitory door...

Tolia untied the silk scarf around her ankle, which was meant to keep her from crossing her legs, and padded barefoot to the door.

She gently pushed the door open a crack with her left hand, while her right elbow still held the half-read romance story.

The instant the door opened, Ahab shoved one hand through the gap and forcibly pushed it open.