Dark alleyways usually set people's imaginations running wild—like three thugs suddenly jumping out to rob someone, or a girl carrying an oil-paper umbrella and exuding the scent of lilacs.
But this time, both Bai Ye and Texas froze.
The air was thick with a pungent smell of blood, a scent Bai Ye knew all too well. He had experienced it on the very first night after crossing over—though it had hardly been a pleasant experience.
A friend of Bai Ye's who studied medicine had once described the smell of massive blood loss. It was a strange, fishy odor mixing rust, protein, and fat. That was why Bai Ye had spent his first few days vomiting his guts out.
What had Texas and Bai Ye seen in this dark alley?
Corpses.
These corpses had been deliberately stacked after being killed, one atop another, layer upon layer.
Dark red blood dripped slowly, then quietly flowed along the cracks between the alley's paving stones, tracing the patterns on the ground in scarlet.
Quite a bit of blood had also splattered across the walls, leaving behind grotesque graffiti that, once congealed, took on the texture of an oil painting.
A mille-feuille.
For some reason, that word surfaced in Bai Ye's mind.
"This is practically some evil god's ritual..."
Bai Ye felt his SAN value plummeting. Seriously, wasn't this way of disposing of bodies meant to please some evil god?
"Let's go, Bai Ye."
Texas did not look well. After all, no one liked such a bloody sight, not even a battle-hardened veteran like Texas.
"Wait. Someone in there is still alive."
Bai Ye gripped his holy symbol and cast a divine spell, illuminating the dark alley. Then, ignoring that "mille-feuille," he headed straight toward the depths of the alley.
The holy symbol gave off