Chapter 6 | Jormungandr in the Labyrinth River

With every step she took, the sweet, metallic scent of blood grew more distinct. Li Yue’s body trembled slightly, and she wasn't sure if it was from fear.

“Fear is normal. Your file says you were attacked by a blood demon and a ghoul when you were young. It’s natural to have some psychological scars,” Roland said, his eyes half closed. He looked exhausted, as if he had only just woken up.

“If you can’t handle it, please sign a confidentiality agreement and withdraw your application. Many people in this world know about mages, but very few understand demon hunters and these ghouls. Spreading word of them would inevitably cause panic.”

“Since everyone knows about mages, why can’t they know about these ghouls?”

“First, it would cause panic. The more people fear them, the stronger they become,” Roland explained, raising a finger as he patiently answered her question.

“Besides, the public image of a mage is that of a person in a leisurely position with a fixed income from the Mages’ Association.”

“Don’t they have to fight creatures like magic dragons?” Li Yue asked, forcing herself to suppress the tremor in her voice.

“Ever since humanity drew boundaries with those magical creatures, large scale beast tides have vanished. We don’t need to mobilize massive groups of mages like in the old days. Occasionally, sending a single Great Mage is enough. It’s more efficient and faster, except in very rare, specialized cases.”

“Nowadays, most people see being a mage as just another job with a steady income. That’s why so many apply for the mage assessment. They figure they might as well try; if they pass, they become a mage, and if not, they just go to a Liberal Arts College. After all, magical talent is often discovered through practice.” Roland’s fingers rubbed the hilt of his sword.

“Isn’t there something to test for talent?”

“Stop reading so many novels.”

“Where was I? Right, the assessment. Those who pass have a certain level of potential. Based on their scores, they’re sent to various academies to learn general knowledge, including the different types of abnormal creatures that exist today. After graduation, they’re assigned to different squads in various cities based on their abilities.” Roland shrugged. “That’s how I got here.”

“Does anyone ever refuse to come because they’re afraid?”

“They do. They make up a small minority, and most of them end up in clerical positions.”

“What about Great Mages?”

“I remember a senior student back then who had a chance to be promoted to Great Mage, but she was younger than me. She was a natural talent.” Roland yawned and adjusted the silver cross pendant on his chest.

“Other than her, in the centuries since the academy was founded, no student has ever been promoted before the end of the school year. Even the exceptionally gifted ones only reached that rank while staying at the academy for postgraduate studies.”

“Mage ranks are very specific: Apprentice, Student, Magician, Mage, Great Mage, and then Calamity Warlock.” Roland paused. “I’ve heard there’s one even beyond Calamity, called a ‘Miracle.’”

“There is only one known Calamity Warlock right now, and they’re with the Royal Court. There are likely more hidden away, like the heads of the three major associations, the academy dean, and a few others suspected to still be alive. The records don’t say, but everyone guesses they are. If you count the suspected ones, there are maybe a dozen.”

“As for ‘Miracles,’ they only exist in legends. Their opposite is ‘Disaster.’ It’s said they all fell during a great catastrophe.” Roland shrugged again.

Li Yue stood dazed for a moment, feeling a bit lightheaded from the sudden influx of information. Roland had somehow produced a cup of water and was drinking as he walked, completely unaffected by the stench of blood.

“Want some?”

“No...”

“Have you eaten?”

“No.”

“Then drink some. It’s miserable when you have nothing to throw up but stomach acid.”

Li Yue took the cup and had a sip, only then realizing how parched she was. As the water hit her stomach, that intense thirst diminished slightly, but a hollow sensation remained in her heart, slowly rippling outward like ants crawling under her skin.

Roland stopped in front of an iron door. He looked back at Li Yue, signaling for her to prepare herself.

With a sharp clang, he pushed the door open. A foul, bloody stench rushed out to meet them. The room was dim, reminding Li Yue of a miniature morgue.

There was a bed on the left and another on the right. The left bed was empty, save for dried bloodstains. The curtain on the right bed was drawn, and Li Yue could just make out a figure busy at work.

Roland curled his finger and rapped on the iron bar near the curtain, producing a crisp series of metallic clicks. The figure inside paused, seemingly removing protective gear. He pulled back the curtain, taking off his mask and apron. Li Yue saw a thin, somewhat somber young man with a gaunt face, wearing a loose suit.

Then the full force of the stench hit her. The inexplicable excitement in Li Yue’s heart was instantly replaced by nausea. The water she had just swallowed churned violently in her stomach.

“Puke in here.” Roland handed her a bucket.

“Thank... bleh!” Li Yue doubled over the bucket and retched. Tears pricked her eyes and her nose ran. She tried to look up but quickly doubled over again, vomiting uncontrollably. Fortunately, the floor was clean, and she was wearing a black dress.

“Here, lunch.” Roland handed the young man a piece of bread and a cup of water before starting to eat some himself.

“Is this the newcomer?” The man bit into the bread, clearly accustomed to the environment.

“Yeah.” Roland took a sip of water and forced down a mouthful of bread, his half closed eyes looking tired yet sharp.

“She’s beautiful. Pure white hair, too. Seeing her struggle like that almost makes me feel sorry for her.” The young man squinted his dark circled eyes. “After looking at corpses all day, a living person is a sight for sore eyes.”

“I never forbade you from bringing a mirror,” Roland joked. The man responded with a roll of his eyes.

“She passed the mage assessment once but gave it up to go to a Liberal Arts College.” Roland handed the thin man a resume.

“So she worked hard to escape the mud only to sink right back into it.”

“Ugh...” Li Yue looked up, her complexion looking a bit better. The violent vomiting had made it impossible for her to focus on the men’s conversation.

“Well? Can you handle it?”

“I can...”

“Good. Look at this.” Roland pulled back the curtain, revealing a bloody corpse. He shook his head, clicking his tongue in distaste.

“It’s a blood demon. Tough luck; these are the most disgusting. At least ogres still have skin.”

Roland smiled, while the young man rolled his eyes and raised his bread in silent protest, as if to say he was still eating.

Li Yue leaned over, miserably discovering she had nothing left to vomit; she was just dry heaving now.

“Why does a clerk need to see this?” The man frowned. “They only need to organize my reports.”

“Her file says she has good talent.” Roland observed the corpse.

“You want to train her?”

Roland nodded. “I’ll ask for her opinion. Besides, we don’t lack clerks. We don’t lack them at all. Every department knows we have enough; we could easily handle that work ourselves.”

“Are you saying the person who recommended her had other motives?” The man smiled disdainfully.

Roland nodded and waited quietly for Li Yue to finish retching.

Li Yue looked up weakly, feeling exhausted from the ordeal. Tears clung to her lashes, a few strands of hair were stuck to the corner of her mouth, and her clothes were slightly disarrayed, revealing the red blood crystal beneath her collar.

What a beautiful pendant. I’ve never seen a blood crystal of such purity. The chain is well designed too, almost invisible. The paler the skin, the more beautiful and seductive it looks.

The man marveled inwardly. He had dissected many blood demons but had never seen a blood crystal with such perfect color.

“Clean yourself up, then come take a look.” Roland handed Li Yue a handkerchief.

“I’m Yorick, the dissector and doctor here.” Yorick reached out to shake Li Yue’s hand.

Yorick’s hand was so thin that the outlines of his bones were clearly visible; his fingers were even slightly deformed, likely from years of using a scalpel.

“Hello, I’m Li... I’m Nolan, who left her hometown to find work.”

Li Yue forced herself to turn her head and look at the corpse on the bed, which looked like a person who had been flayed alive.

“This is a blood demon.” Roland spoke calmly as he followed the lines of the previous incisions, using a knife to peel back the flesh of the chest. He cut through the connection between the third and fourth ribs on the left side, where the area was a mess of gore.

Roland pulled the cavity open to reveal a heart that had been turned into a mass of mangled meat by a sharp object.

“How did it die?” Roland asked out of the blue.

“By... having its heart pierced?”

“Correct. I pierced it.”

“It died because its heart was pierced?” Li Yue suppressed her nausea, her hand instinctively moving to her own left chest. It was silent there. Aside from a soft touch, there was nothing.

“Yes.”

“Without a heart... can no creature survive?” Li Yue’s eyes were somewhat vacant.

“None. Even a dragon will bleed out and die without a heart. If a Great Mage loses their heart, they must repair it in a very short time, or they will die too.”

“Monsters. Legends record monsters that can live without hearts,” Yorick chimed in with a niche answer. “But those are just legends.”

Roland didn’t argue with Yorick; it seemed he didn’t know how to refute him. After all, those monsters, much like the legendary Miracle mages, were either Disasters or hopes, and such things only appeared in a history so distant that no one could be sure if it was real.

“I understand.” Li Yue fell silent for a while. Strangely, the nausea in her heart gradually vanished, replaced by a wave of profound sadness.

What am I? Am I human? Or am I a monster?

What do monsters do? They... they...

A hand patted Li Yue’s shoulder. She jolted as if waking from a dream, banishing the chaotic, bloody thoughts from her mind.

“Now, the choice is in your hands. Do you agree to become one of us?”

“I agree.” Li Yue swallowed hard. She thought of Clo again, the woman who had pushed her onto this pirate ship.

Why am I thinking of her? Well, maybe I just miss her a little.

“The clerical staff in our squad must accompany the team on missions. Therefore, you will follow us, learn, and train.” Roland’s half closed eyes suddenly became piercingly sharp.