The Grand Duelist

Chapter 98: Residents of the Dark

"The God of Everything that Moves and Exists? Isn't that the Compassionate God?" Alice frowned. 

"The Compassionate God? You are saying that the name of the God of Everything that Moves and Exists in the outside world is the Compassionate God?" Julie revealed a mocking look on her face.

Alice was a believer in the God of Order and Justice.

She despised people who dare blaspheme the deity whom they believe in.

But strangely enough, Alice couldn't feel any trace of anger towards Julie.

It was as if it was perfectly normal to the God of Everything that Moves and Exists to be mocked.

Such a strange sensation caused turmoil within Alice's mind.

But she shook this off as she replied, "In the several thousands of year established and recorded history of the outside world, the so-called Compassionate God indeed has the nickname of the God of Everything that Moves and Exists..."

"The recorded history of the outside world only spans for several thousands of years?" Julie uttered in shock, she seemed to have forgotten the topic of their discussion.

"Yes." Alice nodded. 

"That can't be... How can this place be older than the outside world? That is not logical at all!" Julie whispered in disbelief, even Hulie who normally had an airhead look now looked astounded and shock as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"This place is older than the outside world? What do you mean by that?" Joseph asked.

"Yes... If what big sis said is true, this place is indeed older than the outside world... According to the City Chief, our recorded history is at least several tens of thousands of years long."

"Severa tens of thousands of years long?! Are you serious?" Joseph couldn't hold back his exclaim. If what Julie said was true, that meant that the Vampires managed to endure tens of thousands of years without the blessing of sunlight and without encountering any other members of species.

How did they reproduce?

Wouldn't they breed themselves to death due to the result of inbreeding?

Just how did the Vampires survive that long? Or could it be that Julie is lying? What he heard was so unbelievable that Joseph couldn't help but suspect that Julie was lying. But when he observed Julie's body language, he couldn't find any trace of deceit.

"Mhm... Julie is not lying! I heard that too from Kuya City Chief!"

Alice and Joseph glanced at Hulie.

Joseph replied, "Hulie, you heard it from the City Chief? Or did you read it yourself?"

Hulie stared at Joseph and replied with a smile.

"I heard it from Kuya Chief! I once attended one of the masses for the God of Everything that Moves and Exists but Julie said that it was too boring so she left with me and didn't attend again."

Hulie replied and Alice couldn't help but wryly smile.

Indeed, hearing the preaching of someone about a god that you really didn't believe in can really be boring. So the reason why she casually mentions the Compassionate God is due to the fact that she doesn't even believe in that god in the first place? But I wonder, is she not afraid of Divine Punishment?

Alice glanced at Julie and she decided to keep that issue at the back of her head. After all, there were more pressing matters that they had to attend to.

"Are there any libraries in the City? I mean, that place should have some records about this place's history and even this place's name. If there is, then I plan on secretly visiting that library and borrow some books." Joseph lightly chuckled.

Julie shook her head and replied, "We have a library back then, but it was destroyed by a Librarian who became a Mutated Monster..."

"He loved books so much that when he found out that he was about to be consumed by the Curse, he burned all the books and also burned himself so that the books would supposedly arrive with him in hell."

Julie heaved a deep sigh at the end of her sentence, but she seemed to be grieving for the books instead of the Librarian.

"If that library still existed then everyone in this City wouldn't be so illiterate. But right now, not even a third of the children in this place know how to read and write..."

"Hulie also doesn't know how to read and write. Thankfully, I managed to buy a vocabulary book and alphabet in exchange for a single Mutated Beast..."

"I managed to learn how to read and write simple words and letters, but I don't think that I still know how to write. Paper is a really precious commodity in this place and it is valued more than its weight in our currency."

Julie sighed once again, her fingers continuously twitched as if they were craving for something.

Joseph noticed this anomaly and he couldn't help but smirk.

"Julie... You want a pen and paper?" 

Julie's eyes drastically brightened and she was about to raise her head up to stare at Joseph, but she went against that idea and decided not to move.

Joseph sensed her apprehension and he couldn't help but chuckle, "Julie... You are our benefactor, you saved our lives so something as simple as asking for a pen and paper is not something that we would refuse..."

"So don't worry, all right? Do you want a pen and paper or not?" Joseph revealed a teasing look.

Alice who observed everything in the sidelines couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hahaha... Julie, accept his offer. Even though this guy looks really suspicious he's surprisingly kind-hearted, I don't think that he would be as shameless to think that a single pen and some paper is enough to repay your favor to us."

It was Alice's time to stare teasingly at Joseph who immediately scratched his head and exclaimed to prove himself.

"Of course not! How could a single pen and paper enough to pay a debt of life! You're purposely slandering me here, Alice!" Joseph glared at Alice.

The young maiden chuckled, "Oh, what are you going to do?"

Another teasing look appeared on Alice's face.

"What I am going to do? This is what I am going to do!" Joseph roared and he abruptly pounced at Alice, pressing her down, he ran his fingers across her body eliciting laughter from the young maiden.

Hahaha... This girl's pretty fun to be with... Joseph was enjoying himself in the midst of tickling Alice, but then he suddenly realized that something was wrong.

He abruptly backed away from Alice, he couldn't believe what he just did.

Oh, shit, shit, shit! Did I just press down the disciple of Senior Krid on a bed and tickle her with my fingers? What the fuck! Why did I do that? Wait! When did we grow so close?

Joseph glanced at Alice and he found that the young maiden's expression didn't reveal anything strange.

It was as if what happened was completely normal to her.

In fact, she was still even laughing.

What? Why does she look like she didn't mind what I was doing? An idea sprung in Joseph's mind and he casually approached Alice once again before stretching his hand behind her. But before his hand could even approach Alice's back, Alice abruptly caught his wrist and she exerted some force.

"Aaaah! That hurts! That hurts! Alice! Alice! Alice! Let me go! Let me go!!!"

Joseph finally managed to take his hand away from Alice's grip, but when he turned to look at the young maiden. The latter was coldly staring at him as if saying, that was the first warning, if you dare do that again then I will crush your wrist!

Joseph gulped a mouthful of saliva and subconsciously nodded his head out of fear.

Afterwards, Alice turned to look at the twin sisters and the expression on her face turned from a serious and murderous one to a gentle and kind, ideal big sister.

Hay... This difference in treatment really is too annoying! Joseph deeply sighed.

"Uhmm... Kuya, are the two of you lovers like Mama and Papa?" Hulie turned her attention to Joseph, her eyes glittering with innocence as she asked in curiosity.

Joseph almost spat a mouthful of blood.

He could feel Alice's increasingly cold gaze stabbing through his back.

"Er... No, we are just friends." Joseph barely managed to squeeze these words out.

"Friends? But Mama and Papa told me that friends don't press each other on the bed!" Hulie replied.

Fuck!

Joseph figuratively coughed a mouthful of blood. His eyes flashed with anger, but when his gaze landed on the cute and innocent Hulie, his anger vanished like the snow melted by the sun. He couldn't feel anger, nor be angry against such as a cute little angel, no- Vampire.

Joseph glanced at Alice and found that she was also trembling.

Joseph felt a bad premonition in his heart as he hurriedly replied to Hulie, "Your Papa is right, Hulie but we are only friends. How about you, Hulie? Do you mind telling us more about yourself?"

Joseph skillfully utilized the art of changing topics.

Thankfully, Hulie bit the bait and didn't linger on that particular topic any longer.

"Talk about myself? Hmm..." Hulie revealed a contemplating look that greatly contrasted her airheaded look.

"I want to be a doctor!" Hulie exclaimed after a few moments of thinking.

"Oh, you want to be a doctor? That is indeed a noble profession, but why do you want to be a doctor?" Joseph revealed a smile.

"Because I want to be famous!" Hulie almost immediately replied.

Joseph's lips repeatedly twitched, is there even a connection between being famous and being a doctor? He thought to himself but he didn't say anything against what Hulie was saying.

"You want to be famous?"

Joseph tried his best on suppressing his twitching lips as he said these words.

"Mhm! Like Papa! Papa is a doctor, and he is really famous! Everyone loves and knows about him! I want to be like that too! I want to be liked and adored by everyone like Papa! Papa is my idol!"

Hulie innocently replied.

Anguished flashed on Julie's face when she heard Hulie's praises towards their father. But in the end, she didn't say anything against Hulie nor anything about their father.

She just silently listened, occasionally glancing at Joseph obviously waiting for her pen and paper.

A few minutes later, Joseph turned to look at Julie and asked, "How about you, Julie?"

"Me?" Julie absentmindedly replied.

Her cheeks blushed since she was suddenly placed on the hot seat. 

"Ermm... I want to be a writer!" Julie replied with firm determination.

She wants to be a writer? Ah, I suddenly remember Miss Vanessa... I still haven't touched her book. I wonder how is she now? I wonder what happened to the Pro-NPC Alliance. Hay... Someday, I will definitely find some way to pay back the debt that I incurred from them!

"Oh, a writer? That is also a noble profession? Have you read books before?" Joseph lightly smiled, but he found something wrong on what he said when he reached the end of his sentence. But it was already too late to retract his words.

Julie revealed a rueful expression, her crimson eyes flashed with sadness as she said, "No... After the library disappeared. Books are now extremely expensive, I want to read them, but I couldn't afford them." 

Joseph stared at Julie and he couldn't help but sigh. Being unable to achieve your dream due to some circumstances that you couldn't really control really was such a sad situation.

But...

"How about this, Julie? I will also give you a book! What genre do you like?"

"Really?! You will give me a book?!" Julie abruptly stood up from her stone seat. Joseph and Alice were astonished by her reaction. This was the first time that she reacted so violently...

She didn't react like this when Joseph said that she would give her a pen and some paper.

Joseph nodded and Julie looked like if not for the fact that the room was so small, she would've danced in joy and delight around the room.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Kuya Joseph! When can I get the book?" 

"Hahaha, calm down, calm down. I will give you the book later, tell me what genre you like first." Joseph patted Julie's head and the latter visibly calmed down when she heard what he said.

"I want Fantasy!" Julie replied.

"Oh, Fantasy? Good choice, that is also my favorite genre. The book that I really like the most is also in that genre. Hehe, I will give that book to you so you can understand how awesome it is." 

"Really? The book that you like the most? Hehe, thank you, Kuya! What is the name of that book, Kuya? And who wrote it? He should be an amazing person." Julie replied in delight.

"Yes, yes... The author's name is AngNakikipagsapalaran, and the book title is System for Assassination. Keep in mind that this is not a book for the faint-hearted, so you should be careful when reading it!"

Joseph even warned Julie out of concern, but instead of feeling afraid...

Julie was even more excited.

"But Kuya, is that a long book?" Julie suddenly asked.

Joseph paused for a moment before he understood what she meant, "Its length? Not really, it has been in hiatus since last year. It only has about 270 chapters, you can read them all in a few days. It's also a book that is not filled with complicated vocabulary so I think you won't have any problems reading through it in a week."

Julie smiled in relief, "I'm relieved... I'm relieved that I can read it in a week." Her voice turned weak when she reached the end of her sentence.

Joseph and Alice frowned.

They took a closer look at Julie and found that her face was filled with beaded sweat.

Hulie also looked pale, they were clearly suffering from something.

"What is going on?" 

"Heh... It's nothing, Kuya..." Julie absentmindedly replied.

"It's just..." She stretched her hands towards the hem of her clothes.

"It's just that..." She raised her clothes up and the scene that Joseph and Alice saw thoroughly shook them to their core.

"I don't think that I can last longer than a week..." On Julie's back was a hideous wound that repeatedly pulsated like it was alive. The wound looked like it was a web of thick veins that continuously siphoned Julie's life-force, weakening her and slowly, yet surely, taking away her life.

"What is that..." Joseph uttered in shock.

"This is..." 

Julie revealed a despondent smile.

"The Curse of the Condemned, Kuya." 

1. Means brother
2. interchangeable with beasts