story_bldsk_1_1

个人剧情 华法琳

10:32 P.M. \ Light drizzle

Chernobog - Post-battle Ruins

Hey—Hey! Is anyone here?!

It's gotten really dark... I just walked past the school, the cake shop, and the tailor shop that Rolena's mom used to run...

If I keep going straight, I'll be in the next district.

Dammit... This road is barely walkable. Those nutjobs with the masks... Everything's changed all of a sudden, thanks to them.

Yuri! Yuri, where are you?!

We were together just a moment ago... I was just trying to get us some water that we can drink!

Yuri's the youngest, and he's the most hurt. Where could he have gone by himself? Right, his wound was still bleeding... If I look out for the smell of blood... Uhh... It smells like blood everywhere.

Ugh, it stinks.

No, I can't throw up. It took Oleg so long to find us dinner in the ruins.

Yuri—

*Whimpers*...

Is that sound coming from behind the wall? A small animal, maybe? Hmm, probably not. Everything that was alive in this street ran away a long time ago. We're the only ones left.

*Whimpers*...

There it is again. It doesn't sound like the wind. Could it really be...?

Yuri! Yuri, is that you?

It quieted down. Am I too far away? What was behind the wall again...? The department store's old storeroom?

The storeroom's been empty the whole time, and the adults would never let us close to it. Oleg even said before that he'd help us sneak inside one day.

Did Yuri come in here by himself? It's so dark... I can't see through the gaps. Dammit, I guess I'm gonna have to climb inside.

It's even darker in here. My face's all sticky... Is it the rain that dripped in from outside? Urgh, it smells...

Now I remember... The girls in school said there's something weird inside the storeroom.

It's gotta be fake.

But... I've already seen so many weird things going on these past few days...

No, don't think about that right now, Anton. Don't be scared. You still need to find Yuri.

*Whimpers*...

Someone's crying! Someone's crying over on that side! Now I heard it this time!

Yuri, is that you?

Anton...? Anton?

Yeah, it's me. I'm here. You don't need to be scared no more. I'll climb over there. Give me a second.

Help... Help me...

Hang in there. I'm almost there. What happened anyway? Why'd you run this far on your own all a sudden?

Isn't your leg hurt...?

Uhh... *Sobs*... T-There was a monster...

A monster? What are you talking about, Yuri? Do you have a fever?

A monster... brought me here...

The monster you're talking about... What does it look like?

I... I couldn't get a good look... I think it had black claws... And it had red eyes! It stared at me. I-I was so scared, I didn't know what was going on at all.

Black claws and red eyes? I think I heard of that before.

Oh yeah, that's the ghost story that Lina from school talked about, right?

Yeah... Lina said... She said any kids that don't go to bed at night will get a visit from the monster.

It'll keep staring at you, and if your eyes are open and lock onto her red eyes, your soul will get sucked out right away.

You'll turn into something like a marionette. You'll climb off your bed with the monster and follow it outside and onto the street. Then you'll keep following it... until you reach its nest.

There, the monster will hang you up on the eaves... Just like how we hang sausages at home...

And when it's hungry... It'll come suck your blood, one mouthful after another until your body's bone dry.

*Sobs*... Anton, I can't possibly have...

Stop it. You're scaring yourself. This is just something the adults made up to get us to go to bed early, I'm sure of it.

R-Really?

Well, think about it. Did it hang you up?

I... There's something holding my leg... Somewhere up high...

What?!

So... What Lina said's actually real, right?

*sobs*... Anton... I don't wanna be eaten by the monster...

It's okay. I'll be there soon. We just gotta be fast. I'll carry you back before that mon... Before whatever it is comes back.

Yeah... N-No... Anton, stay away! Go back!

I can see you now, Yuri—

What's this?!

A nightmare that walks the night.

A monster who kidnaps children and sucks their blood dry.

Their bodies stink of blood.

They have eyes that glow crimson red.

Ahhhh—!

Got you now.

No... Stay away! Don't come any closer! I... I won't let you hurt Yuri!

Me, hurt him? Boy, what do you think I'm trying to do?

You want to suck his blood, you blood-sucking monster!

Well, it's been a long while since anyone has called me that.

Yes, that's right. I'm a Vampire.

My, my, your reaction's not bad for someone who looks so frail.

But you know, if we're going there, you'll need a bigger brick to throw at me.

I'm a Vampire! We are swift beyond measure, and rank among the mightiest devil races! And have you seen these fangs?

I can easily tear a cystybeast's neck apart.

Holding still? Smart choice.

Monster, let Yuri go. He's hurt, and he's lost a lot of blood. He definitely doesn't have as much blood as I do.

You can hang me up. When you're hungry, suck my blood.

No, Anton... Don't do that...

Very well, since you've found this place.

She's so fast! I can't move my hand...!

Ugh? It hurts!

I can't dodge it... Is this how it's like... to get bitten?

There you go.

There I go...? I'm still standing upright... I don't feel dizzy either...

Just that bit of blood will do. You are really healthy. It shouldn't leave you with any side effects.

So... Are you gonna take me home... and make me sausage?

Sausage? Is that some Ursus specialty? It sounds nice. If I ever get to come here again after I'm done with this job, maybe I'll give it a try.

Compass? Compass, are you there?

*Cough*, I'm here, Dr. Warfarin.

I'm working so hard, I'm practically sweating blood, and here you are, just standing there, watching the show.

Haha, well, I only just got here. Besides, it looks like you're enjoying yourself.

Doc...tor?

You mean, this blood-sucking monster is a doctor?

Look at this, Compass. The kids just won't stop calling me a blood-sucking monster. Don't you think I'm like a saint for letting them off with just a little scare?

You're... scaring us?

Let me explain.

Little buddy? I found your friend while I was out on a mission. He was all alone, and it looked like he was hurt pretty bad.

I was worried about his safety, so I brought him here. He was kind of drifting off and passed out halfway through, so I couldn't explain to him what was going on.

Dr. Warfarin is one of our top doctors. She's very experienced. You can trust her to patch your friend up.

Oh, and you know how she took a bit of your blood just now? She was just taking a blood sample to run some tests.

Tests...?

Okay, the results are out. What's that Ursus saying again? Hmm, this young man is as lively as a wild burdenbeast.

Congratulations, boy. You are not infected yet.

Infected... You mean Oripathy?

That's right. These days, you're probably one of the luckiest ones around if you're both alive and uninfected in Chernobog.

Your friend there isn't quite as lucky.

Is something wrong with Yuri?

All I can say is we took care of him before it's too late, and you've got me. If Folinic had been in charge of the area, he probably wouldn't have gotten such a wonderful patch up job.

Ahem... If she heard that, I'm sure she'd be mad.

And what do I care if she's mad? She still has much to learn.

Can she figure out right away where the Originium crystals are building up just going by the changes in the smell of his blood?

For patients like him, who just started to show symptoms, we need to do more than just take care of their wounds to keep the infection from progressing. We also need to prevent the Originium that's already in their bodies from forming leisons around the wounds.

The suppressants that are out on the market can only alleviate symptoms. Even if I'm on the case, the most I can do is minimize the risk of the disease getting any worse.

Did you hang Yuri's leg up like that to help him?

Well...

Yeah... I guess? This is an idea I've wanted to try out for a while. In his case, it should be more effective by a few percentage points.

It's so low, I guess it's probably within the margin of error? I might need to find a few more patients to test this out on...

Ahem, Dr. Warfarin, if you keep going, the young gentlemen will start trembling again.

*Whimpers*...

I get it, you saved us.

Thanks...

You can thank me later. We need to keep your friend, this Yuri boy, under observation to see how his condition turns out.

If he actually becomes Infected...

Well, let's not go into that right now.

Hey, Anton? You can rest up a little here with Yuri. Once it's bright outside, I'll take you two to our camp.

Your camp?

That's right. We have a camp here. We'll be pulling out of Chernobog soon. When that happens, we'll escort you two to a nearby Ursus city.

That is... if Yuri doesn't show any signs of further infection.

There's Oleg and the others too. There are five of us. We're together.

Is that so? Okay. I'll look for them, then. Dr. Warfarin will give them a checkup too.

If all of you stay together, your will to live on will be stronger too.

Doctor...?

Hm?

I have another question...

What is it?

Are you... really a blood-sucking monster?

*cough*, *cough*.

(Brandishes fangs)

Makes you want to take a step back, huh? No? What a brave kid.

To be honest, I have known Dr. Warfarin for a long time, and I know she may seem like she has a few screws loose...

I heard that.

*cough*, she's a very skilled doctor. It's just... when you're strapped on the operating table all of a sudden, it does kinda give you chills.

That's just your instincts at work. I forgive you.

It's like sandworms running into a Metal Crab, or some other tiny meatbeasts running into more ferocious beasts. Of course you'd be scared coming face to face with a Vampire.

And you better stay scared. Most Vampires out there aren't nearly as nice as me or Closure.

Ha... Haha.

Hm... Back to our little buddy's question—

Maybe half-and-half?

Half-and-half?

My interest in blood doesn't manifest as thirst anymore.

So... a monster then?

So you don't get mad... if you're called a monster?

Well... to you, I am a monster, no doubt about that.

I've never wished for you people to treat me as your own kind, and I don't see the other races as my equals either.

And well, if I'm a monster just because I'm unlike the others... then everyone out there can be called a monster too.

For example, if your friend Yuri actually becomes infected, then a lot of people will call him a monster.

I won't. I won't call him a monster.

What about the others? It's won't be easy for you to change how they see him.

If they insist on calling him a monster, I'll fight them off.

See? You're mad, aren't you?

You'll fight them off, and they'll fight back. Even if nobody dies in all that fighting, it'll be a waste of time, don't you think?

A waste of time...?

Yes, a waste of time. While you're angry, your friend may die of his disease.

If you take a step back and think it through slowly, you'll find that, instead of being angry, it makes more sense to spend your energy working out more important or meaningful things.

For you, hm... I suppose that's figuring out how you want to live?

Live... Right, we want to live.

That's right! And if you want to live a better life, you need to learn to accept that you are different and then figure out how to get along with others.

One more thing, buddy. Once you grow up, be sure to travel to all kinds of places and see what it's like everywhere.

That way, you will probably come to understand that... being seen as a monster is nothing worth getting angry over.