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Philosophical musings on light and darkness boast a long and storied history.

This theme even appears in the Bible, specifically in John 1:15, where the phrase “the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” translates the Greek word καταλαμβάνω (katalambano) as “understand,” which carries the additional meaning of “overcoming.”

Good and evil,

truth and falsehood,

golden ages and dark times,

glory and terror.

The philosophical contemplation of light and darkness has carved out a space for itself as a clear dichotomy of concepts.

Yet if someone were to ask, “Can light truly defeat darkness?” well, it’s hard to say.

Although I’m not from a philosophical background, at this moment, it seems like a question that wouldn’t have a straightforward answer.

“……”

In the research facility shrouded in darkness.

With heavy steps, I approached the cedar coffin.

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**Episode 17 – The Blood-Drinking Tree**

—

Francesca hung her hand, gripping her rune sword, and surveyed the facility’s interior.

“So this is a place where they research vampires, huh?”

“To be precise, it’s established for the purpose of studying the undead. It’s a research institute owned by Al-Yabd.”

“Oh, is that so?”

After nodding once, Francesca walked over to a table in the corner to check the research data. Countless researchers had been investigating vampires here until the incident occurred.

The scattered documents seemed to bear witness to the urgency of that time.

As Francesca examined the research data, Camila, who had surveyed the cedar coffin and its surroundings, let out a small gasp.

“When I heard vampires were involved, I was picturing something like Twilight. But this feels more like Van Helsing.”

“…Are we talking about movies right now?”

I gave a hollow laugh at her comment.

When I returned her glare, Camila shrugged off the scrutiny with feigned innocence.

“Isn’t it better than being too tense to say anything?”

Her answer was plausible, but her sly demeanor was enough to make one reconsider their wardrobe choices. I was about to give her a playful smack on the head, but I managed to calm my bubbling irritation.

Camila looked around, like a spectator. No matter how much light was introduced, the eerie darkness that engulfed the research facility couldn’t be dispelled entirely.

Her expression as she wandered amidst the thick shadows was no different than usual, yet a slight hint of fear rooted in the dark was somewhat discernible.

I cautioned Camila before heading over to Francesca, who was scanning through the documents with a rather intrigued glint in her eye.

“Did you find something interesting?”

“There’s always something thrilling about dabbling in forbidden knowledge. There’s no greater thrill than transcending taboos.”

The knowledge that religion had gone to great lengths to conceal was inherently fascinating to explore.

They say all magicians have a certain degree of madness, and her reply was quite the indication of that.

“Don’t get too engrossed. There’s a saying about staring into the abyss—when you do, the abyss also stares back at you.”

“Are you actually concerned for me right now?”

A playful smile danced on her lips. With a grin still in place, Francesca seemed to take my warning to heart, then shifted her gaze back to the documents.

“A coffin made of cedar… that’s an unusual material. Typically, a cypress coffin is used exclusively by royals or high-ranking nobles, while cedar coffins are generally for clergy like priests. It’s odd that a vampire’s coffin is made of cedar.”

We thought that was strange too.

Had the coffin been made of cypress, it would imply that the vampire had been a formidable rich person, perhaps even royalty or nobility. But this coffin wasn’t just any ordinary wood; it was cedar.

This meant the vampire had likely been involved in clerical duties during their human life, and since Al-Yabd does not use coffins in their funerals, a “vampire laid to rest in a cedar coffin” probably had ties to the cult.

I had heard from Veronica that this had sparked quite a debate within the Holy See. Some speculated that an exceptional priest had used a cedar coffin to seal a vampire eight hundred years ago, while others wondered if the vampire had originally been a clergy member.

Regardless of the reasoning, the implication of an evil, corrupt being being tied to them wasn’t exactly something the Holy See was fond of, especially not for a pope who had once been an Inquisition Director.

This was one of the reasons why the cult was dead set on exterminating vampires.

I squinted at the cedar coffin and cautiously broke the silence.

“That being said, it’s strange. A vampire escaped the seal of the cult and Al-Yabd. Did the Inquisition and the Condemnation Commission let their guard down against a species they had eradicated centuries ago, or was the vampire an entity beyond their imagination?”

“Well… I find the Colonel’s actions to be even more puzzling.”

“Me?”

Before I could even ask what she meant, the answer came.

Francesca, who had been lazily going through the data, cast a glance in my direction.

“The man named Akande, whom we brought back from the Necropolis. He risked his life to come here, yet you blocked his entrance to the facility.”

That statement snapped me back to the recent unpleasant incident. Just as I was about to enter the facility with Ibrahim, Akande appeared out of nowhere, blocking my path with a serious expression and requesting to join us.

But his request had been ignored. And it was I who had denied Akande’s plea to enter.

As I came to this realization, I responded nonchalantly.

“Because I couldn’t trust him.”

“Lack of trust?”

Francesca mirrored my question, and I nodded in a rather nonchalant manner.

Even without vampires escaping, I would likely have brought Akande here, but now that vampires had breached seals and barriers, the facility was essentially in lockdown.

Bringing him here in such a perilous situation was tantamount to inviting danger, especially with the safety of Camila and Francesca at stake.

“You can’t entrust your life to someone you don’t trust, can you?”

She seemed to share my thoughts, as she did not argue or object. With her curiosity satisfied, Francesca returned to reading the data the researchers couldn’t recover.

“Attention all personnel.”

Ibrahim’s low initiation caught everyone’s attention.

He commanded his subordinates.

“Starting now, begin a search of the research facility. Rachel and Daniel, check the central control system, and Isaiah, inspect the seals and barriers.”

—

The members of the Order of the Holy Knights, with their commander’s orders, dispersed to their positions.

Rachel and Daniel, responsible for securing the central control system, took two additional aides, while Isaiah began circling around the cedar coffin with the other two members.

“Hero, could you step outside for a moment?”

“Uh, sure.”

A knight shone his light on a barrier drawn upon the ground. The barrier turned out to be a thick line of salt. The salt formed a circle centered around the cedar coffin.

“What’s this salt for?”

“It’s blessed salt, infused with energy to repress unclean forces.”

Camila nodded thoughtfully at the friendly explanation.

The knights of the Holy Order checked seals and barriers throughout, while Camila, her curiosity shining, knelt and bent over to watch.

Unable to contain her wonder, she dipped some salt on her tongue.

“Ugh, that’s salty…”

“Well, it’s salt, so of course it’s salty.”

I lightly teased Camila, who was grimacing, before observing the knights of the Holy Order.

Some were gently touching statues resembling angels, while others were flipping over talismans to inspect them.

Curious about the significance of those actions, I asked Ibrahim, who replied that it was a basic method for checking seals and barriers.

“When a negative or corrupt being passes, there will always be issues with the seals and barriers. The most representative phenomenon is discoloration. If even a hint of their energy touches it, it turns a foreboding black at first glance.”

“So that’s why the salt’s laid down?”

“Yes. The pure white salt becomes an instant visual cue the moment it changes color.”

Since the religious wars faded into history, the main adversaries of the Order of the Holy Knights had shifted to cults and the undead.

In that sense, Ibrahim could be considered a veteran expert on the undead. He continued explaining from his own experiences.

“When I was called by the government to eradicate a criminal organization allied with evil spirits in Kirkegor, we had laid salt barriers at the entrances of caves where they were reported to have been spotted. Every time that thing came and went, the salt always turned black.”

“Was the salt barrier unable to stop the evil spirit’s entry?”

“It wasn’t meant to keep them out, but rather to serve as a sort of alarm to detect their presence.”

An alarm, huh? That’s a fascinating use of it.

I interpreted this as either the idea of adjusting the barrier’s purpose to fit its intent or that each barrier had different kinds and uses.

“So, was that salt barrier also a sort of alarm?”

I pointed to the salt barrier, and Ibrahim shook his head resolutely.

“No, that was set to prevent the vampire from escaping. The other seals and barriers here serve the same purpose.”

Which meant the vampire had successfully escaped despite the seals and barriers.

Listening to Ibrahim’s explanation, I couldn’t help but fall into deep contemplation. Regardless of the lack of materials on vampires, the sealing and barriers crafted by the Inquisition and the Condemnation Commission had completely failed.

This was no trivial matter.

Sensing the atmosphere was off, Ibrahim reassured me that it might not be significant. However, the words of a veteran commander of the Order of the Holy Knights offered me little solace.

“If the target isn’t undead, does that mean the seals and barriers become entirely ineffective?”

“It can’t possibly have any effect. They were created to prevent unclean and corrupt beings from passing through. If pure beings cannot enter, that’s not the intended result, is it?”

“…”

Ibrahim glanced at Camila, who was threading between the seals and barriers. Perhaps having swallowed her initial fear, she casually wandered around the cedar coffin.

Just then, they received the awaited report.

-“We’ve arrived at the power room.”

News came that the second team of the Order of the Holy Knights, who had separated near the elevator, had reached their destination.

After checking the facility’s power and magic networks, the sub-team leader reported a problem.

-“Power and magic supply is occurring normally. All facilities are functioning normally, except for the lighting system, which seems to be faulty.”

“…Only the lighting is an issue?”

-‘That’s correct.’

“Got it. Let’s check if it can be repaired and contact again.”

Ibrahim, putting down the radio, tilted his head in confusion as if it was hard to comprehend.

“It seems there’s an issue with the lighting.”

“Only the lighting? Nothing else?”

“Yes.”

That was abruptly peculiar.

While the other systems were operating normally, only the lighting had a problem? I couldn’t help but wonder if this was realistically possible; the only clear culprit I could think of was the vampire doing something.

I scratched my chin in vague confusion and murmured.

“Well, at least it’s fortunate that only the lighting is an issue and everything else is fine. And since it seems the elevator is operational, we have an escape route secured.”

“The central control room will likely be the key now. That’s where we can check the entire facility’s entry records. If the terminals are operating, we can restore contact with the surface and find out where Saint Veronica is located.”

And the vampire’s location as well.

While briefly sharing information with Francesca, who had secured the research data, the checks on the seals and barriers reached completion.

The members of the Order of the Holy Knights oriented themselves toward Ibrahim, wearing somewhat uncomfortable expressions as they reported their findings.

“Uh… We didn’t find any issues.”

“What do you mean there are no problems? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“We checked, and there were no signs of damage or discoloration. The seals and barriers are exactly as they were when they were installed.”

The knights reported that they had found no signs of wear or change that would indicate problems.

The words came from veterans who had battled through countless undead encounters but simply could not understand the result.

Ibrahim looked at his subordinates with a mix of bewilderment and concern, and that attitude cast a shadow over all of us.

“How can it be that a vampire has escaped while the seals and barriers show no anomalies? Do you think that makes any sense? Check again.”

“Yes!”

Sensing an unsettling energy, I immediately sought out Camila. She was slowly circling the cedar coffin with fascination.

“Camila, do you notice anything unusual?”

“Unusual? What do you mean by unusual?”

“Like when you said you felt nauseous at the department store before. Any odd feelings like that? A sense of unease or dizziness for no clear reason?”

Given Camila’s heightened sensitivity, she would surely have picked up on something others could not.

But her response was unexpected.

“Hmm… I mean, nothing really feels out of place?”

“Are you sure? You really don’t sense anything at all?”

“Aside from a sort of musty smell from the old wood of the coffin… honestly, I can’t say I feel anything weird. What do you mean what’s wrong?”

Just then,

-“We’ve entered the central control room. We’ve found a terminal operating normally.”

The report came from the knights who had arrived at the control room.

That room, which managed the entire facility’s systems, was essentially a vault of the information we needed.

“Can we check the access records?”

Ibrahim asked, receiving an immediate affirmative response.

-“We can access the records with the administrator’s rights from the terminal.”

“I’m in the middle of checking.”

“Make sure to thoroughly inspect the research facility.”

The sounds of typing on keyboards and items being overturned echoed loudly. The members were busy searching through the control room and terminals.

Ibrahim, bringing the radio closer, listened intently with a worried expression. I waited eagerly beside him, hoping for good news.

And finally—

“…We found it!”

A member snatched the radio, speaking excitedly.

“I discovered the entry logs of the Saint. She entered the research facility at 18:03 and moved deeper inside at 18:45.”

I checked my watch on the inside of my wrist. The current time was 19:12.

So, Veronica was—

“She was in the research facility just 25 minutes ago.”

Ibrahim instructed to check if there are any other records. It meant to find every trace that Veronica left behind.

As the team members in the control room tracked her movements, Ibrahim ordered the second team to locate Veronica as soon as the lighting was restored. The Sub Team Leader replied that the lights would come back soon and that he would check the search route toward the research facility.

Only then was I finally able to let out a sigh of relief.

“What a relief. Once we rescue Saint Veronica, let’s get her out of here first.”

“Absolutely. Once we establish contact with the surface, we’ll request reinforcements so we can evacuate the staff to the hospital.”

“Sounds good.”

Finally, we would end this damn vampire.

We would soon meet Veronica, and once reinforcements arrived, we would ensure the vampire would be eliminated. We could even seal it underground while Camila sets the facility ablaze and entombs it.

Whatever happens, it was good news. I relaxed and shared the news with Camila and Francesca, my face brightening.

“You found my sister?”

“Yes. We’ll meet her soon.”

“That’s good news,” Francesca replied softly, her expression as sunny as her tone.

Hearing that we would meet Veronica put her at ease, and she began to smile generously. After glancing at Camila, she spoke in a cheerful tone.

“I’m glad, Hero, right?”

“…”

“Hero?”

Even when Francesca called her, Camila didn’t respond.

Fixated on the Cedar Coffin, she had suddenly lifted her gaze to the ceiling. It was dark where the wide research facility’s ceiling and corners were, without a single beam of light reaching them.

“What’s wrong, Camila?”

“…”

“…Camila!”

“Um, I think there’s something up there….”

Just as I raised my voice, sensing that something was off—

“…Captain?”

A strange, ominous report began to come through the radio.

“While tracking Saint Veronica’s traces, we found an unusual record. It’s an access log for the research facility…. When we checked the log, it’s marked as unidentified?”

The report immediately reached Ibrahim’s ears.

Snatching the radio linked to his bulletproof vest, he exclaimed, “Unidentified access log? All personnel and cargo entering the research facility should be registered with the control room. So how is it unidentified?”

“We found that odd too, which is why we reported it.”

“Tell me more.”

The member who checked the system relayed, “After reviewing all entries logged for the past three months, we found only two unidentified access records not reported to the control room. The first record shows an exit from the research facility after 18:00 today.”

“…”

“The second record is from 19:00 today and indicates entry into the research facility….”

At that moment, the member’s report suddenly cut off.

In the sudden silence, Ibrahim called out to the member.

“Rahel?”

“Get out now!”

“What?”

“You need to get out of there immediately! Someone is currently inside the research facility—”

That’s when it happened.

Boom! A rough, unidentifiable rumble resonated through the facility. The Holy Knights quickly raised their weapons and scanned the surroundings, and Francesca caught sight of the source of the sound.

“The lights are turning on.”

The previously dark hallway began to brighten.

The lights, which had been off moments ago, started flickering back to life, one by one from the end of the hallway. As I witnessed the illumination, instead of the comfort I should have felt, a strange unease crept over me.

With the Holy Knights on high alert and Francesca and I preparing for battle, a frantic voice from a member heading toward the control room struck my ears.

“Someone is inside the research facility!”

As soon as those words were uttered, the last light turned on.

The sudden burst of light temporarily blinded us, robbing our eyes of the darkness we had adjusted to. Just as I spotted the dazed silhouette of Camila, I rushed to pull her away.

Thud!

A heavy metallic sound echoed right in front of us.

Regaining my senses, I stepped forward with my firearm raised. Francesca and the Holy Knights turned to aim their weapons as well.

Every gaze converged on one point.

And at the end of that sight appeared

an armored knight of mysterious origin.

“…”

Clang! The sound of the shifting controls pierced our ears.

As the commander of the Holy Knights, Ibrahim had already taken aim.

“Fire!”

The sharp crack of gunfire and the acrid taste filled the air as we crossed the threshold into battle.

 

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