Chapter 17: Murder
On the other side of the city, in the western district of Dakelan.
A young man in a top hat stepped out of a carriage, braving the wind and snow to walk into the West ducal palace.
Inside, Chance West sat at his desk, an exquisitely crafted pipe dangling from his lips as he read a few yellowed pages of a book by the light of a gas lamp.
Ever since the inventor William Murdoch first extracted gas from coal for illumination, it had gradually replaced whale oil as the primary fuel for heating and lighting throughout the Kingdom of Braxton.
At first, people had feared the bright, unforgiving light of the gas lamps. Ladies, in particular, disliked them, believing the harsh glare made their skin conditions far too visible. But just as the dawning of the supernatural age was inevitable, the adoption of gas lamps was as well. They started appearing in shops, theaters, and as streetlights before slowly becoming a common fixture in every home.
A knock came at the door. Chance raised his head.
"Sherlock, is that you? Come in."
"It's me." The young man walked in briskly, removing his hat to greet Chance West. "I have completed the investigation as you instructed."
"Please, sit." Chance gestured to a bottle on the table. "Care for a glass of ice wine? With a splash of aphid juice?"
"No, thank you."
After another failed attempt at hospitality, Chance shook his head with a hint of regret. "So, what's the situation on-site?"
"The sacrifice was indeed carried out at Jason Nat's Haunted House. We found the bodies of seven cultists at the scene. Five of them were killed by bladed weapons while unconscious; there were no signs of a struggle. The other two died from gunshot wounds, each with a single, fatal bullet hole."
"We also found traces of a supernatural creature. There are several pools of corrosive blood on the ground. Judging from the ballistics and shell casings, a fierce gunfight took place. The casings come from two different weapons—one a small-caliber revolver, the other a large-caliber firearm of some kind. Here is the full analysis." The young man handed a stack of papers to Chance.
If Zhou Ning were to see this report, he would be astonished. By analyzing nothing more than bullet trajectories, the position of spent casings, and the distribution of bloodstains, the young man had reconstructed the incident in near-perfect detail.
"Hmm." Chance took the report and flipped through a few pages, nodding thoughtfully. "And the book? Did you find it?"
"No. Just like the other times, it vanished after the ritual was complete," the young man said with a shrug.
"Well, maybe it really did grow legs and run away," Chance mused with a bitter smile.
After seeing the young man out, Chance sat back down at his desk and began to read the report in earnest.
He was able to kill an extraordinary monster using only firearms. A powerful young man indeed. As for his weapon... He picked up his pipe, took a deep puff, and sank into thought.
As more uses for gas were discovered and its civilian applications became widespread, the kingdom had begun to treat coal as a precious resource.
King Charles VI had even mobilized the entire nation to rebuild a thousand-year-old alchemical warship. Powered by a steam engine and arcane formations, it was equipped with twenty-four Vulcan cannons and eighteen Invincible cannons and could reach a speed of twenty-one knots. This steel behemoth, the largest in human history, was currently docked in the military harbor west of the city.
Its purpose was to conquer the walrus-folk of the north and seize their rich coal deposits.
Meanwhile, the "weather tides" were becoming more frequent, and rumors of elemental creatures attacking humans were spreading across the country.
Two years ago, the chief court wizard, Elan, had made a prophecy: the gods were stirring from their slumber, the supernatural was returning in full force, and the world would soon welcome countless "chosen ones"—individuals who did not fear death, for they could not truly die. Their arrival, he'd said, was both a disaster and an opportunity.
No one had believed the prophecy then, but now, with supernatural power growing more active by the day, Chance felt the bottleneck that had long hindered his own progress begin to loosen. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before he was successfully promoted to Sky Knight.
At the same time, reports of supernatural events were on the rise throughout Dakelan and the entire Kingdom of Braxton.
Thinking back to Elan's prophecy, Chance turned his head to look at the heavy snow falling outside the window. He murmured in a tone of both hope and fear, "A new era has begun..."
…
The next day, Zhou Ning woke to find the sun was already up.
He fished his pocket watch from a pile of clothes and flipped it open. The hands pointed to exactly seven in the morning.
Excellent living habits! Zhou Ning praised himself.
After dressing and getting out of bed, he saw that his roommate, John, still hadn't returned. The silly dog named Bobby, who had previously occupied John's bed, was already up and running happily around the dormitory, tail wagging furiously.
According to the game's lore, this breed of dog was unique to the world of Apocalypse. Exceptionally active and sensitive to light elements, they were called "sun dogs" and possessed a natural, uncanny ability to tell time. With training, a rare few could even learn to predict the weather.
This particular dog, Bobby, however, looked far too stupid to be predicting any weather.
After a few laps around the room, Bobby seemed to tire. He sauntered recklessly over to the dormitory wall and leaned against it, butt sticking out. A moment later, a steaming pile of dog poop was left smeared on the wall.
Zhou Ning was speechless.
Why do I feel so inexplicably inspired?
The world of Apocalypse was truly brutal. A dog not only had to learn a technical skill like telling time but was also expected to remember to smear feces on the walls.
The competition is so fierce, even the dog has to hustle. How can I justify taking it easy?
I have to work harder!
Wait, no, that's my wall! Oh, you just wait! Zhou Ning grabbed a broom.
Seeing Zhou Ning approach with menacing intent, the silly dog, perhaps sensing its guilt, turned around, stuck out its tongue, and with a "slurp," swallowed the evidence. Having destroyed the proof of its crime, it then charged toward Zhou Ning like a lunatic.
Zhou Ning stared blankly.
Get out of here!
After twisting the dog's ears and giving it a stern lecture, Zhou Ning quickly washed up and opened his closet to choose an outfit. In this world, there were strict rules dictating that only nobles could wear colorful clothing, so his wardrobe was a sea of black and white.
He settled on a white shirt and a black vest, topping the look off with a soft felt hat. Catching his reflection in the mirror, he couldn't help but give himself a thumbs-up. Perfect score.
His predecessor, Wayne Stewell, had kept a very regular routine. His mornings began with a jog around campus, followed by breakfast at the Pig and Whistle pub. He would then return to his dorm, change, and head to the Alchemy Building. As a senior who excelled in alchemy, Wayne had long served as Professor Weasley's assistant, helping prepare lesson plans and alchemical supplies, and even occasionally filling in to teach a class.
In return, Wayne was allowed limited use of the school's alchemical materials and equipment, along with a monthly allowance of 5 Viktas, equivalent to 50 Roshen.
To celebrate his first full day after transmigrating, Zhou Ning had skipped the morning jog, but he decided to keep the teaching assistant job for now. Firstly, he was poor. Genuinely poor. He had a grand total of 15 Viktas in savings—seven of which he'd looted the night before—but most of that was untouchable. Once the school term began, he would have to pay 10 Roshen in tuition every week. One misstep and he'd be broke and expelled.
Secondly, the simulator also cost money. After yesterday's session, Zhou Ning had 11 Time Travel Coins left, enough for two more trips. He'd asked the system: topping up a single coin currently cost 10 Viktas—two months' allowance. A single time-travel session cost five coins, a ridiculous 50 Viktas!
Thinking of this made Zhou Ning's heart ache. Damn you, Tony Stark! You ripped me off for ten months' salary! And you still had the nerve to act all high and mighty!
Besides alleviating his financial pressure, the other reason to keep the job was to get free access to the school's alchemical materials and equipment, just as his predecessor had.
According to the official game settings, main professions and most secondary combat skills could be learned from skill books or taught by NPCs. However, life-related secondary professions had much stricter requirements. Not only were their skill books rarer, but mastering them required an immense amount of practice.
Enchanting and alchemy were prime examples.
This had given rise to the famous saying in Apocalypse: "Alchemy will make three generations poor, and enchanting will ruin a lifetime."
Although Zhou Ning currently lacked a combat-oriented main profession, the free materials and equipment at the school would allow him to quickly accumulate experience and improve his skill level, killing two birds with one stone.
Once dressed, Zhou Ning left the dormitory.
Unlike his world, the student apartments at Vic University were coed. Despite the cold, many young women were walking around in light clothing. When they saw Zhou Ning, they didn't shy away but greeted him with bright smiles.
"Senior Wayne, good morning."
"Aren't you going for your run today, Senior Wayne?"
This body was unexpectedly popular with women. Combined with his expert-level pickup skills, Zhou Ning felt like a tiger let loose among sheep. He cheerfully returned greetings all the way to the dormitory exit.
Phew, this feels good...
Facing the early morning light, he practiced his Ripple Breathing for a few cycles and noticed a green plus sign had appeared next to his strength and agility stats. They were slowly increasing; in a few days, they might grow naturally.
It really is an amazing skill, Zhou Ning sighed in admiration.
Opposite the dormitory was a small, artificial grove, a popular spot for "field battles." Today, however, a crowd had gathered at its edge, and it seemed something was wrong.
Zhou Ning walked over curiously and overheard two boys talking.
"I heard there was a murder in the woods last night."
"It's true. They said the victim was a sophomore girl."
"Looked like she died a horrible death, too. All her organs were pulled out."
Hearing that last sentence, Zhou Ning's brow furrowed.
He changed direction and walked toward the grove.