Const Orphanage 8

It was a grotesque, distorted face, with two high, protruding red eyes sparkling with ferocity. Long fangs jutted out from the lips, a flat nose with flared nostrils as if sniffing out Altair's fear. The hair on the face was coarse and stiff, each strand bristling with malice.

"Human-monkey," Altair stared emotionlessly at the creature, his gaze deep and indifferent, his pupils a deep blue, reminiscent of the vertical pupils of a nocturnal predator.

The monster sensed a significant threat from Altair, instantly igniting its inherent savagery. It leaped from the ground, its red eyes flickering with intense malice, mouth revealing hundreds of sharp teeth.

Altair didn't flinch as the creature descended upon him. He met its gaze steadily, unmoved. As the creature's hand neared his neck, he swiftly acted, pressing the creature's head down and forcefully slamming it to the ground.

The creature struggled, emitting a piercing monkey screech that echoed in the quiet night sky. Seeing its hand nearly touch his trench coat, Altair stood up and released the creature. He certainly didn't want to ruin his clothes over a mere stroll.

The creature immediately sprang to its feet, limbs touching the ground, cautiously circling Altair, observing this formidable enemy with eyes wide and gleaming with a cunning, almost human-like slyness. Altair paid no mind to the creature's movements; he closed his right eye, watching the monster solely with his left, his gaze calm and profound.

The monster suddenly shuddered, feeling as though it was being seen through, its fur standing on end, body involuntarily trembling. It glared at Altair's eye, the malice within almost tangible. A sharp screech tore through the night as the creature charged at Altair with astonishing speed. Its hand, as pale as jade, extended, its nails glinting coldly in the moonlight, aiming to pierce Altair's left eye.

With a cold chuckle, Altair calmly reached out to grasp the creature's wrist, pulling forcefully while simultaneously driving his knee hard into the creature's abdomen. The impact threw the creature to the ground. That heavy blow made the creature feel as if a mountain pressed down on its belly, its internal organs seemingly shattered. It lay on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood in agony.

Under the moonlight, the creature's black hair was disheveled, and its white dress was torn, barely covering its body, making it appear pitifully vulnerable.

It lifted its head to look at Altair, eyes brimming with a pleading expression. Those red pupils, moistened by tears, looked pitifully charming. Its mouth slightly opened, emitting a low, whimpering sound.

Then, it slowly lowered its shoulders and head, limbs close to the ground, and took a step back, eyes cast downward, avoiding any direct eye contact with Altair.

Altair didn't proceed to attack; in fact, he had no desire to kill it.

He wanted to see its memories.

To see from the memories of this semi-developed Human-beast what was mixed up in Const Orphanage.

Altair took a couple of steps forward, extended his palm, and gently placed it on its forehead, closing his right eye at the same time. Then, fragmented images began to emerge before his left eye.

Suddenly, the creature's gaze changed! The pitiable look vanished in an instant, replaced by a surge of strong malice!

Its eyes became unnaturally large and bulging, constantly moving, with the corners of its mouth curling into a sinister smile, its yellow fangs trembling.

It seemed like a wicked woman who had succeeded in her schemes, staring provocatively at Altair, mocking his naivety and gullibility.

Unguarded, Altair presented the perfect opportunity for the creature.

Mimicking Altair's previous movements, it grabbed his wrist and pulled with all its might. Leveraging this force, it suddenly rose to aim directly at Altair's neck, opening its wide mouth, yellow fangs dripping with foul saliva.

Its speed was lightning-fast, doubling what it had been moments before!

Just as it was about to bite into Altair's neck, a gleam of joy burst from its bulging eyes.

Altair's gaze remained icy as he grasped the creature's neck with one hand, preventing it from moving any closer despite its struggles. With a twist of his hand, he distinctly heard the sound of its neck bones breaking.

The creature writhed in madness, its screams echoing through the night sky. Its eyes were fixed on Altair as if intending to devour him whole.

It possessed a certain level of intelligence.

Altair looked dispassionately at the semi-human beast, having now understood its capabilities. Its memories also gave him some insights into the events that transpired within Const Orphanage.

If he killed it, it would more likely alert someone inside the Orphanage. Today, his intention was merely to protect Elvira while casually investigating the basic situation, not to disturb anyone.

Thus, he relaxed his grip, and the creature fell to the ground like a kite whose string had been cut. It clutched its throat in pain, fearfully looking up at the man standing above the tree.

Altair dusted off his coat and straightened his sleeves, his demeanor calm, merely casting a fleeting glance.

Feeling that gaze, the creature let out a terrified scream as if burned by fire, then frantically vanished into the vast night.

Altair continued forward, spotting the Orphanage's surrounding wall and effortlessly climbing atop it. He detected the scent of a living being, faint but distinctly pleasant.

Completely out of place here.

It was a cool scent of pine, like birch trees on a snowy night.

This scent belonged to Elvira.

Altair leaped down from the wall, standing in the backyard. The expanded section of the Orphanage's main building starkly appeared before him.

This must be the place; Elvira was still alive.

He strolled around the extension, finding no entrance. With an expressionless face, he looked up at the building, contemplating whether to smash a hole to enter.