Ch 19 : Cruel reality

Hearing Chevreuse's menacing words, Su Yuan was now completely certain of one thing.

When a person is controlled by the eerie forces, they have no recollection of what happens during that time…

But the eerie entity retains the host's memories!

He wasn't sure if they had access to all memories, but at the very least, they retained a portion.

Chevreuse had only learned about Neuvillette's true identity as an Hydro Dragon Sovereign yesterday.

Yet now, the eerie-controlled Chevreuse also knew this information…

Thankfully, Su Yuan had been cautious yesterday and hadn't revealed his ability to rewind time.

Otherwise, if the eerie entity inherited that knowledge, they wouldn't simply kill him so easily…

"Su Yuan, what are you standing around for? Do as Neuvillette said—get upstairs!" Wriothesley urged.

"Once the fight starts, we won't be able to guarantee your safety…"

Su Yuan was indeed eager to witness Neuvillette and Wriothesley—two of Fontaine's strongest fighters—in action, to see their elegant combat prowess firsthand.

He also wanted to observe what other abilities an eerie-possessed Chevreuse might have…

But he knew full well that, in his current injured state, staying here would only make him a burden.

Su Yuan made up his mind—once he had recovered, he had to learn some self-defense and combat skills.

He couldn't always rely on others to protect him.

"Alright, I'm heading up!" Su Yuan said as he slowly made his way upstairs.

"Neuvillette, Wriothesley—be careful!"

"Heh… Don't worry, Su Yuan! Don't underestimate us!" Wriothesley chuckled.

"Wriothesley, be serious," Neuvillette reminded him.

"This isn't some childish scuffle—it's a battle against the eerie forces. Besides, Captain Chevreuse herself is quite formidable."

"Oh! Su Yuan, before you go!" Wriothesley suddenly remembered something.

"When you get upstairs, you should see a bookshelf."

"On the second row, there's a book called Teyvat's Comprehensive Tea Review. Push it inward, and you'll find a hidden passage behind the shelf."

"Follow the passage, and you'll come out near the infirmary. Find Sigewinne and wait at the office entrance with her."

"Because in a moment… I might get carried away. Chevreuse… she's probably going to take some damage."

"Got it. I understand." Su Yuan nodded and disappeared up the stairs, heading to the second floor.

Upon arriving, he glanced around.

This seemed to be more of a storage room—filled with all sorts of random items.

Mechanical parts, stacks of newspapers and books, drinks and snacks, crates of tea leaves… even some plush toys.

Meanwhile, the sounds of battle and tremors echoed from downstairs.

Su Yuan didn't linger.

He walked over to the bookshelf and focused on the second row.

"Teyvat's Comprehensive Tea Review"… Author: Alice?

"Klee's mother… Lady Alice, the elder of the Hexenzirkel?"

"In all of Teyvat, there's probably no one else with that name…"

Su Yuan was curious about what this book contained, but he had to complete Wriothesley's task first.

With that in mind, he raised his hand and pushed the book inward with some force.

Immediately, the sound of mechanical gears turning echoed through the room as the bookshelf slowly shifted aside, revealing a deep, hidden passage.

Su Yuan stepped into the passage, and as he did, the bookshelf automatically returned to its original position, while dim lights flickered on within the passageway.

As he walked deeper into the tunnel, he suddenly recalled the warning that had appeared in his left palm yesterday—telling him not to engage in direct combat with the eerie forces, as he stood no chance of winning.

"Hmm… Right now, I have no combat ability, so of course I wouldn't be able to fight an eerie entity…"

"But Neuvillette and Wriothesley are on a completely different level from me. With just one eerie-possessed Chevreuse, they should be able to handle it, right?"

"The power level of an eerie entity after possession is probably related to the original strength of its host…"

"Even though Neuvillette was terrifyingly strong after being possessed, Chevreuse was completely powerless against him…"

"But even without possession, Chevreuse isn't a match for Neuvillette at all…"

"That's right. I shouldn't be worrying about Neuvillette and Wriothesley—I should be worrying about Chevreuse instead!"

After staggering through the passage for quite a while, Su Yuan finally reached the end.

A ladder appeared before him, leading upward.

He climbed up the ladder and found a circular hatch at the top.

He tried pushing it open with his hand, but it wouldn't budge.

It seemed… he was still too weak.

Taking a deep breath, Su Yuan gathered all his strength and finally managed to push open the hatch, successfully climbing out.

The place he emerged from seemed to be a hidden passage disguised as a sewer access point, located in a corner behind the infirmary.

Not far ahead, he could see the entrance to the infirmary itself.

After carefully restoring the hatch to its original position, Su Yuan made his way into the infirmary.

"Hmm? Su Yuan? Didn't I tell you to rest in your hospital room? Why did you come looking for me?" Sigewinne greeted him with a cheerful smile.

It was clear that Wriothesley had finished the milkshake she prepared, keeping her in a good mood.

"Uh… It's not really about me…" Su Yuan hesitated for a moment, trying to come up with an excuse.

"Wriothesley and Chevreuse seem to be having a sparring match, and just in case anything happens, he asked me to come find you so we could wait outside his office together."

"Ahhh, the Duke is being reckless again!" Sigewinne pouted, furrowing her brows as if slightly annoyed.

"If they want to fight, they should go to the Boxing Ring for that! How could they be fighting inside the office!?"

"The name 'office' literally means it's for office work, not for fighting!"

"Haha… I don't know why they're doing this either…" Su Yuan scratched his head awkwardly, forcing a smile.

With that, Sigewinne picked up her medical kit, and together, they headed to the entrance of Wriothesley's office.

"Wait a second, Head Nurse Sigewinne…" Su Yuan raised a hand to stop her.

"Wriothesley specifically told me not to barge in and interrupt them until they're done."

He pressed his ear against the door, listening carefully.

Strangely, there didn't seem to be any sounds of battle or tremors coming from inside…

It looked like the fight was already over.

Su Yuan was about to knock on the door to confirm, but before he could, Sigewinne ignored his attempt to stop her and stepped forward.

"Head Nurse Sigewinne, what are you—"

"Su Yuan, please step aside," Sigewinne interrupted.

"I smell blood… and a lot of it!"

"Honestly! The Duke is being completely reckless! Doesn't he know how hard I work every day? And now he's creating even more trouble for me!" Sigewinne spoke with a hint of anger as she reached for the door, ready to push it open.

Hearing her words, Su Yuan took a couple of deep breaths, trying to catch the scent she was talking about—

She was right.

The thick, metallic stench of blood was overwhelming, strong enough that even he could smell it now.

Had Neuvillette and Wriothesley gone too far?

Did they really beat Chevreuse that badly?

But in the next moment, as Sigewinne pushed open the office door—

What they saw was a horrifying, unthinkable sight.

"Chevreuse" stood in the center of the blood-soaked room, her body covered in gore.

One hand clutched a still faintly beating heart.

The other hand held a strong, muscular arm, scarred from past battles—an arm that she was gleefully biting into.

And on the ground—

Neuvillette and Wriothesley lay motionless in a pool of blood.

Neuvillette's chest had a gaping, hollow wound, still oozing fresh crimson.

His clothes were completely soaked, riddled with bullet holes—his entire body looking as if he had been shot multiple times.

Wriothesley's body, though lacking the gunshot wounds that riddled Neuvillette, was in no better condition.

His entire left arm—was gone.

Su Yuan's mind went completely blank.

This was… impossible.

Neuvillette and Wriothesley…

They actually lost???

And—

They were eaten by "Chevreuse"???

With a loud clang, Sigewinne's medical kit slipped from her trembling hands, the contents spilling across the floor—medicines, bandages, and surgical tools scattering everywhere.

She collapsed to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself, her entire body shaking as tears poured down her cheeks.

"Chevreuse… Neuvillette… Wriothesley… you… you're joking with me, right…?" Sigewinne's voice trembled as she spoke.

Slowly, she lifted her head to look at "Chevreuse"—

And "Chevreuse" tilted her head, those blood-red, hollow eyes locking onto Sigewinne's.

"Head Nurse Sigewinne… you're a rare, humanoid Melusine…"

"I wonder…"

"What would you taste like?"

Then, she turned—her eerie gaze settling on Su Yuan.

"And you, Su Yuan…"

"As an outsider from another world…"

"I wonder—how different would you taste from the creatures of Teyvat?"

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