The Doctor’s Summons

“Eat, eat, eat.”

“Quiet.”

Rosa delivered a sharp rap to Tina’s head, then elegantly settled into her chair, completely disregarding Tina’s exaggerated antics of clutching her head and feigning idiocy. She then spoke:

“My apologies, Liu Yu, for subjecting you to such an undignified display, all thanks to a certain imbecile’s ruckus.”

“I am not an imbecile,” the person retorted.

“Thwack!” Another sharp rap was her immediate reply.

With her graceful demeanor and refined bearing, the senior student exuded the aura of a noble young lady straight out of a novel, captivating all who beheld her.

‘If only I could ignore the scene I had just witnessed…’

‘How could I ever forget it!’

Recalling the tangled scene between the two just moments ago, Xiu Lan found his face inexplicably flushing. He then blurted out, amidst the senior student’s perplexed, startled, and embarrassed expression, “I never realized, senior student, that you… liked women…”

“Thwack!”

This time, it was Xiu Lan’s turn to crouch defensively, clutching his head.

“It seems I’ve been far too lenient with you all,” Rosa declared, blowing lightly on her fist as she issued a command:

“Now, everyone, sit properly in your places. Dinner is about to be served.”

“So, senior student, is there something you needed to speak with me about?”

Under Rosa’s iron-fisted authority, the farce finally concluded. They now sat in a triangular arrangement around the dining table. Tina, who had initially attempted to cozy up beside Rosa, was promptly sent sprawling by the senior student’s swift kick, leaving Xiu Lan trembling in his seat nearby.

“Hmph hmph.”

It was Tina who answered Xiu Lan instead. Picking up a slice of beef from her plate, she spoke in a strangely sarcastic tone:

“Oh dear, for naughty students who skip classes and play truant, the obvious solution is… expulsion! That way, Mama Rosa will be all mine.”

She swallowed it whole.

‘To blurt out such things so openly, how utterly shameless! This person truly acts like a small child.’

“Don’t mind her; her brain is a bit… peculiar. I called you over because I heard you haven’t been attending classes for days, and I wanted to chat.”

Rosa sighed helplessly, then seemed to recall something. “First, let me introduce her. This is Tina. Her mind isn’t quite… right. She’s an ‘Elf’ amongst the Derived Species, my classmate and… my pet. It’s quite normal for pets to be rather clingy, wouldn’t you say?”

‘An Elf!?’

‘Mysterious, beautiful, long-lived.’

Remembering the legends of elves from his previous world, Xiu Lan stared at the woman before him, who was currently devouring her food without an ounce of grace.

‘She’s completely, utterly unlike them!’

“What exactly is a Derived Species?” Xiu Lan asked, seizing upon that particular keyword.

“While it’s not strictly classified information,” Rosa began, seemingly engaged in some internal debate before deciding, “for the sake of my reputation, I suppose I should tell you.”

“The full name is Blackblood Derived Species. As the name implies, Derived Species are new life forms born from the Blackblood’s power, which corrupts and distorts their will, bodies, and even their way of life. They are the primary enemies we combat.”

“Among the known Derived Species, Elves possess immense power. However, their intelligence is almost nonexistent. Tina is rather special; she has retained some human cognition. Yet, even so, her intellect has been significantly affected, much like a newborn chick, clinging to my side.”

Taking a sip of water, Rosa continued with a hint of sorrow, “I’m not entirely clear about the Inner Realm, but the monsters that threaten the safety of the Outer Realm are actually the Derived Species. True Blackbloods, in the proper sense, have rarely appeared in human sight since the Great Migration.”

Infected by Rosa’s somber mood, Xiu Lan’s spirits inevitably sank.

‘So the bosses haven’t appeared in ages, and mere subordinates are already causing humanity to suffer repeated defeats. Is there any hope left for a world like this?’

‘They say it’s survival of the fittest, but to be eliminated oneself truly feels unfair.’

“Aren’t you two eating? Because I’m done.”

Tina’s sounds of devouring her food broke the somber mood between them.

They exchanged a knowing smile.

‘Indeed, no matter the circumstance, it seems the simple-minded always live the most comfortably.’

“Go on, eat. We can talk while we do.”

“Mm.”

He tried to pick up a piece of vegetable and put it into his mouth. The feedback he received was:

‘There’s… no taste?’

“What’s wrong? Is it not to your liking?”

Rosa asked, observing the young man who remained perfectly still.

“It’s nothing… just a little spicy.”

Xiu Lan lied, glancing at the bright red chilies in the dish.

‘I can’t taste anything. Has my sense of taste vanished…?’

‘Could this also be a consequence of awakening as a Devourer Hound (TL Note: A type of awakened being with enhanced senses but potentially severe drawbacks, like loss of taste)?’

“Spicy?”

Rosa sampled a piece, then looked at Xiu Lan with a peculiar expression. ‘This is bell pepper, isn’t it?’

‘Though curious as to why Liu Yu would tell such an obvious lie, considering the boy’s strange temperament, she decided to keep her mouth shut.’

‘Sure enough, my sense of taste is gone.’

He continued to try various foods on the table, but the feedback was identical to before.

‘For someone who loved to feast freely, this was an incredibly terrible price to pay. Yet, compared to one’s very life, it was an insignificant, almost negligible, sacrifice.’

‘No matter what, living was paramount.’

“Here, try this.”

The senior student picked up a dish for him.

“And try this one too.”

‘She’s really treating me like a child, isn’t she?’

As the senior student diligently served him more food, Xiu Lan could only eat the tasteless meal under Tina’s gaze of envy, jealousy, and resentment.

****

“He has that scent, you know.”

Xiu Lan had left the dining hall after lunch under the pretense of taking a nap, but discussions about him continued.

“Are you certain, Tina?”

“Though faint, it is undeniably present.”

An Elf’s sense of smell was trustworthy.

Having left the dining hall, Rosa’s steps halted mid-stride. She surveyed her surroundings, then pulled out her phone and scrolled through her photo album.

Senior students in the Combat Department often accepted commissions from the government to further hone their skills, and Rosa had taken on a special assignment issued by the Supervisory Bureau.

To investigate Vampires.

Monsters that preyed on Bloodthirsty Ones (TL Note: Individuals with an insatiable craving for blood, a distinct category from vampires) had suddenly appeared, typically active at night. Those Bloodthirsty Ones targeted by them often ended up with their blood completely drained, their corpses left unrecognizable.

Research conducted by the Supervisory Bureau on captured Vampires revealed that they typically only craved the fresh blood of Bloodthirsty Ones. However, due to the scarcity of research samples, the research department could not guarantee that unique individuals wouldn’t emerge who would attack ordinary people.

They usually blended in among the Bloodthirsty Ones, and not only ordinary people, but even the Supervisory Bureau, found it impossible to distinguish between the two before a vampire attack.

To date, the number of known victims had already reached double digits.

“Hmm…”

Rosa scrolled through the photo album on her phone, which contained images of desiccated corpses, suspicious persons, and a murder photo of “Huang Siying” posted on a certain channel.

‘Although I believe he’s a good kid, for safety’s sake, I should still keep a slight eye on him.’

After a moment of internal debate, Rosa chose the latter between her own intuition and the Elf’s sense of smell. Tina had once accompanied her to the research department, where the captured Vampires had left a strong impression. It was then that Tina had memorized the monsters’ scent.

‘Just like a little dog.’

‘Oh dear, it seems I accidentally spoke my thoughts aloud.’ Rosa watched the ‘little dog’ before her with a serene smile, but in the next second, her composure shattered.

“Woof woof woof.”

“Don’t pounce on me! Just because I called you a dog doesn’t mean you should actually act like one!”

“Woof woof woof, the little doggy wants to stick to Mama!”

Amidst a flurry of chaotic antics, the two squabbled their way back to the dorms.

****

“We’re doomed.”

“What now, big shot?”

This was the duo of good brothers, who, after a day of rummaging through boxes and cabinets, were covered in a layer of grime.

“Seriously, after searching all day, all we found was that your ‘preference’ is for silver-haired beauties. You’re not some mole sent to waste time, are you?”

Yao Jing dragged a cabinet across the room, making the already dusty space even worse as the large piece of furniture moved.

“No, I don’t have time to argue about that right now.”

Wu Liyun’s face immediately flushed, having been touched on a sensitive spot. He turned his phone screen towards Yao Jing and declared, “The Doctor has found us.”

“Who?”

Yao Jing ceased his movements, his eyes widening as he stared at Wu Liyun’s phone screen. A newly arrived message was displayed:

[Tonight, come here. Remember to bring your hunter friend with you. I will be waiting for you.]

Signed – The Doctor.

An address and time were also attached.

Wu Liyun gazed out the window with a grave expression, trying to spot any signs of activity. “When exactly were we targeted?”

“So, that means we can finally get rid of this scavenging activity.”

Yao Jing stretched, sighing with relief. “When soldiers come, generals block; when floods come, earth dams them. Let’s get some good rest. Tonight, we’ll meet this so-called ‘Doctor’.”

“Huh? I have to go too?”

“They specifically called you out, and you dare not go, you big traitor.”

Yao Jing clapped Wu Liyun on the back. “Judging by how these things play out in movies and TV shows, if we go, we might still live. If we don’t, we’re definitely dead.”

“Fine, fine, fine.”

Brushing Yao Jing’s hand away, Wu Liyun remembered someone and cautiously asked, “Should we inform Xiu Lan? With him, our combat strength would be more robust, and we’d have an extra person to help if a fight breaks out.”

“Are you sure he won’t just go berserk and hack at us instead?”

Recalling Xiu Lan’s performance that day, Wu Liyun shook his head like a rattle-drum, then flashed a fawning smile at Yao Jing. “Then let’s not bother. Tonight, it’s all up to you, Brother Yao.”

“Naturally, no matter how perilous the situation, I can guarantee your safety. However, there’s a more pressing matter to resolve right now.”

Yao Jing slowly walked to the window. He gazed at the lush greenery outside, and despite being under thirty, he exuded an aura of world-weary wisdom, as if he had seen through the illusory nature of life.

Just as Wu Liyun braced himself for some profound declaration, Yao Jing slowly uttered a few words: “What’s for dinner tonight?”