Volume 9 Endless Days, The End NO.2: Lie
Translated by TaffyGirl13 (proofread by Xuan; C/E edited by lucathia)“Ah Ye?”
Confirming identity: Dr. An Te Qi, Lv. 2 in command, waiting to receive orders.
“Ah Ye?”
Waiting to receive orders…
“…Dark Sun.”
“Yes, Dr. An Te Qi.”
Waiting to receive orders, analyzing Dr. An Te Qi’s condition: Sad, pained.
Executing action: Inquire.
“Dr. An Te Qi, how may I help you?”
“…Heavens! I shouldn’t have done this surgery, I really shouldn’t have! But if I hadn’t, they would still have found someone else to do it, in which case I might as well be the one to carry it out. At least I can still persuade them to make the part that represses emotions reversible…”
Analysis: Not an order, not a question, unable to execute action.
“Ah Ye… no, Dark Sun, do you still remember the Gēge you repeatedly called out for?”
Analysis: Question, Lv. 2 in command.
Executing action: Reply.
“No, memories have been sealed.”
“Ah Ye, you always said that Gēge would come and rescue you, but where is he now? It has been so many years. Just where in the world is he?!”
“I do not require the action of being rescued.”
“You do not require… Hahahaha! Indeed, you do not need it anymore as you are now. Perhaps that’s good, or better! At least you won’t be eternally waiting for the Gēge that will never arrive; you don’t need to smile at me, the rotten person who doesn’t dare save you! Repressing your emotions may be for the best, haha…ah…hic…”
While I had thought that I would have possibly had my blood taken and my flesh dissected into pieces, my days in the laboratory instead started with simple questions. If it were not for the fact that my hands and feet were chained to a chair, it would have been exactly like being interviewed. Except rather than interviewers or journalists, it was doctors in white-robes instead.
“Is E.X. the vampire that bestowed First Kiss onto you?”
“I am a pureborn vampire. I did not receive any First Kiss from another vampire,” I honestly answered. This was a matter that the Church also knew of; there was no meaning in lying.
Hearing the term pureborn vampire, the white-robed doctor interrogating me suddenly turned enthusiastic, his eyes glowing as he pressed, “He’s your father? He had you together with a female vampire?”
“No, X and I do not share any blood relation.” I could not help but suggest, “Perhaps you should first read my data before asking questions. There is no doubt that the Church has a file dedicated to me in their database.”
The white-robed doctor nonchalantly replied, “There is no need. Information obtained from investigations may have mistakes. Also you have no way of lying here.”
So that is what these are. All the equipment connected to my body is actually for detecting lies?
“Have you drunk E.X.’s blood before?”
This question was somewhat contrary to my expectations. Typically speaking, a vampire would not drink the blood of other vampires, like how a human would not want to eat food from another person’s mouth. However, after personally having experienced extreme hunger, I believed that I could have also drunk a vampire’s blood if there were no other alternatives.
“No.”
The white-robed doctor eyed the equipment monitor and seemed slightly disappointed. He furrowed his brows and said, “You did not lie, but that may not be the truth either. Perhaps E.X. fed you without you knowing.”
“Is X’s blood very special?” I stared at the doctor in confusion. Is this perhaps the true reason the Church relentlessly pursues X?
The white-robed doctor reflexively answered, “Yes…”
“Shut up!”
At this point, Sin’s furious roar could be heard. However, he was not physically present. It sounded as if the voice was being transmitted through a broadcasting device. The white-robed doctor jumped in shock and apologized repeatedly, his complexion slightly pale. Not daring to do anything else unrelated, he continued his questioning.
“Has he ever told you of his history?”
“Never.” I calmly replied, “He is reluctant to speak of his past, refusing to even say the origin of the Church’s intense hatred. You do not need to ask these types of questions. I do not know anything of his history.”
The white-robed doctor habitually checked the meter’s monitor. His eyes suddenly widened and he showed an excited expression as he announced in delight, “You’re lying!”
I started and automatically said, “I’m not… Ugh!”
An electric current passed through the cuffs on my hands and feet, spreading through my entire body, leaving immense pain after the numbness. I shot upwards, but due to the obstructions on my limbs, I could not move, only able to stay chained to the chair. All I could do was struggle in pain like a captured fish brought ashore.
“Think back!”
After the current passed, the white-robed doctor’s voice came again. I took a deep breath, but before I could even recall anything, another wave of electricity and twitching came.
“What about E.X. do you know?”
I undoubtedly do not know of anything related to X’s past… Miss Tong?
The electricity came to an abrupt stop. I no longer twitched, though I was unable to stop the faint trembling of my body.
“You thought of it?” The white-robed doctor stuck his head closer. “Don’t deny it. Your body index cannot hide it.”
I tried my utmost to stop shaking as I widened my lips into a smile and answered, “I am very sorry, but I cannot think of anything.”
The white-robed doctor’s face dropped.
As my muscles tensed in preparation to endure another electric attack, the door slammed open. Sin charged in to grab my collar, lifting me up. Only my cuffed wrists and ankles were left on the chair, causing a pain that felt as if my limbs were on the verge of being torn apart.
“Do you think electricity is our only technique?” Sin bellowed out angrily, “Charles Endelis, no matter how much you struggle, no one can conceal anything from us while in our grasp! With what we will do to you, you’ll wish you were in Hell rather than continue living! Right now, you have one remaining chance to say everything. Once E.X. is in our hands, you can leave!”
I sincerely replied, “Then I may as well stay here for eternity.”
Sin’s face twisted like a vampire turning hostile. I should really brace myself now for either an electric attack or a more painful technique.
“Sin!” A black-robed pastor rushed in with a somewhat panicked look. “Outside…”
“Be quiet!” Sin interrupted him and reprimanded, “What are you all flustered for?!”
The black-robed pastor immediately went silent and his attitude turned solemn. However, his ashen face exposed his anxiety. Sin frowned in discontent, though he did not lash out again. Instead, he turned his head to order the white-robed doctor, “Continue investigating and dig up everything E.X.-related from his mouth. Do not let the slightest detail slip. Understood?”
The white-robed doctor earnestly nodded.
Sin and the black-robed pastor left. While Sin maintained his composure, the black-robed pastor’s footsteps were a bit rushed. I wonder what occurred for him to be so nervous?
At this moment, the white-robed doctor let out a sudden sigh. When I looked at him, he sympathetically said, “You should just speak. No one can endure unending pain. The situation is even worse for you, since you’re a vampire and cannot die easily. This will only make things more terrible, understand?”
I remained silent. Actually, Miss Tong had already been dead for many years, so speaking of her would likely not be an issue. However, I absolutely would not say a hint of a word. Never!
I had never received training on how to deal with interrogation by torture. I was terrified that the moment I spoke, I would lose control of my mouth. If I were tortured to the point where my mind was no longer clear, I was afraid both lies and truth would all come out.
Perhaps I did not know too much of X’s past, but I was very familiar with his combat style, possessed his email address and the secret phone number on that cell phone, and knew what disguise he had used a few days ago and how he had obtained cash…
I honestly should not have known so much.
Through the little information I had provided, Curtis had once found X. The Church would certainly not be outdone. The torment of seeing X being detained here would be even more terrifying than any torture.
The white-robed doctor sighed again and urged, “Since you will eventually speak, you might as well say it now. To be honest, I don’t have much interest in torturing others, but I must stay here to monitor the instruments. It’s only electrocution for the moment. I don’t even want to be here to witness when those pastors take over later. You should just be good and confess so I can return to the lab and you can regain freedom. It would be good for everyone.”
“Those pastors?” I showed faint curiosity as I asked, “Are you not a pastor?”
“Do I look like a pastor?” The white-robed doctor responded in amusement. “You should at least be able to discern black robes and white robes, right?”
I smiled and replied, “Naturally. However, I thought that the white robes were also a unit established under the Church.”
At this point, the white-robed doctor chuckled and said, “I’m Deason.”
Before voicing his name, Deason had paused for a moment and used a smile to conceal it. Despite being a very small gesture, it was already sufficient to a butler. We were always very skilled at observing the subtle expressions of the employer.
There was no doubt that he was wearing a hidden earpiece, with someone speaking to him or even commanding him.
Trying to appeal to my emotions? Then I shall keep you company. “I am Charles Endelis. However, I am sure you already know this.”
“Of course.” Deason spoke in high spirit, “You know Endelis is an extremely ancient vampire surname, right?”
“Yes, I know. It comes from a second-generation vampire.”
This was a matter that my honorable father had found out. However, it was uncertain if Madam Avexila had truly inherited this surname, or if she had changed to this surname out of vanity. The behind-the-scenes details related to vampires from ancient times had been intractable for even my honorable father, and my brief interactions with the madam were not enough for me to understand much about her.
“You’re a fifth-generation pureborn vampire that holds the Endelis surname!” Deason praised. He then studied me with a complicated expression as he lamented, “You have absolutely no idea what this means.”
I furrowed my brows without concealing my inquisitiveness. I was indeed a bit curious about this, though I did not find it particularly important.
“Second-generation vampire, Donovan Endelis, was an extremely powerful vampire. He once established a non-human city that even the Church did not dare to enter.”
A non-human city. This sounded like a place that even non-humans would be unwilling to reside in. Despite being a vampire myself, I had to admit that too many non-humans gathered together was not a good thing. If I had to guess, even if it had been a non-human city, there was a high chance that it had many humans living in it as well. Just like… the current Sunset City.
“Charles Endelis, with enough time, you will become even stronger than E.X.!”
I suspect that Avexila’s surname might have been stolen. There are still two generations between second and fifth. Too much could have happened in the time between.
Deason shook his head. “He really isn’t worth you sacrificing your own life. If you knew E.X.’s true face and what he had done, you would not want to protect any of his secrets.”
“What did he do?” I asked in confusion. “I have puzzled over this for a long time, but he has never been willing to tell me.”
“E.X. obviously wouldn’t tell you. If you knew such things, you would have cut ties with him long ago. In that case, how could you have been caught by the Church? Let me tell you, he doesn’t care about any life. He was even called a demon after his massacre centuries ago…”
Don’t tell me that the vampire Dracula was modelled after X? That would honestly be a bit too much like a movie plot.
Fortunately, Deason did not mention anything about Dracula. I continued wearing a mask of doubt and bewilderment as he continued to describe the various crimes X had committed, such as slaughter, slavery, abuse, and even sucking the blood of infants under the age of three as a result of his carefree affinity for draining human blood.
Every bloody crime was hung over X’s head. While I might have been unable to ascertain in the beginning if X had committed these types of deeds before, I grew increasingly confident as Deason spoke that the person he spoke of was not X, but E.X—the reprehensible E.X. that the Church had built up.
Although X might have done several things in the past that had resulted in the Church chasing him non-stop for so many years, the figure Deason was currently talking about was not him. The X that I recognized was not a vampire who would commit such crimes.
In the end, the action of specially conversing with the other party had not provided any useful information. This Deason did not understand X better than I did. He was just like a student, the not very hard-working type as well. He had been taught by a teacher like the Church about what type of historical icon E.X was and what crimes he had performed without any doubt about the unreasonable parts. He did not go further to pursue the truths from falsehoods. He also had never even seen X on top of that.
“So, are you going to endure torture for this type of person?” Deason stated in disbelief, “You were originally free, yet you were captured because of him. While you’re suffering here, he’s instead killing people and feeding on blood as much as he likes outside. This is a bit unfair to you.”
“It is indeed unfair.”
“Yes!” Deason agreed, “Let him suffer for the crimes he committed himself. You don’t need to be his sacrificial lamb. You look very gentle and polite, nothing like a non-human with no regard for law or discipline. You shouldn’t have to suffer this cruelty!”
I smiled in response. The other party seemed very happy, believing I had been convinced.
“I have previously been struck with a whip sprinkled with silver powder, had silver needles stabbed into all my fingertips, been burned by a brand, and been tied to a pillar under intense sunlight so that the rays burned every inch of my skin! How about you show me some more original methods of torture this time?”
This was the first—and what I believed the only—time I felt grateful for the past torment that Madam Avexila had inflicted.
The turn in conversation was so dramatic that Deason did not quite manage to follow it. After a long moment of silence, he let out a soft exhale and said, “You know, I’ve been doing this job for a long time now. The vast majority of non-humans that come here are nothing good. Opening with electricity and persuasion is merely a formality. Torture is actually the quickest method. It’s been ages since I played good cop to persuade so earnestly.”
Sin had been the bad cop. Deason had played the good cop. At the very beginning, Sin had even reprimanded Deason, creating the image of the two not being “cut from the same cloth.” Then, Deason had begun to appeal to my emotions, putting on an act of showing deep affection. He had indeed played the part well.
Deason calmly stated, “The methods of torture we will use are more or less similar to the ones you speak of, but a bit more scientific. We will also use hypnosis and drugs as support. You won’t be able to endure it. This isn’t something you can bear just by wanting to, because by that point, your consciousness will no longer be clear.”
Hypnosis and drugs. My heart sank…Wait a moment! Speaking of hypnosis, does Lieder’s new ability not count as the most powerful type of hypnosis? Typically, Lieder could use his words to control my movements. If he commanded me while I was in a dazed state from the torment, it would not be difficult at all for them to know of X’s secrets.
This was the simplest method, yet they had not adopted this solution. Could it be that they do not know of Lieder’s new ability at all?
That would not be strange either. If such a terrifying ability, even at Josh’s level, were to actually land in their hands, the consequences would be endlessly frightening. What is more, it is currently in Lieder’s possession. If the Church knew he had this type of power, then his chances of walking out from the Church may not be any higher than mine.
“How about it? Just say it directly. Don’t continue delaying things like this.” Deason looked at me expectantly. My silence just now had seemingly been assumed to be hesitation.
I remained completely silent. Torture, drugs, and hypnosis: would I truly be able to keep my lips sealed?
Deason remained good-tempered as he said, “All right, I’ll leave you to yourself. Think it through well. I’ll come back later.”
He stood, but I spoke up to stop him.
“No, there is no need. I want to meet a person. There are explanations that I must receive regarding several matters. As long as you let me meet with him, I will tell you anything related to X.”
Deason shook his head and replied, “We won’t let you meet with any outsiders. Just give up, it’s impossible.”
“Not an outsider. He is the person that brought me here.” I bluntly stated, “Lieder. I want to meet Lieder.”
The other person furrowed his brows without a word, seemingly considering this. However, I guessed that he was listening to instructions through his earpiece.
“I have to discuss with others.” Deason added in a distressed tone, “But don’t expect too much. Sin is tightly monitoring you, and I don’t think he will agree. But fine, I’ll give it a try.”
He turned and walked out of the room. In that moment, an energy cage surrounded me again. Although I had changed locations, the precautions were equally strict.
“Tong Xiao Ai.”
Deason stopped in his tracks and looked back to ask, “What?”
I explained in more detail, “When I first met X, he had a girl with him named Tong Xiao Ai. Her mental state was very unstable, and she frequently shouted various things by herself. Most of the time, they were just words or phrases; I did not understand the contents much. However, since I had strongly yearned to understand X’s situation at the time, I remember everything she had said before. I believe that her words should be more meaningful to you than me.”
Deason glanced at the equipment before inquiring, “Just a meeting with Lieder?”
I firmly answered, “Just a meeting with Lieder.”
He nodded and turned to leave the room.
Torture, drugs, and hypnosis—even if I could endure the process of the interrogation by torture, the longer things dragged on, the higher the chance was that X would bring himself to their front steps. By then, would there be any meaning in having lasted without saying a word?
I had to find an opportunity to escape as quickly as possible. At the moment, the only target I could think of using was Lieder. He had originally been hunted by both the Sun Emperor and Curtis. If his voice control ability was exposed, even the Church would not let him leave easily. By that point, his situation would undoubtedly be much worse than X’s.
Lieder had no choice but to help me, or else he would not be able to keep this secret. Worst case, he could also come up with a way to kill me.
It was not long before Lieder entered alone with a bag of blood.
For the decision to have been made so swiftly, either Sin had been waiting outside, or Deason’s position was higher than I had imagined.
Lieder sat down, a bitter expression on his face as he met my eyes and sighed. “You really can’t let me go, can you?”
I replied matter-of-factly, “You used me more than once, harmed both myself and the young master, and finally captured me to bring to the Church and land me in a situation where I must face torture or see my loved ones get hurt. Why would I let you go?”
Lieder rolled his eyes and retorted, “Hey, hey! I don’t have anything to say about the past, but my seizing you back to the Church just happened to save your life this time. How can you count it against me? It’s definitely a favor too!”
I calmly replied, “The young master would not kill me. Even without you, he would have stopped.”
Lieder snorted angrily and sneered, “There might be a difference in perspective, because that was not the situation I saw.”
I leaned forward and said, “Even ‘Josh’ could not stop the young master. Why do you think that you could?”
Lieder’s mouth opened, his eyes suddenly widening.
I smiled.
He coldly scoffed and spoke in a tone of disdain. “Josh’s mental state is like that of a child’s. It’s normal for him to be unable to defeat your young master. However, my methods are far superior to his. Weren’t you also duped at the time?”
“So how could I not drag you down with me?” I smiled as I looked at him. “You can see it as my revenge.”
There was no doubt that people were listening in from the outside. I could not speak directly, or else I would be giving the Church a super powerful hypnotizer in vain. Thus, I could only use Josh to hint at Lieder that I would expose his ability. Lieder clearly understood, even replying that his ability surpassed Josh’s. This truly gave an uneasy feeling.
“Besides, do you think my current situation is better than death?”
Lieder was quiet for a moment. He then said with difficulty, “You’ll be fine. E.X. will quickly come looking for you here. By then, you will no longer be of any use, and I will try my best to win over your departure.”
I coldly stated, “Do you think I would leave if X comes?”
“Then, what do you want to do?” Lieder furiously shouted, “I can’t help you escape. That’s impossible for me!”
“I was not hoping to escape. I merely want you to help investigate a matter for me and tell me the results. Then, I’ll confess everything related to X!”
Lieder paused for a moment, then asked, “What matter?”
I roared out emotionally, “What exactly was the reason for the great steward of the Elysees family, Curtis Christopher, to betray his family head?!”
There were still lie detectors connected to my body, but I was not worried in the slightest about these noting anything off. After all, this fury was more real than anything. I truly wanted to know why!
If he had abandoned me merely after getting threatened, why had he made that pledge with me in the first place? Sadina’s grandson would not be a person who would speak without thinking nor go back on his word!
Lieder frowned as he replied, “I can’t get access to the Elysees steward.”
I reminded, “You even struck the Sun Emperor’s head with the butt of a gun.”
Lieder angrily huffed, “Do you know how many years I spent planning and preparing for that? Fine, wait three years, and I’ll be able to find out everything you want to know!”
I furrowed my brows and replied, “Dong Fang Lei. He is Curtis’s personal butler, as well as the one that manages the red bowtie troops. He must know something. Do not tell me that even access to him is not guaranteed, or else there is no point in further discussion.”
Lieder’s forehead creased in thought as he appeared to be contemplating this. However, my guess was that, like Deason, he was being directed through a hidden earpiece.
He sighed in distress. “The Elysees family is not one to provoke. Moreover, this needs time as well.”
“The Church can definitely provoke them.” I mockingly asked, “Is the Elysees family head not bound right before you?”
Lieder rolled his eyes and retorted, “Trust me, the Sun Emperor contributed the most.”
My face fell. Indeed, if it were not for the Sun Emperor this time, the situation would absolutely not have been this disastrous.
“If the Church can help, it really would be much easier. But why would they help me?”
“In order to make me speak.”
Lieder helplessly replied, “Sin probably believes torturing you will give faster results.”
“They can try and see,” I coldly declared.
Lieder curiously asked, “Why are you so confident?”
Because I have been tortured by Madam Avexila, hypnotized by Josh, and have even fallen into an unusual state when injected with tranquilizers. My guess was that I had a certain level of resistance to torture, hypnosis, and drugs. Although I did not know whether or not I would succumb at the end, I could at least delay for a period of time.
Furthermore, any words I would say while having an indistinct conscious would likely be incoherent. The Church would need to spend quite a bit of time discerning truth from falsehoods; it would not be a simple task.
I chuckled and shook my head. “Because I’ve had an extremely ‘interesting’ life.”
Lieder sighed, “Interesting indeed.
“I promise you that I will try my best to attempt this. No matter what happens, I will investigate for you. However, the Church may not necessarily accept your condition. If they refuse to help me, I’m afraid I won’t be able to find anything within a short period of time.”
Lieder looked deep into my eyes as he swore, “I will strive my hardest by any means possible.”
I nodded, accepting this promise. Perhaps it was just hope that I would not be disappointed once again. Regardless of whether he honestly wanted to help investigate or if he was thinking of directly killing me, he could not let me down.
Lieder stood and picked up the blood bag he had casually placed down as he suggested, “I’ll give you blood to drink, then I must leave. They only gave me half an hour, but now there are only eight minutes left—”
The ground suddenly shook, cutting off his words. Layers of energy nets instantly surrounded us, making it impossible for even Lieder to leave.
Lieder smiled, spreading his hands out as he helplessly said, “I suppose plans can’t ever keep up with changes?”
I furrowed my brows. Is this an earthquake? But this type of vibration does not seem like an earthquake, but rather more like an explosion. However, I did not hear the sound of an explosion. Could it be that this room’s soundproofing is too advanced?
“Give me blood.” Regardless of the circumstances, I had to drink the blood first. If possible, I never wanted to experience the feeling of losing rationality due to extreme hunger again.
Lieder started, then came forward to feed me the blood. He could not help but ask, “I heard that you were starving to the point of draining an entire person dry?”
I bit into the blood bag and nodded as I drank.
He clicked his tongue as he looked me up and down, asking in confusion, “Where in the world does it go? That’s over five liters of blood. Even if it were water, one would want to throw it up if they drank that much!”
I did not know where the consumed blood went, but the reason was clearly Lieder’s drug!
Since drinking that drug, I had never again experienced losing consciousness, and I was even starting to miss sleep. A vampire’s lifespan was already excessively long; there was truly no need to save sleeping time.
The chair suddenly shook with another vibration that was even more intense than the last.
“Hurry up and drink,” Lieder advised.
I immediately finished in one breath.
“…” Lieder stared at me blankly, then back at the empty blood bag in his hands as he murmured, “No wonder you were able to drain a person dry even while being monitored. This speed isn’t any slower than firing a gun at someone.”
“What happened?” I asked with wrinkled brows. Who knows if this is another one of the Church’s acts or if something unexpected had actually occurred?
Lieder opened his mouth but stopped speaking last minute. He shrugged and responded, “I can’t tell you anything, just give up.”
Has something truly happened? It can’t be that X has arrived?
Lieder worriedly asked, “Your complexion looks horrible. Is there something wrong with your physical condition?”
I anxiously pressed, “Is it X? Is it him?”
If he’s currently presenting himself at the front door, then everything I just did has lost all purpose!
“Um, I can’t tell you anything.” Lieder frowned at me as he placated, “But calm down a bit, calm down.”
Calm down? How could I calm down? X is…
My racing heartbeat gradually slowed, my breathing also stabilizing. While I was puzzling over this, a flash of realization passed through me. This was Lieder’s ability.
“Take a deep breath, very good. As expected of an Elysees butler. Don’t fret, it isn’t like panicking will be of any use. We’re locked here. What else can we do?”
I looked at Lieder and inquired doubtfully, “They do not plan on releasing you either?”
“They’ll let me out eventually.” He shrugged and laughed. “Otherwise, your food will be me.”
This was not the least bit humorous. I could not say for certain if I would bite the young master or Curtis after being hungry for several days. But drinking Lieder’s blood? It didn’t sound like anything that I would want to restrain myself from.
Another vibration.
Perhaps it really is not a show this time.
Now the question is, who has arrived?