"Did something die down here?" Alex couldn’t help but ask as a pungent smell assailed his nostrils.
The burly man leading the way remained silent for a moment before he replied. "Rats... all kinds."
Quickly grabbing the hidden meaning behind his words, Alex nodded with understanding while Nadia remained silent, her expression unreadable.
Upon reaching a certain point in the hall, Alex could faintly make out the sound of someone screaming coming from the destination they were heading towards.
Nadia seemed to have heard it too as her expression froze.
As they got within view of a steel door, the screams increased in wavelength, causing Nadia to instinctively grab Alex’s hand.
Alex didn’t reject her action as he kept on following the burly man.
It didn’t take long before they got to the steel door.
The burly man knocked and a moment later, the screams within ceased like a lie.
An amiable voice was heard soon after. "Come in."
The burly man turned to Alex and Nadia. "You may go in."
"Mn, right. Thanks for the help." Alex said before moving to open the door.
Behind the door, a large room was laid out with a wooden table and three chairs at the center.
All around the room, several doors were laid out, numbering a total of seven.
From each one, Alex could barely make out the shuffling of people going about their business.
Noting the room had no extravagant pieces on the walls, his eyes finally rested on the man seated on the other side of the table.
Beside him, a sickly-looking man dressed in rags knelt which were stained with blood.
Alex quickly noticed that the man was missing a few fingers and even an eye.
Meanwhile, Nadia had her free hand over her mouth as she fought the nausea building up within.
The sickly-looking man glanced at Alex and mouthed the words. "Help..."
Unfortunately, he didn’t get the chance to complete his plea as the one who was seated slammed his heel into his face, knocking him out cold.
Snapping his hands, one of the seven doors flew open and two large men dressed in tight-fitting clothes walked in and dragged the sickly man away.
Alex watched all this with an expressionless look on his face.
With that done, the one who was seated rose to his feet and while widening his arms in a kind gesture, remarked. "Hello there, my name is Walter, But you can call me Booker."
Dressed in a simple brown suit, Booker looked rather amiable with his rotund figure making him out to be quite harmless... that is if one didn’t count the blood stains.
"You may call me Kane." Alex casually replied as he walked toward the table.
Nadia was about to introduce herself as well only to be stopped by Alex.
With a slight shake of his head, she decided against it.
Booker smiled as he offered. "Please, take your seats."
Once seated, he pulled out a bottle of alcohol from underneath his table and then opened up the drawer.
He took three glasses and placed them on the table.
"I hope you don’t mind the earlier scene, I didn’t know I would have visitors."
Alex shook his head. "It doesn’t matter."
"That’s good," Booker replied as he poured himself a drink.
"Care to join me?" He offered with Alex calmly declining.
Then, in a calm tone, Alex spoke up. "I didn’t think you’d be such an amazing host. I expected much more trouble considering how I had to get here."
"Oh really?" Booker chuckled as he raised his glass and took a swill before meeting Alex’s scrutinizing gaze. "Well, you see, there’s no reason to make trouble with those capable of paying me back double."
"I don’t know about the other extensions, but here on the 11th, we are family."
"I see." Alex raised a brow, inwardly musing at the strange analogy.
Booker nodded, seemingly proud of the fact he made before continuing. "So when two foreigners, who aren’t even trying to hide that they are foreigners, make their way here, obviously, it’s easy to learn about them."
"So what did you learn?"
"Nothing much." Booker sighed, slightly regretful. "But then considering how you were able to find my place in a single night, I dare say, you used... other means besides the natural ones."
"You both are Mystics, aren’t you?"
"... Quite interesting." Alex couldn’t help but remark after a brief pause.
Booker flashed a smile. "If not that, there’s no other way you’d have found this place without one or two fights since most that would hear your request would think you were undercover agents with the Royal Blue and since the Department of Special Relations doesn’t use their strength on law-abiding citizens, you are not with them."
"That makes sense." Alex nodded before asking. "So you know about mysticism?"
Booker took another swill of his drink as he replied. "I would be a fool not to know considering Krobridge is run by Vampires."
"Alright then..." Alex was about to ask more only for Nadia to pinch him on his elbow.
Glancing at her, he realized he got himself carried away listening to Booker.
It would seem his curiosity had gotten the better of him yet again.
Coughing awkwardly, he turned to Booker. "We need information."
"So I’ve heard," Booker replied, acutely noticing the brief interaction between Nadia and Alex.
Draining the liquid from his cup, he placed it down before asking. "So what do you want?"
"Doesn’t matter." Nadia suddenly said.
Booker’s lips curved into a satisfied smile as he tapped on a bell at the edge of his table.
With a sharp ring, the door Alex and Nadia used to access the room opened with the burly man from earlier walking in.
"Get me the files from the basement. Our guests have been generous enough to want to buy them for a good sum."
With a nod, the burly man quickly rushed in the opposite direction, entering the metal door there before rushing down the hall that appeared behind it.
"Is there anything we need to take note of before entering Krobridge?"
"Well... let’s see." Booker put on a thoughtful gaze before he said. "For starters, you can’t enter Krobridge."
"Haha, why do you think the extensions were built?"
"No idea." Alex truthfully replied.
Booker chuckled. "Only students, teaching staff, a few privileged nobles, and non-teaching staff are allowed into Krobridge."
"Is it because of the Institute?"
"Yeah," Booker replied.
"So there’s no other way to enter the city?" Nadia couldn’t help but ask.
It was common sense that she wouldn’t be able to complete her trial if she didn’t find any noble since it involved pulling them from their fortune and drowning them in misfortune.
Booker revealed a sly grin. "Of course there are but then... are you willing to pay?"
"No, that won’t be necessary," Alex replied before glancing at Nadia to calm down.
He could guess that whatever means Booker would provide would be illegal and there’s no way illegal migrants would get the chance to use the airstrip which is what they were aiming for.
He had to figure out the best way to enter Krobridge with a legitimate identity.
Just as Booker was about to speak up, a sharp knock on the door Alex and Nadia had used to enter, was heard.
Revealing a slight frown, Booker remarked. "Come in."
The door handle was turned and the door flew open the next second revealing 3 figures with pale skin, crimson eyes, exaggerated canines, and elongated ears.
Alex took only a moment to process that inhuman appearance before he muttered under his breath. "...Vampires?"