Chapter 654
Time flies, and as the swift passage of time continues, the weather in Tivyán begins to grow increasingly cold. As people add layers to their clothing, another year is coming to an end.
In the northern suburbs of Tivyán, a gloomy sky looms over Royal Sacred Crown University. Tiny snowflakes slowly drift down from the sky, and the Crown University campus has started to hang up decorations for the New Year. Students wearing thick robes hurry about, preoccupied with their final exams.
During the year-end exam week, the library of Saint Crown University is packed, with students occupying every available spot, diligently reviewing their coursework.
In a corner of the library, sitting behind a desk, Nephnis, dressed in a brown coat, silently flips through a thick book placed on the table. Opposite her, her roommate Aima has a book opened in front of her, concealing her face, seemingly engrossed in the reading.
After reading for a while, Nephnis lets out a long sigh, feeling somewhat fatigued. She leans back in her chair, closes her eyes to massage her temples, and after reopening her eyes, she shuts the book in front of her and glances at her roommate’s book cover.
“Aima, how much longer until you finish reading the second volume of Conquer Sea?”
“Um… just a bit more, but if you want to read it, go ahead, I don’t mind.” Aima, with her face hidden behind the book, replies softly. Hearing Aima’s words, Nephnis can’t help but show a look of confusion.
“Aren’t you reading that? What will you do if I take it away?”
“I’m not reading that anymore, so feel free to take it; it’s nothing.”
Responding to Nephnis, Aima continues, and after hearing this, Neph pauses for a moment, and then seemingly remembers something. She reaches out and grabs the second volume of Conquer Sea from in front of Aima. Once the standing book is removed, Aima’s face comes into view.
Nephnis sees that Aima is thoroughly engaged in another book placed before her. The second volume of Conquer Sea was only there as a placeholder; she hasn’t been reading it at all. In front of her lies another book, opened, displaying illustrations of two characters fighting, conveying an impression that it isn’t a serious book. Aima, however, is still enjoying it.
“Aima! You’re re-reading bl**d Source Legend! It’s exam time; aren’t you studying?”
Noticing the book in front of Aima, Nephnis expresses her realization, and Aima, momentarily interrupted from her reading, raises her eyes slightly and casually replies, “Oh… I’ve been studying for so long that I’m feeling drained. I was almost dozing off, so I took this book out to refresh myself.”
“Refresh… are you treating the novel like coffee?”
“Coffee? No, no, no… this story is thrilling and exciting; it’s much better than coffee,” Aima responds, while Nephnis furrows her brow slightly.
“But you’ve already read bl**d Source Legend multiple times, right? If you’re so familiar with it, how can it still have a refreshing effect on you?” Nephnis asks in confusion, to which Aima quickly replies after a moment of surprise.
“bl**d Source Legend? I never said I was reading bl**d Source Legend…”
As she speaks, Aima lifts up the book in front of her and turns its cover towards Nephnis. Nephnis sees a figure wearing a top hat, wrapped in a cloak, with bandages around their face and a fierce gaze on the cover. Above the illustration is a title in a sinister artistic font, spelling out not bl**d Source Legend.
“This is Night Fog Horror, a new work by Miss Aet, the author of bl**d Source Legend,” Aima says with a hint of pride in her voice as she looks at Nephnis. Nephnis, taken aback, blinks in surprise.
“Miss Aet’s new work? When did this happen? I haven’t seen it serialized in the newspapers!”
Nephnis responds, her expression incredulous, and Aima smiles in reply, “The newspapers probably aren’t serializing it anymore. As Miss Aet’s fame has grown, her new books don’t necessarily need to be serialized in the papers; they just get published directly as whole volumes. Even if there isn’t a new serialization, there are ads for new books filling half the page; didn’t you see those?”
Holding the novel in her hand, Aima looks at Nephnis, who shakes her head in response.
“I’ve been busy with finals. I haven’t looked at any pages except the serialized version. I didn’t even realize there was a new book out.”
“You didn’t see that? As a fan of Miss Aet, that’s a bit of a failure on your part. This new work is intriguing! I’ve already read half of it, and I feel it’s just as good as bl**d Source Legend,” Aima continues, and hearing this, Nephnis feels a bit stirred and asks, “Oh… then tell me, what’s this new book about?”
“It’s a story about a terrifying killer haunting Tivyán! Just like bl**d Source Legend was inspired by the terrifying sounds from the Church District, Night Fog Horror also takes inspiration from our local legends. Miss Aet created a mysterious and terrifying killer hunter named ‘Jack’ based on the Night Demon, who hunts his targets in the foggy nights of Tivyán and kills them in cruel ways… it’s really brain-stimulating! I started reading it when I was feeling sleepy a moment ago, and now I’m completely awake!”
Aima speaks enthusiastically, and Nephnis can’t help but lighten up at her words, saying, “Is it really that amazing? Let me see it!”
“No! I still have half of it left to read. I’ll let you borrow it in a few days.” As Nephnis leans forward with her hand out, Aima quickly closes her book protectively to her chest. Seeing this, Nephnis says, “In a few days… isn’t that when the holiday starts?”
“Well then, you can just come to my house and get it. It’s only about an hour’s ride on a carriage,” Aima gestures, and Nephnis pouts slightly, sighing before returning to her seat.
“Fine… if you won’t lend it, I’ll just buy one later. There are plenty of bookstores at the school gate.”
“Buy? Sorry, dear Miss Boyle, but all the copies of Night Fog Horror at those bookstores near the school are already sold out. When I went to buy, there was a queue! It’s impossible for you to find one now,” Aima shakes her finger at Nephnis with a serious expression. Nephnis is taken aback upon hearing this.
“Sold out? It can’t be that drastic, can it? It’s still exam time; shouldn’t everyone be studying instead of reading novels?”
“That’s the charm of the genius thriller novelist Miss Aet. But not everyone buys the book to read immediately; many wait until after the exams to savor it slowly. I’m just someone who can’t hold back.”
“Also, the bookstores around our school don’t only cater to students; many scalpers from the city come to buy them out. The demand is high in lots of places in the city. If you go to buy now, you’ll only find overpriced copies from those scalpers. So I suggest you wait until I finish reading and borrow it from me, or hope the printing house quickly prints more copies.”
Continuing to shake her finger, Aima leisurely informs Nephnis, and upon hearing her words, Nephnis bites her lip, her brow furrowed as she contemplates what to say next.
…
Time flies by, and after nearly finishing their review, Nephnis and Aima gather their belongings and leave the warmly heated library. Just as they’re about to head back to their dorm, Nephnis suddenly suggests to Aima, “Let’s see if there are any copies left!”
“Ha? You think there will be any left? There’s absolutely no way, they’re all sold out!” At the library’s door, Aima stomps her feet in the cold while speaking to Nephnis, who responds lightly, “Let’s try our luck. Maybe there’s one that got overlooked in a corner. Just go back first; I’ll come back later.”
Saying so, Nephnis waves goodbye to Aima and walks in the direction of outside the school.
Walking through the campus with snowflakes falling, Nephnis appears unfazed by the cold as she strides forward. Soon enough, she exits the university gates, crossing a wide road before arriving at Green Shade Town, a commercial area serving the students and faculty of Crown University.
In Green Shade Town, Nephnis skillfully finds several bookstores to inquire about the availability of the popular new book. However, as Aima said, the hot new release Night Fog Horror was already sold out, and now she would have to wait for the printing house to work overtime to publish the next batch.
Seeing her attempts to buy the new book fail, Nephnis remains undeterred. She stands on the street of Green Shade Town, surveying her surroundings before directing her gaze deeper into the town. After contemplating for a moment, she lifts her feet and walks in the direction she was looking, heading towards the residential area of Green Shade Town.
Before long, Nephnis finds herself standing in front of a house in Green Shade Town. After glancing at the door number 17 hanging by the door, she raises her hand and knocks decisively. Not long after, a familiar voice comes from inside.
“The door’s not locked; just come in.”
Upon hearing this, Nephnis pushes the door open and steps inside after changing her shoes, entering a warm living room. What she sees is a bit surprising.
Four or five men and women dressed in various styles are crowded into the living room, sitting in front of a makeshift table with a typewriter in front of each of them. With dazed expressions, they type frantically on the keyboards, quickly producing lines of letters on the papers stuck in the typewriters. The room is filled with the rhythmic clattering of keys, and scattered piles of documents and books give the place the vibe of a busy office.
Nephnis curiously observes the scene, and just then, footsteps come down the stairs at the end of the room. Dressed in a furry top and a long skirt with slippers, Dorothy, with her silvery long hair cascading messily, walks down into the living room.
“Hey Nephnis, what a rare visitor! Did you come here for something today?”
Looking at Nephnis, Dorothy raises an eyebrow as she speaks, prompting Nephnis to respond quickly, “Um… Miss Dorothy, do you have a new book released recently? I’ve been busy studying these days and didn’t notice, and by the time I realized, it was already sold out. Do you have any left?”
“My new book? There should be a few… But aren’t you busy studying for the exams?” After a slight pause, Dorothy asks, while Nephnis quickly replies, “I’ve nearly finished my review; there’s no problem. But I haven’t gotten your new book, and it makes me a bit anxious, which might affect my performance on the exams. If you have it, could you lend it to me first?”
“Let me take a look…”
Hearing Nephnis, Dorothy immediately uses two of her zombie puppets to begin searching throughout the living room. In no time at all, she finds several books of varying thickness and hands them to Nephnis.
“Here… these are all I found.”
“How… are there so many?” Nephnis asks, frowning as she hugs a stack of books. She finds a spot to place them on a shelf, then begins examining them carefully, recalling that Dorothy’s recent new book should have only been one.
Picking up a dark-covered book, Nephnis scrutinizes the cover. It depicts a pale human face covered in stitches, and the title doesn’t say Night Fog Horror, but something else entirely.
“Frankenstein…
“Wait, is this also your new book, Miss Dorothy? But the author’s name is Mary Shelley, not your pen name Aet. Did you pick the wrong one?”
Looking at the book in her hands, Nephnis says in surprise, while Dorothy calmly replies nearby, “No mistake; that is my new novel I’m preparing to publish, but under a different pen name. In the eyes of the public, a single author’s creative ability is limited; it’s impossible to produce several works within half a year. So I plan to use several pen names to publish different works under the names of other authors, and this time, I intend for them to release simultaneously in multiple countries.”
“Different new books under other pen names… Could it be that all these are the new books you’re preparing?” Hearing Dorothy, Nephnis is taken aback, then starts examining the other works. After Frankenstein, she picks up another elegantly covered novel depicting an elegant male aristocrat sitting in a high-backed chair, swirling a wine glass with a peculiar smile at the corner of his mouth.
Looking at the title at the top of the cover, it spells out a name, Dracula, with a different author’s name, Bram Stoker, indicated.
Seeing this, Nephnis can’t help but swallow hard, continuing to look at the so-called “new books.”
