Chapter 23: The Benefits of Primordial Blood
His vision suddenly shifted, and he found himself staring at his own body, which appeared to be asleep. He glanced around the dark room for a moment, able to see every detail clearly, before stepping out into the larger room and taking in the chaos scattered everywhere. He sighed and muttered, "We might have gone a bit overboard."
Bark!
Creak!
A variety of sounds reached his ears, coming from all directions. "Thinking about it, it’s been a while since I last went out." He gave a command to Noctis, and his body transformed into a black liquid that slid across the floor toward the door. As a result, his perspective shifted, allowing him to see part of the ceiling and a bit of what lay ahead.
Once outside, he was greeted by the familiar sight of the narrow alley: tightly packed houses and a ground covered in melting snow, creating sticky white puddles filled with footprints. ’It seems the snow has stopped.’ He glanced up at the slightly clearer sky.
’I think I’ll return to work once the puddles dry up.’
After ensuring the alley was free of any human presence, Noctis reformed his human body. To avoid drawing attention, he quietly leaped onto one of the shorter rooftops.
Thanks to the shadow body’s malleable nature, which could shift from solid to liquid to gaseous, he was able to make his body extremely light, producing no sound as he moved, as if he weren’t even there.
With ease, he climbed the tightly packed houses until he reached the highest roof in the poor district. He raised his head and carefully observed the surrounding city. He noticed the stark contrast between the dark, dimly lit poor district, illuminated only by a few torches, and the brightly lit inner city, whose light reflected in his crimson eyes.
Even from a distance, he could see the large torches and scattered lanterns everywhere. Vaguely, he could make out human figures strolling through the wide alleys. The inner city was bustling with life, and thanks to his sharp hearing, he could hear their distant murmurs.
He turned his gaze to the tall bell tower, illuminated at its peak like a beacon in the center of the city. After a moment of hesitation, he dashed swiftly like a dark ghost, continuing to climb rooftops without descending into the lit alleys, until he reached a tall building in the city center. He sat relaxed on the isolated peak and quietly observed everything.
His eyes moved from place to place, calmly watching the alleys around him. Despite the cold weather and the late hour, the area was thriving. Guards were stationed at corners, and popular restaurants were filled with customers. Occasionally, some drunkards or luxurious carriages carrying people returning home would pass by.