Chapter 93: Patient No. 5
[The Blood of Rosa Nier], also known as the Painter's Blood, provided an enormous amount of information.
First, the fact that the World of Paintings was painted by the Painter was not unexpected, nor was it surprising. The Painter was a special existence, but there was a world of difference between them and the level of a Creator or a World Maker.
The reason for this was that the ability to paint a world within this world was ultimately due to the existence of the [Scroll Fragment]. The complete World Canvas was essentially a type of World Core. Understanding it this way made things very simple.
The [World Canvas] was the main reason a world could be painted. Of course, the Painter's uniqueness could not be underestimated. If Su Xiao were to paint, he absolutely could not do it. With his drawing skills, the maps he drew only existed in his own 'world'; outsiders simply could not understand them.
Su Xiao could hand over the Painter's Blood to three parties, no, three parties: the Young Miss, the Trace King inside Room No. 5, and the Trace King Hall.
The Young Miss's identity needed no further explanation. Even thinking with one's heel, one could deduce she was the new Painter. Because she lacked the blood of the previous Painter as a catalyst for awakening, the Young Miss could only be considered half a Painter for now, unable to use the World Canvas to paint worlds.
The second target was the old man in Room No. 5. Su Xiao had previously suspected that this old man was Patient No. 5, the only Seven-Stage Beast Transformer in history. Now it seemed that the old man in Room No. 5 was not; he was a Trace King.
However, this Trace King, the old man in Room No. 5, did not seem to be allied with the Trace King Hall. This was somewhat confusing.
The members of the Trace King Hall had been searching for the Trace Kings with a piety that rivaled the Sun Church's devotion to the sun. Yet, the very ones searching for the Trace Kings were not on the same side as them.
This inevitably made one wonder: did the Trace King Hall truly harbor goodwill towards the Trace Kings? Su Xiao would not be surprised by anything those mysterious Trace Seekers did, even if they found a Trace King and subjected them to 'lighting the sky lantern,' he would not be the least bit astonished.
As for who to give the Painter's Blood to, Su Xiao had not yet decided. This was an exceptionally difficult choice because selling this item to Reincarnation Paradise would yield a [World-Class Chest].
Su Xiao also had a [World Key] in his storage space. Opening them together, just thinking about it made him nostalgic for the feeling.
The Painter's Blood was the reward after delving deep into the Nightmare: Castle Ward. In truth, the current choice was not complicated. It was a matter of taking the profit and stopping, or seeking greater gains. Su Xiao was in no hurry to make a decision.
There were many books and notes on the desk. After flipping through them, Su Xiao found that some were about research on Mental Beast Transformation, and another part was about marine life and deep-sea research.
Regarding the deep sea, Su Xiao recalled the intelligence he had learned at the Sun Church. The Dynasty had two representative types of power: Flame Light and Ocean. The former was understandable; it was the bloodline power inherited by the Royal Descendants. As for the latter, the Ocean, Su Xiao speculated that this was a power the Dynasty intended to use as a 'fight poison with poison' strategy in its final days.
The result was that they failed to 'fight' it properly. 'Mental Beast Transformation' and 'Ocean's Resentful Wrath' did not oppose each other; instead, they coexisted. The most representative products of their combination were Nightmare and Turbid Light.
Holding the notes in his hand, Su Xiao's eyes showed contemplation. So this was how Nightmare came to be. He had previously thought Nightmare was a supernatural phenomenon of the World of Paintings.
All Nightmares had one thing in common: the resonant water used. The resonant water of Nightmare: Eternal Hope Town came from the red rainwater in the sky. This red rainwater was a large-scale phenomenon formed by 'Mental Beast Transformation' + 'Ocean's Resentful Wrath.'
It was precisely because of this red rainwater that the Sand World was a disaster zone for Nightmares. Previously, Molei had mentioned that she had entered seven or eight Nightmare zones in the Sand World.
The resonant water inside the Castle Ward came from the brains of the Brain Monsters. Su Xiao recalled that when he saw the Brain Monster in the main corridor earlier, the large tumor-like head of the creature gradually oozed blood. After forming blood droplets on its head, they defied gravity and floated upwards.
Red blood, upward-floating droplets. If there were enough Brain Monsters, the tumors on their heads would ooze more blood. Where did this blood go after floating into the sky?
In other words, the red rainwater under the Sand World was the blood oozed from the Brain Monsters. That was why being rained on by this blood rain caused one's Sanity Value to slowly drop.
The blood evaporated, floated high into the sky, condensed into clouds, fell as blood rain, and the blood rain caused more Nightmare zones to breed. Thus, the cycle repeated.
Su Xiao had always wondered why, if it was called the Sand World, it rained all the time. Now it seemed that was the blood and tears of countless souls. They had trusted the Dynasty, but the Dynasty, in order to stabilize its rule while reducing the number of Beast Transformers, had turned them into Brain Monsters.
Compared to Beast Transformers, Brain Monsters were far easier to control. When they first became Brain Monsters, their tumor-like heads had no eyes and could not emit Turbid Light, making them not very difficult to kill.
Compared to directly killing civilians on the verge of Beast Transformation, treating them but failing was easier for the populace to accept and would not cause large-scale rebellion.
Thinking this way, the Dynasty's use of 'Ocean's Resentful Wrath' to treat Mental Beast Transformation was not a 'fight poison with poison' strategy. They had done it deliberately. From the very beginning, the Royal Descendants knew that 'Ocean's Resentful Wrath' could not cure Beast Transformation.
The Castle Ward was their initial experimental site. After obtaining results, the Dynasty implemented this strategy in their new lair, the Sand World.
Harsh tyranny would accelerate the Beast Transformation of the common people. The commoners of this world were not beings who would allow the rulers to bully them. If they despaired, they would undergo Mental Beast Transformation faster, causing a larger-scale Beast Calamity.
The Royal Descendants' method was: since they could not cure it, they would 'harmlessly dispose' of the civilians on the verge of Beast Transformation under the guise of treatment. Whether these civilians suffered or not, no one cared except their relatives and friends. At that time, the Dynasty was on the verge of collapse and was using every means to reduce the number of Beast Transformers.
Countless Brain Monsters appeared. The blood oozing from the tumors on their heads accumulated over time, forming the blood rain.
From then on, 'Nightmare' arrived. Nightmare + Beast Calamity. After these two heavy blows, the Dynasty fell like a giant, eventually dying, perishing in the blood and tears of millions of souls.
Putting down the notes in his hand, the records of the Sun Church and the Castle Doctors indicated that during that period, they had completely fallen out with the Dynasty.
After searching through the books on the table, Su Xiao found nothing new. As he was putting a book back, a piece of paper sandwiched between the pages fell out.
This paper was folded. When he opened it, he found it was a medical record. The handwriting matched the medical record he had found on the rooftop earlier. Both records were from the same doctor. The content of this record was:
Patient: Patient No. 5
Mental Beast Transformation Degree: Six-Stage Beast Transformation (Severe, has reached the level of mind mapping to the body).
Consultation Status: Unable to communicate normally. This Beast Transformer did not show a violent or ferocious side. He just looked at me calmly, and his gaze alone made me tremble. To capture him, 36 Sun Church members died, and over 150 were injured. Rather than a beast, he was more like a powerful warrior who had lost his reason.
Patient Age: Estimated to be over 68 years old before Beast Transformation.
Patient Height: 3.12 meters.
「Day 1 Treatment Observation Report: Injected Patient No. 5 with the blood of Rosa… (bloodstain obscures).」
「Day 2 Observation Report: Patient No. 5's Beast Transformation has been suppressed. Compared to when I wrote the medical record for Rosa… (bloodstain obscures), my mood is now very calm. After Patient No. 5's Beast Transformation was suppressed, the dirty brown-yellow color in his pupils faded. But this is not a method to cure Beast Transformation.」
「Day 3 Observation Report: Yes, I… created the first Seven-Stage Beast Transformer in history, just as I wrote in my previous medical record.」
「Day 4 Observation Report: Patient No. 5 showed no significant changes. Rosa… (bloodstain obscures) died, cause unknown. That afternoon, all members of the Sun Church withdrew and returned to Sand Li Hua.
What exactly is the Painter? What secrets are the Dynasty and the Sun Church hiding? Even at this critical juncture, do they still intend to keep it secret? And what about the Trace Kings imprisoned in the castle? What role do the Trace Kings play in these matters?
As a doctor, I need to know the cause to prescribe the right medicine, but the Dynasty and the Sun Church do not intend to make the cause public.」
「Day 5 Observation Report: Patient No. 5 showed no significant changes. I have been hiding in the secret room for 1 day. There is only me and Patient No. 72 here.
Her Beast Transformation has been suppressed, but the power of Ocean's Resentful Wrath has caused her head to swell into a large tumor. After injecting a trace of Rosa… (bloodstain obscures)'s blood, she calmed down a lot and no longer walks around in those metal high heels.
Patient No. 72 will also mutate into something stronger. To survive and not be hit by her Turbid Light now, I can only inject her with a trace of Rosa… (bloodstain obscures)'s blood.」
「Day 6 Observation Report: Patient No. 72 showed significant changes. Many eyes grew on her tumor-like head, but she didn't use Turbid Light on me. She seemed… to have regained her reason?
The metal high heels she wears are really noisy when she walks. I wanted to tell her to be quiet many times, but for the sake of my life, I gave up.」
「Day 7 Observation Report: This morning, I opened the door a crack to observe outside. Then I saw Patient No. 5 in the utility hall. My thought at that moment was, I'm dead.
What surprised me was that Patient No. 5, a Seven-Stage Beast Transformer, not only didn't kill me but actually went outside the Nightmare to get me food. He seemed to have regained his reason! When he first became a Seven-Stage Beast Transformer, the Sun Church members only had to see him and make eye contact to have their Sanity collapse and turn into beasts. But now, Patient No. 5 had actually regained his reason. How… marvelous.
This secret must be sealed. Otherwise, power-crazed lunatics will actively seek Beast Transformation, believing themselves to be the chosen ones who can evolve to the Seven-Stage. Several bishops of the Sun Church share my view. We will publicly announce the existence of Seven-Stage Beast Transformers; it's hard to hide that. But we will fabricate that Seven-Stage Beast Transformers have no reason and are very terrifying.」
「Day 8 Observation Report: Confirmed. Patient No. 5 has regained his reason. The Sun Church members have gradually returned to the Castle Ward. Everything is moving in a positive direction.」
「Day 10 Observation Report: Patient No. 5 suddenly went berserk and knocked down all the Sun Church members in the Castle Ward. He didn't kill anyone. I know he was very clear-headed and hadn't gone mad. He just wanted to leave this place. His former honor did not allow him to be observed like an experimental animal.
Before leaving, Patient No. 5 didn't hurt me. As a doctor, I could tell that he still couldn't control his power very well. He didn't want to accidentally kill me. Moreover, he was trying to seal the power of Beast Transformation within his heart using his will. If he succeeded, his power would be greatly weakened, but he could maintain his reason for a long time. I hope this old warrior will not undergo Beast Transformation again.」
「Day 129 Observation Report: Patient No. 72's modification is finally complete. The searchlight on her head doesn't match my aesthetic, but it's really practical. As for her high heels, before most of her brain tissue was removed, Patient No. 72 loved her metal high heels very much. She will become the guardian of this place.
Patient No. 72, do you hate me for turning you into a monster? Don't worry, tomorrow you will be able to tear me apart. I am on the verge of Beast Transformation. Rosa… (bloodstain obscures)'s blood is very precious and should not be wasted on someone like me. The knowledge I possess can be passed down through books. This remaining Painter's Blood must be left for those who truly need it.」
「Day 130 Observation Report: What a pleasant surprise. Patient No. 5 actually came back to visit me. I don't know how he entered this Nightmare zone without a key. He was wearing full-body armor, his red cape was a bit old, but his greatsword was extraordinary.
It's been a while. He has recovered well. While chatting with him, he mentioned that before Beast Transformation, he was a knight. Moreover, he had already sealed his Beast Transformation power with his will and swore never to use it.
Years ago, when the Beast Calamity broke out, I couldn't save my parents, I couldn't save my wife and daughter, I couldn't even save any of the Beast Transformation patients I had treated. But this rational Seven-Stage Beast Transformer, this old knight, he is the only one I have ever cured. I hope… you can do something for this nearly perishing world, old knight.」
PS: (Two chapters today, but neither is short, so dear readers, please be gentle when you kick this mosquito.)