Chapter 157: Lance is Experimenting with a New Type of Sealing Magic

Bathed in the sunlight, the syringe's plunger kept moving back. The instrument in the executioner's hand had transformed into a blood-extraction device. As Count Palokas's world gradually darkened, all he could manage was a hysterical, anguished wail.

The beams of light refracted through the stained-glass windows slowly faded away, and Lance gently raised his hand to retract Glorious Virtue. The intense brilliance was instantly swallowed by the endless night. By now, the syringe in the executioner's hand could barely draw any more blood, and Palokas's agonized screaming had ceased. The sanctuary returned to the warm, bright atmosphere of a banquet hall.

Lance murmured to himself, "It seems he's all better now."

Hyperion dared not respond to that remark. She stole a quick glance at Count Palokas on the floor before hurriedly looking away. Please forgive me, please forgive me.

She could only hope that Lance would stick to being a headmaster and never venture into the field of medicine. After all, it would be a disaster if he ever decided to open the "First Affiliated Hospital of Purgatory Corridor Academy."

"Ah... ah... my blood..."

Count Palokas's skin had turned deathly pale, and his body was shriveled like a drained grape. Any other creature would surely be a corpse by now. Yet, horrifyingly, the vampire was still trembling all over even though he now resembled a desiccated mummy. In fact, as Hyperoin watched with horrified eyes, he shakily raised a hand as if attempting to break free and flee.

***

As the white light on the giant open-air screen in Ikerite University dissipated, the broadcast was finally restored. The students could see that the glazed stained-glass windows no longer reflected a trace of sunlight. Instead, there was an endless night sky, dotted with bright stars.

The ancient sanctuary was like the altar at the intersection of light and darkness, mysterious and cold. The viewers could tell that air was filled with blood and fear, mixed with the smell of burning candles. The stone slabs on the ground had been stained bright red with blood. The candlelight reflected from them, making the tiles glisten like molten lava.

The mummified Count Palokas was trembling and struggling futilely on the ground. Several figures surrounded the vampire. Under the firelight, they had casual smiles on their faces. Their expressions looked distorted and weird, and their shadows were stretched as they swayed and danced wildly.

The entire plaza fell into silence, and the air was frozen for an instant. The students sitting on the stone steps facing the giant open-air screen were all dumbfounded. They felt like they were viewing an ancient ritual from a dark myth, and the challengers standing in the light were all villains who were either presiding or watching this session.

One person mumbled, "Are they fighting the count, or are they establishing the Church of Resurrection..."

At this midnight hour, even through the screen, the air in Gela Memorial Plaza seemed to be filled with gusts of cold autumn wind, sending chills down one's spine.

However, there was also someone who had an extremely different opinion from the rest of the viewers. She interjected, "Don't be ridiculous!”

She was a young reporter with light blue hair, and she held a camera as she kept taking pictures of the outdoor giant screen.

With a bright smile on her face, she explained to everyone present as if she was preparing a special report of Lance's deeds, "Headmaster Lance just wants to show everyone the dangers and consequences of staying up late. He is advising teenagers that they need to maintain a good schedule! He is like an angel sent from heaven. He's really a good role model for the world to follow. Lance is full of positive energy!"

The surrounding students did not dare to say a word after they heard her version of the story. She was both a true fan of Lance and a possible anti-fan. It was possible she was just trolling everyone, but it also could not be ruled out that she was just doing this for fun.

While taking pictures, the reporter also took out a photo of Lance like she was using it to ward off evil spirits. It was as if she was claiming she was not a troll, but actually a true fan of the headmaster. Everyone around her felt that her motivations were quite complex!

***

Meanwhile, in the sanctuary located on the ground level of Lichten's Castle, the group now faced a new dilemma.

"Mr. Lance, what should we do next?"

The paladin and the male bodyguard held Palokas down firmly like two immovable boulders. Despite the lack of sunlight, the drained vampire was now weaker than when he had been when they first pinned him down.

Lance observed the vampire's condition, and his expression gradually turned somewhat concerned. "If he looks like this during tomorrow's live stream, he's liable to frighten ordinary residents, especially the elderly and children who are passing by Ikerite University. The Model Citizens Team has always prided itself on producing content suitable for all ages. We need to spruce the count up a bit so he exudes an air of art and culture."

The others nodded in agreement. Apparently, Lance's unhinged mental condition wasn't that severe. After all, he at least realized that Palokas's current appearance could scare the general public.

So, Lance led the group back to the long banquet table. Leaving only the paladin and the male bodyguard behind to keep holding Palokas down, the others took their seats.

Lance continued with great enthusiasm, "I consulted some books and discovered that vampires love sealing themselves in coffins to sleep during the day. I've always respected the cultures of other races and peoples, so once we've applied some decent makeup to him, we'll prepare a coffin for him as well."

He then pulled a handsketched diagram from his pocket and laid it on the long table for everyone to see. It was a set of notes and pictures he had prepared earlier at his writing desk. The group stood up and gathered around the diagram spread across the table. It detailed a series of procedural steps using both illustrations and text.

1. Washing and Purification: First, wash and purify the body. Typically, a blood-pressure resuscitation device and alcohol are used.

2. Evisceration: Make an incision on the left side of the body, then remove the heart, lungs, liver, stomach, and intestines.

3. Curing: After the internal organs are removed, the body is packed with alkaline salts that provide drying and disinfecting effects.

4. Cleaning and Lubrication: The body is washed and anointed with oils and balms to prevent the skin from becoming overly dry or brittle.

5. Stuffing and Reshaping: The body is then stuffed with linen strips, grass, or sand to restore a lifelike appearance. The face can also be molded or coated with a protective paste.

6. Wrapping: Finally, the body is tightly wrapped in layers of linen strips, which are often coated with resin to act as an adhesive.

7. Placement and Painting: Once wrapped, the mummy is placed in an elaborately decorated coffin, which is then painted with images of deities, special arcane inscriptions, and magical spells intended to provide protection.

"Let's use this very process to give Count Palokas a grand burial. At the very least, we won't have to worry about him crawling out of the ground for the next four days." Lance explained this to the group with a beaming smile, looking as though he couldn't wait to embark on a fascinating journey of exploration into an ancient Egyptian-like culture.

The skills and knowledge most essential to this mummification process were anatomy, medicine, and art. These were subjects he believed made for an educational and cultural experience suitable for all ages.

In fact, Lance was actually hoping to capture footage of the vampire turned mummy crawling out of its sarcophagus. That would prove the sci-fi movies he'd watched back home weren't fake—that mummies really could come back to life.

A dead silence fell over the sanctuary. Although the other challengers understood Lance's lesson and recognized that it would indeed be effective, it was all just a bit too... shocking for them.

Lance was apparently practicing a brand-new form of Sealing magic. Whether in terms of human sensibilities, artistic expression, or the cognitive limits of the era, he was simply far too ahead of his time.