David didn't even need to explore South City or send some scouts there to know that Glenn was already dead; a youngster would never last long in the misty area even if he had a Methuselah folk in him. But at least, the lad and his squad of orgmen had stalled the creatures of the mist for a while and let him continue his research: enabling blood regeneration in an undead man. The legendary Beyond the Grave needed it to unleash his full potential.

Unfortunately, this also meant that he had to find another lad. Every orphanage owner would bark at him like a rabid dog after learning about what he wanted, but once he offered them a money-laden envelope, they'd become as sweet as a puppy. To David, spending money would never hurt as much as their treatment of him. Well, which faculty dean - an important figure - would enjoy getting yelled at by some insignificant people?

This time, he'd soon face the same thing Kindred Souls Home. An old couple known as "Father" and "Mother" in the orphanage ran this place; from what he had heard, Father was extremely protective of his children.

Moonlight illuminated the leaf-dappled concrete pathway to the porch of the bungalow. Moths buzzed around the yellowish lamp that hung above a coffee table. Adjusting his tie and collar, David approached the door and pressed the doorbell.

A few seconds later, the mahogany door opened. A thin, slightly hunched woman stood there, a polite smile plastered on her wrinkled face. Her graying hair was tied into a bun.

"How can I help you, Sir?"

"The orphanage's Mother, is it? I'm David Rossi, the dean of Metaslica Faculty of Science. I had called Father earlier."

"Oh." Mother's smile vanished as she motioned him into the building. "Father is waiting for you in the office."

After closing the door, David followed Mother across the living room. Laughter echoed as the children played tag; a few smiled at David, while the rest focused on running around the set of rattan couches and tables.

Such cheerful children would find his "magic tricks" interesting.

The office lay behind the plywood divider, right before the kitchen. David stood still as Mother knocked on the door. "Dear," she called, "Mr. David Rossi is here."

The door opened, revealing a potbellied man - Father. The light from the ceiling lamp glinted off his bald head.

"The dean of Metaslica Faculty of Science, huh?" Father ran a finger through his bushy gray mustache. "I've heard a lot about you."

"The bad stuff, I guess?" David asked.

Father nodded. "Get in. We need to talk." As David entered the office, Father told Mother, "Leave this to me."

"Sure." With that, Mother left.

Once Father closed the door, he turned to David and folded his arms over his chest. "I believe you're here to show off some 'magic tricks' to my kids. Then you'll ask them if they want to be like you, so that you can convert them into one of your soldiers."

"You know a lot. I don't recall telling you about it."

"Other orphanage owners told me that." Father spat at the floor. "But I'm not like them. I won't let you touch my kids no matter what."

"Sir, do you know that whatever lurks in the mist will kill us all if we don't do a thing?"

"Pfft, you're better off recruiting slum dogs for your stupid exploration team."

David knew it; just like other orphanage owners, Father wouldn't understand the country's need. Of course, nobody liked the idea of letting a kid lead a squad of orgmen, but what to do? While slum dwellers needed money, they often conned and even robbed Metaslica people.

They could only be orgmen because the process would wipe out their memories. Also, the faculty had created a Brain Reprogramming Device, a handy tool to input the desired commands into an orgman's brain.

"Why does it have to be youngsters anyway?" Father asked. "They have no experience in fighting monsters."

"Maybe they lack experience, but some have what older fighters lack: courage and sheer determination. I'm looking for a fearless, determined lad right now." David's face remained stern, but he felt a bit ticklish in his heart. A stupidly brave lad to be exact.

"Sheer determination won't bring miracles!"

Indeed, it'll only prolong the life a fearless fool for a little while, but time is all I need. "How about some extra fund for your orphanage?" David pulled a loaded envelope out of his pants pocket. "You can have it if you let me bring a kid to the faculty. I'll give you more when the kid actually succeeds."

Father picked up the envelope. After scrutinizing it, he threw it at David's face. "I said, 'I won't let you touch my kids no matter what!'"

David's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. Looking down with a frown, he murmured, "You know, other orphanage owners had never treated me like this."

"They're a bunch of cowards!" The man stomped towards David and seized him by his collar. "Being an important person doesn't mean that you can do whatever you want!"

Why can't I? David glared daggers at Father. Silver scales grew out of the skin around David's hand, and his scaly index finger stretched out at Father. As it coiled around the man's neck, its tip transformed into the head of a snake.

The gargling, trembling Father grabbed the serpentine finger, but his feeble grip loosened when the snake sank its fangs into his eyelids. Then it pulled away with bloody nerve fibers jutting out of its mouth. Screaming, Father's hand went to clasp the bleeding socket.

After the snake swallowed, David's finger reverted into that of a human's. Father collapsed, howling and writhing in pain as he lay on the ground.

"Cowards actually live longer." David picked up the envelope. "I doubt your kids will want to come with me now, so I'll bring you to the faculty instead. You'll make a fine Metaslica orgman."

Thud!

The door flung open, and Mother rushed into the office. "Oh, my God!" Tears welling in her eyes, she approached the squirming Father and knelt beside him. "What happened?"

"That damned dean..." Father murmured.

"You need a lesson in manners, Sir." David approached Mother and poked her shoulder with the loaded envelope. "Ma'am, you can have this little gift if you keep this a secret and let me take your husband to the faculty."

"No!" Father shouted. "Don't!"

David shot Father a wicked grin. "I'll also spare your kids."

As expected, Father gritted his teeth and teared up at his words. He could insist on telling Mother not to accept David's bribe, which would brand him as a selfish man who didn't really care about his children at all. Or he could keep quiet and bottle up the frustration of being unable to stop David from doing whatever he liked.

It was a deserving punishment for a man who showed no respect to an important figure.

Standing up, Mother took the envelope with a shaky hand. "I'm sorry, dear." She sobbed. "It's for our kids."

"A wise decision." David turned around and slammed his fists against each other. Then he pounded the ceramic floor, conjuring a portal of swirling cyan light on the ground in front of him. Come forth, my naga.

Two scaly silver hands clung to the edge of the ceramic floor, and a brawny being shot out of the vanishing portal. Its serpentine lower-half crashed into the ground, sending dust and shattered tiles everywhere. It flicked its forked tongue as it bowed at its summoner.

David turned and pointed at Father. "Get him into the car."

The snake man hissed and slithered towards Father. After picking up the man, it bolted past the pale, collapsing Mother and out of the room. Shrieks from children of various ages echoed.

David followed the naga out of the house, paying no attention to the bawling and cowering children. Why should he care? This shouldn't have happened if Father had accepted his money.

"You...bastard!" Father croaked. "I hope the authorities will punish you!"

"Do you know why the state of Billion is a unique country?" David chuckled. "It's led by the state's biggest mafia organization instead of a president or a prime minister. You know, said mafia organization sponsors Metaslica University, particularly my faculty because the leader views it as the last hope of Billion."

The crying Father cursed all the way to David's massive car, a silver Toyota Alphard, but the noise became weaker and weaker. By the time David unlocked the doors, Father had become dead silent.

After opening the door, the naga tossed the limp Father into the car and slammed the door shut.

"Thank you." David placed a hand on the snake man's shoulder. "Time to return, my naga."

The creature nodded, hissing as cracks spread across its body. Soon, the snake man disintegrated into a pile of silver dust.

David opened his mouth and inhaled the particles, his brow furrowing a bit at the metallic taste. Unfortunately, not consuming the dust would anger Ophiuchus, the Methuselah folk in him. When it first surfaced, it had told him that any serpentine being he summoned came from his blood; to not waste too much of that important power source, David had to inhale the remnants of the summoned creatures. Ophiuchus would then convert the particles into blood.

When David opened the door of the driver's cockpit, he felt a vibration in his pants pocket. A polyphonic ringtone escaped from it, which ended when David fished his cellphone out of it and pressed the green phone button. The call came from his lab technician.

"Hello?"

"Sir, Beyond the Grave is in the faculty building."

David entered the car and closed the door. "I beg your pardon?"

"Beyond the Grave is in the faculty building."

David gasped. Why did the legendary undead warrior have to come so soon?

"What should we do, Sir? He's badly injured and can't regenerate his wounds. According to his caretaker, a creature of the mist stung him and altered his blood state. It severely weakened the folk in him and disabled most of his powers."

David's hand trembled. Rejecting Grave would only spell death to the undead man, which would lead to the end of the country. The creatures of the mist would destroy the windmills, spread the mist, and kill every single civilian in Billion...or worse.

After taking a deep breath, David finally answered, "Drain his blood and give him a massive transfusion. I'll be there soon."