The dismemberment and rebirth of a vampire.
In short, it was the act of transforming oneself into a swarm of bats.
Every single one of those bats was a clone of the vampire, containing all the necessary factors to reconstruct their body.
Therefore, as long as the vampire attached its soul to any one of those bats, it could achieve rebirth!
However, the aforementioned method was merely a general skill that all vampires could comprehend.
High-ranking vampires could also parasitize bats other than their own, achieving rebirth by modifying the bat's body.
Of course, this type of rebirth would result in lingering severe injuries and a drastic reduction in strength.
In summary, a "bat" was a necessary medium for a vampire's dismemberment and rebirth.
But this was not actually an absolute prerequisite for rebirth.
Because some vampires possessed soul strengths that far exceeded the parameters of normal vampires. They could employ other methods, thereby bypassing the necessary medium of "dismemberment and rebirth."
Such methods included phantomization, demonization, lichification, mechanical sapience, and so on...
Naturally, after being reborn through these methods, the vampire would no longer be a vampire.
It would lose the vast majority of the traits associated with being a vampire.
...
Therefore, when Professor Silf said "it is not," she was not directly targeting the premise that "a vampire's dismemberment and rebirth requires a bat as a medium." Instead, it was an instinctive answer after considering that vampires had other possibilities for survival.
This might have caused a bit of ambiguity.
But once it was explained clearly, it was fine.
As Dark came to a slight realization, Professor Silf continued to explain, "However, creatures like vampires usually possess an extremely high sense of pride. They would rather die than abandon their identity as a vampire.
"Therefore, they rarely employ other methods to achieve rebirth. But this does not mean they can only wait for death.
"Temporarily parasitizing their soul onto a living body and waiting for an opportunity for perfect rebirth would be a compromise."
"In fact, we had similar speculations in the beginning, but at that time, the core focus of our examinations was on Virt Gold."
"Habitual thinking told us that even if a vampire were to parasitize someone, it would choose the body of the Son of the Hero..."
"Thus, the examinations of the others were relatively negligent."
...
Inherently, vampires were creatures that preferred enjoyment; the phrase "extreme extravagance and lust" was a true reflection of their race.
And the so-called "soul parasitism" was, simply put, treating a person's body as a house to temporarily reside in.
Comparing Virt and Robert's bodies was like comparing a luxurious castle to a small thatched shack. No one would think a vampire would choose Robert's body as a house.
Because of this, the professors had given Vampire Vlad a chance to hide itself during the previous physical examinations.
Furthermore, Vlad had not used aggressive methods to "usurp the magpie's nest," but merely "borrowed it temporarily," desperately hiding without displaying any abnormalities, which was why it had remained undiscovered.
But if it didn't eventually "usurp the nest," Vlad's soul would continue to weaken.
So, it would inevitably erupt sooner or later.
But now, Professor Silf had already noticed this oversight. If they brought Robert back for a more in-depth examination, there was a high probability that Vlad would have nowhere to hide!
...
"This matter was indeed our oversight. If Vlad is truly parasitizing Robert, then the reason we couldn't find it in the secret passage also makes sense."
"But this is still just a speculative possibility."
"Under the current circumstances, there are two matters we need to pay attention to. One is the return of Ophelia Blood, and the other is the vampire's soul parasitism."
Professor Silf stood up, gathering the documents regarding the Blood Princess back into her hands, rolling them back into a scroll, and tying it securely with a string.
"Just in case, we need to make some preparations first."
"Your actions during the Astronomy class last night have most likely already alerted the enemy."
Saying this, she turned and walked toward the bookcase, returning the scroll to its original place.
Dark similarly organized his own materials and put them back into his satchel.
He knew that it was time to take action.
...
Not long after.
Professor Kazel, having received the notification from the Wind Spirit, rushed over.
Upon entering the door, he anxiously said, "Silf, you said you found the vampire... Dark, you're here too?"
"Good evening, Professor."
Dark stepped out from behind the door, smiling and waving at Professor Kazel.
"It's not evening yet, is it?" Professor Kazel remarked casually.
Dark replied, "Almost."
At this moment, the setting sun was slanting westward, and the evening glow was descending. The time of dusk, when demons roam, was already very close.
Perhaps seeing that Dark was also present gradually calmed the impatience in Professor Kazel's heart. He softened his tone, "So, where exactly is the vampire? Dead or alive? Well, I suppose a vampire can't be called a living thing."
Professor Silf glanced at him and said seriously, "Actually, we aren't entirely sure. But that doesn't matter; we'll be certain once we go there."
Professor Kazel was completely baffled. "So what exactly is the situation?"
Professor Silf explained, "Preliminary speculations suggest that Vampire Vlad might be parasitizing Robert Broheim."
Upon hearing this, Professor Kazel couldn't help but frown. "Is that possible? But I didn't sense any vampire aura on Broheim."
Professor Silf said, "Perhaps we weren't thorough enough during the examination back then, so we let it slip by."
However, Professor Kazel stated with absolute certainty, "No, I am confident that I examined him very thoroughly!"
Professor Silf couldn't help but hold her breath for a moment. "Are you sure?"
Professor Kazel nodded as a matter of course. "Of course, how could I joke around with a student's safety?"
Professor Silf said suspiciously, "But during the Moon God incident, you..."
Professor Kazel's old face reddened. "That was a different matter!"
...
Watching Professor Silf's utter disregard for 'Emotional Intelligence' in her speech, Dark couldn't help but cover his head.
Some truths are better left unsaid! Professor...
However, Professor Kazel's statement also exposed a massive problem.
Professor Silf evidently realized this as well.
She couldn't help but muse, "Wait, if Kazel didn't overlook anything, then the possibility of the vampire parasitizing Robert's body is extremely low.
"But if it is indeed parasitizing Robert's body, that means it possesses a secret technique capable of completely deceiving Kazel's perception! The situation has become tricky!"
The development of magic guide technology in the domains of the brain and the soul was inherently lacking.
In this regard, Professor Kazel could already be considered an authority at St. Marian.
If it could deceive Professor Kazel, the implications were even more significant than the fact that "Robert was parasitized" itself!
A vampire defeated by Dark Demon.
A vampire that couldn't even remember more than a few types of magic.
A vampire whose combat power was merely at the seventh tier.
And now, it had suddenly transformed into a vampire capable of completely deceiving Professor Kazel's perception!
Once this fact was established...
The threat level of Vampire Vlad would skyrocket in an instant!
...
What was even more serious was...
Even if they found Robert right now, they might not be able to confirm whether a vampire was parasitizing his body!
...
Professor Kazel couldn't help but say gravely, "Silf, explain the entire sequence of events to me; I'm still completely in the dark."
"I'll explain, Professor."
Dark walked over to the tea table and casually poured two cups of black tea, handing one to each of them. He then sat down and slowly narrated the events.
Since the matter had already developed to this point, there was certainly no rush.
Professor Kazel listened very patiently until Dark finished, finally achieving a sudden flash of insight.
However, from his perspective, since he was not familiar with the Blood Princess, he naturally lacked Professor Silf's level of empathy.
He analyzed, "According to what you said, since the Blood Princess Ophelia Blood and the escaped prisoner Olivia Copernicus are highly likely to be the same person, shouldn't she be a kind and gentle individual? Even if someone like that is truly inside the academy, there shouldn't be much need to worry, right?"
Professor Silf nodded involuntarily. "I still place a fair amount of trust in Ophelia, so the priority of confirming this matter is not very high."
Hearing this, Dark couldn't help but interject, "Professor, people change."
But Professor Silf said dismissively, "Didn't it say so in the materials you collected? Olivia Copernicus originally turned herself in. What kind of heinous criminal would turn themselves in?"
Dark furrowed his brows. "But she still escaped from prison."
Professor Silf replied, "She has already served over ten years in Bastia Prison. Furthermore, you probably don't know this, but the heretical cult that launched the surprise attack on Bastia Prison during Christmas didn't do so to rescue any specific prisoner.
"They simply used it as a demonstration of power to spread terror. It just so happened to give some prisoners an opportunity to escape. For someone who turned herself in to break out of prison, she must definitely have her reasons."
Dark opened his mouth.
He knew he wasn't going to win this argument.
Professor Silf usually kept a straight face, looking cold and ruthless, but there were actually quite a few people with cold exteriors and warm hearts.
Towards her own student—who was also a hero of the Golden Generation—Professor Silf's bias was extremely obvious.
Dark even felt that if they could confirm Olivia Copernicus was indeed the Blood Princess, Professor Silf might have personally gone to Bastia Prison to break her out.
Though if he were in her shoes, he might also... Emmm...
On the other hand, Professor Kazel was relatively calmer. "Anyway, we can set the matter of the Blood Princess aside for now. We should focus more of our attention on Robert and ensure his safety. How about this..."
As he spoke, he looked toward Dark. "Dark, can you think of a way to ask Robert out? In a way that doesn't seem suspicious."
Dark asked, "Professor Kazel, are you worried that if Vampire Vlad becomes alert, it might parasitize someone else's body?"
Professor Kazel nodded. "Soul parasitism isn't such a convenient thing. After every parasitic transfer, a portion of the soul is permanently lost. Repeated parasitism leads to continuous weakening. But even a cornered rabbit will bite. We must take precautions!"
Professor Silf said in a deep voice, "If this matter is true, the fact that it only parasitized Robert is actually our stroke of luck. If it transfers its parasitism to Virt, the consequences would be unimaginable!"
As the Son of the Hero, Virt naturally possessed his own unique traits.
Dark didn't ask for details, but instead said, "Robert and Virt are always inseparable. Separating them will be difficult."
Professor Silf looked at him. "You can do it, can't you?"
Dark sighed. "Alright, I can."
...
Walking out of the office, Dark couldn't help but pat his head. A wisp of clear breeze drilled out of his mind, spun in a circle, and drilled back in.
"Not only do I need to ask Robert out without arousing the suspicion of a potentially lurking vampire, but I also have to try my best to separate Virt and Robert, and it has to be during the dead of night."
"The professors' demands are a bit too much!"
"If you ask me, they don't want to lure Robert out; they want to lure the vampire out, right?"
"But since even Professor Kazel couldn't detect it, this is the only way."
"It's a heavy responsibility and a long road ahead!"
Despite accepting the mission, Dark wasn't overly anxious.
Instead, he first went to the Canteen to eat a hearty meal before returning to his dormitory to prepare.
By this time, he already had an idea.
...
Meanwhile, inside the Library.
Virt Gold and Robert Broheim were doing their homework in the reading room.
Although this morning's Arithmetic Class hadn't assigned too much homework, it was still causing the two of them a lot of distress.
Unable to force himself to write any longer, Robert pulled a pile of newspapers from the corner of the desk and flipped through them carefully.
These were campus newspapers he had dug up from the Library.
He had originally thought that St. Marian wouldn't have something like a campus newspaper, but while searching for records related to the "Blood Princess," he actually managed to find this pile.
This surprised him greatly!
It proved that St. Marian had at least once had a campus newspaper!
Since this pile of campus newspapers very likely contained information regarding the Hero and the others, Virt also displayed a very strong interest.
But his self-control had recently increased, and he planned to finish his Arithmetic Class homework first before...
"Hey, Robert, how can you look at them first? Give me some!"
Robert handed half the newspapers to him.
Neither of them knew where to start looking, so they just flipped through casually from top to bottom.
As they flipped, they tossed their homework to the back of their minds, whispering and discussing among themselves.
About half an hour later.
"Look what I found! There's a group photo here! It looks like it's from some competition... Isn't this Professor Claire?" Robert pulled out a newspaper and said excitedly.
Virt quickly leaned closer. "Where? Is my father in it?"
"He should be, right?" Robert said proudly. "Let's look carefully."
The two of them then scrutinized the palm-sized group photo, their eyes darting all over.
But Virt failed to find his father in it, and he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
On the other hand, Robert quickly spotted the person he was looking for—the Blood Princess, Ophelia Blood!
Robert took a glance and couldn't help muttering, "The face looks exactly the same... but wasn't she supposed to have dark red hair? How did it become black?"
Virt said, "Black hair? Let me take a look."
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