Endless Debt Chapter 1013 - 92: Safe Harbor (Part 2)

"You’re here early."

Serey staggered behind the bar, his exclusive spot. Bottles clinked against each other, producing a crisp sound. Serey mixed a drink for himself and downed it in one gulp.

If Serey was an engine, then alcohol was his fuel.

Once the drink was consumed, he seemed entirely alive, filled with energy. He stepped onto the bar with one foot and leapt onto the table in front of Bologue, then slipped into the seat like a fish, casually resting his hand on Bologue’s shoulder.

Serey put on a knowing ’big brother’ expression, his voice carrying a strange magnetism.

"Encountered some trouble?"

Bologue glanced at Serey in disgust, saying nothing.

"Alright, alright," Serey sat up straight, returning to normal, "I heard from Palmer that you became a team leader, even if just temporarily."

Bologue was slightly surprised, "He’s been here?"

"Came last night, just him alone," Serey paused, "He seemed troubled, seriously troubled. I asked him what was wrong, but he wouldn’t say, only talked nonsense and then drank."

"So what happened?" Serey asked.

Bologue hesitated for a moment and then told Serey about all the events that transpired during the operation.

Serey nodded while listening, his expression calm throughout, as if these stories couldn’t touch his heart.

After all, Serey was a super Undead, who knows how long he had lived; in his endless life, partings and reunions were normal affairs. Even with wives, Serey saw off countless over time, not to mention friends.

Looking at the cups stacked in the cabinet, many shared joyful drinks with Serey, but they all turned to dust.

In comparison, Bologue appeared much more naive. Bologue felt there was nothing wrong with this kind of naivety; it proved his spirit was still full of life, unlike Serey, outwardly polished yet inwardly numb.

Bologue asked, "Is the new key ready?"

Used to the convenience of the Key of the Crooked Path, Bologue felt uncomfortable without it.

"Oh, it’s done."

Serey dug into his pajamas and magically pulled out a key, the metal looked brand new, with fine textures from the cutting process still visible on the surface.

"Are there any locksmiths in the Undying Club?" Bologue asked curiously.

"Technically, we have many members, each skilled at different things," Serey said.

"Besides you few, I’ve never seen other Undead."

"Our lifespans are too long, so many Undead grow weary of the mundane world, choosing to sleep, heading to the future. Thus, you rarely see them; they’re all upstairs snoozing away."

"Heading to the future?" Bologue took note.

"What does that mean?"

Bologue grew curious; he realized his understanding of the Undying Club might not be comprehensive.

"About a century ago, the idea was proposed by the Undead. It was the dawn of the industrial revolution, machines gradually replacing manpower, liberating productivity massively. Emerging technologies were appearing one after another, countless new things emerged every day... You know how thrilling this is for us Undead, who’s lived for centuries or millennia?"

Serey spoke excitedly, "Our numb hearts were saved. In the old times, our entertainments were so few, but now countless movies, literature, and games are born every day. This era is phenomenal."

"Sounds like you’re parasitic creatures living off modern civilization’s spiritual nourishment," Bologue commented astutely.

"That’s how it is for the Undead; we’re overly familiar with the world, we need fresh ideas to amuse ourselves," Serey continued, "After reveling, some Undead found current things insufficiently marvelous. They’re greedy sorts, imagining the trajectory of humanity’s civilization in several centuries—how brilliant it would be."

Serey looked toward the staircase leading to an infinitely extending corridor, where countless old friends lay asleep.

"The Undead couldn’t wait; they chose to sleep for hundreds of years, planning to wake when human civilization shines even more, reaching the future from this fleeting dream."

Bologue was somewhat shocked, realizing this was what Serey meant by reaching the future.

"The Undying Club is indeed a good refuge, sleeping for a few hundred years is not an issue," Bologue said.

"Not everyone wants to sleep so deeply. For instance, I want to witness worldly progress firsthand," Serey said, "Besides witnessing, I also fulfill the Night Watcher’s duty, waking them by force if necessary events occur."

Bologue said, "So that’s why you became the bartender?"

Though called bartender, to an extent, Serey now controlled the Undying Club; Bologue once questioned Serey’s qualification for the position. It now seemed, because many Undead were asleep, enabling him to pick up the role.

"Don’t say it like that, I was once a Night Race Lord, after all, managing is within my capability," Serey complained.

Bologue squinted, under Serey’s management, the last Eternal Night Empire perished in daylight due to his mishandling, not very reassuring words.