Chapter 21

◈ Chapter 21: Abraham van Helsing (2)

“Damn. Rather, Hiss...”

Rudger interrupted Hans, who was about to say his real name.

“Right now, it’s Rudger. Call me Rudger Celis.”

“Rudger Celis, huh? Ah, now that I think about it, that was the name when you sent the letter. What the hell happened? Why didn’t you meet me in the capital as we originally planned?”

“It’s a long story. Rather...”

Rudger glanced at Hans and shook his head.

“You’ve always been trouble, haven’t you? What kind of mess are you in this time?”

“Damn it. Do you think I want to end up like this?”

Hans currently looked like a werewolf that would make anyone scream and run away if they saw him on the street.

However, if this were broad daylight, people would probably feel more puzzled than scared.

Hans’ appearance lacked the typical ferocity of a werewolf.

In fact, he had a cuteness that didn’t match his large build.

“What did you get bitten by this time?”

“I don’t know. It was some fluffy brown puppy. Who would have thought it would suddenly lunge and bite me while it was in some lady’s arms?”

“Looking at your state, I can guess the type.”

Hans, in his half-human, half-beast form, had brown fur.

However, it wasn’t the dark and dull color of a wild wolf but rather a brighter shade.

Most importantly, his face was very different from a wolf’s. His snout was shorter, and his eyes were bright and lively.

Indeed, his appearance closely resembled a Pomeranian, a breed known for its cuteness.

The fluffy brown puppy that Hans mentioned was indeed a Pomeranian.

“You’ve always had an interesting constitution.”

“Damn it. Don’t laugh at me. I feel like I’ve been cursed.”

Hans has a rather unique constitution.

When an animal bites him, he transforms into that animal.

The legendary werewolf, who is said to transform under the full moon, is exactly what Hans is.

‘Only, the flaw is that he’s different from a typical werewolf.’

Werewolves transform only into wolves and only under the full moon, but Hans doesn’t.

He remains human even under the full moon, and only transforms when bitten by an animal.

Moreover, he transforms into the animal that bit him.

If a wolf bites him, he becomes a werewolf.

If a tiger bites him, he becomes a were-tiger.

If a bear bites him, he becomes a were-bear.

In this way, Hans possesses a considerable amount of power.

The problem is that he was born in the wrong era.

‘In this modern and scientifically advanced age, where are you going to find wolves, tigers, or bears in the city?’

These are creatures you might find only in the deepest, most rugged mountains.

And the condition that he must be bitten to transform is also quite absurd.

If you’re bitten by a wild predator, you’re more likely to die instantly rather than transform.

So, if you don’t want to die, it’s better not to think about transforming at all.

As a result, the only animals Hans can easily encounter in the city are stray cats, stray dogs, or the pets of wealthy ladies.

Moreover, his unique constitution seems to have some effect, as animals tend to run towards him when they see him.

The moment an animal bites him, this cursed ability activates.

The transformation happens without his consent.

There’s no immediate way to control it.

Hans can easily be bitten by a small animal and forced to transform into a half-human, half-beast form.

His current appearance is a result of that.

A mysterious power different from magic.

What Hans possesses is almost a superpower.

“Here.”

Rudger took a green vial from his pocket and threw it to Hans.

Hans quickly caught the vial with both hands and, with a relieved expression, injected it into his arm.

Poke!

Immediately, changes began.

The fur that had grown all over his body started to recede, and his enlarged body gradually shrank.

The cute, bright-eyed Pomeranian face transformed into a somewhat sinister-looking man.

Hans, back to his original form, felt his body and sighed in relief.

“Phew. If it weren’t for you, I would have suffered for days.”

“Thinking about it, that’s true.”

Rudger and Hans met quite a while ago.

At that time, Hans couldn’t control his constitution and was being chased as a monster.

Even though he could act like a king in back alleys with his ability to transform into animals, his nature was such that he couldn’t fight, so he wandered from place to place to avoid persecution.

Meeting Rudger was a stroke of luck for Hans.

“At first, I almost died.”

“That’s right. I thought you were a cryptid wandering the city.”

A cryptid (Cryptid) refers to strange creatures that appear in various parts of the city, now that monsters have disappeared.

They can be seen as remnants of monsters.

Compared to actual monsters, they are closer to supernatural phenomena.

Beasts, spirits, and other strange creatures, or entities formed by negative emotions reacting with magic.

These are cryptids.

Rudger was looking for Hans because he had received a request to hunt such cryptids.

However, when he first met Hans, he was quite surprised to realize that Hans wasn’t the werewolf he had imagined.

At that time, Hans was in a half-human, half-beast form resembling a Chihuahua.

In other words, a were-Chihuahua.

“I was quite surprised when I later found out you could speak properly and were human.”

“That surprised you? I was more surprised by how quickly you developed a cure.”

“It’s not a cure. It’s more like a neutralizer.”

“Whatever you say.”

Hans chuckled.

“Without the medicine you made, I might have been hunted as a monster in some back alley.”

Rudger nodded, not denying it.

“By the way, why the alias Rudger Celis this time? A teacher at Seorun Academy? When did you create the identity of Rudger Celis? I heard you were quite the troublemaker. I was quite surprised when you suddenly became a teacher at Seorun in your letter.”

“It’s a long story.”

Rudger explained from the terrorist incident on the magic train to how he ended up becoming a teacher at Seorun.

As he listened, Hans’ face contorted strangely and then turned to surprise.

In the end, Hans couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“Haha! Really, you’re amazing. How could you say you were Rudger in that situation?”

“To survive, I had to.”

“If it were me, I would have stammered and made it even more suspicious. And the original Rudger was apparently a member of some mysterious secret society?”

“Yes, he was a First Order member.”

“Hmm. First Order. First Odera.”

“Do you know anything about it?”

Hans stroked his chin, deep in thought.

It was a habit he had when trying to recall something.

“Hmm. I’ve heard of it. Yes, I remember. Have you heard about the recent turmoil in the underworld of the empire?”

“No, not yet.”

“Well, it’s very recent, so you might not know. Apparently, some new guys have appeared. They’re quite strong and consist of crazy people. They call each other members and rank themselves as something like an Order.”

“Seems like they’re the real deal. What’s the name of the organization?”

“The Black Dawn. Some call it the Black Dawn Society.”

The Black Dawn. Or the Black Dawn Society.

Rudger mulled over the name.

The people involved with him were definitely not ordinary and not sane.

They had planted people in Seorun, assassinated servants to hide their identities, and infiltrated.

They were not to be underestimated.

“Do you have any more information on them?”

“It’s very recent, so I don’t know much. I only know the name of the organization and the ranks. But you’re now a First Order member there?”

“I’m not. I’m just wearing the mask of the original First Order member.”

“That’s just luck. If you make a mistake, you’ll be exposed.”

“Yes.”

And if exposed, he would be tortured in unimaginable ways.

Rudger clicked his tongue and rummaged through his pocket.

“So, we need to be prepared.”

Rudger took out a medicine bottle and, realizing he had finished it, extended his arm to Hans.

“My bag.”

“Ah, here it is.”

Hans immediately brought the black suitcase he had hidden in the alley and handed it to Rudger.

Rudger confirmed that his bag was intact.

“You didn’t open it.”

“Are you crazy? I wouldn’t open your bag. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.”

Hans shuddered, denying Rudger’s half-joking, half-serious comment.

“I know. By the way, did you meet Seridan?”

“That brat? I met him a while ago. He was waiting for you there.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“No, no need to apologize. Who would have known this would happen?”

Rudger opened his bag and checked all his personal items.

Everything was the same as when he had packed it.

Rudger took out two pills from the bottle and swallowed them.

Hans looked at Rudger with a slightly sympathetic gaze.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“Maybe. But not as much as you.”

“Well, I’ve had my share, but thinking about it, we’re both dependent on drugs.”

“At least