Steam Old Days: The Extraordinary Begins with a Corpse Collector

Hearing that familiar voice, Lyndon's heart sank, as if it had been gripped by a hand.

He turned around and looked in the direction of the sound.

On the stairs, a young girl stood there, her slender hands resting on the handrail.

The girl was also wearing a long black dress made of cashmere.

Her beautiful brown hair was tied up with a simple black velvet ribbon, and apart from a small round hat, she had no other decorations.

"Emily?"

Linden looked at the girl's delicate features and almost blurted it out.

He recognized him; he was a classmate and friend of the original owner from Langton University.

The girl's name was Emily, and she was a student at the neighboring classical academy.

The two met at a social gathering between colleges.

While the men and women in the academy were dancing with their partners, she was the only one busy enjoying the snacks and delicacies on the table.

This unusual act caught Copperfield's attention, and their friendship began from there.

Later, when Copperfield's family went bankrupt, Emily gave him all the money she had saved.

After that, the two lost contact.

But now, former friends have reunited in this dramatic turn of events.

He became a corpse collector at the bottom of the old city.

The other one became a young lady in the Phoenix family.

"Linden! It really is you! We meet again!"

Emily's voice was excited, her eyes filled with the joy of reunion. She lifted her skirt and hurried down the stairs.

The calfskin ankle boots underfoot thumped loudly on the floor.

The black skirt swayed gently at her feet.

She ran up to Lyndon, raised her small face, and looked at him with a complicated expression.

If her mother hadn't been there, Emily might have rushed up and hugged Lyndon.

"How have you been since you dropped out of school?"

Emily noticed Lyndon's work clothes and the canvas bag at his feet.

Embroidered on it is the name of his company—Vulture Recycling Company.

"It's alright. I'm a... corpse collector now, and I can make a living."

Lyndon tried to keep his voice calm, deliberately avoiding Emily's burning gaze and turning his head to stare at a pattern on the carpet.

You've changed a lot.

Emily looked at Lyndon's slightly weathered face; the former spirit was gone, replaced by a deeper maturity born of life.

She walked to her mother's side and gently took her arm.

"Mom, this is Lyndon Copperfield, whom I've told you about. He used to be my classmate. Lyndon, this is my mother. I think you should already know her."

Emily's voice was soft, like a feather floating in the air.

"I see, what a wonderful coincidence."

Mrs. Phoenix remarked with emotion.

The three sat down again, and the atmosphere became even more subtle.

The servant quickly tidied the carpet and brewed Lyndon a fresh cup of tea.

Lyndon originally wanted to run away, but he ended up reuniting with Emily.

After all, she had helped him during his most difficult time.

Although he didn't know why he would see her here.

Because he remembered Emily's father was a dentist, how did she suddenly become a Phoenix lady?

But no matter what, she had done him a favor, and running away didn't feel right.

So he could only bite the bullet and ask, "Madam, you just said that your husband died from a nightmare?"

Mrs. Phoenix seemed to be stung by the word; she clutched her chest and her shoulders twitched a few times.

"Yes, a terrifying monster..."

Emily quickly patted her mother's back, then looked at Lyndon and continued on her mother's behalf:

"After we learned that Mr. Wendell was being plagued by nightmares, we sought help from the church. Unfortunately, the superhumans who could deal with nightmares were out providing support in other cities. By the time they returned, Mr. Wendell had already stopped breathing."

Upon hearing Emily's description, Lyndon's heart sank to the bottom.

As a corpse collector, I still have some basic knowledge of demonology.

According to the kingdom's official classification, the alien species are divided into three categories: low-level, mid-level, and high-level.

These three types of variants were further divided into two categories.

One type possesses physical form; they live like wild beasts, and the kingdom can eliminate them using physical means.

Another type, which is rarer and most representative, is the nightmare. They are formless and intangible, and can attack their prey from a mental level.

The latter is often more deadly and harder to deal with.

Unless you are a superhuman with special mental abilities, encountering them is a death sentence.

More importantly, precisely because these kinds of alien species are extremely difficult to track, people don't even know where they are, whether they are around them, or whether they have left.

No wonder no one dared to handle such a corpse.

"Damn it, this guy's deliberately trying to get me killed!"

Lyndon's hands, resting on his knees, clenched unconsciously. The thought of Hornby's nonchalant expression made his anger rise uncontrollably.

"What good would it do him to kill me?"

But now, he can't just run back to the company and beat Hornby up.

Emily and her mother are still watching; this matter needs to be resolved.

Lyndon took a deep breath and then slowly opened his mouth.

"I understand, madam. May I see your husband's body first?"

His voice was very dry, as if he had made some major decision.

Mrs. Phoenix raised her head, her eyes slightly red behind the black veil.

Since her husband passed away, no one has dared to handle his funeral arrangements, and she and her daughter live in constant fear. This pressure is almost crushing her.

Now, Lyndon's appearance is like a ray of hope in the darkness.

"Of course, Mr. Lyndon."

Mrs. Phoenix stood up and straightened her skirt.

Please follow me.

Lyndon picked up the canvas bag at his feet and followed Mrs. Phoenix.

Emily also stood up from the sofa and stuck behind the two of them.

The three went upstairs and walked along the corridor. On both sides of the wall hung portraits of Phoenix family members, whose expressions were calm.

At the end of the corridor was a heavy door.

Mrs. Phoenix pointed to the door and said, "That used to be my husband's and my bedroom, and now my husband's body is lying in there."

Lyndon stared at the door, sniffing because the stench emanating from behind it was even stronger.

He stopped in front of the door, then reached out and turned the handle.

The lock turned, making a slight "click" sound.

The door was pushed open a crack, and a putrid smell wafted out.

Linden took a sniff and almost vomited.

Mrs. Phoenix and Emily, however, remained unfazed, as if they couldn't smell the stench.

"I said, can't you smell it?"

Lyndon, with his hands on his knees, asked the mother and daughter a question in return.

"What do you smell?"

"The smell of a corpse."

"No?" Emily leaned closer to smell it, her small nostrils twitching a few times, her face showing only confusion.

Even Mrs. Phoenix shook her head, agreeing with her daughter's statement.

"It really doesn't have much flavor."

After hearing the mother and daughter's answers, Linden also had his own answer in mind.

That means the nightmare may not be over yet.

The monster is still exerting its influence in this house.

It's abnormal that Emily and her daughter didn't smell such a strong stench of decay.

Lyndon did not say anything more about this.

Telling them the truth now would only create unnecessary trouble.

He didn't want to have to appease the aliens while dealing with them.

"Madam, you and Emily can just stand at the door. You don't need to come in. I can manage on my own."

After saying that, Lyndon picked up his bag and went into Wendell's room.

The room was dimly lit, with thick velvet curtains drawn tightly shut, preventing even a sliver of light from entering.

The air inside the room was like stagnant water, thick and still.

Lyndon's gaze quickly fell on the bulge of the blankets on the bed.

He carefully approached a candlestick on the bedside table.

There happened to be a box of matches nearby.

Lyndon slides a match.

puff!

A faint flame leaped from the match head, piercing the dimness of the room.

Lyndon lit the candle on the candlestick with a match, picked up the candlestick, and brought it to the bedside.

He reached out, his fingers trembling as he gripped the edge of the blanket.

Linden mustered his courage and pulled back the covers.

A cold corpse suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Wendell Phoenix's body remained in a sleeping position, still wearing that expensive silk nightgown.

Wendell looked very relaxed, as if he had not suffered any torment in his life and had died peacefully.

What Lyndon found most strange was Wendell's skin.

Logically, rigor mortis should occur one hour after death, livor mortis should appear after twelve hours, the abdomen should swell dramatically after one day, and gigantism should occur after three days.

However, according to Mrs. Phoenix, Wendell had been dead for three days, and his body showed no signs of change without any treatment!

Apart from having a much fairer complexion than normal people, he is almost indistinguishable from a living person.

The wax dripped onto the sheets, but Lyndon didn't react at all. He poked Wendell's cheek with his finger, and it was still elastic!

Lyndon fell silent.

Standing outside, Mrs. Phoenix suddenly remarked:

"Alas! When my husband was still alive, all the celebrities in the city, the directors of the chambers of commerce, the bank managers, and even the city hall officials, all wanted to curry favor with the Phoenix family. Their carriages could block half of Rose Street. But now that my husband has died tragically, they avoid our family like the plague."

Her words were filled with helplessness at the coldness of the world.

Yes, what good is money in this world?

Even someone as wealthy as Mr. Wendell still met his end at the hands of the inhumans.

Even a peaceful burial could not be achieved.

Therefore, power, extraordinary power.

This is what Lyndon has always been searching for.

After hearing Mrs. Phoenix's complaint, Lyndon took out a small knife from his bag. Without looking at the two people at the door, he simply lowered his head and said:

"Please forgive me, madam, but I need to make a cut in your husband's chest, about a few centimeters long!"

The mother and daughter had no objections; after all, it was already a favor that someone was willing to handle Wendell's body, so they dared not make any demands.

Lyndon unbuttoned his pajamas, revealing Wendell's chest. He found the right spot with his hand, ready to strike.

Suddenly, he sensed something and took a few steps back in alarm.

"He... he still has a heartbeat!"