Gwen widened her eyes and looked at Hawk.
"What?"
"Nirvana can only be triggered after death, like Helen, who first went to the Netherworld before triggering Nirvana."
"But George's soul hasn't gone to the Netherworld; he came back to life because of vampire blood. How could it trigger Nirvana?"
Hawk lowered his head and whispered to Gwen, explaining the mechanism of Nirvana.
The vampire transformation occurs before the soul goes to Hell.
After all, if the soul goes to Hell and can still come back as a vampire, that's essentially stealing food from Mephisto's hands.
Even Hawk finds it hard enough, let alone a vampire.
And his Nirvana is triggered after death.
Even Hawk, during his first Nirvana, his soul had to visit Mephisto's tavern.
So—
George actually died, but before his soul made it to the Netherworld, he revived because he had consumed vampire blood within the past twenty-four hours, entering the vampire transformation phase.
"Now there's only one question."
"What?"
"When did George drink the vampire blood?"
"And also..."
Hawk paused here, looked at Gwen in his arms, and lowered his voice: "How will you convince George to drink human blood in the next twenty-four hours?"
Gwen's pupils widened again.
Indeed.
The vampire transformation phase only lasts twenty-four hours; if George doesn't drink blood during this period, he will still die.
No way.
Gwen shook her head.
"Isn't there Nirvana?"
"Yes, but are you willing to gamble?"
Hawk looked oddly at the remarkable doctor examining George, and whispered: "George is currently in a crossover state between human and vampire. After Nirvana rebirth, what if he remains in this state?"
After all, he only has two Nirvana Phoenix Feathers.
He gave them as Christmas gifts to George and Helen after returning from Waterfall Town last year.
And the Nirvana Phoenix Feathers he gave are different from the Nirvana he possesses.
He first gained 'Immortal' then 'Nirvana'.
That's why he fully revives with increased strength each time he experiences Nirvana.
'Immortal' is the core of his Phoenix Divine Authority.
But he can't grant 'Immortal' to others.
'Nirvana' can.
Yet without 'Immortal' at its core, 'Nirvana' effects resemble those of Helen.
Simply revival, without any special effects.
Thus, his Nirvana Phoenix Feathers can only ensure that a human remains human after Nirvana, and a vampire remains a vampire.
But George is now in a quantum superposition state between human and vampire. In this state, Hawk can't guarantee what George will be after Nirvana.
Once again.
He only has two Nirvana Phoenix Feathers, trying to find an experiment subject in a superposition state might now be too costly.
Listening to Hawk's explanation, Gwen frowned.
"What do we do now?"
"I don't know."
Hawk honestly told Gwen: "But I just called Catherine to bring a Sunlight Ring, just in case. Let's first figure out where George got the vampire blood."
Gwen steadied her nerves upon hearing this.
Soon.
After returning and finishing George's body check, the doctor, feeling somewhat incredulous, removed the stethoscope and looked at George in the hospital bed.
Helen, beside him, looked nervously at the doctor.
"Doctor, George..."
"Chief Stacy has recovered very well, unprecedentedly good. Don't worry, we'll arrange a detailed checkup tomorrow when he comes to work."
The doctor returned to his senses and smiled at Helen.
Hearing the doctor's confirmation, Helen's concern completely disappeared and she escorted the doctor out.
George, sitting up in bed, prepared to remove the equipment from his body.
Seeing this, Gwen exclaimed and rushed over to hold him down: "Dad, what are you doing? You just woke up."
George attempted to get out of bed.
"Mahoney is still in surgery; I need to see him. I'm fine, I feel better than ever."
"No, you are not fine."
In the vampire transformation phase, it's the beginning of decline from a peak state, within the next twenty-four hours, if not drinking human blood, the organs will gradually degenerate until death.
It can be understood as twenty-four hours of adrenaline.
You're poisoned, but your adrenaline gives you twenty-four hours to find the antidote.
The antidote is blood; drink it and you'll be completely okay. But if you don't find the antidote, after twenty-four hours when the adrenaline disappears, you will die.
George just revived and is now in peak condition.
Hawk curiously looked at George, who was in a crossover state between human and vampire, seemingly leaning more towards being a vampire: "George, are you investigating a case related to vampires?"
Trying to persuade his daughter to let him get out of bed, George subconsciously looked at Hawk, his eyes slightly contracting.
Their eyes met.
Hawk's expression was calm.
Gwen glanced at her mother Helen, still at the door, and whispered: "Dad, do you feel like drinking anything now?"
George heard the mysterious voice from his daughter.
"Drink what?"
"Yes."
"Gwen."
Hawk's gaze lifted to the blood bag hanging by the bedside, slowly infusing blood into George: "He's already drinking."
Hawk's mouth twitched.
I knew it.
George clearly hadn't drunk blood, yet it seemed he was leaning more towards being a vampire.
Turns out he was already drinking.
...