Everyone was having a blast on Halloween Eve.
Inside the bar.
The flashing lights and flowing drinks were intoxicating. If one had to use a single phrase to describe the scene, it would be "a chaotic carnival of demons and monsters."
It was quite fitting, considering everyone was dressed as monsters.
Looking over the sea of Halloween costumes, Li Dan felt that even if Soul Severing Clown showed up, no one would find anything strange.
Wendigo would need some consideration, though. That thing was simply too huge.
After dancing for a while.
Perhaps because he found it boring, and because the women kept pressing themselves against him, Li Dan simply booked a private room on the second floor.
Compared to dancing, he preferred enjoying food and fresh-cut fruit.
Pineapple, watermelon, mangosteen, cantaloupe... they were all his favorites. Alcohol was just average to him; he preferred drinks.
Jennifer followed him upstairs. Since Li Dan had left, what fun was there in staying by herself?
Heather was probably the most upset. She had only just worked up the courage, and now the party was over.
The dancing continued until nearly midnight.
A host stepped onto the stage. His appearance was utterly ordinary, giving people the impression that he was as average as could be, yet somehow vaguely familiar.
The man introduced himself as Mugins, then began telling a story.
A horror story fitting for Halloween.
Li Dan had initially found it boring, but when he heard there would be a story, he paid a little more attention and prepared to listen.
Jennifer had been acting up, but after Li Dan gave her denim-clad, perky backside a solid slap and pulled her into his arms, she was finally satisfied.
By then, the host had drawn everyone's attention.
Holding a microphone, Mugins spoke in a calm, measured voice that was deeply immersive.
"Today's story took place in a remote region of northern Sweden. Legend has it that a group of local natives had worshipped a monster with a human face and beastly body for generations."
"Some said this monster was a demon from hell. It was extremely Bloodlust and fed on human organs. Then, it would skin its prey and hang the hides in the Black Forest. Others said that the monster had another identity in the legends. It was the son of a Northern European..."
The story was fascinating.
Even Jennifer and Heather, who had not cared at first, became completely absorbed.
But as Li Dan listened, something felt off. The more he listened, the more he felt that this was Black Forest Spirit.
This thing even seemed to be connected to Cthulhu.
As for the claim that it was the son of some Northern European god, that was simply laughable. North America did have myths and legends, but there had never been any divine miracles.
Were there not already plenty of monsters masquerading as sons of gods?
More often, it was a lie fabricated by backward worshippers who feared the monster and wanted to avoid accountability.
Li Dan had never believed in so-called myths. If gods truly existed, the Vatican would not be in its current state. They would have been the first to react.
Compared to myths, there were far more cultists worshipping evil entities.
In a sense, those terrifying beings hidden in the darkness truly would accept your offerings.
It was just that what you gave and what you received were never equal.
The story continued.
The entire bar had fallen silent as they listened.
Only when the story ended did everyone come back to their senses, and people kept asking whether it was true.
Mugins answered like this.
"This story was adapted from a real event. Whether you believe it is up to you."
After that, Mugins continued telling stories.
But none of them were as exciting as the first.
The people in the bar discussed it excitedly. Some even wanted to form groups and go see the supreme god from the story.
Jennifer might not have believed before, but after witnessing those things, she felt that gods might truly exist.
"Darling, do gods really exist?"
Li Dan smiled. "No. If gods truly existed, there would be no profession called exorcists. Even if they do exist, they are evil spirits or demons in disguise."
Heather secretly listened to their conversation and found it unbelievable.
She did not believe gods existed either, but what she could not understand was this: if gods did not exist, how could evil spirits and demons exist?
And what about church exorcists? Weren't they priests?
Or was it because of religion?
Da Shan believed he had seen Midnight Person. That was precisely why he wanted to cling tightly to Li Dan.
He did not want to suddenly drop dead while walking down the street one day without even knowing how he had died.
Jessie felt differently.
She now felt that not only was North America unsafe, but even the outside world was terrifying. She even considered finding work at a church.
When the story night ended.
As Li Dan and the others headed downstairs, the bar was still discussing the story of Black Forest Spirit.
It really seemed that several people wanted to buy tickets to Sweden to see that god for themselves.
Li Dan suspected that Mugins might be a follower of Black Forest Spirit, deliberately telling stories to lure people over as sacrifices.
But Li Dan currently had too few contained items, so he could not be bothered to interfere. Otherwise, he would have bought a ticket and gone with these people to Sweden to see what Black Forest Spirit actually was.
As night fell and it neared eleven.
The Round Clam Town police issued an announcement.
A murder had occurred nearby. Town residents were advised to avoid going out alone unless necessary, and if they were alone, it was best to stay home.
The suspect was dressed in black and wore a Ghostface mask, blending in with the Halloween crowds.
The police announcement added a few more chilling shades to the approaching Halloween.
Especially for young people. They were the group most likely to court death.
After hearing the announcement, some people were not frightened at all. Instead, they put on matching outfits and copied the look.
Li Dan and the others happened to hear the announcement as they came outside.
Black clothes plus a Ghostface mask equaled Scream.
Scream, the classic American Horror Story franchise.
It was definitely Scream. The only question was whether it was the real one or an imitator.
Ghostface Killer was quite famous in North America and had even appeared on Horror Forum.
Many people liked doing things under Ghostface Killer's name, but in the end, those imitators were often killed by the real Ghostface Killer.
Looking at the identically dressed young people on the streets.
Li Dan only wanted to say that there were still far too many people willing to court death.
Jennifer did not care about this so-called killer. Her boyfriend could even drive away demons. Compared to that, a mere serial killer could not scare her at all.
"Darling, where are we going next?"
Da Shan and Heather also waited for Li Dan to decide.
"Let's have dinner, then go home and watch a supernatural show. How does that sound?" Li Dan had no special plans. Once Halloween was over, he planned to make a trip to California.
Jennifer hugged Li Dan's arm. "Whatever you say."
After dinner, they went their separate ways.
Li Dan and Jennifer returned home to wait for the supernatural program to begin. It was a rebroadcast of the famous United Kingdom show, Supernatural Night Watch.
Before the program began.
Li Dan suddenly stood up, and Jennifer asked what was wrong.
"Nothing. I'm just going to get some air on the balcony. I'll be back down soon."
Making up an excuse, Li Dan went to the third-floor balcony and looked down. Several people dressed in black and wearing Ghostface masks were sneakily climbing over the wall into the side courtyard.
They did not look like Ghostface Killer. They looked more like a few lust-driven petty thieves.
Given Jennifer's beauty, it was perfectly normal for someone to have improper thoughts. Besides, there were only two people in the villa today, and with a Ghostface Killer committing crimes in town on Halloween Eve, someone wanted to fish in troubled waters.
If Soul Severing Clown dealt with them, things might get a little too noisy.
After thinking it over, Li Dan decided to send Evil Spirit Wendigo. It could just eat them, saving him the trouble of disposing of the bodies.
A massive creature silently appeared on the third floor.
Meanwhile, on the second floor nearby.
Little Emma was secretly watching the thieves who had infiltrated the villa through her window. Just as she wondered how that neighbor's life would slip away, she witnessed a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life.
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