Act 4: Circus of Doom

Foreword:

Hatred cannot harm an enemy in the slightest, but it turns one's own life into a living hell.

Dale Carnegie | How to Win Friends and Influence People

[Part 1: Are there still experts?]

At the insistence of the water ghost, he first gave a self-introduction.

"My name is Quete, a native of Forty-One District. I came to this godforsaken place in 1988."

"I have two children, and I was the forest ranger here before the West Suburbs Park was built."

"You must be wondering how I died."

Mr. Jason shook his head.

Jiang Xueming also remained indifferent; after turning on the recorder, he was like a stone.

Grandfather Quete is preparing to break down his story into nine volumes and eighteen chapters, telling it slowly and deliberately.

--Fragrant Dream peeked out from the gunsmith's shoulder and yawned, startling him so much that he immediately got straight to the point.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes! Four days ago! Let's just talk about what happened four days ago!"

"That's right, I have indeed met those two people, Mali Pero and Yukiko Haruta."

Quete scratched his head, trying to recall carefully.

"It was sunrise time in Morning Light County, and I was hiding in the Barry at the bottom of the lake. Without the blessing of a spirit-raising ceremony, a weak spirit like me is not qualified to face the sunlight."

"I don't know what happened either. It wasn't until the sun set and Lord Cinder drifted to Forty District, about twenty minutes later, that the young couple's conversation became clearer and clearer. I was curious, so I surfaced to take a look."

At this point, the two green flames in Quete's eye sockets began to tremble violently.

The mud on its face contorted into a pitiful and terrified expression, as if it were recalling an unbelievable scene.

"Mali Pero ate a hamburger, specifically a ground beef patty and a whole-wheat bun, with only a little bit of salad dressing."

"But it's not that simple. There must have been something else added to that piece of ground beef. Its psionic tides are making me uneasy."

"What happened next was exactly as the two gentlemen had predicted."

Quete's voice became tense and he stammered.

"The young man's two arms sprouted eyes and a mouth, which seemed to control his mind. He tore open Yukiko Haruta's body, taking her clothes and hair with him, not sparing a single drop of blood, and like a high-powered water pump, he devoured the girl Yukiko completely."

Jiang Xueming then asked, "Besides that, did you see anyone else?"

"Yes, that's what I was going to ask too." Jason Megan pressed, "How long did you observe by the lake? Were there any other suspicious people outside the boulevard?"

The Eucharist is a very important ritual for every believer in the Madness Butterfly Sect, much like the Stone-Bestowing Ceremony.

People acquire survival skills through such means, Immortals behind the scenes are certainly observing all of this from the shadows. The range of psionicists is limited.

However, what Jason and Jiang Xueming didn't know was that Pellegrini had crossed the range limit at the cost of an eye.

Grandfather Quete frankly shared what he had seen and heard.

"--I was so scared I couldn't move. I saw Mali Pero crawling on the ground, his mouth on his hand constantly searching for the splattered blood. More than half an hour passed before I finally came to my senses. I didn't care about anything else, I just wanted to escape back to my warm wooden boat as soon as possible."

It seems there are no other clues. The only evidence this water ghost can provide is to reaffirm Mali Pero's bloodline status; the young man has indeed become a cannibal.

As Jiang Xueming thought this, a vague sense of unease crept into his heart.

Mali Pero is a player for Zebra Power Team. At this crucial moment of the Moon God Cup, the Immortals have once again come to the human city to cause trouble. They create blood-bearing units to participate in this competition, which seems like a small-scale brawl, taking their anger out on the children.

In reality, for every young man who is misled by them, the Flash Butterfly camp loses a talented individual, while the Red Flash Butterfly camp gains a henchman. This ebb and flow has already cost two lives—from the perspective of the game between Ming De and Vita Imprint, the BOSS has lost two points.

If Mali Pero can carry this gift from the evil god to the finals of the Moon God Cup, it will be a devastating blow to the morale of the other contestants.

The children, whom people painstakingly raised, were sent to study in various places, practiced their dueling skills, fought for their hometown elders and fellow villagers, for their own future, for their ideals, and for their companions—but in the end, a man-eating monster stood on the podium.

The hybrid beasts have integrated into the Homo sapiens family, because these hybrid babies can coexist peacefully with Homo sapiens, squeezing into the same group for the sake of a harmonious society that seeks common ground while reserving differences.

However, the blood-giving unit must never touch the Dagda's Cauldron, for these beasts are the natural enemies of Homo sapiens.

There is another matter that the gunsmith is particularly worried about and must be wary of.

Jiang Xueming said to Jason, "This guy is after me."

The Zebra Power Team will inevitably clash with the Fairy Tale Kingdom sooner or later. Mali Pero is the Immortals' pawn, used to test the fighting power of the new generation. If the Fairy Tale Kingdom cannot withstand this punch and shows weakness and defeat, then the next thing to follow will be a combined attack on the Nameless One.

Even though the little angel of the Mercy of Eros, Kang Que, has been dead for so long, the gunsmith still remembers every word of the [Wings of Light]'s earnest teachings given to him before his death.

Time will rust a warrior's weapon, and time will turn a strong young man into a weak and powerless old man.

Time changes everything; it can completely alter the appearance of everything.

The gunsmith's students trained for six years, only to be defeated by the [Wings of Light] casually created by the Immortals. If this is the result, it also confirms that the existence of the gunsmith and the General of Tears was merely a coincidence. It was only by Ming De temporarily gained the power to defeat the Vita Imprint.

The next generation of Homo sapiens will still be weak and incompetent wastes, while blood-red butterflies will flutter freely between the railway tracks – this is the norm in the underground world.

"However," Grandfather Quete suddenly looked up and added, "Dahlia should know more."

Jason spread his hands in frustration. "Fine! You've said so much, so some bitch named Dahlia saw all this too? Where is she?"

Quete quickly explained, "That all starts with the cause of my death."

"You still want to talk about the cause of death, right? You still want to tell your story?" Jason Megan impatiently grabbed a gun.

This time, Jiang Xueming stopped the irritable half-wolf and said calmly, "Let him explain the whole story."

Grandfather Quete nervously rubbed his hands together, and a lot of mud fell from his palms as he recounted the story.

"Exactly. It's because Dahlia isn't human. Her Inspiration and sense of smell are much sharper than mine; she should be able to see things more clearly."

Jason asked in surprise, "I didn't expect there to be an expert here?"

"Ah, it's like this." Quete explained his cause of death, "I had two children. When I was a forest ranger, the development zone in Morning Light County was far from here, so I rarely went home, and I had conflicts with my wife."

"She practically raised both children on her own, and then came to this place because of my work."

"I miss her so much, especially on odd-numbered shifts, those nights when I'm on the night watch alone."

"There used to be a fire tower next to the forest ranger's hut."

Quete pointed to the dock by the lake, where steel beams and concrete foundations could be seen not far from the dock's streetlights.

"It's been demolished now, so we don't need to report forest fires anymore. I used to sleep in the tower often. When I dreamed, I would dream of Dahlia."

Jason was increasingly confused. "Dahlia is your wife?"

"No." Quete's language skills were a bit off; it seemed his brain had been soaked in water for years, making it difficult for him to explain the story clearly. He quickly added, "It was a crocodile, a very, very big crocodile."

Jason: "Is your wife an alligator?"

Quete: "No, it's a very beautiful crocodile."

Jason: "You cheated on me? You dreamt about a really beautiful female crocodile?"

Quete looked hesitant. "You could say that."

Jiang Xueming was shocked. "I didn't expect there to be an expert here?!"

After Quete's explanation, the ins and outs of the matter finally began to take shape.

--In the lake of the West Suburbs Park, there used to be ferocious beasts living there.

There is a strong female crocodile as the leader of the group. She possesses special psychic abilities and constantly influences Quete, the ranger.

In Quete's dream, it transformed into beautiful women, becoming various kinds of "mermaids" with different styles, luring Quete to take a wooden boat alone in the middle of the night, ultimately causing him and the boat to perish at the bottom of the lake.

Old Quete lost his life, but he still couldn't forget the female crocodile, and even gave her a name, calling her [Dahlia].

"Dahlia kept me company through more than seven hundred difficult nights."

Old Quete acted coy, seemingly without a trace of resentment; on the contrary, he showed a deep affection for the crocodile when he mentioned it.

"She knows how hard it is to be a forester, she understands me. I don't hate her at all, because as Carnegie said, hatred can't harm an enemy in the slightest, but it turns your own life into purgatory. I must love her!"

Jiang Xueming: "That's enough."

Jason: "Okay, okay, big brother, that's enough."

[Part ② Basic Operations]

Once they opened up and told their story, Mr. Quete's attitude towards the two young men changed dramatically, and he became very enthusiastic.

After some commotion, the two brought the water ghost to the lakeside. With their affectionate calls, the once calm lake surface began to ripple.

Without any obvious warning, the shadows of the fish underwater remained in place, and along with the spreading ripples, a huge crocodile skeleton appeared.

This is the [Dalia] that Mr. Quete spoke of, who, like him, has rotting bones and is covered in mud, with the wreckage of a wooden boat stuck in her abdomen and throat.

Mr. Quete doesn't need to say another word--

Jason Megan has already filled in the blanks in his mind; it's basically about an unlucky forester who encounters an even unlucky predator.

Quete drowned, and the mother crocodile choked to death.

Jiang Xueming and Jason had never learned the language of crocodiles, so they couldn't understand Dahlia's roars, let alone glean any useful information from the resonance between the wooden planks and bones.

Fortunately, there's Quete, who has spent so many years with the "Lake God" in the western suburbs park, keeping him company underwater and acting as a translator.

Under the spiritual pressure of the Fragrant Dream, things have made significant progress.

The crocodile skeleton roared, and Quete said a word.

"Besides Mali Pero and Yukiko, quite a few people are hiding upwind, in the southwest part of the woodland, near the old, decaying forest."

The tree-lined avenues in the western suburbs park are new woods, while the wild land to the southwest, near the intercity expressway, is old woodland.

"Dahlia could sense them. While Mali Pero was eating, at least eight people were sitting on the low hill upwind, watching the young couple."

The crocodile head, about the size of a tractor cab, kept nodding and emitting hoarse howls.

Quete continued, "Only two older men smelled sweet; they must be farmers who frequently slaughter livestock. The others reeked of gunpowder and oil. Dahlia was terrified."

That's all the information available.

"Understood." Jason Megan gestured for Jiang Xueming to get to work. "Send them away."

"You want me to perform the ritual for the deceased?" Jiang Xueming tilted her head and looked at Jason.

Jason: "I won't perform a funeral service."

Jiang Xueming: "I don't know how either!"

The two stared at each other for a long time before finally looking at Fragrant Dream.

The steel cat shrugged indifferently and walked towards the two water ghosts.

I understand.

These two unfortunate souls, who had forgotten their age and race, were transformed into brilliant splashes of water by the knocking of Fragrant Dream, existing as boats and bones as spiritual energy mediums. Now, the spiritual mediums have shattered, and their spirits have finally left the lake, no longer needing to wallow in the filthy cage.

For Jiang Xueming, this little bit of information was far from enough. He was restless the whole way. He used to be a loner, but now he not only had his wife and children, but also these students. He was worried and confused.

"Jason, can you find these guys?"

Jason Megan, however, was full of confidence. Instead of rushing to the old forest, she took a long way back to the pavilion bench to search for more traces.

"Don't underestimate me, my little boss."

Although he has become younger, he has also become greasy.

"I'm from the station's golden generation; I wouldn't have survived this long without some serious skills. This little clue is enough for me. Hehe. Don't be scared by my abilities later!"

He squatted down beside the bench, and his face immediately began to deform. Just like the racial talent of 3301, his sideburns spread towards his nose, his mouth and nose protruded, his eyes lengthened, and he turned into a big wolf's head, with his ears standing up.

Jason Megan carefully licked the bench, following the scent all the way to the cobblestone path, when suddenly she sneezed.

"Baijiali tomato sauce, stock in the freezer, should have 30 days left on its shelf life, it's a discounted item."

"The white sesame seeds on the bread are very fresh, and they have a unique fishy smell, which should be the taste of sole. There are only two markets in Forty-One District that sell sole, and only one in Morning Light County, which is 700 meters away from here."

"Damn, it smells like shit."

Jiang Xueming expertly took out a toothbrush and toothpaste from her backpack. "Thank you for your hard work."

Jason continued, "The lunchbox was dropped once; Mali Pero must have been too nervous and let go of it."

"Right here, right here. There's some aluminum slag left on the stones. It's a very cheap aluminum lunchbox. Steelworkers like to use these lunchboxes because the food can be heated through the boiler water circulation system."

"This meal was prepared for him by Mali Pero's parents, and it had a hint of tears in it—the hamburgers were made by Mali Pero's mother while she was crying. They knew there was holy blood and an elixir of immortality in the food."

"Now we're going to Old Forest."

Jason finished speaking, didn't rush to brush his teeth, and quickly crossed the tree-lined path, heading towards the countryside.

It's summer now, and there aren't many footprints left in the dense forest. Due to the drastic temperature difference between day and night, and the influence of the morning sun and humid air, the trees shed many leaves.

None of this stumped Jason. He licked the trees all over, cleared a path with his nose, and even ate some insects and bark.

"Right here! Little boss! Right here!"

At the foot of the low slope in the southwest forest, Jason Megan squatted solemnly beside an old tree.

"These guys are well-trained and don't spit casually. They wear sweat-wicking shirts, so they don't leave much pheromone. There's a lingering smell of cigarettes in the air, and they've even taken the cigarette butts with them, trying to use the smoke to hinder the blue gold's tracking."

"They were definitely prepared. A very capable commander hired a group of soldiers, most likely Armadillo Hunters were paid to do this for extra money."

"But even this little thing was enough for me to find them."

Nestled among the layers of leaves at the base of the old tree, Jason unearthed a withered, yellow leaf covered in dander. This tiny bit of human tissue was enough for Jason Megan to find his prey.

"This is a woman. The shampoo was so effective at cleaning that her scalp developed an allergic reaction. This woman had to tie her hair up while on a mission, and the itching was unbearable, so she casually scratched it off and this piece of dandruff fell off."

"She checked into the Dali Hotel just five days ago. This shampoo is produced by only two suppliers in Forty-One District. It has a unique grape scent and is not shipped to supermarkets or retail stores; it's exclusively for hotel guests. Dali is a five-star tourist-themed hotel with a communal kitchen. The clues we found at the crime scene match up. The fresh produce market is only two blocks away."

"Once we find the guests' information, we can basically pinpoint their whereabouts."

As he said this, Jason's head returned to its original form, and he grabbed Jiang Xueming's toothbrush and water bottle.

Jiang Xueming: "Wow!"

Jason waved his hand smugly and triumphantly.

"Don't make a fuss, it's basic procedure."

In the lobby of the Dali Hotel, Mali Pero wasn't the only one blessed with the elixir.

The young man from Vietnam gave himself a poetic nickname: Haitang.

After arriving in the underground world, he was determined to become an excellent Armadillo Hunters, and when it came to beating children and abusing newcomers, he loved doing it the most.

The powerful suffocated him, but bullying the weak only made him feel good, as refreshing as eating a high-concentration nicotine salt menthol drink.

"Don't worry, boss! Leave this to me!"

Through the Bluetooth headset, Pellegrini neither uttered a single human word nor did a single human action.

"You should know, they'll eventually track you down to the hotel."

Haitang: "Just like you said! The cops in Forty-One District are all greenhorns. When it comes to these kinds of missing persons cases, at most the local Police Department will call in a few young militiamen to investigate."

Pellegrini: "That's right. If you run into trouble, just open the briefcase I gave you."

"No need! Sigh!" Haitang grinned, crossing her legs. "Thanks to you, I'm a person with Soul Might now! Can't I handle a few ordinary people?"

Pellegrini: "It's wonderful that you have this confidence."

"Hehe!" Haitang laughed confidently, "[Circus of Doom]! What kind of pleasurable torture will it be? My new toy! ~ Hehehehe! Hehehe!"

Pellegrini was offline, Haitang's expression immediately changed.

"Tch, what kind of attitude is that?"

"Just because you have a few stinking coins, you think you can boss me around like that?"

"Just seeing that baby face makes me uncomfortable; let's take it out on the prey."

As he said this, he glanced menacingly at the hotel entrance.

"--Who could they be? If, as you say, a few handsome young men have arrived, I'm going to capture them and make them my slaves!"