Black Lake Three

About an hour later.

Mr. Stork and Miss Seagull returned together, accompanied by three uniformed security officers. One of them, tall and handsome with blonde hair and blue eyes, was the very same officer Gilan had seen on the posters.

According to what they learned, his name was Pierre Aichi, a star figure at the local Public Security Bureau.

Because of his youth, good looks, and expert marksmanship, he was frequently invited by the local Tourism Bureau to film promotional advertisements or pose for posters to advertise Fayelane Town's tourism industry.

However, when Mr. Stork's group returned to the inn, Old Toto at the first-floor bar couldn't help but sneer at the sight of Pierre and the other two officers:

"The Public Security Bureau and the Tourism Bureau are the parasites of Fayelane! You're all cut from the same cloth as those folks at the coal mine, the sawmill, and the beverage factory! You're all outsiders with blood and pus reeking of copper, only thinking of destroying the town's environment and draining its resources in exchange for that filthy money... Your actions have awakened the demon in the Black Lake, and you will meet your retribution sooner or later!"

To this, Officer Pierre did not take offense, merely smiling and shaking his head.

After heading upstairs, he explained to the group:

"That 'Old Toto' is named Thomas Toto. He has no wife or children. He once had a distant nephew, Little Toto, who returned to his hometown and worked at the Black Lake Coal Mine, but he died in an explosion accident... Ever since then, Old Toto has harbored a grudge against the coal mine and curses every industry run by outsiders, including the Public Security Bureau and the Tourism Bureau, because we were all transferred here from elsewhere."

The group listened to Officer Pierre's words and gained some understanding.

Afterward, Mr. Stork found an excuse to temporarily dismiss the three officers, giving the members of the Record Society a chance to communicate in private.

Upon hearing that Mr. Oystercatcher had been attacked and had discovered a mysterious piece of parchment, both Mr. Stork and Miss Seagull appeared very interested.

"An 'Elixir of Immortality'? Perhaps such an alchemical masterpiece truly exists!"

Mr. Stork's face showed delight.

However, Mr. Oystercatcher shook his head with a bitter smile.

"It's a pity that the parchment was snatched back. I only saw a small portion of the content... It seemed to mention that the main ingredients include 'living human blood,' 'Black Lake water,' and 'human hearts,' and it also requires some wicked sacrificial rituals."

"Human sacrifice?!"

Hearing this, Miss Sparrow couldn't help but cover her small mouth.

The others also revealed expressions of awe and dread.

"I also encountered someone lurking in the shadows behind the inn earlier..."

Gilan shared his experience with the society members, though he didn't mention killing the man, claiming instead that he had let him escape by mistake.

The group did not doubt his words.

"A Reindeer Mask, the Lake God, and an Elixir of Immortality..." Mr. Stork pondered after hearing Gilan's clues. "The two people you encountered were most likely cultists of the Lake God Cult, but I can't understand how one of them suddenly disappeared."

"Could it be some kind of mysterious power they possess?"

Miss Seagull frowned slightly, guessing.

"Highly likely." Mr. Stork nodded. "It's no wonder they would guard the depths of the Forest Park, wandering around that Black Lake and constantly hunting living people... It seems they are indeed trying to refine the so-called 'Elixir of Immortality'!"

"Next, we will follow the protagonist, Fima, to the Forest Park."

Mr. Stork leaned on his steel-core cane and said solemnly.

"With Mr. Snowy Owl joining us this time, and the three security officers following along, we have more certainty if we encounter another attack by the Lake God Cult cultists... If we can obtain the mysterious knowledge they possess, we will also have extraordinary power in reality!"

But his words did not stir much anticipation in the other members.

Perhaps the idea of human sacrifice was too shocking, or perhaps Mr. Oystercatcher, Miss Seagull, and Miss Sparrow still possessed a conscience; even with a longing for mysterious power, they were unwilling to violate human morality to obtain it.

Miss Sparrow, in particular, had looked unwell and depressed ever since she heard that the main ingredients for the "Elixir of Immortality" were "human blood and human hearts."

Only Gilan's reaction was minimal.

In his view, if human sacrifice was truly required to obtain mysterious power, then the Louis Family and the police task force hunting him down would be the perfect sacrifices!

*

*

*

Time soon reached the afternoon.

After the group had a simple meal in the first-floor bar, they followed Fima's suggestion and headed to the Forest Park in the northern part of the town.

It is worth mentioning that as "viewers," the five members of the Record Society could taste extremely realistic flavors while eating and drinking in the movie, and could even feel full.

The group of nine boarded a large carriage provided by the Public Security Bureau and drove north along the town's main road. After about ten minutes, they arrived at their destination.

After getting off the carriage, everyone saw the entrance to the Forest Park at a glance.

It was a double-leaf iron gate. The arched billboard on top featured cute wild animal figures, but the paint had peeled off in large areas, making it look somewhat dilapidated and eerie.

Creak...

The group pulled the gate open, entered, and walked along a path until they reached an exhibition hall. Inside were displayed many wild animal specimens, ranging from squirrels to brown bears, totaling more than twenty types.

In the very center stood a three-meter-tall rectangular glass case containing a mammoth skeleton specimen, which was said to be fourteen thousand years old.

The members of the society looked at the mammoth skeleton and clicked their tongues in wonder.

Even Miss Sparrow, who came from the wealthiest background, had never seen such a novelty, her small face full of curiosity and admiration.

But Gilan looked puzzled.

Are mammoths this small?

Based on his estimation, the Mammoth Specimen in the glass display case stood about 2.5 meters tall at the shoulder. As a young man from Earth in the new century who had watched his fair share of science programs, he knew that, logically, a mammoth's shoulder height should have been over 3.3 meters.

Perhaps it's a dwarf species or a juvenile mammoth...

Gilan shook his head.

But just as he intended to look away, he suddenly froze.

The Mammoth Specimen was assembled from hundreds upon hundreds of bones, but from Gilan's current angle, the skeleton of its chest looked uncannily like a human skull magnified several times over!

Is it an illusion? Gilan's gaze sharpened, yet the longer he stared, the more it resembled one. How could such a mammoth exist... that chest is practically a giant, deformed human head!

The hollows on both sides of the Mammoth Specimen's ribcage were like a pair of pitch-black eyes, staring at Gilan through the cracks of time and radiating an indescribable malice.

"Mr. Snowy Owl?"

Just then, Miss Sparrow called out to him.

Gilan snapped out of his trance, feeling a cold sweat break out on his back.

He turned his head, unwilling to look at the Mammoth Specimen any longer.

"We should get going. There's still a long way to go to the Black Lake, and we need to reach our destination before the sun sets."

Miss Sparrow turned back and reminded him in a low voice.

"Mm, I understand."

Gilan nodded and stepped forward to follow her.