Moving silently through a dark forest wasn't difficult. As long as you had enough courage, anyone who had spent a few days in the forest could manage it. But finding something else lurking in the forest was an entirely different matter. You had to have exceptional judgment and observation skills...
At three in the morning, Zhi had finished digging the pit. Thanks to a new plan, even if someone walked over it alone, the pit wouldn't cause any problems. However, it could only support a limited amount of weight. If several people crossed at once, it still wouldn't hold.
"Let's head back to the beach. It's been a long time since I played a game of deduction. Let's see who did it, and why they brought the body out!"
People were still walking around the beach. It wasn't time to act yet. After wandering around for a bit, Zhi found a random spot and took a nap. To win the deduction game, he needed to keep a clear head, so getting some proper rest was essential.
Early in the morning, Ellis brought the other three over. Zhi greeted them in high spirits and told them what he had been thinking the day before. Just as he'd expected, all four immediately agreed with his idea and began looking into who had first discovered the problem.
Finding that person wasn't difficult under the circumstances. Ellis completed the task in just half an hour, narrowing it down to a Frenchman named Charlotte.
"He said he'd been out for a walk when he found it. The rest of his explanation was vague. I was afraid he'd get suspicious, so I didn't question him directly." Ellis briefly explained what she'd learned.
Freya took out a photograph. "Ellis, take a good look at this guy's photo. See that tiny 'love' tattoo on his neck? But when I walked past him just now, there was nothing on his neck. Isn't that strange? This photo was taken by the onboard camera after we got on the plane. There's no way he could've had the tattoo removed on this island, right?" It was a reasonable conclusion based on common sense, even if it wasn't necessarily correct.
After Zhi heard Ellis translate, Parker and Lundes returned. They hadn't found anything new, and they hadn't seen anyone else near the cemetery.
"All right, that's enough. I want to kill him. Are you willing to help?" Zhi had to do this to test his companions.
Ellis was a little surprised, but she quickly translated Zhi's words for the others. To his surprise, all three agreed to help without even asking why. Zhi said with satisfaction, "To avoid any problems, I'll do the killing myself. You just need to lure him into my trap!"
Ellis asked, "Even if killing someone here isn't a big deal, shouldn't we come up with a decent plan?"
Zhi smiled. "Of course we need a plan. Under the circumstances, no one would think much of it if one or two people went missing, so let's get moving. Come with me, and I'll explain the plan properly!"
Half an hour later, near the cemetery, Zhi said to his companions, "We'll do it here. Normally, no one comes around, and even if someone else is here, it won't matter. I can take care of them too. Ellis and Freya, your job is to bring Charlotte here. Any method is fine, as long as he comes. Leave everything else to me. Parker and Lundes, find somewhere nearby to hide. When Charlotte shows up and gets close to where we're standing now, run out and shout that there's a monster. Keep shouting as you run toward the beach, and don't stop until you get there. If anyone asks what happened afterward, say you saw a monster like a black bear dragging a body. When Parker and Lundes run out, Ellis and Freya, don't worry about anything—just run after them. Make sure you've got it straight. Any problems?"
Ellis translated Zhi's words for the others. Freya asked in surprise, "I want to know how you plan to kill him. If he really is a demon or an alien, do you think you can handle him?"
Zhi nodded. "I'll tell you how it went afterward. There are still some things we don't know, so for now, focus on carrying out your tasks."
Once they'd confirmed the plan, Ellis and Freya went back to the beach to look for Charlotte, while Parker and Lundes hid in the grass not far from the cemetery. Zhi followed slowly behind Ellis and Freya. The two women didn't notice him behind them, just as he'd intended.
Charlotte took the bait like an idiot. According to Ellis, she and Freya had spotted some obvious bloodstains as they passed the cemetery. Charlotte, who knew the cemetery well, would never simply leave them alone. He eagerly asked to go back and check them out with Ellis and Freya, and told them not to mention it to anyone else. For Zhi, watching from a distance, this was the best possible outcome.
Once they entered the forest, Zhi only needed to follow from a distance and make sure Charlotte didn't spot him. It was broad daylight, and the forest was noisy, so there was no need to worry about the sound of his footsteps. As long as he kept this distance, everything would be safe.
Everything went very smoothly. When they reached the designated spot, Parker and Lundes ran out, and Ellis and Freya naturally ran after them. That left Charlotte alone at the cemetery. He didn't seem frightened. In fact, he was shouting things Zhi couldn't understand, which only confirmed Zhi's suspicions. He had to kill him. Zhi didn't know how many accomplices Charlotte had, but for now, one less was one less.
Even if he's a demon, I can still kill him as long as I hit the heart! That was the only thought in Zhi's mind. He raised the heavy crossbow and aimed at Charlotte, who was more than ten meters away...
The bolt shot toward Charlotte with a sharp twang. From this distance, unless his body was made of iron, it would surely pierce his heart...
It hit. The impact knocked Charlotte down, and the bolt stuck in his heart. Zhi had thought it was over, but the truth was otherwise. Charlotte quickly got back up and spotted Zhi. His body began to swell, his clothes tore, and dark gray fur appeared all over him.
A werewolf!
There was no mistaking it. The creature before Zhi was a werewolf, just like the ones he'd seen countless times in movies and comics. And now it was charging angrily toward him...
Don't panic. It's almost dead. Even as a werewolf, it's only a low-level one. I can handle it! Years of fighting experience helped Zhi focus in an instant. He threw aside the heavy crossbow and drew a slender silver sword from his back...
Just as Zhi had thought, Charlotte was a low-level werewolf. He couldn't assume his true form in sunlight; even a tiny ray of sunlight on his body caused him immense pain. But if he changed back into a human now, he would surely die. He had no choice but to take a gamble. If he killed this human and took his heart, his wounds would heal completely...
"Offense is the best defense!" Zhi didn't stay where he was. Gripping his sword in both hands, he charged at the werewolf. Charlotte was taken aback. He hadn't expected the young human before him to charge straight at him. Could this human be one of his own kind? A demon hunter?
As long as I don't get hit, I win. Its strength is beyond anything I can imagine. One hit would tear me apart! With the silver sword keeping the werewolf at bay, it didn't dare charge straight at Zhi. Instead, they fought at a distance, exchanging skillful attacks. Zhi seemed to have noticed the pain the sunlight caused the werewolf. He dodged every attack and countered with a small strike of his own. The werewolf grew more and more anxious. If it didn't finish off the human soon, the sunlight might overwhelm it!
The fight grew faster, and Zhi began to struggle. He was no match for the werewolf's speed...
"Over here, you big black-haired monster!" It was Ellis's voice. Charlotte quickly looked toward the sound, but Zhi didn't. He plunged his silver sword into Charlotte's body, then quickly retreated.
"Aaaaaah..." Charlotte let out a tremendous roar and collapsed to the ground...
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