ã€ŠDemon Lord Shapeshifting Systemã€‹


 Chapter 1 Fresh Meat

    ?New York, 1997.

    When Harker Jones woke up, there was blood everywhere in the luxury hotel room''s king-sized bed.

    "What the¡­. Ack, my head¡­."

    His whole skull hurt like it was cracked open, especially on his jaw area. Soon, he realized he was naked.

    And there was also a naked girl beside him.

    Dead.

    Headless. Drowning in a pool of her own blood.

    It took a while for it to sink in. But soon, Harker wore a look of terror once he realized.

    "No¡­.. How did this happen!? Xi Hua!"

    -------------------------

    A few days ago.....

    "Ugh, when will I finally get a girlfriend?"

    Harker Jonesined to his co-worker, Kian Shaw, while they waited for customers at the cashier in Bill''s and Bob''s Burgers. BBB for short.

    Kian rolled his eyes. "Bro, I saw you reject 3 girlsst week, and you still wonder why you can''t get a girlfriend!? Just lower your standards!"

    "It''s not that I need to lower my standards." Harker chuckled. "It''s actually because---"

    "Um... Harker, right?"

    Someone finally approached them, a pretty girl with a ponytail.

    Harker wasn''t nervous in front of such girl, unlike Kian. He just smiled as he usually does to their customers. "Marie, right? What can I get for ya?"

    "Oh, I was just wondering if you''d like to get some coffee at Starbacks once your shift is over." She asked shyly.

    Harker looked at her from head to toe, then said:

    "No thanks. Girls like you go to hell, you know?"

    "W-What!?" She eximed. "I''m just asking so nicely, why would you tell me to go to hell!? How rude!"

    She stomped off, tears falling down her eyes.

    Kian was aghast. "Bro, how can you say that! Marie is like the nicest girl ever, I see her all the time help out in church---"

    "Hah, don''t get it twisted." Harker pointed something out. "That wristband she''s wearing. Looks pretty unique, isn''t it?"

    "It is. So what?"

    "I know where that came from. It''s from a gift shop that customizes matching wristband designs for couples. The other day, I saw her clinging to a guy wearing the same wristband."

    Kian was shocked. "So that means she''s¡­."

    "A cheater, yep. I don''t really believe in hell, but she does. So I''m just letting her know what happens to girls like her ording to her belief." Harker grinned. "You said I rejected 3 girlsst week. Well¡­"

    He pointed to a girl wearing gold chains.

    "That rich girl Vera over there? She asked for my number, but I said no. Why? I saw her get out of an old Japanese guy''s limousine and kiss him on the lips."

    He then pointed to another one wearing sses.

    "Then there''s Alira. She''s nice and pretty smart too, but she''s a stoner. I can smell the weed even with her strong perfume. Nothing personal against stoners, I just can''t have my Dad and siblings find me smelling like that."

    Kian was dumbfounded.

    He can''t believe that Harker¡ª this idiot who looks, talks, walks and even BREATHES like a delinquent¡ª can be this observant! He really doesn''t look the type at all with his spiky hair, his red leather jacket, and goofy smile!

    Harker sighed. "See? It''s not really that my standards are too high. I''m just unlucky with the women who hit on me. I may be feeling desperate ''cause I''m still a virgin at 22, but I gotta have SOME standards, at least."

    Kian could not help but sigh with him. "Not all of us are born like Rnd Faust."

    Harker slumped on the desk. "Ahhh, why can''t I be like Rnd who''s lucky with everything?"

    Ding!

    The little bell at the door rang as a new customer arrived.

    ".... I don''t know why you chose to eat at a burger joint, but this is the best one I know of. Not that I go to many of them. In fact, this is the only one that I have ever been to."

    They saw a handsome blond boy wearing a slick white polo shirt with a diamond-studded tie that cost more than their annual iebined.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker scoffed. "Speak of the devil and he shalle."

    This was Rnd Faust. His father was one of the richest tycoons in New York. He came with a girl beside him, an East Asian with wavy red hair and ''gifted'' chest.

    She was wearing a green velvet dress, and her eyes were also green. Harker thought she must be wearing contact lenses, but it looked very natural on her. She smelled nice like flowers in spring and her smile gave aforting warmth to anyone who sees it.

    "I''m just interested to try it out, that''s all. It''s my first time not having my parents nag me over eating ''poor people food''." The girl said.

    Rnd went to the counter with a shy smirk.

    "Well, well, well. Harker Jones."

    Harker clenched one of his fists and grabbed his cor!

    "This bastard¡­."

    The girl panicked. "Is there a problem here¡ª"

    "...Why didn''t you tell me you''de by!? You even brought a girl with you, is she your girlfriend!? And you didn''t even tell your best bud that you got a new one already!"

    He gave him a noogie, and Rnd chuckled.

    "Now, now! You''re embarrassing me, Hark! And this isn''t my girlfriend. This is just my friend, Xi Hua. Or Hua Xi in the Western naming order, since herst name is Xi, but everyone prefers calling her Xi Hua."

    He introduced the two. "She transferred to our school just this morning from Beijing. Her dad''s a business partner of ourpany."

    "Ah, is that so? Wee to New York!" He said, offering a handshake. "So nice to meet ya!"

    The girl was surprised by how friendly Harker was despite looking like he breaks skulls for fun.

    "You two know each other?" She shook his hand.

    "Of course." Rnd exined. "Harker''s dad was our family''s former driver. He eventually had to work closer to home once his wife died. He lost his legs from an ident from working in a construction site. Harker''s siblings are also young and sickly, so my father gives them a little support every now and then."

    Harker put an arm around Rnd''s shoulders. "What ''little support''??? Our family owes the Fausts our whole lives!"

    He smiled softly. "If not for them, how could we survive after dad''s legs got amputated, Chloe had her lupus disease, and the conjoined twins needed surgery to be separated from each other?"

    Xi Hua looked sympathetic. "Oh, that''s very unfortunate! I''m so sorry you have to go through all that."

    Rnd nodded. "Harker really does have an unfortunate background, but he makes up for it with his hard work. He''s already a schr in Stoker University, and yet he still works part-time to make ends meet!"

    "Pfft! No need to sing me praises, blondie!" Harker snorted. "I''m very capable of charming people without going through the whole sob story."

    Rnd patted his shoulder. "I''m just saying that it''s very hard for you. You can''t even have time for yourself as your family''s breadwinner. You always put them above all things. I haven''t even seen you date anyone yet."

    Xi Hua blinked. "Really? Not even once?"

    "Nope! I''m what you call a virgin by circumstances!" Harker said proudly. "I don''t see any shame in that at all! I need to raise my family and not rely on the Faust''s money before I start hitting on girls."

    He added softly: "And I won''t settle for less too, when I have Dad and my siblings relying on me."

    Harker then shook his head. "But enough about me. We''re in the same school, Xi Hua! How about I treat you guys some grilled cheeseburgers and we can get to know each other¡ª"

    "Harker is quite busy. We better not bother him when he''s working hard for his family." Rnd took Xi Hua''s hand. "Let''s go take a seat. You can look at the menu to see what you like."

    As they turned to leave, Xi Hua overheard Kian hissing under his breath.

    "Ah, can''t you see it!? Rnd keeps stealing the good girls from you, bro!"

    Harker shrugged. "What are you talking about? He''s just being considerate."

    "Ugh! You''re so observant and yet you''re blinded by friendship! It''s obvious that he''s always visiting here to unt his money and his girls to you! That''s why you''re still a virgin, bro! She''s a nice catch, go get her already!"

    Harker just gave a forced smile. "Nah. There''s a lot of fish in the sea. Let Rnd have this catch. They seemed to be getting along well before she met me anyway."

    Xi Hua''s cherry-red lips formed into a smile as she looked back at Harker.

    "A virgin, huh¡­.." She mumbled.

    "What would you like to eat, Xi Hua?" Rnd asked her as he scanned the menu.

    She was still distracted by Harker and kept staring at him. "Oh, anything''s fine. But¡­."

    "I prefer fresh meat."

    She walked over to him, leaving Rnd behind.

    ----------------------

    A/N: Please read the synopsis if you haven''t yet before asking any questions about plot. Thanks.

 Chapter 2 Sold For A Thousand Dollars

    ?"Excuse me. Where is Harker Jones?"

    Kian was too busy ying on his gameboy. He was shocked and wondered why this Asian goddess was approaching him.

    But then he heard Harker''s name, and his shoulders slumped again. Of courrsseee¡­.

    "Harker''s just right here, tying his shoces." Kian went back to his game.

    Xi Hua heard a chuckle. "Ah, Kian. You won''t get girls by acting cool around them when you actually want to get their number, you know~"

    Kian reddened and walked away. "T-That''s not how it is at all! I''m just busy ying Titris, I''m about to beat my high score! I''ll finish it in the bathroom, you take over for now!"

    "Right, right." Harker rolled his eyes as he continued fiddling with his shoces.

    Xi Hua peered over at him. "Wow¡­. That''s really big and long."

    "Huh?" Harker blinked. "Oh, you mean the shoces. Yep, I made them myself and made the holes on my shoes bigger."

    "What for?" Xi Hua asked, her chest hitting the counter even when she leans down ever so slightly.

    Harker looked up. "Well, I always lose my shoes for some reason. So I just tie the end of my shoces into an Alpine butterfly knot like so¡­."

    He demonstrated his weird shoecing technique. "Then, I pull the ends of my shoces all the way up to my waist, and use my belt to secure the loops like so¡­. And vo! Problem solved!"

    Xi Hua blinked. "Um¡­. You went through all that trouble because you keep losing your shoe? Can''t you just buy a new one?"

    "Haha! I always n to every payday, but then I have to buy medicine for Chloe and Dad, pay our hospital debt, pay for the repair of our leaky roof, yada yada yada. And before you know it, all my money''s gone POOF!"

    "I see¡­. How about you ask Rnd? You seem like very good friends, just buying you a pair of Nykes must be nothing¡ª"

    "Hah, no way." Harker snorted. "I don''t leech off my friends, we already owe the Fausts WAY too much. And the shoes are in perfectly good condition too. I''m fine using my secret technique."

    Xi Hua frowned. Harker recognized that look.

    "You must think I''m pretty weird, eh?" Heughed. "I''m damn used to it. People often wonder if I have a few screws loose in the head. They always get it twisted."

    Xi Hua shook her head. "No, I think that makes you pretty unique. Plus I like it, it adds a ir to your outfit."

    "Hahaha! That''s true¡­."

    Harker and Xi Hua just stared at each other for a while, smiling.

    "Is the girl still not done ordering yet? We''re starving here!" More customers came and interrupted this moment.

    Harker straightened up. "Oh right, right. Well, what can I get for you, Xi Hua?"

    "I''d take whatever you rmend." Xi Hua said, twirling a stray hair strand.

    "Tough luck, coz I never actually tried any of the burgers here." Harker said. "I just know that all of ''em must be greasy since Boss Bob cooks them with oil reused from frying pork fat. Then, he reused the same oil all over again for the next batch of patties, then the next, then the next. Says it adds to the vor."

    Harker may seem to be saying too much information randomly, but¡­..

    He was actually testing Xi Hua''s reaction. He can''t date a choosy girl because he''s too poor to afford fancy, high-quality stuff.

    But all she said was. "Is that so? I haven''t tried that before. I wanted to see if there really was a change in the taste."

    Harker felt relieved. "So you''re not a picky eater, huh?"

    "I''m not, haha! I eat everything. I especially LOVE meat."

    "A fellow carnivore! That''s why I got a good feeling about you." Harker chuckled. "Well, if you wanna go all out, you can just order the Tower of Doom by the Yellow River."

    "Tower of¡­. Huh?"

    "It''s a 10yer burger with a long cheese tter to dip it in." Harker exined.

    Xi Hua rubbed her chin. "I see. I''m surprised you used the Yellow River. It''s actually a very important and symbolic river in China, and considered both a blessing and curse."

    Harker was genuinely interested. "Really? How so?"

    Xi Hua was pleased by his interest. "Huang He was our Mother River, our cradle of civilization. But also our Sorrow, as it causes many floods and deaths. It''s where I was¡ª"

    "Can you two lovebirds chitchatter!?" An old man said. "I want my burger, dammit!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Aight, Old Hugo! Don''t get your diapers on a twist." Harker chuckled and turned to Xi Hua. "I''ll talk to you some more once I bring the Tower to your table."

    She smiled. "Ok. I''ll wait for you there."

    Harker can''t help but feel hopeful about this one. Their personalities really clicked, as Xi Hua was not like the other rich girls he had met. They''re both people that were not as they seem at first nce.

    Her flowery scent spread around much more than an air freshener. It can make everyone feel happy and rxed. Even the grouchy customers like Old Hugo were being calmer than usual with her holding the line. Some even started to have a conversation with her, wearing smiles on their faces.

    It''s just very easy to like Xi Hua.

    Once the order was done, Harker insisted on carrying it himself. But as he did so¡­.

    He remembered that she came here with Rnd in the first ce.

    "Rnd and I will be sharing this, thanks." Xi Hua smiled. "Hmm, but it is much bigger than I thought¡­."

    "How about you join us? I can excuse you to your manager."

    He turned to Rnd, who was keeping quiet this whole time. The blond boy just observed the both of them.

    Rnd was the one guy he can''t read despite knowing him for years. He always maintained a calm poker face. Was he quiet because he''s upset?

    Even if Harker feels like Xi Hua may be a cool girl¡­..

    He can''t upset Rnd. They''ve been best friends since childhood, and his family has gratitude and respect for the Fausts.

    "No, it''s fine." He forced another smile. "I gotta finish my shift anyway¡ª"

    "Xi Hua''s right. Your shift is almost over, so why not let Kian handle it?" Rnd smiled. "There''s not much customers around this time anyway."

    Harker was ecstatic, but hid his excitement. "Really? Well, if you guys insist¡­."

    They all ate the burger together and talked some more. Harker sat beside Xi Hua while Rnd sat in front of them, alone. He barely spoke and was focused on his food.

    ''He doesn''t look upset'', Harker thought. ''So maybe it was fine after all.''

    Once the meal was finished, Rnd suddenly brought up: "By the way, Xi Hua transferred midterm so she''s having trouble catching up with Biochemistry. She asked me for help, but I study Law. You''re taking Biochem courses too, right?"

    Harker blinked. "Yeah¡­. Coz I''m taking Biotechnology and Gics."

    "Really? I''m taking Medical Technology, so our courses are kinda simr." She smiled. "Maybe you could tutor me, then."

    "Harker is very smart and I''ve seen him tutor his own siblings before. I''m sure he could be a good tutor for you too." Rnd said.

    "Is that true, Harker?" Xi Hua turned to him. "Will you be willing to tutor me?"

    Rnd gave Harker a wink while Xi Hua wasn''t looking.

    Kian was wrong after all! Since the start, Rnd had been ying Cupid for the both of them! Harker felt touched by his friend''s efforts and wanted to jump at the offer¡­..

    But he reconsidered when he remembered his tight schedule.

    "I''m not so sure¡­. I still have to attend sses and work here, then take care of my family¡ª

    "I''ll pay you 1000 dors per session." Xi Hua said quickly.

    He blinked.

    "One¡­.. One thousand dors!???"

    And so it was a close deal. Harker would tutor Xi Hua at a hotel this Saturday night, for 1000 dors*.

    Little did he know that he could have lost his life for a thousand dors.

    ------------------

    A/N: This was the 90s and so 1000 US dors at that time would be worth 1,856.76 dors today, almost double the amount. To those who aren''t aware, costs intes over time. So you can buy things for a much ''lower'' price in the pastpared to today.

    Just keep in mind to add 85% or just double the costs mentioned here when dealing with mary values.

 Chapter 3 Black Hole

    ?"Whoah¡­. Do we really have to do the tutoring session here? Can''t we do it in BBB instead?" Harker asked.

    They were facing a very tall and grand hotel, looking like a long golden finger pointing to the sky. There must be at least 40 or so floors there. The interior design reminded Harker of those fancy French ballrooms.

    This hotel was pretty famous in Manhattan, and he''s sure Rnd mentioned being there before. But Harker did not really pay much attention to the ''bourgeoisie'' things so its name remained at the tip of his tongue.

    In fact, he feels quite allergic to expensive and fancy things. Just looking at them makes his wallet scream in pain.

    "It''s prettyte so not many people would be going to the BBB, so it would be quiet." Harker told Xi Hua. "We can order food as we study¡ª"

    "Oh, but I''m easily distracted and I want to focus on my studying." Xi Hua said. "And I already had it reserved, so¡­."

    He sighed. Guess he had no choice. Xi Hua was paying anyway, and she offered quite arge sum of money just for ''tutoring''. Harker''s not dense. A girl pays him more than his ie just for one night of tutoring, and they''re doing it at a luxury hotel. Alone.

    But one rule of thumb his father taught him was no matter how much he trusts his observation and intuition, he shouldn''t jump into conclusions until it was proven 100%.

    ''Don''t get it twisted''.

    As long as there''s a solid excuse to prove his hunch wrong, he had to be considerate. He''s not a genius or a perfect being after all. Maybe Xi Hua really prefers quiet ces to study. She does seem like the studious type.

    "Which floor would we be on, then?" He asked as she took the room key from the receptionist.

    "39." She said, "The whole floor is a suite so it''s all to ourselves."

    "Right."

    He clicked the 39th button then put his hands on his pocket.

    Xi Hua blinked. "Are you nervous? Do you happen to be afraid of heights?"

    "Nah, it''s not the heights that bother me¡­." Harker said honestly. "It''s the expenses."

    "The expenses?" Xi Hua couldn''t help but chuckle.

    "Look, I''m a simple guy with a simple mind. I''m not that ambitious. As long as I get me and my family to survive another day, I''m all good. Big numbers scare the hell out of me! Especially when it''s expenses."

    She was legitimately surprised. "Big numbers¡­. scare you?"

    "Yep. But you gotta keep that a secret, okay? You''re the only one who knows that." Heughed, pping his knee. "Hell, even Rnd doesn''t know my irrational fear of big numbers!"

    Xi Hua realized he''s not joking. It''s a strange fear, but she shrugged it off.

    "That''s fine. I won''t show you the bill, then." She joked.

    Ding!

    They left the elevator, and were faced with this fancy suite that might as well be a whole mansion. There were red velvet sofas, animal furs, chandeliers¡­.

    Harker''s mouth was agape, then he frowned. "Actually, about my fear¡­. Don''t get it twisted."

    He exined. "When I see big expenses, I keep thinking about how the hell will I manage to pay it. Or if someone else paid for me, even if it''s a gift, I''ll keep tossin'' at night thinking of how I''ll repay them. I just don''t like being indebted to people. So Xi Hua¡­."

    Harker scratched his head. "Can you lessen my pay to just 100 bucks per session, at least? 1000 is too much¡­."

    Xi Hua frowned. "If you''re so worried about that, why did you agree to the tutoring?"

    "Well, I actually do want to help you out. It''s just that I''m really busy. The money shocked me so I quickly agreed, but 100 dors would be enough." Harker said. "It''ll be a big help to my family already. Even 50 bucks would be fine. 20 is actually a more fair price, it''s just tutorin'' after all."

    "20 dors? 50? 100? That won''t do, Harker. You''re worth more than that." She ced a hand on his shoulder.

    "Hah, but I really don''t want to owe you too much¡ª"

    She made him sit on the sofa. "You don''t owe me anything. I''m sure you''ll provide me with great service topensate for the payment."

    She''s leaning in front of him, wearing that cherry-red smile with her cleavage in perfect view.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker narrowed his eyes as he realized something. The smell of Xi Hua''s perfume was getting stronger¡­.

    He had noticed this smell as soon as they first met. It was like some nice and mellow flowery scent he can''t quite ce. But now it''s so strong that it felt like it was invading his nose and making him feel lightheaded.

    "Uh¡­. Right. Ok, let''s just get started then. Hold on, I would have to go to the bathroom first." He said, standing up.

    This wasn''t right.

    The fact that the smell just keeps on getting stronger could not be excused anymore. Something''s going on, and he had to quickly think of an escape n while he''s in the bathroom.

    "Haha, silly boy. You don''t even know where the bathroom is." She took his hand. "Let me show you the way."

    She led him to the bathroom, almost dragging him there. As expected, it also damn fancy inside. She pushed him to the toilet seat and closed the door.

    Then, she sat on hisp!

    Harker tried to resist, but the smell was making him drowsy and it''s now hard to keep his eyes open.

    "We''re here to¡­. Study¡­." He said, choking on that floral scent.

    "Yes." She whispered to his ear. "Let''s study biochemistry together. How bodies react when different hormones increase¡­.. Like serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline¡­. Our blood pumping wildly as we get feelings of excitement, arousal and fear¡­."

    She trailed her fingers over his chest and undid his buttons just by slicing them with her long fingernails.

    Slicing¡­..

    Harker gulped, and sweat poured out his forehead.

    "What''s the matter, Harker? Hehehe~" She giggled innocently. "You look tense¡­."

    "I really¡­. I¡­ I want to¡­"

    "Hm? What is it?"

    "I want to kiss you." He said.

    "Oh?" She chuckled. "Right now? Didn''t you say we''re supposed to study?"

    "I never kissed anyone¡­. Before¡­" He said, putting one hand behind Xi Hua''s head. "Let''s do it¡­."

    He curled his fingers around her fiery red hair and she smiled wider.

    "Alright, then~" She leaned in¡­.

    And Harker quickly pulled her by the hair, mming her head against the wall!

    Blood sttered like a fountain. He definitely cracked her skull open. It should have knocked a normal girl out. But Harker long knew that Xi Hua wasn''t a normal girl.

    So he ran out as soon as he hit her!

    "YOU SLY LITTLE RAT! COME BACK HERE!" She shrieked and tried to grab onto him, but only managed to grab his shirt away.

    Harker ran for his life. He was close to passing out but he still pushed through, even knocking out thevish sofa to block Xi Hua.

    He stumbled his way to the elevator¡­..

    But like a snake catching a rat with its tail, Xi Hua''s hair grew longer and coiled around him from head to toe!

    Harker was dragged all the way back to the suite!

    "NO! HELP! SOMEONE FUCKING HELP ME FROM THIS CRAZY DEMON BITCH¡ª"

    Everything went ck.

 Chapter 4 Of Systems And Cultivations

    ?Drip¡­.. Drip¡­. Drip¡­.

    It''s all he could hear.

    Drip¡­  Drip¡­ Drip¡­.

    The dripping sound echoed like the sound of raindrops on a well. He can''t register much of anything else besides passing shadows, wild shapes and hushed whispers.

    Eventually, the shadows converge into the image of a woman looming over him.

    ".... a while since I ate a virgin."

    His mind was too cloudy, but he held onto that word. Virgin. Is this what this was about? Demons, witches and all kinds of crazy ult stuff love virgins. Goddammit, will he die because of being a virgin?

    "Mother said not to feed¡­.. Full moon night¡­. The Omniscient One is watching¡­"

    He creased his brows a little, wondering what the hell was she talking about. She continued to talk to herself while undressing.

    Before Harker could fully gain consciousness, the pain hit him over and over like a truck going forwards and backwards to crush him. His whole body felt like it was screaming. There was ringing in his ear.

    It turned out that his bones had been crushed by the strands of hair constricting him. Her hair was soft and smooth like silk. It smelled like that flower he couldn''t recognize.

    The dripping sound was his own blood spilling all over as he was being stretched out and teared apart at the limbs.

    But that''s not all.

    It was also the sound of Xi Hua''s blood dripping over his body. The blood from her head wound when he mmed her against the wall. His skin was now painted crimson.

    ".....Delicious¡­. Can''t resist¡­.. Take a bite¡­."

    As she leaned down, his blurry vision could only glean on that cherry-red smile. A long forked tongue slipped out of it, causing him to squirm.

    Then¡­..

    There was nothing but a ckhole.

    A vast expanse of darkness that was swallowing him, leading to nowhere.

    But as he faced that expanse, he also felt the crimson drip over his lips. Drip¡­ Drip¡­ Drip¡­

    The blood went straight down his throat.

    After that¡­..

    Nothing.

    But now that he was awake, all these vague details served as clues to what truly happened that night.

    ------------------------------------

    "Ack¡­.." Harker massaged his jaw.

    His memories started to fill in the nks. The headless body remained by his side, and he was still caked in that old, murky blood.

    But the wounds he was supposed to have were gone, and Xi Hua''s hair was no longer binding his limbs.

    That ckhole he saw¡­.

    "That was Xi Hua''s mouth. It unhinged like a snake and tried to swallow my head whole." He muttered to himself.

    But somehow, that didn''t happen. After he identally drank her blood and cked out again, something must have caused her to be the dead one instead.

    His senses felt sharper. The stink of the blood and dead body was much more pungent. But besides that, his vision was also clear. He felt wide awake, like when you have been sshed with cold water.

    Only that the effect never goes away and stays forever.

    He felt more alert and energized than someone that just injected their veins with an energy drink or something. And because of this, his mind quickly came up with problems in his current situation.

    "This is really bad¡­." He rubbed his face, looking distraught. "I have to move fast. If someonees here¡ª"

    "You have awakened, my Lord!"

    Harker jolted at the voice. He panicked and thought it must be some staff at the hotel, and they would witness all this carnage.

    But when he looked around, there was nothing.

    It couldn''t have been Xi Hua either, as it was a masculine voice.

    Plus her body waspletely stiff under rigor mortis, so she must have been dead for over 6 to 7 hours now. The sun outside indicates that it must be almost noon, so it was right to estimate that she had diedst night. Harker had studied rigor mortis and everything that happens to the body after death in his Biochemistry sses, though mostly through frogs andb rats.

    Harker looked everywhere for the source of the voice¡ª<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Up here, Master."

    It was¡­..

    A giant eyeball with bat wings.

    "Oh hell no... I''m not dealing with more demon shit today! I barely survived onest night!" Harker quickly grabbed the nearest object he could find.

    It was a wooden bedmp.

    "Don''te any closer or I''ll strike you with this!" He threatened.

    The eyeballughed. "Haha, thatmp doesn''t really look threatening, Master. The blunt force would not be enough to kill me¡ª"

    SNAP!

    Harker broke the shaft of themp, turning it into a piercing weapon. A wooden stake.

    "You were saying?"

    The eyeball quickly changed tone from mysterious to nervous.

    "Hey, now, my Lord! No need to get violent! I''m a good eyeball, I swear! Very good eyeball!"

    Harker kept his grip on the makeshift stake firm. "There ain''t no good demons. Fly out of here if you don''t want to be like an olive in a skewer!"

    He stood up from the bed and started swinging the stake towards the flying eye!

    "W-Wait! But I can''t just leave the new lord behind!" The eyeball tried to dodge his quick movements, "Time out! Time out!"

    "This ain''t a baseball match to ask for time out!" Harker continued to go straight for this eye''s pupil, surrounded by deep red iris¡ª

    "I killed Xi Hua for you! And healed your injuries! So please calm down!"

    Harker stopped at this.

    "What did you say? You were the one who saved me?"

    "Er¡­.." The eyeball sounded unsure. "That''s only partially true. You saved yourself, I only helped with the damage you received. You really don''t remember what you didst night?"

    Harker was frustrated. "That''s what I''m tryna figure out ''ere! How did I stay alive while this demoness Xi Hua gets decapitated all of a sudden!?"

    "Well¡­. That''s because you ate her."

    Harker blinked. "Huh?"

    "You ate her head just when she was about to eat yours."

    This did not help his confusion at all. What was this eyeball demon talking about¡­..

    But then, he remembered the dripping crimson blood to his mouth. It did something to him.  And that pain in his skull and his jaw¡­..

    His eyes widened as his tongue suddenly slipped out, and it was a long, thin forked tongue!

    "Sweet mother of corn!" He eximed in shock.

    Then, he tried to open his mouth as wide as he could¡­..

    And on the vanity mirror, it showed how it unhinged and revealed that ck hole just like the one he facedst night.

    He can unhinge his jaw like a snake! Talk about a real ''jaw-dropper''!

    The eyeball spoke in a cheery tone, even when it doesn''t have a mouth:

    [Greetings, new Demon Lord of the West! I am your humble assistant, Yan. Let us now determine your cultivation type!]

    A hologram screen appeared beside the talking eyeball.

    Harker''s right eye twitched. "What the heck is this? I thought this is supernatural horror, why is the genre changing all of sudden into sci-fi with holograms like in Star Track?"

    [DING!] The eyeball said out loud. [System has determined your cultivation type. Your type is:]

    The screen suddenly showed a bunch of 0s and 1s, and then it turned into 4 words.

    [Shapeshifting through DNA Absorption!]

    The eyeball, Yan, announced it like something to be celebrated. All that was missing was fanfare and party poppers. But Harker''s eye just twitched in confusion several more times.

    "What in the zes is ''system'' and ''cultivation''?"

 Chapter 5 Big Numbers

    ?Harker Jones'' reaction to receiving a system and a cultivation type wasplete indifference.

    His system assistant Yan blinked. "E-Eh?"

    "So you have eyelids, huh?" Harker sniffed about and coughed. "Man, now that I regained my senses, I''m starting to notice how terrible the corpse and the blood smells. But I guess it''s not as bad as when I slept inside a dumpster filled with rotten eggs."

    He turned back to Yan. "If you don''t want to mess with me, you should just go away. I still have things to deal with. Like figuring out what to do with this body and how to get out of here without getting used of murder."

    Harker stood up and went to the bathroom.

    Yan quickly flew to his side.

    "Wait! Wait! I forgot that you were a normie from the 90s that had no idea about system and cultivation novels! Please hear me out first!"

    Harker picked up his torn clothes lying on the ground. "Ah, shit. I don''t even have anything to wear when I go outside¡­. Should I just surrender and im that it''s self-defense?"

    Yan still tried to gain his attention, flying in front of him. "You see, system means¡ª"

    Harker shook his head. "Nah, that ain''t gonna work. Her head is missing and I''m the man here. Her family is rich while I am poor. We''re both naked. They''ll think that it''s an assault-murder case."

    Yan tried nudging his shoulder with his wings. He doesn''t have any hands so he couldn''t poke him. "Please listen to me, master! You just became one of the most powerful beings in this¡ª"

    "Oi, eyeball." Harker raised his stake. "You try toe closer again and I''ll really turn you into a giant olive skewer, you understand!?"

    "EEEEEK!!!!" Yan started crying big fat tears that formed puddles.

    Or maybe this was the version of eyeballs wetting themselves, who knows?

    Yan tried to think of a way to get his new master to listen. Harker only kept on mumbling to himself in the shower and thinking of a n to notnd himself in jail.

    After he showered, Yan finally decided to say: "If you listen to me for just one moment, I can tell you how you can escape from here without getting caught by the police!"

    Harker got out of the bath with steam surrounding him. He was drying himself with a towel.

    "Actually, I figured that out already."

    Yan was incredulous again. "E-Eh?"

    Harker unhinged his jaw. "I don''t know what system and cultivation is, but I understand the concept of shapeshifting and DNA absorption. If I can do what this demoness Xi Hua does now¡­."

    His hair suddenly got longer and wrapped around Yan!

    "That means I can do this! I just have to use my own hair like a rope to escape from the window at the back of the building!"

    Yan panicked and begged. "EEEK! Please let me go, new Demon Lord of the West! And even if you have figured out a way to escape¡­. W-What about Xi Hua''s corpse!? I can help you with that¡ª"

    "I also have that figured out, thank you very much." Harker crossed his arms. "Although it''s disgusting¡­.."

    "I just have to eat herpletely."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Yan could not believe it. His new master didn''t need a system assistant to adjust to his new status as a Demon Lord at all! He just coped with it so quickly!

    Harker winced. "I never thought I would end up eating a girl before getting to sleep with one, but here we are."

    "How¡­. How are you so nonchnt about all of this!?" Yan said.

    "I''m not. I''m panicking over here. You didn''t hear me talking to myself like a maniac while in panic mode?" Harker said. "But if I don''t move fast, the cops will be after my ass soon. We don''t have money for bail. Who will take care of my father and siblings when I go to prison? How will I get a decent job if I have a criminal record?"

    He sighed, shaking his head. As he shook it, the flying eyeball that was caught in his hair got shook too, getting hit against the wall many times.

    Stars circled around Yan in his dizziness, like in cartoons.

    Harker didn''t notice and continued sulking. "I knew my luck with girls was bad, but not THIS bad. A freaking demon!??? And I got turned into a shapeshifting demon too!??? That''s some unfair life right there."

    Yan shook off the cartoony stars and beamed. "Oh! I can help you change your bad luck, Master! I can make you and your family rich and not unfortunate anymore!"

    "I ain''t signing any contracts with the devil." Harker declined. "As long as I manage to get out of here and not be caught, I''m all good."

    "What!? But aren''t you a human!?? Don''t you guys haverge aspirations for yourself like being rich, having a big house, and lots of girls falling for you!???"

    "Nope. I just wanna go back to Dad and the kids now, they must be worried about me. Then I can put this whole business behind me and try not to let anyone know that I''m a fucking demon now."

    He ate Xi Hua''s body without hesitation, and burped.

    "Well, I''ll be damned. That doesn''t taste half-bad as I thought¡­. As long as I don''t think too much about it."

    He took his hair off Yan, grabbed the bloody sheets and all the possible evidence, and made his way to the window.

    "See you never, eyeball. If you follow me, I''d have to eat you like I did with Xi Hua. Maybe that would give me cool bat wings to fly and escape out of here. Hah!"

    Yan was getting desperate. His master was way too calm in this situation! He won''t listen to him at all!

    "But M-Master¡­.. Just look at all the powers and stats you have! It is I, Yan, who gave you all these skills and levels!"

    Just as Harker was about to jump¡­..

    The holographic screen showed his stats and power levels.

    Harker suddenly stopped, his heart going cold.

    "G-Goddammit¡­.. Get these stupid numbers out of my face¡­.."

    Yan blinked again. "E-Eh?"

    "You said I owe you this much¡­." Harker started to sweat, looking nervous and guilty. "Then fine. I''ll listen to you as long as you keep these numbers away."

    And so the system assistant finally managed to convince his master to listen by scaring him off with big numbers.

 Chapter 6 Leads To Powers Of An Orb

    ?Yan watched his master sit back down the bed, crossing his arms.

    "Well? You''ve been yappin'' for me to hear you out, and I''m gonna hear you out now. So spill it, I don''t have much time to waste."

    Yan''s thin eyshes fluttered. Harker noticed that this eyeball''s eyshes were golden. It framed his crimson iris well.

    "You''re scared of big numbers, My Lord?"

    "Don''t get it twisted. I feel guilty when I owe someone so much¡­. Or something, in your case. So it''s not the numbers that troubles me, it''s the debt." He told him. "And ''nuff ''bout that ''Master'', ''My Lord'', ''new Demon Lord of the West'' bullshit. My name''s Harker Jones, I''m not anyone''s superior. I''m just a simple guy tryin'' to live a simple life."

    He sighed. "But seeing that I just ate a whole demon girl earlier and talking to a flying eyeball right now, I guess that''s no longer possible."

    Yan flew up and down, as if nodding. "Yes, Mast¨C er, Harker!!! The faster you ept that, the better! You are now involved with the greatest forces in this world! The world of monsters and cultivators!"

    "What is this ''cultivator'' crap I keep hearing about?" Harker asked.

    "I''ll try to exin as simply as I can!" Yan said enthusiastically. "You see, there is divine energy all around us. The divine energy could be called qi or mana, whichever you prefer. Cultivators follow paths to cultivate different types of divine energy."

    Harker can''t help but find it weirdly amusing how this eyeball may have a deep voice and disturbing appearance, but he speaks in such an enthusiastic way that could be called adorable.

    "So basically guys with superpowers. Like inic books." Harker said.

    "Well¡­. sort of. Superheroes may have their powers and skill set in a fixed state. But cultivators usually need training to get cultivate their powers, hence the name. The divine energy is like a muscle, it can get stronger and also regress over time."

    "I see. Is Xi Hua a cultivator, then?"

    "Yes. All monsters are cultivators. Monster is the general term that I would use, but they include all supernatural beings, ''good'' or ''bad''. We call them Yao. They have a connection with divine energy and are aware of its presence, so they naturally choose to cultivate it for survival."

    Yan showed a holographic screen portraying a mountain and a river.

    "Xi Hua and most Yaose from this mountain. Mt. Kunlun. They then bathe in the Yellow River or Huang He to achieve a human form and blend with civilization. Though Master Xi Hua did not really need it as her parents were both monsters that appear human enough."

    Harker sped his forehead. "Ah, the parents. They''ll be after me once they realize their daughter is missing for sure! But luckily, Xi Hua told me that her parents have no idea that she rented this hotel to have a tutoring session with me. She also used a dummy credit card to pay for things and sign under the name ''Lucy Westenra''. That buys me some time."

    "Oh, that makes sense. Her surname Xi means ''West'' and Lucy is her favorite English name." Yan told him. "She nned to use it once she got away from her parents and married an American. Her first name Hua means ''flower'' as she was born during the fall of peach blossoms."

    "And she smells like peach blossoms too." Harker said. "That must be the flower scent I smelled since she came here."

    Yan nodded. "It''s the scent of her mother, Lady Aixiang. Lady Aixiang''s name means ''fragrance of love''. She''s a Yao that is simr to the idea of a subus."

    Harker scoffed. "So that''s why the smell got me so drowsy. But what about the snake thing?"

    "Xi Hua''s hair and snake-like quality are from Lord Xi Jiaoshe. Lord Jiaoshe is currently in Las Vegas for a business trip, while Lady Aixiang is in her home in the suburbs of Long Ind."

    Harker frowned. "So this Lady Aixiang might find out the news soon, she''s just nearby."

    He wondered. "Do all these monster people have this system thing you''re talkin'' about? The holographic screen? It''s hard to imagine ancient monsters having futuristic flying screens showing them game stats."

    "No, Master Xi Hua was the first of her kind. Ever since she had freed me from a crypt, she had gained the system. She doesn''t have the same cultivation type as you though. She already has the ones she inherited from her parents."

    "You have been freed from a crypt?"

    Yan nodded, crying once more. "For thousands of years!!! It''s been so lonesome, Mas¡ª Harker! I was so happy to be freed and to serve a new master after so long!"

    "You see, Yan is actually a very good system assistant! I transcend space and time itself! I once belonged to the Omniscient One, Quan Zhi! He who knows everything and sees all!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker recalled Xi Hua mentioning the Omniscient One before she ate him.

    "What happened to this Quan Zhi guy, then?" He asked.

    Yan went silent.

    He said in a somber tone: "He perished."

    Harker had never heard him sound this sad, so he feels a little sorry for him. "My condolences."

    Yan just ''shrugged'' with his wings. "It''s alright. I know of a way to make you as powerful as Master Quan Zhi! With a cultivation type like yours, it''s possible for you to be the next Omniscient One!"

    Harker was a little dazed by all these information. Of course, the typical human would jump into this oppurtunity. You can get everything you wanted, be extremely rich, or change the world.But....

    If the Omniscient One was so powerful, why would he perish? And why wouldn''t he change the world in order to not perish and have everything on his control?

    He still doesn''t trust Yan, despite his seemingly innocent demeanor.

    It''s not a safe bet. He can''t throw it all away just because a flying eyeball demon he knew nothing about told him he had the secret to eternal happiness.

    So with this distrust on Yan, Harker shook his head.

    "No thanks. I don''t n to be a god. I just want to find a way to feed my family three meals a day and repay the Fausts. They have spent so much for our hospital bills¡­.."

    He broke a sweat again, remembering the expenses. "I can''t live in debt from them forever."

    "Debt is a very big thing to me. I''m only listenin'' to you now because you told me that your ''system'' is the one that helped me survive Xi Hua''s attack." Harker told him. "I owe you my life, so the least I could do is spare yours and hear you out. But I don''t want to be this next ''Omniscient One''. I''m sorry."

    "Hmm¡­.. Then how about this?" Yan thought. "I know of a way to quickly heal your family''s illnesses and have you achieve a simple, easy and peaceful life."

    "How?" Harker raised an eyebrow.

    "You see¡­. When Master Quan Zhi was defeated, his powers were stored inside this orb. The Orb of Omniscience was shattered, and the Shards were scattered around the world of monsters. Not just Chinese yaos, but also the monsters of the West."

    Yan added: "Master Quan Zhi had the power to shift reality itself! So you can temporarily use the power of the Orb to improve your family''s lives, and be a normal human again."

    Harker rubbed his chin. "That does sound like a tempting offer. But how many Shards are there? I''m going to have to mess with a lot of monsters toplete the Orb, right?"

    "There are 13." Yan said. "One Shard was passed within the Xi demonic n, but it was broken into two pieces by Lady Aixiang and Lord Jiaoshe."

    "Great, I have to deal with Xi Hua''s folks too." Harker sighed. "But at least I get to return to my normal life again. Still¡­ What will you do with the Orb once I make my wish?"

    Yan shrugged. "I only live to serve a master. I''ll go look for one that is worthy of Master Quan Zhi''s powers."

    Harker thought more about it. As much as it was risky to steal the Shards from demons and monsters, it''s still less riskier than trying to survive as a Demon Lord in this world. He can''t let his family find out about this or they would be heartbroken. He needed to be human before they could even realize.

    And.... He wanted to learn more about this Omniscient One, and this Quan Zhi who apparently can control reality itself yet still perished.

    Plus he had no choice but to be involved in this ''World of Monsters and Cultivators'' anyway. He owes this eyeball his life, so the best he could do was to help him find a new master to serve. He will steal these Shards as peacefully as he could, gain the Orb of Omnisience, and wish to be a normal human again that has nothing to do with this unknown world.

    "Alright then. I''ll help you collect the Shards and fix this Orb."

 Chapter 7 Family Matters

    ?"R-Really!?"

    Yan''s crimson iris sparkled at this.

    "Yeah. But you gotta help me out with all this demon shit, aight? Make sure I don''t end up dead." Harker looked beyond the window, seeming to be deep in thought.

    "I''ll try! I can''t do much besides inform you about your system status, however¡­." Yan said.

    "Why not? Didn''t you say you transcend space and time? I''ve been wondering about that, since you could have escaped my hair and yet you didn''t."

    Yan nodded. "You see, I can easily vanish and move between dimensions, but it''s all up to the will of the master I serve. I''m only powerful when I have a master. Otherwise, I''m nothing but an eyeball."

    As Yan said this, he truly vanished, and then reappeared again.

    Harker was pretty impressed. "Cool. So basically all you''ll be is an assistant, and you can''t fight me back even if you want to. I dunno, man.... That feels a bit like very to me."

    "Yep, I''m the master''s ve!" The eyeball said joyfully.

    Harker was a bit unnerved. But then again, this was a monster, not a human. They''re bound to have different mindsets, he supposed.

    He just asked: "What are the limitations of my abilities? Like can I use my hair to swing like Tarantman around those buildings over there? I don''t have clothes and carrying thisrge bag of evidence would look suspicious."

    "Oh, that''s what the system is for! But since you''re not so keen on big numbers¡­."

    Yan''s holographic screen appeared, this time with a chart.

    "I''ll use letters and descriptors instead to show your power stats!"

    The holographic screen showed two graphs:

    [ Xi Hua''s Subus Ability

    Raw Power: D

    Endurance: C

    Range: B

    Speed: C

    Precision: B

    Potential: A ]

    [ Xi Hua''s Snake Demon Ability

    Raw Power: B

    Endurance: B

    Range: A

    Speed: A

    Precision: A

    Potential: C ]

    Harker studied the letters carefully. "What does this grading system mean?"

    Yan exined: "Grade levels of monsters start at D, which is worth millions of EXP points. But the lowest grade would be D-, worth less than a million for average humans, nts and animals. For example, an average ant has 100 EXP of Raw Power, thus its Raw Power is D-."

    He added. "C is worth 10x the EXP of D, B is 10x of C, and so on. But since you don''t like seeing those big numbers, I used this instead. After A is A+, then R for ''Rare'', then SR for ''Super Rare''. The highest would be UR or ''Ultra Rare'', worth 10 trillion points and above." *

    He then exined the stats one by one:

    "Raw Power is how much force this ability has, sort of its strength."

    "Endurance is how durable your body bes when using this ability."

    "Range is how long the distance of the ability could reach."

    "Speed is how fast, Precision is how precisely it can strike a target."

    "And finally, Potential is how much this ability could be developed and cultivated, thus possibly raising the other stats'' levels."

    Yan reminded him: "Potential is the only stat that never change. It instead serves as the basis of how much the other stats could level up."

    Harker kept that in mind. "So since the range of the snake demon ability is A, that means I can extend my hair pretty long, right?"

    "Yes. It''s estimated to grow to at least 40-50 meters."

    Harker grinned. "Sweet! Fly close to me and exin the rest of the stuff. I''ll swing around those buildings and get myself home in no time!"

    He tied an Alpine Butterfly knot to himself using a third of his hair. Then, he took the bloody bed sheet that he used as a makeshift bag to keep the evidence, and put it in the loop next to him.

    Yan panicked. "Wait, Master Harker! Are you sure you''re willing to do something this dangerous after receiving this abilities¡ª"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It''s now or never!" He yelled, and quickly jumped¡ª

    And he managed his first swing so easily!

    The remaining parts of his hairtched onto electric poles and window bars, allowing Harker to truly swing around the city like ''Tarantman''. The busy streets of New York were so cooped up in their own thing that nobody had time to look up and see this naked man swinging with his hair.

    He watched the people hailing cabs on rush hour, people going through the subway, all kinds of events happening all at once in every corner they pass by¡­..

    "Nice! The view''s not bad from above here!" He yelled. "What were you saying, eyeball?"

    Yan shook, just trying to keep up with him. "Nothing. You''re a natural at this, Mas¡ª Harker!"

    "Hah, I''m a pretty fast learner." Harker said. "What else do I have to know about my ''system''?"

    They traveled at about 15 meters per second, faster than the average car speed.

    "Let''s see¡­. Oh! The DNA absorption. The duration of the abilities you gain depend on the amount of DNA you absorb. Since you ate Xi Hua, these abilities you gain wouldst for a month."

    Harker blinked. "Just a month?"

    "Yes, DNA absorption has its own different set of stats too. Here, I''ll show you. It has a great Potential but since you''re just starting, the duration is still low."

    [Harker''s Shapeshifting Ability

    Duration: D

    Effectiveness: B

    Resistance: C

    Absorption Limit: D

    Concealment: C

    Potential: UR ]

    Harker frowned. "Those are pretty low stats except for Potential. But I guess that just means they could go even higher than Xi Hua''s stats. What do they mean?"

    Yan exined the stats:

    "Duration depends highly on the amount of DNA you consume, but higher Duration means you can maintain the ability longer despite small absorbed DNA. If a absorbing a whole body is only worth 1 month now, when Duration gets higher, it mightst for 2 months, maybe even a year."

    "Effectiveness means how effective your shapeshifting is, both in your gained abilities and appearance. At low Effectiveness, you might not have certain skills or assets thate with the ability of the person you shapeshift as. "

    "Resistance is how much it can resist abilities that can temporarily cancel, overpower or permanently erase yours."

    "Absorption Limit is how much DNA you can absorb until your Absorption Space is full. That Absorption Space would of course be your stomach, you would have to absorb DNA through digestion."

    "Concealment is how much it can be concealed from people who have abilities to see into altered forms and disguises. Low concealment also means higher chances for enemies to read your thoughts and emotions, bring out the truth in you, or learn your identity if they have those abilities."

    He assured Harker. "Don''t worry about the low stats, Master! Once you tap into yourrge Potential, these stats could reach R, SR and UR too! Usually, abilities that have high stats like Xi Hua''s Snake Demon Ability have low potential to develop. They''re powerful at the start but don''t give room for more changes."

    Harker nodded, taking in all this information as much as he could. He''s not a supergenius that can remember everything. But once he needs it, he can recall information in the right moments. Just like when you let a sponge absorb water and then squeeze it.

    He continued swinging until he spotted his house. It was a small, unappealing shack surrounded by simrly small homes and dpidated apartments. He aimed his hair straight for his bedroom window.

    "You mentioned I can change my appearance too. I''ll change into Xi Huater to cover my tracks somehow."

    Yan nodded. "What do you n to do, Mas¡ª Harker?"

    "You''ll see. For now¡­." Harkernded on his house''s backyard quietly like a cat. "I have to show up to my family or else they''d be worried."

    ----------------

    A/N: EXP per Grade Level for Nerds like Me

    D- : less than or equal to 1M

    D:  1M+

    C:  10M+

    B:  100M+

    A:  1B+

    A+: 10B+

    R:  100B+

    SR: 1T+

    UR: more than or equal to 10T

 Chapter 8 Even To The Grave

    ?Harker eventually got inside his room. He shoved the evidence under his bed to be disposed ofter, put on new clothes, and pretended to yawn as he went to greet his family downstairs.

    He noticed Yan still flying by his side. "You can disappear now. Don''t want my Dad to get a heart attack again and add up to our medical expenses."

    "Oh! Yes, right away!" Yan vanished into thin air.

    But Harker can somehow feel he''s still there. Watching.

    He did wonder about one more thing, but he''ll ask thatter. For now, he had to act like everything was normal to his family.

    "Good mornin'', everyone!" He greeted them.

    Someone went out from the kitchen upon hearing his voice. It was his father in a wheelchair, holding a frying pan and wearing an apron.

    "Oh, Harker! Since when did you get home? I thought you had that extra gig you''re talking about." His dad said. "Also, it''s already noon."

    "Good noon then, Dad!" He chuckled. "I got homest night and went through the window as always. Didn''t wanna disturb your sleep. What''s for lunch?"

    Two little 7-year old boys that look identical to each other ran towards him.

    "Harker! Harker!"

    "Look how much we earned from handing newspapers to the neighbors!"

    They proudly showed him their pennies and dimes.

    "That''s great! You guys be careful when bicycling, alright?" He ruffled their hair. "You just got rid of the training wheelsst week."

    A pale 10 year old girl with red rashes on her face that looked like butterflies coughed vehemently.

    But she still managed to smile. "Sam and Sammy''s Newspaper Delivery Service is booming, you know. We might give the other newspaper boys a good run for their money."

    Harker high-fived her. "It''s ''cause Boss Chloe''s really good at managing her employees! Nothing can beat your strategic nning and marketing."

    Chloe held out a drawn poster from crayons that says ''Sam and Sammy deliver newspapers to your doorsteps for a fair price! Subscribe to our Newspaper Delivery Service now!''

    She shrugged. "Eh, it could still use some work. This is all my artistic skills could allow. Cough! Cough!"

    Their dad suddenly teared up. "Ah, you kids the best! It''s a shame that you have a crippled father who''s supposed to be the one scrambling jobs for money¡­."

    Harker sighed, patting his dad''s shoulder. "This again, Dad! Don''t worry ''bout it! You''re also doing your best to take care of 4 kids on your own, that''s a job that''s hard to do even for people with legs!"

    He pointed to something on disy. They were beautiful hand-crafted stools that were sculpted with animal designs.

    "Plus you''re doing carpentry work on the side. You''ll win the woodcrafting contest next time, I''m sure! Then you won''t need to have Mr. Faust buy your work and resell it. You''ll have customers searching for you instead!"

    Harker''s Dad, Mr. Howard Jones wiped his small tears away. "You''re right¡­. Ah, don''t mind the waterworks. It''s ''cause of the damn onions, that''s why. Let''s just eat lunch, I cooked up some chicken and peas!"

    "Sweet!" The Jones children eximed.

    As they ate, Harker can''t help but think of just how he values this family so much. They may have nothing, but at least they have each other.

    He''ll do anything to protect them from this monstrous world.

    But Harker forgot that he was also a monster now. Just after taking a few bites of his food¡­.

    [ ERROR! Absorption Limit exceeded.]

    Harker was confused when he saw this holographic screen appear before him¡ª

    "Urk!" Until he felt the food rise up on his throat.

    Mr. Jones was worried. "Are you alright, son? Something wrong with the chicken and peas?"

    He tried to force it back down. "Nothing. It''s fantastic, Dad."

    He tried to take another small bite.

    [ERROR! Absorption Limit exceeded.]

    He almost vomited right on his chair, so he rushed to the toilet.

    "BLERGH!" He puked out the small bits of lunch he ate¡­..

    "Fuck." He wiped his mouth.

    [Absorbed Cooked Chicken''s Ability (Ejected)

    Raw Power: D-

    Endurance: D-

    Range: D-<novelnext></novelnext>

    Speed: D-

    Precision: D-

    Potential: D- ]

    Another one for Peas showed up, and it''s the same thing. All D-, and it was ejected by the system.

    "What''s the meaning of this, Yan?" Harker grumbled. "I can''t even eat human food anymore!?"

    Yan reappeared by his side. "You still can! However you have reached the limit of your DNA Absorption because you ate Xi Hua. Food still has a little bit of DNA in them even when cooked or processed."

    Harker felt even more pissed. "I know that. So I can only eat stuff once I start to digest Xi Hua more?"

    "Yes. You''ll be releasing the indigestible parts of her, like bones and hair, in a pellet 3 days from now. So that should lessen your Absorption Space."

    Harker coughed. "But it still gets filled up anyway since most food still has DNA. The only stuff I could probably eat without worrying about my Absorption Limit are things like egg whites and salt."

    "Or dirt, sand, soil¡­.. Hehe." Yan added.

    Harker gave him a ''fuck off'' expression.

    Yan reassured him again. "I''m just joking, Master! Don''t worry! The more your body absorbs Xi Hua, the more space you''ll have for food. And once you fully absorb her for a month, you''ll be able to have freed up space. Cooked and processed foods have very little DNA anyway."

    Harker stood up, clenching his fists.

    "I can''t just stop eating for a month, that will be suspicious. Everyone knows me as a big eater. There''s no reason for me to be fastin'' since I ain''t part of any religion like that."

    He sighed. "So it will be a constant trip to the bathroom then. Like some guy with bulimia."

    Yan wondered. "Why don''t you just make up excuses for now when anyone invites you to eat? Like a stomachache or something."

    "That will get my people worried. And I hate makin'' people worried." Harker said. "I can probably force myself to finish the meal and then vomit it allter once nobody''s watching¡­."

    "That''s quite troublesome and painful for you, isn''t it?" Yan asked.

    "At least it''s not troublesome for everybody else."

    He left the bathroom, and forced a smile again to his family. "Heya, guys! Did anyone steal my chicken ''n peas while I''m not around?"

    Chloe turned from her chair. "No but...You okay? I heard you vomiting¡­."

    Samson, the one they call Sam, pouted. "Are you sick too?"

    Samuel, the one they call Sammy, also pouted. "I don''t want Harker to be sick¡­.. Who will take us to the arcade this weekend?"

    Harker chuckled nervously. "It''s nothing¡­ My tummy''s just feelin'' a bit sensitive."

    "Oh, is that so?" His dad furrowed his brows. "I hope nothing''s wrong with the chicken and peas¡­.."

    "Of course not, Dad!" He sat back on his chair. "Like I said, it''s fantastic! Did you use some sazon from the Garcias next door?"

    "Yeah. I figured that it could rece the Italian seasoning." His dad said.

    Harker nodded. "How are they by the way? I heard Mrs. Garcia''s startin'' a small taco stall ''round here¡­."

    Harker distracted his family with some small talk so they won''t notice how little he has been eating. He had been used to doing this, actually.

    There had been many times that he got sick, but he still acted normal. He once manage to fool his family with a 104 degrees Fahrenheit* high fever and even got to work too.

    Harker told Yan this once the meal was over and everyone''s in the living room. The children yed games, while his Dad listened to the radio, working on his woodcraft. The radio was loud enough for them to not hear him vomiting.

    "Your willpower to not trouble others is very strong, Mast¡ª Harker. It''s verymendable."  Yan thought.

    "Yeah, but yours isn''t. Like I said, you should drop the Master stuff already." Harker said as wiped his mouth and went upstairs.

    "It''s quite difficult for me. I''m used to doing this, but I won''t trouble you anymore, M¡ª Harker." Yan said.

    Harker just sighed, feeling cranky because of all the puking. It was really good food too, and he hates wasting good food.

    He went to his bedroom to pick up the bag of evidence and dispose of it. "Hmm¡­. Maybe I should bury this somewhere pretty far away and secluded. As for covering my tracks¡­. I gotta go back to the hotel disguised as Xi Hua and check out. I saw some of those CCTV camera stuff in the lobby and elevator, but luckily none on the floors."

    Harker went to do just that. He buried the evidence in a cemetery¡­..

    Where his mom''s grave was.

    -------------------

    A/N: 104 degrees Fahrenheit is 40 degrees Celsius

 Chapter 9 Faust Provides

    ?"Whoah¡­.. You''re so calm with digging up your mom''s grave, Master Harker!" Yan eximed. "Ah, sorry! I said ''Master'' again! But won''t this count as disrespecting the dead?"

    "Nah. I''m sure she''ll understand." Harker chuckled as he ced the evidence in the hole he dug then buried it again. "Won''t want her son to go to jail after survivin'' an attack from a demon¡­ Plus I brought her favorite flowers to make up for it."

    He set down a bunch of red spider lilies. He swiped them from a flower shop while swinging around the city with his hair.

    "Been a while since I visited, Mom. Sorry. Got busy with stuff." He said. "We all miss you."

    The flowers swayed as the wind blew over the small wooden statue of a beautiful woman that stood to mark Mrs. Jones grave. His dad carved that statue himself. Underneath were the words:

    ''In the memory of a loving wife and mother

    Josephine Jones 1955-1990''

    Harker took the breeze as a sign of her being d about his visit. He smiled softly and then went on his way back to the hotel.

    --------------------------

    Xi Hua luckily took off her clothes and ced them where they wouldn''t be stained with blood. This showed that she was quite careful with her victims. She just never anticipated Harker to gain the shapeshifting ability and fight back.

    As Harker picked these clothes up and transformed into Xi Hua, he finally asked the question he had been meaning to ask Yan.

    "If all you could do is to serve your master¡­. Why did you help me kill Xi Hua?"

    Yan was quiet for a while once again. Then, he said:

    "It just felt natural."

    "Felt natural?" Harker frowned using Xi Hua''s cherry-red lips.

    "Like fate, or something like that. When Master Xi Hua became my Demon Lord of the West, it didn''t feel right. It''s like when you have lice in your head that you try to ignore. But the more they bite and drink your blood, the more unbearable they be."

    "You don''t even have a head, how can you have lice?" Harker joked.

    "I''m just giving an example that you might understand, Mas¡ª Harker." Yan said. "I tried my best to be satisfied and amodate Master Xi Hua. She is actually a good master, just very bloodthirsty and headstrong. She likes to rebel against her parents and so she eats more than how much they let her."

    "But that''s because she knows what she''s capable of. She''s not reckless. I think that her ruthless and ambitious mind is a great thing for a new Omniscient One to have¡­. But it still didn''t sit right with me somehow. Then when she was about to eat you ...."

    "It just happened. I thought to give you the ability, and as soon as you drank her blood, your instincts made it so that you ate her head immediately."

    Harker rubbed his chin. "So both cases are pure instincts, huh? I don''t really know if I believe in fate or not, but I do understand natural instincts for survival. Maybe since Xi Hua likes to seek trouble for her parents, you subconsciously thought she won''t survive that long so you won''t have a master?"

    Yan shrugged. "Maybe. I will lose my powers if my master dies before I find a new one. That''s why I was stuck in that crypt."

    Harker twirled his hair, emting how Xi Hua would act.

    "Hmm¡­. I actually feel a bit sorry for you. I don''t like the idea of ves that much. It''s just unfair, when you both have free will and yet the other tries to take that away."

    Yan thought about it. "Well, I have always existed this way¡­. I never really thought of being anything else than a ve or assistant. It doesn''t trouble me at all. "

    Harker nodded. "I know. I won''t bother you about it if you''re fine with it. Do you feel guilty about Xi Hua''s death, though?"

    "I do, a little." Yan admitted. "But like I said, I felt like it was needed to reach this oue."

    "Right."

    Harker continued to ask questions as he went on the elevator. "Did you foresee this oue? Can you travel to the future?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Er, the future isplicated. It''s not just one line, it''s multiple possible pathways. I can travel to one future pathway if you willed me to."

    "Can you travel to the past and change the fate of your Master Quan Zhi if I asked you to?"

    "Asking is different from willing, Master Harker." Yan said seriously. "Willing means you need to be aware of exactly what you will have me do, and fully control me as you do it. It''s like willing a billiard ball to enter a hole. You can''t just ask it to go to the hole itself, you have to strike it correctly. Or else I might get lost in some other ne."

    Harker nodded. "I see. Since your Master Quan Zhi is so powerful, was he able to do that? That''s why he can control reality?"

    "Yes. He can also manipte matter and existence itself just by will. That''s his ability." Yan said proudly.

    "Then how did he get defeated if he''s all-powerful?"

    Yan was silent for the third time.

    "I''d rather not talk about that. It''s¡­.. still painful."

    Harker can notice the grief in his voice when he says that. It''s just like how he find it difficult to talk about his mom''s death with someone else. Especially with strangers he just met. It''s not really something that should bother him, so Harker let it be. He doesn''t want the eyeball to start crying again.

    The elevator finally reached the ground floor with a Ding!, and they stepped out.

    Yan vanished but just like his natural instincts, Harker could tell the eyeball was still there. He went to the receptionist, also holding Xi Hua''s purse.

    "Hello¡ª Oh." Xi Hua''srge jugs hit the desk. "Sorry. I''m here to check out from the suite on the 39th floor."

    Harker hated how these jugs felt so heavy. His back aches a bit, and they also fucking bounce with every little movement he makes. So troublesome¡­

    "Oh, Ms. Westenra. Yes, you can just hand out your credit card and sign here."

    Harker had seen Xi Hua''s signature and tried his best to replicate it.

    As it seemed like all of it would be settled, they receptionist then asked when she handed back her credit card:

    "By the way, Ma''am. It says here that you had a guest apanying you. Where is he?" She asked.

    "He already went outst night." Harker replied.

    "I see. Because we had a call that was transferred to your roomst night, asking for this male guest with you. The callerined that no one was answering his call¡­."

    Harker''s heart went cold. "Uh¡­. Who was this caller?"

    The receptionist said. "He said his name was Rnd Faust, and that he was a friend of yours."

    Shit, it''s Rnd!

    This couldplicate things. Since Xi Hua used a fake name and dummy credit card, that helps save him from suspicion of the police if they ever realize she was missing. But if Rnd gets involved¡­..

    He wasn''t so sure if his best friend wouldn''t figure out something''s wrong. Rnd was even more observant than him, and he''s also very smart. All his professors im he''d be one of the bestwyers in the state of New York once he graduates.

    Harker still tried to stay calm and thought about what he should do. He just took the credit card back, bid farewell to the receptionist¡­..

    Then, he took a cab.

    "Please take me to the Faust Residence in Scarsdale."

 Chapter 10 A Mark Since Birth

    ?The cab dropped off the beautiful ''Xi Hua'' in front of a Tudor-style mansion made of gray cobblestone and desaturated blue tiled roof. The fence was also cobblestone with oilmps, while the gate was ck iron grating.

    Even though it was antique-looking, it wasn''t the most impressive nor expensive house in Scarsdale.

    In fact, it lookedmon enough as most houses were like this. They were old and renovated residences that were hundreds of years old. Many rich people choose to live here due to the old-fashioned quality and the history surrounding the area. Or maybe they simply like the aesthetic of living in the Medieval times.

    The Faust residence did not stand out. But what makes it easily recognizable for all cab drivers were the residents themselves, not the house.

    "You got some business with the Crimson Cross King, girlie?" The cab driver asked as Harker paid him.

    "Hmm? Oh, yes. The prince, actually." He replied.

    The Faust family owns shares in major private hospitals and medical services all over New York State. It was also no surprise that they sponsor the medical side of the Stoker University where Harker got his schrship.

    Even though the Faust were not that really affiliated with the American Crimson Cross, the name just somehow stuck with them due to their medical-rted business.

    "Ah. You''re going to be the C.C. Princess then?" The cab driver joked.

    Harker pretended to be flustered just like Xi Hua would. "No, no! That''s not possible, we''re just friends!"

    "Pfft, friends! Yer a funny one.  Aight, go run along to yer ''friend'', girlie."

    Harker continued to force himself to blush, and the color left his cheek as soon as the driver went out.

    "Tsk. If Rnd took Xi Hua in as his princess, the whole Crimson Cross Family would have been massacred."

    He felt kind of grateful that Xi Hua went after him instead of his best friend. After all, Yan might not have chosen him to be the new Demon Lord of the West, and he would have died on that hotel room that night. And since Xi Hua hid her identity, it won''t be linked to her.

    Rnd would just be another dead billionaire''s son in the headlines. People would specte about business enemies and stuff like that, but never a demon girl.

    But then again, Rnd was pretty smart. He may figure it out earlier and actually manage to escape.

    Harker pressed the doorbell near the oilmp on the left side of the gate.

    "Who is it?"

    The attendant handling the inte speaker for guests asked. There was also a CCTV camera that zoomed in towards his face. This CCTV camera was special, as it also detects guns and explosives through thermal sensor imagery.

    "Hi. I''m Xi Hua, a friend of Rnd. I just came by to visit." Harker waved at the camera.

    There was a pause as the attendant verified this information. Soon, the gates opened automatically.

    The Fausts had the benefit of having more advanced technology thanks to their money and connection to the medical field. That was why they found the best surgeons to operate on the separation of the conjoined twins, Samson and Samuel.

    If not, they would not have survived long as cephalopagus twins. They shared parts of their brain and cranium, and the surgery was the only sessful one for their particr condition at that time.

    The Faust also offered to provide Harker''s father prosthetic legs, but he declined. Harker would have also done the same. They had already owed so much from the surgery alone. They need to earn money first to buy it themselves since they don''t want to appear like leeching off these wealthy friends of theirs.

    He would live his life forever in gratitude to the ''Crimson Cross'' family.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As he stepped in, a butler apanied him to Rnd. The prince was sipping some tea by the garden, reading a book. It was a thick manual on Criminal Defense for Heinous Crimes and Death Row Inmates.

    Rnd was breaking the Faust family legacy by choosing to takew instead of health business or medicine. Choosing humanities instead of science and technology. His father still does not approve of it, but Rnd''s skill speaks for itself. His examinations and practical application tests were always at the top 1% of the country.

    Before Harker could even reach the door, Rnd already stood up and turned to him. He must have heard footsteps. His one hand carried the book and the other held his cup of ck tea.

    "Ah, Xi Hua. What brings you here?" He asked. "Is Harker alright? No one answered my callsst night. I thought you two would be together at the Jean-Pierre Hotel."

    "Oh, we were. But Harker backed out since he had a family emergency. And I was so deep in sleepst night that I wasn''t able to answer your calls, sorry." Harker exined in Xi Hua''s delicate voice.

    "I see. That''s understandable. Family emergencies aremon in Harker''s house because of his sister Chloe''s condition." He smiled. "Did you visit just to tell me about this? You could have given me a call¡ª"

    "Actually, I''m here to tell you that I would be off to go out of the countryter. I''m running away."

    Rnd''s eyes widened. "Running away?"

    "Yes¡­." Harker sighed dramatically just like Xi Hua would, twirling his hair. "My parents are always controlling my life. I didn''t want to go to the US to study here. It just struck mest night that I don''t have to follow their rules anymore, I could always just run off and see the world for myself."

    Rnd observed ''Xi Hua'' from head to toe, as if checking how truthful ''she'' was.

    Then, he shrugged. "That is so like you, Xi Hua. Where do you n to go?"

    "If I tell you, you might tell my dad. I''m just ying it safe, please don''t be offended." ''Xi Hua'' gave ''her'' usual yful cherry-red smile.

    Everything checks out. Her bodynguage, the way she talks, her motivation¡­..

    There''s nothing wrong. And Harker can see it in Rnd''s face that he totally buys this. He felt relieved.

    "I see. Well, I won''t be stopping you. And I promise not to tell Mr. Xi too, I''m not a snitch." Rnd chuckled. "Onest hug before you go?"

    "Of course! I''m sort of in a rush since my flight won''t be long, but I can always spare a hug." ''Xi Hua'' wrapped her arms around him. "I''ll keep in touch."

    ''No, she won''t.'' Harker thought. ''But at least her disappearance won''t be tied to me.''

    "That''s great. See you whenever." Rnd bid her farewell.

    After the brief hug, which was hard to do because of therge ta-tas on the way, Harker turned to leave. He nned to go back home before his family could even notice he was gone¡­.

    "By the way, Xi Hua. I didn''t know you have that birthmark on your neck."

    Harker stopped in his tracks. "Hm? What birthmark?"

    "These two dots." Rnd pointed out. "Like a vampire bite. It reminds me of Harker."

    Harker''s face went pale when he said:

    "He has the same birthmark."

 Chapter 11 Bad Luck

    ?Harker cursed internally. So this is what B in Effectiveness meant¡­.

    He never really paid much attention to his birthmark on his neck. To him, it''s just the same as his moles and other small imperfections that barely anyone would notice. Who knew it would somehow get him in trouble?

    But it''s not game over yet.

    So what? Rnd would never think that he was pretending to be an Asian chick, not as realistic at this.

    Because it''s impossible for humans.

    And as far as Rnd was concerned, Harker was still human.

    "That''s such a funny coincidence! Do you think that makes us a perfect match?" ''Xi Hua'' chuckled. "I''m just joking. Harker gained my interest, but he doesn''t seem that interested in me. He''s a good-looking guy though, don''t you think?"

    "Yes¡­." Rnd''s left eyebrow was raised slightly, and Harker knows that meant he was still confused with something.

    But he shook his head. "Well, I doubt Harker would be willing to run away with you. That guy could never leave his family behind even for just a few months. It doesn''t matter that he''s smart, or good-looking, or has a great personality. Being a family guy is a good thing, but everything good in excess is bad."

    Harker frowned at this. "What do you mean by that?"

    "I just mean that his family is like a shackle around his neck that hinders him from living his life. I understand being grateful to your parents and caring for them. But of course, if his home is where his heart is, how can he have any space left for someone else?"

    Harker opened his mouth, and closed it. He shouldn''t get carried away by emotions and say something Xi Hua wouldn''t.

    "I see. Oh, look at the time!" He checked Xi Hua''s watch. "I should really get going. Take care, Rnd!"

    "Take care." Rnd nodded. "I could have one of our drivers take you to the airport, if you want?"

    Harker waved his hand. "No need, no need. I''ll just have them drop me off at the bus station."

    "That would do. Be safe out there." Rnd reminded him."You''re a woman after all. There''s a lot of dangers for women your age nowadays."

    Harker chuckled. "Serial killers, I know. Looks like America''s currently in its golden age of serial killers, huh? But then again, all ces are just harder to stay safe in for women like me."

    Harker smiled to himself a little when he went out. Rnd just gave him an idea.

    Because serial killers like Ed Bundie and Nocturne Stalker were brought into the media presence, everyone became cautious of them. Your neighbor, your ssmate, your co-worker¡­. They could have been psychopathic murders. It could be anyone.

    So this gives Harker an advantage in making Xi Hua''s disappearance not linked to him. A girl that suddenly vanished would be spected as another serial killer victim.

    When he got out of one of the Faust''s car, he asked the cab driver to take him into a mall.

    The CCTV in the mall caught this red-haired Chinese girl just shopping around. Afterwards, she left with a long-haired tatooed man by her side.

    The punk-looking man brought her to his car. The best that could be tracked about the two''s whereabouts was that they had left for a much more secluded area of the city where crime was prevalent. No cameras to protect the civilians.

    And then¡­. the girl was never seen again.

    Dayster, the police brought in the man for questioning. The man''s name was Richie Drews, a drug dealer, who imed that the girl asked him to bring him to his ce. Then, he suddenly passed out and couldn''t remember where she was or what happened to her.

    The police didn''t buy it, and he was still the primary suspect.

    Meanwhile, Harker was doing fine in his school dayster. Catching up to his lectures and preparing for his research paper on the gicposition of chameleons.

    There was a sweet peach blossom scent that lingered on him on the day Xi Hua disappeared. His father noticed it during dinner.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Did you go anywhere, son? You smell kinda funny¡­" He said.

    "Nope. Probably this new stationary paper I borrowed from a friend. She''s a girl, so she likes scented stuff."

    "Oh, that''s why."

    And his normal life just continued like that.

    On a Wednesday night full of cramming for schoolwork, he passed by his best friend Rnd again in their school''s library. The Stoker Medical School and Stoker Law School were separated, so these meetings were not that often.

    "Oh, Harker. Busy night?" Rnd asked.

    Harker yawned. "As always. Doesn''t look like it to you, though. You''re always even more dashing at night, haha!"

    They went to pick books at shelves facing each other.

    Rnd sighed as he replied. "Ah, believe me. It''s always a busy night for us on thew side of Stoker. It''s a shame they don''t have the resources that I want, it''s mostly Vine League schools that have them."

    "Hah, I''ve always told you to go to Vine League schools like Harward." Harker said. "You didn''t have to stay in the same school as I did."

    "Well, I just prefer it here. Harward''s 3 hours from home. My family''s never left Scarsdale for centuries now." Rnd said. "Speaking of¡­. Have you ever received a call from Xi Huately?"

    Harker shook his head. "No. I didn''t really get in contact with her after we canceled our tutoring session because Chloe''s rashes got worse again."

    "I see. Because Xi Hua visited my house on Sunday, and then¡­."

    He went on to exin, and Harker listened, wearing a look of concern on his face.

    When he''s done recounting the events, Harker rubbed his chin. "That''s really terrible¡­. I wonder what happened to her. I hope she''s okay. Maybe she managed to escape that druggie and ran off to her flight like she said."

    Rnd sighed. "I hope so¡­. But I''m not so optimistic with the times we have now. Her body''s not found in the Hudson River or anything like that. But that could also just mean that she''s kidnapped and hidden somewhere. Hopefully that''s not the case and she''s really in Switzend or something."

    Harker nodded. Xi Hua''s body really was hidden.

    In his stomach, that is.

    He doesn''t feel guilty about killing her or eating her at all. She deserved it. He needed to save himself both from the demoness and imprisonment. But¡­.

    He does feel kind of guilty about lying to his best friend like this.

    And right on time as he thought this, his bad luck had decided that this was the perfect moment for him to eject the pellet. The pellet contained Xi Hua''s hair, some bones and other nondigestible material.

    "BLERGH!"

    Harker tried to hold it in. But he stumbled, and his body would not let him. ''Shit! This would look really weird'', he thought.

    He kneeled on the ground, holding his stomach with his back turned to Rnd so he wouldn''t see.

    But Rnd still walked towards him. "Are you alright? What¡ª"

    Like a cat, Harker retched it all out before he could stop himself. Rnd stopped on his tracks, blinking at thisrge 20 inches long hairy pellet that appeared out of nowhere.

    Luck really wasn''t on Harker''s side despite being a ''powerful Demon Lord''.

 Chapter 12 With Ladies And Their Mothers

    ?Harker had the perfect alibi. The perfect n. Everything was great, but he could really never trust his luck.

    However, his back was facing Rnd when he regurgitated while kneeling on the floor. There''s a chance that he did not see his jaw unhinged to spit out this thing. He stood up, preparing himself to y it cool again.

    Harker acted just like his usual self would and said:

    "Oh, what''s this? Did the art students forget one of their art thingie again? Man, doesn''t this look silly?"

    Rnd went closer to the pellet. "An artwork? What could it be, though? I don''t understand it¡­."

    He went to poke it a little, and Harker''s saliva clung onto his finger. Harker felt disgusted and sorry for his friend.

    "Is this glue?" Rnd thought. "And there''s red strands of silk¡­.. Or is it really hair? It reminds me of¡ª"

    "Ah, I think I get it now! It''s a representation of how ugly and hairy our current society is!" Harker interrupted his line of thought.

    Rnd chuckled. "Art analysis really isn''t your strongest suit. I doubt that''s what it means. The hair probably means something more abstract."

    Harker shrugged. "Abstract art never made sense to me anyway. And isn''t it something only the artist could understand because it''s based on their emotions? So there''s really no point for you to analyze it either. Or do youwyers study art critique nowadays too?"

    Rnd nodded. "Hah, you''re right. There''s no point trying to understand it. It''s still pretty irresponsible to leave this here though. But I guess fine arts students are just as stressed out as we are."

    He kneeled to pick it up. "We should bring it to the librarian in case the owner looks for it¡ª"

    "I''ll do it! You just focus on looking for that resource, my paper is nearly finished anyway." Harker picked it up before he did, rushing towards the librarian.

    It''s so weird to have your kind and good friend pick up your vomit!

    Of course he didn''t give it to the librarian either, and instead brought the odd hairy thing to the bathroom trash bin. He buried it withyers of tissues and napkins just for safe measure.

    "Sigh¡­. That was really close. Why didn''t that system warn me sooner?" He asked the air around him. "Like how it warned me about the error of my Absorption Limit exceeding."

    Yan appeared, looking apologetic. For an eyeball.

    "I''m sorry, Master Harker! I was just so invested with your interaction with your friend that I lost track of time and forgot its regurgitating phase." The eyeball told him.

    "What''s so interesting about our conversation?"

    "Well, you call him your best friend, right? And yet I can sense great anxiety every time you encounter him. I also thought that humans usually trust their best friend and tell them everything. Yet you go through great lengths just to hide the truth from him."

    Harker snorted. "Pfft. You expect me to tell Rnd that I''m a demon now? I ain''t telling anyone ''bout it. I ain''t letting any human find out. It''s not just for my safety¡­. It''s for theirs too."

    He washed his mouth at the bathroom sink. "I just got dragged into this whole demon lord stuff out of my will. I don''t want the same to happen to my family and friends."

    "But what about that anxious feeling? Was it only about that? Your worry for their safety?" Yan asked. "Or¡­. was it something about Rnd himself?"

    Harker did not say anything for a while. Just washing his hands, lost on his own reflection in the sink.

    Then, he wiped his hands on his pants. "I don''t know what you''re talking about."

    Yan shrugged, following him. "I don''t understand humans after all. Most of the rules I think you go by suddenly change."

    Harker chuckled. "I don''t understand why you monsters had to hide in the shadows either. With your abilities, you can just kill us all. Or make us your livestock, keeping us in farms and just making us grow to be eaten."

    "That''s because of several factors." Yan said. "The monster poption is very low, and we''re naturallypetitive. We can''t work well together. Humans have technology on their side. It continues to develop faster than monsters can anticipate. But the biggest factor is like I said."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker blinked. "And that is?"

    "Humans are very unpredictable."

    Yan the flying eyeball squinted as he said this. "Somehow, they will find a way to ovee their troubles when they really put their mind into it. Even defeat strong monsters and powerful beings¡­."

    Harker knew it must be rted to his Master Quan Zhi again. But he didn''t push further or it''ll make the eyeball depressed again. Maybe in the future, Yan would trust him enough to tell him about it.

    Or maybe not. He barely trust this eyeball himself.

    So instead, Harker just said: "Humans can still be pretty dumb. In fact, all this tech stuff is making peoplecent. Like how we think puttin'' cameras around means we can catch every criminal and every crime. That''s why I got away with Xi Hua''s death."

    Yan considered this. "That''s true, I suppose¡­."

    The eyeball disappeared once he went back to the library. Harker saw Rnd on the schoolputer instead. The cking of keyboards was loud, and he sometimes smacked the thick white box when it took too long to show the letters he typed on the screen.

    Harker sat beside him. "You searchin'' on the Web for study resources?"

    "No. I''m looking at this case in Long Ind, where Xi Hua''s house was. I read it in the newspaper before." Rnd continued typing some more. "I can''t feel settled somehow about that drug dealer. It''s too strange that Xi Hua would approach him¡­"

    Harker saw him scrolling through different websites and search engines. Some showed articles, and the New York Chimes website did show several result regarding  "Long Ind Missing People Cases".

    "What were these cases about?" Harker yed along.

    But his heart just felt heavier with guilt seeing Rnd so worried about Xi Hua like this.

    Rnd was too busy typing and browsing articles to notice Harker''s internal struggle. He instead treated him like an investigation partner, exining the missing cases:

    "5 years up to now, there have been 17 cases of missing people in Nassau County. That''s where Xi Hua''s family house was. They visit there from time to time for the past 5 years too, then officially moved from China a month ago."

    "Not surprised. Nassau''s he rich." Harker said. "But if people were disappearing, shouldn''t the billionaires make a big deal out of it? I''ve never heard of these cases on the radio or newspapers."

    "That''s because the disappearing people were working ss or not white. Or both." Rnd said. "I''m sure the numbers are more, they were just not reported or dealt with. I worry because Xi Hua is Asian. I thought whoever was behind these disappearances might be involved with hers¡­."

    Then, Rnd shook his head. "But my hunch was wrong. All my research pointed out that the Nassau disappearances can''t be linked to her."

    "Why?" Harker asked.

    "All the victims were male between the ages 13-18. And again, they were from very poor sectors. It''s most likely a homosexual killer that targets men like Jeffrey Kahmer and Jan Waine Dacy."

    Harker shook his head. "No. That might not be the case."

    Rnd raised an eyebrow. "Hm? What do you mean?"

    "Just because it''s a serial killer, doesn''t mean it has to be a man."

    Rnd rubbed his chin. "You''re right. But why do you think it''s not a man in these particr cases?"

    "Just a hunch." Harker stood up. "I''m not really sure of what I''m talking about, I don''t know much of the case. But I just have a feeling¡­"

    That feeling was that the people that were targeting these missing teenage boys¡­.

    Were no other than Xi Hua and her mother. Lady Aixiang.

 Chapter 13 Tight Grip

    ?Harker clenched his fist.

    He was the type who doesn''t look for trouble. He was the type that would rather live a simple and peaceful life. But what he hates the most¡­.

    Was the strong preying on the weak, the rich preying on the poor.

    The pictures of the missing boys went on and on as Rnd searched more about them. Harker kept in mind every single one of them. But what stayed in the recesses of his mind¡­

    Were the words of the families looking for them.

    "If anyone sees our son, please bring him back home to us. We don''t have much, but we''re willing to pay anything!" An interview with the mother of a ck victim said.

    An Indian fathermented. "He''s the only one we can rely on these days. We were just delivering mail as usual, and I''m teaching him how to drive¡­.. Who knew that would be thest time we saw him?"

    All these ounts¡­. It stuck with Harker, repeating in his mind over and over.

    When he got back home, he was spacing out and staring at the floor. Soon, he heard the lively voices of his two brothers.

    "Why''d you get 10 dors and 13 cents, while I only get 10 dors and 12!? It''s not fair!" Samson argued.

    Samuel scoffed. "It''s because we''re dividing 20 dors and 25 cents here! Of course it won''t be equal! Use your brain!"

    "Then why''d I got the shorter end of the stick!? I was the one deliverin'' the newspapers to the doorsteps ''coz you''re too shy!"

    "But I''m the one who remembered all the routes Chloe gave us! We wouldn''t even have earned this much if we just relied on your short-term memory. So I deserve the extra penny."

    Samson growled, curling his fist and ready to throw hands at his twin. "You nerdy four-eyed punk¡ª"

    Harker easily picked them up by the cor with a tired expression.

    "Aight, aight. Nuff yappin'' about one penny. You guys n on putting it in your coin banks and then giving it to Dad anyway, right?"

    The twins panicked. Samson mped his mouth with his tiny hand. "Shhh! Don''t let him hear ya!"

    "It''s a surprise, Harker!" Samuel also nervously looked around if their dad''s nearby.

    Harker took Samson''s hand away. "Right, right. So why bother fighting about it?"

    "Well, it''s just unfair. He might fill up the coin bank faster than me." Samson argued.

    "That depends on the size of the coins too, knucklehead." Samuel stuck out his tongue. "A penny won''t change anything."

    "You guys¡­. Who gets to fill it up faster doesn''t matter. Y''all after the same cause." Harker told them. "We''re on the same side here."

    The boys realized this and stopped arguing.

    But Samson was still pouting. "I still don''t like how Sammy gets more, though¡­. He always calls me a dummy and a knucklehead just ''cause he''s smarter than me."

    Harker nodded. "I get it. We all don''t like being the loser. So how ''bout this? I''ll take the extra cent from Sammy so you''ll be equal."

    Samuel frowned, but still handed it to Harker. "Fine. It''s just a stupid penny anyway."

    "Well it''s no longer just a penny. It''s a piece to determine equality, y''know?" Harker chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Right, Sam?"

    "Mn!" Samson nodded. "It''s about justice!"

    "Hahaha! It really is." Harker smiled.

    Justice¡­.

    These missing boys¡­. He sees his own younger brothers in them. They would eventually grow up to be under this same sector that was targeted. Easy to get rid of, easy to get away with injustices and discrimination.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even he himself used to be that boy. There was no doubt that the reason why the age group was 13-18 was because most boys were still virgins at that age. He was just an outlier that happened to be a virgin at 22. Had he lived in Nassau County 5 years ago, he would have been a name in the headlines too.

    No, he really almost became one of those missing boys if not for Yan and the Shapeshifting System.

    His father could have been the one begging people on the news to look for him, and they would never know that he was now in the belly of a demon. No one else besides his family and friends would really care.

    The world would move along with one more or one less human.

    However, it''s not the worth of that missing human that''s only at stake here. It''s the sake of justice for every life taken away unfairly.

    And so¡­.

    Harker starts to reconsider his real purpose of visiting Lady Aixiang''s house on the weekends. It''s no longer just about the Shard.

    Those missing boys need justice.

    ------------------

    "Your sunflowers and daffodils are growing so well, Missus!" A jovial plump woman passed by her neighbor.

    The one who was gardening the flowers was wearing a lovely straw hat. She was humming a tune as she worked, and she only stopped when someone called her ''Missus''.

    Still, she smiled. "Why, thank you. Did you folks just move next door?"

    "Yes, we did just now. I''m Gloria, by the way." The woman extended her hand.

    The hand that shook it back was very thin and delicatepared to hers. It was as smooth as a young girl''s.

    "You can call me Lovette." She smiled.

    "Oh, what a pretty name! Lovette. I would also like my own garden once we settle down in Brookville." Gloria said. "Do you work for them all by yourself? No helpers?"

    "Sometimes my boys help out." Lovette replied.

    "Oh, you have children! Perfect, I came here to bring some cookies!" She showed a lovely tin box full of cookies.

    "Why, thank you." Lovette took them. "The boys will love them."

    "I''m sure they will! There''s all sorts like chocte chips and gluten-free ones so it would suit everyone." Gloria smiled. "How do you grow your flowers so well?"

    Lovette picked one of her daffodils and smiled at it.

    "Well, I treat them like my boys. I make sure they get all the love and care I could give until they grow big and strong. Once they grew enough¡­."

    She picked a petal off the delicate flower and crushed it between her fingers.

    "Then they''ll be ready to be harvested. I''d grind them up and churn them into paste to keep me looking young and fresh."

    Gloria pped. "Oh, so that''s your secret! Well, it was really nice talking to you, Lovette! My Timmy and I have to unpack our things now. Let''s chat again sometime and tell me about this flower paste you''re using!"

    She went on her way, since ''next door'' was actually about a 50 meter walk away due to the rich houses in Brookville, Nassau County being so far apart.

    Ms. Lovette wore a cherry-red smile as she waved at her.

    "Sure! You''ll love it!"

    She turned, her braided red hair swaying as she went back to her house to bring the cookies to ''her boys''. She hummed while crushing the tiny daffodilpletely on her tight grip.

 Chapter 14 Over Your Conscience

    ?When Harker reached the affluent town of Upper Brookville, he went to a nearby constable to ask for directions to Xi''s house.

    "Right over there, the one with the rainbow garden like some leprechaun lives in it. Can''t miss it." The constable told him.

    "Thanks." Harker lowered his shades and drove the Marsedes-Bentz limousine in that direction.

    He borrowed his whole outfit and the car from Rnd, of course. His friend was happy to give it all out to him, even urging that he can keep the clothes too if he wants. But Harker refused, of course.

    "Your friend really was willing to help you out with everything, huh?" Yan said. "How often does he do these favors?"

    "Not that often. In fact, this is the first time I asked for such a big favor." Harker frowned. "I need to make it up to him sometime¡­."

    "Why? He''s d to just lend you a hand anyway! He didn''t even question what''s all this for or where you''re taking his car¡ª"

    "That''s exactly why I can''t abuse Rnd''s kindness."

    For Harker, Rnd was like an IOU* in human form. Every time he saw him, he was reminded of the debt and gratitude he owes to his family.

    "Anyway, here''s Lady Xi Aixiang''s house. Go invisible now." He said, parking the car near a patch of lilies and getting out.

    Thedy of the house was gardening as usual, and was surprised to see another guest.

    "Hello." She blinked. "Are you new here? Did you get lost?"

    "Good morning, Ma''am. I''m Xi Hua''s friend, Rnd Faust." Harker said. "Nice to meet you."

    "Oh, you''re the Rnd guy I keep hearing about from my husband!" She took off her gloves and shook his hand. "The ''Ben doll'' boy, as he calls it."

    "Haha, Ben doll. That''s an overstatement." Harker copied Rnd''s actions. "I''m just a regr blondie."

    When Harker borrowed the car and clothes, he also took some strands of hair from Rnd''s brush and ate it. Thanks to vomiting the pellet, Harker had some space to shapeshift as him.

    Though only for 5 hours, Yan told him. He only absorbed a little bit of DNA from him, after all.

    "What nonsense!" Lady Aixiang said. "You are the prettiest boy I have ever met! I bet many girls had called you a looker too!"

    "Haha, the same could be said about you, Mrs. Xi." He inhaled deeply to smell the air¡­.

    And to smell this woman''s scent.

    Even when the other flowers were covering it, there''s no doubt. She smelled like peach blossoms just like her daughter.

    "Your flowers are lovely too. You grow them on your own?" He asked.

    "Yes. As a pastime." She told him. "Come, let''s have some tea!"

    They entered her house. It had a more cozy than luxurious vibe. It was pretty big, but not imposing.

    The living room had many flower vases as decorations, and the dining table had a centerpiece made of freshly cut roses as well. It was the dream house of all gardening-obsessed moms everywhere.

    They had tea on this long dining table, possibly seating about 12 people. There were piles of tes at the sink, and Harker did not see any maids or helpers.

    At first nce, Lady Aixiang seemed to prefer to live alone, without servants. She made the tea herself, jasmine tea from herbs that also seemed toe straight from her backyard.

    She elegantly ced her cup to her lips, and took a sip. "You arrived just in time. I have been wondering how Xi Hua''s case was doing."

    Harker pretended to look forlorn using Rnd''s face. "I''m really sorry that you still can''t find her. That drug dealer¡ª"

    "Oh, I don''t believe that drug dealer did anything to her." Mrs. Xi chuckled. "I know my girl. He passed out before he could even touch a strand of her hair. She probably did escape to some other country, like you told me so."

    He nodded. "Right, Mrs. Xi."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Call me Lovette, sweetheart." She chuckled. "Everyone knows me as Lovette around these parts. And in China, we women don''t take our husband''s surname. My surname is still Bai. I just let people call me Mrs. Xi out of convenience."

    She covered her cheeks as she blushed. "And if you insist on using honorifics, please call me Miss instead of Missus. Missus makes me feel quite old. You don''t think I''m old, do you?"

    Harker smiled politely again just like Rnd would. "No, Miss Lovette. You look quite young to me. In fact, I was surprised since you don''t look a day past 27."

    She waved her hand. "Oh, you tter me, sweetheart! I don''t look THAT young. But if you want, you can guess my age."

    ''100000 years old''. Harker guessed internally.

    But he indulged this demoness anyway. "Hmm¡­. 34?"

    "The reverse, sweetheart! What a lucky guess. I''m 43 already." She smiled. "My¡­. You don''t know how much it pleases a woman my age for people to see me as young and beautiful."

    "Well no matter your age, I''m sure people will think that way." Harker took a sip of the tea.

    [Jasmine Flower''s Ability: All D- ]

    [ck Tea Leaves'' Ability: All D-]

    So there''s nothing wrong with the tea.

    Lovette smiled at hisment. "Why, thank you. Would you like some cookies? You''ll love it. Boys love cookies."

    She opened the tin can and offered it to him. There were only about 4 small cookies left.

    "Thank you." He picked one and took a small bite."

    [Cocoa''s Ability: All D- ]

    [Wheat''s Ability: All D- ]

    The system went on to give normal ingredients for the cookies. They were all good too.

    "Say, Rnd¡­. My husband calls you Ben doll, so you must have had a Varvie in your life, right?" She asked. "Is my Hua-Hua your Varvie?"

    Harker chuckled lightly. "No, Ms. Lovette. We''re just friends."

    "Oh, is that so? You must have a girlfriend already then." Lovette twirled her hair just like her daughter does.

    "No. I never had one, actually." Harker emphasized ''never'' to bait this demoness.

    "Never? Why that''s a shame, sweetheart¡­" She trailed her fingers at his cheek. "Such a handsomed¡­. But that does make sense because of the smell."

    Harker pretended to look confused. "What smell?"

    "You smell just like my fresh buds, sweetheart. Smells like you haven''t been deflowered yet¡­" She smiled and went closer. "How about we change that?"

    Harker can smell that sweet, immobilizing scent that can make even thergest elephant pass out within seconds.

    He smiled, this time no longer Rnd''s polite smile. It was his goofy, shit-eating grin full of mischief.

    "How about no? I don''t want to give my virginity to an old demon hag."

    Before Ms. Lovette could make him unconscious, Harker activated Xi Hua''s Subus ability so she would pass out instead!

    --------------

    *A/N: IOU means a document for a debt/loan. Short for "I Owe You".

 Chapter 15 Forcefully Suffocating

    ?CRASH!

    Lovette''s porcin tea cup shattered as it fell on her tiled floor. Her face hit the table, and she immediately went to sleep. Harker didn''t waste any time and went rummaging around her house.

    He first checks Lovette''s pocket, of course. He checked everything she could have in her person. When there was nothing, he opened every cupboard and every drawboard. He even checked under the table, the light switches, the living room, and eventually the bedrooms upstairs.

    Yan appeared by his side. "You''re looking for the half of the Shard, right?"

    "Yes. But not just that. I''m looking for a key or some remote. Anything to open up a room." Harker said.

    Yan blinked. "A key? Why?"

    "I need to know where she''s hiding them." Harker went to the bedroom that seemed to be Lovette''s, and checked it thoroughly.

    "Them?"

    "This is a family of 3 we''re talking about. Rnd also told me Xi Hua was an only child. They had no helpers, the husband wasn''t around, and the daughter was gone too. And yet look at how many tes piled up on her sink. Or the few cookies were left on the box, when she didn''t even eat a single one."

    Yan''s eyes widened. "So you mean¡ª"

    "Yes, It''s very obvious. She has some boys as hostages." Harker said. "Shouldn''t you know this by now, Oh-Being-That-Transcends-Time-And-Space?"

    "I only pay attention to what you pay attention to. And even when I did notice them, I''m not good at deducing clues and solving mysteries, hehe." Yan said apologetically. "I''m not Surelock Homes, Master."

    "Then just watch, my dear Catson." Harker peered between the gaps of several books in Lovette''s desk. "I''ll find those boys in no time. Then we can call that constable over so he brings back-up as we burn this house down with Lovette."

    "You''ll burn her?"

    "No. I''ll eat her." He said without hesitation. "I''ll let some parts burn for evidence to leave behind to the cops. Then I''ll keep most of her body intact until I have space in my belly to eat her up. There''s ces in my university where I could store those body parts, I just need to be discreet."

    Yan blinked. "Wow¡­ You''re pretty ruthless when ites to monsters, Mas¡ª Harker."

    "Ugh, whatever. Just call me Master if you''re never going to drop it." Harker relented. "As for the ruthless thing¡­."

    "If they''re monsters just ''coz of their species or whatnot, I wouldn''t bother. But they''re bringing trouble to us humans so I''d call it even."

    He gritted his teeth. "If I leave Lady Aixiang here to burn, she might escape somehow. I can''t let her escape. The police won''t be able to bring her or her husband to justice for their crimes. They can simply use their wealth to not get imprisoned if they do the human route. Much worse stuff will happen if they go the demonic route. This is the best option, at least the police know it was her as the boys tell them what happened."

    He finally found a flower-shaped key hidden in her straw hat collection. His intuition told him this was the one he was looking for. He looked for where to use it¡­

    And noticed a slight bump on the floral wallpaper of the bedroom.

    He tore the wallpaper and found the keyhole. Xi Hua''s mom must have mastered the key hole''s location so she didn''t have to tear the wallpaper every time she opened it. But Harker couldn''t care any less about some ruined wallpaper.

    He inserted the key and opened the hidden door¡­.

    Leading to another, slightly bigger room. This room looked like a boarding school''s shared bedroom, filled with thin bunk beds to fit all of them in such a cramped space.

    The boys stirred awake once they saw the lighting out from the door. There were no lights or windows in this room. Only boys in white shirts and pants, with in white beds, and white walls imprisoning them.

    "Hmm? Who are you?" They said weakly asked.<novelnext></novelnext>

    All of them looked healthy, but also tired and pale. There were heavy bags under their eyes and rope marks on their arms and legs. It seemed that unless someone opened their door, they were stuck doing nothing buty on their beds and sleep.

    "One, two, three¡­.." Harker counted them all. "There''s 22 of them. Even more than the reported missing people."

    The oldest one was 18 who stood up and went out of bed. "Are you Miss Lovette''s new boy, Sir?"

    "Huh?" Harker was stunned by their reaction.

    They weren''t even scrambling towards him for help. They weren''t trying to get out of this white cage, and instead acted like meek chickens in a farm or rabbits in a dim kennel. And they only asked someone they met if he was just like them¡­..

    The minds of these boys were broken, no doubt.

    "It''s okay." Harker held out his hands to them. "You''re free now. Miss Lovette is asleep, we can all go outside now."

    He tried to coax them, but none of them budged. Instead, they all went back to their beds, covered themselves in their nkets, and pretended to sleep, shivering.

    The eldest one gripped Harker''s wrist seriously. "No¡­. What did you do to Miss Lovette, Sir!? You should say sorry to her now before it''s toote, Sir!"

    Harker took his hand away and shook his head. There''s something more than these boys being broken mentally that''s why they''re scared. Something¡ª

    Harker heard humminging closer and closer.

    "Hmm-mm~ Mmm~ Hmm-mmm~ Oh, sweetheart." Miss Lovette came, stretching her limbs and neck. "I never had such a nice sleep in ages! It''s stressful to take care of all the boys on my own, you know."

    The hair on Harker''s arm raised. "Shit¡­."

    "You know my daughter tried to pull the same thing all the time. But her abilities never got as strong as mine. Because she doesn''t want to go under the path of dual cultivation, she only wants to get stronger through eating and consumption." Lovette sighed. "She''s so stubborn and barbaric. I suppose she got that from her father."

    She added: "But I suppose the Bai n can also be barbaric. It wasmon for us to try and overpower the other. They''re no match for the n''s leader, of course."

    Harker gritted his teeth. "That leader must be you, huh? You have high Resistance to this ability."

    "No. You have low resistance to my ability." She chuckled. "I''m sorry that I lied when I said I got a good sleep earlier¡­."

    Harker''s heart was filled of dread when she said:

    "I was never asleep, sweetheart. I wanted to know what you''re looking for in my house. And it seemed that you''re interested in my boys, hm? Too bad you can''t steal them, but I''d be d to add you to my little garden! Hahaha!"

    "HISSSS!!!!" Harker quickly revealed his fangs and forked tongue, and his hair extended to capture her and strangle her neck¡ª

    Only for it to go back and strangle him instead!

    Harker was dragged and suffocated by his own hair, and his fists moved on their own to punch himself over and over!

    Hended into Lovette''s bed. The peach blossom scent surrounding him was 100x even more powerful than Xi Hua''s, and he would soon pass out.

    "Ah, I love it. Someone with the same abilities as my daughter? And a handsome virgin man too¡­.." Lovette straddled him as he slowly lost conscience.

    "We''re going to have so much fun, you and I."

 Chapter 16 The Innocents Determination

    ?When Harker woke up, he was in the same white shirt and pants as the other boys. There was only one light source¡­.

    And it''s shining directly at him, burning his eyes.

    "Ugh¡­. Can you move the shlight a bit? It freaking hurts my eyes, man¡­." He said.

    "O-Oh." The one who was shining it on him, the eldest in the room, lowered the shlight so it wouldn''t shine on him directly. "It''s just¡­. I never saw someone like you before, Sir. Are you God, Sir?"

    Harker rubbed his eyes. He must be in the room with the missing boys.

    "No. What made you think that?" Harker asked.

    "I-I saw you transform from a boy to girl¡­. Then to another boy¡­ So¡­."

    Harker nodded. "Right. I had to shapeshift to survive."

    Before he fully lost consciousness, he turned himself into Xi Hua.

    That way, Miss Lovette can''t have her ''fun'' with him. It was likely that she wouldn''t dare take advantage of her own daughter, though Harker can''t deny he was scared of the small chance she might have. But luckily, he could feel that nothing was done to him and his virginity was still intact.

    "You just turned into other people so easily, Sir. How do you do it if you''re not God that came here to save us, Sir?" The boy asked.

    His manner of speaking was too childish and polite, he adds Sir in every sentence. So Harker guessed that he must have been kidnapped for a long time now.

    "What''s your name, kid? Where you from? How long you been ''ere?" Harker asked.

    The boy introduced himself enthusiastically:

    "I''m ''JO-swe'', Sir. G-I-O-S-U-E, Sir. Last name, ''a-MA-to'', Sir. A-M-A-T-O, Sir. Not ''Tomato'', Sir. I''m from 256 Cruikshank Avenue, Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States of America, Sir. I don''t know how long I''ve been here, but I have experienced 5 winters in this house, Sir. I know because it was really cold and Miss Lovette had to bring us a heater, Sir.

    Harker nodded. "I know who you are. I saw you in the news articles."

    He remembered the picture of the freckled boy with curly ck hair that resembled the one he''s looking at now. Only older.

    "You''re one of the earliest victims, Giosue Amato. 5 years ago, your parents worked at a small pizza ce at Hempstead, and you were on your way from school when you went missing."

    "Yes, Sir." Giosue nodded profusely, then blinked. "I''m on the news, Sir?"

    Giosue''s case was one of the most striking for Harker. It was because his teachers have reported that he may be autistic and they have long insisted to ce him at a school for children with special needs.

    But his parents declined, because they couldn''t afford it, and they thought he was pretty stable anyway.

    Giosue also experienced a lot of bullying, and he had no friends so he often walked home alone. His parents thought it would be okay since their house was just a 5-minute walk from school. And yet he still went missing anyway, now in the den of a demoness in Brookville.

    Harker thought Lovette was truly despicable, targeting the kids that would not be able to put up a fight¡ª whether due to physical or mental conditions.

    Harker patted Giosue''s head. "I''m not God, but I promise I''ll get you out of here. I''m Harker Jones, no need to call me Sir. Just call me Harker."

    "You''d help us escape? Thank you, Sir Jones!"

    Harker sighed and just let him be with all the ''Sirs''. It''s a simr situation with Yan and his ''Master'' thingie, and he just had to roll with it. Speaking of that eyeball¡­.

    Was he still here, still flying around in the dark while invisible and untouchable?

    Without the shlight, Harker can''t see shit in this ce. He can only see Giosue''s face, the bed he was in, and the wall.

    He took it and shed it over to see the teenage boys who were sleeping. The secret door was locked.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He then checked the walls and the ceiling. No cracks, no nothing. But if that''s the case, the boys should find it hard to breathe and would suffocate. So there must be some kind of venttion here¡­.

    "Where does Ms. Lovette plug the heater, Giosue?" He asked.

    Giosue turned his shlight at a small corner near the door. "I think it''s over here, Sir Harker Jones. We were told not to go near that part because we might get c¡ª electerc¡ª elocu¡ª"

    "Electrocuted." Harker nodded and approached it.

    There really was a socket, and something was plugged in. It was some kind of box. It was quiet and didn''t make any sounds, attached to arge water container. Harker recognized this thing before in Rnd''s house.

    "Air conditioner. A portable one, probably has a dehumidifier and purifier too." He sighed in disappointment. "No vents. This thing just recycles the air inside. The water probably undergoes electrolysis to turn H2O into oxygen, just like in submarines."

    He thought about another way to escape. He asked. "Do you have any idea what time it is now? Or if Ms. Lovette is asleep?"

    "I only know if it''s almost breakfast, lunch, or dinnertime, Sir Jones." Giosue told him. "It will be dinner time soon, Sir. Once we hear Miss Lovette humming, she''ll open the door and have us line up to wash ourselves, and then we eat at a big table downstairs in 2 batches, Sir."

    Harker rubbed his chin. "Yeah, there''s only 12 seats. And no one tries to escape because she can control your movements, right?"

    He remembered how his hair wrapped around his own neck. Xi Hua''s Subus ability was good for sedating and making someone lower their guard, but her mom is on a whole other level.

    "Yes, Sir Jones. Even when we don''t want to, our bodies move on their own." Giosue frowned. "Even when I don''t want to, she would make me do things, Sir¡­. To her¡­. And I feel too sleepy to fight it¡­"

    Harker''s chest hurt seeing him drift off like that. "You don''t need to tell me, I understand."

    Giosue turned to him with his eyes red. "You''re lucky to turn to a girl, Sir Jones. When you turned into Beast Girl, she left you alone. I don''t like Beast Girl either, Sir. Ms. Lovette gives the boys she doesn''t like or breaks her rules like Teddie and Dustin to Beast Girl."

    Beast Girl would be referring to Xi Hua. Harker was right, this mother and daughter tandem operate together in kidnapping and harming these boys.

    The poor boy hugged himself as he remembered what happened to the others. "Then¡­. Beast Girl woulde back with only bones, Sir. Ms. Lovette would then grind bones to powder, mix it with crushed flowers and water to make pizza dough, and put pizza dough in her face, Sir Jones."

    Harker felt even more pity at him. He may be 18 years old, but he''s shivering like a little boy. So, he went closer to pat his shoulder asfort¡ª

    But Giosue thought Harker was offering him a hug. As soon as Giosue fell into his arms, Harker felt his shirt get wet from tears.

    "Sob¡­ I''m so happy that you weren''t Beast Girl, Sir Jones. She''s scary." Giosue told him. "But Ms. Lovette''s scarier¡­. I''m really scared. I want to make her stop, but I can''t, Sir. I can''t. She sometimes makes me watch when she ties up others and does things to them, and I can''t help them. I can''t move, Sir¡­. Sob¡­ I can''t¡­.."

    Harker hugged him closer and patted his head. "I know. It''s not your fault¡­. You''ll be okay now. You''ll be okay. I''m here."

    He gritted his teeth. "Beast Girl is dead. Soon, Ms. Lovette''s gonna be dead too. And you can all go back to your families and be ok."

    Giosue wiped his tears. "But how, Sir Jones? How¡­."

    Harker gave him onestforting hug, and told him his n.

    "Listen carefully, Giosue. I need your help on this. But we have to be very quiet and not let the others know."

    Giosue''s eyes widened. "But why¡ª"

    "Shh." Harker shushed him softly. "We just have to. Lower your voice, I''ll whisper it to you."

    As the boy listened to his n, his eyes slowly grew wider. Then, he wore a look of determination from his innocent, tearful eyes.

    "Okay. I understand, Sir Jones. Let''s do this."

 Chapter 17 Special Dao

    ?When dinnertime came, they did hear the usual humming of the demoness. The secret door clicked open, and as soon as she opened it¡­..

    Strands of hair reached out to her again!

    But she only smiled, and that hair went back to the owner, wrapping him up like a cocoon. An array of colorful curses came, fully waking up all the other boys in their bunk beds. Ms. Lovette walked towards Harker with a hand to her hips.

    "You''re awake now, sweetheart¡­. And I suppose this is your real face. I love it! You''re even more handsome than I expected! I''d say even more than that Ben doll friend you replicated~"

    Harker struggled and squirmed around like a worm. "You fucking whorish old bat¡­. Urk!"

    Harker''s fist went to punch the inside of his mouth as he said that! Ms. Lovette justughed at this.

    "Oh dear. You just called me young and pretty 3 days ago, and now you call me an old bat¡­. That won''t do. We''ll have to fix your manners since you''re older than the others, you know? You have to set a proper example for them." She kneeled in front of him. "You''re like their Big Brother now. And the eldest siblings should show respect best for the younger ones to do the same."

    She caressed the side of his face. "Or would you like to know what I do with Big Brothers who don''t take their responsibility properly?"

    Harker shook his head in ''terror''.

    Ms. Lovette smiled. "Someone must have told you already. How long has he been awake? What does our new brother know about our home?"

    Giosue raised his hand. "I did, Ms. Lovette. I told him the rules and warned him about what happens to bad boys, Ms. Lovette."

    "Good job, Giosue." She ruffled the boy''s curly hair. "But you should also tell our new brother that I am very forgiving. I always give my boys second chances. And I am very caring too, I have prepared a great supper to wee him. I worry since he wasn''t able to eat for days, and we don''t want any of you to be weak or sickly, right?"

    The boys stood up straight, and bowed their heads. "Yes, Ms. Lovette!"

    "That''s right! How can you boys have fun with me if you get weak or sick?" She patted each of their heads. "I love all of you very much, and it would be a shame to lose any of you¡­. My sweethearts¡­."

    She had Harker''s hair put him upright. "So do you understand now, sweetheart? Would you promise to behave so you won''t be like the other Big Brothers before you?"

    Harker nodded profusely, and he can now finally take away the fist he shoved in his own mouth. His hair also released him, and he can finally move himself.

    "I¡­. I won''t make trouble anymore. Just please don''t kill me and turn my bones into paste¡­.." He looked nervous and scared. He had his hands behind his back with his head bowed down as he stood up...

    And those hands were facing Giosue, who saw one finger rise up, then two, then three¡­.

    Giosue cleared his throat. "But Ms. Lovette¡­. What happens to the batches now if the new Big Brother is joining? There won''t be enough chairs since there''s 23 of us. Only 11 boys can join you at the table at a time."

    "Oh, that is a good point." Ms. Lovette rubbed her chin. "There will be one poor boy who will have to wait for everyone else to finish eating. And I don''t like people eating in the living room or on the bed because of the mess. Everyone should eat at the table properly, sitting down and practicing manners. "

    Giosue raised his hand. "I could stay, Ms. Lovette! I could wait for the others to finish, Ms. Lovette!"

    "But you''re usually the one managing the first batch." Ms. Lovette frowned.

    She thought about the most logical way about this¡­..

    Then, she turned to Harker. "Hm, but maybe this new Big Brother can rece you. His hair is very handy, we can use it to make sure everyone behaves and stays in their ces."

    "M-Me?" Harker pointed to himself. "I¡­. I don''t want to hurt any of these kids¡­"

    "Oh, you won''t be hurting them. Just keeping a watchful eye towards them." She smiled and then trailed her fingers on his chest. "Or maybe¡­."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You prefer to be the one left behind so we can eat alone together¡­. Maybe we can have some fun while I feed you my homemade casserole¡ª"

    Harker ''panicked'' and pushed her hand away. "N-No thanks¡­. I''m fine with guarding the first batch."

    Ms. Lovette looked disappointed, but shrugged. "Very well then. We still need to feed you after all so that your energy would be better for dual cultivation. You must be very hungry now."

    Right on time, Harker''s stomach growled. "Y-Yeah¡­.. I''m pretty hungry¡­"

    She patted his head, and Harker fought the urge to break that hand that patted him.

    "That''s wonderful, sweetheart. You''ll love it! Come now, everyone. Watch over the second batch for me, Giosue and Phillip."

    Giosue and the ''Big Brother'' of the 2nd batch bowed their heads and replied at the same time. "Yes, Ms. Lovette!"

    And so, Harker had to apany 10 more children with him to join Lovette''s table. They all sat on their assigned seats, but Lovette stopped one of them.

    "You would have to exchange seats with the new Big Brother today, Robbie. I would like to get to know him better." She told the boy. "You go take Giosue''s seat."

    The boy with tanned skin nodded. "Yes, Ms. Lovette."

    The seat was on the right side of Ms. Lovette''s. Harker hesitantly sat there, acting meek and frightened as a kid that wets himself on his first day in nursery school.

    "You don''t have to be so tense, sweetheart." She poured some of the casserole on his bowl. "You''d notice that my casserole is a bit on the soup-y side, like a hotpot. It''s my own recipe. I''m not sure what your preferences are, but you''ll love it!"

    Harker looked at the contents. Regrmb meat, some vegetables that seemed to be grown fresh off her garden, and some mushrooms. But he turned to her own bowl¡­..

    There was some kind of powder she sprinkled into hers. That powder was white, and came from seed packets.

    Ms. Lovette noticed him looking, and she smiled. "It''s my secret to staying young, dear. Concentrated qi hidden within the bone marrow. It''s said that qi is stored in the dantians, located near the spleen or kidneys, lungs and forehead but... The divine energy also flows inside our bones. It would be a shame to waste them."

    She sipped her bowl. "Don''t you think? When I have received all the energy I could get from my boys, I can''t just stop there. That would be putting them to waste ...."

    She pointed at the hard, white thing sticking on the mutton. "I should go all the way to the bone."

    Harker stayed quiet and just ate like he was too anxious to speak. But internally, his thoughts were like this:

    ''Going all the way to the bone to not waste anything, eh? Maybe I will do the same thing and grind your bonester too. Once Giosue and I seeded in our n.''

    Their first phase was already a sess, his acting was perfect. Ms. Lovette sees him as a reckless barbarian that just dive headfirst like her daughter. She needed to think that way so she''ll never see their schemesing.

    Once the meal was finished, they could go to Phase 2.

    However, Harker still had to survive this meal as Ms. Lovette ced her hand on his thigh and then started asking questions.

    "So tell me, sweetheart¡­.. How did you manage to turn into my daughter? Is your Dao taking on the forms and abilities of others?"

    ------------------

    A/N: If you are liking this story so far, leaving some powerstones and reviews would help this humble one cultivate the Dao of Writing Motivation XD

 Chapter 18 Only He Cultivates, But He Never Works Alone

    ?"Your path of cultivation is taking on the forms and abilities of others?"

    Harker knew there was no point hiding his powers since she had seen them. Plus she would be dead meat soon enough.

    "Y-Yes¡­. Is this the first time you have seen someone with this ability?"

    Ms. Lovette shook his head. "No. You are the second one."

    The second? That means that the Shapeshifting Ability that Yan gave him was really rare. He wondered if his Master Quan Zhi also had the same ability¡­

    "When did you get it? This ability. You look¡­.. a little tanned but still pale. But I don''t want to offend you by making assumptions." She said.

    She added: "I don''t know any Western monsters who have this ability. Sure there''s the doppelgangers, and the fey are a bizarre lot, but these are mostly illusions or just copying appearances. The most powerful vampires can also shapeshift into animals, but I saw you walk under broad daylight. Do you have any mixed lineages, or¡­?"

    "My father is white and my mother is ck." Harker exined. "I received most of my father''s genes, so most people never think I''m half n'' half. The appearance of my siblings also varies, my sister is paler than me and the twins are darker."

    "Oh, is that so?" Ms. Lovette blinked. "That makes sense. Hm¡­."

    "But I can''t think of any monster from the African side to have this skill either. None that could replicate forms and abilities to this degree." She frowned. "You must be a human that acquired it through cultivation, then."

    Harker did not say anything.

    Ms. Lovette twirled her knife on her fingers. "It''s rude not to answer questions, sweetheart."

    Harker relented. "I just received these skills by ident¡­. I don''t know how, I just woke up like this."

    He settled on saying anything but Yan and his former Master Quan Zhi, along with the Shards. She can''t learn that he''s looking for them.

    "ident, hmm? Interesting¡­." She chewed slowly and swallowed. "The one who I knew of just received it by ident too¡­. Or perhaps fate."

    Fate. Yan also mentioned that it was fate that made him inclined to give Harker the ability. But Harker did not want to be fated to an abnormal life like this.

    "What truly happened to my daughter? It''s alright, you can tell me. If you killed her, I won''t be surprised or disappointed. We monsters are used to killing each other." She said. "If I kept score, Xi Hua probably had attempted it more than a hundred times."

    ''Monsters really were a strange lot'', Harker thought. ''But then again, humans were too and there were also humans that wouldn''t mind if they were having dinner with the one who murdered their family member.''

    "Yes. I killed her." Harker admitted.

    "When you transformed into her, I have to admit, I was a little perturbed." She said. "It was so scary, the thought that you could replicate someone in the blink of an eye. One moment you''re a dashing young blond, the next you were my own daughter. And you copied herpletely from head to toe¡­."

    She then squeezed her own breasts. "Especially this area! Howmendable! I was so amazed and I admired your quick thinking so I let it slide!"

    "Let it slide?" Harker couldn''t help but frown.

    "Oh, sweetheart. You think a demoness like me would hesitate about something as trivial as genitals and gender? Or family rtions?" Sheughed heartily. "How do you think I managed to take over my father in the position as the Chief of the Bai n? Hahahaha!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    This mildly disgusted Harker, but it did not really faze him. These things happen with humans too, many royal families had incestuous rtions before.

    "You know, I love my ability to make people do my bidding out of their will. But there''s something I love more¡­." Ms. Lovette twirled her hair. "And that is ying games where I would make people think they have free will, but they don''t. That''s also the game our God loves to y."

    Harker frowned. "What God? Surely you don''t mean the Christian God that gave humans free will to even pick the fruit he forbade them?"

    "Of course not! Our God¡­." She put her hand inside her shirt cor. "Is a very crafty one indeed. Sees all, but pretends to be blind. Knows all, but pretends to be foolish. Conquers all, but pretends to be weak."

    She suddenly pierced her own chest and took out something from the hole¡ª

    And it was a clear, crystalline Shard.

    [Shard spotted! Retrieve to get 0.5/13 of the Orb of Omniscience!]

    When Harker saw the notification, he got momentarily distracted by it. It''s just right in front of him, and something was pulling him to get it. To just cut her chest open and get out of here¡­.

    But Harker tried his best to shake it off. He had to follow the n. He couldn''t be disoriented, dinner was soon to be finished.

    Soon enough, Ms. Lovette put her half of a Shard back inside her bosom and pped her hands.

    "Lovely! It seems that all of you are finished with your meal! Leave the dishes to me, my dear, and just have a good rest. Tomorrow you can help out with the garden, and for tonight¡­. Well, we''ll have to change the schedule on who sleeps on Miss Lovette''s bed for tonight. Is that fine with you, Binh?"

    The Vietnamese 14-year old boy nodded profusely. "Gioi vai!"

    "Lovely! Let''s call on the 2nd batch. I just hope poor Giosue doesn''t get too hungry when it''s his turn." She sighed. "Go ahead and follow your Big Brother¡­. Oh, silly me! I forgot to ask for your name, sweetheart."

    "Joseph." Harker gave the male equivalent of his mother''s name.

    "Joseph-gege, please bring the boys upstairs while I prepare for the other''s meals. We''ll talk some moreter about your newfound abilities¡­.. In bed."

    Harker nodded. "Yes, Miss Lovette."

    His eyes never left her chest area. That Shard was still taunting him, but he needed to maintain a clear head.

    Once he got inside the room, he nodded to Giosue.

    "When shees for youter, go tell her that I went to sleep. I''m tired."

    Giosue nodded. "Yes, Sir Jones."

    The 2nd batch went, and they were finished. It was now Giosue''s turn to have dinner with Ms. Lovette. Alone.

 Chapter 19 No Mercy

    ?Giosue calmly walked down the stairs, his head held high, and his chest puffed up. He wore a look of determination in his eyes.

    "Why, hello, Giosue! Are you hungry? The food was already cold, I hope you don''t mind." Miss Lovette said as she saw him while setting down tes.

    "I''m pretty hungry, Miss Lovette." Giosue said.

    She smiled and ruffled his curly hair. "Thene and sit down."

    Giosue was about to sit on his usual chair, but Miss Lovette ced her well-manicured nails on his shoulder.

    "Over here, sweetheart." She patted herp. "Just like we always do when we''re alone together, remember?"

    "O-Oh, right." Giosue gulped. "I''m sorry I forgot, Miss Lovette."

    She waved her hand. "It''s nothing. Come, I''ll feed you too to make it up to you."

    Giosue hesitantly sat on herp, sharing one chair with Miss Lovette. He can feel herrge bosom behind him¡­..

    And he can''t help but turn around to peek at it.

    "Hmm? Is there something on my chest, Giosue?" She asked.

    The 18-year-old boy being talked to like a kid shook his head. "No, Miss Lovette."

    "Well then. Let''s go eat." She took the spoon, and dipped it into the casserole. "Say ahh~"

    Giosue opened his mouth, looking deep in thought. Miss Lovette smiled at this expression she had never seen in him before.

    "You look like you want to ask me something, Giosue. What is it?"

    Giosue chewed his food and swallowed. "I just wondered about that crystal I always see you keep inside your chest, Miss Lovette."

    "Oh? What about it?" Miss Lovette asked.

    "I just wondered what kind of crystal it was." The boy said.

    "Really¡­. Now why would you be interested in my crystal of all things¡­." She caressed Giosue''s face.

    Giosue stammered. "I-I was just curious, Miss Lovette. Please forgive me, Miss Lovette."

    "It''s alright, sweetheart. It''s not something to apologize for." She smiled wide. "How was our new Big Brother doing?"

    "Oh. He''s asleep now, Miss Lovette. He said he was tired." Giosue said.

    "I see. Joseph went to sleep early."

    "Yes, he did."

    Miss Lovette chuckled. "Maybe he''s saving up energy because I told him we''d have a long discussion in bedter."

    Giosue clenched his fist. "I see, Miss Lovette. You''ll be sleeping with him."

    "Are you jealous, sweetheart?" Miss Lovette tapped his nose. "Do you want to watch again just like you always do? Make sure he doesn''t escape?"

    Giosue was even more angered, but he calmed himself down. "No, Miss Lovette. I want to sleep too after dinner."

    "Hahaha! Ah, I love your new behavior tonight, it''s so unlike you to be this calm and not nervous around me¡­." She smirked.

    Giosue gulped. But he showed nothing on his face.

    She shrugged. "You must be warming up to me after all these years. Let''s just keep feeding you then."

    They did just that, and no one said a word. Miss Lovette just continued spoon feeding Giosue like a baby. It was obvious that the boy hated it, being treated like a child.

    But he had to endure it, until his partner gives the signal¡ª

    BOOM!

    There was an explosion, followed by sparks of electricity.

    "AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

    Dozens of cries came, and the smell of smoke and soot quickly drifted into the air. Miss Lovette turned. Her bedroom upstairs was quickly going up in mes!

    "No! How could he!? What did he do to the children!?" She eximed and rushed out.

    Giosue took his chance. He grabbed the knife from the table, and got ready to stab it into the demoness'' back¡ª

    But the demoness turned right on time, gripping his wrist.

    "Ah, how lovely! Truly lovely!" She eximed. "You two think that you would fool me, hmm? But that''s what I wanted you boys to think."

    Her sedating scent quickly came, making Giosue drop the knife and go weak and drowsy.

    "Argh! No¡­.."

    Miss Lovette smiled. "Didn''t I warn you that I love ying games like this? Hmm. My lovely JOSEPH. Hahahaha!"

    ''Giosue'' tried to struggle, but couldn''t fight back due to her powers.

    Miss Lovette just kept onughing. "Why wouldn''t I think that you would shapeshift as Giosue? Since the start, you two have been acting strange. I love it, you boys didn''t think I would catch on!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    The curly-haired boy was made to kneel in front of her. He waspletely shocked and terrified that their n failed¡­..

    "I''m sorry¡­. I failed you¡­ Gio¡­."

    Miss Lovette grabbed the boy''s chin with a sadistic smirk. "Aww, and the poor boy Giosue relied on you. He even knocked the water tank to the air conditioner to set himself and the others on fire¡ª"

    "Jones¡­. Sir Harker Jones¡­. I failed to kill her¡­. You taught me to ask for the Shard and act like you, but I failed to kill her¡­."

    Her eyes widened. But it was toote.

    Before she could even realize it, the knife that Giosue dropped impaled the back of her leg!

    "Ahh!" She eximed and fell to the floor.

    The one that grabbed that knife was strands of hair. Harker stood 7 feet off the floor, his hair connected to the stair railing, and the other strands wrapped around 21 teenage boys.

    "You were right. You did warn me, and I thank you for that." Harker smiled. "But even without it, I never underestimate someone who has already beaten me the first time. Don''t get it twisted."

    She turned and gritted her teeth. But then she cackled once more.

    "Hahahaha! You! You''re a fool! You should have used the knife to stab my chest, not my leg! Hahahaha!" Sheughed with her head held back. "This tiny wound does nothing! I can still control your abilities¡ª"

    The knife quickly went back to Harker''s side, and he licked her blood from it, right in front of her.

    "Tsk. I just said don''t get it twisted, old hag. You move too fast for me to stab your chest. And I don''t want to stab something important in the process."

    The holographic screen showed a new set of stats:

    [Lady Bai Aixiang''s Subus Ability

    Raw Power: A

    Endurance: B

    Range: A

    Speed: B

    Precision: A

    Potential: A ]

    Then, another one appeared beside it.

    [Duplication Notice! Two DNA samples share the same ability. This may change the stats, even the ability''s Potential.  Would you like tobine them?

    > Yes  >No ]

    "Great!" Harker eximed as he pressed the button. "I''ve always wondered what happens when I have absorbed two abilities of the same type. Seems like I was right in guessing they could be more powerful like having Two-of-a-Kind in poker!"

    He pressed ''Yes'' and the eyeball Yan finally appeared.

    "Congrattions on gaining your new enhanced ability, Master Harker!"

    [Enhanced Subus Ability

    Raw Power: A+

    Endurance: A

    Range: A+

    Speed: A

    Precision: A+

    Potential: A+]

    Ms. Lovette''s eyes widened. "That thing beside you¡­. It can''t be¡­ No¡ª"

    "Guess I overpowered you now, old hag." Harker grinned. "LOVELY!"

    He used Miss Lovette''s own powers so she would knock her head again and again on the floor. Miss Lovette screamed in pain as she tried to stop herself, but her body moved out of her own will.

    "No¡ª BAM! No¨C BAM! Stop¡ªBAM! Please¡ªBAM!" She kept interrupting herself as she swung her head again and again.

    The fire and smoke were growing, but Harker was not rmed. He knows he was fast enough to get all the boys out in time. But he also knows¡­..

    That they wanted to watch this. To watch the one who hurt them suffer the same way they did, having someone control her.

    The effects of her scent were gone, so Giosue was now able to stand up. He just stood there and watched with a serious expression as Miss Lovette slowly and painfully killed herself.

    "PLEASE! OMNISCIENT ONE, HAVE MERCY¡ª"

    She wasn''t able to speak as the tiled floor had been broken from her constant headbanging, and the shattered piece got lodged inside her already injured and bleeding skull.

    Finally, the Demoness of Brookville was no more.

 Chapter 20 For The Vile And Wicked

    ?Harker ripped her head out of her body and left it there for the police to find. He then took the rest with him, along with Shard hidden inside her chest.

    He got out of there, cing the boys safely into the limousine. As he drove, he passed by the constable who looked rmed.

    "Did you boys see that fire over there? That''s Miss Lovette''s house!" He eximed.

    "Oh yes, sir! Please save her quickly!" Harker said.

    The constable pedaled his bike furiously to the nearest payphone, and called the firefighters. The whole hose had copsed and debris was everywhere. It would take a while to excavate things.

    Five hourster, they would hear on the news that a burned skull was found and still being autopsied. But it was spected to belong to the house''s remaining owner, Bai Aixiang, who was alone that time due to her husband being away and her daughter currently missing.

    However, that wasn''t all.

    "She said there were boys there!" Ms. Gloria from next door eximed to the newscaster. "Oh no¡­. I hope those boys are alright! My Timmy and I were eating dinner when we heard the explosion earlier! I''m so scared for those boys!"

    Because of these, the police set out to find who those boys were. But they found no other corpses, and the documents said that Miss Lovette only had one daughter.

    That was when the Missing Boys showed up.

    The one who was leading them was an autistic curly-haired boy named Giosue Amato. He bravely talked in front of the press despite shivering and sobbing. He exined what had happened to them that night to the police by his side.

    "She kidnapped us, Sir¡­. All of us. She kept us locked in this secret room with no windows and the door locked all the time¡­.. We only had an air conditioner that was hydra¡ª hydor¡ª hydro-powered." He exined while wiping his tears.

    "There was a water tank to give us ozi¡ª oxygen. It suddenly broke, and it spilled over the electricity, so it exploded, Sir. That gave us a chance to escape, Sir!"

    Everyone was astonished as the boys told them the story of this serial assaulter and kidnapper who they thought was just an unlucky victim of a house fire.

    The boys were returned to their homes, needing long periods of therapy. The truth was, they will never truly be alright. These events will haunt them for the rest of their lives, whether they like it or not. Some were more traumatized than the others due to staying inside that dark room for so long.

    But there was still hope. They managed to escape what they thought was inescapable, and go back to their families who had waited so long for them to return.

    And it was all thanks to this secret hero they couldn''t even tell anyone about.

    Because they knew this person was not human, just like their attacker. Before they separated paths, they expressed their thanks to this mysterious man who suddenly arrived to save them.

    "Thank you, Mister! Sob¡­. Thank you so much!" The boys all went to hug him.

    "We won''t forget you!"

    Harker shook his head as he hugged them back. "No¡­.. It''s better that you forget about me. Forget about Miss Lovette. Just go live happily with your families and loved ones. That''s enough for me."

    Giosue in particr was the one who was most unwilling to forget him. He hugged ''Sir Jones'' tighter than the rest, and sobbed twice as hard.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Even if you say that, Sir Jones, I''ll always be thankful to you! We could never do it without you, Sir!"

    He ruffled his hair. "It''s all thanks to you too, Giosue! You did your part well, you acted like you were me acting to be you! That''s not easy, you should consider being a Hollywood actor or something!"

    Giosue chuckled lightly. "I think you''re joking, Sir. But thanks, Sir. You told me to stab her, and I failed. I''m sorry, Sir Jones!"

    "Haha, I''m not joking! And you got nothin'' to apologize for! That was meant to happen, it''s all part of the n and you seeded! I''m sorry I didn''t tell you, but that''s the only way it''d work."

    The boy blinked. "Really? I see¡­. That''s great then, but you''re still the best, Sir Harker Jones! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

    Harker smiled and gave the boy onest hug before he went back to return the car to Rnd. He was pretty worried about the clothes, since they were also now caught up in mes. That''s another thing to repay his friend¡­. Urk.

    "Sigh¡­.. And it''s been 3 days since I was taken by that old hag." Harker stretched his limbs. "I''d have to exin not just to Rnd, but to Dad and my school too!"

    He picked up a trash bag containing the body and headed first to Stoker University. It was Monday, and everyone was busy chatting with friends or worrying about their assignments and exams to pay attention to a guy carrying a trash bag.

    Harker headed to the Medical Laboratory side of the building, where they would store live and dead samples. The dead samples were put in arge cold storagepartment.

    Harker had his own spot, his own ''workspace''. It wasn''t unusual for him to visit after-school hours due to the experiments he was conducting for his research papers. But he did pass by other people, who greeted him as he went.

    "Being a nuisance again sote at night, Harky?" Azy and sluggish female voice asked.

    It came from a small office. The door was opened, and a woman wasying on the sofa, still wearing ab coat and goggles that were askew. An empty coffee cup in hand.

    "Just doing stuff, Professor Seward. Don''t you have lectures or somethin'' to prepare for tomorrow?" Harker scoffed. "You just keep on drinking coffee while falling asleep on the sofa as always."

    The professor just chuckled. "Hah. I drink coffee for the taste, not to stay awake."

    "Pfft, no wonder you fall asleep during lectures and just let us do whatever." Harker rubbed his nose. "Welp, have a good one, Professor Seward. I''m takin'' this to theb."

    "Yeah, yeah. I still have to go to the asylum tomorrow so I''m dozing off. Night."

    Harker shrugged. His Pharmacology professor really was a weird woman. Not only does she look pale and sunken like a zombie, she also acts as slow and brainless as a zombie. But she''s a decent person and she gives them good grades and scores.

    He went to take hisb gown and chop up the contents of his trash bag so he could store it better in his ownpartment. It fitted normally with all the other jars of rats, chameleons, frogs and spider specimens.

    "This way, I won''t be wasting anythin''. Like you told me, old hag." He said. "I''ll grind your bones and eat them too. I have to get as powerful as I can¡­"

    He narrowed his eyes. "If I''ll be facing even more vile and wicked monsters like you."

 Chapter 21 Wedding Rings

    ?After locking his cold storage and taking care of his ''new specimen'', Harker drove back home to make sure he''s Dad''s not in panic mode or his siblings were crying for not seeing him these couple of days. He really hoped not.

    ¡­. And they really were losing it.

    "Dad, do we still have no news of Harker!?" Samuel''s voice could be heard even when he was a hundred meters away from his house.

    "I''m already calling the cops, Sammy! Keep a look-out for our other telephone, maybe he''ll call there!" He heard his Dad shout back. "Those damn cops won''t even respond and consider it a missing person case unless 72 hours had passed since Ist reported. What bullshit! If it was some rich guy''s son, they would have gotten their thick butts off their chairs searching the whole city for him!"

    "Call down, Dad. You might get a heart attack again." Chloe reminded him.  "Then the situation would get worse."

    "LET''S KILL ''EM COPS!!!!!! KILL WHOEVER''S KEEPIN'' MY BROTHER!!!!" Samson yelled, bursting out the door with a hammer on hand and gueri face paint on. "AHHHHH¡ª"

    He stopped on his tracks when he saw the fancy limo park in front of them. His eyes almost popped out of its sockets when Harker stepped out.

    "Aight, drop your weapon, Sam. I''m here now. You guys be wildin'' without me." Harker chuckled.

    "Harker!" Samson rushed towards him and gave his big brother a noogie. "Where''d you been??? I was boutta attack the cops for not findin'' you and makin'' Dad lose his mind!"

    Harker lifted him up and gave him a piggyback ride. "I just had something to take care off far away from here for a while, sorry for not givin'' you guys a head up."

    Chloe was waiting at the door with her arms crossed. "You should have at least called. Or maybe find someone to send us a message. Postal service?"

    Harkerughed and ruffled her hair. "Hah, I ain''t gonna waste bucks to send you guys mail that''s gonna take weeks or months to get here when I cane back in three days."

    His Dad dropped the phone and wheeled himself towards him. "Harker! My son! Oh, what happened to you, I was so worried that I could cry¡ª"

    "Wahhhh! Harker!" Samuel jumped towards him too. Harker had to lift the other twin that clung to his neck like a ko, and now he had to carry both on his shoulders.

    "Ah, you guys¡­. You really should chill out, you know?" He said. "But I get it, I get it. Won''t happen again. I just got caught up in something. I promise that if I feel like I might have to be away for a long while, I''ll give you a heads up."

    His Dad inhaled and exhaled deeply. "That''s good, that''s good¡­. We''re not the only ones who were worried, you know? Rnd was also asking around. He said you borrowed his car."

    "That''s right." Harker sighed and put down his little brothers. "I''ll have to return it to him. I''ll be back after, I just dropped by here first to make sure you ain''t doing anythin'' crazy. And you were. Make sure Samson never gets his hands on a hammer again while yellin'' to kill the cops, that''ll get us in BIG trouble."

    Samson scoffed. "It''s coz they''re takin'' so long."

    "Yeah, but that might end up with us having bullets on our roof and walls. Why didn''t you stop him, Sammy? Chloe?" Harker asked.

    Samuel wiped his sses. "Er¡­. actually, I ordered him to be the decoy while we infiltrate the police station and bomb the ce. Chloe nned it all out¡ª"

    "You should hurry up and go to Rnd''s, don''t you think?" Chloe covered her brother''s mouth. "It''s gettingte."

    Harker sighed. Chloe and Samuel may look like they were the level-headed and smart members in the family, but they also have their wild side. Just like their calm and peaceful dad whose blood pressure easily rises up when he''s getting emotional.

    If ever people see them in this state, they''d think they have loose screws in their heads. And maybe they do, but that''s just what makes them family.

    He smiled as he drove the car to his best friend''s ce, whistling. Yan appeared by his side.

    "How are you going to exin the missing clothes?" The eyeball asked.

    "I''d say that I got it damaged from the training camp. I have a whole alibi prepared. I went over to Long Ind to be a part-time camp counselor. I did that stuff before too, and was a Scout once."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I see. And thus Harker Jones continues his normal life after a fight with a demoness."

    "That almost got me used as a boy toy too. She probably sucks the energy of those boys every time she ''dual cultivates'' with them, whatever the hell that means." Harker concluded.

    "That''s not too far off. Usually dual cultivation benefits both sides, as they share Yin and Yang energy through intercourse. But in Lady Aixiang''s case, she''s dual cultivating with non-cultivators who are virgins. It''s because when someone loses their virginity, they release an explosive amount of qi. And by keeping them, she''s ensuring that no one else taints their qi, and she can exhaust it all to herself."

    "I see. Since I have the subus ability, does that mean that I can also gain more of this ''qi'' from ''dual cultivating'' with people, not consuming them?"

    Yan shrugged. "I guess so. Master Quan Zhi doesn''t utilize that kind of cultivation even when he can. You also absorb DNA when you kiss someone and ''share body fluids'' with them, right? So it is possible, Master Quan Zhi just looks down upon it."

    "As he should."

    "H-Huh???" Yan was surprised by this.

    "I don''t like that kind of cultivation either. Especially if that means I have to take multiple partners at once. My father once said that if she''s gonna raise a son who''s a cheater, he might as well kill himself. Mom said she''d kill me herself." Harker chuckled.

    "Now, it''s a different matter if everyone agrees to some kind of ''free-for-all'' thing. But if I''m ever gonna use dual cultivation, it either has to be the only one or they''re all aware of what I''m doing and agree to it. I''m also not gonna be screwin'' people without their full, vocal permission just for cool stats. Getting seduced by my abilities also doesn''t count, still won''t do it."

    Yan was astounded, but just nodded. "I knew I chose the right Master!"

    Harker snorted. "Huh? I''m just bein'' a decent human being."

    He parked the car at Rnd''s house and rang the doorbell. Yan vanished quickly. The gates soon opened for Harker, and he drive the car inside...

    When he heard severalughter from the direction of the Faust''s outdoor pool. Theughter of several women.

    "Hehe~ That tickles, babe!"

    "Not fair, give me some attention too, honey!"

    "Do you like my bikini? It looks tighter than before, didn''t you notice? I just got some work done, hehe~"

    Harker sighed. "Worried, my ass. He''s here womanizin'' as usual. That''s the only thing I don''t like about him, but I''ll let it slide anyways."

    As soon as Harker approached the pool, Rnd''s eyes lit up and waved at him. "You''re back! Where have you been?"

    "Long story. If you wanna talk about it, go put some clothes on."

    Rnd chuckled and got out of the pool, the girls still trying to cling to him. He waved at them. "Excuse us,dies."

    He took a towel at the side and dried himself.

    "You''re all in white today. Attended a wedding?" Rnd joked.

    "Nope." Harker chuckled. "That reminds me. Shouldn''t you be more careful?"

    He pointed something on Rnd''s fingers. It was a ring.

    "After all, you''re the one who''s having a wedding soon."

 Chapter 22 Pushing Good Men Into The Closet

    ?Rnd gave a queasy smile and fidgeted his engagement ring. "Come on, now. You know I don''t like talking about that stuff among friends¡­."

    "Ang''s from a family of politicians, Rol." Harker reminded him. "Her Dad''s a freakin'' Senator too. I''m just worryin'' about you. She''ll get your ass whooped once she learns about one of your ''friends''."

    "There''s no need to worry. I''m being careful, I know these girls won''t rat me out or any of the staff. Our house has technology to scan and disable bugs and tracking devices. So I don''t see the problem." Rnd assured him, patting his shoulder. "You''re just being a good friend. I know. But please drop it."

    There''s a slight difference in his tone when he said that. His reassuring smile also faltered a bit. Harker took that as a sign to back down, he really should drop it.

    That was what he would have done back then.

    But for some reason, he kept on pressing the topic now.

    "Ang is crazy about you, Rol. If you''re not worried about yourself because of all your high tech, worry about those girls. They might get sniped for even touching you. Hell, I even almost got¡ª"

    "Got what?" Rnd blinked. "Did Ang do anything to you?"

    Harker closed his mouth. No, he shouldn''t bring that up or there would be major trouble. And he doesn''t like getting involved in rich people''s troubles if he could avoid it.

    That girl''s name may be Ang, but damn if she wasn''t a demonic bitch. Even more than Xi Hua and her mom.

    "The point I''m getting at is that I know you''re a good guy too." Harker said. "If you don''t want anyone to get hurt by pissing off the MacBheatha family, then maybey low for a bit until you can find a way to get that divorce like you said. Or maybe tell your father now that you want to marry for love¡ª"

    "Hahaha!" Rndughed bitterly. "And do you think my father would just listen to that sentiment of ''marrying for love''? The whole Faust family had remained wealthy and powerful not because we ''marry for love'', but because we know who were the right people to marry."

    Harker was frustrated. "Goddammit, it''s the modern age now, Rnd. That arranged marriage shit shouldn''t be important anymore, you can even run off with some money and change your whole identity. Be awyer in New Zend or something. Take one or all your girls with you."

    "Ah, you got it all wrong. I don''t cheat on Ang because I don''t love her." Rnd chuckled. "It''s certainly not because I love any of the flings I had either."

    Harker crossed his arms. "Then what is it? You wouldn''t even tell me why that is."

    Rnd went off to his room to get some clothes, and Harker followed. An olddy mopped the floor as water dripped from him.

    "But I did. You just won''t believe it. Because you think I''m such a ''good'' person." Rnd chuckled.

    Harker rolled his eyes. "The urges thing. Yeah, I don''t buy it. If it were anyone else, I would have. But you ain''t someone like that, Rol."

    "But I am. I''m a man that''s driven by my urges." Rnd said as he put avender shirt on from the closet. "Just because I seem logical to you doesn''t mean I don''t have them. Haven''t heard of Freud''s Id and Superego?"

    "Don''t bring that psychology shit up." Harker scoffed. "Come on, man. There must be a deeper reason why you wanna act rebellious and sloppy. You weren''t like that before. I''m your best bud, you can tell me¡ª"

    "Will you kill my father for me, then?"

    Harker was surprised by that sudden question. Rnd was leaning by the open closet''s frame, smiling wide like a cat that countered a mouse to a dead end.

    This wasn''t the first time he asked that question.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker narrowed his eyes. "I already answered that."

    "Why not? You admitted yourself that my n was foolproof. You also promised me that you''d do anything for me. So¡­." He cocked his head to the side. "Why couldn''t you kill my father?"

    Harker rubbed his face "I just can''t!"

    "Again, why not?" Rnd frowned. "I''m willing to pay you lots once I get the inheritance. Enough for you and your family to start a new life somewhere nice, like maybe Brazil or Gpagos Ind. You said you''ve always wanted to go to inds like that where you can conduct your research and encounter weird species¡ª"

    "Mr. Faust also helped my family. Even before you were born, he had already treated my parents well." Harker said. "That''s why."

    "But is he treating your ''best bud'' well?" Rnd argued. "You said you don''t like the fixed marriage thing, and you don''t like how he''s not allowing me to be who I want to be. You don''t like that my house feels like a cold cage and thinks it''s not a life for someone like me."

    "Because you are a bright person that just needs a little bit of courage to push through, Rol." Harker argued. "You have it all. Except freedom, which you can get by convincing your father or outsmarting him without killing him. There''s other ways."

    "Yes, but none of them are as swift and easy as killing him." Rnd insisted.

    "Swift and easy ain''t going to give you the best result."

    "Easy for someone like you to say. Someone who always chooses the hard and useless way about things, like not elerating to college at 12 or just epting my family''s offer to invest in you as a scientist. You could have had your own mansion by now, could even be richer than me. But why didn''t you?"

    His eyes truly showed no remorse when he said:  "Isn''t it because you alsock courage to be away from your family? You''re being a hypocrite, Hark. "

    Harker didn''t expect for things to turn into a full-blown argument sote at night, and right after he defeated some supernatural demondy.

    And this one felt tougher somehow. He never liked arguing with Rnd, especially when he starts saying hurtful things like that but with good intentions. He had heard a lot of hurtful shit in his life.

    But when Rnd says it, it''s always something that''s true and was actually for his sake. That''s why it cuts deeper.

    Harker knew someone should back down, and that should be him who brought this up in the first ce.

    But he really couldn''t tonight.

    Harker walked closer, expression grim. Rnd took a step back but he had nowhere to go because there was only the closer behind him.

    "You''re right. I care about my family too much. If I killed your dad, they would get involved too. But haven''t you considered something? You''d rather order someone else to kill your Dad for you¡­"

    Harker grabbed his cor. "Isn''t that because youck the courage to do it yourself? Aren''t you also being a hypocrite here?

    Rnd gulped. "It''s because I would obviously be suspected first by the police¡ª"

    Harker pushed him, cornering him in that closet. "Stop the excuses. Even if you hate him, you see him as family too, that''s why. I can''t believe that we''re arguing about all this just for me to prove it to you¡­."

    "You are a good person, Rnd Faust!"

 Chapter 23 Friends And Foes

    ?Suddenly, Rnd bursted outughing.

    Harker blinked at this. "What the hell are youughing about, man???"

    Rnd pushed Harker aside and fell to his bed, holding his stomach andughing like a maniac.

    "Hahaha! It''s just¡ª- Isn''t it stupid!? We''re being so serious and you said something as cheesy as that! Hahaha! I don''t know why, but that just cracks me up for some reason!"

    He giggled while kicking his feet like a kid, only wearing thatvender shirt and his wet boxers.

    Harker''s face turned red. "It''s not something tough about, man!"

    He sighed. "What the fuck¡­. We''re just arguing right now and you''reughing about me being sincere?!"

    "No, no! I''m notughing at you, just the whole situation. Hahaha¡­. It''s so strange, isn''t it?" Rnd wiped a tear from his eye. "You have to aggressively argue to me how I am a good person despite wanting to kill my dad¡­.. That sounds like something from one of those old mafia movies we watch."

    Harker was bbergasted. "You mean the one where the girl orders her lover to kill her mob boss dad for her and he refuses? I didn''t take it from that."

    "Yeah, but it is pretty simr, right?" Rnd chuckled. "That''s why it''s so silly¡­. It sounds like something straight out of fiction. Like something a bad author would write."

    "Well, forgive me for sounding like a ''stereotypical fictional protagonist''." Harker sat on the bed with him. "But you''re right, this fight is dumb. I shouldn''t have said anything if you''re going to react this way."

    "Heh¡­." Rnd faltered and didn''t say anything. Just smiling at Harker.

    "What?" Harker asked.

    "Something changed about you. I can feel it." He said. "It''s like you finally broke out of that ''I don''t want no trouble'' kind of mentality."

    Harker scoffed. "Dunno what you''re talking about."

    "Don''t try to hide it. I actually like this change." Rnd said. "It''s a good change for you."

    It may be weird to people how easily the tension gets lost between them. But this was how their friendship had always been. Their fights neverst long and they don''t hold grudges, even if no one apologized.

    Because they don''t have to. They have already forgiven each other and always will.

    It was nice, but Harker still felt conflicted about Rnd''s statement. The changes of being this ''Demon Lord'' really were bing more noticeable. Even if he acted chill all the time, he had experienced things that would bring an irreversible change to anyone''s attitude.

    It may be a good change, but he doesn''t want his friend to notice and get involved in this mess.

    "I didn''t change that much." He told Rnd. "It''s probably all that motivational crap I heard in the camp counseling I attended for the past three days."

    Rnd grinned. "Oh, is that where you went off to with my Marsedes-Bentz and clothes? I thought you wanted to impress a girlfriend in Quebec or something."

    "Pfft. With my bad luck and my inability to speak French, how can I ever pull a Quebecois girlfriend out of nowhere? And if I did have one, I would have told you, Roly-poly."

    "Hey, didn''t I tell you that I don''t like that nickname? I''m not even chubby or plump."

    "Yeah, but you''re pretty plump in some areas¡ª"

    They were interrupted by the girls calling out at the window, still ying around at the pool.

    "Rnd~ When are youing back here? Are you still not done talking to your friend?"

    "Don''t you want to y with us more? It''s getting pretty cold here, my tits could cut diamonds at this point! Wouldn''t mind if someone''s tongue warm them up~"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You could invite your friend to swim with us too! He looks pretty hot~"

    Harker sighed. "No thanks. I don''t like swimming with stics."

    Rnd covered his mouth before he could burst outughing. He cleared his throat. "That''s¡­. That''s pretty mean of you, Hark."

    "Well, we''re havin'' a conversation here. I even forgot what I was gonna say, that shit was funny too." Harker rubbed his forehead. "Anyway, I''ll just tell ya what happened to your clothes."

    He made up a whole, detailed story about how he became a camp counselor for Junior Scouts. In spring. Apparently, the camp head counsellor was a tough man and made everyone catch fish with their bare hands, crawl through 20 meters of mud just to get water, yada yada yada¡­

    "So I''ll pay you back once I get my paycheck. It might not be enough, but you just have to give me the bill." Harker said.

    Rnd shook his head. "No need, I told you that you could keep it. It''s nice that it fits, since you''re 6 foot 3. I thought it might be too tight."

    "Pft, you''re 6 feet. It''s not much of a difference." Harker said. "I''ll still pay you back. You know me. How much were those anyway, is it 500 dors¡ª"

    "It''s 50,000 dors."

    Harker felt like he would get a heart attack just from hearing those words.

    "O¡­. Okay¡­. 50,000¡­.. right¡­.. I''ll pay that, maybe 500 dors per month¡­.."

    Rnd shook his head. "That would take you 100 months, then. How about this instead? You buy the new Chateauvania game and y with me sometime."

    "That vampire game? Your dad doesn''t like it when you y video games when exams areing up, right? And you''re doing so well to prove him wrong¡ª"

    "I can ace the exams without studying." Rnd waved his hand. "And my dad''s not around next month because he''s off to Italy to meet some girl. He was invited to this party by Mr. Xi and some associates, but he''d rather toss some Italian sd, I suppose."

    "Party?" Harker asked.

    "Yes, in Vegas. They were having this party for Mr. Xi''s 69th birthday 24 days from now." He exined. "Honestly, I didn''t expect Mr. Xi to be that old. He looks more like in his 40s, but apparently Xi Hua''s Mom and Dad really were 20+ years apart."

    ''It''s the weird demon aging thing again. I bet he''s more like having his 69,000th birthday.'' Harker thought.

    "So your dad declined the invitation?"

    "Yep, but he nned to deliver a gift through a courier guy. It''s a Tiger''s Eye ring, since he thinks Mr. Xi''s current ring was too tacky. It was a quartz or some kind of clear crystal sha¡ª"

    "Shard." Harkerpleted.

    Rnd raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. How''d you know?"

    "Well, it can''t have been shart now, can it?"

    Rnd chuckled. "God, Hark. You''re on a roll today. You''re too savage tonight."

    Harker didn''t even hear thisment as he was too busy digesting this information. That birthday party would have been the perfect moment to get the Shard from Xi Hua''s father, and get 1/13 of what he needed.

    However, there''s one thing that bothered him.

    At that time, the duration of Xi Hua''s abilities would have already reached its end.

 Chapter 24 All Cold-Blooded Like Reptiles

    ?The next day¡­..

    Harker injected his new favorite little buddy, Skitters, with the vitamin and mineral solution he had made. Skitters was one of his chameleon samples, who Harker treats like his children.

    "Now you have all the calcium and vitamins you need. You gotta stay strong, okay? We still have a few more tests to go and then you can hang out with your buddies." He told the little creature.

    He set it down on its own tinier observation tank. It had some leaves and twigs there, but it''s nothingpared to the mini forest park that the Gics Engineering building had. That was where Skitters and his ''buddies'' lived along with other flora and fauna observed by the students.

    "Let''s see¡­. the observed pigmentation and the structural color is not the same, as I hypothesized. The blue wavelengths reaching the natural yellow pigmentation is what causes the green outer appearance." Harker muttered as he wrote down. "These blue wavelengths maye from other structures than the gic make-up of their skin¡­."

    He went to pick up the skin sample for dissection and faltered a little when he saw the other things he had stored.

    Meat. Demon meat.

    No one can peek through the contents of his cold storage through this angle, so Harker wasn''t too worried even when his research partners were around.

    A little girl with brown, braided hair looked over his research notes. "Hm. I see. Could it possibly be another chemical being produced by the body that changes the color from the pigmentation?"

    This was L, only 11 years old. She was of course a genius who elerated many years and was also under the schrship of Stoker University. Her IQ was 150.

    Harker closed thepartment. "Perhaps. Studies before ours also supported my notes about how their colors react to changes in body temperature."

    "Not to camouge?" L asked.

    "I''m still not crossing that possibility out. But it may be something moreplicated than that." Harker said.

    "Well, if it''s any help, I found something recently too. Significantly high amounts of guanine in the topmostyers of my skin sample."  L said. "Could it be simr to the reflective cells observed in squids and octopi? Some studies also noted guanine in them."

    Guanine was part of the four nucleic building blocks of DNA. The others were adenine, cytosine, and thymine. Harker wondered if the DNAposition of monsters were also the same. It could be, since he absorbs it after all. But then again, they have features that other living organisms don''t.

    It would be interesting to study their biology¡­..

    But Harker was also not a fan of treating humanoid and sentient creatures asb experiments. Even with small animals and non-mammals like Skitters, he still followed a personal code of ethics.

    "We''ll figure out this mystery soon enough. Why don''t you eat lunch with Sarasvati and Maeve?" He asked her. "I saw those girls walk out a while ago to the cafeteria."

    "I''m fine with socializing with Sarasvati, but I''d rather not share a table with Maeve." L frowned. "She said I should go back to middle school."

    Harker sighed. This was exactly why he didn''t want to be elerated. People treat geniuses either as some superior beings or as freaks. They were always regarded with envy, which makes them highly dislikable to others.

    And highly intellectual people were often made to spend their lives studying instead of having time to socialize, so they end up having a hard time with it.

    He experienced it too for a while, being the ''nerd outcast'' before he changed to adapt to his environment. Just like Skitters.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You just have to adapt the best you can. Try to focus on talking to Sarasvati. I''m sure she would also do her best to help Maeve warm up to you." He advised. "But if it doesn''t work out, it just doesn''t work out. Different folks for different folks."

    "I think you mean different strokes for different folks." L corrected.

    Harker chuckled. "Nope, that''s exactly what I mean. There are different folks to fit anyone, you just have to find ''em. Don''t make assumptions too. Who knows, Maeve might actually be one of your folks, you just haven''t finished the experimentation phase yet. You just need to get to know her more before you see the results."

    L nodded. "Thanks, Harker. I''ll keep that in mind."

    His youngb partner went off, and Harker was alone. He took out one of the cuts of Miss Lovette meat.

    "I actually don''t know how long I can store demon meat until it''s inedible. I won''t get food poisoning or anythin'', right?" Harker asked Yan.

    The flying eyeball appeared by his side, scaring little Skitters into changing colors rapidly.

    "You won''t, Master. But yes, prolonged freezing may affect the amount of DNA you can absorb. It''s harder to digest too." Yan said.

    Harker looked at the piece of meat. "So I can store it indefinitely, but it will have less Duration over time. I also won''t be able to eatrge amounts in one go once my snake ability is gone¡­."

    "Yes. You can''t unhinge your jaw and expand your esophagus. But all you need to do is to cut it to smaller pieces¡ª"

    "That''s not the only problem. I will lose my snake ability once 1 month is up, right?" Harker said. "If I had both Enhanced Subus Ability and the Snake Demon, I''d be more confident in stealing the Shard from Mr. Xi."

    Yan sighed. "That''s true, Master. Your absorbed DNA of Xi Hua would expire by the time of his birthday. But the Enhanced Ability remains enhanced everytime you consume Subus DNA, if that makes you feel any better ...."

    Harker slumped on his chair. "It is, but not much. I could maybe control Mr. Xi''s body using the ability. But I have always wondered one thing about this family¡­.."

    "Why did they marry each other? Why would someone as strong and powerful as Miss Lovette choose to be a stay-at-home wife for a snake-like demon? It doesn''t make any sense¡­."

    Suddenly, Harker got called out by azy voice.

    "Harker, there''s some guy that wants to talk to you¡­.." Professor Seward spoke from her office. "Some guy called Rohan or Armand."

    Harker went to take the phone call. "Hello, Rnd? What''s up?"

    "Did you see the newsst night?" Rnd''s voice sounded more tense than usual. "Xi Hua''s house burned, and her mother turned out to be the one who abducted the missing boys from Nassau!"

    Rnd ryed the information from the news about the situation, and Harker reacted like he was only learning all this for the first time.

    ".... That''s why Mr. Xi called my father and said he would be returning here to New York, to address all the damages and the crimes of his wife. He''s dropping by our house first by Friday to discuss things with him."

    Harker''s eyes widened. That meant he would be able to meet Mr. Xi earlier while he still had his Snake Ability!

 Chapter 25 Golden Pearls

    ?Mr. Xi was a tall man at 6''2, with an appearance of an Asian action star. His physique was the aesthetic ideal, muscr but not too bulky, and his stylistic choices were also pleasing to the eye.

    He had straight shoulder-length hair that was pitch ck and wellbed. His suit was a crisp Armoani three piece suit. The charcoal gray vest looked custom tailored, straight out of the bag.

    Mr. Xi''s jacket was a sharp green resembling the eyes of a viper. Its lines were clean and the fabric had a remarkable sheen to it. It was tailored to fit snug, entuating his stature and physical features.

    He noticed the maid preparing the tea set observing these fine details of his clothing, and smirked.

    "Hello. Is there any dirt in my suit?" He asked.

    The Latina maid shook her head. "Oh, no, Senor! It''s good suit. That''s all."

    "I see. That''s also a good uniform for you, very good." He pointed at her maid uniform. "It entuates your greatest features well. Especially your skirt length."

    "Ay, tiene muchabia! Pero al menos es guapo." She muttered.

    Mr. Xi sipped his tea. "Why, thank you. And it wasn''t just lip service, the Faust really chose good uniforms for good-looking maids."

    The woman became flustered, and went to the kitchen still beet red. She grabbed a tray and handed it to a young servant who was still in training. "Felipe! Ve a entregar esto, no voy a volver alli de nuevo!"

    "Por que, Mama?" Felipe asked, confused to be given the task of serving the guest when he was supposed to just be drying the dishes.

    "Solo hazlo, tonto!"

    Felipe slumped, having no choice but to listen to his mom or else he would get hit by her shoe.

    As he was about to go, he suddenly got pulled by his hand.

    "Yo, Felipe!" A familiar face greeted him. "Where you goin''?"

    "Ah, Mr. Jones." He nodded. "I''m taking this to the guest."

    "Shouldn''t it be your Ma''s job? You shouldn''t be doing jobs that aren''t for you, right?"

    "Si. But you know my Mama." He sighed. "I was suppose to be resting after cleaning up Mr. Faust''s Marsedes-Bentz. Took me all day to vacuum the seats. My arms still hurt, to be honest. Anyway, are you visiting Mr. Rnd¡ª"

    "Aw, poor guy. You should really rest. Go take a nap over here." Harker patted on a nearby chair.

    "Eh? I can''t, Mr. Jones¡ª Whoah!"

    Felipe suddenly sat on the chair without realizing.

    Harker supported the tray before it could fall. "See? You might break these things if you don''t rest instead. I''ll hand it to someone else, you should go back to your bedroom and sleep."

    "I don''t really feel sleepy¡ª Yawn¡­."

    Felipe was surprised that he suddenly felt drowsy. "Oh no¡­. You might be right. We can''t afford breaking these tea sets¡­."

    Harker patted his head. "I got ya! Go along!"

    Felipe felt inclined to follow his advice, since he does feel weak and tired. He handed the tea set to Harker and went to bed. He was so tired that he didn''t even notice Harker plucked a few strands of his hair when he patted him.

    He went to steal the boy''s uniform from his closet while he was sleeping. Then, he ate the hair strands.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "More tea, Senor?" Harker said, setting down the tes.

    There were only two people having tea with the handsome Asian businessman. One was Mr. Faust, who was also an attractive man in his age and had a good mustache. The other was Rnd, of course .

    "Thank you, Felipe." His best friend said. "Could you wait here a little before you bring the desserts? Mr. Xi might decide to change his tea or add some more sugar."

    "Oh, the tea is good. Very good." Mr. Xi said. "But I have to admit that these teacups are too small for my fingers. My wife¡­. well, myte wife even used to call them ''bamboo fingers''."

    Mr. Faust frowned. "We could have the tea set changed for you. I''m sure we have bigger ones¡ª"

    "No, it''s alright. I don''t want to trouble you, I just got nostalgic for a moment." He sighed. "Aixiang was¡­.. A good woman, from what I knew her as."

    He looked really pitiful, and Faust went tofort him.

    "Our condolences." Mr. Faust said. "Truly a tragedy."

    "Whether she was innocent or not, it must still be hard to lose a wife and a daughter." Rnd said.

    Harker knew the man was being insincere in his ''nostalgia''. It was easy to see from his eyes. And he also knew that the Fausts could see through him, yet chose to y along.

    Mr. Xi sighed on his dainty teacup.

    "I got here as soon as I could when I saw her name mentioned on the news, you know? I just couldn''t believe it¡­. But she was growing distant to me these past few years. Possibly because I was always busy with work, I just never thought it would get this far¡­.."

    He slumped like a deeply-troubled man would. "Now I worry that people would think I also have something to do with the kidnapping business. The news of my daughter''s disappearance is already spreading like a wildfire in Vegas, and this would potentially make things messier in thepany. People would be anxious if they''re working for a child kidnapper and assaulter."

    "Have you talked to the police?" Rnd asked. "It''s only been 5 days, and the only evidence was the boys'' testimony and finding that room. That''s enough to incriminate your wife, but not you. They might specte that you were an essory to the crime."

    "But I wasn''t." Mr. Xi said. "I was unaware of the crime even when it happened to my own house."

    ''That''s a lie''. Harker thought to himself.

    "Then all you need to do is to prove that. You weren''t aware, partaking or condoning the crime." Rnd said. "If Xi Hua was here¡­. She could have testified on a trial as a witness. Though she may also be used as an aplice or essory depending on the boys'' testimony."

    "Going on a trial is indeed troublesome. My birthday would be lonesome enough without my Hua-Hua and my Aixiang." Mr. Xi said. "If only there was some way for me to avoid it¡­."

    Harker''s eyes noticed the briefcase he was carrying. Why would a billionaire carry a briefcase when he had big tough bodyguards to carry it for him? The reason was obvious as soon as he brought the trial up¡­.

    "I heard you were doing well in Law school, Rnd. And you''re graduating soon. Once you pass the board exam, you may be a licensed defense attorney. A very good one, I believe."

    He brought the briefcase to show its contents. "I decided I should give your graduation gift earlier since I might not be able to after everything that has happened. And to also ask for your advice and support in case of anything¡­."

    Rnd narrowed his eyes and his expression changed from polite to stern. He looked offended that this man thought he could bribe him.

    "I believe that every defendant is innocent before proven guilty. So there''s no need for that, Mr. Xi."

    "I know, I know! This is just a gift, as I said!" Mr. Xi opened the briefcase¡­..

    And inside were thousands of the best-quality Gold South Sea pearls, costing a million dors each!

 Chapter 26 As A Snakes Business

    ?Harker''s eyes widened upon seeing those gold pearls. "What the fuck¡­."

    South Sea pearls were the most expensive and coveted pearl type, and the Golden South Sea variation was the rarest color. They were extremely difficult to cultivate because they form for a very long period of time. The uncultured ones that were found by divers were even more costly.

    "These are raw, unpolished pearls and freshly harvested. So you could have it modified to your liking." Mr. Xi presented with a flourish. "You could have it made as a ne, bracelets, earrings, watch designs¡­.. Anything, really. And it''s all yours now, Rnd. You can do whatever you like with it."

    Rnd was also aware of the value of these pearls alone, much more a whole briefcase.

    "This¡­.. Yourpany harvested this just to be my graduation gift?" Rnd asked.

    "Why not? You''re like a godson to me after all." Mr. Xi smiled. "And Jiaoren Co. produces millions of these every day anyway, to be sold internationally. It''s no big deal."

    It was a big deal because they were the only Golden South Sea pearl cultivationpany that could do that.

    Harker watched Rnd carefully. If he took this briefcase, it would be equivalent to holding trillions of dors with lesser weight. All he had to do was to have them polished and sell these pearls. Then he''d had money to start somewhere else with a different identity, no longer his father''s son¡­.

    And escaping his engagement without having to kill him.

    But Rnd shook his head. "I couldn''t ept this, Mr. Xi. I''d rather you give them to a charity organization if you have much to spare. What I wanted instead¡­."

    Rnd closed the briefcase and returned it to him.

    "Is for you to tell me everything. The truth. Why your wife might have gone that path, when it could have started, everything. That way I''d be prepared if I did handle your case."

    Mr. Xi''s eye twitched. But he shrugged, and kept the briefcase at the table.

    "Let''s see¡­. There''s so much I could tell you. I have lived for a long while after all, my memory is starting to fail me. Sometimes I even forget what meal I have eaten 5 minutes before, haha!" The man joked. "But as for Aixiang¡­. I''ll tell you this first."

    "Aixiang and I met when our families were having a dispute." He revealed.

    Harker narrowed his eyes. So the ''Bai'' n that Miss Lovette mentioned, the subus n, must be at war with the ''Xi'' n, the snakes.

    "At that time, her family was in chaos. My father, smart man as he was, decided it was the right time to strike while all the children are trying to take over their weakened father." He sighed when recalling the whole affair. "It was bloody."

    "Business always is." Mr. Faust nodded.

    Mr. Xi smiled ironically. "Well, the long and short of it was that out of all the heirs, it was my Aixiang who had managed to gain power over their subordinates. However, the damage from both the in-fighting and our own attacks were too severe. When Aixiang and I first met¡­ Hm, how do I say this¡­."

    "She tried to ''poison'' me."

    "Poison?" Rnd frowned.

    "Manipted me. Control my mind. I guess you could say it was using her ''feminine wiles''." He exined.

    But Harker knew that it was literal poison, since the scent released by a subus was almost like drugs. It can sedate the body and she can even control it.

    "Ah, she tried to seduce you." Mr. Faust chuckled. "I suppose it did work, and you married her so herpany won''t fall apart and just be adopted by yours?"

    "No, the poisoning did not work." Mr. Xi finished his tea, and clicked his fingers at Harker to fill it again. "The Xi and Bai family had been enemies for a long time now. The reason we had won was not only because they were in the middle of a family feud, but also because my father had found a way to be immune to such ''poison''."

    Rnd rubbed his chin. "Then are you implying that Mrs. Xi''s family had always been good at maniption, and yet you still married a skilled maniptor?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes, because let''s face it, Rnd. You can''t survive in this world without befriending some crocodiles and snakes." Mr. Xi said. "Thus bing a snake yourself."

    He then shrugged. "But besides for business purposes, I find no joy in victimizing people. I give to charity, as you remember. I also have several foundations for fishermen and their families back home in China. Still¡­.. I thought that after my marriage with Aixiang, and having our child, she would get rid of her family''s ''poison''."

    He twirled his fork on the souffle. "I thought I had taken the venom off her, but it seems I have only tamed her to not attack me while seeking to prey on someone else."

    Rnd analyzed his whole story, and Harker wondered what his conclusion was. They had the same conclusion.

    "I see. I believe you, Mr. Xi." Rnd said. "But if you had known that your wife may have had these violent tendencies from her upbringing¡­. You should have gotten her a therapist or something to treat it sooner."

    Mr. Xi bowed his head. "Yes, it was my mistake. That''s what upsets me the most, that I should have caged the beast inside her better."

    The tiny discussion closed from there, as they shifted into  Mr. Faust and Mr. Xi talking about theirpany ventures. Harker''s eye twitched. This man had developed immunity from the Subus skill¡­..

    The only thing he can rely on now was to fight him with the same Snake Ability.

    Rnd was bored out of his mind from all the business talk, and excused himself earlier. He passed by Harker, and suddenly stopped.

    Harker froze. ''Don''t tell me it''s that damn birthmark again! But this uniform is covering my neck¡­.''

    "Felipe, did you finish cleaning the Marsedes-Bentz? I forgot that I tasked you to do that. Mrs. Rosas should be the one serving, right?" Rnd asked.

    Harker was relieved internally. "Yes, Sir."

    "That''s good. Harker left some ck marks on the seats when he borrowed it, like ashes or soot. I remember your white pants getting stained by them.It would be hard to wash¡ª"

    Rnd checked. "Oh, wait. It''s gone now. Huh¡­"

    "I changed, Sir." Harker excused.

    "I see. Well, I''ll be in my room." He shrugged. "Thank you for cleaning the car and bringing the tea."

    Rnd always thanks his servants for every service they make. Harker couldn''t help but smile at his friend. He really was more righteous than anyone he''d ever met.

    As Harker was about to leave and wake up Felipe so he can get out of here¡ª

    "A Marsedez-Bentz, eh? Your son let his friend borrow a Marsedez-Bentz?" Mr. Xi asked. "To where?"

    Mr. Faust didn''t hear the conversation despite being the one nearer to the two. "He did? I was not aware."

    "Yes¡­.. Even leaving ashes and soot. Harker was his name, if I heard correctly."

    Mr. Faust nodded. "Yes, Harker Jones. That''s actually the genius boy I told you about who''s studying gics and may help with your pearl business¡­."

    But Mr. Xi was not listening to this. Harker noticed his hair twitched on its own like a tail as he mumbled his name.

    "Harker Jones¡­."

 Chapter 27 Hunt Or Be Hunted

    ?Adrenaline immediately rushed through Harker''s veins. Shit¡­..

    Mr. Xi now knew his name, and suspected his involvement in his wife''s death because of that one conversation. But no normal human would be able to eavesdrop from that far away, with the volume of Rnd and ''Felipe''s'' voices.

    His senses must have been even more advanced than what Harker acquired from Xi Hua. Not to mention this man and his father defeated a whole n of demons...

    The best action would be to steal a piece of his DNA now and unlock an Enhanced Snake Ability. Even if Xi Hua''s DNA had been fully absorbed, he just needed to take Mr. Xi or any other Snake Demon''s sample to recover the Enhanced Snake Ability again.

    Harker waited for the right moment, staying to serve tea. Saliva has DNA, and all he needed was to take a sample from the cups he drank on. He just needed to lick the same spot where Mr. Xi''s lips were.

    It may be weird, but who cares? When your safety is on the line, you must do whatever it takes. Even to lick some 69 year old man''s used teacup.

    He waited for the businessmen to be finished, so he could pick up the tea sets and proceed with the DNA sampling.

    As he picked it up, however¡­.

    "You there. You''re that gorgeous maid''s son, weren''t you? Felipe, I believe?" Mr. Xi suddenly grabbed his sleeves. "Can you do me a favor and show me that car?"

    Harker felt heebie-jeebies just from this man''s touch. There was a diforting aura about him that he can''t quite ce.

    "Alright, Senor¡­.. But I have to wash these dishes first¡ª"

    "Oh, leave to me, Felipe." Mrs. Rosas suddenly came. "You go with rich man with pearls and I clean."

    "Ah, very good! Mrs. Rosas, right? What a fittingst name for a woman that is as blooming and beautiful as a rose." Mr. Xi flirted.

    Mrs. Rosas reddened, but didn''t run away or sassed him this time. "You know how to make woman blush like rosas."

    So she was listening this whole time, and her whole demeanor changed when she learned about Mr. Xi''s pearls. She even flirted with him. Harker wondered how Felipe would feel about this. But then again, it''s understandable since she''s a widow and marrying a man that can gift thousands of pearls like it was nothing would make life MUCH easier for her and her child.

    Still¡­. She took the DNA samples away!

    Harker would have to try to steal hair strands again like he did with Felipe earlier. Yet knowing this man''s superior senses, Harker would easily get caught.

    "Right this way, Senor." He said, bringing him to therge garage that looked more like an automobile warehouse.

    As they walked, Harker thought of other ways to get DNA without being noticed by Mr. Xi. Besides hair, there''s also his sweat. Maybe he can get him to use a handkerchief, and then he could eat that handkerchief.

    "Is this the car?" Mr. Xi pointed before Harker can point out the Marsedez-Bentz.

    He acted surprised just like Felipe would. "Ah, y-yes, Senor! How did you know?"

    Mr. Xi did not reply and instead asked him. "Please open the door."

    Harker had no choice but to oblige. He got the car keys from the guard who was assigned at an office to hand it out, right after receiving verbal confirmation from Mr. Faust to allow his friend to have a look around from the house telephone.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker opened the limousine. He wasn''t able to clean it up because he was in a rush, plus he never would have guessed that Miss Lovette''s wife would look around it. Even if Rnd found anything in it, he wouldn''t link it with the burning house because he didn''t know Harker was in Brookville. He''d just think it was something from the Scouts camp trip.

    Mr. Xi sniffed about. "Peach blossoms. I was right."

    Harker awaited nervously as he sniffed around more, and found something stuck on the gaps of the seat and the board. He had difficulty pulling it out because of hisrge fingers, but he was surprisingly delicate.

    It was a meter long strand of hair. Harker knew that moment that he''s fucked.

    But he still had to put on his act. "How did that get there!? What even is that¡­. a thread?"

    "No. This is hair. And my wife''s scent is also here." Mr. Xi said, observing the strand.

    "Oh, does that mean your wife may have been here, Senor?"

    Mr. Xi shook his head. "No. My wife has natural red hair despite being Chinese. So was my daughter''s. This hair was long and pitch ck, like mine."

    "Well, it can''t be Mr. Jones hair either. Since his hair was short and spiky." He said as Felipe would. "It can''t be Mr. Rnd''s too¡­. Or Mr. Faust. So someone else must have been in this car."

    Mr. Xi gave him a look from head to toe. Then, he smiled, his green eyes gleaming.

    "Would you mind telling me more about this Harker Jones?"

    --------------------------------------

    When Harker woke up, he was lying on the side of the limousine. It was already closed, and he was all alone.

    He frowned. Wait, where did Mr. Xi go¡­.

    "Huh!? Three hours had already passed since I was here¡­.. What happened?" He frowned.

    He remembered going there to show Mr. Xi the car, and thinking of a way to get that man''s DNA so he can gain his enhanced ability. And then¡­..

    He can''t remember anything else. He was suddenly just asleep.

    Harker gritted his teeth. "He must have used his ability on me¡­. Something much more advanced than Xi Hua''s Snake Ability."

    After all, Xi Hua could only make people fall asleep. But Miss Aixiang can also control people''s bodies through her scent. So besides the immunity, an older demon with more time for ''cultivation'' would have more skills and power than his daughter.

    Harker''s eye twitched. "Tch. This is too dangerous. He suspects me, and my family would be in danger."

    He returned Felipe''s clothes and transformed back to his original appearance. Then, he went back home, thinking of what he could do. There''s no choice but to kill Mr. Xi.

    If he doesn''t, they will be hunted by this snake for the rest of their lives.

 Chapter 28 For Even Kin May Be Involved

    ?"Dad¡­. I heard there''d be a music festival at Granny''s in New Orleans, right? How ''bout you and the kids visit there?"

    Harker''s father was busy cooking when he heard this. "Hmm? You mean the French Quarter Festival? Yeah, it''s been so long since the kids had visited your mom''s family, but that''s too far away, son. And where would even get money to get there?"

    Harker patted his shoulder. "Don''t worry ''bout it! I hear the festival''s gonna be good, so you all should go visit. You love jazz, right?"

    "Eh¡­. I''m not sure. What about your school and work¡ª"

    He presented 4 ne tickets. "I already bought tickets and excused the kids to their teachers, so no backin'' out now!"

    His dad sighed. "If you already had it nned, why even bother asking me about it. But I guess you''re right, the kid''s could have some fun besides trying to sell newspapers everyday. But why only four? You''re noting with us?"

    Harker''s face turned serious for a split second. "I have something to take care of."

    He then smiled to reassure his father. "It''s fine! Just take a lot of photos with our Proid or buy me a souvenir. And if you find any good-looking girl, take photos of that too¡ª"

    "Looks aren''t all that matters, Harker." Chloe appeared, about to take her daily medicine. "It should be a girl that''spatible with you, have honor and dignity, and wouldn''t abandon you just for your ws."

    Harker chuckled. "Of course, Boss Chloe! That''s for you and the two Sam''s to handle! You get to know the girl and tell me about her."

    "YOOO ARE WE GOING TO THE BAYOU!?" Samson eximed. "I heard there were times when soldiers exchanged fire in the bayous during the World War! And there should be base camps there too! I wanna see ''em!"

    "I doubt Granny and Gramps would let us go to swamps and military camps." Samuel said, arms crossed. "I for one am looking forward to some Cajun cuisine. Dad could never perfect a gumbo. And I''m craving for beis just from seeing them in my schoolbook¡­."

    His dad sighed. "I should ask Mama Del to teach me how to do it right. You boys have never tried Josephine''s gumbo, but I swear if a girl cooks you something as good as that, you''d want to marry her on the spot."

    Chloe agreed. "Mom''s gumbo is the best, even though I was only 6 when Ist tasted it. I miss it a lot¡­. I wonder if her house had her old things."

    Harker was happy that they were excited about the trip. The faster they got out of New York, the better. He doesn''t know what happened when he suddenly fell asleep. Apparently, Mr. Xi just went back to Vegas the next day after dropping by at the police station and his house.

    Rnd told him that it would take a really long time for the investigation to be over and any trial to be held, as this involved many cases at once. So Mr. Xi said he won''t be returning to New York until needed, and focus on having a funeral for his wife in Vegas.

    But still, it''s better to be safe than sorry.

    Harker needed to face these demons alone. He''ll go to Vegas himself while he still has Xi Hua''s Snake Ability. It''s a risk, but all he needed was a sliver of Mr. Xi''s DNA to get an Enhanced Ability.

    On the same day that his family went to a flight to New Orleans, Harker took a ne to Las Vegas, Nevada.

    -------------------------------

    When Harker finally arrived in ''Sin City'', it took a little while to get used to the weather and his surroundings. It was busy just like New York, but in a different way. There were many tourists as one could tell from the luggages and backpacks people carried about. Most of them would be headed to the Strip.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The Strip was most known for the luxury and outdoor activities, where people go to experience the ''Vegas life''. Everywhere you turn, there would be a fancy hotel, palm trees, fancy clubs, palm trees, fancy casinos¡­.. and of course, even more palm trees.

    Harker focused on the address he got from Rnd. He had smoothly driven the conversation towards it, just feigning to be interested about the Xi family out of curiosity. The Jiaoren Pearl Company, it''s headquarters in the Sahara Avenue and the factory just a few blocks away.

    He rented a car to drive to his destination, and Yan appeared by his side.

    "Do you know what jiaoren means, Master Harker?" The eyeball asked.

    Harker shook his head as he made a turn. "Nope. That''s the problem, it might take a while to recognize the building since the name is still in Chinese."

    "Well, jiaoren actually means ''shark people''. They''re like mermaids of the west. They live in the South China Sea." Yan informed him.

    "Mermaid, huh?" Harker said. "That can''t be just a coincidence. Maybe they use these mermaids to find pearls and ms for them, that''s why their business is thriving."

    "Actually, they don''t need to. You see, the jiaoren can cry¡ª"

    Harker suddenly mmed the brakes when a police car pulled over in front of him. He raised his eyebrow. "Yan, vanish for a bit."

    "Oh, okay¡­" The eyeball disappeared before he could give his trivia.

    A policeman went out. Harker observed if he was going to the nearby 5-star restaurants, but it was pretty rude to just stop in front of someone without warning. The policeman didn''t go to the restaurant and instead approached closer and closer to his car.

    Harker rolled down the window. "Good morning, Officer. Is there something wrong? Traffic vition?"

    "Are you Harker Jones?" The policeman asked.

    Harker tensed up. "Yes. And you are?"

    "Haha, don''t be nervous, kid. I was sent by someone. You need help getting to the Jiaoren Co., right?"

    Harker was still cautious. "Who sent you?"

    "That''s ssified." The man smiled. "If you don''t buy it, I have a Jiaoren factory employee uniform, an ID and even some make-up and prosthetics to disguise your face."

    But Harker did not need to ask him to know who set him. There''s only one person who can hire this policeman to help him and knows that he was going to Mr. Xi''spany.

    "Ah, Roly-poly." He sighed. "I tried so hard not to get you involved."

 Chapter 29 Humans Can Be Monsters

    ?Harker followed the policeman, and soon found apany that had Chinese symbols and a logo of a mermaid holding a pearl right below her right eye.

    Before infiltrating the factory using the disguise given to him, he first went on a payphone to call his best friend.

    As soon as Rnd picked up, he could hear his smug voice. "I knew you were gonna call me. I''ve been waiting all day. I almost thought the cop I hired duped me."

    "I''m thankful for the help, Rol, but you shouldn''t interfere after this." Harker said. "I don''t want you to get in this mess."

    Rnd spoke sternly. "And what exactly is this mess we''re talking about, Hark? Because ever since Xi Hua vanished, you''ve been acting strange. You couldn''t possibly expect me not to notice it, right? First, you borrow my car and go AWOL for 3 days. Then you ask me about her dad''s address and now you''re in Vegas¡­. What''s going on, man?"

    Harker relented. "It''s hard to exin¡­. I just need you to back away for now. This is just about me and the Xis."

    "But can''t you see I''ve been involved in this since the start? I was the one who introduced you to Xi Hua. If their family did something to you, it would be my fault. And I won''t be able to live with that guilt, Hark." Rnd said. "I know just how dangerous these people are. They''re my kind of people after all, I was born with these tigers and wolves. You need my help."

    ''Oh, they''re much, MUCH more dangerous than you think.'' Harker thought. ''But I guess he''s right. I could use some of his wealth to make things easier.''

    "Alright¡­. Imma tell you all ''bout it once I get back." Harker said. "But please don''t panic, and don''t let Mr. Xi know that you''re helping me. You''re smart enough to do that, eh, Roly-poly?"

    Rnd scoffed. "Fine, fine. Keep your secrets for now. What matters to me is you''re safe. The cop put a tracker on your uniform, and if it ever gets destroyed both he and I will be alerted to call back-up."

    "You''re already helpin'' me a lot by doin'' that. Thanks a lot, buddy." Harker smiled. "I gotta go. I''ll call you once this whole business is over."

    "Sigh. Just promise to keep your eyes peeled and never let your guard down, ''buddy''. Never. And don''t die, please."

    "Roger that."

    He hung up, and looked at the factory with conflicted feelings. It was already noon, and the factory workers could go out and have lunch in the convenience stores and small restaurants outside their wired fences. That''s when Harker can naturally blend in with them and go in once they get back to work.

    He joined the crowd and showed his falsified ID to the guard. He was given the go signal. It''s crazy how quickly his friend managed to procure this. With enough money, everything was possible.

    He saw the factory workers move into their stations. Just from eavesdropping on people, Harker learned that there were 4 stations. One was the pearl cultivation, which required going to a facility filled with water tanks. The next was the cutting and polishing station. Then, the packaging station. And finally, the shipping and delivery station.

    "The pearls are getting smaller nowadays. The boss won''t be pleased." He heard one workerin. "Should I suggest to the management to change techniques?"

    "What techniques?" The other asked.

    "I dunno¡­. Maybe something more hands-on." He grinned. "You know what I''m saying?"

    The other chuckled. "Dude, you just want to do some perverted stuff to our pearl resources! Get your mind out of the gutter and get to work."

    Harker made a face. Perverted stuff to ms¡­?

    Well, he has heard of people humping sheeps and being attracted to wolves. So he guessed there''s all kinds of people.

    Still, this made him curious about thepany''s pearl cultivation technique. How were they able to produce so many Golden South Sea pearls in such a short amount of time? He went to the pearl cultivation station, which was a whole separate area to the rest of the stations.

    The air was humid because there were water tanks everywhere. Upon getting inside, he had seenrge pipes crisscrossing the walls leading to the individual tanks.

    The hallway was empty. There was a diforting feeling to the emptiness and the metallic humming of the pipes.

    Then, he heard the echoes of someone¡­. crying.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was faint. Like someone holding back their tears. Then, Harker realized it was not just one person.

    Men, women, and children. They were all crying in a sorrowful symphony.

    There was something both eerie and heartbreaking to the sound. He followed the source, and found¡­.

    That the water tanks did not have a single m shell there.

    Instead, there were people.

    No¡­..  They were fish people. Merfolk.

    They had their heads above the water as the factory workers held out their gloved hands to collect their tears.

    And Harker''s eyes widened when those liquid tears suddenly dried up¡­.

    And turned into pearls.

    "Oi, who told you to stop crying!? This is still less than your quota!" One of them berated this old mermaid man.

    "This all I cry¡­. My eyes dry and swell¡­.." The old man said in broken English with a Chinese ent. "I need go to water, please¡­."

    His eyes really were bloodshot, and the eyelids were blown up like balloons.

    "If you can''t force it out, I would have to use this. So just cry it out, you fishy geezer!" The factory worker was holding a device in his hand, and it fizzled with electricity.

    "No, no, please!" The old man eximed.

    Beside him was a young merman that looked simr to him, possibly his son. He gritted his teeth when seeing his father being disrespected like this. When he saw the device, his could not hold back his anger anymore.

    "Zhe ge liumang!" He jumped towards the factory worker.

    His normal teeth retracted and turned into sharp ones. The same happened to his nails, and quickly grew into ws that could rip the worker''s face off.

    But before he could even reach him¡ª

    BZZZZT!

    Something electric sounded, but no electricity appeared. The young merman just held his stomach, and coughed out blood.

    "Wo erzi!" The father eximed, wrapping his arms around his son protectively.

    He cried as he pleaded. "Please, no hurt my son! No hurt my son!"

    The worker justughed. "There it is! So that''s all it takes, give me those pearls! I have to finish the quota early today so I can go to my daughter''s birthday party, you smelly old fucker!"

    Harker had to grip the steel pipe to stop himself from attacking the worker right then and there. As he gripped it, his fingers left dents on the metal.

    Sometimes, humans were the real monsters after all.

 Chapter 30 For Even Monsters Cry And Bleed

    ?Harker had to step aside as the workers brought in arge metal trolley carrying a cubic thing that was 8 feet on all sides. This cube was covered by a white cloth, but Harker could hear the sshing of water so he assumed it must be a tank. Curious, he followed them.

    The workers left the pearl cultivation area and continued pushing the trolley all the way outside the factory. Then, they approached the corporate building.

    Why would they be bringing this tank to the corporate side of thepany? Harker wondered, and decided to blend in by pretending that he was with the guys delivering this cube. No one paid attention to him and the guards let them carry it all the way to the elevator. One of the workers pressed the button for the 34th floor.

    Once it dinged, they pushed the cube all the way to arge doorway with snake heads. There was only this door on this floor, and nothing else.

    Harker''s eyes widened and he lowered his cap quickly, making sure that he always stayed hidden behind the other workers.

    This office could only be the CEO''s office. Mr. Xi''s office.

    As big, burly bodyguards opened the door, it revealed a room that was just as luxurious as its owner. It looked more like a fancy ballroom or throne room in a castle. Around the office, thick mahogany was carved with beautiful patterns and ornaments and arge chandelier hung from the ceiling.

    The desk had a marble bust statue of Mr. Xi himself. and had a clock encased in pure gold. There were also jade and pearl trinkets on shelves either as decoration or collection. The walls were decorated in finely polished mahogany, the floor was a lush blue-green carpet, matching the curtains on the windows, with golden trimmings around the edges of the frame.

    A firece with arge painting above it of the Xi family.

    Mr. Xi Jiaoshe stood tall and proud, cing a hand on his wife''s shoulder. His wife sat on a chair, while their young daughter who only looked 7 years old in the picture stood between her mother and father.

    Only Mr. Xi was smiling.

    Lady Aixiang looked dull and lifeless, theplete opposite of how she was when Harker met her. No matter what happens, the woman always manages to wear a fake smile. But here she looked like she had her soul sucked out of her.

    Xi Hua looked grumpy, her eyebrows scrunching up into two V''s. Her plump red lips were pursed into a pout, like she didn''t want to be there or she didn''t get what she wanted.

    Harker wondered why Mr. Xi would ever want a painting with his family looking so unhappy to be with him, and even post that painting in his office for everyone to see.

    The man himself was simply smoking from a traditional opium pipe. Green smoke flew out from his lips as he smiled that difitingly wide smile.

    "Good morning, Princess Jinzhu. I hope you slept well today."

    He was talking to the cube. The workers took off the white cloth and revealed that under the tanks¡­..

    Was indeed a sleeping mermaid. She had golden hair and a golden tail that reminded Harker of carp. She also had long whiskers on her face just like the carps, and that her hair of the same color as her tail resembled those spiky dorsal fins they had.

    She was wearing some sort of golden clothing that only covered up to her corbone, and revealed her bare shoulders. It looked shiny, like armor.

    No, it wasn''t clothing. It was actuallyrge fish scales, covering her from the stomach up to her bust.

    ''I thought they were supposed to be shark people. I don''t know of any shark breeds that have gold scales.''

    A holographic screen appeared in front of him that no one else could see.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Well, another trantion for ''jiaoren'' could also be ''flood dragon people''. The carp was often likened to being the dragon of the sea in China, and it holds a very special meaning. It symbolizes perseverance as it was able to swim against the currents of the Yellow River. The scaly armor makes it seem like a warrior filled with courage for battle.]

    ''Wow, thanks for the random trivia.'' Harker said internally. ''Since when can you read my mind?''

    [Oh, sorry, Master Harker! I just wanted to answer your question.]

    ''Nah, it''s fine. This is more convenient instead of scaring people by talking to an eyeball with bat wings.'' Harker thought.

    So these jiaoren''s were actually closer to carps than sharks. But then again, they could also do the teeth-retracting thing and the ws which made them resemble a shark more. So perhaps they could be both.

    The sleeping princess however showed no signs of being that violent shark or that ''warrior'' carp that waspared to a dragon. She looked weak and frail.

    And once she opened her eyes, she had a meek and gentle aura about her.

    "Yawn¡­.. Ni youi dou wo kule ma?" She asked Mr. Xi in a soft manner.

    But Mr. Xi clicked his tongue. "Ah, don''t be rude, Princess. Is that any way to talk to your protector?"

    "Dui, women de baohu zhe he yuzu." She said in a deceptively polite tone.

    But when Harker asked Yan to trante for him, the holographic screen showed:

    ["Right, our protector AND jailer. You told us that you would protect us, but it was only so that you could take advantage of us."]

    "It''s a small feepared to the safe life I have given the jiaoren''s right? No oil spills, no hunters, no sudden BOOM! from explosions and dynamite fishings¡­. What more could you possibly want? All we ask is for you to shed a few tears for us."

    ["For eternity. You want us to wallow for eternity. Just so you could drown in gold pearls."]

    Mr. Xiughed. "Existence itself is worth wallowing for eternity. And besides, I''m not drowning in gold pearls. Regr jiaroens with no royal blood can''t cry gold pearls. And you¡­."

    "Well, you''re the only one remaining who could do that. So you had to excuse me if you''d have to be tired all the time in order for me to continue my protection of your people."

    The golden mermaid princess clenched her fist, her hair rising up and bing even more spikier. Just like the young merman from earlier, her teeth retracted and changed into sharp crooked ones. Then, she bared these fangs at Mr. Xi¡ª

    Harker saw the workers go and wear something that looked like headphones, and became puzzled. But he quickly covered his ears once he realized

    Still, it wasn''t enough.

    "WAWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

    She let out a loud shriek that made Harker''s eardrums burst. Then, he started bleeding from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth¡ª all the 7 orifices of his head!

 Chapter 31 Tied Wings

    ?Harker copsed from this sudden pain. The other workers caught him, reprimanding him for not wearing equipment.

    "Did you forget how deadly that girl''s shrieks were? You idiot!"

    "Hey, he''s just a youngd so he must be new. Cut him some ck and bring him to the medic."

    "Let''s get out of here! The ss has broken! Everybody get down!"

    Harker''s vision was fuzzy and the ringing in his ear was twice as painful than when Xi Hua had him in her grasp and was crushing him in a cocoon of her hair. The workers tried their best to support him on their shoulders and drag him out of the room while being careful of the ss shards.

    Harker''s head lolled down and so he could see the water seeping into the soles of his shoes. The tank had exploded from a visceral shriek that sounded like a painful cry. He did his best to turn around and make sense of what was happening.

    A quick sh of gold was zooming towards a steady deep green. This gold thing''s movements were deliberate and precise, it wasn''t wild either. Despite long ck tendrils following it, it was able to dodge and travel across the room in insane amounts of speed.

    "You''ve gotten better than before. Very good!" He heard the green one say. "But you do know it''s pointless because you''ll die if you stay out of the water for too long? Your underdeveloped lungs could only do so much¡­."

    "Wo si le dou wusouwei! Ni hui he wo yiqi si!" The gold one screamed.

    She was able to grab the gold one''s neck for a moment and shed at the throat, bringing some red on the lime green. But she had to move away again before the ck tendrils caught her.

    The green shape justughed. "That won''t do. I promised to protect you, so I won''t let any more of you die."

    His green eyes gleamed, and Harker''s vision zoomed in on those eyes. That same diforting feeling¡­.

    "WAWAAAAA!! WAWAAAAA!!!!!" The golden shape turned around to avoid the lime green.

    But it was toote.

    ------------------------

    The next thing Harker knew, he was on a stretcher.

    He had cotton on his nose and ears. His mouth still tasted of iron because of his own blood. A medical team was taking care of him in another room, and he doesn''t know what happened to that golden mermaid and that office of jade, gold and pearls.

    "Is he alright?"

    He jolted when he heard that voice.

    Mr. Xi came with his neck in bandages. Still, he still wore that wide smile. Harker realized that the smile was diforting because it was ever so slightly wider than any regr human could ever smile.

    His forked tongue flitted freely in front of these people. His hands and face also revealed some scales. None of the medical team were perturbed about this.

    "He''s stable now, only that he may experience some hearing loss and vision loss. He would also find it difficult to breathe and speak for the next two weeks."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Ah, that''s not good at all. Poor fe¡­." Mr. Xi kneeled in front of him. "Would you leave us alone for a moment, please?"

    The medical team did not waste any time and did leave as told. Soon, there was only Harker and this snake demon in this room.

    Harker was nervous, but did well not to show it. However, his eyes kept on being maized towards that ring he was wearing. It looked almost like white jade, but it was uncut and remained in its jagged state contrasted with a beautiful golden band.

    "Oh? Are you interested in my ring?" Mr. Xi said. "You can have it, if you want."

    Harker did not expect this response. "No..... It''s fine, Sir."

    "Are you sure? I have no use for it anymore. After all, it''s one-half of a pair, and the other half is missing." Mr. Xi told him. "You see, the other half belonged to my wife. I gave it to her as a gift. I could give it to you as a gift too. An apology gift."

    "Is it easy for you to give away invaluable things as ''gifts'', Sir?" Harker couldn''t help but ask.

    "Oh, it is. Material things mean nothing to me, even when they hold sentiments. What matters to me are connections." Mr. Xi told him. "Have you ever wondered why every gift box and container have strings?"

    "To secure the box?" Harker thought. That''s the logical answer after all.

    "Haha, that may be true. But besides that, the strings are often where the sender of the gift leaves their mark. Sometimes it could even be stamps, it''s the same thing. A signature that will be left on the person''s heart when they receive the gift, connecting them to each other."

    He sat on the stretcher''s side. "I gave the other half of this Shard to my wife because I want her to always remember my promise to protect her. And now I have failed, and it was also lost."

    "Your wife looked unhappy in that picture, Sir." Harker couldn''t help but point out.

    "Unhappiness¡­.. It''s inevitable. Whether she''s with me or not, she will be unhappy at some point, right? But what''s permanent are bonds that secure people. At least she is safe by my side" He gestured at the ring. "When I was a young boy, my father knew there would be many forces to strike me while I''m weak and vulnerable."

    "So he kept me locked inside a deep, deep well for a very long time. I had no one by my side. I was only thrown food  to eat and water to drink. I was unhappy."

    Harker didn''t raise his eyebrow. Is this guy trying to appear sympathetic to him?

    Mr. Xi seemed to be able to read his mind just from looking at his eyes, and chuckled. "No, you mustn''t pity me. That was the reason why I love my father very much. If not for that, I wouldn''t learn the importance of keeping people safe."

    "While I was stuck on that well, a tiny bird who wasn''t able to fly fell. I caught it, and took care of it as much as I could. Then, I thought I could make it fly away when it was strong enough. And when it flew¡­."

    "A hawk ate it right before my eyes. So the next time that I took care of another tiny bird ...."

    He gestured at his hair. "I used my hair to tie down its wings. And it stayed with me, safe and sound."

    He took off his ring.

    "So how about this? Let me keep you safe too, Harker Jones. You can take my ring and nevere here again."

 Chapter 32 By The Snakes Eyes

    ?Harker gritted his teeth. "So all that crap just so you could bribe me, huh? Why didn''t you just go straight to the point?"

    "Oh, it''s not bribing. I want to give you an apology gift, as I said. You could have died if you hear any more of Princess Jinzhu''s shrieks." He said, taking Harker''s hand and putting the ring on his palm. "You can keep it. As long as you have that, you have my protection."

    "Protection for what?" Harker scowled.

    "There are more dangerous creatures in this world. I believe Mr. Faust when he said that you''re a very goodd, with a very good future. Do you want that future to be taken away? What about your family? Do you want your family to lose the one person they can rely on? Imagine how unhappy they would be when they came back to a wonderful trip in New Orleans and found their beloved Harker missing ...."

    Harker felt like the vein on his forehead was going to explode. Not only was he bribing him with the half of the Shard for his silence, he was also ckmailing him by revealing he knows his family''s whereabouts!

    "I''m a father too, you know. Fathers are supposed to be the primary protectors of their family. They''re not worthy to be called one if they could not. Which was why I was so devastated when I lost my dear Xi Hua¡­.." He sighed. "How devastated would your father be if he loses you too?"

    Harker pushed his hand away. "Cut that bullshit. I''m not going to be fooled by a snake like you."

    "Fool you? Why do you believe I''m fooling you¡ª"

    "Those mermaids. I heard what the princess said. You told them you were going to protect them, only to use them to farm their pearls." Harker said. "So why should I trust a lying monster like you?"

    "But I didn''t lie. I took them away from the dangerous ocean and put them in a safe ce where no one could harm them. I only needed their pearl tears so that thepany could stay afloat, and I can continue protecting them for a long time." Mr. Xi blinked. "What''s so wrong with that?"

    Harker was horrified by how sincere he was in saying that. He really meant it. He wasn''t lying at all.

    All this¡­. He believes it to be his way of ''helping''. Of protecting people.

    "But what about your workers electrifying merpeople so they would stay obedient? And what did you do to that princess?"

    "Well, it is also a father''s job to discipline his children, right? And also, I have to take care of my worker''s safety too. What kind of boss would that make me if I can''t even protect my own workers? As for the princess¡­."

    The boss smiled. "She''s back to sleeping safe and sound. All I did was make her sleep, and put her in a new tank. This was already her 6th one, don''t worry about it."

    "Fathers don''t treat their children like that, Mr. Xi. And you''re not their father." Harker clenched his fist. "You''re being deluded because of how you were raised. Still, that''s no excuse for you to harm people."

    "You need to free them. All of them."

    Mr. Xi sighed. "I thought you could be my godson too. I''m actually very fond of taking godson''s. Well, that can''t be helped."

    His eyes start to gleam again, but this time, Harker knew that was bad news.

    He averted his gaze quickly, and moved fast towards the door using his hair. But tendrils came to grab his foot because he wasn''t looking. He dropped to the floor¡­..<novelnext></novelnext>

    But Harker sent out his hair to aim for Mr. Xi''s eyes!

    The man moved faster than Princess Jinzhu, quickly dodging and reaching Harker''s position. Harker rolled on the ground with his eyes closed.

    ''Shit. Just one look at his eyes and it''s over. The princess even managed to turn around a split second in, but whatever his ability was gets activated by just looking at it for a split-second!'' Harker thought. ''But I can''t fight him with my eyes closed either! He''s too fast!''

    "Very good. You were able to recognize my ability just after using it 2 times. Princess Jinzhu only got it after experiencing it 4 times." Mr. Xi praised him. "You really are a smart boy. However, you''re not physically trained enough. You''re not born a monster, aren''t you?"

    BAM!

    Mr. Xi''s hair hit the ceiling. It wasn''t supposed to be strong enough to break it, but it did. Debris fell and Harker had to dodge it, but the moment he did, more strands waited to restrain his hands!

    "No, I don''t know of any demon of my kind living here in the US. You must have acquired my powers through my daughter somehow. Your capabilities are simr to hers." Mr. Xi easily guessed.

    Harker tried to break free from the strands, but it was too strong. It lifted him about 5 feet off the floor. If he tries too hard, his arms will get torn off his body.

    So he opened his teeth wide, and tried to bite the hair off!

    Before he does though, the hair strands quickly release him. He fell to the ground again with a thud, his whole body still aching.

    "You really shouldn''t be trying to fight me in this condition. Your reflexes are way slower than Xi Hua because of your hearing and vision loss." Mr. Xi clicked his tongue. "Not good. You should give up now, son."

    Harker spat out blood. "I''m not your son!"

    He tried to stand up, but his head still hurt from the damage he received earlier. The old snake was right, he was not in a good condition to fight. But he will not give up, and have to set free the people being held captive by this deluded monster¡­.

    More strands of hair came to him in all directions, and yet he still almost dodged it. Almost, as it was impossible with this speed.

    Yet Harker meant that to happen anyway. He looked at his leg being covered by the hair in spirals.

    The hair will crush the tracker on his pant leg, which will rm Rnd¡­..

    "Oh, are you looking for this? I found this little thing and thought I should be very careful with handling it. It''s quite fragile."

    Harker''s heart went cold, and because of his shock he instinctively looked up to see the tracker pinched between Mr. Xi''srge fingers¡­.

    And end up looking the snake in the eyes.

 Chapter 33 Mermaid Princess

    ?When Harker woke up, he realized there was something in his nose and mouth. He realized the tube in his mouth was for a regtor for scuba diving to give oxygen, and the other was a nasogastric tube going all the way to his esophagus and stomach for tube feeding¡­.

    He was underwater in an 8 foot tank.

    His eyes widened behind his goggles. He was tied up by many chains, and could only squirm like a worm drowning in the ocean. He scanned his surroundings, and there were other tanks around him.

    There were golden mermaids. There were 10 of them. One of which he recognized, Princess Jinzhu. She was watching Harker with a thoughtless expression, like an unemotive doll that''s just there.

    He tried to call for help, but he couldn''t take out the gear on his mouth. He couldn''t even swim up because of the heavy chains around him. There was only one door to escape, no windows or vents. It was a white prison just like Miss Lovette had for the kidnapped boys.

    ''Shit! How do I escape here, Yan?'' Harker asked the eyeball.

    The eyeball appeared beside him, and spoke underwater. "Er¡­. D-Don''t panic, Master! I''ll think of something! There has to be a way to get you out of this cage! I just need to think of how¡­."

    Harker sighed. ''Nevermind. I got it, I''ll try and use my hair.''

    Yet the moment he elongated his hair, an rm sounded.

    When that rm came, he suddenly felt electricity coursing inside him. The water made it worse, and continued to get electrified until he felt like he would pass out again.

    Suddenly, a swarm of bodyguards came with guns, along with the man Harker hated the most at this moment.

    Mr. Xi came with hands behind his back, smiling very wide at him. His lips spread all the way to his ears and his forked tongue slitted out.

    "I see you''re awake now, Harker. I didn''t want to do this. But you see, as everyone''s protector, I also have to protect myself. Who will take care of my people once I''m gone? So I sadly have to discipline you for now until you learn your lesson." He said.

    "Did you know that whenever we extend our hair as snake demons, our body temperature bes significantly lower by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit? Even lower than that of mermaids, whose body temperature is only less than 3 degrees of humans." He touched the tank''s ss. "This tank can sense if your body temperature was lessened by 5 degrees."

    "It will also set off the rm if you weigh less than 10 pounds or 5 kg." He pointed to a screen on the wall. The screen showed:

    [ Tank K

    Initial Weight and Temp: 181.12 pounds/ 82.15 kg, 98.6 F/ 37 C

    Current Weight and Temp: 180.98 pounds/ 82.09 kg, 98.4 F/ 36.88 C ]

    There were other screens too, possibly for the mermaids that were in the tank. Speaking of the mermaids...

    Harker only noticed now that Princess Jinzhu was shivering earlier. She coughed out blood, and it turned out that¡­.

    She was also electrocuted.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes. I''m afraid that  every time any of you have not met the tank''s prerequisites, all of the electroshock devices in your tummies will be activated." Mr. Xi said. "And jiaorens are very sensitive to electricity. It could affect their qi flow, which will degrade their pearl production and cause death by qi deviation."

    "Unfortunately,the electric device on your stomachs produces electromaic interference on CCTV cameras and other security devices. That''s why you won''t find them here. But I do have guards stationed a few blocks away outside this door." He gestured to the men with guns.

    "We really don''t do this unless we have to." Mr. Xi exined. "And I don''t really want to lose any of you. You will be fed at exactly 7am, 12 noon, and 6pm. There is a clock right over there along with the date for mealtime. Since you can''t breathe underwater, you''ll have to be tube fed, son."

    Harker banged the ss after being called ''son'' again by this slimy snake guy. Mr. Xi did not react to this and just continued exining.

    "Now, my medical consultant told me that human skin is not durable for staying underwater too long. Hypothermia is not a problem, since we have equipment to regte your body heat. However, human skin can wrinkle and peel off after staying in the water for a few days."

    Mr. Xi made a silly face. "You can''t hold your urine and feces in without damaging your organs either. We can put tubes to take care of that for you, but wouldn''t that be embarrassing? That''s why¡­.."

    "If you ever want to take my offer and be forgiven, just press that button in your tank to call me."

    Harker''s eye twitched. He would rather die of embarrassment or having his skin peeled off than beg this old snake man to forgive him and help him out.

    What he needed was a n using all this information. The times he would be fed or allowed to defecate could be his one chance to absorb the DNA of one of the workers, and then escape out of here while wearing that disguise.

    However, there''s the jiaoren to consider. One misstep, and the rm will ring. It will electrocute all of them and bring in the bodyguards with their guns.

    Somehow, he needs to be able to maintain the initial weight and temperature. Or at least, exceed it. It didn''t say anything about exceeding that, only lowering by 5 kg or 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

    He can''t use his snake ability, but he can still use the Enhanced Subus Ability. All he needed was a good n¡­.

    But also some cooperation with his fellow inmates here.

    "I suppose you still want to remain stubborn after everything I told you. It''s impossible to escape, son." Mr. Xi sighed. "You remind me of Xi Hua sometimes. Too bad she won''t be able to attend my 69th birthday.... I''ll be a 69 year old lonely man 13 days from now ...."

    Harker''s family will be returning after 2 weeks of staying in New Orleans. They''ll be worried if they see that he''s not back. Rnd might also start to worry after not receiving a call for that long despite the tracker remaining intact.

    Mr. Xi waved adieu to Harker. "Remember to press the button when you change your mind, son! I still have other business to take care of."

    As they left, Yan appeared looking worried. "What are we going to do now, Master Harker!??? How will we escape this!???"

    ''I have a n now.'' Harker said after he made up his mind. ''But¡­.''

    He turned to Princess Jinzhu.

    ''Can you help memunicate with her?''

 Chapter 34 Have No Tears Left To Cry

    ?Princess Jinzhu looked at him too, and suddenly spoke.

    "Ni weishenme kanzhei wo, renlei? Wo bu shi shiwu." She asked in that same gentle and polite tone.

    Harker turned to Yan. ''Trantion, please?''

    [Trantion: "Why are you looking at me, human? I''m not food, if that''s what you''re thinking."]

    Harker couldn''t help but think that this girl could say the rudest things and insults with the same mellow voice and expression. It''s kind of impressive.

    ''She doesn''t seem to notice you.'' Harker said. ''Why isn''t she talking about you or the holographic screen?''

    "Oh, she could actually see me. It''s just that we have already talked to each other before you woke up, Master."

    ''Eh??? Why didn''t you tell me sooner!? You guys are buddies now, eh?''

    Yan shook. "Not really. She tried to eat me when I appeared and asked if I''m some kind of jellyfish or one-eyed crab."

    Harker did not know what toment on that. He chose to instead focus on the important stuff before contemting on how the hell could this eyeball with bat wings be mistaken as a jellyfish or crab.

    ''Then if you could talk to her, can you deliver this message? Tell her that I could get us out of here, I just need her help.''  Harker told him.

    Yan looked back at the ''shark girl'' nervously, but still flew there with his holographic screen. There, it showed Harker''s message in Mandarin Chinese. Princess Jinzhu read the contents out loud, then narrowed her eyes back at Harker.

    [Trantion: "How would you do that? We''ll get electrocuted if we try to escape."]

    ''I have a n. But I would need you to somehow give me one of your pearls. It''s very important.'' Harker told her.

    The mermaid princess frowned. ["You also want to take away my pearls? What''s so good about them anyway, they''re just our tears."]

    ''Yeah, so can you give me just one? Just one is enough so we can test if this will work out.''

    The mermaid princess thought about it, then said¡­

    ["No."]

    Harker made a face. ''I thought you said it was nothing¡ª''

    ["I won''t cry for a stranger. Yes, I said it''s just our tears. But it only works if they''re tears that bear sadness. It means something emotionally and sentimentally for us, even when we don''t see it as something for wealth. So it''s not nothing, don''t misunderstand."]

    She said all this with the same soft voice, but the firmness in her decision was still there.

    Harker''s shoulders slumped, but that doesn''t mean he gives up. He can understand the princess, he really was just a stranger to her. It''s difficult to trust a stranger, especially after they have been fooled before by Mr. Xi.

    ''What''s wrong with the other jiaorens? They''re still alive, but¡­. They''re not moving. Are they still sleeping right now?"

    All the mermaids have the same golden hair and tail like Princess Jinzhu, but they have different tail patterns and features. Most of them seem older than her in appearance.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The princess suddenly looked defensive, then her eyebrows creased.

    ["They''re my sisters. They¡­.. havepletely given up on life. They are waiting for the day they finally die."]

    Harker felt his chest hurt, just like it did for those teenage boys in Miss Lovette''s hidden room. They were the same thing. Being imprisoned, feeling helpless, like life had no meaning... It would truly be enough to make anyone want to just end their lives.

    Freedom is the reason why we keep moving in life. The freedom to pursue our dreams, to be with the people we want to be with, and to live life unshackled by anyone else.

    ''I want to help them. I really do. If you can''t cry any pearl for me, maybe they could. Please, Your Highness. A little bit would be enough for this n. I will get us all out of here.''

    Princess Jinzhu did not make any expression. Then, she tapped on the ss to her left in order to gain the attention of her sister sleeping on the tank next to her.

    ["Eldest Sister.... Eldest Sister, wake up. I want you to tell me what you feel about this man."]

    The woman stirred awake. Her back was facing Harker, so he couldn''t see her face. But based on her body structure, she looked like a woman in herte 20s. Her upper half, at least.

    She turned around, her torso also filled with golden scales all the way to her corbone. All of them had this same, armor-like clothing made of scales. But her breast was more pronounced than the younger Princess Jinzhu. Princess Jinzhu seemed like Harker''s age, but she had a more petite body, though not too much. She looked 18 or 19, and her chest size was smaller.

    The older mermaid was covering her face and rubbing her eyes, so Harker still can''t tell what she looked like. But she seemed pretty just like her younger sister, albeit less confident and had a more reserved posture.

    The system tranted the older princess'' words:

    ["What man? Can you tell him to make a sound so I can turn to him and see his soul?"]

    When she took her hands off her face....

    Harker''s heart leapt up to his throat.

    ''Holy shit¡ª Did she¡­?''

    Princess Jinzhu nodded, sounding soft but there were hints of anger in her voice.

    [''Yes. This is what I meant about my sisters not wanting to live any longer. They would go through such lengths just to end this exploitation.'']

    The older princess smiled despite this reaction. [''It is not just that. We have lived long enough in this world, without our Mother and Father. We have ruled over the people as best as we can despite the problems. It was time to rest. There is nothing to cry for.'']

    Her eyes¡­..

    Her eyes were missing. There were w marks on her face, around the area of the eye sockets.

    All of Princess Jinzhu''s elder sisters woke up, and showed the same marks.

    They have wed out their own eyes so they won''t have to cry pearls anymore.

 Chapter 35 Great Escape

    ?Harker was horrified by these scenes. All these women scarred their faces and permanently blinded themselves out of desperation. Perhaps shame from not being able to protect their people. But no matter their reasons, it was a terrible fate to suffer.

    ["Is this man mute and deaf? If he is, it might take me a while to sense his soul''s aura."] Princess Jinzhu''s sister on the left said.

    ["No, he''s not. At least, I believe so. His mouth is just covered and he can''t talk underwater. He''s a human that can somehow perform the same abilities as that damned Jiaoshe."]

    The elder sister nodded. ["I see¡­. He must be a cultivator. It''s been a while since we encountered one, or any of them that still practices a Dao as powerful as this. But I have heard rumors from above about someone who can emte the Dao of others into his own¡­.. We jiaorens just never try to trifle with matters above the sea so I do not know much besides that.]

    Harker asked Yan in his head. ''Damn, does everyone know your Master Quan Zhi?''

    "He is very powerful after all, Master Harker. If they haven''t seen or met him personally, they must have at least heard of him." Yan answered.

    The eldest sister told Princess Jinzhu. [''Tell him to at least try to make any sound underneath what is covering his mouth. Even his faintest breathing would do, I must listen to it.'']

    ["There''s no need for me to tell him, he had started breathing heavily as we speak."]

    Harker did his best to make any sound, producing bubbles from his regtor. He huffed in and out. He doesn''t know how exactly this would convince the sister that he''s a good guy, but he''s trying to breathe as ''good'' as he can.

    The eldest sister seemed to somehow be able to hear this despite the distance separating them, and she leaned her ear close to the ss.

    ["He is a man that was satisfied with idling in life. He has desires but does not try hard topete with others in order to achieve them. He values familial rtions to the point that it bes a shackle around his throat that leads him on, forever indebted to those who he loves¡­. His loyalty thus became his weakness.]

    Harker''s eyes widened when this mermaid started just telling his life just from the sound of his breaths.

    ["This does not just include those he was connected with in blood, but also the one he cherished dearly like arade and known for his whole life. This person¡­.. This person has aplicated tie to him. Both affection and apprehensione hand in hand when he is with this person.]

    Harker frowned. ''Is she talking about Rnd? That''s not true at all, I don''t feel any "apprehension" towards Rnd¡ª''

    ["Despite his idle attitude, he has a noble heart. He can easily empathize with others and feel the pain of those whom he only met. Even towards his enemies, he could still understand how they came to be and acted the way they did. A strong sense of justice was born from the injustices he faced since birth. And this rekindled when fear and desperation stuck him enough to awaken his courage."]

    The whole room was quiet as the Eldest Sister delivered her verdict. Harker waited in even rougher breaths how Princess Jinzhu would react to this.

    The youngest princess turned to him, and she said.

    ["I see. Is he also a gentleman? Like Father?"]

    The Eldest Sister crane her neck, then shrugged. ["In some ways, yes. A more rugged gentleman, I suppose. But I can sense he respects everyone and does not think highly of himself."]

    As if a switch was turning on, Princess Jinzhu''s eyes brightened and suddenly her words were now as gentle as her tone.

    ["If that is what my sister has sensed, then so be it. Please help us escape, Kind Human."]<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker raised his eyebrow. All he needed was to prove that he was a gentleman for her to warm up to him¡­?

    ''I will, I just need that pearl first. Then we should find a way for you to put it in this tank.'' He said. ''Maybe we can do it when they deliver our food to us.''

    Princess Jinzhu nodded. "I see, Human sir."

    ''That''s good¡ª Wait. Did you just speak in English!?''

    The princess just shrugged. "I did, Sir. We have been here for 15 years, and I was often talked to in English by that snake Jiaoshe. I learnnguages and sounds quite fast, I also know thenguage of whales and dolphins."

    Princess Jinzhu suddenly made very realistic dolphin whistles.

    Harker does not know what to say.

    It''s¡­. kind of impressive? That''s a party talent for sure, though he doubts she gets to attend parties much.

    ''Then why did you keep on talking in Chinese?'' Harker thought. ''When we could have beenmunicating faster without Yan flying back and forth and showing holographic screens to everyone?"

    "Yes!" Yan eximed. "Oh, it was so very tiresome, Master! I''m sweating buckets here for nothing!"

    The flying eyeball wiped something with bat wings, which might be his sweat? At this point, Harker gave up understanding the eyeball demon''s anatomy.

    Princess Jinzhu just smiled. "Well, a gentleman must endure first in order to gain someone''s trust, right? I just prefer speaking mynguage. And speaking English proves how long we''ve been locked up here, which will bring more joy into that bastard snake''s face. I couldn''t let him know that I could do it."

    She then sighed. "But I do apologize, Human sir. I would not trouble you or your flying jellyfish again. May I know your name, Sir?"

    "I''m not a jellyfish!" Yan cried. "I am Yan, the great system assistant!"

    Harker could not help but think Princess Jinzhu was the definition of hot and cold. She could be very intense, yet also very sweet at the same time. It''s seriously messing with his brain.

    But she seemed like a good person, and she cared for her sisters just like he cared for his family. He can only imagine how difficult it was to be in her ce for the past 7 years.

    ''Harker. My name is Harker Jones, Your Highness.''

    Princess Jinzhu seemed to know that even with the scuba gear, he must be smiling at her. So she smiled back.

    "Let us all escape here, Harker the human sir. I''ll do everything just to get me and my people out of this ce."

 Chapter 36 At Dinner In A Fish Tank

    ?Princess Jinzhu had managed to shed a single pearl teardrop. Harker reminded her that it should be small enough to be unnoticeable and easy to slip into his nasogastric tube he will be fed with. The result was a pearl that''s only 1mm in diameter, almost like a speck of sand.

    They waited for the worker to bring them their dinner. They were told they would receive it at 6pm, and it was currently 5:43pm. ording to the date and time screen, it has been 2 days since Harker went to Las Vegas.

    Since there was still a bit more time before the worker arrived, Harker decided to ask some of the most burning questions about the jiaorens and Mr. Xi.

    ''You said you were kept for 15 years¡­. What exactly happened 15 years ago that made you agree to be under Mr. Xi''s "protection"?''

    Princess Jinzhu was observing the very small pearl from side to side. "For that, I had to exin what happened to our Mother and Father. Less than a hundred years ago, humans had advanced at a very fast rate. They can fly on metal birds, destroy entire cities with just one explosion, observe the depths of the ocean they never had before through metal whales¡­"

    Shemented the memory. "Those moments were very difficult for us jiaorens, who just want to live in the South Sea in peace. The cultivators had lessened in numbers and were reced by scientists, who do not know the limitations of seeking knowledge. The agreement between cultivators and jiaorens has been forgotten."

    ''What agreement?'' Harker asked.

    "The agreement that we shall live far, far below¡­. Never interfering with the surface. We could perform business like selling pearls and silk we have woven in exchange of their fruits and vegetables from thend. But other than that, human cultivators must not explore too far into the ocean and we must not stay on the surface of the water too long."

    ''And yet humans did that once they have invented new technology.'' Harker thought.

    She smiled. "Human technology is fascinating, and greatly beneficial for them. But not for us, not for nature where they take resources for such technology. My father and mother are quite old-fashioned people, they could not see that we have to instead adapt and ask help from othernd monsters. They still believe they can appeal to humans about the agreement."

    ''But humans have no idea about this agreement anymore. We don''t even believe you guys exist.'' Harker said.

    "Exactly. So, a few decades back, apany hadunched the first deep-sea mining in China. This would truly damage our anemones and the homes we made for ourselves. The miners were surprised by therge-sized coral reefs and decided to exploit that as well, not knowing we live there."

    Princess Jinzhu made a rising gesture. "So, my father and mother went up to the surface to stop them. They were diplomatic about it, as my father was a real gentleman. However, the shock of the merman appearing had brought thepany in a state of panic."

    "They pretended to listen to the appeal. But deep down, they must have known that if news about merpeople living underwater reached the environmental activists, they would have more fuel to stop operations like this that can damage the ecosystem." Princess Jinzhu said. "So they tried to erase our existence."

    She then scrunched her eyebrows. "I don''t really understand it."

    ''Huh? Which part do you not understand?'' Harker asked. ''How humans can be so cruel for their own greed?''

    Princess Jinzhu shook her head. "No. I can understand that, even jiaorens can be greedy too. What I mean is¡­."

    "I don''t know what ''ecosystem'' or ''environmental activists'' are. That''s how Mr. Xi exined it to us, I just repeated it word for word." She exined. "Eldest Sister Meizhu said he was honest, so I shared it with you."

    Harker does not know what to say again. She can really replicate sounds so well to the point that she can memorize what people said a long time ago word for word.

    "What I do know is this¡­. We thought that teaming up with the snake demons would be the best idea. Because Mr. Xi was being honest in his words, we trusted him. But we were wrong¡­. He tricked us." Princess Jinzhu frowned.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker said. ''Well, in his mind, he was still helping and protecting you. He''s a delusional man. He can''t see that what he was doing was wrong."

    "My sister heard from his voice that he was being misguided by the words of someone he looks up to. She said this to him and asked him to stop listening to this person, but he didn''t." Princess Jinzhu pouted. "Otherwise, why would we be kept here like this?"

    ''She must be talking about his father. Mr. Xi was raised wrongly by her father. His wife too, had been raised in a bad environment that''s why she also imprisoned people.''

    "Monsters?"

    ''No, she kept humans and took advantage of them. In her mind, it''s the natural thing to do because that''s how she was raised. In a ce where everyone takes advantage of each other. So she thought that she should just do it too.''

    Princess Jinzhu crossed her arms. "I see. Delusions are dangerous."

    Harker nodded. "Especially if it''s belief that you''re doing a good thing for someone."

    They then heard footsteps, and looked up to the clock. It''s 6pm now, time for dinner.

    Princess Jinzhu stood upright and kept her hold on the very tiny pearl. She wore the same nk and gentle expression, but Harker could tell that she was determined to get this right.

    The workers came in with wheeled trolleys that had trays covered by a metal dome called ''cloche''. It''s those fancy covers you usually see in fine dining restaurants. The workers were like waiters delivering the dishes,plete with a uniform and bowtie.

    However, there was something different about these fancy waiters.

    They were wearing gas masks. Possibly to not inhale a certain scent.

    Harker clicked his tongue. So Mr. Xi knew about him having the Subus Ability. But that''s not all.

    The workers do not open the tank to bring the food. They bring outrge tubes as a chute to send them out on holes that are asrge as a human fist. These holes are made of steel and could only be opened with a key.

    "For dinner, the mermaids will have some de-shelled lobster and yellowfin tuna. Princess Jinzhu will have some medicine to fix her ruined throat from the strain earlier. As for Mr. Jones, it will be blenderized potatoes, blenderized nuts, and milk."

    The worker in front of him opened the fancy metal cloche¡­.

    And revealed a literal syringe of blendered food.

    What fine dining indeed. Harker felt like a baby all over again. But he''s not too worried about being fed baby form¡­.

    He''s more focused on thinking of how he can get that pearl into this baby food that will be fed through his nose.

 Chapter 37 Precious Smile

    ?Harker couldn''t use the Enhanced Subus Ability because of the gas masks. He couldn''t use his hair either to reach for the pearl even if Princess Jinzhu manages to slip it out into that food tube where her lobster and yellowfin tuna will be delivered.

    Can he have her use that loud cry that can break ss?

    No, that would result in aplete failure.

    First off, there''s a reason why she hasn''t done that yet while being kept in this room. Her sisters have enhanced hearing, even if they covered their ears, they would still be affected.

    The second was that she was given medicine to treat her throat. Meaning that every time she uses it, she damages herself and takes time to heal.

    He would have to use that skill forter. For now, he had to think of what skill to utilize¡­.

    The mermaid sisters who have no eyes did not sit up for their food, still slumped like a dead fish. The workers were trying to coax them, but they wouldn''t move.

    Harker observed the position of every single person in this room. Then, he had an idea.

    ''Tell the Princess to let her food first be delivered to her tank, I need to make sure of how it works.'' Harker told Yan. ''Be careful not to let any of them see your screen. Watch closely for me and tell me what happens.''

    "Yes, Master!" Yan said while invisible.

    The invisible eyeball must have received the order, since he saw Princess Jinzhu turned to the right out of the blue. She nodded, and waited patiently for the tube chute to deliver her food.

    VRRRRROOM!

    There was the sound almost like a motor engine starting up. The food from the tray was transferred into this machine, and there were strong wind soundsing from it.

    Harker''s guess was right. The food was delivered in a blower. In order for the water to not spill out, it uses a sort of reverse vacuum for the air to push out the food on time, and then quickly close the steel lock too.

    ''That''s good. I can initiate my n now.'' Harker thought. ''But first, send out an apology in advance to the mermaid sisters.''

    "Huh? For what, Master Harker?" Yan asked.

    ''I would have to use my skill on them even when I don''t want to.''

    Re-checking the positions of the people again, he focused on his Enhanced Subus Ability¡­.

    And one of the mermaids started banging on the ss.

    "Shen me? Wo de shenti shenmeo?" She said in surprise.

    The worker that was about to feed her turned in her direction. "What''s wrong, Princes Shuangzhu¡ª-"

    Another one waved her hands about, as if asking for help. "Eh!? Wo weisheme yao huishou!?"

    Her waiter who was about to turn off the machine rushed towards her. "Do you need assistance, Princess Huangzhu!?"

    But as he did, he slipped on another machine. It was a domino effect once all of them reacted at the right time in the right ce. They end up bumping into each other, and tripping over themselves and their machinery, and causing a whole mess.

    In the end, the tube for Princess Jinzhu''s food broke out from the chute and fell to the floor.

    The worker that supervised her panicked. "Oh no! The water''s going to spill."

    ''Now! Tell him that he''s putting it the wrong way!" Harker told Princess Jinzhu through Yan''s holographic screen.

    The princess was confused, but did as told.

    "You''re putting it the wrong way!" She eximed, still mellow as ever.

    Even Marielynne Moonroe has nothing against her very soft voice.

    "Eh??? I did!?" The man starts to put it the other way. "Wait a minute, you can speak English¡ª"

    It was toote as he turned on the machine by impulse, and got sshed on the face.

    The water sshed onto the person about to serve Harker''s baby food on a syringe.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He cursed. "Ah, Jerry! You dumb fucking jackass! Now my suit is soaked!"

    Harker took the opportunity while he''s distracted and ordered Yan. "Now you can be in physical form again and put that pearl on the syringe solution! Hurry!"

    "Alright, Master Harker!" Yan said in a hushed tone.

    Not that anyone would hear the eyeball because they''re too distracted by themotion.

    Yan swooped in and grabbed the very small pearl using his wings. He hurriedly took out the pump, ced the pearl inside and put it back again before the workers could notice. Then, he vanished into oblivion and became immaterial again.

    By then, the workers had taken care of the problem. They were still soaking wet and some suffered a few bumps and leg sprains. But the first thing they did was to turn off the machine and  put the tube over Princess Jinzhu''s chute the correct way. They then brush themselves up.

    "We can''t let the boss know about this disaster!" The one called Jerry said. "Just feed that weird human-demon boy thing there, Tom!"

    "That''s what I n to do! Don''t order me, dumbass!" Tom said.

    Instead of arge tube and a chute, Tom reached out to the end of the nasogastric tube on the top of the tank. It was only as big as 18 French gauge, which has a 6mm diameter. He pressed the syringe and squeezed a pump so the contents would go straight to Harker''s nostrils, all the way to his stomach.

    Along with the mashed potatoes, nuts and milk, a single tiny pearl swam into Harker''s stomach acid and got absorbed. Harker''s screen showed that the duration of this amount of DNA could onlyst for about 3 hours.

    [Princess Jinzhu''s Jiaoren Ability

    Raw Power: B

    Endurance: D

    Range: C

    Speed: R

    Precision: D

    Potential: A+ ]

    ''She really has a high speed. She even managed to injure Mr. Xi''s. It''s the best way to defeat his ability with his green eyes, I just need to have perfect timing.'' Harker thought.

    "Ugh¡­.. The water''s all over the ce. If I lose some of my payment for this month, you''ll be sorry, Jerry." Tomined. "Let''s go, you cocksuckers."

    "I still don''t know why the mermaids suddenly started waving and banging the ss¡­. Isn''t that weird?" Jerry said. "And did I really hear one of them speak English¡ª"

    "Shut it, Jerry!"

    The servers pushed their trolleys and left the room. Princess Jinzhu turned to Harker once they left.

    "I gave you the pearl as you told me, Harker sir. What now?"

    ''We wait for the janitor to take care of this mess. I hope you don''t mind that I would be escaping first. I wille back to retrieve you and your people with some back-up.''

    Princess Jinzhu looked worried for a second. Harker thought she must be worried if he would betray them after all. Her sister believed in Mr. Xi, but look what happened.

    Harker sighed. ''Trust me on this. If I wanted to escape by myself from the start, I would have just pushed the button and then tricked Mr. Xi. But I didn''t so¡ª''

    "There''s no need to exin. I''m just worried that something might happen to you once you get out there, Harker sir."

    She smiled genuinely at him, all her pearly white teeth showing.

    "I trust you."

    Harker couldn''t help but chuckle. He does get it twisted sometimes after all, he shouldn''t have assumed. He couldn''t help but feel even more determined just from that smile alone¡­.

    Her smile that''s more precious than golden pearls.

 Chapter 38 Worth Fighting For

    ?It took 30 minutes for the janitor toe and mop the wet floor. The old fellow was a chainsmoker and the smell of cigarettes always clung to him. Especially on his scruffy beard.

    He also had a habit of spitting a lot. He spat on the very bucket he used to mop the floors with, spat on a stain that won''te out, spat everywhere. Ptui! Ptui! Ptui!

    "Ptui! Those stupid hooligans¡­. They made such a mess, do they have cow dung for brains? Ptui!" He spat.

    As he swayed the mop and around, he suddenly heard a rapping on one of the sses on the left.

    ? "Mr. Janitor~ Yoohoo~"

    He turned, and blinked in surprise. It was one of the mermaids, talking to him. Yet this one looked strangepared to the rest.

    He had never seen this one before. Everyone else has golden hair and scales. Ths one did have a golden tail but her hair was a luscious red, and her torso wasn''t covered in scales¡­.

    It wasn''t covered by anything at all!

    "Hello there~" The red-haired mermaid waved at him, her breast out in the open.

    It was veryrge and swayed about in the water as she moved. The old man immediately drooled, which caused him to spit into his bucket again.

    "Ptui! Howe I never noticed ya before? And you can even speak English! I thought all these fish-brains only speak the Ching-Chongnguage!"

    The red-haired mermaid narrowed her eyes at the racist remark, but continued to smile. She went to swirl about to show off her beauty and her bountiful melons.

    "I''m new here, Mr. Janitor. Poor me had been caught and now I feel so lonely~ I used to have a lover who was a strong, mature merman with a beautiful beard that I just LOVE to caress and touch¡­. You remind me of him. Can I touch your beard just for a moment?"

    The janitor looked like he was about to explode. Especially in his groin area.

    "Heh¡­. So you fishes can like ''em hairy after all¡­. Hehehe..."

    He then shook his head. "But I can''t go near them fishes¡­. I was told that I can only mop these floors and touch nothin''....."

    "Oh,e on, Mr. Janitor! All I want is to touch your scruffy beard for one moment to ease my loneliness~" The red-haired girl pleaded. "How about we do an exchange?"

    "An exchange?" The old man raised his scruffy eyebrow.

    "You look¡­.. Quite excited down there. How about you take off your clothes and ease yourself. There won''t be anyone watching besides us girls here, there''s no cameras or guards." The red-head said. "Won''t you feel better once you let out that poison in front of pretty girls like us?"

    The old man''s eyes brightened up. "Y-You really want me to¡­.. Do that in front of you?"

    He turned to the mermaid sisters. All of them besides one was blind, and the one who wasn''t blind was frowning. She was giving the redhead mermaid a questioning look.

    "Oh, don''t mind her! She''s just a little shy. We all want some action after being so lonely for many years¡­. " She cupped her own breasts seductively. "I might even let you touch these humble ones if you just let me touch your beardter."

    "A-Alright! I''ll let you touch my beard just for one second, then I''ll jerk off to your big beauties!"

    The redhead mermaid smirked as he took off his uniform, along with his ID. It was fortunate that the janitor they sent was a perverted old man. It won''t be much of a problem even if he wasn''t, because of the Enhanced Subus Skill, but this was much more convenient.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He was fat too, estimated to be 90 kilograms. Even if he weighed less, he could be controlled to just put random objects inside so there would be enough weight.

    But destiny was on their side and gave them luck in the form of this fat old janitor.

    Once Mr. Janitor had taken everything off and revealed his pea-sized willy, he giggled like a little kid and tried to reach the breasts through the ss.

    "Come closer and open this tank first, silly~" The redhead mermaid said. "We have a deal, remember? I get yours and you get mine~"

    The old man spat out again. "Ptui! Hehe, yes¡­. Just a moment, my pretty fishie~"

    He opened the tank and used a stool to reach out inside. The mermaid got ahold of his beard, caressing his chin.

    "You really have quite the scruff, Mr. Janitor~ This is perfect, more for me~."

    The old man tried to reach his hands into the water towards those big, juicy melons. "Come closer, I can''t quite reach¡­"

    The redhead chuckled, and then her voice turned deep as she said:

    "How about youe closer here?"

    She grabbed his beard, pulling almost all of it out of his chubby chin. The old man wanted to wail in pain.

    But before he could even shout, his body dived into the tank by itself!

    He swam towards the regtor and the goggles, and wore it on himself. And yet, he couldn''t leave the tank even when he wanted to. His body won''t let him, staying in ce as the water enveloped him as well as the sickeningly sweet peach blossom scent.

    The redhaired girl turned into a merman in the blink of an eye, herrge melons vanishing.

    "I get yours and you get mine, as I said. But you had it twisted. I get your ce and you get my ce." Harkerughed as he swam up. "That''s why you gotta keep it in your pants next time, Mr. Janitor!"

    He swam up, and turned back into a human. He closed the tank with the panicking janitor inside. He wasn''t too worried since he can breathe with a regtor anyway, and it would only take until breakfast time tomorrow for the people to find him there.

    He looked at the strands of beard hair that he pulled for a moment, then ate them. He frowned. "These taste like cigarettes¡­. Blergh."

    He then picked up the clothes and the ID that the janitor left, and transformed into him. Princess Jinzhu observed all these transformations happening faster than her rare speed.

    "You really are a special one, Harker sir. I still don''t know what you really are. A human or a monster?" Princess Jinzhu wondered. "It''s baffling to think about."

    Harker chuckled. "Well, what do you think?"

    She shrugged, and smiled. "I think you''re just Harker. Harker the rugged gentleman who hase to save us atst."

    Harker didn''t know why he found that nickname somehow endearing. He tipped the janitor''s hat at Princess Jinzhu before leaving the room with the mop and the bucket, wearing a toothy smile.

    "Damn right! I''m just Harker, who wants to get y''all the hell out of here fast! I''ll fight for all of you!"

 Chapter 39 My Buddy

    ?Harker walked out of the factory with his hat lowered to hide his dark expression. He may have left with a smile to reassure the princess, but he was nothing but serious about this situation. He couldn''t fuck this up, everyone was relying on him.

    He went to look for the nearby payphone outside the factory. As he left the building, he watched the factory workers working the night shift. They pushed around pearl boxes, some delivered new tanks, and did many other tasks. They were busy 24/7 to perform their jobs.

    And so, if something slips once in a while, it would be no surprise if they don''t notice it.

    Harker found some spare change in the old man''s pockets. He was still a bit wet, but that can be excused with mopping the floors.

    He inserted the coins and dialed Rnd''s number. It didn''t even take him one ring to get an answer.

    "Harker! That wasn''t a while, what happened to you!? I didn''t receive a single peep from you for 3 days!" Rnd said worriedly.

    Harker snorted. "It''s only been less than 2 days since myst call, Roly-Poly. Don''t be so dramatic."

    "Just tell me what is going on with Mr. Xi''spany? Is it some illegal business? All we need is proof and the FBI could even bust them with just one phone call from me!"

    "Er¡­. It is an illegal business. But it''s not an illegal business that we can easily report to the authorities."

    Harker took a deep breath. He made up his mind. He can''t do this alone if he want to save every jiaoren with as little casualty as possible.

    There were many lives at stake, and he needed help.

    And so, he told his best friend the truth. All of it. Well, the summarized version since exining how the system works would be too long, or Yan''s background and all the other stuff that was not rted to this specific issue.

    Rnd listened in deep silence that Harker had to check once in a while if he''s still there. Every time he did, Rnd would sound distracted and say  "H-Huh? Yeah¡­. I''m still here. Go on."

    There''s a very high chance that Rnd would not believe him. About 99.9%, actually. He might think Harker had finally lost it after taking care of his family, his school and his part-time work all at once. That he had gone cuckoo due to the stress.

    And Harker did wish he was just crazy. But he wasn''t, and he needed to put his trust that Rnd would believe him and help him.

    "So yeah, I know all this sounds crazy but... Can you please help me free the mermaids?" Harker asked.

    Rnd was taking a pause longer than usual. Harker was close to giving up and trying to think of a way to save them all by himself, but he remembered not to get it twisted. Rnd may just be taking his time to understand all this. Or recovering from shock that his best friend literally killed two people who were actually demons¡ª

    "Oh, sorry. I was thinking of where I should have you stay before I go there myself to ''attend Mr. Xi''s birthday party''. I have a few associates not rted to my father that we could trust. Perhaps you can stay at my acquaintance''s hotel and casino down on Russell Road?"

    Harker blinked. "You¡­. You believe me¡ª"

    "Harker, if you told me that it''s raining literal cats and dogs, I would believe you. You''re not one to go this far on a joke. And if you did lose your mind, I trust that you would have made precautionary measures to not trouble me or anyone else." Rnd said. "So let''s get going. What''s the actual n? How do we free these merpeople?"

    "Damn¡­. This is why I fucking love you, Rol! I knew I could trust you on this!" Harker felt like tearing up from joy. "But wait, you''re going here?"

    "Yes, and you''re not stopping me. It''s better if we work together in person. I don''t care how dangerous it is, I''m booking the next flight to Las Vegas now."

    Harker thought about it, and he was right. It would be better to talk in person, as their calls might be bugged and listened to. And he could have Rnd see the situation for himself, making better judgements and adjustments to the n.<novelnext></novelnext>

    In the end, they decided to discuss things once they meet up in this hotel. Harker ran and hailed a taxi using the janitor''s money to go there. He was careful not to change back to his former self even in the hotel.

    He just mentioned that Rnd Faust had booked a room for him at the reception, and they immediately gave him a key to one of the finest suites. And the most private area too.

    "Rnd''s influence really is crazy. As expected of Crimson Cross Prince." He muttered to himself on the elevator.

    Yan suddenly appeared on his side. "Looks like Rnd will finally know your secret. Do you really believe you can trust him?"

    "Yes. Of course." Harker said.

    "Then¡­. Why do I sense some nervousness in you, Master?" Yan asked.

    Harker pursed his lip, then eventually told the truth to the flying eyeball. Yan had been reliable so far, as a system assistant andpanion. He knows his boundaries and doesn''t ask too much. He deserves a bit of honesty.

    "This would be another major thing I owed him. And if he somehow gets in danger because of this... I don''t know what I''d do with myself." Harker told him. "I already did it once, y''know. Got my best bud in danger."

    Yan wanted to inquire more about this certain memory, but the elevator opened. He disappeared and Harker went to the suit.

    He waited with both anticipation and apprehension for Rnd toe. Eventually, there was knocking on the door.

    He opened it. "Rnd¡ª"

    He suddenly received a roundhouse kick to the face!

    Harker fell to the ground. "Whoah! What the fuck¡ª Ah!"

    Rnd did not stop on delivering blows, and Harker had to raise his hand to protect himself. His best friend eventually took a gun, and asked with a stern tone.

    "Who are you, old man!? Where''s Harker!?"

    Harker''s eyes widened. Shit, he forgot to change the old janitor''s form.

    "Wait! It''s me, Rol!" He spoke in his own voice¡­.

    And transformed back to his former self right before Rnd''s eyes. "See? It''s me, your buddy! Harker!"

    Rnd blinked in confusion for a few seconds. Then¡­

    "Sweet mother of corn¡ª" Thud!

    He fainted.

 Chapter 40 Hes The Bomb

    ?Harker waited for his buddy to wake up. He had prompted him up on the bed and fanned him despite the already cool air conditioner.

    It was really unlike Rnd to just faint like this. Yet the panic must have gotten to him when he didn''t see his best friend behind the door.

    Eventually, his eyes opened. He looked at Harker like he was some kind of alien, then blinked once more.

    "Wait¡­."

    He reached out to Harker''s chin. "No beard¡­."

    Rnd looked at the clothes and sniffed about. Harker was so dumbfounded by his reaction. So much that he wasn''t able to push Rnd back when he sniffed at him like a dog looking for treats behind a cab.

    "You do smell Harker-y¡­.. Though there''s the smell of the clothes that haven''t been washed for days and cigarettes ...." Rnd thought.

    "Bro, it''s really me. Chill out, hah!" Harker chuckled. "This is the shapeshifting skill I told you about."

    "I know that, but¡­. Wow. It''s much different when seeing it in person." Rnd said. "I know for a fact that I have not taken any questionable substances this morning. But I just¡­ Wow. Just wow. You changed your appearance so fast."

    "Right? Pretty handy when you wanna y a prank on a bad professor or somethin''." Harker joked a bit to lighten his friend''s mood.

    Rnd still looked a bit frazzled. "So my friend really is a shapeshifter¡­. And he''s fighting demons and saving mermaids now for¡­. What reason, exactly?"

    "Well, they''re generally bad people and capture innocents, ruining their lives. That kind of stuff. Just think of it like superheroes, they save people ''cause of justice and stuff." Harker exined in ackluster manner.

    Rnd snorted. "You are NOT a superhero, Harker. You don''t have that mentality. There has to be another, more Harker-y reason."

    Harker made a face. "You really don''t believe I''d just start doing heroic stuff and fighting bad guys once I get powers?"

    Rnd shook his head. "Nope. I''d believe more if you use the powers to pull pranks on Professor Seward while she''s sleeping, like you said. But going into danger to save others¡­. It just isn''t like you, Hark. Though it is possible that it became your secondary goal after seeing all the bad things the Xi family had done to their victims."

    Harker sighed. Rnd was his best friend after all, he knew Harker so well and could read him like a book.

    So, Harker relented to telling him about the Shards. But not about Yan or Quan Zhi, since that stuff is tooplicated and still vague for him.

    "Alright¡­. I''m collecting these Shards to be human again. It''s a ssic tale, like The Tiny Mermaid. Not the Pissney version, the real one where the mermaid has to kill the prince to not die from the agreement and be a mermaid again."

    Harker exined, showing Miss Lovette''s Shard ne. "This is one half of those Shards. Mr. Xi has the other half as a ring. There''s 13 of them that I have to get to be human and maybe cure my family''s illnesses to have a better life."

    "Oh, so it''s a wishing star situation? You collect all the Shards, you get a wish?" Rnd asked.

    "Basically."

    His blond friend rubbed his chin. "This stuff sounds downright crazy¡­. But I believe you. That''s more likely to be your reason other than being a ''hero of justice''."

    Rnd picked up his luggage and opened it. "Here is the Tiger''s Eye ring that my father sent as a gift for Mr. Xi. If we could get him to wear it instead of the Shard ring, and take it off¡­ Then we could swipe it."

    "Yeah, stealing the Shard is easy." Harker nodded.

    Rnd hummed in agreement. "Mn. But saving those mermaids would be difficult. Do you know how many there are?"

    Harker frowned. "I don''t know how many, exactly. Possibly hundreds of them."

    "We would need more allies than ourselves then." Rnd said. "We also have to think of where these mermaids will go once they escape. We can''t rush, we have topletely assess all the information before we act."<novelnext></novelnext>

    He leaned back on the bedpost and covered his face. "Just like earlier. Damn¡­. I almost killed my best friend. I''m so sorry about that kick."

    Harker shook his head. "Nah, it''s nothin''. I''ve developed more endurance after bin'' a demon lord. And I don''t believe you would have shot that gun."

    "I would, actually. If I learned that old man did anything to you." Rnd said.

    Harker chuckled. "Hah! That''s a good one!"

    Rnd raised an eyebrow at him.

    Harker''s eyes widened. "You''re joking, right? You, Rnd Faust, who can''t even kill your father that you so hated¡­ Would kill a stranger in cold blood just for me?"

    Rnd did not answer. Instead, he took out a notepad and wrote things down.

    "We have to ship them back to where they came from." He wrote the word ''SHIPMENT'' and underlined it. "That''s the end goal. They can''t stay in this foreign country for too long, especially with many technological advancements that could affect their escape. So we need to bring them to ship. That''s our end goal."

    Harker knew he was changing the topic, but decided to drop it too.

    He really could have worded things out better. He just hoped he didn''t upset Rnd that much.

    "Right¡­ They came from the South China Sea." Harker told him. "I think that we could use thepany''s own shipping ferries to get them back there. They have so many all across the globe."

    "Yes. You mentioned that because of the electroshock devices in the merfolk''s stomachs, there''s an electromaic interference that disables CCTV cameras." Rnd said.

    He suggested: "What we could do is bribe some of the workers. Then, we start shipping some merfolk bit by bit each day. We ship them inside trucks that bring pearls to ferries. I heard from Mr. Xi that they usually take the route to Los Angeles, at the Santa Monica Pier."

    Rnd continued writing down all the details and his possible contacts.

    He continued: "We also have the advantage of the birthday party. Mr. Xi will be busy with preparations. And he''ll have less security in the factory to focus more on guarding himself and the guests."

    "How busy would he be? It''s just a birthday bash." Harker thought out loud.

    Rnd made a face. "He''s a billionaire, Hark. These kinds of things take months to prepare. I heard he''s going to have a grand party in a vi that was built between hispany''s corporate building and the factory. Guests would also start toe and meet with him 2 weeks before the party."

    He looked at Harker sternly. "I would be one of them. You have to be careful when I''m away. Don''t do anything without discussing it with me."

    "Roger that." Harker nodded.

    Then, he brought up another important phase to their n. "And how do we get away with¡­ Y''know, muderin'' him?"

    Rnd made an apologetic face. "I know you won''t like this idea, because Mr. Xi would not be the only casualty. But we have no choice if we want both the authorities and his men off our case. It''s the only way."

    Harker frowned. "And that would be?"

    Rnd drew something that looked like a mushroom cloud on his notepad.

    "We bomb the ce. At his own birthday party."

    -----------------

    A/N: Chapter 51 will be locked in Premium, so there''s 10 chapters left for free. You can unlock these chapters to support me as an author here or use Fast Passes that you gain through rewards and daily log-in. Thanks for reading so far!

 Chapter 41 Hypnotizing Power

    ?The next day¡­

    Tank K had been disconnected to the white room where the royal golden jiaoren sisters were being kept. At breakfast, the old janitor was found inside it, naked and banging the metal cover desperately. This of course brought confusion and fear for the servers who were about to feed Tank K''s prisoner with more blendered oatmeal and bananas on a syringe.

    The old janitor was shivering with only a towel around his waist as Mr. Xi assessed the situation.

    "T-The prisoner just jumped at me, B-Boss! Even made me take my clothes off an'' I have to put up a fight. I even got to punch his face! But he''s just too powerful¡­"

    Princess Jinzhu rolled her eyes at this and muttered under her breath in MandarinChinese. "Put up a fight¡­ pfft."

    There were no CCTV cameras to confirm this, but Mr. Xi had something better. He looked around the ce, and turned to the mermaid princess.

    "Any of youdies want to tell me what happened here?" He asked in Mandarin.

    The blind mermaid princess just remained slumping inside their tanks. The Eldest said spitefully. "We can''t see anything. How do you expect us to know what happened?"

    "Ah, but you can hear, can''t you?" Mr. Xi still smiled at them despite their attitude. "How about Princess Jinzhu? Did you see how the young man was able to escape?"

    Princess Jinzhu did not meet his eyes. She just kept it closed, and shook her head.

    Mr. Xi knew what she was doing. "I see¡­. You do not wish to tell me. Did you help him?"

    She spoke in Mandarin. "Ask that old man yourself, use your eyes on him."

    He thought about it, and nodded. He turned to the janitor. "Can you tell me more about how you punched this powerful young man, Sir?

    His eyes gleamed bright, and the janitor was lost in it for a while.

    After getting the information he needed, Mr. Xi left the white room while putting on some gloves. He talked to his secretary at his side. "Who are the guests we would be meeting for today? I want to take some time to find our dear Harker Jones. I do wonder where he went off to, in such a ce as Vegas. It''s easy to go astray in Sin City."

    "The electroshock device in his stomach is still intact so far, Sir.  We may not know his location, but we know he''s still alive." The secretary''s long forked tongue slithered. "I''ll have our connections search for him. We received emails from 8 guests today that will be scheduled to meet you at different times at the grand vi."

    "List their names then. I''ll decide how long I''d want to entertain these people."

    The secretary went on to list various big names all over America that wants to give their regards to Mr. Xi before the birthday party. Finally, she mentioned the 8th guest¡­

    "And we have a sudden emailst night from Rnd Faust that he will be arriving on his father''s behalf today as well. That''s all, Sir."

    Mr. Xi raised his eyebrow.

    "My godson ising too?"

    -----------------------------

    Rnd waited in the lobby of the grand vi. The real party room was upstairs on the rooftop, with an infinity pool to boot. It can amodate hundreds of people at once.

    He was not easily impressed. He had seen better ces. But he did pay attention to every detail more than he usually does.

    These men in suits¡­. Women with their cking heels¡­.. They may or may not be human.

    Harker had told him that he needed to get the DNA sample of Mr. Xi besides providing some distraction. If he couldn''t, n B would be to get a DNA sample of a snake demon like him. He had given the signs: unnatural colored eyes, hiding scales with clothing, too wide lips and stretchy smiles.

    But that was still not a 100% deciding factor. Colored eyes could be due to contact lenses. It was springtime and they''re in a formal setting, soyered clothing is the norm. So all that was left was the lips, but humans can have wide and stretchy lips too.<novelnext></novelnext>

    His observations were interrupted when the receptionist told him that Mr. Xi would now be meeting on the rooftop of this vi. Rnd stood up and made his way.

    He appeared oddly calm despite having to meet with monsters. Well, he was raised with dangerous people after all. This was the same, just a different species.

    DING!

    He finally met with the man who called him his ''godson''. Mr. Xi was a pretty likable fellow for him. It was easy to warm up to someone like that because he was humble and honestpared to the other tycoons Rnd faced every day.

    But he never once fully trusted him. Nor anyone in this world, for that matter.

    No one except Harker.

    "You seem to be distracted a little, Rnd. You''ve been looking at my ring quite a lot."

    Rnd nodded. "I was just thinking if the ring my father bought you would fit. You haverge hands after all, Mr. Xi. Bamboo fingers, you said."

    "That''s right. My ring size is 16." He said. "But that''s not what I''m talking about. You''re behaving differently, Rnd."

    "I don''t follow what you''re talking about, Mr. Xi." Rnd focused on his wide smiling lips.

    Harker was right, it really was umon for lips to stretch as wide as this.

    "You usually look people in the eye when you talk to them." Mr. Xi said. "That''s a trait I liked about you. It''s very professional. But now you wouldn''t even meet Uncle Jiaoshe''s eye¡­ Does something bother you?"

    Rnd steeled himself. He had known that this snake demon would notice it. But Harker told him that no matter what, he shouldn''t look at this man''s eyes directly. Especially if it started to shine.

    It means he was using his hypnotizing skill.

    Harker was able to deduce that his eyes could hypnotize people into stopping their movements and admitting the truth to every question he asked.

    "It''s just that I have much to think about for the uing finals." He sighed. "I''m a bit nervous. I also mentioned my eyes being sensitive to sunlight. The sun''s re in Las Vegas is much stronger here even in spring."

    Mr. Xi nodded. "Ah! Yes, I remember now. That makes sense. Would you like me to purchase some sunsses for you?"

    "No, thank you. I just forgot to bring the ones I had." Rnd sipped his tea to bring his focus there.

    Mr. Xi did the same and believed his excuse. "By the way¡­. That Harker Jones your father and I talked about. How is he today? Have you heard from him?"

    "I wasn''t able to." Rnd lied easily thanks to not meeting his eyes. "Harker is busy with research during school days. Why did you ask, Mr. Xi?"

    "Nothing. I''m just curious about that boy." Mr. Xi also took anguid sip on his tea. "Do you mind giving him a call on this telephone over here? I have decided that I want to invest in his future as well. I''d like for him to be my godson too, to help with financial problems, school problems¡­."

    He gave Rnd a certain look. "Family problems."

    Rnd gritted his teeth. So that''s why he gave those pearls after all.

    He knew about his murderous thoughts about his father by hypnotizing him. And now he''s using it to ckmail him into calling Harker.

    He really was a goddamn snake.

 Chapter 42 Sending You Over The Edge

    ?Rnd thought about what would be the best choice in this situation. He looked at the telephone, then back at Mr. Xi putting down his tea and wearing that sly smile while waiting for him to make a call or decline¡­

    Rnd decided to pick up the phone, and dialed a number. He waited anxiously for it to ring, and then¡ª

    A loud sound came, ring at his ears and shocking him!

    "UGH!" He eximed, and ended up throwing the phone.

    Itnded on Mr. Xi''s tea set and spilled his tea everywhere. The man looked at the mess, and saw that it had reached his clothes and even his gloves. He doesn''t seem to mind the heat at all, only frowning slightly about the stain.

    "I''m really sorry, Mr. Xi!" Rn said. "I don''t know where that sound came from¡­. I think it was a siren? I must have dialed the wrong number¡­."

    Mr. Xi took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped himself. "It''s alright. Ah, but my telephone cable has been sshed too¡­. We better leave this room as we might get electrocuted or something will explode."

    They left this section of the rooftop, and headed for the seating area near the infinity pool. Mr. Xi''s bodyguards rushed to call for a technician and a cleaner to handle this mess. Rnd watched carefully as Mr. Xi moved faster than light to change his gloves and put on new ones.

    He threw the old ones at a nearby bin.

    "That''s really unfortunate. Do you think Harker was near a siren? It sounds familiar, almost like the fire trucks''s siren." He said.

    Rnd shrugged. "I don''t know¡­..  I just dialed the number for our school''s Biochemistryb."

    "Oh, it was his school''s telephone number in New York?" Mr. Xi raised his eyebrows. "I see. I wonder why your school would have siren sounds, then. I hope there''s nothing burning there."

    The truth was, Rnd dialed the number of the restaurant that he saw in the news this morning. It was very fortunate that he had seen the news of this certain resto suddenly dealing with fire on the east side. The sirens were from the Las Vegas fire department taking care of it, and there''s no one to answer the call since everyone was busy dealing with the fire.

    Through luck and quick thinking, Rnd managed to avoid the trap Mr. Xi had set for him¡­.

    And also had a chance to get his DNA.

    If snake demons have scales and shed skin, some of those dead scales or skin cells can cling onto the gloves he wear. Rnd went to retrieve it after apologizing once more to Mr. Xi and excusing himself.

    "It''s time for me to check in with my father. He always asks his assistant to give me a call with this Japanese ''cellr phone''." Rnd said.

    Mr. Xi nodded. "I see. You also have a Nogia, eh? I also have thetest model without an antenna, but it''s still taking me a while to understand how it operates. I can''t get it to work when I''m inside my factory for some reason."

    "Perhaps it''s electromaic interference. EMI can affect all kinds of radio transmissions." Rnd said.

    "I see. Yes, that''s most likely the reason." Mr. Xi thought. "There are certain devices in my factory that can cause major EMI¡­."

    Rnd remembered that Harker still has that electroshock device in his stomach. He gritted his teeth, and thought about how he could take that device out of his friend. It has to be an expert to take it out, and the operation might be dangerous.

    Yet the longer it stays in his abdomen, the more dangerous it could be for their whole n. They could use it against him at thest minute to shock him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Although if they could do that in long distances, they would have done so. They couldn''t, so now Rnd has an estimate on how much distance the electroshock device could work. It only has the range of that one room Harker was imprisoned in.

    "Thank you for the tea, Mr. Xi. And sorry for the trouble. I will have to go now." Rnd excused himself, and had his bodyguards and assistante to the rooftop to give more pressure for Mr. Xi to let him go.

    The snake man nodded. "Of course. You said your father was in Italy, right? Tell your father I said ''Ciao'', and give me a call about how he''s doing."

    "I will."

    Rnd briskly walked towards his associates, but Mr. Xi suddenly put a hand on his shoulder.

    "Oh, and Rnd. If you ever receive any news from Harker, you''d tell me, right? You also worry about his future. I just want to talk with him and extend my help. Just like all the things I''d done for you so far."

    Rnd''s jaws tensed, but he still spoke warmly. "Of course, Mr. Xi. I''d tell him that."

    "Hmm¡­ Well, thank you for apanying this old man as well. I always enjoy your visits."

    Rnd may not see Mr. Xi''s eyes, but he knew that he was clear of suspicion. Rnd just knows people that well. It''s not just the face that you could rely on reading, there''s also the overall bodynguage. Even the position of the feet could tell you something.

    "Can I have a hug before you go? Mr. Xi smiled. "You know our family usually does that. Since we treat everyone that we help out as family as well."

    "Of course, Mr. Xi¡­"

    Rnd steeled himself, and gave the snake demon a hug. While he was doing this, he had sent out hand gestures at his associates.

    These people had long understood their boss'' hand gestures that it was almost like their personal signnguage. They know it meant  "T-R-A-S-H G-E-T G-L-O-V-E-S"

    They quickly went into position, so that one of them would retrieve the gloves while the others would cover for him. They did this as swiftly and naturally as possible.

    The hug was over, and so too was the retrieval of those gloves. Mr. Xi patted Rnd''s shoulder. "You could alwayse to China if you want. Uncle Jiaoshe would take care of the matters for you. I have a lot of ces for you to stay in, even inds¡­"

    Rnd knows he doesn''t mean to visit. He''s inviting him to run away to China from his father and his arranged marriage.

    "Thank you for the offer, Mr. Xi. I''ll be seeing you at the party." He responded dryly to this.

    In great distaste, he finally left the vi. He was sessful in achieving his mission and clearing himself of suspicion. Mr. Xi doesn''t think he''s involved with Harker''s actions for now. He believes Rnd knows nothing about Harker''s involvement with the world of monsters.

    He took that glove from his secretary, and took a taxi back to the hotel where his friend was. He looked up at the vi onest time by the window¡­.

    And saw Mr. Xi just standing at the edge of the rooftop, his green eyes watching him.

 Chapter 43 Fish Eggs

    ?Harker had been staring at the ceiling for a while now.

    Rnd told him to stay put while he retrieved the DNA sample. He had also checked in with Rnd''s people on how the bribery was going, and it was going smoothly. As of 6pm, at sundown, they had already bribed 57 workers and shipped 32 jiaorens unnoticed to trucks that lead to the Santa Monica pier.

    They had also bribed those in charge for head counting, that''s why they don''t have to worry about getting caught fast. It was all methodical, thanks to his best friend''s skill in strategizing.

    Everything was going ording to n, and yet he felt unsettled by just waiting here.

    He had no problems listening to Rnd before. Everything he said, he would just follow. Because not only did he know Rnd''s n was logical, he had also put his trust in him more than anyone in this world besides his family.

    But this was his mess, and Rnd was taking the lion''s share of cleaning it. Rnd was even going inside the snake pit and putting himself in danger.

    "UGH! Why does it feel wrong to rely on him somehow? It''s always like this¡­." Harker said. "I feel like I''m somehow his greatest burden."

    Yan appeared. "It seems to me that you feel guilty every time you ask him for help, Master¡­."

    "Because it''s just not fair to him! I don''t like how unfair this friendship is. I get to benefit from him all the time, and I can just sit back and rx!" He rubbed his face. "I can only afford to buy him cheap birthday cakes and coupons to the BBB on his birthday! What kind of friend am I!?"

    "If you care enough about these things, then you are already a good friend, Master." Yan told him.

    "Pah¡­.. It''s just unfair. I can''t stand unfair things." Harker thought. "I need to also do something. I''d go insane if I stayed here. And besides¡­."

    His face flush red a little.

    "Princess Jinzhu and her sisters are waiting for me. The least I could do is give them an update on what is happening. Just a quick stop everyday before the birthday party is enough."

    Yan suddenly looked displeased for an eyeball. "Ah, I see now. It''s not actually about Rnd, but the princess. I should have known, Master."

    ''What? Both are the reasons why I have to go!" Harker argued. "And they''re both logical reasons too! Maybe I will find something that can help us out somehow during the Big Day. It will be difficult to help the princesses escape because their room is more guarded and hidden."

    Yan shrugged. "I guess so. But I have no doubt that if Rnd gets here and you''re not around, he''ll be upset."

    "I''ll be quick!"

    Harker jumped out the window and started swinging. He was more careful to go to swing at more secluded areas as people here pay more attention to all the sights and buildings, even taking pictures.

    And so, despite promising his friend that he won''t do anything that''s not ording to their n, Harker left to visit the factory again.

    He sneaked into the usual restaurant where the workers go. Now, they''re having dinner. He transformed into Xi Hua again and lured one of them to the bathrooms.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was thest day that he could do that. Xi Hua''s absorbed DNA will run out tomorrow. That was why it was important that he take Mr. Xi''s DNA before that happens so he can unlock Enhanced Snake Demon Ability.

    Then, he would stand a chance at that overpowered hypnotizing skill.

    Now wonder he was able to easily defeat Miss Lovette/Lady Aixiang so easily despite her working hard for power himself. There''s a high chance that only Mr. Xi and his father have this hypnotizing ability. He had mentioned it as their solution for the ''poisoning'', which was Lady Aixiang''s body controlling Subus'' power.

    Controlling the body was less powerful than hypnotizing. Because then, the person still has their consciousness on what was happening to them. But with Mr. Xi, it was immediate. He takes away both consciousness and will of the person. He could even get them to reveal the truth.

    If Harker had that power, it would be easier to defeat monsters like him. These monsters¡­.

    They were rarely dumb. Vain andcent, yes. But they were crafty, because of being raised to always having the danger of other monsters consuming or harming them. It was a dog eat dog world, beast eat beast for them.

    He thought about these serious things while going into Princess Jinzhu and her sister''s room. The guards were more tense, but Harker had easily talked his way through by saying the Boss sent him to photograph their situation. He even stole a camera from one of the workers.

    "To make sure that you know, none of ¨¦m escaped again because certain people were not doing their jobs properly." He acted smugly while wearing the worker''s face.

    The guards were obviously flustered by this, and their embarrassment turned to anger. They hit Harker on the back of the head. "Fine, just rush it, will ya!? The one that escaped can change faces, it''s not fair for us!"

    Harker''s face darkened. So Mr. Xi used his powers to learn from the janitor that he can change appearance.

    Luckily, these human guards were dumbasses. But on the other side of the building, towards the exit, were the snake guards. Their forked tongue flitted out and their slitted eyes narrowed as he entered. They were much more cautious than the human guards. Mr. Xi must have deployed more of them. They were usually his own bodyguards but he decided that they watch over the mermaids more.

    Harker opened the door and closed it. The no-CCTV thing really was a blessing, even though the electroshock device was pretty troublesome. He wished he could just rip it out of his stomach and every mermaid''s stomach.

    The best solution was probably to take them far away from the factory so the signal won''t reach them. Or even out of the activation switch''s range would do.

    He saw Princess Jinzhu''s back turned towards him, and she was fiddling with something. The other blind mermaids were asleep.

    "Princess." Harker whispered quietly, approaching her. "Princess, I''m here¡ª"

    He stopped on his tracks, and his eyes widened on what the princess was fiddling with.

    "Nggh¡­. Hah¡­. Can''t get it out¡­ There."

    She was¡­..

    Releasing giant unfertilized fish eggs from a slit on her tail. Her genital slit.

 Chapter 44 Still Worth It

    ?Harker blinked hard in confusion.

    Then, he asked as politely as possible. "Are you... Spawning right now?"

    "Is spawning what you humans call it? Then, yes." She said, holding out one giant fish roe. It was so bizarre to look at. "It''s mating season for us around this time. So I have to release these eggs without any father to inseminate them."

    People who are not interested in science probably do not know that fishes usually reproduce through a process called ''spawning''. It depends on the species on what the methods were. But fish roe as we know it were female ova released into the water to mix with a male fishes'' semen. For carps, they usually mate and spawn once a year depending on certain factors like climate.

    But Harker studies these things closely. More specifically how gics were passed down for these animals. So he was all too familiar with the reproductive process.

    Now he wonders if jiaoren mermaids also¡ª

    "Munch! Munch!"

    Princess Jinzhu took a bite on the unfertilized egg she justid.

    Yep, his hunch was right. It was also not umon for fishes to eat their own eggs, especially when they were hungry.

    But it was still certainly a¡­. bizarre sight to behold.

    Princess Jinzhu saw him looking, and misinterpreted it. She held out the giant fish roe.

    "Do you want some? There''s a lot, and they''re not even good ones for breeding." She said, "Ah, but they can''t pass through the hatch, they''re too big to fit in¡ª"

    "Maybe some other time, then." Harker grimaced. "No need to force it if it won''t fit."

    He loves fish roe, but this was¡­.. This might take a bit of getting used to. He was still not mentally prepared. He''d probably feel the same if he encountered a half¨Chuman half-bird creature that eats its own unfertilized eggs straight out of its coochie.

    It''s just harder to digest, pun intended.

    Princess Jinzhu just shrugged, and continued eating. "Suit yourself. My father was also the same, but not my other father. Oh, my other father was my mom, by the way. When our dad died first due to those deep-sea miners, she changed to male."

    That''s another thing about fishes. Many species were sequential hermaphrodites and can change sex for various factors. Most of which were "protogynous", or changes from female to male when their male partner dies.

    "I know that." Harker scratched his head. "It''s just strange to see fish anatomy mixed with creatures that appear human, but it''s also fascinating. Your sisters can turn into a king too when the timees, right? Once you all escaped here."

    "My eldest sister probably can." Princess Jinzhu said. "Though¡­.. They have given up their eyes too early."

    She looked down, sadness filling her sea-blue eyes. "They never would have thought a gentleman like you woulde and save us. They were ready to die, and even now, I still feel they are."

    "It''s called depression. Humans have it too, and it''s much easier to have when you''re caged like this." Harker said, frowning. "But we are slowly setting you all free."

    "We?" Princess Jinzhu tilted her head.

    Harker went on to exin about his best friend Rnd. What he looks like, what kind of person he was, and how much he trusts him. ''He told her about the n in a hushed voice, and she listened while munching on fish roe.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "And you believe this n would workpletely?" Princess Jinzhu asked.

    "Yes. I trust Rnd, and in the human world, money can buy you almost everything. Money is the greatest power a human can have." Harker said. "Unless they be a cultivator like you said. I have yet to meet one."

    "Me too. I have never been to the surface before the war with the deep-sea miners." Princess Jinzhu admitted.

    Harker couldn''t help but feel even more sorry for her. She probably had fought alongside her family, and saw her own parents die before her eyes. The battle he had while watching his mother perish through leukemia was different, but the impact it had on them was the same. It''s very difficult to lose a loved one, especially family.

    "I heard that cultivators can live for thousands of years, be immortal, or ascend to godhood." Princess Jinzhu said. "Meanwhile, no matter how we monsters cultivate, we still remain monsters. I guess that''s what makes humans special, they can easily adapt and change like you do, Harker sir."

    "Yeah¡­. But godhood? I wonder if there''s still any of those gods that exist. I wonder what they think of this world we have now." Harker thought. "It''s very different from before."

    "It is. Like how humans that live onnd know about ''spawning'' that we do underwater." She nodded. "Speaking of¡­ I have to release more again."

    Harker gulped. "M-More?"

    "Yeah, and it''s always hard to get them out of my hole. I have to squeeze my stomach really hard." She inserted her finger inside her slit again and tried to pry it wider. "Gah¡­.. So¡­. Tight¡­."

    "Oookayyy¡­. I guess I have to go now. This feels pretty privated. I already told you about the n and Rnd is probably waiting for me¡ª"

    "Can you stay for a moment? It''s really difficult to do without someone else. Usually the male jiaoren wraps himself around the female jiaoren to help her squeeze it all out." She winced. "But I have no such support. Your presence somehow calms me down though."

    ? Harker does not really know which would be the best decision.

    But the moment he saw the usually calm and collected Princess Jinzhu shedding tears due to the pressure ofying eggs, he had made his decision.

    "Alright¡­.. Maybe you should try to take a few deep and slow breaths." Harker pressed his hand on the ss. "Breathe in¡­. Breathe out¡ª-"

    "Ahh! Ahhh! It''sing! It''sing! Ohhh~ Nggh¡­."

    ''Sweet mother of corn, help my poor virgin ears to not hear weird things. It''s literally justying eggs¡­.'' Harker thought to himself. He repeated it again and again as Princess Jinzhu continued to moan loudly and suggestively to his ear.

    And eventually, all the eggs wereid. Hooray?

    Princess Jinzhu breathed raggedly once she had her sweet release, fogging up the ss tank. She turned back to her usual gentle and mellow self.

    "Thank you, Harker sir. I really appreciate it." She gave the best smile Harker had ever seen on anyone before.

    He was a bit dazed by it, almost hypnotized. "Yeah¡­ No problem."

    Well, at least he gets to see that precious smile again. It''s still worth it.

 Chapter 45 Broken Promises

    ?When Rnd opened the door to their room, his heart dropped when he saw that Harker wasn''t there.

    But he tried not to panic easily. He looked around and called out. "Harker? Harker, I''m back!"

    And yet he couldn''t find him anywhere. He checked the bedroom, the kitchen of the suit, the bathroom, the balcony...

    Nothing!

    It couldn''t be¡­. that Xi Jiaoshe and his men somehow found him, right? He had just been there earlier, and from the report of Rnd''s people, they were very discreet in their operations and nothing was amiss. So where could his best friend possible be¡ª

    He suddenly saw a hand grip the railing of the balcony.

    ""Hyup! Ah¡­.." Long ck hair flew into the wind as Harker climbed up and jumped inside the balcony''s deck.

    His eyes widened like a cat caught stealing someone''s meal when Rnd was standing there, staring at him.

    "O-Oh. Heya, Rnd¡­." His heart went back to its original length, and his eye twitched. "Didn''t see you there¡­. Whoops¡­."

    Rnd immediately rushed towards him. "Where have you been!? Did you go outside even when I told you not to!?"

    "I was just¡­. grabbing stuff at a convenience store." He showed the bag of beer cans that he had with him. "This fancy hotel doesn''t have a single can of cheap Brooklyn Logger."

    It was lucky that he thought of swiping these beer cans on the way back in case he didn''t make it in time and Rnd got home before him. It''s not really one of the best alibis, but Rnd does know that he wasn''t fond of rich people''s stuff and prefer the cheap and simple things.

    "You should have just asked one of the bodyguards to buy them for you!" Rnd argued.

    "I know, but I don''t wanna trouble the big guys out there. It''s just some beer, plus they''ll use your money to buy it." Harker patted his shoulder. "Just rx, okay? I''m safe, aren''t I?"

    Rnd furrowed his brows, and still looked on edge. Harker instantly knew that something happened, otherwise Rnd won''t be too anxious like this. His voice softened, as he bowed his head.

    "Okay¡­. I''m sorry for makin'' you worried. But are you alright? What happened with that snake Xi¡ª"

    "I''m fine." Rnd pushed his hand away. "I got the DNA sample you wanted. It''s just his gloves, so it''s not much. He was almost onto me, that''s why I''m a little frantic."

    Rnd took the gloves from his pocket, wrapped in a stic ziplock bag. He then went back inside the suite after handing it to Harker, leaving him alone in a cold manner. He stomped off, clearly upset with him.

    Harker followed him.  "Hey now! I feel like there''s something you''re not tellin'' me ''ere. Are you mad at me? Come on, Rol, just say it¡ª"

    "I''m not mad at you." Rnd said with his back still turned at him. "I was just¡­. I told you to stay put for your own good. Because I don''t know how I''ll manage to keep calm if something happens to you."

    Harker frowned. "I''m really sorry, okay? And you have to remember that I''m a demon lord with powers now. I won''t get hurt that easily."

    Rnd turned to him, sighing. "Just promise that you will stick to the n and not do that again."

    "I promise." Harker said. "Just chill, okay?"

    Rnd scoffed and smiled at the same time. "I don''t mean to nag. I sound like some overprotective father. But you know this is not just some easy situation that we found ourselves into, right? These are supernatural beings we are talking about. It''s my first time encountering them."

    Harker agreed. "I know. That''s why I didn''t want to get anyone involved in the first ce."

    "I am now. We''re partners-in-crime till the end, whether you like it or not." Rnd punched his shoulder teasingly. "Just remember that you trusted me to be the brains of the operation. So you gotta listen to your brain, mister."

    "Roger that." Harker said...

    But his heart still ached to see Princess Jinzhu every single day. And so he did, breaking his promise to his best friend.

    For the days leading up to Mr. Xi''s birthday, he would often sneak out while Rnd was not around and personally oversee the Shipment Phase of their operation. While his friend took care of the dangerous matter of shipping as many mermaids as they could back to China¡­.

    He visited the princess and her sisters. Sometimes talking about the n and other steps they could take, but mostly to have idle conversation and get to know each other more.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "So you have gained his gloves, Harker sir." Princess Jinzhu leaned on the rock at her tank. "But you did say that too little ''DNA sample'' means you won''t be able to use his powers for that long, right?"

    "Yeah. But what mattered was that I took a sample before his daughter''s DNA ran out. That way, I had gained an Enhanced Snake Ability that''s much stronger than his. All I needed was to get a sample from him again to re-activate it." Harker exined.

    On the night that he consumed the gloves'' skin cells, Harker saw Mr. Xi''s ability stats:

    [ Xi Jiaoshe''s Snake Ability

    Raw Power: R

    Endurance: A+

    Range: R

    Speed: R

    Precision: R

    Potential: D ]

    When Harker pressed ''Yes'' on the pop-up to gain the Enhanced Snake Ability, this is what showed up:

    [ Xi Jiaoshe''s Snake Ability

    Raw Power: SR

    Endurance: A+

    Range: SR

    Speed: SR

    Precision: SR

    Potential: D- ]

    He asked Yan: "Why did the potential be D-?"

    "This means that the ability has reached its limitation, Master. It cannot be enhanced further than this." Yan exined. "Just like I mentioned, already naturally powerful abilities have lower Potential. Mr. Xi had lower Potential for development than his daughter, so this is the small price to pay for merging those two together. This is why the pop-up asks if you are sure or not."

    Harker raised an eyebrow. "Why didn''t you tell me sooner?"

    Yan blinked. "You didn''t ask me to, Master. I only do what you ask."

    Harker''s face darkened, then he shook his head.  "It doesn''t matter, it''s a small price to pay, like you said."

    He told Princess Jinzhu all this, who also nodded in agreement.

    "At least you will be more powerful than him. And I will also help you." She offered. "I''m pretty fast¡ª"

    "I know. But you should focus on getting yourself and your sister away before the bombs'' timer begins." Harker told her. "I''ll take care of it, all I need is a pearl from you. There''s no need for you to join in our fight."

    Princess Jinzhu frowned. "I see¡­.. I promise."

    But as the golden rule said, ''Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you''. Harker should have remembered that.

    A promise breaker would also get broken promises.

 Chapter 46 And Sold Souls

    ?Mr. Xi had turned 69, ording to the legal documents of his birth.

    Of course, the party held at the rooftop of the vi wasvish as could be. People would be dressed in gowns and suits, and they all had prepared bikinis and swimwear for the afterparty held at the infinity pool areater at night. The buffet was full of gourmet dishes served in silver tters and tiny tes. Lobsters, caviar, Mediterranean hors d''oeuvres¡­. It has it all.

    Everyone was too busy basking in this opulence and sharing fake smiles andughter with each other. Everyone including the host of the vi and the birthday boy himself.

    Rnd made his way with a ss of champagne in hand. It was noon, and the sun shone over his baster skin. The re would be damaging to his sensitive eyes, but he was now wearing sunsses

    "Mr. Xi. Happy birthday." He said with his usual well-mannered smile.

    The man''s green eyes lit up as soon as he saw him. "Ah, my godson! How have you been, Rnd? Do you find the party enjoyable?"

    "Very much so. It has everything needed for a perfect birthday bash." Rnd said. "When shall we give our gifts, Mr. Xi?"

    "Hahaha, you are looking forward to giving gifts already? That is usually at the end of the main party, before the afterparty. So you may have to wait until dinner time." Mr. Xi took a ss of champagne from a server too, picking it up gently due to hisrge hands. "Are you in a rush to leave? Is there an important ce that you have to go to?"

    "No, I just wondered. Since we would have to present the gift to everyone and deliver toast while we do it. I just want to prepare for my speech." Rnd told him.

    "Oh, you don''t have to practice! Just say what you honestly wish for Uncle Jiaoshe!" Mr. Xi chuckled.

    Rnd nodded. "I will, Mr. Xi."

    During this whole conversation, he never met his eyes. Thanks to the sunsses it was now not as obvious as before. Rnd and Mr. Xi talked some more, before Rnd excused himself to talk to some familiar people and business associates of the Faust.

    But he actually went to the bathroom, holding a walkie-talkie.

    "Operate final shipment, over. We have approximately 6 hours."

    ------------------------

    Harker saw the bodyguard before him receive the message on the walkie-talkie. The buff, bald man turned to him and gave a nod. Harker nodded back, and they went inside the limousine.

    Inside, the bodyguard handed another ziplock bag, this time containing strands of hair.

    "This is the DNA sample of the bank robber that escaped just 7 months ago. He is known for using explosives and keeping hostages with guns." The bodyguard told him.

    Harker nodded. "And were you able to retrieve any DNA samples from Mr. Xi again?"

    "I''m afraid not, Mr. Jones. Mr. Faust had decided not to attempt it anymore as he believed it was too dangerous for the operation." The bodyguard said.

    Harker did not mind. "It''s fine, I just gotta handle it myself. This fight is between me and Jiaoshe anyway."

    The limo drove all the way to a factory, along with several Jiaoren Co. trucks. But the people in these trucks were hired men by Rnd Fausts, and several of the workers and even guards that they have bribed.

    They entered the area, covering all sides with guns in hand. One of them made an announcement at the inte.

    [Everyone hands the air and do as we order. We repeat. Hands in the air, we have several bombs ced under this factory that will detonate in approximately 6 hours.]

    Many workers panicked, but they were sessfully herded by the team to stay in their ces and not let a single one escape. Due to the EMI from the devices inside the jiaorens, telephone calls inside the factory were not possible either or if any of them had amunications device.

    There were some stubborn ones that tried to put up a fight and appear heroic, but as son as a certain peach blossom scent lingered in the air¡­..

    These morons behaved and knelt on the floor with their hands behind their heads.

    The voice at the inte continued to speak.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [We demand all of you to bring the mermaids to tanks, in designated order and session. Anyone who fails to follow these instructions will be shot.]

    The men with guns have masks so none of them could be recognized. The only who who didn''t have it seemed to be the mastermind of the operations: the notorious bank robber they saw on the news known as Jacob Blitz.

    This criminal, Jacob Blitz, had this odd flower scent around him as he walked further into the factory past the distress crowd and towards a certain room. The guards of that room aimed their guns at him, but they all stopped and could not move.

    "It''s him! The prisoner that escaped the tank!" They eximed.

    "I dunno what you''re talking about, fes." Harker broke the door open, still chewing on something crunchy.

    The guards realized he was checking on a woman''s delicate hands and fingers, and they almost pissed their pants.

    It was a good idea that Harker had asked one of Rnd''s people to grab some of his ''Miss Lovette snacks'' for this day. That way, some of the bloodshed would be avoided. They may be goons of the enemy, but they were simply doing their jobs and they were still humans.

    Once entered the door to the room he was once imprisoned in¡­.

    Harker saw Princess Jinzhu''s eyes lit up when she saw him. Even with a different face, she instantly recognized it was him from the aura alone.

    "I almost thought you''d nevere, Harker sir." She said, wearing that rare, genuine smile. "I''m just joking. I have always trusted that you would."

    He gave his usual toothy smile at her.

    "Sorry if it took so long. Let''s go."

    Harker had made the guards shoot the electrical screens on the wall, and disable the electroshock feature attached to the mermaids. Their bodies moved out of their own will to push the tanks one by one outside into the trucks to be shipped.

    The process took a while because one tank needs at least 4 men to push it due to the weight. But by working efficiently together, they have shipped more than half of the mermaids by 3 o'' clock.

    It was doing so well. Harker said to the Princess: "We just have to wait for your turn. We will have you all shipped back to China in no time."

    Princess Jinzhu nodded, but something seemed to be troubling her. Harker didn''t like that since this was supposed to be a happy asion for them, where they finally gain back their freedom. He asked her about it.

    She replied. "I will miss you, Harker sir. Thank you for everything."

    Harker''s heart clenched. They have only known each other for a while, but he did find that Princess Jinzhu was a fun mermaid to be around. She may be a bit entric and strange, but he was too, and they y off each other pretty well.

    But¡­.. Well, she''s a mermaid. She belongs to the sea, and he belongs onnd. She and her sisters have a whole kingdom to take care of.

    He will miss her too, though. They have developed a pretty good friendship over this incident. Maybe¡­.

    Maybe it could have developed into something more too if the situation was different. But he didn''t tell her that, since it may make it harder for the both of them to be separated.

    "You''re wee¡­ Just promise to have a good life after this." Harker said. "You have many years ahead of you, I''m guessing. You can live peacefully now."

    Princess Jinzhu shook her head. "No. We won''t."

    She admitted what''s bothering her. "Actually, I wish I could stay. If only I could walk onnd¡­..  I''d be able to find that scum."

    Harker furrowed his brows. "Find who?"

    Her face darkened as she said:

    "The one who sold us to Xi Jiaoshe."

 Chapter 47 I Spy

    ?Harker''s eyes widened. "The one who sold you? Wasn''t it that Mr. Xi and his men offered to give you help after that ident with the deep-sea miners?"

    "Yes, but someone told him about us. Someone rmended him to do that." Princess Jinzhu said. "I am sure now. I have pretty good hearing too, you know. Not just my sisters. I have listened to the guards outside talking about it."

    She clenched her fist, her sharp ws appearing and injuring her as her aggression was triggered just by the thought.

    "Some demon sold information about us. I want to know who that is, and make him pay."

    Harker was surprised, and didn''t know what to say. Logically, it''s not a good n for a mermaid like Princess Jinzhu to look for a demon who lives onnd. She doesn''t even know a single thing about his identity, other than that he was a man and he had connections with Mr. Xi.

    But seeing her filled with determination like that, he felt the urge to help her achieve that somehow¡­. She deserved justice for the wrongs done to her and her people.

    Their conversation was interrupted when another tough-looking bodyguard rushed towards them from outside the factory.

    "Mr. Jones! We have a problem! You need tomunicate with Mr. Faust outside immediately!"

    Harker squinted at this. He turned to Princess Jinzhu, who also looked confused and anxious by this news.

    "What''s wrong?" Harker picked up the walkie-talkie and went outside. "What did he say?"

    He pressed the button to get connected to Rnd. Instantly, he heard rugged breaths and gunshots.

    "Harker! Mr. Xi and his other men areing to the factory soon! Evacuate the area immediately as we would have to detonate the bombs faster!"

    "What!?" Harker eximed. "But why? Weren''t the bombs only supposed to detonate once you stole the Shard from him so I can fight him outside the factory?"

    "Yes, but he suddenly made the gift-giving ceremony earlier! It''s already finished, I already had the Shard. Then somehow he knew what''s going on and had his guards aim their guns at the guests and tell us to stay still as he ran to the factory!"

    Harker''s heart went cold at this. He still somehow knew, even without hypnotizing Rnd.

    How¡­..

    Then, he now spotted the figure of a long-haired man. His hair just grew longer and longer, until it became like thick ck tendrils covering everything. It went to stretch all the way inside the factory¡ª

    And before Harker could dodge it, it took hold of him too. He brought Harker to him, and Harker quickly closed his eyes.

    "Ah, it seems that you guys had thrown another party without me. Not good, son." Mr. Xi said¡­..

    As he nuzzled Harker''s face with his cheek. "If only you behaved¡­. I would have been like a Father that will give you my love and protection forever."

    -----------------------------

    Mr. Xi sip on his champagne while looking at the people surrounding him. So many people¡­..

    He remembered the first time he got out of the well. He was surrounded by so many people that time too. Most of them were like him, with green eyes, long ck hair and scales all over their body.

    "You have grown now, my child. It''s time that I train you and teach you how to attack our enemies." His father said. "We are currently battling the Bai n. They are currently at war, and you are tasked to infiltrate them as they do not know of your identity yet. Find their weaknesses and information about the leaders of the Bai family."

    That was on his real 69th birthday. He looked like a young man back then, about 19 years old. The Xi n did not greet him or celebrated his birth. They simply gave him the mission, and what he must do to protect their n.

    In the Xi n, family does not mean that you have to ''love'' one another. Showing affection by greeting during birthdays, reading your children bedtime stories, that kind of thing.

    Family simply means ensuring that every member does their part, that the n''s name was protected, and that all threats would be eradicated.

    That was what love meant to them. Even if one may bear hatred or disagree with what the other had said, they cannot abandon family. Any traitors would not be banished, but instead imprisoned and kept ''safe'' by cutting off their legs or being thrown into wells just like Mr. Xi was.

    Mr. Xi had grown to believe that love was the most true love.

    Especially when his dear Xiao Niao died. That bird who was his only friend.

    Spending 68 whole years under a well, Mr. Xi only had Xiao Niao. Xiao Niao was small enough to fit into the gaps of the bars locking the well.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Xiao Niao, what do you want to eat today?" He would ask the tiny bird, as he present the food thrown to him. "We have a deer for this morning, and some bamboo shoots. I prefer meat, so I bet you like it too!"

    He tried to offer the tiny bird meat, but the bird did not eat it. Xi Jiaoshe was uneducated after all in his years stuck in a well, so he did not know that Xiao Niao was a sparrow and only eats fruits, seeds and insects.

    "You don''t like meat? You can have bamboo shoots then." He took small strips of it and fed the bird.

    Xiao Niao nuzzled its small head on his cheek as thanks. It ate bamboo shoots, and the boy experienced joy for the first time. Taking care and protecting this bird was the first thing that genuinely made him happy.

    But once Xiao Niao flew away, it died. And so, not having his protection in safety must mean death to all things that make him feel happy.

    That''s why, when another baby bird fell onto hisp¡­

    "You want some bamboo shoots, Ni Niao?" He asked, smiling. "Here you go¡­."

    Ni Niao went to eat the strips of bamboo shoot. While it was busy eating¡­..

    His hair grew and constricted the bird, tying down its wings. It struggled, but Xi Jiaoshe had tied it tight. He took the little birdie to his palm and nuzzled its head on his cheek.

    "Now you will be safe forever! Nothing can ever harm you while you''re here by my side, Ni Niao!"

    When he had a wife and child, he did the same thing.

    He gave them food to eat, but also tied them down with constant reminders that if they did try to escape from him, he could easily find them just through his abilities and his followers.

    "Don''t touch me. I can sit by myself." Lady Aixiang took his hand off her waist.

    "Haha, I knew that, dear. I just want you to be careful." Mr. Xi said as he went behind her chair. "Hua-Hua, stand properly, please."

    The little girl with red pigtails scoffed. "Why can''t I go to school yet? Why do I have to stay in this house for hundreds of years unlike the other kids?"

    "Well, your body is too frail for the outside world. You have to grow up first before I let you outside." He said. "Then, you can go beyond Mt. Kunlun and bath in the Huang He river to get rid of your scales."

    "It''s not fair! I''m sick of living in this cave! I wanna see the sky outside!" She stomped her foot and tried to run towards the exit¡ª

    But hair constricted her, and brought her back to the living room.

    "Not good, Xi Hua. I guess I should keep you inside the well too for a while."

    Xi Hua''s eyes widened. "NO! NOT THE WELL! I HATE THE WELL! NO!"

    He just chuckled. "If you behave for this portrait, then I won''t bring you down the well. It truly is too slimy and murky anyway, not a good ce for a properdy."

    Xi Hua cried and cried. "I will behave now¡­. Just please don''t lock me down that well, Father¡­."

    He nuzzled his daughter''s face just as he does with his birds. "That''s my girl. Very good."

    He set her down gently, and the snake-demon painter continued painting the family portrait.

    Mr. Xi puts his hand over his wife and his daughter''s shoulder, promising.

    "If you behave, Father will love you so and will protect you forever."

    He sighed as he was back to the present, done with reminiscing.

    "And they broke that promise. Too bad. It seems it''s not just girls who never learn their lessons, but boys too."

    Mr. Xi just gave a smile as the blond boy walked out of the bathroom. He did not seem to notice the small bug that he had put on him today when they had their small talk. Just like how he did not notice the one he put on his first visit, when they hugged. That was how he heard Harker Jones'' voice and learned about their ns.

    His father did not pick him to be a spy on the Bai n for nothing, after all.

 Chapter 48 A Dog That Bites Its Owner

    ?The walkie-talkie that Harker was holding got smashed against the wall. Rnd panicked as all he could hear from the other side was white noise.

    "Harker! Hey! Answer me! Hark!"

    He was hiding underneath the tables as the gunshots continued.

    A gruff voice yelled: "Everyone keep quiet!!! Like we said, you all just have to calm down as we give a brief body check! Mr. Xi had received news that one of you was working with a bank robber to infiltrate his factory, and we need your cooperation to find the perpetrator."

    There were still many rich folks thatined, but eventually shut their traps once they heard the gunshots and had rifles aimed at them. They eventually went in line for the body check, and there was nervous tension in the air.

    Rnd cursed. These people already knew who was working with the ''bank robber''. They''re just doing this for show in order for the humans to have an exnation of what was going on.

    Once they would use the walkie-talkie as evidence against him, they could easily get him imprisoned after defeating Harker. Whether defeating means he was dead or alive, it was all up to Mr. Xi.

    Rnd kept quiet beneath the table, considering his options. The sweat on his forehead was already cold, as he had been nervous since earlier¡­.

    An hour ago, at 4pm, Mr. Xi suddenly announced that they would have the gift-giving ceremony now.

    "I was asked earlier why bother making this partter for dinner, and I agree. It''s not very good to keep people waiting to deliver their gifts, especially if they have other ns for the evening¡­." Mr. Xi said to the crowd, his green eyes gleaming.

    Rnd''s heart was pounding like a caged bird, but he steeled himself. So what if it was early? Perhaps he can find a way to stall so that the detonation could still be at 6pm.

    But it was foolish to think that way, when Mr. Xi has the hypnotizing ability.

    One by one, the guests looked into his eyes as they delivered the gifts. They say the truth in front of everyone. How they like or dislike Mr. Xi, what they think about the party, the real reasons that they attended, and even how some of them are plotting to keep Mr. Xi out of thepetition.

    And these people do not remember a single thing. They just stood there, confused as to why people were staring at them as they hadn''t even delivered their toast.

    When it was Rnd''s turn¡­.

    "Ah, it''s my godson''s turn." Mr. Xi wore that overly-stretched smile. "Come, Rnd. What do you have for Uncle Jiaoshe?"

    Rnd still wore his confident smile despite the pressure he was on, He picked up a ss for the toast.

    "What I have here is a Tiger''s Eye ring. A suitable gem for a man of power, vitality, and attentiveness. This ring would better suit our celebrant, Mr. Xi Jiaoshe, who from the start of his business 15 years ago still remained to be the best golden pearl distributor around the world."

    The people raised their sses too and wore fake smiles as he delivered his speech. Rnd wanted to know what Mr. Xi''s expression was, but couldn''t look him in the eyes. His fingers would sometimes shake as it held the ss of champagne, but nobody noticed.

    He was sure that no one did except for the snake behind him.

    ".... And so I congratte Mr. Xi for another wonderful year of existence, and may he continue to be as prosperous as he is now for many years toe."<novelnext></novelnext>

    A servant gestured to take the ring from him, but Rnd shook his head.

    "May I ce the ring on our celebrant''s hand myself?" He asked.

    The people were shocked. It may be an odd sight for a man to put a ring on another man in public, but then again, popes have people kiss their rings, right? Kings had someone put their crowns on for them. This was just the same.

    Rnd kneeled on one knee, and asked for Mr. Xi''s hand. "Let us give you a better ring, Mr. Xi."

    Mr. Xi did give his hand and let him take away the Shard ring, smiling. "You can have it and give it to someone you value just as I did with my Aixiang."

    "Really?" Rnd pretended to be surprised. "But I was the one who''s supposed to give you a gift, sir. Not the other way around¡­."

    "It''s nothing. You are a very good man, Rnd. I know for a fact that you will do anything for those you truly care about. You and I love people the same way." Mr. Xi watched as the blond boy put the Tiger''s Eye ring on his finger. "We know how important it is to keep the ones we love close to us, to give them everything they ask for but in moderation, and most importantly¡­."

    He grinned. "To keep them tightly in our grasp. Whether it''s physically, or figuratively."

    Rnd gritted his teeth. "I don''t know what you are talking about."

    "Hahaha! Every giftes with strings as I always say, my boy. You give this person everything and use that to keep a close connection. Like how humans keep a dog and feed him, pamper him, and train him to be their loyal pet." Mr. Xi said, sounding amused.

    Then, he clicked his tongue. "Ah, but I''m afraid that you are letting your little doggie slip away by pampering him too much. He might be distracted by a stray bitch on the streets and run off before you know it."

    Rnd controlled his emotions, no matter how much Mr. Xi taunted him. He instead answered dryly:

    "I do not love like that, Mr. Xi. That sounds more like very, not love."

    Mr. Xi shrugged. "Whatever you may call it, my boy. As for now¡­."

    He whistled, signaling his men for something.

    "I have to take my leave. You see, a little birdie told me that a dog had gone loose in my factory, and will start destroying everything that I valued and protected. I hate to hurt dogs, but even the cutest one has to be put down when they bite, right?"

    Rnd looked up in horror, and met those gleaming green eyes. That was how he had passed out for about 5 minutes.

    When he woke up, he was luckily close to the table and so he easily hid there and gave the call. But he doesn''t know what''s happening now to Harker, or if Mr. Xi had reached the factory already. He might have warned toote.

    "Please be safe, Hark¡­." He mumbled, holding the Shard closely in his hand. "I believe in you."

    All he could do was to hope that this powerful ''dog'' that Mr. Xi wanted to put down would be able to bite and maul the hell out of that snake.

 Chapter 49 Last Words

    ?Harker struggled from the hair gripping him. He then used his scent tomand the bodies of Mr. Xi''s guards to shoot their master.

    Mr. Xi dodged them with ease and then his eyes gleamed. The guards stopped shooting and stayed still on their tracks. He chuckled, clicking his tongue.

    "Oh, son. You''re going to have a lot of my people hurt. I can''t have you in my care anymore if you constantly be a threat to my people."

    Harker gritted his teeth. It''s no use. He decided to focus his Subus Ability to control the guards to help with shipping the remaining mermaids faster, along with Princess Jinzhu and her sisters.

    "GO! GET EVERYONE OUT OF HERE AND DETONATE THE FIRST BOMB!" He yelled to Rnd''s men.

    Princess Jinzhu panicked as she got pushed towards the trucks that will take them to Santa Monica pier. The hair was slowly crushing Harker, until he was coughing up blood.

    She yelled and pounded on the ss as she watched him suffer.  "No! We can''t leave Harker sir behind!"

    "Just stay¡­.. Still¡­. Your Highness¡­. Cough!" Harker wrestled with the hair strangling his neck.

    He has no Snake Ability anymore because Xi Hua''s DNA had run out. The gloves only had enough samples for him to unlock the Snake Ability. If only he could get a sample from Mr. Xi right now¡­.

    But it was impossible, as he was much stronger and had faster reflexes than Harker. It''s like he could quickly guess every single move Harker makes. And it''s harder to attack him as Harker had to keep his eyes closed to not be hypnotized by him. One small nce¡­.

    "Harker sir! Cover your ears!" Princess Jinzhu yelled. "I''m going to save you!"

    Harker''s eyes widened. "No! Don''t do it, Your Highness! Just get out of here¡ª"

    "WAAAAAAAAWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

    Mr. Xi had already covered his ears with his own hair, and Harker''s ears as well. The shriek broke the nearby tanks in a 5 meter radius, along with the windows and other ss material in the building.

    Princess Jinzhu burst out at deadly speed, heading towards Harker. She had her ws and fins out, ready to w the hair away from him.

    The snake demon chuckled. "Very good! Our little princess will actually be the one to save her prince¡ª"

    But she didn''t.

    She only feinted to w at the hair restricting Harker, but actually turned her body away so that her dorsal fin would hit something else.

    And that something were Mr. Xi''s eyes!

    "Gah!" The snake demon received a very deep cut across his eyeballs and nose bridge.

    While he was distracted, Princess Jinzhu wed the hair off him and knocked Harker with her. They rolled on the ground a few meters away from the blinded demon.

    Harkernded on his back, with Princess Jinzhu on top of him. The princess was breathing heavily, her gills drying up and unable to receive water to turn into oxygen. Mr. Xi had said that he lungs were underdeveloped, and it was likely because the jiaorens were not allowed toe into the surface as much as possible.

    "Harker sir¡­." Princess Jinzhu cried golden tears. "Take my tears¡­. and this snake''s hair¡­. And kill that bastard¡­."

    "No! Stay with me, Your Highness! Don''t lose consciousness yet!" Harker held her tightly, carrying her and rushing towards the factory that''s about to explode. "We just need to get you some water quickly! Don''t close your eyes yet, ya hear!"

    Princess Jinzhu wore that same gentle smile and mellow voice despite saying: "Stupid human¡­. This is your chance to kill him¡­.. Just leave me alone¡­."

    "I will kill him after I get you some goddamn water, ya hear!?" Harker said, angrily chewing on Mr. Xi''s hair.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He gained back the Enhanced Snake Ability thanks to this. He then took one of the golden pearl tears from Princess Jinzhu''s eyes. This increased his speed, and he was able to swing around with his hair to travel inside the factory faster and look for ces with water.

    He found a metal cylinder that was used to store water to be transferred into the tanks.

    This cylinder was connected to a chute reaching far below, about 60 meters down. It functions like a well for the cylinder to gain water from the pipelines connected to it.

    Harker yanked the cylinder off the chute it connects to, and turned it quickly upside down so the water it carried won''t spill. He put Princess Jinzhu inside, who could barely fit up to her corbone. But at least her gills could absorb some water now.

    She gasped as she stayed in that cylinder, her arms hanging out from it. Harker pushed the off switch to stop the chute from ejecting water and flooding the room. He then pushed another button to drain therge hole down below, and caught his breath as he waited.

    He was injured, but he was ready to face that snake demon Mr. Xi now. That demon must have followed him, as he heard banging a few meters away.

    The east side of the factory had already exploded. Debris would fall on them soon, not to mention this side might also explode.

    So he had to finish this quickly and get himself and the princess out of here.

    "Come here, you bastard snake!" He yelled.

    Harker eventually saw Mr. Xi stumbled inside the room they were in. His hands were on his bleeding eyes, and yet¡­..

    He still wore that difortingrge smile.

    "You are making a mistake, son¡­." He said. "I am not your enemy here. There are far worse things in this world than being protected by me¡­."

    "Fuck your twisted protection!" Harker eximed, rushing towards him to attack.

    He had jiaoren ws out to reach for this man''s heart, and he had his hair as well to keep him in ce. But to his surprise¡­..

    Mr. Xi did not move.

    He just let Harker take heart out, and did not fight back. What he did was to use his hair to trip Harker¡­..

    And as Harker stumbled back, Mr. Xi that was attached to his hair fell into that deep hole where the metal cylinder was.

    Harker''s eyes widened. The gravity and weight of Mr. Xi was making his head feel heavy, despite his hair being strong enough to lift tons. He realized it was because Mr. Xi''s own hair was reaching out to the pipes to attach himself there and add more weight.

    Even with his heart taken out, Mr. Xi still managed to live for a few minutes and even p his lips.

    Harker could barely make it out, as he heard the booming sound of explosionsing near them and had to let go soon. He believed this was what Mr. Xi said on hisst moments:

    "But I must say¡­.. Very good, Omniscient One. You always defeat every adversary in your path until the end."

    Harker had to let him go on and watched Xi Jiaoshe''s body go limp before even hitting the end of that well. He carried the cylinder containing Princess Jinzhu with him, as thest explosion came and left the factory in shambles.

    BOOM!

    The Demon of the Jiaoren Factory was no more. But¡­..

    Harker wondered what he meant by thosest words.

 Chapter 50 Marking The Beginning Of An End

    ?"Young Master Quan! Young Master Quan, there is a mortal woman at the steps of our gates!"

    The one who was called ''Young Master Quan'' turned his gaze at the junior cultivator who delivered the news. Their sect wore robes that were pure white, and the only flush of color were the red petal designs scattered at the lower regions of the outer robe. However, if one looks closely, these petal shapes have dots in the middle of them¡­.

    Resembling several eyes.

    The Young Master Quan was standing by a pagoda-style pavilion overlooking the mountain ranges of Mt. Kunlun. Their sect was not designed to be luxurious or imposing. Just from the architecture alone, you could tell that they valued simplicity and closeness to nature. The cobblestones that formed the buildings were naturally uneven, and so too were the stairs and elevations.

    And this young master does not appear like a grand character at all. He wore a toothy, bright smile towards everyone, even to the birds and the trees. He has sunkissed skin and a warm, idle aura that makes you believe he was the type to not think too much of life and just breeze through it.

    He gave a pat on the rmed junior cultivator''s shoulder and smiled at him. "Calm yourself, Junior Zhou Qian. Have you told Father of this?

    "No, young master! Sect Leader had gone into the woods to hunt with Junior Fu in the Huang He river!" Zhou Qian said. "What shall we do, young master? The woman asks for help, but we cannot taint the purity of this sect by having a mortal enter the gates!"

    The young master sighed. "The Hui Xin sect follows too many rules that may be of detriment to those in need. Isn''t the true mission of our righteous sect to oversee and deliver justice to the mortal realms?"

    Young Master Quan stepped down the rocks of the small hill where the pavilion was. "If she may not enter inside, then I shall meet with her outside the gates."

    Zhou Qian''s eyes widened, but he followed the entric Young Master. Young Master Quan follows all of the rules in the sect, and yet he was willing to disregard the unspoken rule of immortals: To avoid direct interaction with mortals as much as possible.

    What''s worse was that the woman had approached the steps, without even being able to see anything there. For mortals, the Hui Xin sect''s grounds were nothing more but an abandoned temple.

    How did she know that it served as the immortal righteous sect''s abode? Isn''t Young Master Quan being too careless?

    "Do not make assumptions, my friend." Young Master Quan suddenly said. "Yes, it may not be a mortal that we are dealing with. It may be a treacherous demoness or a beast that has transfigured. But¡­."

    He squinted his eyes. "What if it was truly a mortal in need? And due to suspicion, we were not able to attend to our duties as Overseers of Justice?"

    Junior Zhou Qian''s face turned red with how easily the young master read his mind. He became even more flustered when he had given a legitimately good point.

    "I apologize for being so anxious, Young Master¡­.." He bowed his head.

    The jovial young master just patted his head. "Ah, do not bow your head so. You may be right in the end and have the chance to gloat to an ignorant young master like me."

    Therge brass door of the Hui Xin''s heavenly sect opened with just a gesture of Master Quan''s hand. In the mortal realms, the door was nothing grand and made simply of oak wood. The shivering woman was surprised by this, and blinked.

    "Have¡­.. Have the immortals heard my pleas?" She peered around at the temple and saw nothing. "I hope so¡­. Oh my poor father and mother¡­. Sob¡­"

    It was raining in the mortal ne. The woman''s crimson hair was drenched and her simple green robes were soaking wet. Her cherry-red lips quivered, and she hugged herself at the steps. She had walked for miles just to reach this temple, and looked very fatigued.

    Young Master Quan''s heart was touched by this. He made himself seen¡­.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And stepped out of the gates, appearing in front of thedy.

    "What is it that you need aid with,dy?" He asked with aforting voice. "A young and fair woman like you should not be shivering in the rain like this."

    The woman was startled, and stood up straight. Her green eyes were wide as she looked at Young Master Quan''s gentle face, and tried to clean herself up. She stuttered as she spoke.

    "A-Are you¡­. an immortal, Sir?" She asked.

    The young master smiled. "You may simply call me Quan Neng. That is my given name."

    "Master Quan Neng¡­.." She bowed her head low. "My name is Xi Hua! I havee to ask you to save my Father and Mother from the demonic n An Xin!"

    He narrowed his eyes. "What grievous deeds did the An Xin sect do this time?"

    "Many years ago, the An Xin sect had plundered our vige and created children that they would im once they found suitable. Those light-haired, light-eyed, light-skinned demonic bastards were our ancestors, much as it disgusts me!" Xi Hua gritted her teeth. "My great grandfathers are part of An Xin. Both sides of the family are descendants of that demonic sect."

    She pointed at her hair and her eyes.

    "That is why my mother''s hair was red like a peach blossom. And my father''s eyes are green like a snake''s. But my mother is a simple gardener, and my father is a simple fisherman. We only survive by selling our mother''s flowers and my father''s caught carps in the market."

    Young Master Quan Neng had the ability to determine if she was saying the truth or not. And he could confirm it. He could also sense for the vige she hade from, and the atrocities the An Xin n had done to its people.

    "Where is your mother and father now?" He asked.

    "My father is kept under a well, and my mother was¡­.. grabbed and toyed with by several members of the n¡­.. Sob¡­." Xi Hua cried and cried. "They made me fake my death by setting our house on fire and spilling the blood of our chickens. I hid at the chicken coop for several days, almost starving to death."

    She shivered more just by remembering the events. "When I was on the brink of death, I was fortunate enough to encounter someone from your n that goes by the surname Fu. He told me that you could help me¡­."

    "Ah, that must be my adoptive brother. He is still a junior and so he could visit the mortal realms often and cultivate there." Quan Neng said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Do not worry, Xi Hua."

    He promised sincerely:

    "I will save your family and return them to you, so you may continue to live a peaceful life. This is the beginning of An Xin''s end."

    ----------------------------

    A/N: This is thest of the free chapters. You can use coins or Fast Passes that you gain from daily log-in and rewards. I hope you''d still continue to read this book as the story is far from over. Thanks for reading so far, and if you can''t unlock the Premium chapters, I hope you enjoyed this story at least. :)

 Chapter 51 Reluctant Agreement

    ?Harker was awakened inside a moving vehicle, with no windows around him and only its metal walls. It must be the back of a truck.

    He blinked. Beside him was the metal cylinder where he had ced Princess Jinzhu. She was also asleep from exerting her powers too much by yelling and exhaustion from being unable to breath through her gills.

    ''Right¡­. Princess Jinzhu and I escaped from the factory on time.'' Harker thought as he rubbed his face. ''After that, I got into the truck and¡­. we must have passed out.''

    But what was that weird dream, he wondered?

    It''s starting to disappear in his mind now, just as dreams do. It was said that in the first 5 minutes of waking up, we can only recall 50 percent of our dreams. And once 10 minutes had passed, we had already forgotten 90 percent. That''s why most people who keep dream journals write down their dreams as soon as they wake up.

    Harker doesn''t keep dream journals, and he wasn''t one to pay attention to dreams much. He could only recall those robes with petal patterns, and something called An Xin¡­.

    ''Dark Heart''.

    "Heart¡­. Wait, where did I put Mr. Xi''s heart?" He suddenly recalled, looking around him.

    A gruff voice suddenly came from the darkness, along with a shlight. "Oh, you''re awake now, Mr. Jones. We''re almost at the Santa Monica Pier."

    Harker was jolted fully awake from the bodyguard''s sudden appearance. "Ah! Y-Yeah¡­. I see, Sir. Have you seen the heart that I was carrying?"

    "Yes. We have kept it here in a cooler with some ice." The bodyguard told him. "You must clean yourself at once before we reach the beach, Mr. Jones. You have changed into your current appearance while you were asleep. We''ll be meeting with Mr. Faust there, as he still needs to be released from questioning."

    "Questioning?" Harker asked.

    "Mn. Mr. Xi is dead. The police helicopter had scouted the area and estimated at least 200 deaths. They were still excavating the area, but the bodies most likely had exploded beyond recognition. Everyone who attended the party had to be questioned." The bodyguard exined. "It''s all over the news."

    Harker''s eyes widened. 200 lives dead¡­.

    Some may be their enemies, but there''s also no doubt¡­.

    Some of them were innocent humans and mermaids.

    "Her sisters¡­.." He pointed to the sleeping Princess Jinzhu. "Are they alright?"

    Harker had already anticipated the answer, and yet his heart still dropped several meters below from the truth.

    The bodyguard took off his cap and sighed. "Only 2 of them have survived and were able to be ced inside other mermaid''s tanks, Mr. Jones. But know that we tried our best. We lost several of our men from the explosion too."

    "Only two¡­.. God¡­." Harker rubbed his face.

    His heart was already breaking for Princess Jinzhu. He doesn''t know in what way he could tell her about this without making her totally devastated. It was impossible. She had lost all but two of her family after all.

    But in the end, he had to say it anyway.

    By the time they reached Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Pier, Princess Jinzhu had stirred awake. She was transferred to a better tank, and Harker had exined what had happened to her. Golden pearls fell from her eyes endlessly as she wept.

    As for the remaining sisters, they were in a separate truck. It was the Eldest Sister and the 7th sister. They were allowed to go inside the same tank and embrace each other as theyment the loss of the others. Not just by their family, but several other jiaorens that did not make it in time. Harker wiped his lower eyelids as his chest ached just by watching them.

    Soon, a limousine came. Harker turned, and the person inside the limo tackled him into a hug before he could react.

    "I''m so d you''re safe!" Rnd said. He felt cold and was shivering.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker patted his back. "Me too, buddy. I''m d nothing happened to you, I heard gunshots. And you''re so cold¡­.. Are you alright?"

    "They kept us in the detention area for questioning for at least 18 hours. The AC was very cold, and I was starving. But I''m alright." He said, looking at the marks on Harker''s skin made by Mr. Xi''s hair. "Were you able to kill him?"

    "I was." Harker said. "But.... So many were killed, Rnd¡­."

    "I know. I''m sorry, it''s all my fault. We found a bug as small as a button on my suit pocket." Rnd started to choke on sobs. "If I had been more careful¡ª"

    "Hey, don''t say that!" Harker scolded him. "None of them would have escaped without you, okay? This whole n wouldn''t work without you. I''d probably get caught by Mr. Xi and his men again if I didn''t contact you the night I escaped the factory. So don''t me yourself."

    They were suddenly interrupted by a mellow voice.

    "Is this Rnd sir that you talked about?" Princess Jinzhu asked.

    Rnd steadied himself, stopping himself from crying. "Yes¡­. You must be Princess Jinzhu."

    "I am¡­. I just want to thank you for helping us escape, Sir. Without you and Harker sir, we would have been stuck in that snake''s grasp forever." Princess Jinzhu bowed her head deeply in gratitude. "Thank you for all your efforts."

    "That''s alright. No need to thank me, Harker is my best friend and I''ll do anything for him." Rnd told her.

    "I know. Harker is lucky to have a reliable friend like you, sir. But¡­." Princess Jinzhu clenched her fists. "May I ask for your help once more?"

    Rnd raised his eyebrow. "For what?"

    Harker already knew where this was going. "Your Highness¡­. Just let it go and leave it to us. You should just go back to China with your sisters¡ª"

    "No. I already made my decision, and I told my sisters about it." Princess Jinzhu said firmly.

    Her sisters nodded, cing a hand on her shoulders as support. They may not be able to understand English, but they could understand what they were talking about from the tone alone.

    "I wish to stay here in America, Rnd sir. I want to find the one who had wronged us the most, the one who sold us to Mr. Xi. Please help me¡­. I''m willing to stay anywhere."

    Rnd looked unsure. But Harker was moved by her determination, and everything she sacrificed so far. It would be unfair to give her this.

    "Princess Jinzhu saved my life. I wouldn''t be standing here right now if it weren''t for her, nor would I have the chance to defeat Mr. Xi." Harker said. "If you''re not going to help her, then I''ll find a way."

    Rnd frowned and crossed his arms. "And where are you going to keep your fish girlfriend? Think about this rationally, Hark! Isn''t it enough that we helped them escape!? You''ll get into trouble if you keep her!"

    "That''s why it would be better if we had your help. But if you don''t want to, I understand." Harker looked around the secluded area in the pier.

    It would be hard to bring along arge mermaid tank all the way back to New York, but he has to find a way. He had to help Princess Jinzhu.

    "I already brought you enough trouble as it is, Rnd." He said, picking up the metal cylinder and thinking it might be easier to slip her inside a truck that he can drive on his own all the way to NYC. "I''m stuck in this troublesome life with monsters and shit. It would be better if you cut ties with me from now on¡ª"

    "Now hold on a minute!" Rnd grabbed his shirt, looking very mad and upset. "You''re not cutting ties with me just for some fish girl! Fine!"

    Rnd reluctantly agreed to help Princess Jinzhu and let her stay with them. In his house.

 Chapter 52 Turns Into A Disaster

    ?Harker was relieved, but also felt guilty. He didn''t mean to use such underhanded methods of threatening his friendship with Rnd in order for him to help Princess Jinzhu. But he had no choice, as Rnd would not budge unless he did something.

    He felt like a terrible friend.

    He had owed him so much, and he still wronged him this way. Just for a girl.

    Really terrible. Harker couldn''t even look Rnd in the eye during their whole trip back to New York in a private jet.

    Still, he had to settle this tension sooner orter.

    He decided the best thing would be to show gratitude. "Uh¡­ Thanks for this again¡ª"

    "Shut. It." Rnd interrupted him, picking up a Men''s Fitness magazine and flipping the pages open furiously.

    Harker gulped, nervously drinking some iced tea. Meanwhile, Princess Jinzhu watched the two of them in curiosity inside that metal cylinder, drinking some iced tea too for the first time.

    "Shut. It." She repeated the way Rnd said it.

    Rnd closed the magazine and raised an eyebrow at her. "Is there a problem, ''Your Highness''?"

    "Oh. Nothing." She looked away and pursed her lips. "I just thought your tone just now sounded really annoyed towards your best friend."

    "I''m not annoyed. I just want some peace and quiet." Rnd went back to reading, crossing his leg.

    Princess Jinzhu shrugged. "Well, you seem annoyed to me and Harker sir and you''re making him ufortable. I don''t like seeing him ufortable like this."

    Harker scratched the back of his head. "Princess Jinzhu, you really shouldn''t say those things out loud¡ª"

    "WELL. I''m so sorry if my humble desire for some peace and quiet while I read my magazine was disturbing the two of you." Rnd stood up in a huff. "I shall be moving further back on the jet then. Enjoy yourselves."

    He moved further back, and took out his walkman. He plugged in some heavy rock music on his earphones that was so loud, Harker and Princess Jinzhu who had refined senses could still hear it. The lyrics being shouted by the singer goes something like:

    ''I WANT TO KILL EVERYONE

    I WANT TO KILL MYSELF

    TAKE ME AWAY FROM HERE

    AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!''

    Harker and Princess Jinzhu shared an awkward look at this.

    Princess Jinzhu leaned closer to him. "Why is he so mad, Harker sir? I thought he said he was willing to do anything for you, and that he was fine with helping us."

    Harker thought he should really teach this mermaid how to read the room. But then again, he can''t me her as the only people she interacted with for many years were mermaids like her, and she knows nothing about howndwalkers interact amicably with each other.

    "Listen, Your Highness¡­. Don''t be too blunt with Rnd." Harker whispered. "He''s just pissed off because he thinks I''m making a dumb decision, which I really am. Plus, I did a bad thing by using maniption on him just so he would agree to help you."

    "Maniption?" Princess Jinzhu frowned. "But Harker sir is a gentleman, you can''t be maniptive."

    "Er, I''m not a perfect gentleman." Harker said. "I can be pretty shitty too, especially when I tell my friend I would cut ties with them if they don''t give me what I want."

    "But that''s also because you want to keep him safe, right?" Princess Jinzhu turned to Rnd again. "I think your friend is being unreasonable here. There must be another reason why he''s so upset."

    Harker sighed. "Just don''t go and make him even more upset. He''ll cool down eventually."

    But Princess Jinzhu just never follows what Harker tells her to.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Moments passed, and Harker was getting tired so he took time to sleep. After a few hours, they were about to make theirnding. Rnd took off his headphones and set down his magazine.

    He smacked Harker hard on the back of the head. "Get up. We''re here."

    Princess Jinzhu''s ws appeared. "You don''t have to hit him and order him around like a dog, Sir."

    Her tone was still soft but it was dripping with venom. Rnd was not perturbed by this scary mermaid''s aggressive appearance.

    "If I don''t smack him, he won''t wake up. He sleeps like a log. I know my best friend more than anyone else in this world." Rnd said pointedly.

    "You could have been more gentle about it. And just because you know him well, doesn''t mean you can treat him like that." Princess Jinzhu argued.

    Rnd sneered. "Treat him like what? I don''t see Harker making anyints about the way I treat him. And isn''t the fact that he and his fish girlfriend gets to stay in a luxurious jet a proof of how well I treat my friend?"

    "I''m not a fish! I''m a jiaoren!" She hissed.

    Rnd scoffed. "Still doesn''t change the fact that your lower half is that of a slimy fish."

    Harker did not expect another argument to ensue between them just as he woke up.

    He raised his hand. "Just chill, you guys¡­. Let''s just get out of the jet now."

    Rnd and Harker left first since it was easier for them as people with feet to walk down the stairs. Harker then used his hair to lift Princess Jinzhu''s cylinder with him. It was nighttime, and there was nowhere else at this privatending spot.

    "So she gets to stay at your house while your father is not around. But what about the maids and servants?" Harker said.

    "I dismissed them ever since my father left for Italy." Rnd said. "Anyway, the princess didn''t correct me when I said that she''s your girlfriend. Did you seriously make a fish your lover just in the course of 2 weeks?"

    Harker waved his hand. "Hahaha, she''s not my girlfriend¡­.."

    Rnd gave him a look, and so he was forced to add. ".... Yet. It''splicated. Like you said, we barely know each other and so many things happened right now."

    "But you do like her. And want her to be your girlfriend eventually, since you said ''yet''." Rnd scowled. "I understand."

    He stomped off again.

    Harker followed after him. "Now wait a minute! Is there really something wrong with that!? You even helped matchmake me with Xi Hua, what''s the problem with Princess Jinzhu!?"

    "Because she''s a goddamn fish!" Rnd said. "And I don''t like her at all! Not one bit! She tries to mock me all the time!"

    "I can hear you two, you know." Princess Jinzhu said with her arms crossed as well. "I don''t like you that much either now, Rnd sir."

    Harker rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you two bicker even worse than siblings. In fact, you two look pretty simr so you could be siblings."

    Rnd scoffed. "Just because we have blond hair and blue eyes? Get your eyes checked, Hark."

    Princess Jinzhu scoffed too. "Yes, and my siblings would have looked way better."

    "At least my siblings would never smell like the whole seafood aisle at the market."

    "Why you white ape walking on two feet¡ª"

    This started another argument all the way home to the Faust Residence in Scarsdale, and Harker doesn''t know how to react. These two were very calm, collected and rational individuals. And yet all of that goes down the drain once they start going after each other''s throats.

    Harker would have never expected that two blondies would actually be a recipe for disaster.

 Chapter 53 Fair Price

    ?While Mr. Faust had still not returned from his Italian escapade, and the servants were all on sudden vacation, the youngest princess of the South Sea jiaorens could stay in the Faust residence''s outdoor pool.

    "I''m going to have to cancel my meetings with my girls from now on." Rnd sighed. "They really loved the pool."

    Princess Jinzhu suddenly burst out from the water, sshing Rnd''s face. "I didn''t know White Ape had children now. And they''re girls too, how unlucky for them. To not have a gentleman

    father."

    Harker stopped the urge to dieughing. "Pfft¡­. They''re not his children, princess."

    "Oh, then it''s his female friends, then? Usually, when men have multiple female friends, that means they''re¡­.." She gave a teasing look at her nails.

    Rnd looked like he wanted to fry her for dinner. "They''re what, exactly?"

    "They may have a more feminine heart." Princess Jinzhu said.

    The blond man could barely stand it anymore. "Are you insinuating that I''m a homosexual!? I''ll have you know, I have dived into more trenches than you possibly have in your life. Women''s trenches, that is. And those girls I''m worrying about had all their crevices explored deep by my tongue and my¡ª"

    "Alright, alright. No need to get graphic, she''s just an innocent mermaid." Harker covered Rnd''s mouth. "Princess Jinzhu is not used to human customs. And she''s just teasing you, Rnd. No need to get so worked up. I''ve never seen anyone get you worked up like this."

    "Hmph!"

    Rnd turned and crossed his arms. "Well you should teach Fish Girl some manners and proper attitude. Especially towards her benefactor. I could throw her to sleep with piranhas and sharks if I lose my patience."

    "I have never met these ''piranhas'' yet, but sharks are fond of me." Princess Jinzhu showed a smile that bared her sharp teeth. "They''re my friends, after all. I might tell them to go after ape meat instead."

    "At least apes have big brains, while fishes are known to have brains the size of a pea."

    "No use for brains when you can barely hurt a fly with your delicate fingers."

    "Oh, so you want to know what these fingers could do? I have many experience choking women''s necks, and I''m not delicate with it¡ª"

    They''re bickering was interrupted by a dark voice.

    "Can you two just stop arguing for one second?"

    Harker''s cold, intimidating voice was so unlike him. It shocked the two blondies and stopped their banter. They then looked sheepish, and turned away from each other.

    Harker sighed, and rubbed his nose bridge. "Okay. Let''s settle this once and for all."

    "Your Highness, I want you to apologize to Rnd for calling him an ape and making assumptions about his character. He is a good man that helped us, please show some respect. You expect him to act like a gentleman, and yet you''re not acting like a ''properdy'' towards him either."

    Princess Jinzhu reddened, never expecting that Harker would scold her like this.

    She bowed her head and mumbled. "...Sorry."

    "Be more sincere, please." Harker said.

    Princess Jinzhu took a deep breath. "I''m sorry, Rnd sir. I won''t call you White Ape again, and I really am grateful for what you have done for us."

    Rnd scoffed. "I''m not doing it for you. I''m only doing it for Harker¡ª"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Rnd, I want you to also apologize for calling her Fish Girl and making those remarks. You know how I feel when I get called things like ''Oleo'' or ''Milk Chocte'', right?" Harker said.

    "It may not be considered ''racist'', but it still has the same effect towards Princess Jinzhu. Even if she''s indebted to you, I know that you agree with me when I say that it''s not right."

    Rnd closed his mouth shut, and bit his lip.

    He also apologized, swallowing his pride. "I see. I''m sorry, Princess. I was just having a rough night after everything that happened."

    Harker could finally breathe a sigh of relief as he managed to reconcile his best friend and the mermaid.

    He then brought out another topic:

    "You still have that electroshock device inside you, right, Princess? I also have one. It doesn''t feel right with me, we should get those devices removed from us quickly." He told them.

    Rnd rubbed his chin. "That''s true, but I don''t see any surgical scars on the both of you¡­."

    The princess exined. "That''s because we monsters and qi cultivators can heal ourselves faster than regr humans. A tiny cut would close up instantaneously. Just notice how Harker was all better now despite being crushed by Mr. Xi. His body naturally uses qi to heal his wounds."

    Harker observed himself and nodded. "It makes sense now. Monster cells must have a faster regenerative rate. Having ess to these cells might help with several human diseases¡­.."

    He saw Princess Jinzhu looking worried, so he shook his head. "Ah, but I just mean that as a thought. I know that if humans find out about this, it would put the monsters in more danger. Still, as a scientist, I can''t help but wonder about the possibilities."

    ? "Like¡­. What would happen if I transfer my inhuman DNA to someone else?"

    All three of them pondered over this for a brief pause. Then, Rnd received a call from his Nogia Communicator.

    "It''s my father. I''ll have to take this, excuse me."

    As he left, Yan suddenly appeared to cheerfully answer the question.

    "If you transfer your DNA to someone else, they may gain the Shapeshifting Ability to a limited degree!" Yan told him.

    Harker and Princess Jinzhu''s eyes widened.

    They both eximed at the same time, excitedly. "REALLY!?"

    Yan nodded. "Yes! For example, consuming a single drop of your blood could allow someone to morph into your physical features with 50% less Efficiency than what you have for a Duration of 3 minutes. The more DNA it was, the longer they could Shapeshift."

    Harker pped his hands. "This is great news! That means I just have to transfer my blood to Princess Jinzhu to turn her into a human, right?"

    "Yes. She would be able to will her gic code to be more human-like and follow your own coding once she gains the Shapeshifting cells from your body."

    Princess Jinzhu''s eyes beamed. "I can walk onnd, then! I can find the person who sold my kingdom to Mr. Xi!"

    And Harker also thought that perhaps he could use this to heal his sister''s lupus disease, or allow his father to grow legs again!

    But¡­..

    When things seem too good to be true, there would often be a price.

 Chapter 54 For Happiness

    ?The operation to take away the electroshock device was done by Rnd''s personal doctor, who was a man involved in the Jewish mafia in his youth back in the 1930s. His name was Dr. Meyer Rothstein, and he was already 81 years old.

    He was imprisoned but received early parole thanks to Rnd''s grandfather. Because of his gratitude to the Faust family, he had served as Mr. Faust''s physician and eventually Rnd''s.

    They lost contact 10 years ago, but Rnd only trusted this old man to keep the secret about his friend and the mermaid. And so he called him back all the way from his house in Chicago to perform the surgery.

    Harker became a bit worried about the aged man handling the scalpels that will cut his and Princess Jinzhu''s stomachs. Dr. Rothstein adjusted his sses, and one of his eyes was already ridden with cataracts.

    "Rx, Hark. He still got it even after all these years." Rnd said when he noticed his friend shivering a little on the surgical operating table.

    The old man smiled with his 3 remaining teeth, rubbing his goatee. "Yes! Just yesterday before I was called here, I performed three vasectomies and two appendectomies."

    "Wow, just in one day?" Harker couldn''t help but be amazed.

    "Yes. Though it was for a demonstration with a dead cadaver, my co-workers were still very pleased with the result!"

    Harker''s amazement suddenly turned into horror. So it was corpses¡­.

    "There''s really nothing to worry about." Rnd ced a hand on his shoulder. "You two are in good hands."

    His Nogia Communicator started to vibrate again, and he excused himself. Harker wanted to stop him as he wished someone would hold his hand for the first surgery he ever experienced in his life.

    He was the only member of the Jones family who had apletely healthy track record. He had never been admitted to the hospital, and all he had were high fevers and colds. He had witnessed several surgeries before. But never would he have guessed he would be part of one after never going under the knife for 22 years.

    It was even more troubling for him than fighting Xi Hua, Lady Aixiang, and Lord Jiaoshebined.

    But then he heard a soft groan from Princess Jinzhu who had received her dose of anesthesia.

    She wasying on a shallower but longer tank where she couldy her whole body on. Herteral height was 8 ft due to her tail, with only 3''7 feet of it being her human parts. There''s water surrounding her and just enough for her gills to breathe in, but not too much so she could still be operated on by the doctor. Her arms hang out from the small tank.

    "Harker sir¡­. I''m a little scared." She said. "The doctor said he won''t make us fall asleep, but we won''t feel anything because of this injection. But I''m still scared."

    Harker''s own anxieties suddenly faded away, as it turned into concern towards the mermaid. He toughened himself up, and reassured her despite being scared himself.

    He reached out to the princess'' right hand that was beside his left one. He sped it, and said before he got injected too:

    "Don''t be scared. I''m here. We''ll get through this together."<novelnext></novelnext>

    This didfort the princess, as she wore a small smile. The lights were now shed on to them and surgery began.

    And after 4 hours, they made it out okay. Dr. Meyer Rothstein really still got it.

    Harker was able to move again after this, and looked at the stitches in his stomach. He saw the old doctor looking at it too with curiosity.

    "I''ve never seen anyone''s wounds heal that quick. It actually took a long time for me because the cuts I made kept on closing." The doctor chuckled. "It was even faster for your pretty mermaid friend. You guys may have unlocked the mystery of immortality that we humans so sought after."

    "We''re not so immortal if you take our brains or hearts out." Harker said.

    Dr. Rothstein chuckled again. "That is true. Oh, but what many people wouldn''t do to have your abilities. Can''t say the same for me, I''m just an old chap waiting for the ferryman to take me already. I''m just happy to help out the Faust onest time."

    He then rubbed his goatee. "I do wonder¡­. Could this regenerative power also unlock the ability to cheat the Grim Reaper?"

    His eyes saddened a little. "You see, my wife Delh. The sweet thing¡­. I miss her sorely. I visit her grave every Shabbat and Hanukkah. I have no one else to celebrate it with anyway, never had children. When Rnd was young, I used to treat him like my own grandchild and his father would allow us to celebrate it together."

    Harker remembered his mom with this, and could understand what the old man was feeling. "You must love her very much."

    "Heavens know I do, child." Dr. Rothstein chuckled. "If only I could see my Delh again¡­. And introduce him to fine, youngds such as yourself¡­. I bet those dimples will show up when I see her smile again."

    Harker could envision it in his mind, this old man reuniting with his wife in a beautiful garden. But since he doesn''t know what she looks like, her image continuously shifts. Until eventually, the old man changed into a young boy, and the woman became someone he was all too familiar with.

    "Mother¡­." He mumbled softly.

    He could see his mother so clearly in his mind. Her hair in a tight braid, that yellow chiffon dress she loved to wear. Her smile was as radiant as sunshine, and her brown skin gleamed into the warmth of the light above her. She was a woman full of life, and found joy andughter in the simplest things.

    She would always tell little Harker to stand tall no matter what happened. Even if he was sad, or scared, or nervous¡­.

    "Lift that chin up and smile, baby. There''s nothin'' to look on the ground for, no use hidin'' your face to world that wants to see you smile." She would always say to him.

    He always remembered that lesson from her, along with his Dad''s ''Don''t get it twisted''. She and his dad were the reason he grew up the man he was today.

    If he could get to see her again, even once¡­..

    He thought he''d be so happy. That''s what he thought at that time, at least.

 Chapter 55 Excruciating Pain

    ?Harker blinked back tears, and cleared his throat. "Um¡­ Doctor, can I ask you another favor?"

    Dr. Rothstein blinked under the thick lens of his sses that made his eyes lookicallyrge. "What is it?"

    "Well, can you perform a short blood transfusion between me and the mermaid? I want to donate some of my blood to her. Just 100 milliliters would do." Harker asked.

    The doctor was even more confused. "I could but¡­. What are your blood types?"

    Harker''s eyes widened. He just remembered about the blood types. That''s really important, as the body would reject a donor''s blood if the blood type was ipatible. It can cause severe damage to the immune system.

    "Well¡­. Fishes have different blood types from humans. But Princess Jinzhu was not a full fish either. So mermaids may have apletely different set of blood groups¡­." Harker thought about it. "This is really moreplicated than what Yan led me to believe."

    "Who?" The doctor asked.

    "Nothing. I changed my mind." Harker said. "I can''t endanger the princess¡ª"

    "Do it."

    Princess Jinzhu suddenly awakened. No, she was probably already stirring awake a while ago and overheard the conversation. The look of disappointment in her face was evident. Harker did not like seeing the hope in her eyes disappear like that.

    "I don''t care how dangerous it is. I can handle it. I''m a jiaoren, descendant of the Flood Dragons." She said firmly.

    Dr. Rothstein rubbed his goatee. "Yes, your immunity seems more resilient than average humans, so the effects of transfusion ipatibility reaction might be lessened."

    Harker tried to reason with her. "But if this identally brought even worse damage to you, Princess¡ª"

    "I will take that risk. I already took a lot of risks just by staying here in America." Princess Jinzhu told him. "Receiving your blood and getting sickness from it is nothing. You will not be med, it will be my fault in the end."

    Harker clenched his fists, and eventually relented. "About that, doctor¡­. Can you lower it then to just a 5ml syringe of my blood? I just want to know what the effects would be."

    The doctor agreed, and so he took a syringe and injected the blood to the princess'' arm.

    They waited for the effects. Then, the princess suddenly made a face like she was in pain. Harker instantly became anxious. He jumped from bed and went by her side despite just being under a surgery, trying to see why the princess was distressed.

    "Your Highness, are you feeling alright¡ª"

    "Just get out of here. Both of you, please." She said. "Get out."

    Harker furrowed his brows. "But why¡ª"

    The princess gave him that firm look, and so he eventually left the guest room where they performed the surgery with Dr. Rothstein.

    They passed by Rnd on the hallway, who was about to deliver what seemed to be trays of food that he cooked to help Harker and Princess Jinzhu recover. He was surprised to see Harker out of the surgical bed so early.

    "What''s going on¡ª"

    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

    An otherworldly growl came from inside the room. No doubt from Princess Jinzhu. Harker''s heart palpitated even faster, as he tried to understand what the sounds were.

    Was it howls of pain? Was it something else? He was more jittery than his first ever job interview where he forgot his own name.

    "Princess Jinzhu received my blood, and there''s a chance that this would allow her to shapeshift into a human. But we don''t know if her blood could bepatible with mine, and bring risks to her immune system." Harker exined to Rnd. "She asked us to leave."

    Rnd frowned. "That doesn''t make any sense. You should be watching so you would know how the transformation works, right?"

    He still opened the door, despite Harker trying to stop him. And then¡­..

    It revealed Princess Jinzhuying on her shallow tank.<novelnext></novelnext>

    With human legs.

    Harker''s eyes widened. "Holy mother of corn¡­."

    His eyes went above the smooth, human legs and then he went to cover eyes.

    "I''m sorry!" Harker said.

    He noticed Rnd surprised and still looking, and so he covered his eyes too. "Hey, don''t look at her while she''s naked, Rol!"

    Rnd scoffed, putting his hand away. "I have seen many naked girls before. It''s just a female body, aren''t you used to studying this too?"

    "But this is Princess Jinzhu''s body! Show some respect!"

    Princess Jinzhu tilted her head to the side. "Haven''t you seen my genitals before when I was a mermaid, Harker sir? What''s so wrong with this one?"

    Harker doesn''t know why he was so flustered. They were right, there''s no need to be. But he just never expected that he would be seeing the princess this way¡­.

    He cleared his throat, and tried to shoo away his thoughts. "Ahem¡­. Yeah, you''re right. How are you feeling, by the way? That''s the important thing."

    Princess Jinzhu pursed her lips. "I feel¡­. weird. I''m not used to moving without my tail, it feels so light too."

    Rnd, who used to despise her so much, went by her side and asked softly. "Can you walk?"

    "I¡­. I think so?" Princess Jinzhu said.

    Besides her tail, the scales that covered her up to her torso were almost gone. There were still some of them sticking into the human skin, and there was a sticky membrane that surrounded her new patches of skin. Like that sticky goo on newborn babies.

    Her fins were also gone, and her golden hair covered her now visible breasts.

    However, nothing covered her lower genitals. Harker tried not to have his eyes wander off there too much, despite not really being fazed by the genitals of the dead women he encountered during his studies.

    Princess Jinzhu tried to stand on her own, but slipped on the water. Harker and Rnd rushed to support her. Slowly, they were able to make the mermaid turned human bnce herself on two feet and stand.

    "Hmm¡­ You might need to take some walking therapies before you learn how to walk properly." Rnd said. "How long does this transformation take anyway? I''ll go fetch some wheelchairs if we have one avable."

    "I think I know where your father ced your old one, Rnd." Dr. Rothstein said. "Let me show you, it''s in the attic¡­"

    The two left, and Harker called out to Yan to ask about Rnd''s question.

    "5 ml of your blood would notst long, Master." The eyeball exined. "The effects would eventually wear off without much contact from your DNA. But she has now acquired some of the Shapeshifting Ability too, and if she consistently has the DNA of humans, she will be able to stay in this unfinished human form longer."

    Yan then frowned. "However, I have to warn that the moment your DNA runs out, she will suffer the side effects of the ipatible blood transfusion¡ª"

    Not long after saying that, Princess Jinzhu felt her knees weaken and she started screaming again.

    "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

    Harker now witnessed how the transformation looked like.

    Her transformation was nothing like his smooth one that goes on and off like a switch. For her¡­..

    Her skin gets peeledyer byyer, and then reconstructed again. He could see her muscle fibers, and that too got yed until her bones showed up. Then, the bones cling and crush against each other to have a new form.

    She was basically being reformed before her eyes, with the pain of each change still as vivid as having your body chopped to bits excruciatingly slow.

    Harker gulped. He could almost feel her own pain too, and it was enough to make someone pass out.

 Chapter 56 Thats In His Blood

    ?The pain was not over even when she transformed back into a mermaid. Now she could feel the usual symptoms for the transfusion reaction. Her body felt feverish, she was rapidly breathing, and eventually she coughed out some blood. She was pale and swimming in her own sweat, barely keeping consciousness.

    Harker clutched her hand. "Princess!"

    Rnd and Dr. Rothstein had just arrived with the wheelchair. They were surprised to find the princess back to being a mermaid again and now in severe condition.

    "We should hurry and administer some saline solution." Dr. Rothstein said. "Let us hope that this does not result in inner blood clotting and kidney failure. I''ll put an oxygen mask on her right away."

    Rnd and Harker helped out the old doctor to stabilize the mermaid''s condition. It took a long while to get Princess Jinzhu''s breathing to be steady again. The men could not help but pity her as they could viscerally receive her suffering just from the hoarse sounds on her throat and her spasming.

    Eventually, it was suggested by the doctor to put her to sleep for now to stop suffering longer.

    They all copsed to their chairs, rubbing their foreheads and thinking about what to do.

    Harker felt the most guilty, of course. It was his blood that caused Princess Jinzhu''s torment. Even if she told him he wasn''t to me, and that it was her decision, he still felt terrible. He wished he didn''t give her his blood in the first ce.

    "Is there really no other way?" Harker sighed. "A way where she wouldn''t be so hurt while receiving human DNA?"

    Rnd furrowed his brows. "I don''t know much about science. But I suppose the best thing to do would be to transfer DNA without involving blood."

    "Yeah, but blood is the best way to receive DNA. Princess Jinzhu doesn''t absorb DNA like I do even when she obtained the Shapeshifting Ability. She can''t just randomly eat hair or skin samples and suddenly turn into a human. Even her transformation was painfully slow¡­. I saw it before my eyes, she had to get her skin, muscles, and bones deconstructed¡­.."

    The horror of that sight stillsted in Harker''s mind. And he knows that the Princess would also be forever traumatized by that experience too. They need to lessen the need for her transformation and de-transformation as much as possible.

    The only key to that was for her to stay human and have consistent DNA input.

    The only person who had answers for that was Yan. But Yan only seemed to appear when humans were not around. Yan even seemed to be¡­.

    Scared of humans. He avoids showing up at all cost in front of them.

    He was missing when he was in Ms. Lovette''s secret room of boys, when he was at school¡­.. And even when he did materialize to get the pearl, he did his best not to be noticed by the guards.

    So Harker asked the two humans in the room to leave. "Rnd¡­.. Doctor Rothstein... Can you go and call other experts you know for some help? Anything at all¡­ I also just want to be alone with the princess for now."

    Rnd frowned. "I''m not sure if any of them could help in this specific situation, but we''ll see what we could do."

    And just like he thought, the eyeball finally made its appearance.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You¡­. You really won''t tell me anything unless I specifically ask you to." Harker rubbed his head. "You''re like a little child."

    Yan blinked. "I''m sorry, Master. I was just made this way. Your word is mymand, it is also the only action I could take."

    "I understand now. From now on, I will ask all the possible questions." Harker said. "Now¡­. You heard me. Is there any way to not have this kind of reaction?"

    "Your friend Rnd was right. Blood transfusion was the most efficient way, but it is the most dangerous." Yan said.

    "Yeah, because the antibodies of the recipient react to the white blood cell of the donor and kill it." Harker said. "So what''s the solution?"

    "Well¡­. Saliva is also a high source of genomic DNA, along with other body fluids. It''s the same thing as how HIV could also be passed through sex. However, this is different as HIV could not be passed through saliva unless the infected have bleeding gums or sores. Your Shapeshifter cells could still travel through Princess Jinzhu''s digestive system and be absorbed."

    This made Harker almost cough out blood. "So you''re suggesting that I kiss her!? That''s the solution to all our problems!? What is this, Pisney where a kiss can turn a mermaid into a human???"

    "It''s kinda like that, I suppose." Yan chuckled. "Except it''s not just any random kiss. It needs to be a deep, open-mouthed tongue kiss where the saliva would be passed sessfully. And it needs to be consistent. If you want her to stay human, you need to kiss deeply for at least 15 minutes once a week."

    "15 whole minutes!???" Harker eximed. "Wouldn''t our jaws hurt by then???"

    "There''s always passing seminal and vaginal fluids¡ª"

    Harker shook his head. "No, I don''t want the princess to be forced to do it with me just for her to be human. I want it to mean something. But for the kiss¡­. I''ll think about it."

    "That''s not enough though, Master. Kissing is just for transferring your Shapeshifter cells and DNA. She still needs human DNA to copy, and the only efficient way to do that is to receive human blood."

    Harker frowned. "But her body reacts terribly to human blood. That''s the whole point¡ª"

    "If she received it while still in mermaid form. You would have to do the transfusion again, but after that, the human blood she must receive must match her own. The reason why she had the symptoms of transfusion reaction was that after turning into a human, her blood type became RH null type. Everyday, she must receive at least 100 ml of RH null blood."

    "RH null¡­."

    RH null was the rarest blood phenotype. It was first discovered not too long ago in 1967 from an Australian Aboriginal woman. It was considered ''golden blood'', and only exists in 1 out of 6 million people.

    And Harker happened to know one person who has the RH null blood type.

    "Rnd has RH null blood."

 Chapter 57 Two Boys

    ?When Harker was young, he didn''t look like the delinquent he was today.

    His looks matched his true personality. He was a nerd through and through. He loved science and books, and he worerge nerdy sses and braces on his teeth. He was also lighter back then, as he had tanned more now, in order for people to not easily misjudge him as white.

    He went to an elementary school that was predominantly ck, and they lived in ''the hood''. The inner slums where crime was prevalent and more dangerous.

    Back then, fellow ck children would bully Harker every single day.

    "Ain''t no way thedy bringin'' you over is yo Momma! You must ''ave been yer dad and a white baby mama''s kid, and she just take your ass to not be the daily gossip!"

    "There ain''t no ck nerds!"

    "You so white you should be called ''Milk Choco''!"

    "Kinda ck on the outside, white on the inside. Like Oleo cookies!"

    Harker could not fight back as his body was weak back then. He would often get beat up in the yground, and transfer from small school to school because of it. The teachers insisted that he take an eleration in the guise that it was about his high intelligence¡­..

    But in truth, it was actually to stop having kids bully him.

    "I ain''t puttin'' my kid in college when he''s only 8 years old." His mom told the principal for the nth time. "As for those little rascals, let him face ''em! Let him build up some spirit as this ain''t the worst the world could offer him! I ain''t gonna raise my kid like some spoiled, sheltered kid who thinks the world is kind and revolves around ''em."

    Mrs. Josephine Jones was truly a headstrong woman. A force to be reckoned with. She was tall and curvaceous, and always dressed in that yellow chiffon skirt or something simr.

    But if someone dared to catcall her or whistle, they''d get a 3-inch heel to the face. That was the kind of woman she was.

    Everyone was a little scared of Mrs. Jones, but also admired her. She was a pre-school English teacher, and after that she would be cooking food for the homeless and needy. She was everyone''s reliable source of advice and information. She may be one of the toughest, but she was also one of the kindest women in theirmunity.

    "Listen ''ere, Harker. I could easily punch those tiny hoodlums for ya. But you gotta stand up for yourself! Else they gonna call you a momma''s boy!"

    Shebed Harker''s hair before he went to school. It would always bring him to tears as she had a heavy hand andbed too roughly.

    "Remember what the Bard said? ''Bout courage?"

    She may speak very informally to people, but she knew Shakespeare at heart and was very efficient in teaching English writing, grammar and ssic literature.

    Harker sighed as he recalled Shakespeare''s quote from Julius Caesar, Act 2. "Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once."

    Mrs. Jones nodded in approval. "The death of the spirit is much worse than the death of the body. Have some spirit, son. Take courage and push through."

    Harker was never really able to take these words to heart until he met a certain someone. It was him who showed his Mom''s words about the true meaning of courage. That the body may die but never the spirit of the valiant.

    On the yground, that was when most bullying happened. But Harker loved the yground as he could read his Biology books under the shade of the tree.

    Ants crawl on a nearby anthill and he could observe them in their natural habitat. The sky shines clear, revealing the gossamer of a spider''s web. He would often watch it weave and wonder how it feels to make the web himself.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He was a curious soul that always questioned existence, and the structure of existence. Sometimes he would also question why reality was structured in this manner.

    As he was pondering over these questions while being close to nature, he saw a sh of gold approach him.

    "Hello there. May I ask where the Jones residence is?"

    It was¡­.

    A blond boy on a wheelchair. He looked pasty and sickly, and there was a saline IV bag attached to him. There were many puncture marks on his arms, no doubt from needles of syringes.

    And yet he still smiled brightly at Harker, who was dumbfounded to see someone like him here.

    "I-I''m Jones. Harker Jones." He said, feeling a little nervous from this new child. "Why are you looking for our family?"

    "Oh, you must be Mr. Howard Jones'' son." The blond boy extended his hand, thin as bones as they were. "My name is Rnd Faust. Your father drives me to school. I''m here for his birthday."

    Harker was surprised at that time to see the Faust actually visiting them. He had heard from his father tales of how rich and opulent the family were, that they were unreachable like the stars. He also often heard stories about how wealthy children were, and how hard it was to get along with them.

    Back then, he didn''t follow his father''s saying of ''Don''t get it twisted''. And every child he encountered either hated him or found him a weirdo.

    So he stiffened, and answered coldly. "What do you want from my father? You shouldn''t be here. This isn''t a ce for rich kids like you."

    "Is that so?" Rnd only tilted his head to the side. "I thought this was amunity public yground. And most of the time, everyone could use public spaces. So why can''t I be here?"

    Harker just walked away from him, acting like his tough, thuggish peers. "Just get outta here, white boy. Before you get hurt."

    Still, Rnd followed after him. A bodyguard tried to apany him, but he raised a hand and shook his head.

    "It''s alright. Give me the gift, I want to deliver it myself."

    Harker''s eyebrow raised. "A gift?"

    Rnd smiled as he wheeled himself. "I want to take a walk with you in this ce ''where I shouldn''t be''. I''ll only go away once I deliver this gift to your Dad. If you want to stop me, you can certainly try. I may not look much, but I know jujitsu, taekwondo and several martial arts."

    Harker blinked. "A¡­ Are you serious? You?"

    "Yes. I''ll try to go easy on you though. Don''t want to hurt Mr. Jones'' son too much. Haha!"

    No one would have expected that was the moment Harker knew. This boy was special.

    The outcasted boy and the golden boy walked back home together, instantly bing friends.

 Chapter 58 Of A Feather Or Tail

    ?Since then, Harker and Rnd talked about everything under the sun. They became acquaintances as the sickly blondie visited their small house every now and then after delivering Mr. Jones'' birthday gift. That gift was a woodworking kit, which was given to him by Mr. Faust.

    Rnd was also a smart boy, but his skills were in debate clubs and performing speeches. He was studying at a prestigious children''s Academy, but he said he didn''t like it that much.

    "I''d prefer to study in a school like yours, Hark. So many pretentious people wearing fake smiles and then talking behind your back¡­. I''m sick of it." He said as they took a stroll on the yground.

    Well, Harker was the one taking a stroll as he pushed Rnd''s wheelchair around. Sometimes he helped him sit on the seesaw or the swing. Everytime he lifted him, he felt like a fragile doll. Harker needed to handle him with care since he was sick, though he still didn''t know what his sickness was at that time.

    This time, Rnd wanted to go on the swing with him. Harker was not really a swing person, since he didn''t see the appeal of it. But he enjoyed Rnd''spany and his stories, so he enjoyed swinging eventually.

    "Oh, I betcha, you''ll change your mind soon. Our school sucks." Harker said.

    Rnd pursed his lips. "How so?"

    "There''s so much dumb stuff everywhere. People doing dumb stuff, saying dumb stuff¡­. just everything." Harker sighed.

    His blond friend smiled. "But at least you''re not dumb, right?"

    Harker found that he really does talk and act mature for his age. That''s why he was still charismatic even with his weak appearance. There was just something about Rnd that made him feel at ease.

    "I can be at times. People say I''m a genius because I get good grades¡­. But not really. I can''t even figure out the first thing about life."

    "Life?"

    "Like why are we existing? Why do we die? What''s the purpose of it all? There''s so many theories and beliefs everywhere, I dunno which one to believe. Most of the time when people sound so sure of their own opinions, they were the ones who were being arrogant and wrong. But then again, those who were unsure could never decide either¡­."

    Harker sped his head. "Ah, it''s makin'' my head hurt!"

    Rnd chuckled. "To be fair, kids our age shouldn''t be asking questions like this. Or at least, society tells us not to. We''re supposed to just y around and have fun, make stupid decisions leading to stupid mistakes. That''s how we learn. We fall and try to stand up over and over again."

    "When will the process end? When will we never make a mistake ever again?" Harker asked.

    His friend shrugged. "I don''t know. I just find the beauty of findingrades along the way as we travel our paths. Especially when our friends stop for a moment just to help us stand up¡­."

    Rnd took something from his pocket. "Do you recognize what this is?"

    Harker sniffed about on his palm. "Wait¡­. Isn''t that a rat''s tail?"

    "That''s right. This is from a rat that got caught in a trap at our house. You must think I''m weird for keeping it, right?" Rnd asked.

    "Nope. I actually think it''s cool how a rich guy like you can hold dead rats so easily. I like studying animals and biology. Just from the looks of it, this could be a Rattus norvegicus. Themon brown rat seen in the sewers and streets."

    Rnd nodded. "This brown rat¡­. It was caught in a glue trap with its friend. Its leg was stuck, while for the friend it was just the tail. However, the brown rat still bit its leg off and then helped chew its friend''s tail off for it to escape. The rat bled to death, and now I keep its friend''s tail as remembrance for its courage and selflessness."

    Harker blinked. "That''s¡­.. Is that even possible?"

    "It is what I have seen." Rnd told him.

    "But¡­.. His friend won''t live long anyway for losing his tail, since it also bleeds. And even if he did survive, it will have a more difficult life since it can''t regte body temperature."<novelnext></novelnext>

    His friend shrugged and pocketed the tail again. "At least it''s the thought that counts, even if they both die in the end."

    Harker was so distracted by this fascinating rat story that he didn''t notice his usual bullies approaching him.

    "Look! Jonesy is buddies with a white boy now!" Terrence said. "I knew he ain''t ck!"

    "What the hell is this stick thing? Your boyfriend has cancer or something?" ke observed the IV drip attached to Rnd. "Go back to the hospital, this ain''t the ce for ya. You might get us infected or somethin''."

    "I wasn''t from the hospital, and my disease isn''t infectious." Rnd said calmly. "I was being cured at home because of the symptoms from having RH null blood, a rare blood phenotype. They were also experimenting with it as it could yield to beneficial effects and treatment of other diseases¡ª"

    Jared grabbed his shirt and growled. "No one asked you to speak, whitey."

    Even Daisy who was a ''good girl'' known to sing at the choir often scoffed. "Can you guys fight elsewhere? Also, isn''t that white boy rich enough to have his own yground? Some of us want to take our turn."

    Harker gritted his teeth. "Just leave him alone, okay!? We''ll be going now!"

    He pushed Jared away and took Rnd. He put him back on the wheelchair with his sweaty hands and shaking arms.

    Jared smacked the back of his head. "Hey, you dare push me!? Eh, Four-eyes!?"

    "Milk Choco''s in trouble now." ke cracked his knuckles.

    Harker just pushed forward, determined to bring back Rnd to the limousine.

    "We''re almost there¡­. Let''s just meet tomorrow, Rol." He said.

    Rnd frowned. "From your reaction, I could tell that those boys are bringing you trouble often. Why don''t you tell the teachers?"

    "I did, but there''s nothing they can do about it. They''ll go light on them since they''re ''just kids''. They''ll me it on my Mom since they already rmended that I take a schrship at a better school or elerate. I don''t like when they me my Mom." Harker said.

    Rnd rubbed his chin. "I understand."

    The next day, Harker was full of bruises. Rnd was not pleased.

    He pushed his wheelchair forward to the boys. Harker tried to stop him. "Rol, wait! You have no chance against them¡ª"

    "That may be true, but I don''t want them to think that I won''t at least put up a fight and avenge my friend. From now on, Harker, you won''t be bothered by them."

    Rnd called out Jared. "Hey! You with the red shirt."

    Jared scoffed and did his intimidation tactic by grabbing his cor again. "You back again, whitey?"

    Rnd chuckled. "You sure like extending your vulnerable limb near someone''s mouth."

    And Rnd did not hesitate to bite his wrist until it bleeds, just like a savage rat that bites its tail off!

 Chapter 59 Mina Murray

    ?Back to the present¡­.

    "So what you''re saying is¡­. You want me to give 100 milliliters of my blood to the princess every single day?" Rnd wore an incredulous expression.

    Harker sighed. "It''s what she needs to stay human."

    "Why, Hark¡­." Rnd was still in disbelief. "The rmended time between blood donations is a minimum of 3 months. The maximum blood you can donate per session would be less than 500 ml. And yet you expect me to lose 500 ml of blood in just 5 days, and keep going?"

    Harker rubbed his face. "I know it''s not possible. So I was hoping that you know some people from the institute¡ª"

    "No, I am not going back to the institute. Hark, you know that they only see me as ab rat. And they won''t ept money to get precious blood from the other RH null patients they''re studying. They want you to give something valuable for their studies too in return."

    The reason why Rnd had so many puncture wounds when he was young was because of the Biotechnological Institute of Terminal Mdy, Afflictions and Conditions. BITMAC was a foundation built by the MacBheata family that studies rare and severe illnesses, mutations and abnormalities around the world.

    The MacBheata was Ang''s family, Rnd''s fiancee. Not only did he hate what the Institute did to him when he was young, he hated encountering Ang and her family if he visited there.

    Harker thought about it, then had an idea.

    "What if... What if I give them a sample of my Shapeshifting cells?"

    His friend rose up from the sofa where they were having this conversation. They were in the living room while Princess Jinzhu was being taken care of by Dr. Rothstein.

    "Are you serious? I thought you were trying to keep this a secret¡ª"

    "They will never know it was from me." Harker said. "I just need to separate the gic code that would lead to identifying that I was the owner. Or better yet, I will transfer my Shapeshifting cell to a chameleon, and im that it came from a mutation that this animal experienced!"

    "You''re taking too many risks! You saw how the princess barely survived the transfusion, how would you think a small chameleon would survive something extreme like that!?"

    "I don''t care how many risks I have to take! I need to help Princess Jinzhu, she got this far! I will do whatever it takes to get the justice her family deserves!"

    Rnd kicked the chair. "Sweet mother of¡­. What happened to you, Hark!? How can you be so irrational like this!?"

    His friend left the room in fury. But Harker would not let him walk out again this time.

    "Rnd.... Please. Please help me. While I try to get a sessful transfusion to give a sample to the BITMAC, you would have to give your blood to the princess. I promise it won''tst longer than a week."

    His friend sighed, pushing his hand away. "That''s not the problem. I don''t care if I bleed to death for your sake. But I don''t want you to get in danger that even I could not fix or help you with."

    "I won''t." Harker promised and gave him a hug. "Trust me on this."

    Rnd could only relent to his friend''s wishes. "Just¡­. Be careful. And if you encounter Ang, just ignore her. Also try not to kill too many chameleons while experimenting."

    Harker chuckled. "I will, I love my little buddies too much."

    And so, they got to work. First thing was to wait for Princess Jinzhu to recover and try the transfusion again. Of course, she will experience the pain of the transformation, but only for thest time.

    After transforming from mermaid to human, she received RH null blood for her Shapeshifting cells to replicate from Rnd.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The rich blond also bought her the best and most fashionable women''s clothing at that time. He became fond of dressing her up as a little kid would dress a Varvie doll.

    "How much longer do you guys need to just dress her up?" Harker frowned from the other side of the door. "It''s taking tooooo long."

    "Well, you try helping up a girl who can''t walk to dress up in a blue Valenciaga trumpet dress and 4 inch stilettos. We''re doing our best here." Rnd answered back.

    Harker pouted but not from jealousy, only impatience. Most guys would not trust another man to dress up a girl he likes. But Rnd was an exception as he had no interest in Princess Jinzhu and would never betray Harker in any way.

    Eventually, the ''Ben doll'' went out of the door. No, if Princess Jinzhu was Varvie, he would be more of her nagging older twin brother.

    Rnd rubbed his hands excitedly. "Close your eyes first, I''ll help her to walk out the door."

    Harker raised an eyebrow. "Do I really have to?"

    "Just do it, Hark!"

    Harker reluctantly closed his eyes. He waited for a while until Rnd finally said. "Ok¡­. Open them."

    He blinked. Princess Jinzhu walked out and she lookedpletely different from when he first met her. She was already beautiful in her natural mermaid form. But now that she had her hair curled, had a little bit of make-up to entuate her best features, and wore clothes that suit her perfectly¡­.

    She was more like a goddess now.

    The trumpet dress made her waist''s curves even more visible, and she looked like something unreachable. Models have nothing on her ethereal appearance.

    She looked a little uncertain and asked softly. "How do I look, Harker sir?"

    "You look¡­. good." Was all Harker could mumble.

    Rnd smacked his forehead. "Hark, I know you''re a virgin, but you should still learn topliment women better. I should teach you a thing or two on the Art of Flirting."

    Harker quickly tried to shake off his daze. "Sorry.... You just¡­. You look perfect, Princess Jinzhu. I don''t even have the words to express it."

    She smiled. "It''s okay, I could tell from your voice that you mean it. Thank you. I wish that I would be able to pass enough as a human and behave properly at school."

    Harker''s eyes widened. "School!?"

    "Yes. I would be changing my appearance to look a bit simr to Rnd and disguise myself as his cousin. That way I could have an excuse to visit you two a lot while looking for Mr. Xi''s associate."

    She really did transform before his eyes to mix her features with Rnd''s. She now looked even more like his twin, aplete feminine version of him.

    Rnd smiled enthusiastically. He bowed with a flourish like a show host.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, say goodbye to Princess Jinzhu from South China. And say hello to Mina Murray, my younger cousin from Boston, Massachusetts!"

 Chapter 60 Freed From The Monster Cell

    ?Mina Murray easily adapted to her new life in New York.

    Her paperwork was easily managed and she was enrolled into Stoker University for marine biology. She would start her 1st year after summer vacation, but she was allowed to take a premencement program that will help her get prepared for the school year proper.

    It says that she was homeschooled and has no schrly achievements to speak of, but she got into the program with the help of her affluent cousin from the mother''s side, Rnd Faust.

    "Mina''s mom is my mother''s sister. They haven''t spoken much ever since Mother and Father got married." Rnd told Harker about the whole story of Mina Murray''s background. "When my mom died from the ident, Mina and I met once at the funeral. She contacted me recently due to her interest in studying at Stoker."

    Harker looked through the legal documents. "Wow¡­.. Money can really do anything. You guys developed a whole new person so fast."

    "Everything is possible through Rnd Faust." A voice suddenly resembling Rnd''s came.

    Rnd made a face. "Never copy my voice again, Mina. I already let you copy my face, doing that is just too creepy."

    The voice also made Harker jolt a little, but even more so the person who sat beside him. "Princess Jinzhu... Your walking has improved pretty fast now."

    "Thank you, Harker sir. Oh, and it''s not Princess Jinzhu or Your Highness now. You should just call me Mina¡­.. Maybe I should just call you Harker too." She said, sitting on the sofa with him with a ck knee-length dress. "Or maybe I should call you Hark?"

    Rnd scoffed. "Only I get to call him Hark. That''s a nickname reserved between best friends¨C"

    "Sure thing, Prin¡ª Mina. You call me whatever you want." Harker wore his toothy smile.

    Mina was sitting cross-legged. Her skin became much more naturally white, as the shade it had when she was still a mermaid was a bit yellowish in an unnatural way. She was wearing light make-up again, and now wore a purse to keep her things.

    Her style was the same ssy and regal type like Rnd, like those femme fatales in ck and white movies.

    Even her demeanor was very much like that. No doubt she and Rnd had watched mafia movies in order for her to study how humans behave around each other.

    "Oh, you can also do the same for me. My full name is actually Wilhelmina, but you could call me Mina or Minnie if you want." She said.

    The way her eyshes fluttered as she blinked was so dangerously seductive. Harker knew she wasn''t even trying that hard, and yet it had a great effect on him already.

    But he calmed himself, and instead reached for the ss of water on the table to take a sip.

    "Mina''s fine. Did you get your transfusion done for the day?"

    "We did. We always do it in the morning. I do it myself since it''s easy." Rnd answered. "Dr. Rothstein taught me how to before he left."

    "That''s great." Harker said. "I gave 500 ml of my blood and so the Shapeshifting cells and DNA wouldst for about 1 month in Mina''s body. But after that¡­."

    Harker had already discussed it with Mina before in private. It was a really awkward conversation, but she was understanding. She didn''t think too much of it as it may not be a big deal for creatures like her.

    Still, it would be Harker''s first kiss.

    "Don''t think too much about it, Harker." Mina ced her delicate hand on hisp. "I shall not give any meaning to it if you won''t. But if you fancy it to mean something more, I don''t mind that either~"

    Harker looked away. "Ah, you''re teasing me now. You sound like Moonroe''s character in Diamonds Prefer Blondes."

    Rnd frowned, unaware of what they were talking about. "After one month, what will happen? You wouldn''t do a blood transfusion again?"

    Harker shrugged, not telling his friend about the kiss. "I''ll deliver DNA in another way. It''s just aplicated process and¡­. I don''t want to mess things up."

    Mina rested her hand to her chin, giving Harker a very siren-like look. This girl would really be the death of him with that diamond-studded neckerchief of hers.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "A-Anyway, do people never really question how you''re the spitting image of each other?" Harker decided to change the topic. "After all, Rnd looks like the guy version of Mina and Mina looks like the girl version of Rnd. You must have had some double takes when you walk on the streets."

    "Oh, we do get asked a lot if we are twins. Or if one of us was just crossdressing." Mina chuckled. "But I always answer that I am way prettier."

    Rnd rolled his eyes. "In your dreams, Fish Girl."

    "Isn''t it true, White Ape?" Mina just batted her eyshes.

    Harker frowned. "Didn''t I tell you guys not to call each other names¡ª"

    "It''s a nickname between best friends, darling." Mina assured him, cing her fingers on his chest. "Family, that is. Right, Rnd dear?"

    Rnd put an arm around Harker''s shoulder and chuckled. "Mina dear is right. Though we''re more like frenemies at this point. There''s just things that we would never get along with, like how I know that violet is a lighter shade than purple. But we have some simrities and learned to agree to disagree."

    "It''s a darker shade, darling." Mina smiled.

    "Lighter."

    "Darker~ The violet flower is a darker shade than the purple snail."

    "Well in the spectrum of colors, violet is the lighter shade¡ª"

    They continued to bicker once again, and Harker could only sigh, forever stuck in between these two blondies with a sibling rivalry rtionship.

    "I guess some things never change. But at least they did get closer to each other."

    He was just happy that they were getting along, as they were the two most important people to him that were unrted by blood.

    As for that experiment with his Shapeshifting cells, he worked hard day and night in the Academy to transfer his DNA safely to the chameleons. But first, he had to observe it under a microscope since his curiosity couldn''t resist finding out what the Shapeshifting cells¡ª which he now referred to as SS cells¡ª looked like.

    "Hmm¡­. SS cells seemed to have a different construct from other mitotic cells." He muttered to himself. "They do the simr effect of those substances beneath the skin of chameleons, and have some sort of iridescence. It''s possible that they also regte the body temperature, that''s why transforming into other beings can result in changes in body heat."

    He wrote down these observations, and identally dropped his pen. He went to pick it up¡ª

    And his heart almost leapt out of his throat when he saw someone else looking at the SS cells under the microscope.

    "Sweet mother of¡ª Professor Jones, what are you doing here?" Harker said.

    Professor Jones did not answer. Her hair was unruly as usual, and herb coat had coffee stains. She had her hands to her hip as she observed the cells.

    "Huh¡­. This mitotic cell still divides even without the smic construct of the body. Fascinating. And look¡­. Isn''t it reaching out to the cells of the chameleon''s skin?"

    Harker frowned, and went to look as well with her.

    The SS cells really were moving closer to the chameleon skin¡­.

    And then they engulfed it. Soon, they transformed to appear like the chameleon''s skin cell as well.

    Professor Seward stepped back in shock.

    "W-What¡­. What kind of monster''s cell is this!?"

 Chapter 61 A Devil

    ?Harker simply pushed his professor aside and took away the SS cell sample.

    "This is a regenerative cell I''m researching on the sidelines for BITMAC." He exined to her. "Don''t you dare steal it, Prof. Or you might get stitches."

    Professor Seward''s expression soured. "Who even told you I was gonna steal it? You know I just let you kids do their research and other bullshit in theb then give them good grades if it''s decent."

    "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Harker took little Skitters out. "Shouldn''t you be in the asylum at this time?"

    Professor Seward nodded. "Yeah. But I''m toozy to go there, my legs are just giving out on me."

    "Must be an early sign of arthritis." Harker chuckled.

    "I''m only 38, brat." She reminded him.

    "Yeah and you''ll be in your 40s soon so it will eventually develop." Harker told her. "You should take some kinda pill if you''re not feeling well."

    "Thanks for reminding me. I have to take these goddamn things." She took out a small pill bottle from her pocket.

    "Those are anticonvulsants, right? You had seizures?" Harker asked as he noticed thebel.

    The professor just popped three pills into her mouth and swallowed them without drinking water. "Nerve damage. Sometimes my limbs go stiff and I can''t flex my joints."

    "Oh. I didn''t know you had nerve conditions." Harker''s voice softened. "My dad also had a heart attack and he was rmended to take some anticonvulsants as spasms in the coronary artery may cause another one. He had to take breathing exercises and control his emotions to avoid ruptures."

    "That must be rough on him." She said. "Mine is more brain damage than heart, really. I had a Traumatic Brain Damage, got involved in a train ident when I was younger back in London."

    Harker had always known Professor Joanne Seward was English from herst name alone, but it was easy to forget as she has gained amon New York ent. She must have moved to America a long time ago, though he doesn''t know if that included any family members. Even after being his professor and interacting at theb for years, she was still a mystery to him.

    Not that he ever was inclined to get to know her before. She had a very brash personality and attitude, though not really dislikable.

    "I''ll be going then. Good luck on those regenerative cells. Who knows, maybe the Institute would give you an award and prize money or something." She waved at him.

    "Yeah, good luck on the ward patients too!"

    As she left, Harker noticed some fliese over her shoulder.

    He took some airspray. "Dang, since when did shest take a bath? Anyway, that was really unexpected. The professor was the first to see the SS cells in action, and I even got to learn stuff about her. Maybe I''ll learn more once I get my Master''s."

    Harker was nning to take a Master''s Degree in Biotechnology for 2 years, and eventually a Doctorate course that wouldst for 3-5 years depending on the programme. He would be staying on Stoker to research, and perhaps work on BITMAC during those years.

    Or maybe not, because Ang was there. He might have to look for a better research facility despite BITMAC being of the highest caliber.

    Speaking of Ang, Kian brought up the topic while they were doing their usual shift in BBB.

    He brought a magazine that contained an issue of the new Chateuvania Game, a Japanese animated TV show about Dogmen¡­..

    And Ang MacBheatha being featured in the cover to promote a race car video game.

    She wore a sexy ck and red race car driver costume, holding a helmet on her hip, showing off a dazzling, pearly-white smile.

    "Just look at her curves, bro! I bet she''ll be rising the ranks to supermodel level soon! And she even supports smallpanies like this, isn''t she so cool!?" Kian gushed about her for hours.

    Harker just ced a burger on takeout boxes. "Yeah, yeah. She''s aight."

    ''On paper, she looks cool. But in real life? Ha. Cono diablo.'' He thought, copying the curse he heard from his neighbor Mrs. Garcia.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After this shift, he''ll be headed to BITMAC since he sessfully had ced the SS Cells into Skitters'' body and taken a sample that doesn''t link any trace from him. Chameleons were surprisingly more resilient when transforming as he thought. After gaining the SS Cells, Skitters did not turn into a human, but...

    He grew a pair of wings after eating a fly.

    Harker had to catch the flying chameleon and put it in a metal box, securing it on his backpack. It must be a weird sight for the people at BITMAC to see a reptile with insect wings.

    Kian suddenly tapped his shoulder. "Hey, I''m going on a pee break real quick!"

    He left his magazine by the counter and rushed to the bathroom. It was there for all customers to see.

    Harker took it and called out. "Your magazine, bro! C''mon, don''t leave this stuff here! They''ll think we jack off while on the clock!"

    But Kian was long gone. Harker just sighed. He remembered his promise to Rnd to buy that new Chateauvania game for him and y some time after all the help he gave. He went to check the price on the magazine.

    "Huh, it''s called Chateauvania: Nocturne Melody. The main character would be on Coc''s half-vampire son, Alucoc. Interesting¡­."

    Harker went to read the premise, and did not realize that a certain blondie was approaching him.

    "I didn''t know that was your type, Harker."

    Harker quickly put the magazine down. "H-Huh? Oh, Mina! What are you doing here?"

    Mina Murray, the former mermaid princess, had arrived with a ck fur trimmed waistcoat and Di bag on her. She frowned when looking at Ang MacBheatha''s face on the cover.

    "Porcin skin¡­.. Erged breasts and bottucks, possibly from surgery¡­. A more mature and curvaceous body¡­. Wavy ck hair¡­." She examined the woman. "Had I known, I would have used skin whiteners and dyed my hair ck. Ah, but I need to have the DNA of a curvy woman as well to change my current small shape¡ª"

    "She''s definitely NOT my type, Mina!" Harker chuckled. "I don''t like girls made of silicone like her. Plus I especially don''t like her personality."

    "You know her personally?" Mina raised an eyebrow, looking even more displeased.

    "Don''t get it twisted, Mina." Harker went over to whisper to her. "This is actually Rnd''s fiancee. They were arranged to be married by their parents, and he doesn''t like her either. Luckily their ''arrangement'' is kept a secret to the public until they get married for the sake of Ang''s modeling career."

    Mina''s long goldenshes fluttered. "Is that so? I never knew White Ape was actually engaged¡­.. He should have told me. Ah, but I pity him now if this woman was really as bad as you say."

    "Right? It''s hard to convince his Father otherwise¡­.. It''s really taking a toll on Rnd." Harker pursed his lips.

    He wished he could have done something more about it as his friend. But even if he did try having a serious conversation about it with Rnd, his friend will evade the topic and try to keep his feelings to himself. He had always been that way, trying to suffer alone while always sacrificing himself for him.

    "What brings you here, by the way?" Harker asked.

    "Well¡­. It''s about Rnd too." Mina looked guilty. "He copsed earlier."

    "What!?"

    "He was getting tired of giving blood¡­. I can feel it. His body can''t handle it even if he kept saying it was fine." The blond girl said. "He''s awake now and doing well, but I know this can''t go on. It''s all my fault."

    Harker shook his head and ced a hand on her shoulder. "No, it''s not. I should have moved faster. Don''t worry¡­."

    "After tonight, Rnd won''t have to sacrifice his blood anymore. We''ll have BITMAC supply us with RH null blood everyday through my SS cells."

    And Harker would indeed be able to do that¡­. with a price. For a devil wearing the face and name of an angel was just waiting in the front steps of the Institute that night.

 Chapter 62 In Angels Clothing

    ?Harker took the metal box containing little Skitters. The chameleon still had its wings, though it couldn''t really fly as fast as a housefly because of its heavy weight. It made a grunting sound as they approached the steps of BITMAC.

    "I know, buddy. I don''t like it here either." Harker told it. "We''ll try to be quick, though I can''t promise they won''t run several tests on you that mayst for days."

    The Institute''s headquarters looked more like the Greek Parthenon than a scienceboratory. Tall, Ionic columns surrounded it, the walls made of marble and white stone. A symbol of vulture marked it, with a piece of flesh on its beak. Its wings were pitch ck and its eyes shined red.

    This macabre symbol was exined to be based on the myth of Prometheus, the one who had given humans fire. It was through fire that technology and development existed. But Prometheus was punished by Zeus to have his flesh and liver eaten by a vulture for eternity, as Prometheus can regenerate it and the process could repeat over and over again.

    And so, this symbol showed how often scientists were made to be martyrs. They do not exist for fame, or money, but for the sake of the advancement of mankind. Even to their own demise.

    Or at least that''s what therge que on the entrance said, written on a stone with a vulture perching.

    Harker thinks it was just a load of sentimental bullshit.

    Scientists were not all the same ''thirsting for knowledge and human advancement type''. Nowadays, many do want to be paid with money, or to win the Noobel Prize. They look up to the other famous scientists before them and want to gain the same legacy. And so being a scientist could not be called martyrdom anymore, but rather just another white cor job.

    "Would have been better if they used a cute chameleon like you as a symbol. At least that shows adaptability, right?" Harker ced a small eucalyptus leaf past the bars of Skitters'' tiny prison to make him rxed.

    The chameleon just gnawed on the leaf happily.

    They went inside, but then Harker saw a ck feather flying around. Immediately, he knew who was about to go out of the exit.

    ck feathers were a favorite of a certain supermodel/ rich heir to a biological research institute. Along with the cking of Prouda heels came that distinct giggle and the clinking sound of chains.

    "...And did you know that those nerds had to wipe their mouths after that shitshow of a photography session, Daddy? Ugh, it still gives me hives when I think about it. " Ang talked on the phone with someone, possibly her father.

    She was wearing sunsses even in the dead of the night. "Hahaha, but it was funny to see them stumble around trying to give me fresh water from the Alps or a bright neon hot pink hairdryer! Ah, what a bunch of simpletons."

    Ang suddenly stopped in her tracks when she spotted Harkering over and wore a purple scowl.

    Yes, her lipstick was bright purple for tonight, matching her purple jacket with ck feathers. Underneath she wore nothing but a white sports bra and a pair of ck booty shorts. Her 6 inch heels that looked sharp enough to stab someone were also ck adorned with a purple ribbon.

    "Well, well, well. Harker Jones." She wore a sneer.

    "Ang." Harker couldn''t believe his bad luck for seeing her here.

    The devilish woman put her hands to her hips and said. "I''d have to call you back, Daddy. There''s arge rat in front of me right now."

    She closed her flip phone with a Snap! Then, she raised her eyebrow at this man in front of her.

    "I thought you wouldn''t show your face to me ever again after I have given you that fair warning. Actually, I thought you wouldn''t go near my Rnd ever again or even show a sliver of your shadow to him."

    She giggled again. "You already talked to Derringer, but I guess it did not work. Should I have you talk to my dear friend Tommy instead? "

    Harker gritted his teeth. "You fucking bitch¡ª"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hello, Miss Ang!" A bunch of scientists had left the building to get some coffee, and passed her by.

    Ang''s aurapletely changed and she waved back to them. "Hello, everyone! How''s it going? Any interesting discoveries?"

    "Yes, Miss Ang! We''re doing some test on artificial bicarbonate ionization for treating gastrointestinal hemmo¡ª"

    "Oh, that''s wonderful!" Ang interrupted their exnation of their project. "Have a good night!"

    She waved back at them like some pure angel that had graced the Earth. Harker''s eye twitched as the people continued to believe her behavior was something ''nice''.

    When Ang turned to him her scowl had returned, and she pointed her long manicured fingernails to the small metal cage. "What the hell is that creature?"

    "It''s a male C.c calyptratus veiled chameleon." Harker answered dryly. "But I''m not surprised you have no idea what are 5 kingdoms of living organisms either."

    "The only kingdom I''m interested in is the United Kingdom. I''ll be invited to London''s fashion week just a few days from now. Too bad my Rnd can''te or else we''ll be the talk of the town as a couple." She giggled again. "Ah, and the only C.C I''m interested in is the Crimson Cross, which will also be my domain once I be the Crimson Cross Prince''s wife."

    "Whatever." Harker walked past her, since he wasn''t here to chit chat with a bitch like Ang.

    He was here to deliver Skitters and gain that RH null blood. Rnd was in danger, and that''s his top priority.

    However, Ang grabbed his shoulder with her w-like fingers, sinking her nails painted royal purple into his shirt.

    "You never know your ce do you? Little rat. Just like that ratty mother of yours, always butting into people''s business and acting tough. Your kind disgusts me. I don''t know why the Fausts insist on being associated with the help."

    Harker''s blood boiled not because of being called a rat, but the remarks towards his mother. Still, he was used to this bitch taunting him. He just shoved Ang''s hand away...

    And yet she fell to the ground!

    He didn''t even shove her that hard. Ang''s fingernails broke, and it started to bleed. Harker was dumbfounded for a while by this sudden turn of events, when Ang started calling out.

    "OUCH! This man suddenly pushed me! Somebody help!" She eximed, showing off her bleeding fingers for the world to see. "Help me!"

    The guards of BITMAC quickly rushed to her aid and grabbed Harker. Harker did not struggle as that would just make him look more guilty. Instead, he said with a straight face:

    "I didn''t push you that hard, Miss Ang MacBheatha. You must have tripped due to your high heels. You can check the footage of the camera over there¡ª"

    "This man is even making excuses! Look at my poor nails! O¡­. I twisted my foot!" She eximed. "How dare you!?"

    She raised her hand and pped Harker!

    But as she did, the metal box tumbled down and opened. Out came Skitters, who flew out of the tiny cage¡ª

    And went directly towards Ang''s face!

 Chapter 63 The Scientist

    ?Harker did not wear any expression as Skitters clung onto Ang''s face. The model tried to get it off her, but the little reptile managed to stay in ce. Its tiny wings were suddenly much sharper than before and made cuts on her fingers as they pped, like the des of a helicopter.

    "AHHHHHHHH!!!!"

    Even though Harker was not showing any emotion, deep down he harbored a strong sense of schadenfreude over Ang''s demise.

    ''Go get ''er, Skitters!'' He thought.

    This damn bitch tries to pull shit on him, making him appear the ''barbaric plebeian'' again and even hitting him. She deserves some karma.

    "Get it out of my face! Don''t just stand there! It''s ruining my pretty face, get it out!" She shrieked like a banshee.

    The guards rushed to her side, and Harker was free. They tried to pry it out but¡­.

    Skitters feet had changed. They turned into four eucalyptus leaves. And eucalyptus can cause skin irritation and allergic reaction.

    The patches left behind by the chameleon''s feet started to redden and swell. Ang''s breathing became ragged, and she was soon gasping for air. She writhed in pain, her face now looking like a red bubble wrap.

    "I¡­. I can''t breathe¡­. Numb¡­" She muttered.

    Harker whistled, and Skitters went by his side. He went inside the building while everyone''s too busy taking care of the bitchy heiress. They even called a medic from within the Institute in a state of panic, like the president himself got assassinated.

    "Let''s go look for someone who can supply us RH null blood. We can''t ask the front desk now since they''ll never supply it to us because of Ang." Harker told Skitters.

    Skitters'' foot stayed normal, and hefortably changed his colors to match Harker''s shirt. It really was the animal''s choice to give that girl a lesson.

    Yan appeared by Harker''s side as he went to the elevator. The distraction from the front entrance of BITMAC proved to be a blessing in disguise, as there was not much security to question him. Harker used his hair to swipe someone''s card key. It was from a scientist at ab on the 6th floor.

    "Why does Ang hate you so, Master?" The eyeball asked.

    "Like I told Rnd, that girl''s just nuts. So obsessed with him that she''s willin'' to get rid of anything blocking her way from Rnd." Harker said. "And I hate her just as much because of it."

    "She mentioned your mother." Yan remembered.

    Harker''s jaw clenched. "I don''t want to talk about it. If I keep thinkin'' ''bout that Satan''s whore, I''d end up getting an aneurysm. I just want to focus on getting the RH null blood."

    Yan said nothing more because of this, sensing his Master''s wrath clearly. Even Skitters started changing colors due to the increase of the temperature around Harker. He was like a volcano close to exploding.

    The door opened, and Harker had managed to take a few breaths to calm himself. The card was something he snatched at random, hoping to bribe some random scientist. He can tell them to im that they have discovered Skitters and the SS cells themself, in exchange of getting supplies of ''golden blood'' for them.

    The card belonged to someone named Henry Clerval. He works in the Neurology Department. Harker swiped it open, and found someone working alone in theb. Jackpot!

    It was an older woman, possibly in her 40s or 50s. She had a lot of graying hair already, wrapped up in a tight bun. Her eyes were bulging a little bit under her reading sses. Her nose quite tall, and her lips so thin that they were almost nonexistent. She seemed to be of Germanic descent.

    The woman turned and frowned. She was wearing bloody gloves, holding a scalpel and dissecting a brain sample. From the size, Harker could tell it was a human brain that was quite fresh, possibly the donor being dead in just 4-5 days.

    "You''re not Henry." She frowned. "Who are you, kid?"

    "Hello, Madam¡­. I''m here to provide a discovery." He said, presenting the bizarre Skitters.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The woman was quite surprised by the appearance of this chameleon. She examined it, adjusting her spectacles.

    "Is this a reptile, an insect or a nt¡­.. I have never seen anything like it." She said.

    Harker presented his little baby proudly. "This is Skitters. He started as a veiled chameleon, but had developed special cells that are unlike anything seen before in any species. These cells allowed him to modify his DNA."

    "Modify his DNA?" She blinked. "So he can gically modify himself? What triggers this?"

    Harker went to take another thing from his bag. This time, it was an earthworm. He set Skitters on the table and fed it to him.

    Not long after, the chameleon''s tail changed to resemble the anterior of an earthworm.

    The scientist was a little startled. But eventually, she smiled in amazement. "Is¡­. Is it alive? The tail?"

    Harker shrugged. "I could never tell how much of the traits he adapted, or choose to adapt."

    He took a small clean tweezer to pick up the worm tail, and it did move. Skitters purred as if being displeased with him.

    "Sorry bud. Just checkin if your tail''s alive." He said. "And it is. Isn''t it incredible, Madam?"

    "It is¡­." She said. "With a discovery as huge as this, you can win the Noobel Prize for Physiology/Medicine."

    "Yes, but I have no intention to win that. Instead, I want to ask you a favor, Madam." Harker said.

    "A favor?"

    "You see¡­. My friend really needs a supply of RH null blood. Possibly 700 ml per week, or more. And the Institute is the only one that can gather that supply."

    "That much? And per week?" She blinked. "But RH null blood is so rare¡ª"

    "I know but¡­.. It''s worth a discovery such as this, right?"

    The woman now understood what Harker wanted her to do. She thought about it, rubbing her lips as she pondered.

    Which made her rub all that blood and brain fluid over it. Harker flinched a little, despite technically eating much worse things at greater amounts. There was just something unsettling with how nonchnt she was in rubbing gore all over her thin mouth.

    "Alright then. I have decided. You should contact me on this number, and we shall arrange a ce and time to meet every week." The woman said. "But you''d have to promise to be very discreet, kid."

    "I will. However, I can''t give you Skitters yet. I can only give you a small sample to study, and once I make sure that you are willing to supply us, then I will hand him over. I also have to warn you that shall you breach this arrangement, I will have to reveal myself as the true discoverer to the Institute. I have proof to do that."

    "I understand." The woman nodded. "Here."

    Harker received a calling card from her calloused hands. The name on the card was:

    Victoria Seward.

 Chapter 64 Erases His Virginity

    ?After the exchange, Harker did receive 700ml of RH null blood in a temperature-controlled metal sk every week. He and someone that was working under Victoria would meet at BBB, and it was always a different messenger every week. The scientist was indeed discreet and precise in her methods.

    It was a relief that he she took in the bribe on his first try. But Harker wondered if she was rted to Professor Seward.

    Professor Joan Seward looked nothing like Ms. Victoria Seward. Yet upon doing research, Harker learned that Victoria was actually Joan''s older sister!

    Adoptive older sister, that is. The Seward family was always rted to science in some form. Her father was a children''s psychotherapist. When Victoria lost her parents, they took her in and eventually had a child of their own.

    "So Professor Seward is the youngest child, huh..... That kinda exins the behavior." Harker mumbled.

    He was looking through files containing Joan''s information that he gathered through Rnd''s intensive web of intel. Harker felt like a bit of a stalker looking through his professor''s life, but he can''t help but be curious since he now met her sister too.

    "Such a small world." He thought.

    He was sitting on the edge of the bed while reading this as Rnd went out to buy some snacks for their game night. Harker bought the Chateuvania game and would now fulfill his promise for some bro time after all the help he received from his best bud.

    Suddenly, the door opened.

    "Oh.... Harker sir." Mina blinked, wearing only a towel around her naked body and another one on her hair. "I didn''t know you were here."

    Harker blushed a little. "Hey, Mina.... Why are you here? This is Rnd''s room, yours is below the stairs."

    "I know. I was just about to ask if Rnd had more of those cotton swabs. I ran out of them." Mina said nonchntly.

    Harker stood up and got some cotton swabs from the dresser, still unsure what to feel about this situation. But he did his best to stay cool.

    "Here." He handed it to her.

    "Thanks. I go crazy about these things. It just feels really good when I put them inside my ear deep and hard..... Ah....." She then went on to clean her ear.

    The sounds she made while doing it was even worse than when she wasying fish eggs.

    "Mnn..... Ohh..... Right there..... Ah, it''s so good~~" She closed her eyes, really feeling it. "Doesn''t it feel so good, Harker sir?"

    "U-Uh.... Yeah, I guess so.... I get that feeling...."

    "What are you reading, by the way?" Mina asked as she continued picking on her ear. "Who''s that woman?"

    Harker went to take all the files back to the folder and hide them. "It''s nothing.... Just someone I want to know more info about."

    "And I''m asking who is she." Mina said sternly, finally done with using the cotton swab. "Is she your enemy? A rtive? A friend?"

    "She''s my professor."

    Harker couldn''t help but feel that there''s some sort of strain in Mina''s voice when asking who the woman was to him.

    "Oh, a professor at school....." Mina seemed to be a little relieved. "She must be a professional then and know how to have proper rtionships with her students."

    "Pfff!" Harker waved his hand. "Joan is anything but professional."

    Mina suddenly frowned. "So her name''s Joan huh.... You must be really close if you call her by her first name."

    Harker was also surprised with himself. Why did he suddenly call her Joan when he was so used to calling her Professor Seward?

    But he thought there''s no point thinking too much about it. Instead, he should focus on how Mina was acting strangetely. Always wearing a bright smile when seeing him, but pouting as soon as there was another woman involved, whether it was someone he was with in person or even just looking at in pictures.

    "Does it really matter to you if I am close to her or not, Princess?" Harker probed her a little.

    Unexpectedly, this brought a much stronger reaction that he anticipated.

    Mina suddenly threw herself to him and knocked him down to the ground. Harker was in shock before the former mermaid suddenly said:<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It matters very much to me who you are close to and who is not. I know you are not oblivious to that, so please dont tease me. I can get really aggressive when teased."

    "Tease you?" Harker tried to stand up. "I''m not teasing you. I just really wanted to ask since I have no idea¡ª"

    "If you y dumb even more, Harker sir, I''d have no choice but to show you just how much I dislike being teased or toyed with."

    Harker finally confirmed his suspicions, but what cost? He certainly didn''t expect that Mina could really get this aggressive, given her soft-spoken personality. He did see her go wild on her enemies like Mr. Xi, but never towards him.....

    And this was a different kind of aggression, and her anger was different from the one she had for her foes. This was directed to him because she was fond of him. Just like the kind of fondness that Ang has for Rnd.

    Only that Rnd would never fall for that type of girl, someone who wants to take im of him so assertively.

    But.... can Harker?

    Of course jealousy and obsession was bad, especially if it harms others just like Ang does. But everyone feels it to some degree. There were just more honest and straightforward people out there, just like Mina.

    Harker had always preferred people who say what''s on their mind because it saves him from the guessing games. Someone so honest and also so determined like his Mom.... That was someone he could find himself admiring.

    "Mina, I...." He found himself putting his hand behind her neck, and feeling the smooth and damp skin there.

    Mina just looked at him so intensely, like she wanted him to do something already or she would do it herself. And Harker wasn''t really the type to be fully submissive and just let others do the work either. He slowly leaned in....

    ng!

    Bunch of beer cans fell, and their moment was stopped.

    Rnd was standing outside the door, seeing his best bud and his adopted mermaidying on the floor entangled with each other.

    "I thought this was supposed to be ''bro time''?"

    Harker stood up. "We weren''t¡­. I mean, we kinda¡­.. Sorry."

    Rnd narrowed his eyes at Mina, who batted it innocently as if pleading him. Then, he sighed.

    "Don''t care. Just do it after our bro time and NOT in my room, please. I''ve been waiting to y this game for months with you. Mina should wait for her turn."

    Mina''s precious smile returned, 10x brighter than usual. "I''ll go change and leave you boys be. I''ve been nning to shop for some make-up with Mr. Bodyguard for tonight anyway."

    "Tell Alejandro to get you back home by 9:00, you can''t stay toote." Rnd picked up the fallen beer cans, his brows furrowed.

    Mina chuckled and made a yful salute. "Yes, Sir. Will be back in a jiffy, Sir.""

    Harker blinked. "You''re taking thatrge bald bodyguard to go shopping?"

    "Alejandro knows his stuff when ites to cosmetics." Rnd said. "He had done it a lot of times for his three daughters since his wife is severely allergic to make-up products. So he learned to do it himself."

    Mina just winked at them. "He promised to use a good makeover technique today. See you boyster~"

    As she left, Rnd sat down on the floor beside Harker.

    "You guys were seriously going to do it in my room?" He raised an eyebrow.

    Harker shook his head. "No! I mean, we weren''t even gonna do it¡­. I think¡ª

    "I''m not a cockblocker, Hark. You can rx." Rnd chuckled. "In fact¡­."

    "Consider this the beginning of Operation: Erase Harker''s Virginity."

 Chapter 65 Dont Leave Me

    ?"First, you have to figure out what type of girl you are gunning for. Study her." Rnd said as he handed the console to Harker.

    "Wait, I thought you were the one ying?" Harker tried to give it back. "I just watch you y these games, I don''t really¡ª"

    Rnd instead took hold of the right side of the console. "Shush. I will still be ying, we''re just sharing this one console. For Operation: EHV to be sessful, you and I have to be on the same wavelength."

    "Eh???" Harker knew that it would be very difficult to share the controls of the game, especially since they''re no way in the same level of experience.

    Rnd was an absolute pro, while this was Harker''s first time ever touching a PS console. He often wondered how shocked Kian would be if he learned that Rnd Faust was actually just as much of a nerd as him, maybe even more.

    Harker tried to reason more with Rnd against it. "The game is still in Japanese too! I won''t be able to follow the instructions."

    "I can speak Japanese and trante it for you." Rnd said.

    He really does speak not only Japanese but several othernguages like French, Italian, German, Greek, Latin, Mandarin, Hokkien, Korean, Yoruba, Navajo, and some Arabic and Hawaiian. There was probably more that Harker could not remember at the top of his head or Rnd hadn''t mentioned yet.

    He truly was the real genius who could soak information like a sponge. He was also fortunate to have many materials and time for learning too.

    "I¡­ My hand-eye coordination is bad!" Harker argued.

    "That''s why I''m training you. Besides, didn''t your perception and reflexes increase after bing a demon lord?" Rnd insisted. "Now, eyes on screen and ears on me. Focus."

    Harker was a little nervous that he might end up giving his friend a bad experience on his first y through this game. It truly was difficult at the start, but Harker had started to get the hang of it. He paid attention to how Rnd pressed his own set of controls, the position of his hand and his fingers, and also the tips he gave out now and then as he tranted the game.

    "That''s it. That''s exactly what you have to do in studying her." Rnd suddenly said.

    Harker was so focused on beating the monsters of the game, and so he asked again. "What did you say?"

    "When you are wooing someone, you need to not only observe them well, but be on the same wavelength as them. Think how they think, feel how they feel. Your best charm is empathy." Rnd taught him.

    "Without empathy, everything falls apart. Someone can give you dating advice that would not work on specific types of girls, or not suit you at all."

    He pointed to their hands sharing the console. "You have to share the console with them. You adjust depending on your own capacities to reach their level."

    Harker started to understand now. "So all of this was just an allegory that you wanted to show me in order to give rtionship advice."

    "Hahaha! That''s one of my goals, but I also just wanted to hang out with you." Rndid his head on his shoulder. "You''re a fast learner, Harker. I know you got this, with or without my help."

    "That''s one hell of a pep talk. Thanks." Harker leaned his head as well, both of them working together to defeat the enemies.

    As they did so, Harker couldn''t help but be a little curious about the game''s lore. "Alucoc really is quite specialpared to other vampires, right?"

    "Yes, because he''s born to a human mother. " Rnd said. "He''s a dhampir, a half-vampire. So many of a regr vampire''s weaknesses don''t apply to him."

    "He''s immune to sunlight, but also human ailments. He has great strength and speedpared to humans, so much that he leaves illusions of afterimages of himself. He''s good at swordsmanship, dark magic, changing his form, and has superhuman senses¡­.."

    Harker''s eyes widened. "Wow¡­. That dude''s really awesome. It''s like he''spletely invincible."

    "Yes, but¡­. He is hunted by the past. His father''s past, the shadow that his vampire lineage casted upon him. He wanted to escape from it. In this game, he thought he did, but his father''s servant said that Coc would be resurrected soon."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker nodded. "He really dislikes his father. Kinda like some guy I know."

    Rnd elbowed him. "Hey now! Besides, Alucoc doesn''t dislike his father. He can understand his actions, as Coc''s wife was executed as a witch,and lost the ability to love after her death. He can empathize with him."

    He then whispered so softly that no ordinary human could hear him:

    "And I can empathize with that too¡­."

    Harker was not an ordinary human anymore, so he could hear it. Rnd must know he did. Still, Harker pretended not to hear anything and continued ying games with his best friend.

    After taking a break, when the time was getting closer to 9:00 PM, Harker and Rndid on the bed for a while to discuss the game and other random topics. Rnd fell asleep, no doubt still experiencing fatigue from his continuous bloodletting before. After all, in order for Mina to remain looking like him, he still needed to share a bit of his blood.

    Harker really appreciated all the help his friend had given him. He was the luckiest in the world to have someone as reliable and loyal as him.

    Rnd yawned. "We''ll continue the Operation: EHV training next time¡­.. For now, I''m exhausted."

    "Haha, alright. Thanks for everything, Rol." Harker said softly.

    Rnd mumbled back with his eyes closed. "It''s nothing. Just stay by my side like we promised."

    "Haha, even to the grave." Harker remembered their childhood promise. "Even when you and I have wives and kids of our own, or even grandkids. I''ll stay by your side till deathes and send us back to the earth."

    "Good." Rnd said. "Because I will fulfill that promise no matter what."

    He had fallen asleep now, so Harker decided to clean up and leave the room. He put a nket over his best bud, and ruffled his hair a little.

    But as he did¡­.

    He felt like Rnd''s skin was suddenly cold. Too cold.

    Harker panicked a bit, but when he checked again, his temperature was stable. Perhaps he should just increase the heat in the room through the heater.

    "Don''t leave me."

    Harker turned around to the source of the sound. That didn''t sound like Rnd. That didn''t sound like English either. And yet, he could still understand it.

    "Don''t die. Don''t leave me."

    He searched through the room for the source of the sound, and even tried to guess whatnguage it was. But it was slowly drifting away from his memory, and he could only think of it as him imagining things.

    He left the room. As he did¡­..

    A shape of a bat flew over Rnd''s head in the dark room. No, it had bat wings, but it was only an eye.

    "Never die again, Master Quan. Never leave my side."

 Chapter 66 A Kiss Before You Go

    ?As soon as Harker got out of the room carrying a stic bag with all the beer cans and snacks they ate, he saw Mina.

    "Wow¡­.. You look¡­." He couldn''t find the words again.

    "I look what?" Mina batted those longshes again in visible confusion and apprehension.

    He really wasn''t the best at givingpliments or ttering people. It just wasn''t his style. He also didn''t like lip service much, given his experience with girls who praise him a lot. It felt so empty and pretentious.

    But how will he be able to show Mina how he feels without words?

    Harker felt that he really was hopeless when ites to the games of flirting. He was good at the game of rejecting, but never having mutual interest with someone. He easily gets flustered when it''s her, and loses his cool at times. It''s so unlike him that its making him lose his mind, truly falling for someone for the first time.

    ''UGH! This is harder than any exam I took for my finals!'' Harker wanted to go punch a wall or something.

    But then, he remembered what Rnd said. Why was he treating this like an exam where there was only one right or wrong answer?

    He needed to study her. It''s a continuous on-the-spot studying exam. He needed to observe what Mina was like when ying this type of game. Then, he needed to match her level, while acknowledging his own limitations and capabilities.

    Empathy was the best strategy he could use. So he had to put himself in Mina''s shoes¡­..

    She just came from a make-over with Alejandro the bodyguard, looking like an absolute goddess once more but a different type. Now she looked more demure and professional, like a stewardess on a ne or a librarian. But still a hot librarian.

    Mina wore a very professional looking tight top, showing off her ample bosom, and skirt that goes to her knees. Harker couldn''t help but notice that the skirt hid the curves of her rearpared to the other dress, but it still looked ssy and elegant to him.

    Her blonde curly hair was tied neatly in a ponytail with a blue ribbon. Her face is made up gently, with neutral colors and not too much blush, her lips are soft pink, and there was another pink neckerchief on her neck again.

    She must have spent hours just for this get-up. Having a sister made Harker learn just how long it takes for women to prepare themselves like this. It was not just the clothes and the hair, there was also the preparations like shaving, powdering, wearing perfume, and putting all kinds of things just to make them look perfect from head to toe.

    A measly remark wouldn''t do her justice. But since words weren''t Harker''s forte, actions and emotions might be the key.

    He went closer, and smiled at Mina while putting his hand around her waist. "You''re so beautiful."

    Using even just minimal words with the right expression and nuance, Harker managed to express just how stunning she looked for him and how badly it made him fall.

    Mina had received this enormous passion from subtlety, and her cheeks flushed from it. "T-Thank you."

    Harker just acted as his genuine self, but still remembered to observe Mina''s reactions. "How was the shopping trip? Did you have fun?"

    Mina leaned a little on his hold of her. "I did, though it was pretty exhausting. How about your ''bro time''? Was the game fun?"

    "It was." Harker said. "Have you eaten anything yet? I can go prepare dinner. Rol doesn''t mind, I did it a hundred times already."

    "Sure."

    They went to the kitchen downstairs. With a huge mansion like this and thick cobblestone walls, it was hard to listen to anyone outside the kitchen and dining room area, much less people from the upper floor.

    Harker didn''t know why his thoughts strayed that way, and he shook it off.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He talked some more with Mina, preparing them some dinner of mashed potatoes, steak, and some vegetable sd. Mina had the salmon as he didn''t want to eat something savory and had garlic for some reason. Harker made a joke if she was a vampire, and they bothughed.

    "No¡­. I just want my breath to stay fresh. I do have a breath freshener on my purse, but I just prefer it if my lips wouldn''t taste like mashed potatoes and steak." She exined.

    "But vegetable sd with no dressing almost tastes like nothing, and you even told me not to add spices¡­. Did you suddenly gain Rnd''s nd taste buds too?" Harker chuckled. "Rol sure enjoys eating tasteless and even bitter things. He''s like an old man, I tell you."

    "Haha¡­. I enjoy tasty food too. This is just for tonight." Mina wore a meaningful look.

    Harker knew what that look could mean, and reddened because of it while eating his meal. He suddenly wished he didn''t eat garlic sauteed steak too.

    "About one month¡­.. It''s just next week, right?" Mina said.

    "Yeah. Rnd''s dad would also be going home. They''d have to transfer you somewhere else, but Rnd''s people would still supervise you."

    "I know. Alejandro told me. That''s not really what I''m bothered about." Mina fluttered hershes. "I wondered if you''ll ever be ready for us to exchange DNA."

    Harker almost choked on his food, and drank water.

    Mina then added. "I find myself anticipating it more. Wondering how you''d feel about it, since it''s my first time to kiss a man¡­."

    "I-It''s my first time too, so don''t worry. We''re just both as inexperienced at this." Harker tried to assure her.

    "Really?" Mina''s eyes brightened. "You never kissed a girl¡­. Not even once?"

    ''Well, there was a time that Rnd and I knocked our teeth by ident, but we don''t talk about that.'' Harker thought. Yet considering Mina''s quick jealousy, he decided not to mention that funny story.

    "Nada. I don''t even know how to initiate it or how to do it right." Harker thought.

    Mina rubbed her chin. "But with you being such a fine gentleman, you might have some girle over and kiss you soon. It''s not impossible at all. And once you do, you might like her so¡­."

    Mina ced her hand on hisp again. "I''m scared of that."

    Harker felt something steadily rising within him, a sort of tingling sensation. "Scared that someone would just steal my first kiss?"

    "Scared that someone else would have it¡­..and then when you kiss me, you find yourself thinking it''s not that special and you enjoyed kissing her more than me."

    She drew closer, and breathed from those soft lips of hers.

    "So... Before that happens, I want to have it now. Your first kiss."

    ---------------------

    A/N: Next chapter would be semi-R18. ;)

 Chapter 67 Sweet Mouth [Mild R18]

    Harker thought he would be a lot more nervous when this moment finally happened to him.

    But instead, he actually felt¡­.. relieved. Like something penting up had finally exploded. All the tension in his body was gone, and he could finally let himself go. There wasn''t even hesitation in his voice when he said:

    "Alright then. You can have it."

    Mina''s cerulean eyes were like the sparkling water of the sea. So deep and yet so bright. He could only focus on them, focus on exploring those depths.

    He could almost feel their hearts beating as one. In this moment, he was in sync with her, so there was no need for fear. No need to worry whether something goes wrong or someone''s not doing it right. They just let their bodies follow its course like a river flowing through its path.

    Mina sat on hisp, and gently pressed her lips against his.

    The kiss was passionate and tender at the same time, expressing all the emotions that were left unspoken.Their lips pushed and pulled over and over in a sensual dance. Mina''s arms wrapped around his shoulder, and Harker felt himself melting away in her embrace. He could feel her warmth on his lips, and that warmth spreaded throughout his body.

    As they got more into it, he felt her body trembling. That tingling sensation he felt earlier must be getting to her too.

    He heard a small moan escape her lips, both of them lost in the pleasure of the kiss. And they weren''t even doing it too deeply yet, only brushing their lips against each other and slowly taking their time to close the gaps between them.

    His hands then naturally went to explore her body, feeling the curves of her hips and the softness of her skin.

    "Mn¡­." Mina moaned again, her breath tickling him a little.

    As he touched her, she started to move a little. The more extreme his touch was, the more she squirmed in his grasp. Yet she doesn''t seem to have any intention to let go of his shoulders. Instead she held on firmly and rocked her hips over Harker''sp.

    This, of course, caused a reaction from him.

    Mina broke the kiss and looked up at him with a yful smirk.

    "Looks like we need to take this a bit further, don''t we?" She purred seductively.

    Harker could only nod, his face as red as a tomato. But he nevertheless weed her suggestion¡­.

    And began to undo her clothes. His hands traveled over above her charming little top gently, until they found their way inside her clothing.

    Harker felt those round and perky breasts and started fondling them.

    Mina gasped as his fingers began to explore her most intimate parts. She felt a wave of pleasure course through her body as his touch slowly increased in intensity.

    Harker started to move his hips against hers too, creating a rhythm that soon drove both of them wild. They continued kissing each other like this. The friction of the clothes made his hard-on even more severe, and Harker wanted so badly to just take it out.

    But that would be too fast, and he wanted to take things slow with Mina. For her to feel that he was serious with her, and he was not just attracted to her body.

    It wasn''t really holding back. Just keeping a steady pace on this still developing rtionship.

    "H-Harker sir, I think I''m going to¡­.. Already¡­." Mina whispered to his ear. "Ah, I feel so dirty like this¡­."

    Her words, actions and even that professional clothes gave the sense of doing something taboo. Which kinda was since they''re doing it in someone else''s house, in someone else''s kitchen, with the owner just sleeping upstairs.

    Mina''s make-up was also a little ruined from all the kissing, along with her neat and pristine appearance. There was just something about that which made Harker''s arousal increase even more than if it was just straight up fucking and beingpletely dirty.

    Defiling each other''s purity.

    "I''m close too." Harker said. "Let''s keep our voices down."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Mina nodded, since the guards were also just outside the house along with Alejandro who became her bestie and did her make-up for her. The big guy might be disappointed to see his hard work be ruined like this.

    Or perhaps he would be proud, as his efforts had paid off to make his subject look absolutely irresistible.

    Mina was the first to reach her orgasm. She shuddered and quieted herself by having her lips cling onto Harker''s. Her moans vibrated and went directly to Harker''s crotch.

    Not long after, Harker had soiled his pants and cummed for the first time with a girl sitting on hisp.

    As they reached their climaxes, they embraced each other tightly, feeling the warmth of each other''s skin. Their breathing slowly returned to normal and they remained in that position for a while, just enjoying the afterglow.

    "Hah¡­. That was¡­.." Harker couldn''t find the words again.

    Mina smiled and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "So beautiful."

    Harker couldn''t help but smile back. "It was."

    They slowly untangled themselves, though a bit reluctantly. Once Mina moved to another ce and they did their ''DNA sharing'', there might be no clothes anymore. Harker was just looking forward to seeing where it goes.

    "I should go borrow some of Rnd''s pants and boxers upstairs. That''s also something I have done a hundred times, our wardrobes get easily mixed up over the years." Harker chuckled. "Though my clothes always looked a little bit oversized on Rol, it''s kinda cute."

    Mina chuckled too. "I bet it is. I''d tease White Ape about it when I get the chance."

    She reddened as she looked at the back of her skirt. "I should go get changed as well and get ready for bed¡­."

    Harker nodded. They went on to do all of this, and was about to part ways¡­.

    When the house''s telephone started to ring.

    Harker blinked. "Who could it be? Mr. Faust?"

    He picked it up, and greeted the caller politely. It was indeed Rnd''s father.

    "Hello, Little Jones. May I talk to Rnd for a moment?" Mr. Faust asked.

    Mr. Faust had a habit of calling Harker ''Little Jones'', since he was used to calling his father ''Jones''. Harker felt a little embarrassed about that nickname since he wasn''t a little kid anymore.

    "Um, Rnd is already¡ª"

    Mina shook her head, and mouthed to him. "Let me talk to him."

    Harker was suddenly surprised, and let Mina take the phone. She then changed her voice to replicate Rnd''s.

    "Hello, Father. What do you want to talk about?"

    Humans weren''t supposed to hear what Mr. Faust was saying, but Harker could. He heard his tonepletely shift when talking to ''his son''.

    "Get the Jones boy away first. Didn''t I tell you to stop spending too much time with him?"

    -----------------------

    A/N: Much spicier chapters awaits under Privelege! Please consider unlocking them as support to this humble author as well

 Chapter 68 Enough To Make You Go Crazy

    Mina frowned. "And why should I do that, Father? Harker is my best friend."

    "I heard news from Ang. She said that Harker had got her hospitalized and severely injured." Mr. Faust sounded displeased. "You do not know this? Shouldn''t you value your fiance more than your friends first?"

    Harker cursed under his breath. That bitch snitched on him to Mr. Faust!

    Mina made a questioning look at this. Harker''s holographic screen appeared to show his thoughts to her in secret:

    [It was totally her fault! She manipted the situation to make me look like the bad guy!]

    Mina nodded, and asked in true logical Rnd fashion. "What happened first? Because I know Harker. There must be a valid reason for this, I want to hear both sides of the story."

    Mr. Faust had told him about the whole pushing incident, and how the chameleon had caused a deadly allergic reaction. Harker rolled his eyes. If it was truly deadly, that bitch shouldn''t have been able to speak and snitch about him. She''s exaggerating and making stories again, since that''s her talent as a fake-ass whore.

    His thoughts showed up on the holographic screen, and Mina could not help but chuckle a little. She tried to suppress it, but just found it very amusing how much Harker hates Rnd''s fiancee with all his heart and soul.

    "Excuse me, did I just hear youugh, Rnd?" His dad asked sternly. "This is a serious matter! The MacBheatha family is willing to sue Harker!"

    "I didn''tugh, Father." Mina answered calmly. "I simply couldn''t help but sigh. And what do they n to sue Harker with? From what I have heard, all of this was an ident. Unless they have sufficient evidence, all Harker needs is a goodwyer to protect his innocence in court."

    Harker couldn''t help but be impressed with how good Mina can replicate Rnd.

    It was not just the voice, but also the manner of talking, his very formal and sometimes overly righteous speech, and especially what he would say in these situations. If only her gained Shapeshifting Ability from Harker was more effective, she could be Rnd''s duplicate. But s, it''s 50% of a B in Effectiveness, and this was the best she could do.

    "I don''t doubt Harker''s innocence. I am not daft. I know what Ang is like, she''s not a very trustworthy woman. I am simply warning you, Rnd." Mr. Faust said. "If we aggravate the MacBheatha family anymore, the engagement would be in jeopardy¡ª"

    "What if I don''t want to be engaged to Ang anymore, Father?"

    Harker''s eyes widened. [What are you doing, Mina? We just need him to get out of our hair for tonight¡ª]

    "You said it yourself. You know what Ang is like. Who would want to marry a woman like that, especially someone who continuously harms my best friend?" Mina said. "If you worry about the MacBheatha family''s power¡­.. Aren''t we also just as powerful? Isn''t that the reason why they had set up the engagement in the first ce?"

    The other end of the phone was silent for a while. Mr. Faust did not say anything, and Harker felt his stomach churning a little while waiting for his response.

    ".... If it''s not the MacBheatha family, then who, Rnd? Who will continue our bloodline? The Faust family legacy¡­. Especially since you insist on not continuing our noble duty of providing health services to the people?"

    Mina frowned. "Is continuing the bloodline my only reason for being a Faust? Isn''t it because I am your son first, that I am your family?"

    Harker couldn''t believe just how bold Mina was to speak up for Rnd. They were literally at each other''s throats, and now she''s saying the things even Rnd himself could not dare say to his father.

    "This isn''t just about the family, Rnd¡ª"

    "Then what is it about? Business? Business can be led by several people, and I could still be involved even as awyer. If the Faust doesn''t continue it, then what about people who deserve it? Who has the same noble intention of serving the people?"

    Mr. Faust sounded displeased. "Did you just interrupt me while I''m still talking, young man?"

    "I apologize for interrupting, but wasn''t everything I said true, Father? There is no reason for me to force myself to marry someone I do not love nor care about. Not for power, or legacy, or duty. That is not enough for me to suffer, for YOUR SON to suffer."

    [Mina, I think that would be enough.] Harker said cautiously.

    Though she was right, it still felt wrong to trifle with other people''s family matters. And Rnd might get in trouble if she goes too much. This might even count as too much, as he still wasn''t sure what exactly was Mr. Faust''s disposition.

    Mina put the phone away as she breathed heavily and mouthed. "Sorry¡­.. I just got carried away. Rnd doesn''t deserve this."

    [I know. You did a good thing. But he might suffer consequences for it¡­.]

    They waited anxiously for his response as a long pause came again¡­

    "If this was what you feel about it, why did you never tell me?" Mr. Faust said sternly. "I don''t want to discuss this over the phone. We''ll talk more about itter when I get back home. As for the matter between Ang and Harker¡­. I''ll try to convince the MacBheathas to not sue him. But I have no assurances."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Mina and Harker beamed. But before Mina could answer back¡ª

    Someone grabbed the phone!

    "Thank you, Father. I am relieved."

    Rnd put the phone back, ending the call. He looked at Mina and Harker with narrowed eyes.

    "Mina, I can''t believe you just pretended to be me and talked to my father. Despite me telling you to not replicate my voice again." He said to the former mermaid, then turned to his best friend. "And Harker, I can''t believe that you didn''t tell me about the incident with Ang. You keep so many secrets, am I not your best friend anymore."

    The two of them gulped at the same time, not expecting to be caught.

    Harker bowed his head. "You see, I didn''t wanna trouble ya¡­. I apologize¡­."

    "Sorry. I just wanted to help you¡­." Mina did the same.

    Rnd went closer to them¡­.

    And suddenly gave them both a hug!

    "I know your reasons. And I appreciate it. I forgive you this time, but please don''t do something like that again." Rnd sighed. "I''m not lying when I said I was relieved. I never thought that there would finally be the day where my father bes aware of my thoughts about Ang and the engagement."

    He smiled at Mina. "Thank you, Fish Girl."

    Mina elbowed him. "It''s nothing. And as much as I hate your guts, no one deserves to be forced into a marriage they don''t want. Or be forced into anything, for that matter. You are your own person, Rnd. Don''t let someone else dictate who you are and should be."

    Rnd''s eyes lowered a little, as if these words hit him pretty deep. Then, he nodded.

    "That''s some pretty wise advice from a smelly fish, I have to admit."

    Mina chuckled, and then yawned. "Well, this fish is going to sleep. I''m exhausted."

    She went up to her room, waving at them. "Good night, boys."

    "Good night." They both answered, waving back.

    Rnd shook his head. "I hate to say this, but Mina sure is the gutsiest out of us three."

    "She sure is. Her determination and will is beautiful. " Harker smiled. "Since when have you been listening, by the way?"

    "Actually, I''ve been awake ever since a certain someone sneaked inside my room and took a pair of briefs and pants from my closet." The blondie said in a yful tone.

    Harker almost coughed out blood. "I-I''m sorry¡­.. I''ll wash and return them sometime¡­."

    Rnd just patted his shoulder. "Keep it. You should go home too, you must also be exhausted after all. It must be hard to grind and pound fish in the kitchen."

    "Yeah¡­. WAIT, YOU¡ª"

    Rnd gave him a wink.

    "You really are a fast learner, Hark. I''m impressed."

    Harker was left with his face absolutely heated up, steam rising from his ears.

    These two blondies¡­..

    They really make him go crazy in different ways. But he loves them very much and will do anything for them. They''re his family too.

 Chapter 69 A Close Resemblance

    Speaking of his family¡­.

    It''s been a while since Harker had bonded with his dad and siblings. He had been busy with school, work, and of course, these whole monsters and cultivation shit. He would often go home really tired, or just make brief small talk at dinner.

    So he decided that since things were settling down a little, he could arrange a little get-together to make up for Chloe, Sam, Sammy and his father.

    They had a pic in the park that used to be the yground where he met Rnd. Despite bad memories with the bullies, this was close to being Harker''s favorite childhood spot. He also had fun moments ying with his mother and father here, when they had time and energy after a week of grueling work.

    He remembered his Mother would push him on the swing. His Dad would teach him how to swing on the monkey bars, lifting him up and trying to see if he could let go. The moment he does, little Harker would fall on his bum, and he would hear his mother''s brightughter again.

    Harker would cry, and his mother would say. "Don''t cry, baby. You''ll get it next time, just try again. It ain''t fun if it''s not a challenge, right?"

    "I''ll buy you ice cream if you make it all the way to the end." His dad would promise him. "You can do it son!"

    Harker knew that he was very lucky to have loving parents like this. Not everyone was as fortunate. He loved them very much, that''s why¡­.

    That''s why it was really painful to lose one of them, and see the other be in pain from the loss.

    Harker remembered that day at the funeral.

    Howard Jones waspletely broken, looking at that wooden tombstone he made himself for the woman he loved the most.

    His father was a light-hearted guy, but all the energy was zapped from his face. Harker knew that a part of him had died when Josephine Jones died. He was more anxious, and his smile just wasn''t the same anymore. Still, he had managed to stay strong for his children and raise them on his own.

    He too tried to follow what Josephine always says. To lift his chin up and to smile even when it''s hard.

    But it''s difficult. No one could me Howard Jones for shedding tears here and there. Not when this man just lost his wife from giving birth to conjoined twins, losing his legs in an ident, and then having his daughter have a fatal illness.

    The only thing that kept him together was Harker, who helped him on the way. At the age of 15, Harker became like a second parent to take care of the children alongside his father who was beaten down by fate.

    But deep down, Harker knew his Dad had some unresolved grief over histe wife. He never fell for anyone else, and he seems to use his woodworking hobby as a distraction and a coping mechanism. All his designs¡­..

    It was rted to her in some way. Harker could tell.

    Spider lilies¡­.. The shape of the frills in her chiffon dress¡­. even the appearance of the women in his wooden sculptures¡­.

    They all drew inspiration from her, his Muse.

    Even at the pic, Harker could notice his dad''s habit of taking a small piece of wood and chipping it into symbols rted to Josephine. This habit would get worse when he was nervous or overthinking.

    And right now, he does seem to be.

    "I should be the one who organizes these kinds of pics, heh¡­." Howard Jones said. "I''m sorry for having to rely on you again, Harker. If only I had legs and some money, I could have even brought you all hiking trips or to the beach."

    "Don''t worry ''bout it, Dad!" Harker tried to console him. "It''s nothing. I just got my paycheck and wanted to check in on you guys, especially after that trip in New Orleans. Was it fun?"

    He handed his father a ss of water and some peanut butter and jelly sandwich to calm him down,

    "It was¡­" Howard Jones smiled softly.

    Harker could never really fullyfort him. He knows his dad needed some form of closure, something to not make him feel worthless now that his wife wasn''t around along with his legs. But Howard doesn''t seem to want to talk about it, doesn''t want to trouble the people that mattered to him...

    And Harker could rte to that. He was also that type of person, and he could understand that fear of being the source of things ''not being normal'',<novelnext></novelnext>

    So he let his Dad be over these years, hoping that he would eventually get over it as time goes by. And Harker too also lived in this denial over how much his mother''s death and the pressure of his responsibilities were slowly taking a toll on him.

    "It was totally awesome!!!! Gran-Papa wasn''t able to bring me to the bayou or the military bases, but he showed me his WW2 album and ne miniatures!" Samson eximed. "Then he showed me his old M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle. It was so broken that it''s almost garbage now, but it''s still cool!"

    Samuel agreed. "Mamaw''s gumbo was delicious, but I did not expect her crawfish boil to be a showstopper as well. Impable seasoning, amazing texture, and the crawfish shone like a ruby from the sea¡­. Ah, divine!"

    Chloe elbowed him. "You sound like one of those sophisticated food critics on TV, Sammy."

    Harker grinned. "What about you, Chloe? Did you have fun in Louisiana?"

    "I did. Picked up some French Creole and Cajun words while observing the people and taking pictures like you asked me to." She took out something from her back-pack. "But I found more interesting stuffpared to hot girls that Harker could date."

    "Oh, yeah? What is that?" Harker looked at the small book she bought.

    "It''s Mom''s journal." Chloe answered.

    Howard Jones'' chipping of wood suddenly increased in speed. His eyes bugged out, and he looked at the journal with much apprehension. He went on until¡ª

    He identally wounded himself. "Ow!"

    His children turned to him, and he hid it quickly. But Harker had seen the blood clearly, even if it was just a small scratch.

    "What''s wrong, Dad?" Chloe asked, frowning.

    Howard shook his head and wore a queasy smile. "Nothing¡­.. Can someone help me out to the bathroom for a moment?"

    Samson raised his hand. "I''ll help you up, Dad! Sammy, give me a hand!"

    Samuel rolled his eyes. "I''m already on it. I''ll be the one to bring that to the bathroom too since you''re so bad with directions."

    The twins led their father to the bathroom, who looked more anxious than usual. He kept ncing worriedly at Harker and Chloe who was left with his wife''s diary.

    Harker frowned. "Have you read this diary, Chloe?"

    "Some of it, yes. I was really interested in the parts where Mom and Dad met and fell in love in highschool, and had a steady rtionship all the way to college. I learned from my older friends at the hospital that it''s rare for high school sweethearts tost that long."

    Harker flipped a random page. The first one he noticed¡­.

    Was an entry in the Summer of ''74, when his Mom should be 19 years old. One year before she gave birth to Harker.

    It had a proid picture on it. There were three friends on it in what seemed to be a summer camp trip. It was nighttime, and they were all sitting by a log over a firece together.

    The photo''s caption put the names of these three people from left to right:

    [Howard, me and G.G. on Camp!]

    The one called G.G. ¡­

    Was a man who closely resembles Rnd Faust.

 Chapter 70 Enough To Send A Shiver Up Your Spine

    Harker recognized his Dad since he looked almost the same, but could barely recognize his Mom. His Mom really had a different style back then, looking fashionable in ate 70s way with a nnel daisy dukes shirt, baggy jeans, and gold hoop earrings.

    She looked like your typical popr girl that everyone likes and wins Prom Queen every single time.

    It was a total mismatch with his Dad that was tall andnky with shaggy hair, blue polo shirt, and some khaki pants. He didn''t look anything special. But from the way he put his hands around his mom, you could tell she was his girl and that they love each other very much.

    As for this G.G...

    He also had medium-length hair, but it was pitch ck and straight instead of shaggy. He wore a frilly white satin shirt, ck leather jacket, ripped jeans, and diamond-studded knee-high boots. His style was more like punk or m rock, and he had a serious expression instead of a bright smile like his other two friends showed.

    He looked like a bike gang leader who''d put a shoe on your mouth. Whatever your gender may be, he wouldn''t care. Those eyes were ruthless.

    But even though he had ck hair, apletely opposite aura, and fashion sense¡­.

    Harker could still not ignore how much he looked like Rnd.

    G.G.''s eyes were not blue but reddish-brown. The red eye effect from the camera''s sh made his appearance even more unsettling and intimidating.

    Harker read the entry under this picture:

    [....was pretty fun. G.G. and Howard had caught a mackerel on Lake George. He made a joke that thiske was his domain since it has his name. Geegee sure is funny when he tries, hah! Howie almost let go of the fish, and got pped by its tail on the chin. Hahaha, ah I love that man so much XOXO ]

    "Mom sure was a different person back then, huh?" Harker couldn''t help but feel a little weirded out but also intrigued.

    Chloe nodded. "I think so. I don''t remember much about her, though."

    Harker remembered that Chloe was only 3 when their mom died, and Josephine Jones didn''t even get the chance to see the twins. He was the only one who truly remembered her along with his Dad. He felt a little sorry for his siblings because of this.

    "Do you¡­. often wonder what it''s like if you grew up with her by your side?" Harker asked Chloe.

    She must envy her peers for having a mother they can bond with. As the only girl in the family, it must be quite hard. Harker does his best, but that''s all he could do. He had learned how to tie her hair decently and find dresses that suit her, but it was still a different matter from having a mother.

    "I do. But I''m more interested in her the way I am interested in the stories I read." Chloe admitted. "She felt more like Santa us, or the Tooth Fairy. She feels almost fictional now."

    "That¡­. really sucks." Harker hated how he couldn''t find the right words to say in this situation.

    Chloe shrugged. "I''m just d I found her diary. There are many interesting things, especially her drama with G.G. and Dad."

    "What drama?" Harker blinked.

    Chloe flipped a certain page, and pointed at the picture attached to it.

    It seemed to be the Mardi Gras parade at night. They were all wearing formal clothes. His mother wore a beautiful frilly yellow gown, and had her hair styled up with a tiara on it. His dad was in a white suit, very simple. And G.G. was in all ck as always like the emo he was.

    Since it''s the Mardi Gras, they also wore masks. His mother wore a colorful one that reminded him of peacocks from the design of its feathers. His father wore a white one with white feathers, like a dove. And finally¡­.

    G.G. wore a ck one, but it had the same eye-like pattern that peacocks have. Only that his was red.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was the same arrangement again. Howard on the left, Josephine in the middle, and G.G. on the right. First two smiling,st one brooding.

    [..... went on a trip back home with the boys. Howard''s not really the best dancer, but he got some groove in him. He''s my future husband so I''ll just teach him how to dance for the rest of our lives. G.G. on the other hand was the Dancing King, and I have seen his moves at the disco with his fellow Satanist friends. .

    He asked me to dance with him on the stage but I had to decline ''cause Howard''s not good with an audience. Might make him puke out the jambya Mamaw made for us, haha!]

    Harker''s eyebrow raised. "Huh. So you think G.G.''s got a thing for Mom? Oh, and he''s a Satanist? What the fuck¡­"

    "It''s pretty obvious he likes her." Chloe crossed her arm. "G.G. also apparently sent her a letter asking to speak with her alone. Isn''t that a little suspicious?"

    "That was when we learned that your mother was pregnant."

    Their dad suddenly came, still looking tense. Harker quickly closed the diary quickly.

    "Josephine''s not the only one. G.G. talked to me first, before also having a word with her. Don''t get it twisted, kids. G.G. was my first and only friend after I moved from Nebraska to New York for college." Howard told them. "He was worried about my studies once Josephine was pregnant with Harker. I had a schrship for Fine Arts back then."

    Harker frowned since he never learned about this. "Did you lose the schrship?"

    "I did. And I have to stop studying in order to find work and raise my wife and son." Howard looked a little regretful. "G.G. means well. If not for him, I never would have a job in the first ce."

    Harker couldn''t help but notice his father''s voice cracking every time he spoke his old friend''s name.

    " Where is he now? Because I didn''t see him at mom''s funeral, or even on any of your birthdays for that matter." Harker said. "Do you not keep in touch anymore?"

    Howard sighed, slumping his shoulders. "In ''75, just a few months after you were born, a G.G. had a drunk driving incident. He drove at a 70, maybe even reached 90. Either way, he wasn''t wearing a helmet either, and crashed into a tree."

    Howard''s eyes fell in deep pain and sadness.

    "G.G.''s gone now. George Gordon Faust, my greatest friend."

    Harker''s eyes widened. "Faust?"

    "Yes. He is Mr. Faust''s younger brother, but he was the ck sheep of the family. Got kicked out since he was 16, but still given an allowance. He wasn''t publicly disowned either. It was through his connections that I became the driver for the Faust family."

    So that means¡­..

    This man was Rnd''s uncle, who died even before Rnd was born.

    Chloe frowned. "I don''t think he means too well as you believed. Because you see, in this certain page he¡ª"

    She suddenly started coughing, her breathing rough and ragged. She held her chest, and the whole family went by her side.

    "Chloe! Are you alright?" Harker watched her condition, checking her temperature. "Should I get you something to drink? How about your pills¡ª"

    Chloe suddenly coughed up drops of blood on her hand. She was shivering, and her eyes rolled over to the back of her head.

 Chapter 71 Underground Cage

    Chloe Jones was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit that same day. She was convulsing, frothing at the mouth and in grave condition.

    Harker and his family remained waiting outside. He rubbed his face, so terrified and confused about his sister''s sudden seizures. This wasn''t part of her usual symptoms with lupus disease. It doesn''te as a random attack, and she seemedpletely fine this morning.

    Could it be that she had another illness? Harker would be extremely devastated if it was. Chloe was already fighting so hard for her life. She doesn''t need to suffer more.

    "Coffee?" A familiar soft voice suddenly came.

    He looked up, and there Mina was. Rnd apanied her, and the both of them looked very much worried about him. Mina held out a cup of instant coffee to him with a reassuring smile.

    "Thank you." Harker took it from her and forced himself to smile back. "Since when have you guys been here?"

    "My family gets notified every time a member of your family gets hospitalized." Rnd informed him. "We went here as soon as we could."

    Howard Jones quickly beamed upon hearing his voice. "Rnd¡­. You''re here."

    Rnd smiled at him. "Hello, Mr. Jones. Would you like me to get you anything? Water? Biscuits?"

    He shook his head and wore a soft smile. "No need. Thank you foring."

    His father''s mood alwayspletely brightened when Rnd was around. Harker understood now. He thought it was simply because he had grown fond of him from being his personal driver¡­.

    But that twinkle in his eye was something else. Rnd reminds him very much of the old friend he lost, G.G. Faust. Harker wondered if Rnd was even aware of his uncle''s existence, who might as well be his doppelganger. Or maybe the Faust family had hid this information from him. If he knew, Rnd would have told him already that his uncle and his dad were best friends.

    Mina sat by Harker''s side while he was lost in thought about this.

    She put a hand on his shoulder. "I''m sorry about your sister. I hope she gets well soon. You were having a pic today, right?"

    "Yeah¡­. She suddenly started convulsing and coughed out blood. The doctors said she had wounded her throat from too much coughing, but there was no bleeding anywhere else."

    Harker slumped on his seat. "Chloe was doing so well¡­. Thest time she had been in the hospital was 6 months ago¡­. And then this sudden seizure happened. It doesn''t make any sense¡­."

    "Lupus is a terrible, incurable disease." Rnd informed Mina, sitting beside her.

    Harker exined further. "It strikes the body''s immunity and causes inmmation in the skin, joints, lungs, kidney, blood vessels, and the heart. Lupus means ''wolf'' in Latin. And one possible origin of the name was that the symptom of having a butterfly rash on the face looked like the facial markings of wolves."

    "Another was that the scratches and marks resemble wolf bites. Some say it may be because the body attacks itself from the inside out, like a beast that keeps on chasing the suffere''s flesh."

    Mina furrowed her brows. "That is so terrible¡­. Human ailments can be cruel."

    "What do you mean ''human ailments''?" Samuel suddenly asked. "Are you not human yourself?"

    "Gosh darn it, Sammy. It''s just an expression!" Samson defended her. "And uh... Miss, I didn''t seem to get yer name. I''m Samson Jones, by the way. But you can call me Sam."

    He shed arge smile at Mina, taking her hand to kiss it. Harker just smacked his face away.

    "Your big sis is in danger, Sam." Harker reminded him.

    Samson smacked his knee andughed. " Hahaha! What? I was just tryna introduce myself¡­. Now I know this is actually Harker''s girl. Not bad."

    "Though she does have an uncanny resemnce to Rnd. If I remember correctly, they were cousins, are they not?" Samuel said. "Strange¡­."

    Harker frowned, taking a sip of his coffee. "What''s so strange?"

    "It''s almost like dating your best friend through her."

    Harker almost spat out his drink. "What the hell, Sammy!?"

    Their father clicked his tongue. "You two boyse over and give the adults some space, I want to go check up on Chloe again. You shouldn''t be making fun of people older than you."

    Samson rolled his eyes. "Right, right. I was just teasin'', Pa."

    Samuel scoffed. "And I''m just asking very reasonable and valid questions."<novelnext></novelnext>

    But they still followed their dad''s orders and pushed him to the ICU where Chloe was sleeping now.

    So all that remained was the trio once more.

    "Sorry about the boys, they''re just really a pain in the neck sometimes." Harker told Mina.

    The blond girl just chuckled. "I like them, actually. They remind me of you."

    "Of me?"

    Mina nodded. "Of two different sides of you. I think you are full of opposite things, Harker. There''s a side of you that''s brash and seemingly confident like Samson, but there''s also something sensitive and skeptical like Samuel. I think that''s what makes you interesting."

    "I think all people are like that. Full of contradictions." Harker shrugged. "Otherwise, how are they people?"

    "True." Mina agreed. "That''s why it takes a long time to truly get to know someone. Figure out all their little contradictions."

    Rnd on the other hand, just observed them once more. Harker found that this was another person that was full of dichotomies that he couldn''t read his mind.

    On one hand, Rnd seemed very supportive of him. On the other hand, he appeared to be easily upset over the choiced Harker makes. He was the cause of Harker''s joy, but also his anxieties due to his debt from his family. He was someone Harker knew for a long time, yet also felt like an enigma, a mystery that he could never solve.

    Who was Rnd to him really? The answer was really a puzzle.

    "I''ll be going." Rnd stood up. "Mina could stay, if she likes. I brought the sk just in case she nned to stay over watching Chloe''s condition. Good night."

    Harker stood up and grabbed his wrist. "Hey, Rol!"

    "..... What is it?" Rnd turned slowly, his expression unreadable.

    Why does someone have to be so frustrating without even trying? That''s all Harker could think. Rnd was his friend, someone he trusted, someone he cares about. And yet this confusion from all the questions hanging around in his head was confusing him.

    But Harker turned to Mina, and felt he had his answer.

    "Nothing. Be careful when going home."

    He let go of his hand.

    "I will."

    He left, and Harker was alone with Mina. They talked some more, and he shared his life experiences with the mermaid girl. Human experiences that were foreign to her, but she did her best to understand. It was notmon for monsters that have superior cells to have ailments, but she did have an experience with a grandfather that sumbed to old age.

    "He was already 2000 years old. I miss him dearly, as he was the most proper and noble person I have met. It was hard seeing him age, and forget about us, his family¡­. Forget about me, his granddaughter." Mina looked down. "And eventually, he just¡­.. Got lost."

    "Lost?"

    "He doesn''t talk anymore, doesn''t listen to us. I knew then that he may be moving, but he''s already dead. The grandfather I knew back then was no more." Mina sighed. "It''s always a pain, isn''t it? But I can''t imagine the pain he suffers as well, slowly losing his mind and spirit before he loses his body."

    Harker knew her grandfather must have experienced dementia. It was one of the things he feared the most, losing his memories and his sense of himself. And then all the people that loved and cared for him would suffer because of it¡­..

    Just like how his family did when his mother died.

    We often wished what we lost woulde back to us. That was how regret and grief set its prickly thorns around our hearts, squeezing it so slowly as years go by.

    Whether it was a mother, a wife, a grandfather¡­.. or your dearest friend.

    It would be always hard to let go of those you cherish.

    Just as Harker thought of this, the lights at the hospital suddenly went out. All of them sumbed into total darkness like someone buried in a coffin, 6 feet under.

    Wanting to rise and escape this underground cage.

 Chapter 72 Youre Stuck In Since The Funeral

    Harker quickly held Mina''s hand. "Stay close to me. Something''s not right, this hospital has a generator even for incidents like this. "

    Mina''s fangs instinctively got out at the first sign of danger. "Maybe the lights will go on eventually but¡­. I don''t like this feeling I have. I can smell something strange."

    Harker can smell it too. And not just figuratively. There was a sort of acrid and earthy smell wafting its way towards them. The cold breeze outside was beginning to slowly slip in since the air conditioning and venttion controls had also died. The people around them were in a state of panic.

    "Does anyone have a shlight!?"

    "Mama!!!! Papa!!! Wahhh!!!"

    "Everyone please calm down! The generator may just be taking a while to operate, I''m sure this is just a brief interruption and the power wille back soon!"

    Mina and Harker made their way in the dark through their enhanced senses. Harker doesn''t exactly have night vision, but Mr. Xi''s perception was very high as a Snake demon. He can instead sense the thermal energies so he doesn''t bump with anyone.

    Mina does almost the same thing by detecting vibrations and air movements just as fishes do underwater. They managed to breeze past the people and had reached an empty hallway leading to the Intensive Care Unit.

    "The smell is getting stronger." Harker said. "Hold on, I will reach out with my hair to see if there''s something else."

    Harker was d that he had eaten a piece of Mr. Xi''s heart earlier ever since Chloe lost consciousness. He doesn''t know why, but he had a bad feeling. And his intuition might be right seeing that the electricity in the hospital and nearby areas just got cut off.

    He extended his hair in the dark, reaching out to the windows and doors as well. It was crazy how he could still have that thermal sensing in his hair strands alone with the Enhanced Snake Ability.

    "Dad and the boys seem to be moving away from Chloe''s room. They came from there, and now the boys are pushing him out. Listen, I could actually hear his voice a little."

    Mina pressed her ear to the walls. "He''s looking for doctors or anyone with a shlight. He''s worried that the loss in electricity might affect Chloe''s condition."

    Harker realized that he must have gained some of Mina''s superior hearing after that¡­. very sensual kiss. But it was much less now that time had passed, and he''s not as good at detecting and making out voices than she was.

    They went to Chloe''s room by following the hair''s path. Harker then transformed it back to normal, as he approached the room with an open window.

    It was a full moon, and it directly shone over Chloe''s bed. His sister was asleep, as pale as the moonglow. It was like all her life had been drained of her body¡­.

    And made her a corpse.

    But Harker can sense that she was still alive. He went by her side, wishing he could ease her suffering. To wake her up¡­.

    "She looked like she won''t be waking any time soon. And whatever this dangerous situation is, I need to get her out of here. All of them." Harker thought. "The machine was still running in residual power. But if the electricity doesn''t go back soon, it might go off."

    "What should we do?" Mina asked worriedly.

    Harker bit his thumb. He was so anxious that he bit too hard, and his mouth was filled with that iron taste of blood.

    His eyes widened in realization.

    "Chloe and I have the same blood type¡­..."

    Mina''s blue eyes also slowly erged. "Are you¡­. Are you sure you want to do this? You''re going to give her your Shapeshiting Ability?"

    "Just a little bit, so she would heal her wounds and wake up." Harker told her. "But I don''t know if she will suffer the same way as your transformation. She''s human like me, and our blood ispatible. So hopefully it will have better results¡­."

    Mina looked unsure, but took something from the bag she was carrying. She pushed aside the small metal sk of blood that Rnd left for her so she could inject it to herself tomorrow morning, and took the syringe.

    "I hope she does get better." She said.

    As she handed the syringe to Harker, she squeezed his hand a bit tofort him.

    Harker''s gaze softened. "Me too."

    He found his median cubital vein, and took 5ml of blood from there. Unsure if it was enough, he took a bit more to be 10ml. He then went on Chloe''s side¡­.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And injected some of his demon lord blood to his sister.

    There was no reaction at first. Then¡­..

    Chloe started convulsing again, her eyes opening to reveal pure white.

    "Her condition''s getting worse!" Harker eximed. "We need to call a doctor!"

    He rushed out to the door, full of regret for taking the risk. He never should have done it. He should have just taken the safe route of taking Chloe to another hospital, but¡­.

    The true reason why he wanted to try it was because he wanted to know if his blood could cure her lupus disease.

    It was his curiosity that caused his sister''s detriment.

    He sensed someone walking in the hallway about 50 meters away, and he hoped it was a doctor. He was about to call out when¡ª

    "Harker?"

    He stopped, unsure whether it was really his sister''s voice that he heard.

    "Who are you?" He heard it again. Chloe was now awake!

    He rushed back into the room, and there she was, looking at Mina. She had sat up, and color had returned to her cheeks. She was frowning at the blonde girl.

    "You look familiar¡­. Have we met before?" Chloe asked skeptically.

    "I''m Rnd''s cousin." Mina told her. "Mina Murray."

    "So you must be from the mother''s side¡­. You''re not George Gordon Faust''s daughter, are you?" The 10 year old girl scowled at the name.

    Mina shook her head. "No. Who is that?"

    Harker rushed to his sister''s side and embraced her. "Chloe! I''m so d you''re awake!"

    "Harker¡­. I feel weird. I felt like I had drunk too many sodas and now I can''t go to sleep. I can sense¡­.weird things." His sister looked really ufortable with her new abilities. "How did I know you were outside when it''s really dark and I can''t see you?"

    Harker shook his head. "It''s nothing, Chloe. It will be gone soon. We need to get you, the boys and Dad out of here, I have a bad feeling¡­"

    Chloe clutched his sleeve. "Me too. Harker, you need to know about G.G. Faust. I think he had ced a curse on a letter he gave Mom, and I have read¡ª"

    They suddenly heard footsteps.

    They were very slow footsteps, possibly 4-5 people. It was hard to be sure, because Harker could not sense much of their body temperature. Was it because of the walls? Because if not¡­.

    Their bodies must be abnormally cold.

    "Grraa¡­." The three of them had heard low groans and moans from these people.

    Suddenly, it seemed that the whole hospital was filled with this ragged wailing. The rancid stench was unbearable now, and¡­..

    Soon, someone stood at the door. It was the one that Harker had sensed earlier.

    This person¡­.

    Was a man who''s half of his face waspletely rotten, with worms and bugs swimming in his flesh. He was wearing a ck suit, like he had just attended a funeral¡­.

    Or more urately, that he had his own funeral just recently.

 Chapter 73 Back From The Grave

    All the color that just came on Chloe''s face had disappeared. In fact, she looked paler than ever.

    "I-Is that a¡­. z-zom¡­. Ahhhhh!"

    She screamed as the zombie man quickly rushed to the sound of her voice. He extended his arms, salivating from his exposed teeth, andunched an attack!

    Harker quickly used his hair to wrap around the zombie man''s neck. Mina protectively wrapped her arms around Chloe, shielding her from any attack. She bared her fangs, and her ws appeared.

    The hair gripped the zombie and ripped the head of its body!

    But¡­.

    The flesh¡­. Started moving.

    "What the fuck¡­." Harker cursed. "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­."

    The headless zombie man just reached out to grab his own head with his hands. Some of his nails were missing, along with his hair. But it seemed to be growing by the minute as well.

    It ced it back on its head, and rushed towards the three.

    Harker tried to use his Enhanced Subus ability to get the zombie to move away, but it did not work. These zombies'' olfactory nerves were no longer working, making them immune from the body-controlling effect.

    So instead, he quickly went full protective mode and used his hair strands to rip the zombies head, limbs and torso apart. He then tossed some of it out of the window.

    That was one zombie dealt with. All that''s left was its right hand and limb trying to reach for its missing parts. It still crawled, with the worms and insects eating away at the putrid ck and rotten flesh.

    Chloe felt like puking at the sight. She has trypophobia, and could not stand many holes and repeating patterns of circles at all. It was much worse since in the flesh.

    "Urk! H-Harker¡­. What is happening¡­"

    Mina took her to her arms. "Jiangshi¡­. No, these aren''t like the regr jiangshi. They can walk but very stiffly. It must be really like the Western depiction of the undead. But where did theye from?"

    Harker could sense the othersing soon. He gritted his teeth. "We need to find Dad and the boys first. This hospital might be infected by these fucking corpses!"

    He used his hair to do the same trick against the other zombies nearby. Limbs, blood and pieces of flesh scattered everywhere, further scaring the little girl. But Chloe held her vomit in, and instead tried to focus on rationalizing what was happening.

    "How did your hair grow so long, Harker? I don''t understand."

    Harker continued to rip zombies into bits. "I''ll exinter! It''s better if you close your eyes and forget about it, Chloe! Mina and I will get you out of here!"

    The blond girl smiled reassuringly. "Your brother is very strong. We''ll save you and your whole family in no time, along with the rest of the people in this hospital."

    But just as she said that, screams resounded all over the ce. There was a woman''s, an old man''s, a child''s¡­..

    It was toote to save everyone. The zombies were eating the innocent people who were lost in the dark. They sunk their teeth into the flesh, and continued to consume them.

    "Fuck!" Harker said as they continued fighting more along the hallway. "If only there''s some goddamn light, this would be easier!"

    Chloe then sensed something. "Behind that door is the janitor''s closet. On the desk is a shlight, I could carry it for you!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Mina carried her there and grabbed the shlight in time. A zombie tried to swipe the child from her, but she was so fast that the zombie wasn''t even able to get an inch near her.

    Harker saw his sister use the shlight to help him. This caused the zombies to go after the direction of the light as it shone over their ugly faces. They all wore either funeral clothes or just tattered clothing. Some looked closer to skeletons, but some looked like they could be human.

    It seemed that the more humans they ate, the more they regenerated and gained their former appearance.

    "Wait a minute¡­. I recognize that guy from the newspaper''s obituary." Chloe pointed out. "That''s Ben Dover! He died just three weeks ago, and was buried in the Marble Cemetery!"

    "Marble¡­." Harker mumbled.

    That''s where their mother, Josephine Jones, was buried.

    So it was possible that her corpse was among these walking dead. Harker''s chest ached from the thought.

    But he focused on saving the living rather than worrying about the dead. They managed to clear the entire floor of these stupid man-eating zombies.

    However, there was still a chance for some of them to piece their bodies together as time went by. Harker needed to find his family now.

    "Where the fuck is Dad and the boys¡­." He mumbled anxiously. "Could they have taken the elevator? But they''re not working."

    He went to the elevator, and found that it was just full of zombies again. The only way to the other floors were the stairs and the ramps.

    "The shouting was only from our floor and the floors below ours." Mina told him. "I don''t think these zombies have reached the upper floors yet. It''s possible that your dad and the boys went to look for doctors upstairs."

    "Then we better get moving before these rotten pieces of shit get there somehow." Harker said. "I''ll make a barricade."

    After getting up the stairs, Harker''s hair grabbed all sorts of things like tables, chairs, desks, cabs, and even beds to barricade the stairs and ramps leading to the upper floors. He was aware of theyout of this hospital, so he knew the location of other stairs to block as well.

    The only possible way these zombies could reach the upper floors were if they could climb the walls like Tarantman. And Harker sure hoped they couldn''t.

    "After we find them¡­. It''s better if I use my Hypnotizing Skill to put them to sleep. All of them." Harker said. "Then we''d burn this ce down."

    "You would hide the truth from hundreds of people while simultaneously trying to protect them from monsters?" Mina asked. "Harker, you know what that caused us back in Las Vegas."

    "So what, I''ll let the whole world know that zombies exist? That mermaids like you exist, or whatever the freak I am to them?" Harker retorted. "No, that would bring far more danger to the human world. The monsters would find no reason to hide themselves, and there would be war between our kind."

    "You''re a mermaid?" Chloe''s eyes sparkled a little, then she shook her head. "No, it doesn''t matter. Harker, you don''t need to go so far as destroying this building. I know how to stop this."

    Harker turned to his sister in disbelief. "You? Whaddya mean, Chloe? This is serious."

    ? "I am serious. We can easily defeat the zombies and make it so they never existed in the first ce, just sudden massacre or terrorist attack, something like that." Chloe told him. "But we need to find Mom''s diary. It has all the answers."

    "What''s in Mom''s diary?" Harker was now intrigued.

    "It has the source of all this¡­.. The curse of that Satanic G.G. Faust. He promised that shall he die, he woulde back to the grave to get what he wanted."

 Chapter 74 To Reunite With A Beloved

    [Dear Josephine,

    What''s in the brain that ink may character

    Which hath not figured to thee my true spirit?

    What''s new to speak, what now to register,

    That may express my love or my dear merit?

    I am sure you know who has inked such words into paper, into existence. For you and I are the same. We know the Bard''s work more than people would expect of us. A woman of your spirit, a man of my impression.

    The 108th so. You know in Buddhism, that number is quite special. 108 Earthly desires, 108 temptations, lies, delusions¡­. Whatever you may call it.

    Those were the things we must face before achieving Nirvana, the Spiritual Liberation. An eternity of peace.

    I have found a way to reach it. I know what I must do. When my spirit leaves this mortal shell, and my soul has nowhere to reside¡­. It will reside in the one I love most.

    And when the timees, my beloved shall also perish. But I have the secret to eternity. It was such a simple secret that one could onlyugh when they realized it. It follows the Golden Rule, the Karmic Justice, which as a literary devotee such as yourself would also be aware of.

    If you want eternal life, to never part with your beloved until the world ends¡­. Then what you need is to pay the price. To have something to exchange. And 108 is the perfect number for that exchange.

    Therefore, you know what I must do. I am sorry. I will be the first, and then you. Finally, I will be reunited with my beloved in this secret, and we shall share this liberation together.

    I apologize. Truly.

    G.G. Faust ]

    Harker frowned. "Damn¡­. Didn''t see thating. For someone who looks like a bad boy, he sure speaks like a snobby English professor."

    Chloe rolled her eyes. "You literally look like a delinquent but still a top schr, Harker."

    "What is that?" Their father suddenly came.

    After the lights went out, Howard Jones and the twins rushed after Chloe''s doctor, who went upstairs. They heard the shouts, but werepletely unaware that it was an attack of the living dead. Harker and Mina went to exin the situation to the people, and told them to calm down and stay put, never leaving this floor. They did the same to the people on the upper floors and spread the word.

    Right now, they all huddled in a room as the other people tried to contact the police and authorities. Harker and the girls had to move fast before that happened. They asked Mr. Jones for the diary, who was confused as to why they insist to read it in this situation.

    Harker folded the letter over. "Nothing, Dad."

    Samson suddenly ced his hands on his groin. "Oh man¡­. I gotta pee!"

    "Then go to the bathroom, you idiot." Samuel rolled his eyes.

    "But it''s freakin'' dark! I can''t see nothin''!" Samson said.

    Their father sighed. "How about we ask someone for a shlight? Maybe they have more to spare¡­. This is really making me nervous, it''s a bit hard to breathe¡­"

    Harker could hear his father''s heart rate being louder than usual, and he was close to having a panic attack. He ced a hand on his shoulder.

    "Hey, Dad¡­. You''ll be okay. Here, take our shlight and go with the boys." He said.

    ".... Thank you, son. It''s just¡­. Nevermind." He chuckled. "I just had a familiar feeling, all of a sudden. Like how someone you know ising over to visit. I can just feel it."

    Harker sighed. His intuition must be something he gained from his Dad. Which was more troublesome than helpful for Howard, since he was the type to get easily unnerved and anxious. His Mother often told him it was the result of living in a very loud and chaotic environment back in Nebraska.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He won''t be surprised if his Dad suffered from his grandparents there, since he never talked about them nor do they visit.

    Mina frowned, their only light being the moon once again. "So Rnd''s uncle was someone who believed he needed to sacrifice 108 lives to be immortal himself, and he was the one who brought these zombies here?"

    Chloe nodded. "He must have also been buried in Marble Cemetery. He wanted to be with my Mom and reach this ''Nirvana'' he''s talking about. G.G. was involved in all kinds of ult stuff, and he wasn''t picky with the belief."

    "He practiced Voodoo, Wan, Tantric Hinduism, brujeria¡­. All of it. Mom saw it all, but Dad said that it was harmless and that these beliefs were not necessarily bad. But even if they weren''t inherently malicious, the person practicing it may use it for those means."

    Chloe looked down. "Like this one."

    She pointed to the parking lot below. The body parts that were scattered inside the hospital tried to reach out of the windows, and reunite with the ones on the ground. Harker already spotted about a dozen of them close topleting themselves.

    "Shit¡­. We can''t let these zombies get into the highway and the city." He cursed.

    "You need to find G.G.''s corpse and kill him." Chloe said. "That''s the solution. Then the curse will be lifted, and the corpses will naturally return to their graves."

    Mina frowned. "How are you sure?"

    "He said it himself. I don''t have a shlight, but look here." She pointed at a certain passage and showed it under the moonlight. "On his second letter. It''s ruined but you can still read the cure to the curse."

    The second letter''s upper passage was barely readable, as there were holes of burn marks on them. This was all they could decipher:

    [But shall my beloved decide not to achieve Nirvana with me, then everything will return to its ce. It is my beloved''s choice. My beloved can take my heart, my brain, my body¡­.. destroy it with the burning passions I wanted to give and yet so coldly get rejected. And my wandering soul shall wander forever, yet not haunt the one I hold most dear.]

    "We should burn his body." Harker nodded. "Got it. It would be hard to identify G.G. in the dark, though."

    Chloe closed her eyes again, and pointed at somewhere in the room. "There''s a lighter on the doctor''s desk, under the stack of papers. You can wrap a piece of cloth on the end of the mop over there, and use the paper as fuel to be a torch."

    Mina smiled. "Your sister is amazing and clever. I suppose it runs in the family."

    Harker reddened a little, but proceeded to do as Chloe said. "I guess it does."

    He wondered if Yan could exin why Chloe suddenly had this great sense over the cement of things. This was not a part of his own skills. So what is something she gained from the Shapeshifting Ability, or something else?

    He will get his answers out of that eyeballter, as he always does. For now, he had to burn his best friend''s uncle.

    Mina and Harker jumped down from the window, with Harker''s hair breaking their fall. They rushed out to chase zombies with their fancy mop torch.

    "I did say you were amazing, Harker sir. But I can prove to be quite amazing too. Just watch." Mina said, summoning her sharp fins and those long nails.

    Harker smiled a little. "You already are, no need to prove it. But if we do want to make things faster¡­. I suppose a little teamwork is necessary."

    "Haha, should we keep score? It''s more exciting if we keep score." Mina chuckled, and went on aplete zombie rampage with her skill.

    She and Harker yed Whack-A-Zombie in multiyer mode, ripping all of these undead to shreds. But just as they were getting into an adrenaline rush...

    "Haha! You''re a pro at this, Mina¡ª"

    Harker stopped as he saw a familiar figure looming by the windows of the 2nd floor. A figure of someone he knew very well and loved.

    "..... Mom?"

 Chapter 75 A Good Son

    Mina turned to the window as well, but saw nothing there. Yet she still heard Harker clearly.

    She quickly wed a zombie''s flesh like a paper shredder, and went by his side.

    "You saw your Mom?" She asked worriedly.

    "Yeah¡­.. I think so." Harker narrowed his eyes. "We need to finish these zombies in the parking lot and get to the ones in the building. G.G.''s not here."

    He saw all the crawling limbs and pieces of flesh, and used his torch to light them up. He burned all kinds of zombies as they went back to the hospital and finished the first floor.

    "I wonder what would happen if I took their DNA." Harker said.

    Yan suddenly appeared on his side mid-fight. "You would gain their bizarre regenerative ability, but also their diseases, Master. Since you were still human for the most part, you are notpletely immune to these diseases and would get sick."

    "Right, everyone gets sick eating rotten meat." Harker thought. "Have you always known that G.G. Faust was involved in something demonic?"

    "I do, Master. Your sister said he was a Satanist after all." Yan answered.

    Mina then asked. "Would killing him really end the curse?"

    "I don''t know." Yan simply blinked.

    Harker made a face. "You don''t know?"

    "I don''t know if killing him would end the curse." Yan said. "It''s too difficult to tell¡­..Strong will is hard to break, after all."

    "Even if he bites our assester as a ghost, what matters is we get rid of these zombies." Harker gritted his teeth.

    The eyeball just continued observing them and flying by their side as they decimated and lit up more corpses on fire. Harker felt like he was ying that video game again. These enemies were just endless and continued spawning and spawning as he cleared up these ''dungeons''.

    Eventually, they had reached the end of the staircase of the 2nd floor. There was only one zombie left, and they could see it hunched down and eating the body of a male nurse.

    The figure stopped once it had sensed someone approaching. Its head twitched a bit, and then rose up from the ground. Harker realized it was a woman, and was wearing a bunch of bloody white cloth around her body.

    Like makeshift clothing. The effect was almost like a Greek toga.

    He recognized that those sheets were the ones he buried himself. The evidence of Xi Hua''s death.

    The zombiedy turned slowly to them, wiping the blood off her mouth.

    "Guess this is the end of the line for my borrowed life. It was fun while itsted." She chuckled.

    That chuckle was so familiar that Harker felt like he had just heard that yesterday.

    "This zombie is different from the rest. She seemed to have consciousness." Mina said. "But that''s no problem. I''ll take care of this¡ª"

    "Wait." Harker blocked her with his arm. "You¡­."

    "Me?" The woman just pointed to herself. "Spit it out, kid. I know you and that pretty littledy is here toe for me."

    Harker could feel his chest getting heavier. Why does she have to be conscious? Why can''t she just be a mindless man-eating monster like the rest?

    He knows he shouldn''t let her live, and the sooner he kills her, the better. It''s the right thing to do. But¡­

    "Do you¡­.. Do you happen to have a son named Harker Jones?" He asked his mother.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Harker Jones¡­." She mumbled. "My memory is still a bit fuzzy¡­. But I do remember havin'' a son or more."

    Harker gulped. "What else could you remember? How about your name?"

    "Something starting with J." She answered. "It''s on the tip of my tongue, hate it when that happens. But wait a minute¡­"

    Sheughed. "You sure ask a lot of questions for someone who''s just killed a whole lot of us with that Ropeunzel hair of yours. What''s your deal, little man?"

    Harker forced himself to take a step closer, but his resolve was slowly being eaten away the more this woman spoke to him. Mina suddenly put a hand on his shoulder.

    "This is your Mom, isn''t it?" She said, looking like she could also feel that numb pain in Harker''s chest. "I understand now."

    The ache won''t go away no matter how much Harker tried. Ever since the day he lost her, he wished to see her again. To hear her voice, embrace her, spend time with her¡­. He never thought this day woulde, and definitely not like this.

    Fate was so cruel. It really was.

    Every step he took felt like someone was pushing a knife straight to his chest. But he had to do it. He had to¡­.

    "Son? You are Harker Jones?"

    His already dwindling resolve copsed at this. Tears flowed, and his grip over the mop torch shook. He wiped it furiously away.

    "I can''t do it, Mina¡­. It hurts too much!" He kicked at the wall. "Fuck this¡­"

    Josephine Jones''s eyes softened, as if understanding his pain. She did not even struggle to escape these two. She was willing to escape her fate, but¡­.

    "Before you kill me, can I ask you first a question? I just got this new life, and I know it was through sinful means. But I feel I ain''t goin'' to sleep well in the grave unless I learn about this."

    Harker sniffled. "W-What is it¡­.. Mom?"

    "Did you..... never want to see me again, son? Were you already happy and content with your life?" She asked with a gentle tone. "That''s all I need to know to be at peace."

    That was when Harker broke down.

    He was left sobbing to the floor, punching it. "Damn it, damn it, damn it! Fuck you, G.G. Faust! Why did you have to do this to me!? To my Mom!?"

    Josephine Jones then mumbled the name. "G.G. Faust¡­.. That name sounds familiar."

    Harker looked up, and realized something. Maybe.... Maybe he doesn''t have to kill his Mom yet. Maybe they could ask her to help find G.G. to end this curse.

    That way, he could properly answer her question and say that he really was happy without having to see her again.

    "Mom¡­.. Have you seen G.G.? That man in a leather jacket, ck hair and reddish eyes? He''s the one we''re looking for to end this thing... So all of you can go back in peace."

    Her eyes widened. "ck hair and reddish eyes¡­.. Yes, I remember now. He went that way."

    She pointed to the floor where they set up the barricade.

    ? Harker took Mina''s hand. "Then we have to move fast. Can you take us to him? He started this whole curse because of you, Mom."

    Josephine rubbed her bloody chin. "Because of me¡­. Alright then. You good people don''t worry about a thing. If stopping this G.G. would absolve my sins and help me go to the afterlife in peace¡­."

    "Then I will help you, son."

 Chapter 76 Never Abandons His Mother

    They went to clear the next floor by the shredding and scattering method. Burning them inside the building might cause too much damage, or activate the sprinkler.

    As they did this, Josephine just observed the duo with an innocent look in herrge doe eyes. Her brown skin was almost gleaming with full health now. Unlike the corpses, she looked the most animated and alive.

    And that means that she had eaten many humans to get to this state. It has been 7 years since she died, so she would have started as a skeleton.

    Harker couldn''t help but be distracted by her. "Do you remember any vague memories, Mom? Your childhood, your family¡­.. Anything?"

    He specifically wished she would remember a little bit about him.

    She furrowed her bows. "Afraid not, son¡­. You say my name is Josephine Jones, right? And my husband is Howard Jones. This G.G. Faust is our friend¡­."

    "Yes, and besides me, you have a daughter named Chloe who''s 10 years old now." Harker said. "And finally, two twin boys named Samson and Samuel. You¡­. You died upon giving birth to them."

    She digested this information. "Three sons, one daughter¡­. A loving husband. A man obsessed with me. This is a lot to take in¡­."

    "My daughter¡­. How is she? What does she look like?" She then asked.

    Mina crushed a zombie''s skull with her pectoral fin, which was strangely positioned on the sides of her arms instead of her actual pectorals.

    "She''s beautiful just like you, Miss Jones." Mina told her. "Even though she have illnesses, she had a strong willpower and courage."

    "She had an illness?" Josephine asked worriedly. "What is it?"

    Harker made his hair razor sharp and impaled three zombies at once like a kebab, and then shred them from inside out.

    "Lupus disease. She''s alright now, Mom. No need to worry."

    "I see¡­ May God save her soul, then."

    Harker was truly pained by how little his mother remembers. She may have her consciousness, but it felt like talking to a stranger now. He could understand what Chloe said about her feeling closer to fiction than reality. The person she was only remained in Harker''s imagination now, and what was left was a confused hollow shell of a human.

    But he could still feel that she''s trying. Her chuckle, her kind demeanor¡­. It was still there.

    No matter how little it was, like grains of sand, he still wanted to hold onto those semnces before theypletely slipped from his grasp.

    He went to put a hand on his mother''s shoulder, brushing her soft and wavy hair. "Mom¡­. No matter what happens, you should know that we all loved and missed you."

    Her gaze softened at this. "Thank you, son."

    Harker smiled sadly. He distracted himself by focusing on the task of looking for a Satanic zombie master.

    "I don''t see G.G. Faust anywhere." Harker said as they were close to clearing up this floor. "Did he hide in the bathroom? Or did he already escape from the window?"

    Mina double-checked everything. "He looked like Rnd, right? Are you sure he lookedpletely like him?"

    "He does. He may have rotten too, but none of the zombies we killed so far even resembled him a bit." Harker frowned. "My Snake Ability''s Duration is running out soon. I might have to borrow some of your DNA instead, Mina."

    Jospehine looked down at a window. "That man¡­. He has long ck hair. Look."

    Mina nced at a corpse approaching the gates of the hospital. "Is it really him? It''s too far to tell."

    "Only one way to find out." Harker said sternly as he jumped down once more.

    They rushed to stop this zombie, the sound of police sirensing closer. With Harker and Mina''s superior hearing, they could hear them even though they were still 10 minutes away.

    "We need to finish this quickly." Harker eximed. "George Gordon Faust!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    He yelled to the zombie that walked with a limp. It slowly turned¡­.

    And revealed a barely recognizable face. But his hair was shoulder-length and ck, his remaining eyeball hazelnut. Most importantly¡­.

    It rushed towards Josephine Jones upon seeing her.

    "GRAAHHHHHH!!!!" The zombie yelled.

    Harker yelled. "Eat fire, asshole!"

    He quickly burned him up with the torch, causing the zombie to shriek in pain. Harker used his hair, not caring if it gets burned, to pull him apart like he was a paper man.

    The corpse of G.G. Faust disintegrated slowly and turned into nothing but dust. Not long after the cold wind blew the fire off, and Harker spat on the remaining ashes.

    "That''s for sending my Mom creepy letters and bringing her back from the dead just so a creep like you could fuck with our family." Harker crushed more of the flesh with his shoes.

    Eventually, the police arrived.

    Mina gulped. "We may have been a little toote. They''re going to see the zombies¡ª"

    But as she said this, the remaining living zombies went to reattach themselves and started walking calmly towards the back of the hospital. They were all grouped into neat little lines, possibly heading back to Marble Cemetery.

    Harker was relieved. "We fucking did it¡­.. But¡­."

    He turned to his Mom, who was looking nkly at the moving zombies. She just watched them with those empty eyes.

    "Is it my time to go now? So soon¡­." She mumbled.

    Harker ced a hand on her shoulder. "Mom¡­. I don''t know what to say. I''m not ready to¡­. But I have to. You have to go back."

    She ced her hand over his. "I know, son. May God bless you, and the rest of our family. You''d done grown up to be such a good man. Not many people could do that, especially after everythin'' ya been through."

    "Take care of yer pretty girlfriend, eh?" She winked at Mina. "And I wished I have seen my daughter¡­. I wonder if she''s really pretty with smooth skin and untainted innocence. Bet she''d have all the boys after her soon once she gets better from that disease."

    Harker chuckled awkwardly. "Haha, I bet if you''d grown up with her, you''d know Chloe has no time for that. And also didn''t you always tell me to focus on my studies first before I think about girls?"

    Josephine just shrugged and smiled. "I don''t recall it, son. But still¡­."

    "Take care of yerself." She patted his shoulder, and followed the others.

    It was difficult to watch her go. Mina held his hand, and Harker turned to her, smiling.

    "I''m fine now. I epted it already." Harker said.

    But¡­.

    The zombies did not go to the cemetery. Instead¡­..

    A bunch of ck cars appeared out of nowhere, and dragged all of them inside! Including Josephine Jones, who was just grabbed and tossed inside by big burly men in suits. They droved through an old and abandoned road that was supposed to be demolished and reced with estate lots.

    Harker tried to reach out. "No! Mom!"

    But it was toote.

 Chapter 77 Incorrect Assumptions

    Harker wanted to follow them, but they were stopped by the police and questioned due to their report of the terrorist attack. The cars went away before he could tell them about it.

    "The terrorist had escaped and went over there!" Harker pointed at the back of the hospital. "You have to hurry and get to them!"

    "Alright, son." A male officer said. "Raise your hand up first and don''t make any sudden movements. We just need to frisk you up and make sure you don''t have anything suspicious with you."

    Harker gritted his teeth. Those cars¡­.

    Where the hell did theye from? What did they want with the zombies¡­.. With his Mom?

    -----------------------------------

    "Did you end the curse?" Chloe asked once they were free to get inside.

    The electricity was back on. Apparently, someone had cut off their connection from the inside of the hospital itself. It was a nned operation, and cleanly done. The people who were responsible clearly knew what they were doing so that even the generators won''t work.

    Harker slumped on the chair, deep in thought. He was still dazed by this rollercoaster of events. His emotions were yed with like a yo-yo.

    Chloe pouted, going by his side. "Harker? Are you okay?"

    Mina decided to speak out for him. She took Chloe''s hand¡­.

    And said softly. "We met your Mom, Chloe."

    The little girl was of course shocked, despite already anticipating it due to G.G. Faust''s letter. Mina exined what had happened, and Chloe just listened with the same pensive look as her brother.

    "These men in suits¡­.. Do you have any idea who they may be?" Chloe asked.

    Harker shook his head. "No. These people don''t even look like they''re from here."

    "They''re possibly Western European. I couldn''t detect which country though as my knowledge of other nationalities is still limited. I just based it on their ent." Mina said.

    "ent?" Harker asked.

    "Mn. I heard their voices a little." Mina told them.

    Harker thought about it. If this was just about G.G. Faust, then the electricity should have been broken down because of the zombie attack itself. Either the zombies destroyed the electrical lines or some magic bullshit.

    But it wasn''t. It was a nned attack. So someone else must have been aware that the zombies will go here because of the Jones'' family being in this hospital. Something ain''t clicking.

    Harker presented this line of thought to the girls, and they were left skeptical of the situation too because of this.

    "So someone must have known about our whole family history then, right? Maybe G.G. Faust has a rich friend that he told about his evil n, and was there to make sure that it works once hees back from the dead." Chloe said.

    "But why only now? Why would the curse activate the moment you saw the letter and learned the truth?" Harker asked.

    "Maybe the letter itself was cursed. It wasmon for Chinese cultivators to put energy inside paper, just like in spirit-summoning talismans and protective talismans." Mina said.

    "Then who could this friend be? Is it only one person, or was it a whole lot of Satanic cultists?" Harker guessed.

    The only way to gain more information was to ask someone who knew G.G. Faust personally. And since his mother was no longer avable¡­.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker approached his Dad after he was questioned by the police.

    "Dad¡­. You knew that G.G. practices the ult, right?" Harker asked him.

    His father looked pained again at the mention of G.G. He clutched his small piece of wood tighter.

    "I did. Why do you ask?"

    "Do you also know some of the other Satanic people he hangs around with? Possibly members of his cult?"

    His father scowled. "Harker, they''re not in a cult. They were just a group of teenagers trying to practice some other beliefs than the conventional ones. Don''t get it twisted."

    "I ain''t getting it twisted, Dad! That son of a devil¡ª"

    Harker calmed himself. This night really took a toll on him, and he got impatient with how much his Dad trusted this undead friend.

    "I¡­. I really need to know anything about G.G.''s friends and connections. Anything would do." Harker said, looking sheepish. "Sorry for cursing, Dad."

    His father did not look mad with this outburst. He just put a hand on Harker''s face.

    "Are you sure you''re alright, Harker? You have cold sweat all over you¡­. And you look really tired."

    Harker sighed, and put his father''s hand gently off his face. "I won''t force you if you don''t know anything. Let''s just forget about it."

    He''d just ask Rnd''s connections again. It''s his uncle, maybe it would be easier for him to find out something. Hopefully he''s not as reluctant as his Dad to give information.

    "Wait a minute, Harker." His Dad suddenly called out. "I don''t know much about G.G.''s other friends. He barely spends time with them, and only meets up almost once a month. But he did give me this¡­"

    He took something from his pocket that he seemed to carry around him at all times besides the wood.

    It was a¡­..

    Shard. There was no mistaking it.

    "I forgot when he gave it to me. But I remember he told me to keep it safely and that if I don''t want to have it, I should just look for something called ''An Xin''." Howard said.

    He was looking at the Shard like he was about to cry. "I never knew what that meant, or what it even was. Much less find it. But it''s the only connection with his strange fascination with the ult that I have."

    Harker''s eyes widened. His heart started pounding, and his head started to ache at the mention of the name An Xin.

    All this time, his Dad held a piece of the Orb of Omniscience. From a friend who tried to steal his wife from him and get him killed by zombies.

    Now Harker was even more confused. What''s the deal with this G.G. Faust!? None of his actions made sense!

    If it was so easy to get rid of him, why did he even rise from the grave in the first ce!? Why would he give the Shard to his Dad, especially if he knew how powerful it was or even its background? It''s all a mess, trying to figure out this man¡­.

    Unless some of their assumptions of him were incorrect.

    [Shard spotted! You have retrieved 2/13 of the Orb of Omniscience!]

 Chapter 78 That You Have To Let Go Of

    A few days after the tragedy that struck the hospital, the investigation of the police force had identified at least 20 deaths and 60 disappearances. No leads had been found on the identity of the terrorists so far.

    The problem with that estimate was that it was solely based on the blood DNA samples found in the crime scene. There was hope for the families that the blood found may just mean injury, and that the terrorists have kidnapped their loved ones or that they have managed to escape on time somehow.

    This gave them false hope, as they were unaware that anyone who had been in the parking lot or the lower floors was dead.

    Harker felt so much guilt burdening him from this thought alone. He tried to focus on chasing leads with this ''An Xin'' that his dad has mentioned, but the weariness was visible in his eyes.

    "Tea?" Rnd asked him as he set down a teacup in front of him.

    Harker took a sip while reading the files they found so far. "There are too many results for An Xin, man¡­.. And they''re so random too. A fictional character from aic series, a reverse of the name of a vige in Guangdong Province¡­. Hell, even a fucking pork chop restaurant!?"

    He rubbed his face. "None of these were even remotely connected to the ult. All so fucking useless¡­"

    Rnd grimaced a little from his friend saying that all the efforts he and his men had put was useless. He sipped his teacup in silence.

    Harker noticed this, and quickly apologized.

    "I''m sorry¡­. I sound really ungrateful. I just¡­. This is¡­."

    Rnd sighed. "I know. The stress and pressure is getting to you because of your mom. I would be a little cranky too if I was in your shoes."

    Harker''s jaw clenched, and he felt the urge to hit himself. He needs to get it together. He wasn''t able to get any sleep for days, and even though he was a Demon Lord, that won''t be good in the long run. He needs to calm his nerves and think straight.

    "There''s still my uing finals and our research deadline. I''m sure you have other stuff to take care of too, sorry for burdening you with this." Harker sighed.

    Rnd shook his head. "You''re not burdening me, Hark. I know how important it is to you. I will do anything to help you find out more about my uncle, just please be patient with me."

    "I am. I will be patient," Harker promised, even though the anxiety was slowly killing him.

    Harker decided to change the topic to ease things up a bit. "Your dad ising home too, and Mina will have to go somewhere else, right?"

    "Yes. She''s already packing her things now and they''re preparing for her to move things to an apartment in uptown Manhattan."

    "So she''ll be nearby." Harker felt relieved.

    "Yes, she requested it." Rnd took a sip again. "And even though she stayed here in America for revenge, she does look like she wants to take her studies seriously too."

    "She''ll be a Bachelor freshman the moment I get into my Master''s freshman year." Harker thought. "Even though she''s already way older than me."

    "I decided to take Masterals too while doing some work in the government." Rnd said.

    "Yeah, I remember you said you wanted to be a public defender. Your pay would be way less." Harker told him.

    Rnd nodded. "Yes, but I could at least help more people who deserve it. Poor people who can''t afford to hirewyers and easily get eaten by the prosecution who never follow the ''innocent until proven guilty'' rule unless it''s a rich white man."

    Harker couldn''t help but smile in admiration for his friend. Public defenders were known to be severely overworked and underpaid. But Rnd was willing to do it for the sake of justice.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Justice¡­.

    Harker''s head hurt again, as if a spot was being slowly pricked by a skewer and then churned. He had started seeing shes of scenes that he could not recognize ever since he had that dream.

    It was in that dream where he first heard An Xin. And he was sure that the An Xin there was rted to the An Xin that G.G. Faust talked about, he just needed to remember a bit more.

    Yet the more he forces it, the more it slips his grasp.

    Harker told Rnd all these worries and the frustrations of not being able to remember. Rnd listened carefully with a serious expression.

    "Maybe you should try the opposite approach."

    Harker blinked. "Huh?"

    "If you can''t remember something no matter how much you force it, then you should try to let it go and remember it naturally. That''s what I do when I forget where I put something. Looking around for hours and panicking about it won''t do anything. I sometimes have to sit down, do something else, and then the memoryes naturally to me."

    Rnd put a hand on his shoulder. "I know this may sound like an excuse to get you to rest, Hark¡­ And it kinda is. You need it. Please take care of yourself."

    Harker considered this, and took Rnd''s advice. He did his best to keep his mind off his mother, the zombie incident, and An Xin. He focused on other things while Rnd and his men still looked for leads.

    Eventually, Mina had fully settled in to her new ce before Mr. Faust returned to his home. Rnd took back the servants and workers in the house before them, ensuring they wouldn''t say anything about their sudden vacation. The former mermaid then invites Harker to her ce to celebrate.

    It was also time for them to share their DNA in order for the Shapeshifting cells to remain in her body.

    Her t was much simpler than Harker expected. It was still expensive and bougie as fuck, of course, but it was rather minimalist in style. The decor reminded him of corals, and the white walls were decorated with all sorts of sea-themed items.

    Mina was wearing a rather simple blue dress shirt for this ''party'', which only consists of the two of them. She went to the fridge and took something out.

    "I have some cognac brandy here, Lewis XIII Gold Pearl Magnum. Rnd suggested it to me, and I was interested because of the name. But I have never tried liquor before."

    Harker looked at the expensive bottle. "I have never tried something this expensive yet either."

    Mina chuckled. "Guess it''s kind of a first for both of us, huh?"

    "Yeah¡­."

    Harker looked at this beautiful woman in front of him, and yet his mind still wandered off to his missing mother. He then remembered something Rnd said a while ago, while he was having tea and talking to him as Xi Hua.

    "Being a family guy is a good thing, but everything good in excess is bad. If home is where his heart is, how could he have space for anyone else?"

    He then recalled his recent advice: "If you can''t remember something no matter how much you force it, then you should try to let it go."

    Harker then steeled his resolve, and got him and Mina two sses for the brandy.

    "Let''s drink and have a toast to our first together, then."

 Chapter 79 Love Is Just [R18]

    "Hah¡­.. Mn, Harker¡­."

    The bottle was nowpletely empty. They managed to finish it by themselves, while watching a movie they rented from a video rental shop.

    It was a 1984 movie called ''Splosh'', where a man gets lost on an ind and finds himself with a beautiful blonde mermaid girl who happened to save him as a young boy many years ago. She then tries to survive in New York while hiding from scientists.

    It was a pretty fun movie, though Harker was too drunk out of his mind to understand much of what''s happening besides that basic summary. All he knows¡­

    There''s a mermaid, there''s Tim Honks, scientists, and a whole lot of scenes where the mermaid was naked.

    He couldn''t even recall when and how it started. Maybe it was during that underwater kissing scene between Honks and the mermaid, or maybe it was the first moment that she had gone nude on screen. Harker did remember vaguely that Mina said something like:

    "Don''t look at her and envy the protagonist, Harker. You have a perfectly good mermaid right beside you."

    Harker chuckled, way too tipsy to make a good response. And then boom. It just happened.

    As the movie continued ying, Mina sat on Harker''sp on the couch. They had some cheap 1 dor pizza and some nachos to go with their expensive cognac.

    Mina started unbuttoning her polo shirt and pressed her lips against Harker. The drunk man held onto her thin waist, which he could feel easily beneath that dress shirt. She was wearing nothing else but panties and his hands couldn''t help but also travel over her smooth thighs.

    "Haha.... Ah, that tickles." Mina mumbled on his lips, as she stuck out her tongue.

    Harker caught grip on it, and they shared a very deep French kiss that felt like itsted for hours. They were just so lost in it and the alcohol on their minds were making every minute feel like a blur. Their bodies moved on its own and before they knew it, they had already gotten rid of their clothes.

    Mina pressed her hand on Harker''s chest, urging him toy down. Harker easily slipped into the soft embrace of the sofa cushions, and let the pretty mermaid straddle him.

    She slowly took off her panties, and wore a mischievous look in her eyes.

    "Don''t you think we should get as much DNA from each other for today?" She smiled. "Every single bit counts."

    She hooked the ckced underwear with one finger, tantalizing Harker with it.

    The man was drunk out of his mind, so he nipped at it like a kid trying to bite after a gummy worm held out in front of him. Mina chuckled, still holding him still.

    "But shouldn''t I be the one consuming your DNA more? Since I''m the one trying to gain the Shapeshifting cells...." Her fingers trailed down his abdomen.

    They moved all the way down to something standing up excitedly, pulsing red from all the teasing and forey.

    "You get mine and I get yours." Mina then put her panty inside Harker''s mouth, cing it in as she went down below.

    Harker now had a panty in his mouth just like how a dog would hold a bone between his teeth. He had this unassuming innocent look as Mina had slinked down all the way between his thighs.

    He could feel her breaths on his sensitive skin,that skin covering the veiny pulsing shaft. His dick twitched as soon as she licked it a little and got even harder.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Mina smiled, her eyes never leaving him as she sucked the tip of his cock.

    He groaned as her tongue moved around, licking and teasing the red hot shaft. His head was spinning from the pleasure, his teeth clenching around the panties tightly.

    Mina''s hair sometimes got in the way, and she had to toss it once in a while. She was so focused on the blowjob that she didn''t have time to move it away properly. Harker then went to take her soft and silky blond hair off her face and hold them together with one hand.

    It was so good even though she was no expert by any means. This was her first time after all, so it was no surprise she''s no expert. But she had the determination and put in all the effort to please Harker and his hard little buddy, and that''s all that matters.

    Besides, this was the first blowjob Harker received in his 22 years too. He had no one topare it with so it was already special to him.

    "Mm¡­. Hah¡­." Mina''s hot mouth continued to engulf him, starting from the tip and slowly going up and down that shaft.

    Harker closed his eyes to feel it more. His grip on her hair tightened, and he heard her moan louder as he did so. This surprised him, so he pulled a bit more just to test her reaction.

    And Mina really loved it when he pulled her hair as she sucked him. He saw her delicate fingers travel downwards and roughly touch her soaking wet crotch.

    This brought even more pleasure for him, and he got so close to exploding. He spat out the lingerie in his mouth.

    "Mina¡­. I''m getting close¡­. Do you want to swa¡­.." He wasn''t able to finish his sentence as Mina suddenly started sucking faster, bobbing her head up and down wildly.

    "Mmm-hmm! Gerb ih tuh mi Hahkuh¡­." She mumbled with a mouthful of his meat on her mouth.

    Harker groaned. "Wha¡­ What did you say?"

    Suddenly, a holographic screen appeared to trante her garbled words to him.

    [Trantion: "Yes! Give it to me, Harker! I want to swallow all of it!"]

    Harker didn''t know how to react with Yan helping him out in this kind of situation, and possibly also watching. But his mind was soaked in cognac and wild thoughts about Mina, so he could only focus on shooting his load straight into her throat.

    He could feel it as the thick and white fluid filled her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out, and it almost spilled on the side of her lips.

    But Mina diligently swallowed it all and made sure none of his precious ''DNA'' would go to waste. She looked really pleased with herself for this, and made that soft giggle.

    "Harker¡­.." Her face was flushed, possibly from both the alcohol and the arousal. "Harker¡­. I think I love you. I want you."

    It didn''t matter that it sounded sappy, like something from a B-rated movie. To Harker, they were the most beautiful words he ever heard. It was like something he had waiting for so long had finally arrived.

    Harker ced one of his hands around her waist, and the other on the back of her neck. This feeling felt right, it felt just. He kissed her deeply once more, and eventually answered:

    "I think I feel the same way too¡­. Mina. You are my first love."

 Chapter 80 Chemical Reactions In The Brain [R18]

    Mina and Harker continued kissing until his little buddy went up again.

    "Finally." The mermaid said, breathless. "That''s all I''ve been waiting for¡­."

    "Heh¡­. What do you mean?" Harker caressed the side of her face and kissed her cheek.

    "I was waiting for yourrge, thick fishing rod to be ready to dive deep into my ocean." She chuckled. "It''s already flooding down there, Harker."

    He did notice how wet his thighs felt where Mina sat on. He went to reach his fingers inside¡­..

    And Mina made a loud moan, going weak in his arms. "Hnn¡­. I want it so badly¡­."

    Harker frowned. "I haven''t bought a condom yet. Also, I''m not an expert in this so don''t expect much¡­.."

    "I''m not either." She said, "But I want you, and I trust you. You could just pull it out if you don''t want to release it inside. Though¡­."

    "Though?" Harker blinked.

    Mina bopped his nose, giggling. "Though I wouldn''t mind having you as the father of my children."

    Harker almost choked on his own saliva. F-Father???

    He was too young for that, and that was way out of his ns for now. It would be too dangerous for a child of his to exist under these circumstances. He doesn''t even know if the Shapeshifting Ability would be passed to his offspring since it can be gained through DNA Absorption by other individuals.

    That would make the kid a target for monsters and enemies¡­

    And that would bring him even more guilt and responsibility to bear. He gulped. "Mina¡­. I''m not so sure this is the right time for me to have¡ª"

    "I was just joking. I can see you getting worried again." Mina parted his furrowed brows. "I still want to kill that bastard who sold us before I raise children. You can pull out."

    Harker breathed a sigh of relief that they''re on the same page. "Alright then. I''ll give you a heads up once I''m near."

    Mina smiled and nodded. She spread her legs wider, feeling Harker''s fingers spreading out her entrance¡­.

    And slowly, ever so slowly, lowered herself down into his hard cock.

    "Ahh¡­.. Hurts¡­." She winced, gritting her teeth as she did.

    Harker also felt a bit of pain at first since it was so tight. It felt like his head was being crushed by the walls. But he rxed himself, and held Mina''s hand so she could do the same.

    "We don''t have to¡­. Huff¡­. Move right away¡­." He said.

    Eventually, they managed to put it all in. Water pooled on Mina''s eyes, and as they dried, they turned into tiny beautiful pearls.

    "You''re crying¡­. It must hurt a lot. Sorry." Harker said.

    Mina shook her head, wrapping her arms around him. "It''s nothing¡­. The happiness I feel right now is worth the pain. These are also tears of joy."

    Harker caught these pearls and decided he would keep them. They will serve as a memory of the first that they shared.

    They waited for the both of them to settle in, and started moving. It was rough at first but eventually became enjoyable as they picked up pace. Harker and Mina grinded against each other on this sofa. Mina''s voice was very clear to him and he focused on it as their bodies continued to entangle tightly around each other.

    The minutes ticked away, as they both experienced a pleasure unlike anything they experienced before. Eventually, they both reached their climax and embraced each other with all their might, their bodies shaking with pleasure.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker pulled out when he was getting near. "Hah¡­. Where should I release it?"

    Mina pointed to her face, kneeling down to its level. "I don''t want any of it to go to waste, remember? Ah¡­."

    She opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out, and Harker exploded right then and there.

    Theyy in each other''s arms, still connected. Harker kissed Mina''s forehead as he said: "That was really beautiful¡­. You''re so beautiful, Mina."

    And he didn''t mean that skin deep only. He meant it with all his heart and soul, how much he found this woman beautiful for who she was, down to the very core. Her determined spirit, the subtlety of her demeanor, and herpassion for others¡­..

    The person she was, and the person she will be. Harker wanted to love her even more as time went by, and they got to know each other to the point that they know the other more than themselves.

    Every single detail; like the way Minaughs, eats, sleep, everything she likes and dislikes, her past memories and dreams for the future¡­ Harker wanted to know them all, and make them part of himself too.

    And he wanted Mina to do the same thing. An equal exchange, an unbreakable bond.

    The two stayed embraced like that for a while, not even able to turn off the TV as it just showed white noise. Then, the sun rose and they had the worst hangover, but they can both endure it together andugh about it.

    Harker decided to teach her how to cook pancakes, since she would be living by herself now. They were still naked and only wearing aprons. He ced his arms around her as Mina held the pan, trying to flip them perfectly.

    "Guess you''d have to crash at my ce at least once every month, then?" Mina chuckled as they made pancakes together.

    Harker nodded. "Actually, it might be less than that since saliva and seminal fluid has less DNA than blood. Perhaps every two weeks."

    "I wouldn''t mind that." Mina grinned. "You can leave some of your stuff here then whenever you''d have to visit."

    Harker kissed her shoulder. "Mn. That way you won''t be so lonely. You could think of me when seeing my stuff."

    "Don''t be surprised if some of them smelled fishy then." She teased.

    Harker reddened at the thought, imagining using a toothbrush he left here and realizing that it''s a little sticky¡ª

    The telephone in Mina''s house suddenly rang.

    Harker had to untangle himself from her. "I''ll go get it, you go focus on the pancakes."

    He took the call and copied Mina''s voice. "Mina Murray''s residence. Who is it?"

    "Hello, Mina? Is Harker there?" He heard Rnd''s voice. "We have a problem."

    Harker changed back to his normal voice, his giddy smile slowly disappearing. "Yeah, it''s me. What''s the problem?"

    "Harker, Victoria''s men didn''te to meet up for the RH null blood exchange here in BBB. Instead, they left a letter for the waiter to give saying that they won''t be sharing blood with us anymore and that you could keep the chameleon."

    "Wait, what!? But why???"

    "She said¡­. She had a better sample to test it on. And Harker, that''s not the worst part."

    Something suddenly clicked as Rnd said:

    "Victoria''s gone from BITMAC. She ran away and nobody could find where she and her associates were. It''s possible that they already escaped New York, and she had brought along many brain samples with her."

 Chapter 81 Being Honest Is...

    Harker crossed his arms as he watched the prairies outside the window of the limousine.

    Mina was beside him, while Rnd was in front of them focused on the papers he was reading. These papers were all the files he got about Victoria and her associates, along with other information on their whereabouts and operations.

    It was too quiet, so Mina asked the question she had been meaning to ask. "So¡­.. Victoria took Harker''s mom and the other zombies?"

    "Most likely." Rnd answered without looking up. "It''s too convenient that she would run away just after the hospital incident."

    Harker nodded, his expression stern. "What I''m worried about is what she would do with them and the brains she took. Is she going to try to give them consciousness by giving them brains? How would she even make that work? And what does she want to gain?"

    Mina pondered over this. "Maybe she wants it to be proof that humans can be immortal and never die. Then, she could be rich and have recognition. But¡­"

    The boys asked at the same time. "But what?"

    "The undead already existed a long time ago. Zombies, immortal cultivators, vampires, fairies and elves¡­. They already exist to have this ''eternal life'', but people just don''t know about them. Once humans also had the ability to do that, they might be able to reveal themselves and mingle freely with society because humans wouldn''t have to fear them causing their deaths."

    "So¡­. So I don''t think it''s such a bad thing if that happens." Mina smiled. "I could freely be a mermaid, and Harker would not have to worry about his family finding out who he was. Humans and monsters could co-exist again, like in the old days."

    "But none of them would be as unkible as this, right?" Rnd said. "These zombies, as you told me, can regenerate at a fast rate no matter what damage you inflict. But they could still burn from fire in the end. All the other ''immortal'' creatures would still have to be faced with impermanence."

    "So?" Mina blinked. "At least they''ll live longer and have less to worry about, like illnesses¡ª"

    "I think Rnd''s point was that since humans and monsters would have an equal footing, they might start a war. It would be a whole new paradigm shift. The modern world would have to re-adjust itself." Harker said.

    "Let''s say humans did have the ability to be invincible more than ever. If they were aware of the existence of other beings that posed a threat, and they know they''re powerful enough to eradicate them with both science AND supernatural capabilities ...."

    Rnd''s face darkened. "Monsters like you would be in danger more than ever. We''re not like the old days, Mina. Back in the old days, we only cared about surviving by having food to eat and shelter over our heads."

    "But now¡­. It''s all about money. Even if you can prove that monsters and humans can co-exist peacefully, greedy humans would not choose that option and would rather use it to profit more. If even monsters can do it now like Mr. Xi and the one who sold you to them¡­. What more could immortal humans do?"

    Mina''s lips parted, and she was about to say something. But she closed her mouth, and shook her head.

    "You''re right. I got too optimistic since I only know good humans like you and Harker. But evil cane from anywhere." She said.

    Harker looked out on the tall grasses and wilnds, wondering how much longer they''ll get to Nebraska. How fitting that his father''s birthce would be the one that Victoria would escape to with his mother in tow.

    "How much closer would you think the suspected headquarters would be?" He asked.

    "Just a few miles. We only know the coordinates from the electromaic sensors. They must be underground." Rnd told him.

    "How are we going to find them? This area is prettyrge. Maybe if we get within 50 meters, Mina and I can sense something. But miles away are just too vast."

    As they pondered over what could be done, they suddenly heard a sound from the back of the limousine after they experienced a road hump.

    "What was that?" Rnd''s eyes widened.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Did a rock get stuck on the wheel? Or one of the tires busted?" Mina assumed.

    Harker shook his head. "Doesn''t sound like it. Now that I''m focusing on it, I feel some heat energy on the trunk. There''s something living there."

    Rnd quickly went over to the inte and told the driver to stop. They parked in the middle of the road to observe what was on the back of the car. They got out, and Harker and Mina were at the ready. Rnd also took a gun with him just to be sure.

    The bison chewed on the tall grass of the prairie, not minding the humans at all. They just did their business and watched them with bored eyes behind all that fur.

    "I''ll be the one to open it." Harker said. "You two stay back."

    They did move away a little, but the two blondes didn''t move that far. They still wanted to help him if something jumped out and attacked.

    Harker took a deep breath, his hair elongating a bit¡­.

    And eventually opened the trunk with a shout. "Ahhhhhh!!!!"

    The person inside also shouted. "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

    Rnd almost shot this person, but missed as Harker quickly pushed the gun away with his hair. Mina also almost wed this person''s face off, but Harker used the Subus ability to move her hands away.

    "What the fuck¡ª Chloe!? What are you doing here!?"

    His little sister sat up with a frown. "Trying to see Mom, of course. Why else would I be here?"

    "But why!? It''s too dangerous, Chloe¡ª"

    "You just expect me to stay put and pretend none of the things at the hospital ever happened? After that night, you just kept on hiding things from me and Dad. You lived on like normal as if that would convince me to think the whole thing was a dream."

    "Because it''s better if you do!" Harker said.

    He considered using the hypnotizing effect that the Snake demon ability to make Chloe forget that night. But just like how he could not just use the Subus ability on Mina to get her to have sex with her, he felt like invading Chloe''s free will if he did that.

    The two blondes didn''t know what to say about this development. And it felt like a private conversation they shouldn''t butt in on, so they kept quiet and only watched the Jones siblings argue awkwardly.

    "It''s better for me to be in the dark about what''s happening to my own mother and brother?" Chloe countered. "You''re doing the thing again."

    "What thing?" Harker frowned.

    Chloe gritted her teeth. "That thing where you would rather lie and pretend everything is fine, when it''s not. You think we can''t sense that, Harker? You''d rather bottle things up than talk about it to us¡­."

    "When we''re your family, and family is supposed to stick up for each other the most. It''s alright to ask for help and be honest sometimes, you know."

 Chapter 82 Not So Bad

    Harker went quiet on this, his face dark. The bison kept on chewing at the distance, while the blondes hesitated on whether to interrupt or not.

    Mina decided to speak out in Harker''s favor. "Little girl¡­. Your brother didn''t mean to lie to you. Sometimes you just have to make sacrifices for your family. You''ll learn that when you''re older. It''s called a ''white lie'', a good type of lying. Have you heard of that?"

    Rnd shook his head disapprovingly. "White lies or not, the truth alwayses out eventually. Just look at what happened now, Chloe''s going to have to be involved no matter what happens. And the rest would be too. It''s only a matter of time."

    Harker rubbed his forehead from these two opposing points. They were both valid, and he felt that confusing feeling again that he had as a child on what to do or not to do.

    He closed his eyes. "Chloe¡­. I just want to protect you. I''m sorry if it feels like I don''t trust you."

    Harker put his hands on his little sister''s shoulder. "But this stuff¡­. It ain''t exactly a walk in the park. One you''re in, you can''t go back."

    "And I''m already in this, ever since I''ve read Mom''s journal. Ever since I saw what I saw." She said firmly. "I want in."

    Harker sighed. "Alright. Get inside the limo, the trunk ain''t a ce for this conversation."

    They then went inside, and continued the drive to Victoria''s headquarters again.

    "For now, no matter what happens, you stay here first with the rest of the bodyguards." Harker said. "We''re the only ones that should get into the fray. Then you''ll see Mom, I promise."

    Chloe wanted to push back, but knew that Harker was too stubborn and was already at his limit.

    "Okay¡­.." She crossed her arms for the whole ride.

    As the dust of this small family fight settled, the blondes picked up the papers again to keep busy. Harker and Chloe were still looking on opposite sides, not meeting eye to eye.

    "Can you hear anything strange nearby, Mina?" Rnd asked.

    Mina lowered her head to hear anything from the ground. She shook her head. "They could be too far down for me to hear."

    "What exactly are you guys looking for?" Chloe asked.

    "Victoria''s headquarters where she''s keeping Mom. We know it''s here, but not the exact entrance and how to get there."

    Chloe closed her eyes. "This Victoria¡­ Does she have anything special on her? Like a specific earring¡­. A brooch¡­."

    Harker thought about it. "She only had these weird spectacles¡­. They look strange. Like they''re much thicker than usual and much more antique. It has a golden frame and the lenses were bluish."

    "Blue lenses and gold frame¡­." Chloe''s eyebrows furrowed. "Hmmm¡­.."

    It took her a while, before she said. "Drive 70 meters ahead, and you will see a sort of hatch on the ground. It''s covered by grass and bison poop. Then, you will get into a staircase leading to a space with an elevator. Victoria is somewhere below, looking at a dead body."

    The three were amazed by this little girl''s ability. It was almost like irvoyance.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Since when could you do that? Was it because you received Harker''s blood?" Rnd asked.

    Chloe opened her eyes and shook her head. "Actually, I''ve been starting to have this weird feeling at the back of my neck when I''m looking for something, sort of like a goosebump. It''s been happening since I was young, but it was weaker. It slowly grew until I could tell where my ssmate''s pencils were, and I also used it on our newspaper selling business."

    She smiled. "I can detect which areas didn''t receive a newspaper delivery yet. It''s very handy. But that took me a while before, now it''s so much faster."

    Harker frowned. "Since that long? Why didn''t you tell us anything?"

    "Are you the only one allowed to keep secrets? I thought if you guys knew, you''d think I''m a freak." She rolled her eyes. "That''s why I do understand your point about ''white lies'' and stuff."

    Chloe pursed her lips. "But now, can we stop lying to each other, at least? I won''t tell Dad or the twins for now, but we''ll have to eventually."

    "Yeah¡­. You''re right."

    Harker had to agree. Especially since things were getting moreplicated and getting Shards weren''t as easy as he thought.

    They followed her instructions, and found the hatch. The bodyguards cleared the area first with gloved hands, wiping away the manure and grass. And then they went down the staircase, one by one.

    Chloe was left at the limousine with more bodyguards at her side, while the rest stayed above to make sure they''ll have a safe exitter.

    "You should stay with Chloe too, Rnd." Harker told his friend as he climbed down. "This is too risky for you."

    "Hah, I''m not that fragile just because I''m a human and not built like a gori." He chuckled. "No offense, Alejandro."

    The bodyguard just shrugged. "None taken, sir. My people do call me El Gor and I take it as apliment."

    Eventually, they saw the elevator, and pushed the button.

    "We''d have to be able to sneak in unnoticed." Harker said. "Alejandro could maybe disguise himself as one of the guards here. He has the same look, he just needs to wear some sses and blend in. Mina and I could also knock out some scientists and shapeshift them. But what about Rnd¡­"

    "I have a syringe here." Rnd said. "I know that I will get the side effectster, but I''m used to enduring that since I was a kid."

    Harker frowned. "Are you sure? It would be painful. Chloe luckily did not experience any effect from the transfusion because we''re family. But just 10 ml wears off easily, and once it wears off, you''ll experience the side effects like Mina did."

    "Then I''d just have to take even more than that."

    "Too much might be enough to kill you, Rnd¡ª"

    He suddenly went on to inject the syringe on Harker without warning. "O!!!"

    Rnd had swiftly injected it to himself. "Did you forget what I said already? I don''t care. If I did die after helping my friend¡­. Then it''s a not so bad death."

 Chapter 83 Mad Laboratory

    Victoria pushed up her sses as she parted the neocortex to reach into the amygd.

    "As I expected, the amygd of these zombies wererger and swollen. This may be why they were so erratic and alert. It''s also the part of their brain that never gets fixed to its proper state despite the SS cells¡­. I wonder why that is."

    She continued to dig her scalpel deep into a zombie man that wore a muzzle and was tied-up. No drugs could work on them and blunt force does not result in passing out.

    So this was the best they could do to keep them still. Besides¡­.. That person.

    Victoria turned to the specimen cell by her side. It was the size of a usual prison cell, and there''s even a bed and a urinal. A tray was also left with some food inside.

    "You''re not hungry?" She asked.

    The person huddled in a corner, and shook their head.

    Victoria frowned. "You still have to eat. You''re the most sessful one, so we have to examine everything down to your digestive patterns and eating habits."

    The person walked closer to the bars, revealing themself from the darkness.

    "I can''t taste anything. It''s like putting sandpaper into my mouth. It feels really dry."

    It was Josephine Jones, her eyes bloodshot and red.

    "Oh, then did your salivary nds turn off somehow? I''ll take care of that. And your sense of taste too, as much as I can."

    "No. What I want is to die. I don''t belong here. I never should have woken up again." She said in that strong Southern ent. "It ain''t God''s will."

    "If there is a God, why would He allow the possibility of your rebirth to exist? For these cells that I have with me to exist?" Victoria went back to tinkering with the brain, the tip of her gloves drenched in blood. "If there is a God, it is His will for this to happen."

    "Why me? It could be anyone else. I am just a wretched sinner."

    Victoria stopped at this, cocking her head back with a sad smile.

    "Aren''t we all?"

    ------------------------------------

    Harker had now worn the uniform of a maintenance man, as he had seen that they were able to use the card key to ess everything. Mina followed behind him, wearing a scientist uniform and putting on a mask since her Shapeshifting was not as Effective as Harker''s,

    As for Rnd¡­..

    Harker realized that the experience of wearing someone else''s skin was new to him. He would still catch Rnd in a daze whenever he looked on a reflective surface and saw himself as someone else.

    Though it was even less effective than Mina''s, since he only got a small amount of Harker''s blood while she received more.... and other ''DNA samples''.

    He was also wearing a mask as a scientist, and Harker patted his shoulder to snap him out of it.

    "We gotta get moving, Rol. Everything''s clear. I see Alejandro mixing in with the security team just fine. "Go ask around where Victoria was."

    Rnd blinked. "Oh, right¡­."

    He went to ask a junior scientist colleague. Some of them looked familiar as workers in BITMAC too, some weren''t. Rnd picked someone that didn''t look familiar so it would be likely that they were hired recently, and they didn''t know their colleagues much yet.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He saw them dissecting the body of a living and breathing zombie on a metal bed. The zombie was muzzled and tied up. It must be hard for them to study something they are struggling with.

    Rnd went naturally by their side. "They sure are a tricky one to cut up, aren''t they?"

    The female scientist by his side agreed andined. "It''s been hours and we still haven''t taken out all of the main organs. They keep on going back to the specimen and healing again. For something dead long ago¡­. They sure were more lively than any cadaver I handled."

    "Maybe I could ask the head for some assistance. Do you know where Ms. Seward must be at the moment?"

    She shrugged. "Wasn''t she always in that personal office down the stairs?"

    "Down the stairs?" Rnd asked.

    "Yeah¡­.. Don''t tell me you never noticed those stairs? I think she must have the whole thing to herself. I see her go there after lunch in the cafeteria, and she rarely ever goes anyway. She just talks with her guards and barely eats anything." The scientist said.

    She chuckled. "She sure is dedicated, but we still have to take care of our health as intellectuals, right? How can we save the world and cure the incurable if we drop dead soon?"

    Rnd nodded. "That''s true¡­."

    He returned to Harker and Mina''s side, pointing to a hallway leading to a sign that has an arrow pointing down. "She must be on another floor down below. How do we convince the guards to let us enter?"

    "I already took care of it." Harker smiled. "Look at that fe over there. He''s heading downstairs as we speak. Alejandro let me borrow something pretty useful. "

    He showed a pill from his pocket.

    A big burly bodyguard was walking down, blinking in confusion. He was in a daze but his body continued moving vigorously, a sweet scent lingering around him.

    "Where are you going?" One of the men stopped him.

    The guard with droopy eyes looked at them. "I''m¡­. Going here, I guess?"

    "Why?"

    "... Uh¡­. I am needed?"

    The scent suddenly wafted around them, beckoning them to look into a certain direction. They turned to the maintenance man, who looked at them with his piercing eyes...

    And they both quickly fell asleep.

    The high bodyguard continued to make his way behind Victoria, who was too engrossed with her work. The bodyguard moved over to take a nearby metal saw¡­..

    And went for the electrical wires, cutting them in half.

    Victoria jolted as she sumbed in sudden darkness. She called out. "Guards! Call maintenance, the power is out here! I can''t see!"

    Harker gestured to Mina, who called back with the voice of the bodyguard that stopped the other.

    "Yes, Ma''am! They''re on their way!"

    They took the sleeping guards with them, and descended the stairs to Victoria Seward''s madboratory.

 Chapter 84 Full Of Mysteries

    As Victoria heard footsteps, she sighed in relief. "Thank god. I still haven''t dissected the hippocampus and¡ª"

    "Don''t move." Rnd''s cold voice came.

    She soon felt something cold and metallic pressed against her temple, and Victoria quickly raised up her hands.

    Harker took out the shlight he had grabbed from the maintenance man. He shed it around with gritted teeth. "Where did you keep my mother, you fucking old bitch¡ª"

    He stopped on his tracks when he saw the cell. Inside was Josephine Jones, caged like an animal. She was hunched on a corner, hugging herself. Veins popped out from her face down to her neck, and even her arms and fingers.

    She looked more bulked up than usual too. Harker almost dropped the shlight from shock.

    "Sweet mother of... What did you do to her!? Mom!" He rushed to the cell bars and called out.

    "Son¡­." She mumbled with her eyes wide and unblinking.

    Mina and Harker joined together to break down the metal bars that were keeping her there. It went down with a ng, and Harker embraced his mother''s cold arms once again.

    "I''m so sorry, Mom¡­. You''ve been kept here for so long. I should have caught up with you faster when you were kidnapped by these assholes." Harker told her, tears falling from his eyes.

    Josephine Jones felt the hot tears over her shoulders, and felt something stirring in her. Something awakening. These strong emotions¡­.

    It was awakening something that had died in her.

    "It''s alright, son." She hugged him back. "Go ahead, let it all out. Just keep on crying."

    Harker wiped his tears away, feeling so relieved. He helped her stand up, and turned to Victoria Seward, who was being held at gunpoint.

    "I''m not going to let you experiment on my mom like she''s some animal, much less some kind of panacea to cure all of humanity." His eyes were scorching with fury. "I want you to release all of them back to the cemetery where they belong. We have ended G.G. Faust''s curse, and I want you to tell me everything about him and An Xin."

    "What?" The old woman just blinked. "I don''t know what you''re talking about¡ª"

    "Don''t lie! We know everything now. Are you also a Satanist like him?"

    "Well, if you consider Satanism to be about the anti-theological belief and practices that focuses on the importance of the individual rather than some ancient ritual and book humans made thousands of years ago¡ª"

    "Don''t be a smartass, Ma''am." Rnd cocked the hammer of his revolver. "Just answer the question truthfully."

    "I am answering truthfully. I don''t know any G.G. Faust, An Xin or any Satanist cult. I just want to develop a way for humans to no longer be affected by illnesses and death."

    Harker clenched his fist. "Then how did you know when the zombies will attack the hospital? How did you know about the incident at all?"

    "Why shouldn''t I?" Victoria said. "It''s simple, really... But I have to show you something first. In my pocket."

    "You''re not fooling anyone here, Ma''am." Rnd said.

    But Harker felt that she did have something to show them. So he said. "Let her put one hand on the pocket and you keep hold of the other."

    Rnd did so, still pressing the gun to her head. Victoria took something in her pocket¡­.

    And inside was a small chip of sorts.

    "What is this?" Harker said.

    "It''s a device that has the Global Positioning System. If at the present you rely on radio waves or electromaic fields to find locations of certain ces, this will give you more urate coordinates of your target worldwide." She exined.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Soon, even your cellr phones andmunicators will have these. It would be easier to find missing humans¡­. and non-humans."

    She let Harker examine the chip. Was this small chip also imnted on his mother? But if she used this to find the zombies, then she should have imnted it before seeing them. And yet she ims to be unaware about the curse of G.G. Faust.

    Harker too tujhe chip and¡ª

    It turned out that Victoria was holding else when she took out the chip. It was a small button and she gripped Harker''s hand tightly so it would be pressed.

    Sirens came not long after, and while they were distracted for a nanosecond, Victoria kicked Rnd on the shin. She grabbed the gun as it fell from his hand. She quickly ran towards the stairs, and Harker and Mina followed after her.

    "Don''te closer!" She fired shots towards them, but it was too dark and she was not skilled.

    Still, the two had to dodge the bullets. It was easy enough for them to do so, but it did hit someone else¡­.

    "Ahck!" Josephine Jones eximed.

    Harker turned and rushed to his mom. This bought Victoria some time and she was able to reach the top floor, where several bodyguards were waiting for her with shotguns.

    "They''re with the specimen! Some of you go and capture them, the rest stay here! It''s dark there, so be careful not to shoot the main specimen on the head!" She ordered.

    The bodyguards followed her instructions. However, she did not notice that one of them without a gun had followed the ones that headed downstairs.

    Josephine Jones was hit where her lungs were. She was breathing raggedly, and Harker pressed at the wound.

    "Don''t worry, Mom! I-It''ll heal soon! Let''s get you out of here!"

    "Mm¡­.." She nodded, seeming to be in daze because of the pain.

    Rnd and Mina helped her up, while Harker prepared to face off with the guards waiting for them.

    However, he heard several bodies copse and fall to the floor. A familiar bald guy had knocked them out with a single karate chop on their carotid sinus and vagus nerve.

    "H, mi amigos." Alejandro greeted with a wide grin. "Let''s get out of here, vamo, vamo!"

    They didn''t need to be told thrice. Harker had wrapped his Mom''s wound with his hair and carried her with it, and they escaped the undergroundboratory. Harker hypnotized people and controlled their bodies with his scent, and Mina also broke their weapons with her ws.

    But Victoria Seward was nowhere to be found.

    "Where the hell is she!?" Harker continued to look around for that olddy. "I need to learn about how she found the zombies, damn it!"

    He needed to get his answers from her. However¡­.

    The ground of theboratory was starting to shake.

    "It seems that she had pressed a button to self-destruct her own headquarters." Rnd guessed. "We have to get out of here now! We''ll look for herter."

    "But¡ª"

    Mina ced a hand on his shoulder. "Rnd''s right. Think about getting us out and Mrs. Jones first. You can solve the mysteriester."

    One thing Harker hated the most was leaving his most burning questions unanswered. As a very curious person, it''s his one fatal hubris to always search for the truth. Still, the sake of those he cares about matters more than that¡­.

    And so he let this mystery go. For now.

 Chapter 85 Too Sexy

    Chloe saw the bison looking up from their grass chewing as if they sensed something. Not long after, the ground started to shake and she had to hold on to her seat for dear life.

    "Harker!" She eximed trying to get out of the limo.

    A bodyguard stopped her. "We were told to keep you here no matter what, little Miss. Let''s just wait for your brother."

    "But he''s in trouble!" She eximed. "And Victoria is getting farther away down the ground to somewhere I can''t detect! We need to tell him about it"

    "We will once he''s here. Your brother could definitely handle this."

    Chloe doesn''t know why these people were so sure about that. Sure, her brother can do neat tricks with his hair and got stronger and faster for some reason, and he had a mermaid girlfriend with him. But that''s not enough¡ª-

    Soon they saw random people filing out of the hatch in neat order.

    "Go, go, go!" Someone yelled. "Let''s all get moving."

    These people seem to be in a daze and confused as to why they were moving. Some of them woreb coats, some wore ck shirts and pants with shotguns attached at their hips. They all moved out and eventually¡­.

    Chloe finally saw her brother, carrying dozens of sleeping people with his hair.

    "All of you stay back. Victoria abandoned you, there''s no use working for her anymore." He yelled.

    After him was Mina, who answered back. "You are all free to go, but don''t follow us."

    Rnd also came along with Alejandro''s bald head. He said. "We have our own ways to hunt you down if you do. So think about this wisely and get new jobs instead."

    But Alejandro wasn''t alone. He was carrying someone on his back.

    Chloe''s eyes widened and an inexplicable feeling coursed through her veins.

    It was her. She really was here.

    The five of them went inside the limo once more, leaving behind these people who ran as far away from the hatch to avoid the earthquake. Soon an explosion resounded below, scaring off the bison, birds and other animals within a 100 meter radius.

    The driver of the limo fired up the engine and headed for the way home in New York. Everyone caught their breaths for a moment. Eventually, Chloe had the courage to ask:

    "You¡­. Are you really¡­." She asked the woman sitting by her brother''s side.

    Josephine Jones turned to her. Her face was very pale and the green veins stretched out from her neck to her chin.

    "You must be my daughter." She forced a smile. "What''s your name, darling?"

    "Chloe¡­." She said. "So you don''t remember me¡­."

    Harker patted her shoulder. "She will soon. She doesn''t remember anything at the moment."

    "I do remember a few shes now." Josephine admitted. "Mostly shes about my childhood and going to Church on Sundays. But it''s getting there."

    Harker beamed. "See? She''ll remember us soon."

    "But you can''t keep her forever, Harker." Rnd reminded him. "Our goal is to bring her back to the cemetery where she belongs and help her be at peace¡ª"

    "Oh, shush, White Ape. Let them have their moment first." Mina said.

    Rnd frowned, whispering to her. "I know. But it''s better to not get attached."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The Jones family easily started talking with each other. Harker shared about what happened after she died, and Chloe did too. Him getting a schrship, his part-time job at BBB, and his ns to be a gicist. Chloe then told her about her own school experiences and her small business of helping the boys deliver newspapers.

    "You two are really wonderful kids¡­. I am lucky to have you as my children." Josephine said, patting their heads. "It''s a shame that I haven''t been with you all these years to watch you grow like this."

    "It''s alright, Mom. I know that you would have been proud." Harker leaned on her touch.

    Chloe still felt a little uneasy because she was basically a stranger to her. She had only known her for less than 3 years before she died. And most importantly¡­.

    She had always wished for her toe back, so she would have a woman to look up to. And now that she did, he would only have herst for a few days at most once they got back to New York.

    "I¡­. I wish I could have gotten to know you more. I read your diary, by the way. I hope that''s ok."

    Chloe took out the diary from the little backpack she carried with her inside the trunk. She also brought some biscuits and a water bottle that''s why she didn''t get hungry or thirsty from the long, long ride. It takes almost 24 hours of non-stop driving to get here, and the group took a few stops without even noticing her.

    They didn''t take a flight as this might alert Victoria in case she had men checking in on them. Which was fortunate for Chloe.

    "Oh, my diary¡­." Josephine took it, flipping through the pages. "Haha, look at that. Such a fine young ebony woman. I bet I used to make all the boy''s heads spin."

    "You really did." Chloe chuckled too. "Dad really missed you a lot. I saw you also keep some of his love letters. And this guy over here¡­. Yeah, he''s the one who brought you back to life. He used some Satanic curse to bring in zombies."

    "Is that so¡­."

    Harker just watched the mother and daughter having their own bonding moment, and wore a look of satisfaction on his face. Chloe looked so happy with her mother, and they looked perfect together like shoes that fit. It''s just so nice.

    Rnd tapped his shoulder. "We''re making a pit stop over there. There''s also a convenience store so we could use a bathroom break and lunch break."

    "Can we bring Mom along?" Chloe asked.

    Rnd shook his head apologetically. "Sorry, Chloe. Your mom would cause panic since she''s not really looking that well. And I don''t know if she eats anything¡­."

    "I''d like to stay here, please. I don''t like the sunlight very much." Josephine told them.

    "Then I''ll stay here too. You guys can just bring me some food to eat here." Chloe said.

    Harker ruffled her hair. "Alright, you guys continue chatting. We''ll be back soon."

    They left the car, and went for a refuel. Rnd talked with the gasoline station owner for some questions about the area and if there were any shortcuts he knows. Harker and Mina then went on shopping duty at the convenience store along with the bodyguards.

    As they went on however, Mina only noticed that her pants were damaged.

    "Oh no¡­" She noticed therge rip near her bum. "Well, this might be a problem¡­."

    Harker reddened. "That''s arge tear¡­.. Maybe we can cover it up with something in the bathroom."

    There was only onerge unisex bathroom stall in the convenience store. They rushed inside, andHarker took off his maintenance man shirt to cover the tear for her.

    "Will you be okay without a shirt?" She asked.

    "Haha, I''m a man so it''s fine if I get shirtless. Worst I''ll get are people thinking I''m a hoodlum or something."

    Mina nodded. "That''s true, but¡­."

    Her hands trailed on his abs. "Instead, I feel like they would think that my boyfriend is too sexy and would want to steal you from me."

 Chapter 86 To Get Caught In The Act [R18]

    Mina''s fingers lingered a little longer on his abdomen which became more sculpted than before. Harker didn''t even notice how much his body had slowly changed after bing a demon lord. Her touch sent a shiver up his spine as she went all the way down to¡­.

    "Whoah, there. Maybe we should do this once we go back home." Harker chuckled nervously, grasping her naughty fingers. "The others are waiting for us¡­"

    "And they''re still taking their time to shop. There are no other customers but us, so I doubt someone will be banging at the door soon." Mina wore that familiar yful smile of hers. "No one would notice if we''re quick¡­."

    "Mina, we just literally escaped an explodingboratory full of zombies. What got you in the mood all of a sudden?" Harker asked.

    At this, she became flustered and looked down.

    "Actually, I have always been in the mood since we first did it. But then you received the call and we have to drive past multiple states and¡­. Well, this felt like the only time I could vent it out. I was grateful that I had a tear on my pants."

    Harker blinked. "You''ve always been in the mood? What do you mean?"

    Mina giggled and started lowering her pants, but still left the maintenance uniform tied at her waist like a skirt.

    "I want to do it every day¡­. Every hour, every minute¡­. I never want our bodies to be separated and remain entangled together just like that night. And I thought that it would feel different if we''re both sober this time. Your mind would clearly register every detail of my body and my movements¡­"

    She licked Harker''s lower lip, that seductiveshes of hers fluttering again. She really had that siren look that could lure sailors to death if she wanted to.

    Harker first stared at her legs, all the way up to her supple thighs. And finally, that space in between¡­.

    He hadn''t paid much attention to it during their first time when he was drunk. It went by so fast and Mina was so eager to pleasure him that he had no chance to do so. But now that he does¡­.

    He can observe just how pretty and pink it was. Mina doesn''t have much body hair to begin with since she originally never had them on most of her body and had scales instead. He can see how tiny it was due to her petite frame, and even Harker himself had to wonder how the hell he fit in there.

    His junior wasn''t exactly fun size after all. It made sense for Mina to take a long while to adjust, and for him to also adjust getting squeezed so tightly into that small space.

    Harker leaned down to examine it closer, and Mina pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle a moan. She looked really excited for what he might do, but also knew that they were technically doing this in public and she had to stay quiet.

    Harker used his fingers to part the first set of folds. The lips were so soft to touch that it made him want to pinch them a little. He then parted the second set, and found what he was looking for.

    That pleasurable little button called the clitoris.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He flicked it with his tongue, and felt a rising sensation in him as Mina''s breathing hitched from it. Those small, strained breaths would be enough to make him go crazy.

    Harker continued trailing his tongue on that tiny button, kneading on it a little as he did. Mina tried her best to stop squirming, but the pleasure was too extreme for her. She never had this organ before as a mermaid.

    After all, fishes only have to release sperm and eggs into the water to mate. Some may frisk up their cloacas together for it to happen. But pration was probably something only Mina had experienced among the jiaorens, and much more the sensation of cunnilingus.

    "Why does it feel so good when you lick there¡­." Mina whispered softly, her heavy breaths so addictive to Harker''s ear.

    Harker stopped licking for a moment and chuckled. "I might bore you with all the scientific details. But basically, it''s your weak spot. Just like how my lower head is my weak spot."

    She grinned, before moaning again. "Yeah¡­ I did notice while I was sucking it that you''re much more sensitive there. I watched some films so I''d know how to do it."

    Harker felt a little flustered that she had to watch pornographic movies just for him. It was pretty touching in a weird way.

    He felt Mina getting wetter, and tried inserting one of his fingers. Mina bit hard on her lower lip, and went back to mping a hand over her mouth. Harker doubled down by inserting the finger back and forth while licking her pretty lower lips and her clit, and this seemed to send waves of pleasure to the mermaid girl.

    He continued fingering her faster with two fingers now, and not long after¡­.

    He was shot in the face by her lovely juices.

    Harker had always heard stories of how some guys didn''t like the taste or the smell. But he loved it, and felt a little greedy over that sweet juice she was releasing. Her knees buckled as he pushed his tongue deeper, moving away the finger and inserting his tongue.

    He then used his thumb to press at her clit to keep her squirting into his mouth. Mina was almost convulsing at this point, and she gripped hard on his shoulders to steady herself. Her breathing continued into that hypnotizing rhythm. Harker was basically being showered at this point, and all he could think about was how much more he could make her squirt.

    Once his jaw felt aching a little, he decided that''s about enough of eating her out. He wanted to feel her squirting into his dick while he kept one of her legs up and bang her against the bathroom walls.

    And¡­. he wondered how much more she could keep quiet and not draw the attention of the people outside. He never expected that he would be so into this thing, but it''s really riling him up. The danger of being caught in the act¡­.

    It seemed inherent for humans to feel a thrill towards doing something that''s looked down upon, something against thews imposed on us. It''s in our instincts.

 Chapter 87 Matters Of The Flesh [R18]

    Harker didn''t expect his first time having a quickie to be this exciting. Back when he was still a wee little unsuspecting virgin, he thought that quickies would have felt dissatisfying and even a waste of time. What''s the point if you can''t even savor the moment, right?

    But he was wrong. It was somehow exciting how he had to make this fast and the goal was to finish as fast as possible. Especially in this kind of situation.

    Harker''s hand kept hold of Mina''s right leg, and he mmed roughly against her tight cunt. The wet lips pped every time he thrusted deep into her. Mina was basically rolling her eyes on the back of her head with how good and rough it was.

    "Look at me. Give me your lips." Harker ordered.

    It was a tone that was unlike him. So deep andmanding, just like that time when he told Mina and Rnd to stop fighting. This seemed to be Mina''s final straw and her pussy released a flood over his dick. She was moaning, but Harker had held her lips captive to stifle those moans.

    The hotness of Mina''s mouth excited Harker and he felt a little dizzy. He was still putting up a front by continuously thrusting into her, but Mina''s orgasm had brought him over the edge. Harker had never experienced this before and it felt so wrong.

    He couldn''t believe that he would be fucking girls in a public restroom with several men just outside, unable to experience something as wonderful as this. Now he sort of understands Mina''s mentality a little, that possessiveness.

    She was so perfect that he wouldn''t want anyone else to have her. To be doing this with her, to be making her feel these emotions and pleasure she had.

    It makes his chest hurt a little just thinking about it. And this pain turned into a burning passion, which then transferred into his movement.

    "O-O-Oh¡­. f-fuck¡­." So many golden pearls have already fallen from Mina''s eyes.

    Harker had no time to catch them all as he continued to pick up the pace. It felt like if they kept going so hard, they''d end up breaking the wall.

    And that wouldn''t be a surprise as they were both powerful beings after all. Hell, they could even break down the whole convenience store.

    Mina''s face was so red now. She had been holding her breath so much so she wouldn''t be too loud, but it backfired and instead left her gasping and coughing. Harker knew this would elicit a reaction from the people outside.

    They heard footsteps from the bodyguards outside.

    "Is everything okay, Miss Mina?" They heard Alejandro''s familiar voice.

    Mina forced herself to answer without full out whimpering. "I''m alright¡­.. I just felt a little¡­. Hah¡­. Nauseous, that''s all."

    "Nauseous?"

    "Y-Yeah, I''m vomitting here¡­. Please leave me be, it''s embarrassing."

    Alejandro''s fuzzy eyebrows met. "But you haven''t eaten anything yet."

    Harker sighed, and decided to speak out. "I''m helping her out here, Alejandro. Just tell the guys to leave us be."

    "OH!" The bodyguard realized what''s happening now. "Of course, of course."

    He turned to his buddies and waved his hands. "Everything''s fine, Mr. Jones is just helping Miss Mina deal with her nausea and nothing else¡­."

    Harker smacked his forehead. "Ah, he''s such a bad liar. But at least he knew to give us some space."

    "Mm¡­.." Mina couldn''t even answer. She just rasped, her throat feeling so dry.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker kissed her shoulder and focused on finishing faster. "It''ll be alright, I''m getting close. Just hold out a little longer."

    "Nggh¡­ Hah¡­" She seemed to make sounds of approval.

    But the look on her face showed that she was close to a state of delirium from losing so much air. Harker slowed down a little because of this and whispered. "You should breathe slower and deeper. Rx and don''t hide it so much¡ª"

    "Ha¡­. Ha¡­. Harker¡­. I love it¡­."

    Harker blinked. "Huh?"

    "Being breathless¡­. Hah¡­. I love it¡­. Cough! So much¡­."

    Harker got riled up even more by this. "Really?"

    Mina nodded weakly, looking like she''d soon pass out. "Next time, could you ch¡­."

    But what''s left of her voice was gonepletely, and Harker wasn''t able to hear it. "What? I''m going to cum now, so you can say itter¡­. Huff¡­. We still have to hide the evidence¡­"

    And by that, he meant the fact that he was soaked in her juices from head to toe and had to hide it, as well as her looking so roughed up.

    With a loud grunt and a shudder, Harker pulled his dick out and the two were left panting, their bodies feeling too exhausted to do anything. But Harker still released his load to the toilet with just a few strokes.

    Mina copsed on the floor, trying to regain the oxygen in her lungs again.

    Harker bent down beside her, also steadying his breathing. He offered his hand and helped her up. It took a while for her to regain her bnce and to lose that momentary delirium.

    Mina and Harker fixed themselves up and put on their clothes again. They slowly opened the door, and noticed that there was no one there.

    "Where is everyone?" Mina frowned.

    Harker narrowed his eyes. All the carts being filled with groceries were left behind. Even the cashier boy was missing, with no else in the counter. The gasoline station outside was also empty¡­..

    As for the limousine¡­..

    Everyone was surrounding it with guns aimed towards it. Rnd was there, and his lips were moving as if he was talking to someone.

    Harker and Mina moved out of the store and they could hear the words clearer now from a distance with their superior hearing:

    "Let go of the child right now or we''ll shoot."

    "But I''m immortal. This flesh of mine had been granted by the Lord to never suffer from any damage for too long. Yer bullets ain''t gonna scare me." A familiar voice of a woman answered, her voice even rougher than Mina''s.

    "Then we''ll just keep shooting you every time you regenerate, and burn you to mes." Rnd retorted. "Turn your ashes straight back to hell, where you belong. Because I know for a fact¡­."

    "That whoever you are, you''re not Harker''s mom."

 Chapter 88 Always Makes The Cheeks Go Red

    Just a few minutes ago¡­.

    "And in this entry, you and Dad went on a camping trip. You caught fishes and he almost caught a pink salmon. But they keep escaping and pping Dad''s face with their tails, haha!"

    Chloe continued exining the journal to her mother. Josephine Jones looked at it with interest, but it didn''t seem to be clicking with her.

    "I see¡­."

    Her head hurts a bit. She keeps seeing shes of memories¡­.

    There was always a girl in them. It was as if her memories had been invaded by this one girl. She was so mean to her¡­.

    "Hahaha! You ugly fat pig! I bet your Ma and Pa mistake you for one of ''em hogs in yer farm! They might cook ya for bacon soon!"

    This girl was somewhere around 10-13 years old. She was in front of a Church, and yet her bullying knows no boundaries. She had curly ginger hair put up in two pigtails, buck teeth with a gap, straw hat, and she was wearing blue overalls over a dirty white shirt. But most importantly¡­.

    She was still pretty despite all this, and she had freckles. Her face was always tinged red.

    Just like this little girl beside her.

    Chloe continued showing her Proid pictures in the journal. "This was when you and Dad went to sing along with a jukebox. You said it was lucky that it drowned out your voice since you''re not the best singer, but Dad was great at it."

    Another girl appeared in Josephine''s mind, mixing with the memory of the mean redhead. She was a honey-hairedss and wore a white dress. She greeted everyone wearing the same pure white clothes that stood on the side, seeming to be the church choir.

    "Good day to you all! How''s it going?" She greeted them.

    The boys quickly responded all at once, trying to gain her attention first. Meanwhile the girls didn''t seem to dislike her either, and greeted them like a well-respected senior.

    The girl just smiled, and then turned to another direction.

    "Oh, you''re here already. Good morning, Father."

    Those pinkish flesh full of life¡­. Always present on her soft cheeks¡­.

    Chloe shifted in her seat a little, crossing her legs. "Oh, this one! This is yourst entry, when you gave birth to Harker! You said that your whole back and legs felt sore, and that your pussy had been stretched out so much that you thought it would have torn."

    Josephine blinked. "How vulgar! Did I really write those words?"

    "Well, it''s your journal after all. You probably weren''t expecting anyone to read it. Besides, I''m a girl too. I think it''s important for me to know what these things would have felt like." Chloe frowned. "Though it''s making me less keen on actually giving birth¡­. If it''s really this painful and dangerous. We women really have the short end of the stick here."

    Another sh of memory came to his mind. Pink cheeks turning almost crimson red, legs that try to cross but kept wide apart by two strong hands, and¡­.

    "Please stop! Stop! It''s going to tear! ¡­. Sob¡­."

    A little girl''s voice pleading, drops of blood on the tiled floor that seemed to have a repetitive design of¡­.

    The cross, where Jesus had died to sacrifice himself for the sins of mankind.

    And right before the girl was the altar and the table where the Holy Eucharist was ced. The Body of Christ, consumed by all, and the wine as His Blood.

    "Father, please stop! Help me! Help!"

    Josephine groaned in pain as the numbing ache in her mind continued to increase. Consummation, blood, flesh¡­.. Sin¡­.

    Another memory shed. She could only see a screen behind her, blurring the image of the person on the other side. She was inside a woodenpartment of sorts.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Then, she heard that voice.

    "Please help me, Father. I have sinned very much. Sob¡­. I don''t know how I could tell my Ma and Pa about it."

    It was the voice of that blond choir girl, There was no mistaking it.

    A man''s rough voice responded with much concern. "What''s wrong, Charlotte?"

    Charlotte continued to cry behind the podium. "Father¡­. I have let a boy touch me before marriage."

    The man was obviously surprised. "Touch you..? But Charlotte¡­ Darling¡­. You''re still so young. You''re only 12 years old. What made you think of doing such a thing? "

    "I know it is wrong, Father! The moment he did it, I felt so impure! Unclean¡­. Please help me. I couldn''t tell anyone about it, and I have already cut ties with the boy. I want my body to only serve God and His will. To sing for his praise, and nothing else!"

    She sobbed and sobbed. "I-I realized that I wanted to be a nun when I grow older, Father! So I must cleanse myself to be worthy of being in the Order. Could you help me?"

    The man thought about it. "..... Go to the altar. Swear to never repeat that sin again, and pray the whole rosary as you do. I''ll be watching over you as you purify yourself."

    Charlotte stopped crying, and beamed at this. "T-Thank you, Father! A-Are you sure just praying the rosary once for such a grave sin as this is enough? I could pray it as many times as needed¡ª"

    "That won''t be necessary. Just do as I say, and your sins will be forgiven, darling."

    He got out of the confession booth, this priest. And so too was the pretty little girl, her cheeks flushed red as blood had rushed to her face¡­. That smooth, soft flesh that must be wonderful to taste¡­

    "Cough! Cough!"

    Josephine''s reverie was broken when Chloe coughed.

    "Ack¡­. My pills. Where are they¡­. Cough!" Chloe reached out into her backpack.

    Marks of red appeared on her face, in the shape of a butterfly over her cheeks. It was a symptom of her lupus disease ring up, those rashes.

    "Here, let me help you find it." Josephine went near her¡­

    And pinned her down on the limo''s seat.

    "Huh? M-Mom, what are you doing¡­."

    Saliva flowed down Josephine''s dark lips. She looked closer to a zombie more than ever, her skinpletely gray and her eyes bulging and bloodshot.

    "I''m helping you, darling." She said, wearing a demented smile.

    And she used her teeth to take a bite out of Chloe''s shoulder.

    Chloe struggled and pushed her face before she could bite her. But Josephine still managed to bite into the sleeves of her shirt, and she tore it with all her might. Chloe yelled and tried kicking her off, opening the door.

    "Somebody help me! Help!"

    Rnd, who was talking to the gasoline station manager heard this, and his eyes widened. "Chloe!?"

    Josephine grabbed the little girl, and wrapped her hands around Chloe''s neck. All ''her'' memories have returned now. And it was thanks to those pink flushed cheeks.

    "If any of yae any closer, I''ll snap this girlie''s neck in half. Ya hear?"

 Chapter 89 Connecting The Dots

    Back to the present¡­

    "What do you mean, Rnd!?" Harker eximed running towards them "That''s my Mom! Why are you aiming your guns at her!?"

    Rnd yelled back. "Can''t you see what she''s doing to Chloe right now!? Would any mother do that to her child!?"

    When Harker and Mina finally reached the scene, he could now see what''s happening. Josephine''s bony thin fingers with long nails wrapped around Chloe''s small neck and was trying to squeeze the life out of her.

    "Mom! What are you doing!?" Harker eximed.

    "Oh, son. We were just having a mother-daughter bonding experience, that''s all. But these folks had to butt in, and they''re gettin'' on my nerves. Can you kindly tell them to buzz off?" She said in that sweet tone.

    That tone was not like the Josephine Jones that Harker knew at all.

    He felt like the realization hit him like a truck. He had been so blinded by the thought of seeing his mother again that he had barely paid attention to her actions, her words, and these little details that felt off about her.

    Maybe Harker had always noticed them, but it was subconsciously ignored due to his own self-denial.

    It was easier to wave away the red gs than to ept that this person was not his Mom, and that she was truly gone.

    And now that he dide to realize and ept it, it was already toote. His sister was now in danger because of his ignorance.

    "Let go of her." Harker said, the scent of peach blossomsing for the zombie impostor.

    The impostor sniffed about. "Where that lovely scente all of a sudden? That came from ya? Is it another magick of yers again, like that growing hair?"

    Harker''s eyes widened. So the zombies could smell it after all. It was not because they had their olfactory nerves malfunctioning, but because they were simply not affected.

    Harker''s eyes burned with seething rage. "I said let her go."

    The impostor chuckled. "Oh, look at those green demonic eyes. Ya looked like that snake that tempted Eve to partake in the Forbidden Fruit. Truly frightening."

    The hypnotizing didn''t work either. His Enhanced skills were not working on these zombies.

    Harker''s hair quickly shot out to tear the zombie''s arms off her body, and release Chloe. It did work, but the zombie moved fast to leave the limousine. Its mutted hands followed after her, and she just continued running despite the bullets that littered holes in her body.

    Rnd yelled. "Don''t let it escape!"

    Mina had followed after it and tried to reach out with her ws. But the zombie just naturally separated itself from the chest up so the hand would pass through. It reattached, and Mina''s hand got stuck inside rotting, moving flesh.

    "Tamade!" She cursed in Chinese and grew her pectoral fin that turned into arge de on the side of her forearm.

    It sliced through the zombie enough for her to wrench it out, but brought no damage to the zombie.

    "Hahahahaha! How divine! I am truly blessed! I am blessed beyond anyone in this world, for God have chosen me! I am His form on Earth as it is in Heaven!"

    The religious fanaticism was so obvious to Harker now. He simply thought that it was because his mother was raised from a Catholic household down in New Orleans. But she would never go so far to talk about God and sin every other sentence.

    Just who is this bastard living inside his mother''s body!?<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker continued following after it, and had his hair wrap around the zombie to scatter it to a million pieces. He then collected the pieces and kept them in his hair, as he ran back.

    "Quick, prepare some fire! We need to burn everything besides the head!"

    Rnd frowned. "Besides the head?"

    Harker nodded. "I need to know who this is, and how this person got inside my mom''s body. It must be rted to what Victoria said earlier."

    The people from the convenience store and the gasoline station were scared beyondprehension, and rightfully so.

    "W-Who are these people?" The cashier asked.

    The manager elbowed him. "Just call the police!"

    Harker heard them, and so he used his Enhanced Subus ability to make them look at him, and then his hypnotism to erase their memories and put them to sleep.

    It worked, so that means he still had these skills. It''s just that these zombies¡­.

    Were somehow immune to them.

    Everyone set to work, and eventually they had burned down the zombie''s body except for its head. It was still alive, and writhed in pain as its flesh were set to mes.

    "Ahhhh!!! No!!! The fires of hell havee for me¡­.. No, this ce must have always been hell! For how can little demons such as you two exist!? Has the child been a test to give me redemption for my sins!? I have failed! Oh, Heavenly Father, your servant have failed miserably!"

    Harker kicked the head mercilessly. "Cut that bullshit! This isn''t hell, but I can send you there! Who the fuck are you!?"

    The zombie head continued screaming and wailing. "Charlotte¡­. Oh, my darling Charlotte! Forgive me! I wasn''t able to resist temptation, and ye were lookin'' so helpless as amb¡­.. Forgive me!"

    Chloe had caught her breath and was given some water to drink by the guards, along with her pills. She was in a daze by everything happening so fast, but she narrowed her eyes when she heard this name.

    "Charlotte? Which Charlotte was it? What''s herst name?"

    "Charlotte Thierry¡­. Sob¡­. I regret everything that I have done to that poor child¡­. Please forgive me, Oh Lord."

    Chloe had confirmed her suspicions. "I know that name. I read from the newspapers that in Das, Texas, a girl named Charlotte Thiery had been sexually assaulted, murdered, and cannibalized by a priest. She was part of the church choir, and was only 12 years old. This incident happened 18 years ago already, and that priest was put into the death row."

    "The newspaper said that he was executed by lethal injection just 1 month ago, and that his body was provided to the State for research. So that means¡­"

    Chloe stepped out of the limo, and looked at the head of the zombie that pretended to be her mom. "Are you Father Gerald Schmidt?"

    The zombie stopped crying after hearing his name, and nodded.

    Everyone was stunned. A man of God that hadmitted grave sins was the one who now possessed the body of Josephine Jones. Now that they know his identity, the question remains¡­

    How? How could this have happened? A criminal from Texas was suddenly in the body of a kind woman from New York.

    Harker had thought about it, and started to connect the dots.

 Chapter 90 But Not Seeing The Bigger Picture

    Harker clutched his head, disbelieving the conclusion he just came upon himself. But it was the only rational exnation.

    "No¡­. Don''t fucking tell me¡­."

    Mina put a hand on his shoulder. "What is it? What''s wrong?"

    Harker gritted his teeth. "Victoria said she didn''t know anything about the curse. And yet she knew about the zombies. This man''s body was sent for research¡­."

    The truth was hard to swallow, but he had to.

    "What if¡­. There was never a curse? The zombies didn''t appear because of G.G. Faust at all."

    Chloe frowned. "What are you talking about? You said that as soon as you burned G.G. Faust''s corpse, the zombies started going back to the cemetery¡ª"

    "But we don''t even know for sure that it was G.G. Faust! It could have been some random zombie in a leather jacket that we have mistaken to be him!"

    Everyone went silent. Something seemed to be tormenting Harker very deeply, down to his soul. And with the present events, that was more than understandable, but people would find it hard to understand him if he was under duress and not exin things clearly.

    Mina tried her best to coax him. "It''s fine, Harker¡­. Whatever has happened, we have put an end to it now. The other zombies were destroyed from the explosion of Victoria''sb and we knew the truth, so you can rx¡ª"

    "We can''t rx. Not while Victoria is still alive." Harker slumped. "Can''t you see? This is all my¡­."

    Rnd went by his side, only observing his friend until now. But when he heard him falter like that, he instantly knew what was going on.

    "Harker¡­. Are you saying that it was Victoria that brought the zombies to life?" Rnd concluded. "Not some curse or anything ult at all¡­."

    "But using science and the SS cells you gave her."

    Everyone''s expression darkened at this, and the tension rose from the air. Now they understand.

    Harker nodded slowly. "My mother''s corpse was nothing but a skeleton at this point. The regeneration¡­. It made sense now if it was somehow due to enhancing my Shapeshifting cells. But that''s not enough¡­"

    He turned to the head of his mom, where a priest''s mind resides. "The brain is the control center of all functions. Victoria specializes in neurology. She needed to insert brains in these SS-cell zombies first for them to be able to move."

    This truly shocked them to the core, especially Chloe. All this time, she really thought it was G.G. Faust to me.

    She didn''t know what SS cells were, but she knew enough to reach a certain conclusion.

    "Were these cells¡­. also the ones that cured me when you gave me your blood?"

    Mina, Rnd, and Harker all nodded, confirming this. So in hindsight, this was also Harker''s fault. The zombies appeared because of him, not by some ancient curse.

    Still, it wasn''t him to me. It was that scientist.

    "Look, you shouldn''t feel guilty." She ced her hand on Harker''s shoulder too. "This scientist¡­. Victoria¡­. She is the one who used your cells on corpses in Marble Cemetery. She was the one who put the brain of a criminal in our mother''s head."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Thanks, Chloe. But¡­" Harker sighed. "I dunno¡­just wished I learned the truth faster. I put you and others in danger because of it. I even almost got you killed."

    The priest continued to recite prayers while sobbing, and Chloe just shoved her shoe on his mouth to shut him up.

    "It''s alright. None of us could have ever known all this at first nce. This is really fucked up." Chloe said.

    None of them dared to scold her for cursing, because she was right. It really was a fucked up ploy by Victoria.

    Harker agreed. " It was. They were the ones who cut off the hospital''s electricity, and set the zombies free to feast on flesh and regenerate. My shapeshifting is based on DNA absorption after all. Then once the cops were about to arrive, they took the zombies back along with this pedo cannibal. She must be trying to have at least one of them to be sentient. "

    "The timing was just right. We were at the hospital, and this priest was inside Mom''s body, so we were fooled." His face darkened.

    Had she been aware that this was Harker''s mother and decided to ce the freshest and arguably ''best'' brain she had in store?

    Or was it just a coincidence?

    He thought Yan may even say ''fate''.

    Harker couldn''t help but think that if that was the case, then what a sickeningly cruel fate it was. ying with his emotions and making him hope for nothing.

    Rnd patted him. "We''ll find Victoria soon. She said she had ced a GPS on these zombies, right? We can reverse track it, see where the device that was tracking these chips were. I promise we''ll find her before she makes any more zombies with SS cells."

    Mina nodded. "The chip must have been in the brain, and would be protected by the flesh. We could pry it out of him right now."

    Father Gerard squirmed as her long ws came to crack Jospehine Jone''s skull open. As they drew closer¡­..

    The pieces of flesh dispersed, like a hoard of ants that had their anthill be destroyed. They ran in different directions. One of them carried that small GPS chip.

    "Get them!" Harker eximed, trying to take the chip.

    But the flesh just disperse again to even smaller pieces to evade him. Every time people tried to grab them, they did this disperse and reconnect technique. They rushed out in all different directions, confusing them of where the chip was.

    It was like that trick with the cups hiding a ball inside, and you have to guess which one had it as they shuffled so fast. Only that this was 100000x harder than that.

    However, Harker''s sharp eyes kept track of where the GPS chip was. He found the piece of flesh holding it, heading under the limousine.

    "That bastard! He''s trying to creep inside the engine!!"

    And he was right, some of them were really aiming to hide inside the limousine''s engine. They managed to get rid of the pesky pieces of flesh on time.

    But some of them¡­.

    Went inside the mouths of the unconscious gasoline station manager and the cashier boy while they were distracted. It painted a pretty nasty and visceral picture that they never noticed, with the zombie''s flesh crawling up like little parasites into someone else''s.

 Chapter 91 Found Family

    The road back home was a really tough one. Everyone knew that even though they did give a strong strike against Victoria, it''s still far from over.

    She could continue to use the cells to make more zombies, and that was really dangerous. They had to find her at all costs. With the chip, that may be possible, but it would also take some time.

    "I need to exin to Dad why you went missing for several days." Harker remembered.

    Chloe just shrugged. "You said it was for a special research thing, right? Just tell him that I got curious and followed you. You don''t have to take the fall all the time."

    "And how do I exin those marks on your neck, then?" Harker pointed out. " And I always have to take the fall. I''m your big brother."

    Chloe scoffed. "You are not responsible for my life."

    "As an adult, of course I am!"

    His sister crossed her arms. "Does that mean that as an adult, you just have to keep lying to ''protect'' me? You''re going to lie to Dad and the boys to ''protect'' them? Take things to your own hands and keep all these secrets forever?"

    "Yes! Exactly!" Harker eximed. "Because that''s what adults do!"

    "No! That''s not what you should do!"

    Chloe smacked her forehead. "Harker, none of the zombie stuff was your fault. But many things could have been avoided had you told me things. Like the fact that you are a shapeshifter now blessed by some demon, and that you''re trying to gain some Shards to be human again. How can you seriously hide that from your sister???"

    Yes, Harker had no choice but to tell Chloe everything as well. Of course, he left out the same things he did for Rnd and Mina. Which was the specific details of the system, Yan''s Master Quan Zhi, and....

    The power that the Shards truly hold. The power to change reality itself.

    Simply telling them about how it could turn him into a human would be enough. Because for one, he doesn''t know for sure if Yan was telling the truth about the Orb of Omniscience''s powers of exaggerating it to get him to look for it. Quan Zhi had it, and yet he still died.

    On the other hand, if it was true¡­.. Learning about that amount of power alone would be dangerous in itself.

    When that knowledge gets into the wrong hands, they could turn Earth upside down and use it for evil. Harker would much rather if the Orb was never found at all than for it to have a cruel master that will destroy his world.

    This world that he cherishes, despite the many ws.

    He knows not many understand his mindset. Not many could say that they would give up power for simple and easy humanity. But for someone like Harker, that''s all he had been waiting for.

    To be human, to live a just and righteous life.

    When he was a child, he was treated as a freak because of his appearance and his intelligence. He simply wanted to get along with people. And then he found his people, the ones that don''t judge him.

    Power does not matter as long as he gets to protect and stay with these people.

    It was valid to hide these specific details, but Chloe does have a point about everything else. He had this for so long because he naively thought that gaining the Shards without involving anyone else would be easy.

    "I just¡­. If I could settle this by myself, I will. That''s just how I am." Harker said.

    Lift your chin up and smile. That''s what his mom always told him, and what she sees from her. Toughen up, never show them how you''re struggling.

    He would often see his Mom sping her head from migraines due to so much exhaustion from teaching sses and also helping out in themunity. But did she everin?<novelnext></novelnext>

    No. She stayed strong, because people relied on her.

    And that was how Harker learned that when people rely on you, you would have to lie about certain things. That''s just how it works.

    "But you can''t do this alone, Hark." Rnd reminded him. "No one in this world could ever do things alone forever. That''s why your family exists, why your friends exist."

    Mina nodded. "You can rely on us too sometimes."

    Harker looked at all three of them, and sighed.

    Perhaps it was true. Parents weren''t always right. There were things he can''t just keep to himself and hide with a forced smile.

    "Then¡­. I will tell Dad and the boys once this is over." Harker said. "I will tell them everything. Even about Mom, about the incident¡­. and myself."

    Chloe exhaled in relief. "Finally... I get through that thick skull of yours, ''big brother''."

    She unexpectedly went close to him and gave him a hug. Harker''s breath hitched, and he hugged her back while letting himself be vulnerable and let his tears flow.

    "We''ll get through this as a family." She patted his back. "I know we can."

    Harker sniffled. "You''re right¡­."

    Mina and Rnd smiled at this beautiful moment between them. Once Harker and Chloe parted, they asked at the same time:

    "Can we be part of your family too?"

    Harker chuckled, pulling the two of them as well to create a group hug.

    "Heck yeah!" Harker eximed. "I''ve always considered you too as part of my family too, no need to ask!"

    Rnd seemed pleased with this. "I''m honored as your appointed ''best bud''. And besides, one of us would have been part of the Jones family in the future anyway, if you guys had ns like that."

    Mina elbowed him. "You think way too ahead, White Ape."

    "Just saying, Fish Girl." Rnd answered fondly.

    Things didn''t look as glum anymore once they had this talk. Trust was very important in facing any adversary, and one must fully put his trust in his allies to be victorious.

    Which was something Victoria herself was very much aware of. She never worked alone.

    In an underground passage leading to the mouth of a cave, she and her most trusted associates had escaped after days of traveling below the earth where the living roamed. Unable to see the sunlight, and merely following the path they have mastered like worms and insects do.

    And once they have finally seen the sunlight, they also looked forward with hope to start anew with their own ''family''. A family that was formed in pursuit for knowledge and ''eternity''.

    "We''ll get through this." Victoria told them. "I know we can. Nothing can stop us¡­."

    "Not even that Harker Jones."

 Chapter 92 Of Close And Loyal Friends

    When Harker got back home, Howard Jones was already cooking dinner, He greeted his dad and brothers, and made up an alibi for now to excuse his and Chloe''s disappearance. But he will be truthful to his promise of telling them the truth once he settles his score with Victoria.

    As his father cooked, Harker helped him in order to also converse with him. Alone.

    There were just some questions that hade up on his mind after this ident. They were questions he always had, but never had the courage to ask in fear of disturbing the peace in this household.

    "Dad¡­. I''m just wondering. Since we did tell you that the research was in Nebraska after all¡­." Harker started as he chopped some lettuce.

    Howard Jones was humming as he cooked. He seemed to be in a very good mood. "Yeah, you did tell me that. What is it, Harker?"

    "Well¡­.. Nebraska seemed like a not so bad ce. There are a lot of prairies there, with pretty interesting animals like bison and prairie dogs. I''m just wondering why you decided to move out."

    Howard Jones stopped humming, and turned to him. "Why I moved out?"

    "Yeah." Harker had hunches, but he wanted to hear it from his father directly.

    Darkness seeped into his father''s usually bright and amicable face. He didn''t say anything for a long time. He had stopped stirring the beef stew he was cooking and it started to boil. Harker had to turn it off or else there would be no more stew and just overcooked beef.

    As he turned it off, his father spoke:

    "My parents¡­. They don''t agree with most of my choices. Especially with what I wanted to pursue as a career." His Dad admitted.

    "They didn''t like that you were an artist?"

    "Yes. They think it was useless. They wanted me to continue the family''s farm business. Take care of all the ''manly'' work of lifting bales of hay, milking cows, being tired and dirty from sunrise to sundown¡­. I couldn''t take it anymore. So I ran away."

    His father then added. "And there''s my friends¡ª"

    But he closed his mouth as soon as he said it, and pretended to be busy with cooking.

    "Your friends?" Harker asked.

    "Nothing. I just got caught up with unpleasant folk, that''s all." His dad said. "My parents'' disapproval of me is the main reason. A distant rtive helped me apply for a schrship for art school. That''s why I went on my way."

    "And you''ve never seen them since?" Harker asked.

    His dad chuckled nervously. "I did try to visit to tell them the news about my son, but they were the ones that never wanted to see me. Apparently they sold the farm now and stayed at a home for the aged. I don''t know where exactly, and I didn''t bother to ask."

    Harker furrowed his brows. "You didn''t like them very much."

    "They never liked me very much. Even as their only child." Howard admitted. "I wasn''t like how they expected. I was wimpy, I didn''t like ying all the rowdy sports, and I can be quite sentimental at times."

    "Not that I hate myself for that. Your mother liked those qualities about me." His father tried to stay positive. "Different strokes for different folks, as they say."

    Harker wished he could easily know what his father had experienced. But just from his reactions alone, he could tell that he must have suffered a lot due to his parents'' toxic expectations of him.

    But Harker really wanted to know what his ''friends'' had to do with this. These ''unpleasant folk''.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He didn''t want to use the hypnotizing skill on his own father. But Howard Jones was very secretive, and he was indeed a sensitive soul. Even the smallest things can stir a strong emotion in him. It must be the result of years in a traumatic household that expects him to perform several actions just to prove his ''masculinity''.

    How can he get him to open up?

    If only he had a journal just like his mom, or anything that could be a way to see through his past. Then he could truly get to know his Dad and the things that he keeps in the recesses of his delicate heart.

    Especially things regarding G.G. Faust.

    Even though he was not the one responsible for the zombie incident, there was still something undoubtedly off about him. It wasn''t just the interest in the ult, or his resemnce to Rnd.

    There was also the fact that he had the Shard and knew about this ''An Xin''.

    Harker had tried to read books on meditation to get into the subconscious and recall his dream. He truly wanted to remember what''s so significant about the ''Dark Heart'', but he couldn''t. Maybe he needed to practice it more, as he truly was the type to have many things in his mind.

    If G.G. Faust had the Shard, does that mean he''s not human? What is he, then? If he wasn''t human, does that mean that the Faust family wasn''t too?

    No, it was something specific to him. He was the ck sheep after all, he was kicked out. It was possible that he gained the Shard after being disowned. Perhaps he found it somewhere, or a monster had given it to him.

    He must learn the past to gain answers for the present. And these answers would dictate his own future.

    He had 2 out of 13, and there''s still 11 to go. Should he start asking Yan where to look for the rest? But he still has a lot to take care of, with Victoria''s disappearance after all.

    Speaking of Victoria¡­.

    Harker remembered that he actually knew someone connected to her, and may have answers to her whereabouts.

    The next day at school, he attended one of Professor Seward''s lectures. Thezy teacher always spoke in a monotone, and the whole ss was close to falling asleep every time she had a ss.

    She would also answer questions absentmindedly, and even answer back with a question.

    "Professor, why do fments have to ratchet across the head of myosin molecules again?"

    "Hm? Why wouldn''t they?"

    It was so frustrating that she easily became one of the least favorite professors in the school, and there had been a lot ofints against her.

    But Professor Seward never got fired, and that was because she was one of the best when ites to research itself that puts the Stoker University at the top spot in terms of biochemistry and pharmaceuticals.

    Harker decided to approach this woman to ask about her sister, not really expecting a decent answer. She probably has no idea or would tell him she doesn''t hear from her anymore.

    But instead, when he asked about Victoria, he got another question.

    "Do you think my sister makes close friends more easily than I do?"

 Chapter 93 Sink Into The Dark Void

    Harker was not expecting this question at all.

    "Huh? Why do you want to know?" He asked.

    Professor Seward shrugged. "Nothing. I just see her around people all the time. How does she get along with all of them? How does she manage to remember all their names?"

    Harker opened his mouth but didn''t really know what to say, so all that came out was a high-pitched confused sound. But even if he did have something to say, Professor Seward was not done rambling about her sister being more sociable.

    "I mean, I can''t even remember the names of the people I hooked up with for the past years. I can''t recall a single one of their faces. Probably because I''m too high on LSD most of the time."

    Harker''s eye twitched. Right, Professor Seward doesn''t smoke weed, but she does like taking pills.

    He even saw her down a whole cacophony of random party drugs. In school.

    And yet he knew he couldn''t report her because then she''d get reced and they''d have a proper professor who actually gives fair grades instead of random guessing. And theboratory''s management would also not have the same amount of freedom as they have now.

    So it is pretty valid for people to not find her likable just from that alone.

    Harker sighed. "Maybe if you take less drugs and care about what other people are saying, you''d have more friends."

    "You really think so? But then again, making friends is also very tiring." She said. "You''d have to hang out with them once in a while, talk to them, share personal stuff and all that¡­ So exhausting."

    ''Then what''s the point of asking me for advice?'' Harker scoffed.

    Honestly, he was also more introverted than people give him credit for, and he only liked spending time with specific people. Besides Rnd, Mina, his family and sometimes Kian, he never really bothered to get to know more friends in his circle.

    Quality over quantity and all that. It''s better to have friends that were loyal to you until the end than to have a lot that would never attend your funeral.

    So in a way, he could rte to what Professor Seward was saying.

    "I get that. I also don''t really like spending too much energy making friends. But then again, it was also part of human nature to seekpanionship so that must be why you''re worryin'' over having friends." Harker said. "And honestly, just go look for a few. Take your chance, there''s a lot of professors and staff here in Stoker University."

    "They don''t like me very much. Left a bad impression and all that." Professor Seward answered.

    Harker grimaced. "Ooof¡­ All of them?"

    "All of them."

    This woman was really impossible.

    "Ok, then¡­. There might be new ones. And you can befriend your students too. If you actually teach them properly, they''d like you and maybe you''ll find ones you can vibe with." Harker said.

    He couldn''t believe he''s actually giving his own professor who was well over a decade older than advice on making friends. She''s even worse than a kid on her first day of school.

    "That''s true, I guess." She said. "That reminds me. What happened to your research on chameleons? Graduation''sing soon."

    Finally! Here''s his chance to talk about Victoria''s disappearance.

    "The girls and I are finishing it up. I had to take care of some stuff for a while. I''ll go check in on themter." Harker told her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As expected, she asked. "What stuff? Like those regenerative cells you''re taking to BITMAC?"

    "Yeah¡­.. I decided not to give it to BITMAC after all. I actually met Victoria when I got there, that''s why I''m asking about her. We were supposed to work together on this research, but she suddenly disappeared and I don''t know where she was."

    "Did you hear anything from her?" Harker said, sounding hopeful.

    Professor Seward raised her high-arched eyebrows. "You''re working with Vicky now? Is it a purely professional type of rtionship or is she going for my students now too?"

    Harker made a face. "Please don''t get it twisted, Prof. She''s old enough to be my grandmother, and I don''t go for those."

    "How about someone old enough to be your mother then?" She ced a hand on her waist and posed to show off herrge hips.

    Harker only now noticed how small her waist actually was inparison to her hips. Even when she''s azy bum that only sleeps and sleeps and drinks coffee, she still manages to maintain an hourss figure. Harker knew the only exercise she got was walking through the hallways and she eats like a glutton in the cafeteria. So it must be in gics.

    Gics can just be unfair sometimes. He doesn''t really have the right toin either, since his weight had always been stable all through his life.

    With that aside, he''d never go for someone like Professor Seward now matter the age.

    "No thank y¡ª"

    Professor Seward was already expecting that response, and cut him off. "I''m just kidding. Yeah, I know Vicky won''t go for you either ''cause she never goes for anyone. She''s married to the job. That''s something we have inmon, I just like to y around when I feel like it."

    "I haven''t heard anything from her. I mean we do asionally meet up with our parents for Thanksgiving and birthdays and all, but Vicky and I aren''t exactly the tightest."

    Harker knew it wasn''t his right to intrude, but his mouth already moved for him. "Was it like a sibling rivalry? Competitiveness from being in the same field?"

    Professor Seward nodded. "Something like that, and also a little bit of disagreement in certain beliefs."

    "Like what?"

    "You''d have to buy me a drink before I gab about something personal, kid." She took a long sip of her coffee. Yes, she still drinks coffee during lectures and usually takes 3-4 trips to the coffee machine, leaving her students behind to do whatever.

    Harker rubbed the bridge of his nose. Why did he even think this was a good idea to ask her?

    "I see. Well, that''s all I wanted to ask anyway. I''m not trying to get involved in your family matters or somethin''. Victoria just took something important when she left, and I need it." He said. "See ya, Prof."

    But as he went, Professor Seward suddenly called out.

    "Hey. I have no idea where Victoria went, but I think that your best bet would be in Jamestown, Virginia."

    Harker turned back to her. "Virginia? Did you live there?"

    "For a while, yeah. We never came back there for a long time though. I dunno, I just had a feeling that if she''d get missing, she''d be there." Professor Seward smiled sadly to herself. "We had pretty good and bad memories there, Virginia. Sure is one hell of a ce."

    Even though Harker never liked Professor Seward much, this was that one moment he actually sympathized with her. Those eyes, that distant stare¡­.

    It felt like they hid so much pain and loneliness that turned them into this empty, dark void.

 Chapter 94 Where All Things Never Last

    Harker took care of matters in their research. As it turned out, during the times that he was gone Maeve had warmed up to L. He can see all three girls going out together for lunch now, and he even caught Maeve pat L''s head. Sarasvati looked pleased that they were getting along.

    He nudged the little girl a bit to ask how she did it. "You and Maeve seem to be going swell now. Everything alright?"

    "Yes. Maeve admitted to me how she didn''t like that someone so young would be working with them on a project, and she worried that I might mess things up." L said.

    "I knew it!" Harker chuckled. "Envy is really the root of all evil."

    "Funny you say that, because that wasn''t the only thing Maeve envied me for." L said, adjusting her ponytail. "She also admitted that she didn''t like seeing me get along with Sarasvati so much and take her time with her."

    "Oh, because they''re best friends." Harker nodded. "I get it. My best bud was like that too sometimes¡ª"

    "No, they were more than that. I only learned about it recently and it makes sense now."

    Harker blinked. "That''s¡­. definitely unexpected."

    But then again, it''s almost the end of the 20th century, and even though there''s still some tension from the AIDS epidemic back in the 80s, Harker doesn''t really mind this news much. Who cares? Good for them.

    L suddenly sighed. "You''re lucky you''re not involved in some love triangle, Harker. I mean, I wasn''t even aware I was included, and I am just a kid. I''m more like an unexpected third wheel. Sarasvati sees me as a little sister. And Maeve knew that, she just didn''t like me taking away her alone time with her girlfriend."

    She gave him some advice. "So be careful. Some people are just more possessive than others. And that''s mostly because they''ve never met anyone else that gave them that much attention and care before. Sarasvati said she was Maeve''s first girlfriend, so she''s special to her."

    "Yeah¡­. The first really is special." Harker agreed.

    Harker did keep that in mind as he went to work in BBB after school. He nned to meet up with Rnd and Mina after his shift to tell them about his conversation with Professor Seward.

    However, there''s no way in going about it that wouldn''t leave Mina suspicious.

    The moment he mentioned his professor, he noticed her nose scrunching up in annoyance. But Mina tried not to act jealous and just listened to the boys talk while shoving a burger in her mouth to stop herself from saying anything.

    It still failed since Harker knew now how Mina behaves when she tries to keep her cool. That''s the perks of being together, he could empathize with her so much and read her like a book now.

    "Anyway, Professor Seward doesn''t know much besides guessing she must be in Jamestown Virginia." He tried to cut off any mentions of his professor right there and changed the topic. "How about your end, Rnd?"

    "We found a route underground near the area where theboratory exploded." Rnd said. "However, it''s veryplicated and possibly goes for miles. There were also a lot of fake passages and dead ends. It''s like abyrinth down there."

    "Labyrinth?" Mina asked.

    "A maze. If you don''t know that either, Harker should take you to one. It''s basically this ce with many different pathways but only one escape route." Rnd informed her.

    Mina looked away. "I guess I''d like to see that¡­. If Harker isn''t so busy anymore. Which I doubt will happen anytime soon, since he''ll want to go with you to look for Victoria or guard his family from possible danger. I''m fine just being there when he needs me."

    Harker knew she wasn''t saying this to make him feel guilty that he wasn''t spending time with her that often. Mina genuinely means it and believes she''ll just be a bother to him if she asks for a date because she knows how much he cares for his family.

    But he still felt guilty anyway. He felt that he should spend more time developing this rtionship. He does care about his family, but as he promised, Mina was also his family now too.

    And more than that, she''s his beloved. So he had to make her feel like she mattered, that she''s special.

    Harker smiled at her. "Actually, maybe we could go to a small maze park this Saturday.I don''t feel like working here at the restaurant with how things are going with Victoria. And thest couple of days had been hectic at school so¡­. I could use some time to rx and have fun."

    Mina''s eyes brightened at this, but she tried to hide it quickly. It was a very quick reaction, but he found it adorable.

    Rnd agreed. "We all could use some time off now that the finals areing up. I''ll go look into Jamestown this Saturday. It''s a good excuse to ditch Ang''s party anyway."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Harker frowned as he was reminded of that bitch again. "What party was it this time?"

    "She''s celebrating being nominated for Supermodel of the Year. She already knows she will win because of her father''s money." Rnd sighed.

    "Is your Dad forcing you to go?" Mina asked.

    Thest time they checked, Mr. Faust seemed considerate about Rnd''s wishes to not get engaged with Ang anymore. But seeing how he''s still wearing the engagement ring, it still hasn''t been formally taken care of.

    "My father told me to give it some time to decide.He had to convince the MacBheatha family to postpone the engagement until I graduated with my PhD in Law. Which is still at least 5 years away." Rnd scrunched his brows. "I don''t really need any time to decide though, but he''d only ept my refusal after 5 years."

    "That sucks¡­. But at least he''s giving you a choice?" Harker tried to sound optimistic but failed miserably.

    This was the very same man that Rnd wanted to murder. He couldn''t understand exactly why because Mr. Faust was such a genuinely kind man, and the way he spoke about the engagement seemed like he had good intentions for it. He just wanted what he thinks what''s best for Rnd.

    But then again, it''s not Harker''s ce to trifle that much in their family matters. And just as his father told him, he couldn''t get it twisted and assume things.

    Rnd shrugged and changed the topic. "Anyway, if you two need a ride on Saturday, just give me a call. Alejandro can take you wherever your date spot is. While you go exploring maze parks, I''ll be exploring the maze where Victoria must have gone through and figure out where it leads."

    "I hope it really is in Jamestown." Harker said. "That''s our only lead so far."

    "And the GPS." Mina reminded them. "If only Father Gerard Schmidt didn''t explode himself too, then we could get some answers from him. Maybe Victoria told him where she''s going."

    "Yes. It''s a shame." Rnd said as he left BBB. "We weren''t even able to salvage what''s left of Mrs. Jones'' body too. I''m sorry."

    Harker frowned at this reminder. His mom''s grave was now empty, and her body was destroyed.

    But he didn''t want Rnd to apologize for that. He forced a smile. "It''s ok, you did your best given the situation."

    Rnd seemed to know what Harker was thinking despite that smile.

    "Then I''m sorry for bringing it up, I just¡­ I know how hard it is to¡­ Nevermind. I better get going."

    As Rnd closed the door behind him, Harker''s face turned sullen.

    Mina noticed this change in expression, and held his hand under the table. Harker couldn''t look her in the eye or else she''d notice the tears starting to form. But he gently squeezed her hand back to acknowledge that he appreciated the gesture.

    Mina felt like she should apologize too after seeing that pained reaction. "Harker¡­.. I''m sorry for what happened in the bathroom. If it weren''t for that, we could have stopped Father Gerard sooner and Chloe wouldn''t be in danger."

    Harker shook his head. "No¡­. It''s not our fault. It was a little irresponsible at the time, but we never would have known."

    Mina hugged him. "Thank you. I just hoped you wouldn''t hate me for it. I will try to control myself. I just don''t want you to leave me."

    "I know." Harker hugged her back tightly. "I would never do that."

    Science itself had proven how special first love was, and how people never forget them. It leaves an imprint on our mind on what love truly feels like, and changes our perception of it.

    So we tend to hold on dearly to our first love¡­..

    Despite knowing that it may notst.

 Chapter 95 Endless Maze

    Harker had brought Mina to Queens to visit a maze farm. She was astounded by the acres and acres of corn nted in such a way that they stood tall and clustered together to block the way and force them to choose certain paths.

    "Ah, I love the smell of corn." Harker smiled. "Did you know that it''s me and Rnd''s favorite snack back then?"

    "Really?" She looked around.

    The truth was that she had never tasted corn before. Maize existed in the ins, so they were too far from the sea to even be introduced to the jiaorens.

    And during her time as a human, she mostly ate vegetables and meat but not root crops as Alejandro told her they might ''give her the runs''. Which basically means diarrhea, a human condition where their bowels turn to more liquid and they need to pass waste more frequently, she learned.

    She finds it fascinating as though they could experience it, it''s very rare. And most of the time, it was due to poisoning from the chemicals that humans throw into the water, not simple food like corn.

    It was a strange nt. Golden, round, andes in clusters attached to an elongated, almost cone-like shape. Green leaves surround it like its clothing, and she also noticed that it has golden hair too.

    "If corn was a woman, she must be beautiful." She thought.

    Harker bursted out inughter. "Hahahaha! What made you think that, princess?"

    Mina corrected him again. "It''s just Mina. I''m not a princess anymore, I abandoned my kingdom and took on another form and identity. I''m not the same jiaoren as I was before."

    This man that was just as strange and fascinating as corn softened thatughter into a gentle smile.

    "It''s more of an endearment now when I call you princess. I just like it. But if you don''t, that''s okay too. I understand." Harker cupped her cheeks and caressed it a little. "I know that it must remind you of what happened to your sisters, and you''d rather forget about that during our date."

    Mina shook her head. "I don''t actually want to forget. I never will, anyway."

    His eyes had a wave of remorse pass over them. "That''s true. I really wish I could have saved all of you¡ª"

    Mina ced a finger to his lips. "As you said, it''s not our fault. We did the best we could."

    He eventually sighed and relented. "That''s true¡­.. Okay, would you rather hear about corn facts, then? I have a bunch of them."

    Mina knew he was changing the topic for her sake, and she does appreciate it. It''s not really denial but rather that Harker respects her decision to not dwell too much in the past and be ridden with guilt. They have already discussed this enough, and it''s time to try and move on.

    They would never forget, of course. But they have to ept it and ovee their grief.

    They strolled through the maze farm, not really in a hurry to find the exit. Even if they did reach a dead end, they just go back and figure out the route one step at a time. Harker continued to share facts about corn or the history of this ce, and Mina was just happy to listen.

    The wind blew, and the rows of corn swayed alongside the breeze. Harker''s spiky hair also followed suit. He pushed it back with his hand while still talking, and his hair glistened just like the corn kernels basking in sunglow.

    ''Ah, this man.'' Mina thought. ''Does he even know how impossibly perfect he is?''

    For Mina, she had never met someone so sincere and gentlemanly as Harker. He reminded her of her father, and her grandfather, who both were important to her. They were considerate and loyal to their families. Until the very end, they would protect those that they care about.

    Even though Harker had a rugged exterior, Mina was aware it was all a farce. A way for people to not take advantage of his true soft-hearted nature.

    And she liked that she was one of the few who could see through that. To realize how truly pure of a soul he was.

    "We should get some corn on the cob once we find the exit." Harker suggested. "I think we''re reaching it pretty soon, I can sense vendors and people selling merch nearby."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Mina nodded. "Yes, I can hear their voices. I also hear kids bragging to their parents about how fast they finished the maze."

    "Haha. Meanwhile we took our time strolling as if we owned the ce."

    The mermaid pursed her lips as if she had arrived at a decision. She then told Harker:

    "I think I''ll allow you to call me princess as an endearment. It''s much preferable than othermon names you humans call each other like dear, sweetie or baby."

    Harker beamed. "Really? Cool! ''Cause you''re my one and only princess, princess."

    Mina couldn''t help but chuckle, elbowing him. "But you''ll have to wait for me to think of what to call you, though."

    "Anything''s fine." Harker said. "No pressure. You think about it but I''m honestly fine with just being Harker."

    "Well, that won''t do. I need to find you a cute pet name¡ª"

    Mina suddenly caught sight of something in her peripherals that made her stop in her tracks. They were already at the exit, and headed for the store selling corn zed with some butter or cheese and boiled until tender.

    The scent was already making Harker''s mouth water, but he still noticed this sudden daze Mina was in. She was staring at someone among the crowd, her cerulean eyes stormy like troubled waters.

    With just one look from those turbulent eyes, Harker knew something terrible was about to go down.

    "That man¡­." She unconsciously grew her ws and bared her fangs. "That man! He has that tattoo!"

    Harker couldn''t tell which man she was talking about. There were too many tourists, farmers, and staff roaming around. So he nned to ask Mina to be more specific¡ª-

    When she just bolted and disappeared, gone with the wind.

    Harker tried to follow after her, but she was even faster than she usually was. The rage had gotten so deeply into her that her speed would outmatch even that of a missile.

    "Mina! Come back!" Harker called out.

    But soon enough, he found her. She wasying on the floor with a bunch of people surrounding her and murmuring,

    Harker went to her side, and noticed the blood dripping from her nose. She was barely conscious and seemed to be suffering from heat stroke after moving too fast in this particrly sunny weather.

    "Mina!" Harker went by her side and lifted her off the ground. "Let''s get you to a medic¡ª"

    "No..... Harker. You have¡­. follow him. That man¡­. I know him¡­. Mining¡­. Gun¡­."

    She was taking so softly between ragged breaths that even with refined hearing, Harker could only barely make out the things she said. But she managed to say one thing clearly, as she put more effort into saying those words for Harker to understand the gravity of the situation.

    To Mina, the maze felt like it had just begun, and the end she was actually searching for was now getting out of reach.

    "That man.... He killed my father. I need to find him."

 Chapter 96 From The Sands Of Time To The End That Is Death

    Mina felt a haze clouding her mind while her temperature rose to fatal heights. Her memories blocked her consciousness like rows of corn blocking the exit to a maze.

    They made it hard to stay awake, as one could easily get lost in these vivid moments¡­.

    "Baba! Baba!" A little mermaid girl called out.

    She came from behind a group of very tall anemone clusters. These clusters swayed along with the water just as the fields of corn did with the breeze. It was a sight that had always been calming to Mina, a sight that made her feel safe and secure.

    It was home, after all. But it wasn''t as safe and secure as they thought.

    "Whoa there, Ah-Jin." Her father chuckled as she approached him. "You cannot be out here, sweet pearl. You should stay in the anemone, you''re too young to be in open waters."

    "But I wanted to see Baba!" She eximed. "You promised to y with me and the stingrays today!"

    He patted her head. "I know, dear. I will after your Motheres back with the rest of the scouting group."

    And just as he said this, a group of mermaids had arrived, their expressions very grim. They wore helmets that covered their faces, and yet this was also corroded by some kind of ck gooey liquid. Mina now knew this was crude oil.

    Her mother took off the helmet, and coughed. "Another spill. That is what''s causing the ck vomit that''s been happening recently."

    The king of jiaorens frowned. "The gills of our particrly weak civilians must have taken this oil and it now mixes with their lungs and stomachs. If we don''t do something, it would kill more of our people."

    "And what else can we do but move, Shanhu?" Her mother asked. "We cannot go to the surface as there is a war. They are shooting downrge metal objects of sorts, something simr to the metal boats we had seen before but has a different shape. Each time one of those objects falls, there is arge damage that instantly affects our wholemunity."

    "We need to take courage and see what is truly happening, Geli." He patted her shoulder. "Remind humans of the agreement. We could even sell our tears and silk cloth to them like we did before so they would leave our area alone."

    Suddenly, the eldest sister, Meizhu, arrived with a sword in hand. She was younger at the time, about Mina''s current age now.

    "Father, do you truly believe that humans still remember our agreement? You have heard stories of them trying to kill people who have gone to the surface with strange devices made of metal." Princess Meizhu frowned. "And those survivors had said they did not even engage in anything to aggravate the humans. It was like they had forgotten we existed in the first ce."

    The king shook his head. "Nonsense! I will search for the immortals and ask them to manage the humans for us. Surely, there are still the righteous cultivators who would not allow these detrimental activities to our homes, to our families."

    Mina was still a young child back then, and could not understand the severity of the situation. All she knew was that everyone looked anxious and upset, and yet her father''s determination would not allow him to lose hope.

    That kind of determination that one may even think as naive or suicidal¡­.. She finds it admirable instead.

    Even if it''s unreasonable, even if it''s highly dangerous. That look in her father''s eyes was like that of the unwavering flow of water that keeps on moving forward.

    However¡­..<novelnext></novelnext>

    This valiant yet blind determination was also the cause of his death.

    And after he died, everything started to fall apart. It came crumbling down slowly and no one would have expected the underwater kingdom of jiaorens to deteriorate this much.

    Mina did not even see him die. She was not allowed to join the battle that the humans had waged against them.

    The jiaorens were merely defending, and meant no harm. Maybe if they had been more aggressive¡­. Maybe if they had been less considerate and were possessive over their territory¡­.

    It wouldn''t be taken from them. Not like this.

    She only learned of the news of her father''s death as her mother returned with his bodyying limp in her arms. Mina could see her features slowly changing as she changed sex after the death of her spouse, turning into more masculine.

    "Look at what they have done. They used fire and metal devices to st my beloved to ruins¡­.. I could barely even recognize his face." She gritted her teeth. "And that man¡­. I will make him pay tenfold for what he has done."

    Princess Jinzhu rushed toward her father''s corpse, embracing it and crying. The golden pearl tears had passed through therge holes in his body, which Mina now knew was from machine guns and grenades.

    "Sob¡­. Who did this, Mother?" Her voice quivered. "I¡­. I want to make him pay too. I want to avenge Baba!"

    Her mother, who was getting closer to being her second father, embraced her closely. "As much as I wanted to, I made Shanhu a promise. I cannot let you and any of your sisters engage in this battle. You must escape with the elderly and the children, quickly!"

    The transformation was nowplete, and he looked even fiercer than he had as a woman. Former Queen Geli was already a vicious and skilled fighter, perhaps even more than her husband. As the new King, he was ruthless, and Mina had heard stories of her feats from soldiers that returned due to injury.

    He had just the same determination that Mina had always admired. It was only thanks to her second father that they were able to escape at all, and stay in hiding until this subsides.

    However, even his indomitable spirit could not defeat the inevitability of death. Of thingsing to an end.

    Mina had two fathers, and both of them had abandoned her. She and her sisters were all alone now to take care of their kingdom with no one to guide them. And more importantly¡­.

    She lost these people she loved, these people she treasured. The memories she had with them continue to dwindle through the passage of time, and trying to stop herself from forgetting was like fighting the course of the tides itself.

    She can barely even remember what their faces looked like. And this was what she most feared.

    If she doesn''t hold on to vengeance, if she doesn''t hold on to the memory of their honor until the very end¡­.

    She might end up like another loved one that has abandoned her at a young age. Her grandfather, who she lost not from death, but from time and old age.

 Chapter 97 Whatever It Takes

    "Who are you, youngdy?" Her grandfather would often ask.

    The old carp had chosen to live alone in a cave ever since his memories started to fade, and eventually even his mind. He knew staying close to them while they were already facing problems would just make them suffer more. And so he took it upon himself to travel far through passages and trenches¡­..

    Until he got lost in this maze, unable to return.

    But Princess Jinzhu still tried to find him before they went to the surface, to be aided by the Snake demons. The Xi n had promised them protection from those who harmed them.

    Only now did Mina realize that the very people that lead them to the Xi n....

    Were the ones responsible for her parent''s death.

    "I am Jinzhu." She would try to remind her grandfather.

    "Ah¡­. Shanhu." Her grandfather patted her head. "It''s nice to see you again, son¡­."

    His hearing and eyesight had deteriorated so badly that he could not even tell that she was a woman, and not her father.

    Yet Mina just let him see someone else, let him pretend that he was still embracing his child who wasn''t even able to say goodbye to him.

    Being forgotten like this was painful. She never wanted to experience it again with Harker, that was why she tended to hold on to him tightly.

    As she and her grandfather parted from the hug, she asked him a favor.

    "Grandfather Jian¡­. You are a seer, aren''t you? I need your help. I want to see what the humans who attacked my family were like."

    "Those pesky humans have attacked you again?" He asked. "Hold on, let me have your palm, then."

    He took her palm, and started drawing something in her fingers. Soon, a symbol glowed in golden light in it.

    It was the tattoo of the man earlier. That symbol was a circle with a dot inside, and a ring of crimson surrounding it. It resembled arge, round and bloodshot eye.

    Her grandfather told her. "You are looking for the eyes that belonged to those whose heart was dark as it was cruel. Be careful, my child."

    And now that she remembered this memory....

    He called the heart as ''An'', instead of ''Hei'' , which meant ck. It was instead dim, concealed, in secret.

    An Xin.

    --------------------------------------

    Mina gasped for breath as she woke up.

    She could not believe that she was actually aware of this ''An Xin'' all along. It was just hidden in the recesses of her other memories, forming a cloud around the sun.

    But just like how the sun rays always shine through, the truth was revealed within her reverie.

    "Mina, are you alright!?" Harker eximed. "Here''s some water! Drink slowly¡­. Fuck, I''m so d you''re responding now. You were saying things in Chinese that I don''t understand."

    Was she asleep? Was she actually awake and simply delirious from the heat stroke? She couldn''t tell anymore, but what''s important was that¡­..<novelnext></novelnext>

    While she still remembered what she had dreamed about, she must tell it all to Harker. It didn''t matter if people were surrounding them and listening. They would think it was all fantastical drivel about mermaids and demonic sects by someone who was still light-headed and out of her wits.

    Harker listened to it all with a serious expression. Eventually, Mina had enough strength to prompt herself up, and she stood up as she finished speaking:

    "Whoever this man was that I saw¡­. He''s rted to my parents'' death and An Xin. He killed them, and he is part of this cult that was also something G.G. Faust was affiliated with."

    Harker looked up at the sky, and it was getting closer to sunset soon. He wondered if there was some kind of person watching over them and seeing all these transpired too conveniently. All it took for them was a date to meet the man Mina was hunting for so long.

    Those were truly low odds that one could only call it ''fate''.

    It was just the right moment, and they were at the right time and ce. But now, what else could they do? He didn''t even see what this man looked like, or where he was headed.

    And Mina also chased him on impulse after seeing the tattoo, that''s why she wasn''t able to observe him properly.

    "Let''s go for now, and wait for Rnd to ask help on investigating this. Maybe the CCTV in Queen''s farm caught this man with the tattoo, and we could trace him from there."

    Mina clenched her fist. "But¡­. I can''t rest while knowing that bastard who sold my people was just nearby. Here in New York. I need to find him, Harker."

    "And we will, we will. I promise," Harker cupped the sides of her face and assured her.

    Mina tried to not cry here in public, especially since she never learned how to control her tears to be ''normal'' for a human and not golden pearls. It seemed that she never could due to the limitations of the effectiveness from the SS cells she received.

    It was the only give-away to her identity as a mermaid, and she doesn''t really hate it.

    Since she was young, she was defined by such inexplicable sorrow for always seeing her parents be troubled by taking care of the kingdom. They do their best, yes, but they could only spread themselves so thin in managing thousands of jiaorens while also keeping a close rtionship with their family and children.

    She doesn''t me them, but Mina had always felt an unbearable loneliness. Such loneliness was something she had epted. It felt like there would be no one on her side, and she could only call out to them like a maiden lost at sea. Yet she knew they would never return.

    And it was partly her fault, so she had to live with the guilt of it all too.

    For many years, she had felt that no one would ever be by her side. Until Harker came along, and made her see through that darkness that solitude had enclosed her in and held her captive.

    However, she must make a very difficult decision.

    She knew she could still chase after that man. She had to. But Harker had to avenge his family too, and if they would both pursue the path of vengeance, they would have to be separated.

    And so, either she would have to give up the chase now, knowing she may never have a better chance as fate has given her today¡­.. Or she bes alone again, in exchange of ridding this guilt that burdens her over the death of her family and her people.

    She bit her lip, and her chest hurt as she picked thetter.

    "Harker¡­. We will meet again. I promise. But for now¡­."

    She started running.

    Harker called out and tried to follow her. "Mina! Let''s talk about this, you could always follow himter¡ª"

    But as soon as he did, he felt drops of golden pearls hitting his face like rain.

    "I''m sorry¡­.. I have to get justice for my family now matter what it takes."

 Chapter 98 I Must Wake Up From This Dream

    Harker found himself back in the grave, drinking beer all alone at night.

    It had been a few days since Mina disappeared. He tried to follow her and he had the superior speed ording to the stats. However¡­.

    Willpower can exceed the body''s limitations, and skill alone would not be enough to defeat resolve.

    His resolve to follow her was not as strong as her resolve to get justice. And that was because he could also understand where she wasing from, and feel that it was wrong to stop her.

    But he still doesn''t want to let her go, of course. Even for just a while.

    They were still starting, and everything was going so fast. And yet they were constantly bombarded with problems that they had to deal with, burdens they had to carry, things they had to set right.

    It was hard to let her go. But it was the right thing to do.

    "I can''t let her go just as I can''t let you go, Mom." He found himself kneeling on the dirt, and he knew there was nothing there.

    His mother''s body was not there, nor anywhere. It was gone as ashes and dust in the air. And yet, he had to remind himself that it was just a body.

    Her spirit was long gone already. It never returned. He was given false hope just so his heart could be stomped on over and over by the fact that he truly lost her.

    "Fuck¡­. Why do I have to be this unlucky, huh!? Does fate hate me so much!? Was it my fault, or some god''s fault¡­. or there''s just some natural way for this shit to go around that just happens!? Why me!? Why do I have to be the one to suffer all this ...."

    He knew very well that nothing would happen if he vented out like this. That people will find him like an idiot, too sentimental, not using his head or some bullshit like that.

    But it was just too much, and he was at his limit here. A facade is still a facade no matter how good it was.

    He had always kept the facade that he had his shit together. That nothing really bothers a carefree soul like him. When in truth, it was the opposite.

    It was something his mother noticed from the start. Harker would always question everything and end up overwhelming himself. He would always overthink about the possibilities.

    Which was why it was important for him to be taught not to make assumptions. Not only because they might be wrong¡­.

    But because it would destroy someone''s mind to be constantly drowning in the ''what ifs'' of the future.

    "Fuck, my mind is going in circles. I don''t even know what I''m thinking anymore." Harker chugged his beer bottle as he tried to keep himself on track.

    It was very difficult when your mind was constantly in overdrive like this. Not just the logical parts of his brain, but also his emotions that keep on stirring up into a muddled soup that he could barely contain.

    He needed an anchor. Something. Anything¡­.

    "I thought I might find you here."

    He turned and just as when he most needed it, the one person he could rely on had appeared.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Rol. I actually prefer it if you don''t see me like this." Harker squatted in front of that wooden sculpture.

    "But I''m already here. And I will find out eventually." Rnd said. "You don''t have to hide how much you are suffering when you''re in front of me."

    Harker still attempted to y it cool. "Hah, thanks bud. You really are a good guy¡­. Say, had our parents not known each other¡­.. Would you have been friends with me?"

    "Of course." Rnd answered inly.

    "And why are you so sure? They say that ''god is in the details''. It was the very fact that you were giving my dad a gift that we met in the first ce. It was those circumstances that built a way for us to create memories with each other, and eventually be fond of each other." Harker took a long sip from his bottle.

    He realized that it was already empty, and sighed. "If I was not Harker Jones¡­. And you were not Rnd Faust¡­. Do you think we would have even given a damn about each other?"

    "I think so." Rnd sat on the dirt beside him. "Because who we are right now, the physical form, at least¡­. It''s just nothing but a piece of cloth. The soul beneath is what matters."

    "Then what about the memories we made?" Harker asked. "Had we not spent a lot of time with each other¡­.. Had we not learned things about each other that nobody knew before¡­. Would we still have this connection?"

    "If I forget you one day, or you forget me¡­. Then is it gone?"

    Just like how it was no longer his mother''s memories or her mind that upied her physical form. That means that she was no longer herself, and that connection with Harker was gone. It was why he had no hesitation hurting Father Gerard.

    But would the same apply to Rnd if he bes some mindless zombie himself? If he forgets who he was?

    "That''s a tricky question." Rnd admitted. "But I still think that even if your conscience is not there, your subconscious is. Your spirit is there, just missing those two. But the emotions stay as the truth and only unchangeable truth."

    His friend casually picks on a stay strand of hair from his shoulder.

    "If you forget me, I still know that our friendship was real. And if I forget you, I expect you to do the same. If we forget each other¡­.. I could only hope that my belief in our friendship oveing rationality itself would be able to still connect us together."

    "That we would still feel the same towards each other. Just like how old people with dementia still feel this attachment with their family and friends despite not recognizing them."

    Harker was reminded of Mina again at the mention of dementia due to her grandfather. The numb ache on his chest continued.

    "Thanks for answering my silly questions. My mind just goes on to wander off like this with no direction."

    Rnd shook his head. "There is always a direction. Hark, you are worrying about your life, and that''s alright. Life is full of pain and confusion from questions we can''t answer."

    He patted his back. "But whatever may be right or wrong, know that I''m always here."

    Harker let himself cry that night, certainly a first. He cried on his friend''s shoulder. He was so used to keeping it in, that being able to let it all go felt a little¡­ euphoric.

    He had cried himself to sleep, and found himself lost in the Dream World again.

 Chapter 99 Hidden Settlement

    At the precipice of Mt. Kunlun, the young master of the Hui Xin sect stood and watched the fleeting clouds below. Beneath those clouds that was like the gossamer of a spider''s thread was the outline of the viges in the ins and near the beaches.

    The mortal realm.

    Young Master Quan Neng felt contemtive whenever he could watch everything from the skies above. The mortals felt far away, and yet his existence was to serve these mortals.

    To ensure their safety from the darkness that lurks in the shadows where the sun could not shine.

    He heard footsteps behind him, and smiled. He knew who it was just from the sound of the footsteps alone.

    "Shidi, did you know that my mother lived in the mortal realms?" Young Master Quan Neng asked.

    The junior martial brother greeted him. "Greetings, Young Master Quan. I came with some news, but it seems that this may not be the proper time. I see that you are reminiscing about Lady Lian."

    "When is the proper time, I wonder¡­.." Quan Neng turned to him. "Everyone always waits for the proper moment, the proper ce, and the proper person. And yet, who determines that? Why is it good, and why is it bad?"

    As he turned, his gaze was first drawn to this man''s unusually blue eyes.

    His hair was also long and golden, curving ever so slightly at the ends. It was not a normal appearance for those who live in the Nine Domains. It was the appearance of people who lived far beyond the borders of the mountains in the West.

    However, Junior Fu was not from the West. And this was also his natural appearance since he was born.

    "Say, Junior Fu." Young Master Quan Neng said. "If you no longer had your appearance, does that mean that you are no longer the right person to be delivering this news to me? That you are no longer my dearest brother?"

    Junior Fu smiled a little at this line of questioning that was like a test. Because it truly was.

    Young Master Quan knows how clever this junior was. He had mastered the techniques faster than all his peers and would soon ascend in his cultivation to Nascent Soul. So it became a habit for him to test this junior.

    And besides, it was just fun for him to know more about his adoptive brother. He was still an enigma like the stars at night, something so difficult to fathom with the vastness of it all.

    Junior Fu took his time in answering. He then said:

    "I am still who I am, even without my appearance. The physical form is merely a cloth that our soul wears. Even if we do lose our current physical form, we shall wear another one and our soul continues to thrive."

    Young Master Quan Neng chuckled. "A thought-provoking answer. I am sure my father would be pleased with that."

    "Thank you, young master." Junior Fu simply bowed his head.

    The young master pondered over this. "Hmm, but I do wonder¡­."

    This has be themon catchphrase of the young master, besides his usual ''Do not assume''.

    "You speak of losing our current form in reincarnation, but do we not drink Mother of Forgetfulness'' soup before taking on a new life? Our memories of our own identity disappears. How can we say that we are still the same person if we ourselves do not remember that?"

    Junior Fu has no hesitation as he answered:

    "Our memories are fleeting clouds. Try to capture them as we might, they will never stay as they get blown by the passage of time. They do not define us, or our identity. The soul is different from both body and mind, though they could affect each other."

    The junior pointed at himself. "For instance, I am seen as an anomaly for most of my life due to my lightplexion, light hair, and light eyes. It has shaped the way my mind thinks, as I already anticipated the worst judgment I may receive from others."

    The wind blew a strand of hair to his face as he spoke.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "And this has be a part of my identity now to be overly callous on what others may think. It shapes me to talk less and be more observant. But has my soul always been this way? Or was my soul changed by my experience in this world? Either way, the form and the soul behaves the way a candle holds the me, and the me consumes the candle."

    Young Master Quan Neng felt the urge to push that hair strand away. But as soon as he tried to reach out, Junior Fu took a step back.

    He sighed. "There is a stray strand of hair in your face."

    "Oh." Junior Fu pushed it away. "Thank you for telling me, Young Master. But please, you must refrain from touching something impure lest it affects your qi. Junior Zhou Qian told me you even touched that mortal woman who was descended from An Xin. Please be more careful next time."

    The young master was not pleased with this, but he did not scold the junior. He already knew there was no way to convince him that nothing would happen if he was touched. He just thought how sad it is that he still believes in his ''impurity''.

    "I agree with what you said wholeheartedly." He said. "I am simply letting my mind wander off to nowhere again."

    He turned back to looking under the precipice, and sat at the very edge of the cliff.

    ? Junior Fu had an unreadable expression on his face, and sat beside him. "It does not wander to nowhere, because it always follows the same path, young master. You always end up thinking about death and mortality. Ever since Lady Lian has passed away."

    "Even before she had passed, I had always contemted it." Young Master Quan Neng leaned his head back, looking at the sky. "Life before death, death before life. What shall be my end? What shall be our end? My mother is a mortal and did not choose to cultivate, and so her end hade sooner."

    He then made a wry expression. "But why does it have to be that way? Who decides?"

    "Fate, I suppose." Junior Fu answered.

    "And who decides fate? Is it us? Is it the gods? Is it some other force entirely?"

    "I do not know the answers, young master." Junior Fu sighed. "But perhaps¡­. Perhaps it is all of them. Just like how the body, mind, and spirit all act to create a person. They all form together into what we call fate¡ª Our decisions, the gods'' decisions, and the natural flow that decides the way of things."

    The Dao. Young Master Quan Neng had practiced various daos, studied various texts, performed various feats with it. He had ascended many times already, and yet...

    He still could not say that he hadpletely understood the Dao. That he had captured it and controlled it. Made it his own.

    It was simply a thought in the back of his head. Was it possible to change the Way of things, the structure of reality itself? Just like all his former questions, it was derived from his natural curiosity for the highly theoretical aspects of life. Things that even the greatest could not fully answer yet.

    He sighed, and set aside these thoughts for now. He has duties to take care of, and he cannot overindulge in wondering.

    "You may deliver the news now. My mind had been satisfied with its daily wandering." The young master said with a chuckle.

    Junior Fu observed him first, before speaking up.

    "One of the settlements of the An Xin sect had been found."

    Young Master Quan Neng''s eyes widened at this. "Is that so? I hope that it is the one that holds Xi Hua''s parents captive."

    "I''m afraid that is unlikely, young master." Junior Fu frowned. "This settlement is far down the South, at the coast. And¡­.. well, you''d have to see for yourself."

    He wondered what he meant by that. He used his superior vision to locate this settlement¡­.

    And young master Quan Neng''s usually calm temperament disappeared.

 Chapter 100 Swallowed By Demonic Cultivators

    At the farthest side of the seashore, where the small waves sh against the rock and return once more, only to sh once again as if strings of a pipa* reverberating when plucked¡­.

    A woman sits on top of a boulder, singing her heart out.

    She was truly ying the pipa as she sang a local song. In this scene full of solitude and passion, she felt less human and more like an ethereal entity. But the young master knew very well that she was human.

    Once.

    She was a ghost. The only question was whether or not she was aware of that.

    Her hair was golden, just like Junior Fu''s. Her eyes were also blue, although the shade was closer to the color of the water rather than the sky. Her skin was also porcin white, and so Young Master Quan Neng thought it must be likely that she was also a descendant from An Xin sect.

    Still, he asked the woman to confirm this rather than just make assumptions.

    "Youngdy, may I know where you hailed from?" He asked as his foot met with the ground, hands behind his back.

    He flew to the mortal realms on his sword. He had named this one Yan Tong. It meant ''Eye Sore''.

    This led to many questions of the origin of the name. Why ''eye sore''? Did he achieve this sword at the cost of getting an eye injury? Did the sword itself cause injury to his eye? Does it shine so bright when imbued with spiritual energy that it bes painful to look at?

    Young Master Quan Neng never answers their questions, and just wears a cheeky smile asking them to keep guessing.

    But the truth was¡­..

    He only named it that as a joke.

    It was a testament to the nature of sentient beings to make assumptions. He deliberately named it such and did not give any exnation knowing well that the minds of the people he encountered would alreadye up with exnations of their own.

    And each one was true. Because what they believed was their truth.

    Only when he speaks and breaks this truth does it be ''untrue'', because they lose their belief in their old assumptions. Therefore, truth can change quickly just from perspective and knowledge acquired. And truth makes up reality.

    If reality was a culmination of truths we believe, then does that mean that¡­..

    Simply changing beliefs will change reality itself?

    Ah, his mind wandered off again. It has been amon urrence in his life, and yet everyone around him saved for Junior Fu and his father assumed that there was nothing that bothers his mind. That he had achieved enlightenment and inner peace.

    When truly, he just learned to ept himself. epted that this was who he was, always questioning¡­.

    And epted that the questions will keep going, and he may never find answers in this life or all the next ones.

    He tried to return his focus to the female ghost with a pipa. She did not answer his questions and instead continued singing, which was why his mind wandered off in the first ce.

    Young Master Quan took Yan Tong by the hilt and returned it to its scabbard. When sheathed, the design of the hilt joins with that of the scabbard to form a crimson eye.

    "Youngdy." He called out again.

    The woman continued going on with her ''Wu¡­. Wu¡­. Wu¡­.'', and it seemed like she would not be stopping any time soon.

    It was likely that she was a ghost that only knew to sing and y the instrument, and nothing else. Like a figment of a memory stuck in ce, going for a loop. She could not remember who she was, where she was, how she died, what her likes and dislikes were, who her family was¡­..

    She was an empty shell. Beautiful, but still hollow.

    Young Master Quan exhaled deeply. "Isn''t she pitiful? These are one of the things I fear."<novelnext></novelnext>

    He was followed by Junior Fu with his own sword. He had not named this one, and it was rtively new to him. He does not seem to hold any deep connection with this sword, which was quite a great disadvantage as a cultivator.

    "You fear being a ghost with no memories, young master?"

    "Even if I was not a literal ghost, yes. I fear that I will be empty and hollow like this. Over the years, I will continue to live on as an immortal. Mountains will turn into ins, seas will turn into barren deserts. And yet I still live on, and the passage of time itself disappears. And so will you, and father, and everyone I have ever loved¡­."

    Young Master Quan looked at the skies. "I don''t know how the gods do it. Perhaps it was because some of them had a family of gods as well, so they are not alone. But what of those who ascended to godhood as a mortal?"

    "They must be¡­."

    He smiled, and corrected himself. "Well, I do not want to make assumptions. But if it was me, I would feel rather lonesome. Like I am transversing endless paths trying to find an end, but never finding it. All by myself."

    Junior Fu pondered over this as well, then approached the ghost woman with a pipa. He ced his hand atop her shoulder.

    His hands do not pass through due to his cultivation, and he can interact with spirits freely. The ghost had no eyes. It must have been plucked out.

    "Did she die from having her eyes plucked out? Or did she lose them a long time ago, and now it manifests even in her spirit?"

    "Wu¡­. Wu¡­. Wu¡­." The woman continued humming with the same cadence and dynamic as the sea breeze.

    It rises and falls in a consistent yet unique rhythm. Junior Fu tried to perform a spell to gain any information from this ghost. It was the Soul Searching technique that was one of the most basic yet most difficult to master as a member of the Hui Xin sect.

    The Hui Xin sect was made to be Overseers of Truth and Justice, after all.

    It was important for them to have skills that allow for the unveiling of the truth, thus they were also called the ''All-Knowing'' sect.

    "Her name is Jinzhu, for ''gold'' and ''bead''. She existed hundreds of years ago, as one of the 10 princesses from the tribe where the followers of An Xin had sprung in its early days." Junior Fu gathered. "She had died along with two of her sisters in order to protect her family from an uprising of smaller tribes."

    "And why does she y the pipa?" Young Master Quan Neng asked, though he already anticipated the answer with his great intuition.

    "She decided to sit on this rock as enemy fleets arrived at the coast. She started ying and singing, having no fear as they yelled at her and asked where the rest were. Her two other sisters also made distractions of their own, but it was Princess Jinzhu''s loud voice that gathered most of the attention of these attackers."

    Her voice truly rang out across the whole area, but it was not unpleasant. Young Master Quan''s hunches were proven. And as for the eyes¡­.

    "She got her eyes poked out by the ws of a rabid animal, right?"

    Junior Fu nodded. "Yes. A strange creature from the sea, a monster that became an enemy chieftain''s pet. However, I don''t understand how she ties in with An Xin at all."

    Young Master Quan simply said. "I do."

    He listened to the woman''s song again. It was full of mncholy, and also...

    Guilt.

    "It was her tribe where the founder of An Xin formed more spawns and descendants. That tribe was the one that had light skin, light hair, and light eyes. Her distraction was unsessful, and they¡­."

    "Have been swallowed by these demonic cultivators that can tame monsters and control them."

    ---------------------

    A/N: *A pipa is an instrument often reffered to as the ''Chinese lute''. It has a pear shape and four strings. See picture in thements.

 Chapter 101 Stoner Professor

    Joan put a dozen pills in her hand, and popped it all into her mouth. She didn''t even drink water. She just swallowed all of them like a champ.

    Well, more like a loser in her perspective. If the most impressive thing about her was how many pills she can swallow without gagging or dying, then she really was a loser.

    She burped loudly, and the guys surrounding her all pped like kids in preschool after a show and tell session.

    "Booyah! This cougar''s is da bomb, man!" Some himbo yelled out. "What gag reflex!? She doesn''t even have it!"

    He must be some frat boy in a nearby university, seeing the Alpha Sigma Phi tattoo above his pierced belly button. And yeah, it didn''t take a while for him to be shirtless and yelling while bathing himself in beer and fruit punch.

    Another one wearing a varsity jacket put his hand around her shoulder. He showed off the keys to his Feroari.

    "I mean she''s he fly. But the no gag reflex convinced me. Ma''am, I''m taking you home tonight."

    Joan just cackled and pushed his hand away. "Buy your own car first, pretty boy. I can still see your mom''s name in those keys, you didn''t do a good job at scraping the letters. Unless your name is actually Julia?"

    The boyughed nervously as his friends'' eyes widened at this.

    He just made an excuse. "It''s actually Juliet. I''m just a fan of the Bard himself, ya know. I''m a Romeo, my car''s my Juliet. We''re meant to be together."

    "Ah. So that means you will die with your car soon?" Joan smirked. "Advanced condolences, then."

    The most refined of these groups of men, someone in decent clothes and style,ughed audibly at this.

    He took a sip of his whiskey. "You really are a fun woman, Ma''am. But your face looks kinda familiar. I think I''ve seen it in one of our science textbooks. Are you actually a teacher?"

    The crowd around her erupted with "Oooohs" and "Ahhhs". They were curious if this really was true. Joan thought about whether she should hop to another club now that her cover was blown. Not that she had a cover to begin with, but she didn''t really expect a bunch of college kids buzzed out of their minds would actually recognize her.

    Nah, screw it. So what if they recognized her? It''s graduation time, summer vacay ising soon.

    She won''t have to worry about a scandal spreading about an acimed professor in Stoker University being caught bar-hopping and popping party pills any time soon.

    But that''s enough pills for now, though. She''d have to wait for the magic to happen, like how you''d wait for tea to steep.

    While waiting for that, she indulged the boy''s question.

    "Yeah, I''m a teacher. I can teach you where best to hit a girl on the back, if you''d like." Joan said flirtatiously.

    She knew very well about her effect on men, and some women too. Though she doesn''t swing that way and politely declines them. Her hair was still luscious though it was shaggy. Not on purpose, but because she can''t be bothered tob it. It still made people think she rocks, though.

    Her body was on the more curvy side, and her face was very Sharon Stoner-esque. Only that she was a brte and her eyes were green, and as far as people knew, Sharon Stoner wasn''t actually a stoner.

    The boy shook his head. "No thanks. I''m tying the knot after graduation."

    He presented the ring for her to see. "My bride-to-be is just in the bathroom. We only ever attended since we''re kinda like the mom and dad of this friend group. We''re watching out in case they get in too much trouble."

    "I see." Joan pursed her lips. "Congrattions then. You''d be graduating from being a bachelor too."

    "Haha, thanks."<novelnext></novelnext>

    This immediately put her in a bad mood. Wedding rings always do.

    She let out another burp, and excused herself. "Welp, I''ll go look for some other fe that''s willing to get schooled then."

    The one who was shirtless wraps a hand around her waist. "You can teach me, Ma''am. I''d like to learn some female anatomy with you."

    ? She pushed the drunk boy away, causing him to stumble on the table full of chips he tried to eat off his own stomach.

    "Ah yes because I''m pretty sure that even if you have a magnifying ss, you''d still never find a clean-shaven girl''s clit."

    The group erupted withughter, and Joan Seward took her leave that way. She unbuttoned her white shirt to show off more of the goods, and pulled her ck pencil skirt up higher. Her heels cked as she went out to find another good spot.

    As soon as she went out, she saw two people making out near the dumpsters. There was a whiff of smoke from one of those biker groups leaning by the wall. The music that red out from the club now mixed with the noises of the city and vehicles passing by.

    "The 20th century sure is loud. Gonna be 21st soon, would it just get even louder then?." She stumbled around to look for another club.

    Maybe she''d try to get two boys into a threesome. Hell, even four or five sounds good. As long as none of them were wearing any of those stupid bands on their fingers that was a sign of the silly little thing called mitment''.

    She opened the door and saw some blood on it. She only then realized that she scratched herself while trying to pry that frat boy off her waist, since his belly button also had a piercing.

    "That fucker." She mumbled.

    Flies started approaching the wound that festered and bubbled up.

    Joan shoved the flies away with great annoyance. She opened the door thinking that she should pour some alcohol on it as a disinfectant, and maybe drink it herself. Absinthe sounds pretty damn good right now. Nothing beats the green fairy, and they''ve been friends for so many years now.

    Billie Jean was ying and the crowd was pretty dense. She tried to push her way through the ocean of bodies and felt some hands cop a feel as she did. But she didn''t mind. She really needs to get to that bartender¡ª

    "Ah, sorry. Stepped on your foot. Coming through."

    She hardly felt the foot-stepping with the drugs in her system and getting close to aa. But as soon as she heard that voice, she was woken up more than any adrenaline shot could.

    "Jones?" She called out.

    Harker Jones seemed like in a rush to get inside the club. He was looking around as if searching for something.

    He saw a blondie across the dance floor, and tried to catch up, cing his hand on her shoulder. "Mina!"

    But as soon as the woman turned around along with her dance partner, possibly her lover, the Jones boy quickly took his hand away.

    "Oh, sorry. False rm¡­. Have a good one."

    He went on his way again, vanishing into the sea of sad pathetic nymphomaniacs and drunkards and standing out like a sore thumb. Or maybe a red ship would be a better analogy. Meh, Joan was too wasted to think of metaphors.

    In the end, the stoner professor followed after this Jones boy and wondered if she had a chance to get into his pants tonight.

 Chapter 102 Got The Morbs

    Harker had been tipped off by one of the bodyguards that Mina has been spotted around the club districtstely. It seems whatever lead she had about her parents'' killers, it had led her into constant bar-hopping and clubbing.

    She hasn''t returned for two weeks now, and Harker feared that her time as a human was running out soon. If she doesn''t get constant SS cells and RH null blood, she''d turn back into a mermaid. It''s too dangerous for her to go out on her own under these circumstances even when he could understand her purpose.

    "Just where in the zes are you, Mina¡­.. I''m pretty sure I saw you here just now." He mumbled to himself as he searched the area with his refined snake eyes and body heat sensor.

    Even though she was transformed, Harker had noticed that Mina''s body temperature was still very slightly lower than an average human. It was a very minor difference, but still pretty important. He put all his focus on sensing her in this area.

    If she tries to run away from him, Harker thought he might have to use his two incapacitating abilities. And he doesn''t really want to do that.

    He just wanted to talk things through with her, and exin that even though he worries about her, he''s still on her side. They could meet up every two weeks while going on their own individual escapades. Harker had always wanted to help her, he just wanted to make sure she''s safe because he loves her.

    The music was too loud and there''s too much stimuli going on in this club. This was why Harker hated this sort of ce. It''s even more chaotic than his dreams...

    Speaking of those dreams, he had another strange one where he could only remember a singing ghost by the sea. Other than the song, he can''t remember much about her either.

    There''s also something about... an eye sore.

    It really wasn''t anything helpful, and he''s starting to think these dreams were not really as special as he wanted to believe. It could have been any other dream and he was just getting paranoid.

    But the connection to An Xin¡­. That''s what keeps him going in this attempt to recall his subconscious memory more.

    "Fuck, I need to focus on Mina for now. It''s just too loud here that I can''t think straight." He muttered.

    He followed what he believed to be where Mina went. After passing through this maze of human bodies, he ended up reaching the dumpsters at the back of the club. He looked around and saw a nearby public restroom with a tough-looking man waiting outside.

    Harker could sense Mina there. He rushed towards it, but the tough guy blocked his path.

    "VIP only. Got a ticket?"

    "What!? It''s the public restroom, for the love of corn!"

    "VIP. Ticket." He only repeated the words again, and cracked his knuckles.

    Harker can sense more than one body inside. Actually, there were a lot of bodies, but they seemed to be down under.

    "I see it now. I ain''t a snitch, and I''m not working with the police. My friend just went there, so I need to follow after her." Harker exined. "So could you be a dear and¡­."

    "Look me in the eyes, pal."

    As soon as he said that, his eyes gleamed and turned green. The big bouncer for the hidden VIP area of the club immediately copsed. Harker easily caught him and lifted him by the arms like a baby, sitting him down in one of the dumpsters.

    "Impressive. Thought you were toast as soon as you started rambling about your friend."

    Harker''s eyes widened as soon as he heard that voice, his heart almost leaping out of his chest. "Fucking hell¡­. What are you doing here, Professor!?"

    Professor Seward just leaned on the exit door, one hand to herrge hip.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I should be the one asking you. As far as I recall, you mentioned that this kind of ce ''ain''t your scene''. Yet here you are, even putting a big bouncer to sleep just to get to the VIP strip club area." She grinned wide. "You sure are something, Harker."

    Harker scoffed. "Don''t get it twisted. I''m just lookin'' out for a friend."

    "Just a friend? You seemed pretty worried. And it''s a girl too. What''s the name again¡­.. Mona, was it?"

    "Mina." Harker corrected. "Anyway, just go and find another hook-up, Prof. This ain''t exactly your business."

    He opened the door and saw a staircase leading down instead of a toilet. Pretty sly, he''d give them that. They must be doing quite a lot of illegal stuff down there.

    "It is now." Professor Seward went beside him. "Anyway, I''m not in the mood for hook-ups right now. I''m more into a ''see what bullshit my students are up to'' kind of mood."

    Harker thought she truly must be the most insufferable woman he''d ever met. He went downstairs, thinking he could just easily use the Enhanced Snake Skill to knock her out and me it on the drugs or alcohol if she asked questions after.

    They descended down and saw a whole other kind of party here. There were less people, and the setting waspletely different. The interior was antique-looking, and almost everything seemed to be made of wood. The people were also dressed in ssy suits and long dresses reaching to the floor.

    "What''s this, a Victorian-era style club?" Harker frowned. "This is what they''re keeping a secret for the VIPs?"

    Joan had aplicated expression on her face right now as she observed the area. She looked like she was about to puke and also cry whileughing and getting birth at the same time.

    Harker moved away from her. "If you''re going to throw up, please go do it outside. As these folks might say ''Be a dear and don''t ruin the decor''."

    The expression disappeared, and Joan made a face at him. "I''m not going to throw up and ruin the decor. I just thought this ce looks pretty decent and could pass for the real thing. Also, it''s a pub, not a club."

    Harker rolled his eyes. "Whatever. If you''re here to be nosy, better keep your eyes peeled for someone with blonde hair, blue eyes and looks a whole lot like Marilynne Moonroe."

    "Pretty hard given that most blondies here are trying to look like her." Professor Seward pointed out. "Which is funny because she''s not even from the Victorian era, she''s from the Hollywood Golden Age of the 50s and the sexual revolution."

    "Thanks for the trivia, will be sure to remember it." Harker just went and looked around. "Let''s split up to cover more ground."

    And so, they split up in search of this one blondie. But Joan wasn''t really taking it seriously, and was merely observing how Harker interacts with the patrons and asking around if they found his beau. Seems like he really cares a great deal about this gal.

    "She sure is lucky." Professor Seward thought, having a man go crazy for her like that.

    "Hopefully, neither of them would have to die and leave the other wanting to end life or living on as an empty shell. Young lovers that love too hard end up like Romie and Julia or whoever those are. The ones thatmitted suicide."

    She asked the bartender for some absinthe and easily got some. She took out her handkerchief, poured some of the green fairy there, and dabbed the festering wound lightly.

    But it was already as ck as tar and looked like it would grow maggots soon.

    Joan sighed. "This night really sucks."

    "Is that so, Joan? I would dare say you just got the morbs again."

    A man sat next to her, holding a ss of absinthe. And as soon as she turned towards him, all the color got drained off her face.

 Chapter 103 Good Drama

    But as she blinked, he was gone.

    Just like the wind. There was no one by her side. Professor Seward realized she had forgotten to breathe for a moment, and took a long deep and sharp inhale.

    It''s the drugs. It''s getting to her. She''s now experiencing a head rush and would be in a doozy soon.

    She stood up and looked for Harker, wondering if she could ask him to get her cab before she fully passed out. A young man dressed as a gentleman approached her and made a deep bow.

    "How do you do at this fine eve, mydy?"

    Joan sneered. "Just bang up the elephant. Though your pretentious ''British'' ent could make a stuffed birdugh, you hobbledehoy."

    The guy was confused, and she just booped his nose.

    "If you''re going to have a Victorian party, better do your research first, son."

    She shoved him away and stumbled about looking for Harker, one hand massaging her temple. Joan was feeling pretty cranky now. This was going to be one hell of a hangover, but besides that, it would be a major cop out.

    Why did she agree to look for this blondie anyway? She was just trying to get in Harker''s pants and do something stupid to cross off her checklist for this evening.

    It won''t even be that taboo anymore since he''s graduating. Granted, he was still going to stay for a few more years in Stoker for his Masters and PhD. But she may not be his professor anymore, which was fantastic. She could say ''fuck professionalism'' and just go for it if he''s down.

    Which seemed a little unlikely now that the blondie''s on the way, but that never really stopped her before. Two-timers were not umon in the club. Actually, finding someone with an ounce of loyalty would be like finding a leprechaun by the end of a rainbow.

    She couldn''t find Harker anywhere though. And her crackiness was slowly cranking up a notch. Her headache was making her feel like her skull was caving in.

    If she doesn''t see that red leather jacket-wearing himbo schr she''ll just bounce and get a cab.

    "Excuse me, Madam. " Another young man sitting at the table called out.

    "Not in the mood, bud." She shot him down.

    The man just pursed his plump lips at her. "I was talking to the waitress, not you."

    The waitress really was behind Joan. She stepped aside, mentally calling the boy an asshole. He doesn''t even know her and he''s so rude¡­.

    Though she couldn''t find the broad Harker''s looking for, at least this boy was a blondie with blue eyes.

    He looked kind of familiar, reminding her of maybe James Deen and a mix of that young heartthrob from that recent sinking ship movie. What''s his name again? Ronaldo De Cafrio? Whatever, he''s a pretty blond boy, not Joan''s type. She goes for the more rugged ones.

    But besides the celebrity look-alike, he still looked like someone she knew. She just can''t point her finger at who exactly. A student? One of her hookups?

    ".... And where is he off to? Do you know, Madam?" He asked.

    She was too dizzy to focus on what he was saying and too busy observing his face. Now that she thinks about it, he looked like someone she saw Harker hang around once. An All-american wealthy stud that''s going to be awyer or something.

    The waitress shook her head at his question. "No, Sir. He''s not really a regr here. I believe his friend just brought him along two days ago and he didn''te back. They mentioned something about going on a trip to his ce in Oregon."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I see. Thank you, Madam." The stud looked disappointed and stood up to take his leave.

    One of his cufflinks fell off as he stood, revealing a little bit of his wrist. Joan doesn''t know if she was hallucinating from the LSD but¡­.

    Were those¡­. Scales?

    He quickly took the cufflink back and closed his cuffs tightly. He looked around nervously to see if someone was watching him, and he noticed the high professor''s gaze before she could even look away.

    The man clicked his tongue and walked up the staircase.

    "Weirdo." Joan muttered.

    She finally found Harker out the back of this dainty underground pub, and sluggishly raised her hand while calling out. "Hey, Jonesy! You found her yet? If not we can buy a blonde wig and blue eye contacts and I can roley for ya!"

    Harker turned, and his eyes widened. She chuckled, thinking he must be feeling incredulous by how stupid she''s acting right now. All the attention of the pub went towards her, but Joan really didn''t care.

    Harker ran towards her, and Joan justughed. "I''m just messin'' with you! But I''m getting bored and it''s gettingte, you should crash on my ce since it''s nearer than yours¡ª"

    He ran past her, with the speed of a cheetah itself. Joan blinked, wondering what the hell was going on tonight. Maybe she shouldn''t have taken a dozen pills at once despite her strong resistance.

    She tried to catch up with Harker, but she''s getting pretty sleepy. She thought she might copse upon these stairs and be an attraction for these pompous roleyers that think the Victorian era was just all about dresses and suits and acting Bri''ish.

    But she managed to push through, and reached past the exit of the fake restroom, at least. She looked around for the Jones boy. She identally stepped on the sleeping bouncer''s head, but he didn''t wake up anyway so she couldn''t care any less.

    Finally, she heard voices on a dark alley nearby with no lights. It was the voice of that rude blondie earlier and Harker''s. They seemed to be arguing.

    ".... It''s because I love you, okay!? Do you really expect me to not lose my goddamn mind when you suddenly bail out on me like that!?"

    Professor Seward''s spirits were resurrected like a phoenix. Her eyes almost bugged out when he heard Harker say those words, very much wide awake now.

    The blond boy sounded remorseful. "I know, but¡­. I''m sorry. I don''t have much time. If I don''t follow the trail, I might lose that bastard. I need to gut him for what he has done to my parents."

    Harker then insisted. "Then kiss me first! You have to. I promise I''ll let you go and take your revenge¡­.. But you have to kiss me, please. I just want you to be safe."

    She squinted. "What in the gay soap opera is this dialogue¡­?"

    She had no idea what the hell was going on here, and she definitely had no idea Harker swung that way. So she might have never had a chance in the first ce.

    She wondered what the point of looking for that Mona girl or whatever. Maybe that''s actually the guy''s name? She did know a guy named Lisa once, short for Lisandro.

    "Well, good for them. Harker sure is full of surprises." Joan sighed. "Still a shame though, I''m outta here."

    She just went home that night, thinking that at least she got some good drama even when she didn''t have a good hook-up. Who would have known?

 Chapter 104 Starts With Lovesickness

    Harker had been scouting the entire pub for Mina, and it turned out that she was actually in disguise. If it weren''t for his stupid stoner professor, he wouldn''t have sensed her body heat upstairs and chased after the mermaid wearing the skin of his best friend.

    Harker managed to corner Mina in an alley. She tried to run away as soon as she saw him, but Harker managed to pin her, though he did it as gently as he could and ced a hand behind her head so she wouldn''t bump it against the wall.

    "Let me go, Harker! I already told you, I need to do this!" Mina eximed.

    It was strange to hear her speaking through Rnd''s mouth. He thought if Rnd knew she was pretending to be him again, he''d definitely lose his cool and another war would start between them.

    But more importantly, he thought of how relieved he was to see her again. He kept hold of Mina''s wrists tightly but not too hard.

    "Listen to me first, Mina! I''m not going to stop you! I just wish that you would have talked to me first and trust me!" Harker said. "You still need my DNA to stay human! I can''t let you get in danger from getting caught as a mermaid!"

    Mina stopped struggling at this, and looked sheepish. "Y-Your right. I''m starting to de-transform. I thought that I could maybe kiss you and get your DNA in your sleep, and I know how wrong that was. But I just¡­. I know how protective you were. You wouldn''t even let Chloe join us in Victoria''sb. She could have sensed where she went to if she was nearer to her."

    Harker''s lips parted slightly at this. She was right, it really would have been easier to catch Victoria during the explosion if they had Chloe''s sense towards her spectacles.

    But that would also put her in danger, so even if Harker did think about it at the time, he wouldn''t have agreed to it.

    Harker looked down. "I¡­. That''s just how I am, Mina. My family, my friends, you¡­.. You''re the world to me. If I lose any of you, I''d copse. I''m not that strong. I want to be the one to make the sacrifice if I had to."

    Mina sighed at this, cing a hand on the side of his face. "I know. I feel that way too, that''s why I''m doing this in the first ce. But there''s no need to worry, Harker."

    "How can I not worry?" Harker took her hand and gripped it tightly. "It''s because I love you, okay!? Do you really expect me to not lose my goddamn mind when you suddenly bail out on me like that!?"

    ""I know, but¡­. I''m sorry. I don''t have much time." Mina apologized. "If I don''t follow the trail, I might lose that bastard. I need to gut him for what he has done to my parents."

    Harker closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

    "Then kiss me first! You have to. I promise I''ll let you go and take your revenge¡­.. But you have to kiss me, please. I just want you to be safe."

    Mina''s deep blue eyes were a little teary at this, and she nodded. "Alright. I love you too, Harker."

    She took off her wig and let her golden hair cascade over her shoulders. She changed her features to be like her former one. Her breast had to be binded by ASE bandages though, and she had no time to take it off.

    "I''m ready. I don''t want to go so soon, but we have to make this quick." She said in her natural voice.

    Harker frowned. "Yan said 15 minutes would be enough for two weeks. But are you sure you''d be able to catch him in two weeks?"

    She nodded. "I was so close. His friend took him to that pub 2 days ago. I asked around who this friend was, and one of the waitresses said he lived in Oregon. They seem to be headed there next."

    "Oregon?" Harker furrowed his brows. "But that''s too far away. That''s on the other side of the country itself."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I''ll be back soon before the SS cells run out." Mina promised.

    "What about the RH null blood? We have lost supply ever since Victoria left." Harker thought.

    Mina scratched her head. "Well¡­. I did ask Alejandro to give me some of Rnd''s blood bank donations that''s stored in the hospitals before I left. I know it''s terrible since there could be humans who needed that, and I''ll repay Rnd someday. I did notice that I''m needing less and less RH null blood the longer I stay human."

    "I see. Maybe the human DNA you acquired is getting imprinted in your system." Harker felt hopeful about this. "Maybe you won''t need any blood and just my SS cells soon."

    They made out in this alleyway, locked in a tight embrace and never wanting to let go. It was deep and their tongues swirled around each other.

    Mina stopped for a moment and said. "Pin me again."

    Harker did as told, and grabbed both of her wrists. He could feel the scales that have grown there, but he didn''t care. The longer they kissed, the more the scales seemed to fade. The SS cells were taking effect.

    Once it was over, Harker didn''t know what to say. There was so much he wanted to tell her before they part ways for a while, but in the end, he could only say:

    "You look good in a suit."

    Mina chuckled, and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Haha, thank you. I''d like to see you in a suit too."

    "If you attend the graduation, I''d be wearing a suit underneath the grad gown." He said. "But¡­. I guess you wouldn''t make it since you''ll be in Oregon."

    She nodded. "I''m sorry. I hate to be away during an important moment in your life, and I''ve always wanted to see what that''s like."

    "It''s alright." He reassured her. "Rnd will take pictures. He always does. Just¡­. Take care."

    "I will."

    Mina gave him onest hug, before she rushed out faster than the eyes could see. She scaled the walls and jumped from building to building, too fast to fall down. This was how she remained undetected for a long time.

    Harker could only hope for the best, looking at his lover longingly. He waspletely smitten with this mermaid, and he doesn''t think he''ll ever love someone this way.

    Being alone felt a lot worse the longer he was in love.

    That''s just the curse thates with the feeling, he supposed. The so-called ''lovesickness''. It can eat you from the inside out, leaving you hollow and wanting to use anything to fill the void.

    Some give in, and some don''t. Harker promised himself that he would never give in. But¡­

 Chapter 105 Cant Be Helped

    On graduation day, Harker''s smile looked more forced and strained than usual.

    Samson nudged him with his elbow. "Are you gonna take a dump, Harker? You gotta keep it in! This is your big moment."

    "I ain''t gonna poo, Sam." Harker said between clenched teeth as he and his family continued to pose for the cameras.

    Samuel tried patting his shoulder, though he could only reach his elbow. "You''re a Summa Cum Laude, Harker. The highest Latin honors, and your paper on chameleons is going to even be nominated at a high science society in London. So cheer up."

    "I know, Sammy." He tried to shoo his little brothers away after that long and tedious photo session. "You boys run along, it''s Dad''s and Chloe''s turn."

    There could only be three people at a time as a policy, so they had to divide up their family. As soon as Howard Jones rolled his wheelchair towards him with his son holding his diploma and honor certificate, he bursted into tears.

    "I''m so proud of you, son¡­. Sob¡­" He said.

    Harker chuckled nervously, handing him a handkerchief. "Don''t cry, Dad! Your eyes are going to look puffy in the picture!"

    Chloe sighed. "It always does in every picture of you graduating from kindergarten to high school. You''d have to ept that dad is pretty sentimental when ites to asions like this."

    The three of them posed for the official photographer, when someone suddenly called out.

    "Hey, excuse me! I have a camera here and I''d like to take a photo of the whole Jones family, please." Rnd said, holding a proid in hand.

    "Nice! Thought you won''t make it in time, Rnd!" Samson excitedly went back and made finger guns with a wink.

    Samuel adjusted his sses. "It''s a relief since we would rather have a picture of the whole family on an asion such as this."

    Rnd smiled behind the small handheld camera. "Sorry, I had to get my own diploma and certificate first. Then I got barraged by a bunch of old guys congratting me and giving fakepliments left and right."

    Harker made a thumbs up mark on the 5th picture. "The only Summa Cum Laude of Stoker Law School for the past 20 years. No wonder you''d get old men heckling you for it."

    "Hah, yes. Probably jealous that their sons and daughters didn''t." Rnd said.

    "Your father must be very proud of you, Rnd." Howard Jones said with a bright smile.

    Rnd''s hands lowered a bit, but he steadied it again. "Yes¡­.. I suppose he does."

    Harker didn''t see Mr. Faust at all during the ceremony, and especially not during Rnd''s time on stage. It had always been this way. Either it was his secretary or a representative that will be attending his own son''s graduation on his behalf.

    The photo op was finished and the final ceremonies as well. Harker was pretty relieved that he didn''t have to give a speech as one of the few Summa Cum Laudes because L took it upon herself to be the one to give the speech as the youngest Summa Cum Laude in the history of Stoker and possibly America itself.

    Harker can''t help but be a little proud of that girl. She''s been like a little sister to him too, along with Maeve and Sarasvati being close friends as well.

    Rnd''s speech was one of the best though. He really has a way with words, and it stirred a different kind of response from the rest of the others before him.

    "Though I''m appreciative of all this celebration for my achievement, I would rather appreciate it more if we pursue an environment where we treat everyone''s efforts as important. Combined efforts are what truly shapes our society. When a speck of dust collects, it bes the earth we have today. Small atoms make up our organs, our very bodies, and the entire universe itself."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What I''m getting at is this¡­. Small things do matter on arge scale. What seems futile can umte into something much, much more. If only we could join hands in pushing through that boulder going uphill."

    He went on to promote the idea of altruism, of giving help to others without the search of something in return. The idea of sacrifice.

    "Martyrdom may be regarded as just a foolish suicide to others. And that is true, only because we believed it to be. We are the ones that put meaning to things, that create meaning itself. Let us change the meaning of the world to us in order to change the world itself. Let us believe in the power of making choices that moves not just ourselves, but mankind."

    Everyone pped once the speech ended, and Harker was probably the loudest in cheering. He then heard a voice behind him say:

    "Pretty inspiring speech he got there. Real tear-jerker."

    He realized it was Professor Seward. She sounded pretty sarcastic, but she always does. So Harker could never be sure if she was being genuine or not.

    "Congrattions, Jones." She held out her hand. "I''m not really surprised. I already expected thising from a mile away, you and L being the Summa Cum Laudes. It''s been 6 years since ourst one, the grading standards here are actually pretty high."

    "Thanks, Prof." Harker gave her a firm handshake. "Not as impressive as my buddy up there, though. Two whole decades and he got it."

    Professor Seward wore a wide smile. "Yeah, your boyfriend sure is something."

    Harker just rolled his eyes at this. He was already used to remarks of people calling them boyfriends just because of how supportive they were of each other. He thought she was being sarcastic again.

    "You going to the afterparty?" She asked him. "There''s going to be Kahlua, I heard. Coffee and alcohol are my two greatest loves, and I''m ready to die from coffee liqueur intoxication tonight."

    "Can''t, Prof. I''ll be having dinner with the fam instead. My best bud and I will also have to discuss a few things we''ll be doing this vacay."

    "Ahh, yeah, I get it." She patted his shoulder. "Just don''t forget to wear condoms and get all the prep and testing out of the way. I mean, I''m not one to stereotype and I don''t believe in diseases specifically hitting a group of people. But better safe than sorry. Even I do it for STDs."

    Ok, Harker thought this was going too far for a joke. He pushed her hand away.

    "That''s not really funny, Prof."

    She shrugged. "Geez Louise, I was just trying to be a responsible adult for once. But yeah, none of my business. Have a good one with your family and your boyfriend."

    Harker''s eye twitched as she left. What''s her problem...¡­

    Realization then hits him. and it''s alling back to him now. Back in that club with a secret underground Victorian pub. Once he got to Mina, they had been separated and he thought Professor Seward just went home afterwards but¡­..

    Did she hear something weird that made her think he was gay?

    "Ah, geez." He rubbed his nose bridge. "Can''t be helped, at least she''s not hitting on me anymore. This could be a silver lining."

    What matters now was finding Victoria during vacation. He and Rnd booked a trip to Jamestown first thing tomorrow to look for Professor Seward''s sister.

    However, there was a change of ns.

 Chapter 106 When Stones Are Thrown

    "I''m really sorry, Hark. I should have given you a heads-up about this." Rnd apologized as they ate some good ravioli from an Italian restaurant called Cesar''s.

    Harker shook his head. "No, I understand. And this must be a pretty big deal for you."

    During the ceremony, Rnd was given a chance to be an associate attorney for a case involving a theft case using a Brazilian maid from a household of an affluent family with a sportswear business. It''s nothing major, but the maid would likely get deported and be fined, even worse serve time in jail, if she wasn''t represented well.

    The details of the theft were also sketchy. Many of the evidence doesn''t line up as well as testimonies from the family filing thewsuit against her.

    "The problem was that she doesn''t have money, and not manywyers speak Portuguese so there''s anguage barrier to boot. The chief of the public defense office here in Manhattanthought it might be a good idea to have me there. It will be a learning experience for me, and I''d be helping someone innocent with my skills."

    Harker was happy for him, of course. But he was also disappointed because that means they won''t be able to go to Virginia together.

    Still, he gave him a smile. "Yeah, I''m really proud that you get to work on something like that so soon, buddy."

    "I promise I''ll meet up with you as soon as the trials are over and I got the greenlight from the big boss. Alejandro and the others will be apanying you in the meantime. We can also give each other a few calls just to check up on each other." Rnd said.

    "Yeah, that''s true. I''m also worried about my family too. I told them it''s another research thing, and that it won''t be long, but I really have no idea when this thing is over."

    Harker sighed. "I never do ever since the whole monster thing started."

    "They''ll be fine, Harker. You can also have them stay in New Orleans again once all of them have their summer vacation. Chloe''s will be a littleter than the rest, right?"

    "Mn. She has to catch up on sses she missed. She''s pretty stubborn too, she won''t take any special treatment just because of her illness."

    As they continued talking about everyday small issues like this, he can''t help but think about how smooth-sailing life would be if he didn''t be a Demon Lord and got involved in this whole monster business. But then again, he wouldn''t have met Mina, and he wouldn''t have learned the things he does now.

    These issues only seem small when inparison to what he experienced so far. Having a limited worldview really does make you feel like a fish in a small pond, unaware of all the other dangers out there.

    Now he felt that they were easier to deal with and that he''d rather have 99 small, human problems than 13 supernatural ones.

    But instead, he had to deal with both, and he had to ept that fact.

    Besides¡­..

    Seeing G.G. Faust and the whole An Xin thing. all the monsters existing around him in in sight¡­. It made him realize that his life wasn''t really 100% normal before all this. Well, there''s of course the fact that his family had the slim chance of having all those misfortunese to them, but this was different. Maybe Yan was right after all.

    It was fate that these things happened to him.

    -------------------------------

    After dinner, Harker and Rnd headed for the Jones house to celebrate. The adults had a few wine to drink, and a few games like scrabble and chess. They watched television, jammed to the songs on the radio, and did all sorts of random things until it''s past midnight and they copsed from exhaustion.

    Rnd slept in for the night. It wasn''t the first time he had a sleepover with this family, and he honestly preferred sleeping here than in his quiet house.

    Even at the dead of the night, there''s so many interesting things going on. Like how he could hear Samson''s snore, or Samuel groaning and then a loud thuding as he seemed to kick his own brother. In another room, he could hear Chloe muttering in her sleep.

    Harker was abination of all three. He snores, he kicks people, and he asionally talks in his sleep.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And Rnd was sleeping beside him. It was already the eight time he tried to yank the nket back. When he did manage to get it though, Harker rolled around to hug Rnd from behind like a pillow and even buried his face on his neck. He murmured something like "Smells like sweet corn.....".

    Because of this ruckus, Rnd couldn''t sleep and got out of the bed. Maybe he''ll get something to drink in the kitchen since his throat feels a little dry.

    As he went downstairs to the kitchen, he heard some more small sounds. It was a shhhk! shhk! shhhk! kind of sound, like metal scraping against wood.

    He saw Mr. Jones sitting all alone in front of the dining table, whittling in the dark. Rnd raised an eyebrow and turned on the light switch.

    "Mr. Jones? Is everything alright?"

    The man jolted from his wheelchair when the lights went on. Since his legs got amputated, Mr. Jones resolved to sleep downstairs on the couch. He said he preferred it that way and was pretty used to sleeping while sitting upright.

    It felt like he was sleeping the whole time when he responded while slurring his words. "Oh¡­. Rnd. Why are you here?"

    "I was just going to get some water. You shouldn''t whittle in the dark, Mr. Jones." Rnd said. "It''s too dangerous even though you are quite skilled with the knife."

    "I¡­.. know. Don''t worry about me." He gave that forced smile that was just like his son''s.

    Rnd nodded. He pondered over something as he filled his ss with water, and took a sip. Then, he sat in front of Mr. Jones who was still looking a bit frazzled.

    "Mr. Jones¡­. Could I ask a personal question?"

    The man couldn''t look him in the eye for a moment, as if distracted. He snapped out of it and asked. "What is it?"

    "My uncle¡­. I don''t know much about him. I was aware that I have one and he passed away. But recently, Harker brought him up because Chloe found a picture of him in Mrs. Jones'' diary." Rnd exined. "I was just wondering if you could tell me more about him and your friendship."

    Howard Jones blinked. "You''re asking about G.G.. Well... he''s a good friend."

    "In what way, Mr. Jones?"

    When the man looked surprised by the question, Rnd rephrased it. "I just wanted to know more about his personality. But I don''t mean to pry on anything too personal, Mr. Jones. Just some things you can say about him."

    Rnd didn''t want to make Howard feel like he''s being interrogated, but his curiosity was getting the best of him.

    "How did you two meet? That''s what I''m most curious about." Rnd said, cing a hand on his shoulder.

    "How we met¡­."

    Howard Jones'' eyes became wide and unblinking, as if he was seeing something that''s not there. Seeing a whole scene different from the one in front of him.

    "It all started when I got lost on the streets of New York. I got lost, beaten up by punks and had my money stolen from me. Just a country bumpkin with absolutely no idea how to survive in this urban jungle."

    "And then¡­.. I saw people throwing stones at a man who did nothing wrong."

 Chapter 107 Devils Servant

    It was snowing at that time, Howard Jones recalled. Yes, it was winter and the start of a new decade. January 6, 1970.

    After getting his money forcibly taken away from him, Howard Jones was bleeding andying in the snow. No one paid attention to him. His windpipe was crushed and he could only rasp while trying to ask for help in the middle of Times Square.

    "Please¡­.. Can someone¡­. tell me where¡­.. Arts Academy¡­.."

    The people looked at him as if he was something disgusting. Those who did wore a look of sympathy on their face probably didn''t help out in the fear that he was one of those young pranksters that became rampant.

    After all, this was during the verge of the countercultural period. The youth were revolting with all these hippie vans and their heavy metal that featured the face of the Devil himself. The older generations were starting to be afraid by the changes that they were bringing to their once puritan society.

    It wasmon at that time to have a bunch of conservatives holding cards and religious fanatics protesting against ''sheep going astray''.

    "The Day of Judgement is upon us! Hedonism has invaded our children''s minds and turned our modern world into the new Sodom and Gomorrah! We must not let the sheep of the Lord continue to go astray!"

    They continue to yell this babble all night among the crowd. Especially in ces that were notoriously full of these rebellious teens like the mall, the cinemas, and god forbid¡ª parks where they im that the ''forbidden fruit'' gets exchanged frequently.

    This ''Forbidden Fruit'' often refer to drugs, alcohol, and premarital sex.

    The teenage punks and metalheads just leaned against the park''s fences while smoking their cigarettes and whispering to each other, making fun of the old people. Most of which were old white men with neckbeards.

    ''It''s no different from back home'', Howard thought. ''Except that the "youngins" back home were forced to actually listen and the geezers can babble all they like without the chance of the police stopping them''.

    But tonight was not a lucky night for the teens. For some reason, there were no cops that night to push back these protesters and make them go home to change their adult diapers.

    And so¡­.

    These old people started throwing rocks.

    Howard was alreadyying face first and was not affected much by the throws. But there''s still the danger of people stepping on him if there''s ever a stampede.

    The youth stopped smoking and bolted out of there. Even the toughest ones had to, as they don''t only take rocks to scare them off but also guns. The religious fanatics were prepared this time, and seemed to be ready to start shooting without the cops around.

    But one of them did not run away. He didn''t even move from where he was sitting, leaning at the gates of the park with his legs crossed.

    He was wearing all ck, and his eyes were closed. It was almost as if he was meditating, which wasmon to see with the beatniks and the bohemians. But he looked more like a punk or a biker boy, though.

    The snow continued to wall over his head, and yet he exuded nothing but extreme calmness amidst all of it.

    "Repent, sinful child!" A potbellied geezer eximed. "Repent!"

    The man simply opened his eyes ever so slowly at this.

    He had possibly the reddest hazel eyes that Howard had ever seen. With proper lighting, it even looked burgundy or maroon.

    "What should I repent for?" He asked in that voice.

    His voice was too smooth and dark for his face. His face had a more cherubic appearance, a sort of ethereal Grecian look like that of the statues of Apollo or Achilles. It almost had perfect symmetry and yet was memorable enoughpared to all the others who had a typical ''handsome'' face.

    Perhaps it was his aura itself that sets him apart. Perhaps it was something else, something deeper.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But Howard knew that upon seeing him, his face would be engraved in his brain forever. Just like the first time he saw the Mona Lisa or the statue of David from a torn-up picture book donated to his little country school. Howard would find himself obsessing over human features that drew him in, just like how he would often portray women in his artworks looking like his wife.

    In this man''s case, Howard was satisfied admiring his image as a memory he keeps to himself. It was like a priceless painting, the type you wouldn''t want to share with just about anyone.

    While lost in the man''s aesthetic beauty, the gramps and grannies continued to scream. "The sins of your generation! All of you who make women wear pants and promote them inpanies and institutions! All of you who let sexual deviancy get in the way of a pure and holy matrimony! You lot who worships Satan and spits on the face of God! Repent, before the worldes to ruins!"

    The man just chuckled, and stood up.

    "Is that so? Those are my sins, huh... Then does changing me into the side of ''good'' meant cleansing the sins of the world itself? I don''t see the point."

    The man brushed off the snow from his jacket. "As long as humanity lives, we will kill each other for survival. It is the rule of nature itself, the science of survival¡ª"

    "YES! It is that science that corrupted your minds! Thinking that machines and television can fill the void in your Godless lives! Filling your minds with pornography! Faggots and queers openly singing and acting on stage!"

    The man just raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Those are the greatest sins of mankind? Gay singers and actors¡­. Women''s rights¡­. Sexual liberation¡­.. Those are what troubles you?"

    Heughed heartily. "What about children and innocents dying in constant warfare, r*pists destroying the honor of men and women alike, poverty and the destruction of this itself¡­. Shouldn''t you be worrying about these things instead?"

    He smiled, then started taking off his shirt."But alright. If wearing something like this would make your brains implode, then go see the face of the Devil himself!"

    His torso revealed a tattoo over his chest, where the heart should be. It was a symbol written in veryplicated calligraphy. Howard thought it looked a bit Asian, though he can''t tell from where exactly and what it means.

    Howard doesn''t know what infuriated the oldies. Was it his words? Was it his tattoo? Either way, they started throwing rocks at him.

    "The Devil makes its mark on this boy! He''s its servant!"

    "Begone, demon!"

    The man just raised his arms wide, prepared to take it all on. Even when they pointed their guns, there was just an exhrated gleam in his eyes. It was like¡­.

    He was waiting for this moment, for someone to just end his life. Because he couldn''t do it himself.

    Howard didn''t know what came over him. He was already so weak, and yet¡­.

    He still stood up, and grabbed the gun itself. Throwing it across the snow.

    "Enough! You are the ones that are from the Devil! If you wanted to throw stones at him, you better be a saint first! Whatever god you keep yelling about won''t stand for this at all or else he''s just as evil as the lot of you!!"

    This stopped the mob entirely. Then¡­.

    They turned their attention to him, aiming their stones at this artist that''s already bleeding to death.

    But Howard has already grabbed this man''s hand, and started running. He won''t let these idiots hurt him, and most importantly....

    He won''t let this man purposefully get himself killed.

 Chapter 108 In The Starless City

    Rnd watched the zooming cars from the window, lost in thought.

    The story that Mr. Jones told himst night still haunted his mind like a ghost. There''s still many questions in his mind regarding this uncle of his.

    But one thing that bothered him the most was the fact that G.G. Faust seemed to be suicidal since the start.

    This man died from a biking ''ident'' not long after Harker''s birth. He was said to be drunk, yes, but¡­.

    Rnd shook his head. It wasn''t important now. He had to focus on helping Harker find Victoria and his uing first trial in an actual courtroom.

    Harker meanwhile still felt a little sleepy. He leaned his head on Rnd''s shoulder and yawned.

    "How much longer till we get to the airport? The traffic''s shitty today."

    Rnd shrugged. "We''ll get there soon. You can take a nap. You slept like a logst night, and yet you''re still tired. Got a hangover?"

    "Yeah, maybe."

    He didn''t. Because the truth was¡­.

    He was awakened when he heard voices downstairs with his enhanced hearing ability.

    Harker wasn''t noticed by either of them at all. He easily merged with the shadows, his feet not even meeting the ground being suspended with his hair like a spider clinging on its own thread.

    He heard everything. The story also had as much effect on him as it did to Rnd, but for different reasons.

    ''The tattoo on G.G. Faust''s chest.... I wonder if Dad still remembers what it looks like.'' He thought.

    They parted ways at the airport without discussing what happenedst night. Rnd didn''t know Harker knows, and Harker doesn''t intend for him to know either. He felt a little jealous that his dad trusted Rnd enough to tell him about his part that he''s always so secretive about. But he was more thankful that someone as reliable as Rnd got the truth out of him.

    But before they said goodbye, Rnd suddenly asked a question.

    "Harker¡­. What if, hypothetically, you lose Mina during her quest to get revenge for her family?"

    Harker was really dumbstruck from this question. "Huh?"

    "I don''t mean to make you more worried. I''m just asking because we both know there''s a strong possibility for that to happen." Rnd said. "What I''m trying to ask is¡­. What will you feel? Can you say that her dying is enough to¡­.. you know¡­."

    "What? Rnd, don''t try to jinx things for me¡ª"

    "I''m asking if you won''t be able to live without her. That you would die if you lost her."

    Rnd decided to be straightforward now. "I''m not doubting that you do love her. I''m more worried about how deep that love is. Because there are people that won''t be able to move on when they lose the one they love the most."

    "I can sympathize with those types of people, and I''m just asking if you are the same. Because then, if Mina dies, and you also decide to¡­.. Follow after her¡ª"

    "I get it now." Harker raised his hand, stopping him from speaking any further. "You''re asking if I love Mina enough to kill myself if she dies. You''re worried you''d lose two of your friends at once if that happened."

    Rnd bit his lower lip, and nodded.

    Harker did not answer. Instead, they stood there with tension thick and suffocating in the air, while the inte announced for the flight to Virginia going on within 15 minutes.

    "The truth is¡­." Harker started.

    He inhaled deeply. "The truth is¡­.. I don''t know. If I die, what about my family? What about the innocent people that will get affected by Victoria? So I don''t know if I would be able to kill myself. But if I did lose Mina¡­.."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I know it would crush me. And the damage would be irreparable."

    His friend considered this answer, his expression grim. Then, he gave Harker a hug.

    "That''s the answer I''m most scared of, to be honest. But I respect that."

    They parted in such grim terms that Rnd regretted ever asking the question. Still, he felt like he needed to.

    To some people, love can make life worth living.

    And if that love was gone, then so too would be that purpose to live. There are far too many people like that.

    -------------------------------

    "Hah¡­.. Ahck¡­. Go faster¡­. Oh, right there¡­."

    The bed creaked all night long in this seedy motel room, 15 floors up. Not the best ce for a one night stand, but it would suffice.

    Joan was long used to ces like this. The little fe she managed to snag was fast asleep, full of red marks on his arms and shoulder.

    This guy had tanned skin, unruly hair, and a pretty tough disposition. He wore a red leather jacket that was strewn across the floor where Joan''s clothes were, along with several used condoms.

    Joan took a hit of the fresh blunt she rolled up. This weed was from the sleeping boy she doesn''t know the name of. As the smoke curled from her lips, they caused a bit of a condensation on the window where she was leaning on.

    She watched the busy streets far down. This motel has a pretty good view despite being crusty as fuck, she''d give them that.

    She pushed the window away, and let her feet dangle off the ledge. There were no stars in the sky tonight.

    No, the stars were always there. It was just that there''s higher pollution and haze in the city that''s why they cannot be seen. But even in the countryside, Joan noticed that they were getting less and less visible as years went by.

    Back then, ancient people would think this little diamond-like fuckers were literally like billions of gems stretching for miles and miles.

    But now, they were just a bunch of gasses and dust that was more than a million miles from this. Still, even if she exins this to a romantic, he will only say:

    "They still look like diamonds, do they not? If only I could capture them and bring them to you¡­.. I would want to see them shining from your hands, your neck, your ears. I would give you all the diamonds in the world if I could, love."

    Romantics were truly the silliest and stupidest people in the world.

    She had nearly smoked all of the blunt, and Joan just let the ashes fall down. She wondered what it would be like to be those ashes and freefall from this height.

    It was not the first time such a thought came to her mind.

    But¡­.. She could never do it. There''s no point anyway. It''s been so many years since she made several attempts, and none of them worked. She was still alive and breathing.

    She turned to the sleeping boy, and remembered how he kept saying "I love you" as they did it. Possibly because she was so good, and he wasn''t so bad himself. She thought she might have left her number if it weren''t for that habit of his.

    She only ever hooked up with him because he looked like a certain someone anyway.

    And that certain someone also reminds her of a certain someone. So really, none of them were worthy enough to risk the bothersome affair of ''having someone fall in love with you''.

    Instead, Joan put her clothes on and wrapped that red leather jacket on her shoulder as she left the motel room.

    Maybe one day she''ll finally manage to jump out that window and say goodbye to this starless city.

 Chapter 109 Brotherly Love

    Harker had seen pictures on the Inte, but he didn''t really expect Jamestown to be this¡­ antiquated.

    He had never been to Virginia before or any historical sights, besides the asional trip to New Orleans. He didn''t have money to afford going on vacations like his affluent ssmates that spend their summer somewhere like the Bahamas or Tokyo.

    Actually, all he ever does during summer is to study, study, study, and also work part-time and take care of his family. And he was satisfied with that, thinking that he doesn''t really like traveling much.

    But it''s not as bad as he thought.

    This ce was the first settlement itself, and much of the Pilgrim and Native American houses in the area were restored by the government to stay as authentic as possible. Harker had seen a lot of touring groups, buses for children going on their field trip or summer camp in this area.

    The locals were long used to tourists, so they didn''t really pay attention to Harker pulling up a map once in a while. Upside down.

    Yeah, traveling wasn''t really his strongest suit.

    He thought he did just fine in Las Vegas so he should too here, but this was much different from a city where you could ask people for directions and see signs and cards right at your face. The woods-to-houses ratio was staggering. Harker thought he had never seen more trees in his life than he did now as a born and raised city boy.

    Eventually, he had to give up and ask some help from the bodyguards Rnd sent. He initially told them to just stay at the outskirts of the colony and that he will look for the Seward''s residence himself. But this was going nowhere and he had been asking around for hours now.

    "The locals probably don''t know them anymore since they moved a long time ago. But maybe if we asked some of the elderly here, they''d have some ideas." Alejandro assured him. "Don''t lose hope, Mr. Jones."

    "Yeah, that''s true. You said that even Rnd''s team couldn''t locate where exactly they lived here, right?"

    The bodyguard nodded. "Yes, it''s most likely that they got rid of the documentation or the property wasn''t recorded in the first ce."

    "Pretty shady, if you ask me." Harker thought.

    They searched around until night time came, and got nowhere. They rented this pretty nice cabin and caught a wink, hoping they get some clues tomorrow.

    And they didn''t.

    They talked to all sorts of people. Young, old, tourist guides and even some Algonquin people in the area. None of them have ever heard the surname Seward or knew of a family of scientists that lived in the former colony.

    At night, Harker would toss and turn in his sleep, so frustrated that they were so close to finding Victoria yet also so far.

    "Grahhh!" He punched the fine brick walls of the cabin.

    Suddenly, an eyeball appeared by his side.

    "U-Um¡­. Are you alright, Master?"

    "Do I look okay to you? My mother just got her body used up in a science experiment by some wannabe female Dr. Frankenstone and it''s taking so long for me to find her! If I don''t, there could be people that are in danger!"

    Yan nervously moved away from his master going amok. "I-I see. But is that the only reason? That you worry for the welfare of those who may get hurt or¡­.. Is there something else?"

    Harker delivered another blow, knowing very well that his busted knuckles will get regenerated eventually. "What the fuck do you mean?"

    "Well¡­. Y-You seem to be in a hurry to find Victoria¡­ And I thought maybe¡­. Maybe it''s because you wanted to follow Mina to Oregon."

    Harker stopped punching. He sighed.

    "I mean, that''s not the only reason. I do care about innocent people getting hurt." He stumbled back to his bed. "But¡­ the sooner I get to Mina''s side, the sooner I get to help her and make sure nothing happens to her. Rnd''s right, there''s a strong possibility that she won''t make it."

    "I trust Mina''s skills, but she''s alone. We don''t know how powerful those An Xin guys are, if they really were this ''An Xin''."

    Yan flew closer to his side, cing one of his wings over Harker''s shoulder. "It''s alright, Master. Why don''t you ask Joan Seward where her house was, then?"

    "Huh? My professor? She is always stoned out of her mind and can''t even remember where her damn keys were all the time. She probably forgot where her old house is already."

    Yan shrugged. "I think it won''t hurt to ask. She''s the only lead so far."

    Harker grumbled. "Fine. But it''s summer vacation, and I don''t know her house''s telephone number. I only know the school''s. I better go ask the guards to find it for me with Rnd''s intel team."

    So the next day, Harker did try to ask Professor Joan Seward. But¡­.

    "So you go over this trail that has this big oak tree, from there you turn left. No wait, you turn right. You look for this Dancing Lilies statue, the ones with three tribal girls dancing around on a fire pit. And then you go...¡­ And then¡­.. And then¡­.."

    Harker had already filled up two pages of his notebook while writing down the instructions. Back to back. And Joan kept on changing them up and mixing up the directions.

    In the end, Harker had to call her out. "Prof, I''m starting to think you don''t really remember where you live anymore."

    There was silence on the other end of the line.

    Then, Joan only gave a short and cheeky: "Yeah. You got me."

    Harker wished he could wrap the telephone cord around this woman''s neck.

    "Sigh. Do you know anyone who is present in this area that could recall where you lived? Anything at all?"

    "No. But...." She trailed off.

    "But what?"

    Joan Seward made the most preposterous proposal Harker could think of given this situation.

    "If you could book me ne tickets to go there and a cab, I could probably refresh my memory once I see the area and remember it. Oh, but you gotta make sure I have a ce to stay too. And a vehicle to travel around, my legs aren''t as sturdy as they were before."

    Harker broke the telephone and had to add that to the bill.

    Still¡­. He agreed to this ridiculous arrangement in the end. The next day, Joan Seward got back to her roots by the James River wearing sunsses, white shirt and ripped jeans, red leather jacket, and a straw hat.

    "Tally ho, Harker Jones! There''s my favorite homosexual top student!"

    She yelled this in front of a crowd of middle schoolers observing a statue of two tribal men shing their spears together, with the guide telling them about the value of camaraderie and how native men would go through lengths for their ''brotherly love''.

    Harker already regretted this decision, rubbing his face. "Sweet mother of corn¡­.."

 Chapter 110 Leads To The Ruins Of The Past

    "Please don''t cling on me too much, Professor." Harker asked politely for the nth time already.

    "Hm? Why not?"

    Harker''s eye twitched. "Your sweaty breasts are making my arm sticky. It''s already stuffy here as is."

    The annoying professor chuckled."But it''s fine since you''re gay anyway, right? It''s not like my generous, supple breasts would have any effect on you. And if anyone asks questions, just tell them I''m your mom or supportive auntie to the queers."

    "Whether I am gay or not, I still have the right to my personal space." Harker eventually yanked his arm away and stomped off.

    Professor Sewardughed heartily as she tried to catch up. "Ohe on, Harker! I''m just teasing you here. Also, didn''t we agree to stroll together to jog my memory of my own hometown? Don''t go leavin'' me behind in these woods!"

    Harker wished he just decided to take apass and follow it wherever to look for the house. That''s much better. Or maybe he could look for a soothsayer and ask for a divination. That''s good too. Anything but this.

    Even though Professor Seward no longer does her joke-flirting with him, she still likes to tease as usual. Harker was thankful he really didn''t have an auntie like this, or much worse, an older sister. Their age gap was just 16 years after all. He probably would have lost his mind if he had an older sibling like this Joan.

    "How long has it been since your family moved from this ce?" Harker asked.

    "A long while." Professor Seward went to touch the abdomen of one of the statues of a Powhatan chieftain.

    Harker made a face. "How long ago is ''a long while''?"

    "Don''t you think the craftsmanship in these statues is just sublime, Harker? I mean look at these details¡­. There''s even a bulge on the goatskin clothing for the phallus!" She eximed.

    Harker did his best to maintain his patience, recalling one of those mantras in the mindfulness books he studied so he could remember his dreams rting to An Xin. It wasn''t as effective as he thought though, or maybe he justcks years and years of practice.

    Still, he''s holding on pretty well with all these professor''s shenanigans, and everyone else would probably be at their limit here.

    "Professor Seward, please answer my question. It''s the only reason why you''re here. If you can''t help me, you''re free to go back to New York¡ª"

    "I''ve always wondered. Is your type the more muscr or the more leaner side? Because your boyfriend does look like a dandy, but he''s not exactly noodle-limbed either. It''s like a proper bnce in between. So does he have abs and good biceps too under those slick clothes?"

    Harker gritted his teeth. "Please don''t drag Rnd into this, we''re here to talk about your sister, Victoria¡ª"

    "Oh, so Rnd was his name. I thought it was Minnie or something. Was it a nickname? Anyway, Rnd''s a fitting name, like that French song from the Medieval ages." She chuckled.

    Professor Seward continued caressing the statue despite the kids passing by giving her weird looks. "That Rnd is good at blowing a horn to rm the army, is your Rnd good at blowing your horn too?"

    Harker was losing it. "I have no idea what song you''re talking about or blowing horns. But I''m about to blow off from this arrangement if you don''t stop asking very personal questions¡ª"

    "Did my sister kill his parents?"

    Her expression became more serious this time, almost eager, even. Those piercing green eyes surrounded that very dark pupil of hers that was like a bottomless void. Despite her yfulness, they seemed to have seen things Harker had never seen, or possibly never will.

    He thought about how to respond to this for a moment. Just lost in those eyes.

    "No." Harker eventually said. "It wasn''t Victoria. But you have to tell me what you heard that night for me to exin."

    "I heard that he was searching for someone that killed his parents, and that you didn''t want him to go. That''s it. I even heard you desperately ask him to kiss you." Professor Joan fixed her sunsses. "Kids these days can say really sappy things."

    "That''s all? You didn''t hear anything else?" Harker said, thinking if he should use the Enhanced Subus Ability to make sure she''s not lying.

    But that also meant that she would pass out and would realize that looking at him made her pass out. That''s why he does not use the skill often.

    "That''s all, I felt like I was going to vomit from all the cheesy lines. So I went to take the cab." Professor Seward shrugged. "Look, I may be nosy, but I''m harmless and I know where to draw the line. It''s your own business. But it involves my sister somehow, and I still have questions I want to be answered."

    "Like what?" Harker asked.

    "Like why you''re looking for her in the first ce, if she didn''t kill your boyfriend''s parents."

    "She didn''t kill them, but she did us wrong. That''s why we''re looking for her. We''re also trying to stop her from doing something dangerous."

    "Like what?" It was Professor Seward''s turn to ask that.

    "Like possibly getting a lot of people killed. How do you feel about that?"

    They were both being vague with each other, and they were aware of it and the current air of distrust they have. Still, Harker and Professor Seward knew each other for years now and could tell that they were not really the malicious and deceitful type.

    In fact, they think of each other as someone who wears their hearts on their sleeves. It was just that they were both being cautious to hide some things for now.

    "If Victoria is nning to do something like that, then I won''t stop you." Professor Seward said. "I don''t care if you get her in jail or anything like that. But I would also prefer it if you give me the chance to talk her out of it."

    Professor Seward took off her straw hat. "I know that it''s unlikely for her to listen to me though, out of all people. My sister and I didn''t part on good terms. Still¡­. I want to do something, since I still consider her as family and I owe her. A lot. Most of my life, even."

    Harker''s expression softened at this. Even though he finds her disagreeable, it turned out that Professor Seward was just like him after all. They both value their families, even though Joan and Victoria had their own disputes in the past.

    "Alright, I''ll let you do that. But for now, I would like you to focus on finding your old house." Harker said.

    Professor Seward nodded. "I know. We are getting nearer, though. I wasn''t observing this hunky chieftain for no reason."

    She pointed to where the chieftain was pointing.

    "This ce is getting more and more familiar. I think we should go after that trail deeper into the woods, and we might have to hike far away from civilization."

    They began the hike with the bodyguards ensuring their safety from any possible threats. Soon, they reached the ruins of what seemed to be a very old mansion.

 Chapter 111 Rotten Meat

    Professor Seward had a distant look as she observed the remains of this Georgian-style mansion. And barely anything remained as it seemed to have been burned down, leaving the skeleton of whatever it once was.

    "Here it is." She smiled sadly. "Our old house down in Virginia."

    Harker frowned. "This house is yours? What happened to it?"

    "Oh, well. Mom forgot the stove, and a house fire happened. The usual." Professor Seward proceeded to walk inside the premises, her fingers touching the damaged brick walls.

    Harker expected something more put-together, something that could be the new headquarters of a mad scientist and her associates to conduct experiments. But this¡­..

    Harker noticed one of the stones that seemed to be a marking for the area. He picked it up, and engraved in them were four numbers.

    ''1754''.

    He also noticed that there were bricks that felt older than the rest. Has this ce been renovated, then ruined again? While Professor Seward was lost in her own reminiscing from the ce she once called home, Harker whispered to Alejandro.

    "Can you contact the others that''s staying in town to ask the locals about this mansion?" Tell them it''s just a few yards off Backstreet and New Towne."

    Alejandro nodded, and picked up the walkie talkie on his side to talk to the others. Soon, he went back to Harker.

    "Sir, they said this house has been built since the 1750s and has been burned three times. First was during the American Revolution, but it was rebuilt again. Then the Confederate War happened, and it was burned once more. Finally, it was abandoned when it burned for the third time in 1895 and has never been renovated since."

    "1895? Are you sure?" Harker frowned.

    "Yes, sir. That''s what the locals said, and it''s also in the records. This is still considered a historical site and off-limits to unauthorized visitors."

    Harker thought about it. Professor Seward was only 38 years old, and from what he could remember in her records, she was born on June 21, 1958. Her birthday wasing soon since Harker had his graduation on June 14 and she would be 39.

    Still, that''s too far away from having a childhood going as far back as 1895. It makes no sense. Either she was lying about this being their mansion, or¡­.

    Harker''s face darkened, and he approached her as she continued to roam the grounds like a mindless ghost.

    He went to reach for one of her hair strands. It''s the best way to confirm his suspicions without having to alert her. But as he did¡ª

    Professor Seward kneeled down upon noticing something on the ground.

    "This is part of the frame for our family picture. I can still remember it like it was yesterday." She smiled fondly at this broken piece of golden frame. "My Mom braided my hair so tightly that I cried, and Dad didn''t realize he had a bit of grease stain on his shirt until after the picture was taken. Good times."

    She tried to pick it up, but ended up pricking her ring finger.

    "Ow! Fucking shit." She quickly let go of it.

    Harker swooped in, seeing that this was his chance.

    He grabbed her hand. "Let me see it."

    "It''s just a scratch." She said, trying to grab it away before he notices anything but¡ª

    Harker puts her finger to his mouth, sucking on the wound.

    Joan''s eyes widened, and her cheeks turned red. She yanked her hand away.

    "What the hell, Jones!?" She said, still disbelieving that her former student really did that. "Whatever will your boyfriend think if you suddenly go sucking women''s fingers like that?"

    Harker just raised an eyebrow. "You don''t suck your finger when it gets scratched?"

    "I do, on MY own finger. I wouldn''t go around sucking others off so easily." She scoffed and stood up.

    Harker didn''t care about the embarrassment. He got the DNA sample now, and waited for the results.

    [Joan Seward''s Ability

    Raw Power: D

    Endurance: D

    Range: D

    Speed: D

    Precision: D

    Potential: A ]

    Harker was baffled by this. "It''s just the same as Rnd''s. So she''s human after all?"

    But he noticed that her blood tasted different. It was much more bitter and seemed to have a thicker viscosity than usual. Does she have an illness that results in thrombosis or hypercoagbility?

    He followed after this woman as she left the mansion and went for the bodyguards.

    "Well, boys, I''m feeling sleepy. I want to go back to the cabin now."

    "But it''s still midday, Ma''am." Alejandro said.

    "I''m going to take a siesta." She said. "We didn''t find anything, maybe we can search more tomorrow¡­ And I''m just really tired from the jeg."

    "We''re only leaving if Mr. Jones is leaving." One of the bodyguards said.

    Professor Seward stomped her foot. "Oh,e on! Can''t a woman get her beauty sleep??? What if I get wrinkles???"

    p¨£§ád¨£ §«?¦Í¨º1,§ã¨°§® Harker materialized by her side. "What''s the problem, Prof? You seem to be in a rush."

    The professor jolted at his sudden appearance. She seemed to be more anxious than usual, and Harker saw her swallow before she spoke.

    "I need my coffee. Then I want to copse to some nice king-sized bed. Victoria''s not here so let''s just try again next time."

    She was avoiding Harker''s gaze. Harker paid attention to her hands instead. She was pressing them together behind her back like she''s hiding something.

    Harker raised an eyebrow but knew he can''t just be rash and push it. "Let''s go, then. Professor Seward still has to unpack her things in her room."

    As they went back to their cabin, Professor Seward took up her luggage up the stairs in the room right next to Harker. Harker tried to catch the wound just for a split second.

    There was nothing strange about it.

    However¡­..

    He noticed that flies had followed them back inside. It''s the same as back in the schoolboratory, when Professor Seward caught him looking at the SS cells. Why would there be flies unless there''s some food for them to follow?

    Something like rotten meat.

    Harker decided to observe this professor more who he thought he knew well enough these past 4 years. He kept an eye out for the room next door, and fortunately¡­..

    He had noticed a small crack on the walls where he could peek in.

 Chapter 112 Entangled In Webs Of Deceit

    The next day, they had breakfast together in the cabin. Professor Seward had a pile of bacon, sausages, and mashed potatoes, wolfing it all down within seconds. Of course, she also had a big mug of coffee by her side.

    But Harker only had some soft boiled eggs and legumes, seeming to eat less than she expected. He was even separating the yolk and only eating the egg whites.

    She was about to ask if he was on a diet or something, when Harker spoke before her.

    "I asked the bodyguards to seek out the local soothsayer. They found one from the Nottoway tribe who''s the real deal, 96 years old. They said this woman used spodomancy. It''s a divination through cinders and ashes."

    Professor Seward scoffed at this. "As a scientist, I thought you knew better than to believe that crap."

    "Well, there are things in life that''s still unexinable by our known science, Prof." Harker took a small bite with his fork, and seemed to be chewing slower than usual.

    He continued as he chewed: "Probably because we weren''t able to study them and developed an arrogant skepticism after the Enlightenment, thinking we now knew everything. Which is a shame, but also a blessing seeing how we are today. Power hungry monsters that''s fueled by money."

    "Whoah, Jones." She blinked. "I didn''t mean to make you all cynical like that. I just didn''t peg you for a believer in mysticism and all that jazz."

    Harker shrugged. "Anyway, we have no choice since we didn''t gain anything even after finding your old house. You sure you don''t remember anythin'' else that could lead to Victoria''s whereabouts?"

    "I thought for sure it would be here. But guess I was wrong." The professor looked down on her te.

    "I see. How about ces you lived in besides Jamestown? Your house in London?"

    Joan shook her head. "I don''t even remember where we lived in London anymore. The house was probably demolished anyway."

    Harker sipped his water. "Hah. Must be a very old house then."

    "Hey, what''s with that tone?"

    "Nothing."

    They finish their meal in awkward silence.

    Harker took a shower before heading for the soothsayer afterwards. He was deep in thought, letting the water flow through his shoulders. There were far too many things going on at once, far too many questions that were still yet to be answered.

    "Yan. Are you there?"

    The eyeball materialized by his side. "Yes, Master."

    Harker turned to him and realized that he was wearing a hai and scrubbing his wings with a brush and soap.

    He raised an eyebrow. "What the fuck are you doing?"

    "Um¡­. Taking a bath too? An eyeball needs to clean itself after all. How will the eyeballdies like me if I stay grimy and even worse¡ª have eye boogers???"

    Harker''s eye twitched. "You¡­. Nevermind. I have a question."

    Yan brushed his own sclera, which looked pretty painful but he seemed to like it anyway. "Go ahead, Master."

    "Do people who have been resurrected from the dead through means other than zombification get registered as humans? Because I remember watching this fantasy kung fu movie once. This monk gave his student a pill that brought him back to life after he died." Harker thought. "Does this mean that he''s still registered as human?"

    "Well¡­ That''s a littleplicated. If the student was a cultivator, the system will show you that it''s a Cultivator Ability, not a nameless one. Nameless ones apply to normal humans, animals and nts that don''t hold any special skills and have low stats."

    Harker nodded. "I see. But if it''s a human resurrected through science and not a cultivator? Will it be nameless?"

    "It depends on how they were resurrected. If resurrection gives them any special trait like the zombie''s regeneration, it won''t be nameless. But if they could simply pass as a normal human and live on, then yes. It could be."

    Harker turned off the shower, seeming to have formed a final conclusion. "I see. Thanks."

    Yan beamed. "Master thanked me for once!??"

    He ignored this statement and dried himself with a towel, thinking that his hunch was the only exnation. With how good Victoria was in resurrecting the zombies, she could have done the same to her whole family. Yet they do not regenerate, and they have thicker and murkier blood.

    Harker needed confirmation, though, and if Joan really was just a resurrected human that posed no harm.

    As he pushed through the door with only a towel on his waist and a toothbrush on his mouth, he was met by the undead elephant in the room herself.

    "O-Oh. Jones. I was going to take a shower since I wanted to meet this soothsayer too¡­.." She reddened, her eyes flitting downwards quickly before going back up.

    "Go ahead. The floors are slippery, make sure not to fall and hit your head. You did say your legs aren''t as sturdy as before." Harker said and just walked past her. "Also, you gotta hurry up. They said Lady Ojistah only epts visitors before noon."

    "Why? Does it affect her divination in any way?"

    "No." Harker grinned. "It''s because she needs her beauty sleep."

    This made Professor Seward get over her flusteredness from seeing Harker''s bare body and she elbowed him. "I prefer it when I''m the one doing the teasing. You just keep making jabs about my age."

    "Eye for an eye, Prof. You make jabs on my sexuality. It''s just fair."

    ''And you''re wrong about it anyway.'' Harker thought internally. ''I don''t know if I can''t take any more of the gay jokes, but I don''t trust you yet. Especially since you may be a highly-functioning, less scary version of a zombie."

    They still continued to bicker back and forth during the trip to the native shamandy. But once they got past the building and got into the swamps and lush green fields of the woonds, they stopped for a moment to listen to the sounds.

    There was the sound of a howl not too far away. Harker thought he caught sight of a pack of wild coyotes just now.

    And he was right. As soon as they reached the small hut that served as Lady Ojistah''s home¡­.

    It was full of coyotes living in every corner.

    "Gahhhh!! Fucking fuckers!" Professor Seward quickly flung herself towards Harker as soon as she saw the grinning big dogs.

    Harker had no choice but to catch her bridal style, rolling his eyes. "I never thought you''d be scared of coyotes, Prof."

    "And you aren''t!? They''re basically like smaller, skinnier wolves!" She eximed.

    "Or bigger puppies." Harker leaned down to pat one of them in the head. "They only attack if you attack. They''re practically harmless."

    "Ugh! That''s exactly something he would say¡­" Professor Seward mumbled under her breath.

    Harker still heard it. "Who now?"

    Suddenly, they were greeted by a voice from within the hut, behind a curtain of what seemed to be real coyote fur.

    "Sodogweta." A raspy voice came with the tapping of a cane.

    This was Lady Ojistah. She was wearing bright and colorful clothes full of different knick knacks and all sorts of outerments. She had a headband with three feathers and the furry tails of an animal hanging on both sides, probably a roon''s. Even when she''s almost a century old, she still looked quite strong and healthy, with only one eye having cataracts.

    She continued to speak. Harker turned to the trantor, and it turned out that Lady Ojistah said:

    "Greetings, spirits bound by the past. Have youe to seek freedom? Or have youe to be further entangled in the webs of deceit?"

 Chapter 113 Lost Souls

    Both of them were stunned by this greeting. What could she mean¡ª

    The olddyughed and said something again. The trantor covered his mouth, stifling his giggles too.

    "She said she was just messing with you, as she likes doing that to first time visitors. It gives her and her coyotes great joy when they see confused looks in your faces like a helpless deer."

    "Oh." Harker scratched his head, not seeing how that was funny.

    "That''s not really funny, more like ominous." Professor Seward spoke her mind without hesitation, still not getting down from Harker''s arms.

    Lady Ojistah waved her hand. "Come,e. You must be hungry, it is now time for some resting and feeding. I prepared a meal by the fire outside. The coyotes know better than to follow me when I cook or they''d get a beating from my stick."

    And she was right. She parted the sea of coyotes like Moses and moved past the confused tourists, still grinning mysteriously just like her pets.

    She pointed at the small twigs. "Fruit Bat, pick those up for an old hag, will you?"

    "Fruit bat?" Harker was stupefied, but still picked up the wood anyway.

    "Good, good. Throw them to the fire. Winter Fly, you stir the pot for me. Just move it clockwise while I look for more herbs to put in there."

    "Winter fly?" Professor Seward was even more confused.

    The trantor exined. "This is just how Lady Ojistah is with visitors, she never asks their names and just gives them new ones."

    This soothsayer really was true to those depictions of entric, kooky fortune tellers. Harker doesn''t know if it was just part of the act to be mysterious, or this was really just the shaman''s personality. He''s more inclined towards thetter seeing how she lives all alone with nothing but a bunch of coyotes in the middle of the woods.

    The Native American soothsayer hummed as she just threw random leaves and objects into the pot. She urged Professor Seward to keep stirring, and for Harker to fan the mes more.

    It went on and on until the mes almostpped up the whole pot itself, and Professor Seward''s wrists were too tired to keep stirring.

    "Ow, ow, ow¡­. How much longer should I stir? I''m creating a whirlpool at this rate¡­." She mumbled.

    The Lady sniffed, and looked satisfied. She pushed the poor professor aside, and dipped her own finger on the very hot and steaming soup to lick and taste it.

    "Fantastic work, you two! Now it''s time to eat."

    They awkwardly sat on the logs as the olddy ced soup on strange looking bowls. Were this¡­. skulls?

    Harker thought that the shape was like the cranium of a coyote. The soup had roasted horse meat and fragrant herbs. Lady Ojistah also served some to her furry friends back in the house, though it was more of the horse meat which they bite and chew to the bone.

    Harker was not eating much so he would have Absorption Space left to eat Mr. Xi''s heart or Ms. Lovette''s remains in case something happened.

    But it felt impolite to not take a few bites, and so he did and sent hispliments to the chef. "This is a pretty bang-up soup, Ma''am."

    Thedy giggled just like how her pets would, pretty shrill and grating to the ears. "You may have seconds, Fruit Bat."

    "It really is a great soup. But I think it''s time that we have our divination, Madam." Professor Seward looked at the coyotes gobbling up the meat, and gulped. "We don''t want to take too much of your time now, do we?"

    "Oh, they won''t bite any more than you would, Winter Fly. You still don''t have what I need to find your sister anyway. Let us have a talk about the trees and the creeks instead!"

    The two stopped eating at this. She really was the real deal, she knew they were looking for Victoria and that she was Joan''s sister without them even saying anything.

    "What do you need to find her?" Harker asked.

    The old woman giggled. "Why, I need some remnants of her, of course. The ashes of her clothes, or the burnt marks from a ce that has an unbreakable tie to her. That way, I could speak to the spirit of the fire that was created by her departure."

    Professor Seward frowned. "So we have to go back to the mansion and maybe get a brick from Vicky''s bedroom?"

    "Yeah, and only you would know where to find that." Harker said. "I don''t even know if it''s possible with how little was left with your house."

    They pondered over this so seriously, until Lady Ojistah picked up the pot from the fire pit. She added even more wood, and wore a mischievous smile, her one good eye gleaming.

    "Now, now. Would you lost souls like to see something fun?" The shaman asked, picking up some weird powders from one of the packets hanging from her waist.

    Harker and Professor Seward leaned in. "What¡ª"

    She threw the powders, and arge puff of smoke appeared. They immediately got soot on their face, and coughed incessantly.

    "Cough¡­. What the hell¡­. So much for the shower I took this morning." Harker tried to wipe the ash off his face.

    But he stopped as he noticed that the smoke began forming into shapes. Lady Ojistah waved her cane around, chanting. The trantor couldn''t trante it as she spoke so fast and so low. It was over before they could truly register what was happening.

    Then, a figure appeared in the smoke. It was almost like a star-shape, with a hand holding trying to catch it.

    "Your mind is disturbed by the golden one, your emotions stirring up like the turbulent seas. The farther you travel into the sea, the more you get lost in your own head. You seek out the golden one like you seek out a Northern Star for direction, but the golden one is also the cause of your sense of loss. Not knowing where to go, what path to take."

    Then, she turned to Professor Seward. As soon as she did, another star and a hand appeared. The star fell from the hand that tried to grasp it. But it was toote.

    "You have lost your star, and it left you in the cold. You have crashed into the icy towers of grief, and seek refuge in the embrace of others that never keep you warm enough. But the ship does not have to stop sailing, oh Sorrowful one. What you lost can be found again, if you do not run away from it."

    The two hands in the smoke started to move towards each other, locking fingers tightly.

    "The only way for two lost souls to find their path is to walk in the darkness together. It may seem like the blind leading the blind, but with the beats of two hearts as one, you may still find a way out."

 Chapter 114 Tired Of Heartbreaks

    They returned home not knowing what to feel about that encounter.

    Of course, both of them had an idea on what the soothsayer was trying to say. But they didn''t want to acknowledge it out loud, and make the other know what''s on their mind.

    "Well¡­. I''m going to sleep." Professor Seward said, her face even paler than usual.

    Her brows furrowed like she was on the verge of crying. Harker had always suspected that she was hiding some kind of painful past, but this basically confirms it. The fact that the soothsayer mentioned her losing her star¡­..

    Must have meant that she lost the one she loves, and now she tries to forget all the heartbreak with sex and drugs.

    It was typical, yes, but much moreplicated given her circumstance.

    How many years has it been since she lost this person? And could it be that she couldn''t attach herself to anyone else when she knows she will outlive them and never grow old?

    Harker knows he shouldn''t be making assumptions like this, but it wasn''t like Professor Seward will give him the answers any time soon.

    He heaved a sigh as he got inside his own room. They will be returning back to the mansion first thing tomorrow, then go back to Lady Ojistah to find where Victoria was. The more days passed, the more anxious he gets over Mina. If only he could teleport to where she was, or she could teleport towards him¡­

    Heid in bed. The moment he closed his eyes, Mina''s image became even more vivid. He missed her more than he thought.

    He wished he could hold her in his arms again, touch her, kiss her¡­..

    shes of their memories together came to his mind. The first time he saw her in that fish tank where she fiercely stood up to the snake demon Xi, the first time they actually spoke to each other in cold terms, the first time they became friends and trusted each other¡­..

    And of course, their first kiss and the first time they made love, confessing these developing feelings they can no longer contain.

    If only he could go back to those moments. He felt like he should have valued them more, showed Mina more affection while she was still around. He really hoped she''d¡ª

    "Come back, please."

    Harker heard the murmur next to his room. There was also the sound of heavy breathing and sobs.

    He stood up from his bed and slowly approached the crack on the wall. It was only the size of a penny, but it was enough to give him a view of the bed itself.

    Joan was hugging herself, shoulders shaking as she could barely control her tears. She sunk deep into the nkets but still felt so cold. The moment she was made to recall stars, the sea, and ice, it alles back to her like a p on the face.

    "Edmund¡­." She called out.

    ''So that''s his name.'' Harker thought to himself, his face looking forlorn and conflicted.

    In the dark, he continued to observe the weeping woman with his chest feeling heavy. It was like something was tugging at his heart to go there andfort her. But he couldn''t, because he doesn''t know what to say and if it will just make things worse.

    "I shouldn''t have¡­. Let you go on that ship¡­ I shouldn''t have...." She continued to murmur incoherently.

    She wiped her tears away, and stood up. Harker tried to peer where she was going. Joan turned on the light switch, and took something from her bag.

    It was a stack of what seemed to be letters. And they were very old and yellowed, tied up together by a tiny red string.

    Joan started to read them one by one for the rest of the night. She kept on crying. Harker knew he should stop watching by now, but he couldn''t either. He could only stay there, his eyes drawn to her tear-stained cheeks.

    Neither of them even realized that morning hade.

    Joan stopped once she heard the crowing of the chickens nearby. She wiped her tears away and tried to steady her breathing. She put the letters down, and went to the one shared bathroom to wash her face.

    Harker knew it was wrong. But his feet had started moving, and he found himself in her room.

    He picked up one of the letters written in cursive handwriting and seemed to be inked with a quill pen.

    It had faded a lot, and Harker could barely make out the words. All he could read was this:

    [..... And I assure you, my dear, that you are very much wee to strangle my neck shall I return to you as a cadaver. Yes, I do know that there may be no use in doing so as I am no longer breathing either way, but you know that I jest as well. Do not fret. I shall return, oh dear Lady Disdain.

    Sending regards from the depths of the Antic,

    E. Walton ]

    "Lady Disdain, huh?" Harker thought. "Now where did I hear that before¡­."

    Harker vaguely remembered that this was what Benedict called Beatice from Shakespeare''s Much Ado About Nothing. Though he wasn''t an expert on the Bard like his mother, barely familiar with the plots of the ys and never reading his poems and sos¡­

    This one made an impression on him. Because these two characters were so different from everyone else. Meaning they weren''t like the typical ''hero'' and the ''damsel''.

    They were enemies at the start of the story and often talk shit about each other, but be lovers in the end. Since Edmund used that reference as an endearment, it seemed that he and Joan may have had that type of dynamic where they act like they hate each other but sincerely adore each other.

    Harker put the letter back, but he didn''t return to his room. Instead, he went to see Alejandro, who was still sleeping in his teddy-bear pajamas when he knocked.

    He yawned. "What is it, Sir? It''s still too early¡­. El dia barely even started."

    But Alejandro soon jolted awake after seeing that very serious expression on his face.

    "Sorry for disturbing your sleep, but this is important. I need the intel team to look for a Captain Edmund Walton."

    ¡ª-------------------

    They were now walking around the mansions, and Joan Seward has been awfully quiet this whole morning. She just calmly picked a brick from the floor, and showed it to them.

    "This one. This brick is from Vicky''s study. I know because it''s a different type from the rest." She said.

    Harker took it from her, their fingers brushing slightly. As this happened, the professor''s expression seemed to sour even more, and she looked away.

    "Let''s get moving to Lady Ojistah then. The sooner we find Victoria, the better."

    Her tone sounded colder than before, none of her usual mirth and teasing. Harker felt a little bad about just watching her cry like an idiotst night.

    But then, Alejandro tapped on his shoulder.

    "Sir, we got the results now for Edmund Walton. Apparently, he was a sea captain that started an expedition to the North Pole in 1776 and went missing, presumed dead. There wasn''t much information about him because he wasn''t really a popr captain and the expedition was just briefly mentioned once in the London Gazette."

    "1761¡­. That was before the American Revolution. Was he married? Had any kids?"

    Alejandro shook his head. "No. He was said to be a bachelor. He was only 22 when he took the trip to the North Pole, Sir."

    The same age as Harker was now. He wondered how old Professor Seward was when she met him, and what the circumstances of their rtionship was. Even though he shouldn''t be getting nosy over somebody''s business¡­

    He can''t help but feel that learning about this woman''s past was important. That the more he learns about her¡­.

    The more he will learn about himself and where he stands when ites to matters such as love and heartbreaks.

 Chapter 115 Naked Desperation

    As they returned to Lady Ojistah and her family of coyotes, she was just sitting by a log with her eyes closed, staying still.

    Harker wondered if she was meditating and if she could give a few tips on that. He could really use some pointers since he still can''t get it no matter how many books he read.

    But then she spoke and the trantion was: "Oh, goodness! You children have returned just as I was taking my quick nap."

    Harker was sincerely disappointed. But oh well, that''s why you don''t get it twisted.

    She stood up and held out her hand towards Professor Seward. Professor Seward gave her the brick without a word, and sat on the log beside her with her arms crossed.

    The olddy''s smile softened a little. "You want some catnip, dear child?"

    "Catnip?" She asked.

    "Humans can take it too. Here you go, it might help you calm the incessant buzzing of the bees in your ear." The soothsayer took out a leaf from one of her small pouches.

    Joan''s gloomy eyes widened at this, and took the leaf. "I know they are edible, but this is just my first time trying it. I also know that they have a sedating effect from nepetctone. It''s just that I¡­.. Nevermind."

    "Oh, I understand you, dear. There is just this desire among us to wallow longer. I am not giving it to you to block the flow of water like a dam, but rather to help it flow more naturally and less painfully." Lady Ojistah smiled, and went to Harker''s side. "Would you like some too?"

    "No thank you, Ma''am." Harker shook his head. "We just really need that divination."

    "You know sometimes, it is better to let the river of time run its course even if you get far towards what you seek to reach. Perhaps eventually, the river itself will bring it to you." The shaman told him.

    "But I know you are used to being continuously on the chase, always moving from one burden to carry to the next. You run towards different paths at once like it is a race to finish them all." She patted his head. "But life is not a race, my boy. Enjoy the breeze sometimes and take a breath."

    This was the second time someone told Harker to just calm the fuck down and not put pressure on himself. Was it really getting so obvious to others how much he constantly stresses himself out?

    Lady Ojistah observed the brick. She went over to the fire and let the smoke cover it up.

    Joan asked while chewing catnip: "Are you going to throw the brick over the fire and read the smoke again?"

    "No." Lady Ojistah went back. ''I am going to read the lines that our spirit of the fire had made in this."

    She closed one eye, her good one. She was using her murky white eye filled with cataracts to read the lines.

    Then, she spoke in almost a rhythmic way, almost like a poem but not quite. The trantor tried his best to trante it down to the nuances of her speech. But her tone was enough to give Harker and Joan the right sense towards the riddle-like divination

    "Your sister has tried to reach the peaks that man must not reach

    But it will only leave her in the blue ridges of the cold destion

    And the frigid nature of humanity''s greed

    The hunger will never be satisfied only consuming her from the inside

    Until the flesh had turned gray from the brackish blood that flows

    Darkened and dirtied by the envy she held on for decades."

    Harker and Joan tried to decipher the small details of this somewhat prophecy for Victoria. It sounded grim, and her end no doubt would not be a good one.

    "Blue ridges.... Is it the literal Blue Ridge Mountains in the Appchians?"" Harker thought.

    "Maybe it''s a metaphorical one. But all these details are pointing to cold mountains. The peaks, the destion, the frigidness¡­.." Professor Seward thought.

    The olddy just slowly caressed the head of one of the coyotes as they tried to understand her divination.

    "As for the hunger, the gray flesh and brackish blood¡­. That could mean the zombies, right?'' Harker thought silently. ''Could it be that Victoria will get killed by the new zombies she will raise? Or she will be a zombie herself?''

    "Envy¡­." Professor Seward furrowed her brows. "I see now. In the end, it''s always my fault."

    She closed her eyes slowly, the effect of the catnip seeming to get to her. She then stood up, less gloomy than usual and holding more of a frustration. Joan clenched her fist and wore a pained smile.

    "Anyway¡­.. Now that you got your new lead to my sister, I can go back to New York, right? I really have no idea where she is. Maybe it''s the Blue Ridge like you said. I''ll go pack my things as soon as we get back¡ª"

    "Not yet, Prof." Harker grabbed her wrist. "You said you wanted to talk to Victoria yourself. What happened to that?"

    She yanked it away forcefully. "I changed my mind. You heard thedy sage, it''s the envy she held for decades. If she sees me, I''ll just make it worse. Like I always do."

    "But¡ª"

    "You didn''t want me to be here in the first ce anyway, right? You''re just getting desperate because you want to get back to your lover soon, if I interpreted your reading yesterday correctly."

    She walked away from the house after a bow towards Lady Ojistah. "Thank you for the help so far, Ma''am. But this is pretty effectivepared to the pills I had. I need to hit the hay soon."

    "I hope you sleep in peace and have some moment of rity, child. You need it to know which path to take." Lady Ojistah said. "Listen to that beating drum within your chest rather than your fears."

    Harker stood and called out. "Wait a minute, Prof! Let''s talk about this, we have better chances finding Victoria if you''re in this because you know her more than any of us do¡ª Prof!"

    She was already in the vehicle, and fell asleep as soon as she got inside. Harker tried to shake her up, but she was out cold.

    He sighed. In the end, he and Alejandro helped to bring her up to her room and decided to give her some space until she wakes up tomorrow.

    But Harker could not stop obsessing over the prophecy. He ended up writing down on the desk all night and making theories. Burning the midnight oil while trying to understand what this means and his next ns.

    "The GPS is the only thing left, and it''s still too difficult to track. They said they needed to be nearer the resource. If we got about 1000 miles from where Victoria was, it could be a huge help already." He rubbed his temples. "Unless of course, she got rid of it entirely. Which will be a huge pain in the ass¡­.. Ugh¡­."

    He''s been running on no sleep for almost 48 hours now. Even when he''s a powerful demon lord, it''s still not going to make him feel refreshed and ''with rity''.

    He then felt like somebody''s watching him. It wasn''t the same feeling as Yan. He turned to the direction of the crack on the wall.

    A shadow passed by quickly like the twinkling of a gem.

    Harker went over to peer inside. He realized that Professor Seward was also awake, and she was smoking pot.

    While naked. Calling out to Edmund again, but in a different kind of desperation this time.

 Chapter 116 Peeping Through A Crack [Mild R18]

    Harker froze from that moment. He couldn''t believe his eyes that she was really doing this just after everything. It didn''t fit the sequence of events.

    But then again¡­. Maybe people deal with grief differently?

    Who was he to judge, when he had also thought about the sexy times he had with Mina while missing her.

    Professor Seward continued to smoke, one hand cing the blunt in between her index and middle finger. Meanwhile¡­.

    Her other hand was traveling all over her chest.

    She wasn''t really touching it yet, per se. She just grazes her fingers ever so lightly on her own rotund breasts. Beside her were the bunch of letters that he found hard to read.

    Harker knew he should stop looking, but again, he was stuck in ce. He reasoned to himself that it was because of the passing shadow and his curiosity about this woman''s past with the sea captain.

    There was no attraction at all. It''s just a woman''s body, and a woman touching her body. Who he feels no attraction for whatsoever because he had only been smitten with his own lover.

    He had watched several porn where he doesn''t feel anything towards the woman, and this should be no different.

    He was more focused on Joan reading the letters out loud to herself.

    ".... Your bosom keeps on taunting my mind in the early morn, and I find myself lost in the¡­ Ahh¡­ Round fruits that tasted so sweet over my lips that one summer afternoon."

    Joan pinched one of her own nipples as she read this. "That day when I had been invited by your parents for tea, despite the penniless ruffian that I was. While they went inside to see how the servants had prepared the tiny treats for the guests, you ced your hand on myp and let mee closer to your neck. Do you recall that, my dear? I recall it every once in a while."

    ''Man, they''re really freaky doing that while the parents were just nearby. But then again, it would be pot calling the kettle ck on my part if I called them out.'' Harket thought, remembering his own encounter with Mina in that convenience store bathroom.

    Joan continued pinching her own perked up nipple, even twisting it. "You asked me if I had trulye to taste your family''s cherry pie that they boasted upon my arrival. When I could have been eating those cherries resting on your soft muffin instead."

    She let go of the letter for a while, as she was starting to feel it. "Oh, Edmund¡­.. Yes, I do remember¡­. How could I forget how your hot lips felt over my skin¡­.."

    A bit of her British ent slipped through. She held her head back as she spread her hand like a w and kept on grabbing and massaging that already hard breast of hers.

    Then, she let it move further down as she read the details about Edmund giving her cunnilingus under the table.

    "I had lifted your long dress and I must admit, it was truly bothersome. But it is worth it, and I was like a diver swimming pastyers andyers of cloth just to get through that treasure I so seek. I could not help myself from taking a bite off your smooth thigh, and moving my fingers towards the back of the knee, I did. I made more marks under there as it had always pleased you so."

    Joan was now rubbing her muff in a circr motion. She gasped and identally let go of the weed she was smoking. But she didn''t care, and let it rest in her sternum.

    She was sweating now, making her dark hair have this sort of sheen in it. She pushed one finger inside her hole.

    "But I knew that I should not just give attention to your legs. Your parents maye soon, and I must please that little red darling that has been beckoning me for an inkling of my love. And so I started pushing my tongue in and...."

    She thenid on her stomach, cing the letter in front of her. With her other hand free¡­

    She suddenly went to touch her own buttocks, giving it a smack before reaching out to the hole. "...I also gave my regards to your other pretty flower from behind. It is a shame that some men would not want to give them attention in cowardice. But if it is not meant to be satisfied as well, then why must such pleasure derive from such a spot?"

    Harker''s eyes widened. ''Okay¡­.. So Edmund likes to fill both holes, huh? I never really considered if I like it myself, but it doesn''t sound so bad either. It would probably be so¡ª''

    "Tight." The letter had finished his internal sentence for him, almost as if he and Edmund were on the same wavelengths. "Oh love, it was truly a narrow path for my fingers to take. But that is exactly what made it so lovable, this tinier and taut hole of yours."

    Harker thought if he should keep listening, since this was more like a listening to a reading of a Victorian-era erotica from someone masturbating. There wasn''t much that he learned besides that Edmund and Joan were mad freaky.

    Joan was groaning against the bed sheets now. She fingered both holes faster, her ass up in the air.

    It seemed she had forgotten about the letter already and was focused on pleasing herself now. She was already shivering like she wasing close.

    "Edmund¡­.. Oh¡­.. Fuck me..." She called out with her head buried on the bed sheet.

    Harker tried to stand up from the peephole, but soon felt something heavy and put pressure on his dder. Only that he realized it wasn''t his dder at all.

    "What the¡­. You''ve got to be kidding me. Ain''t no way..." His face was flushed red now, covering his mouth.

    He shook his head and tried to steady his breathing to make it go down. But it wouldn''t, and he cursed under his breath.

    "Out of all things¡­. No, it''s not because of my professor. It''s just horniness in general. Right." He went back to his bed. "Their experience just riled me up like every porn does. I can take care of it quickly. Mina¡­."

    He called out to Mina again and again as he hand lowered his pants and began relieving himself. He imagined what it would be like to try doing it at the back with his girlfriend, and his girlfriend only.

    And as he did...

    A green eye peeped from the crack on the wall, watching him with delight. And once Harker was finished, it vanished like a shadow passing by in a blink.

 Chapter 117 Ghost Of You

    The following day, Professor Seward knocked on everyone''s door while banging up a pot.

    "Rise and shine, sleepyheads! We have a mountain to hike today!!! Hurry up, the Blue Ridge won''t climb itself!!!"

    Harker groaned. What the fuck was her deal now?

    He slowly opened his door, eyes still half-closed. "What is this, Prof? I thought you''re not going¡­.."

    "Changed my mind again. You know how hormonal women in my age can get sometimes. It''s nothing." She giggled like a teenage girl and smacked his shoulder. "I made some corn soup! I remembered you sayin'' it was your favorite from the ss introduction, right?"

    Seriously, what is up with her today¡ª

    "By the way, Hark." She grinned. "I have a question. Hope it doesn''t offend you in any way."

    Harker yawned and grumbled at the same time. "Shoot."

    "Do you perchance swing both ways?"

    This woke up Harkerpletely. "Huh? Swing what ways?"

    "You know. Goes for guys, goes for girls. Bisexual. Like Frankie Mercurie." She grinned, whispering to him. "Coz you know¡­. If you are and your boyfriend don''t mind, I''m always down for a menage a trois¡ª"

    Harker just pushed her face away. "You''re fucking high again, aren''t you? And even if I was bisexual and willing for that kind of arrangement, it wouldn''t be with you. You ain''t my type, with all due respect."

    "Oh really now?" Professor Seward gives an almost knowing smile. "If you say so¡­."

    She went down the stairs, swaying her hips as she walked. "Well then, you should call the others or this soup will get cold. It''s a long 6-hour drive from here to Blue Ridge, you know? And we''re probably all so¡­. exhausted yesterday."

    Harker had a bad feeling about the way she''s acting. But then again, they really need to get to West Virginia soon to check if the GPS signal would really pick up there.

    As they were now on the road, Harker went to give Rnd a call. He borrowed one of those Nogia Communicators from Alejandro.

    "Hey, Roly-poly. Just checking in." Harker said.

    It sounded pretty noisy on Rnd''s end. "Hey, Hark. I don''t have much time since the trial will start soon. But how are you guys? I was told you were headed to Blue Ridge with Victoria''s sister."

    Harker turned to Professor Seward who was far back on the limousine.

    She was drinking Kahlua so early in the morning, wearing a big giddy smile on her face. When her eyes met with Harker she just gave a wink. Harker made a disgusted face, and spoke Rnd''s name loudly.

    "OH, ROLAND. IT''S SO NICE TALKING TO YOU AGAIN. I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"

    He waited to see her reaction and she just continued writing something on her notepad. She then went to show it to Harker.

    [ Tell him: Me + You + Him= Good time ]

    Harker''s eye twitched and he gave her the middle finger. He mouthed: ''Go fuck yourself, Prof.''

    Rnd sounded confused on the other side. "Huh? Are you okay, Hark? You''re shouting."

    "Oh, yeah. I''m all good, I just thought you couldn''t hear me over the sound of the waterfalls here."

    "Waterfalls?" Rnd looked confused.

    "Yeah,ing from a very pinkish and old mountain. Someone''s gettin'' real wet around here. Anyway, how about the fam? Are they doing well?"

    "Yes, Mr. Jones gave me a call once they got to Louisiana to spend the summer there. Chloe was saying you better not get killed dealing with Sasquatch or the Mothman in the Appchians."

    Harkerughed. "Hah! Those are probably not real monsters¡­.. probably. And even if they are, they''re not really a problem. They''re not unkible like zombies."

    "I don''t really think there''s a real immortal being." Rnd said. "Everything meets their end eventually. Maybe even gods if they exist. Deathes for us all."

    Harker frowned, remembering the source of his strength againtely at the reminder of death. ".... Have you heard anything from Mina?"

    "Well, she asked me for more samples of my blood to be delivered in Pornd. So she''s still alive, and possibly going after ces that were reportedly having paranormal activity in Oregon since she went to the Bagdad Theater. My bets are that her next stop is in Salem."

    "Ah, yes. Witches." Harker sighed. "I don''t like the sound of that. They might put a hex on her."

    "Um, that''s a different Salem, Hark. That''s the historical town of Salem in Massachusetts." Rnd corrected. "Also, those witch trials were mostly a hoax that killed innocent civilians due to mass hysteria and lies of the court."

    "Oh. That''s good then, I guess." Harker said.

    Rnd chuckled. "If she''s dealing with ghosts, she''ll be much safer than you are in the mountains. So please be careful."

    "Roger that."

    "Good. I have to get going, the judge''s here."

    "Yeah. Good luck¡ª-"

    But he was cut off before he even finished, as it seemed that signal had been lost.

    "We''re at the foot now, Sir." Alejandro pointed out.

    They really were reaching the piedmont of one of the peaks in Blue Ridge. Harker suddenly frowned.

    "Why is it still snowing? It''s almost summer already." Harker thought.

    Professor Seward suddenly popped out from behind him like a random mushroom puffing out. "That''s strange too. It is always pretty cold in Blue Ridge all year round, but it''s not like the mountains in Maine where it can snow all year."

    "Guess we could only ask the locals what''s going on."

    They went to wear their thick fur coats, though they still felt a little underdressed for this unexpected wintery weather. It wasn''t too thick, but there were still snowcaps far up. The temperature was still at 54 degrees Fahrenheit or 12 degrees Celsius.

    Harker sank his trekking pole and the snow was as thick as about 4 inches or so. "This makes no sense."

    "Hey, look, Sir! The GPS is reading something!" Alejandro showed the device that was customized to reverse track the one Victoria used to track the chips she imnted on the zombies.

    "This really must be the ce, then. Be alert." Harker said seriously.

    "Be alert for what?" Professor Seward asked, wearing a beanie as well.

    Harker did not look at her at all, focused on the signals. "It''s a secret. Unless there''s something you wanted to tell us."

    Professor Sewardughed ironically. "Oh, I see what''s going on here. You like keeping your secrets while you peep into someone else''s."

    Harker''s eyes widened, and it finally hit him. "You were watching mest night, weren''t you?"

    "Was I the only one?" Professor Seward gave a wry smirk. "Eye for an eye, as you said."

    Harker did feel a little guilty at this. "Since when did you know?"

    "Since you went to my room and moved my things. So I tested you, reading our past encounters." She smiled. "I gave you quite a show, didn''t I?"

    So this was it. The truth was finally out in the open, here in the cold and freezing mountains.

    Harker gritted his teeth and gestured at the guards. They did not hesitate and took their guns out in synchronized fashion, aimed at this woman.

    "What are you, Prof? You''re not supposed to be in this world."

    Professor Seward was not fazed at all by the guns. She just continued smirking while shaking her head.

    "I should be the one asking you that, Jones. What are you? Because I don''t seem to be the only one that''s not supposed to be in this world."

    She went closer to Harker¡­.

    And she took advantage of their confusion to stab him with a knife she''d been keeping this whole time!

    The wound on his stomach had quickly closed up, and only three drops of blood fell to the snow.

    The bodyguards quickly fired shots at her right after the stab. But though she was severely injured and not healing up, Professor Seward remained standing there.

    She reached out with her hands stained with ck, viscous blood. With those hands, she caressed Harker''s face with the void within her eyes seeming to show a glimmer of light within the darkness.

    "I''m just a ghost. A ghost that had waited so long for you¡­.."

    She copsed but wore a smile.

    "Edmund."

 Chapter 118 Feeding On My Flesh

    Harker blinked in confusion at this womanying on the snow. What did she just say¡­.

    Did she just call him Edmund?

    But why? He doesn''t understand what''s happening at all...

    He went to kneel by her side to see if she was still alive. And she was. She''s only sleeping with all the bullets inside her body.

    So she''s really not a normal human. But she''s not regenerating either. The blood was clotting, but that''s it. It wasn''t a fast pace, and she continued to bleed and bleed.

    They suddenly heard people from afar. They seemed to be a native tribe living nearby that heard the gunshots. Harker cursed, and picked her up.

    "Let''s go. We can''t let them see her like this. We still have to ask them what they know about this weather, and if they have seen Victoria and her men." Harker told them.

    They nodded. The group moved farther away from the vige, and found a pretty secure area covered by the high pine trees.

    "She''s still not awake. I want to try something." Harker thought.

    She''s not like the zombies. but she didn''t die from fatal damage. Still, her stats were the same as a human, even her endurance.

    Could it be that she passed out because she could still feel pain? And yet a bullet wound on her heart did not make it stop...

    Because it was already not beating.

    Harker pushed his fingers inside her wounds and pulled out the bullet inside. How could she maintain her temperature and not appear suspicious if her heart wasnever beating? It doesn''t make sense¡­.

    As soon as he pulled out all of the bullets, Professor Seward''s eyes opened and she suddenly started coughing.

    "Hah¡­. Hah¡­ That took you long enough¡­.." She gasped for air.

    The wounds she had seemed to have been covered in her thick blood with high telet count. It closed up, but it''s not really healed, per se. It was just like putting a tape over a hole in a water bottle to keep it from spilling.

    "Why did you stab me?" Harker furrowed his brows.

    "Because¡­. Cough¡­." More of that dark, murky blood sttered on the white ground. "Because I know you wouldn''t die, as you never did. You''re my Prince''s jester, after all."

    Prince''s jester was what Beatrice calls Benedick in return for that Lady Disdain. Harker wore a scowl at this.

    "I''m not Edmund. I only even heard that name from you the other night. The one where you had been crying." Harker said. "My name is Harker Jones. I''m your student, don''t get it twisted."

    "But Edmund¡ª"

    "Harker."

    "You¡­. Then how are you still alive? Are you not like me?" She asked. "I thought Victoria also brought you back to life, that''s why you''re looking for her. That''s why you and I were¡­. Since the first day we met, you and I¡­."

    "What?" Harker asked.

    But deep down, he knows what she was talking about.

    When they first met in his freshman year, there was something that made them feel already casual with each other. Like they had been friends for so long.

    But that''s just people clicking well with certain types. It doesn''t mean that he''s her lover from back in the 18th century, because he knows for sure that he was Harker Jones, son of Howard and Josephine Jones, born and raised in New York City.

    Professor Seward seemed to look confused for a moment, then that confusion turned into disappointment.She stood up but staggered. Harker instinctively tried to support her, but she pushed him back.

    "See? You''re doing it again. If you''re not my Edmund, then why act exactly like him... You even look like him... I don''t understand..."

    The bodyguards also had no idea what was going on, and felt like it wasn''t their ce to pry on this certain matter. So they noticeably kept their distance to give them some space to settle this awkward situation.

    "Look¡­. How about we be honest with each other, okay? I''ll exin my thing and you exin yours. We can''t just keep making assumptions about each other like this." Harker said.

    "I''ll go first. Once I tell you the truth, I''m sure you''ll realize that I am NOT Edmund."

    Harker had then exined about his Shapeshifting ability, and the circumstances of why he''s looking for Victoria. He had also now revealed how him being gay was a misunderstanding due to this ability. and that he had a girlfriend already named Mina who''s a mermaid.

    He exined all of it in great detail just so Professor Seward won''t find any reason to assert that he''s Edmund again. In the end, it looked like she''s having a hard time digesting everything.

    "Mermaids and demons, huh¡­.. Hah. Why do I still find it hard to believe those despite being abnormal myself¡­. I keep hoping that you''re just making excuses to keep this borate ruse, this prank you''re ying on me as Edmund."

    Harker sighed. "That''s what we call denial, Prof. It''s easier to believe that to keep your hopes up that your lover is still alive. But I''m not him."

    "I-I know¡­. I just¡­."

    She stared into space for a while, as if not knowing where to go from there. She looked so lost, the darkness within her eyes expanding.

    Harker doesn''t know where to go from here, either. He didn''t want to make her devastated, but here they were. And it''s all because they let these misunderstandings stay for too long instead of confronting each other.

    Alejandro suddenly came. "Ahem. Mr. Jones, I''m sorry to interrupt but¡­. The device is picking up something that''sing closer."

    "Coming closer?" Harker took a look at it.

    As the radial censor circled around, it picked up some green spots. Harker doesn''t know what those spots could mean. Electromaic fields? The possible GPS source?

    But they just kept on increasing, with thergest one getting nearer and nearer in their current location.

    Suddenly, they heard the clip-clopping sounds of a horse. An Algonquian man whistled at them from the back of the horse.

    "You! Neers!" He called out. "If you don''t want to die, find some ce to hide before they find you!"

    Harker yelled back. "Who will find us?"

    They suddenly heard a howling sound, but it didn''t sound like a wolf''s or a coyote''s. It sounded guttural and strange, almost like a demonic shriek.

    His face darkened. "Flesh eaters. I would find shelter before dusk, if I were you, and stay there until morninges¡­.."

    "Unless you have a death wish and want to be feasted on by the wendigos."

 Chapter 119 Hell Breaks Loose

    "A wendigo? What''s that?" Harker asked.

    "It''s a Native American monster that''s formed through cannibalism." Professor Seward exined, looking at her surroundings quizzically. "What it looks like is debatable, and whether it truly is a monster is also debatable. Some say it was simply an allegory for the greed and the hunger for power of men. Some say it''s a cautionary tale to avoid natives from resorting to cannibalism, since hunger and istion ismon in the cold harsh winter of the mountains."

    "I''m more inclined to thetter part." She frowned. "But something''s off ''round here that got the natives acting so paranoid."

    Harker meanwhile believed that it truly was a monster. The professor was still calmly scanning the area, while the guards looked to decide what to do in this situation. So Harker grabbed her hand and started running.

    "Where the hell are we going, Jones?" Professor Seward was surprised by the sudden hand-holding.

    "You heard the guy. We better find shelter. Whether it''s a monster or not, I don''t trust this ce enough to be roamin'' around while there''s a snowstorm and the sun''s about to go down."

    They ran past the tall, barren trees as the snow began to grow thicker by the minute. Soon, they found a cave that could serve well enough as their shelter for the night, and went deep inside to keep out the cold and¡­. Worse things that may or may not be out there.

    "Got a lighter, Alejandro?" Harker asked. "I grabbed a few twigs on the way to make a fire pit."

    Harker had set down these ''few'' branches that were actually asrge as logs. Professor Seward had no time to question how he was able to easily lift a ton of wood while running for their lives, and decided it would be best not to for now.

    "We have something better, Sir." Alejandro said. "We never know what we may encounter. Move aside, please."

    Alejandro took out arge rifle-like weapon from his bag¡­.

    And as he pressed the trigger, a burst of fire came and lit up the wood.

    "methrower. That''s great, it mighte in handy." Harker smiled. "You guys prepared well."

    "We have also prepared some shlights, sleeping mats, tents and rations of food and water." Alejandro gestured to the heavy bags that the big tough bodyguards were carrying around. "All to make sure that you''re safe and secured as Sir Rnd instructed us to."

    Professor Seward raised an eyebrow as one of the bodyguards ced a sleeping mat in front of her along with nkets and intable pillows.

    "So we''re just going to camp here for the night? That''s the n?" Professor Seward asked.

    "No. Only you will camp for the night and get some beauty sleep." Harker said, taking a methrower with him. "Some of us will go guard the entrance of the cave and check what''s really going on. The rest will look after you as you catch some snooze. So you can rest without worry tonight."

    "No way in hell, Jones." Professor Seward insisted. "I''ming with you."

    Harker gritted his teeth. "You can''t exactly order me around anymore like I''m still your student, Prof. You stay here."

    "What''s the worst that could happen to me? Death?" She retorted. "I''m well past that and if this incident somehow links to Victoria, I need to see it with my own eyes."

    Harker sighed. "Fine. Go take one of those methrowers. You do know how to use them, right?"

    He turned to the other bodyguards. "And I still want the rest to stay here and stay alert. We don''t know where exactly these wendigos will being from and we don''t want our base to bepromised. You guys cover us from any attacks inside the cave, we take the outside."

    "Yes, Sir!" They responded in unison.

    They moved quickly and took their ce to clock the entrance of the cave. The lights from where the tribe was were all off, and they can only see their teepee houses through the light of the full moon that shone overhead. Silence had seeped in after all that ruckus and hysteria.

    But that silence did notfort anyone. It only made the atmosphere in this snowy mountain even more unsettling.

    Harker began to detect some sounds of movements. But they were very light and agile, and didn''t resemble the sound of footsteps on the thick snow¡­..

    p¦Á§ád¦Á-¨¾?¦Í¨º|¡¤§ã¨®§® Instead, they sound like the shaking of tree branches high above them. Not long after, they spotted several gray shapes from the pine trees, taking advantage of the camouge that the snow and the dark trees gave them.

    They were already too near before anybody realized.

    "Fucking hell¡­.." Professor Seward covered her mouth. "So these creepers do exist¡­."

    "Looks like very thin gray zombies to me." Harker frowned, aiming his methrower at the direction of the nearest one to them. "Nobody moves until they do. I want to see how well they can sense us humans."

    He had wondered too why these creatures wouldn''t have easily attacked inside the homes of the native people. Why would they insist on hiding and finding shelter?

    Harker saw them jump down from the trees one by one, sniffing about like rabid dogs. They all looked the same, unlike the zombies he had encountered.

    There was no difference between masculine and feminine bodies. They all looked like very tall and emaciated gray humanoids with not a single bit of hair, unblinking eyes inside lidless sockets, and sharp, pointed yellow teeth. The shortest was 10 feet tall or so, and Harker didn''t even dare to imagine how tall the ''tallest'' guy would be.

    "They seem rather slow." Alejandro noticed. "They''re still sniffing around when we''re just right here. If they have a great sense of hearing or smell, they would have noticed us by now."

    "That must be why the locals just told us to hide." Harker said. "What I''m wondering about is where they came from, and if they had always been here or just neers like us. And what''s up with the sudden storm appearing exactly when we''re looking for Victoria¡ª"

    Suddenly, a shrieking sound came from one of these malnourished giants. It seemed that one of them spotted a deer rushing overhead and¡ª

    Just as one would blink, the deer had turned into nothing but carcass and gore. It was ravaged beyond recognition, with its guts spilling out and scattered like confetti in the pure white snow.

    It happened so fast that everyone forgot to breathe for a second.

    One of the bodyguards was so in shock that he jolted up from the ground where he was crouching. It was an instinctual action that nobody could have ever controlled. Still¡­..

    It was the moment where all hell broke loose.

    --------------

    A/N: There''s a new Privilege price list where you can get 26 chapters in advance at one go plus 90% discount! Plus I also n to do a neat deal:

    For every 100 Privilege chapters unlocked = 1 extra chapter

    For every supergifts (Magic Castle and above) = 5-10 extra chapter

 Chapter 120 Knocking Your Feet Off The Ground

    Harker did not hesitate to grow his hair and wrap these giants up like catching multiple bulls with a singlesso. He then fired them all up with a methrower and shoved the burning ends of his hair into the snow before it caught fire all the way to his scalp.

    p¦Á§ád¦Á-¨¾?¦Í¨º|¡¤§ã¨®§® This proved to be effective against the bone-thin giants as they writhed in pain and started turning into ashes.

    The sound of those demonic guttural shrieks rang out into the forest as they were exterminated and could not not feast on flesh any more. But¡­

    More of them came from the treetops and started moving towards the cave. It was naive for humans to believe that they could outrun them. One of them reached out with theirrge wed hands to the bodyguard who stood up and gripped him.

    Just from that grip alone, he was squeezed into bursting. Another one was unlucky enough to get caught and got his head bitten off.

    Harker fired his methrower at them to burn their hands reaching out. Then, he used his hair to block them like a shield. But it won''t be long until they break through that covering and tear his hair to shreds with their ws and sharp teeth.

    He yelled. "All of you move back to the cave and I will distract them. Go, go, go!"

    Of course these bodyguards were brave men willing to risk their lives for the person they served. However, they knew how powerful Harker was from their experience with him back at the mermaid factory. There was no use to sacrifice their lives, and the best move would be to warn the others so they could be prepared if he ever needed back-up.

    So all of them ran inside except for Alejandro and Professor Seward.

    "I''m always on your side, Sir Harker. Maybe we somehow find Victoria tonight, as this GPS device is picking up more signals the more of these skinny diablose." He said.

    Harker very much agreed with that and was fine with Alejandro on the team. But he yelled at Professor Seward.

    "Dammit, Prof! Just go back, will you? You may not die, but you still get hurt and bleed! What if you lose too much blood to close your wounds? Just how much destruction can your body take!?"

    "More than you think." Professor Seward looked serious as she held the methrower.

    This one was a pretty advanced type for the 90s that does not userge tanks so it was lighter than the usual one. The gas was instead contained in something as small as a 250 ml water bottle, and has twice the longevity than the strapped tank ones.

    She started firing the moment a w had passed through Harker''s hair, and marched on into the cold winter with not an ounce of fear. She looked like a small cat in the face of these monoliths of a beast, and yet she threw me right onto their face like it was the easiest thing in the world.

    Joan did receive a sh across her chest, though. Her thick blood covered it up as a long red line that reached from her right shoulder to her left waist.

    "I once had my whole leg burned down by something simr to this. It''s a weapon that sprayed oil through a pump and ced over a torch to create ''Greek fire''." She told them. "In the end, my sister just gave me new legs."

    Harker also used his enhanced speed and strength to fight off these monsters without breaking a sweat. He used his methrower to set a fire to the trees to stop them from jumping near them.

    He hated to be the cause of a forest fire, but desperate times called for desperate measures and the snow will likely extinguish it sooner orter.

    "So you really are like a Frankenstone monster? How does that even work to give you sense and control over your new legs?" Harker asked. "Was it because of your blood?"

    "It''s not just my blood. It''s everything. The pills, the psychology of the human will, and the genius that my sister is¡­. If none of those were present, I wouldn''t be standing here today." Professor Sewardmented while also shooting the mouth of a wendigo that tried to bite arge chunk out from her.

    The problem with these weapons was that it brought a lot of dangers to the user, and her sleeve caught fire as well. Professor Seward rolled on the snow quickly without missing a beat on firing at these monsters.

    Harker frowned. "How many more wendigos do we have to burn!? There''s no end to them, we''ll run out of fuel at this point."

    Alejandro had soon already ran out of fuel at this point. As this happened, he cursed in Spanish and used the methrower to block the hands and mouth of arge wendigo that got him cornered against the ground.

    Harker caught this one with his hair again and dragged it out so he could burn it. He threw his own methrower at Alejandro.

    "You can''t die since you have the device, Alejandro. Go back to the group and let me take care of it."

    "But Mr. Jones, it''s sensing something else that''sing this way! Something much, muchrger¡ª"

    "I''ll take care of it!!! I don''t wanna make your daughters lose their father! Just go, man!"

    The bodyguard followed his orders and rushed inside the safety of the cave. Harker had to make do with his hair without a weapon. He used it to drag these beasts straight into the burning trees.

    But as they continued fighting, Professor Seward suddenly felt something.

    "Is it just me feeling my spasms again, or is the ground shaking right now?" She asked.

    Harker gritted his teeth. "It''s not just you. Stay alert, Alejandro warned us about arge one¡­."

    But even if they had been warned, they never would have expected the creature that parted the trees itself with its bare hands and slowly lumbered towards them.

    It was¡­

    A 50 feet tall man. Yes, they could tell this figure was actually a man and he wore clothes made of patched up deer skin. He had a mask that was made of several bones and flesh arranged to look like a deer''s head and literal tree branches as its antlers.

    This man was the real giant. And he merely extended his arms towards the wendigos¡­.

    Which then cling on to him like pets, taking refuge while hissing at Harker and Professor Seward. Harker and Joan were stunned for a moment from the sheer massiveness of this creature¡­..

    That they weren''t able to move as he used hisrge palm to propel hundreds of feet off the ground, and hundreds of miles away from the cave with theirpanions. If they were normal humans, that impact would have been enough to kill them.

    But it was still enough to knock them out for a long, long time.

 Chapter 121 Cracks On The Ice

    "Edmund¡­.."

    When he woke up, he realised that the world above him was veiled by a thin blue wall. There were some bubbles on the wall, and everything else behind it was blurry. The light of the sun could barely pass through despite the wall being as thin as gossamer.

    "Edmund¡­."

    He can''t get through the ice. No matter how much he smacks his fists on the wall that separates him from the world he wanted to be in. He was trapped. All alone, with only the desperation of getting out as hispany.

    "Edmund¡­.."

    A low and guttural voice was calling his name. He turned his head, and from a distance, he saw a giant. This giant had red skin, and had three heads. The three heads feasted on the bodies of three men with its hideous face contorting in leisure as its sharp teeth sank deep into the flesh. Feasting for eternity.

    "Wake up, mate!"

    At this, he finally opened his eyes.

    He blinked for a while. Then, he mumbled with some drool on his lips. "Henry?"

    His first mate, the second-inmand when ites to manning the ship Arctic Seer, sighed. He was a real dandy looking blond with the shiniest pair of blue orbs in his eyes that Edmund has ever seen. It wasparable to sapphires or perhapszuli.

    Those eyes were full of worry as he scolds. "I had been trying to pry you out of the hands of Hypnos for a while now. You have been sleeping all the way through noon. And you had been talking in your sleep again."

    Henry''s brows furrowed in worry. "Are you feeling alright?"

    Edmund sat up. "I am, just.... Had a nightmare, is all. Bunch of scary fiends in the mountains."

    "Fiends?" Henry sat by the side of his bed.

    The first mate pressed the back of his hand on his forehead and his neck to feel his temperature. So no fever. He does not seem to have acquired the cold or the influenza either.

    "Bony, grey fiends¡­. I dreamt of killing them with fire that sprang from my own two hands. So it is not the fiends that I was scared off. And the strangest thing was¡­. My dear Joan is by my side, doing the same. We have managed to eradicate their lot."

    He touched his chest, suddenly feeling out of breath. "Yet all of a sudden, thisrge beast that wears the skin of a deer, or some sort simr.... Appeared and striked the shite out of us. Sent us flying all the way into the afterlife or some other, I could never recall. I found myself searching and searching for my Joan amidst the blizzard or perhaps purgatory."

    "Oh." Henry''s lips became a thin line. "You dreamt of Joan. You must miss her a lot."

    Edmund chuckled. "Not a minute passes by on this Earth that I do not miss her. Even when she was by my side, I still miss her sorely. I am smitten, you see."

    "Smitten men often end up with a mdy in the head." Henry poked his temple. "I''d be careful not to obsess on seeing Joan much if I were you. A long journey awaits us, possibly thest journey we''ll ever have."

    "Hah! You are always the ray of sunshine in the Arctic Seer, aren''t you, Henry-berry?" Edmund ruffled his hair.

    Henry pushed his hand away. "I''m just being realistic. None had reached the Farthest North, and everyone has been trying for decades, Ed. None had returned alive without being near death or losing more than half of their crew."

    "We will make it." Henry promised. "We will be the first, and finally gain some notoriety once the Queen has taken notice of us. No more scraping for some food and equipment, no more relying on that old-man quid you got from your folks."

    "You don''t like using my money on our expeditions?" Henry frowned.

    p¦Á§ád¦Á-¨¾?¦Í¨º|¡¤§ã¨®§® "I would prefer it if we do not have to." Henry answered seriously as he stood up and put on his clothes. "Though that does not mean I am not the most appreciative of it."

    "Edmund, all the money in the world is nothing to me. I may be sceptical, but believe in your abilities as captain. I believe in this expedition too. I am merely reminding you how treacherous it may be. Even more treacherous than usual."

    "Well, the icy tundra of treachery awaits us." Edmund put on his overcoat and his hat. "Let us greet it with our chin up and our spirits strong!"

    And yet, Edmund could not help but feel a pain in his chest. Like something was wrong.

    But as long as he pushes through these doubts, he will persevere, right?

    He do realise it was a bad habit of his, denial. But it was through this that he had managed to fare well for himself, or at least as good as one half negro in the 18th century may have.

    Edmund went to the deck and took out his spyss. Eventually, he wore a grin. "Land ho, sailors! We''re approaching the Far North soon!"

    Henry went by his side, taking the spyss to check as well. "Are you certain, captain? The fog is still too thick to spot anything, much lessnd upon this white marsh."

    "It isnd, don''t you see that shape over there? The colour is different."

    And the captain was right. Soon, they docked on the snowy beach of what was known as the Far North of the British Isles at that moment. The Arctic regions were still being charted at that time as they try to reach as far as they can.

    "Bring in the sleds and the dogs, boys!" Edmund called out to his men. "And our dearest cartographer, please take some notes, will you?"

    Henry rolled his eyes, already holding a quill pen and some parchment. "No need to tell me twice, Captain."

    They all set out on their journey, with sled dogs as their main mode of transportation and walking at certain times. They have set camp once in a while when the snowstorm was at its worst, and when they have been terribly exhausted and in need of rest.

    In the tent, Edmund wrote some letters he nned to send to his dear Joan. It may be almost impossible for them to reach her within a year or so as there were no messengers in the Arctic, but he still took time to express himself to them.

    The next morning, they somehow reached thisrge pir of ice. The crew of the Arctic Seer was fascinated by such construction. It was an almost perfectly shaped monolith, with a jagged sphere on top.

    "Well, well¡­.. Looks like we are not the first ones to reach these parts." Henry approached it, touching to check if it was truly made of solid ice. "I estimate it must be at least 600 inches tall or so."

    "666." Edmund said.

    Henry raised an eyebrow. "How''d you reach that number?"

    "It is written here, at the base." The captain pointed out. "It is impressive how clean the cuts were. Also, we are in the middle of a frozenke. So that makes this feat even more outstanding."

    He then spotted something inside that ice sphere. It was a different colour, something that looked translucent yet greenish in hue at a certain angle, blue, red, yellow or purple.

    He thought it looked like a shard of ss.

    "Lads¡­. Give me some rope, will you? I want to get that sphere."

    Edmund made asso out of the rope, and tossed it with finesse to get that sphere at the top. He yanked it out and it fell to the ground, cracking. He retrieved the shard with a smile.

    "Now what do we have here? Some piece of jade, crystal, or¡ª"

    "Edmund, look out!"

    Henry pointed to the cracks that formed on the ice beneath him. Edmund tried to rush back to the side of his crew...

    But it was toote.

 Chapter 122 Revealing A Lifes Story

    Harker was awakened by a series of hard ps on the face.

    He wiped the drool off his mouth and sat up. "S-Sorry, Rnd¡­. What time is it?"

    But instead of a reply, he was pushed back down and made to bite on some leaves. Then¡­..

    Someone pushed his broken rib bone sticking out from his chest, forcing it in.

    "Grrhh!!!" He groaned in agonizing pain.

    "Stupid fucking white man."

    Only then did his vision clear and he realized that it wasn''t his best friend that was beside him, and he wasn''t lying in his bed. He was lying on the fluffy snow that was now probably 10 inches thick or more. The one before him was a slightly familiar face of a native man.

    Harker spat out the leaves. "You¡­.. You''re the guy that warned us¡­.."

    The native man actually looked younger than him, possibly 18 or 19, just at the cusp of adulthood.

    "Indeed I am. And you didn''t listen. Ah, stupid white people." He grumbled, and licked the leaves.

    He then pasted it over the open wound, took some cloth, and wrapped it around securely.

    Harker wheezed, as it seemed he had worse damage than his body could regenerate. "T-Thanks¡­. Also, I''m half-ck¡­.."

    The man''s eyes widened, and his expression seemed to soften towards him. He helped Harker up.

    "I see. Stupid fucking half and halfer then."

    Harker staggered as he stood up, but he eventually got the hang of it. The snowstorm showed no indication of ending anytime soon. He tried to get his wits together and remember what happened before he wasying in the snow with his ribs out and getting doctored by some stranger.

    p¦Á§ád¦Á-¨¾?¦Í¨º|¡¤§ã¨®§® "Wait a minute¡­.. Where''s Joan?" He asked.

    "White woman? Ahanu took care of her, feeding her soup now. She''s really cold, almost like a corpse. Should have been a corpse too." He said, supporting Harker by the arm. "So should you¡­"

    Harker looked away, clearing his throat to change the topic as they trudged the white forest one step at a time. "What''s your name, by the way? And who''s this Ahanu?"

    "My name is Ahchuchhwahauhhatohapit."

    "Achuchuck¡­. I''m sorry. Can you repeat that again?"

    "You can call me nk." The man blew a raspberry. "It''s not even that hard, but whatever."

    "nk?"

    "Short for nket. My name means ''One who has stars for a nket''. Some called me Starnket before, but a friend said it made me sound like some fucking showgirl. So I went for nket, but then the jokes of ''Where''s the nket?'' came up every single night. So I am just nk now."

    "Oh." Harker pitied this guy a bit for his name problems. "Well¡­. I''m Harker."

    nk chuckled. "For a man named like that, you ought to have listened. Hark is to ''listen'', is it not? Like ''Hark the Herald Angel Sing'' that you people sing for Christmas."

    Harker did find this a little funny somehow, but scoffed. "Alright, alright, nk. I''ll listen to you this time. Anyway, how is Joan, my¡­.. The woman who''s with me?"

    It felt wrong to call her his professor since he graduated already. But what should he call her? A friend? A nuisance? Not to mention that so many things had happened between them already, so many confusing things like¡­.

    That Edmund Walton thing.

    "Yourdy friend was sleeping soundlyst time I left the tent. Ahanu is my little brother, he cooked soup for us while I was looking for you. We found her first, and she was yelling and crying for you." nk told him. "That woman cares about Harker a lot."

    "I guess she does¡­."

    This caused Harker to feel even more lightheaded. It made him wish that they would keep walking under this icy weather, but they soon reached a small teepee hot with smokeing off from a fire pit.

    Harker was expecting to see another native young man. But¡­.

    "Nistes!!! Astam, ah! Astam!"

    He didn''t expect Ahanu to be THIS young.

    The boy that greeted them was wearing a thick coat of fur and some very fluffy headwear that made him look like a little sheep. He had red markings on his soft, chubby cheeks. The moment he saw them, he wore a toothy smile that seemed to reach to the skies itself.

    "Um¡­. Just how old is your brother?" Harker asked.

    "Ahanu turned 4 justst winter solstice." nk told him. "He''s telling us toe quickly, the stew might get cold."

    "4 years old¡­. Damn." Harker mumbled.

    The little boy stood on his tippy toes to throw the ingredients into the pot. He stirred while humming to himself. Inside the tent¡­..

    Professor Joan Sewardid wrapped up in thick nkets and furskin, her eyes listless and empty.

    But as soon as she saw Harker, life''s fire was rekindled behind them. "Jones! Jones, is that really¡­. Oh, god¡­. I thought you were¡­."

    "A goner? Yeah, well, you should have more faith in me, Prof." Harker found himself smiling as well. "How long was I out there?"

    "nk told me it has been 2 months since he hadst seen me from the wendigo attack."

    Harker coughed out the blood. "T-Two whole months???"

    "And it took him 1 week to find you." Professor Seward said. "So 9 weeks more or less."

    "Fuck¡­.." Harker rubbed his temple. "What about the others? They must be looking for us and¡­. How the hell could they survive out there with THAT thing¡­."

    Professor Seward''s face also becamepaler just from the mention of that thing. The giant that caused them to be separated from their group into this winter wastnd.

    "Save your worries after the meal." nk said, giving them some bowls for the soup. "For now you are safe, so you must thank the god you believe in or perhaps your ancestors watching over you."

    "Miciso! Miciso!" The little kid said as he poured some of the stew he had been making and offered it to them with a light giggle.

    Harker epted it, and felt the hunger hit him once he smelled the good soup. He had been hungry for 9 weeks. That means he already lost the effects of the Subus and Snake demon abilities, and his samples were with bodyguards.

    So of course, he couldn''t set his worries aside after the meal. And there was one question that had been bothering him for so long.

    "Where are the others? Why are there only the two of you right now?"

    Ahanu could not understand what he was saying and only perked up his ears as he sipped the soup. But nk''s face looked grim.

    "I suppose to exin that¡­. I would have to tell you my whole life''s story."

 Chapter 123 Harbinger Of Wendigos

    "But before that¡­.. Can you pass over my rum? I think I might need it to tell nk''s tale¡­." The native man asked.

    Harker blinked, and did notice a sk of rum on his side. It had some indentions which he realized were words encrypted on the pewter. It reads ''Saddle Lake Frontier 46th Battalion''.

    "You''re not the only halfer here." nk took a swig on his sk. "nk is born from an unknown white father, which is very much a shame for my mother in a tribe that prides itself from being able to escape from the influence of the white men."

    Harker did notice his expression softening when he mentioned he was biracial, and that nk''s eyes were a bit lighter than most natives. A sort of gold-ish brown. But he thought he shouldn''t jump to conclusions and point it out.

    It was a good thing he didn''t point it out, because nk looked really pained as he said:

    "For many years of my childhood, I was treated as an outcast. I am a white ghost''s son. Nobody had seen him, nobody knew who he was. My mother did not hold any feelings for him either. He came in her tent and was gone with the wind the next day, while my mother was bleeding and helpless. Maybe he really was a ghost, a monster that took advantage of a poor woman to curse her with a freakish child."

    He pointed to his eyes."There was not a day nk hoped to poke out my eyes that showed the white ghost''s traces. My mother would cry just from looking at these eyes."

    Professor Seward frowned. "I''m sorry about that. I don''t know what it''s like, but I know some people who have also experienced difficulties because of having mixed lineages."

    "It''s nothing for you to feel sorry about." nk said, turning to Harker. "I''m sure I speak for all of us halfers when I say I''d rather you not pity us and see us no different than the rest."

    Harker nodded. "We''re really no different, we can be geniuses and also dumb as fuck. We can be nice and we can be piece of shits. Besides, you ain''t the one prejudiced about us, so it shouldn''t be you saying sorry on behalf of the assholes."

    He then urged nk to keep going. "Then what happened?"

    "Well, I did what most stupid little boys do when I don''t like my home. I ran away." He emptied his sk and tossed it to the side.

    nk sat with legs crossed on the cold snow. "As I ran, I got found by a bunch of white men hunting for buffalos. But I know better now, they''re not just hunting. They''re killing all of them to make us hungry and force us out of hiding. Then¡­."

    He drew something in the snow with his fingers. It looked like a building of sorts, and he was pretty good at finger-drawing as it urately captured its likeness.

    "They took me to the ''Indian residential schools'', as they call it. There wasn''t a day where one of us would die from falling ill, or taking one too many beatings from the teachers. I was a naive boy back then, only 6 years old. I thought when the whites found me, I would find a new home, and get along better with them since I have their eyes."

    He chuckled bitterly. "In the end, it was actually much worse. Teachers despised me for my face just as my mother did for my eyes. There are kids there from tribes that don''t get along with ours, and we fought around almost everyday. But the worst part is¡­."

    His face darkened. "The punishments you get for being caught not speaking English, or not acting in the ''distinguished'' manner. It wasn''t enough to call you a ''savage'', but they do their jobs well by making you feel bad that you were born one."

    "Even so, my foolishness knows no bounds. I still tried to be worthy in their eyes. I became one of their best students, I studied all the books and memorized their songs and poetry more than my tribe''s. I acted as refined as possible, and tried not to get into any fights. Even if it did end up with having my head dunked on the toilet once or twice."<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    He gritted his teeth. "By 15, I had enough. Something made me want to go back to my mother. Because though she despises me, she still never called me a ''brute'' or a ''primitive redskin''. I ran away again, only to learn that my home wasn''t there any more."

    "My tribe has gone as south as possible to run away from this ''Indian Act'' that wants to get rid of our culture and make us ''civilized''. I followed their tracks and finally caught up to them, but nobody remembers me. Except for my mother, who now had a new child in her hands."

    Ahanu seemed to know he was being talked about, as he went by nk''s side and pinched his cheek.

    "Ahanu''s father died from protecting the people in their escape, along with other warriors. He and my mother had only been married a month before that. Despite her dislike for me, she needed me to raise my half-brother. And so I did. I finally found the only person I belong to, the one person that was meant to be my home."

    He tickled the little boy, who giggled with delight. "When I saw him, I knew he was my purpose. I must be with Ahanu no matter what and protect him no matter what."

    nk then set down his brother as he cleared his throat to get back on track. "As we traveled while being chased by the whites, we noticed something strange. The whites had run out of food to eat after running around with their guns. We had seen a few of their corpses, but they looked like they were feasted on by some wild beast."

    "The wendigos?" Professor Seward asked.

    "Yes. We would hear their howls at night, and a snowstorm would follow us no matter the season. They did not look like what they are today. They looked more human and familiar, wearing¡­."

    The hair on Harker''s neck rose as he already anticipated what nk was going to say:

    "The clothes of the soldiers that were chasing us."

    So these wendigos turned out to be white soldiers that had been chasing the natives for years. In their hunger, they ate theirpanions, and gained the curse.

    "We have reached so far away from our old settlement. My mother passed away from fatigue and the cold." nk patted Ahanu''s head. "But the chase is endless just like their hunger. They won''t let us get away and live in peace."

    "It is through the protection of the light that we are safe. The morning, the sun, the me. We stay inside our homes with the fires surrounding us, like quiet mice in fear of owls that can swoop down and kill us mercilessly."

    "Why are you and Ahanu separated from the tribe now?"

    nk suddenly wore a look of remorse and guilt.

    "We had always been, ever since my mother died. You see¡­ they learned I came from one of those schools and spoke the white ghosts''nguage. So they believe I was the one who brought the curse with me. I had doomed the tribe ever since I was born. To them¡­."

    "I am the Harbinger of the Wendigos."

 Chapter 124 The Guardian Spirit Of The Mountains

    The following days, Harker, Joan, nk and little Ahanu had traveled around in search of the bodyguards. At night, they would rest and hide at the nearest cave and enclosures, then continue their travels under the protective light of the sun.

    Harker knew that due to their loyalty, the bodyguards wouldn''t leave this mountain that easily. They may have even informed Rnd already about their disappearance to send more men to look for them. The best case scenario would be that they''re out there, searching for more than 2 months.

    Obviously, the worst case scenario was that the wendigos had got to them during their search.

    The bodyguards were only human after all. Not only were they no match to these giant cannibals, they were susceptible to the diseases from staying in this snowy area and other factors like hunger and thirst, fatigue and loss of morale.

    They lost two of their men in such a grotesque way, and they had to spend every night being alert and in fear of what may jump down from the tall pine trees. Such paranoia can cause anyone to go mad. They also lost the very person they were told to protect.

    Without the DNA of the monsters, Harker would have to eat specific types of animals if he wanted to regain that bit of enhanced senses. Specificallyrge predators like wolves and bears that could maybe give him sharp ws and fangs at least.

    Which reminded him¡­..

    "Mina¡­.." He muttered, smokeing out of his mouth from the condensation.

    Professor Seward heard this, and sighed. "Your girlfriend needed your DNA, right? Will she be okay for 2 months without it?"

    "I hope so¡­.. But it''s unlikely she was. I can only hope she found some body of water to hide in."

    "What is DNA?" nk asked.

    Ahanu simply watched his surroundings while on his brother''s horse with his usual wide grin.

    "It''s¡­.plicated to exin for people that don''t know much about science. Basically, it is the structure in our genes, the one that determines our traits." Professor Seward tried to exin as simply as she could. "Genes are passed down from generations, that is why the offspring often share traits with the parent."

    "Oh, I see. This DNA is why I have my white father''s eyes, right?" nk concluded.

    "Yes."

    "Then why does his ''girlfriend'' need his DNA? Would you need it too, since you''re also his girlfriend?" nk said.

    Joan reddened. "W-Why would you think that? I look much older than him."

    "Not really. And besides, it is not the appearance that mattered in love. Though I can''t say much, because I barely felt it back when I was in that Indian residential school."

    "You had a crush back in school?" Harker asked.

    nk looked away. "For a short while. But it is not meant to be, the teachers would forbid it and call it sinful ording to their Christian doctrines."

    Harker nodded. "That''s sad. You should be allowed to like whoever you like. Even the teachers controlled that? What a bunch of assholes."

    nk cleared his throat to stop himself from choking. "Anyway, I thought that you and this woman had the same thing that was between me and my beloved. That yearning that lingers in the air like the sparks of light when they blur the vision."<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    Harker doesn''t know why his face also felt hot from him saying that. "I¡­ Well, that must be your imagination. You see, I treat Miss Joan here like a mentor or possibly a friend that you can throw jabs with."

    Joan noticed now that he had called her by her name instead, but didn''t point it out. She simply blushed even deeper.

    "I see." nk rubbed his chin. "But if you did change your mind as you get to know her, you''d also see her as a ''girlfriend'', right?"

    Harker shook his head. "As long as Mina does not allow it herself, I can only have one girlfriend. And it''s very unlikely that she would."

    nk then pped. "Ah, then you just need to have this Mina''s permission, right? I thought it was something like those Christian whites said where they didn''t want to find another because ''a man has only one heart and so could only give it to one woman''."

    Harker scratched the back of his neck. "It''s moreplicated than that, you don''t know Mina like I do. And I really don''t have any feelings for¡ª"

    Ahanu suddenly took Joan''s scarf, and tossed it far away to be carried by the wind.

    "Hey!" Joan eximed at the kid who justughed heartily.

    Harker quickly ran to grab it, even though it got stuck on a pine tree and he had to jump up to get it. Then, he ran all the way back to return it to his former professor.

    "Here you go. That little brat sure is a prankster, huh?" Harker said.

    nk and Ahanu just shared a look, and the two brothers just startedughing incessantly. Harker blinked, even though deep down, he knew what they wereughing about. It was just better to act ignorant to these kinds of things.

    They soon suddenly reached a clearing, and Harker realized that this ce¡­.

    It was where he burned the trees to defeat the wendigos, and he also spotted the cave nearby. He rushed into the entrance, calling out.

    "Hello!?? Is anybody there!??"

    There was no response. Harker thought about going further, but also feared that this may be where the wendigos were hiding during the day. He and Joan had lost the methrower after being hit by that creature''s hand. There wasn''t much fuel left in it to be useful anyway.

    Harker told nk the description of the giant man-deer creature, and asked if it was familiar to him. He also revealed that it was the reason why they were sent flying hundreds of meters away from their group, and that it seemed to be close to the wendigos.

    nk frowned. "I don''t know much about creatures, actually. I only knew about the wendigos because the tribe told me. Even Ahanu knows more about these things than I do."

    He went to speak with his little brother about this monster, and the little boy listened carefully, losing his smile. He then looked at Harker with a grave expression, which was unsettling since he was alwaysughing and being cheeky all the time.

    He then pointed at the trees, and said some words. nk''s expression also turned grave at this.

    Joan nervously crossed her arms. "What did he say?"

    "He said¡­. He said that you may have angered the guardian spirit of these mountains by destroying his home. And so the only way to appease him would be to spill your blood."

 Chapter 125 Dance Till Your Legs Give Out

    nk shot a ming arrow inside the cave to make sure it was safe from the wendigos. It really was, and there was no one there. The traces of the bodyguards camping there were miniscule, so they must have left it for a long time now.

    They went inside to settle there for the night, and repeat their routine of searching and traveling at dusk.

    It was disappointing for Harker and Joan, but it was still progress as they have returned to where they were originally from. Still, what the little boy said was troubling them.

    The little boy was now in a long conversation with his older brother. He was moving his hands around wildly, as if he was truly rmed by something. He then kept on saying something simr to ''Sasquatch'', which made Harker curious. He approached the two and asked:

    "Is he saying that the monster we encountered was the Sasquatch himself? Bigfoot?" Harker asked. "But I thought he was an ape¡­."

    "It is sasq''ets, from our neighbors myths. A hairy man, a shapeshifter. I do not know of this Bigfoot you speak of." nk told him.

    He added: "But I do know that from what Ahanu was telling me, you and your not-girlfriend are in grave danger. The hairy man is a spirit that protects the forest. It is beyond a doubt that he would not be pleased with your destruction."

    nk pointed at the fire. "Everything has a spirit. Our interactions with them cause different consequences. That is why when you lit a fire, you must thank the spirit of the me that gives you warmth and safety. That is why when you eat, you must thank the spirit of the nts and the meat that has given you their energy."

    The little boy stood up, and started tapping his feet. nk exined:

    "Ahanu is suggesting that we dance to appease the hairy man. You must make a promise to return the trees you have destroyed in order for the spirits that reside within them to have a new home. Then he might not want to take your blood."

    "Might?" Harker frowned.

    "It is uncertain whether a promise would appease the hairy man. But you must try. For it is possible that he may not let you pass through these mountains safely for any longer. He would start to hunt for you and Joan."

    Harker had no choice but to consider doing this apology ritual dance. He just hoped that the anger of this guardian spirit did not transfer to the bodyguards, and that they were still out there. Ahanu taught them how to make the preparations, and the steps and chants seemed easy enough. However¡­.

    "Do we really have to do this at night?" Harker frowned.

    Joan agreed. "That''s when the wendigose. Even if we will be dancing around a fire pit, it''s still dangerous. And I''d rather you boys to not be out in the open with those monsters that have super strength and super speed. They''d kill you before you can blink."

    Ahanu spoke again, and nk tranted it.

    "If the spirit feels we are being sincere, he will protect us from the wendigos and let us continue dancing. However, we must stay within the light of the me just to be safe. Even if the wendigos dide, they will stay in the shadows'' reach."

    At sunset, they set out to do the ritual. Ahanu arranged the fire pit carefully, and another circle of stones to be the borders of their dance. He reminded them to never miss a step and tread this area carefully.

    He suddenly went to approach Harker and Joan, who were practicing the steps together. He pulled on Joan''s sleeves and held out his hand.

    "What does he want?" Joan asked nk, who was busy fanning the mes to rise higher.

    "He''s asking for the leaves you have."

    "The leaves?" Joan looked confused.

    "The leaves. The one you smoke."

    The undead professor was stunned by this. "You want me to give weed to a child?"<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    Harker sighed. "Just give it to him. Wouldn''t want to anger that Sasquatch again now, do we? Besides, you''re not really concerned about the child''s welfare and more because you didn''t want to lose your stash, right?"

    Joan grumbled and took out a blunt from her pocket. "For your information, Jones, I do care about the welfare of the child. I am still a professional though I barely act like it. Otherwise, I would have jumped at your dick while you were still my student."

    This shut Harker up as he tried to get rid of the mental image of this woman''s voluptuous buttocks over his dick.

    Ahanu took the weed, but still doesn''t look satisfied.

    "He''s asking for the tobo too." nk exined. "He said tobo is the really important part."

    "Fuck, even my cigarettes. Fine, fine." She handed all her cigarettes to the boy.

    The boy took all of them and took them out of their blunts. He had seemed to have created a long wooden pipe in such a short amount of time, and ced the cannabis and tobo there. Then he lit them up and started smoking.

    As smoke came out of his lips, he started chanting. He then made two pats on the ground just as the sun had set in the sky.

    "It''s time." nk told them. "Let''s do this. Follow my lead."

    The three started dancing awkwardly at first, moving around the stone circle as they did. Ahanu kept on half-chanting and half-singing with his eyes closed, still smoking the pipe. This made his voice significantly deeper, and each hum he made resounded deep within his chest.

    Soon, it felt like they weren''t listening to a little boy sing anymore. It doesn''t sound like an old man either, but something else entirely. A being that transcends this material ne, one with nature and the spirit realm.

    All three of them can''t help but be a little distracted by this sudden divine aura. nk tried to stop himself from looking at his brother by closing his eyes and focusing on the dance. He had good senses to not step on the stone even when dancing blindly.

    Harker had such a strong sense of denial that it was enough for him to deny Ahanu''s presence. Any normal human would not be able to do that.

    But Joan was normal, and it was toote. As she passed over the young boy, her feet pushed the stone ever so slightly out of ce¡­..

    And a wed hand quickly grabbed it from the shadows, finding a way in.

    Harker shouted. "The wendigos!"

    The little boy made a gesture with his hand.

    nk eximed. "He said keep going no matter what, so we must keep dancing!"

    "But he''s in danger!" Joan eximed, as the thin, gray hands of death started to reach towards the little boy''s head.

    Ahanu was sweating and his voice shook, but he kept chanting. The hands now gripped into his shoulders. Sinking their sharp nails and drawing blood.

    nk was left with a tough choice. But he knew Ahanu wanted them to keep going.

    He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.

    "Keep dancing! No matter what happens tonight, you must keep dancing until your legs give out in honor of the Sasq''ets!"

 Chapter 126 To Catch A Wendigo

    The tension was high as the dance itself went faster. With every beat, more wendigo hands came to reach for Ahanu.

    All three adults had to keep dancing and ignore this, which proved to be the most difficult thing they had done in their life. Harker thought that this was even more difficult than the time he had to let Mina go to follow her path towards revenge.

    The little boy was sobbing now from the pain as the hands tore off his clothes and sunk their ws deep into his flesh. Blood trickled all over the patch of snow where he sat.

    Harker can''t take it anymore. He can''t let this poor boy die just so he and Joan could be spared by Bigfoot.

    He almost stopped dancing when¡ª

    The ground shook, and the hands retreated. The wendigos seemed to have run off. Ahanu sighed in relief in between the lines of his song, but he was still bleeding all over. One of the ws was so close to piercing through his lungs itself.

    Soon, they felt arge shadow slowly creep up behind them. They have stopped dancing, and looked up.

    The hairy giant man was peering at them with his beady eyes behind the mask. The me gave the mask of deer bones a sinister gleam. There was also the heavy stench of carcass and rancid body odor.

    The Sasquatch opened his mouth. The three were stuck in ce, not knowing what to expect next. Will it say that he forgives them? Or will it deny this offering of apology?

    Yet as he opened his mouth¡­.

    Swarms of ck writhing creatures came out, and they realized that its tongue was made of that. It suddenly gripped Ahanu''s neck between two fingers, forcing the boy to gasp for air. Then¡­.

    The ck writing worms went inside his mouth. Ahanu convulsed and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

    "Ahanu!" nk eximed, grabbing his arrow and setting the tip in mes.

    But before he could shoot this monster¡­.

    "Fear not, Ahchuchhwahauhhatohapit. I am simply borrowing your brother as a mouthpiece."

    It spoke with a deep voice through Ahanu''s mouth.

    "You are willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of two strangers. I find that difficult to understand, for I know how much you treasure him." The giant said.

    "I believe in Ahanu first and foremost, and I simply respect his decision to ask us to keep going. And he was right in the end, is he not?" nk said calmly, yet still looked like he was ready to shoot this monster in the face. "I have no regrets."

    "I see. And you, Harker Jones." The monster turned Ahanu''s head in Harker''s direction. "You seek many things. You seek Victoria Seward. You seek the valiant men that aided you in your search for her. And yet you still seek your beloved from afar, the one who is stopping you from giving in to the wiles of Joan Seward."

    "I''m sorry about the trees. I didn''t mean to burn them in the first ce, your hungry gray pets were just trying to eat us and we''re desperate." Harker said.

    The giant chuckled in a low, gravel tone. "You are forgiven, but that does not mean that I will give you my protection. I am not the wendigo''s master, they have a will of their own. They just choose to not block my path, just as a small bird does not dare to aggravate a bigger one. But be assured that while we are speaking, we will not be interrupted."

    "Where are the bodyguards?" Harker asked, his hands clenched.

    He still doesn''t like this giant creature very much, since he can''t decide whether it was a friend and an enemy. And those that were in between were the most difficult to deal with.

    "The men had left the mountains, I heard they will bring back a search party to look over all areas of the Appchians." The giant answered. "They will be bringing those flying metal bees, the helicopters."<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    Joan frowned. "How can we know you''re not lying?"

    "You don''t." A dark smile grew on Ahanu''s face. "How can we ever know what is the truth and what is not? Perhaps this is all a dream, a dream that a creature muchrger than I was dreaming about. And he himself has forgotten that he was dreaming."

    Harker shook his head. "Don''t let him get into your head. What matters is we get answers from him, and we will confirm it ourselves whether it''s true or not."

    "That is the right way. Pushing blindly through, even when some may say it is foolish." The giant said. "People who believe themselves to be smart and mock those who continue on blindly do not realize their own blindness, and therefore are more foolish. The one who achieves enlightenment is the one that realizes it is not attained, but simply ignited from within."

    "Will you tell us where Victoria is?" Harker ignored all the cryptic mumbo-jumbo and focused on his own goal.

    "Her base is at the far, far north of the mountains. Where the two brothers originally came from." Therge hand of the giant pointed. "Best of luck if you could reach the ce alive, with the curse of the malevolent lingering in the air. Their hunger never ends. The question is¡­."

    He smiled directly at Harker.

    "How about yours? Will your hunger for the truth overpower their greed?"

    The ck slimy moving critters were ejected from the little boy''s mouth, returning to the Sasquatch. He let Ahanu go, and walked away. The boy coughed and nk quickly took him in his arms.

    "We stay close by the fire until morning." He said, patting his little brother in the back. "Then we start traveling back to Saddle Lake."

    "From which state is Saddle Lake?" Professor Seward asked.

    "I don''t know. I have no knowledge of this state you speak of. But I will always know the way back home, as my mother had taught me how to read the stars in the sky to find it."

    Harker had still a lot of questions buzzing in his mind after what happened. But the most immediate thing was what they could do for the injured little boy. He was shivering from the cold, and his wounds were numerous and deep.

    Joan took off her jacket and wrapped Ahanu in it. "It''s all my fault. I''m sorry."

    Therge scar on her torso was revealed, a scar that should have killed her. nk looked at it for a while but said nothing.

    "All of us almost misstepped." Harker said. "And we''re not experts in this dance. Don''t me yourself. Will you be alright from the cold, though?"

    "I will. My blood flows slowly anyway, and my senses are more numb than when I was¡­. Before." She said, almost slipping up.

    nk took some leaves with him to ce over Ahanu''s wounds. He then said:

    "Don''t bother hiding it anymore. I know the both of you are not like Ahanu and I." nk said. "I did not bother asking, since we have always believed in heroes and legendary beings that exist as more superior than most men. But if there is something about you that may help or be of detriment to us, speak now."

    Harker raised his hand. "I have a proposition to make. It''s a crazy one, but it''s the only way we can survive while traveling to Saddle Lake. And I need all of your help."

    nk nodded firmly. "Just speak it and I''ll listen."

    He looked at the young native man, his poor little brother, and this undead woman that was virtually unkible.

    "We''re going to catch one of the wendigos."

 Chapter 127 Shackles Of The Past

    "Catch a wendigo?" nk was utterly confused by this proposal. "How do we even begin to do that?"

    "First, we need a trap. The cave will be that trap, we just need to make a few more adjustments." Harker said. "Then, a bait. Someone who will lure the wendigo in the cave while the attackeres in. We only need one wendigo. So there needs to be a defense, someone who will block the other wendigos from going inside."

    He added while drawing lines on the snow. "I will be the attacker. We will execute the n three days from now."

    "Why three days?" Joan asked.

    "I need to experiment with something." He said. "Within those three days, I need help with hunting. I heard the howls of wolves before, the hoots of the owls, and of course, I have seen many deers wandering around."

    "What will you do once you hunt those animals?" nk asked.

    Harker decided that since he will be needing his support in this n, the least he could do was to be honest with him.

    "I''m going to eat them. A lot of them. One wolf, one deer or one owl wouldn''t cut it. I need to go on a diet of about 5 of each animal for three days. And¡­ This may disturb you all, but I have to eat them raw."

    He had noticed that each time that there was a notification about the animal''s abilities being limited, it''s always because they were cooked. He had never tried eating raw animals before, and especially unconventional animals like this. Out of curiosity, he asked Yan while he was bathing on an unfrozenke a few days ago:

    "Say, If I eat a cheetah¡­. What would its stats be like? Is it still all D despite it being fast?"

    "Yes, Master. But a cheetah''s ability is considered a rare type of nameless ability. Mainly because it has more stat points than that of other nameless abilities, like a chicken''s. A cheetah has high speed and raw power." Yan exined.

    The eyeball added. "Eating one cheetah would result in all D, yes. But if you probably eat more than one, the summation of the high speed and raw power stat points canbine to turn that D stat into a C."

    "So if I eat a lot of cheetah''s, I can still gain a decent amount of stats?" Harker asked.

    Yan nodded. "Yes, within your Absorption Limit, of course. Eating a whole animal is harder to digest and absorb, and does not have the same quality as monster flesh. But it''s still not bad if you have no choice left."

    He then confirmed another hunch he had in his mind:

    "Mina would often mix her features with Rnd''s, so it''s notplete shapeshifting but more like a hybrid instead. And I have seen Skittles turn into a creature with different traits from different animals before." He said. "So that means¡­."

    Yan did confirm it was right. So he wanted to test it right now, when he really needed that Wendigo ability to protect his group during their long travel in the mountains.

    nk was hesitant at first to help him, since he had doubts about how the Sasquatch would react to this. But Harker reassured him with this point:

    "The woods is the animals'' habitat, so I understand why he''d get angry. But animals kill and eat each other all the time. We humans are essentially animals too, just gifted with a little more sentience. So would it really trouble the spirit of the mountain for us to just apply nature''s rule of ''''Survival of the Fittest''?"

    Eventually, he agreed, and taught Harker how to shoot arrows and take down wild beasts. Harker managed to get the hang of it pretty quick, as he still has a bit of enhanced senses as a demon lord after all.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    Some of the meat they hunted goes to the other three, while Harker feast on the rest alone inside the cave. He didn''t want to make them ufortable seeing him with blood sttered on his teeth, chewing on raw, uncooked flesh. But he did catch Joan trying to peek once in a while.

    This was confirmed when on the second day of his diet, Joan sat beside him on the campfire while nk still took care of Ahanu''s recovery.

    "I don''t know how you could do it." She said, her eyes focused on the me.

    Harker just picked on a piece of meat stuck on his teeth. "I already told you that I''m not a normal human now. I''m a monster, so I just have to roll with it even if it''s disgusting, or immoral, or whatever word you''d like to use."

    "That''s not what I meant. I''m also technically a monster now, remember?" Joan smiled wryly.

    "You''re still more human than I am. Just that you can''t die easily, which is lucky. I have a bunch of monsters going after me even when I want to live a simple life, whether I like it or not." He sighed.

    Harker gave a bitter chuckle. "Meanwhile, you don''t even have to be dragged in this in the first ce had you not epted my call to help searching for Victoria. You''d never see wendigos in your life, or learn about demons and mermaids existing¡ª"

    "And I''d never meet the real you right now. The one you hide from everyone else."

    He closed his mouth once Joan said that.

    "Harker¡­.. Do you really hate not being ''normal'' that much? Because I''d like to give my two cents about that." She said.

    Harker didn''t say a word, and continued to watch the mes for a while. Then, he said, "Go ahead."

    "I don''t want this to sound like I''m preaching. But basically, I know you believe being the ''normal'' guy gives you an easier life. But what is normal? It''s defined by a society that doesn''t even know itself, that keeps on imposing rules that don''t make sense half of the time. That could only be applied to certain people, ignoring the rest that can''t follow those rules."

    She sighed, and spoke sincerely:

    "I was a normal woman in the 18th century. Better than normal, my family and I never have to worry about food to eat or face any prejudices. They are well-regarded and respected by themunity."

    Joan gritted her teeth. "And yet the price of being ''normal'' would be that you are always on a leash to keep being so. To maintain what standards they set on us, and to hide the parts of ourselves that we don''t want the world to see."

    "I will always live with those shackles on my neck until..." She faltered. "Well, until I met Edmund."

    Harker already expected that for some reason.

    The night seemed long, and there was nothing in the cave besides the warmth of the fire and their voices. Harker wasn''t feeling sleepy anyway, and needed to digest all the wolves, deers and owls he ate.

    "If it''s fine with you¡­. I want to know what happened to Edmund, and how you and your family became like this. What is your past life like?

 Chapter 128 And The Notions Of Right And Wrong

    "Well, to start off, I was studying to be a physicist just like my father. I studied medicine, particrly those that can help with very tough diseases at the time like tuberculosis and the scarlet fever. Because of this, I would often do my research on the slums and impoverished areas where the diseases were easily caught."

    She avoided Harker''s face the whole time while reminiscing, as if doing that would bring her to tears.

    "That was when I met him, in Soho. He was 19 at the time, and I was 16. Now, that was perfectly normal at the time, only now did it be such a huge issue for legal ''adults'' to be seeing someone that''s not past 18. Do you see now how often these rules change?"

    She waved her hand. "But I digress. He was fascinated by the sea from the age of 13 and worked in his father''s boat. At 19, he had already finished saving money for his own ship and gathered a crew. Though of course, it wasn''t that easy and there was the matter about him not only being poor, but also the son of a ck maidservant from a Baron''s house in Mayfair."

    Harker could see now why she would easily mistake him for Edmund. Not only do they look and act alike, but their backgrounds were also simr, being biracial and impoverished.

    "Edmund and I weren''t really on the best terms when we first met. He sees my research as demeaning to his people, that I am simply manipting them into believing I havee to heal their illness. When really, I just came to study them to make medicine for the rich so as not to be infected."

    Joan chuckled. "Which is far from true, by the way. And he realized that. We became closer, and I had eventually boarded his ship too. The Arctic Seer. He had always gone for the extremes, and he would sail for weeks to all sorts of ces with the little he could scrap together."

    "By the time he was 22, I was 19 and the courting had be worse. Most people assume that we marry young back then, but that''s not true. The usual age would be within 22-28, the courtship does begin quite early going as early as 13. That was when suitors would be visiting almost every week and all sorts of tedious parties would happen."

    Harker already guessed where this was going. "Your parents won''t let you and Edmund be together?"

    She snorted. "Not even if he gets a golden ship. My parents are not the most tolerant when ites to mixed blood. We already expected it, and made ns to elope after his trip to the Farthest North. Better known now as the North Pole."

    "And then¡­.." She frowned. "He never came back. I was headstrong and wouldn''t ept any suitors even when I was already 26. And so, my parents decided to force me into it. Went on a trip on a train to Scond for this lord or some other."

    "But I was having none of it. The man that I love, and will only love, is somewhere far north than that. Possibly frozen to death, or in the belly of a shark or whale. Or maybe¡­. Just maybe¡­. Still alive somehow."

    She finally turned to Harker, tears streaking her cheeks that were already red from the windburn.

    "I never really lost hope. I thought Edmund was a tough guy, and I never saw his crew either. Maybe they got lost in another country, living there like the hunter-gatherers of the past. I wanted to find him, and that''s how my argument with my parents came to be."

    She hugged herself. "We were shouting at each other, not noticing that the train was having problems and was about to crash or get sidetracked. I''m not sure, everything just happened so fast. Victoria was the only one who survived with one of her arms broken."

    "Meanwhile, my father, mother and I¡­. Our hearts stopped. We were utterly crushed. But Victoria insisted on having us pulled out. And when I woke up, well¡­. I''m like this now."

    She gestured at her body. "I don''t know how she did it, I didn''t dare ask. I still age and feel sick, by the way. But it seems drastic changes in my appearance don''t happen until centuries. And you know what''s the most stupid part?"

    Harker looked at this woman, and didn''t really know how to feel about her and her story. He just felt¡­. hurt.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He can feel her pain, right in his heart as if a frostbite was spreading to make his chest feel numb.

    "Loving someone for all these years isn''t stupid." He told her. "It''s just being loyal¡ª"

    "I still believe that he''s alive, and every time I look at you, I feel that he is. These feelings I had with him are just the same as I did with you."

    He was stunned, and could only keep his mouth agape.

    "I don''t believe in love at first sight and all that bullshit, but¡­. Do you remember the first time we met? When I bumped into you and spilled my coffee?"

    Harker recalled that. "Yeah, it was my first day in Stoker too. And I remember wanting to make a good impression on the professors."

    "And you were mad because I didn''t say sorry. I just don''t know why. I felt that sense of annoyance that I did with Edmund, yet there was also something else to that annoyance. This emotion I can''t exin, like finding a missing key after all this time or finally getting a sunny side up egg right. I guess what I''m trying to say is that I felt¡­. relieved."

    She smiled at him sadly. "I felt relieved that I finally found you."

    Harker doesn''t know whether it was the abyss within her green eyes, or the desperation in her voice. She just looked so¡­.. beautiful.

    It was a shame to find someone beautiful when they were in pain like this, but she really was.

    This vulnerability was what makes it so heart-wrenching, which makes his gut clench and he can''t stop the urge to¡­.

    Their faces went almost too close, and he had already felt her breath over his lips the moment he snapped out of it. He pushed her away a little too harshly.

    "S-Sorry." He said, clearing his throat. "I... I need to go to sleep. I''m tired."

    Harker also knew that nk had been listening and watching this whole time. He quickly hid his face on his nket made of patched up wolf fur and deerskin, trying to ignore the others in the cave that looked at him. Possibly thinking that he''s¡­.

    A coward, and still can''t let go of his notions of right and wrong, normal and abnormal.

    Asking about Joan''s past was a bad idea, as he only became even more confused than before.

 Chapter 129 Birth Of A New Creature

    The next day, Harker insisted on hunting alone. That was thest time he would be shooting animals and eating them raw for his diet. The day before that was the moment of truth.

    Would this n work? He could only dive into it blindly.

    In case things went wrong, he entrusted nk to use his ming arrows to get Joan out of the cave. The original n was to have him as the bait, but¡­.

    "I''ll do it. He should be the one on defense anyway. He''ll do it better than me who can just wave torches in front of the wendigos'' faces."

    Harker tried to argue, but she was having none of it.

    "I want to be the one to see how you will attack this wendigo. If you die, I will burn you and the wendigo myself so the others can''t eat you. You''d prefer that, right? A cremation rather than being a buffet?"

    Harker closed his mouth and sighed. "If I die, you waste no time and run out of there. Look for the bodyguards with nk and Ahanu, and tell them to pass the news to my family. Tell them I died valiantly protecting others until the end."

    "Sure thing, Hamlet." She scoffed. "But if you did die, I won''t be going to your funeral. I might end up embarrassing you to your family with my eulogy. "

    Harker knew the real reason why she couldn''t attend his funeral. He knows how strong and vtile Joan''s emotions were towards him.

    But he just smiled as if they were doing their usual bickering. Instead of actually worrying about a life-or-death situation. Again, there were things that were better to be ignored in certain moments, like a taboo that must not be spoken out loud.

    nk meanwhile just created more arrows and polished them. "If both of you die inside the cave, I will tell your other friends that you both died a valiant death, working together as one."

    He set down the multiple fire pits to surround and protect him and Ahanuter. They were stationed at the cave''s entrance. His little brother was slowly getting in better shape, though his voice was still hoarse and he could only say a few words at the time. He was wrapped up inyers of fur coat, and yet he was still shivering.

    "Mahti ekawiya¡­.." He mumbled with his eyes closed, sounding very distressed.

    He kept saying things which made his older brother frown.

    Harker approached him. "What is he saying?"

    "Please don''t." nk said.

    "Please don''t what?" Harker asked, though he had a feeling he knew what it was.

    nk turned to him, repeating his brother''s words. "Mahtu ekawiya micih. Please don''t eat."

    Harker took a deep breath, and then exhaled. "Why not?"

    nk asked his brother, but the boy did not speak anything else besides the same thing. It wasn''t clear who he was talking to, and what he didn''t want to be eaten. But Harker already knew in his heart what it was.

    He went inside the cave, hiding behind tall stgmites while Joan turned on her torch and stood outside, waiting for the sunset. Once it gets dark, she will run inside the cave to lure one of the wendigos in, and nk has to shoot down everything else that tries to get in.

    Harker squatted as he waited, his face grim. He called out to the only other presence in this cave.

    The one entity that never leaves his side.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Yan, I have something I want to confirm. The wendigo were once human, and not born monsters. They just got cursed instead, right?"

    The flying eyeball appeared by his side. It also looked somehow even grimmer than him, despite not having a face.

    "Yes. They are cursed with the endless desire for the flesh, just like the zombies. They needed it to get stronger, yes, but they also crave it just like one would crave an addiction. They could never resist the presence of meat."

    Harker clenched his fist. "Will that curse be passed on to me if I eat them?"

    Just like how the diseases that the zombies carry would be passed on to him. Though he could control what he shapeshifted as, it''s different from blocking curses and diseases acquired from eating.

    Yan didn''t say anything, because he knows his Master already knows the answer to his own question. Harker had known it for a long time. He just chose to deny the truth to keep going, just like he always does.

    He stood up, brushing himself up. "Not like I have any choice. I already made precautions."

    Soon, he heard the rushing footsteps, and lighting his way. It''s here.

    The wendigo had been lured by the bait, and he muste to feed on it soon. To eat the one that only knows how to eat and eat and never be satisfied.

    The gray monster was fast, and the only thing that was warding it off was the torch that Joan Seward was holding. She was running as fast as she could, but she also knew that if she slipped or fell, it''s all over.

    These creatures snapped a person in half with their own bare hands. And the one she caught¡­.

    Was a prettyrge one, about 13 feet tall.

    The wendigo ran on all fours like a wild predator. Saliva dripped from its razor sharp yellow teeth, along with some blood. Harker realized that the blood was murkier and darker, and saw the bite mark on Joan''s shoulder.

    Yet she did not react to this at all.

    Still, she had a human mind, and fear never truly left it. Once she finally reached a dead end and couldn''t go any further, her green eyes showed shes simr to a cornered prey.

    She gulped, and shouted. "Anytime now, Jones. I know I agreed to this, but I don''t wanna be turned into confetti without seeing my sister first."

    Harker took a deep breath, the light of her torch casting shadows over his face.

    And it also casted shadows on the walls. You can see the long and slender shadow of the wendigo, even Joan''s shadow, and¡­..

    A creature slowly appeared from behind the jagged and sharp rocks. It slowly grewrger andrger, movements erratic as it transformed.

    It grew as tall as a strong stag, and yet low and deep growls could be heard from a long snout. The feet had the shape of a canine''s paw, antlers slowly grew, andstly¡­..

    The wings that bear the pattern of a snow owl erupted from its back. It was the birth of a new creature that never existed, until this night.

 Chapter 130 Born From Fear And Deviance

    The deer-wolf-owl creature stood at 4 feet tall when on all fours, not adding the wings when spread out. Its length from the tip of the nose to the tail was 8 feet. An ordinary wolf was only 6 feet in length, and a deer on average was 6-7. However¡­..

    The wings were definitely muchrger than even the biggest non-mythical owl that exists in this world. The wings were 30 feet long each in order for it to be able to lift the body. That alone was big enough to cover the wendigo itself.

    Despite this, scientifically, such creatures would still face difficulties in flight. There is a reason why birds and bats have no arms, and their legs were much shorter. Legs were long for running, while flying creatures only use theirs for perching over branches and rocks.

    But the deer-wolf-owl was still able to p itsrge and heavy wings, lifting off the ground. It was quick, and set its paws over to w at the wendigo.

    There''s no shortage of animal hybrids in myths, though this specificbination was never recorded before. This creature may be likened to the Hundun of Chinese mythology, the representation of primordial chaos itself, which had the body of a pig, the legs of a lion or bear, and four wings of a bird.

    There were even creatures that were a mixture of more than four kinds of animals, like the Navagunjara in Hindu myth that was made of 8 animals plus a human hand. The head of a rooster, feet of an elephant, tiger, deer/horse; fourth limb being the hand that holds a lotus; the neck of a peacock; the back of a bull; the waist of a lion; and the tail of a serpent.

    These creatures would either represent gods or creation myths as well. Hundun beingpared to the world egg, and Navagunjara being one of Vishnu''s forms.

    If someone did watch this creature appear from nowhere and attack them, they truly would be stricken with fear. Even a wendigo that had lost much of its humanity shrieked from spotting such a thing.

    Harker still has his mind despite turning into this hybrid, which he was grateful for. He can still strategically make attacks instead of going for impulse.

    The downside was that he doesn''t have much time. Eating a lot of normal animals still meant a short duration.

    He wondered what exactly would help increase the stats of his Shapeshifting ability itself, especially the Duration, Absorption and Effectiveness stats. But that''s a question he must save forter, as he tried to take a bite off the wendigo''s arm with his wolf face and teeth.

    The wendigo was not clever in its fighting style, but it had in ruthlessness on its side. It grabbed onto Harker''s wings to w them with its own long and sharp fingernails.

    Harker knocked it off with his own weight, and mmed it over the cave''s walls. It went to sh at the wendigo''s shrunken stomach.

    No matter what it eats, its belly was never full and bone thin. Barely anything spilled out when he shed like that. Harker quickly licked the grayish blood that flowed from within this beast''s cold body.

    It was much dirtier than Joan''s, and had the viscosity of a tree sap. It tasted terrible too, and as soon as Harkerpped it up with his tongue, he felt like he just had a brain freeze.

    It was bitter and cold, just like the snowstorm that this creature brings.

    The notification appeared by his side confirming that he did get the wendigo''s DNA. However, Harker did not look at it first as he needed to finish this one off. He needs to eat it before it tries to get away or call the others with its banshee-like shrieks.

    Joan had already hidden behind the stgmites, watching the fight with immense dread. She had never seen Harker transform into anything before, and just seeing him turn into this creature brought her in awe.

    But the sheer power that he holds was something else entirely, leaving her reeling on what to feel about it.

    Harker went for the wendigo''s legs, as it would not be able to go away if it couldn''t run with its fast speed. He managed to chew one of its feet off, but eating and fighting at the same time was harder than its sounds.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The wendigo would not die even if you attack its ''fatal'' parts. He had tested this theory by smashing arge gaping hole on its head where the brain should be.

    And yet it still went on, the curse of its own greed never letting ite to pass into the afterlife.

    The only way to get rid of it just like the zombies was fire, and fire would burn its flesh which Harker needed. He was set on eating the whole thing no matter what.

    The wendigo still put up a fight by grabbing a boulder and smashing it on Harker''s wolf head. But Harker had already tasted the blood of this cursed cannibal¡­.

    And so nothing can stop him anymore when ites to consumption. He will feed.

    He will feed and feed no matter what.

    The wendigo was digging its fingers and ripping Harker''s thick buck hide. Soon the muscles on his shoulder became visible, and patches of him kept on being torn off. Blood dripped everywhere on the cave''s floor.

    Harker can feel the pain. It was truly extreme, and anyone would have passed out by now.

    But the pain was being overpowered by something else. A stronger, insatiable emotion. It was more than hunger. Hunger can be satisfied. This one could not.

    It was pure greed for the pleasures of consuming flesh.

    He had dug his teeth again and again to crush the bones of this creature that was once a man. Large chunks for every bite. Even when the shattered bones pricked his throat, even if the wendigo tears off all his skin and even leaves nothing but his crimson flesh underneath¡­.

    He must keep eating the meat. He must dominate over this powerful being, must consume it until there''s nothing left.

    Once he was done and there was nothing left to eat¡­.

    He was still hungry, and almost ate his own hands. Only an unknown voice snapped him out of it. That voice that speaks in anguage that he doesn''t know, yet also knows¡­..

    The shadow of a round creature with wings appeared before him for a moment as he slowly regained control over his psyche.

    Harker turned back to his former self, but he wasn''t quite human anymore even when he looked like one. It was different from simply bing a demon lord that has all these powers and abilities.

    It wasn''t just strangeness that defines a monster, the deviances it has from what was ''normal''. Often, we define monsters by our fears, by their unstoppable desire to bring harm to us.

    And that was exactly what he became that night.

 Chapter 131 Beast On A Leash

    Joan stepped out from the boulder, but as soon as she did¡ª

    "Don''te any closer!" Harker eximed, covering his nose and mouth.

    He wasn''t wearing anything besides the dark blood of the wendigo he just ate. The flesh on his back was also bear, and it would take a while for the skin to be recovered. His eyes were shot red and he was breathing heavily.

    Joan frowned. "You''re bleeding."

    "I''m¡­. fine..." Harker slumped to the ground, curling up like a shrimp. "Tell nk to bring it to me¡­.."

    "Bring you what?" She asked.

    "He will know¡­.. Just tell him to bring it¡­.."

    She was hesitant, but still left as quickly as she could to call out nk outside the cave. Still, Harker wished she would run away from him faster, as further as possible.

    Saliva dribbled down his chin, mixing with the dark blood.

    And yet he had the urge top it up from the dirty cave floor, to not let a single drop go to waste. More than that¡­.

    Having a delicious woman go out was physically painful to him. Joan''s scent still lingered in the air like the scent of aromatic candles. Or perhaps a more urate description would be the smell of a food staying within a fast food restaurant''s kitchen.

    Harker was quite familiar with that sensation. He would sometimes work overtime or take over other people''s shifts in BBB.

    At closing time, he would offer to clean up the kitchen since Boss Bill and Boss Bob weren''t as young as they used to be and enthusiastic on taking out the oil from the fryers or restocking the fridge for tomorrow.

    Harker would be left alone in this empty restaurant to take care of things. The smell of greasy, juicy burgers still remains no matter how much he sprays air fresheners.

    He was ustomed to it, though that doesn''t mean it never brought physiological reactions to him.

    His stomach would grumble and voices would usher him to make himself some of the burgers. But there were CCTV cameras even in the kitchen, and his bosses were not the most tolerant of ''food snatchers''.

    It''s one of the reasons why they were quite understaffed. They pay really wellpared to other ces out there that''s why Harker stayed. But he can no longer count in one hand the times that employees were fired for taking even a single bite of the burger patties or chicken wings.

    Boss Bill would often say: "Do you think male gynecologists get their profession from giving in to their urges towards their patients??? So how can we keep waiters who can''t even keep their hands to themselves and fight urges towards food!?"

    And Boss Bob would only say: "Leave before I skin you alive."

    They were right, of course. But just because you can acknowledge rules and why they were imposed, doesn''t mean that you would immediately lose your instinctual desires. In the end, we were animals that got sophisticated enough to even stop ourselves from eating when we''re hungry, to stop ourselves from drinking when we''re thirsty.

    Everyone gives in at different rates, at different circumstances. We all have different limitations, it''s only a matter of when and why.

    shes of different images flooded Harkers brain until it leaked into his eyes. He was crying hot tears from the pain in his head, and it never goes away. It''s all about her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    In these images, he would tear apart her shirt and pants as she screamed and begged him to stop. He would grip her arms tightly as he took a whiff of her scent. He would lick her tasty neck, drink up all the sweat dripping down¡­.

    His heart felt great joy from the idea of her squirming and trying to fight for her life against him. But it would be useless, as he was much stronger, the superior one.

    He would sink his teeth deep into her soft skin. He would not leave a single part of her unattended to. That face, those shoulders, her chest, her thin waist and thick hips, those round buttocks, her thighs.....

    He would consume her from head to toe. And there''s nothing she could do about it.

    "No, no, no!" Harker banged his head again and again on the ground to get rid of these intrusive thoughts.

    It''s bad enough that he had a girlfriend. It''s bad enough that she bears feelings for him, and was willing to give him everything because of it.

    But he was a monster, and he could only hide his true nature for so long like keeping a wild beast that keeps growing in a cage. That cage will never be big enough, and it will soon break loose until it takes over him.

    Until he was no longer ''himself''.

    These thoughts were disrupted when he finally felt a hand ced over his head.

    "Here, halfer. I made it just as you told me to."

    Harker looked up, and had never felt even more relieved in his life. He doesn''t feel the hunger towards him, so he can safely be in his presence, and he could trust himself to not let the beast lose with him.

    nk was holding a bunch of metal arrowheads tied up together by rope to form a sort of muzzle. He tied it over Harker''s face, and secured them tightly. He also took his hands and tied them together. Harker never thought he''d be grateful over someone tying him up and dragging him about like a ve, but here they were.

    "Thank you, nk." He said. "I¡­.. I know it would be hard to trust me from now on since I''m now a wendigo¡ª"

    "Just don''t eat me and my brother. And we''re good." nk said. "I made Joan wait with Ahanu outside. It would be dawn soon, you took longer than I expected. Also, those wounds are disgusting, hide them with clothes."

    Harker couldn''t help but chuckle despite his hoarse voice and ragged breathing.

    The truth was though the extreme desire to attack was not as strong as it was for Joan, he still had hunger towards anything on sight. He might even end up eating rocks if he was desperate. nk''s smell was not bad, and he was still tempted by the thought of how much flesh he could get from this guy due to his stature.

    It was the same as Rnd''s, not as broad and muscr as him, but not thin either. The best way to describe it was lean yet ''still has meat''.

    It would be easy to overpower him and take him right now. But he knew nk won''t go down without a fight either. And when he does go down, he won''t be screaming and crying. He might even try to bite a chunk off Harker instead in retaliation.

    He was dragging this new wendigo with a rope like it was the most normal thing in the world. He even looked somehow pleased with himself to get one of these wild scary beasts on a leash.

    And as long as Harker obediently follows, he won''t be able to harm her or anyone else.

 Chapter 132 Down The Bloody Stream

    "The road will possibly take at least 7 days to travel. Can you hold on until then?" nk asked.

    The light of the sun came eventually as they stepped out of the cave. Joan was indeed sitting around the circle of fire with poor Ahanu, and she brandished her torch like a sword towards the hungry winter cannibals.

    When they sensed daylight, they made their shrieks again and rushed off to their ''homes''. Perhaps it was in another, muchrger cave. Perhaps it was somewhere where the Sasquatch lived, somewhere unreachable by the sun.

    She turned when she heard footsteps. "What the hell is in your mouth?"

    "Safety measures." Harker answered inly. "How is Ahanu?"

    "Slept through the whole thing." She said. "He''s still pretty pale."

    "He can have my coat, I don''t feel cold anymore." Harker said. "I do want to take a bath somewhere and wear something though. You know, for decency."

    nk nodded. "There is a river that is only partially frozen nearby. You said you don''t feel cold anymore so you can wash your wounds there and then wear some clothes."

    The boys went on and left, with Joan only now registering that she''s seeing her student buck naked for the first time. She reddened, but shook her head since there were other more serious matters she should be thinking about.

    Like his welfare. Would Harker be really alright? She can''t help but worry since she still doesn''t know much about this shapeshifting power of his.

    Harker still doesn''t know much either. He ns to see the Wendigo abilityter at night, and ask some more questions to Yan.

    But for now, there''s the trouble of taking a bath while tied up like this. Should he try to summon another set of wendigo hands to do it for him? But then that defeats the purpose of tying him up altogether, since they really need to make sure he doesn''t touch or attack anything.

    nk seemed to read his mind as they approached the unfrozen part of the river. The small stream flowed sluggishly over the rocks, just like the calm and steady tone of this man.

    "Just go on there, I will wash you." He said.

    Harker blinked. "What?"

    "I will wash your bloody back for you. I wash my brother all the time, I am used to washing others." He said.

    He pulled Harker towards the river, and pushed him there without hesitation. Harker did grow more tolerance towards pain and the cold, but he could still feel it as he took a bath on a river at a negative temperature.

    "Hey! I could have gone here myself, man!" He eximed.

    "Of course you could. Never said you couldn''t." nk took off his own coat, and set it down by the rocks.

    Harker''s eyes widened. "Wait, you''re also taking a bath? With a literal wendigo?"

    "Yes." nk said, fully undressing and joining in the cold waters.

    Harker thought this guy was really an insane one. Not only did he easily approach him after seeing him in that bloody state, he was alsofortable to go skinny dipping in a cold river with him.

    From the start, it''s already crazy how he could just go find him in the middle of the mountains just because Joan said so and push his broken rib like nobody''s business.

    "I wish I was able to see a wendigo get killed by you." nk suddenly said, leaning on the shore with his elbows as if he was just leaning on a sauna. "I heard the sounds, and I had to stop myself from taking a look."

    Harker scoffed. "It''s better that you didn''t, or else you''d be way lessfortable taking a bath with me right now."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "There are scarier people to take a bath with. Like my Science teacher back in Indian school." He recalled. "He was arge man, just like you. Very menacing. Also killed a few of us already with his bare hands."

    "You serious?"

    "Of course. I saw it myself." nk''s expression went dark. "How he would wrap his fingers around their necks and just wring the life out of them behind closed doors¡­.''

    He went to touch his own neck. "I wondered what it would feel like, and if I would be the next victim. Every single day. His wife teached at the girls'' school, and they said he gets really mad when he can''t see her much. That''s why he released that anger to us boys instead."

    Harker nodded. "I see. But at least that meant your ''beloved'' would be safe from him, right?"

    nk gave him an amused look.

    Instead of answering that, he just replied with a question."Tell me something, Harker. Do you believe there is any ce safe in this world?"

    Harker pressed his lips together, feeling like he was being ridiculed by that look and tone. "I do know there''s danger everywhere. You can choke on air itself, or die in your own bed from a heart attack caused by a nightmare. But there''s still ces rtively safer than the rest."

    "That is true. We stay in our homes believing it is safer than the rest of the world. We stay in the caves because it is safer there to hide from the wendigos." nk said. "But how long will it stay that way? Until Death arrives on our doorsteps?"

    He chuckled without mirth. "And so¡­ What is more foolish? To give yourself this sense of ''safety'' and ''security'' when you know well it is just an illusion? Or to face Death and look him in the eye instead?"

    His amber eyes stared directly into Harker''s dark brown ones as if taunting him. It wasn''t just bravery, but rather a challenge. A plea.

    A death wish.

    "I have never been to a ce where I felt safe, not even in Ahanu''s side. I feltforted, loved, appreciated¡­. But he is a child. He won''t be able to protect me, I''ll be the one protecting him. For all my life. Always burdened by the thought that someday, I would fail." He said.

    Water sshed as he quickly moved towards Harker''s side.

    "Which is why I want to ask you¡­."

    His finger traced the muzzle on his mouth as he taunts him with this rhetoric:

    "Do you think that by acquiring this curse, you''d be our protector now? Or have you not considered that you just gave me the burden of protecting everyone from you¡­. including yourself? Making me the one responsible for your lives if I fail?"

    Harker doesn''t know what to say from this. As nk went closer, he stayed frozen there¡­..

    While he takes off the muzzle he made with his own hands.

    "What..." Harker was stunned by this sudden development. "What do you want?"

    "It''s not what I want that matters. I''m giving you a choice. I won''t force you to do anything."

    nk smiled, cing his finger to the tip of Harker''s canine tooth. "But Death is just part of the journey, not the end. We just choose what to consume before we reach the spirit world... and what consumes us."

    He pricked his own finger with those teeth and blood dripped down from Harker''s chin and into the stream.

    "So would you be the one to consume me?"

 Chapter 133 You Are A Monster

    Harker quickly pushed him away, and rushed to get the muzzle back on his mouth. He couldn''t tie it because his hands were tied, so he just pressed it there, covering his nose.

    nk only sighed and put the muzzle back on him. "I thought so. Oh, well. I won''t force you to eat what you don''t like."

    He thenughed. "Though I''d have to warn you that I won''t stop trying to tempt you again. I''m used to being rejected anyway and developed a thick skin for it."

    Harker has the urge to strangle him but then that would just give him the satisfaction. He came to realize what was going on now.

    "You.... Don''t tell me that your teacher was your.... And you asked him to¡­."

    Harker faltered, then shook his head. "I would never eat you, you''re a human."

    "So if I''m not human anymore, you would do it?" The insane man asked with a cheeky grin.

    "nk!"

    "Alright, alright. Just let me wash the wounds then, it really bothers me. It''s starting to scab anyway, maybe your blood is getting frozen."

    Harker didn''t really want to stay near this unpredictable man, especially from what he learned about him just now. He was right, there was no safe ce in this world. What you thought could be trusted could just be a wolf wearing sheep''s clothing.

    And right now this wolf was preying on his greatest fears.

    But if he showed that fear, that would just make him look easier to disarm. He can''t let this crazy guy get into his head. So Harker stayed still as those hands traveled to scrub away the dirt and blood off his peeled skin.

    "Have you ever told Ahanu about your¡­.. tendencies? Your fantasies of death?" He said.

    "Ahanu doesn''t have to be told anything. He always knows." nk said while paying a great deal of treating the peeled skin lightly. "There''s nothing he could do about it anyway, it is what it is."

    He was doing it so lightly that it tickles, and Harker had to stiffen himself up. "Since when?"

    "Since when did Ahanu know? Or..."

    "You know what I mean."

    "Hmm... Perhaps during that day the hunters found me. When I was faced with their guns, the only thought that came over my young mind was that I hoped they would shoot me. I have seen an elder use a gun before to drive a hole in a bison''s skull, though with way less finesse than the trained hunter''s hand."

    nk''s voice was whispering low near Harker''s ear, despite no one else being present to hear his secret thoughts of his.

    "I hoped that they would drive holes in my skull too. That they would end this confusing mixture of pain and numbness I feel just for simply existing. I want them to take pleasure in it too, taking im over my life. I want them tough as I bleed from the bullets they shot deep within me, and remember me as the boy who never even put up a fight."

    He sighed wistfully as he added: " s, they never did and just threw me to hell. I tried doing it myself, but it''s impossible. And I find the thought of offering it up to someone else much more cathartic."

    Harker scowled. "Then why are you still running from the wendigos?"

    nk just chuckled. "Normal wendigos won''t do either because they''re not really ''someone'', more of ''something'' like the animals that won''t feel anything towards my noble offering. I need someone who''ll feel the ecstasy of taking a willing victim."

    Harker felt sick to his stomach. "You need help."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "That''s why I''m asking for your help. I never had anyone agree to it, not even my beloved¡ª"

    "I mean someone to help you understand that your existence doesn''t have to be painful. And that you don''t have to constantly seek someone to end your life for you because you couldn''t do it yourself. Someone professional who knows and understands this type of mentality¡­. and how to fix it."

    nk didn''t say anything to this. They bathed in silence, and also dressed up in silence.

    On the way back to theirpanions...

    nk then stopped him, cing a hand on his shoulder. "You are allowed to be disgusted in me, but not to take pity on me. That''s what I dislike the most."

    "What happened to ''not forcing me to anything''? You can''t force me to not feel something, man." He shoved that hand away.

    "Then keep it to yourself, or I will make you eat yourdy friend. I know that''s what you dislike the most."

    Harker gritted his teeth. "...Fine. From now on, I will just treat you like the little shit you are."

    Joan waved at them. "Been too fucking long, you guys! You sure took your damn time taking a bath¡ª"

    She stopped, noticing the sudden animosity between them. It was so sudden that she was having a whish. The atmosphere had been nothing but friendly so far, what happened?

    nk''s pitch ck hair glistened, reaching over to his shoulders. He was not just wearing his usual clothes¡­

    But also a familiar red jacket.

    "It was hard to get rid of all the dried blood. The stream ended up looking reddish by the end." He said with his usual smile.

    "That''s an exaggeration." Harker scoffed.

    Ahanu suddenly sat up. He rubbed his eyes, and motioned to something. Harker had been traveling enough with these two to catch a certain word and phrases. He was asking for some water.

    nk reached out to a sk that came out from his pocket. He went by his side.

    "Here, we got this from the river¡ª"

    As soon as he heard this, Harker kicked the bottle far far away, spilling the reddish contents. He red deeply at nk.

    "You''re going to give your brother water that we just bathed on, with my blood? A wendigo''s blood?" His veins popped up from his forehead.

    nk just blinked as if he didn''t know what he''s implying. "Is there something wrong with that? We have nothing else to drink, do you want to heat some snow as usual instead?"

    "That''s much better than a monster''s bath water." Harker said, crossing his arms.

    nk was smiling wide as he went to pick up his sk that flew almost a hundred meters away. He looked at the bloody water on the ground.

    "Now you ept that you are a monster. That''s a start, Harker Jones. All that''s left is for you to give in."

 Chapter 134 And You Are A Liar

    Rnd looked at the red wine on the white faux fur carpet. Thanks to the fur, the ss did not break but the contents still spilled, looking like blood seeping through fine snow.

    He went to pick it up, but a waitress rushed before he could touch it.

    "I got it, Sir." She said, moving quickly to take care of the damage.

    He nodded, though still a bit spacey. "Thank you. And could I ask for a bit more champagne, please? Just put it in the tab."

    "Of course, our esteemed guest. You are our VIP after all, you could ask us for anything."

    He doesn''t know what was so appealing to his fellow youngw graduates about this ''Victorian-era'' pub. For one, it''s full of inuracies. And two¡­.. What''s so sexy about the time in history where a lot of people drop dead on the streets from disease and crime, unsanitary living conditions, and damn rats everywhere?"

    But these ''intellectual'' colleagues of his really love the fancy-pants vibes of this ce, so there''s that.

    "So what say you about the case, Little Faust?" One of the most pretentious ones, a guy named Paul, puts an arm around his shoulder. "I hear that there''s a good chance the jurors will be seeing greens before the verdict. Your team''s performance is good, but better save yourself from the disappointment."

    He shoved the hand away. "Bribery would just make things worse for the other side. Maximum 10 years in prison, case of felony. The journalists will eat them up, and even the team presenting them will get some damage. So I''m not too nervous, especially if someone like you who only goes to court to take power naps knows about this rumor."

    The others made "Ooooohs" at this burn, and pped and cheered for Rnd. Paul doesn''t seem to be fazed, only sipping his high-grade absinthe.

    "I do admit I like my power naps. But that doesn''t mean the walls don''t have eyes and ears. Should be careful, Little Faust, lots of us have that." He chuckled. "Might find your name in the headlines so early in your career."

    The others cheered again, as if debates and chit chat like this were like watching a football match to them. They keep score, ce bets, take teams. 1 point for Rnd Faust, 1 point for Paul Pheme.

    The young Summa Cum Laude would not back down easily too. "An honest man has nothing to fear about rumors. Either they''ll try to cook up some unbelievably false story, or they''ll be reporting about my sessful cases."

    "That''s true. Hard to dig up dirt on someone who studied prew at perhaps as early as 15, and graduated Juris Doctor with 4.0 GPA and highest honors. A pure genius that also happened to be a rich heir. Many would debate whether it''s truly the genius or the sovereignty that got you where you are now."

    "No need to debate when I have my track record to speak for itself."

    Paul grinned. "What prew did you take? Political science?"

    "Criminology."

    "Ah, always been fascinated with crime, then. A true phnthropist, defending the poor and the needy for a few bucks. What an outstanding example, I won''t be surprised if you win a Noobel Prize someday." Paul sipped his alcohol slowly. "But tell me something, Little Faust¡­."

    "Even with your ''honesty'', do you really think that the truth can overpower all the lies in this twisted world of ours? We live in a world that thrives in deception, hiding in a veil called ''justice'' and ''virtue''. As the youngest out of all of us, and objectively the ''smartest''..."

    His grin was wide like a predator about to pounce, his words serving as his sharp fangs.

    "Are you so naive to believe that people would listen to your ''truth'' even when they have decided for themselves to despise you, and treat you like a monster?"<novelsnext>¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á `n?¦Í?| §ãom</novelsnext>

    Rnd was quiet about this for a while. Even the others sensed the increased tension in the atmosphere, and did not dare tough. This was getting personal, and thoughwyers thrive from the drama and conflicts, they also knew there were certain limitations on what to ask a defendant.

    Probing questions like this were a double-edged sword. It''s basically the same as just calling Rnd ''naive'', with extrayers of mockery added by turning it into a question rather than a statement.

    Rnd kept his cool, and replied:

    "If I''m that naive, why would I be awyer? Much less an ''objectively good'' one?"

    There was no counterattack, only a simple response to his taunts. This was enough for Paul to withdraw, and just tend to his alcohol. "Fair point."

    The waitress came to serve him finally with some champagne, but Rnd raised his hand. "Nevermind. Just serve it to the gentlemen over here. I''m taking a nightcap on the streets."

    "O-Oh. We also have some beer bottles, sks, and cans you can buy if you''d like, Sir." She said, looking disappointed that a young and handsomed like him would be going.

    "I''d take a sk of Smirnoff, thanks."

    After receiving the vodka, he left the underground pub after half-hearted farewells. Though he had technically ''won'' the fight, that doesn''t mean he wasn''t pissed that some shitface like Paul would try to exchange jabs with him.

    He went around to walk the streets, thinking about several things. The trial was drawing to an end, and yet Harker has still not returned.

    It''s been almost three weeks that the bodyguards can''t find him, and that professor.

    He wondered if Mina would be alright. Apparently, Harker made preparations before going to the Blue Ridge and took several vials of his own blood to be delivered to his girlfriend in case of emergency. Transfusion brings bad side effects, but that''s the best they could do when he and Mina had to be apart for a while.

    So Mina would just inject those ones the scales started to show up, but once the effect was gone, she''d feel like shit.

    "At least she''d feel like shit from getting something from Harker. I don''t even have any news about him." He thought bitterly. "I feel like shit ever since he left."

    What was that Chinese idiom again? One day feels like three autumns or something.

    When you miss a friend like that, it truly does feel like the time travels at a painfully slow rate. Time feels like a stream that bes murkier and thicker, until you feel like you just want to drown instead of reaching the end of it.

    And yet the cycle just repeats. There was no end, and there never will be.

    Rnd looked up at the sky, and there were no stars. Still, he could imagine what they look like behind that thick fog, resembling a face. He wished he had apass that would somehow bring him to the destination of that person, their paths converging.

    And yet their paths were never meant to intersect in the way he wanted them to. That person will always be taken away by the stream.

    "How long do I have to wait for your return? You promised it won''t be long, but¡­.. You''re a liar, as always."

 Chapter 135 Roped In

    Harker had learned to acquiesce with the presence of the wolf by his side.

    It was never an easy thing to do, trying to get along with someone you don''t really like. But he had actually been long used to it. When he was a child, when he grew older, and even after he became a demon lord. Pretending to be nice had been a normal part of his life, and perhaps to everyone''s lives.

    It''s a mode of survival, acquiescence. You cannot survive with everyone despising you. You''d need allies, even when you distrust those allies and wouldn''t sleep next to them without a knife.

    At night, Harker would sleep closer to nk and keep Ahanu and Joan as far away as possible. When asked why, he would make the excuse that he had the curse of the wendigo now and had to be looked after.

    When really, it''s him looking after the unpredictable suicidal man.

    nk had already attempted to wreak havoc by almost making his own little brother drink cursed wendigo blood. He had also asked if Harker would kill him if he was no longer human, so who knows if he would go as far as try to acquire the curse himself. In the mind of someone as twisted and desperate, everything was possible.

    But Harker couldn''t kill him either, because he was their guide up north. Ahanu very much loves his older brother despite being more or less aware of his tendencies, and Joan waspletely in the dark about this whole affair. And¡­.

    It was true that nk does y a part in protecting everyone from him too.

    The hunger never dissipated, and Harker''s mind was still overridden with thoughts thattched onto his brain like thorny vines.

    Harker tried not to sleep, but it was inevitable for him to slip every now and then from the fatigue. And once he gives in to exhaustion, the beast wille out. He had learned to chew on mint leaves and even put them in his eyes, but that never really gave him the energy to fight off sleep, only pain to keep him up.

    So instead, he resolved to talk and mutter about random things.

    While everyone was at rest, he would speak to Yan in hushed tones, who could reply telepathically and without materializing.

    "Show me the Wendigo ability now." He said softly.

    Yan showed the holographic screen in his mind''s eye.

    [Wendigo''s Ability

    Raw Power: R

    Endurance: C

    Range: B

    Speed: R

    Precision: B

    Potential: C ]

    "As expected, it has high physical strength and speed. Low potential due to being an already strong ability." He said. "But I''ve been wondering about the Shape shifting Ability. How do I improve those stats?"

    "Oh. You are actually about to experience an Ability Ascension, Master." The eyeball said in his head.

    Harker scrunched up his eyebrows. "What the heck is that? You never told me about that."

    But then again, this useless system assistant never really told him much unless he straight up asked it. He should have expected it still hides a lot of facts and functions that his ability has.

    Harker does feel like an idiot about this, but then again, there were just so many things happening all at once that you can''t me him for several things escaping his memory at times. He felt even more forgetful than an old man with Alzheimer''s.

    "Ability Ascension is when you have absorbed so much that all your stats would be upgraded based on your feats. For example, you pushed through the limitations of your Absorption Space by forcing yourself to eat a lot of wolves, owls, and deers, right?"

    "Yes. What about it?"

    "After Ability Ascension, there''s a likely chance that your Absorption Limit stat would rise up by a tier. Everything of course would gain more stat points, but since we use a tier system, the changes are only visible every time you rise up by a tier. Or would you like me to show you the numbers¡ª"

    "No need for numbers. The changes are only noticeable when you change a tier anyway."

    "Alright then. Anyway, besides Absorption Limit, it''s hard to tell what other stats would be rising up a tier after your Ability Ascension."

    Harker rubbed his chin. "So it''s like leveling up in those video games Rnd and Kian are ying?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Exactly." Yan said ever so cheerfully. "Do you have any more questions, Master?"

    "Can you... tell me more about your memories with¡­.. I mean, before Xi Hua became your Master? Why were you locked for a very long time?"

    The eyeball was hesitant to talk about this Quan Zhi guy and mentioning him might make him fold like a mimosa again. So Harker tried to ask indirectly instead, just to gain more insight on him. When he thinks about it, Yan was no different from nk.

    He was someone that he knew a few major pieces of information about, but not theplete picture. He had learned to acquiesce with him, but still won''t trust him no matter how ''necessary'' he was to his goals.

    "O-Oh¡­. I was locked because there had been a war, and I was so scared that I had to hide there. But I identally locked myself up permanently and can''t escape."

    "What war?" Harker asked.

    "The war. It''s a big one."

    Harker could tell the eyeball won''t budge any further from this. He then decides to ask something else.

    "Since you transcend time and space, can''t you just tell me the location of the Shards right now?"

    "You mean like a hit list? Who keeps them and where?" The eyeball asked, as if a kid confirming the orders from him.

    "Yes." Harker said.

    Yan then replied with a simple ''okay'', and then...

    A bunch of different words swarmed Harker''s mind like bees. He couldn''t capture a single one of them, and they just moved endlessly out of reach.

    "What the fuck is this!? I told you to make a list."

    "This is the list, Master. You said you wanted to know who they were and where, but never gave instructions whether on which order, or what information about the holders I should include, or whether I ce coordinates or address, or¡ª"

    "I get it already! The ''willing, not asking'' thing! Just get them all out of my head, I''m already getting a headache from the curse as it is!"

    And as he said that, the swarm of random information finally went away.

    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® Harker breathed deeply. Seriously, he should really learn how to do that ''willing'' thing. Maybe then he can get the truth he wanted from this eyeball, from his past all the way to those Shards.

    It turned out that being a Master was also a skill. A good master needs to know how to instruct properly on what to ask a servant, especially something as childlike as Yan.

    But since he was running in 0 sleep, there''s no way he''d have the right mental capacity to think straight, let alone do this ''willing the servant'' thing.

    Yan sounded embarrassed, as if he didn''t expect that he would be so rmed by doing what he was asked to. "I''m sorry, Master."

    Harker waved his hand. "It''s fine. One way or another, I''ll get those Shards anyway."

    He massaged his temples but was too much in pain and exhaustion to do a good job at it. Suddenly, he felt two hands pressed over his own as well.

    "Who are you talking to, friend? Are you losing your mind from not taking a wink of sleep?"

    Harker gritted his teeth as one of the sources of his headaches appeared.

    "Ain''t your business if I''m gone cuckoo and muttering to myself." He said. "That''s as far as it would get, I won''t lose a grip over my wits and go as insane as you."

    "Oh?" nk smiled. "You do know there''s an easy solution for you to sleep, right?"

    "And what''s that?"

    nk showed a bunch of ropes with thatrge grin.

    "We sleep tied up to each other."

 Chapter 136 By The Silence Of The Night

    Harker scoffed. "No way."

    "You won''t even consider it?" nk raised an eyebrow. "It''s really the only solution. I won''t have to worry about you moving away to go anywhere, and you won''t have to worry about me either. Though it would be troublesome if either of us receives the call of nature in the middle of the night."

    He chuckled. "But then again, we''re both men. What''s yours is mine, what''s mine is yours. We could work our way around it¡ª"

    "I said I don''t want to. You go back to sleep, I''ll watch over those two. I''m a wendigo now, remember? In theory, I should be nocturnal."

    nk just pouted. "Hmm, but even nocturnal creatures take a rest during the day, and you can''t rest in the morning since that is when we travel up north."

    "Just go to fucking sleep." Harker said with that dark tone of his.

    nk let go and shrugged. "Alright then. But you must remember that though I hold the leash, you''re strong enough to break free from it. It''s your will that keeps you tied, not me. Who knows what might happen if you ever just blink longer than usual? A wendigo is always hungry after all."

    Harker did not respond to this, just sitting in his usual position and grabbing a few more mint leaves to chew on.

    The next day, they continued to trudge through the peaks of the mountain and it was truly a difficult hike. Harker''s energy was very low, and the throbbing headaches just grew worse and worse the higher in altitude they were. Soon, Joan came to notice and stopped him in his tracks.

    "Let''s rest here. You look like you''ll copse any second." She said.

    Harker surprisingly didn''t remain stubborn and listened to her. He sat by a pine tree, catching his breath.

    This was a first for Joan, as he didn''t even try to talk back and argue. He must be really, really tired.

    Ahanu also seemed worried. The little boy''s health was much better nowpared to Harker. He had insisted on cooking again, as he seemed to be very fond of cooking. All the adults in the party were not bad at cooking, but they were not as skilled on foraging ingredients and being resourceful in the great outdoors as this 4 year old.

    Ahanu noticed something beside Harker. He pped his hand happily, and picked it up. It seemed to be some orange worm-like shape, but it wasn''t moving.

    Harker frowned. "What''s that?"

    nk observed and nodded his head. "Ah, I don''t know what this is called in English. But it''s a fungus."

    Joan went to take a look as well. "They look like cordyceps. I didn''t know they grow around here. It''s an energizer, it improves your immunity and has other health benefits that help with the treatment of cancer, diabetes, and heart failure."

    Harker''s eyes lit up. "That''s great. Can I eat some of that?"

    "Yes, we also know that it gives you the strength and energy of a wild buck. That should keep you awake, right?" nk smiled.

    However, Joan seemed a little hesitant. "But cordyceps are also¡­"

    Ahanu spoke, as if enthusiastic with something. It went like this:<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "He really needs it, it''s the only way for him to not keel over in the snow. I''ll go make soup for him, does anyone else want some?"

    nk shook his head after tranting. "I''m good, I''m already full and he might need to bring some of that on the way."

    Joan shook her head too. "I''d rather not have any of us eat the ''zombie fungus''. But if it helps Harker, then he can have it¡­ I guess."

    While Ahanu was preparing soup, Harker asked. "Zombie fungus?"

    Joan did not say anything until he received the soup and drank some of it.

    "Cordyceps grow on therva of insects. A specific genus called Ophiocordyceps were known to cause dead ants to e back to life''. It is different from the cordyceps Ahanu found, possibly a cordyceps militaris, but I''m still not too keen on either of them. Both of them potently increase testosterone and stimte the amygd."

    Harker knew what that meant, and stopped eating.

    "Oh. They''re aphrodisiacs."

    "It''s undeniable that they''re energy boosters, in more ways than one¡­ Hah." Joan joked awkwardly. "But that''s not really important. I know you''re not an impulsive man."

    Harker remembered the sickening thoughts he had in the cave after acquiring the curse, and shook his head. "You don''t know that."

    "I do. You want proof?" She smiled, half-teasing and halfforting him. "Even if you have the wendigo curse or whatever¡­.. You''re still pushing through, right?"

    She scoffed at nk''s direction, who was preparing some cordyceps for the road. "I don''t believe that you''re not attacking us because of those ropes or that silly muzzle. It''s all you, Harker. You''re not the type to give in, you always keep a clear head."

    Harker doesn''t know why, but these words do make him feel assured. He didn''t know the fact that Joan believed in him would matter so much.

    He felt hopeful, not wanting to let her down.

    Harker wore a bright smile. "Alright then, Prof. I guess you''re right. I don''t feel like masturbating or anything horny at all right now. Let''s hit the road."

    After that, he really felt more energized than ever. The fungus fixed him up, and he even gave Ahanu a piggyback ride before sunset, as they went inside another cave to hide.

    This one was much smaller, more like a grotto. They couldn''t go further inside as the path was only narrow, enough just for Ahanu to get in.

    The little boy set his sleeping mat inside this small path, while the adults had to stay near the entrance. As always, nk slept near Harker with his hand on the end of the rope. Joan was on the opposite side. The fire that kept them warm was in the middle.

    Harker''s headaches were gone, but in the silence of the night, as he looked at Joan''s sleeping figure....

    His thoughts were louder than ever before.

 Chapter 137 No Escape [R18]

    He fought it off, like how one would fight off a wild animal that has pounced on top of you. He tried to regain bnce, but¡­.

    Deviancy had already infected his mind.

    He imagined himself crawling on all fours towards her, drops of saliva falling to the cave''s cold floor as he went. He was dreaming while wide awake, dreaming so vividly that it was screwing with his own sense of what''s real and what''s not.

    The sensations felt very real. The sound of her steady breathing, the smell of her cologne, her visageparable to a muse of a Renaissance painting¡­.

    She suddenly sat up, and looked at him with evident fear in her eyes. It was so palpable that Harker could almost feel how her heart was thumping in her chest, as if it was his own.

    "H-Harker¡­.. What are you¡­.."

    He quickly pinned her down before she could speak. Her head banged against the floor, and she groaned from the pain. She tried to escape, but he had ced his knees between her legs so she wouldn''t be able to escape.

    His drool had dripped all over those plump breasts of hers. Her shirt became soaking wet from it, and she wore a look of both horror and disgust.

    "Let me go! Snap out of it! It''s me, Joan! Your professor!"

    But he doesn''t see her as that anymore. He doesn''t recall her name, her temperament, his memories with her. When he looked at her, all he saw was what he wanted to do. The urges made him like a bull that only sees red.

    And that red enticed him so much that he could just die.

    It felt like he was going to die if he didn''t get what he desires, if he doesn''t do what he has been meaning to do. His voice was ragged as he pleaded.

    "I can''t take it anymore... I can''t, I can''t, I can''t¡­.. I''m losing my mind¡­. Help me¡­."

    His grip tightened, but this felt more like out of desperation, rather than just wanting to restrain her.

    And in this dream, her eyes would soften. Those eyes would definitely understand. The overwhelming darkness that consumed her was no different from this one, two sides of the same coin.

    While the numbness makes her want to be violent towards herself, this darkness inside Harker made him want to be violent towards others. Both were tormenting and extreme thoughts that ''normal'' people would never understand.

    "Then... Do it." She said.

    Harker trailed his lips over her neck. "Y-You¡­ Can I really do it¡­. Hah, hah¡­. Can I¡­."

    She wrapped her hands around his shoulders, and ced a kiss on his forehead. "I''m willing to give everything to you. Even my life. I know just see me as something to be that release, and I''m willing to be that release. I''ll ept you."

    Harker didn''t even feel guilty with that idea, since he was also being seen as something else in this scene. To her, she sees Edmund, a remnant of the past that will nevere back.

    So it will be an equal exchange. Just two broken souls trying to fill the holes in their hearts.

    One was from the pains of the past, while the other had it from these unbearable instincts that''s eating him from the inside. There was no point worrying about who they were or what they shouldn''t do at this moment.

    They don''t have a past, present, or future. No soul. Just two bodies yearning for gratification.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    They pressed their lips together. He couldn''t even bear for a few seconds before he bit into her lower lip and drew blood.

    She moaned at this, and clung tighter to him. Her fingers slid onto his hair and gave a tingling sensation to his scalp. He used his knee to rub against that soft and wet organ between her legs.

    He sucked on her blood, and continued ravishing her mouth. The tongue had soon been bitten as well. Tears fell from her eyes, but she didn''t let go.

    He moved fast, no hesitation. He pushed those legs far apart from each other, and inserted himself.

    She arched her back, the sudden invasion no doubt sending her into a spiral of pain and agony that came in waves. But mixed with that was the hints of sweet pleasure. As he continued to bite into her flesh, her shouts became delicate moans.

    This was madness, and they had sunk deep into it. Yet since they were just bodies harboring nothing but desire inside, they don''t have any space for regret, guilt, or remorse.

    Only the violent pleasures remained.

    "More! Ack... Hurt me more¡­.. Consume me¡­.. Defile me... Oh¡­."

    Her ramblings just riled him up. There was no way to describe it that would bring justice to the moment itself. It was something primal, something purely animalistic that trying to rationalize it would be stupid.

    He thrusted recklessly, and she also swayed her hips recklessly. There were so many marks and he didn''t even check if he was biting on the same ces over and over again, and so her skin ended up looking like a sponge in some areas.

    He especially licked puncturing holes into those soft breasts while grinding at the same time. He sucked at those hard nipples, and pulled at them with his teeth.

    The hole was opened up so much that it was no longer enough to satisfy him. So he went for the other, much tighter one, and almost reached his climax upon going in. Her blood served as the lube, and yet it didn''t really do much besides allow him any chance of entry.

    In a very small sh of rity, he thought this must be what ''heaven'' felt like.

    But other than that, he just kept on moving. He ced his hands around her neck as he continued to use her, andter on....

    "Eat me¡­.." She said weakly as she choked. "Make me a part of you¡­.."

    He opened his mouth. This was what he wanted, and he will get it no matter what¡ª

    He then heard a loud crash.

    Harker blinked, and realized what was happening. He was dreaming. None of it had happened, and¡­..

    Harker was simply on top of Joan, and she used one of the ss bottles they carried around for water to m against his head. But he didn''t wake up from the dream because of the impact as he no longer felt pain. Only the loud crash brought him back to his senses.

    He also realized that his fingers were grayish white. When he turned to the broken ss, he saw the reflection of a greedy monster staring back at him.

    Someone went closer, an arrow aimed at his face.

    "You can''t escape from who you are, friend."

 Chapter 138 From The Desires Of The Flesh

    Harker quickly stumbled back. His soul has returned, and so did the pain of regret and shame.

    Joan was alright besides the marks of his ws on her wrists. She looked at him with a mix of both concern and apprehension.

    "I never thought you would... I mean, how could you¡­."

    She was right. How could he? This wasn''t like him at all. This wasn''t him. He was possessed by the beast, and he let it ovee him. Lowered his guard for one second and it came slipping through.

    nk kneeled by her side, offering a handkerchief to wipe the blood from the puncture wounds. "I''m sorry. I should have watched after him better, but I fell asleep and¡­.. Well, it''s all my fault."

    Joan shook her head. "No, it wasn''t. Giving you a task like that isn''t fair. No one would be able to stop him, you''re lucky he didn''te to attack you."

    nk had the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. "I would prefer it if it was me he''d attack."

    Harker''s jaws clenched. This bastard¡­.

    Joan merely interpreted it as his guilt making him wish that he got hurt rather than someone else. "Check on Ahanu, he must have been woken up and so scared from what happened. I think he''sing to his senses now, but it''s still dangerous. He can hurt me but it won''t kill me."

    nk gave a rather self-satisfied smile at Harker, then back at Joan. "Of course."

    He went to check on his brother, who was shivering at his own little bed space. No doubt that seeing a wendigo once more made him traumatized after hisst experience with them. He went to hug nk and pointed a finger at Harker, yelling ''maci pisiskiw''.

    Monster. Harker could tell what it means without any trantion.

    And right now, at this state with his grayish skin and drool falling all over his sharp yellowed teeth, he truly was a monster.

    But he can snap out of it. This was a temporary slip-up, he can fix it. He can fix it¡­..

    "Joan, I''m sor¡ª"

    She moved away when his elongated arms and hands reached out towards her.

    "It''s not your fault either. You''re just.... We all should have been more careful knowing what you are now."

    What he was¡­..

    She had said it. It was much more painfuling from her,ing from the one person that Harker thought would understand. In his fantasies, she epted him wholeheartedly. But it was so different in real life. It wasn''t straight up hating him or being disgusted by him¡­..

    But it was cold. Just cold tolerance towards ''what he was''.

    Why does he want her to ept that side of him? To ept the beast? It''s wrong, it''s sinful, it''s not worthy of being epted, and yet...

    He still yearned for it.

    "I... I need to sleep far away from you all from now on. I can''t be trusted." Harker said.

    But then he remembered there''s also him. That''s why he slept beside them in the first ce. He can''t trust himself, but he can''t trust him either even though he was the ''less harmful'' out of the two of them.

    "Can I propose something?" The other monster wearing the body of a human said. "Before we go to sleep, Harker and I will be sleeping somewhere well-hidden enough. Somewhere that will block his path. It would also be better if we¡­."

    His lips rose up as he said: "Slept tied up to each other."

    Joan seemed to be considering it. Harker wanted to argue, but after what happened, it was the lesser of two evils. He needed to be restrained, even if it''s with someone he''d rather not be alone with.

    "So you will be sleeping in that narrow spot where Ahanu was? Will you guys fit there?"

    "We can be tied back to back." nk smiled. "You''d have to do the honors, though."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Joan took the rope, frowning. "Are you really okay with being tied to a.... After what just happened?"

    "I''ll be fine. I''ll be able to wake up faster if he breaks free this way." The man just kept on wearing that shit-eating grin.

    Harker clenched his fist, but relented. He went closer, though slow and cautious so as to not scare Joan and Ahanu. He had reverted back to his human form but he still didn''t look that harmless either.

    Joan sighed, wrapping the rope around him several times. "Move closer."

    Harker grunted a response, and moved until his back was against nk''s. The bastard just whistled as he too got tied up with the rope and they were now connected from the torso to the waist.

    "It''ll be hard to walk this way, so be careful not to bump into anything as you go inside the manhole."

    "We will." nk said, they began leaping and inching towards that small crawl space together.

    It was a silly sight that could be seen as funny by an outsider. But after what happened, nobody dared tough, not even Ahanu who gripped onto Joan''s sleeves. She patted the little boy''s head infort, and they went back to sleep next to each other.

    It took a really long time before the tied-up duo reached their sleeping quarters. It barely fits them, whenying on their sides like this. It was like two bodies trying to fit in one coffin.

    Thatparison was really suitable due to the dark thoughts in Harker''s mind right now about wanting both of them to just drop dead and end his misery.

    nk chuckled. "Maybe we''d fit more if we were actually on top of each other¡ª"

    "Shut up."

    The nut job really didn''t say anything else, and went to sleep. Harker meanwhile couldn''t even blink without worrying that once he did, he would find himself having nightmarish fantasies again and jumping on top of Joan.

    The next few nights went by like that. nk no longer taunts him, as if he was already satisfied that he got his wish of being tied to a man with murderous tendencies.

    But on the third night like this, he suddenly said he wanted to pee.

    "No." Harker just said. "Go to sleep."

    "Do you want me to just release it here, then?" nk said in a sing-songy tone. "I just didn''t want to make you ufortable and it would be rather embarrassing once Joan and Ahanu found us wet the next day."

    Harker grumbled. And so, he had no choice both for them to leap out into the woods as nk took a leak on a pine tree.

    There was nothing but the sound of the sshing, and Harker just crossed his arms, remaining vignt in case of any attack.

    When he felt it was taking too long, he impatiently asked: "You done yet?"

    Instead of answering, nk said:

    "You remind me of him very much, you know."

    Harker knew what he meant.

    He thought: ''How ttering, beingpared to a murderer.''

    "Don''t get me wrong. I don''t mean it just because of the desires of the flesh." nk then said. "You remind me of him before all that. That time when¡­.. Well, when he was my greatest friend, and the kindest person I''ve ever known."

    His tone suddenly became soft, almost sympathetic.

    "But being kind alwayses with a price."

 Chapter 139 Eureka

    Harker didn''t know what came over him. But he ended up listening to this madman''s stories in the middle of the night, out in the cold winter where monsters were lurking every corner.

    nk was finished, and gestured that they sit together since this would be a long one. Harker agreed wordlessly, his eyes tired and heavy. They managed to twist around on the ropes until they were side by side instead of back to back as nk told his teacher''s tale.

    "He became a teacher at my school when I was 14 years old. One year before I left."

    nk began, smiling fondly at the memory. "He taught us different sciences. Science of the human body, science of the animals and nts, science of thes and stars..."

    "I was very much fascinated with the subject. It waspletely different from what we were taught in the Christian studies, or even what the elders taught us in the tribe. How man came from apes, and how an explosion brought the world into existence." nk gestured as he spoke, which seemed to be a natural habit.

    "Theory of Evolution and Big Bang." Harker muttered.

    The native man smiled. "That''s right. All very fascinating stuff, and I enjoyed reading books about them all day and all night because of how he taught the subject. There was something different about him among the rest. Something¡­.."

    He smiled. "The word may be strange, but I think it''s something divine. Something very much like the way the Christians referred to their angels and saints, to their God. Yes, to me, it was what I imagined talking to the Creator would feel like."

    Harker scoffed. "Great, you even see this man that you fantasize about murdering you as your ''God''."

    nkughed heartily. "Haha! I didn''t want him to take me right away. I felt he was divine since we met, and it stayed that way for a long while. He was simply someone I admire for his overflowing wisdom, and that glint in his eyes that made me feel like this world is beautiful. And so was he."

    "He sees the world in such a warm and bright way, as one would to the best of summers." He told him. "He treated us as equals, and was very patient with us at the start. He never raised his voice unless necessary, and when he did, a few words were enough. He would even give us candy that he slipped from the stash that was supposed to be for the teachers."

    Harker looked down on the snow, imagining this guy in his head. Someone so good that he can''t hurt a fly, suddenly turning into a monster. Now he can see why he was beingpared to this teacher.

    "What happened?" He asked.

    nk took a while to respond to this. He then said:

    "One day, he received a letter from his wife who was working at an Indian girls'' school a few hundred miles away. It was in the middle of a lecture about caterpirs, and how they turn into butterflies. His face when he read that letter¡­. I had never seen him make that face before. It was so twisted, so raw and I¡­."

    nk rubbed his forehead. "Before that change, his metamorphosis¡­. I wanted to be like him. I looked up to him like I never looked up to anyone before. I thought of him as the father I never had, my mentor, my greatest friend and¡­. The one I love the most in this world before Ahanu was even born."

    "Your beloved." Harker''s lips became a thin line.

    nk nodded, the swirls of the snowfall reflected in his wistful eyes.

    Harker hesitated a bit, then said. "But nk, there''s different kinds of love. He''s not really your ''beloved'' in a usual sense. See, there''s idolizing love since you said you admire him. There''s familial love like a parental figure or maybe even a friend, and there''s¡ª"

    "Beloved means someone who is loved, isn''t it? So he is my beloved. Why does it matter to you how I loved him, why must you differentiate it?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Harker closed his mouth, unable to say anything back.

    "Anyway, about the letter. I never learned the contents of that letter." nk changed the subject, almost in a frivolous manner. "I even asked him, but he would not answer. What I do know was that after he hanged himself, I attended his funeral and saw his wife. She had a child in her hands. The child must have been born by the time he received the letter, and before that, they have not met for a whole year."

    Harker sighed. "Was that the reason why he did it?"

    "I think so. But the oddest thing is¡­. The baby looked exactly like him. It had his eyes." nk said.

    Harker thought so as well, for some reason. "Prolonged pregnancies can happen. There was a case where a woman only gave birth after 375 days. He should have at least waited for the DNA test before going insane."

    nk shrugged. "Well, I am not aware of this ''DNA'' thing, but perhaps my Science teacher was. I only know what separation can do to a man. You can imagine the wildest things happening to the other person. Like one time I dreamt that my mother had suddenly been eaten by thunderbirds, or that she became the Queen of France that got her head chopped off."

    "The switch was so fast, it was not like a slow downward spiral. I had the feeling that he was already wrapped in the cocoon of hatred and agony for a long time before. This was simply what they call ''the final straw that broke the camel''s back''." nk smiled. "Or maybe¡­."

    He turned to Harker. "He was simply born this way. That was his fate, and he finally met with it. Like how that one scientist screams ''Eureka'' while naked after receiving the revtion to the question he has been pondering with."

    "Archimedes." Harker recalled. "He was bathing when he realized the discement of water matches the volume of his body parts submerged in it."

    nk gave a surprisingly genuine smile at this. "Isn''t that a rather simple observation? I find it silly that it came as such a surprise, but that''s how most revtions are. It has always been there, you just fail to see it. Or perhaps you have been living your whole life trying to push the truth away, and would rather remain bathing in ignorance."

    He then ced his hand on Harker''s chest.

    "A monster who had lived all his life as a human would think he has a human heart. But that monstrous, vile heart continues to beat with its ck and brackish blood.... Waiting until the mind frees itself from denial and realizes what it truly was."

    Harker tried to move away, but since he was linked to this devil, he couldn''t escape his grasp.

    "I wonder¡­. When did your Eureka moment happen? When did you finally find yourself, Harker Jones? Or have you always known, and simply would not ept the truth?"

    Harker looked at him coldly. There was no escape, and so he could only hide his fear by wearing the face of an unfazed man.

    "And what exactly is that truth?"

    nk chuckled, whispering to him.

    "Do you still believe that you are a ''good'' man?"

 Chapter 140 Arrives In The Dark

    A sh of memory came. A good man...

    There was someone that he called a good man. Perfect, pure, untainted. Simply confused, momentarily irrational, victim of circumstances....

    And when he believed that man was good, he always thought to himself''He is ALSO good''. As if Harker believed himself to be a good one as well. He had onlye to realize this certain hypocrisy, this sense of superiority he holds for himself.

    He never outright said that he was good, but¡­..

    Didn''t he judge three women for unproven usations such as cheating, being a gold-digger, and a stoner? Didn''t he look with malicious glee as Lady Lovette mmed her head on the ground? Rejoiced in getting at least Mr. Xi''s heart? Burned countless zombies with Mina as if it was a game?

    And when he was a child...

    Didn''t heugh that day? The day that Rnd got into a fight with his bullies, where he bit them and drew blood and chaos everywhere? And when they got expelled for hitting him because he was a rich boy...

    He thought they received their karma.

    Justice. This morbid sense of justice had always existed within him. They deserve to suffer, he deserves to punish them.

    But does that mean he can cast the first stone?

    "There it is¡­. There it is!"

    He was snapped out of his analysis of his own morality when he heard thatughter. nk said those words as if he had finally found a buffet in the middle of this harsh winter where there''s barely anything to eat. Hetched onto it with sharp talons, salivating.

    "Once one revtiones, all the rest will follow. It''s inevitable, like how a ball of snow rolling from the top of the mountains will getrger andrger as it umtes. It''s so fascinating to watch!" He pped his hands. "It''s so¡ª"

    Harker had managed to twist himself from the ropes once more, this time going on top of nk and wrapping his fingers around his throat!

    "So what? Do you think this makes you any superior either? Tormenting people by making them have a moral crisis?"

    nked coughed, but still wore a smile. "I never said that but... If thinking that way would make you project your hatred for your true self to me, then I won''t stop you."

    Harker gritted his teeth, knowing very well that he would just put the nail on his coffin if he yelled ''I''m not projecting!''.

    He tried to steady his breath, closing his eyes. This was not the way out. When people get cornered mentally, they don''t get out of it byshing out physically. He tried to regain his rationality back, not being ruled by his emotions¡­.

    But what if he had always been someone ruled by emotions, and just spent his life pretending to himself that he was not?

    Acting as the calm and can''t-be-bothered Harker Jones. When really, he was just as much of a crybaby as he was when he was young, a weakling and a coward?

    What would he do then?

    The answer was simple and silly, but hard to do.

    And that thing was eptance.

    "I''m not¡­.. a good person. I''m not a good person." He repeated again and again, slowly releasing his grip on the man''s throat.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    When he opened his eyes, nk was looking at him in surprise. As if he never expected this response.

    "I''m not¡­. But I don''t see how I''m a bad one either. Just because I''m not one thing doesn''t mean I''m already the opposite. And so are you¡­. And so are all of us. We''re all fucked up in some ways, but not bad in some ways either."

    He fully let go¡­.

    And embraced the one that taunts him. "I shouldn''t hate you. Out of all people, I shouldn''t hate you. When I am the one who knows about your suffering, and could understand it too."

    nk blinked, and his arms moved slowly to wrap around Harker''s shoulders. And then¡­.

    He made the faintest whisper.

    "Forgive me."

    It was so faint that it was almost inaudible. But it was there. Harker tried to listen to it again.

    "Forgive me. It wasn''t me, I¡­. I did not want to hurt you¡ª"

    But there was suddenly a loud shout inside the cave.

    It was the sound of Ahanu''s voice, they realized. But halfways through the scream, he had seemed to choke and so the sound became something ragged and grating to the ears. It was like a monkey''s shriek, and it kept going and going.

    Joan''s shouts followed after. Harker rushed to see what was going on, easily breaking free from the ropes. nk was dragged halfway when the ropes hadn''t snapped yet, and when they did, hended face first into the cold snow.

    Harker got into the cave within seconds, and saw what was happening.

    Those ck, slimy worm things he sawing from the Sasquatch''s mouth¡­.

    It appeared again, but this time it wasing out from Ahanu. It first came from his wide-open mouth, then it also came out of his nostrils, and eventually, even his eyes and ears.

    The boy was stuck in ce there, standing while all of these worms came out of his body. It was a terrifying sight.

    Joan covered his mouth, cornered into a wall as she tried to avoid the ck worms. Harker went there and stomped at them, and took her in his arms. He rushed to get out of there, not even looking back at the poor boy.

    Once outside, nk approached them with a bump on his head. He was holding it, as he seemed to have a concussion.

    "What happened? What is happening to Ahanu?" He asked frantically.

    Harker lowered Joan in the snow. "I''ll go find out! You two stay put!"

    He easily scaled the walls of the cave as a wendigo, and had the speed to avoid the ck worms from going inside his orifices. He then reached the boy...

    And saw his skin turning gray, and slowly deting like a popped balloon. His skin sagged from the bones. The flesh must have been being eaten from the inside. His once plump cheeks have sunken and sunken until there was nothing left but air and the teeth within.

    He died even before his body hit the ground. And the worms were gone. Just as quickly as they came into this dark and chaotic night.

 Chapter 141 Give Me Love

    While Harker was carrying the body, his eyes shifted back and forth as he thought about what to say to hispanions.

    He doesn''t understand it either, so how can he exin it? Nothing makes sense anymore¡­.

    Did the Sasquatch do this? Why would he? Ahanu didn''t do anything wrong, and they already made a promise to not get into each other''s business since he had forgiven Harker.

    So what happened to this boy? How can he just die a gruesome death like that?

    He doesn''t deserve it. None of them really deserved the things they were experiencing in this mountain, but it happened nheless.

    Once nk spotted them, he did not even ask any questions and rushed to get his brother''s emaciated carcass.

    He aggressively took it and hugged him close. There in the snow, he just fell to his knees while keeping his arms around the only living person in this world that he loves. His family, what he considered his home.

    nk may have his faults and tendencies, but his emotions that night were real and raw. He just wept and wept, unable to do anything else.

    Harker was hesitant to approach him, but still put a hand on his shoulder.

    "I''m¡­ I''m sorry. When I came back, he''s just¡­.. There''s wormsing out of his body. They''re gone now, but we can''t be sure, so we have to be careful¡ª"

    Joan stopped him. "Harker¡­. Let him grieve. You tell me what happened and let him grieve."

    Harker sat down, rubbing his head. It hurts a lot, and he felt that pounding again. As if someone was hitting his skull with a mallet, judging him for his misdeeds and mistakes.

    "I... I tried to get there as fast as I could, but the worms were just spreading all over the cave. I managed to dodge them, but by the time I got there¡­.. He''s gone. It''s toote." He slumped at the same spot where he and nk were. "I should have never left the cave¡­ I should have moved faster as soon as I heard the scream¡­. Maybe then¡­.."

    Joan shook her head. "There''s nothing you could do about it. And if you''re feeling guilty, then how should I feel? I was right beside him. We were sleeping right next to each other and I¡­. I wasn''t able to do anything."

    Harker tried to stay sober despite the debilitating effects of the headache. "Did any of the worms get to you?"

    "No. They crawled out from Ahanu, and I moved back as soon as he screamed. It almost felt like they have always been there, germinating¡­. developing within him....."

    He remembered how Ahanu''s chest seemed to be the source of it all. Dark veins had spread from where his heart was, and stretched all the way to his horrified face stuck in the middle of scream. His corpse was stuck with its eyes rolled back and mouth opened wide.

    Because of this, Harker remembered nk''s words earlier.

    "A monster who had lived all his life as a human would think he has a human heart. But that monstrous, vile heart continues to beat with its ck and brackish blood.... Waiting until the mind frees itself from denial and realizes what it truly was."

    The darkness does not suddenly appear like an intruder that attacks at random. Ites from within, swimming at our veins, feeding on us until it finally consumes everything.

    How long has it been, since Ahanu had been sick?<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It felt just the same as when his sister had one of her res. The lupus disease was always there, the medicine just helps hide the symptoms. But like those ck worms, it stays within her blood vessels and feeds on her own nourishment.

    Ahanu''s body had always been suffering silently like this.

    Simr things happened to his mother before she gave birth. The constant morning sickness, the headaches, the fatigue¡­.. And when she died, all of that ck and brackish blood had found its release.

    A fruit rotting from the inside but looks fine on the outside was much scarier than something that was obviously rotten. Corruption has a more palpable effect than instant destruction.

    "Why were you two outside?" Joan asked.

    Harker looked down. "He¡­. He needed to go out."

    "That long?" She frowned. "I woke up a bit when you two went out. I knew why he needed to go outside but... What took you both so long?"

    This suspicious way of asking was killing him, shiving the knife that was guilt deeper down his chest.

    "We were¡­ We were just talking. He was telling me things about his past. We never would have expected that this would¡­.. I mean, Ahanu looked like he was doing so well and¡­.." He heaved a heavy breath.

    Joan''s eyes softened, and she used a less interrogative tone. "I just thought you two were on bad terms. I didn''t expect that you would be talking about things like that. And it''s so dark and dangerous outside¡­.."

    "I know." Harker hugged himself. "But... I''d rather be outside with him where my thoughts are clearer than stay in that suffocating cave from that moment. That suffocating routine of staying awake while staring at a wall and only having myself as mypany."

    He smiled bitterly. "The things we talked about were morbid, and they fucked up real bad¡­.. But I don''t know why it still felt better than staying still and doing nothing. Then keeping the mundane atmosphere while I silently lose my mind from this curse, and this.... Ugh!"

    The headache spiked, and Joan looked at him with worry. "Hey¡­.. Are you alright?"

    Harker would not usually say the truth in this situation, and just deny his own pain. But he quickly said. "No."

    Joan ced her hands around him. "... We''ll get through this. All of us. Then everything will be okay. Just a little bit further¡­. Just a little bit. Together."

    She massaged his temples. Despite almost attacking her that night, she still went tofort him. Though she could not ept the beast inside, she still provides him thatfort, that affection, that¡­..

    Love.

    Whether an admirable mentor, a family, a friend, or something else¡­. Love was love, in the end, and one of the most moving factors to a person''s life.

    That tender love that Ahanu once provided for his brother. It was the only anchor that tethered nk from the sea of his own morbid thoughts, and it was gone.

    While receiving Joan''s love, he watched the weeping man as if he was looking at dark clouds foreboding aing storm.

 Chapter 142 Before Eternal Sleep

    They couldn''t give Ahanu a funeral because of their travels and the need to carry the body around, which was highly impractical. So they had to speed up for the wake instead.

    nk was rather unfamiliar with burial practices of his tribe from being away for so long. But he does remember a few things.

    "We don''t have any tobo anymore." He noticed gloomily. "But at least we have the pipe where he smoked it."

    Tobo was very important for native burials. It was almost regarded the same way as the Greeks putting coins on their dead as payment to Charon, the ferryman who will take them to the Underworld through the River Styx.

    nk told them that a proper wake and burial would havested for 4 days. There were certain traditions to follow, like how only women were allowed to bath and change the clothes of the dead. They would ce masins at the dead''s feet, and prepare meals to feed not just the vige, but also the spirits.

    They believed the spirits of their past ancestors woulde as well to attend the funeral, as well as nature spirits that were fond of the person to be buried. Sweetgrass was ced on the right hand for purification, and tobo for the Creator to smoke in exchange of giving those they left behind good fortune.

    Harker and Joan helped the elder brother to look for sweetgrass in the woods. That was the least they could do, after all, since they don''t know anything about the burial rites either. They also helped with digging the hole before sundown, most of which was Harker''s job with his wed fingers.

    He was like a dog, burrowing a hole for Ahanu''s little body to beid to rest. They put branches and sticks as nk instructed, so the body does not touch the Earth. The nkets and clothes Ahanu owned were then ced above these sticks. Then the body itself was positioned carefully, while nk was singing a song.

    It was nothing like Harker experienced. He had been to many funerals before, but neverying someone to rest in the middle of the woods and by himself. Ahanu''s body was dposing and wasn''t embalmed by a trained mortician or anything like that.

    A nket was instead used to cover his body, which was nk''s nket. It was his brother who washed him, changed his clothes to his favorite ones, and prepared the meals for them to eat.

    It was a very long and solemn process, and Harker could only guess what kinds of thoughts would go into someone''s mind while doing this. Preparing their own family member''s burial. He realized he was lucky to only have to watch his mother in a casket, shed tears with family, and then watch it be lowered by someone else.

    Would he be able to do the same as nk did? Maybe, he knew himself well enough to be able to have some resilience to do it.

    But he couldn''t possibly do it without being on the verge of tears.

    Before returning the soil and snow they dug up on top of the body, nk cut a piece of Ahanu''s hair and ced it inside his pocket. He cut all of his hair up to the ears with an arrow tip, a sign that someone was mourning, he exined.

    Then, he cut a slice on his wrist.

    Joan was shocked and grabbed it. "What are you doing!?"

    But Harker ced a hand on her shoulder, and shook his head. "Let him do it. It might be part of the burial rites."

    "It is." nk said in more of an exhausted tone.

    There was something different about him right now. It was an aura that was much more simr to when Harker first met him. He doesn''t know why that suddenly disappeared the night he got the wendigo curse. No, it wasn''t during the curse itself¡­ It was the idea of Harker consuming him that triggered his ''darker'' side.

    But that moved away, that morbid part of him. It was reced by the grieving him, the part that was just an older brother looking out for his younger one. And now that he was gone, he was also at a loss.

    nk stared at the drops of blood staining the nket and some of the white snow falling on top of it. He then made cuts on his legs as well, and let it drip there too.

    Then, he turned to Harker. "It is finished."

    Harker nodded, and covered the hole he made. It was finished. Ahanu was now back into the earth, his spirit journeying into whatever awaits in the afterlife.

    nk wept again, squatting beside that hole. He might never be able to visit this ce. Any marker would be buried in the snow, and it would be difficult to find his way into this specific part of the mountains.

    So Harker let him take his time, only observing him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Which is the real you, I wonder¡­.." He muttered to himself.

    Joan turned to him in surprise. "Did you just¡­."

    Harker turned. "What?"

    She then shook her head. "Nothing."

    Harker knew what she was talking about, and feigned ignorance, as always. Just now, he spoke with a different ent.

    It just spilled out naturally, just like how when you cut human skin, blood will flow out. It was within him, always has been. It wasn''t just his way of talking that was changing as time went by, he realized. The more he learned about himself¡­.

    Well, which was his ''real self''?

    It felt that he had gone through so many phases already, and couldn''tdecide which phase was ''him''.

    The right answer would be all of them, of course. But it was also so confusing to think about, the past and the present.

    And the future was a universe of mystery left to be explored.

    Sundown came, and the wendigos'' howls could be heard. Harker ced a hand on nk''s shoulder.

    "Time to go now. Sorry." He said in a sincere tone.

    nk looked up at him with those familiar eyes. He knew those eyes because that''s what he saw in the mirror when he just lost his mother, the first woman he looked up to and admired. And he saw those eyes often on his father, even when Howard tries his best to hide it from his children.

    "I don''t want to be tied to you tonight." nk said.

    Harker closed his eyes for a moment as he took a deep breath, then nodded. "I get it. Then we should sleep somewhere where it''s hard to move around, like that small crawl space¡ª"

    "I''m going to stay here. By my brother''s side."

    Harker couldn''t possibly agree with that. But he had long noticed how nk had set up camp by his brother''s grave, lighting a campfire for himself and preparing some mint leaves to keep him awake.

    And yet even though he knew what he was doing, he didn''t stop him. His silence was basically a permission.

    "..... Be careful. I mean it. Ahanu wouldn''t want you to¡ª"

    "I know. I don''t want to die that way either." nk smiled softly, showing a bit of that dark side but in a gentler way. "You can sleep next to her, you know? It won''t happen again. I know it won''t. The question was whether you believe in me or not, and if you believe in yourself enough."

    Harker gave an ironic smile, shaking his head. This man who taunted him all the time, trusted him more than he trusted himself.

    He went inside the cave, and asked for Joan''s permission.

    "Can I sleep by your side?"

 Chapter 143 A Curse In Your Head

    Compared to thest time they spent together by a fire pit, Harker and Joan barely exchanged any words with each other.

    But it didn''t feel awkward. In fact, to Harker, it felt ratherforting.

    Just being in the presence of each other, not needing to break the silence with empty words. Eventually, exhaustion hade to Joan and she prepared her bedding. Harker watched her calm movements and the neutral expression in her face as she did it.

    He tested the waters and moved closer. She did not make any abrupt reactions. So far, so good.

    But she never gave permission to sleep beside each other yet either.

    Harker thought maybe it wasn''t clear to her what it meant. Sleeping by her side could have meant just sleeping inside the cave. Sleeping by her side could be sleeping 1 meter apart. But what he meant by that was of course¡­.

    To sleep right next to each other, skin to skin.

    They didn''t even have to be embracing or anything intimate like that. He just wanted to feel her, to be trusted enough to sleep with their shoulders brushing against each other, or their backs facing each other.

    That would be enough, he thought.

    But since Joan just went to sleep without saying anything, he was left with the decision on how close he should be sleeping next to her.

    For her safety, they should be as far apart as possible. But for Harker''s desire, he wanted to be as close to her as possible.

    Security or desire. Rules or instinct. Superego or Id. Those were the two forces that always brought conflict between man and other forces, and of course, with himself.

    Joan suddenly spoke.

    "When do you n to sleep, if you ever want to? You can''t stay awake forever."

    Harker smiled sheepishly. "Well¡­.. I do want to try and sleep right now. But I know it''s¡­.. The curse and¡­."

    She turned to him. "I can''t sleep either without you."

    Harker gulped. Without him?

    Her eyes say it all,manding him to get to ''bed'' and give up his inhibitions. And Harker waspelled to do just that. Heid next to the woman, faces a few inches apart. Yet there was no desire in him to move closer or to eat her.

    Somehow, the curse was momentarily gone from the other force that''s pervading his mind.

    That four letter word was something quite powerful, he realized now. It can make mothers push up cars to save their children from a crash. It can make heroes fall onto their knees, it can make changes to amunity when a leader loves its people very much. And even curses¡­..

    Can turn into blessings with its power.

    We may have only one heart, but we have always loved many in our lives. Harker knows that acknowledging what he feels towards Joan doesn''t necessarily mean that he lost what he had with Mina. It was still as strong as ever, and he yearns for her each day.

    But he also yearned for someone so close yet feels so far.

    That abyss in her eyes gazing back at him. It was an endless spiral of sorrow, despair, and years upon years of solitude. He found himself being sucked in by that abyss, and he too has shared those feelings.

    By missing Mina, he hade to understand Joan better. Because now he had walked a mile in her shoes.

    "It haunts you." Harker spoke while they''re locked into this long staring contest.

    Joan doesn''t blink. "What do you mean?"

    "Your past with him." Harker said softly. "It haunts you until now. That''s why even if I....I can''t ept your love."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Joan finally breaks eye contact, and takes a deep breath.

    "I''ll learn to do it someday. Move on. Just¡­ Just wait for me. Please."

    Harker nodded lightly. He closed his eyes for a while to try and sleep¡­..

    And he felt it.

    The air that escaped her lips lingered on after she did it. It was a very light sensation, and yet it had much effect as a third degree burn. But the passions of it did not pass over physiologically for Harker. It wasn''t a kiss meant to ignite something from the body, but something from the mind and heart instead.

    This kiss was a seal, a promise. And he must respect that promise.

    They slept after that, their breaths mingling between the gaps. Their fingers locked together.

    And as they went down to their slumber peacefully, Harker had another dream.

    This dream felt different from the rest. It didn''t feel like watching an event from a movie, just as it usually does. It didn''t feel like Harker was experiencing everything first-hand either.

    Instead, it felt like he was inside someone else''s head.

    And even without a mirror, he could tell that someone was Joan. He was somehow inside Joan''s brain, and could not only see what she sees, but feel how she feels. He should be wearing those eyes that hid the abyss.

    But right now, it didn''t feel that way.

    Instead, he felt so light that he could float. As if the stars themselves shone brightly behind her eyes, not a ck hole.

    These stars were just new born, fresh from an explosion that happened the moment sheid eyes on a young man handing candies and treats to homeless children on the streets.

    "Now, now! One at a time, one a time! Fes, I''m serious. We only have limited amounts because of the dy on the trip, but¡ª Hey, you''re not so slick, Gunter. I caught that. Give it back, we need to share with each other¡ª"

    He suddenly stopped when he felt someone looking at him. He turned back, and wore a cheeky little smile.

    "Why, lovely morning for a lovelydy to be around. But not around these parts." He tipped his hat at her.

    It was a ck japanned leather hat with a red belt and a buckle. It covered half of his face. He wore clothes quitemon to see in navy captains and privateers. But he had the rugged looks and demeanor of amon ruffian in the back alleys that will cut you with a knife just for a few pennies.

    He crossed his arms, wearing a smile and yet it was clear that he was rather suspicious. "What are you doing here, and does your mother know ady such as yourself came here?"

    Harker could feel the mix of both apprehension and fascination Joan had towards this stranger. She said:

    "As a matter of fact, yes. May I ask if your mother knows you are here, then?"

    The manughed, and it was difficult to tell whether it was genuine or not. He took off his hat, and massaged the brim with his fingers.

    "As a matter of fact, I do not have one. Not anymore. Caught the lung disease, and the Master she served found her expendable enough to not call a physician. So I suppose she does know, if she is truly watching from the heavens above."

    Joan felt sheepish even though she was just returning the favor of being snarky with this man. "Oh¡­ That''s awful. My apologies."

    The man just shrugged. "No need. You are not the one who cursed her with the affliction now, are you?"

    Harker''s breath hitched when he saw Edmund''s face clearly.

    This man really was the splitting image of him. Down to thest detail.

 Chapter 144 Like A Haunting Dream

    Harker had experienced something quite simr to having a fever dream. Or if he had experienced taking drugs, he would have more uratelypared it to a bad trip.

    Time moved in a weird and nonlinear manner. And it''s not just hopping from one memory to the next. It scattered everywhere, these small moments, and they could happen all at once, or not at all.

    The events that did make an impression on him enough to remember even after he woke up all shared amon factor. They were the moments with Edmund, and the moments right after his passing.

    "Would you look at that, my love? Orion''s belt. The Christians sometimes call it the Three Kings. The Chinese call it Shen, a western mansion of the White Tiger. In other European mythologies it could be a god''s sword or distaff." Edmund said.

    They were on the deck of the ship, probably Edmund''s ship. It was anchored to the port, and they were simply stargazing and basking in the moonlight alone there.

    He had his arms around Joan, who chuckled softly. "You know a lot about the myths behind these stars, I thought you seafarers simply use Orion''s belt as a guide for direction. Did you learn all that in your travels?"

    Edmund shook his head. "Haha, no. I am too focused on the local flora and fauna to pay attention to beliefs and legends. I learned all of this from Henry."

    "Ah, no wonder. That Henry is an intelligent man. It is a wonder how he became a private ship''s quartermaster rather than work with the Queen''s navy though."

    "Hah, I wouldn''t know. Henry has his own reasoning for things ever since we were a child that people may not agree on. It''s a part of him that I''m used to, his secretive nature." Edmund told her. "Anyway, isn''t it fascinating how a group of three stars could have so many names, so many identities¡­. while we humans are often restricted to one?"

    "You want to change your identity?" She asked.

    "Haha, no. I just fancied that thought of a world that can reconcile with someone having multiple all at once. For example, I am an English gentleman. Certainly, for my father is." He said softly. "But I am also a negro in their eyes. And yes, I am a negro. My mother is African, and so I too, am African. Both are in my veins, ck and white."

    Edmund sighed. "I suppose what I am conveying with this ramble is that¡­. It is so hard for people to understand that humans can be one thing, and it doesn''t necessarily mean that they are not the other. That we may exist in between, be in shades of gray."

    Joan agreed. Though she hasn''t experienced it herself, being in between¡­. She could certainly agree with the fact that people do have a hard time seeing nuances in things. They would rather forcefully group everything into neat little boxes than acknowledge those that don''t fit.

    "A double life is truly difficult. One foot in heaven, one foot in hell." Joan said. "That''s how people see it for me, but what they believe as ''heaven'' and ''hell'' are often switched up. They believe that my travels to help the sick was ''hell'', while staying at home and fattening up in muffins all day was my ''heaven''."

    Edmund chuckled. "Are you saying that you are in heaven when you are with me, then?"

    "More than heaven. Possibly the only ce that I want to be in, that I want to exist. By your side." She said, kissing his neck.

    The memories shed of their walks together, their fights with one another, their times making love, theughter, the tears.... It was making Harker''s vision swim. Not just because everything was showing up so fast¡­..

    But because he can''t disconnect himself from the image of the man embracing Joan.

    On theirst day together, the day Edmund went for that trip, Joan clung on tightly to him. Not wanting to let go.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Edmund hugged her back, whispering softly a quote of some sort. Harker doesn''t know where it was from, but he will remember it forever.

    "The Guide and I entered the hidden road, returning to the bright world. " He said.

    Joan answered back, tears in her eyes. "Till wey witness to the beauty Heaven doth bear,ing forth to rebehold the stars."

    Edmund caressed her cheek with his own. "Do not think of the Far North as hell, my fair Lady. And even if it was, I will return. My Beatrice."

    "Hell is here, without your presence." She answered back, inconsble.

    The hesitation in Edmund''s eyes was evident. He wasn''t sure whether to stay or go, but in the end, he parted with his beloved¡­

    And never returned, breaking his promise.

    After that, Joan felt like she was traveling an endless, dark road. There was no destination, no way out. Only phases of various torments that never end. There was her own death, there was her almost death, and there was the present.

    Where she poisons herself day by day with drugs and alcohol. But she still never reached the end of that road.

    At the end of that road, Edmund could be waiting for her. But at the same time, there could be nothing. She would be nothing. But she had long already felt that way, so that kind of end doesn''t faze her.

    If only she had a Guide to that end¡­..

    And there he was. Harker saw himself, the actual him. A memory that was clearer and more vivid than the rest.

    Seeing himself in Joan''s eyes was more than strange. But it was also something ineffable, something that cannot be exined yet has left an impression on him like how this dream had, and the dreams he had before that made a mark on his heart.

    Why is it that in his dreams, everything felt more palpable, more vivid, more¡­. real?

    He was so devastated about waking up that he felt a hot tear on his cheek. But he wiped it away, and had to wee the new morning.

    But Joan was no longer by his side.

    All that was left was the impression of her, like a dream that haunts you, wishing that you can have it back.

 Chapter 145 Voices In My Head

    Harker went out of the cave, and was met with the strongest blizzard he experienced in his life.

    He can barely see anything. The white snow blinded him, and they fell onto his face the same way those memories of Joan did. Those memories that were not his, which he consumed that night.

    "Joan!" He yelled out.

    There was no answer. Only the blinding white.

    He ran to nowhere, not even knowing if he was going north, east, west or south. He could only hope that he was taking the path towards her. But in this endless bright road, he could still not find the destination he wanted.

    Harker searched. He couldn''t find nk either, or any signs of his encampment. Soon, he was going in circles in these woods, out in the cold, with no one by his side.

    It was freezing so much that he felt like the ground beneath his feet would turn to ice.

    And he too, would be frozen in these unforgiving mountains. He hugged himself, trying to get himself to stand up. But it was impossible, as the pain in his body, heart and mind was debilitating.

    His chest felt so cold, and the coldness was spreading through his veins. He could almost see ck cracks there, like the fissures on a frozenke.

    ck marks.....

    It slowly returned to him. Ahanu and the ck worms. His body was shaking, but he steadied himself. He closed his eyes¡­..

    And focused on one thing. His own heart.

    Something had infected his heart. It was the parasite he must get rid of, this parasite that brings the neverending coldness.

    It was the toughest battle in his life. He could never solve it with punches or kicks. All he could do was to stay still, and focus all his energy in taking out the parasite that ns to eat him from inside out.

    Harker had almost expelled it all, ck wormsing out of his mouth¡­.

    When he finally saw someone else in this deste wastnd, holding out a hand to him.

    "What are you doing out here,d? Are you not feeling cold?"

    It wasn''t anyone he knew before. Aplete stranger, and yet somehow, he wanted to take that hand he was offering. His heart felt like swelling up just from the sight of him. Like an oasis in the middle of the desert, the first star to be seen in a very dark night where even the moon hides its face in disdain.

    Harker felt his mouth opening without willing it to. "I will return, Teacher. Just give me a moment."

    He realized that once again, his body was not his own. Yet this wasn''t a dream.

    It was never a dream, he truly was gaining the memories and experiences of other people.

    The difference from this one was that his uneasiness was not the same as with Joan''s memories. This man looked nothing like him, even though nk said that Harker reminds him of this Science teacher.

    There was a gentleness in his eyes that can''t be found in Harker, giving the impression that he was a sensitive soul. But there was also heavy sadness in them, somehow, almost like Joan''s but not quite.

    It''s a sadness that has been there possibly since the man was born.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "John Starnket, if my memory does not fail me?" The kind man asked him, holding his small hand gently. "You have a pleasant name."

    Harker realized that they weren''t speaking English at all. They were speaking French, and they''re way of speaking was quite old at that. Harker somehow gained an understanding of this aged way of speaking in anguage he never learned too.

    He felt his cheeks feeling hot. "Thank you, but that is not truly my name. My name is unpronounceable to most and ''Starnket'' is the trantion of my true first name."

    "Truly? What is it then, in the Aboriginalnguage?" The man asked.

    "Ahchuchhwahauhhatohapit."

    "Ahchuchhwahauhhatohapit¡­." The kind teacher repeated the name perfectly. "I think that it is also a beautiful name, nay, even more beautiful than John Starnket. The rhythm of the words has a certain charm to it that reminds me of those colorful spiderwebs."

    nk felt even more sheepish. "No one had ever told me that before¡­.. But why spiderwebs, Teacher?"

    "Oh, not the usual spiderwebs. I meant that charm that some of the tribes use to capture bad dreams. They ced it over my head when I was having a nightmare, saying that it will protect my mind from the evil spirits trying to take over it."

    The mental image of a dreamcatcher came to Harker''s mind, but he knew neither of them call those that.

    nk calls it asabikeshiinh, and exined that it wasn''t just used as protection for nightmares, but bad fortune in general. They continued to speak more of the culture of the tribes and how each one actually has differences that can be as opposite as night and day. The man was genuinely fascinated by this, and continued asking him more about it.

    And the more they talk, the more nk feels that this white man doesn''t actually just see him as a pesky Indian child that tried to escape tasks by running into the woods during a blizzard. His worry was real, and he worries for him as a fellow human being, not a responsibility.

    In fact, when nk talks to him, he doesn''t feel like he was being treated as a child at all. He could be his real self and show parts of him that people judged before. And the man never chided him for it.

    Never called him savage, and never called him white ghost''s son. Simply Ahchuchhwahauhhatohapit.

    The man never gets tired of pronouncing it, never tries to give him a new nickname. nk also liked the way his name sounded when he said it, in different moments and different tones.

    There was the surprise ''Ahchuchhwahauhhatohapit'' upon seeing him cleaning the tables without being ordered to, when he was known in the school as a ''chore skipper''. There was theforting ''Ahchuchhwahauhhatohapit'' when the man found him crying after being punched by someone from an enemy tribe. And often, a proud Ahchuchhwahauhhatohapit for getting the right answer in Science ss.

    The first was special, and he was the first person to make nk feel genuinely cared for. To feel¡­.

    "Loved. Why would she say loved? Am I no longer loved anymore? Why must it be in the past tense... No, why must I question such a thing? Of course my wife still loves me!"

    The memories were like the blizzard for Harker too, in the sense that he can''t make out the end of the road for them. They were cut off, reced, scattered into bits. But he managed to hold on to this one.

    nk was peeking through the door of his office, since he was used to visiting there to have lunch together.

    The man gripped his head and the pain was so visceral that nk felt he would end up crushing his own skull with his own hands. He kicked the walls, and mmed his fist on them.

    "Stupid fucking headache! Get away! Away, I said!"

    But it was more than just a headache. nk soon learned there were also voices...

    And no matter how much the man tried to silence them, they ended up being louder than everything else in this world.

 Chapter 146 Follows Until Death

    The first victim was a menace that no one truly felt sorry about.

    He would y tricks to the teachers and though he gets punished, he always manages to get away with it like a sly fox. He was so terrible that they tried to bring him back to the tribe, but the child returned simply because he liked how there was more food to eat at school.

    Which wasn''t true. There was just more food to eat for him because he bullies other children into giving their ration to him.

    The Science teacher was a kind man, but he had snapped at this kid before. The troublemaker did shut up when he yelled at him. He even seemed to feel embarrassed from being told off by a bone thin and bookish white man.

    This caused him to try and pull a trick on the teacher by destroying his collection of pinned-up butterflies mounted on the wall of his office.

    That was the final straw. The next day, the boy was found naked with his limbs stretched like the Vitruvian man, and he was pinned up to the school walls using nails. He seemed to have died of suffocation prior to being disyed like this.

    Of course, they would least expect someone as kind as the Science teacher to do such a heinous thing. Just for a few butterflies? And the kid had many enemies, both teachers and fellow native students alike. So the murder was ruled off as the fault of one of their kind.

    But others soon followed. All have deep red marks on their necks. Made no doubt by fingers gripping hard on to them.

    The boys always died at nighttime, killed in their beds. An investigation was made but it was hard to determine a suspect in a school such as this. And there were many other problems anyway like the shortage of food and supply, the increase of the sick children and faculty alike, and theing winter that will make things even moreplicated.

    When winter came, that was when only nk figured out who the murderer was.

    Both of them knew this certain spot in the woods where they could go and be alone. It was a sort of clearing that nobody really visits, near a creek.

    That spot was where the Teacher found him, and when he revealed his real name to him. So this spot was special.

    Ahanu found himself wondering if he would be victimized next by this unknown serial killer. Besides stripping the bodies, the murderer only suffocates them and sometimes vandalizes the body like that with the mean troublemaker. But that first one was actually the worst.

    The rest just had their breaths taken out of them along with their clothes. No sign of other assault, and they were sometimes even ced on their beds like how you would ce someone in your funeral. Tucked in with a nket.

    nk doesn''t know for sure why the clothes get taken, but he knew the importance of clothes from the dead. Their tribe buries the dead in their best clothes and with their possessions with them, and the family receives the rest.

    One day, he was at the spot ruminating about the events. When will his turne? Will he ever learn the perpetrators identity before he dies, or do the kids get knocked out before they are suffocated?

    Suddenly, he heard the sound of slow and heavy footsteps.

    "Oh. Ahchuchwahauhhatohapit, you''re here."

    His teacher was there, carrying arge bag. nk stood up, wondering what he was doing in their spot.

    "What is it you are carrying, Sir Satie?" He said, finally calling his name.

    The man just set down the bag, sighing. "What are you doing here? Did you skip your tasks again?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    nk shook his head. "No, I have finished them all. I am simply here to watch the first snowfall of the year."

    The man, who''s named Erik Satie, patted his head.

    "Goodd. You should hurry back, then. They do not like seeing the boys out of their rooms for so long after ss, after the events that transpired recently."

    nk frowned. "But aren''t those boys yed in their rooms?"

    Erik wore a small smile at this. "That is true. But is it not more dangerous outside than in the school? At the very least, there is a chance that the murderer will be caught as he does the murders within the premises where many could hear the children scream for help. In the outside world, you have wild animals, stray bullets of hunters and idents to worry about."

    "If both outside and inside are not safe, then there is no ce that is safe for me in this world, Sir Satie." nk answered.

    The man looked at him for a long time, both of them locked in an intense staring contest. They just sat there, not saying a word to each other for a while as they observed the snow.

    Eventually, it was Erik who broke that thin ice of silence.

    "You remind me of myself." He said. "Many mistake my outgoing nature as a sign of an optimistic disposition. But that is far from the truth. I am aware of the terrors of this world, and the ugliness that pervades every corner indiscriminately."

    nk turned to him, and that was the moment he knew. Not because of therge bag, or him getting there.

    It was these words that cemented the fact that this man was the one who murdered those children. The man that he and many others looked up to.

    "There is no safe ce in this world. Safety andfort is simply an illusion. A home¡­.. A loving family.... You will lose them, whether you like it or not. And you must keep on sheltering yourself from the dangers all over again, yet you already bear the knowledge that it will be taken from you."

    He puts his hand on nk''s shoulder. "And the worst thing is¡­.. The worst danger is always inside us, not anywhere else."

    nk took his hand, which he remembered was quite rough. It must be all his efforts in taxidermy, not just with insects and butterflies, but even with animals as well.

    nk had always found Erik''s hobby something akin to an art. He was creating art out of the dead, carving and sculpting their insides so they may not dpose, and preserving their outside appearance forever.

    It waster learned that the reason the boys were naked was because their bodies were taxidermied. It took the people so long to figure it out because of the skill and craftsmanship, and the fact that the local police who barely investigated the crimes had no idea how this works.

    Only when a hunter who enjoyed mounting moose heads examined the bodies did they figure it out, and Erik Satie was found guilty.

    But before they could take his life, he went into that spot in the woods, and took a rope with him. He wasn''t aware that a student had followed after him¡­..

    And was nning to die with him.

 Chapter 147 Only The Unbearable Silence

    "Take me with you."

    nk begged and begged, but he was only pushed away and told to go back. Erik looked like all that energy and kindness was snapped out of his face....

    And all that was left was that unbearable sadness and emptiness that he had within him for a long time.

    Harker would often see that expression on his father. His sadness was really different from the others he had seen. It was like Howard and Erik were just born toment over themselves and the world itself, and suffered misfortunes that just hit the final nail on the coffin.

    nk had that too, Harker thought. He had noticed it when they met, but he chose to deny its existence. After all, he could be seeing things that weren''t there. Or more urately¡­..

    He just didn''t want to see it on the person that supposedly saved him, the one he could rely on when he himself was in trouble.

    After all, who would want totch onto a weak and broken rope while climbing on the side of a cliff? We''d rather be hopeful that it won''t snap and convince ourselves that it would hold on much longer.

    But how long? That was always the question.

    "Please! Take me with you! I know why you took their life!" nk said. "It is because you do not want to die alone, that you do not want your soul to travel with no one by your side! So take me with you, and we can journey into the afterlife together."

    Erik just looked at him nkly as he tied a loop around his neck. "And so what if that was my reason? That is not a rational way of thinking. It is abnormal, and is not eptable in the eyes of the people."

    nk gripped onto his shirt. "What do I care about what people think? In their eyes I am not even human. I am simply a barbaric redskin, or a demon''s spawn. I am scorned from the day I was born, but I do not want to die alone. I know how you feel. You have taken those boys with you, but you wouldn''t even take the one who adores you the most by your side?"

    "It is because I adore you that I cannot take you. I do not believe in Hell, but that may be the path I''m headed for. If not hell, then there is only the dark abyss. I have taken the boys with me into the pit aspany, but I will not do the same to a beautiful soul like yours."

    nk copsed to the snowy ground, begging on his knees. "Please, Erik.... If hell or darkness awaits, then it is no different from this world I am in. So I would rather be there than this ce with the ''people''. And I''d rather be there with you."

    Erik looks at him for a long time. Then, he wrapped the end of the rope around nk''s feet.

    "I will climb the pine tree and jump from this branch. Once I do, your body will be pulled up as my body goes down like a pulley, and you will be hanging upside down. It will take a longer time, but blood will pool at your head and your organs will be crushed from gravity."

    The student was not expecting this agreement. He was indeed skeptical if this would work, but he was hopeful that Erik really did want to die with him. Their bodies would be found tied together, a poetic end for them both.

    But as Erik was about to jump from the tree branch...

    He pulled out a knife and cut the connection between them.

    nk''s eyes widened, and he tried to quickly climb the tree. But Erik moved fast, tying the loose end to the branch and securing it before taking the fall.

    "I shall travel with the souls of those boys within me. But you must make your journey alone,d." He said. "I will not consume your soul."

    As expected of jumping from that height, his neck made a sickening sound as it snapped.

    nk punched and kicked at the tree. Erik lied to him, and¡­

    He even wore a smile on his face that remained in ce as he died.

    "WHY!? Why did you leave without me...¡­ Why...."

    He wept and wept by that tree. The hours he spent crying would have been enough to cause him to die from hanging upside down by now. Erik just remained there, his body swaying softly from the cold winds of winter.

    The police found him and the body, but the rest was a blur for nk. He was like an empty shell, a zombie moving without purpose or awareness.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He was interrogated, but did not even pay attention to what he said. Everything in front of him was like they were being filtered by a blinding white. All he could see was the snow, and sometimes¡­..

    All he could see was him. His smiling face.

    nk stayed like that for a long time, especially during the funeral. He then saw the child...

    And knew just from seeing that child''s lonely eyes alone that he would grow up bearing the same curse as his father.

    That never-endingment. That fear of solitude.

    From the stories that the wife exchanged with the other mourners, he learned that Erik actually grew from the poor household in the middle of a war. His parents did not expect his birth, and never liked that he was born because of the hardships they were already experiencing.

    Erik grew with death and carnage around him. But what the little one could never bear, he told his wife, was the silence of it all.

    Walking the streets with no sign of life. His feet bare, his stomach empty.

    More than the hunger for food, he had to bear the hunger for love. He never received it from his parents, and once they died, he never received it from anyone either.

    He somehow survived, and was taken by the soldiers to be taught in school out of pity. But that was not the same as love, and he had only first experienced it when he met his wife.

    When the woman asked how he survived those days of hunger and thirst, she just shrugged.

    "He would not answer. He simply says that ''I had the spirits of the fallen men within me. Those were the only ones that gave me strength.''"

    Upon listening to this, nk suddenly had an epiphany.

    The bodies of Erik''s victims were taxidermied, and nobody could locate the missing organs. They had seen the bag that had all the bloody clothes buried under the spot by the creek. But nothing else.

    ''I will not consume your soul''. Those were hisst words.

    nk suddenly had a n. He went into the body in the casket about to be buried tomorrow¡­..

    And cut his wrist, feeding his blood onto the mouth of his beloved.

    "I know what you are now, Erik. Pleasee back to me."

    And yet his blood wasn''t enough. So the next day, he took the body....

    And ran with it, several policemen chasing after him. He went to the only other ce he could hide, and that would be his tribe. Of course, they questioned why he would be carrying a dead white man''s body, but upon hearing that the authorities were after them, they packed their things to leave.

    And the wendigos came. That wasn''t part of nk''s n, as he just wanted to bring him back by feeding him the bodies of the dead people from the fights between the tribe and the white men.

    But the white soldiers were the ones that turned, and Erik never returned. They chased after the vige every night and finally¡­..

    They managed to catch them. Only the unbearable silence remained as no one survived.

    Not even the harbinger of wendigos himself.

 Chapter 148 With Its Mouth Wide Open

    Harker snapped back to his reality, the one where he was trying to expel all the ck worms in his body. He retched and vomited them out.

    "What the... How is that possible.... nk is still alive, and so was his vige, but...."

    But the memory he saw was clear. The vige had sumbed to the wendigos a long time ago already.

    So how was it possible that he had met the two brothers? That was also a very clear memory, and he wasn''t the only one who saw them. There was Professor Seward and the bodyguards, unless¡­.

    Unless, of course, they weren''t real as well.

    Harker gripped his head, shaking wildly. No, that''s not possible! They were real, they had existed before getting into the mountains.

    So that means the memories he had that could not have been real started upon reaching the mountain. Yes, that''s it. After all, how could it snow in the middle of summer? Even if they did say it was the wendigos fault¡­..

    But that wouldn''t exin how he gained the wendigo skill either.

    Yan. Yan could be his anchor. Yan was always by his side, and that eyeball always knew what was true or not.

    "Yan!" He called out.

    He did hear a response, but it was vague. He can''t tell where it was, it seemed to be someone shouting his name in all directions.

    Could it be that he was still dreaming, and Yan was trying to wake him up? Yes, that would exin it better. The hallucinations began after going to sleep. Everything else before that¡­.

    No, no, no! It circles to the start again, because if everything before going to sleep was real, then what about nk and Ahanu?

    His head was pounding, and all sorts of sounds were buzzing through his ear. It was the same as when he tried to gain information on who had the Shards and where to find them. But instead of just random information, this was much worse because they were voices with emotions bleeding into them. Bleeding into Harker''s own.

    Emotions of other people''s pain, anguish, anger, remorse, loneliness, guilt, ecstasy, hunger.... They fight for dominance on his own brain, an eternal tug of war.

    The harder Harker tried to fight them back, the more insane he felt. The screaming just got louder, and he can''t tell the truth from lies anymore, his own thoughts and others, and even past from present.

    One moment, he was born into this world, then the next he was baptized even though he was clearly not part of any religion. Then, he was an army soldier fighting on the battlefield with one eye shot. The next he was an old seamstress from the Cree tribe who wove a cloth with a star pattern. And then¡­..

    He was nothing but a wild animal,pletely famished and only living to have something to eat.

    He sniffed about on all fours, trying to find some flesh to sink his teeth into. He then found someone hiding behind the trees. He rushed to pounce on this prey.

    It was Ahanu, justughing as he grabbed him with his wed fingers.

    "Everyone has been waiting for you, Sir." He spoke English perfectly, with a rather posh British ent. "The tea party is starting. The tea and crumpets would get cold if we don''t move fast."

    Harker''s eyes cleared a little, blinking. He doesn''t even remember why he was holding Ahanu in the first ce. Not because his memory had been wiped clean, but because it was so crowded. He just followed the boy in a daze, who offered his small delicate hand to him.

    He was brought into a clearing by a creek. This clearing looked familiar.

    There was a table set there, with numerous tiny little pastries in silver tters and porcin tea cups. The table cloth was white as snow, and the only design in the middle was a round circle of webs.

    Like a dreamcatcher.

    As for the guests of this tea party...<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Wee." nk was sitting there, with navy captain clothes and a ck hat. It had a fancy little red belt with a buckle on it. "We have been expecting you, goodd."

    Joan was also there, dressed in nothing but a dress made of sheepskin and some fur. They were tribal clothes and she had marks around her body. One of them, around her shoulder, reminded Harker of the phases of the moon, but there were 13 of them in a circle.

    But he can''t actually remember their names, or who they were. Not at this moment. He was simply there, a walking empty shell that observes things.

    He felt so small, sitting on a chair and joining them on that table. Not because he physically was, since he could reach everything just fine. But he still felt like a child among adults, or a hare among a group of wolves, tigers, and hyenas.

    nk poured him so hot ck tea, steam rising out to tickle his chin with warm air.

    "Matthew Chapter 8 verse 28 to Chapter 9 verse 1. Mark Chapter 5 verse 1 to 21. Luke Chapter 8 verse 26 to 40." He smiled while serving Harker. "I assume you do not know what those names mean, or those numbers? You are a non-believer after all."

    Harker only picked up the tea, and took a sip. It burned his tongue. Yet he kept drinking anyway, desperate to taste anything on his lips.

    He looked at his te, as a cherry pie appeared. The crimson filling was oozing like blood in a newly-opened wound. They stained the tes, and those crushed cherries looked so delicious that despite looking impolite, Harker just wanted to eat them with only his mouth. Wolf them up.

    "What is your name? Jesus asked the man." nk spoke as he sat back on his chair in such a graceful manner that it could almost be described as pretentious. "And the man replied. ''Our name is Legion, for we are many.''"

    He turned to Joan, who was picking on her cherry pie with her own fingers, not a fork.

    nk continued. "I would often share this Gospel while acknowledging that there are differences in the ounts of the three. God is in the details, they said. Two mentioned Legion''s name, but Matthew did not. Matthew said that there were two possessed men, but the others only said one. Does that mean Matthew was the liar?"

    "No, of course not. It was simply a different ount of what he knows. His was limitedpared to the other two, being the shorter one after all. You could say that Matthew did not lie, he was just¡­.."

    He clicked his finger over Harker''s face, who jolted. His saliva was dripping onto the food, and yet he still did not touch it.

    "Confused." nk picked up Harker''s te¡­.

    And handed it to Joan.

    Joan tried to grab the slice of cherry pie with her bare hands, and the filling now dripped over her fingers and her clothes.

    "When you are hungry, my son, you must eat. When you are confused, you must ask questions." He tilted his head. "And when you want something, you must take it."

    He whispered softly to Harker''s ear. "Unless, of course, you were told not to do so. As children, we were scolded for breaking the rules. As we grow older, we fear authority, no matter what they may be."

    He ced his hat over Harker''s head, and his voice seemed to grow distant.

    "But what if there was no one to watch you, all alone with your desires¡­."

    The tea party vanished, and there was only darkness. In the darkness, Harker could still see clearly¡­.

    Andying in front of him was Joan. She was naked, and her limbs were spread wide apart like the Vitruvian man. And shey there still, all for Harker''s taking.

    He lowered himself, crawling slowly while still drooling. There was no one to stop him. He can do whatever he wants, eat whatever he wants, believe whatever he wants.

    No more questioning what was right or wrong, true or false. There was no use for his mind. Only his body gets to decide.

    He opened his mouth wide.

 Chapter 149 Merging And Forming

    "Master!"

    It was faint, but it came again. Harker still has his wide opened mouth ced over Joan''s expressionless face, as if he was going to bite her entire head off.

    "Master!"

    The sound was like falling rain, not soft snow. No, it was like the dripping of blood.

    This had happened before. It was much clearer in his mind now, that night he became something else. He was about to die, and only his instincts saved him. He epted it instead of fighting back, even when it was wrong, or disgusting, or whatever people may say.

    He ate flesh.

    And now he wants nothing else but to do that, his whole life.

    "Master!"

    The final call, like the final ringing of a bell, was like an offer to a choice. It was beckoning, yes, but it was still up to him in the end.

    Which was stronger within him? To fight or to sumb?

    He can''t stay halfway forever. Stuck in between, always so indecisive. He must act, not think, and put all his willpower in whatever he wants to enact.

    It was Joan or him. That was what he knew. Her life, or his¡­.

    He gritted his teeth, and struggled once more with those loud shouts. But then he came to realize that they were not here to antagonize him at all. They were tools, like nails, scissors, knives, ropes, and even fire.

    It was up to him how he used them, whether to his destruction or survival.

    And so he closed his eyes. He felt like he was tearing his own body apart. But that was alright, because he made his decision now.

    And that was to pursue the truth. The real truth.

    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" He screamed as he tried to take control.

    It was as difficult as someone driving a car that crashed on a tree, and trying to drive despite the damage on his body and the car itself. The car was his own body, and his mind was fighting to get it moving to the right direction again.

    He needed an anchor. A strong one. Something enough to aplish the impossible¡­..

    Various faces came to his mind. His father''s face, his mother''s face. His sister and his brothers, His greatest friend. His first love. The people that believed in him, the people he had spent some good memories with. He even thought about the small moments when he felt like that towards Ahanu and nk, whether they were ''real'' or not.

    And he saw Joan. Saw her for what she was. Not just any woman, not just any tempting piece of flesh he wants to devour. Not just a professor, not just a mourner. She was¡­..

    Someone he loved, and felt loved by.

    "He said to them ''Go!''. And so they went out, onto the bodies of the pigs nearby. They rushed into theke and drowned with the demons inside them."

    Harker opened his eyes.

    This time, it was dark and nighttime. There was the sound of the crackling of fire, and whirring of helicopter des.

    But more importantly, there were the heavy footsteps of therge, strong bodyguards all around him.

    They were all holding methrowers, burning tall wendigos. There were much more of them than before. It was like a whole army, swarming with no strategy towards these men like bees that got their beehive broken.

    The bodyguards managed to fight them off well, and even started using grenades. There was carnage everywhere, and....<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Harker had most of his body buried in the snow. He was in wendigo form, with his limbs outstretched and skin grayish.

    When he sat up, a bodyguard almost burned him to crips when¡ª

    "Wait! It''s me!" Harker eximed, realizing that it was someone named Tom or Tim.

    The man lowered his gun, and looked at him with both relief and disbelief. "Mr. Jones!? We''ve been looking for you for 3 weeks now! What happened? Why are you¡­.. And you''re naked in the middle of the snow¡­. You really do many weird things, don''t you?"

    Harker did notice that he somehow lost his clothes. He looked around.

    "Have you seen Joan?" He asked.

    "We did. Actually, we found her in a cave where she was sleeping all alone. She said you were just there, and that you have anotherpanion, but we can''t find either of you."

    Harker let out a breath that he didn''t know he was holding. So she''s safe¡­..

    But they were not really safe. Not only did the wendigose, but the ''Sasquatch'' also joined the fray. It did not say anything as it mmed its fists to knock the helicopters out.

    And it did manage to destroy one of them. The passengers inside no doubt had perished in such a quick and gruesome death. The metal would be mixed with their own flesh and blood, being crushed like that. But more than that.....

    The hairy giant was trying to reach into another helicopter flying away from the mountains. Harker''s enhanced vision spotted Alejandro in it, his hand on the gun while hisrge frame blocked someone wrapped in a pile of cloth.

    That someone was¡­.

    "Joan!" Harker called out, but as he did....

    His hand turned into that grayish one again, and his lower canine teeth protruded to pierce his own upper lip. It hurt, but Harker quickly controlled his body to turn back to normal.

    Nowhere was safe, not even his own mind. The wendigos and the Sasquatch were not his worst enemy.

    He looked at his chest. The lines were clear, and his veins were popping out like spiderwebs carved into his skin. They were twitching about, like the blood inside was moving...

    Harker gritted his teeth and pierced his own skin with his sharp nail. He took out a 3 inch long ck worm.

    These weren''t worms. He now recalls where he had seen this.

    They were the ''living'' flesh of the zombies that Victoria created. The tissues that had be sentient on their own, and could join together and ''regenerate'' the body of the host unless burned through fire.

    He took out all of them, purging his one body from these pests and parasites.He looked up at the Sasquatch, and called out.

    "I know what you are now! Come and face me instead, Father Gerard! This is between you and me!"

    The hairy monster and all the wendigos turned to him. Soon, the giant wore arge smile.

    "So you decided to continue dreaming, Harker Jones. To be confined in this world and its rules. How disappointing. I thought you would have woken up from that appetizing treat I offered you."

    The Sasquatch and the wendigos soon exploded into a bunch of ck worms, and eventually coalesced together to form¡­.

    The form of a man. It was nk, but he was wearing a Catholic priest''s clothes.

    "Let''s talk and have some tea first, shall we?"

    And so, he swallowed Harker whole. The ck swarms merge with him, two bodies into one.

 Chapter 150 A Child Born From Darkness

    Harker''s vision changed into that nk white world again. Endless snow everywhere. But this time, he wasn''t overwhelmed by it. He coexisted with the silent chaos. Acquiesced to it.

    He was back to sitting in that tea party, but there were only two chairs. There was no food, only ck tea. The monster sits in front of him with its priest clothes, the face of a native boy, and the demeanor of a pretentious gentleman.

    A monster that was made from his SS cells. It can take on any form because it does not have a body. It consumes and consumes, but in the end, it''s just a bunch of living cells.

    "I may be disappointed with your choice, but not with your will. In fact, I''d say I''m impressed. You recovered faster than I would have expected." He said, drinking from his cup with a raised pinky.

    "How much of it was lies?" Harker gritted his teeth. "And how much of it¡­.. Were their true memories?"

    The man did not answer, more interested in looking fancy with his tea.

    "nk, Ahanu and the vige¡­.. They died a long time ago. Probably in the 1800s. The wendigos ate them. And the wendigos died too with nothing to eat."

    The man chuckled. "They have perished, yes. But not because of hunger, no. In thete 19th century, a group of researchers found them barely ''alive'' and hiding in caves. They would have died of starvation eventually, but these researchers simply made it faster. In the morning, their poor weak bodies were feasted on by wild rats, birds, wolves¡­.. and of course, insects."

    Harker frowned. "And these researchers were from Victoria''s group, am I right? They kept the bones of both the wendigos and the vigers?"

    He recalled that memory now. The memory of one of the researchers who was with her, and died of old age. His body too was preserved for experimentation.

    Harker recounted the small details that don''t match up:

    "That means that nk couldn''t have learned about the Big Bang theory. His teacher Erik wouldn''t have known that. And it doesn''t make sense for him to have taxidermied the children either. Taxidermy takes months to finish, and yet he just kept on setting taxidermied children to their beds the day after he killed them?"

    Harker rubbed his forehead. "I should have known by then."

    "So why would nk suspect that he had been eating the children''s insides in the first ce? How did he get chased by the wendigos?" The demonic priest asked.

    Harker tried to rationalize it. "nk hearing about the wife revealing Erik''s past¡­. That''s real. I''m sure of it. So nk knew he was a wendigo even without the taxidermy, and¡­.."

    Eureka, it came to him. "He had always known that there were wendigos in the colonizer''s army. Cannibals that gained strength after eating people. Erik was taken in by the army, and they must have been aware that this child became like them. Otherwise, why would they take in a child of their enemies?"

    "You''d make a decent detective." The man chuckled. "Just like that man who learned about my case with Charlotte by getting into my head."

    "You lied, you fucking bastard." Harker mmed his fist on the table. "You take the bodies of others and create creatures that don''t really exist. You led us to a worthless journey, and it all began when you lied that we had been inatose for more than 2 months. When really, it''s only been 3 weeks."

    "Time is rtive, as Albert Einstein said." He simply said. "It is a construct made by how we humans perceive it."

    Harker scoffed. "An insane priest that could not stop spouting God and the Bible, now quoting a scientist."

    "But I''m not a priest." The man smiled. "Not anymore. Can''t you see I have the face of Ahchuchwahauhhatohapit?"

    "You''re not him. Don''t disrespect the dead by iming their identity." Harker clenched his fist.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He knew that even if he punched or killed this man, there was no use. This was inside his mind.

    Those worms had all entered his body, and he fell into this nightmare again. But at least the bodyguards would only be facing the danger of the cold blizzard, and not this... this parasite.

    "I am him. I am also Ahanu. I am Josephine Jones. I am the wendigo that ate the two brothers. I am their mother. I am the tribal chief. I am a policeman that got lost in the woods." He smiled. "I am all of them, everything. Multiple. Not just a parasite."

    "Parasites, then." Harker''s eyes burn with pure hatred.

    "I prefer Legion. And besides, why must you be so cross with me? I have fed on the bodies of others, and became them. Isn''t that what you also do?" He tilted his head to the side. "You are technically my father, you know. And I am your child. So it is quite impolite of me to call you ''son'' or d'', I apologize¡ª"

    "You may have been a part of my body once, nothing but a bunch of cells. But I would never consider you to be rted to me." Harker said. "So don''t go around calling me Daddy."

    "But aren''t you fascinated by my existence? I am a miracle, Harker Jones!" He spread his arms wide. "I wasn''t born, I was created. By Victoria, using your divine abilities. I am a part of you, and now we havee together again. A new creaturees into existence all thanks to you. Just like how God created Man in His image."

    "Where is Victoria?" Harker gritted his teeth. "Tell me now before I get rid of you forever."

    Legionughed, several voicesyered on top of each other as he did. "I was expecting that already. You could easily destroy me, just from pure will. But I never came to kill you, Father. I am only keeping my Mother safe. I only wanted to distract you."

    Harker was quite done with this bunch of corrupted SS cells'' bullshit. "WHERE. IS. VICTORIA?! If you won''t tell me, I''ll prod your memory myself! You''re in my head now, which means what memories you carry, no matter whose it was, was also mine."

    "That is true, but it took you so much pain and effort just to take me out. You can''t bear the prodding." Legion said confidently. "Like when you were a little baby in my arms, crying from being prodded by the doctors to check your reaction. You were so adorable back then¡ª"

    "51.5070¡ã N, 0.0919¡ã W." Harker said. "London, The Clink Prison. Thanks for nothing. I had actually been focusing on this ever since you went inside my headspace. I was just distracting you too."

    Legion''s smile faltered. "No, don''t go yet! There is still so much to discuss on what was real and not, Father! Let''s have some tea and get to know each other!"

    He clung to Harker''s arm desperately. "Reality could simply be one man''s dream and he does not even realize that he is dreaming. So he dreams forever and ever. When will he wake up, Father? When will¡ª"

    Harker focused on returning to the real world, the ck worms going out of all the holes in his body. His eyes, his ears, nose, mouth, even his skin pores¡­..

    The ck worms were now back out into the open, which caused concern to the humans that aimed their methrowers to incinerate them.

    But they formed once again, this time as a giant serpent with a nk''s face.

    "Fine, then." Legion''s forked tongue slithered. "But I will still put up a fight, whether you are my Creator or not. Victoria is still the one who purposefully gave me existence."

    Harker just grinned, grabbing a methrower from one of the surprised bodyguards who had no idea what was going on. He aimed it towards his ''child'', this twisted and dark creature born from him.

    "And I am the one who will purposefully destroy that existence."

 Chapter 151 Alpha And Omega

    The serpent tried to coil around Harker. But he turned into a wendigo, and quickly avoided his grasp.

    The bodyguards quickly drew their methrowers, but Harker waved his hand. "Don''t! This is between me and him! Don''t interfere!"

    They argued. "But Mr. Jones, we were under direct orders to help you no matter the circumstance¡ª"

    "Give me a sample of Mr. Xi''s DNA if you want to help then!" Harker shouted back.

    "But it''s with Alejandro, Sir! He''s getting Ms. Seward out into safety¡ª"

    Just as he said this, the helicopter where Alejandro and Joan were supposed to be made aplete U-turn, and shakily went back to the direction of the battlefield. Harker saw that Joan had got into the cockpit and was wrestling with the pilot for the controls.

    "Well, they''re here now!" Harker eximed loudly with his expanded lungs as a wendigo which shrieks can be heard for miles and miles. "LAND HERE, ALEJANDRO! I NEED MR. XI''S DNA!"

    Alejandro''s ears perked up like a dog not knowing which direction his owner was calling at first. But then he realized that it was indeed Harker Jones'' voice, and themand finally registered in his mind. With arge smile, the big bald man stuck out his head from the helicopter''s opening.

    "Mr. Jones! You''re back!" Nobody else could hear him except Harker and Legion with enhanced hearing. "Here you go! I hope you can catch it!"

    He tossed a small bag containing a part of the snake demon''s heart. With advanced technology that the Faust family have ess to, they were able to preserve it well inside this jelly-like structure that still maximizes the DNA inside.

    Harker popped the jelly inside his mouth, and summoned his hair to wrap around the big serpent''s ''neck'' instead. He''s trying to decapitate it and then eat it''s fucking face off.

    "Good! A snake against a snake¡­. Though I can also do that too, Father!" Legion''s hair also grew in length, and tried to wrap around Harker''s legs to trip him up.

    Harker''s legs did get captured, but he did it on purpose. He used his wed hands to grab some of that hair and eat it.

    A notification came:

    [Legion''s Shapeshifting Ability has been acquired!]

    "Not now!" Harker eximed, saving all the system stuff forter.

    He couldn''t use his hypnosis and body control because that was something that Legion also had. And now it also made sense to him why he didn''t really feel that painful hunger towards Ahanu and nk as a wendigo. Through experience, he learned that abilities negate each other, and those with the same abilities would either have to overpower one another or they would cancel out if they''re the same level.

    He was able to overpower Lady Lovette''s body maniption through enhancing his Subus ability. If he enhances his own too, then he''d be able to defeat Legion.

    The problem was not knowing which body part holds those abilities. Seeing that he only gained his own Shape Shifting Ability, it meant that the Enhanced Subus, Enhanced Snake Demon, Wendigo and even the Zombies'' abilities were not obtained yet.

    [But Master, after gaining more Shapeshifting ability you''d Ascend. Ascension is not as easy as you think¡ª]

    "I can worry about thatter! Right now I have to eat all of these fucking worms to put an end on this bastard!"

    Legion smiled wide using nk''s face. "That means you''d be epting me as a part of you, Father! How wonderful. Though you do realize that all the disease and curses I carry with me will be passed on to you, don''t you?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Of course I know. Even if I be corrupted from head to toe by all your impurities, what matters is you don''t infect anyone else."

    Harker had long known. But he''s willing to take the risks, to carry the burden of being impure for it.

    "Oh, how noble. Our audience must be in awe of your courage right now. Or perhaps, they think that you are being too recklessly selfless." He tried to bite Harker''s entire arm off. "The malicious would be less appreciative, while the benevolent ones would be able to empathize. Hasn''t it always been that way?"

    The bodyguards truly were astonished by how much their master''s friend insists on fighting his battles alone. They understand very well what it''s like to serve your life protecting others. Whether they have chosen this path out of altruism, or for the money, they have long developed this sense that safety of otherses first before theirs.

    But those who were vain and selfish would never understand. They wouldugh and mock those who showedpassion, as their bitter hearts continue to beat that ck blood that keeps them alive through malice.

    As Harker was fighting with the beast, some visions came into his head.

    "Iugh in the face of your kindness! Of your valor! Of your sacrifice for mankind! What has mankind ever done to deserve such things? I was by your side since the very beginning, I was the light in the darkness! I am the purpose in which the beauty of the world has derived! And yet you value them more than I?"

    That voice was strained, almost mad. He saw white feathers fluttering about, golden curls, sky blue orbs. They were so beautiful that it was blinding to lock at even those small details.

    Another, tired voice came. It sounded like it had been used to this arguing over and over again.

    "It was never about what values more than the others. Is it not enough that I care for you? My star, wasn''t it enough that I cherish you? Mankind has its faults, but they deserve some mercy."

    The bright one replied exasperatedly. "Mercy!? They continue to disobey and sin while spitting on your image! Do you think they deserve mercy? They deserve punishment!"

    "That hasn''t happened yet." The tired man rubbed his face. "You are conting what happens from the future to now. It has not even been 7 days yet."

    "But time is different for us. Time is scattered, time is not a limited line that humans follow and follow until they die. They will betray you, and they will forget you." The bright one argued. "They will eat the fruit, they will resolve to hedonism, they wille to believe that they are far greater than you are, and they own the world. So they must be punished!"

    "Discipline is different from punishment. And I do discipline them, don''t I?" The man replied.

    He added: "Discipline has limitations. What you are doing¡­. What you and the others will be doing, Bright One, is far from discipline. You gain pleasure from the torment itself. Isn''t that how malice is born? From taking pleasure from destruction?"

    To this, the bright one only smiled sadly.

    "But aren''t I justpleting this destiny you set for me? The destiny where I will be the magnanimous antagonistic force to your audience? To the watchers?"

    The tired one felt heaviness in his heart. The strangest thing was Harker could never see his face, he can''t even imagine any for him. And yet he can still feel that unbearable sadness.

    "Your destiny is just one of many. Pathways, my dear. Your actions will be the one to¡ª"

    "But in the end, it is the audience that decides." The bright one said darkly. "Because they would never ept an oue that leads to what I want, won''t they? They would want you to choose them instead of me, over and over. They wouldn''t let it happen, my only wish¡­.."

    "To be the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

 Chapter 152 The Cycle Of Death And Rebirth

    "Defeat the bad guy, get the girl. The ssic hero''s end."

    Legion''s voice snapped Harker out of this scene. His body was in the middle of the fight, exchanging blows with this creature that was ''born'' from him. But his mind was traveling to other ces.

    "For a hero to be worth rooting for, he needs a viin to fight back. And even if the roles were switched, it''s all the same. You cannot exist without fighting some ''other'', some force that you choose to be the ''bad'' one. Even the most viinous heroes do this all the time and justify their actions by showing that their enemies ''deserve it''. To bring ''justice''."

    Harker bit the snake''s tail off, but it just continued monologuing. It was as if it had long given up in this fight where the victor was already clear. Where it was to be expected.

    "This world is nothing but a stage. There are roles to y. Some get to choose, so do not. Some created the stage itself, and some did not even realize that they were given these roles. And even if they did¡­. What''s the point? There is no escape, there is no world outside that stage besides the¡­.."

    Harker already expected the word.

    "Audience."

    As his words continue to ring in his ears while he feeds on him, the system warnings also pop up.

    [Warning! Ability Ascension is underway! Qi overflow is possible, please avoid absorbing more qi!]

    [Warning! Ability Ascension is underway! Qi overflow is possible, please avoid absorbing more qi!]

    [Warning! Ability Ascension is underway! Qi overflow is possible, please avoid absorbing more qi!]

    Again and again, like warning bells in his head. But Harker did not stop.

    He needs to stop this bastard from saying any more confusing nonsense. He needed to eat him all up before his ck worms tried to get inside others. He needed to get the Shards, fight evil, protect his loved ones. Mina was waiting for him. Joan¡ª

    "And certain audiences prefer certain things over others. But it''s all the same in the end. Defeat the enemy, gain a reward. Most of the time, that reward is a woman. A lover that is eptable, that is desirable to the watchers."

    Legion sighed. "Trouble ensues. The hero does not want to leave the world he knows and venture into the unknown, yet has to solve this trouble anyway. He crosses into the unknown and meets others in his path. And then, the battle. The battle leaves scars that the hero bears, turning him into a new man. He gets his reward, and the unknown world bes known. So it repeats all over again."

    Harker could feel power increasingly surging through him. But it was too much, as if he was about to explode.

    As his power increases, so too does the pain and the hunger. He could smell the great flesh of the humans around him. He must eat them next, he must feed and feed¡­

    "The hero is the greediest character in the story. He continues to seek out valuable rewards in his journey, and he''s never satisfied. Because, that is how life goes on. Life could only go on with a purpose. Without purpose, the journey ends after the scars in the battle. Or maybe during the battle itself."

    Legionughed as if he remembered a funny joke in his head that no one would understand. "Imagine how disappointing it would be for the audience if the hero and the viin died together, just like that. No resolution, just a truce. The tension rises so high and the only ''reward'' to receive was the end that is Death."

    Harker ate and ate, yet there was still an emptiness. No matter what he eats, that emptiness has set itself into his very being.

    So he stopped for a while. His eyes were pure white and blind, and he was covered in blood. His jaws hurt and yet they continue to mechanically move, churning and churning flesh between his mrs.

    It was so¡­.. tiresome. That was the word he was looking for.

    He wished he really would just explode into nothing at this moment. He kept on pushing thisrge boulder uphill, only to have it falling all over again. He wants it to stop, it doesn''t matter if he was happy in the end or if he saved everyone.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The burden itself was adding to the desire to let it all go. Carrying one''s own life was hard enough, how could he possibly carry the others'' as well?

    No resolution, an utter disappointment...

    Legion turned to Harker. "We can''t let that happen now, can we? We must make a clear victory in the end, Father. The audience does not like to be watched, they prefer to keep watching. You can''t put a mirror to their face and expect them to enjoy the show. They came here to escape from themselves, to be the hero and achieve their desires vicariously through him. "

    Legion was almost nothing but a talking head now, literally on the palm of Harker''s hands.

    "You must keep going. Finish it. And start a new journey all over again. Whether you like it or not, just keep going. Whether you have satisfied the watchers or not. Just. Keep. Going."

    Harker looked at the head. nk''s head.

    His mind was barely thinking or functioning right now. Only the constant desire to eat remained. And yet he had the urge to¡ª

    No. He shouldn''t.

    And so he ate the head. In one bite, giving himself no time to reconsider or feel any sense of remorse.

    It was over. The peril was taken away, he has won against the enemy.

    Then, his body started to feel like it was being electrified. Not electrified, it felt like his entire being was being pulled apart down to the atomic level and being rebuilt again. Cellse apart, they rejoin, and they get destroyed again.

    It wasn''t the pain that made the experience unbearable. It was the repetition, like there was no end to it. Over and over and over. Time stretches its long limbs and goes on until its breaking point.

    When will that breaking pointe? Harker wondered. When will he finally break apart¡­..

    But he saw someone approaching him. That someone was walking slowly, as if uncertain whether to move close. But she did anyway.

    And she screamed and screamed. She also got infected by this electrocution. She tried to carry it with him. Such a noble deed¡­.

    Harker caressed her lovely head. He smiled, thinking only one word to himself:

    "Finally."

    The light has arrived. He had been following this shining star for so long, and finally reached its location. A question that torments his mind, and he yells ''Eureka''!

    He had the urge, and he did it.

    His lips met hers, as the two of them shared this death and rebirth. And once they were born again...

    They must simply keep going, pushing boulders uphill.

 Chapter 153 Looks That Can Rip You Apart

    Thanks to this anchor, this unwavering support, Harker was able to survive his first ascension. But that also meant¡­..

    That not long after kissing Joan, he had turned into a savage beast on a hunt for flesh. Not for her flesh anymore, since this joining had somehow provided her immunity from the curse. But for everyone else, Harker could go rabid just from the scent of human flesh.

    "GRRAAHHH!!!" He eximed.

    Joan stopped him, but Harker ''melted'' in her hands. He turned into that formless ck worm, and separated from himself....

    And there were two of him!

    One however looked like the wendigo version of him, but there was no denying that it was still Harker, nheless. This replica seemed to have less control of its own motor skills, and it stumbled upon its first appearance. But it had soon recovered anyway, reaching out to eat the other nearest bodyguard!

    The bodyguard got his whole arm torn off by Harker''s mouth, and he screamed in terror as he fell to the ground.

    "Harker, no!" She eximed.

    The guards were scared and there had just been a long battle with these things, so their fingers had automatically reached for the trigger. They burned the wendigo replica, and the fire somehow managed to scare Harker.

    He hid behind Joan, his eyes nk and white. He was drooling like a dog with rabies and his sharp teeth protruded.

    This turn of events was very confusing to everyone, and none of them knew what to do.

    Joan looked at this beast of a man behind her. Harker looked like he truly does not have his wits with him. The bodyguards kept their methrowers drawn, in case he goes to attack again. The bodyguard that was attacked was still bleeding and shivering from fear.

    It was Alejandro who quickly snapped out of it to call their medic and wrap up what was left of his shoulder so he wouldn''t bleed to death.

    "Just stay away." Joan said. "I¡­. I''ll try to make him snap out of it."

    But Harker wouldn''t, still growling and wanting to eat more of them. He red at the burnt ashes of his wendigo clone.

    The ck worms were ready to separate from him and create more clones. But how much more could he make until his body was at its limit? Until there was nothing left to regenerate it, like what happened to Legion?

    Joan had to think of a way to calm him down. Desperate, she tried to think of every option¡­

    And her eyes widened, taking something from her pockets.

    "There''s only three pills left¡­." She mumbled. "I hope this is enough. I don''t know how much will be enough to work on him."

    She held out the blue capsules in her palm. Harker sniffed it about, but didn''t really show any interest in eating it. He just wanted to observe the weird pills.

    Joan couldn''t think of any other option to have him eat them. So she sighed and popped the pills into her own mouth.

    "Harker, look at me." She cupped his face with both hands.

    Harker stared into her eyes like a mindless puppy looking at his owner. Except this puppy had white eyes almost as if he was blind. But Joan could tell he wasn''t, as his gaze was still piercing through her very soul.

    She was unfazed by therge tusk-like teeth, and kissed him once more.

    This time, she used tongue. The bodyguards reddened and felt that they shouldn''t be watching something so intimate like this for the second time. They also felt a little awkward since they knew the rtionship between Mr. Jones and a certain Mina Murray.

    But they also knew it was necessary. Joan pushed the pills inside Harker''s mouth using her tongue, and kept kissing him until she was sure he swallowed them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Harker''s Adam''s apple bobbed, so that meant that he had taken the extremely potent narcotics. This pill was something that Joan had to take when she couldn''t sleep, as regr sedatives don''t work on her unique physique.

    This pill was enough to knock out a baby elephant. Three of them might be enough to kill a human, but she knows it wouldn''t do that to Harker.

    Eventually, Harker''s blurry eyes started to droop a little. He leaned his head on Joan''s shoulder, nuzzling ever so slightly.

    Sighing in relief, she turned to the bodyguards. "Let''s get him to the closest confinement area you know. Jail bars won''t work, we need something that canpletely block all exits."

    Finding a confinement cell like that would be difficult for regr people. But again, they work under the Faust family.

    Alejandro nodded, and pointed at the helicopter. "Let''s move fast. I''ll call Mr. Rnd Faust about the situation too."

    Joan just nodded lightly, and let the bodyguards drag Harker''s body. He stayed asleep for the whole ride, fortunately. There haven''t been any idents during the time he was transferred to a radiation facility and ced in apartment meant to keep highly dangerous radioactive substances.

    This was used in the development of medical imaging and scanning devices. Since radiation increases the risk of cancer, it has to be one of the most secure confinement areas on Earth.

    It was arge transparent box, with no beds and just the floor. They set down Harker there, and set him to maximum 24/7 surveince. Alejandro had already called Rnd who will be taking the next flight after his case meeting has been adjourned.

    Joan was offered to rest at a nearby hotel, but she declined. She insisted on staying on the facility, and waiting until Harker got better.

    Sitting on a monobloc chair, she watched his behavior all day. He woke up after 18 hours of being drugged, which was not a bad feat considering the dosage.

    Harker was not as rabid as before, but he was still clearly out of it. He was walking about with his shoulders slumped and his movements sluggish. The moment food was dispatched into his cell through a chute, he would melt again into a ck worm and it would be gone within nanoseconds.

    After feeding, he would scream and scream, as if saying that he was still hungry. He would bang his head against the transparent walls until it was bleeding. It was a pitiful sight.

    "Poor boy." Joan heard Alejandro''s voice beside her. "I could only imagine how much pain he''s in every single day."

    "If he knew he was going to be like this after defeating the enemy, would he have still done it?" Joan thought, almost to herself. "Of course he would. He''s Harker. He must have already expected something like this. I just wish he''d get better sooner¡­."

    She then heard other footsteps approaching their direction. Alejandro said. "Ah, Mr. Rnd Faust is here."

    Joan also turned and stood up. She was in a bit of a daze herself, losing sleep and still having nightmares about the man she loves losing his mind and turning into this monster.

    "Hello, Mr. Faust. I have heard many things about you, it''s a pleasure to meet¡ª"

    She faltered when she saw the person who came beside him. That person did not even seem to pay attention to her, and quickly went to press her hand on the ss as she watched the beast inside the confinement.

    "Nice to meet you too." Rnd shook her hand, heavy dark bags under his eyes. "You must be Ms. Joan Seward. I also heard things about you from my employees."

    He stepped aside to introduce hispanion. "This is Ms. Mina Murray. Harker''s girlfriend."

    Mina''s focus waspletely on her lover, but when she caught a view of Joan on her peripherals¡­..

    A monstrous re came over to her otherwise gentle face. There were small golden scales slowly growing under the sleeves of her floral dress, but that wasn''t what convinced Joan that she was truly a mermaid.

    It was those piercing eyes that all these monsters seemed to have, that kind of stare that were only present in the predators of the wild.

    It was a look that could not only kill, but rip her apart just from staring.

 Chapter 154 And Tame Demons As Well

    Meanwhile, Harker found himself quite literally stuck in his own head.

    He doesn''t know how long it had been since he woke up in thispletely white room that represented his consciousness. He knows that it was that, because it had the same feeling as Legion''s tea party in the snowy spot by the creek.

    Harker sat alone in this white room for a while, pondering. No, he was digesting. It was difficult enough to now gain the memories of every single person that Legion ate, much less digest it while he was ''ascending''.

    That ascension felt like hell, no joke.

    He wondered how many more Ability Ascension he''d have to experience in this lifetime, and sincerely hoped that it won''t be many. He''d rather not have them again at all.

    As he digested, he had realized a few certain things.

    "The nk we may have encountered may be a part of Legion, but he had his own consciousness and will, that''s why he acted quite authentic. He was staying through to his real self... Except for the part after I turned into a wendigo. Legion had influenced him a little to act that way."

    He remembered the moment that he and nk were talking outside the cave, after he took a piss. There was an instance that felt different from the rest, different from the usual ''madness''.

    When he hugged nk after almost punching him, his eyes cleared up somehow and he apologized.

    "Forgive me. It wasn''t me, I¡­. I did not want to hurt you¡ª"

    He truly believed him at that moment. That must be the ''real'' him speaking, his soul¡ª or what remained of it¡ª speaking through this body made of corrupted SS cells.

    That was also why Ahanu ''died''. It was a sort of warning from the rest of Legion itself, so that he wouldn''t go astray from his n.

    So in a way, Legion and the nk he knew were not the same. Legion was the collective entity, but once divided, it could give chance to the resulting identity to hold its own free will separate from the ''hive mind''.

    Yes, they wereparable to a hive. Legion was like the queen ant or bee, and he had expanded nk, Ahanu, the wendigos, the vige, and the Sasquatch as like an army under hismand. But not always will the ants obey the path given to them, like that moment of rity Harker saw.

    He recalled how nk''s eyes softened upon learning that he was also biracial like him. That was a genuine reaction, and if he was truly just an extension of Legion, he would have already known he was half-ck from Father Gerard and Josephine Jone''s memories. But he didn''t, and Harker somehow feltforted that those parts of him weren''t fake.

    If things were different, nk could have really been his friend.

    Hopefully, he and his brother were at peace now. He felt that he had somehow freed the collective ''souls'' of the people Legion had consumed by consuming it. Or maybe that was just him being optimistic, and these people were really just already dead and there was no ''soul'' in the first ce, just a ''mind''.

    Either way, he wished them well in the afterlife. The good people who had to suffer this misfortune.

    eptance hade easier for Harker. epting that he would have to carry these memories with him now, that he wasn''t like what he was as before. eptance was the key for him to slowly regain his consciousness, as the white room slowly regained color.

    These colors were actually the visions of the ''outside'' him. It was blurry at first, but now he can make sense of certain shapes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He seemed to be confined inside some tempered ss, or at least something very strong yet still transparent. He can make out the shapes of people watching him outside. From the colors alone, he guessed that one of the most prominent watchers was Joan.

    He wanted to get back to her sooner, and so he became more motivated to recover and digest faster. Since his vision of the ''outside'' was improving, that was a good indication for him.

    Eventually, he was able to get Yan to get inside his subconsciousness too.

    "Did you summon me to show you the stats that changed from the Ability Ascension and those you acquired from Legion, Sir?"

    Harker nodded. "I did. And to ask you about that qi overflow thing."

    "Oh, that¡­" Yan suddenly looked a bit shaky, like he was about to cry. "Master, I was honestly worried about you. Qi overflow could lead to qi deviation, which was amon cause of death among cultivators. This could be from malpractice of techniques, and of course, when the body is not yet in a primal state during ascension."

    The eyeball wiped a tear that formed on his eyes, but it was holding up pretty well. "That was why I warned you so many times¡­. I think you were only able to survive because Ms. Joan Seward took the excess energy."

    "So I was alive all thanks to Joan¡­.. I guess that makes me indebted to her now." Harker smiled softly. "Somehow, that doesn''t feel so bad."

    If it was him from before, he wouldn''t have been able to so easily ept it.

    But something has changed within him. Maybe what Legion said was right, the end of the battle makes someone a new man.

    There were still more battles toe. He had to find Victoria after breaking through this temporary monstrous change he experienced. And he was already expecting it to not be easy.

    The monologue was still a bit vague in his mind, though. There were still many things he didn''t understand about what Legion was trying to tell him. Mostly because the bastard was being purposefully vague, just like all of those mustache-wearing viins in TV would.

    He remembered that he also had a sort of vision while he was exchanging blows snake-to-snake with him. But it was also blurry now, just like the dreams he always had.

    The impression of the bright being still remained, though. Streaks of gold, blue skies, an unparalleled beauty and power¡­..

    But also the desperation, hatred, and pain in his voice.

    Why not me? That was what he was basically saying, from what Harker could gather. All the details were gone, but that small footprint in the sand, that mark stained his mind.

    Why not me and me alone? Why must you choose anyone else?

    He suddenly realized that he was staring at someone who does have golden locks and sky blue eyes. He knew who she was, and he was dumbstruck. He heard her voice:

    "Why not me? Why does it have to be someone else who tamed his inner demons and saved him?"

 Chapter 155 The First Is Undefeatable

    Joan felt a little all-overish, but she would not be fazed. After everything she had been through these past three weeks, a mermaid''s re should not affect her.

    Mina noticed her steadying herself, and scoffed. "So I heard you were the one that kissed my boyfriend."

    Alejandro looked away, whistling an off-key tune. "Well¡­. I should go back with the others guarding the facility."

    Rnd patted his shoulder as if giving him permission to leave before everything came to blows. "You all did a good job. I''ll be discussing things more with you allter."

    The head of the bodyguards left in a hurry, and Rnd just walked casually towards the monobloc chair. He watched Harker mulling around like a tiger in a zoo cage, but his ears were all towards the two girls who seemed like they were about to be in conflict sooner orter.

    "That wasn''t a kiss." Joan corrected. "It was to make him take the sedatives I had. I''m sure the guards exined that to you. If it weren''t for that, he would have attacked everyone and we wouldn''t be able to¡ª"

    "That''s not what I meant." Mina said. "The kiss before that. The one where they reported that Harker had almost exploded into a bunch of blinding lights, and you were the one who embraced him. Who anchored him."

    Joan closed her mouth at this. She really doesn''t know where this was going, and what would be the right response.

    She kissed Harker twice to save him. That''s a fact. Mina was his girlfriend, and would obviously feel ufortable with her boyfriend sharing drools with someone else. That''s also a fact.

    And¡­. it was a fact that she has feelings for Harker. They kissed before this entire incident and had a few more intimate encounters than friends should have before this event. Even when she was aware that he was taken, first incorrectly assuming it was with Rnd, and eventually knowing the truth about Mina.

    For most people, it was hical to have that amount of intimacy with a man who''s already in a rtionship.

    Mina doesn''t strike her as the type who would be into a more ''open'' rtionship either. In fact, she felt like the exact opposite.

    Possessive, and willing to fight for her man. Not just fight. That murderous aura never left even when she was not ring at her directly.

    Mina was staring at Harker longingly behind the ss. "Harker is a really good man... So good that I can''t even believe someone as good as him can exist. He always put others before himself. He never liked showing how much he''s suffering deep inside, and would rather do it all alone if he could."

    Joan frowned. "But that''s not always a good thing¡ª"

    "I know it''s not." Mina snapped, obviously irritated that she interrupted. "Harker is good, but he is not perfect. I love him with every piece of me, but I am not blind. I tried so hard..... So hard, before you even came into the picture."

    Joan wanted to correct her that she ''came into the picture'' earlier than she did, but she knew what Mina was trying to say anyway. Plus that would just aggravate this mermaid more, and Joan had heard stories about her. She does not want to see what this girl could do when she''s in ''monster form''.

    Mina clenched her jaw. "I know how much Harker loved me, and how much he trusts me too. But why... Why does it have to be you that gets to share his burdens with him?"

    Rnd cleared his throat, trying to y mediator. "That was just a temporary incident, Mina. If you were there, it would have been you."

    "Would it?" Her eyes were turning ssy. "Would it have been me, even if she was also around?"

    Joan genuinely said: "Of course it would be you. You''re his girlfriend, after all."

    Besides, she remembered that night where Harker told her that he can''t ept her love. Not just because his lover wouldn''t allow it, but because she needed to fully move on from Edmund. She doesn''t want to use him as a rebound either, as there was nothing more terrible than being loved simply because you were a recement for someone else.

    Mina tried not to let the tears welling up her eyes to flow. They dried as a thin lining of gold inside her lower lid.

    "I''m his girlfriend, yet we have only been together for not more than 2 months. Not more than a season. I was separated from him so soon, and... With the way things are, it''s almost as if it was my fault that someone else got to be there for him when he needed it. It doesn''t matter how temporary, it was an important moment in his life. I could feel it."

    She saw Harker standing by the ss, his eyes still empty. But everyone felt as if he was staring directly at Mina, and purposefully went to her side.

    She ced her hands in front of him, her teary eyes pleading.

    "Why not me? Why does it have to be someone else who tamed his inner demons and saved him? Why can''t I be the one who had shared that kiss of life with him?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The other two people in the room were quiet. It wasn''t like she was asking anyone in particr, not even Harker. It was like she was asking an invisible force, a force that gets to control the oue of events¡­..

    Some sort of deity, or perhaps fate itself.

    Harker suddenly moved, raising his hand slowly. It was so painstakingly slow, but he managed to eventually lift up his arms and press his palm¡­.

    Right in front of where Mina ced hers. They would have been touching if it weren''t for the ss separating them.

    Mina''s eyes brightened, and she chuckled softly. She called out his name.

    "Harker... Harker..... Oh whatever shall I do with you, Harker?"

    She turned to Rnd. "Please let me feel him. I need to feel that he still loves me."

    Joan quickly tried to stop her. "But it''s too dangerous! The guards must have told you what happened, he attacked anyone but me! You would¡ª"

    "Step aside, please." Mina said coldly.

    Though she said ''please'' it was not a polite request at all. It was an order.

    Joan felt a shudder from beingmanded like that. There was someone in her life who used to scare her the same way, by using that kind of tone. Someone¡­.

    Who genuinely made her feel like she was about to die.

    Rnd ordered the center to open the door for Mina, and she got in. But not before a round of guards prepared in case of Harker breaking out of the prison he was in.

    Mina stepped forward calmly. Everyone held their breath as Harker sniffed her about, like a curious dog smelling someone familiar. Or perhaps, smelling a b of meat.

    He then gripped Mina with his sharp ws, digging into her skin. The guards almost moved closer, if not for Rnd holding up his hand to stop them.

    Mina did not react at all from this. She instead ced both hands over Harker''s shoulders¡­.

    And whispered softly.

    "It''s me. It''s still me, right?"

    As she said that, Harker''s blurry eyes cleared almost instantaneously and his features reverted back to human.

    "Mina....."

    He kissed her, and everyone felt like they had just witnessed a miracle. They all cheered and pped their hands. As for Joan¡­

    She felt like she just witnessed a betrayal. A betrayal of what she once believed, of what she foolishly held on to all this time that shattered into pieces.

    That belief was that she was special, that she was the only one who could take away the curse.

    And yet here was the ''First'', the one who actually lifted it. Mina turned to give her a triumphant look after the kiss, a clear message.

    No one can defeat the First.

 Chapter 156 In Solomons Dilemma

    Everyone was about to celebrate this lovely reunion, when Harker confessed to something.

    "I still feel the hunger for flesh. I''m only doing my best to control it right now." He smiled awkwardly as he left the confinement room with Mina holding his hand. "I suggest everyone else beside Mina and Joan to keep their distance. I don''t feel any hunger towards those who had shared DNA with me."

    The joyful atmosphere faded a bit, as many made sounds of disappointment. But no one could be more disappointed than Rnd.

    "Oh, that''s understandable. How much distance is a good distance?" He asked.

    "More than one meter apart should be good. And no skin contact¡­.. That''s the biggest no-no, someone told me."

    That someone being a flying eyeball inside his brain, but he didn''t really have to exin himself for people to be wary of their safety.

    Rnd nodded, and raised his hand. "Okay. LDH5?"

    Harker chuckled, remembering fond childhood memories because of this. "LDH5!"

    "What is LDH5?" Mina asked him.

    "It''s short for ''Long Distance High Five''. We do it all the time back when Rnd was sick and we can''t go near each other. He gets fevers and pneumonia often because of his blood condition." Harker exined.

    "I''m just d you''re safe. But are you really okay now?" Rnd asked worriedly. "You''ve been non-verbal for 6 days."

    "6 days? Wow, it felt much longer than that somehow."

    Harker then noticed the scales on Mina''s arms. "Hey, what happened to that blood sample I sent you!? You weren''t caught by those An Xin bastards looking like this, are you?"

    Mina chuckled. "No, silly! Of course I''d be careful enough to not have anyone catch me looking like this, I cover up. And besides¡­.. I was only able to catch up to one of them. The groundskeeper of the house. I''ll exin all the detailster, but basically, they will be having this gathering in London."

    "London? That''s pretty lucky since we''re also headed there. I got the information I needed for Victoria''s location, right down to the exact coordinates." Harker said. "Let''s all discuss thatter too."

    One of the guards said. "You must be starving, Mr. Jones. This is usually your lunch time¡­."

    "Oh, right. Yeah, I could eat a whole horse right about now."

    "Would you prefer it live or dead, Sir?"

    Harker blinked, and was about to say he was just joking. But on second thought, he really would like to eat a whole horse.

    "Um¡­. live would be preferable. Please make sure it''s an old one, I don''t want to eat perfectly healthy young ponies."

    They set out to do their task as usual, leaving the trio behind.

    No, there were four, but Joan was just so quiet the whole time that everybody forgot she was even there. She was furrowing her brows and wearing a conflicted expression on her face.

    Harker finally turned, acknowledging her presence. "Oh.... Hi."

    She forced out a small ''hi''.

    Mina looked back and forth between the two of them, and tightened her grip on Harker. "You should tell me everything that happened over lunch. I''m really hungry too. You, me and Rnd have a lot of catching up to do.... Haha, that rhymes!"

    She chuckled but there was no mirth to it. Even a blind man can see through her jealousy.

    Harker knew he''d have to deal with this in a private conversationter. There''s a lot to unpack after the aftermath of the journey to the Appchians.

    Earlier, he had gained a lot of new updates on his abilities:

    [Enhance Wendigo''s Ability (Duplicated)

    Raw Power: SR

    Endurance: B

    Range: A+

    Speed: SR

    Precision: A+

    Potential: C ]

    "Was it duplicated because Legion and I have the exact same stats on these abilities?" Harker asked Yan.

    The eyeball confirmed it. "Yes. Every other ability that had simr stats would also be duplicated this way unless the Potential limit has been reached."

    [Enhanced Subus Ability (Duplicated)

    Raw Power: R<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Endurance: A

    Range: R

    Speed: A

    Precision: R

    Potential: A ]

    [Enhanced Snake Demon Ability (Unable to Duplicate, Reached Potential Limit)

    Raw Power: SR

    Endurance: A+

    Range: SR

    Speed: SR

    Precision: SR

    Potential: D- ]

    Harker remembered that merging Lord Jiaoshe and Xi Hua''s Snake ability had led to this low Potential. But that''s fine, since this ability was still rtively the strongest among the rest even with the duplication.

    The next ones were the new abilities that he had just gained now, so there was no duplication. Still, Legion technically duplicates itself just from feeding on many people alone. His type of Zombie and Shapeshifting abilities were unique, possibly no duplicates can be made in this world.

    [ Experimental Zombie Ability

    Raw Power: R

    Endurance: SR

    Range: B

    Speed: A

    Precision: B

    Potential: C ]

    [Legion''s Shapeshifting Ability (Not Duplicated, Different Type of Shapeshifting)

    Raw Power: SR

    Endurance: SR

    Range: SR

    Speed: SR

    Precision: SR

    Potential: UR ]

    Harker frowned. "Different type? Was it because of the cloning thing?"

    The corrupted SS cells can separate themselves to create other beings that have their own consciousness. It was a fantastic skill to have, but also dangerous as the clone may make actions on their own and not follow hismand.

    Harker was still learning to utilize this new skill, after all. It might take time before he can confidently separate himself into other beings, but for now, he would study it first.

    This thought came back to him as he looked at Joan, who looked rather miserable during lunch. Things were left on a very awkward note between the two of them, and remained unresolved after the whole ascension thing.

    He just wished she wouldn''t look so sad, seeing him with Mina. She must feel out of ce in the trio''s conversation too as a neer, since she wasn''t included in this friendship dynamic they had. But more than that, her eyes would always be drawn towards their hands that so often touched each other, or their knees that bumped once in a while under the table.

    He loves both of them very much, and wanted to give both of them affection. A silly thought came to his mind.

    Being in two ces at once, loving two women at the same time¡­..

    Two women were at a king''s feet, both iming they have mothered this newborn child and that the other was lying. The king then proposed to have that child be sliced in half to be shared by them. Of course, he only gave that proposition to test who was the true mother of the child, for she would rather giver her child away than have him killed.

    Unlike the child, Harker could truly slice himself in half to be shared. But is it the right solution to this dilemma?

 Chapter 157 Perfect Replica

    Though Harker had told them that the curse was still present and his hunger for flesh was strong as ever, it didn''t feel right for anyone to make him sleep in the confinement room again. And so they all headed for a hotel with him wearing a scented face mask to hopefully drown out the human scent.

    It didn''t do much, but it''s better than nothing. Harker already knew himself well enough to know that unless someone gets really, REALLY close, he won''t just pounce on people like he did before.

    He really felt sorry for that bodyguard who lost his arm. But the fe happened to be a very chipper one, as all he said was:

    "Haha, it''s no problem! I still have another one, and I happened to be left-handed so at least I didn''t lose my dominant hand!"

    Rnd assured him as well. "We will have a prosthetic arm be done for him in just a few days. Don''t worry about it."

    The bodyguards of Faust residence were truly a resilient lot. After experiencing a lot of things that most humans would never experience in their lifetime¡ª namely fighting with literal monsters¡ª they still manage to brush it off and treat it like any other task assigned to them.

    Rnd booked shared rooms for the four of them. It was basically four bedrooms connecting to one single living room and kitchen. This was one of the most expensive suites, and they had the whole floor to themselves for safety reasons.

    Since Rnd was the only one that may be victimized by the wendigo curse, he had to take the room next to the elevator in case of emergency. It was also the room farthest to Harker''s, since next to his room was Mina''s, then Harker''s, then Joan''s.

    "But I want Harker and I to share a room together." Mina said.

    Harker scratched the back of his head. "After what happened, I didn''t really wanna risk anything even if I don''t feel any hunger towards you. But at least we share the same bathroom since we had the rooms in the middle, right?"

    This convinced her, and the implication of him stating that fact was clear. Mina''s face was blushing, and she nodded. "Okay, then¡­."

    Joan looked away and carried her luggage inside her room. "I''ll go hit the hay now. Good night, folks."

    Rnd and Harker both bid her good night, while Mina looked like she''d much rather watch the room''s fancy spiral decor than to say anything to the college professor.

    Rnd nudged her shoulder. "Should could be one of your professors once you get into college, you know. Be nice."

    Mina just ignored this and just talked to Harker about how beautiful the ornamental nts that had curly leaves were. Rnd sighed and also went to unpack his things.

    Once they were truly alone, Mina took Harker''s hand.

    "You and I will have a lot to discuss tonight. I need you to meet me in my room as soon as you settle in." She said seriously.

    This brought a twinge of guilt in Harker''s heart. "Alright then."

    That guilt was because during their ride to the hotel, Joan slipped in a small piece of paper in his pocket that has the words:

    [We need to talk. My room. Tonight.]

    Both women needed him tonight, and he didn''t want to let either of them down.

    As nighttime came, Harker was brushing his teeth in his green pajamas while thinking about what he must do. The solution was simple, but at the same time, it felt a little wrong. He doesn''t know why that is.

    Maybe it was because he didn''t know the cloning ability that well yet, and unprecedented idents might happen with it. Or maybe¡­.

    It was because it felt like he was two-timing both girls.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Both of them must be expecting that they will be the one Harker chooses. The only one. And Harker couldn''t, since his heart was being tugged on both sides.

    "Ugh¡­." He rubbed his face after mulling it over. "Fine. Let''s just do this."

    He focused on controlling his own cells. Transforming into another creature and having their traits had always been easy and almost immediate. But it''s different when creating a literal clone.

    It took him some time, because he had to visualize the structure of it down to the molecr level. He was turning ck squiggly organic matter into a human being from scratch.

    This required deep knowledge of himself, and though Harker did improve in that regard, he could tell that he was still not an expert in that. And it wasn''t the physical aspect of the clone that was hard to think about. He knows his own body pretty well.

    No, it was the mind that was difficult to develop.

    But after Harker opened his eyes and looked at this new creature, he felt he didn''t do that badly, considering. It looked just like him. The creature''s eyes were closed, and it was naked.

    Now for the moment of truth.

    "Do you know what you have to do?" He asked.

    The other Harker opened its eyes slowly. Then¡­..

    A smile came into his lips.

    "Of course. I''m here to help you, buddy."

    Harker sighed in relief. It also spoke and acted like him. That''s good, but¡­..

    It was natural for him to feel a little spooked too due to the uncanny valley. He felt that it would have been better if he could detect any small differences that no else but him could notice.

    But this other him was a perfect replica, and he almost did TOO well in creating him. And that''s exactly what makes the experience unsettling.

    Still, he took the pair of simr pajamas that he had prepared and handed it to Harker 2.0.

    "Here. You take the left room, I take the right." Harker said. "Then once you''re done talking to her, you go back here and meet me."

    "Sure thing, boss." The clone wore the clothes, and went on his way.

    Harker let him go first. He could actually see what Harker 2.0 saw, which was also a good thing. He had already expected that since Legion was aware of what nk and Ahanu were up to.

    It was disorienting to have two consciousness at once, though. It was like trying to y a video game character while also doing tasks in real life. Except it''s 10x worse as he could not just see what he sees, he could also smell what he smells, feel what he feels. Everything that Harker 2.0 does was shared with him.

    Harker tried to get himself to focus more on what''s in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

    It''s time that he had this talk with her.

 Chapter 158 Playing Games With Hearts

    Joan had been expecting Harker for a long while now. Finally, she heard her door click open.

    She rushed to meet him.

    "Joan, I¡­." Harker looked a little anxious, scratching his forearm. "I¡­. How are you?"

    Joan snorted. "Still awake, surprisingly. I should have added in the note that you meet me before midnight. I''m a pretty old woman after all."

    Harker chuckled softly. "Yeah, you like Tindere but instead of turning into a dirty girl dressed in rags, you turn into a couch potato."

    They were joking around like usual but it was clear how the awkward atmosphere between them remained. Joan shifted from foot to foot, then finally said: "You going inside?"

    Harker nodded, and sat followed her inside. Only the light of a bedmp lit the room, and it only ever barely reached the edge of the queen sized bed.

    Joan sat at the edge of that bed, and patted the space by her side.

    "How are you feeling? You can be honest with me, I know it wouldn''t have been that easy after all that."

    Harker sat beside her, his knee bumping into hers. "I''m fine¡­. The desire for flesh would sometimes spike for no reason. but I''m holding up pretty well, surprisingly." He turned to her. "How about you? You¡­ You shared my ascension with me."

    "Is that what it''s called? Ascension?" She asked. "Well, about that¡­. I don''t really feel much different other than I''m not so sleepy anymore. And I feel warmer than usual, like there''s a firece that''s keeping me warm all the time."

    She touched her chest. "Except¡­. This firece seemed to be within me. Does that sound weird?"

    "It''s not. It must be the energy you gained from me. Your blood flow might have gotten faster too." Harker guessed. "I just hope that doesn''t mean that you''ll be aging up faster."

    Joan chuckled. "That would actually be a good thing if that''s true. I''m tired of aging every other decade. I had a long run, and it''s been pretty fun."

    Harker took his hand. "Don''t say that. There''s still much to do, Joan. A lot more to see in the following years¡­.. And I wish you''d be there to witness them with me."

    Joan''s eyes widened, then took her hand away.

    "What about your girlfriend? Didn''t she want to share beds with you? She was probably hoping for some alone time after so long¡­." She trailed off, as if thinking about it suddenly brought her pain.

    Harker frowned. "Mina''s doing well. I''m sure of it. As for now, I want to talk about you. About us."

    "What about us?" Joan asked.

    Harker''s eyes sparkled even in the dark. He took her hand again¡­.

    And ced a soft kiss over it.

    "I can''t deny it anymore. My feelings for you had been so much clearer after my transformation. You see, Joan, I spent my whole life denying many of my emotions. I would hide things just so I won''t bother anyone else, especially my friends and family. People that matter to me."

    He caressed the smooth skin of her face with the back of his hand. "But it''s different with you. You matter to me, Joan, but I want to be honest with you. I don''t want to hide anymore."

    Joan was obviously moved by this just from the look of her face. It was adorable how flustered she would get just from these romantic words, really.

    She has a soft spot for romantics, after all. Edmund was one.

    He used that to his advantage to convince her. "I want to be with you, Joan. Even if it''s wrong, even if I''m not allowed to. I want you."

    He went closer to kiss her, and Joan also felt herself drawn to him as if their lips were mas of different poles¡­.

    But her doubts surfaced, and she pushed him away lightly.

    "You want me, but you also want your girlfriend too, right? And you can see how much she dislikes me, Harker. Even if I''m fine with this kind of arrangement, I knew damn well that she will never be."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Harker kissed her cheek. "I''ll take care of it. But I don''t want to lie to myself anymore, Joan. I want you¡­."

    He kissed her again and again, trailing his lips over her jawline down to her neck. Joan shivered a little at this, and she couldn''t move for a moment. That warm fire in her heart was slowly growing and making her whole body increase in temperature.

    "But Harker¡­. Wait¡­.. Ah¡­."

    His hands were holding her waist as he continued to make out with her. Soon, they were tongue to tongue like she did when feeding him those sedatives. But Joan felt like she was the one being sedated as his passionate actions made her even more vulnerable. Her sense of reason was trying to fight back, but it was useless when he''s being like this.

    Soon, he had left a hickey on her neck. A very deep andrge one, and this seemed to be her wake up call.

    "Wait." She pushed him back, firmly this time.

    She caught her breath and said: "I don''t want to hurt anyone, Harker. I feel the same way about you, but I don''t want to hurt Mina that way even if we don''t see eye to eye. You have to talk things with her first, and be ready if she does make you choose."

    Harker pouted, sticking his lower lip out like a kid. "I see¡­.."

    Joan opened her mouth, but closed it again. She felt feverish, and her body was still excited as she could feel the wetness seeping even through her panties and making the inside of her thighs feel slippery.

    "You should go. I didn''t expect things to turn out this way¡­. We''ll talk more tomorrow. I just wanted to check up on you."

    Harker sighed, standing up. "I''m fine. It''s a real bummer though, but I''ll leave you be if that''s what you really want. But before I do¡­."

    He gave her another kiss on the other side of her neck.

    "You wanted to ask me what I would do if she made me choose, right? I''m not really sure but¡­."

    He whispered in a deep voice to her ear. "It would be a really tough choice because of you, Joan. Because I can''t get enough of you, because I ache for the taste of you so badly."

    Joan''s face turned beet red at this, and he just left her in that state.

    As Harker did, he met with Rnd who just got out of his room and made some tea for himself in the kitchen. His eyes widened.

    "Oh, Hark¡­. What are you doing in Joan''s room?" Rnd was waiting for hot water to boil.

    Harker shrugged. "We just talked. Nothing much happened than I expected."

    Rnd raised an eyebrow. "I see. Well, would you like to have some tea? You can just pour it over yourself if you don''t feelfortable getting close¡ª"

    Harker just went over there and drank the tea in onerge gulp, and patted Rnd''s shoulder. "Thanks, bud. Good night!"

    And he suddenly pped Rnd''s ass!

    Rnd waspletely frozen by the sudden action. But before he could even speak, Harker had already turned to go to his room, giving a flimsy wave.

    "Sorry, dunno what came over me. I got no impulse control, hahaha! Anyway, have a good one!"

    Rnd frowned even deeper.

    "What the hell is going on? First, I heard his voice from Mina''s room earlier. Then I see him leaving Ms. Seward''s room, and now this?" He sipped his tea.

    The steam of his cup just made his face feel even hotter. "He''s not acting like himself at all. Is he really alright?"

    Harker just went inside his room with a wide smirk, thinking that it was really a night where it''s fun to y games with people. He can''t wait to get more nights like this.

 Chapter 159 Becoming One With You

    Of course, this Harker who entered the room first was no other than Harker 2.0.

    Heid in bed. "Looks like he''s too busy at the moment. Lucky bastard. But at least he wasn''t able to look into what I was doing with his other buddies."

    He thought about the taste of Joan''s lips and soft skin, biting his own finger hard until it drew blood. He moaned at the thought of tasting the blood of that woman instead.

    Harker would never have anticipated that the clone he created wasn''t really the exact replica of him. Sure they were the same physically and mentally. But holistically speaking, Harker 2.0 was his more instinctual side.

    It was the side of him that dreamed of ravishing and feeding on Joan. It was the side of him that every so oftenes up to feel joy at the pain of others.

    Harker 2.0 was pure Id, except he also has Harker''s empathetic skills. He was really good at acting like the original, but of course, only when he wanted to. He doesn''t really care for Rnd being wary of him, and thought it would be pretty fun to have someone investigating him like a detective would to a criminal.

    He''s not doing this because he bears any ill will to Harker or any of hispanions. There was no purpose to it all besides chaos. Pure, simple chaos.

    But¡­.

    "If his main girl won''t let her take a side piece¡­." Harker 2.0 grinned wide. "I''m fine with taking the leftovers myself."

    --------------------

    As the clone thought about the tasty leftovers, the original was rather preupied with how things had turned out with the ''main girl''.

    "Mina¡­. What''s this?"

    He found himself suddenly cuffed to the bedpost! Since when did Mina even have handcuffs???

    "I need you to be honest with me, Harker." She said seriously, her eyes narrowed dangerously like a wildcat''s.

    "I will be honest with you! But is this really necessary for that?" Harker was utterly baffled. "I don''t see why we have to¡ª"

    "Do you love her?"

    There wasn''t even a bit of hesitation in her voice. Mina had always been a straightforward girl, which was one of the things Harker loved about her. But right now this trait was giving him quite a hard time.

    And the question sounded more like a threat. The problem was that Harker couldn''t tell whether it was a threat for him to be honest, or give her the answer she wanted.

    But he did promise to be honest, and so in the end.

    "I¡­. I think I''m developing some feelings for her."

    Mina raised an eyebrow. "Some?"

    "It''s only been three weeks, Mina. Three weeks, and before that, I only saw her as an annoyingzy teacher. I never would have even thought I''d care about her as much as I do now." Harker said.

    Mina scowled. "And how much do you really care about her, Harker? Even more than me?"

    "Of course not!" Harker eximed. "Mina, I am still very much in love with you. There wasn''t a day that we were apart that I didn''t miss you, and everyone knows. Even her. I made it clear to her how much I still love you¡ª"

    "But you also love her too." Mina said with a softer, pained tone.

    Harker closed his mouth. He never really thought that there would be a moment in his life where he would fall for two people at the same time.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    When he was younger, he never really had any ''crushes''. Sure, he found some female ssmates attractive. But he never had that urge to ask them out, or fantasize about them being his girlfriend.

    He does have fantasies of going on dates with a lover, like watching movies or riding on roller coasters and Ferris wheels at a theme park. But it was a vague idea, there was never a clear picture of who that woman with him was.

    But when he met Mina, that was when he felt this for the first time. This desire to spend happy moments with her, to get to know each other and to share this ''romance''.

    He never truly understood that word until she became his girlfriend. But now when he thinks about romance and being in a rtionship, it is her face thates up.

    However, something new came with Joan. Something different.

    It wasn''t a bubbly feeling of wanting to go on dates. Though he wouldn''t mind that either, what he felt with her was more like a quiet winter night than a bright summer day that he does with Mina. He didn''t feel the need to get to know her at all since he already knew her for 4 years now, not to mention¡­..

    He knew intimate things that probably no one else alive in this world would know about her. It was mostly thanks to Legion, but it was also because of this trust that Joan put on him when ites to talking about her deepest sides.

    They were two very different types of love. But for Harker, none was more superior than the other.

    He shared with Mina many of his firsts, and with Joan, he shared things that should have been thest to be shared in a rtionship. Comparing which weighs more than the two would be pointless.

    He tried to express all this to Mina as best as he could. It was a long exnation, which ended with him giving everyst detail of what truly happened during the trip. Everyst one.

    He wanted to show Mina that he was really being honest, and that he trusts her very much. That he respects her right as his lover to know these things. Once he was done, Harker had almost run out of saliva, and the swirly hands of the analog clock in her room both pointed to 12.

    Mina listened without interruption. Once he was done, she bowed her head.

    "So that''s how it is. I understand now why you would have fallen for her after everything. You two have basically shared what would have been shared by a couple within a lifetime." She said solemnly. "But¡­."

    As she lifted up her eyes, it was full of golden streaks.

    "But even if I do understand, it just makes me even more envious and angry with myself. So angry that I left without us even having that kind of connection. Where we share our past scars with no restraints, and carry each other''s burdens through hardships. I wanted to have that too¡­. Sob¡­."

    Harker was pained by her crying, but he felt better now that he heard this from her. That she acknowledges her anger and envy.

    "There''s nothing wrong with feeling that way, Mina. And we have a whole lifetime to spend doing that. There''s no rush, because I wanted to do that with you too." He said. "I want to share my deepest parts with you too. And we can take our time."

    He leaned to kiss her cheek, wishing he could touch her to push the tears away but settled with gently kissing them.

    "We can take our time, my love. One day, you won''t have to be jealous of her anymore. Whether you decide to let her in our rtionship or not, it''s fine with me. Because what matters to me is that I get to show the people I care about how much I love them. And I''m fine with just showing that love by staying true by their side, by being someone they can rely on."

    Mina wiped her tears away, and kissed Harker for a long time. But it was a rather soft and gentle kiss, where they simply pressed their lips together to feel each other.

    As she moved away, she softly said.

    "I want you to¡­.. do it with me too. See my past, see what has happened to me these past few days. I want to share my pain with you, Harker."

    His eyes widened. "Are you sure? It won''t befortable for the SS cells to enter your brain and reach through your memories."

    "It''s fine. I want to experience what she did, bing one with you in mind." She said, as she took off her clothes. "Just as we be one in body."

 Chapter 160 Still, A Peach Is A Peach

    Harker found himself feeling like he was upying someone''s head again.

    It was truly a strange feeling, knowing how the body moves and how it feels yet still under the impression that it''s not yours. It was like the body was a car that moves on its own, and Harker was just the passenger. Yet at the same time, he can tell what happens in every part of the car, from the engine to the wheels and even the fuel that ''gives it life''.

    Dissociation was the word. A confounding feeling that might only be understood by those who had experienced it.

    He was dissociated from Mina''s memories, yet he still felt very much ''present'' in them. This one was her breathing raggedly behind a pir. It looked like she received damage on her right shoulder.

    Laying in front of her was a big man with the reddest skin Harker had ever seen. He was swimming in his own blood and had an ax in hand, possibly the source of Mina''s injury.

    Harker learned the context of this scene. Mina had followed the trail of the An Xin member that she saw in Oregon. She believed it was the man that killed her parents, but as soon as she came to their hiding spots, she realized that almost everyone had this tattoo.

    So it was possible that the one she followed was not the one who killed the Jiaoren royal family and sold them to Mr. Xi.

    Yet this trip was still important to her, since they were all basically the same in her eyes.

    Murderers. Traitors. Monsters.

    Despite being a monster herself, she had grown to dislike seeing even just a horn or a tail on the members of the An Xin sect. She had located them milling about in several parts of Oregon, but they have all congregated into the old ruins of this church called ''Parish of John the Beloved''.

    It had a statue of a quite an androgynous looking young man. He had luscious curly hair, and was holding a book in one hand with the word ''Revtion''.

    Harker tried to piece out which saint this was exactly, and found an undoubtable match from Father Gerard''s memories that he had also gained from consuming Legion. This was John the Evangelist, proposed author of thest book in the New Testament of the Bible, the book of Revtions.

    The Revtions was the book that detailed Judgement Day, the Apocalypse in the Christian faith. He was also known as the Beloved Disciple for three possible reasons. Either it was because he was the one gaining knowledge of the end of days itself, or because he outlived all the other disciples¡­..

    Or because he was believed as closest to Jesus'' heart as he was described as ''he who reclines on the Lord''s bosom''. Whether literally or just a metaphor for their friendship was up to interpretation.

    Nevertheless, this was the usual meeting spot for all the An Xin members Mina had spotted while spying on them in Oregon. They would go to many ces for various reasons. Some were businessmen, some were teachers, and some were just random homeless people on the streets.

    But she can see through the veil and know that they were all Yaos. Demons, monsters, ghosts.... It was as clear as day.

    One night, she saw that a significantlyrger horde went inside the Chapel of John the Beloved. There was a strange atmosphere surrounding these demons during this time. They were usually quiet and solemn in going inside the dingy church, but right now they whispered to each other in hushed excited tones.

    It was as if a festive event was about to transpire.

    Mina had killed the two bodyguards who held up axes in front of the Church as quietly as she could. But the An Xin members were too busy with their ceremony anyway to notice them.

    "My dear brothers and sisters." A man dressed in a clerical robe spread out his arms. "We have gathered here today to celebrate the resurgence of our Venerable One. He who had been blessed with the child, the Son of Man, who will bring the Second Coming of our Lord Most High."

    Harker found it strange how they manage to use Christian iconographies to describe their Chinese belief. Brothers and sisters may be seen as a Christian thing for greeting, but it may also be applied to ''cultivation brothers'' and ''cultivation sisters''.

    They were using words like the ''Second Coming'', ''Son of Man'', and ''Lord Most High'' to almost be like a code to the actual things the cult of An Xin references. Not to mention this Venerable One¡­..<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Was a statue of someone wearing a red veil on their face, resembling the image of the Virgin Mary. But Harker was sure this one was a man, and in his hands was not a baby.

    It was a demonic creature with no head, and only four limbs jutting out from a formless blob of a body.

    "For many years, the world had kowtowed at the feet of The Heavenly God. And yet while the emperors follow the Mandate of Heaven by Shangdi, they do not know of the other being that serves as an equal to this being of the Heavens. The being of the Earth, the true Earth down below, had been forgotten or thrown stones at as an exile. An outcast."

    The ''priest'' then raised a skull which had crimson liquid oozing from it endlessly.

    "He had been present right before there was Mandates, right before there was Order. And though Huangdi defeats Chiyou, just like the forgotten god, his descendants follow after his example. Descendants not from birth, but from death. It is from the blood of Chaos that we are born, the First beings, and must continue to feed on!"

    They did what people usually do in Holy Communion, where they line up to take the Eucharist. But instead of the body, they only gave the literal blood for the monsters to drink one by one.

    Harker gathered from Mina''s memory what these all meant.. They all rte to Chinese legends and mythology. Shangdi was the venerated god of emperors that was considered the Primordial and mightiest deity for them. The Mandate of Heaven was the rules enacted by the emperors ''in ordance to Shangdi''s will''.

    Huangdi was the Yellow Emperor that was believed to be the first and the mightiest, conceived through a miracle birth when his mother fell in love with a lightning that came from the Big Dipper. He defeated the tribal leader Chiyou and his followers had to move to the mountains.

    It was said that it rained blood when Chiyou died. He was beheaded, and the image of his mutted head was used as a warning for those who covet power and wealth. Those who wanted to start an uprising¡­..

    Just like a certain fallen angel that turned into the Devil himself.

    "After this, my dear brothers and sisters, we must move eastward! Our first feast must be at Londinium! Make haste, make haste! We must wee the arrival of the Great Bright One!"

    Mina then learned that Londinium was simply the ancient Roman name for London. And so she settled to run away from that church and head to Ennd to catch up to this ''feast''.

    But just as she did...

    She heard the pping of wings behind her, and soon the priest wearing the crimson chasuble appeared in front of her.

    "Do not be afraid, sister. You are one of us, are you not? When you ran we worried it might be a mortal, but it just happened to be another sister." He spoke with a gentle voice, as he pointed to the scales slowly growing on Mina''s skin.

    She gritted her teeth at this.

    "I am not your sister, and I will never be one of you."

    The man justughed. He had orange hair the color of clementines which flowed off his red robes.

    "Now where have I heard of that before? Denial is a part of eptance, sister. You can always deny what you are, but in the end..."

    He conjured a peach in his hand, and ate it with gusto as the juices dribbled down his hands and his lips that grew thinner the wider he smiled.

    "You are what you are. A peach is a peach, and a monster is a monster all the same."

 Chapter 161 Religion Of Loneliness [R18]

    While this was all happening, Harker was also currently eating something juicy that dribbled down his lips.

    Still handcuffed, Mina had positioned herself to turn away from him. Her knees rested on his chest, and she had lowered her hips down, down, down¡­.

    Until the pink fruit was hanging right over Harker''s lips.

    Mina wrapped her hand around the shaft and made swift motions, before using her mouth. She had be better at this. But even when she was busy servicing him, she didn''t forget to sway her hips and grind her wet cunt on her lover''s face.

    Harker was also able to multitask just like her. Focusing on both the memory and what his body was doing. However, it was more difficult to juggle than he thought.

    Sometimes he would end up lost in the memory only and faltering, to which Mina would make a cute, whiny sound. Then once he continued with the pleasures, he''d get lost in it as well and think about nothing but the sight and taste of that pink flesh.

    He could barely even see what Harker 2.0 was up to now. Last time he checked, the clone arrived in the bedroom earlier than him and just went to sleep.

    Maybe he finished talking to Joan about things already, which would be a relief. He can settle that er. For now, he was chasing two rabbits going and barely catching either.

    The memory of Mina''s confrontation with the ''priest'' thus became a bit blurry and he missed a few parts. Mina was trying to fight with him but the priest would just dodge, both almost having the same speed.

    Mina was actually faster, but the An Xin priest had the advantage of having wings. He continued to speak as he avoided the attacks:

    "... and when he does realize that, do you think he will only see you as human? Your instinct ¡­. dominate and protect your territory is something innate in all of us.¡­. we''d rather destroy our homes than have someone else upy them¡­."

    His words were iplete because Harker''s ears were also filled with Mina''s grunts that matched her heavy breaths while dealing blow after blow on the man. But it was even more useless as punching air and Mina would just end up tiring herself.

    The peach remained in his hand, half-bitten.

    He chuckled. "Do you know the story of the servant boy that gave his Master a half-bitten peach? You are like that¡­. Before the Master thought such a gesture was endearing, because the servant was still endearing to him. But the servant was no longer so, he kicked him away in the pretense that he would dare give his Master a peach he had already bitten."

    Harker had the urge to bite at Mina''s round and plump peach. And so he did, quite hard, which caused Mina to yelp.

    And this ovepped with the memory as Mina screamed at the man, wanting to w out his intestines. "You know nothing about him! He''s not like that at all!"

    "But man is like that, my dear." The priest chuckled, his wings pping as evaded. "Man seeks out something new all the time. Chasing and chasing until they have captured the sun itself in their maw like a rabid dog. Then once they consume it, they will seek another sun to consume."

    As he said this, Mina had turned herself around, unbuttoned her dress shirt, and ced her sulent breasts over Harker''s face. He fervently pleasured them just as he did with her lower areas.

    "Nggh¡­. Ahhhn~" Mina moaned.

    She let her shirt slip from her shoulders, and the image was just so suggestive and sensuous that Harker knew that he just had to have her right now.

    "Mina¡­ I want you¡­." He croaked hoarsely, desperation escaping from his lips.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    She nodded, and gave herself to him. She slowly lowered herself, keeping her hands over his shoulders to keep him still.

    Some of the memory had been skipped because he had been too focused on this. He wasn''t able to catch more of what Mina and the priest talked about. Now she was suddenly plummeting to the ground¡­

    As arge ck shadow pounced on her, as fast as a meteor shooting down the Earth.

    The ground had cracked from the impact, leaving arge dent. Mina groaned in pain at falling too fast¡­..

    And at the present, she also groaned in pain from falling down into Harker''s crotch too fast.

    "Ahh¡­.. F-Fuck¡­." She mumbled.

    "Are you alright?" Harker almost sat up from the worry¡ª

    But Mina pushed him back down, a little too forcefully. She was furrowing her brows. "I''m fine¡­. Don''t move."

    She had that scary look in her eyes again, like how a beast would stare at its prey and take im of it.

    Yes, she was taking im of him tonight.

    The ck creature in the memory looked like a hound, but it was not as savage as the woman on top of Harker. The hound had a lot of scars and was blind in one eye, and once the priest fluttered down by its side, it wagged its tail excitedly.

    "Try as you might, my dear, you could never keep a man forever. Monsters like us tend to have this boundless loyalty that mostly stems from our desire for possession. Of ownership."

    He patted the dog''s head. "You want to possess him, do you not? Well I tell you now, sister. When you present a man with a leash, he would eitherpletely throw himself at your feet, or he would feel suffocated by it and try to escape. And most of the time, it''s thetter. He will struggle and writhe when he feels like he isn''t the one in control."

    Harker did struggle a bit, but Mina gripped on to him tightly. But that wasn''t the reason why he stayed still.

    It was because of her desperate sobs and pleas. "D-Don''t move¡­.. Don''t try to escape¡­.."

    Harker felt his breath hitch as the memory as the man offered the peach to her again. This time, it was bitten by the dog too.

    "Sister, we don''t have to be on different sides. We are one and the same. Deep down, men do not understand the reason why we do not want to be left behind, that we don''t want to lose those we havee to possess¡­."

    He smiled sadly. "Was because we as monsters are born alone. No man is an ind, but a monster is not an ind. We are a star separated from the rest, born alone from the dark and will be a dark hole that will swallow everything eventually when we fall into the abyss."

    "To not fall into that abyss, we need each other. To have faith in our fellow monsters, faith in the Lord who made us this way. We are perfect, sister. It is merely the ''normal'' humans who say we are not." The priest said, tantalizing Mina with the fruit in his hand.

    "And so, in this cold and cruel world of men, we need to stay together in this religion of loneliness."

 Chapter 162 Practicing The Divine Alchemy [R18]

    "Be one with us, your brethren. Your true brethren." The priest urged again. "Because sister, he will want you to wear their clothes, to use their names, to act like them¡­. But you simply cannot BE them. Be part of the world of man. And that''s not a bad thing."

    Meanwhile, Mina was fully naked now, her dress shirt falling off the floor as she grind her hips faster on top of Harker, calling out his name.

    "Mankind only knows how to steal from the nature that gave birth to it. To exceed past the breaking point, until they have destroyed everything. We monsters do the same, but we do it in ordance with our own instincts, not by the deceitful ''morality'' these men follow. We never im to be righteous, we never createws that contradict themselves."

    As his words rang deep into Harker''s own soul, Mina held her head back. "Harker, I''m going to¡ª"

    "The rules we follow are the rules of the self. Thus they are honest. Honest to our nature, honest to our necessities and survival."

    Harker was breathless, and yet he felt the same way as he tried to fight his hunger from the wendigo curse. He needed this. He would die if he does not have it, if he does not give in to his nature screaming at the back of his head.

    In the memory, Mina seemed to be unable to speak. She could barely move after all because of the impact, even if she will be able to heal herself.

    And that''s part of her nature as a monster too, her way of survival.

    Men will bleed in agony, but monsters were born from agony itself that they knew how to survive and endure the pain.

    "Come on, sister. Just one bite, and you will find yourself a real home. Where you truly belong. Your former home may have been taken from you by our kind, but man does the same all the time. Trying to conquer and plunder their own brothers and sisters."

    The priest''s voice was so soft and gentle, and his wings were majestic and pure white.

    He truly looked like an angel at this very moment, emanating his own light even in the pitch ck night.

    And as Harkery on the bed while Mina grinded on him, he felt like she too was emanating her own light. Her face was so radiant, blushed red, bathed in moon glow.

    She was transcending, reaching a peak of ecstacy and desire into something divine.

    And yet, Harker was still afraid. "Mina¡­. I''m also going to¡­. Soon. We don''t have a condom, we should¡ª"

    "They will steal from you." The priest''s voice interrupted him. "They will steal him from you, he will steal your happiness from you. The happiness that eternal life can give, true heaven for our kind. Join us. Be one with us."

    Harker knew that he was being painted as the bad guy here. He knew how maniptive the priest was, how his words were purely for the sake of getting what he wanted from Mina. It was Mina that he was convincing, and yet¡­.

    He felt like he was the one being beckoned. That he was being warned of the greed of the ''man'' within him, the other him that only knows how to seek what it wants while also pretending to be ''normal''.

    Isn''t that deceit in itself? Of course, he wasn''t given a choice since he needed to be normal in order to be epted by society. But it was still a lie, nheless.

    A lie to his true nature.

    He was the one keeping himself bound, the one who had the keys yet never used it. He could break free and yet his belief in what he should be was stopping him. And yet now¡­.

    He engages in theplete opposite of that. Freedom. Will. Choice.

    Harker had broken out from the handcuffs. Mina expected him to push her off him and tried to stop him from doing that, but¡ª-

    Instead, Harker embraced her tightly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Releasing all these pent up yearning for his own freedom inside of her.

    Mina gasped at this, returning his embrace. He let it all go, and he could feel iting back to him as it had already filled her inside.

    The feeling was worth the price of the possible consequences of the ''risks''. Harker felt more than happy to let go. He also felt transcendental, that he had reached a peak that he never had before.

    Harker waspletely pulled into this moment. He went to kiss Mina, and whispered.

    "Again. I want to do it again. I want to fill you up, to keep being one with you until morninges."

    Mina was crying, this time of pure happiness, as she nodded. That was exactly what she wanted as well. His seeds will be inside of her, and more than the risk, it was also a miracle.

    Being one together can create something new. If they did, she does not fear that at all. To her, such a thing would be glorious.

    Still, that would be just a bonus. The significance of this moment was not the future, or the past. But it lies in the present, this feeling of rising and soaring that never ends. This feeling was shared between them to their heart''s content.

    The next day was the best, as that feeling lingeredlike the scent of citrus left on one''s fingers. Harker and Mina were in high spirits, kissing each other as they moved out of the bed.

    They washed themselves together, brushed their teeth together and put on clothes together. Theyughed, the air feeling light and breezy even when they''re inside the hotel. They felt rejuvenated, and as they opened the door¡­.

    They were met with another air that knocks their own. The air of discord.

    "Good morning. Busy night for you two, huh?" Rnd greeted, pouring some tea over his cup on the kitchen table.

    He wasn''t alone.

    Joan already has one in her hand. As soon as she saw them, her face changed colors like a chameleon. First, it was pale white with her eyes wide, then deep red as her eyes narrowed, and finally a bit greenish as she grimaced from disgust or self-pity.

    "Seriously? Right after you¡­." She trailed off, and just stood up with her cup in hand.

    Harker called out. "No, Joan, wait¡ª"

    She mmed the door. Mina just looked confused rather than hateful, though she doesn''t look too keen on having Harker follow Joan just yet as she clung on his arms.

    "What''s her problem? Right after you what?"

    Harker clenched his fist. He knew how to get the answers to that question. He gently unwound himself from Mina, and excused himself.

    "I¡­. I have to go to my room."

    He also went quickly, mming the door shut before they could say anything inside his dark and empty room.

    Mina turned to Rnd for answers, who just shrugged. But this wasn''t genuine confusion like Mina.

    He would just rather observe than join in the chaos, and figure out what''s happening to his friend. Like a divine alchemy that was already present, yet just needed to be brought to light on its existence.

 Chapter 163 Declaration Of War

    Harker found his clone sleeping peacefully on his own bed.

    He was syed out with arms wide and his feet over each other, his head bowing down. On top of his head was a crown of paper flowers he made using the assorted colored tissues from the bathroom. Resembling a very familiar iconography of a very famous man.

    Harker nudged him. "Wake up."

    The replica woke up while rubbing his eyes. When he saw his progenitor, he smiled wide. "Oh, good morning Mr. Me. How are you today?"

    "What happened with you and Joanst night? What did you tell her?" Harker was gripping his shoulders tightly, his cells reaching out to the cells of this man for them to merge again.

    But the smile on Harker 2.0''s face never left. He only let himself be consumed again by Harker the original, and said before he was ''disappears'':

    "I only said what you wanted to say, did what you wanted to do. I am you after all."

    Harker had absorbed him, and the crown of paper flowers fell onto the bed. These flowers were yellow roses. Harker remembered vaguely that these flowers meant something in the Victorian era, but he couldn''t remember what exactly. He can look into itter as it''s clearly a message from his replica.

    He scanned the memories of the replica, and their dialogue went like this:

    Harker 2.0: ""Joan, I¡­. How are you?"

    Joan: "Still awake, surprisingly. I should have added in the note that you meet me before midnight. I''m a pretty old woman after all."

    So far, so good. The replica did act just as Harker would in this situation, even showing awkwardness and apprehension in a joking manner. They talked about the ascension, and it turned out that Joan also felt a few changes in her physique from sharing some of his qi. And as for the matter about Mina and his feelings:

    Harker 2.0: "I want to be with you, Joan. Even if it''s wrong, even if I''m not allowed to. I want you."

    Joan seemed to be hesitant as she replied: "You want me, but you also want your girlfriend too, right? And you can see how much she dislikes me, Harker. Even if I''m fine with this kind of arrangement, I knew damn well that she will never be."

    Harker 2.0 answered: "I''ll take care of it. But I don''t want to lie to myself anymore, Joan."

    However, instead of responding, Joan just pushed him away. "You should go. I didn''t expect things to turn out this way¡­. We''ll talk more tomorrow. I just wanted to check up on you."

    That was all. Harker wasn''t expecting the encounter to just end that quickly. His clone just left Joan''s room with a remorseful face and went to his to go to sleep.

    Harker doesn''t know why he felt underwhelmed. It was like something was missing, but then again, it made sense for Joan to respond the way she did from the clone''s words.

    He was much more expressive than Harker could ever be, able to find the right things to say while he remained tongue-tied. Harker knew the real reason why he was tongue-tied was not because he couldn''t think of anything to say, but because there''s so many possible responses swimming in his head and he couldn''t choose between any of them.

    Because he didn''t want to trouble people, he had a small and almost unnoticeable problem of not speaking up at times. It was rare and not obvious to most people he encountered in this life, but it''s always there.

    That doubt on the back of his head. The anxiety.

    "Guess I could take a page from your book, twinnie." He mumbled as he left the room.

    They were going to London via private jet and make preparations uponnding. They need to be careful since Victoria also had her own people that can match the amount of Rnd''s, and she was more familiar with the area than all of them, even Joan.

    After all, it''s been a long time since Joan came back to Ennd. In one of her talks with Harker during their travel, she admitted that she could never return there as she was scared it would stir up more memories of a certain someone.

    And so, they resolved to have fewer men in the area, and the four would travel more independently to not gain attention.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    They''d infiltrate The Clink Prison Museum as part of the tour group under disguises and aliases. Then, they''d try to locate where exactly their headquarters were. Most of them already guess it must be somewhere underground.

    "The Clink Prison had been an interest of mine when I first read it as a kid. It''s very rich in history, since it existed since the 12th century, after all." Rnd told them.

    Mina''s eyes widened. "That is a very long time indeed."

    "Mina, you''re likely just as old or even older than this prison." Rnd chuckled. "You said that you were born when the Silk Road was still active after all, and only Chinese people knew how to manufacture silk."

    "I used to think that the Silk Road was literally made of silk when I was younger." Alejandro admitted.

    Harker found himself zoning out in the conversation at the private jet. He kept on looking back at Joan on the back, who was staying quiet and ying music on her walkman.

    Mina followed his gaze, and snorted. "I''m having the strangest deja vu right now."

    Rnd rolled his eyes. "Oh you''d have to remind me of that. That wasn''t one of my best moments."

    Harker smiled softly as he remembered how much these two bickered and took jabs at each other when they first met. "It worked out in the end, right? I mean, you two are still going for each other''s throats every now and then, but it really felt more like siblings having a fight than real enemies."

    "Thanks, we''re proud of our status as frenemies." Rnd said, putting an arm over Mina''s shoulder.

    She did the same, grinning. "Still don''t like youparing us to siblings though. We''re distant cousins, remember?"

    Harke nodded. "Yeah, but you two are actually more alike than you think."

    Rnd and Mina were both people that have a very gentle demeanor, but were far from meek. They were in fact ratherpetitive and headstrong. Both were powerful, Rnd in his wit and wealth and Mina in her strength and speed. They prefer to be in control and pave their own path than follow anyone.

    Meanwhile, Joan¡­..

    Joan was a lot like Harker, he now realized. She does her best, just like he also does, for the sake of the people they care about. But they were not as proactive or confident. They often have their doubts, and their families and background still weighs on them very strongly.

    Rnd looked at him, then at Joan, and sighed. "You should go talk to her already. A bridge won''t build itself for you and her."

    Mina frowned, but when Rnd gave her a look, she made no obligations. He added: "Mina and I have to talk about something anyway. Run along."

    Harker didn''t really get a vocal permission, but since she''s not stopping him either, he finally went to Joan''s side of the ne.

    Rnd turned to Mina. "He''s not acting unusual. That''s even more strange."

    Mina blinked. "Unusual in what way?"

    He turned to her, and asked: "What time did he go into your room? What did you do there? I need all the details, I can''t help but have a feeling that something''s wrong."

    After all, Rnd also received a tissue paper flower by his doorstep when he woke up. But it wasn''t a yellow rose. It was a very intricately made yellow tansy, which in Victorian times meant¡­

    A deration of war.

 Chapter 164 On The Night Of The Super Blue Blood Moon

    As they now walked the streets of London, it seemed that the whole ce was abuzz and the streets were busier than what you would usually expect from a city. And Joan and Rnd, the two people who had been there themselves, could attest that London was rtively one of the calmest major cities in the world.

    Sure there''s always no end to the sights to see and the ces to go to. But it''s not as loud as when Harker went to Las Vegas, and people tend to be enjoying the more ''refined'' side of luxury. They enjoyed going to neat little pubs rather than party clubs, and Harker found more old people strolling in parks or academics in turtlenecks more than any ce he had been to before.

    London has an air of reservation and even sometimes gloominess, and so being rowdy wasn''tmon unless there''s an event.

    And there was. Rnd soon realized it as he saw all the paparazzis and cameramen following a bunch of celebrities, some unfamiliar and some quite popr.

    "Right, how could I forget. It''s London''s Fashion Week." He grumbled covering his face.

    Harker''s eyes widened. "Right. The Devil herself said she would be here soon too thest time I saw her."

    "The Devil is real too?" Joan blinked. "And she''s a woman?"

    Rnd chuckled. "Oh, Harker''s exaggerating. Ang is many things, but there are far worse people deserving of the title ''the Devil'' than her. Not to mention the devil would have been far more good-looking, even as a woman."

    "You''re not worried about meeting your fiancee here, in these very streets?" Mina frowned.

    He shrugged. "London isrge, and we don''t even know if Ang would be traveling around. She alwaysins about her skin being too sensitive to the sun and getting pimples from sweat. That''s the kind of girl she was."

    Mina shrugged. "I guess so. But everyone seemed to be making the chance to unt themselves over the paparazzis, and I''ve seen familiar faces of the models I read in magazines."

    "I don''t like cameras. Always made me ufy, those bright shes." Joan said, putting her hands inside her pockets. "Plus I''ve never liked seeing my face in those photographs, haha! Paintings always make my face more presentable."

    Harker snorted. "Nonsense. Painting or photo, it doesn''t matter since you are Joan Seward. The ''bombshell professor'' of Stoker Uni, everyone says."

    "Lies, lies, lies. Never heard of that before." Joan rolled her eyes. "You''re just buttering me up, Jones."

    "But it''s true, though¡ª"

    Harker noticed Mina''s dark expression in his peripheral vision, and cleared his throat. "Anyway, let''s get to the Clink as soon as possible so we''ll also have time looking for the An Xin sect."

    "I already sent some of my men to look into that." Rnd said. "This fashion week might even be a good cover, since people would just assume that they''re holding cameras to take pictures of celebrities rather than catch cult members."

    Mina nodded. "I''m keeping an eye out as well while we''re walking, since I''m the one who''s most familiar with the members."

    She clenched her fist. "I would never forget every single face of those bastards. To think they even thought about trying to convert me to them."

    Harker recalled the memory of Mina and the priest with wings. He wasn''t able to finish it, so he doesn''t know how Mina responded. But seeing her expression and how she''s still chasing after them, it''s safe to say that she must have given them a pretty hard refusal.

    He wondered if the priest and his meteor of a dog were still alive though. And if he could find them here¡­..<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    For what? Why would he need to find them? Harker shook these thoughts off his head.

    He should focus on one task at a time, and the most important thing would be Victoria. The congregation was Mina''s bone to pick, and he was merely invested in An Xin because of a silly dream.

    Speaking of Victoria, Harker and Joan had talked about her during the ride in the jet ne.

    "Are you alright? You seemed a little¡­.. out of it." Harker sat beside her. "Look, aboutst night¡ª"

    Joan waved her hand, taking off her earplugs.

    "I''ve gotten over it. It''s fine. I pushed you away, you looked for her. Things must have developed after, and who am I to be mad when they do? Both of you are young and full of bloody hormones¡ª at least, physically. Dunno how old she was, but it''s clear she has the mind of a regr young adult."

    She sighed, looking out the window. "My mind is more upied by what my sister might be up to than what you kids doing hanky-panky."

    "She must be performing even more experiments in the Clink." Harker guessed. "Rnd said how perfect the underground cells of the ce would be for doing that. There''s a lot of hidden areas and passageways that haven''t even been explored yet, some buried from erosion but could eventually be excavated and turned into a goodboratory."

    "I have no doubts about that. I just wonder what''s on her mind." Joan said. "Victoria had never been one to open up to me. I tried. God knows I tried¡ª But it''s hard when your parents constantly pit you against each other for a sick research on nature vs. nurture."

    She gritted her teeth. "My father was making this thesis, you see. Would the daughter of two geniuses be more sessful and smarter than the daughter of two Irish immigrants, none of whom had finished 6 years in school? Or would the pressure of proving herself make her the ''better child''?"

    Harker grimaced. "That''s sick."

    "It was." Joan''s eyes were glossy over the memory of it. "Two unsuspecting children were ced in an arena like diators without being aware of it. And my father''s not the only one. Of course I know that not all of them are the same but¡­.. Some men like my father loved pitting excellent women against each other all the time. Whether it''s for our careers or¡­.. well, being their preferred mate."

    Harker looked away, hoping that it didn''te across to her that what happenedst night was like that. Him trying to pit them against each other as his ''preferred mate''.

    But Joan seemed to have read his mind, when she turned to him and said.

    "I know you''re not like that. Don''t worry. If you are, you won''t just be facing my wrath." She chuckled. "I have full belief and support in blondie over there. She''ll rip you to shreds and I''ll just be left to stomp on your remains once or twice."

    Harker rolled his eyes. "Thanks. I guess that goes to show how much I am loved here, being threatened to be ripped to shreds and stomped at your feet."

    "Hahaha!"

    Joan''sugh was truly beautiful, as he could only ever hear it once in a blue moon. Hell, it''s even rarer than a blue moon, which in scientific terms was just an extra full moon within a year, a 13th one. It''s as rare as a Super Blue Blood Moon, a total lunar eclipse happening in the 13th full moon and when the moon was in its closest approach to the Earth''s orbit.

    Which will be happening a few days from now, and what Mina spected to be the date of the congregation.

 Chapter 165 Summon The Devil Himself

    They have reached the museum and joined in the tour. The Clink does have its fair share of fascinating things to see like paintings of people being burned at a stake, statues of prisoners being tortured, and records of the harlots and thieves that had been jailed in this cobblestone cage.

    Mina''s personal favorites were the torture devices hanged in disy. In case something goes wrong, they could easily draw these things.

    "I''ve always wanted to learn what a sword feels like. I wasn''t allowed to join the war as the youngest, so I''m the only one who never held a weapon before." She said.

    Harker chuckled. "I''m not skilled with using weapons either. I prefer to fight with my fists."

    Rnd was actually listening to the tour guide with interest. "It''s still baffling how many of these cases are unfair or based on pure spection. If these poor people only had someone to represent them, they wouldn''t have to suffer so badly."

    "Oh, trust me. They still would have. And the one that tries to represent them will get cooked in a fire too." Joan said cynically.

    She looked at the gruesome fates of the prisoners. "It''s funny how these ''harlots'' were the ones that got in jail when they were being peddled by their parents at a young age to sick rich aristocrats that treat them as sex ves. And how thieves and pickpockets have their hands hammered for stealing food because the jobs only pay them for a loaf of bread a day."

    Harker agreed. "They say people like these will go to hell, but it''s already like hell here on Earth, so what''s the point? As my mom would quote: ''Hell is empty and all the devils are here''."

    "The Tempest, isn''t it?"

    Someone else suddenly joined their conversation.

    It was a funky-looking guy with pinkish hair. He was wearing a ck leather jacket with spikes, a spiked cor, and even spiky boots. He has a scar on his right eye reaching from above his eyebrow all the way to his jawline, rendering him blind. He looked to be in his 40s or 50s, but still maintained a pretty muscr form.

    Once Mina saw him, her eyes shed with that deadly energy.

    "Never thought I''d find fellow fans of the Bard in a gloomy ce like this. I wasn''t a big fan of literature, theater and all that nerdy stuff myself. But after living for so long you''d have to pick up a hobby eventually, am I right?" He said.

    Harker immediately knew who he was from that scar alone. He also red at the man and put himself in front of his friends.

    Joan and Rnd were left confused, but they could also tell this man was bad news.

    "We can''t start a fight here." Rnd whispered. "There''s too many people."

    "Should we lure him to somewhere else, then?" Joan suggested.

    But before they could make any decision, a young girl who''s probably around 14 or 15 came to the man. She was holding a sketchbook and a pencil, and dressed like the artsy type with a ck beret and a scarf over his colorful shirt.

    "Uncle Tao! You promised we''ll be going to Fashion Week''s g tonight! It''s already 4 pm, we''ll miss the red carpet premiere!"

    He chuckled. "Alright, alright. But we have to get you back home early, alright? I only slipped you out since your Uncle Clement and I was here for a business trip. We need to make sure your Mum and Dad won''t even notice you ran away."

    "But I didn''t even run away!" The young girl pouted. "I am researching fashion!"

    "Yes, you are, dear. Let''s take the bus, Clem is waiting outside."

    "Finally! What are you even doing in the Clink, Uncle Tao? I don''t like this ce, it''s rather minging." She grimaced at the images of torture around her. "Most people who go here are just hammered blokes who want to spook themselves andugh at people getting gutted. Or teenagers trying to spook their girlfriends. Either way is terrible."

    Uncle Tao excused: "Just a little business-rted detour. I was asked by the big boss to check up on something¡­."

    He gave the group onest side eye before leaving with what seemed to be his niece.

    "It''s him. That dog." Mina gritted her teeth. "He''s a tiangou, so he''s even faster than me and stronger. Their first ancestor ate the moon itself. Plus his name ''Tao'' could mean ''peach''."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Peach and the other''s Clementine. They sure like to keep things fruity, from metaphors down to their own fucking names." Harker thought.

    Mina looked like she really wanted to follow them. "They''re going to the Fashion Week g. London''s a big ce, this may be the only chance we have to know where they''ll have the congregation¡­.."

    Harker looked back at the people, but then noticed that Joan and Rnd were already far off and looking at a certain statue of a woman in shackles weeping as guards seemed to be forcing her to move to the gallows to be hanged.

    "Harker, look! This statue had been moved recently. You see this boxy mark because there''s no dust? That''s where it must have used to be."

    Harker tapped his shoe at the spot, and he did hear that this certain space sounded hollow. In fact, it didn''t sound like concrete. It sounded more like¡­.

    Bang!

    Harker stomped the space hard and sure enough, it was actually made of wooden nks painted to look like concrete. There were stairs leading down to it.

    "Well that was pretty fast." Rnd blinked. "Why would they be so careless to leave that mark behind?"

    "Because they know virtually no one else would notice unless they''re specifically looking for it. They know that we''re the only ones who''ll find it." Harker moved below. "Victoria knows. After all, she only sent Legion to distract me enough."

    "It''s a trap, then." Mina clung to his arm. "Maybe we shouldn''t go there just yet. We could go next time with bodyguards and¡ª"

    "And let them escape? Mina, I know it''s a trap." Harker put his hands around hers. "And I''m already in it. It''s toote for me to back out now, but¡­. Not for any of you. This is my battle, none of you needs to get involved."

    "No way in hell, Jones." Joan went down the dark staircase too. "This is my sister we''re talking about. I need answers. I need to hear from her directly why she''s doing this."

    Rnd suggested. "Then how about I send my men to be ready in this area, while Mina and I follow those An Xin members?"

    "Just the two of you?" Harker frowned.

    "We can manage it. We''ll just be spying on them anyway, while you would be having a full on battle with a bunch of mad scientists and zombies, or who knows what more experiments and potential threats they developed. You''ll need all the help you can get." Rnd said.

    He nodded at Alejandro''s direction who was dressed as an olddy perusing the wax figures ofpiked heads on the wall.

    Mina looked at the two about to go inside, then to the exit where shest saw ''Uncle Tao'', and sighed.

    "Be safe, Harker." She said, cing a kiss on his cheek. "We''ll meet up again by morning, right? Promise me."

    ''We will. You promise me that you''ll be safe too." Harker replied.

    "Of course. I can''t promise that no one else would get hurt though." She made a pretty scary smile. "I have several bones to pick with that Tao after what he did with mine."

    "Don''t fall from extreme heights again." Harker reminded her. "I love you. See youter."

    "See youter." She waved, and soon left with Rnd for the bus.

    Still, Harker couldn''t feel at peace. The dark staircase looked like it was leading to hell itself, but then again, hell is here. The devils he must worry about were above ground, not below.

    And so, he summoned his clone again after giving him his objectives just as they didst night... not aware that he was summoning a devil himself.

 Chapter 166 Going To Elysium

    Harker 2.0 materialized and thankfully, Joan wasn''t able to notice because it was so dark and she was already at the far end of the staircase, her footsteps echoing. She was using a lighter to see inside this secret underground passage.

    "Harker, I see a long passage overhead. Youing or what?" She asked from below.

    "Yeah, just a moment!" Harker replied.

    Hemunicated with Harker 2.0 telepathically, since they share the same brain anyway.

    ''Make sure Rnd and Mina are safe, but don''t let them see you. Eliminate all threats towards them. After that, you merge with me before we all meet up by morning''.

    Harker 2.0 just made a cheeky salute. ''Yessir''.

    The clone got out of that broken wooden entrance, and wore a devilish grin as he picked up an ax from the disy. He opened up his chest cavity, ck worms parting to give way for the weapon to be hidden inside.

    "Here''s Johnny!"

    ---------------------------

    The g was everything Rnd expected it to be.

    Wacky outfits, celebrities pretending that they''re fashionable and ''to die for'', loads of cameras shing left and right, and loud shitty runway music ring at the speakers.

    A Parisian model was remarking the ingenuity of the ''duck balloon hat'' that a rockstar was wearing to promote against climate change, when it''s obviously just an excuse to wear something quirky. Couple of young ''celebrities'' who were really just nepo babies with nothing to ount for their fame were trying to stir things up to gain the media''s attention.

    His only hope was that he doesn''t encounter his fiancee amidst all the chaos. He was already wearing the disguise of a ''bearded paparazzi who''s already in his 4th divorce and grown a beard, but maybe he should have pretended to be an olddy like Alejandro just to be sure.

    After all, Ang has a very discerning eye. Like a vulture that can quickly spot a carcass from a mile away, she can easily pounce on Rnd as long as they''re in the same room.

    But luckily, Ang seemed busy as she was met with tons of fans, groupies and cameras alike as she made her walk on the red carpet. She''d have to strike a pose and take a picture every three steps, and it would take her forever to reach the area where Rnd and Mina were.

    "That''s her, right?" Mina asked.

    "Yes." Rnd sighed. "Let''s try to keep our distance since I don''t need a harpy going after me right now¡ª"

    "No. I meant the little girl earlier. Look."

    She pointed at the direction of the crowds fawning over Ang MacBheata, and there she was. She was a little hard to spot because of her height, but sure enough, they also saw this ''Uncle Tao'' by her side.

    "Uncle, Uncle! It''s Ang MacBheatha! Oh my god¡­. She''s absolutely stunning as I expected! Her fashion sense is impable, truly divine!"

    Another man was by her side, probably Clementine from that long fiery orange hair.

    "Haha, calling something that''s of the material ne as divine would have counted as sphemy in the olden days, Sasha." He told her.

    "Bah! You won''t get mardy just for someone using divinity in a non-religious context, would you, Uncle Clem?"

    "I am a man of the cloth, after all." He chuckled. "Nah, I''m just messing with you. Do you want Uncle Tao to get you an autograph?"

    "Yes, please! Jesus Christ, that would be heavenly!"

    Mina watched them vigntly like a tiger, her eyebrows turning into sharp Vs. When she saw them moving, she moved towards them.

    Rnd ced a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you promised Harker not to get into trouble. We''re just spying at them, remember?"

    "I''m just making sure I don''t lose them." Mina pushed his hand away.

    Mina had moved too fast for Rnd to catch up in the crowd. Eventually, he was catching his breath as he had to sprint inside this room full of obstacles and sweaty bodies. He did find Mina, but she was too far away.

    She was just a row behind the two uncles and the little girl while they watched the runway exhibition by some of those waking ''high fashion'' artists.

    "Ah, seriously." Rnd grumbled. "She''s just as stubborn as¡ª"

    He felt a presence behind him, almost like someone breathing down his neck. He turned around, but there were too many people around to tell who it was.

    But he doesn''t think any of them was the one breathing over him like a creep, because he felt it once again.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Cut it out!" He yelled as he tried to turn quickly to catch this person.

    But he didn''t, and some of the people busy watching the show looked at him strangely. Rnd''s jaw clenched, and just as he was about to leave the area¡­..

    "Don''t turn around. Don''t try to see me."

    His eyes widened. Why is he here¡­..

    No. It wasn''t him. The voice was the same, the supposed height he should be was also the same, and his overall presence felt the same. But it wasn''t him.

    "Who are you?" Rnd snapped back between gritted teeth.

    "Does it matter? I''m not your enemy here. I was sent here to protect you. You can think of me as your guardian angel."

    He was whispering right next to his nape. Rnd tried to turn around again, but this impostor gripped his shoulders hard to keep him still.

    "Don''t turn around. Do you know this guy named Orpheus? That man who went to the underworld to see his beloved? All he needed to do was not to turn around, and yet he did. So he lost his beloved forever."

    Rnd''s temple veins pulsed. "I thought you were supposed to be my guardian angel, and yet you''re threatening me right now. Just like what you did this morning."

    The man chuckled. "Oh, whatever do you mean, Roly-poly? I gave you a flower this morning. How is that a threat?"

    Instead of entertaining his games, Rnd asked bluntly. "What do you want?"

    He could imagine this man wearing a shit-eating grin as he said: "I want what he wants. Whether it was something he was aware of himself or not. I''m his more honest self."

    "Honest?" Rnd scowled. "You pretended to be him to take advantage of Joanst night, and you''re honest?"

    "I''m not pretending. I am him, he is me. So you should be grateful. He''s bitten more than he can chew, so I''m chewing the rest for him. That way nobody gets left behind and feels lonely¡­."

    He gave Rnd a tight bear hug. "Do you feel lonely, Roly-poly~?"

    Rnd stiffened. "Don''t touch me. In fact, don''t go near any of us at all. You''ll get caught eventually, and thieves get their hands chopped off."

    "Thief?"

    "I can see through you. You''re trying to steal his women from him. I won''t let you do the same with Mina."

    He suddenly guffawed at this. "Hahaha! I have no interest in that blondie. I don''t go for my fellow replicas, I like ''em real and original."

    Rnd frowned, wanting to punch this guy in the face so bad. "What do you mean by that?"

    The impostor spoke in a low, almost secretive tone. "Oh, we both know what I mean. Even a little kid could see it. Only difference between me and her is that she actually has a backstory and a vendetta, but she''s just a clone like me either way. In his eyes, it was never ''her''. It''s¡ª"

    "Shut up!"

    He did get quiet for a while. Eventually, he unwrapped his hands around him, and Rnd breathed a sigh of relief.

    But then he was lifted off the ground and carried past the crowds!

    "Hey! What the fuck¡ª"

    "They''re on the move, and she''s going after them." The manughed as he ran like a maniac. "This is going to be so much fun!"

    They soon reached outside the g and onto what seemed to be a club for the afterparty. The niece was gone, and seemed to be sent out to take the bus back to her house. The only ones left were Tao and Clement, who passed through bodyguards by holding out a ticket.

    "Two tickets to Elysium." Clement presented it with a smile.

    The guard checked it, then let them in. Rnd felt himself being wrapped in ck, slimy things bringing him towards the vent¡­.

    And found himself inside Elysium, just like that.

 Chapter 167 You Are Not Permitted

    When they arrived, Mina was already in a 1 v 30 battle with everyone inside the room. She managed to get past the bodyguard with her extreme speed, and hide unnoticed. Upon seeing Tao and Clement, her eyes burned with rage and she went to attack them.

    Tao had quickly turned into that ck dog creature, a tiangou, while Clement just remained watching in the sidelines. He looked at the pile of bodies on the floor that had been shed by this mermaid''s sharp ws.

    "I was expecting to see you here, sister. You took longer than I expected, though." Clement said.

    Mina growled. "I''m here to break all of your pet''s bones and tear those pesky wings off."

    And she didn''t even allow them to answer back. She went on shing, and she seemed to be stronger and faster than before. Rnd had never seen Mina in action like this. He had heard stories from Harker and the bodyguards, and once he had taken Mina to the dojo with Alejandro to train karate with him.

    But this was something else. This was the true power of the jiaoren , their unrivaled speed and ruthlessness.

    Tao went to pounce on her, the impact breaking the floor and producing a gaping hole. But Mina managed to duck, and twist herself to deliver a punch on the dog''s face.

    He mmed into a wall, his jaw bleeding. But he easily got back up, and tried to pounce on her again. ws against ws, speed against speed, savage beast against savage beast. They were equals this time, and it seemed that it was only the element of surprise that got Minast time¡­.

    When Tao''s leash suddenly glowed and he grew in size!

    He almost filled the whole room, his giant maw reaching out to bite Mina''s head off. The injured An Xin members also felt a surge of strength, and their wounds started to heal a bit faster.

    Rnd turned to the side, and saw that Clement''s wings bursted out of his back.

    "As much as I am impressed by your perseverance, sister, I muste and protect my brethren. It really is a pity that mankind had us monsters pitted against each other like this." He sighed, and then¡­..

    He breathed in, andrge amounts of air came into his mouth. But this only seemed to affect Mina. None of the other monsters were affected by theck of oxygen, while Mina had to clutch her chest and gasp for air that was being stolen from her by this angel-like creature.

    Clement continued to steal more air from her, and Mina''s face was growing increasingly pale. Meanwhile, Tao was also recovering and slowly approaching to bite her and churn her flesh with hisrge, sharp teeth.

    Rnd panicked and elbowed Harker 2.0. "Do something! Weren''t you sent here to protect us!?"

    "She''s not in real danger yet. She could easily move outside of that angel''s range and get out of here before they could follow." The clone answeredcklusterly. "You''re the one who''s in real danger here."

    He was right. The other monsters had noticed the presence of unfamiliar guests and were now going after them.

    Rnd saw back worms suddenly grow from his chest. No, he realized it was dissolving from his chest. Harker 2.0 reached out for his ax, and shed his pearly whites at the An Xin members.

    "What''s up, party people!!!! Who wants to be sliced in half tonight!?" He yelled like a nutjob¡ª

    And quickly began shing. Mina was ruthless, but that wasn''t the right term to describe the clone. The clone was manic, his movements had no thought ced into it or any strategy. While Mina has an aim, his aim was simply everywhere.

    He swung around the ax while spinning fast like a murderous ballerina. It sliced a couple of An Xin members in half at one point, but also easily got stuck on the wall.

    But that didn''t stop Harker 2.0, who justughed it off as if it was a funny joke, and yanked the ax out again.

    During the split-second that he wasn''t attacking andpletely vulnerable, an An Xin goon had turned its hand like a crab''s pincers and tried to slice his neck.

    And he did slice it. But the decapitated head was just grinning as it fell to the ground. There was no blood, only a bunch of ck worms swarming where the cut had been.

    "Over here, Mr. Crabs." He called out from below the crab demon¡­.

    And bite hard on his leg!

    The crab demon howled and went to reach out for the head, ignoring the body which had already pulled out the ax. That was thest mistake he would ever make in his life, as the ax had sliced him from head to the crotch.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Harker 2.0''s body picked up his body, and he turned to Rnd to give him a thumbs up.

    "Feel protected enough, Roly-poly?" He continued to battle against the whole lot of them while mocking his progenitor''s friend.

    But Rnd was focused on Mina''s demise. She wasn''t moving to avoid Clement at all. She was crawling towards him, even though her face was turning purple now from asphyxiation.

    Mina then reached onto Clement''s feet, opening her mouth but unable to use her voice.

    Clement gave Tao a look, who seemed to be telling him with his eyes that he''s at the ready in case Mina tries anything. So he stopped stealing air from her, and let her breathe for a while to speak.

    "What is it, sister?" He asked in a polite tone that came out as patronizing.

    Mina coughed about, wheezing and gasping loudly. Thest time she felt something like this was because of the man who tormented her kingdom for pearls. She was a mermaid with gills back then, unable to breathe onnd because of weak lungs.

    Now she was a human with lungs, yet unable to breathe all the same. Her enemies sure loved using this technique against her.

    Rnd wanted to approach her. But knew it would be a bad decision with the giant dog standing guard and the angel who could also make him choke without evenying a finger on him. Mina still hasn''t noticed that he was here, especially not along with Harker''s clone.

    Because of the things this clone had said earlier, he also felt reluctant to make Harker 2.0''s presence known to Mina as it would only make thingsplicated.

    "I just want to say something¡­.. I''ve been meaning to tell¡­. My parents'' murderer for a long time¡­." She rasped, and took a deep breath.

    Clement kneeled beside her. "I am not the one who killed your parents, sister. But I shall indulge you in these final moments. Consider it your confession."

    "I¡­.. want you all¡­.. to die without even seeding your purpose. Because my parents'' purpose was to protect the kingdom, and even when they perished, they had achieved that purpose."

    Mina smiled. "I hope you never achieve yours and die with regret."

    She then opened her mouth and screamed so loud that it broke the eardrums of every single person in this room. And she didn''t stop for a long time.

    Eventually the sound waves were enough to shake the ground and produce an earthquake.

    Debris fell on top of therge dog Tao, crushing him.

    "No!" Clement yelled, and flew to tear it away from him.

    Tao had turned back into human form, and he lifted him out as not just the whole room, but the entirety of London itself experienced a magnitude 8.0 earthquake.

    Harker 2.0 had moved fast and abandoned his ax, covering Rnd''s ears and dragging him away from danger. Mina had copsed from exhaustion and he also picked her up and got out of there.

    This earthquake onlysted for a minute or so. But it had already toppled a lot of buildings in the great city, and sent damage unto everyone. None of the An Xin members besides Tao and Clement could have survived that, and even with Tao, it''s doubtful he survived that much damage.

    Rnd couldn''t hear anything. He was bleeding on all orifices, and suddenly felt worms entering them.

    "No¡­. No¡­. Don''t..." He tried to argue, but it was toote.

    The worms had reached in to patch up the damage, and give him a little bit of qi to cure him. In exchange¡­.

    It now sessfully entered his body without permission.

 Chapter 168 To Steal Happiness For Your Own

    After a while, the worms did leave and reformed into Harker 2.0.

    Rnd wasn''t bleeding anymore, and he could hear clearly again. He saw that they were sitting on the ground, near a ruined store next to a gasoline station.

    But instead of being thankful, he felt disgusted more than he ever did in his life.

    "What''s wrong with you!?" He yelled, still feeling squeamish as he felt the lingering sensation of those thousand crawlies inside him.

    Harker 2.0 grinned. "You''re wee. And I just took a little peek, don''t be so dramatic."

    Rnd red at him, looking just as intimidating as Mina himself.

    "What did you peek into?"

    "Oh, just some parts of your brain. I don''t know what memory I''m really searching for, but I''m just fine with anything at random." He started to grin wide. "But boy, I found a really good one."

    He smiled. "Back in high school, there was a tradition for boys topare how many letters, gifts and choctes they received. Sure, it wasn''t as much as what the girls receive. But that just makes it all the more special for them when a guy gets at least 5 love letters or a box of choctes."

    "The one who gets to have the most is crowned the Valentine King. Harker had always joked about what it would be like to win for fun. And in hisst year, he did."

    He leaned closer with a grin and Rnd pushed him back. He just sneered and spoke in a hushed voice as if gossiping in secret.

    "He won by andslide, having tons of letters and choctes from different women of every ss fill up his locker. It flooded out the moment he opened it. You can imagine how surprised he was by how much people have affection for him, as he considered himself a low-key guy that not many would really notice back then. When he was still a nerd and didn''t get into his delinquent act."

    Rnd stiffened as Harker 2.0 took his hands from his shoulder and pressed it between his own tightly.

    "And all along, it was you who made it possible! The Valentine Kingmaker. Paying hundreds of women just to write him letters and gifts and choctes that you brought yourself. Ain''t you a real bro, Mr. Faust?"

    Rnd gritted his teeth. "That was a long time ago.And I just wanted Harker to feel special on Valentine''s day. Because he felt that he would never experience receiving something during the day that corporations use to manipte people into increasing their sales bymodifying ''love''."

    "Ah, such maniptive corporations." Harker 2.0 clicked his tongue. "But isn''t lying to your best friend by making him believe he was special also a form of maniption?"

    "It''s a white lie." Rnd insisted.

    "Oh, yes. White lies. The good type of lies." The clone wiped the bloodstain that fell from Rnd''s eyes when they bled. "I wonder how many more white lies had you been telling your friend, Mr. Faust."

    Rnd did not respond. Instead, he took something from his pocket.

    It was a lighter, and he shed the me over Harker 2.0''s neck like a knife.

    "Tell me what else you saw so I might not burn you."

    Harker 2.0 visibly sweated from the me. "N-No! Please¡­. Not the fire...¡­"

    Then, he took the lighter and pinned Rnd down!

    Heughed for a good while, holding his head back as the man below him struggled. "Hahahaha! Did you really think I would be scared by a little fire like that? It''s so adorable, I don''t even know how someone he thought to be so smart could be so silly like that¡ª"

    It turned out that some of the gasoline that had tumbled down from the earthquake had spilled onto the store. It was flowing towards their direction, and once the lighter was thrown¡­.

    It ignited into arge explosion. Harker 2.0 had to move fast and lift the two bodies he was sent to protect again, and moved further away from the zing store.

    Once he had ced Rnd and the unconscious Mina back down. He wore a slight look of annoyance.

    "Alright then. I''d admit, that got me." He scowled. "But don''t let it get into your head. You just got lucky that wended near a gasoline station."

    Rnd smirked. "Look who''s being silly right now. How adorable."

    Harker 2.0 raised an eyebrow, and his scowl slowly turned into a smile.

    "I''ll tell you a secret too, as a fair trade. Whenever Harker and I merge again, he regains the memory that I carry. Which means he knows what I have been doing, and will know what happened right now."

    Rnd''s eyes widened, and grabbed him by the cor.

    "If you tell him anything, I will¡ª"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "What? You can''t hurt me, Roly-poly." The clone retorted.

    Rnd lets go, and stood up. Then¡­

    He walked into the direction of the fire. "I can''t hurt you, but I can hurt myself. Mr. Protector."

    Harker 2.0''s eyes widened, and tried to grab him. "Hey now, no need to be so drastic! You didn''t even let me finish! Didn''t you realize that if Harker learned my memoriesst night, he should have known how I pped that fat ass!?"

    Rnd grimaced at the ufortable memory. He tried to wave it off and asked:

    "How then? Because if he did know, he would have burned you himself."

    He crossed his arms. "You can''t possibly be a part of him. There''s no way, you must be a part of Legion instead that got into him once he ate him."

    "God, why is everyone always in denial here!?" Harker 2.0 rubbed his face. "Go on then. Neither of you are idiots, and yet you all just love to lie to yourselves. So go on and lie to yourself just like how you constantly lie to him. But I''m not here to school you, I''m here to make a proposal."

    "What proposal?" Rnd remained skeptical, ready to bolt towards the fire in case he pulled off something like that body-entering again.

    "The reason why he doesn''t remember is because I could choose to do this."

    Harker 2.0 went to close his eyes¡­.

    And soon, several small ck worms went out of his pores. He then opened his eyes, and grinned.

    "Isn''t that impressive?"

    Rnd scowled, about to ask what''s so impressive with letting some parts of him go as he witnessed it already¡­..

    But then his eyes widened in realization.

    "Those¡­.. Those are cells that hold memories, right?"

    "Of course not. Cells in general don''t really hold actual memories inside their tiny bodies." He said.

    "But let''s just say that my little friends are different. I am made up of things that can''t make sense scientifically. Even if I am made by science. So the worms can hold memories, or even parts of consciousness and bodily function."

    He let one pop out, and suddenly his legs copsed like a deted balloon. "See? It doesn''t have to make sense to any logic at all. Only the power of control, of deciding what I am and what are parts of me."

    "I know how to control myself, while Harker is still learning. If he was even half-decent, he would have been able to stop me by now and realize what I was doing. But no, that moron had too much of himself to be able to control it. I''m just a fragment, a slice of the pie, so I have less to control."

    Rnd found this unnerving, how this clone has so much power over his own form and yet chooses to y games.

    It wasn''t necessarily a bad thing, since at least he didn''t use it for world domination or other more nefarious reasons. But his mischievous ways weren''t good either.

    Harker 2.0 finally revealed his purpose of telling him this:

    "Once Harker and I merge again, I can ess his memories too. And I could delete them as long as he''s distracted enough. Anything you want¡­."

    He pointed at the sleeping mermaid: "Even his memories of meeting Mina and falling for Joan, of bing a demon lord and any of this happening. Then I could kill these girls for you. In exchange, I get to stay in his body and leave whenever I want, not bothering the two of you as you live your normal lives. How''s that sound?"

    Rnd was aghast by this offer. "Why would I even want that?"

    Harker 2.0 just chuckled and said in a sing-song voice: "You tell me. You can lie all you want, but the truth is clear as day. Rnd Faust, you are¡ª"

    "No."

    Rnd picked Mina up, and headed for the direction of their hotel they were supposed to meet up on till morning. "He decides whether you stay or not after everything you''ve done. But if I were you, I''d get out of here as soon as I can before he finds you and turns you to ashes as you deserve."

    He turned, his face determined.

    "No matter how miserable I be, I''ll never steal his happiness from him just so I can have my own."

 Chapter 169 No Use For Pity

    The original Harker was currently passing through the seemingly never-ending hallways under the Clink Prison Museum.

    "It''s like a maze here." He whispered softly. "I don''t sense any signs of life within 50 meters yet, and we''ve been walking for so long. Victoria and her people hid pretty well."

    However, though he couldn''t sense ''life'' itself, he can sense movements. He knew it must be the zombies from the SS cells. They were made of organic matter, but they very much weren''t alive. This made Harker realize¡­.

    That his clone was also technically not ''alive''.

    What cruel existence would be, to be moving and breathing but not alive.

    His clone would be nothing but an empty shell. Not different from robots that just had gained sentience, yet could never be quite human.

    But then again, he wasn''t human himself. There was no reason to feel pity, as pity in itself was also a form of superiority. You pity someone because you believe you were more advantaged than them.

    Harker hade to terms with his abnormality and being inhuman, as well as what he must do in this world. The only thing left was seeking truth.

    That was the reason why he still wanted to seek the Shards. To learn the full truth. After that, he will decide what happens right after. Whether he will still ask to be human again¡­.

    Or ask for something else. Something that''s not just for himself, but for the sake of the people he cared about as well.

    Harker was always contemting, but he was also multitasking by fighting zombies at the same time. The first one appeared inside one of the many jail cells, reaching out to Joan''s leg and trying to take a bite.

    Harker moved quickly and shed its hand too fast for the eyes to see. It may be dark, but he had the night vision not just from being a Snake Demon but also a Wendigo this time. He could control his transformation now, only turning his limbs into the long, grayish wed arms of the cannibalistic beast.

    The zombie''s mutted hand moved on its own to reach out for his face. Harker opened his mouth wide to eat it. Soon, more zombies appear from the jail cells overhead.

    But they were different from the first one. They seemed to be biding their time, not moving from impulse and watching Harker battle the first few ones before attacking for themselves.

    And the longer they watched, the more they studied his actions and improved their fighting skills. The 5th zombie that Harker fought was more strategic than the 4th, learning to mutte itself by will in order to avoid his attacks.

    First, when Harker aimed to sh at its chest, it separated itself by the waist. The upper half clung onto the bars while the lower half distracted Harker so that the upper half could attack Joan. But Harker could easily notice it from his superior senses, and used the small methrower that was given to him.

    They had developed one that was as small as a pistol, but only works if you ce a me over it. That''s why the lighter was important. Harker had burned the zombie''s upper half before it could flung itself over Joan. And the fire had given them better vision in this dark underground dungeon which now became a battlefield.

    The 6th zombie was even smarter. It knew what fire could do, and so it grabbed one of the zombies and shoved it to Harker. It then kicked them, trying to set both of them on fire where the burning 5th zombie was.

    But Harker was faster than them and could do the same tricks as them, but better. He separated himself vertically and avoided the fire, letting only the decoy zombie to burn.

    He then aimed his pistol methrower and burned the 6th zombie. He caught his breath a little and turned to Joan.

    "I know they can''t kill you, but step back. They get trickier and trickier the more this fight goes on."

    All the zombies in the area had seemed to escape from their cages. They seemed to have been ced there precisely as the Victoria''s defense while they possibly made their escape.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Harker saw dozens on every corner. He knew what he must do, but it won''t be easy.

    Concentration was the key to Legion''s skill. He needed to learn how to divide his attention. The more replicas he made of himself, the more difficult it would be to manage all of them. He knew this meant he would have to sacrifice his awareness of what''s happening to Harker 2.0, but it was necessary not for his survival¡­.

    But for them to catch Victoria on time.

    "Let''s do this." He said, as several copies of him appeared all at once.

    Joan''s eyes widened at this. About a dozen Harkers had appeared to fight off hundreds of zombies attacking them strategically like an army. She had seen the wendigo replicaing out of him to attack the bodyguard before¡­.

    But this was different. These were exact copies of Harker''s appearance as a ''human''.

    They had the same fighting style and skill as him. The Harkers had managed to destroy tens of the zombies at a time, even when they needed to share just one methrower. They used their hair tosso a lot of them and shove them into the fire, some transformed to wendigos to easily pick them up, and some divided themselves even more for their advantage.

    If Harker was capable of doing this kind of Duplication¡­.

    It dawned upon Joan why he was acting so strange that night. Because it made no sense for him to say all those things and do those things to her then move onto another girl. Harker was not heartless like that.

    He may be a monster now, but he still has humanity left in him. So could it be¡­.

    Her thoughts were interrupted when the ground suddenly shook. There seemed to be an earthquake, and it was a very strong one.

    The original Harker turned to Joan. "We need to get out of here! Take my hand!"

    He held out his hand, and Joan hesitated a bit because she feared this might be one of his clones pretending to be him. But she saw something in his eyes, and knew he was the one.

    She took his hand, and Harker pulled her close to carry her out of there. But not towards the entrance. Harker sped up and ran to find the other exit to this underground dungeon, the escape route for Victoria and her crew.

    He let his replicas continue the fight and they managed to breeze through all that chaos just fine. The earthquake ended pretty quickly. They saw a new staircase¡­.

    And it led them to the Port of London. There, they saw a single ship about to depart as a group of people inb gowns rushed to board it at thest minute.

    Harker yelled. "Victoria! You can''t run this time!"

    Joan felt like she was struck by lightning as someone with a tight bun and round spectacles looked back from the deck of the ship.

    "Mr. Jones¡­.. And you." Victoria looked at her in disdain. "Of course it had to be you, Jo."

    Joan thought she would also feel disdain upon seeing her adoptive sister again but¡­..

    All she felt was pity.

 Chapter 170 Towards The Cold And Cruel

    "Vicky! Let''s talk this out!" Joan yelled as they rushed to catch up to the ship before they had fully pulled up the anchor.

    "Talk what out? This wasn''t supposed to concern you, but I know everything. Your man wants me dead, Jo." She said inly.

    Joan''s face paled in disbelief. "That''s not true! Harker was only here to¡ª"

    But she was so focused on her sister that she didn''t notice what Harker was doing. He had turned himself into a giant Sasquatch, and went to reach out to the passengers of the ship.

    "Ahhh!" They screamed as his hands held the ship still.

    Harker had turned into a smaller version of the Sasquatch they encountered before, possibly only at 20 feet instead of 50. But that was big enough to scare the scientists and other crew escaping through the ship called.....

    The Arctic Seer.

    When Harker saw the name, hisrge meaty fingers slipped a little. But it did not take long before he gripped it tighter again, forming dents into the ship''s hull.

    "Why!? Why did you choose that name!?" He said, his voice gruff as the Sasquatch.

    Victoria seemed to be the only one unperturbed out of all of them. After all, she must be immortal like her sister to be able to live this long. A living dead out of science.

    "You do look like him. The resemnce is uncanny, that was why I was so shocked when we first met." Victoria said. "I never liked him, you know. I find his kind repulsive, always acting without using their heads and calling themselves ''risk takers'' for it. Daredevils. I''d rather call them mindless dogs."

    Harker growled and snapped back. "Well even mindless dogs can bite and maul you to death!"

    He opened his mouth and a bunch of ck worms appeared. The other members of Victoria''s crew ran for their lives, but their leader stood their ground. The ck worms weren''t going after anyone else but her anyway. They enveloped her, and then¡­..

    Victoria dissolved into a thousand ck worms herself.

    "No! How could you kill her, you promised to let me talk to her first!" Joan eximed, but then another Harker appeared to stop her from moving closer.

    This Harker told her. "I didn''t do that! That wasn''t me, she''s also¡ª"

    Soon, a bunch of the scientists erupted into a bunch of ck worms as well. These worms joined together and they molded together into one giant fist¡ª

    Which then punched Sasquatch Harker in the face, knocking him away.

    Sasquatch Harker was bleeding, but this was no major problem for him. He turned into a ck worm again and summoned all the other Harkers that were fighting the zombies underground. They had killed off everything anyway.

    Dozens of Harkers filled the harbor, all looking at the giant ck worm fist with unrivaled fury.

    The giant fists then turned into two shapes. They were giant women in pure white, as if made by snow. Their gleaming eyes were the color of ciers. They picked up the anchors¡­..

    And pushed the ship far, far away. Inside the ship was Victoria again, who materialized from a bunch of ck worms with a satisfied smile on her face.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The two giantess spoke at the same time with her voice:

    "End of the line, Mr. Jones. I do apologize about your mother, but this is where I draw the line. I have a duty to fulfill for the sake of mankind. And no one could stop me from gaining that honor I deserve when they see how I saved them all. I''ll sacrifice everything. Will you be able to do that just for petty revenge?"

    Harker gritted his teeth. "This ain''t about revenge no more! I need to know what this ''duty to mankind'' you''re talkin'' about, coz you sure as hell sound like someone with a Messiahplex to me! If you''re up to no good, it''s up to me to stop it!"

    The Harker clones had a fierce battle with the giantesses. But they were more powerful than anyone would have expected. Some of the Harkers tried to run to the sea and go after the ship, but they still managed to stop it with theirrge limbs.

    There was no doubt about it. Victoria had managed to turn herself into something like Legion.

    Or perhaps she had always been a part of Legion. She had fed herself to the ck worms to be one of them, and had gained control that had far exceeded Harker''s.

    She could manipte her form so well. Even turning her whole body smaller just to erge parts of it like her fist, which punched the Harkers a few hundred meters back to keep them away from the port.

    But Harker remained persistent. He used the methrower to burn her up¡ª-

    But the women just took a deep breath to blow the fire away, like blowing a candle.

    Not only was the surge of air from their mouths powerful, but it was also very cold. The Harkers soon realized that their breaths caused some of them to freeze. They broke through this easily, but the ice giantesses continued to blow cold air to them.

    Joan was out of the range, and knew what she needed to do. She picked up the methrower that had been blown away by these two monsters, and aimed it at the direction of these two while they''re busy fighting with the many Harkers.

    She hesitated a little, remembering how these giants were parts of her sister. But then she remembered that the replicas have their own individuality, acting like their own persons. Besides¡­..

    It''s Harker or them. The man she loves or the sister that scorns her.

    Joan closed her eyes as she pulled the trigger. Explosive chemicals sprayed and came in contact with the me of the lighter. It shot one of the giantesses'' feet, and spread from there, catching fire easily.

    They looked down at her, but not in anger as she expected. It simply looked at her nkly, as if it had expected this. Yet in their cier eyes¡­..

    There was a hint of another, much different emotion from anger or scorn.

    It was a look of betrayal. More hurt than angered, a look that showed utter disappointment.

    "So until now, we''d always have to ruin each other for the sake of men, eh? After everything I did for you, Jo." That was all the Ice Giants said¡­.

    As theybust into mes. By the time it was over, dawn was approaching.

    And yet Joan felt like she had just entered a new, cold and cruel night.

 Chapter 171 A Mutual Understanding

    When Mina woke up, she wasn''t expecting to be waking up right next to Rnd in another fancy hotel. This time, the decor had straight lines instead of curves and was very rigid. No floral decors, only perfectly straight lines and ck and white tiles.

    She jolted when she saw him right next to her. But Rnd didn''t see it, as he was sitting on the side of the bed facing the windows outside. He seemed to be staring directly at the perpendicr lines that formed the window bars.

    One horizontal line, one vertical line. A cross.

    But Mina realized that he was also looking at the stars outside of it. It was dawn, so some of them should have remained.

    It was the Venus that they could see from the window. The Morning Star, as people call it.

    He seemed to have noticed Mina staring at him. People could feel when they were being watched, a phenomenon called scopaesthesia or the ''psychic staring effect''. Rnd turned and when he looked at her, Mina didn''t know why¡­.

    But she thought that Rnd looked like he was crying. And yet there was no sign of it.

    His eyes weren''t puffy, his face wasn''t red. He wasn''t sniffling or making any movements to show that he had recently been in tears. But Mina was still sure of it, deep in her heart.

    "Oh, don''t worry. I just brought you here because you passed out after that scream. I was on the same bed to guard you, I didn''t try anything." Rnd chuckled lightly. "I wouldn''t be able to stomach it anyway since you really look too much like m¡­. like a rtive to me."

    "I know. I just thought that you were.... I''m still a little out of it, I guess." Mina held her head, trying to rack her brain for what happened earlier.

    She and Rnd went to the Fashion Week g, then she followed Tao and Clement when she saw them moving, and entered this club. Elysium, she thinks. She fought with the people there, then she fought Tao and Clement, and then¡­.

    Did Rnd help her out? She vaguely remembers someone else fighting the other monsters for her. Just wild dark shapes¡­..

    "Is Harker not here yet?" Mina said. "Did you call him to go here?"

    "I did. I sent a message on a directmunicator that doesn''t need to use radio waves. As long as he was within the vicinity of London, it would reach him even under ground or somewhere with no signal coverage." Rnd said, showing the device. "He said he and Joan would be here."

    "He and Joan¡­.." Mina mumbled.

    Rnd furrowed his brows. He seemed to consider well what to say next, and eventually said:

    "Mina¡­ I''m not in the position to tell you what you should do about your rtionship. You''re Harker''s girlfriend. He knows that, everybody knows that. But can you let me say something first? Not as an advice just¡­. Just something that I felt like I needed to get off my chest."

    Mina had a sort of feeling that she couldn''t exin when he said those words. Like she knew what he was going to say, and it would be something genuine and evocative. Which scares her, because it was like she''d let herself be influenced.

    But that''s also wrong. It''s not influence, it''s wisdom. A realization that would change everything, that''s why she''s so scared to hear it.

    In the end, Mina had steeled herself to go and nod.

    "I understand how you feel, wanting to be the only person that matters to the one you love. To your whole world¡ª no, your whole universe." Rnd spoke softly to reassure her. "You want to be their only favorite person forever. It''s much worse when it''s romantic love, because it always is the mostplicated one out of all types of love."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "But in the end, your favorite person will receive love from other people, no matter what. Not just romantice, but from friends, family¡­.. everyone. It would feel like everyone in this world was trying to steal him from you, but that''s not true. They are giving more to him. Giving him more happiness."

    He ced a hand on Mina''s shoulder. "And it would make him miserable if people try to fight over who gets to give him happiness. He''s suffering too. I know it, I could feel it. What I''m trying to say is¡­."

    "When you love someone, if you truly care about them and not just the happiness you feel when being with them¡­. Then you would have to learn how to share them with everything else that gives them happiness."

    Mina lowered her eyes at this, and sighed.

    "I know that. I¡­.. I will talk to him and Joan. I don''t want Harker to suffer, I''m just scared to be left behind¡­." Her eyes be glossy, but she tried her best to fight off the tears. "I don''t want to get left behind¡­."

    Rnd nodded. "It hurts when that happens, I know. It happened so much to me that I got used to it. But he won''t leave you behind, not in this lifetime. I''m sure of it."

    Mina gave him a hug. "Thank you¡­. I really needed to hear that."

    Rnd returned the hug, patting her a bit. "Thanks for listening."

    As they pulled away, Mina then whispered softly, full of genuine sympathy.

    "Thank you¡­. and I''m so sorry¡­"

    Rnd''s eyes widened at this, then he only wore that same strained face that made Mina think he was crying. He was just not showing it.

    "Well¡­.. Let''s go check on the lobby if they arrived."

    Soon, Harker and Joan did came to the hotel. But Harker was limping, and his skin had patches of first degree burns. Yet even though he had burns, he was very cold and shivering. Rnd and Mina soon realized these burns were windburns, not regr burns from the fire.

    Since they know Harker could have easily healed these, the damage from the winds must be so bad. A wind as strong as that would have been deadly and enough to blow someone''s flesh off them.

    The people at the lobby looked a little rmed, but they thought he was simply a victim of the earthquake or something rting to that.

    Mina rushed to him and touched his freezing face. "Oh, Harker¡­. What happened to you?"

    Joan surprisingly spoke up. "It''s Victoria. We saw her, and she¡­ she got away."

    Mina turned to her, and Joan was expecting to see that murderous re again from seeing her with her boyfriend hurt. But instead¡­..

    There was a look of a mutual understanding. As if she understood that it must be hard for Joan to see Harker hurting too.

    "Let''s get inside and get him warmed up. Then¡­. Then we''ll talk about everything."

 Chapter 172 About The Misery Of Falling

    After the fight, Harker had merged with everything else. He had to or else he wouldn''t be able to survive the injuries he sustained from fighting the Ice Giantesses.

    He had noticed it mildly when he created Harker 2.0, but it was clearer to him now that the more clones he created, the more he ''stretched himself thin''. Every version became more watered down than the one before it, and the less control he had for all of them.

    He was so focused on juggling the ones at the Port of London that he couldn''t sense Harker 2.0''s actions while fighting. But now¡­.

    He couldn''t sense him at all. This along with the injuries he received had thrown Harker for a loop.

    "Where is he¡­.. Where is he¡­." He was mumbling as Joan brought him to the hotel.

    "Where is who?" She asked. but he didn''t answer.

    When they brought him into the room, it took a while before they got his temperature back to normal again. They ced Harker in the bathtub and filled it with hot water. Mina worked hard to wash the dirt and the dried blood off him, while Joan and Rnd prepared some hot soup and tea in the kitchen.

    They all worked in tandem to care for him, and Harker couldn''t help but feel a little overwhelmed with it all. Here he was thinking that after all the power he received, he would be the one to serve all of them.

    And yet in the end, it was him who was being cared for more than the other way around.

    Harker wished he could do more than them, as it had always been that way. His fear of being indebted to people. Not really fear, but more of the difort he felt whenever everyone does him a favor.

    But at this moment, it didn''t feel ufortable. It felt overwhelming, but it was¡­. nice.

    It made him feel warm already, knowing how lucky he was to have people who care about him this way. Not everyone was fortunate, and he knew that so he was grateful.

    Harker then sensed him, as he basked in this feeling of serenity and gratefulness in the tub. The others were speaking, but he couldn''t respond yet.

    Joan fed him the soup, and Harker was so focused on Harker 2.0''s activity that he wasn''t even surprised that Mina just let Joan feed him in front of her. The clone went inside a pub and was currently drinking there.

    He was talking to a woman, and it sounded like they were flirting. They giggled and talked about the earthquakest night, some small talk about the weather, and the beer they''ve been drinking so early in the morning.

    The woman said: "Thanks for the drink. I get a lot of shite from my folks for my preference to drink in the wee hours, but they just don''t get it. Watching the sunrise while intoxicated is the best way to experience it, especially if you know you''re about to have a dreadful morning."

    Harker 2.0 snickered. "A toast to a dreadful morning then, Mildred."

    They clinked their sses, and took a sip. After Mildred set down herrge mug, she giggled while slurring her words.

    "It''s silly. I forgot I haven''t even asked your name. We''ve been talking and talking and yet I''m so bevvied that I forgot about the most important thing when talking to hot strangers."

    The clone took a while to answer, before he responded with.

    "It''s Hanker. But you can call me Hank."

    "Hanker? I know that word, somethin'' I read for our creative writing ss. What was it again¡­. to yearn?" Mildread asked.

    "Yeah. A strong desire to do something." Hanker, as he called himself, sipped his drink.

    "Your parents must wish for you to be an ambitious man, then. So did you grow up true to your name?"

    Hanker chuckled. "Oh, I did. I grew up with a lot of desires¡­.. Most of which were not my own."

    Harker could feel a tightening on his chest, and realized it wasn''t his. It was Hanker''s.

    Mildred just observed him for a while, before addressing it. "Alright, Hank. Spill it. I''ve noticed the long face ever since you got through that door."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He shrugged. "Just something a bastard said that''s been bothering me. It felt stupid to be bothered by it, after all, he''s just a delusional motherfucking fa¡ª"

    Hanker then sighed, and smiled a little to himself. "Truth be told, I envy the little ''shite''. You know how some people are just so darn passionate over something that you can''t help but wish you could be like that too? They know their purpose, they stick to it no matter what, and even when they were tempted they still don''t take the fucking fruit?"

    Mildred nodded. "I guess I could understand that. Lots of people in my ss are like that, while I barely even started writing and I already feel like throwing myself to a bridge. Writing is one of the most dreadful upations in the world. Everyone thinks it''s just putting words on paper but¡­. Hah."

    "''It''s like a rtionship'', I often tell them. Sometimes the writing is like a good lover, very pleasant. The creativity just flows perfectly and all the synergy makes you feel grateful to be alive, to be able to create something. But often it''s like those shitty rtionships where you love him and you give and give¡­ EVERYTHING. But it''s still not enough."

    She shook her head. "I''m not making sense. I just need another drink."

    Hanker didn''t say anything for a while, then said. "I''ve never had that."

    She raised an eyebrow. "You serious? You never been in a rtionship? Get out of here."

    "Yeah, I''m serious." He said. "And I''ve never felt that¡­.. thing. Giving your everything. Sounds awful, yet why do I still¡­."

    He stopped himself, and instead called the waiter. "Another round for us, please."

    Harker doesn''t know where he even got the money. But that''s not the important part. What he really wanted to know was when it began.

    When did Hanker start to separate from him, and form his own identity?

    As if answering him, Hanker suddenly said. "Ask him. It''s all his fault."

    Mildred looked up with a raised eyebrow, but Hanker didn''t exin himself. Instead, he stood up and left a wallet.

    Harker knew whose wallet that was.

    "It''s been nice talking to you. Too bad I''m not really in the mood for anything further, Mildred."

    She just shrugged. "Thepany''s better and more appreciated anyway. Thank you, Hank. Have a good one."

    Hanker stumbled through the streets, drunk beyond his wits when he could simply just take the insobriety away. He passed by a fire truck that seemed to have just put out a fire on a gasoline station and a convenience store, and scoffed.

    He then went towards a bridge, and sang to himself as he went.

    "London bridge is falling down¡­. Falling down¡­. Falling down¡­."

    He then turned to face the water below, gazing at his own reflection. But Harker knew he was actually looking at him, facing him directly.

    "You''re lucky, you know? You have it all. The girls, the family..... Him."

    Hanker held his breath, while this man who was no longer just a copy of him smiled.

    "Tell him that I said hi, and if he would rather stay miserable then¡­. Well, misery lovespany, and maybe he''d like mypany when we see each other again. If I ever get to. Hah, I don''t even know if I have a soul."

    He spread his arms wide, the same pose as he did when he slept. Then¡­.

    He fell.

 Chapter 173 Threes A Crowd

    Harker snapped out of it when he heard his voice.

    "Hey, Harker. You need to drink your tea." Rnd said. "Can you hold it yourself?"

    He only realized now that he had finished the soup. Rnd was at the door, while Mina and Joan were by his side. Mina was holding the tea cup that Rnd had prepared. They had been calling out to him, but he only snapped out of it when he heard his best friend''s voice.

    "Oh¡­." He robotically took the cup and sipped it.

    "Joan told us everything, if you weren''t listening." He said. "I''ll send my men right away to go after the Arctic Seer. They couldn''t have gone that far yet, rtively speaking. They''re probably still in the Arctic Ocean, that''s what I''m sure of."

    The tea tasted bitter. He had always made fun of Rnd for liking bitter and nd things. He doesn''t even add sugar or sweeteners to his coffee or spices in his food, and only eats sweets very rarely.

    He had an old man''s palette, Harker would say.

    But now he felt bad doing so. He thought that this could be because of his health condition, or that Rnd needed to maintain that perfect figure so he was severely health conscious. Either way, he always held back on not just the luxuries of good food, but luxuries of life in general.

    He won''t say no to any meal served to him, and would be amicable to everyone. He barely even expressed what he felt about something unless certain limits had been reached. He did everything to excel, and besides the video games and women, Harker had never really seen him pursue anything like a hobby or passion.

    And people admired him for that. Living a dull, miserable life. He was set on the goal, and kept his focus there.

    Rnd contacted Alejandro and the others for this new mission of going after Victoria''s ship. After that, he then excused himself. "I''ll get going, you two make sure he recovers first before he even leaves this room."

    Harker sat up. "No, wait! Don''t go!"

    He needed to ask him about Hanker. He knew that he was the one that clone was talking about, but he has no clue what exactly happened that led to these events. Hanker was gone.

    So too were the memories he carried that may bring light to this mystery.

    Rnd turned back and sighed. The girls were also confused by this sudden outburst from Harker.

    "What is it, Hark?" He said softly, but¡­.

    He looked a little hesitant to move closer to him.

    Harker suddenly felt that this conversation needed to be private. So he said: "I¡­. I need to talk to youter. When will you get back?"

    "When we find Victoria''s location, I guess. I''d keep you updated with themunicator. But for now, you stay here with the girls for the whole day. You need to rest and fully recover before you try going after her again, since she seemed to have the same powers as Legion after all and had more control over it."

    "Ok..." Harker said, and yet he still felt hesitant to let him go.

    Rnd furrowed his brows ever so slightly, then went on his way. Mina and Joan worriedly checked his condition, and Harker had to reassure them. He got out of the tub and changed into the hotel''s bath robes. They all stayed in this one bedroom with a king size bed.

    Mina told them about what happened with An Xin. Harker and Joan were surprised to learn that she was actually the cause of the earthquake, as even Harker wouldn''t have expected that her screaming skill could be that powerful. He made a mental note of this fact for future use.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Speaking of Mina''s skills¡­.

    "There are scales growing back again." Harker pointed out. "We need to exchange DNA."

    Joan knew what exchanging DNA meant, and stood up. "I''ll just be in the living room until you''re done, then¡­."

    But unexpectedly, Mina stood up and took her hand.

    "No, I¡­. Well, I don''t want to force you or anything. But you can stay here."

    Joan looked beyond confused. "I can what? A-Are you sure?"

    Mina nodded, looking more nervous than Harker had ever seen her before. She was usually so confident and assertive that it was like seeing another side of her.

    "I have decided that¡­. If Harker would want to have you by his side, then I''d let him. I''d share the chance to love him the way I do, if that''s what brings him happiness."

    Both of them were too stunned to speak for a moment.

    Harker then went to reach for Mina''s other hand. "Are you really sure? What changed? After you showed me that¡­.. I thought you wouldn''t be willing to."

    Mina smiled softly. "Well, someone made me realize that having someone to love you doesn''t mean that I would get left behind. I have trust in you and your love for me, Harker."

    Again, Harker knew she was talking about Rnd. He could just feel it in his gut, it''s always him. Always had been the one that sets things in motion.

    Harker turned to Joan. "Would¡­. Would you be fine with that? The three of us?"

    Joan took a while to get over her shock, and when she realized that this was really happening, that they really were epting her in this rtionship¡­

    She cried tears of joy, and tackled both of them into a hug.

    "Yes¡­ I want to love Harker with you. I don''t want us to fight. I never wanted that. I just love him, and you''re right, I''d do anything for his happiness."

    Mina smiled, and patted her back as they hugged tightly. "Thank you for taking care of him on the times I can''t. I used to be envious, but now I''m just grateful he had someone."

    After the hug, Mina went to lock her lips with Harker''s. Harker kissed her fervently, not feeling anxious about Joan being around as they did. She slowly let go on purpose, and gestured at Joan.

    Harker felt that warmth in his heart again because of this gesture, and kissed Joan just as he did with her. Mina thought there would be difort the first time, but there wasn''t. She just felt light and free, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders. All the fears of abandonment being washed away once she allowed herself to let go.

    Harker alternated from kissing them both, and the two women showered him with twice the love on that bed. As the saying goes, ''Three''s a crowd'' and it was pretty crowded for three people there. But it only felt warm and perfect for this cold rainy summer morning in London.

 Chapter 174 Or A Class In Session [R18]

    It didn''t take long before all the clothes were strewn on the bedroom floor.

    "You have to try putting your tongue inside the slit. Guys go crazy for that too." Joan said.

    Mina''s eyes widened. "Really? I haven''t seen that yet when I did my research."

    They were both lying on the bed on their stomach, while Harker was sitting up with his legs apart. Mina was holding the base of his hard shaft, while Joan''s breath tickled the sensitive leaking tip.

    "Here, you try it." She edged a little bit to allow Mina some space to suck the bright red ns.

    Mina gingerly ced her tongue on the hole where the pre-cum was leaking out. Harker muffled a moan, proving that Joan''s advice was right, and she became more enthusiastic into licking that part and teasing the small hole.

    "Mm¡­. I should ask you for some pointers. You have a lot of experience."

    Joan chuckled. "Oh honey, I have enough experience for 3 lifetimes. Of course I''d be d to give you some pointers. But observation is the best teacher, so you should watch me carefully, okay?"

    She went to put on a show of expertly blowing Harker''s cock. This was something else. Harker had never experienced a blowjob from someone else besides Mina before, and she was a virgin too so she wasn''t that skilled. He still liked the sloppiness of it, but Joan''s technique was just so good that it took all his will not to bust right then and there.

    With a pop, Joan let go of the hard cock, and handed it to Mina. "Now you try. You don''t need to copy the exact methods, just the general feel. Start slow and shallow, then deep, then swallow."

    Mina went on to do her best, and she was a pretty fast learner too like Harker. The slurping sounds went straight to his crotch and made him even hornier.

    It seemed to be doing its effect on Joan too, as he saw her move her hands down between her legs. She moaned right on his dick while fingering herself as she watched Mina bob her head up and down and take in all of Harker''s length.

    "That''s right¡­. You''re doing great, love. Keep at it¡­. Ahh¡­."

    Joan gave a seductive nce at Harker, as if she knew that he was at his limit. Having her watch him like this reminded him of that night he also watched her pleasure herself, and she was aware of it all along.

    Harker felt a tug on his gut because of these thoughts, and cummed on Mina''s mouth.

    Mina felt a hot surge of liquid going into her throat. She didn''t know what she was supposed to do, or how she was supposed to swallow it, but she tried her best. Some went down her throat, and some came out.

    She saw Joan licking up the mess that she had made, and she had to admit that it was pretty hot. Harker panted heavily while his eyes were closed in bliss. Mina felt proud that she was able to make him cum that hard.

    "You did great!" Joan wiped off her mouth and gave Mina an encouraging smile. "You''re really good."

    The blonde girl blushed. "Thank you."

    "But I think Harker needs a bit of a rest, he''s still a bit exhausted. How about we give him a massage for now?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Harker was still out of it when Joan went over to him, and ced his head on herp. Her breasts were dangling over his face, and he was still panting after that explosive load he just released.

    "Poor dear¡­." Joan ced her hands over his shoulders, and started kneading on those muscles. "Your hard-on wasn''t the only one that''s stiff. Your whole body must be exhausted. But don''t worry, we''ll take care of you."

    Mina grinned, and started rubbing his abdominal muscles as well. "That''s right. Leave everything to us."

    Harker creased his eyebrow as he smiled. "But I don''t want to just be serviced. I want to make you girls feel good too."

    "You''re already making us feel good just from being an eye candy, love." Joan chuckled, and took Harker''s hands.

    She licked every single finger deliberately slow. She valued the importance of forey, and it showed. She then pressed those wet fingers over her nipples and moaned at the coldness of Harker''s touch. It didn''t take long before her nips popped out and got hard.

    Mina also used Harker''s lower body to pleasure herself. She took the Harker''s dick into her hands which was still soft from ejaction, and rubbed it all over her breast. The stimtion from both sides sent Harker reeling. It was almost as difficult as controlling many clones of him at once.

    "I have a question, blondie. I hope you don''t mind." Joan said as she lowered her breast for Harker to suck.

    "What is it?" She asked.

    "Have you tried to take it from the back? I promise it''s a different experience than taking it from your pussy." Joan had a mischievous look on her eyes.

    Mina gulped. "I didn''t know I could take it there either. The ones I watched¡­. Well, I wasn''t really paying attention where they put it because I was used to having just one hole for thisying eggs and not actual pration, and the other hole is just for waste. It took me a while to get used to having three holes being able to be stimted."

    "Oh, that''s right. You had a fish anatomy as a mermaid." Joan''s eyes brightened. "Stimting all three holes is really fantastic. You can rub your clit and finger yourself while taking a hot dick on your ass¡­. Let me demonstrate."

    They exchange ces, and she winked at Harker. "You should prepare her, she''s a backdoor virgin after all. With your length, it''s gotta be rough for a newbie."

    Harker reddened at the thought, but didn''t really feel anything against it. He beckoned Mina. "Come here¡­.. You should sit on my face while our dear professor ''demonstrates''."

    Mina wasn''t expecting that Harker would go for her ass this time, licking and sucking the entrance. She moaned, clinging into the bedpost so she wouldn''t identally crush Harker''s face while sitting on it.

    Joan grinned, and took on a riding position. She encouraged Mina to look.

    "Watch closely. You''re now my student, and I''ll teach you all about pleasuring men. And I want you to enjoy yourself too as you watch." She ced her fingers on her dripping wet cunt as she ced the tip on her ass.

    Mina nodded, and did the same while Harker rimmed her.

    ss was now in session.

 Chapter 175 Girls [R18]

    Mina watched intently as Joan took him in. She felt a mix of shock, arousal, and curiosity as Joan moved her hips back and forth. It was mesmerizing watching her, and Mina found herself getting closer and closer to orgasm just from watching Harker and Joan have sex.

    Harker also watched, feeling aroused at the sight of Mina taking it all in. He licked and sucked her entrance more fervently, pushing her pleasure and arousal higher.

    He felt Joan''s tight walls squeezing him. It was a bit difficult to get used to itpared to entering a soft and wet pussy, but he soon found that it was enjoyable this way. Once her ass became wet and lubricated enough by its own slick, it felt easier to push all the length that got swallowed whole by her insides.

    Joan continued to demonstrate, her body trembling with each thrust. She guided Mina on how to move and use her hips, the speed, and the pressure.

    She let out a loud moan when she had her own climax, feeling very satisfied.

    Mina had never seen something like this before. She felt a new level of desire coursing through her veins, and she knew that she wanted it too, even if she had no idea how to go about it.

    "Nggh¡­." Joan rolled off of Harker and opened her eyes.

    "Well, did you enjoy the show?" She asked with a wink.

    Mina nodded. "Yes, it''s very informative, Professor. I learned a lot and would like to try it myself."

    "The floor is yours." Joan grinned. "How about you, Jones? How''s your first time doing anal?"

    "Really good." Harker spoke while also releasing a heavy breath at the same time.

    Joan chuckled. "She''s been suffocating you really good with that plump ass, huh? I mean, if I was into girls I''d feel honored to have her sit on my face too."

    Mina heard this and tried not to be flustered, but failedpletely. So instead she focused on applying what she learned from Professor Joan Seward''s Dick Riding 101 lesson. She put all her focus into preparing her ass to be entered by a rod.

    It wasn''t as easy as she expected. Joan made it look so, but it takes a while to get used to her tiny, tiny hole to have a foreign object push through inside instead of outside. Her knees buckled, and she almost sat down and had the dick push all the way through, which was pretty dangerous as it could cause a tear.

    Joan supported her arms on time. "Whoah, careful there. You don''t want to break your tailbone or have anal fissure on your first try, I promise you. It would make you think the experience is unpleasant and not want to try again, and we don''t want that."

    "O-Okay¡­" Mina gulped, as she was guided to slowly take Harker''srge cock inside her virgin asshole.

    Eventually, she got the hang of it. Harker could tell from the pleased moans that it wasn''t painful anymore, just like on their first time doing it normally.

    He watched the two women work together into pleasuring him, and he felt both a wholesome feeling and a perverted feeling towards the idea. It''s very sweet, yet at the same time very kinky. Joan taught Mina how to gyrate her hips into a circr motion, which really does the trick on making Harker leak with pre-cum again inside Mina''s peach.

    Joanid by his side, hyping him up with her words as he pounded on Mina from below.

    "Yeah, just like that, Harker. You thrust just as she pounds herself on your big, juicy cock. Give it to her¡­. Yes. Feel the rhythm, get in sync so you meet half-way. Do you feel those ass cheeks smacking on your thighs? Her wet pussy squirting on your stomach?"

    Harker didn''t know having someone givementary on his own sex experience could be hot. But maybe it was because it''s Joan that''s why it was so effective. She spoke with such a mischievous yet sultry tone, breathing down his neck while Mina kept on moaning loudly with her eyes closed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Harker knew she was also listening to Joan''s sexy voice andmentary, and it was also enhancing her own experience. She was riding really fast now, squirting as she fingered herself and spraying it on Harker and Joan.

    Joan went to lick some of them on Harker''s chin, and soon they were kissing. Harker went to touch her pussy that was still drenched in girl cum, and fondled it as they kissed.

    Still, he continued pounding on Mina''s pussy in tandem with her movements. Mina had been cumming endlessly, and he was also very close. The sound of her screams mixed with the loud wet smacks of flesh, French kissing, and Harker''s own low groans as he was about to release his seeds.

    He came right inside of her ass. Mina copsed on top of him, and he hugged her tight.

    Joan ruffled her hair, praising her student. "Well done, well done!"

    Mina''s face was so red from the extreme pleasures she experienced just now. She had basically passed out, and let Joan take it from her now. She sleepily watched as Joan and Harker did a round two until he also came inside her bum.

    They would have gone for more rounds if it weren''t for the fact that they remembered Harker still needed to heal and recover from what happened. The sex did help get his blood pressure back up and his body temperature to be much more stable, though. They spent the whole day with the three of them being domestic and amicable to each other, and Harker thought this must be what real heaven feels like.

    He was surrounded by two girls who he considered his friends, his family, the love of his life. He was so scared he might end up losing both of them from the tension, but all''s well that end''s well, as they say.

    "I love you two." He said, as they cuddled under the covers.

    "We love you too, Jones." Joan answered, tickling his neck before resting on his left arm.

    "Very much." Mina purred softly as she clung to his left arm. "If you ever fall for another girl, just tell us. You don''t have to worry about us fighting anymore. Though we might do a bit of interrogation and testing to make sure she doesn''t break your heart."

    Harker chuckled. "Alright, alright. Though right now, I''m satisfied with just you two. You two are more than enough for me. Two of the best girl''s in the world are my girlfriends. How lucky is that?"

    They were filled with warmth all the way into the summer evening¡­..

    While in the Arctic North, there was nothing but the cruel coldness as Victoria and her crew disembarked from their ship.

    "Are you sure this map is urate? I don''t want us to get lost while looking for it." She asked.

    The bodyguard nodded. "Yes, Ma''am. We did our best to make sense of the records we''ve read ande up with that map."

    She nodded. "Good. We have no time to lose, since I have a feeling we''re not the only ones that''s after it."

    She brought out two more Ice Giantess from her own Shape Shifting cells, and had them be their transportation into the treacherous tundra.

    "Let''s go, girls."

 Chapter 176 Putting Distance Between Us

    The next day, Harker had received a message from hismunicator that Rnd would soon be returning and that they had found the location of Victoria''s ship. It was in an unnamed ''ind'' which was really just sea ice far up North, near the Geographical North Pole.

    Harker recalled the memories of Edmund that he had gained from Joan. It was very unlikely that they would have reached that far, but it wasn''t impossible¡­..

    Logic aside, he had a feeling that it wasn''t a coincidence that Victoria''s Arctic Seer would be going on the same expedition as Edmund''s Arctic Seer.

    But why? That''s the question he would like to find out.

    The warm, fuzzy feelings from yesterday full of bliss and pleasure was giving away as his resentment and more negative feelings resurfaced. Besides Victoria, there were also other things to worry about. Namely the congregation of An Xin and what happened to Hanker the clone.

    He checked the time he received the message and his eyes widened when he saw that it was at 1:34 a.m. Rnd said he''ll being home within 5 hours, and when he checked the wall clock with crosses as hands, it was already 6:02 a.m.

    "Shit." He sat up, and woke his women.

    Mina grumbled. "What is it? It''s so early, can''t we all cuddle a little bit longer?"

    Joan nodded. "Yeah¡­ You''re even enjoying yourself by squeezing my boob right now. Can''t you just go back to that and take some rest? You''re such a busybody sometimes, Jones."

    Harker blinked. "I wasn''t squeezing your boob."

    Mina''s eyes suddenly widened, and awkwardly chuckled. "Oh, sorry¡­. I thought it was a pillow or something. It was so soft¡­"

    Joan just shrugged. "It''s fine. Anyway, the point is that Harker should definitely stay in bed for a lot longer¡­. Maybe for the whole day again."

    "Haha, even if I want to, I can''t. Rnd''sing, we all got to take a bath and get dressed." Harker told them.

    And so, they all took a shower one by one. Harker went first, and then Joan, and then Mina. He was done and wore a bathrobe for a moment as he brushed his teeth. He and Joan were talking a little bit about toothpaste brands in the US versus the UK, before Mina suddenly called out.

    "Um¡­. Professor Joan. Can I get a little help with the douche?"

    Harker''s face reddened, while Joan just looked like she was getting called out by a student for a difficult question on the exam. "Sure, I''ming!"

    Harker was left brushing his teeth while listening to the muffled instructions Joan was giving to Mina on how to use a douche properly. He then heard a knock on the door, and cursed internally.

    "Hey, Roly-poly! How are ya?" He leaned on the door with an awkward smile on his face.

    Rnd felt a little unnerved being called Roly-poly after hearing Hanker call him that, but he calmed himself in front of Harker. "We found the location. It''s¡ª"

    He was suddenly interrupted by Mina''s shouts.

    "Oh! It feels so weird, it''s gushing like a waterfall on my assho¡ª"

    Harker quickly pushed Rnd aside and shut the door. "You know what? Let''s talk about this while having tea on the balcony over there! I''ll go prepare ''em, just stay right there."

    Rnd raised an eyebrow, but waited on the balcony nheless. Harker left frantically for the tea, hoping that the girls won''t be too loud in all their douching and make things even more awkward than they already were.

    He returned with two cups of piping hot tea, and identally put quite a lot of sugar on Rnd''s.

    Rnd took a sip, and frowned. "It''s too sweet."

    Harker was already gulping down out of sheepishness, but exchanged the cups. "Oh I see! Here, have mine instead!"

    Rnd looked at the small water stain made by Harker''s lips on the rim of the cup, and gingerly took a sip while making sure to avoid that part.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    After he did, he said. "Harker¡­. You said that you could separate your cells to make another version of yourself, right?"

    Harker wasn''t expecting that it would be him who would bring out the topic he wanted to talk about the most. But this was for the best, as his curiosity had been slowly killing him.

    "I¡­.. I''m sorry for having a clone of mine follow you and Mina. Yes, it''s true. I could divide myself, but it''s hard to divide my attention at the same time since I''m new to this. You have met my clone, right?"

    Rnd nodded, and eventually exined what happened. How he realized Harker 2.0 was following them, how weird he was acting, and how they escaped together after An Xin. But of course, he left out several important things.

    Especially the parts that would exin his apprehension just from having Harker beside him.

    "He acts nothing like you, Harker. I''m not sure how he acted towards Joan, but I don''t like him. I don''t trust him." He insisted. "You should get rid of him soon."

    Harker scrunched up his eyebrows, wearing a solemn look. "About that¡­. I don''t have to. He''s gone."

    He told him about his own experience with the clone. The crown of flowers, the feeling that some of his memories with Joan were missing, and thatst time he was connected to him. The truth was, Harker wasn''t sure what to feel about Harker 2.0.

    Sure, he was behaving strangely, but he didn''t do any harm. He still did what Harker told him to. And when he had his own sense of identity, his own desire to name himself and separate himself from Harker¡­ He sympathized with him. How hard must it be to live a life under someone''s shadow, as just a copy?

    If Hanker did act like he despised him, it was most likely because of that insecurity for not having his own ''life''. For existing as just a copy of someone else.

    He observed Rnd''s reaction at all this, and it also seemed conflicted. When he was done, he paused to give him time to react to the news. He didn''t know why he did that, and why he felt like his clone''s death would affect his best friend that much.

    He just felt it, knew it in his heart.

    Rnd eventually responded with: "Well, that''s a tragedy for him but¡­. It''s a relief for us. We don''t have to worry about him anymore."

    "He said it''s your fault that he changed. He implied it." Harker said. "Do you know what he meant?"

    Rnd shook his head. "I don''t."

    Harker could also tell that was a lie. A white lie to hide a truth that was better kept hidden.

    But Harker chose not to break that door open, especially if Rnd was guarding it so much. He chose denial in the end for his friend''s sake. He took a sip while uneasy silence remained between them for about 2 minutes.

    Harker looked at his cup. He realized that the ce where he had sipped¡­.

    Was also the same ce where Rnd''s lips were.

    ".... You''re right, this tea really was too sweet. I should be careful when I prepare some for the girls." He said, going back to the suite.

    Harker turned his back on him so abruptly, and Rnd almost called out for him toe back. But instead, he let him extend the distance between them. It was better this way.

    It was better to put some distance, a safe distance.

    Rnd went to make a call on the hotel''s telephone. It was his superior from the Supreme Court who was teaching him to assist in cases.

    "Hello, Sir¡­. Yes, I know that I declined the offer to take the next case. But I just need to take care of some business before I''ll be back in New York and¡­. I think I''m ready now. I''m ready to defend on my own, full-time."

    The man made a joke on the other side of the line, and Rnd chuckled without mirth.

    "Yes, I know that will make me quite busy but¡­ I think I do need to keep busy for a while. So busy that I don''t have to think of anything else besides paperwork and messy court trials. Just work and nothing else...."

 Chapter 177 Red Camellia

    The decision was to travel by ship so as to not gain too much attention. The helicopter would be too loud in a ce so isted as the mass of sea ice that the Victoria''s crew were traveling.

    The ship would dock from afar and have the teams approach the sea ice on row boats. Once theynded, Harker would be the first to travel and infiltrate the area as one of the bodyguards or the scientists. Then, he''d disarm everyone and send a signal that would make their own team surround Victoria''s for an easy victory.

    It was a clean, strategic n, courtesy of Rnd himself. But as heid out the n, Joan and Mina raised their hands.

    "We want in too. We''ll go with Harker and go undercover with him." Joan said.

    Mina nodded. "This is the same ce where An Xin is headed. I can feel it. Whatever Joan''s after, they''re after it too."

    Harker''s eyes lit up as he heard this. So he wasn''t the only one who had this feeling in his gut telling him that all the current events were connected somehow.

    He implored Rnd: "Let them join in. They can use my Shapeshifting cells since I shared DNA with them."

    Rnd couldn''t help but sigh as he knew that three were too stubborn to reason with. "Then if you''re going, I''m going. I know Mina''s tendencies to go off on her own straight into danger, it''s almost as bad as Harker''s. If she does that again, this n would most likely fail."

    Harker guffawed. "Hahaha! What!? I don''t go off straight to danger¡ª"

    "Best not to argue with boss man, love." Joan shushed him. "He''s right anyway. I feel morefortable in this spy mission if he''s watching over us."

    Rnd shrugged. "That''s what I do. It''s basically my raison d''etre to watch over all Harker shenanigans."

    With that all settled they packed up their things to travel. The ship they boarded was owned by one of the Faust''s business partners in the UK, who was happy to let them borrow it as long as Rnd put in a good word to have his father buy a few more stocks from them.

    They even sent a package for whale harpooning or catching fish, as they assumed that was what they were after by sailing off into the upper regions of the arctic on a private ship without having any records.

    "I''m not too keen on whaling." Joan said. "Should we return it to them?"

    "No, they''re gifts." Mina said. "Rnd told me that between the upper ss, you can''t return gifts or it''ll be considered as an insult and an affront to them.

    Rnd opened the box and scoffed when he saw it filled withs, fishing rods, worms for fish bait, and a harpoon.

    "This one mighte in handy. Can you keep it, Harker?" Rnd asked, showing the harpoon with red camellias painted on it.

    Harker looked at the harpoon quizzically. "Keep it how?"

    Rnd blinked. "Oh, I saw him keep weapons¡­ I just assumed you could keep it inside your body since you can have your cells move and give space to it, right?"

    Harker knew who he meant by ''he'', and felt that uneasy feeling again he had when he had tea together on the balcony. He didn''t question it and instead tried the trick of keeping weapons within his body. Soon, his cells did gave way for the long harpoon and swallowed it whole to store for future use.

    "As for the rest¡­. Well, Alejandro can keep them if he wants to try his hand at fishing. Might get us some fresh seafood during our trip up north." Rnd said, looking at the worms in disdain as it reminded him of that man.

    Alejandro chuckled. "It''s been a while since I went fishing, I''m a bit rusty. If anyone''s interested, I could relearn the trade by teaching a student."

    Harker raised his hand. "I''d go! Their journey''s still too far away, right? If you don''t catch any fish, I can just catch it for us so we don''t go hungry during dinnertime."

    Joan nodded. "I''ll watch you boys do it."

    Mina joined in too. "I can actually call out to several sea animals in theirnguage, though I''m also a bit rusty in them as well. I''d try not to have a whale identally swallow us whole."

    And so, that only left Rnd, who went to his own bunker in the ship to n out their encounter with Victoria more. He also did some of his work on the case he would be handling in the future. After scribbling endlessly for hours, he suddenly received a call from his Nogiamunicator.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It was an unknown number. Rnd frowned, and hung up.

    The number called again, this time also sending a message that showed on the block of stic''s green screen. Upon seeing the message, Rnd epted the call and extended the antenna to gain more signal.

    "Paul Pheme. What is it?" Rnd grumbled.

    Paul chuckled on the other side of the line. His voice was still a little choppy. "I thought you''d never pick it up. I''m new to using these things, they feel too small in my handspared to a telephone. Anyway, how are you Little Faust?"

    "I don''t believe that you''d just call me just to ask that, Paul." Rnd spat out.

    "What, I can''t ask how my junior is doing? But yes, I suppose small talk is pointless. I heard you''ll be taking the Garcia murder case?"

    Rnd furrowed his brows. "What''s it to you if I will?"

    This man really has ears everywhere, being able to learn this news so fast. And he wasn''t even a public defendant like Rnd, he works for a firm known to ask for twice the reasonable amount of money for any case. Though they do have a staggering 98% win rate, which Rnd was sure wasn''t due to honest talent knowing Paul Pheme''s track record.

    "I know that it''s tempting at first. College student, just a poor young Latino freshman being used of murdering a white girl and peeling the skin off her face. Evidence iscking, boy is an obvious scapegoat as he was an exemry student with no signs of mental illness. But Faust¡­."

    Paul Pheme''s voice was serious. "You shouldn''t take this case. It''s tooplicated, even for a genius like you. If you defend this boy in court, you''re as good as dead."

    Rnd was unfazed by the threats. "I know you sometimes take up prosecution. If you''re going to be prosecuting on behalf of the victim''s family, then I don''t think sending death threats to your opposition would be of any help to your¡ª"

    "Hahaha! I wouldn''t touch that case even if it''s a sure win for the prosecution''s side." Paul Pheme said. "It''s a friendly warning. You don''t like that I''m watching out for you? Fine. But whatever verbal scuffle we may have had, Little Faust, I don''t have anything personal against you. I just¡­. I don''t want it to happen again."

    "What?"

    He was silent for a while, before saying.

    "Look up the Wade Dalton case three years ago. That''s all I have left to say about the matter. Hope it saves you some face."

    His tone with thatst sentence was ominous enough to send shivers on Rnd''s spine. Paul Pheme hanged up, and Rnd was left pondering about this when¡ª

    "Who''s that?"

    Harker was suddenly by his open door, causing Rnd to jump a little at his voice.

    Rnd shook his head. "Just someone from work. I''ve had some stuff to take care of in court."

    Harker frowned. "You''re busy? Why didn''t you tell me? I wouldn''t have let you get into this mission too if you still have things to take care of."

    Rnd waved his hand. "It''s fine. Anyway, I thought you were fishing with Alejandro and the girls. Are you done?"

    "Oh, not yet. I just thought of checking up on you. I thought I saw you pass by on the docks earlier.... I must have imagined it."

    Harker left, and Rnd was left frowning as he watched him go¡­.

    And when he looked back at his table, there was a red camellia drawing on his notes. Rnd looked at the red pen on his hand, and frowned.

    "Since when did I draw this¡­..?"

 Chapter 178 The Flame In My Heart

    Earlier, Harker was being praised by Alejandro for his fishing skills.

    "You''re a natural at this, Mr. Jones! It''s like you were a sailor in your past life!" Alejandro pped his hand as Harker showed therge mackerel he caught.

    Harker hauled the pping fish inside and ended its life quickly by beheading it with a butcher''s knife. "Nah, it''s all thanks to Mina''s fish talking skills."

    Mina snorted. "Don''t give me all the credit. I almost drew in a group of sharks around our ship earlier, remember?"

    Joan was looking a bit reminiscent of this. When Alejandro said he could have been a sailor in his past life, she opened her mouth as if to say something, but stopped herself. She patted Harker''s shoulder.

    "Well done. I''ll go prepare some ice tea and snacks." She said, taking her leave and saying hello to a few of the bodyguards who were also admiring the view of the ship.

    The ship captain was also one of Rnd''s subordinates, but really, most of the bodyguards can do this too and have experienced driving helicopters and even submarines and military tanks. That''s just how high quality they were.

    Harker wondered what Alejandro''s life was like before serving the Faust. He asked, and the old man suddenly looked sheepish.

    "Oh¡­. I was a veteran, you see. Fought guerris in Guatem. I served at quite a young age, married quite young too. My wife and my first daughter had to move a lot from the war. It got so bad that¡­.." His eyes glistened and were full of sadness. "I had to send her to the US to my mother''s family first. My mother remarried a white man after my father died, a very rich one."

    He smiled. "I knew my baby girl would be safe there, so I let them keep her. It wasn''t only until I took the job from Mr. Faust after the war and moved to Manhattan that I felt secure enough to raise my family."

    "But all your daughters that I saw were quite young so¡­. What happened to your eldest?" Harker asked.

    Alejandro chuckled nervously. "She''s doing well. Studies in the same university as you, in fact. But well¡­ You probably won''t be seeing her carrying myst name, Laurel."

    Harker felt that he shouldn''t pry too much, as this seemed like a very private matter about Alejjandro''s life. He also looked pained just mentioning it. It must be hard for him, being forced to give up one of his children for their safety.

    As they were talking, Harker suddenly noticed something in his peripherals. Something golden.

    He realized that it must be Rnd, and saw him flit past the docks and go back to his room. Was he watching them just now? Why didn''t hee over?

    Harker frowned. Something''s not adding up with his friend''s behavior. Earlier, when he picked up the harpoon, he also said something quite strange.

    It wasn''t the thing about cing the harpoon inside his body. It was after that.

    "Did you know that giving someone red camellias was the same as saying ''You are the me of my heart''? And now you have epted a harpoon of red camellias, Hark. Isn''t that ironic? I was constantly being rejected, and yet you epted it. Guess I could still shoot my shot after all."

    Harker frowned and asked. "What do you mean by that?"

    Rnd just blinked. "Hmm?"

    Then he just¡­. went on to his room. He looked really out of it.

    He went to follow Rnd into his room, and found him on a call with someone while scribbling something on paper. He seemed to be drawing with a red pen. Harker listened to the conversation, but he couldn''t piece out much just from what Rnd was saying.

    Rnd just sounded annoyed, like he couldn''t stand to even be talking to this person. When he hung up, he said that it was just something work rted.

    Harker can''t see any signs of him looking unwell. But he doesn''t want to trouble Rnd for no reason either.

    "Oh, not yet. I just thought of checking up on you. I thought I saw you pass by on the docks earlier.... I must have imagined it."

    He walked away, and thought that he''d observe him more closely just in case. They caught a few more hefty salmon, tuna and even crabs for a feast at dinnertime. The whole group of about 20+ people had enjoyed a seafood buffet that night.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    During dinner, Rnd seemed okay. He was sharing some light conversations with everyone, asking politely to pass some condiments, and even crack a joke or two with his subordinates.

    Harker suddenly felt a nudge on his shoulder.

    "You''ve been looking at blondie quite a lot recently, Jones. You really into him or something?" Joan raised an eyebrow.

    Harker blinked. "What? No, I just¡­."

    Mina joined in the teasing while munching on a crab, shells included. "Ew, anyone''s okay as long as it''s not White Ape. That guy''s a prude. He''ll list out every single mistake we make as your girlfriends and probably create a daily schedule for our duties. That''s how much of a perfectionist he is."

    "No, he isn''t." Harker snorted. "Rnd ain''t nothing like that. Though I did think he''d be a fussy type of lover since he''d always been a worrywart."

    "But that''s not it, right? Just spill it, Jones." Joan asked.

    Harler furrowed his brows. "I don''t know, I just¡­. I think Rnd''s been acting strange ever since we got into the ship. I mean, he''s adding more salt and pepper on his salmon than usual. What''s up with that!?"

    He waited for the girls to agree with him, and was only met with silence as if he just cracked an unfunny joke.

    "You''re¡­. worrying about him putting more condiments on his food?" Joan asked, obviously trying to stop augh froming out.

    Mina grinned. "I think you''re more of a worrywart than him, Harker. But take that with a grain of salt."

    Joan couldn''t help it anymore and chuckled, high-fiving Mina. "Nice wordy, love!"

    Harker grumbled, rubbing his face. "Ah, whatever. I''m just getting paranoid after all the crazy stuff that happened. We''ll bending soon anyway, so I should focus on worrying about the mission instead."

    After dinner, they all went to their beds. Harker shared it with Mina and Joan, and none of the bodyguards questioned it. Rnd also doesn''t seem to question it, as it seemed to be a long timeing that all three of them would end up together.

    Harkerid on the bed, staring at the ceiling with girls on either side. He thought about everything. From that incident with Xi Hua, down to whatever''s going on right now.

    The past seemed so far away like this. As far away as the stars behind that ceiling. He wondered what the future holds, and what kind of person he will be once he gets there.

    Time was just like a vast, endless sea, he thought. It''s not a straight line, but instead a sea where you could go in all directions.

    There was nothing to guide him in this sea besides the me in his heart. His purpose, his raison d''etre.

    But what exactly is that? Love? Justice? Truth?

    The quest goes on, and yet he still can''t tell if either of that was the right purpose of it all. He just hoped¡­.

    That he would reach the end before the me in his heart burns out.

    Unable to sleep, he got up and went to the deck to get some fresh air for his muddled thoughts. He also felt the urge to talk to Yan for some sense of direction, or maybe just someone to mope to.

    And as he did....

    A shadow followed after him.

 Chapter 179 Counting Sheep

    The flying eyeball soon appeared by Harker''s side even without him calling out.

    Yan watched his master for a while, who was silently watching the stars from the deck of the ship. He leaned with his hands dangling on the railing, and had a somber expression on his face. The eyeball didn''t make his appearance known and took in this scene of his master.

    But it seemed that he didn''t have to, as Harker spoke:

    "You didn''t tell me about the Shapeshifting Ability itself. The changes in my stats after the Ability Ascension."

    Yan became sheepish. "O-Oh¡­. I see. Apologies, master. I have forgotten."

    "It''s nothing." Harker said. "Just show me that holographic thing."

    "Here''s the system''s update on your Shape Shifting Ability." The eyeball said, as the system''s screen materialized in front of Harker:

    [Harker''s Shapeshifting Ability

    Duration: B

    Effectiveness: A

    Resistance: C

    Absorption Limit: B

    Concealment: C

    Potential: UR+ ]

    Harker looked at the stats. "Not that bad. I''ve raised Duration and Absorption Limit by two tiers, and Effectiveness by 1 tier. That''s worth hundreds of thousands of points or something. Good job, me."

    He said this with no mirth at all, almost sarcastically.

    Yan pped his wings a few times without saying anything. Then, he finally spoke.

    "Master¡­ That''s not the reason why you called me here, right?"

    "These points, Yan¡­. These numbers. There is value in every single one of them, right?" Harker asked. "1 point has a value. Joining together increases its value. And the only difference between reaching 1,000,000 points and 99,999 is just 1 point, right? And 0 has no value, right?"

    Yan nodded. "That''s the rule of mathematics, yes. Though that''s for absolute values, it''s a different matter when ites to integers¡ª"

    "I know that." Harker snorted. "Negative numbers and all. I know that. But bear with me for a moment. The only thing that''s stopping 99,999 people to be considered ''a million people'' is just 1 person. Just one. Therefore, the value of that one person, that missing one, had increased because they were the only one the group wascking."

    Yan nodded. "I see. It''s the lost sheep dilemma, Master."

    "The what?"

    "Lost sheep. In that one parable. Jesus was questioned why he chose to dine with sinners by the religious leaders, and to this, he gave the parable of the lost sheep. He asked them that if a shepherd had 100 sheep, and 1 of them was missing, would he leave behind the other 99 to look for the 1 missing sheep?"

    Harker rubbed his chin. "A story like that exists, huh? Of course he''d go looking for that lost sheep. That''s how the flock bes ''whole'' again."

    "Yes. That parable was often used to show that everyone mattered in the eyes of God." Yan told him.

    "And does God exist?" Harker asked the eyeball. "And I don''t mean the ''gods'' and powerful beings and spirits. I know they must exist because monsters and demons exist. I meant this sort of omnipotent, omniscient being that monotheists worship above all else. The Almighty."

    After all, the eyeball said he was all-knowing, so surely he should have an answer to this.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Yan took a while to answer, then said.

    "He does, yes. The one who controls fate itself, the one who created it. But¡­. I''m not saying the religions were wrong. They were right about some things, but not 100%"

    Harker tilted his head. "What do you mean by that?"

    "What separates the shepherd from the flock?" Yan posed this question. "Was it because he takes care of the flock? That he is human, and they were animals?"

    Harker shrugged. "You tell me. I''m not really in the right mindset right now to interpret stories or even philosophical questions like that. I just needed to release my confusion on someone else."

    Yan looked like he would have smiled if he had lips. "I can''t give the right answers, Master. Not because I don''t know them, but because I just can''t. I''m not allowed to. You are the one who decides, not me."

    Harker rubbed his chin. "What separates the shepherd from the flock¡­ What separates God from man? That''s too much responsibility to put on someone like me, to answer a question like that. Especially when I myself don''t know what separates man from monster."

    He looked at the stars, and thought what it must be like to suddenly summon stars into existence as a god. To just wish them into existence¡­. to dream.

    "But I think¡­.. It''s choice. Having the freedom to choose, to control your own sense of identity. That''s what separates man from animals, nts, and everything else. Even monsters too, since they have the sentience to make decisions for themselves and a consciousness. So really, there''s no difference between man, monster and god. They all have this power of choice."

    Yan nodded. "Even the lost sheep could be called a shepherd. A shepherd of itself, following its own path. And while the shepherd was gone, the 99 obedient sheep served as a shepherd to themselves as well. Tending themselves to stay within this flock, setting their own borders."

    Harker yawned. "All this talk about these sheep ironically makes me sleepy. Maybe I really am better off counting them than talking about which is a shepherd among them."

    Yan sighed. "I hope I have been a worthwhilepany to you, Master."

    "You did. And I don''t think this conversation is just pointless rhetoric. I learned more about you, Yan. On what kind of being you are." Harker said, turning back to the ship. "You''re not just an obedient sheep, are you?"

    Yan didn''t answer, and simply de-materialized into the dark night. Harker thought that the stars tonight seemed to resemble his shape somehow. And since he thought so, it must be true.

    I think, therefore I am.

    Harker went back to bed, knowing that after waking up, he''d put all this behind him. As if this conversation was just a fleeting dream. If he stays too long pondering these things, that will lead to inaction. And he still had many things to do.

    But it was nice to stay still once in a while. To be at peace with the chaos of this world, letting the currents wash over you.

    The next day, they reached the end of the currents. The endlessnd made of ice, floating above unmoving waters.

    The undercover team row their boats and settle down. It wasposed of Harker, Mina, Joan, and Rnd, and four more bodyguards to watch over the boats and the vantage point for the ship once they were ready to attack.

    Harker turned to Rnd, who seemed to be running on low sleep. His eyes were heavier than usual, and there were many times when he almost just fell asleep in front of his te during breakfast.

    "Hey, you good?" He asked while nudging him.

    Rnd weakly mumbled a response. "Yeah, just¡­. feeling a bit tired. I know I fell asleep pretty early, but my body feels heavy. Maybe it''s the coldness."

    Harker frowned. "You should have put on more nkets then."

    Rnd shrugged. "I don''t know, it felt pretty warmst night. Cozy even, like my bed was giving me a warm hug. I had a nightmare for a while, or maybe it was straight up sleep paralysis, but I still think I should have slept pretty well."

    "What nightmare was it?"

    His blood run cold when Rnd replied:

    "A big ck sheep was keeping me still, wrapping me in it''s thick wool until I couldn''t move. Pretty silly, right?"

 Chapter 180 In The Garden Of Eden

    Harker thought about what to do. Something really was up with Rnd, and he doesn''t feelfortable just letting him risk his life in spying on Victoria while also dealing with whatever this was.

    Should he ask to send him back to the ship? No, Rnd would never agree to that. Plus, no one else thinks something was up beside Harker, and they won''t believe him without proof.

    So the best thing he could do was to keep Rnd close and watch over him until he could figure out what''s happening.

    It would be a bit hard to juggle that with spying on Victoria and maybe An Xin, but Harker grew ustomed to having to deal with several things at once. And when he needed to be in two ces at once, he just had to divide himself.

    Though he was a bit more hesitant to do that after what happened to Hanker. Speaking of that clone¡­.

    He wished he could get Rnd to open up more about what happened between them. He chose not to pry, but his curiosity was getting the best of him.

    "This way." Rnd''s voice broke him out of his reverie. "They''re group is headed this way. We should keep watch and find the nearest crew members we could rece as soon as we spot them."

    They went on their travels, and Rnd seemed alright besides the fatigue and asional yawning. Soon, they had spotted many footprints in the snow, and knew that they were getting closer to their target.

    They soon approached a settlement of camps. They were built pretty quickly for a size like this, but that''s not the most baffling thing. The settlement¡­.

    Was in a field with tall grass, tall trees, and fine, summer weather. Sitting on top of pure ice.

    The group looked at this in confusion. How did this ce even exist? It was probably something magic rted, and it''s not because of Victoria because Legion''s skills had nothing to do with those. Wendigos bring winter too, not summer. So how¡­.

    They hid behind one of the bushy fig trees as someone went out. It seemed to be one of the bodyguards, taking a pee in an area filled with bushes of flowers, like a garden. Right beside were plots of root crop, and vines that grew grapes.

    Despite the cold weather, every leaf shone with a healthy luster, and so did every fruit, tree bark, and crop. Meanwhile, snow did not stop falling endlessly around the settlement, and if it weren''t for that, it would have been difficult to travel on pure ice. It was like a paradise, this garden within the snow.

    Twody scientists suddenly appeared with a device, and cursed when they saw the man pissing. "Hey! Ms. Seward said we shouldn''t desecrate Eden in any way until we find it."

    The man frowned. "What? Isn''t it natural for any animal to excrete waste? This wouldn''t be desecration, it''s just a natural phenomena."

    The women gave him scornful looks. Another scientist came, a very scrawny guy with frizzy white hair that doesn''t seem to be washed for weeks.

    "What did the findings say?" He asked the girls. "We need to find the Malum as soon as possible."

    "Where trying, Sir. But the readings change every time. It''s possible that the Malum was slowly moving from the currents, or the ice is interfering with the signals." One of them said,

    "Well, this would be easier if we could just burst through the ice. But you know what happens when we desecrate Eden." The man said. "The Ice Giantesses are also just watching over there. We don''t want them to catch us half-assing our jobs now, do we?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He gave the guard a pointed look, and the guard shrugged. "My job is mostly just to pick up food, so I''ll get to it now."

    He approached the fig tree near the one where Harker and the others were hiding. Luckily, the three scientists were too busy finding this ''Malum'' to notice them. Harker moved quickly¡­.

    And used the Subus skill to draw him towards them.

    "What the hell¡­?" The guard mumbled as his body moved on its own, and soon¡­.

    He looked at a pair of green eyes. He soon copsed, and Harker lifted him up. However, instead of just taking his hair¡­.

    Harker took arge bite off the man''s shoulder!

    All his threepanion''s eyes widened at this. But Harker didn''t even pay attention, as he patched up this deep flesh wound with the ck worms of zombified cells. It wasn''t only to heal him but so that if the guard wakes up, Harker would also be aware of his movements.

    He soon transformed into this man. "I''ll bring those three over here too. You guys take your pick of who to transform into."

    Joan was the faster one to break off the shock of seeing Harker just take a bite on a man. "I''ll take Miss Redhead over there. Always wanted to be a redhead."

    "What about your wendigo curse?" Mina asked. "You don''t feel like eating this man whole after having a taste of his flesh?"

    "I do, and it''s so much stronger now that you''ve mentioned it. But I can handle it." Harker reassured her.

    "That''s great character development for you, Hark." Rnd patted his shoulder. "Never thought I''d see you grow a pair for once."

    Harker frowned, but he wasn''t angered by that statement. He instead became even more concerned, his paranoia over Rnd''s asional weird moments like this getting worse.

    They soon had the three scientistse over and rece them. The bodies were taken by Rnd''s own team of bodyguards, who tied them up for some questioning once they woke up and will be taking them to their own settlement. Not that far off to ''Eden'', but also far enough to not be caught so quickly in this blizzard.

    And so, their group had sessfully infiltrated in. The first step was to blend in, which was actually easy. Most of the people in Eden paid attention to themselves, and the Ice Giantesses were too far away to have caught the whole switcheroo. They were also busy watching over something else instead, something far ahead¡­..

    Near Eden, there were tall pirs made of ice. They formed a circle, all 13 of them cut in such a clean way that would have been hard if not impossible in a ce like this. In the middle of the 13 pirs was a bed of ice.

    Harker could spot that there were drawings on the ice with his superior sight, but he was too far away to distinguish them. All he could really see¡­

    Was a circr shape, with a circle in the middle. It had wings. Majestic angel wings, not demonic bat wings.

 Chapter 181 Dont Eat

    Harker went on to infiltrate the bodyguard''s side to gain information. He was the only one capable to do so, after all, while the others can join in with the scientists. It was also the duty of the bodyguards, as it turned out, to patrol the settlement at night.

    That meant that he would have a chance to sneak into Victoria''s tent and pry out information from here.

    There would be two ways to do so. The simplest one would be to look for anything in her room that might be useful. The second was, of course, to get inside her head through the worms.

    The second one was riskier, but had a higher sess than the first one. Still, Harker decided that would be for hisst resort in case he found nothing in her room. There''s a lot more to explore too in Eden besides Victoria''s tent, like the dining hall at the center of it all where everyone had their food at a very long table.

    Some chose toy pic mats instead and enjoy the beauty of the garden among the cold winter wastnd. It reminded Harker awfully too much of Legion''s tea party.

    Thinking about it now, Legion also had the ability to manipte someone''s memory, or at least make them see hallucinations.

    Harker hasn''t mastered that yet, since he barely mastered his cloning ability. It must have something to do with the SS cells also manipting and interacting the brain cells and affecting its functions.

    To do something like that would require a lot more focus and willpower than what Harker had already achieved. But he was hopeful that with time, he will be able to master it.

    What he does know to do right now was to gain memory from others and heal them through SS cells. He did that with the bodyguard, which he learned to be named Adam Fiero.

    Adam Fiero was particrly disliked by everyone, even among his fellow bodyguards. He had quite an unlikable, condescending personality, and Harker had gleaned that he had a few arguments with one of the scientists.

    That scientist would be the one Rnd was inhabiting right now. Doctor Evan Sornione, who was a master in biology and geology.

    It seemed that everyone knows Adam and Evan don''t get along that well, so Harker would have to be careful when being spotted talking to Rnd. Meanwhile, the other two girls, Mary and Petra Curry, were sisters that had specialized in creating a device that senses gems and precious minerals.

    It was quite different from a metal detector as it could determine precious stones that are non-metallic as well and even determine what type it was.

    At lunchtime, Rnd was forced to sit with the scientists at the long dining table. It seemed to be reserved for those with the highest regard among the settlement, the ''leaders'', if you will.

    So all that''s left for Harker to talk to were the girls.

    He won''t be able to approach Rnd that easily anyway since the people they''re disguised as hate each other. He could just share the information secretly through passing along the message to Mina and Joan, who''s role they''re ying were more in neutral terms with both Adam and Evan.

    "The Malum must be a precious stone, then." Harker told Mina and Joan when they reconvene during lunch time at a pic area. "But the question is why they''re looking for it, and how they came to know it''s here?"

    "Are you going to Victoria''s roomter tonight then?" Mina asked.

    "Yes, but I need to get her toe out. She''s like Legion, so it''s too dangerous to sneak in while she''s inside." Harker said.

    Joan nodded. "We''ll take care of the distraction. How much time do you need?"

    "15 minutes would be enough. Her room is small enough, though I also need a clue on where I should be looking exactly."

    Another female scientist suddenly approached them as they discussed their ns in hushed whispers.

    "Mary! Petra! Why didn''t you guys sit with us?" She asked.

    Joan easily acted as Petra with an easy smile. "We just noticed that Adam has this whole spot to himself so we decided to join him."

    The woman frowned. "Of course he''ll be alone. Adam''s a¡ª"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Herpanion covered her mouth. "Are you sure you don''t want to join us? We couldpare the findings we had this morning, or just chat with us girls. How about you, Mary?"

    Mina shook her head. "I''ll stay where my sister stays."

    She shrugged. "Alright then. Just¡­. There''s always a free spot if you girls changed your mind."

    They gave Harker another repulsed look, before going back to their group.

    Joan raised an eyebrow. "What''s up with them? What''s wrong with this Adam?"

    Harker sighed. "Apparently, he was once convicted 10 years in jail for sexual assault. I would rather pretend to be anyone else, but beggars can''t be choosers, I suppose."

    "Tsk, that exins it. But I can''t believe Victoria would go so far to hire a former r*pist¡­." She trailed off.

    Then, she shook her head. "Who am I kidding? We''ve grown so far apart that I don''t really know her any more than I know all these strangers. Can''t say I''ve known her that well back when we still lived together as a family, she never really considered me as such."

    Harker remembered thest words of the Ice Giantesses, and can''t help but have a feeling that''s not really the case.

    But that doesn''t matter anymore. Victoria wouldn''t really listen to Joan, and she was set on this path. Whatever the Malum was for, it can''t be anything good with how she willingly sacrificed people into zombies and to Legion, even herself. Just to get this much power.

    Harker knew how much greed for power could change someone.

    He didn''t experience it himself. He seemed to have been born with an innate desire to avoid taking too much power at all cost, and to be cautious of gaining too much until he started to be greedy for it.

    A desire to be normal, to be simple. A desire to be human, not a god.

    To be honest, he felt like being a god would be quite a miserable existence. Immortality, having to watch after your creations, the boredom of attaining everything that you don''t really have anything to chase after anymore, no purpose¡­.

    You can choose to destroy the world and ruin lives just for fun. And then what?

    You could choose to beautify the world to the peak of what you believe was perfection. And then what?

    If he could achieve it all at the snap of a finger, changing the world the same way someone who can lucid dream can control his dreams¡­.

    Then it gets really dreadful real fast.

    What makes pleasure sweet was pain, after all. The pains that you had to take to achieve it.

    "Hey, where is Rnd off to?" Joan pointed out, breaking Harker out of his mind-wandering again.

    They saw him get out of the table, staggering. With Doctor Evan Sornione''s unruly hair, he looked especially crazed in doing so. He started walking towards a nearby tree¡­..

    And banged his head against it, yelling again and again.

    "I won''t eat it! I won''t eat it! I''d rather die than have you deceive me!"

 Chapter 182 The Forbidden Fruit

    The people gathered around ''Evan'' in concern.

    "What''s wrong? What''s happening to him?" They asked.

    Victoria sat up from the head of the table. She walked with unnerving calmness, taking her time with every step.

    "Do you need help, Mr. Sornione?''" She asked.

    Rnd tried to keep himself still, but he was shaking. His head was bleeding, but it was visible from the way his veins pop out from his neck that he would snap any second. He still wanted to m his head against the tree bark, as if trying to get something out of it.

    "I¡­. I''m sorry¡­.." Rnd mumbled. "I¡­ Just¡­. have no appetite¡­. I don''t want to eat anymore."

    Victoria was unconvinced. "And is there any need for thismotion if you simply just don''t want to eat?"

    Her hand suddenly transformed into the ck worms that signified Legion''s ability, and Rnd''s eyes widened. He moved away, his face pale with fear.

    "Please don''t¡­. Not those¡­.." He fell onto the ground and yet still tried to crawl away.

    Harker gritted his teeth, knowing that he needed to do something fast. If Victoria''s ck worms got inside Rnd''s body, she''ll learn that he was a fraud.

    He stood up, and with no other choice¡­.

    He went to grab Rnd by the cor, and pped him hard across the cheek!

    "I''ve gotten quite enough of you, you little shite! You just wanted to gain attention now just from a stupid prank, and you''re even trying to let everyone know like the little snitch you are!"

    Everyone was not expecting this development, and blinked in confusion.

    Victoria raised an eyebrow. "A prank?"

    Harker wore Adam Fiero''s signature smirk. "Yes. I ced a beetle into the bastard''s food. I didn''t expect him to overreact once he noticed, but I guess wimps like him love the attention."

    Victoria looked at the both of them quizzically. "Is that true, Mr. Sornione?"

    Rnd was still frazzled, but the p seemed to help him a bit to snap out of whatever spell he was in.

    "Y-Yes¡­.. The bastard ced a dung beetle in my food again. It clung to my head and I had to kill it, Ma''am."

    Sure enough, a dung beetle did appear lying dead by the tree. Its murky blood mixed with the crimson from Rnd. People looked at it with disgust, and looked at Rnd with pity. Meanwhile, Harker received all their contempt.

    "What the fuck is wrong with you, mate?" One of them cursed. "That''s food poisoning and you could have killed him, you arse!"

    Harker raised his hand. "Call me what you will, but the point still stands. This bloke overreacted, and now he had a busted head."

    Mina rose up to help him. "Why don''t you treat his busted head then? Since this is all your fault?"

    Joan joined in. "Yeah, don''t you have any conscience? That''s the least you could do for troubling us all."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Many more nodded in agreement, and Harker had acted well in pretending to be annoyed by this notion. But deep down, he was really relieved. Thanks to the girls'' quick thinking, he''ll be able to have some time alone with Rnd and ask him what''s really going on. This was getting out of hand, and he didn''t expect it to affect their mission so much.

    Victoria just watched the both of them with that empty, listless eyes. Then, she said:

    "Very well. Mr. Fiero. if you do not want to be thrown out of Eden and to sleep in the middle of the blizzard out there, I suggest you take the first aid kit in the repository and tend to Mr. Sornione''s injuries."

    Harker just scoffed. "Fine, fine. Come on, dickwad."

    He smacked Rnd one more time on the back of the head and roughly dragged him to the repository, where they stored all the fresh produce they collected, weapons, and other helpful devices in their journey. There were extra bedsid out there for an emergency clinic of sorts, and Harker soon found the first aid kit.

    Once the door was closed and he was sure that they werepletely alone, he touched Rnd''s bleeding forehead softly.

    "Are you okay? No, that''s stupid. Of course you''re not okay. I should have done something sooner." He said, his hands turning into squirming ck worms. "But it will be alright now. I''ll take care of it¡ª"

    "No!" Rnd pushed him away as soon as he saw those worms.

    Harker frowned. "What''s wrong? This is the best way to heal you quickly, Rol."

    Rnd was breathing heavily, and he hesitated for a while before saying:

    "It shouldn''t be healed quickly, or else they''d notice. Just clean it up and wrap it up with bandages. I''ll be the one to stitch it up."

    Harker frowned. "Stitch it up? How would you be able to stitch up your own forehead?"

    "I just need a mirror." Rnd said. "And I know how to stitch up wounds, Hark. I''m the Crimson Cross Prince after all, my father would have wanted me to be a doctor if I declined to be a businessman."

    Harker still remained unsure. He wanted to not just use the SS cells to patch up the injury, but also to get inside Rnd''s headspace and learn what he was thinking.

    But he supposed that whatever was happening had something to do with this skill, this entering of someone''s mind. It really would be ufortable for any normal human to have worms just going inside their body. It doesn''t sit right with him to do that to Rnd without his consent.

    So, he did as he said. He can''t find a mirror but he did find a metal te for the device, and it was reflective enough to work. Rnd worked his way into giving himself three stitches on the gash on his forehead after it was cleaned and the bleeding had been stopped. Harker watched with uneasiness, still wishing he could do more for his friend.

    "Victoria has a journal." Rnd suddenly said.

    Harker blinked, too focused on the wound for a moment. "What?"

    "I saw her bring it out, this journal. I think it''s hers, but it''s really old and the book cover seemed to be made of leather. She was reading it for a while as everyone discussed about the Malum." He said. "I didn''t gain much on what the Malum was, but I know it has something to do with Eden."

    "Malum was the Latin trantion for the forbidden fruit, a sort of wordy. Malus as an adjective meant ''evil'', while malum that was borrowed from the Greek ''milo'' could mean ''apple''. That''s how the misconception that the Forbidden Fruit was an apple began, when it wasn''t clear in the Bible what fruit it really was. It was just said to grow on the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." He exined.

    Harker scrunched up his brows. "So it''s a code name, right? Why would Victoria look for some mythical fruit from the Bible that started the sins of mankind?"

    "It most likely is. I don''t believe that if Eden was real, it would be this ce." Rnd said. "But every time they talked about Malum, they always spoke about how it could change the world. That once mankind had taken a hold of Malum¡­."

    "We''d ascend into greater enlightened beings, be the same as what we call ''gods''."

 Chapter 183 A Rose By Any Other Name

    Even though Harker wasn''t raised to any religion, he was familiar with several Bible stories from his mother, who was raised by a devout Catholic family down in New Orleans. Now how devoted Josephine Jones was can''t really be determined, and not really all that important.

    Harker always thought her to be more of an agnostic, though he did asionally see her pray during the roughest periods of their lives while she was still alive. That was mostly the reason why he didn''t question Father Gerard''s behavior when he was pretending to be her. When Chloe was born, he also did notice her carrying a rosary in hand more often.

    When he was younger, he didn''t think much about these things. But now that things had evolved this way, he felt he shouldn''t run from the past anymore.

    His mother knew something. She could feel it, as the years approaching her death from childbirth came.

    But what? What was she so scared about?

    He looked at the roses in the garden as he pondered over this. He was only waiting for sundown so they could execute the n of entering Victoria''s room. And thanks to Rnd''s info now, he knew what he would be looking for.

    That journal.

    Rnd described it to be leather bound, and to have a sort of engraving in front. Its pages were yellowed and old, some even in tatters. It would be easy to spot it, he said.

    Harker hoped so, as he didn''t really want the girls to spend so much trouble providing a distraction for 15 minutes. They decided among themselves what that distraction would be, and talked about the signals they would give to each other.

    The n seemed to be simple enough, but timing and execution mattered. Or else everything would fall apart.

    "The roses form a ring." He then heard a voice behind him.

    Harker turned, and it was Rnd. He just nodded, and when he saw some other people around, reluctantly red at his friend.

    Rnd just smiled at this. "Good luck."

    "Have some rest. You need it." Harker said,

    "Mn." He went to the tent assigned for Doctor Sornione to sleep in.

    After receiving the signal, Harker went to look for Victoria''s tent. He saw from afar three figures having a discussion. Sure enough, they were Victoria, ''Mary'' and ''Petra''. The sisters were showing something interesting that they found in the readings.

    Harker had moved quickly and slipped inside while blending into the shadows. But that sinking feeling was still there. That knowing, yet also not knowing.

    Was this how his mother felt during herst days? Knowing evil, yet unable to tell what it was, and how it will approach?

    Such a thing was more of a curse, really. Harker had always thought knowledge was a blessing, but instances like this were an exception. That apprehension, that paranoia¡­. It was slowly eating him inside, like his body cannibalizing itself.

    He tried to keep a clear head, and scattered himself all over Victoria''s room as a group of ck worms.

    Before entering, he didn''t sense any presence or security measure. There was a simple lock, of course, but that won''t keep someone like him. He did have to let go of the harpoon and hide it in one of the bushes, since he can''t carry it with him. Clothes are a different matter, as they are easy to tear apart and join again with the worms.

    And they were mostly made of organic matter too, whether it''s linen, cotton or wool.That was why even clothes would be included in shapeshifting too.

    But metal was a different matter. Harker did wish he could bring the harpoon along with him just for assurance.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He knew his skills were more than enough. It was mostly just to serve as a talisman, the same way people use protective pendants.

    And yes, even rosaries and the symbol of the cross.

    They won''t do much when real danger arises. They''re just there forfort.

    Harker had soon found what he believed to be the journal inside Victoria''s locked drawer. It was easy to unlock by having the ck worms squirm around and undo the mechanism. Anyone else might have to take time lockpicking, but not Harker.

    It all felt too easy, which added to his apprehension.

    Still, he acquired what was needed, and that''s what''s important. Any consequences afterwards will be dealt with, he doesn''t have much to lose.

    Yes, when you''re this powerful that you are almost like a god, you don''t have much to lose.

    The only worry he truly had was securing the safety of his loved ones who weren''t like him. Who are still weaker and have more to lose from the peril.

    The journal really was very old as Rnd had said. Centuries old. Harker wouldn''t be surprised if it was old as Joan and Victoria, or even more. Besides the leather bounding, Harker noticed that the engraving¡­.

    Was apass rose.

    Four directions looking like a star or a cross. North, South, East, West. And in the middle, was the circr center, the ring.

    Harker opened it, the smell of the aged pages pervading his nose.

    The handwriting was very clean and impable. It turned out to not be owned by Victoria, but a navigator named Henry Clerval. Harker remembered that name, the name of Edmund Walton''s right hand man, his first mate, his cartographer and childhood friend.

    When he was gleaning on Joan''s memories, he saw a few instances of the times she met Henry. But it was vague, and he couldn''t discern his features much besides that he had yellow hair and blue eyes.

    As he skimmed the pages, he saw the records of Henry in their travels. He doesn''t say much about his own feelings and experiences like one would in a usual journal. This was really more of a travel log, a way to take notes on the ces they traveled, experiences, important dates, persons and events, etc.

    But when Harker was on thetter pages, he noticed how the handwriting had deteriorated from how it once was. The ink would often form blots from pressing the quill too hard, and sometimes there would be pages just full of ink stters and nonsensical lines.

    This happened during the year 1776. The year of Edmund Walton''s death.

    Harker frowned from remembering that memory. When Alejandro told him the date of Edmund Walton''s date, he suddenly muttered 1761. Why was that? That would have been 15 years before the man''s death, and he would be approximately 7 or 8 years old.

    So why would he say that?

    But it all started to make sense when he read the final page of Henry Clerval''s journal.

    [I still remember the first time we met, and he became like a rose bud in my bosom. It had been 15 years since, but I will never forget that memory. Nor will I ever forget any memory of the one I treasure most in this world. My dear Edmund.]

 Chapter 184 The Blood That Flows Is Still The Same

    [I fail to ept even after we had the burial that he truly passed. That was no burial, there was no body to be buried. It was only a ceremony, for we know that his grave truly lies far north. The Farthest North to be ever reached by the great Edmund Walton.]

    Harker had to squint to read the words, since the handwriting was visibly shaky. There was also a stain that didn''t look the same as all the other ink blots. It looked like a stter, as the ink was mixed¡­..

    By a drop of water.

    Harker guessed that it must havee from Henry Clerval''s eyes. He could imagine it vividly in his mind''s eye. A man barely able to write the words to express his grief, and in the end wasn''t really able to as the words got even more muddled in the end and he had run out of pages.

    But despite having his written eulogy be cut short, Harker could still feel all the anguish that Henry Clerval had for the death of his friend. As he was experiencing it himself, this boundless grief.

    [I should have stopped him. Nay, I should have been the one who had fallen into that coffin of ice and been buried there. I could have called out to him the moment I saw the cracks appear, but as they did, I saw his fate before it even happened. It felt like my vision was doubling over, and I could already see him falling right before I yelled.]

    [I am the one at fault. A frozenke, and yet I still allowed him to take that rope and retrieve that Malum. That sphere of pure evil, the fruit born from Satan''s Juda. I am the one who condemned him to that tragedy, and therefore worthy of falling into the pits myself.]

    Harker frowned. "It really isn''t his fault, what is he on about? If Edmund took Malum, that''s his choice and his fault."

    The Malum then must be a sphere, and the reason why they learned of its existence was from the cartographer''s journal. Harker continued reading to learn more about the connection of what''s happening now to the past of a captain and his crew.

    [I would have thrown myself into theke with him too. But he must know it. He did not allow it, for from the fruit in his hand a shining light appeared. Creation borne from destruction, light borne from darkness. Eden came before our eyes. In the middle of this Juda, paradise had appeared like Elysium among the gloom of the Underworld.]

    [I can see him in every leaf, every flower, everything that was from this paradise. I knew this paradise was his, and I would not allow anyone to desecrate it. Where heid rest, providing us a shelter to stay in his absence. He allowed us to take anything, but not to dig up any soil. A foolish one attempted to do so¡­.]

    [And he too had sunk, Eden eating him up.]

    [When that happened, I knew that we must leave. No one could stay in Eden for too long, no one was worthy. They will covet to gain more, they will covet Malum. And he would rather protect that evil fruit from being released into the world. For ye who feed on the forbidden fruit¡­.]

    [Will be banished from Eden, and they have be like God. They shall not live forever, while my dear Edmund stays alive in this paradise forever.]

    Harker closed the book. That doesn''t exin why Victoria would easily believe that finding Malum would make them like God. Would she just believe the words of some grieving quartermaster?

    It doesn''t make any sense. How exactly would Malum make them all like God? Through the power of creation, like what happened with Edmund producing Eden?

    But that was at the cost of his life. And Henry himself warned that if they tried to take Malum and desecrate Eden, they would be swallowed whole by it.

    As Harker tried to make sense of Victoria''s ns, he heard the sound of the door. He quickly dissolved into SS cells and hid into the crevices and the shadows once more. He waited patiently for the woman to enter so he could get some of his SS cells through her ears¡­.

    And enter her brain to really understand what''s going on in her mind.

    But instead of Victoria, the one who entered the door was a man.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It was no other than Rnd. Harker''s eyes widened as he stepped inside, not wearing the appearance of Doctor Evan Sornione anymore.

    Instead, he looked like his usual self, his blond hair glistening from the pale moonlight on Victoria''s window. He was moving slowly, but deliberately, heading for the drawers.

    Harker re-materialized in front of him, giving him a questioning look.

    "What are you doing here, Rol? Did something happen to the girls?" Harker asked.

    Rnd looked at him, but Harker felt that those eyes were too empty. Like they weren''t looking at him even when they stayed affixed on him. His friend went to reach for the side of his face, his lips stretching into a smile.

    "My dear¡­.. How my poor heart ached for you¡­."

    Harker felt a shiver down his spine, and he quickly smacked his hand away.

    "Who are you?" He gritted his teeth, but his clenched fist shook.

    The smile suddenly turned into a more sinister smirk, as Rnd brought out what seemed to be a red flower he picked from the garden. It was a red carnation.

    "In 1797, exactly 200 years from now, there was a drunkard. A wastrel in the streets. More than that, he used to be born from an aristocratic family. But he became a madman, and he grew into a middle aged madman with no money, no family, no aspirations to keep living. All he ever did was to drink himself to death with the alms he can get¡­.."

    He smiled. "And look into a brokenpass, believing that it would lead him to a treasure lost at sea. It didn''t lead him to that treasure. But it did lead him to a bridge, to a nearly frozenke where he could end his suffering."

    Harker''s eyes widened, and he could only mutter. "No¡­.."

    The one inhabiting Rnd''s body continued:

    "Two centuriester, a heartbroken man also found himself in the same bridge. He jumped, and found the wastrel''s body down into the seabed. Barely anything was left but bones, but it was more than enough to keep all the memories of the treasure he wanted to find¡­. and the secrets of that treasure."

    Harker suddenly felt something strike him. It was the harpoon with red camellias painted over it. It struck him in the heart, causing him to vomit blood.

    "And the heartbroken man didn''t feel like sinking down and despair. Instead, he will find this treasure and im it. There''s only one way to find the treasure, really. Any guesses?"

    Harker watched as his blood mixed into the ground, the soil of Eden¡­..

    And it soon turned into ice. Under the ice was a hand holding a Shard of the Orb of Omniscience.

 Chapter 185 The Rule Of Three

    The wound had soon healed, but that''s not the point of the attack. Harker''s blood was like liquid fire as it melted the ground and the ice underneath.

    "Rnd" moved fast to grab the hand once it was fully revealed, submerged in bloody water. The hand was very stiff, and wasn''t attached to the body. It didn''t grip the shard between its index and thumb tightly, but it was impossible to take it without breaking the hardened bones.

    [Shard spotted! You have retrieved 3/13 of the Orb of Omniscience!]

    As soon as he did take the Shard, the hand crumbled into nothing but ashes, reminding Harker of that old saying.

    Harker knows that this must be Hanker possessing Rnd. He most likely got into the ship through the ''gift'' they provided to them. He felt so stupid, but there was no way to anticipate that he would change his mind about his suicide. And it was even more impossible to anticipate¡­..

    That he would find the body of Henry Clerval under the same bridge where he jumped.

    The coincidence was so crazy and aligned too damn well that it might as well be called fate.

    Still, Harker had seen the signs. The obsession with flowernguage, the weird shadowy figures, and Rnd''s strange behavior.

    When the wound had fully healed, Harker yanked out the harpoon off his chest and aimed the tip to Hanker''s neck.

    "Get out of his body right now." He said.

    The former clone justughed through his best friend''s mouth. "You think threatening me with that would work? You won''t be killing me, you''ll be killing Rnd. Then we''ll truly be together, as I digest his memories into my own before they deteriorate with his dying body."

    Harker smirked. "You should have learned better from Legion."

    Hanker''s smirk slowly disappeared when he said that, as he only realized how Harker''s SS cells slowly creeped up behind Rnd''s body, and went to travel inside his ears. He convulsed, falling into the ground as foreign cells fought within him.

    Harker put all his effort into dragging Hanker''s SS cells out of the body. It was like their cells were all ying a game of Chicken Fight.

    The pool would be Rnd''s blood and gray matter, while their cells fought to push each other off bnce. Just like the actual game, it caused a strain on Harker, both physically and mentally. But it did the same with Hanker, as he soon lost grip of control on the body and gave way for others to take over.

    "Harker! We need to get out of here soon!" Rnd said, holding the Shard in his hand. "We have Malum now, we can''t let Victoria find that it''s with us!"

    Henry Clerval, despite possibly having the least influence, managed to pop out one more time. "Edmund dear, are you alright? Your veins will burst if you keep pushing yourself."

    Harker tried to ignore their voices since if he did, he''d lose his grip. He was sweating buckets as he gritted his teeth¡­..

    And finally, he let out a loud cry as he expelled thest of Hanker''s cells atst. "GRRAHHH!!!"

    ck worms shot out from Rnd''s ears, both Harker and the clone''s. To make sure he doesn''t go inside Rnd again, his SS cells shoved Hanker''s into the cold water.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The icy coldness also had an effect on these superior, almost immortal cells, even though it wasn''t as immediate as fire. Fire burns the cells, while ice freezes it slowly. It makes them weaker until they getpacted and harden, eventually sinking.

    This was the fate that was supposed to meet Hanker. Though the water in London was less colder than in the North Pole because it was summer there, it''s still significantly chillier than, say, tropical waters.

    But the temperature here outside of Eden was at sub-zero. And so Hanker started to freeze a lot faster.

    Harker could hear his voice as he interacted with his SS cells, trying to swallow them and fight for freedom in the cold water. But Harker was willing to sacrifice a few of his cells anyway to die with this clone.

    "You think that getting rid of me would change anything? You have already sealed your fate the moment you started to look for the Shards, Hark. You''re just sinking into the pit even deeper by getting rid of the part of you that''s most honest. That knows the truth, the full truth."

    Harker couldn''t tell if Hanker was being genuine or he was just trying to mess with his head onest time. But if he was maniptive enough to hide his presence within Rnd, then it''s reasonable for Harker to doubt hisst words.

    "You''re not the only part of me that can find the truth, Hank. You may know it already, but I can work my way through it myself."

    At this, the part of him that was most instinctual and repressed, yet also intuitive,ughed sadly.

    "Very well. Bury me once more, like you always did before."

    And he did. Hanker was truly gone, frozen and sinking into the frozenke. But his presence is still there, like a three-headed beast banished to remain alone in the dark pits with no warmth or light.

    Harker breathed heavily, turning to Rnd. He was so relieved as he let out a breath, and opened his mouth to speak¡ª

    When he realized the harpoon had struck him in the stomach, blood pooling in the area into a ring like a blood moon.

    Rnd''s hands were the ones who did it, but it wasn''t him. The dread and terror in his eyes were evident. Harker went towards him¡ª

    When he was swallowed by a ck tornado, dragging him away and scattering him to pieces.

    Harker soon realized what just happened. All along, it wasn''t just Hanker and Henry Clerval who were possessing Rnd''s body with SS cells.

    A third entity had hid very well, had waited for the right moment while everything was in chaos before she struck.

    "Thank you for finding the Malum for us, Mr. Jones." The tent had broken down as the Ice Giantess appeared, gripping Harker tightly in her hands. "I don''t understand why your blood would be the answer to all of it, though. But what I did learn from the screen that appeared before your subconscious , the one who ims to know the ''full truth'' ¡­."

    "Is that the Malum had simply been part of something greater, and that you have 3 of its pieces now, correct?"

 Chapter 186 Ice And Fire

    Harker felt that he himself was slowly freezing, and he struggled. The Ice Giantess just smiled.

    "Now imagine how much power of creation would the full piece hold. We thought that Edmund Walton had taken the whole fruit, but he had actually only taken a small bite. How very fitting."

    The freezing felt the same way as burning. It was so cold that it burned, that it made the small cells bust'' and explode within itself.

    But somehow, that was the least of Harker''s concerns. He could still see with his dismembered eyes that Rnd was bleeding to death, while he had no idea what happened to Mina and Joan. And the bodyguards were still waiting for the signal, out in the sea on a ship.

    The fate of the world was in his hands, his burden to carry even if he would rather sumb to his personal pain and suffering.

    Harker tried his best to have some SS cells squeeze out in between the gaps of the Ice Giantess'' fingers. But her own cells enveloped it in its icy grip.

    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom "I would behave if I were you." She lightly chuckled, but her face remained expressionless. "The only reason why I haven''t erased you from existence yet was because I still need to know where you kept those other two Malum. I would heal your friend for you if you tell me, and perhaps I can send him, my sister and that blonde girl on their way."

    Harker responded to her with a bitter scoff. "You''re lying. You could just consume me in order to gain my memories. You''re just ying with your prey before you deliver the end."

    Victoria the Ice Giantess frowned. "That''s not true. I cannot consume you, just like how the ice cannot consume fire. It doesn''t work that way. It can kill fire, but not consume it."

    Harker realized that she was right. Legion could have just eaten him, but he didn''t. Instead, he put up with that fight despite being the stronger one of the two in terms of both strength and control over this kind of ability. And he lost, almost deliberately, it seemed.

    So this was the reason.

    "That doesn''t mean that you are invincible. I can kill you, but not consume you. So I''m leaving you a choice." She tightened her grip. "Show me where the other two ''Shards'' are. Or die along with your friends, while I find them myself."

    Harker tried to think of a n with the very few seconds he had left. Mina and Joan were still alive, since Victoria used them as a bargaining chip. But he doesn''t know how hurt they were.

    Still, they couldn''t be as much worse as Rnd. If he doesn''t act soon, Rnd''s life would be gone.

    "Heal him first, then I''ll tell you where the Shards were." He said.

    Victoria shook her big blue icy head. "No. It doesn''t work that way, Mr. Jones."

    "Then I''ll tell you where one of the Shards were, and you heal him and release him. After that, I''ll tell you where the other one is if you promise to let Mina and Joan go too."

    The Ice Giantess considered this, her eyshes that looked like they''re made of fine strands of snow fluttering as she blinked. Then, she nodded.

    Harker frowned. "How can I be sure you''ll fulfill your promiseter?"

    Victoria spoke softly: "I fulfill all my promises, don''t I? Back when we also bartered like this. I am not a viin, Mr. Jones, and I have an integrity to uphold. It''s the only thing separating me from Legion, how I maintained my own identity. While Legion easily epts everyone else''s identity, both the good and the bad.... I want to stay as my true honest self."

    Harker thought that he was so tired of hearing his enemies im they''re honest. And he hated how it was true every single time.

    He too was honest for most of the time but¡­..

    For his survival, he needed to make an exception.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "The first Shard¡­.. Is within my bedroom. In the third drawer in the vanity, it''s two broken pieces that I put together after gaining it from two demons." He said.

    Victoria can''t verify this information because she couldn''t feed on Harker''s memories. So she based it on his tone, which sounded genuine enough.

    She released several SS cells from the tip of her icy fingers into Rnd''s wound. She first took out the harpoon, then covered therge hole it made on his sr plexus. Luckily, it wasn''t on his chest and didn''t hit anything vital like his heart, lungs, or spine. But he would have bled to death within a few more minutes.

    Rnd gasped loudly as he was healed, and looked at the worms with pure hatred and disgust. It was reasonable for him to dislike those things as they have invaded his body several times without his knowledge, and tried to take control of him like a puppet.

    "Harker¡­. Don''t believe her¡­.." Rnd said. "I saw what she did to Mina and Joan. She gave them away to¡ª"

    The worms suddenly wrapped around his mouth, silencing him. Rnd''s eyes widened as they lifted him up, and carried him out.

    "They''re taking him back to the ship where you came from." Victoria said. "Now for the second Shard."

    Instead of answering, Harker first asked: "Since when did you know? Since the start?"

    Victoria didn''t say anything for a while, her blue lips closed into a thin line. Then, she confirmed it.

    "Yes. But it doesn''t count as a lie, if we don''t consider omission as a lie. I simply didn''t say anything as you tried to infiltrate my group. You''re not really good at concealing yourself as much as I or Legion do, concealing your abilities. It''s not just that we acquire them, you know. They are like new features in our appearance, and can be seen by those like us."

    Harker cursed. So it was because he still had low Concealment. He wondered how he could raise that one in the next Ability Ascension.

    "Second Shard. Now." Victoria said.

    Harker almost told her about it, when he realized that the moon wasn''t shining its usual silver glow tonight.

    They were so focused about Victoria and Eden that he had forgotten this was the night of the Super Blue Blood Moon. And he saw a flying figure passing overhead.

    He remembered what Rnd said, and understood now.

    "The second Shard¡­.. Is with me."

    Victoria frowned. "That''s a lie. I have scattered your cells to pieces. I would have seen the Shard¡ª"

    "The Shard is not a metal that can''t be mixed with our cells when we Shapeshift. It''s like our clothes. It''s an organic matter, even when itsposition makes it seem like it''s not." Harker said. "I have kept it with me, just like Edmund Walton kept it within an icyke."

    Victoria furrowed her brows, as if determining how truthful he was. But Harker''s tone was just as truthful as before.

    So she did try to look for the Shards among the cells. As she focused onbing through every single one of them¡­..

    Harker began to feed on her.

    Ice cannot consume fire. But fire consumes everything. He will consume Victoria until she burns and gets banished from this paradise.

 Chapter 187 The Devils Spawn

    As Rnd was being taken farther and farther away from Eden through a wave of ck worms, his body was taken over by Henry Clerval for a while just to call out with a voice full of desperation:

    "Edmund!!!!"

    He reached out and frantically iled like a man trying to swim against the currents.

    Rnd gritted his teeth and felt a surge of anger even though he would have basically done the same thing. "There''s no point! These stupid worms will never let us get back to him!"

    Henry Clerval started to sniffle. "Edmund¡­. But I have just seen him again¡­."

    "He''s not Edmund." Rnd snapped. "What you need to do is to calm the fuck down and let me think of a n to save him."

    This was one of the very rare circumstances that Rnd cursed, and it was full of vitriol. He knew that having a hot head won''t solve anything, but he just can''t help it.

    After everything that happened to him, he does have the right to be angry.

    After what that man had done to his body¡­.

    Henry did stop using his eyes to cry. He asked softly. "What¡­. What are we supposed to do then, youngd? What must we do to save my dear Edmund?"

    Rnd closed his eyes, trying to push down all his turbulent thoughts and emotions. The moon gave everything a red glow, so he felt like he was literally seeing red. There''s no point in dwelling in the past, especially since that past is dead and buried into the ice.

    "Alejandro and the others are camping nearby. They''re waiting for the signal." He remembered. "I''ll go send it now, and hopefully, they''ll see me ande to my aid. They had prepared methrowers after all."

    "What is a methrower?" The Georgian era man asked.

    That was what always bothered Rnd, people calling the 18th century the ''Victorian era'' when it''s actually Georgian and 18th century doesn''t mean 1800s, but 1700s¡ª

    He smacked himself. He needed to focus, his mind kept wandering off due to the high cortisol levels and the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He had already sent the signal, and estimated that it would take at least 15 seconds before the others could see them. They need to be spotted just in time before they be too far to be reached.

    He had spotted Alejandro''s shaved head, and felt immense relief. But it''s not over. Seeing him being wrapped by the worms, Alejandro hesitated on whether to shoot fire or not.

    "Do it!" Rnd yellled. "Fire, Alejandro!"

    The bodyguard then steeled his expression, and aimed his gun a bit off course from where Rnd was. That way, he wouldn''t identally burn his master. The mes burned the patch of snow and a bit of the ice.

    The worms caught fire easily, and they changed direction to go and attack Alejandro. In this short time frame where he was distracted and injured, Rnd had used all his strength to push off the worms around him and be released to fall into the soft snow.

    Hended face first, breaking an arm but did not mind it. The pain was nothingpared to his determination to get Harker to safety.

    "Contact the ship! The An Xin members are here, and Harker has been captured by Victoria!" He yelled.

    The other members of the small group that was made to camp near Eden went on to follow his directions. They''re going to send in their teams and fight with all these creatures.

    Rnd wished he could do more, but that would just be foolish. He had no weapon, and though he can defend himself with martial arts, attacking monsters was out of his repertoire.

    So he ced Harker''s safety into the hands of his followers and fate itself.

    The best way he could help, however, was to gain information. That''s what he does best.

    Rnd can see the four people that had been captured, tied up and gagged. One of which was Doctor Evan Sornione, who was the one he shapeshifted as by taking some of Harker''s blood and his blood.

    Because of this, he had also acquired a few of the Doctor''s memories. Rnd approached him, grabbing him by the cor.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He peeled off the masking tape on the Doctor''s mouth roughly. "What exactly do you n to do with Malum!? What does Victoria want with it!?"

    "I-I don''t know! I was just searching for it as she asked!"

    "Liar! I saw you discussing to a few other scientists about taking the Malum yourself and running away!" Rnd eximed. "If you didn''t know what it does, why would you n to do that in the first ce!?"

    "She didn''t tell me anything besides that it''s a very potent biological power source! That''s why! That''s all I know, I swear! I believed her because Eden''s existence is virtually impossible, a miracle, even! Something like that would make me win a Noobel prize and mark my name in history forever."

    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom While interrogating, the Doctor Sornione and the other two scientists were shaking in fear.

    But Adam Fiero wasn''t. He seemed to be looking at Rnd pointedly, as if trying to gain his attention through his eyes and the psychic staring effect.

    Rnd finally moved his attention towards him, and ripped off the tape in his mouth.

    "Speak. What is it?" Rnd said, though he bears some skepticism over this man since he knows his background as a criminal and a troublemaker within Victoria''s group.

    "I don''t know anything about this Malum business either. But I do know that you have 2 souls, don''t you? I can see him, though he was much fainter than the other one that used to upy you before." He said. "Why don''t you ask him?"

    Rnd''s eyes widened. This man could detect Henry Clerval''s presence?

    Adam scoffed. "And if we really are going to be involved in a war, can you untie us while you''re at it? Or if you''d rather leave us to die, then be quick with it. I''d rather not see whatever chaos ensues in the Night of the Devil. The Evil Eye is upon us."

    "What does he mean by that?" Rnd asked, uncovering the mouths of the two women as well.

    Since they don''t seem to be able to cause any harm now and have no reason too, he did untie them. They may be enemies, but they don''t deserve to die just from being involved with Victoria.

    Mary Curry said: "We have no idea. Adam is a superstitious guy. When he r*ped that girl, he said he was just trying to take out the Seed of Evil out of her."

    Adam scoffed again. "And it''s true. The Seed of Evil is in her womb, and I need to get it out or she''ll give birth to the Devil''s spawn."

    Petra Curry rolled her eyes. "Good thing that excuse never worked in court. Too bad it''s just 10 years, even had a job with Victoria for 12 years as soon as he got out of prison. Lucky bastard."

    "Can we please stop chit chatting and just get out of here already!?" Doctor Evan Sornione looked around fearfully. "I think I heard a howl just now¡­.. And I have just seen the biggest pelican in my life."

    "That''s not a pelican, it''s something much, much worse." Rnd said. "Go ahead to find the rowboat on the ship. But if you guys try anything strange, we have more manpower to easily take on 4 people."

    They nodded, and rushed out. But Adam turned around to give Rnd a look.

    Rnd was just about to ask Henry about the when he noticed him through scopaesthesia again.

    He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

    "Your friend..."

    Adam then shook his head. "The world is fated to die anyway the moment I failed to do my mission. The Devil''s spawn was born. We are all doomed to the Darkness."

    Rnd was unsettled by this, but shook his head. 10 years in prison, 12 years working¡­.. That incident was 22 years ago, then.

    What an awful coincidence that was.

 Chapter 188 Buried Deep Within You

    "What does Malum do?" Rnd asked Henry. "Like what it truly does. And please don''t be cryptic."

    The sailor from the 18th century thought about it for a while, before saying:

    "The Malum seemed to give Edmund the knowledge to create and to change. To bring matter into existence. But his physical body had already died when he achieved it, so it was no use to him. He could only change Eden, since that is where his soul resides. At least, that is what I believe from what I observed."

    Rnd thought about what Victoria said about there being 2 more ''Malums'', and that Harker/Hanker was aware of it. He asked Henry about this.

    Henry replied. "I don''t know about that. I may have, I am not certain, for I am simply a fragment, you see. I have never truly felt whole all my life."

    "Whole in what way?" Rnd asked.

    "In... In a way that is simr to him. To the one who had brought me up and took me to your body to be our shelter. I do feel quite terrible that it was without permission, but you must understand us fragments. We always seek to be part of something, because in that way, even if we were not part of that originally¡­.. We just wanted to belong somewhere. Anywhere."

    Rnd shook his head. "I have nothing against you. That''s in the past. The only thing that matters to me now is getting me and my people out of this chaos as soon as possible."

    Henry suddenly smiled using Rnd''s lips. "You are much more like him than you think."

    "Like who?" Rnd frowned.

    "Him. Hank was his name, right? You are indeed like him."

    Rnd could feel his fury rising again just from the mention of that man''s name.

    It all started slowly upon receiving the gift. But the moment when "Hank" truly entered his body was that night.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Rnd remembered that he was dreaming about sheeps. But that''s not the full truth.

    The ck sheep had stayed pinning him down, but Rnd soon realized that it wasn''t a sheep. It was a goat. And the goat then turned into a satyr, a half-man half-goat creature. This creature made purely of ck and darkness stayed on top of him for the whole night, just watching him from below.

    Rnd pretended to sleep in fear, but he knew. This¡­. devil. He knew that Rnd was just pretending, and yet didn''t acknowledge it.

    Instead, he leaned close and spoke until Rnd could feel his breath to his face.

    "It had always been just you, wasn''t it? Only you."

    Rnd didn''t say anything, but shivered by how familiar that voice was. The pitch, the cadence, everything.

    Even the touch was familiar. He felt some heaviness as the devilid directly on top of him, burying his head on the crevice of his neck. He wrapped Rnd tightly into a suffocating embrace.

    "Ehye asher Ehye, Kochav. Let us be one again."

    Then¡­

    That''s when he entered.

    He entered through Rnd''s mouth, his eyes, his ears, his nose, the pores of his skin¡­.. It was even more terrible than the first time. He inserted himself even into every fiber of his being, and filled up every space. He had desecrated Rnd, and from now on, he will never truly feel clean.

    That man, even in his death, will stay with him.

 Chapter 189 Little Worm With A Icy Machine Heart

    ?

    When Harker started to feed on her, Victoria did put up a fight for a while, elerating the freezing process on Harker.

    But Harker''s determination somehow overpassed hers. And he knows just how much willpower Victoria had. She will lose only when she chooses to lose, or caught off guard by tricks and cheating. That was what happened when ''Joan'' defeated her, and that''s what''s happening right now.

    Harker wasn''t beating her fair and square. But it didn''t matter now, as he needed to hurry up in consuming her.

    Thanks to his bigger Absorption Limit, he can still consume a Legion-like entity that was made of so many cells of other individuals. Harker gnawed on her arms, her abdomen, going in all directions like a rabid dog that lost its marbles.

    Victoria stopped looking for the Shard for a moment, to speak in almost a mocking way.

    "Ah, how fitting. Being consumed by men once again."

    Harker felt a surge as this somehow made him notice how Victoria''s memories were slowly slipping into his own mind. Her childhood, her transformation of her entire family into an undead, and the life she leads after.

    Harker tried to remain focused on consuming her, but it was like trying to get past a snowstorm with the snow already reaching up to his waist. And the cold was unbearable, sinking deep into his bones.

    The worst part was the numbness from the cold. The numbness seemed to reach his very soul.

    Was this also what happened to Victoria?

    This endless despair to the point that it had numbed down every single emotion from you, that you havee to ept that you the void was simply a part of you. Almost like Joan.

    No, he was wrong. It was different from Joan''s. For Victoria, it wasn''t that the void had always been a part of her.

    She was simply a part of the void, and nothing else.

    Harker felt like he just wanted to stay still, to listen to the slow and weak beating of his heart. To perceive the world with eyes that does nothing but watch, and not really react to it. An empty barren tree in a state of never-ending internal catatonia, where he does move but only mechanically.

    Yes, we are just ghosts caged inside hollow machines. And when that machine stopped working...

    Victoria had seen how that machine stopped working at the age of 5.

    All of its tiny processes as it happened. The small spasms, the changes in breathing, the light disappearing from their eyes. She saw it happen to her mother first, then to her father. The snow had fallen into their faces, mixing with the blood frothing from their mouth and the other holes in their bodies.

    The war had left their town to be just a part of the void, of the winter wastnd where they had made their settlement. The British soldiers went away with their horses clip-clopping into the distance, not realizing that they had left one of them alive.

    "Holle¡­.. Lauf weg, Holle."

    That was her father''sst words before he met his end. Before his body doesn''t work anymore.

    "Run away, Holle."

    But Little Holle did not run away. She stayed there, observing how the machine deteriorated after it stopped working. She looked around to see if it was the same for everyone, and it was.

    What is the point of one person''s individuality, their character, their principles¡­. If they all end up the same way?<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Their faces be pale, all liquids abandon their body, they grow stiff, their hair and nails extending and bing fragile enough to be pulled out so easily¡­.. Man, woman, elderly, children, everything in between.

    Because of witnessing this, young Holle had found it always strange why humanity bothered to have wars among themselves, to fight each other for dominance, to try to run away from this fate that they will eventually meet.

    But young Holle, who had been simply watching bodies for the past three days under the snowstorm, was taken to be Victoria.

    The child was hungry, and yet she didn''t cry or look for food. She was in a constant state of catatonia where she would just stare emptily at the British men who lifted her up and ced her in a carriage. Even when they tried to talk to her, whether it was in kind German or insults in English, she would not speak.

    "It is like a doll. Might as well sell her up to be a servant in some sweatshop." She heard one of them say.

    And they must be right. Holle was an empty doll, and Victoria was the dressed up version. In the end, she didn''t be a toy doll for a sweatshop, but a toy doll for a wealthy man named Alphonse Seward.

    Alphonse had put much effort in dressing up and ying with Victoria. He used his other toys to interact with her. The tutor, the seamstress, the cook, the nanny¡­. They all yed a role with their machine-like bodies for his satisfaction.

    When Victoria talked about men, it doesn''t mean that she had a distaste for men as a sex. In males. When she speaks of men¡­.

    It was people like Alphonse.

    Men were those that orchestrated the roles to y, while the rest were puppets, actors, machines. Men were the ones who decide the roles, who decide the script, who pulls everyone in strings and cuts those strings whenever and however they choose.

    Victoria had seen it happen once. The poor gardener. He turned out to be cutting some of the roses he grew in the garden to sell for some penny to support his young daughter.

    In the end, he had his head cut off for a crime he did notmit.

    That was how easy men yed with those beneath them.

    But Victoria always knew better. Deep down, though she yed the role Alphonse gave her diligently as the ''grateful adoptive savage than had been tamed'', she knew that when men died, they die just like those that serve them.

    "What disgusting looking worm. Euk!" She heard her little sister Joan say as she stepped on a worm whilst walking up the steps aged 11.

    She too, had a role to y. But she could easily just be as powerful as these men if Victoria loses in this script. And when that happens¡­.

    Will Victoria''s strings be cut off? Will she also be like the worm?

    A voice in her head beckoned to her:

    ''Run away, little worm. Run away before you get stepped on.''

    So that was what she did. Despite knowing that the endes for us all and knowing how it happens... She ran away from Death by performing even more diligently with her machine body, her machine heart beating with determination. Even when Joan slowly became more and more rebellious in their teenage years, she did not take the chance to falter and lose her head.

    Yet of course, it was never enough.

 Chapter 190 A Short Rest Into The Emptiness

    ?

    Harker realized that she was no longer moving, and that disturbed him more than her ability to erase his existence.

    He was shivering, and was left in thep of the mutted Ice Giantess. Victoria observed him with empty eyes...

    And he can''t help but feel like he wanted to stay still as well. To stop moving, to ept that he was a part of the void too.

    "Run away." She suddenly spoke. "Move your hollow machine and run away from the void, even though you will never truly escape it."

    Harker gritted his teeth. It''s the same thing with Legion all over again. Only that¡­..

    This was someone who believed that she still had identity, individuality, character, a higher purpose. It felt physically painful to be the one to bring her back to the void. The pain was so great that it was nothingpared to the icy, numbing pain, it felt more like being crushed by an immense weight.

    "Why did you wanted it?"

    "To be more than a little worm. I thought¡­.." She smiled as if from a cruel joke, except the joke was on her. "I thought that perhaps I could be the big man this time. But a kinder one. When everyone is god, when everyone has equal power¡­. There is no need for wars, death, hatred, cruelty. But now that I sit to actually think, I realize I am a fool."

    "Consume or be consumed¡­. That''s the purpose of life itself. Even in death, you are consumed. Fight or sumb, it''s all the same."

    Harker also took a moment to sit and think of his own foolishness. And so, he stood up.

    "It''s done. You decide when the end wille for you, Holle."

    Holle smiled. "Finish what you started, man. You are the in-between, but you must choose a path. You cannot meet things halfway."

    "What if I want to?" Harker said.

    "Then you fail in your purpose."

    "I don''t want a purpose. I just want¡­.. I just want to just be. Can''t I do that?"

    Holle did not answer for a while. Then¡­.

    "Do you know why I saved Joan when I could easily abandon her to the void?"

    Harker knew why, but allowed her to say it herself.

    "When I saw their bodies in that wreckage, trying my best to get out of one of the broken train''s doors¡­. I thought it must be my fault that I have lived such an empty husk of a life. Because in the end, I never ran away. I stayed there, didn''t I?"

    She chuckled lightly. "I let Alphonse Seward consume me, and everyone else. Even his wife, even his friends, even myself¡­.. I havee to consume myself, all these years. Consuming my own walking corpse under the cold and bitter tundra that I kept traveling. But if I could have at least one purpose..."

    "That may be to let Joan consume me, so she may continue to thrive. To exist and be like man. I gave up my corpse to her. Everything I had left."

    Harker felt the sting in his eyes.

    "I won''t do the same. I won''t consume you."

    Holle reached out to him weakly with her pale blue hands.

    "Oh, but you must. I beg you. For at least, I am consumed by a man. My identity, my memories, myself¡­. I will be within a machine that has a mind, unlike if I perish from the world. I am scared of the world, I realize it now. Don''t let me die from the world."

    Harker took a heavy breath, and¡­..

    He did it.

    This person''s entire being washed over him and added to the current of everything else he kept the void of his own mind. A Pandora''s box that he must carry all his life.

    In this box, she was stored along with nk, Ahanu, a priest, his mother, everything¡­.. The moment it was released might be when he ends.

    But there was still much time before that. Everyone in his box was urging him to keep moving, to keep running.

    To keep being a fool.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    And a fool he will be, knowing the truth of good and evil, of life and death¡­. And yet still pursuing empty air and gas and heat billions of miles away.

    He looked at the stars above, and screamed out from the pain and anguish he was carrying like the world itself rested on his shoulders.

    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

    He attacked indiscriminately. A force of the void, and nothing but the void. He brought that void into the ones below him.

    "It''s him!" He heard someone yell.

    It was the angel, Clementine. He ordered up various instructions to attack and stop Harker. But it was all futile.

    Whatever efforts they made, every time they tried to attack¡­. It was lost on Harker. There was only that aching and numbness at the same time, and he let himself cry freely as he brought Death upon others.

    He was a Consumer, a Destroyer. That was what he was.

    When all of them had perished, he fell. He let himself fall, crashing into that ice until it cracked.

    Muffled shouts were all around him. But they were so distant. Like the stars that were the object of folly, of humanity''s pride, always wanting to reach what it cannot.

    Is there an end to it all?

    There wasn''t, and he had always known that. Yet he chose to forget, believing there was, and that if he reached that star, he would be satisfied.

    The moon shone over him, blood red. It seemed to look at him, like a red iris. The pupil, that one ball of pure darkness¡­..

    Shown his reflection.

    "I am An Xin."

    The dark heart beating within a hollow shell.

    But it was wrong.

    He was more than that. He had to reach out, to keep going and let the foolish him continue. The one with a righteous heart, the one that believes.

    And so Harker bursted out of the ice, gasping for air. He climbed out of the ice crack, coughing loudly.

    "Harker, thank god!" Joan eximed as she helped pull him up.

    There were marks on her arm, as she seemed to have been bound on that bed of ice. It had sunk now, and was nowhere to be seen.

    Mina looked at him. "Are you¡­.. Alright? You killed them all."

    Harker looked at her. "I know¡­. I''m sorry."

    She shook her head. "You shouldn''t apologize. I''m not mad with you. I am concerned."

    She pressed her hand on his forehead, and felt that he was both freezingly cold and burning hot at the same time.

    "Harker, you are¡ª"

    Tired. He was tired of knowing, not knowing, seeding, not seeding.

    He let himself sink into the void, just for a little while. That''s how it is for us everytime we sleep anyway. A little moment into that dark emptiness.

    And he allowed himself to stay there for a long, long time.

 Chapter 191 The One I Couldnt Kill

    ?

    For those who were the witness to the events, it all felt like a blur. It was like watching a fireworks disy that came so shockingly that it shook the ground, and then ended abruptly.

    The members of the An Xin sect were actually feeling somber that night. There were just times when our subconscious just knew something, and yet we chose to ignore it. That twisting feeling in someone''s gut that cannot be exined, that heaviness in the air that transferred to your chest and made it hard to breathe¡­..

    Tao felt it the most. He was still alive, but he was still significantly weak. He was being carried by Clementine as they flew all the way from Ennd to the Arctic.

    "Let''s go back, Clem." He said.

    Clementine shook his head. "No. The sacrifice must be made."

    "What if it gets interrupted again this time? It led to the death of the Venerable One. It took us more than a thousand years for a new one to be reborn and bring the Great Bright One into the material realm." Tao furrowed his brows. "What if that was always the fate of the Venerable One, and the cycle will just repeat again?"

    "Then is there any point fighting against it?" Clementine answered.

    This made Tao finally be silent, but that doesn''t mean that he had easily epted that answer.

    They didn''t speak to each other until Clementine had set him down where the 13 pirs were. He then said:

    "We are born for the purpose of the Great Bright One. Sometimes we may not understand it, sometimes it may frighten us. But we must remember that our bodies are something we just borrowed in order to aplish his will."

    Tao smiled sadly. "We are the true sacrifice, then."

    And he wasn''t wrong. As soon as he saw that ck surging winds, like a ck me about to destroy everything he knew and loved¡­..

    He knew then that they were the real sacrifices for the night. The women were just a way for the destruction toe unto them.

    Why does it have to be them? Why does it have to be him, why does it have to be Clementine?

    He felt like a pawn questioning why he had to be a pawn. In the end, the angel must be right. There was no use questioning it, no use fighting it.

    And yet¡­.

    In hisst moments, he still turned into arge tiangou¡­.

    And wrapped himself around the man he knew all his life. His greatest friend, hispanion. They had been inseparable since the beginning, and they won''t be separated until the bitter end.

    Clementine looked up at him. He had ordered everyone to attack and avoid the surge, yet it was toote. The carnage was imminent, their destruction was inevitable.

    As Clementine was sheltered by Tao''s own body, he gritted his teeth.

    "You fool¡­.. This is your moment to be free. You wanted to run away, and you could have. So what are you doing?"

    "I couldn''t kill you." Tao said. "Thousands of years of finding each other insufferable, and yet we still couldn''t kill each other, much less abandon each other."

    At this, heughed.

    Such a goodugh it was. Itsted quite long. Bright and airy, it even sounded melodious to his ears. Tao thought that perhaps death would not be so bad if thatugh was thest thing he got to hear.

    "You dumb dog." Clementine said, leaning into a chest covered in fur. "I suppose I''m not any better."

    The ck me was heading for them, and the angel he couldn''t kill said:

    "In the next life, I hope that we couldn''t kill each other still and continue to remain in each other''s insufferable presence."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tao lowered his head to rest above Clementine''s, and then¡­.

    They were gone. What happened next, only they would know. What happens after the end.

    Meanwhile, the bodyguards were quite confused. Alejandro had sessfully burned all of the SS cells from Victoria that carried Rnd, and had gone toe and infiltrate the area for battle.

    But the moment they got there, the battle was over. Eden no longer exists. Even Victoria''s crew were confused at how quickly they lost it.

    They saw their leader be eaten, saw the deaths of the An Xin members, but it all felt¡­. like a dream.

    They saw the Rnd''s men with their guns and methrowers, and didn''t even put up a fight. They just raised their hands, too confused to decide what to do so they let this other group decide. But even Alejandro and the others were confused on what to do.

    They were like pawns that were just left behind as the actual pieces battled each other and a victor was decided so fast. They didn''t know where to go from here.

    Soon, they saw Mina and Joan dragging along a figure that never moved no matter how much they called out.

    The people all expected the ''victor'' to look majestic within this blizzard, like a proud and mighty entity walking¡­. well, victoriously. But no. He looked like a dead man, worse than a dead man. He looked like a defeated man, exhausted and bloody from the battle.

    Alejandro rushed to carry Harker for them, checking his vitals. "Is he still alive? Did he drown?"

    "For a while. But he''s still¡­." Joan looked. "Something''s wrong with him."

    Alejandro checked Harker''s body well, and she was right. There really was something wrong with this man. He was breathing, but he had no pulse. No heartbeat. His body was simultaneously hot and cold at the same time. He must be in aa or concussion, but he couldn''t tell if this was from hypothermia or heat stroke.

    "We¡­. We should bring him back tond as soon as possible. Real, normalnd." Alejandro said shakily. "We still have to find Mr. Rnd---"

    "So they''re both like that, huh?"

    The people parted as soon as they heard that voice. It was Adam Fiero, and along with him were the other three scientists. He was also carrying someone on his back.

    "Couldn''t tell if he was dead as a doornail or having a very high fever. Couldn''t tell if he still has a soul or not." He said, showing the body. "They could be in the in-between."

    Joan clenched her fist. "Whatever''s happening right now¡­. We better get out of here. I don''t want to be in this ce anymore."

    She hugged herself. Everyone was rattled by what happened, but it was even worse for her¡­

    Because she achieved what she always wanted. She talked with her sister, right before she handed her over to be a sacrifice to those demonic or whatever cult. Mina was apprehended again by having her breath taken away just enough so she would be too weak to move while being pinned down by 4 An Xin members.

    Theirst exchange was:

    "If you hated me so much, why don''t you just kill me yourself!?"

    Victoria just smiled.

    "I couldn''t. I hated you all my life, ever since Iid my eyes on you. But I just couldn''t. I had my chance a long time before, just letting you die."

    She then went on to do something unexpected.

    She went to hug Joan.

    "But you wouldn''t die. I know that. You are the one person in this world that I couldn''t kill.... sister."

 Chapter 192 Remains Unburied

    ?

    Harker found himself staring at a spiral staircase from above.

    It felt like it would go on forever. But when he counted the number ofplete turns, it was only 9. Nine turns, and yet it felt so much deeper than that, like it would reach to the center of the Earth itself. Down to its very core.

    He realized that he was in some kind of tower, most likely. The walls were made of cold gray cobblestone and it was so dark. Even with his night vision, this ce still felt incredibly dark and he could barely see anything if he didn''t squint his eyes. The end of the staircase looked like nothing but an empty¡­.

    "Void."

    Harker turned around, and there was a figure behind him in red. His clothing was something like he had seen from Medieval men, with long overflowing capes and high ck boots. His entire silhouette was just red, ck, and white¡ª the white being his skin the color of baster.

    His eyes were glowing bright red amidst the darkness, so bright that it might be considered as the only light source in this ce.

    "Rarely do I have visitors. Or would it be the opposite? Was it you who invited me in?"

    Harker doesn''t know why he felt like suffocating just from looking at this man. He felt like his blood was boiling and turning his body into an overheated mess. But at the same time, the hairs on his skin stood up as it would from the cold.

    "I assume that it must be thattter. You are not really here, I am the one who visited you."

    Harker tried his best to muster the words. But before they could even escape his lips¡ª

    "I am who I am." The man answered, tilting his head in an amused manner. "What about you? Who are you, boy?"

    Harker knew then that this man could read his mind. But who is he really?

    He can''t seem to remember anything else before the moment he was looking on the spiral staircase. Why was he here? How did he get here? He can''t recall anything other than his name, and who he was¡­..

    Well, who was he?

    He was Harker Jones, but that felt empty. He had nothing else but a name.

    "Poor soul. Harker Jones, was it?" He spoke the name as if he was tasting it, savoring it. "Ah. Now I understand."

    "Do you know why I''m here?" Harker asked.

    The man chuckled at this. His voice had the texture of velvet, but also the roughness of sandpaper. It was hard to exin, but it was hypnotizing nheless. His face¡­.

    Why does his face feel so familiar?

    "It has begun. I wonder if he knows." The man said, grabbing Harker''s jaw and moving it from side to side to observe his face.

    Harker realizes that his fingers had very long nails that were almost as sharp as ws. He then went to ce those w-like fingers over Harker''s face¡­

    They felt colder than anything in this world. Harker thought that they could even freeze him.

    "You have grown¡­. Just like how I wanted you to be. When she had you in her womb, Imented the thought that you might look more like her. But I am d."

    Harker furrowed his brows. "I don''t understand. What are you talking about¡ª"

    "Oh." The man narrowed his eyes. "It appears that we are not alone."

    Harker looked around, but he couldn''t see anybody else. But he does feel like he was being watched, watched so intensely along with this stranger.

    The man was quiet for a while, before putting his hands away from him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Very well. I don''t mean to put you in unease, my dear. I just find it fascinating how the apple doesn''t fall too far from the tree."

    Harker blinked. "Huh? Are you talking about me?"

    The man smiled. "It is not important. Will you walk with me, Harker Jones?"

    Harker nodded, because he had nothing else besides this man. He had no identity, no memories, and no idea what to do. So he could only follow after him as he started going down the spiral staircase.

    When they reached the end, Harker saw what appeared to be a circr room. There was a dias in the middle of it, where it seemed that a circr object used to be and was held in ce. From there, red vines spread out all over the room like veins, pulsating and glowing just like the man''s eyes.

    "9 months...." The man said. "Conception, gestation, birth. It takes 9 months, and I waited patiently for those 9 months. And when the timees... New life. It was beautiful, but once born, I became even utterly andpletely alone."

    Harker saw a red veil hanging over the side, along with some scepter. On the scepter were two lines that intersect perpendicrly.

    "It is an honor to bring the Child of the Morning into the world, yes. But you must understand how awfully lonely it was¡­.. No one by your side, only an unhatched egg. And once it hatched, you have nothing left but yourself."

    The man sighed, sitting down. "Would you sit here, boy?"

    Harker did as he told and¡ª

    Suddenly, the man hugged him, resting his head on Harker''s chest.

    "Allow me this, just once. Please, my dear." He begged. "I have never seen the light for so long. My heart yearns for thepanionship of¡­."

    He looked up at the confused Harker, and his lips stretched so wide that it allowed his sharp teeth to peek through. "You truly look too much like him."

    He reached out for Harker''s Adam''s apple, and leaned closer towards it. Opening his mouth to take a bite¡ª

    When suddenly the ground shook, there was a loud shout. It didn''t sound like any shout hehad heard. In fact, it sounded like it just came from his mind, deafening him from within. It was raw, guttural, and full of rage¡­

    Harker felt like his head was splitting in half. He wished so much for it to be over....

    Soon, he woke up.

    -----------------------

    "AHHHHH!!"

    Howard Jones jolted from his bed, breathing so heavily that he hurt himself.

    Soon, his daughter Chloe came to his door from hearing the noise. She rubbed her eyes sleepily. "What''s wrong, Dad? Yawn¡­.. Did you have a nightmare again? You were shouting so much¡­."

    "Chloe¡­. Pack your things. We''re going back." Her dad said, not looking at her and instead staring into space with wide eyes.

    "W-What?" Chloe blinked. "Why?"

    But instead, he continued to urge her. "Go now, wake up your brothers. Tell your Grandpapa to lend me some money to buy a shovel too. I¡­. I need to¡­.."

    He needed to make sure if what was supposed to be buried was still buried. And if not¡­.

    "Harker is in danger."

 Chapter 193 A Stranger Enters The Stage

    ?

    When Harker woke up, he recognized the room he was in. He was in Mina''s apartment.

    He knew who Mina was. He knew Joan was. They were both by his side, looking in surprise and speaking at the same time that it was unintelligible. Either way, they were surprised and happy that he was awake.

    Harker had his memories, and all the other memories he was meant to carry. He could recall Victoria''s memories much more now, though in respect to her and everyone else, he refuses to ''peek'' into them unless necessary. Everything was in its proper ce¡­..

    Except he felt like he was forgetting something again.

    When he went into his ''temporary rest'', his sleep was simr to death or at least being in the Limbo, the in-between¡­.

    He felt like he had encountered something very important, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t recall what it was. He just felt that his chest was warm, as if someone was embracing him tightly.

    Maybe it was one of the girls. For now, he needed to calm them down and learn what happened during his sleep.

    "Alright, one at a time, one at a time." He chuckled. "How long have I been out?"

    Mina was crying pearly tears again. "How can you expect us to be calm!? You''ve been gone for three whole months! Even your father was worried, and we had to lie that you were at a hospital recovering from a highly infectious disease."

    "Three months? That¡­. That felt shorter than I expected." Harker thought.

    For some reason, he thought he should have been sleeping for 9 months.

    "How was my family, then?" He asked them. "How were you two? I mean, I wasn''t able to check up on you after I¡­.. stopped An Xin''s ritual."

    For some reason too, he regretted killing off all of them so easily. It wasn''t the murder, no. He had no regrets or remorse towards them.

    Harker knew that having remorse towards monsters who chose to be "monsters" until the very end would be pointless. Those who chose to be evil beyond redemption. It would be unfair to the ones who had to suffer from them.

    What he does regret is that he will never be able to get their memories, their stories, their¡­.. well, their souls. He had destroyed them and from what the girls told him, theypletely vanished and there was nothing left. He either scattered them down to atoms or erased their existence entirely, if that was even possible.

    "We''re alright, but Rnd¡­. Well, he was in the same boat as you until recently." Joan said. "It''s only been a week since he woke up, but man, his tenacity is something else. Went straight to the court as he woke up just so he can appeal to take on the case again for a retrial¡ª"

    "Wait, wait, wait. Rnd was what now? What do you mean ''on the same boat''?" Harker''s face was full of confusion.

    Joan exined the phenomena to Harker. How both of them had copsed at almost the same time, and that their bodies were stuck in both high and low temperatures all at once. They really couldn''t get them to a doctor because there would be questions, but they couldn''t hide it from Mr. Faust for too long before he inquires on what happened to his son.

    "Mr. Faust had that very old doctor treat him and try to cure his condition by himself. He knows what might happen to his son if people knew, and he said he was ''done with making his boy suffer from endless tests and apathetic researchers''." Mina exined.

    "Oh, you mean Dr. Rothstein?" Harker asked.

    Mina nodded. "Yes, but he''s not alone. Dr. Evan Sorniere also proposed to help, since he does have some background in medicine and healthcare despite being a geologist."

    Joan scoffed. "Though honestly, Adam Fiero is much better in that regard and the only reason why that quack kept his job under the Fausts."

    It turned out that these two were now employed after all of Victoria''s crew were released. Alejandro had imed to Mr. Faust that Harker and Rnd had ended up stumbling upon a mad scientist project that would ruin the Earth. They went to the Arctic, lost their consciousness and ended up in that condition while trying to stop them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It was a far-fetched tale, but what mattered was that Mr. Faust bought it.

    He agreed to have the scientists and bodyguards be set scot-free, in exchange of a non-disclosure agreement that will make sure that they don''t reveal anything that happened in the Arctic or pursue this ''world-destroying project'' any further. Mr. Faust made it clear that his people will be keeping watch of them for the rest of their lives if they tattle or attempt this again.

    "I only realized now how really powerful the Faust is. Even my father was nothingpared to them." Joan thought. "And unlike my father, Mr. Faust does seem to care a great deal about Rnd. Not just as an heir¡­. He just looked genuinely concerned about him."

    "Yeah¡­" Harker remembered his own father, and knew that he must be worried sick about him. "I should get back to Dad and the kids as soon as possible."

    Mina furrowed her brows. "Are you sure? Nothing hurts anywhere?"

    Harker shook his head. "Nothing, though I did have a bit of a headache when I woke up. I''m fine now, you guys¡­.."

    He spread his arms. "I''m sorry. I made you both wait for three months, I''m such a bad boyfriend."

    They quickly went in for that group hug, clinging tightly to him. Harker chuckled, feeling warm and fuzzy again for being around his most beloved women in the world.

    Joan chided him. "You better spoil us a lot after this, Jones. I''m talking dates every Saturday, all the way into the night. Then we could all cuddle on Sunday morning. And on weekdays, you take us to school and pick us up, you hear?"

    Harker was amused by the demands, then was surprised by thatst one. "You mean that Mina''s already¡­."

    Mina reddened. "Yes. Ms. Seward helped me process my application, and how to survive up to my first few weeks."

    "Mina is a very good student. I won''t be surprised if she also bes a Cum Laude like you when she graduates." Joan smiled very proudly.

    "That''s really great!" Harker eximed. "I''m so happy for you, Mina. And yeah, I promise to make it up to you both. I''ll just have to check in with my family and Rnd first."

    He scratched his head. "And I probably also have to applyte for my Master''s¡­.. Man, those superhero movies are not kidding when they say that living a double life is not easy."

    Harker nned to meet with Rnd first, then go home after disappearing for almost 5 months. The season had changed again, and it was already autumn. Summer felt really short, especially since he was either sleeping or in a cold, winter area for most of it.

    He wasn''t able to relish the sun that much. But it was still a quite pleasant autumn morning, as the trees were only starting to lose a few leaves here and there and the breeze was not too much.

    After all that¡­ It felt like the world itself was sighing in relief as a huge burden was lifted of its shoulders.

    That''s how Harker felt, at least. He was greeted and invited in by the people at the Faust residence, who confirmed that the young master was indeed inside while Mr. Faust was on a business trip again, now in Germany.

    He saw Rnd sitting on his favorite spot by the pavilion again, drinking tea and looking the same as always under the light of the sun. Harker was relieved that his friend was alright, and called out to him¡­..

    When he realized that he was having tea with someone else,ughing as if he just heard a funny joke.

    Harker stopped in his tracks. It was a woman.

    A stranger he doesn''t know.

 Chapter 194 Give A Standing Ovation

    ?

    The woman had chocte brown skin, and a number of beauty marks on her face and body. She was slender, but couldn''t really be called ''petite'' either. Her lips were red, and despite wearing a white business suit and sitting in an assertive manner, she still appeared very feminine.

    Her hair was also brown, though a few shades darker. It was tied into a neat braid, resting on one of her shoulders. Her eyes were brown as well, but this time with a tinge of gold to them. She wore light make-up that was going for a more professional look.

    Harker could hear her speak to Rnd about the current politics. She was very articte, and very knowledgeable about the matter. Her voice was firm and the words flowed from her full lips easily and gracefully.

    There was something in her manners and her voice that almost seemed to make a statement. That statement being:

    ''I know exactly what I want, how to get it, and that I will get it. I am in full control of my life.''

    Even men won''t help but be in awe with her charisma, and envy her for it. This was something that he had only seen in Rnd. They seemed to be¡­..

    Equals. A perfect match.

    Harker had never seen Rndugh this much around someone who wasn''t a real friend. He had many, sure, but all hisughter around those types of friends were fake or generously exaggerated. Even towards his side chicks, he didn''t give so much of a genuine smile. Harker knew him enough so he could tell.

    Who is this woman to Rnd?

    ".... rather ridiculous, as the mayor could have resolved the dispute with a much morepetent PR team¡ª Oh."

    Rnd seemed to have finally felt Harker watching him and this stranger intensely, and stopped mid-sentence to turn to his friend.

    His face paled, and lips twitched in fear and anxiety. It was aplete 180 switch from the calm and rxed Rnd from earlier, discussing the mayor''s scandals and how he could solve those issues better. He quickly stood up, and Harker could sense his blood rate increasing and his breathing bing unsteady from a mile away.

    The woman frowned. "Are you alright, Rnd¡­. Oh. Were you expecting another visitor?"

    Harker clenched his fist, feeling a pang of both anger and guilt from seeing his friend''s reaction like that. He understood exactly why Rnd would react that way. Thest time they encountered each other¡­..

    He almost got him killed. And he did something much worse, or at least, a part of him did.

    Harker would never forgive himself for allowing Rnd to suffer like that.

    But he still can''t stop feeling mad seeing him having tea with strangers when he had been awake for a week.

    He expected that Rnd would ask for his welfare, but Mina and Joan only spoke about how quickly he went back to working again. Rnd doesn''t owe him anything, yet¡­.

    Was what happened between them so bad that he had to act like Harker didn''t matter to him?

    Even now, he was doing it. He cleared his throat, and gave Harker that same fake smile he gave to people he don''t like at his family''s parties and so-called ''formal asions''.

    "Harker, you''re awake now. That''s good. I trust that you''re well. This is Ms. Artea Holmwood, by the way. Ms. Holmwood, this is Harker Jones. My¡­. friend."

    ''Just friend?'' Harker gritted his teeth. ''What happened to "best" friend? "Closest" friend?''

    "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jones." This Artea offered her hand to shake.

    Harker shook it reluctantly. "Pleasure."

    She seemed to have easily picked up in his uneasiness, and let go. "Mr. Faust mentioned that you were ''awake now''. Did something happen, or¡­.?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Harker had a bit of concussion, just like I did. You have heard from Alejandro, I believe. Our little trip had left us some damage, but it''s all well now." Rnd exined.

    Artea''s bright and charming demeanor seemed to fade a bit. "Yes¡­. I did hear from Mr. Laurel. I''m d that all of that was settled."

    "I was very much relieved that I was able to make it in time to appeal before Mr. Garcia was locked up in prison. His case is far from over." Rnd told her.

    He then turned to Harker, though seemingly hesitant to even speak to him. "Do you need anything, Harker? Are you fine now?"

    His hand went up as if to reach for his forehead, but stopped half-way and retreated. Harker really couldn''t bear this kind of behavior. ''Some damage'' was a big understatement. It may not be a lot of physical damage thanks to magic healing stuff, but this was much worse.

    "I''m fine." Harker managed to force himself to say. ".... You seem to be busy. I''ll go another time, I still need to go back home anyway after my recovery."

    "That''s a good decision." Rnd said. "You could take one of the cars¡ª"

    "No thanks, I''ll walk. Need to stretch my legs anyway after being in bed for so long. I hope you''re doing fine too." Harker said, noticeably more pointed than usual.

    Rnd couldn''t even meet his eye as he said. "I''m good¡­.. Take care."

    "Yeah. You too."

    He gave Artea Holmwood another look, and half-heartedly bid his goodbyes.

    But deep down, Harker wanted to pry Rnd off that woman and talk things out with him. To give an apology, an exnation¡­. anything to get them back to the way they were again. Back when they were best friends that trusted each other.

    Yet the way Rnd looked at him was like he was the one he distrusts the most in this world. He was even worse than a stranger to him.

    Harker tried to convince himself that he may be able to change things. That there was still hope to get it all back again. After all, he and Rnd knew each other since forever and stuck like glue the moment they met. Yes¡­.

    This was just a test to their friendship, and they''ll get past it just like the old times.

    He now approached the cul-de-sac where his family''s dainty little house stood. 333 Brick Road, right next to the Garcias and the Tariqs.

    When he knocked on the door¡­..

    He didn''t expect the person that greeted him, standing tall with his eyes sparkling wide.

    "Son¡­."

    "Dad?" Harker blinked fast.

    Howard Jones wasn''t in his wheelchair anymore. He was standing, his clothes much cleaner and even sophisticated than before. With a haircut, shave, and new clothes... Harker almost didn''t recognize him.

    Why did so many things change in just a moment''s rest?

    Harker couldn''t help but feel that he had woken up into a strange new world...

 Chapter 195 People Change

    ?

    "Where have you been, son!?" Howard Jones'' eyes lifted up with joy as he embraced Harker. "I have contacted every single hospital in New York and even went to them to find you."

    Harker scratched his head. "Well¡­ it was a very private hospital and there was an NDA to not give details because of my infectious disease. But I''m here now, right?"

    His dad nodded. "Yes¡­. You''re here and you''re safe. That''s all that matters."

    There was a bit of an awkward silence before Harker pointed out the elephant in the room.

    "So your legs¡­."

    Howard blinked and raised one of his legs. "Oh yes. Metal and silicone, but it looks very much like the real thing, just a bit smoother and shinier. Courtesy of the Faust family and their foundation."

    "You finally took them up on their offer?" Harker asked, very surprised.

    "Yeah." Howard pulled up his pants to show Harker, twisting the prosthetic leg from side to side. "It''s amazing, isn''t it? Took me a while to get used to. But it functions just like the real thing, I can even tap my feet and dance with it if I practice more."

    "It is¡­. But why, though?" Harker asked. "You said you''re scared that you won''t be able to pay the expenses and that it would feel ''abnormal'' to walk with not human legs."

    "Well, uh¡­." His father looked from side to side, as if checking if someone was watching. "How about we get inside first? I want to know all about what happened to you. You don''t know how distressed I was searching for you."

    Harker could notice that though his father was less shiftier and anxious than he was before, he still remained guarded and skeptical.

    It''s just that it was in a more vignt and determined way rather than fearful.

    Something very big must have caused him to change, and as he locked the door, this suspicion was confirmed.

    "Harker¡­. I know that you would have liked to get your PhD as soon as possible and work to earn money. And I support you no matter what, but¡­. Don''t you think you should maybe take a break after what happened?"

    Harker frowned. "What do you mean, Dad?"

    "Oh, just¡­. You know. Your old man hadn''t seen you in such a long time, and I don''t like this infectious disease you talked about. What if it spikes again? I don''t like you to get hurt. Plus I''ve been traveling a lottely ever since I got my legs. I could really use your help watching over the kids while I''m away."

    "Traveling to where?"

    "I''m uh¡­. I''mmissioning wood sculptures and artworks now. I get requests and projects that might require me to travel away for a few days sometimes."

    This doesn''t make any sense, and Howard Jones was a really bad liar. Harker knew something else was going on.

    He could easily prod his father''s memories by getting a ck worm inside his ear, but¡­.

    He remembered how Rnd looked at him in fear, and didn''t want to see that look on his father''s face too. Howard might never forgive him once he learned he did something like that.

    He decided he would just stalk his father instead in these ''travels'' just to know what''s keep in check.

    "I see¡­. I could watch over the kids in the weekends. I mean, I''m used to doing that anyway, takingg them to school and picking them up after."

    Howard sighed in relief. "Thank you, Harker. They''re currently staying with the Tariqs next door. I just arrived earlier after meeting one of my clients. To be honest, I was a little hesitant since I wasn''t that close to them. But they''re very nice people and it''s convenient that they don''t need to go to church on Sunday like our other neighbors and only have to go to the mosque every Friday."

    Harker frowned. "What about the Garcias? They''re not free today?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Hos father''s face suddenly became crestfallen. "You didn''t hear about the news, didn''t you? Harker, Felix Garcia had been used of murder."

    "Murder!?" Harker eximed. "And it''s Felix!? There''s no way!"

    He knew Felix Garcia ever since he and his family moved when he was 10, and Harker was 15. That boy was a good kid, often bullied for being chubby and was more likely to be harmed than to harm anyone. Harker thought that if he knew anyone that fit the description of ''couldn''t even hurt a fly'', it could only be Felix.

    "Yeah¡­ I couldn''t believe it either. But then again, people change."

    His father''s eyes fell to the ground. "Sometimes to the point where you couldn''t recognize them anymore from the person you once knew, to the point of no return."

    Howard Jones shook his head. "Anyway, I would have to go again tonight. You should pick up your siblings at the Tariqs and eat dinner without meter. I''ll be upte."

    "Where are you going, Dad? Where does your client live?"

    But Howard didn''t answer, and just left with a wave and a smile. "See you soon."

    He went to walk out of the cul-de-sac, and soon hailed a cab passing by.

    Harker couldn''t help but smile bitterly. "You''re right, Dad. People do change so much¡­. I just didn''t expect that you''d be one of them."

    Harker had taken care of the kids that Sunday evening, and their father was gone until the next morning. His brothers wept with joy to see him again, and Chloe seemed happy as well, but more than that, she seemed¡­.

    Eager.

    She had been waiting for Harker for such a long time. As Harker prepared dinner, Chloe approached him.

    "I think you should tell Dad about the thing now." Chloe said.

    Harker stopped stirring at this. He turned to her. "Why?"

    Chloe went by his side, taking thedle and scooping the soup. "We actually got home earlier than we''re supposed to. About two weeks early. Dad had this¡­.. this nightmare. He was screaming, and then he told us to pack our things and go back to New York. But instead of going back home, we headed for the cemetery. He had already prepared a shovel for all of us."

    "The cemetery?" Harker''s heart dropped at this. "Did he go to Mom''s grave or¡ª"

    "Yes. But that''s not the only grave he went to." Chloe narrowed her eyes. "There was a garden of red roses in the cemetery, probably just for decorative purposes. But Dad went on to dig there, and¡­."

    "He looked so scared when he dug out nothing. I knew from his eyes that something was supposed to be there, but it wasn''t. And that''s when he decided to take the prosthetic legs and go on his adventures to who knows where. I hear him talking to different people on the telephone every night."

    Chloe tugged on his sleeves. "I''m scared, Harker. I''m scared of what''s happening to our family. Dad knows there''s nothing in Mom''s grave, and yet what bothered him the most was what was supposed to be beneath the garden of roses. I need to know what that is, and I need you to get Dad back."

    She pleaded. "Please help me, Harker."

    Harker felt a pang of guilt in his chest for letting his sister feel like she was alone in this mess, being the only one who knows Harker''s secret and could notice the changes to their father. She wasn''t supposed to be dragged into all this. She''s just a kid after all.

    "Alright. I''ll do that. Do you remember any of the people Dad had been contacting? Or any clues at all?"

    Chloe nodded. "One of the first ces he went to¡­.. was the Institute. The BITMAC Institute."

 Chapter 196 Leaving Only Ghosts Of Their Former Selves

    ?

    Once Harker had taken the kids to school and his Dad had run off for another urgent ''client meeting'', he decided to head for the Institute.

    The vulture from the logo seemed to be beholding him with itsrge, unblinking eyes. Harker used to find it unnerving, but now he just found it annoying. This ceaseless watcher that loves to spectate on him as if waiting for his downfall.

    But as he was about to get inside, he saw the figure of someone he didn''t expect.

    "Joan?" He called out.

    Joan turned around. She was talking to someone, some scientist withrge spectacles, freckles, and chapped lips that he seemed to like to pick on. Harker thought that he looked familiar¡­.

    And he froze when he saw his name on the ID card.

    Henry Clerval.

    But he looked nothing like the Henry Clerval that was Edmund Walton''s right hand man. No, he was certain that Henry had blonde hair, and this one was a brte.

    "Oh, Harker. What are you doing here?" Joan asked. "This is Henry M. Clerval, by the way. Henry, this is Harker Jones. My... research partner."

    Henry M. offered his hand. "Nice to meet you, Sir."

    Harker now recalled why he looked so familiar. He was the one that Harker had stolen the ID of back when he sneaked in at BITMAC and met Victoria Seward for the first time. They seemed to beb partners working together in their neurology research.

    "Nice to meet you too¡­. I was¡­. I had something to inquire about at the front desk." Harker said, turning to Joan. "What about you?"

    Joan looked away, her voice softening. "It''s Victoria¡­. I''m here to retrieve things she must have left for the burial."

    Harker''s eyes widened. He couldn''t believe that Joan would still want to give her sister a proper burial after everything, along with the fact that Victoria just handed her to An Xin members as a sacrifice.

    But he soon realized there must be more to it. It can''t be the only reason.

    "I''m sorry for your loss, Ms. Seward. Victoria had been a good colleague to all of us, and she was one of our best." Henry M. said. "She was very dedicated, in a way that I thought only existed with researchers in fiction. Because of this, uh¡­.. Not many had interacted with her often. She wasn''t really on bad terms with them, but it''s mostly professional. I will try to get them to visit the funeral, though."

    Joan shook her head. "There''s no need. The ones who want toe wille. If there isn''t any, that''s alright too. It''s a closed casket."

    "Oh." Henry M. looked like he wanted to ask something more, but shook his head.

    Harker couldn''t take it anymore and blurted out. "Are you by any chance of English descent?"

    The man blinked. "Yes, I am. How can you tell? I mean, my ancestors were from Ennd, but my great grandfather had moved to America after World War 1. I don''t have an ent, right?"

    Joan knew what he was getting at, and asked as well. "You see, my sister¡­. We found her with this journal for a Henry Clerval too. He was a sailor from thete 1700s."

    Henry M. suddenly went ''Ah!'' as he came to an understanding. "Yes, yes! I remember now. That journal actually belonged to me, it''s an heirloom. I was wondering where that journal went, I was quite upset that I lost it. My grandfather said it belonged to my great great uncle¡­.. or maybe there''s another great there, I''m not sure."

    He added. "Anyway, my dad wanted nothing to do with it but he did name me after that great uncle. Said that he used to be a very smart man, the pride and joy of his parents until he ran away. When he left, my great great grandfather was born and only heard things about him."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Harker and Joan looked at each other. So that''s how Victoria got the journal and learned about Eden.

    Henry M. then asked. "Well, if you have the journal, can I have it back? It matters quite a lot to my family."

    The journal was lost after all the chaos back in the Arctic.

    Joan looked apologetic and shook her head. "I''m sorry. When we found it with my sister, it was destroyed beyond repair and we didn''t think it was that important so we disposed of it."

    The descendant of Henry Clerval frowned. "Oh¡­. That''s unfortunate. Can''t say that I''m really mad though, not even with Victoria. I never really liked the thing, I just kept it because¡­ Well, my father told me to. He''s the kind of man that will not take ''no'' for an answer, you know?"

    Joan nodded. "Yes¡­ I know that type of father."

    "Victoria told me¡­. She and I understand each other in this regard. So I felt a sense of closeness even though we don''t really talk much. God knows I tried my best to make friends but¡­. I know Victoria is just like that. She had her own goals, and she''s much more inclined to live her life achieving them and ignoring all distractions."

    Harker knew there was more to Victoria being a ''goal-oriented'' person, but didn''t speak out. He can see Joan spacing out from being reminded of her sister so much. Besides, Edmund¡­.

    Victoria was also another thorn in her heart.

    Harker knew he had helped pluck out the thorn that Edmund Walton made, and was helping to slowly heal that wound. But Victoria''s memory might take a longer while, as it''s even moreplicated. Theirplicated rtionship had spanned for centuries, after all.

    Joan then picked up what seemed to be a box of Victoria''s things from the ground. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Clerval. My partner and I will be going to the front desk now. I know I shouldn''t keep you from your work too long, have a nice day."

    "It''s no trouble at all. I''ll¡­. see you at the funeral." Henry M. said, awkwardly patting her shoulder. "Just give me a call."

    "I will."

    They parted ways, and Harker and Joan silently approached the front desk. Harker asked about his father''s visit, and got the time that he did, but nothing besides that he appointed a meeting with a ''Yakov Perelman''.

    He wasn''t actually working in the Institute and was instead a sponsor funding some of the experiments. So Harker could only get his telephone number in the end and his name to follow along his father''s trail.

    He exined this to Joan as they went back. Joan was headed to her own t, at a penthouse downtown. Harker could notice that though she did show interest in the topic and was responsive, she was far from fully present and aware of her surroundings.

    This was proven when she suddenly tripped on some uneven tarmac from a road widening. Harker stopped her fall, but the contents of the box spilled out.

    "Oh, sorry... I wasn''t¡­.."

    She trailed off before she could finish the sentence as she saw a photo on the ground.

    It was a photograph of just Joan and Victoria. Joan picked it up, smiling softly¡­..

    "This was the day. The day she could have been free." Joan said. "This was the day that¡­.."

    "My parents died after the fire, and we moved for a new life. Yet in the end, it was only me who did that. Even when they''re gone, Victoria was stuck in this state of trying to prove herself¡­. even to a bunch of ghosts."

 Chapter 197 Biding Time

    ?

    Joan only needed to say those words for Harker to understand the full picture. He can see it vividly in his mind.

    The people burned their house down. Victoria was at the patio, taking care of their father sitting in a wheelchair. He was already old, and the solution she had been using to keep his cells from dying was less effective because of this. Their mother was already in the state of catatonia that was simr to that of stroke victims.

    People then arrived with fire and pitchforks, using them. Victoria just stood, addressing their concerns with logical excuses for their apparent ''inability to age''.

    But as she did, a teenage boy had already sneaked around at the back and started a fire.

    Joan was inside, so her legs were burned. She screamed for help¡­..

    And Victoria went inside, leaving their parents behind as they were consumed by the fire. They escaped, and Victoria gave her a pair of new legs.

    "Why did you save me, and not father and mother?" Joan asked as they were about to take the train to New York.

    Victoria said nothing.

    Joan grabbed her by the shoulder, forcing her to face her. "Why!?"

    "It''s what they would have wanted. They are already at Death''s door, and it is more logical to save someone young like you." She said emotionlessly.

    "Logic!? Is everything you ever do for this ''logic'' that father imposes upon us!?" Joan was exasperated.

    "Yes. After all, logic is what differentiate men from beasts. Would you allow men to im superiority upon us by appearing as the more logical sex?" Victoria argued. "It''s bad enough that you are in hysterics over something so trivial as my rational reasoning¡ª

    "Damn what men think of my emotions to hell! I am alive because I have emotions, because I could actually FEEL things. Sentience isn''t about rationality alone, Victoria. When will you ever acknowledge that you do things because of what you want, rather than what you think you should!?"

    Victoria didn''t answer, and just watched the train passing by leaving a trail of ck smoke that shrouded her face.

    "Let us just agree to disagree on the matter."

    And that was when they separated ways. Joan couldn''t bear to live with someone who would call her ''hysterical'' for her mourning, who would not even allow herself to be free from the cage that their parents set upon them even when the door was already open.

    Joan set down Victoria''s things and copsed in her bed with a thud. "Ah. Hard enough to have an apathetic sister, I''d have to deal with her funeral now. I can''t think of anything to say in the eulogy. Maybe something like ''She''s just as lifeless as she was alive, just as heartless. So no harm no foul''."

    "She''s not." Harker said, sitting by her side.

    "Not what?" Joan asked, still staring at the ceiling.

    "She''s not heartless."

    She sat up, giving a very light and almost soundless chuckle. "You''re right. She had a heart, it''s just made of ice."

    "Joan¡­." Harker ced a hand on her shoulder, making her turn towards him¡­.

    And she was crying.

    Crying with such a nk expression in her face. It was as if all her emotions were ced upon those tears, and she''s only trying to let it go.

    "I know. I know it, and that she just won''t say it. It''s more painful that she won''t say it. Give me the reason why she saved me time and time again, why she hadn''t ended my life if she hated me so much." Joan slowlyid her head on Harker''s shoulder. "It''s such simple words to say. Is she suffering for not being able to say it?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Maybe¡­." Harker embraced her tightly.

    "It''s foolish. Three simple words, and yet it holds so much weight on people like arge burden on their shoulders."

    Harker sighed. "Maybe¡­. maybe it''s because they know that we know. That''s why they don''t bother saying it. Still, don''t they know that it''s hurting us to see them hurting themselves this way?"

    Joan looked up at him, and they affixed each other''s eyes first.

    "I love you, Harker." The words came easily to her.

    "I love you too." It also came easily for him.

    Pitiful were those who couldn''t, who felt that they would rather die before saying those words. Who regarded those words as their most precious secret.

    Victoria Seward had always treated Joan Seward as her sister, her beloved sister. She just couldn''t acknowledge it, not until the very end. And... And that man¡­.

    Harker continued to lose himself on Joan''s kisses to forget about that pitiful man for a moment.

    They both really needed this, their open and honestpassion for one another. Joanid herself bare to Harker, both physically and emotionally, and Harker did the same. They took off their clothes and embraced tightly on that bed.

    They went on until morning, this woman''s tears had long dried. All that was left was her eyes that had the void within them. Before, Harker felt a sense of vertigo when looking into that void, feeling so scared to fall¡­..

    But now he knew that he had long fallen, and sunk into that void himself. His pupils may bear the simr effect.

    At least he wasn''t alone. They were in the void together.

    Joan leaned on Harker''s shoulder as they remained sitting up in the bed, basking in the silence of the early morning. Joan''s bed was positioned so that it was right beside the window, and she could see the stars clearly outside, or the sunrise.

    Or perhaps, it was actually the darkness in between the stars that she was looking at, the gaps of the sun rays.

    She took a cigarette from her drawer and smoked. Harker watched her for a while, and asked.

    "Can I?"

    She nodded, letting him use the same one. And they just smoked on the bed like that. There was no need to move for a moment, they needed to take this rest.

    Harker remembered the day he embraced both Joan and Mina. The night they shared together was different from that. Both were beautiful in their own way, but it''s likeparing the beauty of a sunny morning at the beach to a chilly winter night in the woods.

    No, it''s not winter. It''s more like autumn, the feeling of allowing the leaves to let go and die down, of things to change so that a new beginning may arrive.

    Would he ever feel ready? There''s always the sense that we cannot when faced with such autumn.

    But maybe he will. Maybe he and Joan will be able to move on. In time.

    He closed his eyes as he waited for that time.

 Chapter 198 For Lucifer May Be Lonely Too

    ?

    When Edmund stirred awake, he found himself wanting to look for some fresh air. He had a good dream, a VERY good dream in fact, that a tree had grown in his pants just from reminiscing about such a dream.

    It was plenty vague, yet also quite vivid. Two women, one bed. He wasn''t sure who these women were. Perhaps it was Joan, or perhaps it was one of those sirens he spotted back in his trip to China.

    Nobody believed him, but Edmund knew what he saw. The golden tail was clear as day. It was a pity that he will never see such a thing ever again in his life, as they have set sail to the Arctic now, and would probably stay for a while.

    After calming himself down, he went out to the deck to get some fresh air. It wasn''t that cold yet, just rxing cool weather.

    To no surprise, he found his first mate there. Scribbling on his notes alone,pass in hand.

    Edmund had decided not to let his presence known and just observed his most trusted crew member, as well as his most trusted friend. Every morning, he would find Henry lost in writing down notes while staring at the sea. As if frantically trying to locate something, or some ce on this Earth that he knew not what.

    The pallor on Henry''s face would often worsen in a state such as this. He wore the face of death itself, and more than the physical death¡­.

    There was something far deeper, something that corrupts one''s spirit to turn into an unsatisfied beast deprived of something. But deprived of what, he always wondered.

    The dissatisfaction mixes with mncholy, a sickening pain right deep within the bile. He would often wonder if he was sick with fever. And when he did ce his hand on the man''s skin, it wasn''t hot, but instead very cold.

    Colour would soon return to Henry''s cheeks the moment he noticed he was being watched. He would stop scribbling, and go on to greet him with a warm smile like nothing has ever happened.

    "Captain." His gaze was shiftier than usual, frazzled. "I did not expect to see you here so early in the morning. You should make yourself some tea or you''ll catch a cold from the breeze."

    "That won''t be necessary." Edmund chuckled. "I have thick skin. I bet I can survive in the arctic naked for a while."

    Henry just made an amused sound, but did not say anything to this.

    Edmund decided to pick the conversation starter. He went with the most recent thing in his mind.

    "We have just left Ennd, and yet I find myself getting the morbs already." He said, sighing. "I find my heart being torn apart between staying by the British Queen''s side of the world, while also pursuing the Ice Queen of the North. Ah, being stuck between two equally temptingdies is difficult."

    "So you are here to wallow about women. I see how much you miss Joan." Henry ced hispass and small journal in his pockets.

    "Oh, to be sure." Edmund went by his side, watching the toiling seas below them. "How about you? Is there no one to be missed by the great Henry Clerval?"

    His first mate shook his head. "I am more happy to join the Ice Queen''s side than to stay in the most tedious ce in thend."

    "Hah,e now. Only the bourgeois experience tedium, Soho is good when you''re looking for some nanty narking. Wouldn''t you agree?"Edmund grinned.

    Henry shrugged. "I suppose so. Soho has peculiar people like you."

    "You call me peculiar?" Edmund ced a hand on his chest, pretending as if he had just been stabbed there. "Why, I''d take ''charming'' and ''more handsome than the Devil himself'' as apliment, but not peculiar!"

    Henry snorted. "Aye, aye, you are truly more handsome than the Devil himself, Captain. And also more boisterous and prideful."

    Edmund gave him a fake punch to the shoulder, and Henry returned it as well. And just like that, they found themselvesughing like two little rascals again. Just like when they were children.

    "Even the Devil must set his heart on something, I believe." Edmund suddenly said, his gaze far into the sea. "I am not a believer myself, not raised to be a church-goer. But when I heard that the Devil was cast into the pits with nothing but himself to be in misery for his deceit, I thought what an awful fate that must be."

    Henry''s brows furrowed. "Why so?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Would you not be miserable after istion? Especially if you bear an attachment to something or someone?" Edmund asked.

    Henry thought about it. "That is true. But who or what is the Devil attached to? Didn''t they portray him as nothing but a vain, selfish and envious entity that tried to overtake his Creator himself?"

    "I do not know either, since I am not familiar with the belief. But you are knowledgeable in many different religions besides Christianity, so I would like to hear your insights about it." Edmund asked.

    Henry shook his head. "It is not my ce, people would find it rather sphemous¡­."

    "And there are no other people watching us here. No one will throw stones at you for such a grave crime of sphemy." Edmund insisted. "Just go at it, mate. As an Indian friend of mine from America would say, ''Don''t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes''. So let us put ourselves in the shoes of the Devil."

    Henry was hesitant, but eventually gave his piece on the matter:

    "You see, the Devil was said to be an angel or at least a benevolent spirit, depending on what sources you hail from. Some would even describe him as the ''most beloved'', the morning star, the one who demonstrates perfection, wisdom and pure beauty. But this was also the cause of his ambitions to overtake God. He tried to start a revolution against him."

    "And then?" Edmund just leaned on one chin.

    It was always a delight for him to listen to Henry''s stories. He especially loved listening to them before going to sleep together as children, whether it was in his own grimy bedroom or Henry''srge and opulent one.

    Yet as they grew older, their sleepovers became less frequent and he realised now how he missed them. But that''s another matter to think about forter. For now, he must focus on Henry''s words about the Devil and God.

    ".....And then as you know, he was cast into hell to be banished for eternity, from God''s light. There, he will be with the sinners and the tormented." Henry gazed far away. "It is a wonder that if God was all powerful, why would he not just erase a traitor like him from existence?"

    "Maybe he still feltpassion for him. He still sees beauty in him, and so he gives him some mercy." Edmund tried to guess.

    Henry shrugged. "What I do know was that the Devil had all the affection and praise, yet it wasn''t enough. Perhaps it was because¡­. Well, he was just one of many."

    "What do you mean?"

    "One of God''s many beloved creations. Though he was most treasured, he was never enough. There are the other angels, and the creatures of the Earth... And of course, humans."

    He clenched his fist. "I''d feel rather miserable too. Imagine if a painter had a Muse who he treats as if he was the only one that mattered in his art. And yet, new Muses came, and though he was still a subject of his arts¡­ The Muse had to remind himself that he would never be enough for this painter, and that what mattered to his Master were the watchers. The ones who will see the painting."

    Edmund doesn''t know why, but he could sense so much subdued anger radiating from his tone. Like dark clouds that make you anticipate storms, lightning and thunder.

    Henry''s eyes were bloodshot. "What mattered most were the humans, never the ''brightest star''. The ones who consume the creation. The audience that spectate and dictate what they believe is ''good'' and ''not'' based solely on what they ''want'' and ''don''t want''¡ª"

    He then stopped himself, and shook his head.

    "Well¡­ That is all I have to say about the matter of the Devil and God. It''s all falsehood, talking about how lonely the Devil must be.... and I bet believers would have their blood boiling from the nonsense I''m speaking. I¡­.. I''m rather parched, I''ll get some tea."

    He left before Edmund could call out. This left him wondering what this whole tirade could be about.

    But more than that¡­.

    He somehow felt that he had just reopened arge wound in his friend''s heart. This caused him to toss and turn that night¡­.

    And he found himself having a peculiar nightmare about men in robes and a demonic cult sacrificing a maiden.

 Chapter 199 I Am What I Am

    ?

    Though they have not spotted An Xin from the South coast and only found the ghost with the pipa, the travels of cultivators Quan Neng and Junior Fu were not useless.

    Young Master Quan had casted a seeking spell towards the creature that was used to w out Princess Jinzhu''s eyes. It still existed today, and its scent was still present even in this ethereal woman. Almost like sulfur mixed with the rancid stench of dried blood.

    "The creature is still close by. We must go northwest. Follow the path of the Road of Silk." He said, boarding his sword Yan Tong again.

    In mortal terms, the Road of Silk was not really ''close by''. The South coast and the nearest path to the Eurasian trading route was thousands of li* away. But it was easy enough for cultivators to travel, especially powerful ones like Young Master Quan and Junior Fu.

    Soon, they have spotted a suspicious wooden cart going far westward past the Himyas with the same smell of sulfur and blood.

    With another spell, the immortal cultivators had turned themselves not only invisible, but also immaterial and virtually impossible to detect. Only another skilled cultivator from the Hei Xin sect can sense this technique, and the skills required would be at the level of a Sect Master.

    They got inside the cart. It was simple and unassuming outside, pulled by a couple of ck stallions.

    But inside¡­..

    It was filled with luxurious canopies, sleeping mats, and piles of silver coins scattered everywhere. In them were men invish clothing and finest quality robes, all bearing a symbol written in crimson at their backs.

    It may be written with cinnabar or¡­ well, even more blood. One of them was licking a broken bone after all.

    "I thought we would never get to see the Western world again." One of them muttered as he picked his teeth with the sharp edge of the bone snapped in half.

    They all had bizarre and umon features. The one that spoke had hair the color of a peach, and eyes that shone like those silver coins. The one he was talking to was a younger male who seemed to be his junior from the way he talks to him. This one had razor-sharp hair the color of clementines, and eyes that was the color of the sunset skies.

    Junior Fu''s lips parted from seeing these people that were like him, but he closed it again. Yet despite being invisible, Young Master Quan still sensed it. His surprise and conflicted feelings.

    "It truly is a shame, since the Yaos of the Western world have it easy. No cultivators, only a handful of mages and sorcerers with their magic. Arge hunting ground full of stupid humans that only knew how to wage wars with each other." Clementine-haired said.

    Peach-haired agreed. "Thest I heard from the West was when that king was trying to conquer and unite every one of them in his rule."

    "Well I heard he died a century ago right after his second-inmand. Tragic, isn''t it? They seemed close too, sharing the same sleeping quarters and all that." Clementine chuckled. "Heard they even had an incident where his general ended up wearing simr clothes and this captive Persian family thought he was the king and begged for their lives."

    "Oh? And what happened then?"

    "The king said that they did not make a mistake, because this man was him as well. They were considered to be ''one soul divided in two bodies'' by their teacher."

    "Well at least now that they have died perhaps their souls joined together. I do not understand much of the Greeks'' belief in the afterlife, but I do know that there are simply things that are suited for each other,plementing one another. Yin and Yang, night and day. All that." Peach said.

    "Ah, just like how you have great strength in the body, but I am the strength in the mind to suit yourck thereof." Clementine jested.

    Peach punched him in the shoulder. "You won''t have any strength left once I sucked out that soul of yours, though."

    They continued bickering, while Young Master Quan and Junior Fu just listened in. They gathered that they were headed for this ind called Albion at the north of Rome, and that they will be taking hostages from there to offer up to the kings of hell in exchange for something.

    But that something remained vague during their conversation. The two could only barely follow what the demons were saying as they seemed to be partaking in smoking the hemp nt.

    They ced it in their pipes and burned it like one would do with sage. The smell was even worse than sage, and Junior Fu had to be careful not to cough out loud.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The young master walked by his side, and ced a protective spell. He asked telepathically. ''Are you alright, shidi?"

    ''I am, young master.'' He said.

    Though they were technically martial art brothers, Junior Fu never seemed to befortable in calling him ''shixiong''. He insisted on calling him ''gongzi'' or young master no matter what.

    Quan Neng wished that out of all people, he would see him as a brother. Yet he can''t even go by his side without Junior Fu flinching or stepping away in fear of corrupting his qi.

    The carriage finally made its stop after days of travel. It should have been months, but this truly was not an ordinary carriage with ordinary passengers. Peach and Clementine stepped out, stretching their limbs.

    "Ready for a race to the enclosure? We can grab a few bites on the way." Peach offered.

    Clementine sighed. "I''d rather just walk and enjoy the surroundings. And I''m keeping my stomach empty for the feast after the ceremony."

    Peach shrugged. "Suit yourself."

    He then transformed into the beast that they have seen from Princess Jinzhu''s memories. It was almost like a ck dog or wolf, but it was also unclear what else it was. It was possibly a mixture of different creatures at once. It moved fast like a dark meteor and managed to y hundreds of people at once.

    It had also eaten them without leaving a drop of blood or any evidence behind. It kept on running deep into the cold winter forest faster than the eyes could blink.

    Clementine just shook his head in disapproval for hispanion''s behavior, when¡ª

    "Tell us what the An Xin sect is plotting now here in Western soil." He felt a sword up to his neck. "Or I would send you to meet with King Yanlou* early."

    There was a man behind him, materializing from nowhere. It was arge man, and he could smell the righteousness oozing from his veins.

    "Immortal. What brings you here with one of our kind?" Clementine just smirked, turning his gaze into the other one that appeared in front of him.

    Junior Fu was wearing a deep scowl. "If you do not tell us the truth, we can force it out of you."

    He held out his hand over Clementine''s forehead, ready to use the Soul-Searching Technique¡ª

    "Oh, so you want the truth? I will give you the truth." He smiled, and spat on the ground.

    As he spat, magnificent wings of a crane burst out of his shoulder des.

    "You cannot escape from what you truly are. Though you wear their clothes, though you bear their name, though you learn how to act like them¡­. In the end, you are what you are. A monster through and through."

    ------------------------

    A/N:

    Li is a Chinese measurement that is more or less half a mile/kilometer

    King Yanlou is the Chinese name for King Yama, god of death and ruler of Diyu (hell).

 Chapter 200 That Is The Whole Truth

    ?

    "It took us quite some time to catch that flying demon and get the truth out of his deceitful mouth, huh?" Young Master Quan whispered as they hid behind a pir.

    They have found themselves inside this enclosure made of several pirs of ice. There seemed to be 13 in total. And in the middle¡­.

    Was a woman tied up in chains at a bed of ice. She was facing the moon above, fear-stricken and struggling to get her limbs free. Her brte hair cascaded up to the bottom of the ice block, and herrge green eyes were open wide like an owl''s.

    The moon illuminated her figure and the bed of ice. It was veryrge and red tonight, almost as if it would swallow the world whole. This bed of ice has some carved drawings in them that shone with the crimson moon''s glow.

    Curious, Quan Neng zoomed his vision to see what it was.

    "It looks like¡­ Pangu created the world from Hundun on one side. And on the other, there is a serpent god beside humans. Could that be Nuwa? No, it has a masculine figure, so it must be Fuxi. What does creation have to do with the sacrifice of a mortal''s life?"

    In the Chinese creation myths, for 18,000 years, the world was a chaotic force where everything was mixed into a cosmic egg. Pangu emerged from this egg as a hairy man with horns in his head, very much primitive and almost ape-like. With his ax, he separated yin and yang, and created the earth and skies.

    To keep them separate, Pangu pushed up the sky from the earth for another 18,000 years. As time passed, Pangu died.

    His breath became the wind and clouds, his voice was the thunder, his left eye the Sun, his right eye the Moon, his head the mountains and peaks, his blood the rivers, and his muscles became the fertilend. His facial hair became the Milky Way and the stars, his fur became the forest, his bones and bone marrow the minerals and precious stones, and his sweat was rain.

    And as for humans and animals, they were usually said to be the fleas and parasites from Pangu''s body.

    But there were also the versions where humans were created from y by Fuxi and Nuwa. After Pangu''s death, Huaxu was born. She gave birth to these two who had a human head and snake bodies. They became a couple and formed the humans from muddy soil. They also gave them the knowledge of survival.

    Before Quan Neng could move to observe the other two sides of the ice block, the heavy sound of footsteps came. The demons had arrived, marching. Demon cultivators that were both born monsters and humans, from what Quan Neng could tell.

    There was often a quote that the Hui Xin sect has about An Xin:

    ''Even if you were born as a human, once your heart has darkened, you be no different from the monsters and beasts.''

    His attention was drawn to the pnquin that some of them were carrying. There was a shadowof a person inside, covered by red draperies.

    Young Master Quan Neng could already tell this must be An Xin sect''s leader.

    The woman continued to trash in terror as the demons came to her. They licked their lips hungrily, acting quite wanton despite the presence of their leader.

    A tiger-like demon smacked his lips. "Can I have the feet afterwards!? She has such beautiful feet, Master. We only need to bleed her dry as the Blood Moon shines over her!"

    "I''ll have her hair! Oh, please let me have her hair!" Said a balding woman.

    Quan Neng muttered to himself while invisible and immaterial. "Right, the Blood Moon is shining tonight¡­.."

    The lunar eclipse. There were many beliefs about bad fortune due to the Blood Moon.

    A very deep and low voice came from the pnquin:

    "You can do whatever you please with her after the ritual. I do not care. What matters is that the Great Bright One receives the sacrifice. We will know once his star shines brightly in the morning."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He turned to Junior Fu. "Wasn''t Tai Hao also the name of the serpent god Fuxi? Do you think that this Great Bright One they would sacrifice the girl for was him¡ª"

    He only now noticed that his adoptive brother was inplete daze, as if frozen in ce. His eyes were wide and empty, and he could hear his heart pounding erratically. It felt like his qi would deviate any time soon.

    Young Master Quan patted him on the shoulder. "Junior Fu, what is it? Your blood flow is bing unstable."

    When he felt the touch of the young master''s hands, he jolted out of it and pushed the hand away. Moving half a li away from him.

    "I¡­.. I am fine, young master. What should we do now?" His voice shook a little. "The woman¡­. They must be preparing to strike her with that ax¡­."

    Young Master Quan turned back to the sacrificial maiden. The demons were preparing an ax that shone bright red with malicious energy. It seemed to be a replica of Pangu''s own ax that separated the yin and yang of Hundun.

    And now they were preparing to use it to slice the woman in half, from the head to between her legs.

    The herald of the demons, the one that called them forth like a harbinger, grinned wide with sharp teeth as he proimed:

    "The Blood Moon is upon us! Soon it will shine directly over the sacrifice! Let the Destroyer heed our call as he coils around the Creator, and begin his new rule upon this world!He who was forsaken by the Creator, the one who was the First and yet abandoned¡­."

    He ended his passionate speech with: : "Let him take his vengeance! And with him, we creatures of the earth will rise up and reign over the creatures of the skies!"

    They all cheered, and he offered the ax in front of the pnquin¡­.

    Yet before the man inside could step out, Junior Fu went in without warning and took the maiden!

    He was nothing but an invisible wind, and the woman''s eyes were wide with shock. Even Young Master Quan was surprised. Junior Fu rarely moves on his own, and especially without hearing his orders first.

    He followed after him, who seemed to be in such a hurry just to leave behind the ice pirs and the demonic sect.

    "Shidi, you are frightened. What is it that bothers you?" He said as he joined him in this run.

    Junior Fu gritted his teeth, and simply handed the woman to him.

    "Young master, I apologize for my actions. But now their ns were foiled as the Blood Moon had already passed over their ritual grounds, and we can return this woman to her home. She was a priestess and a healer from a tribe in Albion, her name was Joan."

    Quan Neng frowned. "That is not the answer to my question."

    But he could tell that something was deeply troubling Junior Fu, and he was never one to open up on his troubles. He could only give him space as usual.

    Young Master Quan sighed, taking the woman with him. "Fine. I will bring her to her home. But once I return..."

    "You must swear to me that you shall give me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

 Chapter 201 A Gateway Drug [R18]

    ?

    Harker saw shes as he caressed Joan''s skin with his lips. Right, he had a dream during that good sleep he had after making love with the girls¡­..

    But he couldn''t recall anything besides that feeling of mncholy of letting someone go. Someone who you were not used to being without choosing to abandon you, and for good reasons. Wanting to call out as they turned their back on you¡­..

    "Harker? Why''d you stop?" Joan asked from beneath him.

    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom Harker shook his head. "Nothing."

    He continued trailing kisses on her jaw and her neck. When he was where the throat protruded from, he had the sense of deja vu.

    He stopped, and touched his own throat. Furrowing his brows, he tried his best to focus on the woman he loved right now rather than the void.

    That¡­.. sorrowful pit.

    If he allowed himself to dawdle in the edge for too long, he''d truly fall. And he doesn''t want that right now. He needed an escape, something to anchor him to the material world, not the confusing world inside his own mind.

    Just for a moment, he wanted his body to make the decisions. Matter over mind.

    He held Joan tightly, and raised her legs to his shoulder. He rubbed his cock in between her thighs as he buried his head on her soft chest.

    "A-Ahh¡­.. Harker¡­. Just put it in¡­.. I don''t like thigh sex, it just makes my holes itch." She pleaded, eyes misty. "Just get inside already. I don''t care which one, just don''t¡­. tease me like this¡­."

    "I''m not teasing. I just want to take it slow." Harker said. "Your holes are too hot and too tight. I want to feel your soft skin on it first."

    Joan smirked. "Fine then. But my thighs are very thick. It''ll be just as tight as my ass, I promise you."

    She then presse her legs closer together, locking Harker''s dick in a tight grip. Harker huffed as he pushed himself in and out, holding on to those legs that were up in the air and even crossing over each other slightly.

    Joan''s skin was sweaty and wet, a stark contrast to Harker''s dry and hot skin. She coiled her arms around his shoulders, holding him close to her.

    Bumps covered the back of Harker''s neck as the sensation of Joan''s thighs on his shoulders drove him mad.

    Joan''s legs were smooth, soft, and unblemished. Even though Joan''s legs were not originally hers and were just attached to her, there were no marks or scars that could be seen on them. The form that Victoria used to keep her cells from decaying and to slowly regenerate seemed very powerful indeed.

    Harker''s cock was a red, angry mass of pulsating flesh. It slowly grewrger as it invaded the gaps of her thighs.

    Her thighs were soft and moist. They were hot to the touch, as she is in the midst of lust, and covered in goosebumps. Before, Harker thought she felt colder than most humans. But then again, so was him and Mina. Now, however, after sharing qi with him in his Ability Ascension, he could feel that the blood rushing in those veins were just as burning hot as his own.

    The ps of herbia rubbed against his shaft and coated it with its wetness. He could almost feel himself going inside, could imagine it so close every time he thrusted in. And when he pulls out, he would feel a sense of yearning that was addicting on its own.

    Yes, it was a different kind of pleasure. Being so close to something yet unable to achieve it.

    Well, he could achieve it, but he just chose not to. That''s actually what makes it even more exciting.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Anytime, he could just stop suppressing his desires and give in.

    He could tell that Joan was feeling this yearning too, maybe even more extreme since she was on the receiving end of it. Harker could give it to her, but it''s almost as if she was being toyed with. She bit her lower lip as her chest rose and fell, her breasts jiggling with every movement.

    "Harker¡­ Please¡­.. I can''t take it anymore, I''m going to c-cum¡­.."

    "Hold it in for me." Harker pleaded.

    And she did. That quick willingness to do as he says, that submission¡­.. He now understood what''s so appealing about it.

    "B-But I can''t¡­.. Fuck, fuck, fuck¡­." She covered her face now as tears fell from her eyes. "Just rubbing like this is torture."

    Harker knew this was true, yet why was he enjoying this torture? Why does he feel like someone else at this moment, relishing the ''torment'' of others? He never felt that way before¡­.

    Or maybe he always had, and he had hidden it in thiszily draped on ''morality'' that he had given himself.

    He had epted that he was a monster, but not just that. In some ways, he had always been. Hank was right, even if he kills him, this part of Harker will always stay. Just like how even if you kill the God of the Sky, the sky never truly disappears. Even if you kill the God of Time, he was merely a personification of something that always remains present.

    Hank was Harker''s shadow self, in a way. He was his darker side that never truly leaves when killed, staying like a dark dead corpse following after him.

    These thoughts added to this newfound taste for sadism had led him to his actions for the night.

    "Joan¡­. Can I hit you?"

    The woman looked surprised at this, her eyes wide. She was not expecting this.

    Still, being her loyal self... She nodded.

    "W-Where? I mean, it won''t really affect me no matter how hard you hit me. But I just want you to warn me first since it would still fucking hurt." She smiled lightly. "I won''t really mind getting hurt for you, though."

    "I want to go rough on you. I want to spank you, bite you, pull your hair¡­.. Whatever I feel like at the moment. I want to feel that your body is mine." Harker said, not showing any shame.

    The fact that he said all that does make him slightly conscious, but it did not show in his face or his voice. It didn''t affect his conviction in any way either. He had asked the question and taken the leap, so he would have to ept the fall.

    Joan shivered at this. Then she nodded.

    "Yes¡­ Yes, you can do all that and more. Do whatever you want with me."

    And so, like a hungry beast that could only think of how to consume its prey, the only thing in Harker''s mind in that moment was how he would consummate with Joan and fall into the depths of pain and pleasure with her.

    Her body was his gateway drug to forget everything.... and sumb to desire.

 Chapter 202 That We Call Libido [R18]

    ?

    "Mnfh! H-Harker, that hurts like hell¡ª Ah!"

    Joan moaned with her head buried on the covers of her bed. She was breathless as she endured even more hits on her bubbly ass, the red handprints turning into shades of purple by now.

    But she didn''t stop Harker. Harker said that if she truly wanted him to stop, all she had to say was¡­.

    ''Edmund''.

    She thought it was very cruel of him to do that, but she did understand. Harker wanted this night to be for him, and no one else. And she knew she wouldn''t call out that name anyway, whether on purpose or identally.

    She wanted to fully give herself to him, and only him.

    "It''s weird to have the student be disciplining the teacher, but here we are. Former student, but whatever." She heard his voice from behind her. "And seeing how you just keep getting wetter, it''s safe to say that our dear Professor Joan enjoys it."

    Joan thought he sounded so different when he teases her. It was gruff, with undertones of both mischief and malice. It gave her a whish, but it wasn''t really a bad thing. She loved to see this side of Harker so out in the open now. She did witness it a few times, especially that time when he licked her bleeding figure back at her burned home in Virginia¡­.

    But this was that going at full throttle, and he just kept on being more sadistic by the minute.

    Harker was aware of it too, and he had no way to describe this moment. He did not have to think of what to say, his mouth just speaks for him. He didn''t have to think twice on what to do, his hands moved on their own to m themselves on Joan''s ass cheeks without hesitation.

    "What''s that? I can''t hear you, Professor." He could feel his own lips stretching into a wide grin.

    Joan made more muffled sounds on the bed before Harker lifted her head up by force. Of course, he did so by pulling at her hair.

    "Fuck me now, please!!! Just fuck me now, Harker!!!"

    Harker frowned. "But I''m not done with your punishment. You cummed even when I told you not to. And even now, your naughty pussy keeps on leaking."

    "I won''t again, I promise¡­.. Also, why the fuck are you calling me Professor again!? It just makes this even more embarrassing for me¡ª Ah! Ah!"

    Harker pushed her head back down and spanked her again.

    "I thought I could do whatever I wanted. So that includes calling you whatever I want, right, Professor? You''re not used to having someone else take control over you, huh? Both as a teacher and¡­. well, with all those men you bedded with."

    Joan did not answer, or perhaps she could not. Harker decided that both were good either way.

    He leaned closer, whispering to her ear. "No¡­. You were a skilled vixen, having many experiences and all that. You could easily make any man fall into submission. But I know deep down you wanted to submit yourself to someone who could handle someone like you."

    He pulled on her hair again, and Joan was hysterically sobbing now and begging. "YES! YES! That''s what I want!!! Do it now! Make me submit!"

    Harker smiled, but nothing like that warm smile he usually wears. He knew how callous this smile was, but at this moment¡­

    It didn''t feel bad to wear it.

    "As you wish. You better thank me for this, Prof. And I want to hear you loud and clear."

    He grabbed onto her neck as he inserted himself into her cunt, going hard and rough with no preparation at all. Each time he prated, he did it so deep that it bulged out onto Joan''s stomach.

    He bit into her shoulder as he pushed in and out. This was almost identical to what he dreamed of doing, except that was in a musty cave and this was on a poor bed that was threatening to break any second.

    And the frame was even made of metal. It creaked so loudly that anyone in the building would hear, but Harker didn''t care. He kept going, keeping his tight grip over Joan''s body.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Joan was choking now, and yet she managed to obey his orders earlier with her tongue out and eyes rolling to the back of her head:

    "Th-Thank¡ª Cough! Thank you! Oh, thank you, Harker¡­. Cough¡­ For fucking this pussy... Keep fucking me harder..."

    Her body was really good for her ''age'', and especially so for her real age. It was actually like fine wine that just gets better over the years. Harker couldn''t get enough of it, wanting to see how far he could go with her unyielding submission.

    She couldn''t die anyway, but he could destroy her body.

    Tempting as it was, he felt that he shouldn''t. He can go really, really close to breaking her walls literally until he had torn her insides, but he shouldn''t actually do it. Not on the first time of her submission.

    Still, he was willing to leave that bite mark that left scars for weeks, maybe even months if he kept biting there every single time. He liked seeing it, as it was a symbol of how for this night and the rest, Joan was his and his alone.

    "I''m going to cum inside you, Joan... I''m going to fill you all up until you explode¡­."

    He knew that wasn''t possible, but he did pretty close on fulfilling that hyperbole. He unloaded so much that his own cum started to leak out from Joan''s fucked-up cunt and onto the bed. It mixed with some blood, but neither of them minded it. He didn''t pull out until Joan was groaning about how full she already feels.

    "So much... You''re shooting up a whole generation in there, Jones." She muttered, though she was close to passing out.

    "It''s not over yet." Harker said. "Let''s keep going until morning."

    And they did. Just like animals driven by nothing but libido.

    That was how it went at nighttime. In the morning, though¡­..

    As Harker smoked the cigarette, actually his first time to ever do so¡­.. He felt the same way as when he got sober. And he can count on one hand how many times he got drunk.

    He can''t afford to get hangovers and party as a schr/ part-timer/ exemry son and brother after all. It was nice, but the somber feeling was hard to describe after it. It was not just post-nut rity, but even deeper than that.

    "Now I understand what he said before." He chuckled as he opened his eyes. "That a man is driven by his urges. Even if you do have your wits with you, no matter how logical you are, unless you really don''t have a sex drive¡­."

    He looked at his morning wood that was up again.

    "The urges wille no matter what, and you''d have to take care of it somehow."

    So he and Joan went at it again. While they were in the middle of it, there was suddenly a knock on the door¡­.

    "So this is why you weren''t in ss, Ms. Joan." They heard a familiar voice behind it.

    Harker''s eyes brightened at this, and went to open the door in a sh. He picked up Mina, kissing her until she couldn''t breathe, andid her on the bed.

    She just chuckled. She experienced a bit more of Harker''s sadism beforehand, and even stoke the fire sometimes. So she wasn''t fazed by the sudden aggression at all and was inviting towards it.

    "Hahaha, what''s this? Why is Ms. Joan skipping Biology ss and you guys are having fun without me, hm?"

    Harker kissed her hard again. "You''re free to join us. Fuck biology, let''s all explore each other''s anatomy."

    That''s exactly what they did for the whole day. By the end of it, Harker fell asleep with their hands around him, his libido very satisfied.

 Chapter 203 Pigeon Hole

    ?

    Rnd woke up with a bunch of hands wrapped around him, much to his annoyance. His trio of flings clung onto him, and he groggily pried out their arms off him to get out of bed.

    His naked body shone a little from the sunlight, as he stepped over the clothes and lingerie on the floor.

    "Ugh, it''s Monday morning. What am I even thinking?" He said, walking to one of the drawers in his vanity table.

    He took out a bottle of pills. He poured a lot and popped them into his mouth without water.

    But the headache was still there. It never really went away after he woke up, as he suffered mild tinnitus and migraines. He went to the bathroom to get changed and prepare to go to court.

    As he washed his face, another man''s face appeared in the mirror.

    This too, never went away. It always appeared in every mirror he saw. But he knew this was just something from his mind, not a real apparition.

    As soon as he wiped the mirror, the man would vanish, and he would see himself again.

    Which could be sometimes worse than seeing that stranger''s face. Nobody noticed how terrible he looked, because he was good at controlling his facial muscles to not show how saggy and heavy his lower eyelids were. Or he would cover it up with some powder, make himself look more appealing just like those male actors in Hollywood.

    After taking those painfully long preparations, he''ll be the ever so perfect ''Rnd Faust'' again.

    "You girls should go home. Don''t you have work or something?" He asked them as he got out of the bathroom, now fully dressed.

    He was now wearing a suit and looked more like a model than some droopy eyedwyer, which was what he truly was.

    The naked girls in his bed stirred awake, mumbling with their soft lips and stretching their slender limbs. They were like a flock of graceful swans, but they were as loud as geese. However, Rnd preferred theirpany over spending his nights alone with himself. He preferred that pointless loudness than the deafening silence.

    "Stay with us a bit more, Rnd~"

    "We missed you so much, you know?"

    "You look rougher than usual. Why don''t you take some rest?"

    Rnd scoffed as he adjusted his cufflinks. "I can''t. An innocent boy is going to be sentenced to life time imprisonment if I don''t hurry up soon."

    One of the girls twirled her hair. "Oh yeah. I heard about that case. It''s connected to the other one from five years ago, right?"

    "What other one?" Rnd frowned. "Why haven''t I heard about it?"

    He was well-versed in all the most infamous cases in New York State. It''s not possible that something would escape his research, since he had been dedicated to studying crime and criminal defense for 5 years now.

    "Of course you wouldn''t hear about it. It happened in Los Angeles, silly. But thewyer was from New York, and the poor guy got his face ripped off or so I heard. Only rumors reached here, apparently the suspect got released and used hush money to not let the press know about hiswyer being killed by him."

    Rnd raised an eyebrow. "It was his own client that killed him?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Another one nodded. "Yeah¡­. So I think you should back up now, Rnd. Your handsome face is too much a price to lose over some kid."

    But this only made Rnd more determined to move faster. "I can''t, especially since I know that now. Here you go."

    He handed them a fat wad of cash and some credit cards. The three rejoiced, and Rnd set out to court.

    Paul Pheme had told him to look for the Wade Dalton case. That must be thewyer they were talking about. Rnd had almost forgotten about his conversation with that guy after everything that happened. And it was during when he was¡­..

    He shook his head, trying to push off red camellias from his mind.

    The sickening smell of roses came into the air, meaning that he was getting close to the New York State Supreme Court, Criminal Term. It was just a few blocks from Chinatown and right beside Columbus Park. The roses and other flowery scent came from that park, as a rose garden had been built on it.

    Mostly white roses. It was actuallymon for many victim''s families to either use these white roses for the funeral of their loved one¡­.. Or as a subtle death threat to the suspect.

    Rnd rubbed his temples, as the smell just made his headache worse. He also had a bit of a hangover and lingering fatigue from the events ofst night.

    Instead of getting inside, Rnd went over to a bench near a streemp. He knows a certain someone would be there, feeding pigeons or taking a nap in his grimy and tacky suit.

    "Paul." Rnd called out when he found him.

    "Ah, Faust." Paul Pheme was in the middle of his pigeon feeding. "Your first session as Garcia''s representative is today, wasn''t it? You only took a week to prepare, and you seemed to have celebrated the night before too. You must really be confident about winning this... Or maybe just in arrogant."

    Rnd had no idea how this guy could notice since he knew he had covered up signs of his inebriationst night. But that doesn''t matter.

    "I still have at least 30 minutes. The family is not here yet." Rnd said. "So I figured I''ll ask you about Wade Dalton. You told me to look him up, but I figured I''m better off asking you since you ''hear everything''."

    "Haha, I don''t. The walls do, that''s what I always say. And nice little birdies." He let one of the pigeons perch on his fingers.

    He rubbed its chest and it cooed softly. "You''re here about Wade Dalton. I hope you haven''t taken your breakfast yet, or you''d easily lose it once I tell you the tale."

    Rnd scowled. "Just keep it short. No need for theatrics."

    "Oh, this one doesn''t need theatrics." Paul''s face then became serious. "It was a horror. That''s what it was. That old man poked his nose somewhere he shouldn''t have¡­."

    He let the little bird fly away, looking up at the sky with a look that felt familiar. Rnd knew that very well, that tired, wistful look¡­..

    He can see it on himself all the time.

    "It all started when he wanted to show-off to this young assistant of his. Just to prove a point, he went to the City of Angels, only to find demons lurking there. And the demons ate him up¡­. They ate him up even before he died."

 Chapter 204 Where The Shadows Hide

    ?

    "Wade Dalton was a very sharp fe, and wise too. He had experiences worth thrice as awyer at his age. He had seen it all, quite literally. He even survived a bullet hole on his stomach that narrowly reached his spine, which could have gotten him stuck on a wheelchair¡­. or a coffin."

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel Paul grinned. "But he survived it all. It''s not surprising that so many looked up to him. One time, one of his assistants learned of the usation of a distant rtive in Los Angeles. A newbie actress was murdered in her trailer, her face peeled off. His rtive was the actress'' agent, the top suspect as he was caught red-handed, knife and all that."

    "But he wasn''t even close to this rtive, mind you." Paul sighed. "The young assistant just thought it would be a fun challenge to see the Dalton magic somewhere outside New York. He said it would be too easy since NYC was Dalton''s ying field, and he might not be as good anywhere else."

    Rnd wasn''t dense, he knew that Paul must be talking about himself. He was the young assistant, otherwise he won''t know this much detail on the matter.

    But he let him speak anyway, retelling everything like it just happened yesterday.

    "Dalton took the challenge, of course. Got an approval for pro hac vice, out-of-state attorney just for this special case. He took his assistant with him just to observe, maybe give a bit of context to his rtive''s character."

    Rnd asked: "What was the rtive like? What''s his name?"

    "Gregory Dodger. He was a docile fe, even more docile than a woman. That''s why the assistant thought his case was interesting, since Gregory couldn''t even open a jar of pickles by himself, much less skin a person."

    Paul described him more. "He was more than a scrawny fe, he was petite. He was only 5''0 tall and 90 pounds. Had no girlfriend, very much career-oriented as one could get. Or maybe it''s because of the fact that his mother once locked him up in the basement after just putting his arm around a friend''s shoulder after school that he''s traumatized by girls."

    Rnd thought almost the same towards Felix Garcia. He had seen his picture. He was a pretty big and tall guy, standing at 6''0 and 202 pounds.

    But when he met him in person, he couldn''t help but be reminded of the term ''gentle giant''. That''s what he was. Felix was a sensitive kid, who was more interested in physics than talking to women. He never even had a girlfriend, and had no bad records since childhood.

    Rnd could immediately tell it wasn''t him, and there was some foul y going on. The problem was proving that, because honestly speaking¡­.

    If a Latino gets used, or any person of color for that matter, the ''innocent until proven guilty'' bes ''guilty until proven innocent''.

    The first thing they even questioned were the pills that Felix was taking. Which were actually for his anxiety after a traumatic experience of being tossed into the Hudson River inside a sack by his bullies when he was 13 years old.

    "I know what you''re thinking, and you''re right, Faust. Gregory and the kid really are too simr to ignore, right?" Paul said. "I can tell now it''s not a coincidence. Whoever this killer is¡­. It likes to frame those you least expect to kill."

    "Dalton worked hard on this case, and brought up very valid points. Even with the hard evidence of being caught with the knife and blood all over him, he still managed to weasel his way out of the prosecutor''s points. The Dalton magic worked, and the court had found Gregory not guilty¡­.."

    "Then, three years passed. Dalton is back in New York, and his assistant now handles cases on his own. Old man couldn''t be more proud, and he was the loudest about it. He would throw parties for every case won by this young one as if he was his own child¡­.."

    Paul''s lips lifted up a little at this memory. Then, it darkened once more.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "It was Thanksgiving when Gregory came here. He was¡­ He didn''t change. He was someone else. Tall, muscr, suave and charming. The assistant couldn''t even tell if he was looking at the same person anymore. Apparently, he imed to have limb-lengthening surgery and some other more to improve himself, get fit h h h. But I just know that it''s not¡ª"

    He stopped himself, as if thinking that he might sound crazy or stupid if he went any further.

    "Anyway, he wasn''t the Gregory that the assistant once knew. Gregory said he wanted to contact Wade Dalton to thank him personally for what happened three years ago. Ask him for some drinks at some bar called the Circus Cabaret. Dalton epted, and that would be thest night that he was alive."

    Rnd saw the hair on Paul''s arm stand up. "That night was¡­.. It was really dark. The old man was brought inside the club by an ever-smiling Gregory. And when he went out, he was shitfaced and stumbling on his feet."

    "Gregory wasn''t with him. Wade Dalton walked the empty, dark streets, and vomited on a nearby dumpster. That dumpster was on a narrow alleyway, between two quiet buildings. Then¡­."

    "He saw a light on the farther end of the alleyway."

    "A light? Like amp?" Rnd asked.

    "No. Well, Wade Dalton wasn''t sure. But it wasn''t like anymp light he had seen. It was pulsating, this bluish light. Almost as if it was breathing, flickering at a slow and steady rhythm. Itpelled him to approach, and as he did¡­.."

    "He saw a shadow pass by behind him. He turned around, and called out for who''s there. But nobody answered. As he continued to look around in confusion¡­. Under the blue light, a shadow had emerged. I was humanoid, but that was it. Tall and slender, with no features to tell what it was wearing, or if it was a man, woman, young, or old¡­."

    Paul crumbled thest piece of bread he had, gritting his teeth. "That was it. That was thest moment he was alive. The blue light disappeared, and he disappeared as he was swallowed by the darkness and that shadow. At least¡­. That''s what the assistant believed he saw when he followed them."

    Rnd thought that had he ot experience what he had with Harker, he would have been more skeptical of this story.

    But he believed it, 100 percent. He remembered the important details. Changes in appearance and personality, a blue light, a shadow, ripped faces¡­..

    "Thank you for telling me this, Paul." Rnd stood up, as he had seen the Garcia family''s small Civic arrive. "I do appreciate it."

    Paul''s eyes widened. "That''s it? You''re not¡­. You''re not gonnain that I gave you some third party ount of what''s basically a ghost story?"

    Rnd looked back at him with a fierce look in his eyes.

    "Ghost story or not¡­ Everything has an exnation. The truth wille out soon enough. And if shadows do try to hide it... I will bring it to light myself."

 Chapter 205 The Night Calls Me

    ?

    The light of the sun was blinding in Los Angeles. Howard Jones had to arrange for the 6 hour flight on the day his son had returned, and on the following night, had to take that flight into ces he had never been before.

    This was the second time he had been to LA, just not in the area where he first met the illustrious Yakov Perelman.

    For a man that was so well-known and regarded, he tended to live in the more isted and destitute areas. He lived at the beach, where the sun was high and shining, but people don''t really live on the beach. They tend to live closeby, yes, but prefer to be in the bustling city where the sound of the waves would not serve as white noise to everything else.

    His house also had more open areas. The windows had no panes or bars, justpletely open. With the exception of Yakov''s room which was situated down into the basement for some reason, every other room had scorching sunlight passing through them.

    Howard was pretty sure that such design and location would not be allowed even by Malibu standards, but perhaps Yakov was rich enough to be an exception.

    He had no way to knock on the door. Instead, he greeted the bodyguard standing by the door. There was always one, changing every 8 hour''s shift, and were almostparable to the Royal Guards in the UK, standingpletely still in their red uniform.

    Howard approached the current one standing like a statue in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts. He pulled out a letter from his pockets.

    "Ahem. I havee here to see Mr. Perelman. He had epted my request a few months ago."

    The guard didn''t say anything, observing him. He then said:

    "What is that on your neck?"

    Howard pulled his cor down. "Oh, this? This is just a birthmark. Just two moles, to be honest."

    The guard squinted his eyes. Then, he took the letter to verify its contents. He made sure that Mr. Perelman''s personal seal was not forged, and that the letter was written in his handwriting. He was very thorough and this took 5 minutes.

    e¦Áglesnovel`c,om Finally, he took out his walkie-talkie. "Mr. Perelman, front door speaking. Asking for your confirmation for the visit of one Howard Jones, Sir."

    He waited as the sea breeze interfered a little with the signal. Soon, the static noise went away, and there came the ragged voice of an old man.

    "Send him in."

    The guard nodded, and put back his walkie-talkie. "You may enter."

    Howard went inside, and saw just how minimalistic the whole house was. The only decorations were very old vintage mirrors, some wooden spikes, and a jar of marbles at the very center sitting over the mantle of the living room table. That mantle was actually a fish.

    Strange and entric as it was, Howard was an artist and didn''t see it that way. He only appreciated how wonderful their arrangement was¡­.

    And how practical while also being subtle.

    "It''s you, isn''t it? The one marked by the Night." He then heard the ragged voice behind him.

    An old man with a tube attached to his throat said. He had a machine that was helping him with his breathing. He came in a wheelchair, and Howard could not help but be reminded of the time he once had to use one.

    It never felt troublesome just¡­ It''s just that he had forgotten how useful his legs were when he could simply rely on his arms.

    But now that he could use them again, even if they''re not ''real'', he came to realize how much different and easier things were if you were not disabled.

    Howard smiled softly at this question.

    "Unfortunately, yes."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The old man wistfullyughed at this.

    "I''ve always wanted Her, you know. But I was not chosen. After all my years learning more and studying the depths of Her being, I thought that it was my right to have Her as my bride. To be the one marked by Her kiss and bring into existence the Child of the Night."

    Howard looked amused at this. "The Night is not a¡­.. Nevermind. I need your assistance, Sir. I know what great pains you take to not be visited by the Night anymore. You use the sun as your shield and hide when the dark approaches. So you must know how to end the Night''s existence too. Permanently."

    To this, Yakovughed.

    "Hahahaha! Ah, what a silly boy." His Russian ent slipped a bit as he said the word ''silly''.

    Howard was not amused by theughter, but didn''t chide him and let the bitter old man have his fun.

    Yakov had to stopughing as his machine beeped, and he coughed painfully. Still, a smile remained on his thin, wrinkled lips. "You are asking the impossible. You may kill the personification of the Night, but you can never end it. It is always there, even before the Light."

    Howard gritted his teeth. "But I have to. The Night had already taken my wife, and it will take my son too¡ª"

    "Ah, you have no wife, my boy. Once the Night has chosen you as Her groom, you are Hers and Hers alone."

    Howard closed his mouth as this, unwilling to ept it. He will do anything to get the answers that he sought. And he had been looking for it for such a long time. Before Yakov epted his letter, he looked everywhere else.

    But he knew the old delusional man was the one with the key that leads to the door. The door that leads to the truth.

    He kneeled down to the old man''s level, looking at him straight into those eyes full of cataracts.

    "You are a man of science. You must know something, anything. You have studied and are studying the nature of the Night in a scientific way, haven''t you? Haven''t all of you?"

    The man closed his mouth. "Those of us who keep pursuing that¡­. are fools."

    "No. You are trying to save the world from¡­ Her. Humanity itself. If you truly believed there was no way, you would not hide from Her. You would take death into your own hands, or sumb to Her embrace. Now tell me what it is that keeps you in that mortal shell."

    The man feltpelled to do so as he stared into Howard''s eyes. He felt shivers down his spine, andughed again.

    "Extraordinary¡­. Her kiss is truly extraordinary."

    Howard gritted his teeth. "Even if it''s extraordinary, it''s the kiss of betrayal still. Unlike you, I never beckoned the Night. It came to me and didn''t leave me any choice. It fooled me."

    "She didn''t. You were beckoned, and you fool yourself to believe that you could have avoided Her beckoning." The old man retorted.

    "Do you hear Her calling for you still? Calling for Her beloved, Her sweet voice sinking into your flesh and to your bones while the others remain asleep, remain untouched by Her? How lucky you are, my friend. You talk of your wife, but she is the deceitful Day that makes you believe in the sunlight."

    He then covered Howard''s eyes. "But if you go beyond this in a silly spaceship... Isn''t the Darkness what we see beyond our ''sky''? When you close your eyes to sleep and when you close it for thest time¡­. Isn''t it the Darkness that greets you and wees you back? Back into Her loving embrace."

    "She has waited. She has waited for you for such a long time."

    The veins on Howard''s neck jutted out as his breathing turned heavier, his whole body panicking like a caged animal. With his eyes closed like this, he could see it¡­

    He could see the Night and hear its calls.

 Chapter 206 Like A Treacherous Black Swan

    ?

    Harker walked on his way home. The kids had stayed with the Tariqs again after school, and he does feel slightly guilty for having them take care of his responsibility for him.

    But he also learned the hard way that there were just things you couldn''t change, and you could choose to mope or to think of a way to improve it. So he chose thetter. This would be a one-time thing, he won''t be like his dad who would just leave behind the three kids with no warning or an exnation.

    He does understand why his father must leave. He doesn''t know everything, but he understands it.

    They were basically doing the same thing. Doing what they believe was right as discreetly as possible because they want to protect everyone else.

    So it would be hypocritical of him to judge his father and his disappearance. He just wished he wasn''t kept in the dark so much¡­..

    The lights of the streetmp flickered. Harker looked up. The lights had always been faulty in these alleyways. This area has some bars and other good ces to be, but it''s also full of abandoned buildings, stinky dumpsters, and perfect ces to sell weed or have public sex in.

    The faulty street lights were one of the reasons for that. They really have to change those bulbs. It''s been like that for 5 years already.

    The darkness seemed to dance and revel in these parts. Harker continued walking with his hands in his pockets.

    It was autumn so it was chilly, but that had never been a problem for someone like him that was part monster. Wendigos thrive in the cold. Still¡­.

    He clutched his jacket instinctively, wrapping himself with a light shiver as he passed by.

    He never liked this ce. It was like the shadows turn into shapes that they shouldn''t be whenever those lights flickered, like the ever-changing imagery of the clouds.

    Harker had reached the Tariq residence. Their house was not any different from the Jones''. It was small and unassuming, and housed even more people than Harker''s family. Much like the Garcia''s, even the parents of both Mr. and Mrs. Tariq were there, Mr. Tariq''s two younger brothers, Mrs. Tariq''s sister, four children of the homeowners and 3 cousins to those children.

    In total, there were 16 people staying in what should have been a house for a maximum of 4.

    Harker knew they managed to get by barely, and everyone had to do their part to keep things afloat. That''s just how life for most working ss were, especially immigrants.

    When he knocked on the door, Mrs. Tariq greeted him.

    "Oh, you''re back! We were getting worried since it''ste, but we didn''t know what number to call¡­." She said, wiping her sweat from the side of her sunflower yellow hijab.

    She was carrying a baby, the youngest of her children. Harker heard shouts as Mr. Tariq and his brothers made bets on a horse-racing channel, and Mrs. Tariq''s sister yelling at her own children to stop running and wash their hands for dinner.

    The grandparents were really old and seated on rocking chairs, some closing their eyes and the other reading a book in Arabic.

    It was really chaotic in a home-y way, and though it''s less than ideal, Harker can''t help but admire the tight-knit atmosphere of their family. They all seemed so close, like they belong together¡­..

    But his eyes were drawn to someone who doesn''t fit in this atmosphere. He recognized this girl since he did babysit her in the yground along with Felix before.

    Her name was Zaina Tariq, the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Tariq. She was close with Felix, almost like his best friend.

    Of course, since they were a girl and a guy, people assumed that they must be a thing and were just too shy to admit it. But Harker stood by his ''Don''t get it twisted'' rule and didn''t assume anything or even try to pry. It''s none of his business.

    However, it was hard to not notice Zaina as she sat by the end of the staircase, her eyes red and puffy while staring at the TV nkly. Harker knew that empty look.

    Her mind was elsewhere, worried about her best friend¡­.

    Harker could empathize with that too.

    "Um, Mr. Jones?" Mrs. Tariq tried to gain his attention again. "Your siblings are here now."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Harker turned his gaze away. "Oh, yes. Thank you so much again, Mrs. Tariq. And sorry for the trouble."

    "It''s not trouble at all, dear. Your siblings are well-behaved and my children like ying with them." She smiled. "They already ate some ffel, I hope you don''t mind. If you don''t know what that is, it''s basically a deep-fried ball made of vegetables¡ª"

    Harker smiled politely. "I know what ffels are, Mrs. Tariq. They must have been very delicious, thank you again."

    Harker took in Samuel, Samson and Chloe, who told them about their day. Harker pretended to listen, but was zoning out just like Zaina Tariq. There were still so many things he had to take care of, and his fun time with Joan and Mina was over so soon¡­.

    He just wished that everything would be as simple, but that''s something he couldn''t change. He could only try his best and take care of things one at a time.

    As he tucked the boys to bed, he went to Chloe''s room and saw her reading her mother''s journal. She was very focused on it, this time trying to learn more about her father as a person and his past so she could understand him at the present.

    She sighed in frustration, putting the journal down on her desk.

    "What did you find in BITMAC?" She asked.

    Harker shrugged. "Only that he looked for a Yakov Perelman. He''s a sponsor and lives in LA. I could go there, but I also have a lot to take care of now that I''m back. I could only do research on this guy and try to contact him¡­.."

    Chloe sighed again. "Even then, we''re not sure if he has the answers. He might be just one puzzle piece among thousands."

    Harker patted her head. "We''ll do our best. And if we don''t have any choice left¡­. I''d have to use my¡­. You know."

    "Right." Chloe nodded. "Will he know?"

    "He''ll wake up confused and realize that time has passed. But at least he won''t remember telling me anything." Harker said. "That''s usually how my hypnotism works¡­. I''d rather he tell me himself though."

    "Me too. I want him to trust us." Chloe went to bed. "Dad had always been a quiet one, you know? He''s nice and all but¡­. Even Mom admits that he liked his personal space and kept some things to himself."

    She then added jokingly: "Runs in the family, I guess."

    Harker smiled sheepishly, covering her up with a nket. "I''ll turn the lights off now. Go to sleep."

    She nodded. "You owe me your whole summer escapade story. Whatever supernatural or magical stuff that happened in the three months you were gone."

    "Sure. Good night, Chloe."

    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® Harker was about to leave the room and turn off the light switch, when he caught what was in the journal.

    Another picture of his Dad, his mom, and G.G. Faust. His mom was wearing a white dress, Howard wore blue, while G.G. wore the same all-ck ensemble again.

    [G.G. took us to watch Swan Lake! It was absolutely spectacr! XOXO]

    Harker vaguely knows the story of Swan Lake. He chalked it up to a prince falling in love with a freaking swan, but if he remembered correctly¡­

    There were two of them, one white and one dark. The prince fell in love with the white swan. But the ck swan pretended to be her to seduce the prince¡­.

    And he was fooled into betraying the one he should love.

 Chapter 207 Something Alien

    ?

    Because the crime was punishable by reclusion perpetua, the Garcias could not use bail and Felix would have to stay in jail for the duration of his trial all the way to sentencing.

    Not that they could have afforded it even if there was bail.

    They could barely afford to keep their family afloat during this time. Just like the Tariqs, their family consisted of more than a dozen people. The difference was that they were mostly adults or teenagers, so the cost of living per person was significantly higher.

    And theirbined wages were just barely enough. Not many were fluent in English and had blue cor jobs.

    Because of this, Felix was seen as the hope of their family. The only one to be a straight A student, to achieve a schrship in Holmwood University. They had put all their expectations for a better life on him¡­..

    And now this happened.

    "Please help us, Sir! My son could not do this, he is innocent!" Mrs. Garcia begged.

    Rnd tried to calm her down. "It''s fine, Ma''am. It had just been the preliminaries. We still have a long way to go in this retrial, but for today, I say that what mattered was we made a good impression to the judge and the jury."

    "I do not understand¡­. W-When will this be over?" She was weeping.

    Rnd just did his best to calm her down. "Soon, Ma''am.I promise. Where is Mr. Garcia, by the way?"

    "Sniff¡­. He needs to work because we have no money anymore. He is so tired, he could not even look at Felix anymore¡­. I know he believes in his son but it''s been so many months since he was in jail¡­.."

    Rnd''s heart clenched for this poor family. "It''s going to be alright, Ma''am. How about you go home for now? I will visit Felix. There''s some things I need to ask him."

    Once he had managed tofort the weeping mother, he set out to follow the police cars that brought the simrly devastated boy in handcuffs to the detention center.

    Felix had done his best in the preliminary trial, but it was difficult to convince people with hard evidence against him.

    The murder took ce at 11:57 pm. It was in one of the dark alleyways in the more isted parts of the streets. There was a CCTV camera on the main street, but they experienced a malfunction at that time. Even the streetmps went out, and it was a new moon night with no stars in the sky.

    The victim was Dahlia Nieves, a fellow student and friend of Felix Garcia. They were going to the same school, and often took the bus together. Then they would walk the way home together as well. Dahlia was a beautiful girl, and she already had a boyfriend, so police were considering whether it was a crime of passion or carefully nned revenge.

    But Felix ims to have no interest towards the victim beyond tonic. He doesn''t have any history of mental disorders or any of his family.

    Still, he was found sleeping on the dumpsters with hands full of blood that matched the victim''s. He was holding the murder weapon, the knife that slitted Dahlia''s throat and peeled off the skin of her face.

    After everything that Paul told him and the circumstances of the crime, Rnd became even more certain that Felix was innocent¡­

    And that the true perpetrator may not be of this world.

    It was easier for someone with money like him to arrange a meeting with a suspect for a heinous crime like this. The tabloids were already going crazy, so the police force was stricter on who to let in. But with Rnd, everything was always fast.

    Just bearing the name of Faust could get him almost everything he wanted.

    Almost. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The truth was harder, and required real effort beyond financial ones.

    He was now seated in front of the 19 year old boy used of murder, and even grievous desecration of the dead. Felix looked nothing like that, as he shifted hisrge and bulky frame over the tiny chair offered to him.

    The ss pane dividing them had grown a bit foggier because of the boy''s nervous breathing. Two officers keep watch by the sidelines.

    "How have you been, Felix?" Rnd asked in the mostforting tone he could muster.

    He knew how difficult it must be for someone with anxiety disorder and PTSD to experience something like this. He took his time with Felix, since he could always spend a few more cash to extend the duration of his visit.

    "I-I''m fine¡­ Mr. Faust¡­." It took all of the boy''s effort to respond.

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel Rnd smiled softly. "Just call me Rnd. I''m here to help you, you''ll be alright. I need to know more about what happened that night, if you don''t mind."

    Felix''s chest heaved even more under the small orange suit that he was made to wear. It felt like the buttons might pop out soon.

    "W-What do you want to know?"

    "The area where youst remember before passing out¡­ Was it near a bar called the Circus Cabaret?"

    Felix''s eyes widened at this. "Y-Yes! That''s the one¡­.. It''s actually thest thing I saw before I got knocked out!"

    The adrenaline in Rnd''s veins kicked up a notch at this response. "I see¡­. How did you get knocked out again? You said you had been hit, right?"

    At this, Felix became a bit shifty again. He furrowed his thick eyebrows together.

    "That''s what I remember and what I told the police but¡­.. But it just happened so fast. And it didn''t feel like I was hit by a weapon or a fist, I just¡­.. There''s this heavy weight that pressed on me and I-I¡­.. No, I might have just imagined it. Because there was nothing."

    "What do you mean there was nothing?" Rnd asked.

    "The source of impact¡­. I couldn''t see it. It just knocked the air out of my lungs and I couldn''t even tell where it hit me. It felt like my whole body got hit, and I fell on the floor¡­. Seeing those neon signs of the Circus Cabaret."

    Rnd wrote this down quickly on the memo pad he had been carrying. "What did the police say about this? If you had been knocked, maybe there was a witness¡ª"

    "They don''t believe me on anything at all!" Felix said, exasperated. "They said that though some of the bar patrons did see me fall down, I just stood back up and followed after Dahlia. But I don''t remember doing that at all! I just¡­ I feel like something entered¡ª"

    "Something entered your body. Something foreign, alien."

    Rnd knew that feeling very well.

    He shook a little, but tried to push it away. Felix blinked wide at these words, as if he hade to realize something.

    "Aliens¡­.. That''s it. That''s what it was. My body must have been possessed by aliens."

 Chapter 208 Tries To Replace Me

    ?

    Rnd didn''t expect this response at all.

    "I''m sorry¡­. What?"

    Felix stood up from his feet, gripping his hair with his cuffed hands.

    "IT''S THE ALIENS! It''s them! They knew I was onto them, and they tried to shut me up!"

    The policemen rushed out from their post, but just one look from Rnd and they went back. All it took was one look, and these buff men felt frozen in ce.

    Rnd then turned his gaze unto Felix. But he was too far deep into his sudden outburst of fanaticism over aliens that he was chattering now like a mad man. His words didn''t even string together as somethingprehensible. They kept going off tangent, and it took several tries for Rnd to get him to calm down.

    "Felix! Look at me! I''m right here!" He eximed.

    "Blue light, false light, red eyes, evil eyes¡­. must have been a¡­. or without it¡­. never see¡­ unseen¡­"

    "Felix!"

    Felix finally looked up. "The aliens¡­.. They are trying to rece..."

    He slowly calmed down as he looked into Rnd''s concerned look, and slowly sat back on his chair.

    "I''m here, Mr. Garcia." Rnd repeated, as if coaxing him. "You can tell me. You can tell me everything."

    Felix'' lips were still moving into a mumble, but no words came out. Eventually he cleared his throat.

    "It''s the aliens who killed her. Or at least one of them¡­. I don''t know. They possessed my body to frame me for it. They''re onto me because I have seen them since I was a kid. That''s why I wanted to be an astrophysicist, you know? I needed to know how the meteor would have fallen down¡­.. and when more of them would return."

    Rnd frowned. "What meteor?"

    "I.... When I was a kid, I saw this star. It was strange because it had different colors, like blues and reds, and had an irregr shape. I can''t describe it well¡­.. I just thought it must be an airne."

    He then chuckled. "But it didn''t move. It stayed there, twinkling. No... Flickering was the right word. And as I watched it, I got this strange feeling that it was watching me back."

    "Then, something crashed right next to our house. We used to live on a small farm in Mexico, until our crops got burned from that crash. Since then, other problems came that led us to live in a cul-de-sac in Manhattan. I know what caused the fire, but nobody believed me. The star, that meteor¡­ It crashed into our fields, and then I saw them."

    He drew on the ss with his finger. First the shape of a rather triangr head with a very pointy chin, then two perpendicr lines indicating arms and legs. Finally, he drew a single eye that upied most of the weird head.

    "I thought that from the fog and the darkness, they wouldn''t have seen me watching them from my bedroom window. But they must have. And now they''re after me."

    Rnd considered this. Before, he would be quick to dismiss this as some conspiracy rambling from a very disturbed boy. After all, he had experienced quite a lot of mental trauma.

    e¦Áglesnovel`c,om But after everything¡­. It could have been another supernatural thing.

    Rnd''s belief over the supernatural and paranormal had always been simr to that of an agnostic. He does believe a lot of these ghost stories were fully crap, but he does think some of them bear a semnce of truth. Maybe that truth was twisted or exaggerated, but there were things beyond what our current scientific knowledge could exin.

    And that was confirmed by his own experiences. However, aliens were a whole new territorypared to ghosts, mermaids, demons and monsters.

    Could there really be life beyond Earth? It was likely considering how vast the universe was¡­. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    But would they really look like gray humanoids rather than something that we have never seen before? This description of aliens felt more like something the confused mind would conjure, or misinterpret. Something simr to us humans, but just slightly different to be off-putting.

    It may have even been a demon.

    But there was no way of knowing besides getting inside Mr. Garcia''s memories. Or meeting these creatures himself, which would be very dangerous considering how powerful they were.

    Rnd clenched his fist. He knew that he could only solve this case and prove Felix Garcia''s innocence¡­.

    With Harker''s help.

    And he was understandably reluctant about that. But his sense of justice overpowers his reluctance, so he had decided to meet with Harker first thing in the morning.

    He stood up from his chair. After all, he learned almost everything he needed for now. He can stay longer than the visit duration but he doesn''t really like viting thew more than he had to.

    "Thank you for telling me this, Felix. I''ll try to look around the scene of the crime and near the Circus Cabaret but¡­. Have you seen these aliens after Dahlia''s death?"

    Felix looked so relieved that Rnd believed him, then shook his head. "N-No, I¡­. I don''t think so. But knowing now that they can possess people, I''m not so sure. They could be anyone, like those policemen or¡­. Or¡­"

    Rnd sighed. "I can assure you that I am NOT an alien, Felix. It would be counterproductive, since what they wanted was to frame you."

    Felix shook his head. "No. I don''t think you''re an alien. I don''t know why¡­. But I just feel sure of it. What I was scared about was what if the alien¡­."

    He pointed to himself.

    "Was still here? In my body?"

    Rnd knows that paranoia very well. Even now, he would have doubts whether Hanker or Henry Clerval was truly gone. And thest words of that former sailor just added fuel to his paranoia.

    That they were not truly gone, just buried deep.

    Rnd would often feel like someone was watching him from within. Watching him with his own eyes. After waking up, he came to have a general dislike of mirrors and any reflective surface.

    So he could understand this boy. More than anyone.

    "If the alien was¡­. I know how to take it out. For now, it would be best if you sleep alone."

    Felixughed bitterly. "I already do. But yes¡­.I''m more scared of it getting out of my body and killing me like it did to Dahlia, though. But I''d rather it not kill anyone else."

    "I understand." Rnd said sincerely. "Please take care, Felix."

    Rnd took his notes and left the detention center. He had broken his own advice just the night before, inviting over his three side chicks and getting drunk. But he needed it. He needed a distraction so badly.

    But now that he was back to his room to sleep alone, making sure to lock the door and windows¡­.

    He was more scared for his life than he thought. Scared that he would get reced by something else, something that had been waiting like a shadow to take over him.

 Chapter 209 I Know Those Eyes

    ?

    Harker had officially sent a letter to Yakov Perelman, which he expected would probably reply within two weeks. If the guy would reply at all, that is.

    It was hard getting information about him on his own. He did some digging in the library and found some articles about him and the BITMAC Institute. Apparently, he was a well-known physicist and astronomer that was included in some research involving light waves and optics.

    But besides that, he can barely find anything. You''d expect more info for a high-profile scientist like this. But it seemed that after his early retirement at the age of 45, Yakov Perelman became even more discreet and only sponsored some research now while living in seclusion somewhere in LA. He doesn''t take any interviews and barely appears to the public.

    His retirement was said to be due to a freak ident that caused him to have his bones be brittle, affect his inner bodily functions like the passing of air into his lungs, and make him legally blind with cataracts.

    Harker couldn''t find any more details about this ''freak ident'', but he does feel suspicious about it.

    There were very few things in this world that could give all that damage to a someone. Harker was even surprised he was still alive, but then again, he was rich.

    The rich had it easy. Healthcare,munication, gathering information¡­.

    They can get it all in the snap of their fingers.

    "Fuck¡­.. Okay. Guess I have no choice but to see Rnd." He mumbled to himself as he cooked breakfast for his siblings.

    "Who are you talking to?" Samson suddenly asked him.

    Harker shrugged. "Myself. You never talked to yourself?"

    "Not really. There''s Samuel if I wanted to do that. Would make me look less mental." His brother said, setting down a telescope onto the table.

    Harker set down the omelet in front of him. "Those two take so long to take a bath."

    "Yeah. Even Dad takes faster than them. Chloe''s done now and getting dressed, but Samuel is still taking his damn time like a girl." Samson started to pick on his food. "Proper hygiene and all that."

    "He''s right, y''know. You wanna be known as Smelly Sam at school?" Harker examined the telescope. "Where''d you get this, by the way?"

    "Zaina Tariq gave it to me. She said it was a gift from Felix. But the lens got broken, and she asked me to get a recement for it. I''m nning to, but I also want to use it for a while tonight." Samson said.

    "Zaina Tariq, huh¡­."

    Harker frowned as he saw the zigzagging pattern that the crack made on the telescope lens. "..... It''s still crazy that they''d use Felix of murder."

    "He didn''t do it. Right, Sammy?" Samson said.

    He then nodded to himself. "We both think that it''s a set-up. I don''t trust the police chief that visited the Garcia''s, he has a shady look. I''d rather believe the Jester than him. He always acts brooding like Batguy, but those eyes? Totally shady."

    "Why would the police set him up?" Harker asked.

    Samson gave him a look, like he couldn''t even believe he would ask.

    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® "He''s colored, Harker. If I was Dahlia''s friend, I''d be the top suspect too if I''m the only colored friend she has. And Felix was."

    He then corrected himself. "Well, not really a friend. Dahlia just lives in the same direction so Felix offered to walk with her on the way home from school. Just near the area where she died, actually."

    Harker raised an eyebrow. "There? But it''s just full of abandoned buildings."

    "Yeah. Zaina said that it was cheap to rent a ce there. But she expected Dahlia would move anyway, since it''s terrible. Plus she''s getting a better college offer at Colorado and already made an application... Won''t be long before she moves out."

    Harker felt this detail was important somehow regarding the crime, so he kept it in mind.

    He ruffled Samson''s hair. "Finish your food now and prepare your backpack. But leave some for the others, okay?"

    Harker went to get ready himself, unsure on what to wear. He then approached Samuel and asked. "Hey, which one of these do you think screams ''Ie in peace''?"

    Samson frowned. "You had a fight with Rnd?"

    "Not really a fight, just¡­. Something."

    Harker shrugged, picking up one of the polo shirts. "I guess this one looks the most diplomatic."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    His brother snorted. "That looks too formal for your style. I think that must be one of the clothes Rnd bought for you that you couldn''t wear because it''s too bougie. And since you''re thinking of wearing it now¡­.. You definitely fucked up in some way and trying to let his guard down by wearing that."

    "Hey,nguage." Harker chided. "And yeah. I did fuck up. Just finish your meal, dude."

    Samson spoke while chewing. "How much did you fuck up? Big time?"

    "Yeah." Harker said in annoyance, putting on the fancy shirt.

    "Just say sorry then. It''s Rnd, I doubt he''d really keep a grudge long. That guy would forgive you in a heartbeat."

    "That''s not really the problem, though."

    Harker sighed, his chest feeling so heavy that he wanted to get some fresh air.

    "I know he would easily forgive me, but¡­.. It''d be hard for him to forget about it. It''s not something so easy to forget."

    He opened the door only to find...

    Rnd standing by his doorstep, blinking with one of his fists up. He looked like he was just about to knock.

    "O-Oh¡­.. Harker. I was just about to knock." He confirmed Harker''s suspicions. "What a coincidence¡­. Are you going out somewhere?"

    Harker doesn''t know how to respond for a millisecond, and settles with: "Why are you here?"

    It sounded drier than he wanted to. What''s wrong with him? Rnd was the one who should be apprehensive, and yet it felt like he was the one who couldn''t bear to see him.

    Rnd speaks as if there was nothing wrong, but his eyes couldn''t meet Harker''s.

    "I¡­. I needed your help with something. You know that I''m taking Felix Garcia''s case, and he also happened to be your neighbor¡­.. Plus I believe there''s something more going on."

    He emphasized ''more'', and Harker knew what he could be referring to.

    So something like that was happening to his neighbor? This case did sound suspicious but this just boosts it up to weirdness level 1000.

    It seemed that weird things were bound to happen even more now that he''s a demon lord.

    "I see. I''ll help. This is actually good timing that you were here, I was actually about to go over to your house. I also need your help with researching something."

    Rnd nodded. "That would be a fair trade, then."

    There was an awkward pause that passed, with only the sound of Samson''s chewing filling up the silence.

    ".... You guys gonna just stand there like idiots or would you make up already?" The boy then said.

    Rnd made an incredulous face. "What?"

    Harker pushed him outside and closed the door. "Nothing, I just¡­. How about we go for a walk in the neighborhood while the kids eat breakfast? I''ll take them to school then we''ll do what we need to do."

    "Okay¡­" Rnd visibly flinched when Harker touched him.

    Harker sighed heavily at this. Then, he finally said.

    "I''m¡­. I''m sorry about what my clone did to you. And that I didn''t check up on you sooner. But I''m here now¡­. and I want to hear about it. Are you okay?"

    Rnd bit his lower lip. "You don''t need to apologize, it''s not really your fault. Not directly."

    "But I need to know what exactly he did. It''s still my responsibility. After all, he''s technically still me¡ª"

    "No." Rnd suddenly looked angry, his eyes bloodshot. "Don''t say that. That wasn''t you. Because if it was you, if it was a part of you¡­."

    "Then I don''t think I could maintain a friendship with you anymore, Harker."

 Chapter 210 Following Me

    ?

    Harker closed his mouth and pursed his lips. It would feel like lying if he denied the fact that he and Hanker were the same. But he doesn''t want to make things worse for Rnd.

    He doesn''t want the tension between them to get even worse, and he certainly doesn''t want to lose their friendship that spanned for more than a decade.

    In the eyes of immortals and monsters, that amount of time was nothing. But it was everything to Harker. He was his first and longest friend, and they probably know each other like the back of their hand by now.

    He couldn''t always tell what Rnd was thinking, but he can still notice things that others couldn''t.

    He could tell that Rnd wasn''t just angry, and that he wasn''t angry with him. Nor at Hanker.

    He was angry with himself, and he was scared.

    "Rnd¡­.. I need to know what happened. Please tell me. Then¡­.. Then we could drop it and move on."

    His best friend looked unsure, then he¡­..

    He shook his head.

    "Let''s just drop it. You don''t need to know."

    "But I have to!" Harker insisted. "How else could I tell you whether or not that was me? That whatever he did was something I would do¡ª"

    "Please."

    That was all he said. That one simple word, and Harker could already know so many things behind that word.

    Please don''t push it further. Please don''t make me remember what happened. Please keep being my friend, and act normal.

    It''s hiding the truth all over again for the sake of the greater good.

    Or perhaps more urately, for the sake of the lesser evil.

    Harker hated it. And it was because of this hatred that he felt like a crack had grown even more in their rtionship, not repaired. He thought their bond was much stronger than this. But it was actually as fragile as ss.

    He needed to be careful all the time, like walking on a tightrope.

    "Fine, then¡­. Let''s just go back."

    They returned to the Jones residence, brought the kids to school, and went to Scarsdale. Harker and Rnd were quiet in the back of the limousine during the whole ride.

    When they got there, Rnd brought him to the pavilion to have some tea and talk about the Garcia case. Harker didn''t drink, since he was long used to not eating or drinking anything anyway. Consuming monsters made him full and he had almost forgotten how much humans eat every day.

    It''s troublesome, and sometimes, it feels like they like to eat and drink among themselves just to be morefortable with each other. To share some physical activity with someone to get them talking.

    ".... And I was thinking that you could use your skills on him."

    Harker was listening, but he only consumed the words like mindlessly eating them. He looked up. "What skill?"

    "The¡­. The Legion one. The one that gets into people''s memories. That way you''d know more about this ''alien'' creature, what it looks like or any more important clues." Rnd said, "Though I''d rather you don''t use it..."

    Harker blinked. "You''re letting me do that to Felix after¡­."

    He stopped himself from continuing the sentence. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''After you became so traumatized with my clone doing the same to you? You''re willing to witness those ck worms again and remember whatever makes you scared?''

    "It''s the only way." Rnd nervously sipped tea. "Though¡­. Though of course I would need to make some arrangements for it to happen. It would be private, just you and Felix."

    He put his cup down and changed the topic. "What about you? What do you need from me?"

    Harker didn''t feelfortable about letting Rnd make the decisions without asking for his own opinion. But then again, it was a fair trade. He won''t pry into Felix more than necessary and only look into important memories like this alien sighting he said many years ago and the night of Dahlia''s murder.

    He told Rnd about his father''s disappearances, and his need to reach out to Yakov Perelman.

    "I''d go there myself, but I can''t really find an address besides where he received his mail. That''s not his real house because I checked and it''s just some office. My dad probably only got to his location once he responded to the letter, which took months ording to Chloe.''

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel Rnd rubbed his chin. "Yakov Perelman¡­. That name sounded familiar. I think I may have met him before."

    "What is he like?" Harker asked.

    "Just¡­. Normal. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. He''s actually more nd than most scientists, since most scientists have this wide array of personality to them. They can bepletely kooky and obsessed with their work, or very reserved yet intelligent. But Yakov is just the same as some average Joe."

    He smiled. "I do remember him mentioning his wife a lot. It''s a very 1950s businessman kind of personality, to be honest. Always talking about his beautiful housewife waiting for him."

    Harker frowned. "Wife? But from the records I''ve seen in the library, he didn''t have a spouse."

    "Oh." Rnd pursed his lips. "Then maybe it''s just some lover or something¡­. Anyway, he sounded just so smitten over her. Couldn''t talk another second without mentioning how pretty she was, how much he would dedicate his whole life to her, how he misses her... Huh."

    Harker noticed him trail off. "What is it?"

    "Well¡­.. He always says she had the brightest appearance. Just bright. Nothing else, not bright like a smart woman or has a bright smile or bright eyes¡­ Just bright. The way he said it almost sounded like he was being literal."

    This diforted Harker for some reason. "Anything else?"

    "She had long ck hair, if I remember. Because he keptparing it to how dark the dark matter was, which is pretty much a metaphor you''d expect from an astrophysicist. But it''s also wrong, because dark matter isn''t really ''dark''. It''s unseen. Invisible."

    Rnd''s eyes also seemed to widen over this. Unseen¡­..

    Wasn''t that part of what Felix was muttering about? And how he described the possession, it was almost like this alien creature was invisible¡ª

    "What about her eyes?" Harker suddenly asked.

    "Her eyes? What about her eyes?"

    Rnd was confused by the sudden question, since he was starting to connect dots that may or may not be connected.

    "What color were his eyes?" Harker said, that unsettling feeling sinking deeper and deeper into his bones.

    "Her eyes¡­ He never really mentioned her eyes. Like I said, that''s what I expect he would mean about her looking bright. But he did say that when she watches him, he felt like it would pierce through his soul. Like it ''illuminates'' it. Yes, that''s the term he used, like she could illuminate even the darkest parts of his soul¡ª-"

    Harker stood up as if in realization.

    "Red glowing eyes¡­.."

    For the first time, he actually came to remember the strange dreams he had. It was alling back to him at that moment, those eyes that followed him like a shadow.

 Chapter 211 Seductress In Red

    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® ?

    Harker remembered that spiral staircase again. Down and down it went, beckoning him to try and reach the bottom of it.

    Then, he remembered those glowing eyes. It was so bright in his memory that he was confused on how he was ever able to look directly at it. It was like a sr eclipse, and he was sure that looking too long would blind him.

    Everything was so dark, too dark to see anything. And so was this person.

    Finally, he saw the face.

    It was familiar, because he had seen that face back when he was a child.

    "I know¡­.. you belong to somebody new~

    But tonight you belong to me~"

    He heard them singing on the yground. It was just right after sundown. He had promised his mom that he would be home soon, but he wanted to wait and observe the Venus for himself. After all, he had just learned about how this would often appear like a star.

    And he was only 6 years old this time. The yground was nearby, so his mother allowed him to y by himself.

    But he knew he''d get a scolding for being sote. Still, she was too busy taking care of his new sister anyway. He promised himself that he''d go home as soon as he saw Venus anyway.

    Then, just as the sun had taken its slumber¡­..

    He heard that song.

    "Although we''re apart~

    You''re part of my heart~

    And tonight you belong to me~"

    Harker heard that singing on the swing. There was a woman there, swinging by herself. Her long hair cascaded even darker than the night itself, and her red dress reached up to her ankles. The sleeves reached to her wrist, andce her neck.

    She was very beautiful, even when Harker hadn''t seen her face yet. He could just tell. Her voice was also just as alluring, drawing the little boy in.

    "Wait down by the stream~

    How sweet it will seem~

    Once more just to dream~

    In the moonlight~"

    The moon had indeed appeared, shining her figure with its silvery glow like a spotlight. Harker had long forgotten about the star of Venus and could only pay attention to this dark singing woman.

    "My honey I know~

    With the dawn that you will be gone~

    But tonight you belong to me~"

    Harker found himself sitting on the swing right next to her. He didn''t even realize it, couldn''t even remember ever sitting there. He turned to the woman slowly¡­.

    And realized that her face was covered with a veil, a red one.

    The strange thing was he could see a reddish glow from below it, from the gaps where the veil ended, just right below her neck. Harker couldn''t help but be reminded of brides Christian weddings.

    The woman also turned to him, and though he couldn''t see her face, he still knew that she was smiling at him.

    This was confirmed as she lifted up her veil to show her blood red lips. Her smile was sharp, and her teeth were blinding white.

    "My honey I know~

    With the dawn that you will be gone~

    But tonight you belong to me~

    Just to little old me~"

    As she sang thest verse, Harker realized he was already sitting by herp. He and the woman swayed as the swing, back and forth. He felt like a little child again, even littler than he was now. Back when he was still a baby, being swayed and lulled to sleep.

    He felt his eyes getting heavier, and he could barely see anything besides the woman''s smile. She had pushed back her veilpletely, revealing her face. But it was too blurry for the sleepy little baby Harker, who craned his neck to the side as he was falling asleep. He felt a kiss on his forehead, and then something that tickled his neck¡ª<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Harker! Harker, my baby!"

    He woke up with a start. He realized that he was being carried in his mother''s arms. Josephine Jones was crying, looking devastated.

    Harker had never seen her so inconsble. She had always been a strong and tough woman. He even saw his father cry more times than her. But this....

    She was shivering, gripping him so tightly that it was hard to breathe.

    "M-Mom¡­"

    Harker felt his throat was dry. They were still in the yground, by that swing.

    He can see the star of Venus now, twinkling in its bright yellow glow. Harker thought that the beauty of this star was underwhelming, since he had seen something even more¡­..

    What was he thinking about again?

    He felt lethargic, and he felt like he was having a fever. His mother carried him all the way back home, still sobbing.

    He did have a fever that night.

    Though he wasn''t able to remember anything at that time, Harker could keep hearing the song again and again during his fever as a kid. And now that he could remember it again, it keeps repeating on and on in his head.

    That hauntingly sweet voice¡­..

    It was so sweet that he thought it was from a woman.

    Or perhaps, at that time, it was really from a woman. But the person at that staircase was no doubt a man.

    "Tonight you belong to me~"

    Over and over. As if reminding him, reminding him where he truly¡ª

    "Harker!"

    He snapped out of it when he saw Rnd by his side, pressing a hand over his forehead.

    "You''re heating up. Should I call Dr. Rothstein? He''s still in the area since I had just woken up, he can¡ª"

    Rnd also pressed his hand on Harker''s neck, and he felt that it stung a bit. He ended up pushing Rnd hard, knocking him to the ground.

    "Ouch¡­." Rnd hit his back pretty hard on the cobblestone floor.

    Harker''s eyes widened. He touched his neck, as if expecting something there. Something wet and warm¡­

    But there was nothing.

    He snapped out of it and went to help his friend. "I''m sorry, I was¡­.. I just¡­."

    "What''s going on here?"

    Somebody else helped Rnd faster than him. It was that woman again, her red high heels cking as she approached. That beautiful, seductive woman¡­.

    Yes. She was a seductress in his eyes.

    Even though she acts all prim and proper, even though she looked nothing of the type¡­ Harker can''t help but despise the way she could draw people''s attention and be allured by her. She''s different from a mermaid or a siren that lures on purpose. She didn''t even have to do anything¡­.

    And yet the look that Rnd gave her was softer than anything he had seen.

    The fangs of hatred sunk its teeth deeper into Harker, causing his throat to bob as he clenched his fist.

    She kept her delicate hands around Rnd''s shoulder, helping him. "Are you alright, Rnd? Do you want me to call security? He just pushed you¡ª"

    "I''m fine." Rnd waved his hands. "It was an ident. Why are you here, Artea?"

    Artea smiled.

    "I think I found a way to help you in the Garcia case."

 Chapter 212 Goes By The Name Artea Holmwood

    ?

    Artea Holmwood. Harker had actually done some research on her while researching Yakov Perelman.

    She was the child of Arthur Holmwood, the headmaster of Holmwood University. His family had apparently founded the school in 1886. But their legacy spanned for several centuries before that, as they were well-known for their contribution to archeology, anthropology and other historical discoveries.

    It was a woman named Artea, this girls'' namesake, who had found the first piece of the meteor that supposedly brought the dinosaurs to extinction in 1566. This predated even Mary Anning''s finding of dinosaur bones in 1799 and the discovery of the Chicxulub crater in 1978. Theypared the rock sample to the crater and confirmed that it was indeed part of this meteor.

    But more than that, he was interested in what this Artea was all about.

    Apparently, she had been the Student Council President of Holmwood Academy since her freshman year. Ever since then, she has always won the election by andslide. As he expected, she was studying Political Science.

    Harker also knew that she had been adopted. Arthur Holmwood married a Latina woman in herte 60s, and took in this child as his own. Just with this information, he could already tell¡­.

    That Artea Holmwood was actually Alejandro Laurel''s daughter. The one he had to give away due to the difficulties of war.

    Though he was fond of the father, he can''t say the same to Artea. Not even when he learned that they were rted. She was nning to be a politician, and there''s obviously nepotisming into y with her continuous winning streak. She had grown up rich, and¡ª

    Harker stopped himself. He does realize that he was judging this woman severely, even though he was constantly reminded not to judge.

    ''Don''t get it twisted'' has proven to be more true now after everything he experienced as a demon lord. He always encountered the unexpected when he thought he knew everything.

    But¡­

    He still can''t bring himself to like her at all!

    "..... So I looked into all these files, right? And you would not guess what I had found, Rnd." She spoke enthusiastically as they had tea.

    She and Rnd were facing each other, while Harker sat by Rnd''s side with his arms crossed. His sour expression never disappeared, and yet nobody paid attention to it. They were too busy discussing things and wearing those wide stupid smiles. It''s almost like Harker''s invisible.

    She took out something from this fancy silver briefcase she was carrying. Harker clicked his tongue, thinking about how much money she had wasted just to buy a briefcase like that when she could have just bought a regr one. What a show-off.

    "Here it is. The files showed that the father of one of the students, Galeas Fieldings, was actually Chief Lance Fieldings of the New York City Police Department."

    Harker examined the picture of the boy with auburn hair, e, andrge square sses. He looked like your average geek, and not someone you''d expect to be the son of the chief of police.

    "Galeas is vying for the same internship position at NY Aeronautics that has connections to NASA as the suspect, Felix Garcia. Think about it, Rnd. I don''t want to make usations, but this is too much of a coincidence." Artea said. "I mean, the murder happened just as these two had sent in their applications."

    Rnd seemed to really consider this possibility. "Yes¡­. It really is too much of a coincidence. I had also noticed how quick the arrest and detention had seemed, even at the standards of a heinous crime like this. And the witness just easily found Felix in the dumpsters."

    Harker scoffed. "It sounds too far-fetched to me."

    Both of them turned to him quizzically. Harker gave Rnd a look, as if bbergasted that even he would question his remark.

    "There are bars in the area, would you really be surprised about some witness finding him in the dumpsters? And would the chief of police really be dumb enough tomit MURDER just to frame his son''spetition? You''re connecting dots that aren''t there, Ms. Artea. So I''m sorry to say this again but it sounds too far-fetched to me."

    He stood up, taking Rnd''s hand with him. "Thank you for your help, but we already have a lead on this case. All we need is to confirm those leads in the crime scene itself."

    Rnd raised an eyebrow. "We''re going to the dumpsters now?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "No time like the present. Unless you want to go there at nighttime?" Harker said pointedly.

    Artea looked really confused on why this man, this stranger that she doesn''t even know well, was acting so prickly towards her. But she did not say anything about it. Instead, she also stood up and followed them.

    "May I go with you? I might be able to help. I quite good at talking to people, maybe we can gain more information from those who are in the area¡ª"

    "No, thanks." Harker said, still half-dragging Rnd with him to the Marsedez-Bentz.

    But then, Rnd suddenly yanked his hand away. Almost too roughly.

    "She''s right, Harker. And you don''t need to investigate the scene with me. You''re sick, you should go home and rest."

    "What!?" Harker eximed. "Didn''t you call me out for help first? I''m the one you need the most in this case, so we''re going!"

    "But you''re not well! I mean look at how irritable you are right now! How can you even y detective when acting like that?" Rnd argued. "Go home, Hark. Your siblings are also waiting for you. Mina and Joan too."

    The way he said that had a sense of finality that made it sound like an order. And for some reason, Harker didn''t like being ordered around by him. Not this time.

    "We''re going." He repeated.

    "No." Rnd said, walking towards Artea''s side.

    Harker gritted his teeth. "Fine! Go to the dangerous murder ce with your girlfriend, then! Just make sure to not end up losing some face!"

    Rnd was incredulous. "My girlfriend? What the hell is wrong with you, Hark? You''re acting weird like you''re¡ª"

    Harker gave him the middle finger before he could continue as he walked out of the Faust residence. Rnd sighed, both infuriated and finding his immature antics a bit funny for some reason.

    "This guy is seriously a...." He couldn''t even decide the words.

    Artea rubbed her chin, then approached Harker. "Don''t worry, Rnd. I think I can take care of this."

    Rnd watched in confusion as she went to Harker, and said something to him. He couldn''t hear them, but it seemed to have managed to convince Harker to turn around¡­..

    And go back to Rnd''s car.

    "I''m driving the car, you ride shotgun, she''s on the back. Far, far back." He narrowed his eyes on her. "And I don''t want her interfering unless it''s needed, alright? This is our case to solve, she''s just a bystander."

    Artea smiled, sitting on the back of the limo. "Of course, Mr. Jones."

    Rnd had no idea how she did it. He sat in the passenger seat. "What did she say that made you¡ª"

    "Shut up, Catson. I''m the Surelock Holmes here, so I take the wheels both literally and figuratively. No talking while I go on my detective mode from here on out."

    Harker put the pedal to the medal and drove all the way to the district where they could find the Circus Cabaret.

 Chapter 213 Police Lights

    ?

    Even after months had passed since the murder, the streets where the death of Dahlia Nieves had urred became a hotspot for thrill-seeking teenagers. Thus, the patrons of the bars in this area had increased.

    And that includes the already illustrious Circus Cabaret.

    "Didn''t some oldwyer also die here and get his skin peeled off?" Harker heard one of them whisper to the other.

    The other scoffed. "That''s probably just a rumor that spread after this happened. Besides, I''m more curious about a hot babe dying than an old geezer."

    "It sounds pretty romantic to me. Her beauty, her face, was her greatest asset¡­. And yet Death must take it from her, as it would take from us all. I''m thinking of making a song in honor of such a beautifully haunting event." Another one added.

    Harker couldn''t help but sneer in irony. Once you die, strangers who don''t know you see your death as just a spectacle. Something to ogle on, something to entertain them. But they see their own death as something much more important, and would expect people to respect them in their passing.

    But they won''t, because they don''t know you. It''s only in knowing that most can possess empathy, and even then, some people just straight up never feel it.

    You were the only one who can truly know and care about yourself.

    It''s a shame that many people never try to get to know themselves or care, focused on the lives of someone else.

    Harker knew he was not an exception. He was still trying to understand himself more, learn what makes him tick. But it''s hard. Because changes happen, and time takes away the person he once was before he gets the chance to fully get to know him.

    He bes a stranger to himself. The memories of his past felt like fiction, just some show that he was watching.

    This disconnect can be rming, indeed. Especially if other forces were also trying to steal your identity from you.

    "Where is the scene of the crime exactly, Rnd?" Artea asked as they walked on the streets at sundown.

    "Just over there. We should move fast before it gets dark. The lights here don''t work when they''re supposed to¡­.. And the dark can''t be trusted."

    The streets and the sky were tinted in red and orange hues. The time before the darkness arrives always felt mncholic, as something seemed to be fleeting. And many people found beauty in that bittersweetness¡­.

    But in this case, everyone just felt apprehensive because of what they knew might happen in the night.

    Was this how the cavemen felt? Hiding quickly as the sun goes down, shivering inside cold caves with only small fires by their side. Knowing so little about themselves and the world out there...

    The fear of the unknown had always been one of the eldest to exist. What one may find, what danger awaits, and what hides in in sight.

    Harker looked at the dumpsters. It was just like any regr one, full of smelly things. He tried to imagine what it must be like for Felix Garcia to beying there, knife in hand, not knowing what happened at all. Poor kid must have been so scared.

    The evidence had long been found by the policemen by now. He knew they wouldn''t find any blood stains or anything like that.

    But they weren''t looking for markings of the past. They''re looking for what else must be staying there, and unknown presence. Harker walked at the end of the alleyway, which he remembered was described by Rnd when he gave him details about the crime.

    "What''s on the other side of this wall?" He asked. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It was about 15 feet tall, pure brick. He can see his own shadow stered on it while the falling sun shone behind his back.

    Rnd crossed his arms from the sudden chill he got from the autumn breeze.

    "Nothing but the streets. They just put up this wall to cover the abandoned dumpsters on this side. The other side was filled with pleasant cafes and condos, after all. These two buildings are absolutely empty, and only passers-by use these rusty garbage cans to throw their stuff around, like empty beer bottles and cans."

    Harker frowned. "Why were these buildings still abandoned?"

    Artea moved to observe the wall with them, narrowly avoiding a used condom on the ground. "Apparently, this area was supposed to be part of a gentrification campaign back in 1984. That''s why the buildings on the other side were fancier, along with the bars nearby. But for some reason, they discontinued, and some legal disputes made it so that nobody else bought or renovated the area."

    Harker rubbed his chin. "Who lived here before it was gentrified?"

    Artea shrugged. "Most likely illegal immigrants and other working ss. From what I''ve heard, there was a big rally that happened which caused several fatalities and casualties when the police intervened. One old man died from having his head beaten by a baton stick, a child got shot from a supposed ''warning shot''.... Those kinds of things."

    She clenched her fist. "It''s understandable that the economy needed to rise from the money of the upper and middle ss, but¡­. Is it necessary to spill blood? To use brutality just to maintain authority?"

    Harker was quite surprised to hear that from her, since she herself was from an upper ss group and part of that ''authority''. Sure, she may start at school, but in the future, she may very well be the same things that she criticized.

    Politics was a veryplicated thing after all.

    And even if you were one of the ''good'' ones, Harke would never understand why you would be naive enough to believe you can make a change and lose your dignity in the process. People will find you as a scapegoat to me no matter what. You''d get shunned more than you get praised.

    Suddenly, Rnd pointed at the top of the wall.

    "There''s something over there. It looks like ss¡­.." He tried to reach out.

    Harker kneeled down, offering his thigh for him. "Here."

    Rnd stepped on his thigh and finally got the ss like object. It looked like a light bar. Almost the same as the one you''d find from the police.

    "Huh." Rnd frowned as he got down. "How did this get here? Peter mentioned the lights were blue that night, could it be that this was it?"

    Harker examined it too. "But why would the police leave their light here?"

    Suddenly, a car arrived with its windows rolled down. A grumpy-looking old white man in his 60s was driving, his scowl adding up to his already wrinkly face. He had a very tall nose, and a gray mustache.

    "What are you kids doing out there!? This ce is too dangerous!"

    Then, he saw the lights in Rnd''s hand and got furious.

    "Hey, you''re stealing a property of thew! Put it back! Put it back right this second!"

 Chapter 214 Shining On The Circus Cabaret

    ?

    Unexpectedly, Rnd''s first reaction was to yell:

    "Run!"

    He bolted out of there so quickly. Harker and Artea had to follow after him. The cop also got out and chased after the three, but they went to the denser part of the streets with a lot of the bar hoppers starting to file in for the night.

    They managed to lose him by merging with the crowd. Rnd went straight inside the Circus Cabaret, and closed the door behind him as Harker and Artea got in too.

    The patrons didn''t seem to pay attention to them. They were all stuck in their own activities, like carefully ced pieces of a diorama. Harker doesn''t know why, but this felt very much like a bar¡­..

    And that unsettled him for some reason.

    It was so much like a bar, like one would expect from a bar. They peopleughed as they drank, and they sounded more like augh than anyughter he heard. Their movements looked more like a party than any party he had been to.

    It was so hard to exin what exactly was bizarre with this familiar scene.

    And then it urred to him. It was familiar, but that''s about it. It was supposed to be familiar, but it felt like it wasn''t. What is this, reverse deja vu?

    It''s throwing him for a loop. He realized that the music being yed was from a jazz band, with the pianist being the singer himself. He was singing a quite slow song, but the words¡­

    Harker can''t understand his words. It was like they were slurred. Was he drunk?

    "Privet, drug." Someone said beside him.

    "H-Huh? I don''t want no drugs, thanks¡­." Harker answered awkwardly as he tried to see where Rnd and Artea were.

    But they were already far beyond him, talking to the bartender. They were already investigating without him. Harker got annoyed, and was about to approach him when the same man chuckled.

    Hisughter was different from the rest. It wasn''t unnatural. It was just a regrugh that Harker had to turn around to double-check.

    The man had tinum blonde hair, very pale skin, and blue eyes. He had a costume on, a ck and white striped suit, cane, and hat. He looked like a ring master. There was also some make-up on his cheeks, just two red circles like you''d find on dolls.

    He also put two lines at the edge of his lips to give the appearance of a marite puppet. Like that block that you can move to make it seem like the puppet was talking.

    "I offer you no ''drug''. I was just greeting you as I would a friend in Russia. Droog." He chuckled again, covering his mouth with his gloved hand.

    Harker couldn''t tell what he felt about this guy. He seemed to want no harm, but at the same time, he felt like he couldn''t trust him for a second. Before he could decide, the man had already offered his hand and introduced himself.

    "I am Ivan Ivanovich. Wee to my Circus. What is your name?" He asked with a genial smile.

    Harker blinked in surprise. This man looked almost just as young as him, but he turned out to be the owner of this bar. He does doubt that was the man''s real name, it sounded fake enough. He wasn''t so sure if his Russian ent was genuine too or just an act.

    "Harker." He said, shaking his hand.

    "Ah, Harker. You arefortable sharing your name with me. That is nice." He said, speaking in that weird English. "That mean you do not mind if I borrow it?"

    Harker blinked. "Huh?"

    Ivan Ivanovich let go of his hand, then offered it again.

    "Hello, I am Harker. Wee to my Circus. What is your name?"

    Harker had encountered so many weird things as a demon lord, but somehow this exchange takes the cake. It truly took him a hot second to react, before he went to say:<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "That''s¡­ That''s kind of like identity theft, isn''t it?"

    Ivan Ivanovichughed again, always covering his mouth as he did. "Oh, it is a joke! A joke! I always put up this act on neers, you see? It is an act, I do not steal names even if I really, really like them."

    Harker made an awkward sound that wasn''t really augh. "Well¡­ I was also just joking about the identity theft thing. It''s nice to meet you, Ivan. Your ce is cool. I should get going, though¡­."

    "Ah, you now go to your other druz''ya. Ok then. Enjoy your evening." Ivan tipped his hat and bowed to him.

    "Yeah¡­. You too¡­."

    Harker went to join Rnd and Artea, but still kept an eye on this strange may-or-may not be Russian man. Ivan just watched him back, his hand still on his mouth as if giggling with his eyes creased happily.

    "I thought I said I''m taking the wheels here." Harker said pointedly, seeing that Rnd and Artea were already chatting up the bartender with drinks on their hands.

    It hadn''t even been a few minutes and they were already teaming up like some power couple investigating some big secret. Harker regretted ever listening to Artea''s words earlier. It made him even angrier just remembering it.

    "Harker? Where have you been?" Rnd quickly looked up, as if he was caught red-handed on a crime.

    Harker didn''t answer and instead told the bartender. "One for me too. Whiskey."

    Once he got his ss, he downed it first before saying: "Talking to some possible witnesses, like the owner of the bar over there. What about you two? Are you investigating or are you just enjoying your moonshine? You do remember that the policeman may find us here any time soon."

    "We just got thirsty." Artea countered. "And didn''t you ask for one too¡ª"

    "I was asking Rnd." Harker said pointedly.

    Rnd frowned. "We were doing the same thing. We''re asking the bartender if he knew anything about the Garcia case, or the Dalton murder before, or even just something strange about this area. He said he''ll only answer if we buy something, and so we did. Is there anything wrong with that?"

    "Nothing, of course." Harker snorted. "I just didn''t want to be third wheel here when you asked for my help before your new fiancee came around."

    Rnd''s eyes slowly widened, and he gave Artea an using look. Artea just gave an apologetic one and smiled.

    "Sorry, Rnd¡­. I just thought he already knew. I told him that even if you and I are getting married, he doesn''t have to worry about me getting in between your friendship. That''s all." She said. "Even Fernando and the other servants knew about it already."

    Harker sneered. "Hah. Yeah. But your best friend still had no idea."

    Rnd knitted his brows together. "I didn''t want it to spread because it''s a secret. We still haven''t formally cut off the engagement with the MacBheatha family. I didn''t want to start any trouble, that''s why I had to¡ª"

    "Hide it from me? Why me of all people?" Harker retorted. "I let her join in because I know you wouldn''t exin when it''s just me around."

    Artea nodded. "Yes. I don''t get it either, but I''m sure you had your reasons. I wanted to know those reasons too. Why didn''t you tell him, Rnd?"

    Rnd''s eyes widened. So they''re teaming up on him now? He thought Harker hated her so much, but now they''re both pressuring him to admit the truth.

    "It''s because I¡­."

    They were suddenly interrupted when a certain someone went to the stage where the jazz band was and spoke through the microphone.

    "Good evening, friends!!!! We have a special guest for tonight! Everyone, please wee the Chief of Police of the New York City Police Department, Lance Fieldings!!! Wee him to our Circus Cabaret!"

 Chapter 215 Too Late To Go Back

    ?

    Chief Lance Fieldings'' eyes bugged out, as if he couldn''t believe himself that he was inside this bar. He then raised his gun, waving it at every single patron.

    Everyone in the Circus Cabaret just watched him in amusement, like he was some interesting disy in the museum.

    Ivan Ivanovich simply tilted his head to the side and asked almost too politely to the point of sarcastic:

    "Why are you here, Mr. Policeman?"

    Harker, Rnd and Artea were being covered by the bodies of the patrons. It was so well-covered that he thought it might as well have been deliberate. But he could still spot Chief Fieldings, and his bodynguage seemed very tense. His hand that held the gun shook a little.

    "I don''t want no trouble here, you freaky fuckers. I just want what''s mine." He said, and began describing the people he was in pursuit with.

    "Three neers, two boys, one girl. The girl and one of the boys are colored, the other white and blond. Hand ''em over and I''ll be on my way. Don''t wanna be staying here with you lot anyway."

    Ivan Ivanovich jumped down the stage, still holding the microphone.

    "Well, I think I did see some people that fit your description. I saw them pass by our fine establishment and go over to the Faraday Club just three blocks away." He smiled.

    Chief Fieldings narrowed his eyes, to the point that his bushy eyebrows covered them.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes." Ivan Ivanovich simply answered.

    He drew back his gun. "If they ain''t there, just remember that you''re breakin'' our agreement here. You better be ready,mie freak."

    "Oh yes. Our valuable little agreement." Ivan leaned on his cane. "I sure worry about that the most, Mr. Policeman. For I do not want trouble as well, I do not like blood. I only like fun. Unlike your people."

    Chief Fieldings gritted his teeth, and turned to leave while cursing vehemently.

    The people seemed to go back to their usual activities, just like members in an orchestra taking their positions. Their conductor was this strange entric man, who went to approach the trio that they just covered up for.

    All three of them looked confused. Harker most especially, since something in the back of his head was bothering him about this Ivan.

    The ringmaster just tipped his hat at them. "Follow me to the Fun Room, please."

    They had no idea where that Fun Room was and what awaits there. But they had no other choice but to follow him. He led them to a very dark hallway where they could barely see anything.

    The only lights were embedded on the walls and the floors in an array of colors. They were circles of all sizes, and even as artificial lights, they seemed so¡­ unnatural.

    Their dim glow was barely enough to light anything a few inches beyond their edges. Harker instinctively took a grip on Rnd''s hand and blocked him protectively in case anything happened.

    Meanwhile, Artea seemed to be drawn to these lights. It didn''t seem like the usual curiosity.

    There was something deeper as her eyes sparkled in awe at them, almost like a¡­. sense of familiarity.

    "Please take a seat." Ivan Ivanovich said at the end of the passageway.

    It led to this room full of posters, disys, and chairs made of animal fur. They seemed to be real and taxidermied. A bear was fashioned into a chair, in which Ivan took his seat in itsp.

    The rest had to sit on this baby elephant that was turned into a long sofa.

    Artea seemed to frown in distaste at these furniture, but didn''t say anything. She simply held the police lights now, her bodynguage guarded but not as nervous as the chief of police had been. She was simply reacting the same way an outsider would, as no one in their right mind would be rxed in this situation.

    "Harker, can you introduce me to your friends before we begin?" Ivan asked.

    Rnd gave Harker a look. "You told him your real name?"

    "Why shouldn''t I?" Harker asked. "He''s on our side anyway. He drove that police chief away."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He added in a whisper. "Plus I can make him forget about everything once we get the information we wanted. So there''s nothing to worry about."

    Rnd shivered at this reminder, and shifted a little away from Harker. That''s when Harker learned he made the wrong move, and regretted saying anything besides that Ivan was on their side. Probably.

    "Oh, I am on your side, friends. I am never on the police side. They do not like me very much." Ivan said. "I personally like everyone, but they are my least favorite."

    "How so?" Artea asked.

    "You hear about our agreement. Actually, the police and I go way back. We chose not to interfere with each other''s business, and we keep peace." He exined.

    Rnd frowned. "What kind of business are you not allowed to interfere with, exactly? Does it involve this?"

    He showed the police light to Ivan, and there seemed to be a change in his usually smiling reaction. His face became nk, but Harker could tell there''s still something in his eyes.

    It was pure hatred. So much that it looked like he was ready to break the lights at this moment.

    "That is a¡­. What do you call it? Bear trap." He said.

    "Bear trap?" Rnd asked.

    "Yes¡­.. It is very bad trap that hurt people."

    Harker narrowed his eyes. "Your people? Are you involved with the murder cases too?"

    Ivan turned to him. "No, not me. I only like fun, not blood."

    But Harker noticed he didn''t answer his first question. His doubts about Ivan increased, but he could tell that he wasn''t lying either when he said he wasn''t involved. Not him.

    The rest, however¡­. Those in the Circus Cabaret¡­..

    He was sure now that they were not human.

    "How about this? You want help to save poor boy that got in jail, right?" Ivan then gave a sort of card to them.

    "This is a card for the Show Room. You pick one of you to go there. If you win, you get a prize from me. I say you chose the best fighter." He smiled. "I think I know who that is. But you can still pick. I just want to have some fun, and to see what you all are capable ofpared to my friends."

    Rnd and Harker gave each other a look, and nodded. Artea just raised an eyebrow at this.

    "What? Who is he talking about?" She asked. "And what exactly will we be fighting? Is it going to be an illegal fight or¡ª"

    "Stay here, you two." Harker stood up from the elephant sofa. "Actually, Ms. Holmwood should go home. It''s going to gette soon, I''m sure her family must not like her hanging around in shady bars and clubs like this."

    Artea seemed to lose her patience from Harker''s snarky behavior. "I am staying here if I want to, Mr. Jones."

    "Maybe ask your fiance first if he wants you to stay. You''re just a plus one anyway, you weren''t supposed to be involved." Harker said, as he went to follow Ivan in this ''Show Room''.

    Artea gave Rnd a look, and he did sigh.

    "You¡­. You really should go. It was a mistake bringing you here."

    She made an incredulous face, and could only raise her hand in the air.

    "Fine. But if he does something to make you hurt again, whether physically or emotionally, don''te back crying to me. You didn''t have to be involved either in his business, Rnd. It was your choice to do so, and you can still go back."

    As she left with the sound of her heels cking off into the distance, Rnd shook his head.

    "No.... It''s toote to back out now. I''ve been involved since the start... Ever since I was born."

 Chapter 216 For The Show Must Go On

    ?

    Harker walked on more rainbow light hallways. That''s what he decided to call them. It''s so damn colorful yet dark at the same time.

    He can still hear the jazz music no matter how far he had gone on them. The hallways made twists and turns, and yet it never seemed to go distant. Harker wasn''t sure whether there was just a sound system that yed the music even in these ces, or if it was something supernatural.

    He still wasn''t sure what Ivan was. He couldpel him with his hypnosis to answer, or get into his memories using the ck worms.

    But he felt like doing that might make things worse somehow.

    It wasn''t that he was scared of Ivan, though he was cautious. But his ''friends'', these patrons¡­. There''s something seriously wrong with them.

    Harker suddenly heard a voice in his head.

    ''Don''t go there, Master''.

    Harker frowned, and answered back in his mind. ''Why not?''

    ''They know.''

    Yan sounded perturbed when he said that, like he was truly frightened.

    ''They know what? That I''m a demon lord? So what, that just means that just confirms that they''re monsters too. I''ll also see what they''re capable of in this ''fight'' so I''ll know how to deal with them.''

    ''It''s moreplicated than that. You should go back and send someone else, Master.''

    ''Someone else? What, am I supposed to send in Rnd? No way. Poor guy already suffered a lot because of me, and it''s tearing us apart.'' Harker sighed.

    Yan still sounded uneasy. ''Just¡­. Be careful, Master.''

    ''Yeah, I''ll try my best.''

    Harker knew himself that he wasn''t really the best at staying careful, after all the damages he gained for every monster he encountered and the situations he got himself into. This was precisely why he didn''t consider himself a genius.

    He was too curious for his own good. Even if he did realize the danger, he would linger a bit because of this innate desire to always find the truth.

    Suddenly, Ivan spoke.

    "I do not like unknown visitors that don''t introduce themselves."

    Harker''s eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

    "Your friends weren''t so polite to introduce themselves. I do not like it. Both guest and host must uphold some etiquette, right? So too when ites to the entertainers and the watchers." Ivan told him.

    Harker secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He really thought he was referring to Yan.

    "Their names are Rnd and Artea." He said, since he could feel that sharing names was something significant with these people.

    He also noticed how he put emphasis on the policeman''s name. Maybe it was a sort of peace offering for them?

    "Those are good names." Ivan remarked.

    He went quiet again, and they kept walking. Harker was getting so tired. It felt like this ce was endless.

    "Just how big is this ce? We should have covered the whole streets of downtown Manhattan by now. Or are we somewhere else already?"

    Ivan turned to him with a smile. "It is important for my Circus to stay hidden from all traps."

    "Right, the police lights." Harker remembered.

    The strange circus man did not say anything to this. He then asked:

    "How skilled are you at fighting, Harker?"

    Harker shrugged. "Probably not the best of the best, but I''ve defeated pretty powerful folks over the past 6 months. So I think I''m strong enough for this ''Show Room'' fight."

    Ivan chuckled. "Not bad. But I do not ask how strong you are. I asked for the best fighter, that does not always mean strength." <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    They finally reached the end, and Harker could see from the small doorway that the Show Room must be muchrger than the Circus Cabaret itself. There was sand and what seemed to an arena waiting for him.

    "Best fighters know how to conceal themselves. To blend in the shadows and ces beyond their enemies'' vision." Ivan told him. "Just ask your spectating friend. Hiding is actually a more powerful trick than you think."

    Harker''s eyes widened. So he does know about Yan''s presence, even though he''s invisible.

    When Harker arrived at therge arena, he realized that it must have been a circus. Above him was a tightrope, and he seemed to be inside arge tent. The seats went around in circles, and there was no one seated there.

    He was all alone. But he knew that wasn''t the case.

    He stayed alert, and tried to use his current abilities to his advantage. Eating Legion and adding his Absorption Limit allowed him to keep all of them even after 3 months had passed. He focused on his heightened senses¡­..

    "Argh!"

    He suddenly felt a sharp pain on his shoulder.

    Did¡­ Did something just bite him!?

    Harker tried to shove it away, but it was gone faster than he could move. And he could move very fast already with the speed of his abilities.

    There was suddenly an uproar ofughter in the spectator''s seats. But there was no one else, and Harker couldn''t even determine their location from the sound alone. They seemed to be everywhere, all at once.

    Harker tried to use his Subus Ability, ejecting a sickeningly sweet scent to keep them all still.

    For a moment, everyone stoppedughing and the thing didn''t seem to make its move again. Harker breathed heavily, trying to locate his enemy¡ª or enemies. He walked around the arena, still unable to sense them.

    Could it be that they were immaterial just like Yan?

    The best he could do was to use the Subus Ability, but without any way of attacking them back, he can''t win the fight. He could only keep them still.

    "Show yourselves, you bastards!" Harkermanded, trying to use the Snake Demon''s hypnotizing skill.

    It only works if someone was looking him in the eye.

    Sure enough, something did appear in front of him. But Harker just became even more confused¡­

    As what appeared before him was nothing but a mannequin. A tall, pure white humanoid figure with no features, and no insides.

    It was hollow, and was unnervingly still. Harker touched it, but it still didn''t move. Just a piece of hard stic.

    Then....

    He rose to the ground, as something picked him up¡ª

    And started to eat him!

    Harker yelled in pain, but he wasn''t rmed. This was his chance. Whatever was eating him would only bring his ck worms from Legion into its body. Then, he could destroy and corrupt it from inside out.

    But as he reached out for the things inside¡­.

    It was empty. There were no organs for him to destroy, no flesh, no nothing. It wasn''t organic material. It was made of pure stic, or anything else that was artificial.

    Harker found himself stuck inside a darkness unlike anything else. It caged him like a prison, and he couldn''t find any way to escape. He wed and punched and kicked his way out.

    But no matter how strong he was, it was useless. Strength didn''t matter in a fight like this.

    "Let me out! Let me out of here!"

    Ivan clicked his tongue. "How disappointing. I told them to bring their best fighter. Still, the show must go on."

    He regarded the invisible audience on the chairs, raising his cane and wearing that wide, showman smile.

    "Shall the betting begin? Our Big Bear has our challenger in its stomach, but will he be able to escape? Or will his existence dissolve into nothing? ce your bets before the time runs up!"

 Chapter 217 The Belly Of The Beast

    ?

    Harker stopped for a moment to think about what he can do to escape this darkness he was trapped in. He had tried in all directions, and yet he couldn''t find any opening. Or make one for himself, for that matter.

    He can feel the walls of this darkness closing in on him. And he knew that the moment it had swallowed him, he wouldn''t be crushed.

    He won''t be digested either. He will simply be swallowed, and turned into something else.

    What he feared the most was what that ''something else'' might be, for he had no idea.

    He almost felt weightless in this space. He couldn''t even tell if he was still on Earth, in the ce he once knew. This presence around him felt so foreign. The only thing he was familiar with¡­.

    Was the presence of himself.

    A crazy thought came to him. It was definitely crazy and made no sense, but so did this ce.

    If he thought of ways to survive as he would in the ne he came from, the ne he was familiar with, he knew it wouldn''t work. It''s like trying to catch fish on a tree, or trying to look for bird eggs deep into the ocean''s trenches. He needed to adapt to the strangeness.

    And so he ate himself.

    He gnawed on his own hands, trying to digest himself before this darkness took away his existence as who he was at this moment. He kept on eating himself, just like that ancient symbol of a snake eating itself.

    An ouroboros. That''s what it was called. He remembered Rnd teaching him about that once as they read books in mythology in his library.

    Rnd was waiting for him in that Fun Room. His siblings were waiting for him at home. And as he had almost finished eating himself, which should have been impossible¡­.

    He remembered the face of his most beloved women.

    Mina must be at school, or in her apartment studying and doing school work. He can imagine her sitting on that desk with her brows furrowed and listening to random music. She had always loved music, no matter the genre. She was interested in the new sounds and melodies that humanity had formed today.

    Whenever she had a new favorite, she would be excited to make Harker listen to it the next day.

    And Joan must be in her office, checkingb reports or the works of her students. Or perhaps she was drinking alone in her home, watching those favoritete-night shows she had mentioned. She might eventually fall asleep, but it was not the same depressive slumber that wasn''t looking forward to a new tomorrow.

    She was simply taking a rest, and she would smile with her cup of coffee thinking about ways to tease Harker again.

    They''re waiting for him. And he had to see them again.

    When he opened his eyes, he was back in that empty arena again. Only this time, it wasn''t so empty.

    He can see them. He can see their twisted, hollow bodies. Their hard stic skin shone from the lights of this circus tent, and their faces were nk and t. Yet he can still feel the malice in them, this obsessive joy in the torment of others for their spection.

    Besides the spectators, Harker was standing beside arge bulk of mannequins.

    It was nothing but that. Just a bunch of limbs, torsos, and heads. They didn''t form anything recognizable. But it seemed to be bipedal, and had ''arms'' as well, though the body itself was just apletely messed-up blob.

    Harker realized he was sweating from the heat of this unventted tent full of lights. It was almost blinding, and his sweat dripped into the sand forming mud.

    He wiped them out, eyes still focused on that giant mass made of mannequins. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "How strange. You managed to escape the Big Bear, my friend. Nobody had ever done that before once they entered its mouth."

    Harker turned around, and there he was. The bastard Ivan Ivanovich.

    "I would not consider it as a win, however. You still have not killed it."

    Harker growled. "Watch me, then. I''ll tear that huge pile of stic into bits!"

    He turned into several wendigos, and started pulling at the mannequins that made up this ''Big Bear''. The Big Bear didn''t fight back, but Harker knew it wasn''t because of the Subus of Snake Ability.

    They''re mannequins. They don''t have a nose or even a brain. Therefore, they can''t be affected by these abilities, they were simply toying with them.

    Just like their ringmaster.

    Ivan Ivanovich kept on pping and pping as he broke the Big Bear and disassembled it into nothing but a pile of useless stic. He enjoyed the show no matter what, whether he was on the winning or losing team.

    "Well done, you have killed Big Bear''s current body. For now. Impressive feat, my friend!" He pped until his palms were turning red.

    "I know that." Harker said as he turned to him after hacking and shing the stupid pile of garbage enough.

    This time, he gave Ivan that cold, malicious smile.

    "I know that these things were unkible. I''ve figured that out ever since I was inside that other dimension of a stomach." Harker said. "You just want to make fun of me because I didn''t know that at the start, right? So I yed the fool for you."

    He then made his wendigo clones surround the only human in this arena.

    At this, the pping stopped.

    The mannequin watchers booed and shouted nonsensicalints. They threw their popcorns at Ivan, who chuckled nervously.

    "Whoa there, my friend! I am not your enemy!I am here to help, I just want to have some fun with you!" He raised his hands up. "You want my help, yes? Let uspromise. I consider this half-win and give you half-clue¡ª"

    Harker snatched him by the neck faster than the eyes could see.

    "No. I make the rules this time. You tell me everything you know. No riddles, no games."

    He tightened his grip and raised the Russian/Not Russian man up in the air with just one arm. The wendigos went by its feet, hunched as if waiting to pounce on him as hungry children would pounce on their dinner. Harker would be happy to feed them, and he might do so after he gained every information he needed on this man.

    He felt no sympathy over some pompous bastard that likes to y the grand host to the forces of evil.

    What he experienced inside the Big Bear''s unknown ''belly'' was one of the most terrible. That sickening feeling of not knowing anything besides your doom¡­.. This man deserved to have that feeling too.

    "I know you''re not like your fake ''friends'', and that you also bleed. And I will bleed you nice and slow if you don''t start talking. Very, very slow."

 Chapter 218 Houses The Puppets On A String

    ?

    Ivan wheezed. "Okay, okay! Fine! You got me, friend! I will tell you everything! Not just the Garcia boy, I will even tell you about the¡ª"

    But his body suddenly twisted into all directions, as if there were strings that pulled at his neck, arms and legs into this disarray. His head snapped back until his neck broke, one of his hands raised crooked to the air until it caused a tear in his armpits, one reached far back until it broke his elbow, and one of his feet went directly to his mouth.

    Ivan yowled in pain, and Harker let go of him due to the shock. It all happened so fast.

    One moment, he was broken apart like a rag doll, and the next he was whole again. He still had his injuries, yes, and he was crying real tears from it. But they were twisted back in ce, and he was pulled back into the stage.

    On the red curtains, the looming shadow of another ringmaster came.

    It was so massive that only the head with a top hat could be seen at first. Then, it slowly got smaller and smaller until its torso can now be seen, along with its hand holding a cane, and finally its long and well-shaped legs.

    Once Harker could see its full figure, he realized it was shaped like a woman.

    Sure enough, a ring mistress appeared behind the curtain. But it was just another mannequin.

    Though it was the only one which had a painted face. ck paint drew the shape of its eyes and the outline of its nose and its lips. Then, it was filled in with blue for the iris. The cheeks had the same round pink circles that were on Ivan''s face, and the lips were painted bright red.

    And unlike Ivan, the wooden block that moved its ''mouth'' was real.

    The ring mistress smiled at Harker, and her ''mouth'' moved. But no sound came.

    Ivan was still crying, and responded. "I know¡­. I am sorry, Mother. But he was threatening me. He is brutal, like those policemen. They only know to think with their fists."

    "Mother?"

    Harker found this more ridiculous than the statement about him only knowing to ''think with his fist''. Not only did he consider this otherworldly stic beings as his ''people'', he also treat one as his fucking Mom.

    "ck, ck, ck." The ring mistress'' mouth made that cking sound as the chip for its mouth moved to emte human speech.

    It was massively inurate, of course, since humans do more than just open and close their mouths to speak. But it seemed to be the point of it, to make it even more unsettling.

    "Alright¡­." Ivan stood up, which was surprising given the pain and broken joints he had. "I will send him on his way with one clue as we agreed."

    Harker gritted his teeth, and sent his wendigos to attack that ''Mother Mannequin'' on the stage. "Oh no, you won''t! I''m not leaving here with just one measly clue!"

    They moved fast and tore through the ring mistress'' pretty face¡­..

    But she just went missing again, turning into nothing but a shadow on the red curtains behind her. The wendigos attacked at nothing, and even the spectators of this ''Show Room'' started to disappear.

    Only Ivan remained, whimpering from the pain that should have knocked him out or even killed him.

    But he seemed to be used to this, or some magic was keeping him from passing out or away. He lumbered unnaturally towards Harker, and took a card from his breast pocket.

    "Mother is interested in you now. But you must not disobey her rules. Ever. I give you this one clue, that is all I could do. I could not help more even if I wanted to."

    Harker scowled. "Why are you working for these things anyway? Did they promise you something? Power? Immortality, like them?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Ivan smiled queasily. "My friend, there are things more important in this world than power and immortality. I am sure vain and shallow humans aspire for that, but I do not. You understand."

    Harker does, but that doesn''t mean that he understands this man''s motives entirely. He knew it wasn''t power or immortality, so what is it?

    Did he just enjoy being enved to do these inhuman beings'' bidding?

    He took the card reluctantly, and did not pursue hurting him any further. This ''Mother'' had done it for him, and she might kill Ivan before he got everything he needed.

    The card was a tarot card.

    It was ''The Lovers'' card.

    On the back of it was the words scribbled with ck ink the same shade as the "Mother''s" painted eyshes. It merely said:

    "Seek it."

    "Seek who''s lover?" Harker frowned.

    Ivan just smiled. "The Garcia boy¡­. There is someone more responsible for his demise than the shadows and the unknown. There is a reason why he was targeted out of everyone else. A vendetta lurks underneath the veil."

    Before Harker could ask more, two mannequins came. They were dressed in nurse costumes, and carried a stretcher with them. They picked up Ivan and ced him there, moving in a rush off to who knows where. They vanished from sight, bing invisible once more.

    Harker grumbled, feeling unsatisfied. It wasn''t the oue he wanted, but at least he gained something.

    He looked at the card again. It depicted three humanoid figures, but like the mannequins, they were featureless. There was no way of knowing whether they were men or women.

    However, what distinguished them was that one of them flew above the two, with wings. It seemed to depict an angel. It had carried a bow and arrow pointing to one of the two people.

    In the middle, was a tall cluster of purple flowers.

    Harker couldn''t make any sense of it, so he thought that he might have better luck having Rnd check. He might also have better insight on what Ivan''s words meant. He went on his way back into that long dark hallway full of rainbow lights¡­.

    And the longer he pondered over ''The Lovers'' card, the more he thought about his own lovers. Or the idea of lovers in general.

    Lovers cane from two stranger''s meeting. And in separation, they could be strangers to each other again. If he was separated for a long time from his lovers, would they be strangers to each other again? After all, people change.

    It''s even sadder when you think about the idea of reincarnation, and if people who loved each other very much would have to turn into strangers once more. Again and again.

    Not just romantic love.

    Even the love of a parent to a child. Or from a friend to another. All of it, gone along with death. We were then faced with a path to choose was to reunite in the next life or to never again, living separately. Were we ever able to make that choice? Of which people we keep, and which people we let go of?

    Or¡­.

    Are we just puppets on a string, made to entertain some master who fooled us into believing the idea of ''choice'' ever existed?

 Chapter 219 I Do Not Know

    ?

    By the time his wristwatch showed 3:33 am, Rnd finally stood up from the elephant skin sofa and called out to the dark hallway with rainbow lights.

    "Harker! Mr. Ivanovich! Anyone!?"

    But nobody responded.

    He gritted his teeth. He should go out there, but¡­

    Since when had he been so hesitant? He was ready to do anything for the sake of his friend, but now, just thinking about what might await him at the end of the seemingly endless hallway made his hand mmy. He couldn''t even take another step without a drop of sweat trickling down every time.

    He had always thought that he wasn''t afraid of death.

    But there were fates worse than death. He had almost suffered it himself.

    He was almost stuck in his own body with someone else taking control of it. Someone else reced him. And it was so much more terrible than the pain of being ughtered, or the pain of the endless slumber that would end him.

    What if he put himself in that situation again?

    He kicked at the poor furniture that was once a living, breathing animal. Or at least part of it.

    He will NOT be taxidermied in his own skin.

    Yet he can''t just do nothing. Harker was out there, and....

    "He''s not the same anymore." Rnd sat back down, hugging himself tightly.

    The Harker he once knew¡­. He''s gone. He had changed. He met the enemies, allies, gained new aspirations, traits... personality. He remembered before how he said it was a good change for him. That he was no longer being stuck in his ''I just want to be normal'' routine.

    Because normal doesn''t truly exist. Normal was a concept that humans made in order to ostracize and make those different from them to be inferior.

    They would exile those who do not walk the same paths as them. Because the truth was that they were scared to admit that humanity was not just about them, that people weren''t just those who wear the same face and share the same thoughts and beliefs.

    The ''Other'' had always been a threat.

    But even though it was true... Even though Rnd believed there was really no such thing as ''normal'' beyond a human construct¡­. He was still afraid.

    Afraid of what his friend has be, and will be in the future.

    For the same thing may very well happen to him too.

    "Rnd?"

    He looked up. That voice was familiar, the most familiar it had been for these past few¡­. Days? Weeks? Months?

    He knew that voice. It was him, at least a sliver of him.

    Rnd was giggling like a child while his whole body shook. "H-Hello, Harker¡­. You''re here¡­. You''re here¡­.."

    Harker quickly went by his side. "Yes, I''m here now! I''m safe! What''s wrong? Why are you¡­ Are you alright?"

    Rnd didn''t answer and just shook his head. He tried his best to stay calm, but his whole body felt like it was sinking.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It was like he was about to make a drop from a rollercoaster, but it never came. Only that constant twisting of his muscles and his innards as he anticipated for something that will nevere, that wasn''t really there. The fear that was beyond reason.

    "I think I''m just¡­. Just¡­." He tried to calm his breathing.

    Harker furrowed his brows. Was he having a panic attack?

    He had never seen Rnd like this before, but he had experienced it a few times in his life. He ced his hand on his shoulder and continued talking to him in that calm tone.

    "Hey... Listen to me. You''re alright. I''m alright. You''re not alone, I''m¡ª"

    Rnd suddenly softly whispered. "Can you just leave me for a while? B-But not here¡­. I¡­. I don''t like it here.... I want to go home."

    Harker doesn''t feel disappointed. He wished he could have been able to help Rnd get through it all. But he couldn''t, and so the best he could do was to do as he said.

    "Of course. Do you want me to¡­. help you walk¡­.."

    Rnd shook his head and tried to stand. But his whole body was still shivering, and he was drenched in sweat. Harker eventually had to sweep in and support him before he could copse.

    His friend didn''t try to be stubborn anymore, and let him half-carry, half-drag him out of that shady bar. They soon felt the fresh air of the outside on their face, that familiar breeze that gave them a bit offort in its familiarity.

    "I''ll see you tomorrow. I got the clue but¡­. For now, I just want you to rest." Harker said as he gently set him down on the chair of the limousine. "I really just want you to be okay."

    Rnd barely gave a nod, and he continued to space out in that gut-twisting dread he was in. Harker closed the door with a sigh and drove him back home. He had the servants bring him to his room and call out for Dr. Rothstein for any help.

    This had been a really long night. So many things had happened in just a single day, yet he also felt unsatisfied. He hadn''t gotten any sleep but his mind was still uneasy.

    As he was giving directions to the people in the kitchen to bring Rnd some water, he felt the sense that someone was watching him.

    He turned around, and realized that all this time, he really was being watched. And it was a familiar face too.

    Adam Fiero kept his eyes on him, with a level of distrust that Harker felt quite unwarranted.

    Sure, he knocked the guy out and pretended to be him. But he had a job now at Faust Residence, and he was probably doing okay, right? So what''s with the nce...

    "It''sing closer." He said all of a sudden, almost to himself.

    "What?" Harker asked.

    Therge man just regarded him up and down, then shook his head.

    "When the Darkness ims you back into its embrace, don''t take the Light with you. Don''t forget who you were, though you must not also be stuck in the past. It''s always there. Use it as your guide, though it deceives you."

    Harker frowned at all these vague mumblings. Adam didn''t seem to actually want him to listen, or at least he thought there was no point whether or not Harker was listening.

    He went instead to join Dr. Evan Sonione, who was given some pills and instructions by Dr. Rothstein on how to deal with Rnd''s panic attack. The jittery scientist was a stark difference from this overly quiet and apathetic man, so they were truly a strange sight to see together.

    Harker went on his way home, still feeling like his brain was so full it could explode.

    "I just don''t know what''s going on anymore. Maybe I never did."

 Chapter 220 If My Shadow Is Still My Own

    ?

    "I don''t know what''s going on with him anymore. Did he tell you anything?"

    "I''m sure he''ll keep us up to date sometime. Just¡­ Let him be. That''s just how he is, he always preferred exploring on his own."

    Mina sighed at the telephone, twirling the cord on her fingers. "I thought so, and I''m fine with that, to be honest. That''s one thing we have inmon. I also tend to prefer wandering off to myself and taking care of my business alone. But I¡­. I''m just worried.''

    "I understand that, Minnie." Joan told her softly as she took her pills, downing it with water this time. "Who wouldn''t after everything that happened to him? He''s just taking it in stride but... Honestly, it felt more like he was overwhelming himself with all kinds of distractions just to not deal with it. With whatever happened to him back in that icy wastnd."

    She knew very well how it felt like, running away from your trauma and problems through distractions.

    For her, its drugs, partying, overwork, and all kinds of bullshit. For Harker, it must be whatever this deal with his father was. His obsession to get to the bottom of things.

    "Just tell me if he keeps in touch. Maybe he''ll open up better to you since you''re good with this¡­. you know. Psychology stuff."

    "Barely good. I''m just the medicine woman, mostly dealing with trying to fix the hereditary stuff, y''know? Lots of poor people get passed on these burdens to carry. Drugs help, but only really like a sedative to a wild animal."

    She remembered the screams in the asylum, and sighed.

    "Yeah... It''s like that. Caging people like they were wild animals in the zoo. When really they were more likely to harm themselves than others, and then trying to sedate them as much as possible."

    Mina gritted her teeth. "Yeah¡­.. It makes me sick."

    Joan then realized. "Oh, sorry¡­ That was insensitive. I forgot about your¡ª"

    "Don''t be. I have no ns to forget it, but I have moved on. But I won''t deny its existence like Harker and keep it with me always."

    There was a bit of an awkward pause. Joan rubbed her face. She really was bad at this psychology thing, she doesn''t know how a therapist can do it. If the mind and its scars were that easy to fix with drugs or CBT or other shit like that, there won''t be so many unrecovered people in mental wards.

    "Look, Mina, I¡ª"

    "I wonder what it''s like for that Garcia boy."

    Joan blinked. "Huh?"

    "Sorry, it''s just a random thought. I often get that a lot, my train of thoughts just tend to move faster than humans. I was reminded of all these being caged and treated like an animal, and I thought how bad it must be for an innocent person who did nothing wrong and couldn''t even defend himself. He was just a kid."

    Joan agreed with that sentiment. It''s not something that you can easily imagine unless you''d been in the exact same situation. And even then, she wasn''t like Felix Garcia.

    Most people forget that everyone has different limitations, and that someone''s capacity may not be the same. That''s why so many people were judgemental and insensitive to the plights of others.

    The amount of victim Olympics that workers in the mental wards do were actually staggering. Often, she would overhear how they wouldin about a rich man''s daughter getting depressed, when they had to work a blue-cor job and take care of their 4-5 kids.

    Or how they would scoff at a man with severe phobia over spiders that he would throw tantrums and convulse at the sight of one. Deep down, she knew they found it ridiculous.

    Because it''s easy to find something ridiculous when it''s not something you suffer from. Or better yet¡­.

    It''s easy to think something was ''fake'' just because you never experienced it yourself. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    She was reminded of this the next day that she went into the asylum again to bring the next version of anti-depressant pills, this one more potent than the one before. Pharmaceuticals was more or less a trial and error job. It''s not just about finding the ''secret ingredient'', it''s also about finding the right dosage, observing for weeks and weeks, and then trying to eliminate the side effects observed.

    Then it''s testing all over again.

    There was no such thing as a panacea, because then a panacea must be good enough to adapt itself to the very specific differences of every individual in this world and their conditions.

    "He''s faking it! The kid''s breaking windows because he saw some shadow monsters inside the walls of an antique shop? Give me a break! If he''s hallucinatin'', it''s the shrooms, not because he''s schizo!"

    The person who said that was a police officer. He was pointing his finger at a bleeding and bruised 13 year old. Right beside this boy were the social services and the doctors.

    The social service worker''s calm voice responded. "Still, I don''t think that is any excuse to use aggression on a minor, sir. The doctors will run their test until it is confirmed whether or not it is a mental disorder. If it wasn''t, then he will be going into juvenile detention with you. But for now, he stays with the mental institute and I will have a word with your chief."

    The smug police officer just sneered.

    "Don''t give me that bullshit, nana. Chief doesn''t give a fuck about you soft-hearted grannies. Soon enough, I''ll have that thief behind bars where he belongs. He better enjoy his time in the loony bin while he can!"

    He went out, bumping against people as he went. He was about to do the same to Joan¡­

    When instead of moving back, she blocked his path.

    He growled. "Out of the way, shrink."

    Joan just looked at him in the eye with her dead ones and said:

    "I''m not a psychiatrist. But I do think that it''s funny how you think the kid deserves to be behind bars for being a danger to society while you walk around with bloody knuckles like that. Says much about your own delusions, doesn''t it?"

    The cop looked slightly unnerved by her eyes. So dark withrge empty pupils, slightly yellowish¡­. He can''t help but be reminded of the corpses that he encountered in this field.

    Some died from the crimes of others¡­. And some from his own, just not discovered.

    He shivered and pushed her away, behaving much like those guys with an extreme phobia.

    "Stay away from me, freak!"

    He rushed out. Joa scoffed, and approached the poor, shivering kid.

    "You''ll be fine, kid. Bad guy''s gone."

    But the kid only shook his head, looking at the floor.

    "No¡­ As long as there are shadows, the bad guys are always here. The bad things."

    She looked at where he was looking, which was his own shadow casted by the old and dirty light bulbs of the mental institute. Joan couldn''t help but feel that¡­.

    This shadow moved ever so slightly in ways its owner did not.

 Chapter 221 Ojos Negros

    ?

    Rnd woke up feeling very exhausted. It was like even though he had slept and taken a good amount of rest for about 9 hours, he still knew he was too restless in his sleep that it amounted to nothing.

    He went to calm himself and wash his face in the mirror. Once again, he was met by that face that wasn''t there.

    Rnd tried to ignore it, and went to sit on the edge of the bed. He picked one of his vinyls, and chose a gift by Artea Holmwood. She gave him a collection of tango, jazz and other mellow music that she imed often helped her think or lose some steam.

    He picked at random, and identally picked ''Ojos negros, que facinan''.

    The dark eyes that fascinates.

    Rnd frowned, feeling even more restless at the lyrics he understood. But he still kept listening to it, until he did find his mind settling a bit.

    He had to take care of Felix Garcia''s case. They still had to peek into the memories of the boy that night. He gave Harker a call, though he was a bit hesitant, and because it was already 12:51 pm. He must be having lunch.

    When there was still no response, Rnd sighed and thought he should just go over thereter.

    But eventually, Harker''s voice came, seemingly breathless.

    "Ugh¡­ Hello? Who is this? Dad?"

    The voice of the tenor singer in the vinyl record came just in time to sing the lines:

    "Ojos negros, dulces ojos~

    Son tan crueles y tan piadosos~"

    Rnd swallowed. "Hey¡­ It''s me. Are you up to visit Felix now?"

    Harker sounded so relieved when he replied. "Rnd! Oh thank god, you''re awake now¡­. I was worried. You sure you okay?"

    The song continued on the background:

    "Ojos negros, que arrebatan~

    Ojos negros, que me matan~"

    "Yeah." Rnd replied.

    His heart felt like it was beating in that same, rhythmic thumping of the tango music. The more he spoke to Harker, the more it gradually quickens in pace. elerando.

    "Really? I''ll be on my way there. I have something to tell you before we go over to Felix. It''s about Ivan and that ''circus''."

    The singer was getting emotional now as he sang the bridge:

    "Voy pasando por mi vida atormentada~

    Bajo el fuego abrasador de tu mirada~"

    Rnd nodded softly. "Okay¡­. I''ll wait for you."

    He sat down, and just listened to the song with his eyes closed. Like the mirror, it seemed to reflect a part of him. A part that he doesn''t like seeing.

    "Voy cruzando por vida~

    Como una pobre sombra perdida~"

    He looked at his own shadow at this. The dark thing kept on following him wherever he went. He wished it would just go away.

    "En el fondo de mi alma ya no bri~

    M¨¢s que el fuego abrasador de tu pup~"

    Dark eyes that haunt him, dark pupils. It''s everywhere he goes, burning him¡­.

    "En el fondo de mi alma~

    Donde siempre tu amor vivira~"

    He heard someone else''s voice with Harker there. He knew why he was breathing roughly. He could almost imagine it vividly¡­

    That was Mina''s voice.

    His fingers in her golden hair, pulling her close... Possibly whispering sweet nothings as they shared lingering kisses¡­.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The door suddenly opened just as the song ended on that lingering note, and Rnd joltled.

    "You seriously need to buy new teacups, Rnd. Or at least ask the servers to clean them properly. There''s stains in them."

    It was the familiar voice of a dark-eyed woman. Rnd felt the heavy feeling go away, at least temporarily.

    Artea Holmwood was here, holding a teacup. She handed it to Rnd, and didn''t say anything for a while. She knew how this guy likes to keep things like speaking his mind at his own pace. She had to tread carefully like walking through a path of mimosa leaves, or else he would fold shyly like them.

    Rnd took a sip, then said. "I had¡­. I think it was an anxiety attack."

    Artea nodded. "Second time this month. I think you should get it checked."

    "I''ll be fine. I probably know how to deal with it better than any shrink. I''ll just take some of the pills that I used since high school." Rnd sighed.

    Artea''s dark eyes were covered by her thick and luscious dark eyshes. It was so dark that it was almost pure ck.

    Just like¡­

    "The problems of the soul can''t be fixed with a cure for the body." She just said. "It''s a different disease that you have, Rnd. It''s been with you since you were so young. And the best solution is¡­."

    "Pluck out the source. I know. But I can''t." Rnd bit his lower lip.

    She frowned at this. "Why do you have to involve him in the case too? Why do you have to follow him everywhere he goes? I just don''t understand¡­. I''m sorry. I really don''t."

    "It''s alright. I know you don''t. You never felt that way." Rnd said.

    "I don''t think I ever will." She smiled. "That''s why you wanted to marry me, right? Because you know it won''t be soplicated with someone like me. Someone incapable of that thing."

    Rnd rubbed his chin. "Have you ever thought¡­. That you just haven''t met the right person yet?"

    Arteaughed bitterly. "I did. For a long time even. But that''s not it. There''s a lot of people like me too."

    "Of course. I know that. It''s just that¡­ people change."

    "I know that too. If I did change..." She looked wistfully. "If I somehow feel it, even in just small amounts¡­.. I don''t know. It just felt like more trouble than it''s worth. I have many things to do. I can''t have that kind of thing interfering with my life, and I''m happy the way I am. The way I feel around people. I love people, I love a lot of people. That''s why I want to serve them and this country."

    "Yeah. That''s also a good way to live. A good passion." Rnd nodded. "I envy you."

    The woman smiled. "It''s not that you wish you''re like me who never feels it. Actually, I don''t think you hate feeling at all. You just hate the pain."

    She was right.

    He leaned his head on her shoulder. "I had a chance to get rid of this pain. Just erase it all. But I didn''t. Now I feel stupid for not epting that."

    She scoffed. "That''s because you won''t be the same person anymore. You can''t pull out the weed because it has ced its roots too deep inside you. Taking that away would be taking away who you were your whole life."

    "You were defined by it."

    She was right again. That''s all he was. All his life, he was the one who was in constant pain, who kept a secret and hid in the shadows.

    The door swung open once more as his familiar voice came.

    "Rnd, I''m here¡ª"

    Harker stopped in his tracks when he saw them embracing like that. Rnd raised his head up slowly from Artea''s shoulder, looking sickly and pale.

    "Hello, Hark."

    Harker just grumbled. "She''s here again. Whatever. Maybe she''s an expert in tarot too, I don''t know. Anyway¡­"

    Rnd couldn''t pay attention to what he was saying as he noticed the marks on Harker''s neck.

    ".... So I need to have you interpret this for me. The Lover''s card. Why would Ivan hand this as evidence, and say those words?"

    "The Lovers¡­" Rnd mumbled softly as he took the card.

    As he did¡­.

    He could feel those dark eyes gazing at him. So dark that it could reflect him clearly and show what he truly was. What he was hiding.

 Chapter 222 Marks Of A Vendetta

    ?

    "Hold on a minute. So he made you fight a wrestler, you won, and he just gave you a card and a riddle? That doesn''t sound like a very good deal to me." Artea pointed out.

    Harker scratched his head in annoyance. "At least it''s better than nothing. You got something better, Ms. President?"

    "No, I just thought you could have negotiated more¡­. Ms. President?" Artea frowned.

    Rnd sighed. "He probably got info on you and learned that you''re the president of the student council in Holmwood."

    Artea blinked. "Oh."

    She then narrowed her eyes. "So you stalked me? Are you that jealous?"

    "What? Jealous of what? Nepotism?" Harker rolled his eyes. "Being the president of some school organization isn''t that big of a deal. And I don''t care about your big money either, I''ve seen a lot of rich folks in my life before you."

    She just rubbed her forehead disapprovingly at this. "God¡­ Why, Rnd? I really don''t get it¡­"

    Rnd just tried to change the topic. "This card, what did he say again? This riddle you mentioned?"

    "It sounds more like a warning to me." Harker said. "He said ''there is someone more responsible for his demise than the shadows and the unknown. There is a reason why he was targeted out of everyone else. A vendetta lurks underneath the veil.'' I remembered it word for word. Thatst line sounded more like a warning, though probably more to mock me than actual concern."

    Rnd pondered over it. "This isn''t the usual representation of The Lovers card. At least not from the Rider-Waite deck. This looks simr to the Jean Noblet Tarot, the oldest deck from Marseilles."

    Harker nodded. "Uh-huh. So what does that mean?"

    Artea answered for him. "The Rider-Waite tarot usually depicts the angel above Adam and Eve. Between them, in the distance, is a mountain. On Eve''s side is the Tree of Knowledge, on Adam''s side is a burning nt symbolizing passion. It often means synchronicity, how rtionships or events align in harmony."

    Rnd nodded. "It also meant making decisions and bnce. It''s associated with Gemini for a reason.''

    Harker rubbed his chin. "I didn''t know it had a deeper meaning like that. I just thought that once fortune tellers pulled it up, it meant they''re client is gonna have a new lover."

    Artea rubbed her forehead again. "The art of fortune telling is never that simple, Mr. Jones¡­."

    "What, you a fortune teller yourself? I don''t believe in those things, so I don''t care to know more about them unless needed." Harker crossed his arms. "Besides, does the difference in symbolism truly matter in rtion to what Ivan said?"

    Rnd defended his future fiancee on this. "It does because it''s too vague. Every detail about the card would matter. What will we seek? What is this vendetta? Who has it for who? Are we meant to interpret upright or reversed?"

    Harker shrugged. "I don''t know. That''s why I brought it to you. It''s not like me, Mina or Joan will ever know."

    "Oh, your girlfriends, right?" Artea asked. "Is that why you have those love bites?"

    Harker hadn''t even realized it since he had put his cor pretty high up. "Shit..."

    That night, when he got home, he couldn''t sleep well. So after the children got to school, he had Mina toe over since she had no sses that day. He was only really nning to talk¡­.

    But it got into something more.

    It was good because it at least allowed him to fall asleep for an hour or two. But Mina was pretty wild about him, since she was pretty mad that he didn''t keep them up to date for a long time.

    Harker thought he was slowly developing a talent for making people worried about him. He was just not used to people caring so much about his welfare, that''s all. He was a giver, he was the one who took all the burdens quietly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It does feel kinda nice and troublesome at the same time. More nice than troublesome, if he was being honest.

    He tried to wipe the giddy smileing to lips. "Uh, yeah. Not that it''s any of your business. Lovers just happen to do that all the time¡­.. Unless it''s just an act or an arrangement, of course."

    He gave Rnd a confirming look, but his friend just looked away. He sighed. He still don''t get what his best friend sees in this woman anyway.

    She''s not like his flings at all. She''s way too serious, and was pretty nd. She was also very stubborn.

    That''s something she and Rnd have inmon though. They have very simr personalities, so maybe that''s why he chose to get lumped up with her.

    "Sex can also happen between people who don''t love each other all the time." Artea countered. "But I guess it truly isn''t any of our business. We still have a card to interpret. What do you think, Rnd?"

    "Well, in the Marseilles version, the winged figure floating above was actually Cupid. He loomed over three people. One man, two women. He aims his arrow to the man who was in the middle of these two women, a pretty straightforward imagery. " Rnd exined.

    "The man seemed to be actively avoiding the woman on the left, who reached out to him. His hand is over the crotch of the woman on the right, who often had flowers in her hair and was meant to be seen as the ''more attractive'' of the two."

    Artea thought about this. "Seeing how this mirrors the Rider-Waite, I think the woman on the left could represent knowledge like the Tree in Eden, and the one on the right is man''s passion.

    Rnd hummed in agreement.

    Then, he added: "However, there''s also amon version of this where the man just puts his arms crossed over himself, ignoring both women. Or perhaps stuck in the middle of them. Instead of pursuing either, it is meant that he chose to bnce his ''love'' for the two, knowledge and passion. Or that he was choosing the path of chastity, the path of God."

    Rnd looked at the purple flowers in the middle. He seemed to be lost in them¡­..

    Like he was stuck remembering something.

    Artea nudged him lightly. "Rnd?"

    He merely said while still in a trance from these flowers. "Doesn''t this look like hyacinths to you? And look at the figure on the left, its holding a round shape. It looks like a discus. The one on the right hasurels in its hair."

    Artea inspected the cluster and the round object more closely. "It does like that.... Oh. It reminds me of that story."

    "What story?" Harker asked.

    Rnd shook his head. "Doesn''t matter. I think I get it now. The ''Seek it'' on the back was written in a way that the card would be upside down, so it''s meant to be interpreted in reverse. It now means conflict, bad choices, falling out of love¡­.."

    "Felix fell out of love with someone, and Ivan''s words are implying that they were also responsible for his demise. The reason for that vendetta was jealousy."

    Harker furrowed his brows. So someone worked with the shadows too?

    He saw how Ivan interacted with them, and it was possible that he may not be the only human who can do that. But who?

    He took the card back, and beckoned Rnd to stand up.

    "Let''s go to Felix now¡­. We''ll find out about this vendetta better by seeing it through his own experience."

 Chapter 223 Caving In

    ?

    Felix shivered inside the cold, dark cell.

    For some reason, it felt colder and darker than usual. The air felt damp and humid, almost like when he''s inside a cave. He hugged his knees closer as he sat on that bed.

    There was a piece of cotton on his nose. He has multiple scars after the warden got tired of him shouting at night from his nightmares.

    He was hurt all over, the most he had been since he was a kid. Back when he was still bullied a lot.

    He still had been during histter years of high school and in college, but it''s mostly verbal or in much more maniptive ways. Everyone tended to be too busy to beat up people during those years, even the dumbasses.

    But he didn''t pay attention to the pain at all. Sometimes, the beatings even served as a distraction for him. Because he knew that those aliens wouldn''t kill him. Not in the brutal way that these idiot policemen do.

    No. The aliens wanted his body intact.

    He can already see their shadowy figuresing before him, taking a grip of his limbs using their tendrils. They would suck all the blood on his body, empty his insides, and make it a nice flesh jacket.

    Then, they will integrate into society while wearing his face.

    That was the first step to their world domination. He was sure of it. It''s even likely that some of them had already existed long ago. Maybe during the invention of fire, maybe during the Egyptians building the pyramids. They were simply hiding, waiting for the right moment.

    The moment when humanity became too secure in their own homes made of concrete. When they no longer hunt their food in the forest. When their brains were bigger and better¡­ and more delectable.

    He wept. The cell truly felt like a cave.

    Was that how the cavemen felt? When they saw the aliens approaching from their ships that flew in the sky, did they cower in fear and hide in their caves?

    Then, they must have drawn all these strange figures on the walls as ast message. They take the shape of animals, multiple of them, they burn their eyes, they kill thousands without moving¡­.

    A caveman waiting in the dark for it all to pass. All that unknown terror that awaits.

    There were suddenly sounds of something approaching, and the paranoid Felix was sure that it was the aliensing for him.

    But it was just the jail warden, and he shot up to his feet. It''s not time for food to be delivered directly to his maximum security jail cell, so that could only mean one thing.

    "Papa? Mama?" He called out weakly like a child.

    "Unless your ''Papa'' is a blond stud, then you''re mistaken, Piglet. You got 5 minutes. 5 minutes, you hear?" He said sternly as he dragged Felix.

    "5 minutes for what¡­?" He asked in confusion.

    He was led into the public bathrooms. Felix was only allowed to go inside with at least two wardens watching over him. But this time, this one warden just dragged him there and pushed him inside the door.

    He locked it and yelled. "5 minutes!!! And I want an extra 100 after this!"

    "Sure thing, Officer."

    Felix turned around and felt relieved when he saw that it was just Rnd Faust. But he suddenly became apprehensive when he realized the situation. Rnd paid a warden to meet alone, inside this bathroom all to themselves.

    "W-Why are we here?" He thought, trying to observe if it was really Rnd or something else wearing his skin.

    "I got the help that we needed, Felix. Don''t worry. It will all be over soon." Rnd coaxed him.

    Soon, one of the bathroom stalls opened. Inside was a handsome man with tanned skin, pitch-ck hair, and moony dark eyes.

    "Heya, bud. You remember me?" Harker smiled amicably at him. "Long time no see."

    "Harker Jones?" Felix frowned. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It''s been a long while since he actually saw Harker Jones despite being neighbors. Like actually see his face up close.

    He would spot him every day, of course. Or see him at their doorstep whenever he visits to bring back tupperwares of the food that their family gives away to the Jones. His siblings would also sometimes stay with them when he and their father had to go to the hospital. Harker had also babysitted him long ago, when he was 10 to 13.

    But that was so long ago. Looking at him now, he truly changed so much.

    Harker was this perfect, reliable big brother in Felix''s eyes. He was one of the few people nice to him, but he won''t say they were friends just because they yed a bit when they were young.

    Still, he was just that. A big brother. There was something still boyish and immature about him. But the man in front of him now¡­.

    He was too different. There was an unexinable aura to him that he couldn''t recognize. Something he couldn''t recognize in any other human he ever met.

    And that scared him.

    Felix backed up against the door. He tried the handle, but it won''t work.

    Harker was just confused, drawing closer with a look of concern. "Hey, you alright, bud¡ª"

    "What are you!? Y-You''re not Harker Jones, are you!?"

    Rnd also frowned. "But he is. I assure you, Felix, he''s not an alien¡ª"

    "You''re not human!"

    Harker opened his mouth, then closed it. He sighed.

    "I''m not here to be human anyway. We should just get this over with. You heard the guard, we only have 5 minutes."

    Rnd nodded, taking hold of Felix''s hand. "It won''t hurt. He will make sure you won''t feel it as it was happening. After that, it does feel strange for a while, and your insides may hurt for a few days but¡­. He''ll be gentle. I think."

    "What!?" Felix eximed, still terrified.

    Harker snapped his fingers to draw his attention.

    "Look at me, bud." Harker said. "Sorry ''bout this."

    And soon, he stopped moving. His eyes were nk, and with just one word, Harker had got him to fall asleep too.

    He copsed onto the floor with a thud. Rnd adjusted his position into something a bit morefortable, propping him over the door.

    "Be careful. It will affect him afterwards. The mental strain, it''s¡­. It''s revolting." Rnd said, furrowing his brows.

    "I know." Harker said softly. "Just go inside the stalls. I know you don''t want to watch this."

    Rnd stood up, but eventually stayed.

    "I¡­. I want to be here tofort him afterwards. To exin things." Rnd said.

    Harker sighed heavily once again. "Well. If you want to watch over your inhuman friend tormenting humans, be my guest."

    He turned into ck worms, and went inside Felix Garcia''s mind.

    It was a very dark, cold and damp ce. Like a cave that he must explore to find the treasure that was the truth.

 Chapter 224 As You Carve Your Name In My Heart

    ?

    Harker swam into this dark expanse. He remembered his time back in the Appchians, when they were traveling from cave to cave to hide from the Sasquatch or wendigos.

    It had all been a lie, yes. But the aftermath of the memories never changed despite it. The memories when nk and Ahanu were just normal people who he got along with and would even consider as friends.

    It would be stupid to do so, but¡­ Back then it felt that way. They wererades, working together for the same purpose, helping each other and sharing a traumatic experience.

    Back then, there was this cave that had a small pool of water inside. It was very deep within it, and it hadn''t turned to ice yet because the cave somehow kept the warmth inside.

    It was cold, yes, but everyone was just happy to finally have some good water to drink or wash their faces and hands, at the very least.

    He and nk raced towards it, with Joan and Ahanuughing behind them.

    "Be careful! You boys might slip!" Joan reminded them.

    Ahanu shouted something which Harker now understood meant: "Don''t drink up all the water, Big Brother! Leave some for me!"

    nk chuckled by his side, his face trickling with this cave''s sparkling water. There was almost no light that could reach this part of the cave, but Harker can still his smile so clearly.

    "This one''s pretty nice, isn''t it?" He asked.

    Harker grinned. "Yeah. It''s like the perfect size, perfect atmosphere¡­. Coziest little bear-house I''d seen so far."

    "Hahaha! Bear-house. Well, it could be a bat-house too. And a bathhouse for us."

    Harker chuckled. "Nice pun."

    "Pun?"

    "y on words." Harker exined.

    "Ah. Yes, I like those. Double entendre." nk said thoughtfully. "I like how words can mean different things. Like how ''cave'' meant this ce, but also for something to give under pressure. Copse. Give in."

    "Cave in." Harker nodded.

    nk made an ''ah'' sound. "Yes.... I have seen many caves that caved in over the years of traveling these mountains. Often I''d find some rocks where people carved their names. In ournguage, of course. It''s to mark that they had been there, for them to remember that this once served their home in case they had to move away. It almost feels like leaving a piece of your soul in this ce."

    "Really?" Harker then looked around for a sharp rock, and found one. "Since this is a nice cave, we should mark it. We might go back when all this is over."

    "Haha, my penmanship is not good." nk told him.

    "Then I''ll be the one to carve our names, then."

    And he did. He carved all of their four names on the walls of that cave, as if it were their own. Like some one big happy family.

    Harker realized now that for that very short moment, even though he was deceived¡­.

    He did treat them as his own family.

    His family in the lonesome winter mountains.

    It seemed that those carved names were not only carved on those cave walls. It was also carved deep into his heart, and it bleeds fresh now as if it had just been carved yesterday.

    But Harker tried his best to divert his focus into this ''cave'' he was in.

    It''s a bit harder to do so inside someone''s headspace, especially when he''s trying to reach into the mind. The brain and the mind were truly different, though they were connected. The brain was made from flesh, and the mind wasn''t. It''s something ethereal.

    Getting through that connection required some focus. He had some experience with looking into Mina''s memories about the An Xin in that church of St. John the Evangelist, but¡­.

    She was willing.

    Felix wasn''t. He was invading the body of someone, and it''s fighting back. Felix may not be doing it consciously since he was asleep, but the body was made to defend itself from foreign invaders.

    The stronger one''s immunity, the harder it was to invade them. But Harker pushed through, searching for that one memory that might bring the truth to light.

    He ended up finding one that just made the pain of the past increase. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "F+Z? Seriously, Felix?"

    The voice of a tween girl came. She must be 12 or something, and her voice was still quite high even for that age. But it was pleasant, and there was a warmth even in her sassy tone.

    Zaina Tariq was sitting by the side of the tree, telescope in hand and chuckling.

    Felix was holding a small pocket knife, and once he was done etching on the bark, he sat beside her.

    "What? That''s our initials, right?" Felix said. "I saw them do it in the movies all the time."

    "Yeah, but those are for couples. We''re not a couple. " Zaina told him.

    Felix frowned. "Do we really have to be a couple to just carve our names here? I just want to mark our tree."

    "Right. It''s annoying when Tobias Klein and Gregori Stavinsky hang around and piss on it. It''s the best spot to go skywatching, and I don''t want it to smell like piss." Zaina scrunched up her nose.

    Felix chuckled. "See? So we have to do it. Let''s go mark the other spots just in case!"

    He took Zaina''s hand, and the two childrenughed as they ran on the grassy fields. Harker recognized the ces they went to, since they were just nearby parks and fields to their cul-de-sac. They even went as far to y around in Columbus Park, picking flowers on the way.

    Suddenly, Felix spotted a pretty blond girl in pigtails at the seesaw. He went to pick a rose, and approached her.

    Zaina frowned. "What are you doing?"

    "Rosie gave me some leftover Girl Scouts cookies before. I just thought I should give her something back as a thank you."

    He went, and Harker can see the deep scowl in Zaina''s face.

    Curious, he decided to seek more for memories involving Zaina Tariq. There were a lot of them, most being pretty mundane but happy memories as childhood friends.

    They stayed close even as they grew up. But then¡­.

    They were going to different schools, and Harker caught a small glimpse of them being a bit distant with each other. Other than that, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

    It was just the usual mellowing of rtionships once distance came to y. They encounter different people, and though they were neighbors, they were busy with their own individual things to hang out as they usually did when they were young.

    He doesn''t have much time, so he decided to go over to the night of the ident.

    Felix and Dahlia were walking over to that street with half-gentrified buildings. The streetmps in the more deste areas flickered, but it was amon enough urrence there. What wasn''tmon was seeing a shooting star deep into the city, and Dahlia imed she had seen one just now.

    "I swear, it was there. It just passed by. Maybe it was aet?"

    Felix chuckled. "Even if it was, the city haze is too thick. We can barely see any stars here. It''s probably just a trick of the lights."

    As he said this, they passed over the Circus Cabaret.

    He seemed to have been momentarily distracted by his own reflection. Not in any unnatural way, just amon reflex around mirrors. He looked¡­

    And for a quick motion, a dark shadow appeared in front of him.

    That''s how it happened. Exactly like how he described. A heavy weight, and then he cked out. He had no memories of it, so Harker had now sumbed into the darkness to seek more memories.

    But then¡­.

    He thought of going back to that part where Felix looked at his own reflection. This time, he didn''t focus on him or the shadows.

    He focused on the other people reflected in the background.

    And sure enough¡­.

    Hiding behind a wall was the familiar face of Zaina Tariq, who seemed to be stalking him and Dahlia Nieves. Thick lines were carved into her face as it contorted in what seemed to be anger and jealousy.

 Chapter 225 Bloodstained Umbrella

    ?

    Howard Jones followed the thick line markings on the walls of Salem City, Oregon.

    They were everywhere, hiding in in sight. They were strategically ced near graffitis, narrow alleyways leading to dead ends, and even inside public restrooms.

    But if you know what you were looking for, you''ll be able to follow their trail.

    Howard eventually found himself in an abandoned church. It was a rainy day, and it was a good thing that he took an umbre with him. However, there were many leaks on the roof, so he still had to use it even inside the church itself.

    There was a sign outside, but it was ruined. From the looks of it, the signage just decayed. ck marks covered almost all of it until the only thing you can read was the word¡­

    ''Beloved''.

    Howard shivered at this word. There was nothing more destructive to him than that word.

    Everywhere in this church, there was corruption and decay. He saw dozens of scuttling insects and tried his best to avoid stepping on them with his metal feet. He was still getting the hang of it, and he doesn''t want to topple down from losing his bnce over avoding a bunch of cockroaches and beetles.

    The pews had long turned soft as they rotted from the inside. They don''t break, but instead be soft and malleable. And sticky, like a tree sap.

    Howard identally stepped on one, and the wood stuck on his shoe like gum.

    He tried his best to yank it off. As he did so¡­..

    There was movement in the altar behind him.

    Howard was not a fighter. He was not the most alert either. When he was young, he was a punching bag for all sorts of people. He was not brave either, or had any confidence in himself to deal with situations that were outside hisfort zone.

    But he was different now. He could feel that.

    Something inside him snapped. Something that seemed to have always been present for a long while now, though he didn''t know when.

    Well, that was actually a lie.

    He did know when it started. This change. But it did not manifest externally right away, because he instead chose to sulk over the death of his beloved wife.

    The very day of her funeral was when he acquired that change, along with the mark on his neck.

    But he buried it. He drowned it all out in denial, and chose to live a half-assed ''normal'' life with his children. And now many years have passed, and what he buried has grown. It spread, and corrupted even his eldest son.

    He must kill it before it kills his boy. Before he loses someone again.

    Howard turned in a swift motion, and caught sight of what was hiding in the shadows. It was a human. But he knew it must not be any ordinary human.

    Sure enough, sounds of hissing came from the shadows.

    There was barely anything recognizable in the altar, as they were covered in filth. All except one.

    A figure of someone holding a child, dressed in red with a halo.

    This person had long ck hair, and wore a red veil. Like a bastardization of the Holy Mother, the veiled figure held the infant in a way that you could tell it was its mother.

    But it was a man.

    That doesn''t change the fact that it was the child''s mother.

    Howard gritted his teeth. "You won''t take Harker away from me. He is my child, and Josephine''s. You understand!?"

    There was no response, of course.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    But the moment he said this, the hidden figures had stepped out from the dark and showed themselves.

    They were like regr humans, except that they had sharp and dirty teeth. They eat everything, from the bugs to the wood and even the asional stray cats and dogs that were unfortunate enough to take shelter in the church from the rain.

    There may have even been people who were also just as unfortunate.

    But the sharp teeth weren''t the only thing disconcerting about these creatures. In the space where their eyes should be¡­.

    There was only one, big and unblinking.

    Howard curled his fist as they slowly approached him on all fours like dogs. They wore nothing but their own hair, and he could see their rib cages along with a tail.

    He closed his umbre, and aimed it on their face.

    "Do you understand me? Were you sent by the Night?"

    The one-eyed creatures did not answer.

    Instead, one more appeared. But this one seemed different. This one walked on two feet, holding a cane. It was also wearing a hood, and its hair was pure white. If anyone would see it from behind, they might think that it was just an old hag.

    But its big eyes remained unblinking, just like the others.

    "We are Likho." It spoke in a feminine voice, with a thick vic ent. "We are of the Night, yes. But not in the stead of anyone."

    Howard narrowed his eyes. "Which is it?"

    "It means, Traveler... That we are from what is evil, and corrupt, and misfortunate¡­.. But we are free. We are not bound to some ruler. Not this one."

    She pointed at the Lady in Red Veil statue.

    Howard sighed in relief, then stiffened again. He asked:

    "Do you know where it is? The marks led me here. And I can feel its influence in this part very strongly."

    The old likhody shook her head. "This was once theirs. But not anymore. So we took over."

    "But do you have any idea where it is???" Howard asked desperately. "I need to find it¡ª"

    One of the creatures suddenly jumped on him. Howard quickly used the umbre to bar its sharp teeth, and struggled beneath this likho.

    "Noch is somewhere that we do know, but we have no reason to tell you. We do not want you to escape either, Traveler. We are hungry, after all.And we shall feed."

    Howard pushed through as best as he could, but this creature was much stronger. They took their time to surround him like dogs choosing to sniff about and salivate over a piece of meat before eating it.

    But despite his enemy''s strength, what Howard had was his determination. He pushed with all his might. His arms had always been the strongest part of him, especially since he lost his leg and had to push him on a wheelchair or crawl using them.

    "Ahhhhhh!" He shouted as he finally shoved off this creature¡­..

    And used the tip of the umbre to stab it straight into that single, unblinking eye!

    They all roared in fury, but Howard was unfazed. He took a deep breath, and with only a bloody umbre in hand¡­.

    He faced all of them alone.

    "I won''t go until I get answers. I won''t die until I see the Night. I will never die until I kill it with my own hands."

 Chapter 226 Washed Out By The Rain

    ?

    The old hag pointed at him with her crooked, dirty fingers and yelled:

    "Ubey yego!"

    The one-eyed likhos went to attack him on all sides. Howard was alert this time. He struck the one close to getting him using just the umbre with all his might.

    The impact was enough to knock it off, and it crashed into the soft and sticky pews. It struggled to move away, and that gave him enough time to strike it in the eye again. The blood sttered on his clothes, but Howard Jones did not falter.

    He received a bite mark on his shoulder from one of them, but did not mind it.

    Instead, he threw his weight so that the one that clung to his shoulder with its teeth would swing and hit the other one going after him.

    Again, it got stuck on the sticky goo, and he plunged that umbre tip all the way until he felt it hit the skull itself.

    These things may have brains, but they were basically pointless. None were wise enough to avoid being stuck on the pews. Howard used that to its full advantage.

    But that doesn''t mean that he only sustained that one bite as an injury. By the time that he had killed half of them, he was bleeding all over in several gashes.

    Yet he felt no pain.

    That was the change. He never felt pain again. Even when he identally nick himself with the knife he uses for whittling, or when his hammer would miss and hit his fingers instead¡­.

    He never felt it.

    There was a condition like that called Congenital Insensitivity to Pain. This was not a good thing for the patients, as they also be susceptible to more dangers than those who do feel pain. Some would even lose the ability to sweat, though Howard did not lose his.

    At least, he still sweats when he is nervous or having one of his usual nightmares.

    But at this moment, this condition was almost like a ''gift''. If he could feel pain, he would have not been able to fight this long.

    The rain mixed with his blood and made reddish puddles on the floor. The smell was putrid, but it already stank the moment he stepped in this corpse of a building. These creatures¡ª these free and unbound agents of evil and misfortune¡ª had consumed it and were even licking at the bones.

    But now it was the putrefied state of the church that led them to their defeat.

    The dead likhos remained stuck in ce in the rotten wood. Their eyes popped like balloons, and the insects crawled inside the hole Howard made on them.

    His state was just as terrible. There was arge deep gash on his stomach, several on his arms and thighs, and there was now arge gash on his cheek. If not for his legs being made of metal, they would have been easier to break and lose function.

    But with or without legs, Howard will keep fighting.

    And he knew that the old hag knew that too.

    She looked at him with that singr eye in what appeared to be both terror and anger. She pointed her cane at him.

    "Lyobnovik nochi!"

    Howard spat out blood on her foot. "Speak in English or I''ll stab your eye too."

    "You are the lover of the Night! It''s chosen you! I should have known¡­. I just thought that after it gave birth to the child¡­. It would kill you too."

    Howard gritted his teeth. "No. But it chose something else. It chose to deceive me, to fool me and my family into thinking that we can have a happy peaceful life. Then, it will take away everything. First my wife. Then my children. Then.... Me."

    Heughed with his bloodstained teeth. "But I won''t allow it. Now tell me where it is, and I might spare your life."

    The hag scoffed. "Very well. But only because you have won this game of fate. You would not be so fortunate in other times."

    "Just answer me, hag!"

    She grinned wide with her own bloody teeth. "Alright. Noch is¡­.."

    "I do not actually know where it is."

    Howard''s vision went red with fury, and this time he aimed that fist towards that eye. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You liar!"

    But before it could make an impact, the hag said.

    "But I do know that the hunters are after it, as they had sensed its emergence. They will find him. That is what hunters do. And I know where they are."

    Howard stopped for a moment, and thought about it.

    This old hag had nothing else to lose but its life. The other likhos were dead, and despite being a powerful creature, she was old. He can sense her weakness, that was why she used the others to her disposal.

    So could she be bluffing just to mess with him onest time?

    But then again, he had no other leads. Yakov Perelman did not know anything.

    Howard thought that man was much worse than this likho. At least they were not an obsessed worshiper of the one he wanted to kill.

    In the end, he took his chances that this monster was telling the truth.

    "Fine. Tell me where these hunters are."

    The old hag did. She gave every location where she knew the hunters had been in America. She didn''t make it clear who exactly they were, but Howard didn''t need to know.

    They were monster hunters like him. And they specifically go after the Night''s kind.

    The nearest one was actually here, and lived hidden under the Bush House Museum that was known not just for its historical importance, but also supposed hauntings of disembodied voices and shadows.

    Howard nodded. "I''ll go find this hunter. Don''t even attempt to attack me as I go. I can still see you, even if I turn my back."

    "Of course you could." The old hag sneered. "Lyobnovik nochi."

    He ignored this teasing. It may seem unsafe to leave the old hag alive, but he was a man of his word no matter how many liars were around him. Though he does feel guilty because he would have to leave the kids for a longer time as he tried to recover.

    The rain continued to wash over his wounds, and he limped his way to the Museum as a bloody mess. Soon, he would lose consciousness after losing so much blood¡­..

    But that wasn''t the first time anyway. He knew he would survive.

    The Night will always find its way to make him survive. More than that¡­..

    There was also him.

    As Howard copsed in the front gates of the empty museum, he came and sat beside him. His gossamer thin robes shone a little from the sheen caused by the rain, and dewdrops formed on the web-likece of it. His many eyes watched him carefully.

    "Oh dear. This one is quite a lot, don''t you think?"

    "Just¡­.. Patch me up¡­.. Tarantman."

    The man justughed at this, and kneeled beside him. "Very well. Pardon me if my stitching is not as good as before."

    "How are the kids¡­. Your critters are watching over them¡­. Right? They have always¡­.. Harker especially¡­."

    "Yes they do. So long as there are webs, we have eyes on your children." He said as his hands moved in a motion that was too jittery to be ''normal''. "But it is never in our interest to reveal the truth, Howard. We love to manipte behind the scenes, to control... Quite the opposite of the truth that you Watchers so chased after."

    Howard groaned. "I''ll just have faith that they''re fine."

    He was losing consciousness, and the spider man just patted his head. "Might as well, it''s for the best. Now sleep well. I''d rather do this somewhere without the rain."

    Howard chuckled and sang. "Itsy bitsy spider climbed out the water spout¡­.. Down came the rain and¡­.."

    He was made to sleep by Mr. Spider before he can finish singing.

 Chapter 227 Hypnotic Interrogation

    ?

    "Are you sure that it was Zaina Tariq and not just some passerby who looked simr to her?"

    Harker chuckled at this, passing by trees full of webs. It reminded him that Halloween season wasing soon, and those real webs would soon be reced by fake ones along with carved pumpkins.

    "I''m sure." He said, careful not to step on a scuttling spider on the ground. "My eyes are clearer than most of humanity now, Rnd."

    Rnd frowned. "I know. but¡­. It could have just been someone else. Or a coincidence. After all, what does she have to do with the shadowy figures? She''s been your neighbor for years, and Felix''s friend for almost a decade. And he''s pretty adamant that she had no involvement in this."

    "She''s the only suspect we have for this ''vendetta''." Harker said.

    "Right, but does that really matter? Ivan Ivanovich might just be confusing us. We already know this is about supernatural creatures, I just¡­" Rnd faltered. "I just don''t want innocent people to just be randomly suspected and then sumb to your methods."

    Harker stopped walking, and turned to him in disbelief.

    "My methods? You''re the one who asked for my methods, right?"

    Rnd sighed. "Only for Felix. And if there was any other way, I would have chosen an alternative. But for Zaina Tariq¡­. You might end up mentally scarring someone who has no experience with the supernatural for no reason. At least Felix experienced being ''possessed'' before¡ª"

    "That''s the thing. We''re still not sure if it was possession." Harker countered. "Everything just went dark. If that shadow thing did possess his body, I should have still been able to see what it did while inside. Because then, Felix''s eyes will retain those memories along with everything else, it''s just not part of the conscious memories he could recall."

    "How are you so sure? You''ve never looked for the memories of a person before." Rnd said, feeling a little shocked that he sounded so sure.

    And eventually, he felt skeptical and nervous over what made him conclude that. Did he ever get inside his head without him knowing? When?

    Harker shrugged. "I just know. It''s a usible theory."

    "It''s not."

    "Look, are you going to dictate now what my abilities can and cannot do?" Harker said in annoyance. "If you don''t want me using the ck worms, then I''ll just use the Snake Demon''s hypnosis. That also works too as long as it''s Zaina''s conscious actions and not someone else''s. Which it should be if it''s a vendetta."

    So it was settled.

    They continued walking back to the cul-de-sac, hands inside the pockets of their pants. They walked briskly with their heads down, mouths in a thin line. The tension was still high, and it was obvious even to outsiders that they just got into a fight.

    Rnd couldn''t stop worrying over the possibility that Harker looked into his memories with Hanker possessing him. Or at all.

    But these suspicions didn''t make sense, because he should have felt it if he did. The ck worms always leave a trace, no matter how stealthily they go. The victim may not realize it was them, but they could still feel that revolting, squirmy feeling of some other thing going inside their body.

    Even if Harker went while he was asleep, or used hypnosis, he should have been able to feel it.

    He tried to calm himself. He can''t afford having paranoia get the best of him when someone''s life was on the line. Once proven guilty, Felix Garcia would surely be sentenced to the death row. That meant years in prison, and then a lethal injection or electric chair.

    And he may not be the only one. The shadowy thing will keep on taking victims, since it has already done it twice. This must be stopped now.

    Harker knocked on the door of the Tariq''s residence.

    Soon, a man with a thick scruffy beard and a pot belly opened it. This was one of those uncles living with with Mr. and Mrs. Tariq, though Harker couldn''t tell whether it was the wife or the husband''s brother.

    "Yeah? Your siblings aren''t here yet."

    "I know, Sir. But¡­. Is Zaina here? I''m with Felix Garcia''swyer." Harker exined.

    Rnd heard so much noises inside, and didn''t expect that someone else in the cul-de-sac would have arger and more chaotic family than his client. He wasn''t used to the idea of such a big family in a small home, and already thought that Harker''s family counted as a ''big'' one.

    He has only met his grandparents at least 3 times when he was very young, and they have already passed away.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    As for his mother''s family¡­..

    They were very distant and seemed to want nothing to do with the Faust''s after her death. After all, their daughter had given them the heir they wanted, and they had given them the money they needed. From what Rnd had heard, his mother''s parents were now staying in Greece for retirement on a small private ind.

    He got lost in the sounds of all the people in the Tariq residence for a while, before snapping out of it and extending his hand.

    "Rnd Faust, Sir. Pleasure to meet you." He said.

    "Kareem Tariq." The man shook his hand, then scrunched up his brows. "Huh. I heard that name somewhere many years before¡­. Was it from a billboard? Were you a child actor?"

    Rnd chuckled awkwardly. "No. You must be talking about the billboard for the advertisements of the American Crimson Cross. My father was one of the board of directors."

    "Oh, right! I see now. It''s strange to see you as awyer now, since I see that blond kid in a doctor''s uniform all the time." Kareem said. "What do you need to see Zaina for? Need her as a witness?"

    "Sort of, Sir. Just want to ask her a few questions. It won''t be long." Rnd said. "Is she here?"

    "Yep. On a ''mental break'' or something. I mean, her friend''s been in jail for so long now, I don''t get why she''s still not over it."

    Kareem shouted for her niece over the other noises in the house. "Zaina!!!"

    Zaina spoke back in Arabic which trantes more or less to: "Go away! I''m busy!"

    Kareem cursed in Arabic too under his breath and repeated: "Zaina! If you don''t get your ass down here, it won''t be your telescope that I''ll be breaking next time!"

    They finally heard some shuffling from upstairs along with a growl. Zaina Tariq finally went down, eximing with tearful, red eyes.

    "What do you want from me!?"

    She then stopped when she saw the people at the door. She blinked in confusion.

    "You''re the Jones'' big brother. And you''re¡­." She frowned. "Felix''swyer? What are you doing here?"

    Harker spoke seriously.

    "We''re here to talk to you about Felix in my house. Come on, it''s right beside your house."

    He spoke in such amanding tone that nobody would be able to say no. Zaina Tariq nervously followed after the two men, thinking that she would be able to cry out for help easily in case anything happened.

    They were finally inside, and sat on the space that used to be Howard''s woodwork shop. There were a few unfinished wooden sculptures there, one of which seemed to be an unfinished wood carving of a tarant.

    "Sit, please." Harker said, though there''s no politeness in his tone.

    Zaina sat in front of him, and then¡­.

    As she stared into his eyes, she felt sleepy. But Harker did not make her sleeppletely. It was only enough for the hypnosis to take effect and for her to say the truth.

    This was the first time Harker used the skill this way, but it didn''t take him much to harness it. It seemed that whenever its a skill that involves seeking the truth, it alwayses easily for him like breathing.

    And so the hypnosis interrogation began.

    "What are you doing on the night of Dahlia Nieves'' murder?"

 Chapter 228 Gone Incredibly Wrong

    ?

    Rnd watched carefully as Zaina Tariq started to speak with empty, unblinking eyes.

    "I was going back home from schoolte. That was before summer vacation, so I was also looking for ces to look for a summer job. The expenses pile up easily in studying nursing, but more than that¡­. I wanted to buy a better telescope and astronomy books."

    "For what?" Harker said.

    She and Felix seemed to both share an interest in astronomy. But they went to different high schools and college universities taking different bachelor degrees.

    "Astronomy is my true passion. I only took nursing because that''s what my parents told me to. That''s what they needed me to take. They''re already lenient towards me not praying and going to the mosque. Deep down, they know that I''m an atheist. But religion is the only thing they''ll give me a pass on, I need a job where I can easily get money and raise my family from poverty."

    Rnd whispered in amazement. "She''s even answering more than what you asked her."

    To think that at some point, Mr. Xi also hypnotized him like that to question him and gain things for ckmail¡­.

    Rnd deeply hated the idea of his own will being taken from him. He already felt like a puppet that was constantly being used and manipted as a rich man''s son, and wanted to break free from that by pursuingw. But it still never ends. People will still try to take advantage of each other no matter what.

    Meanwhile, Harker was more focused on getting Zaina to confess that she was there on the night that Dahlia got killed. He had bought a recorder on the way, and was recording this conversation.

    Because he knew that even if Felix was found innocent, they would still look for a suspect to put behind bars. They can''t do that to a shadow.

    So a human person responsible for that vendetta would suffice. He will bring the recording to the police and have Zaina take the fall if he had proven that she was involved in getting her former best friend framed.

    He shushed Rnd in case he gets heard in the recording. Then, he asked:

    "On your way home, did you see Felix and Dahlia by the street near the Circus Cabaret bar?"

    Zaina answered in a monotone:

    "Yes. Or at least, I thought so."

    "You thought so?" Harker frowned.

    "I wasn''t sure. I did see someone that looked like Felix. I don''t know what Dahlia looked like before, and I avoided watching news reports about her death or reading the newspaper. I can''t take it. I can''t believe that Felix would ever do something like that."

    Harker started to be a bit unsure because of this. But he continued with his interrogation.

    "What did you do when you saw them? What did you feel?"

    "I felt¡­."

    Her answer was the one he least expected.

    "Sorry for Felix. Sorry that he would have to use Dahlia as an excuse. From what I know, she already had a boyfriend, so it won''t really work in the long run. But there aren''t many women he can get close with because of how people see him."

    Harker leaned closer on the table. "An excuse for what?"

    "Why he was still single. Felix''s parents were not as lenient as mine. They expect many things from him given their culture and that he was raised Catholic. That meant no sex before marriage, but they also expect him to get married eventually. A normal marriage."

    Rnd''s eyes widened. He whispered. "Does that mean that¡­. Do you think Felix is¡­."

    Harker knew what he was asking, and went to ask Zaina directly.

    "Do you mean that Felix doesn''t like women?"

    "Yes. He doesn''t like women." Zaina answered.

    Harker frowned. "So he¡­ He likes men?"

    But Zaina shook her head at this.

    "That''s not it. He doesn''t like anyone."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Harker was confused at this. "How can anyone not like anyone? Do you mean he doesn''t like anyone yet? What about you?"

    Zaina responded. "He doesn''t like anyone that way, never did since he was a child. He and I are the same."

    Rnd came to understand now. So¡­..

    They were the same as Artea.

    Harker clenched his fist. "That''s¡­. That doesn''t make any sense! I saw you two carve your names on a tree, and how jealous you were of him talking to another girl! I can believe that Felix may not be interested in anyone, but you¡­.. You''re clearly interested in him!"

    Zaina answered:

    "I am. But I was jealous not because I liked him romantically, but because I liked him as a friend. Felix was the only one who shared the same interest as me, and we were so close before. But even if we''ve grown distant, I didn''t bear any ill will towards him. Actually, we made a deal that if we get forced by our families to marry, we''ll marry each other. But that won''t work, because our parents expect us to marry someone of the same religion."

    She sighed. "So I thought Felix must be getting desperate to look for anyone who was willing to be his ''girlfriend'' that would be fine with not having sex or romantic affection like me."

    Harker countered. "But I saw¡ª But Felix said you looked angry and jealous."

    Zaina corrected him: "I was angry at how society forces us to have romantic rtionships, but I was also jealous that he found someone. I didn''t know Dahlia had a boyfriend yet. It''s harder for me to find anyone who''s fine with that arrangement because let''s face it. My race and my connections to Im will always be a factor for most people."

    Harker rubbed his forehead. He was so sure before, but this¡­..

    This only made him more confused. So was it really just a coincidence that Zaina was there? Did the universe just want to throw him off and humble him by reminding him that everything was not as they seem?

    ''Don''t get it twisted''. It was like the force of fate itself was reminding him of that.

    And he even initially thought that they could just be friends. But he was so determined to get this case done with ease that he let assumptions get the best of him.

    "I see¡­. Then can you think of anyone who may have a grudge on Felix? Someone who might resent him enough to frame him for this crime?"

    Zaina shook her head. "No. Even if he was bullied, I don''t think Felix ever wronged someone enough to deserve that kind of revenge."

    She added: "I think the worst he ever did to ''someone'' was when he identally broke one of the geode collections at school. He told me about how much the school headmaster scolded him for it, that he thought he was going to be expelled."

    Harker sighed. He''s back to square one. But at least, he gained more information on Felix now.

    This geode thing may just be a coincidence too. Still, Felix and Dahlia were ssmates, so Holmwood University might just be where he could find this person with a vendetta against him.

    He turned off his hypnosis and the tape recorder. Zaina''s eyes cleared, and she blinked in confusion.

    Rnd spoke softly to her. "Thank you for your time, Ms. Zaina Tariq. I''ll be starting to question you now. How are you feeling?"

    "Oh¡­. I''m fine. I just get spacey for a while sometimes, I don''t remember¡­.. Anyway, I''m fine."

    Rnd went on to pretend to be interrogating her, which was more like a friendly chat. Harker went outside to think. He was incredibly wrong.

    Once done, Rnd went outside with him and allowed Zaina Tariq to go home.

    "We should follow up on what Artea said. You know, about the police chief''s son going after the same internship. That might be the vendetta Ivan Ivanovich was talking about." Rnd told him.

    Harker lightly nodded, but his mind was now out of the case for a while.

    "Rol¡­ Are you..." He faltered.

    Rnd frowned. "Am I what?"

    Harker shook his head, as if he was already disproving what he was about to ask. He instead asked:

    "Do you have feelings for Artea Holmwood? Or are you only marrying her just out of convenience like Zaina and Felix?"

 Chapter 229 Burned Out

    ?

    Harker paid attention to how Rnd would react. Any sign of him trying to evade the question or attempting to lie would be dealt with responses that he already prepared in his head.

    Harker had prepared for so many responses but he didn''t expect this one.

    "No."

    That was all Rnd said, and he went on his way to his limousine.

    "No, what? To the first question or the second? Rnd!"

    But Rnd had gone inside, and only said. "I''ll see you tomorrow at Holmwood. Just call whenever you''re ready, but don''t beter than 4 pm because they''re not epting visitors at that time."

    And then he rolled up the window and drove away.

    Harker grumbled inwardly. He kicked at a pebble, and sat on the front steps of his small house.

    He rubbed his forehead. "Which is it, Rnd? You don''t have feelings for Artea, right? Then that would mean you''re only marrying her out of convenience, so you won''t have to marry someone like Ang MacBheatha."

    "But¡­.. If it''s ''no'' to the second question¡­. That means you do have feelings for her."

    Why does he prefer that first option over the second one? So what if Rnd has feelings for Artea? That''s a good thing! He won''t be marrying someone just because he has too.

    Shouldn''t he just be happy for him to have an arrangement like this and get rid of that devil Ang?

    He held his head in confusion thatte afternoon. Dead leaves fall over to his feet, swept by the wind. Their colors reminded him too much of burning fire. It felt like that all the time ever since he had woken up. Like he was watching a burning fire.

    Only that it wasn''t like the same fire in a warm firece, where his family would sit and share stories together.

    It wasn''t even like the fire that kept away the cold back in the mountains, the only sce one can find among despair.

    Instead, this fire felt like watching an entire forest be burned to the ground. Or the fire from a car explosion. A terrorist attack, or perhaps just watching his own home be engulfed in mes.

    There was a sense of loss and destruction all around, and Harker knew the source. But he couldn''t stop it.

    He could only stand there and watch as the mes danced and turned everything that he cherished into ashes.

    And he was alone.

    "Yan. Yan, are you there?"

    But the eyeball didn''t respond. It seemed that even this thing had abandoned him.

    Harker didn''t like this deste feeling. Because it felt like it was his fault. That all the bad things began with him, the spark that ignited the me. If it weren''t for him, things would have been better. Things should have been better.

    He felt like he was cursed, and everything he touched just received his curse as well.

    "I just want someone¡­.. Someone to stay and tell me it''ll be alright. That it''s all just in my head, this feeling that everything is falling apart."

    "Things are not falling apart."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He turned, and finally saw the flying eyeball. But it seemed to be keeping its distance a little to him.

    "It is. And I know that I did it. That I am still doing it. But I can''t stop." Harker said. "Everything I do is just¡ª"

    "Master, you are seeing shadows that aren''t there. You''re seeing phantoms of destruction that have not happened yet, and may not happen yet. Like I said, the future is not linear. You can always choose not to continue down this road."

    Harker made a miserable sound, and took something from his pocket.

    "It feels like everything is going off-bnce, and there''s no other way to bring it back. Even with Mina and Joan, I¡ª"

    "You could still fix it, right? With Mina and Joan. They just need to know what you have been up to. It hadn''t been long since you hadst seen them. It had only been a couple of days."

    Harker scoffed. "Sure felt longer than that. I feel like¡­. I was swallowed somehow. I was just separated from everything else besides this tension, this anger, this... This despair. It won''t go away. Everyone else''s despair that I carried¡­. I don''t mind that. But that doesn''t mean that I''m okay."

    Yan sighed. "Even most monsters never really have to carry the burden you carried. The burden of seeing other''s experiences as your own, feeling them¡­. That''s the price of your power."

    "And the more power I gain from these ''Abilities'' will just add to those burdens, right? That''s the only way to bnce it out." Harker said. "I can''t even conceal it well. Whether it''s on human victims or monsters I fight, everything I do to them, they will know. I scarred them, Yan."

    He made a far away look. "Rnd was scarred too. It may not fully be me¡­. But I am still to me."

    Yan looked down at the floor, as if choosing what to say carefully knowing how turbulent his Master''s emotional state was.

    "It may be, but... There are just things we could not change. So we could only focus on those we can."

    Harker knew that, and was only further annoyed by that suggestion. He didn''t want to be, but there''s no changing it, he supposed.

    He took a deep breath, and tried to do it. But it''s easier said than done.

    "I''ll just call Mina or Joan. Thanks."

    He stood up, and went inside with a slump. He looked at his father''s sculptures for a while. Seeing his mother''s face in them somehow helped him calm down.

    But now, it only reminded him of the memory of that woman in red. A memory that was buried so deep and suddenly uncovered.

    He instead paid attention to the spider ones. Harker knew his father had a client who was fond of this spider imagery. Ever since he got into woodworking as a side business after his amputation, he would see someone asking for wooden carvings and statues rted to spiders and webs.

    The patterns somehow helped him simmer down too. Not calm himpletely, but just make him numb. Like he could simply DO, and not BE.

    Do things without reason, entangled in webs that controlled his limbs like a puppet. He didn''t need to think and feel, only allowing himself to move under the purpose of something else.

    Has his father ever felt that way when looking at his own carvings on the web? Sometimes, Harker would think his hands moved without his intentions, without putting any thought to it. The patterns juste naturally... as if by fate.

    Was he also just a worker of some force, and he had long forgotten after gaining a heart?

    Sometimes he wished he could take out that stupid heart and throw it in the fire. This heart of his just kept on burning him out from the inside, and he wished he could just get rid of it too by fighting fire with fire.

    And he wasn''t alone in thinking this.

 Chapter 230 By The Fire In Her Hair

    ?

    Joan watched the boy stare into the small fire of his lighter.

    He kept opening it and closing it. He shivered on the edge of the bed where he sat, waiting as the psychiatrists talked about the evaluations they could do and discuss information on the child with social services.

    He was a street urchin. An orphan that had run away from foster home to foster home, spending most of his life fighting for survival on the streets.

    It wasn''t as umon to have younger patients of simr backgrounds in the asylum. Joan knew it was worse during the time of wars. Children would lose their fathers in service for the country, then their mothers to madness, depression, or other causes of death.

    And they would be alone.

    They would always feel alone, no matter who they were with. To experience loss so early would make them wary of losing everything soon enough.

    Joan knew that lighter was significant to him. While the shrinks weren''t looking, she went to approach the child.

    "Hey there. Can I sit here?"

    The boy just nodded, but his eyes remained on the lighter and the me.

    She asked him: "Where''d you get that?"

    "A friend."

    "What friend?"

    "A kinddy with fire for hair."

    Joan narrowed his eyes. "Fire for hair... She''s a ginger, then?"

    The boy nodded. "Ginger is a bad way to describe the color, though. She doesn''t like it. I don''t think it''s right either. Ginger is too yellow¡­.. Hers is more like orange and red, so bright yet also so dark. And thick."

    Joan tried to visualize this woman, but since she was only given a vivid description of her hair, that''s all she could imagine.

    Barely a woman besides the fire in her hair.

    "And thisdy¡­.. When did she give this to you?"

    "That night. When the shadows chased me. She said it will keep them away, and it did." The boy stopped flicking his lighter, and turned to her.

    "The world went so dark. So dark. There was no light. But the me was enough, the me burns and destroys and kills¡­.. But that''s all I have. I''d rather die from the fire than from those who do not have a skin of their own."

    Joan felt something was more than meets the eye with this kid''s experience. It doesn''t feel like regr trauma, and so she decided to pay closer attention to him and to talk about him to Harker.

    If Harker was avable at all. She had been so busy with work too that she honestly didn''t think he was the only one to me for this ''not checking up'' thing.

    There''s just many aspects in life besides rtionships, especially romantic rtionships. When you were in the honeymoon phase of love where it was just blooming, it was easy to get lost in it and live in a bubble for a while.

    But you can''t stay in the bubble forever, since the world is still waiting beyond that. And their time in that bubble was so brief that it felt abysmalpared to other matters.

    As she went home, she went to call Harker, only to find that he had been calling earlier before. She quickly opened it.

    "Hello?"

    Harker sounded tired. His words did not stick with her more than that tiredness in this voice. She recognized that very well, that sense that he was speaking through a thin paper and it was a bit muffled despite him speaking clearly.

    There was something else bothering him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Okay... Wait a minute, Harker. Are you really okay? Do you¡­.. Do you want me toe over and help look after the kids?"

    Harker seemed to sigh in relief at this. "That would be great. Dad''s still not home and he promised to be back yesterday. We''ll talk about it better here."

    He hung up, and Joan went on her way to his home.

    This was her first time seeing the Jones residence. It was small, but she thought it must be pretty cozy. Harker would fondly describe during their times by a campfire some memories with his father and his 3 siblings.

    And of course, his mother would be there too. But he seemed to only speak of her briefly, as if he was scared that if he talked about her for too long, the sad feelings would seep through and make their conversation awkward.

    When Joan was there, Harker was more stable, but in a sort of stoic way. He seemed to just suppress or purposefully numb himself so he can perform his objective.

    Which was to tell her the details of what he had been up to these past few days, and what their other ns were.

    They talked about this in Harker''s room after all the children had been put to sleep. They didn''t really exin further why she was there and what their rtionship was beyond that she was their professor.

    It was fine with Joan. The children knew Mina was his girlfriend, so trying to exin that she too was his girlfriend would just add moreplications given their age gap and the fact that it''s umon for people to have a ''second girlfriend''.

    She didn''t mind. What she did mind was how utterly emotionless and practical Harker recalled everything, from the moment Rnd asked for his help in the Garcia case down to him seeing through Felix'' memories and learning the truth about hisck of attraction from Zaina.

    "What about you?" Harker said in a mundane tone. "How have you been these few days?"

    Joan frowned, but did not press further. Just like the boy too transfixed with this me of his that he believed would fix everything, she thought she should watch Harker more in order to make the best decision for this matter.

    "You mentioned shadow people. Now, I''m not sure if it''s rted or a coincidence, but we had this new patient. He''s just a kid, name Aiden Moore. He said that he saw a shadow in an antique shop. That''s why he threw a rock at it. Police found him and as police do, they beat him up. Social service got involved and insisted on taking Aiden to us for mental aid."

    Harker raised an eyebrow. "Where is this antique shop?"

    "From the records, it''s near Columbus Park. Just across the street, not a very popr ce since no one cares for antiques nowadays." Joan said. "It''s a long shot, but we can check it out if you want."

    Harker nodded. "Yeah¡­. It''s a better ce to start digging around than Holmwood University. I''m also interested in this fiery girl he mentioned. I think my dad had a client before too who had an obsession with depictions of a house fire in wood carved portraits."

    Joan nodded. "Your dad is acting really weird. He got new feet now so he can move about, but¡­. Doesn''t it feel like he''s slowly abandoning his children nowadays? The least he can do is give a reason."

    "....Yeah."

    Joan then nudged him. "At least now I know where you got that from."

    Harker wasn''t even offended at this. "Yeah. Now that I''m at the receiving end of it¡­. Being kept in the dark really doesn''t feel good. But I understand him too. I understand him very well."

    Joan''s expression softened. "You know we''re always here for you, right? You can always ask us to take a break from work and school to join you¡ª"

    "No. I don''t want to end up bothering you two more than I should. You two have a life with or without me. What I want is for that life to not be messy as much as possible." He said. "Thank you for the help, anyway."

    Joan sighed. ".... There''s no need for thank yous. I''m your lover, it''s my job to help you through your shit somehow."

    Harker smiled at this, and kissed her. But as their lips touched, he still felt that guilt that he was fire itself that would be burning every single person he touched and loved.

    It reminded him of that wooden carving his father made. Two lovers kissing¡­.

    A skull in mes and a woman with fire in her hair.

 Chapter 231 Hunting Down

    ?

    The Bush House Museum had quite a collection of good portraits, considering its size and how it''s more like a house really than a public museum. Howard couldn''t help but admire a few of them despite the injuries and the task of searching for a monster hunter.

    The real exhibit was the furniture and restored arrangements of the house back that the Bush family owned back in the 19th century. It was a time capsule and was preserved to look as much as it did before.

    People also traveled around the gardens and other areas of the estate. But since it was raining, Howard didn''t really have time to smell the flowers, both literally and figuratively.

    Hopefully the rain would muffle his footsteps in this very quiet house. There was no one around, not even guards because of the news of the iing hurricane. They just closed it up and locked the doors since it''s umon for this small dainty area to experience robbers.

    But Howard knew some strings were being pulled in his favor.

    He turned to the mysterious man with webs for clothes and too many eyes. His spindly fingers never stopped moving. His whole body was long and thin, and his skin was dull gray. Neither ck or white, and it seemed that he could merge just fine with both shadows and lights.

    Since he was a child, Howard had only called him Mr. Spider. Sometimes Tarantman or some other snappy name whenever Howard finds him too annoying.

    "Why are you still here?" Howard scoffed.

    "You want me to go out in the rain?" Mr. Spider tilted his head to the side, his neck too crooked for what a human could do.

    "You can just scuttle off in some corner or behind walls or something." Howard said. "You might scare off the hunter."

    Mr. Spiderughed. "Oh, Howie. You shouldn''t worry about me. Stealth is within the very core of my being."

    He then tilted his head to the other side, as if listening into the walls. He closed his eyes. "Ah. This is her territory. I see."

    "Her? You mean Pele?" Howard asked.

    "No. This ce has not burned. You have not met the mistress of this domain yet, I''m afraid. She rather likes to keep to it herself. Moping around and grieving." Mr. Spider said.

    Howard frowned. "What''s her name?"

    "Some call her Muerte, but I prefer calling her Perdida. It fits her more. Death is ever-present. Right now, humans are dying as we speak, as billions of their cells die and new ones are born everyday. But she¡­. She''s the embodiment of loss, of being unable to ept that loss."

    Howard suddenly heard the sound of wailing upstairs. But it mixed with the rain somehow, to the point where you''re not sure if it was real or just the sound of the rain ying tricks. Still, he followed the sound¡­.

    And found nothing.

    Mr. Spider patted his shoulder. "You won''t find her unless she shows herself. But mostly, she preferred to manifest and be present without making her presence known. That is why people tend to not realize they are in grief until they havee to ept it. And you, my friend¡­"

    He smiled. "You still have not."

    "I have." Howard pushed his hand away. "I wouldn''t be here in the first ce if I had not gone over my depression."

    "Oh, but you have not. You just reced it with something else. After denial, there''s anger. You turned all of your energy from moping into ming the source of your loss, into being angry at the change of fate itself. That is why you can never escape from the past. Why you can never escape from h¡ª"

    Howard suddenly shushed him. "Do you hear that?"

    He paid attention past the raindrops and the pointless babble of this overgrown spider to listen to that sound downstairs again. It''s getting louder now. He then realized¡­.

    That it was thumping footsteps, and someone had entered the house.

    It was too loud to be from regr shoes. It sounded like metal, and it disappeared for a while, as if the person just took off those metal shoes.

    Mr. Spider grinned from being interrupted. It was meant to be this way.

    "My time is up. That''s enough exposition for today, a new character approaches." He said, and jabbed the spot where Howard had arge wound on his stomach. "Break a leg, Howie."

    Howard ignored these antics, and soon enough, Mr. Spider was gone. Not in an ''invisible but still watching way''. He didn''t have to watch to work behind the scenes. Once a weaver begins weaving, the patterns juste naturally.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Howard carefully peered from the top of the staircase to see the front door. Sure enough, there were shoes with metal heels.

    Spiked metal heels. They were three inches thick, and were coated in blood.

    Even the rain had not washed away the blood in them. The person''s wet footprints led to the kitchen and dining area of the Bush House. Howard looked around and found a firece poker. Brandishing it like a small spear, he went to approach the hunter cautiously.

    "Ugh. These ghosts are too fuckin'' loud today. Reckon'' they''re not fond of rain much. Wish I could punch ''em, but pah!" The person mumbled.

    It was a man. A big one built like a bear, with a thick Germanic ent. But his way of talking was almost emting either of the southerners¡­ Or at least badly. It''s rather exaggerated and out of ce.

    He had several scars on his body, since his shirt had cut off sleeves and the kilt-like thing he wore only reached above his knees, no pants. He was very hairy, and the hair all around his body was even dyed blue to further emphasize them. Howard had never seen dyed arm hair and chest hair before.

    The blue fe turned around, narrowing his eyes. "You don''t look like any ghost I''ve seen ''fore. Seen a lot of ''em covered in blood, but not so modern dressed as you ar''."

    "I''m not. I''m a hunter, like you." Howard said.

    Once hearing him speak, the man took a long curved knife. It was an actual saber, and he held it up in front of Howard faster than he can blink.

    "You don''t look like any hunter I know either. Leave or I''ll cut your legs off before you can even run."

    Howard chuckled, and lifted up his leg pants. The hunter drew the knife closer once he reached for it, but Howard just calmly rolled up his pants to reveal his prosthetic leg.

    "Don''t need to cut it off. Someone beat you to it many years ago, bud."

    The hunter looked at the leg, then back at Howard''s serious face, and then¡­.

    Heughed.

    Howard frowned, but therge hunter just kept onughing.

    "Hahahaha! I like ya! When''d you get that one done?" He asked, and then¡­

    He detached his arm that held the saber!

    "This one''s been done since I was 15. Bitten by arge bloodsucking bat, had to cut it off before the vampirism spreads." The hunter said. "Am actually d it''s not my legs. Won''t be able to experience the joy of the chase if they''re not on top condition."

    He patted Howard''s shoulder. "My name''s Gunnar. What''s yours, brother?"

    "Howard." He answered, lowering his weapon. "You believe I''m a human hunter now?"

    "Oh yeah. No monster would just chose to not grow them legs, or use some chunk of metal and stic to rece it." Gunnar said. "Though¡­."

    He then pointed at Howard''s neck.

    "You got bit, haven''t ye? I need to make sure you''re some regr full human. Come."

    He suddenly revealed a trap door under the carpet and opened it. "Well don''t just stand there! You ain''t getting noodly-leg over some darkness, ain''t ya?"

    "Where are we going?" Howard approached it skeptically.

    Gunnar just grinned.

    "Just think of it as a test. Both for you being full human¡­. and how well of a hunter you really are."

 Chapter 232 The Source Of All Evil

    ?

    Howard carefully followed after him in the dark. Gunnar did not turn on any lights, and just continued walking in blind. So Howard had no choice but to just listen to the sounds he made, or more so the feeling of his presence nearby.

    Even without sight, there was such a thing that people usually call ''sixth sense'', where one can just feel something that their other senses couldn''t.

    It''s almost the same as scopaesthesia, except you don''t feel that somebody''s watching you, you feel that they''re just there whether or not they pay attention to you.

    It''s not the same as hearing since he can barely make out Gunnar''s footsteps now that he was barefoot. He was actually pretty stealthy for a big guy with a striking appearance. It''s not smell either, because he doesn''t actually stink or emit any strong odors. Howard simply followed him without bumping into anything by pure intuition.

    This was the same way he determined the other presence in the basement. The underground area turned out to be much longer and deeper. It was almost like a tunnel down here, and was very, very dark.

    But Howard could still tell there was someone¡­. Or something, waiting for them just a few meters away.

    "Now, I don''t know if you''re part of some family or a rogue. But I won''t take no crap about how I store ''em, you hear? I don''t like fighting these things in cages or surrounded by UV lights like the Von Halsinges. I won''t put them at disadvantage when training with ''em, that''s just stupid! "

    Howard finally heard it. The growling sounds of several animals.

    He sensed that there may be half a dozen or so, but there could be more further down. He knew what they must be, even though he never really encountered them in person.

    But they just have a simr feeling to that bastard. They were of the same ilk, and so that must be why he liked them so much.

    "Now, I''m mostly sure you''re not a vampire, or a fledgeling. But if these bats don''t feel like feeding on you much, then you still have some vampirism in your system." Gunnar said. "Which sadly means¡­.."

    He raised his saber. "That I''d hafta chop your head off. It don''t matter if it''s a little bit, you''re better off dead than living with a venom that will have you marked forever by some bloodsucker. You get me, right?"

    Howard just nodded. "Yes."

    Seems like he would have to find a way to trick this man.

    It seemed easy enough since they were in the dark, but Gunnar was clearly a skilled fighter under these circumstances. How else would he be confident enough to go into the nesting grounds of vampire bats without any lights or even a torch?

    Howard heard a slicing sound as a bat approached him, and there was a squelching sound as he stepped on it to make sure it was dead.

    "That''s closer to my face than I would have liked. Seems like they''re still taking time to wake up, though. It''s still not sundown."

    Howard held the firece poker in his hand, thinking of an idea.

    He went in the direction of the nearest vampire bat he could sense. This one was hissing, but it didn''t fly towards him. It just seemed wary of what he would be doing.

    Howard then raised his weapon to stab the thing¡­..

    And swung around to have it go after Gunnar!

    The tip of the poker hit him somewhere, maybe in the arm of the shoulders. The big man groaned, and cursed.

    "What the hell was that, brother?" He eximed.

    Howard then pulled the poker out of the bat and stabbed it again. "It was going to attack you, and I missed. I''m sorry, I''m not used to fighting in the dark."

    Gunnar grumbled. "Aye, just be careful wi'' that. You must be one of those posh hunters with how you got those legs. Probably never tried a more difficult terrain than some city alleyways or abandoned buildings, eh?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Howard inly answered. "Yeah."

    He felt for the tip of his poker, and felt the warm blood of both Gunnar and the bat. He then smeared as much of it on his neck, just enough to cover the two moles there.

    He wasn''t sure if this would work, but it was better than nothing. Either way, these blood-sucking bats can smell the venom of the others on their potential victim, that''s why they don''t attack it anymore. It''s kind of the same when animals piss on spots to mark territory. None of them want to start trouble with whoever got the prey first¡­.

    And especially not if it was their masters who had it.

    But eventually, some of the bats flew in Howard''s direction. There were fewer than those going after Gunnar, but it seemed that the hunter''s blood managed to mask the scent of the venom in Howard''s system.

    Howard fought them off the same as usual, and they were actually easier to deal with than the likhos. Soon, they finished off all the bats within this certain area, and the rest seemed to have hidden and did not dare to attack.

    "They''re cowards, I tell ya. Only good when under the bidding of some full-fledged vampire, but in the wild, they prefer to hide in the dark till they get called out to have a meal. I throw some two or three full cows in here every week so they can survive."

    Howard caught his breath, wiping the blood he smeared on his neck. "Then you use them to train in their own ''habitat''?"

    "Yeah. Or just to pass time. They make babies pretty fast, and unlike regr bats, they have it from eggs." Gunnar chuckled. "I would have tried to steal an egg once and cooked it, but I dunno if I might get the infection from that. Won''t risk it, already lost an arm."

    They went back up the trapdoor, and closed it as if nothing happened. Gunnar told him that he does pay the guards here to get the ce to himself.

    Still, he told Howard to wash up in the bathroom and help him clean up all the blood and dirt. After the hurricane, the museum might open again soon. It''s much better for him to clean them all so they won''t leave much stains. He was surprisingly meticulous too, though Howard never really put any expectations towards him beyond that he was a hunter.

    So that meant that he couldn''t underestimate him. He had him fooled for now, but he can''t be so sure next time.

    He was given fresh clothes that were honestly much bigger than him, but Howard found ways to make it work. He was creative enough anyway with just a little sewing, and the hunter didn''t seem to mind having changes in his clothes.

    In fact, he evenplimented Howard in his ingenuity.

    Gunnar was now cooking some food, some kind of hotpot from whatever he had found in the pantry for today. He asked Howard as he got out of the bath:

    "Where''d youe from anyway, brother? You''ve passed the test, so I think it''s time you make a proper introduction."

    Howard sat down on one of the chairs, made of very sturdy oak wood and had velvet cushions. "I''m a rogue. I''m all on my own, and I just got into monster hunting recently. I didn''t actuallye from a hunter family. I lost my wife just a few years after I lost my legs. That''s how it started."

    "Oh." Gunnar''s smile faltered a little. "Sorry to hear that, brother."

    "It''s fine. I''m after the one that hurted her." Howard said.

    Gunnar nodded. "That''s amon thing for us rogue hunters. I started because I wanted to kill the bats who caused me to lose my arm¡­. and their master. The Von Halsinges was kind enough to give me a new arm and the knowledge to do it myself, but I''m used to flying solo."

    "These Von Halsinges¡­. Do you think they know where he is too?"

    "Who?" Gunnar asked while stirring the pot.

    "The source of all evil. The bats, their masters... The one who is called The Night."

 Chapter 233 Wear Your Heart Up Your Sleeves

    ?

    Harker and Joan went to the antique shop by Columbus Park after taking the kids to school. Joan had requested for a leave in both Stoker Academy and the asylum, and Harker was not enrolled yet or involved in anything else so they were good to go.

    Since there were children around and the walls weren''t that thick, Joan and Harker could only go as far as kissing and cuddling together as they slept. Harker did promise to make it up to her though.

    Joan just shrugged. "It''s fine. I''ll just treat this trip to the antique shop as our date."

    "You want to go on a date to a possibly haunted antiques shop?" Harker chuckled.

    "Why not? I''d been on worse dates. And who knows, I might like one of the things there and buy it." Joan said.

    Harker knew she was joking, but he had a bad feeling the moment they got to the antique shops'' front steps. It turned out to be owned by some Japanese owners, since the name was ''Kokoro to Shinzou'', and they were written with a heart around them.

    "Maybe they''re a couple? Quite a lot of the unpopr businesses around here are by old couples. Maybe they''re just selling their stuff after retirement." Joan asked.

    Harker shrugged. "We can''t be sure. Let''s not get it twisted."

    And he was right. Soon as they went in, they learned the owners were actually identical twin men, and though they were indeed old, they seemed to be in better condition than most at the age of 70 to 80.

    Or at least, their skin was so smooth and perfect.

    "Hello! Wee, wee!" One of them spoke in quite an adorably enthusiastic tone.

    "Yokoso, minasama!" The other greeted them in Japanese.

    "Hi." Joan waved awkwardly at the two smiling grandpas. "Uh¡­. We''re here to just check out some things. Which one of you is Kokoro and which is Shinzou?"

    The two looked at each other, andughed. Their hairs were gray and thinning, but they have such high energies in their bodies. They both wore white button up shirts and navy blue overalls with a ck bowtie. The only way to tell them apart was that one had slightly long hair tied up in a bun, and the other had a cropped cut.

    The one with the cropped cut said. "I am Shinzou, if you like."

    "And I will be Kokoro." The other added.

    Harker could tell those weren''t really their names, and they seemed to be enjoying teasing Joan so much. They took something from their disy and handed it to her. It was a rag doll with white hair tied in a bun, fair skin, and cute tiny sses.

    "This one fits you well." Kokoro said.

    Joan looked at the doll and clenched her fist. This doll looked too much like her sister.

    "N-No, thank you. We''re actually here for¡­ Him." She pointed at Harker. "He might be interested in something, though."

    Shinzou tilted his head to the side. "Ah, then follow me."

    They were led to one of the farthest shelves on the back, which ended up with those disyed on the walls or in ss cases. He pointed to the one in the ss case.

    It had a long samurai sword with a gold tassel. The de had some red stains in it.

    "This one fits you well." He said. "This is owned by a samurai whomitted seppuku after being betrayed by his friend. You know what seppuku is, right? It is when the samurai cut his own belly, slicing himself up until he spills all his insides¡ª "

    Harker gritted his teeth. "Yes, I know what seppuku is. Thanks for the offer, but I have no use for a sword with that kind of history right now."

    Harker was now 99% sure that these twin grandpas were not humans and that their wares were most likely cursed.

    He turned to them, and pointed at the window. "I noticed that before entering. Was that recent? It hasn''t been reced yet."

    At these, the smiling old men finally stopped smiling, their mouths turning into a straight line at the exact same time. They sighed at the same time as well.

    "Kids these days." Kokoro exined.

    "They like to y tricks." Shinzou added.

    "But we pay them no mind." <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "None of the items were damaged anyway."

    "Best we change that ss window, though."

    "We''ll take care of it soon."

    They spoke in rapid session. Harker couldn''t help but feel even more unnerved, but¡­..

    This felt different. This ce, somehow¡­.. It didn''t feel the same as the thing with the shadows near the Circus Cabaret. They were simr, but there was something here that he can''t ce¡­.

    "Do you know about the murders near the Circus Cabaret?" Harker went to ask them directly.

    He was willing to aggravate them so they''d show their true colors. He wanted to get rid of all these mystery bullshits and just fight if he had to, monster to monster.

    Kokoro tilted his head. "Murders?"

    "We barely leave the shop, so we don''t know." Shinzou did the same, tilting it in the opposite direction.

    "Can''t read English newspapers much."

    "Can barely speak English at all."

    Harker really didn''t like their synchronized thing. It''s making his head hurt.

    "Fine. We''ll just go looking around for now."

    He grabbed Joan by the shoulder, and walked briskly farther away from the two. They just stood there, wearing simr smiles with exactly the same face.

    "Of course. We hope you find something that fits you!"

    "Just go over to the counter once you make a purchase!"

    Harler scoffed at this, and once they were far enough, he turned to Joan.

    "It''s not them. At least, I don''t think so. But they were certainly not some innocent humans either, they''re almost like the shadows. They''re from the same cloth, but still different cloths."

    Joan furrowed her brows. "So¡­. We went there and put ourselves in a monster twins'' shop for nothing?"

    Harker shook his head. "Maybe not for nothing. At least we know that they tend to be restrained in one ce. Back in the Circus Cabaret, Ivan mentioned something about not crossing territories with the police. So whatever killed Dahlia, it should stay there."

    Joan rubbed her chin. "The kid mentioned something about the me protecting him. Maybe you can use that against them too. I mean, the police set up lights there. The lights must be a significant weakness to them."

    Harker nodded. It would make sense if they were creatures that liked to conceal themselves after all.

    But before they could decide to leave the shop, something caught his eye.

    It was arge female puppet. It had dark hair, dark skin, and dark eyes¡­. And she tends to wear very clean and pristine formal clothes.

    There were strings attached to her into this oversized puppet controller. There was a look of terror on her face.

    Then¡­..

    He turned and saw another one that looked like Dahlia. And another of an old gentleman, a beautiful woman, and a scrawny thin man. All of them seemed to have their chest open, empty and without a heart....

    Except for the first one, the woman with dark eyes. Her heart was still intact, but she looked terrified.

    At this, he narrowed his eyes and grabbed the one with dark eyes.

    "Artea Holmwood¡­."

 Chapter 234 Lest The Opposition Steals It From You

    ?

    Suddenly, the puppet that looked like Artea was taken from Harker''s hands.

    "This isn''t for sale." Kokoro said, scowling.

    "This ismissioned work. It''s not finished yet." Shinzou added.

    "Go look for something else."

    "There are a lot of good things here that fit you more."

    Harker shook his head. "What if I want to buy that thing? I''ll pay more than the one whomissioned it."

    But the strange old men just shook their heads.

    "Not for sale."

    "Find something else."

    Harker clenched his fist. Joan was confused, and asked. "Who is Artea Holmwood?"

    Harker then noticed a marking on the puppet Artea''s arm. It was an engraving of a familiar smiling marite woman wearing the top hat of a circus ring mistress.

    "Nobody." Harker said with a growl. "Let''s go. I think I''ve seen enough. We''lle back, though."

    He stomped off, and the old men just waved as they left.

    "Thank you for stopping by!"

    "We''d love to see you soon!"

    They went out into the park and Joan decided that this must be far enough for Harker to answer her questions. She pulled her hand back.

    "That doll looked like someone you knew, right? Artea Holmwood? Who is that¡ª"

    "I didn''t tell you because I thought it was unimportant to the Garcia case. But seeing now¡­.. I guess I was wrong." Harker sighed, slumping to the bench. "Artea Holmwood is Rnd''s supposed new fiancee to rece Ang."

    "Oh." Joan sat beside him. "She looks¡­.. pretty, I guess. Her puppet version at least."

    "Maybe." Harker said.

    "Maybe?"

    "For certain people, I guess."

    Joan couldn''t stop herself from snorting at this. "You hate her, don''t you?"

    "Hate is too strong of a word. I barely even know her. I just don''t like her." Harker said. "There''s something about her that I don''t like."

    Joan raised an eyebrow. "Which is¡­?"

    Harker shook his head. "Look, the important thing was that Artea was with us in investigating the Circus Cabaret and the crime scene too. She helped a bit with interpreting what the Lovers'' card might possibly mean, but that''s about it. I thought she''s just a nosy girl trying to cling on to Rnd as much as possible."

    He looked down. "But I was wrong. You''ve seen the other puppets, right? One of them looked like Dahlia. The old man could be thiswyer that was the past victim of the shadow skinner thing, and so was the pretty woman and the scrawny guy. There were more but I wasn''t able to see them better."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Joan nodded. "Yeah... I barely even noticed them if you hadn''t pointed them out. They''re not even hidden in some corner, they''re just¡­ there. And yet I didn''t see them."

    Harker stood up. "Even if I don''t like Artea, I should warn her and Rnd. This justplicates things. I should convince Rnd to make sure she doesn''t get involved as much as possible."

    Joan stood up too. "Alright then. Should I join you? I mean¡­ I don''t really have ns for today and our antique shop date was actually worse than I thought."

    Harker thought about it, a little reluctant. "Look¡­ We''re still in the dark about this whole situation. There''s too many risks and¡­ Unless I know more on what we''re really facing, I don''t really want to put any of you in danger."

    Joan scoffed. "Harker, I killed Wendigos with you in the Appchians. I''m less easy to kill than most ''humans'' on this. I''ll be fine."

    Without even waiting for his response, his girlfriend already went to a phone booth. "Come on, we''ll call Rnd and take a cab to Holmwood Uni!"

    Harker could only sigh. Unlike Mina who he could still coax despite how stubborn she was, Joan just simply does as she pleases and always gets her way.

    He called Rnd, gave him a heads-up that Joan would be joining in, and added:

    "Also¡­.. I found something about Artea. She might be in danger. Does she go outte at night near the ce of the killings?"

    Rnd sounded a bit confused. "Hm? No, she doesn''t even live near the area that passes by there. Why?"

    "I''ll exinter."

    Once he got into Holmwood Academy, he exined as they walked on the school grounds.

    It was just like any other posh private university that Harker had been to. It was actually less impressive than Stoker. The gardens were nice, and there were some cool statues and exhibits like this robotic version of the founder waving at everyone that passed through the building dedicated to him.

    There was also an open spacearium, where projectors shed some pictures of space and a 3D moving model of the 9s circling the sun moved around their orbits.

    Rnd listened carefully as Harker and Joan recounted their encounter in Kokoro to Shinzou antique shop. He rubbed his chin.

    "Kokoro to Shinzou. It means ''mind and heart''. Well, kokoro is actually a bitplicated to exin, and could also mean ''heart'' but in a more metaphorical sense. It''s our emotions, our core spirit¡­.. While shinzou is the organ that pumps blood throughout our body."

    "So they''re actually the Brother Hearts." Joan thought. "But do you think that they''re involved in the case too?"

    "I do. But more indirectly, I believe. They''re neither our allies or enemies¡­. for now. But from what Harker said, that puppet they weremissioned to make meant Artea harm. I will warn her and keep a closer eye on her." Rnd said. "And I won''t be taking her with us when investigating anymore."

    "That''s for the best." Harker said. "Did you get more information about the police chief and his kid?"

    "I n to. I saw Galeas Fieldings earlier." Rnd said. "We can interrogate him like we did with Zaina. Their libraries have booths, we can do it there."

    He exined. "From what I gathered about this NY Aeronautics internship, thepetition was really strong. But Felix was in a very good position before the murder, due to his academic achievements and grades beforehand. Framing him for murder might be too far, but maybe Galeas holds a grudge more personal than that, A vendetta."

    Harker nodded. As they went inside the school library building¡­..

    He then noticed the posters that had been all around the school. He realized that it was for the uing Student Council elections, and there were actually a few people making their campaigns.

    He saw Artea''s familiar face as she was running for president, then the face of the man who was running for opposition.

    His eyes widened, almost bugging out of their sockets.

    "Kian Shaw!?"

 Chapter 235 Seeing Someone Else

    ?

    Just in time, Rnd spotted someone and pulled on Harker''s sleeves.

    "That''s him! Let''s go!"

    Harker was still dazed by what he was seeing. It looked so surreal, like looking at a very badly edited photo in a magazine. Only that the photo showed his co-worker, who always had a bad case of e and terribly matted hair.

    But here he was, in that posh suit, smiling and posing like a fucking Hollywood star!

    He even looked so much better. His skin was spotless and smooth, his hair was also luscious and styled, and his smile didn''t look like he was wincing anymore. Kian ALWAYS smiled like the act of smiling itself was pulling teeth.

    "You''re seeing what I''m seeing, right? Holy shit¡­." He mumbled. "What happened to Kian Shaw!?"

    Rnd just frowned and turned to him. "What do you mean?"

    Harker blinked. "Huh? What do you mean what do I mean!? This is Kian Shaw, the one working in Bill''s and Bob''s Burgers! And now you''re telling me he''s running for Student Council president!? Don''t you see how insane that is!?"

    Rnd just shrugged. "I don''t see what''s wrong. He''s working part-time while also doing well in his academics, aren''t you also the same?"

    Harker could not believe what he just said. "But it''s Kian¡ª"

    "Look, I just saw Galeas Fieldings, and we need to get to him now. That''s what matters, Hark."

    Rnd just kept on walking to the direction where he saw the police chief''s son. Harker had no choice but to follow, but still made a double take on the posters to make sure he didn''t just hallucinate the whole thing.

    Harker was sure something was wrong. There''s no way Rnd would just shake off the fact that Kian fucking Shaw was not only studying here in Holmwood, but also look like an entirely different person.

    Joan could notice his unease. She walked by his side.

    "You knew this Kian very well, and you''re saying that it''s not in his character to do something like this, right?" Joan whispered.

    Harker hissed back: "Absolutely! And I also thought he''s taking some nerdyputer programming courses in amunity college! What is he doing in Holmwood, running against Artea Holmwood?"

    They passed by several people wearing the opposition''s colors. They were magenta pink while Artea''s party was cyan blue. One of the campaigners smiled and gave him a pin with Kian''s face in it.

    "Vote for Kian Shaw! He may be a freshman, but he''s the one who will put an end to the tyrannical rule of Artea Holmwood!"

    Harker looked closely at the picture again. "I''m sure this isn''t him. I mean, it looks a little like him¡­. But there''s something off. I''ve got to go check his employee-of-the-month poster in BBB, and I''m sure Boss Bob and Boss Bill will back me up on this."

    They finally were led to therge school library. Though Holmwood wasn''t as impressive as Stoker, it had a much bigger and more luxurious library. There was a space filled withputers, two librarian desks on opposite sides because it''s too much to handle by just one, and those separate reading rooms that Rnd mentioned.

    There were also shelves disying different geodes and other artifacts. The most interesting section would be the collection of Extraterrestrial Matter. There were several small pieces of asteroids, meteors, and cosmic dust.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    One of them was empty, though. Only thebel ''Found by A. Holwood, 1934'' was there.

    Harker remembered that Felix was supposed to have broken one of those geodes, and this must be it. But Zaina didn''t mention that it was from space, or that it was by a Holmwood.

    Harker wondered which Holmwood could have found it. Could it be Artea''s step-grandad who adopted her?

    Rnd clocked Galeas Fieldings perusing the Astronomy section of the library. He took arge book which seemed to be a book on the history of spacecraft and explorations. He then went off to the librarian to get a key card for the small secluded study rooms, and went inside one of them.

    "Stop him from closing the door, Hark!" Rnd whispered.

    Harker used his Subus Skill to stop Galeas from taking another step. The boy looked confused, and became even more confused once he turned around out of his own will.

    Harker took the book from him with a smile. "Hello, sir. We just want to talk to you about something in private, would that be okay?"

    This guy reminded him too much of what Kian used to be. The bad e, the slumped posture, the nervous nce where he just can''t look people in the eye. He was more like Kian than the one in the posters.

    And that just worsened the dread in Harker''s heart.

    He may not be close to Kian, but they still got along. They spent time making jokes with each other during their shift, and Harker would listen as Kian prattle on about his newest video game obsessions or those animations from Japan. Harker never had many friends in his life, so the thought of losing one¡­.

    It made his stomach turn. He wasn''t even aware that it happened.

    "H-How can I help you, sir?" Galeas gulped. "T-This is a public area and¡­. uh¡­ if you''re nning something, my father is actually chief of police¡­."

    Harker sighed. Right, everyone thinks he''s a delinquent or something just because of his looks. It probably got even worse now that he got fitter and more muscr from being a Demon lord.

    "We just want to ask you¡­.. About this. Some science questions. We heard you''re pretty smart in this area, and we thought we could ask you for help."

    Harker knew that''s the key for these guys to look him in the eye. Mention their interest, and they will put all their attention to you.

    He finally managed to get Galeas to stop nervously ncing about. The boy now looked at him with such innocent enthusiasm that it hurt even more for Harker. Seeing his friend who he may have lost in him.

    "Oh! You''re interested in Astronomy too! I can help¡ª"

    He suddenly felt sleepy, but before Galeas closed his eyes, he thought that this stranger''s eyes had turned into something reptilian. It frightened him to his very core, and his stomach twisted before he had sunk into deep sleep.

    Harker made him walk inside the study room, and gestured to hispanions. Rnd and Joan went first, and Harker closed the door with a sigh.

    "Let''s get this over with."

 Chapter 236 Through The Looking Glass

    Harker sat down in front of Galeas, and soon the hypnosis interrogation began.

    "You were vying for the same internship position as Felix Garcia, right? Can you tell me more about your thoughts about him? As yourpetitor?"

    Despite his face being still and remaining unblinking, Galeas still responded with emotions in his tone just as he would if he was responding to the question while awake. Except they''re sure he''ll be 100% truthful.

    "I don''t have much to say about Felix Garcia. I was surprised he murdered someone, because I honestly thought he''d be one of my weaker opponents. I''m antisocial, but so was he, and he seemed much worse. When pushes to shove, I can make an impression of my father and act just as confident and intimidating as him."

    Galeas even chuckled. "I even almost managed to scare Felix once. I said that because of his record of destroying the school''s property, Mr. Holmwood, the Headmaster, might not support him in his application. And referral is pretty important in these things. Connections are everything, really."

    Joan blinked. "Now that''s scary. He''s much more pragmatic than he looks, right?"

    Rnd frowned. "More like maniptive. But he''s right. Ask him if he ever tried to sabotage Felix in some way besides scaring him."

    Harker asked his question, and Galeas merely responded:

    "No. What I did was barely sabotage and only a word of advice. I will get that internship. I had always wanted to get out of this ce and get to see what''s out there. In that vast universe, waiting for me."

    He added. "I know that to be an astronaut, I need to physically train myself. But it was my father himself that insisted that I study first, and be part of their technical team. Then, my father will train me himself to get past the physical test."

    Harker was now sure that this ''vendetta'' that Ivan mentioned had nothing to do with the Galeas. But there was another thing that bothered him.

    "Your father¡­. What does he think of Felix? Before and after he got arrested? "

    At this, it took a while to get an answer from Galeas like he was considering it.

    He then said: "I''m actually not sure. My father doesn''t know him besides the fact that we''re going after the same internship. But there''s something in his eyes when I mention Felix Garcia¡­. I can''t describe it. I always found my father hard to understand sometimes."

    "Could it be hatred?" Rnd asked.

    Harker repeated this question, and Galeas shrugged. "I couldn''t tell."

    The three of them looked at each other for a while. Could it be the police chief himself who had something personal against Felix?

    It would make a lot of sense. He had a deal with the Circus Cabaret, and he seemed to be aware of what happens in that ce. Harker remembered what Samson said about how he seemed shady, and that he distrusted him.

    But why? What would push the chief of police to frame an innocent boy for murder.

    "Do you know if your father had any grudges? Or if he had mentioned something about the Circus Cabaret and the murders?"

    Galeas responded. "My father and I are close, but he''s not much of a talker. His work is just simply a topic that we don''t discuss, it''s an unspoken rule. All he spoke about were the basics. How they found Felix with the murder weapon, with blood samples of Dahlia all over him, and that he skinned her face at 3:33 a.m before running away to the dumpsters and falling asleep."

    Rnd frowned. "3:33? But the records said it was 11:57."

    "That''s when he stabbed her, yes. Or more urately, when he wasst seen by CCTV grabbing her with a knife in hand." Galeas corrected him. "But my father said that the skinning began at that time, and it only took him 3 minutes to take it all off."

    Joan furrowed her brows. "If thest time they were seen by the CCTV was at 11:57, how did your father know the exact time he skinned her? Was there a witness who saw it?"

    Galeas shrugged again. "I''m not sure. That''s just what my father said."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Rnd shook his head. "No¡­ There weren''t any witnesses who came forward and saw Felix murder Dahlia. They saw him passed out on the dumpsters when it was already morning. And Harker and I went to the crime scene ourselves, it''s too dark there to see anything and very few people go there at night."

    His face looked determined. "Chief Fieldings most likely saw the skinning himself. The question is¡­. Why would he be watching that, and not do anything?"

    And so, this solidified Chief Lance Fieldings as they''re primary suspect.

    The mystery of these skinwalkers was just getting more and moreplicated. There were so many leads to follow, so many paths to take, and Harker wasn''t sure where they lead.

    He could only continue walking blindly and hope that it will lead him to the end he wanted.

    "That''s all for now, right? We''ll just have to question Mr. Fieldings next." Harker thought.

    Rnd nodded. "Yeah¡­. It''s a good thing that your skills are still here even after 3 months have passed. Without them, we''d probably have a harder time proving Felix''s innocence."

    "That''s because they got duplicated when I ate Le¡ª"

    He stopped himself. Reminding Rnd of the past might just remind him of the things he wanted to forget.

    "Anyway, that''s it. I''ll pretend to talk to Galeas about Astronomy, you guys can go ahead and wait for me outside." Harker said.

    Rnd and Joan nodded. They went outside the door, and Joan suddenly pulled Rnd to the side.

    "Are you alright?" Joan suddenly asked.

    Rnd blinked. "Huh? Of course I would be, Ms. Seward. Why would you be asking¡ª"

    "I''m no psychiatrist, but I am a psychopharmacist. Harker had mentioned some¡­. concerns about your behavior. He had also said you''d been taking drugs that you had when you were back in high school. Since you''re his friend, I want to help in any way I can. " She said genuinely.

    Rnd pulled his hand away, and chuckled lightly. "There''s no need, Ms. Seward. Yes, I had a history of anxiety and paranoia when I was young. But it''s not that bad now, I have grown to handle it."

    "Your troubles a child and your troubles now are not the same, Mr. Faust. You will need new prescriptions, new solutions to your mental instability. I advise you to at least take another diagnostic test¡ª"

    Rnd rejected her firmly this time.

    "I am fine. And drugs can''t really help me and my problems. The only way it can be solved is if I forget everything entirely. Forget the pains that had been with me since I was born."

    He walked out of that ce, and passed by a hallway full of mirrors as some sort of instation by the art students in this university.

    And there he was again. That dark figure who was always following him. Nothing but a figment of his imagination.

    He ignored it. "Not today, Mr. Shadow."

    But this time, Mr. Shadow spoke through the looking ss.

    "When will it be then, Roly-poly? When will you ept me?"

 Chapter 237 Fragile Strings

    ?

    Earlier that day, when Harker and Joan were still in the Kokoro to Shinzou antique shop, Rnd had to take care of some matters for proceedings of Felix''s re-trial. They''re running out of time.

    Soon, there would be an examination of evidence, and they need to gain that evidence and witnesses to prove his innocence. Not only that, but they needed witnesses and testimonies to prove it.

    Once Harker was done with Galeas, Rnd informed him and Joan about this. They would also have to serve as a witness in case they truly uncovered something big.

    "I''m fine with that." Harker said. "I''d probably be your best bet to stop any foul y. How about you, Joan?"

    Joan shrugged. "Never really liked court trials and never been to a proper one before¡­ Not under the US Constitution, that is. But as long as you help me with the prep work, I''m all good."

    Rnd sighed. "That''s all well and good¡­ But you guys do know that even if you promise to give the truth and nothing but the truth, we''ll have to cover up the more supernatural elements of this case, right?"

    "Yeah. It''s a shame, but it''s hard to convince a jury that stic mannequins or disembodied shadows killed Dahlia Nieves." Harker said.

    "I''ll take care of that. I''m sure I cane up with a clean narrative while still sticking to most of the facts." Rnd said. "There''s one more thing I''d like to tell you before we part ways. I''m going to have to be busy for some days, especially once the proceedings begin. So while I''m away¡ª"

    "We''ll investigate for you." Harker made a thumbs up. "No need to tell us twice. We have plenty of leads to follow, and a very strong prime suspect."

    Rnd was relieved that he had some help since this was truly overwhelming work. "My people would also be working on their side of things. I already made a call for them to dig into Chief Fieldings now. His past, anything rting to Felix Garcia... and to the Circus Cabaret."

    Joan then raised her hand. "Can I also follow a lead of my own? This is more of finding a way to stop the killings... I think you need someone to be on that too."

    Rnd agreed. "Of course. I assume you''ll be working on that incident with the boy with a lighter and the antiques shop, then?"

    "Yes." Joan said. "I don''t think solving the mystery of who framed Felix is enough. I want to find more about this woman that he mentioned."

    Harker rubbed his chin. "Then I guess it''s better if we split up. Divide and conquer. Joan will take care of things on her side, she still has work after all. I''ll take the lead against Fieldings, and get a confession out of him on tape. Assuming he really was the one who framed Felix. I sure hope so, or it''s back to square one and I don''t like running in circles."

    "Also¡­."

    He took out the pin. "I can''t just ignore this. Kian may be a victim of them already. I still don''t get why sometimes these shadow skinwalkers would frame someone. They could just steal their identity without anyone knowing, what''s the point?"

    Rnd rubbed his chin. "I''ll allow you to, but if you visit the university too often, it would be too suspicious. You''d need to have a reason for your visits."

    Suddenly, an idea struck Harker.

    "Right... I almost forgot."

    Harker frowned. "Forgot what?"

    "The vice president candidate for Artea''s party actually took a sick leave. I can tell her that you could stand in for him, using make-up and prosthetics to look like him."

    Harker''s eyes widened. "You want me to pretend to be a politician?"

    "It''s just for the Student Council, Hark."

    "Which is still a politician, given how everyone that joins them takes Political Science. And would Artea really believe that make-up and prosthetics can make me look exactly like him?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Rnd shrugged. "It''s the best way to keep investigating in Holmwood about Kian, since you''re so sure he was reced by the shadows. And I also want you to check on Galeas once in a while, to see if his father said anything. On weekends, you can go check on the police chief and the Circus Cabaret, and I''d help either you or Joan when I''m avable."

    So it was settled. Divide and conquer was the n, and Rnd had divided their tasks neatly.

    Harker didn''t know when he started to dislike being bossed around by Rnd. His n was reasonable, and he doesn''t really have any qualms with it besides having to spend time with Artea as some Student Council vice president candidate.

    But he just has this petty feeling of not wanting to be controlled.

    Since when had he thought Rnd was controlling?

    Rnd did nothing but help him all these years. Everything he does result into something good, and he''s the reason why Harker fucked things up less than he would. He was being unreasonable, and yet he can''t shake it off.

    Harker wandered into the streets passing by houses and stores that were starting to put up their Halloween decor.

    There was a delivery man sending off disys of spiderwebs to a candy store owner. They were gossamer thin and almost looked likes that would trap something in, like a bug or a fly.

    Harker felt that he was also a bug and fly stuck in an intricate web full of connections that only the spider could make sense of. Fate often felt like that, and we were all just stuck in it, not knowing where in the web we lie.

    Yet in the end, the spider wille to devour us anyway. There''s no escape.

    His mind was overloaded by all the information he had to process from this whole case. Maybe he should just take a nap.

    When he did go home, he jotted down all the details so far. There were so many that he almost feltpelled to make a board with red strings like in those detective movies.

    Felix''s case got soplicated that he almost forgot about his dad, and his disappearances. Almost.

    But Rnd did manage that thing about receiving a response from Yakov Perelman. For Harker soon heard a knock¡­.

    And the same delivery man from earlier came to his doorsteps.

    "Hello, sir. Delivery for an H. Jones? Coming from the Noch Foundation in Los Angeles, California."

    Harker knew that was the name of that establishment where Yakov received his mail. He looked at the box, and it was just big enough for his arms to wrap around.

    "Thank you." Harker signed the papers.

    The delivery man''s thin and spindly fingers took the papers and pen from him with a smile. "You''re wee, sir. Careful with your package. I was told it''s fragile."

    Harker wondered what fragile thing must Yakov Perelman send him. He went to set it down gently and open it¡­.

    "What the¡­.."

    Why would the old man send him this!? All he did was ask about his Dad!

 Chapter 238 Tying Up History In Red

    ?

    Harker looked at the thing inside the box again, just to make sure. It was an urn. One designed with repeating patterns of tiki-like figures with fire on their heads. The small painted tiki totems had their mouths wide open as if screaming in pain.

    In the middle of the urn was a name painted in that same vermillion red.

    ''Howard Jones''.

    Harker thought this must be some kind of sick joke. Yes, he hasn''t heard about his father in so long. But he came back from that visit in LA, and he also went on a trip to Oregon. He had heard his voice in the calls just three days ago.

    So what''s inside couldn''t be his father''s ashes¡­. could it?

    He opened it to check. There were ashes, but they were very few. It barely reached half of the urn itself.

    Harker then remembered that his dad''s legs were amputated because of a construction incident. Or at least, they said it was ''work-rted''. Harker never knew the exact details since his parents won''t tell him, but¡­.

    His mother did say that site that Howard worked on hadbusted into mes not long after he got into that ident.

    Harker realized that there was also a piece of paper hidden among the ashes. He gingerly reached out and read it:

    [This is your father''s. He did not take it before, but I''m returning it to him now. The way he was headed, it''s likely that the rest of his body would find itself inside this urn soon. Or at least, that is what Pele believes. I don''t know where he is, but you can ask her.]

    "Pele?" Harker furrowed his brows.

    The way he phrased it made it clear that the ashes in this urn were from Howard''s legs. So did he lose it from a fire? Or did this Pele just collect it like some creep, burned it, then ced it in an urn?

    Who is this Pele anyway?

    Harker had to search for some person again, and he doesn''t even know thest name. But with all the references to burnings, Harker can''t help but be reminded about that client that keeps asking for wooden works depicting fire.

    He spent that night looking into his father''s things for any way to find that client''s name and address. It seemed that ever since his father started hunting all around America for who knows what, he had abandoned his woodworking gig as well. All his materials were in disarray and left collecting dust.

    But Harker couldn''t find any contact list. He tried searching Howard''s room too, but there was still nothing.

    When the children got home, he got them some Chinese take-out so he could keep looking. They watched TV as they ate some noodles. Still, Samuel couldn''t help but be curious on what his brother was up to.

    "Should we really allow Harker to ransack Dad''s room?" He asked the two.

    "Let him. Dad''s always gone anyway, he''ll probably leave again before he can notice." Chloe said, pressing the remote to switch channels.

    Samson just wolfed down his food. "I''ve always wanted to look into Dad''s things too."

    Samuel sighed. Neither of them seemed to care, and so he took it upon himself to go upstairs and ask Harker what he was looking for.

    His brother seemed very focused on his task, and he had to repeat himself twice for Harker to hear him.

    "Oh¡­. I was looking for Dad''s contacts list. I need to know who''s the buyer of this certain piece."

    Samuel rubbed his chin. "Which piece?"

    Harker showed him the unfinished wooden carving of what seemed to be a burning tree.

    "This one. I asked Chloe for help, but she also couldn''t find it. And I don''t know of anything that this person might own, so¡­."

    So he couldn''t use his sister''s irvoyance. If he knew what this ''Pele'' could be wearing, or what she looked like, he could have had Chloe search for her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Samuel took the painting. "Hmm¡­.. Dad seems to not like working on this particr art piece very much."

    Harker stopped opening and closing drawers, and turned to his brother.

    "Really? How can you tell?"

    "I don''t know. It just felt like he didn''t like working for the client. Because she would end up burning it anyway. She just enjoys burning things."

    Something struck Harker like a quick sh of lightning.

    If Chloe had something special going on about her¡­. What are the odds that it''s the same with the twins?

    Sometimes, Samson would talk to Samuel even though he wasn''t there. And sometimes, Samuel would touch things and wear a weird expression on his face. There was one time where he touched a stray puppy, and suddenly knew that it was owned by someone from the Greek neighborhood nearby.

    And he was right, the dog was owned by a Greek woman. He could just know things by touching them.

    "Can you tell where the woman is?" Harker asked.

    Samuel shook his head. "No. I can only tell what Dad''s thoughts were while creating it. He mumbled something about his client tormenting the South East Asians¡­? I don''t get it. He just said ''First volcanoes in the Caribbean, now forests in Indonesia. I''m tired of making memorabilia for her destructive dalliances.'' "

    Harker did remember this womanmissioning a carving of a volcanic eruption before. And he did remember a Caribbean Ind experiencing a devastating eruption in 1995.

    But besides that, he understood how his brother''s skills work now.

    Samuel can see the past of what he touches. That was why he could tell what their Dad was thinking or mumbling about as he worked on the piece.

    He put his hand on Samuel''s shoulder.

    "I''m going to show you something weird, but don''t panic, ok? It''s not Dad''s. I mean, it''s Dad''s legs, but he''s still alive."

    He handed the confused boy the urn, and looked at him expectantly. "Can you tell me what you see? Was this urn owned by a woman with fiery hair?"

    Samuel focused on the urn. "Yeah¡­. Yeah, I think so."

    "Good, good." Harker kneeled by his side now, his eyes burning with this passion for the truth. "Do you know where she lives?"

    "I¡­. No. But I can see her speaking to someone. She bought the urn from this man." Samuel tried his best to focus on what he was seeing from touching things.

    "He''s¡­. He looks old. Probably in his 70s. He has a tall nose, gray hair, a suit¡­.. I think¡­. I think he''s a teacher. I can see them talking in some kind of principal''s office. Talking about how this urn was made from y that was mixed with the remains of a meteorite that burned on its way here¡ª"

    "He''s not a principal. It''s Headmaster Holmwood." Harker said.

    "Headmaster who?" Samuel raised an eyebrow.

    But Harker was now sure. Not only was his father long connected with the supernatural¡­. So too was the Holmwood family.

    Or at least, Headmaster Holmwood was. There was more to this old man, and he needed to find out what it was. What ties him into all this.

    The question was: Does Artea know about this? Or was she just as in the dark as he was towards the history that adults hid from them?

 Chapter 239 Batshit Crazy

    ?

    Instead of answering, Gunnar struck a deal with him.

    "How ''bout this? I''ll tell you where the Von Halsinges are and ya can ask them that yerself. Well, the location of one of them, at least."

    Howard knew this meant Gunnar did not know the Von Halsinge family well despite having his arm made by them. He''s a rogue hunter after all, so it''s to be expected.

    But he can''t help but be annoyed at the Likho hag for essentially putting him in danger just to be in another wild goose chase. She made it seem like the hunter that lived in the Bush House Museum would be the one to finally lead him to that bastard.

    Still, Howard was used to chasing down lead after lead. He''ll just continue following the breadcrumbs as best as he can.

    "Alright then. Where are they?" He asked.

    The jolly hunter chuckled. "You''d have to do me a favor first before I give you one. I mean, I already gave you a favor for letting you stay in my ce. But this one¡­. I just think I''d need a pair of extra hands to make sure things go smoothly."

    Howard narrowed his eyes. "And what favor do you need?"

    That''s the reason why he was now trailing up the woonds, just on the base of the Cascade Mountain Range.

    He had spotted a few waterfalls in their travels, and this forest was truly dense and humid. It was also raining a lot, and the soil they stepped on felt more like mud.

    There were even times when Howard had one of his prosthetic legs stuck in a quagmire. He had to yank it off and put it back in, caked in dirt.

    Gunnar was not having any problems, and seemed to be used in difficult terrains like this. He chuckled.

    "The snow from Sweden is much worse. I could see how the dirt would be bothersome though."

    "You''re from Sweden?" Howard thought.

    Gunnar shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I''ve always been traveling since I was young. My former people, the Samis, also travel around northern parts of Europe all the time. Then I went down to Germany, Austria, Czechia, Pnd¡­. Anywhere I heard about bats, really."

    Hisrge teeth that were like a horse''s or a buffalos shone through whenever he smiled. "I kill ''em vampire bats, and the people give me food in exchange. It''s a nice life back there. Way less fear of random civilians shooting you down with guns just because you look ''intimidating'', hahaha!"

    "Oh. What brought you to America then, if I may ask?" Howard said. "Since you said, it''s easier there and people aren''t so quick to judge you?"

    "America was never part of the n. But then¡­.. I just heard it 5 years ago. A rumor that a bunch of vampires, real vampires... are going to be here."

    His jolly expression hardened into strong distaste.

    "I couldn''t miss the chance. Booked a flight with what little money I gained from the kind vigers that were grateful to have those bloodsuckers killed. And now I''m here."

    Howard remembered his dream and became wary about this rumor.

    "Did you learn anything else besides that it will be here? In Salem, Oregon?"

    He shook his head. "No, still searching. But hey, I''ve been getting severalmissions. Last time were just wild coyotes and foxes though. I hunt them down, but they''re just regr animals. It''s not that easy for me to put down something that''s not a beast, actually."

    He then looked up at the sky covered by the treetops that stretched for miles and miles.

    "This time is different. It''s something flying. Sure, it could be falcons or eagles. But I ce my bets on bats. It''s been a long time since I saw vampire bats in Oregon. I''m itching to fight some in the wild again." <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Howard looked up at the gloomy skies too. It felt like it''s going to start pouring before they spot any bats. And bats don''t really like the rain, vampire or not.

    Also, if it was truly vampire bats, they would only start appearing once it gets dark.

    And so he and Gunnar did camp there, in the middle of the woods where the locals reportedly spotted them.

    They cooked some turkey they brought along in a campfire, and when the rain start to drizzle a bit, they went inside the tent.

    But as soon as they were inside, it didn''t take a while until they heard the whooshing sounds of wings pping.

    Howard went out immediately, and saw flying figures. It was still unclear what it was, because the trees covered its tracks and they flew quite fast. It could be a bird, but so far, he hadn''t heard any bird calls or soundsing from these stealthy aerial animals.

    Gunnar looked out as well, and there was a fiery glint of sadistic joy in his eyes.

    "They''re here. Take this."

    He pulled something from his bag. It was actually a small birdcage.

    "I hunt. Then you''re going to lure one of them to you and ce it inside here." He instructed.

    Howard frowned. "Why? So you can put it in the basement again?"

    "Yes. And if it belonged to someone¡­.." Gunnar grinned. "I know they''ll be watching me with their pet. That''s what I''d want to happen, so I can lure them intoing after me. It''s been a really long while since I killed a vampire lord."

    Howard thought that it was a relief to just be assigned to this duty instead of fighting alongside Gunnar. It may be dark here, but not as dark in the basement. This trained hunter would surely notice that none of the vampire bats were attacking him.

    He ran off, and Howard can hear the sounds of hacking and shing amidst the rain.

    He waited for one of the bats toe his way, clicking his tongue. He didn''t know why he started clicking his tongue, it was just in his intuition to do so. And eventually¡­.

    He did hear that pping sound, along with a clicking sound answering him back.

    Howard grabbed one of the small knives they had brought. He found the brown creature¡­..

    And struck it in the direction that he instinctively felt it was in. It hit its wings and stuck it against a tree. It writhed and struggled, until Howard''s hands went to grab it, roughly cing it inside the bird cage and locking it.

    It was a bat with its wings torn. But¡­..

    It didn''t look like a vampire bat.

    It didn''t look like any bat breed that Howard was familiar with. It''s face was all wrong. He felt his hands were wet, and when he looked at it.

    It wasn''t blood.

    It was¡­. dirt. And it came from the bat itself.

    As the brown bat became exposed in the rain... It started to melt, and turn into mud.

 Chapter 240 Encounters With A Pot Head

    ?

    Not long after, he heard Gunnar''s footstepsing back to their camp site.

    "Holy shit¡­.. What in the world¡­. I don''t understand¡­.. Those bats just..."

    Howard''s eyes became dangerously thin. "Those are not bats. They''re something else entirely."

    He looked around at the trees, and realized their repeating pattern.They all looked identical for miles and miles.

    Howard gritted his teeth. How can he not realize it? He was so focused on vampires and vampire bats that he had forgotten that there were other forces out there. Others who were equally malicious.

    "We''re lost now. We''ll never get out unless we convince it that its not fun to y with us."

    "Convince what?" Gunnar furrowed his brows in confusion.

    Howard looked at the mud on the ground. The firece they made had been swallowed already. It''s rising up to reach their feet.

    But he knew that it was just an illusion. As soon as he realized that, the scene hadpletely changed.

    They were now in a farm house. Gunnar blinked in confusion beside him.

    "Huh? Um¡­.."

    He continued to look everywhere, listening to the sound of the sheeps bleating in their sleep. There was nothing for miles, and the lights only came inside thisrge red barn.

    "Had we always been on this farm? Did the farmer ask help for bats here or... ''Cause I was pretty sure it was in a forest."

    Howard shook his head. "Don''t believe its lies. Stay alert, hold on to what you know is real. You are Gunnar, you came from a family of Samis. You are a hunter of vampires and vampire bats. You are in Salem, Oregon."

    Gunnar nodded, muttering all these to remind himself.

    "Gunnar¡­.. Sami... Bats... Salem, Oregon...¡­"

    Howard looked around. The swaying wheatfields repeat in the same pattern, all identical. He gritted his teeth, and focused on also reminding himself what was real and what was false.

    That was when he heard the singing behind the door of that barn.

    The person inside was knocking rhythmically. Knock, knock, knock¡­.. KNOCKKKK, KNOCKKK, KNOCKKKK,.... knock, knock, knock.

    Three short ones, three long, three short again. The morse code for S.O.S.

    Howard then realized that they were not the only ''real humans'' alone in this... unreal ce. Someone was asking for help, possibly someone who was being victimized by the owner of those fake bats.

    Those bats made of y.

    "y. Show yourself." He called out. "We didn''t mean to trespass your territory. We''ll be on our way."

    The knocking stopped, and there were shouts inside. This rmed Gunnar and stopped him from muttering. He went to the door.

    "Hello!? Who''s there!? What''s wrong!? I''ll get you out there as soon as I could!"

    Howard pulled on his hand. "No, wait. You can''t help them, they''re already being devoured¡ª"

    The door swung open. Gunnar became frozen on the spot from what he was seeing. Inside was¡­..

    A person was inside, seeming to be molding a y pot. Their backs were turned from the two, and all they could see was their long, curly, dirty blond hair. The color was that of hay rolled up in muck, a very ugly color indeed.

    Besides that, they can see nothing. They can''t see what this person was wearing. Their long hair reached to the floor, almost covering it. But the thing was¡­..

    They can''t tell where this person''s hair began or ended. Which is not their hair, and which was. They just all blended in together like a watercolor painting. The curls were so curly that they hurt to look at, and even seemed to be moving on their own.

    Howard remembered this experiment with using milk and food coloring in his art ss back in college, before he dropped out. He thought it was one of the most bizarre experiences in his life.

    They would drop food coloring in different colors on a dish full of milk. Then, they would use a cotton swab with some dish soap in it. Once it touched the colors, it would make that weird moving effect that was simr to what he was seeing now.

    The person turned around. They appear androgynous, with features that could be masculine and feminine at the same time. Their face was too angr though, edges so sharp that you''d think they could cut someone.

    That''s when Gunnar realized they''re not a person. They''re something, but not a person.

    IT is not a person.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Oh¡­.. It was actually you, Howard. Long time no see."

    Its voice was soft and rough, pleasing to the ear yet also so grating you just want to tear off your ears. There were more voices than there should be, yet less at the same time.

    Howard was disoriented by it, but this wasn''t his first time feeling this way.

    "y. I didn''t know you lived in these woods too."

    Gunnar was bbergasted by this casual exchange between hispanion and this¡­. Thing that he still couldn''t understand.

    "W¡­.. What are you!!? What are you doing to that man!?"

    Sure enough, the y that y was molding showed the face of a bearded man¡­. or what''s left of it. Barely anything was left, the rest were liquified to putty in its hand.

    y tilted its head, but it did it so much that it started to slip off from its neck the way that melted ice cream would start to slide off a cone.

    "You''ve brought a new friend¡­.. Hello, sir. How''s the game?"

    Gunnar''s head seemed to hurt, and he clutched it tightly. "I¡­. Are you a fairy? Fairies from back home also liked to do things like this, messing with your head¡­.."

    Howard sighed. "It''s pointless tobel y. It is what it is¡­. Or more correctly, it is what it''s not. y was just the name I gave it."

    "Which I never asked for, so it''s quite rude of you." y chuckled. "You two are both so unlucky to be already marked. You could have be part of the new masterpice I''m creating too! How are your arts, by the way, Howard?"

    "Much better than yours." Howard answered inly.

    "Hahaha¡­.. You''ve be cockier now. What happened? Surely you did not ept his.... Oh, I see how it is."

    Howard narrowed his eyes. "It''s not whatever you think it is. Don''t get it twisted."

    "Oh, but it is. And my dear, everything is twisted. Did you make that silly motto against me? Or against all of us¡­. Twisted things¡­."

    Gunnar banged his head on the wall. "Fuck this! I don''t understand! I don''t undestand! Get me out of here!"

    "Gunnar, focus on the facts I told you! What is real!" Howard reminded him.

    y didn''t even move, and it was suddenly by Gunnar''s side. Holding him with those dripping hands, mixing its awful colors with his.

    "Hahahaha! Poor thing. Howard is holding up much better than you because he has a higher ranking." y said, almost in a way someone would coax a child. "You are just a pawn, and he is a knight. A dark knight of the Night."

    Howard brought out his knife up to its neck. "Let him go. I still need information from him."

    y looked at the knife with a wide smile, the edges of its lips stretching all the way into its eyeball.

    "And you killed my beautiful bat babies. The locals think they can follow them to search for deers in the dark. How else can I make pottery with their heads now?"

    Howard scoffed. "You can always make new ones."

    "Then give me a sacrifice, and I''ll set you free. It has always been this way."

    Howard reluctantly agreed. "Fine. Give me nightmares, I don''t care. They''re all I ever have when I sleep anyway."

    "Precisely!" y said, letting go of Gunnar. "So it won''t do. I think I''d much rather ept your child''s dreams."

    Howard''s eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No. My children are too young, they won''t survive your twisted nightmares¡ª"

    "Then I''ll choose the one who''s not young. Your eldest has always fascinated me."

    Howard went to stab it. "You bastard! Don''t you d¡ª"

    But he and Gunnar were soon back in the forest, inside their small tent. The rain had stopped, and it was already morning.

    Outside was a muttering man, who had fully lost it and was not even saying anything that made sense. There was just a permanent look of terror in his eyes, and he kept running his fingers over his own face as if.... molding it.

    Howard knew it was toote. y let them go. The sacrifice had been made, and that thing shall soon make its pot from his son''s head.

 Chapter 241 Cycle Of Abuse

    ?

    Harker woke up to the smell of smoke all over his house.

    He jolted up, and saw that the mes had already reached farther than he thought. They spread like tendrils reaching through the gaps of the walls and floors, the holes and crevices they had made. He coughed as he rushed to the rooms of his brothers and sister.

    "Chloe! Sam! Sammy!"

    But none of them were in their rooms. None of them answered his calls either.

    The curling tongues of the fire cheekily tried top at him, and Harker just dodged. Maybe they have escaped? He went downstairs just to be sure, not really in a hurry to save himself.

    The fire was much worse downstairs. The sofa had burned almost to ashes, the dining table where they ate and their chairs too. Of course, his father''s woodworks had been scorched easily, turning a deep ck.

    Harker couldn''t find his siblings anywhere, and the firepletely covered any escape routes. That means they should have gone out before the fire had spread this much¡­..

    Or it''s already toote.

    Harker chose to believe the earlier. Maybe they already went out to the neighbors for help. Their cul-de-sac was in no way a remote area, a fire like this would have rmed EVERYONE.

    But it was too quiet. There was only the crackling of the fire, and nothing else.

    Harker know something was wrong. He then remembered that Wendigos can bring snowstorms with them, and so he tried to transform into one.

    But for some reason, it''s not working.

    "Your time has run out, Master."

    He heard the familiar voice of Yan, but the eyeball was nowhere to be seen in this inferno.

    "Yan! What the fuck do you mean!? I already absorbed all of the DNA I gained from Legion just like that?"

    But his obedient servant of an eye merely responded with.

    "This is the End, Master. I must look for a new Master, for there is surely no way you would survive this."

    And just like that, he too had left Harker in this deste house.

    "Yan! Yan, answer me! You can''t do this to me, you... Help me!"

    Harker called out again and again. He felt so weak, the smoke and ashes pushing through his airways and filling his lungs. It felt like they would drown him in soot from inside out, turning his lungs all ck. And eventually, even his heart and veins would be ck.

    He curled up into a ball on the floor. No way to escape, and nothing but fire to keep himpany.

    But more than the fear for his own life¡­..

    There was the fear of losing everything. Once he loses this life, he would lose his family. He would lose Mina, Joan, Rnd, all the people he knew, all the memories he had and shared with them... Everything.

    And it would hurt them. He knew it would hurt them.

    How devastated would his father be to find his son gone, just like his wife? If his siblings were still alive, how devastated would they be to lose their eldest brother, the one they relied on their whole life?

    The people who loved him¡­.. How devastated would they be to lose the one they love?

    Within the tall walls of me, he could see the silhouette of a woman. She wasughing, her shoulders shaking as she cackled without sound. The pleasure she took from all the destruction and pain was disgusting.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    And truly frightening.

    She approached him, the mes parting like curtains as she did.

    "I like you. Unlike Howard, you are someone with many to lose. I am waiting for that day, and when your hurting bes a desire to hurt everything¡­.. You and I shall make a cute couple."

    She gave Harker a peck on the forehead. His skin started to sizzle, until it grew hotter and hotter and he was soon burning.

    "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

    A piece of ss, possibly from the broken windows, showed his own ming skull to him. But before it was a skull, he burnedyer byyer, revealing the red flesh underneath.

    Blood dripped down at someone''s feet.

    Harker looked up. He was in another burning house. But it was familiar, he can recognize its floral wallpapers, decor, and the staircase leading to the mistress'' room.

    The person before him smiled.

    "Now you know what an awful sensation it is to burn, my dear Joseph."

    The burning had stopped all at once. That person became slowly more recognizable to him¡­.

    As her bones started to gain flesh, and eventually some skin. Smooth, wless skin that she maintained at the expense of others.

    "Don''t give me that face. Hadn''t I taken great care of you as a guest in my home?"

    Miss Lovette kneeled next to him. Harker wanted to move, but he couldn''t. His face had stopped burning, but the heat of anger remained.

    He wanted to shout, to yell curses at this woman¡­. But she had him wrapped tightly in her sickening peach blossom scent.

    "You must join us in the bedroom. I promised that you and I will have our nice little talk there."

    Harker''s body moved on its own, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t stop it from moving. He was now back inside this woman''s bed full of patterns of daisies, and was made toy down.

    "I don''t mind if you''re no longer fresh. My daughter doesn''t mind as well. She had been hungry for a long time, you know."

    Harker''s eyes widened, as the figure of a girl with blood-red hair and lips appeared right next to Miss Lovette. Her green eyes gleaned at him as she licked those lips.

    "Let''s relish him for a long time, mother. I''ll eat him piece by piece¡­. And leave the ''meat'' for you, of course. As a gift."

    Miss Lovette started going on top of him and undressing him. "Oh, I would like that very much. His meat is very gifted indeed. It''d be a shame if you just took it as a snack."

    Harker could only watch in terror as the mother and daughter feasted on him, once on his soul and one on his body. And it was torturously long.

    So long that it felt like forever. He had been abused again and again, in a cycle that repeats like the turns of a clock.

    Swirling and swirling...

    -------------------

    A/N: The next 2 chapters had detailed descriptions of non-consensual sex and cannibalism/vore happening to the MC. If you can''t stomach that, I suggest you skip them.

 Chapter 242 Savoring Every Piece of You [R18]

    <h4>Chapter 242 Savoring Every Piece of You [R18]</h4>

    Harker felt despair sinked in slowly as everyyer of clothing had been stripped from him by Miss Lovette.

    It was dark in this room. All he could see was her stupid face, and he couldn''t even turn his head to the side even if he tried.

    Miss Lovette cusped his face with her pretty fingers. She stuck out her tongue, and licked Harker''s eyeball.

    "How these eyes once enjoyed looking at me while I''m in pain¡­. Ah, it makes me want to keep them too. Just pulverized them and turned them into paste myself."

    She whispered to his ear, stroking his chest as she did.

    "You''re such a bad boy, little Joseph. And bad boys need to be punished."

    She bit on his neck, and Harker felt so hopeless. He couldn''t even trash around, couldn''t even cry. He was stuck in ce, in this cage that was his own body.

    Miss Lovette''s lips pressed against his skin. They felt hot, even hotter than the fire that scorched him. Her teeth sank just enough to draw blood, but did not deepen any further than that. As soon as she tasted the iron of it, she withdrew and showed it staining her mouth, dribbling down her chin.

    "But at least you do taste good. So much vital energy¡­ A pure, hot-blooded man¡­."

    She licked down his chest, and finally reached to his cock. Shemanded it to stand up. The burning hot humiliation came to Harker upon seeing it standing up towards a monster like her.

    She grinned, knowing what he was thinking. "You must be ashamed to have a reaction towards someone like me. But it''s alright, love. Don''t fight it. Pretty soon, you''ll love the feeling of shame mixed with pleasure, the guilt of being a man who was driven by his needs."

    Harker gritted his teeth, arguing in his mind. ''It''s not me at all! You''re the one controlling my body to act this way!''

    But doubt was slowly pushing its way in his brain like a slimy worm. Was there really not a small part of him who wanted this, who wanted Miss Lovette just like he wanted his women?

    Was there not a small part of him that wanted to be manipted and controlled like this?

    Harker kept fighting it over, then losing, then fighting it again as Miss Lovette started devouring his cock. Does he want or not want it? No! Yes!

    His mind was drawing a nk. The pleasure he felt just from her hot mouth was infinitely better than what Mina or Joan could ever provide.

    He felt weak again, and he hated it. But there was something in that weakness that also made him feel aroused.

    Miss Lovette continued to bob her head up and down, her eyes never leaving his own. His own bloodshot eyes that she had just licked. She then went towards his balls, and sucked on them, sometimes even biting down.

    Her hand would often travel to squeeze on one of those balls, squeezing and squeezing until Harker could feel that numbing pain in his belly like rolling waves. He couldn''t shout, but his body was drenched in sweat and tears flowed in his eyes.

    He couldn''t take it anymore, and it seemed that Miss Lovette was also controlling his inner bodily functions as he let out a fountain from being vited by her.

    Miss Lovette let go of his balls with a popping sound from her mouth.? She thenughed, mocking Harker as she licked up all that cum. She used her fingers to take those that shot at her shoulders and corbone. She did not waste a single drop and cleaned up his dick nicely.

    "Hmm¡­.. Give me more of that elixir, love. The fountain of youthes from you... I want it flowing inside me. I want to steal all of it from you."

    Harker wanted to protest, but he could barely even do so mentally. He was so drained that he could barely register anything.

    This empty feeling inside continued as she rode him. The bed creaked, and she pushed over and over screaming like a banshee. But all these noises were muffled in Harker''s ear.

    It was like he was watching and hearing everything underwater. His vision was blurry, maybe from the tears, or maybe from his ''elixir'' being robbed from him.

    Though he didn''t know what dual cultivation was, he was sure this wasn''t what it meant. This was purely one-sided, it was like being bled and dried like a pig.

    Then, his shell¡­ his carcass¡­ would be fed to the Beast Girl watching in the dark.

    Miss Lovette rubbed her round, plump breasts as she continued to sway her hips. Harker had gone beyond deliberating whether he wanted it or not, into just epting it the same way one would ept the tumbling waves around their bodies when they swim in the sea.

    In some sick and twisted way, theck of control wasforting. He was no longer overwhelmed by any problems.

    It was all over. He had lost.

    The empty space was cold, and as he shot load after load inside Miss Lovette, it slowly felt like routine.

    The shame was reced by a sense of emptiness and mncholy. He was alone. There was no one to help him, and he would just be tortured and sucked dry by these monsters.

    Miss Lovette observed his empty face, and chuckled to herself.

    She went to kiss Harker once she had her fill, invading his mouth with her slimy tongue. And he just let her, whether or not he was being controlled.

    "You clung onto the sorrow and the loneliness like an anchor. That won''t do. I want to remind you that you are not alone."

    Her tongue then turned into curls that continued swirling its way into his throat. It curled and curled until it reached throughout his whole body, covering it with that fleshy swirl. Harker''s eyes widened again in terror, as the tongue finished curling...

    And pulled out a bunch of flesh from him.

    They were just in a pile, a bloody, pulsing, pus-filled mess. The yellow fat, the tender muscle, the blood... It''s all so squishy in her long, curly tongue and very much alive. But even if it was alive, it was still meat.

    And meat was meant to be eaten.

    "My turn."

    His first demon, the one who brought him to this twisted world of monsters, sat by his bedside with a cherry-red smile.

    "I have waited for so long to taste you, Harker. And you''re mine atst. I''ll savor you, every piece of you."

 Chapter 243 A Spiderâ€™s Thread [R18]

    <h4>Chapter 243 A Spider''s Thread [R18]</h4>

    Harker waited for those teeth hidden behind those thick, luscious lips to start devouring him just like the mother did.

    Yet instead¡­.

    Xi Hua offered her hand to him. "Come. You have just been emptied, and I like my meals to be fulfilling. Let''s eat."

    Harker blinked slowly a few times, that piece of film in his eyes blurring everything slowly king off. He sat up from the bed with his hollow body, and took her hand.

    Xi Hua led him down the stairs, while Miss Lovette remained in her room, sitting with her bloated stomach. She just smiled and winked at him.

    Harker could only focus on Xi Hua anyway. Even without her intoxicating scent, he was drawn to her simply by the way she moved and spoke. That unexinable charm that just made her so¡­. lovable. Much more lovable than her mother.

    He was then led to the dining table. There were already several meals covered in silver dome lids, that cloche, he remembered.

    There was also a butler waiting for him. He was wearing the general outfit, his long ck hair tied up, and his green eyes shaped like two crescent moons as he gave a reptilian smile.

    It was Mr. Xi, and his chest was hollow. Harker could see the outline of his own fist that plucked out his heart from him.

    Mr. Xi pulled the chairs for them, not saying a word and just smiling.

    "I don''t know what you preferred the most. So I just took a little bit of everything you liked." Xi Hua told him, sitting prim and proper by her side. "I''m personally not picky. Man, women¡­.. I don''t care. As long as they''re delicious, they''d suffice, won''t you agree?"

    Mr. Xi opened the first cloche.

    "Bouibaisse a Mina. Fish was fresh from the South China sea, a true treasure to be seen." He said with a flourish.

    And sure enough, inside was a soup. But it also had the head of Mina, her eyes plucked out just like her sisters''.

    Harker was then gripped by that same terror he felt that swirling tongue went inside him. His head hurt just by looking at this soup with his beloved''s head.

    He then opened the second one.

    "The Seward family''s best pie. Over-medicated, yes, but its still one of the sweetest and most thoughtful you''d find out there. Possibly because its wise beyond its years."

    The skin used tottice the pie''s upper crust was obviously from Joan''s face. They must have been torn off, cut into strips, and ced atop whatever filling that was with those strips.

    Mr. Xi moved on to the next dish. "Moving on to the men menu. Here is some Faustian cake. It''s rather nd, but once you cut into him, I''m sure you''d enjoy his painful screaming."

    Sure enough, there was a chiffon cake inside, nice and plump. But Harker couldn''t find any semnce of Rnd in there. However, the moment he made a cut, blood oozed from it and it let out a heart-wrenching scream.

    "Finally, we have some tartare from the mountains of Appchia itself. You can season it with some guilt and regret."

    Thest dish was just a pure mash of raw ground meat, looking like a bunch of fleshy red worms twisting themselves into each other.

    Xi Hua turned to him. "So¡­. Which one would you like?"

    Harker stood up, but Mr. Xi kept him still. This time he could trash, but it actually felt much worse as he couldn''t fight him off even though he was able to move. His long hair wrapped around his arms and legs.

    "Let''s try them all. Waste not, want not." Xi Hua then turned to him¡­.

    And forced him to eat all of it. These bloody meals. She and her father pushed it down his gullet as much as they could. Harker wanted to vomit many times, but as soon as he tried to retch, they would just shove some more Mina soup or Rnd cake in him again.

    Sometimes, Xi Hua would kiss him as if she was some good lover of his. She would feed him with a spoon, wipe his mouth, and lick the mess on his cheeks and chin.

    Once everything was finished, she then sat on Harker''sp.

    "Now it''s your turn to feed me, Harker."

    She whispered in such a sweet and savory tone more delectable than any food. But Harker had long lost his appetite, and he never had any appetite for this monster.

    "Fuck you!" Harker said, spitting on her face.

    Xi Hua just wiped it away and grinned. "That could be arranged."

    She bit Harker''s ear. And unlike her mother, she exhibited no restraints. She mped hard with her teeth and tore off the flesh, and chewed on it as if it was beef jerky.

    Harker yowled in pain. Mr. Xi remained watching in his schadenfreude as his daughter went to take small bites all over her poor victim.

    She bit off his index finger''s tip, some flesh on his corbone, the skin off his knees, some from his chin...

    And each bite was affectionate and intimate. Harker was disgusted and wished that she would just swallow him whole. Even he wasn''t this sadistic when he ate Xi Hua. He knew she could just unhinged that jaw and take all of him, yet she chose not to.

    Even during the sex, she would take very small nips everywhere. Harker continued to growl in anger while trying to get her off his dick, but the hair kept his arms restrained.

    He can feel Mr. Xi''s breaths above his head. And eventually, the bastard snake would even say things like:

    "Very good, Hua-Hua¡­ You''re doing him really well."

    "Yes, try to struggle more just like that, Harker."

    And once Xi Hua had her fill, she would pass him again to Miss Lovette. The whole family yed with him and tortured him until he waspletely broken, both physically and mentally. When neither women felt like ying with him, Mr. Xi would ce him inside an empty fish tank where he kept the mermaids. There was no water, and yet¡­.

    Harker felt he was in a perpetual state of drowning.

    He was left bleeding. Arge chunk of his stomach and some of his ribs had been eaten up, all of his toes, two fingers missing in each hand, and much of his skin had been bitten at some point. They purposefully left his handsome face forst but still injured it every now and then.

    The physical damage was nothingpared to his mental state, though. By this time, Harker could barely talk or do anything. Feel anything.

    He just stared off into the ceiling from his fish tank, wishing that tomorrow would be the day he died.

    There was a spiral ofughter traveling into his ear drums. Thatughter was unfamiliar, but he knew it meant him harm, just like everything else around him.

    The colors of his world oozed and dissolved into patterns that made his head hurt even without the constant pain he was in. He just wanted it to end. He just wanted to end himself, but he wasn''t allowed to. Because death would be a reward after all this suffering.

    Suddenly¡­.

    He saw a spider thread.

    So thin, it''s almost invisible at times. But when the light hits it the right way, it''s unmistakable that it''s there.

    It dangled from the ceiling like a rope. A life line.

    But he knew that taking it would just be the same. It''s all the same, it''s just like a puppet picking its own master.

    Harker just stared at it for a while, given the choice to reach out and be the prey of something else¡­.. or sumb to his misery here until he was given a merciful death.

 Chapter 244 Dangling Like a Bait

    <h4>Chapter 244 Dangling Like a Bait</h4>

    In the end, Harker feebly reached out for that thin thread.

    Right now, nothing could be worse than this nightmare he was in. At least he might see his friends and family for onest time again in this spider''s domain. Just onest time...

    That''s what kept him pushing through and climbing.

    It was difficult with only his thumb, index finger and middle finger for both hands. But he kept on climbing, as the ceiling just vanished and revealed a clear blue sky.

    The heavens did not reveal where the source of the thread was. It stretched on for what seemed like forever. But Harker did not care. His torment also felt like an eternity, and so another eternity wouldn''t matter to him.

    He climbed and climbed and climbed¡­.

    Sometimes, the whole world would shake. The rumbling would disorient him, and the swirlingughter in his ear now turned into screams of anger, but he ignored it.

    He could almost hear words that weren''t really there.

    "How dare you!"

    "He''s mine!"

    "Damhan a, you''ll pay for this!"

    Harker could almost feel like something was tugging at the thread from below, trying to bring him down. But there was nothing.

    Just the expanse of pure blue nothingness. Clouds fleeting through the breeze. No beginning, no end.

    Harker looked up, and continued his journey. The longer he climbed, the more his spirits recovered. It was like he found some salvation in the routine, in the constant predictable motions of his body.

    It was like pushing boulders uphill. It may seem pointless, but once you get into the grind, you findfort in having a ''purpose''.

    Whether or not that purpose was your own, or you were simply made to believe it was for your own good and not just to take advantage of you. It didn''t matter. It was better than sinking into that bottomless pit of sorrow.

    Finally¡­..

    Harker found the end of the thread.

    It was a cloud. And yet he could sit on the cloud, though it does not make sense how. On that cloud, a tiny spider awaited him like an award-giver to congratte him for a job well done.

    Harker took the tiny spider into the palm of his hand, and he also realized that the cloud was shaped like a hand. Curved as if asking for alms¡­..

    Or offering blessings.

    At that moment, Harker knew the blessing he wanted to ask for.

    "I want to wake up."

    The spider looked at him with its many eyes. It did not speak, yet Harker felt like it did anyway.

    You do not even know what true awakening meant. But very well. I will return you to your former dream.

    SNAP!

    The thread was cut.

    ------------------------------

    Harker then woke up in his bed full of sweat. He quickly looked around for the rm clock which showed both the date and time.

    It had only been the following day. He was just asleep, and those two eternities had only been a dream.

    Their house showed no signs of burning, and he didn''t even sleep in. It was exactly right on time for him to make breakfast for his siblings. Take a bath, eat, drive them to school on weekdays or see them off as they deliver newspapers in their bikes on weekends. The usual routine.

    His sister came by his doorstep, rubbing her eyes. "Harker¡­. A spider crawled on my bed and I woke up too early. So I made breakfast before you. Come eat."

    Harker couldn''t help butugh. It truly was almostical.

    "Hahahaha¡­.. spiders¡­.. spiders¡­.. I''d rather be eaten by spiders¡­."

    Chloe just gave him a look, as if he was being weird. "What are you saying?"

    Harker shook his head, his smile a little too big and seemed to be almost fake. "Nothing... Let''s go eat normal people food."

    He can feel some of his mental injuries being stitched up as he went on his day. Stitch, stitch, stich¡­. Almost as if they never happened.

    And Harker was happy enough to treat them so.

    He could still remember everything, but he won''t tell anyone. Not Mina, not Joan, not Rnd¡­..

    Hush now, everything would be alright.

    And he would be alright.

    He was alright.

    Everything will go ording to the way it''s supposed to be.

    --------------------------------

    Joan had gone to check up on Aiden Moore, the boy who broke the window of the antique shop.

    He was given some medications to calm him down. But even after 48 hours, he remained as paranoid and stressed as he was before. The doctors had decided to finally give him a diagnosis for PTSD and formte a treatment n for the poor boy.

    Still, Joan could tell they were having a hard time. He won''t tell them anything besides the same cryptic things about shadows and firedies.

    Joan was sent in to give him some sedatives, as he won''t sleep. And ording to the staff, he tried to break sses several times or steal scissors and other sharp objects to attack other people.

    He would im that he wanted to check if they were hollow or not.

    He wouldn''t trust just about anyone. But for some reason, he felt calm enough around Joan''s presence.

    Joan didn''t know exactly what it was that made the boy trust her more. Maybe it was pure luck, since unless he saw you actually bleed some, he won''t even let you approach him.

    Still, it was to her advantage. She can ask more what the woman meant about the me keeping away the shadows in hopes of putting an end to these attacks.

    When she asked Aiden about this, though:

    "The me could not kill the shadow. The shadow always exists, just like the night, and the madness, and the weaver of fate..... They will always exist, there is no way to kill them. She simply told me that the me could protect me, but I must be alert. They can take me any time soon."

    Joan frowned. "Then¡­.. Do you have any clue how I could find this woman? So we can also have her protection?"

    Aiden looked around, then gave her his lighter.

    "You don''t ask the Lady in Red for protection. She just picks and chooses, and it''s not without price."

    As soon as Joan touched it, it started to burn her palm.

    "Fuck!" She eximed, and let go.

    Aiden picked it up again. "The Lady had¡­.. preferences. I don''t know why she preferred me, but she said something about sensing a great destruction in my future. If right now, I ruin everything I touch... What more in the future?"

    Joan left the room feeling more confused and annoyed than before. But if this dy'' won''t show up because of her damn preferences¡­..

    Then maybe she''ll just have to drag her out by force.

    Those old men must know something about her. And she will force it out from them no matter what. Even if¡­..

    She would have to dangle herself up as bait.

 Chapter 245 The Company of A Fellow Man

    <h4>Chapter 245 The Company of A Fellow Man</h4>

    "No! I''m not gonna tell you anything unless you tell me what the fuck just happened in that forest!"

    "You know what happened. We''ve been attacked. That''s it."

    Howard and Gunnar were now inside a hotel, since the Bush House Museum had been opened for tour during the weekdays. Apparently, a bunch of middle schoolers will be having their field trip there, and so they had to settle in somewhere else.

    It was still raining, but it was less oppressive than before.

    "Attacked by what!? You know that thing! And it knows you¡­. You have history. And what does it mean by you being a dark knight?" Gunnar eximed.

    Howard sighed. "It''s not really important. The point is that I am looking for a way to stop the vampires, just like you. Just like everyone. I''m on your side. And if it weren''t for me, we would have never escaped. If it weren''t for¡ª"

    He stopped himself as his tone started to rise in desperation.

    "Look. You are young. You don''t have children of your own, so you may not understand the state that I''m in." He went to the windows and looked. "Every second counts. I can''t waste time, or my family would be in danger. My eldest is¡­. I can tell there''s something wrong with him."

    Gunnar''s expression started to soften.

    He then made a grunt, crossing his arms. "It''s damn presumptuous of you to think I don''t understand. Just ''coz I''ve been going solo doesn''t mean I don''t understand what it''s like to worry ''bout those relying on you."

    He then took out what seemed to be a ne full of intricate designs and bits and bobs. There were colorful strings, feathers, rocks, and some animal teeth.

    "I don''t just fight for revenge. I fight so that my siblings would not have to experience what I did, so that every child in the world wouldn''t. You are a father and I''m not, I get that. But I can understand."

    Howard turned to him, his eyes full of exhaustion yet at the same time that determined focus.

    "Then please help me."

    Gunnar sat down at the edge of the bed. "Fine. The Von Halsinge that I know of... She''s not that far from where you came from. She does move from ce to ce, so I can''t really tell you where she ''lives''. But you can''t miss her."

    Gunnar went on to describe this Von Halsinge huntress, and Howard listened intently, remembering every detail.

    "Try to look in the ces I mentioned. You can also ask around fellow hunters, you''d be able to find them if you look hard enough. Once you find one, it''s easier to get connected to the rest."

    "I see." Howard nodded. "Thank you, Gunnar."

    Gunnar scoffed. "You''re not gonna tell me a little bit ''bout yerself, then? That ain''t fair, dontcha think?"

    Howard sighed again, sitting on the bed with the big gruff guy who was actually more sensitive and tender than he thought. He didn''t really expect him to be convinced into sharing the information by just talking about his family.

    Maybe he should have just opened up at the start.

    Still, no one could really me Howard since he had a bad streak when ites to opening up and trusting people.

    "What do you want to know?"

    Gunnar shrugged. "Anything, really. I mean, the rain''s still pourin'' and we''ve got nothin'' to do until we doze off. You''ll probably be out by morning to look for that Von Halsinge girl. I''d have to take care of exinin'' to the locals why one of them suddenly went crazy after askin'' for my help."

    He then asked softly. "You don''t think... There''s any other way to save him?"

    Howard shook his head, remembering how y molded that bearded man with all its colors.

    "No. He''s.... gone. His body is alive, but he''s dead inside it. All that remains is the confusion as he became something he doesn''t understand, something that doesn''t exist outside of his own head."

    The Sami hunter also heaved a heavy sigh. "Thought so. That y thing mentioned that the only way you and I survived was because we are marked. I don''t know what that means but..."

    Howard shook his head. "No, I don''t know what it means either. Not¡­ fully. But I can somewhat feel it. Somewhat understand it. We¡­. We''re not¡­.."

    He couldn''t continue the thought since he knew that it might bring major changes to himself and Gunnar.

    But it was the truth.

    They were no longer human.

    Both the monsters and the monster hunters. They were not part of the rest of the world that was normal and right.

    "I know."

    He was surprised when the big guy said this, almost like a whisper to himself.

    "That''s not my issue, I guess. I don''t mind it. What I''m askin'' is¡­. Why? And what now? Are our options only to die fighting monsters or¡­.. eventually be fully like them?"

    Howard shrugged, but it does seem that way.

    He would rather die fighting than thetter option, though. But he still had to live long enough to save those who mattered to him.

    Gunnar suddenlyid with a plop! on the bed. It creaked a little from his weight, but Howard didn''t really mind.

    "I remember when I was young. The thing I was scared of the most was actually something silly. It''s not vampires, or crazy fairynds in your dreams, or anything like that. No... I was actually scared of my grandfather."

    Howard didn''t seem to find it silly. He justid on the bed next to him, and asked. "Why?"

    Gunnar shrugged. "I don''t know. The old geezer is just scary and tough, I guess. He''s not really a bad guy¡­. He even cut firewood for us and delivered water from miles away even at his age. Still¡­. He was quiet, and kept to himself. I was a very weak and clumsy child."

    "I would actually fail in every task that little boys like me are expected to do. Whenever I would try to help to cut wood, or go bird-hunting¡­. I just fell behind. And though my grandfather won''t say anything, I can see that look of disappointment in his eyes. Like he was expecting that I would be a failure in everything I do."

    Howard nodded in understanding. "My father is almost like that too. Until he gets drunk and starts yelling what he truly thinks about me."

    Gunnar chuckled. "Maybe I should have tried getting grandpa drunk too. That way I can finally confirm that he really hated me, instead of just in guessin'' and thinkin'' if it was just in my head."

    Howard smiled. It had been a long time since he had a conversation like this with someone.

    He wouldn''t consider Gunnar a friend, but sharing things like this¡­.. There''s just something so cathartic for both parties that you suddenly feel a sense of kinship that you hadn''t before. Reminding you that in the end, we all have struggles and some may experience simr ones to us.

    He remembered how much he felt that way around that man. That sense of brotherhood, camaraderie.... Whatever you may call it.

    And that man used that to take advantage of him. Taking advantage of both his pity....

    And his desire for thepany of his fellow man.

 Chapter 246 The Truest Bond of All

    <h4>Chapter 246 The Truest Bond of All</h4>

    As they ran from the crowd of angered hyper-religious protesters, Howard Jones and this dark stranger ducked into an empty alleyway and hid there. They caught their breaths and tried to see if they had lost the angry mob.

    "We''re in the streets now. They probably won''t follow after us with their guns and stones out in public." Howard said, though he was actually doubtful.

    The stranger by his side did not say anything, only observing him. Howard felt almost as if his gaze was wrapping around him like fine cloth, and it made him a little ufortable.

    He decided to break the silence by asking a stupid question:

    "Are you alright?"

    Of course he wasn''t alright. He was shirtless in the cold, with several scratches and wounds from the stones thrown at him. He also had arge gash on his hip where a bullet had grazed it.

    But the man just chuckled, as if he just found their situation funny.

    "You should look at yourself first, Sir. You look like hell."

    Howard only realized now his own injuries, but he did not really pay attention to the pain. Instead, he supported the weight of the man, half-dragging him out of the dark alleyway.

    "We should call for an ambnce. I don''t want that wound to get infected."

    He had taken him to the telephone booth and dialed 911. Soon, the ambnce did arrive, and the responders seemed surprised that both the caller and the supposed ''victim of violence'' were injured. Howard just left out the part where he was also beaten up and stonedpletely in favor of helping this random stranger.

    They were treated inside, and Howard could sense that the man did not like the feeling of alcohol on his wound. So he decided to distract him from the pain.

    "I forgot to ask your name. I''m Howard Jones." He introduced himself.

    The man nodded. "Nice to meet you¡­.. Ugh. Would you stop rubbing it so hard?"

    He spoke to the responder as if he was just some friend who did not know what they''re doing. Howard couldn''t remember if it was a man or a woman anymore, but he does remember how the responder scoffed and said:

    "Your brawls just keep on getting worse and worse, Mr. Faust. Maybe you should try being more careful this time if you hate getting treated that much."

    This Faust guy retorted: "I don''t hate the treatment. It''s just that you''re making it bleed more if you go that hard¡­. Damn it!"

    He managed to dissuade the responder from continuing further, and they just let him. They went up front, and Howard was left alone with this Faust man.

    "So¡­.. You know that guy¡ª"

    "Don''t act dumb." The man said. "You heard him. I''m a Faust. I bet you just feel lucky now, huh? Well, let me tell you that my father couldn''t care any less if I got shot in the head, so no, you won''t be getting any reward from saving me."

    "Reward?" Howard frowned. "I don''t understand... I''m not from here."

    The Faust guy suddenly blinked. "Oh. I see."

    Howard smiled sheepishly. "I''m actually from Nebraska. Got my things stolen by some thugs... Should have expected it from a big city, but I barely had anything. I just wanted to apply for the Arts Academy."

    The man suddenly softened his gaze at him. "So¡­.. Even with all that, you still went up to stop a mob from shooting down some stranger. Do you want me to believe that someone''s that naive?"

    Howard waved away this general distrust. Clearly, this man''s mental state was not that stable. He was borderline suicidal earlier, and he seemed to despise Howard because he foiled his ns for suicide.

    So Howard was patient with him.

    "It''s not naive to care for others. Besides, I can''t stand all the shoutings of those people anyway. They''re so loud."

    The man chuckled at this again. "Yeah¡­.."

    He then went to Howard''s side, and pointed at the several bandages on his body. "You don''t seem to feel hurt from those."

    "Ah... No. It hurts a lot, I just tend to get fixated on things that draw my attention." He scratched his head. "You know when you find something that you really like? Like some rare stone on the street or an art piece in a library that just speaks to you?"

    The man furrowed his brows. "So... You didn''t notice the pain because you were fixated on those protesters?"

    "Er¡­.. Yes?"

    It was less about them, but Howard felt it would be strange if he said he was drawn in by this man''s aesthetics.

    The man just seemed to consider something to himself, and nodded. He extended his hand.

    "George Gordon Faust. I prefer G.G."

    Howard happily shook it, feeling satisfied like he had managed to coax a wild cat on the street.

    "Nice to meet you, G.G. So your family is famous or something?"

    G.G. shrugged. "In the field of medicine, yes. They''re both doctors and entrepreneurs, real big names in the American Crimson Cross organization."

    "Oh, the Crimson Cross¡­.." Howard nodded. "But, well¡­ I take it that you''re not that close to them?"

    G.G. didn''t answer. Instead, he just went closer to Howard and pointed at his eyes.

    "Your eyes are so dark, almost like obsidian. I can see my own reflection clearly."

    Howard knew he won''t be able to make him open up easily, so he just blurted out.

    "I know what it''s like. I know what it''s like to have parents whose expectations you can''t meet and will despise you no matter how hard you try."

    G.G. suddenly stopped looking close into his eyes, and seemed to look at him as a whole now.

    Then, he made a sad smile.

    "Do you, now?"

    That was how it started. Everything just spilled between them easily, just as easily as it did with Gunnar.

    But Howard couldn''t tell anymore if the sorrow that he had seen was real or fake.

    He will never trust that man again, but¡­.

    Deep down, he still wanted to believe that the person he was before, the pains they shared that night¡­.. Those must be real. He hoped they were real.

    The G.G. he knew, who would sigh by his side and say things like:

    "There are times when you just can''t stop asking yourself¡­. Why me? Why do I have to be different from everybody else? Why must I have the qualities for the world to hate me? But it''s pointless."

    "You''ll always be the monster in someone''s eyes. We all are. I see those shallow-minded, pretentious idiots who praise some invisible force to be monsters, and they see the same for me. I have epted it now. I''ll just keep on being what they hated, then. If all I''ll ever get was hatred, then that''s how it''ll be."

    Was he just a fraud? Or was his words as true as what he was inside?

    Howard remembered the promise he made after hearing those words.

    "I don''t hate you. I will never hate you, G.G. You''ll have me, and we''ll have each other. Two monster friends against this monstrous world."

    In the end, he did fail that promise. He failed that truest bond that anyone could have, much deeper than words can describe. It was something transcendent, something that someone may call being ''best friends'' or even ''soulmates''. They were once two halves of one.

    And because of breaking that promise, he changed.

    So¡­..

    Howard could only me nobody but himself.

 Chapter 247 Holmwood Legacy

    <h4>Chapter 247 Holmwood Legacy</h4>

    Artea Holmwood had always been someone who aimed not just to meet expectations but to surpass it.

    In everyone''s eyes, she was someone who had her shit together. From a young age, she had straight As, won 1st ce in everypetition she joined, including in the fields of Science, Mathematics, Journalism, Debate, Sports, and even the Arts.

    If Artea puts her mind to it, she will seed above all.

    She also had the picture perfect family, who supported her throughout everything she pursues. Politics in the 90s wasn''t really an easy field to enter as a woman of color, much less excel at. The US had 42 presidents at this point, none of which were female nor POC.

    The same could be said about the student government of Holmwood University.

    When she first campaigned, she had experienced a major pushback. People think that she was already lucky enough to be included in the Political Science program, which they im had something to do with her connection with the Headmaster again.

    They thought that surely, he was the only reason why a Latina like her could even be admitted into a dominantly white private university. He was also the reason why she won the presidency 3 years in a row.

    This was Artea''sst year, and she would soon be studyingw. For her, this was just the start. She still had much to prove, and the best way to do that was to win the final elections of her year.

    "Losing would mean failure. Failure would mean losing everything."

    That''s what her grandmother would always say.

    She had gone this far. The moment she loses this streak, everyone will start to doubt her capabilities. She had to prove them wrong over and over again, never skipping a beat.

    FLUSH!

    Artea retched once again in the school''s bathroom, and flushed it.

    She washed her face, then quickly covered up the dark bags under her eyes with heavy concealer. She put on make-up for about 5 minutes, the kind of look that people think of as ''natural''. When really it wasyer uponyer of cosmetics and paint to cover up her skin.

    A mask of her own face.

    Once she was done, Artea practiced smiling again.

    Bright, wless smile. Yet her eyes were all empty, if only people would pay attention to it.

    She then stopped smiling, her face bing taut. No thoughts came to her head besides the constant reminder of her agenda for the day.

    ''Take sses, promote and campaign during the campaign, eat, drink, sleep, rinse, repeat.''

    Like a machine, she had prepared her responses to every situation and every person she will encounter for today.

    Well, all except one.

    "Do you know what you will be doing for today?"

    "Yes. I''ll mostly just be following around Madam President and reciting the script given to me, right? How hard could it be?" Harker Jones smiled just like Gulliver Swift, her vice presidential candidate, would smile.

    Artea couldn''t understand it. She was already expecting Harker to be getting sarcastic and moody towards her as usual. But this¡­.

    This was pretty unexpected.

    He was just as focused on the objective as she was. He didn''t say anything besides what he was told. He acted just like Gulliver Swift, a friendly and suave man, just as easily as he breathed.

    If Artea didn''t know any better, she would have thought that he somehow hijacked Gulliver''s body and was simply controlling it.

    He looked just like Gulliver too, though Artea wasn''t really surprised about that part. Rnd''s connections were something else. If it was some kind of skin suit or highly advanced make-up or prosthetics, she''d believe it. Technology was getting crazier by the minute.

    By lunch time, she had arranged for her and ''Gulliver'' to eat alone instead of their whole party like they usually do.

    The other candidates found this strange, but then again, she''s the boss. Maybe they were discussing some secret tactic against their opponent.

    After all, Kian Shaw may be some new hotshot nobody, but there was some advantage to his favor. His party was the only one going against Artea''s, and there were no independent candidates running for president.

    That''s because before he came around, everyone already believed that she would win. So trying to go against her was pointless.

    But because he came as an underdog, people will see him as some champion challenging a tyrant. A David facing against a Goliath. And besides¡­..

    He''s a man, and he''s white. Much of Artea''s haters were white men waiting to see her downfall simply because they believe no woman should be in a high position in anything.

    If Kian yed his cards right, he could very well dethrone the Queen of Holmwood.

    This was the reason why Artea was more stressed than usual, and when she was stressed, she tended to have a lesser appetite and a sensitive stomach.

    Harker noticed her picking on her food as she talked to him at lunch.

    "So Rnd told me that you''re here to spy on Galeas Fieldings, right? Since Chief Fieldings is your main suspect?"

    Harker nodded, eating his food quietly. But he still observed her mannerisms.

    Artea seemed to have a habit of having her eyes move around. It was fast enough for people to not notice, especially if they were engaged in conversation with her and trying to think of a response.

    But since Harker had just been quiet, he noticed it.

    Artea would often be distracted by just the smallest noise in her surroundings. A studentlyughing a little too loud, nging of tes¡­.? Even just the notion of someone passing them by would cause her to have this anxious look on her face.

    Harker realized that these traits were a little simr to Rnd back in high school.

    He had always noticed it. He can''t remember when it began, but¡­.. He thought Rnd increasingly became uneasy during those years yet told no one about it.

    He didn''t say anything because he didn''t really know what to say. He didn''t know what to do. But he wished he at least tried.

    It must be hell feeling that way.

    "I see." Artea said, her feet tapping about uncontrobly. "Well¡­.. I''ll help you as much as I can."

    He could sense that she was feeling awkward, not used to having someone not answering and merely looking at her.

    And he was right. Artea felt that every time Harker would stop paying attention to his te and looked up at her, he would be looking deep into her soul. Knowing things about her that he shouldn''t, things that she had hid to everyone for such a long time.

    Harker sighed, and decided to speak to calm her down.

    "Thank you. I do appreciate it, Ms. Holmwood."

    Artea''s eyes widened, and she let out a breath at this. "Oh¡­. You''re wee."

    There was another awkward pause. This time, Harker decided to be the one to break the silence since he can''t stand the anxious aura around this woman.

    She was like a swan. Looking all graceful on the outside, yet under water, her feet were paddling for dear life to keep her afloat.

    Besides, he had been meaning to learn more about this topic anyway.

    "By the way¡­.. Can you tell me more about what you know about Kian Shaw?"

 Chapter 248 Blooming like Lightning Flowers

    <h4>Chapter 248 Blooming like Lightning Flowers</h4>

    "Kian Shaw? Why do you ask?"

    Harker shrugged. He couldn''t really tell her about his suspicions about ''Kian'' being actually a shadow monster thing wearing his face, so instead he replied with:

    "He''s your opponent, right? I just found him interesting, being a freshman and all. I heard some things, like how he didn''te from a wealthy family and just got into the university out of pure intelligence and luck. Yet before, his grades weren''t as good as in the entrance exam."

    Artea rubbed her chin. "Yes, that''s true. His former scores were average, but if not for his great performance in his college application, he wouldn''t have been epted."

    Harker frowned. "Did the school not find it weird? They could have tried to investigate if there was any foul y involved in his application."

    "There wasn''t. And even if there was¡­." Artea sighed. "The school cannot expel him anymore. Not when he''s enrolled and even allowed to campaign for president. That would be humiliating on their part."

    Harker was a bit stunned by Artea''s honesty. She didn''t even try to cover up for the school that was owned by her family.

    When Harker said this, she justughed bitterly.

    "The school is not ours. People keep pushing that idea. But Father Arthur is just a figurehead, a puppet ruler even as a headmaster. Yes, his family had this school built, but it had long grown into something else. He just stays to make sure that their legacy, the artifacts they found, and the reputation of the Holmwood name was being maintained."

    This gave Harker quite a new insight. He really did think that since this was named after the Holmwood family, their sphere of influence over the school would be absolute. But that didn''t seem to be the case.

    Artea added: "I have no reason to be offended when people point out the failings of this institution. In fact, I''d rather have that so I''ll know what to improve and what I could do to help. Being the SC President allows me to do that, I''m actually a more active force here than Father Arthur."

    Harker found it interesting that she would often call her step-grandfather ''Father Arthur''. She recognized him as her father figure, but it was all too formal. Their rtionship was quiteplicatedpared even to the usual adoptive parent-child rtionships.

    Speaking of that¡­.

    Kian was also adopted by an unmarried woman just near Bill''s and Bob''s Burgers. Laura Shaw was her name, and Harker remembered seeing her once or twice before.

    Does she know about her son''s¡­.. abrupt change? Or did she just wave it off like Rnd did?

    Harker still had to check on BBB after all to see if the bosses'' noticed the change, especially since his employee of the month picture was still there. And from what he heard, Kian was no longer working there for a long time.

    He was also sure that after his three month''s of disappearance, he was fired from the burger joint and reced already. Not that it mattered, it''s just¡­

    It made him feel that nostalgic mncholy again of losing his past.

    "It''s good that you reminded me." Artea suddenly said, checking on her watch. "I have to visit Father Arthur before going to the next ss."

    Harker stood up. "Right. Do you mind if I join you?"

    He just remembered that thing about the headmaster being rted to whatever his father was up to. He got disoriented a little when a ringing returned to his ears¡­..

    And he could almost see the face of that burningdy who gave him a burning kiss.

    Harker knew that it was all just a dream, but also notpletely so. Thedy felt different, like she was actually therepared to... The other unsavory characters of his dream.

    She was real, along with that screaming swirling creature tugging on his thread. And of course, there''s the spider.

    He doesn''t know what to make of them. But what he does know was that the burningdy visited him, and knew about his existence. She gave him a prophecy that Harker very much would like to disprove.

    "When your hurting bes a desire to hurt everything¡­.. You and I shall make a cute couple!"

    Harker was repulsed by the jolly sound of her voice upon saying this. He had no interest in being a ''cute couple'' with thisdy of fire. This ''Pele''.

    He wondered if the headmaster knew where she lived. He hoped so, but at least he learned from Samuel''s visions that they knew each other. If he could be that one person who would lead to the answer to his questions, then that would be really convenient.

    But Harker tried not to get his hopes up, or at least not make it visible on his face.

    It''s not actually possible, as the ming eagerness was very much impossible to hide from his eyes.

    Artea just gave him a stunned nce when he quickly bolted from his chair after she said she''d be going to the headmaster''s office. She eventually nodded after blinking away her confusion.

    "I suppose so¡­. Father Arthur was fond of Gulliver after all. He certainly won''t mind if you came along." She said. "To be fair, everyone was fond of Gulliver."

    Harker nodded, walking by her side. "Great. Lead the way, Madam President."

    Artea doesn''t really know what to feel about being called that. Sometimes she found it almost mocking her, though sometimes it would give an odd feeling to her chest. It was almost¡­. sweet, in a way.

    Despite their differences, Harker still recognized her position that she had worked hard for.

    They soon reached the door, and Artea knocked carefully. She spoke in a tone more polite than she usually had:

    "This is Artea, Father. I am also with Gulliver Swift. May Ie in?"

    An aged man''s voice came from behind the door, rough and breathy.

    "You may."

    Artea opened the door, and the man sitting behind the headmaster''s desk was just as he expected. Old and wrinkly, with white thinning hair, a pristine suit, and a well-kept beard. However, he had one trait that Harker would never have anticipated.

    On his skin were many white scars. Or more urately, it was just one scar, branching off like a tree.

    He recognized this pattern to be the Lichtenberg figure. It happens when there''s an electric discharge that appears on the surface of insting materials. They were sometimes called ''lightning flowers'' as they often ''bloom'' when something was struck by lightning.

    In other words¡­.

    Arthur Holmwood had been struck by lightning, hence why those scars bloomed on his skin.

 Chapter 249 Not Your Friend

    <h4>Chapter 249 Not Your Friend</h4>

    Harker couldn''t help but wonder when he had received such scars. It seemed to be long ago, but he was more keen on knowing what the circumstances were¡­..

    And what changes could have happened.

    After all, he was tied to the supernatural. Things like this may have been a coincidence for anyone else, but Harker would bet that it had something to do with his connection to Pele, Yakov Perelman, and his father.

    Was he also supernatural himself? There was only one way to find out for sure.

    He needed to get his DNA.

    He doesn''t have many options besides the old man''s teacup. He''ll be talking with Artea mostly, and if Harker was fast enough, he won''t notice if he swiped that shit and got a sample.

    Harker eyes the half-finished tea cup for a moment, then goes back to smiling like Gulliver Swift.

    "Good afternoon, Mr. Holmwood. How are you today?"

    The headmaster smiled back at him pleasantly. "I''m doing quite well, Mr. Swift. I take it that you and my Artea are still busy with the campaign?"

    "Yes, Father." Artea said. "We just came by because I wanted to give you a report on the recent developments."

    She then went on to deliver a detailed and formal report of what she had been up to, along with her ns for the evening. She waspletely emotionless, and just stood there talking like a robot. Her ''father'' just listened in, nodding at times and going ''hmm''.

    For a moment, Harker thought he was looking at Victoria again. But the difference was that while Victoria was acting to please her father¡­.

    It felt more like this was Artea''s most rxed state.

    She didn''t need to smile all the time. And the politeness and respect she gives for her adoptive father seemed to be genuine, like that was just the way she sees him. It didn''t feel forced at all, and her eyes didn''t move about nervously.

    It was bizarre, because for most humans, they show affection by being informal. But these two were the exact opposite of that.

    Artea just talked about her ns and Arthur Holmwood just acknowledged it, but Harker could tell that these two were actually close. It wasn''t subordination, but rather a tacit way ofmunicating as ''family''.

    Still, he can''t be too distracted by their strange rtionship. Harker had swiped the teacup and took a sip before anyone could see.

    It was so fast, and the teacup didn''t even make any sound as it happened

    Harker waited for the holographic screen. Sure enough, it came in front of him and showed:

    [Arthur Holmwood''s Ability: All D]

    So it was just the same as the stats of an average human. He was not anything supernatural¡­.. yet.

    Harker was a little disappointed, but then again, his father was also just a regr human thest time he checked. And yet he was still involved in things like this, almost as if he was under the curse of these monsters. Marked.

    Forced to perform some tasks under their bidding without transforming like Harker did.

    He suddenly had the passing thought that this meant that Rnd was a marked human as well. And though he wasn''t really forced to do anyone''s bidding, he was forced to be involved in everything Harker did regarding the supernatural from now on.

    It made the small drop of tea that he drank feel like a poison churning his stomach.

    The Holmwoods finished talking, and the headmaster turned to ''Gulliver''.

    "That''s all good news. Is there anything you would like to add or discuss, Mr. Swift?"

    Harker then took this chance to get the answers he seeked.

    "I was actually hoping to speak with you in private after ss, Mr. Holmwood. It''s not rted to the campaign just¡­. something personal."

    Artea''s eyes widened at this, obviously wondering what he could possibly want to talk about her father.

    Arthur Holmwood just made that ''hmm'' sound again. "Hmm¡­. I see. I''ll be free for a few minutester for the day, but I''m afraid I have to go home before evening arrives. My wife is waiting for me and she keeps reminding me about the doctor''s advice to not stay toote on chilly autumn nights. My health is not as it used to be, after all."

    "Of course. I understand, Sir." Harker said.

    Artea suddenly took his hand and bid her father farewell. "We should get going now, Father. I''ll see youter."

    "Take care." Arthur Holmwood waved lightly as they went out the door.

    Artea then took him all the way out into an empty hallway, and hissed under her breath. "What was that about? Why do you need to talk to Father Arthur?"

    Harker just yanked his hand away. "Like I said, it''s personal. Nothing to do with you."

    "Of course it has everything to do with me." Artea said. "What, are you suspecting him now too? Because my father had been sickly for a long time now, though he''s very good at enduring it and making it seem like it''s nothing¡ª-"

    "No, I don''t suspect him. Why are you getting so defensive anyway?" Harker frowned.

    This was the first time that he actually saw Artea be mad at him. Even when Harker was pushing her buttons, she never actually showed signs of being affected by it.

    But when ites to her adoptive father, all her guards go up.

    "It''s just that¡­. Sigh. You won''t understand. If something happens to Father Arthur¡­ Mama would get upset. And I don''t need her to be more upset with me than she is now. I don''t want him to get involved in whatever was happening regarding the murders and that Circus Cabaret."

    She let go of him. "You should get to your ss, we''ll meet upter."

    She quickly went to leave, as if trying to avoid Harker seeing more into her expression. But that would be toote.

    The dread was apparent on her face. Artea was scared.

    Especially the moment she talked about her ''Mama'' being upset, which Harker assumed to be her grandmother.

    The dynamics of the Holmwood family was really something else, and Harker couldn''t help but be drawn to learn more. He didn''t know when it started, but he suddenly had the urge to learn more about everything.

    It''s like a hunger he can''t satiate, this curiosity. It got stronger the moment he epted the fact that the reason he kept on wanting to collect the Shards was to learn more about Yan and his master.

    Even now when he had to put that aside to solve this case and his father''s disappearance, there''s still an itch within him to just dig through Yan''s past and know.

    Harker went to go to his next ss, and as he did¡­..

    He saw Kian Shaw by the door.

    Right, he and Gulliver Swift were sharing this one. The presidential candidate for the red party kept on smiling wide as he talked to his ''peers'', his skin still shiny and peerless.

    Harker narrowed his eyes, and decided to approach him.

    "Good afternoon, Mr. Shaw."

    As the man turned to him, Harker was certain that he knew. He could see right through Harker''s shapeshifting, and knew that Harker could also see right through him.

    "Why, hello there..... friend."

 Chapter 250 Everyone is an Imposter

    <h4>Chapter 250 Everyone is an Imposter</h4>

    Harker was reminded by a certain someone when he got called ''friend'' by this imposter.

    There was just something unique about the way Ivan Ivanovich would call people his ''friend'', with all the realness and affectionate tone of a true friend would, yet at the same time feel so fake.

    And Harker knew he must have adapted it from the fake people he had been around the Circus Cabaret. Those ''people'' who wouldugh and cry but never actually felt anything. Just a bunch of hollow mannequins.

    Seeing this mannequin wear such a simr face yet apletely different demeanor up close in person¡­.. It produced a more visceral effect on him that he expected.

    He thought that after all the business with a cannibalistic pedophilic priest taking over his mother''s body, or his clone upying his friend''s body and pretending to be him, or even a Native American man he thought to be his friend being part of some flesh hive all along would have prepared him for this.

    Yet the hair on his arms still rose once ''Kian'' turned his empty gaze at him.

    He could tell that this thing felt nothing towards him. It had no emotions, save for perhaps malice and sadism, but other than that, there''s nothing else. Yet it was so good at copying human reactions and nuances that it just made it all the more unsettling to know that it is NOT his former co-worker.

    They just looked at each other for a while, eye to eye. Everyone else was confused and giving them weird looks, as if expecting a fight to ensue. Still, ''Kian Shaw'' didn''t feel inclined to stop this staring contest.

    He seemed to take delight in it, though Harker knew that delight was also nothing but a farce.

    The animated things were just that. Objects. They can''t feel anything, they can only emte. But they have intentions, and those intentions were more often than not cruel.

    "Everyone take a seat."

    Only the professor''s voice managed to end this tense staring contest thatsted for possibly 15 seconds or so. But for Harker, it felt much, much longer as he got to see through the essence of this being in front of him. It''s ''identity''.

    "Nice to see you, friend." That was all Kian Shaw said as he left for his seat, still wearing that smile.

    Even during ss discussion, he was still surrounded by people and being interacted with. He had be their new favorite person after all. Whether they were interested by his new good looks, or his charming personality, or the fact that he was going against Artea Holmwood¡­.

    It''s still the same. He was on disy for all of them to gawk at.

    Harker spent most of his time in ss observing the imposter.?He was lucky that Gulliver usually sits behind ''Kian'', but every so often when ''Kian'' would talk to someone beside him, he would give Harker a side eye. And his lips would curl more than it had.

    Harker tried to resist the urge to punch him in the face. He was reminded that thi meant the old Kian was gone, and this thing had killed him.

    Harker can imagine it in its shadowy form, stabbing the poor boy and then peeling off the skin off his face. Then, he would wear it like a mask and transform its body simrly, but also ''better''. Bast on what''s ''better'' ording to human standards.

    It disgusts him more than the killing, this act of recing. It felt like the greatest disrespect to everything that was human and REAL. A constant never-ending lie.

    And Harker was quite sick of lies.

    ".... You see ss, changes in sovereignty would often mean changes in the ce itself. Its rulers, itsws, its culture¡­.. Even its name. How many of you knew the old name of New York during the Dutch settlement?"

    At this, many hands were raised, including the imposter''s.?The professor picked him, of course.

    "Yes, Mr. Shaw?"

    "It was once New Amsterdam. When the English took over it in 1664, they named it after the Duke of York. Just like how Istanbul was once Constantinople when the Turks gained sovereignty over it."

    The professor nodded. "Very good, Mr. Shaw. It''smon for countries and ces to change names more than you think, or have multiple names at once. And every time, it meant that it had changed form. It had changed shape, like y being molded into a pot, or a caterpir turning into a butterfly."

    Harker narrowed his eyes. ''Or a human being a not human.''

    By the end of the ss, Harker had decided to follow along wherever imposter Kian Shaw went. He knew he should be looking for Artea since they still had some campaigning shit to do, but he couldn''t pass up this chance.

    When he saw ''Kian'' go over to the men''s restroom, he still followed along. This time, he took the hair strand of a male student passing by and smoothly turned his features into him.

    ''Kian'' was standing by the urinal, and Harker sidled up beside him.

    He wondered if this thing really does pee, or if it just pretends to be. Something was flowing out of whatever he was holding in his hand though, that''s for sure. But from what Harker had seen, it was clear like water.

    So this thing just eats and drinks without it being digested, and lets it out in its full form?

    "You have a handsome face, friend."

    The imposter suddenly said, not even looking at him. Harker froze, knowing well that this doppelganger had seen through his cover.

    He just scoffed and said. "What the hell, man. I don''t even know you. You gay or something?"

    He went to zip up his pants and go to the sink. As he washed his hands, ''Kian'' also moved beside him to wash his hands.

    "I just like appreciating men''s beauty, is that so wrong? I know many people who would kill to be as good-looking as you." He said with a wide grin.

    Harker turned to him with a deadly re.

    Without saying anything, he delivered his message clearly. ''I''d like to see you and your stic friends try.''

    ''Kian'' just smiled. "Have a nice day, my friend."

    He left with a wilful jig in his steps. Harker growled, and picked another person''s hair to replicate as he followed him along.

    ''Kian'' seemed to be heading out into the school gates. Harker kept his distance, but the imposter knew he was following him.

    Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure approach ''Kian''.

    He was no longer wearing that silly hat and ringmaster costume. He looked just like a regr college student or random civilian, but there was no mistaking it.

    It was Ivan Ivanovich. He seemed to be handing this ''Kian'' imposter something.

    It was a book. Harker couldn''t see it clearly, but it seemed to be old and leatherbound. And in the front cover¡­.

    Were two familiar symbol written with red ink. He realized that it was one was a cartoony heart. And right beside it was an actual anatomical drawing of a heart.

    He mumbled in both exasperation and annoyance.

    "Kokoro to Shinzou. Those damn grandpas again."

 Chapter 251 Feels like Vertigo

    <h4>Chapter 251 Feels like Vertigo</h4>

    Harker decided he would pay that antique shop a visitter at night. He would first meet up with Artea for until all day sses were dismissed and he could meet with Headmaster Holmwood.

    He waved goodbye to Artea in a hurry. "Is that all? Right, see you tomorrow."

    Of course she would not be settled. So she decided to stay in school by the gates, waiting for when she was sure Harker had been to her father''s office. She was cautious enough to not actually follow him around as she could tell how observant he was.

    She finally went to the office after 5 minutes had passed since the time he should have entered by now. She went to listen by the door, pressing her ear against it.

    ".... What are you talking about!? Liar!"

    "I am telling the truth, Sir. What was it¡­ Jones, right? I don''t know anything about your father or his whereabouts."

    Artea furrowed his brows. What does Harker''s father have to do with this?

    He sounded very angry, much more than she had ever heard him. The vitriol radiating from his words was so strong that she thought anyone who was that mad could kill someone. And yet her father remained calm, as if he was speaking while sipping his tea.

    Artea clenched her fist, her manicured nails digging through her skin. Should she go inside? But if she did, the situation might just get worse.

    The truth was that she never trusted Harker Jones.

    She was only doing Rnd a favor, because Rnd was her friend. Rnd understood her situation, and she understood Rnd''s. But again and again, she had pointed out how Harker was not good for him. Even before she met the guy, she just had a feeling that he would spell trouble.

    Yet a part of her hoped she wasn''t right. Of course she didn''t want to be in danger, and to have her family be endangered even for the sake of a friend.

    Her hand almost sped at the doorknob when she heard:

    "Fine¡­. But just so you know, your daughter is in danger. I''m possibly the only guy who could keep her safe. If you won''t tell me anything, then I won''t tell you anything about what might happen to her either. What might happen to us all."

    She stopped at this, eyes wide. What is he talking about?

    Since when had she been in danger? Does it have to do with how much he was so focused on Kian Shaw?

    Mr. Holmwood seemed to reconsider this. He then spoke, much more guarded this time.

    "I''m listening. I do remember something that might help with your ventures."

    Harker seemed to be speaking through gritted teeth, and Artea could almost see a mirthless smile on his lips as he said:

    "You first, old man. Or is your pride more important than your daughter''s life?"

    Arthur Holmwood sighed and relented. "The one who sent you this urn, Yakov¡­ He and I used to be associates. We worked together on this project, along with several others, after we encountered something the whole world was not ready to see."

    "Monsters?" Harker guessed.

    "We prefer to call them other species. We don''t know if they''re intergctic, or if they were made from our world. Did theye with the meteor that struck the dinosaurs? What is it with their rtionship with humanity, and why were they sentient like us? As we tried to understand them¡­. We just learned there''s no point."

    "What do you mean there''s no point?"

    "They''re unfathomable. They may be the Other, but they were intrinsically connected to us the way that no other creature that we the masses know of. They may be the gods that humans worshiped years ago, or the old inhabitants¡­.. We just don''t know. Trying to know would just be flying too close to the sun. The more you know, the more you lose."

    Harker snickered. "And so you decided to cut ties with this¡­ organization? Was that when you got struck by lightning?"

    Arthur Holmwood said solemnly: "These scars¡­. They''re a gift in a way. That''s why I am able to do what I do now. But they are also a reminder. I am marked, there''s nothing much I could do besides staying in myne. I cannot divert farther, my family¡­. I cannot lose them. And trust me when I tell you this, boy."

    He sounded so sorrowful, like he truly pitied those in his organization that had lost more than he had.

    "People like us¡­. People like me and your father¡­ We always have more to lose than we initially think. It''s arrogant to keep pursuing the Dark World, to continue looking through the veil. The veil is our safety, it''s what keeps us existing. Men lost their families, their sanity, their lives, themselves¡­."

    But Harker made a sound that was like a grunt of disagreement. He said nothing else, and Arthur sighed again.

    "Here is the address of one of the few remaining in our group. The one that marked him is not as unforgiving¡­ And certainly gave him more leeway. As for the one who molded the urn, and the burning Lady¡­. Give up. They''re not marked. They are much bigger forces than you are, even in the state that you are in."

    "I''ll be the judge of that. Used to being the underdog anyway." Harker said. "Here''s the address of those who may be nning to hurt your daughter."

    He handed something to him, but Artea couldn''t see what. They just cleanly exchanged like this.

    Arthur Holmwood made another ''Hmm''.

    "Hmm, you''re certain? They''re making their move now?"

    "Yes. From what I could tell in their recent activities. They''re working with those involved with those face-tearing murders."

    "Ah, I understand now. Thank you for letting me know about it, but this hardly suffices for all the information I gave you."

    Harker scoffed. "Like I said, I am protecting her. Not really my choice, but I know how devastated my friend would be if something happens to her."

    "Hmm¡­ I see. I''m d agreeing to Mr. Faust''s terms was the right decision."

    There was a pause, and then Harker said:

    "Can you let me go now?"

    She blinked at this. Let him go?

    "Of course."

    She didn''t know exactly what happened, but she suddenly felt the slightest tremor from where she stood. It was like when you were standing in an elevator, and it started going down.

    "Please take care of Artea¡­ And her innocence. I won''t involve myself much for the fear that it would just make her suspicious. My daughter is wiser than most people give her credit for."

    Harker nodded. "Sure thing. She won''t know anything, and she won''t be marked¡­. Unless she had been already, of course. You sure she hadn''t?"

    "No. And I have ways of knowing."

    "Good. I''ll check this guy you''re talkin'' about. Don''t use vertigo on me next time."

    The old man chuckled, which was a first for Artea after so many years of his sickness.

    "It was just a precaution. But yes, I won''t use it on you next time."

    Harker left, and she quickly hid and walked away.

    But as soon as Harker went outside the door, it seemed that he had already been aware of her presence. No, it was the moment that Arthur ''let him go''.

    His eyes turned exactly on the direction by the wall where Artea hid.

    "Fuck. You just really have to go and make me break the deal I made with your dad not even a minute ago, huh?"

 Chapter 252 When Looking at Something Impossible

    <h4>Chapter 252 When Looking at Something Impossible</h4>

    Harker had pulled her all the way into thatary exhibit outside. The sun was going down, and fewer students were roaming around, most of them taking night sses.

    "Alright. How much did you hear?" He asked, his eyes glowing for some reason.

    Artea yanked her hand away, and looked away almost sheepishly. "Barely anythingprehensible. I heard you yelling to him about your father, and then you two started talking about gods and monsters and otherwordly things¡­. Theories about the meteor, all that¡­. I can''t understand a single thing. Then there''s this vertigo. What was that?"

    Harker rubbed his face. "You really heard more than you should."

    Artea crossed her arms. "And how much exactly is ''more than I should''? Up to the point where you were talking about dinosaurs?"

    "Everything. You shouldn''t have been listening in, and you shouldn''t have heard us talking at all." Harker slumped on a park bench in exasperation. "But of course you''d know. Of course you would, fate likes ying tricks on me this way."

    "Then can I get a proper exnation?" Artea sat beside him.

    "No. You heard your father. The less you know and understand, the safer you will be. And I agree with that statement 100% from first-hand experience." Harker said.

    "Because I''m in danger from whatever, right? Or was it because you all think I''m just some weak little sheltered princess that had to be protected?"

    Artea couldn''t keep her patience any longer from these men that liked to keep her in the dark as ''protection''. She had experienced that already before¡­. With that man who brought her to this world. Who forced her to live a childhood full of fear and confusion, not knowing anything and merely answering things like ''You''d be okay''.

    She had a glimpse of the usual conversation they had, with him carrying her in his military uniform and covering her tiny head:

    "Papa, what''s happening? What happened to our house?"

    "It''s okay, hija. We''ll be safe. I''ll get you and your Mama out of here."

    It''s the same thing all over again. She disliked being blinded from what was going on in this world as a child, and she disliked it right now.

    "Harker Jones, whatever danger is facing me, I''d rather face it head on knowing what was happening than be under your flimsy protection. If you can''t even keep my ''innocence'' within a minute of promising it to my father, how else could you keep everything else?"

    Harker groaned. "It''s not my fault that you got nosy!"

    "Because why wouldn''t I¡ª Hmph!"

    Harker suddenly covered her mouth. He then pointed somewhere.

    "Aight. You want to know things, right? Well, that''s also what I want. And that man over there¡­.. He''st eh main source of your danger along with his friends. That''s why I''m trying to investigate him, because I still don''t know what they''re up to."

    He was pointing at Kian Shaw, who was going to some building with a book in hand.

    Artea pushed his hand away in disgust. "Was that really necessary? And what exactly makes Kian Shaw a danger to me? What, he''s nning to kill me just to win the elections?"

    "You know what? Maybe. Now keep quiet, we''re going to follow him. I need to know what he''s nning with that book."

    Harker then took her hand, and they went to chase after the shadows of this man. Or theck thereof. Artea only now noticed that while everyone else had their shadows cast onto the ground by the pale, sinking sun¡­..

    This man didn''t.

    Now, that could just be a trick of the light but¡­. Hearing what she did just now and the strangeness of the whole affair, she''s starting to think that trying to deny it''s abnormality would be pointless.

    Fine, monsters exist. Gods exist. She didn''t care, as long as she didn''t have to be the blind one again.

    She''d easily ept it as long as she knew the full picture, and the options that she had.

    Harker felt very much conflicted with this new development. But what''s done was done, and he can''t change it anymore so no point in dwelling on it.

    Mistakes were made, and he had been stupid. Whatever. People can just eat his balls if they botherining about how he never gets his shit together, because they sure as hell were not in the same position as he was in.

    It''s easy to believe what you would do in a certain situation and im that you would do better than who you were watching. That''s why so many backseat coaches exist, screaming in their TV screens or the bleachers when watching sports like football or basketball.

    Yet they were not in the moment. They keep sitting on their fat asses and pot belliesining andining, yet they will never fare better than the one who''s actually on the field.

    But Harker digressed. He just can''t help but be annoyed for some reason with that thought of people judging and mocking him in the sidelines without considering what it''s like in his shoes.

    Ever since Legion mentioned an audience, he always had that annoying feeling in his head of eyes following his every move and criticizing him.

    But he needs to focus on the present, and ignore those judging eyes.

    Kian Shaw went inside an unfinished building in the more remote areas of Holmwood University. It had quite argend area and was constantly in the state of renovating older facilities or building new ones. The marking shows that this was to be one of the observatories, specifically for telescopes and astronomical observations.

    It was to be the tallest building in the area, just a tower with a dome and arge telescope inside.

    Kian Shaw went in, walking mechanically now that nobody was looking. Or he assumed so.

    He set down the book, and began to read. Harker and Artea hid behind the walls, and he squinted his eyes on what Kian may be reading.

    He couldn''t control the guy toe closer using the Subus skill, as he expected. None of his skills would work on it. The best he could do was snatch the book from him to read it himself.

    Kian continued reading, and seemed to nod thoughtfully to himself.

    "The Queen of Deception, heed my call." He said, and then started speaking in gibberish.

    Harker could tell it was gibberish because of the sounds he made that no human could. He continued to ''speak'' faster and faster¡­..

    Until his body sheds the skin that it was wearing, and reveals his true form.

    It was¡­. beyond hideous. Something just purely revolting to look at, but not in the same sickening way as one would look at beetles or vomit or anything like that. It was sickening because it was impossible. It was absolutely wrong in all ways that it was impossible for any human to not have a strong reaction from staring at it.

    And Artea already did better than most who would have lost their minds upon witnessing it.

    She just screamed.

 Chapter 253 Facing Your Fears

    <h4>Chapter 253 Facing Your Fears</h4>

    The terrible, iprehensible thing turned its head towards the direction of the sound. But before it even did that, Harker wasted no time and ran, dragging Artea along.

    Surely, this thing wouldn''t follow them out into the public with everyone around¡­..

    Wait.

    Where did everyone go?

    Harker scanned the area, and it was all empty. Not a single person in sight. Not just that, but there didn''t seem to be any sign of life anywhere.

    The nts and the trees looked too shiny, and he realized they were made of stic. The squirrels that jumped about in the dark had a metallic sound to them, along with a whirring that led him to believe they could be animatronics.

    Harker soon realized that he asked the wrong question.

    Where are they?

    They kept running and hid behind the library building. Artea was very much afraid, but besides the shout, she didn''t make any sounds.

    Instead she was whimpering and crying very quietly. She covered her mouth and clung tighter on Harker''s arm.

    "I''m sorry." She mouthed to him.

    Harker shook his head, not willing to risk making noise and drawing the attention of the Imposter. The lights in this strange, lifeless ce were flickering just like it did with the dumpsters where the murders had been.

    Soon, they would be engulfed in total darkness. Which was not a problem to Harker before, but¡­..

    He could sense now that he had lost night vision.

    He swallowed hard, thinking of what else he could lose. He tried to call Yan in his mind¡­..

    But there was no response. Harker was already expecting that, because he couldn''t feel its presence. Even when it''s invisible, he could always feel its presence nearby.

    He had no powers and was stuck in some strange domain.

    This didn''t feel like his dream. That one was different, but at the same time, they both feel like not part of either reality or not reality. They were an in-between, and yet he felt that in that distorted, twisted dream, any injury he sustained mentally would stay even in the real world. In fact, if it weren''t for the spider, Harker was sure he would have gone insane.

    Yet as for this one¡­..

    Could it be the opposite? Could it be that anything that happened to him physically here, in the Imposter''s domain¡­..

    Would also manifest in the real world?

    He came into the harrowing conclusion that this must be where the actual murders happen. In this awfully wrong alternate version of their world.

    "My friiieeeenddsssss¡­.. Whereeeee areeee youuuuu?"

    His blood almost became frozen within his veins when he heard that voice. The Imposter still used Kian''s voice, but it was wrong. Not distorted, but just¡­.. wrong. Fake, the same way robotic voices felt fake and emotionless.

    It was trying to emte a sing-songy tone, with hints of amusement. But it wasn''t real.

    "There''s no need to hide¡­. I know you have been watching me for a long time. Ivan told me about you, and I know now from my mother that we had been working in the same burger joint before. Isn''t that right, Harker Jones?"

    Harker tried to think of what he could do. He can''t use his powers, and even if he could, the Subus and Snake skill never take effect on these unreal creatures.

    Still, his expanding hair could have been useful, or the ferocity of the Wendigo, or even his ability to dissolve as those zombified fleshy worms.

    But here, he was just the same as any weak human.

    It felt hopeless. He could only try to fight, but does he have any chance in fighting that¡­.. thing?

    It stretched with its long limbs, having a humanoid figure yet far too thin and far too malleable. It moved almost like a puppet, its feet barely touching the ground, movements blocky and rough.

    Wait a minute¡­..

    It''s a puppet. If it''s a puppet, then once he cut off its strings¡­..

    He remembered how the ring mistress just attached strings all over Ivan''s body and controlled it. If he cut this Imposter''s strings, the Mother of Puppets, the Queen of Deception might just re-attach it again.

    He looked at the book that the Imposter was carrying. Maybe if he took the book, he could get out of here.

    He turned to Artea, and whispered. "Where do you think we could find any sharp objects? Scissors, shears, knives¡­. Anything that could cut?"

    Artea was shivering in fear and trying hard not to make a sound, and it took a while to make her snap out of it.

    She worriedly nced over the looming shadow of the Imposter searchingnguidly in the park, almost purposefully too slow. She knew it was just toying with him by taking its time.

    "The gardener''s tool shed... I know where it is."

    Harker nodded. "Good. We''re going to slowly make our way there. Then, we would have to choose which of us will be the bait."

    "Bait?" She frowned.

    Harker shushed her. "I''ll exinter once we''re inside the gardener''s shed. Come on."

    They tiptoed their way to the school''s gardens, ducking behind walls and hedges while the Imposter was not looking at their way.

    The Imposter was still looking around slowly and calmly as usual, wearing that wide smile on his face.

    "Come out,e out, my friendsss¡­.. There''s no point in hiding. I promise that your faces will find wonderful new owners soon."

    Harker and Artea finally approached the toolshed. It was locked, but there was a small window that was open by just a crack.

    He cursed under his breath. "Fuck¡­. Okay. We have to find those scissors quickly. This is going to be loud."

    He tried to push the creaky window as much as he could. It was heavy, but he had some muscle hypertrophy from fighting muscles before even if he had lost his powers as a demon lord.

    He only managed to push the window up until it''s big enough for Artea to go in.? In that instant, he knew what he had to do. He motioned for her to go in.

    "It''s decided then. I''ll be the bait. You take some scissors, and when the time is right, you go cut the strings attached to that thing. You understand?"

    "What?" She eximed.

    "Just go now! Hurry!"

    He started running away from the toolshed, but as soon as he did...

    A hand had already firmly grasped him, emerging from the shadows. His guess was right.

    It was him that the Imposter was after, not Artea. So he was the only one who could bait it.

    "There you are, my handsome friend." The Kian imposter looked at him with its empty, unblinking orbs for an eye.

    Harker grinned. "You want my face, right? Come get it before I ruin it for you."

    He suddenly took a tree branch, and used it to scratch his face!

    The Imposter quickly yanked it away from him before the scratch could be deep enough. It growled and pinned down Harker''s hands with itsrge, abnormal ones.

    "Ah, what a bad friend. You shouldn''t waste such a pretty face."

    Harker looked behind him, seeing the looming figure of a mad woman holding gigantic shears in her hands.

    SNIP!

 Chapter 254 At The Devilâ€™s Hour

    <h4>Chapter 254 At The Devil''s Hour</h4>

    The Imposter snapped its neck behind it, and suddenly turned invisible again. It seemed to have lunged at Artea as she fell backwards, the shears still in her hands.

    "You!!! You just can''t wait for your turn, huh!? Must you steal this moment from me!?"

    It then shoved Artea down, but only one of its arms was working. The other nowy limp in the ground, acting almost like a weight to drag him down.

    It''s the same thing with its head, which doesn''t really move as it speaks. A voice continued to speak through it though, and yelled with rage as move quickly to peel the skin off Artea''s face¡ª"

    "Ahhhhh!"

    That shout wasn''t hers.

    Harker managed to put himself between them on time, and it was his shoulder that got grabbed by The Imposter. It tore into his flesh and took his skin from him.

    The Imposter may not be able to make expressions, but it made a gasp of shock from what it has done. Before it could fully recover from the shock, Harker moved to take the scissor from Artea and cut thest two strings from its body!

    The Imposter then copsed, falling with its limbs all over the ce. Harker helped Artea out of its gigantic body, and he aimed the scissors to its neck.

    "How do we get out of here? Where''s the book? Tell me!"

    The Imposter just made a hoarse chuckle. The hoarseness sounded like the voicebox of someone who had not spoken for a long time, or perhaps it was because the organs that were meant to make it work had be weak.

    "Even if you find the book¡­.. You will never escape until the Devil''s Hour."

    Harker''s eyes widened as the one oue he never expected arrived, The strings didn''t reattach on the Imposter, instead.

    He was surrounded by that group of mannequins again. Only this time, they were also in their true form with elongated, dark bodies? and wide unblinking eyes.

    Harker held the garden shears, the only weapon they had at the moment. They can look for more, but the fact that they were already surrounded meant that any amount of weapons would be pointless. Even if they put up a fight¡­..

    This was the creature''s domain, and they could roam freely in it.

    Just like in that circus tent where Harker fought the Big Bear, they had always been there and only liked to y with their prey. When they could easily travel through these shadows unseen, and attacked them.

    This was it. The end of the line.

    Harker never knew how much he relied on his skills until now. The concept of putting up a fight even as a ''normal'' human did not evene to his mind, because he already knew precisely how strong these monsters were. He knew that even with just one Ability, no ordinary human would be of match to him.

    He looked at the garden shears in his hand, and thought about putting it on his neck to make it quick¡­.

    "W-What are we going to do, Harker?"

    At that moment, when he heard that scarred voice, he was reminded that there was somebody else beside him. Another life was in his hands. He had always hated the part of him that feels guilty and responsible for everybody else, but¡­.

    In this moment, it was needed. It was his anchor in order to not give in to despair.

    Personal and selfish purposes neverst long. At least not to him. His desire for self-preservation wasn''t as strong as his rationality when ites to how realistic it would be for him to survive in and full of Imposters.

    But with someone relying on him¡­..

    He can let go of all that shit and do something stupid just to protect them.

    Does this make him like those naive heroes? Fuck that. He doesn''t care anymore. He needed a reason to keep going, and even if that reason may seem silly to others, then let them fuck themselves!

    He and Artea will survive this night!

    He aimed his shears to sh through the closest mannequin''s strings. They fought and wed against him, raking even more of his skin. But Harker ignored the pain, and only thought about saving the innocent by his side¡­..

    Just like his father did many years ago against a mob.

    His heart was not just an organ that pumps blood in his veins. It was a living symbol within him, a reminder that he was still here, that he still had a purpose. It beats faster the closer he was to that purpose, whether he was making love with his women, or fighting monsters to protect his family¡­

    And even strangers he barely knew.

    There was a universal desire within him to extend hispassion to the whole world, to those who he deemed to deserve it. Whether he was right or wrong about that judgment does not matter.

    His decision was his own to make.

    "Artea! Catch! Defend yourself!"

    He broke the twobined des of the shear apart, turning them into small knives. One for him, and one for Artea. This way, while he continues fighting for his life and his own, Artea could also do the same.

    He put his trust in her capabilities and her standing as hispanion-in-arms.

    He and Artea did their best to ward them off. But they seemed to be endless, and they sometimes had to run whenever they would get too close and get thempletely surrounded. Still, they needed to get close to cut the strings too.

    It was a difficult affair, and yet Harker believed they could make it through.

    Because he knew what the Devil''s Hour must be.

    "Ok! Come with me!" Harker suddenly said, holding Artea''s hand full of her own blood.

    Her worst damage was therge gash by her right thigh, but other than that, she was doing alright. The mannequins seemed to avoid hurting their faces and heads as much as possible. That meant they only needed to cover their chest and torso area, which wasn''t easy, but still preferable than having to cover their heads too.

    "It''s 3: 30 a.m. now. The Devil''s Hour is 3:33. We only need to wait for 3 minutes!"

    She looked at him in confusion, but still ran with him. They hid in one of the rooms of the unfinished building, and closed the door. They blocked it with their own bodies, huffing as they tried to catch their breaths.

    3 minutes¡­.. They could definitely survive in 3 minutes.

    Harker looked at his watch again. 3:32, now...

    He counted the seconds as they went. There was pressure against the door as the Imposters tried to make their way through.

    They could travel as something invisible through the shadows, but they don''t be immaterial. They just blend with it, which was very much a relief.

    Thankfully, the windows were far from enough from the door. But once they break it¡ª-

    "20¡­. 19¡­. 18¡­."

    Harker and Artea counted with their shaky voices.

    CRASH!

    One managed to m its hands and break the window, reaching out. Artea went to cut its string with a scream!

    "3¡­ 2¡­ 1! It''s over!"

    Harker eximed¡ª

    When another hand had managed toe through the broken window and struck his chest.

    Harker had no time to react as that hand pulled his heart out, and blood came pouring out from the hole it made.

    "HARKER!!!!"

    She was so horrified by the grotesque scene that she passed out from shock.

 Chapter 255 Servant of Destruction

    <h4>Chapter 255 Servant of Destruction</h4>

    Joan went back to the Kokoro to Shinzou shop again, this time during nighttime.

    There was a stark difference between visiting it with the sunlight casting away the shadows than visiting it when the darkness had fully enveloped it in its embrace. The lines of the shop seemed to go much deeper, and lights within flickered at random.

    It was still open, and yet barely anyone in the streets seemed to notice. They always just ignore it, as if it is invisible until you start looking.

    Like how you start seeing figures in the dark the longer you try to find one.

    She inhaled deeply before entering the door, thinking ''here goes nothing''.

    But to her surprise¡ª

    Someone else was in the shop. It was an old gentleman, wearing a crisp suit and holding a cane. He was very pale, from his pale white hair, to his pale white eyes and skin. But there were noticeable slightly red scars all over his body, stretching out like ferns.

    He was struck by lightning, Joan thought.

    This old man spoke calmly with the other old men that owned this shop. If they could even be considered as ''men'', for all Joan knew, these twins could very much be the same hollow things that Aiden Moore was scared of.

    Kokoro and Shinzou just continued to stand straight and smile while listening to the man''s words.

    Once he was done, Joan could see their mouths move to say ''Of course'' at the same time.

    This seemed to appease the old man, and he went to turn and leave. But he did notice Joan, and his eyes widened in surprise.

    "You... What are you doing here?"

    Joan raised an eyebrow. But instead of asking what he meant by that, she just asked:

    "Do you know the burningdy?"

    The old man made a dryugh at this. "Ah, you seek the Lady in Red as well. How strange. I thought your kind did not like her very much."

    "My kind? What do you¡ª"

    "Death and loss does not like constant suffering."

    That was all he said, before leaving the door. The small bell hanging there crinkled as he did.

    Joan blinked, and then shrugged. She had other matters to worry about, and she was used to cryptic asshole grandpas ever since she had met Kokoro and Shinzou.

    "Wee back!" Kokoro greeted her.

    "Are you here to make a purchase?" Shinzou smiled, offering the ragdoll again.

    Joan shook her head. "I''m here to finally ask you right off the bat. That broken window was made by a poor traumatized boy who said he had seen shadows from here. He was saved by some Lady in Red. I need to know who she is."

    The smiles of these two men disappeared, and they whispered to each other. Yet it was still loud, almost as if they were just performing aical skit.

    "People treat us like we''re the omniscient being now, don''t they?"

    "What do we know? We''re just running an honest business here."

    They started whispering in gibberish whileughing to themselves, but with no mirth.

    "Ahegcruihi cu ioru ciiij xcihiojeexoxjj."

    "Hahaha kehcriwhcriocoioomjijco jqxihwicxjoj!"

    Joan grumbled, and then said:

    "I will buy that stupid doll in exchange for information on that woman."

    They suddenly stopped this hushed whispering, and turned to her with a smile.

    Kokoro grinned. "Are you sure you can afford it?"

    "It''s pricey after all. Made of fine material." Shinzou added.

    "Got a check?"

    "We can also work with cash if you have it. But no credit cards, please."

    They gave her the invoice, and Joan grumbled. It cost less than she expected, but it was a pretty hefty loss in her wallet.

    She just took out her wallet and wrote a check. "How can I be sure you''re not just overpricing this thing?"

    They did not answer and merely smiled. Joan knew they''re definitely overpricing.

    She handed it to them, and the grandpas happily epted it. But before they can hand her the doll...

    Joan raised her hand. "I''m not taking it unless you answer my question first. Where is the Lady in Red, and how do I get to talk to her?"

    The old grandpas chuckled to themselves.

    "It''s easy to lure her out, really."

    "Ol'' Pele will take any burning things of sentimental value¡­.. or people."

    "Are you sure you want to summon her, though?"

    "She''s not too keen on other women after all. Easily gets jealous."

    "Might burn your face."

    "Might burn youpletely and steal your boyfriend."

    But Joan did not care. She just went and took the doll from the counter.

    "So this is my property now, right?"

    Shinzou nodded. "Right you are. All yours."

    "A great souvenir or gift if you have any younger sisters¡­. Even older ones might like it." Kokoro added.

    Joan grinned at this, and took out her lighter.

    "Alright then. Thank you."

    And she burned the ragdoll that looked like Victoria without hesitation.

    The grandpas'' face twisted, and they tried to rush and take it from her. But Joan just easily dodged, and threw the burning doll onto the ground, singing their bamboo floor.

    The fire suddenly grew into a tall pir of me, and formed the shape of a person. It was someone wearing a long, flowing dress, with fiery hair crackling in the winding from that broken window.

    Soon, a fully formed person materialized. She was beautiful and curvaceous, with skin the color of fertile dark soil around volcanoes.

    Her eyes were narrowed when she saw who had summoned her.

    "What does a creature of Muerte want from me?" She asked with an using tone.

    Joan turned to see the strange grandpas'' reaction from this, but there was no one at the counter anymore. They werepletely alone.

    ''Scaredy cats'' Joan thought.

    "I don''t know this ''Muerte'' you''re talking about. But I heard that you helped this young boy from the creatures that lurk in the shadows and try to pretend to be humans¡ª"

    Pele went to reach for Joan''s hair. "For a corpse, you are quite the looker. Soft and smooth hair, tight skin, hourss figure¡­.."

    The strand she touched had burned, but Joan was unperturbed.

    "Fire doesn''t scare me. I have encountered fires before and survived." She said, her fists clenched.

    Pele sneered. "Oh, but your parents did not. Your parents of whom you wished great harm. Who you just wished to die every single day in their undead life, wanting to be free along with those adoptive sisters of yours. The parents you hated so much."

    "Hate is a strong word. I just couldn''t care less about them." Joan said.

    The Lady in Red lifted her chin with her long and delicate fingers. She was taller than Joan, possibly 7 feet tall or more.

    She made her look into her eyes and said. "Don''t lie, my dear. I like it. If not for this interesting tidbit about you, I would have immted your perfect body by now."

    Her touch left 2nd degree burns on Joan''s skin. And it hurts.

    The pain was different. It''s not something that could be injured, or so painful that it''s numbing. It was constant, and it never goes away. It sears deep into the core of Joan''s very being, to the point that not just her body would cry out¡­.

    But so does her soul, burning with this anguish of guilt, shame, regret, anger, and dread.

    And this woman''s eyes twinkled at seeing her suffering, aze with pure malice and schadenfreude.

    "Your little doll is not enough of a sacrifice. You have long forgotten about your sister, and have epted that grief into your system. It wouldn''t do. If you truly want my help in your venture of fighting the Imposters, then give me something else. Something that would truly hurt you."

    Joan couldn''t move, still dealing with that unbearable pain from her touch. Pele continued to grip her chin tightly, the fire spreading by the minute.

    "So which will it be? Your lover? Would you give him to me? Or would you give up your love for him and burn the memories you had together?" Pele chuckled. "Maybe you would burn the other girl, the one of the Sea. Go on, darling. I want to hear what you could possibly give to satisfy me."

    Joan choked as she inhaled smoke from her own burning flesh, and she said:

    "I¡­. I can do you favors."

    Pele seemed to be interested in this. "What favors, dear?"

    Joan knew her love for burning and such, and so she told her:

    "I will¡­.. Burn offerings for you. Families. Forests. Friendships and rtionships¡­. Anything you ask of me."

    At this, Pele let go and covered her mouth as she stifled a very loudugh.

    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You want to be marked by me? A creature of death asking to be a creature of destruction? Why that''s..."

    She smiled. "That is indeed interesting. Alright then. But my dear, once wee into this agreement, that means you cannot say no. You must burn everything I tell you to. And I will sabotage the Imposters'' schemes for you. Do we have a deal?"

    She offered that hand, and Joan gritted her teeth.

    Was she making the right decision?

    There was no turning back anymore. She hesitantly shook the Lady in Red''s hand¡­.

    And secured her fate as her servant.

 Chapter 256 Tormented by the Dark

    <h4>Chapter 256 Tormented by the Dark</h4>

    Rnd rubbed his face groggily as he looked at his rm clock. It''s only 3:47 in the morning, and yet he had woken up. Or maybe he never truly slept, just stuck in position and closing his eyes trying to force himself to sleep.

    He stared into the darkness for a while, making shapes that weren''t really there.

    In the morning, all he ever wanted to do was to sleep. And when he doesy in bed at night after a long and tedious day in court, he can''t sleep at all. But he had long ustomed to the insomnia that it eventually felt like an essential part of his entire being, never being able to rest.

    He wished that he would just die. Then he would finally be able to get the rest he so desired.

    But at the same time, he couldn''t just kill himself. Not because he was afraid of suicide, ofmiting the act. But because there were just so many things to think about when going about it.

    How it will affect his friends and loved ones, how he will pass on his possessions, both material and immaterial reasons chain him by the neck and keep tightening around him, yet not allowing him to get the freedom that one achieves only when they perish.

    He stared at the dark ceiling once more. He wished he could just stay staring in the dark forever.

    Be nothing, be one with nothingness.

    It would be much better than to continue living this life where no one would truly understand him. Where he would remind an outlier, even among the groups of misfits and the abnormal, where he was utterly and forsakenly alone.

    The pain of just wanting it to be over was sending him over the edge.

    What was once metaphors and symbolisms in his head became a desire for the physical and literal. He just wanted to consume himself, to eat everything that he was until there was nothing left.

    And as he looked at his own hands, he was consumed by the desire to actually do it.

    The nothingness also manifested into something physical, as the creature loomed over him in the pitch ck.

    It had always been present even when he was young. He had tried to run away from it, but it had returned. It had mixed with who and what that being that desecrated him was, the one that loomed over him and entered every fiber of his being.

    Metaphors into reality.

    He had always been constantly consumed by him, and now it did happen.

    "Hello, Mr. Shadow." He greeted it once more.

    Mr. Shadow''s form was just like his. When he was younger, Mr. Shadow was also young. The same height as him, the same dark eyes, same dark skin, same dark hair....

    As he grew, so did Mr. Shadow.

    Mr. Shadow pinned him to the bed, not allowing him any exits. He smiles at Rnd with that same familiar smile, but it was twisted into something that wants to torment him.

    That was the difference between him and Mr. Shadow.

    He never knew that he was tormenting Rnd. He wasn''t doing it on purpose. Rnd knew that very much, and yet Mr. Shadow manifested anyway as something that wants to constantly drive nails on every single one of his pores, wants to suffocate and bury him into the ground under piles of¡­..

    Shame.

    The shame just kept on getting stronger anyway. No matter how much he tried to make it go away. Shame then gave way to guilt, guilt gave way to anger. Anger to himself, this constant desire tomit violence on himself.

    There was a time in high school where Rnd would constantly wear long sleeved clothes, sometimes even gloves just to be safe.

    He couldn''t let anyone see those marks on his arm. Especially not him, because Rnd knew¡­.

    That once he saw it, he would know he was the reason for those marks.

    And as much as he was being tormented by his mere existence, he will not torment his friend.

    If there was a way to make it all go away, he would. His own memories, his feelings of shame and guilt and madness and pain... Himself.

    Not death of the body, but death of who he was. He was defined by this constant torment.

    He never asked for this, and yet it was still his fault. It will still be his fault in the end. Maybe he was just too weak-willed to go on the straight path.

    Or maybe it was something unchangeable, like a curse with no cure.

    Mr. Shadow finally spoke to him.

    "You wouldn''t end his life. Your tormentor. Yet you could not end your own either. Aren''t you pathetic?"

    Rnd just scoffed. "You think I didn''t know that? I already know that I am the most pathetic in this world. Because I believe that, even though I know that there would be others who suffer worse. And yet I still truly believe that, making me even more pathetic."

    "I am the most despicable thing in existence."

    Mr. Shadowughed at this, and then he ced hisrge all-consuming hand on Rnd''s head.

    "The most despicable thing is existence itself."

    And he couldn''t help but agree. He wished that everything just didn''t exist. Him, his tormentor, this awful world...

    "I just want to be normal."

    He whimpered quietly, pathetically. Like a desperate child clinging to his parent''s arms for some toy that he will never get, that he will never deserve.

    "But that''s not possible, so I would rather cease to exist."

    Mr. Shadow grinned at him. "Why don''t you ask someone to do it for you?"

    Rnd frowned. "Who? Am I supposed to pay someone to just end my life quickly?"

    But even that wasn''t enough. What he wanted was to truly disappear, to leave no trace. Then there would be no guilt in his mind about leaving his friend behind.

    Mr. Shadow didn''t say anything¡­.

    And then vanished, merging himself with Rnd.

    He justid there, staring at the ceiling and the nothingness once more. He just wants to rest.

    Just as he was about to close his eyes¡­.

    There came the ringing of the telephone.

    Ring! Ring! Ring!

    He grumbled, and felt vertigo as soon as he sat up too quickly. He stumbled on his steps, the world spinning like a ball and he was inside it, just being tossed around.

    He picked it up and asked. "Hello?"

    And then he was snapped fully awake.

    ------------------------------

    "He''s dead! He''s supposed to be dead! I saw¡­.. I saw..."

    "Artea, you need to calm down. Harker''s not dead. Let''s just wait for him to wake up."

    There was chaos all around in the ER. The passing figures of nurses, patients and doctors were blurred in his vision. His head still aches. It aches so much.

    And the sounds of Artea''s cries were not helping.

    Still, he offered her a shoulder to cry on and he patted her back. The poor thing was shaking, no doubt traumatized by whatever she had seen that night.

    Rnd pitied her, and yet he still couldn''t help but think:

    ''Welp, wee to the club.''

    No doubt she would have nightmares of her own, and it will just get worse from here. And it doesn''t get any better, you never get used to it.

    "Tell me what happened. Start slow, just breathe." He coaxed her.

    His voice had managed to calm her down and get her to spill the truth. She was incoherent at first, but eventually the words flowed better and she had described in detail about thend of Imposters, their counterattack with the garden shears, and the final thing she had seen before she passed out.

    "His heart was.... It was taken out. How can he still be alive?" She sniffled.

    Rnd sighed. "You know the answer."

    Artea wiped her tears, hating herself for crying. "He''s¡­. He''s like them, right? Those monsters, gods¡­. whatever they are."

    "Yes." Rnd sighed. "And I need you to listen carefully at this, because this is going to be a long one."

    It was then his turn to exin everything from the beginning. How Harker became a demon lord, all the monsters he encountered so far, what they knew... everything except the parts with his interaction with Hanker.

    Still, Artea managed to read between the lines and make a fair guess:

    "So that''s why you were so¡­.. Lost. Conflicted. This whole thing was probably a punch in the gut while you''re already bleeding from your own hidden wounds."

    Rnd smiled at this. "It''s nothing. My pains are nothingpared to what Harker possibly had to endure."

    Even so, his throat felt dry. He stood up wanting to take a drink.

    "Excuse me."

    He went to the vending machine to take some. But as he took a gulp¡­..

    He realized that the water was pitch ck, and he dropped it immediately.

    Then when he looked around, everything was ck once more. Flickering. He tried to calm down, to make it all go away but¡­.

    He was so tired of fighting that he could only copse, and curl up in a ball beside his water bottle that spilled putrid tar and ink. So dark that it might as well be the blood of the abyss.

    He suddenly felt a hand touch his shoulder.

    "Don''t let the darkness feed on you."

    It was someone who he never would have expected to anchor him from that pitch ck.

    "Chief Fieldings?"

 Chapter 257 Call of Violence

    <h4>Chapter 257 Call of Violence</h4>

    The police chief looked at him with what seemed to be a mixture of both sympathy and annoyance.

    He furrowed his brows. "Wait a moment, you are the one of those stupid kids who stole my lights."

    Rnd stood up, still reeling from what just happened. He cleared his throat, and tried to buy another water bottle, this time sure that it wouldn''t be made of unnatural dark matter.

    "We''re hardly ''kids'', Chief Fieldings. But yes. We did steal your lights, but that''s because we don''t know why exactly you put it there." Rnd said, calming his nerves.

    The man scoffed. "You prob''ly know now, eh?"

    Rnd''s face became crestfallen as he remembered that paranoia that tried to sink its teeth into him while he was waiting for Harker in the Circus Cabaret.

    "Yes."

    He drank from his water bottle, but it hardly made things better. His throat felt hoarse, like he had been screaming for hours. And maybe he was.

    Chief Fieldings gave him a strange look. "That thing you saw¡­. That''s not the same with thatmie piece of shit''s patron, right?"

    Rnd shook his head.

    "Is it your patron then?" The policeman then asked, this time more guarded.

    Rnd shook his head. "Hardly a patron if it doesn''t give me anything but nightmares."

    Chief Fieldings then took a deep breath. "And these nightmares¡­. Does it include asking you to ept it?"

    At this, Rnd did not answer.

    His silence was enough for the policeman. He patted his shoulder, and sat on one of the chairs.

    "It wants to be your patron. It will try and mark you soon, especially if you keep showing it your weaknesses."

    Rnd clenched his fist, crushing the water bottle in his hand.

    "Oh yes. So I just have to man up. Ignore the callings of the dark, ignore my feelings. I could just decide that it won''t affect me and poof! It will be gone. Well, I have heard that advice so many times already, Sir¡ª"

    "Idiot. I''m not telling you to ignore your feelings." The policeman interrupted him.

    Rnd was still seething, and he can''t describe what exactly ticked him off. He then realized that it was the policeman himself who was making him so angry, but not at him. His anger was just there, present and undirected. So visceral and carnal¡­..

    That his vision was going red, and he just want to¡­.. let it all go.

    "What are you doing to me?" Rnd frowned.

    "Feelings are not unimportant. Feelings are the one thing that can save you against them, against those things that want you to sumb into agony and dread." The chief said, in almost like a fatherly tone. "And the strongest ones would be anger, not to yourself, no. That''s what the darkness wants. What you need is rage against THEM."

    He spoke about rage with so much passion that it almost seemed for a moment that his eyes would burn bright red.

    Rnd shook his head at this. "I don''t want to hurt anyone."

    "You don''t want to hurt those that matter to you. That''s different." Chief Fieldings corrected him, this vital energy subsiding a little bit. "But what you need is¡­.."

    "Vengeance. A fury that''s directed, that is purely focused on one thing. I''m not asking you to be a fire that burns everything indiscriminately. I''m talking about bing a bullet that aims with precision."

    He went to take something from his pocket. It was an army tag.

    Rnd recognized the dark stains in it. Blood stains. And the name that was engraved was not Lance Fieldings, but someone else''s. It says:

    [Roosevelt

    Conrey K.

    009-173-22

    Blood Type O

    Protestant ]

    Chief Fieldings already knew that Rnd was going to ask who this Conrey Roosevelt was, and answered it before he opened his mouth.

    "My partner. He and I used to solve cases together as detectives. But before that, we got drafted for Vietnam. He took a hit and I took a hit, they offered us to get training as a cop and we rather have that than be out there. Thinkin'' we''d just be fatties running on donuts and soda for fuel."

    He chuckled bitterly. "How wrong we were. Actually, everything''s been fine until it all went wrong in ''84."

    Rnd remembered. "The gentrification. Did he¡ª"

    "Yep." Chief Fieldings looked at the army tag with a somber expression. "Was partly our fault. Some of us got carried away, knocked over too many people and got a little too rough. Then the people started fighting back. We pushed them harder."

    Rnd scoffed. "By harder, you mean you started ughtering them."

    Chief Fieldings turned to him with a serious expression.

    "Lookie here, blondie. If you had lived the way I did, been to the battlefield then go back to the States with a bunch of different ethnicities attacking you¡­ You''d be trigger-happy too. Because the war fucks up your reflexes. It''s either them¡­. or you. And even now, I still believe that a bit."

    Rnd narrowed his eyes. "Is that why you''re rougher towards Felix Garciapared to say¡­ A criminal who''s not a different ethnicity from you?"

    Chief Fieldings was quiet for a while. Then, he said:

    "You''re thinkin'' I''m the one who got that kid in jail, dontcha?"

    Rnd tilted his head. "Are you?"

    The policeman did not even hesitate to answer:

    "Yes. I chose him to be the sacrificialmb."

    Rnd finally had enough listening to this man, standing up from his chair. "Hah! Then are you here to stop us from proving that to the public? Found us snooping around with your Imposter patron and now you want to aim this ''gun of vengeance'' on us too?"

    "The Imposter ain''t my patron!" Chief Fieldings cried, in a tone that seemed to take great offense.

    He balled his fists. "I''d never serve those foreign hunks of stic like thatmie does! I''m just stuck in a draw that''s the only thing keeping this fucking city into another warzone like back then!"

    Rnd retorted: "So what, we''re supposed to thank you for offering a few morsels to some stic monsters to keep us safe!?"

    Chief Fieldings sighed. "You''re not getting it."

    He stood up and looked at Rnd seriously. "What I''m sayin'' is that you need to make a choice. Your people or theirs. If you don''t want this pitch ck attackin'' your friends, then you have to pick up that gun and think of yourselves first. Protect yourself and yourrades, even if you have to start shooting on some innocents just to get to that thing you''re after."

    Rnd was disgusted by the pureck of remorse of this man. And he even dares to rationalize it by some grand ideal of pure survival.

    Chief Fieldings could tell he was feeling that way, and he then pointed to a certain direction.

    "If you have a choice to kill that friend of yours or that Latino boy you barely knew, what will you choose?"

    Rnd gritted his teeth. "Seriously? You''re using the trolley problem on me now? That''s an old, pointless dilemma that falls apart the moment you realize you can attempt something that would save both!"

    "And that''s why I''m here. I''m offering you something that can save both."

    Rnd''s eyes widened at this response. Chief Fieldings took out something from his hand. It was an unused bullet, but it was dipped in blood.

    "I reckon that you would not be so easy to convince. But this is the only way. You want to protect the innocents and your friends? Then you need to be on the same level as them. I could have done it with a partner, with Conrey¡­.. But I can''t do it alone. That''s why I''d have to settle for a draw."

    He ced the bullet painted with blood on Rnd''s hand. "If you have a gun, you can do it yourself. Or if you can''t, I can help you. I have one in my car, and we can do it somewhere no one could hear the sounds."

    Rnd realized what he''s trying to make him do with that bullet. He pushed the bullet back to him.

    "No! You want me to be marked by whatever your patron is!?"

    "Would you rather be marked by the darkness, then?" Chief Fieldings raised an eyebrow. "Because once you are, it won''t allow you to protect anything at all. It would just consume you in that pitch ck that started from your mind, spreading its tendrils on everyone else.¡­"

    He pointed at that spilled water on the floor.

    "Until they be tired, soulless poor bastards that only knew to mope around while waiting for the end of days. The end of all existence. Is that what you want?"

    Rnd clenched his teeth so tightly that his gums felt numb. But he didn''t care.

    He was just so overwhelmed.

    The paranoia was spreading, along with that guilt and the desire to just disappear. To die, to perish.

    But there was a new calling, a calling for revenge and endless violence to settle his score with the ones against him. Which was basically the whole world.

    What would happen if he let that call for violence win against the suicidal thoughts? Is that really picking a lesser of two evils, or would it eventually lead to him destroying everything?

    In the end, he remembered his face. Mr. Shadow''s face...

    The world was cruel and unjust. So why shouldn''t he be the same once in a while, if it''s to achive his vendetta against it?

    "Where''s your gun? I''ll do it myself."

 Chapter 258 The Nine Domains of the Demon Lords

    <h4>Chapter 258 The Nine Domains of the Demon Lords</h4>

    For the first time in a long while, Harker was aware that he had been dreaming and could remember the dream perfectly even when he woke up. Which was very much surprising, and also now annoying when he realized¡­..

    That he learns much, much more if he could just remember these kinds of dreams.

    He was sitting in the middle of a floating rock, perched over what seemed to be a hellscape full ofva, exploding geysers, and rumbling volcanoes. There were 8 people in total, and they sat in a circle, legs crossed and wearing ancient Chinese attire.

    And they were not human.

    Harker was sitting right in the middle of them, but they didn''t seem to notice him.

    One of them was someone he recognized very well. It was a woman with me for hair, and wearingvish red robes as she sipped a cup filled with pureva.

    "And you just decided to bring his remains in my domain for¡­.. what, exactly? I do not see the point besides wanting to insult me." She said, looking less sadistically evil and more forlorn.

    A rough looking man replied to her. He was ginormous, and his muscr body was filled with scars, and only wore his pants. There was something in his gray eyes that reminded Harker of a big bad wolf. His hair was spiky all over his body, and his fangs were long enough that they protruded from his lips.

    "Demon Lord of the East, you are the one who presides in the domain of destruction. It is only right that you dispose of his body." The man sneered.

    Another man chuckled at this. He was¡­.. a little more difficult to describe.

    Actually, Harker had no idea what he was looking at, besides that it was meant to be a man sitting. But it hurts to look at, and everything about him was ced in the wrong spot. He keeps phasing in and out of Harker''s vision like the colors of a kaleidoscope, and everything''s shifting so fast that you start to doubt if you''re even seeing them at all.

    "Demon Lord of the Southeast, do not test her patience. You know better to avenge your rejection from Lady Li than to present her with the remains of the Omniscient One."

    The Demon Lord of the Southeast scoffed. "This is where we convene anyway, right? So whatever my intentions were, it does not matter. We''d all want to talk about his Death eventually, Lord Xun."

    He turned to another one of them who was sipping theva tea. "Wouldn''t you agree, Lord Qian?"

    Lord Qian had eight limbs like a spider. He also had eight eyes, gracefully half-closed as he sipped hisva tea. His clothes were made of the finest silk that was so thin, smooth and shiny that it might have been woven from gossamer. His skin was dull gray, and his mouth had appendages that looked like pinchers, no doubt strong enough to chew through bone.

    "I agree, Lord Gen. But I do admit, it''s quite tacky to convene with that¡­.. thing in ce. Which part of him is it, Lady Kun?"

    "His heart." A woman''s voice said.

    She was sitting on the opposite side of him, her eyes red like she had been crying. But it was also pure white and so was her whole body. Endless pools of water flowed through her blind and hazy eyes, and her body was that of a corpse that no amount of make-up or luxurious robes could ever fix.

    "The heart of Darkness is truly something else to behold." She pointed in the middle, where Harker was sitting.

    On the opposite of the Fire Lady, Lady Li, was a man. He had nine tails of a fox and the legs of a goat. There were two horns on his head, and yet even with his bizarre appearance¡­.

    He exudes this sense of seduction in his movements. Something carnal and desirable.

    "Poor Quan Zhi¡­ I have always been fond of the man, despite his rather one-track mind. But then again, I have always been fond of those with a one-track mind, only following what they want and aim to get." He said, throwing a furtive nce at Lord Gen, the Demon Lord of the Southeast.

    Lord Gen seethed with anger. "Get your lecherous eyes off me, you animal. You just want anything and everything."

    "Of course! That is my nature after all. Lady Li''s domain is of pain, and mine is pleasure."

    Another womanughed. She looked like a doll, her skin too smooth to be real. Even her way of speaking feels too fake, and she covers her face with a bright red fan¡­.

    Once she closes it, it reveals that her face was just painted and she was indeed made of porcin.

    "Hahahaha! Lord Shou is always a hrious one. It''s like seeing a rabbit flirting with a wolf. The predator does not know how to respond when its prey fawns over him. Hahahaha!"

    Lord Gen growled again. "Stopughing before I break your pretty fraudulent face, Lady Dui. And why is the animal sitting in the West seat!? He has no seat before, happy enough to just roam around our circle."

    "He takes the mantle for the West, turning it into his domain of beasts and monsters. It''s much more fitting in my opinion, as he had pointed out that pleasure is the direct opposite of pain rather than darkness." Another person said, sitting in the south west.

    He was a thin and very pale man that barely showed emotion on his face besides mild amusement. His hair was floating against gravity, and he had the stars across his face. His light blue robes reminded Ren Jidian of the infinite blue skies that surrounded him while he climbed the spider''s thread.

    The iprehensible man whose colors hurt Harker''s eyes, the one they called Lord Xun, guffawed at this.

    "Why must we always follow the rules of duality in seating arrangements when everything is not real, anyway?" Lord Xun asked.

    "I agree to disagree, Lord Xun." The blue sky man said. "But I already expected from your nature not to follow the rules. You even used the form of a man instead of a woman just to prove a point, rendering our formation into an imbnce."

    Lord Xun chuckled. "I take those aspliments, Lord Zhen."

    Harker did notice that everyone sitting opposite each other in the circle were man-woman pairs except for Lord Xun and Lord Zhen. But then again, Lord Zhen looked androgynous enough to pass as a woman, an elderly and a child, an animal and a human, and everything all at once. It thrives in confusing the eye.

    But other than that, they all seemed to contrast each other not just in genders but in what seemed to be their domain. Lord Qian in the North, Lady Kun in the South. Lord Quan Zhi in the West, now reced by Lord Shou, and Lady Li in the East. Lord Gen in the Southeast, and Lady Dui in the Northwest.

    Harker rationalized what they represent this way, following the rules of duality:

    Lord Qian was the spider, weaver of his destiny, and his name meant ''Heaven''. Lady Kun was death, the loss of all things, and her name meant ''Earth''.

    Lord Quan Zhi was the darkness, but also the Omniscient One that knows everything.

    Lord Shou presides on the desires of the flesh, and Lady Li the pains of the soul.

    Lord Zhen was, from what he could tell, presided over the vast infinite reality of the cosmos. While Lord Xun was the vast infinite delusions of the human mind.

    And finally Lord Gen was the hunter, the one that chases. Lady Dui was the deceiver, the one that hides.

    Nine Demon Lords. Nine Domains.

    Harker felt like he had been peering into a peephole his whole life. Trying to make sense of the small images and movements behind the door. Then, just for one moment, the door opened and everything he saw in the small peephole finally made sense.

    These forces, these beings¡­.. They had been present all his life. Even before he became a Demon Lord.

    They were present in his father''s life, his mother''s life, the lives of strangers he didn''t know yet walk the same soil as him, and they were present in his subconscious mind as concepts that we have in our lives. Concepts like death, destiny, delusion, deceit... They were always there.

    Lord Qian reached out to Harker, and his hand passed through right on his chest. He then pulled something, the one they call the ''Heart of Darkness''.

    It was a pure ck heart full of... eyes.

    Eyes that were still gaping wide open and blinking even though the owner was dead and had perished.

    "I suspect that the An Xin sect will attempt to have a new vessel for this heart. If their ritual had been sessful once more, then Quan Zhi will rise again above us all. None of us would want that. Even you, Lady Li."

    Lady Li looked at the heart and nodded. "I suppose so. We all want to be the one above all else."

    She then took the heart¡­..

    And burned it until those eyes melted and could not see anything anymore, rendering them blind.

    She tossed it to the pit ofva, and yet Harker could see¡­..

    That though it was burned and blinded¡­.. It was not destroyed. It disappeared.

 Chapter 259 We Are All Dying

    <h4>Chapter 259 We Are All Dying</h4>

    When Harker woke up, he wasying in a hospital bed with Artea by his side.

    "How¡­.. How long have I been out?" He croaked.

    "Not too long." Artea said. "Not even for a whole day. The doctors said it was a fast recovery considering what you experienced."

    Harker nodded, and remembered what happened before he fell into aa. Again.

    He was honestly quite tired of losing consciousness, but those usually gave him the dreams that reveal the hidden truth.

    "Look, Artea¡­. What you saw was¡ª"

    Artea shook her head. "No need. Rnd already told me everything."

    Harker wasn''t surprised. "Right."

    Cat''s outta the bag now, so there''s no reason to pretend in front of Artea Holmwood. Though he did feel a little guilty for breaking his promise about maintaining her innocence.

    "Your father didn''t want you to be involved in these things. It''s really beyond the dangers you have known." Harker said.

    "I know. The things Rnd said¡­.. I only heard of them, but to know that they were real and out there is disconcerting. So I understand now why both of you would want to withhold that from me." She sighed. "Still, I think I have proven to be quite helpful even in ying monsters, right?"

    Harker grinned. "You were kinda awesome, not gonna lie."

    He then sat up and asked. "Where''s Rnd? Was he here?"

    "He was, but he went to buy us some drinks at the vending machine. It''s honestly taking him a while." Artea checked her watch. "The nurses said that you started moving your fingers, so I had toe and see it for myself. I did have to pay them for some privacy though."

    "Hah, wouldn''t want some more random civilians getting traumatized by the existence of monsters and gods." Harker chuckled.

    Artea stood up from her chair. "I''ll go look for Rnd and let the nurses in to take care of you. You''re still recovering after all."

    She left, and Harker soon had the medical staff check up on him and his condition. He was given a ss of water to drink, though he was advised to take it slowly. As Harker was poked and prodded with needles for medication, he can''t help but still feel a little lightheaded. Not from the injury, but just from how overwhelming everything had been so far.

    His mind was still reeling from that dream about the demon lords and their domains. He was able to identify now which domain the monsters and even marked people he encountered falls under.

    Though he does realize now that there could be more than one influence in a person. For example, there was no doubt that the Wendigos were the domain of Lord Shou, the Demon Lord of Beasts. And yet Legion had added an aspect to them that was of death, that focused on loss and grief from their former lives¡­.. Especially with nk and Ahanu.

    That would be Lady Kun''s domain. The Domain of Loss.

    However, he couldn''t help but wonder if Lord Shou had also perished over the years, and was then reced by Xi Hua once she had acquired Yan. Because how then would he be the new Demon Lord of the West?

    Unless it actually meant that he was taking the mantle of the Domain of Darkness, the domain of the former Demon Lord of the West, not the Domain of Beasts. His shapeshifting powers would seem like something a Lord of Beasts would have, but there was more to it. Something all epassing that oveps with all the other domains, the middle ground.

    As the truth bes unraveled like a blindfold over his eyes¡­.

    He wondered if he truly just became a Demon Lord out of mere coincidence¡­. Or had it always been his destiny? That he had somehow acquired the heart of Darkness, and was confined in a fate that he could never stop nor control?

    Thinking about it just makes his head hurt even more. And the fact that Yan barely tells him anything just makes him even more suspicious.

    What he does know for now was that the Imposters were from the Domain of Lady Dui, the woman made of porcin. They must be attempting a ritual, just like what the An Xin sect, followers of Darkness, were trying to do. A ritual that would put their master above all else.

    There''s a possibility that other forces and even Demon Lords themselves would try and stop this. But Harker doesn''t feel too keen on working with them either. From his dream, he could tell that though they liked tomunicate with each other, they did not like working together and did so with great reluctance. Only forced by circumstances like the Omniscient One''s death.

    Arthur Holwood was marked by the Domain of Space, the one that holds power over the vast heavens, cosmos, and the weather. Back when he questioned him¡­.

    Harker was made to fall at terminal velocity right where he stood. It was an odd feeling, and gave him an intense vertigo that he never felt before. But Arthur Holmwood seemed to be ustomed to it, since he was also ''floating/falling'' too. His hair high up as everything around them turned into that empty blue space.

    He remembered the address that the old man gave him, and took it out of his pocket.

    "I wonder which domain this guy goes under. Which of those bunch of freaks he serves." Harker thought. "Guess we''ll just have to find out."

    ---------------------------

    Harker had recovered so fast that he was dismissed from the hospital the following day. Artea wasn''t able to find Rnd, but he apparently gave her a phone call saying that he had some business to take care of.

    Harker thought it must be regarding the trial for Felix Garcia again. It wasn''t easy to be awyer after all.

    Artea had to go to school and also exin her disappearance to her parents. His siblings had stayed over at the Tariqs again, and he apologized for all the trouble. Their family were basically taking in those kids, and Harker wished he could handle taking care of them at the same time.

    He potentially could with his ability to divide himself, but Hanker had made it difficult for him to trust that ability ever again. There were too many imposters already, he couldn''t bear to make one more.

    Mina had her sses as usual, and Harker kept her up to date. She was doing quite well, all things considered. He would rather spare her from this kind of situation with how well she''s fitting in at school and actually finding purpose after her revenge.

    As for Joan....

    He couldn''t contact her. She wasn''t in school, and the number for the mental asylum she worked on said that she took a leave to go somewhere. They didn''t really bother asking much about it because they only needed her for the medicine, not her actual presence.

    Harker was unsettled, but he did know that Joan was trying to investigate the antique shop and Pele. He just hoped she''d be careful enough around them.

    She''d be interacting with two domains at once after all. And though Lady Li from his dream didn''t seem that terrible¡­..

    Her demeanor now had seemed to change, possibly had moved on from the death of the Omniscient One. She was now vicious and sadistic. He trusts Joan because he knew how level-headed she was so far, but he wished she didn''t have to deal with any of this either.

    They had been through enough. Harker found himself bing more like his father and Arthur Holmwood, constantly worried about his loved ones welfare and wishing to keep them in the dark for as long as he was able.

    With all this considered, Harker would be venturing out alone. Which he didn''t really mind and actually preferred to have less casualties.

    The building that he reached after asking around for the address was dpidated, but not empty like the ones near the Circus Cabaret. Still, there was an isting feeling to it. The upants of this ''Oppenheimer Complex'' were very quiet and only regarded Harker with disinterest.

    Their eyes were all focused on their TV screens, and asionally books. He passed by a teenage boy, possibly 15 years old, sitting on the doorstep reading a book titled ''The Orphan of Space''.

    Harker went over to ask him. "Hello. Can I ask where n Robock is?"

    The boy looked up at him with empty eyes.

    "He is dying."

    Harker frowned. "Really? Did he have a disease or¡ª"

    "You are also dying. I am dying, as we speak. With every molecr change in our bodies, every cell that dies, every leaf that falls off a tree¡­.. We are getting closer and closer to a never-ending winter, a world where we do not exist, a world where we cannot return to the way things had been. Only a lonely and empty space of what was once been, and never again."

    Harker narrowed his eyes. "Kid, I''m just asking where the room n Robock was staying in. Just tell me where it is."

    The kid sighs, and closes his book. He went up to room number 235, and then¡­.

    He took out a key from his pocket, opening it.

    "Have a seat, Demon Lord of the West. I''ll go prepare some tea."

 Chapter 260 Arsonists and Vigilantes

    <h4>Chapter 260 Arsonists and Vigntes</h4>

    "And this is their house?"

    "Yes. Far away into the woods, quite small. No one would even notice the smoke until it reached up for miles? into the air, and by the its far toote."

    The footsteps of the two women over the dead leaves made soft crunching sounds, but none of the residents of that small cabin heard it. They were deep in their slumber.

    "You said¡­.. There was a child. And that she''s dying." Joan said, her fingers clenched tightly around the gasoline tank in her hand.

    "Picked an easy first time for you." Pele grinned. "Criminal father, criminal wife. Child dying from cancer, parents couldn''t afford bringing her to the hospital or they''d get caught by the police. And they didn''t really care about the little girl anyway. So her death would be a mercy."

    The professor scoffed at this. "How generous of you. But I''m not weak. I know what deal I made, and I know that you always give me ''easy ones''."

    The Lady in Redughed at this, and herugh soundedyered and with cracks, like the crackling of fire.

    "That''s delightful, then. I wonder if you''ll still be able to keep that up once I go over the more difficult ones. The more personal ones."

    Joan gritted her teeth. "You promised that those I care about and myself would be spared by your sadistic me."

    "And that is true. I would never ask you to burn those within your circle. You have my protection, but from the me AND everything else. The Imposters, other monsters¡­. Your circle is safe."

    She then went dangerously near the gasoline tank, and Joan avoided her before she could touch it. Pele smirked.

    "As for those not within your circle, no matter how much guilt you feel about bringing them pain¡­.. There''s nothing you can do. Break the deal and I break the circle. I will burn the circle, and I will relish it."

    Joan red at her. "I know. There''s no need to remind me."

    She set out to work, first making sure that there was no sprinkler or anything. Since the residents of the house were too poor to afford it, there wasn''t one. Only a fire extinguisher was ced inside their one shared bedroom, Pele said.

    She took that fire extinguisher, trying to avoid looking directly at the sleeping family. And the sickly child in the middle.

    She then went downstairs, and quietly spread the gasoline all over the carpet, the wooden furniture and everything else that catches fire easily. She moved fast, for the family upstairs may smell it soon.

    She took out her match, and struck it.

    FIZZLE!

    The fire spread quicker than it should, no doubt due to the ''gift'' Pele gave her. The burnt marks on her right hand glowed bright red-orange, and it hurt her. But Joan endured it, as Pele continued to watch her with that malicious glee.

    She was at the door, ready to close it once the house went up in mes. Once it did and the tongues of fire hadpped up all the way to the staircase, she left the scene.

    She did not stay to listen to the screams or watch the smoke rise up. She kept her head down and walked briskly from where she came.

    Pele thankfully did not join her. But she could tell that her new master was feeding, as sheughed while watching the destruction that Joan had caused.

    Joan just kept on walking, until her walking turned into running. She ran and ran, and soon she was in the middle of the street. She tumbled down, holding her right hand which was burning from within, throbbing like something was about to explode.

    She breathed heavily, wincing from the pain. But she would not cry. It eventually subsided as the house hadpletely burned down¡­.

    And the sacrifices had been received in full.

    The throbbing eased, and Joanposed herself. Instead of focusing on her first kill, she instead thought about what the next one might be. What preparations she should make, what she could do to make the burning even faster.

    "Matches and gasoline are too slow." She thought. "Maybe¡­. Maybe I should start learning how to make bombs."

    ------------------------

    "What if we bomb their ce? This¡­ domain of Deception you''re talking about?"

    "You want to quickly destroy those bastards that enjoys tormenting people slowly? Stealing not just their bodies, but their identities? No. That won''t do. They deserve to be tortured."

    Rnd frowned. "Can they even feel pain? They''re made of stic."

    "Once they get themselves skins, they can. You ever wondered why they take the face out of everything else?" Chief Fieldings, loading up a sniper rifle. "It''s because they take the skins off dead bodies before they kill living people. But the face is important. It needs to be fresh, needs to fit their heads properly."

    They were in a shooting range, all alone as nobody really went thiste. Chief Fieldings threatened the owner until they were allowed to use it in the middle of the night.

    "So how to we ''torture'' them?"

    Chief Fieldings grinned. "We need to chase them. Make them feel fear, these bunch of mannequins. It won''t be easy, but if you make them believe that they have the upperhand, the terror would be greater once they realized that they had actually fallen into a trap."

    He handed Rnd a pistol. "For now, we practice. Act like we''re going slow and chasing after the small ones. That way they''d think that we''re just sorry sods blowing off steam because we can''t do anything. And when the perfect timees¡­. We strike the hos'' nest."

    Rnd did not say anything to this, only looking at his chest. He pulled at his cor and looked down, revealing a scar that had festered inside. A bullet wound.

    He felt regretful, but the anger was much stronger inside him now. It was the only thing that filled his mind.

    He growled, and took the pistol from him. "And when is that perfect time?"

    "You''ll find out soon enough as we hunt down the morsels. They are plotting something bigger than back in ''84. Back when they took the skins of all those coloreds who got their homes gentrified."

    He adjusted Rnd''s arm and back. "You never touched a gun before?"

    "I have."

    "Well, your form is terrible." The policeman scoffed. "You need to grip it tightly, or else the recoil would mess up your aim. Or a strong kick or punch. Engage your core."

    Rnd did as he was told, but he can''t help but feel annoyed by how demanding this old man was all the time. Do this, do that. Don''t do this, don''t do that.

    He reminds him too much of his father¡­..

    Especially when he was in high school.

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    He shot the target, and the recoil still made him miss much of the vital parts. Rnd clicked his tongue and fired again, obsessed on shooting perfectly.

    "I know that look. Don''t like any form of authority breathing down your neck, right?" Chief Fieldings grinned. "Nobody really likes it, and the more efficient you are, the less you could stand it. And you have been the efficient one all your life, haven''t ya?"

    "I want to focus, Mr. Fieldings." Rnd said.

    "No, you don''t need focus. I don''t want you to be precise. I want you to be brutal." Mr. Fieldings said. "Stop suppressing your emotions and start channeling them instead. That thing in front of you is not a piece of paper attached to some cardboard with marks around it."

    He took out his sniper rifle and shot the target maniacally. He shot so fast, non-stop, and he was unsatisfied until the target was pocketed with holes.

    And there was nothing but joy in his eyes, glowing murky red the color of blood.

    "Go on to the next one and this time, I want you to kill someone. Look in their face and kill them mercilessly." He said.

    Rnd went to the next target, this one a dummy so he could much easily visualize it as a person.

    And as he saw the face of the one he wanted to shoot¡­.

    He became brutal, just like his ''teacher''.

    "Good, good. Who did you see?" The old man asked.

    Rnd took the sniper rifle from him and handed him the pistol. "My father."

    Chief Fieldings chuckled. "Oh, never liked your old man, eh?"

    "He never liked me either. He never outright said it, or was in any way abusive. But I could tell from the disappointment in his eyes. He hated that I was¡­" Rnd sighed, and just got into position. "I wasn''t the son that he wanted me to be, no matter what my achievements are. Looked at me like I was a freak."

    The chief of police raised his eyebrows at this, then smiled.

    "Well, that doesn''t matter to me. We''re all hunting for something in this life, and sometimes¡­.. Bastards will say you can''t hunt certain things. Certain people. And that also pisses me off as much as it pisses you off."

    He helped him position once more. "That''s much better. Now¡­. Shoot down anything that gets in the way of your hunt."

 Chapter 261 The Weaverâ€™s Dread

    <h4>Chapter 261 The Weaver''s Dread</h4>

    Harker''s eyes widened as he looked at the teenage boy.

    "You''re n Robock." He muttered in awe.

    Sure, this wasn''t the first time that he had encountered an immortal before. His girlfriend was literally a mermaid hundreds of years older than he was, and yet looked younger than he was. But when he heard that n Robock was one of the scientists, he thought he was just as old as Yakov Perelman and Arthur Holmwood.

    Well, he was marked after all. Perhaps that gave him the ability to get younger.

    "No, I did not get younger, if that is what you''re guessing. You have a colleague who was also studying in college as a minor, correct?" n said. "How is it that you are surprised, then? I am no different from her."

    Harker did not like that this man could easily read his mind, but he needed answers anyway. So he must know the reason why he was here.

    "Yes, but I prefer to talk about it over some tea. And I do not read minds."

    Harker scoffed. "Pfft, yeah right¡ª"

    "''There''s no way in hell that you couldn''t guess what I''m thinking. Look at what you''re doing right now?'' That is what you''re going to say." n said.

    Harker closed his mouth.

    "And you will realize it now. I do not read minds, I did not get younger. I can see into the future. And I did not age after receiving this gift."

    Harker furrowed his brows, and went inside. "Let''s have that tea."

    n smiled, and closed the door behind him. The house was full of cobwebs. There was not a single ce that wasn''t. But even though the room was quite small¡­..

    It felt infinitelyrge, like it kept on expanding the longer you looked at it.

    Harker sat on the only sofa that wasn''t covered in webs. It instead had scorched marks, and Harker couldn''t help but smile bitterly at this.

    "So what? You have been marked by the Weaver, the Burning Lady, the Infinite Space, and¡­. Those people outside looked like a manifestation of Loss." Harker guessed. "Four out of nine. Impressive."

    "Mainly the Weaver, but yes. I had my encounters with the others you mentioned, and they have stained me." n said, preparing the tea. "Aren''t you the same?"

    He used fine china where a teensy little spider came out of, and Harker watched it skitter into a small hole by the walls.

    "Mn. So far, it''s the Beast, some monsters of the Loss, the Imposter, and¡­. I think the Lord of Madness tried to attack me, and the Weaver intervened. Your friend Arthur was of the Infinite Space, the Vertigo. I have also been following the trail of the followers of the Darkness, or perhaps, my skills were of the Darkness."

    He sighed. "But I am sure you know all that. I suppose the only ones I haven''t encountered directly were those marked with the Burning Lady and the Hunter."

    n wore a smile across his bored face. "You will soon enough."

    Harker scoffed. "And of course you know where all this was headed, right? How I will end, how the world will end¡­. Or are you like Yan? Knowing that the future was not a straight line, that it could still change¡ª"

    "Yes. It is not a straight line. It is a fabric where many threads connect, and it is still being woven. I can see the direction of the weaving, and can see the possibilities. But unlike your Eye friend, I do not just see. I know the result. I am being spoken to by the Weaver as its hands move across the loom."

    "And I suppose your Weaver wouldn''t want to help me, eh?" Harker sneered. "Since they don''t really like working togetherpared to working against each other."

    "My Weaver does not work ''against'' anyone, Hero." n said, turning around with two cups in hand. He still wore barely any expression on his face. "It weaves what is best for the world, even if its actions are iprehensible to mortal minds. They will question the point of certain oues,in about its unfairness simply because it does not work in their favor."

    "But justice is not real, true justice, that is. Only the satisfaction of certain individuals." He smiled. "One''s Happy Ending is someone''s Bad Ending. And one''s reality is simply another lie."

    Harker did not like this man one bit, but he doesn''t disagree with his words. He knew that going to n was a mistake, somethingpletely unrted to the oue he wanted to achieve. Which was to stop the Imposter, gain the Orb, and learn the truth. The actual truth.

    But how can he achieve that from someone who believes there is no ''truth''? No justice, no karma, no purpose to life. Nothing.

    For all he knew, his words also applied to him. His ''reality'' of no reality was also a lie, making it a paradox.

    "Good. I knew you would understand it soon enough." n sipped his tea. "Many see you as an idiot, Harker Jones. A retard, a moron¡­ All the same thing. Simply because you do not behave the way they want you to behave. Who was to me? You, or the one who weaves your character? Or¡­."

    "Was it actually the prying, mocking eyes who are too blind to see into your perspective? That they are not you and you are not them."

    "The audience." Harker sighed, remembering Legion''s words.

    "Yes, Legion was in a way, a manifestation of the Weaver. At least in their final moments. The collective memories of every single person that the ck worms consumed, the collective consciousness¡­ It is of woven fabric."

    Harker pondered over this. Was the existence of an audience enough reason for him to not want to continue this path? To be a spectacle was the same as being treated as nothing but a story character.

    More than the question of free will due to The Weaver''s actions, he was more conflicted about being watched and judged by some outsider he didn''t know.

    So what if his will was his own or not? As long as he thinks it is, then it is, and that''s what mattered. But to have some person watch him and argue that it isn''t in their heads, without him knowing, to have the power to know truths he did not know, the past and the future¡­

    He hated it. Even more horrible than a life as a simtion was a life as a simtion where you are being observed for entertainment.

    It makes him feel so small. So insignificantpared to these giant eyes that watch his demise.

    "You see now how it connects to the Infinite Space as well? This feeling of hopeless insignificance¡­.. Leading to a feeling of Loss of freedom, of grief over one''s own fate. Thus the desire for Destruction, whether to yourself or others. May the world just burn and perish if the watchers control everything, if the only purpose of life is to be one cruel joke."

    Harker couldn''t take it anymore. The dread sinked into him unlike the others so far. He had always thought that he would not be scared of the Weaver, after all, it had not been outright viinous to him...

    But this was much more frightening than that.

    He gripped the scorched chair. Nothing really matters, since the beginning and since the end. He was given a role to y, like everyone else, and his only purpose was to perform that role as per the audience''s indulgences and biases.

    Is that a life worth living at all?

    Especially since the future was uncertain, and he could very well be performing a tragic role. Fighting again and again, feeling pleasures and pains and joys and sorrows only for a terrible end. An inevitable fate where the aftermath was only ps of apuse or boos of a crowd.

    What if he just ended it right now? Was that what the Weaver had intended?

    For him to learn about this truth, thus leading to his anticlimactic end. And for what? So he would no longer suffer under the gaze of those mocking audiences?

    Or was it simply because the Weaver was tired of him, and would rather weave the fate of somebody else?

    How more insignificant could he get than that? Any moment, if the Weaver choses it, he will perish, and so will his world.

    Was there anyone even watching at all? Or was it simply all an illusion, a way to keep him dreading like this? What if the Weaver was only weaving for itself? Or what if it was controlled by another Weaver, then another, then another?

    All of them feel just as insignificant from the thought. Having no purpose but to be puppeted by some force, and then abandoned once it was done with them. Their thread cut off once the audience no longer found them enjoyable. What''s the point what''s the point what''s the point what''s the point what''s the point what''s the point¡ª

    "Hush now. It had all just been a dream." He heard a voice said. "You are not insignificant. You must keep going. Keep going no matter what, even if it is pointless."

    Harker closed his eyes, sinking into the void that was his true home. This emptiness that wasforting because in there, there was no need for a purpose.

    There was nothing.

 Chapter 262 Takes One to Know One

    <h4>Chapter 262 Takes One to Know One</h4>

    The sounds of gunshots filled the air, and yet no one was rmed. It was normal in this neighborhood anyway. The police must be chasing down some thug, maybe a drug dealer or gangster.

    It was probably some morsel anyway, a petty thief that was unlucky enough to be reached by the police lights.

    "Use your shlight! Don''t let it escape!"

    An old man''s voice yelled, and almost everyone in the neighborhood recognized it as the police chief of the New York Police Department.

    "I''m doing my best, old man! Here, you even forgot the batteries, you fucker!"

    They did not recognize the second one. It must be some new cop, a piglet that was having his first stakeout. The piglet had a strange voice, since it was softer than one would expect from a cop but he was also bold enough to cuss the chief himself.

    They were pretty loud for a stakeout, but that was what the people assumed the shlight was for anyway.

    Little did they know that it wasn''t to illuminate the surroundings to see their target.

    It was to lure them out, cover everything with lights until they do not have any shadows to hide from anymore.

    Rnd fired three shots point-nk, and there once the bullet did not hit anything solid, he knew he got the Imposter they were chasing today. Maybe he hit on those points that Chief Fieldings told him about. Those points that connect to a string being pulled by the leader of the Imposters.

    His hair was wild and unruly. It looked like he had not slept for weeks, and his face was gaunt and . He had requested to postpone the trial for Felix Garcia as he had some ''health conditions'', and allowed Paul Pheme to handle some of the matters in his stead.

    It wasn''t exactly untrue, though. He was suffering from insomnia, malnutrition, and mood swings.

    But he felt so alive. He was a different person once he held a gun and chased after some monster lurking in the dark.

    He fired four shots once more, and there was a thud! as something invisible seemed to copse.

    "Bullseye!" He grinned, as he went to reim his ''prize''.

    Chief Fieldings patted his shoulder. "Good job. The second one is mine, you take the thing on the back of the trunk."

    The thing about Imposters, as he learned from the chief, was that they reattach their strings eventually after some time. To render them useless, you have topletely destroy their body while they are still unattached to the Mother.

    And they are still very much ''alive'' even without their strings attached. They just could not move.

    Rnd easily pulled the weight of an 8 feet tall slender hunk of stic onto the trunk, tying its limbs and twisting it until it fit there.

    He looked at it with pure malice. "That''s what you get for being a monstrous freak!"

    He hit it with the back of his pistol.

    There was no response from the living mannequin. But as Rnd was about to close the trunk:

    "If this is what I get for being a ''monstrous freak'', then shouldn''t your friend suffer the same?" It said,

    Rnd stopped closing the trunk halfway, and gritted his teeth.

    "So you know Harker. I suppose all of you know him since he justpletely wrecked dozens of your fellow stic friends to pieces."

    "Your taunts were better when you were still not part of the Hunter''s little pups. Your brain is constantly loaded with wrath that all you could think is that everything that does you wrong deserves to be killed. I wonder¡­."

    The faceless mannequin''s tone was enough to give the impression that it was sneering:

    "What if he does you wrong? What if he does something awful to you in that state? Would you be able to restrain yourself from pulling the trigger on him?"

    Rnd growled, and hit that face again and again with the back of his rifle.

    "Shut up! Shut up!" He yelled. "I wouldn''t be so cocky if I were you. All we need is to give you some skin, maybe a pig''s so we can hear you squeal once we chop up your body."

    The mannequinughed. "Hahaha¡­.. What was that saying again? Takes one to know one? Takes a monster to know what would hurt a fellow monster."

    Rnd growled deep within his chest, a growl that no human could make. He mmed the trunk shut, and started firing on the ground with a hissy fit.

    As he was done firing, he huffed, catching his breath.

    "What¡­. What is happening to me? I''m changing so fast¡­.."

    But then, he remembered that he had also changed, hasn''t he? He had also changed, and the past doesn''t matter anymore. It''s always there, looming over him like a grinning shadow, and it''s about time that he fights it off.

    It won''t be so bad if he changed too, right?

    -----------------------------

    Masked figures dance in avish ballroom, wine in hand and conversing with others. All in fine, tailored suits, exquisite dresses, and luxurious branded bags, shoes, and essories.

    It was a Charity Ball, as the posters say. Every one of these people were phnthropists and generous souls that were partying for the sake of the poor, hungry children in Africa.

    Or at least, one or two of them actually are.

    It reeked of crocodiles here, with all the crocodile tears that they shed for the needy that they couldn''t care less about. One of the guest''s green eyes scanned the area, her face hidden under the mask, wearing a vermillion dress the color of a fiery sunset.

    "I have set it up now. 5 minutes and 30 seconds left."

    She was talking to another woman by her side, a redhead with a luscious long and flowing red gown.

    "Very good, my dear. But that''s not enough for these people, right?"

    "It isn''t." Joan''s lips turned up ever so slightly. "They need to suffer more for their lies."

    There was arge screen that was showing the pictures of these ''impoverished Africanmunities'' that these people would be ''donating'' to. Some were small-scale politicians, old celebrities, and leaders of ''non-profit'' organizations that profit off the membership fee for this pageantry under the name of ''charity''.

    Suddenly, the screens changed.

    The people were stunned in surprise. There was a video, caught in a low quality camera and zoomed in so much that the quality had be grainy. But the figures were still recognizable.

    It was the figure of the head organizer of the Charity Ball in a seedy hotel. And¡­.

    He was naked, below him was a ck woman.

    "You like that, you n**** cunt? Sluts like you need to be shackled like back in the old days if you keep squirming like that and being a bitch!"

    The guests gasped in surprise, and the organizer was frozen in terror as his sex with a ck girl was being shown for everyone to see. Including his wife and children.

    Joan did not feel any guilt this time, even though her face was mostly nk and expressionless. But there was a sense of satisfied thrill within her, as another video showed.

    This time, it was one of the prominent members of the board for the Charity organization yelling at a homeless kid on the street. And of course, that kid was colored and impoverished, just like the children they were iming to help.

    Many more of these had been shown, and the videoptionsted perfectly for 5 minutes and 30 seconds.

    Thest one was simply the words written on the screen:

    [People like you are the reason this world deserves to burn.]

    And soon enough¡­.

    There was an explosion at the top of the vi where they were holding the ball. Another one came, and caused therge chandelier to crash on top of some 18 or 19 guests.

    Screams filled the halls, and they tried to flee the area. Some journalists got out first, and that was on purpose. They were the important ones as they surely would be making news out of this ''terrorist attack'' for months, along with the revtions of this certain famous charity organization''s misconduct.

    Joan just picked up a wine ss and drank as the third explosion came, this time fully blocking the exits. Fire was spreading, and yet she could not smell a whiff of smoke.

    The wine ss she picked had be heated, and the red wine bubbled up inside it. She just drank it, not caring about the burning sensation on her tongue.

    "Will this be enough for you to burn those murderers down?" She asked the woman beside her, who also drank bubbling red wine.

    "Oh, yes. I believe you have earned your part of the deal, my dear. Then you would be free." Pele grinned. "I am not like the others who keep my pets for too long when they do not want to be one with the fire. But I do have one question..."

    Joan just raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

    "Are you sure you want to stop destroying? Aren''t there things in this world that you would enjoy watching them burn?"

    Joan shook her head. "No. I only enjoy these ones so far because they are heartless people."

    But...

    Deep down, she knew it was a lie. And that lie continued to sizzle up inside her bubbling up as the joys of delivering pain to others increasingly became stronger.

    And she too, was bing part of the heartless.

 Chapter 263 Nothing Really Matters

    <h4>Chapter 263 Nothing Really Matters</h4>

    Harker woke up in his own bed. Again.

    The children so far didn''t seem to notice anything wrong. They never mentioned about him disappearing for 2 days straight, never mentioned about how he found himself back in his bedroom. As far as Harker was concerned, he had never been to the Imposter''s domain, never met with n Robock, and spent the two nights in their cozy house in the cul-de-sac with Chloe, Sam and Sammy.

    But he knows better now, doesn''t he?

    He knows the influence of the Weaver. As he stared up at that string on the ceiling, hanging so delicately like it would fall any moment... He knew better.

    Yet he could tell what the Weaver also wants him to do now. His body moves, sluggish and unwilling, and yet he has done his routine. Get off the bed, take a bath, prepare breakfast for everyone, take the kids to school. Eat, sleep, rinse, repeat.

    He wondered if his days before being a Demon Lord had also been moved by a fine, fragile thread. Most likely.

    As he had hailed a cab for the children and returned to their front porch, he suddenly saw a car approaching his way. And out she came, but Harker wore no surprise in his face.

    He actually felt nothing, and he knew that all the expressions he would wear from now on was nothing more than a mask to hide his true, hollow self.

    "Artea. Skipped school today?"

    "Rnd is missing. I asked his house, his connections in Court, and even Felix Garcia himself. All said that he just went up and left, postponing the trial and I just¡­. That doesn''t make any sense!" Artea eximed, looking very much distraught. "The Rnd I know wouldn''t just do that! He could have told me something, or¡­"

    She looked at him, her eyes almost pleading. "Have he talked to you?"

    Harker shook his head. "No."

    And he wasn''t really worried, because the emptiness just pushes all his worries away. Only able tozily emte his former ''self'', his former personality.

    "You look awful. Haven''t slept in a while?" Harker said.

    "Of course I haven''t! I was attacked byrge monsters, I saw you die and learned you were some ''demon lord'' yourself, my best friend is missing, and you don''t even seem to care about it at all!" Sh? eximed. "Do you really have no idea where Rnd could have gone?"

    "I have my ways to find him." Harker said calmly. "But that way is going to school now. So let''s just wait for her dismissal."

    "Just wait!? How can I just ''wait''? Harker, Rnd could be in danger! All of us could be in danger, we know absolutely nothing¡ª"

    "And it is better that way. Knowing too much¡­. It''s just pointless. It makes you realize how pointless everything is."

    Artea looked very much stunned by the conviction in his words. how much Harker was convinced that what he said was true. She could tell that there was something very much wrong with him.

    She clenched her fist, and went back. "Fine. If you believe everything is pointless, then believe whatever you want. But you can''t expect me to do the same thing. I will keep fighting, and I will fight with everything I got. Not because I just feltpelled to do so while not believing in a purpose."

    She went and left. And Harker just sat on his front porch.

    Waiting.

    Waiting to bepelled to do something, or for some unforeseen event toe his way that would make him do an action.

    Maybe Rnd wille into his doorsteps, bloodied and close to death.

    Maybe Mina will visit, and ask him again why he had not been answering his calls. Then they will have sex, but his arousal would not be for her. Just an arousal in general, no emotions.

    Maybe Joan will tell him what she found out about Pele.

    Either way, fate will draw its course and push him to the direction it wants. Move its loom. And he won''t fight against it, won''t even try to not take action just to retaliate. He will do as it wills him to do, as he was fated to do.

    Harker will just wait, like a¡­. like a ghost.

    Which was funny because ghosts and stuff like death was considered the opposite of the Weaver. Loss was the opposite of destiny.

    "I do not know why we are considered the opposite even though we are connected to each other. When you realize that there is no free will, you lose that illusion of free will. And you feel like you lost everything."

    She sits beside him, tears always flowing from her eyes. She never stops weeping, never stops mourning.

    "Lady Kun." Harker said.

    She nodded. "I have been called many names, most of the time I am referred to as Muerte now. But the Weaver does not like that, he calls me Perdida. In a sense, both are correct. I am mortality, and the effect of such mortality on every being. That grief, that sorrow¡­. the forsakenness."

    "And you are here because I have died, haven''t I? Died in my own body." Harker said.

    The Grieving Lady smiled. "Everything dies, Hero. Your ''will'' has died, yes. Your sense of purpose. But just like what the Weaver''s servant said, you have always been dying. Everything is always dying, and every day that follows, we mourn for our past."

    Harker sighed, only nodding at this.

    "The Weaver would want you to follow after the girl." The Grieving Lady said. "But I want to offer you something else."

    "Death?"

    "Rest." She said.

    Harker actually did consider it. Oh, how he would love to rest, ande to an end.

    But he shook his head, and leaned his head on The Grieving Lady''s shoulder. "Even if I die, I am sure that I wille back in some form or another. Suffer the same cycle again and again. Ash to ash, dust to dust. Return to the earth, rise back up again. There is no point."

    The Grieving Lady patted his head, just like a motherforting her child.

    "Yes. That is true. I shall meet you when the Weaver decides it is your end, then."

    Harker closed his eyes for a while, thinking about his mother in this life. Josephine Jones. She too had died every single day, and was given temporary rest. Then, she wakes up with a new life somewhere, and she will continue to die again.

    Eventually, the shoulder he leaned on had also forsaken him. Slowly, blown by the wind. And as she left, Harker let out a shaky breath and a single tear.

    Just one. Watering the earth below.

    He walked and walked, his hands on the pockets of his pants. The autumn leaves had littered almost everything, even the sidewalk. He looked down, picking up one of them¡­.

    And there, he saw him.

    He was so happy back then, even with the problems and insecurities. That cheesy smile, thatrge sses on the bridge of his nose, that books and toys scattered on the floor.

    And he had a father, and a mother. And he had love.

    They would hold his tiny hands. His mother would rock him to sleep, while his father would sing a song, leaning his head on her shoulder. When he gets himself hurt, gets himself wounded, he would cry. And that was the end of it, as either one of them would kiss the boo boo away.

    He had friendship, and that too was love. The tenderness of ying together, the shared kinship, of understanding each other the way no one else could.

    They would build a pillow fort, and it felt like there was nothing beyond those nkets. Not even the darkness that children like them were so afraid of¡­.. That even adults were so afraid of.

    The promises they would make, securing it with locked pinkies.

    They were gone, along with him.

    It has been a long time since that little boy had died, and Harker realized that he never really took the time to properly mourn him. He was too caught up in fighting for survival, day by day. Living for the sake of survival, even now.

    As he realized that, it felt that only the sadness was real.

    Happiness was an illusion, as beautiful as it was. Even the anger, the shame, the envy, the fear and dread¡­.. They were all there to push him further into the illusion that all of it ever mattered.

    Only the sadness was real, and he let that go too.

    He gently crushed the leaf, and said his goodbyes to that little boy. Allowed him to remain in that little space in the past, stored in his mind forever, but only to be watched and observed. Never to return again.

    And he said his goodbyes to his mother and father, to the people they once were.

    As for him....

    He said his goodbyes to him too, and the friendship that was never really going tost forever.

 Chapter 264 Circus Family

    <h4>Chapter 264 Circus Family</h4>

    He had been anticipating her arrival since the very beginning. It has been a while since she had been invited, but unfortunately, there had been some unfortunate dys.

    But the guest was here now. And as the host, he must do his best to serve her.

    "Artea Holmwood, correct? What a lovely name." He said, sitting on the chair opposite to hers. "Can I have it?"

    "Mpfh!!!" The guest responded through the gag on her mouth.

    "I take that as a yes." He smiled. "The meal will be served soon, we just have to wait before the entire family arrives."

    They were at a long dining table meant for arge family of about 12 members. There were food and cutleries set beautifully in front of them. A butler arranged their cups every time the guest would identally knock it over as she struggled from her bounds, and he would always smile along with the maid.

    "Here is the appetizer, Sir." The butler with smooth perfect skin said.

    "Thank you." He would reply. "Now, while we wait.... I must look for a way to entertain our guest now, right?"

    He did not wait for another muffled response from Artea, and pped his hand.

    "Oh, but of course! I should tell more about myself." He chuckled.

    "My name was not always Ivan Ivanovich." He said. "The truth was I never had a name. I do not remember what name my former parents gave me. Perhaps it was Sam, or Joseph, Howard or George¡­ I just had no way of knowing. My parents are rude, you see."

    He chuckled. "They died before I was even old enough to ask them. Hahaha!"

    Artea showed no interest in his story, so he skipped the humor and went to the more interesting bit.

    "Despite being a little infant in a crib, I still recall a few things. Not really memories, just¡­. fragments. Impressions. I saw blood, fire, violence, pain¡­.. They mock me in my sleep each night. My little crib was supposed to have also caught on fire, if it weren''t for this couple. Or were they siblings? Twins? Or something else? Nobody knows."

    "This pair¡­" He propped his two fingers together. "They knew a woman who had long awaited a child of her own. The woman wanted a child that she could teach to sing, dance, act, and most importantly... Could entertain guests in any form, whether in a show or in a simple, family gathering like this."

    He tilted his head to the side. "The Mother had decided, dear guest, that you shall not be served after all. You shall be part of the family, not the food."

    Artea stopped struggling, and her eyes widened. Ivan knew that she wanted to know what he meant.

    "The Mother would give her performance soon, you see. It''s a big stage, full of wonderful acrobatics and stunts, pure joy and fun. We want the whole city to watch it. We had set out invitations, and it wouldst for seven days. That is why we call it the Seventh Day Circus Extravaganza! And after that¡­."

    Heughed, tapping his cane on the floor. "The whole world would join the fun! It won''t be just for us, for the members of the family. Or even for the City of New York. Everyone wille to enjoy it! Together, we would build a new world full of thrills and excitement that everyone would forget their names!"

    Tap, tap, tap.

    Artea narrowed her eyes. She doesn''t really understand the severity of the host''s words. She had no idea how cmitous this ''fun performance'' would be,? But...

    She instead paid attention to the tapping of the cane.

    "Now that you are a member of our family, you would also have to help me in my hosting duties. We would be the ones involved in sending invites. One of the most important people we have to look for is one Harker Jones. He is a very esteemed guest, and the Mother had reserved a VIP seat for him during the Seventh Day Circus Extravaganza!"

    There it had started again. The same repeating taps.

    One short, two longs, one short. The letter P in Morse Code.

    "I believe that you are well acquainted with Mr. Jones, right? Through one Rnd Faust. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen changes, Mr. Faust would no longer be invited in our Circus Extravaganza."

    One short, one long, two short. Letter L.

    One short, one long. Letter A.

    One long, one short, Letter Y.

    "We would also want to invite one of Mr. Jones''dy friend, the one that goes under the name Mina Murray now. Seeing how like minded she is when ites to our belief in identity, perhaps she would have a more prominent role in the Circus too rather than just a watcher. It''s a shame that Mr. Jones had abandoned her like a ragdoll he got tired of though."

    Letter A again. And another letter L. And then three long ones for O.

    Artea does not need to decode the rest to know what the message was. ''y along''.

    How exactly does this clown expect her to y along?

    "I''m sure you must be wondering about another thing, though."

    As he said that, the course of the tapping changed.

    "You are wondering about Mr. Jones'' otherdy friend. Unfortunately, like Mr. Faust, she is no longer invited to our wonderful Circus Extravaganza."

    Letter A. Then, a long tap, short, long, short. Letter C.

    He did C twice.

    Then just a short one. An E. And then a P.

    She knew it was ''ept''. ept what? Her fate as a member of this ''family'' of freaks?

    "As fellow hosts, we must make sure to invite those invited and to keep away those who are not. The task of the friendly guard would be to our Brother Medved."

    She turned to look at a giant man with a buzz cut approaching from the door. Like the waiters, he always wore a smile on his face, and he never blinks. He was wearing a bloody police uniform and aviator sses.

    "Hello, sister." He greeted me as he went on to the table.

    "The one who would be securing our guest list is Brother Vydra over him. I believe you have met already." Ivan grinned with mischief.

    Even so, his cane tapped hisst message.

    Long, short, short. Letter D.

    Then an E, an A, and an L.

    ''ept deal''.

    The next person in the room was none other than Kian Shaw, who seemed to be grouchier than the rest who were all smiles. He gave Artea a scowl before saying.

    "Hello, sister."

    "There is also our lovely weingmittee headed by Sister Lvitsa."

    She also recognized who had arrived. It was the victim of the Felix Garcia murder case, Dahlia Nieves.

    She sat right beside Artea. "Hello, sister. You look beautiful today."

    She went to take a strand of Artea''s luscious brown curls, and sniffed it, still not blinking and wearing that wide smile.

    "And that only leaves you and I for the managing of the supplies needed for the Seventh Day Circus Extravanganza. What do you say, sister?" He smiled, approaching her to take off the gag.

    Artea did not scream once it was taken, and only glowered at all of them. These members of this ''family''.

    "And what''s the alternative? What happens if I don''t want to be part of your family?"

    Brother Medved smiled. "You still will be with us. If not in spirit, then at least in body."

    "Don''t y dumb. You already know what happens, ''sister''." Kian Shaw''/Brother Vydra rolled his eyes. "You be a flesh sleeve. Somebody else will wear your skin and your face like a suit."

    "I would love to have worn it¡­. I used to think this one was pretty, but I think your skin suits me better. Don''t you think so, Brother Ivan?" Sister Lvitsa asked.

    "We should always leave the decision to our future sister, of course." Ivan told them. "No rush, no pressure. Though, actually, we do have to rush because the first day of the the Circus Extravaganza is tomorrow."

    Artea considered her options here. She was outnumbered, she had no idea where she was, and she knew now just how powerful and unkible these monsters were. Even if you cut their strings, they''d still go back like an annoying itch. Just look at ''Kian Shaw'' right now.

    And besides¡­.

    She wanted to know exactly why they didn''t want to invite Rnd and Harker''s girlfriend to this circus show. It''s most likely rted to his sudden disappearance.

    Artea knew that epting this deal was the only option left. She just hope the price won''t be too much.

    "Fine. I''ll join your ''family''."

    "Perfect." Ivan smiled. "It''s great to have another member who I could rte to. You see, it''s a little difficult to join in conversations about which skin suits one best when you haven''t tried one yet yourself."

    He took off her binds, and offered his hand.

    "Shall we begin?"

    "Begin what?" Artea frowned.

    His smile grew wide as he said:

    "Your training as our new sister, of course."

 Chapter 265 The Seventh Day

    <h4>Chapter 265 The Seventh Day</h4>

    On the seventh day, he decided that it was time to rest. Everything wasplete. Everything was the way they should be.

    Heid down beside a tree with low-bearing fruit. He merely watched it shine from the dazzling sunlight, smiling to himself as he observed his creations. He was at peace. The following day, his guests will arrive, and they will bask in the glory of this world with him.

    But the bright one was not pleased at all.

    "They will persecute you. Mock everything you have done, me you for the wrongs they havemitted themselves. They will judge you without even judging themselves."

    He merely sighed. "That has not happened yet, my dear."

    "But you and I know it will. You and I have the foresight." The bright one insisted. "What is the difference between being benevolent to them and giving them the hell they deserve? You are the one in control. You are the one in power."

    "I am alone. That is why." The man said.

    The bright one was indignant. "Alone!? What am I, then!?"

    He picked the fruit, and inhaled deeply for another argument. "You are different. As you said, you are different from the rest. You are my Muse, the reason why everything is being created. The one that inspired the shape of my creations, the one who keeps me going in this dark and lonesome world."

    He added with pure regret:

    "But¡­.. I will be honest and admit that it is not enough. It is not enough that you and I are alone together."

    The bright one clenched his fist. "Fine then! Wee those strangers into your world, mold them from y and make them believe that they are not just puppets being pulled by a string as thin as spider webs. Make them believe they are no different from the beasts that they hunt and kill, that they are significant inside this infinite space. But¡­."

    He gritted his teeth. "I will not give them light forever. I will give them darkness for half the time they spend in this world. Because if I submerged them in pure darkness, they will get used to it. I want them to seek the light, to seek me out and beg like the inferior lot that they are."

    The bright one stomped off, kicking at the pebbles as he left. And the regretful one could only watch him go, build on that resentment.

    How is it that the one who gives him joy was also his tormentor? His greatest friend being his enemy? The one who loves him the most to be the one who also hates him the most?

    Such was the beautiful duality of Tai Hao.

    And besides....

    Though he acts like he had epted his fate to be mocked and hated by the very same humans he served, teh same ones that he created this world for¡­.

    He too, does bear some hatred.

    Hatred at the thought that it was pointless no matter how much effort he put into his work. He will always be criticized, always misunderstood.

    Hatred at the thought that nobody will truly appreciate him, even if they did appreciate his work. Not who he was, deep down. Nobody understood him the same way Tai Hao will, and these humans certainly will not. They merely watch and observe, make guesses at connections that may or may not be there. They can be right and wrong¡­..

    But knowing would never be the same as understanding.

    And they will be people who will choose to not know or understand. Who would rather let their mouths run without thinking, who would shout and yell theirints at the Creator who could not afford to acknowledge them all. Or perhaps¡­.

    Who had already resigned to his fate that he will never be able to please all of them.

    He closed his eyes, and peered into the world that Tai Hao desired. A world of vengeance, of blood, pain, and sadistic glee.

    There were no saints or sinners in this world. Only those who suffer in their ignorance.

    No moral code will determine the severity, All of them were equal as they were put into the fire, as rocks were pelted towards them, as they were continuously sliced and sewn and made the toys of beings that were just as malicious as him. Beings that represented the nature of their fears and their ws.

    And from there, the two of them will sit on a throne and watch them all. The humans will see that glowing throne, filled with a thousand eyes that littered the sky like stars.

    Eyes that will never leave them, that will follow and gawk on their torment as they run. Run and run as much as they can only to be chased down.

    That was a world that Tai Hao would enjoy. That he believed that Creator would enjoy.

    And the truth was, a part of the Creator does enjoy it.

    But he resisted, still pushing himself to do as the audience pleased. Even if it is repetitive, even if it''s unforgiving, cruel, and degrading.

    Day by day he would release another chapter of this story. Day by day he will let the trees grow, and children to be born, and for time to move and dance like a circus performer on a tightrope.

    Trying to keep everything in bnce, even though the Creator himself felt that he would soon lose his bnce too.

    He will lift the skies from the Earth, push it upwards and die again and again. He will have his corpse be the home of the beings of this world and of his audience.

    And they will mutte that corpse, they will turn his creations into something else entirely.

    Do you not understand?

    Of course you do not, poor child. So you would have to hear it dumbed down to your level.

    The Creator would sacrifice everything just to not be alone. He was willing to y the fool for his love of his creations, and for the love of those who watched it. Who experiences it.

    Even him.

    Even the bright one. He would y him, and cast him into the pit. No matter how much he loved him, he would let him go.

    Both of them will suffer until perhaps, there will be a merciful end to all of them.

    Perhaps one day, the Creator would be too tired and his corpse would copse from carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Perhaps one day, an unprecedented event will cause the world to cease turning immediately. Perhaps one day, Tai Hao will achieve what he wants¡­..

    And destroy the worldpletely.

    Raise hell on those who have mocked the Creator and sumb to chaos and madness. Until those who relish this evil rule over everything and live on forever to torment them.

    The Creator opened his eyes. After a while of pondering¡­..

    He merely felt empty, like he could not decide whether he wanted to keep hoping or to submit himself to despair.

    For now, he will go on. And he will kill his beloved Muse, his beloved star, this Bright One.

    Killing himself slowly and painfully in the process.

    And even when he returns, he will do it again and again. Because he had to. Because humanity cannot be in darkness forever, cannot suffer for eternity. There must be a bnce to follow, a bnce that exists beyond the Creator''s will. The Law of Nature.

    It has no purpose besides its existence, and it has no biases nor desires. The Law is The Law.

    Unlike the Bright One''s Weaver. The Law was a weaver with no direction, whose hands only moved without a reason in its own rhythm. One may see it as some other force controlling the weaver, and that force being controlled by another weaver, until it repeats into a cycle of being controlled and not controlled.

    And we will never know.

    Not knowing was painful, even for the Creator himself.

    Poor child, you will never know.

    He can only continue performing his tightrope dance. His bncing act. And whether he was praised or insulted, he can only keep going.

    Eternity stretches before him, and he wears a frown as he pushes through.

    His audience will feel entitled to saying whatever they want without actually understanding. They will destroy his beautiful creations and turn it into something unrecognizable to him. But what he was most afraid of.....

    Was that he will be abandoned, and he will have nothing left.

    His audience will simply search for something else, another world, another tale. All his dancing was for naught, all his sacrifices and efforts.

    And the pain he had caused his beloved Muse¡­.

    Would also be for nothing.

    That was his own personal hell. And felt like he was living at this moment, he just won''t ept it. He just won''t stop pushing through, won''t ept that he was alone in this world, and will always be alone.

    He had nothing. The Creator who only knows how to create his own misery.

 Chapter 266 Good at Pretending

    <h4>Chapter 266 Good at Pretending</h4>

    "What exactly happens when this Seventh Day Circus Extravaganza bes sessful?"

    Artea asked Ivan as they rolled up the very, very, VERY long red carpet from the entrance of the building to the circus itself. It was in some space where the ceiling can''t open up and show the sky, and it wasrge and circr like an amphitheater.

    Though they were tasked to buy the supplies and go outside the circus, Artea still had to be blindfolded to not know where the location was in case she did escape. But from guesses and approximations alone, they should be somewhere in Midtown Manhattan. She''d even go for a leap and guess that they were near Times Square.

    Perhaps it was their n to make people think this was one of the many Broadway theaters, or even THE Broadway Theater itself, the one that was actually in Broadway road itself.

    Though the amphitheater of the Circus was much bigger than any theaters that Artea had been to, and she had almost seen them all. This was almost emting the Roman Colosseum itself, and it continues to be expanded and expanded by workers from a buildingpany called Infinite Space Co.

    Which means that it was a pain to clean as well. So far, all these fake imposter people have been doing their best to sweep up the dust or stomp the asional bugs and spiders that crawl around.

    There was no shortage of workers and mannequin people. Before, Artea had found it bizarre, but after 4 hours of working as a member of the ''Mother''s Family'', she became ustomed to it.

    But ustomed does not mean eptance. Far from that. She still wants it all to go away, and to derail whatever they nned to do to New York, to the entire world.

    "Do you want to see? You will see it at the first puppet show performance tomorrow, actually." Ivan told him.

    Artea grumbled. "Can''t you just tell me?"

    "Not here, no. Mother won''t like that very much. And even if I did attempt to tell you, everybody experiences a show differently. They canugh at it, cry about it, be utterly scared¡­.. It''s up to your perspective. Just like our perceptions of the world and the people around us! You can like or dislike someone, see them as a dog or as your mother."

    He pped his hand. "Have I ever told you about the times I had disguised myself as a doctor, a plumber, a pizza delivery man and even a hair boiler! It''s fun to dress up in different identities once in a while, you should try it sometime!.... If you haven''t yet."

    Artea closed her mouth as she won''t gain anything useful from this guy after all.

    She thought he must be an ally, but either he was being vague for safety or he was ying the long con. He did admit he liked ying the con artist andmitting identity theft.

    As for now¡­.

    She had managed to phone Harker''s house earlier, but he wasn''t there either. They went over to him to give him an invite, but there was no one in his house.

    She hoped that he finally picked up his feet and looked for Rnd. She just couldn''t stop worrying about him after all this monster business. And if he did find him, she hoped that he was okay, though that was unlikely considering how his disappearance was so sudden and unusual.

    Little did Artea know, her hopes were in vain.

    ---------------------------

    Rnd tore apart the imposter, who pretended to be an 8 year old boy this time. He stuffed its body with bullets within that same yground where it ate lollipops and pretended to be some happy couple''s foster child.

    And he did it right in front of them, in broad daylight. Wearing a gang mask.

    It didn''t matter to him now whether it would traumatize anyone or not. He had his target, and he was ready to release his fury on it.

    That was the Hunter''s way. The innocents were not to be harmed, but if they were on the way of his hunt, then whatever happened to them is their fault.

    Chief Fieldings was proud of his little protege so far. No one would ever expect this blossoming of violence woulde from someone who used to be such a gentle soul. Rnd had so many things suppressed within him, and he had cultivated that bloodlust to its full potential.

    But he knew it was not enough. As his student proudly showed him today''s victim, he whistled from his police car for him toe back.

    "I have to go by the police department in a few minutes. Nice job, son." He said, patting his back.

    Rnd put the broken apart child on the trunk, twisting its head until it reached under its own arm.

    "Yeah, yeah. Guess it''s up to me to torture it for information. Not that I''mining." Rnd grinned. "What a disgusting thing, pretending to be some cute little kid. I''ll make sure it suffers more than the others."

    Chief Fieldings still kept his hand on his shoulder. "That''s well and good. But Rnd, I noticed something."

    "What is it?" Rnd snapped, finally looking him in the eye.

    "Your anger is no longer growing. It has reached this level, and it has been stable so far." The chief of police frowned. "Do you still see your father''s face on the Imposters?"

    "Of course I do." Rnd scoffed, pushing his hand away. "What, you think I''m going soft?"

    "No, that''s not it. It simply means, my son¡­." The man wore a wide grin, showing off one of his teeth gilded with gold. "Is that your anger for your father is not enough. Your fuel has run dry, you need a new vendetta. A new person to seek revenge on, this time, preferably someone you could actually kill without major consequences in your life. And someone you can kill soon."

    "Who would that be? I can''t think of much, I encountered too many annoying people but none of them were someone I could really kill or acted directly malicious to me." Rnd said. "Most of their transgressions are too trivial."

    Chief Fieldings frowned. "No? Not even a ssmate that said something bad about you, or a teacher that gave you an unfair grade."

    "Forgettable offenses. They still count as innocent in my eyes, and you said¡ª"

    "That seeing innocence in someone would only hinder the Gift of Vendetta. I know." Chief Fieldings sighed. "Well dang it, Rnd. I still see so much potential in you, I don''t want the fire to burn out so quickly. You must have someone. You just need to think."

    Rnd rolled his eyes. "I''m trying, old man!"

    He did have someone, but he wasn''t sure if that bastard was still alive or not.

    His very own ''therapist''. The one who prescribed him his anxiety medication and the one he was seeing during his worst times as a teenager.

    It was also the same bastard who had taught him how to lie. Because there was no point in seeing professional ''help'' like him if they would all just say the same thing, if they would just try to manipte you into thinking that it''s all in your head and you''re blowing it way out of proportion.

    ''Their mockery was not real.''

    Rnd wanted to answer back. ''No, doctor. It''s real, they just keep it hidden in their faces that they use as a mask.''

    ''What you''re feeling is just a phase, something you will grow out of.''

    Rnd wanted to say. ''No, doctor. What I''m feeling torments me every single day even when I pretend it doesn''t exist. Even when I take all those pills you give me to make it go away.''

    ''You are just overthinking.''

    Rnd wanted to shout at those wax-filled ears of his ''Wow, I''m overthinking!? Guess I didn''t know that! Too bad I don''t know how to STOP IT. That''s why I''m literally here!''

    But he didn''t reply to those things. Not after the first session, the second, the fifteenth, the hundreth.

    Rnd smiled, nodded his head to his phony advice, paid his ''services'' and took the medications as he was instructed. His father believed in this doctor, since Rnd started behaving ''properly''. And it was thanks to him after all.

    Rnd learned how to pretend to act properly.

    All thanks to Doctor Dion Apopis.

    Chief Fieldings did not need to ask him, he could already tell from the growing maniacal sneer in his face and the burning red in his eyes that Rnd had found someone. The sacrificialmb, the one who will receive the true punishment of his vendetta.

    "It''s my doctor. The shrink I used to see." Rnd said. "If I remember correctly¡­. He just lives in Midtown, in a neat expensive t on Times Square."

    The mentor nodded, ruffling his hair. "Wait for me tonight, then. We''ll hunt this one together, but I''ll let you do the job and just watch. For now, practice how you''ll torture him with a dummy."

    Rnd chuckled.

    "Haha¡­. Yes, Sir."

 Chapter 267 Sandman Nightmares

    <h4>Chapter 267 Sandman Nightmares</h4>

    Rnd didn''t know why he took a deep breath before opening the door to Dr. Apopis'' residence.

    Perhaps it was the anticipation, the bloodlust that was riling up deep within his veins. Perhaps it was the remnants of his flimsy humanity. Or perhaps, it was everything at once.

    Still, there was no point just standing there with his hand around the handle. He tested if he could twist it, and it did. There were no sounds of movements inside, and Rnd was quite aware that the Gift of Vendetta that he received had improved his senses. It had also improved his stealth even though he and Chief Fieldings tend to not utilize it more.

    Part of the joy of the chase was to make your victim aware that they were being chased. Otherwise, they would be no different from those things that hide like the Imposters or Mr. Shadow.

    He was not afraid to wake up the old geezer in his siesta or anything like that. He just wanted to relish a little bit of his shock once he saw an intruder in his home, and....

    Rnd''s eyes widened when he found blood trails starting from the living room leading all the way to the kitchen.

    What¡­..

    He narrowed his eyes again, and gritted his teeth at the thought that someone went after his prey first. Could it be a human? Some other vignte that Chief Fieldings haven''t told him about?

    The blood was fresh, and he followed its trail like a dog sniffing about the scent. He soon found where the source came from¡­.

    And there he was. Dr. Apopis in the flesh.

    His arm was bleeding from the wrist, and he was holding a knife. He was sitting on his dinner table, smiling at Rnd as if he had been expecting him.

    "Oh hello, Mr. Faust. I have been expecting you." He said.

    Rnd immediately knew this wasn''t the same doctor that he once knew. He was possibly some Imposter taunting him, or some other monster¡­..

    Some monster that wanted to y with his mind.

    He went to run away, but Dr. Apopis justughed from behind him.

    "What? Afraid of a little bit of blood? Wasn''t this something you also used to do? I remember that your father sent it to me because he found the marks, and by estimation, you had been slitting your wrist for more than 6 months before you became my patient."

    Rnd covered his ears, and growled. "You''re not going to get to me, you bastard! Even if you wear his face!"

    Dr. Apopis ignored this and continued to speak, his voice echoing even within this t.

    "You don''t think I am Dr. Apopis. But I have always been, Rnd. That is why you despise me so much. You see, predators tend to dislike other predators. Monsters to other monsters. Or they can be like you, pretending to be amicable yet bearing deep hatred. Wasn''t that something you felt around him?"

    Rnd didn''t listen to him and kept running, feeling like the path to that door just kept on getting farther and farther. But out of pure will, he finally reached it¡­.

    And fell down onto murky ck waters.

    Rnd had sunk deeper than he should have, and he easily drowned. He struggled to reach the surface, but he couldn''t. The darkness enveloped him in its oily, greasy state, making him feel dirty down to his very bones. The humiliation was so strong that it rocked his nerves.

    In the water, he heard Mr. Shadow''s voice again.

    "Joining the Hunter, especially that Vignte, was the worst decision you have made so far, Rnd. You are no Hunter, you couldn''t even hunt the one you truly want to kill." He said, his tone enough to give the illusion of someone talking with a sneer.

    "You me your father, you me the psychologist that tells you to man up and get over it¡­ All because you do not want to me the one who had caused your suffering."

    ''GO AWAY!!!!'' Rnd wanted to yell, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the water just flowed into him and his insides.

    Mr. Shadow went to grab him from behind, gripping him close as if to crush his body. He had one of his hands around Rnd''s neck, and his lips to his ear as he continuously whispered his taunts that once haunted Rnd in his teenage years.

    And his form became more realistic, now turning into Hanker the clone''s face.

    "It''s as clear as day. Rnd Faust, you are¡ª"

    Rnd took this opportunity to kick him, and propel himself forward. It shouldn''t have worked, but natural logic doesn''t work here. It instead functions using dream logic, and if he believed that he could fight him off, then he can.

    He swam into the surface, and found a deserted ind. He swam to that direction, and spotted someone else. A figure.

    He called out, until he realized¡­.

    That it was the corpse of Henry Clerval.

    The corpse barely had patches of skin left, and those that remained were bluish-gray and reeked of death. His ribcage was showing, where a pale white heart continues to move at a sluggish pace. He was almost like a zombie, except he didn''t move.

    Like the others, he only spoke and used words as his knife to twist on Rnd''s past wounds.

    "When shall you end your facade, mate? You have deceived the world and yourself enough, is it not the time when you draw the curtains and reveal yourself? When shall you pretend that this corpse of mine is not yours, and the corpses of every other shell that you have left behind just to follow him?"

    Rnd was now on the ind, and realized that it was full of stranded corpses like this one. All from different eras. There was someone dressed as an Ancient Greek soldier, someone dressed as a Japanese royalty, someone dressed for World War 1, and even someone who wears some tribal tattoos and symbols he couldn''t recognize or locate the origin of.

    All of them have that same blond hair as him.

    Rnd''s anger just increased, and he used his gun to shoot every single one of them. Shooting and shooting blindly, his bullets not running out.

    "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT OF THIS NIGHTMARE RIGHT NOW!"

    Soon, there was a body that wasn''t a corpse like the rest.

    Instead, it seemed to be a sand sculpture. A sculpture of a man, sitting with his legs crossed in what was known as the ''Lotus position''. He had four arms. One palm up, the other down, one holding a scepter, and one supporting a serpent.

    "A nightmare, you say? Your whole life has been nothing less of a nightmare wasn''t it, dear Rnd?"

    Rnd stopped his blind shooting and turned to this sculpture with his sweat dripping from his forehead on this scorchingly hot ind.

    "There you are. Illusion. Dream Demon." He growled, his teeth appearing sharper than they should. "Let me out of your realm of lies and madness, and I might just let you live."

    The sandman just tilted his head to the side, until it slid cleanly off his shoulders.

    "How ironic of you to say that. My realm of lies is nothingpared to a certain someone''s." His decapitated head sneered. "Ah, your kind can be so shameless¡ª"

    Rnd aimed the gun at him. "I know I can kill you. I am now capable of doing so. And I won''t let you escape this time, I''ll tear you apart in my own mind. I can imagine so many horrible things to happen to you besides being peppered in bullets."

    The sandman raised all his four hands. "Alright then, I was just ying a small joke on you, that''s all! Haha, I am not here as an enemy, I am here as your friend! Have you forgotten all the times we spent together?"

    He turned to Dr. Apopis this time, balding man with hawkish nose and crooked sses.

    "I am saying the truth when I say that I am the Dr. Apopis you knew. Perhaps not the one your father knew, but all those sessions¡­ That was me."

    Rnd cocked his gun. "All the more reason for me to torture the hell out of you. You really like digging your own grave, eh?"

    "But I say this out of goodwill! To reconcile with you! You know that you needed my ''services'' to be the bold and dependable Rnd you are today, the Rnd who is good at suppressing his feelings and the Dark¡­.. Hmm, but you have experienced a major rpse." He chuckled with the doctor''s voice. "I suppose I should have given you better medication."

    Rnd shot a hole in his face, and this illusion demon just chuckled.

    "Fine, fine, I''ll stop ying games. Get into serious business." He arranged his necktie. "I came here with a warning. The path you are going for will turn you to a moth flying straight into a me. You can turn back now and avoid the fate woven for you."

    Rnd raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And assuming that''s not a lie, what''s in it for you?"

    The sandman smiled. "I''m trying to get back at an annoying pest by derailing his ns. I want to stop a spider from getting more food into its web."

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!