I move through the night, leaping between the rooftops of one building after another, until I finally reach one of the five marked locations on the map.
I fell to the ground, making a sound as a heavy object hit the ground.
Then, I looked at the stronghold in front of me.
This stronghold is a large supermarket, with no lights on, in complete darkness. I took out the flashlight I had prepared in advance and shone it towards it. This large supermarket is covered in traces of destruction, the main entrance has been dismantled, and the interior is a complete mess. Even from the outside, I can see that the counters and shelves inside have been completely destroyed, the floor is full of holes and bumps, as if two modern military forces from different camps had fought a battle there.
Moreover, for some reason, there are obvious signs of deformation in the internal terrain. I'm not talking about the kind of deformation where something is missing, but the kind where something is added. Some areas have strangely protruded, and some have become twisted in shape.
What is this all about?
I thought this place was a stronghold of a cult, or a stronghold of patients, but there are neither cult members nor patients here, only the ruins left behind after a battle.
Disordered sounds of running came from the rear.
I turned back.
The ones running towards me are a few patients with red eyes, who were attracted to me on my way to the outpost. Although my speed was fast enough to shake off most of the patients, there were still a few who followed me. The patients who followed me were originally near the supermarket, and I reached the outpost before I could shake them off.
In the night, these pairs of glowing red eyes were so chilling.
They approached me wielding weapons made from materials found on the spot.
I know the chances of them recovering are low, maybe they'll be like this for the rest of their lives, but I still don't intend to kill them. On the one hand, I don't want to kill people lightly, and on the other hand, I have the leeway to set things right without killing. If the battle becomes so fierce that I don't have the luxury of holding back, then even if the opponent is human, I won't show any mercy.
The patients approaching me had handprints appear on their necks.
Thirty seconds later, the patients who were previously full of life were all knocked down by me, unconscious.
I took out the black mobile phone, brought up the SMS interface, and clicked to zoom in on the map attached to the SMS.
I immediately noticed something strange.
There are a total of five outposts on the map, located in the northwest, northeast, southeast, southwest and south, marked with red crosses, and I am currently located in the
The location is in the southwest; but for some reason, the red cross in the southwest has now disappeared, and only the outposts remain on the map.
There were originally five strongholds, but now one has disappeared.
Based on the scenery I witnessed, it is not difficult to infer that the southwestern stronghold marked on the map has disappeared because this stronghold has been destroyed.
Who then destroyed it?
Alphonse Elric
Most likely, it's him.
Since both Aoba and I received the text message with the instructions from the shadowy figure, then this third person should have also received it. Based on my conversation with the deceased office worker,
The third person is a character who is a kind of superhero passionate about chivalry. Whether it's the base of the patients or the base of the cult, he has ample motivation to destroy it. And he also has strong supernatural powers, and from a strength standpoint, no one else is his match. The reason the supermarket's interior has become so strange is probably due to his ability to change the terrain
I don't know why he's always been unwilling to stay in touch with us. Even superheroes sometimes work together as a team, don't they?
I entered this destroyed large supermarket and simply investigated.
The results were fruitless, there was no one here, and no other clues, only rubble and dust, the only suspicious thing was that there was a campfire in the middle of the supermarket. Now the campfire has been extinguished and is completely cooled down.
Since nothing was found, I had to leave the supermarket.
At the main entrance of the supermarket, I took out another ordinary mobile phone and checked the time.
Yes, the time is still early.
The purpose of my coming here was to investigate the outpost, and if it was convenient, I would also execute the instructions of the dark forces to destroy the outpost; however, the task of destroying the outpost had already been completed by a third party who arrived first, leaving only a vast ruin without any investigative value. I also do not have the ability to analyze the overall situation by extracting clues from such ruins, so this trip was pretty much a waste of time.
It would be a bit of a downer to go back now.
I double-checked the locations of the other strongholds, turned around, and headed towards the southern stronghold.
.....
Forty-five minutes later, I arrived at my destination.
I, who is jumping from the rooftop of a building, can ignore the winding roads below and head directly to my destination at high speed. Although I don't have a stopwatch or speed radar, based on my personal experience, my running speed should be around 40 kilometers per hour, which is equivalent to 11 meters per second, slightly faster than the world's short-distance running record. This speed is naturally not my limit, but I am currently focused on endurance running rather than sprint, so I don't need to push the speed too high. Since my running is mainly driven by mental power, and my legs are only responsible for adjusting my balance, I've only sweated a little throughout the run.
After stopping, I quickly knocked out a few patients who were attracted, and then quickly hid in the shadows next to me.
The building 40 meters ahead is the outpost on the south side of the map.
This stronghold is a gymnasium, with the interior brightly lit, and several cultists in black robes patrolling outside, quite different from the supermarket stronghold I had found earlier.
The strongholds on the map were indeed established by the cult members.
To avoid being discovered and startling the snake in the grass, I had no choice but to watch from the shadows for the time being.
The cultists patrolling the perimeter of the gymnasium were different from the ones who attacked me with fireballs during the day. They wore plain black robes without the red totem markings, and none of them wore masks, their faces exposed.
I don't know if they will launch fireballs or use other types of supernatural powers.
I feel that it is not entirely necessary to admit this, as at least a third of this idea stems from my own unwillingness to see supernatural powers become widespread. I hope that people who can use supernatural powers are rare, and in that way, I naturally stand on the side of the rare. I don't know how to describe this mindset in detail, but it's as if as long as I, this type of person, am rare, scarce, and countable, I am noble... No, saying it like that is a bit too much, I don't think I'm noble, I just don't want myself to become commonplace. Yes, I've figured it out. Although possessing supernatural powers is not necessarily noble, if it becomes widespread, it will certainly become commonplace, and supernatural abilities are my only forte, so I cannot accept their value decreasing.
Well, I do sincerely feel that I am not noble, right? Now there is no one around who can read minds, and I won't say what's on my mind
Necessity because of a sense of shame deceives oneself. Looking back on the past, the inferiority of oneself without superpowers, the excitement of awakening superpowers, and the way I looked at the people around me afterwards... Didn't I feel that I was superior?
Because of having super powers, I feel like I'm superior to others, this kind of arrogance, this kind of narrowness, is what I despise, but it seems to be lurking in my heart.
No, I'm thinking about something else, the priority now is to investigate the outpost, right?
I shook off my thoughts and returned to the present situation.
The main entrance of the gymnasium is guarded by two cult members. They do not appear to be slacking off and are standing guard very seriously. Sneaking past them and infiltrating the interior of the gymnasium is quite easy, as one can simply enter through the windows, but I do not intend to rush in there right now.
I circled halfway around, quietly and stealthily approached the back of the gymnasium, and set my sights on the cult members patrolling in pairs.
They are shining their flashlights around, patrolling in a serious manner.
I looked around the area and confirmed that no one else was watching, then I used my telekinetic powers to choke the two people's necks.
They immediately suffocated.
Before falling unconscious, they tried to make some small movements and noises to attract other cult members to come here; but I was not careless, and immediately used my psychic powers to suppress their small movements, rendering them immobile, and ultimately causing them to pass out helplessly.
Afterwards, I carried these two people to the convenience store a few hundred meters away and revived them with mineral water.
They woke up and saw me, wanting to attack me, but they had already been tied up by me with ropes and couldn't even stand up.
Who are you?
"Let us go, do you know what the consequences of this will be!"
"Alright, enough with the chitchat. Tell me, is the disaster in Beaver City caused by you?"
"What of it?" one of them sneered.
Although they were captured by me, their attitude was very tense.
I immediately kicked this person in the face.
I really don't have a tendency towards violence. I'm doing this only to emphasize my superior position and to gain a psychological advantage in the upcoming interrogation.
"It seems you still don't know your situation." After I said this to him, I turned to the other person, "I hope you are more honest than him. Tell me, was it you who caused the disaster in Beaver City? Yes or no, I only allow you to give these two answers."
"Yes." The other person looked at me expressionlessly, "Even if you know, what can you do? You... and the others, will eventually become the sustenance for the deities."
"Is the 'claws and fangs of the envoy' referring to people who have contracted Red Eye?" I continued, "And what exactly is the 'envoy'?"
"The Emissaries are not mere things." The person I had kicked down said on the ground, "The Emissaries are... the gastric juices of the divine, transforming one batch of sinners into their own fangs and canines to kill another batch of sinners... The Emissaries, they are both by the side of the divine, and within the claws and fangs..."
He speaks in a vague and confusing manner, making it very difficult to understand.
I briefly digested this paragraph and tentatively understood that the emissary is something similar to a virus, and it can turn ordinary people into patients.
"Are we unable to leave Beaver City because the city is in the stomach of the gods?" I asked.
"You know quite a lot." The other person had a cold expression, "Yes, the stomach of the gods is located in a different dimension from the real world."
"Not long after...all the criminals in Beaver City, either became claws and fangs, or were killed by the claws and fangs...the guy I overturned let out a chilling scream."
Laughter, "When only the underlings are left in the city, the few will commit suicide, at which time... the digestion of the deities will be complete.
His meaning is that if only patients remained in the city, the patients would commit suicide, and no one would be able to survive.
Considering the inevitability of Red Eye, it is only a matter of time before this situation appears to be calm.
"How to prevent Red Eye?"
They both fell silent.
They had previously been quite honest in answering my questions, seemingly conforming to the status quo, but now it appears that was not the case. I estimate they simply felt that those matters would not matter even if they told me.
"How can I leave the belly of the divine being?" I asked again.
The two people still did not speak.
It seems that I will have to resort to some extreme measures.
Two hours later, my interrogation was declared a failure.
In the process of interrogation, I used some...inhumane methods, such as by adding varying degrees of external injuries in different locations to inflict pain on them; or using telekinesis to choke their necks, giving them only one or two seconds of respite, keeping them in a prolonged state of agonizing oxygen deprivation; or dividing them into two separate rooms, and after a while telling one of them that their partner had already confessed, using this divide-and-conquer psychological tactic. In short, I used many methods to get the information I wanted, but they all failed.
I don't have any particular talent when it comes to torturing others, and I just use content that I've seen online in the past.
"No use of....." One of them was drenched in blood and disoriented, but still refused to submit to me.
I am the one who tormented others, yet I now feel a chill in my heart.
To be honest, within these two hours, my mental state has become abnormal. Torturing others with torture will also have a great negative impact on one's own psychology, and I will definitely not forget what I have done here today, and I even feel that I need to go see a psychologist. If it was not for the great pressure that Red Eye gave me, I would not have done this, but it is too late to say this now, and it feels like I am making excuses for my own misdeeds.
They are members of the cult that turned Hebei City into hell on earth, they deserve to be tortured, but where can I go with this kind of means?
I don't regret hurting them, I just feel that I, who have done this kind of thing, am no longer the person I used to be.
At this moment, I remembered Yukio again. When she tried to shoot the people at the research institute, I stopped her, because I was afraid that after killing someone, her mentality would completely lose control and she would never return to her former self. But now, I lack the person who can stop me, and I only realize that I have become abnormal after I have done it.
It's as if you've crossed a moral line that you shouldn't have crossed. Before you crossed it, you couldn't see it, but after crossing it, you could see it. Some things that have become commonplace, you only truly feel their presence after you've lost them.
The two people I tormented were looking at me coldly.
I left this place, and before I left, I killed them.
Cutting the grass and removing the roots...this saying is not entirely accurate. Although it is true that I am cutting the grass and removing the roots, the psychological motivation behind my actions is more about eliminating the crime.
I felt a deep revulsion towards torturing others, and strongly rejected the idea of anyone else knowing about it.
.....
After leaving the convenience store where I had interrogated those two people, I came to the periphery of the sports hall stronghold, used my psychic power to float myself up, and entered the interior through the second-floor window.
I entered a bright changing room, where a cult member was resting on a bench inside.
As soon as I entered, he immediately noticed me and was about to call out loudly.
Before he could raise his voice, I used telekinesis to choke his neck and knocked him unconscious.
I then put on the black robe worn by the cult member and left the changing room, walking out into an empty corridor.
I don't know the interior structure of the gymnasium, so I just randomly chose a direction to walk.
On the way, I encountered another cult member. I should have lowered my head and passed by without letting him see my face, but out of an experimental mindset, I deliberately let him see my face and walked past him upright. As a result, he did not realize that I was not a member of this cult.
If he discovers it, I will act before he can speak up and deal with him.
The results of this experiment show that the cult members in the stronghold are actually not very familiar with each other, and even if I don't cover my face, as long as I wear the cult member's clothes, I can blend in.
Of course, in order to avoid encountering that kind of person who has an exceptionally good memory and can remember the faces of everyone at the outpost, I still maintained a cautious approach as I moved through this outpost.
The number of cult members within the stronghold is not large, and occasionally one can be seen in the corridors.
After a brief observation, and based on my previous experience capturing those two individuals, I can almost conclusively determine that...ordinary cult members do not possess supernatural powers. The individual I encountered during the day was an exception, likely a high-ranking member of this cult.
Besides this, I also discovered another matter.
The interior of this sports hall is shabby for some reason, with many signs of damage, as if a fierce battle had taken place here not long ago, and the floor and walls still have some deformations. Yes, it's the same kind of deformation I saw in the supermarket stronghold. A dozen or so cult members are responsible for clearing the rubble and filling the gaps, trying to restore this place to its original state.
The deceased office worker mentioned that Alphonse Elric had the ability to transform the landscape... The scene of destruction at the supermarket base and the situation here are consistent with the description of this superpower.
Has he been here before?
However, it has not been completely destroyed here, and it is still functioning normally as a stronghold.....In other words, he failed?
He won't die here, will he?
He is our natural ally, Aoba and I, with decent strength. If he dies, that would not be good news.
I walked through another corridor and came to an indoor basketball court with bleachers.
This place is empty and deserted, with only a bare-chested burly man sitting on the floor of the basketball court, a blazing fire pit in front of him.
My intuition tells me: this person is very dangerous, definitely not an ordinary cult member.
It is likely a high-ranking member with the ability to use magic.
I immediately hid away.
He is the only one here, with no other cult members, which means this might be a place where ordinary believers are not allowed to enter. If I'm discovered, I'll certainly be questioned, which would not be easy to handle.
I crouched and snuck my way to the front row of the audience, hiding as I went.
Since this may be a place where ordinary believers are not allowed to enter, the possibility of it hiding secrets is very high. My motive for entering this sports gymnasium stronghold is to investigate, so I naturally cannot overlook such a suspicious place.
I looked at the campfire.
Upon getting closer, it was discovered that a crudely-made iron sword was mysteriously stuck in the middle of the fire pit, its blade glowing bright red.
"This is the node of the ceremony," the burly man suddenly spoke.
Who is he speaking to?
"The ritual has a total of five nodes, distributed in the northwest, northeast, southeast, southwest and south of Beaver City, forming an inverted pentagram. The burly man said, "As long as you destroy three of the five nodes, and then destroy the most important core, you can disrupt the ritual and save Beaver City."
I looked around, but didn't find the person he was talking to.
But to return to the matter at hand, he really did say quite a few interesting things. Just by destroying three of the five nodes and the core, one can save Beaver City? Does that mean it's possible to liberate Beaver City from the belly of the divine being?
If that's the case, that would be wonderful news.
"The armored person called Alphonse Elric who came to this outpost before, asked me questions, and this was the answer I gave at the time." The burly man continued, "I think... you might also ask the same questions, so I'll tell you in advance before you ask, so you don't die in vain. Isn't that right? The one hiding in the audience?"
I was suddenly surprised, was he really talking to me?
But is he trying to trick me? I mean, although he has noticed my presence, he actually doesn't know my exact location, so he wants to try to lure me out by talking?
I cannot act rashly.
"My magic is physical enhancement." The burly man said slowly, "My colleagues' first impression of this spell is the enhancement of strength and defense, but in fact, it is not limited to this. This spell can also enhance my vision, hearing, olfaction, and so on......Sensory abilities are also part of physical abilities, and now I can hear the extra heartbeat here, smell the extra body odor, and even discern its position."
He suddenly looked over at me.
"Come out, don't hide."
It does not appear to be a scam.
I stood up and looked at him.
"So that's how it is, you've disguised yourself as one of us?" he looked at the black robe I was wearing, "This attire suits you quite well, don't you think?" "I don't think so." I readied myself for battle.
"It's a shame."
Then, he also stood up and showed me a strong and powerful fighting stance.
"Then, let's settle this once and for all!"
