Chapter 345 - 229: Persecutory Delusion 2

It seemed that the clues Old Jack had were the same as the children’s—a monster!

A mysterious monster had taken the children’s friend, the same person who was reported missing in the newspaper.

"Listen up, kids." Zhou Chen’s tone changed, growing serious. "I need your help with an investigation. This is very important. It’s not just about the safety of all of Akita Town, but also about your friend’s life.

I’m not like the other adults. I’ve seen a lot of strange and bizarre things. You can tell me anything you’ve seen and heard, and I’ll do everything in my power to help you find your missing friend."

Influenced by his approachable demeanor, the children’s wariness had all but vanished. Combined with their deep concern for their friend, they hesitated only for a moment before telling him everything.

"Two days ago, we were all playing at the mall until late. Allen’s house is the farthest, so after he said goodbye to us, he still had a ways to ride by himself. He’s usually home ten minutes after leaving us, but that night, he never made it home. We didn’t know Allen was missing until his parents called ours to ask where he was."

The slender, blond-haired boy spoke up. "That night, we went out looking for him with the adults. We found his bicycle near the forest on his way home. I also saw... I saw a monster, but none of the adults saw it. They said I was hallucinating."

"Can you describe the details of what happened?" Zhou Chen probed.

"We were searching the forest with flashlights, calling out Allen’s name... I was following my parents and a few police officers. When we got to a small creek, I saw the beam of a flashlight land on a monster in the distance. It was tall... about three meters, with very, very dark skin. And then it just vanished."

The blond boy was still frightened by the memory. "I screamed that there was a monster, but the adults didn’t see anything. My parents thought I was in shock, so they forced me to go home."

"But I swear, I really saw the monster. Old Jack can vouch for me; he’s seen it too." The blond boy raised a finger solemnly, then glanced back at the homeless man who was hiding. "Old Jack was the first one to see the monster. He saw it one night while he was collecting trash in the park. He ran to the police station to report it, but the cops just treated him like a lunatic and threw him out...

To be honest, we didn’t believe him either when he told us. But I really did see the monster that night, and it was almost exactly as Old Jack described. So we’re guessing the monster is behind all the disappearances in town. It’s taken a lot of people."

"What exactly does the monster look like? Is it humanoid or some other shape?" Zhou Chen asked.

"You believe us?" The blond boy was surprised. Whenever he told other adults about it, they dismissed it as childish fantasy. His parents had even sternly warned him to stay away from Old Jack.

"Of course. It’s why I’m here," Zhou Chen said with a nod. "So, what does the monster look like?"

"Humanoid, three meters tall, with dark skin. I couldn’t see anything else clearly. Old Jack only got a quick look, too."

’A three-meter-tall humanoid with pitch-black skin. Definitely sounds like a monster. It would be great if I had more features to go on...’ Zhou Chen’s gaze swept over the children. "If you know there’s a monster, why would you risk going into the forest? Aren’t you afraid it will get you?"

"Everyone who disappeared was taken at night. It’s daytime now, so the monster probably won’t come out," Jenny chimed in. "We’re just sticking to the edge of the woods, trying to see if we can find any clues. Besides, the adults won’t believe us anyway, so we have to find clues on our own."

"Yeah. Adults are stubborn, stupid, and arrogant. They never believe what kids have to say," the nerdy, bespectacled boy added.

’So young and fearless,’ Zhou Chen mused. ’These kids have way too much nerve.’

"Are you done with your questions?" Jenny asked.

"For now."

"Then come to the forest with us," Jenny said bluntly. "You said you’d help us find Allen."

Zhou Chen considered it. ’Even if I’m no match for the monster, I can use Flame Teleportation to get these kids out of here.’ With that thought, he nodded. "Lead the way."

"We’re going now, Old Jack!" the children called out, waving goodbye to him.

·

「Twenty minutes later.」

Led by the children, Zhou Chen arrived at the forest, which was blanketed in thick, white snow.

The trees were bare, and an eerie silence hung over the desolate landscape. A thick layer of snow covered the ground, making a CRUNCH CRUNCH sound under their feet.

During their casual conversation on the way, Zhou Chen learned the children’s names.

The freckled girl was Jenny, the blond boy was Joey, the bespectacled nerd was Martin, and the chubby boy was Yiwen. Along with the missing Allen, the five of them were the best of friends.

"Mr. Smith, are you a Special Agent?" Martin asked curiously.

"To be precise, I’m an Investigator," Zhou Chen corrected him. "There’s a significant difference between the two."

"So have you ever encountered any supernatural events? There are so many happening all over the World right now. Is it that ’spiritual energy revival’ the Easterners talk about?" Martin had a keen interest in the subject.

"You know quite a bit," Zhou Chen said, amused. ’This kid even knows about spiritual energy revival. Looks like he spends plenty of time surfing the web.’

"Some of those stories are real, and some are fake," he answered ambiguously, immediately piquing the children’s curiosity.

"Which ones are real?"

"That’s classified."

"Awww..." The children groaned in disappointment.

"Up ahead is where we found Allen’s bicycle," Joey said suddenly.

Police tape still cordoned off the area, but the bicycle had already been taken to the station.

To Zhou Chen’s slight dismay, it seemed a fresh layer of snow had recently fallen in the forest, burying any remaining tracks.

"Where’s the creek?" he asked.

"To the left," Joey said, pointing the way.

The group soon reached the creek where Joey had seen the monster. He pointed. "I saw the monster right over there that night."

Zhou Chen walked over and looked back. "This spot?"

"A little more forward... a bit to the right... more forward... more... Yes, that’s pretty much the spot."

Zhou Chen looked at the heavy snow all around, troubled. The snow had buried everything.

After a moment of contemplation, he made a wish in his mind. ’I wish to see the "footprints" the monster left behind.’

—Everything that passes leaves a trace.

Even an intangible Spirit Body would leave residual traces as it passed through the air. If the monster truly existed, wishing to find its tracks was surely a good approach.

He wasn’t sure if it was because of interference from the Restricted Area’s Power, but both wishes had consumed an exceptionally large amount of wish value. This one had burned through a full fifty star-motes.

Zhou Chen’s vision swam for a moment. Through the snow in front of him, he saw a massive, claw-shaped footprint, shimmering with a conspicuous golden light.

He glanced around but saw only that single print.

’Can the monster fly?’ Zhou Chen wondered, stunned. ’Or did it just vanish into thin air?’

’No... even if it could fly, it should have left some kind of trail. But apart from this one footprint, there’s not a single other trace...’

He carefully brushed aside the snow in front of him, but there was no physical print underneath—only frozen leaves.

’Does it not exist on the physical plane?’

"Mr. Smith, did you find anything?" the children asked.

"Nothing yet," Zhou Chen said, turning back. "Let’s head back. It’s getting late."

The children’s spirits sank.

As they walked out of the forest, they saw an unexpected figure: Old Jack, wearing a Tinfoil Hat and holding a wooden club.

"Old Jack, what are you doing here?" Little Fatty Yiwen asked in surprise.

"I... was afraid... you’d run into danger..." Old Jack’s mind seemed slow, and he spoke in fits and starts.

"We’re okay. Thanks for worrying about us," the children said with a smile, a wave of warmth washing over them. They were touched that Old Jack had come all this way just because he was concerned.

Then, at Zhou Chen’s urging, the children and Old Jack left together.

Once they were a good distance away, Zhou Chen turned and headed back into the forest.