Chapter 287: Prisoner

At the crossroads, in front of a newsstand.

Abe was the first to return after receiving the “Shop” information.

Then, Mia walked over with Winry from across the street.

Mia had a puffy face as if she had been frustrated by something.

“Are you okay, Mia?” Abe asked.

“We didn’t find anything, and we were verbally insulted by some lowly beings!

Nicholas wouldn’t let me cause trouble, or else I would have skinned those punks alive.”

During the search for the shop, a group of thugs after Mia and Winry’s beauty started to harass them.

Not only are they incredibly uncommon beauties from other countries, but Mia’s long legs are enough to draw attention.

Even though the bunch of thugs, who were verbally provocative and even tried to make advances, had been beaten badly by Winry on the spot.

Mia was still mad.

According to her personality, these kinds of scumbags need to be executed.

Winry was trying to pacify her from the side, “Don’t be so angry, Mia. It seems everyone here is equipped with a precise mechanical device called a ‘phone.’

The punk I just beat up tried to call his friends using a ‘phone.’

I think these things are quite useful? If the magic array inside the clockwork device doesn’t work, we can use this to stay in contact.”

In Winry’s bag, there were a bunch of phones she had taken from the punks.

The team lead, Abe, was also uncertain, “Alright, we will discuss it when Nicholas gets back… it seems he knows something about it.

Also, I have found the ‘Shop.’ Mia, you don’t have to worry about these small matters.

The people in this [Paradise], the energy they exude doesn’t seem human… reckless killing might bring trouble.”

“I’m just very angry and want to vent… all because you took Nicholas away from me last night.”

Mia, in a burst of anger, finally voiced her thoughts.

Abe did not respond and could only laugh awkwardly.

Mia was pouting, squatting on the side of the road on a fire hydrant, with her hands supporting her chin.

“Why hasn’t Nicholas come back yet? He’s not punctual at all.”

While Mia was complaining.

The spider-like hairs rooted on her body stood erect.

Danger alert!

Hiss… Several strings were spat out of Mia’s mouth as her gaze locked onto the front.

“Nicholas!? What’s going on…”

Mia rubbed her eyes especially hard, thinking she was seeing wrong.

Because a large number of her spider compound eyes can receive light of different wavelengths.

So, Mia could clearly see Han Dong walking out of the crowd, carrying a strange red umbrella, and a pale, terrifying geisha head on his shoulder.

Both the umbrella and the head were emitting a dangerous and lethal aura… if heads like these grew on Mia, she would do everything possible to get rid of them.

Mia couldn’t understand how Han Dong could coexist with such a terrifying entity.

“Could it be that Nicholas is under ‘mental control’?! Impossible… if he could be controlled, neither could I.”

At the same time.

Leaning against the newsstand, Abe’s beast alert was fully triggered.

‘Owl Protection’

A green light flashed in Abe’s eyes, he also saw the terrifying head on Han Dong’s shoulder, and he couldn’t understand it either.

Only Winry, who didn’t have the ‘vision’ ability, couldn’t see anything.

When she saw Han Dong coming back, Winry immediately went to greet him.

Drip, drip…

A tongue soaked in rainwater slowly came out of the head’s mouth, trying to lick Winry.

“Winry, stay two meters away from me.”

“Ah… okay.” Winry looked disappointed, thinking she had done something wrong.

Little did she know, Han Dong was just observing on purpose.

As expected.

When the tongue extended to one meter and eight, it automatically considered the target as ‘too far’ and retracted it back into the mouth.

“Did anyone find the ‘shop’?”

“It’s been located, in an old residential building… But it seems another squad of prisoners found it too.”

“Prisoners? Well… let’s hurry up.

About this umbrella behind me, we can discuss while walking.”

“Alright.”

Leading the way, Abe rushed the squad towards the shop.

Due to the conversation with Han Dong earlier, Winry was deliberately keeping a two-meter distance.

“Mia, did I do something wrong?”

“Look for yourself. Deputy captain has some ‘dirty things’ on him. You can’t just get too close.”

“Dirty things!?” Winry quickly realized what her teacher once said, that in the Fate Space, there are some terrifying entities invisible to the naked eye.

She put her ‘Goggles’ on.

The pale and terrifying geisha head was staring right at Winry. Saliva was continuously dripping from the corner of its mouth… It seemed eager to devour Winry.

“Ah… a person! A person’s head!”

Winry was immediately scared and hid behind Mia.

Han Dong also explained the origin of the human head on his shoulder. He spoke about the situations where ‘Strange Tales’ can be triggered without clues. The whole conversation was in English, which the human head did not understand.

“Isn’t it… too dangerous?”

Abe’s white fur would slightly float every time he saw the human head that was completely rooted in Han Dong’s shoulder.

“Risk and benefit coexist… this thing seems to be very afraid of ‘Chaos Equipment’.

From this point of view, I am quite sure… as long as I maintain this state for 24 hours.”

It was clear that Han Dong was different from the rest.

But such ‘bold’ approach was genuinely something Abe admired…

“Speaking of that, Abe, you just said that when you found the ‘shop’, the ‘Convict Team’ also showed up… Did they notice you?”

“Theoretically, they wouldn’t find me unless they themselves had a surprising perception.”

“I have a plan…”

The ‘shop’ was located in a building on an old street.

Compared to the previous pedestrian street, this place was significantly ‘quieter’… and most of the people walking here were old folks.

Han Dong, carrying the red umbrella, was walking alone on this street, attracting extra attention.

As for Abe, Winry, and Mia, they were assigned to carry out covert operations on the rooftop.

The first thing to do was to identify the ‘Convicts’.

Are they just a group of ordinary people or can they pose a threat to people like Han Dong?

According to Abe, the ‘shop’ was located on the fifth floor.

While stepping up the old and dirty stairs…

Han Dong found the hallway on the fourth floor completely blocked by a burly, blonde man. His polo shirt looked like it could burst at any moment.

His black leather shoes were a staggering size fifty.

Such a huge figure was a bit exaggerated.

“I saw you on the train… I remember there were two pretty foreign girls among your teammates! Where are they?”

The convict seemed incredibly excited when talking about Winry and Mia.

“What about your teammates?” Han Dong asked back.

“The boss let me test your capabilities… how brave of you to go to the ‘shop’ alone. I’ll break your limbs first, then present you to the boss.

Hopefully, with you as a bait, we can draw out the two pretty girls.

My name is Ivanoff! I come from the Russian Black Dolphin Prison… I really do like young boys like you.”

Boom!

He stepped out.

His massive size fifty shoes smashed the reinforced concrete stairs, and he spread his arms, rushing toward Han Dong.