340-342

Chapter 340: You’re Already Surrounded by Me 

Realizing her final trump card was gone, Mary Shaw’s attitude shifted once again. 

She looked at Ella with pleading eyes, trying to appeal to her. 

“Ella, please, let me go!” 

“I just want to kill you!” 

“No! Ella, have you forgotten? I helped you get your revenge! Without me, you never would’ve taken down Edward!” 

“Yeah, and without you, I wouldn’t be like this now!” 

Ella shook her head. She was done talking to Mary Shaw. 

“Mr. Black, what exactly do you need Mary Shaw for?” she asked, turning to Roy, which was rare for her. 

“I’ve got a friend who needs a vessel, so I wanted this one to help make a perfect puppet. But, of course, she’s been completely uncooperative!” Roy replied. 

What should’ve been a simple task had turned into a mess, all because of Mary Shaw’s refusal to play along. 

“Mr. Black, if it’s just about making a puppet, I can help with that,” Ella offered. “She taught me how to create a perfect puppet. Edward’s puppet was actually my work. But I don’t know how to enchant them, since I’m not a witch.” 

“That’s enough!” Roy said. “I know plenty of witches, and I’ve got Mary Shaw’s notes. As long as you can make the perfect puppet, others can handle the rest.” 

Ella nodded. 

“So, does that mean Mary Shaw’s useless to us now?” 

Roy understood what Ella was getting at—she clearly wanted to kill Mary Shaw for revenge. 

“Be my guest,” he said. 

Ella didn’t have the power to kill Mary Shaw on her own, but Roy had marked her with his brand, allowing her to borrow a fraction of his strength. 

As Ella approached, her hand blazing with hellfire, Mary Shaw begged desperately. 

“No! Ella, spare me!” 

“Mary Shaw, I begged you the same way back then. And what did you do?” 

The answer was obvious, and so was Ella’s choice. 

But at that moment, the sound of Bumblebee’s horn blared from outside the villa. 

Beep beep! 

Ella, about to strike, froze and looked at Roy in confusion. 

“What’s going on?” 

“It’s Bumblebee’s warning!” 

Something similar had happened during the Gospel Asylum incident, the first time Roy suspected Bumblebee wasn’t what he seemed. 

Mary Shaw burst into maniacal laughter, glaring at Roy and Ella with venomous eyes. 

“Hahaha… It must be Mr. R! I curse you all! You’re all going to die!” 

Mr. R? Had the people from the Cabin arrived? 

Back at Crystal Lake, Roy had only heard of Mr. R but never saw him. 

Without hesitation, Ella thrust her hellfire-clad arm through Mary Shaw’s soul, igniting it completely. 

Mary Shaw burned away in agonizing screams. 

[Ding! Obtained Mary Shaw’s Fate Chest! Open it now?] 

Since Ella carried Roy’s brand and used his power to kill Mary Shaw, the kill was credited to Roy. 

From what he’d seen, as long as it involved something Roy “owned”—like the three ghosts fully under his control—he’d get the kill credit. Ella’s situation was similar to Eluretha’s: both were independent entities marked by Roy, but if they used his power to kill, Roy got the chest. 

Her revenge complete, Ella looked visibly relieved. 

“Mr. Black, what do we do next?” 

“I’ll check what those guys outside are up to.” 

Roy moved to the villa’s window, pulling back the curtain to look outside. 

Thanks to his Ghost Wolf’s dark vision, he could see everything clearly. 

Bumblebee, likely not wanting to reveal his silicon-based identity, had already fled. As an Autobot scout, he wouldn’t expose himself without Optimus Prime’s orders. Only after knowing Roy for a while and trusting his character had Bumblebee revealed who he was. 

Outside, a group of mercenaries was setting up a defensive perimeter, seemingly intent on surrounding the villa. 

Roy recalled the pretty blonde secretary mentioning that Mr. R was a red-haired middle-aged man, confirmed by Crystal Lake’s underground base surveillance. But he didn’t see anyone with red hair outside. 

Was he hiding it with a hat, or was he not even here, commanding remotely? 

As Roy observed, Francesca’s voice called out. 

“Roy, come here!” 

“What’s up?” 

Turning, Roy saw Jamie Eisen kneeling on the floor, tears streaming down his face, with a flustered Francesca standing nearby. 

“This man seems to have a request for you,” she said. 

“Ella, keep an eye on the outside and let me know if anything happens,” Roy instructed. 

Ella nodded. After being turned into a puppet by Mary Shaw, she’d gained some special abilities, including seeing in the dark, so the night didn’t hinder her. 

After giving Ella her orders, Roy approached Francesca. 

“Francesca, what’s going on?” 

Jamie suddenly grabbed Roy’s leg, pleading desperately. 

“Mr. Black, please save my child!” 

“Let go, let go! You’ve got to explain what’s happening so I can help!” 

After a few minutes, Roy managed to calm Jamie down—physically—and got the full story. 

Jamie’s child was still in his wife Sally’s womb. Mary Shaw had used a secret technique to sustain the fetus’s life, but it wasn’t a lasting solution. Since Sally was dead, she couldn’t nourish the child’s growth. Once the technique’s effect faded, the child was doomed. 

Jamie begged Roy to save his child, but Roy was at a loss. 

“Mr. Eisen, your child is only just forming. It can’t survive outside the womb, and Mrs. Eisen has been dead for days. The child can’t be saved.” 

Roy shook his head. Even Raphael couldn’t help in this case. Sally had been dead too long, her soul already in heaven, making revival impossible. Raphael’s resurrection required the soul to still be present, shortly after death. 

“Mr. Black, you’re so powerful! You must have a way! Please, I’m begging you, save my child!” 

But Jamie refused to accept reality, still kneeling and pleading. 

There might be a way—Elizabeth could possibly help. But as a Demon Lord, her help came at a steep cost, even for Roy, often requiring a physical price. For Jamie, it’d be even worse. 

And demons never granted wishes as expected—Roland Gordon, now dead, could attest to that. 

With no other option, Roy knocked Jamie out to calm him down. 

After dealing with Jamie, Roy returned to Ella. 

“Ella, what’s the situation outside?” 

“I… I’m not sure. They’re setting up defenses, but it also looks like they’re performing some kind of ritual?” 

“Let me see!” 

Roy pulled back the curtain to take a look. The Cabin’s forces had nearly finished their perimeter. Armed mercenaries stood behind it, some with heavy machine guns and RPGs. 

No doubt, snipers with anti-materiel rifles were positioned in the nearby hills. 

This setup could take on a small army in the Middle East. 

But it didn’t matter. Roy’s physique could withstand small-yield missiles. If the Cabin wanted to escalate, they’d need a nuke. 

What caught Roy’s attention was a familiar figure in the crowd—a man in a red pointed robe, accompanied by others in similar attire. 

Wasn’t that the old man from Crystal Lake’s island, the one who brainwashed Carrie through dreams? 

Yes, it was Leonard Wolf. 

Leonard had lost to Dahlia Gillespie in the Silent Hill incident but escaped the Otherworld before Samiel’s arrival, narrowly avoiding disaster. Afterward, he joined the Cabin, using their resources to rebuild Samiel’s cult. 

Of course, it wasn’t called the Followers anymore—that group was labeled a terrorist organization by the feds. Leonard renamed it the Dream Cult, though the core beliefs remained largely the same. 

At that moment, Leonard was on a phone call. 

“Mr. Wolf, there won’t be any issues with this operation, right?” 

“Mr. R, rest assured! My dream magic is foolproof. No matter how strong that man is in reality, he can’t beat me in a dream!” 

“Excellent, Mr. Wolf. I’m counting on you. Kill him, and I’ll personally fund your church with fifty million. Capture him alive, and I’ll give you a hundred million!” 

A hundred million dollars! 

Greed gleamed in Leonard’s eyes. 

“Mr. R, just wait for my good news!” 

“I’ll be waiting.” 

After hanging up, Leonard turned to his subordinate. 

“How’s the ritual coming along?” 

“Your Holiness, it’s almost ready.” 

Leonard had gone independent, his status far above his time with the Followers. To outshine Dahlia Gillespie and elevate his title, he had his followers call him “Pontiff.” 

Satisfied, Leonard nodded and asked, “What about the sacrifices?” 

“They’re ready—six blonde women.” 

“Perfect!” 

Leonard was thrilled. Since joining the Cabin, everything had become so much easier—funding, sacrifices, everything. Before, he’d had to be cautious to avoid police attention. But the Cabin? They worked with underground groups. When Leonard requested sacrifices, Mr. R would even ask, “Is that enough? I can get you more.” 

It was exhilarating! Leonard had never fought with such resources. 

If he’d had this many sacrifices when brainwashing Carrie, would he have failed? 

“Let’s begin!” he declared. 

But at that moment, someone emerged from the villa. 

Roy, carrying his executioner’s blade, strolled casually toward the Cabin’s defenses. 

The mercenaries were baffled by Roy’s boldness. Unaware of his strength, their commander barked, “Stop! This area is restricted!” 

Roy grinned at the commander. 

“Heh, you’re already surrounded by me. Drop your weapons and surrender!” 

Hearing Roy’s voice, Leonard’s face froze. He recognized it—the man who’d impersonated the Wrath King in the dream and toyed with him. 

Panic surged through Leonard. Roy could manipulate dreams too, meaning his plan was useless. He needed a new strategy. 

But the commander didn’t care. His orders were to trap everyone in the villa. 

“Final warning! One more step, and we open fire!” 

“I’m warning you too. Don’t drop your weapons, and I’m gonna lose it!” 

“Fire—” 

Before the commander could finish, a powerful black tide erupted from Roy’s body. 

The mercenaries had no time to react. The tide engulfed them, plunging them into terror. 

Just like with FEAR yesterday, the Cabin’s mercenaries collapsed instantly, screaming in agony and attacking each other aimlessly. 

The Dream Cult wasn’t spared either. Most cultists, with average willpower, couldn’t withstand Roy’s Fear Incarnate ability. 

But one person stood out—Leonard Wolf. 

As one of the Followers’ two bishops, he had some tricks up his sleeve. When Roy’s fear tide hit, a pendant around Leonard’s neck glowed red, shielding him from the effect. 

It likely drew on the Wrath King’s power, which could negate mental effects. Roy himself had unlocked several Wrath King-related abilities. 

But Leonard, standing alone amidst the chaos, looked painfully conspicuous. 

Finally snapping out of it, he turned and ran. 

How could he fight? Roy had wiped out the mercenaries and Leonard’s men with a single move. He stood no chance. 

Unfortunately, Leonard, who’d been lucky in the past, wasn’t favored by Lady Luck this time. 

(No image to share, so here’s one of Zoe.) 

Chapter 341: The Convergence of Three Forces 

Roy, with a few explosive bursts in his ghost wolf form, appeared in front of Leonard, blocking his path. 

This scene was observed through a camera by someone watching closely. 

“Looks like we failed again.” 

On a mountain road not far from the villa, a black sedan was parked. 

The person who just spoke was a middle-aged man with red hair inside the car. 

The red-haired man shook his head as he watched the scene unfold on his laptop. 

“Seems I underestimated Roy Black.” 

After a moment of thought, the red-haired man turned to the blonde woman in the passenger seat. 

“Amara, proceed with Plan B.” 

“Yes, Mr. R!” 

It was clear that Mr. R had a thing for blonde women. Perhaps it was because his late wife, who died at Crystal Lake, was blonde, as every secretary he’d hired since was a stunning blonde.  

Erica was like that before, and now Amara was the same—both even shared the same first initial. 

Ahem! No more joking around! 

After assigning Amara her tasks, Mr. R picked up a safe from the floor and entered a lengthy password to unlock it. 

Inside the safe was another metal box, also locked with a password, which Mr. R carefully entered. 

Layer after layer, after opening three boxes, he finally retrieved a thick, heavy book. 

The book’s cover was brown, but a closer look revealed its material resembled human skin. 

Even more chilling, the cover bore a twisted, pained human face, with lifelike eyes, teeth, and a nose. 

(The Book of the Dead, from the Evil Dead series) 

Or rather, the cover was made from an actual human face—you could even see an ear on the back! 

Amara, who was on the phone arranging tasks, caught a glimpse of the horrifying book out of the corner of her eye. She froze, her mind overwhelmed as if hearing countless screams. 

Slap! 

Mr. R delivered a sharp slap to Amara’s face, snapping the blonde secretary out of her trance. 

Amara gasped heavily, her clothes soaked with cold sweat as if she’d been pulled from water. 

“Amara, when working at the cabin, one thing is crucial: know what you can look at and what you can’t; know what you can say and what you can’t!”  

Mr. R stared at her sternly, and the blonde secretary hurriedly apologized. 

“S-sorry, Mr. R!” 

Looking at the flustered Amara, Mr. R sighed. 

Amara’s work ethic couldn’t hold a candle to Erica’s. Finding a woman who was blonde, beautiful, and highly competent was no easy feat. 

It was like the impossible triangle—Amara was the compromise Mr. R had settled for, nowhere near Erica’s level. 

This made Mr. R regret tossing Erica into Lakeheart Island. 

But back then, he hadn’t had much choice. Erica’s sanity was fraying after her experiences in the underground base, leaving her vulnerable to the influence of the blonde banshee. 

Mr. R was a cautious man, and when faced with an unpredictable factor like Erica, he’d thrown her into the lake without hesitation. 

That led to the blonde banshee possessing Erica’s body and attempting to attack Roy. 

“Get back to your call. Don’t delay Plan B.” 

“Yes, Mr. R!” 

Relieved, Amara quickly resumed her phone conversation. 

Meanwhile, Mr. R opened the book and, watching the laptop screen, began chanting incantations. 

Elsewhere, Roy had grabbed Leonard Wolf by the neck, lifting him off the ground. 

A pendant around Leonard’s neck emitted a red glow, attempting to repel Roy, but it shattered instantly. 

“Old bastard, I remember you. Weren’t you the one who brainwashed Carrie?” 

Leonard’s face was filled with fear. This encounter was clearly more dangerous than the one in Silent Hill. 

“Sir, you’ve got the wrong person! I don’t know any Carrie!” 

Roy didn’t care if Leonard denied it. He raised his executioner’s blade. 

“Not admitting it, huh? Well, do you recognize this blade?” 

Of course Leonard recognized it. The executioner’s blade belonged to Pyramid Head, a weapon created by the Followers’ Cult to hunt down threats to their order. 

However, Leonard didn’t know how to create Pyramid Head. He and Gillespie each inherited different branches of the cult’s teachings, and only Gillespie knew the method to create Pyramid Head. In theory, that knowledge was lost. 

“I-I really don’t know!” 

“Don’t know that either? Then die!” 

Tired of wasting words on the old man, Roy executed him with the blade. 

“No—argh!” 

[Ding! Obtained Leonard Wolf’s Fate Chest! Open it now?] 

This old bastard had committed countless atrocities. Just for brainwashing Carrie, he’d harmed who-knows-how-many women. Roy had no mercy for him. 

After killing Leonard, Roy also captured his soul. Physical death wasn’t enough to atone for his sins—for someone like him, death was just the beginning. 

The mercenaries’ chaotic battle at the cabin was still ongoing. Roy noticed six unconscious blonde girls tied up. 

Guessing they were likely Leonard Wolf’s intended sacrifices, Roy moved them to the villa, where it was relatively safer. 

“Mr. Black, is it taken care of?”  

Ella looked at Roy with awe. She’d just witnessed him single-handedly dismantle a force of hundreds of elite mercenaries. His terrifying power left her shaken. 

Before, Ella knew Roy was strong, but she hadn’t grasped the extent of it. 

After watching that one-sided slaughter, she finally understood how terrifying Roy truly was. 

“Should be fine now. I’ll call Bumblebee back, and we can get ready to leave.” 

Just then, screams echoed from the nearby mountain. 

Ella turned toward the sound, puzzled. 

“Where’d those screams come from?” 

Roy frowned. 

“Could it be the snipers?” 

Earlier, Roy had sensed snipers on the mountain, thanks to his Assassin’s Heart ability, which alerted him to being targeted. 

But after unleashing his Fear Incarnate ability, the sensation vanished. 

The snipers, likely terrified by Roy’s display of power, didn’t even fire a shot before fleeing. 

After all, mercenaries fought for money, not to throw their lives away. No one wanted their death benefits going to someone else. 

Considering the others in the villa had little combat ability—Ella was only slightly stronger than average—Roy decided to play it safe. 

“I’ll check it out. Francesca, stay here and protect the others.” 

Francesca nodded, gripping her Smith & Wesson M629. The red-dressed ghost still had some fighting capability. 

None of them noticed that Jamie Ashen’s wife’s belly was slowly swelling. 

“Bumblebee, where are you?” 

To stay in touch, Roy had equipped Bumblebee with a satellite phone, moving past their old “yell and hope” communication method. 

“Mr. Black, I’m on the mountain! I found some weird Earth creatures up here!” 

“Weird Earth creatures? Explain.” 

“I’m not sure if they’re alive. Their bones and hearts are made of frozen H2O, their skin’s translucent—you can see their organs. They’re 20 to 30 feet tall, with huge antlers on their heads. Based on a web search, those look like reindeer antlers! They’ve also got long, withered limbs!” 

A heart of ice, massive reindeer antlers, and long, withered limbs—Wendigos. 

Roy knew of these dark creatures from a horror game. They came from Algonquin tribal legends in northern America and Canada, believed to be humans lost in snowy mountains who turned into monstrous beings through cannibalism. 

“Bumblebee, fire a flare. I’m coming to you!” 

“Got it!” 

Soon, Roy saw a red flare light up the mountain. 

But he wasn’t the only one who noticed. Mr. R, still on the mountain road, saw the flare, as did the FEAR team, who had lost contact after entering Ravensfair. 

To prevent Roy from calling for help, the cabin’s mercenaries had set up a signal jammer, which is why Roy hadn’t received FEAR’s calls. 

“Lady Elise, there’s a flare on the mountain!” 

It was our old friend, Edgar, a senior agent from FEAR headquarters. 

“I see it,” Elise said, her eyes glowing faintly blue behind her black blindfold. 

“Looks like Mr. Black is up there.” 

At her words, Edgar issued orders. 

“Point Man, take the clone squad and scout the mountain. Report anything immediately!” 

The FEAR operative named Point Man saluted silently, then led the clone squad onto assault vehicles. 

Despite Armacham’s messes, FEAR headquarters continued using clone squads. Their missions were too dangerous, and even with constant training and recruitment, FEAR’s numbers kept dwindling. 

Their reputation made recruiting nearly impossible. 

Clones weren’t as skilled as elite FEAR operatives, but they were quickly replenished and expendable. 

Thus, clones were gradually replacing FEAR operatives—it was inevitable, regardless of Armacham’s failures. 

As Point Man boarded the assault vehicle, Elise stopped him. 

“Point Man, there’s likely a signal jammer up there, which is why I can’t reach Mr. Black. Find it and destroy it.” 

Point Man nodded and closed the vehicle’s door. 

As the three assault vehicles headed up the mountain, Edgar turned to Elise. 

“Lady Elise, should we investigate the town?” 

Elise shook her head. 

“No need. Mr. Black is special—even my God’s Eye can’t see his past or future. We’ll wait for Point Man’s report.” 

After the Silent Hill incident, Elise had grown more cautious, no longer rushing in alone. 

Meanwhile, Mr. R and Amara’s expressions grew serious as they saw the red flare. 

“Mr. R, it seems there’s someone else on the mountain?” 

“I see it.” 

The mercenaries didn’t carry flares, so this had to be someone else. 

“Could it be the one who sounded that whistle earlier?” Amara suggested, sparking a realization in Mr. R. 

“Good point. That strange whistle did alert the villa. Without it, Leonard Wolf might’ve completed the ritual.” 

Mr. R didn’t know Roy had the Nightmare ability and genuinely thought Leonard could’ve defeated Roy in a dream realm. 

“Mr. R, what do we do now?” 

He checked his watch. 

“I’ve summoned the Wendigo King. It should hold Roy Black off for a while. Now we just wait for that thing to arrive. This is a rare chance to test it.” 

Mr. R smiled and ordered the driver. 

“Drive to the edge of the camera’s signal range. It’s not safe here.” 

“Yes, Mr. R.” 

The black sedan started and turned onto a side road. 

Soon after, the clone squad’s three assault vehicles sped toward the villa, just missing the sedan’s path. 

Back to Roy, who had reached Bumblebee. 

“Bumblebee, where are those things you mentioned?” 

Bumblebee’s voice sounded awkward. 

“Those weird creatures ignored me. They killed a few people and ran downhill.” 

Roy frowned, recalling that Wendigos, born from cannibalistic humans, craved flesh. As a silicon-based lifeform, Bumblebee wasn’t on their menu. 

They were likely heading for the villa. 

Damn it! Had he come up here for nothing? 

Fortunately, the villa’s perimeter was filled with crazed mercenaries—plenty of “food” to keep the Wendigos from targeting the villa’s occupants first. 

As for the cabin’s mercenaries, they could fend for themselves. 

“Bumblebee, back to the villa, now!” 

“Understood!” 

Near the villa, Roy noticed it had started snowing. 

It was late August, the hottest time of year. Even in Washington State’s higher latitudes, snow was impossible. 

Unless they were in the Rockies’ highest peaks, but Ravensfair and the Ashen family villa were far below 1,000 meters. 

If it wasn’t the climate, something was altering the weather. 

Soon, Roy saw the cause—a Wendigo, towering five meters tall! 

Wendigo 

Chapter 342: Father Dies, Son Laughs 

Even after several upgrades, Roy’s demonic form was only so large, but the aura radiating from this Wendigo was extraordinary, capable of altering the weather itself. This was no ordinary Wendigo. 

The massive creature was leading a pack of smaller Wendigos, each about half its size, as they tore through the Cabin’s mercenaries on the scene. After killing their prey, the monsters devoured them, despite their emaciated frames and exposed, frozen organs visible through their ribs. Their gaunt bodies never seemed to gain weight, as if the flesh they consumed vanished into another dimension. 

“Mr. Black, what are these things?” Bumblebee asked, awestruck. In his long life as a machine, he’d never encountered such creatures. 

“They’re called Wendigos—dark beings cursed by death and hunger,” Roy explained before stepping out of the vehicle. 

The smaller Wendigos, busy feasting on the hundreds of corpses littering the area, didn’t notice Roy. But the giant Wendigo spotted him, executioner’s blade slung over his shoulder, and let out a strange roar. Instantly, the smaller Wendigos snapped their heads toward Roy. 

This thing actually had some intelligence? 

“Come on, let’s see if your appetite’s as big as they say!” Roy taunted. 

The giant Wendigo roared again, and the smaller ones dropped their meals, charging at Roy. Their long, slender limbs and emaciated bodies moved with terrifying speed, covering over a hundred meters in seconds. 

Roy narrowed his eyes and swung his executioner’s blade, cleaving the head of the fastest Wendigo in two. But when the blade reached its heart, he hit a snag. The Wendigo’s frozen heart was far tougher than expected, the blade only leaving a deep gash that leaked black mist instead of killing it outright. 

Even with its head split, the Wendigo kept coming, its limbs lunging at Roy. It seemed their physical bodies were mere shells—the real core was the frozen heart. 

Roy hadn’t anticipated this. He’d assumed his strength, paired with the blade’s sharpness, would easily dispatch a Wendigo. This miscalculation left him surrounded. 

No big deal—just a small mistake. 

Dark Touch, activate! 

Eight black tendrils sprouted from Roy’s back, swiftly piercing the surrounding Wendigos. No matter how tough their frozen hearts were on the outside, once the tendrils broke through the icy shell and consumed the core within, the creatures were helpless. 

At the same time, Roy’s blade didn’t idle. He dodged their attacks while slicing off their limbs, leaving the Wendigos writhing on the ground as fodder for his Dark Touch. 

In just a minute, the frozen hearts of the dozen smaller Wendigos were devoured, and without their cores, they crumbled into piles of bones. 

Roy pointed his blade at the giant Wendigo. 

“Your turn!” 

The creature’s red eyes locked onto Roy before it let out a massive roar skyward. Suddenly, the light snowfall turned into a full-blown blizzard. In seconds, the world became a white void, and the giant Wendigo vanished into the storm. 

Gone? 

No, definitely not. 

Roy could feel a malicious gaze locked onto him. The giant Wendigo was hiding in the blizzard, waiting for a chance to strike. 

Who would’ve thought such a massive creature would play assassin? Roy had been hoping for a straight-up brawl. 

Suddenly, a strange gust of air hit from behind, blending seamlessly with the blizzard. If not for his Assassin’s Heart sensing danger, Roy wouldn’t have noticed it. 

Activating bullet time, combined with his Ghost Wolf form “ ’s explosive speed and his agility attribute now at 75, Roy barely dodged the giant Wendigo’s sneak attack. 

However, part of his executioner’s blade caught the gust, and frost coated the metal, as if it had been frozen solid. 

What terrifying cold! 

Roy frowned, realizing he couldn’t let the giant Wendigo keep ambushing him. He activated his Hound Ring to take the offensive. 

The Hellhound’s phantom was unaffected by the blizzard and quickly pinpointed the giant Wendigo’s location. Its body had turned semi-transparent in the storm, making it nearly impossible to spot, but the Hellhound’s highlight rendered its camouflage useless. 

Seeing Roy charge toward it, the giant Wendigo unleashed another blast of that chilling gust. But Roy, using his psychic teleportation, appeared behind it, nimbly leaping onto its back. His executioner’s blade, now in execution mode, gleamed with lethal intent. 

Sensing death’s approach, the giant Wendigo thrashed violently, but Roy’s Dark Touch tendrils pinned its torso and limbs in place. 

With unstoppable force, the executioner’s blade pierced the giant Wendigo’s heart. 

[Ding! Obtained the Wendigo King’s Fate Chest! Open it now?] 

A chest? Roy hadn’t expected that! 

Moreover, the executioner’s blade seemed to have absorbed a unique power from the Wendigo King. The blade now radiated a chilling aura, and faint snowflakes danced around it when swung. 

Did it gain a frost enchantment? 

Roy hadn’t anticipated this perk from executions. Looked like he’d need to execute more enemies. 

With the Wendigo King’s death, the blizzard around the villa began to dissipate. 

“Ella, Francesca, you both okay?” Roy called out. 

“We’re fine! What was that thing? It was terrifying!” Ella said, still shaken. She’d witnessed the Wendigos devouring the Cabin’s mercenaries—a horrifying sight for a puppet like her. 

Francesca, being a ghost, was unfazed. The Wendigos only ate flesh, ignoring even Bumblebee, let alone her. 

“Roy, what was with that blizzard? Did those monsters cause it?” Francesca asked. 

Roy nodded. “Yeah, but the leader that changed the weather’s been dealt with. We’ll talk more later—let’s get out of here.” 

Bumblebee was already parked at the villa’s entrance. Roy headed to the living room to grab Jamie and the unconscious blonde women. 

That’s when he noticed Sally’s belly, swollen like a water tank. 

“What the hell is this?” Roy asked, turning to Ella and Francesca. 

Both looked clueless, clearly unaware of why Sally’s stomach had ballooned. 

“No idea! We were by the window watching outside—we didn’t notice the living room!” Ella said. 

Fair enough. Sally’s bloating hadn’t made a sound, so it was no surprise they’d missed it. 

Roy quickly moved to evacuate the living people from the living room to avoid any surprises. 

But surprises, by their nature, don’t follow plans. 

As Roy moved Jamie, the man woke up and saw Sally’s massive belly. 

“Sally! What’s happening? Mr. Black, what did you do to her?!” Jamie cried, as if Roy had done something unsavory while he was out. 

Roy was speechless. Sure, he’d hooked up with Jamie’s stepmother, technically making him a stepfather of sorts, but he hadn’t touched Sally! Honestly, the actress playing Sally wasn’t even that attractive, and with her tongue ripped out, she was even less appealing. 

Who’d be that desperate? 

“Cut the crap! Something’s wrong with your wife—I’ll check it out in a bit!” Roy snapped. 

“No, I’m staying with Sally! I won’t leave her!” Jamie, driven mad by relentless trauma, refused to budge. 

With no other choice, Roy left Jamie and moved the six blonde women—Leonard Wolf’s intended sacrifices—into Bumblebee. As a muscle car, Bumblebee’s interior was cramped, and fitting six women left no room for more. 

Roy returned to the living room and was met with a horrifying scene. 

Driven to madness, Jamie had torn open Sally’s massive belly, pulling out an unformed fetus. 

The fetus barely resembled a human, with a short tail, no eyes, and translucent skin revealing malformed organs. Despite being “premature,” it was nearly adult-sized. 

“Sally, our baby… now we can finally be together! Forever!” Jamie sobbed. 

But the giant fetus didn’t appreciate its father’s efforts. It lunged, biting off Jamie’s head. 

And it didn’t stop there—it let out a low, eerie laugh. Truly a scene of “father dies, son laughs.” 

“What… what is that thing?” Ella gasped. She’d once desperately wanted to be a mother, even going so far as to unleash Mary Shaw after a miscarriage. But after seeing this monstrous fetus, she’d probably swear off kids for good, even if she regained her fertility. 

Francesca’s expression shifted. “Wait! I know that laugh—it’s Jack!” 

Jack, the Hookman. Before Francesca killed him, his soul had escaped his body, slipping into the only vessel he could control: the fetus in Sally’s womb. 

The Hookman had managed this thanks to Belial’s power, which let him deceive Roy and Francesca’s senses. He’d been quietly absorbing the surrounding deathly aura, gestating a new body. If Jamie hadn’t ripped open Sally’s belly, the Hookman could’ve grown even larger. 

“That’s right, it’s me! Francesca, you wretched woman, I’m going to eat you!” the Hookman snarled, his hatred for his killer palpable. The umbilical cord shot out, trying to seize Francesca. 

Roy’s eyes narrowed as he grabbed the cord. “If you’d just escaped as a soul, I might not have noticed. But you had to come back to die.” 

“Haha, you fell for it! Touching the ghost fetus means you’ll be cursed by Baron Samedi!” the Hookman gloated. 

Baron Samedi, the Voodoo death god. Apparently, the Hookman wasn’t just versed in the Sloth King’s powers but was also a Voodoo sorcerer. The cursed doll and this bizarre ghost fetus creation likely stemmed from Voodoo practices. 

As for Baron Samedi’s curse? 

Did he even ask the real Death God? 

The Eye of Death around Roy’s neck glowed faintly, absorbing the so-called curse from the umbilical cord. 

“No, that’s impossible!” the Hookman cried, sensing his failure despite lacking eyes. 

Desperate to flee again, he was tethered by the umbilical cord Roy held, like a dog on a chain, unable to break free. 

“Francesca, your call,” Roy said. 

“I want him truly dead—body and soul,” she replied. 

“Easy. Burn him with hellfire this time. I’m sick of his disgusting voice,” Roy said. 

“As you wish, my master!” Francesca bowed, then raised her Smith & Wesson M629. 

Infused with Roy’s hellfire, the revolver became a hellish weapon. Blazing bullets shot from the barrel. 

“No!” the Hookman screamed. 

Francesca fired multiple shots, and the hellfire ignited where they hit, spreading across the fetus’s body. 

Hellfire, capable of burning anything—including souls—consumed the Hookman’s vessel in a blaze of agony, reducing it to ashes. 

“He’s really dead this time, right?” Ella asked, hesitant. The Hookman was too cunning for comfort. 

Roy placed a hand on the brand on his chest, sensing for any of Belial’s followers. He’d missed this step before, letting the Hookman slip through. 

“He’s gone. His soul’s ash now,” Roy confirmed. 

Ella sighed in relief. “Let’s get out of here. This place is disgusting.” 

Roy nodded, and the trio—two humans and a ghost—headed for the villa’s exit. 

Just then, three assault vehicles roared in from the distance. 

Carrie.