Chapter 36

Chapter 36

"Campground sanctuary? That was ages ago. Now, hah. If you don't want to die here, leave quickly." The old man, standing on his shovel, showed little interest in further conversation.

"It's because of the killer bear, right? I came for it. Without this monster, the forest could return to peace, and the woodland inn could be restored to its former state."

Ji Xinghai pointed at the old newspaper, but his eyes were fixed on the old man.

It was a two-year-old newspaper, arranged chronologically, with a total of five issues, all covering stories about this very forest.

The first issue reported a massive fire that had once ravaged the forest. Due to its remote location, the fire received little attention, resulting in the deaths of many animals and people. Fortunately, after burning for a month, a sudden downpour extinguished the blaze, sparing what remained of the forest.

The second issue covered mysterious disappearances among local residents, some even before the fire was extinguished, leaving no trace of life or death.

After police investigations, they presumed the missing individuals might have perished in the fire. They combed through the forest with search dogs but found nothing.

The third issue featured missing person advertisements. Not only locals but also young campers who ventured into the area had vanished. One was found dead two kilometers away the next day, without any signs of external injury, poisoning, or assault.

This incident attracted media attention, sparking online discussions. Adventurous youngsters came to investigate, only to vanish as well.

The fourth issue reported the discovery of a killer bear in the woods, accompanied by a blurry, dark image.

A journalist, claiming to have narrowly escaped, described seeing an animal walking on all fours, covered in black fur. Uncertain of the creature's identity, he speculated it might be a desperate bear.

The fifth issue detailed how the indigenous inhabitants of the forest were relocating due to the threat posed by the killer bear, abandoning their home.

The campground was permanently abandoned, the natives departed, and even the motel closed its doors.

"I can't help but feel something's off about Brother Hai."

"Hush, remember the hunter's cabin? Brother Hai must have noticed something amiss again. Keep quiet and watch; don't distract me."

Ji Xinghai swiftly scanned through the newspapers. His gaze then shifted to the motel, still enchantingly nestled amidst lush flowers and trees, resembling a fairy tale cottage. A smile suddenly graced his face.

"To let such a beautiful inn be forgotten in the forest would indeed be a pity. I will certainly report on the events here. Once the killer bear is dealt with, tranquility will be restored."

"You?" The old man's lips quivered, contorting into a bitter expression. "You have no idea what kind of monster that is. Many used to live nearby, but now, only I refuse to move. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

The old man listed several names, common in the Federation, four of which shared the same surname, likely indicating a single family.

"From a two-year-old child to a sixty-year-old elder, sixteen people have disappeared or died. The police have visited multiple times, those tax-funded incompetents, finding nothing but long-dead bodies."

"It sounds like you know something more," Ji Xinghai interjected.

"I once saw that monster, watching helplessly as it carried away the corpse of a dead child. I encountered it twice more in the woods, even firing my gun once, but it made no difference. It wasn't a bear!

"This is a conspiracy, a nightmare! It's a monster, a devil escaped from hell! How can human strength possibly contend with it?"

"Hmm..." Ji Xinghai pondered. "I've heard about the incidents here, but it's hard to believe. Perhaps you were just too agitated and misidentified it. These are merely rumors; such things don't exist in the world."

"No, it's not a rumor!" The old man looked at him, visibly enraged, his body trembling, tears of anguish in his eyes. "I've seen it, walking on all fours, covered in thick fur, but it's definitely not a bear. It's powerful, incredibly powerful! No one can kill it."

"I don't believe it."

With those words, and the youthful arrogance of someone unaware of their own limits, Ji Xinghai could infuriate any stubborn old man to the point of apoplexy. Yet, he felt it wasn't enough and added:

"When one's physical prowess declines from its peak, never to return to its former glory, they might deliberately exaggerate the enemy's strength to make themselves feel better. But, sir, there are no monsters in this world."

The old man's face twitched, his expression shifting. His muscles contorted into an uncomfortable shape before he sneered, "If that's what you believe, young man, then so be it. May your youth bring you good fortune."

"Thank you for your blessing. I'm sure I'll capture the truth. May I ask your name? I heard there's an unfortunate survivor here, whose entire family... well, I wonder if you..."

Ji Xinghai seemed genuinely curious. He stepped out of his car, holding a lollipop in one hand, unwrapping the wrapper and placing the candy in his mouth.

He was being utterly disrespectful. Yet, the old man wasn't as angry as before. He stared coldly at Ji Xinghai, as if looking at a man destined to die: "Yes, my wife and two children met with an unfortunate end, leaving only this useless old man, Johnson."

"Johnson Gallen," Ji Xinghai, with the lollipop in his mouth, slowly revealed a malicious smile. "Or should I call you, Skinwalker."

The old man abruptly turned to Ji Xinghai, but instead of seeing the face of this reckless youth, he saw nails flying toward him at close range.

"Ahh!"

The audience, viewing through the perspective of the old man, experienced a phantom pain in their eyes, instinctively covering them.

"You're right; there's no killer bear here," Ji Xinghai said meaningfully.

Two pneumatic bursts echoed, and the old man, clutching his eyes, emitted a blood-curdling scream. Sharp claws emerged from his fingertips, and hair-like steel needles pierced through his skin.

But by then, Ji Xinghai had already swapped his nail gun for a familiar axe, hacking directly at the legs that hadn't fully transformed yet, blood spurting everywhere.

The livestream viewers, who had been shielding their eyes, were left speechless.

Violence, gore, a plot reminiscent of scenes unsuitable for children. The eerie sense of déjà vu made the old man's aged face seem to merge with that of an equally aged hunter.

Their skin prickled, yet they couldn't look away.

"What happened? Weren't we 'friendly chatting' and gathering clues just now?"

"You call that 'friendly chatting'?"

"I knew something was going to happen when Brother Hai was 'acting.' I just wondered why he went for the legs first this time."

"How did the nail gun and axe appear out of nowhere?!"

"Johnson Gallen!" Ji Xinghai, with the lollipop still in his mouth, called out the name again, as if casting a spell.

"Rest in peace, as a human."

The monster paused for a second.

A name is the shortest spell, universally acknowledged in both the Western and Eastern worlds. Monsters trapped by the spell of their names cannot unleash their full might, and can only greet the relentless slashes in a pitiful half-human, half-monster form.

Finally, its legs were severed, followed by its head.

The audience anticipated a desperate struggle from the monster, but as the axe fell, it unexpectedly revealed a smile, its mouth opening and closing as if it were trying to convey something.

"Thank you, thank you? Is it saying 'thank you'?"

"What? How could this be possible?"

"Skinwalker, I see, a creature of legend in the Federation!"

The Jiuzhou Command Unit's expert in the arcane sciences was the first to seize the crux of Ji Xinghai's words. His expression was filled with excitement as he searched through the computer for relevant information.

"Found it, Skinwalker, a legend from the Navajo people of the Federation, which means 'a person who walks on all fours.' It is often found in mountainous and forested areas, a monster that preys on human souls."

"So, there is no 'murder bear'?" another staff member, who had been searching for information on the 'murder bear' for a long time, asked in astonishment, "How did Ji Xinghai discover this?"

The narrative abruptly shifts from everyday horror to the realm of the fantastical, without any hint of a transition.

"The Murderous Bear may have existed once, or perhaps never. But without a doubt, the protagonist of this affair is the Skinwalker."

Then he turned his gaze towards the live broadcast room, where on the screen, Ji Xinghai had already severed the legs of the half-human, half-monster creature, and had also cut halfway through its neck: "The Skinner was originally the shaman of the tribe. When the tribe faced difficulties and was on the brink of a life-and-death crisis, the shaman would choose to kill his dearest family member to perform an evil spell. However, the sacrifices were not limited to the innocent family members of the shaman."

Just as certain elements of life may transform into abnormal creatures during an extraordinary natural disaster, a priest who performs an evil ritual will gain malevolent powers and become such a monster. Moreover, this transformation is irreversible. Even if it retains the appearance of a human, it is, in essence, a true monster.

"It can transform into an animal, moving with the speed of lightning and possessing a constitution far beyond that of ordinary people. Gazing into its eyes will result in being controlled by it, but the most terrifying aspect is that it can change into others by collecting their hair and bodily fluids, appearing and disappearing like a ghost."

Speaking of this, the occult expert suddenly shook his head and chuckled: "Romantic novelists and screenwriters enjoy adding many sentimental elements to those who become monsters, allowing them to retain their humanity, and even become entangled in emotional relationships with humans."

"I do not deny that such accidents may occasionally occur, but in the vast majority of cases, such things simply do not exist. Monsters are monsters; even if they appear to have human qualities, it is often a deceptive hunting tactic to beguile the human heart. When encountering monsters, one must be as resolute as our students."

It is said that calling out the true name of the Skinwalker can cause karmic retribution. Ji Xinghai is using this name to confirm his own conjecture. He has been deliberately provoking the Skinwalker, trying to make it lose its composure.

"At the moment, I'm not sure why he was so quick to identify the old man as a skinwalker, but it has to be said, this is textbook-level countermeasure. Shouting out the name weakens its power, blinding its eyes breaks the control, severing the legs prevents escape, and beheading the head ensures death." "It's the newspaper!" another staff member of the Command Unit shouted, pointing at the display board in the background, "The newspaper contains a lot of information."

The sudden downpour that extinguished the mountain fire in the first newspaper was the evil magic performed by the priest to protect the tribe.

"The first batch of missing victims found in the second newspaper were a family of four, all bearing the same surname, Galen. That is to say, they were the family of the priest who was sacrificed."

Needless to say, in retrospect, it's quite easy to deduce such a conclusion. However, from Ji Xinghai's perspective, being able to gather this information within just a few minutes, and then distill it into accurate judgments and effective actions, is truly...

Just like the well-trained monster hunters in movies and TV shows.

"If it were me, it would be difficult to immediately associate these events with mysticism; instead, I would continue to focus on the theme of 'murderous bear.'"

Individuals nurtured under the scientific worldview, even with the influence of the Hungry Academy, would find it difficult to conceive of such a creature. Yet, Ji Xinghai, with just a few newspapers, deduced the true identity of the 'murderous bear' and even took direct action.

Why has this come to pass?

The occult expert, Ji Xinghai, who ceased his actions upon confirming the demise of the skinwalker on the screen, mused, "He seems to have an unusual familiarity with these creatures; what kind of experiences might he have had before?"

Only upon his departure from the Hungry Academy would the answer be revealed.

"Leather Walker? It's actually a Leather Walker? That's a whole different story from a man-killing bear!" The latter can generally be dealt with by hunters, but the former requires the intervention of demon hunters.

Outside the examination hall, discussions among various countries are buzzing about the 'Skin Walker': "The Hungry Academy actually lets its students fight against such legendary monsters. The road mini-game has been modified a bit too much. Why doesn't it just go on 'Federation Horror Stories'? Damn it, this time the Federation is going to take the lead."

Federation Command: ...

A student, born and raised in JiuZhou, is still a staunch materialist when reading investigative reports, and it is uncertain how familiar he is with the terrifying tales of the Federation's homeland.

A trainee hailing from the military, who believes that wielding an AK can conquer all, belongs to the physical exorcism school.

Oh, what a sin!