Chapter 151: Bloodsucking Monster: [13W Nutrient Solution Bonus Chapter]

Chapter 151: The Bloodsucking Monster: "13W Nutrient Solution Bonus Update"

The two of them killed some more time by the window. Around noon, a group of villagers finally appeared at the entrance to the reservation, coming back empty-handed.

Seeing this through the window, Everly and Misha quickly went downstairs and waited in Karl's living room.

Before long, Karl and the other three came back, with Karl in the lead.

Unlike the grim, tense looks they'd had when they left, the four of them looked much more relaxed this time. Everly figured the trip had gone off without a hitch, so she casually brought up the livestock deaths out at the western farms and reminded Karl to keep an eye on his livestock.

Karl didn't seem all that surprised to hear another farm had been hit last night. He listened patiently, then nodded. "Thank you for the reminder. I'll let the villagers know."

Whether Karl ever actually mentioned the bloodsucking monster to the villagers, Everly had no way of knowing.

But one thing she was sure of: that night, when she pulled back the curtains before bed to look outside, every Native American farm in the area—including Karl's—was pitch black, with no sign of anyone standing guard.

The farms were the main source of income for the Native Americans here. Everly couldn't believe the farm owners hadn't heard about attacks happening just a few kilometers away. After all, this was the information age—the young people of the Winton tribe knew how to use smartphones and post on Twitter. Word couldn't travel that slowly.

Knowing the monster was already roaming nearby, yet still not posting guards or patrols—did the Native Americans have some kind of ace up their sleeve?

Full of suspicion and speculation, she pulled the curtains shut, turned off the light, lay down on the bed, and closed her eyes.

Late night.

Everly was sound asleep when a strange howl jolted her awake.

Since she was in an unfamiliar place, Everly hadn't let herself sleep too deeply. At the sound, she snapped her eyes open and sat up in bed.

What kind of animal was making that sound?

Everly had never heard anything like it. It sounded a bit like a wolf, but deeper and rougher than any wolf howl she'd heard, with a mournful, pained edge to it. It grated on her eardrums like a saw being dragged back and forth, making anyone who heard it involuntarily furrow their brows in disgust and dread.

Even though, judging by the volume, whatever was howling was still far off, Everly still scrambled out of bed, padded to the window, and eased the curtain open a crack to peer outside.

After a full day and night of snowfall, the snow had piled up outside. The white snowfield brightened the dark night a little. And since she was out on the open plains with clear sightlines, Everly raised the binoculars from her bag and could just make out a distant farm whose lights had flicked on, startled by the sound.

The warm yellow light pushed back the darkness and made the farm stand out even more.

In the light, a burly man in a warm hat, clutching a hunting rifle, opened the wooden door, stepped out, and hurried toward the barn.

After the man left, a shadow suddenly crawled across the roof of the cabin.

The shadow was well hidden—long and thin, like some giant humanoid spider. When it lay flat on the roof, it blended right in with the shadows of the surrounding trees. In fact, if it hadn't suddenly crawled down the wall and slipped into the nearby bushes, Everly might not have spotted it even if she'd been standing right there.

What the hell was that thing?!

Everly was sure it wasn't human. No human looked like that. Instead, it looked like the classic screen monster "Slender Man"—long, thin limbs, tall and skinny, like a dough figure stretched way too far.

But calling it Slender Man felt a little off, since the thing that crawled down from the roof was completely naked—no black suit, no weird tentacles sprouting from its back.

Anyway, it looked really weird... Might as well call it the "Slender Monster."

The Slender Monster moved fast—really fast. Everly only caught a rough glimpse before it vanished into the bushes.

After it left, Everly held her breath and stayed by the window a while longer. No more movement from the bushes. But she did see the burly farmer storm out of the barn holding a dead chicken, cursing up a storm. He stood outside with his hands on his head, looking utterly devastated.

Yep, his farm had definitely been hit.

So the bloodsucking monster's true form was actually the "Slender Monster" after all...

Everly let the curtain fall, sat back down on the bed, switched on the lamp, opened her notebook, and went through Rebecca's "Bloodsucking Monster Roundup" one by one.

Nothing, nothing, nothing... She went through the whole list—every bloodsucking monster that preyed on livestock—and still couldn't find one that looked anything like it.

Could it be another man-made monster like Xipe Totec? That would be a problem. Monsters with a mythological basis at least let you draw on the wisdom of the past and use methods from the records. But if it was man-made, there'd be no pattern to follow—you'd need brains and luck, and one wrong move could mean death... Hopefully, the monster wouldn't reach Tunumo Village before she left.

She was only here to ask questions; she didn't exactly want to risk her life to save the day. That kind of thing was for the movie's hero and heroine to handle... Well, there should be a hero and heroine, right? Though she hadn't met any likely candidates yet.

After that one strange howl, the monster outside never made another sound. Given the distance, Everly figured the Slender Monster probably wouldn't make it to Tunumo Village tonight.

Of course, just to be safe, she still checked the pistol and the charms under her pillow, making sure she could grab them in a heartbeat if needed.

After checking, Everly yawned, put the notebook back on the nightstand, turned off the lamp, and lay back down in the soft blankets.

The night passed peacefully.

The next morning, Everly opened her eyes at the call of her biological clock and got out of bed.

After getting dressed, she didn't go downstairs immediately. Instead, she stood by the window, raised her binoculars, and took a look at the farm where the monster had appeared the night before.

Several police cars were already parked at the farm's entrance, with red and blue lights flashing. The burly man she'd seen the night before was standing with his hands on his hips, angrily discussing something with the police.

So the livestock really had been attacked...

Everly put down the binoculars and headed out the door and downstairs.

Just like yesterday morning, her grandfather and Karl were already sitting by the fireplace chatting, and Karl's wife and two sons were busy in the kitchen as usual, bustling about preparing breakfast.

Unlike yesterday, when the hospitable host greeted Everly and routinely asked if she'd slept well, Everly didn't give the usual polite response. Instead, she told the truth.

"I slept well enough... except I was woken up in the middle of the night by a strange howl. I got up and looked out the window, and from a distance, I saw a monster appear on the wall of a farm to the south."

"Monster?"

At those words, the cheerful chatter in the room came to an abrupt halt. Including Karl, who had been chatting with Old John, every Native American—men, women, young, and old—turned their gazes and looked straight at Everly.

"What kind of monster did you see?" Karl's eldest son walked out of the kitchen, speaking urgently as he pressed Everly for an answer.

Even Karl by the fireplace couldn't help but lean in slightly, subtly showing how much he cared about the answer.

Everly was somewhat surprised.

The Native Americans' reaction to the word "monster" was far greater than she'd expected. It was the first time she realized that when too many eyes were on you, even a gaze could feel like a thick, sluggish weight.

One pair, two pairs, three pairs... So many eyes filled with wariness and curiosity, shining on her like searchlights, not missing the slightest change in expression, making Everly feel a heavy pressure she hadn't experienced in a long time.

What's going on? Even if they cared about what the bloodsucking monster looked like, they shouldn't react like this... This excessive attention was almost like they were on guard against something.

With that thought, Everly grew cautious. She didn't reveal everything about the slender shadow she'd seen, but instead answered vaguely: "I didn't get a clear look. I just saw a shadow zip past in the darkness..."

At those words, it was as if an invisible barrier standing between the two groups shattered. The heavy, stagnant atmosphere suddenly lightened.

The Native Americans exchanged glances, and a look of relief appeared on their faces.

"You probably misread it—mistook a tree branch's shadow for a monster."

"Exactly, it was so dark out. Either you misread it, or you mistook a wild wolf or some animal for a monster."

Karl's two sons chimed in one after another, speaking words of reassurance as they turned around with their plates and headed back to the stove.

Old Man Karl nodded in agreement as well: "They all say there's some blood-sucking monster, but it's been so long and no one's actually seen it. Maybe it's just hearsay."

"I see... Then I probably mistook it in my drowsy state last night." Everly feigned a look of sudden realization at just the right moment, making it clear she'd bought the story.

Thus, the warm, cozy atmosphere settled back over the living room. Everyone laughed and chatted as if nothing had happened.

Throughout it all, Old John's face gave nothing away. But when no one was paying attention, he quietly exchanged a glance with his granddaughter. When he saw Everly give a subtle shake of her head, the old man finally relaxed completely.

Everly figured she could stick it out a little longer.

Although the Native Americans had given her a weird vibe just now, they hadn't set off her danger alarms after all, so maybe things weren't that serious. Besides, the priest of the Wendon Tribe wouldn't be back until tomorrow, and she was only a day away from getting the intel she wanted—Everly was reluctant to give up easily.

So, after weighing her options, she decided to stay on.

But today, it seemed, was not going to be a normal day.

At lunchtime, Karl's family and Everly's group of three were seated around the dining table, enjoying a hot meal, when a commotion suddenly arose from the direction of the village entrance. Before long, a Native American villager rushed over and knocked on Karl's door.

"Something's wrong... white people... causing trouble... summoning a monster... priest..."

The dining room of Karl's house was close to the entrance, and Everly, seated near the door, caught most of what the messenger said.

After a moment, Karl came back to the table, his face dark as a storm.

"I'm very sorry, but something has happened in the village, and I need to go deal with it right away... Tawa, Wolf, come with me."

With that, the old man led his two burly sons out of the dining room, looking ready for a fight.

The once lively table was now left with only the three guests and a few women and children. Fortunately, Karl's wife held things together, and Quila was quick-witted and sharp-tongued, so the situation didn't become too awkward.