World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 266 Kevin Hofwegan
Ripe fruit, sour sweat, fresh flowers, and black spices blend into the rainforest night mist.

The woman sorted through the fortress-like piles of cola nuts, fragrant branches, and dried animal organs, placing them into different categories of discarded bottles and jars.

With their strong hands, they built or rebuilt the pyramid-shaped mottled green oranges and mangoes, as well as the dam-like hard green bananas.

A campfire has been lit, and several chefs are making "fufu," a dough derived from cassava roots, which is kneaded in a spiral motion and dried to become a staple food.

Kevin van Hofwegen had heard of Fufu, which had no nutritional value whatsoever compared to a bread bag, and what was even more alarming was that it contained trace amounts of cyanide.

I don't know why people in the rainforest like to eat this food, and even regard it as the center of their lives.

The cooks boiled the fufu into tasteless chunks, drizzled it with pineapple juice, and respectfully presented it to the chief, who sat in an open-plan house, and invited Kevin to taste it with him.

Out of consideration for the chief being Susumi's brother, Kevin pinched his nose, mustered his courage, hesitated for a long time, and then tried to take a bite.

A strange smell filled the air, and he immediately spat out Fufu and threw it aside.

While waiting for the dinner specially prepared for him to be finished, Kevin could only look ahead to pass the time.

"Jingle Bell--"

The men were dancing, their dark arms waving, their loose clothes tucked loosely around their waists, dancing with great energy.

They reminded Kevin of the "Gandhi Dancers," singing, nodding, moving forward and backward in unison, using heavy spears as props, and occasionally waving them in a peculiar rhythm.

"How are you feeling?" the chief asked Kevin.

“I am not used to the practice of putting the people of the South Continent first. Because in my home in Brosel, you stay in a corner of the city, but here, every place is like your territory.”

"The Tigerfish Tribe has always followed every instruction of the Red Poppy Merchant Guild," the chief said modestly. "Even this dance is based on the steps of Flanders, with a four-beat rhythm, two jumps, and then a turn."

“Actually, I don’t care whether I watch these men act or not,” Kevin said slowly. “Besides, they exhibit a strong southern character, or more precisely, a prominent characteristic of the Hutu people. I don’t like it at all.”

"Haha, you're joking... The Hutu, Twa, and Tutsi peoples have been intermarrying for over a dozen centuries, so what distinctive features do they have?"

“I can’t explain it to you,” Kevin sighed. “When daytime comes, these Gandy dancers will use this spear to hunt animals, raising their bony arms and holding what will become their dinner.”

“We still need to hunt for food. Aren’t animal hides and teeth among the items the merchant guild buys?”

“That being said, you shouldn’t proudly brandish your tools for slaughtering animals, especially in front of me.” Kevin frowned. “Good heavens, this is quite unfriendly to vegetarians.”

"Vegetarian?"

“Our family doesn’t eat meat; we live a healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyle.”

"I'll let them leave."

The chief, barely suppressing his anger, waved his hand, and the dancers slowly dispersed. The campfire blazed, sparks flew everywhere, and Kevin yawned listlessly.

"When will Susumi be back? You said she just went on a long trip this morning."

"I think……"

Before the chief could finish speaking, the sound of footsteps, "patter, patter," came from behind the house.

The two turned their heads, their black hair falling loose. The Karu mermaid, with her swallowtail tail, wrung out the water from her hair as she smiled at them, her azure eyes curving.

"Susumu!" Kevin greeted her. "You've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you for ages!"

"Huh, who are you? I don't know you."

Susume was a little nervous and wanted to back away, but Kevin extended a finger, and the ring's shimmering light turned into stardust-like glittering smoke that enveloped her limbs.

The fire-breathing giant reached out, like an invisible shackle.

“You are as lovely as I remember you,” he said. “The savagery here is no match for your beauty. Let me take you away from the damp soil and dangerous rivers for a while, to live in a dream where roses bloom.”

Helpless, Su Sumi struggled a few times, but was firmly trapped by the dust. She could only look to her brother for help. He was taken aback at first, then lowered his head helplessly and even took the initiative to introduce her.

"This is Kevin van Hofwegen, the young master of the Red Poppy Merchant Guild, the only child of Count Mariette van Hofwegen."

“Please sit here, Susumi, let’s look at each other’s faces.” Kevin helped her up. “Stir the fire, make it burn brighter.”

With the chief's resigned acquiescence, Susumi reluctantly sat down next to Kevin.

"Damn it, scum!"

Kevin, engrossed in his conversation, failed to notice the two figures who had accompanied Susume.

Butterflies fluttered their wings wildly in the jungle, venting their inner anger, while Lin An hid in the darkness using the [Ghost Deer] invisibility spell.

Kevin used the demon to carve a spatial mark on the back of his hand, a legendary "visionary" energy, comparable to Zai's power, which can be neutralized with wildflowers.

However, Lin An did not take the opportunity to remove the mark.

This not only exposes the fact that he and Zai have temporarily become allies, but also raises more questions for Kevin about Lin An's specific rating, mystery, and medium.

He simply turned the tables and had Zai transfer the spatial imprint to the "Bottle Man," an alchemical creation of an artificial human whose internal structure was remarkably similar to that of a real person.

Because the "little man in the bottle" stores a portion of Zai's energy, the transfer of the mark is extremely smooth.

When Zai saw the little man in the bottle who had stolen his abilities, he gritted his teeth. However, after spending a week with Lin An, he realized that this young man was not someone to be trifled with. He had also been in the wrong in the first place. So, after gritting his teeth, he had no choice but to reluctantly comply.

With their combined efforts, Kevin didn't notice Lin An's location had changed and assumed he was still in the hut of the Lion Tribe.

"Calm down, sir," Lin An said.

He was checking the system's data, and as expected, Kevin was indeed a legendary "seeker of knowledge."

[Name]: Black Hen
[Rating]: Legendary D-Tier

Radiation level: 44.1%
[Pollution Level]: 21.8%
[Medium]: The seeker of knowledge

The radiation levels are very high; no wonder they're from a prestigious family...

However, Kevin's real problem wasn't himself, but the mysterious item he possessed. Lin An narrowed his eyes, sensing the energy fluctuations nearby.

"That child was only a teenager, and he could do that! What a load of rubbish about civilization, it's unforgivable!" Zai was still angrily cursing. "Do the people of Xizhou like little girls that much?"

"Some also prefer little boys."

Zai was dumbfounded, his worldview was shaken, and countless curses welled up in his throat, turning into a single "Damn it."

In fact, child brides are very common in most areas of the rainforest and Bantu, but Zai has some modern moral values.

Considering the rumors that he came from Kinsasha, Lin An became curious about his origins.

Is Zai really just an ordinary "carpenter"?

"Alright, sir, you'll have plenty of time to vent your anger after the battle is over. Do you remember our plan?"

"First, force him into the illusion, giving you a chance to observe his mysterious item up close and obtain data such as the panel. Once you've confirmed everything is correct, you and I will go together and kill him." "Wrong, Mr. Zai, I told you to turn around and run—a strategic retreat."

"Hmph, let him retreat then." Zai fluttered his butterfly wings. "Then you stare at him with that eyeball, and the moment his 'true nature' is revealed, kill him with one blow."

Lin An nodded. Although he could most likely kill Kevin alone, with Zai's information, he could further ensure that Kevin could not escape through the mysterious item, meet up with the Red Poppy Merchant Guild, and expose more of his information.

"Are you sure you can kill him?" Zai asked, still uneasy.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about other mysterious prototypes, but this gentleman is exceptionally lucky.” Lin An raised a finger. “Grandpa, do you remember me telling you that ‘the original text of the black hen comes from the lamp of Astaroth’?”

"Demon, demon, demon!" Zai grumbled impatiently. "This is the limit of my memory. What are As and Dog? I can't remember so many complicated words."

"Astaroth is the name of the demon in Egypt. In the Western Continent, he is called 'Astaroth,' the 29th of the 72 demons of Solomon. He is one of the demons summoned by the alchemist in the famous play 'Faust.'"

Lin An smiled slightly, curling his index finger and thumb as if he were holding some strange bronze weapon.

“In even more ancient times, Astaroth was named after a goddess.”

Zai frowned: "What's your name?"

"Asherah".

"Shh!"

Zai stopped chatting; he noticed Kevin was talking less.

He looked directly into Susumi's eyes, his gaze filled with tenderness and a rising desire.

Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer and grabbed Su Sumi's waist.

"Miss Mermaid, let's not continue the tragedy of Macbeth, let tonight's feast never end!"

"What are you doing? Let me go!"

Su Sumi was suddenly grabbed and pulled away, which made her tremble with fear. She instinctively pushed him away with her arms.

"Don't resist so much. I just created a love charm for you through our conversation."

Kevin held the gleaming silver amulet between two fingers, his tone kind yet firm.

"The magic of love works through empathy, so spells and prayers do not require a 'granted will.' From now on, words will automatically fulfill my goals for you, allowing 'love' to work as an attraction between two souls."

"Don't come any closer!"

Susumi screamed. The rose perfume sprayed by the talisman was too strong, almost rotten, making her want to vomit.

If she gets stuck to this thing, will she fall in love with the person forever?
like……

She had fantasized countless times about the romance of her first love, but none of them matched the current scene.

"Waaah, don't come any closer... Brother, save me..."

The chief paused, his hand still stroking his eye socket, and reached towards the campfire to grab a skewer of charred meat.

Just as Susumi was about to fall into despair, a yellow butterfly swooped down.

"Outsider, get out!"

As darkness descended, a thick python slithered around Kevin's feet, its head resembling a strange red fruit, standing tall and serene like an Egyptian statue.

"It's you again, you damned blind beggar! You wicked beggar!" Kevin, who had suddenly fallen from the gentle embrace into the bizarre abyss, cursed, "It's your stubbornness that forced us to send out peacekeeping troops!"

“I am not a beggar, I am ‘Zai Stanislas Vabracombe’.” The python’s tongue flicked in and out.

"Who cares about your name! Go to hell!"

Kevin's left fingertips traced across his right, causing five magic rings to gleam. Zai raised his head, scales scattering and creating a magnificent rainbow, each color transforming into a hundred people.

They gripped the stones and hurled them at Kevin in the center.

"A fantasy that can't be brought to the table!"

Kevin shouted a spell, and a mirror strung on a chain around his neck reflected dazzling flames that instantly melted rocks, caused figures to scream, and rainbows to fall.

"Whoosh, whoosh—"

However, he thought he had a complete grasp of the situation, but little did he know that the moment the rainbow disappeared, the python shrank, and a bright red venomous snake bit down hard on his ankle.

"what!"

Kevin staggered back a few steps, his face contorted in intense pain, and he reached out to grip the snake tightly around his ankle.

The venomous snake wouldn't let go, causing his veins to rupture and blood to drip down Kevin's arm, only to be instantly evaporated by the scorching earth.

The pain sent a dull, throbbing ache through Kevin's mind. He realized that the intense heat of the illusion had reached his skin, causing him to have a fever, feel pain all over his body, and become delirious.

This is a sign of sinking into a quagmire of madness.

As Lin An predicted, Kevin and Zay were evenly matched, with the latter even having a slight edge.

"Litan, Izer, Osnas!"

Kevin, after all, is a member of a prestigious family and is not someone to be trifled with.

Realizing he had underestimated his opponent, Kevin bit his lip, and his tongue emitted a series of strange buzzing sounds.

The wind shifted slightly, carrying a hint of menace.

As the energy shifted, the serpent's eyes grew increasingly dark, and a chilling force destroyed its body. The deformed monster, stepping on a six-pointed star magic circle and spewing coarse breath, gradually took shape.

Zai's underworld illusion and the Black Hen's summoning concept sometimes lead to the same goal, so Chicken Bro simply used Zai's venomous snake as a sacrifice to create a necromancer demon from hell. Lin An, watching the battle, thought to himself.

Not only that, while the demon and the illusion were at odds, Kevin untied the silk scarf on his wrist and shook it, and the little black hen strode confidently.

"Gurgle..."

As it cried out, it tilted its head toward a corner of the illusion that was not easily noticed, which was where Zai's true form was.

"Found you! This time, I will never let you get away with this!"

Kevin angrily pulled out a small, exquisite amulet and slapped it on his chest.

The ethereal atmosphere caused Lin An's pupils to shrink.

Because he sensed a trace of the "Lady with the Lamp" from it!

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(End of this chapter)