Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 223: Lao Sen Comes to Think of a Solution
Aesok, the eldest son of the Imperial Military Industry, unfortunately contracted the "Red Death" while in Gear City, ending his young life.

Ethan naturally remembered the name and knew why Wilson mentioned Esoke to him.

In fact, the ill-fated relationship between him and Asoke can be traced back to an earlier time. That was the second formal commission received by Lao Sen's Magic Scroll Shop. The content was that the lover of a noble lady was about to embark on a one-way expedition, and hoped to use the magic scroll he provided to deal with the "bad wizard" hired by his father to monitor him.

Bad luck has been coming one after another recently. They met this bad wizard in the Mage Tower not long ago. According to the latest information Rowena got, Mr. Silver Fox's soul was seriously damaged during the "Puppet Party" and his intelligence seemed to have regressed to that of three or four years old. The great magicians of the Mage Tower failed to treat him, so they let Silver Fox's servants take him back home to retire.

The visitor is not good.

This can be seen from Wilson's bloodshot eyes.

It should have been easy for Mr. Wilson to blame him for his son's death - the magic scroll transaction was the beginning of everything. If it weren't for the fact that Miss Anna, the fiancée of Isok, had caused a big mess in the imperial capital, causing her meeting with his "little lover" to become heavy news in the "Gryph Daily", Isok would not have lost his reputation and ran to Gear City to relax in a hurry, and unfortunately contracted the Red Death.

Ethan has seen all kinds of monsters in this world and has already gained a basic understanding of their way of thinking.

He nodded and accepted Wilson's invitation.

After all, this is a father who lost his son a few months ago. More importantly, the man’s name also has the word "Sen" in it, and he is also a member of the Sen generation.

Ethan made up a random reason to convince himself.

"Wilson, I advise you not to mess around."

Rattler tried to warn Wilson with a fierce look in his eyes, but this obviously had little effect. The man just glanced at Rattler with contempt.

When Flor was in power, Xiangwei was equivalent to the second-in-command of the consortium, but now Flor himself can hardly protect himself, let alone his secretary.

Everyone knows that Xiangwei's abilities are mainly reflected in negotiation and business, and fighting and killing are not what she is good at.

But the imperial military industry is different.

All weapons produced in the factory are used to provoke war and create killing.

Wilson taught Esoke this since he was a child.

As superiors, they can end the lives of many people with just a thought, and they should use this power that belongs to them as they please.

"Why would I mess around? After all, Mr. Heisenberg is an important guest of the Chamber of Commerce and one of the candidates to participate in the festival. I have heard rumors about him. Many big customers of the Imperial Military Industry want to sign a long-term cooperation agreement with his magic technology store. The 'electromagnetic crossbow' they produce is a better weapon than a musket."

Wilson knew everything about Heisenberg. He had already investigated all the news about Heisenberg, and the replies from Hearth Bay were still piled on his desk.

The reply letter said that Heisenberg had not returned to the store for a long time, and now his friends were helping to run the store. He never expected that he would meet Heisenberg in the dungeon, especially before the festival.

He couldn't help but smile. "I've wanted to meet Mr. Heisenberg for a long time, but before that, as a candidate for the festival, he should personally devote himself to the preparations for the celebration."

Rattle frowned, "Preparation work?"

"The 13 lambs."

Wilson made an argument that she couldn't refute.

After all, in name only, Flor is still the chosen one of the demon lord Xinkalo, and is also the ruler of the dungeon recognized by the old gods. Before being replaced by the new chosen one, the ceremony should be prepared by Xinkalo's believers, that is, the Lophik Consortium.

This has always been the tradition of the Abyss.

The most important part is preparing 13 souls for sacrifice.

Wilson turned to Ethan and said, "You should meet them in person. They should be happy to meet you."

In fact, the candidates for the 13 lambs had already been determined when Flor hurriedly returned to the dungeon. However, before the ceremony began, someone was needed to comfort the lambs and make them willingly walk into the sacrificial array.

This is also the tradition established by the Lofik Group.

At first, the people here did not care about the thoughts of the sacrificed people, and regarded them as domesticated animals. When it was time to slaughter them, they would tie them up, blindfold them, stuff their mouths with cloth, and escort them directly to the center of the magic circle.

“This is a reform with a human touch.”

Wilson, who was walking in front, took the initiative to introduce the traditions of the underground city to Ethan. After they left the consortium's base, they headed straight for the lower city area - this was where the lambs lived, which was more remote than where ordinary residents lived.

The buildings were old and dilapidated, so the consortium built a few sheds for them to live in temporarily.

As soon as we approached the greenhouse, we smelled a somewhat unpleasant smell.

"It's up to you to convince them. Eloquence is also a very important ability."

Wilson crossed his arms over his chest, standing more than ten meters away from the greenhouse with disgust, and at the same time made "suggestions" to Ethan with a sense of gloating.

In his opinion, the "lambs" living here are no different from livestock. The sanitary conditions are extremely poor, and the air is filled with the stench of sweat and rotten food all year round. The "lambs" have long been accustomed to the environment here, but for the people in the upper city, no one is willing to break into the livestock's homes.

Originally, Ethan didn't need to personally deal with these trivial matters, but...

This is a good test for candidates.

At least that's what Wilson thought.

The stench from the greenhouse did not have much impact on Ethan. The wind element also acted as an air purifier. When he walked in, the lingering smell had dissipated. He saw from afar the little girl he met in the hotel this morning. There was a group of children around her, and she was smiling and telling the children about her experiences.

A big golden bird that could cook, with soft and warm feathers, reminded her of the feeling of holding her mother's hand when she was a child.

She also tasted a meal she had never seen before.

The heated bread slices filled with meat and vegetables, the long, crispy fried potatoes, and the pancakes filled with a variety of ingredients are like the delicacies that only appear in fairy tales.

The little girl told the story in great detail and the children around her listened with great interest, swallowing their saliva from time to time.

The sheds usually only have food provided by the consortium to keep them alive. Only when they are lucky enough to occasionally eat some leftovers from the pub, do they realize that there are so many delicious things in this world.

Ethan's arrival made everyone else's expressions change.

The little girl's father, who was making his bed, saw him and said something to the others. Soon, 13 "lambs" came to him.

They all looked similar, with tattered clothes and becoming thin due to long-term malnutrition.

Judging from the expressions on their faces and their clenched hands due to anxiety, the brainwashing propaganda in the dungeon was not very successful. They felt a strong fear about their future fate. Many of them glanced at the group of children from time to time, or deliberately looked away and tried not to look at their family or friends.

"This time... the time is advanced?"

Seeing that Ethan was slow to speak, the man asked tentatively.

Ethan wore a mask and had the aura of an Uptown believer.

The man seemed to have accepted his fate, but there were still a few "lambs" who were not ready. After hesitating for a while, they asked him, "Can I see them one last time?"

Ethan didn't comment.

Wilson mentioned on the way that before participating in the ceremony, the "lambs" must be cleansed. They cannot simply offer these stinking sacrifices directly to the old gods, as that would be tantamount to blasphemy.

They will be taken to the upper city, where special believers will help them wash away the dirt on their bodies and change them into uniform robes. They will stay there until the festival arrives.

Usually the "lambs" have no idea of ​​the exact time of the ceremony. When the believers guarding them cover their heads with sacks and take them away, it means the time has come.

It sounds like a painful and torturous process, just like a group of death row prisoners who have no idea when they will be executed and can only wait for death in anxiety.

However, Wilson seemed to like this process very much. When talking about it, he was very excited and once hinted that he did not like this "humane" system, which made it less interesting for him to appreciate the sacrifices.

Ethan could only sigh at the impact of the family environment on a child's growth.

Isoko's interests were closely aligned with his father's, and Ethan had no doubt that they would even spend time together from time to time, talking about the painful decisions people make as they approach death.

He is very patient.

Wilson wanted to take the 13 lambs uptown himself.

Some of the "lambs" looked at him with gratitude, while others had dark looks, as if they were thinking about something.

There have been cases of "lambs" escaping before.

They persuaded some unwilling residents of the underground city to provide cover for their escape, but the final result was that they and the residents who covered them were executed by the believers of the old gods.

Theoretically, even if they really escaped from the dungeon and jumped over the defense line surrounded by the creations of the old gods, they would not be able to leave the abyss.

Only believers who have mastered the spell can tear open the gap between the contaminated area and reality, which requires considerable magical power to support it.

These lambs that are sacrificed every month and at festivals are the "energy bars" used to maintain the existence of the contaminated areas.

Ethan's gaze rested on one of the "Lambs" who was evasive.

He looked very young and did not have much to explain to others. He walked along the path between the beds in another direction. Others also noticed his unnatural look, and when they asked the young man, he finally could not stand the pressure and ran away.

This unplanned escape naturally ended in failure. Before the young man could run a few steps, he was pinned to the ground by the residents who were well prepared. He was quickly picked up by the residents and escorted to Ethan.

"Why me? This is not right at all. Why are we a family again?"

The young man struggled to speak, his emotions seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

Although the residents held him, they did not beat him or curse at him. They just looked at him with sympathy. Someone took the initiative to explain to the young man, "His parents and brothers were all sacrificed..."

Now the selection of the person for the festival fell on him again.

According to their observations, the selection of people each time is random, without any pattern, and depends entirely on the mood of the believers, and even the elderly and children are no exception.

This is obviously unfair to the young man's family.

But once the candidate is decided, there will be no possibility of change unless the chosen person dies.

"Now he's the only one left."

The speaker was an older resident.

They have seen this kind of thing too many times and have become numb. They don't want to blame the young people for their selfish behavior that may bring them trouble, and they just want to end it all quickly.

After the young man made a noise, the "lambs" who were still saying their final goodbyes to their families stood up and walked towards Ethan.

Their eyes looked much more determined than before, but more of them were filled with helplessness towards their fate.

"Want to stay here?"

Ethan asked.

"No, please don't misunderstand me."

The little girl's father quickly said, "We have received God's grace. If He hadn't rescued us from danger, we would have been tied to the stake and burned to death."

Although the living environment here is not satisfactory, he has a wife and daughter here, which may be the happiest moment in his life. Today, he has received special care from the innkeeper... The man looked at his daughter from a distance who was secretly looking at him and waving at him.

There is nothing to complain about anymore.

Ethan asked again, "Is this what you really think?"

"……Yes."

"No, that's not the case!"

The young man who was controlled by the residents shouted, "You still have many wishes to fulfill, you don't want to die at all!" "But rules are rules!"

One of the "lambs" couldn't stand it any longer. "This way, others will have a chance to realize their wishes, right?"

That was a grown woman.

Her children were gathered around the little girl, listening to the fairy tale of "The Bird That Cooks".

She seemed to have made up her mind, "Let's go."

Of course, not everything in this world goes smoothly. Unfairness is the true nature of this world, and everyone living here knows it too well.

And everything they experienced here was better than what they experienced in their hometown.

The number of people offering sacrifices each month is fixed, and the festival only occurs once every few decades. Apart from that, as long as they abide by the rules of the dungeon, they don't have to worry about dying in accidents or persecution from others.

Although the living environment is a bit worse, at least I can sleep peacefully every night and not wake up in panic.

"It's already... already pretty good."

The woman dropped her face and loosened her hands.

"Leave or stay, which one do you choose?"

Facing Ethan's question again, even the woman's relieved heart rippled again, but she quickly dispelled those unrealistic fantasies, "My lord, please don't fool us anymore."

Give them a glimmer of hope, and then throw them into a deeper abyss of despair.

This is the life they have been experiencing.

"I'm serious." Ethan asked, "Think about it carefully. You only have one chance to answer."

"I want to stay, I want to stay!"

The young man shouted.

"Let him go."

Ethan gave orders to the residents who were holding the young man, and they did as he said, but they looked terrified. Even the young man stood there in a daze, at a loss for a moment.

He never thought that Ethan would really let anyone let him go. His mind told him that he should run away now, but his legs felt like they were filled with lead and he couldn't move.

Older residents had already imagined the worst outcome.

How could the believers in Upper Town be so kind?
This is clearly a loyalty test, and perhaps, as the masked believer in front of him said, this is the young man's last chance.

But he missed the opportunity again.

What awaits the young man next will be cruel abuse and tragic death.

They saw how the believers executed the residents who escaped and helped them. Some had their skin peeled off, while others had countless sticks skewered on their bodies and were left on the streets until they died after their blood had drained out.

Just one look from a distance can give people nightmares for days.

However, something unexpected happened.

They clearly saw Ethan waved to the young man, "Okay, go back."

Then he looked at the other twelve "Lambs", "What about you?"

"What about you?"

the woman asked.

13 souls are the requirement, if any one is missing, there will be no success.

"Just answer the questions and I'll figure out the solution."

The crowd was silent.

They had never seen anything like it.

All signs made them feel that this was a loyalty test, but Ethan's attitude towards the young man gave them a hint of unrealistic fantasy, as if... as if they could just reach out and hold it.

"I want to live."

Someone else said.

"You go back too."

"I……"

……

When Ethan came out of the shed, Wilson frowned almost immediately.

There was no one behind him, and there seemed to be a few residents leaning on the door, looking at Ethan from afar. They looked like they were worried about Ethan.

Wilson really didn't expect that Ethan couldn't even handle such a small matter. This was not the focus of his plan. The point was that his residence was not far from where the "Lamb" was stored. After completing the delivery, he would naturally invite the other party to visit his house.

"What about people?"

Wilson asked in a nasty tone.

"They were not in good condition today, so I asked them to stay and rest."

Everyone has bad times, and Ethan knows this deeply.

When he was in college, he always missed the 8 o'clock class because of "stomachache" or "headache". There are many people like him, and there are enough medical statistical reports to point out that maybe o'clock is the culprit of colds, acute enteritis and other diseases.

If the classes were held in the afternoon, everyone would be much healthier.

And just now, the thirteen lambs asked him for leave, and Ethan had no reason to refuse.

"That's unreasonable!"

"Don't be impatient, Mr. Wilson. In fact, such trivial matters are not something that a big shot like you would pay attention to."

Ethan interrupted him. He knew the purpose of Wilson's visit. "Let's talk about the topic that interests you the most, such as your son, Esoke."

Wilson's pupils shrank and veins popped up on his face.

He couldn't stand Ethan's calm tone, which made him want to tear Ethan to pieces.

But this is not the place to get hands-on.

"In that case, then follow me."

As he mentioned at the beginning of the invitation, he had something to show Ethan.

Just under his mansion, there was a dungeon with countless torture instruments.

The smell of blood hit them in the face, and burning torches illuminated the path leading deeper into the dungeon. The two walked down the wooden stairs, each step making a teeth-grinding sound.

Wilson had a gloomy face and said nothing all the way.

In the light of the torch, Ethan saw the source of the smell of blood.

A piece of flesh without limbs and head was fixed on the torture device like garbage, and sticky red liquid kept flowing out of the closed iron virgin.

There was still a shirtless man locked in the cell. His body was covered with burn marks and the wounds had begun to fester. The first time he saw Wilson, he screamed in fear, but because his mouth was stuffed with cloth, he couldn't make any loud sound.

Wilson stopped not far in front of Ethan and took the initiative to introduce them. "They are all investigators from the Gear City Confinement Bureau. They participated in the investigation of the Red Death case. Here, this gentleman, although I can't remember his name, he revealed an interesting news to me."

He was referring to the piece of flesh on the torture device that had lost its head.

Judging from the color of the blood, the interrogation should have just been over not long ago.

"This gentleman said that on the day when the 'Red Death' occurred, an investigator with a cat on his shoulder came to the branch. His code name was 'Chicken Farmer'. Later, because of his contribution to the Heywood Mine, he was promoted to a higher rank. The branch chief thought that 'The Boy Who Lived' was more suitable for him."

Wilson said, "You see, as long as you are willing to investigate, all of this is not difficult. Not long after, a man with a white cat on his shoulder came to the imperial capital. His name is Ethan. Now I'm afraid everyone in the empire knows his name."

As he said this, he walked towards the bleeding Iron Maiden.

The gap had been welded shut and there was no more movement inside.

"This is a staff member of the consortium in Hearth Bay. In principle, she shouldn't reveal any information about the clients to me, but as long as you are willing to put in some effort, you can pry her mouth open. Mr. Heisenberg, although you have been wearing a mask, someone still noticed that you seem to have a good relationship with a cat. She even helped you watch the store."

As Wilson spoke, the structure of the dungeon changed.

A circular magic circle burning with black flames was lit up, and the ceiling above was covered with obscure symbols.

This is a trap.

However, Ethan has not yet seen the specific effect of this trap.

"Mr. Heisenberg, or should I call you Ethan? After all, there are not many elemental shapers as powerful as you in the empire."

Flor is right about this.

He would never reveal the other person's identity anywhere in the empire.

But this is the Abyss, a world created by the old gods, and he started arranging it several months ago.

He couldn't think of a way to trick Ethan here, but he didn't expect that the other party would fall into the trap himself.

"You're making this too complicated, Wilson."

Capturing the investigators from the Asylum Bureau and killing so many people was really a long way off. "If you ask me directly, I will tell you what happened that night."

Wilson pretended to be all ears.

"If you had asked enough, you would have known that we had warned Esoke before he broke in."

"That's what he said too."

Wilson glanced at the piece of meat on the torture device without mercy. "He said you once persuaded Isoko."

“But he refused.”

The exact same conversation had taken place here before. This couldn't possibly solve anything. Wilson chuckled, "You mean to say, this isn't your fault."

"Of course I have to blame myself for this. I was actually very worried at the time."

Ethan paused, "I was very worried that Esoke would stop and really listen to my advice... Otherwise, it would be difficult for me to kill him without guilt - fortunately, your son is a stubborn person, just like you."

He looked Wilson in the eye. "Mr. Wilson, what else do you want to know? Do you need me to describe to you how Isaac died? But you should already know that he was treated as a monster and was shot countless times. Those were weapons made by your factory."

(End of this chapter)