The Secret Cult Chronicles of the Decaying Lake Manor

"Get out of the way!"

George stepped aside, grabbing Ms. Celsa's arm and dragging her behind a tree.

The splattered blood on the ground and tree trunks immediately made a "sizzling" sound, the tree bark emitted white smoke, and the moss on the ground turned black.

Inspector Douglas, holding the isometric cross, moved nimbly through the woods with a speed that seemed disproportionate to his age.

His gaze was fixed on the mosquito-headed monster flying through the air, and the cross in his hand occasionally emitted a faint light, as if he was gathering strength for the next attack.

The mosquito-headed monster was quite wary of the cross. Every time it tried to swoop down and attack the inspector, it would change direction at the last second before touching the cross's light, letting out an angry hiss.

"It's looking for an opportunity!" Bates shouted.

He had already tossed the hunting rifle aside, and the "ancient sword" in his hand was drawn, gleaming with silver light.

"We need to force it to come down!"

George peeked out from behind the tree, observing the situation.

The monster is too agile in the air to be attacked directly.

His gaze fell on the "Gleipnirlin" rune rope around his waist.

He took a deep breath, untied the rope, held one end in his hand, and tied the other end into a lasso.

"Bates, get its attention!"

George shouted, then began looking for the best moment.

Bates immediately understood, brandishing his silver sword and charging towards the monster's base: "Hey! Over here!"

The mosquito-headed monster turned its compound eyes toward Bates, let out a sharp screech, and then swooped down, its long proboscis pointing directly at Bates—

Just then, George threw the lasso.

The rope drew a gray-white arc in the air, precisely looping around one leg of the mosquito-headed monster's humanoid body.

"Gotcha!"

George yelled and strained to pull the rope down to the ground.

But the monster's strength far exceeded his expectations—although the lasso caught its leg, George was instead pulled so hard by the monster's strength that he stumbled and almost fell.

"George!" Bates shouted as he rushed toward the monster.

But the monster had already taken flight, dragging George along the ground.

George gritted his teeth, gripped the rope tightly with both hands, and pushed off the ground with both feet, trying to maintain his balance.

He used the trees as cover and nearly crashed into the trunks several times, but managed to avoid it each time.

"Hang it!" the inspector shouted, having anticipated George's intention. "Find a tree!"

George realized this as well.

He spotted a sturdy oak tree ahead, adjusted his direction, and let the rope wrap around the trunk as he dragged it.

"Boom——"

The rope was successfully hooked onto the tree trunk, and George took the opportunity to wrap the rope around the tree trunk, forming a simple noose.

The mosquito-headed monster let out a sharp hiss. Its legs were entangled in ropes, making its flight unsteady, and it began to try to break free.

The lasso tightened around its leg, and the grayish-white runes glowed faintly, seemingly suppressing some of its power.

"A great opportunity!"

The inspector had already raised the cross, aiming it at the monster struggling in mid-air.

The cross emitted a burst of intense white light, which condensed into a beam of light that shot directly at the monster.

But just as the beam was about to hit it, the monster suddenly turned to the side, letting the beam graz the edge of its wing and scorch a patch of feather-like tissue.

"Cunning!" the inspector shouted.

He began reciting the Latin prayer again, and the cross shone even brighter.

However, the mosquito-headed monster had already realized the threat.

It emitted a strange buzzing sound and rained more foul blood from the air, forcing the inspector to dodge.

Meanwhile, Ms. Celsa and Bates also found an opportunity.

The former took out a medicine bottle from his pocket; the liquid inside was an eerie purplish-red color.

Instead of throwing it at the monster, she shouted, "George! The rope!"

George immediately understood her intention. He pulled hard on the rope, tightening it around the monster's legs again. The monster let out a painful scream, lost its balance, and spun around in the air—

Ms. Celsa seized this brief opportunity, took a few steps, and then—

She leaped into the air and actually flew up.

Her light and graceful figure resembled a mountain sparrow caught in the wind, as she nimbly glided among the tree trunks in the woods.

As she approached the monster, she threw the potion bottle, which traced an arc in the air—

But at that moment, the monster struggled frantically, and its body suddenly shifted.

The vial grazed its wings as it flew past, landing a short distance away and exploding into a cloud of purple smoke.

I didn't win.

Ms. Celsa landed, her eyes sharp, clearly calculating her next opportunity.

Bates, on the other side, didn't miss the opportunity. He had already stepped on the tree trunk and used it to leap into the air several times.

In the instant the monster lost its balance, the "ancient sword" in his hand flashed with a menacing glint. He approached the monster from the side, the blade tracing a fluid arc in the sunlight—

"Snap!"

With a sharp crack, one of the monster's wings was severed from the base!

The mosquito-headed monster let out a heart-wrenching scream. It lost its balance, tumbled several times in the air, and then plummeted straight to the ground.

"Thump!"

The heavy body crashed onto the forest clearing, raising dust and scattering dead leaves.

A large amount of dark red mucus gushed out of its body as it struggled to stand up, but its movements were slower and clumsier than before.

The grayish-white runic ropes were still wrapped around its legs, continuing to serve their purpose.

"Surround it!"

The inspector shouted, and the light of the cross shone again, forcing the monster to cower on the ground and emit a threatening growl.

The four people formed a semicircle, trapping the monster in the center.

Ms. Celsa has taken out the potion again, Bates holds his sword and is ready to strike, and the Inspector's cross shines steadily and continuously.

George was panting heavily, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, but his gaze never left the figure curled up on the ground, the one who used to be his brother.

The monster raised its head, its compound eyes gleaming eerily in the dim light, and its long mouthparts trembled slightly, emitting a low hum.

The buzzing sound seemed to be mixed with groans that humans could not understand.

"What do we do now?" Bates gasped for breath, still gripping his sword tightly.

"First, immobilize it," George said, gripping the rope tightly and quickly putting it over the monster's head. "Then...study it."

"I think we should deal with that big thing on our heads first."

Upon seeing the monster bound hand and foot, the inspector headed toward the remaining lair in mid-air.

While carefully avoiding the remaining filth on the ground, the inspector chanted aloud.

"We ask for help in lēohte gāð;

For some reason, Miss Celsa followed him toward the lair, saying as they walked:

"Inspector, all you need to do is take down the 'Lord of the Flies' nest; leave the rest to me..."

The inspector did not answer; as he chanted, the cross in his hand shone ever brighter...

No, what George felt was not simply brightness, but a confusing and contradictory "bright yet dim".

Before he could open his spiritual vision to investigate, the inspector had already finished the final incantation.

"And+urh his naman wēāwendiað ealle yfel and selfwille tō nāwihte!"

The entire woodland seemed to flicker, and then the remaining nest in mid-air, as if having lost its support, collapsed and fell directly from between the oak trees.

"Boom!"

The nest, suspended in mid-air, crashed heavily onto the forest floor, kicking up a cloud of dust. The inspector swiftly pulled the stunned Ms. Celsa to the back.

After a long while, the dust settled, and the inspector, looking at the scorched remains of the nest, put away the cross with satisfaction.

"knock off."

However, Miss Celsa, who had been pulled aside and recovered from her daze, seemed less than satisfied.

She suddenly ran towards the pile of coal ash-like stuff, shouting as she ran.

"What have you done?!"