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🕑 Added 2025-06-19 16:24:19 +0000 UTCChapter 140: Alcina Dimitrescu
Kyle was speechless for a moment. He was way out of Roy's league physically.
After a bit, Kyle finally threw out a nasty remark and tried to leave.
"You son of a bitch and whore! I will absolutely not hand Ceci over to you two!"
Roy got a little ticked off at that and immediately grabbed Kyle by the scruff of his neck, wanting to teach him a lesson, but Dalia stopped him.
"Forget it, Roy, let him go."
Dalia seemed a little down. Looks like her ex's words still got to her.
Roy gave Kyle a shove and glared at him with a look that could kill, which instantly made the guy feel like he was about to piss his pants.
"Get lost! Don't let me see your face again! And just so you know, I'm a boxer!"
Kyle hauled ass out of there, and Dalia's eyes started to water.
Roy realized for the first time that this older married woman was a bit of a softie. Maybe her rough childhood made her that way.
He pulled Dalia into a hug, trying to comfort her.
"It's okay, Dalia. I'll help you fight for custody of Ceci, you can count on it!"
Dalia shook her head.
"Roy, am I a bad woman?"
"How could you be, Dalia! You're definitely the best mom in the world! Don't overthink it. Follow your heart! If you're happy with your life right now, don't worry about what other people think."
Dalia nodded slightly. She really did feel incredibly happy these past few days, and she even had a fleeting thought that she wished things could stay like this forever.
Just then, Penny suddenly came running over.
"Oh no, Roy, Dalia! Ceci's gone missing!"
Dalia instantly pushed Roy away, her eyes wide as she stared at Penny.
"What did you say? How could Ceci have gone missing?"
"Dalia, don't panic! Penny, what exactly happened?"
"Well... I'm not really sure myself. Heather and I were just chatting, and Mary was watching Ceci. Then, in the blink of an eye, I saw Mary standing there looking totally out of it, and Ceci was just... gone!"
Something was definitely off!
Santa Monica Beach is super flat, and there's practically nothing around to block your view. It's a weekday, and there aren't many tourists at night. How could a little kid just vanish into thin air?
"Where's Mary?"
Penny pointed off into the distance.
"She's over there crying her eyes out, blaming herself."
Dalia immediately took off towards Mary, and Roy, worried they might get into a fight, quickly followed.
"Mary, where's my daughter?"
Mary was clearly beating herself up about it, her pretty face streaked with tears.
"I... Ceci and I were just building a sandcastle near the pier when suddenly I heard Ceci point under the pier and say, 'Slender Man.' When I looked over, I saw a blurry, tall figure in a suit, and then I just blacked out until Heather and Penny shook me awake. I'm so sorry, it's all my fault!"
Hearing this, Dalia swayed and almost passed out, but luckily Roy was right there to catch her.
Slender Man?
Roy had heard about this urban legend in his past life, and had even played a game based on it.
But didn't that Pastor Max debunk this whole Slender Man thing on that "Night Prowler" show?
Roy suddenly slapped himself in the face. He'd called Pastor Max a fake before, so why would he believe anything a fake said?
Just then, Dalia started to cry.
"It's my fault! Ceci told me before that she made a new friend named Slender Man, but I just thought she was imagining things and didn't pay any attention! That's why this happened..."
Dalia was practically hyperventilating from crying, so Roy quickly tried to comfort her.
"Dalia, it's not the end of the world yet. I'll figure out a way to get Ceci back!"
Hearing this, Dalia looked like she'd grabbed onto a lifeline.
"Roy, you have to save Ceci! As long as you bring her back, I'll do anything you ask!"
Anything you ask right now? Would you even be able to say no? Roy thought to himself.
Roy handed Dalia over to Heather and Penny.
"Heather, Penny, you two take Dalia and Mary back to the Dolphin Hotel. It's safer there. I'm going to go look for Ceci now!"
With that, Roy immediately headed towards the archway under the Santa Monica Pier. First things first, he needed to check out the scene.
The Santa Monica Pier is entirely made of wooden planks, kind of like a long bridge, with tons of support pillars underneath.
The archway Mary was talking about was the space created by these pillars. It was really dark there, and even the moonlight couldn't reach it.
As Roy got closer to this area, he felt a dark energy. This energy was a little different from the hellish power inside him, feeling more like the power of that yellow-clad clown he'd run into before.
It was an indescribable, truly dark energy, very unique.
After sensing around for a bit, Roy figured the Slender Man probably didn't just walk away. That thing likely teleported.
That matched what Roy remembered from the game in his past life. The Slender Man could definitely teleport.
This made things tricky. Roy had originally planned to try and sense the Slender Man's aura and track him that way.
But if the Slender Man could just teleport long distances, then the trail was cold.
After thinking for a moment, Roy decided to talk to Gerald. Maybe the guy knew something.
"You're looking for the Slender Man?"
In his office, Gerald looked at Roy with a surprised expression.
"Yeah, Dalia's daughter Ceci was snatched by the Slender Man, and I gotta find that creep!"
Gerald frowned deeply.
"I do know some things about the Slender Man, and I even know how to lure him out, but I don't have the bait to do it."
Roy's eyes lit up. The FEA really did have intel on the Slender Man.
"Oh? Tell me everything!"
Gerald looked at Roy and shook his head.
"Mr. Black, the Slender Man is incredibly powerful. He's even taken out an entire FEA outpost before, so his threat level within the FEA is extremely high. I really wouldn't advise you to go after him."
He actually managed to take down an FEA outpost? That's seriously powerful.
Still, if it was the underground base at the Dolphin Hotel, Roy could probably take that place apart single-handedly.
"My mind's made up! Mr. Ollin, you might as well just tell me!"
"Alright then, let's make a deal! I'll tell you what can summon the Slender Man and where you might be able to find it, but if you manage to take down the Slender Man, you have to sell his body to the FEA. We'll pay you a hefty sum."
"How much are we talking?"
Roy raised an eyebrow.
Gerald looked Roy straight in the eye and answered slowly, deliberately.
"Ten million!"
Whoa, that's a crazy amount of money!
But then again, considering how America throws around billions on some research projects, this didn't seem like all that much.
Those Smith agents sure don't treat money like it's worth anything!
They probably have a nuclear-powered money printer anyway, so they can just print as much as they want and spend it all.
Normally, Roy would definitely try to haggle with Gerald, but he was too worried about finding Ceci to waste any time.
"I agree. You can tell me now!"
A smile spread across Gerald's face, but it was still kind of creepy.
"The Slender Man is drawn to pictures or videos of himself. He'll do anything to destroy them. An FEA outpost was destroyed precisely because they got their hands on photos of him. That's why it's so hard to find any real recordings of the Slender Man out there. If you do, they're usually fakes."
"So that's why the public thinks the Slender Man is just some made-up urban legend?"
"Exactly."
Roy looked thoughtful for a moment, then continued questioning Gerald.
"So, who would have photos or videos of the Slender Man?"
"Perhaps you could try asking Alcina Dimitrescu."
Alcina Dimitrescu, the tall vampire lady?
Roy was a bit surprised.
It seemed Gerald could tell what Roy was thinking, so he explained.
"Alcina Dimitrescu has a habit of collecting rare and valuable items. She has a special way of preserving them that blocks the Slender Man's senses. I once saw photos of the Slender Man at her place, and if nothing's changed, she should still have them."
Roy understood.
"So, I'm guessing I'll have to make another deal with her."
"I believe so. Alcina Dimitrescu enjoys making deals with people, but if she takes a liking to you, you might be able to trade favors with her instead."
A favor owed is the hardest debt to repay!
If he could help it, Roy definitely didn't want to owe anyone a favor.
But things had already gone this far, so Roy had no choice but to go to Alcina Dimitrescu and see what happened.
"Alright, I'll go find Alcina Dimitrescu right now."
"Good luck, Mr. Black!"
Watching Roy leave, Gerald immediately picked up the phone and started making calls. Looks like the FEA was going to be working late again tonight.
Roy hopped into his beat-up yellow Chevy Camaro and drove straight to the Sanguiviki Bar.
The bar was still as quiet as ever. The owner, Alcina Dimitrescu, and her three daughters were serving the few customers they had.
Alcina's eyes lit up when she saw Roy walk in.
"Mr. Black, you've finally decided to grace my humble establishment with your presence!"
Alcina's tone was a little wistful, like Roy had done something wrong to her.
"Uh, Ms. Dimitrescu, I'm here today because I need something from you."
Alcina grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured Roy a glass.
"Everyone who comes here needs something. Some want a drink, others want something else entirely. So, what is it you desire, Mr. Black?"
Roy didn't have time for small talk with Alcina and cut right to the chase.
"I want the Slender Man's photos!"
Hearing this, Alcina's eyes narrowed as she looked Roy up and down.
"Mr. Black, was it a child of a friend of yours who was taken by that creature?"
Alcina really did know a lot about the Slender Man, getting straight to the heart of Roy's situation.
"Yes, I heard that the Slender Man is attracted to recordings of himself, and I need those photos."
Alcina licked her lips, a strange look in her eyes.
"Photos of the Slender Man are very valuable. I wonder what kind of price you're willing to pay for them?"
"Name your price, and I'll do my best to meet it!"
Alcina laughed, her whole body shaking, her ample chest heaving.
Being much taller than the average person, Alcina's chest was also much broader than a normal woman's, looking to be a good head bigger than Roy's.
"Money doesn't hold much meaning for me. It's something else I desire!"
Roy frowned slightly. Looks like things were heading south.
"And what might that be?"
"Mr. Black, I want you to owe me a favor."
Just as he thought...
"Ms. Dimitrescu, I can agree to that, but I need to make one thing clear: I won't do anything that goes against what's right for you!"
Alcina's eyes were fixed on Roy.
"Why would I ask you to do anything that goes against what's right? I have plenty of 'black gloves' to take care of such things!"
Good.
"It's settled then! Can I have the photos now?"
Alcina snapped her fingers.
"Cassandra, go fetch the photos of the Slender Man!"
"Yes, Mother!"
Cassandra, Alcina's daughter, went into the back room and soon returned with a wooden box, placing it on the bar.
As she walked away, Cassandra even winked at Roy.
"Here are the photos of the Slender Man."
There were some symbols drawn on the wooden box. Based on his knowledge of the Key of Solomon, it looked like some kind of magic circle.
Roy could also sense a faint magical aura coming from the box.
Could it be that Alcina was not only a vampire but also a witch?
But Roy figured with Alcina's towering height and clearly defined muscles, she was more likely a warrior.
The more probable explanation was that Alcina knew some witches and had obtained the wooden box through a trade.
Roy was just about to open the wooden box to take a peek, but Alcina stopped him.
"Don't open the box here. I wouldn't want the Slender Man tearing apart my bar!"
Okay, Alcina had a point. Roy put the wooden box away, ready to leave.
"Mr. Black, let me give you a little tip. The Slender Man likes to take children into the woods. You should probably head to the woods closest to where the child went missing and then open the box. Once you lure the Slender Man away, you'll have a chance to find the kid."
Looks like Alcina didn't think Roy could actually defeat the Slender Man, but Roy still appreciated the advice.
"Thank you, Ms. Dimitrescu!"
Alcina propped her chin up on her hands on the bar, revealing a deep cleavage, a dreamy look on her face.
"Oh, Mr. Black, I only hope you won't forget my kindness!"
Whoa! This woman, is she coming onto me?
Roy had a strange feeling in his gut. He inexplicably felt like Alcina was hitting on him.
Had his charm really reached this level?
Or was it the domain of desire at work?
Slender Man
Chapter 141: Slender Man
At Athena's reminder, Roy drove to the woods closest to Santa Monica Beach, which is Hollywood Hills.
Because this is a wealthy neighborhood, a patch of woods has been preserved on the hill.
Yeah, this is also a major spot for wildfires in Los Angeles.
Supposedly, it's because those clueless politicians always think firefighters don't do much and want to cut their pay.
Then, the hills around Los Angeles just randomly catch fire every now and then.
And wouldn't you know it, nobody brings up cutting the firefighters' salaries anymore.
From then on, Los Angeles wildfires became a regular thing. If a year goes by without one, the people in LA actually find it weird.
Of course, this wildfire definitely isn't like the ones in 2025.
After entering the woods in Hollywood Hills, Roy opened the wooden box Athena had given him.
Instantly, Roy felt some changes in the surrounding environment. First off, the light all around seemed to dim suddenly, and Roy could also hear some faint, strange whispers.
Roy knew this was a sign that Slender Man was appearing.
Slender Man rarely attacks right away. He usually observes his target from a distance for a while, trying to lower their Sanity score in various ways to gain better control.
"Come on, let's see what you've got!"
Roy resolutely stepped into the woods.
After entering the woods, the light dimmed even further! The night had actually been pretty nice, and you could see the surroundings even without artificial light, but now it was pitch black.
Luckily, Roy had brought a flashlight, which is a must-have in horror movies and games.
When he pressed the flashlight switch, the light flickered for several seconds before stabilizing, which seemed to foreshadow something.
The flashlight Roy brought was a high-powered one, very bright, but at the moment, its brightness seemed to be about the same as a regular flashlight.
It was as if the light was being sucked away by something.
Looks like this Slender Man really knows his stuff. He's way stronger than those small fry in the subway tunnels.
After walking in the mountains for a while, Roy could clearly feel like he was being watched, but he couldn't see Slender Man. Moreover, Roy realized he was starting to go in circles in the same area. He had made marks on some trees and had already passed them several times in just a few minutes.
Roy's sense of direction wasn't this bad. The only explanation was that Slender Man was messing with his sense of direction, which is like getting "lost in the woods" as the saying goes.
This guy, not even showing himself, just messing around with all this nonsense. It was really pissing Roy off.
Suddenly, Roy had an idea. This Slender Man doesn't like his image being recorded. Does that mean he doesn't like people looking directly at him?
If Roy could somehow see Slender Man's face, would that provoke the guy into attacking?
Roy just happened to have a digital camera that could capture things invisible to the naked eye!
Taking out the digital camera from his inventory – the one that had recorded a ton of combat footage, Roy's prized possession that he always kept close – through the digital camera's viewfinder, Roy quickly saw a blurry, ten-foot-tall figure in the distance.
Digital cameras in this era had limited resolution, and if you zoomed in, it got even blurrier, like a mosaic.
However, the blurry figure seemed to notice it was being secretly photographed and vanished in the blink of an eye, causing a ton of static to appear on the digital camera's viewfinder.
It worked!
Roy remembered the Slender Man game he had played in his previous life. Static or electromagnetic interference on electronic devices meant Slender Man was getting closer. This guy was definitely provoked!
So, where is this guy now?
Suddenly, Roy felt an intense sense of danger, the kind he had only felt when he was much weaker, facing the invincible Terror Wax Demon in Ambroras Town. Thinking about it, it felt like a long time ago, but it had actually been less than half a year.
Almost instantly, Roy instinctively entered his Son of the Devil state, temporarily increasing all his physical attributes by 10 points.
However, Roy's transformation didn't work. Slender Man appeared directly in front of him, and then he felt himself getting drowsy.
His 40 points of Willpower allowed Roy to quickly break free from Slender Man's hypnotic ability, but that time was enough for Slender Man to launch an attack. Slender Man's back sprouted a bunch of pitch-black tentacles, and one of them pierced directly through Roy's abdomen.
[Discovered special character Slender Man. You can absorb the power of fate to receive rewards!]
Since gaining the special ability Son of the Devil, and with his constitution becoming increasingly monstrous, Roy rarely suffered serious injuries anymore. At most, it would be bullets embedded in his flesh. This kind of piercing damage had almost never happened. What surprised Roy even more was that the wound in his abdomen didn't seem to be bleeding. The sight of the tentacle passing through his body was like an illusion, but he could definitely feel the intense pain in his abdomen.
"Get off me!"
Roy immediately took out his chainsaw sword. Under the influence of his Son of the Devil state, the chainsaw sword transformed into the Hellfire Chainsaw Sword, and the terrifying heatwave forced Slender Man back. The tentacle that had pierced his abdomen disappeared, and Roy then noticed that there was no tear in his clothes and no wound on his stomach, only that the skin had turned black.
It was somewhat similar to the damage caused by the Cursed Dual Daggers, so this wasn't physical damage but some kind of energy damage.
No wonder it could ignore his powerful defense!
Having been caught off guard, Roy immediately wanted to chase after Slender Man and get revenge, but as soon as he took a step, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach that almost made him fall to the ground. He pressed the injured area on his stomach, and it felt somewhat sunken in. It seemed like a part of Roy's intestines was missing.
Slender Man had actually reached through his stomach and taken out Roy's intestines!
Missing a part of his intestines wouldn't necessarily kill Roy, but it would definitely affect his combat ability.
Slender Man in the distance made some strange noises, as if mocking Roy's overestimation of his own abilities, which made him furious.
"Damn it, you think I can't handle you?"
Saying this, Roy retracted his chainsaw sword and took out his Remington M870 from his inventory. Since getting the Smith & Wesson M629 Ivory Edition revolver, this shotgun had become slightly less favored. It couldn't be helped; the skin on the M629 Ivory Edition was just too good-looking, and the .44 Magnum bullets weren't much weaker than shotgun shells anyway. It was usually a one-shot deal either way.
However, Roy was extremely angry now and needed the Remington M870, this large-caliber weapon, to vent his frustration.
Chambering a round with one hand, the Hellfire Shotgun spat out a skull engulfed in hellfire. Slender Man couldn't laugh now and instantly vanished from the spot.
The hellfire skull hit a tree and exploded, leaving behind some flames.
Enemies who can teleport are really annoying. If they can't win, they just run away and then look for an opportunity to ambush you.
I have to think of a way to limit this guy's ability to teleport!
Roy started thinking about how to deal with Slender Man.
Judging by the current situation, physical attacks probably wouldn't be very effective against Slender Man. He probably wouldn't even be able to hit him. So, could he use magic?
Roy thought of a magic circle from the Key of Solomon called the Binding of Veltra.
This magic circle was a hexagram woven with ancient astrological runes, with the remains of a shattered clock floating at its center.
Once activated, all spatial rifts within a few hundred meters would be forcibly closed, and anyone using spatial movement abilities would suffer a backlash.
The requirements for using the Binding of Veltra were much higher than those for directly capturing Sadako and Kayako.
However, Roy's Spirit had already reached 37, his third-highest attribute, and his Memory was also 29, meeting the basic requirements for using this magic circle.
It's just the materials needed to set it up...
No other choice. I'll have to use my own blood to draw the magic circle again!
After one sneak attack, Slender Man started playing hide-and-seek with Roy again, disappearing to who knows where.
So, Roy immediately looked for an open space and cut his finger to draw a magic circle.
This process was quite troublesome because Roy's self-healing ability was so strong that his wounds would often heal in no time.
This forced Roy to cut his wrist to get more blood.
He also had to deal with Slender Man's occasional sneak attacks. The guy was incredibly patient. Each time he attacked, whether successful or not, he would only attack once, and then immediately teleport away, not giving Roy any chance to retaliate.
It was really frustrating.
By the time he finished drawing the magic circle, Roy was missing a good chunk of his lung, most of his intestines, and almost all of his liver.
These injuries were undeniably severe. Even with a Constitution as high as 49, it would probably take a long time to recover.
The Binding of Veltra was ready. All that was left was to inject his Spirit power to activate it, but before that, he needed to lure Slender Man into the magic circle.
Roy placed a picture of Slender Man in the middle of the magic circle and then stepped on the picture.
From Slender Man's behavior, it was clear that this guy had some intelligence.
Roy's current actions clearly indicated a trap. The only way was to provoke him into attacking.
To do this, Roy even deliberately exited his Son of the Devil state, which would drastically reduce his defense and recovery abilities but would also increase the probability of Slender Man attacking him.
He didn't know why Slender Man didn't want his image recorded and leaked, maybe it was some kind of OCD.
Just as Roy stepped on Slender Man's picture, he instantly felt a deadly threat.
Then, a large mass of shadow suddenly appeared behind Roy. Before he could react, a tentacle fiercely pierced through his back, aiming for his heart.
At the critical moment, Roy slightly shifted his body, managing to protect half of his heart. This move saved his life.
Then, Roy immediately activated the Binding of Veltra. The magic circle emitted a dark blue light, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze at that moment.
"Damn it! I finally caught you, you bastard!"
Slender Man tilted his head slightly, seemingly puzzled by the change in the surrounding environment, but his movements didn't stop. He was still trying to use his tentacles to rip out Roy's heart.
Roy wasn't about to just sit there and die. If his heart was ripped out, he really might die.
Angel's Blood, activate!
Roy's body erupted in a dazzling white light, forcing Slender Man back several steps. He seemed somewhat afraid of this power.
A pair of wings of light sprouted from Roy's back, and he floated into the air, coldly looking down at Slender Man.
Roy had taken down quite a few bad guys these past days, and the Justice Points he had collected should be enough to sustain him through this fight.
Slender Man's first reaction was still to teleport away to find an opportunity to attack again. However, this time, the moment Slender Man tore through space, he suffered a backlash.
You could see obvious tears appearing on this guy's body, like a glitched image in a video, it looked really out of place.
Although there was no sound, Roy could still feel Slender Man's extreme pain.
Looks like the Binding of Veltra really dealt a heavy blow to Slender Man. Roy could even sense some fear from him.
Let's finish him off while he's down!
Floating in mid-air, Roy began to gather the power of holy light in his hands, slowly shaping it into a spear made of pure holy light, and then threw it at Slender Man.
Slender Man, who had already suffered a backlash from his spatial abilities, was hit hard again. The holy light power from heaven naturally countered the dark power within him, and this attack was incredibly effective, a direct hit.
Seemingly sensing the threat of death, Slender Man began to fight back frantically.
Even though his body was twisted and glitched, the tentacles on Slender Man's back could still be used. A dozen tentacles lashed out at Roy, trying to take him down directly.
Too bad for him, Roy wasn't a magical girl and really didn't like tentacles.
Taking out his chainsaw sword from his inventory, Roy began to grapple with Slender Man's tentacles.
The Angel's Blood state couldn't enchant weapons, but it could directly release energy.
Holding the chainsaw sword, Roy continuously released various blades and shadows made of holy light energy. These easily sliced through Slender Man's tentacles, which were made of dark power.
Even though Slender Man's tentacles could grow back, they couldn't withstand Roy cutting them down like harvesting韭菜 (chives).
Plus, with the light wings allowing him to fly, Roy was incredibly agile and actually completely suppressed Slender Man in a short amount of time.
Realizing that his defeat was imminent, Slender Man, disregarding his torn body, unleashed all his power to make a last-ditch effort to defend himself.
The dense dark power actually broke free from the effects of the Binding of Veltra's magic circle for a brief moment, allowing Slender Man's body to return to normal!
This meant Slender Man could teleport away again.
It was also because this Binding of Veltra magic circle didn't have good casting materials. It relied entirely on the mixed demon and angel blood in Roy's body to cast, so it was just a poor man's version of the Binding of Veltra. Being able to restrain Slender Man for this long was already pushing its limits.
Seeing that he was about to finish off Slender Man, but the guy was preparing to teleport away, how could Roy stand for that?
Gritting his teeth, Roy directly activated the Desire Domain, which he had just recently obtained and hadn't even tested yet, while still in his Angel's Blood state.
Slender Man Poster
Chapter 142: Fear Domain
As soon as the Domain of Desire unfolded, Roy felt like the air around him turned pink.
He wasn't sure if the Slender Man, this strange creature, even had the concept of desire. In any case, just as the guy was about to teleport, he suddenly froze, looking completely out of it.
It was like his brain just crashed for a split second.
Maybe the Slender Man really didn't have any concept of normal human desires, so being affected by the Domain of Desire just confused him, and he didn't know what to do.
Roy wasn't about to let this chance slip away. He unfurled his light wings and raised his chainsaw sword high.
"Die!"
Brilliant holy light shone on the Slender Man's featureless face. The chainsaw sword extended into a huge and magnificent lightsaber dozens of feet long, and then, with a simple and unadorned 'New Year's greeting' sword technique, Roy gently swung it down.
In an instant, a deep chasm appeared in the ground, several dozen feet long, with the Slender Man at its center.
Without any suspense, the Slender Man was cleaved in half by the light blade formed from the holy light.
[Ding! Obtained the Slender Man's Fate Treasure Chest! Open it now?]
Whew! Finally got that done!
Hearing the system notification, Roy finally let out a sigh of relief.
Honestly, that burst of power just now was incredibly cool, but it also drained a terrifying amount of Justice Points.
Roy's Angelic Blood state was originally supposed to last about half an hour, but it was completely depleted by that ultimate move after only five minutes of fighting.
If the Slender Man hadn't died, Roy wouldn't have been able to maintain the Angelic Blood state any longer.
Just as he'd let out that sigh of relief, the Slender Man's body, which had been split in two, suddenly started to crystallize rapidly, turning into two tall, irregular black crystals.
What the heck is going on? This doesn't look like any Earth creature I've ever seen.
Roy possessed the Key of Solomon, so he was very familiar with the biological forms of Hell's demons.
Even demons, despite their appearances and abilities being vastly different from human forms, are still carbon-based lifeforms.
But the Slender Man's current state didn't seem like that of a carbon-based lifeform at all. Could this guy be from outer space, like Pennywise?
Curious, Roy walked over and touched the black crystal formed by the Slender Man with his chainsaw sword.
With a 'snap,' the entire black crystal shattered, startling Roy.
For heaven's sake, Roy had already turned off the chainsaw sword and had only touched it lightly. It really wasn't his fault that the black crystal broke.
If he told Gerald that this pile of stuff that looked like broken glass was the black crystal, would that guy still pay him?
Just as he was thinking this, a large amount of black energy suddenly and without warning appeared from within the shattered black crystal, rushing directly towards Roy.
Roy didn't even have time to react before the black energy entered his body.
Fortunately, after sensing this energy, Roy realized that it was actually the emotion of fear.
So the Slender Man also gained power by harvesting fear. This made Roy suspect that this guy, like Pennywise, was an alien lifeform from the universe.
The massive amount of fear pouring in made Roy feel like he was stuffed. He had to enter his Son of the Devil form to burn off some of the fear, but it was like trying to empty a lake with a teacup.
The Slender Man's abilities were much stronger than Pennywise's, so the amount of fear he collected was naturally much greater.
For the first time, Roy felt that his two fear energy bars actually had a limit. To prevent himself from being overwhelmed by the fear, he had to start compressing the fear energy within his body.
[Special Ability Fear Shadow upgraded to Fear Domain!]
He didn't know how long had passed, but Roy was awakened by the system's voice. He opened his eyes and found that the surroundings had somehow caught fire and were now ablaze.
Where did this fire come from?
Roy suddenly remembered that he had used his Hell Shotgun earlier and seemed to have hit a tree. At the time, he hadn't paid much attention because he was in a fight.
And it looked like that little spark was about to turn into a wildfire.
Crap! Looks like Los Angeles won't even make it to that fire in twenty-five years!
He didn't have time to check out his newly upgraded special ability. Roy quickly pulled out his phone to make a call.
At first, he thought about calling the fire department, but then he realized that if he called them directly, Roy would definitely be the one to take the blame.
That kind of blame should really fall on Gerald, the guy with the dark complexion.
Gerald: Oh, I thank you so much!
Fortunately, because it was close to the wealthy area of the Hollywood Hills, there was still cell service in the woods.
"Hey, Mr. Ollin, I've successfully dealt with the Slender Man. But things are on fire over here, and if you don't hurry, the Slender Man's body might get burned up!"
Gerald didn't suspect anything and replied to Roy.
"Tell me your location, and I'll send people over immediately!"
After reporting his location, Roy hung up. He still had a mission to complete.
"Ceci, Ceci, where are you?"
While the fire wasn't completely out of control yet, Roy searched for Dalia's daughter in the woods, but because his internal organs were severely damaged, he wasn't moving very fast.
Because of the wildfire, smoke filled the air, severely impacting visibility. Roy could only shout Ceci's name loudly.
Before long, Roy faintly heard a little girl crying.
"Waaah... Mommy... Mommy... Waaah... Where are you...?"
It was Ceci's voice!
Roy immediately followed the sound and saw a small clearing in the woods, surrounded by fire. Ceci was crouching in the clearing, crying.
"Ceci, don't be scared, Uncle's here!"
"Uncle Roy!"
Roy went straight through the fire, then picked up Ceci and rushed out of the flames.
Normally, Roy could do these things with ease, but now that he had lost at least a third of his internal organs, even simple movements made him gasp for air.
To avoid the tragedy of the mighty Son of the Devil being burned to death by fire, Roy decided to transform directly.
"Ceci, close your eyes, and wait until I tell you to open them!"
Ceci obediently closed her eyes, and then Roy entered his Son of the Devil form.
After his constitution temporarily increased by 10 points, Roy felt much better. Plus, demons had a strong resistance to ordinary flames, allowing him to successfully cross the fiery sea and reach the clearing where the Slender Man's body had been.
This clearing was quite large and should be able to hold out until Gerald arrived. Roy exited his Son of the Devil form.
"Alright Ceci, you can open your eyes now."
Ceci opened her eyes and saw Roy, whose face was pale and who was frowning every now and then.
"Uncle Roy, are you sick?"
"Uncle is feeling a little under the weather, but it's nothing serious."
"Mommy says if you're sick, you shouldn't try to be brave, you have to take your medicine and rest."
Kids say the darndest things, and Roy didn't take it to heart.
"It's okay, Uncle's really not sick."
While the two of them, one big and one small, were chatting, the sound of helicopter propellers came from the sky. They saw over a dozen helicopters flying in from the distance.
There were fire department helicopters and also armed FEAR helicopters.
Gerald was efficient. His turnaround time was impressive. If Roy had called the fire department directly, he'd be lucky to see a fire truck by sunrise.
The fire department helicopters started spraying fire retardant foam, and the fire began to shrink.
The current wildfire wasn't too severe yet. The fire department helicopters arrived just in time, and the fire was quickly brought under control, preventing the tragedy that would happen in 25 years.
Gerald rappelled down from a FEAR helicopter and, after seeing Roy and Ceci, began to survey the surroundings.
"Mr. Black, where's the Slender Man's body?"
"Right at your feet."
Roy pointed to a pile of shattered black crystal fragments at Gerald's feet. As the fear energy contained within was absorbed by Roy, the black crystals had lost their luster.
Gerald gave him a look of utter disbelief, like he was saying, "Are you kidding me?"
"Are you joking with me, Mr. Black?"
"No, I'm not. That's definitely the Slender Man's body. I suspect this thing isn't from Earth; it came from outer space."
This made Gerald look thoughtful. He waved over an agent to examine the pile of black crystals.
"Director, we did detect abnormal energy radiation on these black crystals!"
Gerald nodded.
"Nice work, Mr. Black! Need a ride back to the hotel?"
Roy looked at the helicopters hovering overhead and quickly shook his head.
That's way too unlucky!
Taking a helicopter, and with a little girl? Isn't that just asking to end up in prison?
The sped-up version of the "See You Again" background music seemed to be playing in his ears.
"No thanks, I drove here. I'll drive myself back after the fire's out!"
Gerald didn't try to persuade Roy any further. After all, he had his own things to do, directing his agents to collect the black crystals on the ground, piece by piece.
"Mr. Black, the ten million will be wired to your studio once it's all processed."
Roy nodded.
"Mr. Ollin, pleasure doing business with you!"
"Pleasure doing business with you!"
Thanks to the efforts of the fire department helicopters, the wildfire was completely extinguished half an hour later. Roy, carrying the now-sleeping Ceci, got into his Chevrolet Camaro.
After all, she was just a kid, and she'd had such a crazy night. She was sound asleep in Roy's arms.
By the time they got back to the Dolphin Hotel, it was already dawn. Another night had passed without them even realizing it.
Heather, Penny, Mary, and Dalia were all wide awake, waiting for Roy to return in the hotel lobby.
When they saw Roy carrying Ceci back, Dalia burst into tears of joy, and Mary also felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.
"Ceci!"
Dalia quickly rushed towards Roy.
"Shhh! Dalia, Ceci's asleep. Why don't you take her back to your room to sleep?"
Dalia nodded eagerly, and then she noticed that Roy's face was unusually pale, and his lips had no color at all.
"Roy, are you hurt?"
"Huh?"
Heather and Penny immediately rushed over too, and Mary, after hesitating for a moment, also walked over guiltily.
"Roy, where are you hurt? Let me see!"
The two girls checked Roy's body, practically about to strip him down, but they didn't see a single wound.
"I just have some internal injuries. I'll be fine after a few days of rest."
Hearing this, Dalia looked worried.
"Roy, will this affect your playoff game this weekend?"
"Those bottom-feeders? I could take them down with one hand tied behind my back!"
Hearing this made Mary feel even more guilty. If Roy couldn't get into UCLA because of her, she really wouldn't know how to face him.
"Roy, I'm sorry, because of me..."
"Mary, I'm really fine. I could even take on all of you right now!"
As soon as he said that, all four girls immediately blushed.
Heather couldn't help but gently pat Roy's chest.
"Roy, what are you saying!"
This pat landed right over Roy's heart, making him feel like his heart had stopped momentarily. A large amount of cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.
"Hisss!"
Heather was about to burst into tears right then and there!
"Roy, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay, Heather, but I think I need to get some rest."
Roy also realized that his body couldn't keep going, otherwise he risked dying young.
He still had so many beautiful women to take care of. He couldn't bear to die just like that.
Afterward, Dalia took Ceci back to her room, while Heather, Penny, and Mary carefully helped Roy back to room 1208.
It was just like taking care of a seriously ill elderly person. If there had been a wheelchair there, the three girls would have definitely made Roy sit in it.
"Mary, don't you have classes today? Why don't you just crash on the couch in the living room for a bit to catch some sleep, otherwise you won't have any energy for class."
Mary was a good student and wasn't just trying to coast through college, so she naturally didn't want to sleep through class.
"Okay! Roy, I'll come back to check on you right after school!"
Roy smiled. He could feel that Mary's feelings towards him had softened a bit, even though it was out of guilt. But as long as there was a shift, he was sure he could work with it later.
Heather and Penny served Roy like two maids, helping him take off his clothes, and even wanted to use their chests as pillows for him again, just like last time.
Who could refuse a beautiful woman offering their chest as a pillow and then lulling you to sleep?
Roy lay comfortably in Heather's arms, ready to fall asleep, but before drifting off, he wanted to take a look at his newly upgraded Fear Domain.
[Fear Domain: You are now the primordial fear of all living beings. You can easily plunge your enemies into endless nightmares.]
[Passive ability: Massively increases intimidation, massively expands the collection range and effectiveness of fear emotions.]
[Active ability: You can now unleash the Fear Domain, affecting all living beings within a certain range.]
Hmm, this upgraded Fear Domain is roughly similar to the Domain of Desire. It also affects the emotions of living beings within a large area.
However, the fear effect is more practical in combat and not as visually jarring as the Domain of Desire. The intimidation ability will be very useful when interrogating for information.
Overall, this new ability is quite practical and has boosted Roy's combat power to another level.
After checking out his new ability, Roy officially prepared to fall asleep.
Accompanied by Heather's sweet singing, Roy gradually drifted off to sleep.
Perhaps because of his severe injuries, Roy didn't sleep very soundly, and all sorts of bizarre dreams flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.
Suddenly, that familiar feeling of falling returned!
