They all call me an Outer God.

Chapter 172 Man-Eating Monster
"But they gave too much."

Ria covered his forehead, feeling that he was doing something against his conscience. For the sake of the future generations of Endlers, he shouldn't have helped someone forge academic papers.

But for the sake of his wallet and memes, he still reached for the brass pen and began to brainstorm what he would write next, referring to the references on the table.

"Imitating their handwriting is not an easy task, and it can't be too professional. You need to add a lot of fluff, like 'how to distinguish between a human and a chimpanzee'."

First, human words are different from gorilla words; they look different. The specific differences could be discussed at length for three or four pages. Then, explaining the social relationship between the two could also be discussed at length for another three or four pages.

The final plagiarism check revealed that it was over 50%, but that's okay. We can break each paragraph down into longer phrases and add another page and a half of filler.

Ironically, many incompetent students write papers like this all the way up. Lia never expected that her previous paper, which she wrote so poorly, would be praised by a professor she had never met before. For a moment, she didn't know whether to sympathize with the student or the professor.

"Let's write a fake social report this time... Go out into the crowd and ask them how accepting they are of steam engines, and have them fill out forms while we're at it... Does anyone actually fill out these forms?"

Ria moved the kerosene lamp closer. This was all the fault of a certain detective who had lost both legs. He was terrified of industrial products, so the lights in the house were almost broken but had never been replaced.

"Wait a minute, isn't his wheelchair also an industrial product? Will he get angry if we tell him now?"

The young man, curiously speculating, was still brainstorming ideas for his thesis when a great detective burst through the door.

The bell on the door frame rang again.

“You’re back?” Ria looked at Ivand. “How did the investigation go?”

"Hey, I'm sure I'll get results if I take action."

Ivand turned the two metal wheels of his wheelchair and entered the office.

His attire was clearly modeled after some great ancestor; he wore a huge linen cloak, a baseball cap, and had an unlit pipe in his mouth. He would occasionally utter profound but inappropriate remarks.

"The best moment is now, Kelcha."

In the morning he decided to go out and visit the relatives of the Canterlo factory workers, but now he has returned with only a photograph in his hand.

Lia looked at it; it was a photo of a family of three and a black and white sheepdog, and everyone in the photo, including the dog, was smiling very happily.

"What's wrong with this photo?"

"There's another photo here."

Ivand pulled out another photo. It showed a person lying in a hospital bed with his skin covered in burns. A doctor in a white coat was bandaging him, while his family surrounded him, smiling happily at the camera.

Even though the man in the photo was badly injured, and even though his eyes were horribly hollow, his family still smiled brightly.

It's as if this isn't a photo of the patient, but rather a photo of them on a trip.

"If it were just one company, that would be one thing, but I sampled many people from the original group photo of the workers."

After they were hospitalized one after another, their families ignored their injuries, seemingly even regarding the object as a source of pride.

"It does sound a bit unusual. How did those people's families explain it?"

"They said that the workers signed an agreement and bought insurance before entering the factory, and that the insurance would cover their expenses for the rest of their lives if something happened."

"There is such a good thing!?"

"What did you say?" "No, nothing, you didn't hear anything."

Lia coughed, pretending that she hadn't said anything unnecessary.

"So the connection between this matter and paranormal events is—"

"I couldn't find any information about that insurance company; it seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Moreover, the workers didn't receive a single penny, but his family firmly believed they would receive the money."

The families of the workers who hadn't been involved in the accident began to hope that their loved ones would be involved in an accident so they could receive a large sum of money.

People working in factories are surrounded by smoke and sewage every day. Many of them suffer from lung diseases and cough incessantly, and their skin inexplicably starts to itch and then ulcerate.

The factory owner gave them the lowest wages, the most exaggerated compensation, and demanded that they exert the greatest effort for him so that they could earn the largest amount of gold coins.

Sometimes, human nature is more terrifying than anything extraordinary.

If the two are mixed together, the resulting harm will be immeasurable.

"So are you going to argue with the factory owner next? My suggestion is to report it to the Order Association. Regardless of whether it's a paranormal event or not, they can handle it."

Ivand stared intently at Ria, then suddenly sighed after a moment.

"If only it were that simple. There are too many things involved."

There were too many things involved, but Ivand couldn't explain them in detail. He just kept banging his pipe on the corner of the table.

"I told you this industry would run into trouble sooner or later. Look at the sky over Endlers, it used to be quite beautiful when it was clear."

But now we rarely see that kind of weather; in fact, every morning when I go out, I'm greeted by a mouthful of smog with a strange smell.

He tapped his head with his pipe again and finally uttered the same words once more.

"The steam is full of flesh-eating monsters."

Before he finished speaking, he turned his wheelchair and ran to a room further inside the office. Ria turned her head thoughtfully.

"A monster that eats human flesh... Ha, I have to write that in my thesis, and say it's a wise saying by Mr. Ivande Charles."

A few hours later, Lia put down her pen and stretched her tired wrists.

He blew out the kerosene lamp and went outside the office. The sky was still gray, and everyone was hurrying by. Little Schwarz II still hadn't returned, and he didn't know if something had happened to it.

"Did they get lost or get captured?"

Ria thought the latter was unlikely, since it could turn into tentacles, and even if it was placed in a cage with very small gaps, it could still crawl out by contracting itself like an octopus.

"But it's unlikely it'll get lost... probably."

Most of the time, Ria didn't know what the mythical creature was thinking. It would stare blankly at one spot with its two huge golden eyes, and then occasionally nibble on things randomly.

This thing could be some furniture, or it could be Ria's own flesh and blood.

"Goo!" As if sensing its host's concerns, Little Swarth extended a tentacle from the side of his neck.

(End of this chapter)