World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 290 Dawn is Quiet

September 26, 2038, Mbanbuka, Tumba Street, Tesmarville District.

The Lambridge Grand Hotel sits atop a hill, with its balconies overlooking the entire slum. Local officials tell everyone that it's a building beloved by Westminster residents.

Tall and thin Ogunkavo strolled along the tree-lined avenue outside the hotel; he was the army leader hired by the Red Poppy Merchant Guild.

The polite hostess called him "General," but the person in charge always called him "Black Cat."

Because he and the regional manager promoted by the Chamber of Commerce came from the same tribe, where there is a proverb that says, "Even if a cat goes to a monastery, it is still a cat."

General Black Cat has an impressive resume. He trained at the prestigious Saint-Cyr Military Academy in Italy, served as a commander in several wars in the South, and helped the Bantu resist the Patriot Front's invasion.

He was a devout Jehovah's Witness and enjoyed a good reputation among military advisors.

During a past war, he ordered his soldiers to shoot his colleagues who were robbing civilians, which brought the chaotic situation under control and made him quite famous in the area.

Having weathered many storms, General Black Cat was now filled with distress. He got up early to patrol, not because he was particularly dutiful, but because the words of the regional leader from the previous night were still lingering in his mind, preventing him from sleeping peacefully.

“Countess Mariette van Hofwegen has been gone from Mbambuka for six days now. If we don’t hear from her by tomorrow, it means she’s been missing for a whole week.”

The person in charge sat in an office with wine-red curtains. Previously, no one was allowed to enter this room without the Countess's permission. After she left, the person in charge became a de facto regent, swaggering around and issuing orders.

"If you repeat yourself a few more times, even the rats in the pipes will know," the black cat interrupted impatiently.

"The problem is, this is a very serious problem."

"You still want to meddle in the Flanders' business? They always give the orders, and we do as they say, repeating the same thing endlessly. Do you really want to interfere with their actions?" The black cat picked at its ear.

“Not long ago, I sent a telegram to Kinsasha’s office, and the person in charge there replied quickly, basically telling me not to make a fuss; but yesterday he sent another telegram, this time telling me that someone would soon be coming to take over the Earl’s position.”

"What do you want to do?" the black cat asked, frowning.

The regional manager blinked. "You think I'm worried about that old hag's safety? I just think a ceremony to welcome a new leader... requires a lot of event funding, right?"

The black cat remained silent; he certainly understood what the person in charge meant.

During his early years in office in Kinsasha, he witnessed countless instances of embezzlement, bribery, and corruption.

Democracy does not belong to the people, but is the private property of the administrators. The government treats mining as a cash cow, constantly extracting cash to support the extravagant lifestyle of the president and his cronies, rather than using it for reinvestment to generate profits or for infrastructure development.

Black Cat felt guilty every day he spent in Kinsasha, so he left the capital, but in order to support his family, he turned to mercenaries.

A few years ago, through the introduction of the regional manager, he ended up becoming a watchdog for the Red Poppy Chamber of Commerce.

He later learned that the Chamber of Commerce was the controlling force behind the president.

For example, all Bantu export trade must go through a state-owned company, which then pays all income tax to the national treasury. Only the Red Poppy Chamber of Commerce is exempt from this requirement, and in addition, they also enjoy a share of the company's profits.

The person in charge recruited Black Cat simply to develop a confidant within the tribe, without caring about his ideals or mental stress.

Over time, the black cat gradually became numb.

He told himself, "At least when I'm working as a doorman at a big hotel, I won't have to kill my own people."

Gazing at the nearly full moon, the black cat habitually let out a deep sigh.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Suddenly, the peace was shattered.

Intense gunfire erupted from nearby, followed by mortar explosions and intermittent machine gun fire.

These sounds were like thunder in the rainy season, dull and intense, causing the black cat's pupils to contract.

The next moment, his walkie-talkie crackled with the trembling voice of the regional manager.

"Ogunkavo!"

"Sir, what's going on?"

"We've been attacked! Gather the soldiers immediately! Hurry!"

Who attacked us?

The person in charge paused for a moment and said, "A bunch of thugs. Don't worry, the situation is completely under my control."

Black Cat put down the walkie-talkie and dutifully carried out the orders. He knew that a soldier's responsibility was to ask as few questions as possible.

He boarded a bus and headed to the barracks near the hotel, his mind racing as he tried to think of what to say to the soldiers.

He had no idea what was happening outside.

Who exactly launched the attack?
Is this directly related to the Countess's disappearance a few days ago?
After assembling the mercenaries of the merchant guild, Black Cat obeyed the orders of the person in charge and headed to the location where the firefight had taken place.

He initially thought it was just a popular uprising or an attack by local warlords, but when he stepped out of the jeep, he was almost speechless with astonishment.

Aside from the mortar shells and machine gun bullets that he was somewhat used to flying overhead, the black cat stared dumbfounded at the various "people" flying in the sky, swimming in the water, and running on the walls in front of him.

Holy shit.

Am I still half asleep?

Although the gang of bandits was small in number and their weapons were not advanced, the mysterious abilities hidden among them made it impossible for Black Cat to find a way to attack them.

The elusive black "birdman" in the sky alone was enough to give him a run for his money.

He would suddenly descend, snatch a soldier, and then slam him to the ground from a great height, crushing him to pieces.

Even more terrifying is that, in addition to the monsters wielding various powers, the black cat discovered that a terrifying sorceress was hidden among the bandits. Once hit by her sorcery, the soldiers' lips would split open, they would feel dizzy, and instantly lose their ability to move.

"Ahhh!"

In an instant, all sorts of screams rose and fell.

The dim light of dawn illuminated the path as it was about to awaken, and pairs of eyes gleamed with a wild, beast-like light that sent chills down one's spine.

Black Cat finally understood why the person in charge had changed from his usual arrogant demeanor on the walkie-talkie.

Anyone who sees such a chaotic and disorderly army would be so frightened that they would question their existence!
Unable to bear the torment of the witchcraft any longer, several soldiers plunged into a nearby waterway with a "plop." Unexpectedly, the water suddenly "came to life," opening its blood-red maw and swallowing the soldiers who approached it.

Voodoo Mercury, Cinby.

Maye poked half her head out, and her eyes, which seemed harmless to her comrades, terrified the soldiers, who shouted, "You witch!"

The firefight lasted less than three minutes before Black Cat painfully realized that he had no way to subdue this band of thugs who possessed strange powers and could hardly be considered an army.

Moreover, the mercenaries under his command were also a rabble. "Where do you want to go?"

The black cat roared at a group of soldiers who were swarming onto the truck, whose personal belongings and ammunition were piled on top of the cab.

One of the soldiers gave him a hasty salute and said, "General, you can only rely on yourself now."

They took advantage of the chaos to get into a car and leave. The bandits did not stop them, which caused more of the resisting soldiers to lose heart and soon collapse.

The Red Poppy Merchant Guild's mercenaries were routed, and the bandits climbed up the hillside to the front yard of the Lambridge Grand Hotel.

Seeing that there were fewer and fewer people around, the black cat put its hands on its head and muttered in frustration.

"Goat!"

The outcome was already decided. Black Cat still wanted to put up a last-ditch effort, but before he could draw his gun and aim at the girl whose head was halfway out of the water, a cool breeze brushed against his neck, and a knife was just millimeters away from his throat.

"Damn it, I'll fight you to the death!"

The black cat caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of its eye and couldn't help but let out its first scream.

Because there was no one behind him, but the goosebumps that rose on his skin when his skin touched the sharp weapon told the black cat that something translucent was holding him hostage!
ghost!
It's haunted!
“Take me to your chief,” a young but sharp voice said. “Otherwise, I will not only kill you, but also wipe out your entire tribe.”

"it is good……"

His wife and children's faces flashed before his eyes, and the black cat lowered his head. Reason also told him that he had no way to resist these "mysterious beings".

Yes, he just remembered.

The countess casually mentioned this concept to the person in charge, saying that recently some magical wizards with superhuman abilities have appeared all over the world, and the merchant guild calls them "mystics".

The Countess said that only the Mystics could deal with the Mystics, and she instructed the person in charge to report to the Red Poppy Merchant Guild immediately once they discovered any trace of them.

Mysterious one...

It seems I, an ordinary person, have no right to speak.

The black cat gave a wry smile as it answered the mysterious young man who emerged from the darkness.

"Chief? You mean the person in charge of our region?"

"Call me whatever you want," the man said coldly. "I didn't use a question."

After glancing at the devastation of the battlefield, the black cat led him into the magnificent Lambridge Hotel.

After the commander left, the leaderless soldiers scattered and disorganized; some fled, some died, and the rest surrendered.

The scene at the hotel stunned the black cat.

In just a few tens of minutes, all the valuables were looted, leaving only bare walls.

The large avant-garde art painting hanging in the center had vanished, the shattered windowpanes creaked underfoot, and the furniture had been dismantled into pieces, with every part that could be taken away removed.

The hotel staff huddled in a corner, trembling with fear.

After a brief moment of surprise came extreme anger. Black Cat realized that he had been betrayed by the regional manager!
This guy knew perfectly well that ordinary people were no match for the mystic, yet he rushed him to assemble an army, saying things like, "The situation is under control!"

He went to great lengths to fabricate a scam, hoping to send Black Cat and others to their deaths, thus creating time for himself to abscond with the money!
With old and new grudges resurfacing, the black cat roared angrily and, without needing the man who commanded the ghosts to urge it, charged towards the top-floor office.

"Bang bang bang!"

He pounded on the door, but there was no response. The man next to him made a gesture, and the locked door creaked open.

There lay a woman on the floor, dead from a heart attack; she was one of the manager's mistresses. The room was empty, and all valuables had been looted.

The side door was wide open, and a strong wind rushed in.

"He got away!" the black cat yelled. "You son of a bitch, you've lied to me again!"

The two rushed to the roof and happened to see the portly regional manager climb into the helicopter parked on the hotel rooftop.

The cabin was full of his suitcases. Because he had so much luggage, some of it couldn't fit on the plane and had to be left behind. Discarded valuables were scattered all over the rooftop.

"I trusted you so much, and you betrayed me! You betrayed me, and now you've managed to escape to Kinsasha or Brazzaville across the river! What will become of me and our family!"

The black cat glared angrily, trying to reason with his people, but his voice was completely drowned out by the helicopter's rotor blades.

"Fire!"

The person in charge ignored him and ordered the guards left on the rooftop to set up guns on the two men.

The young mystic who followed the black cat acted swiftly, slaughtering the guards with the speed of cutting vegetables. But as the battle on the rooftop ended, the helicopter took off, leaving the battered Mbanbuka far behind.

"call."

The mysterious man wiped the blood from his cheek and noticed that the black cat was angrily firing blanks upwards. A slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Do you hate him?"

"Nonsense! He completely fooled me!"

“Then there’s no need to worry, he won’t survive.” The young mysteryr stuck out his tongue, licking the blood from the back of his hand. In that instant, his gaze sent a chill down the black cat’s spine. “Have you ever heard of a village with two chieftains?”

The constant "tap tap tap" sound filled his ears, and the scenery in the sky receded step by step. The area manager, who had survived the ordeal, breathed a sigh of relief and slumped into his seat.

“That’s good too. I’ve wanted to leave this poor, remote place for a long time.” He patted his chest. “It’s more comfortable to spend the money I make in a big city like Brossell.”

“Hey, old Deng, I know a place that’s more comfortable than Broser.”

"what?"

That is heaven.

A mocking voice came from somewhere. The person in charge looked up and saw a young man with black hair lying on the fuselage. Then, with a "bang," the helicopter window shattered into pieces.

"You, you don't come any closer!" The person in charge retreated in terror.

"Such familiar lines." In his final moments, he heard the young man mutter to himself, "Am I not getting along well with the people in the helicopter?"

The fierce battle was over in an instant. The morning sun had just risen, and apart from a few barks and the sound of clothes being washed carried by the wind, there was no movement on the narrow street between rows of cement houses.

The residents of Mbanbuka are unaware that the Lambridge Grand Hotel, located at the foot of the mountain, has changed owners.

(End of this chapter)