World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 92 The Talking Cowboy Hat

A southwest wind blew sideways as the RV sliced ​​into the seemingly endless highway, the miles from San Francisco becoming ever smaller.

Lin An stretched and leaned back in the familiar back seat.

Yesterday, while I was busy taking stock of my loot from the illusion, I almost forgot something.

When the Thunderbird was on the highway, it seemed to look a little different!

When the system retrieved the data, sure enough, its panel changed.

Name: Thunderbird
[Comment]: Source Grade B

Radiation level: 25.2%
Pollution level: 75.4%
[Medium]: Nature Ritual
Pollution levels have decreased, but radiation levels have increased slightly...

But it clearly hasn't done anything these past few days.

If being locked up in a special isolation cell can make you stronger? Then everyone should just stop risking it and go in and lie down!
Unable to contain his doubts any longer, Lin An climbed to the second floor of the RV and knocked on the double door where Thunderbird was being held, trying to communicate in a low voice in Chinese, since he had spoken Chinese with Moose before.

"Brother Bird, can you hear me?"

"..."

"Brother Lei?"

The Thunderbird didn't react. Through the thick wall, Lin An was surprised to find that the statue's colors were becoming more and more vibrant, its posture was lifelike, and real eagle feathers had grown from the ends of the two long wooden sticks that ran through its body.

"Its pollution level... is slowly decreasing," Simon's voice came through.

"what happened?"

“If we had figured it out, we wouldn’t have needed to transport it all the way to headquarters,” Simon said with a wry smile. “The mainstream guess in the research department is that the Thunderbird’s pollution level will decrease over time.”

"This is too sneaky..." Lin An thought to himself, "Can't you try harder and turn it into a sign-in system so I can have some fun?"

"I am not the system!" the system said.

“We can’t rule out the possibility that the Thunderbird might use invisibility spells by contacting others, so we’d better not get too close to it.” Simon beckoned Lin An downstairs. “Headquarters’ orders haven’t changed. We need to deliver it as soon as possible, so be prepared. There’s nowhere to stay overnight after this.”

The road signs for the Cannes border drew closer, the lush green valleys outside the window receded into the distance, and the RV drove through forest after forest before finally entering the fields.

The journey was winding, and they would occasionally stop to rest, grab a quick bite at a gas station, and then pick themselves up and continue their long drive away from the natural beauty of the central region.

The vast plains and wilderness around him told Lin An that he was getting closer to the western coast.

Flax grows in the fields along the way; some are already mature, while others are still young, their pale blue flowers swaying in the wind like undulating waves.

As far as the eye can see, there is only the earth and the vast sky, and the scattered farmhouses are so small that they are almost invisible.

It is early spring, the temperature is warming up, and all things are coming back to life.

As Lin An admired the wilderness scenery, he secretly wondered what the grasslands would look like in July.

He had just gotten used to long-distance travel, and aside from the occasional sleepless nights, faint breathing signals, and increasingly spicy recipes, traveling in the RV was quite enjoyable.

Until they drove into New Mexico.

The monotonous and tedious journey consisted of only flat fields and sky. Often, we would drive for hours without seeing a single gas station. The unchanging scenery stretched to the horizon, instilling a sense of inexplicable fear and loneliness.

Just when Lin An couldn't hold on any longer, the RV drove into a city on a plain.

As soon as the car door was opened, thousands of flying insects buzzed out.

The streets were dusty and uneven. Tourists carrying large bags and small packages took photos with their guides, while elderly people with flowing beards and barefoot women watched them from dark windows.

Taxi drivers and illegal immigrants search for good luck; police officers, their faces flushed, shout loudly; waitresses, slovenly dressed and rude.

With the help of navigation, Lin An and his group found a well-regarded restaurant called Cactus Kingdom in the town center square.

The restaurant's signature dish is fried tacos in different flavors, filled with crunchy beans and fragrant sweet peppers and chilies.

Lin An ordered a chicken wrap, and to his surprise, it also contained fries, but it was unexpectedly delicious.

They packed Simon some burritos and soda, and the group continued their journey.

"This statue is called 'Our Lady of the Path,' and legend has it that it was created by two sisters with magical powers who successfully summoned the souls of the dead from hell in 1875, reuniting them with their loved ones..."

Tourists blocked their way, craning their necks to listen to the tour guide's explanation. Lin An and his two companions decided to force their way through.

Unfortunately, the crowd separated the three people.

When they reunited, Lin An and Barry were unharmed, but Mish had more than fifty hats on her head.

"What on earth happened in just ten minutes?" Barry slapped his forehead.

"Well, here's what happened. I got pushed to the center of the square and bumped into a few girls selling tourist souvenirs. They were staring at me with bright eyes, and one of them grabbed my arm quickly and kept shouting something in Spanish."

Mishi wanted to scratch his head, but couldn't because of the high stack of hats.

"I just wanted to support the kids' business."

“Mishi, haven’t you learned your lesson from Time Square yet?” Lin An shook his head. “Ignore the vendors on the street.”

"Let me finish. I found the hats they were selling were really cool, each one was different, but all of them were of high quality. Some were cowboy hats, some were straw hats. I randomly picked one up and asked how much it cost, but they just held out their hands and told me to pay whatever I wanted."

“We’ve come all this way to the West, how can we not bring back some souvenirs? I tentatively gave them $5, and to my surprise, they accepted it.” Mishi excitedly shook her head full of hats. “Do you know how much these hats would cost in a regular store?”

"At least $30 to $70, I guess." Barry stroked his chin.

“That’s right, I bought all the hats in one go. Once we get to Safi City, I’ll find a shop and sell them all. Look how much profit I made on this trip! And the best part is, St. Anilov reimbursed the gas costs!”

“Don’t you think these hats are too fragmented in style?” Barry said.

"Perhaps they have special channels for sourcing goods."

Mishi walked toward the RV with a beaming smile. As soon as she saw Simon, she chattered on and on, taking off a hat and putting it on Simon's head.

"I'm your older sister—the team leader, the captain. This is a gift for you."

In her moment of triumph, she forgot Simon's real age and quickly corrected herself. The smile didn't disappear, but it shifted to Lin An's lips, who added, seemingly enjoying the spectacle.

"Do we really have to choose a children's hat for the captain? What, are you looking down on a 1.5-meter-tall angel?"

"Lin, shut up!"

"Hehe, it's alright, as long as you're happy." Simon pulled the hat off his head with both hands. Mishi had pulled it down too hard, and the thorns from the straw hat pierced his eyes. "There's only one problem. Melissa, didn't you realize these are stolen goods?"

"Stolen goods!?" A bad feeling welled up in Mishi's heart.

“Those kids are notorious thieves in the square. They steal wallets, jewelry, watches, and even hats, sunglasses, and scarves when tourists aren’t looking. The adults who help them sell the easy-to-dispose-of items through various channels, and the difficult-to-dispose-of items to other tourists.”

Mishi was dumbfounded.

"Then, then my plan..."

“You bought it with your money, so it’s yours.” Simon put the hat back in Mishi’s hands. “What you do with it is your choice.”

Mishi stood there stunned for a long time, deflated like a punctured balloon, moved her hat to the back seat, and all sorts of cowboy hats and straw hats rolled around, making her look like a fairy guarding a treasure.

After a while, she spoke to Lin An, who was also in the back seat.

“It’s impossible to return it to its rightful owner now, so I’m going to give one to anyone I like along the way.” Mishi said reluctantly, “Do me a favor, let you choose first.”

"Sure, I need something to block out the sun."

"Come on, let's tidy up first."

The two lay on the ground, sorting the hats by style and price, including both designer brands and those made in obscure small factories.

Lin An touched something cold and hard. When he took it out, he saw that it was a cowboy hat with a scarf or ribbon around the brim and decorative artificial crystals.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a strange feeling.

"I'll choose that as my reward."

"Are you sure? That's a woman's hat." Mishi's expression was somewhat intriguing. "I've been wanting to ask this since the time at Bode Bay. Do you have an interest in that kind of thing?" "My curiosity has always been strong," Lin An replied casually, then spoke to the two people in the front row, "What do you think of this hat?"

Simon and Barry turned around upon hearing this, almost bursting out laughing, before quickly turning back to the windshield to gaze at the distant scenery.

"Yes, yes... I respect your choice."

Lin An realized what was happening, and veins bulged on his forehead.

Why are you trying to stop laughing?!

I'm showing you the "Comerth" energy fluctuations emanating from this hat!
I didn't ask you to act out "my wife giving birth"!

After a series of farces, Lin An roughly discovered that the "subtle feeling" contained in the hat was faint and could only be perceived through touch.

It's somewhat similar to the "fat theft" mechanic in "Pishtaco".

The hat probably belonged to a mysterious passerby who stole it from the group of children as they passed through the central square, and it eventually ended up in the hands of Mishi.

Lin An stroked the cowboy hat up and down and found that the strange sensation was strongest when his hand touched the crystal pendant.

"You like it so much?" Mishi's eyes grew deeper and deeper. "Then I'll give it to you. Do you want me to comb your hair into a little ponytail while I'm at it?"

Lin An touched the side of his ear. It had been a long time since he had cut his hair and beard. His long black hair hung down to his neck, and the green stubble made him feel itchy.

"Captain, how long until we reach the next parking spot?"

"We will stop in a remote town tomorrow night and rest for about two hours."

"Can I find a local barbershop?"

"Uh... cough, okay, okay."

Mishi couldn't hold back any longer. The entire RV was filled with a joyful atmosphere. Lin An, who couldn't explain himself, gripped the crystal with trembling hands, gritted his teeth, and tore it off.

Damn it, as a foundation team, can we have more of an occult atmosphere and less of this messy, cryptic stuff?
…………

Whether it was because the west was too dry or the journey was too bumpy, Lin An stayed awake all night.

A rooster crowed in the distance, the dawn sun was held back by the wind blowing through the yellow sand, and the murky sky hung low above the RV.

The gas station lit up with bright lights, and Mishi parked her car inside.

Sleepy-eyed Lin An and Barry went to the store to buy breakfast. Behind the gas station was a bustling town, full of low, crooked houses. Early morning drivers drove recklessly, and the deafening sound of horns could be heard from afar.

In New Mexico, cars never care about mufflers.

The store was filled with the smell of camphor, and a group of brown-skinned teenagers were pestering the clerk to buy a dozen beers.

Feeling sleepy, Lin An grabbed a few pieces of bread and headed to the bar.

Look at the potato chips.

Lin An couldn't help but stop in his tracks and noticed a bag of Pringles shrimp cocktail flavored drinks on the shelf.

Huh, why did I stop?

A barefoot driver finished using the restroom, ignored the "slippery ground" sign, and swaggered out.

The next moment, with a "thud," he slipped and fell to the ground, knocking over a case of beer.

"Wow..."

A can of soda, spraying foam, sped past Lin An, spraying sticky "wheat juice" everywhere.

If he hadn't stopped, he would have inevitably gotten splashed with wine.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

The clerk quickly left the persistent teenager and rushed to the driver. The driver exchanged a glance with him, grabbed a few cans of beer, and ran out, making the clerk yell and scream in anger.

Lin An frowned as he watched this farce unfold.

Was that just... a coincidence?
After paying the bill with another shop assistant, Lin An returned to the RV, still puzzled.

With two days to go before Santa Fe, the small town was their only place to rest before that. Lin An and his companions had a hearty dinner at a steakhouse for $40.

This steakhouse is both a restaurant and a bar. A musician stands playing his xylophone, a guitarist sings, and an elderly man whose age is hard to guess beats the drums.

Lin An picked up the cactus juice that came with the set meal, and a premonition flashed through his mind.

I don't want to drink anymore.

He put the cactus juice aside, listened to the loud band, and sensed something was wrong.

Why can't I drink it?
Ignoring the thought, Lin An tasted the thick orange liquid and almost had his skull popped off from the sourness.

Well, he really shouldn't have drunk it.

Reaching into his pocket, Lin An grasped the artificial crystal and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

He had this feeling before; when he was near Kim Ji-eun, the medium of the "prophet," he always had a mysterious premonition about what to do at this time and what to do at that time.

Looking back now, this doesn't seem quite normal at all.

If the "war emperor" is the monarch who openly controls the overall situation, then the "prophet" is the suggester who intervenes in the thoughts of others through various psychological suggestions, thereby influencing their behavior.

It usually takes some time to take effect, but it happens without anyone noticing.

To eliminate the effects, perhaps the only option is to use a mystical technique with the same "prophet" medium.

Lin An walked to a toilet stall and gave instructions to the system.

"Use the [Auspicious Day]".

The energy transformed into interconnected pentagrams, which descended overhead. The five elements rotated clockwise, transforming into the character "吉" (auspicious), which was then engraved on Lin An's forehead.

An indescribable sound came from next door, followed by a string of profanities and curses.

"Damn it, there's something wrong with the food at this restaurant! If this were a hundred years ago, I would have shot the owner right now!"

It's cactus juice, isn't it?

Lin An suddenly remembered the previous hint.

The two prophetic mystical arts collided, and some of the invisible influence disappeared. Lin An suddenly realized something.

Why didn't he think of throwing away the hat?

Firstly, he was curious about the identity of the mysterious person who lost the hat; secondly, he hoped to avoid the Foundation and collect novel occult techniques; and thirdly, its warnings were very accurate and effective.

That's definitely a thought I would have.

But... it's not entirely my usual way of thinking.

"Prophets" are indeed a dangerous medium.

Based on the information currently available, this mysterious individual is rated below legendary, but has extremely high radiation levels and is very skilled at wielding his own mystical arts.

Foundation, it's time to get to work!

Just as Lin An was about to report it to Simon, a strong calling suddenly arose in his heart.

Head west.

Head west.

If you need it.

So we headed west.

Thank you to Yiming Yimie Yichijian, Fangzhou Zhizhu, Huanxiang Huakui, Suanwei Shihui, Fenghua Juedai Meng Xiaoxiao, and Gebi Laowang Weizengtou for the monthly tickets, and thank you all for the recommendation tickets and subscriptions!

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(End of this chapter)