The Retirement Life of a Runaway Desperado

After the conversation after the car accident, they didn't actually talk much about Arthur's past.

Arthur seemed to feel that it was superfluous to talk about a thing that he had decided to leave behind. The homework is the ongoing war.

He would discuss the ongoing case with Lynn, which included Lynn's current case--thefts--or the crime reported on TV, but he would not talk about the other world.

Now, Lynn thought, looking at the pictures on the big screen, they were going to talk about "things in the dark" again.

The meeting was not allowed to bring out the material, but when he left, he had clearly recorded it in his mind.

There was an inexplicable combination of terror and excitement when walking through the streets with these things, and there was another side to the world, like a glossy mirror flipped over to reveal the hungry face of a devil.

The kids weren't at the hotel, Chrissy was at her grandmother's, and Christine was with her—they were always together.

Mrs. Eland lived in a big house in the suburbs. There was a large indoor swimming pool, a magnificent collection of books and toys, and a garden with a complete ecosystem. The two girls liked it so much that they stayed there. Two days—Ling was surprised, the old man didn't seem surprised that he was doing well with Chrissy, as if she'd been waiting for this day.

Then the people who came out to travel suddenly became Lynn and Arthur.

When Lynn returned to the hotel, Arthur was in his pajamas, fighting the game on the TV.Because it is a high-end hotel, the game is very new and the effect is not bad.

He leaned over to look at it for a while, the game effect was gaudy, the knight beat the dead body to pieces, and the image was bloody and gorgeous.

I don't know how the effect is compared to those monster-fighting jobs in his previous life, Lynn thought, the gap may not be small.

"I thought you were out to eat," he said, "you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Arthur gave an absent-minded "hmm" and stared intently at the TV, which seemed to be reaching a critical juncture.

Lynn saw the dining car in the room. It seemed that he had ordered the food, but he hadn't had time to eat it while playing games.

"I have a case," Lynn said.

Arthur glanced at him, but his movements were not slow at all, killing a blue-skinned monster.The TV exploded with debris everywhere.

"Let's get the food in again," Lynn said. "These are cold. I haven't had lunch yet. Then I'll tell you slowly."

Soon, they finished their meal and the case was finished.

Although the process was bloody, it did not affect their appetites at all.On the contrary, the ambiguous look in the waiter's eyes when they came in made Lin En a little indigestion, but Arthur didn't seem to explain it at all.

"Hmm, good judgment," said Arthur. "This case was done by a black eater."

"My guess is," Lynn said, "that it has absolutely no logic to a normal human crime."

"Just like the case you mentioned last time, the characteristics of most black eaters are obvious, because they don't know how to hide." Arthur said, "When the death knights are looking for their prey, they spend almost no effort."

He was talking about a strange case that Lynn told him about when he first entered the industry.

The case is said to be related to the curse of the ghost, and it looks like a horror novel. It was a murder that no one knew about in the forest cabin, but on the third anniversary of the incident, one by one at ten o'clock in the morning Wufen lost his head-according to one victim, it was when they committed the murder.

The police even used CCTV to keep an eye on it, but it suddenly went down for 30 seconds, and when it came back on, the last person was sitting in the safe room with an empty neck.

At the same time, his head appeared in the forest cabin 520 kilometers away—it was here that they killed someone together three years ago and chopped off her head.

In the end the police couldn't solve the case because it didn't make any sense at all.It can only be thrown into a box and stored in the archives to collect dust.

"It's very simple. There's no skill in what she's doing," Arthur said. "But revenge is sacred. She's going to kill a few people who raped her and then chopped off her head. Who can say she lacks skill?" content."

"But she died," Lynn said.

"I didn't say she was dead."

"Her head was chopped off, those guys took it on a video camera!"

"Having your head cut off is the same as being dead," Arthur said. "There are people who can see in the dark, and they make deals, and they don't really care if you're dead or not. She's gifted, And that rage was hot, and they liked it, so it gave her strength, and she spent three years mending the flesh."

Seeing Lynn's surprised look, he explained, "The human soul can hold all kinds of things and turn into all kinds of unimaginable shapes. She did something beyond biology when she just lost her head. It’s really not that strange.”

Lynn nodded, he had already experienced some "things in the dark" with his own hands, and he also knew "trading" - for example, Caviezel made a deal, and the old man of Rolls-Royce made a "trade" Devour".The forces of darkness are like a cake, you can eat them in different ways as long as you can swallow them.

But without a good enough appetite—and willpower—both body and mind will burst like an overblown balloon.He continued to ask Arthur, "So this case, will your old organization send someone?"

"Not on the news, probably not," Arthur said. "There are very few black eaters around here, and they don't pay much attention. That's one of the reasons I came here."

"Then it's staying there?" Lynn said, "I don't know what kind of monster that kind of thing has evolved into—"

"Broadly speaking, it's still a human," Arthur said.

"How broad is that?"

"There's nothing like how humans have characterized this species for thousands of years," Arthur said. "It's not social at all, and it's not biologically so."

"That's not human at all!" Lynn said.

"I'm fine with you trying to remove it from your brethren," said another. "It's embarrassing for me to be in the same species as it anyway."

"It's also hard for me to imagine that a picture of Caviezel is placed in a museum with a label of 'human being' on it. It's too embarrassing." Lynn said.

"That's what it means," Arthur said, "Cavizel is an oversized idiot, and a little power the size of a sesame seed can make him that way, and a beggar in a subway station can't be that content."

"Very few people do that?" Lynn said.

"A lot, actually, because there is no self-control, and it will be cleaned up quickly. The scary thing is that there is control." Arthur said, "Just say 'things in the dark'. It's not a big deal. They are just dream-like existences. Dangerous The most amazing thing is that after they live in the body of a living person, they can be freely exerted. And a strong will, even if it is distorted, can exert considerable power as a medium.”

"The guy in this case sounds like he's totally mutated," Lynn said. "I don't think there's much of a human part left in a guy who would...do that kind of thing."

"This thing is at a different level from Caviezel. It's huge, ancient, and completely mutated." Arthur said, "It's more like it has selectively entered another path of practice. The consciousness has completely surpassed the boundaries of the human spirit and entered another path. A place of nothingness. No one knows what a soul will develop there."

He thought for a while and said, "But the last corpse at the scene was seven years ago. It's crazy to that extent, maybe it's already fend for itself. of……"

He stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Lynn said.

There was a soft knock on the door outside, and the waiter asked if the plates should be put away.Lynn opened the door and let him in.

The other party pushed the trolley away, looked at Lynn, then at Arthur who was sitting on the carpet in a daze, and said courageously, "Our hotel is doing an activity to support same-sex couples, if you two are willing, you can get tomorrow Tickets for the charity party tonight, the two of you can have a free lottery—”

"We're not a couple," Lynn said.

"You really don't need to hide it," said the waiter. "Our hotel has always been supportive of this. Your partner will be upset if you say that."

"Arthur, don't you want to say something?" Lynn said, as his "lover" sat cross-legged on the floor in a daze.

"What?" said Arthur.

"The question about us not being a couple?" Lynn said.

"Oh, yes," said Arthur, obviously not hearing what they were saying. "Lynn can you get me the map?" he said.

"Okay, map," Lynn said, pulling a smiley face at the waiter, and said, "You can go."

"I'll bring you the invitation letter," said the other party, still looking at them with blessings when they walked to the door.He lowered his voice and said, "I think you should coax him well, it will definitely work. Some couples don't admit it, but they always get hurt because of the other's denial—"

Lynn pushed him out of the way and slammed the door.

"You can at least explain," he said to Arthur.

"Map," said Arthur.

Lynn took out the map from his bag and handed it to him.Arthur turned to the page he wanted and began to search.

Two envelopes were carefully stuffed in from under the door, Lynn pressed his forehead for a while, and finally bent down to pick them up.

It was a themed party organized by several restaurants in support of same-sex couples, and there was a photo of the hotel owner with her lover, two women smiling brightly, postcard-perfect.

What is the prize of the lottery? A one-month vacation in a luxury hotel, Lynn thought, it would be a van or something, it is the kind of car that can accommodate a family and is very convenient for traveling.Or a microwave, lawn mower, or tool box for car repairs.Why are the prizes of such activities always related to luxury hotels? Do couples only make people think of sex?

He threw the invitation on the table and ignored it.Arthur said, "Where was the body found?"

Lynn walked over and pointed to the middle section of the Tianmen Expressway on the map, a little bit to the left of it, surrounded by a desert without any signs.

Arthur drew a circle on it with a pen and said, "What do you think of this position?"

"It's a remote location, there aren't many towns around," Lynn said, "the closest... oh my god."

Arthur dropped his pen and said, "The guy in the Rolls-Royce must have thought it was the lion's head that he hung on the wall after hunting. Usually there are few black eaters around here. People here There is little power distribution and no power distribution. But now, I guess it is the front of the Rolls-Royce that is showing off on the wall."

"At least half a year ago, this thing was alive and hunting!" Lynn said, rubbing his forehead. "I'm sure the medical examiner will notice when the next body grave is found. Even in an auto graveyard, Rolls-Royce is also very attractive..."

"Well, apparently," said Arthur, "all the police have found is a long-abandoned burial site, and new sites are being dug up and filled in."

"And this place is very close to Oaktown," Lynn said.

Arthur stared at the map. Not long after the crime happened in another direction, he could see the name of Oak Town. It was just a small place on the map, and a half-abandoned road led to that place of right and wrong.

He was silent for a while, then said, "I've got to go clean this thing up."

"What?" Lynn said.

Arthur jumped up from his chair and walked quickly to the bedroom. Lynn followed closely and saw him start packing.

"Arthur?" he said.The other party had already filled the box with all the things he had brought. "You said you were going to 'clean' it!?" he said.

"I'm leaving Christine to you, and she better not be missing a hair when I get back," Arthur said. "You tell her I have a temporary operation that might take a week. I'll do my best." Maybe come back sooner, if I don't come back...you can figure it out."

Lynn grabbed Arthur's arm.

Arthur stopped and turned to look

he.

"You can't say you're going to take out a monster and just run away!" Lynn said.

Arthur seemed to think "can't" was strange, but he explained, "This thing is unstable, Lynn, it's still Tale of the Wilderness today, and it might run to level a village tomorrow. I can't let it stay in the distance." So close to town. I've done a lot of these cases and know what's going on."

"That doesn't mean you can just go away by yourself and tell me what to do if you don't come back!" Lynn said.

"Then what can I say, I..." Arthur said, he stopped, Lynn clutched his arm tightly, he felt him trembling slightly, but made up his mind not to let go.

Arthur was suddenly at a loss, he couldn't find a word to fill the strange atmosphere, this was just a trip, it should have been easy.

"That stuff is powerful, you said it, and you're still taking drugs that make you shake your hands even holding a glass!" Lynn said, "You said that nosebleed thing would be better in two or three days , it ended up tossing for a month. You know, if you use power, the medicine will kill you!"

"I'll be careful..." Arthur said.

"How careful? Have you stopped the medicine?"

"That medicine can't be stopped."

"Then what are you going to do? Fight it with your fists?"

"I'll figure out something, I'm not sure yet, but there's always a way..."

Lynn cursed, and Arthur stared at the suitcase without saying a word. He didn't understand what was going on with his overwhelming guilt, so he simply kept silent.

"Jesus, I'm coming with you," Lynn said, "I killed one, and I can kill another."

Arthur gave him a surprised look, "No, you just stay here and don't make trouble for me!"

“I call the kids and they’re going to stay there for a few more days,” Lynn said, making arrangements on her own. Honeymoon, the two of them will be supportive. They'll be fine at Granny's, as long as we can fix that thing and come back alive. You don't die in some wilderness and leave the mess of life on I."

Lynn let go of his hand and started to pack his own luggage, saying, "I can't let you go there by yourself, Arthur, I know what that thing looks like, and I know I went, so I can help a little."

Arthur glared at him for a while, and just for a while, the other party had already packed everything, moving much faster than him.

"Leave now?" he said.

Arthur sighed. "Okay, you drive."

Arthur was fiddling with a gun in the passenger seat, but his hand was shaking badly.

He just took the medicine ten minutes ago, Lynn thought, stopping the medicine might not be as simple as he thought before, it was just a suppression of strength.In this case, he still insisted on eating three tablets a day.

Arthur's hand trembled, and the bullets fell to the ground. He stared at the bullets as if he had never seen them.

"Okay, I'll pick it up later," Lynn said.

Arthur put the gun in his pocket resentfully, and said, "I can't handle these things at all."

"Of course you did well," Lynn said. "You just took the medicine and your hands are shaking."

——Although I have only seen Arthur playing games, that man's marksmanship is one of the best he has ever seen.

The person in the passenger seat was silent, and after a while, he spoke in a slow and reluctant voice.

"Listen," he said, "there are things I didn't tell you when you killed Caviezel."

Lynn glanced at him, and Arthur continued, "I'm sorry, but it's not a good thing, and it's hard to say. When I was still human, in this situation, I would prefer that the person didn't know anything for the rest of his life. "

"What do you mean 'while still human'?" Lynn said.

"I read your mental records. You have some hallucinations. Someone is screaming. In the dark, there are darker shadows wandering around the corner. You look over, but there is nothing, and so on." Arthur said, " I don't want to tell you that you have the talent of a black eater."

Lynn turned to stare at him, almost driving the car out of the driveway, and he turned back quickly.

"I'll just say it!" he said, "That's not like a hallucination at all!"

"If a hallucination is a sign that something is wrong with your brain, then it's a hallucination," Arthur said. "It will eat something vital in your mind, if you let it in. It will Devouring your humanity, the greater the power, the more indifferent you become, you will become something else, swimming in the dark, devouring and killing...I did everything just to avoid this."

He looked down at his hand, which was shaking so badly that it couldn't hold anything.

He clasped his hands together, trying to find some control, but nothing could take away the coldness and weakness.

Lynn suddenly reached out a hand from the steering wheel and held him tightly. His hand was so warm that Arthur shivered.

"...so you've been taking your medicine, haven't you?" the man said softly.

"I have to do that," Arthur said, finding the answer silly but unable to find anything else.

Lynn's hand and his fingers were twisted together, as if they were never going to separate again.

A sports car suddenly cut into the road, with high-pitched rock music playing on it, and a group of young people happily flitted across the field, giving them the middle finger.Lynn braked quickly, retracted his hands, and grabbed the steering wheel.

Arthur felt empty hands, and the atmosphere returned to normal.

He thought, what happened just now?

Lynn coughed and seemed a little embarrassed. "Well, what were you trying to say?" he said.

"I'm saying, you're born with the power to see in the dark," said Arthur, and that's the first thing to do. The gun scene, like when you kill Caviezel, you shoot purely on instinct, you don't use your eyes, you can even close your eyes. Shoot into the darkest places, Lynn, that's all I can I told you."

Lynn nodded, knowing that every word Arthur said was very important to him.

When he shot Caviezel, his brain was completely off, and all his actions were instinctive.Lynn recalled those details, vividly remembering his own desperation when the bullets hit the guy like a stone wall.

"How useful is a gun against this thing?" he asked.

"Part of it." Arthur said, "I haven't tried it, but since it can kill Caviezel, the enhanced version should also have some effect."

That's comforting enough.

The backseat of the SUV was full of weapons, Arthur got the car when leaving the city, Lynn saw a pile of guns in the backseat of the car - apparently Arthur knew some not so legal people in the city .

He yelled, "Jesus, are you going to attack the Ministry of Defense?"

"So serious?" Arthur looked at him suspiciously, and then at the weapons. "I don't know much about this kind of thing, and it's too difficult for me to be accurate. But more weapons are always better, so I took as many as possible." some."

"Your firm answer really comforts me." Lynn said, "But I still want to ask, don't you want to blow up some first-level security prison and the entire hill where it is located?"

"It's not that serious," Arthur said.

"From what you buy, it's just that serious," Lynn said.

"I mean, it's not so serious to blow up some more things. I like to blow things up," Arthur said, "Why don't you hurry up and learn how to use them before vandalism is too serious. You use these things yes, right?"

"I always thought you were proficient, at least you were professional when it came to hunting ducks and cutting fruit." Lynn said.

"I'm a pro at hunting. Even when I don't use power, I'm still a pro," Arthur said. "But before, I used to hunt in other ways."

He was silent for a while, kind of like a funeral silence, remembering something that had passed.

"But now," he said, looking at the guns, "I'd better get used to these."

They quietly went back to Oak Town to get some tools that Arthur needed.

It was early in the morning, and they didn't disturb anyone. The familiar town seemed to have turned into another world, and they had also turned into other people.

Then they drove all the way, like that Rolls-Royce, along the semi-abandoned road to another remote place.

They went all the way west, and they didn't know whether it was the music playing on the radio or the scenery outside the window. Lin En always had the feeling that they were characters in a certain movie. Just like most movie characters, they had to do some bad things. Crazy stuff, but you have to.

In the ending of this kind of story, someone will eventually die, and there will be sad music.

He felt that he was thinking too much, which was the result of brainwashing by TV dramas.

As Arthur drives, he pulls out a bottle of schnapps from the back, and it tastes awful, but he thinks it fits the scene.

——The wine is placed in the corner of the weapon in the back seat, very old movie style.It was cheap wine for a few bucks, and Arthur rarely touched it, and Lynn figured it was because he was fussy about wine, and he had only seen it in high-brow movies.

When he first discovered those wines, he was curious. "What is this? You drink?" he said.

Arthur gave him a contemptuous look, "The world is destroyed, only me and these wines are left, and I don't know how to drink."

"Let's not be so firm about it, or you'll be cursed with these wines," Lynn said, "and end up drinking them."

"How could I live without your advice, without you," said Arthur.

"If you don't drink it, why put the wine here?" Lynn said.

"It works," said Arthur.

Lynn didn't ask any more questions. During a series of preparations, he realized that although Arthur couldn't use power, he was still a professional.

He didn't ask him how to find prey, this is a vast wilderness.But Arthur was evidently good at this set of things, it had been his job before, and he knew how to find what he was looking for.

Two hunters, Lynn thought, like two cowboys with their heads in their belts, driving off to hunt down some super troublesome guy who can never return... The idea suddenly made him think of Chrissy, probably Because with her, he would never be a cowboy with his head on his belt for the rest of his life.

But when Arthur said he was going to "clean up" that thing, he decided to go with him without hesitation, because Arthur needed help, he thought, and he was on power-suppressing drugs and as helpless as a mortal He couldn't let his friend deal with monsters alone - now it seemed that his situation really needed his help.

This thing threatened the people who came and went, as well as their common Oak Town, and he had no reason to let the weak Arthur protect everything.

But he knew in his heart that it was because he was so afraid. If Arthur just left and never came back, he would have no way to organize his life, take good care of his two children, and live bravely.

This time, he didn't even have the courage to try.