Chapter 104: Battle Royale Survivors: In This Hellish Nightmare, Valak Must Carry the Team!
The air was thick with the stench of blood and the acrid smell of burnt pus, mixing together to form a nauseating odor.
Colonel Dale's mouth hung open, his knife-holding arm still trembling slightly—not from fear, but from exhaustion after the battle and the immense shock of what he'd just witnessed.
He looked at the young man slowly approaching, then at the massive headless corpse still twitching on the ground, his mind blank.
What the hell just happened?
With one soft sound, the monster that had driven them to despair lost its head?
Just like popping a water balloon.
This was too... casual.
Jonesy and Amber had collapsed on the ground, without the strength to even stand. They'd just escaped from the cannibals' lair, only to encounter this unkillable monster. They thought they were dead for sure, but instead... they were saved?
Nina cowered behind Dale, looking at Edward in terror. This man who'd appeared so suddenly shocked her even more than the cannibals.
"Who... who the hell are you?" Colonel Dale finally found his voice. He spoke hoarsely, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Edward and Carrie, and the three little girls who seemed completely unharmed.
He'd wanted to ask this question ever since he saw Carrie mysteriously helping him from behind.
Carrie leaned against Edward, exhausted, without even the strength to speak.
Edward just smiled, and before he could respond, the three little ones behind him seemed to receive a signal. They exchanged glances and, with their short legs, scurried to the front of the group.
They lined up in a row, standing before the dumbfounded Dale and the others.
Lily cleared her throat, put her hands on her hips, striking what she thought was a very cool pose, and said in a childish voice: "Since you asked so sincerely!"
Emma, beside her, expressionlessly adjusted her non-existent glasses and continued in a monotone: "We'll graciously tell you!"
Esther looked reluctant, but under Lily's threatening gaze, she rolled her eyes and said in a flat, rehearsed tone: "To protect the world from devastation!"
Lily immediately reclaimed the spotlight, puffing out her small chest: "To unite all peoples within our nation!"
Emma continued in her calm, clinical voice: "To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"The cute and charming terrifying trio!" Lily's voice rose an octave.
Then, the three little girls awkwardly huddled together, striking a strange pose, and shouted in unison:
"Lily!"
"Emma!"
"Esther!"
"We're Team Rocket—blasting through nightmares at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"That's right, meowth~"
After finishing, Lily even imitated a cat's meow, a triumphant smile on her face. Emma quickly returned to her expressionless state, as if the theatrical performance wasn't her doing. Esther turned her head away even faster, an "I don't know these people" expression on her face.
The whole place fell deathly silent.
Dale, Nina, Jonesy, and Amber—all four of them seemed petrified, staring blankly at the three little girls who collectively weren't even thirty years old.
Their brains had completely short-circuited.
Just moments ago, it was a bloody horror movie scene—how did the tone suddenly shift to a Saturday morning cartoon?
Team Rocket?
Do you have some misunderstanding about what Team Rocket is?
Edward helplessly rubbed his forehead.
He could see it now—this Lily, ever since he took her in, had completely let loose.
Marquis's thoughts at this moment:
"Demon life is short! Anyway, I'm bound to you, and I can't go out and cause major trouble, so I might as well have fun within the allowed limits.
Unlike that Valak from the neighboring circle of Hell, who always wants to come out and wreak havoc, but gets sent back every time—several times now. She's practically a joke in Hell, everyone secretly calls her 'Hell's delivery service,' anyone can summon her. I, Marquis, refuse to be so pathetic like her."
Edward's eye twitched.
Damn it, you really are... Edward vigorously rubbed his temples, feeling his blood pressure spike unhealthily.
He looked at the three little ones striking what they thought were cool poses, then at the four survivors opposite them, who seemed to have their souls leave their bodies as their worldviews collapsed and reassembled. He took a deep breath.
"Alright, show's over." Edward walked forward, picking up Lily and Emma one by one. Esther, being more sensible, ended her pose herself and quietly retreated behind him.
"Let me go! We haven't done our curtain call yet!" Lily kicked her short legs in mid-air, looking dissatisfied.
Edward completely ignored her protest, deposited the three troublemakers next to Carrie, then turned to Colonel Dale, who was still frozen.
"You okay?" Edward's tone was calm.
Colonel Dale's Adam's apple bobbed. He painstakingly shifted his gaze from the massive headless corpse to Edward.
His lips moved several times, as if he had a thousand questions, but in the end, he only managed to squeeze out: "What... what the hell was that?"
"Which one?" Edward asked knowingly.
"That!" Dale extended a trembling hand, pointing at the monster's corpse on the ground, "And those... cannibals... and her..." His gaze shifted to Carrie, who was nearly asleep on her feet, "She can make things move without touching them!"
This was the most instinctive reaction of a rational man, a man with strict military training, when faced with something beyond his comprehension.
He needed an explanation, an explanation that could barely hold together his already shattered worldview.
Edward's face showed a gentle and reassuring smile. In a tone like a therapist, he slowly said: "Colonel, you and your friends just experienced severe trauma. You were hunted, witnessed the death of your companions, and both your mind and body were under immense stress. In such extreme circumstances, it's very easy for people to experience hallucinations."
"Hallucinations?" Dale's voice suddenly rose. He pointed at the blood and bodies all over the ground, his emotions running high, "Is this also a hallucination? Are my injuries hallucinations?"
"No, those are certainly real." Edward nodded, his tone still steady, "You did encounter a group of deranged murderers. They were violent and attacked you. This was an unfortunate incident."
He paused, then shifted direction: "But, Colonel. A person's head can't just explode like a balloon on its own. A branch won't just happen to hit an enemy's head with such precision. An arrow definitely can't curve in mid-air by itself."
Every word Edward spoke precisely addressed the most puzzling points in Dale's mind.
"When a person's mind is pushed to its limits, the brain, for self-protection, creates 'reasonable' explanations to process incomprehensible things. For example, interpreting a lucky misfire as a superpower. Seeing an enemy slip as telekinetic control. In psychology, this is called 'stress-induced cognitive distortion.'"
Edward spoke complete nonsense with a straight face, showing no tells.
Jonesy and Amber were stunned. They were already scared out of their minds, their thoughts a mess. Now, with Edward's "professional" analysis, they actually felt... it seemed to make some sense?
Yeah, how could a person's head just explode on its own? It must've been that the monster was already messed up, or got hit by something, and we were too panicked to see clearly.
Nina was also confused. She recalled the scene where Carrie deflected the arrow. Under Edward's explanation, it also seemed to become "maybe the wind was strong" or "she was seeing things."
Only Colonel Dale—he stared intently at Edward. His extensive experience and intuition told him that every word this young man spoke was a lie. However, he couldn't find any evidence to refute it.
More importantly, he read an unquestionable message in the young man's smile. It was a powerful aura of "what I say is the truth, and you will accept it."
"You're just exhausted and need a good rest, then go to the police station to file a report." Edward stepped forward and gently patted Dale's shoulder. This action made Dale's muscles instantly tense.
"But I'll say this, Colonel—you're tough as nails. You're a hero to those survivors." Edward's tone carried genuine admiration, "Fighting so many of those things alone and still protecting people—that takes guts."
This sudden praise inexplicably relaxed Dale's taut nerves for a moment. He stared blankly at Edward.
"Alright, we're heading home now. You should also leave this forest as soon as possible—it'll be more dangerous after dark." Edward finished speaking, giving them no further opportunity to ask questions. He turned and supported the tottering Carrie, leading the three little ones toward the campsite.
"Just leaving like that? I still wanted to see if that soldier would wet himself." Lily muttered softly, her face full of disappointment.
"His bladder sphincter control is stable; he won't experience incontinence in the short term." Emma gave a clinical assessment.
Dale stood rooted to the spot, watching their retreating figures, then looked at the carnage on the ground. Finally, he tiredly lowered his head and said hoarsely to the three behind him: "We... should go too."
Whether it was a hallucination or not, surviving was all that mattered now.
When Edward and his group returned to the campsite, John and Sarah were anxiously waiting by the RV.
"Oh my God! Where have you been? Carrie, why do you look so pale?" As soon as Sarah saw Carrie's paper-white face, she immediately rushed over and gently supported her, her face full of concern.
"Dad! Let me tell you, we totally kicked butt today..." Lily was about to vividly describe her "heroic deeds" when Edward quickly covered her mouth.
"Mmph mmph mmph!"
"Nothing, they were playing hide-and-seek in the forest and got tired out." Edward explained without missing a beat, "Carrie might have a touch of heat exhaustion."
"I told you not to run around!" John scolded with a stern face, but seeing that the kids were all safe, his furrowed brows relaxed. He immediately put on a triumphant expression, holding up a huge cooler and showing off: "Look! Guess what Dad caught this afternoon? A bass almost as thick as my arm! There'll be plenty of grilled fish for dinner!"
The family gathered around the big fish, exclaiming in wonder. The blood and horror that had occurred deep in the forest seemed completely isolated by this warm and lively scene.
Night fell, and the family packed their belongings, ready to head home.
Because it was late and Carrie was in such poor condition, Sarah insisted she stay at their house for the night.
On the way home, John drove, continuously boasting about his incredibly skillful fishing techniques from the afternoon—from bait selection to casting form, speaking with great enthusiasm.
Edward, riding Fenrir, looked up at the last brilliant glow of sunset in the distance. The crimson clouds were like spilled paint, haphazardly brushed across the canvas.
Beautiful.
He sighed genuinely.
Upon returning home, Sarah quickly prepared a guest room for Carrie and brewed her a cup of hot milk.
"Get some rest, sweetheart, you look exhausted." Sarah affectionately stroked Carrie's head.
"Thank you, Mrs. Connor." Carrie nodded obediently.
Edward said goodnight to his parents and returned to his room.
He practically threw himself onto the soft, large bed, sinking deep into it.
The familiar scent of sun-dried sheets lingered in his nostrils.
Edward rolled over, buried his face in the pillow, and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Ahh... nothing beats your own bed."
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