After a thrilling escape, Jobtran's mount was so tired that it was panting continuously.
Although Joe Butron felt distressed, he knew that he could not stop yet.
As dusk fell, Jobtran finally arrived at the place where he had agreed to meet with the fat director and the mouse.
It was an abandoned rural area a hundred miles from town.
More than a decade ago, the people of this small village became eligible to move from the village to public housing provided by the town.
Being able to live in a public house with most of the furniture complete made the villagers who originally lived in the village only pack up some small items, and leave behind most of the daily necessities for Jobtran and others to rest.
Apart from some holes in the ceiling, some dust from being left uncleaned for a long time, and some spiders weaving webs in the corners, there is nothing to complain about.
The mouse sat on the ground with his back against the wooden sign at the entrance of the village, while the fat director was sleeping soundly on a cleaned table.
Four hours had passed since the codeword was shouted out. If Joet Brown did not show up within five hours after the codeword was shouted out as agreed upon, they could leave immediately.
Seeing Joe Brown, who had arrived late and was walking laboriously with the old horse, the mouse stood up and waved to Joe Brown.
"Are you hurt?"
The mouse was keenly aware of the hole in Jobtran's sleeve and asked with concern.
"Yes, it's just a minor wound. A simple disinfection and bandage will do."
Jobtran rolled up his sleeves and showed the cut to the mouse.
"There seems to be a first aid kit in your carry-on luggage. I'll go get it."
After the mouse finished speaking, he took out the first aid kit from his bag and began to treat Jobtran's wounds.
While he was bandaging the wound, the fat director was awakened by the sound of the horse drinking water from the trough, and he woke up in a daze.
"My Lord, you are back. How is it going over there?"
The fat director rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"As I thought, this problem has become very serious at present, but at the same time it has answered some doubts in my mind."
Jobtran nodded and answered solemnly.
"Can you tell me? I feel like I'm in a fog, as if I've been dragged into something very scary."
Mouse asked with a sad face as he applied disinfectant alcohol to Jobtran's arm.
"All governments around the world have environmental protection agencies, or geographic inspection agencies, or ministries of ecological environment, and this is not a rare phenomenon.
Once any geological problems occur, this agency will send people to the site for monitoring.
After going through a certain tedious procedure, they will decide whether to enclose the land for maintenance, but if maintenance is required, the project will be handed over to the local Civil Engineering and Development Department or a dedicated outsourcing company.
This is not the case in the Katla area.
They spent a lot of manpower and resources to form a long blockade, which went against the process of environmental protection agencies around the world that I knew. This made me doubt this so-called environmental protection agency for the first time after hearing the news. "
Joe Butron endured the irritation caused by the disinfectant alcohol on his wound and slowly explained his reasoning.
"First time to suspect? So you suspected the Environmental Protection Agency more than once?"
The fat director asked doubtfully.
“Well, the second time was a random complaint made by the mouse while he was shopping.
Not to mention explosives that could cause mass casualties, but even my ice axe and some ordinary knives seem to be limited.
Strangely, this restriction was not ordered by the city government or an agency like the National Security Agency, but by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Don’t you think it’s strange
Although things like black powder and ice axes can be used to damage the environment, except for those unscrupulous coal mine developers, who would think of using them to destroy the environment
My guess at the time was that this was a means of regulating anything that could be considered a weapon.
On the other hand, this ban, which seems reasonable but is actually absurd, is more like a measure to weaken local defense capabilities.
Because of this, I began to doubt the identity of the Environmental Protection Agency.”
"So, you had already guessed the truth about the Environmental Protection Agency before that?"
The fat director asked.
"I only guessed half of it, and the other half I deduced when I actually saw what was going on inside."
"What's in there? The girl at the front desk looks pretty good. If you hadn't called me out, I might have wanted to get to know her and go out for a drink and have a deeper conversation."
The fat director smiled lewdly, a smile that anyone who has experienced it would understand.
"Believe me, you definitely don't want to see the real face underneath the illusion."
Joe Butron glanced at the fat director, took the bandage handed to him by Mouse, and tied a knot on his arm himself.
“Those are the servants of the Eye Demon, the Evil Eye Attendants, a group of people who have lost their humanity.
I have no doubt that the beautiful receptionist you are looking at will reveal her true face and bite off the weapon you are using to handle the case when you are dating her and having a deep conversation with her.
They did not invade the Environmental Protection Agency, which was in the open, but the mysterious Investigation Bureau hidden beneath the surface.
Mouse, this is why I believe your experience, because I am also a member of the investigation bureau. "
At this point, there was nothing left to hide about the investigator's identity.
The fat director was already an insider, and the mouse had already been exposed in front of the evil-eyed waiter, so it would not hurt to let him know.
According to what Jobtran knew about Mouse, Mouse was a sentimental person who could keep secrets.
“Although I can’t tell you too many details, there are indeed many mysterious events in the world, and even some unheard-of creatures.
This is the essence of the Bureau, the guardians in the shadows, protecting humanity's daily lives from being disturbed by these threats from the mysterious side.
When I realized that the receptionist at the Environmental Protection Agency was an evil-eye waitress, I realized that Iceland's mysterious investigation agency had fallen.
There is no way a fully functioning Occult Bureau branch would employ a dark creature as a doorman unless... "
Joe Butran did not finish his words, but left some room for the two of them to imagine.
Although Joe Butron did not directly explain the situation inside the investigation bureau, the two still guessed that the scene inside must be a sea of blood and corpses.
"Is it serious?"
The fat director asked gloomily.
“Almost all of them were wiped out, no one was left alive, but when I went in, I didn’t find a large number of evil eye servants. They seemed to be hiding, concentrating in the same place, doing something that couldn’t be seen by others.
They came out one after another after they discovered me, and I guess they gathered in one room.
Although I got rid of them when I came out, there are actually quite a few of them. It won’t take long for them to find a conspicuous outsider like me.”
"You're being followed?!"
exclaimed the mouse.
"Probably. I don't think the Evil Eye Attendant will let go of a foreign investigator who discovered their conspiracy."
Joe Butran scratched his hair and said helplessly.
"Then what are we waiting for? Run now."
The mouse stood up in a panic, and the mess in the first aid kit was scattered all over the floor.
"Look at the horse. Do you think it can still run?"
Joet Brown smiled bitterly and pointed to the old horse resting in the trough.
The old horse was overworked and exhausted after traveling for a long time. He quickly ate some food and drank some water, then closed his eyes and fell asleep.
The other horse leaned against the old horse and gently rubbed its face against the old horse's long neck.
"Looks like I can only rest for a while?"
The mouse collapsed to the ground helplessly.
Joe Butran shook his head slightly, took out a map from his arms and placed it on the table.
"After your horses have rested, each of you will ride one back to the town and bring the bags from the Ice Flame Bar to this place."
Jobtron pointed to a Feather River canyon near the Katla volcano.
"It's blocked over there, how can we get in?"
The fat director asked in confusion.
“They can only blockade the land, and you go in by boat.
Fatty, after delivering the goods, return the same way you came."
Jobtran gave the order without hesitation.
"What about you?"
The mouse looked straight at Jobtran, waiting for him to speak his mind.
"I will naturally lead away the pursuers behind me. Let me see what the evil-eyed servants who have been lurking for so long are capable of."
Joe Butran said in a nonchalant manner.
"Don't worry, I'm an expert in tracking and anti-tracking."
Mouse and the fat director stared at Jobutran, both of them remained silent. They understood the deep meaning of Jobutran's actions.
Joe Butran smiled, stood up, waved to the two of them, and walked into the wilderness without looking back.
——
In the dark dungeon, a secret guard knocked on the door of the doctor's room.
"Doctor, subject No. 446 has developed an exclusion reaction. Do you want to go take a look?"
The doctor was excitedly writing on the documents on the table, recording the inspiration that flashed through his mind, which might be the idea to be tested on the next poor person.
Upon hearing the news, the doctor immediately dropped the pen in his hand and trotted out in panic.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Take me there quickly!! Why didn't you call me earlier!!!"
The doctor was not only anxious, he also seemed to be resentful and angry. However, when he remembered that the secret guard in front of him was deprived of subjective emotions, he could only hammer the wall helplessly.
No. 446 is the subject who has survived the longest after surgery.
He was a 23-year-old man, a native black man from Muni, whose parents were both local civil servants.
He should have been enjoying a good middle-class life, but because of his momentary playfulness and some material temptations, he ended up in this dungeon with no light of day.
Like the other test subjects that Coleiya had seen before, his arms were cruelly replaced with those of Innsmouth people.
That was the beginning of the nightmare.
He had begged for mercy day and night in this cell, but the secret guards around him just looked at him coldly. He had seen that kind of look before.
That was the look a butcher gives a pig about to be slaughtered, a hollow and heartless look.
He cursed loudly because of the pain he was in, but it didn't help.
He gave up his struggle, he became numb, and fell into despair about everything around him.
There was only gray left in his world. No matter what food was brought in, he poured it directly into his mouth, chewed it casually and swallowed it.
The repetitive and monotonous life in this cell repeats itself almost forever.
Resist? Ask for help
Even survival is a luxury here!
He watched indifferently as new inmates were put into the cells beside him, and after the new inmates died, more new inmates were brought in.
Except for a few changes of faces, their experiences were the same.
The more you resist, the faster you die.
Subject No. 446 once thought about ending his own life, but the most hateful thing was that he didn't even have the tools to hang himself.
At first, you'll just feel a slight fever and some muscle soreness.
He didn't care about these things, and the secret guards didn't care about them either. After all, catching a cold was a very common thing in such an environment.
Slowly, he found that his voice began to become hoarse and clumps of hair began to fall from his head.
There was no mirror in the cell, so he couldn't see the changes on his face, but he saw the changes in himself.
The skin on your arms has become rough because the stratum corneum on the skin is changing.
Three subtle but openable wrinkles appeared on the neck.
All signs pointed to his body beginning to transform into that of an Innsmouth man, until bubble-like bulges began to appear under his skin.
With just the slightest touch, the bubbles would explode like a bomb, leaving a large area of damaged skin and muscle.
Whether he was sitting or lying down, he could accidentally tear off a large piece of skin.
He could only stand there with his willpower and could not make any unnecessary movements.
This kind of pain was far less than the pain in his spine. He felt that his spine was constantly breaking. The piercing pain made it impossible for him to fall asleep or even make a sound.
"No! No! No! This is not an exclusive reaction!"
The doctor rushed to the cell, grabbed the railing outside the cell, and looked fanatically at the suffering experimental subject in the cell.
"This is a transformation reaction! We succeeded!!!"
What the doctor saw was a work of art that surpassed all the precious paintings in the world, and he himself was the author and owner of this work of art.
He pulled out a frighteningly long syringe from the pocket of his surgeon's robe and immediately came to the subject after the secret guards opened the cell.
The long metal needle accurately pierced the subject's artery and drew out a whole tube of blood that turned dark green.
“Throw him into the water and lock him up with chains! This is our Adam! And I am the Holy Light! Hahahaha!”
He looked at the tube of dark green blood, as if he saw a dynasty that belonged to him.