Chapter 18 The Obvious Answer

coffin?

Jason narrowed his eyes, thoughtful.

The most direct meaning of this message is nothing more than the 'coffin' itself.

And what does 'coffin' stand for?

dead man!

Edward fits that very well.

So, does this message refer to Edward?

Jason thinks it's not that simple.

The detective bought the 'coffin' doll three days in advance, and he had three days. Obviously, he could explain that it was 'Edward' more directly, instead of going around in circles.

Or……

At that time, the detective could not say the name 'Edward' explicitly, and could only imply 'Edward' in an indirect way?

Thinking of this, Jason looked at John and motioned for John to continue.

"After the first three deaths, the subsequent deaths did not occur."

"But none of them have any valuable clues."

"Over time, everyone gave up."

"And the 'missing Edward' has also become a rumor in the underground world."

John recounts the news he bought from the news dealer.

Did anyone after that die?

Didn't find any valuable leads either?

Could it be that finding 'valuable clues' will lead to 'death'?

Jason groaned.

"I need to go and see that old house."

After a moment, Jason said so.

"Together."

John didn't say much, just started the car.

For John, Jason is already a friend.

He wouldn't let his friends walk to the countryside.

At John's speed, Jason soon came to the old house of the Edward family.

After the baptism of last year's fire, this old house has long since lost its original appearance. Jason stood on the side of the road and could only come from the very broad but dilapidated foundation of the courtyard wall and the scorched earth. Guess the prosperity of the Edward family that year.

From the area of ​​​​the Edward family's mansion can be called a manor.

Gardens, fountains, parking lots and more.

In an open area, there are swimming pools, basketball courts and other facilities.

Moreover, Jason also saw the remnants of stable buildings.

Jason was not surprised by this.

Isn't it normal for a rich man who can afford to open a bank and owns minerals to keep a few thoroughbred horses?

only……

The remnant, wafting smell of 'food' in the stable is not normal.

Jason grinned and smiled.

He chased after the scent of the 'food', walked into the ruined manor step by step, and ran straight to the stables.

John followed behind, looking around vigilantly.

With the previous investigation, John has been able to confirm that 'Edward's disappearance' is not something that went missing, but something deeper.

It's true that John is retired.

But that doesn't mean he has no ability.

On the contrary, John became stronger after retirement.

There is no high-intensity task, and John maintains the exercise method before retirement, relaxes to a certain degree, and naturally becomes stronger.

A P30L appeared in his hands.

This is a modified military pistol with increased ammunition capacity.

Like the two spare Glock pistols he stashed in his waist, they were his usual firearms.

He didn't know what Jason found in the stable.

However, he was ready to shoot.

As John watched, Jason walked back and forth in the collapsed stable.

Not that kind of search!

Just walk!

Occasionally he sniffed his nose.

Searching for a strange smell?

Surprise flashed in John's eyes.

He had seen people who were gifted with scent, and who, after training, were more powerful than the best hounds.

After all, even the best hounds can't communicate with people.

"Does Jason have similar abilities?"

"Then he was a 'Searcher' before?"

"Or 'Stalker'?"

John thought silently.

He became more and more curious about Jason's previous occupation.

As for Jason's current occupation?

John doesn't say anything to believe that a guy in a hockey mask wielding a machete can be a writer.

Although writers have all kinds of quirks, for example, when writing manuscripts, they like to go barefoot, wear big pants, eat and drink in the name of collecting wind from time to time, and then go to take leave to rest and so on.

But definitely not wearing a hockey mask and wielding a machete!

It's impossible to inspire!

Just when John guessed, Jason stopped.

"found it!"

With those words, Jason bent down and removed the rubble that blocked his view.

Soon, a concrete floor appeared in Jason's field of vision.

Boom, boom, boom!

Jason raised his hand and tapped, making a hollow sound.

"Secret passages?"

"I'll get the hammer."

John said.

The organ in front of you is obviously opened from the inside, and if you want to enter from the outside, you will definitely need violent destruction.

Jason waved his hand.

"Don't be so troublesome."

The voice fell, and Jason, who was squatting there, smashed down with a punch.

boom! boom! boom!

With one punch, cracks appeared on the cement floor.

The second punch that followed made such cracks continue to spread.

After the third punch, the top layer of the cement floor was completely cracked.

Jason wiped the layer away, and then smashed it down again.

John, who was standing beside him, stared blankly at this scene.

He looked at the concrete floor that was gradually smashed, and then looked at Jason's unscathed fist, and couldn't help asking:

"Jason, are you sure you're a writer?"

"certainly!"

"I wrote "Cross Street Stalker"!"

"You have seen it!"

Jason answered without looking up.

Hearing such an answer, John's heart naturally raised an energy that he wanted to spit out.

"Do you know why you have only written a book that is acceptable in a small range for ten years, but it has never reached the level of a bestseller?"

"why?"

Jason asked subconsciously.

"Because, you didn't make yourself the protagonist!"

"Trust me, art comes from life!"

"When you have yourself as the protagonist - the name 'Jason' becomes an indelible symbol."

John said solemnly.

"yes?"

Jason said in his mouth, and then his clenched fist smashed out again.

The scent in the nose is getting stronger!

He can't wait!

boom!

Another punch was thrown, this time with the clatter of cement, the door of the secret passage was smashed open.

Jason looked inside, and after confirming that there was no danger, he stretched out his hand and directly clasped the hole that was smashed, and then his arm was hard.

Suddenly, a cement block the size of a round table was lifted by Jason.

Then, he threw it aside.

Boom!

John felt the ground tremble several times.

Looking at the huge cement block, John's eyes jumped.

He assessed Jason's strength.

Then, he immediately made up his mind: never close combat with Jason.

Be sure to keep your distance and solve it with firearms.

Then, he thought of Jason's unscathed fist hitting the concrete floor.

Immediately, another added: use armor-piercing bullets.

Thinking in the bottom of my heart, John couldn't help but said.

"Have you heard of 'Stalker'?"

Trackers are only circulated in some top organizations in the underground world.

For ordinary people, they only know another name: Punisher!

"No."

Jason shook his head.

He really hadn't heard of it.

Moreover, his attention had already been attracted by the underground secret room.

A straight ladder was in sight.

There was a thick layer of ash on it, but the sides of the ladder and some parts of the rails were as clean as new.

When he saw this scene, Jason's mind came up with the situation that someone climbed a ladder and left here not long ago!

This time will not be too long, not more than a day.

Even, within a few hours!

"a?"

Jason murmured, instead of choosing the ladder, he jumped down and stood firmly below.

The height is no more than 3 meters, which is about the same as the next step for Jason.

With the help of the light above his head, Jason, who had an extraordinary perception, instantly saw the secret room in front of him.

The back room is about the size of a basketball court.

The surrounding walls are smooth and there are no extra decorations, only a tall statue is placed in the middle!

The scales are clear, coiled and meandering, and it is a snake.

only……

This snake has two heads!

Two heads extended from the coiled body, opposite to each other, the snake head looked down slightly, the snake eyes watched the center of the coiled snake body, and a pair of footprints clearly extended from there to the ladder.

Dust proves it again.

Of course, more importantly, this double-headed snake statue!

The smell of 'food' came from here, but when Jason got close, he found that the smell of 'food' in front of him was not only rapidly fading, but also had a rotten and sour smell.

The latter has just appeared not long ago.

Suppressed by the scent of the 'food' remnants, it can only be smelled after getting close.

"Jason, Jason?"

John's shout came from overhead.

"Safety."

Jason replied and walked towards the location of the double-headed snake statue.

Behind him, John climbed the ladder and came down, an extra flashlight in his hand.

After looking around, John's flashlight locked on the two-headed snake statue.

Then, when he and Jason got close to the statue and saw clearly what the two heads were looking at in the middle of the two-headed snake and snake body, they couldn't help but locked it there with the guns in their hands.

coffin!

In the middle of the two-headed snake and snake body, the position where the two heads are watching is a coffin.

At this moment, the lid of the coffin has been half opened, and there is a figure looming inside.

Jason bent down, checked the four weeks, and completely removed the coffin lid.

Immediately, the 'figure' inside the coffin was completely revealed.

That 'figure' is not a human at all!

But a 'snake skin' sewn, human-like 'wrapping'.

On the snake skin, the snake scales are obvious and the lines are clear. Even if the 'package' has been cracked at this moment, it still has an inexplicable sense of 'freshness'.

From the bulge marks left, John can be sure that a 'person' came out of it, and then he subconsciously checked the thickness of the dust around him.

According to the seal here, it will take at least a year for dust to accumulate to this level, or longer.

And it is impossible for a living person to be sealed in a snake skin for so long.

Plus the coffin!

dead!

A dead man got out of here not long ago!

John, who came to this answer, took a breath.

But it returned to normal immediately, and an unprecedented light appeared in his eyes.

"Are the dead resurrected?"

He whispered to himself.

"Resurrection of the dead?"

"This is not resurrection."

"But..."

"Reincarnation!"

Jason stared at the special language inside the coffin, which was composed entirely of graphs.

The proficiency level of [Picture Repetition] is enough for Jason to recognize some simple word combinations.

And inside the coffin, it is filled with the combined words of 'reincarnation' and 'snake'.

Jason looked up at the statue of the two-headed snake.

Coincidentally, the eyes of the two snake head statues at this angle were also staring at Jason, watching the lifelike snake head showing a hideous snake in the underground darkness.

Relying on the proficient level of [Picture Reply] Jason is not enough to understand the entire ceremony, but he can roughly guess the "mystery" and some foundations of the ceremony.

For example: the two-headed snake 'statue' in front of me used to be alive.

It's a real two-headed snake!

It was only after being poured with copper juice, the statue in front of him was made.

Moreover, the age of this double-headed snake was at least a hundred years old.

Therefore, it emits a faint smell of spoiled food.

Of course, what's more important is that the 'people' in the coffin absorbed the power of the two-headed snake through rituals and carried out a 'reincarnation', which accelerated the speed of the two-headed snake's decay.

It is precisely because of this that he missed a 'snack'.

Jason was able to judge from the residual 'food' aroma that this two-headed snake must be delicious!

Jason could almost see the grilled snake skewers, snake soup, etc. leaving one by one.

"Ah."

Jason let out a chuckle.

This chuckle awakened John, who was thinking about the meaning of 'resurrection' and 'reincarnation'.

He looked at Jason's face looming in the flashlight, and his back felt a chill.

He always felt as if he saw a hungry beast open its mouth.

"Jason?"

John asked tentatively.

"fine."

"It's just that I lost a 'snack' that should have existed, which made me a little unwilling."

"but……"

"I'm sure I'll make it up soon!"

Jason said with certainty.

After that, Jason walked out.

There's nothing good here anymore.

As for that spoiled food?

Although he loves food very much, Jason will never eat broken food, and he also has a bottom line.

"Did the three people who died before discover this place?"

On the way back, John asked.

"do not know. "

"Maybe it's here."

"Maybe something else."

Jason shook his head. He couldn't judge from the existing clues what the three people found before they were killed. Moreover, there was one more thing that made Jason puzzled.

The other party has been working so hard, what is this for?

Jason was thinking about it as he got into the car.

And John, who was sitting in the driver's seat, was hesitant to say anything. After several times, John finally asked.

"Who's in that coffin?"

Facing John's question, Jason was startled——

"The answer is obvious, don't you know?"

(End of this chapter)