novelraw Chapter 83 : Midnight Festival
Chapter 83 : Midnight Festival
Chapter 83: Midnight Festival
When the hunting party returned, the whole village was bustling as if celebrating the New Year.
Leading them, the Charlie brothers strutted arrogantly, chests puffed out, carrying a thick wooden pole, upon which was tied a huge, pitch-black beast.
The others followed beside them, all equally thrilled and excited.
“This is that damned monster!”
The hunting party threw the monster to the ground and began shouting loudly.
“It looks tall and strong, but it’s timid as a mouse! Perhaps at night it was a terrifying killer, but in the daytime, it’s nothing more than a ferocious beast!”
“Waaahhh……………”
The villagers screamed and crowded around, while Levi also stepped closer to observe the massive creature.
Its size was about what Levi had expected—quite large.
It had taken eight hunters to move it.
Its appearance resembled a mix between a gorilla and a wolf: the upper body strong and burly, the lower body somewhat thinner.
Its head was wolf-like, a long face with jaws wide open, revealing a scarlet tongue and gleaming fangs.
What most concerned Levi, however, were its claws.
They were huge and broad, with sharp dagger-sized talons.
Judging by the marks and shape, they indeed matched the wounds found on the victims.
Only……… this was too fast.
He had not yet finished his investigation, and yet the culprit had already been caught?
“Hey, detective!”
At this moment, Charlie and Tommy spotted Levi among the crowd and shouted at him.
“This is the evil wolf that killed Fraser’s family! Isn’t it?!”
“Hmm……………”
Levi walked up, carefully examining the giant wolf before him—especially its claws.
He then gave a slight nod.
“Judging by the marks, they are very similar.”
“OOOHHHHHH!!!”
Hearing Levi’s response, the surrounding villagers erupted in cheers.
Charlie and Tommy, holding their rifles, looked at Levi with provocative grins.
“In that case, your little detective game is over, boy.”
“Maybe.”
Facing their provocation, Levi remained calm.
Yet, after a moment, he looked at the monster and spoke.
“Sell this monster to me.”
“…Hah?”
The sudden request stunned everyone, and even the cheering quieted.
“I mean this monster. Since you have no further use for it, I’d like to buy it back and dissect it—to see what it truly is. I’m quite interested in this creature.”
“……………”
At Levi’s words, all eyes turned instinctively to the Charlie brothers.
After all, since they had killed the beast, its disposal naturally fell to them.
The two exchanged a glance, then the elder brother Charlie frowned.
“We……………”
“Ten gold pounds.”
Levi didn’t bother listening to excuses—he directly played his trump card.
Hearing his offer, the villagers were stunned.
Ten gold pounds!
Indeed, the monster was strange, and many had never seen such a bizarre-looking creature before.
But to think it could sell for ten gold pounds!?
Levi glanced around, making sure the villagers were watching him, then spoke again.
“Before, I doubted whether such a monster truly existed. But now it seems clear that such creatures do live here. Therefore, I am willing to buy this one’s corpse to study. Moreover……………”
At this, Levi raised his voice, making the crowd fall silent.
“I believe there may be more of its kind nearby. If any of you see one, come and tell me. I wish to capture a live one. Of course, if someone manages to catch one alive, I am willing to pay one hundred pounds! Even just providing information—if it proves real and valid—I will pay one pound as a reward!”
“———————！”
At the words “one hundred pounds,” the villagers exploded with excitement, even more than when they had first seen the monster.
After all, just a message was worth one pound, and capturing one alive could bring a bounty of one hundred!
No one doubted Levi’s sincerity.
After all, that strange, luxurious steam car of his was still parked in the village!
Someone with such a vehicle was certainly rich!
“What about the corpse then?”
Soon, someone shouted.
“The same—ten pounds.”
Levi replied with a smile, glancing at the Charlie brothers.
Though they still wore smiles, their expressions looked stiff, like biting into what seemed to be a piece of chicken only to realize it was ginger.
Levi, meanwhile, gave them a polite smile.
“I look forward to working with you again.”
“There won’t be more monsters.”
Tommy glared at Levi and muttered.
“There are no more here—only this one. We checked; it had no cubs. So you’ll be disappointed.”
“Then I won’t be disappointed at all.”
Levi tapped his cane lightly against the beast’s corpse.
“So, are you willing to sell it to me?”
“We……………”
Tommy was about to speak, but Charlie cut him off.
“We need to think about it.”
“Very well.”
Levi nodded.
“Since the matter is settled, I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning. I hope to receive your answer before then.”
With that, Levi pressed the brim of his hat, nodded politely to the brothers, and turned to leave.
Watching his figure disappear into the crowd, the brothers’ faces shifted uncertainly, neither speaking.
Clearly, it wasn’t an easy decision.
Later that night, the feast began.
The villagers sang and danced, circling the bonfire, eating fresh roast meat, and drinking large gulps of beer—a scene of pure revelry.
Levi stood silently on the second-floor balcony of the tavern, gazing at the crowd below.
As for how the hunting party had dealt with the monster, Levi had already heard their boastful accounts: they had gone to the cave where the Wolf God once lived, placed a rabbit at the entrance as bait, and when the beast appeared, they set a fire to block its retreat.
Then, the others opened fire.
But the monster had darted left and right, lunging at the Charlie brothers.
The others panicked and fled, while the brothers stood their ground bravely, raised their rifles, and shot it down with a few blasts.
Yes—very brave.
And the whole story was… amusing, wasn’t it?
To Levi, the villagers’ hunting tale was nothing short of entertaining.
“Dong, dong.”
A knock sounded at the door.
Levi, without turning, said:
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Little Red Riding Hood entered.
“It’s me.”
The girl still wore her red cloak.
She walked slowly to Levi’s side and spoke softly.
“Are you alright?”
“Hmm?”
“I mean……… that…”
“Oh, it’s nothing.
Don’t worry.”
Levi waved his hand.
“For everyone, the threat is gone.
Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Then……… would you like to join the feast?”
Little Red Riding Hood looked at Levi, inviting softly.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her hands nervously fiddled with the hem of her cloak.
“Everyone’s dancing below. If you’d like…”
“I don’t really belong in such a scene.”
Levi looked at the men and women singing and dancing around the bonfire, his expression calm.
“Thank you, miss. But right now, I’d like to be alone—unless, of course, you came with information about that monster.”
“…………………Sorry.”
“It’s nothing, thank you for your kindness. I’m just not good at these lively occasions……….”
Little Red Riding Hood lowered her head and was about to turn and leave.
However, at that moment, Levi called out to her again.
“By the way, I haven’t seen Mick. Where did he go?”
“Mick?”
Hearing Levi’s question, Little Red Riding Hood froze.
Mick was the tramp who had earlier accused Levi of stealing the wolf’s head.
Only………
“Eh? Now that you mention it, I really haven’t seen Mick.
How strange—he usually loves this kind of festivity the most.”
Little Red Riding Hood remembered Mick quite well.
Every village had such a rascal, and it was impossible not to remember him.
Normally, if the village held a festival or party, he was more enthusiastic than anyone—eating and drinking to excess, taking more than his share, and always trying to take advantage of the young women.
But today……… it was true, she hadn’t seen him?
“Did he join the hunting party?”
“Mick? No way.
He’s not the brave type.
He wasn’t in the hunting party.”
Clearly, Little Red Riding Hood held no fondness for this lazy freeloader, her face full of distaste.
“Then maybe, like me, he’s enjoying the festival in his own way.”
Levi smiled faintly, staring toward the festival square.
There, people sang and danced around the giant wolf’s corpse.
Seeing Levi’s expression, Little Red Riding Hood blushed deeply.
She hesitated, then whispered:
“Th-then I’ll bring you something to eat, Detective?”
“Much obliged.”
Receiving Levi’s reply, Little Red Riding Hood left happily.
Levi remained on the balcony, staring silently at the distant crowd.
Behind Levi, a huge dark shadow appeared silently on the rooftop.
Its glowing yellow eyes fixed fiercely upon him.
Then, with a sudden leap, the shadow pounced straight at Levi!
Faced with the attack, Levi did not react at all, as if he hadn’t noticed.
Claws slashed downward toward his back.
With a single strike, he would be killed instantly, just like the others—without sound, without pain………
But at that very moment, something strange occurred.
Just as the claw was about to touch Levi, he vanished!
This sudden twist clearly shocked the shadow.
Then it saw: where Levi had just stood, there now crouched a black cat.
The cat raised its head, staring at it, and then———its body disassembled instantly.
“Shua—————！”
Blades burst from the cat’s body, spreading layer by layer like blooming petals.
The shadow could not dodge and crashed straight into them!
Then, like a man-eating flower, the petal-like blades snapped shut, biting down hard on the shadow!
“Boom!”
The villagers singing and dancing in the square turned in shock.
Then they saw another enormous black wolf monster suddenly fall from the tavern balcony, crashing heavily to the ground.
The once-boisterous square instantly fell silent—then came the screams.
The villagers, who moments ago had been reveling, now shrieked and scattered in panic.
They had never expected there would be more than one of these monsters!
“Detective!”
Little Red Riding Hood was also stunned.
Instinctively, she wanted to rush toward the tavern, but just then, a hand reached from beside her and pressed her shoulder.
Startled, she turned—and saw Levi step out from her side.
“Eh? Detective? You’re alright?”
“I’m fine. Quite fine.”
Levi’s expression was calm.
He looked at the struggling shadow on the ground, then raised the Persuader in his hand.
His 【Puppeteer】 had already reached LV3.
In addition to a larger control range and more puppets, Levi had also gained a special ability:
【Shadow Step】！
In short, Levi could instantly swap positions with his puppet.
For him, it was another life-saving skill.
At least now, in similar situations, his chances of survival had increased.
Just like now.
“Roar—————！”
The monster broke free of the trap.
The blades that could slice through flesh had only left a few shallow wounds on its body.
Its hide was truly thick.
Levi silently reloaded his gun, raised the barrel, and fixed his eyes on the creature.
The monster, in turn, raised its head and glared savagely at Levi.
Then, with a furious roar, the pitch-black giant wolf charged forward, rushing at its prey!