The antique shop is not large, and the stained glass windows on the outside filter most of the light, making the interior somewhat dark.

A specimen of a glass-eyed owl stands on a black piece of wood with its wings outstretched, as if welcoming Dean and Sean in a special way.

Dean turned to look around.

Behind the owl specimen is a glass display case full of bone, jade, and precious stones, rings, earrings, and other jewelry, candlesticks, vases, oriental-style porcelain and other retro utensils.

On the wall behind the display case are some colorful woven carpets full of witchcraft.

This reminded Dean of what he had seen in a voodoo shop in New Orleans.

The most striking thing in the whole antique shop is the ubiquitous taxidermy.

The three-headed raccoon specimen stands in a circle, encircling a dusty mirror; A wolf specimen that looks very old is bowing its head and making a drinking shape; Specimens of the heads of brown bears and elks hanging on the walls on the left and right are staring at the customers inside the antique shop like guards, as if to warn them to clean their hands and feet.

And just behind the central glass display case of these specimens stood a fat woman of about sixty years of age, her bright orange trousers shining in the dim light, the tinkling brass rings and tortoiseshell rings that filled her arms from her fingers to her shoulders, the three colored horn combs stuck in her messy gray hair, and the deep wrinkles on her face like cracked earth.

She looks like an old witch from folklore.

Dean and Sean faintly heard a strange laugh in their ears.

"Mrs. Carmody?"

"Welcome." Carmody's gaze swept over the unfamiliar faces of the two, his slightly bloodshot eyes turned, and he grinned to reveal jagged nicotine yellow teeth, "Our store has world-renowned antique collectibles, witchcraft utensils, both ornamental value and magic, and Tong Suo is not bullied, has been operating in Bridge Pier Town for more than 30 years, and has a good reputation, please feel free to buy." ”

She spoke with a strong voice, sharp and loud, like a clarinet playing high notes,

"What magic?" Dean asked with interest, under the perspective of life, this old lady is very healthy, but it is also the level of ordinary people.

When Carmody saw the two of them asking, he immediately said more earnestly, "Whether you are looking for a beautiful and virtuous wife, a windfall in the coming year, or a cure for a strange illness in the bed, I can help you." ”

"Sounds like it's almost omnipotent," Sean joked when he heard the old lady say so loudly, "Then guess what we're here for?" ”

"Your purpose." As soon as Carmody's frighteningly bright eyes shone on the two of them, Dean suddenly had the illusion that a pair of ancient wise eyes were watching him above his head.

Through the skin, to the heart and soul.

Before he reacts.

Carmody hurriedly looked away, the enthusiasm on his face disappeared, and his expression became serious and serious, "I smell snakes, wolves, spiders from you... You're not just a guest, you're not here to buy antiques, you're here for a special deal with me? ”

Dean and Sean were in a state of mind at the same time.

This old lady can see their details with the naked eye alone, and she is by no means an ordinary person.

"You guessed it. We were introduced by Professor William White of The Ohio State University, Kenny and Sean, and we heard that you specialize in Bafver, so we wanted to ask you for advice. ”

"Shut up!" The old lady suddenly shouted, nervously turned around and ran to a wooden counter, took out a holy water bottle with a feather in it, plucked out the feather, and poured cold water on the two of them continuously, with a solemn expression, as if he was exorcizing demons for believers and washing away filthy priests.

After repeating this three times, her face softened, and she spoke angrily, "Your teacher never warned you not to pronounce the names of those ancient beings so presumptuously? Do you want to be on His list and gaze at it for the rest of your life? ”

"And that kind of saying." Dean was stunned, but he and Sean had already been marked by Ba Fu Xuan, and they were still worried about calling each other by their names? "I'm sorry, I'm lonely, I follow your rules, and I will never mention this name in the rest of the conversation."

"Now you provide the knowledge, and we pay," Dean further exerted a telekinetic hint at the old lady, "you just have to make an offer." ”

"Real knowledge is not something money can buy." The old lady rushed to the door of the store, reversed the open sign hanging outside the door, and locked the door.

Don't look at her chubby body, but her movements are extremely agile.

After doing all this, she looked at Dean, her eyes clear and completely unaffected by telekinesis suggestion, "You said you were introduced by William White, what evidence is there?" ”

After a moment's thought, Dean handed over William's handwritten information, and recounted his experience in Columbus City with a focused recount, mainly describing William's research on the séance and Pentagram's success in saving his wife Aurora from Leviathan hell.

Sean next to him heard a storm in his heart.

Tortured hells, monks, curses, cured of terminal illnesses...

It sounds like a ridiculous horror myth.

Another mysterious world opened its veil on him.

……

After listening to this, Camody put down the handwritten information, and his eyes softened slightly, "Although you omitted many important points, you finally helped my old friend William's family reunite, and you can be regarded as your own person, I am willing to sell you some secret knowledge about Midian at a preferential price." ”

Dean nodded, a bit like a broker, "How much?" ”

The old lady held out five fingers like dead branches, "Five hundred thousand dollars." ”

Sean next to him opened his mouth slightly as he listened.

Dean hesitated for a second, nodded, and left the antique shop to return to Citroën, bringing back a suitcase in less than a minute and handing it to Carmody.

The old lady took out bundles of green knives and put them in front of her nose and sniffed them, revealing a look of intoxication on her face.

"People like you, who know the supernatural world, love money so much?" Dean couldn't help but ask,

"I want to provide for the elderly, exchange information, and protect myself, and I need money." Carmody glanced at the strong arms of the two and put the money on the counter behind him, "Not everyone has extraordinary strength like you, and you can easily make a lot of money. A weak and sickly old woman like me who looks ugly, can only rely on a mouth to fool people to make money, and the townspeople of this bridge pier town are stingy, I saliva is dry, and I only earn a hundred dollars a day, and it is rare to meet big customers, so I naturally want to earn more pension money. ”

It's the first time Dean has seen such a money-hungry anomaly.

"Okay, I'm going to say that the information about Midian, I haven't even told William that spell, you must not leak it, or you will bear the consequences,"

"No paperwork?"

"This is the safest book," Carmody tapped his unkempt gray brain, staring at Dean and Sean with burning eyes, until the two of them repeatedly reassured him before he spoke slowly,

"The exact location of Midianite can only be found by those who are called, and I do not know. But my ancestors had spoken to several nocturnal species who had been banished from Midian, and had received this part of the information—"

"There are 666 nocturnal species in Midian, including most of the civilians, a small number of elders, a high priest, and an unknown number of berserkers who are responsible for guarding Midian..."

Carmody's voice fell

Dean found that the "Bloodline" progress had jumped to eighty-six percent.

There was thought in his eyes.

The structure was a bit like the coyote clan he had known, but with more than 600 nocturnal species, it was lower than he expected.

"What is a berserker?"

"Huge as a tall building, strong and powerful, one head is enough to defeat a hundred ordinary nocturnal species, and some can even easily destroy a town."

Dean looked at him with jealousy, and it sounded like the berserker was at least a level five creature, or even a level six.

"But the Berserker has abandoned reason in pursuit of ultimate power, and his heart is only controlled by the desire to kill, destroy, and eat. ”

"The High Priest locked them up in the depths of Midian, and only released them when Midianite was destroyed, but they have not yet been released."

Dean asked, "How is the High Priest's fighting power better than that of the Berserker?" ”

Carmody shook his head to indicate that he was not clear, "The high priest is only under the gods, and he is responsible for the management of Midian. ”

"Then why 666 nocturnal species," Sean asked, puzzled, "does that number mean anything special?" ”

"That's a good question, this number secret was first deduced by my ancestors." Carmody touched the owl specimen at the door like a pet, "It is written in the New Testament of the Bible, Revelation, 'Wisdom is here, and whoever is wise may count the number of beasts, for the number of beasts is the number of men, 666 heads'..."

"The Bible sets the number of beasts, so that they can only keep at 666, not more than one."

Dean patted the shaggy bear's head, "We're asking about the nocturnal species." ”

"You don't understand? The nocturnal species is the biblical beast. "On the one hand, nocturnal species have the physical characteristics of wild beasts, and they also have a deep animal nature at heart, and the most basic desire to eat, reproduce, and fight for survival overrides everything. ”

"On the other hand, the nocturnal species are also anti-Christ, anti-Christ."

"So, they fit the definition of 'beast' in the book of Revelation, and they are also subject to the number limit set by Jesus Christ."

"There can only be 666 in Midian, no more, no less."

Dean nodded, describing the nocturnal species as beasts was indeed quite apt.

The medusa, hedgehogheads, and chameleons he came into contact with all had similar behaviors.

And he had long understood that Paphrash was inextricably linked to the Bible.

It is not surprising that His dependents, the nocturnal species, are limited by the Bible and God.

Another association came to Dean's mind.

Does the Hell Monk in Leviathan Hells also seem to fit the definition of a beast and are also limited by the number of 666?

"Why are nocturnal species antichrists?" Sean asked if he had not been a devout Christian in the past, but he had attended Mass on weekends many times and had a sense of respect for Christ God.

"The nocturnal god (Paphren) is the 'Antichrist,' the demon of jealousy, whom Christianity calls jealous, and who has a deep hatred for God. The nocturnal species naturally inherited this mission against Christ. ”

Dean asked, "What is the hatred between Him and God?" ”

Carmody shook his head, "It's too old for me to verify." ”

Sean asked, "Are the nocturnal species hostile to humans?" ”

"Not really, some nocturnal species regard humans as food because of their bestiality in their hearts, but more often under the rule of that (Paphersin), they do not interfere with the water of the human well."

"Because He thinks that man is born with a beastly nature, and that man can be transformed into a beast."

"Humans, the predecessors of the nocturnal species!"

Dean couldn't help but look at Sean next to him, this guy is the best proof of this sentence.

Kamo cleared his throat and began to conclude his statement, "So the nocturnal species in Midian, that is, the beasts of the Bible, are limited by God, so their number is maintained at 666, and those who exceed the number will be banished from Midianite by the high priest and exiled to the human world, and those who my ancestors have communicated with will be banished. ”

"After so many years of accumulation of Vault Dwellers, there are now nocturnal tracks all over the world."

Dean is the werewolf in the Elk Forest not long ago, and it is likely that he is the handiwork of an exiled nocturnal species.

……

"Looking at it now, Midian is both the hometown of the nocturnal species and the paradise of monsters," Carmody took a deep breath and almost roared out the next words, and when he spoke, he made a gesture with a unique tension, "It is also a prison that imprisons the nocturnal species, limits their number, and forbids them to eat and harm people." ”

The progress of the event jumped to 89 percent.

Dean fell into deep thought.

Is Midian's prison?

So why did Paphshin call him, Sean, and Lu Guangming to Midian?

Replenish the number of prisoners?

Or—

Dian had a bold guess.

……

"That's it, two, half a million dollars worth of knowledge is over." Carmodi came over from the front of the counter and took a sip of a cup of hot tea, revealing a send-off look, "If you don't buy antiques, then please leave Bridge Pier Town, the sooner the better, so as not to provoke the convergence law to my old man's house." ”

"Wait, 500,000 is worth a few words?" Sean crossed his hands on his hips, stared at Carmodi and said painfully, "Where are you a witch, the most greedy profiteer is not as black as you!" ”

"Shut up!" Carmody glared at him, his cock-clawed hand poking into his chest, "You fool who doesn't know how to respect knowledge!" ”

Sean's face sank, anger welling up uncontrollably in his heart, and he grinned and roared in his throat.

"Why, do you want to bite me, wild dogs and rotten snakes!" Carmody took off an antique flintlock pistol from the wall in a thunderous rage, and aimed the muzzle of the black hole at Sean's chest.

"Calm down," Dean patted Sean on the shoulder to soothe him, and pressed the muzzle of Carmody's gun again, "The deal is done, and I will never regret it." But I also want to continue to buy knowledge, such as the weaknesses of the nocturnal species, especially the weakness of the berserkers. ”

Carmody nodded at him, "For your good attitude, I can give you a message for free." The Celent Runes are the most powerful weapon for destroying the Beasts, go find them. ”

"I've known this for a long time, but the question is do you have a Celent rune?" Dean stared into the old lady's eyes and asked, again hinting, "I'm willing to pay a lot of money to buy it from you." ”

Camody looked at his starry deep glowing eyes, patted his messy gray hair vigorously, and squealed,

"That's enough, don't always hypnotize the old woman with your mental power, this trick won't work for me! Moreover, the Celent rune is an important inheritance, which cannot be bought by money, and there is no way to get 100 million. ”

Dean was not embarrassed to be poked, and looked at the old lady stubbornly, "What does inheritance mean?" ”

The old lady was silent for a long time, and finally her face changed several times under Dean's sharp gaze, and she sighed,

"Okay, I'll talk to you a little more, do you know about witch hunts?"

Dean nodded, "I know, this campaign is not only persecuting witches, other supernatural creatures have also suffered, do you know the true origin of the witch hunt movement?" ”

"Unfortunately, I don't know, but during the witch hunt, some of the monsters that were about to become extinct were called by the Paphra to enter Midian, and became beasts. And the strange people who have been wandering among the people for the past ten centuries, and the demon hunters who specialize in helping people eradicate evil monsters have also been purged. "In order to survive, the remaining witchers defected to the government, forming the forerunner of today's Special Operations Division." ”

There was a look of surprise in Dean's eyes, the Special Operations Department actually had this kind of origin.

But the witchers who used to be free as the wind are now the lackeys of the government, ironically.

"And what about the witchers who didn't join the government?"

"Either you die, or you live among the people and continue the ancient hunting work." A hint of adoration flashed in Carmody's eyes, "And my ancestor is such a demon hunter who still insists on his career, he has a Celent rune specially designed to deal with 'beasts', and he has used this rune to defeat several nocturnal species that have been banished beyond Midian, and he has learned the basic composition of Midian. ”

"You're actually a descendant of witchers?" Dean looked Camody up and down at his strange dress, no heroic denim jacket or shotgun, obviously more like a witch or goddess, "How can I get the Soul Rune from you?" ”

"This is the inheritance of the witcher," Carmodi said with a strange glint in his eyes as he looked at him, "You just need to prove that you can hunt those monsters that endanger the world, and I will give you this rune for free." ”

Dean smiled, and quickly went out and returned, bringing back a pair of sharp bone claws with the thickness of ordinary thighs, "I have killed more monsters that harm the human world than I can count, this is the body material of the mutant werewolf that was recently eliminated in the forest outside a certain train station, is it enough to prove it?" ”

"I am a survivor of that disaster, and I can testify that what he said is true!" Sean raised his hand,

Camody looked at the cold and glistening bone claw in Dean's hand, his eyelids jumped, and he shook his head,

"That doesn't count, you have to hunt a monster again now. A month ago, a nine-year-old girl, Martha Medina, drowned in a long lake. ”

"But I smell evil from the Long Lake, and she didn't drown accidentally."

"Some kind of evil thing that inhabits the lake and harms the child."

Carmodi spoke, and his nicotine teeth sparkled,

"Kenny and Mr. Sean, if you can catch this child-killing monster and bring it or its corpse to me, I'll give you the Celent Rune."

As Carmody's voice fell.

A hint flashed before Dean's eyes - you triggered the event "Blood on the Long Lake".

Find out the true cause of Martha Medina's death in the Long Lake, catch her killer and bring her to Carmody.

Event difficulty: Unknown

Progress: (0/100)

Duration: one week

Reward: Unknown

(End of chapter)