Chapter 68: Cannon Fodder Group of a Horror Movie Set
"Pal, create a new project for me. Name it 'Anti-Brainiac Protocol'."
"No problem, sir."
Orin Vale stood in his underground laboratory, fiddling with the holographic projection screen for a moment. A brand-new folder was then added to the sequence.
He casually glanced at the other to-do items he had already created and suddenly realized that, without him noticing, he had already dug so many holes for himself.
The list of new projects just kept growing, like weeds in the spring: equipment upgrades, studying Kryptonian technology, his own daily training and ability development, research into adapting to and countering magic, and so on...
Thinking about it, life was truly fulfilling.
"The search you previously ordered for the whereabouts of a young girl named Rachel Roth has yielded initial results. Perhaps you would like to take a look," Pal reminded him.
"Of course, let's take a look."
Orin Vale swiped the new project interface aside and opened the item Pal had presented to him.
Trigon was a magic-related threat, which fell under the Old Wizard's jurisdiction. Orin Vale had also consulted him. The old man had confidently stated that no matter how powerful the demon overlord was, as long as it was on the other side of the dimension, he could ensure it wouldn't cross over—the prerequisite being control over the portal.
"Rachel Roth... why are there so many Rachel Roths?"
Orin Vale was slightly surprised as he looked at the screen, which was densely packed with marked archives. But on second thought, it made sense. It was a relatively common name, after all. It's not like naming someone had an ID registration system; it was normal for there to be many.
Going through them one by one would be too troublesome. If only there was another way to pinpoint the specific Rachel he was looking for...
And there was.
"Add keywords," Orin Vale said. "From a single-parent family. The mother's name is likely Angela Roth."
Thanks to the racial talent from his rebirth into the Ultraman Race, his brain was like a supercomputer with a built-in memory retrieval system. With just a thought based on the keywords, he could quickly recall details from comics, even if he had only skimmed them once.
Raven's mother, the woman who was deceived by Trigon and nearly made the world-ending mistake, was named Angela. Adding this condition should narrow the scope considerably.
Sure enough, the search quickly narrowed down to a single person, and she was right here in Gotham.
Gotham Heights High School, a sixteen-year-old girl, Rachel Roth, her class is...
Hm? Why does this class number seem familiar?
Orin Vale was taken aback.
Kara's classmate?
***
"Rachel... can I call you Raven?"
Kara asked, looking at the girl beside her as they walked.
She was a rather beautiful girl, with fair skin and delicate features... in fact, perhaps a bit too fair, to the point of looking somewhat pale and bloodless. Beneath her long eyelashes, her dark eyes held a hint of mystery. She had short, blue-black hair and a tall, slender figure—a mysterious girl with a somewhat gothic vibe.
"Mhm," the girl nodded.
"I heard the building we're going to today is... what was it... the Owl Ghost Building?" Kara asked.
"It's the Court of Owls," a tall boy walking ahead of them said, turning back with a smile.
His name was Chris, and he was the school bully. His malicious acts included, but were not limited to, snatching balloons from three-year-olds and deflating the tires on an eighty-year-old man's wheelchair. One could say he was capable of any evil.
And wherever he went, he always had two henchmen in tow, including now.
"Kara, you're a transfer student, right? There's no one in Gotham who hasn't heard this nursery rhyme."
Chris leaned in and chanted in a soft, eerie voice.
"Beware the Court of Owls, always watching where you go.
Peering at Gotham City from the shadows, hidden in attics and behind low walls.
They are in your home, they are in your bed.
Never speak their name, or the Talons will come for your head."
"But I heard that's fake," said Henchman number one from behind him.
"Who knows? My grandfather insisted it was real, but my dad said it's just to scare kids. But who can say for sure? Before, everyone thought Batman was fake too," Chris said. "The building we're going to today has been abandoned for ten years.
"Several people disappeared here many years ago. Some say The Court did it. But in the end, nothing came of it...
"Ha, but don't worry, there's nothing to be afraid of. Because I'm here, and I'll protect the beautiful ladies..."
However, he turned his head only to find that Kara wasn't listening at all. She was still trying to strike up a conversation with the reticent Raven.
"What do you want to do in the future?" Kara asked.
"I don't know," Raven shook her head.
"I used to want to be a scientist, like my dad," Kara said.
Chris hurriedly tried to jump into the conversation: "Me too, me too! I've wanted to be a scientist since I was a kid! What a coincidence, hahaha..."
"But I don't want to anymore. Memorizing books and doing research all day is so boring. I like being in the sky. Maybe being a flight attendant would be nice..."
Chris laughed. "What a coincidence! I've also always wanted to be a flight attendant since I was a kid..."
His two henchmen shot him strange looks. "Boss, that sounds a little perverted..."
Chris turned and shot them a vicious glare, and the two shrank back and fell silent.
The group of youngsters soon arrived outside the abandoned building.
The old, dilapidated building's exterior walls had mostly peeled away, revealing a desolate interior. Almost no light penetrated the windows, aside from what passed through the remaining shards of glass. The stairs in the center of the hall had long since rotted and looked ready to collapse. Layers of dust caked the ceiling, and the wallpaper was tattered and faded, creating a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere.
From time to time, a cool breeze would pass through, carrying strange creaking sounds from unknown sources.
Seeing this scene, the two henchmen couldn't help but start gulping.
Henchman number two looked cautiously at Chris. "Um... Boss, are we sure we're going in? Maybe we should just go home, wash up, and go to sleep..."
"Nonsense." Chris glared at him and whispered conspiratorially, "Forgot what I told you? A place like this is the perfect opportunity. In this kind of environment, with just a little scare, won't she immediately throw herself into my arms?"
Henchman number one mumbled weakly, "But what does that have to do with us..."
"Hm?" Chris narrowed his eyes.
"Ah, no, I mean... what if there really is a devil?" The Henchman shivered. "I've seen horror movies. The cannon fodder always dies like this..."
Chris stared at him for a moment with an expression as if he were looking at an idiot.
The Henchman shrank back, not daring to speak again, and followed him inside.
Meanwhile, none of them noticed.
In a dark corner of the abandoned building, a phantom shadow leaned against a window, looking down at this group of young people—a classic cannon fodder group of a horror movie set—and let out a strange, cackling laugh.
"I was just worrying about the next batch of sacrifices, and they delivered themselves right to my doorstep."
A sinister, strange smile spread across his face.
"Just you wait, Lord Belial. Fresh blood and sacrifices are on their way."
(end of chapter)