"Hehe~ Don't mind him, Grandpa just speaks his mind!"
The little girl Tuya giggled, covering her mouth, her large eyes curving into crescent moons.
"Cough, cough! It's fine! Really!" Cross awkwardly waved his hand. He glanced at Gion beside him, only to find her looking down, as if intently observing the large-headed ants at her feet.
Clearly, she knew Hodel's personality but deliberately chose not to warn him. How truly awful of her.
"Don't blame this old man for speaking bluntly. You Marines have come several times and haven't solved the problem. It makes me seriously doubt if you're just humoring us common folk!" Hodel put away his earlier enthusiasm. He slammed his cane heavily against the ground, his tone revealing a hint of displeasure.
In his opinion, the female Captain's ability was already questionable, and now they sent a young Major. If the Marine Headquarters wasn't just humoring him, he wouldn't believe it.
"Don't worry, Village Chief Hodel, if I can't solve it, I guarantee the next ones to arrive will be high-ranking officials from Marine Headquarters!" Cross didn't mind the sudden change in his demeanor. He smiled and asked, "Could you tell me more about that monster? And are there any strange rumors or ancient legends on Stonewood Island?"
As the saying goes, "You don't hit a smiling face!"
I am a messenger of justice, like a soldier of the people in modern times. I certainly won't stoop to the level of an old man.
Hmm, probably not!
"Everything that needed to be said has been said! What else is there?" Hodel grumbled discontentedly, but still continued, "I don't know much about the monster. It appeared about half a year ago and always shows up at night when there's no moon. You can't see its specific appearance clearly!"
"As for strange rumors..." The old man stroked his beard.
"I know! I know!" Tuya raised her hand, eagerly shouting.
"Oh? Tell me!" Cross chuckled.
"I heard my uncles who go hunting in the mountains say there's a man-eating monster in the mountains. It uses the voices of young girls to trick hunters who venture in. Even though I don't know anyone who's actually seen it, a lot of people have been talking about it recently," Tuya said with a grin.
"A man-eating monster... that speaks with the voice of a young girl..." Cross thoughtfully stroked his chin, a sense of familiarity washing over him.
"It couldn't be a monster parrot, could it?" Gion quipped.
"There is indeed such a rumor. Some hunters from the village have encountered it, but they were so scared of meeting the legendary man-eating monster that they ran back to the village in a panic!" Hodel said in a deep voice. "And I've heard similar rumors in a few other villages!"
"Interesting!" Cross muttered to himself with growing interest.
"Have you guessed something?" Gion asked curiously. "Could the rumored talking monster and the monster causing trouble in the village be the same? I've never heard of such a thing in this world."
"I've probably guessed a little, but I still need to see it with my own eyes!" Cross said softly.
"I haven't even seen it with my own eyes, so how can you?" Gion's pretty face was filled with confusion.
Cross didn't answer Gion. Instead, he looked at the small cats nearby: white cats, orange cats, calico cats... several cats squatted under the cool eaves, lazily yawning.
"Village Chief Hodel, do many people here keep cats?" Cross inquired.
"Cats?!" Hodel looked puzzled.
"Lots of cats, but few people keep them. Everyone prefers dogs!" Tuya raised her hand and answered loudly.
"Thank you, I understand!" Cross smiled and patted the little girl's head, then said to Gion, "I remember tomorrow night is the last day of this month... When you take your people into the mountains today, don't go too far, but don't stay too close either. In short, as long as you can see my signal flare, the rest is up to me!"
"Stop being so mysterious! What exactly do you intend to do?" Gion's brows furrowed, and she glared at Cross with dissatisfaction.
"Just follow my instructions!" Cross explained, "Actually, I'm not entirely sure myself. I just want to confirm my hypothesis!"
"Playing mind games!" Gion scoffed, "Alright, I'll take people into the mountains this afternoon. The safety of the village is in your hands!"
After everything was discussed, Gion didn't linger. She quickly returned to the warship at the harbor.
By the afternoon, Gion left 50 people to guard the warship, while the hundreds of others followed her back into the mountains.
After seeing Gion and her group off from the village's back gate, Cross mounted the Silver Giant Eagle and soared into the sky, disappearing from the sight of countless villagers.
Gradually, the sun set, and night slowly descended, as if an enormous black cloth covered both the sky and the earth. Only a faint crescent moon hung high in the sky, emitting a weak glow.
After nightfall, the thousands of villagers in the village anxiously stayed in their homes, locking their doors and windows, as if waiting for something.
Suddenly, the large village quickly fell silent, with only the occasional calls from the chickens, sheep, and cattle kept by the villagers.
It's unclear how much time passed, but it seemed to be deep into the night.
The Silver Giant Eagle flew through the night sky, circling constantly above the village under the cover of darkness.
At this moment, a large, ox-sized black shadow had silently infiltrated the village at some point. It moved without a sound, leaping lightly into a fenced yard.
"Cluck, cluck, cluck~"
"Baa—baa—"
"Moo—moo—"
"Woof, woof—woof, woof—"
"..."
Suddenly, the once-quiet village erupted into chaos.
Chickens flew wildly, sheep bleated frantically, and even the cows tried to break free from their ropes. The villagers' hounds also barked uneasily.
"It's here!"
"The monster is here!"
"Quick, light the torches!"
"..."
In a short while, the previously dark village quickly lit up. Almost every household lit torches, and the firelight illuminated the entire village.
"Hahahaha~ I found you!"
In the sky, Cross burst out laughing. The Silver Giant Eagle beneath him swooped down like an arrow released from a bow, unleashing a turbulent gust of wind.
The ox-sized black shadow raised its head, its emerald, amber-like vertical pupils darting around in the darkness. It still held a goat with a broken neck in its mouth, then turned and fled outwards.
Screeech~
The next second, a long eagle cry echoed as a Silver Giant Eagle descended rapidly, landing directly in front of the black shadow. Its silver steel wings whipped up powerful air currents that spread in all directions, kicking up thick dust.
"Meow—"
The ox-sized black monster arched its body in fright, its black fur standing on end. It let out a low growl, like a cat and a tiger combined, as if attempting some kind of intimidation. The two black tails behind its rear also twitched uneasily.
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