My esoteric uncle Jules

Chapter 116 Indiscriminate Hunting
When Jules saw Matilda like this, his heart immediately skipped a beat - something bad had happened.

The existence that could injure Matilda like this was about to emerge——

Of course it’s the Blood Cup Leader!
"Is he here?"

Matilda approached slowly and nodded slightly when she heard the words:
"It's faster than I thought. Even though it's not the real one, it's still quite tricky."

"From what you said earlier, have you found a way to take them away?"

Hearing Jules' words, Matilda raised her lips slightly and said:
"nature."

Jules was a little surprised to see such a look on Matilda's face.

For some reason, Matilda seemed much more lively to him at this moment.

It was as if certain desires that had been suppressed intentionally or unintentionally were forcibly stimulated by the interference of external forces.

Was it because she was seriously injured by the Blood Cup Master? Jules looked at Matilda's appearance and secretly speculated about the possibility.

Perhaps, it was because the influence of the cup lingered in her body and mind for a long time and never dissipated, causing her injuries to not improve at all.

Jules pondered for a moment and said:
"How much can this method you found bring..."

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Matilda, who said lightly:
"Don't even think about it. I can only take you with me. It won't be easy for the Ascension Ceremony to 'forget' your existence."

Hearing this, Yule frowned.

"Do we have to leave right away?"

"Yes, I must." Matilda raised her head slightly and glanced at the empty back of Jules. "I'm afraid there's no time for you to go back and find that little girl—unless you both want to die together."

Jules clenched his fists tightly and felt weak all over.

Is he weak? I'm afraid not.

But when facing an enemy like the Blood Cup Leader, what he can do seems to be no different from that of the weakest ordinary person.

"Since you've already fought him, what was the result?"

Matilda shook her head and said hoarsely:

"He seemed to know that Ireland would soon initiate the ceremony, so he didn't send his real self, only a clone. I dealt with that clone, but a new one should be here soon."

Having said this, she coughed and vomited out a small piece of internal organs, which made Jules' eyelids twitch.

But she just wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth nonchalantly and continued:
"If it's just a clone, the problem wouldn't be that big, but it can still cause us considerable trouble."

Jules pondered for a while and said:
"What about the ritual you mentioned earlier that could be used as a trump card?"

"Don't think about it. I still had doubts before it was completed, but after it was completed, I was actually certain of one thing."

Matilda stared at Jules and said in a heavy tone:
"You will inevitably become a corpse, so I will not give you control of it until the last moment."

Facing Matilda's almost "threatening" words, Jules just sighed and said:
"I hope I won't have to use it then."

Following Matilda's limping figure, he looked back at Innsmouth with reluctance.

This distorted town still shows its decadent and hopeless nature as before.

The night was gloomy, and the fishy and salty sea breeze was like the gas exhaled from the mouth of a monster, ready to devour any living thing.

But for some reason, when he saw this scene, Jules suddenly thought of something else in his mind.

The leader who wanted to lead the residents to a better life, but was exploited by Chibei.

Santiago believes that he caused all these tragedies and is trying his best to atone for his sins.

The loving couple of shop owners, Alan who was desperately trying to survive, and the stranger in the fragment of the Sixth History who took the initiative to talk to him while he was admiring the moon, and who was full of beautiful expectations for life...

And Lolita, whose life or death is uncertain.

He pursed his lips and suddenly asked softly:

"What will become of this place after we leave?"

Matilda paused slightly:
"Maybe they'll all die. I know my father's style."

There wasn't even a trace of emotion in her words, but Jules could hear the deep sadness hidden beneath the calmness.

"Heh..." Yule took a deep breath, his eyes complicated, "It's really frustrating."

Matilda turned her head and looked at Jules deeply.

"The first thing you have to do is to survive. If you die, no one will avenge them."

The pale moonlight splashed freely on the streets of Innsmouth.

Matilda walked in front, leading the way with a strange gesture.

With every step she took, new blood scabs would break off her body, and blood would flow down, leaving a scarlet footprint with every step she took.

Moreover, her walking seemed to be a huge strain on both her legs and herself.

This naturally made Yule even more worried as he knew the true condition of her legs.

"Your injury...is it all right?" After looking for a long time, he finally couldn't help but ask.

"I won't die." Matilda's answer was very concise.

After she finished speaking, she fell silent, as if saying one more word would weaken her strength even more.

Jules did not ask any more questions, kept silent, and just followed Matilda quietly.

He discovered that what Matilda said was indeed true - the ascension ceremony seemed to have truly forgotten his existence, and his departure did not cause any changes.

Not long after, when Jules followed Matilda and took that ordinary step, the world before his eyes changed instantly.

The warm sunshine made Jules feel as if he was in another world.

How long has it been since he felt such warm sunshine in this history?

"Go to the nearest port immediately, before Ireland is completely blocked." Matilda said decisively.

At the same time, her cold palm gently covered the back of Yule's neck, causing him to shudder all over, but he still forcibly suppressed the uncomfortable impulse.

After a moment, Matilda withdrew her hand and said softly:

"I've strengthened the 'Forget' mark on you. This way, the chances of you being detected should be much lower.

The further you are from the Ascension Ceremony, the lower your chances of being detected. By then, as long as you leave Ireland and reach London, my father will most likely be unable to find any trace of you."

Jules recalled the icy touch just now and gently reached out to touch the back of his neck.

At this moment, he suddenly felt as if he had been pulled out of this world.

Even the flow of air seemed to have forgotten his existence and moved forward recklessly.

"Is this the power of winter..." He nodded thoughtfully.

Sure enough, there was a reason why Matilda was able to fight against the Blood Cup Master's clone and even seemed to have the upper hand.

……

It didn't take long for the two to leave the vicinity of Innsmouth.

Ireland was still a civilized region after all, and it was only because Innsmouth was excluded that it seemed an outlier.

As a result, they quickly benefited from the convenience of transportation development in industrial civilization.

They rode in a horse-drawn carriage and got off at a train platform in the next town in Ireland.

"Take this train and we'll be on our way to the docks for London."

On the train platform, Matilda gazed at the approaching coal smoke in the distance, and a wave of emotion finally appeared in her voice. Jules walked over to Matilda and stood shoulder to shoulder with her.

"You seem a little agitated. Is it because you were injured by the Blood Cup Cult Leader earlier?"

Hearing this, Matilda tilted her head slightly.
"Nervous, excited? Maybe."

She sighed, her eyes complicated, not knowing what she was thinking.

Jules watched the steam train approaching calmly.

A breeze blew across the platform, carrying with it the smell of coal smoke.

The steam train roared towards us, its body painted black, revealing the beauty of industry and time.

Due to its remote location, there were not many people at the station, but Jules keenly noticed that most of those leaving were well-dressed and elegantly dressed.

The men wore top hats and carried walking sticks, while the women held lace umbrellas and their skirts trailed on the ground.

What they had in common was that they all looked quite anxious.

Yule's eyes flickered slightly, and he whispered:

"They all look like nobles... Could it be that the family received news that Ireland was about to be blockaded, and they were asked to rush back?"

Matilda stared at the people on the platform, frowned slightly, and said:
"They should be, but they always give me an indescribable weird feeling."

After hearing what Matilda said, Jules looked over and realized something was wrong.

At first glance, these people look like ordinary people, but upon closer inspection, there is always a sense of stiffness in their movements.

Just like... a puppet.

He frowned and paid attention.

He wouldn't be surprised no matter what strange things happened in Ireland today.

The whistle blew long and thick smoke, obscuring the brick walls and soot in the distance.

Jules stood beside Matilda, squinting his eyes as he watched the train approach the station.

In the car window, the dim kerosene lamp reflected the somewhat dazed face of the passenger.

Platform workers pushed luggage carts, shouted commands, and their boots made a thumping sound on the wooden boards.

The air was filled with the smell of coal slag and sweat, and the hustle and bustle of the steam age was overwhelming.

"Get in the car," Matilda whispered.

Jules stepped onto the steps, held onto the iron railing, and was about to enter the carriage when he suddenly stopped.

The air smells wrong... He pondered, a serious look in his eyes.

"It's sweet with a hint of fishy smell. This is definitely not the smell that should be present in a steam train." He frowned and whispered.

As he spoke, he looked towards the carriage in front of him.

The man was biting his pipe, with blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. The woman was clutching a handkerchief, laughing softly, her voice shrill and piercing.

The old man sitting by the window stared at him, his eyes red as if stained with blood, and his fingers left marks on the seat.

"The influence of the cup..." Jules could see at a glance that this place had been distorted by the power of the cup's principle!
He gritted his teeth and prepared to fight.

At the same time, he looked at Matilda, only to see that she had also stopped, her face gloomy.

"My clone was here," she said coldly, her eyes scanning the carriage, "He was one step faster than me."

The sweet and fishy smell in the carriage faded a little, but the passengers' eyes became more fanatical.

Suddenly, several people stood up and rushed towards Jules and the other two, roaring.

Jules kicked the man who was rushing towards him away. The man fell to the ground, got up and rushed towards him again with a bloody mouth.

Matilda snorted coldly, and invisible cold air dissipated, causing frost to crawl onto the floor of the carriage, freezing those who had not yet stood up and were twisted by the cup's desire to the seats.

But they didn't care at all. They just struggled to reach out, their eyes greedy and bloodthirsty, and they didn't even care that the flesh on their backs was stuck to the back of the chair.

"Let's go!" Matilda turned around and pulled Jules out of the car.

The boots hit the ground, shaking the wooden planks of the platform.

Inside the train, the roar grew louder, and the passengers crowded to the door like starving monsters.

The situation on the platform was better, as it seemed that not so many people were affected. However, the few people who were affected, coupled with the strange phenomena on the train, directly caused the crowd to fall into chaos.

Some people screamed, some were confused, no one dared to approach the train, they just ran away.

Soon, the steam train drove away as if the previous abnormality had never happened.

Looking at the gradually receding coal smoke, Jules took a breath and looked at Matilda:
"what happened?"

The blood had dried on her face, and the sunlight shining through it made it look a little dazzling and a little scary.

"Logically speaking, he shouldn't be able to find us, and he certainly didn't attack us directly..."

Matilda narrowed her eyes and said:

"I have some guesses, but I still have to go to the nearest port to verify my ideas."

Because the steam train was gone, the two men had to rush to a nearby courtyard, steal a carriage and run away.

The carriage sped along, its wheels rolling over the muddy road, raising clouds of dust.

Jules gripped the reins tightly, his eyes hard and cold, and he whipped the horse from time to time.

In this world, he still learned some other skills - driving a carriage was one of them.

Although clumsy, the horse still obeyed under the pressure of the extraordinary person.

Matilda sat aside, blood dried on the hem of her skirt, her face pale, leaning against the carriage, gasping for breath, and blood seeping from the corners of her mouth with every shake.

"We're almost at the port," she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Jules nodded and cracked the whip. The carriage rushed faster and the wheels squeaked, making people worry that it would fall apart soon.

Although it was much slower than a steam train, it was still faster than running on their own two feet.

If the extraordinary people were not specialized in running, in terms of pure travel speed, people at their level would not be as good as a carriage.

After a while, through the hazy fog, the silhouette of the port appeared faintly in the distance and came into Jules' sight.

However, as the distance got closer, the expressions of Jules and Matilda beside him became more and more ugly.

Jules saw the fishermen abandoning their fish baskets and biting each other with red eyes.

The boatman lay on the deck, gnawing on the wooden planks, his mouth full of blood foam.

What's more, several women exchanged the children in each other's arms, and the atmosphere was joyful and relaxed.

Then, she began to nibble on the other's child in her arms like a snack, but the child didn't cry or make a fuss, and died quietly.

"It seems that my guess is correct." Matilda suddenly spoke.

She turned her eyes to Jules, stared at him, and said in a heavy tone:

"My inhuman father can't find your exact location, but he should be able to sense your approximate direction."

"So, the way he found you was to get there first, to kill all your possibilities of leaving, and ultimately to trap you on the island of Ireland."

(End of this chapter)