American variety show world begins with subduing Jason

"Whether it's the Federation, that Voodoo Matriarch, or any other force that wants to take advantage of the situation, it will inevitably provoke a reaction from the witches. A wounded beast will often defend its territory even more fiercely."

Henk's expression turned serious, and his tone became more earnest: "At that time, it will probably cause a great upheaval. People like you who have certain strength but do not belong to any organization are most easily exploited by those with ulterior motives. Therefore, I suggest that you leave for a while to avoid the vortex."

“That’s exactly what I wanted to say.” Zhu Mingyao picked up a hazelnut, effortlessly crushing the hard outer shell to reveal the white, crisp, and fragrant flesh.

"When faced with potential attempts to win you over from all sides, no matter what you choose, you will offend others. The best way to avoid trouble is to simply run away and come back when things have settled down."

Edkin clicked his tongue in annoyance: "Do we really have to go somewhere else?"

He rubbed his cheeks hard, his words filled with difficulty. Unlike his other single comrades, he had a wife, daughters, and a family. Even if he moved temporarily, it would inevitably disrupt their work and studies.

The thought of going to an unfamiliar city and having to worry about food, clothing, shelter, transportation, his wife's job, and his children's education made Edkin feel as if he could hear the dizzying melody he was playing with all his might.

Despite being an extraordinary being, he still couldn't escape the troubles that middle-aged men usually experience.

Seeing his concerns, Zhu Mingyao blinked and offered his well-thought-out plan at the opportune moment.

"Let's go to Los Angeles, Jinzhou. I'll help you arrange where we'll stay and our family."

He smiled and extended the invitation.

Chapter 290 A boring outcome, no winners 2

"Golden State is, after all, one of the most prosperous areas in the Federation. Whether you want to settle down permanently or take on a few big orders and make a good fortune, it's very convenient."

Zhu Mingyao counted on his fingers, addressing each issue one by one: "Beverly and Simon, if you want to further your studies in your professional fields, I can ask someone to inquire about and purchase relevant knowledge."

"As for Ms. Holger and Edkin," he said persuasively, "even if you don't want to join any organization, that's fine. Our Hualian Group has a large number of businesses on the West Coast and needs many external hires. In addition to generous pay and top-notch benefits, we can also arrange for your family members to enter prestigious private schools."

The character and strength of this four-person team are among the best of the unaffiliated superhumans. Now that there is an opportunity, it wouldn't hurt to issue an offer on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce and try to recruit them, just to fulfill the obligations of an unaffiliated member.

Knowing that the young, wealthy boss had a powerful background and impeccable character, and with his guarantee, the group exchanged glances and made a secret exchange before finally deciding to go ahead with their plan.

"In that case, I wish you a safe journey. I'm off to the airport now. It was a pleasure meeting you all, and I hope we can meet again soon."

Henk had a good impression of his temporary teammates. Seeing that they had found a suitable place, he smiled and sincerely wished them well. He then put his hat on his head, got up, and said goodbye.

Respecting the old knight's noble character of risking his life to eliminate demons without seeking reward, the group respectfully escorted him to the hotel entrance before reluctantly parting ways.

"We clearly stopped... well, basically stopped the Halloween night attack, so how did we end up running away like we lost our underwear at the card table?"

Watching his straight, receding figure, Edkin muttered something, feeling a pang of resentment at the thought of leaving his birthplace and not knowing when he would be able to return.

After hearing what he said, and recalling what had happened in the past few days, Zhu Mingyao also felt a little sad.

"To be precise, there are no winners in this incident."

He let out a long sigh: "The witches suffered a terrible calamity, losing so much that they almost lost their headquarters."

Although the federal government repelled the attack and prevented it from causing numerous casualties, the surreal spectacle staged in front of tens of thousands of tourists had far-reaching repercussions.

A considerable number of common people who coveted rewards also met their unfortunate ends and lost their lives.

Even those dark monsters turned the feint attack into a stalemate, suffering heavy losses and fleeing in panic..."

"Heh, right, there's also the Voodoo Cult. They seem unscathed, but in reality, they've been pushed into the eye of the storm." Zhu Mingyao chuckled coldly.

"No one is a fool. The one who knows you best is often your enemy. The sorority's defensive maze was easily breached. What role Lady Mary played in this is worth discussing."

If the losses were limited, the witches might have considered the bigger picture and avoided a public falling out. But now that things have escalated to this point, a peaceful resolution is unlikely, and the possibility of them retaliating in a frenzy is not out of the question.

Sensing the somewhat subdued atmosphere, Zhu Mingyao changed the subject with a smile, "But thankfully, we still made some gains. This thing doesn't quite fit my power system. Does anyone want it?"

A vibrant green four-leaf clover swayed gently in the palm of her hand without wind, emitting a refreshing and pleasant natural scent that attracted everyone's attention. The druid girl's head suddenly popped up, her beautiful eyes following the movement.

It's that damn rich guy's old trick of picking on girls again, poor little Beverly...

Watching his companion wagging his tail like a puppy, Edkin's lips twitched. He silently mourned for him for a second, then felt a surge of relief.

—If this wild girl could manage to woo the young and wealthy boss in front of her, that would be a good outcome.

……

……

The silver-gray dragon-shaped ring twirled nimbly between the white gloves, its exquisite wings adorned with shimmering turquoise crystals that exuded a unique charm.

"So, after the Illusionist, the Toymaker's soul also failed to return, didn't it..."

In the center of the lavish stage covered with a red carpet, a clown dressed in tattered lace sat in a chair, his fingers tapping haphazardly on the armrests in frustration, like a clumsy beginner playing the piano.

A meticulously planned chess game, seemingly on the verge of checkmate in just a few moves, is suddenly shattered by a flying brick—that's how it feels now.

Inside the enormous, brightly colored tent, there was no sound except for its neurotic mutterings. The strange figures in the audience below all wisely kept their mouths shut, trembling like a flock of quails.

Knowing what kind of tyrannical and inhuman creature lies beneath its comical exterior, no one wants to provoke it at this time.

"We... need to recruit more members. Do you have any good targets?" The Joker forcibly suppressed his anger, his orange-yellow eyes sweeping over his subordinates.

After a long silence, its gaze darkened. Seeing that the leader's eyes were becoming increasingly hostile, the black man in the brown collared coat had a sudden inspiration. He reached out with the iron hook on his wrist and pulled out a red balloon that looked like dirty blood from his pocket.

“Respected Commander, this is the power of fear we have collected. Also…” He racked his brains, trying his best to recall the rumors he had overheard while out.

"A giant man-eating eel seems to have appeared in the Florida swamp..."

"Hmph, a brainless beast like that wouldn't last more than a few days under such a siege. It's probably already been roasted by humans by now." The clown grabbed the balloon roughly and angrily waved his white glove.

"What I need are dark foes of sufficient caliber. A bunch of useless trash, get out there and gather relevant information!"

Several strange figures darted out of the tent as if granted a pardon, and quickly disappeared without a trace through the opened teleportation portal.

"Thud!" A silver streak of light fell, and the priceless magic ring was carelessly thrown onto the floor, then kicked in a fit of rage. This scene of squandering a precious treasure was enough to make all the mages and warlocks scream.

It can only be used by human wizards! After all that hard work, all I got was this piece of junk. My biggest mistake was trusting that damned, brain-dead wizard.

Now all the witches' hatred has been drawn here, and those women will definitely relentlessly pursue them!

The clown took a few steps with his hands behind his back, his face still flushed with anger. The unexpected restrictions on the [Merlin's Ring] made his opportunistic behavior seem utterly clownish...

What?! I've always been a clown!

"Ok?"

Realizing that its thoughts were somewhat out of control, it suddenly stopped, covered its pale, towering forehead, and let out a surprised sound.

With a heavy stomp of the pointed leather boot adorned with red balls, the scarlet carpet, along with the entire stage, slowly cracked in a spiral, revealing a central pillar supporting the tent. It was as if a demon from the abyss had opened its gaping maw, from which wisps of red light and black mist burst forth, wandering freely in the air for a long time before dissipating.

The clown grinned mockingly, revealing his fine, shark-like, bony teeth.

"Foolish old fogey, the circus is connected to my soul, how could your little tricks possibly escape my notice!"

Chapter 291 A boring outcome, no winners 3

As the clown spoke, a strange, grotesque object slowly floated up from the abyss, which exuded an eerie aura.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be... a huge pile of tattered corrugated cardboard boxes.

By piecing together and inlaying them together, these cardboard pieces of various sizes and shapes form a unique and creative structure that looks like a toy house carefully glued together by children. Several dark holes emit wisps of white smoke, giving it a postmodern art feel.

Long, brightly colored ribbons, like chains, emerged from the tent poles, binding the cardboard boxes tightly, resembling straws coiled around them, drawing in the dim, yellowish-brown light flowing from their surfaces.

"Heh... You actually think you can escape when the circus is down in number and weakened? That's just wishful thinking! You beast abandoned by the times, your best fate is to obediently accept being devoured!"

The vicious mockery, like arrows shot out, thoroughly enraged the being hidden inside the cardboard box.

A deep, resonant bellow, like that of a bull, rang out, followed by a mysterious power imbued with an ancient charm, rippling outwards like concentric circles of water.

Everything that comes into contact with the ripples, whether it's a ribbon, a wooden stage, or a plush carpet, is instantly covered with a yellowish-brown layer. The material rapidly transforms into various colored cardboard, while the spatial positions are reversed and disordered, gathering towards the cardboard box and increasing its volume.

As if caught in an earthquake, the tall, dark tent trembled violently, and fine cracks appeared on its various facilities, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

However, this change lasted only a moment before being interrupted by an even more powerful force.

Countless colorful ribbons woven into animal smiley faces and other patterns emerged from the void in all directions, like the mouthparts of hundreds or thousands of bloodthirsty venomous insects. They whistled and swirled as they suddenly burrowed into the pile of cardboard boxes, brutally extracting the blood-stained hazy light. The low roars instantly turned into mournful groans.

Tiny scraps of paper fell like snowflakes, and on the extravagantly decorated circus tent, more and more paintings, balloons, and other decorations gradually emerged, seemingly proclaiming that the precious essence of the cardboard box's owner was being slowly taken away by this hateful enemy.

"Why resist so stubbornly? The noble bloodline and prestige of the past are worthless in this day and age. Just wait patiently for the final moment to arrive, and perhaps I will take pity on you and leave a wisp of your consciousness as a servant in the circus..."

With a light snap of his fingers, the white-gloved man sent the jumbled pile of cardboard boxes crashing back to the ground, the stage carpet wriggling back into place, and everything returned to normal.

In stark contrast to his relaxed and carefree demeanor, the clown's smile vanished in an instant, and he paced back and forth in frustration.

...This is truly a headache. According to the original estimate, if we could bring Morgana in and combine her with the [Merlin's Ring], along with the combined efforts of everyone, we would be able to crush that bull that only had strength, and use it as the foundation of the circus, making this tent a complete demiplane. I could also advance along with it and hopefully touch the gate to immortality.

But now, all their efforts have been wasted! In fact, the loss of the circus's overall strength almost gave the prisoners, who were already in a cage, a chance to take advantage of them.

The best course of action now is to quickly recruit new members in order to steadily suppress and eventually eliminate the prey. However, finding suitable targets is not so easy...

It picked up where it left off, thinking bitterly, "That spirit of witchcraft seems to have escaped with a fragment, but unfortunately it was thrown away somewhere by the chaotic spatial gate. Otherwise, it could have been put to good use."

……

……

The autumn rains in the south are always plentiful. Regardless of whether the newly planted oats and vegetables can handle the rain, the rains recklessly poured down for several days until the poor crops finally shut their mouths and the turbid waters overflowed onto the nearby rural road. Only then did the rains reluctantly withdraw their power, leaving behind only a thick gray cloud.

In such a remote rural town, there are naturally not many sanitation workers to do their job properly. The half-dry, half-liquid sticky mud mixed with withered and rotten grass lies lazily on the roadside, letting tires run over it and leave a trail of black and yellow marks.

The slightly worn, orange-yellow school bus rounded a bend and came to a shaky stop. The mechanical lever pulled the door open just half a foot, and a thin figure hurriedly squeezed out, stumbling and running away, leaving a string of mocking laughter behind.

"There are actually idiots in this world who are sixteen years old and still don't know what menstruation is. What a freak!"

"In their Puritan families, that's seen as a symbol of purity. Tsk tsk, you know what? I know there are a lot of guys these days who like to cultivate such innocent, blank-slate cuteness..."

"You're not talking about yourself, are you? Haha, I didn't expect you to like this kind of thing..."

"Don't joke around, with her flat little body, it would be really uncomfortable to hold..."

Even though the school bus had already sped away, spewing exhaust fumes, the malicious words seemed to linger in the air, turning into thorny brambles that wounded people all over.

The large schoolbag, like a boulder, pressed down on the thin girl's shoulders, looking rather out of place. She desperately covered her ears and staggered along the path.

The golden hair on her forehead gradually turned into a wet patch, clinging tightly to her skin. The girl raised her eyes blankly, and a few cool drops fell on her still somewhat pretty face. Only then did she realize that, without her noticing, the misty rain had once again fallen from the sky.

She shrugged her backpack over her shoulder, feeling a lightening of the heavy burden. Then she turned around and saw a long tear in the bag. Her stationery and textbooks were soaking in dirty mud, spilled all the way, clearly having been caught somewhere when she was in a hurry to get off the bus.

—Not a single student offered a word of advice.

The girl stood there blankly, like a frozen stone sculpture, until after a few breaths, she silently bent down and picked up the things little by little.

The chilly autumn wind whipped up moisture that clung to my body, soaking through my thin school uniform in no time.

Under the gloomy sky, the girl struggled to carry her canvas bag, her face blank as she stiffly moved her legs toward the place called home.