American variety show world begins with subduing Jason

In late spring and early summer, the scorching breeze can only exert its power during the day, while the night air remains reserved, offering a touch of coolness for people to sleep peacefully.

However, as they entered the tunnel, the precious coolness instantly turned into restlessness. A dry, hot air current, carrying a strange smell with a hint of sulfur and grease, quietly drifted in from ahead.

As they went deeper, the heat intensified, almost like the height of summer. If an ordinary person were here, they would probably be drenched in sweat long ago.

At the end of the tunnel, a dark red shadow floated, then expanded, revealing a spacious stone chamber of at least two or three hundred square meters.

Hundreds of tiny, dark purple lights twinkled across the ground, like loyal subjects guarding a rugged, golden-red high chair.

Under high temperatures, the quartz particles in the sandstone dissolve into a solution that flows gently. After cooling, it coats this space with a crystal-clear glass-like veil.

Several blazing white flames hovered and leaped in the air, their light making one feel as if they were in a dazzling crystal palace, indirectly demonstrating the owner's profound control over fire. Combined with the languid posture of the figure on the high chair, it created a striking effect from the outset.

Such a pretentious act might fool ordinary people, but in Zhu Mingyao's eyes, who had seen many big scenes, it was simply a bit exaggerated.

Under his perception with the [Lung God Canopy], the high chair under the man's buttocks appeared to be magnificent, but in reality, it was just covered with a layer of gold leaf on the outside and made of molten brass inside.

From the empty space next door, there were even many metallic scents coming from various shapes, some long and some flat, clearly indicating that a lot of copper had been stored there.

Oh dear, so you've stopped hoarding gold and started hoarding brass instead? In this day and age, still following the guidance of your bloodline, carrying your racial vices to the very end, hoarding shiny trinkets wherever you go—for such a meticulous person, I'd like to respectfully call you the Master of Grass…

Unaware that his image had changed from a mysterious and powerful figure to a scrap metal recycler, the figure stood up, feeling quite pleased with himself.

He looked to be in his fifties or sixties, with messy, tangled brown hair and a unkempt beard. If he were to wear a worn-out jacket instead of his denim outfit, he would look no different from a homeless man sitting next to a garbage dump on the street.

Of course, all of this is on the premise that one must ignore the flames dancing in those reddish-yellow eyes and the shield-shaped red scales that are faintly visible on those high brow bones.

"Hello, Mr. Rennes, it seems you have brought some innocent club employees here for questioning?"

"Please allow me, as a government official, to remind you not to involve irrelevant people. The Federation is a place with laws and regulations." Nick stepped forward and said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"We will do our best to investigate this matter, but before that, could you please let them go home first?"

"My daughter is missing, esteemed government official." Although he thought his words were relatively mild, the man's mood was clearly not pleasant.

His lips turned up, revealing two rows of teeth that were harder and thicker than those of a human.

Do you think the so-called rules still apply at this time?

When two people don't see eye to eye, a tense atmosphere suddenly rises in the air.

Chapter 443 Black Claw

As soon as the words were spoken, hexagonal frost appeared on the crystal-clear glass layer of the cave wall, and the surrounding temperature seemed to plummet to freezing point as soon as the words were spoken.

But those inside feel a rapid surge of intense heat on their skin!

This sudden burning sensation felt like a merciless flame roaring and boiling beneath the skin, yet no trace of flame could be seen with the naked eye.

Only under supernatural vision could one see that tiny, grayish-red specks of light were condensing from the void, wriggling menacingly around the two of them.

In the blink of an eye, invisible heat is drawn out from the space, transforming into incinerating dust that can burn flesh and melt steel. Such control over flames, capable of causing anyone to explode, would be comparable to a human-shaped thermobaric bomb in the destructive power of a modern city.

With such strength, they certainly have the right to be arrogant.

Rein's lips curled slightly; he was naturally very familiar with the Green family's reputation. As one of the top individuals among the Federation's outcasts, he was well-versed in interpersonal relationships and was not as arrogant and rude as he deliberately portrayed.

However, the law of the jungle among non-human races is too deeply ingrained. His long-standing experience interacting with his own kind has made him accustomed to showing his claws to a certain extent in order to gain more initiative, no matter what the discussion is about.

The five fingers, hanging down, subtly hooked, and the scorching light dust was withdrawn the moment it touched it, about to dissipate in the next instant.

"Ok?"

Just as a driver who has stepped on the gas pedal suddenly finds that the car is not moving, in the midst of Renn's mental turmoil, the scorching red dust suddenly lost control and rapidly converged in one direction.

His reddish-yellow pupils suddenly contracted, staring intently at the outstretched, flat hand opposite him.

His hands were long and strong, with smooth and full muscles, just like any healthy young man. But above them, a lotus flower, seemingly made of the finest Ceylon rubies, was in full bloom.

The giant red lotus slowly rotated, constantly absorbing the burning dust to strengthen itself, and also illuminating a face that was excessively young despite its formidable strength.

"Now we can have a proper talk, Mr. Ryan?"

Seeing the other party's surprised and wary look, Zhu Mingyao calmly and amicably made his proposal.

The details of the Silent Hill expedition are shrouded in mystery. Apart from the high-ranking officials directly involved, the specific information was kept extremely tight, and outsiders were not very clear about his achievements.

In addition, his power system emphasizes restraint and roundness, making him very inconspicuous before he makes a move. His opponents didn't even notice him. This seemingly Nick's assistant is actually the main force on this trip.

Seeing the proud old dragon vein sorcerer's conflicted expression, still unwilling to lower his pride, Zhu Mingyao was too lazy to waste any more words.

With a flick of his wrist, the fiery red lotus was thrown out, and the rock wall on one side instantly turned from black to red, then turned into molten lava and collapsed, before quickly cooling into large, smooth pieces of obsidian.

In a stone chamber that was revealed next door, twenty or thirty listless club employees sat on the floor, their mouths agape as they stared at the strange sight before them.

"Please send these irrelevant people home first. The club has a special event these days. If we lose such a large amount of revenue, that greedy rat-man boss will probably be so heartbroken that he'll hang himself."

The crowd froze for a few seconds, then burst out, fleeing the mine tunnel in ecstatic joy.

"Isn't it a bit impolite for a guest to make a decision on his own without the host's permission?" A hint of anger flashed in his eyes, and a deep syllable rang out in Rein's throat.

The billowing flames, mixed with choking black smoke, cascaded down like a waterfall, blocking the exit and forcing the people who had just escaped to stop in terror.

A flash of gleaming light swept across, a sharp, crescent-shaped glint of light shooting out, like an invisible hand lifting a curtain, the flames parting precisely in the middle. Nick, without turning his head, gracefully sheathed his sword.

But his dashing look didn't last three seconds before a hazy, dark shadow appeared out of nowhere. The flames seemed to have been doused with gasoline and ignited, then suddenly closed up again, threatening to block those trying to pass through.

Zhu Mingyao snorted coldly, and a talisman outlined with black and purple lightning rushed into the sea of ​​fire. The true name and secret inscription of the Northern Black Tortoise God shone brightly, and the surging Gui Water essence washed back and forth, crushing the flames to the last trace.

A gentle breeze swirled and carried away the unfortunate passersby who had caused this trouble, before he glanced sideways at a fork in the road and said meaningfully:

"Everyone is trying to find Miss Catherine who has been kidnapped as soon as possible. Why bother arguing over trivial matters? Wouldn't it be better to just say what's on your mind?"

The sound of leather shoes creaking and groaning on the gravel filled the air, and a slender gentleman's cane tapped the ground as a middle-aged man in his fifties emerged from the darkness.

He had a typical Caucasian aquiline nose, and beneath his short, silver-gray hair, a pair of brown eyes gleamed with a somber light. On his blue-purple suit jacket, a jet-black gemstone brooch shaped like a dragon claw emitted an obscure aura.

"[Black Claw] Kant! So it was you who got involved, no wonder..."

Nick was taken aback at first, then swallowed the rest of his sentence.

No wonder Rennes, knowing his official status, still dared to demonstrate in person; it turns out he had found a powerful backer.

"Long time no see, esteemed and distinguished Mr. Green." Beneath the visitor's polite tone lay a subtle sarcasm.

“I know what you’re trying to say. Let me explain in advance: Mr. Raine has already agreed to join us [Black Talon] and is now my vice president, so his affairs are our affairs.”

Nick was speechless for a moment after his excuse for accusation was blocked in advance, and he helplessly lowered his head to explain to his companion.

"【Black Claw】is a dark society whose main members are non-human races. Although its absolute strength is not too great, it includes most of the alien creatures in the northwestern part of the Federation. I have dealt with them many times before."

He paused slightly, his cheek muscles twitching, and added in a low voice, "Most of the alien subspecies have some unique abilities, and many people cooperate with them, so their influence is spread across all walks of life, and their members are of varying quality. Sometimes they fall into my hands, and there have been several conflicts."

Zhu Mingyao nodded slightly, pretending to listen attentively, but in reality, he already knew what was going on.

Isn't this Nick, your villainous nemesis from the original TV series? Even though I haven't watched the whole season, I still have some impression of him.

"Since we all share the same goal, why don't we put aside our past grievances for now and discuss the case first?"

"Your wisdom can illuminate the sky, and that is exactly what I think."

Kant's eyes flashed, and he gave a very aristocratic bow.

Chapter 444 Dream Thief?

A cool droplet of water fell, bursting open on the rough ground and quietly wetting a small patch of sand and gravel.

As the flames at the mine entrance dissipated, a gentle night breeze swept in. The soothing airflow touched the cold rock walls, and patches of frost-like white powder melted and dripped from the cave ceiling, resembling a light drizzle of apricot blossoms.

The four people present were all extraordinary experts with secret techniques, so they naturally wouldn't care about the trouble of getting their clothes wet like ordinary people. They were only focused on watching a picture projected on the wall.

To be precise, it was Ryan and Kant who were watching carefully, while Zhu Mingyao and Nick were responsible for explaining.

The scene shows tables, chairs, clothes, and various furnishings passing by in turn, which is the room of the missing Catherine. The camera moves very slowly, occasionally zooming in on key areas to reveal some colorful, hazy light.

That's roughly the situation.

Nick wiped his hand across a mirror inlaid with thin crystal, and the image froze.

"The Mirror of Records was created by a high-ranking alchemist from the government. It can almost perfectly reproduce all traces of residual energy fluctuations in the captured images."

The mirror swayed gently in his hand, its surface reflecting the focused faces of the four people.

"Based on the information we have, we can conclude that Catherine's presence disappeared suddenly. Before that, she hadn't even left the bed. Perhaps you would prefer to observe her in person?"

“I don’t think it’s necessary.” Kant glanced at his newly recruited ally, whose face was full of gloom and anger. He was clearly not in the mood to participate in a rational discussion, so he had to speak up himself.

"As a professional dark magician, I am quite confident in my knowledge in this area. I agree with your guesses—she was most likely abducted through a dream!"

He pointed to the luxurious bed in the picture, carefully choosing his words, and said solemnly:

"Considering the similar disappearances you mentioned earlier, we have reason to believe that perhaps the demon from Elm Street has reappeared."

"So that guy really did escape back then?" Nick's expression was a mixture of anger and relief. Although he had had many conflicts with Kant in the past, he had to admit that the other party was capable.

With numerous niche, dark, and unorthodox followers, this sorcerer, nicknamed "Black Claw," possesses profound knowledge of strange and obscure spells, and his judgments carry considerable authority.

"So where should we start our search now?" With the target basically determined, Nick became troubled instead.

Understanding what troubled him, Zhu Mingyao also let out the same sigh.

Parallel dimensions outside of reality were merely hypotheses in the scientific theories of the previous life, but in this life they are a real and undeniable existence.

Although these spaces differ greatly in their laws, just as a building needs a foundation to support it, they all rely on certain concepts of the primary material universe for their existence.

The grand and lofty, such as heaven and hell, and pure lands and divine kingdoms, rely on the laws constructed by great supernatural beings, while the more ordinary blessed lands depend on the energy nodes of the void and planetary veins.

Even more unique are the twilight world and the shadow world. The former is a boundary gap created by the interaction and friction of positive and negative energies during the alternation of day and night. The latter is a reflection cast by the material world.

Among those extraordinary spaces, the dream world stands out as the most unique. While other alternate dimensions have some material basis, the dream world is entirely born from fragments of consciousness emitted by living beings during their sleep.

It is a sea of ​​nothingness formed by the subconscious, a labyrinth entwined with darkness and shadows. It floats on the edge of the real world, like an invisible cloud, gathering the trickling streams of every living being's dream.

In that place, the rules of time and space are completely overturned, and fragments of dreams, like shattered mirrors, are randomly pieced together and interwoven into bizarre and fantastical scenes.

The differences between individual life positions are largely leveled out here, and thought becomes the cornerstone of everything. Desires and fears take form and create all sorts of incredible effects.

However miraculous it may seem, this power is ultimately ethereal and elusive, requiring an extremely rare talent of perception to utilize.

Therefore, although various schools of thought possess some related magical arts, very few extraordinary individuals specialize in this particular path.

Zhu Mingyao himself can use simple methods like dream communication, but when it comes to tracking things in the dream world, he falls short.

He knew many experts from both the East and the West, but none of them were proficient in this art.