American Zombie Detective

Chapter 182 The Actors Are In Place

The dean who appeared for the fourth time seemed to have been completely reset to his original state, with no memory of the previous three encounters.

She nodded kindly, made the sign of the cross on her chest, and entered the wooden hut to sit down: "Fellow believer, welcome!"

Next, Qin Jin communicated with her as if she were a normal person, and the entire conversation went exceptionally smoothly. The old woman inquired with concern about the situation of the war outside.

Qin Jin, relying on his knowledge of history, responded flawlessly, providing a detailed account of the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and setting the timeline to the end of World War I.

The old woman listened intently, and a hint of pity, befitting her status, even appeared on her face.

She also told Qin Jin about the situation at the monastery:

The history of this monastery dates back hundreds of years. It is said to have been a duke's castle, and it has been a monastery for over a hundred years.

Besides her, the headmistress, there were three deacons and thirty-eight devout nuns, the youngest of whom had been there for at least three years.

"We live a life free from worldly strife, seeking only inner peace," the old woman said slowly. "Fortunately, the Lord has not abandoned us. A kind young man sends us necessary supplies every now and then, allowing us to survive."

Qin Jin's heart skipped a beat, and he grasped this crucial information.

His face showed just the right amount of relief and eagerness: "Really? Granny, how often does that young man come? You see, my companions and I are really not familiar with the mountain paths here. Since there is a way out, could we—could we wait for that young man to come next time and leave with him?"

The headmistress pondered for a moment, then said gently, "He seems to have only been here recently—I'm not sure when he'll come again. How about this, I'll ask Deacon Helen for you later; she'll know more. It's good that you go out with him; this mountain path is indeed difficult to walk on."

"Thank you so much, Granny! You really saved our lives!" Qin Jin said, his eyes filled with gratitude.

Next, Qin Jin probed into other matters indirectly, but unfortunately, the dean seemed completely unaware of anything related to demons and exorcism, and did not provide any further information.

After chatting for a few more minutes, the headmistress got up to take her leave and walked slowly and steadily out of the wooden house.

The wooden door closed, and the room returned to silence.

Qin Jin and Alessa remained motionless, sitting quietly and waiting.

One minute, three minutes, five minutes, eight minutes, ten minutes—twenty minutes have passed.

The slow footsteps were no longer heard outside the corridor.

"It seems the strange cycle has temporarily subsided."

Qin Jin slowly spoke to Alessa, as if organizing his thoughts, "This monastery, or rather this land, has a very strange rule."

He recalled the scene where George encountered Sister Rachel: "Like George, when he showed fear, and might even have cried out 'monster,' Sister Rachel really did transform into a monster. But when I appeared and spoke to her using normal terms of address, she was able to return to some of her normal self."

"The same goes for this dean," Qin Jin continued his analysis. "When we stimulate her with things beyond her comprehension—such as exorcists or the blood of Jesus—she triggers a mechanism that turns her into a monster driven by dark energy. But if we follow the script within her comprehension, she can remain normal. And even if we kill her, she will respawn as long as the rules deem it necessary—it's very strange."

Alessa looked at Qin Jin with her grey-blue eyes and nodded. "Hmm. The rules. Troublesome." She paused, then suggested, "Wait, Selena?"

"At present, this may be the safest approach," Qin Jin agreed. "We may really have to wait for her to open the entrance to William's secret chamber, but before that, we need to do some preparatory work and can't just wait around."

He changed the subject, asking Alessa, "About where are the bodies of the 'asylum' squad you took care of? Are they still intact?"

Aresa tilted her head and thought for a moment, then picked up the tactical tablet, skillfully brought up the electronic map, and pointed to several locations on it with her slender finger.

"Chainsaw killer, neck severed. Complete."

"Joker, shoot yourself. Complete."

"Very good." A calculating glint flashed in Qin Jin's eyes. "Alessa, you stay here. Keep an eye on George and Sophie, don't let them run around and cause trouble. Lock the door that connects to the monastery, and don't open it for anyone."

I'm going out for a bit.

Qin Jin left the wooden house and quickly rushed towards the location of the corpse.

Inside the cabin, Alessa sat quietly on a stool, holding her doll. Time passed slowly, and only the faint sounds of George and Sophie's uneasy breathing could be heard from the next room.

Around four o'clock in the afternoon, Alessa suddenly raised her head. She sensed Qin Jin's aura rapidly approaching, but—he wasn't the only one!

She immediately slipped out the door and just then saw Qin Jin turning around the huge stone wall of the monastery.

He was carrying a person in each of his left and right hands!

These are the corpses of the chainsaw killer and Harley Quinn! But these two corpses are now undergoing a bizarre transformation:

The blood vessels on their faces and arms bulged abnormally beneath the exposed skin, giving them a bluish-purple color, as if ink were wriggling inside.

Their chests showed extremely faint rises and falls!

Alessa immediately understood—

Qin Jin injected them with corpse poison! As long as the corpses are fresh, Qin Jin can easily turn them into zombies and has complete control over them.

"Do you still need it?" Alessa asked. "I can, corrode this place. Summon, Pyramid Head."

"Not for now."

Qin Jin tossed the two living corpses into the shadows of the castle; their limbs had begun to twitch unconsciously. "Your power is too disruptive. Save it for when a large-scale clearing is needed. These two little gadgets are enough for now."

Then, Qin Jin took out a stainless steel bottle from his pocket and handed it to Alessa: "Would you like some? The blood of the ibex tastes different from ordinary blood."

Aresa shook her head: "I've already eaten."

Qin Jin put the wine bottle away and watched the transformation process complete. Around 6 p.m., the sky began to darken noticeably, and the light in the forest became dim and unclear.

The two corpses on the ground suddenly straightened up!

Their joints were stiff, their eyes were vacant and deathly white, and they made meaningless "hoarse" sounds from their throats; they were completely like two newly formed...

The lowest form of zombie, driven only by the instincts of Qin and Jin.

Once the mask is on, there doesn't seem to be much of a problem.

Aresa then took out the weapons she had previously put away from her doll and equipped the two zombies according to her memory. At first glance, apart from their overly stiff movements, the two seemed to be no different from the original.

Qin Jin rubbed his temples, glanced at the dim light outside, and suddenly laughed: "The actors are in place, the stage is ready, now—let's think about the script!"