America: The Cremator

Chapter 132 The Savior of Carter Town!

At that moment, the thick white fog completely dissipated with Wendigo's death.

Sunlight pierced through the thick clouds and shone on the ravaged forest floor.

Surong looked around but couldn't see Dania and Hannah, which made him wonder.

Where did those two go? Were they blown away by the aftershocks the moment the Ghost Realm opened?

Or did they go to get reinforcements?

Just as Su Long was about to enter the dense forest to search for the two, a sound of rustling leaves suddenly came from the bushes on his left. Immediately afterwards, a figure rushed out from the bushes, pounced on him, and opened his arms to hug him.

Hannah pressed her cheek against Su Long's chest, her voice trembling with excitement: "Su, you're here!"

"I'm so glad you're alright. Dania said you might have been forcibly dragged into the Ghost Realm by that monster. I was terrified."

Su Long was pulled back half a step by Hannah. Seeing Hannah's worried look, he was about to reply when heavy footsteps came from his right.

He turned his head and saw Dania rubbing her shoulder as she walked out of the dense forest. When she saw the two people standing together, her expression immediately turned to joy, and she quickly walked towards them, stepping over the mess on the ground.

"I want a hug too! I want a hug too!" Dania's voice was loud and clear, her tone filled with undisguised excitement.

Upon hearing the sound, Hannah immediately loosened her arms and took a half step back, awkwardly adjusting the hood of her raincoat that had slipped down to her shoulder.

Just as Su Long was about to speak, Dania didn't give him any time to react. She reached under Su Long's ribs and knees and effortlessly lifted him up in her arms.

The thick tiger tail also extended from her lower back and wrapped tightly around Su Long's waist.

Dania lowered her head, her eyes fixed on Sulong, whom she was holding in her arms, and said excitedly, "Well done, Sulong! You killed this Wendigo all by yourself!"

Su Long's face darkened. He was a muscular man over 1.8 meters tall who had just single-handedly killed a strange C-rank monster, but now he was being carried in mid-air by a woman in a princess carry.

If Elena or Stella saw this, he felt he would never be able to hold his head up again.

He cleared his throat and said helplessly, "Danya, please put me down quickly. I'm really not used to this position."

Hearing Sulong's protest, Dania gently placed him on the ground, patted him on the shoulder, and grinned, "Hey, buddy, don't be so shy—but seriously, what's next with this thing?"

She turned to look at Wendigo's body in the mud pit, frowning in disgust: "Should we just burn it to ashes?"

"You seem particularly interested in burning corpses."

Su Long straightened his wrinkled clothes and said firmly, "It definitely needs to be burned, but not here, and certainly not now."

Dania raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled. "Not burning it now? Saving it for Thanksgiving?"

Su Long shook his head and looked in the direction of Caster Town: "This beast is the source of fear for the entire town of Caster for a long time, and the embodiment of all their resentment."

"If we just burn it to ashes in the middle of nowhere and then go back to tell them the monster is dead, do you think they'll be completely at ease?"

Hannah, who was standing to the side, suddenly brightened up when she heard this and exclaimed in realization, "Suron is right! The townspeople have been tormented by it for so long. If they don't see the corpse with their own eyes, the shadow in their hearts will never be erased, and they will live the rest of their lives in a nightmare in which the monster may return at any time."

Dania nodded thoughtfully, agreeing, "Su, you're so thoughtful. We can let them watch from a distance while it's burning—then let's take it back and let the townspeople see the wretched state of this bastard."

Surong pulled out his phone, looked around for a signal, and then dialed Jesse's number. The call was quickly answered, and Jesse's urgent and tense voice came through the speakerphone: "Mr. Surong! How is it? Are you all alright? That monster—"

Looking at the scorched earth beneath his feet, Su Long said calmly, "We've already killed that beast. Its body is in the woods not far from the scarecrow's remains. Now, bring a pickup truck over and take its body back to town."

After hearing that the monster had been killed, a noisy discussion broke out on the other end of the phone, followed by Jesse and the old mayor Dale shouting in distorted voices due to extreme excitement.

"Mr. Suron! We're coming right away! Right away!" Jesse shouted at the top of his lungs before hanging up the phone.

Su Long put away his phone and shrugged at the two women: "Looks like they can't wait any longer."

Hannah, however, stared at Suron's left arm and said worriedly, "Suron, your injury—"

Upon hearing this, Surong looked at his left arm. Because Wendigo's claws were covered with strange, solid ice, the wound was instantly frozen after being scratched. Even the regenerative power of [Flesh Rebuilding] was greatly suppressed, resulting in the wound not yet being fully healed.

Looking at the thin layer of ice covering the wound and the bloodless skin, Su Long calmly picked up "Raphael" and poured the remaining wine onto the wound.

The thin ice melted instantly upon contact with the liquor, and the wound began to heal rapidly, becoming mostly healed in the blink of an eye.

He looked at the two women again, shrugged, and said, "Alright, standing here isn't a solution. Let's find a place to rest for a while."

The three of them walked to the roadside and sat down, quietly waiting for Jesse and the others to arrive.

A dozen minutes later, the roar of a car engine came from the direction of the highway. A Ford F-150 pickup truck with peeling paint appeared at the end of the road, followed closely by Dania's black Land Rover.

The two cars screeched to a halt a dozen meters away from Su Long and his two companions, their tires screeching against the asphalt road, and the doors were pushed open almost simultaneously.

Hunter Cole and Mayor Dale jumped excitedly from the pickup truck, and Jesse quickly jumped out of the Land Rover's driver's seat as well.

The three of them spotted Suron, Dania, and Hannah standing by the roadside at a glance and immediately took off running towards them. Dale was out of breath, but his voice was still excited: "Mr. Suron! The monster—where is the monster?"

Su Long turned around and pointed to the dense forest behind him: "The corpse is in there."

The three of them immediately followed the direction Su Long pointed and trudged into the woods.

As they passed through several thick fir trees and saw the large, mangled corpse in the mud pit, all three of them froze in place.

The monster that once brought endless nightmares to the town now lies lifelessly in the mud.

The tattered ice crystal armor was melting, revealing the grayish-white flesh riddled with holes from the explosion beneath, and the broken bones and bulging organs emitted a strong, pungent stench.

Dale's legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees on the muddy ground. His whole body trembled violently, his eyes fixed on the corpse, and he croaked, "Is this... the monster that has been plaguing our town?"

Cole stared at the monster's blasted face and spat out a mouthful of saliva: "That bastard! That damn bastard is finally dead!"

Jesse stood there, his gaze sweeping over Wendigo's horrific injuries, each mark testifying to the brutality of the battle that had just taken place.

He turned his head and looked at Su Long, who stood calmly to the side, his eyes filled with deep awe and shock.

Jesse took a deep breath, turned around abruptly, bowed deeply to the three of them, and said in a loud voice, "Mr. Suron, Miss Dania, Miss Hannah—all the residents of Caster Town will forever remember your kindness!"

Su Long waved his hand: "Alright, don't thank me yet. Let's get this stuff onto the car first. The people in town are waiting to see how it goes."

.

Cole immediately called to Jesse, and the two of them dragged several thick ropes from the pickup truck bed and tied Wendigo's body tightly. Then, with Dania's help, they dragged the heavy, massive body into the back of the pickup truck.

Once the body was loaded, Cole covered most of the monster's body with a tarpaulin, leaving only its ferocious deer head and a few broken claws exposed, ensuring that everyone along the way could see it clearly.

"Let's go home!" Dale climbed into the passenger seat of the pickup truck and waved his hand.

The three of them got back into the Land Rover, Dania started the engine, and followed the pickup truck towards Caster Town.

The morning sun finally pierced through the clouds and shone on the dilapidated streets of Castel. At this time of year, the town was usually lifeless, with every household's doors and windows tightly shut.

But now, the situation is completely different.

As the engines of the two vehicles roared at the entrance to the town, the heavy sliding barbed wire gate was fully opened, and townspeople holding various makeshift weapons stood on both sides of the gate.

The pickup truck was the first to drive onto the main road, and the ferocious, enormous deer head on the back of the truck bed was instantly exposed to everyone's view.

Gasps of alarm erupted from the crowd. Some people retreated in fright, while others covered their mouths and wept bitterly. But most people stared intently at the mangled corpse, their eyes blazing with long-suppressed hatred.

"The monster is dead! The exorcists really killed it!"

The news spread like wildfire throughout the town in just a few minutes.

The townspeople who had been hiding in their houses pushed open their doors and rushed into the streets. Soon, the main road was crowded with people of all ages, men, women and children, and all eyes were on the pickup truck and the Land Rover that followed closely behind.

Dania honked the horn and slowly drove the Land Rover through the crowd.

When the Land Rover came to a stop at the crossroads in the center of town, it was already surrounded by townspeople.

Su Long pushed open the back door of the car and stepped out. Before he could even stand up, several burly old farmers rushed up to him with red eyes.

"It was him! This gentleman killed the monster!"

Several thick arms instantly grabbed Su Long's arms and legs.

"Hey! Wait!" Su Long's expression changed, and he was about to break free.

"hero!!!"

A deafening cheer erupted at the crossroads as several old farmers simultaneously hurled Su Long high into the air.

Su Long waved his arms and legs in mid-air, looking helplessly at the fervent and grateful faces below. He had just landed in the arms of the crowd when he was tossed high into the air again.

"Hero! The great savior of Caster Town!"

Sulong's body swayed in mid-air as several farmers' strong arms took turns lifting him up.

His gaze swept past the sweat- and tear-streaked faces and landed in the shadows of the buildings at the edge of the intersection. Amidst the dense crowd and the cacophony of cheers, he noticed Eleanor and her family standing on the street corner.

Arthur wore an old jacket with his hands in his pockets. Mary held Eleanor's hand tightly. Eleanor's gaze was fixed on the void ahead, unresponsive to the surrounding noise.

"Stop! Stop right there!"

Su Long shouted in mid-air and pressed his hands down. The excited townspeople heard Su Long's shout and immediately stopped their force, catching him steadily and putting him back on the ground.

Su Long landed on his feet, straightened the crumpled hem of his coat, gestured to the surrounding crowd, and said gently, "Guys, please make way, I can barely breathe."

The crowd parted, laughing, and made way for Sulong, who walked straight toward Eleanor's family. Arthur watched Sulong approach, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only let out a long sigh and lowered his head.

Mary instinctively pulled Eleanor behind her, trying to block the girl's view of the pickup truck.

Suron stopped in front of them, his gaze falling on Mary, and said in a calm tone, "Madam Mary, take Eleanor over to see her."

Mary shook her head repeatedly, her eyes full of resistance: "No, she has already suffered such a huge shock. That monster looked too terrifying. If she sees it again, she will completely break down."

Surong looked directly into Mary's eyes and said firmly, "Running away won't solve the problem, Mrs. Mary. That monster is the source of her nightmares. If she doesn't see with her own eyes that the source has become a cold corpse, her nightmares will never end."

"Only by facing fear head-on can we truly defeat it."

Mary froze, and slightly loosened her grip on Eleanor's hand.

Arthur looked up, glanced at Suron, then at his wife, and finally reached out and gently patted Mary's shoulder: "He's right—let's take her to see him."

The family of three followed Suron back to the pickup truck. He crouched down, pointed at the truck, and said softly, "Eleanor, look up. That bad guy who kidnapped your sister has been killed by us. It can no longer hurt anyone."

Eleanor's blank gaze followed Su Long's finger and slowly rose up, only to see the huge deer head hanging low at the back of the carriage. The body that had once exuded a terrifying aura was now dilapidated and lifeless.

The girl's stiff body trembled slightly. She took a step forward, her feet clad in old canvas shoes, and slowly approached the pickup truck bed. She looked up and stared at the terrifying face that had appeared countless times in her nightmares.

After a long while, Eleanor stretched out her pale, thin right hand and slowly reached towards the huge deer head, her fingers finally touching the monster's charred, cold flesh.

The monster didn't jump up, didn't roar, and didn't swing its deadly claws. It was dead. It was really dead.

Eleanor's fingers snapped back, stopping halfway in mid-air. Her small hand clenched into a fist and slammed heavily onto the monster's corpse.

"Bang."

The sound was very soft, but it was unusually clear on the quiet street.

Eleanor raised her fist again and slammed it down, again and again, her fists landing repeatedly on the monster's head.

"ah--!!!"

The long-suppressed sobs finally burst forth from her throat.

The cries were heart-wrenching, filled with the pain of losing loved ones, long-held fear, and the utter release of finally being safe.

Eleanor clutched the monster's tattered fur tightly with both hands, buried her head in her arms, and cried out loud.

Mary could no longer hold back and rushed forward to hug her daughter tightly. The mother and daughter wept together beside the monster's corpse. Arthur also stepped forward, opened his arms to protect his wife and daughter, and tears streamed down the face of this rugged man.

From the crowd, someone let out a suppressed sob, which instantly ignited the emotions of everyone present. More and more people began to weep—wives who had lost their husbands, parents who had lost their children, young people who had lost their friends—

They recalled the days and nights spent in fear, and the loved ones brutally murdered by the monster.

It took more than ten minutes for the crying from the crowd to gradually subside.

Eleanor lifted her head from her mother's arms. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her face was covered in tears, but her previously dull and empty gaze had regained its sparkle.

She turned to look at Suron, Dania, and Hannah standing not far away, her lips trembling slightly.

"Thank you—thank you all."

Upon hearing her daughter's voice, Mary froze on the spot, then suddenly cupped her daughter's face in her hands, tears streaming down her face.

"Eleanor? You spoke? You just spoke, didn't you!" Mary's voice trembled violently. She couldn't believe her ears and was afraid that this was just a fleeting dream.

Eleanor looked at her mother and nodded gently. "Mom, I'm alright."

The moment she received confirmation, Mary hugged her daughter tightly and burst into tears. All the pent-up emotions, despair, and pain she had endured for so long poured out with her tears.

Arthur stood there dumbfounded. This rugged man with a full beard almost knelt down in front of Sulong because his legs went weak.

Tears streamed down his reddened eyes, splashing onto the dusty asphalt road.

Arthur lowered his head, his voice hoarse, and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Suron! I was a complete bastard before. I apologize for my previous unreasonable behavior. You not only killed the monster, but also saved my daughter and my whole family—"

Surong reached out and supported Arthur's arm, pulling him up.

Sulong said calmly, "Mr. Arthur, you are just a father who wants to protect his daughter. There's nothing to apologize for. Take Eleanor back and get some rest. The nightmare is over."

Half an hour later, the excited crowd had calmed down and set up a simple wooden platform in the middle of the town's crossroads.

The men joined hands to secure Wendigo's body to the platform with ropes, while the women stood at a distance with their children, quietly watching the monster's corpse being hung up.

-

After hanging the body up, everyone left. Jesse handed the torch he had prepared to Suron and solemnly said, "Mr. Suron, come on, this is the honor you deserve. Please use the flames to put an end to the nightmare of Caster Town."

Suron took the torch, turned and walked toward the wooden platform. Dania and Hannah stood aside, quietly watching his back.

Sulong stopped in front of the wooden platform. He looked at Wendigo's ferocious deer head, and with a slight thought, the spiritual power in his body flowed into the torch through his arm.

The crimson-orange flame at the top of the torch was quietly tinged with gold.

Suron raised his arm and threw the torch at the wooden platform. Golden primordial fire roared up and spread rapidly along the wooden planks and dry grass, instantly engulfing the Wendigo's massive corpse.

Amidst the towering flames, a system notification popped up on Su Long's retina.

[Burning the C-rank Weird Wendigo grants 30 experience points and the attribute "Night Hunter".]

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