A common tavern that connects all fantasy worlds

She knew how long her boyfriend had waited for this opportunity and how much effort he had put in, and of course she knew how devastated Leon would be if he got the news.

For this matter, she finally went out in the evening and came to the restaurant where she worked.

I have been working here for so long, and I have become acquainted with the boss and regular customers, especially those present here are actually friends of Lyon.

Kyrgyzstan is there, having dinner; as a well-known broker in the art circle, he has been doing work with great energy to help people buy and sell art, help people introduce donors, help people contact galleries for exhibitions, and so on. No time to have girlfriends, start a family, and certainly not bother to go home and cook, so dinner is usually settled here.

Seeing Maya coming in, he greeted him friendly: "Hi, Maya, do you know where Leon is? His phone has been disconnected."

"...Maybe the battery is out, I don't know why he went there."

Maya answered a few words, and everyone around saw her worried expression, and the boss was the first to ask: "Maya, you took a day off today, and I thought you were not feeling well. What happened?"

"I answered a call just now. It was from Susan's people, saying that she didn't want to see Leon anymore, and told him not to take the work." Maya pursed her lips, and finally said so.

"What? Wasn't it fine when I went there last time?" Kyrgyzseau looked surprised, "...Wait, you said that Susan's person called you directly? How did she know your phone number? We never told her at all."

Maya's intuition was wrong. If the two of them really didn't tell Susan about this, how did the art dealer and art exhibition organizer get this information?It's not the police department or the FBI!

And just today, after Leon said that he was going to do important things, people instinctively felt something was wrong.

Not long after she sat down, Maya rolled her eyes, and immediately grabbed her handbag and rushed out of the restaurant, ignoring the calls of her friends behind her.

The photo taken by the boyfriend was at the entrance of a certain subway station. Now he is going to investigate the murder case by himself again, right?I have to find him quickly, pull him back, and tell him not to focus on looking for death... Susan's phone call today is probably a warning. If it is really the "unbelievable" police officer who found Susan and told her about the If you don't know your own information, then it is very likely that the police are already investigating Leon's background, social relations, etc., and completely treat him as a suspect.

She rushed to the corner in the night, and after a few more brisk walks, she came to the stop where the line appeared in the photo.

Central Park Station, at least that's what the signs say, even though the line doesn't go through the park at all, just by the side.

This girl who was only worried about her boyfriend walked into the subway station quickly. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she just held blind hope, thinking that if Leon still wanted to investigate, she would probably appear here... …

This line is still going in two directions, starting from a place name that I have never heard of, or even knowing whether it is in New York, to the terminus on 112th Street; or vice versa, from 112th Street to the other end.

Maya came down from the entrance, just on the "right" side.

A silver train happened to stop slowly. There were not many passengers boarding the train at this time, and Maya had a wide field of vision... But after looking and looking, she couldn't find her boyfriend in the crowd.

While he was still looking around, another voice sounded behind him.

"Sure enough, you are here, which means that Mr. Leon Kaufman is indeed still investigating this matter."

Maya was startled and jumped up. Looking back, she saw the black female police officer standing on the platform.

"...Fortunately, he is still investigating, and time is running out."

When she came up, she twisted the girl's arm, easily controlled Maya, gagged her, and led her onto the subway train.

"Okay, let's go to the first car now. Don't worry, you will be absolutely safe until Leon shows up."

The train rumbled toward 112th Street, and everyone got off at the terminus...or rather, all the normal passengers got off there.

Xue Li and Max hid in the cab at the rear of the train with a few people, because before returning to the dispatching point from the terminal, the conductor must check again, so as not to pull the passengers who fell asleep and did not get off the train in time. The wrong place.

But they didn't know that this step was omitted this time because there were not many passengers in the car. Maya, the female police officer, and Maha Ghani were all sitting in the No. 1 car, waiting to go to the real train. end point.

The closer he got there, the weirder he felt in Leon's chest.The mark should be oozing blood again, staining his shirt so badly it's impossible to wash it again... Of course, that should be the last thing he needs to worry about at the moment.

The lights in the subway tunnel gradually faded, and after the so-called "terminal station" on 112th Street, the train slowed down and passed the next "station" soon... Looking out from the window, under the dim security light, the unknown The floor of the abandoned platform that has not been used for a long time is completely covered with dust, and the sewage left after a heavy rain gathers in the corner of the wall to form a stinking puddle.

It can be seen that this place is still connected to the ground. If someone passes the station, this is their last chance to return to the human world.

I don't know how long it took. The further you go, the slower the speed of the subway. The few people who started to touch the carriage where the "butcher" was located could even see the dark maintenance passage outside the window and hear the sound coming from inside. The whining wind.

"Does New York City have this kind of disrepair of subway tunnels and subway stations?"

Xue Li turned around and asked the one who was most familiar with New York among these people, the former New York City police detective Max.

Max lit a cigarette and replied, "That's a lot. Even if I don't know the exact numbers, at least I know that 'City Hall Station' was closed in 1945 and used as a turnaround point for the subway line; however there It is well maintained, even the wooden structures are lovingly cared for and reopened to the public for one day each year for tours."

"No matter where we are going, it will obviously not be the kind of place that can be opened to tourists." Lyon does not know where the so-called "City Hall Station" is. If it is a historical site for tourists...then a photographer should not never heard of that.

Of course, maybe it's just the difference between the two worlds that caused the difference in this history.

Max also continued: "City Hall Station is actually very beautiful, with semicircular vaults, wooden panels, beautiful blue glass skylights, brass chandeliers, wall tiles... But because its rails are laid in arcs, There is no protection between the platform and the track, and it will not be applicable immediately after the train speeds up, and there is no other way but to abandon it.”

Leon's eyes suddenly changed. He looked out of the window at the ruins that were almost unrecognizable under the dim light, and said in a low voice, "The semicircular vault and glass skylight you mentioned...does it mean that?"

Several people followed his raised finger and looked out of the window. Sure enough, around the train that was already slow to stop, they could see the shape of the dome surrounding it; the glass skylight looked at it. There is no color, but the black iron and thorn-shaped frame on it can be roughly distinguished.

This is the former site of City Hall Station.

In this world, the out-of-use City Hall Station was not maintained or transformed into a tourist attraction, but it just fell into ruins and became ruins day by day... This train stopped in the ruins.

The lights in the car suddenly went out, and what sounded on the radio was not the formulaic, spliced ​​electronic female voice of the WTA, but a man's voice that didn't sound too happy: "Lyon? I know you're in this car, You won't miss this opportunity. But don't you think about it, how did we put you back at the apartment door?...yes, no guesswork, your girlfriend is also in the car, with Mahagni Stay in the first car. They are coming, don't hide your head and show your tail. I'll wait for you here at the front of the car."

The sound fell, and the train had come to a complete stop. A large pile of gas spewed out with a "chi--", which kicked up a large amount of dust under the car, covering the scene outside the car window.

Lyon had completely lost his mind and could only turn to Boss Xue for help.

"Hush...listen..." Xue Li raised a finger in front of his mouth, motioning for everyone to be quiet.

The howling of another beast sounded in the howling wind in the maintenance passage, and Dosten immediately thought of the regenerated corpse encountered on Mount Arreat.

From the dust and smoke outside the car window, several black figures gradually appeared.

Under the dim light, they all showed dark red textures, as if something was flowing, and they looked like skinned people; their stature was similar to that of male humans in this world, that is, Leon, but their hands were clearly visible. It is longer, and the neck is stretched forward, and the facial bones protrude forward, revealing rows of fangs in the mouth. It looks like a cross between a shark and an anglerfish.

These figures roared in different tones, and walked slowly towards the front of the car amidst the dust and smoke.

"What are these?" Leon couldn't help but asked tremblingly.

"... Diners. Let's go too, your girlfriend is still waiting for you to rescue her." Xue Li said, taking the Storm Pulse Rifle from Max.

Chapter 19 Wendigo

"What exactly do you want Leon to do?"

In the first car, Maya, who was finally no longer gagged, still asked.

After starting from 112th Street, the other party didn't do anything to her except handcuffed her to the seat, and tore off the tape from her mouth.

So she also tried to resist, and tried to call for help in addition to struggling desperately, or insulted the black female police officer with what she thought was a strong swear word, but she was ignored at all... she was not even punished or called She shut up, as if she didn't exist at all.

But this time, the female police officer still answered her question: "Slaughter is part of the ritual, and it must be executed perfectly. He should not have any emotions about it, whether it is joy or disgust... and anyone else. Not the same, although he will have the same hobby and gain part of the ability, but he is destined not to be one of them, it will only be a tool. Does your kitchen knife have a say in what you should eat? The reason is the same."

Maya didn't hear right. She didn't know what kind of incident she was probably involved in until now, and she stammered and asked, "Wh, what ritual? Slaughter? Tools?"

"Can't you see it yourself?"

The female police officer said, motioning her to look over to the carriage.

The butcher Mahagony stood up silently from another seat, and stood in front of the side door of the carriage that was slowly opening.

The bloody smell rushed over her face, and Maya immediately held her breath.

She was horrified to see that on the side of this carriage, a group of tall black shadows were squatting on the ground, reaching out to tear pieces of flesh and blood from the naked human corpses hanging on the steel frame above, and stuffing them into themselves. mouth.

The train conductor has also come out of the cab at the front of the car, and said in an envious tone beside the two people: "Only people who have been completely transformed can directly eat flesh and enjoy the power of eternal life... as early as before we didn't have this They have existed since the time of the first city, and they will continue to exist for a long time. If we can also exist forever like them, that would be great..."

Maya, who was almost fainted by this scene, turned her head and looked at him in disbelief, opened her mouth and asked, "Are you crazy? You actually want to become like this? You can still be considered a fucking human being!" ?”

"Why do you have to be human? People are finite, and all tragedies in life come from limited time." The conductor turned around and smiled cruelly at her: "There are two types of people in this world, one is to support others One is a person who is supported by others and has no other choice... Which kind do you want to be?"

"I'd rather rely on my own efforts to support myself." Maya spat, not looking at his clearly upright but disgusting face.

But the conductor pinched her face and forced her back, and the huge hand strength made her cry out in pain.

He sneered and said, "Do you think you are supporting others without realizing it... What a real idiot. But fortunately, even a guy like you who is so stupid that he deserves to be predated can play a role here. Jump for joy, today is the day you will be used by waste."

Maya wanted to ask them why they brought her here, but the two of them were clearly not ready to answer her question.

The female police officer twisted her arm and pinned her to the ground, shouting, "Mahagney!"

The burly butcher turned his head silently, walked up to the two of them, and took out the meat hammer from his bag.

Maya, who was kneeling on the ground, already knew what was waiting for her, and she was not so afraid at this moment... Facing these lunatics, what's the use of being afraid?

"...you will all go to hell." She could only curse like this, but she didn't want to say anything else.

"I'm sorry, but I want to live forever." The conductor retorted, and went back to the cab to grab the radio and call the photographer.

The stage is set, why doesn't the protagonist come?Is he really not on the train today?If that's the case, the "they" who are feasting over there will not be satisfied, and things will become much more troublesome.

But just as he was about to turn his head back, he heard the door on the other side of the carriage being kicked open with a slam, and a series of arrows were shot out like a torrential rain amidst a few bowstrings.

The storm pulse rifles in the hands of Xue Li and Max aimed at the black female police officer first. The electromagnetic orbital projectile ammunition is not large, but it is enough to deal with an ordinary human being.

Before her surprised expression faded away, the upper body was hit by the bullet that could penetrate the alien carapace, and the spinning bullet created a fatal cavity in her chest and abdomen.

"I'm wearing a bulletproof vest..."

She thought so in her heart, and then her eyes went dark.

Of course the female police officer knew the two "friends" of Leon who used to get in the car with him, but she thought they were just two rich kids who were extremely strong and foolishly using cold weapons.

Why does it have to be a rich family... Of course, because if you don't have money, you can't play with these ancient weapons.

Maybe the two young people have read too many comics, and because of their physical fitness, they have unrealistic fantasies, thinking that they can also be superheroes.

Such people are the easiest to get together with down-and-out artists.

When she thought about it, she and others were in the control area of ​​"them", she was wearing a bulletproof vest with a gun on her body, and she even held Leon's girlfriend in her hand, no matter what, she would not be held by two cold weapons How is the guy?

The conductor with several arrows stuck in his chest also took a few steps back. He didn't see what was going on, and was shot through directly. He fell to the ground and lost his strength, gasping for breath.

... Shouldn't the photographer appear first?Then I educated him again, gave a speech that "you can't live in this world unless you take it from others", sacrificed his girlfriend in his desperate expression, and made him completely mentally broken, so that he can live today. Late was completely transformed into "The Butcher".

However, even though he was addicted to drama, the people who rushed in obviously had no interest in playing with him.

The butcher Mahagni, who had died several times, was too weak this time to even stand still, unable to react to the rain of arrows at all.

Cassia focused on this silent person, and after the front was poked into a hornet's nest again, he was hugged by Leon who rushed in, and crashed directly off the train.

"I won't be like you! Absolutely not."

Leon, who got up, was still a little dizzy. Unlike the barbarian Dosten and the Amazonian Cassia, he was not a firm fighter...but these people were really deceiving.Who's going to be some kind of butcher, preparing ingredients for fucking monsters!

Maya in the carriage quickly took this opportunity to get up, stood next to the conductor who fell on the ground, and spat on his face: "Didn't you say you want to live forever? How is it now? Crazy."

"You, you actually...you don't understand this world at all...you can't resist them, they are the incarnation of eternity..."

"Humph." Xue Li checked the magazine of the rifle, stepped forward, answered a simple word, and then began to look for the key to the handcuffs from the body of the female police officer whose upper body was half broken.

Although he didn't have the most obvious characteristics circulated in popular culture, but the moment he saw the appearance of those monsters and connected them to their cannibalism, he already understood what it was... Unlike the Feathered Serpent, this time it was a creature from North American mythology. of supernatural creatures.

This thing is a Wendigo.

Although some legends describe Wendigo as a humanoid creature with long hair and huge horns, it is just a re-creation of its horror image under the influence of pop culture, incorporating zombies, giants, snow monsters, reindeer, etc. and other parts of the shape of various organisms.

In the original Algonquian mythology, the wendigo is not so "dehumanized", but has thin, clawed arms; a mouth full of jagged fangs; a long tongue; Corrupt body.

The important thing is this transformation process, normal people can become Wendigo, through cannibalism...

Maybe it's because his knowledge is all from the occult books Max bought, and he hasn't been influenced by any world's popular culture, so he can think of this creature so quickly.

Seriously, once the wendigo comes to mind, everything becomes clear at once.

Of course, it goes without saying that the photographer Leon’s transformation began when he accepted the task of “taking more impactful photos” from Susan... He abandoned his original starting point of creation, That is to start pursuing form over core.

I don't know if he is aware of this problem, but he went to the subway station to take pictures that night, and because of this, he witnessed the death of model Sakaki Erika.

In the earliest Wendigo legends, the cannibals turned into monsters precisely because they lacked food and gave up the bottom line of being human.

[119. No. 119]

Ironically, once transformed into a Wendigo, they can't get enough of it.

They represent the bottomless greed, gluttony, unrestrained, able to plunder the vitality of the victim by devouring flesh and blood... the butcher in the carriage who couldn't kill him no matter how hard he tried?Those were just low-level or incompletely transformed guys. The real wendigo had accumulated countless vitality, and his injuries would recover almost immediately. His strength was infinite, and it was almost impossible to kill him completely.

The rescued Maya jumped down and threw herself into her boyfriend's arms.

This abandoned subway station is strewn with human skeletons, God knows how many people these guys have eaten here. The "City Hall Station" sign was only peeked through the cracks in the bones and dust, and what Max had said were the wooden trim and crumbling tiles that might have once been beautiful.

The group of wendigos didn't know how many there were. They stood beside the pile of corpses, stopped their feasting, and looked towards several people.

Dozens of naked, gnawed and tattered human corpses were piled together, with internal organs and blood flowing down from the pile of corpses. This scene was clearly beyond the tolerance of civilized people. Leon and Maya's faces turned pale.

Dosten, who was holding a big sword, and Cassia, who had dealt with all the enemies in the carriage, jumped out of the carriage and stood beside them; the Amazon also nailed another javelin to Mahagni's head, calling He can no longer cause trouble to a few people for the time being.

"It seems that this is the place where the missing people on the train were fed to these guys... How do you feel? Can you hold on?" Xue Li turned his head and asked.

Lyon knew what he really wanted to ask, so he could only smile wryly: "At least I don't want to pounce on the dead man's thigh and chew on it, is that enough?"

Boss Xue just nodded, and loaded the rifle in his hand again.

"Come on then," he said.