“Zhao Zhu, calm down,” Lu Li warned coldly.
“Hehehehahaha—everyone’s going to die, everyone’s going to die! The ghost is going to eat people! You’re all going to die!”
Zhao Zhu shouted as he broke down, his hoarse shouts mixed with a few traces of unnerving, inexplicable laughter.
Lu Li frowned at the sight. Zhao Zhu really did seem to have suffered a mental breakdown, but Lu Li still keenly caught a trace of clarity deep in his eyes.
“This guy is pretending.”
Lu Li quickly determined that Zhao Zhu was only feigning madness.
As for why Zhao Zhu was doing this, it was obviously because he no longer wanted to serve as a sacrifice. After all, a lunatic had no fear. As long as he went mad, there would be no need for him to be used as a sacrifice anymore.
Zhao Zhu’s little scheme was pretty clever, but Lu Li had no intention of playing along.
“This guy’s beyond saving. Just kill him. We can’t get anything out of him anyway,” Lu Li announced coldly.
Jun Shutong froze when she heard this, clearly not expecting Lu Li to suddenly make such a decision, but she recovered almost instantly.
After realizing Lu Li’s intention, Jun Shutong cooperated tacitly. “In that case, let’s send him on his way. In the apocalypse, going insane is worse than dying.”
After saying that, Jun Shutong turned to the person beside her. “Go get a bucket of water. Just hold his head under and suffocate him to death.”
“…”
Zhao Zhu, who was still pretending to be insane, was dumbfounded when he heard that.
Wait! How is that reasonable?!
Zhao Zhu raised his head and stared dumbfoundedly at Jun Shutong.
You were a police officer before the apocalypse, for crying out loud. It hasn’t even been a month since the apocalypse began, and your moral bottom line has already sunk this low? Which b*stard spread the rumor that Jun Shutong was upright, kindhearted, and inflexible?
She seems pretty flexible to me!
Seeing Zhao Zhu suddenly fall silent, Lu Li sneered sarcastically. “Why aren’t you shouting anymore? That was one hell of a fast recovery.”
Seeing that his act had already been seen through, Zhao Zhu let out a long breath and said expressionlessly, “Let me go, and I’ll tell you what happened in the arcade.”
The reason he had pretended to be insane was because his underling’s sudden death had frightened him. He realized that if he did not find a way to save himself, he would end up like his underling one day, dying because he could no longer bear that burden.
“Impossible, but I can give you a deadline. We’ll bring in more sacrifices.”
Before Lu Li could finish, Zhao Zhu interrupted him. “You already said that crap before, but even now it’s still just the four of us—no, three of us now.”
Lu Li: “…”
Having his empty promise exposed on the spot, Lu Li did not show the slightest embarrassment. Instead, he solemnly guaranteed, “This time it’s real. One week. If I haven’t fulfilled my promise after one week, I’ll personally make the decision to release you.”
“If you don’t trust me, I can have Jun Shutong act as a witness.” After Lu Li finished speaking, he looked toward Jun Shutong.
“I can vouch for what he said. If his promise hasn’t been fulfilled after one week, I’ll release you,” Jun Shutong immediately cooperated.
Zhao Zhu’s skin was so pale it looked almost sickly. His throat moved as he took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping before he nodded dispiritedly. “Then I’ll trust you one more time.”
Zhao Zhu also knew that he did not really have a choice, so the moment Lu Li gave him a way out, he took it.
“Ah Lin was killed by the ghost demon beast. The condition of his corpse was exactly the same as those people online who were killed by ghost demon beasts before—deathly pale skin, hollow eyes, and no wounds anywhere on the outside of his body.”
After saying that, Zhao Zhu added, “That’s everything I know. Remember your promise.”
Zhao Zhu believed he could still hold out for another week, which was why he cooperated so readily.
Beside him, Jun Shutong looked at Lu Li with a face full of worry.
If the ghost demon beast had started killing people on its own initiative, then Dawn Camp was no longer safe. More accurately, this entire area was no longer safe.
“Things might not have gotten that bad yet. Let’s not panic and throw ourselves into chaos first,” Lu Li hurriedly reassured everyone.
Although Mimikyu was a Ghost-type Pokémon, its main food was not life energy or soul power. As long as there was an abundant supply of fear energy, Mimikyu would not actively absorb life energy or soul power.
To reassure everyone, Lu Li decided to have a proper talk with Mimikyu. “How about this? I’ll go take a look myself.”
“No.” The moment Lu Li finished speaking, Jun Shutong strongly objected.
Lu Li looked at Jun Shutong in confusion.
“What if something happens to you? You’re the future of this camp now. I can’t let you take that risk,” Jun Shutong said seriously.
Lu Li reassured her as well. “Don’t worry. I’m confident I can handle it.”
After saying that, Lu Li instructed her, “Take a walkie-talkie and go to the third floor. I’ll bring mine with me. If I really encounter danger, I’ll tell you through the walkie-talkie. When that happens, go find the demon beast in the hotel and ask it for help.”
With Feebas and Kakuna there, Lu Li was confident that he could hold Mimikyu off for a short while. Indeedee could Teleport, so as long as it learned what was happening, it would definitely rush to his side immediately.
As for why he did not simply bring Indeedee with him from the start, naturally it was because he was afraid Mimikyu might have a stress reaction. Besides, the trump card that was Indeedee was like a hidden dragon that should remain unused. Unless things truly became desperate, it absolutely could not be deployed lightly.
Jun Shutong still felt that Lu Li’s arrangement was somewhat risky, but she also knew it was the best option.
After all, Lu Li was the only person in the camp capable of handling this matter.
Realizing that there was no point in trying to persuade him any further, Jun Shutong decisively said, “Then be careful. I’ll go to the third floor right now.”
“You guys keep an eye on him. I’m going to see what’s going on.” After saying that, Lu Li went back home and brought Kakuna and Feebas with him.
Stepping into the arcade once again, Lu Li first released Kakuna and held it protectively in front of him before slowly making his way inside.
The corpse of the thug named Ah Lin was extremely conspicuous. Lu Li saw it the moment he entered.
He glanced at Mimikyu inside the claw machine and, after confirming that it had no intention of immediately attacking, lightened his footsteps and carefully edged his way over to the corpse.
Its skin had turned grayish-white. That really was quite eerie, and it matched the characteristics of someone who had died after having their life energy drained.
Holding Kakuna in his arms, Lu Li came before Mimikyu.
“Mimikyu, can you tell me why you killed him?” Lu Li asked.
Mimikyu tilted its head and looked Lu Li over.
It had only been a few days, yet this fake human before it had already become different. Although there was still a certain gap between him and a real human, he no longer seemed quite like a fake human either.
Could fake humans really evolve?
Mimikyu’s mind began racing.
A fake human evolved into a pseudo-real human, and then evolved again into a real human.
In other words, the fake humans of this world had two evolutionary stages?
The moment it thought of this, Mimikyu’s mood instantly improved.
Mimikyu was naturally a Pokémon that liked being close to humans and preferred lively environments. After arriving in this world, it had never seen any real humans, so it did not care about the liveliness of fake humans.
But if fake humans could evolve into real humans, that changed everything.
With that thought, Mimikyu felt a bit more affinity toward the humans of this world.
Of course, the reason Mimikyu would think this way was also because it believed fake humans were the degenerated form of real humans.
Mimikyu explained, “That fake human was going to die. So, to avoid wasting it, I specially extracted his life force and soul.”
After hearing this, Lu Li breathed a sigh of relief.
Mimikyu had gone silent for quite a while earlier, and Lu Li’s heart had practically risen into his throat. He had been afraid that Mimikyu might suddenly attack him.
“Also, why did it take you so long to come see me? Do you hate me?” Mimikyu asked again.
Lu Li: “???”
Lu Li suddenly felt as if he were watching some kind of idol drama.
Was Mimikyu going with the tsundere young-lady character archetype?
“Uh… you don’t hate me? You’re willing to play with me?” Lu Li hurriedly asked.
If Mimikyu dared to say even a single word like “I like you” today, Lu Li would be willing to kneel down and suck up to it on the spot.
At the very least, this was an Ordinary level Mimikyu. If he could “capture” it just by talking, he would probably wake up laughing from his dreams tonight.
Mimikyu tilted its head and thought for a moment before answering very sincerely, “I wouldn’t say I like you, but I wouldn’t say I hate you either.”
Lu Li: “…”
Lu Li was speechless. Mimikyu’s words were far too easy to misunderstand. It had nearly gotten him excited just now.
Lu Li also gave a perfunctory reply. “Alright. I thought you hated me before, so I didn’t dare come bother you.”
In truth, it really was because he was afraid that he had not dared come over and try to build a relationship with Mimikyu.
If every encounter with Indeedee was like a chance meeting, then every encounter with Mimikyu was a gamble, and one where he was betting his life.
As a normal person, he naturally did not have that much of a gambling nature, which was why he often went to see Indeedee instead of the much closer Mimikyu.
“Alright, I’ll forgive you this time.” The innocent Mimikyu nodded and believed Lu Li’s explanation.
Mimikyu’s thinking was very simple.
I can neither like you nor hate you, but you’re not allowed to hate me.
As a walking Pokémon encyclopedia, Lu Li understood Mimikyu’s mentality all too well.
Lu Li then said, “I’ll have someone come over later and take this body away. Otherwise, once it starts to stink, that won’t be good.”
“No need to trouble yourselves. I can take care of it.” After saying that, Mimikyu directly tossed a ball of blue flame onto the corpse.
Seeing this, Lu Li silently backed away several steps, increasing the distance between himself and the corpse.
Two seconds later.
After the corpse was incinerated, not even ashes remained.
The power of Will-O-Wisp had completely exceeded Lu Li’s imagination. What amazed him even more was Mimikyu’s precise control over the move.
The entire corpse had been burned away without leaving a trace, yet the surrounding floor was completely undamaged. This was enough to show that Mimikyu’s mastery of Will-O-Wisp had already reached an extremely advanced level.
Lu Li could now also confirm that Mimikyu’s strength was at least at the Elite level.
“By the way, Mimikyu, don’t you get bored staying here all the time?” Lu Li probed again.
“Other places are even more boring. At least there are plenty of nice clothes here.”
Lu Li knew that the “clothes” Mimikyu was talking about were those stuffed toys.
“Then have you been doing alright lately? I mean, have you gone hungry recently?” Lu Li continued testing the waters.
Mimikyu replied, “It’s been alright.”
Mimikyu was indeed quite satisfied with its current life. There were so many stuffed toys in the arcade that it could play house with them, or tear off their outer fabric and sew new clothes from it.
It liked this place, especially since there was even a buffet here that arrived on time every day.
It was not as though Mimikyu had never observed other Pokémon. In fact, it was precisely because it had seen how other Pokémon lived that it felt especially satisfied with its current life.
There was no need to mention those unlucky fellows upstairs. They relied entirely on the rich little girl to feed them. Then there was the maid in the hotel next door. In order to survive, that maid had already started taking care of fake humans.
As for that bunch of rats downstairs, there was even less to say. Those rats had fallen so low that they were gnawing on rocks. Compared with them, Mimikyu’s own life suddenly seemed incredibly fortunate.
As for that pack of stray dogs…
Mimikyu felt that it could not, or at least should not, compare itself to a bunch of stray dogs.
Since Mimikyu was satisfied with its current life, Lu Li could finally relax.
As long as he could keep this ticking time bomb stable, Dawn Camp would be safe. At the very least, they would not have to worry about Pokémon attacking the camp.
“Is this a Pokémon you recently caught?” Mimikyu asked curiously while looking at the Kakuna in Lu Li’s arms.
Lu Li nodded and solemnly introduced it. “Yes. This is my partner, Little Yellow.”
Mimikyu nodded as well.
After hesitating for a moment, there was suddenly some movement beneath the rag draped over Mimikyu, as though it were rummaging around for something inside.
“This is for you.”
A gemstone was tossed over. Lu Li quickly steadied Kakuna with one arm and caught the gem with his other hand.
It was a marble-like orb, with a yellow-and-white core in the center.
“A Beedrillite?”
Lu Li looked at the Mega Stone in his hand in surprise.
Compared with Mimikyu suddenly giving him such a generous gift, Lu Li was even more curious about why Mimikyu had Beedrill’s Mega Stone in the first place.
“Do you know what this is?” Lu Li asked.
Mimikyu shook its head and replied, “No, but I know this thing is very important to your partner.”
“Thank you. This really is very important to Little Yellow,” Lu Li thanked it sincerely.
Lu Li discovered that as long as he built a good relationship with these Pokémon, they were actually quite generous.
Whether it was Indeedee or Mimikyu, every time they gave him something, it was enough to shock him.
Some Pokémon really were wealthy, especially those with a hobby of collecting things.
“Mimikyu, do you also have a personal subspace?” Lu Li asked curiously.
Mimikyu nodded. “Pokémon that know Secret Power all have one.”
Lu Li really wanted to see Mimikyu’s collection inside its personal space. After all, the fact that it could casually pull out a Mega Stone was enough to show that Mimikyu was far richer than he had imagined.
But Lu Li felt that their relationship had not yet reached that level, so he suppressed his curiosity and chatted with Mimikyu about other things instead.
Half an hour later.
Feeling that it was about time, Lu Li took his leave. If he stayed any longer, Jun Shutong would probably be unable to sit still.
After leaving the arcade, Lu Li immediately reported his safety to Jun Shutong.
Once he returned to the meeting room, Lu Li told everyone the cause of death of the thug surnamed Lin and calmed their panic. Only then did he consider his work done and head home to continue feeding his Pokémon.
Everyone in the camp knew that Lu Li had been preparing to attack Demon Camp, so no one disturbed him at a time like this.
Besides, Lu Li did not normally handle camp affairs to begin with. Unless they encountered some particularly troublesome major incident, ordinary matters did not require his personal involvement.
You can read ahead upto 20 chapters on my patreon and I’ve also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon.