In Texas, the weather gets scorching hot at the beginning of summer, reaching temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius. It was now the afternoon, and the sun beat down on the pier. Hill Stevens, who wore a hat and a suit, felt a chill run down his spine.
Jason's fishing hook was empty, yet he effortlessly caught a fish and placed it in his net. Sitting on a small stool, Jason remained focused on his fishing, not sparing a glance at Hill Stevens.
"Mr. Jason, don't you want to find out what the half-human half-snake monster really is?" Hill Stevens pondered before saying, "My goal is to kill that monster."
"That's your business," Jason shook his head. "I don't know who you are or what you're doing, but... don't use my friend, Elizabeth. She's not suitable for you, and certainly not someone you can manipulate. You should already know what Elizabeth is like, so... she's not right for you."
Hill Stevens shook his head, "I have my principles. I promise I won't touch Elizabeth. However... if it weren't for her, I wouldn't be able to lure out that monster."
"Is that so?" Jason turned to look at him.
"Yes, the half-human half-snake monster possesses innate abilities in concealing its tracks and identifying different species in this world. My family is tasked with hunting down these creatures," Hill Stevens explained. "I came from Kansas, and this is the first time I've encountered..."
"So, you also have the ability to discern anomalies?" Jason stared at him. "So you recognized Elizabeth a long time ago and used her to lure out the monster?"
"How many people in your family are like you?" Jason said, picking up his fishing rod again. There was still a fish hanging on the line, the same straight hook.
"Is that important?" Hill Stevens's expression turned cold.
"It's not important. I don't care at all. I'm just sitting here fishing, casually starting a conversation. If you don't want to answer, then there's no need to pay attention to me," Jason chuckled, "Mr. Stevens, if I were you, I wouldn't persist in pursuing Elizabeth. It would be a good choice to never see her again in the future. More importantly, she's no longer of any use to you."
"I know, but I still feel guilty!" Hill Stevens sighed. "However... I won't give up on hunting down that monster. It won't go too far. It's injured, it was injured before. I think... that's definitely your doing."
"Yes, but I still haven't killed it. It's cunning. It knows how to conceal its presence," Jason's tone held no regret. "Now that it has endured two strikes from me, its injuries must be severe. This is your chance."
"I know, thank you, Mr. Jason!" Hill Stevens tipped his hat slightly towards Jason, turned, and walked away. He had obtained the answers he wanted. Now, he needed to find the injured monster as soon as possible.
Just as he was about to leave, Jason called out to him.
"Wait, Mr. Stevens," Jason said. "I want to know, how does the monster heal itself?"
"By seeking out anomalies. Just like me!" Hill Stevens replied. "Anomalies are their best medicine. That's why it targeted Elizabeth. And that's also why I'm involved!" With that, he put on his hat and walked towards the edge of the lake, disappearing into the woods.
Jason shook his head.
It seemed like he belonged to a professional demon-hunting family. But why were they entangled with the half-human half-snake monster? There must be a reason related to their family, but he couldn't be bothered to think about it. However, he didn't have high hopes for Hill Stevens. His methods of restraining the monster were limited, apart from that crucifix sword.
Jason hadn't seen the crucifix sword just now. Perhaps it was hidden somewhere, but that sword wouldn't inflict severe or fatal wounds on the monster. It would only gradually provoke the creature.
After catching a few more fish, Joseph returned in his boat. Though he also wore a hat, he was sweating profusely. Excitedly waving the fishing net in his hand, he had caught several fish.
When they returned home, Jason handed the fish to Joseph, keeping only two for himself. One was placed in the freezer, and the other was fried for dinner that evening. His culinary skills weren't exceptional, and the cooking method wasn't Western. After finishing, he plated the dish and was about to start eating when he saw Lisa approaching. "I didn't want to come originally, but Elizabeth–" Lisa revealed her thoughts as soon as she opened her mouth, "Didn't want to come?" It seemed like she couldn't even lie well. Of course, Jason didn't mind the little girl's musings and simply nodded, continuing to hear her out.
Seeing Jason's indifferent response, Lisa could only proceed with a hint of disappointment: "Elizabeth feels itchy all over, but she's unable to relieve it. We can't help her, nor can she help herself. She's almost going mad– if you have a solution..."
"Let's go check on her," Jason responded, picking up the plate of fish. Upon examining it, he found it poorly cooked, some parts even burnt, and promptly tossed it into the trash. Lisa puckered her lips at this.
"If you want fried fish, I'm actually pretty good at making it. Need my help?" Lisa provocatively looked at Jason, playfully winking at him.
"What's needed now is not your fried fish, but for me to go to Elizabeth immediately!" Jason glanced at her indifferently. Lisa stuck out her tongue and quickly followed him.
Jason drove with Lisa as his passenger. Her bicycle was tossed into the back of his pickup truck. Along the way, Lisa snuck glances at Jason but felt disheartened when he showed no interest in her. She sulked the whole ride.
"Mr. Jason, I'm sorry... I just couldn't bear to see her in such pain..." Mr. Kote rushed up to Jason as he got out of the vehicle, shaking his hand. "I really don't know what else to do–"
"This is a normal process, it's alright!" Jason assured him and quickly followed Mr. Kote to Elizabeth's room. Indeed, Elizabeth was constantly writhing. Her body was wrapped up like a mummy, with beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. Sanna, by her side, was wiping her sweat and comforting her softly. However, Sanna's eyes were red, on the verge of tears.
Seeing Jason arrive, she stood up joyfully, almost like she had seen her savior, "Mr. Jason–" But before she could continue, Jason signaled for her to stop. He quickly approached Elizabeth, drawing a symbol in the air above her forehead. Suddenly, the symbol flashed and transformed into a beam of light, embedding itself into her forehead.
Right after the flash, Elizabeth suddenly calmed down. Her arched back slowly relaxed, and she seemed almost drained, though she could still open her eyes. Looking at Jason, she managed a weak smile. It was clear that she had exhausted a lot of energy.
"Thank you, Mr. Jason. You saved me once again!"
"Don't mention it!" Jason nodded at her and after some thought, decided to mention, "Today while I was fishing, I met a Mr. Hill Steven. He truly behaved like a gentleman."
"You know him? Well... he is indeed a gentleman," Elizabeth laughed.
"Some people become gentlemen for a reason," Jason shook his head, "he mentioned you and also that half-human, half-snake creature."
"He... Did he come to see me?" Elizabeth suddenly looked at Jason, her eyes wide, "Don't lie to me, Mr. Jason. Did he meet you? Did he come to this town because of me? I knew he couldn't let go of me. I just knew–" She became agitated, "But why... why didn't he come with you?"
"No, he came because of that creature," Jason stated, standing up, "You still need a few days to fully recover. Also... he had already left by the time I got here, again because of that creature!" Saying this, he turned and left.