At this moment, Randy was in the underground lair.
He stayed at David's house until everyone else had left, then he followed suit.
In Randy's presence, the bee returned Emma's medal, reducing Emma's killing intent by one point.
In fact, losing the medal was the best outcome because it was like a ticking time bomb, tied to Mylo's death. If it was discovered, Emma would become highly suspicious, and it might reignite David's doubts, which could push the father and daughter into direct opposition.
If that happened, given Emma's personality, she might even turn on David and kill him.
However, Emma was quite attached to the medal.
Additionally, the map Randy had drawn was handed over to the bee, who would pass it on to Max and the others. With their help, setting up the grand formation would be faster; doing it alone would have been too much trouble for him.
After all, this was a fusion of multiple worlds, and the population and size of Derry had grown considerably.
Then there was Alexis. Although David had let it go, Emma, the killing machine, was not about to. Randy suggested they could fake her suicide, but Emma, being stubborn, insisted on doing it herself. So, they'd have to wait until the heat died down before taking action.
As for David, who was still in the dark, Randy bid him farewell and left. David was quite regretful and even tried to persuade him to stay a bit longer. Eventually, when Randy promised to visit another day, he relented.
After leaving the Upper Town, Randy didn't go home but headed straight to the West Town underground lair.
The bloom was ready!
And this time, two flowers had blossomed: one from Michelle and one from his wife and daughter.
Randy picked the smallest bloom, cut a wound, and grafted it into his body.
As the wound healed, it absorbed all the nutrients from the bloom.
Once the bloom had completely withered, Randy gained a new ability. His ears could faintly sense a strange vibration, like the cries of souls.
When he closed his eyes, the sound became clearer, but there was always a thin, blurry membrane blocking it.
Randy understood that his soul-summoning ability wasn't strong enough yet.
He cleared his throat, gathered his energy, and slowly spoke.
"Mike, Mike!"
His voice carried a strange, magical power, and he could clearly see the sound waves spreading outwards.
Randy knew his ability was still too weak, and the range of his soul-summoning wouldn't be large. Since Mike had died in the southern part of the city, his soul probably couldn't hear the call.
But unexpectedly, someone responded.
"Who's calling me?"
Pennywise emerged from the water, looking puzzled.
It had been hiding in the sewers, playing with toys, when it suddenly heard the summons.
Once Pennywise appeared, the soul-summoning ability formed a complete loop.
Randy quickly realized that Mike's soul must have been devoured by Pennywise. Since it hadn't been digested yet, Pennywise was summoned instead.
"It's nothing, just testing a new ability. You can go back to playing."
"Oh."
Pennywise nodded and submerged back into the water.
After it left Randy's perception range, Randy activated his soul-summoning ability again, calling out twice.
"Pennywise, Pennywise."
Soon, there was another response, and Pennywise reappeared from the water.
"Were you calling me?"
"This time, it's really nothing. You can leave now."
Randy confirmed that his soul-summoning ability also worked on monsters.
"???"
Pennywise was speechless, but it didn't say anything, only thinking Randy's new ability was really annoying. It seemed like from now on, it would have no private space and would be summoned anytime, anywhere.
Randy cleared his throat again and called out several names: "Bee, Queen Bee."
Unfortunately, after a long time, there was no response, and the sound waves he sent out eventually dissipated into nothingness.
"They're probably too far away, beyond my summoning range. Bee is in the Upper Town, after all."
Still, Randy was satisfied with his new ability. Being able to transmit sound across great distances was a remarkable power!
But then he remembered that cell phones had already been invented, and his satisfaction dropped a little.
Overall, though, it was still useful. Once his soul-summoning ability grew stronger, maybe he could even summon the souls of the living.
"Michelle really is a kind man," Randy mused.
He then cut open the slightly larger bloom, using the same method to graft it into his body.
Once the new energy had taken root and sprouted inside him, Randy opened his eyes again.
"His wife and daughter are kind too!"
This time, the surprise was much greater.
Because this new ability allowed him to become invisible in the darkness.
"Did I just get an S-rank ability, like a ninja?"
The underground lair was particularly dark, so Randy tested the ability. His body quickly disappeared completely. However, as he approached a light source, the stealth ability weakened, and his figure became visible again.
He wondered just how well the invisibility would hold up.
"Pennywise, Pennywise."
Using the soul-summoning ability again, Pennywise reappeared from the water.
It looked around but saw nothing.
Scratching its head in confusion, Pennywise muttered, "Am I traumatized from being summoned so much, or am I hearing things?"
Hearing this, Randy quickly made himself visible again. "No, I was summoning you just now."
He didn't want to set a bad precedent. If Pennywise started ignoring his summons in the future, mistaking them for hallucinations, that would be troublesome.
"I was just testing another new ability," Randy said with a smile.
This left Pennywise even more speechless, and a little scared.
It thought that it probably shouldn't have reminded Randy to harvest the blooms. If Randy developed some powerful, deadly ability, would he use Pennywise as a test subject?
"I definitely won't do that."
Randy saw through Pennywise's thoughts and laughed. "I originally intended to use Mike's soul for practice, but fate brought you here instead."
"Alright, I guess that's the price of being greedy."
This time, Pennywise didn't leave immediately. Instead, it asked with a flattering expression, "Do you need me to do anything else?"
"No, that's all for now."
Pennywise finally disappeared back into the water.
Randy checked on the other bloom. This one had been nourished by the essence of Mr. Whirlpool. It didn't need nutrients, as his followers would continually provide faith power to help the lotus bloom mature.
The last harvest was just the night before last, and now, a day and a half later, another bloom had begun to sprout.
With the purification of the lotus vine, this faith power would be even more suitable for Randy's use.
"I'll use this bloom's faith power to summon the river god."
The river god could immediately enhance one of Randy's blooms, and this enhancement might even trigger a transformation!
Randy checked his nutrient supplies as well. Thanks to the gravedigging rat acting as a deliveryman, the lair had gained a lot more nutrients, and it was no longer solely children.
Too many children's corpses would not be a good thing.
"It's starting to feel like I'm the mastermind behind this town."
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Z
Z
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Z.
Show lessThe entrance to John's grocery store in West Town was tightly shut, and Beverly stood at the door, lost in thought.
For some reason, despite being quite familiar with the store where she used to work frequently, Beverly couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
She wasn't the only employee at the grocery store; John's niece, Casey, also worked part-time there. Even though it was in a remote area with little customer traffic, it still didn't make sense for the store to be completely closed.
Today, Beverly had come to discuss something with John.
She had always been reluctant to let Randy work here, almost instinctively rejecting the idea. But deep down, another part of her felt she couldn't turn down Randy's request.
Her hesitation wasn't without reason. She had always felt that something wasn't quite right with John. Though he had always been polite and never made inappropriate advances, there was an occasional unsettling look in his eyes that made her uncomfortable.
Beverly took out her phone and called John. As soon as the call went through, the ringtone echoed from inside the store.
John was inside?
Beverly leaned closer to the door. "John, are you in there?"
She knocked on the door, but there was no response. The phone continued to ring loudly inside.
Beverly rummaged through her bag and took out her key. As an employee, she naturally had a key to the front door. But just as she was about to unlock the door, she heard a voice behind her.
"Ms. Beverly, what brings you here?"
It was Casey, John's niece. Casey was a very reclusive person. As far as Beverly knew, she hardly had any friends and wasn't particularly close to John. In that way, she was a bit like Beverly.
Although they didn't talk much, there was an unspoken closeness between them.
"Casey, I'm here to discuss something with your uncle. I just called, but he didn't pick up, and I heard the phone ring from inside. So I thought I'd open the door to check."
Casey remained calm. "He's probably busy handling the goods. You can tell me what you need."
Beverly stopped trying to unlock the door.
"It's about a younger relative of mine. He's interested in working part-time at the store."
Casey immediately asked, "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"It's a boy," Beverly replied, frowning slightly at the rude questioning but still patient enough to explain. "He's almost an adult."
Casey's expression noticeably changed, and her breathing quickened.
"I don't think the store needs any more employees."
Beverly felt puzzled. Although she also didn't want Randy working there, the cold rejection still made her a bit unhappy.
So she responded, "Alright, I'll help him find another job. But I still need to talk to John. I've been thinking about quitting, too."
Beverly hadn't made this decision on a whim. Ever since she arrived at the store, she felt uncomfortable, like the air around her was somehow thick and heavy.
"I…"
Casey looked shocked, as though she realized her refusal had been too blunt. She quickly added, "I'm sorry, Ms. Beverly, I didn't mean to be rude… It's just that working here often requires night shifts, and this area isn't very safe. A lot of young people have gone missing recently."
"It's fine, I understand, Casey. I'm not upset with you."
Beverly hurried to explain, sensing a strange bond with Casey. They were alike—both isolated, like islands, just as Beverly had been as a child.
But Casey seemed even lonelier than Beverly had been, because she didn't have anyone around her, not even a group of childhood friends like Beverly once had.
"Casey, I just feel like it's time for me to change jobs."
Casey's face showed a pleading expression, as if silently begging her not to go, which made Beverly hesitate.
But before she could say anything, the store door suddenly opened from the inside.
John stood there, his face flushed, looking a bit unsteady on his feet. He blinked when he saw the two women standing at the door.
"Beverly, what are you doing here? Didn't you say you were taking some time off?"
"John, I'm here to talk about quitting."
"Quitting?"
John agreed without hesitation. "Of course, that's fine. In fact, I was going to bring it up with you. I don't think your attitude toward work really fits here. Don't worry, I'll make sure you get your wages."
This was very different from John's usual demeanor. Normally, he would have tried to persuade her to stay. Even when Beverly had asked for time off before, John had been understanding.
Casey suddenly spoke up. "Uncle John…"
She seemed to be trying to help Beverly, but John cut her off sharply. "Shut up!"
"John, there's no need to talk to Casey like that."
"Sorry, Beverly, I'm just not in a good mood today."
John quickly apologized and turned to Casey again. "Alright, I apologize for my attitude just now. You know I've been feeling stressed lately. Besides, it was Beverly's idea to quit."
Casey said nothing, but her face grew even darker.
Beverly sighed and gently touched Casey's cheek. "I'm sorry, Casey, but you can always come to my house to see me."
With that, Beverly turned to enter the store, but John quickly blocked the entrance.
"What are you doing?"
"I need to gather my personal belongings since I'm quitting."
"Come back tomorrow. I just sprayed some insecticide inside to deal with a cockroach problem."
Beverly frowned, becoming even more suspicious of what John had been doing inside the store.
Her suspicion deepened when she heard a heavy thud from deep within the store.
"What was that noise?"
"Probably just the cockroaches knocking over some goods."
John kept the door firmly shut. "Come tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll pay you for the days you were on leave."
His expression was stern and serious, leaving no room for argument.
Beverly took a step back. "Alright, I'll come back at the same time tomorrow."
John nodded.
Beverly gave Casey one last glance before turning and leaving.
But as soon as she rounded the corner, she stopped and peered back toward the store.
John seemed furious, pointing at Casey and yelling at her.
Even though she was far away, Beverly could still make out some of the words he was saying.
"Didn't I tell you? When I'm inside the store, no one else is allowed near! You're getting older, but you still can't handle this simple task!"
"Good thing I finished quickly this time, or we would've been exposed!"
Although his voice lowered toward the end, Beverly could still figure out what he was saying by watching his lips. She had no idea why her vision had suddenly become so sharp.
Beverly continued to hide in the corner, quietly observing.
Soon, Casey left, and John stayed inside for a long time before finally coming out. He locked the door behind him and left, looking very suspicious.
Beverly waited a bit longer to make sure John wouldn't return, then took a detour to the alley behind the store.
She felt certain that John was hiding something, and a voice in her head kept reminding her to be careful, especially since a young girl had recently gone missing in the town.
Beverly had a key to the back door of the store, but after examining it closely, she found that the door was bolted from the inside. A key alone wouldn't open it.
Entering through the front door would attract too much attention. If John came back, she wasn't sure she could handle him.
She continued circling the back entrance, and on a whim, she called out.
"Is anyone in there?"
Beverly shook her head, feeling foolish for shouting. But to her surprise, there was a faint response.
It was a desperate, muffled cry from below—a sound from the store's basement. Someone was trapped down there, pleading for help.
Though the sound was faint, Beverly caught it.
The voice belonged to a child!
Beverly remained calm. Instead of trying to be a hero, she pulled out her phone and called the police. But since it was just a suspicion, she decided to call someone she knew—Officer Jackson.
"Officer Jackson, I think someone may have been kidnapped at John's Grocery, 123 Main Street. I heard noises inside."
Jackson, who had sounded cheerful at first, immediately became serious. "Looks like this officer's working overtime tonight!"
After hanging up, Beverly contacted Randy, and he assured her, "I'll be there as soon as I can."
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lessRandy and Jackson arrived at the same time, but Randy didn't appear immediately.
Jackson brought three colleagues with him, along with his new Black sheriff.
The two cars stopped at the back door of the supermarket, and Beverly emerged from a corner.
"Beverly, you look stunning today."
Jackson greeted her with a smile, but Beverly completely ignored him. She knew Jackson was unreliable, so she directly addressed the Black sheriff.
"I was the one who called the police, just now..."
She explained what she had seen and heard earlier when she came to the supermarket.
"I suspect it's the missing little girl."
Sheriff Brooks frowned upon hearing this. "This could be a tricky situation."
Jackson chimed in, "Yeah, we just sprayed insecticide. The smell probably hasn't cleared yet. Should we wait a bit longer before going in to check?"
His colleagues glanced at him with exasperation, but no one responded.
Sheriff Brooks patiently explained, "Miss Beverly, we can't suspect a law-abiding citizen just based on your word."
"My word?"
Beverly frowned. "Didn't you hear the little girl crying for help?"
Everyone shook their heads.
Beverly knocked hard on the back door, and immediately, a muffled sob from the basement was heard again. Beverly heard it clearly, but the other officers continued to frown, claiming they heard nothing.
Sheriff Brooks suggested, "How about this? I'll contact John first and have him come over, then we can all go inside and take a look."
Beverly said seriously, "That will only alert the suspect. I swear I heard something inside."
"Sorry, we can't search without a warrant. We'll contact John, and we can go in with him."
Sheriff Brooks spread his hands, clearly not willing to take responsibility.
"Alright, I understand. Follow me."
Beverly didn't press them further and led them to the front door.
Then, in front of them, Beverly took out a key and unlocked the supermarket door. Under the puzzled stares of the officers, she went straight inside.
"I could be stealing from the supermarket right now. Don't you have the authority to stop me? To prevent illegal activity from happening?"
"How can you do this? Beverly, she's just joking," Jackson quickly interrupted.
But Sheriff Brooks understood Beverly's intent. It was indeed a good plan.
"Alright, ma'am. My body camera will record everything. If you do anything extreme, we will take appropriate measures."
The sheriff waved his hand, and a few officers followed Beverly into the supermarket.
Beverly turned on the lights. The store was messy, and the shelves hadn't been tended to in a long time. Beverly's target was clear—the storage room in the back.
She walked ahead.
"Remember, you can't shoot unless I break the law."
Brooks played along, "Don't worry, we know the rules. No items will go missing from the supermarket, right, team?"
"Exactly," they agreed. "We're all professional officers!"
Jackson and the others drew their guns, aiming at the sheriff's vital spots.
"We won't let any evil criminals, thieves, robbers, or smugglers steal anything!"
"Good job, boys," the sheriff praised. But when he turned around and saw the guns pointed at him, he broke out in a cold sweat.
"What are you doing? Why are you aiming your guns at me?"
One officer asked curiously, "Huh? Weren't we told to be cautious of criminals stealing goods?"
The sheriff was furious and knocked the guns down. "Am I a criminal? I'm the sheriff! She's the one who unlocked the door. She's the one most likely to be a thief!"
Jackson grumbled, "Come on, Beverly's skin is so fair. How could she be a thief?"
The sheriff pointed at Jackson, "Do you want a vacation?"
Jackson asked, "Administrative leave?"
The other two officers also seemed eager.
"Damn it."
Just as the group was about to argue, Beverly had already opened the door to the storage room.
"How long are you all going to argue? Come here and listen carefully."
They quickly rushed forward and, sure enough, heard faint cries for help. It was the kind of muffled sound that comes from someone having their mouth covered, only able to make a humming noise from their throat.
This immediately made everyone alert.
If the missing little girl was really down there, the dark cloud hanging over Derry would finally be lifted!
"Come down with me."
Beverly grabbed a stick from nearby and led the way, while the armed officers nervously followed.
As they descended further, the cries for help grew louder, until they reached a door that had been locked with a heavy padlock.
The officers were sweating nervously.
"This door wasn't locked before," Beverly commented. She inserted the stick into the lock and twisted it hard, breaking it open. The others gasped in surprise.
When the door opened, the scene inside was shocking.
A little girl with a birthmark on her face was tied to a chair, bound to a post, with chains around her neck. Her mouth was covered with tape, and her body was covered in bruises. Her terrified expression and desperate struggle were heart-wrenching.
"Oh my God! This is horrific!" Sheriff Brooks was stunned. He glanced around at the room's walls, stacked with goods, but also containing an open wooden crate filled with bizarre instruments—whips, candles, needles, and other grim tools.
Beverly entered the room, quickly surveying the surroundings. On a nearby table was a laptop still warm to the touch. She opened it to find it on a standby screen, but without a password, she couldn't access the contents.
This suggested that John had been here recently and had left in a hurry, not even shutting down the computer.
Beverly also noticed crumpled papers in the trash bin under the table.
Feeling disgusted, she called the officers, "Come check this out. These paper balls might be evidence."
The officers rushed forward to collect them.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Brooks pulled out his radio to call for backup. "Suspected culprit in the town's missing children case discovered! Requesting backup now! The address is John's Supermarket on ** Street! We've found the missing girl, Vicky! Send an ambulance, too. The girl needs medical attention!"
Beverly reminded him, "Make sure to send officers to John's house for his arrest. I know his address."
"Got it! Dispatch officers to the address immediately. Detain the suspect! If he tries to flee or resist, shoot him on sight. This bastard is a monster!"
Sheriff Brooks, a father himself, clenched his teeth in anger. The recent events in the town had weighed heavily on him, both at work and at home. Seeing a suspect involved in crimes against children fueled his desire for justice.
Prison inmates would have no mercy for such a criminal!
Beyond his anger, Brooks couldn't help but admire Beverly.
"Ma'am, you're the most courageous and clever person I've ever met!"
"It doesn't matter. Just get this child's parents here as soon as possible."
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lessAs the police car drove away, Beverly leaned against the window, her heart still in turmoil. The events of the day had unfolded too quickly and dramatically. She had gone from being a regular supermarket employee to a town hero, and the stark contrast was something she found hard to accept.
She watched the townspeople. Their reactions had shifted from suspicion and misunderstanding to applause and praise, as if everything had turned into an absurd play.
Earlier, Beverly was surprised when Vicky's mother, who had once bullied her in school, apologized tearfully. "I'm so sorry, Beverly. It was all my fault when we were kids."
Beverly, with a calm expression, had replied, "It's okay. I've already forgotten about it."
And she truly meant it. Her childhood memories had been erased by Pennywise, and later by Randy. So, in truth, those memories were faint now. However, to Vicky's mother, it appeared as a gesture of great generosity, and she was filled with gratitude.
"Beverly, you're like a saint to our family!" she exclaimed.
"She's indeed an amazing person!" added the police chief, Brooke. "Without Beverly, this case wouldn't have been solved so easily. If it weren't for her, John might have caught wind and fled, or worse, put us all in danger."
The evidence from the supermarket had been gathered, and everyone was making their way back to the street. Vicky had already been taken to the hospital, and a crowd of curious onlookers had gathered outside.
"What happened?" someone asked.
"The real culprit behind the town's missing children has been found! It's John, the owner of the supermarket. We've rescued the missing girl, Vicky, and there's enough evidence to prove that John was a sick monster!" a voice from the crowd responded.
"What? He was that kind of person?"
"Dammit, Beverly worked in that supermarket too. Does that make her an accomplice?"
Suddenly, a snide voice cut through the crowd, drawing everyone's attention to Beverly.
"Who said that?! That's a ridiculous accusation!" Brooke quickly defended Beverly. "She's a hero! This case was solved thanks to her."
Vicky's mother also chimed in, "It's true! Beverly saved my daughter! And I even bullied her in school—I'm the one who should be ashamed."
"Exactly! Beverly is the one who deserves all the credit. Our police chief, Brooke, yes, this man here," Jackson added, pointing to Brooke, "didn't even have the guts to go into the supermarket! Thank goodness for Beverly, who went in like a Valkyrie… Oh, and let's not forget that the chief here initially accused Beverly of trying to steal something from the store. Can you believe it?"
Jackson's embellishments had the crowd buzzing, and in his retelling, the brave police chief suddenly seemed like a coward who was avoiding responsibility, perhaps even implicated in the crime.
Brooke's dark skin seemed to darken further with embarrassment. He mentally noted to put Jackson on leave once this was all over.
"Is that so?" someone murmured in the crowd.
"Beverly should be the police chief!" the snide voice called out again, drawing agreement from a few officers, much to Brooke's growing displeasure.
"Who's shouting nonsense?" Brooke barked. "Stop spreading rumors! In any case, Beverly will receive the recognition she deserves!"
Brooke led the crowd in applause, with other officers joining in, and soon the townspeople followed suit.
Beverly, unused to such attention, felt awkward. Though she was now something of a celebrity in the small town, her reputation wasn't entirely spotless.
There were whispers: "Isn't she cursed? She killed her father, then her husband, and now her boss is being sent to jail because of her? If she stays here, she'll bring bad luck to our town."
The sneering voice returned, seeming to come from close by, though no one could pinpoint its source in the crowd.
"Who's saying such cruel things?" Jackson jumped in to defend her. "Beverly's been through enough! Her dad was a disgusting pervert, her husband was an abusive monster, and her boss turned out to be a child predator! Is it wrong that she fought back?"
His words, delivered with passion, had the crowd nodding in agreement. But for Beverly, each sentence cut deep. She had always tried to stay positive, but hearing Jackson's words only made her feel even more depressed. Life suddenly seemed bleak and overwhelming.
Realizing he may have said too much, Jackson quickly tried to backtrack. "What I mean is, Beverly is a good person, but this town has a problem. Either you're surrounded by lazy drunks or psychopaths, abusers, pedophiles, and murderers..."
His words left the townspeople on the verge of outrage, and just as the tension mounted, another voice cut in loudly.
"Beverly is a hero! She's brought light to our town. Every bad person who crosses her path gets what they deserve!"
This new voice was loud and clear, different from the earlier sneers. This time, the crowd agreed with the sentiment.
"That's true, she really has done a lot of good."
"Yeah, someone like her should definitely be on the police force."
"Alright, everyone, let's disperse. We'll have more updates soon, and the local paper will cover the full story," a police officer called out, helping to break up the crowd.
Beverly was then escorted into a police car to go down to the station, where she would need to give an official statement. But even as the car started moving, she still felt a sense of disbelief. How had she become so well-liked so suddenly?
Leaning against the window, she looked outside, where all she saw were smiling, supportive faces.
In the crowd, Beverly spotted Cassie, her expression still dark. It seemed she had been lingering nearby the whole time. Oddly, though, despite the arrival of the police, Cassie hadn't tried to warn John.
Beverly also saw Randy, who was smiling and applauding with approval. She felt a surge of warmth and was about to wave at him when the car pulled away.
Then, Chief Brooke delivered some
unexpected news. "John resisted arrest at his home. He tried to throw a rock at the officers—an electrified rock, at that! So, they shot him. Dozens of bullets fired from at least ten guns."
"Those bullets were exactly what he deserved!"