Chapter 67: Emotion Control, The Assessment Begins

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Emotion Control, The Assessment Begins

Seraphina Sullivan watched the four of them face off, her expression impassive. Secretly, however, she had already activated [Eye of Resume].

’If I’m going to survive in this slaughterhouse, I need to figure out what these other people are capable of.’

Data on the four of them appeared before her.

The woman in the bird-faced mask was named Lily Underwood. Her Talent was [Strong Arm]—just as the name implied, granting her immense Power.

The man in the helmet was Henry Jennings. His Talent: [Air Compression].

The man in the biohazard suit shared her surname and was named Dustin Sullivan. His Talent was also quite peculiar: [Big Sword]. He could freely control the size of his sword and also seemed to possess a master-level swordsmanship Skill.

The man in the cloak was Harvey Fletcher. His Talent was [Emotion Control], the ability to control others’ emotions.

Seraphina’s gaze swept quickly over the data before finally landing on Harvey Fletcher’s Talent. Her pupils contracted slightly.

’[Emotion Control]?’

Her gaze shifted back to Lily Underwood and Henry Jennings. Their argument had erupted so suddenly, and the hostility between them felt unnaturally intense.

’Logically, any Player who’s survived several instances should be sharp.’

’How could they turn on each other so easily over a few words?’

’Unless...’

’Someone was deliberately agitating them.’

Seraphina narrowed her eyes and took a discreet half-step back, putting more distance between herself and Harvey Fletcher.

’Is this guy... testing everyone’s strength?’ she wondered. ’Start a conflict, watch how everyone reacts, and then decide on his next move...’

’How sinister.’

She stole a glance at Harvey Fletcher. He was still shrouded in his cloak, his expression hidden, but a faint, almost imperceptible smile seemed to play on his lips, as if he had everything under his control.

’I can’t let him target me...’ Seraphina thought, her guard instantly up.

An Ability like Emotion Control was nearly impossible to defend against.

If Harvey Fletcher used it on her secretly, making her lose her cool at a critical moment, it would be a disaster.

As she was lost in thought, the sound of heavy footsteps suddenly echoed from the distance.

THUMP—THUMP—THUMP—

The Hogman reappeared, slowly dragging its cleaver. Its crimson eyes swept across the cage, and a wide grin split its face.

"Time’s up... The test... begins!"

The argument inside the cage ceased instantly.

Seraphina turned her [Eye of Resume] on the Hogman.

[Name: Evander Hogan]

[Gender: Male]

[Professional Skills: Devouring, Cleaver]

[Weaknesses: Spicy]

’Spicy?’ Her interest was piqued, and she silently filed away this crucial piece of information.

The oppressive aura radiating from Evander Hogan was immense, no less than that of the Insect Speaker she had encountered in The Insect Frenzy instance.

Although she might have stood a chance against him with her current strength, she didn’t dare take the risk.

If she alerted the other Hogmen or triggered some hidden mechanism in the instance, the consequences would be dire.

’I’ll play it safe for now,’ she decided. ’Just focus on completing Main Quest 2.’

CLANG!

Evander Hogan unlocked the iron gate of the cage with a key, its rusty hinges emitting a piercing screech.

He bared his cavernous maw, strings of fresh blood still clinging to his tusks. "If you don’t want to become ingredients right now, stick close to me. Or else..."

He deliberately drew out the last word, then violently swung his cleaver. The blade cut through the air with a sharp whistle.

The Native People in the cage got to their feet, trembling. Every one of them was pale-faced, their legs barely able to support them.

Seraphina blended into the crowd, keeping her head down and pretending to be terrified while secretly observing her surroundings.

The other four Players had also temporarily ceased their squabbling and silently followed the group.

After all, the mission was the top priority. Infighting would only get them all killed faster.

Harvey Fletcher also stopped his covert manipulations.

Evander Hogan led them with heavy steps through a dark and gloomy corridor.

The walls on both sides were covered in blood spatter. Scattered bone fragments and clumps of hair were occasionally visible on the floor. A nauseating, coppery stench filled the air.

After several turns, they arrived in a spacious hall.

Dozens of metal dissection tables were arranged in the room. Their surfaces were stained a deep, dark red, having long been soaked through with blood.

Even more chilling, there were several other groups in the hall.

Each was escorted by a Hogman, and each was followed by a group of humans with looks of utter despair.

’Looks like the ’test’ is being conducted in batches...’ Seraphina realized.

Suddenly, she sensed Harvey Fletcher, who was beside her, make a slight movement.

’What is he planning?’

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harvey Fletcher’s gaze lock onto a skinny young man at the back of the line.

The young man’s expression had been one of simple fear, but in the next second, his eyes turned frantic and his entire face contorted.

"There’s no way I can pass the test! Aaaah! I don’t want to be an ingredient!" the young man shrieked hysterically. He shoved the person beside him and broke into a mad dash in the opposite direction.

Evander Hogan sighed, his tone surprisingly tinged with a hint of exasperation. "What’s all this fuss about? You’re just asking to become an ingredient ahead of schedule."

He raised his hand and threw. The cleaver went whistling through the air!

SPLURCH!

The blade landed true, splitting open the young man’s back and impaling him completely.

Blood sprayed through the air.

Evander Hogan ambled over, bent down to retrieve his cleaver, and casually twisted off one of the young man’s arms, stuffing it into his mouth as if it were a chicken leg.

CRUNCH, CRUNCH...

The sound of chewing was exceptionally clear in the silent hall.

Seraphina’s stomach churned as she watched, but she clenched her jaw and forced herself not to show any reaction.

’That madman, Harvey Fletcher!’

’He actually used his Talent to control one of the Native People and send him to his death, just to test the Hogman’s strength!’

Her fingers quietly clenched, her nails digging deep into her palm.

Harvey Fletcher was clearly the type of person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

No one else seemed to realize what Harvey Fletcher had done; they all just assumed the young man had suffered an emotional breakdown.

"Alright, your [Slaughterer] test is about to begin. To pass, you must properly butcher the meat."

Evander Hogan slowly picked his teeth. Dark red blood was still caked under his fingernails. "Pass the test, and you’ll earn a temporary position at our slaughterhouse. As for failure..."

He grinned, revealing ghastly white tusks, and shot a meaningful glance at the still-wet pool of blood on the floor.

The implication was obvious.

’This test is in the bag,’ Seraphina thought after hearing the instructions.

The test was a perfect match for her [Butcher] Talent!

With the dissection skills she now possessed, passing should be a piece of cake.

But a second later, her eyelid suddenly twitched uncontrollably.

’Something’s wrong.’

’There’s no way it’s this simple.’

Evander Hogan waved a meaty hand, and everyone was led to their own metal table.

The moment Seraphina steadied herself, she heard a CLICK—an iron cage suddenly shot up from around the table, trapping her inside!

RUMBLE!

The floor beneath her feet split open, and a dark figure was pushed up by a mechanical arm.

When she got a clear look at the "butchering target" before her, Seraphina’s pupils shrank violently.

It was a Hogman!

But this Hogman was different from Evander Hogan; it had a feral, unintelligent look about it.

"Alright, the ’animals’ you are to butcher have been distributed. Let the test begin." Evander Hogan’s voice boomed from a loudspeaker, laced with malicious glee.