I Explore Urban Legends - Chapter 75: The Cunning Confederates (Patreon)

Jacob hadn’t expected Liam to agree so readily. He had only meant to test the waters, but now that everything had gone so smoothly, he actually found himself growing suspicious.

Still, he didn’t let it show.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll leave from here tomorrow.”

On the way back, Liam asked Taylor about him.

“What kind of person is Jacob?”

Taylor had to think about that for a moment.

“I haven’t been in the club very long, so I don’t know Jacob that well. I’ve only heard that he’s someone with a lot of ideas.”

She was still skeptical about what Jacob had told them.

“But this whole thing sounds way too ridiculous. Living without eating anything? Could he be a fraud?”

Liam smiled.

“That’s a very creative and constructive theory. From now on, we’ll conduct this shoot under the assumption that the man is a fraud.”

“That does make it sound a lot more interesting. We can interview him openly while secretly exposing his scam.”

The two returned to the RV parked beneath the TV station. James was standing beside it, examining it closely.

When Liam walked over, James wore an unusually serious expression.

“What do you think about me getting an RV too?”

“Don’t you have a house?”

“No, I mean if I had an RV, I wouldn’t have to go home.”

“Would your wife agree to that?”

“Tragically, no.”

James let out a long sigh, then asked, “How long are you planning to stay here? I saw Detective Frank buying a lot of supplies earlier.”

Liam thought for a moment before answering with certainty.

“The one thing I know is that those Reptilians have absolutely no limits. They’ll use any dirty trick they can think of, so we have to stay on guard at all times.”

James scratched what little hair he had left. He hadn’t expected to encounter something like this at his age, and worse yet, none of these bizarre events could even be broadcast.

“Forget it. I don’t want to think about any of that. Just make sure you don’t wreck my precious TV station.”

Liam laughed.

“Now that’s going to be difficult.”

James smiled as well. Before heading back to his office, he added, “Park the RV by the station’s back entrance. This isn’t really a good place for something that big.”

Liam nodded and opened the RV door.

Inside, Frank was watching Watson with complete concentration. Food was piled everywhere.

Watson had his head down, steadily devouring everything in front of him, while Janice sat beside him and kept passing him more.

“Why did you buy so much food?” Liam asked curiously.

“I wanted to find out how much Watson can actually eat.”

“And?”

“I’ve already spent a week’s salary, and he still isn’t done.”

“Then keep feeding him. Saves me some money on groceries.”

Frank replied seriously, “No. It’s a trap. He’s a bottomless pit. You’d probably need an entire food-processing plant to fill this guy up.”

“Haha, exactly. That’s what makes my Watson so adorable.”

Liam laughed and rubbed Watson’s head, then wiped the grease from Janice’s hands.

After chatting for a while, he turned to Frank.

“Come on. Let’s go get some weapons.”

Frank immediately slapped the table and jumped to his feet.

“Finally! I’ve been waiting for this. Come on, I know a shop our department buys from all the time.”

Liam rejected the idea at once.

“No. Any gun shop you visit regularly is bound to communicate with the police department. If we buy weapons there, the Reptilians will know exactly how much firepower we have within two days.”

Frank slapped his forehead.

“You’re right. Then should we find somewhere that sells black-market guns?”

Liam shook his head.

“You have no idea how many hands those guns have passed through. I don’t trust them. We’ll find a more out-of-the-way gun shop. We just need to delay the paperwork as long as possible.”

Naturally, the out-of-the-way gun shop Liam had in mind was Old John’s Gun Shop.

The moment Liam and Frank stepped inside, they heard someone nagging.

“You’re doing that wrong. You’re wasting all that gun oil. If I’d died earlier and left you to run the place like this, you’d have driven the shop into the ground sooner or later.”

Frank watched Young John maintain a firearm while being relentlessly scolded by someone he couldn’t see and couldn’t help remarking, “It really is the kind of shop Liam would frequent. You can tell right away it’s different.”

Liam, however, was completely used to scenes like this.

As far as he was concerned, Old John was simply standing beside Young John. They looked no different from any ordinary grandfather and grandson.

“Ah, Mr. Liam! You’re here. What can I get for you?”

The moment Young John saw a customer, he rushed over as if he had spotted his salvation.

He really did love this shop.

If only his grandfather would actually pass on and leave the place entirely to him.

“Do you have anything with serious firepower?”

“Mr. Liam, are you planning to fight a Tyrannosaurus Rex?”

Young John jumped in surprise. He watched Liam’s shows, so naturally his imagination immediately started running wild.

Fortunately, Liam had no intention of keeping the truth from him.

“No. I’m preparing to fight the Reptilians. They’re trying to secretly enslave humanity, and now they’re coming after me.

“For safety’s sake, don’t tell anyone else about this.”

Liam explained the situation directly so Young John wouldn’t start inventing even stranger possibilities.

“Mr. Liam, don’t you think that sounds a little...”

Before Young John could finish, Old John stepped forward.

“I knew it! Those damn Confederates finally got tired of looking human and mutated!”

Old John had completely misunderstood the situation, but Liam saw no point in arguing with a ghost.

“Kid, bring out the best stuff we’ve got hidden away. This time, we need to teach those bastards a lesson.”

“Huh? But automatic weapons require approval.”

Young John looked troubled.

Liam knew that at this point in time, no law had yet been passed banning automatic weapons. As long as someone had the proper legal status and paperwork, they could buy them.

Liam had neither.

But someone with him did.

“No problem. This man is a detective with the Boston Police Department.”

Young John immediately relaxed.

The most troublesome part of the procedure was police approval, but if a police officer himself was making the purchase, then there was no problem.

Why bother going through a long approval process when the buyer could practically approve himself?

Young John quickly carried out several cases and opened them one after another.

“These are the most powerful guns I have.”

Most powerful, however, did not mean newest.

Among them were even World War II-era M3 Grease Guns and Sten submachine guns. The best weapons available were two M16 assault rifles.

Seeing the doubtful look on Liam’s face, Young John patted the weapons on the counter.

“Sure, some of these are old, but they’re cheap. Even though they’re automatic weapons, they only cost a few hundred dollars each. Look at this M16. For the price of one of these, you could almost buy ten of those.”

“I think some of these belong in a museum.”

“No. My grandfather picked these up on battlefields. Used guns like these don’t have much collector value. They’ve been registered all this time, and I still haven’t managed to sell them.”

“You might have sold them if you hadn’t registered them.”

...

Exploring the Truth: Lily Special (Bonus)

“Ever since Watson became my assistant, I’ve gained a much deeper understanding of the concept of animism. So I’ve invited an expert to explain some of the mysterious events involving animals to our viewers.

“Now, please welcome Lily!”

Lily padded gracefully into the center of the studio and jumped onto a chair that had already been prepared for her.

“Hello, kids. I’m Lily, and I come from a mysterious forest. At Mr. Liam’s invitation, I’m here to introduce you to some mysterious creatures that few people know about.”

Liam took out a picture of a Skinwalker and pinned it to the board behind them.

“We’ve encountered mysterious creatures before and produced special programs about them, but my knowledge in this particular area is somewhat limited. So I’d like Lily to help explain them.”

“Okay, Little One.”

Liam pushed Lily’s chair over beside the board.

Lily stretched out a paw, but when she realized she couldn’t reach the picture, she had no choice but to point at it with her tail.

“Viewers, some of you may think a Skinwalker is simply a brown bear that transformed into something else, but that isn’t actually true.

“Skinwalkers originated from ancient dark wizards who had fallen from grace. Instead of continuing to heal the sick and drive away evil spirits, they became obsessed with pursuing power and turned to a corrupt path.

“To obtain that corrupted power, they would often murder their own relatives and taint their own bloodlines.

“They would then steal corpses from cemeteries and cut themselves off from society.

“Finally, they would use witchcraft to wear the skin or fur of an animal, allowing them to gain that animal’s abilities.”

Liam turned toward the camera with a surprised expression.

“So that’s how it works. The source of a Skinwalker’s power is incredibly evil. Kids watching at home, make sure you never try anything like that!”

He then pointed at the picture.

“To help our viewers avoid danger if they ever encounter a Skinwalker in the wilderness, I’m going to analyze its abilities based on my own experience and explain how you can avoid the dangers it poses.

“The Skinwalker I encountered primarily took the form of a brown bear. As it happens, my assistant Watson is also a brown bear, so I’ll bring him out to demonstrate.”

Liam waved toward the side of the stage.

Watson waddled out, rose onto his hind legs, waved at the camera, then turned sideways and dropped back onto all fours.

Lily jumped onto his back and continued explaining.

“Viewers, there’s one important thing to remember. Our adorable Watson is not a monster like a Skinwalker.

“He is a spirit bear blessed by the forest. The ancestral Bear Mother also bestowed upon him the gentlest power, which is why Watson is both extremely intelligent and strong.”

Liam crouched down and rubbed Watson’s enormous belly.

Watson really had gained quite a bit of weight recently, but when it came to brown bears, being fat meant being strong.

Watson let out a comfortable hum.

Liam then held Watson’s massive head between his hands and began comparing him with the image.

“As everyone can see from the footage and pictures, a Skinwalker has a vicious-looking face. Its fangs are fully exposed, and its eyes look sinister. Nothing like our adorable Watson.”

Then Liam lifted Watson with one arm while holding one of his paws with the other.

“Look, everyone. This is Watson’s paw. Doesn’t it look very different from the Skinwalker’s claw in the picture?

“Based on my personal experience, a Skinwalker is stronger than an ordinary brown bear, but the truly terrifying thing is its speed.

“It can move silently through the forest at incredible speed, making its surprise attacks extremely difficult for an ordinary person to defend against.”

Liam set Watson back down.

“Fortunately, we live in an age where something called a gun exists.

“A Skinwalker’s defenses are only about as strong as those of an ordinary brown bear. So if you’re walking through the woods and want to protect yourself from a Skinwalker, the best solution is a gun.”

Liam covered Watson’s little ears with his hands.

“The next part isn’t suitable for underage bears.

“I once heard that sometime in the 1950s, a brown bear weighing more than eight hundred pounds was killed with a single shot from a .22-caliber hunting rifle fired by a sixty-three-year-old woman.

“That’s why modern technology is our greatest weapon when it comes to protecting ourselves.

“However, I do not recommend that viewers go rushing into the forest looking for mysterious creatures after watching my program.

“If you discover any clues, please write to the TV station. Leave dangerous work like that to Liam.”

After finishing his explanation of the Skinwalker, Liam sent Watson backstage.

“We’ll soon be airing the latest installment of our Witch special. To help everyone better understand the story, Lily will first explain where Witches come from.”

“No problem, Little One.”

Lily turned toward the camera again, her little feline face doing its best to look serious.

“A Witch’s powers are innate. After they are born, some girls gradually discover that they possess unusual abilities, such as sensing other people’s emotions or controlling small animals.

“This is a gift from heaven, but sometimes, a gift can become poison.

“Possessing power beyond that of ordinary people can give rise to intense emotions, while ignorant and fragile ordinary people often have difficulty understanding them.”

Liam took over.

“Thank you for the explanation, Lily. But we can’t go any deeper than that, or we’ll start spoiling the story.

“Next up is Monster Files: In Search of Witches. But first, allow me to squeeze in a short advertisement.

“Thank you to Boston’s major outdoor sports brands for sponsoring us. Without your support, I wouldn’t be able to complete these expeditions.

“And for viewers who enjoy adventure, feel free to purchase your own exploration gear. Young viewers who mention my name will receive one entry into a prize drawing. The grand prize is a chance to appear as a guest on one episode of my show.”

The image changed, and Episode 3 of Monster Files: In Search of Witches began to play.

The Resurrected Cop and the Witch’s Love.

...

The special came to an end.

The picture returned to the studio.

Liam smiled as he explained.

“Sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed that the Witch Dana sometimes speaks and behaves in ways that seem unusual by ordinary standards. That’s because Witches generally possess heightened sensitivity, which causes them to think differently from ordinary people.

“Likewise, if you meet someone like that in everyday life, please treat them kindly. Someone who seems strange to you may be carrying pain they cannot put into words.

“Even if you don’t like them, please don’t hurt them.”

Lily continued.

“That’s everything I know about Witches. If any of our viewers are still curious about something, feel free to send us a letter. As long as we know the answer, we’ll do our best to write back.”

Liam followed up.

“Today’s episode was certainly tense and exciting, but more importantly, the next episode will reveal the Witch’s entire scheme and introduce an even more powerful and mysterious enemy.

“Make sure to tune in on time for the next episode, Cole’s Finale and the Witch’s Secret.”

At the very end of the program, Liam looked earnestly into the camera.

“Finally, I know some of you like to record the show on videotape and watch it later when you have time. But ratings really are important to us. So if possible, please make sure to watch the program when it airs.”

Lily also waved a paw at the camera.

“Everyone, please make sure you tune in on time, meow!”