Chapter 002 A Midsummer Night's Dream (Part One)

Everything is so quiet here, quiet enough to make one want to take a beautiful nap.

bang

Alright

James, with gray hair already on his head, stubbornly shook his head and said to Merlin, whom he regarded as his own son

Whenever he thinks of that scene, Merlin cannot help but feel a sense of tranquility and joy

The man replied in a low voice, reminiscent of the sound made when a war hammer is swung and strikes down; though not sharp, it pierces the eardrums painfully

That is clearly an evil force that does not belong to the realm of humanity

In this joyful atmosphere, Merlin deliberately looked to the left and right before starting the car. This time, that figure did not appear again. Until he drove the car onto the road and made his way back to the farm, there was not a hint of anything amiss.

There is.

The Three Palaces

Let's not talk for now... It is watching over here, it is coming soon, I have to hang up, I do not want your big boss's presence to scare it away

I assure you, I will make a phone call every week. As soon as I have a holiday, I will return, or you can come to New York to see me

I have come for you, mortal

Ah ... ...

Behind him, his left hand quietly grasped the nearby wrench; this heavy object, once swung, could easily shatter a man's skull

Do not touch Lola

Which man does not like cars

His fingers tightened around the pipe wrench once again

I will often come back to see you

I said, "Merlin, and Phil, what is wrong with you two? You both looked gloomy during dinner."

The communicator on the other end seemed to have asked a question, which made the smile on the mysterious person's face even broader

James lowered his voice, asking with concern. Merlin did not want to worry his family, nor did he wish to reveal the secrets within his heart. So he shrugged his shoulders and pretended to be relaxed as he said to his father

Merlin opened the car door, hesitating for a moment about whether to drive himself or let Phil continue driving. However, he did not hesitate for long and took a seat in the driver's seat. He adjusted the rearview mirror and said to his parents:

Until nightfall, with Phil's assistance, Merlin completed the last spark plug change for his soon-to-be-owned car, Lola. Now, all that remains is to fill it up with fuel, and this classic red convertible sports car from 1962 will once again be able to race across this land.

The earth did not裂开, the water did not reverse, the livestock did not perish, everything is so beautiful, so normal

It was not until this moment that Merlin noticed the man's eyes were dark red, and aside from those eyes, as soon as he shifted his gaze, the man's face would immediately be forgotten in his mind

My grandfather's grandfather came to this land from Europe, and since then, every generation of the Colson family has grown old here. I have no desire to go to New York, that chaotic big city. I know you are a good child, Merlin, and you are kind to all of us, but trust us, child, after you leave home, we will take good care of ourselves.

This middle-aged man, who is in good health and slightly overweight, is in high spirits. He encountered several acquaintances at the restaurant, which led him to drink a few extra glasses, and he is now feeling a bit tipsy

Alright

Merlin blinked his eyes and said to Phil

Ah, I am very sorry, my Phil

Xiaomeilin, are you ready

That farm must not be closed, my Merlin

Phil sat on the other side, fastened his seatbelt, and said to his brother

Merlin, who was busy with the final checks under the car, called out his brother's name, but received no response. The entire garage was very quiet, which made Merlin's heart skip a beat. He hurriedly crawled out from under the car, only to find Phil lying on a shelf in the corner of the garage

Tonight, just tonight, the first 'roll' of the fateful bone dice will cast its shadow over Merlin's destiny, and I will observe the entire process before returning to report to you

Merlin looked at the uninvited man; he had never seen this man around before. He noticed that there were dark red lines on the man's cheek, resembling scars, which appeared rather unusual and gave off a strange feeling

The man extended his finger, and a ball of dark red flame flickered at his fingertip. He tilted his head slightly, looked at Merlin before him, and said expressionlessly:

It seems that everything that happened before was merely a trivial illusion

A soft sound suddenly startled Merlin from his rest. He opened his eyes to find himself still seated in the driver's seat of Lola, while Phil lay snoring on the rack. However, in front of Lola, a man dressed in an ancient black suit, with a head of elegant white long hair, was tapping his fingers on the hood of Lola, producing a series of crisp knocking sounds.

That's it, wait for my good news

James Colson, the adoptive father of Merlin, was also Merlin's physical education teacher during high school

However, the mysterious person himself is actually still standing in the same place, but it is as if he is standing in another dimension

Phil, could you please hand me the pliers, Phil

Allowing the blue cloak behind him to billow in the ethereal pale wind, he gazed at the Coulson Farm, watching the dark red aura beneath the earth rise slowly like mist, in a realm invisible to mortals, akin to the mist searching for prey

Merlin also knew that his earlier suggestion was merely a moment of impulsiveness, perhaps related to the mysterious vision he had seen that morning. The sudden appearance of that entity disrupted Merlin's 18 years of tranquil life and caused even his usually composed demeanor to reveal a hint of unwarranted panic

He raised his head, glanced in the direction of the Colson Farm, and then replied

Thus, he closed his eyes

... ...

Merlin opened the car door and instinctively shouted.

The mysterious person lowered his head to look at the "time"; his lips moved as if he were conversing with some unseen individuals

I like the dishes at this restaurant; the flavors are truly excellent, and the wine is also quite good

Do not worry, Merlin. You should go to New York to study. Your cousin Mei has already settled there, and she will take care of you on our behalf. As for matters here in Wisconsin, you need not concern yourself; I will find someone to look after that farm.

But after all, he is just a young man, perhaps having experienced some peculiar things more than other young people, but that does not mean he is particularly strong

He was unaware of the gazes watching him from behind, just as he was unaware that after this night, his fate would take a different turn.

It is irritable, greedy, arrogant, and angry, as if it is thirsting for the caress of a beloved, possessing an insatiable desire to devour the entire earth. It is envious of all this, of everything under the sun, of this world favored by the Creator. It constantly gazes from its own hell, with dark whispers echoing, like an indescribable entity from the abyss.

I can leave everything to you, but only Lola, Lola is mine

His fingers caressed the impeccably polished car as if touching the flawless skin of a beautiful woman. Eventually, his fingers rested on the steering wheel, and Merlin smiled, his expression filled with satisfaction and pride

Merlin did not notice any abnormalities

Completely solidified

Of course, I guess... Xiaomeilin has already made preparations. In fact, he might even be a bit impatient, just like us who have been waiting for a long time. Although, 18 years, to us, is merely the duration of an afternoon tea.

The ancestral home that your parents left you was demolished, and I was unable to preserve it for you. Later, I used that money to buy back this farm, which is the only property I can leave to you, and it is also my promise to Wilton and May, who were my best friends, with whom I grew up, and I witnessed your birth with my own eyes ... sigh

Merlin leaned back in his seat, stretching his body and letting out a big yawn. He raised his arms and glanced at the watch on his wrist; it was now dusk. The beautiful sunset was shining through the gaps in the garage, illuminating the dim interior of the garage.

Merlin stood a few meters away from the man, and at his scolding voice, the strange man ceased his action of banging on the car hood. He turned to look at Merlin, as if appraising a rare item.

... ...

This also allowed Merlin to let out a slight sigh of relief

Merlin tried to make his voice sound calm, as if he truly overlooked the strange marks on the man's face, the unsettling eyes that sent shivers down one's spine, and the gloomy aura that seemed out of place with everything around him

The mysterious man shook his head, staring intently at the exceptionally precise pocket watch in his hand, and said softly

He muttered to himself, his fingers, clad in black gloves, flipped over, revealing a golden pocket watch in his hand. Accompanied by a crisp sound, the pocket watch opened, revealing a complex mechanism inside that was more than ten times intricate than that of a normal pocket watch

May you have a great time

This is clearly not normal

The young man has fallen into a deep sleep, though it is unclear when this occurred. Judging by his expression, he appears to be having a pleasant dream

He walked alongside Merlin, while Mrs. Coulson and her emotionally troubled younger son Phil followed behind

Then, with all the glory that your barren mind can imagine, become my 'son'

There is also a garage, you will leave Lola with me, right? You won't drive it away! Right?

How may I assist you, sir

James shook his head and said

After a moment, he said to the communicator on the other end

Merlin supported James's arm, he turned back to look at his mother and younger brother, and he said to James

I have hardly seen my parents since I was born; it was you and mom who raised me. I don't really care about things like inheritance; you know, I have the ability to support myself and you. I was thinking, maybe we should move away from Wisconsin. How about you come with me to New York?

It is merely the troubles of youth, Dad, do not take it to heart. I was just thinking about something; after I leave home in August, why not close the farm and move to the city with Mom? This way, you can take better care of Phil and also take better care of yourself

The troubles of young people come quickly and leave just as swiftly. In the short span of a meal, Phil recovered from the disaster of emotional deception. He feigned despair and let out a wail, which elicited hearty laughter from the three people in the car

New York? No

When you leave, I can move into your study

Especially when it still belongs to you

James recalled the events of the past, let out a sigh, patted his eldest son's shoulder, and said

His adoptive father, James, had a great fondness for cars. Although limited by financial means, he was unable to collect those truly fine vehicles, but Lola was undoubtedly James's best collection. Now, this genuine "lady" is about to belong to Merlin

No ! ! !

In a peculiar environment, the solid feeling of holding a weapon always brings a sense of peace to one's mind

At noon, the Colson family emerged from the restaurant after successfully completing a delightful gathering.

Dad, you know, I actually don't care about these things

The mysterious figure extended a finger clad in a black glove, lightly tapping the air before him. The light surrounding his body flickered, resembling a closing curtain, which in an instant enveloped the oddly dressed enigma. A gust of wind swept through, erasing all traces he had left on the ground, as if he had never existed at all

It has been so many years, yet you still have not made any progress. However, how should I put it, you are still very welcome to join this game

The mysterious person's desire to converse seemed quite strong; he was eager to continue the discussion and express his unanchored literary temperament. However, after just a few sentences, his gaze suddenly shifted to another direction, his eyes narrowing as if he were observing the power slowly rising from beneath the earth in the distance

"Sign a contract with me..."

Merlin did not disturb his brother's sweet dreams; instead, he took a pair of pliers and thoroughly cleaned the underside of the car, washing the grease off his fingers. For the first time, he sat in the driver's seat of Lola as the owner of the vehicle

He looked at Merlin and said

Merlin's expression, at this moment ... ...

However, at the moment when the Colson family was enjoying their time together, a mysterious figure stood on a grassy hill several kilometers away. He reached up to adjust the brim of his hat, gazing in the direction of the Colson farm, and beneath the lowered brim, a hint of a playful smile flickered in his eyes

After having dinner with the family, everything was perfectly normal for the entire afternoon, and there were no bizarre scenarios like those found in the absurd superhero comics that Phil enjoys reading