Preparation

After setting the follower's body ablaze with Leo's help, I place Bobby back in the car. He seems to be sleeping since the effect on his mind ended when I killed the thing.

"What the hell was that thing?" asks Leo as he brings the still happily sleeping Cassidy to my car while I hurriedly change my clothes for the second time today.

"A follower of an ancient thing. I think the less you know about them, the better you fare," I say and open the door for Leo to place Cassidy inside.

He nods and puts her next to Bobby, but I can see that he wants to know more. However, he keeps his curiosity in check since we need to get out of there as fast as possible. Because sirens can already be heard coming from the city towards us...

Once we are far enough away from the motel, he continues, "But what does she want from me?"

"She doesn't want everything from you. They are searching for someone like Cassidy, but she's probably fine now because they know Cassidy isn't the one they're looking for."

Leo sighs out of relief and says, "That's good... wait, they? There are more?!"

"Yes... That's why I suggest you lay low for a few days and keep moving to ensure no more of them come after you, even though it might be challenging with the sleeping beauty behind you."

Leo stays quiet for a bit, then says, "I hope I can convince her somehow..."

I give him a pat on the shoulder and afterwards bring them to a motel in a nearby town. We say our goodbyes again, and I drive back to Bobby's place.

We discovered later that more people saw the fight between me and the follower. Mostly the people who were in the motel and the motel owner himself.

However, the police didn't believe their claims about a monstrous woman because the only evidence they found was a charred and headless corpse, which appeared normal-looking.

This led them to initiate a manhunt for a man who wielded a machete and was known to drive an old Ford Mustang.

They even discovered the identity of the man as Aiden Cross because he had used his driver's license when checking into the motel.

And this manhunt bit me faster in the ass than I thought it would...

Strangely, there was nothing mentioned about Leo or Cassidy, not even that she had returned home after being kidnapped.

However, I later learned about their well-being when we crossed paths again in... well, that's a story for another time.

---

We arrived in the morning at Bobby's scrapyard, and once again I had to drag him into his house... but this time he didn't wake up and continued to sleep, even when I sprayed water on him from time to time.

I let him rest and first fed Rumsfeld before unloading the books and weapons from the car.

Although I was eager to find Cthylla as quickly as possible, going there unprepared would inevitably lead to a catastrophe, as more and stronger followers would eventually show up.

The followers become more powerful and uglier the longer they are part of Cthulhu's cult. This makes it even more difficult because the only effective way to deal with them is by decapitating them.

Well, unless you know the soul name of their vessel, which is always a human... well, unless in this world they can possess other supernatural beings too...

So I want to be prepared when they come.

Until I met Cthylla, I had never known how soul names could be utilized. However, she taught me their use, and they became my greatest advantage against the followers in my previous world.

By imbuing a weapon with the name, you can paralyze the follower by targeting the vessel's soul. As Cthulhu, and probably anyone else that wants to possess someone, require a functional soul for the vessel to work.

Destroying someone's soul name is like erasing their very existence. Without it, the soul transforms into a vacant shell of energy that departs from its vessel and vanishes.

Probably a fate worse than death... but better than being possessed by something like Cthulhu.

So, I sto... I borrowed two pistols from Bobby's weapon locker and some ammunition, and began preparing for anything that could come at me.

Since I am uncertain whether the followers can inhabit other vessels like those of werewolves and witches, I will inscribe the soul names I know so far on the bullets and knives.

These soul names are humans (Manin), witches (Gheit), and werewolves (Lehmoo).

To write down a soul name, you basically need three ingredients: an object to write on, a soul (or whatever I have), and a catalyst that transfers the power of the soul into the written words.

The best catalyst for this process is the blood of the being who writes the names down. So, I used a knife, a bucket, and a brush to write the symbols for the names on the knives and bullets.

You know if the process is successful when the written symbols start to smoke and turn black while fusing with the object. Afterwards, not only do the objects look cool, but they are also deadly for the beings they were prepared for.

It took me nearly eight hours to finish nine knives and nearly sixty bullets. The knives were easy to write on since they were large, while the bullets were a pain in the ass...

The other thing that makes this quite a pain in the ass, is that after finishing each name, you feel as if you've worked out for two whole days. Fortunately, this feeling disappears after a few seconds.

After stashing away my new pistols and knives, I grab a book about witchcraft to read through and learn some tricks when I sense that Bobby has woken up.

---

I pour him a glass of my moderately expensive whiskey, which probably loses nearly $100k in value with every glass, and walk over to the couch where he is lying.

He blinks a few times, then grabs his head as if he has a hangover and gets up, saying, "What the hell happened? I shot at the thing, and the next moment I'm in a dark void and tentacles are ripping me apart..."

"You looked her in the eyes, and she showed you a twisted version of your future," I say, handing him the whiskey glass. He takes it, his hand trembling, and drinks the entire glass.

He gives it back to me, and I pour him another one. After he drinks it, he appears much calmer and says, "That's a good whiskey... I suppose since we're here, you destroyed it?"

"Yes, I beheaded and burned it with the help of Leo."

"Good... I owe you one for that. Let me know if you need anything," Bobby says, unusually friendly, as he stands up and grabs a napkin to wipe his wet face.

"Why is my face so wet?"

"I have no idea. Maybe sweat?" I respond, pretending not to know that I sprayed water on him the whole time.

Bobby went to the bathroom to take a shower afterwards, while I grabbed the food I bought for him from the fridge on the way here and placed it on his tea table.

I then returned to the kitchen table where I had placed the witchcraft books.

The first book I opened appears to be a grimoire written by an ancient Greek witch. It describes different types of spells: object spells, elemental spells, ritual spells, and spiritual spells.

Object spells are for creating things like hex bags. Elemental spells allow somebody to channel the surrounding elements.

Ritual spells that are highly versatile and can be used for nearly everything. And lastly, spiritual spells that channel your own energy, like telekinesis.

The book mentions that witches prefer spells that don't require using their own energy, because excessive energy consumption can weaken or even kill them.

In addition to the spells, the book describes different types of witches, including naturals, borrowers (who are disliked by others), and students.

All witches originate from naturals who pass their knowledge down to students, while those without an affinity for magic make deals with demons and become borrowers.

"What language is this? I can't read any of it," Bobby asks as he joins me, munching on his sweet and sour chicken.

"This is ancient Greek. I never understood why they had to modernize it..."

"And you can read it?"

"Yup," I say to the surprised man.

Afterwards I close the book and say, "I'll take this one with me and leave the others here until I return."

"Do I look like your personal library to you?" Bobby asks, annoyed.

I gestured towards the countless books on his shelves, and he scratched his head, saying, "Fair enough... So, that means you want to leave already?"

"Yes, I have new leads that I need to follow," I say, placing the book in my backpack.

"Do you need my help? I have nothing else to do, and I owe you one," Bobby offers, his expression resembling that of a caring father.

I shake my head and reply, "Not for now, but I'll call you if I need your assistance."

He sighs and walks over to a shelf, retrieving a box which he hands to me. When I open it, I find numerous fake IDs, badges from different organizations, and some credit cards.

Most of the IDs have their photos removed but look fairly authentic.

"I think these could be helpful. It is basically the starter equipment for every hunter," Bobby says.

"Thanks." I place the contents of the box into my backpack and hand him the remaining bottle of the whiskey and pack up my other belongings.

"Where are you even going?" Bobby asks as we leave the house and walk towards my car.

"No idea really, probably somewhere in the east... maybe Ohio or New York," I reply with a shrug.

"Okay, but don't end up like the other Aiden and die out there," Bobby warns, extending his hand to shake mine.

"Yeah, you too," I say, shaking his hand before getting into the car and driving away.

~~~

Cthulhu Followers:

Traits: Can transform into gross forms, Super strength, getting stronger over time, green glowing eyes that cause illusions

Weaknesses: -

How to destroy: Decapitation

True name: -

First encounter: Minot, North Dakota

~~~