Chapter 52 Storyline U.S. (Part 3)

Back in that world, I'd been playing online games and watching TV, so when I got ninety miles from the border of the Big Apple, I immediately realized that there had been either one big explosion or several smaller ones. Scorched patches of land, chunks of stone, concrete, and wood, torn leaves on the few bushes and trees that weren't charred.

 The smell of burning and smoke hung in the air, and I had to walk carefully not to get my shoes too dirty. It was a good thing I was wearing a fall coat, because cold and wind are not the best companions. I looked around.

There was a group of people standing off to the side, and there was an inner ring of cordon and a second one within a few kilometers of the epicenter. I sniffed the air with my nose, listening to the sensations. Hmmm... suspicious.

Another look at the waiting group of people. Just in time, I noticed that Lizzie, along with a few others like her, had stormed towards one of the mages standing a bit away from the customers. Without a second thought, I approached the customers, one of the guards tried to stop me, but a paralyzing seal was placed on my outstretched hand, the mage froze, and I approached my target.

— Greetings, gentlemen. May I ask who's in charge here?

— William Darkmist. — introduced himself, a middle-aged man with the appearance of a wolfman. — Introduce yourselves.

— Sora Hoshino. — I don't want to cause trouble just because of a name; seeing that the magician wants to ask something, I continue. — I have been invited to perform a ritual of rest and purification of the land. I have seen the extent of the work, now I am interested in the question of price.

— Payment is standard. — quickly replied the low, nasal type.

— I have no idea how to calculate a standard price for different conditions. For example, do you know how many restless souls there are here? — I look at the Jew with disgust.

— It doesn't make any difference. You have been offered a standard contract, and if you don't like it, you can leave! — exclaimed the little man, waving his short arms expressively.

— Mr. Darkness, I've decided to ignore the local money-grubber. — I can sense over two hundred souls right now, it's hard to pinpoint. Do you know what will happen if the rest is done wrong and some of the souls stay here?

— Bound spirits. — The man nodded, interest in his eyes.

— Not only that, but more vengeful spirits, poltergeists and wandering spirits, as well as evil spirits capable of possession. Do you want to do all that in the future?

— What interesting things I'm learning, aren't they, Mr. Stokles? — One of the men present, a tall, thin, red-haired man, turned pale, his eyes darting from side to side, and four magicians in blue uniforms and full-face masks appeared beside us. — Take these two into custody and watch them closely, I wonder what they have to say.

Without further ado, the Jew and the redhead were twisted and led away. The attention of the remaining three headbangers returned to me.

— How much were you promised for the contract? — The black eyes looked stubbornly.

— Sixty thousand.

— Unexpectedly... — somehow even quite enough, the chief stretched out his hand. — Well, now I understand why you decided to communicate. The kill zone is one mile in diameter, plus two hundred meters of "gray zone", the standard payment in this case is two hundred and ten thousand dollars for clearing the territory. Exile or rest, five hundred for each soul.

— That's funny. — I even smiled at the amount of money that would have gone into other people's pockets if I'd kept my mouth shut. — How will we count the dead souls? — I smile again, remembering the school.

— Usually the masters "illuminate" the souls — make them visible. Can't you do that? — asked the overweight mage with an angry expression in his voice.

— I can, — I shrugged indifferently. — Are you sure you want to see the victims of the explosion as they were when it happened? — I continued, noting the changing grimaces. — I add that your wish is quite energy consuming and if I have to "illuminate" more than two hundred souls at once, I'll have to rest and get back to work in two days... — I stammered out the last words, turned away and looked around with interest.

There was silence for a minute while the mages looked at each other and I pretended not to care. In fact, I was scared by the numbers the Lord and the Chinese were pulling in.

 If I can get more than three hundred thousand dollars for this one contract, then I am creeped out by the number on the contract for the resting place of some damn cemetery. This same place is notable for the fact that some kind of experiments were conducted here... on sentient beings, including humans. There's still pain and doom and madness in the air.

The souls I saw from the beginning only confirmed my conclusion. They were thrashing, howling, screaming, running in circles, and so on and so forth. Thank the gods that I'm a little used to such sights and I don't have nightmares... at least not all the time. And I keep quiet because I don't want any unnecessary problems. And I don't ask unnecessary questions. I don't know what the curators of the project think. I'm glad that everything that was here is dead and destroyed.

An hour later, when we had concluded the agreement and all my unwilling assistants had been instructed and placed in the right order, and I had finished my preparations, the ritual began.

And it lasted several hours. But the ritual I decided to perform was not standard, oh no. The information from Russia gave me certain thoughts, and now I realize one of my not so bright ideas. Each departing tormented soul leaves its suffering in the world, infects the countries where it is, and it is from them that "purification" is needed. Following the example of the terrorists, I decided to use this energy.

I called my development "The Gaze of Nemesis", although the essence of the artifact is a bit wrong, but it sounds pathos. The artifact can be mentally aimed at the target, clearly presenting the target even without the image of a specific person or object.

According to my calculations, the power depends on the amount of energy, its saturation, so everything as usual. The main point is that the victims must be reasonable, and the "blacker" their demise — the better. I'm not even happy with the outcome myself. I don't think it's possible for anyone to get my design, otherwise there will be trouble: the world is full of lunatics, and "vigilantes" — even more, they're capable of anything...