Chapter Thirteen: This Is Not PUA
“Damn it!”
Peter stared at Azu, who was clutching his dog’s head, his face covered in filthy blood, and couldn’t help but curse.
The kid smiled with blood all over his face, really reminding Peter of his past life.
He hurried over and lifted Azu into his arms.
“What happened?!”
Peter took off his suit jacket and helped wipe the foul-smelling blood and grime from Azu’s face.
“Gulp.”
Clark swallowed nervously and glanced at the corpse of the hunting dog on the ground.
“It attacked John and me, then John’s laser eyes...”
“Enough, Clark, I know what happened.”
Peter cut him off. “You help John clean up the blood, I’ll go get the car.”
“O-okay.”
Peter quickly drove over and placed Azu in the front passenger seat.
Before getting in, he cast a glance at the hunting dog’s corpse on the ground. After a moment of hesitation, he moved the body into the trunk.
Patrick Farm.
In the bathroom, Peter helped Azu wash off the blood and dirt.
“Dad?”
“Feeling unwell?”
“No, I just... feel kind of strange.”
Azu wiped the murky, blood-mixed water from his face. “So this is what blood tastes like.”
“Tastes like what?”
Peter paused his movements and looked at Azu.
Could it be that Azu had awakened some strange power this time?
If Azu transformed into that headshot-loving patriot from his past life, Peter would be in deep trouble.
“I don’t know. It’s like fireworks suddenly bursting—scary but thrilling at the same time,” Azu described his feelings.
“Hmph, but the smell isn’t very pleasant.”
Peter continued wiping him down. “If you don’t want to be a mess, don’t cover yourself in blood.”
“Because that’s not cool at all, Dad?”
“Yes, Dad doesn’t think being covered in blood is cool.”
Peter felt he needed to correct him early on.
In his past life, this boy had massacred those experimentalists at Water Corporation who had bullied him, cutting them into pieces with laser eyes, drenched in blood—a truly twisted image.
“Alright, I won’t make such a mess next time.”
Azu’s intentions were pure; since his father disliked it, he wouldn’t let it happen again.
---
“Dad, am I a monster?”
After hesitating a moment, Azu asked Peter, “No one else has laser eyes like mine.”
Peter thought to himself that Clark’s laser eyes hadn’t awakened yet; otherwise, he would have already switched from the bullied to the bully.
“No, you’re not a monster, Azu. This is your gift, a talent bestowed upon you by heaven.”
“Gift?”
Azu blinked.
“Yes, a gift. It is given to you by the heavens, and it also comes with a responsibility.”
“Dad, what kind of responsibility?”
Peter naturally wouldn’t recite “With great power comes great responsibility,” since Azu was no Spider-Man.
“To protect family.”
“Family means me and Dad, and Clark too?”
“Correct.”
Peter wanted to imprint the importance of family deeply into Azu’s spirit.
If the boy ever disobeyed, Peter would just be a powerless old father, raging in vain.
“*Cough cough*...”
He cleared his throat to remind himself this wasn’t manipulation, just helping Azu form the right values.
After all, being a “family hero” was better than being the patriot from his past life.
---
After cleaning Azu up, Peter went to the storage room behind the farm.
He placed the hunting dog that Azu had killed on the table and examined the body’s wounds.
Judging by the rigor mortis, the dog had been dead for some time.
But... the dog's head had just been severed by Azu, so the time of death couldn’t have been more than a day.
Had it been dead already?
Peter placed his hands on the table, staring at the corpse emitting a putrid stench.
So this hunting dog had already been a walking corpse when it attacked Azu?
Turning around, he raised his hand and looked at the Kryptonite stone that had appeared in it at some unknown moment.
This Kryptonite had caused the land to mutate, creating something like a necropolis.
Creatures buried there might, after some time, become “walking corpses.”
All that was left was to observe his cousin’s family carefully and confirm whether his “little nephew” was truly resurrected.
Putting away the Kryptonite, Peter’s gaze grew heavier.
Looks like he would have to buy a large freezer to store these walking corpses frozen—perhaps they might be useful someday.
He pushed open the door and stepped out of the storage room.
*Creak!*
---
Old Bill pushed the door open but was startled.
“Hello, Mr. Bill.”
Peter stood before him, greeting him.
Seeing Peter’s stern expression at the door, the balding old Bill nervously swallowed.
“Sorry, Mr. Patrick, I was just about to come apologize to you.”
Old Bill knew his dog had nearly hurt Azu.
Though the dog was now dead, he had no intention of pursuing responsibility.
He knew exactly what had happened.
That hunting dog was not normal at all.
“I accept your apology; no need to come all this way.”
Peter stepped inside. “Actually, I wanted to ask you about some things.”
Old Bill anxiously poured Peter a cup of coffee.
“If I know, I’ll tell you everything.”
“Your hunting dog—I heard it died a month ago, yet today it nearly bit my child.”
Peter’s intense gaze made Bill struggle to respond.
He stammered, “I got another one of the same breed.”
“Oh?”
Peter then threw a stack of photos onto the table.
“Can you tell me where this is?”
Bill leaned forward in confusion, picking up the photos. Suddenly, his body stiffened!
The photos showed the burial ground!
Exhaling helplessly, he curled back. “Sorry, I made a grave mistake.”
He thought Peter already knew what he had done.
“Caesar was with me for eight years. It was family to me. I couldn’t bear to lose him, so I buried him here. I knew—even if he returned, he wouldn’t be the same. I... I just wanted to see him.”
At the end, he covered his eyes and began to cry.
“What’s the origin of this land?”
Peter frowned and asked.
He was certain this land held extraordinary power.
“It used to be a swamp. About six years ago, a meteor shower struck the area, destroying the swamp. Then, due to land ownership issues with the Luther Group, the swamp disappeared.”
Peter continued, “How did you know it could bring your hunting dog back? Who told you?”