Chapter 207: Zatanna's Confusion
Preparation and Departure
After a restless night, Zatanna, with dark circles under her eyes, called Luke.
"Hello? Where are we going for this expedition, and what kind of magical creatures are involved? I need a manifest."
"It's under your pillow."
Zatanna quickly flipped her pillow and froze when she saw the thick envelope. She felt like a clown making her debut on stage, completely played by the other party.
Bastard!
Zatanna wanted to rip the documents to shreds and beat that overgrown boy to a pulp, but she ultimately restrained herself. She spoke in a low voice,
"When are we leaving, and what's the exact location?"
"Five o'clock tomorrow morning. A Cadillac will be at the circus gate. Get in the car; you don't need to worry about anything else."
"Got it," Zatanna mumbled, hanging up the phone. She fell backward onto the bed like a fish with its bones removed. She glanced at the business card, then tossed it aside like trash. Next, she picked up the bank card, thought for a moment, and put it away securely.
A hundred thousand dollars was no small sum. It could buy a lot of magical materials, significantly improving her financial situation.
"Luke Shaw!" Zatanna murmured, recalling the online reviews. A shiver ran down her spine. Black-market background, high prestige in Coast City, started a social networking platform in Metropolis at a young age, and became a billionaire in less than six months.
A guy like that is terrifying to think about.
Zatanna sighed. She had been targeted; what good was fear? Fortunately, the man was only an ordinary human. With her magical abilities, she could definitely take him down.
Forget it. I need to prepare first!
For the sake of her own life, Zatanna spent the day creating magical items, stuffing a large bag with various bottles and jars.
An Uneasy Journey
The next morning, before dawn, Zatanna, dressed in camping gear, stood with her luggage at the circus gate.
At 4:55 a.m., a black Cadillac drove up from the intersection and stopped in front of her. The car door opened, and a very heavily built, middle-aged white man stepped out.
The man's eyes were cold, chilling her to the core. Just a single look was enough to raise goosebumps on Zatanna's back.
"He's not human. He's not human!" the girl screamed internally. She instinctively backed away. That Luke Shaw is using a Corpse Puppet as a servant.
Adam seemed to notice her reaction. A strange look flashed in his eyes, but he said nothing, simply opening the car door to usher her in.
Zatanna would never dare get into a car with a Corpse Puppet. Books described them as the product of soul magic and dark witchcraft—cruel, murderous, and heartless. They required constant consumption of living flesh and blood to maintain their sanity, and every Corpse Puppet needed to be heavily doused in perfume to mask the inherent stench of a corpse.
Zatanna wrinkled her nose, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
No perfume smell, no corpse stench!
What's going on?
Could he not be a Corpse Puppet? But that unique magical energy signature and those eyes were unmistakable. Only a Corpse Puppet would show such signs.
"Who are you? Who created you?"
Adam pointed toward the car door. "The Young Master said if we don't reach the airport before 5:30 a.m., I should kill you."
"You... you must be joking! I won't get into a car with a Corpse Puppet."
Adam glanced at his wrist. "It is now 5:03 a.m."
His calm words were as detached as ever, but they made Zatanna's body stiffen. After a long hesitation, she finally sat in the back seat.
The Cadillac started. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the Keystone City Airport.
Adam got out and walked toward the waiting private jet. Zatanna looked around, gritted her teeth, and followed. The plane's interior was luxurious—clearly a high-end model.
The girl placed her backpack on the counter and couldn't help but speak to Luke, who was lying in a seat, feigning sleep.
"That Corpse Puppet, did you create him?"
"Corpse Puppet?" Luke opened his eyes in confusion. "What Corpse Puppet?"
"The big man who drove me here. Don't tell me you don't know what he is."
Luke shook his head. "He's not a Corpse Puppet; he's a cyborg. He lost his human emotions due to certain circumstances."
Zatanna retorted angrily, "Do you think I'm stupid? The magical energy signature around him is so obvious! Only a Corpse Puppet possessed by a soul would give off that kind of energy."
Luke raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. As expected of a descendant of a magical family, she saw through Adam's identity at a glance. However, he would never admit it. Dark witchcraft was a taboo in the magical world and would bring endless trouble if word got out.
"Miss Magician, don't take me for a magic idiot. Corpse Puppets keep their sanity by consuming human blood, and their bodies reek. Did you smell any stench on Adam?"
Zatanna was taken aback. She had observed him several times in the car, and the big man definitely didn't smell bad, and his skin was elastic, unlike a corpse.
Did I see it wrong? the girl thought to herself, her expression filled with doubt.
Luke put on his eye mask, ignoring her once more.
The plane took off, heading toward the Mississippi River basin. After an hour's flight, it landed at a private airfield. The three disembarked and got into a waiting BMW.
Adam drove, Luke continued to "sleep," and Zatanna carefully observed the big man in the front.
No lividity, no corpse smell, normal heartbeat, normal breathing, and his skin is elastic with no signs of bloating.Did I really misidentify him?
But what about that unique magical energy signature?
Zatanna grew increasingly uncertain, her head starting to spin. Unable to figure it out, she simply gave up trying. She mimicked Luke, closed her eyes, and lay down in her seat to sleep.
The car left the airport, sped along the scenic Mississippi River, and then quickly traveled down a sparsely populated forest highway. After an hour and a half, a road sign appeared: Green Lamb Town.
The road to the town was bad—potholed and full of puddles. The three had to park the car nearby and continue on foot.
Zatanna looked at the road sign and spoke up. "I didn't expect this to be your destination!"
"You know it?"
Zatanna nodded, her expression serious.
"Green Lamb Town, the entrance to the Swamp Forest. It's quite famous in the American magic community."
"Is that so?" Luke chuckled dismissively. It was a wilderness that wasn't even on a map; what kind of fame could it have?
Zatanna snorted and explained,
"The town itself is nothing, but the adjacent Swamp Forest is the key. They say that forest possesses very strong magical power, and places where magic congregates often give birth to powerful magical creatures. No magical creature has good feelings for humans, which is why the Swamp Forest is also called the Forbidden Zone for Humans."
"I don't know what your goal is in going there, but I'm warning you, you'd better be careful."
The three left the highway. The deeper they walked, the denser the vegetation became. They could even see tracks of wild animals.
After traversing a patch of woods, the scene ahead opened up instantly. A stone bridge spanned a stream. Looking past the bridge, a cluster of buildings with a distinct medieval flair abruptly entered their view.
Green Lamb Town. They had arrived.
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