American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

374. The Forces of Evil!

"Hey, relax, miss. I'm not here to cause trouble, alright?"

Seeing the blonde girl in front of him, wary and clearly hostile, Alex quickly flashed a smile and raised his hands.

"This isn't a place for ordinary people, and it's definitely not for someone like you, an Easterner."

The girl tilted her head, smiling in a way that looked adorable but with a coldness in her tone that kept him at arm's length.

"Excuse me, are you being discriminatory or something?"

Raising an eyebrow, Alex glanced beyond the girl. There, another woman with blonde hair was walking quickly towards them. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be related to the girl—probably her mother.

"Jo, what are you doing?" the woman asked.

Hearing this, the girl put away the gun she was holding behind her back and looked toward the woman.

"Mom, there's a guy here who seems lost."

"Whether he's 'lost' or not, you can't go chasing away customers. Remember, we're running a business here; anyone who comes in is our guest."

The older woman lightly scolded her daughter before turning to Alex with a friendly smile.

"Sorry, sir. My daughter's personality can be a bit rough; she didn't mean anything by it."

"No problem. I actually think she's quite charming."

Alex smiled, casting a quick glance at the lively young girl again.

The woman seemed unfazed by his gaze; she was used to it. Her daughter was indeed beautiful, and most patrons here couldn't help but show interest in Jo.

"Come inside, sir. You look like you've been on the road for quite some time. Why don't you take a break? By the way, just call me Ellen. What would you like?"

"Bring me whatever your specialty is here. I really like the decor," Alex replied, following Ellen inside. As he did, he rubbed his fingers together, and two gold nuggets appeared in his hand.

He casually placed the gold on the counter and found a seat.

For some reason, this large bar area had no one sitting at it. The patrons all stayed in the corners, as if discussing something secretive.

Alex's actions didn't go unnoticed. Many eyes in the room shifted toward him, watching the gold he'd placed with various reactions—most of them wide-eyed.

(It seems you've already caught their attention, sir. As expected, someone like you attracts notice wherever you go.)

'Don't flatter me. They're just interested in the gold. Greedy but not murderous—interesting,' Alex thought to himself.

Sitting on the barstool, Alex took off his hat and placed it beside him.

Just then, Jo came over. She took a glass, set it down in front of him, poured a glass of vodka, and swiftly pocketed the gold.

"No one's ever paid with this before."

"Then I guess I'm the first?"

Alex raised the glass and took a sip.

Paying with gold had become a habit of his; given the uncertain era of this place, he avoided using cash. Besides, this place didn't exactly look set up for mobile payments.

After staring at Alex for a moment, Jo took another glass and poured herself a drink too.

"Sorry, we don't get visitors from the East here. I didn't mean to single you out—it's just that this place isn't really suited for you."

"Heh, so I'm the first one then," Alex replied with a smile, ignoring the rest of Jo's comment.

It was just a tavern; he couldn't see why it would be unsuitable for him.

As Alex spoke with Jo, he also extended his senses throughout the tavern. In an unfamiliar place, a tavern was often a good spot to pick up information. Soon, the conversations of those chatting in the corners became clear in Alex's ears.

"Heard there's been vampire sightings in Philly. Six people dead, all young college women. We might want to check it out."

"Vampires, huh? Filthy creatures, always multiplying. I wiped out a whole vampire nest in Mexico once—thirteen of them."

"Thirteen? Ha, sure you did."

"Screw you, I'm serious. Remember, I used to work alone."

Alex was now certain—wherever this was, it definitely wasn't the Evil Dead universe.

"What's up?" Jo's voice brought Alex back to the present.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about something. By the way, what did you just say?"

"I said you should eat something and then leave. This place gets packed at night with people who aren't really your type. You won't want to stick around."

"Ahem, about that…" Alex licked the remaining drops of alcohol from his lips and looked up with a smile.

"I just killed three vampires myself, so I doubt anyone here would have what it takes to make me leave. Don't you think?"

Hearing this, Jo's gaze shifted. She looked at Alex intently, as if trying to figure him out.

After a moment, she smiled and nodded.

"You're quite the joker. Vampires aren't real; they're just myths. Seriously, are you high?"

"You know I'm telling the truth. Also, pour me another, would you, dear?"

Alex pushed his glass forward.

Seeing Alex's serious expression, the girl crossed her arms and laughed, "Why don't you tell me about your adventures? If it's good enough, this drink's on me."

Hearing this, Alex wasn't quite sure how to start. None of his adventures were ones he could easily share, and he wasn't sure if the blood baron's thralls were the same kind of vampires in this world. If he said the wrong thing, the fragile trust he'd just established could vanish.

But, if this world did indeed have vampires...

Alex blinked and snapped his fingers in front of Jo.

"Forget it; this drink's on me."

At his words, flowers of alcohol suddenly blossomed in the empty glasses.

Under Jo's astonished gaze, the glasses slowly filled with liquid, right before her eyes. The rich scent of alcohol filled Jo's nostrils. She took a tentative sip and found that the glass really was filled with a much finer liquor than what they usually served.

"How's it taste?" Alex asked, lifting his own glass.

He silently thanked Constantine; that mysterious house of his had a vast wine cellar with plenty of fine spirits. Though most had been drunk, Alex had restocked it.

"You're a wizard?" Jo barely managed to keep her shock in check. She glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed, then leaned in close and asked in a hushed tone.

"Something like that. I prefer the term 'occult scholar,'" Alex replied with a shrug, giving away little more than that.

But Jo was clearly intrigued by Alex's display, and her curiosity was piqued.

As he'd suspected, this world was far from simple—there were vampires, wizards, and even vampire hunters. Still, Alex didn't know enough about this world to be certain of anything; the possibilities were too broad.

"So, do you use your magic… your wizardry, to hunt those monsters?"

"If you mean vampires, then yes. Those creatures pose no threat to me. One snap of my fingers, and they're dust before me."

"Wow…"

Jo's eyes sparkled, clearly thrilled to see magic firsthand for the first time.

Seeing that she was about to ask more questions, Alex quickly changed the subject.

"Now, it's my turn. I'm new around here, and I'm pretty curious. Are you all vampire hunters or part of some sort of organization?"

"Not really," Jo smiled, resting her chin on her hand and lowering her voice. "My mom and I just run this tavern, mostly for hunters like you. Sometimes, the occasional unknowing regular wanders in, and I make sure to send them away to avoid trouble. Apologies for that."

"No need to apologize. I suppose it's rare to meet an Eastern hunter, right?"

Alex took a sip from his glass and casually continued, "By the way, hunters… is that what you call yourselves?"

"Yep, those who hunt down demons and monsters are called hunters. Don't you use that term where you're from?"

"Oh, we call ourselves exorcists. I guess it's pretty similar."

Alex waved it off while processing the information he'd gathered. These people weren't merely vampire hunters—their targets extended to various supernatural entities in this world.

"By the way, can you keep my magic a secret? I rarely show it in front of others, and I'd prefer it if people didn't know my abilities."

"I get it. Don't worry; I won't tell anyone. Most hunters aren't exactly open about their tricks either," Jo replied, nodding as if she understood.

Ever since Alex had revealed himself as a hunter, Jo's attitude had completely changed. It seemed that within this circle, she was warm and welcoming, but otherwise distant.

While Alex and Jo were chatting happily, Ellen came over with food.

Since the tavern wasn't primarily a restaurant, Ellen had made a simple homemade meal, likely some stir-fried noodles with tomatoes and potatoes.

Just then, the door swung open. People turned to see two tall men walk in confidently.

They were both handsome, one with a roguish air and the other slightly taller with natural curls. They seemed like regulars; they walked over to the bar and greeted Ellen warmly.

"Long time no see, Ellen. Hey, Jo."

Jo's smile disappeared as she turned away without responding.

Ellen, however, smiled warmly. After setting the food down, she turned and gave the two men a friendly hug.

"Long time no see, Dean, Sam."

As she said that, Alex choked on his drink and spat it out.

"Pfft!"

.....

30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
375. The Winchester Duo.
376. The Work of Hunters.
377. The Gift.
378. The Case of the Missing Girl!
379. Strange Clues!