15: Chapter 15 The Correct Use of the Cyber Demon
Qin Ming held Emma's hand as they strolled leisurely down the deserted street.
He pushed open the door to their temporary apartment.
Robert was sitting on the living room sofa, an old laptop balanced on his lap, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
Black-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, and a deep exhaustion was visible in his eyes.
Hearing the door open, Robert looked up.
"You're back from your walk?"
Qin Ming replied casually, "Yeah, we wandered around the park and looked at the stars while we were at it."
Emma, acting like the most well-behaved daughter, skipped over and gave Robert a kiss on the cheek.
"Daddy, are you still working overtime?"
Robert gave a bitter smile and rubbed his daughter's head.
"In order to fix up that big house for you, Daddy has to earn some extra overtime pay. Alright, go wash up and head to bed."
"We're going to play in the room for a bit; Qin promised to tell me stories about God."
Emma blinked her big eyes, the lie coming to her effortlessly.
"Don't play too late."
Robert turned his attention back to the dull data, giving his instructions without looking up.
"Okay."
Qin Ming and Emma shared a glance before walking into the bedroom one after the other.
Click.
The door was locked from the inside.
Emma instantly dropped her innocent expression. She jumped onto the bed, sat cross-legged, and an excited green light flickered in her eyes.
"Quick! Let it out!"
Qin Ming fished the metal ball out of his pocket.
He pressed the middle button and tossed it casually onto the floor.
Buzz—
A red glow bloomed within the cramped bedroom.
A distorted, lanky shadow nearly three meters tall appeared out of thin air on the carpet, accompanied by the crackle of static electricity.
Larry.
The electronic demon that had terrified countless people through their screens now appeared somewhat constrained.
Its back was deeply hunched, its head nearly touching the ceiling lamp.
Its fingers, like withered wood, curled at its sides, and a sense of clarity and despair—the result of being suppressed by rules—showed in its hollow eye sockets.
It didn't dare move.
Because the ten-year-old boy standing before it radiated an aura of Holy Light that made its soul tremble.
"Stand up straight."
Qin Ming spoke flatly.
Larry shuddered, then like a puppet being manipulated, stiffly straightened its spine, which was covered in bone spurs.
"Raise your hands."
Larry slowly raised its incredibly long arms, its fingers nearly touching the walls on either side.
"Lift a foot."
It obediently lifted a slender leg, maintaining a comical balancing pose.
Watching this, the smile on Emma's face grew wider.
The feeling of controlling a powerful monster made the antisocial genes in her body throb wildly.
"Will it listen to anything?"
Emma jumped off the bed and circled Larry, even reaching out a small hand to touch its cold, static-charged skin.
"Within the rules, it cannot resist."
Qin Ming crossed his arms, evaluating the combat power of this new pet.
"Qin, make it dance."
Emma suddenly suggested, her eyes full of mischievous light.
"Dance?"
Qin Ming raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, the one they always show on TV now, 'Left hand, right hand, one slow motion.'"
Qin Ming was silent for a second, then looked at Larry.
"Did you hear that? Dance."
The corner of Larry's hairless mouth twitched.
Then.
The three-meter-tall terrifying demon began to twist its uncoordinated limbs in the narrow room.
Its massive palms clumsily traced circles in front of its chest, and its long legs moved stiffly.
The scene was bizarre to the extreme.
It was like a Grim Reaper performing a slapstick comedy routine for kindergarteners.
"Hahahaha!"
Emma laughed so hard she was doubled over, tears nearly streaming down her face.
"This is so fun! Qin, give it to me!"
The look in her eyes as she turned to Qin Ming was full of longing.
It was an extreme possessiveness toward power.
"No."
Qin Ming refused flatly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
"Your mental strength can't control it yet. Although I've tamed it, its essence is still that of a vengeful spirit curse."
"The moment it leaves the range of my suppression, you'll be the first thing it eats."
Emma pouted with some disappointment, but she knew Qin Ming was telling the truth.
Even though the monster was dancing, the malice in those black holes had never vanished.
"Larry, let me see what you're really capable of."
Qin Ming stopped the absurd dance.
"Stop playing around and show me your abilities."
Larry stopped moving, and its lanky body suddenly began to pixelate.
It was as if a television signal was experiencing interference.
Static—
It vanished directly before their eyes.
A second later.
The tablet computer sitting by the pillow lit up.
Larry's distorted face appeared in the center of the screen. It reached out a finger and tapped the screen glass.
Immediately after.
The television in the room turned on by itself.
The wall lamps began to flicker rhythmically.
Even the phone in Qin Ming's pocket began to dial automatically.
"An anomalous version of AI?"
Qin Ming's eyes lit up.
"It's more than just control."
A raspy voice, sounding like the friction of an electric current, came from the tablet's speakers.
"Wherever there is electricity... I am everywhere."
Larry's body zipped rapidly between various screens.
It could instantly hack all the surveillance in this community, or cause a moving Tesla to drive directly into a utility pole.
This wasn't just a thug.
It was a perfect infiltrator and listening device.
"Excellent."
Qin Ming pointed out the window, his gaze turning deep.
"Larry, go find someone for me."
"A woman who likes playing with puppets, a vengeful spirit whose tongue was cut out."
"Her name is Mary Shaw."
Larry tilted its head in the screen, seemingly searching for relevant electronic information.
"In that town called Ravens Fair... I smell the scent of old, dead things."
"Go keep an eye on her, or keep an eye on those carrying puppets."
"If there is any news, notify me immediately."
Qin Ming issued the command.
Larry bowed inside the screen, then transformed into a tiny spark of electricity and vanished without a trace down the power cord of the outlet.
Peace returned to the room.
Emma walked to Qin Ming's side and tugged on his shirt.
"Mary Shaw? Is she your next target?"
"Yes."
Qin Ming sat back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table.
"Larry can only provide support. To truly establish a foothold in this world, I need more and stronger 'Faith'."
Emma clenched her small fists, a cruelty not belonging to her age flickering in her eyes.
"I want to go too."
Qin Ming looked down at her. Although Emma had been enhanced, she was still no match for a vengeful spirit of Mary Shaw's level.
"For now, you are still my intelligence operative."
Qin Ming patted her head.
"Go to school and keep an eye out for transfer students, or classmates who suddenly go crazy."
"This world is collapsing; Mary Shaw is just the tip of the iceberg."
"What we need to do is turn all these filthy things into our nourishment before the Apocalypse descends."
Emma broke into a brilliant smile.
"Okay, my dear brother."
Qin Ming stood by the window, looking out at the silent darkness in the distance.
Silent Hill, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Dawn of the Dead...