A newly bought instant camera sat on the table.
Linto took a deep breath.
"Hermit Purple!"
Purple vines appeared, wrapping around Linto's arm. As he slashed downwards with force, faint golden ripples flashed by. The instant camera was shattered by the palm strike.
Magically, the broken camera was still slowly spitting out the photo paper.
Linto picked up the photo paper and shook it. Gradually, a man's face appeared.
Linto remembered his name.
Amber Bearman.
He was a bright-eyed, tall man.
Back then, he was the one who represented the survivors, expressing gratitude to Linto and leading over one hundred and sixty survivors to build a village.
The Amber Bearman in the photo looked terrible. One of his eyes was blind, and his body was covered in bandages from various wounds. In the photo, he was carrying a bucket even bigger than himself, gritting his teeth as he moved goods.
"Star Platinum"
Linto switched to his Stand, activating Star Platinum's "printer" effect.
Star Platinum held the photo in one hand, while the other hand picked up a pen prepared on the table, drawing details that were invisible to the naked eye onto the paper.
Soon, Linto found a clue -
Embedded in the edge of the bucket was a thumb-sized piece of metal, with the words "Matsumoto Brewery" written on it.
Matsumoto Brewery?
Why would Amber Bearman be working for a brewery?
Judging by his pale face, he needed rest more than work.
Linto exchanged glances with the people in the room. A similar answer appeared in everyone's minds: after the Hope Village massacre, the survivors were enslaved and sold to work at the brewery.
The group scattered and went into the city to gather information.
Linto thought it would take some effort, but unexpectedly, he found Amber Bearman that same night.
Indeed, Matsumoto Brewery was a local business.
Amber was holding a tray, sitting with a group of laborers eating lunch.
Because it was heavy physical labor, the lunch provided by Matsumoto Brewery was considered generous, with rice, fish, and even an egg.
Amber Bearman only had an ear of corn on his tray, nothing else.
When Amber Bearman, who was gnawing on the corn, saw Linto walking over, he froze. His only remaining eye turned bloodshot, and tears streamed down his face.
Amber Bearman stood up and strode over. He was about to kneel, but remembered that Linto didn't like people kneeling to him, so he had to bow deeply, choked up, and said:
"Master, I..."
He wanted to tell of his recent experiences, but so much had happened that countless words rushed to his lips, and he didn't know where to start.
Linto gently patted him on the shoulder, sending a wisp of Ripple energy, healing Amber Bearman's injuries.
"Take your time, speak slowly."
Momo-chan took out an orange: "Uncle, eat an orange."
Amber took the orange and nodded vigorously.
The course of events was similar to what Linto had guessed.
It was indeed an unprovoked massacre.
But what exceeded Linto's expectations was -
"The killer seemed to be a madman, constantly muttering to himself. He could transform into various monster forms and killed many people in the village."
Amber recalled: "But he wasn't killing for the sake of killing. He was just releasing emotions. I rushed up to fight him, but I was knocked unconscious.
When I woke up, I found that the madman was gone.
I counted the people who survived, and there were fewer than fifty, most of whom were injured."
Amber was worried that the madman would come back to kill, so he led the survivors to the town. He used the remaining savings from the village to rent a small warehouse and buy medicine to treat the injured.
But that was far from enough.
Amber and the others who could still move went out to work and earn money, trying to hire doctors and buy food.
"... But some people gave up. They didn't want to work with injuries for others, and they quietly left."
Linto nodded.
It was understandable. Human nature is selfish. Having suffered repeated heavy blows, how many people have the extra mental strength to take care of others?
Not committing suicide was already considered strong.
But it was precisely because it was difficult for ordinary people to do that, that Amber and the others who stayed were so valuable.
"How many of you are left?" Linto asked.
"Including me, there are thirty-four left, and only five of them can work. The rest are in the warehouse recovering from their injuries."
More than one hundred and sixty people disembarked from the ship, and now only thirty-plus remained.
Linto looked up at the clear blue sky. Even though the sun was shining brightly, he couldn't feel any warmth. This world was like a giant mouth that devoured people, with the sun and moon alternating, constantly chewing.
Five people supporting twenty-nine.
No wonder the other workers were eating rice and fish, while Amber was gnawing on a broken ear of corn.
He was saving money on food to pay for the injured's medical treatment.
"Are there any more detailed clues about the madman who committed the murders?"
The activation of Hermit Purple required a certain trigger. The more related clues and cause-and-effect relationships there were, the better it would be to lock onto the target.
Amber thought for a while and said, "Master, I... I haven't studied, and I'm not good with words. Compared to me, the Land of Fire's official wanted poster writes it more clearly."
"Wanted?"
So the killer who had massacred Hope Village was a repeat offender. Starting from the northern part of the Land of Fire, six villages in a row had been brutally slaughtered, and the Land of Fire officials had long issued a reward order.
This order was also given to Konoha Village, and there should be ninja investigating in the surrounding cities.
"Take us to see it," Linto said.
"Yes!"
Amber led the group away from Matsumoto Brewery. On the way, they met his foreman, who asked suspiciously, "Who are these people?"
Amber froze, not knowing how to address Linto.
While he was thinking, he heard Linto say, "We're his friends."
"Friends! That's great! You don't know, Amber here, even though he's injured, he works day and night like he's going to die. I'm really afraid he'll die on the job."
The foreman left.
Amber lowered his head slightly: "Master Lin, I'm sorry."
"Why apologize?"
"I don't know, but there is a difference between the superior and the subordinate."
Linto shook his head slightly.
"Bullshit about superior and subordinate, if you want to follow me, don't mention that word."
Putting aside the difference in power between the two, Amber could gnaw on corn, carry heavy packages, and work desperately for a group of people with whom he had no blood relationship.
This kind of real man who dared to shoulder responsibility was worthy of Linto calling him a friend.
Linto patted the dazed Amber and walked out of the brewery.
Amber sniffed forcefully, looking at Linto's back, feeling a fire ignite in his heart, willing to follow Linto and repay him with his life. He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and strode to catch up.
The wanted poster was plastered on the city's most prosperous commercial street.
Linto walked over, ignoring the shock in the eyes of the people around him, and raised his hand to tear it down.
"I advise you not to tear it down."
A rough, thick voice came from behind.
Linto turned around and looked.
A middle-aged man with long, white, frizzy hair, red markings around his eyes extending to his chin, wearing a "Oil" headband, and a red jacket was standing a few steps away with a smile.
"Who are you?" Linto asked.
"I have many names, but people who know me usually call me..."
"Toad Sage."
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