When Roy arrived outside Simon's room, he found the door had been violently forced open, and there were bodies of security guards in the corridor.
"What happened?" Cui Lin's eyes widened. She was sure she had closed the door when she left Simon's room, so how could it be open?
Roy's expression turned alert. He motioned for Cui Lin to slow down, and they quietly entered Simon's room.
There was no one in the room, and the Lament Configuration was also gone.
"Damn it! Someone must have taken the Lament Configuration before us!" Roy was furious. He suspected that while he was questioning Cui Lin, someone had forced their way into Simon's room and taken the box.
"Let's go! That guy can't have gone far, maybe we can still catch him!" He grabbed Cui Lin's hand and ran towards the other end of the corridor.
"Uh, do I have to go? I already kept my promise!"
Roy ignored her, continuing to pull Cui Lin along as they ran.
Not long after running, Roy heard faint gunshots, like those from a suppressed rifle.
Intruders?
Although guns are rampant and unregulated in America, suppressors and bulletproof vests are strictly prohibited for civilians. Anyone caught with these two items goes straight to prison for 'sewing machine' duty (a euphemism for hard labor).
Roy immediately slowed down and peeked around the corner to assess the situation ahead. He saw over a dozen fully armed mercenaries escorting a man wearing a black cloak.
The second form of the Lament Configuration was now in the black-cloaked man's hand.
(Lament Configuration Second Form)
These people were killing anyone they saw, slaughtering the security personnel with abandon.
The security guards on the Santiago actually had firearms; after all, the open sea isn't safe, and encountering pirates could be troublesome.
But the man in the black cloak seemed to possess some kind of supernatural power. All the security guards would briefly lose consciousness upon seeing him and then be riddled with bullets by the mercenaries.
"Are they pirates?" Cui Lin whispered, covering her mouth, asking Roy.
"Are they pirates?"
Next to Roy, Cui Lin wasn't too scared. After all, Roy could even defeat monsters, so dealing with a few gunmen shouldn't be a problem, right?
"If they were pirates, they wouldn't have taken the Lament Configuration. Wouldn't kidnapping Charles Weyland be better?" Roy didn't step in directly but instead followed behind the group.
Since these people's goal was the Lament Configuration and they were going to such lengths, they must know its effects.
Perfect. Let these guys continue to sacrifice to the Lament Configuration. Once it enters its final form, Roy can swoop in and reap the rewards.
Because the fight was too easy, it couldn't help but give some of the mercenaries extra ideas.
"Boss, the security on this luxury cruise ship is so weak, how about we make a little extra cash?" That's how mercenaries are. When they have a client, they're mercenaries, but if there's a chance to make extra money, they can also be pirates.
This remark made the mercenary captain hesitant, but the client was still there, so directly turning into pirates didn't seem right.
However, the black-robed man didn't seem to mind.
"Do whatever you want. I can get back to the boat by myself." Since the client said so, the mercenary captain couldn't resist, but he still kept his wits about him.
"Hans, you protect Mr. Gordon. Remember to protect him well!" This 'protection' by Hans was actually monitoring Roland Gordon.
After all, they were at sea. If Roland controlled the captain and took off in a speedboat, these mercenaries would be stranded.
Roland pretended not to notice the mercenary captain's little scheme and allowed him to arrange things.
After the dozen or so mercenaries left, Roland suddenly began turning the Lament Configuration in his hand. This action caught the attention of the mercenary named Hans.
"What are you doing?"
"Just bored, playing with this box."
Hans didn't know the effects of the Lament Configuration, so he didn't pay attention to what the other man was doing and continued leading Roland towards where they had climbed aboard.
Roland had already completed the Lament Configuration once before, so this was like a second playthrough. His technique for turning the box was very skilled. Under his manipulation, the Lament Configuration quickly extended sharp blades, but Roland avoided them.
Then, Roland suddenly aimed the Lament Configuration's blades at Hans in front of him and stabbed forward. Caught completely off guard, Hans was hit instantly.
"You—"
Hans clutched his wound and was about to say something when he felt his body rapidly growing cold, as if the surrounding temperature had suddenly dropped significantly.
Immediately after, the lights in the corridor went out one by one, and a faint misty haze rose from the ground.
Even the most foolish person would realize what was happening. Hans raised his gun and aimed at Roland.
"You, what did you do to me!"
A sinister smile appeared on Roland's face, without a hint of fear.
Because of the wish he had made before, Roland wouldn't die easily; pain would accompany him for the rest of his life.
"Heh heh heh! You should feel honored to be a sacrifice to the great Cenobites of Hell!"
Hans was about to shoot Roland when he saw a terrifying figure standing behind him.
This guy wore a leather outfit that looked like fetishwear, his head was bald and wrinkled, his eyes were sewn shut, and his lips were cut away, clearly revealing his gums.
(Can't show the image of the Chatterer Cenobite)
Just looking at it sent shivers down your spine.
"What is that thing? Stay away from me!"
Hans kept backing away, but the Chatterer Cenobite pressed forward step by step. It didn't attack Roland because, in a sense, Roland was already one of them.
Finally, Hans couldn't help but pull the trigger. Bullets hit the Chatterer Cenobite's body but didn't stop it at all.
Hans's expression turned to despair. He saw the Chatterer Cenobite let out a hoarse, low shriek, and countless barbed wires shot out from all directions, piercing Hans's body and suspending him in mid-air.
"Ah—"
Hans let out a painful scream, dragged towards the Chatterer Cenobite by the barbed wire.
In the hands of the Hell Cenobites, this guy wouldn't die immediately; they would make Hans experience prolonged torment.
Before leaving, the Chatterer Cenobite even 'looked' at Roland, seemingly recognizing him, despite having no eyes.
Roy and Cui Lin witnessed the bloody and cruel scene. Earlier, Roy had taken out the Ghostface mask from his inventory and hid in the shadows. Cui Lin, in his arms, seemed to have also gained a hidden effect, so neither of them was discovered by the Chatterer Cenobite.
Cui Lin was completely frozen, almost stopping breathing, until Roland walked away with the Lament Configuration, which had transformed into its third form. Only then did she dare to breathe again.
"What... what kind of monster was that?"
Cui Lin hugged her arms, feeling cold all over. It seemed only Roy's sturdy chest could provide her with a hint of warmth.
"Hell Cenobites, a type of human from another dimension." That's right, although they have the name 'Hell', the Cenobites are not demons but a special kind of human.
Many of these creatures who revel in pain were originally humans from Earth, but after opening the Lament Configuration, influenced by the box, some individuals with the right disposition are transformed into Hell Cenobites.
"That's terrifying! I hope this is just a nightmare!" Cui Lin held her forehead, shaking her head repeatedly, seemingly unable to accept reality, but Roy was already pulling her to follow Roland.
"Hey, what are you doing? You're not still going to follow that guy, are you?"
"Shut up, be careful he hears you!" Roy covered Cui Lin's mouth and continued tracking Roland.
Under the effect of the Ghostface mask, Roland didn't notice at all that two people were following him, or perhaps in his constant pain, his perception abilities had become very poor.
He didn't even notice the security personnel approaching.
"Who's there! Put your hands up immediately!"
Roland smiled and raised his hands. When the security personnel approached to frisk him, he suddenly plunged the Lament Configuration he was holding into the other man's body.
The Hell Cenobites reappeared. This time, two identical, ugly Cenobites showed up. Their eyes were also sewn shut, and their chins were pierced with many wires. Their physique suggested they were female.
The moment the security guard saw these two Hell Cenobites, he seemed mesmerized, neither running nor struggling.
It wasn't until the two Hell Cenobites plunged their hands into the security guard's abdomen, one after the other, that he awoke in intense pain, but by then, it was too late to escape.
Just like with Hans, the sacrificial ritual complete, Roland continued to turn the Lament Configuration, transforming it into its fourth form.
Only two more sacrifices remained, and the Lament Configuration was nearing completion.
As Roland completed his sacrificial plan step by step, the confusion in Cui Lin's heart grew.
"Can that Lament Configuration really grant people's wishes?"
Roy looked down at Cui Lin in his arms. Her eyes were shining, the light of greed. She seemed to be attracted by the legend of the Lament Configuration as well.
Well, she's a thief, after all, so she's bound to be a little greedy. Creatures like Kaito Kid only exist in anime.
"Don't even think about it! The Hell Cenobites are different from us normal people. They will interpret your wish in a different way, and in the end, it's very likely they'll give you a result completely opposite to your wish. By then, you'll regret it, but it will be too late!"
After Roy said that, Cui Lin immediately abandoned the idea of stealing the Lament Configuration. Then she looked at the black-robed man, who seemed to know his way around, and suddenly thought of a possibility.
"You don't think that black-robed man became like this because he had a wish granted once before, do you?"
"I think that's probably it!" Roy had roughly guessed that the black-robed man ahead was likely the long-missing Roland Gordon, a key character in Hellraiser: Revelations.
This guy should be considered a rather unlucky villain. He had money, brains, and strong willpower, yet he actually lost to the troublemaker female protagonist in the movie, which is truly frustrating.
The reason for his loss was entirely due to the protagonist's halo effect.
However, this time, Roland Gordon presumably won't lose so resentfully. Roy will absolutely make him lose willingly and completely convinced.
Roland followed the same pattern, completing the fifth sacrifice. With just one more sacrifice left, he would be able to make a wish again. The Lament Configuration was also molded into its final form by this guy.
At this moment, Roland was suddenly ambushed from behind, sending him flying and causing the Lament Configuration to fall to the ground.
[Discovered special character Roland Gordon, you can absorb Destiny Power to gain rewards!]
Pfft!
He spat out a large mouthful of blood. Although the Hell Cenobites prevented Roland from dying easily, he could still be injured, and with his senses amplified by the metal implants, being injured would be even more painful.
"Who is it! Who's there!"
Roland's bloodshot eyes looked behind him and saw a handsome, tall young man and a beautiful woman in a red dress.
"Sorry, Mr. Gordon, I can't let you complete the sacrifice." In the movie, completing all the sacrifices for the Lament Configuration summons Leviathan.
Although it wasn't certain if the Leviathan from the movie was the same as the King of Envy in this world, for safety's sake, it was best not to let Roland complete the sacrifice.
Watching Roy pick up the final form of the Lament Configuration from the ground, Roland's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
He had waited so long for this chance to end his pain, and he would not allow himself to fail.
"Give it back to me!" Roland reached out towards Roy. A powerful mental force sent Cui Lin flying, but Roy remained completely still.
Are you kidding? Roy's physique attribute had reached 88. With that kind of physique, he wouldn't even be hurt if a high-speed train hit him.
Roland's pupils contracted. After the Hell Cenobites implanted those metal devices, his body had gradually begun to mutate.
This was actually Roland's body starting to transform into a Hell Cenobite, and because of this, he had gained some supernatural abilities.
Without these abilities, Roland couldn't have possibly carried out his current plan under these circumstances. Unfortunately, he ran into Roy.
"Are you done with your moves? Then it's my turn!"
His pupils instantly glowed a pale blue. The extreme (explosive power) of his Ghost Wolf form allowed Roy to appear before Roland in the blink of an eye.
Roland couldn't react at all before Roy hit him squarely in the face with a heavy punch.
78 points of strength were enough for Roy to shatter a normal person's skull with one punch, but Roland's head was extremely tough. Even though his skull was broken, it remained intact.
Roland spoke to Roy in a muffled voice.
"It's no use! As long as this device is in me, I can't be killed! I've tried to kill myself many times but can never die, only feel endless pain!"
It seemed that Roland had once tried to fight against the Hell Cenobites' metal devices, but unfortunately, he failed.
"Do you want to die?" Roy looked at Roland, whose face was full of weariness.
"As long as it can end my pain, any way is fine!" Roland knew he was no match for Roy and simply gave up resisting.
"In that case, let me send you on your way!" Roy stepped on Roland's body, grabbed the metal device, and prepared to use brute force to create a miracle.
As if sensing Roy's violent intentions, the metal device began to vibrate violently, causing Roland even greater pain.
"No—ah!"
Crack! It sounded like something had shattered!
(Six forms of the Lament Configuration)