Chapter 355 – Allen Ventures Alone into the Spirit Realm
The bustling city of Los Angeles.
Its daily hustle carried on as usual, with its people blissfully unaware that a crisis was looming.
Secret organizations scattered across the human world were quietly converging on this densely populated metropolis.
At that moment, Allen walked with a guitar slung over his back, flanked by Batman and the Flash, standing out starkly amid a group of formally dressed officials.
Barry now wore his red uniform—the flamboyant, unmistakable garb of the Flash.
Thanks to a series of tests, Barry's mastery of the Speed Force quickly garnered official attention, and he was specially invited to serve as a specialized operative.
Naturally, Allen and Bruce were invited along as well.
"Director Ellie, isn't it a bit reckless to focus all resources solely on Los Angeles without considering the rest of the world?" Bruce asked with some doubt.
"Los Angeles is the main battlefield for the demon invasion," Ellie replied.
She projected a city map and traced a pentagram on it, explaining, "Over a century ago, a Hellgate was sealed here. The site became heavily guarded by exorcists, and as a result, the population grew, eventually forming the city we see today. Observation stations worldwide merely monitor demonic seal activity."
She then pulled up a file.
It documented recent incidents—several observation stations had gone dark, and multiple seals had been breached.
In short, the pressure of the looming threat was steadily mounting.
All signs pointed to Los Angeles as the final battleground.
If humanity were to lose this war, the city would become the demons' beachhead—an invasion point that would radiate destruction across the globe.
"Director, a new Spirit Realm entry point has just appeared," a staffer reported.
The display updated, showing the details of a residential house.
"Damn it," Ellie cursed, her expression growing grim. "Before an invasion erupts, the spatial barrier between the human world and Hell becomes unstable, filled with countless malicious spirits. They'll roam our world and cause chaos first."
"I love dealing with evil spirits," Allen grinned, tugging on his guitar strap proudly. "I'm a musical shaman—exorcising demons through music."
"…"
What utter nonsense.
Who in their right mind drives out demons with music?
"Lady, I can see from your eyes you don't believe me," Allen said smugly. "Then let me show you what a Divided Soul Stage cultivator can do."
"Master, what's the Divided Soul Stage?" Bruce asked reflexively.
"It's when someone with split personalities starts acting up. Don't you know that?"
"…"
Well, that was another weird bit of trivia added to their mental archives.
Allen raised his hand—and conjured a portal.
"What is that…" Ellie gawked, stunned at the sudden appearance of the glowing rift.
To think that all the space-tech research the government had poured effort into now looked laughably primitive compared to what this lunatic could do.
"It's just space magic. Don't make such a big deal out of it."
Allen stepped through without hesitation, followed closely by Barry and Bruce, their faces filled with curiosity. Ellie hesitated briefly, then followed after them.
Inside the house, an exorcist was already attempting spiritual communication.
A girl lay unconscious on the couch, while a distressed couple stood nearby, clearly waiting anxiously.
"Who are you people?"
The sudden appearance of four strangers terrified the couple.
Ellie quickly stepped forward, presenting her credentials and calming them down.
"My wife?"
Allen's expression changed when he saw the unconscious girl—it was the Mirrorwalker's alternate self, seemingly caught in a strange state, her soul's aura slowly fading.
"She's in bad shape. She's lost in the Spirit Realm. The exorcist is using astral projection to try and bring her back," Ellie explained.
"How do I enter the Spirit Realm?" Allen asked without hesitation upon sensing the girl's weakening soul.
The exorcist, from the looks of it, wasn't skilled enough—he'd likely end up needing rescue himself.
"Open another portal. I'll go back to headquarters to get a tool," Ellie instructed.
She was gone and back in less than five minutes.
She returned holding a shriveled finger with a rotting key grown into the tip.
"Hold the key while falling asleep. Your consciousness will leave your body, and you'll be able to use the key to open doors within the Spirit Realm," she explained.
"Got it."
Allen snatched the key, plopped down on the sofa, and adjusted into a comfy sleeping position. "Good night, Makka Pakka."
Seconds later, he was out cold.
His snoring came within the minute.
Everyone's lips twitched—his ability to fall asleep instantly was astonishing.
Truly, fools eat well and sleep better than anyone.
…
The moment he fell asleep—
Allen's eyes flew open as he sat up from the couch.
His body still lay there, but the room around him was now empty.
"Do regular ghosts not see people?" he mused.
That was indeed the case. Countless lost souls existed, yet, like humans, most couldn't see each other. If they could, the world would descend into chaos.
Narrowing his eyes, Allen focused—faint outlines of others became visible, thanks to his immense spiritual power.
With his mental strength, should he ever die, he'd instantly transform into a demon feared by demons themselves.
Even devils avoided clashing with true fiends.
Tch…
The only thing annoying him was that his guitar hadn't come with him.
Still, that wouldn't stop him from saving lives.
"If I can't use musical exorcism, I'll just have to rely on fists."
With that, he approached a door and slid the key into the lock.
Ellie had warned him: many doors within the Spirit Realm led to different domains, but without the proper key, they were just doors.
To return to the real world, one simply had to lie back into their body.
The door creaked open to reveal a dark corridor.
Doors lined both sides like prison cells.
He opened one at random—and found a girl's corpse, shackled in chains. Judging by how dry it was, she had been dead for quite some time.
"What a shame. Poor girl."
Allen backed out and kept moving.
These victims had likely perished long ago—there was nothing he could do for them. His priority was finding Kevin's alternate self.
"Help me…"
A weak voice called out.
Allen spotted the exorcist lying in the distance—his eyes had been gouged out, blood oozing from the empty sockets.
"Old man, I'm Faubourg the Mighty. Tell me what's going on. You can remain silent, but I enjoy violent interrogations."
"…"
Allen's deranged persona never faltered—not even now.
"I'm Morgo… There's a vicious spirit here that tortures young women. Be careful. It can vanish into the mist at will. The girl you're trying to save is in dire straits—she's steadily losing her sense of self. If she falls completely… she won't be able to return."
Morgo's voice faded, and his body went limp.
"Hey, don't you pass out on me."
Allen kicked him once and, seeing no response, grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the doorway, tossing him back into the living room.
Once Allen returned to his body, Morgo's spirit would too, and he'd survive.
Even though his spiritual form was blind, returning to his body would eventually allow him to recover with time.