[Chapter 19: Divine Incantation for Purifying Souls]
The Flesh-Mangled Face's entire body became increasingly translucent, as the gruesome wounds and writhing maggots on its face began to fade. It was clear he had suffered significant damage.
"You couldn't beat him?" Daniel asked sharply.
"He... is... very strong..." the Flesh-Mangled Face replied slowly, his voice wavering.
"Come back." Daniel pulled out a paperweight, swiftly contained the Flesh-Mangled Face, and continued moving toward the house's entrance.
"Clang... clang..." The chandelier on the first floor swung ominously, and several doors throughout the rooms burst open and slammed shut on their own.
Suddenly, a small fruit knife from the dining table flew through the air, aiming straight for Daniel's face. In the blink of an eye, his spiritual energy surged, and he caught the flying knife effortlessly between two fingers.
"You... can't... leave..." That ethereal, chilling voice echoed through the entire house, sending a shiver down Daniel's spine.
The temperature dropped sharply. He turned around to see ghostly figures appearing in every corner of the house. Among them was Judy -- the child he'd encountered upstairs -- and an elderly couple, a middle-aged woman, and a teenage boy. Their faces were torn open, bleeding gaping holes that made them look terrifyingly real.
Daniel noted their expressions immediately: all struggling, unwilling to come closer, yet unable to control their restless bodies.
Alongside those disturbingly vivid figures were even more ethereal, barely distinguishable forms, ghostly and translucent. Every one of them carried the weight of immense suffering, trapped forever within the house.
Negative energy radiated off them in waves. It spread and fused together, as if intent on swallowing every living person inside.
Daniel's heart raced. He quickened his pace, stepped out the front door, and reached the garden outside. But the spirits didn't relent -- they still hovered near windows and doorways, their heavy dark energy thickening the air.
"Click-click-click..." Kathy's car engine refused to start. She kept turning the key desperately, but it wouldn't ignite.
Daniel opened his own car door, tossed George inside, and called to Kathy, "Get in my car."
Kathy grabbed Chelsea and hurried into the back seat of his Cadillac. Daniel tried the ignition. Like Kathy's, the engine stalled; the car simply wouldn't start.
"Damn it." Daniel cursed under his breath, stepping out to face the restless figures one more time.
"You... can't... leave..." Jeremiah's voice rasped like maggots gnawing on bones, echoing relentlessly in Daniel's mind.
"Hmph." Daniel snorted coldly. He clenched his fist, and in an instant, an Exorcist's Sanctum Blade appeared in his hand. With fluid motion, he swung the sword, and began chanting a rhythmic incantation:
By heaven's order and earth's foundation, let all corruption disperse.
Let hidden darkness be brought into holy light.
May the guardians of every direction bear witness and restore what is true.
By sacred decree and sanctified seal, let this command be known above and below.
Let what is bound be released, what is lost be guided.
Let every troubled soul find its rightful passage.
By judgment and mercy together, be cleansed and be at peace.
As Daniel intoned the Divine Incantation for Purifying Souls, a miraculous power radiated outward, washing over the figures trapped in the house. Yet their faces showed no pain -- only pure joy. Their bodies began to turn more transparent, and delight blossomed where horror once was.
When Daniel spoke the final line, all the figures vanished completely.
"Thank you..." Judy waved the doll in her hand vigorously, her voice filled with gratitude.
[Ding! Delivered G-rank departed soul, earned 100 Merit points.]
[Ding! Delivered G-rank departed soul, earned 100 Merit points.]
[Ding! Delivered G-rank departed soul, earned 100 Merit points.]
The same notification tones chimed repeatedly in Daniel's mind.
He had forcibly delivered all the souls under Jeremiah's control using the Divine Incantation.
A roar of fury erupted inside the house, thick with violent rage, as though Jeremiah himself was about to explode.
"I will kill you. I will kill you!" The voice carried pure, savage intent.
"Come and get me if you dare," Daniel shot back coldly, sliding into the driver's seat. He turned the key again. This time, the engine fired up without a hitch.
The car shifted into drive, and Daniel slammed on the gas, crashing through the guardrail and speeding away.
"I remember you. I will definitely kill you..." The voice echoed faintly behind them.
...
Kathy and Chelsea both turned pale. The terror of the situation suddenly became unmistakably clear to them. Without Daniel's intervention, escape would have been impossible.
"Mr. Cross, what about George?" Kathy asked anxiously, noticing George still unconscious.
"Don't worry, he'll wake up soon."
Sure enough, George's eyelids fluttered and then slowly opened. He ripped the Clarity of Mind Seal from his forehead, confused. "What's this?"
Daniel glanced at him and saw the killing intent had vanished from George's eyes, though some lingering bloodshot veins remained -- likely from days of exhaustion.
"Kathy, what happened to me?" George asked, bewildered.
"George! You're okay!" Kathy cried, throwing her arms around him and tears streaming down her face.
Only as Kathy recounted everything did George begin to remember in fragments.
"It seems to be true. I remember... some parts," George murmured, still shaken. "I deserve to die. I almost killed you all."
"We should thank Mr. Cross. Otherwise, the consequences would've been unimaginable." Kathy's voice was firm.
"Thank you, Mr. Cross," George said promptly.
"You're welcome. But remember, you still owe me $30,000 -- and your house and car are gone."
"That doesn't matter. I still have Kathy and the kids. We can start over." George smiled faintly, showing remarkable grace.
Daniel admired George's generous spirit. Without it, George never would have embraced Kathy's three children as his own.
...
The car pulled up outside an elementary school -- the one Kathy's two sons attended. According to the previous timeline, the boys would take the school bus home that afternoon, only to be gunned down by George around 3:15 PM. But that was all changed now, as long as they didn't tempt fate by returning to that house.
"Goodbye, Mr. Cross. Thank you again for saving our family." Kathy and the kids waved earnestly, Chelsea's small hands flailing with enthusiastic goodbye.
Daniel smiled, nodded, and drove away.
Earlier, Kathy had already withdrawn the remaining $30,000 and handed it to Daniel while passing by a bank.
...
When Daniel arrived back at Cross Hall, it was past 4 PM. Rather than reopen his shop, he decided to retreat to his living quarters.
Logging into the Celestial Exorcist System, Daniel's smile deepened as he checked his points.
[Merit Points: 2800]
"Even after using two prayer seals, gaining 2200 Merit points is worth it," he thought, his eyes gleaming.
"Exorcist Level, upgrade!"
*****
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