[Chapter 32: Pastor Jeremiah (1)]
Stepping back into the house, Daniel felt a deeper chill than on his previous visit. The hidden wind of darkness had begun to stir, causing the curtains to flutter incessantly. Shadows flickered at the edges of his vision, quick and elusive. These were the undead spirits Jeremiah had set loose.
Whispers filled the air -- indistinct, fragmented murmurs that, when listened to closely, spun a haze of dizziness and blurred Daniel's focus. On the dining table, the word "DEATH" was spelled out with cups and plates, a silent, grim warning.
Daniel ignored these eerie signs. With a wave of his hand, a ritual altar materialized before him, already arranged with sacred items. He rubbed his hands on the incense candles; they lit themselves, bathing the room in a soft, flickering glow. Grasping his Exorcist's Sanctum Blade, Daniel swung it deliberately, and rang te bell and started chanting with a steady voice.
The path is known by the heart; the heart is carried on sacred smoke.
As incense rises from the vessel, the will stands before divine judgment.
Let the higher witnesses look upon this place; let holy signs descend here.
May this humble petition be heard in the courts above.
As he recited the Incantation for Invoking Incense, the smoke from the incense sticks suddenly straightened, shooting like rods into the sky. A mysterious power enveloped the ritual altar instantly.
The black shadows skittered back, avoiding this sacred space as if it burned them. The whispering ceased altogether.
Daniel didn't pause. His hands and feet moved in fluid choreography, sweeping the air with his blade.
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.
The Divine Incantation for Purifying Souls spilled from Daniel's lips with practiced cadence. Now elevated to Rite Adept, his power had grown exponentially. With the ritual altar's blessing magnifying his strength, the effect intensified.
Around him, a strange resonance vibrated between heaven and earth. This power bypassed the living and untouched objects but gripped the black shadows completely. Instead of fleeing, they halted, drawing closer as though submitting to cleansing.
Their forms began to fade rapidly, becoming transparent -- and they gazed at Daniel with eyes full of gratitude. Some even gestured a silent thank you.
Let every troubled soul find its rightful passage.
By judgment and mercy together, be cleansed and be at peace.
As he finished the incantation, the shadows vanished entirely. His system chimed in his mind with faint dings:
[Ding! You transcended a G-grade wandering spirit, gaining 100 Merit Points.]
[Ding! You transcended a G-grade wandering spirit, gaining 300 Merit Points.]
[Ding! You transcended a G-grade wandering spirit, gaining 300 Merit Points.]
...The voices echoed continually.
Without pause, Daniel launched into a second round of the Divine Incantation. More shadows materialized, dissolved, and disappeared. The system notifications in his mind also continued.
The oppressive dark energy in the house had significantly thinned. The frigid cold wasn't as biting anymore.
Then, a familiar exasperated voice crackled from the basement, laden with venom: "Damn it, you... you truly deserve to die..."
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the living room mirror. It was a sickly gray-black specter, with patches of hair clinging to its head, radiating a malevolent aura. Its eyes burned with murderous intent, fixated on Daniel.
"Die. Go to hell..." the figure hissed, its voice echoing like a curse.
Then, as if summoned by that curse, a swarm of flies erupted into the room. The buzzing mass darkened the air, weaving and swirling as they lunged toward Daniel with relentless fury.
Yet Daniel's expression remained calm. Calmly, he retrieved a small paperweight from his belongings, shook it gently -- and from it, Flesh-Mangled Face sprang forth.
Daniel commanded in a low voice, "Get rid of these things."
Flesh-Mangled Face lifted his grotesque head, maggots writhing in and out of his decaying flesh, and stared at the chaotic swarm of flies. Then, with an unsettling gape, he inhaled sharply.
A powerful suction sucked every fly in the room -- buzzing, biting, relentless -- right into his cavernous mouth. In seconds, the swarm disappeared without a trace.
Licking his lips, Flesh-Mangled Face seemed hardly satisfied.
"Hmph! You again! Go to hell!" the mirror figure spat once more, then vanished back into the reflective surface.
Suddenly, an eerie scripture filled the room. It sounded like a preacher's sermon, yet wrapped in a sinister, bone-chilling cadence. The words dripped with menace.
Daniel's head spun immediately at the scripture's power.
'Damn it, Jeremiah is a ghost -- and yet he's still able to recite scripture? This ghostly thing is a nightmare to deal with,' Daniel thought grimly.
Daniel felt dizzy and nauseous, but Flesh-Mangled Face was in torment -- clutching his skull, mouthing silent screams of agony. His eyes flickered dangerously, as if some dark force tried to seize control, straining against Daniel's grasp.
Quickly, Daniel threw a black ward sigil at Flesh-Mangled Face and formed intricate hand seals, chanting with authority:
Spirits of the underworld, attend this command.
Let obsession be bound and resentment be turned to purpose.
Take back your fading breath and reclaim your proper form.
By rightful decree, be done without delay.
Boom!
The black seal ignited instantly, bursting into pure black flame. A violent surge of negative energies -- resentment, injustice, fixation -- rushed into Flesh-Mangled Face's body. He trembled violently, his aura roaring with renewed energy.
The pain on his face vanished. His hands unclenched, his posture straightened, and the maggots scuttling in and out of his flesh accelerated. The scripture's oppressive influence diminished sharply.
Daniel issued his command: "Go. Kill him."
Without a word, Flesh-Mangled Face flickered out of sight, vanishing instantly.
The sinister scripture faded into silence. Daniel's dizziness lifted.
At the same time, he sensed two strong surges of Dark energy clashing deep beneath the floor.
Approaching the basement entrance, Daniel pushed open the heavy wooden door and descended once more.
He had been here before. Everything was just as he left it.
His eyes caught a large hammer resting on a shelf.
Gripping the hammer firmly, Daniel swung it hard against the wall. Thud after thud rang out.
Finally, a hole broke through, cold dark energy pouring from it. Beyond the breach, iron cells stretched into darkness below.
The violent clash of dark energies echoed deeply within those cells.
Daniel didn't hesitate.
He kept smashing through.
*****
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