[Chapter 33: Pastor Jeremiah (2)]
When the hole in the wall was finally large enough for a person to slip through, Daniel set down the hammer and stepped inside.
Once inside, the iron prison cell came into sharper focus. The rusty bars were smeared with dried bloodstains, some still clinging to shriveled bits of flesh. Within the cramped cell, withered bones occasionally peeked out, remnants of the Native Americans who had been imprisoned here long ago.
Daniel shook his head quietly. Pastor Jeremiah hadn't treated those Native Americans like human beings at all. But then again, it wasn't just Jeremiah. Wasn't the whole nation now built atop the homeland of those very people?
A cold, lifeless wind swept through the depths of the cell, a surge of dark energy blossoming from within. Daniel gripped his Exorcist's Sanctum Blade tighter and quickened his pace.
Deep inside, he found Flesh-Mangled Face locked in a brutal struggle with the gray-black figure from the mirror. No -- it wasn't a simple fight; the two were tearing at each other's bodies with savage intensity. Powerful dark energy radiated from them both, each simultaneously defending against and attacking with unrelenting ferocity.
For a moment, they seemed evenly matched.
Originally, Flesh-Mangled Face didn't stand a chance against Jeremiah. But with the borrowed power from Daniel, he'd reached a stalemate. Still, borrowed power was never meant to last. If this went on, once that energy expired, Flesh-Mangled Face would be at a severe disadvantage again.
Without hesitation, Daniel hammered his foot and charged forward.
"Get out of the way!" he shouted, releasing three ward sigils.
At Daniel's voice, Flesh-Mangled Face flickered and instantly disengaged from Jeremiah. The three prayer seals flew straight toward Jeremiah, transforming into blazing fires the moment they landed, burning three agonizing holes in his body.
"Ah!" Jeremiah screamed in despair and staggered backward.
"It's you again. Die!" Jeremiah glared at Daniel with venomous hatred, a wisp of black mist separating from his body to block Flesh-Mangled Face, as if afraid he'd intervene.
Daniel smirked. "Is that all you've got?"
He raised the sanctum blade and unleashed streaks of pure energy spiraled toward Jeremiah in a deadly torrent.
Jeremiah's face flushed with alarm, halting sharply. "No wonder you dared to come alone -- you really do have skill. But you'll still die today."
His chilling voice, thick with dark energy, trailed off as he vanished... only to reappear behind Daniel, baring sharp fangs.
"You can die now."
He lunged for Daniel's back.
Boom! The instant he touched Daniel, a bolt of lightning crashed down, striking him mercilessly.
"Ahhhh!"
Jeremiah's scream echoed through the room, desperate and raw. He retreated like someone fleeing a deadly plague, his ethereal soul turning translucent, as if ready to dissipate with the slightest breeze.
Daniel turned with a sly smile. "Sure enough, as soon as I showed my back, you tried to sneak attack me. How does it feel to get hit by lightning?"
"You... how could you..." Jeremiah's voice lost its venom, replaced by sheer panic.
"How could I conjure that lightning?" Daniel's smile vanished. "Go ask the god."
Jeremiah scrambled to evade Daniel's advancing steps, but his speed was noticeably slower now. Daniel easily kept pace.
"Spare me! Let me live! I can work for you -- I'll kill for you!" Jeremiah begged desperately, his gray-black face twisted with fear and hollow flattery.
"Sorry, you're more useful to me dead."
Jeremiah didn't understand Daniel's words, but it didn't matter.
Daniel hurled his Exorcist's Sanctum Blade. Previously, Jeremiah would have easily dodged or blocked it, but now he could only watch helplessly as the glowing blade pierced deep into his body.
Instantly, a fierce, rigid force burst forth from the blade, crackling like the lightning that had struck moments before.
Jeremiah stared in disbelief at the blade embedded in him, unable to fathom that he -- who had persisted for so many years, centuries -- would meet his end like this.
Then, in an instant, his form exploded like a soap bubble.
[Ding! Killed an E-Rank ghost, gained 30,000 Merit Points.]
[Ding! Killed an E-Rank ghost, obtained Rite of Divine Empowerment.]
[Note: Rite of Divine Empowerment can temporarily increase strength, but the greater the strength, the heavier the toll on the body. Use with caution. Current Rank: First Tier, upgradable.]
The voice inside Daniel's mind made him pause.
Jeremiah was worth not only 30,000 Merit points but also a valuable Spell reward: the Rite of Divine Empowerment. It sounded impressive.
...
With Jeremiah's complete annihilation, the black mist that had been entangling Flesh-Mangled Face dissipated. Dark energy that had hung over the mansion began to fade.
Soon, the place would return to normal.
Daniel approached Flesh-Mangled Face, whose aura was visibly weaker now.
He flicked out a ward sigil and pressed it onto Flesh-Mangled Face.
Let what was granted now return to its rightful bearer.
Let the living reclaim their strength, and the dead withdraw below.
What was borrowed flows back to its source, as dew returns to the vessel.
By decree, the pact is ended, the seal released, and all debts cleared - depart and disperse.
Boom! Without flame, the seal burst into light as the borrowed power drained from Flesh-Mangled Face's soul body.
His ethereal form trembled violently, then flickered, growing transparent and unstable.
Daniel's expression tightened. The price of borrowing that power was harsher than he'd expected.
And this was only because he extracted it early.
If he'd waited until Flesh-Mangled Face had fully exhausted it, the consequences would have been unbearable.
Daniel quickly pulled out three consecrated incense sticks, lit them, and stuck them into the ground.
Flesh-Mangled Face knelt immediately, submerged in the smoke. As the smoke entered his soul body, the trembling eased, and his form began to solidify again.
Daniel was surprised. The power he'd lent Flesh-Mangled Face wasn't much -- and yet the backlash was this severe. If Daniel himself ever used the Rite of Divine Empowerment to borrow strength, the burden on his body would likely be just as great.
But no matter what, the Rite of Divine Empowerment was a powerful Spell -- perfect for life-or-death moments.
...
After Flesh-Mangled Face bathed in the three sticks of smoke, Daniel lit three more and instructed him to continue.
He then entered the Celestial Exorcist System.
This place was safe now, utterly quiet -- no one would interfere.
[Merit points: 32,600]
Seeing his Merit points hit over 30,000 for the first time, Daniel smiled with satisfaction.
'Jeremiah was actually an E-Rank ghost. Fortunately, last time I only took Kathy and others away and didn't confront him directly. Even if I hadn't been seriously harmed, at least one or two of Kathy's family might have died otherwise.
This time, I used every resource -- including my Thunder Body -- to finish him. Fortunately, the payoff was worth it.
But if he was so strong, why manipulate others to kill instead of doing it himself? Maybe it helped him advance faster? Or maybe the lingering souls of those Native Americans influenced him? Either is possible. Better not dwell on it now.'
"Exorcism, upgrade!"
*****
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