[Chapter 91: Magical Artifacts]
Daniel's heart swelled with joy the moment he heard the news. It had finally arrived. What had arrived? The lightning-struck wood, of course. That was the only shipment he had been eagerly waiting for.
After confirming the delivery time with the sender, Daniel's excitement grew uncontrollably. About an hour later, a delivery truck rolled slowly up to his place. The truck's door opened, revealing a long, rectangular package wrapped in simple brown paper.
Even without activating his Spiritual Perception Technique, Daniel could clearly feel the raw, intense energy radiating fiercely from beneath the packaging. It was powerful and unyielding -- exactly what he expected from lightning-struck wood.
Daniel was thrilled. Not just any mere lightning-struck wood; this was of a far more potent quality.
Since he hadn't prepared a forklift, the delivery men used a pallet jack along with other gear to carefully unload the heavy package, placing it just outside Daniel's yard gate. After paying the shipping fee along with a generous tip, the UPS truck sped away.
Placing his hand against the package, Daniel felt the artifact's energy pulse through his fingers, then activated the System to collect it directly into his spatial storage.
He headed straight inside to the basement -- his specially set-up workshop. With a flick of his hand, the package dropped to the floor with a muted thud.
Peeling away the wrapping, Daniel finally laid eyes on the raw form: a slab of triple-struck lightning wood, its surface etched with clear, distinct lightning patterns. Priceless. Having spent $250,000 to acquire it, he knew he'd made a valuable investment.
Daniel wired the remaining balance of $125,000 immediately.
...
Then, his days consumed by intense work, Daniel spent the next five days forging multiple powerful Magical Artifacts. Among his creations were a Consecrated Ashwood Sanctum Blade, a Seal of Consecrated Thunder, an evil suppression seal plate, a consecrated ward mirror, and a Dominion Rod.
The Dominion Rod is a long, rectangular relic carved on all four faces with sacred astronomical and doctrinal symbols: the Twenty-Eight Stations of the Firmament, the Solar and Lunar Seals, the Sovereign Star, the Six Sentinels of the Southern Watch, the Seven Lamps of the North, and a sealed sigil of High Thunder Authority. In the hands of a skilled exorcist, it carries inherent authority and amplifies thunder-based rites, enforcing judgment upon corruption.
Daniel placed all the newly forged Magical Artifacts on his altar and began preparations for their consecration ceremony. After much ritual and prayer, these items were finally empowered with genuine ability to repel evil and suppress malign forces.
Holding one in his hand after another, Daniel felt reluctant to put them down. His combat prowess had received a notable boost thanks to these crafted artifacts.
...
With the sealed Magical Artifacts secured, Daniel reopened Cross Hall, which had been closed for several days. Now, burning with anticipation, he longed to find an evil spirit to test his new weapons.
Days passed, yet no clients came seeking his exorcism services. Frustrated, he even considered summoning the Flesh-Mangled Face just to feel the power of these artifacts in battle.
Having no other options, Daniel pulled out his laptop and searched online for rumored haunted locations, using Google to search for "places where ghosts appear."
A flood of results popped up instantly. Most were obviously fabricated, and none of them were local to Los Angeles.
Then, one video title caught his eye: "Don't watch this video. Don't watch this video. Don't watch this video!"
Daniel rolled his eyes silently. That trope was ancient. Still, in the era of viral jumpscares, it felt fresh enough.
Clicking the link, he was redirected to Google's own video site. The footage started immediately.
Only moments into watching, Daniel frowned as the chilling chant echoed:
The person who hears the three bells, accept his invitation.
When you hear the first sound, close your eyes and remain silent.
Hold your eyes tightly shut, open your mind, and clear away distracting thoughts as you wait for the second bell.
Only after the third bell may you open your eyes.
Daniel paused the video, the phrase nagging at his memory -- he had heard those words before, somewhere.
He wracked his brain but couldn't place it.
Just as he was about to resume watching, a Cadillac rolled up and parked in front of Cross Hall.
...
A middle-aged white man stepped inside, accompanied by a teenage girl.
The man was close to fifty, face stern and troubled, a mix of worry and anger shadowing his features. The girl appeared no older than fifteen or sixteen, her complexion pale and terror-stricken.
Using the Spiritual Perception Technique, Daniel immediately noticed the black void residing in her glabella -- the space between her eyebrows -- shrouded in an aura of death energy. She looked as though she was wearing death itself, reminiscent of Megan's case.
However, Megan's One Missed Call Female Ghost issue had been resolved. This was something else -- another malevolent spirit haunting this girl.
Daniel closed his laptop, stood, and gestured to the sofa. "Please, have a seat."
He brought out several bottles of mineral water and sodas. "Help yourselves."
The man's voice was steady, showing no doubt: "Are you Mr. Cross?"
"I am," Daniel replied, then glanced at the girl. "What's wrong with her?"
Hearing Daniel speak honestly upon first meeting, the man, Bane, brightened, his trust in Daniel growing. "Hello, Mr. Cross. I'm Bane. This is my daughter, Amy."
After shaking Daniel's hand, Bane helped Amy sit on the sofa.
Daniel observed her closely -- she seemed burdened, distracted, and frightened, avoiding eye contact. Instead, she kept glancing anxiously around, as if something terrible lingered nearby.
"What happened to her?" Daniel asked.
Bane sighed heavily. "Let her tell you."
Daniel called softly, "Amy, you're safe now."
His voice held a subtle magical tone, and Amy visibly trembled, as if waking from a haze.
She turned to look at Daniel, her pale expression softening slightly.
"Can you tell me what happened? You're safe here. No one will harm you."
Amy stammered, "I... I feel like someone, no... not someone, a thing, wants to kill me. It wants to kill me."
Panic returned to her voice.
Daniel urged calmly, "Take your time. Who or what is trying to kill you? Is it a ghost?"
Amy hesitated. "I don't know if it counts as a ghost."
"Have you seen it yourself?"
"No. My friends saw it."
"Friends?"
"They... they're all dead." Amy's voice trembled almost to a whisper. "All of them."
"How many?"
"Three."
"So four, including you." Daniel asked the question he'd been waiting for: "Did you play some sort of spirit summoning game?"
Amy's eyes dropped. "It wasn't a game. It was a ritual."
"A ritual?" Daniel leaned forward, intrigued. "What kind of ritual?"
Amy swallowed hard. "We saw it online. A video telling us to follow those three sentences..."
Daniel's heart skipped. His expression hardened slightly.
The person who hears the three bells, accept his invitation.
When you hear the first sound, close your eyes and remain silent.
Hold your eyes tightly shut, open your mind, and clear away distracting thoughts while waiting for the second bell.
Only after the third bell may you open your eyes.
He nodded slowly. That familiar phrase signaled deep, dangerous contact with dark forces -- exactly the kind of challenge he was ready to face, and wanted to face.
*****
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