[Chapter 136: Ambush]
Seeing the message from Francia, Daniel knew those people must have gone to his shop. Otherwise, Francia wouldn't have asked that. But since she was able to send a message, it confirmed Daniel's suspicion, nothing serious had happened.
After thinking for a moment, Daniel made a call.
The call was answered quickly.
"Mr. Cross, are you... are you all right?" Francia asked.
Daniel replied, "Of course I'm fine. What about you?"
She let out a relieved sigh. "I... I'm fine too."
Daniel asked, "Someone went to the shop?"
"Yes," Francia confirmed.
Daniel's voice sharpened, "They didn't do anything to you, did they?"
"No... no," Francia said hesitantly.
Hearing the uncertainty in her tone, Daniel guessed she'd probably taken some minor hit, but nothing significant.
He didn't press further. "As long as you're okay, I'm hanging up."
...
After ending the call, Daniel turned his car around and headed toward Frank Douglas's house.
The car entered Beverly Hills, bustling and nostalgic, showing no signs of abnormality.
But just as Daniel's car reached a crucial stretch, a rocket suddenly shot out, heading straight for the Cadillac.
The rocket flew at incredible speed, but just before it hit Daniel's car, the vehicle vanished.
A figure soared into the sky, hovering in mid-air.
Boom!
The rocket slammed into a tree where the Cadillac had been moments before, exploding and sending shards of wood flying everywhere.
"Damn, this guy can actually fly."
A group rushed out from the woods, aiming their firearms at Daniel. Among them were several towering men nearly ten feet tall. Daniel also spotted Gordon, wearing glasses and looking refined.
"Kill him!" Gordon ordered, eyes locked on Daniel in the air. He shook off shock and filled with murderous intent, waved his hand to give the command.
"Tatata..."
The group raised their guns, aiming at Daniel in midair, pulling the triggers.
Heavy machine guns spat continuous flames as bullets sliced through the air, spent casings ejecting.
"Whoosh!"
Another rocket was fired.
Daniel stood calm in the air, looking down with cold eyes.
"You think you can kill me? Five Thunder Doctrine, descend!"
Boom, boom, boom!
Bolts of lightning crashed down from the heavens.
Screams erupted.
Many were turned to charcoal instantly.
"Split, go!"
A copper coin sword appeared in Daniel's hand.
Boom!
It exploded into 365 small swords that shot out rapidly.
"Ah... ah... ah..."
The shards pierced through bodies like bullets.
People clutched their wounds or collapsed screaming.
Daniel's form flickered as he landed on the ground.
He strode forward toward Gordon.
"Last time, I spared your life. This time, you die."
Shock and fear filled Gordon's face.
He had summoned a powerful force this time, three Consecrated Thralls, all A-class. But he hadn't expected this Exorcist, whom he'd seen last time, to be so strong.
"Go! Kill him!" Gordon yelled.
But rather than advancing, his men retreated.
"Can you escape?"
Daniel's expression hardened, eyes blazing with murderous intent.
He took a step forward, and streams of rock spikes surged, striking the retreating men. Blood, severed limbs, and broken arms flew. Sharp as blades, the spikes tore them apart.
Thump, thump, thump...
The three Consecrated Thralls charged, shaking the ground like upright bear-men. Powerful curse energy radiated from them. Touching them meant injury; colliding meant death - they either would be torn apart alive or died in agony as the curse spread.
"Die!"
Daniel soared again, palm slamming down at the three.
Boom, boom, boom!
Lightning bolts shot from his palm. Each had the power of a Dominion Rod, multiplied many times over.
The lightning struck the Thralls.
Their curse energy melted like ice in the sun.
Since the curse had protected and driven them, losing it was like losing their lifeforce. Their bodies crashed to the ground and began shrinking rapidly.
From nearly ten feet tall to six feet...
Still shrinking, five feet, four feet...
"Bang..."
Suddenly, the three exploded, blood splattering everywhere.
[Ding! Killed an E-class special cursed person, gained 10,000 Merit points!]
[Ding! Killed an E-class special cursed person, gained 10,000 Merit points!]
[Ding! Killed an E-class special cursed person, gained 10,000 Merit points!]
Three identical notifications rang in Daniel's mind.
Looking up, Daniel saw Gordon had already fled far away. He'd sent three Thralls to attack, then quickly retreated. Clearly, he knew even three Consecrated Thralls weren't a match for Daniel.
"Did I say you could leave?"
Daniel stepped forward, and something strange happened.
Gordon, who had been running forward, suddenly found his body moving backward.
The more he ran, the closer he got to Daniel.
"What's going on?" Gordon cried out alarmed.
"Run, run faster..."
He scrambled his legs harder, but the faster he ran, the faster he returned.
This was the technique Daniel had mastered after achieving peak of Authority Order. It allowed him to change direction using his magic.
Gordon tried to be clever, he stopped running forward and started running backward.
But that only made things worse.
Though retreating physically, his body was forced rapidly toward Daniel.
"Foolish," Daniel sneered. "You think you're smart?"
Thud!
Gordon stopped running and turned to face Daniel.
His knees buckled, and he dropped to his knees.
"Don't kill me! I know many Brotherhood of Saints secrets, I can tell you everything."
"Is that so?" Daniel stepped closer.
Suddenly, a small pistol slid from Gordon's sleeve. He raised the gun and fired at Daniel.
An orange-red glow flashed across Daniel's body, blocking the bullet, which fell harmlessly to the ground.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
Gordon fired more shots, but only a few more glowing flashes appeared on Daniel's skin.
"This... how is this possible?"
Disbelief twisted Gordon's face. He couldn't even kill Daniel with a gun.
Daniel flipped his hand and pressed a Soul Separation Seal onto Gordon's forehead.
By sealed authority, the vessel is set and the spirit is guided forth.
The soul departs in part, while the body remains guarded and intact.
Let the path be clear, the return assured, and no harm permitted.
So ordered. So sealed.
Instantly, Gordon's eyes went vacant.
*****
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