[Chapter 164: Bathsheba]
Boom!
Daniel's Edict of Sealed Authority burst into a fireball.
A mysterious, powerful energy radiated outward.
Soon, a small figure appeared out of thin air before Daniel.
It was a little boy, but his face was pale, his body faint -- and one look was enough to tell he wasn't human.
"Ah..." Anne Hathaway let out a terrified gasp but, fearing she might disturb Daniel, quickly covered her mouth.
Still, her eyes were wide with fear. She wanted to look at the boy but was afraid.
She covered her eyes in self-deception yet left a small gap between her fingers.
The little boy looked at Daniel with a fearful expression and stood quietly to the side.
Daniel said coldly, "Stand there and don't move."
The boy nodded and indeed didn't move.
Daniel took another step forward and shouted, "Reveal yourself!"
This time, three figures appeared beside the little boy.
Two women and one man. One woman wore a maid's outfit -- a servant in her thirties. Next was a fat woman, and the third was a middle-aged man.
Without exception, their faces were as pale as the dead, their forms faint, and dark energy radiated from their bodies.
"Ah!" Anne Hathaway clutched her mouth tightly, but she couldn't stop trembling.
'Just as Mr. Cross had said, there wasn't just one ghost in the house. Several ghosts were here. Four had appeared -- and there was still one more.'
Anne felt like she was going to faint -- if not for Daniel's presence.
Though Daniel stood there, displaying immense power, Anne still clearly heard her own heartbeat.
It pounded like a drum, thumping loudly as if it would leap from her chest at any moment.
Daniel looked at the four spirits and said, "Since you have not done evil or killed anyone, stand aside. After I deal with that evil spirit, I will send you to where you belong."
The four figures quickly bowed in salute.
"Ah..." A sharp, piercing voice rang out -- hoarse and unpleasant. "You dare betray me! I will tear you all apart and consume you!"
"Hmph! Acting ferocious, are you?" Daniel flicked his finger. "Go!"
A bolt of lightning struck an empty spot in mid-air.
Suddenly, that empty space shimmered as the figure of a woman appeared. She wore a filthy dress, her hair wild and tangled. Her facial skin hung loose and sagged, her complexion was grayish-blue, and her ten fingers were sharp and pitch-black.
Dark energy pulsed constantly around her.
"Exorcist!" Her blood-red eyes locked onto Daniel, voice full of venom, "You dare steal the spirits under my command! Do you know the price of offending me?"
Daniel snorted coldly. "Bathsheba, you've lingered in the human world too long. It's time for you to die."
The disheveled spirit's expression froze. "You actually recognize me? Impossible! Who are you?"
Daniel replied, "Someone who will shatter your soul in a moment."
Yes, this was Bathsheba -- the evil spirit from The Conjuring.
This time, the horror from The Conjuring had bled into reality.
Bathsheba was a witch who had worshiped Satan in her human life. To please him, she sacrificed her own baby. Then she took her own life -- and cursed the land.
Anyone who occupied this land was cursed to kill their own children. Every family that moved in was doomed.
Even those who died and became ghosts were trapped here, unable to leave. The four spirits standing beside Daniel were exactly those trapped souls.
When Daniel arrived, he immediately recognized it was The Conjuring. It was lucky it was The Conjuring, and not The Conjuring 2.
The big boss of The Conjuring 2 was The Nun.
The Nun was one of the seventy-two demon gods, and Daniel wasn't yet confident he could face her.
Bathsheba had been a witch in life, and even dead, she was fearsome. When Daniel said he would shatter her soul, she laughed.
"Fresh flesh and blood, pure power. If I consume you, my strength will increase greatly. Go to hell!"
Boom!
Her long hair exploded outward, and the lights flickered.
Invisible forces dragged furniture into mid-air -- dining tables, chairs, kitchen knives, dishes.
Even Anne Hathaway, who was sitting on the sofa, flew into mid-air along with the sofa, and was so scared she screamed, "Waaa!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
All the items came crashing toward Daniel.
Left alone, these objects posed no threat, but now they had turned into deadly weapons.
Orange-red light radiated from Daniel's body.
He channeled his magic power, forming a protective layer -- similar to Golden Aegis Rite. Though not as strong as that one, this barrier required no chanting and could be cast with a thought.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The flying objects shattered or were deflected by the force.
"Ah!" Anne Hathaway screamed as she flew toward Daniel.
He opened his arms to catch her, stepping back to absorb the impact. Daniel would have been fine, but the recoil could've broken Anne's bones.
Anne landed in a warm embrace, her racing heart finally settled.
But just then, she felt a chill from behind.
Bathsheba had seized the moment, reaching out with both hands toward Daniel.
Anne's alarm spiked, unsure how Daniel would react.
"Hmph! Do you think I have no precautions?"
By her ear, a cold voice shouted, and thunder shattered the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Lightning bolts struck violently behind her.
"Ah!"
A piercing, agonized scream tore through the air, making Anne's eardrums feel like they'd burst.
Her head spun from the shock.
Daniel didn't have time to put her down. He freed his other hand and raised it.
"Go!"
His thunder-struck ashwood Sanctum Blade flashed, arcs of electricity arcing through the air as it shot toward Bathsheba.
Just as it was about to pierce her, she vanished in a flash.
At that moment, all the lights went out, plunging the room into total darkness.
Humans are creatures of light. Pitch-black darkness instinctively breeds fear, especially now.
"Ah!" Anne screamed and reflexively wrapped her arms around Daniel.
Daniel placed her gently on the ground.
"It's okay."
Then he stepped forward, and suddenly candles flickered to life across the room.
Anne was surprised. "When did you prepare this?"
She hadn't noticed at all.
Daniel said, "That doesn't matter. Stand by me. We have to deal with this evil spirit, or you'll never find peace here."
"Oh."
Anne reluctantly let go of Daniel and stepped aside.
*****
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