Bab 149: Chapter 147: Valak
"Who... who are you?!" The figure twisted with malevolence, known as The Crooked Man, demanded, his voice laced with a palpable dread, as he gazed upon Jon.
Jon's response was delivered with a chilling nonchalance, "See for yourself."
With those words, an infernal blaze erupted around him, and before The Crooked Man's disbelieving eyes, Jon's form shifted, transmogrifying into the fearsome visage of the Ghost Rider. The air crackled with the intensity of the confrontation as the Ghost Rider locked eyes with The Crooked Man, subjecting him to the soul-searing Penance Stare.
"Look into my eyes... Feel the pain of your victims!"
The Crooked Man was ensnared in an eternity of flames, a relentless onslaught of torment and remorse. It was as if he was submerged in an abyssal inferno, his every transgression being judged in this singular, excruciating moment.
[Ding! Mission 4 has been updated: Eliminate the demon, Valak, and The Crooked Man. Current progress: 1/2]
[Ding! Your legendary mission has been updated: Judge a thousand sinful souls across all worlds. Current progress: 79/1000.]
It was evident that The Crooked Man was a lesser entity compared to the spectral nun; his ignorance of the Ghost Rider's dread power was his undoing. Jon, however, had already unraveled Valak's scheme. She had intended to use The Crooked Man as a diversion, to occupy Jon while she concocted a vile plan to ensnare Janet's soul.
But her machinations were destined to crumble. Jon had astutely positioned the Phoenix to safeguard Janet. Despite the ghostly nun's demonic nature and her potential for cruelty, the Phoenix was a formidable guardian, capable of holding the line until Jon could return, having dispatched The Crooked Man.
In the meantime, Janet and her family were huddled together in the bedroom. Prior to Jon's intervention, the evil spirits in the house had been content with mere mischief. But now, their intentions had turned malevolent, as if resolved to obliterate the family, their true, horrifying forms manifesting to instill paralyzing fear.
Boom!
Abruptly, the window shattered, a violent gale tearing through the room, sending a shiver of terror down everyone's spine. The four children scrambled to Peggy's side, seeking refuge in her protective embrace.
Amidst the chaos, an unseen force latched onto Janet, wrenching her from her mother's arms with a spectral coldness.
"Janet~!" Peggy's voice was a heart-wrenching mix of fear and desperation as she reached out to the vanishing figure of her daughter.
Janet was hurled backward, her body careening through the air, only to be abruptly suspended in a spectral stasis before gently descending to the floor. In the wake of her descent, a ghastly apparition materialized.
Clad in the garb of a nun, the figure was a grotesque perversion of holy vestments. Its visage was a maelstrom of darkness, with jagged, obsidian fangs that twisted into a sinister sneer.
This was the demon, Valak.
"No, don't hurt my daughter!" Peggy's plea tore through the room, her hands outstretched in a futile attempt to shield her child.
Valak's wail pierced the air, a sound that chilled the soul, and in a spectral blur, she vanished from behind Janet, only to reemerge behind Peggy. An eldritch force radiated from Valak, sending the other three children tumbling through the air, all except for Peggy.
"Noooo~!" Janet's scream was a mix of terror and defiance as she dashed towards Margaret, the sibling nearest to her.
"Run, Janet, run!" Peggy's voice was laced with urgency.
Janet's gaze locked with the nun's, her voice trembling but firm, "What do you want?"
Valak's response was a silent gesture, a blackened finger pointing ominously towards the window.
Understanding dawned on Janet, and after a moment's fraught hesitation, she acquiesced, "Okay, just let my mother go!"
With a resolve born of desperation, Janet moved towards the window, prepared to leap, her mind racing with the knowledge that Valak coveted her soul.
"Nooo~!" The anguish in Peggy's cry was palpable.
Cry!
In that instant of despair, Phoenix's call sliced through the tension. Janet, poised to jump, halted. A resplendent spirit bird, its feathers alight with ethereal flames, swooped in, its talons lashing out at Valak, who erupted into a conflagration.
Valak's scream was a cacophony of rage and pain, reverberating through the room like the cry of a tormented beast.
The Phoenix, Jon's magical beast, seemed to have the upper hand against Valak, and a collective breath of relief was drawn. But the respite was short-lived.
From Valak's form, a billowing shroud of smoke arose, and the flames that had enveloped her began to wane. She stood, a figure of malevolence, unscathed. With a gesture of her withered limb, a tempestuous wind surged, and the Phoenix was expelled through the window.
Valak's attention returned to Janet, and with a mere wave of her hand, Janet was propelled towards the window's gaping maw.
Valak's initial plan had been to coerce Janet into surrendering her own life, thereby preserving the purity of her soul. But now, confronted with an unexpected adversary of formidable power, Valak's strategy shifted; she could no longer afford the luxury of selectiveness.
"Janet~!" Peggy's voice shattered into a sob as she witnessed her daughter being flung into the void beyond the window.
Just as Janet was on the cusp of tumbling into the abyss, a chain whistled through the air, snaring her mid-fall.
"Mr. Vinson!" Margaret's voice was a cocktail of excitement and relief as Jon's silhouette materialized. His presence enveloped them in an aura of sanctuary.
With the Chain, Jon deftly hoisted Janet to safety before pivoting to confront the spectral menace.
The suffocating miasma that Valak had woven unraveled in mere moments, her eyes now brimming with a profound caution as they fixed on Jon.
She began to retreat, her form dissolving into the wall, seeking refuge in its shadows.
Without warning, the Chain splintered into a myriad of tendrils, ensnaring Valak even as she attempted to meld with the wall, yanking her back into the fray.
"Where do you think you're going, Marilyn Manson~?" Jon quipped, a wry reference to the nun's uncanny resemblance to the iconic rock artist.
Then, Jon was once again enveloped in hellfire, his mortal flesh receding to reveal the Ghost Rider's fiery skeleton.
"Delicious... I finally have the chance to savor a demon's soul~!" the Ghost Rider intoned, his voice a gravelly symphony of anticipation and avarice.
The Ghost Rider had feasted on a multitude of sinful souls throughout his odyssey, yet a demon's essence was an unprecedented morsel. To him, it was a rarefied treat, a gourmet indulgence that was not part of his usual fare.
His skeletal grip on the chain tightened, and with a deft motion, hellfire surged along its length towards Valak.
"The hellfire from the Phoenix might have been insufficient for your demise, but let's see how you fare against mine. Hahahaha...!" The Ghost Rider's laugh was a macabre echo, resonating with dark triumph.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaag!
Valak's screams crescendoed as her demonic form began to disintegrate, her essence consumed by the relentless inferno.
[Ding! Mission four completed: Eliminate the demon, Valak, and The Crooked Man. 600 penalty points awarded.]
[Ding! Your legendary mission has been updated: Judge a thousand sinful souls across all worlds. Current progress: 80/1000.]
With the mission accomplished, the Ghost Rider reeled in his chain, the hellfire that had once raged around him dimming, receding, until he stood as Jon once more, his human visage restored amidst the settling calm.
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(A/N: If you want to see more chapters, go to my Patreon to see +20 chapters ahead.
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Bab 150: Chapter 148: A Town Full of Monsters
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The door of Jon's Exorcism Office suddenly erupted with violent knocks, startling Nancy, who was napping in her chair. She had been catching up on some much-needed rest after a long day of dealing with supernatural cases. Her eyes shot open as the deafening knocks echoed through the room.
Rubbing her droopy eyes, she walked to the door and opened it, her heart racing with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity. The sight that greeted her instantly jolted her awake.
"Oh, my God!" Nancy exclaimed, her voice filled with concern and shock. "Mr. Luke, what happened?"
The man at the door was Luke Matthews, the lawyer who had handled real estate matters for Jon and introduced him to various business opportunities. But now, he was not only disheveled but also covered in bloodstains, his appearance a stark contrast to his usual professional demeanor.
Gasping for air, Luke was visibly relieved to see Nancy: "Good heavens, Miss Nancy, I regret only having Jon's number and not yours!"
"Come in quickly!" Nancy ushered Luke inside, her mind racing to comprehend the gravity of the situation. She poured him a glass of water, her hands trembling slightly.
"What on earth happened?! Why are you covered in blood?!" Nancy inquired; her voice filled with genuine concern. She knew that Luke wouldn't normally come to the Exorcism Agency unless it was something extraordinary. As a lawyer, his first instinct would typically be to contact the police if he encountered violence. It had to be something beyond the ordinary for him to seek out Jon and herself.
"My God, you can't imagine how terrifying that thing was!" Luke panted, his face pale and haunted.
"Calm down, take a sip of water, and tell me slowly!" Nancy's soothing tone helped stabilize Luke's nerves, and he nodded gratefully before recounting his harrowing experience.
Nancy leaned in; her attention unwavering as she listened intently. "Where's Jon? Where did he go?"
"You referred a family to him earlier; he's gone to solve their problem. Tell me what's going on?!" Nancy said softly, encouraging Luke to share his story.
After taking another drink to steady his breathing, Luke began to recount his ordeal to Nancy, his voice filled with a mix of dread and urgency.
Recently, Luke had taken on another real estate case, his area of expertise. This time, a family from a small town had hired him, and the matter was related to the town itself, not just the case.
"I was called to Mrs. Glenn's house because she had inherited it from her father, and the will stated it should go to her. It was supposed to be a straightforward case, and she just wanted to ensure everything was in order," Luke explained calmly, his eyes haunted by the events that had transpired. Then his tone turned stern, and a shiver ran down Nancy's spine: "I was discussing the necessary preparations with her when her brother suddenly knocked on the door!"
Mrs. Glenn's brother, Mr. Park, had been her rival in this contentious inheritance dispute, and his sudden appearance at her doorstep wasn't out of the ordinary. Nancy nodded as Luke recounted the events, her brows furrowing with concern.
"But I could tell something was off," Luke continued, his voice filled with unease. "Mr. Park's eyes were vacant, and he looked utterly lost. Moreover, there were bloodstains around his mouth! I sensed danger and stopped Mrs. Glenn immediately."
Nancy leaned in closer, her curiosity mingled with a growing sense of dread.
"After I shared my observations, Mrs. Glenn also realized something was wrong," Luke continued. "Vacant eyes could be explained away, but bloodstains were clearly not normal. She tried to communicate with Mr. Park."
"Mrs. Glenn told me she had a terrible relationship with her brother, usually ending in fights, but this time Mr. Park was eerily respectful and kept urging her to open the door. Sensing the abnormality, she stepped back and refused."
Nancy listened intently, the tension in the room thickening as Luke's narrative unfolded.
"Unexpectedly, Mr. Park became enraged and started ramming his head against the door. The whole family was terrified. Mr. Park's head was bleeding, but he couldn't break through the door."
Luke grew more agitated as he spoke, then took another sip of water to calm himself before continuing: "After that, Mr. Park sneered coldly at us and left. Mrs. Glenn was certain that it wasn't her brother!"
Nancy's heart raced as she absorbed the bizarre and unsettling details of the encounter.
Luke swallowed hard, reluctant to recall the events, but he had to. He knew the gravity of what he was about to reveal.
"After a quiet moment outside, suddenly a large rock smashed through the window, and I witnessed the second most unforgettable scene of my life... the first being the Voodoo curse cast on me!"
Nancy's eyes widened in disbelief, but she remained silent, encouraging Luke to continue.
Luke went on: "After the window broke, Mr. Park, with a sinister smile and a bloody face, crawled in. Yes... he crawled in, covered in wriggling worms that resembled... well, something unique to us men. You understand, Miss Nancy!"
Nancy felt nauseous and covered her head, saying, "Just continue with what happened next, Mr. Luke! I don't need to dwell on what those things looked like!"
Luke nodded and resumed, his voice shaking: "Alright, we were all terrified, and then one of the worms shot into Mrs. Glenn's... mouth!"
Hearing this, Nancy nearly vomited, especially after Luke's graphic description of the worms.
"Then, Mrs. Glenn became just like Mr. Park, stiff and lifeless. I desperately fled outside, only to find the entire town's people had turned into that state!"
Nancy's mind whirled as she processed the shocking information that Luke had just revealed. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on her, and her determination to confront this supernatural threat grew stronger with each passing moment.
"I realized then that the worms could control humans," Luke continued, his voice trembling with the memory. "Once a worm enters a mouth, that person is controlled by it, no longer themselves. The town was swarming with these worms and zombie-like people!"
Nancy couldn't help but shudder at the thought of a town overrun by such terrifying creatures, their power to control humans making them a formidable menace.
"Later, it took me a long time to escape, with the help of someone named Kiel," Luke continued, his eyes filled with desperation. "Miss Nancy, please contact Jon urgently. Those monsters are terrifying. If they escape the town, it would be like the end of the world!"
Nancy nodded solemnly, her sense of urgency matching Luke's. She understood the gravity of the situation and the need to prevent the spread of this horrific threat.
Luke was still visibly shaken by the fear of those monsters. Although they weren't formidable against firearms, their ability to control people was terrifying. If they escaped the town, it would be impossible to distinguish who was under their control.
Nancy exhaled deeply, maintaining her composure despite the rising anxiety, and asked, "You mentioned someone escaped with you. Where is he?"
Luke pointed outside, his eyes darting nervously: "He's still in the car. He feels safer with more people around on the streets!"
Nancy knew they had to act swiftly. With a resolute expression, she said, "We need to contact Jon immediately and inform him of this dire situation. Together, we'll confront this menace and save the town from whatever unholy terror has taken hold of it."
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(A/N: If you want to see more chapters, go to my Patreon to see +20 chapters ahead.
patreon.com/TheMightyZeus
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