[Chapter 5: Solved]
Seeing Gary on the brink of death, Sheriff Ford quickly urged, "Mr. Cross, please save him."
What was owed is paid.What was unfinished is ended.Depart without malice, depart without return.
Daniel shouted, stepping forward and swinging his Exorcist's Sanctum Blade through the air.
Immediately, Gary's body went limp and collapsed unconscious onto the floor.
Sheriff Ford moved to check on him but hesitated, remembering the lingering ghostly presence. He could only say, "Call an ambulance, quickly."
Daniel's gaze stayed fixed ahead.
Before him stood a ghostly figure, head battered and bloodied. The man looked young, about twenty-five or twenty-six. This was the same man who had been beaten to death in the detention room just days ago.
After death, he had become a restless spirit, avenging his killers by striking them down. Unexpectedly, his assailant had also transformed into a ghost. The two spirits had battled each other within the police station, neither gaining the upper hand.
Their violent clashes had brought repeated chaos to the precinct -- strange events and unsettling disturbances that no one could explain. That was the source of all the unexplained incidents from before.
Just moments ago, Daniel had erected a ritual altar and forcibly summoned both spirits. He intended to reason with them, but the hostile spirit disregarded him utterly. With no other option, Daniel struck him until his soul dissipated.
The surviving victim spirit immediately fell into line. He even cooperated with Daniel, beating up Gary.
Daniel glanced at Gary, blood covering his face and head, his breathing shallow and faint. He wondered if the man could be saved -- and if so, would he ever be whole again.
Pulling his gaze away, raising the blade once more, Daniel traced a sigil in the air, completing the rite.
By judgment rendered and mercy given,
By the authority of the Sanctum,
I command you -- be gone.
The ghost nodded repeatedly, eyes fixed on the sigil and the blade.
The incense smoke surged, then thinned abruptly and the blood smeared across the ghost's face vanished, revealing a pale, ashen complexion. He knelt before Daniel and bowed deeply before his form blurred and faded into nothingness.
Daniel rang the bell one final time and extinguished the candles in reverse order. He folded the altar cloth carefully, signaling the end of the rite.
[Ding! Successfully transcended a G-grade Dark Soul, gaining 200 Merit Points.]
[Ding! Successfully transcended a G-grade Dark Soul, unlocking the Divine Incantation for Purifying Souls.]
The system chimed promptly.
Adding the 200 points gained from the hostile spirit moments earlier, Daniel earned a total of 400 Merit Points and obtained a powerful new incantation.
...
As the spirit vanished, the cold chill that had filled the precinct began to lift.
Lara and Sheriff Ford both noticed the temperature rising and felt the oppressive unease dissipate.
Lara looked up at Daniel with hopeful eyes. "Mr. Cross, is everything settled now?"
Daniel nodded confidently. "It's over. You won't see any more strange occurrences here from now on."
"That's incredible!" Lara exclaimed, surprised and relieved.
Before, after hearing Scott and Gary's accounts, she hadn't placed much faith in Daniel. She even worried she would be made to look foolish.
But Daniel had not only saved them -- he had earned her great respect and gratitude.
"As expected of Mr. Cross's son, truly impressive," Lara said with a bright, admiring smile.
Sheriff Ford stepped forward and shook Daniel's hand. "We owe you a huge debt this time. Please leave me your contact info so I can reach you if anything happens again."
Daniel glanced at Lara. "Officer Lara has my contact information."
Ford smiled. "Good enough."
...
As Daniel packed his gear, the ambulance arrived. Two paramedics in white coats carefully lifted Gary onto a stretcher.
Lara accompanied Daniel toward the police station's entrance. Watching the stretcher carried away, she asked quietly, "Do you think he'll make it?"
"I don't know," Daniel replied honestly.
Looking into his eyes, Lara asked, "Why did that ghost suddenly attack Gary?"
"You'd have to ask the ghost himself, but since he's already gone, the chance is slim," Daniel said.
"Right," Lara murmured, her gaze drifting away as if accepting the answer.
She pulled a check from her jacket pocket. "This is your payment."
Daniel took it and saw it was for five hundred dollars.
"How much did Father Scott get?" he asked.
Lara blushed slightly. "He was paid three thousand, but..." She trailed off.
Daniel understood without need for explanation.
Since he was young, without any reputation, his rate was naturally lower.
Without showing any emotion, Daniel tucked the check away, bid Lara farewell, and left.
...
Inside Cross Hall, Daniel entered the System.
The upgrade button next to his Exorcist level glowed again.
Additionally, the Divine Incantation for for Purifying Souls had been added to his spellbook.
His Merit Points increased from zero to four hundred.
"Upgrade!" he thought, mentally activating the button.
Immediately, an intense power surged through his body, more painful than before.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as the sensation lasted a full ten minutes before fading into a soothing warmth.
Daniel felt a new depth of magic stirring within.
He recognized this as magic power -- the deeper it ran, the stronger his spells would become.
His status now read:
[Exorcist Level: Ordained Exorcist]
[Merit Points: 200]
The upgrade button grayed out, signaling he lacked enough Merit Points for the next level.
His Sanctum Blade Technique's upgrade button was also grayed out and unusable.
"Upgrading the Sanctum Blade Technique from first to second stage costs 100 points," he muttered. "How come 200 points can't upgrade it now?"
He was surprised but helpless.
Earlier at the 17th Precinct, Daniel had relied heavily on the Sanctum Blade Technique -- for summoning the spirits and defeating one outright.
It remained a practical skill, so not being able to advance it now left him disappointed.
The basic ghost summoning incantation came from the foundation of exorcist knowledge.
It not only outlined fundamental principles but included essential spell formulas.
[Host: Daniel Cross]
[Body Constitution: Thunder Body]
[Exorcist Level: Ordained Exorcist]
[Skills:]
[Sanctum Blade Technique: Second Tier]
[Divine Incantation for for Purifying Souls: First Tier]
[Merit Points: 200]
He attempted to access the spiritual energy, but moments later, he opened his eyes in confusion.
"How can the spiritual energy be this thin? At this rate, when will I ever advance?" he wondered.
He shook his head uncertainly.
"With spiritual energy this weak, it's almost impossible to improve naturally. My best bet is fighting evil spirits and earning Merit Points. Not only do Merit Points can be used to power up, but the work brings in money for rent and daily living. But where do I find exorcism commissions?"
...
That night, Daniel searched online on his computer.
"Indeed, there's no movie called Saw in this world."
"Wait, not only Saw is gone, but other horror movies I knew have vanished too. Where did they go? Could it be..."
A daring thought sparked in his mind.
Ring-ring-ring...
His phone's sudden ring interrupted him.
He answered to hear an urgent female voice: "Is this Mr. Cross? Please come quickly -- I need your help."
*****
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