[Chapter 180: The Succubus]
Chris looked at Daniel, gratitude shining on his face once again.
"Thank you, Daniel. Thank you for saving me."
After hearing Chris's account, Daniel couldn't help but sigh, marveling at how truly lucky this guy was.
That night, he had casually left a Mana Mark on Chris.
Unexpectedly, it was precisely that Mark that had allowed Chris to see the monster's true form the first time. Later, it even helped him briefly escape that mental prison. Most importantly, it gave him the chance to call for Daniel's help.
But the power of the Mark was limited. It could only help so much. When Chris returned again to that place, he couldn't discern the monster's true nature and was quickly disoriented once more. If Daniel hadn't shown up in time, Chris would already be dead.
Daniel knew exactly what this monster was this time.
This was another horror movie bleeding into reality.
In the movie Succubus, the ghost -- or rather, the Succubus -- closely matched the creature Chris described. Even more striking, the male lead in the film was named Chris. It was an uncanny coincidence, as if one coincidence had opened the door to another.
The Succubus in the movie also used the internet to scout victims. It fed on men's vitality, growing stronger after each feast. But ordinary men's vitality was weaker. It preferred healthy men, ones with high life force.
Still, it couldn't attack randomly. It first had to build a connection, make someone interested enough to be pulled into the mental prison it crafted. Once inside, the man was seduced and drained of his vitality. Although this happened in the spiritual realm, the man's vitality in the real world was completely consumed, and he died.
This explained its strange power.
Because everything took place in the spiritual world, Daniel had only noticed that Chris's mental state was off -- he hadn't sensed any dark energy or evil aura clinging to him.
It was fortunate Daniel had left that Mana Mark, or Chris would already be dead.
But now, the Succubus was hiding within the internet and its own spiritual world. Finding it wouldn't be easy.
"Daniel, am I safe now?" Chris asked.
Daniel countered, "Do you think it's just going to let you go?"
Chris froze for a moment and then shook his head. He realized if he were the monster, he sure wouldn't give up that easily.
"Then, I'm still in danger," Chris said, shivering.
Daniel nodded. "Exactly."
Chris's voice dropped: "What should I do?"
Daniel said, "I should warn you, I charge for exorcisms."
Chris quickly replied, "Of course! I fully support that! How much do you need?"
Daniel answered, "Normally, $100,000, unless there are complications."
"Wait here." Chris immediately went to find his checkbook.
He'd been in Hollywood for years and had played many roles; $100,000 was easy money for him. Without mentioning deposits or balance, he wrote a check for the full amount and handed it over without hesitation.
Daniel took it. "Now, show me how you contacted her online."
"We used MSN," Chris said.
Chris led Daniel to his study, turned on the computer, and logged into MSN. Daniel looked over Chris's chat history with the mysterious other party.
The exchanges were explicit, full of suggestive talk flowing effortlessly. There were also many revealing photos -- not just of her but of Chris as well.
"Ahem..." Chris coughed, feeling embarrassed as Daniel looked at him. "I honestly thought she was my soulmate at the time. I never expected this."
Daniel said nothing and silently scrolled through the chat history.
From his perspective as an outsider, Chris was completely controlled by her -- pulled deeper and deeper into the trap. Even Daniel, having transmigrated and seen many modern telecom fraud tactics, felt a grudging admiration for the Succubus's methods after reading those messages.
Chris looked like a mouse being toyed with, circling endlessly. The other party was just waiting for the right moment, once they'd played long enough, to devour him.
At the end of the chat, Daniel said, "Keep messaging her. Ask where she is right now."
"Huh? Send more messages?" Chris was startled.
Daniel said firmly, "Listen to me."
Chris nodded, feeling Daniel's seriousness. He typed and sent, "Where are you now?"
The reply came quickly, teasing: "You won't even call me 'dear' anymore?"
Chris forced a wry smile and glanced at Daniel.
Daniel said, "Keep asking, and add 'dear'."
Chris sighed but typed again: "Dear, where are you now?"
The answer came back: "I've always been in your heart, didn't you know? Dear, why did you just leave like that? I'm so sad."
She attached a photo.
A peerless beauty sat on a bed, looking wronged and sad, exuding loneliness, desolation, and coldness.
This woman was stunning.
The women Daniel knew -- Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson, and others -- were all top-tier beauties, especially after taking his Elixirs, which enhanced their looks even further. But compared to this woman, they still fell a little short.
She embodied perfect feminine incarnation. Her features and figure were flawless. She was so beautiful it felt unreal -- as if such a perfect woman shouldn't exist in this world.
And when someone like her looked so wronged, pitiful, lonely, and utterly desolate, what man could resist being moved?
At least, after seeing the photo, Chris's breathing grew heavier, his face clouded with distress and longing.
Daniel thought, if he weren't a Lesser Ascendant and already knew this woman wasn't human, he might feel tempted too.
Daniel turned and fixed Chris with a steady gaze.
Feeling the stare, Chris fidgeted and said, "Sorry, Daniel. I couldn't quite control myself."
Daniel warned, "If you can't control yourself, the only consequence is... death."
Chris shuddered, fear sobering him immediately. "I understand. I won't be fooled again."
Daniel remained skeptical but didn't press further now.
"Keep asking where she is, and if you can meet her," Daniel said.
Chris immediately sent the question.
The Succubus replied, "Dear, isn't it easy for you to see me? I can let you see me anytime."
Daniel said, "Tell her, not in the spiritual world, but in reality -- right here in your home."
Chris typed, "Dear, can you come to my house? I want to see you properly."
The Succubus answered, "Do we really have to separate your home from mine? But since you want to meet, let's meet..."
Suddenly, her tone shifted coldly: "But the person I want to meet isn't you. It's that powerful man beside you."
Chris's expression instantly froze.
*****
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