[Chapter 212: Level Up!]
"Mr. Cross? Are you Daniel Cross?" The newcomer stepped forward confidently, extending a greeting to Daniel.
"And you are?" Daniel sized her up. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't place where he'd seen her before.
"You can call me Elise. I'm a medium," she said.
"Elise." Daniel's memory clicked.
In Insidious, she had helped Josh's family. But later, she was killed by the Bride-in-Black who possessed Josh. Now, because of Daniel's intervention, she had survived. In a strange way, Daniel had unintentionally become her savior.
"I sensed a powerful evil aura erupting from Josh's place and was planning to check it out," Elise said, her eyes full of admiration. "But it looks like you've taken care of everything perfectly."
"You're truly amazing," she added. "Out of all the people I've encountered in the metaphysical world, you're the most powerful. Without exception."
Daniel smiled faintly. "It's not completely over. There are still dozens of pure female souls trapped in the Further, and their number will only grow with time."
"What?" Elise gasped. "Dozens... My God... Are they insane?"
Suddenly, she seemed to remember something, and her expression darkened. "They're planning to perform an 'Abyssal Advent' level ritual! It requires a massive number of pure souls as coordinates and sacrifices. Only then can a being of that magnitude project its power -- or even its physical form -- into this world! If they succeed, Hollywood... no, the entire world will fall."
Daniel asked, "Do you have any suggestions?"
Elise gave a bitter smile. "At my level, a medium can't do much."
"You can take my number," Daniel offered. "If you hear anything, contact me immediately."
"Alright," she agreed.
After exchanging contact information, Daniel got into his car and quickly drove off. Elise watched him leave before retreating back into the shadows.
---
By the time Daniel returned to his villa in Beverly Hills, dawn was nearing. The eastern sky was just beginning to brighten, but the streets remained quiet. He parked his car in the garage and walked wearily into the living room.
"Chris!" Daniel called out, pulling out his phone.
With a swirl of pink light, Chris appeared in the living room. Today, she had changed into a more seductive "skin," her curves faintly visible beneath translucent gauze. But Daniel wasn't in the mood to appreciate it.
"Chris, pull up all the information you've gathered on the Further, the Red-Faced Demon, the Ram Cult, and Lord Ram." Daniel slumped onto the sofa, rubbing his brow, cutting straight to the point.
"Yes, Master!" Seeing Daniel's serious tone, Chris abandoned her usual teasing attitude. "Searching local and cloud databases... Hmm. Based on my understanding, the concepts you mentioned should be considered separately."
"First, the Further." Chris explained, "In my core knowledge base and scattered paranormal data, the Further is mentioned. It usually refers to a spiritual or soul dimension that overlaps with the physical world but is distinctly separate. It's not Hell or Heaven in the traditional sense. More like an 'in-between zone' made up of collective subconsciousness, intense obsessions, unresolved karma, and certain ancient rules.
The souls of the living might accidentally enter under special circumstances, and the souls of the dead may linger there. It has no fixed form and fluctuates based on the consciousness of those inside, making it unpredictable."
She paused, then added, "However, Master, my form of existence is fundamentally different from that realm. So while I understand the concept, I don't have a deep familiarity with it, and I've never been there. I suspect the signal wouldn't be good there anyway."
Daniel nodded slightly. It matched his own understanding.
"Next, the Red-Faced Demon." Chris's tone betrayed some confusion. "There's no direct match for that name in the database. But combining your experience tonight with the keyword 'Further,' I retrieved some folklore and partially encrypted exorcism files. Some scattered records mention that in ancient incidents involving soul kidnapping or dream invasion, an image of a 'burning red face' or a 'red-skinned gatekeeper' appears.
It's usually linked to imprisoning souls and inducing fear. But this is more a symbol or title for a specific evil spirit than a widely recognized, fixed demon name. It's very likely the Red-Faced Demon you encountered is a powerful vengeful spirit leader naturally born in part of the Further -- or produced under the influence of some force. Perhaps... even a manufactured guardian."
"A manufactured guardian?" Daniel's eyes widened.
"It's just speculation," Chris said. "If a section of the Further is occupied or altered by a powerful being, it's possible for it to spawn 'managers' suited to its needs. Kind of like how I can create basic virtual assistants in the cyber world. Except the power level is on a completely different scale."
Daniel considered. "So once the Red-Faced Demon dies, a new one will take its place?"
"Assuming my guess is right."
Daniel nodded. "Highly likely."
"Next, the Ram Cult." Chris's voice turned serious. "There's a bit more info here, but not much useful."
She paused, then said, "Master, this is all I am able to find. The Ram Cult is like a venomous snake lurking in the deep ocean of the internet and the shadows of reality. I know they're out there, and I can occasionally detect traces of them passing by, but it's very difficult to find anything concrete."
Daniel fell silent, unsurprised. If the Ram Cult were that easy to locate and destroy, the Conjuring universe wouldn't hold true.
Daniel said, "Keep an eye on Anne Hathaway and Liv Tyler. If anything happens, report to me immediately."
"Yes, Master!" Chris answered.
...
Leaving Chris to her work, Daniel returned to his room. Entering the System, a smile spread across his face.
[Merit points: 31,995,700.]
Seeing the eight-digit count, Daniel couldn't help but curl his lips in satisfaction. His exorcism progress, stagnant for so long, was finally ready for another level up.
Without hesitation, he clicked.
"Level up!"
A familiar, powerful force surged through his body once again. Daniel could feel himself growing stronger.
About ten minutes later:
[Exorcism Level: Living Mandate (Lesser Ascendant)]
[Merit points: 30,715,700]
"Continue!"
[Exorcism Level: Empyrean Authority (Lesser Ascendant)]
[Merit points: 28,155,700]
"One more time!"
[Exorcism Level: Lesser Ascendant Perfection]
[Merit points: 23,035,700]
At Lesser Ascendant Perfection, Daniel sensed a surge of power unlike anything before. His abilities across the board had grown markedly stronger.
The next level would be above the Lesser Ascendant -- and Daniel was eager to see what awaited.
He took a deep breath and clicked.
*****
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