Chapter 202: An Attack Long Foreseen
Those words clearly struck a nerve. The evil spirit fell silent once more.
Nearby, Faya almost failed to maintain her holy technique when she heard that exchange.
Even if it's just to deceive an evil spirit, isn't that a bit too bold? she thought. Since when do demons become friends with clergy?!
But Gideon wasn't talking nonsense—he really did have a certain acquaintance with a demon.
After a short pause—
"Mia" spoke again.
"It seems your talent for boasting is far inferior to your talent for lying."
Gideon raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do enlighten me."
"I sensed sealing restraints on those soulless bodies," the spirit said, lifting its head. "That must have been your handiwork as well."
Gideon shrugged, neither confirming nor denying it.
"Using small-scale formations to block undead intrusion is indeed clever," it continued, its tone shifting as a faint smile crept onto its lips.
"But… those who took part in the summoning game were far more than just these few. They are all my eyes."
---
Queen Valley Hospital
Irene was placing holy relics in every corner of the ward, exactly as Gideon had instructed.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door.
She picked up a crucifix and cautiously gripped the handle.
"State the passphrase," Irene said calmly. "I don't like beef."
After a brief hesitation, a muffled reply came from outside:
"Beef... makes me queef."
Hearing the correct response, Irene finally relaxed and opened the door, letting Sue enter.
These odd passphrases had all been left behind by Father Gideon.
Even though both Irene and Sue were carrying holy relics, there was still a risk they could accidentally lose them and fall prey to illusions created by evil spirits. That was why this second layer of verification existed.
The question-and-answer combinations were bizarre—Irene couldn't see any logic to them at all.
But Father Gideon had said, "These are things the undead will never know."
So they memorized them.
"Sister Irene, I've checked the emergency exits on this floor," Sue reported quietly. "None of them have been sealed shut."
Irene nodded. Gideon had emphasized more than once how crucial those escape routes would be if things went wrong.
"Has Jade come back yet?" she asked.
According to their plan, Jade would return after guiding them here and help Irene and Sue deal with whatever came next.
Sue shook her head. "I've been watching the elevator. I haven't seen her."
She had wanted to call her daughter, but Father Gideon had warned that evil spirits could distort phone calls and feed them false information. That was why Sue chose to wait in person instead.
---
The Outpatient Waiting Area:
The elevator doors slid open, and Jade stepped out.
She was just about to head toward the ward when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Jade? Is that really you?"
She turned around and froze.
Haley. Joss. Booker. Cole…
All familiar faces—friends who had once taken part in the summoning ritual together. Haley, in particular, had been the one who started it all.
"What are you doing here?" Jade asked coldly.
It was precisely their ignorance that had left Riley in his current state.
"Well… we wanted to visit Riley," Haley said cautiously.
The girl had short hair, piercings on her nose and lips, and an edgy, avant-garde style.
"I don't think that's necessary," Jade frowned.
Riley had been hospitalized for days, yet they were only showing up now. It felt insincere at best.
"Jade, we know you're angry," Haley said, her face twisted with remorse. "We've felt guilty every single day…"
Those words softened Jade. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "Come with me."
She turned and walked toward the ward.
Behind her, the group of youths exchanged stiff, fleeting smiles—unnervingly unnatural.
Jade didn't notice.
---
Outside Room 27
"Mom, it's me—Jade!" She knocked on the door.
Inside the ward, Sue instinctively moved to open it, but Irene stopped her.
Sue immediately understood and called out instead, "Sweetheart, you need to answer the passphrase first."
Outside, Jade slapped her forehead. "Right—almost forgot about that."
Irene thought for a moment and chose a relatively simple one.
"How much does a sledgehammer usually cost?"
Jade froze.
"Uh… I remember Father Gideon mentioning this. The answer was really simple…"
She scratched her head. The answer felt right on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't recall it.
That was when Joss spoke up from beside her.
"A brand-new practical sledgehammer usually costs around forty bucks. Second-hand ones go for about ten."
He was wearing a sleeveless athletic shirt and cargo pants, his tattooed muscles bulging—an intimidating figure.
But Jade shook her head. "That's not what it means."
Inside, Irene heard unfamiliar voices and immediately grew wary.
After listening to Jade's explanation, her alertness spiked.
Father Gideon said that coincidences are often the first sign of danger, she thought grimly.
Fortunately, Father Gideon had anticipated this scenario.
"Jade, stay silent," Irene said firmly.
Then she continued, "You're Joss, right? Please state your full driver's license number. Otherwise, I can't let you in."
Joss paused briefly before answering, "A2316745."
"What did you eat ten evenings ago?" Irene asked next.
"Two pan-fried chicken breasts, three hundred grams of broccoli, and a glass of water."
Silence fell on both sides of the door.
"I'm sorry," Irene said calmly. "I can't let you in."
Joss frowned. "Why? I answered everything."
"Because—"
Jade's arms trembled. She forced herself to steady her breathing and quietly grabbed a stool beside the door.
"You're not… human!"
As she shouted the last word, Jade hurled the stool at Joss and kicked him hard.
At the same time, the ward door cracked open.
"Quick—get inside!" Sue shouted.
Jade had already been edging toward the door. Before Joss and the others could react, she slipped into the room.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Joss roared outside.
"We came out of kindness, and this is how you treat us?"
To outsiders, it might have looked like Jade's family was being unreasonable.
But Irene snorted coldly.
"Despicable evil spirits—don't think you can fool us!"
"You recited your entire license number and even remembered exactly what you ate over ten days ago. That's not normal!"
Outside, Joss and the others froze, then their faces twisted into the same vicious expression.
"That's discrimination," Joss said in a low voice. "Who are you to say someone can't remember these things? Maybe I just have a good memory."
Irene narrowed her eyes. "You're right—such a possibility exists. But…"
"Being asked these questions just to visit a friend is already abnormal. A real human would have questioned it immediately."
Silence fell again.
That silence confirmed it for Irene.
Even if there were excuses, this reaction could only mean one thing.
"You are clever," the voice outside rasped, no longer sounding human. "But words are only one of my powers."
A security guard noticed the disturbance.
"Hey, what's going on here?"
His hand went to his holster as he met Joss's gaze.
Instantly, terror flooded his face.
He fired wildly at the ceiling, screaming about monsters, emptying his magazine and clearing the entire floor.
"Hiding in a ward doesn't mean you can escape," Joss, Hailey, and the others spoke in unison—an unsettling chorus.
They raised one hand, and objects in the hallway began to float.
The next moment—
A barrage of impacts struck the ward door.
Joss frowned. Their attack had been blocked by an invisible barrier.
He stepped forward personally, pressing his palm against the door.
Bang!
Joss and the others were hurled backward, slamming into the corridor wall.
"A high-quality holy relic? How is that possible?!" Joss exclaimed in disbelief.
If his senses were right, its power was at least equivalent to ten years' worth of sanctification.
Weren't such relics incredibly rare—mostly destroyed after the Holy War?
And yet one had appeared here.
The image of that priest flashed through his mind again.
"So this is where his confidence comes from."
Joss snorted. "But I'm not done yet!"
---
Inside the ward, a new development unfolded.
Sue happened to turn around—and saw Riley staring at her.
"Riley?"
"Mom… I want some water."
Sue rose immediately, only to be stopped by Irene.
Hesitation flickered in Sue's eyes, but she didn't approach the bed.
Riley coughed lightly and turned to look out the window, saying nothing more.
Now even Irene felt uncertain.
If he had kept begging, she would have felt safer—but this…
"Stay here," Irene said to Sue and Jade. "I'll get him some water."
Holding her crucifix, she approached the table.
"Careful—it's hot."
She blew gently on the rim and brought the cup to Riley's lips.
"Thank you," he said softly. He looked completely normal.
Did I overthink this? Irene wondered.
Gulp… gulp.
"Thank you… I—ahhh!"
Riley screamed in agony as black veins burst across his face.
His tone changed instantly. "What did you give me?!"
Irene stumbled back, clutching her crucifix.
"Holy water," she said steadily. "I heated it. Father Gideon said patients shouldn't drink cold things."
"Bitch! Whore! Filth!" Riley spat curses.
"You dared give me twenty-year holy water!"
Now Irene understood.
"Riley's" face twisted as a surge of evil energy erupted. His flesh peeled away, revealing a rotting old man beneath.
Sue covered her mouth in horror. "Oh! My Riley!"
The creature grinned, its teeth yellow and foul.
"That boy's soul has already been taken. He'll suffer beyond imagination—forever."
"I'll enjoy this tender body in his place."
Jade clenched her fists and grabbed a glass medicine bottle.
"Get out of my brother!" she screamed, rushing forward.
Irene stepped in front of her at once.
"Calm down! Father warned us about this! As long as we don't lose control, it can't harm Riley!"
Jade froze, then slowly lowered her hand.
Irene snatched the bottle away and faced the bed, her expression calm.
"Go ahead and perform all you want. We won't believe a single word."
The creature fell silent.
Then the ward echoed once more with furious curses.
"Bitch!!"