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M: TSIA Chapter 14: Mist of Hoggoth
🕑 Added 2024-12-07 12:16:55 +0000 UTCLance suppressed a small laugh, a playful smile forming at the corner of his lips. "Really?" Lance said, raising an eyebrow.
With a seemingly casual motion, Lance reached behind him, and suddenly a dark-colored book appeared in his hand.
The book looked ancient, with a cracked leather cover and strange symbols shimmering faintly on its surface.
Lance opened the book at random, the pages fluttering as if blown by an invisible wind. He shook it towards Sidney and casually asked, "What does it say?"
Sidney stared at the page with a furrowed brow, trying to focus. After a moment, Sidney shrugged in confusion. "It’s clearly... blank paper."
Lance turned to Nancy, who was also looking at the book with curiosity. "What about you?" Lance asked.
Nancy shook her head slowly, her expression full of confusion. "I just see... blank pages."
Lance closed the book with a loud thud, his smile widening. He lightly patted Sidney on the shoulder. "Sorry," Lance said in a tone that was almost mocking. "Neither of you qualifies to learn magic."
Sidney's eyelids twitched. "Is this a test?" Sidney asked, slightly offended.
Lance chuckled softly, lifting the book and gazing at it as if it were a treasure. "This is not an ordinary book," Lance explained. "It is a magical book inscribed with spells. Being able to read the words within it is fundamental to learning magic. If you can't even do that, then you have no qualifications. You aren't even eligible to start."
Sidney fell silent, his expression immediately darkening. There was something in Sidney's eyes—a flicker of hope that suddenly extinguished. Behind his casual demeanor, Sidney harbored a deep grudge, a desire to take revenge on the bastards who had destroyed his life by killing his child. Yet, this cold reality shattered Sidney's dreams.
Nancy, on the other hand, accepted the reality more quickly. With her usual cheerful demeanor, Nancy nudged Sidney lightly. "Come on, don’t think too much about it," Nancy said, pointing to a dull black-feathered bird nearby. The bird made a soft sound, almost like a lament, as if aware of the attention it was receiving.
"Lance, look at that," Nancy pointed at the bird. "Is this also one of those... extra-dimensional bacteria you mentioned? I mean, are these monsters related to that creature?"
Lance gazed at the bird with a calm expression, then nodded. "That’s right," Lance said. "The Ephra bird, as we call it, is also a type of dimensional bacteria."
Nancy tilted her head, a strange expression crossing her face. "But didn’t you say we couldn’t touch them?"
Lance looked at Nancy with a sharp gaze, his tone becoming more serious. "Generally, yes. The material world we live in and the spiritual world where the extra-dimensional bacteria exist are like two rivers flowing parallel but never meeting. Under normal circumstances, there would be no contact."
Lance paused for a moment, staring at the bird, which now appeared clearer in the dim light. "However," Lance continued, "sometimes, the rivers can create small waves, splashing water into the other river. That’s how the Ephra demon birds come here. They have transformed from something unreal into something real, and now they have an influence in the material world."
Nancy looked at the bird with sparkling eyes. However, Sidney remained still, his thoughts trapped in the despair that had just crept in. Meanwhile, Lance glanced at the two women, noticing the stark contrast between Nancy's lingering hope and Sidney's frozen despair.
The two policewomen suddenly spoke in unison, "So that’s how it is."
Lance pulled out two business cards, handing them to them with a calm smile. "The reason I’m telling you this is that if in the future you encounter something similar or hear similar news, I hope you will come and let it be my concern."
This is why Lance was willing to take the time to tell the story, not because he was interested in the slender figure of the American woman.
Various creatures from other dimensions that have wandered into the material world, or the cunning and dangerous demons, are not supervillains risking their lives just to enter New York. However, they can appear anywhere around the world.
Like this incident, if Lance had not used magic to monitor the fate of the two female detectives, he would have never known that there was a nest of monsters so close.
The police department, like religious associations, is capable of providing a lot of assistance, both in secular matters and in the hunt for dangerous creatures.
"Don't worry, I will definitely come to you if this happens in the future!" said one of them, her confident voice sounding reassuring.
"We only know you as an exorcist. Who else can we turn to if not you?" said the other woman.
The two women simply tucked the business card into their pockets, then Nancy pointed at the last strange bird that was still chirping. "By the way, what’s the purpose of keeping that bird?"
"This extra-dimensional creature is like a wild animal that has wandered into human civilization." Lance replied without hesitation, his face serious. "According to the practices of the magical world, those who have harmed others must be cleansed, while those who have not should simply be sent back to their homeland."
As Lance spoke, he extended his hand and pointed at the strange bird.
"By the sun of the universe and the solid energy of Hoggoth, I command you to leave this world, Mist of Hoggoth!"
The light behind the demon bird flowed quickly, forming a brilliant magic circle that shone brightly. The circle flew toward the bird, as if a moth was trapped in burning flames. The strange bird howled with a voice full of sorrow before finally disappearing without a trace in the light.
The night breeze rustled, bringing refreshing cool air.
Lance took a deep breath, enjoying the coolness of the night, then waved to the two female police detectives behind him. "Two beautiful women, see you again."
