[Chapter 86: I'm Very Good at Killing Evil Spirits]
Daniel raised his hand, and a glowing Seal shot forth. "Burn!" he commanded in a low voice.
The Seal transformed midair into a fiery orb before bursting to ashes instantly. A surge of power radiated outward, and where there had been nothing moments before, a feeble figure materialized.
It was an old woman, her hair a tangled maze of white strands, her ancient face deeply creased, and her mouth emptied of teeth. Hatred filled her features, pure malice burning in her eyes as she fixed her gaze on Amanda.
She raised a trembling hand, long, blackened nails reaching out as if to choke Amanda.
"Get lost!" Daniel snapped, flicking his fingers. A copper coin shot out, striking her chest.
"Aah!" the Old Woman screamed, her spectral body thrown backward.
"She's really her," Amanda gasped, scrambling behind Daniel and pointing at the ghostly figure. "This Old Woman... She was already dead. She--"
Her face suddenly drained of color as the truth settled in.
"Don't be afraid," Daniel assured her. "This is the trouble I mentioned. She is dead, but her wandering spirit has been haunting you. Earlier, I sensed faint traces of dark energy lingering in your house."
Daniel leapt off the bed, his eyes blazing with lethal intent as he locked onto the Old Woman.
In the movie, the Gypsy Old Woman who cursed Amanda had appeared often, but it was never explicitly stated that she returned as a ghost. Now Daniel knew for certain: the woman's restless spirit still clung to Amanda's presence.
The Old Woman pointed a jagged, cracked nail at Daniel, shrieking, "Exorcist! Why do you protect her? She's the one who caused my death!"
Daniel's voice was sharp and unyielding. "If you think you deserve to live after saying that, you're mistaken."
"If you try to stop me, I'll kill you first!" she threatened, lunging viciously toward Daniel.
"You think you can kill me?" Daniel sneered. He reached into the air, summoning a sword forged from ancient copper coins.
The coins trembled, buzzing with an eerie hum. The sound vibrated with destructive power that immediately forced the Old Woman to clutch her aching head as she spiraled helplessly in the void.
"The cry of the Sovereign Yearblade -- it's more than you can bear, yet you still talk about killing me?" Daniel taunted, stepping closer.
"You stole first, and she chose not to press charges. But you made it worse by demanding more money," Daniel said coldly. "When you couldn't extort her, you turned her into your mortal enemy. But she did nothing wrong and yet you laid such a vicious curse on her. Tell me -- do you think you deserve to live?"
Daniel stood right before her -- just a reach away.
"She deserves to die! She's filthy rich; what's a little for me?" the Old Woman spat, ignoring the pain wracking her form.
"She was stingy, refused to pay me anything. She's the one who should die!" Her voice dripped with resentment and venom.
"There's no reasoning with someone like you," Daniel muttered. "No, you don't even deserve the mercy of being human."
Orange light flickered on Daniel's hand as he grabbed the Old Woman's soul form and dragged her downward.
"If you're no longer human, you'll be treated like livestock. Livestock must be slaughtered cleanly and swiftly."
The Sovereign Yearblade pierced through her spectral body. These ancient coins, handed down through centuries, carried the combined energy of countless souls, their power consecrated by Daniel's own rites.
"Ah..." The Old Woman's shriek was wrenching. Under Daniel's control, her form didn't vanish instantly.
"Even if you kill me, she will die too. She will go to Hell soon -- ha ha ha..." She used her last breath in desperate cackling.
"You sacrificed yourself to summon an Evil Spirit, didn't you? I'm very good at killing Evil Spirits. Soon, it will end up jut like you. Beaten until its soul flies away and spirit shatters. Now, you go first."
Daniel released his grip. The power of the Sovereign Yearblade exploded.
"No, no, impossible! She'll die, she must die..." the Old Woman's cries faded as her soul dissipated completely.
Only a faint wail remained before silence.
...
[Ding! Killed a G-rank Ghost, earned 500 Merit Points.]
The System's notification rang in Daniel's mind.
This Old Woman was weak, barely worth 500 Merit Points. She was only capable of harassing ordinary people like Amanda, powerless against Daniel.
Amanda approached, eyes wide. "Did you really kill her?"
Daniel sheathed the coin sword with a flick. "Yes."
"She cursed me when alive, and even after death her spirit came to haunt me. How could she be so cruel?" Amanda's voice trembled with anger.
Daniel nodded thoughtfully. "It shows how diverse life can be."
Amanda sighed in relief, "So she's completely gone." Then she asked, "Is that why you didn't help me break the curse earlier?"
"That curse was tied directly to her spirit," Daniel explained. "If I'd tried to dispel it earlier, she would have sensed my presence and gone into hiding. While I can still track her down, it would have been much more complicated."
Amanda nodded, understanding. "So, can you remove it now?"
"Of course," Daniel said with a reassuring smile.
With the Old Woman's spirit destroyed, the curse would fade over time on its own -- even without Daniel's intervention. But that would take time and continued to harm Amanda in the meantime.
Hearing that the curse could be lifted immediately, Amanda's hope grew.
...
Downstairs, Daniel set a table and began drawing Prayer Seals with steady precision.
This time, the Seal he crafted was special -- called the Calamity Dispelling Seal. It's full name is Twenty-Four Seals of Calamity Dispelling and Disaster Transformation.
It was not a single Seal, but a complete system of interlocking wards -- a structured cycle designed to identify, classify, and dissolve afflictions under affirmed spiritual authority.
Each of the twenty-four Seals corresponded to a recognized category of calamity within the exorcist jurisprudence: Catastrophic Upheaval, Malignant Influence, Elemental Disorder, Hostile Interference, Internal Affliction, Life Hardship, Adverse Stellar Alignment, Marital Discord, Relational Corruption, Childbirth Crisis, Lingering Entanglement, Pestilence, Chronic Illness, Tainted Spirits, Predatory Assault, Venomous Threat, Infernal Contamination, Violent Theft, Bonds and Imprisonment, Sudden Violent Death, Curses and Binding Oaths, Celestial Entanglement, Terrestrial Entrapment, and Unclassified Calamity.
Unlike simple defensive Seals, the Twenty-Four operated as a layered absolution rite.
Each Seal examined the source of misfortune -- whether rooted in taint, broken covenant, hostile intent, inherited corruption, or unlawful spiritual claim -- and nullified it through sealed mandate.
Among them, Curses and Binding Oaths part can neutralize methods of cursing.
However, Daniel had only mastered this Seal after reaching the fourth level in Seal Crafting.
Drawing it was a challenging feat. He never attempted it before.
No Seal in existence could outright break every curse, and even if one existed, its effectiveness would be limited.
Daniel would have to see how well this Calamity Dispelling Seal worked in practice.
After wasting three sheets of paper, on the fourth, Daniel finally completed the Curses and Binding Oaths component of the Seal.
Previously, every time he crafted a Seal, Daniel needed significant rest to recover.
But since breaking through to Authority Order, this was no longer exhausting.
He could perform it again immediately.
Holding the glowing Calamity Dispelling Seal, Daniel invited, "Come here. I'm going to remove the curse now."
*****
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