Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Angel Statue
Upon entering the church, Sun Yan realized that the structure of this church hidden deep in the mountains was quite different from any church he had encountered before.
Walking through the main door, the first thing he saw was the prayer area filled with numerous pews.
The windows around had long been bricked up, and not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate inside.
The ceiling above the prayer area was a giant dome fresco depicting a woman in a holy white robe smiling benevolently, holding a bald man whose lower body had transformed into two ugly bird claws.
"That exorcist has disappeared; I haven’t picked up his scent nearby," Sosia said, following behind Sun Yan.
"No rush, this church appears as large as a castle from the outside. He must have moved to another area," Sun Yan said, opening his Celestial Eye to observe the surroundings, his Ghost Torturing Stick already clutched tightly in his hand.
Since seeing the body buried in the cemetery, Sun Yan had become even more vigilant about the church. Lisa and others who had been here lost memories of their visit after leaving, indicating they encountered something terrifying during their time here.
And that threat now lurked somewhere inside this church.
"Woof! Woof!"
Suddenly, the usually quiet and obedient Dahuang barked fiercely in a particular direction. Sun Yan immediately turned to look, catching a fleeting silhouette behind one of the pillars at the edge of the prayer area.
Before Sun Yan could react, all the pews in the prayer area began to shake wildly.
Bang!
The half-opened church doors suddenly slammed shut, plunging the entire interior into complete darkness, as an oppressive and eerie atmosphere quietly spread.
Sun Yan instinctively tensed up, quickly taking out the General Sun Mask from his backpack and putting it on.
"Jackson, look!"
Sosia, holding a flashlight, shone its beam on the wall. Sun Yan hurriedly looked over and saw a huge humanoid shadow emerge on the tall wall. As soon as the light hit it, the shadow began to drift, trying to escape the light’s focus.
But Sosia reacted even faster. The two of them soon saw the shadow retreat into a two-meter-tall painting, vanishing without a trace.
"Let’s go check it out," Sun Yan said, taking the lead toward the painting. The current situation was entirely beyond Sosia’s capabilities.
Only Sun Yan could confront such an eerie entity.
Since they were already here, Sun Yan had no intention of backing down halfway. Whatever was hidden in this church, he had a trump card, ’Divination,’ as a life-saving measure.
The two approached the painting, which was a self-portrait of a noblewoman, in a style somewhat reminiscent of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
The noblewoman in the painting appeared plump and graceful, exuding an aristocratic aura. Sun Yan focused his gaze on her eyes, and under the scrutiny of his Celestial Eye, the noblewoman seemed to fade, gradually losing her noble and graceful appearance.
Her skin started to peel, her teeth began to decay, her hair was dry and scorched, and suddenly her upper body emerged from the painting, her arms reaching out powerfully toward Sun Yan’s neck.
"Ugh!"
The noblewoman opened her mouth wide, revealing sharp fangs, ready to bite down. Fortunately, Sun Yan was prepared, swiftly countering with a strike, delivering quick and continuous blows to the Demon before him.
If it were an ordinary person, they would likely have perished at the hands of this Demon. But who was Sun Yan? Possessing numerous magical artifacts, he naturally wasn’t without the ability to fight back.
The Demon howled in pain, feeling fear from the sizzling smoke rising from its body after being hit by the Ghost Torturing Stick. It quickly tried to retreat back into the painting to hide.
Sosia wouldn’t let it get away that easily. In a brutal move, she seized the Demon’s arm, forcibly pulling it back out of the painting. Seeing this, Sun Yan pushed the Ghost Torturing Stick precisely into the Demon’s mouth, delivering a reverse punch to the end, driving the Stick into the Demon’s body like a nail.
"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"
The Demon wailed in agony, its body starting to crack with red lines, and within seconds, its form shattered into black ash before Sun Yan and Sosia.
Thud!
The Ghost Torturing Stick fell to the ground, and Sun Yan quickly picked it up: "If Demons appear on the periphery, the dangers deeper inside must be considerable."
"Do you know anything about Demons?" Sosia asked.
Sun Yan shook his head: "Not at all. I’ve rarely encountered such creatures."
"Don’t worry, I’ll protect you. If danger arises, I’ll be the one to die first," Sosia reassured, patting Sun Yan’s arm confidently.
"Woof woof!" Dahuang barked timely as well.
Sun Yan couldn’t help but chuckle: "Don’t talk so pessimistically. I haven’t even used my full strength yet."
...
In a pitch-black corridor, Geralt cautiously advanced, wielding a Cross Longsword and examining his surroundings with care.
The walls of the corridor had square alcoves carved out every meter, displaying various art pieces of different shapes.
There was a bust sculpture of Emperor Caesar, a statue of the Broken-Armed Venus, and even a giant mask of the Lord of Corpse Forest...
This corridor resembled an exquisite art gallery of diverse cultures; it was hard to imagine how many years had passed, yet the church could still retain so many artifacts.
Geralt’s gaze swept across each piece. An adult-sized gray Angel Statue caught his attention, making him instinctively take a closer look.
This statue was covered in cracks, exuding a sense of age. The Angel, clad in an olive branch robe, stood on a base with wings closed, its face cupped by its hands, making it impossible to discern its features.
Geralt withdrew his gaze and continued striding forward. At that moment, a cold sensation crept over the back of his neck. Years of exorcism experience instantly put Geralt on high alert.
He immediately turned and slashed out with his sword, hearing a clashing sound reverberate down the silent corridor in the next instant.
His sword had struck something solid. Geralt’s face turned pale, pupils contracting—it was the Angel Statue previously resting in the alcove.
Yet now, it had seemingly teleported, appearing right behind him, its hands no longer covering its face, revealing a twisted and grotesque visage.
"Fuck."
Geralt cursed loudly, not daring to let his guard down. He swiftly reached into his pocket, pulling out a bottle of clear liquid and splashing it all over the Angel Statue.
Hisssss!
The stone statue began to melt instantly, the Angel’s face cracking open, revealing a crow’s head filled with eyeballs inside.
The creature opened its beak, roaring angrily, its mouth filled with sharp fangs. As Geralt raised his sword to stab, the creature swatted him away with its paw.
With the creature about to swallow his head, the unarmed Geralt quickly pulled an item from the case behind him, unhesitatingly pulling the trigger at the creature.
Bang bang bang!
Dazzling flames burst from the gun barrel, scattering rounds across the creature’s body—it was a Winchester M1887 Shotgun.
"Go to hell, damn demon!" Geralt shouted furiously, holding the shotgun.
The sound of the gunfire echoed throughout the church.