66: Chapter 66 Demon

The next night, Shaun parked the car on the roadside opposite St. Louis Cathedral.

He turned off the engine but didn't get out.

[At this point, I hope readers remember our domain name. For Taiwan novels, look for Chao Shun Chang.]

Through the windshield, he looked at the cathedral.

He had been there once during the day, but at night, it looked completely different.

The spires pierced into the night sky, and the stained-glass windows were pitch black, like a row of closed eyes.

Moonlight spilled over the steps at the entrance; there was no one there.

The traces left from the day's chaos had been cleaned up—the overturned benches, broken candle holders, and scattered flowers were all gone.

Everything looked normal.

But Shaun knew that something was waiting inside.

Someone tapped on the passenger side window.

Shaun turned his head; Fiona Goode was standing outside, wearing a black trench coat with the collar turned up, her blonde hair fluttering in the night breeze.

He reached out and pushed the door open; she sat inside, bringing in a gust of cold wind and a faint scent of perfume.

Shaun asked, "Just you?"

Fiona glanced at him. "Not enough?"

Shaun didn't respond.

He looked at the cathedral, then at Fiona, and asked, "Go in now?"

"Wait a moment..." Fiona sat in the passenger seat, unmoving.

She stared at the cathedral, her gaze piercing through the windshield, the iron fence gate, and the heavy wooden door. She asked, "When you came yesterday, which direction did it run off to?"

Shaun hadn't actually noticed.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Actually... I didn't pay much attention."

Fiona nodded, seemingly not caring much about it.

The two sat in the car in silence.

The cathedral's spire traced a black silhouette against the night sky; the moon was perfectly positioned behind the spire, framing the cross with a silver glow.

After about five minutes, Fiona pushed open the car door.

"Let's go."

The two crossed the street and pushed open the iron fence gate.

Their footsteps were exceptionally clear in the empty courtyard.

Shaun walked in front, with Fiona following behind at a steady pace.

Reaching the main entrance, Shaun reached out to push the door.

The door wasn't locked; it opened with a creak.

It was even darker inside the cathedral than outside.

Moonlight shone through the stained-glass windows, casting red and green spots on the floor, but where the light didn't reach, it was as black as ink.

The benches from earlier that day had been rearranged neatly in rows leading to the altar.

The cross on the altar shimmered faintly in the darkness.

Fiona walked in, stood in the middle of the aisle, and closed her eyes.

Shaun stood beside her, silent.

His [Primary Magic] was operating passively; he could feel something remaining deep within the cathedral.

It was very faint, like a water stain or the scent of smoke, as if someone had lived here for a long time and left traces behind after leaving.

Fiona opened her eyes. "You're right. Something was indeed here."

She took a step forward, her high heels clicking on the floor tiles, the sound echoing in the empty cathedral. Her tone was quite relaxed. "It's not an evil spirit; evil spirits aren't this clean."

"Clean?" Shaun frowned.

Fiona didn't answer.

She walked slowly down the aisle, past row after row of benches, her gaze sweeping over the walls, pillars, and stained-glass windows on both sides.

Walking all the way to the front of the altar, she stopped, looked up, and stared at the cross above.

Suddenly, she asked, "Do you know what place devils like the most?"

Shaun shook his head.

"Cathedrals," Fiona said. "The more sacred a place is, the more they like it. Because no one suspects them. Because everyone thinks a devil wouldn't dare come to such a place."

She reached out and touched the edge of the altar. "But what devils are best at is hiding in the most unlikely of places."

Shaun walked over and stood beside her. "What exactly was it?"

Fiona withdrew her hand and turned around, looking deep into the cathedral... at that corner filled with darkness, which was unclear during the day and even more so at night.

Then, she said cryptically, "An old thing. A very old thing."

She took a few steps in that direction, stopped, and asked, "You said yesterday that it said it would be watching you?"

Actually, the devil hadn't said it; Elizabeth had.

But Shaun naturally wouldn't be so explicit, so he just nodded.

Fiona smiled slightly. "In that case, it has already confirmed it."

"Confirmed what?"

"Confirmed whether you are what it's looking for." Fiona turned and looked at Shaun.

Moonlight shone through the stained-glass window onto her face, the red and green spots making her look like she wasn't quite human.

"Shaun, the power within you was absorbed from Hill Manor. The thing buried beneath that house is much older than Bobby Hill. That thing... it's looking for that."

So that was it!

Shaun finally understood!

It seemed the "scent" on him had been brought out from within Hill Manor!

Shaun hadn't expected Hill Manor to have such a significant impact on him. After a moment of silence, he asked, "What does it want that for?"

Fiona sneered, seemingly finding Shaun's question amateurish.

But after her laugh, she still answered him, "Naturally, it wants to... obtain your power!"

Then, she actually offered a word of comfort: "However... that one was just a low-level type."

Shaun looked at her, trying to see if this Supreme Witch was joking. "Low-level? It sent Otis flying with a single slap!"

"So what?" Fiona interrupted him. "Brute force is its least valuable asset. A true demon doesn't need brute force. They have plenty of ways to make you walk over yourself, kneel, and offer up what they want with both hands."

Shaking her head, Fiona added, "This one can only possess an ordinary woman, speak through her throat, and rely on brute force to intimidate. A low-level type!"

Shaun was silent for a while. "Then why... did it just leave?"

"Because it's just an errand boy," Fiona said flatly. "A Low-level Demon sent out to scout. It caught your scent and wanted to see if it could take you down."

"If it succeeded, it would be a hero. If it failed... it would have to go back and report."

Shaun felt a slight chill down his spine. "Report to whom?"

Fiona looked at Shaun. "A demon higher than its rank. It could be intermediate, it could be high-level, or it could be..."

Before she could finish, the air in the cathedral suddenly turned cold.

It wasn't the coolness of the night, but a sinister, hair-raising chill seeping from the depths.

The [Primary Magic] in Shaun's mind vibrated slightly.

Subconsciously, he turned around and looked into the depths of the cathedral... at that corner filled with darkness.

Fiona felt it too.

She didn't turn around, but her gaze shifted from Shaun to somewhere behind him.

"It seems," she said softly, "there's no need to wait for it to go back and report."

Shaun followed her gaze and turned his head.

Deep within the cathedral, by the side door, stood a person.

A long black trench coat, with blonde hair shimmering coldly in the moonlight.

Elizabeth!

Why was she here too?