Dean eagerly drove Catherine to the hospital, but less than a quarter of an hour after driving, the woman woke up from a coma, opened her eyes, and looked into the sky in despair.
"Are you okay, Catherine?"
"Sorry to disappoint you, my illness is not cured," she took a deep breath and suppressed the sourness in her nose, "I am still a strange woman who is unapproachable."
"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault." Dean hugged her arm tightly, making her tangled brows relax a little, "It's something inside you that is causing trouble."
The hairs on Catherine's body stood up when she heard this, "What are you talking about, what's in my body?"
"It's the owner of the voice you heard when you were drowning, an unknown evil spirit." Dean slowed down the car and analyzed with a solemn face, "It has been living in your body since then, preventing You’re in close contact with outsiders.”
Catherine's face turned pale with fright, and she pressed against Dean's body and asked, "Don't scare me, why is it doing this?"
"It's unclear at the moment. Only by investigating the true identity of the evil spirit can we know the answer to all this." Dean pondered for a moment, "By the way, I think it's best to tell you something. The evidence we collected during this period It shows that Ryan Reynolds kidnapped you precisely to help you get rid of this evil spirit through mysterious rituals. Now it seems that he failed and paid the price with his life."
Catherine recalled the man's fierce eyes and rough tone, and shook her head, "This is impossible. If he wanted to help me, why didn't he tell me directly, but instead went around in such a big circle to kidnap me and threaten me?"
"He gave his life to save me? Isn't this ridiculous?"
"I don't understand either." Dean rubbed his eyebrows, "Maybe exorcists are not ordinary people, so their thoughts cannot be inferred based on common sense?"
After listening to Dean's analysis, Catherine fell into a deep silence, with a confused expression filled with fear, like a little girl who had lost her way, no longer as strong and capable as before.
She could only press her shoulders as close to Dean's body as possible, absorbing some warmth and courage to resist the series of mystical concepts of fire, strange diseases, and the terrible evil spirits lingering in her mind.
"Don't go to the newspaper office these days. I will stay with you," Dean rubbed her head, "until I help you solve all your troubles."
Catherine looked at him gratefully and worriedly, "Won't this affect you?"
"I'm the man who went on a killing spree in Lake Mead. Even ten evil spirits can't hurt me." Dean bulged his biceps and glanced at the wooden board in the space. "I want to see it too." What the hell is that thing?"
…
After Dean dropped Catherine home, he spent a restless night with her.
Early the next morning, the two were enjoying breakfast together.
The BP machine on Dean's waist suddenly rang. He called back through the phone in the living room and heard Karl's friendly voice.
"Good morning, Dean, I have good news for you. I have used connections everywhere to finally find out the identity of Ryan Reynolds. This guy's experience is quite complicated, with ups and downs, and a bit of mystery,"
"Um...what do you mean?" Dean took a bite of the bread that Catherine brought to his mouth and asked,
"This guy comes from an extraordinary family. His father, Kevin Reynolds, and his mother, Susan Reynolds, are a well-known exorcist couple in Nevada."
"Exorcist, are you kidding?" Dean asked,
“I consulted several people in the industry and confirmed this statement.” Carl laughed, “Although I think exorcists and psychics who often appear on TV to be interviewed on programs are just liars who pretend to be gods and deceive rich fools. But the couple was very popular, and an exorcism cost easily $100,000. As a result, they accumulated a large fortune and bought their own manor, butler and servants."
"According to the dismissed butler's recollections, Ryan Reynolds has lived the life of an ignorant rich kid since he was a child. He drinks, smokes grass, and gambles without any taboos. He often hangs out in nightclubs and bars..."
"So Ryan can exorcise demons?" Dean noticed that the progress started to skyrocket from 55% again, and the increase was astonishing.
"I know a little bit about it, but most of the time I work as an assistant to his parents." Karl sighed, "Unfortunately, this world is stingy in giving, but it often takes away things, especially when people don't know how to cherish them, they will be taken away quietly. Everything. A few years ago, Ryan's parents had an accident while performing an exorcism on the only son of a billionaire. All three died, and the death was so tragic that it made the news."
"Only Ryan, who assisted in the exorcism, survived by chance, but the angry rich man held the family accountable and suppressed them in all aspects, almost causing them to go bankrupt."
"The housekeeper mentioned that Ryan thought it was his mistake that killed his parents, so he indulged in sex, gambled, and squandered his savings. Finally, he spent all his money in various gold sales dens and was penniless. He walked onto the streets of Las Vegas and became a miserable homeless man."
"According to the recollections of his colleagues at the charity kitchen, he had one of his legs broken while wandering. The wound became inflamed and suppurated, and he was dying. A female host who was conducting charity activities saved him,"
Dean interrupted, "Catherine Medici on the morning news?"
"Yes, a blonde beauty, the dream girl of men in Las Vegas," Carl regretted, "I used to watch her news on time every day, but unfortunately she resigned a few months ago and I don't know what she will do in the future. Which bastard is cheaper?"
"Ahem, let's get back to the topic!"
"Well, the kind-hearted Catherine not only sent Ryan to the hospital, generously paid for his treatment, but also introduced him to a job."
When Dean heard this, he looked back at Catherine, who was drinking milk at the dining table, and felt that the sunlight dotting her blond hair suddenly became dazzling.
At the same time, the limping figure in his mind, whose flesh and blood was burnt into a ball by the flames, became unusually tall and majestic.
So Ryan Reynolds gave his life to help her exorcise the demon in order to repay his kindness. Of course, he may also have the obsession to avenge his parents and die together.
These are his real goals!
The investigation progress reached 90% at this moment.
Carl asked curiously, "Since then, Ryan has become a down-to-earth citizen, working and volunteering... But more than two months ago, he left the charity kitchen and disappeared completely. His whereabouts cannot be found, do you know where he went?"
Dean smiled bitterly, this prodigal son had already sacrificed his life for his ideal.
No, not only his life, the exorcism failed, but his soul may also have suffered an accident.
…
Dean hung up the phone with a heavy expression and returned to the dining table.
"What happened?" Catherine saw that he was in a bad mood and held the back of his hand.
"I understand Ryan's motivation for helping you."
As Dean spoke, the originally relaxed atmosphere became gloomy.
Catherine burst into tears,
"It's all my fault. If I had died just like that when I drowned, all this tragedy wouldn't have happened!"
Dean hugged her shoulders tightly, his eyes as sharp as knives.
"You had no choice at the time. And if it weren't for you, Ryan would have died tragically on the street. It's just human nature that he tried his best to repay you."
"The fault is that evil spirit. Whether it's for Ryan or yourself, we must drive it out completely!"
"But what should we do?" Catherine asked, "Even professional exorcists like Ryan have failed. We are just ordinary people, how can we deal with evil spirits?"
Dean pondered. If the evil spirit manifests itself, he has spiritual vision to track it, and M1900 spirit bullets and scorpions. These two targeted measures can severely damage the opponent.
But this guy is hiding inside Catherine, and he can't even see the target.
"The solution should be in those two antique books. I don't know if Owen, the Latin teacher, has finished the translation."
Dean immediately called Hope to inquire and got good news.
"I consulted before. Owen has almost finished deciphering two antique books. If you really can't wait, let's go, um, meet at Hawkins Middle School now."
"We'll be there soon."
After making the agreement, Dean took Catherine to a two-story red brick and green tiled villa next to the middle school to meet Hope.
"You are finally here, please come this way," Owen, wearing a gray nightgown, opened the door and ushered the three of them into the house. His handsome face was shiny, with a pair of thick dark circles under his eyes, and a shaggy beard on his chin.
Hope was shocked, "Why have you become so sloppy and you haven't gone to school these days?"
"I can't help it. I can't resist the temptation of not catching violations for half a year. I have no intention of doing anything else without getting this reward." Owen took a sip of coffee and trembled all over. "But there is a problem. These two antique books Who does it belong to?"
"Ryan Reynolds, who died in a fire not long ago, was a kidnapper." Hope noticed something strange in the guy's eyes, "Is there something wrong?"
"More than anything wrong, these two books are full of old, weird, bold, and new ideas, and some of them are downright evil. Follow me."
The three of them exchanged glances and followed Owen to the huge bookshelf in the study. Two antique books, "Labyrinth" and "Spirit", were spread out on the round table...
Owen rubbed the spine of the books with trembling fingers, "They seem to contain powerful magic. Just interpreting them has made me energetic all day long and I can't sleep."
"Are you confused? You can't sleep because you drank too much coffee." Hope lit a cigarette and blew a puff on his friend's face. "Tell me, what is this book "Labyrinth" about?"
The latter was agitated and rubbed his cheeks with both hands until his cheeks turned red and his eyes regained clarity. "It tells about an ancient method of exorcism. It uses a large number of witchcraft symbols and exorcism substances to build a sacred labyrinth." …”
"Holy maze?" Dean interrupted,
"That's right, he needed Thuja cypress, sandalwood, boxwood, camphor, and nanmu to build the first layer of the wall, and then used ink mixed with obsidian and special blood to carve out 'witchcraft' symbols on the inside of the wall,"
Owen excitedly turned to a certain page. There were a large number of crooked and mysterious symbols drawn on the vellum pages. Most of them consisted of the words "VV" and "PM". In addition, there were also a large number of diagonal lines or maze-like symbols. black lines,
"The labyrinth has taken shape at this time. Then the sacred labyrinth needs to be disguised. This is a complicated and meticulous process."
Hope frowned when he heard it. He hated rituals, witchcraft and other things that were talked about by gods.
"Wait, why are you pretending," Catherine asked in a clear voice.
"Madam, if you knew that the house in front of you was a maze with no exit, and that once you entered, you would be trapped in it forever, would you still go in?" Owen asked,
Catherine thought for a moment and shook her head.
"That's right... Camouflage is to decorate the outermost layer of the maze to make the target feel familiar, safe and harmless, thereby deceiving and luring it in."
"What is this?" Dean asked, looking at the slow rise and almost reaching 100% investigation progress.
"Spiritual creatures are what people call demons and ghosts, and evil spirits that live in the human body. The purpose of a maze is to trap these evil spirits in it so that they have nowhere to escape. Then, the maze builder can use flames Destroy them!"
After hearing this, Dean, Hope, and Catherine were all refreshed. These descriptions were completely consistent with the clues in the burned-down wooden house.
"The "Labyrinth" is roughly finished, and now it's the turn of the "Spirit", which depicts a legendary evil creature——"
A sickly blush appeared on Owen's sweaty cheeks, and he motioned for the three of them to sit in a circle around the desk with him, then pointed to a short classical Latin poem in the book and began to recite it in an ethereal voice,
“The green sea swings along the forest,
Lost wandering souls inhabit the central area,
The green-eyed goat-man wanders the border,
Waiting for the turn of life and death,
The secret passage opens..."
In the rhythm of this poem, in the study room where the four of them were, the light coming from the window dimmed, and there was a chilling chill in the air, and the temperature seemed to have dropped a few degrees.
Dean hugged the trembling body next to him. Hope took out the Marlboro and lit it. He held the cigarette with trembling fingers and took a deep breath.
Owen opened the fifty-sixth page of the book.
"This ancient creature is called the Goatman. Of course, it is a little different from the legend of the Goatman that most people know. It lives on the edge of the Wanderer Forest, or the Wandering Soul Forest. It has a goat head and a human body. It is tall, strong and everywhere. Covered in black fur, with green eyes, horns, and a pair of huge black wings, it is the evil spirit that the owner of the antique book wants to deal with."
The page revealed an illustration depicting a black monster with a goat's head and body.
It stood quietly on the spot, with black wings like a bat spread out to the side like a flag. Filthy flesh and blood dripped from the triangular serrations. Under its feet, which were shaped like sheep's hooves, lay bloody and mutilated corpses.
Its eyes emitted an evil green light,
The four people present seemed to have received a huge shock. They couldn't help but hold their breath and stared deeply into the pair of dark green vortexes and attractive pupils.
Catherine clutched her high chest uneasily, her heart was pounding and about to burst out of her chest, and there was an inexplicable strong dizziness in her body, which made her so dizzy that she couldn't help but vomit.
This horrible goathead is inhabiting my body?
"Sorry, Mr. Owen," Catherine endured the shameful need to urinate in her lower abdomen and broke the silence in the study, "where is the bathroom."
breathe…
The excitement in Owen's eyes diminished slightly, and he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"Go left out of the study room."
…
Catherine leaves.
Dean looked at the 100% progress in the system and asked, "I have a question, where is the Wanderer Forest?"
Owen replied, "According to the records in the book, this place is also called Limbo, a lush and boundless forest. It is also the resting place for the souls of 99% of the dead. But in addition to the spirits of the dead living in it, there are other things. There are strange existences, such as powerful and rare evil spirits like goatmen, but overall, it is equivalent to another society with a stable structure, but there is not much description in the book about this aspect."
Hope's expression changed. His dead daughter Sarah was not in Limbo.
Owen continued, "The Goatman has a strange hobby. It likes to take away pure souls... Whenever in the real world we live in, when children or teenagers are in a state of near-death due to accidents, the real world and the weak A secret passage will be opened between the prisons, ready to send away these newly born undead."
"But the Goatman will seize this loophole, flutter his wings through the passage, reach the real world from Limbo, enter the bodies of dying children and teenagers, and take the opportunity to control these fragile and pure souls."
"Mom Fuck! The devil who persecutes children!" Hope roared angrily,
"Quiet!" Dean swallowed, "How to control it."
Owen turned to a passage in the book, "The Goatman used his own power to save their lives, and then became parasitic in their bodies, forcing them to remain pure, which means they cannot have intimate relationships."
Dean nodded, this was exactly Catherine's symptom, "That's it?"
"No, when the soul is fully mature at the age of thirty, the Goatman will create unexpected situations to kill the host, activate the passage of Limbo again, take them back, and devour them."
I see!
Dean suddenly realized that maintaining purity is just a superficial phenomenon. In the end, this evil spirit will still harvest and devour souls. No wonder Ryan risked his life to solve it!
And Dean remembered that Catherine was 29 years old and had only one year left. He eagerly asked, "Is there anything written about the Goatman's abilities in the book?"
"Healing, flying, manipulating souls, attacking souls, but the description is very general, and I can't be more specific."
"Where's the weakness?"
"Fire can destroy it, witchcraft symbols, salt, and sage to ward off evil spirits can weaken and damage it, and the sacred labyrinth can trap it." Owen emphasized, "But be careful, the Goatman is extremely cunning, and he is by no means as silly as in the movie. It is an evil spirit that can be driven away by people. It can know everything the host hears and sees. Any abnormal disturbance will make it more difficult to deal with, and it may even deceive in reverse."
Owen solemnly reminded, "It is recorded in "Spirit" that when exorcists want to deal with this kind of goat-man parasitic in the human body, they will strictly keep the host secret and lure them into the maze without anyone noticing. kill."
At this time, Dean's last question in his heart was answered——
Ryan hid his actions from Catherine, was unwilling to disclose any information, and deliberately disguised his attitude as cold and vicious, all in order to deceive and deceive the goat-man in Catherine!
But Ryan still failed, because the investigation by Dean and the police continued to leak Ryan's arrangements and hidden information to Catherine, and also to the Goat Man, making it realize that it was being deceived and increase its vigilance. , thus surviving the exorcism ritual!
Dean's eyes flashed with guilt.
He seemed to be helping, but in fact he ruined the elaborate arrangements of The Exorcist Ryan Reynolds!
The investigation progress has reached 110%.
"Once the Goat Man realizes that he is being investigated by professionals and that there is a powerful being threatening him, then the situation will become very bad." Owen regretfully pointed to a passage in the book and said, "It is likely to be ahead of schedule. Creating an accident and taking away the host's soul also means that the host will die suddenly when he is less than thirty years old!"
Faco!
Dean's expression changed drastically——
Catherine, the goatman's host, was here discussing with everyone how to deal with it.
So does it know?
Dean instantly opened his God's perspective and scanned the bathroom - Catherine was lying beside the sink, her blond hair and half of her dress were wet with cold water, and her face was buried in the water.
His pale hands hung down weakly, and his whole body seemed lifeless as he fell asleep.
Dean rushed over!
(End of chapter)
