Su Fan was thinking about the locations of nearby churches and monasteries.
Across from him, Sister Teresa continued fiddling with her phone.
Having grown up in a convent, she was practically cut off from the modern world.
To prepare for coming here to assist with the exorcism, she had crammed a bunch of knowledge about transportation and communication.
But the Vatican basically only had information on public phone booths.
Being completely clueless about mobile phones, she didn’t even know what a screen lock was.
She could only stand by the roadside, feeling anxious.
“I think it’s about time to suggest to Father Simpson that he update the relevant materials in the church.”
Teresa thought to herself.
“Oh… making a call…”
Teresa suddenly remembered the plan she had discussed with the Warrens earlier.
She had come here with a mission.
Originally, the Vatican had assigned her to assist the Warrens with the exorcism.
But apparently, a terrifying incident involving the incarnation of a demon had occurred in a community not far from this place.
She didn’t know the details, because Mrs. Lorraine, who has spiritual vision, was injured while using her abilities to investigate the truth.
Blood poured from her mouth and nose, and she lost consciousness.
Mr. Ed therefore had to stay at the hospital to look after his wife.
So, the whole burden of investigating the truth fell squarely on her shoulders.
What started as a trio suddenly turned into a solo mission for Teresa.
She didn’t want to go alone, but the nearby churches seemed to be dealing with other situations and couldn’t spare anyone.
With no other choice, Ed proposed a plan to stay in touch via phone calls throughout the operation.
He even personally demonstrated how to make a call for Teresa.
But then…
“Which button do I press…”
Teresa held the phone, her mind suddenly going blank.
She had remembered the steps, but after being unable to unlock the phone earlier, she had panicked and completely forgotten them.
Not knowing what to do, she instinctively looked at the unfamiliar young man beside her.
“Could you help me again, sir?”
The young man didn’t refuse her plea for help and patiently helped her dial Mr. Ed’s number.
Not long after thanking him again, Teresa heard Ed Warren’s voice come through the phone’s receiver.
“Have you arrived near there yet, Sister Teresa?”
“Yes. How is Mrs. Warren doing now?”
“She woke up once not long ago. She can’t get out of bed yet, but thankfully, her condition isn’t too terrible.”
“Well, that’s good news.”
“Lorraine asked me to tell you that the person you’re about to visit is very, very, very powerful…”
“There’s a very high chance that he’s the one who dealt with the demon’s incarnation.”
Ed, standing in the hospital, took a couple of steps toward the far window to avoid disturbing his wife.
“Even though he defeated the demon, that doesn’t prove he’s completely harmless.”
“Be very careful not to offend him during your conversation. It’s best to understand his attitude towards the Vatican before discussing anything further.”
After giving these instructions, Ed hung up and turned back towards the hospital bed.
Looking at his wife’s peaceful sleeping face, he couldn’t help but recall the sight he had seen when they’d gone to investigate the community earlier.
As far as the eye could see, there wasn’t a single intact building left standing. It was as if the area had been ravaged by multiple natural disasters.
The most shocking thing was the scorched, black crater in the ground.
Lorraine had felt unwell as soon as she got near it.
After walking around the site, she collapsed right into his arms.
While carrying her to the hospital, a book Ed had with him fell to the ground.
It flipped open exactly to the page describing Paimon, the ninth demon of the seventy-two demons of Solomon.
Having worked in exorcism and occult studies for many years, Ed knew that there were no such things as too many coincidences.
Combined with the characteristics Lorraine had revealed when she was briefly conscious, they could confirm that the demon who had incarnated this time was indeed Paimon.
The more he looked into the materials, the more horrified Ed became.
Paimon’s description in the book was terrifying; he was among the top-tier demons of the seventy-two pillars.
Then, who could have possibly defeated him?
No, could that entity even be called human anymore?
——-
After ending the call, Teresa felt her heartbeat start to race uncontrollably again.
She quickly closed her eyes and said a simple prayer to calm her frayed nerves.
She was in an unfamiliar environment, about to meet a mysterious person, and she was all alone.
In her twenty-one years of life, Teresa had never faced such a difficult moment.
[May the Lord watch over me, guide my next steps smoothly, and shield me from evil.]
Teresa exhaled through her rosy lips and slowly opened her half-closed eyes.
She had calmed her mind and was ready to face the challenge.
But before that, she still needed to properly thank the kind young man behind her.
“Thank you so much for your help. My name is Teresa. May I ask for yours?”
“Su Fan.”
The black-haired young man replied simply.
Teresa knew that gratitude shouldn’t be expressed with just words.
She fumbled around in her pocket and took out a cream cake that was carefully wrapped in a plastic bag.
“I bought this from a nearby bakery. It’s really good. This one hasn’t been touched yet. It’s for you.”
As she handed out the cake, Teresa averted her gaze.
It was originally meant to be her dinner…
But she didn’t have anything else to give as thanks right now…
The young man named Su Fan was silent for a moment before accepting the cake.
“I’m heading to the Hollywood Walk of Fame next. If it’s on your way, we can walk together.”
Teresa’s eyes lit up at his words.
As it happened, the person she needed to meet was also in that area.
She hadn’t expected that a random stranger she asked for help would end up being a travel companion.
Having someone to walk with dissipated some of her vague unease.
“It’s definitely on the way. Do you mind if I ask what you’re going to the Walk of Fame for?”
Since they were walking together, it would be weird to say nothing.
Teresa spoke up first to break the silence.
“It’s a street famous for movie culture, known all over the world. I’m going there as a tourist.”
The young man replied casually.
“Movies? What kind of movies do they show here?”
“Many types. War, romance, horror, action…”
As Teresa listened to Su Fan list examples, she nodded slightly, her face filled with intense curiosity.
“There are many genres and many releases, but very few are actually worth watching.”
“What genre do you like?”
“Horror…”
Teresa kept asking questions along the line of the conversation.
And Su Fan, while answering, observed the curious, almost childlike Teresa from the corner of his eye, finding it quite amusing.
He was now one hundred percent sure that she was the Vatican’s envoy sent to negotiate with him.
Su Fan had imagined many possible scenarios, but never one where the Vatican’s representative turned out to be such a slightly goofy sister.
Giving a cream cake as a thank-you gift…
