I'm an antique shop owner, so it's reasonable for me to know some magic

Chapter 383: People Who Refusal to Walk Out of the Abyss
Passing through the dark and damp basement, James came to an empty space.

There are also people gathered here, but they are different from the believers visualized before.

Their expressions became more solemn, they exuded majesty, and they repeated a passage over and over again.

Strength brings a bridge, and the person walking on the bridge brings thoughts, thoughts bring dreams, dreams bring strength, and strength brings a bridge...

This cycle repeats itself, connecting the beginning and the end.

Until finally, they all took out an empty bottle and blew air into the bottle mouth.

woo~~~
As the neat resonance came, James' whole body suddenly trembled violently.

The fear from ancient times arises from the heart, so primitive and deep.

James seemed to have returned to the primitive era tens of thousands of years ago and become a member of the tribe.

On a fireless night, hiding in the cave, staring into the darkness with fear in my eyes.

In that pitch-black depth, an unknown existence may emerge at any time.

"This gentleman..."

A voice brought James back to reality. He focused his eyes and saw two security guards.

He was in a trance just now and didn't even notice when they came in front of him.

"No outsiders are allowed to enter here, please leave."

James glanced at the bulging waists of the two men without leaving a trace, and nodded in agreement.

As the iron gate closed, James was already outside the gate.

He looked around, not knowing which direction would lead to the outside world, and even less sure how he could get in again.

At this moment, his sight caught a familiar figure.

The other person was different from anyone he had ever met here. Looking around, he seemed to be strolling leisurely in the garden, and there was no sign of any fanaticism or piety of a believer.

Most importantly, as the distance got closer, he gradually saw clearly the young and handsome face, as well as the iconic black hair.

It's him?

The memory of that night emerged in James' mind.

Drinking in the park, going to the police station to settle the matter...

A young man who met twice.

He didn't have much interaction with the other person, let alone be familiar with him. The reason why he could recognize him at a glance was because of his unique temperament, which made him highly recognizable.

strangeness.

Logically speaking, this face, which is more than enough for entering the entertainment industry, should leave a deep enough impression on people.

But before they met again, James acted as if he had never seen him before and couldn't remember him at all.

What is he doing here?
Just as James was thinking about this, the young man opposite seemed to have noticed his presence.

"It's you, what a coincidence."

The young man greeted me in a friendly manner, looking as relaxed as if he had just met a neighbor while doing morning exercise.

"It's me...Your name is Su Fan, right?"

James stepped forward quickly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just taking a look and collecting some information you need."

"If you are approaching here out of curiosity, I advise you to leave immediately."

James thought the other person was just a curious young man, so he warned him to avoid him from meeting the same misfortune as Amanda and her friends.

"Curiosity will get you into trouble."

The young man was not panicked at all, nor was he like those young and ignorant people who sneered at James' words. There was visibly calmness in his expression.

“I know there is a problem in the church because I am here specifically for this.”

Came here specifically for this?

The strong mental pollution he had suffered internally had caused James's thinking to be in a mess.

He couldn't even get any deeper information from what the other person said and could only guess the other person's true identity.

"Are you a paranormal investigation enthusiast?"

"An exorcist, to be exact."

The young man spoke casually.

“The reason why I appeared in the police station at that time was because the police station brought back a person who was cursed by the cultists.”

"Albert and the others didn't tell others about these things out of respect. But the main reason is that you didn't ask."

He glanced at James.

"You just entered it and your mind was polluted and you are out of your mind."

"You should avoid deep thinking, take medicine and rest."

"Don't you have some tranquilizer-like medicine in your pocket? Just swallow it with some water."

The information the young man confided was so accurate that it was as if he were there the entire time, observing his experience.

"how do you know?"

James was a little horrified.

"It's very simple, just look with your eyes and think with your brain."

The young man looked around.

"This is not the place to talk, let's go find a coffee shop and sit down first."

The two walked across the wet ground and came to the only coffee shop in the town.

James' mind became much clearer as he walked along.

He didn't completely believe what the young man said, but considering that the other party was the only person he could communicate with so far, James did not give up the opportunity to talk.

But he didn't expect that the young man would suddenly turn around and head in another direction after only coming not far from the coffee shop.

"Didn't you say you wanted coffee? It's my treat."

"A coffee shop isn't a good place, so let's just talk."

James did not expect the young man to suddenly change his mind, so he could only follow him towards the woods not far away.

The sunshine just now seemed like an illusion. The sky was covered with dark clouds in a short while, and soon a fine rain began to fall.

However, clothes can completely withstand this level.

"According to Tom, you started investigating the church in order to track down your neighbor's daughter, Amanda. So how much do you know about Amanda?"

"What do you mean? What happened to Amanda?"

James asked almost subconsciously, his tone piercing.

"Interesting. You just subconsciously assumed that there was nothing wrong with Amanda, and were unhappy with the doubts hidden in my words."

"You and Amanda have another relationship."

The young man did not ask, but made this judgment directly.

The tone was unpleasantly calm and assured.

But what was even more unpleasant was that his inference was correct.

"You should know that the supernatural being you are fighting against and its followers have dark hearts, and they will definitely be used by the other side."

The young man's words made James silent. The latter finally spoke and slowly told the unknown secret.

After the death of his wife and son, James lived in grief and guilt all day long.

Neighbor Nora, out of kindness and unable to bear to see the latter in such a decadent state, took the initiative to come to his house and help him clean up the messy house.

After a few interactions, sparks flew between them and they developed a relationship.

Nora hoped to help James get over the sadness of the past, but instead he felt more guilty and miserable. He did not miss his wife as much as he thought, and had sex with someone else just one year later.

Self-blame and sadness made him dare not continue to maintain such a relationship with Nora. At the same time, he also felt guilty towards Amanda who lost her father. This is why he was so persistent in helping Nora find Amanda.

"I'm worried that Amanda joined the cult because she knew about the relationship between my mother and me and couldn't accept it."

"Everything started with me, so I have to take responsibility for it."

"I'm a failed father, husband, not a good police officer, and a jerk who can't control his desires."

"But at least let me take Amanda back to her mother."

James closed his eyes in pain.

The young man on the side let out a breath of foul air.

"If she really has a problem, what are you going to do?"

"…I don't know. What do you usually do?"

"I usually kill all the cultists."

The young man's understated words made James' eyebrows jump.

"Society and the law cannot deal with them, and ordinary people simply cannot imagine how twisted they are."

"This kind of thing should be left to professional counterparts to handle."

"Don't they have a chance to repent?"

James asked subconsciously.

"Let them ask those they killed and hear whether their wronged souls are willing to give them a chance."

The young man's voice was calm, but it seemed to contain a strong murderous aura. Anyone who heard this would not take it as a joke.

Times have changed.

The weirdness and demons are about to wreak havoc on the world. How can there be any human rights in such troubled times?

Allowing them to continue to exist in the world will only cause greater harm.

"Perhaps we can seek help from the police system here. If they join us, it should save a lot of trouble."

James was still thinking about how to avoid direct killing, but he didn't expect Su Fan to suddenly laugh.

"They are worried that you won't go."

"What do you mean?"

James was puzzled.

"About 500 meters from your 8 o'clock direction, someone is watching your every move with a telescope."

"They were wearing police uniforms, but what was interesting was that they all had the same tattoos on their necks."

James' eyes widened at what the young man said.

The latter turned around suddenly and saw a black figure flash by among the trees.

Why were the police following him?
No, the police certainly had no reason to follow, but the cultists did!
The tentacles of the Church of the Bridge Builders can actually extend into the police system here!
But how did this young man find out?
James did not continue to think about this problem, because just now, he suddenly discovered a detail that was terrifying.

The other party suddenly changed his mind and was unwilling to go to the coffee shop. Was it because he realized that there were also people from the Bridge Builders Church lurking among them?
If this is true, this area is completely controlled by that cult.

Damn!

Every move of mine was actually under the control of the other party.

In the case of asymmetric intelligence, James did not dare to act rashly and was at a loss for the time being.

"Are you going to give up?"

The young man asked.

"No, I'm just thinking about the best course of action."

“Maybe it’s a good idea to stop here.”

The young man suddenly spoke.

"Just think of Amanda as having accidentally joined a cult, being brutally murdered by its followers, and disappearing without a trace."

"Go back and apologize to the neighbor you had an affair with, then move away and start a new life somewhere else."

"Whether you find another partner or live alone forever, it's your freedom."

James was a little confused about this person.

Clearly, he was like a god of death just now, revealing a terrifying murderous intent, as if he regarded human life as worthless.

But now, the other party seemed like a friendly young man with a kind heart, advising him not to be bound by the past and look to the future.

He couldn't tell which one was the other's true face, but he could hear a hint of persuasion in the calm words.

"Thank you, but I can't do that."

James responded in silence.

Time can heal many wounds, and most people can find their own redemption and start their lives again through various methods.

Because they all actively seek liberation and yearn for light.

But James is different.

His time has stopped at that moment and he is unwilling to reconcile with himself.

After the cold winter, the barren land will grow plants again and regain vitality.

But the permafrost in the Far North is so thick that even in summer it is impossible to melt the ice and snow.

After a long time, the seeds sleeping in the soil will also rot.

Putting himself in the abyss until death, this is his punishment for himself.

The young man didn't say anything, and James just looked at him.

At this moment, a hint of complexity appeared on the former's calm face.

Amidst the helplessness, there was a little bit of... pity?

James felt nothing about this look.

I'm used to it, or rather, I've become numb to it.

"If you want to investigate this church, I have some useful information here."

James began to talk about what he had seen and heard in the church, including information about the empty man and his own speculations.

“The empty people do exist, but they can only connect with people through special means.

There seems to be a special magnetic field inside the church that can affect the brain, causing people to lose rationality, have more emotional fluctuations, and see many hallucinations.

If you are confident in your ability, you can go in directly, but I suggest you go to a nearby pharmacy and buy some sedatives to take with you, just in case."

"In addition to ordinary believers, there are also senior members who hold some kind of advent ceremony in an empty room similar to a warehouse underground."

"Although nothing physical has appeared, the ritual will obviously strengthen the effect of the magnetic field on the brain. You can find a way to destroy it."

James spoke very carefully, as if he was making arrangements for his final arrangements.

He could feel that he was getting closer and closer to the truth hidden in the darkness, and the danger that came with the truth was already hanging over his head.

Before leaving, you must convey to the other party as much as possible the dangers of the church.

The young man listened to him quietly.

"Thank you for listening to me."

People with strong personal abilities are always arrogant, and they can't even listen to what others say.

But this guy was obviously different. From him, James felt the long-lost respect.

Although the other party didn't say a few words from beginning to end, some things can be conveyed to the other party even through silence.

"Goodbye."

After James finished speaking, he turned and left.

(End of this chapter)