American Horror Story: A Tale of Terror from Silent Hill

Chapter 184 Nightfall
"Xiao Lei, I appreciate your kindness. But protecting humanity—this is a very dangerous job, no joke. Can your old bones handle it?"

It's not that Baling underestimated Carter Slay, but the old man, already half-buried in the ground, had no fighting power left.

Carter Slade smiled with relief: "I've always been waiting for an opportunity. I should have died long ago, but the contract cannot fall into the hands of evil, so I've lingered on until today."

“Since you have made up your mind, I will grant your wish and make your death worthwhile.” Baling agreed.

Carter Slade was already dying, his body only kept afloat by the remaining Hellfire within him. Without the Spirit of Vengeance, the Hellfire was like a tree without roots; once it was used up, it was gone, and Carter Slade would immediately perish.

Driven by his belief in protecting the contract, Carter Shrew persisted until a turning point arrived.

Now, he has finally gotten what he's been waiting for.

If a person doesn't want to live anymore, then every minute and every second they live will be unhappy.

Baling couldn't bear to see this, so he had no choice but to send him off on a chosen day.

As they were talking, Johnny, who had been sleeping, woke up.

He gulped down several glasses of water to relieve the burning sensation in his parched mouth, as if waking from a deep sleep:

"The nightmare is finally over, tomorrow will be better. Keep it up, Johnny, you're Explosive Johnny, don't scare yourself."

After offering some words of comfort, Johnny pushed open the door and stepped into the living room, his expression instantly freezing.

Baling and Carter Slay were sitting comfortably in their chairs, chatting as if they were talking about something, but they stopped at this moment and looked at him. Johnny realized that what happened last night was not a nightmare, but reality.

If he tries to escape again, no matter how fast he drives, he won't escape Baling's gaze, because the latter can fly and is very powerful.

"Uh...it seems I've come at the wrong time." Johnny said somewhat awkwardly.

“No! You’ve come at the perfect time. Explosive Johnny.” Baling said with a smile, in high spirits having found the key to the mission.

Johnny looked terrified at Baling's smile, sensing that it was a dagger hidden in his smile and that he was sure to suffer the consequences.

"What are you afraid of! Is this how Ghost Rider should act! Stand up straight!" Baling frowned, and Johnny thought to himself, "Oh no, this is a matter of life and death."

The young man on the motorcycle immediately stood at attention, as straight as a log.

"There are two of your dear senior mentors here. If you have any questions, feel free to ask us. We will definitely guide you well." Baling nodded in satisfaction.

Johnny stared in astonishment, wondering how the tables had turned after he woke up.

But it was better than continuing to be beaten, so Johnny then voiced all his doubts.

……

Upon learning that he was in charge of the most powerful demon among demons—the Lord of Hell—and was his personal demon hunter, Johnny walked out of the graveyard with an extremely heavy heart.

The sunlight shone on his face, but Johnny felt uncomfortable and instinctively wanted to return to the darkness; only the shadows could bring him peace of mind.

He indeed... became a cursed monster.

At times like these, he longs for solace for his anxieties.

In short, he wanted to see his ex-girlfriend, Roxanne, whom he had stood up last night.

For some reason, Johnny suddenly really wanted to see her.

But without a doubt, he was dealt a severe blow by Rosanne when they met again today after he failed to keep his promise last night.

A heartbroken and dejected Johnny returned home.

The sun sets, and night falls.

Johnny was about to leave for his tutoring session at the Holy Land. But unexpectedly, Rosanne showed up, and after a nostalgic chat, she quickly kissed him.

But Johnny thinks he's a monster, a monster. Do you know what a monster is?
It is a skeleton with no flesh and blood, its body radiating hellfire, and it will stand high above evil people, judging them without restraint.

And this is Ghost Rider.

So Johnny pushed Rosanne away, because he didn't want his flames to burn his lover, nor did he want to bring her danger.

Then, Johnny... ended up in jail.

He was arrested.

It's just that the license plate couldn't withstand the hellfire that day and fell off.

The time came the next day.

Johnny had a great night.

He was imprisoned, escaped, and appeared in public as Ghost Rider, causing a huge disturbance before successfully sending Fuma back to hell.

However, his identity was exposed to the police.

That morning, he returned to the Holy Land Cemetery.

Johnny didn't know how to deal with it, so he decided to seek advice from his seniors.

Baling said it's nothing, you'll get used to it, and everyone will adapt on their own after a while.

As for the issue of going to jail, you can use your money to hire the best lawyer.

Fortunately, perhaps it was his unusual behavior last night—being unafraid of bullets and beating Newton—that made the police feel uneasy.

Surprisingly, no one found Johnny all day. Perhaps... Johnny is really good at hiding.

Night fell.

A group of uninvited guests arrived here.

Compared to the previous four-person group, there are now only two left: Black Heart Demon and Water Demon.

They obtained the final destination of the San Van González Pact—the Holy Cemetery—from the Church of St. Michael.

"You came."

Surprisingly, someone was already waiting there. A man exuding an air of dominance sat on a white plastic chair typical of street food stalls, his back to the crowd.

"I'm here. Where's the contract?"

Blackhearted Demon stared intently at Baling, tired of the detective game, and cut to the chase.

"If you want it, you have to come and get it yourself. You already know this rule."

Baling, with a contract between his fingers, slowly turned around.

"Rules are meant to be broken. Attack together!" Upon seeing the contract, the Blackheart Demon couldn't hold back any longer and rushed over in a frenzy.

The power of frost surged from his body. At this moment, the Blackheart Demon had transformed into a blue-faced form. He raised his pale hand to aim, and dark blue ice crystals condensed and compressed, exploding in an instant.

The dazzling, icy rays caused frost to form in the air where they passed. This move was incredibly fast, closing in on Baling in the blink of an eye.

Just as they were about to touch, a burst of dark red light erupted, and heat and cold collided.

Baling's dark red pupils flashed with a burst of red light, and the propulsion of the light suddenly increased. The Black Heart Demon took three steps back, and the icy rays were suppressed to half a meter in front of him.

The Blackheart Demon struggled to raise his other hand, using both hands together to barely push the light back.

呲呲呲!
A large amount of water vapor evaporated and spread like mist, forming a liquid face—the face of the water demon.

"Hehehe! I'll take your life!"

Taking advantage of the stalemate between the two, the Water Demon seized the opportunity to manipulate water vapor and launch an attack, sending hundreds and thousands of steam tentacles toward Baling.

Its tentacles are thick and long; with a simple twist, they can break steel.

But Baling neither dodged nor avoided it, and even showed a mocking smile on his face.

This enraged the water demon: "What have you done! You look down on me? I'll whip you mercilessly!"

"Get out of the way!" Blackheart Demon suddenly shouted.

But it's too late.

By the time the water demon realized what was happening, it had already fallen victim to its trap.

(End of this chapter)