Chapter 3: Commission Complete
At that moment, Gideon Black could clearly see it—a humanoid spirit was standing beside Rose, prying open her mouth, attempting to force its way inside.
And yet, no one else noticed a thing.
Only Judy, huddled in the corner with her hoodie pulled tight over her head, could also see it. She didn't dare take a step into the living room.
Trevor knelt by Rose's side first.
As a doctor, he quickly began assessing her condition with practiced hands.
Jarl crouched beside him, eyes full of worry.
Gideon, however, didn't rush over. Instead, he calmly walked to the far end of the living room.
"A vase... Glass shards could be dangerous."
"A fruit knife... Definitely a potential hazard."
"Toothpicks? Poke someone's eye out with those."
While everyone's attention remained on Rose, Gideon casually rummaged around the living room, discreetly relocating every object that could be used to cause harm.
Meanwhile, Trevor reached a conclusion.
"Convulsing limbs, glassy eyes... she's clearly suffered severe psychological trauma."
He turned and snapped at the crowd, furious.
"What did you say to her?!"
Everyone present felt the insult.
"She handed her nephew a dead cat, and now you're blaming us?"
Trevor went silent, realizing he couldn't justify Rose's actions either.
With no better option, he picked her up, preparing to take her to the hospital.
"If you take her like this," Gideon suddenly said from the side, "she likely won't survive the night."
All eyes turned to the black-robed priest again—and this time, anger erupted.
"Oh, you're still here? What, are you about to claim she's possessed now?"
"Get the hell out of my house!" Trevor bellowed, his temper finally snapping.
And just then, the entity succeeded in forcing itself into Rose's body.
Trevor felt her suddenly grow heavy in his arms. She stood up—on her own.
"Sweetheart... are you okay?"
The others watched in confusion, assuming it was another disturbing prank.
But Rose only smiled.
Her lips stretched far too wide, curling grotesquely at both ends—a smile that sent a chill down everyone's spine.
"She's gone mad!"
In the next moment, "Rose" grabbed a fork from the table. Scraping it across her throat from behind her ear downward, the noise made everyone cringe.
She was trying to slit her own neck.
But the fork stopped halfway—bending uselessly. It was plastic.
"Rose" frowned, then flung it aside and reached toward the corner where a glass vase should've been.
Empty.
"Looking for this?"
A calm but taunting voice echoed from behind.
"Rose" turned—and saw Gideon, seated casually on the table, his foot resting atop the vase.
"If you're looking for a knife, toothpicks, pen nibs..."
He nudged the vase farther away with a smirk.
"I've already tossed them."
A long silence followed.
The guests looked from the eerie "Rose" to the unfazed priest, trying to make sense of the bizarre scene.
Jarl's heart pounded with excitement—he was starting to understand.
Judy finally stepped into the room, still terrified of the entity but even more curious about what Gideon was going to do next.
Just then, "Rose" began moving again.
This time she clawed at her neck with all ten fingers.
But as a teacher, Rose had always trimmed her nails short for safety.
All she managed to leave were a few faint scratches.
"Rose, calm down! What's happening to you?!" Trevor cried out, trying to restrain her.
Just as Trevor tried to restrain her, "Rose" suddenly lunged forward, tackling a stylishly dressed woman to the ground.
The woman had just gotten her nails done that day—long and sharpened.
With a guttural growl, "Rose" grabbed the woman's hand and began forcing her fingers toward her own eyes.
The woman screamed and struggled wildly, too panicked to even wipe away the spittle dripping onto her face.
"By the Lord's mercy, let the Holy Light descend upon this earth—I command you now…"
Gideon arrived just in time.
One hand held a pocket Bible, the other pressed a silver crucifix firmly against "Rose's" forehead.
Ssszzzt—!
A burning smell filled the room.
"Rose" shrieked in agony, body seizing, unable to move—as if a great weight was pinning the entity in place.
As Gideon chanted the verses, a monstrous shadow slowly peeled itself away from Rose's form.
Though the others couldn't see it, the priest's solemn ritual left them stunned.
"Is she... really possessed?"
"Is he actually an exorcist?"
...
But not everyone was convinced.
Trevor's fists clenched.
A staunch atheist, he interpreted Rose's suffering as the result of Gideon's actions—not the demon's.
With a shout, he grabbed Gideon by the shoulder—just as the priest was reaching the critical point of the exorcism.
The Bible slipped from his hands and hit the ground.
A piercing scream rang out—so loud it made everyone cover their ears.
But beneath the noise, there were two distinct voices.
One was clearly Rose's.
The other—heavier, colder, and laced with something primal—twisted every heart in the room.
Crash!
A window shattered.
And then... silence.
"What the hell was that?"
"Was that… was that really a demon?"
"Did it get destroyed?"
Trevor stood frozen, finally realizing—he might have just made a terrible mistake.
Gideon picked up the fallen Bible, eyes flicking toward the broken window.
"So close…"
The thing had slipped away at the last second—but it hadn't escaped unscathed. Gideon had already set traps around the house. The demon wouldn't get far without paying a price.
And besides, the Binding Array was still active.
"First things first. Let's finish cleaning up here."
He gently helped Rose to her feet. She had regained consciousness.
"You won't see those things again," Gideon said softly. "I've cast it out. I know you've suffered a lot."
Rose had retained fragments of awareness throughout the possession. Hearing those words—and feeling someone finally understood—opened the floodgates.
Guided by Gideon's calm presence, she finally let herself speak of the pain buried deep in her heart.
As a child, she'd stood by and done nothing while her mother died—paralyzed by fear. She had never forgiven herself.
Now, under Gideon's quiet compassion, she broke down and cried—years of guilt and trauma pouring out.
[Psychological Counseling +1]
Current Progress: Tier 0 (13/100)
Unlocked Ability: "Empathy"—Your words carry a calming effect. Others are more likely to trust you during conversations.
Gideon stood slowly.
He hadn't chased the demon because this was more important. If left unresolved, that cursed thing could have returned—especially since it fed on unresolved trauma.
Now, with Rose's mind clear and her eyes bright once more, everyone looked on in awe.
"That was incredible... I've never seen a real exorcism before."
"Who is this priest?"
"Rose… I'm sorry. I never believed you."
Even Trevor was speechless. His worldview had just been shattered—and he didn't know how to react.
Gideon finished packing his things and walked over to the kids.
Jarl looked at him with unfiltered admiration—he'd just witnessed a real exorcist in action.
And Judy… was stunned.
Other than her mother, she'd never met anyone else who could see the things she did.
But unlike her, Gideon wasn't afraid.
He didn't hide, didn't deny it. He faced the darkness head-on. For the first time, she felt… understood. Seen. Like maybe, just maybe, she wasn't alone in the world.
"Your commission is complete," Gideon said gently. "I still have some unfinished business to take care of, so I won't be escorting you home."
He ruffled their hair lightly, slung his travel bag over his shoulder, and stepped out into the fading light.
"Wait up! I'm coming too!"
Jarl, snapping out of his daze, bolted after him. He had to learn how to be like that.
Judy hesitated only a moment before following.
---
At the edge of the street...
Gideon closed his eyes and focused.
Thanks to the Binding Array, he could sense a vague trace of the demon's position.
And so, he began to hunt.
The spirit was furious—if it even had an emotion like fury.
Each time it crossed a boundary, one of the phantom bells appeared, inflicting a wound on its ethereal body.
It had encountered ten such traps already.
Seeing no way out, it finally dove into a new host... in a nearby park.
By the time Gideon arrived, a middle-aged Asian man sat alone on a bench.
"As a child, all my parents cared about was my grades…"
"Work? Nothing but endless, soul-sucking labor…"
"Now that I have a family, I eat what my wife and daughter leave behind…"
"Doesn't anyone care how I feel…?"
The man mumbled, eyes glazed.
Moments later, his body twitched—and something else took control.
He stood unnaturally straight and turned toward Gideon.
A twisted grin slowly spread across his face.
Then, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a lighter.
The smile deepened.
Gideon narrowed his eyes and quietly opened his Bible.
The man flicked the lighter... but couldn't move.
Frozen.
"You almost made it," Gideon said calmly. "If the wards outside hadn't weakened you... If the traps hadn't drained you ten times over... You might have escaped."
The smile faltered.
"Forgot to mention—this park? I planned to corner you here all along."
A flicker of fear passed through the man's possessed eyes.
He was beginning to understand.
"You're standing in the heart of the Binding Array. Its power is at its strongest here."
With that, Gideon began chanting scripture.
Empowered by the array, the demon was utterly powerless.
It shrieked as it was forcefully expelled—its form shrinking and twisting.
Gideon produced a wooden canister, prepared in advance for sealing cursed entities.
He capped it, then wrapped it tightly in paper soaked in holy water—three layers deep.
The canister shook once… twice… then fell still.
A final message appeared in his mind:
[Risk Mission Complete – Reward Acquired: Cursed Smile Mask]