Chapter 69 – An Unexpected Encounter
Gideon froze for a moment.
What a coincidence—he fit both conditions perfectly.
Seeing that this "priest" remained determined to enter the cursed town, Simo could only offer him a half-hearted blessing of good luck.
Of course, it was little more than polite words.
---
On the other side, Sadie's hand lingered at the edge of her holstered firearm.
She wondered if she should finally put the gun away… but what if this spirit suddenly turned hostile?
Yet keeping it trained on him didn't feel right either.
Especially since, to her surprise, the two before her seemed to be… getting along.
Sadie was at a loss. She had never experienced anything like this.
Since childhood she had been taught one iron rule: all spirits are evil.
That harming humans was their very nature.
And because demon hunters were notoriously ill-suited to dealing with incorporeal beings, she had always believed it without question.
But today… her certainty had cracked.
She was beginning to realize that even spirits carried their own stories—that perhaps, once, they too had been victims.
At the same time, she couldn't help but marvel at Gideon's way of extracting information.
He was coaxing weaknesses from the enemy itself.
She had never even heard of such a tactic.
In the West and South, demon hunters relied solely on accumulated experience.
If they survived an exorcism, the knowledge gained became ammunition for the next battle.
But to interrogate a monster directly?
Sadie ran through her memories: the mindless zombies, the grotesque fusions of flesh and metal, the venomous swarms.
None of those creatures could even be spoken to.
So it wasn't her ignorance at fault—it was simply unheard of.
Still, she filed the lesson away carefully.
---
As the exchange drew to a close, Gideon suddenly asked,
"Do you know where your body is buried?"
Simo had mentioned earlier that his soul was bound to the forest, shackled by the destruction of his flesh. Only by recovering his remains could he find release.
Simo shook his head. "They never told me."
Then he gave Gideon a weary look. "You don't need to do this. You owe me nothing."
"Ah, don't misunderstand," Gideon waved a hand.
"I was just wondering—if the curse on your bones could be turned against those two brothers."
"Or failing that, whether they'd make good stock for soup in times of famine."
"After all, you've harmed plenty of people yourself."
Simo's jaw twitched. "…You bastard."
Still, he eventually yielded.
In exchange for Gideon's promise to provide Giselle with aid, Simo agreed to lead them through the forest.
Thus, one spirit and two mortals strode boldly onward, toward Ambrose.
---
Not long after, Simo halted.
"Five hundred meters more, and you'll reach the town," he said, pointing ahead.
"But recently, they've forbidden me from approaching. From here, you're on your own."
Gideon nodded.
They stood on a narrow forest path. Ahead, the air churned with an evil presence so thick it almost seemed to blacken the sky.
"Thank you."
Gideon and Simo parted ways. Thanks to the spirit's guidance, they had reached this far without trouble.
But just as Simo vanished, a low rumbling rolled from the far end of the path.
Gideon and Sadie turned. A pickup truck was barreling toward them.
With a screech of brakes, it stopped directly in front of them.
Sadie frowned. A heavy stench of rotting flesh wafted from inside.
Gideon peered into the cab.
At the wheel sat a man in a green knit cap and a red jacket. When he turned toward them, he grinned, revealing a mouthful of stained, yellowed teeth.
Beside him were two young passengers—a handsome boy with thick bangs and a blue-and-black striped hoodie, and a girl with golden curls, clad in a pure white sports top. Her skin was firm and flawless, her figure striking.
If Sadie was beauty forged of mixed heritage, this girl embodied the carefree charm of an American high-school sweetheart.
The moment they saw Gideon and Sadie, their eyes widened.
After all, a priest and a cowgirl made for a conspicuous pair in the middle of a forest.
"Need a ride?" the driver asked with a stiff smile. "Name's Lester."
"Carly."
"Wade."
The two young passengers introduced themselves as well.
"I'm Luen," Gideon replied smoothly. "And this is…"
He glanced at Sadie.
"Ahem… Dorbola Cooper," she said after clearing her throat.
The name belonged, apparently, to one of her old rivals.
"Then hop in," Lester said cheerfully.
Gideon gestured at the cramped cab. "Doesn't seem to be room."
The pickup had only a single cabin, its windows draped with grotesque ornaments made from animal bones. Lester and the two youths already filled the seats.
"There's space in the back," Lester said, gesturing. "Though you'll have to stomach the smell."
Sadie circled to the truck's rear—and her expression darkened.
The bed was drenched in dried crimson. Blood had seeped deep into the steel.
"I'm a hunter," Lester explained smoothly as he stepped down. "These are just animal remains from the forest."
"The kids can vouch for me."
Carly and Wade nodded quickly.
"Yes," Carly said. "We met him at an animal graveyard. Our car broke down, so we asked him to take us to the nearest town."
Sadie's eyes flicked toward Gideon.
Given what Simo had told them, she suspected Lester might be one of the brothers. And these two youths… their prey.
But Gideon only gave a subtle signal to wait.
"I see," he said with a casual shrug. "We also got lost in the forest, just trying to find our way out."
"Since it's along the way, then… we'll take the ride."
Lester hadn't even finished when Carly suddenly cut him off.
"How about this—I'll sit in the back with the cowgirl. You three gentlemen can stay inside. I could use some fresh air."
From the moment she had climbed into the truck, Carly had felt uneasy.
There was something about Lester that radiated danger.
So when Gideon and Sadie appeared, she'd felt an enormous sense of relief.
The last thing she wanted was to be trapped alone with Lester until they reached town.
Wade had no objections, so they went along with Carly's suggestion.
Gideon took the seat by the door, leaving Wade in the middle.
---
On the road.
"Mr. Lester," Gideon began in a casual, weary tone, "is the town crowded? Perhaps I could spread a bit of the faith. You know how it is—the Church is always short on believers."
Lester gave a low, rasping laugh.
"Afraid you'll be disappointed, Father. Ever since they built the interstate, the town's been drying up."
"Oh? How many people still live there? More men, or women? What do they usually do for entertainment?"
Gideon's questions came rapid-fire.
Lester's eyes shifted, evasive.
"Well… not that many. I never counted."
"As for entertainment—small places like that don't have any. Isn't that right?"
He turned his grin toward Gideon.
"My apologies, I was being rude," Gideon said smoothly, switching the topic at once.
"You said you were a hunter. Those catches must be hard to track, yes?"
That struck a chord. Lester's eyes lit up.
"Sometimes. But you know… all it takes is setting the trap in the right place, and the prey walks in on its own."
"At that point, all you need is a knife."
He pulled a blood-stained blade from his belt, waving it casually.
"Stab it deep in the artery. Let it bleed out. After a while, it stops struggling."
Wade swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he stared at the knife.
"I see…"
Gideon leaned forward, as if fascinated.
"And do you live with family? Enough game to feed them all?"
"I've got a brother. And another older one." Lester slid the knife away.
"They stay in town most of the time, so most of the meat goes to them."
"Then you must be close," Gideon said lightly.
"Of course."
Lester's stiff grin returned, his voice firm.
"The three of us—our bond is blood."
---
Screech.
The truck jolted to a sudden stop, sending everyone lurching forward.
"What happened?" Carly called from the back.
"Road's washed out," Lester replied.
Ahead, the dirt path had collapsed into a water-filled gully.
"I'll switch to four-wheel drive, but I'll need you to help push," he said, reaching for the door handle.
"Hold on," Gideon interrupted suddenly.
Both Lester and Wade turned toward him, confused.
Crack!
Gideon drove his fist straight through the passenger-side window, shattering the glass. Reaching out, he yanked the lock and swung the door open from outside.
He'd noticed earlier—the passenger seat had no handle, and the window couldn't be opened from within.
Whoever sat here wasn't meant to get out.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Lester barked, his voice edged with anger.
Gideon didn't answer.
Under the stunned gazes of everyone in the truck, he lunged for the driver's side—
—and in one swift motion, pulled the knife he'd lifted from Lester earlier, and drove it hard into his shoulder.
"Ghh—!"
Lester's face twisted in agony.