226-230

Chapter 226: Surveillance

*"What's the situation?"*

Texas, the western forest.

Jonathan tapped on the car window and asked.

*"Same as before."*

Lowering the window, the BSI agent reached out to take the dinner Jonathan had brought. He glanced at the dense forest in the distance and shrugged in response.

A few days earlier, after spotting information about supernatural creatures online, BSI immediately dispatched agents to investigate.

However, despite deploying local Texas Rangers for a grid search around the forest where the creature was allegedly spotted, the BSI team found no evidence of its presence.

Even after expanding the search area, they came up empty-handed.

The continuous search operations provoked dissatisfaction from the Austin Rangers’ headquarters, forcing BSI to abandon the search and instead set up surveillance near the reported location in the forest.

*"Tacos again?"*

Opening the paper bag to see the familiar tortillas inside, the BSI agent in the car immediately frowned.

*"It’s the best-known local dish, and it’s convenient to carry,"* Jonathan shrugged at the agent's annoyed look.

Texas’ cuisine is heavily influenced by Mexican food. Historically, Texas was a part of Mexico for a long time before American settlers gradually occupied it through a strategy of migration. Later, they used the ideals of democracy and freedom to incite Texas’ independence, only to annex it shortly after, carving a massive chunk out of Mexico.

Today, Texas is a vital energy hub for the United States. Though the dream of an independent nation was shattered long ago, the state still occasionally entertains the idea of independence.

But anyone with a clear view can see that without control over its foreign policy or military, Texas’ so-called independence is little more than an unattainable fantasy.

What’s more, modern Mexico, under heavy pressure from the United States, is far from capable of supporting any Texan independence movement.

---

*Crunch, crunch!*

Taking a big bite of the hard taco in his hand, the BSI agent chewed while glancing toward the forest.

*"I think this might just be another fabricated story... Especially after the New York incident, these kinds of fake reports have been getting bigger and bolder."*

Sipping on his soda to wash down the dry taco, the surveilling agent muttered with a hint of frustration.

*"Like the recent Bigfoot rumors in Oregon. That turned out to be nothing more than a hoax orchestrated by some attention-seekers. I heard BSI also mobilized local law enforcement to search for Bigfoot back then."*

Since the New York incident, cases of alleged supernatural activity, like the one in Texas, have been on the rise.

Although most of these cases, as the agent mentioned, are eventually debunked as fake, BSI cannot afford to relax.

Especially this time, as the reported sightings are in Texas, where werewolves and hunters were previously encountered.

BSI is taking no chances.

*"If it’s a false alarm, that’s fine too. At worst, it’s just a wasted trip."*

Having experienced the New York incident firsthand—and especially having faced "Steve" up close—Jonathan knew all too well that ordinary BSI agents like him stood little chance against supernatural forces.

Finishing the remaining taco in a few bites, the agent inside the car turned to glance again at the empty forest before leaning closer to the window and asking Jonathan,

*"I heard about it, Jonathan. You were involved in the New York incident, right? Can you tell me what it was really like? Are those so-called ‘superheroes’ as powerful as the reports claim?"*

Jonathan met the agent’s gaze and shook his head.

*"You know I can’t disclose classified information."*

*"All I can say is, their power is even more dangerous than you’d imagine."*

As he spoke, memories of the New York streets flashed in Jonathan’s mind.

If not for Andrew and the others coordinating with Amanda, the incident might not have been resolved as swiftly as it was.

Those few words were enough to quash the agent’s curiosity. Jonathan waved at the figure in the car and was about to leave.

Surveillance around the area was not limited to this single agent—Jonathan still had plenty of work to do.

As he waved goodbye and took a step toward the next surveillance post, a strange rustling noise came from the distant forest.

Jonathan froze mid-step and slowly turned his head toward the source of the sound.

Under his watchful gaze, the area where the sound had originated fell eerily silent, as though nothing had happened.

Exchanging a glance with the agent in the car, Jonathan confirmed he hadn’t imagined it.

Carefully, he changed direction, moving closer to the sound while reaching for the gun holstered at his waist.

*Beep—Woo—*

*"Help me, please!"*

*"No, no, don’t—"*

*"Breaking news: Recently, in New York City—"*

*"Alert, alert! Presence detected ahead—requesting confirmation from command—danger imminent!"*

Suddenly, as Jonathan turned, an overwhelming cacophony erupted from the dark forest. Police sirens, news broadcasts, panicked screams, and shouts formed a piercing noise that instantly shattered the car’s windows.

The deafening sounds rendered any action futile.

Jonathan collapsed to the ground, clutching his ears as the sharp noise blanked his mind. His bloodshot eyes widened in panic, his mouth moved, but no sound came out—or perhaps his voice was simply drowned out by the forest’s overpowering din.

---

Moments later, as the noise ceased, Jonathan’s dazed vision caught sight of a massive humanoid figure emerging from the forest. Its exaggerated, disproportionate legs stepped over him. The ground trembled with each step, and the vibrations pushed him into unconsciousness.

End of Chapter.

*Chapter 227: The Candle*

“Has anyone seen Spike?”

Washington, BSI Headquarters.

Amanda frowned, addressing everyone in the office with a question.

At her inquiry, Angela and the others exchanged confused glances before Agent Phil shook his head.

“Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen Spike for several days either. I thought maybe you, boss, had sent him on some assignment.”

Hearing Phil’s response, Amanda’s frown deepened.

“What’s going on?”

Noticing the expression on Amanda’s face, Agent Zhou spoke up.

“A few days ago, Spike asked me for the file on Father Merlin’s case, and then he suddenly vanished.”

“You’re worried he took the file and disappeared without a word.”

At Amanda’s comment, Agent Zhou immediately understood.

After all, Spike had joined the BSI specifically to investigate Father Merlin’s case.

“I don’t think Spike would just leave without saying anything.”

Angela, listening to the conversation, quickly spoke up in defense.

“How can you be so sure?”

On the other hand, Phil immediately voiced his dissent.

“Investigating Father Merlin’s case was the reason Spike joined the BSI in the first place. Now that he has what he wanted, leaving seems logical.”

“Even if he were to leave, he’d at least let us know.”

“Why?”

“After everything we’ve been through, aren’t we friends with Spike by now?”

“Friends? That’s just what you think. For all we know, Spike might only see us as colleagues or allies.”

“Phil, you seem to have an issue with Spike.”

“I don’t have an issue with him. I just think you’re being overly emotional, Angela.”

“Alright, that’s enough, both of you.”

As Phil and Angela’s voices grew louder, Amanda interrupted, visibly irritated.

“What’s going on here?”

Just then, a hoarse yet magnetic voice sounded behind them.

Hearing the familiar tone, Amanda turned around and saw Spike standing at the doorway. He held an old wooden box in his hand, looking curious as he stepped into the BSI office.

“See? I told you so!”

Seeing Spike appear again, Angela smirked at Phil with a triumphant expression, as if silently declaring her faith in Spike had been justified.

Phil opened his mouth to retort but couldn’t find the words. After all, the truth was undeniable.

Carrying the wooden box, Spike walked to his usual spot on the office sofa, scanning the room before his gaze landed on Amanda. With a slight smirk, he asked, “I could hear your argument from the elevator. What case were you debating so passionately?”

“…”

Meeting his gaze, Amanda inexplicably felt a twinge of guilt. She instinctively averted her eyes.

“It was the boss…”

Agent Zhou, however, answered calmly from the side.

“She couldn’t find you and thought you had taken the file on Father Merlin’s case and left without saying goodbye.”

Agent Zhou’s blunt explanation made Amanda’s face flush with embarrassment. Still, she nodded reluctantly, acknowledging that Zhou’s words reflected her thoughts.

Oddly enough, her initial guilt dissipated after Zhou laid it out so plainly.

“So that’s what this is about.”

Spike nodded in understanding after hearing the explanation.

“While I never intended to leave without a word, my disappearance these past few days is indeed connected to Father Merlin’s case…”

As Spike spoke, everyone in the office—including Amanda, Phil, and the others—forgot their earlier argument and turned their attention to him.

“BSI’s records on Father Merlin’s death are sparse, and part of the information comes from the testimonies of the surviving children in Springwood. It’s difficult to piece together a coherent narrative from that.”

“There wasn’t much we could do. By the time we learned of Father Merlin’s death, it was already two days after it happened,” Amanda explained.

“I’m not blaming the BSI.”

Spike nodded calmly.

“Given the danger Father Merlin faced at the time, even if you’d been on the scene, it wouldn’t have changed anything. In fact, you might have become victims yourselves.”

“The case file contains detailed reports of Father Merlin’s death, and it’s clear that whatever killed him was an extremely dangerous entity. Even someone as devout as Father Merlin couldn’t resist its power. However, relying solely on the BSI’s records doesn’t help much beyond identifying the entity involved. To make progress, I needed something else, and after a few days, I finally found it…”

“You’re saying that ‘something’ is in that wooden box?”

Agent Zhou’s eyes instinctively fell on the box as Spike spoke.

“Exactly.”

Spike nodded, confirming Zhou’s guess.

Under the watchful eyes of Amanda and the others, Spike opened the old wooden box.

A cloud of dust rose as he waved his hand to clear it, revealing the contents inside.

“A candle?”

Phil raised an eyebrow in confusion at the sight of the box’s contents.

Inside was not the mysterious artifact they had expected, but rather a half-burned, unremarkable candle.

“This is what will help us investigate Father Merlin’s death?!”

Frankly, if Spike hadn’t already proven himself as a capable medium, the sight of such an ordinary object might have drawn skepticism or even ridicule.

“Yes, it’s a candle,” Spike affirmed with a calm nod.

“But it’s not just any candle. Although it looks ordinary…”

“This is Harry Houdini’s candle.”

Chapter 228: Communicating with the Spirit World

"Houdini?"

"The legendary magician?"

In America, Houdini's name is just as renowned.

When Spake mentioned his name, the expressions on the BSI team members' faces immediately turned to astonishment.

Agent Phil glanced at the candle in the wooden box and couldn’t help but ask, "So, what can this candle do? Or is it some kind of magic prop?"

As the world's most famous magician, Harry Houdini was widely known for his extraordinary feats of magic.

"Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that."

In response to Agent Phil's curiosity, Spake gently shook his head and carefully placed the candle from the box onto the coffee table.

"Then what does it do?"

Amanda raised her eyebrows, glancing at the candle on the table, and asked.

"It connects to the spirit world," Spake replied with a slight smirk.

"Connects to the spirit world!"

Hearing Spake's answer, Agent Zhou couldn’t help but look at the candle in his hand and remarked coldly, "If I’m not mistaken, Houdini despised spiritual mediums during his lifetime. There are even rumors that Houdini's death was caused by a conspiracy from the spirit world."

Harry Houdini spent his life debunking mediums. His rigorous training enabled him to expose deceptions that even scientists and scholars could not uncover. As a member of the Scientific American Committee, he contributed to offering cash prizes for anyone who could successfully demonstrate supernatural abilities. Thanks to Houdini, these prizes were never claimed.

Houdini's dedication to exposing mediums made him a renowned adversary of the occult, but it also cost him his friendship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The creator of Sherlock Holmes, a literary giant who ushered in the "Golden Age" of detective fiction, was himself a staunch believer in spiritualism.

Their differing attitudes toward spiritualism made them public adversaries. Houdini's biography even notes that in November 1924, Conan Doyle wrote a letter claiming Houdini would "get what he deserved and soon face retribution."

Two years later, Houdini died before his 53rd birthday.

"History is called history because it lives forever in the mouths of others," Spake remarked.

"While Houdini doubted the power of mediums, that doesn’t mean the items he left behind can’t serve as tools for connecting to the spirit world."

"For example, this candle. To prove the falsehood of mediums, Houdini made an agreement with his wife, Bess Houdini, before his death. He promised that if it were possible, he would contact her from the other side with a pre-arranged codeword as proof. For ten years, Bess held séances on Halloween to honor this agreement, until she eventually gave up, deeming it fruitless."

"This candle was placed beside Houdini’s photo and remained lit throughout those séances. Over time, the rituals imbued it with powerful spiritual energy, enabling anyone who lights it to communicate with the spirit world."

"A magician who never believed in the power of mediums left behind a candle with immense spiritual power after his death," Angela murmured in disbelief after hearing Spake’s explanation.

"So, how do you use it?"

On the other side, Agent Phil eagerly asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"It’s simple—just light it."

Despite its intricate backstory, the candle’s use was surprisingly straightforward.

Spake pulled a box of matches from his pocket, struck one, and lit the candle on the coffee table. As the faint flame flickered, he began softly chanting, "Lancaster Merlin, Lancaster Merlin, please respond to my call..."

*Puff, puff—*

Washington, BSI Headquarters.

As Spake’s voice filled the room, an inexplicable sense of oppression settled over everyone.

Under Amanda’s watchful gaze, the candle’s yellow flame began shifting to an eerie blue.

Then, under the glow of the flame, a blurry, bluish figure shimmered into view.

At first, the figure was indistinct, but as the candle’s flame danced, its appearance became clearer—a frail, elderly priest materialized in the BSI office.

"Oh my God!"

Agent Phil exclaimed as the spectral figure appeared in response to Spake’s invocation.

Meanwhile, Amanda and Agent Zhou exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with shock.

Unlike Phil and Angela, the newer team members, Amanda and Zhou had experienced the Freddy incident on Elm Street. Seeing the priest again was deeply unsettling.

The flickering flame made the priest's figure waver. Slowly, he opened his eyes, pausing to gaze at Amanda and Zhou before finally settling his ethereal smile on Spake.

"We meet again, Spake," the priest said.

"Indeed, Father," Spake replied, his tone tinged with melancholy.

"I never thought our next meeting would be like this."

"Do not mourn for me, Spake. Perhaps this was all part of the Lord’s plan."

The priest remained composed, crossing himself as he spoke.

"Returning to the Lord’s embrace, whether sooner or later, makes no difference to me. But tell me..."

The priest glanced at Amanda and the others. "After my death, did the people of Springwood suffer its attacks?"

Though he didn’t specify, Amanda understood he referred to the entity that had killed him.

She quickly shook her head.

"No, it didn’t. In fact, after killing you, it left Springwood. You were the only victim of its attack."

As Amanda finished speaking, the candlelight flickered ominously, casting deep shadows across the room.

Chapter 229: Information from the Priest

“Although I’d love to talk more about the secrets of the spirit world…”

His gaze fell on the half-melted candle before him.

“But in reality, time is not on our side.”

Speck had no choice but to interrupt Father Merlin’s conversation with the spirits and Amanda’s group. Fixing his eyes on the flickering figure, he posed the key question for this séance.

“So, can you tell me exactly what kind of being killed you, Father?”

“…”

Hearing Speck’s question, Father Merlin’s expression darkened for a moment before he slowly began to speak.

“To be honest, I only realized its existence at the moment of my death.”

“After entering the spirit world, I constantly pondered the reason for its appearance. It wasn’t until a certain ritual when I encountered the one known as the Emperor of Emperors, Pope Innocent III, that I learned more about them. From his words, I understood that these beings are twisted, malevolent spirits from the lower spirit realm, manifesting as grotesque entities. They are warped, insane, and seem to be working toward some inscrutable goal. I wanted to ask Pope Innocent III more, but he quickly sank back into his own fragmented memories…”

Pope Innocent III is a historically renowned figure. During his papacy, the Catholic Church reached its zenith of power. He actively intervened in European politics, compelling kings from England, Denmark, Portugal, and Switzerland to bow to his authority. He launched the Fourth Crusade, suppressed the Albigensian heresy, and approved the establishment of the Dominican and Franciscan orders.

However, perhaps because of the frequent appearance of historical figures like Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Amanda and the others seemed almost unfazed.

“So, from his fractured and distorted memories, I could only recall the name of the being that killed me.”

“The Crooked Man!”

“The Crooked Man?!”

Washington, BSI Headquarters.

Hearing the name Father Merlin revealed, Speck’s expression shifted slightly.

On the other side, Amanda murmured the name, her face showing a look of recollection.

Noticing her expression, Speck narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

His gaze flicked to the nearly burned-down candle on the table. He spoke up.

“Apologies, Father, but it seems our time is up.”

As he spoke, Speck touched the ring on his finger and reached out to extinguish the candle flame.

Yet, just as his fingers were about to snuff out the flame, Speck hesitated, lowering his head so that his face was hidden in shadow. His voice trembled slightly as he asked,

“Father… did you happen to see them in the spirit world?”

Hearing this, the priest sighed softly, shaking his head before offering words of comfort.

“The spirit world is vast. The fact that I didn’t encounter them doesn’t mean anything.”

“You’re right, Father.”

Perhaps it was the priest’s words of comfort, or perhaps something else.

Either way, after hearing the priest’s response, Speck lifted his head again, his expression as calm as ever. He smiled faintly and said,

“Well then, goodbye, Father.”

“Goodbye—or rather, I hope not to see you all again anytime soon. May the Lord protect you.”

With a nod and a shake of his head, the priest vanished along with his final blessing as Speck extinguished the candle’s flame. The priest’s ghostly blue figure disappeared from view.

“So, that’s the result of the séance?”

In the office, after a long silence, Agent Zhou finally spoke, addressing Speck.

“All we got was a name?”

“Sometimes, a name carries significant meaning—especially for a medium,” Speck replied, his tone more resolute than Zhou’s perplexed one.

“This time, you can’t act alone, Speck!”

Seeing the determination on Speck’s face, Amanda spoke up immediately.

“Father Merlin’s death is also a BSI case. From now on, all your actions must involve us.”

Amanda’s words gave Speck a moment of surprise. He looked up at the resolute woman and, after a brief pause, shrugged and nodded.

“Alright, if you insist.”

“But if you’re coming along, you’ll have to follow my lead on everything.”

“No problem.”

...

“...Jonathan… Jonathan… Jonathan…”

Texas, Western Forest.

The continuous calling in his ears gradually brought Jonathan’s consciousness back.

He opened his eyes, and a wave of searing pain surged through his head.

“Ugh, what happened to me?”

Holding his throbbing head, Jonathan struggled to his feet from the grassy ground.

Looking at the scene around him, especially the shattered glass scattered near the distant wrecked car, his blurry memories started to come back.

“How long was I out?”

The splitting headache lingered. Jonathan snapped his fingers next to his ear, listening to the faint sound to gauge his hearing, which seemed to have been severely impacted by the recent noise.

Would his hearing recover? Could BSI cover this injury?

Shaking his head to clear the muddled thoughts, Jonathan recalled the vague glimpse of the enormous, blurry creature he had seen just before losing consciousness. Though brief, its grotesque form—especially the strange sirens on the thin stalk connecting its head to its neck—left a lasting impression.

Every time Jonathan closed his eyes, the creature’s bizarre figure surfaced in his mind.

Taking a deep breath, he noticed his hearing slowly improving, which gave him a slight sense of relief.

At least he wouldn’t end up deaf, though this also meant losing an excuse to get reimbursed by BSI.

Turning to the BSI agent who had woken him, Jonathan asked,

“How long was I out?”

“Ten to twenty minutes. I can’t say for sure, as I also blacked out during the attack,” replied the agent, who had woken up earlier thanks to the car’s protection.

Despite being awake, the agent’s face still bore traces of shock from the recent events.

Looking at the serious expression on Jonathan’s face, the agent repeated himself.

“Say that again—louder this time. I didn’t quite catch that,” Jonathan said.

BSI Agent: “...”

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 230: Investigation*

Fortunately, the hearing damage was not permanent.

A few minutes later, Jonathan recovered and learned from the BSI agents about everything that had transpired while he was unconscious.

The BSI agent assigned to surveillance had only woken up a few minutes before him and was unable to provide much useful information.

The only certainty was that there was indeed some unknown and mysterious creature in this forest, far from being a fabricated story like the alleged Oregon Bigfoot.

"Notify headquarters and report everything that happened here in Texas."

When it came to supernatural beings, Jonathan was extremely cautious.

He refrained from hastily initiating a search.

From his recollection, the mysterious creature in Texas was far more dangerous than what BSI had originally anticipated. He was lucky to survive the attack this time.

However, Jonathan didn’t believe his luck would hold out indefinitely.

"We need assistance from the Special Task Force!"

The Special Task Force was a newly established unit formed by BSI after the New York incident.

Its purpose was to handle supernatural forces beyond the capabilities of ordinary BSI agents like Jonathan. However, since it was newly formed, the number of such teams within BSI was still limited.

Apart from Amanda's psychic team, the only other one was the superhero team led by Matt, who had participated in the New York incident. Another surviving superhero, Andrew, seemed to have been assigned to a different role by BSI and was not part of any special team.

If he had the choice, Jonathan naturally hoped BSI would send Amanda's psychic team to handle this Texas investigation.

After all, reputations precede people.

Amanda's team had earned a stellar reputation within BSI for their performance in handling various supernatural cases.

Unfortunately, the assignment of teams within BSI was beyond Jonathan's control.

All he could do was passively accept headquarters' decision.

"Let’s hope everything goes smoothly."

Turning to look at the dense, dark forest behind him, Jonathan silently prayed.

---

*Washington, BSI Headquarters*

“I searched specifically for information on the ‘Twisted Man,’ but there isn’t much online. The only connection I could find was a nursery rhyme...”

In the BSI headquarters, Angela reported her findings to Amanda, glancing at Spike, who was calmly sipping tea on the sofa.

“I consulted with BSI’s folklore expert,” Angela continued, “and the results were similar. The ‘Twisted Man’ nursery rhyme first appeared in Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes. As you know, Mother Goose is one of the earliest collections of children’s songs, originally containing fifty-two rhymes. Over time, it expanded to include hundreds of songs, many of which feature bloody, cruel, or realistic themes due to the dark historical context of the era.”

“Famous rhymes like Mary Had a Little Lamb or London Bridge is Falling Down come from this collection, but the ‘Twisted Man’ is one of the lesser-known ones.”

Agent Zhou supplemented Angela’s report with his findings.

“But this at least proves that the history of the ‘Twisted Man’ goes back farther than we imagined,” Zhou added.

After listening to Zhou, Amanda frowned in thought.

She wasn’t particularly familiar with Mother Goose, but she did have memories of hearing or even singing rhymes like Mary Had a Little Lamb or London Bridge is Falling Down.

“However, relying solely on the historical context of a nursery rhyme is meaningless for our investigation,” Agent Phil sighed, frustrated.

The clues provided by Father Merlin were far too vague. With just a name to go on, they had hit their limit in uncovering anything useful.

As Amanda and her team wrestled with the investigation’s deadlock, Spike, sitting on the sofa, continued to sip his tea, appearing utterly uninterested in the case’s progress.

Amanda couldn’t help but frown at Spike’s nonchalant demeanor.

“Spike, don’t you have anything to tell us?”

Previously, Spike had hinted that he had some insight or method for investigating the ‘Twisted Man.’

“About the existence of the ‘Twisted Man’ and its motive for killing the priest?” Amanda pressed.

Spike set down his tea, glanced at the office clock, and smirked slightly.

“As a matter of fact, I do have an idea—but it requires patience.”

Watching the clock tick to the exact moment he anticipated, Spike shifted his gaze back to Amanda and her team. He then asked with a faint smile, “Now, who wants to join me for a drink?”

“...”

Everyone in the office exchanged bewildered looks.

Just moments ago, they had been racking their brains over the investigation, only for Spike to suggest going out for drinks in the next breath.

---

*Texas, Western Forest*

*BSI Temporary Base*

“Good to see you again, Agent Jonathan.”

Matt, smiling, greeted the familiar BSI agent.

“Yes, good to see you too,” Jonathan replied, forcing a smile as he looked at the superhero team.

After receiving Jonathan’s report, BSI headquarters had promptly dispatched a support team.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t Amanda’s psychic team, as Jonathan had hoped, but rather the newly formed superhero team led by Matt.

“Can you brief us on the situation, Agent Jonathan?”

After the New York incident, Matt’s identity had been exposed, and he ended up in BSI’s custody.

Following negotiations and evaluations, Matt, now deemed “safe,” became a BSI special agent. Although his powers were modest compared to Andrew or Steve, they were more than sufficient for most BSI investigations. His ability to fly also provided a reliable escape mechanism in dangerous situations.

For these reasons, BSI had assigned Matt’s team to investigate the supernatural entity in Texas.

---