America: The Cremator

Su Long took off his coat and hung it on the hanger next to him: "I called, but no one answered."

"As agreed, I can only use the backup plan."

Elena took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm herself down.

A moment later, she walked past Su Long and stomped hard on his toes: "Come with me."

Unfortunately, she was wearing soft slippers, and the elastic soles and the soft flesh of her feet provided good cushioning, so it did not cause any harm to Su Long. He smiled slightly and followed behind Elena.

The wooden floorboards creaked softly under their feet as the two walked to a side hall next to the living room. This area, which should have been a guest room or study, had been completely emptied, leaving only a huge circular magic circle on the floor.

The lines of the magic circle were drawn with some kind of silvery-white powder, and a dozen white candles were placed around it, their flames flickering and illuminating the entire space in an alternating light and shadow.

Elena walked to the edge of the magic circle and pointed to the center of the circle.

"Sit down and take off your shirt."

Su Long looked at the magic circle: "What kind of ritual is this?"

"A purification ritual," Elena walked to the fireplace and picked up a crystal bottle containing a clear liquid. "That clay sculpture is connected to a part of my soul."

"I can use my connection with her to force it out with holy water."

Su Long walked into the magic circle and sat cross-legged on the floor.

After taking off his clothes, Su Long's physique was not as thin as it looked. The huge improvement in his physical fitness made him look like a healthy person, although there were no obvious signs of muscle training in his muscles.

Elena walked over with the crystal bottle and knelt down behind Sulong.

She poured the cool liquid into her palm, rubbed her hands together to warm them, and then placed them on Su Long's back: "It might be a little hot, please bear with it."

Su Long raised an eyebrow, feeling two warm hands roaming over his back: "Hey, Captain Elena, if this process is too painful, I'll add extra pressure."

Elena, like a cat, extended her nails and scratched Su Long's back, leaving four faint red marks: "Shut up, if you don't bother me, you won't feel any pain."

The next moment, Su Long felt a surge of heat enter his skin, and the runes on the back of his left hand began to heat up.

"Well……"

Su Long flicked his wrist, and Elena's voice sounded behind his left ear: "Don't move."

Her breath sprayed onto his neck, carrying a warm, tingling sensation: "I am now going to guide the holy water to connect with my clay sculpture."

Su Long closed his eyes and felt the heat flowing down his arm, heading straight for the back of his left hand.

Five minutes passed.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Elena's forehead, and her movements became increasingly slower.

She seemed to be very exhausted, and her breathing became heavy.

Suddenly, the clay sculpture on the back of Su Long's left hand jerked violently.

A dense stream of black energy erupted from the rune, forming a shockwave that spread violently outward.

"Bang!"

Elena was thrown backward by the force, and the crystal bottle in her hand fell to the floor and shattered.

Su Long opened his eyes and quickly turned around.

Elena collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest: "It...it's rejecting me?"

"It refuses to leave your body."

Su Long raised his left hand to observe, and the clay sculpture was now fully visible on the surface of his skin. Its color had become deeper, and some golden patterns had even appeared on its surface.

"It seems it has mutated," Suron said, looking at the clay sculpture. "Perhaps it's because of my flames."

Elena wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and struggled to sit up: "This is impossible. That's the curse of the Shoggoths. How could it be assimilated by your flames?"

Su Long stood up, walked to Elena, and extended a hand: "The facts are clear, Captain Elena, it seems you have failed."

Elena didn't take Su Long's hand; she pushed herself up from the floor.

Her silk robe was slightly disheveled from the fall, revealing large expanses of her snow-white skin.

But she paid no attention to any of that, staring intently at the clay sculpture.

"There's still a way."

"What method?"

Elena remained silent for a moment, a struggle flashing across her face before turning into resolute determination.

"Since we can't sever the connection on a spiritual level, we'll suppress it directly with a higher-level sacred object, even if it damages the part of my soul that I'm missing."

After saying that, she turned and headed towards the stairs: "Follow me to the bedroom."

The second-floor corridor was even darker than the one downstairs.

Instead of paintings, rows of silver crosses hung on the walls.

Each cross has a different design; some are simple and rustic, while others are ornate. It seems the homeowner has a penchant for collecting crosses.

Suron followed Elena into the room at the end of the corridor, which was a huge bedroom.

The room was furnished very simply, with only a huge black wooden bed and a wardrobe.

But directly above the bed hangs a chandelier made of countless crystal mirrors.

At the center of the chandelier is an empty metal recess.

Elena walked to the bedside, picked up a lantern from the bedside table, and then pointed to the large bed: "Lie down."

Su Long looked at the bed; the sheets were made of deep red velvet and looked like a congealed sea of ​​blood.

"Captain, this doesn't look like treatment."

Elena ignored his teasing, stood barefoot on the edge of the bed, and hung the lantern in the center of the chandelier.

"Click".

With a crisp click, the lantern and chandelier fit together perfectly.

The next moment, countless golden rays of light, refracted through the crystal prism, filled the entire bed.

Elena jumped out of bed and looked at Sulong.

"Lie down."

"I will use the power of the lantern to forcibly suppress the vitality of that clay sculpture."

Su Long sat down by the bed: "Like I said, I hope the process won't be too painful."

"Don't worry, I'm the only one who will suffer."

Su Long slowly lay down on the soft bed. The velvet sheets beneath him felt cool to the touch, and the holy light above his head made it hard for him to open his eyes.

Elena climbed into bed.

She straddled Sulong's waist, pressing her hands against his shoulders.

"Are you ready?"

Surong looked up at Elena.

Bathed in holy light, her outline became somewhat blurred, like an angel descended to earth.

"bring it on."

Elena closed her eyes, and the light above her head suddenly intensified.

A beam of light struck Su Long directly.

Su Long felt an immense pressure pressing down on him onto the bed.

The clay sculpture on the back of his left hand began to tremble violently, emitting a piercing shriek.

It is using the life force of Sulong to fight against the power of the lantern.

Su Long felt his blood boiling and burning.

Hang in there!

Elena's hands pressed down hard on Su Long, and the two forces engaged in a fierce battle on Su Long's body.

The next moment, the primordial fire within Su Long's body suddenly stirred.

Golden flames erupted from his heart and instantly spread throughout his body.

It did not attack the holy light, nor the clay sculpture, but instead domineeringly enveloped both of them.

Merge, devour.

Su Long felt a lightness in his body.

He opened his eyes and saw Elena staring at his chest in horror.

There, a golden flame lotus is slowly blooming.

The sacred flame in the lantern above his head detached from the wick, transformed into a line of fire, and pierced into Su Long's chest.

"you……"

Before Elena could finish speaking, the lantern, now devoid of the sacred flame, went out instantly.

The room was plunged into darkness, with only the golden light from Su Long's chest flashing.

Elena's body went limp, and she collapsed onto Su Long, her source of strength completely drained.

Su Long reached out and caught her. In the darkness, the two embraced tightly, their breaths mingling.

"Captain," Suron's voice was a little hoarse, "it seems that your sacred object has also betrayed you."

Elena did not respond, which was unusual.

Su Long laboriously raised his hand and poked Elena's waist: "Aren't you getting up, Captain?"

Elena then replied with some difficulty, "I don't have the strength... could you move a little?"

Upon hearing this, Su Long sighed deeply, "Don't count on me, I don't have the strength left either."

"What should we do then?"

"Maybe I should just take a nap like this..."