Chapter 75: Physical Salvation Professional Service - Now It Can Fly!
John looked up from behind his LA Times, adjusting his reading glasses. "You've been out early and back late these past few days. What are you so busy with? Jennifer's parents even called two days ago, asking if she's been with you all this time."
"We're preparing for a very important project," Edward lied smoothly, expression unchanged. "Academic stuff. Requires a lot of research and extensive field testing."
"Oh?" John was clearly interested. "What kind of project? Tell me about it—maybe I can offer some advice."
"Sorry, Dad. NDA." Edward spread his hands, giving him the classic 'you know how it is' look.
Watching his son's deliberately mysterious act, John shook his head helplessly and refocused on his newspaper. Meanwhile, Sarah emerged from the kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate, handing it to Edward.
"No matter how busy you are, you need to take care of yourself," she warned. "Oh, right—isn't your school heading to the state academic competition tomorrow? Have you packed everything?"
"Don't worry, Mom. All set." Edward took the mug, drained it in one go, and felt the warm liquid flow into his stomach, dispelling the last trace of fatigue from last night's battle.
Early next morning, the sun shone brilliantly.
A yellow school bus was parked at the school entrance, and students participating in the competition were boarding in small groups with their luggage.
Edward and his best friend Frank walked side by side, both carrying simple backpacks.
"Hey, Edward! Over here!" Jennifer waved excitedly from the bus window.
Today, Jennifer wore a striking cheerleader uniform—the classic red and white colors of their school. Two straight, slender legs extended from beneath her short pleated skirt, radiating youthful energy.
She wasn't a competitor, but as captain of the school's cheer squad, she'd be leading her team in supporting their school.
Edward and Frank boarded the bus and sat in the seats behind Jennifer.
"Master, last night... you worked so hard," Jennifer turned sideways, lowering her voice to a seductive tone only they could hear.
Her perception had grown exceptionally keen. Though she didn't know exactly what happened, she could sense a faint lingering aura of another spirit on Edward.
"Minor job," Edward leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, looking completely unbothered.
Frank, sitting nearby, adjusted his glasses and asked curiously, "What are you two whispering about? What minor job?"
"Nothing," Edward opened one eye. "We were discussing last night's episode of Supernatural."
The school bus slowly started, carrying a busload of laughter and chatter toward the neighboring state.
The daytime journey was pleasant. Students played cards, sang along to the radio, and chatted, creating a lively, relaxed atmosphere.
However, as time passed and night gradually fell, when the school bus turned onto a remote highway, the atmosphere began shifting.
"We're now entering Poho County on Route 9 East," the bus driver said to the athletic coach in charge through the rearview mirror. "This road has almost no traffic at night, but it cuts over an hour off our travel time."
Outside the windows stretched endless cornfields and wilderness. Pale moonlight cast eerie shadows across the landscape.
The lights inside the bus seemed particularly dim. Students who'd been lively earlier were now mostly quiet, either leaning against windows watching scenery or listening to music through earbuds.
Edward still had his eyes closed, seemingly dozing, but his mind was highly focused.
From the moment they entered this road, he'd felt a faint, elusive malice—like a pair of greedy eyes lurking in darkness, watching them.
Suddenly!
BANG—!
A loud explosion accompanied by violent jolting, and the entire school bus suddenly tilted to one side!
The driver frantically spun the steering wheel. Tires screeched against asphalt as the school bus carved a dangerous arc across the highway, finally wobbling to a stop on the shoulder.
Inside the bus, chaos erupted with screams and shouts.
"What the hell happened?!" Coach Davis, the bulky middle-aged athletics coach leading the trip, shouted.
"Blowout!" The driver jumped out to check, face grim. Soon he returned with something in hand, expression even paler. "It's not a normal blowout... the tire was punctured by this thing!"
He opened his palm, revealing a strangely shaped dart made entirely from polished animal bone with eerie patterns carved into it. Its tip was extremely sharp, bearing traces of dark red.
"What the hell is that?" Frank leaned in, full of questions.
Edward studied the bone dart, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
An evil and ancient aura clung to it, radiating hunger for flesh and blood.
"Everyone, stay on the bus!" Coach Davis realized the seriousness of the situation. He calmed the restless students. "It's safest inside! I'm going to check the back of the bus—see if there's anyone else around who can help."
He grabbed a flashlight and walked alone into the darkness behind the highway.
Minutes ticked by. The coach's figure was quickly swallowed by darkness, and his flashlight beam disappeared.
"AHH—!"
A short, shrill scream suddenly erupted from the darkness, then abruptly cut off.
Everyone on the bus heard it. Instantly, deathly silence enveloped the compartment, followed by even greater panic.
"That was Coach Davis!"
"Something happened! Something's out there!"
Jennifer instinctively grabbed Edward's arm. Her senses screamed that an extremely dangerous presence lurked in the darkness.
Just as everyone panicked, Edward suddenly stood up.
"I'll go check it out," he said calmly.
"Don't go! Edward! There's something dangerous out there!" Frank grabbed his arm.
Edward patted his hand, giving him a reassuring look, then ignored everyone's protests and walked straight off the bus.
The moment he stepped off, a strong stench of blood mixed with earth and decay hit him.
Without hesitation, he strode toward the direction of the scream.
He hadn't walked far when he found Coach Davis lying in a pool of blood, one leg brutally torn off, blood gushing from the wound.
Beside the coach crouched a dark figure, seemingly about to enjoy its "dinner."
"Hey," Edward's voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the silent night with exceptional clarity.
The dark figure suddenly froze and slowly turned around.
Edward then saw clearly it was a hunched humanoid creature. It didn't seem intent on immediate attack. Instead, it released a series of incomprehensible growls, then suddenly unfurled a pair of massive bat-like wings from its back, soared into the sky, and disappeared into the night.
Edward didn't pursue. He quickly moved to the coach's side and activated his Purification ability.
Soft white light covered the coach's wound. The bleeding stopped instantly. Though the severed leg couldn't be restored, his life was at least saved.
He carried the unconscious coach back to the bus. Everyone recoiled in horror at the coach's gruesome state.
"Monster! There's a monster out there!" The driver and Mr. Peterson, another supervising teacher, were pale with terror. "Quick! Everyone inside! We need to leave NOW!"
Before they could finish speaking, a loud BOOM suddenly came from the bus roof, as if something heavy had crashed onto it!
Immediately after, the bus window glass shattered with a violent CRASH from outside. A scaled hand with razor-sharp claws reached in, grabbed Mr. Peterson by the throat, and brutally dragged him out through the window!
"HELP ME!"
Another scream rang out, then abruptly cut off.
The driver was scared senseless. He scrambled toward the driver's seat, but as soon as one foot touched the step, the bus door was torn open from outside by immense force. The terrifying figure appeared in the doorway, reaching for him.
At that critical moment, a figure fast as lightning rushed from the back of the bus compartment!
"Get the hell back!"
Edward's voice was ice cold as he delivered a powerful roundhouse kick squarely to the monster's chest!
BANG!
With a dull impact, the monster was kicked flying backward, rolling several times across the ground before stopping.
Students on the bus seized the opportunity to pull the terrified driver back inside, then slammed the door shut.
Edward stood outside the bus, facing the monster as it slowly rose from the ground.
This time, under pale moonlight, he finally saw its full appearance.
It had a basic humanoid outline, but its entire body was filled with grotesque, terrifying details.
It wore a tattered trench coat seemingly sewn from human skin, and a wide-brimmed hat perched on its head.
Most striking were the huge, tattered bat wings on its back. Each flap brought gusts of fetid wind.
It raised its head, revealing a lipless face with two rows of dagger-sharp yellow fangs that sent shivers down the spine.
Most bizarre was its nose.
Above the original nasal bridge sat a faint, constantly twitching hole—like a third nostril.
Edward immediately understood. That nostril was used to hunt prey.
Not to smell scent, but to sniff out... fear.
The more intense a person's fear, the "sweeter" they smelled to it.
The monster released a series of "hissing" cackles. It extended its long tongue, licked its fangs, and locked its gaze on Edward.
It could sense this young man felt no fear whatsoever. Instead, he radiated a pure power that made it deeply uncomfortable.
But simultaneously, it could smell the rich, concentrated fragrance of fear emanating from those people inside the bus—supreme delicacy to its senses.
"ROAR!"
The monster hesitated no longer. It launched forward like a cannonball, sharp claws cutting through air with deadly intent.
Edward stood perfectly still, face showing no emotion.
"Replacing damaged body parts by eating people?" he muttered, a scene from a horror movie flashing through his mind. "That's a very... unsustainable lifestyle choice."
He recognized this creature now—The Creeper from Jeepers Creepers. An ancient demon that awakened every twenty-three years to feed for twenty-three days, hunting humans to harvest their body parts and regenerate itself.
And right now, they were in the middle of nowhere on Route 9.
Perfect hunting ground for this thing.
"Well," Edward cracked his knuckles, "at least this one can fly. Makes it more interesting than the last few."
As the Creeper lunged, Edward's eyes flashed silver.
Time to test if this thing could regenerate from complete obliteration.
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