Chapter 34: The Creeper
Demonologists with various unusual abilities were something they'd seen before.
But controlling evil was truly a first.
From the demonstration of this young man's abilities, his growth potential was very strong, and if he could develop properly, he would be a very powerful ally in the future.
However, Lorraine suspected this ability should have a cost.
If Danny was tempted to fall, that would be a huge problem for the Church.
Conversely, it was very likely they'd gain a powerful external helper in the future.
So, the Warren couple was willing to write a letter of recommendation for the Church, but only if Danny could prove he could fully control Art the Clown would they truly introduce him.
Of course, they were also willing to help Danny.
Danny didn't know the Warren couple's inner thoughts. He wanted to become a demonologist from beginning to end for the privileged status.
A demonologist can avoid too much trouble, and when facing supernatural events, he has a legitimate reason to intervene without arousing suspicion from others.
Coupled with the Church connection, many privileged individuals would grant him access.
After all, no one doesn't fear death.
The richer they are, the more they fear death.
After Danny withdrew Art the Clown,
the first thing Ed did was pat Danny on the shoulder and encourage him.
"We'll write the letter of recommendation as soon as we get back. If you encounter supernatural phenomena, try to leave and report it to the Church or notify us. That's not something you can handle right now."
Lorraine also said softly, "If you encounter any trouble you can't solve, you can contact me anytime."
The Warren couple was very concerned about Danny. Teenagers are most easily tempted and corrupted by evil.
If they weren't so busy, they would even want to stay and conduct a thorough review and investigation of Danny's psychological and family background.
Now they could only contact him by phone, and when they had free time, the Warren couple would visit Danny immediately to assess his abilities.
Danny nodded.
"I will, Mr. Warren."
The three exchanged phone numbers.
The Warren couple then left UCLA.
They were very busy—there were supernatural events everywhere that needed to be handled, and they had to discern the true from the false. Danny was the only person worth their extended attention.
As for others, like Lance Preston's interview requests, they were all refused.
This made Lance even turn his attention to Danny, but the latter refused even more directly, and then left with Trish and Darry.
When Danny first arrived at Darry's old, beat-up car, he fell into contemplation.
In the past, he always traveled in luxury vehicles.
Now suddenly switching to...
An old beater—would it really make it?
"How is it?" Darry asked rather proudly. For someone his age, owning a car was already something to be very proud of.
Danny's many thoughts ultimately turned into a single "Not bad."
Then he paid for a fill-up at the gas station.
After filling up,
Darry and Danny got into the car, with Darry driving. They still had to pick up his sister at a hotel near UCLA.
It was a bright and sunny weekend.
After Darry drove the old car out of the city, he turned onto a country road, driving with one hand and resting the other on the window frame, occasionally glancing at the scenery outside.
If Danny hadn't paid for gas, he really wouldn't have dared to take the slow country road.
In the back seat,
Trish was chatting excitedly with Danny. The journey was boring, and her brother would only argue with her.
Danny, as an outsider, naturally became the target of Trish's conversation.
Danny was also quite happy to chat with Trish. Her soft blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight. That golden hair color, combined with fair skin and bright eyes, was pleasant to look at.
A tight tank top outlined her figure, and her long legs were wrapped in jeans, perfectly showcasing her build.
"Danny, are you a transfer student?"
"Yes."
"Why did you suddenly come to California?"
"Because I'm very interested in the supernatural."
"Wow, you're really impressive. The Warren couple only stayed for you."
Trish was not stingy with her praise.
Danny just smiled at the compliment.
Darry, in the front driver's seat, suddenly asked, "Danny, can you drive?"
Danny: "No."
Darry continued, "Why not?"
Danny said helpfully, "Because my guardian doesn't let me drive yet. Says driving can be dangerous."
Darry fell silent, but his peer's pride didn't allow him to back down.
"Where do you live?"
"More specifically?"
"Collinwood Manor near Salem."
Darry hadn't spoken yet, but Trish exclaimed in surprise. Collinwood Manor was quite famous in New England.
With a history involving witches and dark legends, it was hard not to be famous.
The guy in front of her was actually connected to Collinwood Manor. It seemed a bit impossible no matter how you looked at it.
However, that was the truth, and Danny was too lazy to explain.
Explaining would only diminish the mystique.
Darry, however, truly didn't believe it and even suggested going to Collinwood Manor to see it.
When he said this, he tried to find signs of panic and guilt on Danny's face, but there were none.
From beginning to end, Danny remained indifferent.
Danny could answer all of Trish's various questions, so much so that by the end, Trish's eyes sparkled when she looked at Danny—don't misunderstand, it was purely admiration for capability.
Trish also wanted to visit Collinwood Manor, even if it was just to take a few photos to show off to those girls at school.
Darry drove feeling bored and dull.
His gaze flickered, and he suddenly noticed a strangely dressed person by the side of the road. In this weather, everyone wished they could just wear shorts.
Here was someone wearing a black, oversized coat and a wide-brimmed hat. Wasn't that strange?
Darry mentioned it.
His sister, Trish, wasn't interested. She kept sitting next to Danny, chatting, getting closer and closer until their legs were touching, and both could feel the contact caused by the occasional bumps in the road.
Facing the curious Trish, Danny instead turned his attention away from her and started chatting with Darry.
The specific topic was about the strange person by the roadside.
This made Trish very dissatisfied with her brother. They were having a nice conversation, and he just had to interrupt.
What was there to discuss about a strange person by the roadside?
In fact, the two chatted more and more intently.
Until an old truck silently followed behind them, which startled Darry.
He honked to signal the truck to pass, but the truck not only didn't pass but rammed into the rear of the car.
The vehicle shook violently.
Trish was almost thrown forward by the inertia, but fortunately, Danny reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
Darry couldn't help but stick his head out the window and yell at the back.
This outburst seemed to ignite the truck driver's rage. Without any reply, the collisions came more fiercely.
You can talk to my truck about it.
The old car was almost totaled. Seeing her brother still yelling, Trish, nestled in Danny's arms, told him to calm down.
Getting into a conflict with a large truck would only result in them getting hurt.
If something went wrong, they could have a serious accident.
Their lives would be lost.
"That truck doesn't want to let us go," Darry said loudly as he made several evasive maneuvers, looking in the rearview mirror and turning the steering wheel.
Finally, it ended with the car almost being destroyed and having to swerve off the road.
Darry stared intently at the truck. Although he couldn't see very clearly, he was sure the driver was the same strangely dressed person who'd been standing by the roadside earlier.
Trish was still shaken.
Danny, on the other hand, had already observed everything clearly through the ghost card.
[Traces of containable entity detected: The Creeper]
The Creeper, plus Trish and Darry—this was Jeepers Creepers.
It's all here.
Compared to the Hillickers,
although the Creeper could also be called a cannibal, the combat power of the two wasn't on the same level at all.
One mutated by chemical waste.
One was a pure ancient horror creature that had been dormant for decades and had just awakened. Not only did it have regenerative abilities, but it also had flight and powerful defense.
How strong was its defense? Heavy gunfire could barely slow it down.
It was completely a flying version of the alpha crawler.
Of course, the second stage might not be comparable, but it was still extremely formidable.
This was at least an elite-tier monster.
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