Door-To-Door Demonic Possession

When Manduka arrived from his Mountain Gondola trip, Ged was nowhere to be seen. He had specifically asked Ged to wait for him, yet frustratingly, Ged had moved on without him.

Manduka's eyes darted anxiously across the rainbow path. Where the hell is he? He couldn't have gone far.

There were only two directions to choose from. Unfortunately, Ged had gone upward, while Manduka had chosen to go down. Manduka had barely taken a few steps before doubt crept in.

Did he abandon me? I thought he promised to help me possess a human. Why didn't he wait for me? A grimace formed on his face as he searched the rainbow path, but there was no sign of Ged. Panic set in as he ignored his better judgment and traveled upward.

As he ascended the mountain, a scene came into view that made his breath catch.

Ged stood in front of the frog demon, Saha. They were clearly trading experiences. Manduka even overheard Saha say, "Thanks for the advice."

Ged had traded information with another demon, gaining insights without him. Was he going to back out on his word?

"Ged?" he called out, his voice trembling. "Don't tell me…"

Ged's eyes narrowed as he turned to face Manduka, who stood frozen, hesitation written all over his face.

"What?" Ged asked coldly.

"You're going to abandon me… aren't you?" Manduka cried out.

Ged blinked.

"Say it isn't so! I know that demon gave you plenty of insights, but I'm still useful to you!" Manduka's voice was taut with panic.

A wave of irritation washed over Ged. Now that he had the map he needed, his reliance on Manduka had diminished. Squinting, he rubbed his chin in thought. He seriously considered abandoning Manduka.

Manduka grew more fervent.

"I-I can pay you with some more sensations," Manduka stammered. "Please, don't leave me, great one."

An orb emerged from Manduka's forehead, filling with experiences as he prepared to offer Ged one of his most prized sensations.

"As long as you give me pointers on human possession… my knowledge is yours to use, and yours alone."

Ged's eyes widened in alarm as the orb filled with experiences. The last time Manduka had given him 'sensations,' Ged had endured the most intense pain of his life.

Ged stopped him from continuing. "No, wait! You misunderstand. I haven't abandoned anyone. Keep your experiences. And put that damn orb away," he snapped.

Manduka's face brightened. He hesitated, then slowly retracted his thought stream. "You sure?"

"Yes, put it away," Ged replied, his expression softening. "I've retrieved useful notes on some great places for human demonic possession. Take a look and tell me what you think."

Ged retrieved one of the fifteen interpretations of Planet Blue Eagle and placed it before him. The frozen Purple Palace, containing an image of Planet Blue Eagle, hovered silently in place. Then he pulled out the Golden Scimitar from his trade with Saha. Gripping it overhead, he swung it downward. Using the scimitar's duplicating ability, two frozen palaces appeared before him.

"Here." He handed one of the maps to Manduka. "This was given to me by that demon I ran into. I want to travel there and check it out. Tell me what you think."

Manduka eagerly took the map. "So many humans, what a great find!" His eyes scanned the ancestral door-knocking notes Saha had passed down.

"But…" A wry expression crossed his face. "This place is too far away. We will need some Mountain Traveling Sensations. Otherwise, reaching it will be impossible."

Ged knitted his brow. Mountain Traveling Sensations? I wonder if any of these are what he means?

He had accumulated a vast collection of experiences, which he had taken from demons at the Possession Obelisk, but he was unsure of their exact nature. He wondered if he already possessed the experience Manduka was referring to.

"Do any of these look like Mountain Traveling Sensations?" Ged asked.

Ged searched his Tree of Mysteries, a fractal tree of infinite branches where he stored all his sensations. He withdrew several orbs of experience and placed them out for Manduka to inspect.

The orbs emitted a fishy stench. Brown spots covered their surface, making them look shriveled and decayed, like rotten fruit.

Manduka examined them with a pained expression. "I recognize these. They are the rotten experiences you took from the corpses of demons at the Possession Obelisk. They cannot be used. You should throw them out. Why are you so cruel? Let those poor demons rest in peace." He solemnly gazed at the orbs, his expression full of pain.

Ged frowned. He had never intended to pick up these orbs; they had been drawn to him, seemingly attracted to the Green Grassy Hill. He wasn't desecrating the demons on purpose. Even if he wanted to release the rotten experiences, he didn't know how. Every time he tried, the Green Grassy Hill would shine, and the experiences would return to him.

He inspected the Green Grassy Hill with a thoughtful expression.

An idea formed in his mind.

"Forget the fact that these are rotten experiences. Just tell me if any of these were once Mountain Traveling Sensations." He gestured to the orbs in front of him. "I have something I want to test."

Manduka was clearly frustrated. "You're not listening. If you keep them around for too long, they'll rot you from the inside out. You aren't only desecrating a demon's existence, you are also slowly killing yourself."

Ged's eyes narrowed further. "Just do as I say, or else I'll find another demon to help me." His voice was cold.

Manduka gritted his teeth. "Fine." Scanning the orbs, he pointed out two sensations among the bunch. "These two were once Mountain Traveling experiences."

Ged didn't waste any time. Internally, the Green Grassy Hill shone with light. Two strands of green energy emerged from within, rushing toward the rotten Mountain Traveling Sensations at lightning speed. The decayed experiences pulsed with green light as the brown spots retracted, their surfaces cleansed.

Within the now-purified orbs, two red mountains floated, glowing with renewed energy.

Manduka's eyes widened in disbelief. "What did you just do?"

"I used the Peak Concept to restore them," Ged answered truthfully. Manduka already knew about the Green Grassy Hill inside his chest, calling it the Peak Concept, so there was no point in hiding it.

"The Peak Concept?!" Manduka took a step back. "That's impossible. That's not how the Peak Concept works. The Peak is the eraser of all things, destroying everything in its path to be remolded in its image. It doesn't have the ability to restore rotten experiences." His jaw tightened. "How did you just do that?"

Ged furrowed his brow. What is this thing? He had barely begun to grasp the Peak, and now Manduka was saying this wasn't an ability of the Peak at all. The revelation left Ged stunned. He stared at the Green Grassy Hill, then turned his gaze back to Manduka.

"It doesn't matter," Ged said, deciding to change the subject. "These orbs are now fixed. How do I go about using them?" He held one of the refurbished orbs, examining it curiously.

Manduka could only stare at Ged in awe. He truly must be an archdemon. Those of high nobility always have their strange methods. Shaking off his thoughts, he gave Ged an explanation.

"Connect your thoughts to the sensation, and imagine yourself traveling the slopes of the mountain, eventually arriving at your destination," Manduka explained casually.

Ged handed him one of the refurbished Mountain Traveling sensations.

Manduka took out the map depicting one interpretation of Planet Blue Eagle and pointed to a specific door marked on it. "Let's travel here," he said.

Ged nodded, standing by and watching carefully to see how Manduka performed the task.

A thought stream emerged from Manduka's forehead, moving toward the sensation. Then, in a blur of light, he vanished from sight.

Ged squinted, his expression flickering with astonishment. Truly incredible, no matter how many times I see it. Sensations are always so profound and mysterious.

He had plenty of sensations and experiences, yet he still wasn't sure how to use them effectively. But now was not the time to sort through them all.

A thought stream emerged from Ged's forehead, flowing straight into the Mountain Traveling sensation. As he immersed himself in the experience of traveling mountains, he envisioned himself arriving at the designated meeting spot Manduka had pointed towards.

The world blurred as vivid images of the rainbow mountain slopes rushed past him at blistering speed. Ged felt his eye sockets dry out; before he could even blink, the sensation ended, and he had arrived.

Then, everything came to an abrupt halt.

Vertigo hit him hard, nausea creeping through his form as he stumbled. Having experienced instant travel before, he had expected this reaction, yet it still left him disoriented. Unlike the eager Manduka, who had already begun outlining the doors he was going to knock.

"I'll start here... no wait, maybe I will first go to this one," Manduka muttered to himself, flipping through the records with a stupid grin.

Ged slowly regained his composure, adjusting to his surroundings. Similar to the previous section of the mountain, an array of doors lined the rainbow path spiraling up Mount Existence.

Pulling out the corresponding door-knocking notes, he carefully matched the entries with the doors ahead.

Piece of grass… unmarked… unmarked… insect… he muttered inwardly, identifying the species behind each door using the information provided.

One entry, however, made him pause.

"Chair?" He raised an eyebrow. "How could a chair answer a door?" He massaged his forehead as he stared at the fifth doorway. The urge to knock stirred within him, his curiosity piqued. He took a step forward.

But before he could knock, Manduka's voice cut in.

"Alright, I figured it out! Let's go!" Manduka exclaimed, ecstatic. He had finally decided on the order in which they would knock.

When he saw Ged approaching the door, he quickly stopped him. "That chair is dangerous. Its consciousness is incredibly potent. Things could get ugly if we try to disturb it." Now come, let's not waste any more time and go possess a human!" A wide grin stretched across his face as he raced ahead.

Ged raised an eyebrow. A chair? Dangerous. He let out a sigh. He was already used to the strangeness of the demon world.

I should only deal with beings in human form. Everyone else is nothing but trouble.

Shaking his head, he ascended the spiraling rainbow path, following Manduka toward the first door.

Eventually, they stopped in front of an unassuming door. Ged double-checked the notes.

Male human; reclusive and antisocial. Hard sell for demonic possession.

He didn't like the sound of that. Getting information from someone like him would be difficult. Yet, he said nothing to stop Manduka from trying his luck.

His mind was still working on what questions to ask to determine whether this Planet Blue Eagle was truly his own or if he needed to search elsewhere.

Manduka eagerly approached the door.

A spectral hand emerged from Manduka's forehead, giving the door a firm knock.

The door creaked open slightly, revealing the silhouette of a disheveled man who peered out warily.

"What do you want?" he growled.

Manduka straightened his posture.

"Hello, sir! I am but a humble lesser demon, and I am in absolute admiration of your hard-earned human shape. I do hope you make—"

The door slammed shut.

Ged frowned. That was fast.

Manduka marched back, irritation written all over his face. "No-good, lousy human. Doesn't know what's good for him," he muttered, shaking his head. He quickly tried to lift his own spirits. "Whatever. Demonic possession is a game of miles, not inches."

Ged could only sigh.

Manduka's eyes sparkled. "So... What did you think of the attempt?"

Ged massaged his temple. "Uh... It could use some work... Maybe try a different introduction. Yours... wasn't very appealing."

Manduka shook his head. "Yeah, I agree I was a little rusty. It was the first door, you know how it is. Had to get the rocks out of my mouth."

Ged looked at Manduka incredulously.

The two stood in silence as Manduka directed them to their next unlucky target.

After several unanswered doors, Manduka and Ged finally found another human willing to acknowledge their presence.

"My name's Manduka. I am a demon—"

Slam!

An elderly woman in her nightgown wasn't having any of it, shutting the door almost as soon as Manduka got a single sentence out.

Manduka gritted his teeth. "Whatever... there's always another door," he muttered, trying to psych himself up.

Ged was starting to feel alarmed. How can I get any information out of these humans if they won't hold a conversation for more than a few seconds?

With Manduka leading the way, the pair of door-to-door demonic possessors continued their trek across the rainbow slopes of Mount Existence.

After another ten doors slammed in his face, Manduka finally managed to find someone who listened to his awful spiel for more than five seconds.

"Now, once my demonic possession takes effect, your weak and useless human body will be no more. You will transcend your limits and become a god among your peers, becoming the man you have always dreamed of being. All I need from you—"

Slam!

A young boy, no older than nine, had heard enough. Ged and Manduka stared blankly at the closed door in front of them.

Tears formed beneath Manduka's eyes as the weight of constant failure pressed down on him. "How? Why? What am I doing wrong?" he lamented.

Ged was starting to grow angry.

"Why did you have to insult him? Why the hell would anyone listen to you when you're calling them weak and useless?" Ged snapped.

Manduka shot Ged a glare. "Because he is," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "What am I supposed to do? Tell him his life's perfect? Your advice is fucking awful. The only people who want to be possessed by demons are weak losers. I'm just narrowing in on my desired customer base. It's called a Narrow Market Strategy, and it's smart business." He lifted his head proudly.

A vein bulged on Ged's forehead.

"You have no idea what you are talking about."

"Why don't you let me try knocking on a door?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Manduka suddenly panicked. "What if you get an easy one? I don't want to sit idly by while you possess all the humans. I want to possess them myself. Why are you doing this? I thought you were here to help me! Don't be so selfish."

Ged nearly exploded.

"You ask for my help? Yet you refuse to listen to a single word I say. What is even the point of me being here?"

Manduka stammered. "It's not that I don't appreciate your help… it just takes me a little time to process your feedback."

A cold chuckle escaped his lips as an idea took root. "If words aren't your style, maybe we should try something else."

From within his chest, the Green Grassy Hill emerged, hovering over his head like a specter.

Manduka's eyes went wide with terror. He took a step back.

"What are you doing with that?" he stammered. "No! Put it away! I was wrong! I'll follow every word you say from now on. You are right. I am too headstrong. Please don't erase me with your Peak Concept!" he begged through tears.

Ged glanced at the floating Green Grassy Hill with a strange expression. He didn't trust Manduka's claims that it was so dangerous as to erase things from existence. After all, it had restored the two Mountain Traveling Sensations and improved his advice to Saha. Clearly it had some mending properties.

It was the only thing he could think of that might actually help Manduka get better at demonic possession.

Without hesitation, he sent out a strand of green energy, directing it at Manduka with lightning speed.

Manduka's eyes widened in horror.

Ah!

A frail yell escaped his lips as the green energy surged into his forehead.

Manduka's face slackened, his eyes turning vacant.

Ged's pupils shrunk.

"Manduka?" he asked, concern creeping into his voice.