Chapter 237 – Purification and Aftermath (2 in 1)
Several minutes later, a bizarre scene unfolded on the stage.
A priest lay sprawled atop a grotesque monster, his face nearly pressed against its blood-soaked flesh.
Seven beams of pure white light shone from the creature's body, pinning it in place under the force of holy power.
Around Gideon's pupils, a complete golden ring had already formed—and a second ring was being engraved at a speed visible to the naked eye.
At the same time, holy radiance poured from his eyes, projected directly onto the Smile Entity.
As expected of a being from an Unknown Realm, the creature's soul contained an immense reservoir of primal power.
To Gideon, it was practically a cultivation resource that had delivered itself to his doorstep.
"S-stop… stop!"
Only the creature's mouth could still move now, its voice reduced to desperate pleas.
Who could have imagined that a powerful interdimensional evil spirit would fall at the hands of a human?
As its corrupted essence was rapidly assimilated, the Smile Entity felt as though its very heart—if it even possessed one—was bleeding.
Powerful.
Perverse.
Cruel.
These were the words the Smile Entity used to describe the priest currently devouring it.
It was shocked by the speed at which Gideon absorbed and purified evil.
As a being that fed on human fear, it had studied the Church's methods. It knew how difficult the Four Theological Paths were to cultivate, how even the most gifted clerics had to guard constantly against corruption.
But this man—
This man treated it like a treasure.
Perhaps influenced by the Cursed Smile Mask, Gideon felt even more exhilarated as the creature begged.
"Your soul will become the steps of my cultivation," he said calmly,
"and your body will be reduced to sanctified remains."
The assimilation intensified.
"Abandon resistance. In the end, you will become part of the Holy Light."
If anyone else were present, the Smile Entity would have screamed—
Does this look like a man of the Church to you?!
But no one heard its suffering.
Facing annihilation, it compromised again.
"Wait! If you let me go, I'll release all the extracted souls!"
"Let you go…?" Gideon repeated slowly, savoring the words, before flashing a wide grin.
"You can keep talking. This is an incredibly enjoyable session of cultivation."
That wasn't the point at all!
The Smile Entity was horrified.
Above them, the massive vortex suddenly reversed, and the trapped souls spilled out, rushing back toward their bodies.
This wasn't mercy.
Its power was collapsing.
With its evil essence rapidly drained, the Smile Entity could no longer sustain the curse. It could only watch helplessly as its path to ascension crumbled.
"Damn it! I'd rather permanently destroy my own soul than become food for a human!"
The crimson body began to crack violently, its soul destabilizing.
"I don't recall granting you permission to self-destruct."
A steel spike punched straight through its lower jaw.
A violent surge of holy power brutally severed the unstable energy.
The Smile Entity lost even the ability to scream.
Like a sacrificial lamb, it could only watch as the priest devoured it alive.
---
Tens of minutes later, the second golden ring around Gideon's pupils was fully engraved.
The monster beneath him had become an empty shell, collapsing into fine ash the moment Gideon stood up.
"Crack… crack…"
He rolled his neck and stood still for a moment.
Then, with a sharp motion, he tore the mask from his face.
"Huff… huff…"
Gideon gasped for air, staring at the object in his hand with mixed emotions.
While wearing the mask, he had been perfectly aware of his actions—but emotionally distant, as though an opposing aspect of his personality had been amplified without limit.
Under normal circumstances, being that close to an evil spirit would have filled him with anxiety, his mind flashing through dozens of American horror movie death flags.
Yet earlier, his focus had been entirely on the evil spirit itself.
Blood.
Pleading.
Combat.
They thrilled him.
"Where the hell did this thing even come from…?" he muttered.
Still, the benefits were undeniable.
With the mask on, his combat style had transformed completely.
The coordination between holy water and arrays, the precision use of sealing spikes—
It was as though he had discovered an entirely new way to wield himself.
That realization alone vastly expanded his combat experience.
After careful consideration, Gideon made a decision:
Unless soul extraction was involved, he would avoid using the Cursed Smile Mask in the future.
Close-quarters combat was exhilarating—but the risks were far greater.
One mistake could be fatal.
Putting the mask away, he focused inward and felt the power in his eyes.
The Smile Entity had been strong enough to complete the second golden ring in one go.
Previously, he had spent a long time in the Exorcism Workshop just to carve a fragment of it.
"Living evil spirits really are the most effective," he nodded to himself.
Reaching this stage revealed something new.
He could now see the faint auras surrounding the descending souls—a manifestation unique to living beings.
By projecting holy power, he could influence those auras.
For example—blocking a soul's path.
When he tried it, the soul's "face" showed confusion, drifting aimlessly.
Startled, Gideon immediately let it pass.
But his heart raced.
Would this work on evil spirits as well?
If so, he might one day restrain demons from afar, avoiding dangerous close combat entirely.
Setting the thought aside, he surveyed the venue.
The giant screens were dark.
The stage lights extinguished.
The arena lay in silence.
With the Smile Entity gone, the vortex had shrunk to almost nothing.
The audience lay scattered across their seats.
Using Ethereal Sight, Gideon confirmed they were alive—once their souls fully returned, they would awaken.
"This got a bit… excessive."
The ashes on the stage were invisible to ordinary people, but the massive crater certainly wasn't.
Fortunately, Bowen had said it himself—
As long as the problem is solved, everything else is negotiable.
"Let them worry about it," Gideon muttered.
He downed several more bottles of thirty-year holy water in one go.
His reckless fighting style had nearly drained his reserves.
After resting briefly, he found Grande backstage.
She was alive, merely suffering from delayed soul reintegration like the others.
Gideon carried her to the edge of the stage and opened his scriptures to the Gospel.
"Merciful Father, Holy Mother, Holy Son…
These pitiful souls were assaulted by evil, their spirits shaken.
I beseech You—grant them divine peace and return their souls in serenity…"
As he prayed, the souls streaked back into their bodies.
Audience members stirred.
Signs of awakening.
Gideon then picked up his radio.
---
Outside the Arena
Police vehicles lined the streets.
Every officer waited tensely for orders.
Inside a surveillance van, Bowen, the Warren couple, Gordon, and several others surrounded a radio, eyes locked on the indicator light.
Only exterior footage played on the monitors—at Gideon's request.
Not only to prevent the Smile Curse from spreading, but because he didn't want his battle witnessed.
Bowen wiped sweat from his brow repeatedly, tempted more than once to call in.
Each time, Judy stopped him.
"If Father Gideon is still in concealment, calling him could expose him."
So Bowen waited, silently praying—despite not being religious.
At last, static crackled.
"Done."
One word.
Bowen's heart leapt into his throat.
He snatched the radio, forcing his voice to remain steady.
"F-Father Gideon… do you mean—"
"The evil spirit has been purified," Gideon replied.
"Other than structural damage to the venue, there are no casualties."
Bowen exploded with relief.
He slapped Gordon's shoulder hard.
"Ha! I knew the man you brought wouldn't disappoint!"
Gordon twitched.
You definitely didn't say that at first, he thought.
But he was just as relieved—no forced retirements for the department.
As he reached for the radio, Judy beat him to it.
"Gideon! Are you hurt?!" she blurted out.
Lorraine, standing nearby, couldn't help but smile helplessly at her daughter's reaction.
Ed, on the other hand, felt a twinge of jealousy. Ever since Judy began learning exorcism from Gideon, the couple's quiet, happy family moments had noticeably dwindled.
Still, what he felt more than anything was relief.
Over this period of time, their daughter had changed dramatically. She was no longer as withdrawn as before. On the rare occasions she went back to school, she could even initiate conversations with her classmates.
Exorcism had genuinely changed her life.
Seeing Judy like this, the couple finally felt at ease about her future.
"Sorry for worrying you. I'm fine," Gideon said calmly.
"By the way, pass the radio to the chief. There's still some cleanup work to take care of."
"Here." Judy handed it over.
"Father Gideon, do you have any further instructions?" Bowen now addressed him with full respect.
"All audience members inside the venue must undergo a complete exorcism ritual," Gideon replied. "Please have your officers maintain order."
He paused, then added, "And don't forget the necessary safety precautions."
Chief Bowen straightened instinctively.
"Your instructions will be carried out!"
---
Soon after, the officers standing by nearby all received confirmation that the mission had been completed successfully. Cheers erupted as they congratulated one another.
Only a dozen or so elite officers from the Philadelphia Police Department knew the full truth. Every one of them held deep admiration for the priest.
While waiting outside earlier, they had already sensed something abnormal within the venue.
They never imagined that evil spirits and demons truly existed in this world. Fortunately, Father Gideon had been standing on their side.
"Oh man—this weekend I'm definitely going to church with Susie," one officer said. "I always used work as an excuse before, but it turns out redemption really does exist."
"Hah, Susie's going to be thrilled that you finally came around…"
Similar conversations played out in many places. Quite a few elite officers found themselves genuinely considering becoming believers.
This, in fact, had always been one of the Church's original intentions in establishing the commission system.
---
The purification rituals that followed went smoothly.
With police maintaining order, the audience cooperated fully. Using a large-scale holy array, Gideon eliminated the remaining traces of evil lingering within them.
Some audience members questioned their loss of consciousness, but Bowen was well prepared with an explanation:
"According to information from the National Security Agency, a group known as Libanta planned a poisoning attack during the concert. Fortunately, local law enforcement responded in time and prevented further action. The audience merely inhaled a substance that caused temporary disorientation, and treatment has already been administered…"
Yes—Bowen ultimately went with that explanation.
Somewhere in the Middle East, a certain organization inexplicably took the blame.
Meanwhile, the upper echelons of the United States used the incident as leverage to extract further benefits—details that would emerge later.
For the general public, a terrorist plot was far easier to accept than an invasion by evil spirits.
Though skepticism lingered online, conspiracy theories were nothing new in America. Most people treated the news as little more than dinner-table conversation.
As for the higher authorities, they received a complete and classified operation report.
Given the long-standing cooperation between the government and the Church, no one summoned Gideon for questioning. Instead, he was awarded a substantial bonus.
On the Church's side, he was formally commended in writing for his exemplary conduct and guidance.
---
One Week Later
The concert incident gradually faded from public attention.
Grande invited Gideon and Judy to attend her upcoming tour, but Gideon declined, citing the demands of his training.
This time, it wasn't an excuse.
He had been genuinely busy.
Beyond replenishing holy artifacts, he conducted a thorough review of his theological cultivation progress.
The data on his internal "panel" continued to rise steadily. Among them, Holy Water Purification, Scripture Reading, and Ignatian Exercises were all nearing completion.
These three were critical to his advancement.
Holy Water Purification enhanced his efficiency in assimilating evil.
Scripture Reading allowed rapid recovery of holy power—essential not only in combat but also in daily cultivation.
Ignatian Exercises strengthened the refinement of his physical vessel.
After careful comparison, Gideon realized that his reconstructed body surpassed other "physically manifested" clerics in both resilience and mobility.
Perhaps this was another benefit granted by the panel itself.
More importantly, he had also made significant progress in the Four Theological Disciplines.
At present, he had cultivated three stages: Eyes, Body, and Soul.
Aside from the Body stage—which remained at Level One—the other two had reached at least Level Two.
The Four Disciplines consisted of seven total stages, each containing no fewer than four tiers of sacred arts.
At first glance, Gideon's progress might not seem impressive.
But that depended entirely on comparison.
Across the entire Church, it was doubtful anyone else cultivated three theological stages simultaneously.
Perhaps institutions like the Vatican might produce such prodigies—but for most clerics, dedicating a lifetime to even one primary stage was common.
By any reasonable standard, Gideon was extraordinarily rare—though he himself had no such awareness.
As he continued cultivating multiple stages in parallel, he soon discovered something important.
Many stages required direct tempering of the body with holy power.
For example:
Bones required forging a connection between holy power and the skeleton.
Sacred Heart demanded shattering the heart and reforging it entirely with holy energy.
No matter the manifestation path, the demand for holy power was immense.
Fortunately, with Scripture Reading progressing steadily, Gideon could recover holy power at triple the normal rate—placing his potential far beyond that of ordinary clerics.
As he accepted more commissions, he increasingly realized that combating evil often required vastly different approaches.
Thus, Gideon made a quiet decision:
He would cultivate all seven theological stages to high-tier sacred arts.
That way, no matter what kind of evil spirit or demon he faced, he would always have a method to respond.
What he didn't know—
Was that if any Church cleric heard this ambition, they would almost certainly conclude that Gideon had lost his mind.