Chapter 9: A New Commission
The voice made William dizzy.
But by now, he had finished chanting the exorcism scripture.
[Scripture Reading +1]
[Current Progress: Tier 1 (0/100)]
[Unlocked Ability: Focus. You have a profound understanding of the sacred texts. When evil forces attempt to inflict mental influence on you, the effect is significantly weakened.]
As this information surfaced, William felt his mind clear instantly.
Without hesitation, he began chanting the Exorcism Bible again.
At the same time, he took all the holy water, crucifixes, and other sacred artifacts he had on him and threw them all at "Saint" in one go.
This time, under the combined effect of multiple holy artifacts, the evil aura surrounding Saint was finally suppressed.
And that hair-raising voice did not appear again.
William was drenched in cold sweat.
"Phew..."
He took a deep breath.
That was truly too dangerous!
Fortunately, [Scripture Reading] leveled up at the critical moment and saved his life.
But William found it strange. He had never encountered such an entity before.
It seemed to involve some unknown existence.
If so, how could it be repelled so easily by him?
William narrowed his eyes, feeling that something was still off.
The venue was in shambles, with bodies and clothes scattered everywhere.
Aside from him, only the few exorcists lying on the ground were still alive.
William immediately decided to do a thorough "clean sweep."
So he picked up the remaining holy artifacts and walked up to each of the fallen black-robed figures.
Exorcism scriptures, crucifixes, holy water...
He went through the whole routine smoothly, giving special attention to the two leaders, not stopping until the cultists on the ground turned into ash.
At this moment, somewhere in the audience seating, a black-robed figure's pupils dilated slightly.
Saint had indeed briefly opened a certain dimension.
But because his physical body was weak, and the sacrificial ritual wasn't powerful enough, the entity only managed to send down a sliver of weak power.
Before it could stabilize, it was suppressed by William.
The entity hadn't expected a lowly priest to have means to protect his spirit and soul.
Therefore, moments before the "channel" closed, the entity managed to leave behind a trace of its aura.
Given enough time, this aura could gradually grow stronger.
It had planned to wait for the priest to leave before acting, but who would have thought the priest was this cautious!
However, the priest seemed to have run out of exorcism items.
The "black-robed figure" breathed a sigh of relief.
But in the next second, his pupils constricted in shock.
He saw the priest pull a bottle of holy water from under a potted plant.
"Damn it... I will remember you."
Sizzle...
The "black-robed figure" also turned into a pile of ash.
William didn't notice anything unusual. Seeing the melting process complete, he nodded.
"That's the last one."
At the same time, information appeared again.
[Holy Water Consecration +1]
[Current Progress: Tier 1 (79/100)]
This trip to the expo had greatly increased the progress of this skill.
He returned to the stage, packed up his things, and prepared to leave.
But just then, Gail's finger moved.
William thought for a moment. The forces behind her were significant. If she woke up now and saw him, it might lead to endless trouble.
"You just lie there a little longer."
He picked up a flower pot and walked over...
Shortly after, the police arrived.
That night, TV stations reported the incident.
"Cult activity discovered in the 13th Street Building. Approximately thirty people dead. Survivors claim to have witnessed supernatural forces. Police have launched an investigation into the Anomaly Council..."
One of the survivors, Gail, was currently in a luxury hotel suite.
She stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, a bandage on her forehead, wearing only two pieces of lingerie.
Her voluptuous figure was on full display.
Gail touched her waist, where a scar remained.
In her hand, she held an amulet. It had turned completely black.
She had been saved precisely because of this item.
"I think... I don't even know his name," Gail murmured.
That night, every branch of the Anomaly Council across the US received an email.
The content stated that the Council was looking for the mysterious person who resolved the 13th Street crisis.
To thank him, the Council wished to invite him for a meeting with the highest honors.
Respecting the privacy of this esteemed guest, the Council would not release any information related to him, hoping the mysterious person would contact them voluntarily.
That night, many Council members learned of such a figure.
After hearing about his deeds, they were all shocked.
Meanwhile, the instigator, William, had long since slipped away to a location several blocks away.
"What a loss. I took such a huge risk and only made 23 dollars."
But fortunately, [Scripture Reading] leveled up, which was a decent harvest.
Just as William was planning to study his new ability, a person suddenly popped out in front of him.
He immediately took five steps back, pulled out several holy artifacts, and prepared for battle. But when he saw who it was, he paused.
"Ma'am, I think I've seen you before."
The woman opposite him was Renai, who had patronized his business earlier.
Renai looked pleadingly at him. "Father, please help my child."
...
Since it was getting dark, William took Renai back to the church first.
Of course, she had to pass a series of tests before entering.
Just as William was about to close the door, another kid popped out.
"Father, you were awesome!"
William looked and saw it was Dustin.
He had also been saved by the amulet.
earlier in the theater, Dustin had witnessed William's exorcism process.
He had always been obsessed with knights, exorcisms, Dungeons & Dragons, and similar elements.
So he came to find William, planning to go on an adventure with him. That way, when he returned to Hawkins, he could brag to his buddies!
William listened with a helpless expression...
"Your parents don't care?"
Dustin claimed his parents were fine with him coming.
William was shocked. Were American parents really this laid back?
Anyway, the three of them gathered in the church.
William served two cups of holy water as per routine, and then Renai explained why she had sought him out.
After listening, William found it familiar.
It sounded like the plot of Insidious 1.
Thinking of this, he recognized the woman.
Recalling the content of the original work, based on the danger level, it seemed like a job he could take.
But Renai lived in Kentucky. That meant a business trip?
Then the fee...
Seeing William hesitate, Renai spoke again. "I would like to pay you $1,000 for your commission."
Renai didn't pick this number at random.
Before coming here, she had investigated. Hiring a well-known exorcist cost about this much.
Although the priest in front of her wasn't famous, she had just witnessed his power firsthand!
On the other side.
Hearing this number, William immediately stood up.
"Mrs. Lambert."
That was Renai's married name.
"I would be delighted to be of service. Please rest in the church tonight, and we will set off first thing tomorrow morning."
"What about me?!"
Dustin stood up.
"Suit yourself," William said dismissively.
Then he put on a serious face.
"Don't wander around at night. There are many evil spirits sealed in this place. If you accidentally run into one, I can't save you."
Dustin felt a chill run down his spine and looked around stiffly.
William nodded in satisfaction.
This way, the kid wouldn't run around and cause trouble in the middle of the night.
After settling the two of them, William set up a small Demon-Trapping Array and holy water artifacts in front of his bedroom door.
After all, the church never hosted people overnight before. This was just a precaution.
Renai slept soundly that night.
Whether it was because she saw hope or because she was in a church, she hadn't slept this peacefully in a long time.
Dustin, on the other hand, spent the entire night in fear.
The next day.
William got up early to complete his daily grind.
Because of his scripture practice, his energy levels were much higher than ordinary people.
[Cleansing Sight +1]
[Current Progress: Tier 1 (266/1000)]
[Scripture Reading +1]
[Current Progress: Tier 1 (1/100)]
[Existing Ability: Focus. You have a profound understanding of the sacred texts. When evil forces attempt to inflict mental influence on you, the effect is significantly weakened.]
The new ability provided specific protection for the mind.
Mental pollution, hallucinations, consciousness invasion...
These were common attack methods for monsters in American horror stories.
For William, this was a powerful trump card.
After a quick wash, William began preparing items for the field trip.
In addition to his daily use items, he needed to pack extra holy water, crucifixes, and other artifacts.
Meanwhile, the other two also got up.
William sent Dustin away first, then got into Renai's car to depart.
But halfway there, Dustin popped out from the back seat.
William had no choice but to take the brat along.
That afternoon, the three of them arrived at Renai's home.
William opened the car door.
In front of him was a brand-new house.
But in William's eyes, this place looked completely different.
Gloomy, chaotic, and crowded with shadows.
It was practically a playground for ghosts.
"Father, let's go in," Renai said, leading the way.
William stood motionless.
"No rush. Let me make some preparations first."