Time flowed quietly.
A long while passed.
Until he felt his Spirit weary, York finally stopped the rhythm of the Consecration and looked at the tabletop.
At this point, he had consecrated two hundred and twenty bullets—meaning two hundred and twenty holy bullets. He had essentially paced himself perfectly; otherwise, his eighty-some points of Spirit wouldn't have been enough to sustain the process.
"Whew..."
York exhaled softly and silently summoned his status panel.
[York]
[...]
[Spirit: 20/83]
[...]
He had reached his limit.
Seeing only 20 points of Spirit remaining, York massaged the bridge of his nose.
He hadn't been idle during the process of consecrating the two hundred and twenty holy bullets; he had been experimenting throughout.
Consecration was indeed like enchanting; the only difference was that one used Spirit while the other used Mana.
The fundamental difference was that if his Mana was depleted, he would at most feel an empty sensation in his stomach, with no major consequences.
But Spirit seemed to encompass his actual psyche.
Whenever it dropped below twenty points, he would feel a swelling sensation in his head, and below ten points, he would feel a headache.
So after his experiments, York set twenty points as the dividing line, his baseline... "One hundred and twenty bullets is enough for now." York stopped massaging his nose and silently tidied up, placing the bullets one by one into an ammo box marked 'Holy'. Once everything was fully prepared, he would no longer be restricted by anything in the future.
Having finished packing the bullets, York felt a ripple of excitement looking at the golden brass. To be honest, he really wanted to find a wraith or a demon now to test the effects of these holy bullets.
He also wanted to see what a recording played from a consecrated mobile phone would be like.
If it was effective, would other technological products work as well?
Unfortunately, until Robert's family arrived, he didn't have the chance to experiment. Even his plan to produce holy water from pure water through Consecration was interrupted.
[9:34 PM]
[Tem Community]
"..."
"Robert, these are the keys to the house. Be sure to keep them safe."
Handing the keys to Robert, whose face was flushed with gratitude, York looked at the house filled once again with laughter and joy. A hint of nostalgia flickered in his eyes as he remembered that white-haired old man who walked slowly and often cursed his own body.
"Thank you! Father Yorkes!" Robert took the keys with a trembling hand, his eyes red as he looked at the priest before him.
During his most difficult period after hitting rock bottom, the priest before him had given him a brand new life and a chance to start over.
"Thank you for giving me the chance to start anew."
"You're welcome, Robert."
Seeing that the six-foot-plus Robert was on the verge of tears again, York patted his shoulder and said gently,
"After all, the rent for this house will be deducted from your salary, so this is a result you've earned through your own hard work."
Robert took a deep breath, his eyes burning with endless fervor.
"Father Yorkes! I will definitely work hard!"
York smiled and handed over another set of keys.
"Alright, Robert. These are the keys to the Pluto Church's main gate, the main building, and the annex. Your job is to open the doors every day at nine o'clock so the faithful can come in to pray, even if I'm not there."
"In addition to that, you'll be responsible for the cleaning of the church grounds and both the main and auxiliary buildings."
"As for other matters, you'll handle them when I need you..."
Robert took the keys and said seriously,
"Understood, Father Yorkes! Starting tomorrow, I will definitely open the doors on time!"
"Good. I'll be counting on you from now on."
With someone to open the doors every day, York felt a sense of relief. He looked at the house filled with laughter and smiled warmly.
"Go inside. Celebrate with your family."
With that, before Robert could say anything, York turned and walked toward his Ford Raptor.
The invitation Robert was about to offer got stuck in his throat. He stared blankly at the broad back quickly disappearing into the night, suddenly feeling that Father Yorkes seemed very lonely in that moment... "..."
Once in the driver's seat, York couldn't help but look toward the house. Robert had already turned and gone inside.
York pursed his lips, subconsciously thinking of the ceaseless laughter. He could imagine the liveliness within.
"Damn! I'm actually feeling a bit homesick."
York cursed inwardly, a trace of loneliness appearing in his eyes. He thought of the peaceful nation in his past life, of his parents... Once upon a time, he had such lively moments too and had never known the taste of loneliness. Now, he was always walking alone in this strange world.
"You loser! Aren't you used to it by now? Keep it up!" Cursing himself harshly, York rubbed his face vigorously. He took one last look at Old Brown's house, shifted gears, and pressed the accelerator with his right foot, preparing to head home.
Before he could drive off, his phone suddenly rang.
York stopped and looked at the center console screen connected to his phone.
"Lorraine?"
York' heart stirred.
Is there work?
Knowing The Warrens' habits, this couple who were always on the front lines of the paranormal generally wouldn't call him unless something was happening.
In other words, this call was very likely related to a supernatural incident.
If it was a supernatural incident, there was a high probability it would trigger a random quest, which meant more attribute points coming in.
It was precisely for this reason that he kept in touch with The Warrens.
He couldn't help it; the probability of him encountering a supernatural incident on his own was far lower than that of The Warrens, who had been on TV and given lectures on the subject.
Perhaps that was the power of fame or the so-called celebrity effect.
Some people who experienced supernatural events and were at their wits' end wouldn't think of seeking the Church; instead, they would first find The Warrens whom they'd seen on TV.
York pushed aside his previous mood and silently tapped the green icon on the console screen.
As soon as he clicked and the call connected, Lorraine's voice rang out in the car.
"Father Yorkes."
York leaned back against the seat, looking at the brightly lit house, and said calmly,
"Yes, what is it, Lorraine?"
Lorraine's voice was very gentle, but as he had guessed, The Warrens only called him when there was work.
"Ed and I have confirmed another supernatural incident. Are you interested in coming to take a look tomorrow? The location this time is very close to Pluto Church..."
Hearing there was a supernatural incident, York didn't hesitate.
"Lorraine, you know I've always been concerned and focused on supernatural incidents, so... give me the address."
As he spoke, York withdrew his gaze, thinking of the holy bullets and the consecrated phone he had just made today.
"All evil must be purged!"
"..."