With a click, Todd stood silently, his gaze lingering on the wall equipped with the secret door, right where Hillery had just left. After about four or five seconds, he turned to face the computer and the barcode scanner before picking up the phone beside him.
"Hello, Todd, what's the matter?" Old Mike's aged voice came through the phone.
"Bishop Mike, Hillery has returned," Todd replied respectfully.
There was a moment of silence on the line before Old Mike responded, "I know." The sound of the phone hanging up followed, and Todd silently put the phone down and continued his duties as a cashier.
Meanwhile, in an underground space larger than the convenience store, equipped with various amenities for entertainment and leisure, Old Mike, wearing a white coat like a researcher, also put down the phone. His brow furrowed slightly as he muttered to himself, "Why has the boy come back?"
Without dwelling on it, Old Mike moved to the other side of his desk and typed a few keys on the keyboard.
The screen immediately displayed the video feed he wanted to see. It showed a person greeting familiar demons as he headed straight to Mike's laboratory. It looked like he would arrive shortly.
"This boy," muttered Old Mike as he scrutinized Hillery's uniform, much like Todd had done above.
"He really looks the part," he observed, unsure if he felt reassured. He didn't even know what his own expression was. If Todd came down and saw his bishop looking like this, he would probably be surprised and understanding.
His gaze softened, and a slight smile played on his lips—a father proud of his son finding his path or enjoying what he does or simply happy and proud of his child.
"He seems more mature." Old Mike watched as Hillery approached calmly, talking to himself again.
"It looks like being with Bishop York has indeed given him some valuable experience."
As he mused, Old Mike looked up toward the door.
Soon, a knocking sound came from the door, causing Old Mike to chuckle despite himself.
"Come in."
The door opened, revealing Hillery. He saw his father, still busy with some curious gadget behind the desk, and smiled.
"Old man, I'm back."
Now, Old Mike's expression had returned to its usual calmness, showing none of the fatherly warmth from before.
"Why are you back? Aren't you supposed to be guarding Bishop York?"
Hillery's response made Old Mike pause.
"I missed you. Just didn't want you to die without me knowing," Hillery shrugged, looking at the equipment on the desk while speaking sincerely.
"I guess the bishop saw my concerns, so he gave me a holiday."
Old Mike was silent for a while, but his emotions didn't show on his face.
In front of his son, he always maintained a stoic expression, simply replying softly.
"Oh, I'm fine. If I died, I would let you know. After all, you're my only son."
His words were somewhat cold, but Hillery was used to it. He casually pulled up a stool to the desk and set down his backpack.
"Old man, the bishop also sent a message for you."
Old Mike glanced at the backpack on the desk. "What message?"
Hillery didn't respond immediately but opened the zipper of his backpack instead. "The bishop said he's thinking of promoting these things."
Old Mike's slightly pale brows furrowed as he looked at the contents of Hillery's opened backpack, which revealed several bullets.
"Are these the holy water bullets you made before?"
Old Mike picked up one of the bullets and observed the liquid swirling inside.
"Yeah," Hillery leaned back in his chair, supporting himself with his hands.
"I've proven that these holy water bullets are very effective. They maintain the bullet's inherent power and destructive capabilities while also possessing the effects of holy water."
As he spoke, Hillery looked at his father and continued.
"The bishop said that since the live broadcast has exposed the true face of our world, our church must also adapt and not be limited to its traditional powers."
Old Mike continued to hold the holy water bullet in his hand, watching it without responding.
But Hillery, undeterred by his father's attitude, continued.
"The bishop also said that, if possible, he would like these bullets to be distributed to vetted non-staff members of the church. Of course, these important weapons must remain under the church's control."
Hearing this, Old Mike sighed and finally put down the holy water bullet, looking at his increasingly mature son.
"It seems your bishop is really starting to get involved in church affairs."
Hillery smiled and said simply, "Because the bishop is York John. He said that since technology has advanced to this stage, why should we hesitate? If paranormal events are inevitable and clergy sometimes suffer casualties, it ultimately comes down to a lack of firepower. If conventional weapons can't harm these evil entities, then we should enhance our exorcism weapons
with technology."
"Guns are a human invention, so why not try combining silver, holy stones, and holy water to create corresponding exorcism firearms? Bullets could be made from pure silver, holy stones, and concentrated holy water."
"If humanity possesses such destructive weapons as nuclear bombs, then why can't we create a divine version of the Tsar Bomba?"
Listening to Hillery's passionate speech, Old Mike's eyes twitched. He could sense the admiration and reverence in his son's tone.
As an old father, he couldn't help feeling a bit sour.
"Did York really say all this to you personally?"
Hillery's face wore a nostalgic smile. "Yes."
The thought of dropping a divine Tsar Bomba in Hell if demons dared cause trouble, which he heard directly from Bishop York, had greatly impressed him.
In today's church, who else but Bishop York would dare to suggest such a thing?
None, not a single one.
The church's clergy have always focused on resisting and exorcising demons, never considering descending into Hell themselves.
Only Bishop York would suggest that if demons dared to cause trouble, we should drop a divine Tsar Bomba right in their lair in Hell. Drop one every time they cause trouble, and see if they dare come to the human world again after that.
Only he knew how much that statement had impacted him.
"So, what does York want me to do?" Old Mike finally asked, sighing.
"I'm already retired, old, and I can't match his energy, position, or power."
"The bishop wants us to collaborate to develop corresponding exorcism weapons and spread the word among exorcist families worldwide, including our own..."
...
Another morning, around 8:30.
York opened his eyes in his spacious bed, his thoughts lingering in the holographic living room. Shaking his head, he watched Eileen and Hannah snuggle on the couch like sisters, engrossed in the television.
The screen displayed the ever-popular cartoon, Tom and Jerry.
The eternal rivals, Tom and Jerry, continued their endless game of cat and mouse, engaging in their usual antics.
Whenever a funny scene occurred, Hannah would burst into laughter, hugging Eileen and saying something that would make her smile too.
However, who knew that Eileen had been dragged to watch by Hannah and now found it so enjoyable? Who could she even share this change with?
"They're really going wild," York muttered to himself, not choosing to get up but rather lying back down, seeking a moment of tranquility.
After exercising Eileen's abilities yesterday, they didn't head straight back but instead thoroughly enjoyed the metropolis of New York—eating what should be eaten, playing what should be played, and buying what should be bought.
Now, the most troublesome thing was that Hannah seemed to be developing a desire to live here.
Last night, she had put on a very pitiable act, emanating an air of homelessness, which tugged at Eileen's heartstrings, leading her to take in Hannah despite her home being right next door.
Yes, these two ladies were now sharing a room.
York subconsciously recalled the layout of his house. It was indeed quite large, whether intentionally or not, or perhaps because of the basement.
Apart from the first floor, there was also a second floor, and rooms were certainly not in short supply.
The first floor already housed Hillery and John Wick's rooms, with two monks naturally occupying the protective duties on either side. Thus, the second floor was where he, the bishop, and the assisting deaconess resided.
Now, it seemed that soon there might be an additional person...
York watched Hannah in the holographic display, reminiscing about the past. He felt no significant resistance to Hannah moving in; after all, they had lived under the same roof before.
"Whatever."
York summoned the virtual interface and began to allocate points.
With the accumulation of recent times, he had gathered 13 usable attribute points.
Given his current strength, and since minor creatures no longer triggered random quests, these 13 points were quite valuable.
His personal panel was as follows.
[York John]
[Race: Human, Divine]
[Occupations: Priest, Bishop, Pharmacology Professor, Doctor, Knight...]
[Overall Constitution: 201]
[Health: 257/257]
[Spirit/Holiness: 403+1507 (consumable)/403+1507 (consumable) (Note: recovers one point per minute)]
[Magic: 401/401 (Note: recovers one point per minute)]
[...]
Without much thought, York decided to add the points to his health, which was nearly breaking 300.
He had always valued the capabilities that came with high health, and he still did now.
Regenerative ability meant a potential for immortality.
With the allocation complete, a notification sound echoed in his ear.
[Health: 257 increased to 270]
He felt a corresponding sensation in his body, but York
was used to it, his expression unchanged.
He just wondered how breaking 300 health points would transform his already formidable body.
"If possible, it would be great to survive a modern nuclear strike," York mused, motivated by the health data.
He suddenly thought of Pluto Church and his past efforts to gain attribute points, murmuring to himself.
"Maybe I should return to the church now? But that seems like it could be troublesome."
York's expression sharpened as he considered the old believers. If he returned and the believers knew his identity, it might cause a big stir, and certainly, many would request to visit him.
That wasn't what he wanted.
"Or maybe..."
An idea suddenly flashed in York's mind.
"Just find some obscure church. As for Ed and the others, I'll just notify them again, give them the new address."
With that decided, York rose from the bed, his clothes floating up and dressing him automatically as he reached out.
Once in the living room.
Seeing Eileen and Hannah look over in surprise at the noise, York announced, "Prepare to return to the church,"
Then, under Eileen's stunned gaze, he continued.
"But not to Pluto Church, to a new church where nobody knows us. That's the real rest."
With that, the tone was set...
Thus, Romulus, the bishop overseeing the entire New York archdiocese, received a call about this matter.
"This guy always has a plan and decisively executes it," the old man's face twitched, wanting to criticize but eventually only managing to say, "That's youth for you."
Though he said this, Bishop Romulus took it seriously and arranged it immediately.
With the help of his staff, they indeed found a church in a less devout area.
Located north of Brooklyn, in Bronsville, this area was a melting pot of various races and had always been one of New York's more problematic areas in terms of law and order.
Its issues included crime, minor offenses, assaults, drug issues, shootings, murders, and more, making it one of the more dangerous parts of New York.
So the church's surrounding environment was just like that.
"Isn't it too dangerous? Although people around here respect the church and wouldn't do anything to the church, it's certainly not a place for quiet reflection," a priest clad in clerical robes, holding a folder, said quietly to Bishop Romulus, who was reviewing the information.
Seeing that Bishop Romulus didn't respond, the priest asked again softly.
"Bishop, perhaps you should consider another church?"
He had collected information on several churches and submitted them, but Bishop Romulus had his eyes set on this particular one.
Hearing this, Bishop Romulus put away the materials, looked at the priest before him, and said calmly.
"Anyone can be in danger, but this doesn't include Bishop York. Let's go with this one; it fits Bishop York's requirements perfectly."
Hearing this, the priest, regardless of his own thoughts, could only nod in agreement, bracing himself for what was to come.
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"Brooklyn? Or the more northern area of Brownsville."
Time moved on to the evening.
York sat at the dining table, holding a document in his hand, and calmly said, "The security is somewhat poor, a mixture of many races, this situation indeed meets my requirements. They have chosen a good church."
York looked down at the Ashibi Church mentioned in the document in his hands and smiled faintly, his goal was simple.
Chaotic places breed more evil.
And the accumulation of evil leads to more paranormal events.
At the same time, in places like this, some people are more likely to believe in the existence of God, holding their own faith.
As they say, everyone has their faith, following their own set of rules and ways of functioning.
Just like when he first came to Pluto Church, he had also received a believer.
That believer was a villain involved in all sorts of evil deeds, such as drug trafficking and human trafficking.
And this believer came to Pluto impulsively, seeking confession, just for a moment of peace.
Looking back, the believer respected him as a priest in every move.
So, compared to ordinary people, these villains in some ways stand out even more.
Although due to his priestly duties, he would not reveal the conversations between them, he managed to indirectly lead the authorities to find evidence of the believer's crimes.
And in that conversation, he gained a total of five attribute points.
Thus, a chaotic area could increase the chance of triggering random tasks.
"Speaking of which, Pluto Church was also like this at the beginning, many people did not welcome me as a priest, and it was all my effort that made it peaceful," York mused to himself.
"Does the old guy want me to manage this area again?"
Saying this, York looked up ahead.
In front of him was divided into two parts.
One part, a sexy woman sitting on the sofa, clad only in a tank top and shorts, showcasing a figure that could tempt a man to sin, was engrossed in watching the cartoon in front of her.
It was still Tom and Jerry.
Seeing Hannah in this way, York shook his head, wondering how such a big girl could be so fond of Tom and Jerry, watching it all day without getting tired.
Glancing at Hannah's enticing profile, his gaze then extended to Erin, who was busy in the kitchen area.
There was no way, with his current identity, Erin wouldn't let him do anything.
And Hannah, even more so, wouldn't cook.
Thus, Erin was solely responsible for tonight's dinner.
At that moment, Erin, no longer in the old and plain nun's robe but with her long hair tied back in a ponytail, which along with her unique aura and delicate oval face, made her look quite stunning.
She was cutting vegetables, as if time, long and unfading, would leave no trace on her, merely slipping quietly past, which made York take a good long look.
Finally, after Erin finished cutting the vegetables, he spoke up: "Erin, give them an answer, let's go with Ashibi Church."
At these words, Erin looked up and replied softly, "Alright, Bishop, have you decided to go to Ashibi Church?"
"Mm," York nodded.
Hannah turned her head: "Father, which area is that?"
"Brooklyn," York replied casually, then spoke to Erin again.
"Tell the Warren couple the address, and also let Miss Camille know, and ask about the wedding date."
Erin nodded.
"Alright, Bishop."
Thus, York changed his target and chose the more chaotic Ashibi Church as his place of rest.
In essence, as a bishop, he already had his own parish to manage.
But York had not agreed, even the premise of becoming a bishop was to give him more freedom.
Moreover, with world rifts everywhere, York's position was very special.
With a rift present, he could go anywhere and could replace the original bishop to manage that area's parish.
In York's view, this was somewhat like the pope's previous patrol, or perhaps a necessary path to becoming the pope.
The more he thought about it, the more York felt that this possibility was quite significant.
The old man, before becoming the pope, had also operated in this way.
Thinking of this, York wasn't sure how to express himself.
As always, he would take things one step at a time.
As they say, no matter how much you think, it's futile; only when the day comes will it matter.
Of course, he now had such a mental preparation.
"The pope?" York looked at the dishes on the dining table, and at Erin and Hannah who were talking on the side, murmuring to himself.
"What was the old man's situation like back then? It seems like he wasn't very interested, huh?"
York remembered the old man.
——————————
The next day.
Brooklyn, Brownsville.
At the
entrance of a brand-new church, a sleek black car stopped on the street outside.
With the help of the clergy outside, three people stepped out of the car.
"Bishop York."
As the first, a burly man, stepped out of the car, the clergy waiting for a long time bowed and greeted respectfully.
"Mm," York nodded in response, his aura casually spreading, observing the area.
It was like a neighborhood.
The church wasn't a standalone building but was connected to other buildings.
Of course, the buildings on both sides had already been purchased by the church for the clergy's residence.
Outside, there were some gaps compared to other buildings, making Ashibi Church appear somewhat independent.
The street was lined with ornamental trees, and the occasional dry leaves on the ground added to the atmosphere.
Further on was a normal commercial area.
Convenience stores, restaurants, etc.
Importantly, during broad daylight, there were very few pedestrians and patrons.
Even the restaurants only had a few customers dining.
The sparse pedestrians, with their hurried demeanor, revealed the tension here.
And further on, was the area where street urchins gathered.
Street urchins referred to those young people who congregated and conversed loudly.
Besides these, the entire area within a few hundred meters was within York's sight.
Just a glance was enough for York to get a general understanding of the environment.
The crime rate here was indeed high.
But that didn't mean there were no good people, just ordinary civilians, and so on.
As it was, even Lise Merrill, who was currently studying at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, came from a slum-like area.
And what bad had she done?
So one shouldn't judge this area solely by its surface appearance, various data, or even its crime rate.
"There aren't many people, huh, Erin?"
Hannah, who had already gotten out of the car, glanced around the environment and instinctively said to Erin, who had now donned the deaconess's nun robe.
Erin did not respond to this remark, just looked at her own bishop.
"Let's go," York said simply, walking ahead and leading a group of people into the front yard of Ashibi Church.
Upon entering, it was a standardized front yard, a sight York had seen too often.
Only the great cathedrals possessed historical essence and unique styles; otherwise, other ordinary churches, except for their internal configurations, were mostly indistinguishable.
York glanced at the front yard and continued walking towards the main building.
As he expected, the layout inside the church was basically no different from others.
Except that the lights inside were modern light sources he disliked, not the surrounding candles.
Of course, York wouldn't mention this outright, not wanting to negate the clergy who had been with him all along.
After looking at the clean church, free of dust, with new pews and windows, York knew what effort these clergy had put in for him.
Not to mention anything else, just for this thoughtfulness, he needed to respect the work of these clergy.
"Not bad," York said.
"I like it very much, Father Lucian."
Father Lucian, the priest originally responsible for Ashibi Church.
His tenure as a priest wasn't very long, but he had been in the role for several years.
He was one of the clergy who had advanced from monk to priest.
Such priests had both the decisiveness and courage of their monk days and the cultivation of a priest, making them quite valued in the church.
Why? Because this kind of clergy, apart from their steadfast will and loyalty to the church, inherently had stronger combat abilities than those from academic backgrounds, significantly better in martial skills.
If one were to describe it, priests from monastic backgrounds could be compared to magicians with a certain degree of martial skill, while those advanced from monks were like dual-skilled magicians, strong in martial arts and capable in magical skills, though slightly lacking in knowledge storage but still able to keep learning.
Only such clergy would be assigned to chaotic areas, and he had been similar, although it was his choice to go to Pluto Church.
"Bishop York, as long as you like it," said a priest who had been following a step behind, the original priest in charge of this church, his eyes showing admiration as he smiled and whispered.
When this bishop had chosen to rest here, he was both shocked and delighted.
Shocked because he feared that the people around might disturb the bishop's peace after he left.
Delighted because the bishop had chosen his church as a place of rest.
You should know, no monk was unaware of this bishop's reputation.
When this bishop had just left the monastery, even as a novice priest, he was already an idol among the monks.
To put it in one sentence, his great reputation was hard-fought, and no one could deny it, even the most notorious troublemaker at the headquarters had been subdued by him.
And he had the fortune to have sparred with this bishop back
then.
Just one move, which he hadn't even seen coming, and he had fainted on the spot, unable to deny it.
Eventually, this bishop had to leave the headquarters reluctantly after stabbing a cardinal who seemed to have ties with demons, under pressure from other bishops, and he had some complaints about the bishop council at that time.
Now, suddenly, this man had become a bishop, and he was truly overjoyed that day.
"Mm," seeming to perceive Father Lucian's fleeting expressions, York smiled faintly.
"Then please coordinate with my deaconess, Sister Erin."
"Yes, Bishop York!" Father Lucian straightened up and then looked towards Erin, who was standing by.
Erin, noticing the gaze, nodded.
——
Meanwhile.
A red Lamborghini entered a high-end community where only the truly wealthy lived.
Finally, it pulled up to one of the houses that resembled a manor.
"Thank you."
With the help of a servant, a young woman in a business suit stepped out of the Lamborghini.
Her devilish figure, golden long hair shining brightly, and her delicate face made the ordinary business suit seem endlessly charming.
She handed the car keys to the servant familiarly.
The servant bowed slightly, ready to drive away the very conspicuous Lamborghini.
The woman then looked up at the building, saw her sister waving from above, smiled, and waved back before taking a deep breath and entering.
"I finally found him."
The woman's face showed nostalgia and excitement.
When transferring money, she had tried through various channels to find the priest's address but was warned off, which is when she realized that the priest who had coincidentally passed by and saved her was no ordinary person.
Although she had been warned, she hadn't given up, trying to find out as much as possible.
But it wasn't until her father personally pointed out the matter, forbidding her to use the family's power to investigate, and bluntly telling her to forget about it and that she was neither worthy nor suitable, that she finally became disheartened and gave up, changing her ways to prove herself by entering the business world and taking part in the family business.
But unexpectedly, her sister had news of that priest.
And it was such a coincidence that he was about to marry into the Benjamin family, well-acquainted with the priest.
Even the priest would personally officiate the wedding, acting as the celebrant, which made her feel incredibly fortunate and marvel at fate's twists.
Remembering how she had secretly visited that Pluto Church but hadn't found the priest, Jessie sighed softly and stepped into the grand hall of the building.
Actually, from the day her sister sent the information, having personally watched that spectacular exorcism live broadcast and seeing the man she had thought about day and night, she had already given up because, as her father had said, the more she knew, the more she realized she was not worthy.
Moreover, he was now a bishop of the church, belonging to a different class altogether.
But she didn't hope for more, just wishing to see him once was enough.
"Jessie! You're back!"
Her sister Emilia had already run over, looking beautiful in a dress.
"How is it?" Jessie grabbed her, smiling.
"Have they set a date yet?"
Today was the day the family and the Benjamin family were scheduled to discuss the wedding.
"It might be set for June," Emilia's face was filled with happiness.
"Because the bishop gave a time beyond June, there's plenty of time."
Jessie felt a bit bitter but her face was filled with smiles.
"June is typical, symbolizing love and marriage, you and Saxon will be happy, congratulations, my sister."
Emilia's smile grew even brighter as she held her sister's right hand and walked inside, then glanced at her smile and whispered in her ear.
"I just asked Saxon, I found out the exact address of that priest now, do you want to go see him first?"
"What?"
Jessie was startled, suddenly stiffening.
___________________
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