Chapter 78: The Most Important Information

York watched the flames in the sky flicker, on the verge of extinguishing, leaving behind only some embers. Casually, he sheathed Ryan's Baor into his waist holster, his eyes devoid of any ripple.

Evil spirits belong to a type of soul body, immune to most conventional forms of attack. The more powerful ones could even use some special attack methods.

Despite that, evil spirits were ultimately weak. In the known hierarchical system, they were relatively low-level malevolent beings.

Ordinary people like Ed and Lorin, as long as they understood some fixed patterns of behavior and the reasons or conditions for the appearance of evil spirits, could attempt to exorcise them.

As for why they didn't exorcise spirits themselves, it was simply because they adhered to rules, understood right from wrong, and lacked the church's permission.

Of course, there were more unconventional exorcists who didn't care and thus exorcised privately. With so many exorcists around the world, the church couldn't possibly monitor each one every day.

The consequences of these private actions were generally borne by the individuals themselves.

If the consequences were too significant, harming innocent people and causing unrest in a peaceful society, then the church's court had the responsibility to personally pursue and adjudicate.

It's similar to how in society, if someone disrupts public order and safety, the police would step in. The church, in this regard, acted much like an alternative police force.

York leisurely buckled his holster.

His reason for joining the church was not only because it triggered random tasks, allowing him to earn more attribute points, but also for this aspect. Righteously creating havoc and afterwards earning attribute points to become stronger, with someone to clean up after him. Why wouldn't he?

At this stage, evil spirits were essentially walking point bags to him, akin to experience packs in a game, easily crushed like ants.

Yet, such walking point bags were hard to come across. Most of the attribute points he currently had were contributed by those grudging, nagging demons.

Reflecting on his past experiences, York felt regretful; becoming an efficient level-grinding machine was hard.

"But luckily, I earned five attribute points today, not a wasted effort."

Shaking off his thoughts, York prepared to head back, ready to report the exorcism results to the people upstairs waiting for the outcome.

But just as he was about to turn around, a "puff" sound rang out. Where the remaining embers had been, some white powdery substance appeared out of nowhere.

"Hmm?"

This scene made York stop in his tracks, staring at the white powder near the backyard door, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Some powerful evil spirits indeed left behind something, like the spirit powder on the ground, whose biggest use was to harm incorporeal evil spirits, giving ordinary people a chance to kill them.

For him, the only use was to sell it to others in exchange for different things.

"Didn't expect this evil spirit to drop a loot box?" York went over, casually took out a Franklin bill to collect the powder, and put it in the backpack he always carried, then returned.

At this moment.

Due to the gunshot, upstairs, aside from the Warren couple and Drew, Theodore and his family were in the midst of fright and fear.

The hostess, Tracy, trembled as the gunshot sounded. She stared fixedly at the empty hallway, nervously saying, "Father York... he won't be in trouble, right?"

The evil spirit transformed from Ronnie Defoe had left a deep impression on her.

"There's nothing to worry about, Mrs. Tracy. Father York's method of exorcism is a bit special, often involving gunshots and explosions, but it's very effective," Lorin, always comforting, explained to the nervous Tracy and Theodore's father and son.

"Ed and I have worked with Father York for a long time. With Father York's strength and extensive exorcism experience, this evil spirit is not too troublesome."

"Yes."

Ed, who was standing in the front, nodded with a smile, confirming Lorin's words.

"We've also encountered very powerful evil spirits, but Father York was always at ease..."

As he said this, Drew, who was also standing beside Ed and had long regarded York as a life idol, couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Ed, can you tell me more about Father York later?"

Hearing this, Ed looked at Lorin, and they exchanged a glance, a hint of memory flashing in their eyes.

"Of course..."

But as he spoke, Ed suddenly saw something, breaking into a bright smile.

"Father York is back!"

...

[22:23]

Confirming the end of the exorcism.

Led by York, the group, including the Warren couple and Drew, bid a tearful goodbye to Theodore's family, grateful for their help.

[22:59]

Due to the lateness of the hour, and also to clarify Lorin's issue, the venue was moved to the Warrens' house, an elegantly and modernly decorated villa.

The Warrens had been on many TV stations and even delivered lectures, being quite wealthy, so their villa was quite sizable.

It was large enough to have personal study rooms and hobby rooms for Ed and Lorin, a spacious living room, kitchen, etc., and to York's surprise, he sensed some evil aura in one of the rooms.

On his first visit, York was curious. Before understanding the ominous source on Lorin, he asked the Warrens to take him there for a tour.

These items in the room were all mediums from paranormal events the Warrens had experienced.

Such paranormal event mediums, like things once possessed by evil spirits or containing sealed evil spirits, were safer with them, according to the Warrens.

Indeed, no matter how these items were destroyed or burned, the evil spirits within always existed.

The room was filled with various objects, enveloped in evil auras, assailing him as he entered.

However, looking at the myriad of evil spirit carriers in the room, especially a doll with a somewhat terrifying face sealed in a glass cabinet, York's pupils constricted. To his eyes, the evil spirit within the doll was close to breaking the seal.

"Since these are mediums from paranormal events, do you have priests come regularly for prayers and blessings?" York couldn't help but ask.

"Or have fathers from the church come to check?"

Priests, belonging to another group, were more inclined towards daily duties like weddings, baptisms, funerals, counseling, etc. Although lacking the exorcism abilities of fathers, they too were clergy and wielded the power of faith.

"Yes." The Warrens nodded earnestly.

"We never forget that. We invite a priest every week for regular prayers and blessings. As for the church, you are the first..."

Hearing this, York couldn't help but glance at the Warrens, especially at Ed, the main initiator. As an ordinary person, daring to collect such ominous objects was extraordinarily bold.

No wonder he was registered as a parapsychologist with the church.

York sighed, remembering the daughter and parents living in this villa, shaking his head.

"Ed, may I make a suggestion?"

Ed and Lorin exchanged a glance. "Father, please speak."

York's gaze fixed on the evil-aired doll, he advised sincerely, "In the future try to collect fewer of these evil items. Even with your extensive knowledge of the paranormal and Lorin's presence, there will come a day when these accumulated objects will backfire, potentially harming not only yourself but your family as well..."

This statement was somewhat heavy, causing the Warrens to pause, instinctively looking towards the items in the room, such as the doll, the old clock, and other objects on the shelf.

Ed's brows furrowed slightly, he couldn't help but say, "Father York, are these mediums problematic? We often invite priests for blessings..."

"Yes!" York interrupted, "Ed, exorcism is the work of a father."

Not hiding anything from the Warrens who could bring him random tasks, York continued, "Do you know what's the most dangerous thing in my eyes?"

Saying this, amidst the Warrens' worried and unpleasant expressions, York glanced at the items in the room.

"The Annabelle doll in the sealed cabinet has three layers of seals, and the evil spirit inside has already broken through the second. Once it breaks the third, it will reappear in the world. There are also the drumming monkey, knives, clocks on the shelf..."

The Warrens looked increasingly uneasy, especially Lorin, who, despite having the ability to see spirits and knowledge of séances, had not sensed any of this.

"Father, what should we do now?"

York's eyes remained undisturbed; evil spirits were still weak to him, let alone those sealed.

"Can you give these items to me? I will regularly suppress and exorcise the spirits inside."

The Warrens looked at each other, relieved, and did not refuse.

"If you can, please."

"Of course," York said, eyeing the sealed evil spirit mediums, "I'll keep them at my place or at Pluto Church."

York paused, turning his attention to Lorin, sensing the ominousness about her, more significant than these future experimental tools. The potential reward might rival the demon at the Jesse Building.

Twenty or so attribute points could significantly change his strength.

"Before that, tell me about any cases you've recently encountered or when you started feeling something was amiss." York looked at Lorin, who had turned pale, and continued calmly.

"Lorin, your situation is more severe than anything here."

At this, Ed, already aware of everything, looked worriedly at Lorin.

Knowing Father York's character, if he said it was serious, it indeed was.

This situation was really because of him; since that incident, Lorin seemed more easily startled and uneasy than before.

Feeling Ed's gaze, Lorin took a deep breath, but her face paled at the memory.

"Father York, we'll explain the origin of the situation to you."

...

The three moved to the study.

The Warrens' study was much like any other, at least to York's eyes, with bookshelves filled with books and a desk. However, the Warrens' study also had a projector.

Ed stood by the projector, glanced at the silent Lorin hugging her arms, and then to Father York sitting quietly in the middle, and began recounting the origins of their problem.

"We received a commission from St. Luz Church. Father Luz asked us to verify the authenticity of a paranormal event."

Luz?

York thought of an old priest with graying temples. He knew him, notorious for pushing others, like the Warrens, to the forefront.

"And this paranormal event is where Lorin began seeing the 'nun.'"

Ed said this with a strong sense of regret, self-mockingly.

"At the time, Lorin sensed danger and didn't want to accept it, but I insisted on going."

York raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at Lorin beside him.

Lorin shook her head, her pale face showing a gentle smile.

"It's not your fault, Ed."

York twitched the corner of his mouth, returning to the topic.

Seemingly comforted by his wife, Ed tried to collect himself and pressed the projector. The wall canvas immediately displayed relevant data.

"The victim was French, named François Lench. He exhibited all the behaviors of demonic possession, but as it all matched a certain type of neurological disorder, occasionally lucid and sometimes insane, we began a séance here to discern if it was indeed a paranormal event..."

York watched the scenes unfold on the canvas, his expression neutral.

The Frenchman in the image, François Lench, looked similar to someone deeply addicted to drugs, with sunken eyes, dark circles, and purple lips, very much resembling Malen, the protagonist of a previous possession case York had exorcised.

The canvas flickered between dark and light, time moved on, skipping over the preparation process of the séance in the image. When François Lench was restrained in place by several men, with Lorin next to him using her special abilities to sense the presence within Lench, problems arose.

During the séance, François Lench suddenly went berserk, struggling almost breaking free from the men's restraint, and screaming madly at Lorin.

And Lorin, perhaps sensing some horrifying presence or unbearable truth, appeared dazed, standing there terrified...

"That's when Lorin started seeing 'the nun'," Ed continued, his eyes showing a hint of pain and regret as he looked at his wife's terrified and screaming figure in the image.

"Lorin told me about it, but I thought that after this event, we wouldn't encounter that 'nun' again. I didn't expect it to reappear..."

Ignoring Ed's regret, York focused on the screaming François Lench in the image, silently noting his name: François Lench.

The most important information, he had found it.

___________________

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