Chapter 50: The Aftermath

An explosion not only releases tremendous energy but also brings about a violent sound, bright light, a powerful shockwave, and high-temperature gases.

And a very palpable sense of shock.

"Boom!!!"

This was the first bombing test of York's device.

Beck and others who had just escaped from the building, as well as Jeffrey who had just reached the third floor, were immensely shocked.

They couldn't imagine what had happened inside, nor what kind of battle could have caused such an explosion.

"Jeffrey!!"

When Jeffrey quickly made it to the first floor, Beck stepped out of the crowd, relieved to have escaped with their lives, and greeted him with joy.

"Um."

Jeffrey gasped for air and nodded. Before he could say anything, the second bombing from York's device occurred.

Boom!!!!!!

The massive sound of the explosion echoed through the entire night, and everyone present could feel the intense vibration in the air.

This was the residual shockwave.

They, including Beck and Jeffrey, were stunned as they looked up at the seventh floor, now only left with billowing smoke and a huge gap.

"What happened?" Beck instinctively thought of the usually serious and reliable priest.

Not just them, but nearby residents and security staff in nearby buildings, startled by the explosion, became vigilant. Unlike in the East, each awakened resident first took out the firearms they had purchased before considering anything else...

At the explosion site in the Jesse Building, a coughing sound came from the seventh floor.

"Cough, cough! That hurts a bit..."

York, who had crashed through two walls and ended up in an office, coughed a few times. The intense shockwave from the explosion had caused him some harm.

"Is it over?"

Remembering the severe explosion, York looked ahead through the smoke, took a deep breath, and stood up again with his sword.

A faint pain on his back, he instinctively checked his personal panel.

Glancing over all the attributes and focusing on the health value, he was surprised to find less damage than expected, which relieved him.

The higher the health value, the more room for error and the longer he could last.

"[...]" "[Health: 93/111]"

"[...]"

After confirming his health, York, seeing the smoky and still front, didn't rest. Instead, he took the opportunity to reload his shotgun and Ryan revolver with ammunition, preparing for battle.

His magic was very low now, with only [Magic: 10/157.5], so he had to rely on close combat and wait for his magic to recover.

He estimated that 10 points of magic added to the grenade's explosive power could break through the demon's surface defense. Therefore, about 10 points of magic on the cross and Bible should certainly cause some damage to the demon.

After all, the exorcism trio was the standard equipment against demons, an unavoidable fact.

However, after loading both the Winchester M1897 and the Ryan revolver, there was still no movement ahead.

"Is it really over?"

York hesitated, picked up the Ryan revolver, and fired towards the smoke ahead.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

Five consecutive shots were fired in the blink of an eye, and still, there was no response.

Glancing subconsciously at the mission window, which was empty, York sighed in relief. He sheathed his knight sword into the scabbard on his back, turned the empty Ryan revolver, and began to reload the .50 caliber bullets from his belt while cautiously moving forward.

Only when he passed through the rolling smoke and reached the gap did York truly relax. Before him was a gap as large as an office, with some residual effects of the explosion. The demon, once human-like yet grotesquely beautiful, had disappeared without a trace, leaving only a pool of splattered black blood...

"It must have fled, possibly severely wounded..."

York exhaled lightly, put the Ryan revolver into his holster, adjusted the backpack strapped to his shoulder, and headed towards the emergency exit.

From the gap, he could already see the police cars, their sirens wailing rapidly, accompanied by a few military-like vehicles.

"What a headache, how do I explain this to the old man?"

"Ah well, it doesn't matter, I wasn't messing around, I was fighting a demon..."

"..."

York's murmurs dissipated with the wind through the large gap, getting fainter until they vanished, and he disappeared into the darkness.

The next day.

York woke up in his cozy bed as if nothing had happened, got ready, and prepared for the day.

In the living room, he had a sandwich for breakfast and picked up the donation box and his regular backpack, heading to the garage to go to church.

However, last night's incident was quite significant. From the radio in the car, York knew the impact of the event.

Every broadcast was proclaiming that the explosion at Jesse Building last night was an act of terrorism against the great United States, a threat to human safety...

Significantly, his phone rang in the storage box, connecting to the car's central control screen at a very timely moment.

York glanced at the caller ID, his lips unconsciously curling. He then pressed the red phone icon, declining the call.

The caller was Gabriel, probably another round of scolding about the fuss he had caused.

But the phone rang again soon after. This time, it was a call he found hard to refuse. Reluctantly, he pressed the call button on the car's control screen.

"York, did you cause the incident at Jesse Building?" came a calm, aged, and magnetic voice, suggesting the speaker was a kind and charismatic old man.

"Yes."

York didn't hide the truth, as he would have to report the incident in detail later and submit it to the church for the record.

"Sigh, I knew it, son. I'm old; I can't handle so many calls."

"Then don't take them. Aren't your subordinates capable of anything? If you're old, don't do so much; you need to take care of yourself. If you tire yourself out and go to heaven, what will I do? The bishops won't miss the chance to criticize me."

York's chatter was heard in a luxurious room adorned with crosses. An old man in bed, holding a corded telephone, smiled with his eyes squinted.

"I'll seriously consider your advice, but, my child, can you tell me what exactly happened last night? I'm curious..."

Hearing this, York instinctively pinched his nose.

"I can, but I have a proposal."

The old man's smile was warm. "What proposal?"

"Lend me some money..."