Chapter 102: Performing the Ritual
"Master Alex, are you willing to trust me?"
Seeing everyone's worried faces and their attempts to find a solution, Marcus suddenly spoke.
Everyone looked at Marcus.
"I know about Master Alex's injuries. Since I've chosen this plan, I naturally have my reasons."
"Master Alex, what if I could heal your injuries?"
Marcus's eyes were serious as he spoke.
"How could that be possible!" Brother Kane instinctively retorted. He knew the feeling of depleted life force all too well, then seemed to realize something.
"Mr. Davis, do you still have those rare medicinal herbs? But even those require slow and gradual replenishment, and we can't afford to wait that long."
"No, but with today's advanced technology, I have a newly developed medicine that can treat internal injuries. However, I can't guarantee its effectiveness. It depends on whether Master Alex is willing to try."
Master Alex nodded calmly; his body was already failing.
If he could personally participate in this ritual, bringing his mentor Father Goldstein a moment of perfect merit and completely eliminating the Soul Collector, then he would have given his mentor a satisfactory explanation.
Having confirmed this, Marcus reached into his bag and pulled out a luxuriously packaged, palm-sized red metal box.
He entered the password and pressed it lightly; the lid popped open, revealing seven syringes resembling toothpicks, each holding at most a drop of liquid.
"This is extracted from some... unique sources. It has healing properties, but it's not very effective for replenishing life force. However, it's remarkably effective for hidden injuries."
Marcus led Master Alex to the room prepared by Father Goldstein. He hadn't tried this vampire blood serum before, but in previous cases, when the old priest used it, his eyes would bleed, turning blood red.
Although it only happened briefly at the beginning, considering that the Soul Collector's eyes were also blood red, he came to the room to avoid unnecessary suspicion.
Marcus took out a syringe, had Master Alex tilt his head back, and dripped the liquid into his eyes.
Alex's eyes trembled violently, a few drops of blood trickling from the corners of his eyes, before he fell silent instantly.
Marcus took out a cloth, wiped the blood from Alex's face, and shook him. Alex slowly opened his eyes, his pupils bloodshot, then instantly returning to normal.
The whole process took less than 10 minutes. He brought Alex to Father Goldstein, where everyone was waiting.
"This!"
"So miraculous!"
"Young man, would you be willing to sell your serum?"
Several clergy were astonished by Alex's rosy complexion.
"We'll talk about that after this is over. I just wanted to let everyone know that if anyone is injured in this incident, I will provide this precious injection for free treatment."
These clergy were all elderly, and Marcus wanted to give them some confidence. He used a diluted vampire serum, and the quantity was very small, only a little in each container, not particularly valuable.
After confirming the plan, the clergy arrived at the town entrance.
"You've finally arrived!"
"Everyone's heard it all this time. The area around that big tree is like a graveyard, buzzing with countless flies, yet there isn't a single fly here!"
Chief Miller quickly approached and addressed the group of clergy in their vestments.
Actually, he didn't need to say anything; everyone had already frowned and looked at the tree.
This buzzing sound would make ordinary people feel physically uncomfortable, irritable, nauseous, and have a heavy head. If they actually fell asleep, they would surely fall prey to the Soul Collector's trick.
They really couldn't delay any longer.
The Soul Collector had stopped acting and was frantically attacking the seal. The tree swayed without wind, its leaves a mix of yellow and green; it seemed that if they delayed any longer, the leaves would all wither.
So everyone quickly set up their formation.
The demon-suppressing volunteers, each holding consecrated implements, stood guard at various intersections.
"Let's begin according to plan!"
The clergy straightened their vestments and stood at their designated positions, 20 meters away from the large tree.
They exchanged glances, then formed hand seals, left hand below, right hand above, index fingers intertwined, fingertips pointing upwards.
"Saint Michael, guardian of Heaven!"
"We burn incense and humbly beseech you to descend!"
Then, covering their left hand with their right, they continued in unison:
"Disciples wholeheartedly beseech you!"
"Saint Michael, the Archangel, descend!"
At this moment, they all pointed their intertwined index fingers at the tree.
Next, their intertwined hands were raised into the air, the hand seals changing.
The left index finger hooked onto the middle finger, the thumb pinching against the remaining two fingers.
The left middle finger rested on the first joint of the right index finger, fingertips pointing upwards.
"Holy warriors, hurry, hurry, by divine command!"
With shouts from all directions, the hand seals slid down from the air to the clergy's chests, the right index fingers pointing forward at the tree.
Although there were no special effects, no visible impact whatsoever.
But the buzzing of mosquitoes and flies gradually subsided and then disappeared completely, and the tree stopped shaking.
Everyone knew that everything was just beginning.
The eight spiritual mediums, making hand seals and pointing at the tree, stepped forward, stopping ten meters away from it, and sat down to begin their ritual.
Brother Kane and Marcus, in the RV that had accompanied the group, had already prepared their costumes.
Brother Kane had dark face paint on his face, and was already wearing ceremonial robes, holding a blessed sword; this was the form for bestowing blessings and exorcising evil.
Marcus had black and white face paint on his face, and was also wearing ceremonial robes, holding a staff inscribed with "Archangel Michael"; this was the form for subduing demons and eliminating evil.
The movements of the form for eliminating evil were more exaggerated and required greater physical strength and constitution.
Because Brother Kane had been suffering from chronic illness for years, his body had weakened and his stamina was clearly insufficient, so Marcus was chosen to play the role.
The mediums initially thought Kane was relatively young, and even with his condition, he couldn't compare to Father Davis. However, Marcus knew that Kane was truly incapable; even when performing exorcisms in previous cases, he would succumb to his ailments and tremble all over.
So, he sat down and casually demonstrated lifting a table with one hand, astonishing everyone. Then he had Kane try, and despite using all his strength, he couldn't budge it an inch. Thus, the decision was made.
This was for his own mission, and also to experience the feeling of channeling divine power to suppress evil spirits.
At this moment, the large tree at the town's entrance seemed to have adapted to the pressure from the eight mediums, or perhaps it had accumulated enough power, as its trunk began to rustle.
First, a single withered yellow leaf fell, then the number increased exponentially.
As these leaves swirled and fell, the buzzing of fly wings gradually filled the air, and their trajectories were somewhat strange, resembling large flies.
"Holy warriors, hurry! Hurry, by divine command!"
The crowd shouted again, each wielding their sacred implements and slamming them down onto the ground.
There were seals, bells, rulers, mirrors, swords, and a sacred wooden cross.
After the strikes, nothing of earth, water, wind, or fire appeared; everything was perfectly ordinary.
Only the buzzing leaves that had drifted towards them seemed to be blown back by an invisible wind, falling back to the tree and piling up at its roots.
(End of Chapter)
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