After seeing off the mother and daughter, another family soon arrived to express their gratitude for last night, left some money, and departed.
York' spirits rose at this simple and unadorned gratitude.
He liked this form of repayment; he didn't ask for much gratitude from these people, only that they would continue to support his peaceful church in the future.
Speaking of which, survivors of supernatural events had a high chance of converting into true believers.
One by one they left, and soon only the Baker couple and Jeffrey remained in the church.
Baker's wife, Ms. Hardy, was a familiar believer who had been visiting for a long time. Her expression was more devout than ever as she pulled out a thick stack of bills—making Baker's face twitch—and stuffed them directly into the Offering box York had brought.
She was incredibly generous.
"Thank you for your help, Father!" Ms. Hardy's eyes began to redden again.
"If you hadn't gone there in time, my Baker would have..."
York glanced at Baker and saw him standing behind Ms. Hardy with a twitching face and a look of helplessness, so he smiled.
"Ms. Hardy, this is the Lord's reward for you. You don't need to take it to heart, as long as you continue as you always have."
Under Ms. Hardy's reverent gaze, York made the sign of the cross as usual.
"Amen..."
After finally seeing off the Baker couple, only Jeffrey, the still-calm police officer, remained. He bowed his head.
"Thank you, Father. I will keep this in mind."
Hearing this, York thought of that rookie from before, the trainee priest Archibald.
Of course, it was just a passing thought. York looked at the calm officer before him. Remembering the mana fluctuations and those incantations he felt last night, he had actually been paying attention to this officer for a while.
"You're welcome. The Church and demons are inherently incompatible. As a representative of the Lord, it is my responsibility to dispel evil."
Compared to ordinary people like Baker, York changed his rhetoric slightly for Jeffrey, who clearly knew the ropes.
Jeffrey smiled. The Church indeed matched his mother's description, standing as white against the black of demons.
Seeing this, York continued seemingly casually, "Officer Jeffrey, I have a question for you regarding last night."
Jeffrey said nonchalantly, "Father, please ask."
York smiled. "Officer Jeffrey, were those incantations you chanted last night magic?"
Hearing this, Jeffrey hesitated, but not for long.
"Magic? No, this is Witchcraft left behind by my mother."
Saying so, Jeffrey took out his Bone necklace and continued.
"Through the necklace my mother left, using it as a medium, I can use two incantations."
"Witchcraft?"
A glint flashed in York' eyes as he instantly recalled the difference between magic and Witchcraft.
Magic works from the inside out through oneself, while Witchcraft is somewhat special, using the power of faith as a source and items like herbs, bones, or corpses as a medium to take effect.
In other words, magic acts directly on the target, while Witchcraft acts indirectly through a medium.
"Your mother was a Witch?"
Jeffrey nodded. He had no intention of hiding anything from his savior; he had even told Baker, but Baker didn't believe him.
"Yes, Father."
York recalled the mana fluctuations from the previous night; he felt that he could use them too. He looked at Officer Jeffrey, clasped his hands in front of his chest, and his expression turned serious.
"Officer Jeffrey, could you teach me the incantations you used last night?"
Jeffrey was stunned, but he didn't refuse.
"Uh, Father, I can, but those incantations, if you don't have..."
Just as he said this, Jeffrey looked at the Father's raised right hand. His pupils began to vibrate violently; in that right hand, he felt extremely strong and familiar energy fluctuations.
"Is this the energy you used yesterday?" Looking at the bewildered Jeffrey, York smiled. He had 157.5 points of this energy.
"It seems I meet the requirements to learn?"
Jeffrey nodded blankly.
"Yes..."
Under these circumstances, Jeffrey soon became a teacher, explaining the conversion of the incantations to York.
The first one is Repello (Banishing): a spell used to push enemies away or keep them at a distance.
The second one is Exorcio (Exorcism): a spell used to attack demons or evil forces.
The third one is Protego (Shield): used to create a protective barrier to block attacks and magic.
One taught and the other memorized, until the Baker couple outside couldn't wait any longer and came looking for them.
"Father, I only know these three."
Jeffrey felt a bit awkward; his mother had only taught him these three before she disappeared.
York suppressed the excitement in his heart. "It's alright, Officer Jeffrey. I owe you a favor. If you need help, please let me know. As long as it's within my power, I will do my best."
Jeffrey took a deep breath. In fact, he was aiming for exactly this, especially after seeing how powerful the priest was.
"Thank you, Father. I will."
Hearing this, York smiled. He didn't feel much; it was a fair trade.
Making the sign of the cross on his chest, York said seriously.
"The Lord bless you. Amen."
Jeffrey bowed in return and then pulled the bewildered Baker along, quickly leaving the church.
When their figures disappeared, York, who had been standing by the altar, grinned. He mentally summoned the Status window, looked at the three new skills added to it, and whispered.
"Exorcio."
As the newly learned incantation was uttered, a white light appeared above York, forming into various shapes—arrows, longswords, and sabers—according to his will.
After finishing the test, York dispersed the energy and continued testing the other two; they were both successful.
Having consumed a total of three points of mana, York brushed the invisible dust off his shoulders and the hem of his clothes. After a long time, he finally had three skills at his disposal. With just these three simple incantations, his strength had increased significantly.
Compared to the system's crude conversion, the conversion through actual incantations was on a completely different level of power.
Previously, the efficiency of using one point of mana was only seventy percent; now it was one hundred percent.
Previously, it might have taken two points to block a demon's impact, but now with Protego (Shield), he probably only needed one. This was a qualitative change.
Moreover, his offensive options now included the Exorcio set, which was versatile and targeted.
Additionally, the Repello incantation allowed him to maintain a ranged output environment, enabling kiting tactics.
Thinking of this, York turned and began to pray to the Jesus Statue above.
"Thank you, Lord."
"York John expresses his respect and love to You."
"Thank You for granting me strength and courage to fight against evil and overcome it."
"..."