"It seems something has happened."
Meanwhile, inside the stone chamber.
Seeing Eileen's eyes tightly closed and her brow furrowed, York knew she must have encountered or witnessed something.
"Generally speaking, as long as that isn't an expression of pain, everything should be fine."
York shook his head. While waiting, he looked toward the corpse. When he had first entered, he was only focused on the channeling ritual and hadn't taken a close look.
In the dim candlelight, the nun leaned against a pile of sacks, face down, her black habit covered in frost.
Following his habitual observation, York's gaze extended downward, and he immediately noticed something strange, something that made him feel uneasy.
The nun's right hand was hidden behind her, positioned as if she were concealing something.
Glancing at Eileen, whose brow was starting to relax, York stepped over, stopped in front of the slumped corpse, and crouched down.
Because of the natural cold storage, this corpse was not as deeply decomposed as the nuns outside, but it was still close, with flesh barely clinging to the skin and connecting to the muscles underneath, half-detached.
Noticing the face showed some age, York reached out and grabbed the nun's hidden right hand, pulling it forward.
Unexpectedly, with a snap, the right hand of the nun, who had been dead for an unknown period, was accidentally broken off and fell to the ground.
York paused for a moment, but didn't pay it much mind, turning his attention instead to the right hand that had fallen from the corpse onto the floor.
The right hand, like withered wood, was clenched very tightly, but a corner of a dark, dull object peeked out from the web between the thumb and forefinger.
York's heart stirred, and he reached out to pry open the detached right hand.
Using brute force, he forced open the index finger of the fist, then the next finger, and as one finger after another was pried open, a dull, dark key came into York's view.
"This is..."
York felt a premonition and picked it up immediately.
Judging by the appearance and shape of the key, it resembled a key for an ancient treasure chest lock.
York rubbed the key in his hand, shaking his head and chuckling.
To him, this was truly too much of a coincidence, just like some films he had watched in his previous life—religious movies where every step taken by the protagonist, who was blessed by destiny, was incredibly coincidental, only for it to turn out to be the so-called arrangement of fate.
"If my prediction is correct, this key will also have a corresponding purpose, such as opening something..."
York stared at the key and calmly put it away.
If that was the case, he would have to question the old man once he returned.
Ask him, "Are you a prophet? Or can you really communicate with God?"
Just as he put it away, York heard something and turned to look toward the staircase entrance.
There was activity coming from above.
With his current five senses, he could hear a surge of footsteps approaching, moving from far away to near.
Boom!
Then the roar of a hand grenade suddenly exploded.
"It should be the final moment."
York withdrew his gaze and looked at Eileen, who was in the center of the magic circle and suddenly frowned.
He still trusted Hili's abilities. Although the guy hadn't brought his own weapon, he could still hold his ground relying on overwhelming firepower.
Therefore, the most important thing he should be doing right now was guarding Eileen.
In fact, things were exactly as York had imagined.
Inside the Spirit space.
Just as Eileen was pulled over by The Dean, successfully avoiding the gaze of the other nun.
The Dean walked herself, and Eileen followed her actively, traversing the dark underground passage, finally arriving at a very familiar place.
This was also the last fragment she had seen. Eileen scanned the stone chamber containing the statue of Saint Mary, searching for suspicious areas.
She knew this must be where the blood of jesus was located.
"Where did you hide the blood of jesus?"
However, The Dean did not reply, as if unable to speak. She pointed at the statue of Saint Mary, and finally stared at the exit direction with a look of horror.
"Hmm?"
Eileen didn't have time to think. Just as she was about to turn around to look, her neck was grabbed by a pair of hands like iron clamps, and she was pressed hard against the wall behind her.
Bang! Her back stung hotly. Eileen instinctively grabbed the pale hands clutching her neck, and as her breath diminished, she stared wide-eyed straight ahead.
She finally knew who the nun appearing at the end of the passage was.
A ghastly pale face, jet-black eyes and lips, and an aura of evil emanating from her entire body.
This must be the incarnation of a Demon!
Hah!
When she saw the nun reveal an evil smile, Eileen began to feel unable to breathe, and her consciousness started to blur.
Just at this critical moment, a gentle voice sounded in her ear.
"Come back, Eileen."
In the instant her consciousness blurred, Eileen saw the smile of the Demon-transformed nun stiffen and change into anger... followed by a loud crack.
Eileen began to realize she could breathe again. She suddenly opened her eyes, her five senses seemingly still lingering in the previous state, and she gasped for air.
"Are you alright?"
Hearing the Father's steady voice beside her, Eileen took a deep breath, first observing her surroundings.
"Heh heh."
Seeing Eileen's cautious demeanor, York showed appreciation in his eyes and laughed.
"Listen carefully to the commotion upstairs again."
Hearing this, Eileen started hearing the sudden sound of explosions above. She looked up at the young Father standing in the candlelight, then at the familiar stone chamber and the fading magic circle beneath her feet, finally confirming that she had truly returned.
"Father, I encountered an evil nun..." A trace of fear flashed in Eileen's eyes.
"She was emanating the aura of death."
"That was a projection conjured by a Demon," York said calmly, feeling no surprise.
"It is looking for the blood of jesus, just like us. Therefore, you must have found the hiding place of the blood of jesus."
Eileen looked up at the Father, who seemed to know everything, her expression bewildered.
"This is why It hasn't appeared yet, even though we've reached this point—because It was waiting too, waiting for you to find the blood of jesus."
York raised the loaded Rotary Grenade Launcher, his thoughts rapidly churning, and explained to the bewildered Eileen.
"There is a sealing magic circle here that restricts Its true form, so It needs the blood of jesus to undo the seal."
Saying this, York ignored Eileen's thoughts and continued.
"We shouldn't delay. You lead the way and take me to the hiding place of the blood of jesus."
Hearing this, Eileen could only stop thinking and adopt a serious expression.
"Yes, Father."
"Let's go."
As soon as he finished speaking, York did not hesitate, immediately leading Eileen toward the staircase entrance.
At this moment, the commotion above was growing more intense. By the time he led Eileen halfway up, three explosions had already sounded, meaning Hili had used three hand grenades.
Three grenades hadn't solved the problem. Sure enough, without the double layer buff enhancement, ordinary hand grenades weren't very effective against spiritual entities, unless the yield was much stronger.
York silently pulled out a Holy Hand Grenade, looked at Hili, who had suddenly come down and pressed himself against the wall above, and strode upward.
"Father Yorkes!" Hili's heart stirred when he saw the Father and the Novice Nun walking up.
"Did you succeed?"
Boom! The fourth grenade roared, but its power was pitifully small compared to the Holy Hand Grenade he had thrown earlier; it didn't even produce a shockwave.
York nodded, listened to the persistent commotion coming from the turn to the left, and gently tossed the Holy Hand Grenade in his hand toward it.