He didn't like the feeling of being seen through, nor did he like this so-called destiny.
His mindset from his previous life gave him the simple idea that his fate was in his own hands, not the heavens'.
In other words, all actions must be driven by his own will.
York stared at the key, and for some reason, thinking of the nuns at Saint Kata Monastery over the centuries, his imposing aura instantly vanished.
"Forget it. If I'm being set up, so be it. It's not a losing deal anyway."
York walked over holding the key.
If he could resolve the Sealed Land this time, he was certain he would gain 40 attribute points.
What did 40 points mean? If added to his Magic Power, it would be equivalent to a 40-fold increase in effect.
Adding 40 to the original 171 would make it 211 times. With this multiplier, in time, he wouldn't need to do much; just a casual Enchantment on a Holy Hand Grenade would make it a true holy nuclear bomb, creating a mushroom cloud with a simple toss.
Under Irene's gaze, York stopped in front of the wall and inserted the key into the identical keyhole.
The shapes matched, and the insertion was very smooth. Even though the keyhole was made of stone, York didn't feel any resistance.
With a click, a Cross-shaped crack suddenly split the once-solid wall, opening outward automatically to reveal what was inside.
The surroundings were covered in magnificent silk.
An exquisite glass bottle lay quietly in the center, with a crystal-clear, blood-red liquid flowing inside.
"Is this the holy relic blood of jesus?"
Looking at the seemingly ordinary glass bottle, York instinctively reached out to pick it up.
The moment he touched it...
The familiar mechanical voice suddenly rang in his ears.
[Pseudo-Relic: Diluted blood of jesus. An extremely diluted man-made product. Even so, it still possesses incomparable power.]
[One-time use item, non-recoverable.]
[Effect: +30 permanent attribute points and +2000 temporary attribute points (lasts one minute).]
York looked at the virtual window appearing before him. He narrowed his eyes; this was the first time the system had changed in how it triggered random missions and prompted usage consumption.
"As expected of the holy relic blood of jesus, it truly has the prestige it should have."
Listening to the mechanical voice in his ears, York looked at the blood of jesus flowing in the glass bottle and smiled at the [Absorbable] virtual window above it.
"Father Yorkes?"
Irene, seeing the priest suddenly stop, called out in concern.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," York shook his head. As he picked up the glass bottle, he silently commanded absorption in his heart.
There was nothing to hesitate about.
Currently, the only difficulty of this mission was resolving the Sealed Land.
The fact that Valac could continuously channel power already indicated that the seal on the Gates of Hell had loosened.
Therefore, the mission with the 40-point reward could be understood in any way—destroying the Gates of Hell or strengthening the seal of the Gates of Hell to prevent the demon's power from leaking.
And he had already decided on the destruction plan, which had never changed.
So, absorbing the power of this blood of jesus to enhance his own strength was the most correct course of action and choice.
No matter what, only what belonged to him was his true essence.
[Absorbed]
Hearing the system prompt, York looked at the glass bottle in his hand. The blood of jesus no longer had its crystal-clear feel. He wondered what it would be like if one of his attributes reached five hundred points.
He had felt this before; as long as a value reached a certain requirement, he would undergo a corresponding change.
"Since this mission is about Hell and demons, then I'll put it all into Spirit, which is linked to Holy Power or the power of faith."
With a thought, York focused on the rewards appearing in the virtual window and directly added the 30 permanent attribute points and 2000 temporary attribute points to his Spirit.
He wanted to see if he also had the chance to become the kind of existence where evil retreats wherever a Saint goes.
[Points added successfully]
[Spirit increased from 90.5 to 120.5 + 2000 (one minute)]
[...]
As the points were successfully added, York blinked and instantly realized he was a bit different.
As for how it felt, York instinctively raised his left hand. In his vision, this hand seemed to be glowing. To put it simply, his hand was emitting a holy light, crystal clear, and even his priestly robes felt a bit different.
York didn't feel any of the abruptness that usually comes after a sudden surge in strength; the entire process was so natural.
The only thing he knew was that he was truly different—so different that he felt unfamiliar to himself, giving him the feeling that he could achieve anything.
Just then, Irene suddenly cried out, her tone filled with confusion and a hint of panic within her worry.
"Father!"
York instinctively looked over.
Irene was staring wide-eyed in his direction, her face full of terror.
"Where did you go?"
He was right in front of her, yet Irene seemed to see nothing.
Seeing Irene reach out to feel around his area, York thought for a moment and directly grabbed her hand.
"I am right in front of you. How do you feel now?"
Feeling the touch, Irene froze. She stared wide-eyed ahead, seemingly truly unable to see anything.
"Are you in front of me? I can't see you, but I can feel your presence..."
An invisible god?
York narrowed his eyes, looking at the confused Irene. He carefully experienced the feeling of reaching 2000 points and spoke.
"Sleep, Irene."
As if it were a Divine Word, under his gaze, Irene's eyes slowly closed, and her body seemed to go limp as she fell, instantly sinking into a deep sleep.
"So this is what it feels like. Words Have Power, Wishes Come True, everything can be controlled. The most important thing isn't just having two thousand points, but the essential change those two thousand points bring to the host."
York murmured to himself, looking at Irene sleeping on the floor in front of him, and raised his right hand.
Irene then levitated, floating beside him according to York's will.
"Very nice. This power is truly mesmerizing."
The corners of York's mouth curled up. Experiencing his current false state, he felt that he could both manifest and withdraw this Saint-like holy form.
"But why withdraw it..."
York stepped forward, and with every step behind him, he left a pure white footprint that emitted a holy light.
At this stage, York could already perceive what was happening outside; even the location of the Gates of Hell was forming in his mind.
Manifesting divinity before others, omnipotent.
In his perception, the entire environment outside was already permeated with dark power. From the dark ground, one dried corpse of a Paladin after another crawled out.
Every Paladin was fully armed, wearing white robes with a red Cross, chainmail, a helmet, and holding a Knights Sword...