"The Paladins who accompanied them back then?"
Having stepped out of the stone chamber, York looked at the mummified corpses crowding the passageway ahead, scenes from that time flashing through his mind.
During the Dark Ages of the medieval period, Duke Saint Cata opened the Gates of Hell, and a swarm of demons poured out, leaving the land in ruins.
The Church was commissioned in a time of crisis. Under the command of several bishops, these loyal and devout Paladins charged toward the demons without fear of death... Roar!
Now, however, under Valac's influence, they were charging at him with Knights Swords raised.
York sighed inwardly, letting all the power within his body surge out, consuming five hundred points of temporary Spirit.
"The Lord said, Let there be light: and there was light..."
As York spoke, the dim basement instantly became as bright as day under his words. A wave-like Holy Power swept out from him, instantly dispersing all the dark haze and the mummified appearance of the Paladins.
In the brightly lit underground passage, one true Paladin after another began to appear.
Each Paladin was a different person, but they all shared the same expression of absolute devotion.
As York walked past, they automatically parted to both sides, watching him with resolute eyes. They clenched their right hands into fists over their chests and bowed their heads in respectful salute.
York remained expressionless, his gaze already reflecting the location of the Gates of Hell.
In the massive stone chamber, four load-bearing pillars made of stacked boulders supported a ceiling carved with cross patterns and portraits.
In the center was the pattern of a sealing array, sealing the Gates of Hell beneath it.
It was exactly as he had seen when he was pulled into the mental space by Valac earlier.
Above the array was a high platform connected to a seat, presumably built by Duke Saint Cata; after all, in the medieval period, a Duke's status was quite high.
And Valac was sitting on that seat.
Unlike when he was seen with eyes closed and head bowed, Valac had now opened his eyes, revealing a pair of white pupils within the pitch-black sockets.
York glanced at the virtual window before him; the effect had only thirty seconds remaining.
"Thirty seconds is enough."
Muttering to himself, York took a step forward. Just like when he had spoken Valac's true name and been instantly teleported, York whispered a name.
"Valac!"
In the next second, the moment his right foot touched the ground, York was already at the location of the Gates of Hell.
"Roar!"
Valac atop the platform suddenly sat up, roaring first as usual.
This time was different from the encounter in the mental space. The power Valac could use had become stronger. The dark power behind him surged toward York like a vast ocean. Before this dark ocean, York' figure appeared incredibly small.
"Heh."
York gave a light chuckle, consumed five hundred temporary Spirit points, and pressed his right hand down.
"Calm and tranquil."
The surging dark waves instantly returned to calm and dissipated on the spot.
Under Valac's wide white pupils, York raised his right hand again and clenched it into a fist toward Him.
"Die!"
Six hundred temporary Spirit points were instantly consumed, transforming into telekinetic force.
"Impossible!"
A roar like a beast's tone rang out. The moment Valac began to transform into his demon form, He seemed to sense something and stared fixedly at York, roaring.
"Why is it impossible? Everything is possible." Feeling that Valac had reached his end, York gave a rare response.
"I curse you forever! You shall have no peace, never to rest..."
A mysterious power began to form on York' body. Valac revealed an evil smile at that moment, and then he was crushed into oblivion by York' grip.
"What's there to say about being insta-killed, you fool..."
York muttered toward the now-empty platform. Looking at the ten seconds of effect time remaining, he casually crushed the curse on his body.
"Do you even know the weight of showing divinity before men?"
Unfortunately, Valac could no longer hear him. York turned his gaze to the Gates of Hell beneath the sealing array. Finally, he chose to use the remaining four hundred temporary Spirit points to perform a true Requiem Blessing for everyone who had died in the Saint Kata Monastery.
Holy light permeated the entire basement, which was as bright as day.
[...]
[Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death]
[We shall not fear]
[Let sorrow and sighing flee away]
[...]
Following York' recitation, the entire basement, including the hall where York stood, began to manifest one fully armed, sword-wielding Paladin and black-robed Nun after another.
[...]
[May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly]
[And may your Spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ]
[Let each man rest in peace]
[...]
The Paladins and Nuns listened, quietly watching the young priest in the center of the hall with smiles on their faces. They saluted the priest in their own ways before finally turning into Holy Fragments... "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. May God bless your soul as it enters Heaven."
York remained expressionless, staring at the now-empty hall. He closed his eyes and made the sign of the cross on his chest.
"Amen!"
When he opened his eyes again, the hall that was as bright as day sank back into darkness.
The effect's time had run out.
York couldn't help but sigh. Listening to the mechanical voice in his ear, he didn't feel particularly happy; he just felt a sense of indifference or perhaps a lingering aftertaste.
[Blessing of Saint Kata Monastery]
[Obtained +10 Attribute Points]
[...]
York silently allocated the ten newly acquired attribute points into his mana capacity.
[Point allocation successful]
[mana 171 increased to 181]
Then he took off the backpack he had been carrying, which contained the Holy Bombs.
[Used 181 mana]
[Used 100 Spirit]
He instantly applied the final double-layered buffs. Including this time, the Holy C4 Timed Explosives in the backpack now had a 429-fold amplification effect—meaning they possessed the explosive power of 10 tons of TNT equivalent and seven hundred points of Holy Power.
York remained expressionless as he tossed the backpack onto the sealing array. Then, holding the still-sleeping Novice Sister Irene with one arm, he walked slowly toward the exit.
He had entered with a roar, but he left in total silence.
Following his memory through the underground passages, York glanced back once as he reached the final tunnel where light was visible, then continued forward.
This place would soon cease to exist.
As the distance closed, York could already hear the sound of a helicopter starting up.
When he reached the exit, the sun was so bright compared to the interior that he subconsciously squinted his eyes.
"Father Yorkes!"
Hearing Hili's call, York walked toward the helicopter.
"Is it over?"
Hili glanced at the Novice Nun under the priest's arm and asked.
"Pretty much. Just one last step left," York said calmly. He first tossed Ailin into an inner seat, then stepped up and sat in his original spot.
"Let's go."