Having handed over all the evidence to Jeffrey and having discussed everything with his best friend, York silently escorted Hailey back home. After taking care of everything, York returned to the church.
As he had performed a mass directly and had not completed his daily tasks yet, York went straight to the statue of Jesus.
York habitually reviewed his day and found himself recalling the silent Hailey who had not spoken a word during their journey. A faint enlightenment formed in his mind.
"In the future, I need to pay more attention to these matters. After all, each psychopath means a point in my attributes."
Having summarized the day's events, York closed his eyes in front of the statue of Jesus and began his prayer, recounting the day's happenings as usual.
Other than Hailey's few devastatingly powerful kicks, nothing much had left an impression on him; his mindset remained unflappable.
[...] [Prayer: Church Prayer (Completed)] [Reward: 0.5 points granted] [...]
As the completion notification sounded, York opened his eyes and made the sign of the cross, murmuring, "Amen."
York glanced at the empty hall before sitting down in his usual spot to manage the attribute points he had gained for the day.
Accessing his personal panel, he added the 1.5 attribute points to his health.
[...] [Point Allocation Successful] [Health 120 increased to 121.5] [...]
Hearing the notification, York examined his personal data. His health had always been second only to his consistently high magical power.
A health value of 121.5 was quite substantial.
York knew that health was linked to his physical condition and life. As his health points accumulated, he began to feel different.
Where exactly was different?
York clenched and unclenched his fist, focusing on the power coursing through it, deep in thought.
Perhaps his flesh had become more robust, and his defensive value had increased compared to before.
He often wondered if his body might become like the indestructible bodies mentioned in some movies when his health reached a certain level.
Moreover, this change would allow him to move freely even when injured to an extent that would immobilize a normal human.
This reminded York of the health bars in video games he had played in his previous life, indicating a character's life status. When the health was low, the character's speed and strength would diminish.
This was similar to his hypothesis, which is why he placed great importance on maintaining a high health value. He didn't want to be in a weakened state when injured.
"..."
York relaxed his fist, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
Of course, there were other benefits too. The increasing vitality in his body meant he rarely felt tired.
His recovery rate had also improved significantly. What used to take an hour to heal could now be done in half the time.
And perhaps, he seemed to be looking younger.
"Surely I won't regress to a young boy..."
York shook his head, distracted by footsteps at the door.
Seconds later, three parishioners entered, nodding at him and sitting down on the benches, eyes closed in prayer or confession.
York didn't mind. As long as no one specifically sought him out, he preferred not to disturb the parishioners' peace.
Sometimes, all they needed was a tranquil place.
Feeling the sensation of allocating points fade, York stood up and headed to the resting room.
During this quiet time, he planned to prepare some holy water. Considering he had performed a group mass earlier, he didn't expect to be disturbed.
Although the sanctification of holy water only lasted twenty days, he knew it could be rapidly depleted in emergencies.
Like the battle at the Jessy Building and the exorcism of an old acquaintance had nearly depleted his stock.
So, he had to prepare some in advance to be ready for any situation.
Always prepared for unforeseen circumstances, York was very clear about this approach.
In the resting room, he gathered the tools for making holy water, like a silver cup, purified water, salt, and a backpack for storage, and returned to the altar.
Looking up at the hall, he noticed a few more parishioners had silently joined the others.
Seeing that they didn't approach him, York was content to begin the sanctification process. He filled a cup and, like the parishioners, closed his eyes and recited passages from the Bible, blessing the cup of water.
In the quiet hall, with the figure of Jesus watching over, there was a harmonious scene of devout parishioners praying and a priest blessing holy water.
In this atmosphere, York successfully prepared several bottles of holy water.
After a while, he had used up all the materials, resulting in six large bottles of holy water on the table.
"Twenty days of effectiveness should suffice for now," York murmured to himself, looking up again.
By then, it was late afternoon, and the hall had emptied except for a few devoted old parishioners who continued their prayers, faces full of piety.
York, used to such scenes, quietly packed the bottles of holy water into his backpack and placed his phone on the table.
"It's time to test my theory."
Remembering the results from the exorcism day, York planned to try sanctifying his phone, thinking of the possibility of recording during paranormal events.
If successful, his methods for dealing with such situations would expand significantly.
However, before he could start, his phone rang. York immediately saw it was Jeffrey calling.
"Jeffrey? Does he have results?"
Thinking of the murderer who resembled Ed Warren, York paused his sanctification process and quietly pressed the green call button.
"Father York..." Jeffrey's voice came through as the call connected.
York calmly responded, "Yes?"
"I've been thinking, and I decided to update you on Jeff's situation," Jeffrey's voice continued from the phone
___________________
Read Ahead
Patreon.com/INNIT