Boom!
York pulled the iron door open with one hand.
As soon as it opened, the magic within York silently activated, clearing away the pungent smell and mental erosion that rushed towards him.
Even Nick caught a whiff of the stench, unable to help but cover his nose while holding the candlestick.
"Disgusting!"
York's expression remained unchanged as he looked ahead.
Before him was a tunnel-like winding path, bone-chillingly cold.
Beyond the overpowering stench, he could hear noises inside.
Distinctly clear, so clear that he could easily conjure an image.
Chewing, the friction of flesh...
However, through the real-time three-dimensional map, York knew exactly what this so-called flesh friction was.
Tentacle-like things were crawling out from the humanoid figures in the map.
"An octopus?"
York drew his Ryan revolver from his side and slowly walked in.
Behind him, Nick, though hesitating and covering his nose, followed.
Upon entering, the walls of the tunnel were adorned with something more.
Torn chapters from the Bible and images of Jesus were plastered all over the walls of the tunnel.
Unfortunately, in York's eyes, these items bore no holy power and were essentially useless.
As they ventured deeper, the stench grew stronger, to the point where Nick kept coughing behind him.
At this point, York confirmed that the candlestick was no longer needed. He turned back to look at Nick, who was visibly struggling: "Go out and wait for me outside. Remember to keep holding the candlestick."
Nick's face lit up with relief, nodding quickly before turning to leave, eager to escape the foul smell.
As Nick's footsteps faded away, York continued deeper into the tunnel without expression.
Eventually, the path opened up into a circular space, and the corrosive aura around intensified.
Using his magic to clear away the noise, York's first glance was towards the center of the space.
The main event was at the center: a pentagram with a mummified body in the middle, its feet and hands nailed to the floor.
York stood in front of the pentagram, staring at the mummy above it, silent.
From its long hair stuck to the floor, it wasn't hard to guess who it was – the missing Dorothy Walmar.
Without much thought, York could sense the cruelty of the process.
Only when the host had become a vessel, still conscious, could Anthony Walmar have gone to such lengths.
In other words, Dorothy Walmar was consciously nailed to the floor by her own brother.
Over the decades, her body had become a mummy, a mere husk, with only the sealed demon inside still stirring.
"Indeed, I still detest these cultists, cruel and inhumane, filled with nothing but self-righteous awakening."
Looking at the tentacles wriggling out of the mummy's hollows, York sighed, his right hand waving, and his priestly robe fluttering without wind.
A surge of magic burst forth, instantly clearing the space of mental erosion and the overwhelming stench.
After this, York didn't disrupt the sealing pentagram but turned his attention elsewhere.
Since Anthony Walmar hadn't completed the transaction, he must have used the fourth book, [Liber Qwalith Quarthus Sakarumendo], for the pentagram's symbols and spells.
Indeed, York found the book laid open on a stand on the opposite side.
Glancing at the demon within the mummy, York avoided the edge of the pentagram and walked over to the stand.
The page facing him displayed an illustration identical to the center's pentagram.
It detailed the materials, symbols, patterns, spells, and steps required for the pentagram.
"A useful find, probably the only gain from this trip, better than nothing."
York shook his head, closing the opened book, whose cover bore the name [Liber Qwalith Quarthus Sakarumendo].
"Knowledge is power."
With no random mission triggered, York felt no regret, only retrieving his phone.
With a thought, holy power spread to the phone, and York swiped through the screen to find a number.
In cases like this, where no random mission was triggered and there was no battle, it was best to leave it to the church.
After thousands of years of evolution, the church in this parallel world is conservative in some aspects but also advanced in others.
Besides exorcising uninvited demons, the church has methods to exorcise and reform those summoned by humans.
Like the demons encountered at Old Mack's bar, all were reformed through a series of processes.
For a demon embarrassingly trapped in a pentagram like this, it's natural to be put into a containment device with sealing effects.
So, York decided, the book and knowledge were his, and the demon's body belonged to the church, not merely passing the trouble to the church.
"Another demon to fuss over, they'll be more than happy..."
York looked at the demon within the corpse, his gaze filled with a hint of pity.
After all, the church's seminaries were abundant.
With the thought fleeting, York was about to press the number on the screen.
Suddenly, noises from outside made him pause and look towards the tunnel entrance.
Bang, bang, bang! The real-time three-dimensional map in his mind showed a humanoid figure rushing towards the center's pentagram.
"Intending to destroy the pentagram?"
York glanced at the body at the center of the pentagram and extended his left hand.
Mental energy burst forth from within, rushing forward with his will.
Roar! Nick, who had just charged out of the tunnel, was immediately swept up by the massive psychic force and slammed hard against the wall.
After hitting the wall, Nick, seemingly unaffected by pain, instead looked at York with a ferocious face.
"So easily corrupted, this guy was indeed full of desires, pitiful..."
Recalling Nick's previous actions, York shook his head, his left hand's index and middle fingers coming together for a downward flick.
With this gesture, Nick, who was pinned against the wall, was forcefully smashed down.
Bang! The impact was louder than before, leaving Nick unconscious or worse.
Having done this, York didn't release his control but looked at the pentagram's center, which seemed to be stirring, and the disgusting tentacles stretching out from the mummy, and performed a reinforcing gesture.
Learning and applying on the spot.
A pentagram formed from magic appeared in the air, encapsulating the restless body below with his will.
All became calm.
Then, York finally pressed the number on his phone.
However, instead of the expected voice, he was met with a busy tone indicating the other party was on a call.
York wasn't surprised but was curious.
"What's Gabriel up to?"
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