Chapter 250: A Choice
Meryl led William out of the rental office and walked towards another facility.
That was the area specially designed for processing evil materials.
After all, there weren't many guests who could process materials on their own, so the Guild set up such a place for guests in need to use, as long as they paid a certain fee.
At the same time, at the entrance of the trading venue.
Two figures, one tall and one short, walked in.
Doria's eyes were tired: "1 PM is the best time to catch up on sleep; you were the one who told me this."
She stretched out her hands and let out another yawn as she spoke.
Catherine gently patted the former: "Didn't you just wake up at 11 AM!"
"This... this shows I woke up early!" Doria rolled her eyes and said.
Catherine shook her head helplessly: "Go back and sleep later! Accompany me to find that gentleman from yesterday first."
"The one selling holy artifacts?" Doria looked strange. "Didn't you still have some Holy Water left from what you bought yesterday?"
"It's exactly because I haven't used it up that I want to buy more!" Catherine knocked on Doria's head.
After going back yesterday, Catherine used that bottle of seven-year vintage Holy Water.
And the subsequent effect exceeded her expectations!
The Holy Power contained in the Holy Water was very pure, and the activity between the spirit particles was very high.
This situation would only appear in Holy Water made from rare materials.
It was even better than the Holy Water blessed on the Grand Holy Day, almost reaching the level of the Cardinals' private collections!
It was because she once had the fortune to come into contact with it that she could tell the difference.
Catherine almost jumped up with excitement at that time.
Holy Water of this quality, even if it were twice as expensive, would be worth it!
And the subsequent purification had no accidents.
After applying the Holy Water, the negative effects brought by the witchcraft were immediately suppressed.
Catherine estimated that the effect of this bottle of Holy Water was almost twice that of her previous purchases.
According to her previous consumption rate, she would have had to restock again after a day.
But if it was the bottle in her hand, it could almost maintain for 30... No, no.
Catherine still decided to be a bit conservative; it could be used for at least 25 days!
Calculating it this way, seven thousand Resentment Points was not expensive at all, and it would even save a lot.
For this, she secretly cursed Bellon for a long time again.
And after the purification was over, Catherine immediately decided to hoard some more for backup.
So she went to the trading venue again that night.
Although the venue was open 24/7, the stall had already closed when she returned. With no choice, Catherine could only go back first.
She came back to stake out early this morning, but still didn't see that gentleman from yesterday.
The other stalls were still the same as before; not a single holy artifact sold exceeded five-year vintage quality.
Catherine was a bit downcast, but she comforted herself and quickly cheered up again.
"Wait again in the afternoon! If I still don't see that gentleman, I'll give up!"
Considering that one person might miss something, she woke Doria up again.
Time returned to the present.
Just as Catherine planned to head to the materials area, she saw that familiar figure from yesterday.
Her eyes instantly became bright, looking quite moving.
"Quick, follow me!"
She pulled Doria and ran towards a distance.
When getting closer, Catherine was just preparing to greet him, but keenly noticed an anomaly.
"That manager... I think I've seen her alone with Bellon before," she thought inwardly.
"Could it be..."
Catherine's eyes suddenly widened.
Combining yesterday's unpleasantness and Bellon's usual style, she immediately realized something.
"No! I have to warn that gentleman!" Catherine's face was anxious.
But she didn't dare to just rush up like this.
After all, nothing had happened yet, and her words had no credibility. If that gentleman misunderstood, it might even harm him instead. Catherine bit her lips tightly. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to follow them first.
"Doria, I thought about it and decided not to look for him. The Holy Water indeed hasn't been used up yet. How about you accompany me to stroll around!"
She turned her head, her eyes full of expectation.
Doria's body stiffened upon hearing this.
"Miss... Wizard Catherine, since that's the case, then I've decided to follow your instruction and go catch up on sleep. Yes! Catching up on sleep is too important! It can maintain abundant energy, make you happy, and also..."
She stepped back while speaking, her voice getting further and further away, quickly disappearing at the entrance.
After Doria left, Catherine's smile gradually disappeared.
"There might be danger later; better not let her follow," she thought inwardly.
Subsequently, Catherine pulled her hood and quietly followed the two people who were about to walk far away.
Meryl led William walking in a long corridor. During this time, except for some staff members, they didn't see any shadows of other exorcists.
Based on the Exorcist Guild's service principles, they obviously wouldn't provide compensation in this manner.
Therefore, William could almost be certain this female manager had a problem.
But what puzzled him was that there were no traces of energy fluctuation on the other party's body.
Of course, except for the scar on her wrist. That little bit of evil aura, William could purify it with a piss.
At the same time, the area the two were in was still within the Guild. If the female manager and the people behind her acted, they would definitely be discovered by others in the Guild.
This was also the reason William hadn't acted all along—What if they really were providing compensation?
But he wouldn't pin his safety on a guess either.
So after thinking for a moment, William spoke up: "I suggest you stay away from that thing."
"What did you say?" Meryl stopped in her tracks, doubt flashing in her eyes.
William raised his chin to signal.
Meryl looked in that direction.
In the next moment, she grabbed her own right wrist.
"Sorry, I scared you." She revealed a smile.
"I unfortunately got injured while processing an evil material once; this is the sequel left from that time. But you can rest assured, this will not leak out."
Meryl subtly pulled her sleeve.
"You don't need to explain to me." William continued walking forward.
"Although a Holy Power amulet can suppress evil aura, judging from your wrist's condition, the evil aura has already started to corrode your body."
"Once it accumulates to a certain extent, even the Holy Power amulet will lose its effect."
William turned his head.
"When that time comes, your body will become a hotbed for evil spirits and demons. Any evil existence can occupy your soul, and those close to you will also be harmed."
"You should know these situations, right?"
Hearing this, Meryl's body stiffened.
"Close... person?" She looked up, panic flashing in her eyes.
William pointed to Meryl's collar.
On the inner lining there, a cartoon bear badge was pinned.
The latter only then realized.
Because the Guild's staff uniforms were very fitted, Meryl unintentionally exposed this part when she tugged her sleeve just now.
"I made a fool of myself." She hurriedly tidied her collar.
Subsequently, Meryl caught up and smiled: "Thank you for the reminder. I know the consequences of doing this, but..."
She paused for a moment but suddenly changed her words.
"Perhaps it's a bit presumptuous, are you a Church exorcist?"
"Proxy exorcist." William said.
"Signed a contract with the Church to handle some temporary commissions in the community."
He recalled the introduction given by the Warrens back then.
"So that's how it is..."
Meryl nodded.
"Then you must know a lot about exorcism purification."
"I suppose so."
Meryl opened her mouth; at this moment, her heart was beating a bit fast.
A moment later, she clenched her fists and spoke again: "Then have you ever seen a human soul mixed with an evil spirit."
"Mixed together?"
Meryl put on a relaxed look and said: "Oh~ I also heard about such a case before. Two souls existed simultaneously in a girl's body, but one of them was an evil spirit."
"As the girl's physical age grew, the two souls also became hard to separate."
William looked thoughtful, then shook his head: "Unlikely."
"The soul and the original body have a seamless fit. The moment an evil spirit successfully invades, it must swallow the original soul completely."
"Otherwise, not only will it be unable to occupy the new body, but it might also be driven out."
"And this process will only last for a month at most."
Meryl looked somewhat disappointed after hearing this.
"But there is also one exception." William's tone shifted.
"What exception!" Meryl stared straight at the former.
"If that girl had twin souls from birth, the other one is very likely not an evil spirit," William said.
"What... do you mean." Meryl's voice was already a bit trembling.
"If her mother was originally pregnant with twins, and due to some accident one of them died, then this situation would occur."
"Then... why would this soul become an evil spirit..." Meryl's breathing began to quicken.
"That's just a surface phenomenon." William glanced at her.
"Newborn souls are very pure. Even if they die accidentally, they only carry a normal spirit body aura."
"Under normal circumstances, the spirit body would quickly dissipate and reincarnate. Of course, some anomalies might appear during this period. However..."
A strange look flashed in his eyes.
"At this time, the spirit body is already able to perceive the surrounding environment."
"If it is treated as an evil spirit and an exorcism ritual is performed on it, it indeed has the possibility of pushing it towards evil."
As soon as his voice fell, Meryl's legs suddenly gave way, and she slumped against the wall.
At the same time, that part of sealed memories in her mind suddenly surfaced.
Eleven years ago.
Exorcist Guild, Private Lounge.
"Father, I don't want to be an exorcist, nor do I want to take the exorcist license exam. I just want to be an ordinary person." Young Meryl said, clenching her fists.
"What nonsense!" A middle-aged man with pale golden hair scolded.
"Recently, evil incidents across North America have increased by a few cases again. Those guys from Hell are obviously restless again."
"In this situation, only by becoming an exorcist can you protect yourself!"
"Otherwise, when the day comes that evil truly descends upon the human world, will you just watch your own soul fall!"
Meryl pouted: "But... don't I have you, Father."
"Can I protect you for a lifetime!" The middle-aged man shook his head helplessly.
"Even if I hold a 2-Star Exorcist License now, if I really die in the future, I can only leave you a manager position in the Guild at most. Are you willing to be bossed around by others?"
"I... I am willing." Meryl gritted her teeth and raised her head.
"You!"
"Father, you don't need to persuade me anymore. I came back this time intending to leave the Guild." Meryl wiped her eyes.
"I'm already pregnant with Yude's child."
"What did you say!" The middle-aged man was incredulous, his voice even starting to tremble.
"Didn't I tell you to stay away from that guy! Although that person is from the Vatican, I couldn't find any information about him at all. This is obviously abnormal..."
Hearing this, Meryl closed her eyes, tears flowing from the corners of her eyes.
"I'm leaving."
She ran to the corridor, using the door to isolate the shouts behind her.
Before long, Meryl arrived at the hotel entrance, where a man with an amiable smile stood.
"Did you tell Mr. Royce?" the man asked.
"Mmh." Meryl wiped her eyes. "Let's go."
The man reached out and hugged her: "Tell you some good news. I found a villa in the suburbs; it only costs a 20% discount to buy."
The man took out a key.
"I've already bought the house. From now on, you are the mistress there."
Meryl laughed with a "Pfft" sound, hugging the man tightly.
Scene after scene flashed before Meryl's eyes.
"...A luxury residence in the downtown area experienced a severe explosion yesterday. One deceased and one injured person were found at the scene..."
"...Ms. Meryl, Mr. Royce died at the scene protecting you. These are some of his belongings..."
"...Sorry, the Guild does not have an exorcist from the Vatican..."
Meryl clutched her chest, suddenly feeling like she couldn't catch her breath.
"Are you okay."
At this time, a steady voice awakened her from her memories.
"I... I'm fine." Meryl supported herself against the wall and stood up.
"Sorry, sir. I didn't rest well yesterday, so I lost my composure." She squeezed out a smile.
William didn't make a sound, just waiting quietly.
"Right." Meryl took a key out of her pocket.
"Your compensation is in that room; there are two portions in total."
"The other portion is to make up for the Guild leaking your information previously. Once again, I express my apologies to you."
Meryl bowed slightly; her body was already a bit unsteady.
"I still have other work. I'm very sorry I can't accompany you anymore. After taking the compensation, you just need to return the way you came."
After saying these, she bowed slightly again.
Subsequently, she continued walking towards the distance of the long corridor until her figure completely disappeared.
William stood in place.
Although he didn't know what this female manager had actually experienced.
But judging from the other party's performance, she had obviously changed her mind.
William stared at the key in his hand.
He didn't feel any evil aura behind the door.
But just in case, he still arranged magic arrays around it.
Just as he was about to open the door, William suddenly looked at the path he came from.
"Your Excellency has followed for so long; how long do you plan to watch from the sidelines?"
A moment later, a person wearing a dark red robe appeared in the corridor.
"It's you." William recognized the other party.
"He... Hello." Catherine took off her hood, her expression somewhat unnatural.
"Why follow me?"
"N... No, that's not it!" Catherine hurriedly waved her hands. "I intended to find you to buy some more holy artifacts."
William looked around: "Are you saying you followed me all the way here to buy some holy artifacts?"
Hearing this, Catherine was momentarily speechless.
"Oh no, oh no! I have to quickly think of what to say, or I'll be treated as a bad person!" Her brain spun crazily.
A moment later, she found she simply couldn't make anything up, so she had to gather her courage and tell the truth.
"I... I really wanted to buy holy artifacts at first, but you didn't go set up your stall... That female manager knows Bellon, the man who was next to me yesterday..."
William raised an eyebrow, not expecting this person to be so warm-hearted.
As for whether the other party was lying...
Judging from that manager's performance just now, the possibility was very small, but not entirely zero either.
Thinking of this, William spoke: "Do you still want to buy holy artifacts?"
"Of course I do!" Catherine looked up, but saw the other party handing over a key. "This is?"
William smiled: "Behind this door is the compensation the Guild gave me. You help me take it out from inside, and I'll help you look for holy artifacts."
"Really!" Catherine's eyes were bright.
William nodded.
"Okay! It's a deal!" She took the key from the former's hand.
William stepped back a bit, watching the other party enter the room.
A moment later.
"There are only two silver jars inside, nothing else." Catherine stretched out both hands.
William observed with [Holy Eye] and found inside were evil remains formed for at least thirty years.
"It seems this is true compensation." He nodded secretly and accepted the materials.
At this time, a hand suddenly stretched out in front of him, the skin fair and tender.
"The agreed-upon holy artifacts!" Catherine looked at William with big eyes.
"Sorry, I came out in too much of a hurry and forgot to bring them." William smiled slightly. "How about you come back with me to get them?"
Catherine tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Alright."
William nodded, put away the things on the ground, and continued walking forward.
"Wait!" Catherine called out to him. "Isn't the Guild hall in this direction."
"That's right." William didn't stop his footsteps. "But there's still a small matter unfinished."
"Oh~"
Catherine nodded blankly, and then quickly caught up.
"Wait for me!"
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