Casually dispersing the dark magic, William shrugged with a smile. "So, if you want to learn my cultivation method, you'd better have photographic memory and magical talent. Otherwise, don't expect any results without years—maybe even decades—of effort."
The blatant elitism made John Wick roll his eyes. No need to sugarcoat it—he was clearly being told that this was training for prodigies, and for someone like him, a magical underachiever, it would be like reading ancient Greek in the dark.
Seeing no point in arguing, John cautiously reached for the ring floating before him. Once he confirmed it wasn't hot, he naturally slipped it onto the pinky of his left hand.
"That's the Devonshire Stag Ring," William explained. "It's reserved for select members of secret forces dedicated to exterminating and containing demonic threats. The ring has a Holy Light healing spell matrix embedded in it. Injecting Holy Light will not only let you heal yourself but also cast Holy Light Blasts to attack dark entities—or aid others."
The moment he heard that, John instinctively injected Holy Light into the ring and shot a beam straight at Nick Fury.
Startled, Fury braced himself—but instead of pain, he felt a wave of energy course through him. His long-standing fatigue and aches faded instantly, leaving him refreshed and energized.
Impressed by the immediate effect, Fury's gaze drifted from John's ring to the two other stag rings floating in William's hand, deep in thought.
If there'd only been one ring, Fury would've assumed William was dangling it to bait him. But two? That muddied the waters—was William waiting for him to speak up? Was there an unspoken message?
William clearly had an agenda. And if there was room for negotiation, Fury wasn't about to let such a powerful artifact slip through his fingers.
As John tested his new ring, Fury asked, "So if we can't learn your training method, what can we do?"
"There's always another way." William nodded and said to Sunday, "Tell Bishop Strauss of the Penitent Order I'll be at the Rome estate shortly with John Wick. Have him prepare to meet us."
"Penitent Order?" Fury immediately thought of the Church. His instincts flared. If William was hard to deal with due to sheer power, then maybe these clerics could be approached more easily—especially if they were focused on faith and doctrine.
Official government collaboration with clergy wasn't off the table—especially if it involved superpowers and demonic threats. And if the perks were good enough, Fury would even consider secretly joining such an order himself.
After all, for over a decade, he'd barely heard from Carol Danvers, and now she'd contacted him three times in one year. And each time, she'd mentioned William—either directly or indirectly.
Fury wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what was going on in her head.
So now, when he looked at William, there was a flicker of envy and resignation in his eyes.
"I can represent S.H.I.E.L.D. to initiate a partnership with your Penitent Order—maybe even an alliance to jointly combat infernal threats."
"I'll pass that on to Bishop Strauss," William replied. He tapped his fingers lightly on his knee and added, "But the partnership is with you, Nick Fury—not S.H.I.E.L.D."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Fury's instincts kicked into overdrive. "Are you saying there's something wrong inside S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
William just smiled and floated the two rings toward him. "These are for you and Phil Coulson. Each one comes preloaded with enough Holy Light to cast three healing blasts. Once the energy runs out, leave them under direct sunlight for a day or two to recharge. Hopefully, you'll never need them. Cheers, Fury."
Before Fury could respond, William and John Wick vanished, teleporting to the Devonshire estate in Rome.
Still seated, John suddenly found himself falling backward. Fortunately, his reflexes saved him from a full-on sprawl—he caught himself with both hands.
He stood up, not the least bit angry. In fact, his awe for William only deepened.
This kind of instantaneous teleportation was far more discreet and efficient than the portals of Kamar-Taj. With this ability, as long as William wasn't killed in one shot, no one could stop him from escaping—or from delivering a nuclear bomb to someone's doorstep.
"Welcome, Your Grace," said Strauss, dressed in simple robes, bowing respectfully. "The estate has been renovated and is ready for use. And to ensure you can live free from worldly distractions, I've hand-picked a hundred candidates from within the Church as potential maids for your service."
Apparently, William's taste for beautiful women was now public knowledge—even Strauss had assembled a literal harem for him to choose from.
But William preferred movie stars or fame-hungry socialites—easy to manage and no strings attached. Church women? Too much baggage.
"You handle it," he replied casually and walked into the main villa.
Inside, four other clerics gave Strauss a worried look, but he silenced them with a wave. "Enough. We weren't really expecting anything anyway. His Grace didn't refuse or get angry. That's enough. Focus on recruiting capable people to manage the estate."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Back in the estate's grand hall, surrounded by oil paintings, William gestured to John Wick.
"This man's soul was targeted by Mephisto. But by a twist of fate, he's also been granted Holy Light powers by the archangel Gabriel. Your job is to teach him how to wield Holy Light, hunt demons, and resist corruption."
The five clerics instantly regarded John with newfound reverence. Being marked by both Gabriel and Mephisto? That was no ordinary man.
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Oh, and one more thing," William added. "Mephisto's most ambitious son, Mammon, is planning to use the Lance of Longinus to tear open the dimensional barrier and physically enter our world. You Holy Light users need to be extra cautious—don't get captured and turned into tools for opening the rift."
"Also… you're no longer the Penitent Order. From now on, you're the Order of the Holy Light."
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
Every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.
Every 5 reviews = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.