Chapter 34 — Gideon's Strategy
Under everyone's gaze, Carol's face began to contort strangely.
Thin, vein-like lines surfaced beneath her skin—black as ink.
At the same time, Carol's expression twisted in agony, her limbs bending at grotesque angles.
"Oh my God…"
Mrs.Nickens gasped, covering her mouth in horror.
"Foul spirit that disturbs the realm of men, by the authority granted to me by the Holy Father—"
Seeing a reaction, Evan quickened his chant.
"Silence!"
Carol suddenly screamed.
"Shut your filthy mouth!"
The voice that echoed through the room was deep and raspy—completely unnatural for a child.
In that moment, Carol was no longer herself.
She didn't look—or sound—like a little girl anymore.
From above, Evan commanded coldly:
"Name yourself."
"Ha!"
To his surprise, "Carol" sneered.
"Ignorant lapdog. You really expect your enemy to hand over its name and expose its weakness? Has the Church fallen so far?"
A flicker of surprise flashed in Evan's eyes.
This entity… was different from any he'd encountered before.
Still, he knew better than to let the spirit seize the rhythm.
Giving in would risk his own mind being pulled into the corruption.
He resumed his silent chanting.
Then, the spirit inside Carol spoke again:
"Evan Bray. Necromancer. Illegitimate child raised by the Church, summoning the dead like one of us… Aren't we more alike than you'd care to admit?"
Evan froze.
The thing had exposed his deepest secret.
Now, true alarm crept into his expression.
This was no ordinary spirit.
It was a Seer—a rare ability only seen in high-ranking demons.
"Blasphemy."
Evan growled and decided not to delay any longer.
He channeled raw Holy Power into his voice and hand, forcing the energy toward Carol.
Carol shrieked in pain, her small frame convulsing.
"Enough!"
Mrs. Nicken cried out and stepped forward in distress—
Only to be stopped by Nicken, who blocked her with a firm arm.
In the corner, Gideon's eyes narrowed.
So Evan really intended to forcefully invade Carol's body with Holy Power, trying to expel the spirit directly?
Even if that method worked, Carol's soul might not survive the process.
"This has to be stopped," Gideon thought grimly.
Based on Evan's earlier exchange with the demon hunter, it was clear that Evan held a high rank within the Exorcist Academy.
And judging from his tone and manner, he was also prideful and self-righteous.
If Gideon stepped in recklessly now, not only would it likely backfire—
It would also make Evan an enemy, something he couldn't afford.
So that option was ruled out immediately.
Gideon scanned the room… and quickly formed a plan.
He slipped over to Ms. Percy and nudged her with his elbow.
"Ms. Percy," he whispered, "do you want to earn that commission or not?"
"Huh?" Percy turned to him, confused.
A moment later—
"Father... please, stop," Percy stepped forward, her voice shaking.
"Carol is in pain… if this continues, she'll be seriously hurt."
Her heart pounded in her chest, repeating Gideon's instructions in her mind:
"Be tactful. Don't insult the priest. And don't let him know someone put you up to this."
Everyone turned to look at her.
Evan didn't stop chanting—but his eyes locked sharply onto her.
"Long case, bound legs... she's from the Knight Order?" he thought silently.
Until now, Evan had focused solely on Carol, barely noticing anyone else.
Only now did he see Percy clearly.
"If you continue like this," Percy said, choosing her words carefully,
"you might hurt Carol's soul before the spirit is even removed."
-
Evan raised an eyebrow—surprised that someone here could actually see through his intentions.
It was true: he did plan to forcefully extract the spirit, even if it meant paying a price.
But as long as he followed up with prayers and let Carol rest for a year, her soul should recover.
Even if someone exposed his plan, he certainly wasn't going to admit it.
"Mr. Nicken, it seems this lady isn't very satisfied with my method," Evan said coldly.
Nearby, Jim—Carol's father—was witnessing an exorcism for the first time. Seeing his daughter like this, his worry was only natural.
He had put his trust in Evan because of the earlier "miracle."
But now, Percy's words planted seeds of doubt.
"How do you know this will harm Carol?" he asked, staring at her.
"Because... uh…"
Percy had barely started to speak when she snapped her mouth shut.
"That was close! I almost revealed the other priest's involvement," she thought nervously.
After a brief pause, she reorganized her thoughts and replied,
"Well… because the spirit is cunning. It's using Carol's soul as a shield—maybe even trying to take her place entirely."
The moment she said that, Evan froze.
He immediately stopped his chant and observed Carol more closely.
But nothing about her seemed outwardly unusual.
Still, Evan frowned.
"Miss, may I ask what role you hold in the Knight Order?"
How could a commoner notice such spiritual deception? Could she be… an Earth Knight?
"Knight Order? What's that?"
Percy tilted her head, confused.
"I'm a cashier at MallMart!"
Evan blinked, clearly stunned. He tried to recall which faction "MallMart" belonged to…
Only to realize—it was a supermarket.
An awkward silence blanketed the room.
Mr. Nicken, feeling like a fool, shouted:
"Derek! Remove this woman from the premises immediately!"
He then pointed at Gideon and Emma:
"And those two troublemakers too! Get them all out of here!"
But at that moment, "Carol" spoke again—
"So close... Damn nosy woman!"
Evan turned sharply. His eyes flashed with shock.
Carol's right cheek had suddenly aged decades—wrinkled and pale—while her pupil turned pitch black.
Evan instantly prepared to act again.
"Think carefully, priest," the spirit sneered,
"if you hurt me, you hurt Carol too."
Its grin was twisted, almost playful.
Evan's gaze turned icy—he wasn't the kind to fall for such cheap threats.
But the others… were already shaken.
"No!"
Mrs. Nicken rushed forward and grabbed Evan's arm.
Seeing her daughter's distorted face, she couldn't bear to let him continue.
"Yes, send the priest away," the spirit said mockingly,
"and maybe—just maybe—I'll give little Carol back to you."
Evan burned with the urge to strike now and end this farce.
But with the Nicken couple watching, he couldn't act without consequence.
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath.
Only now did the others realize Percy had been right all along.
Their eyes all turned toward her.
Jim's face turned red with embarrassment—just seconds ago, he'd tried to kick her out.
It was Mrs. Nicken who took the lead.
She stepped forward, took Percy's hand, and said sincerely:
"Miss Elijah, you… you have a way, right? Please, save Carol."
Now all eyes were on her.
Percy's breathing quickened slightly under the pressure.
But then—a certain handsome someone gave her a reassuring nod.
She straightened her back and said confidently:
"No problem, Mrs. Nicken. But I'll need to make a few preparations."
Mrs. Nicken nodded eagerly.
"Whatever you need, just say the word."
"I'll need a clean room. Everyone else must leave—only Carol can stay inside."
Percy thought aloud as she spoke.
"Oh, and… I'll need this priest's help. Well, not really help—more like an assistant!"
Everyone followed her gaze.
The dark-haired priest looked startled.
He pointed at himself and asked:
"Me?"