Chapter 208: Anto's Secret
Before the trial began, not a single person believed Catherine would win.
Her family and friends urged her to give up.
Even the opposing lawyers smiled at her repeatedly—
though they said nothing, every gesture carried the same message:
You can't win.
Under such circumstances, the hearing officially commenced.
"…The court now summons the plaintiff's witness, Mora O'Toole, to appear…"
In the waiting room, disappointment filled Catherine's eyes.
She understood—
once again, she had been toyed with.
Everything before her was nothing more than a staged performance.
Just as she was about to leave, a trembling hand slowly rose from the hospital bed.
---
In the courtroom.
"…The witness is requested to appear within the allotted time…"
To demonstrate the defendant's so-called "leniency," the opposing counsel even volunteered to wait a little longer.
Everyone quietly stared toward the courtroom entrance, waiting for a figure that could not possibly appear.
Just as all present were ready to accept the inevitable—
the doors were suddenly pushed open.
"I have here a handwritten journal belonging to Daryl, former headmistress of the House of Charity."
Catherine stood there, one hand raised high.
With her other hand, she pushed a wheelchair.
And seated upon it—
the elderly Mora, her eyes open.
She had never been this lucid.
---
Two Years Later
Much time had passed since that trial.
Because of the decisive evidence, authorities were forced to reopen the investigation.
What followed shocked the nation.
In just over thirty years, more than seven hundred children's remains were discovered inside septic pits.
There were seemingly no records of their deaths.
Both the authorities and the Church were compelled to publicly admit wrongdoing—
though they framed it merely as "inadequate oversight."
At the very least, compensation programs were established, granting survivors and their families some restitution.
Media outlets rushed to interview one of the survivors from that era—
Ms. Mora O'Toole.
Everyone wanted to know why she had suddenly awakened.
The elderly woman only smiled mysteriously.
"A righteous gentleman saved my soul."
Mora passed away peacefully at the age of ninety-nine.
She had endured immense suffering in her youth,
yet devoted the latter half of her life to fighting for those who had been persecuted.
---
The Void
Gideon had been observing the two remaining souls for a long time.
At last, he reached a conclusion—
this did not align with the rules the evil spirit had described.
It seemed Mora herself had altered something.
Through an alternative path, Gideon had effectively previewed the remaining two "question materials" in advance—
like a bug in a system.
He projected holy power toward the spirits.
Change followed immediately.
"Where… is this? I remember signing a contract…"
"Who are you? What is this so-called 'question'?"
Amid the clamor of the dead, Gideon raised his hand and pressed downward.
"Gentlemen," he said calmly,
"are you interested in making a deal?"
---
Mia's Apartment
Gideon blinked and turned his head.
Faya was staring straight at him.
The clock on the table showed that barely ten minutes had passed.
"So the flow of time differs between the mindscape and reality…"
Gideon mused inwardly.
Faya frowned in confusion.
"You… finished?"
Seeing Gideon fully conscious yet no visible change around them, she assumed he had failed.
Then—
a voice echoed from within the porcelain hand.
"Heh heh… congratulations. You've passed the first question."
Anto's tone was calm.
But internally, he was shaken to the core.
With his authority, he could sense changes within that space.
And just now—
a soul had been released.
Impossible.
According to the contract on the parchment, even a correct answer should only grant limited "soul disposition rights."
Those rights were restricted to newly acquired spirits.
And any soul eligible for the "questioning" process had already become, in part, an extension of the Apostle's Hand.
Yet this man had broken the rule outright.
What exactly did he do in there…?
Anto struggled to comprehend it.
---
Seeing Gideon's success, delight appeared in Faya's eyes.
She had been displeased when he initiated the questioning without warning—
but now, it seemed they might actually retrieve this holy relic.
"What did you choose?" she asked curiously.
Gideon ignored the question, staring instead at the porcelain hand.
"Begin the next question."
Anto chuckled.
"You truly are capable. But the difficulty will rise sharply from here on."
"Out of courtesy, I'll give you an extra piece of information."
He paused.
Seeing no reaction from Gideon, he continued.
"Each time you pass a question, you gain one opportunity to abstain. When you participate again, you'll only need to answer two questions."
After delivering the information, Anto fell silent.
He trusted that this priest would know how to choose.
This generosity was not kindness.
The situation had already slipped beyond Anto's control.
If these two truly passed the remaining questions, his chance to advance his rank would be gone forever.
"So you only tell me this after I complete a question…"
Gideon stroked his chin.
"Hmph. Seems you're not quite as bound by the rules as you claimed."
"Or perhaps… my clearing the questions interferes with your escape plan?"
Anto let out a cold snort and said nothing more.
Gideon smiled faintly.
"Enough with the pointless pretense."
His tone abruptly shifted into command.
"My next choices are 'not worth it' and 'worth it.' Now—hand over your authority."
"What?! How could you possibly know that?!"
Anto's shocked cry echoed from within the porcelain hand.
Before he could react—
a massive surge of energy erupted across its surface.
A black, hexagonal crystalline prism emerged, floating into the air and drifting toward Gideon.
The moment he grasped it—
he comprehended the entirety of the Apostle's Hand.
---
Inside the Relic
Countless souls stood motionless within the internal space.
Threads of spirit energy were embedded in them, endlessly siphoning their soul force.
Anto's spirit lingered in a corner—
far freer than the others.
But under Gideon's newly acquired authority, Anto trembled uncontrollably, utterly powerless.
"You… how did you… do this…"
he whispered, barely able to speak.
Gideon spoke calmly,
"Oh, that? I simply made a deal with a couple of fellows."
Not long ago—
With Mora's assistance, Gideon had met the two spirits before they were drawn into the so-called "game rules."
Through communicating with them, he learned a crucial truth:
The dead spirits did not participate in the question-and-answer game of their own will.
However, the demonic contract left them a sliver of "hope."
If a participant could successfully identify the strongest emotion embedded in a spirit's memories, the corresponding emotional chain could be shattered.
For this reason, after passing the first question, participants were granted a privilege—
To witness "the most important scene."
Yet this rule itself was nothing but a trap.
Once a participant followed that guidance and made their choice accordingly, the spirit would be completely devoured by the Apostle's Hand.
And the relic itself would sink one step deeper toward the Abyss of the Demon Pillars.
The only true way to clear the trial was to simultaneously address the emotional chains binding the spirit—
To resolve the obsessions rooted deep within their hearts.
Thanks to Psychological Counseling, this was not difficult for Gideon.
Those two spirits had also revealed Anto's true objective.
This evil spirit possessed a measure of authority.
It had repeatedly misled participants in order to siphon greater amounts of soul power.
And once someone successfully passed all three questions, they could strip Anto of that authority entirely.
---
Back in the present.
Gideon had no intention of sparing this creature and was about to use his authority to erase Anto completely.
Sensing his intent, the spirit's attitude shifted instantly.
"There's room for discussion, Father! I know many secrets of the Church!"
"No—no, just let me continue existing within the porcelain hand, and I'll tell you everything!"
Anto's tone turned blatantly sycophantic.
"Entering the Vatican requires far more than strength. Those old foxes are more treacherous than you imagine—"
Gideon cut him off.
"Twenty-year consecrated holy water, or erasure by authority. Choose how you want to die."
Anto's mouth twitched.
"Twenty years… you overestimate me. Five years would already be lethal."
"But that's not what I meant—I was talking about our deal… our deal—"
"Fine. Five years," Gideon said with a faint smile.
Just as he was about to act, Faya intervened in the real world.
Perhaps sensing his intent, she immediately softened her tone.
"Father Gideon, may I offer a suggestion?"
Gideon narrowed his eyes.
"Go on."
"This evil spirit has committed many sins and certainly deserves divine punishment."
Faya made the sign of the cross.
"But it has existed for over a thousand years, and this relic was personally designated by Bishop Megos."
"A private decision might bring unnecessary trouble."
"Of course, the innocent souls must be saved. This achievement will undoubtedly be recognized by the Church."
For certain reasons, she could not allow Anto's spirit to be purified.
Gideon raised an eyebrow.
"That makes sense."
But inwardly, he thought,
So the Church's true target was Anto all along.
Since Faya had already spoken so plainly, Gideon naturally chose to cooperate.
He handed the hexagonal crystal to the nun.
---
Next, the two of them used their authority to recall Mia's soul.
Max immediately pulled his daughter into a tight embrace.
He had witnessed everything.
But once Faya unleashed holy arts, he realized this situation was far beyond his ability to comprehend—
So he wisely remained in the background.
Fortunately, the outcome was a happy one.
Afterward, Gideon and Faya returned to the hospital, releasing all souls that still possessed physical bodies.
As for the remaining dead spirits—
Using Psychological Counseling, Gideon helped each one uncover the obsession anchoring it to the world.
Once resolved, the spirits revealed the locations of their remains.
And so, one by one, they were laid to rest.
The process took time, but it also significantly advanced Gideon's cultivation in the domain of soulforms.
---
Southwest Philadelphia — Exorcism Institute
Faya hurried inside carrying a cloth-wrapped bundle.
She encountered no resistance and soon stood before Archbishop José.
After hearing her report, the archbishop's eyes gleamed.
"It seems this priest truly is exceptional."
Whether to formally recruit him, however, would require approval from the Institute.
After all, he had been chosen by Jolan first, and without proper preparation, the Institute had no desire to clash with a Vatican envoy.
Faya then presented the Apostle's Hand.
José's eyes lit up.
"How many years has it been… You've finally returned to the Church."
He gestured, and a male cleric promptly opened a concealed chamber in the room.
Holding the crystal, José gazed at the soul within.
"Anto Saddu—former High Priest of the Sacred Temple. A traitor."
Confusion flickered in Anto's eyes.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?"
José smiled faintly.
"A thousand years ago, during the Holy War, you opened a foreign-dimensional space."
"Many primordial spirits perished there—along with numerous sacred relics."
"And you were the only one who escaped."
Anto narrowed his eyes.
"I didn't expect you to know even that."
"But unfortunately, the method of entering that place no longer exists in my memories."
José chuckled.
"How fortunate, then."
"The Church just happens to possess a copy of your memories."