Chapter 215 – The Discovery in the Cellar
Gideon looked down at the bloodstained garment on the ground.
The evil aura clinging to it had only been consumed in small measure—
not even a quarter.
Meanwhile, Lynn's fingertips had already turned pitch-black.
There was no doubt about it.
This attempt at flesh reconstruction had failed.
It took Lynn quite a while before she managed to stand again.
"This… the evil attached to it is far too dense," she said, lingering fear still evident in her voice.
"It's nowhere near comparable to ordinary relic materials."
The moment she had touched the garment earlier, agonized howls had erupted in her ears.
That heart-rending, soul-tearing scream—
Lynn never wanted to experience it again in her lifetime.
Gideon raised an eyebrow. He crouched down and hovered his palm above the bloodied fabric.
Immediately, the evil aura surged upward, attempting to burrow into his hand.
But in the next instant, it was blocked by the flow of holy power moving across his skin.
From an angle Lynn couldn't see, inscriptions were rapidly forming across Gideon's palm.
Seeing this, he promptly withdrew his hand.
By then, half of the evil aura on the garment had already been consumed.
Gideon silently summarized two conclusions.
First—
the density of evil directly affected the efficiency of flesh reconstruction.
Second—
for him, direct contact with evil could rapidly reshape the flesh.
But that was an exception.
If an ordinary clergyman attempted the same thing, it would be nothing short of suicide.
"Put it away," Gideon said as he stood and looked at Lynn.
"It was yours to begin with."
The nun had been observing closely the entire time, though she couldn't discern much directly.
Still, at the instant Gideon completed the reconstruction, she had unmistakably sensed a surge of power.
Did Father Gideon already try it himself? she wondered.
Earlier, she had genuinely believed he was about to come into direct contact with the evil aura.
Yet no visible backlash followed.
That alone was deeply abnormal.
If her perception hadn't been wrong, then—
He had completely suppressed the backlash of evil.
Lynn felt a chill run through her.
She had encountered many clergymen who claimed great strength—
even some from the Vatican itself—
But she had never seen anyone capable of such absolute control.
"What are you standing there for?"
Gideon's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"S-sorry!" she said hastily, pulling out a wooden canister and placing the bloodied garment inside.
There was still some time before dawn.
Gideon returned to old Ronald and said calmly,
"Tell me your demands. I won't break my promise."
The spirit snarled viciously.
"When did I ever agree to cooperate with you?!"
Gideon rubbed his nose.
"What's past is past. We live in the present."
"You—!"
Before Ronald's spirit could dissipate further, Gideon spoke again:
"Where are the Native American spirits?"
"I know you're filled with hatred, but only by purifying them can you truly find rest."
The DeFeo family fell silent.
Yet Gideon could clearly see faint gray energy emerging from within their spirit forms.
This is… pain? he thought in surprise.
Pain could encompass many emotions—
Physical agony.
Mental torment.
Resistance.
Fear.
He probed further.
"Could it be… you've already forgiven them?"
Instantly, old Ronald roared:
"No! I could never forgive those butchers—!"
He cut himself off mid-sentence.
Then, in a hollow mutter, he continued,
"It's impossible… no one can stand against them."
"They're spirits too—but they're filled with resentment. Just looking at them is enough to—ahhh!"
Old Ronald suddenly convulsed as if his throat had been seized.
His limbs twisted backward at unnatural angles, while dense totemic symbols surfaced across the surface of his spirit body.
His face contorted in agony as he looked toward Gideon with pleading eyes.
Nearby, Mrs. DeFeo and the children all fell to their knees.
Lynn stared in shock—she had never witnessed anything like this.
The Lutz couple also grew uneasy, instinctively pulling their children close.
Judy tugged lightly at Gideon's sleeve and whispered,
"Those symbols… it feels like they're releasing some kind of power."
Gideon nodded gravely.
From his perspective, he could see even more clearly—the totemic symbols were actively eroding Ronald's soul.
This corrosion struck directly at the source of his existence.
Once complete, Ronald would dissolve entirely into raw energy, losing even the chance of reincarnation.
Golden patterns surfaced around Gideon's pupils.
He tried to trace the origin of the symbols' power—but found nothing.
Next, he projected holy energy onto the markings.
It worked.
But the cost was terrifying.
In mere seconds, one-thousandth of his holy power vanished—equivalent to the combined expenditure of two full exorcism missions.
Gideon immediately halted the projection and pulled out a thirty-year ceremonial offering.
At that moment, Ronald suddenly spoke:
"Follow me. I'll take you to them."
Gideon narrowed his eyes.
Quietly, he uncorked a vial of holy water and pulled Judy a few steps back.
"This is what they are forcing me to do," Ronald said.
He rose to his feet. His expression was filled with resistance—yet his spirit moved against his will.
After a moment's thought, Gideon turned around.
"You should all return to the truck. Judy, you're in charge."
What lay ahead could be dangerous. Anyone following would only become a liability.
The pickup truck was protected by multiple isolation arrays Gideon had prepared in advance.
As long as they stayed inside and didn't wander, ordinary spirits wouldn't be able to breach it.
But Judy shook her head.
"We've been outside for too long already. There's some distance back to the truck—and whatever's hiding in the darkness might already be inside."
Lynn nodded in agreement.
"In previous missions, splitting up often led to people being targeted individually. I also recommend staying together."
The Lutz couple didn't fully understand, but they had no desire to leave Gideon's side.
"Yes—let's stay together," they said quickly.
Under normal circumstances, Gideon would've praised their caution.
But now, his brow furrowed deeply.
Judy's right… but how did I overlook something so basic?
He examined himself, then carefully checked everyone around him.
Nothing.
No abnormalities at all.
Suppressing his unease, he said,
"Fine. Stay close. No one moves alone."
Everyone nodded solemnly.
Gideon turned back.
"Lead the way."
Ronald had been waiting. The rest of the DeFeo family also appeared calm again.
Together, they moved beneath the veranda.
Just as they were about to enter, Gideon halted.
"Wait. I need to make some preparations."
He took out a small holy statue and placed it on the steps.
Unnoticed by the others, Ronald frowned slightly—but did not interfere.
They proceeded.
Upon entering the living room, Gideon stopped again.
"Hold on."
He placed another holy statue on the floor. After a brief hesitation, he arranged a small array around it.
Yet as he straightened up, unease gnawed at him.
Something's wrong… I've clearly prepared defenses.
"What is it?" Judy asked. "Should we step outside for a moment?"
Gideon shook his head.
"No. Let's keep going."
They advanced in short bursts, stopping repeatedly.
By the time they reached the cellar, Gideon had deployed over a dozen holy artifacts—
And yet, not a shred of reassurance had taken root in his heart.
"They're inside," Ronald said, pointing at a wall.
"Behind it is another cellar. It was once converted into a prison… then sealed off."
"You want us to break through the wall?" Gideon asked, scrutinizing him.
Ronald gestured at his own body.
"Young man, I'd help if I could."
Gideon narrowed his eyes.
"How do I know this wall isn't some kind of seal?"
Since entering the cellar, he'd scanned repeatedly—yet found no abnormal energy.
Ronald laughed softly.
"The Church wouldn't use such crude methods."
"The Church?"
"Yes. The Church was involved in the construction of this cellar."
He sat down on a chair—his spirit passing straight through the cushion.
"You can decide for yourselves whether to break the wall."
Gideon's eyes flickered as he reviewed everything so far.
Then Lynn stepped forward.
"Gideon—let me do it. If something happens, you all run."
After a brief hesitation, Gideon nodded.
"Alright. Be careful."
Lynn grabbed a nearby axe and stood before the wall.
Bang—bang.
A hole quickly formed, revealing a pitch-black corridor beyond.
A stale, rotten stench wafted out. Everyone wrinkled their noses.
They passed through the opening.
The corridor stretched over ten meters, with nearly twenty cells lining both sides.
Cramped. Damp. Lightless.
It was hard to imagine living here.
Gideon examined the left cell.
The stone floor was etched with countless tally marks—uneven, chaotic—like someone had been counting days.
In another cell, tattered children's clothing lay scattered.
Crude totem drawings covered the walls, twisted and uneven—like childish scribbles.
"They were born here," Ronald said softly, stepping beside Gideon.
"And they died here."
"Before their last breath, all they wanted was to know what sunlight looked like."
"Those poor children…" Catherine whispered, tears spilling over.
George pulled her into an embrace.
Judy and Lynn lowered their heads.
"May the Lord shelter them," Gideon said, tracing a cross over his chest.
"Heh… the Lord?" Ronald replied ambiguously.
Then he continued,
"Offering blessings to the dead is a priest's duty, isn't it?"
"Of course," Gideon replied.
"Then would you recite the scriptures for them?" Ronald asked.
"They've been trapped here far too long."
He raised his hand.
A pile of bones materialized in the corridor.
"As payment, you may take these. I suspect you'll need them."
Lynn's eyes widened in disbelief.
"These… are saintly remains?"
Pure holy power radiated from the bones, their surfaces densely covered in script.
"Those appear to be verses from the Gospel of John," Lynn said breathlessly.
"Only those who have cultivated the fourth-tier bone sacrament—Burden of Suffering—leave marks like these."
Her voice trembled with awe.
Another clergyman who reached the Third Theological Tome… Gideon thought.
He was familiar with Burden of Suffering—
a sacrament that allowed one to bear another's sins and transfer them elsewhere.
Every mistake a person makes becomes "sin," residing in the soul.
At death, all face judgment.
This law maintained balance in the world.
And yet—the Church possessed sacraments that could alter those rules.
That alone had once shocked Gideon.
High-level bone sacraments required saintly remains—
And with so many lineages lost, finding even one such relic was rare.
Let alone an entire pile.
No wonder Lynn was shaken.
She glanced repeatedly at Gideon, silently urging him.
But Gideon stroked his chin.
"All this… just for reciting scripture? That seems unfair to you."
Ronald chuckled.
"Valuable to you, perhaps. To us, they're merely bones that don't rot."
"Much like how you humans never cherish sunlight."
Gideon shrugged.
"You're not wrong."
Ronald stepped aside.
"Then—will you help these children?"
"I see no reason to refuse," Gideon replied.
"Stand outside the cells," Ronald said calmly.
"They'll hear your voice. Salvation lies in your hands."
Gideon stepped forward and retrieved a scripture book.
At that moment, a ripple of energy surged.
Two children in Native attire appeared inside the cell.
Their faces were pale and young, eyes filled with curiosity.
Gideon opened the book.
"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—
by my words, I release holy power, to utterly cleanse the evil bound to this place—"
He was not reciting a blessing.
He was chanting an exorcism.
Everyone—living and dead—froze in shock.
"Gideon, why are you doing this?!" Judy cried.
"Those are saintly remains!" Lynn shouted, stepping forward.
Even the Lutz couple protested.
"Father, don't these children deserve your compassion?"
But Gideon did not hesitate.
He continued chanting, tossing holy artifacts around the area.
Then he poured a bottle of thirty-year holy water onto the ground.
Inside the cell—
The children's faces twisted.
Their innocence vanished, replaced by grotesque, feral expressions.
A massive wave of resentment exploded outward.
Everyone felt their hearts seize.
Gideon stopped chanting and stared into the cell.
Ronald was gone.
And from within the cell came a rasping voice:
"The Church's filthy tricks… still as despicable as ever."
A murky black spirit hovered in the air, two crimson orbs glowing like eyes.
Gideon replied calmly,
"When it comes to deception, you're no better."
"How amusing," the evil spirit hissed.
"When did you see through this illusion?"
Gideon glanced around.
Judy, Lynn, and the others lay collapsed on the ground, faces contorted in agony.
A trace of evil was seeping into them.
At the same time, the entire dungeon had been sealed—
the exit erased.
They were trapped.
Yet Gideon remained calm.
If the spirit had gone to such lengths to deceive rather than attack outright—
Then it was afraid.
And fear meant opportunity.
He needed time.
"Ah… you want to know?" Gideon said with confidence.
"Very well. I'll tell you—so that when you're purified later,
you won't die as a confused ghost."
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