Chapter 272 — The World Beneath the Well
"Tap… tap…"
A group of skeletons shuffled forward, their movements stiff and uneven as they gradually formed a loose line.
One by one, they extended their right leg bones—then retracted them—before awkwardly turning in unison.
Gideon observed quietly.
"For now, they can only perform simple movements," he thought. "Anything requiring precision is still difficult."
If he wanted this ability to be useful in real combat, he needed to reach a level where the bones could be freely assembled and seamlessly switch between offense and defense.
Only then would Spiritual Bone Evangelism truly show its value.
---
After practicing for a while longer, Gideon guided the skeletons into a neat formation.
This was only the beginning. He had just mastered the technique and couldn't yet take all the bones with him.
So, after a moment of consideration, he made a decision.
He would purify them all.
These victims had suffered enough in life. At the very least, their remains deserved a proper resting place.
Besides, the best materials for this technique were the remains of those who had possessed strong vitality or power in life. Such bones formed a stronger connection with holy energy.
These… were not ideal.
---
"Tap… tap…"
The uneven footsteps echoed through the sewer as the skeletons began marching downstream.
Not far from here lay the drainage outlet near the Kissing Bridge. Gideon planned to bring the remains there and bury them in the nearby forest.
As the skeletons left, the sewer grew noticeably emptier.
And the "mountain of garbage" that once filled the space was finally revealed for what it truly was—
A base structure riddled with holes.
It resembled some kind of grotesque nest.
---
Gideon frowned.
After a brief pause, he tossed a vial of holy water onto it.
"—Sizzle!"
The structure collapsed almost instantly, melting into a mass of rotting flesh.
At that moment—
A faint streak of light shot out from within.
It moved incredibly fast, disappearing into a nearby circular well.
---
The well was about two meters wide—clearly part of a deeper drainage system.
Only then did Gideon recall something from the original story:
After being defeated, Pennywise had retreated into this very well… only to return twenty-seven years later.
Without hesitation, Gideon set up several holy artifacts around the area and peered down into the darkness.
---
A low wind howled from below.
The air at the edges was being pulled downward, as if the well itself were breathing.
Though it was pitch-black, Gideon's enhanced vision revealed what lay beneath.
The streak of light—
Was a light orb, identical to the ones inside Pennywise's throat.
It sank deep into the bottom of the well, where traces of abnormal energy still lingered.
Around the walls, scattered remains—small, withered limbs—were embedded into the surface.
Children.
Their bodies were dried out, shriveled as if they had been exposed for years.
Nearby were small, pale-yellow granules, resembling some kind of mineral.
But what truly caught Gideon's attention—
Was the ring of light at the center of the well.
The orb had disappeared into it.
And in doing so, triggered a faint ripple of energy.
---
Gideon narrowed his eyes.
Through his ability, he sensed something… off.
That ring did not belong to this world.
It was an entrance.
A gateway to somewhere else.
---
That realization surprised him.
According to church records, such phenomena usually appeared only during large-scale summoning rituals—or when something evil crossed into this world.
Yet this portal showed no strong fluctuations.
"Something like… the Hawkins Lab?" Gideon murmured.
Whatever it was—
It wasn't good.
---
He tried tossing a few bottles of holy water into the portal.
The ring flickered briefly… then stabilized again.
Unaffected.
Seeing this, Gideon decided not to push further.
For now, containment was the safest option.
---
After some effort, he completed a layered seal around the well:
Three layers of isolation arrays
Five layers of exorcism arrays
As the formation activated—
A sudden surge of wind blasted upward from the well.
The scattered limbs and remains were thrown out onto the ground.
Gideon looked down again.
The portal was still there.
But its energy was now contained.
"That'll have to do for now."
He dusted off his hands.
---
Then his gaze shifted to the remains that had been blown out.
"You were lucky," he muttered.
"At least now… you'll have a proper burial."
He roughly assembled the pieces into human shapes.
Not perfect—
But enough.
---
Then he noticed something else.
"These…"
He crouched beside the pale, mineral-like fragments.
Inside them was a remarkably pure energy.
Similar to source energy—
Yet subtly different.
After confirming there was no immediate danger, he stored them away for later study.
---
At that moment—
"Don't! Stay away!"
Judy suddenly shouted, flailing her arms as she woke up.
During her unconsciousness, Gideon had already removed the mask, so she had returned to her normal self.
She blinked, disoriented—
Then realized.
Pennywise was gone.
---
"Um… about earlier…"
Her cheeks flushed red.
"That wasn't… really me."
Even though she had worn the mask, she remembered everything.
Every word.
Every action.
---
"Of course," Gideon said with a shrug.
"That was just a side effect. Don't worry about it."
"Then why didn't you tell me beforehand?!"
Judy puffed up in frustration.
Gideon glanced away.
"I didn't want to put pressure on you…"
"You—!"
Her fists clenched.
Thinking back to how she had grabbed the clown's face…
And spoken like that…
Her whole body stiffened.
"I was like a complete maniac!!"
She stomped her foot.
"Gideon! I hate you!"
Her voice echoed through the sewer.
---
One day later.
At the edge of Derry Town—
Everyone had gathered.
"Beverly… write to us, okay?" Bill said, hugging her.
"I will," she nodded.
Then Ben stepped forward.
Dressed neatly in a white shirt with a black bow tie, he looked unusually formal.
"I… I…"
He fidgeted nervously.
Beverly paused, sensing something.
"That postcard… was from me!"
Ben blurted it out in one breath—
Then immediately turned and ran.
"...The postcard."
Beverly's heart skipped.
That letter had warmed her during her darkest moments.
"So it was you…"
She looked at Ben's retreating figure—his face bright red.
She couldn't help but laugh.
"Who confesses and then runs away?"
But she still waved at him.
"Thank you! I'll come back!"
Ben looked back, joy lighting his eyes.
---
Nearby—
Gideon leaned against a tree, fanning the air dramatically.
"Ugh. Love is in the air. It's unbearable."
Judy glanced sideways.
"Are you jealous?"
"Of course not," Gideon replied seriously.
"I've devoted my life to the Lord. Besides, clergy aren't allowed to marry."
"Oh~ so the Church doesn't allow it~"
"You—!"
He glared.
"Want me to spread rumors that you wet the bed?"
"Wait, wait! I'm sorry!"
She immediately surrendered.
Then she tilted her head.
"But… don't some clergy have… illegitimate children?"
Gideon's expression turned thoughtful.
"People may turn a blind eye to it, but it still violates doctrine."
"And if conflict arises… it becomes a weakness."
"Evil isn't just spirits. Human hearts can be far worse."
Judy nodded slowly.
Then, after a pause, she asked quietly:
"If… one day you left the Church…"
"Would you…?"
Her heart pounded.
But her face remained calm.
"Leave the Church?"
Gideon thought for a moment.
"For now, there's no reason to."
Then he added:
"But maybe… when all evil disappears from this world."
If danger still lurked everywhere…
He'd rather remain alone—
Than risk putting someone else in harm's way.
Judy's eyes lit up faintly.
She turned away quickly—
But the corner of her lips lifted slightly.
"Mr. Black… Judy… let's go."
Beverly approached them.
Now an orphan—
She had no one left in Derry.
And so—
She would leave with them.
Beverly agreed without hesitation.
Though the town held traces of her life, most of those memories were ones she would rather forget.
So Gideon decided to take her away—to find her a home where she would truly be cared for.
He already had someone in mind.
The Byers family in Hawkins.
Joyce's courage, intelligence, and unwavering love for her children had left a deep impression on him.
With someone like her around, Beverly would at least have a chance at a normal, healthy life.
---
Gideon had already contacted Joyce beforehand.
She warmly welcomed Beverly.
During her stay, all expenses would be covered by Gideon—until the girl reached adulthood.
Thanks to his share of profits from the Allard family, money was the least of his concerns.
---
After saying their goodbyes to the townspeople, the three of them set off for the airport.
A day later, Gideon met Joyce again.
She looked much better than before—more at ease, more alive.
Jonathan, Will, and even Eleven were there as well.
Only then did Gideon learn that after the Hawkins Lab incident, Eleven had been taken in by Joyce and was now attending school in town.
With her long hair, she looked just like any ordinary girl.
The moment she saw Gideon, she ran up and hugged him tightly.
Soon after, they all returned to Hawkins.
Joyce had even prepared a small welcome gathering for Beverly.
Seeing such warmth, Beverly's anxiety eased noticeably.
She thanked Gideon again, her voice sincere.
After the gathering ended, Gideon quietly made his way back to the underground section of the lab.
The facility had been renovated, but—
Just as he expected—
The gate had reopened.
Gideon didn't know this was Samuel's doing. He assumed it was yet another reckless experiment by researchers.
However, this visit brought him a new discovery.
The energy fluctuations within the passage…
Were strikingly similar to those beneath Derry.
That confirmed it.
His earlier judgment had been correct.
The light ring at the bottom of the well—
Was a gateway to another dimension.
And Pennywise…
Likely came from there.
---
Gideon didn't attempt to destroy the entrance.
Instead, he reinforced the outer perimeter with additional seals.
Until he understood it fully, acting recklessly could lead to far worse consequences.
---
Three days later.
At the House of Rest.
Gideon sat cross-legged on the floor.
In front of him was a wooden jar.
From within it, a pale, ghostly spirit floated out—its limbs flailing wildly as it tried to reach him.
But no matter how it struggled, it couldn't move forward.
Its entire form was fixed in place.
Gideon narrowed his eyes.
The spirit's movements slowed—
Then stopped completely.
As if time itself had frozen.
Fear flickered in the ghost's hollow gaze.
It stared at him, trembling.
Gideon understood.
It was begging.
With a casual wave of his hand, he released it.
The spirit immediately retreated into the jar on its own, sealing the lid shut with a thread of spectral energy.
Gideon blinked and deactivated the holy technique—
[Holy Eye Suppression].
This ability allowed him to manipulate the surrounding aura of a spirit, effectively restraining it with nothing more than his gaze.
As a support technique, it was incredibly powerful.
As long as the spirit was weaker than him, he could immobilize it instantly.
From now on, any attempt at ambush by lesser spirits would be almost impossible.
After tidying up, Gideon moved to the shop counter.
Judy had gone home for the day, leaving him alone.
On the table lay a letter.
It had been sent by Archbishop Jolan, relayed through Matthew.
There were no pleasantries—
Just a single piece of information:
The Holy See Clergy Selection would begin in half a month.
Gideon had heard about this selection many times before.
All clergy members could enter the Vatican upon completion.
It was both an honor—
And a shortcut to power.
But the number of positions was limited.
And the competition?
Fierce.
According to the letter, this time wasn't just about regional teams.
Even the ancient families of the Holy Lands would be sending their candidates.
Those people…
Were monsters in their own right.
They possessed immense resources, and their bloodlines traced back to the very foundations of the Church.
Compared to them, most clergy were nothing more than background figures.
Jolan had specifically warned him:
Prepare well.
The selection grounds would be extremely dangerous.
A single misstep—
Could mean death.
Gideon sighed.
"I'd rather just be a background character…"
But that was just a thought.
Given Jolan's influence, slacking off would never go unnoticed.
He had already benefited from the Archbishop's support before.
This time—
He would repay it in full.
"Fine. I'll work hard… then take it easy after I get in."
He made that decision silently.
Still, when it came to survival—
He wouldn't cut corners.
Gideon took out a slip of paper.
On it were a few words:
"Edge of the Orleans Forest."
This was a clue given to him earlier by Sister Lynn—
The location of a complete saint's remains.
Gideon's gaze sharpened slightly.
"It's time to retrieve it."