Jonathan wasn't in a hurry to check the contents of the reward. Instead, he walked over to the man who had been abandoned after being possessed by the cursed spirit.
This person was already on the verge of an emotional breakdown.
Moreover, he had been possessed by an evil spirit and was in very poor condition at that moment.
Jonathan held the cross on his chest with one hand and placed the other hand on the man's head. "Lord of light and truth… Look upon this man who lies before me. You know his soul better than I do—his wounds, his mistakes… his hope."
"Cleanse him, Lord, of everything that has defiled him from within. Forgive his faults, his stumbles, his silence. If he has strayed far from You, bring him back… with mercy."
"Give him strength, even if he doesn't wake up right away. Renew his spirit, even if he cannot speak. Let his soul be like clear water… pure, serene, free of guilt."
"Touch him, Lord, as only You can. Make him new… Make him Your child once again. And if You can hear me… If there's still a thread of life left in him… allow him to awaken with a clean soul and a peaceful heart."
When Jonathan finished saying this, he whispered, "Amen…"
People died from cursed spirits; that was no secret.
When Jonathan performed an exorcism, it was not uncommon for some to die. He did his job—to eliminate the cursed spirit—which was his top priority. Humans came second to his true mission.
That's why he always played his cards the best he could to eliminate the cursed spirit, without giving much thought to whether his priority should have been protecting the person.
As they say, you reap what you sow, and this story is no different when it comes to humans and their relationship with cursed spirits.
The evil in human souls created monsters, and sometimes, harsh as it may sound, they deserved it.
But this time, when Jonathan saw the man's wounds healing miraculously, he knew it wasn't his time to die.
The man lying on the ground felt overwhelmed when he heard Jonathan's words. He slowly lifted his head, tears already streaming down his face.
"I grant you a moment of peace through God's mercy…" Upon hearing Jonathan's voice, the middle-aged man felt a deep calm in his heart, and all his prior anguish was swept away.
"Thank you. I haven't felt this free in a long time." The middle-aged man tightly grasped Jonathan's hand.
Before leaving, he also handed Jonathan a pamphlet.
It turned out this man worked for a company that organized various events for contractors, and there was soon going to be a promotional gathering for exorcism tools at that very location.
Many horror film fans and enthusiasts would be attending. But dark vibes sometimes attract supernatural entities, and that's exactly what allowed the dark spirit to possess this man.
Jonathan accepted the invitation but not before giving the man a rosary—to offer him just enough protection in case there were any lingering effects.
Anyone who has been possessed will carry a malevolent aura for a short period of time. To other evil spirits, it's like a bright light in the dark.
If not dealt with properly, it could lead to more trouble.
"Go home safely. I hope you don't suffer another heatstroke," Jonathan said his goodbyes to the man—when he suddenly heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.
"Father, you're amazing!" came a voice from behind.
Jonathan turned around and saw Henry running toward him, with Judy right behind.
It seemed the kids had witnessed his recent confrontation with the cursed spirit, which was admirable in itself. Not everyone could process such events, especially not children with vivid imaginations.
Although Henry hadn't seen everything, he felt how the surroundings turned icy cold—and once Jonathan started doing his amazing things, everything returned to normal.
Judy, on the other hand, had inherited her mother's psychic ability and could see certain images.
She was left speechless when she saw Jonathan face the monster alone—and defeat it.
She had always assumed she'd only ever be able to run if she ever encountered such things.
She deeply longed for a life like that, and her eyes sparkled even brighter as she looked at Jonathan again.
"Can I learn from you?" Henry hesitated for a moment, then gathered his courage and spoke.
Judy also looked hopeful. If she learned real skills from an exorcist, she could join in the work her parents did—and maybe they wouldn't have to keep pretending to live a life that wasn't truly theirs.
But unlike the kids' enthusiasm, Jonathan immediately grew cautious after hearing this. His thoughts spiraled into imagined scenarios.
"Teaching, food expenses, psychological counseling…" Jonathan did want an assistant, but there hadn't been any good candidates. "Besides, their parents could sue me if I take them in. I could be mistaken for a corrupt priest."
The Church could strip Jonathan of all his priestly authority, and his life would be deeply affected.
All these concerns boiled down to two words: big trouble.
Then, he had an idea.
"It's a shame that to become an exorcist, you have to be over 18 years old. Otherwise, you're easily tainted by evil forces," Jonathan sighed, as if he had lost a great opportunity.
Henry looked a little disappointed upon hearing this—he still had several years to go before reaching eighteen.
Judy, on the other hand, was a bit confused. Her mother had never mentioned any of this. She'd have to go home and find out for herself.
Seeing that his plan had worked, Jonathan bent down again and spoke kindly: "Well then, since you've helped your teacher already, it's time for you to head home—or I'll have to report you as rebellious youths trying to start an inappropriate relationship."
Upon hearing this, Henry suddenly felt embarrassed and secretly glanced at Judy to see her reaction.
But Judy found it funny.
Jonathan then added, "By the way, let's keep today's events a secret between the three of us—that's part of the contract you signed when you hired my services."
"Wait, we signed a contract?"
"Just give me your hand and get out of my sight. I have to collect some mandatory donations for the church from that family I helped a moment ago."
Jonathan extended his hand after wiping it with his own blood, and the three of them came to an agreement.
After tricking the annoying kid, Jonathan immediately arranged for a taxi to take them home, and then turned his gaze toward Professor Laila's house.
Walking slowly, he knocked on the door, looked at Nelson—who this time looked at him with respect—and said, "Please, come in."
"No, I've finished my work. There's just one thing left before we part ways forever: the mandatory donations to the church. You see, I stained all my clothes with blood, I used up several divine doses of holy water, my special attire is torn, I used a blessed cartridge sanctified by the Pope..."
Jonathan, like a cash register, began listing every item and continued: "Considering that I'll have to go to the Vatican to replenish my supplies and beg the Pope to take time out of his precious schedule to pray for your non-believing family, I believe one hundred thousand dollars is a fair amount."
"One hundred thousand dollars?"
"Is that too much?" Jonathan's eyes twitched. Since Nelson was a certified doctor, he thought that amount would be nothing to him.
"Well, I can make adjustments… I accept interest-free monthly payments…"
"No, it's too little for what you did for my family. I'll write you a check." Nelson ran inside his house and after a few minutes returned with a check in hand.
"This amount is wrong…" Jonathan looked at the check for $200,000, and his hands trembled.
"I heard from the kids that your church might collapse if a strong storm hits the city, so use it to renovate the church." Nelson thought that money was the least he could offer to truly help his family.
"Well then, here's my personal card." Jonathan wanted to leave this place as soon as possible now that he had the money.
"Oh, thank you, Father."
"Yes, yes, have a good life."
"Give my regards to the Pope. Thank you, truly."
"What Pope? Oh… right, yes, I'll take care of that." Jonathan left the family's yard limping, muttering, "I think I fractured a rib."
…
A few hours later, Jonathan was back at his church.
Seeing that the strand of hair over the keyhole was untouched and the bells were still, Jonathan opened the door and stepped inside.
As he walked, he removed each piece of his robe. The blood had long since dried, and his wounds were now completely healed.
"[...
[Name]: Jonathan Belmont
[Occupation]: Exorcist, Hunter, and Paranormal Agent
[Overall Strength]: 42
[Spirit]: 299
[Talent]: Night Vision
[Effect]: You can see more clearly at night and vaguely perceive cursed spirits near you.
[Talent]: Blessing
[Effect]: You can bless both material and immaterial things. Using this talent, you can turn anything into a weapon to combat evil.
[Talent]: Prayer Reading
[Effect]: Any kind of prayer, with spiritual strength and faith, can be used as a weapon to purify the soul of humans infected by evil. It can also be used to harm supernatural beings.
[Item]: Consecrated Spiritual Force Sword
[Effect]: This sword does not possess a permanent physical form. Its blade manifests as a radiant edge of pure light only when the wielder channels their spiritual energy through the sacred hilt, forged with celestial silver and ancient runes. The sword responds to the user's soul, glowing more intensely depending on the purity of their purpose. While in use, it enhances the wielder's abilities.
…]"
Looking at the rune now tattooed on his hand, Jonathan murmured wearily, "At least now I have a proper weapon for physical combat. That's great."
Jonathan had recovered from the mental exhaustion that exorcism brings and kept his expression calm afterward. As a man who didn't like being expressive, people usually found him uninteresting—but in truth, he had a big heart.
He liked to gamble, could fall in love with a unique woman, but right now his mind wasn't on such matters. He was focused on his goals, and until he figured out how to live a more normal life without abandoning his duty as an exorcist, there were few things he wanted to do outside of work.
The church he was responsible for as an Exorcist Priest was considered the central gathering point for many nearby communities.
It was a Christian church, so most people living nearby were Christians. Truth be told, other religions existed, but in the area where Jonathan lived, they weren't very prominent. So he assumed that other religions weren't very well known where he lived.
That made things easier. It wasn't like he knew much about religious diversity anyway, and to move effectively, it was better to be focused on one place.
For now, he would concentrate on improving the interior of the church, which was the only thing that truly mattered to him. After all, this place was his base—a sacred place that could be attacked by various enemies he might make along the way—so he had to be prepared.