While Jonathan was giving instructions, a group of young men drinking outside a house spotted them.
It didn't take a genius to guess they looked like gangsters—or at least some seriously bad guys.
"Hey, priest."
Jonathan sighed deeply and turned his head toward the boys, waiting for their question.
"I have a question for you: do you think priests should be black?" asked one man loudly, raising his hands to the sides.
"Hahahahaha," his companions laughed together, their laughter harsh and mocking.
Obviously, these men were just trying to kill boredom, and even Father Doug wasn't bothered by their words—only the corners of his mouth curved slightly.
As a man who had been to prison and faced darkness, he knew everyone would suffer for their sins eventually—and these guys would be no different.
The streets would give them what they deserved, which is what you find after living a life like the one Doug left behind and was not proud of.
"Those pigs would only be pawns of a prison gang. God will surely give them their just punishment."
Jonathan stopped the men who had gotten out of the van and reminded his agents, "Let the police keep them in jail for a week."
"Understood." The agents stepped forward and without a word fired stun rounds at the men.
If left free, they would surely cause trouble for the operation.
Unlike the peaceful world he had lived in before, demons and supernatural beings now appeared in reality—things you'd only hear about in fairy tales.
He didn't know if any god of any religion truly existed, but he did know of an entity that could very easily be God.
Christian tools were useful because of the faith placed in them—that was the theory, though everyone thought differently, and had the right to.
As an Exorcist Priest, he knew holy water was effective, silver crosses and rosaries also worked against dark beings, so his opinion had to be open-minded.
Besides, the strongest proof of God's existence was that the demons and evil spirits he exorcised cursed God at the end of their resistance.
What does this show? God might really exist, and His presence in this world was stronger than anywhere else.
If these guys dared mock God's name and faith like that, they would be punished accordingly—not necessarily now, but they would be.
Thinking this, Jonathan smiled modestly and said, "I will pray for their souls…"
Jonathan only felt pity for them. He took his eyes off them and told Father Doug, who wanted to beat those guys up, "Remember this lesson: we're not here to babysit kids like those, but to clear the path for those who truly deserve peace."
"Yes, Father!" Doug nodded with understanding. As a future elite Exorcist Priest, he needed an unbreakable will—he could never doubt why he sought the path of Light, or he'd be rejected.
Jonathan looked at his assistant's stern expression and asked, "You're a man fighting for your world, not theirs. Remember that too."
"Yes, boss…"
Jonathan nodded and said, "Good that you understand. Let's hurry and finish this as soon as possible…"
After walking for a while, Jonathan and Father Doug arrived at their destination: a beautiful wooden house with a backyard attached.
Speaking of which, the community's security was among the best. Police patrols often passed through the streets, and criminals wasting time were absent, making it a safe place to live.
Even the cops knew which places were worth protecting and which were not worth their attention.
This place was good to live in, so Jonathan had to consider how serious the disturbances could be.
Seeing Mr. and Mrs. Lambert waiting for them at their door, they immediately came out to greet them.
"Priest Jonathan…"
Jonathan ignored the anxious looks of the two adults, turned to Father Doug and ordered, "Before personally identifying the entity, take care of the initial procedures."
"Yes, Father!" Father Doug, holding a large black suitcase, set it down and took out some incense branches, then pulled out a gold censer with chains and prepared the equipment to begin suppressing the evil.
"Don't be alarmed, first my partner Father Doug will protect you…"
Renai and Dalton Lambert didn't believe much in Jonathan's abilities. Their son seemed to have a problem Dalton was very familiar with, and there was only one way to save him.
"In the name of heaven, light, and earth, cleanse this domain and bring light to the darkness tormenting this family…" Jonathan began speaking in Latin as he walked around the house while Father Doug spread the incense, swinging the chains and censer.
Usually demons or spirits marked the family to jump from one body to another. But now that the house was protected and none of the Rossi family members showed changes, that meant they were fine.
"Finish the preparations…" Father Doug sighed, sweating nervously. He had never expected Jonathan to give him so much work right from the start as his assistant.
Jonathan observed carefully before lowering his guard.
Demons and evil spirits are truly dangerous, so there was no choice but to take many precautions. After all, the power of these dark entities was very malignant. Although he and Father Doug might be protected from cursed possession, the victim's family was not.
"You know how this works: don't mention anything and stay silent watching us work. We know your son is possessed by an evil entity. I will make sure it doesn't get worse, so only one of you may accompany me."
Jonathan preferred it to be the boy's father. His mother might be too dramatic, and Lucia was not an option by his standards.
"Priest, let me come with you…"
"Mr. Lambert, look at your history. We know the entity is after you. You know how this world is, and I have just one question: are you ready?" Jonathan asked, looking at the man who seemed stronger than he appeared.
"I am…"
Jonathan nodded, pulled out three silver crosses and said, "Everyone put on a cross. Besides you, no one else can come with us."
When performing an exorcism for a family, he usually let relatives follow him throughout the process to comfort them. After all, the possessed person was unconscious.
But children shouldn't witness something like this—none unless mature enough to understand what was happening would come out mentally okay after seeing an exorcism.
In this world, being a priest required more than belief. That's why no one questioned Jonathan being one at such a young age.
"Thank you for your help, and we're sorry for not contacting you sooner." Renai looked at Jonathan, regretting not going to the church before visiting him.
Jonathan nodded, looked once more around the surroundings and said, "Very well, Mr. Lambert. Take me to see your son."
"Alright…" Dalton was very skeptical about haunted houses and cursed spirits, but his mother had told him many things that changed his perspective.
Then Renai told him about the priest who identified his problem without mentioning what was wrong. Only hours later, agents arrived to ask specific questions.
Everyone knows exactly when something dark is stalking them, which is why they prioritized contacting a Priest to take care of it.
"Identify the entity—that's theoretically the first thing to do…"
Father Doug nodded, pulled out a huge Grimmoire, looked around, and followed Mr. Lambert as he led them to his son's room.
For some reason, Jonathan felt more uneasy this time. Although it didn't look as bad as other exorcisms, he knew this wouldn't be an easy job.
There were no traces of evil entities in the house, no cursed objects, or evidence of black magic.
Following Mr. Lambert's steps, they reached the second floor where soon the atmosphere changed—something even Father Doug felt.
The smell was like burnt charcoal, similar to being near a campfire.
This smell in these kinds of situations was an obvious sign of a demon. The gates of hell had been opened, and this job was very dangerous.
"Incorporeal entity class, the level of darkness is high, and besides possession, there are no environmental changes…" Father Doug murmured, identifying the type of entity they were about to exorcise.
Jonathan furrowed his brows and looked toward the end of the hallway, where a door had a silver cross hanging on the outside.
"Mr. Lambert, think carefully about what I'm about to ask: did you place the cross correctly outside the door?" Jonathan took off his coat and set it aside while pulling out a silver rosary.
He asked because the cross was slightly tilted, which was enough to know that the spirit was very powerful.
It was known that the degree of inclination could also represent the strength of the evil. If it was completely inverted, they would be facing a powerful entity.
"Yes… it was properly placed. Renai put the cross perfectly…" Mr. Lambert's voice trembled as he said this.
To be honest, he was rejecting religion more and more as the days passed.
Upon hearing this, Jonathan narrowed his eyes slightly, took off his leather gloves, and headed toward the door followed by Father Doug.
The closer the distance, the colder the atmosphere became, and it even felt as if the five senses were blocked—no sound, and even outside noises seemed to vanish.
"Don't play with me!" Jonathan murmured as he knocked on the door three times, which began to shake.
Father Doug looked at Mr. Lambert and said, "Give me the key to the door. I'll handle the demon…"
"Yes…"
Jonathan took the key and opened the door directly. But even before the door fully opened, a voice as thick as an old man's was heard from inside.
"This is much more fun hehehe…"
When the door opened, it shook violently. Jonathan then saw Dalton tied to the bed, restrained by all four limbs.
His body—except for his underwear—was exposed to the air, showing his thin, inhuman appearance. His deadly white eyes fixed on Jonathan's attire, and a wide smile formed on his face.
"What do my eyes see? Damn, you smell like trash…"
Dalton, who was acting strangely, changed his expression and looked at his father as if he hadn't just behaved abnormally. "Daddy, are you seriously going to leave me alone in the room with a dirty black priest? That fat guy is anything but a priest—don't let him fool you."
"Dalton… what are you saying, son?"
Jonathan cracked his knuckles and said, "Don't talk to him. Stay out of this or Father Doug will remove you from this room. If you want to save your son, don't answer his questions. He's not the Dalton you know right now."
Mr. Lambert was interrupted by Jonathan, who stared intensely at Dalton in the center of the bed.
Father Doug, who was now dressed as a priest, looked at Mr. Lambert and pointed to the corner of the room. "This demon is racist, damn it."
"Focus, stop thinking about trivial things." Jonathan nodded after seeing this, reached into his backpack, and pulled out some special items he would need.
Dalton, who had remained silent, roared loudly: "Old demon dog, are you going to let them play with your son's body? You're a damn coward, you've always wanted to be disposable trash but never did anything."
Mr. Lambert stood silently to the side, holding the cross to his chest and began praying quietly.
The next second, Dalton—who had seemed fine—suddenly changed and acted like a lunatic, fiercely struggling against the restraints holding his body.
"Ha ha ha ha!!! Damn Priest, you won't save this boy's life!"
"Did you hear that, old fool? Your son is going to die, he'll burn in the flames of hell, and then I'll take your body."
In just a few brief seconds, Dalton—no more than ten years old—was acting like a madman.
"You're very confident…" Jonathan murmured coldly, staring at Dalton. His eyes showed no fear, and his gaze was as cold as frost.
He had been through hell, so this was nothing compared to what he had experienced—and he would personally make sure to take him back where he belonged.
"Let's begin. First we tame the physical, then we kill him in the spiritual world." Jonathan murmured confidently.