Yes—after determining that Daimon posed no immediate danger, the Church still felt uneasy about simply leaving him unchecked. As a compromise, they forged a bracelet from mithril. This bracelet could suppress most of Daimon's demonic power and served as an extremely strong restraint, intended to keep him under control.
Daimon did not resist this measure. Upon learning of it, he accepted the bracelet outright, giving the Church a measure of reassurance.
This was also why the Church had chosen to summon Daimon for this mission. His power originated from Hell and shared the same source as demons themselves—making him, paradoxically, a highly effective weapon against them.
The final member of the team, of course, was Lucas.
Not long ago, the Battle of New York had been witnessed by the entire world. Lucas's transformation into a hundred-meter-tall giant had shaken humanity to its core. After investigating his abilities, the Church decided to include him among the four without hesitation—for one simple reason: Lucas was powerful.
Moreover, Lucas had previously succeeded in killing Blackheart. The Church knew full well that he possessed the ability to deal with demons directly.
After a moment of contemplation, the cardinal finally nodded and agreed to Daimon's proposal.
"I have only one requirement," he said solemnly.
"Amon must be destroyed. He cannot be allowed to escape. Otherwise, the human world will descend into Hell."
Daimon nodded in agreement and handed the Blood Book to Wong for safekeeping.
Daimon was no fool. After learning the identities of the other three, he had conducted his own research. Wong, as a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, was more than capable of protecting the Blood Book. The magic of Kamar-Taj was profoundly mysterious, possessing countless methods and safeguards. Entrusting the book to Wong was the safest choice.
"During this operation," the cardinal continued,
"all Church personnel will be at your disposal. Everyone at St. George's Convent will cooperate fully. In addition, the Knights Templar will accompany you."
The Knights Templar were the Church's military force. Since the Middle Ages, they had served as one of the primary armed orders of the Crusades.
The Crusades had once been the Church's war machine, composed mainly of three major knightly orders and their subordinate forces. The Knights Templar were one of those three, made up entirely of elite warriors. Even their name reflected their status—the Templar Knights were the very core of the Church's martial power.
In the modern era, the Crusades no longer existed, but the three great knightly orders had been preserved. The Knights Templar continued to pass down their legacy, with veterans training new recruits. Their numbers remained fixed—any losses were quickly replenished.
After finalizing their plans, the group boarded a Church aircraft and traveled nonstop to a convent located on a remote island.
Because the convent stood on an isolated island, it could only be reached by boat. It was precisely this unique geography that had led the Church to send the possessed girl there.
On the boat, both Daimon and Elsa frowned as they stared at the distant, solitary island. The gray outer walls of the convent seemed especially gloomy.
"Do you see something?" Lucas asked curiously.
The two of them looked almost identical, their brows knitted tightly together.
"This place doesn't feel right," Daimon said quietly.
"We'd better be careful."
He glanced back at the large group behind them, his expression growing even darker.
"What exactly do you see?" Lucas pressed.
Daimon took a deep breath and habitually touched the bracelet on his wrist.
"The demonic presence here is extremely strong. Normally, a single demon wouldn't affect such a wide area—especially not a place protected by a holy relic like the Rod of God. This shouldn't be happening."
As the son of a demon, Daimon was intimately familiar with demonic auras. It was an innate ability—he could distinguish them instinctively.
Elsa nodded in agreement.
"He's right. A demon's influence usually has limits. That's why possessions tend to happen in remote areas. But the demonic presence here is far too dense."
Lucas stared at the convent but sensed nothing unusual. To him, convents simply looked gloomy by nature.
"System," Lucas muttered internally, "aren't you supposed to be the strongest demon hunter system? Why can't I see any demonic aura at all? What kind of demon hunter is this supposed to be?"
He was getting irritated. He had already asked Wong—although Wong couldn't see demonic energy either, he could at least sense it through other means. Lucas, on the other hand, could neither see nor feel anything. At this rate, he felt like nothing more than a regular guy.
[Ding~ The host's character template does not possess an occult-oriented physique.]
"Damn it! Then why the hell are you called a demon hunter system?!"
Lucas nearly exploded. Calling this the "strongest demon hunter system" was a joke—it was pure fraud.
[Ding~ Host, please remain calm. Although the character template lacks an occult physique, summoned beasts possess such abilities. The host can use a summoned beast's powers to perceive demonic energy.]
There was hope.
Lucas immediately asked how to do it.
[Ding~ Please explore on your own.]
"What use are you?! You fail me at critical moments and threaten me when nothing's wrong. If you were standing in front of me, I'd beat you within an inch of your life!"
Lucas was furious. This system was outrageously incompetent. It fell silent after dropping that line, clearly uninterested in further conversation. Sometimes Lucas even wondered whether the system had simply died.
With no other choice, Lucas experimented on his own. If seeing demonic energy required vision, then it must be something like opening a third eye.
He channeled the demonic power within his body and concentrated it into his eyes. A faint green glow flashed—and when he looked toward the convent again, everything changed.
The sky above the convent was filled with thick black miasma.
Lucas had always imagined demonic energy as fog or clouds, but seeing it firsthand proved him wrong. It was more like smog—countless tiny particles drifting chaotically around the convent. From a distance, it resembled a swarm of minuscule insects.
He also noticed that his vision had sharpened dramatically. Like an eagle's eyes, his pupils could adjust, allowing him to zoom in and out at will.
The boat finally docked. Several women dressed as nuns were already waiting at the pier to receive them.
Along with the Knights Templar, the group was accompanied by the purple-robed archbishop from New York. He was responsible for coordinating with the convent, as it was populated entirely by women. Since nuns were bound by vows of chastity, the arrival of so many men required a designated intermediary.
The Knights Templar were given a simple mission: secure every exit of the convent. As an island, there were very few points of entry or escape.
The archbishop ordered that no one be allowed in or out—not even the members of their own group—until the matter was resolved.
After that, the five of them followed Sister Agatha, the convent's administrator, along a rugged mountain path toward the convent itself.
The convent covered a vast area, with a complex internal layout. Without a guide, it would be easy to get lost. Sister Agatha emphasized that anyone wishing to move about must inform the nuns so that someone could guide them properly.
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