Chapter 4: The Smiler's Mask
William wasn't in a hurry to examine his reward. Instead, he walked over to the middle-aged man.
This man had already been on the verge of an emotional breakdown.
Coupled with the possession by an evil spirit, he was currently in very bad shape.
William held the crucifix on his chest with one hand and placed the other hand gently on the man's head.
"My child. You carry the weight of your parents' expectations and provide shelter for your family... You have worked hard."
The middle-aged man's body froze.
He slowly looked up, his face already streaked with tears.
"By the Lord's mercy, I bless you with a moment of peace..."
Listening to William's voice, the man felt the heaviness in his heart lift, the despair that had plagued him swept away.
"Thank you. I haven't felt this free in a long time."
The man gripped William's hand tightly.
Before leaving, he handed William a flyer.
It turned out the man worked for a community organization that was hosting an upcoming expo on exorcism artifacts.
Many horror enthusiasts and industry practitioners would be attending.
But since the topic wasn't exactly mainstream, the man's promotional efforts had been repeatedly rejected, which created the vulnerability the evil spirit had exploited.
William comforted the man not just to grind his skill proficiency, but for another reason as well.
Anyone who had been possessed would retain a trace of evil aura for a short period.
To other evil spirits, this aura acted like a beacon in the dark.
If left unchecked, it would likely attract even more trouble.
[Psychological Counseling +1]
[Current Progress: Tier 1 (14/100)]
...
With the notification fading, William considered the job officially done.
"Father, you were amazing!"
A voice called out from behind him.
William turned to see Jared and Judy running out from the tree line.
While he was performing the exorcism, they had watched the entire process from the sidelines.
Although Jared couldn't see the spirit, he could feel the terrifying pressure.
Judy, having inherited her mother's psychic abilities, had seen glimpses of the entity.
Witnessing William face that monster alone and defeat it left her utterly stunned.
Up until now, Judy thought the only option when encountering these things was to run and hide.
She yearned for the kind of strength William displayed, and her eyes shone with admiration.
"I... can I learn exorcism from you?" Jared hesitated for a moment before summoning the courage to ask.
Judy looked equally expectant.
Hearing this, William went on high alert!
A montage of nightmare scenarios flashed through his mind.
"Chasing after kids to spoon-feed them..."
"Parents suing for kidnapping..."
" The Diocese accusing me of having weird hobbies..."
All these thoughts converged into a single word—Trouble.
So, he had a flash of inspiration.
"That is truly unfortunate. To become an exorcist, you must be over 18 years old. Otherwise, your soul is too easily corrupted by evil forces."
He sighed deeply, acting as if he had just missed out on a prime recruit.
Jared looked disappointed. He was still years away from turning eighteen.
Judy looked confused. Her mom had never mentioned such a rule. She decided she would ask about it when she got home.
Seeing his ploy work, William bent down, a kindly smile on his face.
"Now, hurry on home. It'll be dark in a few hours. If you don't go now, I'll tell your parents you two snuck out to go on a date."
Hearing this, Jared flushed and stole a shy glance at Judy.
Judy giggled, revealing a row of neat teeth.
William continued, "By the way, let's keep today's events a secret between the three of us."
He extended his hand.
The three of them stacked their hands together, sealing the pact.
After smoothing things over, William immediately marched the two kids to the bus stop.
He watched them board the bus and then left quickly, giving them no chance to change their minds.
...
Back at the church entrance.
Seeing that the hair in the keyhole was undisturbed and the bells were all in place, William finally unlocked the door and entered.
He dropped his backpack and pulled out the reward from inside his robe.
It was a thin membrane, brown in color, with a distorted smiley face drawn on the front.
At the same time, information about the item appeared before his eyes.
[The Smiler's Mask]
[Effect: Strengthens the connection between the soul and the body. Provides direction to the lost. While worn, the user's personality will be slightly influenced.]
[Note: It comes from a place unknown.]
William rubbed his chin, a habit when he was deep in thought.
Based on the description, this was a defensive item, likely meant to be worn on the face.
But that last line was concerning...
"Personality influence..."
William suddenly had an idea.
He went out again and returned carrying an iron cage containing a white rabbit.
"Just to be safe, I need to test the mask's effects first. I don't want to get screwed over when I actually need to use it."
Then he took the wooden jar containing the sealed evil spirit out of his bag.
He went to a room in the corner of the first floor.
William lit an oil lamp, illuminating the room instantly.
The room was sparse, but the walls were plastered with paper talismans.
Each strip of paper was inscribed with ecclesiastical runes and had been soaked in holy water aged for at least two years.
There was also a metal hatch on the floor.
It was sealed with a heavy padlock and covered with more talisman strips.
William's expression was serious.
He first took out the brass bells and arranged them around the metal hatch in the shape of a hexagram.
Then he placed a miniature icon of a saint at the doorway.
Next came the holy water and crucifix.
William sprinkled holy water around the edge of the metal hatch and swept the area above it with the crucifix.
Only after completing these rituals did he take out the key.
When the metal hatch opened, a draft of cold air blew up from below, carrying a distinct chill.
A wooden ladder led down into the darkness.
William didn't rush down. Instead, he took a mirror and angled it to reflect the space below.
Seeing nothing amiss, he gathered his items and slowly climbed down.
Below was a small cellar. Several iron shelves lined the walls, holding rows of wooden jars.
They were identical to the one in William's hand, except they were empty.
In the corners of the cellar stood six large statues of saints, each with a bell tied to it.
In the center was a small pool.
This was where William purified evil spirits.
The entire cellar was layered with defensive measures. Even if something went wrong, the evil could not escape.
William set down the rabbit cage, then picked up the wooden jar and placed it into the pool. The liquid inside was all blessed holy water.
He took a thick book from one of the shelves.
"In the name of the Lord, cleanse the evil of this world..."
His voice echoed in the cellar.
Bubbles began to rise in the pool, and the wooden jar started to shake violently. Low, guttural roars emanated from within.
But the statues, the Demon-Trapping Array, and the holy water talismans suppressed the commotion.
Moments later, white smoke hissed out of the jar, and the sounds ceased completely.
The purification was complete.
William received a notification.
[Scripture Reading +1]
[Current Progress: Tier 0 (98/100)]
[You have practiced with piety, and your understanding of the Holy Doctrine has deepened.]
The text he had just recited was an exorcism rite that only legitimate exorcists certified by the Holy See were authorized to use.
Ordinary clergy members couldn't activate the power of the exorcism book.
Although William was technically "ordinary," his daily disciplined cultivation and his [Scripture Reading] ability made the difference.
After shelving the empty wooden jar, William began his second task.
He picked up the iron cage and submerged it in the pool, ensuring the white rabbit was soaked in holy water while keeping its head above the surface.
The rabbit, terrified, thrashed around in the cage.
Once that was done, William grabbed several more holy water-soaked paper strips.
He plastered them all over the cage, sealing it tight except for the door.
Finally, he took out his crucifix and exorcism Bible, ready for battle.
William opened the cage door and carefully applied [The Smiler's Mask] to the white rabbit's face.
Once it was on, he scrambled back to a safe distance, his eyes glued to the cage.
One second.
Two seconds.
Nothing seemed to happen.
But in the next moment, the white rabbit's body suddenly went rigid.