novelraw Chapter 1255 - 688: Maximum Output
Chapter 1255 - 688: Maximum Output
Father Rodney and the others didn't go back directly. Instead, they used some of the remaining Holy Words and Holy Oil to create a few temporary altars with small stones around them, arranging them in a specific pattern on the shore. This operation took quite some time, but it was for safety.
Jimmy's earlier words made Father Rodney realize there's something in the lake, though he couldn't tell if it was a Resentful Spirit or some other unknown entity. To prevent any unexpected events during their absence, they had to set up protection, not just for what they planned to do the next day, but also for everyone else's safety.
Once everything was dealt with, Jimmy and the others left the lakeside and departed from Ghost Lake with Nia and several police detectives.
Nia and Sergeant Porter had already distanced themselves from the lake when anomalies began appearing on its surface in the evening. They watched from afar, waiting until everything was over, which took several hours. Their curiosity had peaked; church exorcisms were within understanding, but Jimmy's continuous gunfire was piercing. If not for the remote location, someone would have called the police by now.
Crucially, they knew Jimmy hadn't brought a rifle, only a Glock and two revolvers. However, his shooting speed approached that of a semi-automatic pistol, and the intervals between shots were so short that one couldn't imagine how he was reloading.
Nia rode in the same car as Jimmy and curiously inquired about the exorcism process. Given the nighttime conditions, the car headlights and flashlights provided too little light for them to see clearly from behind. Jimmy didn't hide much, crediting Father Rodney and the others, particularly the Confinement Altar, which was a first for Jimmy.
In fact, during past church exorcisms, Jimmy had only seen a similar ritual setup once with Father Horton in Dallas. The rest mostly involved personal displays of power and chanting Holy Words, using Holy Light Power to strengthen or vanquish Evil Spirits. This time, not only did they use altars, but they were also temporarily crafted, offering a much more visually striking exorcism method compared to Jimmy's dual wielding.
The protective barrier-like formation they set up at the end also caught the eye. Through these priests, Jimmy deduced that Father Rodney and Father Bennett resembled combat expert exorcists, whereas Antonio was more like a Mage, employing formations to restrict and purify evil spirits. In contrast, Father Horton, whom Jimmy met in Dallas, seemed akin to Antonio.
Back at the hotel, Jimmy checked the time and let Nia shower first. He called Ruiz to ask for leave; although Father Rodney and the others took the lead, they were there to help him and Nia. He couldn't go back to work in New York before resolving the matter.
The weekend was thrilling: first tracking Roland's whereabouts, then finding Nia, and encountering this mess with no end in sight. The excuse was adequate—Nia's incident brought Jimmy to Rhode Island on business.
Of course, he also needed to notify Mark and the others; these two unfortunate guys found their boss mysteriously absent from the office. They had only just started and were already being left to their own devices.
The next day, Jimmy returned to the church, where Father Rodney and the others were preparing the ritual tools for the day's ceremony. Purifying a lake over a hundred meters in size required tremendous amounts of Holy Light Energy. They debated this issue the previous afternoon during the wait, but the high cost led to rejecting the plan.
The temporary preparation of the Confinement Altar and protective altars was due to their complete uncertainty about how the lake's Resentful Spirit might attack. Pre-arranging a Confinement Altar risked energy loss and material waste. Their exorcism materials were precious, not mere market-bought trinkets.
The police presence was reduced, with only Sergeant Porter coming. Two other officers returned to duty. Jimmy pulled Sergeant Porter aside, originally to dissuade him from coming along in case of issues, as dealing with a Resentful Spirit wasn't like handling an ordinary criminal. However, Sergeant Porter had valid reasons. Since the exorcism occurred on their turf, a local witness was needed, or explaining afterward would be tough.
Jimmy found the reasoning acceptable and agreed to Porter accompanying them, under the same condition as the previous night, keeping a hundred-meter distance and seeing what they could.
Returning to the lakeside, Nia and Sergeant Porter stayed far away, while Jimmy joined Father Rodney and the others in preparing for the Purification Ceremony.
Antonio opened his case and took out a wooden cross with golden or gold-plated metal at each tip. The slightly dim cross seemed to have aged, and the wood's texture appeared timeworn.