Holy Water

In the vast domed chamber, an octagonal fountain continuously spouted water.

At the center of the fountain stood a pristine white sculpture. More precisely, it was a sculpture of an Angel.

The statue was exquisitely carved. Layered wings wrapped around its body, a ribbon covered its eyes, and its hands were folded over its chest.

Though it was clearly an inanimate object, the instant Lu Yuan stepped into the hall, he felt as though those covered eyes had opened.

Buzz!

His mind instantly went blank.

The next moment, an indescribable "sense of holiness" flooded wildly into Lu Yuan's mind.

[Warning! You have suffered spiritual erosion from a higher existence!]

[Sanity check in progress...]

An invisible pressure instantly descended upon the area where Lu Yuan stood. His knees buckled, and he was about to kneel uncontrollably.

Seeing this from nearby, the Nun clasped her hands together, lowered her head slightly, and parted her lips.

She remained standing in the shadows, watching Lu Yuan's reaction from the corner of her eye.

This was the Church's screening test.

So long as Doctor Lu lost control here, mutated, or displayed any inhuman traits—

He could be dealt with on the spot the very next second.

Move... move already!

Lu Yuan roared inwardly, biting his lip until it bled.

Just as Lu Yuan's will was about to collapse—

The line of grayish-white text in his vision suddenly burst apart, becoming a chill that instantly scattered the pressure weighing down on his body.

[You have been watched by the indescribable... You have gained Its attention. The Angel's gaze has turned away.]

[You noticed the secret of the sky. Forbidden Studies—Peeper: +2, 6.2/10]

[You gazed directly upon indescribable "holiness." Sanity II: +5... 11/50 (experience)]

That solemn, holy pressure abruptly vanished.

Lu Yuan's body lightened, and he finally stopped himself from kneeling.

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Lu Yuan watched the Nun's reaction and understood everything.

The Church definitely knew something. Otherwise, they would not have done this.

The Nun in the shadows looked at the unharmed Lu Yuan, and the anticipation in her eyes turned to astonishment.

"You... are you all right?" she asked instinctively.

"Should something be wrong with me?" Lu Yuan asked in return, gazing calmly at the Nun.

The Nun studied him deeply. The scrutiny in her gaze finally faded. "No, Doctor Lu. You actually rejected the Angel's grace."

"Your will is incredibly steadfast. Join us, and you at least have the potential to become a Priest. No, you may even have a chance of becoming a Bishop!"

Lu Yuan looked at the fervor in the Nun's eyes.

"I still prefer being a Doctor."

"Are you sure you will not reconsider, Doctor Lu?" The Nun's tone rose slightly.

"Not for now."

The Nun looked at Lu Yuan's eyes, which had already returned to calm, and finally shook her head.

She did not mention the Church again. Instead, she pointed at the pool. "You are qualified to draw water now, Doctor Lu. The Angel has acknowledged you."

Lu Yuan turned around. The back of his shirt was already soaked through with cold sweat.

That was close.

If the system had not appeared, the Strange Dream on me would definitely have been exposed. Not only that, I might have become the Angel's most devout follower.

But who was that It? The Angel's gaze turned away?

Suppressing the unease in his heart, Lu Yuan cast one final glance at the statue.

Only after confirming that his Sanity had not changed did he shift his gaze and look elsewhere in the Church.

Sure enough, the Church was no good either. Even knowing that the statue had a "bewitching" effect, they still placed it openly in the main hall.

If someone did not prepare beforehand, the Church would gain another "capable" follower.

After all, only those who entered through the side door would be brought into this hall.

The Nun knew exactly what the silent Lu Yuan was thinking. Without any attempt to hide it, she said, "Doctor Lu, do you know the most basic requirement for becoming a Doctor in Grim Port?"

The Nun did not mind that Lu Yuan remained silent and continued, "That is passing the Church's assessment."

"After all, the Church must ensure that he is qualified to practice medicine. Otherwise, if something happens to the people of Grim Port, the ones who show up then will not be the Church."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan understood everything.

As the Doctor taking over the clinic, the Church did not care whether he was capable—or whether he had any real skill at all.

The Church only knew that another bug had appeared on its territory to compete for its food.

As for the assessment, whether he passed or failed, the Church would suffer no losses.

At that thought, Lu Yuan sighed deeply inside. For now, he could only remain silent, but he would remember this.

"So I have passed the Church's assessment?" Lu Yuan asked calmly, looking directly at the Nun.

"More or less, Doctor Lu. Well then, don't you need Holy Water?" The white-robed Nun still wore a smile. Standing beneath the sunlight filtering through the stained glass at the top of the hall, she seemed somewhat holy and solemn.

"So?"

The Nun handed Lu Yuan two glass bottles, each the size of a fist, from the adjacent room.

"Remember to remain devout... otherwise..."

The Nun deliberately left the sentence unfinished.

Lu Yuan took the bottles. They were surprisingly heavy. Their black bodies were engraved with layered-wing patterns, and he could not tell what material they were made of.

Opening the bottle, Lu Yuan turned his gaze toward the surface of the fountain.

The spring water rippled, clear and translucent, no different from ordinary water.

Even as Lu Yuan filled the bottles, nothing unusual happened.

Instead, when the Nun saw that Lu Yuan had filled both bottles with Holy Water, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"All right, Doctor Lu Yuan. The Church will arrange for someone to deliver the remaining medicinal ingredients to the clinic. If you have nothing else to do, you may look around the Church. The Angel will protect you."

The Nun still wore a smile. Then she left with the Scripture in her hands.

She did not seem worried at all that Lu Yuan might do something to the Holy Spring.

Watching the Nun leave, Lu Yuan did not intend to linger. He merely gave the Angel Statue standing in the fountainhead one last glance before turning and leaving.

Unless there are special circumstances, I should come to the Church as little as possible from now on.

With that thought, Lu Yuan walked out through the Church's side door.

At this moment, the number of people queuing outside the Church had not decreased but increased. Several clergy members in black robes with purple stoles were maintaining order.

They smiled as they held Scriptures, maintaining order while preaching doctrine to the patients in line.

Seeing the humble expressions that occasionally appeared on the patients' faces, Lu Yuan knew that more people had become followers of the "Angel."

Ignoring them, Lu Yuan returned the way he had come. At that moment, an experience bar quietly appeared.

[Grim Port Current Situation: +5, 20/50]

Even this level of exploration gave so much experience from the Church?

Lu Yuan lowered his eyes and silently walked onward.

Only after he boarded the returning rickshaw did the purple-robed figure standing behind the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor withdraw his gaze.

"Bishop." Avel, the Nun from before, stood respectfully behind him.

"That Lu Yuan... passed the test. Under the Angel's gaze, he showed no signs of mutation. In fact... his mental fluctuations were even more stable than those of ordinary people."

The purple-robed Bishop turned around, revealing an aged, weary face. "Since he passed, remove him from the Purge List for now."

Rubbing his brow, he said hoarsely, "The Night Watchers are under a great deal of pressure. The things in the Deep Sea have been growing more and more restless lately. Since there is nothing wrong with him, there is no need to concern ourselves with him for now."