Chapter 25: Consecration Ceremony (2)

Chapter 25: Consecration Ceremony (2)

The monastery was established no more than 100 years ago, but as Sherlock passed through the dark green portal, he could still sense the weight of history.

Unlike churches, monasteries were more like religious schools. Almost all believers who wanted to join the Church had to start from these monasteries, where they engaged in daily chanting, prayer, and seeking enlightenment from the divine light.

If it weren't for these tedious rituals, Sherlock probably wouldn't have reached his thirties without an ounce of devoutness towards the Church.

The courtyard was filled with flowers and plants, and occasionally, one could spot low-level monks in coarse robes. Passing through several wooden doors, the faint sound of chanting could be heard from inside. Finally, after traversing several corridors paved with blue bricks, Sherlock was led into the deepest tower of the monastery.

This surprised him a bit.

The consecration ceremony, even if not as grand as knighthood ceremonies, should still be solemn or mysterious, right? Could it be that they were just making do in this small tower?

In fact, half a century ago, the consecration of contractees was indeed a solemn and mysterious ritual that required a priest of the rank of High Priest to officiate. However, during the second demonic invasion, both the Church and the government needed a large number of warriors, so the consecration ceremonies were delegated to almost all the monasteries. Sometimes, seven or eight ceremonies would be held in a single day, regardless of talent. If you showed up, you would be tested. At that time, there were also many volunteers to undergo the experiment because becoming a contractee increased their chances of survival compared to remaining an ordinary person. This led to the normalization of the ceremony, and it is the reason why the number of contractees in the world has exceeded one million to date.

Pushing open the wooden door, the scent of incense immediately wafted over. Sunlight couldn't penetrate the tower, so the illumination came from the candles lining the walls.

In the center of the candles stood a massive lectern, holding a book over 30 centimeters thick, along with some tools that Sherlock couldn't comprehend.

The nun walked to the lectern and gestured for Sherlock to come forward.

"Is the ceremony starting now?" Sherlock asked in confusion. "Just the two of us?"

The nun nodded with a smile. "Yes, Mr. Holmes. The basic consecration ceremony of the Church has become quite streamlined. We no longer require elaborate procedures. If you cooperate, it can be completed in just over ten minutes."

As she spoke, she opened the heavy book and held a disc in her hands.

The disc was made of brass, with a hollow center resembling a large lid. Complex symbols and characters were engraved on its surface. Then, the nun took out a needle.

"Please offer me one of your fingers," she said.

Sherlock, influenced by those criminal games, subconsciously thought that he had to chop off one of his fingers and give it to her. But he quickly realized that he probably only needed to extend his finger.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

So, he extended the index finger of his right hand and held it over the brass disc. The nun pricked his fingertip with the needle.

A drop of blood slowly fell into the complex scriptures.

Perhaps it was because his ability could only reach this extent, or maybe it was influenced by the divine light.

As Sherlock speculated on the reasons, something suddenly crawled out of the spatial crack.

A... worm.

Um... It was a bit strange, but yes, it was a worm. It had a grayish-green body and was about seven to eight centimeters long, resembling a banana that had been peeled and left to oxidize in the air for three days.

The small worm slowly crawled out of the crack, first peeking its head out, and then, as if afraid of the unfamiliar environment, shivering as it tried to retreat. However, it was too clumsy. While turning around, its soft body slipped out of the crack, and unfortunately, the void crack opened about half a meter above the ground. As a result, it made a pitiful 'ji ji' sound when it fell to the ground.

"...Silence."

Sherlock fell into silence.

He slightly opened his mouth, astonished as he looked at the caterpillar. Then he turned his head to the nun beside him and noticed that she was looking at him with a mixture of pity and embarrassment.

"What... what is this?"

"Ahem. According to the Church's records on Abyssal Creatures, it should be a worm that survives in hell."

"A... worm?" Sherlock unconsciously repeated the word. "So, this thing is my contract demon?"

"Yes." The nun no longer made eye contact with Sherlock, and she even lowered her head, looking at

her flowing robe.

Sherlock finally understood the meaning behind the peculiar expression on her face earlier.

This thing was his contract demon?

He looked at the caterpillar again. It had finally struggled to turn over but remained motionless, pretending to be dead on the ground.

"Does this... thing have any abilities?" Sherlock seemed to want to make a final attempt.

The nun turned back to the book, flipping through its pages. Finally, with some embarrassment, she said, "Um... I'm really sorry, but according to the Church's Abyssal Creature records, your contract demon belongs to the lowest tier, which means... it has no abilities whatsoever."