While they were talking in the abandoned mill, a line of imposing black SUVs pulled up to the entrance. Over a dozen MIB field agents in black suits stepped out.
MIB field personnel included not just agents, but also regular staff dedicated to cleanup, essentially acting as the agency's "sweepers."
"Good work, Agent M. We'll take it from here."
The lead MIB staffer showed plenty of professional respect to Mike, a special agent, during the handover.
He carefully took the Shuttle and the healing serum formula. After verifying them, he handed the Shuttle—the piece containing the "divine revelation" function—to a clergyman standing nearby.
The clergyman was heavily built with rugged features. If it weren't for his traditional clerical collar and robes, you'd never guess he was a priest.
Taking the Shuttle, the priest examined it for a moment. Then, he opened his Bible and began reciting scripture with a solemn expression.
[Sealing Ritual Experience +88]... [Prayer Experience +66]... [Exorcism Experience +35]...
He might not have looked the part, but the guy clearly possessed real skills.
This allowed Mike, who was just watching the show from the sidelines, to unexpectedly scoop up a few experience orbs.
About ten minutes later, having finished the sealing ritual, the priest played it safe by pulling a piece of consecrated parchment from his coat and wrapping the Shuttle up tightly.
Only then did he feel comfortable handing it back to the MIB agent.
Another MIB staffer, who was already standing by, carefully placed the Shuttle into a small lockbox before it was escorted to one of the black SUVs.
"Hello, Agent M. Chief O has mentioned you."
Finishing his work and meeting Mike's curious gaze, the priest introduced himself. "I'm Father James from Holy Cross Cathedral. You've probably heard of me."
"Of course, Father James,"
Mike replied politely. "Chief O specifically brought you up. She said I could come to you if I ever needed help..."
"So, since we're 'colleagues' of sorts, I was wondering if you could spare some holy water, crosses, or maybe some sacred relics for me to use in the field."
Even though Mike was already pretty strong, when dealing with the supernatural, you could never have too many aces up your sleeve.
"That might be difficult~"
Seeing Mike's overly familiar approach, Father James chuckled and explained, "For the average person, a standard cross only provides psychological comfort."
"Unless the cross has been imbued with true 'divinity,' but the Church hardly has any of those left..."
"And forget about sacred relics. Even I haven't seen one..."
"As for holy water, I can get you a little if you really need it. But keep in mind, it has a shelf life. The older it gets, the weaker its exorcism effects become..."
"Generally, I recommend using it within three days for maximum effectiveness."
So, after all that, the Church's exorcism methods weren't actually all that impressive.
Those ordinary clergymen probably relied more on their own sheer faith when performing exorcisms.
A bit bummed that he couldn't score any good loot, Mike smoothly changed the subject. "In that case, could you tell me about the supernatural events the Church has on record?"
As the saying goes: everyone has their niche.
To gather faith, the Church was an absolute expert at uncovering "miracles" across the globe and documenting them to prove God's existence.
Because of this, the Church's records of supernatural events were undoubtedly far more extensive and comprehensive than MIB headquarters'.
"Why are you asking about that?"
Father James asked, raising an eyebrow at Mike's bold request.
"Just curious. After all, that's exactly what my division deals with..."
Mike offered a casual excuse.
In reality, with his ability to pick up dropped attributes, he was just looking for a new place to farm for stats.
"Well..."
Father James thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright. If you're really that interested, I'll email you a copy of the files when I get back."
Father James belonged to the progressive faction within the Church. Their core philosophy was to mitigate the "disasters" that supernatural forces brought upon humanity.
They strongly believed that God should stay in heaven, or exist solely within people's faith.
After all, many "miracle" incidents had already proven that human nature is incredibly complicated. Even if a genuine Divine Blessing existed, it would almost always mutate into a catastrophe in the hands of mortals.
So, unlike the Church's conservative traditionalists, James didn't put much stock in "miracles," nor was he overly obsessed with proving God's existence.
"Thanks for sharing..."
Having achieved his goal, Mike waved goodbye to the priest. But before leaving, he couldn't help but ask, "By the way, James. Have you ever seen God?"
"Who knows~"
Father James replied nonchalantly. "I'll definitely see Him after I die, anyway."
According to Church records, God was omnipotent and had no specific physical form.
A homeless guy on the street, a cashier at the supermarket, or even a random nun—any of them could potentially be an incarnation of God.
---
After saying goodbye to the priest, Mike took his squad to the border of Queens.
"John, here's the bonus we agreed on,"
Mike said, tossing a small duffel bag stuffed with cash to John.
Catching the bag, John peeked inside and saw two blocks of the healing wax tucked in with the money. A faint smile finally broke through his usually stoic expression.
"And here's your advance on this month's salary..."
Mike then tossed two smaller stacks of bills to Wesley and his dad.
Having scored a massive ten grand so easily, Wesley grinned like an absolute idiot.
Cross, on the other hand, barely reacted.
Unlike John, Cross had managed to stash away a massive fortune during his time as a hitman for the Fraternity.
"Don't worry, Cross. Your new ID will be processed very soon."
Mike knew exactly what the veteran assassin really wanted.
Seeing Cross look visibly relieved, Mike continued, "However, I do have a job for you. Before our next mission, I want you to help train John."
Mike hadn't forgotten how interested John was in "Bullet Time."
"No problem, leave it to me!"
Cross agreed readily.
He was going to have to train his son anyway; taking on one more student wasn't a big deal at all.
---
Later that evening, back at the luxury mansion.
Lina and the other girls could easily tell that Mike was in a fantastic mood when he got home.
"Did something good happen today, Mike?"
Lina couldn't help but ask after dinner.
"Of course. I've got something amazing for you girls,"
Mike said, magically producing a few soap-sized blocks of paste from his pockets.
This was the Fraternity's miraculous healing wax, which doubled as the ultimate "beauty treatment."
Even if Lina hadn't asked, Mike had fully intended to share this stuff with them anyway.
Then, ignoring little Paige's deeply envious stares, Mike led all the girls—except for Needy—into the massive master bathroom.
About half an hour later, bursts of amazed gasps and cheers echoed from the bathroom.
You had to admit, the healing wax was nothing short of miraculous.
Not only did it repair underlying tissue damage, but its cosmetic effects were absolutely flawless.
What followed, accompanied by the girls' delighted cheers, was Mike's personal "harvest time."
Meanwhile, huddled in the corner of her first-floor room, Needy had never despised her super-hearing more than she did right now.
Even though her human emotions were slowly fading, the playful noises drifting down from the third floor still made her feel incredibly irritable and restless.
Especially when she pictured exactly what kind of NSFW activities a certain someone was currently engaged in.
---