New Gods of North America.

Chapter 618 Projection
When the cathedral's reinforcements arrived, Wayne was already collapsed in the courtyard between two ruins of houses, feeling as if he had turned into a lump of cured meat.

After those short, sharp "whips" lashed his body, Wayne experienced the symptoms described by Connor, the number one injured player that night.
"Like ants gnawing and spreading," "the places that have been gnawed lost sensation," and Connor's unspoken "the strength in his whole body gradually dissipated."

However, this was not the direct cause of Wayne's collapse. The invisible "eye" within Wayne could absorb the extraordinary power contained within those short lines.

The real reason he collapsed was that after performing first aid on everyone at the scene, he absorbed too much at once...

I feel like my whole body has been pickled in salt, and my stomach is so bloated.

It feels like eating a lethal dose of salt that's stuck in your throat, causing nausea and vomiting.

“The holy anointings that Brother Merlin and his men carried were more effective at removing curses, but they weren’t as fast-acting as your purification abilities. If you hadn’t provided first aid, many people would probably have died just now.”

Inessa had just finished her work and walked over to Wayne, bowing her head and feeding him another sip of holy water. "Are you alright now?"

"Lying down for a bit more should be fine; it's nothing serious." Wayne turned his head and looked over. People were coming and going near the almost completely collapsed cabin, and the cathedral staff were taking over the cleanup work. "How are the others?"

Inesa gave a relieved smile: "The on-site response was very timely, and it seems there are no seriously injured people at the moment, but it may take some time for them to fully recover their strength and condition. Moreover, 'Koyatl' seems to have been watching closely at the moment the curse broke out, and we still need to check in the next couple of days to see if there are any lingering effects. Overall, the situation is already very optimistic."

Wayne's gaze fell on her face. "And what about you?"

"She can still hold on; there shouldn't be any problems." Just then, a monk carrying a stretcher passed by. Inessa spoke succinctly, lowering her voice slightly.

Inessa had just quietly refused Wayne's first aid, and due to the urgency of the situation and the presence of people from the cathedral, Wayne hadn't been able to get more details.
However, what Inessa vaguely revealed was quite clear: although the curse that had broken out before would also have a negative impact on her, it could also weaken the "binding" that the Exorcist Association had imposed on her in essence. Therefore, this became a dynamic balance problem of "one gaining and the other losing," a contest of who could withstand more damage, her or the binding.

Lina arrived carrying a small jar of holy oil, which she apparently had swiped from someone. She seemed to be assisting with first aid, but the jar of holy oil was actually still perfectly smooth, in a "only opened, but 99% new" condition.
She was the type who "didn't need Wayne's help at all." After the curse broke out and everyone else collapsed, she followed suit almost a second later, and was in even better condition than Wayne at the time.

"Hmm..." Lina hesitated for a moment, then held the jar of holy ointment to Wayne's lips. "Would you like to have a couple of bites?"

Wayne's face darkened: "It's a big, sticky lump, can you even eat this?"

Lina thought for a moment, "Then... should Parker add it to your food these next few days?"

That's not the issue!

It's unclear what kind of oil it's made of, and the specific processing method is unknown. How can a topical medicine be taken orally so easily?

But then again, if it's clean, hygienic, and won't lose its effectiveness at high temperatures, then stocking up on some chili oil isn't necessarily a bad thing...

Noticing Brother Merlin being helped closer, Wayne didn't rush to criticize, but instead turned his head to meet his gaze.
When Brother Merlin approached, he acted like a patient being discharged from the hospital, expressing gratitude on behalf of himself and his cursed subordinates for Wayne's first aid. Wayne, of course, politely responded while still lying on the ground.

After exchanging friendly pleasantries, Brother Merlin found an excuse to send away the monk who had been supporting him, and, struggling to stand, his expression became slightly more serious.
“While I am grateful for your actions tonight, Wayne, from what I understand, your detective agency's firepower clearly exceeded the limits permitted by Richmond's various circles. You should be a little more ‘moderate’ in this regard…” Wayne understood that for a “decent person” like Brother Merlin, this was slightly beyond his acceptable limits. Normally, he would probably have been reprimanded.
Fortunately, he has at least shown goodwill and is willing to "give the detective agency a break" a little, so Wayne thought for a moment and decided to take advantage of the situation and continue climbing up the bar.

Before Wayne could even speak, Lina, who had already quietly closed and put away the jar of holy ointment, said, "This is actually quite normal. Wayne used to be a sheriff in a small town, and people in his hometown in the West are all like this."

Well, that's not how it works...

Brother Merlin was clearly surprised to hear this: "Can the security situation in the West really be this bad?"

Lina nodded. "Even Reverend Hack from Wayne's town carries high explosives with him when he goes out, ready to use them if he encounters bandits in the wilderness. We've all seen it. You can ask Inessa if you don't believe me; she was there too."

Brother Merlin had considerable faith in Inessa's character and professionalism, and his seeking gaze quickly shifted to her.

Inessa paused for a moment, then nodded hesitantly, "That did happen, but..."

Lina interrupted Inessa at this point, spreading her hands at Brother Merlin, "You see, even church priests become like this when they go to the West."

"I came across this information while reviewing your detective agency's files. It seems that Reverend Harker was only recently transferred to Kansas. I never expected..."

Brother Merlin, of course, could not criticize the church's dispatched pastors at will. He hesitated before continuing, "If it is due to the influence of environment and customs, then it is understandable... I will see if I can find a way to complete the corresponding procedures for you on paper, but Wayne, you also need to guarantee that lever-action rifles and high explosives will never fall into the hands of ordinary people."

Is this even possible?!
That makes sense, though. Inessa's bolt-action rifle and high explosives actually arrived in Blackrock with the church members. Reverend Harker even had two pistols with him, which shows that the church did have some privileges in this regard; otherwise, the supplies wouldn't have been able to be transported all the way from the east coast.

Previously, with the special permission of Bishop Corleone, the detective agency didn't have to worry about being harassed in such a small place. Now that the bishop has changed, some procedures should be completed as soon as possible to avoid being caught out later.

Wayne quickly expressed his gratitude, "Then I'll leave it to Brother Merlin."

At this moment, the monk who had been helping Merlin had returned. Merlin nodded slightly: "The investigation into the plague was arranged by His Holiness the Bishop, and he should also be aware of the situation of your detective agency. I will go back and submit a report internally, and it shouldn't be difficult to complete the filing."

Compared to applying from scratch, this "get on the bus first, buy the ticket later" approach might not require the bishop's personal approval. The decision could likely be made at some level within the cathedral. After all, Inessa already had permission to use heavy weaponry; this simply means the scope of users has been slightly expanded.

But this also provides an opportunity to observe Bishop Tyrell's current attitude towards the Detective Agency. If Brother Merlin's application is rejected, then there are some things that need to be planned ahead.

Wayne steered the conversation forward, "Thank you. You should go back and rest. If things go well here, we'll come over as soon as possible tomorrow to continue the investigation."

Brother Merlin nodded: "Yes... even the projection of 'Koyatl' has appeared. That guy must hold a high position in the Church of Tranquility. He probably has accomplices in the dock area."

(End of this chapter)