America: The Cremator

Chapter 188 Come into my domain and warm yourself by the fire!

S-level bizarre.

Mammon, the Greedy Demon.

Su Long sat on the sofa, outwardly calm, but his mind was racing.

Not long ago, he heard from Stella about an S-class monster—the Demon of the Gun. This guy's record is verifiable; he caused over ten thousand casualties in just a few minutes after his arrival. Even A-class exorcists were cannon fodder in his eyes.

Today, another S-class monster unexpectedly appeared in the church's basement.

It seems that the world is far from being as peaceful and stable as it appears on the surface. In the bustling cities where ordinary people rush about every day, who knows how many terrifying beings are lurking.

They are like nuclear bombs with incalculable yields; all it takes is a trigger to shatter this facade of peace and plunge the world into chaos.

A brief silence fell over the office.

Bishop Evan looked at Hannah, his expression turning extremely serious. His voice broke the silence: "This is completely different from what I knew before. I have never seen Virgil's name in the official records."

"The only record I can see in the files is that your brother, out of greed, attempted to steal the sacred relic and mistakenly entered the sealed land."

His tone carried a hint of self-deprecation: "It seems that the guys who handled the case back then deliberately concealed Virgil's dereliction of duty and shifted all the blame onto a fourteen-year-old boy."

Evan turned his head and looked directly at Hannah: "I trust you more than those flawed official records, Hannah."

After saying this, the young bishop bowed deeply to Hannah and said sincerely, "On behalf of the church leadership, I apologize to you and your brother for what happened back then."

Hannah watched as a bishop bowed to her.

Her expression was calm; the experiences of the past few years had long since exhausted her trust in the church.

"This is not your fault, Bishop," Hannah said, looking at him. "You don't need to pay for other people's sins, and an apology won't change what has already happened."

Evan straightened up and sighed; he knew this rift couldn't be easily smoothed over.

"I know it's hard to say," Evan said, sitting back down on the sofa. "But I came to you today to ask you for a favor."

Hannah's tone became wary: "What is it?"

Evan took a deep breath and said bluntly, "There have been some setbacks regarding the sealing of Mammon."

"The sealing formation in the basement is showing extremely unstable fluctuations, and Mammon's power is leaking out. Therefore, we need your brother to come back."

Upon hearing this, Hannah's expression changed drastically. She abruptly stood up from the sofa, her eyes filled with defensiveness as she stared intently at Evan.

"Impossible!" Her voice rose sharply, her tone resolute. "I will absolutely not let him set foot in St. James's Cathedral again! You can forget about using him!"

"Back then, you made him a scapegoat and almost sent him to the execution platform. Now that the seal has malfunctioned, you want him to come back and die? Dream on!"

Evan raised his hands, trying to calm her down.

"Hannah, calm down and relax," Evan said gently.

"I swear on my position as bishop that I will never sacrifice him, much less execute him. He only needs to act as a contractor to stabilize the array. Once the array is repaired, he can leave immediately."

"I don't believe any of your guarantees," Hannah sneered, her tone full of mockery.

"If your church really has the ability, then go to the East Coast and take him directly from Yale University!"

"Let's see if you can bring him back through Yale's security system!"

As one of America's top universities, Yale University is backed by extremely powerful financial groups and government forces. Even the church would not dare to openly arrest people there.

Evan looked at the emotional Hannah and gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"Hannah, you've got one thing wrong." Evan shook his head. "Our church and Yale University may have different systems, but they are both official institutions. We all operate within the same framework, so we are also subject to their constraints."

He looked into Hannah's eyes, his tone becoming serious: "Because we are the authorities, we adhere to rules and procedures, so we would never engage in kidnapping or similar acts at Yale University."

But Evan quickly changed the subject: "However, Hannah, there are some people in this world who don't follow this rule."

Surong sat to the side without saying a word. Hearing this, he understood the subtext in Evan's words.

"Has a third party intervened?" Surong asked Evan directly.

Evan nodded, turning his gaze to Suron: "Yes. In America, there exists a secretive and vast organization that calls itself the Wynn Club."

"Wynn Club?" Su Long repeated the name.

"This is a cult that specifically worships and believes in Mammon," Evan explained.

"But they are different from those madmen who hide in the sewers and draw magic circles. The members of Wynn Club are mostly top businessmen, executives of financial groups, and even giants from Wall Street from all over the world."

Evan's tone was tinged with apprehension: "They have extremely deep pockets and control vast amounts of resources. Moreover, they have deep-rooted ties with gangs and certain officials within the government."

Hannah stood to the side, and upon hearing these words, her body began to tremble slightly.

"This group has only one goal," Evan said, looking at Hannah. "To bring back the greedy demon Mammon to the world through all sorts of means."

"In 1921, Mammon first arrived in America." Evan changed the subject and began to recount the history of the past.

"It was a disaster. It turned all the gold and money in the United States into ashes in an instant and forcibly took ten years from the lives of all American citizens. The terrible Great Depression that swept the world began from that moment."

Su Long sat beside him, deep in thought.

Mammon drained ten years from the lives of the entire nation and directly destroyed the country's economic lifeline.

Suron recalled the fake Raven he had just dealt with at the sanatorium. The fake Raven could only extract the lifespan of a few homeless people within its own territory, while Mammon's attack covered the entire United States.

The gap between S-rank and B-rank is practically insurmountable. No wonder these charlatans are so wary of Mammon.

"In 1991, Mammon descended again, this time in five forms, landing in the United States, China, and..."

The Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain.

Evan's voice was low and somber. "Countries mobilized their top exorcists and armies, paying an extremely heavy price to repel Mammon. But this also triggered a global economic crisis."

"After the war, Mammon's body was divided into five parts, which were preserved in these five countries. The part that was taken by the United States was sealed under our feet."

Evan pointed to the ground, "But later, when the Soviet Union collapsed, the remains of Mammon that they were keeping were sold off and ended up in the hands of Wynn Resorts."

"Later, during the Great Depression of 1992, in order to fill the deficit, the French government actually auctioned off Mammon's remains, which were also acquired by Wynn Resorts."

"Now, Wynn has made all sorts of preparations. As soon as Mammon arrives and the second Great Depression begins, they will immediately reap unimaginable profits."

"What does this have to do with my brother?" Hannah asked through gritted teeth.

"It's very important," Evan sighed.

"Mammon's true form is sealed beneath our church, and the Wynn has been trying to break the seal, but has never succeeded."

"Until recently, they somehow found out the truth about that accident from back then."

Evan stood up, walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and took out a thick brown paper envelope.

He walked back to the coffee table and tossed the envelope onto it.

"They have discovered your brother's identity as a contractor."

Evan pointed to the envelope: "Hannah, think it over carefully. For Wynn, a living Mammon contractor is the key to welcoming Mammon's arrival."

Hannah's breathing quickened as she stared intently at the envelope, which, to an older sister, was undoubtedly deadly poison.

Evan's tone turned cold: "Moreover, according to the latest intelligence from the church, the Wynn Church has begun to fully infiltrate Yale University. They're using various pretexts, such as financial sponsorships and academic exchanges, to extend their reach into the campus."

He looked at Hannah's pale face: "Perhaps soon they will take concrete action."

"Hannah, you have to understand, they don't follow the rules like the church does. They'll do anything to get your brother."

Hannah's legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the sofa, her mind going completely blank.

She thought that sending her younger brother to a top university like Yale would completely free her from her entanglement with Mammon.

As long as she stays in Seattle as a nun, she can shield her brother from the church's attention.

But danger continued to lurk, and he still couldn't protect his younger brother.

Su Long reached out and picked up the brown paper envelope from the coffee table.

He didn't care about privacy at all, and directly tore open the seal and poured out the contents.

Several paper files and a dozen or so candid photos were scattered on the coffee table.

Su Long picked up a photograph.

The background of the photo is Yale University, and a young Asian boy dressed casually is walking along a tree-lined path carrying several books.

The boy looked somewhat like Hannah, with clean eyes, and you couldn't tell at all that he was an unlucky guy who had been forcibly contracted by an S-class demon.

At the edge of the photo, a black van is parked on the side of the road with its window half-rolled down, and a man wearing sunglasses is holding a camera and pointing it in the direction of the boy.

Su Long put down this one and picked up another.

This photo was taken at an academic lecture.

The boy sat in the front row taking notes, while several middle-aged men in suits sitting diagonally behind him had their eyes fixed on the boy's back, not on the podium.

That look in his eyes was as if he were staring at some rare treasure.

The records in the archives are even more shocking.

Over the past month, several of Wynn Resorts' business companies have donated substantial sums to several Yale University laboratories, which happen to be the places where Hannah's brother frequently works.

They are closing in.

Sulong pushed the photos and files in front of Hannah.

Hannah's hands began to tremble violently after reading only two pages.

The stark black-and-white documents and color photographs were laid out before her, stinging her eyes. She jerked her head up, her voice filled with suppressed anger: "What exactly are they trying to do?"

"Cult members' methods have always been cruel and extreme," Evan said, looking at her.

"Whatever they intend to do, if they succeed, your brother will become a sacrifice for Mammon's arrival."

Evan softened his tone and advised gently, "Hannah, it's no longer safe for your brother to stay at Yale."

"I suggest he return to Seattle, back to St. James's Cathedral. There's a complete defense system there, and high-ranking exorcists are stationed there; we can protect him."

Hannah's mind was in complete turmoil.

On one side is the church that once persecuted her brother, and on the other side is a cult that will stop at nothing to achieve Mammon.

The Wynn Palace was clearly extremely dangerous, as the bribed security personnel could kidnap her brother at any moment, but St. James's Cathedral was definitely not a safe haven either.

She had no idea which way to push her younger brother, and the normal life she had worked so hard to build was about to be destroyed.

Su Long, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

He glanced at Hannah, whose face was contorted with struggle, then turned to look at Bishop Evan opposite him, leaning forward with a sharp look in his eyes.

"Bishop Thorne, if he really did return to Seattle and assist you in completing the ritual to solidify the seal."

Then what?"

Sulong stared into Evan's eyes and asked, word by word.

"After you're done using him, what are your plans for disposing of this Mammon contractor, who was listed as Wynn's number one target?"

Evan was stumped by the question. His brows furrowed slightly as he looked into Su Long's questioning eyes, and the official explanation he had prepared got stuck in his throat.

He was used to communicating with believers and using faith and sacrifice to tell grand narratives, but the man in front of him clearly didn't buy into that.

Sulong's question was too pointed.

Hannah sat close to Suron, her hands clutching the hem of her nun's habit.

What Su Long asked was precisely her deepest fear.

She knew the church's ways all too well; once her brother lost his usefulness or was deemed a potential threat, he would certainly not have a good ending.

After a long silence, Evan picked up the paper cup from the coffee table, took a sip of warm water, and used this action to cover up his hesitation.

After setting down the paper cup, Evan looked directly at Suron and gave his answer: "Once we confirm that he can control the power belonging to Mammon, we will let him go and will not interfere with his freedom."

Evan's tone was more sincere, even carrying a sense of promise.

But Su Long burst out laughing upon hearing this, then leaned back and sank into the soft sofa in an extremely relaxed posture.

"Bishop, we're all adults here. Don't use those kinds of platitudes to fool children," Surong said, looking at Evan with a mocking tone.

"So, the question is, how do we confirm that he can control his own power? Who sets this standard?"

Surong lowered his gaze, staring intently at Evan: "You set the standards, right? And you're the ones who review them, right?"

Evan's expression changed. He opened his mouth to refute, but found that what he said was right.

Sulong didn't give him a chance to speak: "Playing both referee and player, how many centuries have you been playing this game?"

"As long as you still think he has any use, or that he's a ticking time bomb, you can find any excuse—a high risk of him going out of control—to lock him in the basement for life. You can even reactivate the execution order from back then at any time."

Surong looked coldly at Evan: "That won't do."

These five words carry an undeniable force.

Evan's face froze.

As the bishop of St. James's Cathedral, even Seattle politicians and tycoons would address him respectfully as "Your Excellency."

To be honest, he rarely encountered someone so stubborn and unreasonable, who even dared to openly expose the church's true colors.

Since appealing to emotions didn't work, he decided to apply pressure directly.

"Mr. Suron, if you can persuade Miss Hannah, the Church welcomes your terms." Evan's tone changed, taking on the assertiveness of someone in a superior position.

"Whether it's funding, rare materials, or high-level relics, we can discuss it. As long as the stability of the seal can be ensured, the Church is willing to pay the price."

He looked at Hannah, then turned his gaze to Suron, emphasizing, "Of course, we need to discuss everything."

"After all, given the current situation, I feel that you have no other choice but to accept the church's protection."

Evan pointed to the brown paper envelope containing the photos on the table: "Wynn isn't a street gang; they're a multinational behemoth."

"You two have no idea how terrifying the resources they can mobilize for Mammon. No one but the Church can protect you."

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"You think we have no choice?"

Upon hearing this, Surong's smile deepened. He turned to look at Hannah, who looked tense beside him, before turning back to Evan.

"Of course."

He cut off Evan's pressure directly and pointed at Hannah: "You should know that Hannah is now a B-rank exorcist with holy marks and relics. Her holy blood is very effective against cultists and monsters."

Then, Su Long pointed to himself with his thumb: "Unfortunately, I'm also a B-rank exorcist. And what I'm best at is solving trouble."

Then, his smile vanished, and his eyes turned dangerous: "If Hannah doesn't trust you at all, or if you can't meet the conditions I've set..."

"Hannah and I can go to Yale University ourselves and bring them out. Anyone who dares to lay a finger on us, I'll kill them. No matter how many people Wynn comes, I'll burn them all."

After hearing this, Evan was stunned for a moment, then his eyes showed obvious disdain, as if he were looking at a fool who had just gotten his driver's license and wanted to race in F1.

"Mr. Surong, a B-rank exorcist is indeed very powerful, and is capable of serving as a key player in a local parish."

Evan's voice deepened, and the silver necklace engraved with the archangel Michael on his chest suddenly began to emit a dazzling light.

An aura of power belonging to an A-level exorcist emanated from Evan and spread throughout the small office.

The air became extremely thick, the solid wood wainscoting on the walls creaked under the weight, and the water in the paper cups on the coffee table began to tremble violently.

"However, this incident cannot be resolved by someone with only B-level strength."

Evan looked down at Su Long: "Since the Wynn Club dared to attack Yale University, there must be an A-level combatant leading the team sent to the East Coast. Not to mention that this is also related to the S-level bizarre Mammon."

Evan stood up, and the white spiritual pressure became even more violent with his movement.

"Don't be arrogant," Evan warned sternly.

"Exorcism is cruel. I've seen too many exorcists who thought they were special. They always thought they could defy higher-level rules, but in the end, they all died."

"What makes you think that just the two of you B-level members could bring someone out under the Wynn Club's encirclement?"

Faced with Evan's A-level pressure and stern warning, Sulong didn't even blink.

He remained seated steadily on the sofa, letting the white light wash over his body.

After experiencing the time rule that drained lifespan of the false crow, Evan's pressure, which was purely built up by spirituality, caused no real harm to Surong except that it was a bit noisy.

"You've got one thing wrong, Bishop."

Su Long slowly stood up. His height of 1.88 meters and extremely muscular build gave him a physical dominance over Evan the moment he stood up straight.

Surong looked directly into Evan's warning eyes, his tone confident.

"The other exorcists are B-rank because that's all they are capable of, while I'm only B-rank because I haven't yet passed the A-rank assessment that's suitable for me."

He looked into Evan's slightly widened eyes and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "Sorry, Bishop, I just happen to be one of the most special ones."

Before he could finish speaking, Su Long gave Evan no time to react, raising his right hand and rubbing his thumb and middle finger together.

"Smack."

A sharp snap of fingers echoed in the cramped office.

Expand the scope!

boom!

With a snap of his fingers, the purple-gold boundary line of the domain swept outwards from Su Long's center.

The cramped office was completely swallowed up in that instant, and everything was brutally erased the moment the domain unfolded.

Instead, scorching hot anti-slip steel plates burst from the ground, the surrounding walls were torn apart, and towering steel walls rose from the ground.

Hundreds of massive crematorium doors burst open against the steel walls, and dark red flames erupted wildly from the depths of the furnace.

The Domain of Billions of Incinerators has arrived!

Hannah felt a blur before her eyes, and she was pulled into a purgatory made of steel and fire. She instinctively grabbed Sulong's arm.

Bishop Evan, standing opposite him, changed his expression from initial toughness to disbelief.

The aura of an A-level exorcist that he released vanished without a trace the moment it took shape in Su Long's domain.

Evan looked up and surveyed the raging landscape.

Behind each crematorium hatch on the towering steel walls, it seemed as if a vengeful spirit was imprisoned.

The surging purple-gold flames carried pure destruction; this was definitely not a domain that an exorcist who had just entered the B-rank could possess!

The flickering firelight was reflected in Evan's pupils, and he could clearly sense that this area contained an extremely terrifying spiritual essence.

This can only be accumulated after burning a massive amount of high-level strange entities.

This realm is a fortress built for slaughter, a millstone that crushes countless monsters and turns them into nourishment.

At that moment, Evan finally understood that Sulong's statement, "I just happen to be one of the most special ones," was a statement of fact.

He began to reassess the man in front of him.

Disdain and arrogance faded from his heart, replaced by an equal scrutiny, and even a hint of—fear.

No, I can't let him suppress my momentum.

Evan took a deep breath and grabbed the Michael statue pendant hanging around his neck.

"In the name of the Father, condemn heresy!"

He let out a low growl and tightened his grip with his five fingers.

"Om one"

The exquisite pendant, crafted from high-purity mithril, burst forth with an incomparably dazzling light between his fingers.

In an instant, a blinding pure white beam of light shot into the sky from between his shattered fingers, tearing apart the dome of flames and thick smoke above the domain of billions of crematorium furnaces.

Immediately afterwards, Evan's domain unfolded with a roar!

Su Long felt the steel plate beneath his feet tremble violently.

Ahead, the area beneath Evan's feet began to change drastically.

The area was forcibly transformed into a smooth, mirror-like white marble floor.

The surrounding steel walls, spitting flames, were also brutally pushed aside by a tyrannical rule.

Huge Roman columns, carved with intricate angel reliefs, rose from the ground, opening up a completely new space.

A pure white palace, exuding a sacred aura, was forcibly squeezed out in the center of Sulong's domain.

The dome of the main hall is so high that its top is invisible, and holy light shines down from above, illuminating the area as bright as day.

At the deepest part of the main hall, a statue of the Virgin Mary, tens of meters tall, stands quietly, her eyes lowered, conveying a sense of compassion.

On the pedestal beneath the statue, a figure slowly rose to its feet.

It was a giant knight who was over five meters tall and covered his entire body in thick, silver-white armor. His helmet was a closed, full-coverage type, leaving only a narrow T-shaped slit for his eyes, and two golden flames burned deep inside the slit.

Its left hand holds a huge kite shield engraved with a cross, while its right hand holds a two-handed greatsword wider than a door panel.

Two completely different forces from different domains began to clash violently.

On the left is the destructive steel inferno of Surona, and on the right is the holy, pure white temple of Evan.

The purplish-gold flames and pure white holy light collided fiercely at the boundary of the two realms, emitting a hissing sound.

The sound of annihilation.

Evan stood in his own territory, his face somewhat pale.

The clash between the two domains is extremely taxing on mental energy, but he must use his own strength to regain control of the negotiations.

"Mr. Suron," Evan's voice became incredibly loud with the temple's blessing, "I must admit that you are a genius for opening your domain at this stage, but that is still not a reason for you to be arrogant."

The Judgment Knight behind him moved.

The giant knight took a step forward, his heavy metal boots thumping loudly on the polished marble floor.

He raised the two-handed greatsword high in his hand, and a blazing white holy flame instantly ignited on the blade, and a powerful pressure immediately swept towards Su Long.

Hannah's face turned deathly pale. Under this oppressive force, she felt as if a mountain was crushing down on her.

Surong reached out his left hand, put his arm around Hannah's waist, and held her firmly behind him.

He raised his head, looked directly into Evan's eyes, and the curve of his lips became even more pronounced.

"Bishop, it seems you still don't understand the situation."

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Long activated the domain skill he had just acquired.

[Sectoral upheaval]!

Buzz—

A visible white shockwave emanated from Su Long and spread outwards in a circular pattern.

This shockwave was a pure shockwave at the level of rules. The moment it appeared, the entire domain of billions of crematorium furnaces trembled violently.

Wherever the shockwave swept, the anti-slip steel plate beneath Sulong's feet and the surrounding steel walls began to riot.

The next second, the boundary of the domain of billions of crematorium furnaces surged forward toward the pure white temple in front of them!

"What?!"

Evan's expression changed drastically. He could clearly see that Surong's domain was eroding his own domain in an extremely ruthless manner.

The white marble floor beneath my feet cracked inch by inch, and scalding hot anti-slip steel plates were forcibly squeezed out of the cracks to take its place.

The towering Roman columns swayed violently under the impact of the shockwave, large cracks appeared on their surfaces, and they finally collapsed with a roar, instantly swallowed by the purple-gold sea of ​​fire.

The massive Judgment Knight behind him, before he could even swing his greatsword, was forced back by the violent force of the domain's propulsion.

In just a few seconds, nearly half of Evan's magnificent and solemn pure white temple was encroached upon by Surong's domain.

The purple-gold sea of ​​fire almost reached Evan's feet.

The bishop's composure vanished, replaced by undisguised horror.

He simply couldn't understand why the other party's domain could so easily crush his own.

This completely violates the principles of territorial warfare between exorcists!

However, Surong didn't give him any time to think.

The moment the boundary of the Domain of Billions of Incinerators advanced to Evan's side.

Su Long's figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

Evan felt a blur before his eyes, and a scorching heat mixed with the strong smell of gunpowder rushed towards him.

When he saw clearly again, Sulong was already standing in front of him.

The cold, metallic touch pressed heavily against his forehead.

It's the muzzle of a gun.

Evan's body froze completely. Goosebumps rose on his forehead from the chill emanating from the metal muzzle of the gun. Then, he looked up and saw the menacing silver revolver.

And, Su Long's calm eyes, illuminated by the firelight.

"bishop."

Sulong's voice was soft, yet it reached Evan's ears clearly.

"Now, tell me, are we truly—without any other choice?"

"You can open your eyes and take a good look at how many empty crematoriums are in my territory. If anyone has any ulterior motives towards Hannah and her brother, I won't mind inviting them in to warm themselves by the fire."

"Including the Wynn Club, and also your church."

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