Chapter 54: Vain Holy Water

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Vain Holy Water

Chapter 54: Vain Holy Water

Seth Brundle looked so relieved that he nearly grabbed Axel Vance with both hands. "Forget three conditions. At this point, you could give me three hundred and I’d probably agree." His excitement was genuine enough that Lionel Cosgrove, still sitting beside his mountain of food, finally looked up from the table.

Lionel swallowed what was in his mouth and asked nervously, "So we’re really going to an abandoned nuclear-testing site? What about radiation?" Seth immediately waved away his concern and assured him that the tests in question had taken place decades earlier and that the areas they were authorized to enter had already been surveyed for acceptable exposure levels.

With the most immediate problems surrounding Lionel provisionally settled, Axel was in a noticeably better mood. He looked at the unfinished ham, sausage, bread, and cheese covering the table before patting Lionel on the shoulder. "Looks like your buffet continues tonight. We leave tomorrow morning, so you’d better finish enough of that to get your strength back."

Lionel stared at the ham with despair as Axel headed for the door. Seth followed close behind and immediately began asking, "Do we need anything else? Holy Water, crosses, ammunition, heavier weapons?" The list came out so quickly that Axel stopped outside the grocery store and looked back at him.

"Since this is an official federal assignment, I’m not paying out of pocket." Axel gave him a meaningful smile and added that after destroying one new truck already, he had developed a healthy respect for reimbursement. Seth’s expression brightened the instant government expenses entered the conversation.

"Don’t worry, I’ve spent years dealing with research budgets and expense reports." Seth lowered his voice conspiratorially and joked that with the right description, he could probably make a bottle of spring water sound like specialized Vatican-blessed field equipment. Axel nodded approvingly, deciding that a scientist capable of keeping his own funding alive clearly possessed useful survival skills.

"Tomorrow morning, we meet here." Axel climbed into his used pickup and added, "I’m going back to prepare." Seth waved after him while Lionel remained inside facing what might have been the largest dinner of his life.

The moment Axel returned to Crystal Lake, strengthening himself became the priority. Tomorrow’s destination already sounded dangerous enough without adding uncertainty about what waited inside an abandoned government site. He opened the system panel and checked the specializations that had not yet reached their limits.

[Holy Water Lv.2 — 1200/2000]

[Holy Reading Lv.2 — 500/1000]

[Spirit Binding Lv.1 — 50/1000]

Over the past several days, Axel had gained a better understanding of how each specialization improved. Spirit Binding required spiritually meaningful materials, crafted artifacts, or actual use of binding techniques, but he currently lacked enough suitable materials to grind it freely. He certainly was not going to empty Paquita’s grandmother’s cabinets just to chase experience points.

Holy Reading was even less convenient. Its growth depended mainly on purifying supernatural corruption, trapped spirits, or similar entities, and Crystal Lake had finally become peaceful after Freddy and Jason were dealt with. Axel had no intention of wandering through town asking whether anyone happened to know a ghost willing to volunteer.

That left Holy Water.

Simple.

Reliable.

And extremely easy to mass-produce.

Axel walked over to the used pickup and looked at the large tank he had recently installed in the truck bed. The fire engine had shown him the value of carrying Holy Water in bulk, so his smaller mobile system was already becoming part of his standard equipment. He placed both palms against the tank and slowly closed his eyes.

Paquita’s grandmother’s lessons had changed how he understood his own abilities. Previously, scripture had served as both focus and method whenever he created Holy Water, but now he could consciously feel the movement of Psionic Power inside his mind. Axel gathered that current and guided it directly toward the tank.

A faint vibration passed through the metal.

[Holy Water EXP +3]

[Holy Water EXP +3]

[Holy Water EXP +3]

The notifications continued appearing as the clear water inside gradually changed. Axel maintained a steady flow instead of exhausting himself all at once, converting the tank section by section while the sun slowly dropped toward the horizon.

By the time evening arrived, the entire tank had been consecrated. Compared with the Holy Water he produced when the specialization was still at Level 1, this batch carried a noticeably denser spiritual presence. A faint golden glow even seemed to linger beneath the lid.

Axel opened the system again.

[Holy Water Lv.2 — 1900/2000]

"Almost there."

His satisfaction lasted only until the throbbing behind his eyes reminded him how much Psionic Power he had just spent. Axel’s reserves were close to empty, and forcing another large conversion would only leave him with a splitting headache. He decided the last hundred points could wait until after dinner.

Axel returned to the camp and ate with Ethel and the children. During the meal, he casually mentioned that he would be leaving the next morning for another assignment. The table immediately became quieter than usual.

Ethel gave him a reluctant smile. "Considering how many strange things appeared after you got here, I should probably be relieved you’re leaving. Somehow, though, these were still some of the most memorable days we’ve had around here."

One of the children immediately added, "The town got way more interesting! I made thirty-two dollars selling lemonade." Another boy proudly announced that a mean neighborhood dog that used to chase him every day had recently disappeared after apparently picking a fight with something much worse.

Axel stared at them.

He genuinely could not decide whether Crystal Lake had improved since his arrival.

After dinner, Axel retrieved several cases of bottled water from the pickup. Besides finishing the last stretch of experience, he planned to leave some prepared Holy Water behind for Ethel and the children. After everything they had experienced, a small emergency supply seemed more useful than an ordinary farewell gift.

He began converting bottle after bottle.

The experience bar finally reached its limit.

[Holy Water Lv.3 — 0/3000]

[Specialization Bonus: Psionic Power +0.3]

[Specialization Level Reached Lv.3.]

[New Ability Acquired: Vain Holy Water]

Axel paused.

Another notification appeared.

[Vain Holy Water: Through extensive creation of Holy Water, you have comprehended the value of ceremony and presentation. During consecration, more elaborate ritual performance and more impressive containers can increase the resulting Holy Water’s power.]

[Psionic Power: 1.9 → 2.0]

Axel stared at the description for several seconds.

"Vain Holy Water?"

The more theatrical the ceremony and the fancier the container, the stronger the result became. Axel read the explanation again just to make sure the system was not making fun of him.

Then a certain person immediately appeared in his mind.

Father Kenneth.

The white suit.

The gold-trimmed robes.

The dramatic prayers.

The revival crowd hanging on every word.

Axel slowly understood why Kenneth had been able to produce technically genuine Holy Water despite possessing unimpressive spiritual strength. The man might have treated every blessing like a stage performance, but his elaborate presentation and the sincere faith of the people watching him apparently compensated for more than Axel had realized.

"So all that ridiculous showmanship actually worked."

Axel looked down at the plain plastic bottle in his hand.

Then at his ordinary clothes.

The corners of his mouth twitched.

Apparently his supernatural development now required better presentation.

Axel began searching around the camp until he discovered an ornate glass wine bottle that Ethel had tucked away. The carved bottle had enough decoration to look expensive, so he peeled off the label, rinsed it, and filled it with clean water. Then he placed it carefully on a table.

This time Axel did not casually hold the container and channel power.

He lowered himself onto one knee.

Clasped his hands.

Closed his eyes.

And deliberately adopted the most solemn prayer posture he could manage without laughing at himself.

Psionic Power flowed outward.

The bottle suddenly erupted with bright spiritual light.

Axel’s eyes opened in surprise as the glow became intense enough to illuminate the nearby table before rapidly fading. He picked up the bottle afterward and immediately sensed that the Holy Water inside was considerably stronger than the ordinary plastic-bottle batches.

"Well, that’s ridiculous."

But it worked.

Axel spent much of the night experimenting.

He changed posture, tone, the appearance of the container, and how formally he approached the consecration. Even humming simple hymn-like melodies without words produced a noticeable improvement when combined with a more ceremonial presentation.

By the time he finished, several bottles sat across the table with visibly different levels of spiritual intensity. Plain plastic containers held ordinary Holy Water, while the more ornate bottles created through exaggerated ritual carried a much stronger presence. Axel looked over the results with tired satisfaction.

Mass-produced Holy Water was still perfect for crowds and area defense.

But these stronger ceremonial batches were different.

For a single powerful supernatural target, they might become exactly the weapon he needed.

:::

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