Inside the spacious domed room, an octagonal fountain gushed continuously.
In the center of this fountain stood a snow-white statue—specifically, a statue of an Angel.
The sculpture was exquisitely carved, with wings layered over its body, eyes obscured by a ribbon, and hands folded over its chest.
Though it was an inanimate object, the moment Lu Yuan stepped into the hall, he felt as if those veiled eyes had opened.
Hum!
His mind went blank instantly.
In the next moment, an indescribable sense of "divinity" flooded into Lu Yuan's mind.
【Warning! Subjected to high-level mental erosion!】
【Sanity check in progress...】
Suddenly, an invisible pressure descended upon the area where Lu Yuan stood. His knees buckled, and he nearly knelt down uncontrollably.
The nearby nun, seeing this, pressed her palms together, lowered her head slightly, and parted her lips.
Standing there in the shadows, she watched Lu Yuan's reaction out of the corner of her eye.
This was the church's screening test.
If this Doctor Lu lost control, mutated, or showed any non-human characteristics here...
He would be dealt with on the spot the very next second.
"Move... move for me!"
Lu Yuan roared in his heart, his teeth biting into his lip until blood flowed.
Just as Lu Yuan's will was on the verge of collapsing...
The greyish-white text in his vision suddenly exploded, turning into a cool sensation that instantly dispersed the pressure covering his body.
【You have been gazed upon by the Unnamable... you have gained its attention; the Angel's gaze has averted.】
【You have noticed the secrets of the sky, Forbidden Lore - Gazer: +2, 6.2/10】
【You have stared directly at the unnamable "divinity," Sanity: +5.】
The majestic and holy pressure vanished abruptly.
Lu Yuan's body felt light again, and he finally halted his descent toward the floor.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Lu Yuan looked at the nun's behavior, and the truth became clear to him.
The church definitely knew something, or they wouldn't have done this.
In the shadows, the nun watched Lu Yuan, who seemed perfectly fine now, and the expectation in her eyes turned into bewilderment.
"You... are alright?" she asked subconsciously.
"Is something supposed to be wrong?" Lu Yuan countered, his gaze flat as he looked directly at her.
The nun gave him a long, searching look before that scrutinizing gaze finally faded. "No, Doctor Lu. You have actually rejected the favor of the Angel."
"What a firm will you have. Join us, and you would have the potential to become at least a priest—no, there's even hope of you becoming a bishop!"
Lu Yuan looked at the nun's fervent eyes.
"I still prefer being a doctor."
"Are you sure you won't reconsider, Doctor Lu?" The nun's tone rose slightly.
"Not for the time being."
The nun looked into Lu Yuan's eyes, which had already regained their calm, and eventually shook her head.
Dropping the subject of the church, she pointed toward the pool. "You are qualified to take the water, Doctor Lu. The Angel has accepted you."
Lu Yuan turned around, his shirt already soaked with cold sweat.
'That was close.'
'If it weren't for the system, the Strange Dreams on me would have been exposed. Not only that, I might have even become a most devout believer of the Angel.'
'But who is that "it"? And the Angel's gaze was averted?'
Lu Yuan suppressed the unease in his heart and stole one last glance at the statue.
Only after confirming that his Sanity had not changed did he shift his gaze elsewhere in the cathedral.
The church was clearly no good either; they knew the statue had a "bewitching" effect, yet they placed it prominently in the hall.
If one didn't come prepared, the church would gain yet another "capable" believer.
After all, only those who entered through the side door would be brought to this hall.
The nun, seeing the silent Lu Yuan, certainly knew what he was thinking and said without any reservation:
"Doctor Lu, do you know what the most basic requirement is to be a doctor in Gelimu Port?"
The nun didn't mind that Lu Yuan remained silent as she continued:
"It is passing the church's assessment."
"After all, the church must ensure that one possesses the qualifications to practice medicine. Otherwise, if something goes wrong with the subjects of Gelimu Port, it won't be the church stepping in then."
Hearing this, Lu Yuan understood everything.
As a doctor taking over a clinic, the church didn't care if he was capable or truly had skills.
The church only knew that a new bug had appeared on their turf, competing for their food.
As for the assessment, whether he passed or failed, the church would suffer no loss.
Thinking this, Lu Yuan sighed deeply in his heart. Since he could only remain silent for now, he made a mental note of this matter.
"So, does this mean I've passed the church's assessment?" Lu Yuan looked directly at the nun and asked calmly.
"You could say that, Doctor Lu. Now then, didn't you need holy water?" The white-robed nun still wore a smile, looking somewhat holy and solemn standing under the sunlight filtering through the stained glass above the hall.
"And so?"
The nun handed Lu Yuan two glass bottles the size of a fist from an adjacent room.
"Remember to remain pious... otherwise..."
The nun intentionally left the sentence half-finished.
Lu Yuan took the bottles; they were surprisingly heavy. The black glass was engraved with patterns of layered wings, and the material was unrecognizable.
Opening a bottle, Lu Yuan fixed his gaze on the surface of the fountain.
The spring water rippled, clear and bright, looking no different from ordinary water.
Even the process of Lu Yuan drawing the water was uneventful.
In contrast, the nun seemed to breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing Lu Yuan fill both bottles with holy water.
"Very well, Doctor Lu. The church will arrange for someone to deliver the remaining herbs to the clinic. If you have nothing else to do, you may look around the church; the Angel will watch over you."
The nun maintained her smile, then walked away while holding her scripture.
She didn't seem at all concerned that Lu Yuan might do something to the sacred spring.
Watching the nun depart, Lu Yuan didn't plan on staying any longer. He cast one final glance at the Angel statue standing in the spring and turned to leave.
'In the future, unless it's a special circumstance, I should minimize my visits to the church.'
With that thought, Lu Yuan stepped out of the church's side door.
At this moment, the number of people queuing outside the church had increased. Several clergymen in black robes with purple capes were on the scene maintaining order.
They wore smiles and held scriptures, teaching doctrines to the patients in line while keeping order.
Looking at the patients who occasionally showed humble expressions, Lu Yuan knew that more people had become believers of the Angel.
Ignoring them, Lu Yuan returned the way he came. At that moment, an experience bar quietly appeared.
【Gelimu Port Status: +5, 20/50】
Just this level of exploration provided that much experience from the church?
Lu Yuan lowered his eyes and walked forward silently.
It wasn't until he boarded a returning rickshaw that a purple-robed figure standing behind a floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor withdrew his gaze.
"Bishop."
Avril, the nun from before, stood respectfully behind him.
"That Lu Yuan... passed the test. Under the gaze of the Angel, he showed no signs of mutation. In fact... his mental fluctuations were more stable than an ordinary person's."
The purple-robed bishop turned around, revealing an old and weary face. "Since he passed, then temporarily remove him from the purge list."
He rubbed his brow, his voice raspy. "The pressure on the Nightwatchers' side is immense. Recently, the things in the deep sea have been getting more restless. Since he's fine, there's no need to concern ourselves with him for now."
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