Chapter 39: Amy’s Illness—Colin Takes the Stage

The air froze.

Everyone held their breath.

They waited for that familiar and sacred golden light to descend.

They waited for the miracle to once again smooth away suffering.

One second… two seconds…

Ten seconds passed…

Yet still, no pillar of light appeared. No warmth spread through the air.

Silence.

The crowd exchanged uneasy glances.

An indescribable confusion began to surface in everyone’s heart.

“What’s going on?”

A young craftsman lowered his voice, trembling with fear. “Could it be that the Angel refused to respond?”

“Impossible!” Old Tom immediately refuted.

“The Angel’s mercy is boundless; He blesses every kindhearted soul!”

“Then why…” A woman timidly glanced at Daniels, who was still kneeling on the ground.

“The Holy Light didn’t descend—could it be because of this outsider? He… he’s unworthy?”

“Hush!” Liz instantly barked, her tone sharp.

Her sword-like brows tightened as her sharp gaze swept over the crowd. “Don’t speak nonsense!”

“The will of the Angel is not for us to presume!”

Even so—

When Liz looked toward Daniels, there was a trace of scrutiny in her eyes as well.

As residents of Holy Light Town,

They had long been baptized time and again by miracles.

They had become the Angel’s most devout—and unquestioning—believers.

In other words… fanatics.

In their hearts, the Angel’s silence must hold meaning.

Suspicious gazes pierced deeply into Daniels’ back.

He could feel those once gentle eyes,

Now tinged with rejection.

Not much—

But enough to chill the heart.

Daniels slowly lifted his head.

In his clouded eyes remained only deep despair.

“No… no…”

He muttered brokenly, his voice shattering into fragments.

“Is it… is it because of my sins?”

“Because I killed too many in my youth, so now my little Amy must suffer?”

The immense pain from within nearly tore him apart.

He was lost—overwhelmed with regret.

Though he believed that those who had fallen to his blade were never innocent—

Still!

Why had it turned out this way!?

Merciful Lord, why would You deny him redemption!?

“She’s innocent!!!”

Daniels burst into tears.

He cried out in anguish, his voice hoarse with hysteria.

“She’s only seven years old!”

“She’s never even stepped on an ant!”

“Merciful Lord… no, Angel! Please open Your eyes! Look upon this innocent child!”

“I’m willing to give up everything!”

“My life! My soul! My all!”

“Please, save her! I beg You!!”

Daniels collapsed, bowing his head heavily to the ground again and again.

Once. Twice. Thrice…

His forehead struck the stone floor, blood staining his hair.

The raw sincerity and despair in his wails

Finally loosened the tense atmosphere around them.

Kindhearted Marianne could no longer bear to watch.

She turned away, quietly wiping her tears.

The other townsfolk, seeing this, softened as well.

Their rejection faded, replaced by sympathy.

No matter what kind of man he had once been—

Right now, Daniels was simply a father who loved his child deeply.

A father’s love knew no bounds…

Just then—

Colin came rushing out of the church,

A hint of apology still on his face.

“Mr. Daniels, please, get up quickly.”

Colin strode forward, grasping Daniels’ trembling shoulders.

And then he began to explain to everyone.

“Everyone, please don’t misunderstand.”

“The Angel has no intention of punishing Mr. Daniels or his family.”

He looked around at the gathered crowd.

The eyes behind his glasses were clear and resolute.

“The Angel has never forgotten any soul who suffers yet holds kindness in their heart.”

“His mercy is like sunlight—shining upon all things, making no distinction between rich and poor.”

“It will never allow the dust of the past to obscure the light of redemption.”

“So long as one truly repents and turns toward love and light, the Angel’s embrace will forever remain open!”

Colin paused.

Then looked at little Amy in Daniels’ arms, and slowly said, “In fact, the Angel has already delivered an oracle unto me.”

“Little Amy’s illness will be treated by me!”

“Ah, so that’s it!”

“I knew it!”

“The Angel would never abandon a single living being!”

The crowd came to a sudden realization.

The doubt and suspicion from moments ago were replaced by a sense of ‘just as expected.’

Their faces once again shone with unconditional faith in the Angel.

“Hey! Brother, get up, get up!”

Ulf grinned and gave Daniels a hearty slap on the back.

“Look how worked up you are!”

“With Priest Colin here, what’s a little illness? He’ll fix it in no time!”

“Yeah!” David chimed in, his simple, honest voice joining in.

“Mr. Colin is a priest personally appointed by the Angel—he’s incredibly capable!”

“Your little girl will definitely be fine!”

“Of course! For such a minor illness, with Priest Colin taking action, it’ll be cured in no time!” Old Tom added, stroking his beard, pretending to be a man of great experience—

Though, in truth, he had only joined the town a few days ago…

Before long, Daniels found himself surrounded by a flurry of comforting words, leaving him utterly dazed.

He stared blankly at those faces that had once again regained their smiles.

The despair he had felt moments ago seemed like a distant dream.

“Priest Colin, did you mean you can truly heal my Amy?”

He had sought out every renowned doctor, spent all his savings—

Only to receive one hopeless shake of the head after another.

And yet now, this strange, deep-rooted illness was being called “a little sickness”?

Were they serious?

Colin didn’t answer directly.

The confidence on his face said it all.

The Angel said he could do it—so he could!

He believed it with absolute certainty.

He motioned for Daniels to lay Amy down upon the thick blanket temporarily spread out before the church doors.

Colin then knelt on one knee beside the little girl, his expression solemn.

He didn’t lower his head to examine her body like an ordinary doctor.

Instead, he extended both hands, hovering them over Amy’s frail chest.

A faint, pure white light quietly shone from his palms—

Gently enveloping Amy’s entire body.

Colin closed his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly.

His vision pierced through the girl’s thin flesh and bones.

Guided by the Holy Light, he clearly saw the condition within her.

Her life force was as weak as a candle flickering in the wind, her blood flowed sluggishly,

Even her organs were shrouded in a grayish, decaying shadow.

And the source of all this decline…

Colin’s gaze suddenly locked onto Amy’s heart!

There—

An alien object was nestled, almost fused with her heart tissue!

It pulsed rhythmically, just like the most ravenous parasite!

Each faint throb forcibly drew a trace of life energy from her heart—

To sustain its own existence, and to grow—slowly, but surely!

“So that’s the cause.”

Colin opened his eyes, a flicker of understanding and gravity in his gaze.

He looked up toward the anxious Daniels and Reed.

“Captain Reed,” he said.

“Before coming to town, did you give Amy Holy Water to drink?”

Reed quickly nodded. “That’s right, Priest Colin!”

“When Amy drank the Holy Water, her complexion did turn rosy, and her breathing steadied—we all thought she was saved!”

“But… but before long, she relapsed—and became even worse!”

His voice was filled with confusion.

Colin nodded slightly and began to explain.

“Mr. Daniels, your daughter isn’t suffering from an ordinary illness.”

“There’s a strange parasite living inside her heart!”

At his words, the crowd’s expressions changed dramatically.

“Huh?”

“A parasite in the heart?!”

“That’s terrifying!”

“What kind of creature could be that horrible?!”

Gasps and shudders rippled through the crowd—

It was enough to make one’s skin crawl.

Daniels went pale as paper, nearly losing his balance.

Something inside Amy’s heart…?!

Heavens!

Colin raised a hand to calm everyone and continued explaining. “Although I’m not sure of the creature’s exact origin, this strange method resembles the special abilities of undead beings.”

His tone grew grave. “This parasite feeds on its host’s life force—and it’s extremely cunning!”

“It deliberately controls its rate of consumption—draining the host slowly to prolong life while extracting the maximum vitality for its own growth.”

“The Holy Water indeed restrains and purifies it to some degree, which is why Amy improved briefly after drinking it.”

Colin’s expression turned severe. “But that also provoked it!”

“It felt threatened! To resist purification, it instinctively accelerated its devouring of the host’s life!”

“And that is the true reason Amy’s condition worsened so drastically after taking Holy Water!”

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