New Gods of North America

According to Wayne's understanding, the so-called "soul replacement" should be similar to the "whole machine data migration" of some electronic devices.

It's not just the original operating system that needs to be transferred, but also the system settings, running parameters, and the installed software and various historical data.

Otherwise, with differences in "personality," "memory," or "values," the resulting replacement would no longer be the same person.

And if it were a simple "overwrite," it would be easier to confirm the change in the core, but what if it becomes a "dual system" where the original memories and personality in the body are still accessible?

Wayne knew that this kind of forbidden technique was likely immature, and it was hard to say what might happen during the practical application, and even the "success rate" might be slim.

It was possible that Pastor Parish had simply been silenced or committed suicide out of guilt.

But once suspicion arose, Wayne felt uneasy until he tried to verify it.

A restless mind would eventually breed inner demons.

At this moment, Miss Olivia, sitting across from Wayne, felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. "Mr. Wayne, is there a problem?"

Wayne presented his prepared excuse:

"The church is currently investigating a case that may involve extraordinary individuals who can influence the mental state of others, perhaps similar to the previous 'lucky coin' incident.

"We need to screen specific individuals in the academy and want to enlist Miss Olivia's extraordinary abilities. But before we do that, we need to make sure you're willing to cooperate and that there are no problems with you."

Half of these words were true. One of the reasons Wayne thought of Miss Olivia first was that she was the only extraordinary individual he knew who could probe someone's inner world indirectly.

If she was willing to help and had no issues herself, things might be much simpler.

Miss Olivia was very enthusiastic in this regard. To be precise, she didn't mind using "her power" to help friends as long as it didn't involve her family.

After she agreed, Wayne and several exorcists quietly left the room, while Inessa first searched her body to check her pendants or accessories.

When Miss Olivia was at the academy, her dress was already considered "simple, conservative, and plain," but she still wore jewelry-studded hair clips, brooches, and necklace pendants.

The exorcists then tested those items, partly to keep them away from her for safety, and then Wayne and Inessa began to question her about various past events.

The problem remained the same: Wayne could confirm that Miss Olivia still had her original memories, but he couldn't rule out the possibility of a "dual system."

For the time being, they could only judge whether she was likely to be fine based on Miss Olivia's recent whereabouts and the test results.

Then Wayne and the others took Miss Olivia with them and began to screen the other students.

Like running an experiment, endless suspicion could lead to nothing. It was better to set conditions and "run" with them first.

If it worked, it would mean that the set preconditions were correct. If it didn't "run," then they would re-examine the problem.

According to the testimony of the academy's security personnel, Pastor Parish's carriage had entered and exited the academy on the night of the incident.

However, because the security personnel recognized his carriage, they didn't pay any further attention and didn't know where the carriage went after entering the academy.

Afterward, the target students were "escorted" over by the exorcists one by one, nominally for a simple but necessary conversation, but actually for a preliminary body search and examination, plus Wayne and Seth confirming memory details.

During this time, Miss Olivia would also walk into the room from behind the other person and use her extraordinary abilities to "touch" them, trying to confirm the situation.

......

In Georgeburg City, in an apartment near the old police station.

The door lock was shot off with a "ding," and a black-haired man with a 3-7 parted mushroom haircut appeared behind the door.

"Mr. Weisman, Pastor Parish sent me to find you."

Mr. Weisman had been staying at a place arranged by the church these past few days, and he even tried to stay fully dressed while sleeping. He didn't panic when he noticed the movement and saw the stranger.

Instead, he asked in surprise, "Did he succeed?"

"He succeeded, but he didn't succeed either."

The middle-aged man with the parted mushroom haircut walked into the room without even closing the door behind him. "He told me to tell you that the originally planned target couldn't be used, so he had to choose a backup target in an emergency. He can only be 'awake' for a small portion of each day now, and the 'awake' time is rapidly shortening, and the intervals are getting longer and longer. He needs you to provide a solution."

Mr. Weisman frowned.

"I told him that it was a dangerous forbidden technique. He must 'believe' sincerely, and He will grant enough power. I have no way to solve any problems that arise afterward. He knows the risks."

The mushroom-headed man's face split into a wide smile. "Oh? Is that so?"

"Yes." Mr. Weisman then asked, "Who has he become now?"

His answer was a rapidly flying "light bullet." Initially, the light bullet was close to the size of a blueberry, shot from the mushroom-headed man's fingertip.

Afterward, the light bullet continued to "ablate" during flight. By the time it pierced Mr. Weisman's head, it had shrunk to the size of a mung bean, and finally hit the ground and dissipated on its own.

The "light bullet" flew very fast. If someone were looking into the room from outside at this time, they would probably only see a flash of light in the room.

Then Mr. Weisman's body slumped onto the sofa, and thick, almost black blood flowed from the hole.

The mushroom-headed man turned and left the room, exiting the apartment through the back door.

In the alley behind the apartment, three exorcists were sitting on the ground against the wall, already showing no signs of life.

Inside the room,

After confirming that the other party had left, Mr. Weisman opened his eyes again.

A faint fluorescent light lit up on his body. The thick, almost black blood on the sofa quickly evaporated, turning into black smoke, filling the hole in his head.

The wound gradually healed. He threw the ashtray on the small table to the ground, then continued to lie on the sofa, posing as if he had been attacked and fainted.

The soul-swapping ritual had long been proven infeasible. The soul is a gift from the gods, and the majesty of the gods cannot be violated. He didn't expect that Parish had really collected so many extraordinary materials from different fields for sacrifice.

But that's fine, too. Once Parish's heretical identity is confirmed, those things he revealed earlier can come in handy.