Chapter 351: One Day (6K Bonus Chapter 124-125)

When did the God of Lust ever die once before?

After hearing this explosive news out of nowhere, Herbert was filled with nothing but questions.

No.

No, according to the Archbishop's words, He didn't revive after falling.

Instead, the previous one fell, and was replaced by the next one?

The current God of Lust replaced everything of the previous deity upon their fall, assumed the divine office and authority, and made it impossible for the outside world to notice.

Can I really be allowed to know such a huge secret?

Such a secret should, by rights, reach the level of a god and cannot be perceived by the outside world.

Not even a Legend would have the qualifications to know it, let alone an Epic!

"Back then, it was quite dangerous… Huh? Why do you look like that?"

After speaking, the Archbishop noticed Herbert's expression, paused, then suddenly realized: "Oh! You didn't know about this?"

Seeing the old man's expression, Herbert couldn't help but want to retort.

It wasn't realization.

He sighed helplessly: "Your Grace, are you certain this secret is something I should know right now?"

Old man, aren't you trying to get me killed?

In the Can Be Perceived by the Outside world, knowledge is power.

Some secrets, merely knowing them, are enough to cause impact!

What is spoken must be observed.

Once Herbert learns the secret of the God of Lust, He will inevitably turn reverse attention toward him.

Especially since Herbert previously had a grudge with the God of Lust—this makes it almost certain He'll focus on him.

The only thing he's grateful for right now is that he's inside the Underground Sanctuary, cut off from the outside world, where no one can probe.

Especially around the Archbishop, he isn't worried about retaliation from the God of Lust… but once he leaves, all bets are off.

Herbert stared at the Archbishop with a look of bitter resentment, no longer bothering to feign obedience.

"... Tsk."

You old man, you can brag all you want—I won't stop you, I even play the devoted audience.

Why are you repaying kindness with betrayal, suddenly dropping this explosive secret to ruin me?

You're trying to kill me!!?

"Heh."

The Archbishop just smiled as he watched the kid's resentful face, then after a while gently shook his head and chuckled: "Hmm, after thinking carefully, it seems this isn't common knowledge after all."

"Back then, someone did say it should be kept secret… well, whatever, it's not an unsolvable problem."

"It's just the God of Lust. I didn't care about the previous one—why would I fear His successor?"

He waved his hand casually, dismissively: "As long as you don't tell anyone else, there's no problem."

Herbert, half-skeptical, asked: "Really no problem?"

"Relax."

The Archbishop nodded lightly, calmly: "Even if something does happen, He won't dare do anything."

"He doesn't have the guts."

"This current God of Lust knows exactly how His predecessor fell—he knows that if he pushes too far, he'll invite his own downfall, so he won't act rashly."

"At most, he'll pull some petty, underhanded tricks."

At the end, the Archbishop snorted in disdain, showing not the slightest regard for the God of Lust.

"..."

Although the Archbishop was so certain, Herbert recalled the God of Lust's earlier attempt to blood-sacrifice an entire city, and still felt hesitant.

Clearly, there was a tragic, thick barrier between his own thoughts and the Archbishop's.

What the old man saw as no big deal, mere petty tricks, was for Herbert a near-fatal crisis.

Different strength, different realm, different perspective.

With sufficient confidence, one can face any matter with the same calmness as the Archbishop.

But thinking more carefully, the God of Lust's blood-sacrifice of Maragas might not have been as serious as Herbert initially imagined.

First, the God of Lust didn't openly announce His actions—he chose to carry them out in silence.

Second, He chose a subterranean city with a small population, one largely governed by an evil slave system.

Even if the matter were exposed later, the gods of justice would condemn His cruelty and launch a crackdown on the Church of Lust, but likely only as a formality—they wouldn't truly avenge these evil dead.

For the forces of good, these evil creatures dying is just death wasted.

Dying like this might even count as ridding the world of filth.

They deserved it!

They've always followed the policy of "let dogs fight dogs, don't meddle"—watching from afar.

So the God of Lust's actions were truly clever, a "petty, underhanded trick."

Had he not accidentally run into Herbert, the meddling stick, he might have truly enjoyed this blood-sacrifice without paying a heavy price afterward.

"So… this grudge is really big." Herbert shook his head and couldn't help laughing.

He could already imagine the God of Lust's fury after his plan was ruined.

I've been so careful! So humble! Just wanted to enjoy one blood-sacrifice! Why does someone still interfere?

No doubt, the God of Lust really wanted to curse.

The more furious the enemy, the more Herbert wanted to laugh.

Joy.

Anyway, the enmity is already sealed; I'm not afraid of making it even bigger.

"By the way, why did you suddenly mention Him just now?" the Grand Archbishop asked, snapping back to awareness.

"Because when I was in the Shadowed Lands, I happened to witness the God of Lustful Sin conducting a blood sacrifice."

Herbert said casually, his expression relaxed: "He corrupted the city's governor and used all the residents as Sacrifices to perform a massive blood ritual, allowing His avatar to manifest successfully."

Hum—

The instant Herbert finished speaking, the entire sanctuary's atmosphere changed instantly!

The old man who had been smiling moments ago now grew solemn, his brows tightly furrowed as he stared at the calm-faced boy before him.

"Why didn't you say anything when this happened?"

"Don't you understand how grave it is to let a Miss Xie Shen avatar manifest? Don't you realize how much chaos this would cause?"

"You just let such chaos run rampant?"

The old man, rarely showing anger, spoke in a low, heavy tone: "Have I given you too much freedom? Have you forgotten what matters most?"

"Do you… truly still believe you are a Holy Vessel?"

In that moment, Herbert very much wanted to crack a joke and say, "I think I am!"

But at that second, he couldn't open his mouth.

The immense pressure swirling around him nearly crushed him to dust!

In the blink of an eye, the old man before him transformed from a kind, approachable elder into an unfathomable, terrifying abyss.

Herbert once again clearly realized… the old man before him was no gentle neighbor.

He was a true, mighty being capable of opposing the gods!

Endless pressure spread from the Grand Archbishop, filling every corner of the sanctuary.

Herbert felt from the Grand Archbishop a pressure far more terrifying than the Miss Xie Shen avatar's, surpassing even the Epic!

Though it lasted only an instant before receding, there was no doubt—it was the oppressive might of a Saint!

In that instant, Herbert became even more certain of a line he had read in the scriptures—anyone who dares oppose the gods is, in their very existence, a non-human monster.

Facing such a terrifying monster, Herbert could do nothing but tense every muscle in his body, summon all his Holy Power, and barely hold himself together.

Yet even so, Herbert knew clearly he couldn't last much longer.

His fragile flesh shattered in an instant, then rapidly repaired by the healing power of Holy Power.

By coincidence, his body, which had not improved in ages, suddenly advanced once more.

In a daze, Herbert heard the old man's low voice ask: "Tell me, where is He now? I must stop Him immediately!"

Was it his imagination, or did Herbert faintly detect, beneath the anger, a faint… excitement in the old man's voice?

But Herbert had no energy left to ponder such things; he could only answer instinctively: "No, Your Grace… you… cannot."

"Hmm?"

In an instant, the pressure on Herbert halved, and his nearly shattered consciousness returned.

He forced his eyes wide open and smiled at the elder, whose eyes now held hesitation: "Because… He has already failed."

The pressure dropped by another half; Herbert could finally breathe.

"Cough! Cough!"

Herbert coughed twice, dropped the pretense, and under the unbearable pressure, nodded slowly: "I stopped Him."

Whoosh—

In an instant, all pressure vanished like a gentle breeze; the sanctuary returned to stillness.

"Ha… ha… cough."

Aside from Herbert's trembling muscles and soaked garments, it was as if nothing had happened.

The old man sat quietly, expressionless, gazing at the boy who had dared to provoke him—and now wore an fearless smile—and spoke slowly, unreadable in tone: "Do you know what you just did?"

"…I… know… cough."

Herbert forced a smile and bowed respectfully to the Grand Archbishop: "I'm sorry. I was wrong."

He did not blame the Grand Archbishop for the punishment inflicted in anger; he openly admitted his own fault.

In fact, after such provocation, the Grand Archbishop had been remarkably restrained—he had not truly harmed him.

Facing a Holy Vessel with "risk of corruption," he had done nothing more than voice his anger, rather than crush him outright.

The Grand Archbishop held a certain… no, a considerable degree of favor toward Herbert.

Think about it—if the person who had spoken those words had been the Inquisitor General, Herbert would now be… well.

Herbert knew this better than anyone else; otherwise, he would never have dared to keep testing the limits.

Though he didn't know where this favor came from, he'd enjoy it while he could!

"Your Grace, this is how it happened—" After provoking him, Herbert became unusually obedient and began recounting the "truth."

He did not tell the Grand Archbishop every fact; instead, he gave a half-truth, half-lie.

In Herbert's account, he had happened upon the blood sacrifice, used the power of a Demon Girl, the avatar of Lustful Sin had manifested incompletely, and he had ultimately invoked the power of another god… ultimately foiling the enemy's plot.

Afterward, the Miss Xie Shen departed, and the residents left their corrupted homes behind, moving toward new lives.

All of this… was true, but not entirely true.

Every word he spoke was fact—but only a fragment of the truth, omitting countless details.

Herbert believed the Grand Archbishop would surely detect the gaps in his story; this little trick wouldn't fool him.

But at the same time, he would never point them out.

As long as it sounded plausible on the surface, he wouldn't press further.

This was the unspoken understanding between Herbert and the Grand Archbishop.

Indeed, after listening to Herbert's account, the Archbishop gave him a long, deep look and slowly nodded.

"Good."

"Child, you have done well."

"You risked your life, relying on courage and wisdom to thwart the scheme of a Miss Xie Shen, protected innocent lives, and saved a city—your actions… befit a Holy Officer."

Though various problems may have occurred along the way, in outcome, Herbert truly saved Maragas City.

One who repelled a deity!

A Holy Knight who defeated a Miss Xie Shen's scheme while holding a high rank!

If Herbert's deeds had occurred in another church, they would surely have been grandly recorded.

He would be written into countless tales, sung by bards in the mortal world, recited in alleyways and streets… even possibly enshrined in the church's holy halls as a hero.

The divine church would use this to elevate its standing in the hearts of mortals and promote its deity's faith.

Though the monastery, lacking this step, need not enhance its external influence, it would still highly commend his feat.

The Archbishop lowered his gaze and asked: "Then, child, do you wish this deed to become known to outsiders?"

"No, Your Grace, please keep this secret for me," Herbert raised his head and firmly rejected this "honor."

Meeting the Archbishop's gaze, he said seriously: "I am still too weak. I defeated the Lustful One only with the help of Svania and the others—not through my own strength. This false glory serves me no purpose."

To say he was weak, Herbert was not truly that feeble.

But now, he truly did not deserve such an honor.

The title "One who repelled a deity while holding a high rank" sounded impressive, but everything beyond that was pure liability.

Tall trees attract wind.

The tree wishes stillness, yet the wind will not cease.

Once such a title spreads, Herbert would surely be targeted.

Some bounty hunters from dark circles would take interest, seeking to make their names by killing him—a soft target easy to crush.

When strong enough, he could use it to fish—lure bounty hunters and farm them for experience.

But while still weak, he must not court death.

"A wise choice. You are calmer than I thought."

The Archbishop gave a slight nod, unsurprised by Herbert's decision.

This boy had waited until the very end to reveal this matter—he clearly intended to keep it hidden.

"Still, though it cannot be made public, you ought to be rewarded."

Morally and reasonably, Herbert deserved a substantial reward.

"Child, what reward would you desire?"

Herbert fell silent for a moment.

"Hmm…"

Was there anything he wanted?

Of course there was.

What Herbert most desired now was the freedom of the monster girls.

If he could free Valentina and the others from their prisoner status, they could leave the Third Commandment Abbey and the Mist Monastery without shame, and follow him to build and live in Elda Domain.

But could this be done?

No… the leverage was not enough.

For Herbert did not seek just one person's freedom—he sought freedom for all the monster girls.

He was greedy.

I want it all!

He had known from the start, clearer than anyone, the greed in his heart.

And once this door opened, it might be impossible to close afterward.

If freeing Valentina required repelling one manifestation of a Miss Xie Shen, what then?

What would he need to do next?

Once, twice—he could manage. But after that?

Would he eventually be forced to confront the deity's true form?

After deep thought, Herbert ultimately abandoned using this as a shortcut to liberate them.

Possible, but unnecessary.

"Huh!"

Herbert exhaled deeply, lifted his head with ease, and smiled at the Archbishop: "I wish to gain higher permissions within the Commandment Abbey."

"Oh?"

The Archbishop was genuinely surprised, giving the smiling boy a long, deep look.

He had expected Herbert to make extravagant demands—but instead, he had asked for something so humble.

The old man hesitated, gently reminding: "Won't you reconsider? Is this truly enough?"

His meaning was nearly explicit—Child, you may ask for more. It's fine.

Some things I cannot grant, but others—I am willing to fulfill.

Yet Herbert now showed remarkable calmness, politely declining the elder's kindness.

"No, it is enough."

"I desire many things, but none should be obtained through another's gift. One day, I will take them all with my own hands."

He met the elder's gaze openly and voiced his ambition: "One day, I will possess everything I desire."

At this moment, the boy's ambition was laid bare.

Compared to his earlier concealment, Herbert had almost laid the matter out in the open.

I will take them, for certain.

One day!

"... Alright."

The old man smiled with delight, patted the boy's shoulder, and said, "If you can do it, prove it to me."

Even in this moment, neither had voiced their ultimate goal.

This was their unspoken understanding.

The two exchanged a smile; the atmosphere between the old man and the boy returned to its earlier ease and cheerfulness.

But just as Daodazhu Sect was about to continue recounting his tumultuous life, he suddenly fell into an odd silence.

"..."

He paused, then said slowly, "Still, next time something like this happens, don't take risks—notify me immediately, understood?"

Herbert:?

He was still confused, unsure why the old man had brought this up again.

Hadn't this matter already been settled?

"Uh, yes, I'll try?"

As he puzzled over this, Herbert faintly heard a barely audible mutter: "Sigh! Otherwise, I can't sneak out for a stroll..."

Herbert:??

He stared wide-eyed at the old man, but the elder still wore an innocent expression, as if what he'd heard had been nothing but the wind.

So, are you angry that I don't take danger seriously?

Or are you angry that I won't let you use this as an excuse to go out for a walk?

Herbert longed to ask for the truth, but in the end, he chose silence.

He had spoken freely of his own thoughts; the old man had revealed his own desires.

"... Cough, my lord, if something like this happens again, how should I contact you?" Herbert asked humbly.

Daodazhu Sect nodded with an expression of "Ruzike Sect," extended his hand, and said, "Hmm, give me your hand."

He traced a pattern onto Herbert's right palm with his fingertip; light and shadow flashed and vanished.

"With this, whenever you encounter a divine-level threat, you can channel holy power into it... then I can rescue you, heh."

Hearing the old man's excited laughter, Herbert couldn't help wanting to retort.

If you really wanted to go out, who could stop you?

Just sneak out!

Do you really have to suffer like this?

But he understood that some powerful ones chose self-restraint to protect the weak.

Daodazhu Sect was one such person.

Though he longed to go out for a stroll, he always imposed even greater restrictions on himself.

The two continued talking for a while longer, until Daodazhu Sect could no longer recall his past glories and fell silent.

As he was leaving, Herbert suddenly turned and asked, "Do you actually hope I'll visit you more often?"

"Hmm?"

Daodazhu Sect laughed. "Child, why would you think that?"

"Never thought so?"

"No."

"Really not?"

"Heh, child, it's time for you to go."

The boy narrowed his eyes at the old man.

The old man smiled back, eyes crinkled.

"Understood."

After a long moment, the boy nodded slowly and pushed open the door of the sanctuary.

As soon as he stepped out, the Judge-Advocate, who had been waiting, immediately spoke up: "Ah, Herbert! You're finally out—we... EHHH?!"

He watched in horror as the boy smiled and nodded at him—then the next instant, a rift behind him swallowed him whole.

???

Guardian, why are you stealing him again?!

"My lord! I got here first!!!"

The Judge-Advocate's anguished cry echoed through the underground chamber, lingering long after.

"You can't do this! I was here first..."

Click.

"Tsk."

A rift opened beside the Judge-Advocate's ear, and the Ash Bishop's irritated voice came from within: "What are you yelling about? Go sleep if you've got nothing to do!"

"If you keep making noise, you'll never meet him again."

The Judge-Advocate's mouth twitched at the unpleasant tone; instinctively, he snapped to attention and shouted, "Understood!"

Wait till later! Wait till later!

After all, we'll meet someday, right?

(End of chapter)