Chapter 3230

Inside the cathedral of the Sun Church, there are nine floors in total. Su Xiao is currently on the first floor, which is relatively spacious; the commission office, logistics supply office, and forge are all located here.

Although it is called a cathedral, there is no place for prayer here. The believers of the Sun Church do not believe in gods; they are staunch atheists.

To be precise, they firmly believe that deities are merely more powerful biological or energy-based existences, representing at most a difference in strength rather than a difference in dimensional hierarchy.

The best thing about the Sun faith is that there are no divine decrees or guidance from gods. This also results in the Sun believers not being particularly aggressive, but one should never go out of their way to provoke them.

Su Xiao walked into the lobby on the first floor and saw a bulletin board on the wall to the right. It was covered in colorful papers; some were handwritten notices, while others were simply clippings from newspapers pasted on. The content on the bulletin board read:

"Black Lake Aquatic Beast: Recommended to go in the morning or at noon. Please do not fight this beast at night. Comprehensive danger level: III."

【Hint: Completing this commission will grant 1200 reputation points.】

"Grain Farm Burrow: To reach this place, one must enter the Beastification Zone. Comprehensive danger level: II."

【Hint: Completing this commission will grant 3000 reputation points.】

"Clearing: Deepen into the Beastification Zone to reduce the number of beasts. At least 50 believers and 2–3 Dawn Priests leading the team are required to proceed. Comprehensive danger level: I."

【Hint: Completing this commission will grant 7600 reputation points.】

"Investigate Rosa...: The latter part of this name is covered by bloodstains. All known records are like this. Ascertain the full name, as well as this person's background, identity, etc. Comprehensive danger level:?."

【Hint: Completing this commission will grant 860,000 reputation points.】

"Try Bishop Cooper's experimental potion: If you have the guts, this is the fastest way to obtain Sun Stones. Bishop Cooper is very generous; it has been a long time since anyone dared to drink the potion he concocted. Comprehensive danger level: I."

【Hint: Completing this commission will grant 7250 reputation points.】

The prompts below can only be seen by Su Xiao. The reliability of this bulletin board varies; some commissions come from other factions, some from civilians, and there are even commissions transferred from the New Kingdom ruled by the Sun Monarch.

The so-called New Kingdom, although its sphere of influence can rival a normal kingdom, has a structure that is vastly different. The New Kingdom is more like a massive faction or a conglomerate of interests. It has not issued currency or designated laws—not because it doesn't want to, but because it cannot.

In this world where there is no law, wild beasts run rampant, and starving people are everywhere, what do civilians do when they encounter danger? There is only one way: seek help from powerful individuals or factions among their own kind, which is submitting a commission.

The situation in this world dictates that a large faction protecting numerous civilians will not appear. Civilians are also a kind of danger; anyone could undergo spiritual beastification. Once spiritual beastification begins, there is no talk of aptitude or potential. The deeper the beastification, the more powerful the individual becomes. Every breath of air in this world contains madness; as long as spiritual beastification begins, there is no need to worry about being unable to transform into an extraordinary being.

There is a difference between civilians and extraordinary beings after beastification, with different upper limits. Civilians can reach a maximum of five stages of beastification, while extraordinary beings can reach a maximum of six stages. There is only one person at seven stages of beastification; that is an exception among exceptions.

Not to mention seven stages of beastification, or even six stages, just five stages of beastification is deadly. According to the Paradise's power system assessment, the combat power after five stages of beastification is roughly at the mid-tier of the eighth stage.

What is worse is that compared to extraordinary beings, the beastification speed of civilians is faster. It might start in the morning, and by evening, it would be around the fifth stage of beastification.

No one can withstand this. The New Kingdom ruled by the Sun Monarch once tried to protect civilians, and then there was no "then."

The usual situation is that after a civilian undergoes beastification, by noon the next day, there are no living people left in the town where they are; they have all been killed by it. It is not a matter of beastified individuals having a strong desire to attack. After experiments by a deacon of the Sun Church, beastified individuals will destroy everything with a life aura within their sight, even things that are movable.

After searching the bulletin board for a while, Su Xiao found a commission suitable for him. The danger level is I, which is a high-risk commission. The content is: "Strange Noises in Yongwang Town."

Yongwang Town is a small town where several hundred civilians live. Do not think this population is small; in terms of the situation in this world, a small town of several hundred people is already quite good, at least capable of maintaining self-sufficiency.

All the towns, cities, and gathering places here are very xenophobic. No one knows whether the heart of an outsider is firm or whether they will suddenly undergo spiritual beastification. Everyone has a beast in their heart. Spiritual beastification is not actually a disease; it is just letting the beast in the heart out.

What Su Xiao needs to do is go to Yongwang Town to determine what the thing making strange noises at night recently is. Completing this commission, he can obtain 5400 reputation points.

This commission seems like making a mountain out of a molehill, but it is not. Any unknown fear can lead to spiritual beastification, thereby causing hundreds of people to lose their lives.

【Hint: You have accepted the faction mission, "Strange Noises in Yongwang Town."】

【Faction Mission: Strange Noises in Yongwang Town.】

Difficulty level: Faction missions have no difficulty assessment.

Mission information: Find the source of the strange noises in Yongwang Town and make it public.

Mission deadline: 2 days.

Mission reward: 5400 Sun Church reputation points.

Mission penalty: -5400 Sun Church reputation points. If Sun Church reputation reaches a negative value, the Hunter will lose their identity as a member of the Sun Church and will never be able to rejoin this faction.

Hint: Due to the faction characteristics of the Sun Church, you will not trigger a hostile relationship when you appear with negative reputation as a member of the Sun Church.

Su Xiao currently has 4256 reputation points. If he adds the 5400 reputation points as starting capital, as long as he is not too unlucky, after completing this commission, he can stay in the cathedral for the next few days, making a fortune in silence. That experience would definitely be exhilarating.

Thinking of this, Su Xiao's mood improved a bit. Having fully changed into the 【Sun Church Set】, he would no longer attract the attention of the Sun believers.

"This... brother."

Su Xiao spoke, and a burly person passing by him stopped.

"Half an hour ago, a woman was brought here. Do you know where she is?"

Hearing Su Xiao's words, the burly person did not speak, and their gaze was unfriendly.

"Where did you see that I am a brother? I am a lady who is only 18 years old."

The burly person—no, the strong lady—looked down at Su Xiao, her gaze even more unfriendly.

"..."

Su Xiao looked at the lady in front of him who was about 3.2 meters tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, capable of lifting a man with one arm. He was speechless for a moment. Since they were both wearing head buckets that isolated perception, he naturally could not know the other party's appearance. As for the figure, this was completely a brother.

"Over there."

The lady pointed to the back of the lobby, meaning for Su Xiao to pass through the backyard to the Sun Altar.

"Many thanks."

"Hmph, look clearly next time before greeting. From my figure, can't you tell my gender?"

The lady struck a bodybuilder's pose, and the muscles under her clothes bulged. One could only say, she looked even more like a brother.

Su Xiao didn't say much more. He walked out of the back door of the lobby and walked on the path in the backyard. It was still night, and the sky was full of stars.

Following the path, Su Xiao walked into a circular valley excavated in the backyard. The circular rock walls around this valley were steep, and the overall area was large. In the center, there was a stone altar.

Around the altar were steps, and on it were X-shaped metal racks. Behind these X-shaped metal racks were connected metal pillars. By raising the metal pillars, the height of the X-shaped metal racks could be increased to adjust the intensity of sun exposure. On the Sun Altar, for every meter the height increased, the intensity of sun exposure endured would be vastly different.

To the right of the altar, more than a dozen iron cages were placed side by side. Except for the iron cage where Morey was, the others were empty. The Sun Church did not purify everyone; most of those purified were extraordinary beings.

The cloth ball in Morey's mouth had already disappeared. Her hands were tied behind her back, and she was lying on her side in the iron cage. For some reason, Morey was sleeping mysteriously sweetly, and drool was flowing down the corner of her mouth, clearly influenced by some kind of ability.

Seeing this, Su Xiao came to the back of the iron cage and tapped his finger on the back of Morey's neck. A blue light flashed and disappeared. A mark emitting blue light appeared on the back of Morey's neck for a moment, then faded away.

After doing this, Su Xiao's gaze looked into the darkness. A few seconds later, a female voice came.

"Put away your rude thoughts."

The female believer in the darkness opened her eyes; they were eyes so black they made people panic.

"This is my acquaintance. I want to let her go. Are you prepared to stop me?"

Su Xiao looked at those eyes in the darkness. After staring at each other for a moment, those eyes in the black eyes disappeared, and the female believer left.

Clang, clang, clang.

Su Xiao's left hand, made of crystals, knocked on the iron cage where Morey was. But who knew that after Morey moved, she slept even more soundly.

Seeing this, Su Xiao kicked Morey. Morey still didn't wake up.

Su Xiao took tape from his storage space, tore off a piece to seal Morey's mouth, and then pinched Morey's nose with his hand. Time passed bit by bit.

Morey, who was sleeping happily, had a trace of solemnity appear on her expression, followed by pain. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, sat up, and tilted her head back. With one tilt, she knocked off the tape on her mouth.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo! Where am I? Who are you? What are you doing?"

While Morey was panting heavily, her eyes were full of vigilance. She had already recovered, escaping from the ability that made her enter a dream.

"Do you want to leave?"

"Bai, Bai Ye? Are you here to save me?"

As Morey spoke, her body shrank back. She had cooperated with Su Xiao before and clearly knew one thing: before reaching a cooperative relationship, never believe any words from this blood-aura big shot. You would be arranged until you doubted life. Of course, if the situation forced it, you could only choose to believe.

"Yes, I am here to save you, so you should be grateful. Saving you this time, I took a great risk..."

"Brother, no need to say more. How many soul coins? I'll give them."

Morey nodded very seriously. One could only say, this silly girl understood very well.

"50,000 soul coins, and I'll let you out."

"Why don't you go rob? No, 5000 at most."

Morey refused. If Baha were present, he would definitely tell Morey: Rob? How can robbing be as fast as this to get money?

"Deal."

"Eh?"

Morey was stunned. Su Xiao ignored Morey's confusion and activated the trading permission. A few seconds later.

【Hint: You have obtained 5000 soul coins.】

Receiving this hint, Su Xiao took out lock-picking tools, opened the simple lock of the iron cage in a dozen seconds, and signaled that Morey could leave.

"Uh~, that, don't you need to send me into a secret passage or something? This is the headquarters of the Sun Church. Even if I could fly, I couldn't fly out."

Morey felt bitter in her heart. She did have props that could leave, but those props were too expensive. Plus, the feeling this place gave her was too dangerous. Whether she could use those props was really an unknown.

"You paid 5000 soul coins. According to the promise, I let you out. You are out now. Our deal is over. Good luck."

After speaking, Su Xiao walked toward the outside of the valley.

"Wait, how many more soul coins do I need to pay to leave here?"

"This is not a question of soul coins..."

"10,000 soul coins!"

Bloodshot eyes burst out in Morey's eyes. Hearing this, Su Xiao's footsteps paused, and he had a new definition of the wealth of Morey and the Moon Apostle.

"I'll pay 10,000 soul coins! Take me out of here."

"..."

Su Xiao didn't speak, which made Morey panic a little. 10,000 soul coins was equivalent to one-sixth of her mineral vein income per world progress. This was a huge sum of money. Uh~, no, it should be a large expenditure. She thought to herself, could it be that this really wasn't a problem that could be solved with soul coins?

"Let's talk about the routes to leave here. There are three routes in total. The route that will encounter danger, you need to pay 9000 soul coins. The route with low danger, 10,000 soul coins. The route that will definitely not have danger, 12,000 soul coins. Which one do you choose?"

Su Xiao took a map from his bosom. This was a map of the cathedral and the surrounding dozen kilometers. Seeing this map, Morey felt that she was cracking, and her "wallet" was cracking.