Hyper-Dimensional Player

Chapter 928 - 7: Divine Grace of the Goddess of Joy

Temple of Pleasure.

Duncan slept until the evening, and when he woke up, the room was already filled with a whale-scented incense. This subtle scent had a calming effect and could aid in meditation. Its price was extraordinarily high, comparable to its weight in gold. Needless to say, it was certainly arranged by the Mother of Great Bliss.

Ordinary big businessmen couldn’t afford this stuff; only the Mother of Great Bliss, with her seemingly infinite treasury, could use it freely. Legend has it that her luxurious mansion is piled with all kinds of extravagant goods.

"Lord Duncan."

Vera, wearing a red, form-fitting High Priest gown, walked in. She carried a meal box and carefully placed it on the table, saying softly, "Are you hungry?"

"Have some food first."

After two consecutive battles coupled with the holy funeral arranged by the Mother of Great Bliss at midnight, Duncan returned to a state of exhaustion, slept until evening, and hadn’t even had lunch.

"Alright."

"Put it down."

Duncan nodded expressionlessly. In front of him, the newly-appointed Joyous Priest Vera half-knelt on the ground, placing the tray with food in front of the small table. From Duncan’s viewpoint, he could directly see through her neckline to a deep, fair cleavage as she half-kneeled on the soft velvet carpet to pour Duncan a glass of wine.

"Please enjoy, my lord."

Vera looked up, her eyes trembling slightly, with a touch of reverence on her charming face. She offered the silver wine cup to Duncan, demonstrating thorough service.

Duncan calmly took the wine cup, drinking a sip, then picked up the platter, grabbed a juicy roasted lamb leg, and bit into it. Beside him, Vera offered the prepared seasoning, which included something similar to black pepper and a hint of a mint-like exotic herb. When Duncan dipped and bit into it, his appetite instantly soared, showing a surprised expression as the taste far exceeded his expectations.

He glanced at the seasoning beside him and thought to himself, "Is there poppy in this?"

With the way the Pleasure cult acts, it’s hard to say for sure.

After all, in their pursuit of pleasure, they’re willing to try anything, and this seasoning seems a bit problematic.

When Duncan defeated the Sect of Pain and returned, he saw some wounded Pleasure Priests using blue mushroom powder at a corner of the second-floor bar. This stuff had strong hallucinogenic effects and addictive properties, considered drugs even in the Bottomless Abyss. They lay in the lounge, each taking a puff, looking extremely satisfied.

Additionally.

It must be noted, as a piece of trivia, that the largest supplier of blue mushroom powder is Demon Lord of the 570th layer of the Bottomless Abyss, Enchanting Demon Queen - Meikanshute. Her domain, ’Shadeira,’ is a stunning, paradise-like place, producing known materials at the largest scale for hallucinogenic toxins.

Those mortals trapped in the Enchanting Demon Queen’s territory are basically high every day or never truly awake from their illusions.

Seeing the priests of the Pleasure cult consume this stuff, Duncan realized they were really beyond saving.

The serving Vera respectfully departed, softly saying before she left, "Lord Duncan."

"The Mother of Great Bliss has arranged a banquet tonight."

"Please ensure to attend."

Upon hearing this, Duncan nodded lightly, "I know."

What a game they play.

Others want your lives, yet you don’t miss a chance for indulgence.

After Vera left, Duncan picked up pen and paper, sitting by the window to organize the intelligence gathered over the past two days, encompassing not only the Pleasure cult but also the Wealth Church.

"The Pleasure cult is really disappointing."

"Ordinary hedonists, minstrels, street artists are just one-star or two-star in strength. The church priests only range from two-star to three-star, while the middle and upper echelons barely reach four-star combat ability."

"But most are hedonists, who have never trained diligently."

Duncan merely sketched a church structure diagram and immediately shook his head in disapproval. In the entire Pleasure cult, there are only eight capable fighters, including the Mother of Great Bliss, a Master of Revelries, and the Joyous High Priest. Aside from these three, the other five are senior members of the Scarlet Performer Sect.

It’s just fortunate to have the Scarlet Performer Sect; otherwise, they’d truly be a bunch of easy targets.

However, the Divine Church of the Bright Water Realm is generally underwhelming, not only Lady Joy, but also the Main God she serves, the Lady of Love. Her church includes temple guards named such as Flower Knight and Rose Knight.

From the names alone, you can tell their combat capabilities.

When some powerful professionals are recruited by the Love Church, they become drained within a few years, too weak to fight.

"Luckily, the Golden Battle Group of the Wealth Church is quite strong, but it’s controlled by the Five Fierce Women. Without high authority, it cannot be mobilized."

"Across the entire Sarlgant."

"The truly strong church forces probably only include the Golden Battle Group of the Wealth Church, and the temple guards of the God of Protection."

The world’s strength hierarchy is quite subtle.

Usually, three-star and four-star are considered experts, and in wilderness adventures, they’re noteworthy characters.

But when a major event occurs, they’re not even considered cannon fodder.

In a big city like Sarlgant, four-star silver-gray marks denote major figures, and Legendary beings are even more significant, capable of causing turmoil among forces with a mere stomp. But when faced with historical epic events such as the emergence of the Slaughter Divine Son in Baldur’s Gate, the unrest in Neverwinter, or the future shadows of treachery, the number of deceased Legendary Creatures becomes incalculable.