Entering the grand cathedral.
Beautiful murals were painted across the high dome of the ceiling.
In the long, narrow hall, rows of pews were filled with people praying and listening to the teachings of Light.
Their faces were filled with devotion.
The golden rays of the sun shone through the glass windows into the cathedral, casting down a holy, golden veil.
The moment one stepped inside, it felt as if they had truly entered a sacred realm.
Above the towering statue of the Goddess of Light, sunlight pierced through the glass dome and illuminated the figure, making the statue look both holy and mysterious.
Li Xiuman looked up at the statue.
He thought about his own identity.
Damn. Entering this cathedral gave him a strange, sinful thrill.
This feeling... was actually a bit addictive.
“May the Goddess of Light bless you, sir,” a sister said as she walked over to Li Xiuman, drawing the symbol of the sun over her chest with her right hand.
“Praise the Goddess of Light.”
Li Xiuman mimicked her gesture perfectly, drawing the symbol of the sun over his chest.
A skeleton praising the Goddess right in front of her statue and her faithful nun inside the grand cathedral.
This sense of transgression was simply too intense, too exciting.
“Excuse me, sir, is there anything you wish to pray to the Goddess for?”
“I have always believed in the Goddess. I am her most faithful believer,” Li Xiuman said, looking at the statue of the Goddess and once again tracing the symbol of the sun over his chest. “Praise the Goddess.”
The sister also followed Li Xiuman's lead, praying devoutly to the statue of the Goddess. “Praise the Goddess.”
Once they both finished their praises, Li Xiuman continued, “However, I am feeling very lost right now.”
“I hope to receive the Goddess's light to guide me on my path forward.”
Li Xiuman figured that was enough build-up. “I wish to make a wish to the Goddess at the grand cathedral's wishing pool. May the benevolent Goddess guide this lost lamb.”
Hearing Li Xiuman's words, the sister showed a conflicted expression.
“Sir, the Goddess will surely hear your prayers.”
“The benevolent Goddess will never abandon any of her believers.”
“However, the wishing pool is not open to just any believer. It is reserved for those whose hearts are sufficiently devout.”
“You may pray to the statue of the Goddess instead; the benevolent Goddess will surely answer you as well.”
Hearing this, Li Xiuman was genuinely a little lost.
What kind of wishing pool required checking someone's level of devotion?
As if he didn't already know exactly how devout he was!
A skeleton, devoutly believing in the Goddess of Light.
Did he want to take a bath in holy light?
That would literally kill him!
The only reason he wanted to use the wishing pool was because it was a pool, making it extremely convenient.
He could just toss the Evil God Statue straight in and let that moldy-green, dark evil god duke it out directly with the Goddess.
But if it was just the main statue in the cathedral, how was he supposed to do it?
Throwing the Evil God Statue directly at the Goddess of Light's statue?
That would probably offend both sides.
“Then, how does one prove themselves to be a devout believer?”
Li Xiuman felt he could still push a bit more.
“By dedicating your mind and body to the Goddess, and listening to her teachings.”
“Under the noble light of the Goddess, washing away all the impurities within your heart.”
...
The sister went on and on, detailing what it meant to be truly devout.
Damn it. Could she say something a skeleton could actually understand?
“But the Goddess's mercy and benevolence are vast, treating all believers equally.”
“If you wish to prove your devotion, sir...” The sister stopped speaking and simply looked in a certain direction.
Following her gaze, Li Xiuman finally spotted a sign.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, donations toward our offerings support the charitable works of the Goddess's Church. In return, you shall bask in more of her holy light.’
After reading it, Li Xiuman pulled back his gaze along with the sister.
Then, they exchanged a glance. Everything was understood without a single word being spoken.
Li Xiuman suddenly saw the light.
Ah, so it was a matter of dollars. Why didn't she just say so earlier?
“Praise the Goddess's benevolence.”
“I wish to donate a sum of gold to help redeem more souls, so that more people may bask in the supreme holy light of the Goddess,” Li Xiuman spoke.
The sister's face bloomed with a smile.
“Sir, the Goddess will surely cast her gaze upon your kindness and shower you with her holy light,” the sister replied with a sweet voice and a bright smile.
This vicious curse made Li Xiuman shudder.
How malicious. This woman was terrifying.
He was donating out of the goodness of his heart, and she wanted the Goddess to burn him to a crisp!
If the Goddess's holy light actually beamed down on him, would he even have a single bone left intact?
At that thought, Li Xiuman began to pray to the Goddess with the utmost sincerity.
“Praise the Goddess.”
Praise the Goddess, praise the Goddess... Please ignore me, please ignore me. I'll leave as soon as I drop off this Evil God Statue, and I'll walk the other way whenever I see one of your churches from now on. If you see me, just pretend you didn't. I beg of you, benevolent, beautiful, noble, supreme, and great Goddess of Light.
After that, Li Xiuman left the cathedral.
Money, money, money.
Even worshipping a god required cash. Had this world truly been corrupted by materialism?
He exchanged a portion of his Tier 2 magic stones for gold coins.
He walked away with a total of 1,200 gold coins.
Half of his stock of magic stones was instantly wiped out.
He returned to the cathedral.
This time, it wasn't just the sister from earlier waiting for him.
Several nuns and monks had gathered to welcome him together.
In the end, everyone bows to money, don't they?
“Sir, praise your benevolence.”
“No, we should praise the Goddess. Had it not been for her benevolence and guidance, I would still be wallowing in confusion and distress.”
Li Xiuman produced a heavy pouch of gold coins and placed it into the hands of the sister in front of him.
The sister took the pouch, her smile growing even sweeter.
“Sir, the Goddess will surely be moved by your devotion,” the sister said as she put away the gold and traced a sun over her chest. “Would you like to visit the cathedral's wishing pool to pray for the Goddess's guidance through your confusion?”
Li Xiuman quickly traced the same symbol. “Praise the Goddess. Thank you for your favor, Goddess.”
Guided by the sisters and monks, he passed through the cathedral and reached the inner courtyard out back.
The sunlight on this patch of ground seemed to gleam just a bit brighter.
So this is the VIP treatment?
Next, taking a small path through a grove of trees, Li Xiuman spotted a clear spring pool.
Directly above the clear spring, the tree canopy parted perfectly to allow a shaft of sunlight to beam straight down onto the water.
It looked mysterious and holy.
This was the real deal!
Li Xiuman could feel that the holy aura here made him exceptionally uncomfortable.
It was even stronger than the statue inside the cathedral.
Li Xiuman clasped his hands over his chest and began to pray. “Praise the Goddess. May the Goddess guide my way.”
At the same time, he stealthily drew out the Evil God Statue.
Behind him, the sisters had all closed their eyes, devoutly reciting the tenets of the Goddess of Light.
Li Xiuman had already verified beforehand that these sisters were all Light Priests under level 10.
There was no way they could detect his subtle movements.
Taking his chance, he lowered the Evil God Statue to his feet and kicked it right into the wishing pool.
He used Water Magic to ensure it didn't make a splash.
A jubilant Li Xiuman quickly chanted, “Praise the Goddess!”
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