He's Telling the Truth!

Greg’s heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down his spine.

The Goddess of Night was something he had just made up on the spot based on his memories of the game from his past life!

How was he supposed to know there actually was a Goddess of Night in this world, let alone that he was her envoy!

I'm about to be exposed!

Victoria glanced at him, her tone brook no argument. "Did you hear her? Come here and undergo the test."

Greg steeled himself, attempting a final struggle. "My... my devotion to the Goddess comes from the heart. Why must it be proven through external forms? This is a desecration of faith!"

Victoria said, "I'll count to three..."

"Fine, I'll do it. No need for such threats," Greg grumbled.

Greg walked over with the air of a man facing execution, his mind racing as he tried to think of an excuse for when the test inevitably failed.

Running away was out of the question. Even if he escaped now, he wouldn't survive for long.

With his current strength, he could survive here, but he couldn't clear the first floor of the dungeon alone in a short amount of time. He still needed the help of these two.

As for doing something sinister to keep them here forever, that was even more impossible. After all, saving the world depended on them.

Silvia signaled for Greg to stand still. She forced herself to sit up straight, clasping her hands before her chest as she began to chant an ancient and tongue-twisting prayer in a low voice.

A faint golden light emerged from her palms, gradually enveloping Greg's entire body.

Greg closed his eyes, bracing himself for the divine wrath that would surely follow for impersonating an envoy.

However, the expected rebuke or attack never came.

The moment the warm golden light touched his body, it seemed to encounter something of a similar yet distinct origin. The color began to undergo a bizarre transformation.

The gold receded like a tide, replaced by a darkness so deep it felt as if it could swallow all of existence.

The pitch-black light wrapped gently around Greg. Far from feeling evil or sinister, it exuded an indescribable sense of ancient mystery.

Silvia abruptly stopped her chanting and covered her mouth, her grayish-blue eyes widening in shock.

"Divine Favor of Night... so pure..."

She looked at Victoria in disbelief.

"He... he really is... the envoy of the Goddess of Night!"

Greg: "...???"

An envoy of the Goddess of Night?

Me? Really?

He stared in astonishment at the unfamiliar soft black light covering his body, his mind going completely blank.

What is going on?! I totally made that up! How is there an actual reaction?!

Victoria stared at the lingering light of the Divine Favor of Night for a long moment. Finally, she looked away, the biting chill in her voice softening slightly.

"...It seems you aren't completely rotten to the core. At least you didn't lie to us about this."

Though he had no idea what was happening, Greg played along.

"I'm glad you understand. So, please stop looking at me like I'm trash from now on. In essence... I'm not a bad person."

Silvia also breathed a sigh of relief, a look of ease appearing on her pale face. She clasped her hands over her chest and whispered:

"That's wonderful... Since Senior Greg is the envoy of the Goddess of Night, then he... he definitely wouldn't dare do... do that kind of thing to me."

Greg blinked. "Eh?"

Silvia looked at him in confusion. "Why do you look so puzzled, Senior Greg? Don't you... as the envoy, know about this?"

Greg snapped back to reality. "Ah! That... you mean that thing, right? Of course I know about that! It's just..."

He timely displayed a hint of appropriate embarrassment.

"The heritage of the Goddess of Night's cult has been lost for too long. Many ancient taboos and divine punishments... I'm not entirely clear on the specific details. Silvia, since you know, could you... explain it to me?"

"I... I have to explain it?!"

Silvia's cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She lowered her head, her fingers nervously fiddling with the hem of her clothes. "Actually, it's... it's about..."

Greg urged from the side, "What's wrong, Miss Silvia? Is it something inconvenient to say? I'm truly just curious about this rule as an envoy of the Goddess of Night."

Silvia stammered, "It's your..."

"Did you say something after that? I couldn't quite hear you," Greg said.

Under his persistent prompting, even the tips of Silvia's ears turned red.

Finally, as if giving up, she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted in a voice that sounded like she was about to cry:

"It means your manhood will be shrouded in holy light and rendered unusable for a year! After a year, it will just disappear!"

Greg: "?"

After shouting, Silvia immediately turned her burning face away, her voice carrying a hint of shame and anger.

"Senior Greg really is the worst... Even though you haven't done anything, you still forced me to say such a... such an embarrassing thing... Honestly!"

Greg was silent for three full seconds.

"Haha, sorry... I'm going to the bathroom."

He turned around, his steps slightly stiff as he walked toward a large rock nearby that was big enough to block their view.

After confirming no one was around, he took a deep breath. With a sense of absurd foreboding, he slowly lowered his waistband.

Holy—mother—of—crap!!!!

It really was shrouded in holy light!!

A layer of soft yet incredibly dense milky-white radiance, emitting a faint divine aura, was firmly wrapping around a certain crucial part, as if sealing it with a built-in hymn BGM.

"...Still."

Greg looked down for a few seconds and rubbed his chin, his expression complicated. "Why does it look... kind of cool like this? It has the texture of epic-grade equipment..."

A moment later, he returned to the campfire with heavy steps, his face carrying a faint sadness, as if he had become enlightened and seen through the vanity of the world.

"I don't mean anything by this," he began in a hollow tone. "I'm just... asking for a friend."

Victoria raised an eyebrow.

Greg continued in a low, story-filled voice, "If... I mean if, someone was unfortunate enough to have this happen... is it really... impossible to change?"

Victoria sneered, her gray eyes full of undisguised contempt.

"Since it's your friend, he must be an irreredeemable scumbag as well. Wouldn't such a scumbag going extinct be a contribution to the world?"

"No!"

Greg suddenly became agitated, clenching his fists. His eyes were filled with the urgency and pain of defending a friend.

"That friend... he's not like me! He really... he really is a pure and kind person! I think he must have been framed by some despicable villain to... to suffer such a malicious curse!"

He acted with such sincerity that his eyes even turned slightly red.

Silvia was clearly moved by this deep friendship.

She thought of the unbreakable bond between herself and Victoria, and a warm current rose in her heart. Her gaze toward Greg softened significantly.

"I didn't expect... that besides you, there were other followers of the Goddess of Night in this world..."

She sighed softly, then offered a comforting smile. "But please rest assured, this curse... can be broken!"

"As long as a Saintess of the Church of Light performs a specific Purification Divine Art, this Holy Light Seal can be dispelled."

At this point, Silvia's tone suddenly darkened.

"But as far as I know... the current Saintess, like most of the Church's high-ranking officials, seems to... utterly loathe the cult of the Goddess of Night, which once rivaled the Church of Light in history. So, she likely won't help your friend."

But soon, her voice became cheerful again. "But it's alright! If... if your friend can wait for a while..."

She puffed out her chest slightly. Though still weak, her eyes were bright and determined.

"He can wait until I officially become the Saintess, and then I will perform the divine art to break the curse for him!"

Greg: "......"

If you're the one purifying it, you'll probably purify my entire existence along with it.

His brain uncontrollably began to simulate a future scene:

A magnificent cathedral. Silvia, dressed in the ornate robes of the Saintess, looks solemn and holy.

He, Greg Sass, musters his courage to step forward and whispers:

"Silvia... actually, back in the underground river, I was the one who kissed you, but please believe me, it was really just to save you! Also... that friend I mentioned before was actually me. So now, could you please help me break the curse? Hehe~"

Then, the holy smile on Silvia's face would instantly freeze, turning into a rage fueled by betrayal and desecration. Her eyes would burn with fierce holy flames:

"Even though... even though I had decided to give my everything to Victoria... you... you monster! Pervert! Die—!!!"

In the next second, he would be pierced by countless arrows of light condensed from anger and divinity, achieving the CG achievement: "Purified on the Spot for Indecency on the Day of the Saintess's Coronation."

"........."

Greg silently wiped his face.

It seemed that relying on the future Saintess was out of the question; that would be seeking his own death.

Thus, only one thorn-filled path remained before him.

That was, before the troublesome current Saintess stepped down in the sixth act of the original plot... he had to find a way to get her to personally dispel this damn curse.