Chapter 47
*TLN: There are some mildly erotic descriptions, but nothing too explicit.
“Huh! That, isn’t that the Saintess?”
“Is the man beside her that rumored Saint?”
“Where are the two going?”
I saw several of the graduates wandering about the great temple. Although entry here was strictly prohibited, it was opened to the public to a limited extent as the temple became linked with the various events of Start City. The number of graduates who had visited the great temple through numerous routes weren’t few, but they didn’t stand out in the least due to the scale of the garden being so overwhelming.
Upon sighting us in the midst of looking at the temple’s beautiful garden in fascination, they broke into whispers among their own company before furtively moving to chase after us, unable to bear their curiosity.
“Eh? Where did they disappear to?”
“Strange. This is a single path, though?”
They lost us in no time, however, and lost their way too—that’s how complex and dimly-lit the path we were taking was.
Saintess H began to speak.
“Venerable Saint, please hold my hand. I, I have no ulterior motive! But that doesn’t mean I don’t have any at all, so please don’t misunderstand!”
“This is… perception interference magic?”
“It’s similar. It’s an enchantment based on primitive geomancy and Dragon Veins, put in place by arranging the garden trees and rocks in a consistent pattern.”
‘… Is she talking about earth science? Not my specialty, so may as well just leave it at that.’
For how long had we been heading in further deep, I wondered to myself, but it was then that Saintess H’s footsteps, that had seemed as if they would never stop, gradually slowed before she finally stopped in place.
“Venerable Saintess, have we arrived?”
“Yes, it’s here.”
It was an extremely dark spot despite the broad daylight outside. There was a small pavilion with hexagonal pillars made of snow white marble, and surrounding it like a wall was a dense cluster of trees and shade plants. It was indeed a quiet place as Saintess H had said.
Peek-peek.
Except for one thing—one of the golems which guarded the great temple was here as well.
“About what you wanted to tell me…?”
“Here, no one can know, no one can see, and no one can listen in. I’m very sorry, Venerable Saint! I spoke a lie! I can’t hide this desire and these feelings anymore!”
After yelling those words out with intensity, Saintess H came charging over at me, and I motionlessly took her on despite being able to dodge.
Jiggle~
Saintess H buried her face in my shoulder, and pressed her cushiony chest right against mine. But perhaps she hadn’t thought of what would come next? She merely stood there, body trembling fiercely. Or if not that…
“Haah…!”
Perhaps she was fully satisfied with just this lukewarm contact.
Saintess H breathed heavily in gasps, so hot and rough as to be heard by my ears, and she continued to make physical contact like a child demanding for something. But this didn’t go on forever either.
Flinch.
Having noticed something by instinct, Saintess H attempted to tentatively withdraw herself; however, a man who would obediently allow this wasn’t a man.
Grasp.
“Venerable Saintess, you didn’t lie.”
With my right arm I hugged in close the slender small of her back, grabbing her to prevent escape, while with my left hand I caressed her from the ear and down, fingers barely touching.
“Hmmh! B-but I…”
“We’ve already begun to talk.”
With our bodies.
The outrageous nun’s garb of Saintess H, who was handpicked by the teaching staff, was designed to slip off with a flutter by untying a single knot.
Fwip, Sss…
The moment the ribbon behind her neck was undone, the nun’s garb slipped off like a banana peel.
“Euh…!”
The surprised Saintess H shut both her eyes tightly; it was only natural for the real experience to feel different despite having anticipated it quite a bit. She plaintively reached out her hands to grab her dropping clothes, but ultimately let them be.
Tug.
Instead, it was her gravity defying chest which caught her falling clothes.
I burst out in laughter despite myself, and lightly removed that final resistance with the flick of a finger.
Swww…
The nun’s garb fell onto the grass below us like a waterfall, and thus Saintess H’s naked body was revealed.
“It really is a fantasy…”
I subconsciously spoke aloud my own thoughts.
In this Hero Festival that the teaching staff had worked hard to prepare, it would be terrible if the flagship signboard, who was to welcome the guests invited to this festival, were to have shabby looks, no? And that was why Saintess H was thoroughly catered to the masses, possessing an appearance that could only be acknowledged as “beautiful!” by anybody regardless of age or gender. For this, the teaching staff had ignored realism and the human anatomy like they were trifles.
“Wuuh…”
Saintess H curled her shoulders and pressed into my embrace more proactively. Her tense body seemed piteous, and the space between her tightly shut thighs was being protected by a flimsy piece of cloth.
I didn’t hurry; I was cast in a different mold compared to those fantasy world savages that would lose their wits and rush in upon seeing a naked beauty. In a manner befitting that of a gentlemanly Earthling, I took a slow approach starting from the outside.
I first began with her upper lip.
“Hm…”
“Mmm…”
I carried forth with my plan to hold my stance like this until the impregnable fortress called Saintess H raised the white flag first and lowered the drawbridge—until she pleaded to be conquered, exhausted. I was already starting to look forward to that mome-…
Peek: Even I’m getting all in a flutter for no reason…
‘Mm? Why is Miss Trainee Teacher here? Get out already before I report you!’
“You too!”
I tore away Saintess H’s drenched ‘castle gates’ and hurled it towards a certain direction.
“Aagh?! V-Venerable Saint! That’s…!”
Splat!
The triangle-shaped piece of cloth I threw covered the face of the golem which had been continuing to get on my nerves from a while ago; its adhesive strength was very much excellent due to being wet. With this, its sight was completed blocked out. The golem’s body made of rock trembled hard as if feeling deep regret, but it didn’t move due to its mission of being a watchman.
“Venerable Saintess, don’t mind it.”
“How can I no-… Hauh…!?”
It was adult time from here on out.
*
*
*
Several days had passed after that happening, and Saintess H—who was conquered even as far as her ‘inner ward’, which had not once permitted external invasion in her lifetime—welcomed the visit of her vanquisher today as well. Without reserve, I stuck a ‘straw’ in her.
Swuurl-
And sucked in.
Once, twice, five times, ten times…
▷Race: Grand Human
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Saintess(Faith→Resurrection↑)
▷Skills: Immortal(SSS) Faith(SS) Divinity(SS) Glamor(S) Virtue(S)…
▷Condition: Excited, Delighted, Happy
As I had guessed, Saintess H was special; her Divinity(SS) never ran dry no matter how much I sucked on it. There were some among the demon worshipers who also had SS-rank Divinity, but their power had ended up drained in no time when I stuck in a straw and absorbed it. Saintess H’s Divinity, however, was infinite, evidence of an external influence which wasn’t being shown in her Status.
Tsss…
The Dark Energy that I injected into Saintess H was all extinguished. I speculated that this also was due to an external influence outside of her Status.
Explanation: You’re right. The festival can’t proceed if the Saintess who is supposed to receive the guests either dies or becomes corrupt, after all. That’s also why the security system of the great temple is abnormally high.
Miss Trainee Teacher affirmed my guess.
It was nothing bad for me, however.
Divinity(A)→Divinity(SS)
Previously having merely reached A-rank in the Skill even after absorbing all the Divinity possessed by the 514 demon worshipers in the great temple, I was able to raise it further until achieving SS-rank—all thanks to Saintess H who had infinite Divinity! But I wasn’t able to reach SSS-rank in the end, as my proficiency level had stopped at 99.99%.
I didn’t worry, however; I already knew the method to solve this problem.
“The time’s come to use those points.”
I had at last finished reforming all of the demon worshipers. While I could have made them all submit within a single day had I so wished, I had intentionally controlled the timing.
Saintess H wasn’t the only one within the great temple: mermaids, gardeners, cleaners, cooks… I had needed to fool all of them.
Of course, there was no need to be concerned with Saintess H now, as her mind and spirit had turned pitch-black after having spent days listening to over 500 demon worshipers sing my praises on and on. Her body and heart was within my grasp as well. As for what was left now?
“I don’t know if she can be systematically subordinated.”
I couldn’t tell this until I tried.
As of now I had 1028 points, and the price I’d forced on Saintess H through fabrications was 500 points. I had gathered enough points to have plenty leftover even after purchasing her; however, whether this would be allowed by the system was a separate issue that remained to be seen.
First…
[Low-grade Divinity Increase Potion: 3 points]
[Middle-grade Divinity Increase Potion: 7 points]
[High-grade Divinity Increase Potion: 13 points]
[Top-grade Divinity Increase Potion: 20 points]
…
After buying all the potions that raised the Skill proficiency of Divinity, I continued chugging them down until my rank rose.
And at last…
Divinity(SS)→Divinity(SSS)
My proficiency level broke through 99.99% and my rank reached SSS-rank. Perhaps this was exactly how a Murim martial expert felt when they crossed over a wall!
“… It’s amazing?”
I could utter nothing else after confirming the effect had by this advancement.
As for the leftover dregs of potions, I evenly shared them between the K father and daughter as if showing generosity. With this, the two now had a way to break through the angels’ god-mode cheat.
“Ooh! Thank you so much!”
“For Sir Hero to give us these precious potions…”
‘There’s nothing to be grateful about. I’m only giving you these so as to avoid dying a dog’s death by the angels’ hands, after all.’
In addition to those potions, I purchased weapons imbued with the element of ‘Dark Energy’. These were also for the K pair.
If they still died with all this, then that couldn’t be helped.
“Venerable Saint, you have 896 points remaining,” Saintess H said, having accompanied me to the treasure storehouse as the supervisor. She was fidgeting with the price tag hung by her neck even as she spoke.
[A Certain Saintess’ Everything: 500 points]
I fell into thought while stroking my chin. Since I had raised Divinity to SSS-rank, I had no further business with Saintess H; I didn’t really feel the need to invest 500 points in her. While that was indeed the case…
“I’m curious is what I’m saying.”
What would happen if the guide(Saintess H) didn’t appear in the prologue?
If I could witness the panicking sight of the graduates who had just entered the Hero Festival, 500 points wouldn’t be wasted!
In addition, this was certain to cause neck-aching stress to the teaching staff who had prepared the festival. When taking all that into consideration, it was absolutely a hot deal.
Dismay: Student Kang Han Soo, are you really going to do it?
‘Miss Trainee Teacher, are you really asking that?’
But I wouldn’t do so immediately; I began to quickly use up the remaining points I had.
[Low-grade Summon Increase Potion: 2 points]
[Middle-grade Summon Increase Potion: 5 points]
[High-grade Summon Increase Potion: 9 points]
[Top-grade Summon Increase Potion: 14 points]
…
Skill: Summon. A Skill that I didn’t have. I intended on trying it out as Holy Sword 2 had remained even after regressing thanks to Black-Box’s effect—would a being summoned by myself also be kept? To confirm this, I forcibly raised the proficiency of the Skill, ‘Summon’, by the power of potions without training or study!
Summon(F)→Summon(E)→Summon(D)
I had barely achieved D-rank even after gulping down all those potions. It felt a bone-deep pain at not having a Hero’s perk of EXP 500%; however, I didn’t become disappointed, as this was only a Skill meant for an experiment.
Afterwards, I stretched out my hand towards the potion which I had my eye on from the first day here.
[Low-grade Storage Expansion Potion: 5 points]
[Middle-grade Storage Expansion Potion: 10 points]
[High-grade Storage Expansion Potion: 15 points]
[Top-grade Storage Expansion Potion: 20 points]
…
Skill: Storage. A Skill that I had never seen even once before in Fantasia’s continents.
‘Miss Trainee Teacher? Explanation please!’
Troubled: It’s as you guessed, Student Kang Han Soo. The mobile four-dimensional storage is a prohibited Skill that isn’t released in Fantasia’s continents. You can’t build up a team spirit if the need to divide heavy burdens with your companions disappears, right? There was also the intention to raise the festival participation rate of the graduates with this Skill as bait.
I deeply agreed with that reasoning, as I had also recruited ‘Porter’ back in the 2nd Playthrough. There was nothing to contemplate about purchasing this.
I cleanly bought up all of the Storage Expansion Potions in the treasure storehouse and used them.
Storage(F)→Storage(E)→Storage(D)
I thought of confirming later on as to how much could be stored with the Skill at D-rank.
Now, for the remaining points?
“Venerable Saint, you have 535 points remaining,” Saintess H informed me in an anxious tone. Her eyes had also turned extremely desperate, unlike how they were relaxed in the beginning.
535 points.
I thought on with while rubbing my chin—and then made a decision.
[Low-grade Energy Increase Potion: 1 point]
[A Certain Imperial Princess’ Garter Belt: 34 points]
[A Certain Saintess’ Everything: 500 points]
Light enveloped Saintess H and the garter belt, signifying that they had become bound to me. I had been feeling uncertain as to whether it would succeed, but it really had. As for the insignificant dosage of Energy Potion, I chugged it down immediately!
With this, I had used up all the points I had.
Resigned: Who will carry on the event if the festival-exclusive Saintess becomes bound to a single individual? I don’t know anymore either…
‘Haha! Miss Trainee Teacher, think easy thoughts. The festival won’t fall apart just because of one Saintess being take-… Mm?’
Creak!
Drrrk!
The two golems, that had been standing guard by the treasure storehouse’s entrance like a pair of ministers, turned to look at me, and rushed over without even an advance warning.
“Now this I didn’t expect!”
Was it because a problem had occurred to the core of the great temple, Saintess H? Still, facing two golems was within my capability.
Swiftly summoning forth Holy Sword 2 and amplifying my Skills, I proceeded to engage the golems, charging over like bulls, in close combat.
And then there was a flash of light!
Crash-!
Slam-!
The two golems that had collapsed backward tumbled about the treasure storehouse. Cracks appeared in the walls and floor, and many of the rewards were destroyed or were sent flying everywhere. The golems’ sturdy bodies weren’t unscathed either.
“Hahah!”
I let loose a burst of laughter at the sight.
The golems guarding the great temple were definitely strong; however, as someone under the divine protection of Divinity(SSS), they weren’t my opponents. Perhaps it should be said it was a bad matchup for them.
Creak!
Creaak!
The other golems scattered across the great temple noticed the unusual disturbance and activated in unison.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
3,139 giants began to swarm towards the treasure storehouse.
“Venerable Saint…!”
“Sir Hero…!”
Saintess H and Elf K turned to look at me with anxious faces.
As for Boss K?
He was in the middle of going around the treasure storehouse amidst this emergency situation, diligently scarfing down various Skill increasing potions.
His eyes happening to meet mine, he yelled, “Gulp! I shall become strong and help you! Sir Hero!”
‘You sure talk well while focusing on chugging down Energy Increase Potions!’
“It’s fine. There are plenty of guys who’ll help other than you.”
I activated Dark Energy(SSS) in tandem with Divinity(SSS).
Swaaaa-
Mourning: Seniors…
There wasn’t only a horde of golems inside the great temple—the 514 demon worshipers following me were on standby throughout the place, having waited for the day of vengeance against the great temple that imprisoned them.
And that moment had finally arrived.
“Wipe them all out.”
‘Annihilate not only the great temple’s golems, but even Start City!’
The Saint event itself had ended.
Starting now was the exciting massacre event.