Three days later, at the frontier city. Dusk, with light rain falling. The scented wind blurred the remaining light of the sunset, giving the twilight hues of the frontier city a unique laziness. Thin streams of water flowed down the eaves of the city-state’s buildings. Autumn was nearing its end, and winter was gradually approaching. The streets of the small town were sparsely populated, with vendors having gone home early.

Ansu, holding an umbrella, walked on a desolate city path towards the direction of the Glorious Cathedral. He had received news at noon that his recommendation to join the church had been approved. He was now heading to the cathedral to complete his registration, receive the holy seal, and become a preparatory saint.

In his previous life, Ansu was a streamer who specialized in speedrunning a game for seven cycles, each cycle challenging his own record, and pondering the quickest start and the most powerful faction. The life-sacrifice faction he developed in the sixth cycle had already set the world record for the fastest godhood attainment. By constantly absorbing ruthless individuals into the cult, making them work non-stop 24/7 to evoke their inner dark emotions, and "fattening" the cultists’ dark elements until they reached the fourth order, before slaughtering them all as a sacrifice to the goddess to harvest skill points. However, Ansu always felt there was room for improvement in his faction, room for it to become even more extreme.

In the seventh cycle, Ansu finally devised the simplest and most powerful start. Sadly, he died suddenly and transmigrated halfway through playing.

—Joining the Glorious Cathedral was the first step in forming his faction.

The Glorious Cathedral was located in the center of the frontier city. The sunset dyed the light rain orange, and the cathedral stood in the midst of this orange rain, magnificent and holy.

"Name."

The old priest in charge of registration yawned, seeming ready to go home, and thus sounded a bit impatient, not even looking up as he spoke to Ansu.

"Ansu Morningstar."

"Ansu Morningstar," he repeated, writing down Ansu's name before looking up, "Recommended by Lady Rokuja? The one from the Morningstar family?"

"That's right," Ansu said, narrowing his eyes.

"Hmph..." The old priest snorted softly, murmuring, "Nowadays, anyone can become a preparatory believer..."

The child of the Morningstar family, of course, he had heard of him, pitifully low in light elements, born causing the death of his own mother. It was the talk of the town at the time. Ironically, years later, this cursed child could become a preparatory saint of the Glorious Cathedral, even receiving the recommendation of a preparatory saintess. Most likely, it was the power of money at work.

How else could the preparatory saintess take notice of this cursed child?

And himself? Having served as the church’s gatekeeper for most of his life, he was still an external member, receiving a monthly stipend of one gold coin.

"Your holy seal is not yet completed." The priest didn’t look up. "We're closed now, come back tomorrow."

"Can't you make an exception?" Ansu said calmly.

He remembered it wasn’t yet closing time.

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"Closed means closed." The priest lowered his head to organize materials, no longer looking at Ansu, "Even if you're a noble, there are no special privileges."

He believed in the Glorious Goddess and despised such spoiled nobles the most.

The old priest wasn’t afraid of Ansu’s potential revenge, as the status of a preparatory saint was only temporary. Failing the saint test three times, the child would lose even his preparatory status.

How could this spoiled noble possibly pass the test?

The church’s entrance examination couldn’t be bribed with money.

The priest felt that by keeping Ansu out, he was protecting the holy church from the corruption of capital.

"I know what you're thinking," Ansu stared at the priest's face, "You think I obtained the recommendation through money."

"You misunderstood." The priest answered with a smirk, "Not at all. However, I just don’t want the smell of money tainting the presence of the Goddess."

"No. Actually, you're right." Ansu responded with a smile, candidly saying, "I am rich."

Ansu's frankness surprised the priest.

Who admits to their faults so openly and cheerfully!

But what shocked him more was Ansu’s next action—placing a heavy bag of money on the counter. At a rough estimate, there were at least sixty gold coins.

This is the foyer, in front of everyone.

Who bribes so openly!

"This money, I'll leave it with you for now," Ansu said, "Can I go in now?"

The old priest stared at the bag of coins, swallowing hard. The evil scent of money had yet to corrupt the holy church, but it seemed about to corrode this faithful old saint first.

It was really the blatant bribery that was too overt!

"...This is your preparatory saint certificate."

The old priest discreetly pocketed the bag of coins, handing a copper seal to Ansu, "The Glorious Church is one of the seven major orthodox churches. As a preparatory saint, you will enjoy certain rights."

As expected, it was already done, he just didn’t want to give it to him.

Ansu wasn’t upset, taking the holy seal and wearing it on his chest.

"As a preparatory saint... as long as you contribute to the elimination of heretical cults, you can accumulate faith points on your seal. By praying to the statue of the Goddess, you can exchange for lower-level blessings from the Goddess—to exchange for blessings above the lower level, you must become an official saint."

By hunting heretical cultists to accumulate faith points and using these points for upgrades, this was the traditional faction from his past life, the 'Witch-Hunting Saint Faction'.

Ansu listened impatiently to the priest explaining rules he already knew.

Why isn’t there a skip button...

Would skipping the storyline skip life?

"Now, go pray to the Goddess to activate your seal," the old priest added, "First-time believers praying might receive a title blessing from the Goddess."

"Of course..." He glanced at Ansu with slight annoyance, his lips moved, but ultimately, considering the money, he swallowed the last half of his words.

'You definitely don’t stand a chance.'—He wanted to say this to Ansu.

Ansu took the token, crossing the foyer into the church.

The rain had stopped outside, the setting sun shattered by the dome's stained glass into scattered light spots, covering the statue of the Glorious Goddess.

There were still many believers in the church, it seemed that the old priest's claim of closing... was a lie to Ansu.

Ansu wasn’t upset, walking straight to the statue, clasping his hands, and quietly praying.

He could feel the saint's seal gradually establishing a connection with him.

"Is that young man a preparatory saint?"

"He seems so devout... Is this his first prayer?"

"So young, and this young man's face is so handsome...?"

"He's dressed so lavishly, must be a noble."

"Do you think he can receive a title blessing from the Goddess ?"

"It's very difficult... Those who receive a title on their first prayer are one in a thousand... but he's so handsome!"

The female believers whispered among themselves, all discussing Ansu who stood before the statue, especially the young girls with flushed ears, admiring his delicate profile.

Ansu ignored these murmuring voices, fully immersing himself in communication with the statue of the Goddess.

As the saint's seal gradually activated, divine and magnificent voices began echoing in his ears.

Ansu's lips curved into a smile.

【Ansu】

【Magic Points: 3】

【Preparatory Saint】

【Current Faith Points: +15 (for eradicating twenty first-order disciples and one third-order priest of the Goddess of Life cult)】

【As a Preparatory Saint, you may exchange for lower-level blessings, or attribute points for your body.】

Just as expected!

He felt a joy like that of a bountiful harvest.

The twenty-one cultists he sacrificed were counted as faith points in the judgment of the Glorious Church.

He had only made one sacrifice but was able to claim rewards twice: once from the Goddess of Life and once from the Glorious Church.

This was the ultimate faction Ansu had developed—The Light-Dark Priest Faction!

It was an upgrade from the Life-Sacrifice Faction he developed in his sixth cycle!

By joining the Glorious Church and becoming a saint to qualify for exchanging blessings, and then capturing heretics to sacrifice to the Goddess of Life, on one hand, the Goddess of Life received dark sacrifices and granted Ansu her blessings.

On the other hand, by eradicating the evil heretics and eliminating the darkness on behalf of the Glorious Church, the Goddess of Light would grant him blessings once again.

Believing in the Holy Light ≠ Not making sacrifices.

His vow to Rokuja was 'never to sacrifice the innocent again,' not 'never to make sacrifices!'

Are cultists innocent?

No.

And Ansu would never sacrifice ordinary people, for how much darkness could commoners possess?

Of course, it's about exploiting whoever has more darkness!

Merging the Life-Sacrifice Faction and the Witch-Hunting Saint Faction,

This so-called double win was precisely that.

The Goddess of Life wins once, the Goddess of Light wins once,

And Ansu wins twice!