Ansu Has Always Been the Mother Goddess's Most Loyal Believer

The last sliver of the setting sun was swallowed by the tombs of the mountains. There was no moon or stars tonight.

The hazy night sky was like a thick layer of lead, the dark clouds so heavy they seemed about to fall from the Sky Curtain. Occasionally, silver lightning would cut through the gaps between the clouds.

On the deserted path.

The patent leather carriage rolled over the night frost on the road, emitting a strange creaking sound.

This carriage departed from the Queen's District of Border City, swiftly passed through the border checkpoint, took a detour through a small path, and headed towards the wilderness. Concealed by the night, it traveled as if no one were present.

Maca knew he had hit the jackpot today.

He had pulled off a big score today.

On the surface, he was a carriage driver, but in reality, he was a Second-tier believer of the heresy, specifically the Mother God of Life Cult.

Border City, being far from the nation's center and situated at the junction of two countries, was outside central jurisdiction. Thus, it was also a breeding ground for the heresy to fester and spread.

The faith of the Mother Goddess of Life was particularly popular in the borderlands, with the cultists' hideouts scattered like stars around the city.

A Third-tier or Second-tier cultist serving as a priest, along with over a dozen First-tier ordinary followers—this was the typical setup for a Mother God cult hideout.

It wasn't that the Holy See was unwilling to eradicate them.

It was because the Mother God cult's hideouts operated independently, small and self-contained, mutually isolated, and not sharing information. Even if one hideout was eliminated, new ones would spring up like mushrooms after a rain.

Furthermore, their movements were very secretive, making it difficult for the Holy See to locate their hideouts.

Maca, wrapped in his cloak, a manic grin on his lips, continuously whipped his horses. He was already imagining how his goddess would reward him.

Inside his carriage, a noble young man was bound.

—It was none other than the recently sensationalized, blessed by the Holy Light, Child of Curse, Ansu Morningstar.

The Mother Goddess of Life had two favorite delicacies.

One was the Saints of the Holy Light Holy See, and the other was the Child of Curse, born of darkness.

As fate would have it, Ansu possessed both.

He was a Child of Curse, had been bestowed the title by the Holy Light, and was even an Acolyte Saint!

To the cultists, he was as conspicuous as a beacon in the dark. Coupled with the incessant publicity from the newspapers, countless eyes craved Ansu's very being.

If he could be sacrificed, the Mother Goddess's blessing would at least be a High-tier blessing.

Thinking of this, Maca couldn't help but marvel at the ease of this operation.

Thanks to the unscrupulous publicity from that unscrupulous gossip tabloid, Maca knew Ansu's daily activities like the back of his hand.

A bookworm like him was the easiest to abduct.

He woke up at six every morning, did three laps of morning exercises in the Queen's District, ate breakfast, and then went to the Holy See's library to read from seven in the morning until noon.

After lunch, he went to a private school on Pitt Avenue for tutoring, then returned to the Holy See to study law until the Holy See closed at eleven at night, finally walking home alone in the dark.

Sometimes he walked with the maid from his home; that girl looked frail and delicate.

The path he took home was remote and secluded, deserted—the perfect spot for robbery and kidnapping.

Maca had observed Ansu for several days, confirming that today was the opportune moment—the maid was conveniently absent.

He was a decisive believer; he acted as soon as the thought occurred. He pulled on a hood and went for it, subduing the boy in a flash, packing him up, and quickly leaving the city.

Thinking of this, Maca's spirits soared, his horse galloping faster as he sped towards the distance. He had already instructed his subordinates to prepare the altar and ritual implements in advance. As soon as they arrived, he would sacrifice the boy—to avoid any unforeseen complications.

The dark clouds pressed down even heavier. The lake that had accumulated across half the sky finally poured down. Raindrops hammered against the carriage wheels, against the muddy mountain path, splashing up murky water.

Unbeknownst to Maca, within the misty rain, a shadow stepped through the darkness, clinging to the carriage like a persistent curse. That shadow had amber pupils.

"My head really hurts. Couldn't you guys be a little gentler when you kidnap someone?"

When Ansu woke up, he was already positioned in the center of an altar, his nostrils filled with the scent of blood.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, surveying his surroundings. Dozens of cultists knelt densely around him, wearing brilliant gold masks symbolizing the Mother Goddess of Life.

Ansu felt a tinge of disappointment. The quality of this batch of cultists was really not high.

Looking around, most were First-tier believers, with few Second-tier ones.

It seemed this was just a small hideout, a notch below the cult hideout last time.

If he sacrificed all of them, he would only receive a Low-tier blessing, Ansu thought with some regret.

However, he could still claim a Low-tier blessing from the Holy Light Goddess, and combined, it would be equivalent to a Mid-tier blessing. Thinking this, Ansu felt satisfied again.

It's fine; every little bit counts.

If this batch of cultists isn't good, there will be the next batch.

That's right, this was his leveling plan.

While others fished, he fished for cultists!

He deliberately hired unscrupulous newspapers to leak his information and publicize it widely, luring the fanatical cultists to take the bait and kidnap him to be sacrificed.

The borderlands lacked many things, but they were never short of cults. Miss Enya had told him that several ill-intentioned gazes were already fixed on him.

That's really great.

Of course, Ansu wasn't without his backup plans.

It would be terrible if things went too far.

At this very moment, in the shadows of the night, amber pupils quietly watched Ansu, awaiting his command.

Enya Morningstar, a Fourth-tier assassin at just seventeen years old, was a genuine top-tier genius. Unfortunately, she died too early in the original story. Her background wasn't fully fleshed out yet—that must have been a major foreshadowing.

She was a top-tier powerhouse even in Border City.

She was also a trained assassin since childhood, who would execute his orders with absolute loyalty and no hesitation. That's why his father felt secure letting Ansu leave home; with Enya around, his son was basically safe.

If real danger arose, Miss Enya could wipe out this group of Esoteric Cultists in an instant.

Of course, Ansu wouldn't receive a blessing then.

The Holy Light Holy See's blessing required him to eliminate the Esoteric Cultists alone, while the Mother God of Life preferred live offerings; she didn't like dead bodies.

"Child, feel joy and happiness."

The Esoteric Cultist's hoarse, deep voice interrupted Ansu's thoughts, causing him to frown in annoyance.

Maca wore a crazed smile, his hands clasped and gripping his own scalp. Bloodshot pupils erupted from behind his golden mask. "You will soon return to Mother Goddess's embrace."

As he spoke, he smeared vermillion blood onto the altar, which was constructed from human bones. The empty eye sockets glowed with a dim light.

The scene before him was terrifying, yet Ansu merely hummed, "Using human bones for an altar, that's a creative touch."

"You think it's good too?" Maca asked, surprised by Ansu's lack of fear. "I have excellent taste."

"But your professional quality is terrible."

Ansu said regretfully, "These bones are too old. The Mother Goddess of Life prefers the bones of newborn infants. This skull you dug up from some grave must be rotten. It's so filthy."

"Mother Goddess loves vibrant life the most, not decaying death. The setup of a sacrificial altar reflects the quality of the individual."

Maca, who usually prided himself as an artist in the field of sacrifice, was now being questioned about his professional quality by a child. He was quite angered.

"Of course, I know infant skulls are best, but so what? As long as it works!"

"But this will lower the return rate during the sacrifice."

Ansu stated calmly, "Old people's bones won't please Mother Goddess; instead, they'll anger her. Through my experiments, I've found it reduces the reward by at least ten percent—this is something I cannot tolerate."

As a Speedrun Player, inefficiency was something Ansu could never stand.

He spoke with a serious expression and sincere, confident eyes.

For some reason, it was very convincing.

Damn it, whose altar is this anyway!

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Maca asked.

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