Double Win Means I Win Twice

Three days later, Border City.

At dusk, a light rain was falling.

The warm breeze blurred the last rays of sunset. Border City's twilight possessed its own languid charm, with thin streams of water running down from the eaves of the buildings. Autumn was nearing its end and winter was steadily approaching. Few people could be seen on the streets, and the vendors had already packed up and gone home early.

Ansu walked beneath an umbrella along the deserted streets, heading toward the Radiant Cathedral.

He had only received the news at noon: his recommendation to join the church had been approved.

Now, he was going to the cathedral. Once he completed the registration and received his Holy Seal Mark, he would become a Reserve Saint.

In his previous life, Ansu had been a Seventeenth Cycle speedrun streamer. In every cycle, he challenged his own records, researching the fastest openings and the strongest schools of thought.

The Life Sacrifice School of Thought he had developed in the Sixteenth Cycle already held the world record for the fastest ascension to godhood.

By constantly recruiting vicious criminals into the church and making them work without pause for Twenty-four Hours a day, he stimulated the darkness in their hearts. He raised the believers' Dark Elements as though raising pigs, slaughtered them once they reached the fourth rank, then sacrificed them all to the goddess in exchange for skill points.

Yet Ansu had always felt that his school of thought still had room for refinement.

It was not extreme enough.

Then, in the Seventeenth Cycle, Ansu finally developed the simplest and strongest opening. Unfortunately, he had only made it halfway through before dying suddenly and transmigrating.

—Joining the Radiant Church was the first step in bringing his school of thought to fruition.

The Radiant Cathedral stood at the heart of Border City.

The setting sun tinted the drizzle orange, and the cathedral stood amid that orange rain, magnificent and sacred.

"Name."

The Old Priest in charge of registration at the entrance yawned. He looked ready to get off work and go home, so his tone was somewhat impatient as he spoke to Ansu without looking up.

"Ansu Morningstar."

"Ansu Morningstar." As he repeated the name, he wrote it down, then looked up. "Recommended by Lord Luojia? From the Morningstar Family?"

"That's right." Ansu narrowed his eyes.

"Hmph." The Old Priest snorted softly and muttered, "These days, just anyone can become a Reserve Saint."

Of course, he had heard of the Morningstar Family's child. There was pitifully little Light Element in his body, and he had caused his own mother's death at birth.

The entire city had been thrown into an uproar at the time.

Yet years later, that Child of Curse could ironically become a Reserve Saint of the Radiant Holy See—and even receive a recommendation from the Reserve Saintess.

He must have relied on money.

Otherwise, how could the Reserve Saintess possibly think highly of a Child of Curse like him?

And what about himself?

He had guarded the church's doors for most of his life, yet he had never received a recommendation. He was still only an unaffiliated employee, earning a monthly salary of one gold coin.

"Your Holy Seal Mark isn't ready yet." The Old Priest did not look up. "We're closed. Come back tomorrow."

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

He remembered that it was clearly not yet closing time.

"Closed means closed." The priest lowered his head to sort through the materials, no longer sparing Ansu a glance. "Even if you're a noble, you have no special privileges."

He believed in the Radiant Goddess and despised spoiled young nobles like this most of all.

The Old Priest was not afraid that Ansu would retaliate later. This Reserve Saint status was only temporary; if he failed the Saint Trial three times, even his reserve status would be Deprived.

How could this spoiled brat possibly pass the test?

The church entrance examination could not be bought with bribes.

The priest felt that by keeping Ansu outside, he was protecting the sacred cathedral 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 misunderstand." The priest replied with a fake smile. "Of course you didn't. I simply don't want the stench of money before the goddess's hall."

"No, actually, you're right." Ansu smiled in return and said brightly, "I'm rich."

Ansu's frankness actually startled the priest.

Who admitted their guilt so cheerfully?

But what shocked him even more was Ansu's next move—he directly placed a heavy money pouch on the counter.

By rough estimate, it contained at least sixty gold coins.

This was the main hall, and there were other people around.

Who bribed someone so openly?

"I'll leave this money in your care for now." Ansu asked, "Can I go in now?"

The Old Priest stared at the pouch of gold coins and swallowed. Before the evil aura of money could corrupt the sacred Holy See, it was about to corrupt him, a loyal old believer, first.

He could only blame this brat for bribing him too openly!

"...This is your Reserve Saint certificate."

The Old Priest discreetly slipped the bag of gold coins into his pocket and handed Ansu a copper badge. "The Radiant Holy See is one of the seven great orthodox churches. Once you become a Reserve Saint, you will enjoy certain privileges."

Sure enough, it had actually been ready long ago. He just hadn't wanted to give it to him.

Ansu was not angry. He took the Saint's Mark and wore it on his chest.

"As a Reserve Saint... as long as you contribute to the eradication of Esoteric Cultists, you can accumulate Faith Points in the badge. By praying to the goddess's statue, you can exchange them for low-level Divine Blessings—if you wish to exchange for blessings above the low level, you must become an official Saint."

Accumulating Faith Points by hunting Esoteric Cultists and using them to level up—this was the traditional school of thought from his previous life, the Witch-Hunting Saint School of Thought.

Ansu listened impatiently as the priest explained rules he had long known.

Why wasn't there a skip button?

Would skipping the plot skip his life too?

"Now, go inside and pray to the goddess. Activate your mark," the Old Priest added. "Believers praying for the first time may receive a Divine Blessing title."

"Of course." He cast Ansu a somewhat annoyed glance, his lips moving slightly. In the end, for the sake of the money, he swallowed the last half of his sentence.

You definitely have no chance.—That was what he had wanted to say to Ansu.

Taking the badge, Ansu passed through the front hall and entered the church.

The rain had already stopped outside. The sunset was shattered by the colored glass of the dome into scattered specks of light that blanketed the statue of the Radiant Goddess.

There were still quite a few worshippers in the church. It seemed the Old Priest had lied to Ansu when he said they were about to close.

Ansu was not angry either. He walked straight to In front of the statue, clasped his hands together, and prayed quietly.

He could feel the Saint's Mark in his hand gradually establishing a connection with him.

"Is that big brother a Reserve Saint?"

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

"He's so young, and his face is so handsome...?"

"He's dressed so extravagantly. He's a noble."

"Do you think he can receive a Divine Blessing title?"

"That'll be difficult, right? Those who receive a title on their first prayer are at least one in a thousand—but he's so handsome!"

The female believers below the platform murmured among themselves, all discussing Ansu before the statue. The young, inexperienced Maidens in particular found their ears turning slightly red as they looked at Ansu's refined profile.

Ansu ignored the noisy voices and devoted himself completely to communicating with the goddess's statue.

As the Saint's Mark gradually activated, a sacred and resplendent voice began to echo by his ear.

A smile curled across Ansu's lips.

Ansu

Magic Points: 3

Reserve Saint

Current Faith Points: +15 (eliminated twenty First-tier Cultists of the Mother God of Life Cult and one third-tier priest)

Reserve Saints may exchange for low-level blessings or add points to their body

Just as expected!

He felt the joy of a bountiful harvest.

The twenty-one Esoteric Cultists he had sacrificed were counted as Faith Points by the Radiant Holy Church.

He had only performed one sacrifice, yet he could claim two rewards: one from the Mother God of Life, and one from the Radiant Holy Church.

This was the ultimate school of thought Ansu had developed—the Light-Dark Priest School of Thought!

It was an upgraded version of the Sacrifice Style from his sixteenth playthrough!

Join the Radiant Holy See, become a Saint, gain the qualifications to exchange for blessings, then capture heretics and sacrifice them to the Mother God of Life. On one hand, the Mother God of Life received dark sacrifices and granted Ansu Mother's God's Blessing.

On the other hand, from the Radiant Holy Church's perspective, Ansu had destroyed Evil Heresy and eradicated darkness, so the Radiant Goddess granted him another Divine Blessing.

Believing in the Holy Light ≠ not making sacrifices.

The oath he had made to Luojia was, never again sacrifice innocent people, not never sacrifice at all!

Were Esoteric Cultists innocent people?

They were not.

Besides, Ansu had never intended to sacrifice ordinary civilians in the first place. How much Dark Element could ordinary civilians possibly have?

Of course, the darker they were, the more profitable they were!

By combining the Sacrifice Style with the Witch-Hunting Saint School of Thought, this was what a Double Win meant.

The Mother God of Life won once, the Radiant Goddess won once, and Ansu won twice!