Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 395 Total Annihilation!

Inside a quiet bar.

Duncan's imposing figure slowly pushed open the door and entered. In front of him, a young man with a comical clown face was leaning against the wall, watching him. After noticing Duncan's gaze, he gave a slightly friendly smile, then raised his tequila and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Not far from him, a petite but slender girl crossed her arms over her chest, supporting her heavy breasts, and her pale green eyes scrutinized him from head to toe.

This must be the Dream Musician.

Duncan recalled Vera's hesitant reports of information she had gathered while serving him. The person before him had a small amount of fairy blood. However, Duncan's focus was on the other person's waist. That strange belt was a high-level artifact with a curse effect. Very few people knew that it was the legendary 'gender-changing belt'.

This was something the Great Mother of Bliss deliberately told Vera, the Priestess of Pleasure, and then relayed to Duncan through her, to avoid some unnecessary trouble, since not everyone is into this kind of thing.

Moreover, this Dream Musician is indeed somewhat bisexual, making him an outlier even within the Pleasure Cult.

At that moment, a handsome middle-aged man with a mustache walked over, handed Duncan a glass of wine, and noticed his gaze. The man's lips moved slightly, and his voice went directly to Duncan's ears, his tone slightly teasing: "Big, isn't it?"

"It was created by magic."

Seemingly sensing that he was secretly communicating with Duncan through magic tricks, the dream musician glared at him fiercely.

A master of the stage.

The two strongest fighters in the entire Scarlet Actors group are the clown and the stage master, both of whom can fight head-on.

The clown possesses the abilities of a sorcerer, while the stage master, unaware of his own abilities, seems to possess many special powers.

The Dream Musician is a sorcerer who specializes in illusion magic.

There is another person.

Duncan used his God's-eye view to pinpoint the corner of the bar where someone was lurking—a tall, thin man who seemed to have some half-elf blood.

"I told you he could find me."

"Give me money."

Shadow Dancer Kevin appeared, shrugged, and grinned at the others, saying, "We won."

The other two looked slightly unwilling. The Dream Musician took out a gem and threw it to the clown next to him, while the Stage Master threw a strange pipe over.

"They all say you are the guardian of the big treasury, possessing a powerful insight that can see through stealth and invisibility."

The clown took the gem, flipped his hand, and it vanished as if by magic.

This is a temptation.

They need to see just how good Duncan really is.

Duncan wasn't angry. Instead, he calmly looked over the crowd and focused on the elegant and beautiful woman at the very back who was curiously examining him. He said indifferently, "Didn't I only need four people?"

"who is she?"

Duncan only asked the Great Mother of Bliss for the main cast of Scarlet Actors; he couldn't command the Archbishop of the Red Curtain, so to avoid confusion, he didn't ask him to take charge.

Upon hearing Duncan's words, the beautiful woman in the corner stood up gracefully, her posture very composed, as if she were a leading lady emerging from the darkness, and smiled, "Cherstar White, from the South."

"I have been fortunate to receive the care of the Mother of Great Bliss during this time, so I intend to do my part."

Duncan noticed the emblem on her chest: Sunny, the goddess of love and also the chief goddess of joy.

Although he is a main god, he is still very weak.

Duncan frowned slightly, looking her up and down before his gaze fell on the staff in her hand. He disliked surprises and even more so, he disliked unnecessary complications.

Seeing Duncan's silence, Cesta White felt a little embarrassed and even ashamed. Her elegant composure as a leading lady was gone. Fortunately, she had heard of Duncan and knew that this man was serious and cold to the point of being harsh and difficult to deal with.

She thought she was a near-legendary pastor, and that Duncan would be overjoyed to receive her help, but to her surprise, she looked at him with disdain.

This woman is indeed a help, but if she dies here, it would be a problem.

The pastor, favored by God, has died.

Even the Mother of Great Bliss will have a headache for a while.

She volunteered to participate partly because she had indeed received the care of the Great Blissful Mother, and partly because she longed for a thrilling adventure to showcase her talents. Moreover, as the chief goddess of the alliance of many goddesses, the Goddess of Love may be a novice, but she is truly capable when it comes to matters.

This even influenced the priests who believed in her; regardless of their fighting strength, they would genuinely help when needed.

But how much fighting power can a priest who believes in the goddess of love have besides talking about love (in bed)?
At least a 30% discount.

If she were a member of the Pleasure Cult, Duncan would have sent her away immediately, but she worships the goddess of pleasure, so even the Great Mother of Bliss would probably be in a bit of a dilemma.

Duncan tossed the woman aside, his sharp gaze sweeping over the Scarlet Actors troupe before him. He said in a low voice, "I know you don't believe me yet."

As he said this, his gaze swept over the other three, only briefly touching the clown.

Three yellow neutral markers.

For some reason, the clown has become a friendly unit.

"But the Order of Suffering has repeatedly attempted to assassinate the Mother of Great Bliss."

"The situation in Sergant is unstable right now. The Pleasure Cult is being provoked time and time again. If they don't take any action soon, enemies from all sides will swarm in."

"At that time, not only will the church's power be severely damaged, but even Lady Joy's prestige will be affected."

Duncan got straight to the point, skipping over the Mother of Great Bliss and elevating the issue to a matter concerning the reputation of Lady of Joy.

The expressions of the others present immediately turned serious. Faith is not something to joke about; it concerns one's future status in the divine kingdom. Especially the clown, who has the divine grace of the goddess of joy, had a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.

Duncan gazed at the crowd and said slowly, "I need you in the next operation."

"Obey my orders unconditionally."

"And I will lead you to victory and make the enemies of the provoking lady pay the price."

His words were filled with strong confidence. He glanced around and said coldly, "If you can't do it, you can leave now."

"I will look for other people."

It wasn't until this moment that his gaze fell upon the beautiful woman, a pretty vase. In Duncan's eyes, the priestess of the goddess of love was the ultimate vase.

The others remained silent until the stage master spoke first, shrugging and saying, "I'm fine."

That's what it says.

People are still a marker of neutrality; anyone can say nice things.

At this moment, Cesta-White whispered, "I will follow your arrangements, as long as it does not go against the will of the goddess."

The words fell.

She was transformed into a light green marker unit.

The entire Scarlet Performers cult, except for the clown who was marked in green, consisted of three other units that were neutral in yellow, though they all outwardly expressed no objection.

interesting.

Surprisingly, it was the foreign aid who first switched sides; the other three are most likely confidants of the Archbishop of the Red Curtain.

But as long as it's agreed on the surface, it can still be used.

In this case, we can't be picky anymore.

Duncan nodded slowly, gestured to the clown beside him, and then said, "We're leaving tonight."

"The clown, come with me."

After saying that, he turned and left, already thinking about his next move and how to win over these people.

Neutrality is neutrality.

The King of Kings conquers not only women, but also men; they will submit to him.

The clown glanced at his companions around him, shrugged, and quickly followed. The others remained silent, merely watching Duncan's departing figure with a hint of distrust in their eyes, or perhaps someone had sown discord among them. Certain sources of information were detrimental to Duncan, leaked 'accidentally' by the church's higher-ups.

Duncan led the clown to a secluded hotel outside the temple district.

There are already people waiting inside.

There were six people in total, all of whom were mid-to-high-level professionals. They had a bandit-like air about them, and the one-eyed man in the lead didn't look like a good person; he looked like a ruthless pirate leader.

Duncan raised his head slightly, glanced around, his gaze sweeping over the wanderers, assassins, and ronin. At his signal, a servant brought in an unusually heavy box.

"Open it and see," Duncan gestured for them to open it themselves.

The box was locked.

At the back of the crowd, a thin wanderer with a mocking smile stepped forward at his companion's signal. His fingers flew across the keyboard, a lock-picking tool appeared, and with a click, the specially designed lock was pried open.

Very good, you've got some skills.

The one-eyed man at the head of the group drew his sword in an instant, as fast as a whirlwind, and pried open the box with the blade. In a flash, golden light shone, and the pile of gold inside made the others breathe heavily.

"This is a deposit."

Duncan surveyed the mercenaries, left behind an entire crate containing 15,000 Kindle coins, and calmly said before leaving, "You should know who you're working for."

"I need your absolute obedience."

Only with a generous reward can brave men be found.

To expect someone to work their life away for a pittance is to underestimate them. Duncan has always been generous, but if you take his money, you have to work, or you'll lose your head.

Until Duncan left.

These outlaws stared at the box before them. One of the ronin, holding his curved sword, said solemnly, "Boss."

"This guy seems different from his previous employers."

The one-eyed pirate-looking man had a solemn expression and said in a deep voice, "Duncan Starfall, I've heard of his deeds, a ruthless fellow."

"But whatever."

"This is a crucial opportunity for us to go ashore and launder our money."

"As long as you can get in touch with the Church of Wealth, everyone can obtain a respectable status in the future."

To launder one's money and gain legal status.

Don't underestimate these goddesses just because their churches aren't very powerful. They are, after all, true gods recognized by the secular world, which is a semi-official status, making them far superior to these adventurers who make a living through shady means.

Outside the hotel.

The clown's voice suddenly rang out, "Why did you bring me here?" This was practically a revelation of his identity.

Duncan didn't turn around, and calmly said, "Because you have the grace of the Lady of Joy."

"You are different from them."

The clown's expression seemed to indicate that he was deep in thought.

Duncan said calmly, "No matter how the Church of Wealth and the Church of Pleasure fight, it's a matter between their own people."

"As long as Ms. Fortune hasn't officially fallen out with Ms. Joy."

"Then they are all the closest allies." (best friends)
Duncan turned and stared at the clown beside him, his face expressionless, and said, "Do you know why the Church of Wealth has a far greater influence than the Cult of Pleasure?"

"Because they distinguish very clearly."

Even if the Goddess of Wealth suddenly disappeared, even if the Lady of Joy took over the duties of the Goddess of Wealth, even if the Cult of Pleasure tried to undermine them, they understood the gravity of the situation.

The meat was cooked until it was tender in the pot.

Even if members of the Church of Wealth convert to the Church of Pleasure, does that mean their previous relationships and beliefs are no longer valid?

After the wealthy lady returned, quite a few people immediately went back.

The covenant between the two goddesses still stands.

They fight amongst themselves for what they own, but it's a completely different story when someone else tries to take a piece of their meat.

The Mother of Great Bliss cannot die.

On such a crucial matter concerning the very foundation of their sects, the Five Fierce Women saw things more clearly than the Master of Carnival, and even more clearly than the Mother of Great Bliss, because they knew that if the Mother of Great Bliss were also assassinated at this critical juncture of the Lady of Wealth's disappearance, then the secular influence of both sects would truly collapse.

When the time comes, it will be a case of "when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken."

The Holocaust only ended a few years ago, right?
Neither of the goddesses had any outstanding achievements during this period, making them easy to be underestimated. Then, just as the Holy Cataclysm ended, someone attempted to assassinate the High Priestess of the Cult of Pleasure (similar to a Patriarch). This was not just a slap in the face; it was an attempt to undermine their foundation in Serganth.

The Church of Wealth would protect the Mother of Bliss when necessary, and the Mother of Bliss herself gradually realized this, which led to her close cooperation with Duncan.

This is essentially tacit consent.

No matter how much they fight for power, that's their internal affair. The Church of Wealth and the Church of Pleasure are already under a joint rule, it's just a matter of who is in charge and who is secondary. Whether Lady Wealth will return in the future, and what changes will occur after her return, is anyone's guess. But for now, they are still the closest allies.

This is the value of united front work.

It was also the key to Duncan's fearless and secret revelation of his identity, but some idiots were so excited that they couldn't understand how to trip him up.

Duncan doesn't have much prestige yet, but once he achieves results, it will be time to take them down.

With the might of his great victory, even the Mother of Great Bliss had to bow her head before him.

This achievement is something even Lady Joy cannot ignore. The Great Mother of Bliss was merely a mortal she favored, a member of her harem. If Duncan could defeat the opposing cult, anyone who isn't a fool would know which is more important.

As Duncan finished speaking, the clown's mark completely turned green. He bowed respectfully to Duncan and then quickly disappeared into the shadows.

Before leaving, he respectfully said, "The High Priest of Joy will provide you with all necessary assistance!"

We stand united against external forces.

Duncan needs to unite his forces, eliminate external enemies first, and then clean up the mess at home.

If it weren't for the infighting between the Church of Wealth and the Church of Pleasure, the enemy wouldn't dare to act so recklessly.

It is, after all, a church of two true gods.

Duncan's gaze was calm. Before setting off, he went to the secret stronghold of the five fierce women, Della Isgil. When he returned, he had a strange elven warbow and twenty-one enchanted arrows.

The group set off as night fell, moving stealthily from the direction of the Aken River towards Serren, the territory of the Bailong Cult.

The first light of dawn.

In a secluded valley, suppressed groans of pain could be heard.

As a tall, thin half-elf crouched on the cliff face on the side of the valley, the clown's figure also crept in from the shadows.

"Those lunatics are performing a ritual of 'pure pain'."

Shadow Dancer Kevin glanced at the situation below and whispered, "They're almost finished with their prayers."

Duncan did not lead them directly to destroy the enemy's stronghold.

Instead, he would practice on nearby strongholds first. He needed to intimidate these people with a glorious victory until they were completely subservient to him and willing to obey his orders.

The priests of Lauvita would whip themselves in the morning and then kneel and pray to receive divine magic.

Her followers hold a ceremony called "Pure Torment" on the four seasonal festival days of the year. Priests will walk barefoot on barbed wire, sharp corners, or broken glass, then form a circle to sing hymns and dance. At the same time, high-ranking priests will wield their whips and randomly "bless" those who are whipped, who are considered to be favored by the goddess of torment.

They also hold a small ceremony called "Candle Flame," in which they sing hymns and dance in prayer around a burning candle, then continuously burn their bodies with the candle until a high priest extinguishes the flame with holy wine.

Whips, candles, self-torture.

Lauveta's church not only tormented others but also tormented themselves, believing that suffering was the only way to achieve spiritual elevation.

The ceremony below has now reached its climax.

Soon their agonizing journey would begin. Before that, several believers, both men and women, knelt around the altar, shirtless, covered in scars. Priests burned them with burning candles, first dripping wax, then directly roasting them with the candle flame, praying to the goddess of torment in agony.

“What a bunch of lunatics!” Cesta-White’s expression was one of disgust, but his eyes were fixed on the direction of the candle flame ceremony, a mixture of curiosity and revulsion.

Believers in the goddess of love sometimes use candles, but not in such a cruel way.

They were purely pursuing sensory pleasure.

Duncan had already activated his omniscient perspective. He glanced around at the others present and said in a deep voice, "Proceed according to plan!"

Everyone nodded and quickly went about their tasks.

A breeze blew by.

Suddenly, black tentacles stretched out from around the altar of the Pain Cult. They frantically wrapped around everything nearby, strangling, binding, and tightening. Some of the outermost believers had their necks snapped on the spot, while the priests near the altar were also trapped by the tentacles. Before they could react, a barrage of sharp arrows pierced the air.

call out.

Blood splattered.

Just as a high-ranking priest on the periphery was about to chant a spell, an arrow pierced his forehead, almost penetrating his skull.

"The Magic Archer!"

"careful!"

Someone exclaimed.

But before he could make a move, a sharp arrow pierced his throat, interrupting his spellcasting.

"Many high-level spells in this world have a casting time of around 3 to 6 seconds."

"And I didn't even need a second to shoot them."

If attacked during spellcasting, one needs to maintain focus; any disturbance could interrupt the spellcasting.

A close-range strike or a long-range shot—hesitating for even a second is disrespectful to the caster.

Blood suddenly appeared.

A one-eyed pirate captain, wielding a sharp blade, led his men in. In the darkness, wanderers lurked, their poisoned daggers aimed straight for vitals; a successful backstab was almost always an instant kill.

The shadow dancers moved and leaped through the shadows as if flashing, carrying out targeted kills according to Duncan's orders. In the ten minutes leading up to the operation, Duncan had almost marked all the first batch of enemy targets to be eliminated. With the advantage of a god-like perspective, Duncan knew which units posed the greatest threat and could micromanage them based on their combat strength.

A sneak attack is always the most lethal in the first wave.

Caught off guard, the Church of Pain lost several high-ranking priests in just three minutes. The remaining members were almost powerless to resist. With the priests eliminated, under Duncan's command, the Scarlet Actor's members began to swarm and kill the church's torturers, executioners, and victims.

The entire battle was swift and efficient.

ten minutes later.

After the battle ended, Duncan put away his elven warbow and looked at the corpses scattered all over the ground. When his cold gaze fell on the people in front of him again, under his pressure, almost everyone turned into green-marked units.

Complete victory.

Annihilated.

The members of the Crimson Dancers were horrified. Even after the battle ended, they were still in disbelief. They had never fought such a favorable battle in their eight lifetimes.

From reconnaissance of the enemy to battle planning, the entire torture cult was annihilated.

The whole process takes twenty minutes.

Without wasting a single moment, from the surprise attack to the encirclement, the battle had already completely turned in their favor within the first three minutes of the fight.

None of them suffered any casualties.

Duncan's command of the battle situation was beyond their comprehension. In an era where adventurer squads were the norm, Duncan's battlefield command was almost overwhelming. He could mobilize thousands of troops, and commanding a ten-man squad for special operations and decapitation strikes was a piece of cake for him.

He sniped the priests, strangled the cult guards, and even wiped out the sentries stationed on the perimeter.

Duncan, with a god-like perspective, made a brief but brilliant run, achieving a flawless victory.

If one were to join the Church of War or the Church of the Goddess of Strategy, one could easily receive divine grace.

Cesta-White, acting as the backup healer, observed the entire battle from the sidelines. She was the one who saw it most clearly because she hadn't participated in the fight herself. She only felt that the command of this battle was as captivating as art, decisive and efficient. The enemy was clearly not weak, yet they had no power to resist. They only encountered a slight obstacle when they attacked the secret temple in the valley at the end.

But it only delayed him for less than two minutes before Duncan blew it up inside.

"Clean the battlefield."

"Ten minutes later, we will head to the next stronghold of the Church of Pain."

"We can't give them any time to react."

Duncan's expression was cold, his murderous gaze sweeping over the crowd as he said in a deep voice, "They must pay a heavy price for this!"

He intends to annihilate all enemy forces here.

This battle.

It wasn't meant for the Mother of Great Bliss, but for the Goddess of Joy, Lira.

………………

(End of this chapter)