Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 398 Strikes hard
The Great Blissful Mother is undeniably both incompetent and a playful person.

As the high priestess of the Pleasure Cult and the mortal lover of the goddess of joy, Lira, in the original timeline, she was assassinated by the church of the goddess of torment, Lauvita, shortly after the end of the Holy Cataclysm. For a divinely favored person and the head of the church to die so mysteriously shows how weak she was, apart from being beautiful.

Also a top figure in the church, the High Priest of Baal, the god of murder next door, stirred up trouble. After Baal's fall, he was able to plot to use the son of the god of slaughter to resurrect the god he served, and he even almost killed Chanem to become a god himself.

It just goes to show how vast the differences are between people.

Fortunately, the Mother of Bliss had one advantage: she was very generous. The entire Scarlet Actor cast received extremely generous rewards, and Duncan even sent legendary items from the church's treasury.

Duncan had just rested when the Priestess of Joy delivered the land deed to a three-story mansion near the temple district, indentures for six servants, ownership of a shop along the street, and a whole bunch of other odds and ends.

From clothing, food, shelter, and transportation to the young maids who serve her, the Mother of Great Bliss arranges everything meticulously.

of course.

The most valuable item is the legendary artifact from the church's treasury—the Boots of Joyful Leap.

—"Boots of Joyful Leap (Legendary) (Relic): These are said to be the boots worn by the saintly incarnation of the goddess of joy, Lira, and possess extremely powerful magical abilities."

Characteristic 1: Acceleration (constant).

Feature 2: Significantly enhances skills such as jumping, rolling, climbing, and dancing, and greatly increases the height and distance of jumps.

Feature 3: The ability to perform 'Joyful Leap' three times a day is equivalent to the Blink spell.

Feature 4: Constant Feather Fall, which allows you to jump down from any height after activation.

Trait 5: Agility Enhancement +5.

[Note: The ability to move joyfully requires the divine grace of the goddess of joy. If this grace is removed, some of the artifact's functions as a sacred relic will be lost.]

It is said that it was originally a legendary pair of agility boots.

After the holy incarnation of the goddess of joy, Lira, arrived in Serganth, the Great Mother of Bliss offered it to Lira. Lira, after passing through it, was very fond of it and bestowed upon it additional abilities. However, because it was not infused with divine power, it was merely a church artifact and relic, and was not upgraded to a lesser divine artifact.

The goddess of joy, Lira, possesses very few artifacts. She uses most of her divinity to maintain her own power, as she has no glorious achievements in history.

nice one.

Duncan accepted it without hesitation.

If they had been willing to let him use it, he could have single-handedly taken down that group of assassins. However, without achieving great feats, the Mother of Bliss would never have revealed her most treasured legendary artifact.

As for why she herself doesn't wear it?
The Great Bliss Mother adored her magnificent enchanted crystal shoes. These agile boots could be worn by both men and women. Although they were powerful, they looked rather ugly on her, failing to showcase her beautiful, pearl-like toes.

Strength is only temporary, but appearance is for a lifetime.

She values ​​her charm more than her abilities because her crystal shoes make her even more radiant (charm enhancement).

The Mother of Great Bliss was favored by the Goddess of Pleasure, meaning she was the one being played with on the bottom. All her status stemmed from the favor of the Lady of Pleasure, and winning the Lady of Pleasure's favor naturally relied on her beauty and charm.

The key point is that she doesn't have anything else.

inside the room.

Duncan tidied up his equipment and weapons, then took off his armor. He then stretched his body and began to try some difficult moves. With the Joyful Leap Boots, his human form gained a 'Super Agility' buff.

The exact values ​​are still uncertain, unless Duncan forcibly uses divine power to deduce the approximate attribute values.

"The attributes gained through equipment enhancement are still a bit lacking."

"We still need to improve our intrinsic attributes."

Duncan easily completed a difficult Thomas Flair. His human form possessed great strength; while he might not be able to say much else about warriors, their strength and physique were definitely up to par.

"Begin deducing data-driven attributes, and digitize the human host's attributes and specialties!"

Within dimensional space.

As Duncan activated his divine power, a massive data stream began to operate, and many basic combat specializations were materialized, with the warrior having the most specializations of all professions.

After doing all this, Duncan heard soft footsteps outside the door.

Someone is coming.

This is a good opportunity to test his new ability.

Duncan hid in the shadows by the door. The next second, his entire presence seemed to vanish. Although he wasn't truly invisible, the shadows enveloped his body, making him appear as if he didn't exist.

—Stealth (Master).

Duncan was the first to upgrade his extra ability to Master level. Ever since he met the Mother of Bliss, he has been killing assassins and wanderers, which is considered their specialty.

creak.

The door opened gently, and Vera, who had dressed up carefully, entered the room carrying food, followed by two young, cheerful waiters.

"grown ups?"

Vera entered the room with a puzzled expression. She had clearly heard the servant report that Lord Duncan was in the room, but she didn't know why he wasn't there now.

"Pleasure priests are all perceptive professionals."

"We can keep it from her."

"That way, you can fool the vast majority of professionals."

Only after Vera put down the food and left, puzzled, did Duncan slowly emerge from the shadows behind the door.

No one noticed his presence at all throughout the entire process.

"If I combine it with invisibility spells or invisibility potions, my stealth ability should be able to fool quite a few experts."

"But you can't wear armor when you're stealthy."

Duncan can only use the Rogue ability by wearing light armor. If he wears heavy armor, even the slightest movement will cause a lot of enemies to be alerted by the sound of collisions.

A small dagger appeared, moving swiftly in Duncan's hand like a butterfly flitting among flowers. He thrust it forward with incredible speed, like a fleeting streak of light.

— Backstab.

Duncan's current combat feats are roughly equivalent to half a Rogue, and he still lacks many of the Rogue's survival skills. As for legendary feats, he hasn't gained much, but his mana bar has increased significantly.

As for the legendary Painful One that Duncan killed, the ability he took from him was somewhat awkward and not very practical.

Duncan was initially pleased to see a bunch of helpful tips.

"Seize the ability."

"You have acquired [Advanced Weapon Mastery - Long Whip]".

"Seize the ability."

"You have acquired [Advanced Weapon Specialization - Long Whip]".

"Seize the ability."

"You have acquired [Mastery of Heavy Strike - Whip]".

"Weapon Master Ability Fusion".

"You can include the exotic weapon - the whip - in the weapon master's range of proficient weapons."

They were all whips.

Combat specializations have two levels: Weapon Mastery (Specialization) and Advanced Weapon Mastery (Specialization). Duncan essentially stole five combat specializations from the Painful One in one go, which can be considered a 'big break'.

Unfortunately it's of no use.

Duncan's preferred weapons are swords and spears, but in the eyes of military experts, the whip is undoubtedly one of the 'fancy' weapons.

Duncan disarmed the man in the most vulnerable spot as soon as they engaged in combat, which shows how little fighting power that thing had.

As one of the exotic weapons, the whip can be used to strike unexpectedly and catch the opponent off guard.

The problem is that the goddess of torture, Lauvita, is best known for her whip, and it's an unusual weapon among exotic weapons—the Nine-Tailed Whip, an artifact called the Painbringer. Therefore, her followers generally specialize in whip-wielding. Duncan's combat specializations, acquired from killing them, are primarily related to the whip.

Snapped!
Duncan took off his belt and swung it out. His skill was already so effortless and superb that when he lashed out with his whip, he could leave the enemy's skin intact but the inside rotten, or the surface might look frightening but the inside would be perfectly fine.

"With this superb skill in using the long whip, I could easily impersonate Lauvita's torturer."

Although it's not needed for the time being, it has at least enhanced my abilities.

Better than nothing.

Duncan put away his belt. His other weapon specialties hadn't improved significantly, and his dagger and short sword skills were just about to break through.

"Lauveta once served Baal, the god of murder."

"I wonder if I'll be able to try and make her submit to me in the future."

Baal had two goddesses he served: Lavita, the goddess of torment, and Talona, ​​the goddess of plague.

Inside a brightly lit villa.

Duncan, clad in full plate armor and wielding a greatsword, appeared at the courtyard gate like a royal guard. The Great Elysian Mother, dressed in her finest attire and surrounded by a crowd, saw him and immediately smiled, her natural charm captivating. She walked briskly toward him and led him to the center of the banquet, the center of attention.

"Tamura".

"One of the most prominent merchants active in the pirate islands."

"He had a fleet active in Mullanhold, trading spices and silks from the East to places like the Sword Bay."

"He handled one-third of the smuggling trade in Falling Star Sea."

"It is said that they also maintain several pirate crews to attack their competitors."

A bald man dressed somewhat like a Middle Eastern tycoon.

The Mother of Great Bliss stood affectionately beside Duncan, her lips slightly moving, her voice directly entering his mind. While raising her glass to the others, she introduced him to the Sergante tycoon businessmen present.

"Leonard Canglin".

“From the Comanso Forest, her father is a Vale nobleman, and her mother is a wood elf ranger.”

"He's an ambitious guy."

"They control the trade route from Zambia to the Comanso Forest and also wield considerable influence in Dragon Bay."

"He's the only one here who can get his hands on the best things from the elves."

"Just a rumor."

"He also unearthed a crashed floating city in Netheril."

The Mother of Great Bliss turned her head, her luscious lips almost touching Duncan's ear, and breathed softly, "Be extremely careful when dealing with him!"

"He is said to have made a deal with the devil."

A tall, thin half-elf with a sinister gaze and a high nose bridge smiled and raised his glass in greeting when he saw Duncan beside the Mother of Bliss.

This person gave Duncan the feeling of a venomous snake.

"Fitch-Silver Tongue".

"A silver-tongued fellow who made his fortune through deception, fraud, and extortion."

"He has a close relationship with the red-robed wizard of Sel."

"He has several slave-hunting teams that are active in the Eastern Gulf and Tumis. Be careful of his smooth talk and suggestive tactics when dealing with him."

"This guy was very lecherous when he was young, and had many wives and concubines."

"Nowadays he likes to invite guests to his home and then have his concubines entertain them."

"You'd better not fall for it."

An elderly man in his fifties or sixties, dressed in fine clothes and wearing several magic rings on his hands, was said to have hundreds of wives and concubines, all of whom were beautiful and charming. He would often invite guests to his mansion and then arrange for his wives and concubines to serve him. He could be considered the most cuckolded and generous man in all of Sergant.

The Mother of Great Bliss said softly, "It is rumored that he is researching the necromancy of the red-robed wizards."

That's fine.

He brought out his wives and concubines to entertain guests, probably just to avoid waste and make good use of them.

Business tycoons always try to squeeze out every last bit of value.

In just a short while, the Mother of Great Bliss introduced almost all the business tycoons present. Duncan also discovered another advantage of her: the Mother of Great Bliss was indeed a top-notch social expert.

She can even use her charm to influence other people's decisions.

The banquet lasted until midnight, and Duncan attracted the attention of many people, while the Mother of Great Bliss introduced him to his new identity—the Commander of the Temple Guards.

This already puts them in a position of real power within the church.

The only downside is that the Pleasure Cult has few temple guards, and their combat strength is relatively weak.

But once Duncan takes over, he'll definitely have to put things in order.

He has a lot of room to maneuver; he could even replace the Pleasure Cult's temple guards with members of the Church of Wealth who have defected to him. After all, the Pleasure Cult members can't fight, so it's better to replace them with some capable fighters.

After seeing off many guests, Duncan was about to return to his residence when a beautiful and charming waitress stopped him, smiling rather ambiguously, and said, "Lord Duncan."

"The Mother of Great Bliss invites you."

The magnificent crystal chandelier still burned with an inextinguishable flame. Following the narrow corridor through the back garden, Duncan entered the inner quarters of the Great Mother of Bliss. Here, there were hardly any other men to be seen. After the goddess of pleasure had favored her, the Great Mother of Bliss was careful to keep her distance from others, for even the goddess would be displeased.

The room was covered with a soft Mulholland carpet. Under the dim light, the Great Bliss Mother, wearing a silk nightgown as thin as a cicada's wing, lay languidly on the sofa, her long, beautiful legs resting in the arms of a beautiful servant beside her. She even playfully nudged the servant with her toes.

Behind her was Vera, the priestess of pleasure, who was massaging the head of the Great Mother of Bliss with a very respectful expression, though her charming face was slightly flushed and her expression was somewhat excited and dreamy.

Directly in front of the Mother of Great Bliss, a voluptuous woman in a light purple dress knelt, her full, rounded hips revealed under the light. She held a crystal snuff bottle in her hands, which contained something already lit, and respectfully presented it to the Mother of Great Bliss.

"Alarm! Alarm!"

"Hallucinogenic or addictive drugs detected!..."

A barely noticeable hint flashed by.

Blue mushroom powder!
It possesses hallucinogenic, aphrodisiac, and sensory-enhancing effects, and is highly addictive. It is even effective when ingested by demons, and the succubus queen of the bottomless abyss is its largest supplier.

The Mother of Great Bliss, with a languid and intoxicated expression, reached out and took a beautiful puff from the crystal snuff bottle. Then, she slipped her slender, white hand into the collar of the purple-robed priest before her, kneading it wantonly for a while before exhaling a wisp of light blue, fragrant smoke. She smiled ambiguously at Duncan at the door, saying with a slightly unrestrained air, "Don't be so reserved, relax."

"Everyone here is one of our own."

She must have been having a good time for a while.

Because the attendants of pleasure beside the Great Mother of Bliss, including the more powerful priests of pleasure, all wore expressions of excitement and dazedness.

Duncan stood silently at the door.

Then, he slowly stepped forward, snatched the crystal snuff bottle from the Great Goddess of Bliss's hand, and crushed it into pink liquid with a snap. He said in a deep voice, "Does the Great Goddess not know that this thing flows from the bottomless abyss?"

[Intimidation!]

The Mother of Great Bliss looked astonished, a hint of anger flashing deep in her eyes. She was about to shout an insolent rebuke when she suddenly seemed to regain her senses and remembered the importance of Duncan.

Her tone softened, and she withdrew her hand from Arya-Laughing's collar, as if intimidated by Duncan's imposing presence. Her voice carried a hint of grievance and awkwardness as she said, "They're just some little toys for fun."

"Why is Mr. Duncan making such a fuss?"

[The intimidation was successful.]

………………

(End of this chapter)