Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 401 Stirring Up the Storm! The War of the Gods!
The Temple of Joy.

Now, of the Scarlet Actor's main cast, only two Rogue-type experts remain: a clown and a Shadow Dancer named Kevin. Both are incredibly difficult to kill in their advanced forms, and if they advance to Legendary, they might even have a chance to master the 'nine deaths and one life' Legendary ability.

However, although Shadow Dancer Kevin did not die, he was seriously injured. If it weren't for his Shadow Jump teleportation ability, he would have died in the last operation.

Even when the clown returned, he had lost three fingers, but fortunately, the priest performed a regeneration spell, so the impact was not too great.

It's also this day.

The Great Blissful Mother, who had not appeared for a long time, took the initiative to visit Duncan.

During this time, although Duncan remained in the Temple of Pleasure, he had essentially distanced himself from the core of power. His power was granted by the Great Mother of Bliss, and he had no real foundation within the Cult of Pleasure. Therefore, if the Great Mother of Bliss did not trust him, Duncan would immediately be marginalized by the other Pleasure priests.

inside the room.

Duncan was only served by the priestess of pleasure, Vera. As for the other person, Arya Laughing, she hadn't appeared for a long time after Duncan's falling out with the Great Mother of Bliss. Although she served Duncan very diligently and was willing to do anything for him, once Duncan was marginalized, she immediately reverted to being the Great Mother of Bliss's loyal bitch.

Vera was promoted to the position of High Priestess of Pleasure because she served Duncan. She was deeply bound to Duncan and had nowhere else to go, so she was quite loyal at the moment.

As long as Duncan still has the divine grace of Lady of Joy, Lillia, the Great Mother of Bliss cannot suppress him too much.

At this moment, Duncan was sitting at his desk, flipping through the "Book of Joy" in front of him.

—"Every day of life is a step in the dance of joy, a dance made up of joyful and carefree life."

Strive to find happiness and share it with others.

The feast of life is a celebration shared by many, including the lost, the lonely, the exiles, the lawbreakers, and even your enemies.

Let everyone follow their inner desires—including yourself.

This is the core doctrine of the Joyful Lady, Lira.

Duncan spent the last couple of days flipping through the Joyful Texts, and could only comment, "What is all this stuff?"

The entire church is chaotic yet benevolent.

The goddess of joy, Lira, is also chaotic and kind.

At the dimensional level.

Duncan has tagged information related to the goddess of joy, Lillia.

—"The Goddess of Joy - Lira (Weak God)".

—“Holy emblem: an equilateral triangle composed of three six-pointed stars of different colors (yellow, orange, and red).

—"Residential Boundary: The Boundary of Clear Water".

— "Alignment: Chaotic Good".

—“Clerical duties: joy, happiness, dance, festive celebrations, freedom.”

—“The followers consist of: bards, dancers, performers, revelers, singers, etc.”

—"Domains: Chaos, Goodness, Charm, Family, Travel, etc."

There wasn't a single priest who could fight.

There isn't even a single domain law that can be effectively enforced.

Is there any connection between allure, family, and travel?

Duncan rested his chin on his hand and put a question mark on the mark of Lady Pleasure. Pleasure, happiness, and dance were her core divine duties, but Duncan couldn't figure out what this had to do with hedonism. She didn't learn anything good about relationships, but instead went astray and degenerated into something bad.
Duncan has seen the joy, happiness, and freedom that the Pleasure Cult seeks during this period.

There was a sound of footsteps outside the door.

The Mother of Great Bliss arrived at Duncan's residence, surrounded by several messengers of joy. She was no longer the radiant woman she had been a few days earlier; instead, she looked extremely tired and even seemed somewhat gloomy. The divine aura emanating from her had also dimmed considerably.

During this period, the Pleasure Cult suffered heavy losses throughout the Sergant region.

As the church's core enemy.

The divine duties of Lavita, the goddess of torment, are 'pain, injury, suffering, torment, and torture'; her followers consist of 'deceitful individuals, executioners, evil warriors, and fallen ones'; and her core domains are 'evil, order, revenge, power, and torment'.

Comparing the data marked by Duncan above, you can see how big the gap in combat power is between the two sides.

Bards, dancers, performers, and revelers face off against charlatans, executioners, and the fallen.

The clergy can be disregarded for the time being.

After all, the difference in divine power means that, on a secular level, believers may not necessarily enjoy much of the blessings bestowed upon them by the divine.

During this period, it can't be said that they were hung up and beaten.

But the difference isn't significant.

Once the church forces launch a full-scale war, the focus will shift from the top experts at the top of the church to the overall strength of the church and the composition of its members.

The kind of people your followers are determines your strength in worldly affairs.

Without a doubt, the Pleasure Cult suffered a near-total defeat.

Even the failure of the Master of Revelry, Kowal, caused those members of the Church of Wealth who were originally prepared to turn to the Goddess of Joy to hesitate.

So weak?
They simply couldn't defeat the enemy.

Will joining them really protect my wealth?

During this time, the clown secretly provided Duncan with a lot of information. The High Priestess of Joy, Alicia Starfall, who was behind the Joy Priestess Vera, was also secretly active. Their faction was considered the reformist faction of the church, advocating the abandonment of personal pleasure and turning the doctrine towards spreading joy.

But it's easier said than done.

You have a fortune to your name, wouldn't it be great to enjoy yourself? You live a life of luxury, with fine clothes and delicious food, beautiful wives and concubines, indulging in food, drink and entertainment, living a life of unbridled pleasure!
Why should we serve others?
This branch of the High Priests of Joy advocates giving up some of one's own pleasures in order to share happiness with others.

That costs money.

Street performers can make people laugh, it just takes a little effort, but the messengers of joy above, if they want to spread their activities according to this doctrine, then they have to spend money to hold celebratory ceremonies and benefit others.

Every penny spent on yourself is a worthwhile investment.

It's not a waste at all.

But if the money is spent on other people, such as the lowly commoners, to make them happy, then it's like wasting money on a knife handle.

The Pleasure Cult has always been quite wealthy; those without a fortune have no right to pursue pleasure and enjoyment.

This is the most fundamental clash of ideas: whether one person enjoys life to the fullest, or one should share a little bit of their own happiness so that others can also enjoy a little benefit.

Even tracing back to the deepest level, it is related to the almost inexhaustible 'treasury' controlled by the Mother of Great Bliss.

The Mother of Great Bliss controls the secret treasury of the Pleasure Cult. The funds for the entire church's middle and upper echelons, including revelers, pleasure priests, and indulgent individuals, are provided and distributed by her.

Whether this money should be used for high-ranking officials or given away to benefit more people is the most fundamental conflict of interest.

(Devoted fanatics, and believers in general who have received blessings.)
Although all of this stemmed from the passive sponsorship of the goddess of wealth, Woking.

"As long as the Mother of Great Bliss expresses her opinion."

"The others below can't keep all the benefits to themselves; they have to give up some of their own."

Duncan put down the "Book of Joy" in his hand. At his signal, Vera, the messenger of joy who was serving him, also respectfully got up to make tea. Her presence by Duncan's side at this moment was almost a declaration of her identity; she belonged to the lineage of the High Priest of Joy.

At the door.

The Mother of Great Bliss glanced at the put-down "Book of Bliss" with slight surprise. Her expression was extremely tired, no longer as bright as before. She slowly walked to Duncan's side and said in a low voice, "The Master of Revelry - Korver is seriously injured and on the verge of death."

"The Scarlet Actors have suffered heavy losses, and the Archbishop of the Red Curtain is missing."

At this point in time, his whereabouts are unknown, which is practically equivalent to him being dead.

What about God's chosen people?
The Mother of Great Bliss is not a front-line fighter. Even if she possesses the power of the Chosen Ones, can she still hunt down the Pain Cultists all over the world?
With her amateurish fighting skills?

Aside from being able to stand still and deal damage, once she leaves Sergant's range, can she decide the outcome of the battle?
we can even say.

Even if Duncan were to take over now, it would be difficult for him to turn the tide on his own.

Duncan could kill members of the Church of Pain, but the Church of Pleasure was almost completely destroyed, and their base was about to explode. Even if Duncan killed a bunch of people, it wouldn't affect the overall situation.

Unless there is a powerful external force that can directly push through the minion wave, stabilize the entire battle, and prevent the base from being destroyed.

In just a few days.

The prestige of the entire Pleasure Cult has plummeted and it is teetering on the brink of collapse. All the forces in Sergant are watching and waiting. The Great Mother of Bliss has made some progress with the help of the chosen people, but the church is already rotten to the core. At this stage of the group war, it is no longer a situation that a high-ranking legend can decide.

In short, she was "too busy to be in two places at once." The Great Blissful Mother couldn't find the enemy's lair, let alone capture the chosen one who tormented the goddess Lauvita. However, the members of the Pleasure Cult usually acted in a high-profile manner, always under the spotlight.

The enemy is in darkness and we are in the light.

Considering the bunch of weak players she's faced, Duncan is already quite surprised she's managed to hold on this long.

In his deduction, if the Master of Carnival - Korver encountered the Goddess's Chosen One who tormented the goddess, he would most likely be killed in the first wave.

The result was that this guy himself was fine, but the main cast of Scarlet Actor died.

Duncan stood up.

His expression held a hint of condescension as he looked down at the haggard and exhausted Great Mother of Bliss before him, and said in a deep voice, "Does the Great Godmother really think I can clean up this mess at this point?"

Upon hearing this, the Mother of Great Bliss was instantly speechless with anger, but in the end she still lowered her arrogant head slightly and said, "Lord Duncan is also a follower of Lady Joy."

"Aren't you willing to do your part for the church?"

Duncan was both angry and amused.

They only realized they needed to call in a top player when they were about to lose a team fight?

Duncan shook his head slightly, reached out and took out a piece of intelligence, threw it in front of the Great Bliss Mother and said, "Take a look for yourself."

"From Sword Bay to Seren".

"Within a small part of Faerûn, the core combat personnel of the Church of Pain are gathering near Sambia."

The Mother of Great Bliss glanced at it, then her expression changed drastically as she asked, "Where did this information come from?"

After she finished speaking, she realized what had happened.

At this point, the only entity capable of gathering such crucial intelligence would likely be the Church of Wealth, whose influence extends throughout the continent of Faerûn.

As long as they are willing to spend money, adventurers can have their eyes and ears all over the world.

"At least three people favored by the gods have appeared."

"It cannot be ruled out that the chosen ones who tormented the goddess also came to the vicinity of Zambia."

Duncan's voice was low as he slowly said, "This is already a full-scale war on a secular level."

"Their goal is probably more than just to take your life."

Upon hearing Duncan's words, the Mother of Great Bliss looked horrified and murmured, "You mean?"

Duncan nodded and said, "The enemy wants to force Ms. Joy to show herself!"

The Holy Catastrophe had just ended not long ago.

It was a time when even gods died and were injured, which fueled people's ambitions.

The goddess of wealth has disappeared.

The Goddess of Joy, Lira, is in charge of the God of Wealth, which means she is now a target with double or even triple the bounty. If you kill the Goddess of Joy, Lira, the God of Wealth will most likely be revealed as well.

The price of a snake swallowing an elephant is extremely high. (The goddess of wealth used to be the sugar daddy of the goddess of joy.)
Duncan calmly said, "The Goddess of Torture - Lauvita may just be a pawn used to test the strength of the Church of Joy."

"If we can't drive her away."

"The henchmen of the mastermind will then be eager to make their move."

Duncan's words were addressed not only to the Mother of Great Bliss, but also to the goddess of joy behind her—Lira.

The Mother of Great Bliss seemed to have thought of something, and a hint of fear appeared on her face as she said, "Sasha..."

Duncan interrupted her.

Duncan raised his hand to signal the Mother of Great Bliss to shut up, and shook his head slightly. Some divine names cannot be uttered, especially those of very powerful gods, because they cannot be concealed.

Whether it's the goddess of the night, Shar, or not, this matter is inextricably linked to her.

After the outbreak of the Holy Cataclysm.

After Baal, the god of murder, fell, his subordinate deity, the goddess of torment, Lauvita, switched her allegiance to the goddess of night, Shar. Not long after, her church assassinated the Great Mother of Bliss of the Pleasure Cult, and it is highly likely that the assassination would have been successful without Duncan's intervention.

A single Great Mother of Bliss wouldn't warrant such a grand display, but with the addition of the 'Double Divine Power' Goddess of Joy, Lira, it's a completely different story.

Don't know when.

Before Duncan, the eyes of the Great Bliss Mother shimmered with a faint, invisible divine light. Her expression seemed to have changed slightly, becoming more composed and elegant, and her entire demeanor regained its brightness and radiance.

The Mother of Great Bliss gazed at Duncan before her and slowly asked, "What is your plan?"

Duncan bowed slightly and said, "Alliance and counter-alliances."

"The Golden Company, the Hand of Holy Coins, and the Dragon Guard of the Church of Wealth have been secretly recalled to Serganth."

"With their assistance, it wouldn't be difficult to temporarily defeat the Cult of Pain."

"but!"

"We still need to send people to the Comansor Forest to seek support from the Church of Love."

In a word.

Shake people!

At this time, it's impossible to do without help.

The Mother of Great Bliss cannot be harmed, and the goddess of joy behind her, Lira, cannot be harmed either. Her temporary appointment as the goddess of wealth is an acceptable outcome for all parties, but if the goddess of wealth is lost, then the situation will be completely different.

If the Mother of Great Bliss were to die suddenly, the Goddess of Joy might not be able to resist taking action out of resentment, which would give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage.

Even if the Goddess of Joy remains unmoved, her church will still suffer a severe blow, which in turn will strike the Church of Wealth and leave the Church of Love isolated and helpless.

A mortal.

Seemingly unintentionally, this incident stirred up a struggle at the divine level, disrupting the entire situation. The Great Mother of Bliss before Duncan fell into deep thought; according to this man, things were far more complicated than he had imagined.

If all of this was indeed orchestrated by the goddess of the night, Shar.

Then the Goddess Alliance of the Mingshui Region will have to mobilize together!

—Goddess of Love - Shuni, Goddess of Wealth - Woking (missing), Goddess of Joy - Lira, Goddess of Cats and Dance - Charis (corrupted), Goddess of Song - Miriel.

And there's 'Lady of Luck - Tamora,' whose fate is uncertain.

The lucky lady and the unlucky lady usually just fight amongst themselves.

With the goddess of love, Shuni, at its core, the Goddess Alliance of the Bright Water Domain is currently at its most vulnerable moment.

Woking disappeared, and Sharis fell into evil.

With Lierla holding two core divine positions, if Lady of Love, Shuni, relaxes her guard even slightly, and uses the Goddess of Joy as a breakthrough point, the Goddess Alliance of the Bright Water Domain will fall into an unprecedented and enormous crisis.

Duncan's vision was never limited to the small Serganth, and he didn't even care about the power struggle between the Pleasure Church and the Wealth Church.

The true mastermind behind this world is the true god.

From the moment the Mother of Great Bliss was assassinated, it was clear that the divine forces behind the scenes had already taken action; otherwise, who would so easily assassinate a patriarch of a church of gods?

The goddess of torment, Lavita, just lost her former boss, the god of murder, Baal. Where did she get the audacity to do this?
The Mother of Great Bliss's expression grew increasingly solemn as she listened.

After a moment, she said in a solemn voice, "I will immediately send Mrs. Cesta-White to the Colmanso Forest."

The supreme deity has returned to his rightful place.

Stop talking about love. Right now, there's no big shot above us, and even the goddess of joy, Li'erla, is a little panicked.

If Woking were still alive, these "best friends" would be able to work together without suffering any major losses.

Wakin has disappeared.

She alone simply couldn't handle it.

This is already considered a small-scale pantheon war on a secular level. The church that tormented the goddess Lauvita has made a move, and the next target is the plague goddess Talona.

At the Farron Grand Stage, come and do whatever you need.

………………

(End of this chapter)