Monster Girl Development Master.

Ultimately, improving your own skills is the most reassuring thing!

……

Temple of Aranta.

Dantalian entered the temple. The nun, who had grown from 1.7 meters tall to a two-meter-tall figure, attracted a lot of attention from the moment she entered the temple. Fortunately, her appearance remained unchanged, and she did not encounter any dramatic incidents. She easily arrived at the bishop's room.

"Bishop Rosa, Priestess Loris"

Dantalian bowed her head as she passed through the doorway, which she couldn't reach even on tiptoe before, and gave a slight bow to the elderly bishop with his gray hair but still radiant spirit, and the blonde nun beside her: "I succeeded."

Loris's eyes widened as she looked up at Dantalian, who was about the same height as her, her mouth gradually opening into an "O" shape.

Bishop Rosa was excited. Although she had appeared calm before, that was more out of composure and a hint of expectation; she didn't actually believe that Johnson could succeed or that Dantalian could awaken. After all, Dantalian hadn't shown anything particularly special before, except for her appearance.

Thinking of this, Bishop Rosa suddenly had a guess: "Dantrian, could it be that you have some kind of giant blood?"

This explains why the body shape changes so much after awakening, and why the only characteristic before awakening was a particularly good figure.

Dantalian wasn't surprised, but smiled slightly with a hint of pride: "No, my bloodline is Holy Lamia, that's right, Your Excellency, I have healing abilities."

Dantalian opened her right hand, and pure white light emerged from it, radiating a warm glow. Bathed in this light, Bishop Rosa and Loris both felt a sense of comfort, and some of their previous injuries had noticeably healed.

Both are awakenings, but compared to the level 3 cap of the rankless angel, the level 5 cap of the Holy Lamia has a much better effect on bloodline abilities.

Bishop Rosa stood up excitedly: "Holy bloodline! No wonder that kid Zhuang Sen was able to awaken you! As expected of the Falau family!"

Loris was also incredibly excited. As one of the two bloodline users of the Aranta Temple, she frequently engaged in battles and often inevitably suffered injuries. Without the healing methods available to other bloodline users, she could only rely on her own physical strength to tough it out, as ordinary medicine was rarely able to treat the damage caused by some bloodline abilities.

At this moment, all the negative views that were previously held towards the child, Zhuang Sen, have been transformed into positive ones, because he has brought a hope for the future to the Temple of Aranta, a rising star with boundless potential!

Dantalian saw all this and knew that the time was almost right, so she stated the terms she had agreed upon with Zhuang Sen: "Therefore, Bishop Rosa, Priestess Loris, I believe that not only our Alanta Temple, but the entire church should support Lord Zhuang Sen."

Loris seemed even more excited than Dantalian at this moment: "That's right, Your Excellency! This is a level five bloodline! Even without awakening potions, and only able to complete four awakenings, it's still much stronger than an ordinary level four bloodline!"

Bishop Rosa was initially excited, but upon hearing about the fifth-level bloodline, her smile faded considerably. She then shook her head: "No, Loris, Dantalian, do not tell anyone that you have a fifth-level bloodline, and do not even publicize the fact that you have a fourth-level bloodline."

"Why?" Loris asked, puzzled. The young girl couldn't understand why something that was beneficial to the church and Dantalian should be kept secret.

Bishop Rosa sighed: "Our patriarch is only a level four bloodline, and she's only in her eighties, and she has a dark bloodline."

Dantalian understood, and so did Loris.

"Why isn't that old woman dead yet?!"

As Loris complained bluntly, Dantalian, who had originally intended to bring up the matter of the Bloodline True Form, changed the subject: "Even if it's level three, shouldn't that be enough for us to support Lord Zhuang Sen?"

“Of course, Dantalian, from today onwards, Johnson Leon is our most honored guest at the Temple of Aranta!” Bishop Rosa made the final decision, which finally made Dantalian feel a little better.

But is there any other way to help Zhuang Sen?

Chapter Five: Rumors

In the dimly lit room, the aroma of ale mingled with the scents of various bodily fluids, creating the atmosphere of a tavern. A diverse crowd huddled around the oak tables, whispering or shouting, as countless pieces of information, useful or useless, flowed and were fabricated at breakneck speed, making both gathering and discerning a difficult task.

But this wasn't a problem for Johnson, because he was just checking to see if the rumors he'd spread had gotten around.

Leah Farau acted swiftly; while Zhuang Sen was still mastering his new abilities, she had already prepared and spread the rumors. Zhuang Sen sat there for an hour, hearing no discussion whatsoever about "Zhuang Sen Leon awakening the Holy Eagle bloodline" or "the awakening potion being sent from the Farau family." Meanwhile, the bartender, whose main job was information brokering, was packed, his younger brother grinning from ear to ear.

Good things are all good things.

Zhuang Sen pondered, feeling it was about time to leave. However, just before he was about to get up, the heavy wooden door of the tavern was suddenly pushed open, and a slender girl with light blue hair swaggered toward the bartender. Her small, round face, completely unmasked, wore a smug smile that made one want to punch her, a stark contrast to the other hooded and masked people in front of the bartender.

Even Zhuang Sen's expression was somewhat strange. He recognized the girl; she was his nominal half-sister, Ange Leon. Her purpose in coming here seemed obvious, but did she really want to be so conspicuous?

Zhuang Sen actually saw quite a few people who resembled his siblings, but they were all his subordinates, and they were all heavily disguised. It seemed they were here less to buy intelligence and more to drink and supplement their intelligence sources; Zhuang Sen didn't believe they didn't have their own intelligence channels. Ange Leon was the same; she was the most shrewd businesswoman of Zhuang Sen's generation, with connections to the Church of the Goddess of Gold Coins. Why would she need to personally come to buy intelligence?

Zhuang Sen watched with interest as the cheeky, girly-faced young woman pulled out her purse, exchanged it for a few thin sheets of paper, and then casually left the tavern, completely unfazed, as if she had genuinely only come to buy information. Even the bartender couldn't help but show a surprised expression; this wasn't what he expected! He had been prepared to give away information for free, or even get beaten up!

But since there's no show to watch, let's hurry up and leave, or we'll be in trouble if we get recognized.

Zhuang Sen touched the mask on his face, quickly walked out of the back door of the tavern, and then he understood why Ange Leon had done what she had just done.

"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale! Secret intelligence about Johnson Leon! Only two gold coins!"

"Exclusive intelligence from the Brotherhood of Daggers!"

A group of people waved papers with ink still wet on them and started shouting on the street where the tavern was located, while Ange Leon, who had just swaggered out to buy information, smiled smugly behind them.

Top-secret intelligence, originally priced at fifteen gold coins, has become commonplace news, costing only two gold coins. Ange Leon's brazen purchase was solely to enhance the competitiveness of "her intelligence." Given her status, she couldn't possibly modify or delete anything related to Zhuang Sen, and even if she did, two gold coins wouldn't be a significant price to pay for those eyeing Zhuang Sen.

The Dagger Brotherhood might be on the verge of collapse, but would they really dare to lay a hand on Ange Leon's people? When everyone is masked, they can pretend not to know, but Ange Leon is openly using her identity. Do those shady rats from the ditch really dare to lay a hand on a count's daughter?

No, perhaps Ange Leon is actually hoping they'll make a move. After all, the Dagger Brotherhood is also part of Leon's faction, and she'd probably love to have an excuse to get rid of these rats.

So young, yet so cunning.

Zhuang Sen sighed, weighing the money pouch he'd earned from selling top-secret information in his arms. Suddenly, he felt those few hundred gold coins weren't so appealing anymore. Should he try selling to a few more vendors? No, wait, could this brat have...

After glancing once more at Ange Leon, who was laughing heartily, Johnson turned and walked toward the Temple of Aranta.

Ange Leon looked over thoughtfully, only to see a figure shrouded in a black robe. After a moment's thought, she dismissed the image. Too many people knew her, and even more paid attention to her; she was probably one of her brothers' or sisters' subordinates.

She should just focus on making money. Sigh, even though Brother Zhuang Sen is useless and old-fashioned, she won't join in the fun because he brings her so much income... Hmm, she'll send two clever ones to keep an eye on the news.

……

At the same time, Jem Leon put down the intelligence summary in his hand and sneered, "Zhuang Sen really has a good mother, but unfortunately she is too stupid. Does she still think she is the young lady of the Fara family?"

The information released by Leah Farau, disguised as coming from branches of the Farau family with whom she had a strained relationship, made sense. While Jem Leon verbally lashed out, he was actually filled with envy and resentment. His mother was merely a minor nobleman; if he hadn't been born early and awakened the Shadow Raven bloodline, his succession might not have been as high as Zhuang Sen's. Therefore, he always disliked Zhuang Sen, this "mama's boy," especially after hearing that Leah Farau had actually brought fifteen awakening potions from her hometown for Zhuang Sen, this good-for-nothing—

Jem Leon restrained himself from touching the black feathers on the back of his hand; the warm touch always calmed him down and helped him regain focus, and this time was no exception.

Calming down, he reviewed the intelligence report again. It was incredibly detailed, listing the caravan's schedule, goods, and manpower—it practically included the color of their underwear. Frankly, it seemed strange, even with the Farau family's influence. But Jem Leon wasn't worried. After all, there was a significant difference in raw power between him and Johnson, not just in individual combat ability, but also in influence.

It's just a caravan. So what if it's a trap? Besides, he won't be the only one who wants to make a move.

He decided to do it.

Elsewhere, others have also made their decisions.

……

Zhuang Sen then arrived at the Temple of Aranta. He was well aware of the disparity in power he faced. Many of his siblings had awakened their bloodlines, such as his bratty little sister, Ange Leon, not to mention the difference in his ordinary subordinates. He only had about thirty guards under Lia Farau's command. Therefore, he needed the support of the Temple of Aranta, which was why he had previously chosen to help Dantalian awaken her bloodline.

Zhuang Sen wondered how many people Dantalian could bring. He didn't think Dantalian could persuade the Temple of Aranta to give him their full support, and he was still thinking about how to negotiate.

Then he bumped headfirst into a soft, thick, smooth and bouncy embrace.

"Lord Zhuang Sen! Thank you, Goddess! You're alright!"

Chapter Six: The Church's Repayment

Soft and thick, fragrant, tender and bouncy.

Zhuang Sen felt as if his head was stuffed into a bucket of jelly, no, even softer and more tempting than jelly, to the point that he almost didn't want to get out. But in the end, he used great willpower to pull his head out from between those warm and tempting breasts, thus averting a breast-related murder.

I feel a little lost and disappointed.

Not only Zhuang Sen, but also Dantalian, who had just been tightly hugging him, did the same. It was quite a coincidence that Dantalian had just heard about the rumors surrounding Zhuang Sen and was extremely worried about his safety. She was planning to find Zhuang Sen to offer him protection when she saw him at the temple entrance, which made her impulsively hug him.

Although she didn't regret it now, and even wanted to hug him more, the two-meter-tall her hugging the one-and-a-half-meter-tall Zhuang Sen was like a mother holding a child, and the feeling of having complete control over Zhuang Sen was simply wonderful! However, she still restrained her desires. She was a devout nun and couldn't indulge herself like that! Besides, Zhuang Sen must have come to the temple for something, after all, his current situation was not good. Fortunately, Bishop Rosa had agreed to fully support him.

Dantalian suppressed her urge to exploit Zhuang Sen out of a desire to help him, and stepped aside to make way for him: "Lord Zhuang Sen, I'm so sorry, please come in and talk."

Zhuang Sen, of course, had no complaints: "It's alright, Dantalian, we can try a different way of hugging next time."

As soon as Zhuang Sen uttered those terrible words, he regretted them, but Dantalian wasn't angry. Instead, her cheeks flushed slightly—"Will there be a next time?"

The two walked silently into the main hall. The atmosphere seemed somewhat awkward to outsiders, but no one came to disturb them. It wasn't until they entered the hall that Dantalian suppressed her impulse and spoke gently, "Lord Zhuangsen, is there anything you need today? Is it because of what's being said outside?"

The tense atmosphere was broken. Zhuang Sen was somewhat disappointed, but he didn't forget the important matter and replied, "Dantrian, you've heard the news too? That's right, I've come to ask for help from my allies. Could you lend me some Vengeful Warriors?"

Each church has its own armed soldiers, with the Vengeance Church having the most and the strongest, because their main job is "to avenge others," which in layman's terms means mercenaries. However, they don't just take any job as long as they are paid; they will screen targets and employers.

Dantalian nodded without hesitation: "Of course, no problem, Lord Johnson. How many people do you need? Is five hundred enough?"

That's enough, of course. After all, Zhuang Sen's opponents are just heirs, and even if they all joined forces, they couldn't possibly muster a few hundred elite soldiers.

Even the Temple of Aranta itself only had five hundred warriors in total. After all, this was just a temple in a count's territory, and five hundred armored elites were already far beyond what was expected. What surprised Zhuang Sen even more was the tone with which Dantalian said this, as if she could casually decide the fate of all the military forces of the Temple of Aranta.

Zhuang Sen was certain that Dantalian originally did not have this right; she was just a nun. He also believed that Dantalian would not tell such an easily exposed lie. There was only one answer: after Dantalian awakened her bloodline, her status and power were greatly enhanced!

On the other side, seeing that Zhuang Sen was silent, Dantalian thought that he did not believe her. She herself was still a little dazed, so she suggested, "Lord Zhuang Sen, if you have time, would you like to see Bishop Rosa?"

Zhuang Sen nodded: "Of course, if Bishop Rosa is available."

“If you come, His Holiness the Bishop will certainly be available.” Dantalian said casually, then led Zhuang Sen around a corner to a small, private room.

"Your Excellency, Lord Zhuang Sen has come to pay a visit."

"Come in."

An aged voice sounded, and Dantalian pushed open the wooden door. Zhuang Sen walked in and glanced around briefly. The room was simple, with little decoration. The bishop of the Aranta Temple, a level three bloodline user who had completed three awakenings, was sitting behind a round table, closing a thick book.

"Welcome, Lord Zhuang Sen. Please forgive me for not going to greet you."

“No, after all, I didn’t inform her beforehand…” Zhuang Sen sized up Bishop Rosa. She looked like an ordinary old woman, with gray hair, a face full of wrinkles, and thin limbs, only her eyes still bright and lively. But if you really thought she was a frail old woman, you would be fooled.

Those who have completed the third awakening can briefly transform into their true bloodline form. When they start fighting, they can easily kill one or two hundred fully armored soldiers, and even mow down enemies in some low-intensity battlefields.

Dantalian, who was watching from the side, interrupted the soon-to-be-started pleasantries: "Your Excellency, Lord Zhuang Sen wishes to borrow the Vengeful Warriors."

Bishop Rosa nodded slightly: "How many? Is five hundred enough?"

Zhuang Sen thought for a moment and said sincerely, "That's enough, and it scared me a little."

The entire Aranta Temple only has about five hundred Vengeful Warriors on the surface, and that's only because it's the headquarters of the Church of Vengeance in the entire Leon territory. A normal temple would be lucky to have a few dozen or a hundred.

“Haha.” Bishop Rosa’s eyes narrowed into slits as she casually said, “Lord Zhuang Sen, it seems you don’t quite understand what a level five bloodline represents. It is the hope and future of a church, or to put it simply, Dantalian will become the female pope of the Church of Vengeance sooner or later. Now it is we who are begging her not to leave the Church of Vengeance.”

"And all of this can be attributed to you, Lord Zhuang Sen, so don't be alarmed. You deserve it. If Dantalian weren't still too weak, you wouldn't need to participate in any competition at all. No one can compete for a title with a friend of a level five bloodline."

After speaking, Bishop Rosa ended her observation of Zhuang Sen. Since it involved a fifth-level bloodline, she naturally had to be cautious to prevent Zhuang Sen from just talking nonsense. This was also one of the reasons why she asked Dantalian and the others not to spread the news last night.

She was now very happy because Zhuang Sen's various actions showed that he had no guilty conscience, meaning that he at least believed that Dantalian definitely had a level five bloodline. Considering that he had four awakening potions, the possibility that he had been deceived was not high, and a level four bloodline was already very precious and rare.

After listening to Bishop Rosa's words, Zhuang Sen finally confirmed his speculation. The church's support was so strong that Zhuang Sen couldn't help but want to optimize his plan, such as making the bait in the trap bigger to attract more prey.

Five hundred temple warriors could easily overwhelm and kill some bloodline users with weaker bloodlines and lower awakening levels, even if several attacked together. Bloodline users are still human after all; they get tired and injured, especially those with lower-level bloodlines.

Having made up his mind, Zhuang Sen said, "In that case, Your Excellency, I will not stand on ceremony. I hope you can publicly support me and spread the word that I am about to awaken a fourth-level bloodline."

Bishop Rosa thought for a moment and understood that Zhuang Sen intended to eliminate all enemies at once: "No problem, but in that case, it's not appropriate to make too much of a commotion, lest they become afraid to make a move. How about this, let Dantalian and Loris follow quietly as well."