The more they oppose, the more it shows that I am doing the right thing

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Flames soared into the sky, dyeing half of the night red with blood.

Legion Commander Angelo gazed into the distance at the fierce fighting, then turned his attention to the young man in front of him, his lips twitching slightly.

He'd known early on that Ansu was destined for a dark future, an immeasurable potential to become a scourge on society.

Yet he hadn't anticipated that there was no need for growth – the kid was already a scourge in his youthful form.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He was born for the Esoteric Religion.

As the commander of the Legion of Pain, he considered himself to be quite the scum of the earth in terms of morality, but he never expected there was still room for improvement in the realm of moral depravity.

How did this guy turn out to be even more of a natural-born scumbag than himself?

Angelo still remembered the conversation they'd had the day before, when Ansu had come to see him:

'I am certain of it now.'

Back then, Ansu had spoken seriously, "We have a traitor among us, and I know his name."

At that time, Angelo, far from taking Ansu seriously, was even slightly irritated, thinking Ansu was once again trying to suppress rivals through false accusations – was such a trivial matter really worth reporting to him?

But Ansu's next words left the seasoned Angelo, who had been through thirty years of trials and tribulations, stunned for the first time.

'The traitor from the Radiant Holy See is named An Su Moningsta,' Ansu said, staring straight into Angelo's eyes, 'I am the traitor – and this secret is only known to the high bishops of the Church.'

...What kind of twisted and sinister ploy is this?

I had just started to suspect you, and you're already confessing!

Are the operatives from the Radiant Holy See so forthright when undercover?

The corners of the Legion Commander's mouth twitched slightly.

According to Ansu, though he was a spy sent by the Church,

he had suffered endless bullying and discrimination within the Orthodox Church and had never felt friendship or respect, but it was in these days within the Painful Esoteric Sect that he realized it was the perfect place for him,

where he felt the warmth of a family.

In short, he had loyally defected!

His story seemed plausible, but Angelo still harbored some suspicions.

So, to prove his loyalty, Ansu volunteered to lure the Believers into the dry college and guide the imperial army.

And he did indeed keep his promise.

Over these days, Angelo had set spies to watch the Saints.

They truly detested Ansu.

This did corroborate his words – but what really convinced Angelo was the strike that Order Knight Rosen had aimed at Ansu moments before.

Cunning, cold, filled with deep hatred and intent to kill, aiming straight for Ansu's throat.

As a Fourth-Order Peak warrior, Angelo had perfected his sense for malice and hatred.

Rosen's murderous intent couldn't be faked,

he genuinely wanted to kill Ansu – Angelo was certain of it now.

Having witnessed that, Angelo was completely convinced Ansu had broken with the Church.

He had still doubted Ansu somewhat, but now that the latter had come clean voluntarily, the doubt had dissipated.

The rain began to pour down harder and harder.

White lines of rain wove across the world, the sounds of combat growing more intense.

"Your Excellency, the Legion Commander," Ansu looked at him, "I have led the Saints here as promised; I know you need a meritorious deed."

"Exterminate the Saints in Seden Town," murmured Ansu softly, "with this deed, you should be up for promotion, shouldn't you?"

Angelo pondered for a moment, and finally, he grasped Ansu's underlying message and laughed heartily,

"You, young man, have quite a future ahead of you! Quite the knack for advancement!"

The news of Angelo's impending promotion was hardly a secret in Dry College anymore; it turned out this kid had his sights set on this place.

"Then when I'm promoted to the front lines,"

Angelo said, laughing as he posed the question deliberately, "Who should manage this Dry College... Really makes one worried, has to be someone trustworthy and reliable, doesn't it?"

"An Su Moningsta."

Angelo slowly stood up, his aura of a Fourth-Order Peak expanding and filling the room, his pupils turning blood red. His bloodshot eyes reflected Ansu's face,

as his lips split into a maniacal grin,

"Finally, prove your pain and loyalty to the Esoteric Religion,"

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"No matter the means,"

"Be it saints or cultists, it doesn't matter."

"Kill them all."

"Only then will I trust you completely."

For the Painful Esoteric Sect, where they come from is not important,

nor are the means used, not even the faith matters—the only thing of importance is inflicting pain, for only pain can bring pleasure to the gods!

Only pain can redeem this world!

In some respects, the Painful Esoteric Sect is quite an enlightened cult.

And Angelo had run off immediately, leaving An Su to clean up the mess he had made.

"You will take over my position and manage this stronghold."

Angelo spoke slowly, enunciating each word,

"You will become the new Legion Commander."

Outside the window, lightning flashed, exploding into pure white at the edge of the sky, illuminating An Su's stern smile with exquisite clarity,

"That is exactly what I was hoping for, Your Excellency."

An Su said with a smile, "Since you say any means are acceptable, then I can sacrifice them to the Mother Goddess of Life, right?"

What a novel method of inflicting pain... Angelo raised his eyebrows; the young people these days are truly creative.

"Do as you like."

This was An Su's ultimate goal.

The only shortcut for the wicked.

[Assassinate the Legion Commander of the Painful Esoteric Sect]—This ultimate world quest had never been completed by a saint in all these years.

The Fourth-Order Peak warriors were too powerful, especially the boss Angelo.

But for a wicked player, for An Su,

it was not impossible to complete.

The quest stated to assassinate the commander of the Legion of Pain, but it didn't specify Angelo!

An Su adjusted his military cap, donned a cloak, hid the dagger in his sleeve, and straightened his disheveled tie before turning and walking in a certain direction.

"Brother Su." Outside the door, Lister pushed up his glasses, admiring Brother Su's outrageously elegant plan, "Everything is ready."

It was truly too elegant.

Now that everything was about to end, Lister even felt a bit reluctant.

He always felt that there was much more aristocratic knowledge to learn at the Painful Correctional Facility!

"Big Boss An Su, my part is also done."

Arthur too felt his blood boiling; the preparation of a month was finally drawing to a close, and it was time to see the results.

Spending time with evil cultists—mainly An Su—had twisted their moral compass as well.

The sacrifice to the Mother Goddess of Life has its limits.

Otherwise, the sacrificial path would be as invincible as a supermodel.

Initially, sacrificing a dozen or so cultists at once was the limit.

To sacrifice over two hundred people at once, the quality of the altar is key.

Small altars simply cannot achieve this.

They had begun covertly modifying the surroundings of the dormitory a month prior,

choosing the dormitory building as the battlefield and leading the saints there was also for this reason.

At this scale, beyond the quality of the offerings, it also depends on the level of the chief priest—at least saint-tier strength, which means a Fifth Tier priest.

Such a large-scale sacrifice cannot be easily accomplished just by uttering an improved chant or prayer.

However, there is always a way.

The high-level magic that An Su once exchanged from the Mother Goddess of Life, his only piece of high-level magic, was prepared precisely for this situation.

The name of that high-level magic is—

[Gift of Life]

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