The Holy Church of Radiance stood as the most revered institution in the entire empire—untouchable, divine, and always neutral. It held the power to crown emperors and excommunicate entire sects with a word. No one dared offend them.
Which is exactly why Priyanshu had to own it.
Hidden within a black cloak woven with void essence, Priyanshu stepped across the sacred threshold. A wave of divine light washed over him—meant to expose lies, illusions, and corruption.
[System Alert: Holy Purification Barrier Detected]"Auto-camouflage initiated: Villainous intent suppressed. Host appears 100% righteous to all divine scans."Buff Activated: Saint's Aura (Fake)
He smirked beneath the hood. Even the gods couldn't sniff him out.
Inside, the Holy Church gleamed with golden statues, celestial murals, and chanting clerics. But he wasn't here to admire the art. He was here to break the unbreakable.
"Name?" a priest asked politely.
"Yuvan of Eastwood," Priyanshu answered smoothly—one of his lesser-known fake identities already seeded into records using the system's Data Rewrite Skill.
He was escorted to the inner sanctum, where the Archcleric, an elderly man with a long beard and golden eyes, awaited.
"Yuvan... You carry light," the Archcleric said, touching Priyanshu's chest. "And yet, shadows cling to your footsteps."
"Even saints cast shadows, Your Grace," Priyanshu replied calmly, eyes lowered with practiced humility.
The old man chuckled. "Well said. You seek initiation?"
"I seek... clarity."
And just like that, he was allowed to study the sacred texts—texts that hadn't been seen by commoners in a hundred years.
But Priyanshu wasn't reading.
He was listening.
The walls whispered spirits of former saints, echoes of truths long buried. His Hidden Villain System was absorbing it all.
New Technique Acquired: Sacred Deception Art (Divine-Grade)Allows host to generate false righteous aura powerful enough to fool all divine senses.Enables host to cast 'Holy Spells' while maintaining villain karma.
He closed the tome and turned to leave.
But not before dropping a seed.
Literally.
In the soil of the Holy Garden, he planted the Seed of Contradiction—an artifact that would grow into a tree that leaked subtle corruption into the air. Not enough to destroy... just enough to raise questions, make saints whisper, create divisions.
The fall of the Church wouldn't be an explosion.
It would be slow rot from within.
Back in his secret chamber, Priyanshu meditated.
[Quest Completed: Infiltrate the Holy Church]Reward: Saint's Aura Cloak, 400 Karma Points, and 1 Holy Relic FragmentHidden Progress: "Divine Corruption Plan (1%)"
Just then, Mira burst in. "Priyanshu! The Archcleric sent a messenger—he wants to meet you privately. Tonight."
He opened one eye.
"Perfect. Time to begin Act Two."