Bella Trix was currently filled with regret.
She knew that divine prophecies were usually accurate, barring the times the gods lied to toy with mortals.
But she hadn't expected the prophecy to come true so quickly. She had thought about waiting and watching, seeing if she could gain some benefits without selling herself into servitude.
As a result, the God's Favored came knocking directly. He didn't even lift a finger personally; just his undead minions crushed her.
The moment she saw Ambrose appear, Bella Trix thought it was a punishment sent by the goddess—punishment for her disregard of the oracle and her opportunistic mindset.
Therefore, Bella Trix decided to seize this last chance. In accordance with the divine revelation, she would follow this God's Favored wholeheartedly.
Ambrose, however, frowned deeply. This situation felt wrong.
"I recall that the doctrine of the Goddess of Pain does not prohibit lying."
Upon hearing this, Bella Trix panicked.
She had been so focused on opportunism that she hadn't considered this issue.
Just because she surrendered, did he have to accept it?
The being before her was a Lich. He was naturally opposed to the living. How could such a racial gap be bridged by a simple sentence of surrender? Bella Trix realized she had to show Ambrose her sincerity; otherwise, she would likely die here. And dying without obeying the Pain Queen's revelation would probably mean falling straight into hell to endure eternal torture.
Ambrose did indeed suspect Bella Trix was lying.
Sudden kneeling surrender, an attitude of absolute obedience—if this were a Paladin of the Ryan Empire, he might barely believe it. But followers of Loviatar did not have a reputation for honesty and integrity.
Just as Ambrose was considering whether it would be safer to just kill her, Bella Trix hurriedly said, "It is the oracle of the Goddess of Pain. You are a great being who will bring boundless suffering to the world. As a believer of the Goddess, I must dedicate everything to the noble God's Favored."
Ambrose immediately retorted, "Don't spread rumors! I'm a scholar, a businessman at most. I'm not like you perverts."
Although Liches were considered part of the Evil alignment, they were different from the deviants of the Pain cult. Liches were rational, communicative, and open to doing business.
Loviatar's followers were violent and cruel, their level of perversion intolerable to most races.
Why did Loviatar say he would bring pain to the world? As a Lich, he hand-sculpted souls, which practically made him a saint among the undead. Could a god just spout nonsense like that?
He absolutely could not accept the identity of Loviatar's God's Favored.
But his intuition told him the woman was likely telling the truth. Could it be that the Goddess of Pain really gave her an oracle? This made Ambrose uncomfortable all over. Being targeted by this goddess didn't feel like a good thing.
"You said earlier you are willing to dedicate everything to me? Can you speak for the Trix Family's assets?" Ambrose asked.
Hearing this, Bella Trix knew there was a turning point. She quickly said, "I am the daughter of Duke Trix, his only daughter, and the sole heir to this territory."
"Only daughter?"
Few nobles had only one child. If an accident occurred, the family lineage would be in trouble. Furthermore, the more bloodline descendants, the stronger the family. It was highly unreasonable for the powerful Flayed Duke to have only one daughter.
Bella Trix said with great pride, "In the past rituals, only I survived. I am the only daughter."
That reason was surprisingly convincing.
"Fine. Since you say you can dedicate everything to me, take me to your treasury."
Regardless of what the Goddess of Pain was thinking, securing the tangible benefits first was never a mistake.
Bella Trix seemed a bit surprised. What was with this Lich? Receiving the allegiance of a noble and obtaining such a large territory, yet his first sentence was asking to see the treasury?
But Bella Trix dared not refuse, knowing this was her tribute. If she couldn't satisfy him, she would die miserably.
Bella Trix led Ambrose out of the mining area toward the main city.
Compared to the Viscount Leitman's territory, the Flayed Duke's lands appeared somewhat desolate. The Lord of Storms and the Goddess of Pain were both crazy gods, but Viscount Leitman was a normal person when not angry, and his management of the territory was reasonable. But the Flayed Duke was different. To please this perverted goddess, this territory was truly full of torture.
Crosses were visible everywhere along the road, stained with blood. Some rotting corpses still hung from them, resembling the methods of the old-school vampire, Vlad the Impaler.
The people of the territory were also terrified of Bella Trix. Seeing her from afar, they prostrated themselves on the ground, daring not make a sound.
Seeing this, Ambrose was pleased.
The more cruel and tyrannical the lord, the more wealth they would have squeezed out, meaning the harvest would be greater.
Bella Trix led Ambrose forward, and soon they arrived before a castle.
Great lords usually had their own castles—the core of the family, the final stronghold, and the most meticulously crafted sanctuary.
With just a glance, Ambrose spotted traces of several magical traps.
However, with Bella Trix leading the way, Ambrose naturally faced no obstruction and soon met the Flayed Duke, who had rushed over upon hearing the news.
Compared to Bella Trix, although the Flayed Duke had many scars on his face, he didn't seem to self-harm as severely as his daughter; he still looked somewhat human.
The Flayed Duke opened with, "Great God's Favored..."
Ambrose immediately shut him up. "Before I figure out the situation, if you mention any oracle again, I will turn you into experimental materials."
The Flayed Duke looked at his daughter in surprise. This situation wasn't right. The deity told them to follow this Lich, but the Lich was dismissive?
Under Ambrose's strong demand, they reached the treasury door.
Upon opening it, the chests of neatly arranged gold coins satisfied him greatly.
Not bad. There were seventy or eighty thousand gold coins alone, plus some precious utensils difficult to value. But what attracted Ambrose's gaze most was the blood-wreathed statue in the center of the treasury.
This was no mere decorative idol placed at the entrance; Ambrose could feel the powerful force entangling it.
Bella Trix hurriedly explained, "This is a divine artifact we brought from the old country. By sacrificing pain, we can communicate directly with the deity."
Ambrose didn't speak because the moment he locked eyes with the statue, he felt as if he had entered a mysterious space.
His soul and body were completely severed; even the Lich's phylactery lost its function.
Undoubtedly, this was the power of a god.
Chaos surrounded him, and ear-piercing wails were incessant.
A bewitchingly beautiful woman appeared before Ambrose. She wore revealing tight leather, and her exposed skin was adorned with various hooks and iron rings. Just looking at her could induce phantom pain.
But her appearance was so beautiful, her evil grin seemingly full of charm.
Without a doubt, this was Loviatar, the Goddess of Pain. Perhaps what was before him was just an avatar, but Ambrose's soul still felt immense pressure.
Loviatar walked up to Ambrose's soul fire and extended a finger to touch the burning flame.
"We finally meet, interesting Lich."
The goddess's fingertip seemed to carry a potent toxin. A mere touch caused Ambrose to feel a severe pain that penetrated deep into his soul.
Liches were not supposed to feel pain. This long-forgotten sensation made Ambrose tremble, almost rendering him speechless.
But a moment later, Ambrose felt another distinct sensation, as if his soul had been sublimated after surviving the agony.
Ambrose recalled Loviatar's doctrine: *Pain is sacred. Endure pain, enjoy pain, and your life will ascend to another realm.*
Loviatar knew Ambrose's feelings like the back of her hand. Withdrawing her finger, the goddess said to Ambrose, "You are more talented than I imagined, The Faithless. How about becoming my Chosen? I will grant you greater power and help you become a true god."
This Goddess of Pain was serious. He was a bag of bones without pain receptors; why did she take a fancy to him?
Having just recovered from the extreme mixture of pain and pleasure, Ambrose said frankly upon hearing Loviatar's words, "No. Goddess, your doctrine is a bit extreme."
Ambrose's soul was now completely under Loviatar's control; lying and concealment were meaningless, so he might as well be honest. Ambrose could only gamble that Loviatar wouldn't dare violate Ao's rules and that pulling him into this quasi-divine realm was just to "negotiate," not threaten.
Ambrose's thoughts were naturally clear to Loviatar. The Queen of Pain was dissatisfied with Ambrose's rejection, but as Ambrose thought, she couldn't actually do anything to him.
There were significant restrictions on gods acting against mortals.
There was a saying on the continent that The Faithless were less likely to receive divine punishment than devout believers. This was because gods couldn't use dogma to restrict those who didn't believe in them, whereas they had fewer restrictions when dealing with their own followers.
Like the God of Alchemy—even after being blasphemed, he couldn't act directly. It wasn't until the Lord of Knowledge couldn't stand it anymore that he could borrow that powerful god's power to strip the alchemists of their creativity.
So, in Ambrose's view, declining Loviatar's "invitation" was the wise choice. If you don't believe in her, the Goddess of Pain can't govern you. Once Ambrose agreed, Loviatar could use "violating doctrine" as an excuse to punish him.
Loviatar said in an annoyed tone, "You are a bit too smart for your own good, Lich."
Ambrose remained unmoved. "As one of The Faithless, one naturally has to be smarter, or I'd have gone to hell long ago. Goddess above, manifesting this space requires consuming the faith power in the statue. By my estimation, it won't last long. So, if you have something to say to me, I suggest you hurry."
Loviatar scoffed, then continued, "I wanted to use a simpler method to make you useful to me. Now it seems there is no easy way."
Ambrose felt something was wrong. Why did Loviatar sound like she was about to force his hand? Was she that ruthless, daring to violate even Ao's rules? Wasn't she afraid of being stripped of her divinity and demoted to a mortal?
"Wait, respected Goddess of Pain, everything can be discussed. I am merely a Lich; I am not worth such a sacrifice from you," Ambrose said.
Loviatar revealed a cruel smile. "Hehe, rest assured. How could I violate Ao's rules and punish a mortal at will? But just because a god cannot punish a mortal doesn't mean they cannot bestow a blessing. I know you once abandoned a powerful force. Now, let me help you pick it back up. Accept the love of Pain."
Loviatar drew the whip hanging at her waist and lashed it viciously against Ambrose's soul.