Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

The fourth day of the Festival of Intoxication.

This was Eren's second visit to the temple. However, this was the first time he was seeing the temple's glory in the morning light.

Goddess Sekhmet's temple, standing majestically in the heart of Sunhaven, was an architectural marvel. The exterior showcased intricate carvings of ferocious lions, symbolizing strength and power.

The grand entrance was adorned with golden pillars, and the steps leading up to it were flanked by statues depicting scenes from Sekhmet's stories and divine deeds. The temple's central structure featured a massive dome, representing the celestial prowess of the lion-headed goddess.

Upon entering the temple, visitors were greeted by an expansive hall with high ceilings. The air was thick with the fragrance of sacred incense, creating an atmosphere of mystique.

The smell was liquor and ritualistic wine was also mixed in the air, creating a subtly intoxicating atmosphere. The week-long Festival of Intoxication still had three more days remaining. As such, the hype about the festival was only reaching new heights.

The walls of the temple were adorned with vibrant murals depicting various stages of Sekhmet's divine journey. The main altar, situated at the heart of the temple, housed an imposing statue of the lion-headed goddess, radiating an aura of authority.

"Rook Ren, please come this way," a beautiful priestess soon came to Eren while he was loitering around in the temple's premises. She gestured to him to follow and led him to a particularly less-crowded area.

In a secluded section of the temple, a sacred chamber known as the "Chamber of Virtues" was dedicated to the branding ceremonies during the Festival of Intoxication.

The Virtue of Kindness Mark, a symbol associated with empathy and benevolence, was a prominent feature of this annual event.

The ceremony involved a meticulous process led by the temple's high priestess, assisted by skilled enchanters. Distinguished individuals from Sunhaven and nearby cities, carefully selected for their noble virtues, gathered in the chamber. The air buzzed with magical energy as the temple priests chanted ancient hymns invoking the essence of kindness.

In the dimly lit chamber, each participant was seated on an ornate chair, surrounded by a circle of enchanters. The ritual began with the high priestess invoking the blessings of Goddess Sekhmet to infuse the participants' souls with the Virtue of Kindness.

'Since becoming a demi-god, I know how these blessings are given,' Eren quietly thought to himself as he participated in the ceremony. Even though he had radical thoughts in his mind, he cooperated with the priests completely while maintaining a pious look.

'All of this fancy stuff is just there to invoke feelings of faith towards Goddess Sekhmet. The actual process is quite simple and can be done using the help of the Mesh. Even Goddess Sekhmet wouldn't bother to send her divine consciousness here. She would just let the Mesh handle this in her stead.

So I have no reason to worry. I'm a demi-god as well, and my soul is definitely far more strengthened than a mortal's soul. As such, I can afford to participate in this experiment. I just hope that nothing too big happens that might force me to wipe out every one or their memories present in the ceremony,' the butcher thought and sighed.

By this point, the enchanters, using sacred symbols and gestures, had started to work in harmony to create a delicate balance of divine energy.

Eren, having gained access to this exclusive ceremony through Wilfer's invitation, found himself seated inside a magic circle along with a few others. As the ceremony unfolded, he felt a warmth enveloping his soul, resonating with the emotions of kindness. The Virtue of Kindness Mark was starting to form on his soul, leaving a subtle but powerful imprint.

[ Mark of the Virtue Series: Virtue of Kindness is being branded on the host's soul ]

Eren saw a prompt appear on a Spectral Screen. This prompt was then shifted to a special Spectral Screen that could only be accessed by demi-gods like him.

[ The host's Individuality as well as the Sin Series Marks on his soul is incompatible with the impending Virtue Series Mark. The host's Soul Space might suffer a light injury if the process is not terminated ]

'Hm. The prompt is saying I'll receive a light injury on my soul, which is expected. But it doesn't say whether I'll fail to get the Virtue Series Marks or not. Should I proceed?' Eren thought to himself as he looked at the prompt in contemplation.

Eren waited for a few minutes to see if the Mesh provided him with an alternate way because of his special status. And just like he had expected, the Mesh came up with another prompt.

[ Origin Force Points can be used to remedy the soul-related conflicts that would arise after accepting the impending Virtue Series Marks.

Option 1: Isolate the Virtue Series Mark from its counterpart in the Sin Series. The host would only get to use one Series at a time this way. And the effects of the intent-based magic would be degraded.

Option 2: Use the impending Virtue Series Mark to strengthen and refine its counterpart in the Sin Series. The users would not be able to use any form of intent-based magic that is related to the Virtue Series. However, the effects of the Sin Series Marks would be augmented.

Origin Force Points consumption for Option 1: 40,000

Origin Force Points consumption for Option 2: 65,000 ]

'Damn this goddess. She is milking me dry,' Eren cursed goddess Menaka once again as he saw the potential cost he would have to bear irrespective of the choice. He then sighed and decided to go with the flow.

'Haah. There's no use selecting Option 1 if my Sin Series domains end up weakening. Select Option 2,' he said and made his choice known to the Mesh.

Eren just wanted to see if he could have access to the Virtue Series Marks or not as an experiment. He didn't mind if he didn't get to use the Virtue Series Marks as long as they ended up strengthening his Sin Series Marks. He had paid a premium with the 65,000 Origin Force Points. So he expected a considerable boost in the strength of his refined domain.

On the other hand, Eren already started to have a headache when he thought about the remaining six unrefined Sin Series Marks. He not only had to find ways to get all the remaining six Virtue Series Marks but also had to spend a huge amount of Origin Force Points every time. Since he had started this process, he naturally didn't want to back out midway.

'My pseudo-avatars. I guess I can use some of them in rotation to get me the rest of the Virtue Series Marks.'

Eren made up his mind and let the ceremony refine his Sin Series Mark for him.

Since the Virtue Series Mark he received was the Virtue of Kindness, it refined the Sin of Envy for him, making it stronger than before. He naturally wanted to try using this Sin Series Mark which he had seldom made use of in the past.