The twins' clumsy cover-up couldn't fool David's eyes. Watcher's lecherous gaze had already studied both maids thoroughly.
Ahem... But David didn't call them out on it.
Why would the sisters lie? For power? Because of the temptation of the supernatural path?
Or because of some deeper secret?
He smiled and said gently to them: "It's fine. Go back to your rooms and rest. Feel your changes carefully. Remember, before you figure out your ritual abilities, don't use them casually..."
"The young master isn't angry?" Yui quietly breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. "...The young master really is so gentle."
After experiencing fear, tension and other emotions, the young master's sunny smile warmed the twins' hearts.
"Looks like we got away with it..." Zoe looked dazed. The young master didn't seem to suspect them.
But the problem was, she wanted to say it but couldn't!
...
David watched the maids leave the room and quietly sat back in his chair to think.
He wasn't in a hurry to make the twins talk now. Compared to their memories, he had a better target—those Shattered Church cultists.
And what he cared about more was that god who pulled him into the Shattered Temple...
Even the Sun Goddess's blessing couldn't get him out of that temple. Clearly that was genuine divine power.
But why?
The twins had just completed their advancement ritual, and he got pulled into the fog.
Was it a coincidence?
And... those two thrones on the high platform...
Maybe the appearance of the Shattered Temple really did have some connection with the twins?
David suddenly had an absurd guess, but it was so absurd that he laughed at himself.
"Heh heh, interesting..."
He decided to set this matter aside for now. When it came to divine matters, there was no rush to verify things.
...
It had only been one night since David escaped the sewers, and his 100,000 psychic energy hadn't recovered much at all.
Psychic energy was that troublesome. If you just left it alone, it would never naturally recover.
For David, someone blessed by the goddess, praying at the cathedral under the Sun Goddess statue was the fastest way to recover psychic energy.
Speaking of which, after working hard for a month on fusing ritual power, David still didn't feel like he'd made any progress.
But today the situation changed.
Maybe because he'd rarely depleted over 100,000 psychic energy all at once, this time while praying, he clearly felt the power radiating from those light wings become more turbulent. The blessing's divine power further merged into his body as his psychic energy slowly recovered.
This was unprecedented, surging and magnificent...
The warm light of the wings was so dazzling in David's sea of consciousness that he couldn't ignore it at all.
"I see... Depleting psychic energy then recovering it is the ritual power fusion process, or rather, this gives the best results... Why couldn't that old man Fernandes just explain it clearly?"
David sighed, half-kneeling before the statue, beginning to fully invest himself in the glow of those wings. This was the first time he'd been so completely focused.
Suddenly, he saw a notification pop up on the panel in his soul.
[Divine power residue detected. Initiate Limb Grafting Ritual?]
"Huh??" David froze.
"This can also do a Limb Grafting Ritual? Graft what? The divine power wings?"
As if to answer his confusion, another notification appeared on the panel.
[Tip: Devouring divine power residue can rapidly complete ritual power fusion.]
"Whoa..."
Now he understood. If he performed this "Limb Grafting Ritual," it meant he could immediately meet the conditions for the second-tier advancement ritual...
You had to know, this was normally a process that could be long or short. For some people without much talent, it might take several years or even over a decade.
But he could skip this process directly!
But David also hesitated. Would this count as blasphemy against the Sun Goddess? Would there be any side effects?
After being watched by the Shattered God, he didn't want the goddess—his "backing"—to abandon him...
He looked up at the goddess's tall statue and devoutly asked the heavens: "God, would you mind?"
The god didn't react.
So that was tacit approval?
Well then, David grinned and chose to start the ritual.
Actually, no matter what, he wouldn't give up this opportunity. After witnessing something like the steam knight, he was desperate to raise his tier.
High-tier rituals brought earth-shattering changes to supernatural beings. If he also had fifth or even sixth-tier legendary level power, he'd have a fighting chance against existences like the steam knight.
After confirming the ritual start, David immediately held his breath.
He saw the Hand of Divine Corpse suddenly manifest from his soul sea and grab those light wings on the verge of shattering.
After a series of crunching sounds, the big hand kneaded the wings into its palm. Those warm powers completely merged into it, giving David a wonderful illusion.
He seemed to be sitting in a lounge chair by a fireplace. The fireplace's warmth gently swept across his body. The soft chair held his body. Everything around was so quiet, so peaceful...
So this was the most complete blessing.
[Devoured divine power residue. First-tier Goddess's Blessing Ritual fusion complete.]
[Due to Goddess's Blessing Ritual influence, Ritual Evil Spirit Watcher fused divine power and underwent changes.]
"What!?"
The instant he saw this notification, David's heart jumped. He felt that evil spirit hiding in his eyes actually changed.
It turned into a golden eye with a pair of golden wings growing behind it...
Its gaze was still lecherous, its voyeuristic desires unchanged. Still incorrigible.
David had originally worried this thing's side effects would get stronger, but after carefully sensing it, he didn't feel that way.
But it had definitely been strengthened, like it received divine "blessing."
[Ritual Evil Spirit Possession: Holy Watcher. Possesses overwhelming voyeuristic ability against all dark things.]
"What the hell? Watcher can be 'holy'?"
David hadn't expected this, but it didn't seem like a bad thing.
He breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and slowly broke into a grin. Now he could go ask Fernandes to apply for the second-tier ritual.
Other believers in the cathedral saw this Order hunter who'd just finished praying with such a peaceful, happy smile and all sighed with admiration.
That aura like sunshine—ah... He's such a devout believer!
Even the bishop passing by secretly nodded at David, beginning to ponder the identity of this hunter with such pure faith.
The hunter's smile even mellowed the bishop's anger. Originally he'd planned to settle accounts with Fernandes who stole a bottle of his holy water, but thinking about it now, he should be more magnanimous...
...
"Smack..."
David placed the second-tier ritual application form and a stack of papers on Fernandes's desk, then quietly sat across from him.
Fernandes looked up from the mountain of documents he was processing, rubbing his temples as he glanced at the form, then frowned at David.
"You're sure? You completely fused the ritual power in just one month?"
David nodded.
Actually, he'd only used an instant...
Fernandes exhaled and set the application aside with an indifferent expression. Anyway, if it went wrong, that was David's problem. He didn't have the energy to care about all that.
As for completing ritual fusion in one month, there was precedent for that. Could only say David truly had received the goddess's favor.
"If you insist, I'll prepare it for you... What's this?"
Fernandes moved his gaze to that stack of papers.
"This is some intelligence about dock district cults. I got some news from a secret channel. Maybe we should investigate." David shrugged and added: "I've been idle for a long time. You haven't been assigning me any tasks..."
"I'm not giving you tasks because your first-tier hunter rank is too low..."
Fernandes muttered, scanning through the "intelligence." Certain phrases immediately caught his attention.
"Hmm... This is interesting..."