"Let's get married next year!"

In front of the gleaming white building, he said to his lover, flashing a gentle smile before waving as he passed through the door, waiting for a response.

"Okay, I'll wait for you!"

The plain-faced girl opposite him gave her answer without hesitation, causing his nearby smile to broaden.

There was no need for goodbyes, as there would be another moment to meet again.

With this thought in mind, he stepped inside without hesitation, entering the interior of the white building.

Tall and grand, the white building resembled a church on the outside but was actually unrelated to it—a guild of adventurers.

Inside, adventurers from all corners of the continent gathered, all seeking the same as him:

Money!

By accepting and completing quests, they earned substantial rewards.

He needed money.

Whether it was for marrying his beloved or preparing for the wedding ahead of time, it required a significant expense.

The process of earning money was far from pleasant, but he was content;

Even in this distant foreign land, he was accompanied by the steadfast love of his partner.

Though the girl he loved had no inclination for battle, she traveled a long distance to be with him, which alone was enough to warm his heart.

A year's time.

During this period:

He was responsible for earning enough to cover both their future expenses, while the girl stayed in their hometown, awaiting his return.

Motivation was key to perseverance.

Unlike inexperienced novices, his first quest involved putting himself in mortal danger from the start.

In that unforgettable first battle, the fierce monster became an experience he couldn't forget;

From then on, it was just an accumulation of numbers and the refinement of skills, repeated over the course of a year.

Time always runs out.

When the agreed-upon deadline arrived, he had amassed a fortune beyond what he could have imagined in the past.

Like a triumphant hero, he removed his name from the guild's records and eagerly returned home.

There, he reunited with his lover after a year apart.

Beside her stood a young man, not a relative, but intimately embracing her.

Clang!

The gold coins that had been held in his embrace fell to the ground, along with numerous silver coins and the bag that held their fortune...

What could be the reason for her change of heart?

Was it the long separation?

The gradual fading of emotions?

Or could it all boil down to a simple truth:

The man holding her was the lord's son, powerful and influential, while he was just a poor man with nothing to his name.

The money he had saved up over the year?

Apologies, it paled in comparison to the wealth the lord's son had from birth.

Destroying a genuine relationship, the time invested seemed like a lengthened year!

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!"

In a roar, a fist, dirt-stained, swung violently, striking the rival, the unforgivable opponent.

Over the past year, he had gained a wealth of experience, honing his body and spirit through countless trials;

Hence, he was strong, entering the ranks of the "Battlefield Harvester level" at a young age.

He was a capable fighter, and the arrogant opponent before him had their features twisted by his blows.

The opponent possessed things he lacked, not just money, but also the power of being a lord's son. Even if he won in a one-on-one fight, duels were not always one-on-one; hordes of lackeys would swarm in. In the end, he fell awkwardly to the ground, looking as if he had crawled out of a dumpster. "You despicable thing!" After being kicked in the face by his opponent, he watched helplessly as the man walked away with his beloved girl, seething with resentment that almost made him grind his teeth to pieces, but there was nothing he could do. He was just one person, while the other was a force to be reckoned with. Did the balance of power between them need any special explanation?

If he let it end there, his noteworthy experience would also come to an end. But he didn't want such an ending. So, after swallowing the blood in his mouth, he decided to seek revenge. Revenge takes time. In that span of ten long years, he immersed himself in a white building; a place no longer an association, but a true church. The Church of the Supreme God, gathering all the dark sides of the human world for decades. But at the same time, perhaps it cared the least about one's origins! The current pope practiced utilitarianism, always seeking "useful" individuals. Of course, not everyone could meet the pope. For that prolonged revenge, he started from the bottom as a monk, struggled and crawled step by step, and after four years, became a bishop of a region.

Being a bishop meant he had the opportunity to enter the pope's realm, but this was not the end. In that place full of intrigue, he was nothing but a replaceable pawn. It wasn't enough; he had to climb higher. He knew that strength alone wouldn't cut it in that place, as there were many powerful individuals, far more than just himself. So, he learned to be smooth, flattered those above him, and using the giant hands of the great figures, elevated himself inch by inch. "Well done. Your cunning is like a fox, but the fangs in your mouth are sharper than an ordinary 'fox'!" Six years later, he got the chance to meet His Holiness, the pope, and received a precise evaluation from him.

The pope strongly desired to enforce his own ideas, eager to break free from the shadows of previous generations, craving for all "useful" individuals. Among the upper echelons of the country, there were many strong individuals, but most had their own stubbornness, hence useful individuals were few. "You want to keep climbing up, right? Do you want to swear personal loyalty to me?" Like taming a hunting dog, the pope sat on the throne, looking down at him, trying to tame him. "Serving Your Majesty is the humble person's honor!" He knelt down and, though not asked, fearfully bowed his head repeatedly.

He came here to attain power and influence because without these two, he couldn't achieve his revenge. Only for the sake of that one vengeance, he was willing to become swine, canine, or any kind of beast, no matter how degrading, as long as it could bite humans to death. Seeing this pitiful behavior, the pope knew he could be of use, so the following year, he was elevated to the ranks of the "Four Great Bishops" with a "wait and see" attitude. With five members in total, he was the last among the Four Great Bishops but still became a core member within the pope's realm. That day, under His Majesty's supervision, he underwent the granting ceremony and appeared before all as the "Red-Clothed Bishop"!

A decade of dedication, all leading up to this moment. The Cardinal in red is no longer the same as before, now able to openly mobilize his private army. While not as formidable as the Crusaders, this elite force belongs to the country and is more than capable of handling local militia with ease.

Thus, he led over ten thousand men to the doorstep of his former adversary, surrounded by the bodies of the militia. The metallic taste of blood in his nostrils brought a sense of exhilaration.

Before arriving, the Cardinal in red had fantasized multiple times: how the woman who had defied him in the past would now grovel before him, how he could humiliate her.

"Speak, where is that woman now?"

"She, she has..."

What a delight. The once formidable adversary, now trembling and unable to even meet his gaze, quivering like a wretch; no, even worse than a wretch! Grinding his teeth resembling fangs, he let out a chilling and patient laugh, waiting for the moment to savor the sweetest victory in his life.

"Where is she?"

Asked a second time.

The opponent trembled, mustered courage, and finally answered in halting tones:

"She, she has... passed away."