Chapter Twelve: Rapid Expansion

That very night, Link received a letter from Jack. After reading its contents, he let out a sigh of relief. Jack hadn't let him down; the Temple of the Mad God had been thoroughly deceived and wouldn't cause trouble for the time being. He could use this window to develop his foundation.

"However, my foundation is pitifully shallow right now. The entire Church of the Father barely has a handful of usable followers. Saka does have potential, but potential doesn't equate to strength. To make him the backbone of the Church will take time. Looks like I need to find some more immediate fighting power," Link mused as he burned Jack's letter and began planning his next steps. In the latter half of the night, he transcribed the fragmented manual of the Nine Yang Divine Skill in the language of the Sora Void World. Although some sections couldn't be accurately rendered in that script, he managed to translate the gist and annotated the unclear parts. With his guidance, there shouldn't be any issues.

The next day, Link didn't rush to recruit more followers. Instead, he took the handwritten Nine Yang Divine Skill to Saka. Upon seeing the unfamiliar, difficult script, Saka was puzzled. "Father, what is this?"

"This is the Divine Skill bestowed upon me by the great Father. Though it's only a third of the complete version, it's far superior to most martial arts in the world. As a loyal follower of the Father, you are qualified to cultivate this skill. I now entrust it to you and hope you won't let me down."

Saka was astonished, then thrilled, his broad frame trembling with excitement. He fell to his knees and pledged, "Yes, I will not disappoint you, Father. Rest assured, from today onward, I devote my life to defending the Church of the Father!" With those words, Saka effectively pledged himself to the Church.

This declaration surprised Link, but he quickly understood. The customs of this world were much like ancient China: powerhouses liked to keep their best techniques hidden, only passing them to their closest disciples. Thus, the grace of imparting skills was highly valued. Saka's response was not unexpected in light of Link's generosity.

Link had intended to draw Saka into the Church, and Saka's voluntary submission suited him perfectly. Smiling, Link nodded, "With the Father above, child, your contributions to the Church fill me with joy. You shall..." Suddenly struck by inspiration and a mischievous urge, he continued, "Yes, from now on, you are a Reserve Saint Warrior of the Church."

Saka looked bewildered. "Saint Warrior? What's that? Is it a guardian fighter?"

Link suppressed his laughter and explained, "Something like that. But Saint Warriors are divinely chosen by the Father—only eighty-eight in total, divided into Bronze, Silver, and Gold Saint Warriors. The most powerful are the Gold Saint Warriors, whose fists can shatter mountains and whose feet can crack the earth. They possess an indomitable spirit and will. Their mission is to protect this world!"

Saka listened, awestruck, and ignored Link's odd phrasing. "Amazing! Warriors who protect the world... Such noble fighters. Can I really become one?"

Link smiled in a priestly manner. "Of course you can, child. When your strength is sufficient, the Father will grant you a Saint Cloth. Once you gain its recognition, you will become one of the eighty-eight Saint Warriors."

Link was not lying; the bootleg game he inherited definitely included Saint Cloths, and the true god system derived from it should have them too. It was just a matter of when he could acquire one.

Saka knew nothing of Link's plans, but the future painted by Link was enough to excite him. He nodded eagerly, "Yes, Father, I won't let you down. I will cultivate diligently and strive to earn the Father's recognition as soon as possible!"

Link patted Saka's shoulder with a smile. "I look forward to seeing you don the Gold Saint Cloth of Gemini."

Though he was puzzled by Link's expectation that he would wear the Gemini Gold Saint Cloth, Saka was nonetheless delighted. Since Gold Saint Warriors were the strongest, Link's anticipation signaled his high hopes. Saka silently vowed to become the Gemini Gold Saint Warrior.

Let us set aside Saka's path as a Saint Warrior for now. Under Link's guidance, Saka immediately began to cultivate the Nine Yang Divine Skill. Link soon discovered that true prodigies did exist in this world. Despite lacking any foundation in Chinese culture, Saka grasped the skill's essence with astonishing speed and began his training.

In terms of both comprehension and innate talent, Saka was a once-in-a-century genius. In just one morning, he had fully understood the contents of the three levels of the Nine Yang Divine Skill and was making remarkable progress, showing signs of mastering the first level. Within a few days, he would likely achieve it.

This cheat-like speed made Link both envious and resentful; without the system's help, he himself would probably take months to master it.

Saka's rapid progress was partly due to his ongoing martial cultivation and his foundation in battle energy, but his talent was truly extraordinary—even protagonists of martial arts novels would pale in comparison.

Link speculated that if he could provide Saka with something like a thousand-year ginseng, Saka could master the first three levels within a week. Even without such resources, a month or so should suffice.

Despite his envy, Link was pleased. Once Saka mastered the first three levels, his strength would easily reach the peak of the first tier, perhaps even break into the second. Even if the Temple of the Mad God came looking for trouble, Saka could handle it.

While Link was imparting the Nine Yang Divine Skill to Saka, a minor incident occurred. Elia, knowing Saka was training, wanted to learn as well. However, the Nine Yang Divine Skill seemed unsuitable for women; Link recalled that women who practiced it would secrete excessive testosterone and turn into bearded, burly men. He explained this to Elia.

Elia immediately gave up on the idea of training.

Still, Link felt it wouldn't do to have only the two men cultivating. Once he acquired a divine skill suited for women through the lottery, he would let Elia and Yuna train as well, ensuring that the elders of the Church of the Father possessed some strength. With the church's expansion in the future, he wouldn't have to worry about subduing newcomers.

Once Saka grasped the first three levels of the Nine Yang Divine Skill, Link returned to the slums to continue his preaching. Thanks to Jack's deception, the Temple of the Mad God knew of Link's activities but dared not intervene or send troublemakers. Link encountered no obstacles.

Meanwhile, Link instructed Jack to secretly promote his ability to cure all ailments, targeting mostly the middle and upper classes, especially the wealthy. Link understood that for the rich, as long as their ailments could be cured, they would spend any amount.

With Jack's diligent promotion, word of Link's abilities spread. Some were amazed, others skeptical, some scoffed, and some waited to see him fail. The latter were mostly religious figures from other faiths, led by Father Dubai, who knew about Link but didn't believe he could cure all diseases.

Link didn't expect these religious competitors to believe him. In fact, their skepticism worked in his favor, allowing him to freely recruit followers.

Once Link's reputation spread, some people began to visit the slums seeking him. These were ordinary folks, mostly suffering from complicated diseases that regular doctors couldn't treat. They came hoping for a miracle.

Under Link's care, their ailments vanished, even the most difficult cases showing marked improvement.

This caused a sensation. While people could doubt the claims about slum dwellers, ordinary citizens confirmed that Link could cure all diseases, leaving others no choice but to believe.

Gradually, more and more people flocked to the slums for treatment. Seeing this, Link advised the poor to set up stalls selling food, drinks, and chairs. With so many seeking his help, everyone had to queue, and Link needed rest, so demand for refreshments and seating increased.

Under Link's guidance, the poor earned a tidy sum during this period, each overjoyed and increasingly grateful to Link. Their loyalty and faith soared, much to Link's satisfaction.

Three days passed, and Link's fame finally reached the upper echelons of Kinco Town. Some sent subordinates or servants to the slums to investigate, while others directly invited Link to their homes.

Link refused every invitation, telling them that if they wanted treatment, they must come to the slums. He had many patients waiting in line and no time to visit elsewhere.

This 'arrogant' attitude infuriated the self-important elite, causing some to abandon plans to seek Link's help. After all, they had money and weren't afraid of finding another doctor.

Likewise, religious leaders who had been unsettled by Link's rising reputation relaxed again. Link's actions pushed the upper classes away, and they had no interest in the lower classes, who couldn't offer much profit. As long as the elite weren't drawn in, they were content.

Yet Link's refusal to cater to the upper class won him the admiration of the common folk. They knew exactly how much reward he could gain by visiting the elite, but he chose to treat them instead. His noble character inspired countless people, who, under his preaching, became loyal followers of the Father.

Meanwhile, the loyalty of the original poor followers grew stronger, with many becoming high-level believers. Although no fanatics appeared, Link was still immensely pleased.

Under these circumstances, Link's reputation exploded in Kinco Town and began to spread to other places. The pace was slow and the effect limited, but nearby towns already told stories of Link.

Thus, some impoverished or afflicted people came to Kinco Town, half-believing, half-doubting, hoping for a cure. After their ailments were healed, they enthusiastically returned home to spread the word about Link for free.

In no time, Link's fame in other regions began to surge as well.