Chereads / Sacrilege Ascension: I Level Up By Defying Gods / Chapter 5 - The Shadow Covenant  

Chapter 5 - The Shadow Covenant  

This staff is dirty goods—could this guy have killed a clergy member, a Divine Magician of the church? 

At that moment, the scene fell silent for a brief pause, and many cast curious glances at Oliver. 

Many people in this black market, though anti-church, were merely those who had been persecuted by the church. 

Killing a church clergy member? That wasn't something just anyone could pull off! 

The church's official clergy were almost all Divine Magicians. Someone like Oliver, an apprentice pastor without The Divine Circuit, could never truly become a clergy member. 

So, killing a clergy member was an extremely difficult feat! 

And at that moment, under the crowd's gazes, Oliver kept his face hidden beneath his hood. They couldn't see his features, which only fueled their growing curiosity. 

This guy didn't seem to carry the scent of The Divine Circuit—had he hidden it, or could it be that he'd even used an illegal spell that didn't require a divine circuit? 

The blacksmith boss picked up the silver staff, inspecting it carefully with a magnifying glass before saying seriously, "Kid, this thing's pretty good. Flat price—500 silver coins. We'll take it. How's that?" 

Oliver thought it over, found the price fair, and nodded: 

"Deal." 

Hearing their exchange, 

some of the sorcerers present sighed in amazement. 

Some of them, out in the Solen Mines beyond the city, stole materials from the mines or fought wild beasts, risking their lives from morning till dusk. A group of them together might earn just 100 silver coins in a day—making money was no easy task. 

Yet this young man had sold a single silver staff for 500 silver coins. 

Indeed, hunting clergy yielded astonishing profits! 

But clergy weren't exactly easy prey, were they? 

They often tried to find lone clergy to target, but opportunities were rare and far between. 

This young man had managed it—didn't that mean he was far stronger than these veteran anti-church sorcerers? 

An old-hand anti-church sorcerer couldn't help but laugh, "This kid's a new face, huh? Lots of potential. He might even become one of the Shadow Covenant!" 

The Shadow Covenant was a small alliance of the strongest among the anti-church faction. 

Rumor had it that becoming a Shadow Covenant member came with privileges in the black market. 

First off, they were exempt from transaction taxes. For a newcomer like Oliver, the tax was a steep 20%, meaning that with this silver staff sold for 500 silver coins, 20% would go to taxes. 

Oliver would only pocket 400 silver coins. 

Beyond that, it was said that particularly high-ranking Shadow Covenant members could access an even more exclusive black market, buying banned goods unavailable in the outer market. 

There was even talk of a black market safehouse privilege—supposedly, by tapping on shadows at certain locations, they could be teleported to special safehouses beyond the church's reach. 

It sounded like a legend, but some swore it was real, claiming they'd seen it with their own eyes… 

And now, with someone saying Oliver might join the Shadow Covenant, a young sorcerer in his twenties named James lifted his chin arrogantly and said, "Joining the Shadow Covenant isn't that easy!" 

On his chest gleamed a gray crow badge—he was a member of the Shadow Covenant! 

"To become a Shadow Covenant member, you have to kill three church clergy!" 

"Even for me, it took three whole years to barely manage it!" 

His proud words annoyed some, but considering his impressive record, most could only cast envious and jealous glances his way. 

"Our black market in Glensorne City supposedly has over five thousand members, but fewer than five join the Shadow Covenant each year—and most of them are children or disciples of existing members." 

"For an ordinary person, becoming a Shadow Covenant member is incredibly tough." 

An apprentice at the blacksmith's stall couldn't help but chime in. 

Even among anti-church folks, there were tiers—those with greater strength naturally received better treatment. 

If you wanted access to more banned items or even ways to use illegal spells, the only path was becoming a Shadow Covenant member. 

But to join, you had to hunt down powerful clergy—and not just one, but three. 

The difficulty was obvious. 

Yet once you succeeded, the status and wealth were extraordinary. 

Besides tax exemptions and the rumored safehouse privileges, senior Shadow Covenant members could also take part in the black market shops' trade and dividends. 

This black market had only seven shops, but each one raked in staggering profits. 

If you got a share of the dividends, you could just sit back and watch the money roll in—a hefty income landing in your lap on schedule, no effort required! 

"Even among anti-church folks, there's a divide between the poor and the rich…" 

Oliver quietly mused as he accepted the 400 silver coins handed over by the blacksmith boss. The heavy coins in his pocket left him deeply satisfied. 

He couldn't resist heading to the food stall next door and sitting down. 

The shop's lights were dim and yellow, a warm fire crackling in the corner. The air carried a mix of stewed meat and freshly baked bread. 

Oliver ordered a buttered bread and a jar of stewed beef. 

It cost him 2 silver coins. 

The price seemed steep, but it was actually cheaper than food under the church's rule outside. 

Especially that jar of stewed beef—the broth was rich and deeply flavored, each chunk of meat tender and succulent. 

Under the church's reign, ordinary food had become a luxury. Beef and vegetables were noble fare; commoners were left gnawing on bread mixed with sawdust or eating a nutrient paste supposedly made from cockroach protein. 

The same meal of stewed beef and bread would cost at least 5, maybe even 10 silver coins outside. 

Oliver used to earn just 7 silver coins a week—there was no way he could've afforded this back then. 

Now, savoring the delicious bread and beef, Oliver sipped a glass of rich red wine. The taste was pure bliss! 

It had been years since he'd tasted anything this good. 

Unable to resist, Oliver ordered another serving and an extra glass of wine, spending 5 silver coins total before he was finally content. 

Having money sure felt great! 

He still had over 500 silver coins in hand, but Oliver knew he'd have plenty of places to spend it next. He hadn't come to the black market just to eat. 

Of course, even during this meal, Oliver hadn't wasted time. 

He'd been carefully listening to the conversations of the other diners, picking up useful tidbits from their chatter. 

"The magic item shop's Master Hector is aggressively buying divine circuits—offering up to 1,000 silver coins, they say!" 

The Divine Circuit? 

Oliver happened to have one on hand. 

But he wasn't planning to sell it right away. 

"A divine circuit? That's not easy to come by. If I got my hands on one, wouldn't I just have it modified and installed in myself?" 

"Yeah, that's why they're offering 1,000 silver coins! And Master Hector's promised that if someone sells them three divine circuits, they'll cover the modification costs—either installing a clean divine circuit for you or upgrading your existing one…" 

The surgery fees for modifying a divine circuit were exorbitant too. This offer might actually tempt some people.