Chapter 103: The Faith of the High Priest
Golem One slowly rose from the massive pit, its right fist completely shattered along with the bones. The seven eyes of the flesh golem had been burned away by the flames, leaving only blood-caked black holes.
The cave fell into complete silence!
“Whoosh!!!”
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Three consecutive explosions tore through the ground, but Punk, relying on the speed granted by the “Advanced Swiftness Spell,” dodged each explosion as effortlessly as a fish swimming through water.
Finally, Punk came to a stop behind Golem One, gazing at the disheveled High Priest at the center of the cave.
The High Priest had lost all the composed mystery he had at the beginning. Half of his right arm was completely gone. Though his Master-level Robe remained undamaged, his body couldn’t withstand the violent shockwaves and was now drenched in blood. Even his right chest showed several ghastly white bone fragments.
The numerous bloodstains on his face, carved by rock shards, no longer bore the hysterical madness they once did. Now, no matter how one looked at him, the High Priest appeared as a calm and wise Old Mage, a stark contrast to the raving fool he had been before!
At this stage of the battle, both sides knew their enemy was a powerful opponent who wouldn’t be deceived by superficial acts. Pretending to be a madman was utterly pointless.
“Skin resistant to high temperatures… demon flesh, perhaps?”
The High Priest warily glanced at Golem One, whose flesh was charred black. He now understood why the golem had broken through the fire elemental defense so quickly!
“Child, this matter has nothing to do with you. There’s no need to obstruct the Tisha Xia’er Goddess. Our plans won’t affect you either!”
The standoff lasted for a brief moment before the High Priest slowly spoke.
Punk offered no response, only growing more vigilant internally.
“Did this old bastard escape through the ‘Anywhere Door’? The question is whether his injuries are as severe as they appear!”
Punk’s gaze grew colder. A calm enemy was far more troublesome than a mindless madman. Punk desperately wanted to unleash his full power immediately and pursue the High Priest while he was still injured.
But he couldn’t determine whether the High Priest’s apparent severe injuries meant he was truly incapable of fighting or if it was merely a trap. To be safe, Punk decided to hold his position. After all, it was unclear how many more times the enemy could use the “Anywhere Door” on his Master-level Robe. However, one thing Punk was certain of now—he had a bottle of “Activation” potion that could quickly restore his mana. Dragging this into a war of attrition would work to his advantage!
“Sigh… It seems there’s nothing more to say. You’ve made up your mind to oppose the Tisha Xia’er Church…”
Seeing Punk’s cold, merciless expression unchanged, the High Priest heaved a heavy sigh, and the spider-like lower half of his body began gathering strength once more!
“I was commissioned by your granddaughter, Elinka, to find you. But… I never expected you’d become like this!”
While commanding Golem One to prepare, Punk attempted to breach the enemy’s psychological defenses with his words.
“Elinka…”
The High Priest narrowed his eyes and murmured to himself. But soon, his expression returned to one of determination and resolve.”I don’t know if she’s looking for me out of so-called familial affection, but now I serve the great Goddess Tisha Xia’er, and I’ve decided to dedicate everything to her!”
A sharp glint flashed in the High Priest’s eyes, his words filled with unwavering determination.
“It’s clear you haven’t been brainwashed. As a mage, you possess no clerical class levels, nor do you carry any divine blessings. The deity you speak of… is quite questionable…”
Punk questioned the so-called Goddess Tisha Xia’er with deep skepticism, watching the rational and clear-minded High Priest with suspicion. Though both were stalling for time to recover their strength, Punk remained perplexed by the High Priest’s behavior. He couldn’t comprehend the psychology of an intelligent being devoutly worshipping another intelligent being without any tangible benefit!
“You probably don’t understand what faith truly means. In your view, those clerics follow deities merely for convenient access to power, correct?”
The High Priest met Punk’s gaze with equally profound intensity, responding without hesitation:
“Unlike me, you are a mage through and through. Thus, you’ll never comprehend what faith is. No matter how I explain it, those without faith cannot understand. I am, in truth, a devout cleric—it’s just that I accidentally became a mage in my youth. When I encountered the great Goddess Tisha Xia’er, I finally understood what I had been searching for all along!”
Punk observed the devout High Priest impassively. He had to admit he completely failed to grasp the concept of faith, but that didn’t prevent him from making an enemy of someone who possessed it.
“It seems there’s nothing more to discuss. I am a mage to my core—whoever stands in my path, I’ll tear them apart. Be it a deity or a beggar, it makes no difference. And this faith you speak of… in my eyes… is utterly worthless.”
Punk coldly whispered his declaration of battle. He had no interest in exploring concepts that even scholars from his previous life on Earth couldn’t fully decipher, but that wouldn’t stop him from killing this nonsensical High Priest and stripping him of that precious Master-level Robe!
Hearing Punk’s “disrespectful” declaration, the devout High Priest burned with rage. He glared fiercely at the expressionless Punk, blazing fury swirling in his pupils.
“I possess both the resolve to defend my faith and the power to protect it. I need no one’s validation. Goddess Tisha Xia’er is my everything! Anyone who seeks to defile the holy goddess must step over my corpse—and you… are no exception!”
“Ha!!”
The High Priest roared loudly as vast amounts of mana converged in his hands. With the completion of the spell, a large cluster of crystalline liquid materialized in his palms, dense white specks of light floating slowly within.
Punk immediately recognized the spell: Formal-Level Summoning Magic—Astral Oil Orb: Summon a large mass of oily, highly flammable concentrated Astral Oil!
“Goddess Tisha Xia’er gave meaning to my rebirth. Now, it’s time to eliminate enemies for the great goddess!”The High Priest’s hair danced wildly as a massive glob of oil, supported by magic, rose into the air before violently exploding. The scattered oil, no longer insulated by magic, immediately ignited in the scorching air. The cave seemed to be raining fire, with every inch of oil-splattered walls cracking, melting, and burning fiercely!
Soon after, the High Priest activated a spell stored in his ring—a common “Protection from Fire” enchantment. With this spell’s protection, his energy consumption within this blazing inferno was far lower than Punk’s.
Instantly, the advantage in a battle of attrition had reversed.
Feeling his “Greater Mage Armor” consuming three times more energy under the intense heat, Punk gritted his teeth. Resolutely, he retrieved the precious “Activation Potion” and drank it in one gulp.
The moment of decisive battle had arrived. Though he didn’t know what the mysterious Goddess Tisha Xia’er had done to the High Priest to make an old mage so unwaveringly loyal, it was clear this fanatical priest was prepared to fight to the death! Without the Activation Potion’s aid, his mana recovery couldn’t keep up with the expenditure, making prolonged combat in this fiery hell impossible!
However…
Punk calmly observed the murderous High Priest, his System’s analysis and his own thoughts racing.
“Given his desperate stance… he probably has no ‘Anywhere Door’ left. So now… it’s time for an all-out final battle.”
(End of Chapter)