Chapter 173: The New Earth Priestess and the Secret to Blocking Resurrection Magic

Words : 1606 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Two centuries ago... a demon god? Lyle raised an eyebrow. That wasn't what he expected to hear. These twin demi-human sisters had quite the background. In this world, the term "demon gods" referred to the catastrophic monsters, elite beasts, and boss-tier enemies who descended from what many suspected to be a game-like realm. Their arrival had once plunged the New World into chaos, prompting the rise of the Thirteen Heroes to combat the calamity. Their strength varied widely. Some, like the demonic World Tree sealed deep within the Great Forest of Tob, reached levels upward of 85. Creatures so powerful they were considered walking natural disasters—world-ending threats. Even the weakest among the demon gods were level 36 or above, already far surpassing the capabilities of ordinary human heroes. Lyle's thoughts drifted to all the lore surrounding these beings. He eyed the two witches, now trembling like scared animals, heads lowered and shoulders hunched. They were painfully pale, their gaunt faces vaguely feminine, but in no way aligned with human standards of beauty. Pointed ears and oddly fierce features gave them a feral, unsettling look. But Lyle wasn't concerned with appearances. What truly caught his interest was the implication behind their existence. If monsters from that world, like demon gods - could leave behind offspring... then what else had they left? After all, the Six Gods and Eight Greed Kings also reportedly had descendants. Maybe it wasn't so far-fetched. Still, if this wasn't some rare exception, then the depths of this world were far murkier than he'd thought. A flicker of realization passed through Lyle's eyes. He suddenly recalled that strange creature he'd killed, the so-called Wise King of the Forest. Something about its appearance didn't fit the usual local fauna. Could it have demon god blood too? He was pulled from his thoughts by the droning voice of the gray-robed mage, who now recounted the method for crafting a "Frogman's Egg" in excruciating detail. As Lyle had guessed, creating one was ridiculously complicated and prone to failure. The process required not only the mage's obscure alchemical techniques but also the twin witches' special potion-making skills. It turned out the mage's real reason for making this strange item was simple: he wanted to lure out Quaiesse and kill him to avenge his sister and settle a score with the Slane Theocracy. The tale about needing Quaiesse's innate power was just a ruse, a smokescreen to bait him. Still, Lyle had to admit his power was impressive. "He can boost a monster's affection levels... even forcibly control them?" he muttered to himself. "No wonder he could handle a barghest." Unlike standard class skills, some innate talents just bent the rules of the world. If you could charm monsters with a glance, you didn't need a long incantation. No wonder every member of the Black Scripture was a freak of nature. Strength alone wasn't enough. Their talents were likely absurd in their own right. As for the gray-robed mage and his personal tragedy, Lyle hadn't cared at first. But what he accidentally uncovered changed that. The man's sister... had been the previous Earth Priestess of the Slane Theocracy. Beyond their elite Scripture units, the Theocracy also had six priestesses, each linked to one of their divine temples. These women, with the aid of powerful magical artifacts, could cast large-scale ritual magic far beyond their level. Of course, the artifacts weren't toys. Only those born with rare talent or more precisely, an innate ability, could use them. And with over fifteen million citizens to scan using detection magic, the Theocracy didn't find it hard to track down candidates. Lucky for them, the mage's sister had the gift. At first, they had thought it a blessing. A leap from obscurity to the pinnacle of national power. What could go wrong? Plenty, apparently. Lyle stared at the glassy-eyed mage and shook his head. Free lunches always came with a price. He remembered Clementine, who had once stolen the "Crown of Wisdom" from the Shadow Priestess and fled the Theocracy. The priestess had gone mad - literally mad, after losing the artifact. Turns out the Crown of Wisdom could strip its wearer of consciousness, turning them into little more than a living spell cannon. The other priestesses likely faced similar fates. So what happened when it was time to appoint a new priestess? Easy. The old one got "sent to the gods"—which, in Theocracy language, meant "eliminated." That was one of the Black Scripture's primary responsibilities. Of course, the mage had no clue about the Scriptures. All he knew was that his sister had been taken away, by Crown of Wisdom's father. That was all the motive he needed. "Tell me everything you know about Zurrernorn," Lyle said after a moment of silence. Zurrernorn was that shady organization that kept popping up like an unwanted pop-up ad. The gray mage obeyed mechanically, devoid of emotion. Lyle furrowed his brows. Not because he'd learned anything world-shattering, but because the mage only knew slightly more than he did. Apparently, Ziranon had twelve members, each cloaked in secrecy. No one but the leader knew their true identities. The only useful tidbit was that the leader might be from the Theocracy and had once held a prominent position there. "Well, it's not much, but at least I'm not walking in blind anymore," Lyle muttered. He filed the information away and ordered the mage to list every spell he knew. It wasn't long before Lyle got a clear picture. The guy had three base magic classes: Caster, Sorcerer, and Priest. None of them were advanced, which explained why he'd been so easily defeated by Quain. Still, he had access to one spell that caught Lyle's eye. [Spell: Mark of Magic (Tier 2)] Cost: 10 MP Effect: Leaves a magical mark on a target, allowing the caster to sense their location. --- Useful. Not in battle, perhaps, but very handy for tracking. The spell also tied into the creation of the Frogman's Egg, which gave Lyle another incentive to learn it. A flick of the menu, and... Skill Points: 68 → 67 Stats updated accordingly. Status Panel (Summary): HP: 373 → 388 MP: 173 → 188 Physical Attack: 373 Magic Attack: 218 → 233 Defense: Moderate boost Special Attributes: 230 → 260 (+30) "That jump in special stats... probably from the Mad Archmage class," Lyle muttered, thoughtful. Still, stats could wait. The real question now was what to do with the mage and Quaiesse. "You heard all that, didn't you?" he asked the twin witches. Before he could finish his sentence, both were already bowing low, trembling. "We... we are willing to serve!" they cried. "Good." Lyle nodded without emotion. "Fix this area. You two should have the power to return the land to its original state." As forest priests, manipulating plant life was part of their job description. As they scurried off, Lyle cast Mark of Magic on both of them. If they ran, he'd know. Then he turned back to Quaiesse. One swift chop knocked the mage out cold. Next, Lyle revived Quaiesse and used All-Race Charm again. His eyes dulled as he fell under his influence. "Tell me," he said seriously, "does the Theocracy have any methods to prevent resurrection magic?" The existence of resurrection had been public knowledge for a while now. If no countermeasures had been developed, Lyle would be shocked. Quaiesse answered slowly, his voice mechanical. "To prevent resurrection... destroy the body. Severely." Lyle sighed. "Thanks for the genius advice. Got anything that isn't common sense?" This time, his reply was delayed. His body stiffened, and even under charm, he seemed... hesitant. That hesitation made Lyle sit up straighter. "There is... a way to block the magic." He spoke in a halting tone. "You must isolate the body... from magical influence. The simplest way is to... have a powerful monster devour the remains." "If the creature is strong enough, stronger than the Hero realm - it will obstruct resurrection spells." That was all he managed before his expression twisted. Lyle's eyes narrowed. He was breaking free. "He's resisting the charm... by sheer will?" he whispered, impressed—and alarmed. He knocked him out again without hesitation. "A monster to block resurrection magic... who knew that would work?" he muttered. He thought of the lava-dwelling behemoth in the Azerlisia Mountains. A level-47 monster shaped like a colossal molten fish. That could work. But would it block high-tier resurrection too? That was the real question. Also, something else bothered him. Why had Quaiesse been able to resist the charm at all, especially in his weakened state? Then it hit him. The Theocracy implanted lethal mental triggers in its agents. If they answered three sensitive questions, they'd die instantly. It was how Nigun and several Sunlight Scripture members had perished. Lyle had already asked two. One more, and he might drop dead on the spot. All-Race Charm only worked if the target felt safe. If their life was in danger, the magic failed. That was likely the reason for his resistance. "Tch... this complicates things." Lyle scowled. He'd hoped to extract Theocracy secrets from her, just like he did with the mage. But if that mental kill switch was in place, he wouldn't survive long enough. "Unless... I use resurrection. Each revival should reset the question counter." He stared at his unconscious form. Risky? Sure. But workable.

Chapter 173: The New Earth Priestess and the Secret to Blocking Resurrection Magic

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