Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level?-Chapter 132[Vol. 5] - Inverted Position

[Vol. 5] Chapter 132: Inverted Position

Blood dripped steadily onto the ground, merging into the intricate patterns etched into the stone, forming a winding stream that transformed into a blood-red magic circle.

At the top of the cave’s stone wall, the source of the dripping blood was eerily fixed in place: an inverted blood cross, with living beings bound and hanging down from it.

Most of them were clearly ordinary residents of the Holy Empire, but there were also some dressed as clergy and even a few fallen knights from the expeditionary front line. Their races varied widely, with no clear pattern.

Their arteries severed, these individuals had bled out and were long dead. However, the sharp-eyed priestess immediately noticed the one common feature among them: all their dangling bodies wore symbols of their identity as followers of the Goddess—at least the white-winged insignia.

This detail was almost identical to the “sinners” discovered beneath the ?Holy Spirit Trail?, but there were some subtle differences.

The martyrs hanging upside down clearly held a higher status within the church.

As for the Knight Templars, the majority were of the upper ranks. This stood in stark contrast to the vast majority of the lowest-level followers found underground on the ?Holy Spirit Trail?.

“?Blood of the Inverted Cross?, hanging upside down… Hmm… Could it be that there is also a ‘upright’ version? But what exactly does the term ‘inverted’ represent? Is it merely the vertical reversal of these crosses and the sacrifices?”

Although she murmured to herself, since the sacrifices were already dead, Violet wouldn’t waste any effort trying to help them. After all, there was no time for such things right now.

Deep within the cave, life was not entirely absent.

Instead of the “strange individuals” described by the knight captain Felix, there were over a dozen towering, fierce creatures, nearly twice the height of an average human.

“Master, they’re demons.”

“Mm.”

Just as the little dragon girl said, these were the invaders from another world, known as “demons,” widely detested by most people in the Holy Empire.

They exhibited a gray-black color similar to the cave’s dim lighting, with no scales or armor on their bodies. Instead, they were protected by a hard substance resembling keratin, which did not cover their entire bodies. Only areas like their bellies, which were less likely to be attacked, appeared relatively soft and vulnerable.

With their two feet on the ground, they had claw-like hands, sharp like a wild beast’s, but longer and stronger, capable of gripping like a hand.

These creatures had a pair of somewhat rudimentary, tattered black bat wings on their backs, which didn’t quite match their bodies. They likely once had the ability to fly, but due to some reason, that ability has regressed. Now, they could at most perform gliding actions.

As for their overall facial structure, they resembled black lizards but were not as elongated. Their mouths were particularly wide, and even with the faint light provided by the light elemental spirit, the sharp, jagged teeth were clearly visible thanks to the priestess’s excellent night vision.

Demon Beasts are a basic type of demon from the demon realm, characterized by their large numbers, rapid reproduction, short juvenile periods, and ability to endure most harsh environments. They are somewhat analogous to the human race in this world, but with greater physical strength and relatively lower intelligence.

Or rather, they are more like goblins or slimes, but the combat effectiveness of Demon Beasts is clearly much higher than the former two.

Although Demon Beasts do not serve under any specific demon lord and individually are not as strong as most high-ranking demons, this has ironically become their greatest advantage in the context of the otherworldly invasion, allowing them to relatively easily cross the barriers between worlds and respond to summons.

Thus, throughout the past three Demon Wars and most demonic upheavals, it is said that Demon Beasts have always been active at the forefront of the invasions, becoming one of the almost universally recognized classic demon images within the Holy Empire.

Demon Beasts are among the few demons that have a strong craving for material blood as food. Combined with their low intelligence, which makes them easily driven by instinct, they often engage in slaughter, preying on unarmed civilians, earning a notorious reputation.

However, Demon Beasts never act in groups autonomously. When they do gather, it indicates that there must be a more powerful high-ranking demon leading them. So…

Oh, excuse me, they’ve already surrounded us.

Demon Beasts can walk on two legs, but when sprinting at full speed, they choose to run on all fours. Like mountain wolves, their claws can dig deep into hard surfaces, allowing them to scale walls with ease.

Yet here, they did not choose that kind of indirect tactic. Instead, they spread out directly, slowly encircling the two girls from all sides, indicating that their claws are likely insufficient to penetrate the notoriously tough terrain of the St. Bergen Mountains.

“It’s just like they can smell the blood, like hungry wolves.”

As she assessed the dozen or so Demon Beasts that were slowly forming a semicircle around them, with a few even deliberately maneuvering behind to block the girls’ escape routes, Violet couldn’t help but comment.

In the dim stone cave, she could clearly see the drool dripping from the mouths of these creatures as they approached, clearly salivating at the prospect of fresh blood served on a platter.

But even so, these Demon Beasts did not, or rather were not allowed to, attack the corpses of the victims hanging from the inverted blood cross at the top. This further convinced the priestess that there must be a higher existence commanding them.

“Master, should I clear out these ugly crawlers?”

“Well… there’s no rush on that…”

Ordinary Demon Beasts are roughly on par with the most basic entry-level holy knights, known as the Devout Knights, or with low-tier adjudicators and apprentice clerics—essentially, holy practitioners below level 20.

Ordinary Demon Beasts are only about on par with the most common entry-level or ?Steadfast Knight? rank Holy Knights (Obsidian Steel-level), first or second-rank ?Arbiter?, novice priests, and other clerics below level 20.

While that might sound decent, it’s important to remember that their relatively low intelligence means they don’t use equipment or tactics. In large-scale wars, they are often used as cannon fodder by higher-ranking demons.

With the strength of Violet and her companion, clearing out these Demon Beasts would be a matter of merely raising a hand.

However, the priestess was currently focused not on how to defeat these minor demons, but on understanding what the ?Blood of the Inverted Cross? magic array here truly was, and…

Why were these Demon Beasts appearing in this location?

As guards? That seemed like the most reasonable explanation. But if that were the case, why weren’t they stationed outside the cave instead of congregating here?

Moreover, considering there were only about a dozen Demon Beasts, wouldn’t that make their guarding strength too weak compared to what should be a powerful magic point known as a forbidden spell? Shouldn’t there be higher-ranking demons deployed as well?

It felt like assigning a dozen untrained ordinary farmers to guard the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild’s treasure vault—there was an odd sense of incongruity.

After all, what exactly is this magic known as the ?Blood of the Inverted Cross? used for? Who constructed it, and why is it placed in the St. Bergen Mountains?

Yuna mentioned that the preparation for a forbidden spell takes ten years or even several decades, so it certainly wasn’t created specifically for the expeditionary army or this war.

It seemed more like a coincidence, where both sides happened to converge here, or that the magic nearing completion was intended to eliminate the Holy Empire’s forces, achieving two goals at once.

Thinking this, the black-haired girl stepped forward.

She decided to try it herself.

“Ga!”

Finally, a Demon Beast, unable to resist the scent of blood, lunged towards them!

However, without needing any command, the golden orb floating beside her suddenly erupted with brilliant light, slicing through the fierce beast effortlessly, splitting it in half.

It was an absolute crushing defeat, a decisive instant kill.

The disparity in strength between the two was so vast that it was almost impossible to consider it a fight.

“Plop…”

Two chunks of charred flesh fell from mid-air, creating an eerie echo in the somewhat silent cave.

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