Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level?-Chapter 143[Vol. 6] - The End of Existence

[Vol. 6] Chapter 143: The End of Existence

In this hidden chamber, there were seven members of the [Black Scaled Army].

Judging by their attire, they appeared to be highly skilled commanders of the [Black Scaled Army]. Their positions formed a semicircle, surrounding the stone platform in the center. Weapons gripped in their hands, they seemed ready to launch a coordinated attack on something.

But their movements were frozen in an unnaturally eerie way, as if locked in that exact moment. To Violet, they still looked like living beings, complete with breathing and heartbeats. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, they remained completely motionless, as though immobilized by some overwhelming spell. It was a strange and baffling sight.

Violet didn’t rashly touch the frozen [Black Scaled] soldiers. Instead, she observed them closely from a short distance. After a moment, she shifted her gaze to the magical array and stone platform in the center of the room, her expression contemplative.

It was clear that something had once rested on the stone platform.

The reasoning was simple, the chamber, sealed for a thousand years, was covered in a thick layer of dust. However, a specific area on the platform was conspicuously clean, leaving behind an irregular and distinct mark.

This meant that the object had been removed not long ago.

As Violet examined the room, the other three companions were also surveying their surroundings. As an experienced adventurer, Murong Yun’s attention was drawn to the scattered plants and remnants of rusted armor on the floor. His expression grew serious.

“To defeat four of these puppet guards at the same time… whoever entered this chamber must have extraordinary power. I wonder what they took, and what’s the deal with these [Black Scaled Army] ‘statues’?”

“Hm?”

The priestess, slightly surprised, turned to look at him.

“Did you just say ‘statues’?”

“Uh, yes… is something wrong?”

Pointing to the “living beings” that clearly still had breath and heartbeats, Violet reconfirmed with a puzzled expression.

“You mean these statues?”

Murong Yun paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.

“This room doesn’t have much in it, does it? Unless Miss Violet has noticed something invisible to me?”

Raising her eyebrow, the black-haired girl didn’t attempt to correct the white-robed man’s assumption. Instead, she turned her gaze toward the other two young women.

“What about you? How do these appear to you?”

“…?”

Xiao Kong and Hen exchanged bewildered glances. They didn’t immediately respond, seemingly stunned by the priestess’s seemingly “unnecessary” comment. However, the complexity in their expressions was enough for Violet to infer their thoughts.

So that’s it.

In their eyes, these [Black Scaled] soldiers weren’t living beings but rather hyper-realistic statues created through some special method?

If Violet’s perception was correct, then it meant their understanding had been obstructed by some kind of force.

This wasn’t impossible. Violet herself possessed several tools capable of producing similar effects. But for this to deceive not just Murong Yun, but also individuals like Xiao Kong and Hen, who carried unique powers, it suggested that these transformations had already reached the level of world’s law.

Without rushing to explain or making a hasty judgment, Violet turned her attention back to the immobilized [Black Scaled] soldiers and said in a serious tone.

“Let me explain my perspective first…”

After a brief exchange, the group came to a conclusion.

“So, from Violet’s point of view, these are living people, actual members of the [Black Scaled Army], who’ve been turned into this state due to some unforeseen event?”

Xiao Kong asked cautiously.

The black-haired girl neither confirmed nor denied her words.

“They aren’t just *believed* to be [Black Scaled Army] soldiers, from every angle, it’s obvious they are. What I’m curious about is why you think they’re lifeless objects,” Violet said calmly.

“Even if you say that, Miss Violet… these really *look* like statues,” Murong Yun replied, sounding doubtful.

Wanting to prove his point, he stepped forward and used his small knife, typically meant for cutting meat, to make a small incision on the hand of one of the [Black Scaled] soldiers.

The blade sliced into flesh, and blood immediately flowed out.

Though this outcome was perfectly natural, Murong Yun’s face filled with shock and disbelief.

“Wait… they actually bleed?! These statues are made *this* convincingly?”

“You idiot… what kind of ridiculous joke is that? They’re alive, what else could they be?”

“How could anyone place statues of modern-era soldiers in a hidden chamber like this? Use your brain, they’re clearly living people who entered here recently!”

“That may be true, but still…”

“Alright, alright, I get your point,” Violet said with a sigh.

With a wave of her hand, she conjured golden light from her fingertips. The wound on the female [Black Scaled] officer’s hand healed instantly, leaving no trace of injury behind.

“See? Only living beings can be healed. That should be enough proof, right?”

“Could it really be that they’re… alive?” Murong Yun muttered, still hesitant despite the clear evidence.

Even though the healed wound confirmed their vitality, Murong Yun seemed unable to fully process the truth.

Interestingly, there was no actual difference in what either side saw. Murong Yun could recognize the style of their armor and connect it to the [Black Scaled Army]. The problem wasn’t in what they saw, it was in what they believed.

The only difference was that they could not perceive these figures as “living beings.” Such interference directly linked to the laws of the world, much like the [Cognitive Obstruction Mask], the more powerful [Dominion of the Fox Mask], or the [Trace-less Place], was impossible to judge with simple reasoning.

It seemed this was the fate of beings who had been stripped of their [Existence].

[Existence] was the essence of life. Put simply, when a being loses all of its [Existence], the laws of the world would correct reality to the extent that even the individuals themselves no longer believed they were alive. They would become like completely motionless statues, fading away into the void until the last flicker of life was extinguished.

If something like that could turn living beings into puppets by erasing their thoughts, the act of stripping away [Existence] was even more thorough. It severed all connections and causality surrounding the individual, completely removing them from the world. This was a far crueler act than death. A torment known as “forgetting”, a punishment worse than mere mortality.

“…Violet, you were right.”

Breaking her train of thought filled with unsettling hypotheses, the priestess turned to the silver-haired girl who had unexpectedly spoken up, looking surprised.

“Hen, can you also see their true nature?”

Hen simply shook her head.

“From an emotional or instinctual perspective, I can’t connect them to actual life. But if I set aside those impressions and focus on absolute logic. Especially with what you said earlier about [Existence], then there’s only one possibility.”

“There’s no reason for statues of the [Black Scaled Army] to appear randomly in a hidden chamber. Their [Existence] has likely been taken from them. Perhaps even their former comrades no longer remember them, which is why they were discarded here…”

Hen took a deep breath, her usually cold and composed face showing a rare expression of solemnity.

“This kind of power is terrifying. It must never fall into the hands of those who would wield it without restraint.”

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“Yes, I agree.”