Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level?-Chapter 170[Vol. 6] - Shepherding
[Vol. 6] Chapter 170: Shepherding
Even though more and more enemies were gathering around and getting closer, Xiao Kong didn’t seem particularly nervous. Instead, she turned to Violet with a hint of curiosity.
“Battle Royale? What does that mean?”
“Well… to put it simply, it’s when a large group of people are confined to an ever-shrinking area. They have to face various challenges and dangers, eliminate one another, and keep going until there’s only one team or individual left standing as the winner,” the black-haired girl explained, glancing at the approaching crowd with a smile.
“It’s a competition that creates immense pressure and a sense of urgency. It does feel a bit similar to our current situation. Looks like the designer of this place wants to play a game with us.”
“Uh, so… does that mean we need to eliminate these people now?” Xiao Kong asked.
Violet shook her head. “They’re already eliminated. If I were to use technical terms, they’re more like ‘ghosts’ at this point.”
“Ghosts?”
“Just a metaphor. Anyway, it’s time to run!”
With a sudden burst, Violet spread her white wings, creating a gust of wind as she shot into the sky. Following her lead, the clever Miss Hen quickly summoned her silver flying board and soared upwards, chasing after Violet.
“Hey, where are you going?!”
A flash of silver light brought Xiao Kong right next to the two women. Without the need for any external tools, she stepped effortlessly onto the air, her face filled with confusion as she struggled to understand why the priestess had chosen to retreat.
Below them, while the enemies were numerous, they weren’t much of a threat given the vast gap in individual strength.
Looking down at the enemies who were still attempting to launch ranged attacks, only for all of them to be blocked by a golden barrier, Violet heard Xiao Kong’s words and chuckled, shaking her head playfully.
“In a battle royale, fighting against the environment is pointless. Defeating these ‘ghosts’ won’t bring us any real benefit. It’s just a waste of time and energy,” Violet explained.
High up in the sky, the girls could clearly see the area in the center of the ancient town shrouded in pitch-black “stardust.” Without a doubt, that was the place they were headed to, the node that held the true secrets.
“Let’s go,” Violet continued. “I imagine… some truly capable individuals are already close to reaching that area.”
………………………………
Meanwhile, among the ruins of the town, Shangguan Hong couldn’t shake a nagging feeling of unease as he moved through the crumbling buildings.
This place was truly bizarre.
Ever since they entered the ancient-town-like ruins, they had been met with one inexplicable event after another.
At first, most people had lingered near the relatively open entrance to the town. They watched each other warily, forming small groups to explore the area cautiously without rushing too far in.
This was a common strategy when entering an unknown and dangerous ruin, strength in numbers. Although the explorers weren’t allies, sticking together ensured they could handle unforeseen threats without being picked off one by one.
The original plan of Shangguan Hong’s group, including members of the [Shocking God Sect], was to scout the outskirts and get a sense of the ruin’s layout before venturing further inward. But it seemed the forces within this place had no intention of giving them that luxury.
Not long after their arrival, the weeds and trees along the paths suddenly came to life, attacking the intruders like sentient creatures.
Although the ambush was unexpected, it didn’t intimidate these seasoned warriors. They quickly engaged the attacking plants but soon discovered something surprising: these seemingly ferocious entities were just ordinary plants. Somehow, they had gained the ability to move and attack, but they lacked real strength. It didn’t take much effort for the explorers to destroy them entirely.
However, at that time, they didn’t realize this was just the spark for an even more terrifying and bizarre chain of events.
Not long after they had cleared out the abnormal plants, and before anyone could figure out the cause of the disturbance, chaos erupted again within the group.
People suddenly began fighting each other without any warning.
At first, Shangguan Hong thought someone might have discovered a rare and priceless treasure, prompting the already wary factions to turn on one another. But he quickly realized this wasn’t the case at all.
It was as if an invisible, infectious plague was spreading through the air. Individuals would suddenly convulse violently for no apparent reason, and when they looked up again, their eyes were devoid of life. They would then indiscriminately attack anyone around them, showing no mercy even to their former companions. The scene was utterly horrifying.
The [Shocking God Sect] members grouped together to defend themselves, and as the chaos unfolded, they began to notice certain patterns.
The first people to exhibit these strange behaviors were mostly those who had been in close contact with the plants during the fight and were relatively weaker in strength. Furthermore, anyone who was knocked unconscious or incapacitated during the battle had a high chance of succumbing to the same fate, joining the ranks of the attackers.
This realization reminded Shangguan Hong of corpse parasites he had once seen in the hands of certain sects. Such infectious forces typically spread among ordinary people and rarely affected those with spiritual power, as their bodies were more resistant. However, the current situation was clearly different. This was something much more insidious.
If the fighting continued, they would all inevitably be “converted.”
This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
The only way to escape this nightmare was to leave the area. However, ruins like this were notoriously difficult to exit once entered. Retreating was simply not an option anymore.
With no other choice, they fought their way through the chaotic battlefield and pushed deeper into the ancient town, aiming for areas untouched by the other explorers.
Shangguan Hong had no idea how many people successfully broke free from the madness. The ancient town ruin seemed to be influenced by some mysterious force, making it far larger than anyone had initially expected. After escaping, the groups became scattered, and they lost contact with most of the others. From then on, exploration continued in small, isolated teams.
The strange, corrupted individuals relentlessly pursued them from behind, staying uncomfortably close. As a result, the group had no choice but to keep moving deeper into the ancient town. Even so, they couldn’t entirely avoid danger, frequently encountering enemies approaching from other directions, forcing them into sporadic battles.
Regardless of their individual strength, the constant need to stay on high alert was utterly exhausting. To make matters worse, the deeper they ventured into the town, the more eerie and unsettling the surroundings became.
For instance…
“Watch out!”
While walking, the sharp-eyed young man guarding the rear suddenly tensed. His expression shifted, and he grabbed the arm of a girl walking ahead, yanking her back over half a meter with brute force.
The very next moment, a dark, shadowy crack silently appeared where she had been standing, only to vanish just as quickly into the void.
“Phew… Are you okay, Shen Xue? Sorry, the situation was urgent,” he said, releasing her.
“I’m fine, really! Just a little shaken. Thank you, Senior Brother…” the startled young woman replied, her voice trembling slightly.
The sudden incident brought the group of nine [Shocking God Sect] members to a halt. Shangguan Hong let go of Shen Xue’s arm, his expression grim.
These dark cracks had begun appearing naturally around them, seemingly at random. They manifested without warning, giving no indication of where or when they might strike. Worse still, their frequency was noticeably increasing as the group ventured further in.
To be honest, Shangguan Hong still had no idea what these cracks were. But they had all seen, on more than one occasion, how the black fissures touched a stone and caused it to mysteriously disappear in large chunks. It was as if the rock had melted or been erased entirely.
If one of these cracks struck a person, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Frankly, the rising frequency of these anomalies made it clear that continuing forward was becoming increasingly dangerous. However, the relentless pursuers behind them left the group with no choice but to press on.
No one could say what lay ahead, but they all felt that the bizarre and otherworldly sights they had encountered so far were just the beginning.
