God-Tier Awakening: The Dead Can Still Level Up

Chapter 57: Descent

The Green Priest pulled the floating book back toward himself, and its pages began turning rapidly.

The soldiers at the front noticed the change and raised their shields, but two green symbols had already appeared beneath their feet. "Move!" the captain shouted.

Neither soldier had time to react as the symbols flashed, and both bodies burst apart from within. Blood struck the shields, walls, and contestants standing behind them as pieces of broken armor fell across the corridor.

The formation stopped and several students screamed and stumbled backward, while others stared at the blood covering their clothes. Until that moment, many of them had still believed the soldiers could hold the Green Priest until help arrived.

Now two had died before they could even defend themselves, the Green Priest’s third eye widened further, and thin green marks began spreading from his forehead across both sides of his face.

He laughed as the book settled beside him. "Did you really believe numbers would save you?"

Squad Hellhound immediately closed the gaps left by the dead soldiers, but even their movements had become more cautious.

Wuxia looked at the remains on the floor before releasing a quiet sigh. "It seems we need to use it."

Xingluo turned toward him. "Use what?"

"A new skill."

Before she could ask anything else, red lines appeared across Varkhiel’s black armor. The runes spread from his chest toward his shoulders, arms, and legs, sinking deeper into the armor as his soul force began changing.

Wuxia’s form disappeared beside Xingluo and at the same moment, Varkhiel’s body became still.

Wuxia opened his eyes again from inside the Soul Sentinel and for the first time since his death, he felt the physical world around him directly. The weight of the armor pressed around him, the sword rested inside his hand, and the damaged floor remained solid beneath his feet.

It was not his original body, but the sensation was warmer and calmer than existing only as a soul. He tightened Varkhiel’s fingers around the sword and looked toward the Green Priest.

Xingluo stared at him, the cold, empty light that normally remained behind Varkhiel’s helmet had disappeared. Wuxia’s eyes were now visible through the opening instead.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

"I discovered it while testing my new Authority skills."

More red runes spread across the armor as Varkhiel’s second state activated.

The Soul Sentinel could increase his attributes by four hundred percent for 10 minutes and Wuxia’s Descent could be placed over that enhancement, pushing the total increase even further.

Both abilities activated together and power erupted from Varkhiel’s body and cracked the floor beneath his feet.

The remaining soldiers turned toward him, while the students closest to Xingluo instinctively moved away from the sudden pressure.

Even the Green Priest stopped laughing as his third eye shifted toward Varkhiel, and the marks across his face pulsed as he sensed the danger coming from the armored figure. "Another hidden insect."

The chained scythe returned to his hand, and he rushed forward before Varkhiel’s power could settle completely.

The weapon swept toward Wuxia’s neck with enough force to cut through the corridor wall behind him. Wuxia did not dodge; he released the sword with one hand and caught the scythe directly.

The blade stopped inside his armored palm and seeing that the Green Priest’s expression changed.

Wuxia tightened his grip around the weapon and pulled, the priest was dragged forward before he could release the chain, and Varkhiel’s armored foot struck him in the chest.

The impact threw him across the corridor and his body broke through one wall, crossed the room behind it, and struck the next wall hard enough to bury him beneath concrete and broken furniture.

The green chain stretched between them before snapping, wuxia looked at the scythe inside his hand, then threw it aside.

The corridor remained silent the whole squad had struggled to restrain the priest even while attacking together, yet the black knight had stopped his weapon with one hand and sent him flying with a single kick.

Varkhiel’s original strength had already reached the middle stage of the second transition. With his second state and Wuxia’s Descent superimposed, his power had risen to the same level as the Green Priest.

His bloodline and superior physical body pushed him slightly above the man in direct combat.

The broken wall shifted as the Green Priest climbed out from beneath the rubble, blood running from the corner of his mouth.

For the first time since revealing himself, the madness on his face had been replaced by disbelief. He looked at the snapped chain, then toward Wuxia standing beside Xingluo. "What are you?"

The Green Priest stared at Varkhiel before the disbelief on his face slowly twisted back into anger.

The broken chain lying across the floor trembled, then turned into green light and returned to the book floating beside him. "So the summon was still hiding this much strength."

Several pages stopped turning as symbols appeared across the walls and floor, but Varkhiel crossed the corridor before the spell could fully form.

Wuxia swung the massive sword with one hand, forcing the priest to raise three barriers in front of himself. The first two shattered immediately, while the third cracked under the blade and pushed the priest several steps backward.

Squad also moved at the same time, two soldiers struck from the sides while the captain rushed through the opening Varkhiel had created.

The Green Priest blocked the captain’s weapon with his scythe, but a spear pierced his shoulder before he could turn.

The pink-haired girl raised her staff and froze the floor around his feet, while Xingluo rushed behind Varkhiel and drove her fist into the priest’s ribs.

The combined attacks forced him against the wall, but the book suddenly opened wide.

Green light spread across its pages, and several distorted spirits crawled out from the writing. Their bodies resembled humans wrapped in chains, but their faces remained covered by smooth green masks.

"Protect the wounded!" the captain shouted.

The spirits rushed toward the contestants while Squad Hellhound divided their formation. Several soldiers remained with Varkhiel, while the others intercepted the summoned creatures before they could reach the injured.

Han Zhen blocked one spirit with his shield as Miao Tianhe struck it from the side. The pink-haired girl froze another against the wall, but cracks spread through the ice almost immediately.

Xingluo turned to help, but Wuxia’s voice reached her through the connection. "Stay near the soldiers, do not let those things reach the wounded."

Varkhiel pressed forward alone as the Green Priest tore his feet free from the ice.

The chained scythe cut toward his neck, but Wuxia caught the shaft of the weapon with one armored hand while still holding the greatsword in the other.

He pulled the priest closer and drove his knee into the man’s stomach, then turned the sword and released a black crescent from its edge.

"Eclipse Slash."

The attack crossed the corridor and cut through the book’s barrier before striking the priest across the chest.

Blood spread across his clothes as he was thrown through the broken wall, but the third eye on his forehead opened wider before Varkhiel could follow.

A green beam struck the armor and pushed Wuxia back into the corridor.

The priest stepped out from the rubble while several pages tore themselves from the book and folded into sharp birds, they circled Varkhiel before diving from different directions.

Wuxia swung the greatsword around his body, breaking most of them, while the remaining blades pierced through his shoulder and side.

Instead of pulling away, he loosened those sections of Varkhiel’s soul form and allowed the paper blades to pass through before condensing the armor again.

The priest’s expression tightened as Varkhiel crossed the distance and struck with the greatsword, but green chains rose from the ground and wrapped around the blade.

The priest pulled them sideways, dragging the weapon away from his body as another symbol formed beneath Varkhiel.

Wuxia kept one hand on the sword and struck the priest’s face with the other. The armored fist broke his nose and interrupted the spell, allowing the captain and two soldiers to attack from behind.

One blade cut across the priest’s back, while the captain struck his injured shoulder and forced him down to one knee.

The Green Priest slammed the book shut and a wave of green force threw everyone away from him. Varkhiel slid across the floor without falling, but the captain and soldiers struck the walls and collapsed among the debris.

Several spirits broke through the defensive formation at the same time. Xingluo caught one by the arm and threw it into Han Zhen’s shield, while the pink-haired girl formed ice spikes beneath another and pinned it against the ceiling.

Miao Tianhe cut through the chains covering a third spirit, allowing two soldiers to destroy it together.

The Green Priest looked toward the fighting and smiled before pressing his blood-covered hand against the book.

"Sacred Ground of the Green Grave."

Dark-green lines spread across the floor and formed a circle around him and Varkhiel. A curved barrier rose from its edge, sealing both of them inside while the summoned spirits remained outside.

Xingluo rushed toward it and struck the surface, but the barrier only shook.

Inside, the broken corridor disappeared beneath a layer of shallow green mist. Chains hung from the darkness above, while dozens of closed eyes covered the ground beneath Varkhiel’s feet.

The priest raised his scythe as the book floated behind him. "Let us see how long your summon survives without its master’s help."

Wuxia said nothing and placed both hands around the greatsword.

The hanging chains descended together bu he moved through them instead of retreating, scattering parts of Varkhiel’s body whenever the chains passed through the armor before condensing again on the other side.

The priest sent several symbols toward him, forcing Wuxia to turn the sword and release another Eclipse Slash. The black crescent destroyed the first spell, but the second struck Varkhiel’s leg and forced him down slightly.

The Green Priest rushed forward with the scythe raised, their weapons collided and the mist beneath them was blown away as both pressed against the other.

Varkhiel’s strength forced the priest backward, but more chains wrapped around the greatsword and slowed its movement.

Outside the domain, Squad Hellhound and the contestants continued fighting the summoned spirits. Several soldiers had already been injured, but their formation held while Xingluo repeatedly struck the barrier, searching for a weak point.

Inside, Wuxia felt the red runes across Varkhiel’s armor beginning to fade.

The priest’s condition was no better, blood ran from his third eye and the marks across his face had begun breaking apart whenever he used another spell.

Wuxia forced the greatsword forward and cut through the priest’s shoulder, while the scythe struck Varkhiel’s chest and opened a deep crack through the armor.