Sacrifice death to gain power.

This was the creed of a Death Priest. Lu Cang could feel his Spirituality boiling.

And it was at this moment, upon completing the Profession change...

...that Lu Cang understood what Spirituality truly was!

It allowed him to see more than an ordinary person, endowed him with deeper thought, and was a quality that set him apart from the mundane...

To see what the ordinary could not see.

To think what the ordinary could not comprehend.

To transcend the commonplace.

To surpass the worldly and the mundane.

Spirituality.

Eager, restless, active, surging...

It was the reason he was a genius.

It was the reason his mind was so quick.

’What’s the difference between me and everyone else? Is it really just my Talent, Divine Level Skill Evolution?’

But Lu Cang had always felt that it wasn’t just about Skill Proficiency. In other ways, too, he seemed sharper and stronger than the people of this world.

Now, after obtaining the Death Priest Profession and having his Spirituality enhanced a second time, Lu Cang finally had a clear answer in his heart.

Everything stemmed from his active Spirituality.

’Oh...’

In that instant, a thought flashed through Lu Cang’s mind.

’Meiser might have been right. Not cherishing one’s Spirituality is the greatest waste of all.’

’You’ll become mediocre.’

Lu Cang raised his hand!

Countless souls in the distance rose into the sky!

They were the souls of the thousands of Demons he had just killed! 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

The Death Priest was classified as a Forbidden Profession because it didn’t just use any Dead Souls.

It could only use the Dead Souls of those it killed itself.

Bringing death, causing death.

The Profession itself was the personification of Death.

「Talent Acquired—Divine Level Noble Soul」

「Death Spell Learned: Corpse Replacement Technique」

「Death Spell Learned: Corpse Soul Burst」

「Death Spell Learned: Soul Absorption」

「Death Spell Learned: Soul Devouring Curse」

「Death Priest Specialty Learned: Sacrifice」

「Death Priest Specialty Learned: Storage of Dead Souls」

These Skills were engraved directly into Lu Cang’s mind, coming automatically with the Profession change.

THUMP—

Nie Ye’s heart clenched.

It looked down at Lu Cang below.

’Why?’

’Why is this Level 2 Mage kid giving me a feeling of dread?’

’And what was that strange phenomenon in the sky just now?’

’It felt like I was being watched by the afterglow of death itself.’

’What in the world is he doing?’

’Is that a Secret Scroll in his hand?’

’Changing Professions?’

’What’s the point of changing Professions now? It’s just one more Level 1 Profession!’

’How could he possibly be a match for me, the great Nie Ye!’

Countless thoughts erupted in its mind!

It only felt irritated!

It didn’t want to wait any longer!

BOOM!

It raised its hand and swung!

SWOOSH—

An earth-splitting slash shot out in an instant!

’So fast...’

’But... also so slow.’

Lu Cang could see its movements. Compared to its previous incredible speed, its actions now seemed to be in slow motion.

It was still fast, but now it was at a level he could react to.

’My body can’t keep up.’

His physical functions seemed to have only received a very slight boost.

’Is it because the Death Priest is also one of the Magic Professions? But my thinking speed is much, much faster than before.’

’This must be the benefit of increased Spirituality.’

’It doesn’t matter if my body can’t keep up. For Casting, my mind just needs to be fast enough.’

’Corpse Replacement Technique.’

BOOM!

A huge ravine was carved into the earth!

The spot where Lu Cang had just been standing was sliced through in an instant!

However, the one who was cut in half wasn’t Lu Cang.

It was...

...a flattened corpse.

It was the corpse of some unknown Demon from the battlefield.

「Corpse Replacement Technique」

「Dead Soul Cost: 1」

「Swap positions with any corpse killed by you within the last 24 hours in a 10-kilometer radius.」

SWISH!

In an instant, Lu Cang reappeared on the battlefield outside.

「Corpse Replacement Technique—Skill EXP +200,000」

「Corpse Replacement Technique (Level 13)—Greater replacement Range.」

All of a Death Priest’s Skills were innately No Chanting Skills.

And they all fell under the category of Magic.

But this Magic didn’t consume Magic Power...

...but Dead Souls.

Furthermore, only Dead Souls from creatures he had personally killed could be consumed.

’No wonder it’s a Forbidden Profession.’

Realizing its strike had been dodged, it whipped its head around, sensing that Lu Cang’s aura had reappeared three kilometers away.

BANG!

It exploded forward, instantly charging toward him!

’High-speed Ice Shuttle.’

Lu Cang raised his hand, and an Ice Shuttle formed right in its path!

BOOM!

It collided with the shuttle!

An explosive mist of ice erupted in midair!

Truthfully, Lu Cang would have preferred to escape, but the problem was that he still wasn’t as fast as it was.

And the Random Teleportation Scroll had already been destroyed by it.

It was even chasing him with the intent to kill.

The only option left was to fight.

’As expected, a Tier Two Beyond Magic spell still has a negligible effect on it.’

A slash tore through the air!

「Corpse Replacement Technique (Level 25)—Illusory Substitute, a more forgiving swap area, and a greater replacement range.」

’Skill Evolution works on the Death Priest’s Skills, too.’

’After all, the Skill Evolution Talent affects Skills, not just a Mage’s Magic.’

’This means the Skills of any Profession should benefit from Skill Evolution’s effect.’

His thinking speed had increased.

Dodging its slashes had become easier.

As long as he moved to the farthest corpse the moment he saw it attack, he could easily dodge.

And as for the corpses of those he’d killed...

...they were scattered all over the battlefield.

Although he had been killing Demons within a one-kilometer range...

...a one-kilometer radius meant a two-kilometer diameter.

On top of that, that Level 4 Mage buddy had also blown the corpses everywhere with his Tornado.

As a result, the area where the corpses were scattered was now ridiculously wide.

’Heh, I never thought his Tornado would come in handy at a time like this.’

’My friend, you really are useful in the strangest ways.’

’The worry now... is that it will go kill the townspeople.’

But.

If it really went to kill the townspeople, he wouldn’t be able to stop it.

A Death Priest isn’t a Life Priest; he couldn’t save people.

BOOM!

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Its speed increased!

Lu Cang swapped positions five times in quick succession!

A trail of elemental bursts and afterimages exploded in its wake!

Even while swapping positions, Lu Cang continued to bombard it with Magic.

Almost simultaneously, its slashes erupted from five different directions!

「Corpse Replacement Technique—Skill EXP +1,500,000」

「Corpse Replacement Technique—Skill EXP +1,620,000」

「Corpse Replacement Technique—Skill EXP +1,420,000」

...

「Corpse Replacement Technique (Level 87)」

’Heh.’

’It’s true. Using a Skill in a life-or-death crisis really makes the Skill Proficiency skyrocket.’

’It was the same with the Ice Cone Skill back when I fought the Giant Snake.’

’And this time, the increase for Corpse Replacement Technique is especially obvious.’

The Ice Shuttles and Ice Blades that hit its body dealt almost no damage, not even slowing it down.

But...

...the Deep Curse Arrows had pierced its body.

They were definitely having a Weaken Effect.

"Running all over the place, you troublesome human."

"Can’t you just stay put and let me crush you to death!"

’Oh...’

’So it really is fixated on me.’

’Why?’

’I didn’t even taunt you, did I?’

For a moment, Lu Cang had mixed feelings.

The good news was that the townspeople probably wouldn’t be casually slaughtered, and Lu Cang naturally didn’t want anyone to die.

The bad news was that he was being relentlessly targeted, and the one thing Lu Cang hated most was risking his own life.