Chapter 95


Since the Grand Master first became the founder of the Church Order and his disciples established the Church, the path of the clergy has diverged into three major branches.

To list the three branches, one is the Pure Faction, which purely follows the path of Light Power, focusing on virtue and inner cultivation. Another is the Shrine Path, which develops the authority to communicate with the gods entrusted by the Grand Master, borrowing the Blessing of the Gods and blending it with Light Power. The last is the Refinement Faction, which hones innate human skills, including spells, to either supplement Light Power or use Light Power to supplement their skills.

In modern times, these distinctions have largely lost their meaning, as every clergy member, regardless of the church or monastic organization they belong to, is expected to have a certain level of proficiency in all three paths. However, if we were to define Hildegard’s path, she would be closest to the Shrine Path. She is skilled in mythology and uses it to invoke various prayers and incantations to seek the Blessing of the Gods. The key to handling such mysteries is showing at least minimal respect to the Celestial Gods.

Hildegard might not seem to show much reverence to the gods. Her innate nature is somewhat worldly, and she doesn’t display excessive awe. Yet, she still holds a minimum level of respect for them. From the ancient gods of the Golden Age who created the world, to the old gods of the Bronze Age who eventually passed their legacy to later generations, and finally to the Hero Gods and Spirit Gods of the current era, who ascended and created a boundary between the heavens and the mortal world to prevent humans from being swayed by divine influence—Hildegard’s faith is rooted in respect for their years of devotion.

Thus, the abomination before her was nothing less than a provocation to her core beliefs.

The appearance of the Red-eyed Wild Dog, worshipped by the Berbers as a spirit of death, and the golden antlers that typically adorn the retinue of Cernunnos—these resembled the very essence of spirits and divine retinues. Yet, unlike the sacred aura of true spirits or divine retinues, what emanated from the creature before her was a disgustingly filthy and sticky demonic presence. Its twisted and corrupted energy had dulled the once-ruby-like red eyes and the auspiciously glowing golden antlers, leaving them tarnished and vile.

The once-glossy black fur was now disgustingly clumped, writhing like a centipede, and the stench of rotting flesh, sulfur, and a foul sewer smell only added to the repulsion.

Witnessing such blasphemous disrespect to both spirits and divine retinues, Hildegard could not remain calm.

“Ariel!”

As the enraged Hildegard called out to her contracted spirit, Ariel appeared in a burst of light and embraced her from behind. As the spirit merged into Hildegard’s body, the light emanating from her surged, intensifying in brilliance.

With her Light Power swirling like a vortex, Hildegard roared and charged at the blasphemous demon.

“Die!”

With a somewhat crude battle cry, Hildegard’s halberd swung in a swift arc. The speed was such that it seemed to split the very moment, and with the halberd’s blade brimming with Light Power, it appeared poised to cleave through the demon’s lower right jaw without issue.

However, as Hildegard charged, the demon’s lips curled into a smirk. In the next moment, the halberd, which should have split the demon’s jaw, passed harmlessly through its form, cutting only empty air.

“What!?”

Wide-eyed, Hildegard gritted her teeth and reversed the halberd’s trajectory. The reversed halberd, now using the beak-like spike on the opposite side of the blade, aimed to strike down the demon’s form.

Once again, the halberd cut through empty air with a whoosh. But Hildegard, as if expecting this, calmly retrieved her weapon and adjusted her stance, steadying her disrupted posture.

As she regulated the chaotic flow of Light Power from her intense movements, Hildegard inwardly clicked her tongue.

‘My training is lacking. If it were Sophia, she would have handled even more intense movements flawlessly. Even with Ariel’s support, this is the best I can do.’

While lamenting, Hildegard’s sharp gaze swept over the demon before her.

‘I think I understand why my attacks aren’t landing. This thing is shifting between shadow and substance.’

When it becomes a shadow, its form in the phenomenal realm is nothing but an illusion. Even though Light Power can harm spirit entities, it’s useless against mere illusions.

‘But there’s still a way.’

Even if the enemy hides in shadows, to attack, it must eventually solidify its form. Whether it’s a physical attack or a spell, the moment it attacks is the moment we can exploit its weakness.

‘The problem is distinguishing that moment.’

This part ultimately relied on experience and intuition. Still, Hildegard had trained in halberd combat and cultivated her Fühlen (sensitivity) through effort, so she had no choice but to trust in that.

As Hildegard assessed the situation, a low, guttural sound reached her ears. It was the demon before her. The sound, somewhere between a laugh and a beast’s growl, filled her with an inexplicable discomfort.

‘What an unpleasant sound.’

Perhaps the demon was truly mocking her, but Hildegard began to calmly refine her Light Power. Soon, the Light Power began to take on a silvery-white hue.

‘This is the best I can do with my Light Power without deploying the Immovable King Wisdom Technique.’

Hildegard’s true desire was to use the Immovable King Wisdom Technique immediately, but unfortunately, her mastery of the technique wasn’t yet sufficient to activate it instantly in critical moments. For now, the silvery-white Light Power she had naturally developed through her training was the best she could manage.

As Hildegard prepared her defense and braced for the demon’s attack, the demon, realizing she wouldn’t make the first move, began its assault.

The first strike was an invisible shockwave and a condensed jet stream—an Air Cutter, a basic Blue Spell. While such spells aren’t particularly powerful, their results are hard to see, and their activation time is extremely short, making them tricky to deal with.

The demon began unleashing a barrage of instant-cast Blue Spells. Hildegard had to rely solely on experience and intuition to maneuver and handle her halberd to counter these spells. Fortunately, the demon’s spells carried a uniquely sinister and violent aura, making them relatively easier to detect compared to normal Blue Spells.

‘Not yet.’

While instant-cast Blue Spells are tricky to deal with, they are also easy to handle for the caster, allowing for quick transitions between offense and defense. The key was to hold a firm defense rather than immediately counterattack.

The demon’s attack pattern changed in the next moment.

“Keugh!”

As the demon’s form blurred, Hildegard instinctively spun to her left, lowering her stance and aiming her halberd. Just then, the demon appeared right where the halberd’s blade was pointed.

Startled by the halberd’s blade suddenly in its face, the demon quickly closed its beak and raised its antlers. The branched, curved antlers tangled with the halberd’s edge, leading to a brief struggle between Hildegard and the demon.

This was a kind of binding state. Normally, Hildegard would have immediately used a wrestling technique to subdue her opponent, but this time, she held back.

‘Still not yet.’

Sure enough, the next moment, the demon shifted between illusion and substance, quietly slipping back into the shadows. Feeling the halberd, still bound, cut through empty air, Hildegard steadied her resolve and Light Power, preparing her defense.

‘Just once, let it land properly.’

What she was waiting for was the moment the demon would cast a major spell. Large-scale spells take time to activate, and once started, they can’t be easily canceled.

After waiting and waiting, the opportunity finally came.

Crackle, crackle—the sound of lightning discharging between the antlers. It was the sign of a high-level Blue Spell. The demon must have realized there was no other way to break through Hildegard’s stubborn defense.

Compared to instant-cast basic Blue Spells, high-level Blue Spells are harder to control and require significant preparation. But their power is undeniable.

The moment Hildegard had been waiting for had arrived.

“Ariel, assist me!”

With the Light Power she had been refining, Hildegard exploded forward toward the demon. Using a footwork technique to close the distance in an instant, she left a trail of silvery-white Light Power behind her.

With her perception accelerated, Hildegard could read every minute expression on the demon’s face as she closed in. The demon, faced with Hildegard’s lightning-fast shift and bold charge, widened its eyes in panic and tried to cancel the spell, but it was too late.

Hildegard smiled with satisfaction.

This time, for sure.

“Die!”

The halberd’s blade, charging at the shortest distance, struck the demon’s forehead without fail. The halberd, using the recoil, was pulled back and swung in an arc, the beak-like spike striking the demon’s jaw. Without hesitation, Hildegard thrust the spear tip into the demon’s neck.

The three-pronged attack—using all three parts of the halberd—burst into flames. The demon, with its forehead split, jaw torn, and neck pierced, was finally defeated.

In the next moment, Hildegard grabbed the demon’s neck with her left hand and poured the surging silvery-white Light Power into its body. The light of Pasa Hyunjung (Breaking Illusions) ruthlessly tore through the demon’s corrupted energy, burning it away.

After a moment, the demon’s writhing ceased, and its life force faded. Hildegard tossed the demon’s corpse aside and leaned on her halberd, exhaling deeply.

“Haah, is it over?”

Though the opponent wasn’t particularly dangerous, it had been a long time since she faced such a tricky foe, Hildegard reflected.

Perhaps it was the relief of the situation being over, but Hildegard momentarily forgot that the demon’s presence hadn’t completely vanished.

A shadow split beneath her feet. The guttural laugh echoed again, and moments later, the demon’s energy exploded.

“Ugh… wait, could it be…!?”

Half-instinctively dispersing the sudden surge of energy, Hildegard looked around, gripped by a heart-wrenching sense of unease. What she saw made her laugh bitterly, cursing her bad luck.

“Ha, haha. I really didn’t expect this.”

Rising around her were dull, tarnished antlers and countless eyes glowing with a bloody light.