Elder Priest

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Elder Priest (牧师老者)
Alias(es)	Buddha Saves the Predestined (Path of the Gods ID) 3
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Death Train exploration team; its concealed Team Leader 29
Occupation/Role	Path of the Gods player; Priest; Team Leader 29 31
Status	Deceased — killed by El's shadowy figure in Carriage No. 2 33
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Level 2 Priest	31	States that his dungeon-settlement experience has raised him to Level 2.

Appearance

An elderly man with a mature, steady face and a composed bearing that initially earns the group’s confidence. When invoking Purify, he takes on a more sacred and imposing appearance. 5 32

• Identified by the Path of the Gods ID Buddha Saves the Predestined. 3
• Carries crosses and other Priest-associated items. 25 31
• Rapidly appears weakened and withered after using Purify. 32

Personality

The Elder Priest initially presents himself as calm, reliable, and practical. He proposes the hand-holding method for crossing the tunnel and uses his seniority, stable manner, and Priest profession to establish authority within the frightened group. 5

His conduct after the Death Train’s clearance exposes a far more opportunistic side. Alongside Eagle of Justice, he attempts to murder Qin Shang for the Con artist-kill rewards, extended survival time, and Qin’s clear reward. He openly bargains over how they will divide the points and claims on Qin’s item. 31 32

Abilities & Skills

Priest Night Vision

As the team’s only genuine Priest, he can perceive the darkness of the Death Train where ordinary players cannot. 4 29

• Serves as the group’s “eyes” while moving through dark carriages. 4
• His ability to operate in darkness makes him an early suspect after two players are killed with precise strikes. 7
• Cannot decipher the English diary found in the third carriage; Qin Shang must read it using the inherited Decipher skill. 27

Purify

The Elder Priest uses Purify through his black cross, releasing holy light that restrains corrupted spiritual entities. 31 32

• Drives back or suppresses hostile spectral forces long enough for the group to escape. 25
• Damages Qin Shang’s summoned Cursed Red Skirt Phantom, noticeably reducing its mist-like body. 32
• Cannot be used on its wielder. 44
• Inflicts a backlash of painful emotions associated with losing a loved one; repeated use may cause schizophrenia. 44
• Leaves the Elder Priest visibly depleted after activation. 32

Equipment

• Fallen Cross — A black, cursed cross later recovered by Qin Shang from the Elder Priest’s corpse. Its Purify skill restrains evil spirits at the cost of severe emotional backlash. 31 32 34 44
• Fluorescent Pen — A harmless fluorescent writing tool obtained from an earlier dungeon. He uses it to let the survivors communicate without attracting the sound-sensitive shadow. 26
• Cross consumables — Priest-related consumable items used during the confrontation with El’s shadow in Carriage No. 3. 25

History

Death Train: First Exploration

The Elder Priest enters the Death Train alongside Qin Shang, Eagle of Justice, and four others, presenting himself as a Priest. His game ID, Buddha Saves the Predestined, is revealed during the group’s introductions. 1 3

When distrust escalates in the tunnel, he proposes that the group hold hands and count in sequence, reasoning that anyone who releases another person’s hand must be the God Slayer. The team accepts the plan due in part to his composed demeanor and apparent reliability. 5

After deaths occur in the darkness, he becomes one of the central suspects because his Priest abilities would allow him to move and strike accurately without light. He remains calm amid the accusations and later warns Qin Shang and the Little Loli that separating from the team may leave them needing the group’s help. 7 9 29

Death Train: Second Exploration

During the second half of the dungeon, the Elder Priest confirms himself as an experienced player through his possession and use of items. He first suppresses El’s shadow with a cross, then uses a fluorescent pen to coordinate silently with Qin Shang and Eagle of Justice. 25 26

Qin Shang ultimately identifies him as the Death Train team’s Team Leader. His concealed role explains his repeated attempts to retain passengers in the group: the Team Leader’s objective is tied to protecting them. 29

Betrayal and Death

After the instance is cleared, the Elder Priest and Eagle of Justice turn on Qin Shang. They reveal an optional mission to kill the Con artist for bonus points and additional survival time, then demand Qin Shang’s clear reward. 31

The Elder Priest activates Purify against the Cursed Red Skirt Phantom while negotiating to take one-third of the Con artist-kill points and Qin’s item. 32 He corners Qin Shang and prepares to kill him, but El’s shadow suddenly manifests, overpowers him, and shoots him with its hunting rifle before consuming his body. 33

Relationships

• Qin Shang — Initially a fellow explorer and suspected God Slayer; later identified as the Con artist and targeted for murder, points, and loot after the dungeon’s clearance. 25 31 33
• Eagle of Justice — Fellow veteran player and temporary ally. They verify each other as players, coordinate during the second exploration, and jointly ambush Qin Shang. 26 29 31
• Xiao Fen / “Grandpa Niu” — Her identity as the God Slayer confirms that the Elder Priest is neither the God Slayer nor the Accomplice, allowing Qin Shang to identify him as Team Leader. 29
• El — The Death Train anomaly that kills the Elder Priest after he underestimates its threat and fails to complete a second use of Purify. 33

Trivia

• Qin Shang finds the Elder Priest’s Buddhist-themed ID ironic because his actual Character Card profession is Priest. 3
• He is the only true Priest among the original Death Train group; the apparent Priest identities of other participants were deceptions created through Hypnosis or false profession claims. 29
• His Level 2 Priest status does not protect him from El, whose direct physical force overwhelms him before he can finish casting Purify. 32 33