I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 36 Warning

The pile of corpses, after a short while, turned into dust.

The army of undead that the necromancer had gathered over a long period finally broke free from their binding and returned to the earth as nature intended.

‘…… Here it is.’

I found the Necronomicon amid the ashes and quickly hid it inside my cloak by contacting Gluttony. Though Arian was some distance away, busy finishing off the remaining ghouls, I retrieved it as cautiously as possible, fearing her keen senses might notice.

“I am impressed, Mr. Ahab!”

Arian’s voice echoed from a short distance away.

With a bright and resonant voice, she suddenly approached me, her eyes sparkling.

‘I have no idea what she’s thinking. She seems like a muscle-brained idiot but she’s actually quite sharp. That’s why I need to be extra cautious around her.’

Was it problematic that I had shared a strategy? No… At best, it was just circumstantial evidence. It had already been proven through the miracle Arian used that Ahab was not on the side of the Outer God. Even if that proof was false.

“Hmph, what are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“I mean just that! You accurately analyzed the enemy and succeeded in defeating the evil necromancer based on your experience!”

Her overly bright tone only made her sound more suspicious to me. Could she possibly see me as a real Luminaries…? No, that was impossible. A fanatic who lived by strict rules wouldn’t entertain any exceptions, and if not exceptions, there were far too many disqualifications for Ahab.

‘I can’t help but feel anxious. Is it because she suddenly called me a heretic and chopped off my head…?’

The intense experience in the ≪Orders≫ had left a lasting impression, making my neck feel uneasy. While the 200-year-old necromancer was terrifying, Arian was even more frightening to me.

“I have a warning for you.”

“What kind of warning? At this point?”

“Mr. Ahab, you possess too much knowledge related to the Outer God.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t about secretly retrieving the Necronomicon.

“Who doesn’t know that the Outer God’s knowledge is dangerous? With my level of experience and knowledge, it’s manageable. Tranquilizers suffice.”

“Usually, that would not be an incorrect judgment.”

Arian nodded and smiled. Indeed, it’s not for nothing that Luminaries priests value appearance. Her smile wasn’t just pretty; it exuded confidence, reliability, and kindness all at once. However, that made it feel too artificially perfect.

“Then what is the problem?”

“Times are changing.”

Arian displayed a serious expression.

“First, what I’m about to tell you is not an official announcement from the Church of Hayat. This is still under investigation, but it’s not classified information.”

In other words, it was fine to share this with an outsider like me.

“Suspicious activities have been observed here and there. Astonishingly, these incidents are happening simultaneously.”

Could this be related to my arrival in this world? Although it was too early to jump to conclusions, I decided to note it mentally.

“Moreover, in recent times, there has been a significant increase in exceptional geniuses and strong individuals in various fields. Some priests believe this is evidence that the world is undergoing some sort of change.”

“Isn’t that too vague?”

“It certainly is. However, not just the priests of the Outer God, but even among the priests of the Ancient Gods, strong individuals have started to emerge and are becoming more active.”

This indeed sounded like something the Church of Hayat would closely monitor. In the ≪Orders≫, the priests of the Ancient Gods didn’t have a particularly strong image.

“The Outer God priest was basically a terrorist and the mastermind behind disasters…”

The priests of the Hayat faith usually brought to mind the supportive image typically associated with priests. On the other hand, the Ancient God priest was more akin to a punching bag.

“Their miracles weren’t all that powerful either, and as heretics, they were often hunted down.”

“… Therefore, it’s certain that the dangers are increasing.”

“So, what’s that supposed to mean? For a mercenary like me, it’s only good news since it means more work.”

I purposefully pretended not to understand.

“It’s the same for those related to the Outer God. There are concerns that this could worsen the madness issue!”

“I appreciate the concern, but it’s unnecessary. Just let me collect the loot quickly.”

“Understood! Anything related to the Outer God or illegal cannot be taken! Items requiring further investigation are also excluded from the rewards! And…”

Arian mumbled something while calculating earnestly, then mentioned a reward amount that was almost equivalent to half a year’s living expenses.

“Not bad. Then, let’s take a look.”

Arian and I rummaged through the mage’s belongings together. Most of the items were severely damaged or unusable. However, I managed to obtain a ring called ‘The Witch’s Tears’, which was said to increase mana capacity. I had already secured the most important loot, the Necronomicon, so Ferdinand’s mangled remains didn’t interest me anymore.

“Please wait a moment before entering!”

Still having some mana left, Arian used a miracle to check for any traps or dangerous elements.

“Surprisingly… everything looks fine?”

When I entered the hideout, I was taken aback. It was too normal to be a necromancer’s lair. As I looked around the comfortable interior, I started checking drawers and bookshelves. Most of it was research material on the Necronomicon, and it was too complex for me to understand. Anyway, these records were for Arian to collect, so there was no need for me to rack my brain.

‘The Witch’s Tear ring, the Necronomicon. The reward money alone is worth it… but it would be nice to have more.’

Memories of playing ≪Orders≫ suddenly resurfaced. In TRPGs, there’s something called ‘settlement’ where experience points, rewards, and injuries are summarized at the end of a scenario. Rewards weren’t just given for completing missions or defeating enemies; bonuses were awarded based on how well roles were played. And this settlement time was always when I expressed the most dissatisfaction to Dowol.

—Hey… we killed an undead bear that murdered dozens of people, and this is the reward? The experience points are too low.

—Well, honestly, that undead bear was just a small fry, and the request came from a rural village.

—I landed three consecutive critical hits with a throw. Shouldn’t that earn me some bonus points?

—That’s not a bonus-worthy action; it’s just your luck.

Dowol was ruthless during settlements. Points were deducted for actions that didn’t align with the character’s behavior. While there were parts I could understand…

“Look here, Mr. Ahab! It seems they gathered the victims’ belongings here! Since it’s difficult to determine the original owners, it’s officially recognized as your loot!”

‘… Still, Dowol, your rewards were too stingy.’

I hesitated for a moment as I looked at all the items the necromancer had stored. If I took them, they would fetch a good price…

‘Let’s earn trust instead of money.’

Rather than take some valuable trinkets, I decided on a different course of action.

“They belonged to the victims. This isn’t loot or anything. Donate everything.”

“Really? There are quite a few high-value items here.”

Arian tilted her head slightly and blinked. It indeed wasn’t something a mercenary would usually say.

“Instead, donate it to the victims related to the Outer God priest.”

“Understood!”

But that one sentence resolved many issues. Arian was able to address Ahab’s hatred for those related to the Outer God and his compassion for the victims. It was important to not appear like a mercenary who chased money.

“This issue is strictly a personal contract!”

Arian said, suddenly taking off and setting aside her armor. She was wearing a white cloth outfit underneath, and she unfastened a belt she wore over it, handing it to me.

“In exchange for donating those items, I want to give you this!”

“What is this?”

“It’s an enchanted item that increases Strength and Health!”

So she had an enchanted item all along…? It seemed there were indeed many things I didn’t know.

“You’re giving this as compensation? Isn’t it something important to you?”

“In reality, it doesn’t have a significant effect on me! The item works best for those with low Strength and Health, so I was merely using it as a belt!”

It seemed perfect for me. I would have to verify the details through Eldritch, but acquiring an item that boosts Strength and Health was a significant gain.

“Surely, as I get older, I feel weaker. I’ll make good use of it.”

I accepted the item and immediately wore it around my waist. While it wasn’t a dramatic change, I could definitely feel my body get slightly stronger.

“Other than the storage room for bodies, there doesn’t seem to be anything more. However, please take a look at this.”

After putting her armor back on, Arian pointed to an empty bookshelf and drawer in their vicinity. Thick dust had accumulated on them.

“What’s the significance?”

“If you look closely, the remaining items are all related to the Necronomicon. There are no other essential tools for a mage. This is clearly unusual.”

“It’s so focused on one topic to an excessive degree, as if nothing else mattered.”

Arian nodded. It seemed this necromancer had spent an extraordinarily long time studying nothing but the Necronomicon.

“A person like this should generally have stronger items. Likely, he gave everything to his disciple, Sharl. It’s a conjecture, but considering his peculiar obsession, it’s highly probable.”

Arian said, scanning the area once more.

“I plan to report this to the higher-ups and organize a team to further investigate this underground facility! It seems we’ll continue our investigation on this person named Sharl! Someone else will convey further rewards and reports!”

Arian smiled and extended her hand, and I shook it.

“It seems this is where we part ways.”

“Well… do you think we’ll meet again?”

“I believe we will meet again, Mr. Ahab! Especially given your connection with the red-haired Outer God priest!”

Personally, I didn’t particularly want to see her again. Hiding my identity was taxing.

“Alright, let’s hope it’s for a good reason.”

Having nothing else to gather, I left the underground facility. Fearing potential tracking or surveillance, I immediately returned to the Whalebone.

‘Now… Albeka. I must settle the score with that guy.’

Undoubtedly, he would come more prepared than before. I too needed to set traps to counter him and learn new miracles.

“I’ll use everything at my disposal.”

With that, I opened the Necronomicon.