I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 38. Bloody Battle (1)

*Swoosh!*

Gluttony extended its tendrils.

Arrows flying towards us were deflected and blocked, but a problem still remained.

A problem called ‘fire’.

Even though the cloak was coated with real oil, the fire had somewhat spread. Eldritch quickly responded by using magic to extinguish the flames.

“Water, gather and become a blue spear.”

I shared thoughts through 〈Mind Link〉 with Eldritch, while I pretended to chant the spell.

『Now!』

As I extended my arm in sync with the signal, Eldritch cast 〈Blue Lance〉. The enemies were flustered, not expecting a priest to use magic, but they did not go down easily.

“Ha! A priest using magic? What a miscellaneous heretic!”

When Albeka made a simple gesture, the Stigmata on the rooftop immediately took out their shields.

‘I need to somehow lure them into close combat… but it won’t be easy.’

It was unclear how much Albeka had figured out about me, but it was certain they had devised some kind of strategy. However, I had also prepared for such a scenario.

“Gather, toxic miasma of death. Corrode and decay all things. 〈Venomous Fog of Decay〉.”

When arrows started to fly again, I used the forbidden spell. A dusky mist—more akin to toxic gas—began to spread around me. This alien mist quietly extinguished the flames on the arrows.

“Recite the prayer for purification!”

“Protect us with your great light! 〈Inviolable Radiance〉!”

Priests hiding among the Stigmata recited prayers. Spherical lights enveloped the Stigmata, and a struggle began between the protective barrier and the toxic mist. Of course, I didn’t just sit and watch.

“Purify for the great era. Leave only ashes behind. 〈Abyssal Black Flame〉.”

This was the second forbidden spell learned from the Necronomicon. Unlike usual flames that emitted light, this pitch-black flame seemed to absorb it. The ominously dark fire quickly spread, yet strangely, it left everything it passed untouched.

The fire, spreading with the toxic mist, directly enveloped the Stigmata, unimpeded by their protective barrier.

“Ahhh! The, the fire!”

“This isn’t ordinary fire! Don’t let it touch you!”

The flames, which burned nothing and only clung to the designated target, were directed at humans by my will. Even I would be reduced to ashes if touched by it, but Gluttony shielded me, preventing the black flames from approaching. The Stigmata, engulfed by these seemingly alive black flames, died a gruesome death. If they came out of the barrier to avoid the flames…

“Ugh, hurrk!”

…they met the 〈Venomous Fog of Decay〉 instead. Those outside the barrier began to rot, bleeding from every orifice and dying a horrible death.

‘But the duration of these two spells is short.’

The widespread mist and fire would soon dissipate. Although it was worth the effort to disrupt the enemy formation, if we didn’t act quickly, we would give them a chance to counterattack.

“… Become a blue spear! 〈Blue Lance〉!”

As I chanted the spell name, Eldritch immediately cast the spell. A priest who was in the middle of casting a miracle was pierced and killed.

“Everyone, come down. I’ll go first.”

Just then, Albeka suddenly leaped from the rooftop to the ground. Despite the considerable height, he landed unscathed with agile movements. Before his feet even touched the ground, he shot something towards the sky. The fire and mist started ascending towards it, ignoring the enemies.

‘What the hell is that…?’

Unable to see what had been shot, my nerves were on edge due to the lack of information. If that shot had been aimed at me, the mist and fire would have come my way, putting me in a tough situation. Although I had countermeasures, a surprise attack could delay my response. There was also no guarantee he wouldn’t use it again, so vigilance was necessary.

“Finally came down, huh? I’ve been waiting for you.”

Albeka and I glared at each other.

“Looks like you’ve prepared a lot, but in the end, it’s all in vain. You will die by the will of God.”

“We’ll see about that. By the blessing of the Slumberer of the Abyss, the beings of this world will transform. 〈Collapsing Form〉.”

It was the same miracle used during the first encounter with Albeka.

The black rain of defilement, which should have reversed its flow from the ground to the sky, was meant to transform enemies into formless residues…

“Do you think I’ll fall for the same trick?”

Albeka drew the sword strapped to his back and struck the ground with it.

*Crack!*

From the point where the sword struck, everything around turned white with frost.

I narrowly escaped my feet being frozen in place by lightly leaping away.

“A sword enchanted with 〈Frozen Field〉 magic, huh? Freezing the ground at will… Quite a lot of enchantments for a paladin.”

The magic turned the ground into an icy surface.

Although 〈Collapsing Form〉 was a powerful miracle, the black rain couldn’t flow backward on the frozen ground.

It felt absurd, but a miracle simply recreated the phenomenon initially triggered by the caster. Even the slightest change in conditions could lead to such issues.

“I’ve just done my best to prepare thoroughly to hunt you.”

Albeka responded, sheathing the sword that had frozen the ground once again.

The sword, though powerful and enchanted with magic, seemed unsuitable for direct combat.

‘But to freeze the ground completely… This icy surface puts my physical abilities at an even greater disadvantage. Using black flames or mist again might result in falling for the same trick as before. I need to choose carefully.’

Using my unique trait 〈Transcendence〉, I could utilize powerful miracles without consuming mana. However, I could only do this once a day.

It should be used for a miracle that could completely turn the situation around, like 〈Black Blood of Frenzy〉, but I couldn’t be reckless as I didn’t know how the enemy had prepared.

‘First, I need to minimize mana consumption. If it comes to close combat, I’ll use that miracle immediately. Fire arrows…’

The Stigmata had already lit up the arrows soaked in oil.

They seemed aware of my difficulty with fire arrows, but I had no intention of falling for the same trick continually.

‘Eldritch, I need a large-scale spell.’

『Understood. Let’s go with 〈Tidal Wave〉.』

“Mighty waves…”

I began the incantation that Eldritch had taught me.

Meanwhile, the Stigmata surrounding me kept their distance and began readying their defenses as they launched fire arrows from all directions.

“Raise your shields to the right!”

The Stigmata responded promptly to Albeka’s command, lifting their shields in unison.

“…flood and sweep away! 〈Tidal Wave〉!”

A massive wave surged towards them with the intent to sweep away everything in its path.

The Stigmata’s shields, enchanted with magic, seemed to withstand the powerful waves.

Most of the incoming fire arrows were lost in the flow of the tidal wave, veering off course.

“Jack, now! Aim for the head!”

Although nothing special was visible, signaling someone was preparing in hiding, I chose not to waste time searching for the unseen.

Instead, I quickly lowered my stance and covered my head with the tentacles of my cloak.

However, through a gap in the tentacle strands of the cloak, I happened to glimpse ‘that thing’, causing me to bite my lip.

‘Damn it… they brought that?’

“How long will you withstand the disgusting relic of heresy?”

*Crackle!*

A large spear crackled with white sparks.

A Stigmata, wrapped in bandages and hidden in a building’s corner, shot the lightning spear.

‘I can’t block that!’

The spear, known as the ‘Holy Spear of White Thunder’, was a famous magical enchanted item rather than a holy relic and possessed immense destructive power.

It was powerful enough to destroy valleys or shatter castle walls.

However, such power required a user with exceptional talent to unleash its full potential, so typically it didn’t reach its maximum strength.

Nevertheless, the spear’s might couldn’t be disregarded.

*Boom!*

Had I not spotted its position earlier, had Arian not given me the waistband that boosted my physical abilities…

The previous strike might have shattered my head.

Although I managed to evade the spear, the white electricity enveloping it was unavoidable.

The searing pain felt as if my body was burning, possibly damaging my muscles, making it hard to move.

Additionally, the spear’s automatic retrieval function brought it back to its owner, ready for the next strike.

‘Damn, I’ve been paralyzed.’

Thinking that I had incredibly bad luck in this situation, I glanced at the back of my hand. Sure enough, the dice were glowing red.

‘Quite versatile, aren’t you? My body was paralyzed, but Gluttony is still functioning normally.’

The tool to turn this situation around was stored within my cloak. It was the sacred relic given to me by Sevika, the ‘Chalice of Red Ceremony’. The issue was that it required more blood than anticipated, which made preparation time-consuming.

‘To buy time and prepare safely…’

Despite the considerable mana consumption, there was a miracle capable of buying me some time. A miracle that Albeka could neither predict nor even imagine. However, it was equally dangerous for me. I quickly recited the prayer to use the 〈Forbidden Transformation〉.

“That! He’s using that miracle! Keep your distance! Do not engage in close combat!”

Having experienced it before, Albeka immediately issued orders as soon as I used 〈Forbidden Transformation〉.

“You’re quite understanding. Have you been diligently learning the language of heresy?”

While the language of the Outer Gods was perfectly comprehensible to me, for others it was akin to an alien language. It seemed that related information must have remained because it was originally a scripture kept by the Church of Hayat.

“We can’t afford to be unprepared to hunt a monster like you.”

Albeka widened the distance and issued commands to the Stigmata again.

“Prepare the spears! Keep firing arrows! Shower him with attacks!”

Not only arrows but also things like stones whizzed past me. Although my cloak continued to block them, there were so many that it was starting to become burdensome. But now, I, too, had finished my preparations.

“May the illusion enveloping all things put the world into a dreamlike state. 〈Advent of Illusion〉.”

This was the second miracle bestowed by Sevika when she appeared while I was meditating to gather strength at the hideout. While the first miracle dealt with transforming my appearance, the second miracle, 〈Advent of Illusion〉, induced hallucinations in multiple targets.

“Th-this…?! No way!”

“Snap out of it… It’s all fake…”

As if unable to fight off fatigue, they repeatedly fell back into hallucinations even after shaking them off. Just a shock could awaken them, and at my current level, it had little effect on those with very high mental resistance. Nonetheless, it was a useful miracle in situations involving many opponents, but I, too, was affected by the miracle.

“… Ah.”

I was seized by illusions in this urgent situation. A black form, swinging like a pendulum, appeared before my eyes.

‘… Snap out of it! That’s in the past!’

Using the tendrils of the cloak, I pierced my own head. It happened so quickly that I hardly felt the pain. Blood and brain matter flowed out, but they soon turned into a black liquid and returned to my head.

“Ugh…”

Just as I escaped the hallucination through the shock, something black flew toward me. At first, I thought it was just another black item, but it was… black hair… a human head. Throwing a decapitated head was not just a means of provocation.

‘This… it’s a bomb.’

A common technique used by lower-level necromancers involved embedding attack magic into a person’s brain and throwing it intact. The magic stored in the head would then explode like a bomb.

‘I’ve seen this face before. Just once, but…’

My gaze was momentarily stolen. Although it was a situation where it was hard to react promptly, my thoughts halted briefly when my eyes met the head’s. Even as its pitiable mouth opened, and the powerful wind-slicing magic began.

‘The child I saw at the orphanage—’

*Boom!*

The head exploded right before my eyes. The child’s head, once weeping tears of blood in excruciating pain, shattered into pieces.

*Slice.*

And my waist was severed cleanly by the wind slice. As my upper body dropped to the ground, the last thing I saw was… the head of an old woman. The terribly distorted, jawless face of the orphanage director flying and spitting fire.

TL’s Corner:
Damn, this is quite graphic to say the least.