I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 39. Bloody Battle (2)

Why didn’t I choose a more peaceful option?

Although it was a brief moment, that thought crossed my mind.

What if I had ignored the miracles of the Outer God and the scripture, and just left the orphanage?

If I had quickly evacuated with the orphanage director and the children, wouldn’t they all be alive now?

‘No, it’s a meaningless regret. Expecting things to go smoothly is foolish in itself.’

There was nothing I could do.

All I could do was think it was Dowol’s guidance and touch the ominous scripture to find a means to protect myself. Escaping alone was already a struggle. If I had acted with the children and the old director, it would have been impossible to shake off the pursuers.

‘Is it something I could just let go, telling myself it couldn’t be helped?’

Even with their limited means, they took in and helped a suspicious red-haired stranger like me. Because of that, even if it was a fleeting relationship, I didn’t want them to die.

… It was a futile hope.

‘All because they didn’t receive that absurd baptism…’

What did they do so wrong?

The injuries on the director’s head right in front of me were too severe to have been caused by mere work.

“…”

*Whoosh!*

As Gluttony blocked the flames, the head that had unleashed all the magic burnt and disintegrated completely. The scattering ashes disappeared quickly, almost too fast to follow with the eye.

‘This is… annoying.’

I bit my lip and checked the condition of my equipment.

The cloak, which had blocked the magic spells in succession, was somewhat damaged.

‘The bag… is still intact.’

Feeling Eldritch squirming inside, I was relieved that it was securely tied. My half-torn body turned pitch black and was slowly being mended. Secretly, using the tentacles of the cloak, I pulled out the Chalice of Red Ceremony and began to prepare.

“Judging by your expression, it seems you’re familiar with them, huh?”

Albeka chuckled arrogantly as he threw a dagger. Every word out of his mouth irked me. I caught the handle with my tentacle and threw it back, but Albeka evaded it nimbly and swung the whip hanging at his waist.

*Snap!*

Although I blocked it with the cloak, the sharp snapping sound echoed as the whip scorched and tore through a part of it.

“Heretics are always like this. Unable to see the truth, they end up floundering together in their foolish thoughts and dying, like mice drowning in a barrel of oil.”

“Your mouth really doesn’t stop, does it?”

Having confirmed his attack was effective, Albeka began to swing the whip repeatedly. I retaliated by swinging the tentacles of the cloak like whips, minimizing the area of impact. But Albeka wasn’t the only enemy.

“These disgusting creatures are a swarm, like a horde of bugs.”

It seemed a few with strong mental fortitude managed to break free from their hallucinations. Ultimately, several fire arrows flew and struck my body again. The excruciating pain of being burned alive surged through me…

‘Who cares.’

My mind calculated the situation coldly.

‘Albeka keeps avoiding close combat, so he can’t finish me off.’

The strongest aspect of a warrior or paladin is close combat. But Albeka, trying to exploit my cloak and the Forbidden Transformation, was using a whip to maintain distance, focusing on disabling the cloak first.

So, I should make use of that strategically.

“Gather, turbulent flow…”

I deliberately chose a powerful spell that took some time to cast.

While my intention was to stir up the battlefield with a wide-ranging spell, I also wanted to alert the enemy to a significant attack, prompting them to react differently.

“Hmm.”

Albeka, realizing the scale of the impending spell, immediately tried to disrupt it.

*Click.*

Albeka put on a bluish gauntlet that seemed to be an enchanted item and grabbed a dark axe.

Then, he explosively charged forward and struck me directly.

The speed was so intense that I could not react properly, causing a large wound to form …

“… Flood and crash down. 〈Great Waterfall〉.”

Contrary to Albeka’s misunderstanding, it was not I but Eldritch who cast the spell.

Eventually, the spell that had been prepared was activated, and a torrent of water began to pour down around us.

Albeka, thinking he had interrupted the casting and stopped the spell, was momentarily flustered. However, he quickly responded and escaped the deluge.

The other Stigmata, who had been shooting arrows, were slow to grasp the situation from afar and could not defend in time, resulting in many being swept away by the water.

Most were either killed or left in critical condition, with only about seven to eight members managing to evade the attack safely.

“Waters gather, become a blue spear. 〈Blue Lance〉.”

The blue spear, created through Eldritch, flew towards the corner of the building where a sacred spear was being prepared.

*Thud!*

As it was a spell known for its terrifying accuracy, a sound was heard that indicated it precisely struck those hiding in the corner.

“Clumsy fools.”

Albeka grimaced, seemingly displeased that the person preparing the sacred spear had died.

“Damn heretic. You will never leave here alive.”

This time, a dark axe flew from afar.

I deflected the rapidly approaching axe, likely enhanced by an enchantment, and it returned to Albeka’s hand.

He repeatedly threw and caught the axe, and my cloak, which had been deflecting it well, gradually began to suffer more damage.

“Despite your boastful words, you’re busy being cautious.”

I scoffed coldly as I fended off his continued attacks.

“Did you shake in fear even against old women and orphans?”

Though he seemed ready to kill me at any moment by his words, he hesitated and kept his guard up even after having the advantage.

After crossing countless lines to chase me, he still took his time, wary of the unknown, unable to finish the job.

“I know you’re hiding something.”

Albeka assumed a stance, gripping his hand axe.

“How effective do you think your petty tricks will be against me?”

He threw the axe powerfully, and it flew at me with a fierce gust, as if imbued with a cutting wind.

I wrapped the axe in mid-air with tentacles and smashed it to the ground, breaking it.

“Foolish.”

However, Albeka’s true intended strike was not the axe, but a dagger he threw covertly at the same time.

*Slash.*

I narrowly dodged, but my arm, which was grazed, began to petrify.

Ignoring the pain, I used my cloak to sever my own arm, preventing the petrification from spreading.

‘Damn bastard… He brought all sorts of things. But this level is nothing now.’

Fueled by anger with a desire to tear the fanatic in front of me apart, I felt no attention to the excruciating pain.

‘Just a little more. Just a bit more.’

In just a bit more time, I could end him.

“I thought this would be a great trial for me… but honestly, it’s been underwhelming.”

That remark briefly brought back old memories.

—Come to think of it, why are they even fighting?

—So, are you going to play an RPG game without any combat?

—Only by fighting when you can’t avoid it. Even animals like lions avoid fights with other predators unless necessary. It’s risky if they get injured.

—They want to become stronger through ‘trials’.

—What kind of trials…?

—Everything, including fighting enemies, is a trial. The characters in TRPG overcome those trials and get stronger, aiming to reach what they desire.

Trials, hmm…

Though it was something spat out by such a pitiful guy, perhaps subconsciously, I might have considered it the same way.

Touching the scripture in the basement without fear, and accepting this battle in particular.

Maybe I saw it all as trials I needed to overcome to reach the truth.

“I don’t need to use any relics. You’re not worth that.”

“Quite the chatterbox. Did your mighty Hayat teach you to fight with your mouth?”

*Slap!*

The whip flew towards me again, but instead of dodging, I chose to stab at it with tentacles.

Albeka, who had jumped back to avoid my attack, retreated to a corner of the building.

Then, he prepared to throw the Holy Spear, which he must have retrieved at some point.

The white lightning pulsating in all directions shone brighter than before, signaling increased power.

“This is the end.”

*Crack!*

There was no time to react.

A white lightning spear pierced through my body with a thunderous roar that tore at my ears.

Black blood splattered everywhere, and organs that had turned half-blackened dripped down.

Even my cloak couldn’t withstand the attack and was mostly burnt.

Half of my face seemed burnt off, leaving one eye unable to see.

“I must admit, you’re persistent. But it’s meaningless—”

“It’s over now.”

*Thunk.*

Albeka, attempting to draw his sword, paused, seeing something on the ground.

The ground was covered in my black blood and organs.

He saw something strange amidst them.

“I’ve endured long enough.”

“That?! No, it can’t be!”

Albeka seemed to know something about this object, wary enough not to recklessly attack and clenched his teeth in frustration.

A Divine Relic of the Outer God was literally an object brimming with the power of an Outer God.

If damaged, it could lead to an irreversible catastrophe, so even a fanatic like Albeka had to be cautious.

“Since when did you!”

The Chalice of Red Ceremony.

A powerful Divine Relic of the Outer God that granted one of seven blessings when filled with blood.

As soon as I took it out, I secretly shoved it into my severed shoulder, and the Chalice of Red Ceremony devoured my blood and flesh, preparing itself inside my body.

“I offer my blood and flesh…”

The chalice filled with my black blood glowed faintly.

Knowing that any reckless attack on a functioning Divine Relic could backfire, Albeka was paralyzed into inaction.

And I prayed to become a monster to kill the monster before me.

“… Grant me the Blessing of Transformation.”

*Crack.*

With an unpleasant sound, my body began to twist.

My tattered body turned black, merging with a shadow cast by a crimson light.

A cold, malicious darkness from the cosmos enveloped my body, bringing about the change.

A bizarre transformation blessing that lasted 24 hours.

I became something other than human for a while.

“I thought you were just some mediocre guy… Turns out you’re more dangerous than the noble killer.”

My newly formed arms were not human, and my lower body had morphed into thick tentacles reminiscent of cephalopods.

My entire body, composed of black tentacles, sprouted numerous mouths, each holding an eye that could see in all directions.

Even Gluttony seemed affected by the blessing, elongating and wrapping around my shoulders, sprouting menacing spikes at the tips.

“Albeka.”

My body was filled with twisted, transformed, and eerie mana.

“Are you ready to repent?”

TL’s Corner:
Damn, I want to see this get a manhwa…