I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 56. Party (2)

How many people worry about being bitten by a great white shark inside their own house?

The reason I didn’t pay much attention to the Dwellers of the Abyss was similar.

‘They’re quite formidable, but on land, you’d have to consider them around a second-class threat. Mostly due to their physical strengths.’

Thus, unless anyone ventured near the remote black island where their cult was said to reside, you wouldn’t typically encounter them, as they seldom crawled ashore.

Their strength was purely naval, so they insisted on fighting in advantageous terrain.

‘But why…?’

What kind of grudge they held against Sharl was unknown. What mattered was that during their raids, they left nothing behind except for necessary spoils.

“Everyone, this is an emergency.”

I started by gathering the surrounding children. The mention of an emergency infused a sense of tension into their expressions.

“We need to leave this place immediately. Get outside and receive Arian’s protection.”

“What’s happening all of a sudden, professor?”

“It’s an attack related to an Outer God. We have no time, so detailed explanations will come later.”

Some of the nobles grumbled about not being able to see their bodyguards, and I realized where those protectors had disappeared.

‘They were disguised under the skin of the bodyguards.’

Among the miracles they used, there was the ability to wear another person’s skin. This miracle had the downsides of requiring special measures for the peculiar smell and the skin decaying quickly.

The eye movements would also seem unnatural, but it was hard to notice unless one paid close attention. Even in places where the Dwellers of the Abyss often appeared, people rarely observed others that intently if they weren’t expecting trouble.

“Professor! Aren’t you coming with us?”

The students wasted time, insisting that I should evacuate with them. They were naive.

‘… As I was.’

I recalled the head that Albeka had thrown. I never wanted to witness such an event again.

“I can manage on my own. Students, please mind your own safety.”

It was a rush against time, so I needed to stay calm. After sending the students outside, I turned to inform others about the situation.

*Splash.*

The sound of water echoed. Looking down, I found my shoes soaked in black water that had come up unnoticed. No, it was still rising.

‘Is this what they meant?’

This was definitely a miracle from an Outer God.

‘Among them, there’s a being able to use miracles.’

While most followers were not priests, there were very few priests of an Outer God who could properly perform miracles. That very few seemed to be here.

‘A miracle of this magnitude isn’t something an ordinary being should be able to execute….’

“Professor! The door won’t open!”

Dominic yelled loudly from the entrance, and the astonished nobles began to protect themselves.

“Go check. Tell the Baron too.”

The check was quickly conducted, and they sought solutions immediately. The mage professors and nobles’ bodyguards attempted to open or break the door, but despite several loud bangs, the door remained intact.

“The windows won’t budge either!”

“The water’s already starting to submerge our legs!”

The situation was becoming increasingly dire.

‘Of all times, Arian is outside too…’

There was no time for regret. All I could do was rack my brains to escape this peril.

“Everyone, find something to stand on to stay out of the water. It’s dangerous in the water.”

“You there, professor! Do you know something?”

“My familiar sensed something suspicious and overheard the instigators. They are the Dwellers of the Abyss. The followers of an Outer God, half-human, half-fish hybrids.”

“Then, this water is…?”

“It must be a miracle they performed. They’re creating an advantageous environment for themselves, so we need to hold our ground above the water.”

As I explained, the water had already risen to our knees.

“Crazy, it’s too fast!”

There seemed to be no clear escape route. The situation demanded that they stand and fight. I had led the students to the second floor, and the others followed our ascent.

“They will start moving once the water rises to a certain level. Watch the water surface closely, and attack the moment you see any movement!”

I instructed.

“Understood.”

Elrave and the other professors each prepared themselves for the impending battle.

『Lord Ethnos, you must be careful. In this situation… we’re at a significant disadvantage.』

“I know. But I doubt there are many of them. The real issue is how high the water will rise, but it seems to have stopped now.”

The water had reached an adult man’s waist if judged by eye, and now it stopped. A pervasive, salty stench mixed with a nauseating fishiness began to fill the air.

“Kugh…”

“Everyone, stay focused. That’s the signal that they are ready.”

The water’s surface turned black, and the overpowering stench became dizzying. It was impossible to tell if it was the smell of fish or blood when they began to reveal themselves.

Recalling Dowol’s descriptions, I watched the surface of the water.

There they were, the monsters, with their large mouths bearing sharp teeth. Their large eyes were devoid of life, and their bodies, covered in scales, were a dirty shade of gray, exuding an even drearier ambiance.

“Eldritch! Attack immediately!”

『Understood!』

I launched 〈Blue Lance〉 through Eldritch without delay. Various spells poured over the water’s surface, alongside arrows and thrown weapons from the guards and the Pale Guard.

『Join us.』

Despite the furious attacks, their voices echoed undisturbed in my mind.

“Professor…”

Lia stood trembling, her face pale. Even the normally stoic Dominic bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. Sinia, also shaking, lifted her wand, but even standing seemed to be a struggle for her.

『Sharl, join us. The captain desires you.』

“Ignore the voices in your head. If you’re a mage, focus on casting your spells. Do it dispassionately and accurately.”

At my words, the students nodded and lifted their staffs.

“You monstrous creatures!”

*Bang!* One of the guards swung a flail, smashing into one of the Dwellers of the Abyss, but it did not flinch. With a body that seemed as tough as steel, it charged into the guard, launching a brutal assault that left only the sound of bubbling blood.

“Professor Magus! Do they have any weaknesses?”

Elrave asked as he blew an approaching enemy away with a gust of wind.

“The eyes and gills are relatively weaker points; aim there.”

But even those were enough to deflect arrows. They had no significant weaknesses and were terrifyingly fast in the water.

They didn’t have the insane regenerative abilities typical for races related to Outer Gods, but that’s about it. These creatures had to be overwhelmed with sheer power.

‘At least we have more numbers. If we can take them down one by one…’

Honestly, this was nothing but wishful thinking. Eldritch’s water element magic had little effect, and the professors of magic were silently having their heads torn or being dragged underwater in an instant.

“Professor, what should we do now…?”

Even Sinia, who had been trying to muster courage, eventually watched with trembling eyes as the professors vanished one by one. Lia started to panic, and Dominic mumbled about regretting not coming.

“Stay sharp. I have a plan.”

“Is that true…?”

“There’s Luminaries Arian outside. They’re trying to breach the sealed door, so all you need to do is hold out until she arrives.”

The reason for focusing on pushing back the enemies and using defensive magic was solely for her arrival.

‘If only I could use miracles or forbidden arts, it might be a fair fight… But…’

Doing so would make it impossible to handle the aftermath. No matter Cernun’s strength, this was beyond covering for me, and using such magic might drain my mind due to the nature of Outer Gods’ miracles.

Even thinking of deploying Gluttony was unreasonable, and it wasn’t capable of handling these foes anyway. However…

“Even if we can’t defeat them, we have no problem holding the line.”

“Professor!”

Lia pointed at something in shock, and when I saw it, I was left speechless.

‘Oh….’

The ceiling was being covered with water.

Not just the ceiling; the walls were the same.

It was as if water was defying gravity and rising up over the surface.

Inside the water, the blurred outlines of the merfolk were visible.

‘With a miracle of this scale, the opponent couldn’t simply be an entity capable of using numerous miracles.’

I recalled Sevika’s words.

Sevika, apart from the 11 others leading each faith of the Outer Gods as priests.

The one behind this must surely be one of them.

‘Moreover, it’s not just a simple miracle of water rising. No matter how you look at it, this depth seems too shallow for them to swim freely. In that case…’

The answer lay below.

I looked down at the water’s surface.

“Professor?”

“Students.”

I addressed everyone with a slightly trembling voice.

“Trust and wait here. Stay away from the water.”

I then jumped right into the water.

“Professor Magus!”

*Splash!*

My ears were covered by water, silencing everything around me.

The cold, dark water swallowed me, and I began to sink deeper.

Though it was just waist-deep water for an adult, it seemed endless once I submerged.

『Next time, please warn before jumping in. You startled me.』

Eldritch cast the 〈Water Breathing〉 spell, allowing me to breathe underwater.

‘Thanks.’

『Not at all. But… do you stand a chance down here?』

‘Of course not. But there’s something I could try…’

A possible attempt was there.

“Envelop with illusions, let them see only the dream they wish to see. 〈Mask of Illusion〉.”

Over the guise of Simon Magus, I created an illusion of my original form as Ethnos.

“Residents of the deep, I am known as the red-haired Outer God priest, Ethnos, from Wave Reach.”

Although I saw nothing in the thick, dark water, I believed they were listening and kept speaking.

“I wish to negotiate with your leader.”

『How dare someone like you meet the Captain?』

In a brief, unperceived moment, a rough current tore the fabric of my abdomen.

Thanks to wearing Gluttony underneath, it could have been a disaster.

『What’s more, the one beside it is mere discarded trash. For someone traveling with an outcast who should already be dead to meet the Captain…』

『Wait. The miracle that one used… It belongs to the 【Witch of Dreams】.』

『What? No way!』

They recognized it indeed.

The reason for using that miracle underwater wasn’t solely to reveal myself as Ethnos.

‘With this, they’ll recall my association with Sevika. Furthermore, since I’m the only one in this world who has received the scripture of the 【Witch of Dreams】, they must’ve realized I’m an important figure.’

While they were discussing my fate over this, “Bring him.”

A different dimension of resonance, akin to the sound of a massive foghorn, was felt.

It made my head spin for a moment.

『Yes, captain.』

Several Dwellers of the Abyss grabbed me and began descending further.

As if welcoming me, luminescent creatures of the deep-sea began to light up, and a massive, round light source illuminated the ocean floor from the darkness.

‘A ship? No, it’s not just any ship.’

It was a remnant of mythology.

A ship impaled by spear-sized stakes, chained and imprisoned at the dark ocean’s depths.

Below it sat an unnatural hill with a cave, and…

‘That’s… a skull?’

Upon closer inspection, there were massive skeletons, remnants of a fierce battle, covered with barnacles and corals over an unimaginably long time.