I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

The white robe, reminiscent of a chemist more than a mage, with a belt around the waist holding various test tubes.

These items indicated what kind of mage was standing before us.

“‘Potion maker’, it seems. Is that why the gargoyle was so poorly crafted?”

The mage, holding a wand, glared at Talia and me, particularly at my arm.

“I thought my investors had arrived.”

“Investors…?”

While I questioned out of curiosity, an owl flew silently and perched on the mage’s arm. The creature, which had looked deflated like an empty toothpaste tube, now swelled its body proudly. The mage seemed to converse with the owl for a moment before sighing.

“You smashed all the gargoyles I painstakingly created, and even wounded Chris… Who the hell are you people?”

Chris… was that the name of the crocodile?

“First, let’s clear up a misunderstanding—I didn’t intend to attack first.”

“Misunderstanding? As if! Isn’t it obvious we’d defend ourselves if someone like you showed up?”

The mage pointed at my arm with the wand in hand. Although their ability to make gargoyles was subpar, the wand they wielded was no ordinary item. It seemed to be of a certain level.

“I don’t know why you meddled with the foreign influences, but leave quietly! I have no intention of getting involved”

“Take this.”

I was in no mental state for calm negotiation.

‘I’m getting increasingly anxious. The aftereffects of using 〈Forbidden Transformation〉 once more are…’

I was even beginning to show signs of mild paranoia. Especially, I continuously sensed an unfamiliar ominousness from beneath the ground.

“I said I have no intention of getting involved with foreign influences! For now… wow, just how much is that?”

Seeing the enormous number of jewels that spilled from the pouch I tossed, the mage’s eyes widened. Too much money to stay angry?

“I’ll compensate for the gargoyles and the crocodile. In return, I want your help with the remainder.”

“Of course, I’ll help yo- wait, how exactly do you want me to help with the influence of the Outer Gods?”

“First, I need as many sedative potions as possible. And anything else related to mental stability.”

The mage shook their head.

“The influence from the Outer Gods isn’t something that can be managed by your will. While sedatives might restore your mind, your very existence is-”

“I know.”

I interrupted with a sigh.

“I already know. I’ve thought of some solutions, but right now, I need the sedatives. Will you sell them or not?”

“… If you pay, I can serve you as a customer. I am Lyla Eldenwillow.”

“I am Ethnos. And this is Talia.”

Talia and Lyla exchanged light greetings.

“I’ll show you all the items I have, so buy whatever you need. But…”

“But?”

“Hm hm… The reason I set up those gargoyles in the first place was all for a reason, you know? But since you destroyed them all, you’ll need to help me out.”

“What kind of help?”

The mage began to explain with an awkward laugh. As I listened, my expression began to harden.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

* * *

Sometime later.

Men with sturdy figures, their faces filled with annoyance, ascended the hill. Though they weren’t heavily armed, their numbers and fierce countenances were quite intimidating.

“Ugh, it’s far.”

Three years had passed since they had made their investment. Having seen no results and only repeated requests for more time, the leader of the ‘Blood Bear Brotherhood’ was now thoroughly irate. And when the leader was angry, it was the job of the subordinates to resolve the issue.

“Boss, we’re almost there. Just over that ridge!”

“That wretched woman lives in a wretched place. What kind of hassle is this every single time we come?”

“Today’s quite calm compared to last time, though. Remember how the entire hill turned into a swamp due to a lab accident when we arrived?”

“And I’ve heard that nonsense about malfunctioning gargoyles four times already.”

The brotherhood shuddered. Although mercenaries engaged in rough work, they were followers of the Church of Hayat and refrained from illegal activities. They hadn’t even demanded interest; they simply asked to return what hadn’t yielded any results, so why did they have to endure such hardship?

“You don’t think the crocodile will attack us because she forgot to feed it again, do you?”

“Poor Chris. Such a sweet creature, suffering because of a terrible owner.”

One mercenary sighed, recalling the crocodile’s originally quite courteous nature.

The sound of such sighs became a thing of the past.

“…… What’s happening this time?”

After going to the trouble of coming up, there it was again in the yard. It was neither a gargoyle nor a crocodile.

“…… Brother, that looks dangerous.”

“Could it be that she’s pulling a prank again?”

What stood in the yard was a monster that resembled a human. One arm was disturbingly black and limp, creating an unsettling incongruity. Just looking at it was creepy, invoking an instinctual warning to stay away.

“Look at its feet. Bloodstains.”

“Isn’t that a broken gargoyle over there?”

Near the peculiar man, the aftermath of a battle was apparent. The ground showed signs of being pressed by something heavy, and there were bloodstains soaking into the earth. The sight of the shattered gargoyles, which were crudely made but fairly threatening, was a shocking one for the brotherhood.

“The door is smashed too!”

“Damn it…”

Things did not look good. What on earth had that reckless mage done to bring such a thing to their home? Most importantly, what was that monster?

“That seems to be influenced by an Outer God.”

“Outer…? What kind of mess has that crazy woman gotten involved with?”

Incidents related to Outer Gods were not common, but their danger was well-known. Hence, there was one cardinal rule regarding anything related to an Outer God, “Absolutely do not get involved.”

It was the simplest and most certain rule.

“Is this another one of the mage’s tricks? Are you sure?”

“Even if it is a trick, we can’t overlook the danger! We must never get involved with an Outer God! We need to report this to the Commander first…”

It was then that the unsettling creature, which had been causing anxiety with its eerie vitality yet hadn’t moved, looked back at the brotherhood. Seen through wounds, black mucosal blood was oozing out.

“….. Run!”

Everyone started to flee, helping fallen comrades to their feet and running desperately. Getting scolded by the Commander was a far better option than getting involved with anything related to an Outer God.

“Sigh, what a mess.”

Therefore, they did not hear the dangerous man sigh and lament.

“Well done.”

“Well done, my foot.”

The mage’s request was simple, just to scare off the brotherhood.

“What about the promised items?”

“They’re all set on the table; take your time to check them out.”

When the mage gestured, Talia went ahead, and the chair she was sitting on moved. Though amazed inwardly, I sat without showing much reaction.

‘Who would’ve thought she was an enchanter instead of a potion maker.’

I drank a sedative potion and looked through various tools on the table. Though they seemed like junk, they were all enchanted items imbued with some form of magic or miracle.

‘An enchanter would be a big help in the future, but…’

There was a major problem, this enchanter did not know how to enchant.

“You bought enchanted items recklessly without knowing how to do it, losing a lot of money in the process.”

“There was no other way! The ‘Artificer Guild’ holds the enchantment secrets tightly and never reveals them to outsiders. The only option was to experiment with everything!”

Not knowing what ingredients to use for enchantments, she tested various things, but it didn’t mean she could make potions. The hard-fought result turned out to be a half-baked enchanter.

“What kind of situation is this… hmm?”

In the midst of all this, I noticed the green dice tattoo on my hand disappearing. It seemed the sedative potion worked, as my anxiety melted away. However, considering there was a roll, it could have failed, and in the worst case, a critical failure might have worsened my condition.

‘I nearly had a major disaster. Even drinking a potion comes with risks.’

With a sigh, I turned my attention to the items on the table.

“Here’s a list of their effects.”

“Let’s see. A dagger imbued with a flame spell, an orb of healing miracles…”

Nothing too bad, but nothing particularly helpful for me either.

I decided to pack only the necessary items and buy some sedatives.

“I’ll buy all the sedatives you have, and the rest will be…”

Just as I was about to point to a suitable sword to use for light armament with my finger, I suddenly felt something.

‘No, this isn’t it.’

A thought struck me out of the blue. Something was also felt.

“…Is there something in the basement?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

Lyla looked at me in surprise.

‘This is the same foreboding feeling I had earlier.’

It wasn’t a side effect of using the Forbidden Transformation. Upon calm analysis, it didn’t feel like a simple attraction but a certain longing.

“I need to check.”

“Wait! That’s my workshop! You can’t just barge in there…”

Lyla tried to stop me, but I got up as if possessed and ran down the corridor. Even though it was the first time I had been there, I felt as if someone was guiding me on where to go.

“Why the sudden behavior?”

“What on earth could be in the basement?”

I could hear Talia and Lyla chasing after me from behind. They hadn’t yet sensed the presence of the Outer God.

“Just some unused enchanted items. Things sealed off due to various issues.”

“What? Then isn’t that…”

“The seal is secure, okay? There’s nothing related to the Outer God there!”

Categorically, she was wrong.

“Talia, don’t come! There’s something related to the Outer God here!”

I clearly felt it. Malicious energy from a universe other than this one, coveting the world. Though it had been well-sealed and hidden, the Outer God’s energy was responding to me.

‘Damn it! What the hell did they put down here?!’

The closer I got, the more I sensed the danger. Simultaneously, the pull grew stronger. The thing responding to me began to cry out louder and louder.

‘…Hunger.’

I felt primordial instincts and desires.

‘I can’t go any further. This is… dangerous.’

My mind was warning me. As I approached the basement door, a primal repulsion and fear surged up within me.

“Damn it… even the mana’s distorting.”

The door to the basement was inscribed with enchantments for sealing and protection. A disturbing hint of the Outer God’s energy was mixed with the spells.

“Why is it like that? Could there really be something related to the Outer God?”

Lyla, who had caught up, was also shocked by the seriousness of the situation and paled. They seemed to have taken thorough measures, but something overpowering lay in the basement.

‘Damn… no choice. Delaying further just makes it riskier.’

Having seen cases like this in Orders, I was convinced. When a thing starts affecting people’s minds and causing abnormal phenomena, especially if it’s related to the Outer God, problems and dangers spread rapidly.

‘Even if it’s dangerous, I have to resolve this immediately!’

As I hurriedly reached out to break the seal, I was alarmed. My arm, transformed by the forbidden spell 〈Forbidden Transformation〉, began to react oddly. Like having a seizure, it twisted bizarrely and resisted touching the door.

“Lyla! Break the seal!”

“What? Are you crazy?”

“Leave that thing alone, and we’ll truly go crazy! Handle it as quickly as possible without delay!”

Lyla, being a mage, managed to calm her nerves and began to carefully dismantle the sealing magic. Despite the distortion of the spell to some extent, she managed to deal with it. Once the seal was broken, an even more dangerous and hungry longing was transmitted.

“Use all protective spells you can.”

With tension and fear, I opened the basement door. The only thing inside was a single old, broken arrow.