I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 22: Teacher Eldritch (1)

“Sa… Save me!”

The man had shouted urgently.

Surrounded by spiders on all sides, it seemed his mind was starting to collapse.

However, that would have been problematic.

“Here, drink this.”

I rolled a mind potion towards him.

Since I’d gotten acquainted with various mages and was in a port city full of various items, the supply of sedatives was not an issue anymore.

‘Even though it’s a pity, if this guy goes mad now, it would be troublesome.’

The man couldn’t muster the courage to reach out even to drink.

“It’s only a stabilizer. You have an obligation to repent and confess to the envoys sent by god. Drink it and pull yourself together.”

With a leisurely and sinister tone, I played the part of a heretical priest and smiled.

The man drank the stabilizer with his trembling hands and, a bit calmer, he avoided eye contact and shouted.

“Repent? An envoy sent by god? What are you talking about!”

“You don’t even know what you have tampered with. The 《Weaver of Destruction’s Threads》 has… indeed a gentle nature.”

When their master was mentioned, the spiders moved restlessly. Their venomous fangs stained the wooden floor black.

“At a glance, their cult seems easy to join, with no special restrictions or conditions. But… they were never intended for the likes of you.”

Surely, this man wouldn’t have had such detailed information.

“I… I don’t get it.”

“God abhors those who pray without permission, as it interferes with their work.”

That was the most significant characteristic of the 《Weaver of Destruction’s Threads》, as well as the hidden trap within the seemingly benign scriptures.

“You have ignorantly disturbed that god, even if it was minute.”

“There’s no way… We—”

“You underwent the initiation rites? After the third rite, a string appears at the back of your neck, connecting to the heavens.”

“That’s… right. I know about that.”

“You might view that string as a sign of initiation… but it is, in fact, a mark.”

“A mark…?”

At my words, the man gulped nervously.

“A mark placed upon those who have rudely interrupted the god. With time, the envoys of the god descend and punish the transgressors with fangs and strings.”

The spiders waiting behind me were the ones to execute that punishment.

“Ki… Kill me?”

“Not just killing, but you’ll become an egg sac. Hundreds of god’s envoys will be born, and the area will be covered in webs.”

Thus, I too had no choice but to execute these pitiable victims.

“I knew this, and I have been apologizing to the god’s envoys on your behalf, dealing with this matter.”

In return for eliminating the interlopers, I was allowed to join their ranks.

“Normally, you wouldn’t be able to escape this responsibility…”

The man gasped in horror, but I ignored him and continued.

“But if you follow a few instructions, you might save your life.”

“I’ll… I’ll do anything! Money? Or sacrifices?”

“I need neither. That’s not it. First, return the copy of the scripture in your possession.”

Hurriedly, the man reached inside his clothes and pulled out the scripture.

It seemed he had a pocket with spatial storage magic.

“It’s here… Aaargh!”

As a spider approached the man swiftly, he backed away in fright. The spider, as large as an adult man, retrieved the scripture and disappeared silently into the shadows.

“The way you obtained this… it must have been through the black market, wasn’t it?”

“H-how did you know?”

“There’s a way to know it all. You’ll have to take me to that black market.”

The man nodded earnestly.

“Got it. Tomorrow then.”

“Good. Where should we meet?”

“You should come to Baron Roden’s mansion. If you come with me from there… you can enter without any issue.”

After setting the meeting time, I gestured for him to leave.

The man ran desperately, but the spiders remained as if they had more to do.

『Alice.』

“You also call me that. Who exactly is that?”

A headache pounded as I responded to the spider’s nerve-wracking telepathy.

『How could you not know that?』

“That’s why I’m asking you to tell me.”

『You should figure that out on your own.』

The spider approached me, staring with its multiple red eyes.

『Your service pleases Him.』

“That’s a relief.”

『If you continue to eliminate the things that trouble Him, he will answer your prayers. If you wish, you too can become a Highland Spider.』

First, a chance to become a slime, and now a spider. What a “great” opportunity. I had no intention of becoming a man-eating venomous spider in another realm’s highlands like those creatures.

“Is the Apostle of Calamity that rare?”

『No.』

No? I was puzzled, and the spider made a grating sound with its fangs.

『Your value lies elsewhere. But even that value is not important to Him.』

“What are you talking about?”

『If you become another Outer God’s disciple, it would interfere with His works.』

With his web-building? What would happen if I became another Outer God’s disciple?

“Can’t you explain it in detail?”

『You cannot hear it, Alice.』

It seemed like information harmful to my mind. I should look into it more when I get stronger.

“I still have no intention of becoming a spider. Instead…”

『…Understood. He has granted His permission. But you are a peculiar one.』

What was that supposed to mean? As I glared at the spider, it made a grating noise and vanished into the shadows.

『Your plan is heresy of the highest order.』

With those words, all the other spiders disappeared as well.

“Heresy of the highest order…”

I smirked. To escape the influence of the 【Slumberer of the Abyss】, I had chosen to welcome the influence of other Outer Gods. The more influenced I was by multiple Outer Gods, the less likely I would be heavily influenced by just one.

‘In other words, I’m putting the Outer Gods against each other over me. It’s certainly worthy of being called heresy.’

I drank a potion, changed into another person, and headed out into the streets once again.

* * *

“Kyaah! So, so horrible!”

Bringing a sedative to a sweating Talia, she gulped it down without taking a breath.

“Spiders crawling all over me… Ugh.”

“If you ever see someone with threads hanging from their head, run away. I made it so you can notice that.”

I put Talia through the introductory first step initiation ritual to help her avoid future dangers. I had worried that something potentially dangerous might occur during the ritual, but it seemed it ended with a disturbingly unpleasant experience.

“Do you do things like this all the time?”

“Yes. It’s necessary, so I have no choice.”

“Is that why you look like that?”

I had returned to my room at dawn and gone through the second and third phase initiation rituals consecutively, so I was not in the best shape.

‘Experiencing a hallucination of becoming a spider and eating people was something else.’

It almost felt like the sensation of melting and drinking the internal remains of my prey still lingered inside me.

*Rustle rustle.* I could still faintly hear the illusion of spiders crawling around. Considering the abilities and miracles I gained, I couldn’t complain.

“Is this really okay? They say it’s dangerous to go beyond step three. Even the first step is a terrifying Outer God’s miracle…”

I shook my head at Talia’s concern.

“The first and second steps aren’t really miracles.”

“What…?”

“It’s only from the third step that you offer a prayer to the god. The first and second steps are merely preparatory.”

Thus, the spiders only punished those who obstructed Outer Gods through the third step, where direct prayers occurred. After reassuring Talia, I began to pack my things.

“Can’t I go with you? I’ve been going around alone lately.”

Talia had slightly pouted as she watched me prepare to go out.

“It’s a dangerous place filled with issues related to Outer Gods.”

And we initially decided to go our separate ways.

“They have been safely stored or sealed, that’s why the black market can be established, right?”

Smart, indeed. Although she had noticed, I was still reluctant to take her along.

“You can barely drink potions now. Either rest quietly or find some work.”

“Tsk… Fine.”

Talia stopped insisting, but she seemed somewhat disappointed. I wondered if I had been too careless about the Outer Gods because of her.

“Make some friends. Who knows? You might meet some decent folks.”

“I don’t fancy those pampered types.”

Leaving the grumbling Talia behind, I drank a potion and stepped outside. I transformed into the appearance of a common young man, ensuring I wouldn’t raise any suspicion, and headed towards the baron’s mansion.

‘The streets are lively today.’

The number of Luminaries had increased, and I could see Stigmata chatting in the alleys. They must be on edge because of the disappearance cases attributed to Ethnos.

‘The baron’s mansion should be… here.’

Passing by them without any trouble, I reached the front of the mansion, where I found the man clad in a rather expensive outfit instead of a robe. He was easy to spot with dark circles under his eyes and reddened eyes, likely due to lack of sleep.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“Who are you to-”

“I introduced myself last night. Do you need another introduction?”

“Ah… Ethnos?”

Nodding, the man’s nervous demeanor shifted immediately to a state of tension.

“Is this baron’s mansion used as a black market?”

“No, it’s just one of the entrances.”

As the man raised his hand, a servant from the mansion approached, opened the door, and started to guide us. Following the servant, we arrived at a tree in the middle of the garden rather than the mansion.

“Could it be… a ‘Living Passage’?”

I immediately discerned its nature. This was a high-level magic involving knowledge passed down by Outer Gods, transforming a tree into a living passage using a chalice made of human bones and 5 liters of blood as a medium.

‘I had speculated, but it seems significant figures are involved.’

“The… Living Passage? What is that?”

“You don’t need to know. Just lead the way.”

The roots of the tree twisted open, and we moved into the darkness. After walking on the mushy ground for a while, sudden light poured in, leading us to a different space.

‘… It’s huge.’

The floor was adorned with marble, and there were numerous ornate statues. The space was overwhelmingly vast.

“Do you see those boxes over there? The items inside those boxes are what’s for sale.”

Stone boxes were lined up on one side, almost like they were on display. In front of them, it seemed there were parchment papers detailing the contents inside the boxes.

“This is where you bought the scripture, right?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Who recommended the content of the scripture?”

“It was a person named Mr. Eldritch.”

Eldritch… A fitting pseudonym for an expert on Outer Gods.

“Normally, he’d be busy guiding distinguished guests, but… oh, there he is now.”

“Hmm… that man.”

The man named Eldritch was donned in rather lavish and expensive attire. A medieval European-style outfit, complete with gloves and a hat. He even wore a monocle made of crystal, giving off the vibe of a gentleman or aristocrat. Noticing my scrutinizing gaze, Eldritch turned to look my way.

‘… Hmm?’

Then, he abruptly diverted his gaze and started moving in another direction.

‘Is he avoiding me?’