I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 77 Funeral (1)

An isolated island located in a desolate wasteland, abandoned for its lack of value.

Upon arrival at this island after more than 30 days at sea, a rotting stench wafted in the air, strong enough to make maintaining sanity difficult.

‘The Corpse Mountain.’

The pile of bodies was so grotesque it appeared almost like a malicious, maniacal work of art. Even more horrifying was the fact that these corpses moved.

“Ethnos. Are you truly certain there’s a hidden temple here? And a scripture?”

“No.”

At my response, Eldritch was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Not here, but beneath this island. It’s in an underwater cave.”

“A-an underwater cave? Then why are we heading toward the Corpse Mountain in such a dangerous manner?”

“There is a need to prove one’s worth.”

I gazed at the mountain of corpses. The undead controlled by necromancers typically attacked with the ferocity of beasts living only to torment the living. Yet, here, the undead ignored both Eldritch and me, intently climbing up the Corpse Mountain.

Their desperate movement aimed to reach the temple of the 【Eternal Blaze】 located beneath the mountain. However, as there was no entrance, the undead could never actually reach the temple.

“Stand aside.”

As I approached the pile of bodies, I extended my hand.

“For the glorious era, purify them. Leave nothing but ashes. 〈Black Flames of Annihilation〉.”

Black flames sprang to life, setting the corpses ablaze. The fire spread from one body to multiple others, burning fiercely with a sound like agonized moans.

“Aaargh!”

It was only then the undead expressed hostility toward me. Though their desire to reach the temple stemmed from wanting to burn away and rest, they became antagonistic once fire actually touched them due to their lack of intellect.

“〈Blue Lance〉!”

The twisted upper body of a zombie-like undead flew off. However, it was not enough. They shared the trait of having grotesque appearances but came in numbers almost impossible to estimate with the eye.

Some swung worn-out weapons wildly, while others, amalgamations of several corpses, appeared thrice the size of an average man.

“There’re too many. Don’t we need to use a large-scale spell?”

“No need. You don’t have to attack.”

Until now, most foes had been formidable. While the undead were certainly a significant threat, these particular ones were in a poor state after being abandoned for an unknowable length of time. Even if numbering in the hundreds or thousands…

“I can handle them alone, so conserve your mana.”

Swhook—!

The tentacles of Gluttony devoured and crushed the corpses. Thrilled to rampage freely, Gluttony began its feast, true to its name.

“For the glorious era, purify them. Leave nothing but ashes. 〈Black Flames of Annihilation〉.”

The unceasing flames consumed the bodies. The decaying, barren ground seemed almost purified by the black fire.

“My goodness.”

Eldritch, witnessing the merciless devastation wrought by Gluttony and the unrelenting flames, gazed in a mix of shock and admiration. The beings, helpless against both Gluttony’s crushing power and the merciless fire, were obliterated in an instant.

“There’s no need to hesitate against the undead.”

Even if the opponent was a criminal, there was always a degree of reluctance in taking a life. However, when the enemy was undead, there was no psychological repulsion.

Crunch-!

Those caught in the tentacles of Gluttony were swiftly crushed with a sound of shattering.

“But, is there a specific reason for dealing with the undead in this manner? Do we need to eliminate them all…?”

“That would be impossible. There’s just too many of them. That massive mountain is made entirely of corpses.”

The term ‘mountain of corpses’ was not merely a figurative expression. It was the reality that corpses were piled up as high as a mountain. Unless an outrageous onslaught of unorthodox spells was continued for weeks, it was impossible to eliminate them all right now.

“Besides, more will come from across the sea.”

“What?”

“Why do you think there are so many corpses on this island? The reason some undead that have been vaguely released make their way here is by crawling along the seabed.”

“My goodness… where did you acquire such knowledge?”

Eldritch looked at the coastline in astonishment.

“Crawling all the way across the open sea… for what? This temple belongs to the 【Eternal Blaze】, not a place worshiping some God of the afterlife, right?”

“You’ll soon find out. Just keep watching the coastline. If you see a sudden increase in steam, let me know.”

“Steam?”

That would be the signal. I continued dealing with the corpses, and about an hour and a half later, Eldritch noticed the steam. Finally, the lone priest guarding the temple had shown an interest in me.

“Lord Ethnos. What on earth is all this?”

In the middle of the sea, a gaping hole had opened, and a massive cloud of steam was forming around it. I could not provide much explanation, as I had not memorized Dowol’s explanation perfectly.

“Just consider it a miracle of an Outer God. The higher the level of the miracle, the more it deviates from the principles, laws, and nature of the world.”

The sea was bubbling, causing dead sea creatures to float up, but the hole in the water was frozen. In its midst, a vivid red sphere of fire floated, burning in midair.

“I have never come across records of a miracle from the 【Eternal Blaze】. I assumed it would pertain to fire, due to the nature of the being known as the living flame…”

“It is indeed fire. However… it’s not the ordinary kind. Miracles like fire that saps heat do exist.”

“Is that… fire?”

I could only shrug. Although it’s not right to assume the flame of an Outer God is like ordinary fire, acknowledging a fire that freezes water presents a cognitive dissonance.

“Let’s go.”

I pulled out a cloak made of monster skin that I had prepared before the voyage. It was a bit heavy but excellent at blocking the cold. Eldritch, who had failed to understand why I bought something like this for a tropical island, silently slipped into the cloak made of monster skin.

“Be careful. The boat might get damaged.”

Swimming was basically a suicide mission. Having predicted this situation, I had used a small boat to reach the island. Carefully, I rowed toward the hole with the help of Gluttony.

“This… this feels like I’m going to freeze to death.”

The closer we got to the fire, the more the cold reached an unreal level—a chill so intense it posed a threat to life. Barely enduring the cold, I reached the hole and could not resist throwing myself into it.

“Ugh!”

For a moment, as I approached the fire extremely closely, it felt as though even my blood was freezing.

As I fell into the hole and drew farther from the flames, the intense cold dissipated, but I used Gluttony to grip the icy walls as I plummeted deeper to slow my descent.

“I almost froze to death trying to meet an Outer God priest who commands fire…”

Mumbling at the unwelcome irony, I reached the bottom and took out a torch to light it. Since there was only one path, I began walking quietly.

“It doesn’t seem dark in here.”

The torch quickly became useless. Inside, bright flames illuminated the place, shining from stands without wood or oil. Eldritch approached, feeling something strange about these flames.

“These flames… I can’t feel any warmth.”

“But if you touch them, it’s not going to end well, so don’t.”

“Are all the flames of 【Eternal Blaze】 like this?”

I shook my head. In fact, my memories more prominently featured flames with overwhelming firepower than these odd fires.

“More than that, all these flames, including such peculiar ones, are indeed part of 【Eternal Blaze】. Living flames that change with diverse forms and properties and deal with fires of unique nature.”

Bits of Dowol’s words started coming back to me. One distinctive aspect of the flame of 【Eternal Blaze】 and its difference from other fire-related Outer Gods was…

“The flames of 【Eternal Blaze】 don’t seem like fire, yet they truly are. While those from other Outer Gods may appear as fire, but in reality, they are not.”

For instance, my use of the Outer Law 〈 Black Flame of Annihilation 〉 is noted not to be a real fire, despite appearances. Even back then, I couldn’t understand what that meant, and I still couldn’t now. Perhaps I might understand if I dealt with it directly.

『Welcome. Stranger.』

While walking inside the cave, a voice resonated in my mind, impossible to tell if it belonged to a man or woman. The passage widened gradually until a vast hollow revealed itself, its interiors charred black by flames. The floor was heaped with coal-like soot.

“Is this…?”

Eldritch emerged from my embrace, gazing at the priest before us. Within the red flames flickering over the ashes, sat an emaciated figure in a posture, indistinguishable whether a man or woman.

Hairless all over, it resembled a Buddhist monk but actually bore scorched, charred skin, rendering its appearance horrific. Though ceaselessly burning in flames, it imparted an oddly tranquil sensation remarkably.

『Remarkable indeed. How you found your way here. I thought my existence was long forgotten. Only those unable to die, driven by some primal urge, would ever reach the island.』

I respectfully offered my greetings.

“Through a unique connection, I learned about you and thus came here. It is an honor to meet you, saint of Rest, Tuatem.”

A bearer of fire bestowing rest upon the undying ones. Revered for this noble endeavor, yet ironically, an Outer God priest, Tuatem Peret. The one remaining priest of 【Eternal Blaze】, he stood alone among the fifth rank, transcending humanity.

『One who reminded me of my long-forgotten name. One connected through ties upon ties to reach me. What is it that you desire? Having brought attention by sparking fires for the unfortunate, you surely seek something from me.』

His calm and steady voice resonated quietly in my mind. Tuatem remained unmoving, sitting nobly amid the flames, resembling a statue rather than a person. The flames, however, were not of a sacred and pure nature but the horrific blaze of an Outer God. No liberation or enlightenment lay in this act.

“Tuatem, what I wish is singular.”

『Speak, is it the rest you seek from becoming a progressively unfortunate being? Or perhaps the rest of the one who accompanied you?』

“Neither. What I desire is…”

I looked directly at Tuatem, victim of a terrifying Outer God’s endless cycle of burning over hundreds of years.

“What no one ever did for you before—the very rest of your own.”