I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 80. The Spider’s Request

The red flames consumed me, enveloping me in a blaze of crimson.

That was how I ascended to the third rank.

“……”

The last sensation I remembered was the entire mountain of corpses engulfed in flames, incinerated completely after having accumulated over the years.

“……”

My voice failed me. Most of my body, including my limbs, had burned and crumbled away. It was astonishing that any part of my body remained intact amidst such flames.

‘Am I really alive in this state?’

To be precise, it was closer to being unable to die. Unless someone performed the 〈Funeral of the Living Flame〉 for me, I wouldn’t truly die. Left as nothing but debris, cursed and blessed to continue existing until my consciousness inevitably ceased.

‘Something… is gathering my charred remains.’

It was a grotesque sensation, yet I could still sense some feeling in the fragmented parts of my body.

‘I need to use a miracle, but is it because my jaw is dislocated or burnt away?’

Though these thoughts traversed my mind, it was possible that my brain wasn’t intact either.

‘Is Gluttony gathering my body?’

It was as if they were kneading ashes. It gradually took shape and, astonishingly, began to fuse together. It wasn’t Gluttony’s power; it was my unconscious doing.

‘The Blessing of Transformation! My advancement to the third rank made me stronger.’

Subconsciously, I was transforming my body, reduced to ashes and charcoal. The Blessing of Transformation didn’t rely on cells. Its exact mechanism was unknown.

It operated as a literal blessing and miracle, functioning even when cells were incinerated.

‘With this, I can create a mouth.’

Gradually, it formed a skull, created muscles, and covered it with blood vessels. The crucial part, a tongue, formed inside the newly crafted mouth.

“Ah… ugh……”

My newly formed tongue struggled to form words, and as I moved it awkwardly, my not fully transformed head crumbled away. Exercising patience, I eventually managed to invoke a miracle.

“I rest while biding my time. Envelop me in pure white threads. 〈Cradle of Purity〉.”

Feeling wrapped in webs, I gently closed my eyes. I didn’t worry about this body recovering or not. Grateful for the respite from the excruciating pain, I drifted into sleep.

* * *

The flames truly were beautiful. I wished to become fire myself, to dance and incinerate everything around me…

“Um… Lord?”

Engulfed in the crackling roar, even brighter…

“Lord Ethnos!”

“…… Huh?”

I blinked, making a baffled sound. What was happening?

“Please pull yourself together.”

“Ah… right. Fetch the ship. I’ve recovered, so let’s leave the mountain.”

As I wobbled, trying to rise from the chair, Eldritch laid a tendril on my shoulder. Wait… where did this chair come from?

“What are you speaking about? This is Lord Ethnos’ castle.”

A castle, you say? Did I own a castle? As I glanced around, the memories trickled back. The castle with the Chalice of the Red Ceremony. But why was I here?

“Did someone use that teleportation gem?”

Eldritch looked at me with an expression of bewilderment.

“… Lord Ethnos, we arrived at Wave Reach after a month and a half of sailing. Do you not remember? Scolding the sailors who were hoping for special artifacts or power imbued objects from the Outer Gods?”

Upon reflection, it seemed true. While money was important, there were some guys who became crazed, asking where the spoils of this journey were.

“After that, you hunted three Stigmata.”

One corpse was fed to Gluttony, and the other two were offered as sacrifices to earn some money. It was a smaller amount than before.

“Two weeks have even passed since you returned to the castle.”

“What?!”

I jumped up in shock. What on earth…

“Your mind is in a very serious state, Ethnos. In fact, during the voyage, you often looked blank and suddenly lost consciousness three times.”

“The sedatives?”

“They’re completely ineffective now.”

This was serious. As I bit my lip and tried to sit down, I felt something strange.

“What on earth is this?”

My skin felt a bit hard. It was hairless and slightly smooth, not feeling like human skin at all. It was something like an insect’s exoskeleton?

“For heaven’s sake… do you not remember this as well? Your entire body turned into a chitinous state as an aftereffect of the ‘Cradle of Purity’ and was slowly reverting thanks to the Blessing of Transformation.”

Ah… I remembered. The time when I was horrified by my reflection in the water. Due to using a miracle with my body in such a deficient state, I had turned into a spider-like monster. Even the Blessing of Transformation was taking a considerable amount of time to restore my original appearance.

‘I felt like I had just entered the spider’s cocoon…’

I couldn’t believe I had forgotten all this. Hearing about it jogged my memory faintly, but in terms of feeling, it didn’t seem like all these events had happened.

“… This is grave.”

“Yes, it is. For your information, you noted down the solutions you found on the parchment in front of you.”

Only then did I notice the parchment and the long needle lying on the table. I picked up the parchment and read it, letting out a hollow laugh.

‘Is this what I wrote down as a method?’

The contents on the parchment were as follows,

“‘Golden Blood Elixir’ Recipe”

– Mix 5 liters of honey from a 10-year-old man-eating bee with 500 ml of blood from an entity capable of creating civilization.

– Add 1kg of gold, 100g of amethyst, and refined ether, then boil for 72 hours.

– Cool the solution with starlight to complete the Golden Blood Elixir.

‘It’s impossible from the first step. What is this…?’

Had I succumbed to the mental strain and resorted to some narcotic concoction? I shook my head and checked the back of the parchment.

– Direct production is not possible. However, research revealed that there are humanoids on the Leng Plateau who practice beekeeping.

‘Leng Plateau? If that’s the case…’

Things began to make sense.

“Were I perhaps trying to use a miracle to summon the Leng Spiders?”

Eldritch sighed. He seemed troubled by the situation with my fragmented memories.

“To be precise, you’ve already used it.”

Ah… I had already done it?

“They mentioned they would convey the request to a superior entity and contact you after discussion.”

“There’s nothing else I’ve forgotten, right?”

Eldritch nodded.

“Have all these memories evaporated just from a brief slumber?”

“It seems my mind can no longer endure the strain.”

Hence, the Golden Blood Elixir was essential to replace the ineffectual sedatives.

I hoped for good results, and just then, a spider web began to spread on one side of the wall.

As the wall turned white, Mary suddenly sprang up from the floor and glared at the wall.

“Mary, stop it. We have a guest.”

“The wall is a mess…”

Mary grumbled in dissatisfaction and retreated.

‘Is it really a big deal if the walls get dirty with a Leng Spider coming…?’

Soon, as the cobwebs parted, massive, red eyes were revealed.

‘It’s enormous.’

Though the Leng Spider itself was substantial, the creature peeping from across the web seemed larger, possibly bigger than an elephant.

『I convey the answer from the superior entity. Is Elise ready to hear it?』

I was somewhat taken aback. I assumed it was a superior entity due to its size, but was it merely a messenger?

“Yes, I am ready.”

『I know there is such a species living on the plateau. They are our main staple. If you desire, I can make them craft the Golden Blood Elixir you wish for.』

I nodded. Surely, there would be a request in return.

『There is something that needs to be done on the land you tread. Accomplish this, and as a token of gratitude, the Golden Blood Elixir shall be delivered to you.』

“What is it that needs to be done?”

『The land where you currently reside. There is an anomaly where the sea lies.』

Referring to the place by the sea, was it about Wave Reach?

“Is it about someone constantly distributing scriptures? I’ve been removing them, but…”

『You now have the capacity to do more than just remove them. Simple removal is endless. You must eliminate the root cause.』

“Do you want me to find the culprit?”

『I already know who the instigator is.』

Already know?

“So then why…”

『The details are not necessary for you to know. You just need to hunt the two of them.』

Although slightly unpleasant, it wasn’t entirely incorrect, so I had to agree. What use was it to know their circumstances? All I needed was to secure the Golden Blood Elixir urgently.

“Who are the two?”

『They are of our kin. By your standards, a level four and a hybrid it travels with.』

A level four Leng Spider and a hybrid. I narrowed my eyes.

“That hybrid, what kind of mix is it?”

『Isn’t it obvious? A mix of a Leng Spider and a human.』

I closed my eyes and fell into deep thought.

‘A hybrid… quite rare. A child of a level four Leng Spider, and the scriptures that began spreading in the port city…’

Some contours of the matter were beginning to emerge, but many hidden aspects remained. What was clear was that it wasn’t an ordinary affair.

“I accept. But have the compensation ready in advance. I’ll take a small amount as a retainer.”

Given the severity of the current state, it was crucial to acquire it as quickly as possible.

『The superior entity anticipated this and approved it. The time here flows differently—by your standards, it will take three weeks.』

Enduring in this state for three weeks. I sighed and nodded. As the creature faded, Mary irritably dusted and cleaned the wall.

“Are you sure about this? Facing a level four and an unknown hybrid in a somewhat unstable condition.”

“I can manage. I’ll start in earnest after drinking the Golden Blood Elixir in three weeks.”

In truth, the issues were manifold. Hallucinations and transformations were yet incomplete, making it difficult to conceal one’s identity and gather information. Ascending to the higher levels only added to transformation instability.

“What are you planning to do exactly?”

Eldritch seemed to suspect the problem as well, gazing at me with concern.

“I’ll hire a guard.”

“A guard?”

Eldritch stared at me intently. While also fulfilling a guard role, Eldritch lacked defensive abilities despite being adept in attacks.

“It’s time to get in touch with that person. If that man has adhered to my instructions, he’ll likely find this matter interesting.”

I stood and stepped outside.

“Where are you heading? Wave Reach?”

“No, I’ll walk through the forest. I need to meet the mercenary group. Hopefully, they’re still at that location…”

I wondered if he had found the relic of Dionysus as instructed. I moved to meet the level four berserker.