I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 96. Priests of the Outer Gods (3)

Considering the value of the Dragon’s Gate, Cahon would never have shared the information with others. And my assumptions were right.

“Dragon’s Gate? Tib… did you find the Dragon’s Gate without saying a word to me?”

“The Dragon’s Gate? You mean the real one?”

“Could it be the Blue Dragon Crown?”

Even Johann, who showed a mad interest in Lyla, looked at Cahon with his countless eyes.

“The Dragon’s Gate! Is it true?”

Cahon burst into laughter that resembled thunder.

“Gray Calamity. I’m truly curious about how you obtained such information.”

Honestly, I was too. How was Charlotte collecting such information?

“And you don’t seem ignorant of the value of the Dragon’s Gate… So you must know mentioning it could provoke my hostility.”

Cahon put his clasped hands to his chin.

“Why are you so involved? Is that woman yours or something?”

Though it was a puzzling question, it was quite sharp. He wasn’t merely questioning if she was my lover.

He was likely suspicious of a connection from when I met her while acting as a mage at the academia, possibly between Lyla or Cernun.

“I’m on good terms with her mentor. Is there really a need to ask? I’m sure you’ve already guessed.”

I confronted them boldly. I had no intention of bowing down to these disgusting psychotic priests.

“Cernun cherishes his student greatly. He won’t simply let it go. Do you really have to cling to Lyla?”

“Asking me to retreat? Because I’m afraid of a Great Mage?”

Though Johann’s laughter had hints of anger.

“To be honest, isn’t the Dragon’s Gate more important than any new creation? I’m just letting you know you don’t have time to waste.”

I interceded because there was a strong need to counter these two priests.

‘Neither faction is friendly with me. While the formless residues side might try to entice me, there are radical ones too.’

Like the Leng Spiders, the formless residues have the characteristic of discerning and acting upon the will of their God. It was the same when I crafted Gluttony.

‘Belido seemed to suggest they came with a warning from an Outer God, but it was just pressure. That’s not actually the case.’

I was sure the formless residues acted upon the displeasure of the Slumberer of the Abyss itself. The indifferent Outer God neither commands nor cares about those executing their will. They are unaffected by radical factions causing chaos. Thus, I had to prevent a faction from growing strong enough to actively target me.

‘And if it’s the Blue Dragon Crown…’

It was a divine relic that shone brightest in Cahon’s domain, the sea.

‘If Cahon obtained it, the world might end up submerged.’

It would be nothing short of a game over.

“And Cahon, surely you don’t want to make an enemy of a Great Mage. Things will get quite busy for you soon.”

At my words, Cahon curled his lips into a smile.

“Intriguing. Thanks to you, obtaining the Dragon’s Gate will take more time.”

Delays in Cahon obtaining the Dragon’s Gate due to counteractions from others—this was my intention.

‘But this guy, instead of being displeased…’

Even I, who found it hard to read emotions lately, could feel a blatant emotion.

“Will you claim the Dragon’s Gate amidst the chaos?”

He seemed to be enjoying himself.

“No way. I’m not one to fight the ruler of the sea. It’s enough to earn goodwill from others with valuable information.”

“That’s not fun. You should join the competition yourself.”

Cahon’s demeanor shifted. His voice turned into a growling beast’s sound.

“Here’s a good piece of information for you. I am weaker than you think.”

With unexpected words, Cahon continued.

“Do you know? The current world is oppressed.”

Was he giving me information hoping I would challenge him?

“Before the Holy War, there were many at the 5th rank, even some at the 6th. But now, it’s hard to find even 4th rank. The reason lies in the heavens.”

Cahon pointed upwards with his fingers.

“Zeus, the damned king of Gods and one of the victors of the Holy War. He closed the heavens. The influence of all Gods weakened, and the mana flowing through the world decreased.”

I focused on Cahon’s words. This was information I had never heard before.

‘Weren’t all the lightnings said to have vanished?’

As if answering my curiosity, Cahon continued.

“The coward didn’t want to relinquish his throne, so after grasping all the lightnings, he left the world. To stop humans from reaching mythology again, Zeus placed restrictions. From the 4th rank it’s fine, but by the 5th rank, power gets restricted.”

“Restrictions…”

“Even the Great Mage and that Temptress face numerous restrictions compared to their transcendent might. And as for me…”

Cahon grinned widely.

“I battled the might of the entire sea Gods’ force during the Holy War and ended up imprisoned. Now, unlike you, I couldn’t destroy a city if I tried.”

As Cahon spread his arms, his seemingly intact appearance changed. In place of young Cahon, the real Cahon, bound tightly with numerous harpoons and chains, briefly appeared.

“Tib, who said you could reveal my rank like that? Pretending you can’t recreate what happened at Wave Reach…”

Beatrice expressed her dissatisfaction but didn’t seem too worried. Cahon didn’t mind Beatrice much either.

“Do you realize why I’m sharing this information with you?”

“Seems like you’re eagerly inviting me to challenge.”

“Yes, now that you see a chance, you might be inclined to try, unlike those here.”

Cahon’s eyes, dark like the deep sea, seemed to see right through me.

“I find that very enjoyable.”

“Pardon?”

“The most fun thing about treasure hunting isn’t obtaining the treasure. It’s having competitors who are after the same treasure!”

Madness began to flicker in Cahon’s eyes.

‘As expected, these people aren’t entirely sane either. They suppress their madness normally, but it surfaces in specific fields.’

Johann showed his madness in making creations, while Cahon’s case was…

“Merely going after treasures is boring! Even the Dragon’s Gate can’t excite my heart compared to the thrill of a challenger!”

He displayed madness over competing to seise.

“Challenge me. Come take it away from me. I’ll be sure to take everything from you too. Of course…”

Cahon looked around at the others. They desired the Dragon’s Gate greedily but couldn’t openly declare their intentions because there were too many factors to consider. Cahon provoked them.

“If you desire it, don’t just hesitate like cowards. Come to my sea with everything! Is it not right to seize what you wish for?”

“This is quite a predicament.”

Johann sighed slightly but only for a moment.

“A headache indeed… It seems I must pay more attention to this than anything else.”

Johann muttered as if deep in thought and then glanced my way.

“But I won’t give up on my new creation. Even if you are favored by the Gods, I won’t yield, so if you plan to interfere, be prepared.”

It seemed Johann wasn’t planning on giving up on Lyla. However, there wasn’t an immediate threat of Lyla being taken aboard a ship due to an unformed pact with Cahon.

“In any case, tib…”

Beatrice clicked her tongue, then looked at me with sultry eyes. Her hand moved to her chest, so I averted my gaze to her face instead.

“If you hand over that Dragon’s Gate in exchange for my help, I could bear a thousand of your children. Consider it well.”

I tried my utmost to ignore it, but my heart raced and made me sweat.

“Unfortunately, it’s about time to part ways.”

The dream began to waver, signaling its end. Beatrice blew me a kiss, leaned back in her chair, and quietly closed her eyes.

“The Dragon’s Gate…”

“Such an incredible item. What should we do?”

The twins exchanged their thoughts, disregarding the others entirely.

‘I’ll have another chance to contact those two. I’ll gauge their intentions then.’

I would meet the twins’ subordinates for trade anyway. I hoped they would come to a decision that was either cooperative or, at the very least, not obstructive.

“Ah… Eldenwillow. My new masterpiece, Lyla. With you, I shall craft perfection once more.”

Johann had by then withdrawn his gaze and was muttering Lyla’s name. Only Cahon continued to smile at me.

“I look forward to your declaration of war.”

When the priests’ ominous and looming presences faded, I noticed something at my feet. A black flower. Lifting my head, I found Sevika quietly seated.

“Sevika, is it okay to approach like this? I did have something to ask…”

The atmosphere felt tense.

“Why the heavy mood?”

Sevika remained silent. Though it was hard to decipher her expression, it seemed like she was glaring at me, with her lips slightly downturned.

“Sevika?”

“…дурак.”

Muttering something in Russian, Sevika and the flower field vanished.

“…?”

Thus, I awoke from the dream. A familiar room. The full moon still illuminated the sky.

“What could that have meant?”

I found Sevika’s behavior perplexing. It didn’t seem like there was any interference this time.

‘Regardless, one thing remains…’

I learned a lot today. Lyla’s situation, the nature of the priests, the closure of the heavens by Zeus, and the restrictions on reaching the 5th rank.

‘Some questions have been answered.’

The passiveness of the powerful Cernun in many situations and why beings like Cahon didn’t exert significant influence—were all attributable to those limitations. However, this also led to new questions.

“Restrictions. Zeus. The returning sight of lightning. The active movements of an Outer God’s forces.”

Everything seemed slightly interconnected. I pondered and gazed at the endless sky. Observing the motionless stars evoked a sense of insignificance.

“Does that sky, in fact, shield humanity by blocking all divine interference?”

It might just be a misinterpretation. But somehow, the sky seemed to have a crack.