I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 120. Wildlands (2)

Mutated humans began to gather from all directions.

They were faster than I thought.

“They’re too weak to have killed any Luminaries… Are they here to eat the corpses?”

Crunch!

I crushed them with Gluttony.

Whether its preference had changed or its method of consumption had shifted, Gluttony created multiple mouths to devour the deceased mutants.

“Ethnos! Eldritch!”

“We have incoming enemies!”

Responding to Ender and Arian’s calls, I moved outside.

In the distance, a large mass of mutants were advancing, a sight that appeared endless in number.

Despite corpses lying around, these creatures had been absent, indicating that the one just now served as a scout.

I should have killed it before it could raise an alarm; now it had become a nuisance.

I cast a miracle towards the approaching mutants.

“The heavenly retribution is not just lightning. His flame is a deluge of calamity and reverence. 〈Falling Flame of the Red Sky〉.”

A torrent of crimson flames rained down like a disaster. The overwhelming blaze, akin to a bombing, swept away most of them.

“It’s incredible firepower, no matter how many times I see it,”

Ender remarked in awe.

But it wasn’t just my firepower that wiped them out, so I slightly frowned.

‘They’re much weaker than expected.’

They felt like they were just in the 4th rank at best.

“Are they merely here to feed on corpses?”

“That’s possible…”

A strange unease lingered within me.

Despite that, there were scars on Luminaries’ body that seemed to have been left by these creatures.

“We should be prepared.”

“You burned them all to ashes, though.”

“It doesn’t seem like it’s over.”

My ominous premonition was correct.

The remaining ashes, blackened and charred, began to writhe.

They clumped together, resembling internal organs squirming outside a body.

‘A miracle… Is it something that activates after death?’

“〈Tidal Wave.〉”

Eldritch tried to crush the bizarre mass with a colossal wave.

Although the force, powerful enough to shatter rocks, struck fiercely, the black mass not only remained unharmed but also grew in size.

“〈Black Flame’s Annihilation!〉”

I attempted an attack with Outer Magic, but the masses didn’t budge. It felt less like their defense was strong and more like dealing damage was impossible.

“Something is emerging over there.”

From where Arian pointed, a peculiar entity emerged from the mass.

A simple description would identify it as a black goat, except all its body parts were made of human hands.

“What on earth is that monstrosity?”

“It’s the ‘Prenatal Offspring of Darkness’. A subsidiary species of the 【Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young】. However, it differs from what I know.”

“Yes, it’s as if someone attempted to replicate the real Prenatal Offspring of Darkness but failed.”

Eldritch’s assessment matched mine. The strange sight of it raising dozens of arms appeared grotesque yet incomplete.

Its loud cries echoed throughout the wilderness, reminiscent of modern sirens to me.

“Lord Ethnos! Other creatures are awakening!”

Responding to the awakened one’s cries, distorted black goats emerged from the masses. Arian urgently shouted upon seeing the black goats.

“We must destroy them quickly! If left alone, they will multiply endlessly!”

I immediately employed a newly devised Outer Magic on them.

“〈Abyss of the Extreme Circle.〉”

Crack-crack-!

Beneath them, a massive, snow-white pit began to form. Like an antlion’s pit, the opening froze and absorbed them.

“Please cover that direction!”

Arian took charge of my rear.

“〈Radiant Judgment!〉”

Light enveloped Arian’s sword. As the glowing greatsword swung, white light swept over the enemies like a wave.

‘He’s quite adept at wide-area skills too.’

Together, Arian and I used wide-area techniques to rapidly reduce their numbers. The ones who survived and attacked were handled by Ansandy, Delion, and Ender, who had joined us.

“They’re quite tenacious,”

Ansandy remarked as she swiftly maneuvered through the explosions to fend off approaching enemies. The sword enhanced by Lyla made it easier to hunt even these stubborn monsters.

“Ender, three are coming your way!”

“Hmph!”

While Ender’s appearance remained unchanged, his gear focused on overall stat enhancement, considering his role as a berserker. Channeled with simple stat enhancements, Ender easily butchered the monsters.

Whack!

Eldritch’s azure spear pierced through an emerging Prenatal Offspring of Darkness.

“Thanks, Eldritch.”

Eldritch supported not only Ender, who almost got ambushed but also bolstered our entire party with well-timed spells for defense and offense.

‘Though we miss Delion, they’re doing well with Ansandy.’

Despite functioning primarily as Ansandy’s support, their synergy was notably impressive and held their own.

‘Fighting as a team is so much more convenient.’

Compared to fighting alone or just with Eldritch, I felt less burdened and the battle was easier.

“Last one!”

Crunch!

Gluttony devoured the last one, concluding the battle.

‘I’ve also gathered information on these creatures’ specs as a bonus.’

With Gluttony completely consuming them, transforming into them became possible.

Although their specs weren’t particularly useful, they might come in handy someday.

“Wave Reach almost rose,”

Ender grumbled slightly, taking a swig from a flask.

“There were indeed many of them.”

“Monsters related to an Outer God mainly are characterized by their tenacious life force and rapid multiplication.”

Eldritch explained while examining the monsters.

“Although they resemble the Prenatal Offspring of Darkness, they differ in the characteristics I am familiar with.”

“These are failed creations.”

Through Gluttony’s analysis, I realized they were artificial fakes created by Beatrice.

They were far inferior to the originals, which made sense, considering the original was a child of an Outer God.

Enemies with high vitality and the ability to multiply were challenging to deal with. Additionally, I noticed some clues.

“The Luminaries here were likely ambushed.”

One of the things I observed was several makeshift ‘stretchers.’ As I indicated them, Arian began to catch on.

“They retreated here once?”

I nodded. They appeared to have engaged in combat elsewhere and were evacuated due to substantial injuries.

“Swords that were not fully drawn. There are several cases of swords still in their sheaths among the bodies. If there was a battle here, it would be odd.”

A sense of unease stemming from observing the corpses. Finding swords either fully or partially sheathed was strange given the violent transformation that occurred.

“Moreover, some swords with missing teeth were found in the tents. Luminaries never neglects maintenance, so that must mean they were damaged recently.”

While it’s possible it coincided with routine maintenance, combining this with other clues suggested otherwise.

“Warriors returning after a battle elsewhere, only to be ambushed here again.”

I nodded at Arian’s words.

‘Furthermore, these mutations were not what turned Luminaries into wood.’

The transformation into wood must have been caused by a miracle. Therefore, the ambush was from others.

“But there’s something odd! The Luminaries of this outpost were assigned a reconnaissance mission to avoid full-scale conflict!”

“Then there must be a reason they couldn’t adhere to that command…”

We all reached the same conclusion about the location.

“That must be it.”

Our visit here was initially to reach that destination.

“The excavation site of the Black Willow Cult.”

“Something discovered there must have prompted the Luminaries to act urgently.”

“It seems critical. Whatever was discovered, we should proceed immediately.”

Curious about the trigger for this chaos, we mounted our horses and rode off. Darkness settled over the wilderness as we galloped.

* * *

“That child has come here?”

The gaudy building echoed with chaotic and lewd sounds, filled with smoke from various intoxicating scents.

“So audacious.”

Beatrice rose, chuckling softly. As she strutted out from the decadent orgy, countless people knelt and pleaded before her.

“Lady Beatrice! I’ve brought what you asked for! Please…!”

“I’m ahead! I brought two!”

“Can’t you all move aside? I’ve waited too long! I brought mine without a scratch!”

Beatrice stood amidst them with a captivating smile, her form exposed.

“Don’t fight. I will grant you all the ultimate indulgence. Come and offer, one at a time. Then whisper how much you loved the face in your hands.”

What each had brought to Beatrice was freshly flayed human faces.

“She was the woman I loved my whole life. I fell for her the moment I saw her playing by the lakeside when we were children.”

“He’s my husband’s brother! I loved him, but no substitute would suffice…”

They had received one promise from Beatrice: bring her the flayed face of a loved one, and she would grant any desire with that face. Whatever it was.

“How delightful. No matter how much time passes, human lust remains inexhaustible.”

Beatrice adorned herself with the collected faces, becoming the embodiment of each one’s cherished person. Gender or age bore no relevance.

“Ah… Finally! After ten years of just admiring from afar…”

“Having toyed with her, now she’s mine…!”

Faces donned by countless Beatrices shifted to reflect their original owners.

As they were taken away for their desires, nothing else mattered to them. Only ecstasy awaited.

“For anyone who brings me the face of their beloved, I’ll grant any desire in that form. Don’t be shy or hesitant. I’ll be more loving than the one you adored.”

“Long live Lady Beatrice!”

“We will love you forever!”

Amid passionate praises from her worshippers, beatrice laughed joyously.

“I should extend the same opportunities to the child who found us and the others with him. What does our Gray Calamity fancy? Could that noble Luminaries military officer have a beloved?”

Beatrice licked her lips in anticipation, commanding the shadows.

“Bring those children to me. So they cannot interrupt. And to make them mine.”