I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 121. Wildlands (3)

The Wildlands, nestled between the Kingdom of Are and the Demiorg Empire, spanned a land more expansive than the empire itself.

The reason this area remained merely a Wildlands was due to the various factions that had once laid claim to it.

At one time, it had been the territory of a great kingdom that worshiped the Sun God ‘Ra’, but after the kingdom’s downfall, the land became a breeding ground for the powers of an Outer God.

The remnants of this power continued persistently, even now, after the peak of their influence, the Holy War.

“They’ve dug deep, haven’t they? This seems to be a temple unearthed from the ground.”

The Black Willow Cult devotees were excavating nothing less than a temple of an Outer God buried in the Wildlands.

We hid at a considerable distance, observing the situation.

Despite the distance, thanks to an enchanted item serving as a telescope, we managed to spy without issue.

“A new temple of an Outer God… No wonder the Luminaries moved out quickly.”

The discovery of an Outer God’s temple was of significant importance.

Unlike the temples of Hayat or Ancient Gods, such a temple had the power to distort and contaminate the vicinity with madness.

“Seeing no particular change around, it seems the seal hasn’t been broken yet.”

As Eldritch stated, the temple indeed appeared to remain sealed.

Destroying it outright would be ideal, but if traces of an Outer God’s influence and miracles persisted, hasty destruction could turn the area to ashes, much like Wave Reach.

“Can you tell which temple it is?”

“The damage is too extensive. It’s difficult to identify any symbols.”

With the Wildlands having been occupied by myriad Outer God factions, pinpointing which temple it belonged to was challenging.

Yet, regardless of which Outer God it belonged to, the danger remained.

“We need to act quickly before they break the seal, or we should consider leaving this area altogether.”

“Of course, we need to deal with them,”

I replied to Delion’s tense voice as Ender looked toward one part of the temple.

There, a figure resembling a priest sat atop people, watching others labor below.

More so than a priest, the figure seemed like an arrogant slave trader.

“Do you think that priest is responsible for turning the knights into trees?”

Arian asked, though I could not be sure either.

“It’s possible, but without visible symbols, I can’t confirm what God they serve.”

It would have been helpful to see any symbols or clues, but they were hidden beneath clothes.

“Is there a way to infiltrate? It’s not easy to sneak in while pretending to be a simple bard in places like that.”

The terrain was ambiguous. With nothing around the pit, approaching would immediately give us away. However…

“There is a way,”

I confidently stated.

“Slipping into crowds unnoticed is my specialty.”

Arian squinted slightly at my words.

“Yes, you’re certainly specialized in that area.”

“Anyway, gather around, everyone.”

I called the group together and distributed rings.

“These are rings enchanted with 〈Mind Link〉. Everyone, take one.”

Once they all wore the rings, I began using a miracle. Arian seemed to feel some reluctance, but given the situation, she suppressed it.

“O master of all dreams, envelop us in illusions that pass unnoticed. 〈Mirage’s Embrace〉.”

Though there appeared to be no visible change, the miracle had taken effect.

『Hmm? No change… Oh?!』
『This is truly fascinating.』

No one could perceive the presence of another.

Though clearly seeing each other, they could only notice the surrounding sand or weeds.

No matter how intently they tried, it was impossible to actually see.

『None of our sounds, scents, or any other presence will be perceived. Ensure you don’t lose the ring because without it, communication would be entirely impossible.』
『Certainly. Without sight of one another, even hand signals would be impossible.』

Ender understood. He likely nodded, but obviously, I couldn’t see him.

『Is there any common hand signal we use?』
『Well, I do know the Luminaries signals-』
『What?! How do you know those?!』
『Ah, well… Let’s just move on, shall we?』
『Move on?!』

Arian was shocked.

‘How could I explain that Dowol’s mad instructions made us learn hand signals one by one?’

Naturally, it was impossible, so I glossed over it.

『Alright, alright. We all know that this friend here has quite a bit of unusual knowledge. The important part now is infiltrating successfully, so let’s move on.』
『……』

Despite perplexed as to why Luminaries secrets had reached me, Arian eventually let it go.

And so, with some twists and turns, we arrived at the excavation site where the cultists were.

『It seems there’s no specific detection system in place?』

Eldritch sounded puzzled.

『Given the heavy foot traffic and the fact this is in the Wildlands, it seems that way.』

Strangely, Arian quietly responded.

『The beasts serving as sniffers among the cultists are probably it.』

Between the cultists, mutated humans they’d taken to be beasts sniffed around, walking on four legs.

『Most appear to be normal individuals. Why would they claim to be followers of an Outer God…?』

Though they followed an Outer God, the majority were ordinary folks without any discernible rank. They worked by shifting dirt and stones, not engaging in any peculiar rituals. Yet, around their necks hung the symbol of the Black Willow Cult.

『Typically, they are likely seeking some form of reward.』

My voice carried a hint of irritation. At the end of it all, the worship of an Outer God was nothing more than a faith of convenience and petition.

『You seem sensitive about this topic. Calm down as we’re approaching the priest.』
『Understood.』

Unlike common individuals or lower-ranked beasts, an Outer God priest possibly had the means to see right through us.

『They’re saying something. Let’s listen in.』

Thankfully, they seemed unable to perceive us, so we quietly eavesdropped.

“How is the seal holding?”

The priest inquired, and a devotee awkwardly responded.

“It is remarkably solid. As it is a seal of the Sun God, it’s difficult to undo by any other method. We can’t even scratch it.”

A temple sealed by the Sun God meant it was dated to the period of the Holy War. It made sense they had to dig out enough to create a pit that spanned tens of meters.

“It seems that the only option is for an Ancient God’s priest to use a miracle to lift the seal.”

“You mean those who we aren’t even sure exist? We’ve been searching for over three months and haven’t found anything.”

The priest grumbled in a rough voice. Perhaps this was the reason they’d been causing chaos in the Wildlands.

“Stop dreaming of finding those who might have long since perished and figure out another way, fast!”

Finally, the reporting devotee withdrew.

‘It was a short exchange, but we gained crucial information.’

The seal wouldn’t be undone so easily. Without a special method, it seemed a challenging task. Yet, it was for the best.

『Everyone, it seems we don’t need to go about this in a convoluted manner.』
『What do you mean?』

I had hesitated to attack haphazardly, fearing the temple would be destroyed and we’d be caught in the aftermath.

However, from the conversation just overheard, it appeared the Black Willow Cult had already attempted various means of breaking the seal without any success.

Since the temple remained untouched, no need to complicate matters unnecessarily arose.

『I’ll release the illusion miracle, so everyone, stay close to me. I’m planning to sweep them all away. Also, prepare yourselves for defense, just in case.』

Upon dispelling the illusion and revealing our presence, attention turned to us one by one.

“O pinnacle of all flames, create a sea with your blaze and sweep away all creation.”

“What? Over there!”

The cultists belatedly reacted, but I had already initiated the miracle.

“〈Manifestation of the Sea of Flames〉.”

Such an overwhelming miracle required calling upon Transcendence. Crimson flames spread like waves, turning the land into a hell.

Whoosh!

A massive number of cultists and beasts burst into flames all at once.

“Everyone, don’t step out of the barrier!”

I glanced back to see Eldritch layering magical barriers of water to protect our allies.

Despite being in a relatively safe place, the fire wave was so fierce that the barrier continually shattered and reformed.

“This is… a third rank?”

Everyone was shocked by the spectacle before them. However, the enemies did not simply stand by.

“You foolish bastard…! How dare you interrupt the task bestowed upon us by the Mother?!”

With the voice seething with anger, the flames began to subside, being absorbed by something rather than just ending naturally.

“It looks like he’s the one who killed the Luminaries.”

A tree resembling green glass began growing skyward.

The flames I summoned were being drawn into it, causing the tree to grow even larger with each absorption.

The Black Willow Cult priest was panting as the tree absorbed the flames, with half of his body already suffering severe burns.

“I won’t let you die peacefully!”

Before the priest could act, I aimed to attack again, but a hurried voice interrupted.

“Ethnos! It’s an ambush!”

Ansandy suddenly appeared beside me, batting something away.

The item that fell to the ground was a slender throwing dagger, and the area it touched froze.

“Above us! Two people!”

At those words, the priest reflexively looked up.

“Who are those bastards now?!”

From his response, it seemed the new intruders were not associated with the priest’s faction.

Two figures appeared, both wearing white rabbit masks.

“That woman…?”

Though masked, her familiar attire and signature throwing style revealed one intruder to be the woman who ambushed me at Wave Reach.

The other was a burly man wielding a massive sword. The woman vanished as if wavering like a mirage, while the man leaped toward us.

Thud!

Beyond the rising cloud of dust, the sword-wielding man set his eyes on me.

He appeared uninterested in the Black Willow Cult priest, focused solely on me.

“This has gotten… complicated.”

The Black Willow Cult priest was further incensed by this unexpected intrusion.

“I’ll kill you all!”

The man adjusted his grip on the sword while the priest prepared to wield a miracle.

“I’ll handle the rear, Ethnos.”

Eldritch deployed a blue magic circle, and by my sides, Arian and Ender readying their stances and preparing combat techniques.

Ansandy receiving a miracle from Delion, sheathed her sword in flames and performed an aerial leap step.

“… How reassuring.”

I glanced at them with a grin and formed a hand sign against my chest. Thus, the unexpected skirmish commenced.