I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 92. New Chapter (2)

My eyes involuntarily closed.

‘… This is strange.’

I no longer required sleep. Whether it was to relieve accumulated physical fatigue or cleanse toxins from my brain, as long as I had adequate nutrients, I could achieve these through the transformation of my body.

‘Ah, this isn’t just a case of being sleepy.’

My vision distorted wildly. The trees twisted, the forest darkened, and I was forcibly drawn into a dream.

“It’s been a while, Sevika.”

I realized I had come to Sevika’s dream chamber. Yet, something was amiss.

‘It’s so white.’

The room of the dream was stark white as if the colors had been reversed. The once black roses were white, and Sevika’s night-sky-like attire was also white.

‘And everything is upside down.’

I sat upright, but Sevika and the flower bed seemed to be on the ceiling. Perhaps I was on the ceiling, and Sevika and the flower bed were perfectly on the floor.

“You’ve managed the transformation on your own. Congratulations.”

Sevika’s words gave me a sense of dissonance. The sentence and the voice had nothing peculiar, yet it felt as if something was slightly off.

“I’m truly glad for your change.”

“Did you intentionally leave it unattended? I noticed you didn’t respond.”

“That was my intention. There was no intervention from other beings. Unlike before.”

Although it seemed like Sevika’s hidden true feelings were surfacing, I paid it no mind. The only thing that concerned me was the persistent sense of dissonance I felt.

“No other Outer God is intervening. I didn’t wish to share this peaceful news with you.”

“You also hope that I grow amidst chaos and events, triggering an age of Outer Gods.”

I looked at Sevika, who was upside down. Her expression still bore a slight smile.

“That might be why I receive the favor of various Outer Gods and can do things that don’t make sense in a general context… But I’m curious. Why me?”

“It’s the right time for you to know. Of course, I can tell you.”

However, Sevika brought up a different topic instead.

“When the moon completely vanishes-”

Dream noise appeared. Along with throbbing sensations, the flowers and Sevika’s outfit appeared black. And I was facing them without any inversion.

“…when it happens, you will have a chance to ascertain the circumstances. Perhaps you can find a hint at the gathering of priests.”

When I blinked, the colors returned to white. This dream was evidently strange and unstable. It seemed as if something was obstructing the dream.

“Sevika, may I ask you something?”

I looked at Sevika, who was upside down, and asked. My vision blurred and twisted again. The dream was ending due to interference.

“The flowers that were always black, why are they white today?”

“That is a trivial question.”

Sevika raised the corner of her mouth.

“You need not discern the meaning.”

The dream was ending. Sevika’s voice was the last thing I heard.

“Stay close to the brightest star in the darkest night sky.”

With those words, I awoke from the dream, and the sense of dissonance ended with it.

‘… There’s that saying. Dreams mean the opposite.’

Today, the colors were reversed, and Sevika’s appearance was opposite. The consistent sense of dissonance wasn’t just because up and down were flipped, but as if left and right were mirrored.

Thinking through Sevika’s words in reverse erased the peculiarities.

“So, does Sevika not favor my transformation? Was there intervention in this change?”

However, it remained a mystery why Sevika didn’t favor my transformation.

‘When the moon is entirely gone. The priests’ gathering.’

The words spoken when noise subsided and the dream resumed could be taken literally.

“The gathering of priests happening on the night of the full moon will provide insight.”

Looking up at the sky, it seemed the full moon would appear in two days.

And most concerning was Sevika’s final words.

“Stay away from the brightest star in the darkest night sky.”

While I couldn’t guess what the dark star was, something did come to mind regarding the bright night sky.

“… White Night.”

I only realized it recently, but there was nothing straightforward about the White Night.

The ‘Awakening Ritual of the White Night’ performed while handling Albeka. The miracle ‘Spiral of the White Night’ used when dealing with Pleroma. Yet, the origins of this ritual and miracle were ambiguous.

“What Outer God is associated with the White Night?”

Judging by the circumstances, an Outer God keeping an eye on me and preventing contact with Sevika was undoubtedly related to this White Night keyword. However, I could not fathom its identity.

‘I could use the Spindle… but fishing out such a being might end with consequences too severe for even the Spindle to endure.’

What was certain was that this unknown entity, tentatively named the ‘Entity of the White Night,’ was scheming plans involving me. This wasn’t all.

The suspicious events occurring everywhere around the time I fought Pleroma were likely not coincidental.

‘The discovery of the Dragon Lord also, the world is rapidly changing.’

The gathering of the priests would be crucial for gathering clues and additional information regarding these events.

“Anyway, there’s time before the meeting… so, shall I go now?”

I unfurled the wings of Gluttony. And for the first time in a long while, flew towards my castle.

* * *

“Ah… Is it you, Lord Ethnos?”

An octopus I was familiar with greeted me at the castle I reached after a day’s journey.

“What happened for you to change so much?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Have you not realized? The current you feels akin to a race involved with another Outer God. No one perceives you as human anymore.”

“Hmm… really?”

Though I didn’t realize it, I felt there was no need to mind.

“You’re treating it too lightly! Haven’t you always been wary of such drastic changes? And what on earth happened until now!”

For some reason, Eldritch was angry.

“There was no contact, so I thought you couldn’t find the castle without teleportation, only to find out you merely sent other humans here!”

I had chosen a few who seemed to need help and had them sent to this place. They lacked combat strength and drew little attention, so it shouldn’t cause problems.

“Why does it matter?”

“I waited all this time! Had you informed me, I could have come to accompany you!”

I sincerely couldn’t understand so I asked.

“Why would you come along?”

“Pardon?”

“Your combat skills are no longer of much help. Just thinking of confronting Charlotte from yesterday, it wouldn’t even be a fight.”

For that matter, even looking for another reason, I saw no need for Eldritch’s company.

“You haven’t even elevated your rank intentionally, indicating you probably don’t seek to gain battle experience.”

“Even the most common knowledge I’ve already equipped myself with. Should any curiosity arise, I can call upon you then, right? What use is there in having you accompany me?”

Eldritch froze at my statement, not moving an inch.

“Are you saying… you don’t need me anymore? That we should walk separate paths?”

“It’s not necessarily like that. Having more loyal comrades is not a bad thing.”

Eldritch seemed to ponder deeply over my response.

“… Lord Ethnos, what is your mental state currently? Surely there’s a method you have to view it in numerical terms, right?”

Recalling that I’d checked my character sheet several times before Eldritch, I remembered I had once asked about this.

『Mind: 100(-85)』

“Um… it’s 15?”

I was already sinking into madness, quite far from sanity.

“Isn’t this, isn’t this critical? Shouldn’t we quickly acquire more Golden Blood Elixir from the Leng Spiders?”

“Even if I drink it, it doesn’t immediately restore the points. The Golden Blood Elixir primarily reduces mental damage for prevention. And there’s no significant problem, is there?”

I shrugged.

“It’s based on human standards. There’s hardly any trouble even if I absorb more madness.”

“That’s… not problematic…?”

“Rationality isn’t exactly necessary, is it?”

In fact, saturating himself with pure madness to draw closer to the Outer Gods was more beneficial.

The reason priests or zealots of the Outer Gods revel in deeds deemed cruel or inhumane is aligned with this concept.

By transcending human mentality, they strive to be nearer to their Gods.

Thus, I thought I was heading in the right direction.

“Then… what do you think about me? Not just me, but also the people you’re protecting in the castle, those you saved. How do you perceive them?”

“What do you mean by ‘how’? Well…”

Though it was a perplexing question, I responded with a smile.

“I don’t particularly feel anything. Am I supposed to?”

For unfathomable reasons, Eldritch staggered. There was no way to grasp why I was acting like this.

Perhaps, being a mutated entity rather than an intact one, there was some abnormality affecting me.

“Despite their emaciated forms, they were kind individuals. There even was a child among them.”

“So?”

“Do you plan to use them as sacrifices…? Or mold them into zealots?”

I ceased smiling. The very matter I’d been deeply pondering.

“It’s a dilemma.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s effective, turning them into sacrifices or zealots. Otherwise, there isn’t much reason for me to invest in them. However…”

Something perplexing, within me, refused this notion. It should be an effective means to gain strength, yet I inexplicably felt I shouldn’t do it.

“I just thought providing them food and shelter was right.”

I was aware that my feeling wasn’t normal. Nonetheless, it seemed I was bound to follow this unusual instinct.

“I’ll make them become disciples for public service, but it seems more appropriate to create a convincing fake scripture for them to worship a nonexistent Outer God.”

I confessed freely to Eldritch. I felt it was permissible with Eldritch.

“Creating a pseudo-religion? My goodness… you remain crazed in divine blasphemy.”

Eldritch began mumbling to himself.

“Despite a mere 15 mind, you’re somehow clutching onto a sliver of thought and humanity…”

“But it’s amusing.”

I noted an interesting point.

“Why do you care about those humans? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for me to harness them as sacrifices and grow stronger?”

“T-That’s…”

Recognizing my peculiar thoughts, Eldritch seemed flustered.

“Well, whatever the case. I’m off to perform a sanctuary miracle and get ready.”

I moved past Eldritch into the castle.

“Ready? For what?”

“There’s a gathering of Outer God priests soon. Just in case, one must prepare against danger. And also…”

I altered my attire.

Robes of white and gold embroidered with suitable patterns, I draped Gluttony over my shoulder and tied my hair back. Instead of a hairpin, I placed the Sacred Needle as an ornament.

“I believe they refer to me as the Red Saint. To build some public merit, isn’t it time I played the role of priest once?”

TL’s Corner:
Damn, Ethnos is losing his humanity. Also, the look that Ethnos donned at the end of the chapter is the featured image of the novel. And I didn’t notice it before, but Eldritch is also in the image.