Chapter 8: The Priest's Journey (1)
A dark underground temple. A place devoid of light, without even a single candle, where one could only perceive others through their shadows. This was the stronghold of the Knights of the Stigma, the sinners who accept and carry every sin.
"The order awaits your explanation, brother. Why did you abandon a promising man like Admon?" At the voice of the old man, who smelled of blood in the darkness, Alvega knelt. No matter how much of a promising genius he was, his status meant little before the Grand Master, the one known to be the most sinful among all.
"Priest Admon was blinded by greed and entered a reckless battle he was certain to lose."
"The Scripture of Desecration. So he was ultimately influenced by those demons who blind men with gold. But you were there. And you are still here now." Alvega bowed his head at the Grand Master’s words.
"I cannot wash away my sins yet." The phrase 'washing away sins' sounds like salvation. As if a new beginning is permitted. Of course, for the Knights of the Stigma, it carried that meaning, but in reality, it simply meant death. For only martyrdom, and not simple death, could cleanse the sins they had accumulated.
"And why is that, brother?"
"If it were just an abomination, an incident that defied logic, I would have gladly accepted the chance to wash away my sins. But that thing... in my judgment, was a priest of an Outer God."
"A priest of an Outer God..." In the darkness, the elderly Grand Master murmured. He did not rush his next question. Instead, he remained quietly silent, lost in deep thought, and Alvega respected his contemplation.
"Speak in detail. Did the creature seem to maintain its sanity?"
"It did. If you grant me permission to use a sacred artifact, I will dispose of it myself."
The Grand Master went silent once more. The stillness was as heavy as the gravity of the situation. "No, there is another mission for you. A more important incident has occurred; I want you to investigate that."
"A matter more urgent than an Outer God's priest?"
"A noble has been killed. It is our top priority." The Grand Master touched his forehead as if he were annoyed. "As for the Outer God's priest, contact the Luminaries. Inform the nearby temples as well. Issue a wanted notice based on what you saw."
"...Understood, Lord Grand Master." The Grand Master let out a sigh.
"Of all times... two Outer God incidents at once... they might be related. From that perspective, this case will also need investigation." After a moment’s thought, the Grand Master issued a decisive order. "Brother, your duty has become clear. First, find the Matron and the orphans who are said to have fled, and interrogate them."
Investigate any connection to the case of the murdered noble. Gather information about this new Outer God priest. Alvega organized his duties in his mind.
"Understood. Shall I use the torture chamber?"
"They’re just children and an old woman, aren't they? No need to bring them here. Handle the matter immediately."
"I shall obey." The Grand Master gave a short nod, and the report ended. Alvega silently accepted his new mission, and the Grand Master began reciting the ancient oath of the Knights of the Stigma.
"By embracing the darkness..."
"......May the light of Life shine more brightly." Repeating the oath of the Knights of the Stigma, Alvega drew his blade and stabbed his hand. Despite the flowing blood and the excruciating pain, Alvega accepted the new sin he chose to carry in this place.
As dusk fell, we lit a fire and settled down to rest. Our meal consisted of a few potatoes Thalia had brought, and... to my slight shock, a rabbit she had killed with a slingshot. It tasted and smelled terrible, but I was so hungry it was edible.
‘She’s asleep.’ Thalia’s chatter had gradually given way to the sounds of steady breathing. Seeing her drift off without a care, even with me here, she must trust me to some extent.
‘It would be better if she didn't.’ Knowing the dangers of an Outer God, I sighed and deliberately moved a short distance away before opening the scripture. The Formless Creations that had been clinging to the scripture had vanished, so it was now just a book. Of course, it would still be dangerous if anyone other than me tried to read its contents.
‘It seems looking at it again doesn't cause any additional mental damage.’ In the past when I played «Systems», I once obtained a translated copy of an Outer God's holy book. ‘Simply carrying a copy, not the original, caused constant mental damage.’ Remembering that now, I felt a twinge of nostalgia for the classes and concepts I had played in the past. Even that character who was skilled in marksmanship but became a useless build because firearms didn't exist in that era—if I could switch now, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
‘I’ve tried the other classes at least once, so I have a feel for how to play them, and besides...’ At least I would have been treated as human.
‘......Huh?’ As I was organizing my belongings, I noticed something strange. My character sheet, which I thought was just an ordinary piece of paper, had changed. The Mind stat, which was previously listed as 90, had changed to 80.
‘My mind stat has taken a serious hit. I guess that makes sense, but to lose 10 points in a single day...’ This was a problem. The maximum value hadn't decreased, so it should slowly recover, but... given the nature of a priest using an Outer God’s power, its sharp drop like this was not a welcome development. The situation was more critical now that I didn't have any tools to recover my mental state.
‘Leveling up would strengthen my mental fortitude, but...’ If this world followed the rules of «Systems», the maximum level was 7. There was no guarantee that this world was the same, and it was questionable whether the concept of levels even existed.
‘Since he used <Boar Rush>, that Alvega must be at least level 2.’ Assuming things are the same as in «Systems», I am either level 0 or level 1. Level 0 is just an ordinary person, so I’m likely level 1. Even so, I was able to face a strong enemy who was level 2.
‘But that doesn't mean I should think I’m on his level.’ I am absolutely the underdog. ‘Since the maximum level is only 7, the gap between even one level is huge. This time... the situation was in my favor.’ It was only because I possessed a high mind stat and enhanced traits, and because the Outer God's miracle itself was a high-risk, high-reward power with brilliant destructive force. And my opponent withdrew entirely because he was wary of the unknown power I possessed.
‘If Alvega had decided to fight to the end, I probably would have lost.’ Not just for the sake of my mental fortitude, but to prepare for future dangers, I needed to become stronger. But there was another problem.
"Sigh... Of all the gods, why did I have to become a priest of an Outer God..." If I were a priest for a different sect, it wouldn't be this difficult, but the growth of an Outer God priest was anything but easy. All priests shared the common need to strengthen their relationship with their god and deepen their faith.
‘Simply put, you had to sincerely accumulate virtues to earn qualification from your god.’ Once the conditions were met, you’d perform a special ritual to grow to the next stage.
‘The problem is that my patrons are the Outer Gods who bring calamities.’ Just look at [The Sleeper in the Netherworld]—he demands human sacrifices from the start. Even proselytizing, which is a basic task for all religions and I loathe, wouldn't be more than an annoying suggestion for other faiths. Though, by the standards of this era, it might be slightly different.
‘But with Outer God worship, it’s a different story.’ You increase the number of fanatics who commit all kinds of cruel and insane acts, bringing chaos to the world.
‘The problem is believing in an Outer God in the first place.’ They have little interest in humanity to begin with, and sincerely believing in an Outer God whose mere existence is a disaster was akin to giving up one's humanity. The end of that faith was to become one of the Formless Creations and serve that Outer God for all eternity, so there was nothing more to be said.
"I don't want to be an ordinary priest, let alone one in this messy profession... is this part of your plan too, Do-wol?" Staring at the character sheet and muttering to myself didn't get me an answer from my friend.
‘There are more moderate paths, I guess. Though I'm not sure you can call them 'moderate'.’ The alternatives to human sacrifices involve harming other religions. Killing clergy, or tearing down and desecrating temples—so-called 'desecration of holy places.' The fact that this kind of thing is encouraged shows how chaotic it is, but to be fair, it wasn't exclusive to Outer God priests.
‘But that doesn't appeal to me either. I guess this is the path I should aim for, then?’ Obtaining scriptures, miracles, and holy relics. Acquiring lost relics, not those safely stored away, yields the most experience. And usually, those relics possess great power. Rather than becoming a cult leader, this type of treasure hunting suited my personality better.
‘Better for me to possess them than for them to be out in the world.’ Like this scripture, they’re all dangerous things. ‘When it comes to Outer God relics, the 'Dragon Cauldrons' come to mind... I’ll have to look for information so I can get at least one of them.’ That was another reason for heading to a port town. A port is where all kinds of goods and information come, and a gateway to countless other places.
‘But obtaining a new scripture is difficult right now. So there’s only one thing I can do for the time being.’ Unlike the other methods, there was one thing I could do immediately. A method that, if I was lucky, I would be the only victim of, and one that would definitely make me stronger right away. But, I only had a rough idea of what to do, not the details.
‘I should have listened more carefully to Do-wol... Heh. Was this something Do-wol taught me?’
"Mmm... how long did I sleep? It’s my turn for guard duty, isn't it?" As my thoughts were becoming a tangled mess, Thalia woke up. I hadn't woken her, but she got up on her own when it was her turn, sharp as always. At the same time, it indicated that despite her young age, she had extensive experience in guarding.
"Go to sleep... yawn."
"No, I have something else to do. I’m going to meditate over there, so just watch me from a distance."
"Meditate?"
"If something happens, do not approach. Wake me up by hitting me with a stone from afar."
"......What?" After explaining it again to Thalia, who seemed to have misheard me in a daze, I moved to a different spot and began reading the scripture. Unlike before, I recalled the passage clearly in my mind and moved the still-unfamiliar mana.
"Hoo... let’s do this." Correcting my posture and taking a deep breath, I soon entered a state of meditation. "When the fools intruded, desecrating His realm and harming the believers, His wrath descended..." I repeated the passage.
The more I repeated it, the more the scene began to unfold before me. At first, it was like watching a dream, but gradually, it became indistinguishable from reality. Crumbled stone buildings, made of unknown rocks. An altar covered in red bloodstains, emitting the sickening smell of blood. Cold rain pouring from a dark sky.
Shwaaaaaa. I was inside the situation, the history, the very passage written in the scripture. A priest's meditation. A way to gain experience permitted only to priests: reading the scripture and experiencing its contents and miracles directly.
"In His Great Name! Spill the blood of the fools!"
"This city is ours now!"
I was no longer in the forest. I was in the capital of an ancient and long-destroyed city, a place that once served [The Sleeper in the Netherworld]. The inhabitants of this ancient city were meeting their end now. One by one, they were decapitated by the swords of humans following a different faith, falling to the ground. The fallen heads frothed with blood as they rolled on the ground like garbage.
"Next!"
"Take their heads! Wipe them all out!"
And so, I was brought to the execution platform.
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