I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 140: The Endurance (5)

In the center of the storm of flames, Gluttony twisted as if dancing.

『I bet you’re still anxious, right?』

It knew more about me than I had anticipated.

『Dad’s enemies are going to be really strong! If Dad doesn’t become stronger, there’ll be damage even if you win!』

An innocent, childlike laughter echoed.

Its purity seemed odd considering its true nature.

『I know because I’m connected to Dad! So I’ll eat everything for you!』

‘Was it able to understand because we are connected…?’

It would be problematic if it continued to read all of my thoughts.

『I won’t look!』
『What?』
『If Dad doesn’t allow it, I won’t look into your thoughts!』

Why was it so compliant?

Though it was baffling, it wasn’t entirely unconvincing.

Maybe it was natural to expect some level of loyalty, since I had fed it consistently as if it were a pet.

Moreover, it was born with my blood mixed in.

『Are you sure you won’t read my thoughts?』
『Yeah! I won’t do it until you say it’s okay!』

I contemplated ways to deal with this creature.

‘If I can just detach it from me, it will be somewhat neutralized. Then, I can handle it with miracles or outer magic.’

And by negotiating with Sevika or other priests, perhaps I could find or create a replacement for Gluttony.

『Hmm… You don’t seem to be lying.』

Even with all this contemplation, there was no reaction; it seemed it really wasn’t reading my thoughts.

『Why is that? Even if I’ve been feeding you, is there any reason to be this loyal?』
『Because you’re Dad?』
『I haven’t really acted like a dad.』
『But Dad is still Dad, right?』

The conversation was going in circles.

‘Not knowing the reason makes it hard to remove my guard.’

I wondered if its goal was to become stronger, become independent of me, and then devour people recklessly.

『You’re suspicious of me again, right?』

Gluttony hit the nail on the head.

『Even without reading your mind, it’s obvious! You’re suspecting, suspecting, and suspecting again!』

Having been with me for so long, Gluttony had become familiar with me and spoke with a laugh.

『That’s why I like Dad.』
『What?』
『Because you’re cautious, I can survive.』

Gluttony wriggled gleefully.

『I want to live a long time, eating as much as I can. But if you’re not here, I’ll soon die. So I won’t betray you.』
『… Okay, I understand.』

I decided I needed to keep watching it.

Using Flame Transformation, I started to convert both my body and Gluttony into flames.

『Alright, eat to your heart’s content.』
『Wow!』

Gluttony uttered a joyful exclamation, extending tendrils to begin its feast.

The entire area was a storm of flames, so the consumption wasn’t immediately visible, but changes were undoubtedly taking place.

‘It’s growing stronger.’

Just like when it consumed Pleroma, I could feel Gluttony’s growth with the current feast.

Not only did it swallow flames, but it also absorbed the energies of an Outer God and the corruption.

『Dad, how do you want me to grow?』
『What do you mean by that?』
『When you fed me that spider kid, you wanted me to have strong power like them.』

Perhaps influenced by that, Gluttony now had legs like Pleroma’s spider.

『When you put me in that cauldron, you wanted me to gain more varied abilities.』

That was true.

And it did indeed achieve such growth.

『So what about this time?』

I paused to think.

If Gluttony could grow in the direction I desired, what should I wish for? What kind of power would lead to victory when facing formidable foes?

『If possible… I’d like you to become able to perceive more.』

Finding and eradicating Johann’s avatars, discerning the truth and lies of those trying to deceive me.

The power to counteract all the malicious machinations that will come.

With common firepower, the Dragon Crown and the miracle of the Eternal Blaze would suffice.

『Got it!』

Gluttony agreed readily, continuing to consume the flames.

I wasn’t sure how, but Gluttony was attempting to grow in the way I had described.

Its form began to undergo subtle changes.

‘… Eyes?’

What appeared on the surface were eyes. Unusual eyes, with pupils made of gemstone crystals.

『From now on, I’ll see a lot more!』

It declared, with apparent understanding of my desires.

『I’ll watch out for those trying to trick you, dad! I’ll monitor them all!』

* * *

“You damn bastards! I knew it!”

Bang! Boom!

Cannons fired consecutively.

Their targets, of course, were the Dwellers.

“Damn pirate scum! Betraying us so fast?”

The dwellers, upon seeing the seas engulfed in flames, promptly began their assault on the Endurance.

Though Lyla had been wary of betrayal, she hadn’t anticipated it would happen so quickly.

‘Reinforce the shield under the port side… No, let’s add a freezing spell upon contact to launch a counterattack.’

Lyla gulped down a sedative.

Even so, blood streamed from her nose.

‘My masterpiece is damn sturdy. Those creepy creatures still haven’t pierced it properly.’

Lyla soothed herself, trying to quell her rising anxiety. The four-element cannons Lyla had designed were certainly proving their worth. A direct hit was sufficient to kill a dweller or render them incapacitated.

‘So even if there are many of them, we should be fine. We have to be…!’

Lyla saw through the ship’s magic the sheer number of Dwellers below the sea.

Their overwhelming numbers terrified Lyla, who watched as the sinister horde continued their assault on the ship.

‘It’s okay. It’s not like I’m the only one fighting here.’

Lyla resolved to trust the remaining two allies. Meanwhile, Eldritch remained on deck, hovering above as he relentlessly unleashed spells.

『Using water element magic against us? Like some dumb interfering entity-』

Thwack!

The creature’s taunting head was smashed apart by Eldritch’s magic.

『I’m no longer the same as before.』

Eldritch recalled the sense of helplessness felt during the banquet hall ambush by the dwellers.

Back then, he couldn’t even scratch them, but now he could seize their lives.

『You all are no longer my match.』

Hundreds of water spears rained down.

The sea wasn’t solely the Dwellers’ domain.

Eldritch’s magic power and rate of fire had significantly increased.

An enormous number of the Dwellers were swept away by the water element magic they had mocked.

『Mary! How’s your side looking?』

Mary was fighting by freely transforming her body.

Living up to her reputation as a martial artist, she was crushing and killing the dwellers one at a time.

Also on the cusp of reaching 4th rank Awakening, Mary was at a decided advantage over the regular dwellers.

『Gah! Damn it…!』

Attacking through gaps like eye sockets and gills, she ignored the durable Dwellers’ defenses and tore through them.

“Call Ethnos!”

『If I wear the ring now, it’ll disrupt my concentration, and that’s too dangerous!』

“Same with me!”

Under normal circumstances, the slight distraction caused by Mind Link would be negligible, but it was fatal in a battle where there was no room for error.

『Besides, look at the state of the sea! It’s too risky to interfere with Ethnos there!』

None aboard the vessel truly knew what situation Ethnos was facing.

One side of the sea reddens as steam rises, while pillars of black liquid shoot into the sky, only to become pillars of flames.

Even from a considerable distance, the bright light of the flame illuminated the sea beneath, leaving them awestruck and filled with dread.

『We can handle this ourselves.』

Eldritch, thinking of his master deploying immense power, proclaimed with confidence.

『They’re not limitless after all. No matter how many there are, eventually, they will have to retreat.』

“Right.”

Mary replied curtly, dealing with another Dweller leaping from the sea.

“Can everyone hear me?”

Amidst the ongoing battle, Lyla’s voice echoed throughout the ship.

“I have bad news!”

Lyla bit her lip in apprehension.

“I just looked underwater and spotted much larger Dwellers.”

『4th rank, I presume.』

“They seem to be heading for Ethnos’ location! The flames are gradually diminishing!”

Though invisible to the naked eye, Lyla used various magical spells to view under the sea, seeing the gradual waning of the flames conjured by Ethnos.

『Seems he has begun retracting the flames. The reduction seems rather rapid.』

Under normal circumstances, this would have been welcomed news, but there was a major problem.

Though the ocean was still in a state of boiling high temperatures, 4th rank Dwellers could swim through such conditions, and the situation was still progressing.

“We don’t have many choices. Should we continue fighting here, or should we head over to Ethnos?”

There was no telling what condition Ethnos was in.

Given that he had used such an enormous scale of a miracle, if he were exhausted, those 4th rank Dwellers posed a significant threat.

However, even the sturdy Endurance would be at great risk sailing through the flame-engulfed sea left by Ethnos.

『Can the ship withstand it? Most of the Dwellers can be avoided, I believe.』

Eldritch was right.

If the Endurance could navigate through those waters and reach Ethnos successfully, they could shake off the other Dwellers.

“Eldritch, if you and I continue reinforcing the shield, it’s possible!”

『Understood! 〈Tidal Wave〉!』

Dwelling in his tactics, Eldritch repelled the Dwellers, buying them time.

Mary took on any who breached the fierce waves.

『Proceed in the direction of Ethnos!』

“Got it!”

As Lyla infused mana into the magic circle, the ship surged toward the flaming sea with formidable velocity.

『Stand still!』
『Do you think you can escape from us!』

The Dwellers employed miraculous powers or assaulted the ship with crude weapons.

Despite feeling like she might lose consciousness, Lyla poured her all into reinforcing the shield and increasing the ship’s speed.

『The Dwellers are scattering! Lyla, I’ll be there soon!』

“Hurry…”

Lyla groaned, her voice waning while casting mana into the shield.

“She’s going to die at this rate. Hurry up.”

As the number of Dwellers began to diminish, Mary retrieved her ring to contact Ethnos.

Yet, even then, parts of her body continued to morph, dealing with the remaining Dwellers.

『Taking charge on deck』

Eldritch was on the verge of leaping to assist Lyla when it happened.

Thud-!

A massive form pierced through the thinned shield, appearing on deck.

Larger than a bear, its robust, muscular body appeared sturdy as if clad in armor made of fish scales.

『No way…』

Eldritch groaned.

Clearly, this figure had a power distinct from the ordinary Dwellers they had faced so far.

“4th rank Dweller.”

Eldritch and Mary adopted combat stances, full of tension.

『Laughable. You think a pair of nobodies can handle this?』

With a sneer, the Dweller shone its teeth, its abyssal, pitch-black eyes fixed on them.

“Eldritch, we need to stake our lives on this fight.”

『… I’m aware.』

The entire crew of the Endurance faced annihilation.