Ch.251251. The Starvation Cult (2)

In the basement of the butcher shop, beneath this seemingly ordinary small establishment…

‘I can’t believe a facility of this scale exists in a place like this…’

[Sophia is also surprised by this.]

It was a situation where an unexpectedly massive and grand underground facility with corridors existed beneath what appeared to be just a neighborhood butcher shop.

The corridor connected to the passage leading underground, hidden beneath boxes meant to “freshly store meat,” led to several underground facilities.

These included what appeared to be food storage areas, quarters where ghouls presumably stayed, and even a massive hall that seemed to be their religious facility.

The most striking feature of this enormous hall, presumed to be a place for religious activities, was its utterly horrific and devastating appearance.

Just as churches or cathedrals display crosses or crucifixes, they had erected a terrifying sphere made by connecting and stitching together dozens of corpses in the center of the hall like a statue.

Not only that, but similar to how stained glass is installed in cathedrals or other Christian religious facilities, they had displayed “humans” at regular intervals along the walls.

Someone’s skin had been flayed raw and processed into wall hangings (tapestries), and what remained after skinning was “used” to decorate these otherwise bare wall hangings.

They had even created various ornaments from bone fragments left after sucking out the marrow, and needless to say, these decorations were far from beautiful—they exuded a crude and revolting impression.

After recognizing this horrific scene, we became certain that we could not forgive that ghoul priest, and for that reason, we ambushed the ghoul priest’s room to finish him off.

While the skitterlings drew attention and aggro, the two of us secretly flanked around and infiltrated the priest’s room to end the ghoul priest.

In reality, this extremely simple “plan” was quite successful—Sophia and I not only managed to defeat the ghoul priest but also barely kept him alive for interrogation.

However, there was one thing we hadn’t specifically anticipated in this process…

[This is horrible. It’s… too horrible.]

[…Astra. Steel yourself.]

It was a scene of hell that seemed designed to reveal the evil of this self-proclaimed priest—enough to shock even our experienced animal companions.

Blasphemous corpse structures created to somehow worship the false god he served. The tattered pieces of corpses that appeared to be leftovers from meals were just the basic level.

On one wall were stacked cube-like squares wrapped in what looked like human skin. At first, I thought they might be these creatures’ “processed meat products,” but upon realizing their true identity, I felt my breath stop.

The identity of “those” was… surprisingly, humans. They showed clear signs of breathing and life, and their brains were presumably intact, likely preserving their cognitive abilities—human products that had been processed.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they were in a normal state.

More than half had already died from lack of nutrition, and even those still alive—without mouths, noses, eyes, or ears—what could they possibly do?

‘Is this… their “product” for human sacrifice?’

Having realized the identity of these “living boxes,” I decided to bestow mercy upon those who were likely beyond recovery or irreparably damaged.

‘Nature, please grant these poor souls proper rest…’

For those who had been forcibly bound to this world by evil magic beyond their natural lifespan, when I invoked power by combining my druidic arts with holy magic obtained through my contract, the results were immediate.

The physical bodies that had been forcibly bound and imprisoned by magic collapsed in liberation, and the innocent souls trapped within disappeared into the air.

‘May you go to a better place…’

After offering a sincere prayer to the celestial gods for them, I was filled with thoughts of “interrogating” the ghoul priest sprawled on the floor.

[I’ll help too.]

[…This is unforgivable.]

[Me, me too. I want to help too!]

…Those who had gone mad after witnessing the cube humans piled here wanted to join me, but I held them back, judging that obtaining information immediately was the higher priority.

※ ※ ※

In reality, extracting information from this ghoul priest is practically impossible.

It’s not because of some special circumstance or because this creature is stubbornly refusing to speak.

This stems from a characteristic inherent to all undead whose material is essentially a corpse—the effect derived from the very power that makes them obey and follow the commands of higher beings.

Of course, this characteristic or power isn’t completely absolute, and even if a higher being comes, the possibility of resistance and refusal increases if the undead’s mind is clear.

…However, the creature groaning before me doesn’t even have the will to rebel against the dominion of higher beings, so I’m certain that no matter what I do, this ghoul priest won’t reveal anything of his own volition.

Therefore, with a deep sigh, I pulled out a certain piece of equipment from my spatial pouch.

‘I really don’t want to use this… but do I have no choice?’

Its appearance was that of a staff. With a compressed, blackened dragon (dinosaur) skull attached to the end, it looked not much different from the human staff that creature was carrying.

A femur, a thigh bone, extended straight to support the body of the staff, while a bone resembling the spine connecting to the tail formed a smooth curve around the staff, connecting to the skull at the end.

Similarly, miniaturized ribs followed the upper part of the spine, forming a structure similar to that of a human, and in the center of this rib structure, its heart, processed into the form of a purple jewel, floated.

Additionally, things that looked like tendons extended from the back of the skull like wires connecting to the staff, and the handle part of the staff was made of miniaturized arm and shin bones, protruding in a D shape.

Rather than a weapon for a druid, it had an impressive appearance more suited for some evil wizard. This was one of the equipment I had been saving as my trump card.

Special equipment made using the corpse of Mother Chomptantlus, granting the user the ability to use necromancy magic.

Since it’s an externally attached magical tool, the magical effect is completed externally, so there’s no need to consider side effects of necromancy such as soul corruption when using it.

‘….Haah.’

But just the fact that it’s “necromancy” instinctively repulses me as a druid, and furthermore, it’s a tool that would lead to social burial the moment I’m caught using it…

“…Are you planning to use it?”

“Yes, given the situation, I have no choice.”

When there’s no other method available, stubbornly insisting on my principles would truly be foolish.

So, suppressing the soul’s resistance welling up within me, I naturally wielded it, connecting threads of dark purple magic to the soul of this dying creature.

Perhaps because I’m not directly using magic but borrowing a form where I attach a device (staff) that can use it externally, I honestly don’t even understand how this is proceeding.

However, regardless of my thoughts, the staff that moved smoothly according to my will began to inject energy through the magical threads connected to the ghoul’s entire body.

It drives out the magic of the Straggoer, also known as the Ghoul Lord, that permeates the creature’s body, and fills that space with my magic processed through the staff.

It hastily repairs the ghoul priest’s body, which had begun to collapse under the influence of Sophia’s spell “Celestial Wind,” while binding its soul and overlaying it with a master-servant contract to exclude the Straggoer’s influence.

The ability to control lower undead actually cannot be applied to undead who are already being controlled by someone else, so I planned to control this ghoul priest and make him spill everything he knows.

The problem is… despite my unintentional actions, information about necromancy flows into my mind.

‘….Phew.’

I frown as this knowledge of necromancy and summoning begins to flood my mind.

That such “heretical” and “evil” knowledge could cause unintended corruption of my soul has long been proven true by countless examples.

So, just as I was thinking that I would drive out this “heretical” knowledge at the first opportunity…

[What, what is this…?! How dare you…!]

As the ghoul priest, whose subordination contract and physical restoration had been completed without my noticing, shouted and rose from his place, I hardened my expression and approached him, determined to begin his “education.”