Chapter 202: Seventy Days of Suffering (6).

Nero nodded slowly, absorbing the information. He had already agreed to this, his committed to whatever they would do to him basically solidified.

And yet…

Hearing it laid out so plainly made it feel more real and immediate. He could already even feel the pain.

“You mentioned the Seals are tied to Sins,” Nero said. “What does that mean exactly?”

Lyon’s expression grew more animated, as though he had been waiting for that question.

“Each Seal is built around a specific Sin, a conceptual force that defines its nature and abilities. The Church has established five primary Seals, each tied to a different Templar Order, and each with its own unique corruption. Allow me to explain them…”

He held up one finger.

“The first is the Seal of Knowledge, tied to the Sin of Madness. This Seal is borne by the White Prophets, those who read and understand ancient, forbidden scripture. They can decipher magical and divine languages, gain insight into truths hidden from the world, and use sorcery to create enchantments and cast spells. But reading the texts or gaining corrupted knowledge causes insanity. Dreams bleed into reality, and paranoia and prophecy become indistinguishable. Those who fall to this corruption become Blasphemers, terrifying entities that must be contained immediately, though such cases are rare. Most White Prophets maintain impeccable control over their minds until their natural deaths.”

He held up a second finger.

“The second is the Seal of Blood, tied to the Sin of Consumption. This is the Seal of the Crimson Crucible, the order you will likely be joining. Those who bear this Seal can absorb the blood and flesh of Abominations to mutate their bodies, growing tougher muscles, heightening their senses, increasing their strength and speed. But too much blood results in loss of humanity. The body mutates uncontrollably and becomes addicted to monstrous flesh, eventually turning into Blood Horrors, warped hybrids of human and eldritch nightmares, driven only by ravenous hunger. These are quite common relative to the others, though they are dealt with swiftly to minimize loss of life and property within the cities.”

Lyon held up a third finger.

“The third is the Seal of Craft, tied to the Sin of Manifestation. This Seal is borne by the Ironherd, those who forge Relics using sacred materials and ancient blueprints created by the Grigori. They create all the tools and instruments used by the Church, and they channel spiritual forces through crafted items. But the weapons and items they create can become unpredictable or even cursed, and the spirits and souls trapped within may turn violent or possess the wielder. Those who fall to this corruption become Forge-Wretches, smiths fused with their own weapons, covered in rusted, living steel. These are extremely rare, as most present-day blacksmiths are only in it for the money and do not care about much else.”

Nero listened intently, his mind cataloging the information. The Oracle had mentioned the Seal of Blood before, and had explained that the Crimson Crucible used it to consume Abomination flesh, but hearing it described in such detail made the implications clearer. If he was to join the Crimson Crucible, he would be expected to bear this Seal, to willingly consume corruption and risk becoming a Blood Horror.

Lyon held up a fourth finger.

“The fourth is the Seal of Nature, tied to the Sin of Dominion. This Seal is borne by the Verdant Ash Sea, those who command wild beastly Abominations, sense corruption in the land, and bend foliage and flora according to their will. They create potions, elixirs, and medicine, as you have experienced firsthand during your procedures. But the user slowly becomes less human, affected and influenced by the nature of corruption itself.”

When he said this, Nero could swear he saw Lyon’s face pale quite a bit and slight beads of sweat appear on his forehead.

“Those who fall to this corruption become infected by the Black Death, a universal, shared viral corruption that is transmitted both physically and spiritually. Once infected, they become Dark Things, incredibly dangerous entities capable of wiping out entire cities overnight due to how toxic their nature is. If they can be contained or killed, everything they have ever owned or touched since becoming infected will be burned and purified, including their family members. These cases are extremely rare, as exposure to regular doses of corruption is not enough to cause infection from the Black Death.”

Lyon paused, his expression growing darker.

“The fifth and final Seal is the Seal of Fire, tied to the Sin of Ruin. This Seal is borne by the Wilting Seraph, those who control holy flame that burns corruption, creating purifying infernos that can immolate the unclean. But the fire spreads from within. Templars who bear this Seal are liable to spontaneously combust during fits of rage or grief, and thus they are trained until their hearts and minds become as hard as rocks, for rocks cannot burn. Those who fall to this corruption become Seraphs of Damnation, beings wreathed in eternal fire who see sin in all life and burn without mercy. These types are almost impossible to produce, as most of the Wilting Seraph have near-perfect control of their emotions, but those who do fall short end up turning into terrifying weapons of damnation that scourge everything in their path.”

Lyon lowered his hand and leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes studying Nero’s face.

“These are the five established Seals of Sin within the Church, and each one is a chain that binds the bearer to a path of inevitable corruption. The only question is how long they can last before the chain breaks them.”

Nero said nothing for a long moment, processing everything Lyon had just explained.

As it would seem, the Seals were not gifts or blessings.

They were curses in the form of tools designed to extract every ounce of usefulness from a person before discarding them as monsters. And yet, the Church relied on them, wielded them as weapons against the darkness, because there was no other way to fight the corruption that had consumed the world.

It truly was a terrifying thing.

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