Chapter 33: Corruption (2).

His face.

No— his entire body!

With trembling hands, Nero picked up his sword and brought it up to his face again.

Even with the soft light coming from the mouth of the cave and the glowing algae, he could clearly see what had become of him.

“I… I’m a monster.” He whispered softly.

His eyes were a deep black color with golden runes swimming in their depths.

The state of his body was even worse. He glanced down.

His skin had turned black and scaly with strange tumors growing in some places.

He looked absolutely horrifying. Like a human-shaped Abomination.

His hair was also black and long.

His nails had elongated and turned into sharp claws.

His teeth, which had remained white, thankfully, were sharp and vicious looking regardless.

He had truly become a monster.

A feeling of lightheadedness enveloped him.

’I-I’m probably still sleeping. Yes. That must be it.’

Nero closed fell back to his back and closed his eyes.

However, he was unable to go back to sleep.

“Damn it! This can’t be happening!”

No one would welcome him into any City if he looked this way.

Instead, he would be mistaken for an Abomination and would be shot full of bullets and arrows, run through by all manners of swords and spears, while being bombarded by curses and sorcery until even his ashes weren’t left.

This was the worst possible outcome!

A sense of defeat washed over him.

“Oracle, is there any way I can turn back to my original self?” He asked, half begging, half in tears.

Fortunately for him, it seemed not all hope was lost just yet.

{This transformation is as a result of a skill and thus, is permanent. However, the Heretic’s normal form still exists. To transform back into his normal state, the Heretic simply needs to envision it. However, doing so consumes energy}.

Nero’s eyes widened.

Without wasting any time, he closed his eyes tight and began to “envision”.

His skin. His eyes. His facial features. His hair. Everything about him appeared in his mind.

Thankfully, he had often been fond of staring at his reflection on the lake back then. If not, it would have been much more difficult for him to draw out a mental image of himself.

Nero opened his eyes and picked up the Silver Blade.

He let out a sigh of relief.

He was ba—

With his own eyes, Nero watched as he regressed back into looking like an Abomination.

He trembled.

“Oracle, what happened?!”

{The Heretic is already aware that returning to his normal form requires a certain form of energy. And that energy can only be acquired from the corpses of Abominations, particularly their flesh. If the Heretic desires to maintain his human form, he will need to continually devour the flesh of Abominations. However, it is important for the Heretic to note that the more corrupted flesh he consumes, the greater the transformation’s effects}.

Nero grimaced, “In other words, if I want to keep my humanity, I need to devour the flesh of Abominations? But the more Abominations I devour, the less human I become. Is that about right?”

{Yes}.

Nero felt like cursing the heavens.

In the end, he swallowed his curses and let out a shaky sigh.

He took a few minutes to gather his thoughts before asking,

“Besides that, what else does this transformation do?”

As he listened to his own voice, Nero realized that it had changed quite a bit.

It was now deeper and darker. There was also an enigmatic draw to it he couldn’t quite place a finger on.

{The Black Body Transformation is the Heretic’s own flesh interpreting the Seals of Sin it has absorbed and adjusting to them. It grants the Heretic increased physical strength, speed, stamina, as well as the added effect of increased resistance to spirit based attacks, divination, and prophetic abilities}.

Nero raised his brows,

“It is my body’s way of protecting me…”

He glanced down at his hands.

His calloused palms looked strange and mangled. His flesh looked beyond burnt. Like the color of coals before they were ignited.

He didn’t doubt that his features were absolutely terrifying at the moment.

He concentrated a bit.

Feeling something stir within him, he opened his eyes.

His dark skin crinkled and broke. The tumors seemed to melt away, and his elongated claws shrank. The rather off-putting sound of bones cracking and rearranging also came from him.

The next moment, he was human once again.

His face turned black as he strained against the transformation. His bones crunched and creaked but ultimately, he was unable to retain his human form anymore.

Not wanting to stare at his monstrous form any longer, Nero sheathed the Silver Blade.

He sat quietly for what felt like an eternity, pondering on what to do next.

Soon, the answer was written clear as day before him, regardless of how terrible it sounded.

’To retain my humanity, to continue on my journey… I need to become a monster.’

He had no choice.

He would have to consume the flesh of Abominations to keep this transformation in check. The more Abominations he devoured, the better he would be able to manage his transformation.

Even though he would become more and more monstrous after every meal, it was a sacrifice he was willing to take.

He slowly rose to his feet.

To his surprise, he realized that he also stood at least a few inches taller than normal.

His face twisting into a bitter smile, he picked the Silver Blade up. Unsheathing it, he swung it viciously several times.

’I’m definitely more powerful than before.’ He thought to himself before sheathing the blade.

Ignoring the dull pain covering the rest of his body, he tidied up his small corner of the cave. Once he was done, he picked up a torn piece of clothing and used it to wipe off the blood covering his blackened flesh.

He paused for a moment,

“I have one more question; I received two Seals of Sin after defeating the Wretched Maiden of Despair. What is that all about?”

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