Chapter 66: Corruption (2)
I stammered while speaking further, my mind racing with countless possible questions. Was this man Ness himself, or Skin, or maybe both? But they were the same, right? Should I run? Could I even do that? Every fiber of my being screamed at me to flee, yet something rooted me to the spot, an invisible force of dread and intrigue intertwining, keeping me locked in place.
Perhaps he saw my flustered appearance, because he chuckled lightly, his tone tinged with amusement and mockery. "Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. I can control my corruption."
I was skeptical. How could he? And more importantly, what exactly was corruption? As such, I asked the burning question, my voice low but firm. "What exactly is corruption?"
He nodded his head as if he had been expecting that very question. "Corruption, in simpler terms, is knowledge."
Intrigued, I pressed further. "Meaning?"
Leaning back on his chair, he seemed to be brooding over something before he finally spoke, his voice dark and heavy. "It’s like knowing or imagining existence beyond nothingness or bypassing the shimmering membrane of realms. It is taboo, forbidden knowledge."
I nodded, slowly digesting his words, though they left a bitter taste in my mouth.
He continued, his tone laced with something akin to reverence. "If you stumble upon such knowledge, if you pry where you shouldn’t, you gain the forbidden wisdom. And that—that is what corrupts you. Corruption is the defiance of us lesser beings against the laws of the cosmos, the higher powers."
I tapped my fingers against the side of my chair, thinking, contemplating, trying to piece together the fragmented puzzle he was laying before me.
I met his gaze, his eerie, knowing gaze, and asked, "What exactly happens to a corrupted being?"
He chuckled, a lighthearted sound that felt out of place given the gravity of our discussion. "It depends on how exactly you acquired that knowledge. The corruption will manifest according to your defiance, your transgression against the natural order."