Slime Immortal.

Chapter 117 Revenge and Compassion

Corruption of faith?

Oh…that makes sense.

No wonder there are corrupted crocodiles deep in the swamp. It turns out that the abandoned village was once the lair of Morgul's followers.

Even the corrupted knowledge to which the riverine tribes were exposed might have originated there.

But for some unknown reason, they left in a hurry, leaving behind only these two pieces of parchment containing the secrets.

Arno carefully spread out the translated letter in front of Chen Yu, his voice solemn.

"Your Majesty, before I came here, I specifically consulted the priest of the Church of the Sun. He told me that the corrupt faith, that is, the faith of Morgul, was once prevalent within the kingdom."

"Unlike other gods who are high above and whose responses are elusive, Morgul is dangerously generous. He almost never refuses the call of prayer, and power is readily available."

Arno paused, as if trying to organize his words. "Initially, this chaotic force was a weapon of the weak in the kingdom. Downtrodden rangers used it to exact revenge, and the oppressed used it to ignite the fires of revenge."

"At that time, the power of chaos and the 'Bleeding Blade' symbolizing the oath were the most distinctive marks of corrupted believers."

"But later, some gray mages came into contact with corrupted beliefs and used the power of chaos to collude with the demons of Hell, bringing an unimaginable bloody doom to the kingdom."

"Ever since the Paladins of the Sun Church drove the demons out of the kingdom and into the corrupted mountains, the corrupted faith has also faded, and can only be seen occasionally in gray areas or on the edge of the kingdom."

"This power itself is neither good nor evil; it all depends on the heart of the one who wields it." Earl Bran interjected at the right time, puffing out his chest.

"This Earl is well-informed and has seen many corrupt believers while traveling across the continent."

"Some use it to gain advantage and commit crimes, while others use it to fight for justice and settle scores. Morgul's power is the abyss of chaos, capable of swallowing up light while also reflecting the deepest obsessions of the human heart."

It cleared its throat and glanced at Chen Yu.

"Ahem, Your Majesty, what I mean is that this thing may be a hot potato, but it may not be completely useless. It would be a pity to just throw it away."

Chen Yu's gel body bounced slightly to show his approval.

"Stay."

As he spoke, his attention turned to the obscure symbols on the letter paper.

"Yano, these words are like tadpoles dancing. I don't understand them."

Arno scratched his head awkwardly. "The common language is indeed complex, especially when it comes to this kind of... forbidden knowledge. It's full of obscure words and secret codes specific to this specialized discipline."

He quickly pulled out a piece of rough paper covered with notes from the lining of his leather armor. "I spent several days in Father Baho's library and finally managed to piece together this comparison table. Take a look at this."

Chen Yu's eyes moved back and forth between the letter paper and the draft. With the help of Arno's "key", the entangled mysteries finally began to loosen.

He understood.

The first record is signed by Kelvin, the "Accomplice of Corruption."

He was once a knight in the Kingdom's border guard corps, but because of his wife Lina's beauty, he attracted the covetousness of Caron Scott, a powerful border guard of the White Horse Kingdom.

Cuaron used his power to fabricate charges, slander and frame Kelvin, ultimately destroying his family - Lina committed suicide due to the humiliation, and her infant son was not spared.

Carrying a huge blood feud, Kelvin was rescued by Morgul's followers in despair, fled the kingdom, and eventually ended up in a gathering place of followers deep in the swamp.

Here, gathered countless souls like him, who were crushed by fate and trampled by power.

The poisonous flame of revenge burned him day and night. After several years of brutal training and inhuman torture, he finally touched the threshold of corruption and promotion inadvertently when he was on the verge of death - the Corrupted Avenger.

"Your Majesty, let this earl take a look."

Lord Bran couldn't contain his curiosity, so he flapped his wings and moved closer, almost burying his little head in the letter.

"Let me see. To gain the power of the Avengers... one must possess immense resolve and willpower... and sacrifice entities related to one's obsession, including weapons, tokens, and even limbs..."

"Finally, in despair, he accepted the test of corruption, defeated the shadow of obsession, and clarified his will for revenge."

"Oh, that sounds amazing."

Really awesome.

Kelvin described in his records that every time the power of corruption was used, one's will was tested.

If reason cannot withstand the erosion of madness, the spirit will fall into a period of weakness and chaos. But if it does pass through, it will receive a tremendous reward: all physical attributes will be temporarily and comprehensively enhanced, especially its knightly class primary attribute—strength, which will receive an even more terrifying boost under the amplification of chaotic power.

He once used this power to rip the arm of a giant forest bear apart with his bare hands.

"Hiss..." Earl Bran took a breath, subconsciously shrank his neck, and flapped his little wings uncomfortably.

"This Kelvin... is a tough guy."

"The next page, knight, His Majesty is waiting to see it." Earl Bran urged.

Arno quickly turned over the letter paper underneath.

The second record was not Kelvin's personal experience, but a legacy he transcribed with mixed feelings for a deceased person - the corrupted compassionate Fabian Garrett.

This story carries completely different levels of heaviness and glimmer.

Fabian was not a poor man struggling at the bottom of society. He came from a wealthy business family, but out of compassion, he gave up his comfortable life and joined the Church of the Sun, which serves light.

He spent the first half of his life guarding a dilapidated chapel deep in the dirtiest slums of the kingdom's capital.

Day after day, he witnessed hell on earth - disease spread in the alleys, hunger made his mother's eyes dull, and his desperate father sold his soul for a piece of black bread... He prayed, he gave alms, and he used his meager magic to alleviate the pain.

But the doctrine of light seems so pale and powerless in the face of endless suffering.

He began to wonder why the sun's light could not reach these corners?
Why can’t sincere prayers bring a bowl of life-saving oatmeal?

His faith quietly collapsed amidst repeated self-doubt.

In his confusion, he accidentally came into contact with Morgul's corrupting power.

This power, which was denounced as taboo and full of chaos, allowed Fabian to see another possibility.

He was not consumed by hatred like Kelvin, but instead realized some twisted power in the chaos.

He wrote in his record:
"How is the power bestowed by God any different from mortal fire? Fire can burn down cities, smelt iron, and warm houses."

"Morghur's Chaos is a torrent of destruction, but also... the beginning of rebirth. It tears away all falsehood, leaving only the most fundamental thing in life - the desire to live."

"If I can use this chaotic power to add even a tiny glimmer of light to those dying flames of life in the abyss of despair... then, enduring the pain that comes with it is the path I will choose."

So, the old pastor who turned his back on the sun embarked on a bitter journey of self-exile.

He went deep into the plague-ridden villages, stepped into the scorched earth ravaged by war, and wandered in the "troubled land" forgotten by all light.

He no longer prayed for divine grace, but instead used his own flesh and blood as a bridge to guide the violent power of corruption, transforming it into a... twisted but effective healing energy.

He became the "Corrupted Merciful."

Kelvin recorded Fabian's path on the parchment with awe and a hint of trembling in his writing.

The trial of the compassionate is sacrifice and endurance.

If you want to embark on this path, you need to take the initiative to shoulder the desperate situation of others.

To become a Merciful, one needs to find at least five people on the verge of death and use Morgul's power to forcibly pull them back from the brink of death.

However, this "miracle" of reversing life and death does not come without a price.

Every time a rescue is performed, the price is borne by the caster himself - those fatal wounds and life-eroding diseases will be forcibly stripped away from the recipient by the power of corruption, and then doubly branded on the caster's flesh and soul.

Every time this powerful healing power is used, the caster's own corruption and erosion will deepen.

Their bodies will gradually change - scales or pustules may grow on their skin, their limbs may become twisted and deformed, or even grow organs that should not be there.

They are under constant mental shock, with chaotic whispers lingering in their ears all the time, trying to drag them into complete madness.

It can be said that the compassionate person is a doctor walking on the edge of a knife, using his own constantly corroded life and soul in exchange for the chance for others to survive.

Two years after becoming the "Merciful", Pastor Fabian died in an unknown swamp village due to old age and twisted mutations, leaving behind only the trial of the "Corrupted Merciful".

Kelvin described his body as not recognizable as human.

(End of this chapter)