{Rejoice, Heretic. You have received the Relic, Rippling Blade}.
***
Dust's hands trembled as he slowly glanced around the dark room.
A bead of sweat rolled down his brows and onto his cheeks.
'What was that?'
He remained like that for a few minutes before relaxing his posture.
'That voice... I've heard it before.'
It was the voice that had spoken to him at the bottom of the lake.
Dust frowned.
What exactly was going on?
As if on cue, something strange happened all of a sudden.
Right before his very eyes, a series of runes and symbols he did not recognize slowly burned their way into reality, as though they were etched there by some divine hand.
Dust's eyes widened.
"W-what—!"
***
{Congratulations, Heretic. You have received the Curse of the Divine. This curse has created a permanent link between the Divine, and the One true Heretic}.
Name: Dust.
True Name: Heretic.
Mark Rank: F
Mark(s): Mark of Divinity (locked).
Relics: Rippling Blade.
Skills: Heretic Eye.
Description: Town Guard.
Sins: Heretic, Witness.
{Heretic}: You are one who truly does not believe. Thus, you have been deemed a Heretic by the heavens and have acquired the Curse of the Divine.
{Witness}: The Heart of a Heretic is the One true witness, for it is the only thing not bound by belief. The Witness cannot be easily afflicted by knowledge and madness.
***
Dust stood there frozen for some time.
Then he sighed and let out a mirthful chuckle.
"That damned Regilus's curses have finally met me. I truly am going insane."
He walked out of the treasury and into the dead priest's bedroom.
Plopping down onto the bed, he let out a sigh.
'Perhaps I need to rest for a bit.'
He tried closing his eyes. However, the runes and symbols didn't go away.
Despite him not knowing what they were, it was as though his mind already knew how to interpret them.
'The Divine again. And what is this about a curse? Heretic? True name...'
His brows furrowed together,
'I don't understand any of this.'
He slowly sat up,
"And how do I get rid of this thing?" He muttered to himself.
Suddenly, the runes changed.
***
{The Divine speaks;
The Heretic has been granted the mark; Mark of Divinity. To upgrade mark to the next Tier, the Heretic must kill a thousand abominations, absorbing a thousand Marks}.
***
Dust frowned.
'Could it be... I truly am not hallucinating?'
The sound of the howling night wind didn't reach the inner sanctum. Despite that, Dust couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine.
His neck creaked as he lifted his gaze up.
"Don't tell me..."
The Divine truly did exist?!
And even worse, it had branded him a Heretic and cursed him!
He grimaced, "What in the Hells is going on?! Why me?"
He folded his arms.
'A heretic is an unbeliever. One that refutes theology with every ounce of what they are.'
Dust shook his head,
'I don't think I've ever doubted the existence of the Divine. Have I?'
The more he thought about it, the more he was certain.
'Then this has to be a big misunderstanding. After all, a Heretic is one that truly does not believe.'
After giving it some thought for a few more minutes, he shook his head,
"Even if that is the case, it doesn't matter, does it? I don't this... whatever this is can be reasoned with. So I guess these are the cards I've been dealt with."
He would just have to make the most out of it.
Although he didn't understand the thing with the curses and such, there were a few things he could make out to some extent...
His eyes were fixed on a particular line of runes;
'Mark of the Divine. Could it perhaps, be related to the Marks of the Crusaders?'
The five Crusader Orders within the church; the Crusader Order of the White Prophets, the Crusader Order of the Blood Crucible, the Crusader Order of the Ironherd, the Crusader Order of the Verdant Ash Sea, and the Crusader Order of the Wilting Seraph.
Each one of them had a corresponding Mark affiliated with their branch.
'According to what I know, the Marks are what give the Crusaders the ability and strength to battle the mad and corrupt Abominations of the land.'
Suddenly, the runes before his, their edges and contours burning with a golden radiant hue, began to twist and morph.
***
{The Divine speaks;
A Mark is a runic brand infused with a Sin— a conceptual force twisted from divine law. Only the Churches created by the Fallen possess the sacred knowledge needed to create and implant them. Marks grant miraculous abilities, but each one comes with a curse of madness.
***
Dust's eyes widened,
"If you can speak to me, does that mean I can talk back to you as well, erh... Oh great Divine!"
{Yes}.
Seeing the runes change again, a strange feeling swelled up in his chest.
"W-why is all this happening?"
He wanted answers.
{The end goal of the Heretic, is to witness the completion of Judgment}.
Dust frowned, "Not going to tell me any more, huh..."
He paused for a moment then asked,
"Can I ask you any more questions?"
{The Curse of the Divine, is the burden of the Heretic, as well as a gift}.
Dust blinked,
'Don't tell me...'
"You are my curse?"
{Yes}.
Dust leaned back and let his body sink into the soft mattress; a luxury only the priest could afford in the entire village.
Ignoring the comfortable feeling luring him in, he asked,
"Then, this Mark of the Divine, what does it do?"
{The Mark of Divinity is a brand exclusive only to the Heretic. However, it is currently sealed. To gain access to the brand, as well as more information, the Heretic must gain access to the next Tier by killing a thousand Abominations and harvesting their Marks}.
"Is that so..." Dust muttered, only half listening as he drifted off into the sweet embrace of slumber.
It didn't take long for his soft breathing to echo through the dark room.
Dust had fallen asleep.