The runes that had become a bit more familiar burned into existence before his eyes again.
{Does the Heretic require information about his transformation?}
Nero pursed his lips and nodded.
’This cheating Oracle... I need to be careful with the way I ask questions or I’ll get duped again.’
"Yes. These changes I’m feeling... I feel like I’m faster. My heart feels different too."
{The Seal of Divinity is reshaping the Heretic according to the design of the Divine Will}.
Nero frowned.
Such a statement was rather suspicious.
"Reshaping me you say..."
{All Seals fundamentally alter the nature of their bearers. They corrupt, change, and pervert what is into an enigmatic variant. Something strange and new}.
The Oracle’s words sent a chill down Nero’s spine.
His voice trembling, he couldn’t help but say,
"I’m being corrupted."
{No. The body and soul of the Heretic is being perfected by the will of the Divine One}.
"Perfected."
He grimaced. He knew his body was changing. However, wasn’t ’perfecting’ quite the choice of words?
What does it mean to be perfect?
What did it mean to be ’perfected’?
To correct his deformities?
To strip him of weakness? Or rather, fill him with strength?
Or was it something more vague and hard to pin down?
Perhaps, his mind was not yet ready to understand something of that nature.
{The Templars of the Church bear Seals of Sin, fragments of power granted onto them by the Fallen Ones. These seals twist their bodies and minds toward madness and mutation. The Heretic bears a Seal of Divinity, power granted directly from the source of all creation. This seal reshapes the bearer toward a divine ideal}.
Nero touched his wounded shoulder. Even through the poison, he could feel the flesh around the wound tingling; a telltale sign of healing.
’Even my healing is faster?’
Although it wasn’t very obvious, or perhaps he was imagining things again.
’That’s probably it.’
He envisioned the runes again...
***
{Seals of Sin: 2/1000}
***
"An ideal you say..."
{The perfect Witness. The perfect instrument of the Divine Will’s judgment}.
Such a thing sounded rather terrifying.
His expression changed a bit.
"Doesn’t that sound like you are trying to replace me? Then what happens to who I am?"
The Oracle was silent for a short moment.
{The man named Nero will cease to exist. In his place will be Armageddon, Angel of Judgment}.
Nero felt something cold settle in his chest.
Like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.
There truly were no free things in life.
{The transformation is propagated by the absorption of each Seal of Sin. With each manifestation of divine essence, each a step toward the fulfillment of the Heretic’s purpose}.
Nero paused to think.
"So if I don’t collect the seals, if I don’t use my abilities, I stay human longer?"
{Yes. But the Heretic cannot avoid his fate forever. The Divine Will’s design cannot be resisted indefinitely}.
Nero leaned back against the void. Resting his head against nothing, he asked,
"These Seals of Sin... How exactly do I absorb them? Is there some sort of mystical sorcery going on?"
{When an Abomination dies, its Seal of Sin is released as spiritual energy. The Heretic’s nature allows him to absorb this energy and add it to his own Seal. Lesser creatures possess fragments of a whole Seal. Greater creatures possess complete seals. Ancient creatures may possess multiple seals}.
"Then as I reach a thousand..."
{The Seal of Divinity will unlock. The Heretic will gain access to the first tier of divine power}.
Nero breathed a sigh...
’Looks like I can get away with acquiring extra information if I play it smart and twist my questions into statements. That way, I don’t get played again.’
However, it was impossible for him to avoid making statements forever. Not until he at least perfected the method.
"First tier, huh... How many tiers are there?"
{That information is not available to the Heretic in his current state}.
Nero closed his eyes.
There was a light hum within the void thrumming through his body. Or was it his soul?
Around him, the void seemed filled with static blankness.
It wasn’t even colors. No black or white.
It was just nothing. A state of complete nothing.
Well, nothing if he and the Divine Oracle; the manifestation of the Divine Will itself, were excluded.
Somehow, he felt as though their presence brought a much needed shade and light to this strange place that existed in his own mind.
He let out a sigh.
Although the Oracle seemed very selfish, it still seemed more honest than the Church and its collection of prayers and false blessings to appease the heart of the common damned man.
Assuage their fears, grant them grain and the barest of protection.
Then Lord their might over them all.
The carrot and the stick.
To make matters worse, the Emperor seemed completely blind to their antics.
Nero sighed again. But there was nothing he could say or do about all that. After all, he was just a common town guard.
What did he know?
Still, staying in a semi-safe town was much better than his current situation.
Him living through the hour was still unsure.
"My last question," Nero said.
Since he only had three attempts every day, he had to make every one count.
Each question was an opportunity for him to not only cement his current understanding; it was also an opportunity to gain as much of an advantage as he possibly could.
Nero sucked in a deep breath,
"What should I do to survive my current predicament?"
Nero clenched his fists as he continued,
"I have a rough idea of what to do, but I am still unsure. There are so many things I could do. And yet, there is so much danger, I feel all of them will amount to naught. So tell me; what do I do?"
This time, the Oracle was silent for a fair bit.
It was as though the Divine Will was contemplating in his behalf.
Eventually, he got his answer,
{The recommended course of action for the Heretic, is to keep accumulating Seals of Sin}.
Nero grimaced and let his head drop,
"Is that so... Well, I thought as much."