Divine System: Land of the Abominations-Chapter 277: My Greatest Weapons (1).

The wind continued its passage through the trees. The world kept turning, broken and beautiful in equal measure. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Nero had seen death and corruption and horror beyond what most people could imagine. He’d killed and consumed and transformed into something that wasn’t human anymore. He’d lost his home, his friends, and any semblance of a normal life.

But he was still here. Still breathing. Still capable of looking at wildflowers and wondering about the ocean.

He opened his eyes and looked down at his hands. The Mark of Mephistopheles stood out on his left hand.

These hands had killed. They’d torn through corrupted flesh and driven blades into hearts and skulls. They’d been covered in blood more times than he could count.

But they were still his hands.

He was still Nero, even if he was also becoming Armageddon.

The two identities existed together, overlapping and intertwining in ways that he couldn’t fully understand yet. But maybe that was fine. Maybe he didn’t need to understand everything all at once.

Maybe it was enough to keep moving forward, to keep seeing new things and learning about the world, to hold onto that spark of curiosity and wonder even as everything else tried to crush it out of him.

The Oracle had said the world was broken but beautiful.

Sitting here in this quiet moment, with sunlight filtering through corrupted leaves and wildflowers growing in tainted soil, Nero thought he understood what that meant.

Nothing was purely one thing or another. The forest was dangerous but alive. The Empire was cruel but still sheltered millions of people. Even Abominations, for all their horror, held the vestiges of a time once before...

Their very existence told a story..

Arthur stood up from where he’d been sitting, brushing dirt from his armor. "Time to move.

He then turned to face Nero, "Stay alert and close. Things get more dangerous from here on out."

Jacob rose as well, stretching his arms overhead with a satisfied grunt before retrieving his waraxe.

Nero climbed to his feet, picking up his spear and testing his grip. His body felt rested despite the short break, his mind clearer than it had been in days.

He took one last look at the small clearing, at the flowers and moss and twisted trees that had given him a moment of peace.

Then he turned and followed Arthur and Jacob deeper into the Thornwood.

The world was vast and broken and full of things he hadn’t seen yet.

And he intended to see as many of them as he could before it all ended.

***

They’d been walking for perhaps five minutes when Nero had a thought to make use of this downtime to do some extensive research...

The forest around them had grown even darker, the canopy so thick now that only scattered beams of light made it through to the forest floor. The corruption was more visible here as well.

Arthur and Jacob maintained their steady pace ahead of him. Sergeant Aldric brought up the rear, his presence a constant reminder that they were being observed and evaluated.

Nero used the relative quiet to turn his attention inward.

’Oracle,’ he thought. ’I need information.’

He paused for a moment, then continued,

’We’re hunting in the Thornwood. What kinds of Abominations are most common here besides Scavengers and Brandors? What should I watch for?’

{The Thornwood, being on the border of Malady’s Garden, hosts a diverse population of corrupted creatures. Beyond the Scavengers and Brandors you have already encountered, expect to find Venomspine; six-legged insectoid creatures approximately four feet in length with barbed tails that inject paralytic venom. They hunt from the canopy and prefer ambush tactics}.

{Mirehounds are also common in the deeper sections. Canine-like Abominations that travel in packs of three to seven. They emit a toxic mist from glands along their spines that causes respiratory distress and disorientation. Grade E typically, though pack leaders occasionally reach Grade D}.

’What else?’

{Hollow Striders; tall, emaciated humanoid creatures with elongated limbs and no faces. They hunt by sound and move with unnatural speed. Grade E to D depending on age. Rot Singers; avian Abominations that use sonic attacks to disorient prey before descending to feed. Grade F in isolation but dangerous in flocks}.b

The Oracle continued its catalog of horrors, describing each creature’s typical hunting patterns, vulnerabilities, and threat level. Nero absorbed it all, his mind creating a mental reference guide he could access during combat.

’What about the terrain itself?’ he asked. ’Are there any features I should be aware of?’

{The Thornwood follows the typical pattern of areas close to corruption zones. It is paramount the Heretic observes maximum caution as although the chances are quite low, it is not impossible to run into something extremely powerful and corrupted}.

That was concerning but not unexpected. Nero had experienced similar phenomena in Malady’s Garden after all.

{There are three creek beds running through the forest. All carry corrupted water and house all sorts of amphibious and aquatic horrors}.

Nero nodded to himself, adjusting his mental map of the area. The information was useful, giving him context beyond just following Arthur and Jacob’s lead.

Once he had gotten all of the information he needed in that aspect, the Oracle went silent.

Seeing that, Nero decided to ask another string of questions...

’Oracle, I need to understand my abilities better; Vineheart and Shadow Shift. I’ve been using them, but I feel like my understanding is incomplete.’

There was a brief pause.

{Vineheart is derived from the Fruit of Zoan, which you consumed in the ancient settlement. The fruit was grown from a sapling of the Dead Godtree, Sariel’s corpse. As such, it carries traces of the Angel of Life’s essence, though heavily corrupted and diluted by a thousand years of decay}.

{The ability grants you significantly enhanced regeneration and stamina. You have observed the regeneration aspect— wounds that would take days to heal close in hours, and injuries that would be permanently crippling recover given enough time. However, there are limits}.