Corrupt Puppets

Malik didn't register that he was being called a hero. To be honest, he could care less what he was called right now. The leading cutest was no stronger than the others, which meant it was no real leader at all. 

On top of that, it was very clear that these were some low ranking useless cultists that came here to just back up the stronger ones within dungeons. What else would make this so easy? This wasn't some event where Malik was just ten times stronger than the weak monster, no, these were just the weakest of the weak. It had to be. 

The lightning scale kept itself functioning by using the dragon heart and high spirit veins to pull in more and more manas. It was incredibly efficient since it was a skill that used multiple parts of the body together. Their resonance making Malik even more resistant to those manas in this fused Lightning form overall. 

Because of this, he was moving faster and didn't even notice that the elemental spirits were still influencing the rain that fell all over Harvest Village. That with him using Lightning scale skill, they had also been able to begin making this rain fall a thunder and Lightning storm. He just hadn't focused on it since he was now looking at a larger home with clear markings. 

Just as any head of a village or town would have their home marked out so that travelers could find it, Harvest Village was much the same. There was a large basket and a few fruits on the door proving this was an important village building. Malik could also see where guests would stay if they were important enough. Every town and village was like this, he had been too. 

But the door here, was cracked and broken. More outcry came from within as people were being interrogated. The cultists speaking here had clearly found some troubles. 

The good part about the noise, was that Malik used the shadow wrapping skill and slunk in to the shadows of the damaged home. Every broken table was a new shadow he could use to help him hide. Every fallen curtain made shadows in the Lightning outside for him to move more easily through. Every single aspect of the cultist's destruction became a tool for Malik. 

That was how he was able to sneak up behind a cultist wearing armor under his robes. From the viewpoint of Malik, this cultist was more like a Warrior than the mage cultists he had seen before. 

From what he knew, they all forcefully changed their classes to be believers who had the higher chance to become a high priest, or above. That way they would show the beliefs they had in their god.

This one was a warrior of sorts, clearly remaining on their own path. So was this considered a cultist at all?

"What are you? What are they looking for? How many went in the dungeons? What dungeon is the paladin of light in?"

The knife that had just appeared at the cultist warrior's neck made him freeze. This was something the cultist had never experienced. But was he going to beg for his life? 

No!

He was doing his duty and if he perished so be it! Not until he felt something familiar. "You're touched by the lord. Our god has touched you. I can sense it." Malik struggled to hold back the lightning scale skill from electrocuting this cultist when he said that.

"Answers. Now." Malik pressed the blade against the warrior's neck. The slight red of blood didn't make any difference though.

"I am fine with being your sacrifice. I became a corrupt warrior to follow his will. None can know his will, I accept it." Malik realized that the mental aspect of these cultists was gone for good. They were insane and had no sense to answer questions.

A single swift motion sent the cultist to the ground and Malik sneaking in to a larger open hall. There he found the source of the outcry. 

"Just accept the gift of our great lord. Our great god bestows his power upon all. Not just those faithful. Once you accept it, you will become a true believer. One of the strong and one of the greatest that shall bring our lord to the world again."

Each word came with a scratch or slash of a blade in the woman's body. Each carried an odd dark mana that wasn't dark mana at all. That felt more familiar to Malik.

"Channeling mental corruption through your blade? You are a monster!" His should alerted the taller priest as he worked, several swaying figures moved to intercept Malik though.

'Corrupt follower- monster 

Having their mind and soul destroyed by the crushing power of the eldritch god of the unknown power, they have devolved in to mindless monsters. No longer human at all.

As such, they gained an affinity for weak dark mana and can cause damage using it. However, they lack proper motor functions and struggle to remain upright without more time to adjust. They also require orders to move and act now.

They will change over time to become corrupt followers elite, which will have tougher bodies and have lost even more individual traits. Becoming perfect puppets for the higher ranking corrupt priests.'

Malik could have read more in to it, but ten former villagers had just leaped to attack him where he stood. Various grabs at his body with dark mana coating their hands proving to be annoying and troublesome.

"Ah, a visitor that rejects the- you have the will of our lord god in you! I feel it. You are the future we need. We have armor for you. Weapons for you. We even have a soon to be corrupt paladin for you. We can make you whole. Do not worry." 

Sensing the higher skills and general aura of this priest more than proved that Malik had only ever met leaders or those who called themselves such. Not real high priests. A smart way to confuse those coming after the cultists. 

Right now though, he felt the pressure as the corrupt priest condensed mental corruption on the knife in his hand. He was already ignoring the still crying target. Other cultists had five more people restrained here.

They weren't cutting away body parts to use, they had been making living puppets to be used to continue their efforts. Horrendous. Disgusting. Cruel. So many more words could describe what they had been doing here, and what they intended to keep doing.

"You're all monsters. Nothing about me is a monster in comparison." Malik could never see himself doing evil things like this. The priests' claim to make him whole was just a claim that he would lose what made him Malik. That gave him the ability to act as a sane and lawful person. 

Not that he was feeling lawful right now. Malik felt deeper rage than he had before. This time, he couldn't control it as well. Couldn't repress it from influencing the Lightning scale skill he was holding back.

'Mental corruption recedes.'

Lightning arced off and caused slight scorch marks across the floor. The priest coated himself in a robe of dark mana before moving ahead. The struggling corrupt followers were also attacking again. This time with even more violence and malice to their movements. 

The slashes from the corrupt priest wouldn't be an issue if they were normal l life slashes. But when he slashed from a Distance, corrupted fair mana was thrown through the air. The corrupted followers were unaffected, but Malik felt a deep pain as one grazed him.

The blade of corrupt dark mana had left a slight decaying cut that the body dealt with easily. Unfortunately, it was the pain in his head that made him stumble.

'The corruption grows.'

The prompt for the system guide was clear. But Malik knew it would only get worse if he were to stand here without moving. Catching his breath so to speak was not what he had the chance to do. 

"You're not even alive anymore, so leave me alone!" Malik roared out letting the Lightning scale skill burst with more mana from him. 

It caused various arcs of Lightning to split off before it faded from his body. He had over extended what he could control with his lower knowledge of the three manas and them fusing together. 

He had achieved a small goal though. He had managed to instantly kill the weak corrupt followers made in to puppets and halt the next thrown corruption blade. 

"Wonderful! All the work of our grand high priest proves to be valuable. I can not wait for the great lord god to use the body we prepared."

"We spent years hunting the tiger tribe for those tendons. Lost a hundred puppets to get that dragon heart. Twenty priests perished to strip away every elemental mana from that dragon heart. All glorious and worthwhile. I am seeing the future form of god!" 

Fervent madness took over the mind of the priest as he brandished a second long knife and rushed at Malik. He was experienced enough in combat that Malik's instincts screamed at him to dodge instead of block.