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'World quest: rise up 

Chain quest: Second link- Mental Stability

Requirements: 

Control the rise of self and outer mental corruption.

Rewards: 

Soul survival, potential alterations to the body.'

'Spark of divinity has gained strength in the defeat of a corrupt high priest turned to the eldritch horror monster.'

'The class, Seed Of The Unknown, is growing. Potential failure in growth due to mental corruption.'

'Damage to the eldritch god of the unknown due to defeating a major follower achieved.'

'Double experience caused level ups. Growth unstable due to mental corruption.'

'Please calm your mind.'

'Mental corruption growing rapidly.'

The guide tried to explain the situation to Malik, this was all in vain though. This was a battle that had just happened. Malik had been part of it. But he had seen a lot of negative and was now seeing a lot more. Was not thinking a lot more. 

All the progress resisting and pushing the mental corruption back seemed to be pointless as it rushed in. the small spikes of pain not mattering whatsoever as Malik fell to his knees in front of Ellen. 

He had realized that the emptiness he felt was not just because he was looking at her when she was injured. "You said you are a vessel for your god? Have them bring her back. Save her. A god can do that. A god should be able to do that."

Malik's voice was devoid of proper emotion, but Reggie could feel it. The potential for despair. The potential for rage. The growing loss of who Malik was the longer that he sat there on his knees hoping that this paladin of light would somehow breathe another breath. 

"Bringing the dead back is not something that should happen. We are not necromancers and we are not able to go against the laws of the world. We can not play with life and death as if it is a simple toy. Bringing someone to life, if even possible, would break the delicate balance of manas across the world." 

Reggie swore he heard more cracking. Or was it the sound of Malik's body literally being damaged as Malik lost some control over his mana? There was no way for him to tell. He just watched as Malik's face contorted through anger and in to rage then became completely devoid again. 

"Then what's the point of a god? Worthless gods." 

Reggie felt hatred. Pure and unwieldy hatred. But he noticed Malik looking down at himself. Heard him mumbling still as Malik appeared to be absorbing the corrupt mamas around him unintentionally. 

"They make religions that create monsters. That makes souls in to play things. Treat most as materials. They just want vessels. To become more powerful. Evil gods."

His mumbling became more twisted as Reggie stood there stunned. "That's not it! They have a reason! The gods do not make vessels. They raise them through faith and protection!"

"Your mind is being eaten away by corruption. Snap out of-"

"But your divinity will destroy the dungeon."

"Even if they have escaped it's dangerous."

"No, space collapses. It will crumble."

"I will trust you. Please help this lost soul." 

"My god wishes to speak to you. I apologize for the suddenness of this meeting." Reggie reached out and touched Malik's head as all the flames converged from within the dungeon in them.

"So this is what you looked like child. You definitely fit the role of farmer if you had not been captured by the cruelty of fate."

"I know it is rude to pry in to the mind and soul of any being. It takes significant divinity and mana. I can't say I have much left. But please listen to this old god."

The white world where Malik knelt was devoid of all things now. Just him, in his ripped overalls and boots. As if he had returned from the fields to find the body he knelt in front of. A tragedy.

"While I may look odd, this form fits me the best." A middle aged man with glittering flame tattoos knelt down in front of Malik. His flames drifted through the white space adding vibrant color to it. Changing the bleak white in to a warm flow of mana.

"I can hear it. You're cries. Your woes. Your suffering is not small. You are not small any longer though. You are on the rise." 

"You have survived passed even death and returned without breaking the balance. The world did not shake or fall when you did. You were meant to survive in any form. You are meant to become as you are now."

"We understand your struggles. We understand your loss. You deserve time to accept it all. You deserve more than what you have. But please stand again. Take the power I hold and rise."

"There is not a monster here but someone greater than just human or just some race. You have a spark of divinity. Whether it was intended or not, you are you and can continue being so. Do not falter when evil crawls on to your path."

A single flash of undefined energy radiated before landing over Malik. The man's face faded as he became less defined in the form he had chosen. 

"Do not stand still. Become who you are meant to be. We all rely on you. We can not fight any longer."

A flash of memories flood Malik while he struggles to fight any of the mental corruption.

An endless abyss of chaos and nothing at the same time appears clearly in his view. He knows there's something there, yet also feels the connection to it. A sense of familiarity but danger as well.

Turning his head, he sees various beings wielding the aspects of the world itself. Whether it be laws and ideals or manas themselves, these beings formed a wall of protection. 

When Malik turned his head again, he saw endless stars. Harmonious balance. Life and death in flow. 

"The war took many eons. We gods are not all powerful. Our divinity wanes as we can not gather more believers. We can not gift abilities as we once did. We can not resist the madness of the unknown. It once rested in balance with us. Chaos and order."

The voice of the god of fire suddenly cut off as the energy he had to spend passing more divinity to Malik and more memories was gone.

The result had been met though. Malik felt sober. He felt small. He felt more like himself than he had ever felt before.

The smiles of his family on the farm, regardless of hard or good times were just memories now. Pieces of what made him as he was now.

Then he remembered Ellen. She wasn't just some paladin of light. If he had any say in it, she would be a goddess representing what light meant. What kindness was. Maybe she should have been. She'd never shown ill will in front of Malik before. 

Even as he felt more, he saw that she would have thrown her life at anything trying to harm another. Regardless of who or what an evil was trying to harm.

Who was he to throw all that to the side and become a monster in form and name? 

Who was he to just let this unknown god reach at him? 

Dare to touch his soul!

"I'll kill you." His eyes focused on the endless chaos and nothingness before the memory shattered and Malik could only see the body lying in a puddle of crimson. 

"You're fine now?" Reggie's weak voice managed to get to Malik this time.

"No. Nothing is fine."

Reggie flinched as he felt the oppressive power of many monsters coming from Malik. "The world got darker. The world became less. And I'm going to kill a god as retribution for that loss." 

This was beyond the pressure that Reggie had ever felt as his god of fire had wielded when taking over his body to bring his words to the followers. Beyond the presence he had felt in the day he was recognized and accepted to become a vessel for the god of fire. Beyond anything he had felt before. 

'Additional divinity has been gained.'

'The essence of divine flames had been granted.'

'The body will require slumber to acclimate to additional divinity. Adjusting physicality. Adjusting mana flow. Adjusting mental strengthening.'

Nothing the guide said made it to Malik as he forced himself to remain functional. Not giving in to sleep at all. 

"She needs to see the light again." His arms held Ellen. Her broken armor highlighted as he carried her. The weakened form of Reggie followed him. He wasn't speaking a word. His own sense of loss was too great.

He had just lost his standing as a vessel. There wasn't enough power for the god of fire to remain connected any longer to him. 

The pair arrived outside just as reinforcements prepared to charge inside. The injured surviving light warriors being treated right outside the entrance.