The Lord of Rot

By morning Konrad had reached the mountain top. He would see far across the lands, which to him wasn't remarkable anymore. He'd assumed the facility would be seen in the far corner of the horizon, but to his surprise he couldn't see a thing. Behind him there was nothing. 

Before reaching the top of the cliff he had been forced to endure a few things of inconvenience. The climb was arduous like before, if not a tad bit more tiring. Had he gotten weaker? It couldn't have been the case, but no one can be too sure. 

When he reached a second third up the mountain something awaited him there. Who could have thought it! Another creature of The Rot. But this one looked far different than the other ones. Nothing in his mind could convince him that this wasn't a human... 

It had two arms and two legs. It didn't have fur. If it was an animal or some other creature, then it sure as hell did a good job. It fooled Konrad as it would have fooled anyone else. The only thing keeping his sanity was the slim chance that this was a Copy, a Mimic of sorts. Something like a Chameleon, but for looks instead of color. And luck be known, the voice called it the very same! 

[ Rotting Mimic... ]

But it wasn't a mere humanoid, there was something more to it... something far more disgusting. For from its body sprouted Larvae, in the same rotting delight. The body of the Rotting Mimic was reddish, almost looking turned inside out. But from the gaping wounds of the Rotting Mimic came the Rotting Larvae, there must have been almost a dozen. 

[ Rotting Larvae... ]

The voice would repeat the phrase over and over, driving Konrad a bit mad. But he knew, and could see his opportunity before him. And more than anything, this blasphemous creature was blocking his route... 

In the same fashion, jumping up in the air focusing all his focus to his leg, he would smash the Rotting Mimic into pieces, it was so anticlimax that not even Konrad would stop to praise himself for it. He had simply gotten to strong for these weaklings. 

But he had forgotten one thing, for in the same way power drives a man mad, it also drives them ignorant. Was the Rotting Mimic really the one in power here? Wasn't it...?

...

The Rotting Larvae hopped out of the body which was disintegrating into madness.

[ You have cleansed a rotting soul... ] 

He would not have time to react before one of the worm like parasitic creatures not smaller than a foot would lodge unto his right arm. It looked like a worm, crawling with the same tendency as the living flesh. It look to be slimy, terribly riddled with fluids and diseases. Having such a thing on his arm, he would rightfully want it to get off of him. But how would he do that? 

"No!", he exclaimed in pain. If he knew any swearwords he would have said them. 

The creature would crawl a bit further up his arm, then lodging the upper portion of its face, hundreds of small teeth right into the flesh of his arm. 

"Agh!", screamed Konrad in intense pain. 

"You little!"

The intense pain made it difficult too focus on his hand. What solution was in it was made incredibly hard. But, Konrad had already gotten used to it. He could feel the warmth in his hand before even focusing, he just did it because he was used to it.

So taking a breath, Konrad focused on the warmth protruding through his fingers, and then swiftly stabbed his blade-like fingers through the creature. 

[ You have cleansed a rotting soul... ] 

There were not many left, and without him being distracted - like the Rotting Mimic must have been. There was nothing holding him back from cleansing this land from these little creatures of forsaken rot. 

"Die you little!" 

[ You have cleansed a rotting soul... ]

[ You have cleansed a rotting soul... ]

...

So when Konrad had reached to tops of the mountain, he had already reached a small milestone. The voice would call out and say. 

[ 28 / 100 ]

"Yes!" Konrad would feel incredibly delighted by this. But he would be in confusion... 

The sharp pain which should have been radiating throughout his body, the terrible curse of The Rot which should be apparent spreading from the wounds and gashes caused by the Rotting Larvae to his hand. 

He would fearfully look at the wound, expecting a terrible masse of holes and gashes, leaking of rotted blood and tissue. But, to his surprise, he wouldn't see anything of the kind. 

Instead, Konrad would see a perfectly fine arm. 'But I was bitten?' Konrad himself saw it clearly, felt it clearly. Those hundreds of teeth gripping to his arm, sinking deep into his flesh. How come it was fine? There was something wrong, but since there actually wasn't anything wrong... 

Konrad couldn't complain.

*** 

After killing that many creatures, Konrad would feel enlightened enough to venture further up the mountain. He knew that he had been exhausted, but his strength must have gotten stronger. But for some reason, he felt heavier. That must have made his climb difficult. But why? He hadn't eaten. 

He looked at the horizon line, seeing all the vastness, all the emptiness before him. There was nothing to... 

[ Activating Contract... ]

'What, no, don't activate' 

"Agh!" 

Out of nowhere The Contract had activated, it was as though his mind was burning. His eyes pierced with luminescence. He would be forced to bear witness to the world again. Its vast green... 

"Stop it APHAIM!" 

But it wouldn't stop... It would be relentless in its burning pain. 

He woulds the greenery around him, and a terribly rotted body supporting his head... 

"Why am I the only one who is rotting..." It seemed as though insight made him terribly aware of himself. "Can't the world just stay like this" For he didn't want to continue living in a world which is so empty... "Is this for nothing..." 

But it wasn't in vain. For far in the distance, flashing in and out of existence. Konrad could see a city...