I checked more, and more, and I double-checked and kept checking. Then I checked again.

Everyone.

Everyone I've ever touched with my Origin threads. Not just the ones I've merged with my Origin, but EVERYONE I've so much as touched. Which is everyone on the entire planet, thank you so much, you friggin' gods.

There's a crystalline sheen affecting at least some of their memories. It doesn't harm them at least that I can tell, but... It's there. When I moved an Origin Thread close to one of their non-infected memories, nothing. Their infected memories, though? I felt an excited and ravenous hunger. I wanted so badly to consume it.

Just like Unlo.

Damnit. DAMNIT ALL!

I hence decided to perform tests on a sentient but non-sapient monkey monster. First, I checked its memories. They were uncontaminated. Then, I touched its head with my Origin. NOT its Will; it doesn't have one. Well, technically it does, but it's more like a proto-Will spread throughout its mind. Weak and uncoordinated.

No— I only touched its head, as if I were removing a Will leech. Then, I rechecked its memories and—

Yep, a few had become corrupted.

I also noticed some people have more of my corruption than others. Why was that? To figure it out, I watched the affected memories of this monkey for a bit.

It spreads. It's slow, but it spreads. First, it fully engulfs the initial few memories, but then spreads to other memories.

I wanted to know why. Against my expectations, tiny crystalline chunks were floating off of the most infected memories.

I checked where those chunks went. When I saw? I wanted to punch something. But I can't do that. I'd destroy the planet.

Yes, those crystals spread around the monkey's body.

However, I've just learned what kind of horror I've become.

Some of these floating crystal bits ended up outside the monkey's body. Carried by dense tapestry of my own Origin, the little shards of crystal eventually infects new creatures.

image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/123.png]

This thing I am? I'm worse than the deadly sins and false virtues. Far worse.

My corruption spreads like a virus. I can't stop or retract it like the deadly sins and false virtues. Once it's outside my body, it ignores my Will. Just like— like...

The seeds.

...

Am I going to see another big red X? This time on my...

...

...

I can't.

I can't even contemplate that.

...

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For my last test, I ate the monkey.

My sanity meter is plain broken. Half of my status is broken, too. What's the point of a sanity meter which breaks at the moment it's needed? Why did I bother?

Instead, I tried to sense the strength of my Will. Did it get stronger before and after eating the monkey?

It did. My Will got stronger.

Hraaaah. Who knew being incredibly powerful could become a contagious curse? I sure as hell didn't.

On the plus side, I've determined I'm not a gluttony god.

It's less about my form and more about how my Will corruption works. It's very similar to the corruption which initially affected Unlo and his few compatriots. I hadn't compared before because I didn't know Unlo's second set of corruption was mine.

No, I didn't even try to compare. Maybe I was in denial.

Thankfully, unlike that black corruption, mine doesn't appear to interfere with my hosts' bodies or Wills. Not yet, anyway. That said, based on what happened to Unlo in the end. Hraagh. The transformation caused by my corruption is far worse than the deadly sins' and false virtues' Will leeches.

There's no going back. Unlo didn't retain his mind or Will. He just became, rehm. An Abyssal. Like me.

Reah, I'm probably an Abyssal.

The deity officer believed that a descended Abyssal was far stronger than a descended avatar. Except they all should be sealed. Therefore, he speculated I was an unascended Abyssal. However... That works. Second, what he knew about their Will corruption matched closely with Unlo's corruption, but not entirely with mine.

After thinking for a bit using his integrated memories, I've settled on me being an Abyssal as the most likely case. Though, I've gotta be an 'Abyssal variant' because the black corruption afflicting Unlo was not able to spread like a virus. I'm inexplicably worse than those horrific creatures. As if such a thing were possible.

Whelp, I've proved it's definitely possible. Since I am one.

I'm going to have to break the bad news.

"Dracosect."

"Yes, my god? Have you resolved your worries?"

"I have."

"My god, you worry too—"

"Dracosect, it's in literally everyone."

A pause.

"My god. Are you sure?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do! It's not harming anyone, not yet anyway, but— I've. I've corrupted everyone. On the entire planet. I can't get it back out."

"If there's no harm, my god, then why do you consider it 'corruption?'"

"First, I think what happened to Unlo was actually my fault. Second, it grows. It spreads. Like a disease. To anything living. Even plants. All life."

"That second part doesn't make sense, my god. Plants don't have a Will. How can you corrupt a plant with a Will leech when it doesn't have a Will?"

"That's right?"

I stab the ground with my Origin thread. I then check the area.

Oh, no.

No no no no no no no.

I can infect non-living objects?! Are you kidding me?!

"I just checked, Dracosect. It's probably not a Will leech. It infects non-living things, too."

"You know, my god, you keep surprising me. You always end up being more terrifying than I originally understood."

"So comforting."

"I don't think anyone can comfort you; not even me, my god. But no matter what you become, I'm still your claws. That can never change."

"Thank you for being there for me, Dracosect."

"My god! What fool wouldn't want to be the claws of such a nonsensically powerful being?"

I loudly snort in space.

*schrnok*

Wait. There's no air in space, how did I...?

Never mind.

Rhaaaah, maybe he can comfort me a little.

"Then, you're going to have to wait before I rejoin you all. I have something I must do before I can move forward."

"What's that, my god?"

Pathfinder, show Deification Tokens.

I see them pop up all over the universe. The vast majority are contained in the cores of large celestial bodies, such as stars. Blue supergiants tend to have the second most— second by a long shot, actually. I'm not going to eat the stars. Only the tokens.

As for why blue supergiants are second? I glance at the map, noting the absurd number of tokens caught in black holes. They're denoted by numbers that have huge exponents. I doubt I can get those, for now, but I'll make a mental note. Maybe I'll probe a black hole once I've eaten all the others.

"I'm gonna go eat a lot more and get even stronger. If I do, perhaps I can control this corruption."

"Hraw! My god, your claws await your triumphant return. Do not worry! I'll maintain everything perfectly and adeptly. Including your most recent teachings about forgiveness."

"I keep saying it, Dracosect, but you keep deserving to hear it again and again. Thank you. For everything you've done and for being who you are, thank you."

Just in case I... Don't see him again. Though, from his mention of my forgiveness sermon, he likely already knows what might happen once I start eating. I might not stop. Except. What choice do I have?

"You're welcome my god. Now, go for it."

"Yes, my godly claws! Here I go."

I cast transference—

And I eat.