"The Corruption of Knowledge"
Chapter 8: The Priest Who Is No Longer Human
Author: Frenames
Before I could even react, he vanished.
A freezing gust swept past my back, piercing my skin like invisible blades of ice. Instinct took over as I turned sharply to the left—
Nothing.
I gasped.
I turned to the right—
Still nothing.
"Where are you…?"
The words had barely left my mouth when something touched my shoulder.
Cold.
Wet.
And tightening.
The sensation crept through my body like iron sinking into flesh. My muscles tensed as a voice whispered behind me—
"I've found you."
I moved without thinking. Twisting my body, I leapt back and raised my gun toward the presence, pulling the trigger instantly.
The shot rang out.
Too late.
He was already gone.
The bullet struck the stone floor, its echo lingering through the hollow church.
"Damn it… missed. This gun only has one shot," I muttered, frustration tightening my chest.
Then—
Laughter.
Low.
Distorted.
Inhuman.
It echoed from every corner, like something crawling along the very walls of the church. My grip tightened around the gun as I turned in circles, searching for the source—
Then suddenly—
He appeared behind me.
I spun instantly, throwing a powerful roundhouse kick—
Nothing.
He vanished again.
"Shit—!"
In the next instant, something slammed into my side.
A punch.
No—
It felt like a hammer crashing into my ribs.
"Gah—!"
The air exploded out of my lungs as I staggered back. Before I could recover, another attack followed—
A kick to my knee.
I heard a sickening crack.
My leg gave out.
I collapsed onto the stone floor.
But it didn't stop.
A hand grabbed my hair—merciless, unforgiving—and smashed my face into the ground.
KRAK!
Blood burst from my nose.
My vision spun.
"Weak…" he whispered, amused.
I tried to move—anything—
But suddenly he grabbed my head and dragged me across the floor like I weighed nothing.
The rough stone scraped against my skin.
Pain.
Heat.
Blood.
"Fight," he whispered into my ear. "Or die like a dog."
I smirked, even as my body trembled.
"Try me…"
I drove my elbow into his side—
It hit.
But—
He didn't move.
Not even an inch.
Instead—
He smiled wider.
And then I felt it—
His hand around my throat.
Fast.
Cruel.
Crushing.
He lifted me off the ground like I was nothing.
I kicked.
I punched.
Nothing worked.
His body felt like stone.
My strength began to fade as his grip tightened.
Darkness crept into my vision.
Until—
SWISH!
Something cut through the air.
A single motion.
A single strike.
The pressure around my throat vanished instantly.
I collapsed to the ground, coughing violently as I sucked in air mixed with blood.
In front of me—
A man stood.
Clad in black.
Still.
Silent.
His sword—
Dripping.
To the side—
The priest stood.
But his arm—
Was gone.
Severed cleanly at the shoulder.
Blood poured from the wound, forming a dark pool on the stone floor beneath him.
The priest's expression changed.
The twisted smile vanished.
Replaced by something colder.
Sharper.
Recognition.
"…You."
His voice dropped, heavy with restrained fury.
"I didn't even notice your arrival… nor your attack."
His teeth clenched as his gaze locked onto the hooded man.
"What concept line are you walking?"
For the first time—
Uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
Then—
He froze.
Something was wrong.
The hooded man noticed instantly.
"Hide."
The word was simple—
But absolute.
I didn't argue.
Grabbing my fallen gun, I ran to the back of the church and dropped behind the last row of pews, where the shadows swallowed me whole.
For a moment, I considered running.
Escaping.
Leaving everything behind.
But the thought alone tightened my chest.
If I run now…
I'll never forgive myself.
Clenching my jaw, I reloaded the gun with trembling hands.
Just one chance…
That's all I need.
Silence fell over the church.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Then—
The hooded man vanished.
And in the next instant—
He stood in front of the priest.
No sound.
No warning.
Only motion.
The sword rose—
And fell.
From where I watched, it looked like a perfect horizontal slash. The priest's head split cleanly, blood erupting into the air like a crimson storm.
But something felt wrong.
It wasn't horizontal.
It was vertical.
An illusion.
The priest's head separated—
Then stopped.
Suspended in midair.
My breath caught.
From the exposed neck—
Something began to grow.
Bones.
They pushed outward with a sickening crack, stretching, twisting, moving as if alive. Six elongated appendages burst out, spreading like spider legs—
But they were made entirely of bone.
They reached for the severed head.
Grabbed it.
And slowly pulled it back into place.
A sharp, splintering sound echoed through the church.
The hooded man stepped back, adjusting his stance.
The priest—
No.
The thing before us—
Began to change.
Its back bulged unnaturally before tearing open, a tail forcing its way out. Thick fur spread rapidly across its body, ripping through skin as if something monstrous had always been hiding beneath.
Its fingers lengthened—
Turning into black claws.
Its body expanded.
Muscles swelled.
Bones reshaped.
Its face—
Distorted.
Its jaw pushed forward.
Its ears sharpened.
Dark fur covered its features, shifting slightly with each breath—
Like it was alive.
It was no longer human.
Not even close.
To be continue...