CLEAVER OF SIN Chapter 609: Branch
Previously on CLEAVER OF SIN...
Asher and Malrik kept chatting, moments slipping by smoothly and almost unnoticed, the pair still positioned by the window while observing the outdoor view with calm focus and quiet reflection.
"Can I ask a question?" Asher said, his eyes fixed on a butterfly drifting by the window, its fragile wings beating gently as it rode the soft breeze.
"Ask away," Malrik responded evenly, his voice showing neither eagerness nor boredom, staying as steady and impartial as always.
"The guy I fought, Debro—do you know anything about his organization?" Asher inquired, his violet eyes flicking to Malrik for a second before shifting back to the landscape outside, as if the scene beyond still captured his subtle interest.
Malrik fell quiet briefly, his stare dropping a bit as if weighing his words, then he let out a sigh, "That Debro is likely from a branch of the main organization," he declared with a soft exhale laced with hidden gravity.
"A branch?" Asher echoed, his voice tinged with bewilderment, his eyebrows furrowing as he grappled with the meaning of that term.
"Yes, a branch," Malrik affirmed, "No one truly knows the organization's real name, but folks in the world dub them ’The Maddened’ or ’The Corrupted’ or ’The Consumed’," Malrik clarified in a steady, deliberate manner, his explanation rolling out without pause.
Asher’s face twisted into obvious puzzlement as he puzzled over those titles, their heavy implications not yet clear but deeply unnerving all the same.
Noticing the confusion, Malrik pressed on, "I’m sure you’re aware Emovirae split into Positive and Negative Emovirae. Positive Emovirae label the Negative ones ’The Affected’ since they’re merely swayed by thoughts of ruin and disorder," Malrik halted briefly, his eyes wandering for a beat before resuming, "Similarly, we name this bunch ’The Maddened’ or ’The Consumed’ or ’The Corrupted’ because they’ve surrendered fully to their shadowy urges," he elaborated.
Malrik turned his eyes to Asher while speaking further, his face staying even, "From what you’ve seen, you encountered those devouring human flesh—that’s cannibalism, far from ordinary. Others who revel in brutal beatings and endless torture. Those finding twisted ecstasy in the agony cries of the perishing, thrilled by pain alone. And ones obsessed with blood, gulping it down like a sacred tonic or something even more depraved," Malrik stopped once more before going on, his delivery unwavering.
"These traits earn them such labels, as they indulge these cravings without limit, defiance, or any curb. That group consists wholly of such souls. Debro, despite bedding men, surely hides a darker facet you never uncovered; their ranks hold beings beyond your wildest nightmares, vastly more vile than anything you’ve beheld," Malrik concluded firmly.
Asher held his tongue after Malrik’s revelation, his mind racing in turmoil, at a loss for words or any fitting reply. The notion of horrors eclipsing what he’d just endured struck him as profoundly chilling and utterly repulsive. He couldn’t fathom what surpassed the atrocities he’d witnessed firsthand.
Cannibalism and near-necrophilia were already in play.
Asher exhaled, ’But that’s merely one branch—damn,’ the thought lingered in his head, a growing chill burrowing inside him.
Facing Malrik, he questioned, "What other branches exist, and how many?" a spark of intrigue laced his words, tempered by wariness.
Malrik hesitated a couple beats, eyes narrowing thoughtfully before replying, "No one knows for sure. The branch you faced was their Experiment branch, which we’re aware of. There’s also the Annihilation branch, tasked with erasing foes—several noble houses have fallen to them before. The Resource branch handles scavenging supplies across the Empire through covert means. The Instigator branch manages plots, spying, intel collection, and all manner of cunning schemes and data twists," Malrik breathed out wearily, as if reciting this wore on him slightly.
Malrik’s rundown made Asher’s thoughts whirl—the man had named four branches, and Asher sensed these weren’t tiny outfits of a mere twenty souls; such a vast entity likely boasted hundreds or thousands per branch. Otherwise, why splinter into such intricate divisions?
"We have no clue on additional branches—they might number ten or twenty more," Malrik appended, staring outward casually, as if discussing some petty gang amid the heavy topic.
Asher scowled; deep down, he’d half-expected such a shadowy force, a staple in tales and fantasy realms—always some faction scheming with foes or betraying their own for twisted motives. Shaking it off, he realized foresight changed nothing; he lacked the might to shift the grand scheme yet.
'So concealed even their true name eludes all,' Asher pondered silently, '’The Maddened’, ’The Corrupted’, ’The Consumed’ suit them to a tee, drawing only the deranged,' he mused, sighing softly with a head shake.
"What’s their ultimate aim? Wiping out humanity? Merging Man and Emovirae?" Asher probed right away, grasping their objective would reveal their depths, their extremes, and their core insanity.
Malrik lingered in thought, face unmoved, before answering after a pause, "Nobody knows," a heavy sigh followed as he shook his head deliberately.
Asher reeled at the response—surely the Empire’s powerhouses had pierced their veil by now, unearthing at least hints of their purpose.
"The group’s endured far longer than anyone can track, predating my birth and even Father’s rise as Duke. Exact years escape me, but details on them stay perpetually thin," Malrik supplemented calmly, utterly at ease with the enigma as if it were everyday truth.