Both Professor Atkinson and Dolores felt as if a big muscular hand just grabbed their hearts and stomachs and started tugging - as researchers, they no doubt had heard of the name before. In fact, they knew much more about these beings than the absolute majority of their peers and colleagues from the Grand Academy.

Xyn’s description matched what they had learned about the defilers, and more - from their own research, they were fully aware of the fact the defilers were somewhat like some kind of demons from civilian folktales, that the traces of defilers were almost always there whenever there was a catastrophe of sorts. Wherever they went, disaster, carnage and absolute chaos always followed. And when they were gone, they left nothing but abject ruin and destruction. There were many spots and places in the universe, about which rumors and tales of horror were shared and told through whispers and murmurs, where not even one of the brave and daring visitors came back - at least came back as themselves. They were powerful, they were the most unclean, even malice, or even actual beings with some kind of demonic characteristics were adverse to them and would not stand to be among them.

It had been pretty frequently mentioned that they had been present at various sites of godfalls as well, though these documentations were mostly deduced from the presence of defilers’ traces left in normal “sightings” in the sites of godfalls. But never had they imagined that these defilers were able to fell gods.

For such a powerful and somewhat mysterious being, it would have stood to reason that any knowledge about them and their deeds be weighted. But somehow, beside the initial shock

“We know about defiliers, but how come - how did they even do that?” Professor Atkinson asked.

“That is for all beings who would like order in their world and their universe to find out.” Xyn said after a short moment of silence: “I couldn’t remember what kind of power they wielded, I couldn’t even remember what kind of spells, curses or even attacks they hurled at me. All I remember was the pressure, the threatening and terrifying aura around them, and how easy they deflected my attacks, my decrees within my own kingdom and even my most powerful assaults originating from the very essence of my Godhood. My touch, my torches, my spears and my swords were easily corrupted and shattered in front of them. And thanks to you and what you have seen in the depths of the Spring of Knowledge, I now remember the powerlessness and helplessness I felt before I fell.”

Another piece of seemingly terribly weighted information, yet besides from the tension in the air, neither Professor Atkinson nor Dolores sensed any burden of knowledge placed on them. Even if they were blessed by the Spring of Knowledge, the very spring of energy, insights and blessings harvested by Xyn the first god of the void, this feeling of weightless information felt somewhat strange for them.

“Why is this knowledge not weighted?” Dolores asked, while looking at Professor Atkinson: “This - this information seems like they should be very, very heavy. But - but I don’t feel the weight at all.”

“I don’t feel it either.” Professor Atkinson said then looked up at the blob of fog that was Xyn: “I don’t get it.”

“This is… curious, to say the least. The weight of knowledge is a nature of the very fabrics of which this universe consists.” Xyn said as he shrunk his size and descended from above and became a floating four-armed being - it had no eyes, but somehow when he turned his face towards both Professor Atkinson and Dolores: “And it applies to everything - this is the first time that I’ve seen it.”

“Wait, did you know about them before you became god?” Dolores asked with a frown.

“I knew about them long before - but the thing is, when I first became aware, I was already more powerful than other voidborns. And I’ve rarely, if ever, felt the weight of knowledge.” Xyn floated before Professor Atkinson and Dolores and led them to a more spacious room with an almost dried up fountain at the center.

“What is this?” Professor Atkinson and Dolores asked at the same time.

“The Spring of Repentance - the last spring I harvested myself and still have in my possession, due to very lucky circumstances.” Xyn sighed: “Come closer, if you would like you can try your luck with this spring, but I would advise caution. I cannot touch it, due to the wounds I still have today from my fall. I will aid you should you be curious to try - and I would be deeply indebted to you, if you’d agree to share the knowledge you gain from it.”

“What does it do?” Dolores almost reached her hand into the small pool of transparent liquid at the bottom of the fountain, but she retrieved her hand in a slightly scared manner and asked.

“My decrees, my gospel, and the promises I once made to all of my believers and my heir.”