The true deciding point between the BE and HE-Richard.
If he died, things would head straight for the BE; if he lived, the story would be an HE.
The Sequences of the Decay Pathway revealed:
Decay was a curse, and Withering was possibility. Sequences 9-4 of the Decay Pathway were all different kinds of curses, and also blessings.
9-4, six curses (blessings). Consciousness, strength, flesh, emotions, soul, mind. At Sequence 3, the curses on you would simply disappear, and you could use them to curse (bless) others. Therefore, the rituals from Sequence 3 onward required things along the lines of "guiding things toward their end."
Sequence 9: Thug
This was where everything began: weakened consciousness, increased strength. This curse (stimulant) received rave reviews in the Starry Sky. Everyone wanted a shot.
Sequence 8: The Powerless
A widely known curse: weakened strength, heightened consciousness. This curse (tranquilizer) received rave reviews on Earth. Everyone was happy to have more.
(↑The True Creator only came to his senses after taking this. Bornova had a shot too, and although he still had no humanity, he knew to call someone "big sister" out of habit.)
Sequence 7: Meditation Warlock
Your flesh weakened, to the point that your soul might tear it apart. Your soul/mental power grew stronger-in short, your spiritual perception doubled, allowing you to see what you previously could not see and hear what you previously could not hear.
Sequence 6: Marionette
Your soul/mind weakened, and your flesh grew stronger. You learned all sorts of strange magic, but your IQ was halved. And because your soul was too weak, you could easily be crushed by your own flesh or controlled by others.
Sequence 5: Frenzy
Emotional curse: "distorted cognition, disordered emotions."
You might mistakenly believe that abandonment was how you expressed affection, that charity