The abyss stared back.
And Liam stared harder.
From the edge of the Worldscar, he looked into the vast chasm that had once been sealed by the power of ancient gods. The floating monoliths, now flickering dimly, were failing. A gaping hole in the center pulsed like a living eye—calling, whispering, inviting.
Kael stood beside him, tossing a coin into the darkness. It vanished without a sound.
"Not even an echo," he muttered.
"That's because it devours sound," Seraphina replied, her expression grim. "This place was made to erase things. Memories. Voices. Names."
Rune floated slightly above them, aura tense. "No man returns the same from the abyss. If they return at all."
Liam didn't speak. He raised his staff, which shimmered with golden light, and pointed it downward. The divine aura clashed against the dark mist rising from below. For a moment, the abyss recoiled. But then it smiled back.
"Ready yourselves. We're going in."
[System Notification – New Quest Activated: Descent into the Worldscar]Objective: Descend into the Abyssal Depths. Uncover the Cult's True God.Warning: Unknown Entities Detected. Dimensional Stability: 39%Minimum Team Power Recommended: 5,000+ (Current: 4,280)Difficulty: S+ (God-Tier)
Liam looked back at the group: Kael, Seraphina, Thalen, Rune, and three newly ascended angels—faithful souls from Artonis, now glowing with divine light and bearing flaming wings.
"I won't force any of you," Liam said. "This is beyond a war. This is the beginning of the end."
Kael spat. "Force us? Please. You're not getting rid of me that easy."
Seraphina tightened the straps on her armor. "We didn't swear ourselves to a god. We swore ourselves to you."
Thalen grinned. "Besides, I want to stab a nightmare god. Sounds like a story worth telling."
Rune gave no witty retort—only a solemn nod. "Then let it begin."
The descent began through a fractured stairway carved into obsidian rock, spiraling deep into the void. The farther they went, the less light followed them. Even Liam's divine glow flickered like a dying star.
An hour in, their surroundings changed.
The stone walls warped, becoming sinew-like, breathing. They passed relics and bones fused into the cavern walls—priests, kings, angels long devoured.
Then came the whispers.
Faint. Seductive. Cruel.
"False god…""Murderer…""You let them die…""You'll never be enough…"
Seraphina winced, gripping her head. Kael punched the wall, blood dripping from his knuckles. Rune floated erratically, muttering old prayers.
Liam's eyes glowed gold. "Ignore them."
"Even your parents died thinking you were weak…"
Liam halted.
His jaw clenched. He raised his staff—and released a blast of pure divine sound, shattering the whispers momentarily.
"I said... SILENCE!"
[Divine Pulse Activated – Mental Resistance for Party Increased by 25% for 5 minutes]
Further in, they reached a hall—lined with statues.
Each one was a twisted version of Liam.
Some were bleeding. Others were kneeling. A few were laughing maniacally with black halos above their heads.
Seraphina whispered, "What is this place?"
Rune answered, "Possibility. This is where the Abyss shows what you could have become… or still might."
At the center stood the largest statue of all—Liam as a god-king, sitting on a throne of bones, worshipped by angels and demons alike.
Liam stared at it for a long time.
And then he shattered it with one strike of his staff.
"That's not the god I want to be."
[Morality Alignment Shift Detected – Anti-Hero Path Stabilizing]+5 Charisma / +1 Divine Aura Strength
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
And a rift tore open in the air before them.
From it emerged cultists in black robes, eyes glowing violet. At their head was a familiar figure—Archpriest Maltheron—the cult's high general.
Maltheron grinned. "Welcome, Messiah of the False Light."
Kael unsheathed his sword. "Oh, good. Someone to kill."
Maltheron raised his staff. "Your journey ends here."
[BATTLE INITIATED – Cult Interception Squad: Elite Rank]Enemy Forces: 1x Tier 8 General (Maltheron), 12x Tier 5 Cult Zealots
Liam charged without hesitation. He was faster than ever, aura erupting like a storm.
[Liam Carson – Stats]
Level: 94
Strength: 446
Speed: 453
Endurance: 488
Intelligence: 503
Charisma: 410
Divine Energy: 13,000 / 13,000
Faith Points: 111,800
Followers: 95,300
Angels: 6
Demons: 2
Dominions: 6 Cities
New Skill Unlocked: Divine Reckoning
Creates an AOE blast of celestial fire dealing 500% divine damage
Costs 5,000 Faith Points
Cooldown: 3 hours
Liam cast Divine Reckoning instantly.
A massive column of light exploded from the ceiling of the abyss, incinerating six zealots instantly. The rest screamed, shielding their faces.
Kael and Thalen lunged into the chaos, blades flashing.
Seraphina clashed with Maltheron, fire against shadow, holy words clashing with cursed chants.
The battlefield trembled.
Maltheron hissed, "You'll never reach the Heart of the Abyss. You'll die like your parents."
That did it.
Liam struck him with a wave of golden force so powerful it cracked the cavern walls.
"Don't speak their names with your mouth."
The battle was brutal, but swift.
One by one, the zealots fell.
And as Liam raised his hand to finish Maltheron, the Archpriest laughed—blood dripping from his lips.
"Even if you kill me… you cannot stop him…"
Liam's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
Maltheron grinned with broken teeth. "The first god. The one buried in the dark. The one we call the Eater of Faith."
Then his body combusted—turning to ash and black flame.
[Battle Complete – Victory]XP Gained: 12,500Faith Points Gained: +6,800Liam Carson Leveled Up – Level 95Stat Increases: +5 Strength / +5 Endurance / +5 Intelligence
The chamber was silent once more.
Liam stood still, breathing hard, eyes locked on the path ahead—a spiral staircase descending into pure shadow.
Rune floated closer. "Beyond this point… lies the core."
Seraphina's voice trembled. "We're not fighting a cult anymore. We're fighting a god."
Kael looked at Liam. "What now?"
Liam turned to his companions.
"All of you still with me?"
They nodded, no hesitation.
"Then we descend together. And we drag the truth into the light."
He stepped forward, and the abyss opened like a maw.
End of Chapter 59