The air over the scorched plains of Dreadmoor hung heavy with ash and silence. What had once been a fortified outpost of the Demon Cult was now a crater—bleeding smoke, charred steel, and bone. Liam stood at the epicenter of the destruction, breathing heavily, his hand clenched around the Staff of Ruin, glowing red-hot at its core.
+25,000 Faith Points Acquired.You have destroyed a Tier-3 Cult Fortress.New Title Acquired: "Architect of Ruin."Your divine acts now inspire both awe and terror. Follower conversion rate increased by 10%.
His golden eyes burned beneath his hood. His aura, once radiant, now shimmered with both light and blood, as though divinity itself had begun to fracture into something monstrous.
[Liam Carson – God System Status]
Level: 39
Strength: 174
Speed: 166
Endurance: 179
Divine Power: 220
Willpower: 201
Charisma: 188
Faith Points: 83,500
Followers: 3,091
Angels: 11
Demons: 4
Titles: The First Divine, Flame of Vengeance, Architect of Ruin
Blessings:Creator's Command, Lightborn Authority, Wings of Flame (Passive)
The Remnants
His soldiers emerged from the shadows behind him—loyal zealots clad in black and gold armor, bearing the sigil of his rising divine order: a burning sun pierced by a spear of light. Among them walked Seraphina, her wings now tinted with crimson at the edges, her once-pure halo dimmed from the blood she had spilled in his name.
"Three more cult strongholds reported in the east," she said, kneeling beside the corpse of a fallen enemy priest. "They're relocating survivors, moving civilians into blood sanctuaries."
Liam didn't speak. His gaze fell on the priest's mutilated body, still twitching in residual agony. Slowly, he extended a hand.
Soul Extraction Complete. +2,500 Faith PointsMemory Fragment Unlocked: The Ritual of Binding.
A vision flashed in his mind—an underground altar, dozens of children shackled in a circle, surrounded by robed monsters speaking tongues laced with demonic energy.
"We have to end that ritual," Seraphina said softly, watching him stagger.
Liam straightened. "No. We don't end it."
Her brows furrowed. "Liam…"
"We steal it."
The ground trembled as Liam carved a portal into the earth using his staff. Crimson runes spiraled downward in a helix of light and heat. He descended with Seraphina and his elite squad—among them, Kael, his demon-turned-lieutenant who had once been a bane to angels.
They landed in a cavern glowing with hellfire runes. The ritual had begun. Seventeen cultists stood in formation, chanting, raising knives over the children in the circle.
But this time, the god arrived first.
System Notice:Initiating Divine Override…Target Ritual Structure Detected: Ritual of Binding (Demonic Variant)Override Successful. Ritual Core Rewritten.Cost: 10,000 Faith Points
The runes inverted. Gold bled over red. The screams of cultists turned to shrieks as their power was siphoned away, redirected to the god standing at the altar's center.
You have corrupted and claimed a demonic ritual.You may now create "Bound Angels" from broken souls.Faith Cost Per Binding: 5,000Bound Angels carry both light and wrath. High loyalty, unstable morality.
Liam turned to the children. Most had passed out. One—a boy with silver eyes—stared at him in awe.
"Do you fear me?" Liam asked.
"No," the boy whispered. "You're the god who stops monsters."
Seraphina smiled faintly. She hadn't seen Liam's eyes soften in weeks.
+200 Faith Points (Child's Innocent Belief)
Liam stood before the captured cultists, kneeling and chained by divine light. Their faces were bruised, their lips bleeding from the weight of holy wards.
"Do you beg for mercy?" he asked.
The high priest spat blood. "You think you're a god. But you're just a child pretending with stolen power."
Liam raised his staff. "Then allow me to show you what a child can do with it."
The staff struck the ground. A ring of divine fire engulfed the cultists, incinerating their flesh, then their souls—leaving only ash and silence.
+12,000 Faith Points AcquiredInfamy in the Demon Cult increased. Future encounters will be more aggressive.
The camp was quiet. Tents dotted the scorched earth. Soldiers shared bread and fear in equal measure. Above them, Liam sat atop a rise, watching the stars. Seraphina approached quietly, holding two glasses of moonfruit wine.
"Your hands are trembling," she said, offering a glass.
"I killed children last week who tried to kill me first," he murmured. "I've burned priests alive and bound angels to my will. What's trembling compared to that?"
"You still tremble. That means something."
He looked at her, his mask down for a rare second. "I didn't ask to be a god."
"But you became one anyway."
They drank in silence. The warmth of the wine fought the cold wind. Her wing brushed his. For a moment, there was no war—just a boy and a girl watching a sky too big for either of them.
Divine System Update
Unlocked: Bound Angel CreationConvert traumatized souls into divine warriors+10% combat efficiency, +30% unpredictabilityWarning: Prolonged use may lead to divine corruption
New Quest: "City of Spires"Objective: Cleanse the blood sanctuaries in the fallen city of Valrath.Optional: Reclaim the city's Divine Spire.Reward: 30,000 Faith Points, +2 Divine Skill Unlocks
As the moon rose and stars aligned, Liam knew the path ahead would demand more than destruction. He would need faith, loyalty, and a heart that didn't collapse under the weight of divine fire.
The road was long.
But he was the Architect of Ruin now—and he was just getting started.
End of Chapter 62