Smoke still curled into the sky above the Temple of Ilyranthus, a monument of holy ruin nestled among the jagged mountains. Inside, the quiet that had once followed Liam's ascension had begun to shift into preparation. Elenari's Trial had ended. But the war had only begun.
Liam stood atop the outer wall of the temple, eyes scanning the horizon. The wind tugged at his dark cloak, and the Staff of Judgment pulsed faintly at his side like a heart tethered to faith.
Rune floated beside him, silent for once. The spirit's incorporeal hands were folded behind his back, his translucent gaze focused on the same jagged line of trees Liam watched.
"They're coming, aren't they?" Liam asked, not taking his eyes off the horizon.
Rune's voice was low. "Yes. The moment you passed the Trial, it was like a flare to the other side. You think the Demon Cult wouldn't have something watching these holy places?"
Liam's fingers tightened around the railing. "Then we meet them before they reach anyone else."
Elsewhere: The Demon Cult's Cathedral
The Cathedral of Hollow Flame, buried beneath the ashes of the Forsaken Wastes, pulsed with infernal light. Red sigils covered the domed ceiling like a spiderweb made of dried blood. High Priest Calroth walked barefoot through the aisle, a book bound in skin clutched to his chest.
The twelve cultists knelt before him. Their cloaks were damp with holy blood, each fresh from sacrificial rites. The High Priest raised the tome, and a groan echoed through the chamber—the sound of the abyss listening.
"Kaelen has returned," Calroth declared, his voice layered with something… not human.
"No," hissed one cultist. "He calls himself Liam now."
Calroth chuckled. "A new name won't save an old soul."
He turned, dragging a hand through the ash-strewn air.
"Bring forth the Vessel."
A chained girl was dragged forward. Young. Barely older than Lio. Her eyes were empty. Her body frail. But glowing within her chest was a faint ember—the spark of corrupted divinity.
"Your turn will come, godling," Calroth whispered to the ember. "But first, you must suffer like he did."
Back at the Temple
Seraphina paced the courtyard, still repairing her armor after the last trial. Nearby, Lio trained with a short blade under Elenari's guidance—each move echoing with fire and grace. Even the boy's fear had begun to fade, replaced by something Liam could only call hope.
That terrified him more than anything else.
Because hope was what the cult fed on before crushing it.
Rune floated beside Liam again. "You need to make a choice. Defend this temple… or go after them first."
Liam didn't hesitate. "I'm not waiting for them to come to us."
He turned to the others. "Prepare to move. We're not just fighting for survival anymore. We're going to hunt the ones who started all this."
Two Days Later: Edge of the Forsaken Wastes
The lands were desolate. No birds. No sun through the clouds. Just whispers carried on wind and bones half-buried in ash.
Liam stepped across the cracked stone of a long-dead road, the Staff of Judgment now heavier in his hands. Not from burden—but responsibility. Seraphina followed closely behind, flanked by Elenari in her mortal guise and Lio, now bearing the Mark of Faith—a minor blessing granted from Liam's divine spark.
As they reached the edge of the Cult's territory, the system pulsed alive in Liam's mind.
System Alert
Unholy Territory Detected: Cathedral of Hollow Flame – Outer Reach
Enemy Presence: HIGH
Environmental Hazard: Corruptive Miasma – Drains Faith Point generation by 30%
New Quest Available: [Purify the Hollow Flame]
— Objective: Defeat the High Priest Calroth
— Bonus Objective: Rescue the Captive Vessel
Warning: Multiple Apostate-Class Entities Detected
Liam glanced to Rune. "Apostate-class?"
Rune grimaced. "Think corrupted demigods. Failed vessels. The cult uses them like hunting dogs."
Elenari's hands flared with flame. "Then we'll cut their leashes."
At the edge of enemy territory, they set camp inside the ruins of an old watchtower. Liam sat near the fire, meditating, drawing his Faith inward to prepare for what lay ahead. The warmth of the flame didn't touch his skin—it bent away from him, forming golden rings around his body like orbiting halos.
Seraphina joined him quietly.
"You know what's waiting there, don't you?" she asked.
"Death," Liam replied.
"And?"
He opened his eyes. "Answers."
She sat closer. "And what will you do with them?"
Liam looked into her eyes, the fire reflecting in both their gazes.
"Use them," he said. "To burn their world to the ground."
System Update: Stat Growth Registered
Strength: +6
Speed: +5
Endurance: +6
Magic: +8
Charisma: +3
Control: +4
Updated Stats:
Strength – 115
Speed – 100
Endurance – 120
Magic – 140
Charisma – 86
Control – 104
Faith Points Remaining: 162,000 (drain active due to unholy zone)
New Passive Unlocked:
— Scorched Sight: You see the corrupted aura of any divine or demonic being within a 2km radius.
Deep beneath the Cathedral
The girl in chains lifted her head.
She had no name left. No family. Just the ember in her chest.
But it pulsed suddenly.
Bright. Gold. Alive.
And she smiled.
"He's coming."
End of Chapter 68
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