Smoke curled in gentle spirals from the ruins of the Demonic Altar as Liam and his followers stepped into the light of dawn. The fire in the sky was soft compared to the divine fire burning inside him. He'd destroyed a Shard of the Prime Demon—and in its place, he held something greater than vengeance.
He held belief.
Behind him, hundreds of freed prisoners and villagers who had followed his campaign of wrath now looked to him with reverent eyes. Not just a warrior, not just a man who burned evil to ash—but their savior. Their god.
The seed of divine light pulsed in Liam's hand, warm and vibrant.
Rune floated beside him, her eyes twinkling with caution. "You're about to do something irreversible, aren't you?"
Liam didn't answer immediately. He knelt in the blackened soil and dug his fingers in, placing the glowing seed deep in the heart of the ruined altar's remains. Then he spoke—not to his companions, but to the world itself.
"I plant this seed not to be worshipped," he whispered, "but to never forget why I fight."
Then, his divine power surged.
System Action: Create Holy Domain – Temple of Flame and Faith
Cost: 120,000 Faith PointsRequirements: Divine Seed, Cleansed Ground, 100+ Believers Present
Effect: Establishes a Divine Anchor Point and SanctuaryBoosts Faith Point Generation by 15% in surrounding regionGrants temporary stat boosts to followers within domainUnlocks "Temple Blessing"
Confirm Creation?[Yes]
Liam slammed his staff into the earth.
The ground shook.
A pulse of red and gold shot outward in a perfect circle. Grass grew where ash once lay. The cracked stones realigned, rising in impossible formations of obsidian and flame-touched marble. Pillars of white fire, purified by faith, roared into the sky.
A temple rose from nothing—crowned with a dome of living flame that shimmered with divine symbols only true believers could read.
His people gasped in awe.
Rune whispered, "You just forged a god-realm fragment in the mortal plane."
And Liam, for the first time, felt it too—not just his power. But theirs. His followers. Their faith channeled through him.
They had become the system's engine.
System Notification: Temple of Flame and Faith Established
Passive Faith Point Gain: +1,200 FP/hrDivine Territory Control: 1New Follower Ascension Available
You may now designate a Follower as an Angel or Demon.
Requirement: Follower Loyalty at 100%Cost: 50,000 FP per Ascension
Do you wish to proceed?
Liam didn't hesitate.
"Elenari," he called softly.
The elven priestess turned, still limping slightly from her resurrection days earlier. Her third eye gleamed with a tranquil light now—clearer than it had ever been.
"You would grant me wings?" she asked.
"You already carry the burden of a god's truth. Let me give you the power to protect it."
Her eyes shimmered with tears. "Then I accept."
He placed a hand over her heart. Her breath caught.
Faith surged.
Wings of burning starlight burst from her back—neither feather nor flame, but something holier. Symbols danced across her skin, glowing in sync with the runes of the temple.
System Notification: Angelic Ascension Complete
Elenari, Angel of Sight and Song
Stat Boosts:Strength +10Speed +15Endurance +8Magic +20Charisma +12Control +15
Passive Ability Unlocked: Divine Foresight
Can perceive 5 seconds into the future
Active Ability: Song of the Seraphim – Grants invulnerability to allies for 3 seconds
Total Faith Points Remaining: 90,000
Elenari fell to her knees, overwhelmed by the purity of her transformation. Liam knelt beside her and helped her up, hand on her shoulder.
"You are not just a weapon," he said. "You are my voice when I doubt. My vision when I can't see."
She smiled. "And your heart, when you forget you have one."
Seraphina chuckled from the side, arms crossed. "Try giving me wings next time."
"You'll earn yours in blood," Liam replied with a small grin.
That evening, the temple was christened with its first ceremony.
Hundreds gathered. Villagers, freed slaves, even broken warriors—many knelt for the first time not in fear, but in reverence.
Liam stood atop the central dais, the flame of the temple swirling behind him.
"I am not the god of perfection," he said, voice thunderous. "I do not promise peace. I do not demand blind loyalty."
He raised a hand.
"I promise vengeance. Justice. I promise to burn the wicked. And to protect those who cannot protect themselves. If you follow me, then know this: Your pain is not forgotten. It is holy."
The crowd erupted. Tears. Cheers. Screams.
He wasn't building a religion.He was forging a movement.
Late that night, as the fires dimmed and the stars claimed the sky, Liam walked alone through the inner sanctum. His staff crackled softly with residual power. Rune floated beside him, quiet.
"Are you afraid?" she asked.
"No."
"Liar."
He smirked. "I'm afraid of what I'll have to become. Not of the path."
Rune hovered closer. "You've crossed a line today, Liam. There's no returning to who you were."
"I don't want to return. I want to go forward."
Suddenly, a presence entered the sanctum.
A young woman with raven-black hair and a silver circlet around her brow. Her skin was etched with ancient runes.
She knelt. "Forgive the intrusion, my Lord."
"Who are you?"
"I am Mara. I served the Demon Cult as a Seer—but I never believed in them. Only in the power to protect my people. Now I believe in you."
Rune floated protectively, but Liam raised a hand.
"You knew the cult's ways?"
"I do. Their rituals. Their hideouts. Their next target."
"Speak."
"They're gathering in the Wailing Wastes. Five high priests left. One of them wears your father's skin as a cloak."
The room fell silent.
Liam's eyes burned.
"Then we ride before dawn."
Stat Increases (Liam):
Strength: +4Speed: +4Endurance: +6Magic: +8Charisma: +7Control: +5
Updated Stats:Strength – 138Speed – 121Endurance – 152Magic – 181Charisma – 114Control – 135
Faith Points Remaining: 90,000Divine Followers: 1 (Elenari – Angel of Sight and Song)
Temple Influence: 1 RegionPassive FP Gain: +1,200/hr
End of Chapter 73