The chains above clinked with a breath that wasn't wind.
In the sanctum beneath the Wailing Wastes, beneath the skin of the world itself, Liam faced the man who had murdered his family—and dared to wear his father's face. The Hall of Chains pulsed like a heartbeat. Not one of life, but of suffering, bound to every link swaying above them.
The impostor stepped forward, barefoot, clothed in ceremonial black and crimson robes woven from human hair and demonic silk. His voice echoed not just in the air but inside Liam's skull.
"You've grown, boy," he said softly. "Wearing your divinity like armor. But you were sweeter as a child. Soft. Breakable."
Liam's grip tightened on his staff. It shone with red-gold fire, casting his shadow like a titan on the wall.
"You wore my father's skin," Liam said. "You made my mother scream. I remember her voice."
The priest—Torin of the Chains—smiled with something inhuman.
"She begged for you. With her last breath. So I whispered your name as I tore out her heart. You should be proud. A mother's love is powerful."
A sound echoed behind Liam. It wasn't crying. It wasn't anger.
It was laughter.
His.
Ragged. Unhinged. Furious.
"You think this is your story," Liam said, stepping forward. "You think you're the villain, and I'm just another hero trying to stop the evil priest."
He snapped his fingers. The chains trembled.
"No. You're a corpse who forgot to fall."
And then he unleashed Godfire.
The blast wasn't like anything the cultists had seen.
It didn't burn like ordinary fire—it judged. It lashed out with divine sentience, seeking lies and sin and peeling them open.
Torin summoned chains from the earth, each etched with screaming runes. They wrapped around the flame, hissing and groaning, binding Liam's power for just a moment.
Then the walls cracked.
From the army behind Liam, Elenari stepped forth, golden wings extended. Beside her came Garran, clad in full celestial armor. Mara began chanting a counter-rite, nullifying Torin's death-bound barriers.
It was no longer a battle.
It was judgment.
Torin screamed, his illusion cracking. His face—once a perfect replica of Liam's father—peeled like rotted fruit.
Underneath was something twisted: half-human, half-demon, with charred veins crawling across obsidian-black skin. His eyes were pits of moving chains.
He bellowed a curse and the sanctum erupted.
Chain-beasts burst from the walls—fleshless hounds bound in metal. Cultists screamed prayers, but their voices were drowned in holy fire and steel.
The Faithborn surged.
Seraphina cleaved through the first wave, her twin blades coated in divine flame. Garran crushed a chain-beast underfoot. Rune circled Liam's head, whispering runes of clarity to keep him steady amidst the chaos.
Torin raised both hands.
The ground split.
A Titan of Chains emerged—forty feet tall, forged from the agony of a thousand sacrifices. It howled, and even the walls wept blood.
Liam didn't flinch.
"Create – Celestial Spear."
Light condensed in the air before him, forming a weapon of pure divine law. Its tip burned with the judgment of every believer who had whispered his name in faith.
He hurled it forward.
It pierced the titan's chest and exploded—not in flame, but in silence. The kind that follows a god's will. The titan disintegrated like ash.
Torin staggered back, the light searing his hands.
"You think faith makes you stronger?" he roared. "You're nothing but a child with a toy crown!"
Liam advanced, gold aura flaring, eyes lit like miniature suns.
"No. I am their god," he said, voice reverberating through the bones of the dead.
"And you? You're my lesson."
Torin raised a final defense—a crown of living chains meant to consume Liam's soul.
But Liam was ready.
He reached within himself and invoked a new command:
"Enhance – Flame of Origin."
His body erupted in red and gold. The chains snapped before they touched him.
He pointed his staff.
"Destroy – False Divinity."
Torin screamed as light consumed him, his very essence unraveling. The chains wailed. The sanctum collapsed inward, the walls bleeding divine fire.
In his final moments, the priest whispered one word:
"…Father…"
And then he was gone.
Ash.
System Notification:
Boss Defeated – Torin, Priest of Chains
Faith Points Gained: +30,000
New Divine Skill Unlocked:Shatterbind – Break any magical or spiritual restraint, including curses and bindings.
Ascension Progress: 85% to Tier 4
Followers: 1,123Angels: 3
Divine Title Acquired: The Chainbreaker
Liam stood amidst the ruins of the Maw, surrounded by silence.
His staff cracked. His knees trembled. Power drained from him like blood from a wound.
Elenari caught him.
Rune floated down, touching his forehead.
"You did it," she whispered.
"No," Liam replied. "We did."
He looked at the ruin around him, and the still-burning godfire.
And for the first time, Liam Carson smiled without rage.
But the war wasn't over.
Not yet.
Because demons weren't the only ones hiding in the dark corners of the world.
And now… the world knew there was a god among them.
Stat Increases (Liam):
Strength: +7Speed: +5Endurance: +9Magic: +12Charisma: +8Control: +10
Updated Stats:Strength – 151Speed – 131Endurance – 168Magic – 203Charisma – 128Control – 153
Faith Points: 136,200Followers: 1,123Angels: 3Divine Title: The Chainbreaker
End of Chapter 75