The Black Marsh was a graveyard of forgotten gods and swallowed cities.
Twisted trees stretched like the limbs of the dead, their bark flayed and weeping black sap. The ground squelched with every step, and the air hung thick with the stench of rot and old blood.
Liam led the way.
His staff glowed with faint gold light, a beacon in the mire. Elira followed close, eyes scanning every shadow. Behind them came Kaelion and Rennan—wings retracted, weapons drawn. The rest of their squad, newly reborn cult survivors turned loyal fighters, moved like silent shadows.
At the heart of this cursed place awaited Harrowspire—an ancient holy fortress turned demonic lair.
GOD SYSTEM – STATUS
Level: 12
Faith Points (FP): 34
Followers: 89
Angels: 2 (Kaelion, Rennan)
Potential Angel Candidates: 1 (Elira – Loyalty: 81%)
STATS:
• Strength: 22
• Speed: 23
• Endurance: 25
• Divine Power: 40
• Willpower: 26
• Charisma: 21
• Perception: 19
As Liam advanced, the System issued a faint pulse:
Demonic corruption detected: extreme. Proceed with caution.
Fragment of the Crimson One located: 1.3 miles southeast.
Divine resonance interfering with terrain. Expect mutations.
He paused.
"Elira," he called back. "Switch to piercing rune arrows. They'll likely be armored."
"Already loaded," she replied.
Kaelion took to the trees, wings giving him a burst of speed. "I'll scout ahead."
Rennan grunted and tapped the sigil branded on his chest. "These lands carry the stench of old sin. I can feel the altar's pulse like a heartbeat in my skull."
They reached the ruins of Harrowspire as the mist thickened into a curtain.
What was once a temple fortress now stood like a rotting corpse of stone—walls blackened with demonic runes, towers half-collapsed, and crimson veins pulsing through the rock like living flesh.
Then it roared.
The sound wasn't human. Nor animal. It was something older—a reverberation of hatred, echoing from the shattered altar deep inside.
From the marsh below, a beast rose.
Ten feet tall, bloated with corruption, a horned demon with six arms and a mouth that split its torso in half.
"Swallow their faith!" it bellowed in Abyssal.
Elira fired first—three arrows, each tipped with blessed silver. Two struck its eyes. The third lodged in its throat.
Kaelion dove from above, his blade bursting into divine flame as he slashed off one of its arms.
Rennan engaged it directly, his hammer glowing with celestial runes. The impact cracked the earth.
Liam raised his staff.
"Enhance: Strength – Rennan
Enhance: Speed – Elira
Enhance: Endurance – Kaelion"
The System flared with golden glyphs.
FAITH POINTS USED: -9 (Total Remaining: 25)
Allied Buffs Activated. Duration: 3 minutes.
The team fought as one.
Liam didn't charge in—he orchestrated, empowered, controlled. He was becoming what he had to be.
A god of war.
But the demon was only the gatekeeper.
As it fell, twitching and screeching, the ground beneath it cracked—and an ancient, blood-soaked altar revealed itself, pulsing like a diseased heart.
Liam approached, System flaring.
Fragment of the Crimson One: Located
Absorb?
Warning: High corruption risk.
Liam hesitated.
Rennan stepped beside him. "This is it. The source of Skeldmar's madness. Destroying this might weaken the whole cult network."
Kaelion added, "But touching it could twist your very soul."
Liam looked down at the pulsing crystal fragment, beating like a heart.
Elira placed a hand on his wrist.
"You don't have to absorb it. We'll find another way."
He turned to her, the warmth of her touch grounding him.
But the System whispered…
Absorbing demonic fragment may unlock unique God-Class ability.
Risk: 41% corruption.
Do you wish to proceed?
Liam clenched his jaw.
And pressed Yes.
System Update: Absorbing Fragment of the Crimson One…
Progress: 33%... 62%... 90%... 100%
Pain tore through him like wildfire.
Visions of screaming cultists, twisted rituals, sacrificed children, and cities burning filled his mind. His veins ran molten, eyes seared with unholy flame.
The others shouted.
Elira grabbed his shoulders.
"Liam! Fight it! You're not them!"
A single tear fell from her eye.
And the fire in his veins calmed.
System Update: Demonic Fragment Purified.
New Ability Unlocked – Divine Wrath (Tier I)
Summon holy flame that incinerates corruption and enemies alike. Costs 5 FP per use.
Warning: Emotionally reactive. Use with control.
Liam collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.
Kaelion helped him up. "You absorbed it. And you didn't fall. That makes you more dangerous than anything we've seen."
Rennan grinned. "You're becoming something they'll never be ready for."
Elira didn't speak.
She just pulled him into an embrace.
It was brief.
But it was real.
Later that night…
They camped within the broken walls of Harrowspire. The altar had been shattered. The corruption was already receding.
Liam sat alone, staring into a shallow pool reflecting the stars above.
Elira approached, sitting beside him in silence.
"You nearly lost yourself," she said.
"I almost wanted to," he replied. "The power… it was so easy. Too easy."
She rested her head on his shoulder. "You didn't."
After a long pause, she added, "If you do lose yourself someday… will you let me bring you back?"
Liam turned to her. "You already have."
They didn't kiss.
Not yet.
But the space between their souls grew smaller.
GOD SYSTEM – UPDATED
New Ability Unlocked: Divine Wrath (Tier I)
Faith Points: 25
Followers: 89
Angels: 2
Potential Angel Candidates: 1 (Elira – Loyalty: 85%)
Commandments:
Vengeance is sacred.
Loyalty is rewarded with strength.
Betrayal is punished by divine fire.
Faith is the currency of creation.
Mercy is a choice, not a weakness.
Love is sacred when it survives the flame.
Far away, the Council of Thirteen screamed in rage.
Their network weakened.
Their gods trembled.
And a new divine war was awakening.
But for tonight, Liam allowed himself a moment of peace.
Even gods needed that.
[End of Chapter 17]