Snowstorm winds howled through the ragged mountains of Vorthal. The peaks were like the broken teeth of a dead titan, jagged and cruel, and deep within them was the fortress-city of Drelmora, home to the demon cult's last northern stronghold.
Inside its black halls, the priests of Varkareth had gathered. They wore robes stitched with bone and flame, whispering of the rising false god who had stolen the light from their lord. Liam Carson. A name already cursed among their kind.
But the high priest, Orum the Ash-Seer, was not afraid. His eyes—burned out by fire decades ago—now glowed faintly with infernal power.
"He rises," Orum croaked, standing over a bubbling pool of cursed blood. "But he has not yet burned. Send the Champion."
From the shadows stepped a figure ten feet tall, encased in armor of molten stone and obsidian.
The Demon Champion, Khar-Zun, bowed once and vanished into fire.
---
[STATS UPDATED]
Name: Liam Carson
Level: 17
Faith Points: 5,640
Followers: 739
Divine Rank: Lesser Divinity
Stats:
Strength: 52
Speed: 59
Endurance: 55
Intelligence: 61
Charisma: 45
Divine Energy: 790/790
New Skill Gained:
Divine Dominion (Active): Temporarily increases all stats of followers in range by 15% for 10 minutes. Costs 150 Faith Points.
---
Back in Kareth's Spine, the camp had transformed into a bustling hub. Stone buildings rose from the rubble. Supply lines ran eastward. Priests, blacksmiths, and soldiers worked by torchlight, and Liam stood at the center of it all—training his mind and body with the angels he had raised.
"Again," he ordered, sweat pouring down his brow as he blocked another strike from Elira's twin swords. She moved like lightning now, her grace sharpened by her divine ascension.
"You'll wear yourself out," she warned.
"Good," he said, parrying hard. "I need to know where I break."
She lunged, and he twisted—barely dodging. "You're getting stronger, but you're also getting reckless."
He froze. The word echoed in his chest.
She lowered her blades, sighing. "Liam, I know what you're doing. I see it in your eyes every time someone calls you 'god.' You're not just fighting them. You're fighting yourself."
He turned away. "I can't afford to hesitate."
Rune floated nearby. "She's not wrong, you know. Even gods bleed if they forget who they are."
"I remember exactly who I am," Liam muttered. "I'm the boy whose family was butchered by cowards in robes. I'm the man who'll tear down every cult tower until Varkareth is dust."
---
That night, the wind turned to ice.
A scream echoed through the northern ridge.
By dawn, scouts returned with ash on their faces and terror in their eyes.
"There's nothing left," said one, voice trembling. "The village of Thaln… gone. Burned to the snow."
Liam stepped into his war tent as the angels gathered.
"How many survivors?" he asked.
"None. Even the animals were melted to bone," Davon said grimly.
Rune hovered over the map. "This wasn't a raid. It was a message."
Elira nodded. "They sent their Champion."
Liam's hands clenched into fists. "Then we send one of our own."
---
[QUEST UPDATE – Path of the Sovereign]
> Greater Demon Champion: Khar-Zun detected
Objective: Defeat him to progress
Estimated Threat: High
Reward: 50,000 Faith Points, +1 Divine Favor
---
They rode at dawn.
Over two hundred fighters, led by Liam and his angels, cutting through snow and flame toward Thaln. The ashes still glowed when they arrived—blackened trees, smoldering bones, and the stench of cursed fire.
Liam stepped into the ruins, each footstep echoing his rage. "Khar-Zun!"
The ground cracked.
Flames erupted in a swirling inferno.
And from it stepped the Demon Champion—his body a fortress of stone and fire, eyes like two suns, mouth like a forge.
"I am the blade of your reckoning, false god," he bellowed. "I will break your bones and offer your heart to Varkareth."
Liam raised his staff.
"Come and try."
---
[BATTLE BEGINS]
> Enemy: Khar-Zun – Greater Demon Champion
Health: 120,000
Abilities: Infernal Slam, Magma Spear, Demonic Regeneration, Firequake
Liam's stats surged as he activated his divine aura. Behind him, Elira, Davon, Reyla, and hundreds of loyal warriors fanned into formation.
Divine Dominion – Activated
> All allied stats increased by 15% for 10 minutes.
[Faith Points -150]
Khar-Zun roared and charged. Each step shattered ice and earth.
Davon met him head-on, shield glowing gold. The clash sent shockwaves through the valley.
"Now!" Liam shouted. "Flank him!"
Elira danced through the smoke, blades lashing into Khar-Zun's side. Reyla hovered above, wings ablaze, raining fire from the sky.
Liam weaved divine spells—bolts of light, chains of holy steel. Khar-Zun howled and swung, scattering men like leaves.
Rune darted above the demon's head. "He's regenerating too fast! You'll need to destroy the infernal core in his chest!"
Liam nodded. "Then aim for the heart."
---
The battle raged for what felt like hours. Two angels were wounded. Twenty men dead. The snow turned red, the air filled with ash.
Khar-Zun's armor cracked.
Liam saw the core—glowing orange, deep beneath the stone.
He raised his staff, focusing all divine energy.
"Celestial Lance!"
> [Divine Energy -300]
A golden spear of light burst from the heavens, striking Khar-Zun directly in the chest. The demon screamed—his regeneration halted.
Elira flew in behind the light.
And drove her blades through his heart.
---
Khar-Zun fell with an earth-splitting crash.
His body turned to black smoke.
And the fire… died.
---
[QUEST COMPLETE – Defeated Greater Demon Champion]
> +50,000 Faith Points
+1 Divine Favor
New Title Gained: God of Flame and Ash
---
Liam stood over the ashes, chest heaving, divine energy crackling around him.
His people began to cheer, falling to their knees, hands raised.
> [Followers +1,200]
[Faith Points +12,000]
Rune hovered beside him. "That was the first. There will be more."
"I know," Liam said. "But for now… we've proven something."
"What's that?"
He looked over the horizon. "Even monsters can burn."
---
End of Chapter 28