Lin You slumped down against a fractured wall, chest heaving. The vine-shaped divine sigil on his sternum still burned faintly, pulsing with residual heat. Glimmers of green light—remnants from his Tree Spirit—floated in the air like tiny, dying stars.
Not far ahead, the armored Metal Faithholder who had saved him stood at the edge of the ruins, peering into the distance with wary eyes.
"Why did you help me?" Lin You asked.
The man didn't turn around. "We're all pieces in the same game."
Then he disappeared into the mist.
A system warning flared to life:
> **[Alert: Your core skill "Tree Spirit Summon" has been identified by 3 Faithholders.]**
> **[Your alignment (Light) is now exposed. Hidden status disabled.]**
> **[You are now in a Public Risk State. Consequences include:]**
> – Cannot join Neutral squads
> – Eligible target for Dark Faith bounties
> – Subject to Light-aligned team recruitment prompts
> – Monitored by Divine System for potential mission escalation
Lin You snorted.
"All this fuss because I summoned a tree?"
He could feel the shift in the air around him. Glances from the shadows—curious, cautious, calculating.
Those who had seen him summon his Tree Spirit were already gone. One of them, he was sure, had quietly reported his ID to the system.
> **[You have been flagged as: "Suspected Light-Faith Activator"]**
This wasn't a trial anymore.
It was a hunt.
**
Five minutes later, another prompt arrived:
> **[Incoming Signal: Light Faction · Dawn Outpost β-07]**
> **[Alert: Alignment Compromised. You are eligible for entry to a secured zone.]**
> **[Mission Offer: Join "Dawn Defensive Operation"]**
> **• Objective: Hold designated location for 20 minutes**
> **• Reward: Faith Points + Faction Affinity Bonus]**
Lin You accepted.
The map shifted, projecting a glowing path. He followed it past gutted buildings and overturned train cars, eventually arriving at a partially collapsed hospital complex.
Three other Faithholders were already inside—each marked with radiant auras of different colors.
One, a tall woman in plated robes, glanced at him with thinly veiled contempt. "You're the one who got exposed too early?"
Lin You shrugged. "Accidentally used a skill."
Another, a Fire Faithholder with crimson markings across his jaw, frowned. "Exposing a Light alignment this early makes you a beacon for every Dark scavenger out there."
Lin You smirked. "And yet, I'm still breathing."
A third figure—quiet, calm, marked with blue light—cut in. "Less talking. Countdown starts in one minute."
They fell into formation quickly.
Lin You planted his Tree Spirit at the front, generating a healing and shielding field. The Earth-aligned woman summoned a stone barrier to reinforce the chokepoint, while the Water-user positioned himself in the rear, hands already glowing with cleansing magic.
The system began the combat timer:
> **[Dawn Defensive Mission Active]**
> **[Enemy Detected: Dark-Metal ×1, Dark-Fire ×2, Dark-Earth ×1]**
> **[Objective: Prevent capture of the Faith Core for 20 minutes]**
> **[Enemy ETA: 30 seconds]**
Quick scan of his allies:
- **Faithholder L3284** · **Light-Fire** · *Class: Radiant Gunner*
- **Skill: Sunflare Shot** — Fires a burning beam that pierces targets and triggers detonation on burn status
- **Faithholder Y2189** · **Light-Water** · *Class: Spring Healer*
- **Skill: Tidal Blessing** — Creates a cleansing field that removes debuffs and regenerates health
- **Faithholder F5021** · **Light-Earth** · *Class: Sanctum Defender*
- **Skill: Soil Ward** — Deploys an earthen barrier that absorbs AoE damage and boosts team resistance
Lin You took a breath. "I'll front the Tree Spirit. Earth stays with me to hold the lane. Water covers rear healing. Fire handles burst suppression."
No objections.
Seconds later, the enemy descended.
Dark-Fire lunged in first—dual flame blades carving through air, skill **"Bloodfire Surge"** igniting the path behind him.
Dark-Metal shimmered in and out of visibility, flashing behind the lines to hunt the healer.
Dark-Earth raised his fists and slammed the ground—**"Deadstone Impact"**—sending a rain of black stone from above.
Light-Fire countered immediately.
> **[Skill: Sunflare Shot]** — A beam of golden flame tore through the rubble, striking the lead Dark-Fire and igniting his cloak.
Lin You deployed a fresh Tree Spirit, casting **"Entangling Roots"** to trap the incoming Dark-Metal in midair.
> **[Skill: Entangling Roots]** — Target Immobilized: 4 seconds
Light-Water unleashed **"Tidal Blessing"**, cleansing burn statuses and refreshing the front line.
Light-Earth fortified the perimeter with **"Soil Ward"**, dampening the quake impact.
The clash escalated.
Dark-Fire doubled back, striking from above. Flames slashed through Lin You's spirit guardian—shattering it.
Lin You took the hit—his health bar plummeting.
> **[Health: 12%]**
> **[Status: Burning · Weakened]**
Even so, he raised a second Tree Spirit and cast a wide-area healing pulse.
"I am Light," he shouted. "If I don't stand, who will?"
The system surged:
> **[Warning: Skill Use Threshold Exceeded]**
> **[Faith Intensity: Surged Beyond Expected Range]**
> **[Triggering: Divine System Observation]**
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
The final Dark-Faithholder fell to a Light-Fire shot.
The battle ended.
> **[Mission Complete · Survivors: 3/4]**
> **[Combat Analysis In Progress…]**
> **Faithholder E1127 — Performance Tags:**
> – *Self-Sacrifice*
> – *Core Support Anchor*
> – *Faith Declaration*
> **[Result: Divine Trial Upgrade Pending]**
> **[God-Mandate Candidate Status: Activated]**
Lin You collapsed beside the ruins of his last Tree Spirit. Green embers still danced in the wind, fading slowly.
"If the price of faith is becoming everyone's target…" he muttered.
"Then I'll just live longer than them all."