The journey to Thal'ren began beneath a storm-choked sky.
Serenya, the mysterious girl claiming to be a failed god system prototype, led Liam and a small party of trusted angels eastward beyond the golden dominion. Their path carved through the Whispering Chasm, where old gods were rumored to have been entombed beneath layers of volcanic ash and forgotten prayers.
Liam felt the weight of every step.
His thoughts churned—not just about Serenya's cryptic message, but what it implied: that the System wasn't as unique as he'd been told… that he might not be alone.
Rune hovered silently beside him, unusually quiet.
"You're thinking too much," Mira said, breaking the silence. "We should have brought more warriors."
"No," Liam replied. "Too many would spook whoever's left in Thal'ren. If they're still hiding, they're afraid of being found."
"Or of you," Mira muttered under her breath.
[STATS – Updated]
Level: 27
Faith Points: 39,180
Followers: 10,430
Core Stats:
Strength: 82
Speed: 86
Endurance: 87
Intelligence: 91
Charisma: 75
Divine Energy: 1310/1310
Skills Unlocked:
Celestial Map (Active): Reveals lost or hidden cities for a short period.
Divine Presence II: Doubles influence radius; increases chance of converting neutral units.
By the third day, the terrain shifted.
Instead of scorched plains and stone, they stepped onto land covered in soft glowing moss—an unnatural green that pulsed with quiet power. Trees bent in strange angles, their bark veined with red like living arteries.
"This place is… wrong," Cael whispered, hand on his blade.
"It's warded," Serenya said. "A divine curse, meant to keep intruders—and truth—out."
Liam narrowed his eyes and activated Celestial Map.
For a moment, the forest peeled away. Like mist drawn back by divine hands, a vast city revealed itself beneath the hills.
Thal'ren.
Silver towers, half-crushed by time, rose between cliffs and waterfalls. Bridges of light still hung mid-air, broken but breathing. And near its heart, a shattered spire pulsed with unstable divine energy.
"A city held together by belief," Rune said, awed.
"No," Serenya corrected. "Held together by regret."
They entered at dusk.
The people—pale, reclusive survivors—watched them from shattered windows and ruined temples. Their eyes were hollow, but filled with recognition.
"They remember you," Mira whispered to Serenya.
"They remember what I became," Serenya replied darkly.
At the broken central spire, they were greeted by an ancient priestess cloaked in silken red. Her body was aged but her voice struck like thunder.
"You've returned. And brought the new flame."
"I'm not a flame," Liam said. "I'm a storm."
The priestess smiled. "Then burn what remains."
That night, Liam sat with Serenya in the ruins of what was once the Hall of the Chosen—where divine trials used to take place for ascension candidates.
"I want answers," Liam said. "Not riddles."
Serenya's voice was quiet. "You're right. So here it is."
"Before you… before the 'God System' was perfected… the Tribunal created prototypes. I was one. I received a fragment—just enough power to ascend, but not enough to be stable.
I became unstable. My creations were flawed. My people… they mutated.
Thal'ren became a cursed city, not because of war, but because of my failure.
When the Tribunal realized I couldn't control the divine power properly, they abandoned me. Cut me off.
But the System didn't die. It clung to me.
It evolved… and eventually, it chose you."
Liam stared at her, jaw tight.
"So they lied."
"They erased me, Liam. They will erase you, too—when you're no longer convenient."
Suddenly, the ground rumbled. The spire pulsed violently.
A loud horn echoed from the southern wall of Thal'ren.
Rune lit up in panic. "That's not a storm. It's a summon."
Dozens of shadows erupted from the forests, eyes glowing violet. Demon cultists.
At their center stood a towering figure clad in molten armor, wearing a crown of bone and glass. He raised a flaming spear and pointed it toward the spire.
"Deliver the Heretic," he roared. "Or we'll reduce this ruin to ash."
Liam rose.
"No one dies tonight."
He activated Divine Presence II. A wave of golden-red light surged from him, igniting the ruins, lighting the sky.
People fell to their knees. Power returned to the ancient city in a flash of fire and spirit.
Behind him, Mira, Cael, and even Serenya stood ready.
"Stand with me," Liam roared. "For truth. For the fallen. For redemption."
The cult attacked.
Shadow hounds leapt through the ruins. Fireballs lanced from the priests' hands. The molten king advanced, laughing with each step.
Liam unleashed a Redemption Pulse toward the first wave, burning away corruption with holy fire. He leapt through the air, staff swinging like a scythe of judgment.
Mira's blade shimmered silver as she cut down a demonic wolf mid-leap. Cael summoned ethereal wings, crashing down into a trio of cultists like an angel of vengeance.
Serenya, her powers unstable but fierce, shattered the ground with a scream, sending jagged crystals of cursed light through enemy ranks.
Still, they were overwhelmed.
The molten king reached the spire.
Liam met him atop the stairs.
"You're too late, flame," the king sneered. "The Tribunal already knows she lives."
"Then they can watch her rise again."
They clashed.
The king's spear roared with molten power, slashing across Liam's chest, sending him flying. He hit the stone, coughing blood.
[HP: 122/1310]
Rune flared.
"Liam—your power won't be enough!"
Liam pressed his palm to the ground. "Then let's make a new rule."
He invoked a forbidden command.
[System Override – Emergency Protocol: Genesis Rewrite]
Cost: 12,000 Faith Points
Effect: Rewrites one location's divine history for 60 seconds, restoring it to a time of pure energy.
Warning: Side effects unknown.
He slammed his hand into the earth.
The world shook.
The spire glowed golden.
And Thal'ren… was reborn.
For 60 seconds, the city returned to what it once was. Pure. Divine. Unbreakable.
The molten king screamed as his power was nullified. The cultists burned in the light. Serenya's unstable form solidified—no longer fractured, but whole.
She rose behind Liam, her eyes burning bright.
"Now I finish this," she said, and fired a lance of energy straight through the king's chest.
He vanished in flame.
When the dust settled, Liam stood over the ruined body of his enemy.
The city was silent. Saved.
Serenya knelt before him.
"Your system evolved from mine," she said. "But now, I serve your path. If you'll have me."
Liam looked down at her… and nodded.
[System Update]
New Follower Acquired: Serenya – Divine Class: Chaos Herald (Ascended)
+1,800 Faith Points
+Increased Skill Potential: Dual System Users detected
New Ability Gained:
Genesis Rewrite (Limited Use) – Rewrite any divine location's history once every 10 levels. Lasts 60 seconds.
As the sun rose, Liam stared across Thal'ren's reborn walls.
The path ahead was darker than ever.
But now, he had an army.
And a goddess once broken—now healed—at his side.
End of Chapter 34