Wind howled across the cracked plains of the Cradle of Dust, carrying with it the scent of ash and bone. The ground was barren—gray, brittle, and scattered with the bleached skeletons of men, beasts, and things that had no names.
Liam stepped forward, his staff pulsing faintly with divine light to push back the oppressive gloom.
This was no ordinary place.
It was cursed. The kind of land that remembered pain.
GOD SYSTEM – STATUS
Level: 8
Faith Points (FP): 12
Followers: 36
Angels: 2 (Kaelion, Rennan)
Demons: 0
STATS:
• Strength: 16
• Speed: 16
• Endurance: 15
• Divine Power: 28
• Willpower: 19
• Charisma: 14
• Perception: 11
Kaelion hovered just behind Liam, armored wings folded, hand resting on the hilt of his flameblade. His presence radiated heat—subtle, controlled, ready to erupt.
"This place was once called Almorra's Path," Rennan said quietly. "Before the warlocks bled it dry and made it forget its name."
Elira glanced at the cracked sky. "I feel like we're being watched."
"We are," Kaelion replied grimly. "Things dwell beneath the sand. Whisperborn. Children of sorrow."
Liam didn't flinch. "Let them come."
They walked for hours. The sun never rose, nor fell. The sky remained locked in eternal twilight.
Every mile drained their strength. Not physically—but spiritually.
Rennan stumbled, his glow flickering. Elira leaned on her bow like a crutch.
Only Liam and Kaelion remained unaffected.
The System flared a warning.
System Notification:
Spiritual Decay Zone Detected
• Passive Faith Drain – 1 FP per hour
• Resistance: 50% due to Divine Title and Angelic Presence
• FP Loss: 1 per 2 hours
Liam clenched his jaw. "We have to move faster."
But as they crested a ridge, they saw why that wouldn't happen.
A village.
Or what remained of one—half-buried in dust, torn banners and crumbled huts frozen in time.
And from its center… singing.
A child's voice. Sweet, slow, haunting.
Kaelion stepped in front of Liam. "That's no child."
"I know."
They entered cautiously. Every house was broken, yet no bodies remained.
Except for one.
In the village square stood a boy, maybe nine years old, with pale skin and pitch-black eyes.
He held a music box in his hands. The melody echoed with wrongness.
Liam stepped forward. "Who are you?"
The child smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"I'm the last soul left in this place. Would you like to play with me?"
Liam raised his hand, staff glowing. "What are you really?"
The boy's form shuddered—and unraveled.
A tide of shadow limbs and mouths erupted from his back, twisting into the form of a crawling horror.
System Alert: Minor Demon Detected – Form: Whisperborn Shade
• Weak to fire and divine magic
• Immune to normal weapons
• Feeding on despair
"Kaelion."
"Already burning."
The angel took flight, and his blade ignited. He slashed downward, a trail of golden fire cutting through the shade's arm.
It screamed—a sound like breaking mirrors.
Liam summoned his divine aura, activating Smite.
Ability Used: Smite
Target: Whisperborn Shade
Effect: Pure divine impact, ignores resistances
A bolt of white-hot judgment struck the demon's core.
It shattered.
The shadow form exploded into dust, leaving only the broken music box behind.
Silence fell.
System Notification:
Demonic Entity Purged
• +3 FP
• +2 Followers converted from distant observers
Current FP: 14
Followers: 38
Elira looked down at the box. "He was trying to trap us. Feed on us."
"Then let this place starve," Liam muttered.
But even as they moved on, he couldn't shake the sound of the boy's voice, echoing in his mind.
Later That Night...
They camped in a hollowed canyon, shadows high on both sides.
The spirit appeared beside Liam again, quieter this time.
"You grow stronger."
He didn't look at her. "I have to."
"But strength without sorrow breeds cruelty."
Liam finally turned to her. "What do you want me to do? Forgive the things that butchered my family?"
"No," she said. "But don't forget what made you human."
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he opened the System.
System Option: Design Divine Commandments(Beta Feature Unlocked at 30+ Followers)
Liam stared at the screen.
He could now set rules—guiding laws for those who followed his faith.
He entered the first:
Vengeance for the innocent is sacred.
Then the second:
Betrayal will be met with ruin.
And finally:
All faith given will be returned in flame.
The wind whispered again.
This time, it sounded less like mourning—and more like respect.
[End of Chapter 13]