The fire from the marked souls hadn't yet cooled when the sky began to fracture.
It started as a single line—thin, silver, impossible, high above the forest where Liam and his companions rested. Then came the whisper. Not a sound, but a pressure. A breath drawn in by something far too vast for mortal lungs. Even Rune looked up and shivered.
"Something ancient stirs," the spirit said, cloaked in unease.
The wind died. The moon bled.
Then, the stars screamed.
Liam rose, golden aura flaring around him, staff in hand. Seraphina immediately took to the sky, wings bright against the darkening heavens. Garran gripped his axe. Elenari's eyes turned silver, scanning the sky for a threat too distant to see—but too close to ignore.
It came.
Not falling, but descending. As if it was always there, above them, waiting for permission.
A colossal shape, eclipsing the stars. Blackened wings carved from voidstuff, wrapped in chains of stardust and divine sigils. Its head was crowned by a ring of dying suns. Eyes like ancient obsidian. And in the middle of its chest—a shattered divine core, leaking light like blood.
System Alert:
[UNSEALED ENTITY DETECTED]
Name: Ar'khal the StarboundRace: Unknown (Primordial Deity-Class)Tier: [Forbidden]Status: Fallen Star – Former God of Judgement
WARNING: This being predates the current divine order. Combat not advised.
Liam stared at the incoming godlike being.
"Combat not advised," he muttered. "That usually means try anyway, right?"
Rune appeared beside him. "That thing crushed entire pantheons during the Age of Ash. You're not ready, Liam."
"Then we run?"
"We survive."
"No," Liam growled. "We send a message."
The creature landed miles away—but its presence bled into the land, rotting reality. Birds dropped from the sky. Trees cracked into salt. Light bent wrong. The faith of nearby followers plummeted as panic swept through the lands.
But Liam gritted his teeth.
"We've come too far," he whispered. "I won't let a god from a broken age walk my world like it still owns it."
He thrust his staff into the earth.
"System! How many Faith Points to summon a divine barrier strong enough to contain its influence?!"
System Notification:
High-Grade Divine Barrier – 90,000 Faith PointsArea: 2.5 km radiusDuration: 1 dayEffect: Seals all divine-tier influence within range.Proceed?
"DO IT."
The staff cracked with light. Pillars of golden flame erupted from the earth in all directions, carving out a dome of holiness. The sky pushed back. The pressure eased.
For the first time, the Fallen Star turned its head toward Liam.
And spoke.
Its voice wasn't sound, but memory. A psychic tsunami:
"You are not divine.""You are not worthy.""You are a flicker against a collapsing sun."
Liam stepped forward.
"No," he said, eyes burning. "I'm worse. I'm the mistake you gods didn't plan for."
The battle wasn't one of fists or steel.
It was belief against annihilation.
Ar'khal raised a hand and cast a Memory Storm, pulling the deepest grief from the land and turning it into weapons—screaming faces, illusions of lost families, the very air weeping regret.
Elenari faltered, haunted by her brother's death.
Garran fell to one knee, memories of his murdered clan surfacing with brutal clarity.
Even Seraphina lost her flight for a moment.
But Liam stood.
He walked through the storm—undaunted.
His steps set fire to the earth.
"System," he whispered. "Activate Faithfire Manifestation."
System Notification:
Faithfire Manifestation ActivatedDuration: 3 minutesGrants x3 power boost to all stats.Additional Effect: Burn divine-tier illusions.
His aura turned white-hot, brighter than the suns orbiting Ar'khal's head. He raised his hand—
And for the first time, struck a god.
The impact sent Ar'khal reeling, one of its crown stars flickering. Reality wept, but Liam's strike had landed.
He didn't stop.
He poured faith into his staff, into his soul.
"Seraphina!" he roared. "Channel all remaining divine light!"
She obeyed.
"Rune! Shield the others!"
Rune split into eight mirror copies and formed a protective circle.
Liam gathered all his remaining points.
System Notification:
Current Faith Points: 52,200
You may now attempt: Judgement Echo – PrototypeDescription: Echoes divine justice upon a Fallen being. Will either destroy or bind for 7 days.Chance of success: 2%
"Two percent…" Liam smirked. "Better than zero."
He roared—and unleashed it.
A beam of holy light tore the heavens apart.
It collided with Ar'khal.
The world shook.
The Fallen Star screamed.
Then… silence.
The sky bled again, then slowly healed.
When the light cleared—Ar'khal was gone.
Not dead.
Bound.
In a broken crater, inside a golden prison, the god raged—but could no longer move.
System Notification:
Divine Seal SuccessfulEntity Ar'khal: Bound for 7 DaysNew Faith Gained: +30,000 (from global followers)Divine Reputation: +22% among hidden pantheons
Liam collapsed to one knee, breathing hard.
Seraphina limped toward him, blood on her wings. "You… sealed a god."
"I told you," Liam said with a weak grin. "I don't lose."
Elenari caught him before he fell.
That night, Rune kept watch over the boundary while the others rested.
Elenari sat beside Liam.
"You keep doing the impossible," she whispered.
"Someone has to."
She hesitated, then placed a soft kiss on his cheek.
"You don't always have to do it alone."
Liam didn't reply—but he didn't pull away, either.
System Notification:
Relationship Progression: Elenari → Strong AffectionNew Trait Unlocked: Shared Destiny – When fighting for one another, both receive 15% less damage
Stat Increases (Liam):Strength: +20Speed: +16Endurance: +25Magic: +34Control: +22Charisma: +11
Faith Points: 82,200Followers: 1,430Angels: 5Demons: 1
Far across the sea, in a monastery carved into the bones of a god, a woman in red robes bowed before a horned altar.
"He sealed the Star," she whispered. "He dares."
The altar blinked.
And the Demon King of the Ninth Seal awoke.
End of Chapter 79