Chapter 7 – First Blood, Divine

The smoke came first.

Thick, oily tendrils rising from beyond the ridge, smudging the gray sky. Riku smelled it before he saw the flames—burning wood, charred meat, something worse.

Selene hovered beside him as he crouched near the edge of a cliff. Her violet eyes narrowed.

“A village,” she said.

Below them, nestled between two hills, lay a small cluster of homes—roofs collapsed, streets splintered, fire crawling across everything that once resembled peace.

Bodies lay scattered like broken toys. Men, women… even children.

Riku’s knuckles whitened on the hilt of his dagger.

“This wasn’t monsters,” he muttered.

“No,” Selene agreed. “Look.”

Figures moved among the wreckage—tall, armored, glowing faintly. Four in total. Each bore cloaks stitched with divine runes that shimmered in the firelight.

One of them laughed. Another dragged a barely moving body by the ankle, trailing blood like spilled wine.

“They’re god-touched,” Selene whispered. “Blessed.”

Riku’s vision blurred with fury.

“They’re butchers.”

[SYSTEM SCAN INITIATED]
Analyzing Targets...

Target 1 – Divine Mercenary (Flame-Blessed)
LV: 25 – Passive Aura: Ignition (Radiates ambient heat, fire-laced attacks)
Target 2 – Spear Adept – LV: 19 (Standard)
Target 3 – Alchemist – LV: 21 – God-Touched: Volatile Catalyst
Target 4 – Blade Dancer – LV: 23 – God-Touched: Blessing of Precision

WARNING: Divine Affiliation Detected. Combat risk: EXTREME
Optional Objective: Neutralize Blessed Units to weaken divine influence in region.

Riku’s pulse thundered in his ears.

“They’re not just strong,” he said. “They’re tools.”

Selene floated closer. “Then it’s time to break something sacred.”

He looked down at his hands.

One bore scars from a hundred fights. The other, a trembling tension that was equal parts rage and control.

“If they want war,” Riku growled, “I’ll show them what happens when you push a mistake too far.”

He descended the ridge like a ghost—silent, focused.

The village was a graveyard of whispers and ruin.

The alchemist was the first to die.

He was crouched beside a shattered home, mixing flasks, murmuring to himself about ‘purgation salts’ and ‘cleansing fire.’

Riku didn’t give him time.

The dagger slid into his spine, up between ribs.

The alchemist gasped, coughed fire, and died with a whimper.

[Backstab – Critical Hit]
Alchemist Defeated – LV 21
XP + 210 (First Kill + Divine Bonus)]
[LEVEL UP → LV 24]

Selene’s voice whispered: “Left—spear incoming!”

Riku twisted just as a long polearm whipped through the air where his head had been.

The Spear Adept roared, charging. A clean fighter, fast—but ordinary.

Riku dropped low, slashed through the hamstring, and then across the gut.

The Adept crumpled.

[Target Defeated – LV 19]
XP + 150
Combo Bonus Active: 2x]

Now came the Dancer.

She moved like wind with razors—spinning, graceful, terrifying.

Riku barely blocked the first three strikes.

“Watch her hips,” Selene called. “Cracked plate on the right!”

He adjusted—let her overextend, then dropped under her slash and drove his dagger home.

She gasped. The glow in her eyes faded. She slumped forward.

[Blade Dancer Defeated – LV 23]
Loot: Blessing Fragment – Precision (Corrupted)]

Then came the heat.

The Flame-Blessed turned slowly. His eyes glowed with divine fire.

“You…” he said.

Riku didn’t respond.

“You’re not marked. Not chosen. You’re filth.”

Riku’s grip tightened.

“I’m the one your gods tried to erase,” he spat. “Guess they failed.”

The air ignited. Flames burst from the mercenary’s body, forming a corona of molten rage.

“You’ll burn, mistake.”

He hurled a spear of pure fire.

Riku rolled—his cloak caught flame. He ripped it off mid-motion and charged.

But the mercenary was fast. Strong. Radiating pain.

They clashed—steel to flame. Riku’s blade sizzled on contact.

Selene’s voice cut through the heat: “I can weaken his aura—but you’ll need to anchor the spell!”

[Spell Sync: Available – Frostbreak Pulse]
Cast through: Riku – Cooldown: 48 hours]
Warning: Magic Feedback Incoming]

“DO IT!” he roared.

Magic surged.

Cold and fire collided.

Selene’s power lanced through his veins like lightning as he struck again—dagger glowing with frost.

The Flame-Blessed reeled, eyes wide as frost crackled across his molten armor.

Riku screamed—and drove the blade into the man’s chest.

The fire died.

So did the mercenary.

[Boss Defeated – Divine Agent (Flame-Blessed)]
XP + 420 (Solo Kill + Divine Champion Bonus)]
[LEVEL UP → LV 25]
Item Acquired: Embercore Shard – Corrupted Divine Favor (Flame Queen)]

Riku knelt, panting, over the corpse.

Selene landed beside him, glowing faintly.

“You just killed a god’s favorite,” she whispered.

Riku stared down at his blood-soaked hands.

“Then I’ll keep going.”

He turned his gaze toward the heavens—toward the unseen throne where the false gods sat.

“You better be watching.”