The moon hung low over the ruined chapel, its light filtered through broken stained glass, painting fractured hues over bloodied stone. Elias stood amidst the wreckage, his breath heavy, his wounds raw. Steve was gone—ripped from this world in an inferno of crimson rage and system-fed fury—but something in the air still felt wrong. Heavy. As if the fight wasn't truly over.
A burning pain pulsed in his chest. It wasn't the wounds, nor fatigue.
It was… the pact.
> [System Update]
Soul-Bound Thread Severed. Hidden Clause Activated.
"The price must be paid."
The words echoed in his head, metallic and cruel. Elias stumbled back, grasping the side of a shattered pew. Blood trailed down his arm, but it wasn't just his own anymore. During the battle with Steve, Elias had done more than kill. He had absorbed—consumed a soul tied to a deeper web than he had realized.
"What the hell does that mean?" Elias whispered.
> [System Notification: 1 New Soul Binding Pending]
"Thal'Zir, Ancient of the Void Chain."
The name brought a chill like frost on his bones. Thal'Zir. That wasn't from Earth. That wasn't from any realm Elias knew. His heart beat faster. Was this what Steve had been hiding? Was this the true source of the curse infecting Whitemoore?
The system flared again.
> [Initiating Binding Process… Warning: Interference Detected.]
[Thal'Zir's Will has rejected submission. A Rift has opened.]
A deafening screech tore through the sky outside. Elias rushed out of the chapel, his eyes widening as the horizon cracked. Not metaphorically—literally. A jagged rift had split the air open, darkness bleeding through like smoke from a burning void. Tendrils, black and humming with energy, reached toward the sky. The stars themselves flickered.
From that crack in reality, a figure stepped forward. Not Steve. Not anything human.
Clad in a mantle of obsidian scale, the creature had no face—only a void where eyes should be, flickering with the remnants of a devoured sun.
It spoke without a mouth. "You fed on what was mine, mortal. The blood of my chain runs through you now."
Elias couldn't breathe. His powers surged defensively, shadows rising like armor over his arms, his back, his spine crackling with infernal heat. The Devil's System responded automatically.
> [New Quest: Survive the Herald of Thal'Zir.]
Difficulty: Cataclysmic
Reward: ???
Failure: Death. Possession. Eternal Torment.
Of course. Why not?
The creature raised a claw, and the ground beneath Elias exploded. He leapt, shadows cushioning his fall, but the ground warped, dragging him downward like quicksand. The system screamed in his mind, urging him to fight, to burn through soul energy.
Elias gritted his teeth. "You want the blood? Come get it."
He called on the Devil's System, opening three soul orbs at once. The surge was immediate—too much power all at once. His body shook, eyes glowing red, mouth filling with fire.
He slammed his fists into the ground.
A shockwave of infernal energy burst outward, tearing apart the terrain, pushing the Herald back—momentarily.
It hissed.
And then it smiled.
> [Warning: Dimensional Integrity Failing.]
Elias turned to run. Not out of fear, but strategy. He needed to regroup, to find the remaining shards of Steve's data—anything that could help him understand this pact, this ancient being, and the consequence of his hunger.
As he ran through the twisted remains of Whitemoore Forest, branches curling in unnatural angles, whispers haunted the wind.
Voices of the dead.
Voices of those who made pacts.
> "Blood begets blood."
"The Devil is no master… only a gate."
Elias sprinted until the trees parted, revealing the shattered ruins of Sabastin's lab. The once-hidden sanctuary was now scorched, glass melted, steel warped. But beneath the rubble, Elias knew, were answers.
And he wasn't alone.
A figure waited by the ruin—hooded, silver-eyed.
"You've unlocked something you don't understand," the man said.
Elias raised his hand, shadows forming claws. "Start explaining, or I'll carve the knowledge from your bones."
The man didn't flinch. "I'm not your enemy. I'm your predecessor."
The stench of scorched metal still hung in the air.
Elias stood at the edge of the crater, shadow tendrils coiling around his arms like smoke, his eyes still lit by infernal rage. The blood moon bathed the earth in crimson light, casting long, crooked shadows across the torn battlefield.
Beside him, Renic crouched over the remains of a Tribunal soldier, fingers twitching as he traced the broken glyphs etched into the soldier's armor.
"They weren't here just to kill you," Renic muttered. "They were here to bind you."
Elias turned. "Bind me?"
Renic nodded grimly. "They weren't going to kill you. Not yet. They planned to seal you inside a containment sigil—let your power fester until they could extract it."
> [System Notification: Energy Disruption Detected – Tribunal Sealing Sigil Fragment Retrieved]
Fragment stored. Reverse-engineering available upon reaching Level 30.
Elias flexed his fingers. He was only Level 24. Whatever this new feature was, it would have to wait.
"They're going to come back," Elias said. "With more soldiers. Stronger ones."
Renic nodded. "And next time, it won't be just Lyra. She was a scout. A fanatic, yes—but low on the Tribunal hierarchy. The High Ordained will send Executioners."
Elias clenched his jaw. "Let them."
But deep inside, something else stirred. Not just defiance.
Anticipation.
A burning hunger.
Not for survival—but for dominance.
> [Soul Threshold 79% – Instability Imminent]
User is advised to regulate consumption or risk System Drift.
Elias grimaced. "What's System Drift?"
Renic's eyes darkened. "The Devil's System is part void, part Hell-code. It mirrors you. Every soul you devour brings you power, but also... changes you. Lose control, and you'll stop being the one giving orders."
Elias exhaled slowly. "Then I'll learn to control it."
But even as he said it, the air shimmered—just faintly.
A whisper curled at the edge of his hearing. Not in any human language.
Something primal. Something other.
> [System Event Triggered: Forbidden Location Unlocked – The Crimson Sigil]
Coordinates embedded. Caution: Only pact-bound vessels may enter.
Renic flinched. "The Crimson Sigil… you're not ready."
Elias was already walking. "Ready or not—it's calling me."
---
Two Days Later
They stood at the base of a forgotten mountain, one that didn't appear on any map. Twisted trees leaned away from the peak as if afraid to touch it. The sky above was unnaturally still, and the grass surrounding the base was bone white.
Carved into the rock wall was a circular door, ten feet high, and sealed shut by symbols older than language.
> [Verifying Bloodline Access…]
Match Confirmed: Pact-Bearer of Hell Thread No. 6 — Elias Black
Seal Releasing…
The stone groaned.
The gate split open, revealing darkness inside.
No torches. No echoes.
Only a faint hum. Like a beating heart deep within.
"Last chance to turn back," Renic said.
Elias stepped through without answering.
---
The interior of the Crimson Sigil was a massive chamber, carved from black stone. Symbols glowed faintly along the walls, shifting and pulsing like they were alive. A circular altar stood in the center, and above it floated a blood-red shard.
Elias's eyes widened.
"That's a Core Fragment," Renic whispered. "One of the original system cores. There were seven. Each was shattered and hidden across dimensions after the first vessel—me—collapsed."
Elias stepped toward it, heartbeat accelerating.
> [System Notice: Core Fragment Detected]
Absorption may lead to permanent system mutation.
Proceed?
Elias reached out.
And the moment his fingers brushed the shard—
The world exploded.
---
He fell—or was pulled—into a crimson void.
There was no up. No down. Only pressure. Darkness. Screaming. Images flashed across his mind:
A girl in a white dress. Dying.
A man with molten skin. Laughing.
Chains wrapping around Elias's heart.
> [Fragment Acceptance 34%...]
Mental resistance required. Host integrity threatened.
Elias screamed.
He wasn't alone in his mind.
A voice spoke, deep and slow.
"You bear the sixth mark. But are you worthy?"
His limbs twisted. Memories unraveled. The system dug into his soul, tearing open everything he had locked away.
His mother, begging him to run.
His best friend, betraying him with a knife.
Steve, laughing as he died.
"Shut up," Elias growled. "You think you can break me with memories? I am those memories."
The voice paused.
"Then prove it. Kill what you once were."
A mirror appeared before him. In it—young Elias. Innocent. Weak. Before the pact.
The mirror-Elias looked up at him with terror.
Elias felt a knife in his hand.
He didn't hesitate.
He plunged it into his past self's heart—and the illusion shattered.
> [Fragment Acceptance: 100% Complete]
New Skill Unlocked: Crimson Dominion
You may now control the inner sanctum of corrupted systems.
Warning: Next evolution pathway unlocked – Demonic Sovereign Tier.
---
Elias gasped as he returned to the real world, knees slamming against the altar floor. His skin burned with marks glowing red—temporary runes of absorption. The Core Fragment was gone.
Renic stepped back cautiously. "Your eyes…"
Elias looked up. His irises were now rimmed with crimson, glowing faintly.
"I saw it," Elias whispered. "The next level. The Sovereign Tier. It's not just about power anymore."
Renic tilted his head. "Then what is it?"
Elias stood slowly. "It's about ownership. If I survive long enough to reach that tier, I won't just be using the system. I'll be rewriting it."
Renic's eyes widened. "You'd be challenging the Original Architect."
Elias smirked. "Good. Let him know I'm coming."
Suddenly, the chamber shook violently.
Renic steadied himself. "What now?"
Elias turned toward the entrance.
A figure stood silhouetted in red light.
Not Tribunal. Not demon.
A man.
Tall. Black armor stitched with bone. A long, curved weapon in one hand.
And eyes like frozen suns.
"I felt the awakening," the man said. "So you're the new heir to the Devil's System."
Elias narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The man smiled faintly.
"I am the First Warden of the Abyssal Vault. And I've come to test you."
---