"Not every miracle is pure. Some are carved from the corpses of believers."
---
Faith didn't die in battle.
It rotted behind altars.
Jin had seen temples more corrupted than dungeons—sanctuaries built on bones, priests feeding on suffering, and saints worshiped not for mercy but for obedience.
Floor 10 was a shrine.
And shrines were meant to burn.
---
Tower Floor 10 – Cathedral of the Ascended
A radiant hall stretched before him.
Stained glass burned with divine light. Choirs of hollow-eyed acolytes hummed wordless hymns. Holy statues lined the walls, depicting the Saint of Purity—an angelic figure with golden tears and a smile carved in eternal benevolence.
> [Floor Type: Faith Trial]
> [Objective: Receive the Saint's Blessing. Endure the Judgment of Light.]
The Saint stepped from the altar.
She looked human.
She wasn't.
> "Welcome, lost child. Kneel, and be cleansed."
Jin tilted his head.
"No."
He walked forward.
The Saint's smile twitched.
The hymn changed—notes twisting into discord, growing louder.
> "Refusal is heresy."
> "Your soul will be scraped clean."
Light spears rained down.
Jin didn't dodge.
They struck—only to pass through shadows.
> [Passive: Reality Drift – Nullified Holy Constructs]
He reached the Saint in six steps.
Her wings opened, radiant and divine.
He tore one off.
Bone snapped. Gold blood sprayed.
She shrieked like a glass bell shattering.
> "STOP! I am beloved of the gods!"
> "Exactly."
Jin drove his hand into her stomach. Holy glyphs flared—then fizzled.
He pulled something from her—a glowing heart, pulsating with stolen faith.
A battery of belief.
He crushed it.
The cathedral dimmed.
The statues cracked.
The choir fell silent—then began to scream.
Acolytes clutched their chests as if something were tearing them from the inside. One erupted in golden fire, his skin boiling into steam. Another tore out her own throat while crying praises to the Saint.
Dozens fled, but Jin raised a finger.
> [Skill Activated – Hollow Bloom]
The ground split beneath their feet.
Black flowers erupted, their petals razor-edged, wrapping around bodies like vines. They bloomed violently—tearing flesh, peeling skin.
One priest begged. "Please—mercy—"
Jin responded by slicing his jaw off with a flick of his hand.
> "You begged her too, didn't you?"
He stepped onto the altar.
> "How many prayers were answered with silence?"
> "How many miracles were stolen from the dying?"
He looked to the Saint, writhing on the steps, her wings stumps now, her golden blood forming a radiant puddle.
> "You bathed in faith. Let's see how it tastes."
He dragged her by the hair to the base of the altar.
Then he ate her.
Bit by bit.
Flesh melted between his fingers, holy ichor sizzling down his throat.
> [Skill Consumed – Sacrament of Light]
> [Processing… Rewriting into "Devour Divinity"]
Her body convulsed as her power drained. Her bones cracked inward, shrinking like glass boiled in acid.
When he was finished, only a half-scorched ribcage remained.
The altar wept blood.
The statues crumbled.
The entire cathedral groaned as if in mourning.
And the final hymn turned into static.
---
System Alert – Floor 10 Cleared
> [Reward Granted – Unique Skill Acquired]
> [Skill: Devour Divinity]
> – Allows the user to consume divine abilities and repurpose them.
> – The stronger the faith behind the source, the more power is gained.
> – Warning: Excessive use increases Corruption.
> [Corruption: +23]
> [Title Progress – "Godslayer"]: 37%
> [Tower Broadcast: ON]
---
Outside – Global Reactions
Across the world, thousands of Chosen screamed.
The Saint's image disintegrated mid-sermon in dozens of temples. Statues of her cracked in half. Holy water turned black.
The devout cried.
Some killed themselves.
Others raved, praying to Jin by name, thinking he was the next god.
> "Hollow… Hollow consumed her!"
> "He's stronger than faith!"
> "Bless me, Hollow! BLESS ME!"
And some began burning their old scriptures.
The world had seen.
Faith had failed.
And something far worse had taken its place.
---