Chapter 15: Sigil of the Slain God
The forest near Nightreach was too quiet.
Even the insects had stopped singing.
Shen Nightfall moved through the underbrush like a living shadow, his steps soundless, his mind already scanning the perimeter. Beside him, Nyxria walked barefoot over the forest floor, her pale hair catching flickers of moonlight. She didn't ask where they were going.
She already knew.
[System Alert]
Quest Tracker: "The First God That Falls"
Target Identified: Minor God Fragment — Enveras, the Severed Star
Location: Forgotten Shrine of Emberdepth
Warning: This being once burned whole skies in ancient cycles. Current state: 12% power restored.
Estimated Threat Level: Mythic-Class.
Shen's eyes narrowed. "A test."
"Or bait," Nyxria murmured.
He nodded. If the gods wanted to find out what the Nullbrand could do… sending a fragment of a dead god was a perfect move.
They reached the shrine before sunrise.
It wasn't truly a shrine anymore—just a field of broken spires buried under roots and ash. The trees around it were twisted, warped by divine heat, their trunks blackened but still living.
At the center stood an altar carved with old language. Faint red light pulsed beneath it like a still-beating heart.
Nyxria hesitated. "This place isn't just abandoned. It's… watching us."
[System Notice]
Divine Residue Detected.
Do you wish to awaken the Severed Star?
"Yes," Shen said.
And the earth split.
The altar erupted in molten light, and from its core rose a figure—twisted, burning, shaped like a man and a dying sun all at once. Its face was masked in celestial flame, and in its hands it carried a broken spear still trailing the dust of fallen constellations.
ENVERAS, THE SEVERED STAR.
Even weakened, its voice shook the forest to its roots.
"Mortal. You carry that which should not exist."
"Return the Nullbrand to ash… or burn in the name of the old stars."
Shen didn't respond.
He unsheathed Nullbrand with one clean motion. The blade pulsed—not with light, but with hunger. It didn't shine. It devoured.
And when Shen charged, it screamed.
The forest ignited.
Enveras hurled solar flame that turned stone to glass. Shen dodged, cutting the god's broken spear mid-air, each clash rupturing the air with thunder. The Nullbrand sang a low, resonant tone every time it touched divine flesh—as if remembering what it was made for.
Nyxria stood outside the radius of destruction, her hands glowing with soft glyphs, shielding the forest from total ruin.
[System Notice]
Nullbrand Synergy Reached 14%
New Effect: "Starsever — Critical strikes against divine enemies burn away essence permanently."
Shen's blade bit deep into Enveras's side, and this time, the god screamed.
Its body erupted in flares, blinding and chaotic.
"You… will not… UNMAKE ME—!"
"You're already broken," Shen whispered. "I'm just finishing the story."
He drove Nullbrand through the god's chest.
And Enveras fell—dissolving into ash and echoes.
[System Update: Quest Complete]
Sigil Acquired: "Starbrand — Remnant of Enveras"
A celestial insignia once worn by minor godlings. Absorbed by Nullbrand.
+1 Divine Attribute Slot unlocked.
+1 Unknown Trait awakened.
You have slain a god-fragment.
The Realms are now aware of your presence.
As the dust settled, Shen stood motionless, blade dripping with godlight. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying no birdsong, no insects, just a feeling.
A warning.
Nyxria approached slowly. "You did it."
"No," Shen said, sheathing Nullbrand. "I started it."
He turned toward the road, where a strange figure now waited—hooded, armored, with no face.
A messenger.
It held out a scroll wrapped in silver flame.
"The Hollow Moon Order has issued a writ of judgment," it intoned.
"By divine law, Shen Nightfall is now designated as an Anathema Ascendant. All who follow the old gods are ordered to destroy you."
Shen took the scroll.
Read it once.
Then dropped it into the embers of the fallen god.
"Let them come," he said again.
But this time, the world heard him.