The Grid shimmered, its lattice stretching into endless crimson veins. Noctis had already seized the larger branches, but he knew there were smaller threads — faint nodes tucked between the major paths. He turned his focus inward, tracing the lesser lines.
One node pulsed faintly in the Faith lattice, almost hidden. Its glow was pale-gold, an ember waiting to be claimed. The system marked it with a single glyph:
[Minor Faith Node — Dawnshroud Vein]
He examined it. Text unspooled.
Dawnshroud Vein
Cost: 50 Blood + 25 Faith
Status: Unlockable.
Effect: Alters the body at the marrow level. The user's flesh resists sanctified damage directly. Holy fire, consecrated wards, and even direct sunlight reduced by 60%.
Noctis did not hesitate. He willed essence forward.
Blood surged, Faith burned, and the lattice seared white-hot. The light sank into him, threading through bone and vein. For a moment his chest felt aflame — not with pain, but with warmth, foreign and disorienting.
[Unlocked: Dawnshroud Vein]
Remaining Essence → Blood: 7,282 | Faith: 56 | Iron: 610 | Soul: 120 | Beast: 1,620 | Apex: 8
The warmth spread across his skin, not consuming but shielding. He raised his hand and for the first time, the imagined sting of sunlight did not bring dread. His blood no longer recoiled at the thought of dawn.
He clenched his fist, breathing steady. This was the solution.
The curse of night had defined him since awakening. But now — with this node woven into his marrow — the day itself could no longer banish him.
The Grid pulsed once more, then dimmed, leaving him alone in the Titan's hollow. But Noctis did not close it yet. There were other minor threads, and each might hold secrets as vital as this one.
Still, for the first time, the promise of daylight no longer felt like death.
The Grid pulsed. Noctis did not close it. The node he had just claimed — Dawnshroud Vein — glowed brighter than the rest, its runes still alive within his marrow.
He willed his sight deeper. Threads unfurled around it — minor evolutions branching from the same point. The Grid marked them clearly.
Dawnshroud Vein II
Cost: 120 Blood + 40 Faith
Effect: Further fortifies body against sanctified and solar exposure. Resistance increased to 80%.
[Unlocked.]
Remaining Essence → Blood: 7,162 | Faith: 16
The lattice burned again, golden light coursing into his veins. His skin tingled, the warmth of fire passing through bone.
A third node flickered faintly but remained grayed out.
Dawnshroud Vein III
Requirement: 200 Faith Essence minimum.
Status: Locked.
Noctis closed the Grid. What was possible now was enough.
He rose to his feet. The women stirred as he strode toward the sealed gate of the dungeon. His blood armor retracted in segments, the plates dissolving into mist until only his pale flesh remained, bare beneath the dim cavern glow.
The gate shuddered open at his command. Blinding light poured in, stabbing through the chamber, scattering dust and shadow alike. The women shielded their eyes — but Noctis did not falter.
He stepped forward.
The sunlight struck him.
For the first time since his awakening, it did not burn. His skin absorbed the warmth, his veins humming with the power of Dawnshroud. The light cascaded across his chest and arms like liquid gold. He raised his head, eyes closed, and breathed deep.
Behind him, Iris, Clara, and Tina froze. Their lips parted in silent shock. They had expected screams, smoke, the crackle of burning flesh. Instead, they saw their master bask in dawn as though born to it.
Noctis opened his eyes. Golden-crimson irises burned with steady light.
"It is done," he said simply. His voice carried with the weight of inevitability.
He turned to them, the sun crowning his figure in brilliance. "We will head to the nearest destination."
The women bowed their heads, still trembling with awe. "Yes, master."
The dungeon behind them groaned in defeat as they stepped into the day. For Noctis, it was not death but rebirth.
The sun blazed across the shattered hills outside the dungeon. Heat pressed down in steady waves. Noctis stood at the threshold, bare to the light. His flesh did not ignite, but the sting was still there — subtle, gnawing, relentless. Beneath the protection of Dawnshroud Vein II, the damage was slowed, but not erased.
📜 System Notice
[Dawnshroud Vein II: Active]→ Sunlight Exposure: 80% resisted.→ Residual burn damage: 20% persists.→ Current mitigation: Healing factor engaged.
His veins pulsed faintly as healing worked against the sunlight's bite. It was tolerable, but it was a distraction — an endless trade of damage and repair. He exhaled sharply, turning his head toward the women.
"Iris. Clara. Tina." His voice was even, controlled. "Tell me. Where is the nearest town or city with a large church… or a cathedral."
The three looked at one another before answering.
Clara spoke first. "There is Redhaven, master. A city two days east. Its cathedral sits at the center, dedicated to the Sun God. Priests, acolytes, and hunters gather there."
Iris added quickly, "But smaller chapels line the villages along the road. Lesser priests, but still carriers of faith."
Tina bowed her head. "The cathedral in Redhaven is vast. If you seek enemies of your kind… that is where they will be richest."
Noctis listened in silence. Inwardly, the Grid pulsed.
📜 System Priority: Faith Essence Required
[Dawnshroud Vein III] → Locked.
Requirement: 200 Faith Essence minimum.
Status: Unmet.
So that is where I will feed, he thought. Priests, acolytes, zealots — their faith will fuel the lattice.
Outwardly, he gave no hint of these thoughts. He merely inclined his head.
"Good. Then we travel east."
He reached for the dark plates stored within his satchel — his sealed armor. Unlike the blood-forged shell that answered his veins, this one was forged for endurance, not for war. Heavy, opaque, reinforced against light, its weight pressed across his shoulders as he set each piece into place.
The helm locked last, enclosing him fully. The sting of the sun dulled at once, its rays unable to pierce the layered metal.
📜 System Note
Blood Armor: Essence-forged, living armor drawn from Noctis's blood. Flexible, reactive, optimal for battle, but does not fully protect against sunlight.
Sealed Armor: Physical, rune-lined plating built for travel. Heavier, less responsive, but nullifies direct sunlight exposure.
[Sealed Armor: Equipped]→ Sunlight exposure nullified.→ Movement speed slightly reduced.→ Essence drain: None.
Noctis flexed his gauntlet once, satisfied.
"Lead the way," he ordered.
The three women stepped forward, their forms small against the burning hills. Together they began the march east, toward Redhaven — a cathedral brimming with Faith Essence, though they did not know it.
For Noctis, sunlight was no longer a prison. It was a challenge. And soon, with more Faith, it would bow to him as night did.
The journey east stretched beneath the burning sky. Hills rolled into valleys, and villages dotted the roads. Twice, they passed small chapels, their bells ringing faintly in the distance. Each time, Iris, Clara, and Tina looked to their master as if expecting him to act.
The Grid pulsed faintly in his blood, whispering of Faith Essence hidden within those walls. His claws flexed beneath the gauntlets of his sealed armor.
Noctis did not turn his gaze. His mind sharpened, cold and exact.If I take action here, news of their disappearances will spread. The bishop will hear about it and come to investigate. He'll know I'm heading east and will track me. That will cause problems for my plans. Better to leave them alone.
So he walked on.
By the second day, the road widened. Traders passed them in wagons, hunters strode with bows across their backs, villagers trudged with goods. All cast wary glances at the armored figure and his three silent attendants, but none approached.
As dusk fell on the horizon, towers broke the skyline — jagged, proud, lined with banners of golden suns. Beyond them, walls stretched high, stone darkened by age, gates braced in iron. At the city's heart, towering over all, rose the cathedral.
Its spires pierced the clouds, its bells tolling low and heavy across the plains.
📜 System Notice[Target Location Identified: Redhaven Cathedral]→ Estimated Faith Density: High.→ Priests, bishops, acolytes confirmed.→ Risk Level: Elevated — hunters and zealot guard presence.
Noctis stopped at the crest of the hill. The women halted with him, waiting.
From beneath the helm, his golden-crimson eyes burned faintly in the dying light.
"This is the place." His voice was steady, certain.
Behind him, Iris, Clara, and Tina lowered their heads in obedience. "Yes, master."
The wind carried the toll of bells. The city awaited.
Noctis turned his gaze toward the cathedral spires. There, he thought. There the Faith pools. There I will take what I need. Dawnshroud will grow, and the sun will break before me.
The march to Redhaven had ended.
The gates of Redhaven loomed high, their iron bars flanked by guards in sun-crested armor. Noctis walked at the front, sealed armor weighing heavy but impenetrable to the light. Behind him, Iris, Clara, and Tina followed closely, their heads lowered, their steps quiet.
The guards looked upon them, wary but uninterested. One waved them through. The streets opened wide — cobblestone avenues lit by oil lanterns, vendors calling the last of their wares, hunters striding with weapons slung across their backs. At the city's center, the cathedral spires stabbed the sky, bells tolling as if to mark their presence.
Noctis led the group to a quiet inn tucked away from the main square. The innkeeper flinched at his shadow but forced a smile. Gold passed across the counter; keys were handed over with trembling fingers.
"Separate rooms," Noctis ordered, voice low. "They will rest."
The women bowed their heads in obedience. "Yes, master."
Noctis turned, his helm glinting faintly in the lantern light. "The night is mine. You are free until morning."
They nodded silently and dispersed, each vanishing into the stairwell.
Noctis entered his own chamber, closed the door, and let silence fall. He stripped away the sealed armor, piece by heavy piece, until only his pale flesh and veins of crimson light remained. He stood by the window, watching as dusk gave way to night.
📜 System Notice[Dawnshroud Vein II: Passive]→ Sunlight exposure no longer relevant.→ Nighttime operations optimal.
He exhaled once, then moved.
The window opened without a sound. He climbed onto the sill and leapt.
His body arced across the air, landing on a rooftop with no more sound than a whisper. From there he ran, feet gliding across tiles, cloak trailing in the wind. The city stretched beneath him, streets glowing faintly with torches. Ahead, the cathedral loomed.
The outer wall was scaled in silence. The courtyard passed beneath him, guards none the wiser. He slid into an open window, shadows cloaking him as he moved along narrow stone halls.
📜 Skill Active: Shadowmeld→ Visibility reduced. Detection chance minimal.
📜 Skill Active: Veil of Piety→ Aura disguised as faithful servant.→ Hostile wards fail to react.
He reached a side chamber. A priest slept within, body sprawled across his bed, robes still clutched to his chest. The man did not stir, did not even twitch as Noctis entered.
Noctis moved soundlessly across the room. He stopped at the bedside. His claws flexed once.
Then they pierced.
The priest's throat tore open in silence. Blood poured, but not for long. Noctis devoured greedily, essence rushing into him with every pulse. Flesh dissolved into crimson haze, bones cracked, marrow consumed. Within moments, nothing remained.
📜 Essence Absorbed+45 Faith Essence+60 Blood Essence
Remaining Totals → Blood: 7,692 | Faith: 101 | Iron: 610 | Soul: 120 | Beast: 1,620 | Apex: 8
When it was done, he lifted the empty robes, shaking the blood from the cloth. He donned them swiftly, adjusting the cowl over his face. His aura bent in response.
📜 Skill Active: Veil of Piety→ Disguise harmonized with priestly aura.
📜 Passive Effects Layered
Shadowmeld (concealment)
Hemorrhage Step (trace removal)
Revelation Gaze (Advanced): active scan detection suppressed.
Noctis glanced once at the mirror mounted in the chamber. A priest stared back — plain, harmless, unremarkable.
Perfect.
He opened the door. The cathedral stretched before him, corridors of stone and sanctity.
The stolen robes carried him easily through the halls. Priests passed by without suspicion, their eyes sliding over him as though he had always belonged. Noctis walked in silence until he found another chamber. A man of faith knelt in prayer, lips moving quietly, rosary clutched in hand.
The door closed behind him without a sound.
Noctis crossed the floor in three steps. His claws flashed once — the prayer cut off mid-breath. He pulled the body close, fangs sinking deep. Warmth flooded his throat, Faith Essence burning hot and sharp. The body dissolved quickly, robes left to fall into his waiting hand.
📜 Essence Absorbed+40 Faith Essence+70 Blood Essence
Totals → Blood: 7,762 | Faith: 141 | Iron: 610 | Soul: 120 | Beast: 1,620 | Apex: 8
The robe was added to his cover. His aura dimmed again beneath the Veil of Piety. Another gone, another night's harvest complete.
The days that followed became a rhythm.
At night, he hunted. Priests fell one by one, each chamber a silent grave. None of them saw him coming. None resisted. Their Faith poured into his Grid, weaving Dawnshroud stronger with every kill.
At dawn, he returned to the inn. He shed the robes, donned his sealed armor, and met Iris, Clara, and Tina. They obeyed his orders with quiet devotion, but he did not keep them locked away.
He walked the markets with them. He visited the blacksmith, acquiring steel-lined leather, chain bracers, and fresh daggers for their belts. He bought food, water, spare clothing, and bandoliers of simple potions. Magic draughts as well, stolen from the Sun God's merchants with gold no one dared question.
By nightfall, he returned to the cathedral. By dawn, he came back to the women, carrying more strength than before.
Three nights passed. Four. Five. The pattern held.
On the sixth night, the bells tolled differently. Deep, resonant, unbroken.
A mass was called.
Noctis stood in the inn's window, the glow of lanterns catching across his helm. The women stirred behind him, but he spoke only to himself.
The priests are all gathered. All in one place. This is the moment.
The Grid pulsed at his command. Skills rose like knives in his vision.
📜 Prepared Skills
Hemorrhage Field — AoE bleed mist.
Marrow Spikes — explosive projectiles.
Predator Flame III — sanctity-burn variant.
Ruinquake Slam — seismic collapse option.
I will consume them all. End this cathedral in one strike. Then we leave. Eastward. The next hunt begins.
He pulled the priest's robe over his sealed armor, the veil shimmering faintly across his aura. His golden-crimson eyes glowed once in the dark.
The bells tolled on.
He stepped into the night.
The cathedral doors closed behind him with a groan of iron and oak. Oil lamps burned along the high arches, painting the vast hall in gold and shadow. The spires above rang with bells, calling the faithful.
Noctis walked down the aisle, robed like the others. Dozens of priests moved around him, voices echoing in chant. Rows of acolytes lined the pews, their prayers rising in a drone that reverberated through the chamber.
He moved silently to the center of the gathering.
The Grid pulsed.
📜 System Notice[Faith Density: Extreme]→ Priests: 43→ Acolytes: 120→ Senior clergy: 7→ Hunters: 6 stationed outside
Noctis lowered his head as though in reverence. His lips did not move. His claws flexed beneath the robe.
Now.
The Grid surged.
📜 Skill Activated: Hemorrhage Field→ Radius: 30 meters→ Effect: Causes internal bleeding, healing suppression.
A dome of crimson mist erupted from his body. The air thickened instantly, prayers twisting into choked cries. Priests staggered, clutching their throats as blood seeped from eyes, ears, and mouths. Acolytes screamed as the crimson fog gnawed through flesh.
Some tried to flee — but he raised his hand.
📜 Skill Activated: Marrow Spikes→ Launch count: 14→ Effect: Piercing detonations, bone fragmentation.
Jagged spikes burst from the floor, skewering the fleeing acolytes in place. The spikes detonated, spraying shards of bone through the pews. Screams turned to silence in seconds.
The senior clergy rushed from the altar, holy symbols raised. Golden light radiated as they attempted to channel sanctified wards.
Noctis's eyes glowed crimson-gold. His fangs bared.
📜 Skill Activated: Predator Flame III→ Variant: Sanctity-Burn→ Effect: Burns through holy wards and divine resistance.
A torrent of fire exploded from his palm. White-gold flames shattered under its pressure, burning priests where they stood. Their wards cracked like glass, their screams drowned in the roar of crimson fire.
The cathedral floor trembled as he leapt.
📜 Skill Activated: Ruinquake Slam→ Area: 20 meters→ Effect: Seismic collapse, crushing terrain and enemies.
He crashed down before the altar. The stone shattered, pews flung into the air. Cracks spidered across the marble as priests and acolytes alike were thrown to the ground, bodies crushed under falling debris.
📜 System Notice: Consumption Surge→ 620 Faith Essence absorbed→ 850 Blood Essence absorbed→ 1 Soul Essence absorbed
Totals → Blood: 8,612 | Faith: 761 | Iron: 610 | Soul: 121 | Beast: 1,620 | Apex: 8
The mist cleared. The chants had died. The cathedral, once filled with song, was nothing but a charnel house.
Bodies lay broken, robes torn and burned. Only silence remained, broken by the crackle of smoldering flame.
Noctis stood at the altar, crimson fog still drifting from his armor. His golden-crimson eyes burned brighter than the torches.
He pulled the bloodied robes tighter around himself, aura dimming under Veil of Piety once more. His voice was low, meant for no one.
"It is done."
He turned and walked down the aisle. The great doors groaned open. The night swallowed him as though he had never been there.
Outside, Redhaven slept unaware.
Inside, the cathedral was dead.
The inn was silent when Noctis returned. Iris, Clara, and Tina waited at the door, their faces pale, their eyes lowered. They said nothing as he approached.
"You three," he said. "Leave first. Head east. Do not stop until the walls are far behind you."
They obeyed instantly. Cloaks were drawn over shoulders, packs strapped to backs. One by one, they slipped into the streets, vanishing into the crowd of traders moving toward the gates.
Noctis remained.
The Grid opened before him.
📜 System Notice[Dawnshroud Vein — Upgrade Available]→ Cost: 200 Faith Essence→ Requirement: Met
He willed essence forward.
[Unlocked: Dawnshroud Vein III]→ Holy damage reduced by 90%→ Sunlight damage reduced to negligible levels
Essence Deduction → Faith: –200Remaining Faith Essence: 561
Warmth surged through his veins. His body hardened against the sun's judgment. At last, daylight would not break him.
He closed the Grid. His claws flexed.
Now, there was only one task.
He stepped into the night and walked toward the barracks. Guards laughed in the courtyard, steel ringing as they drilled beneath torchlight. They did not see him coming.
📜 Skill Activated: Colossus Step→ Shockwave radius: 12 meters
One step. The courtyard shattered. Men and steel alike were flung into the air, bones snapping as they crashed to the ground. Before they could scream, crimson mist rolled over them.
📜 Skill Activated: Blood Field→ Range: 50 meters→ Devours corpses and blood within domain
The dead dissolved instantly, their flesh, marrow, and faith ripped away, drawn into his veins.
The barracks fell next.
📜 Skill Activated: Ruinquake Slam→ Impact radius: 25 meters
He leapt, landed in the center of the stone building. The foundation cracked, walls imploded, roof collapsing in a storm of dust. Dozens of guards were crushed outright.
Their bodies vanished into mist as the Blood Field devoured all.
The city screamed. Bells rang. Adventurers poured into the streets, blades drawn. Hunters lifted holy seals.
Noctis spread his arms.
📜 Skill Activated: Predator Gale III→ Wide arcs, cutting currents
The wind screamed. Dozens were cleaved apart at once, their remains scattering across the cobblestones before dissolving into crimson haze.
📜 Skill Activated: Predator Bolt III→ Lightning chains destabilize circuits
Bolts cracked through the air, leaping from body to body, burning hunters alive, their symbols shattering in their hands.
The Blood Field swelled.
Every street. Every square. Every home.
Noctis walked through it like a shadow, and behind him nothing remained but silence and blood.
One hour passed.
📜 System Notice[Population: Redhaven] → 0 survivors[City Status: Destroyed]
The walls crumbled. The cathedral burned. Redhaven was no more.
📜 Resource Ledger (Post-Redhaven Annihilation)
Blood Essence: 21,450 (+12,838)
Faith Essence: 1,320 (–200 spent on Dawnshroud → 1,120 net)
Iron Essence: 3,610 (+3,000)
Soul Essence: 3,121 (+3,000)
Beast Essence: 1,620 (unchanged)
Apex Essence: 14 (+6 from captains, adventurers, zealot priests)
📜 Doctrine Reinforcements
Sword Doctrine reinforced (guards, adventurers).
Spear Doctrine reinforced (militia, hunters).
Shield Doctrine reinforced (city watch).
Archer Doctrine reinforced (wall hunters).
Mage Doctrine: Arcana's Echo (minor nodes unlocked from cathedral casters).
Faith Sub-Branch reinforced via priests and cathedral sanctum.
When the last corpse dissolved into crimson mist, Noctis turned east. He moved beyond the smoking ruins, into the hills where his women waited.
Iris, Clara, and Tina stood together, cloaks drawn, eyes wide with fear as they looked back at the glow on the horizon.
He walked to them calmly, as though nothing had passed.
"It is finished," he said. "We move to the capital."
They bowed their heads in silence and followed.
The night swallowed the four of them whole. Behind them, only ruins marked the place where Redhaven had once stood.