The beacon of the Null Covenant still pulsed above us, light and shadow twisting together in defiance of the storm. Wrath's roar echoed from the horizon, Envy's whispers seeped from the fissures, and Pride stirred in the Western Spires. The world was unraveling, but for the first time, I was not alone.
The scarred woman stepped forward, her voice steady despite the chaos. "You spoke of freedom. You spoke of choice. Show us what that means."
Kael glanced at me, his eyes uncertain. "They're looking to you. If you falter now, the Covenant dies before it begins."
I nodded. "Then we give them a trial. Not against Wrath, not against Envy—but against the corruption spreading through the people. If they can stand against that, they can stand against anything."
The System trembled, its voice fractured.
[System Notice]: Null Covenant recognized.
Quest Generated: Trial of Origin.
Objective: Purge Envy's corruption from the ruins.
Reward: Covenant Bond.
Penalty: Dissolution.
The corrupted emerged from the shadows—citizens twisted by Envy's hunger, their eyes hollow, their voices broken.
"I want… what you have…"
"Give me… your power…"
"Why are you chosen… and not me?"
The scarred woman drew a blade, its edge dull but her grip firm. The one-armed man raised a staff, his stance steady. Kael clutched a shard of crystal, its glow faint but defiant.
I raised my hand, Origin Power swirling. "This is your trial. Stand with me, and prove you are more than chains."
The corrupted surged forward, their whispers turning to screams. The Covenant fought—clumsy, desperate, but unyielding. The woman struck with precision, the man's staff cracked skulls, Kael's crystal pulsed with light.
I expanded the Null Domain, stripping the corruption of its strength. The Covenant's blows landed harder, their defenses held longer. For the first time, they fought not as broken souls, but as free ones.
The System screamed.
[System Notice]: Critical Error.
Null Covenant bond forming.
Cycle collapse accelerating.
Entities awakening: Greed detected. Location: Southern Vaults.
Four Sins now. Wrath, Envy, Pride, Greed. The cycle was unraveling faster than ever.
The last corrupted fell, its hollow eyes fading into silence. The Covenant stood, bloodied but alive. The scarred woman met my gaze. "We fought. We survived. What now?"
I looked at them, at Kael, at the beacon burning above. My voice was steady, unyielding.
"Now we rise. Wrath hunts us. Envy spreads. Pride stirs. Greed awakens. The System is collapsing. And we are the fire that will burn its chains."
The Covenant's first flame blazed brighter, defying the storm.
Wrath roared. Envy whispered. Pride stirred. Greed awoke.
And I smiled. "Let them come. The Origin Path has only begun."