Beneath the Veil of Flesh

The prisoner's laughter still echoed through the dungeon. It wasn't the laugh of a man clinging to hope—it was the kind of hollow, broken sound that came from someone who had already seen the end and accepted it.

"They made their choice," he rasped. "And now, you will too."

I kept my grip tight on Shusui, every muscle in my body coiled like a spring. My mind screamed at me to move, to act, to do something, but for the first time since the apocalypse began, hesitation gnawed at me.

This wasn't just another fight.

This was deeper.

The walls of the fort's dungeon were lined with cells, stretching into the darkness like the throat of some great beast. The air was thick with the stench of rotting flesh, sweat, and something worse—a scent I had only smelled once before.

Corruption.

I knew now. The Outer Gods weren't just taking people. They were changing them.

And these prisoners…

They were the first to go.

Zhao Yue stood a step behind me, her injured arm wrapped in torn cloth. She hadn't said a word since we entered the dungeon, but I didn't need to hear her voice to know what she was thinking.

I had seen it before—the way she tightened her jaw, the way her fingers twitched against her sword.

She was angry.

Not the kind of anger that burned hot and reckless, but the kind that settled deep in your bones. The kind that waited for the right moment to be unleashed.

"We're not leaving them here," she said finally. Her voice was quiet, controlled. But I could hear the steel underneath.

I looked at the prisoners—at the ones who could still be saved and the ones who were already lost. The ones whose skin had begun to bubble and split, their eyes dark as the void.

I thought about the people outside. The ones who turned their heads, who refused to see.

Zhao Yue wasn't like them.

She never looked away.

"Some of them might already be gone," I muttered.

Her gaze flickered to the half-transformed creatures writhing in the farthest cells.

"I know."

She was a soldier—she understood mercy when it was necessary.

But she also understood something else.

"You still want to try," I said.

She met my gaze. "I have to."

I exhaled sharply, then turned to the prisoner who had spoken to us—the one who was still human.

"Tell me everything you know," I said.

His cracked lips curled into something like a smirk. "You won't like the answer."

"Try me."

The First Sacrifice

The man sagged against the bars, his breath shallow. His skin was marred with black veins—not yet fully turned, but close.

"It started small," he whispered. "A handful of us—thieves, murderers, people no one would miss. They took us at night. Dragged us to the shrine."

I felt a cold pit settle in my stomach.

"They fed us to the Gods," he continued. "But they didn't just kill us. No, that would have been... merciful."*

Zhao Yue stiffened. "Then what did they do?"

His fingers twitched, curling inward as if trying to hold onto something real.

"They let us listen."*

The words sent a chill through me.

"They whispered to us," he murmured. "Not in words. Not in voices. In understanding."

He lifted his head, and I saw it—the faintest flicker of something in his gaze.

Not just fear.

Reverence.

"Some of us changed right away," he said. "Some resisted. But it didn't matter. Once you hear them... they never stop talking."

The moment the words left his mouth, a low, wet sound rumbled through the dungeon.

A noise that wasn't a voice, but something deeper.

A presence.

Zhao Yue inhaled sharply. I gritted my teeth and tightened my grip on Shusui.

"They're listening now," the prisoner whispered. "They know your name."

And then—

A single system notification flashed across my vision.

System Notification:

[Your name has been marked in the whispers of the Outer Gods.]

[They are curious about you.]

[They are watching.]

I cursed under my breath. Of course they fucking are.

I was too close to the truth.

The Outer Gods had been content to let us stumble through their playground, but now that I was asking the wrong questions, they wanted to see what I would do next.

A challenge.

Or a warning.

I didn't care which.

I turned back to the prisoner. "Where is the shrine?"

His breathing was ragged. "Deeper. Beneath the fort. Below the governor's palace."

I exchanged a glance with Zhao Yue.

Of course.

The city's rulers weren't just accepting the Outer Gods.

They were kneeling at their feet.

And if I had to cut through them to get my answers—

I would.

Zhao Yue and I made our way out of the dungeon, but the weight in the air followed us.

I could still hear it.

Not a voice. Not words.

But something... pressing against the edges of my mind.

Zhao Yue seemed to feel it too. She was quieter than usual, her movements sharper. Every so often, her fingers brushed the hilt of her blade like she expected to use it at any moment.

When we reached the upper levels of the city, I exhaled.

The fresh air did nothing to shake the feeling off.

I turned to Zhao Yue. "We need a plan."

She nodded. "Agreed. But first—"

I followed her gaze to the city square.

A gathering.

People stood in uneasy silence, eyes fixed on a raised platform where the governor's men had assembled. A single figure in fine robes stood at the front, his voice ringing out.

"The Gods provide," he declared. "The Gods protect."

I clenched my jaw.

This wasn't a speech.

It was a sermon.

And then—

I saw the next sacrifice being dragged forward.

A child.

A boy no older than ten.

His mother screamed, trying to fight back, but the soldiers held her down. The governor smiled.

"We must all give," he said. "For the sake of the city."

The mother wailed. The boy thrashed. The people watched.

And no one moved.

I felt something deep inside me snap.

My breath slowed.

I reached for Shusui.

"Xiao Jian," Zhao Yue warned.

But it was too late.

I wasn't thinking anymore.

I was acting.

And the bloodbath was about to begin.

System Notification:

[New Quest: The False Gods' Disciples]

Objective: Stop the sacrifice.

Optional: Kill the governor.

Optional: Uncover the full truth behind the shrine.

Warning: Your actions will permanently alter the city's fate.

[Failure Consequence: You will be hunted.]

I drew my blade.

The crowd gasped. The guards turned.

And then—

I moved.

The war had begun.

The city square was heavy with tension.

The guards dragged a boy forward, his mother's screams piercing the thick silence.

A sacrifice.

I tightened my grip on Shusui.

I moved before he could finish.

A flash of steel. A wet gurgle.

Blood sprayed across the wooden stage as my blade cleaved through a guard's throat.

Then—

[System Notification!]

You have slain a Level 18 Human Guard!

+300 EXP

I barely noticed.

Because the real battle was about to begin.

The governor laughed, even as I held my blade to his throat.

"You think this city survives on mere faith? The Gods demand sacrifices, but they give us something in return."

I already knew the answer.

"Power."

Zhao Yue stiffened beside me.

Mei trembled. "So the people… the sacrifices…"

The governor nodded.

"The Crystal is the key. The more we offer, the stronger the connection."

My eyes locked onto him.

"Then we destroy it."

He grinned.

And his body twisted.

The Monster Awakens

The governor's flesh ripped apart, bones stretching, teeth elongating into jagged points. His torso expanded, forming an unnatural, sinewy horror.

And the system responded.

[System Notification!]

Outer Gods' Influence Detected!

Mutation Rate: 87%

Threat Level: A-Rank

Recommended Action: Extermination

The beast lunged.

I barely dodged, rolling aside as its claws ripped through wood like paper.

"Kill it!" I snarled.

Zhao Yue struck first—her blade slicing deep—but the monster healed instantly.

Mei gasped. "It's regenerating—!"

I gritted my teeth.

Then we'd have to cut faster than it could heal.

The battle was brutal.

Mei dragged herself to the wounded, her hands trembling.

"Not yet…" she whispered.

Then—

A pulse.

Golden light erupted from her fingers, sinking into Zhao Yue's wounds.

The cuts sealed.

Mei staggered, panting, but the system reacted.

[System Notification!]

New Skill Unlocked: [Minor Divine Healing]

Heals wounds over time. Consumes Stamina and Willpower.

Mei gasped. "I… I can heal?"

Zhao Yue clenched her fists. "Then keep doing it. We need every advantage we can get."

I exhaled.

We weren't just fighting.

We were evolving.

The Final Strike

The monster lurched forward.

I met it head-on.

Zhao Yue struck low—I struck high.

Steel tore through flesh.

And then—

I saw it.

A crystal shard, embedded deep in its chest.

The source of its regeneration.

"That's it," I muttered. "The heart."*

[System Notification!]

Objective Discovered: Extract the Divine Crystal

Bonus: Slay the Mutated Governor

"Zhao Yue, cover me!"

She distracted it, hacking at its limbs while I lunged.

My fingers wrapped around the Crystal.

And I ripped it out.

[System Overhaul: Evolution Begins]

The moment I tore out the Crystal, the monster collapsed.

Then—

[System Notification!]

Outer Gods' Entity Slain!

+10,000 EXP

Level Up! (Lv. 18 → Lv. 22)

+Stat Points Awarded: +10 STR, +8 AGI, +6 VIT

+New Passive Unlocked: [Void Resistance Lv. 1] (Reduces sanity damage from Outer Gods' influence.)

A wave of power surged through my veins.

My muscles tightened. My mind felt clearer.

The system had been holding back rewards.

But now—

It was awake.

And it was pushing me forward.

The crowd was silent.

They had seen the truth now.

"This," I said, holding up the Crystal, "is what your city was built on."*

No one spoke.

Because they had always known.

Now, there was no more pretending.

That night, we sat around a dying fire.

Mei's hands still glowed faintly.

"I didn't know I could heal…" she whispered.

Zhao Yue exhaled. "It's rare."*

I studied the Crystal in my palm.

It throbbed with energy.

The first Divine Crystal.

And there were eleven more.

Zhao Yue looked at me. "What's next?"

I clenched my fist.

"We get stronger."*

Because this was just the beginning.

...................

So, everyone, how are you liking the plot so far? Are you all comfortable with this setting? Can I write a bit of gore ahead?