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Born In Blood Chapter 101-110


Chapter 101 House of Honor

 

Liam rounded to a large square building. It was just three stories tall, yet powerful guards – wearing black suits sheathed with blades – stood outside its doors.

Liam flashed his token after the two demanded to see it, and he was let inside.

The interior wasn’t anything too flashy – a stern-faced, tall and bald man sitting cross-legged on an elevated wooden platform.

He had brown skin, wore a black and white suit, and had thick eyebrows above his dark, menacing eyes.

Behind him, were countless bookcases filled to the brim with scrolls – techniques and spells. Liam’s eye flickered with greed, but he knew it was an unrequited feeling.

He respectfully greeted the man, who’s name was Behn, before asking his questions.

“Can you tell me how much a Rank 4 darkness spell, and a Zenith ranked body tempering method would cost?”

Liam still had his Dark Wraith technique. That alone could warrant some good money, but he was conflicted on whether or not selling it was a good idea.

‘It can connect me back to the tournament… it’s best I save this for now.’

Meanwhile, Behn looked at Liam as though he’d grown a second head. The sternness present on his face had been replaced with incredulousness.

“Did you say… darkness?” Behn blinked.

‘Ah. I forgot it’s rare.’

Thankfully, the Binding Oath stopped any knowledge of his element or strength from leaking out. Even if he told the other students, they wouldn’t be able to inform their families of his abilities.

Thus, Liam nodded.

Behn let out a half-amazed, half-shocked chuckle.

“As if having a dual-elementalist last year wasn’t rare enough,” he uttered under his breath.

“For your questions, a Rank 4 darkness spell would cost you about… 250K Stones, more or less. For mission completion points, that would be 25,000.”

Liam raised his brows, which deeply furrowed. He clicked his tongue.

“Spells of that caliber are too rare and powerful, even for common elements,” Behn said, noticing Liam’s grimace.

“Inscription masters often make spells suited to their own elements – they have their own unique properties, after all.”

“With how rare darkness and light are, spellmakers capable of making Zenith ranked techniques for them are even more scarce.”

Liam lowered his head. His grimace grew darker.

‘Doesn’t that mean I won’t be able to utilize my chaos? How long and how much would it take for me to buy two darkness spells? I need to learn how to inscribe, fast.’

“Let’s see… Rank 4 body tempering methods sell at about 100K. If it was attuned to darkness, that would make it 200K,” Behn clarified, rubbing his chin.

Liam hummed in understanding. That seemed to soften his scowl, but barely.

‘Still not enough, and probably not worth it, either.’

Eventually, Liam got tired of racking his brain to find a plan. His time at the academy had just begun. There was no need to think of the future as a dead end.

…Yet.

‘I may as well broaden my arsenal of spells while I’m at it.’

“Can you show me your Rank 3 darkness spells?” he asked, and Behn nodded.

Behn closed his eyes. One by one, scrolls from the bookcases shot towards him, slowly floating around his seated figure.

“Here you go,” Behn handed the spells to Liam to browse through. “A Rank 3 spell would take you down 35, lower ranks would cost 20 to 10.”

Liam nodded and read through them one by one.

‘Piercing blade. Rank 3 mental attack spell. Darkness.’

‘Produces a sharp, dark blade from mental energy capable of piercing through the sea of consciousness if unguarded. Consumes large amounts of mental energy.’

‘Umbral Needles. Rank 3. Darkness.’

‘Creates a sharp needle made from solid darkness – capable of piercing flesh – that explodes with corrosive smoke after a few seconds of contact with skin. Can be used in quick succession. Medium mental energy consumption.’

‘Obsidian Skin. Rank 3. Darkness.’

‘Can freely turn any patch of skin to sturdy, solid darkness. Bolsters the defenses of the body considerably. Consumption based on how much skin is hardened.’

Liam read a few more spells after that. Some helped with speed, some with strength and some enhanced durability.

However, none caught his eye like the exploding needles spell.

‘I already have a mental attack spell. Corroding Touch is Rank 2, but it’s good enough. Obsidian Skin sounds really good, but I already have Cartilage Brace. I currently lack a long-ranged attack, and that’s the best one.’

“I’ll take the needles,” he eventually settled, taking out his sum of Stones.

Behn nodded. His ring seemed to have a special function – it sucked in all the crystals Liam put on the man’s desk in less than a second.

“Here you go,” Behn said, handing Liam the scroll.

“Thank you,” Liam said, turning around to leave before remembering something. “What’s this about a dual-elementalist?”

“Ah,” Ben exclaimed. “He’s currently the possessor of the House of Honor, over the Hole.”

“A prodigy, that boy is. He wields both wind and water, which work to produce ice. Not to mention, his noble family is one of the strongest in Echoria. His name is Rishe Voist, a second-year. ”

Liam nodded in understanding before leaving, heading straight for his lodging.

‘House of Honor… I like the ring of it.’

///

It took Liam half an hour to memorize the spell. He quickly entered his basement, heaving a breath and opening his palm.

By command, darkness swirled around his hand to form a bleak needle the length of two fingers. Dark vapor oozed from it, and the tips were razor-sharp.

Taking aim, Liam flicked his wrist from the side and hurled the needle at the wall.

Shooting through the air, the Umbral Needle was like a lethal streak of dusky light.

It smashed against the wall but didn’t pierce it. Instead, it instantly exploded into a cloud of noxious gas.

The protective inscriptions on the wall rippled violently like water, before the reaction eventually ceased.

One after the other, he kept shooting Umbral Needles at the walls. Their consumption of mental energy and ‘Ora’ wasn’t too much, and it was a powerful all-round spell.

The inscriptions rippled to no end, before he eventually relented.

Liam pursed his lips pensively, then smiled.

‘It’s worth the money. I finally have some long-range capabilities.’

Chapter 102 Corrupt

 

Liam spent the following week checking out the various facilities the academy offered.

He had to skim through most of them, but he got the general gist of how each establishment worked.

For starters, battle halls were giant rectangular buildings built close to one another.

The interior was similar to Liam’s basement – vast empty floors illuminated by natural white lights, the walls of which were reinforced with steel and protective inscriptions.

It was also where students could do friendly duels, train, and wager their wealth, techniques and dwellings.

Accepting a wager or duel wasn’t mandatory, but paying a hefty fee of 10K Stones could grant you an ‘Force Accept’ slip.

It cost a massive amount of money and any individual with half a brain would avoid pointless wagers… but nobles were a peculiar species.

The slip forced the one challenged to either accept the wager, or pay the huge fee the slip cost.

That… annoyed Liam. But he knew it was to create competition between the students.

On that note, Liam browsed through the academic missions administered by the Main Hall – a hub for all things academy related.

He soon realized that missions were granted by the Headmaster himself. They would only be given after the first month of studying, and depended entirely on how good or bad the student was doing.

Those with greater marks would also be given longer breaks, and vastly more rewarding (but presumably harder) missions.

At the same time, there were Expansion Rooms – the floors of which were heavily inscribed and studded with runes that helped with expanding the sea of consciousness, simply by applying strong pressure on their mental spheres.

There was already something similar to that back in Ucladd, but this one was made to steadily advance the mind depending on what level the individual’s mental sphere was on.

Paired with the Psionic Rune, it noticeably bolstered the expansion speed, but too much of it would have negative effects on the mind.

Although he visited the Grand Library – probably the biggest establishment, even bigger than the Main Hall – he just didn’t know what to look for because of the sheer amount of books there.

Finally, it was one day before classes started, and Liam had to visit the Oracle.

Truth be told, he was worried. Extremely worried. He didn’t know what ‘peering into the soul’ entailed, but he knew it meant trouble.

If he could, he’d obviously not go.

But this was mandatory.

If he knew anything about himself, it was that his soul was corrupted in the most literal sense of the word.

…Could they sense that?

He suppressed his paranoia and made his way to the Oracle’s Suite, an orb-shaped house made from black glass with a small door in front.

There weren’t too many students around, since most had already completed their appointment.

Liam heaved a sigh and walked in.

His eye was greeted with a crusty old hag, gray unkempt hair flowing wildly over her shoulders. She wore a single, silky black garment which shone under the dark light illuminating the space.

Her face was wrinkled and sagging, and an expressionless look rested on it.

“Ugh, I thought we were done for the week,” she uttered, annoyed. “My head hurts, dammit. Let’s get this over with.”

Liam knew the Oracle as Nelsa. From the rumors circulating around the first week of the academy, she was probably the highest paid one there.

Nelsa gestured for Liam to sit across from her, then heaved a long, annoyed sigh.

“You ever been… ‘Oracled’ before?” she asked in an annoyed tone, to which Liam responded by shaking his head. “My mental waves will enter your sea of consciousness. When that happens, you may feel a strange sensation, but it’s only for a moment. Don’t resist it, or else the reading will come out wrong.”

Liam nodded firmly, but he couldn’t hide the nervous look in his eye.

“It’s not that serious. I can’t uncover any of your secrets or life memories – I’m not advanced enough for that. It just gives me your specialties and what your motivations are.”

That did nothing to soothe his worries.

“I shall begin,” Nelsa said, turning stern.

Her mental waves left her forehead and swirled around Liam’s mind, slowly seeping through his sea of consciousness.

Meanwhile, Liam noticed how her mental waves were completely different than anyone else’s he’d seen. It was dense, with different types of invisible energy mixed into it.

The process continued.

Liam didn’t feel pain, just an itch that made him want to scratch the inside of his brain. It was a momentary sensation, but eventually it ceased.

Nelsa closed her eyes, her consciousness drifting into a slumbering state. Updated from nov𝒆lbIn.(c)om

When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the same room.

///

Nelsa took a moment to steady herself.

Readings were always difficult to do. It’s what caused her condition to slowly deteriorate, and what made cultivation so arduous for her.

Although some considered her connection with the Opposition a blessing, she herself regarded it as a curse. Especially since it was that very connection that made her come to such a state.

Although it caused her mental waves to have special properties – and gave her certain abilities – her body and core were never strong, even from a young age.

Still, being an Oracle promised her a wealthy future, one she capitalized on all she could.

She held her head to calm down the starting headache, then slowly stood up, her gaze gaining enough focus to assess her surroundings.

Darkness.

Cold, cold darkness.

Everywhere she looked was pure, unadulterated dusk. Even her stretched hand was consumed by the thick shadows.

And it was so cold! Her skin instantly stiffened, goosebumps growing on her body.

The floor below her was a crimson liquid… the pungent smell of which indicated blood.

Nelsa was instantly unsettled. Fear creeped into her heart like the shadows that lingered all around, but she suppressed those feelings.

‘What’s wrong with this kid?’ she wondered bleakly, realizing the dark liquid beneath her feet had started to squirm and gurgle.

Abruptly, solid lumps started to emerge from beneath her feet.

Nelsa’s eyes widened in shock when she realized they were corpses.

Chapter 103 Intruding

 

As if the darkness and blood floor wasn’t enough, Nelsa stumbled backwards in fear once she realized the lumps were human corpses.

Some floated on their backs, allowing her to see their severed body parts and marred faces. Deep gashes on their skin made them unrecognizable. This chapter is updat𝓮d by nov(e)(l)biin.com

Here and there, a severed hand and leg floated freely about.

And the worst thing of all… was the fact that the bodies never stopped appearing.

Faintly, countless whispers rung in her ears. They were near incomprehensible – but loud and quiet at the same time.

She could only deduce anxiousness and worry from them.

Nelsa’s breathing grew erratic. In her decades of Reading people, students and teachers alike, she’d never Read someone like this.

She desperately wanted to leave.

…But she couldn’t.

Once a Reading began, it would continue until the end, through reaching its conclusion or some other way.

They were like lucid dreams, except one you couldn’t escape or wake up from.

At the same time, Nelsa could feel Liam’s emotions. They came in complex forms – anger, ambition, bloodlust, worry, greed, apathy, vengefulness.

Those were the strongest emotions she could sense… alongside a very faint, hidden touch of regret.

More and more bodies emerged. That sight paired with the endless whispers and strong smell of blood made her knees weak.

‘When will this end?!’ she screamed inwardly, afraid her voice would attract any unknown attention.

Finally, the corpses stopped surfacing, the whispers slowly regressed, and the smell of blood ceased.

Nelsa’s breathing gradually calmed down, just enough for her to regain some of her composure.

She was a strong Magus and powerful Oracle!

How could she fear from a mere junior’s reading?

She’d killed far more than the average cultivator, and she’d lived for a long, long time.

…Still, her hand still trembled from an ominous feeling that loomed above her heart, like an invisible blade pressed against her neck. Fear of the unknown, she presumed.

And there it was… the ‘unknown’ spoke to her.

A voice so deep, so cruel and so foreign, it made her feel like she aged another hundred years.

“You’re intruding. Leave.”

///

Nelsa’s eyes burst open, paired with heavy panting? and cold sweat that drenched her garment.

When her gaze fell on Liam – who sat there with a wince – she flinched backwards and nearly fell.

“Just… just what are you?!” she screamed with narrowed eyes, a heavy, hostile pressure grew around her.

Liam’s grimace grew darker. He’d been watching as Nelsa’s expression rapidly changed.

“What did you see?” he asked with a low voice, his face dark. He stood up and took a few steps back.

Liam’s blades were in hand’s reach, he stilled the urge to unsheath them, or to make any sudden move.

His instincts told him to run.

Was he going to fight an academic Oracle?

She must be at least two entire Ranks above him.

Where would he go afterwards to escape?

…Slowly, Nelsa retracted her heavy pressure, staring at Liam’s cold face with a conflicted expression.

After a short, tense pause, she spoke:

“You’re too green if you think killing a few people would make me scared,” she scoffed, slowly regaining her composure. “You… just caught me off guard. Sit.”

Liam gave her a probing look. He couldn’t suppress the frown from appearing on his face.

Reluctantly, he sat down, but his tense movements didn’t go unnoticed.

“You’ve killed many at such a young age. Part of me wonders what kind of life you lived to stomach that sort of thing, but… I’m not one to judge.”

“There was something strange when I Read you,” said Nelsa, a tint of fear in her old eyes.

“It was another voice, there within you.”

Liam narrowed his eyes. “Another voice?”

“It… told me I was ‘intruding’, then ordered me to leave. I’ve never had that done to me before, so I don’t know how worried I should be,” Nelsa spoke in a low tone.

Liam wondered what it was that made even an Oracle feel scared.

“Let that be… for now. We’ll talk more about it sometime later.”

“For now, let me tell you what you can specialize in…”

After giving Liam his class recommendations and dismissing him, Nelsa immediately called Headmaster Reye.

///

One more day passed, and it was time for classes to begin.

Liam’s scowl didn’t leave his face ever since that meeting with the Oracle.

He was in deep, and he knew it. Although he felt like he had some sort of protection because of his potential, that didn’t do much to reassure him.

Nevertheless, there was no use thinking of it as of now. He’d plan something once he had a few cards up his sleeve.

‘The first class is for cultivation. I better head there now. I’ll check the ones she gave me after.’

Lines of youths had crowded the streets as they all made their way towards the Lecture Hall – a large pavilion with the interior of a modern university classroom.

The halls were lined with red carpets and lit by diamond-like chandeliers, which Liam thought was a bit overdone for something like school.

He walked through the packed corridors before eventually finding the cultivation classroom.

The front of the class consisted of an inscribed board which had a reflective surface, along with some different tools on the processor’s desk

Apparently he came quite late, judging by how all the seats were taken. Only a single spot in the back was left.

Liam almost cursed when he saw Nord, Sveinn, Rin and Nessa sitting there with only a single seat left for him on the side.

A few sneers shot his way from the front, but he ignored them and reluctantly made his way to the remaining seat.

“Oh, Lawrence. You’re finally here,” Nessa said with a smile when she saw Liam approach.

Rin remained silent, Nord stared silently, and Sveinn exchanged a nod with him.

Liam nodded tersely and didn’t say anything, quietly sitting down.

“Man, this place is just unreal. The number of beauties in this place…” Sveinn said loudly, but multiple glares silenced his words.

Nord scoffed.

“I’ve already made a thousand Stones profit from wagering. They’re all weaklings, this bunch.”

‘That should be a good way to make money,’ Liam realized. ‘The professor still isn’t here, though.’

As though on cue, a woman had teleported in front of the class.

Chapter 104 Tribulations

 

The professor had long, raven-black hair that fell past her neck and ocean-blue eyes which looked deeply knowledgeable.

Her silky white robe embroidered with intricate golden lines gave her a scholarly air, which paired well with her powerful aura.

“I am Veila Rei, your cultivation professor,” she smiled, displaying her bright white teeth. “Treat me well, and I’ll do the same for you.”

Instantly, she was a sight for sore eyes. At least, noble ones. Sveinn looked entranced, Rin looked distant as ever, Nord let out a quiet scoff, Nessa smiled and Liam was expressionless.

“This class won’t be as boring as one would imagine,” Veila paced around the lecture hall. “We’ll be discussing the centers of power, Zenith and Celestial Ranks, as well as their tribulations and abilities.”

Instantly, Liam was interested.

So was everyone else, for that matter.

Veila smiled seeing the interested looks from her students, then continued.

“For one, mental energy isn’t as simple as you might think, and neither is the sea of consciousness.”

Veila’s mental waves spread across the space.

Liam suddenly felt something click in his sea of consciousness.

[I bet none of you knew transmitting your voice mentally was possible.] Veila’s voice rang out in everyone’s mental spheres, but her smiling lips didn’t move. [This is just one of the few skills that you’ll be able to learn.]

Liam’s eye widened in fascination, but his lips curved upwards to form a smile.

The other students looked amazed as well, but a few looked like they knew about that ability.

“You’ll learn much about your future journey through this course,” said Veila.

“Let’s begin with what a Tribulation is, first. Obviously, you all know the Opposition, the governing force. This force acts as a direct counterpart to your journey for strength. We’ll go more in depth on that topic later.”

“When entering the fourth Rank of any center of power, that’s when you’ll undergo a difficult test, determining whether or not you advance.”

Liam knew that tidbit of information from the Yin & Yang Sisters, but they hadn’t been kind enough to explain what it was.

“We’ll begin with the Struggle Tribulation, which is also called the Bodily Test. This is when you’ve already cultivated a Rank 4 body tempering method and just about to break through… only, that’s when the Tribulation will begin.”

“The reason it’s called a ‘struggle’, is because everything in your body is going to shut down, and you’ll struggle for life.”

“Your heart, your lungs, your ears, your eyes, your taste, all of your senses and bodily functions will die. Not to mention, all of this… hurts. the amount of people that died during this test is uncountable.”

Liam’s eye narrowed, but he supposed there was a catch that made gaining such a powerful body somewhat fair.

The surrounding students looked even more worried and anxious, while some had gone pale.

“But!” Veila exclaimed. “Your mind and core will still function, and the Tribulation is not that long. The way to advance is simple – a dense, purifying ‘Ora’ will start to grow on your body, starting with the internal organs, then moving to bones, flesh and skin. You are required to equally spread this essence across your being, slowly regaining your bodily functions.”

“Once that essence is fully expended, you will officially enter the fourth Rank for the body. Is that understandable?”

The class nodded in unison, but their worry couldn’t be hidden.

“Moving on, there is the Self Tribulation for the sea of consciousness,” Veila revealed. “This one is unique… in the sense that every Tribulation depends entirely on the individual.”

“Our knowledge on this test is somewhat limited, since the mental sphere is the hardest center of power to progress through, which not too many cultivators reach in their lifetime.”

“All we know is, once it begins, you will enter a dream-like state. You won’t be able to wake up until the Tribulation is completed.”

“When undergoing this test, it’s recommended you do it in a safe place where no beast or man can kill you, because they could even span months.”

“Also, if you fail… your sea of consciousness will shatter instantly, leaving you with a mindless body without thought.”

That made some draw in a cold breath, sweat trickling down their foreheads.

Liam frowned.

‘Damn it. I really hoped there was some useful knowledge regarding that test. I still have to uphold my end of the bargain with the Kitsune.’

“Don’t worry, though. Becoming a Rank 3 Magus will no doubt equip you with the necessary capabilities and mental prowess to survive that Tribulation. It wouldn’t be fair, otherwise,” Veila reassured, noticing the grimaces and worried scowls. “There are many, many years left until you get to that point.”

That realization made Liam relax a bit. It was a problem for another day.

“The last Tribulation is called the Defence Tribulation, and it’s probably the easiest of the bunch… depending on how you look at it. Depending on what element you are, you’ll have to defend powerful attacks from said element.”

“These ‘attacks’ are very, very powerful. And destructive – even Rank 4 bodies are not enough to block their might. You may die, even with a Zenith body.”

…That made Liam raise his brows.

“They are aimed at your core, intent on destroying it. For example, if you were of the fire element, a giant mass of flames would appear out of nowhere and assault you. The same with wind, earth, water, darkness and light.”

“You can minimize the damage if you’re in protected areas, but you’re bound to suffer some sort of damage or attack.”

“Another thing I want to add is what happens once you go up the ranks, techniques and spells will undoubtedly lessen in availability. Especially those attuned with your own element. That’s why it’s important to pick up on an inscription or forging method to eventually make your own.”

Liam realized his problem applied to everyone else as well.

‘Maybe I can get some advantage if I start early. That way, I could find some ways to utilize my chaos.’

Veila took a moment to let everyone absorb her words, before nodding to herself.

“That’s it for today’s class. I’ll prescribe some books for you guys to study in the meantime.”

“Dismissed.”

Chapter 105 Bother

 

Liam made his way back to the next class with a dour look. The Tribulations were much more torturous than he imagined.

The good thing was, his body was going to be the first to advance to the fourth.

That meant his physical strength would be significantly better during his Defense Tribulation, and, if it applied, the Self Tribulation.

…Well, no fret. He had time to prepare.

The second class was battle prowess.

Liam, along with dozens of other youths, made their way towards the next class.

The battle class led by Janice was obviously not held inside a real classroom – instead, they would fight inside the Battle Halls.

Janice was already there when the group of youths arrived. She did nothing to hide her excited and joyous expression.

“Alright!” she exclaimed, her eye scouring the group of students.

“Listen up! We’re going to do some light dueling for starters. This class will help you increase your battle prowess, if you were too dumb to understand the self-explanatory name.”

“If I spot any weakness in your fighting style, I’ll point it out and help you improve. With that, everyone look for a fighting partner to duel with.”

The youths turned to one another and started to find their partners.

Sveinn was there too, chatting with some red-haired girl. Rin and Nessa chose each other as partners, but the latter looked way weaker than the deaf girl.

On the other hand… Nord instantly appeared beside Liam.

“Do you mind?” he asked, respectful enough that Liam considered it.

“Fine,” Liam replied after a short pause, causing Nord to smile and nod.

“Thank you.”

Eventually, Janice gestured for everyone to duel one at a time. Spells were not allowed, and neither were grievous wounds (although Janice looked particularly sad when saying that). Only some techniques were allowed to be used.

The duels happened in no particular order, and some haughty nobles decided they were first to begin. There were roughly a hundred students there, so the fights could be somewhat entertaining.

Disappointingly, their duels were nothing catchy.

Some still had Rank 2 bodies, and their prowess was undeniably underwhelming – most fights were stale. At times, both parties looked scared to make the first move and engage. Liam suppressed a chuckle when seeing a few of them horribly fail.

They all used Rank 3 martial arts, though, which seemed to spice up the fights slightly.

In reality, it only looked boring through Liam’s eye.

He realized it wasn’t that they were bad… he just saw everything they did with an unadulterated clarity.

Janice had the same perspective he did, though. She looked bored out of her mind, even sighing repeatedly as she gave the students tips now and again.

Sveinn fought against the same red-haired girl he was talking to. Though, he purposefully went easy and lost against her.

That made Liam lose any respect he might’ve had for the noble.

Finally, it was Rin versus Nessa next.

Janice regained some of her lost excitement as the atmosphere grew tense.

Rin held two daggers in her hands. They were 7 inches long, made from the fangs of some wolf-type magical beast. Her face looked cold and focused, even when going against a ‘friend’.

Nessa looked slightly fearful, but she clenched the inscribed staff in her hands tightly. Although an alchemist at heart, she had her fair share of fights.

“And… begin!” Janice exclaimed.

Instantly, Rin turned into a blur, her blades bursting into flames and smashing against Nessa’s staff as she tried to defend.

The attack caused her to skitter backwards and grunt, but she didn’t have any time to catch her breath.

A barrage of infernal dagger attacks pushed Nessa back and caused her to grunt in pain – warm sweat dripping down her face. Foll𝑜w current novℯls on nov𝒆lb((in).(com)

Each swing painted vibrant lines of orange in the air, and Rin didn’t hold back in the least.

The fight ended when Nessa desperately attempted her first counterattack, only for a dagger to kiss the side of her neck.

The spectators looked at Rin with new eyes.

She helped Nessa up with a curt nod, before assimilating with the crowd.

Meanwhile, Liam realized no one saw what he did. The fight was impressive, he admitted.

‘She was smiling at one point. She definitely has some screws loose in her head.’

The teapot called the kettle black… but Liam didn’t have time to think more, since Nord started walking in front.

‘Oh, right. I still have my turn.’

Liam unsheathed his blades and walked in front.

They weren’t his usual black ones, but a cheap pair he’d bought from the armory.

He didn’t want to chip his remaining blades, only two pairs of which were left.

Nord wielded an intimidating glaive. It was sharp-tipped and longer than an adult, the handle of which was crimson red. It looked to be made from a dense metal, with intricate designs on the edges.

Somehow, this fight aroused more attention than the previous one.

Janice had an ear-to-ear smile.

Liam shook his head, slightly annoyed.

‘I just want to grow stronger in peace. They’re all battle maniacs.’

Nord did not seem weak. Liam could guess that his battle prowess was somewhat close to Rin’s.

Heaving a sigh, Liam waited for Janice’s signal, which came instantly.

Nord stomped his foot and weaved in forward, glaive in hand as he tried to pierce through Liam’s chest with his weapon.

Liam evaded with ease, deflecting a flurry of powerful wide swings that chipped parts of his blades.

The glaive’s sharpness was enhanced by Nord’s wind, causing small cuts to appear on Liam’s clothing despite it not touching.

Liam’s eye flickered with a dangerous glimmer.

As the glaive pierced through his shoulder – forming a deep gash that revealed the black bone underneath – Liam gripped the hilt and pulled.

Nord was yanked forward, thereupon Liam headbutted the red-eyed boy with enough force that made the spectators wince, causing him to drop the glaive and fall a short distance away – nose broken and bloody.

Liam snorted out the bit of blood stuck up his nose, then fixed it, and sheathed his blades. The large gash on his shoulder slowly healed, but bloody cuts marred his body.

‘That should be enough for them not to bother me.’

Chapter 106 Powerhouses

 

The class ended shortly after that.

Janice looked like a fangirl after the fight, smilingly stealing glances at Liam’s direction. She had little advice to give him, since the usage of spells and techniques weren’t allowed.

Nord looked angry at first, but then accepted the fact that Liam was stronger. He looked at Liam with even more respect.

‘It had the opposite effect, damn it!’ Liam cursed.

Needless to say, the fight scared off any scheming nobles. At least the more cowardly ones.

There were a few that still looked at him with strange emotions in their eyes.

‘It won’t be long before I get one of those Force Accept slips,’ Liam thought, irked.

Finally, it was time for the last mandatory class, which was world knowledge.

The next class resembled a mix between a library and a lecture hall. Books were neatly stacked here and there, and the space was illuminated by a warm, cozy light hanging from the ceiling.

An old man accepted the students coming in – dark blue eyes, arched nose, lengthy white hair that flowed behind his back, paired with a warm smile that made him look trustworthy.

He wore a black and white shenyi, stitched with hanging ornaments. Needless to say, he looked like a sage.

“Welcome, welcome, children. Please find your seats, let’s begin instantly,” said Gorris Shel, the world knowledge teacher.

Once the students found their seats, Gorris smiled to himself and began talking.

“Let’s begin with an overview of countries and continents.”

The large, mirror-like board started to turn on with various colors, displaying a vast, top-view of the world.

Certain countries had their own characteristics and landscapes.

The board also displayed certain interactivities – one country in particular had thick, black clouds covering its surface, which hid the land beneath it. Another was etched completely black, as though it was an area of the world yet to be unlocked.

Besides that, there were many, many more lands.

“In the very center of this world, we have Echoria,” said Gorris, pointing to the mass of land on the center of the map with a long metal stick. “Echoria is a powerhouse in terms of a country.”

“Do you all know why?” he asked, pointing at a young girl who had her hand raised.

“Because of its vast resources, population and millennium of cultivation?” she explained confidently, sure of her answer.

Gorris smiled with squinted eyes, but his face instantly shifted to one of grave sternness.

“No.”

The denial made the girl look shocked.

“It’s because of one reason, and one reason alone,” Gorris corrected with a stern look. “We have a Rank 6 cultivator as our ruler.”

Liam’s eye widened, and shocked murmurs spread through the lecture hall.

‘Rank 6?’

The most Liam had seen was a Rank 4 magical beast with a mental sphere. Although that was amazing, he didn’t think it would be even close to a Rank 5 beast, let alone Rank 6 – one Rank below a Celestial.

Gorris smiled at their reactions.

“Yes, a Rank 6 cultivator,” he reiterated. “Queen Thyress of Echoria.”

“Such cultivators are way too powerful to live together with weak humans such as us. They build special structures and areas where ‘Ora’ can nourish their enormous levels of power. You won’t even find a picture of them… well, if you’re lucky, you might. But such people are way beyond our reach.”

For a moment, Liam wondered how powerful Queen Thyress really was. Could she extinguish entire civilizations with a hand gesture? How long did she live? Where did she live? How did she get to that point if techniques were so scarce? The sourc𝗲 of this content nov(𝒆l)bi((n))

“She is not the only one,” Gorris revealed with a smug smile, reveling in the fascinated looks. “There are the vampires in the east, led by Alucard, the Blood Lord,” he said, tapping the country with black clouds covering its lands.

“That is an entire continent called ‘Korsa’, occupied by different races, but presumably led by the Pashah of vampires.”

“There is the General, with his Imperial Legion in the north, living in the Abyssal Plains. Although they are small in number, they are capable of going head-to-head with any country or organization at this current time,” he tapped his metal stick at the small, blocked out country.

“And perhaps the strongest organization of our time, the Martial Alliance in ‘Ilali’. They are ruled by the Seven Great Clans, each of which contains a Rank 5 cultivator as its elder. Even among them, there is a Rank 6 powerhouse.”

“These are just a few. There are many more. Some are even hidden.”

Gorris stopped to let everything sink in.

The surge of information flowed inside Liam’s mind and flared his ambition to a blazing fire.

He was merely an ant, with his sights set for towering mountain peaks, but no discouragement could be seen on his face.

‘I’ll climb them. Even they started out as ants and worked their way up the hill,’ Liam smiled.

“The political landscape is something that we’ll study as well. I recommend opting for the world history class too. It’ll explain why the relations are the way they are.”

The rest of the class consisted of Gorris explaining how borders worked, which countries were allies, and the traversal between countries.

///

After all the classes ended, Liam entered the Grand Library to grab the prescribed books to study.

After that, he entered his lodging, sitting cross-legged in bodily cultivation. He was organizing the information in his head with a pensive look.

‘Almost none of these countries are allied with one another. Echoria is neutral. Ilali has strict borders that don’t allow anyone inside. The Imperial Legion is something to be worried about, from what Gorris said. The General is secretive, but that mantle of his was made through conquering various lands. The Korsan Continent hasn’t had any contact with humans for ages, too.’

When he finished with his meditation, he shifted his attention to his right index and applied some ‘Ora’ and mental energy on it.

Instantly, his finger turned to dark mist, flowing freely even though no air brushed against it.

To Liam, it felt like any sensation in his finger turned off, replaced with a convoluted mix of cold feelings that rapidly interchanged.

‘I’ve finally filled enough bones for one complete finger,’ Liam thought with a smile. ‘I need to get used to this.’

Chapter 107 Forging

 

Liam completed his morning training and headed to his spare specialization classes – ones given to him by the Oracle.

Race Studies by Roland Herk, Magical Beast Studies by Warh Qwim, Magical Beast specialized forging by Jordan Klop, Basic Inscription by Richard Nesht, among World History, Language and… Realm Studies?

That was a particular one. Liam searched up the teacher’s name in the academic index and the results were slightly… concerning. The man had half a star, and not a single positive review.

The Oracle somewhat saw fit for Liam to take that class, so he didn’t question it.

He started with Roland, the race studies teacher. Liam had already forgotten their last names, but he couldn’t care less about that.

There were just a few students that picked this particular class. None that Liam recognized.

Roland had an unkempt appearance that made him look slightly drunk – a short stubble covered his chin, gray hair curly that fell to his shoulders, deep set amber eyes and a short stature.

The first study was about the foreign race everyone was familiar with – vampires.

There were multiple drawings and illustrations the professor had displayed on the reflective board, which had much more detail and clarity compared to Liam’s childhood book.

From the class, he learned more about the vampiric centers of power – Roland even promised to bring a vampire’s Nexus for a close-up study one day.

That would prove extremely useful for Liam, who could see the ins and outs of everything with his eye.

From the illustrations, the heart of a vampire looked nothing like that of a human’s – it was spherical in shape, nearly the size of a small bowling ball.

Tendril-like veins hung from the crimson, fleshy, almost glowing surface, which would transform, refine and purify the blood.

Magical beast studies was another field Liam was interested in, which was the very next class.

He’d already gained a hefty amount of experience from fighting, killing and being attacked by so many of them.

The class provided answers for some of the questions Liam had.

Warh was a burly, intimidating man with a dark, thick, well trimmed beard. He had a natural frown on his face, but had a soft tone when he spoke.

Strangely enough, Rin was there too – an unusually focused look on her pale face.

The class was mainly about what strength someone needed to be to fight against a Rank 4 magical beasts, as well as different species and capabilities of each of the Ranks, starting with the Mortal ones.

Fighting Zenith level humans was a different matter entirely.

Magical beasts had only two centers of power, the body and core, with the former being the main prowess they fought with.

Human Zeniths on the other hand had 3 centers of power, each one extremely deadly on their own.

To put it simply, to kill a Rank 4 beast, you’d need one center of power in the same level as them.

The most common of these was the body, since it was relatively the easiest to advance, followed by the core and sea of consciousness.

…For Liam, though, it was the other way around.

He awakened his mental sphere before his core, and was already ranked 3 body-wise when he finally did.

Of course, killing with just a Rank 4 body was not enough.

At least an experienced group of 5 people with a Zenith ranked body was required for a sure-to-kill chance, but that example was considering their other centers of power being weak.

The next class was the one Liam was most excited about, besides basic Inscriptions.

Jordan was a tall, lanky man with no hair on his head. He had dark bags under his black eyes, and his voice sounded like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing against each other.

There were just a handful of students in this class, but strangely enough, Rin was there too.

Unlike the other lecture halls, this one had a large inscribed forging table, one with differently shaped tools. There were similar forging tables in front of each student’s desks, but it was way too early for them to start.

“Alright, before we begin, if there’s anyone with a forging method related to magical beasts, meet me after class ends.”

Jordan began explaining how to mend, purify and strengthen magical beast-made items with various forging techniques – he brought out Rank 3 beast parts to work with, and displayed examples as he taught his methods.

Some Rogan had taught Liam already (a reminder of the eccentric blacksmith’s skill), but most of the others were unknown techniques extremely useful for Liam’s needs.

Especially the endurance aspect of it, which could solve his blades’ quick deterioration.

“With forging, one has to trade one aspect of strength for another. For example, if you want to increase the sharpness of your blades, you have to lessen the endurance and overall strength,” Jordan explained, cleaning up his table by rubbing it with a white cloth. “Of course, this tradeoff would lessen once you get better with forging in general, but that’s how it is. ”

“Oh, and the academy offers materials for a cheap price if you’re looking for them. That’s all for today.”

Liam waited until the class was somewhat empty before approaching Jordan.

Rin lingered back as well, which made Liam think she might have some sort of forging method related to magical beasts as well.

“Professor, if I tell you about my forging method, will you be able to tell it to any others here?” Liam asked with a low voice. He cupped a hand over his mouth so the distant Rin couldn’t read his lips.

Primordial Forging was an incomplete, unorthodox and deadly forging method… but it had massive potential. He didn’t want to risk putting a target on his back.

“The Binding Oath doesn’t let me tell even the Royals about your special abilities. You’re free to do so, lad.”

Liam nodded firmly, then explained.

Jordan’s eyes slowly widened as he listened.

“S-Such a forging method exists?!”

Liam remarked a slight frown growing on Rin’s face, but didn’t expect Jordan’s overreaction.

Chapter 108 Golden-Eyed Vagrant

 

Jordan took a moment to reel back his shock, growing pensively silent.

“I’ve spent my entire life forging with magical beasts… but I’ve never come across a forging method like yours. Even mine only goes as far as taking the toughness and strength of a magical beast’s, never the innate ability.”

Liam hummed noncommittally.

“It wouldn’t be shameless for a professor to ask his student for his forging method, would it?” Jordan asked with hopeful eyes and a wry smile, but Liam shook his head.

“I would… but I can’t. This forging method was the inheritance of my father. He made me swear an oath never to give it to anybody.”

Jordan slowly hummed in understanding, a bit of regret in his eyes.

“…Even if I pay you 200K Stones?” he offered with a pleading look.

Liam lingered for a split second, but eventually shook his head.

“I see… well, fair enough. What do you need my help with?”

Liam proceeded to give Jordan a list of the things he required assistance with – mainly how to imbue a blade with a complete will, strengthen his blades’ endurance, and ways to decrease the drawback on his mental sphere without decreasing the beast will potency.

Jordan nodded and dismissed him after a few questions, tending to Rin who stayed behind.

///

Liam had a short break before heading to his next class – Basic Inscriptions by Richard Nesht.

He chose that time to cultivate and enter the Academic Lounge – an area consisting of pleasantries for students to partake in.

There were sleek and large restaurants near there, containing an almost endless menu and meals of a royal quality.

Most of the time, students gathered there to socialize, which meant the air was almost always rowdy.

Liam moved past the hordes of young men and women, flashing his token to gather himself a large serving of delicacies from the lunch-lady, before finding a secluded place in the corner to dine in.

Sveinn was there too, charmingly chatting up a group of girls – Nessa was presumably in the Alchemic Labs, and Nord was most definitely in the Battle Halls.

Still, Liam couldn’t help but feel various gazes on his figure, but he was too fixed on his musings to pay them any attention.

‘I don’t think I’ll learn how to inscribe completely through learning the basics. Blood Weaving is just too unique and different.’

He didn’t get ten bites in before a beautiful noble – scarlet hair and plump lips – a few years older than him walked to his table.

“Are you… Lawrence?” she asked inquisitively, her alluring, ruby-like eyes locked to his golden.

“No,” he answered indifferently, taking another bite of his meal.

“Liar! You’re Lawrence, the ‘Golden-Eyed Vagrant’, are you not?”

Liam almost winced.

“I just said no. Are you daft?”

“Rude! I just wanted to say hi!”

Liam shrugged nonchalantly, then continued eating his food.

The girl stomped her foot in anger and walked back to her group, which shot gazes of scorn and vindication at Liam.

‘Golden-Eyed Vagrant…? What kind of retarded nickname is that?’

A long sigh escaped Liam’s lips.

‘Can’t catch a break.’

A few minutes passed after such an interaction, and this time… Rin, of all people, came to his table.

Liam had already noticed her lingering around the cafeteria, eyeing him for a good minute and eventually making her way to his table with a large serving of food.

She looked at him solemnly and gestured if it was okay to sit opposite him.

Liam heaved another tired sigh and casually shrugged, hasting to finish his remaining plate.

Making conversation with a deaf girl was bound to be a bitter treat…

Rin made a series of gestures that looked like ‘your forging method, what is it?’, which she painfully repeated over and over until Liam eventually understood.

By the end of it… Liam shrugged with a smug chuckle.

Rin’s thin purple brows momentarily furrowed in slight annoyance. With a defeated sigh, she chose to dig into her meal.

A sharp, serene chime of a bell rang in everyone’s mental spheres – marking the end of their break.

Liam stuffed the rest of his food and headed straight to the basic inscription class, along with the scattering youths who went their own ways.

He was quick to realize, though, that the inscription’s class was jam-packed with more students than any other class, even the mandatory ones.

There were faces Liam didn’t recognize, which he attributed to other cohorts joining their lecture.

Even those Liam knew were there, including Nord the delinquent battle maniac, and Sveinn the womanizer (their respective nicknames given by classmates).

‘Inscriptions are too important to let up, I guess,’ Liam realized, finding an empty seat at the back.

After a short respite, a teacher teleported at the front like usual.

Out of all of Liam’s professors, this one looked the most posh – smooth blonde hair, azure eyes and a square-shaped face that paired well with his solid white suit.

“I am Richard,” he introduced briefly, his drooping eyes scouring the students.

After a short introduction, he instantly began.

“I’ll revise the topic from scratch for our newer students. Inscriptions consist of three aspects. Ink, meaning, and link.”

“These aspects must work together as one united front to create any technique, spell, or wonder imaginable to the human mind… that should tell you about their endless depth and comprehension requirements.”

Richard paced around the lecture hall, his sharp leather boots tapping against the wooden platform.

“Inscriptions have their own strengths and weaknesses, especially what they focus on.”

“Creating unique spells, enhancements, inventing techniques and generally building an inscribed construct, are all different types of specializations.”

Abruptly, Richard’s hair turned white, glowing brightly.

He took out a simple longsword made from steel from his ring, then stretched it forward.

Each thread of his hair extended and flowed around the blade, weaving in with lithe motions and leaving behind an etched mark with every hair.

By the end of it, the longsword looked much more ornate with incredibly precise white lines on its glowing surface, forming an intricate pattern.

Shocking of all, Liam noticed how none of the lines intersected with each other.

Chapter 109 Useful

 

Richard took a moment to let the students calm down. They’d broken into loud exclamations of shock and awe.

“This is my family’s specialization – instantaneous enhancements. It may look simple and easy, but I assure you… it’s not. It took us centuries just to bring it to this point.”

“That’s how these kinds of methods improve. Trial and error, repetition, and constant adjustment.”

Richard summoned a standard training dummy – humanoid shaped and made from solid steel – then lightly swiped the air from top to bottom.

The training dummy split in half, stilling the air with shocked and amazed silence, but the sword shattered right after.

“Such is the power of enhancements, but everything has its limits. Although my sword can kill a man or beast in one swipe, it has a one-time usage, and it takes a long time to make.”

“The ink in this situation was imbued within each thread of my hair. I had already stored them with the meanings, and the links were made by me.”

Richard noticed the confused looks and smiled lightly.

“The meanings are done with the sea of consciousness. More specifically, mental energy. Don’t worry, you’ll learn how to do so.”

“It has a direct connection with the ink, since it’s an expression of those meanings you’ve made.”

“However, you can get creative with the ink itself. I’m sure you all have seen people inscribing using different tools?”

Some nodded, prompting him to continue.

“External factors help in controlling the ink and creating the circuits that connect them, but they take time to learn and could possibly lose some of the imbued meanings.”

“On the other hand, the link – made by the ink containing the meanings – must be free of any sort of error barring the spell from being expressed. This aspect is what determines if your inscription works or not.”

“It’s the hardest part to do since even the smallest error will result in your spell coming out wrong or not working in general.”

“The only reason I’ve done mine so fast, is because of the sheer amount of times I’ve repeated the same inscription.”

“It requires constant study, practice and memorization, but we have some exercises to help with that.”

“Becoming an inscription master is extremely useful, not to mention it pays very well. I made my first successful inscription in roughly 4 years, but it could take you all much earlier than that.”

Richard spent the remaining time answering questions, dismissing the class after prescribing the necessary books.

As the lecture hall emptied, fully this time, Liam repeated the same thing he did with Jordan.

Although unbelieving and shocked at first, Richard’s face grew pensive and conflicted a moment later.

“That can’t be safe. Not at all. You haven’t suffered any mental or physical damage, have you?”

Liam shook his head.

“It isn’t safe. But I’ve been careful not to overdo it or go over my limits. I have a good tolerance for pain.”

Richard nodded slowly, his eyes fixed to Liam’s.

“It is indeed amazing, and I’ll do my best to help you with it. I’ll prescribe you some special books for you to study, it’ll help you understand unorthodox methods better.”

Liam nodded and left after a few more questions.

Those were the classes for the day, and he could spend the rest in study, training or cultivation.

Just as he left the lecture hall, the same ruby-eyed girl from before approached him, along with her large group of goons.

She smiled condescendingly, walking up to Liam… and slapping him as hard as she could.

Liam’s face jolted to the side, which he slowly brought back to the girl with a deathly stare.

“I dare you to hit me ba—”

Liam’s hand blurred. The only thing audible then was a loud crackle, as though a whip had flayed flesh.

The girl went flying, eventually smashing against a small accomodation’s wall – knocked out and slumped.

Liam didn’t care to hold back his bloodlust and pressure to those remaining.

They recoiled and subconsciously took a step back, genuine fear for their lives.

Just as he took one step towards them, Liam’s academic token started to glow, making him frown.

Before he could reel in his pressure, his body and mind was dragged into a new location – a well decorated and ornately furnished room.

He was presumably in one of the towers, judging by the pane of glass on the opposite end of the room, through which the entire academy grounds were visible.

“Making trouble already, eh?” said Headmaster Reye, sitting behind a mahogany desk with his hands steepled.

Liam instantly got off the floor, calmly greeting the Headmaster.

“They starte—”

“I know, lad. They’ll be disciplined thoroughly. That’s not why I’ve called you here.”

Liam grew confused. A bad feeling rose in his chest despite the Headmaster’s niceties.

“…Why’d you call me here, then?”

The Headmaster’s eyes turned hard.

“I wanted to wait until you had all your necessary classes… but I wouldn’t want you to kill any of my students.”

Liam heaved a sigh and lowered his head, raising it with a dark face.

“Let me guess, the Oracle?”

Reye remained silent, but that was a sufficient answer.

“You see, through our Oracle friend, we find out who could become a threat or troublemaker in the near future.”

“Most people think it’s the nobles… they’re unbelievably wrong. Those spoiled brats are too green.”

“It’s your kind we’re worried about the most. You, the mute, that red-eyed kid, and the others. You especially.”

Headmaster Reye spoke matter-of-factly, but Liam looked severe.

“Calm down, you’re not being expelled.”

That only unnerved Liam more.

“I’m not? Why?”

Reye remained silent. His old eyes held a dark light.

“You might just prove yourself to be useful. Just tread lightly until then.”

Before Liam counter, Reye waved his hand, teleporting him back to the front door of his accommodation.

He cursed, entering and shutting the door behind him, heaving a calming sigh.

‘What are these people scheming? He didn’t call me by my real name, so they probably don’t know I’m a fugitive.’

Liam’s gaze turned dark as he started to cultivate.

Chapter 110 Realms

 

Liam’s studies and cultivation continued.

Cultivation, Battle, World Knowledge, World History, Race Studies, Forging and more revealed countless pieces of intriguing knowledge.

Liam spent most of his free time in the Expansion Rooms and studying, leaving little time for any enjoyment.

Firstly, cultivation was really the easiest class to go through, especially for Liam since he had genuine interest in the subject.

He also learned the mental transmission trick fairly quickly.

It only worked if the person you’re connecting to wants you to connect to them, and practice was the key to learning it.

…Thus, Liam had to pair with Nord of all people, since nobody else wanted to work with either of them. Everything was a challenge to the boy, and studies were no exception.

[Test, test. Did it work?] Liam transmitted to Nord’s mental sphere. The look of shock mixed with defeat in his vermillion eyes indicated success.

Velia was shocked that Liam learned it in a week, especially since it took her more than a month.

As a reward, she gave him five thousand ‘Ora’ Stones and an early introduction to the next topic… which gathered him even more enemies.

…Wonderful.

On the other hand, battle was something Liam excelled in like no other.

Everyday, it looked like his classmates were getting more and more dejected from losing to him… except Nord and Rin, who tried harder every session, to Janice’s delight.

Meanwhile, his forging sessions had been going well.

They’d finally moved on to using magical beasts corpses to forge small but powerful weapons.

Jordan gave Liam special attention.

To everyone’s dismay, he’d outshine them in that topic as well, unaware of his previous experience.

Rin hadn’t let up either. During his lunch breaks, she’d sit opposite him in silence, making her usual gestures and receiving a shrug back.

‘Is she hoping I’ll eventually tell her?’ Liam shook his head.

What shocked him the most during his studies, was how the Thousand Year War did actually happen, and the Ashura’s did exist!

Ancient records – which the academy apparently had – mentioned that the entire world was in a chaotic state for a thousand years, roughly 3000 years back.

Liam’s history teacher, Noris Jhest, even brought out illustrations of what ancient Ashuras looked like.

They were giant, six-armed humanoid species, spanning from 3 to 5 meters tall.

Their chests, arms, legs and fists were extremely chiseled and defined, wrapped in what looked like ancient markings and patterning – the surface was reflective, like a dense metal alloy. In contrast, their skin was tanned.

It was their natural body defense, Noris explained, said to be extremely hard. Even tougher than magical beasts by comparison.

Liam didn’t know if it was exaggerated, but their sharp eyes were a crimson shade, and wild, snow-like lustrous hair either flowed freely behind their backs, or was spiked upwards.

There were even drawings of the pants they wore – loose hakama trousers of no specific color, hung by a similar sash at their waist.

Every drawing Liam saw of them had this wrathful face, as though they wanted to devour the world.

…Well, turns out, they did.

At least, according to history, they wanted to devour earth and all its inhabitants with their vicious maws – lined with human-like teeth, but incredibly sharper.

Female Ashuras were presumably the same, but apparently, the species did not have any breeding capabilities, and their origin is still unknown.

There weren’t even records about their centers of power or unique abilities. Not even the academic archives knew that.

The war ended when all the human countries temporarily allied to fight them.

After a relentless battle, the Ashuras had gone extinct from then on, not a peep or whisper.

Liam learned about the ancient Psion race too, who humans had reaped the Psionic Runes from.

They were also humanoid shaped, except much, much skinner. Horse-shaped heads didn’t make them look pleasing in the least, and a hollow but glowing circle hung at the top of it, like some sort of alien crown.

Within the hollowness of the crown, was the Psionic Rune Liam recognized, floating freely.

Besides that, they had no other distinct features.

Psions disappeared too.

Well, the correct term would be extinct, since they were massacred in large numbers and farmed for their Runes.

But presumably, they were still alive… hidden somewhere safe, away from human hands.

Meanwhile, Language consisted of learning about almost every tongue in the explorable world – vampiric, dwarfish, elvish, including the surrounding countries that bordered Echoria.

Liam decided to learn each and every one, just in case it came into use one day – but focused mainly on vampiric.

The very last and most peculiar class was Realm Studies.

Liam made his way to a secluded corridor of the Lecture Hall, then came across a small room barely enough to house two people at once.

A man’s back was to the entrance door, who sat behind a marble desk and wrote down with a quill feather.

“Mr Kilver?” Liam called out, prompting the man to turn around.

Kivler Urwol was middle-aged, but hardly looked like it – graying short hair, dark bags under his drooping amber eyes, along with three lines of stress creasing his forehead.

“What do you want?” he asked impatiently with a frown.

“I’m here for the class,” said Liam. The word class was an exaggeration.

Kivler looked shocked.

“You are?” he uttered, a wide smile growing on his face. “Well come right in!” Read lat𝙚st chapters at nov(𝒆)lbin.com Only

Liam nodded and muddled through the cramped space, settling on the small chair opposite to a smaller board.

“Excuse my lack of accommodation… I haven’t had a student in roughly 5 semesters, so I’ve been reassigned to this room,” Kivler said bitterly.

Liam did a slow nod of understanding, wondering why he was there in such a class.

“Well, the correct name for this class should be realm theory, since this topic isn’t confirmed,” Kivler explained. “In essence, what I theorize is that there are different realms.”

Liam hummed in understanding, slightly interested.

“I’ve been called a madman more than once… but I know this is true!” Kivler gestured passionately. “Think about it, where have the Celestials gone, besides the inheritances they left behind? What about the Ashuras? History says they are extinct, but that’s bull! They just disappeared one day.”

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Born In Blood

Born In Blood

Score 9.1
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Artist: Released: 2023 Native Language: English
His mother died when she gave birth to him, his father a physically abusive alcoholic. Life is not kind to Darius King. Darius would have dreams of being in a world of magic, but alas, his dreams would always end. He hated life, and life hated him, so he ended both his and his father's. When reincarnating into a peasant-like lifestyle as Liam, in the town of Ucladd, Darius realizes he has entered the world of cultivation! With his ambitious, ruthless, and curious nature combining into one, he paves a bloody path to power. Shifting his gaze from the Earth towards the Sky, nothing will stop him on his path for strength. “I will touch the stars... or die trying.”

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