Born In Blood Chapter 41-50

Chapter 41: Chase

“What do you want? I thought I told you not to contact me unless you awaken.”

Revel’s annoyed and angry voice came through the glowing Jade – Liam only had to imbue the item with some of his ‘Ora’ to activate it.

“I have.”

A short silence ensued, bringing attention to the howling wind.

“Meet me in the same place. Careful not to get caught in the traps. Look for the top-right hole and enter through the mountain slope.”

Before Liam could respond, the connection had been cut.

Liam clicked his tongue in annoyance, before making his way towards the same place he freed the slaves.

…

Gray clouds rumbled above, while rain poured heavily below. A storm was rapidly approaching as the sun set, and flashes of lightning lit up the lush environment.

Liam jumped from tree to tree as he made his way towards the spot where he fought the slavers.

‘From what I’ve seen, that man is an inscription master of sorts – though I haven’t seen anything inscribed with pure blood.’

Liam was drenched as he made his way through the forest – heading straight for the mountain slope.

In truth, Liam was still on edge about meeting that pale-faced maniac, but he had to confirm his suspicions.

He had already begun to learn about forgemastery.

If he could pair it with inscriptions – even beginning with the most rudimentary knowledge – he could cover almost all his weaknesses.

Not to mention, he could truly make use of every second of his time.

As he was in deep thought, he could sense three figures rapidly approaching from his flank.

They wore long black hoods covering their faces, and their burly bodies were covered in tightly wrapped magical beast hide.

Despite the rain and harsh weather, Liam didn’t miss the space rings on their index.

‘Damn it!’

Liam grimaced, speeding up and spreading his senses further to see if there were any more people.

There weren’t any, but the three pursuing him had to be strong. However, Liam didn’t sense any strong mental energy from them.

‘They don’t know I’m already a magus. If I had to guess, they have powerful bodies to compensate for that – judging by how fast they are. Maybe Rank-3.”

“Halt!”

One of them shouted, but that only made Liam move faster, his eyes turning cold with a focused light.

Despite the thunder booming, Liam’s ears could pick up on the conversation between them – since they weren’t too far behind.

“Don’t let him get away. We just need his head!”

The three swiftly gained on him, and in a moment’s time, they would catch up.

As they got closer, the first thing they felt was a chill that ran down their spines, mixed with pure bloodlust.

At first, they attributed that to the harsh weather, but they had Rank-3 bodies – which have high resistance to cold and hot weather alike.

It didn’t cross their minds for a moment that their pursuant was a magus.

Nonetheless, they were powerful cultivators. They wouldn’t back up now.

A whip, a broadsword, and a large hammer appeared in each of the figures’ hands.

The fastest among the three – ‘Broadsword’ – got close enough for an attack, swinging his giant weapon at Liam’s back.

The swing seemed incredibly slow in Liam’s eyes, but would prove fatal if landed.

Before it did, a faint glow covered Liam’s hands and arms.

He unsheathed his katana and wakizashi – green blades that glimmered with flashes of lightning – made from a Rank-2 horned snake with acidic properties.

“Watch out!”

The eyes of the two figures behind widened in shock as they warned, yet they weren’t fast enough to help him.

With a slight sidestep, Liam dodged the broadsword and weaved in, performing a series of wide slashes that cut deep into the muscles.

Liam had actually intended to cut bone-deep but found that the man’s body was too strong for that.

Streaks of blood flew in the air, which the rain quickly pulled to the ground.

Broadsword was blinded, his ears were severed, and his body was covered with dozens of sizzling gashes.

Before his corpse could even fall to the earth, Liam turned around and started running again.

‘Whip’ and ‘Hammer’ cursed loudly, but were forced to leave him behind and continue the chase.

“We have to end this fight quickly, that brat is somehow a Rank-1 Magus!” Whip shouted with panic in his voice, causing both to raise their speed. “I’ll hold him tight, you charge your strongest martial art form.”

Liam scoffed at their stupidity of shouting their plan right behind him. Granted, the sounds of rain and thunder were loud, but not for a Magus.

Suddenly, a blazing iron whip – weakened slightly due to the rain – shot out like a snake towards Liam’s figure.

At the same time, the giant hammer the other wielded hummed, causing slight vibrations to shake the air – gradually growing stronger.

Instead of dodging the flaming whip, Liam allowed it to lash his arm – the whip bursting into flames that charred his skin – but he ignored the pain and wrapped it around his wrist.

Before Whip could pull, Liam was much faster, forcefully yanking him forward and piercing the man’s neck with his wakizashi.

Simultaneously, he blocked the loud sound shockwave shooting for his head using the man’s corpse.

Still, Liam’s ears ringed and leaked blood from the attack, but the corpse suffered the brunt of it – which now resembled a bloodied, deflated balloon.

The remaining pursuer cursed loudly, panickingly charging his martial art form again – but two sharp arcs of light shot at his hands and body, severing his fingers and causing him to drop the hammer.

The man fell on his back and coughed blood, clutching the spot where his fingers once were.

Bloodlust accompanied with chilling pressure assaulted his mind – gradually growing stronger – but the cold voice forced him to focus.

“Who sent you?”

Liam appeared above him, his katana’s tip held firmly against the man’s neck, drawing blood.

The man coughed a few more times, blood splattering against the wet mud. Being so close to death seemed to give him a strange confidence.

“Will you let me live?”

Liam didn’t say anything, but his face implied there was a fate worse than death depending on what he said.

The man took a few seconds to come to terms with reality. But by the end of it, he just sighed solemnly and accepted his fate.

“We accepted the job through a proxy… but I’m sure the employer was from a noble House. Never should’ve accepted this damn job. Just make it quick.”

Liam nodded in acknowledgement, swiping his sword upwards and killing the man instantly.

Chapter 42: Blood

Liam looted the corpses for their rings and valuables, before throwing them in a crocodile swamp to be devoured – then made his way towards the mountain slope again.

His entire arm was charred, and his ears continued to bleed, but his body didn’t stop healing.

‘A noble house… it’s obvious who hired them.’

Liam clicked his tongue. He knew too little, but even then, he expected such a reaction from the rulers.

After all, he was a bastard – one who pursued the power the nobles greedily hogged.

Before long, he arrived at the mountain slope.

He used his mental energy to carefully assess the different holes inside the wall and found that all of them were riddled with traps except for one.

He found the one hole in the wall and entered it, a distant warm light glowing from the other end.

As he got closer, faint screams laced with despair entered his ears.

‘Is that him? No, it’s a feminine voice. What is that maniac up to?’ Liam wondered.

He made sure to be careful as he made his way towards the light.

He was met with a wide furnished area lit by lamps, bulbs, and other illuminating devices.

Different kinds of tools, books, and parchment papers rested on wooden tables, but the most eye-catching feature was the stains of blood riddled across the ground.

The walls were rocky and uneven, forming a natural dome of sorts.

The space was located inside the cavity of a mountain, and there were more holes leading to different areas inside. The sourc𝗲 of this content nov(𝒆l)bi((n))

The dreadful screams abruptly ended, and a familiar voice wheezed as it spoke out.

“I’ll be right with you.”

Revel’s ominous voice echoed from a hole in the wall that led deeper into the mountain.

Liam took that time to look around and investigate. He grabbed a random book among the pile and opened it on a random page.

‘Day 129.’

‘Experiments are progressing steadily. I can only focus on slaves for now, since magical beast blood is less pure. My sickness has been slowly getting better due to the constant absorption of it. Within a few years or maybe even months, I can surely be cured.’

Liam’s eyes slightly widened at those words.

‘Absorption of blood? Is this guy a vampire or something? Also, he already looked sick, but this confirms it.’

‘Day 302.’

‘My progress has started to recede. My blood purity has gone lower because I pushed myself too far. Even thinking hurts.”

Liam’s eyes glowed with interest as he continued to flip through the pages.

‘Day 621.’

‘Blood refinement progress has gone to shit. My blood is plagued with growing impurities, and my mental sphere and body are too weakened to continue the experiments. All I can do now is delay the inevitable. That kid holds some potential, perhaps he can-‘

“Prying through my things, are you?”

Revel interrupted Liam’s reading as he exited from the hole in the wall, wiping his blood covered hands with a white cloth.

His complexion was somehow paler than last time, giving his skin a snow-like glow, while he wore layers of thick clothing covered with blood stains.

“Can’t blame me, can you? You left it in the open.”

Liam retorted, making sure to keep some distance from the man.

Revel scoffed coldly while coughing. “You look horrible, by the way. What’s wrong with your arm?”

“I fought with a few before coming here. Could say the same to you, though.”

Revel scoffed again. He gestured for Liam to sit on a nearby couch, then took a seat himself. Beginning with a sigh, he started to speak.

“You are aware vampires exist in this world, yes?”

Liam nodded once.

“Their method of growing stronger and advancing in ranks is much, much easier than humans. Unlike us, who have the sea of consciousness, body and core, they only have two centers of power.”

Revel explained, taking breaks to breathe in between paragraphs.

“The Nexus, also known as the heart, and the Blood, which is their life force. By consuming the blood of others, vampires can increase their strength and abilities, allowing them to advance in rank and power much more quickly than humans ever could.”

Liam’s face turned pensive, but nonetheless interested.

‘But with three centers of power against two, surely humans are stronger than them…’

“Simply put, they must refine their blood constantly in order to purify and strengthen it, while the second center of power, the Nexus, will nourish their bodies constantly. That’s the gist of the knowledge I have on them.”

“My passion lies there. I dedicated my life to research and gain more knowledge about the topic, since I was diagnosed with a rare blood disease that was known to be incurable.”

“Using my contacts, I secretly exported a simple blood refinement method from their continent and began to imitate it. At first, it denied my body, but after modifying it to suit my needs, it finally started to work.”

“It took me decades of research and hundreds of live human experiments to finally achieve some success. Even my health was getting better and I finally looked… alive.”

Revel’s eyes grew dark, especially on that last word.

“Everything changed when I started to use refined blood to inscribe spells and techniques.”

Chapter 43: Hatred

“To inscribe anything requires you to be knowledgeable about magical diagrams and how they work – which I was, even above average.”

“Originally, I was from a large-sized noble family in another monarchical city near Ucladd, called Erivol – where I studied inscriptions until my diagnosis.” Revel said, his expression gradually turning dark.

Liam recalled the layout of his region which he memorized from the map.

Multiple cities similar to Ucladd lived in relatively close proximity to one another – forming a ring.

Each city would have a similar ruling system, with each lesser sized family living under one large-sized family.

Erivol was one of those cities.

Revel continued, the vindication in his tone hardly hidden.

“Once my family learned of my sickness, they simply threw me away despite my talent on the subject. From that day on, I realized something…”

Revel’s face turned distant.

“Human lives have no intrinsic value by themselves.”

From how those words were said, Liam couldn’t imagine just how many lives Revel had taken.

“I digress.” Revel let out a soft sigh. “I still don’t know how impurities formed in my blood, but it happened sometime after I started to refine it.”

“I assume it was a side effect to a vampiric technique used on a human, but I’m not sure.” He shook his head. “I’ve already made two spells from this technique, but that’s why I’m in this state.”

“But that’s enough about me, you want to learn this technique, yes?”

Liam remained silent for a moment. Eventually, he nodded. “Not before you tell me everything about your blood-refining method.”

Liam was reluctant for a few reasons.

Firstly, seeing Revel’s state, he couldn’t help but consider the risks of using such a dangerous technique.

He wanted power, yes. But not at the cost of his life.

Secondly, if the method of inscription was riddled with so many holes this early, it would be extremely difficult for it to prove useful later on. This chapter is updat𝓮d by nov(e)(l)biin.com

Rogan’s Primordial Forging was the perfect example of this. The blacksmith and his forgemasters before him spent their lives trying to perfect it, but still fell short.

On the other hand, Revel’s technique was fairly new. No matter how talented the man was, he couldn’t invent a completely new branch of inscriptions in such little time – a little under two years, to be precise.

Revel sighed. “I guess that’s fair. Let me show you how it’s refined first, then I’ll tell you about the rest.”

Revel entered through a tunnel leading deeper into the mountain cavity – Liam following.

As they walked through the tunnel, they passed a rectangular basement. Liam saw dead bodies chained to the left and right side of the walls, their figures completely dry, as though all their blood had been forcefully drained.

The smell was rancid. Any normal person would hurl and vomit on the spot, but Liam and Revel passed by without batting an eyelid.

‘They resemble nobles, well… resembled. He still has a hatred for them.’ Liam thought.

After a few turns, they had finally reached the end of the tunnel.

It was a small and simple cave, yet the density of ‘Ora’ was quite high, even higher than Liam’s cave underground.

Revel took out his inscribed odachi – blood-red colored with a curved blade like Liam remembered – the surface of which was covered with crimson writings.

Revel stripped his forearm – which was covered with scars and large cuts that healed – and slashed it open.

Scarlet blood soiled with lumps of dark-green and black flowed from the wound, yet instead of splashing on the ground, circulated in the air – by Revel’s command, of course.

It was just nail-sized in volume, yet Revel’s skin was drenched throughout the process.

Liam didn’t blink as he watched.

He felt Revel’s mental waves envelop the blood, and a moment later, warm strands of ‘Ora’ poured from his abdomen and conjoined with it.

The blood glowed bright scarlet, and whenever the world essence touched the impurities, it receded and slowly sizzled away.

Revel continued to refine the blood.

Abruptly, he manipulated the nail-sized liquid to enter through his mental sphere!

A small red stain appeared on Revel’s forehead, and he growled in pain, lowering his head as he clutched his temples.

He continued to grunt loudly – suppressing his urges to shout – panting heavily and coughing black blood. Eventually, his paleness receded, before he laid his back on the cave wall.

Revel raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. He slowly gained enough strength for an explanation.

“This is in essence how refining blood works. I could’ve simply absorbed the blood back into my veins after purifying it with ‘Ora’, but I chose to show you the first step to inscribing with it.”

Liam blinked. Though he had little knowledge of how inscriptions worked, he just knew it was naturally wrong.

“You store that into your mental sphere? How is that possible?”

The sea of consciousness was both ethereal and physical. It wasn’t inside the human body, but was still connected to them through their minds.

Revel coughed, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He spoke with an impatient tone:

“There’s much you don’t know. Just tell me, do you want to learn it or not?”

Liam was still slightly on edge. He couldn’t help but ask more questions.

“What spells have you made with it?”

The pale-faced maniac couldn’t help but sigh, but he smirked a moment later.

Revel tensed his right hand. His nails grew black and lengthened in an instant, turning razor-sharp. His fingers bulged with unnatural veins.

Liam’s eyes widened. Revel’s nails were similar to the vampire’s illustration of it. “I’m guessing that’s what you used to suck the nobles’ blood?”

Revel nodded, his gaze stuck to his hand. “It’s my masterpiece… and perhaps the reason why I’m dying. I pushed myself too far to make this spell, but… well, no reason to lament. I’ve come to terms with this… curse.”

Liam turned pensive, before nodding to himself.

‘If inscribed items are so expensive, there’s probably no chance for me to learn how to do them the normal way. I can’t be picky about what to choose…’

“Give me all the books and trial-and-error catalogs you have of your technique – and a proper schedule for you to teach me… I’ll learn it.”

Revel grinned wickedly, approval in his steely eyes.

“Begin with learning the vampiric language.”

Chapter 44: Blood Weaving

Revel gathered his books to give Liam as homework. It totalled to twenty-three, and each book was about 4 inches thick.

That fact didn’t annoy Liam in the least. He always loved reading books in his first life, even on topics that might have seemed mundane or boring.

“Come whenever you’re ready, just let me know beforehand. I’ll be here most of the time.”

Liam nodded.

“Oh, and what’s the name of the inscription method?” Liam asked. Calling it the ‘inscription method’ wasn’t convenient.

Revel pursed his pale lips, then grinned.

“Blood Weaving.”

Liam hummed in approval, stored the books into his ring, then headed back home.

Of course, he attempted to ask for the spells Revel had made, but the man chuckled and didn’t say anything.

‘Being shameless doesn’t work on this maniac, I guess.’ Liam realized.

The next two weeks passed quickly.

Liam’s lessons with Rogan had been going well, and the former had gotten past the first few stages of forging – thanks to his new mental prowess.

It wouldn’t be long until he started using the forging technique.

The biggest problem for him was keeping the blades stable – since, if he didn’t perfect the foundations, the whole thing would fall apart.

An excessive usage of ‘Ora’ was required in those steps – which was used to purify the metals – but since Liam didn’t have a core, his usage of it was obviously limited.

In addition, Liam had started to learn the vampiric tongue. Its alphabet and writings were quite similar to the Japanese language, even its pronunciation was alike with minor differences.

Revel had taught him the concept of inscriptions and the most basic of its knowledge. The man was beyond impatient – and his tongue was vile – but his methods of teaching made up for that.

In essence, inscriptions consisted of three crucial parts. The ‘meaning’, ‘link’, and ‘ink’.

To invent an explosive spell, for example, the inscriber had to take into account the amount of ‘Ora’ that went into the user’s core, the strength of the explosion, its size, when it could detonate, and other factors that might affect the spell’s performance. These were called ‘meanings’.

The inscriber would then create a series of ‘links’ between these meanings, using special writings and diagrams to express them.

Such writings were made from a special ‘ink’ that contained the meanings themselves.

Blood weaving, like the name suggests, used refined blood as its ink.

These links would create a circuit between the writings, which allowed the spell to function – If made correctly, of course.

The complexity of the inscriptions would vary depending on the desired effect, with more complex spells requiring more intricate circuits and a deeper understanding of the topic.

This was partly the reason why Rank-1 spells and martial arts were so simple – and similarly weak. They didn’t require much to make, and they served relatively simple functions.

Obviously, these three elements were endlessly deep – not to mention there were many more aspects – and learning them would take multiple lifetimes.

Thankfully, cultivators had long lives.

Besides that, Liam had spent all his money on buying pills during that two week period – both for himself and Rogan.

They swallowed his savings up by heaps, but calming his paranoia was worth every penny.

He didn’t use them, though, and saved the pills for when he attained the Rank-2 Psionic Rune.

All the while, his body was steadily approaching the peak of the middle-stage – his healing properties growing slightly stronger.

It came to a point that Lloyd had to use most of his strength to keep up during their duels.

Alternating between the trio was strange, but Liam had something important to learn from each one of his teachers.

Besides that, there was the addition of the three space rings Liam stole from his pursuers – containing a total of 300 ‘Ora’ Stones.

Each one contained a Rank-2 martial art attuned with their specific elements – Whip was a fire elemental, Hammer used wind, and Broadsword used earth.

Unfortunately, the martial arts were useless to him. He didn’t have his element yet, and didn’t use any of their specific weapons.

The space itself was much more useful, since he got a total of 15 square meters to store more items.

‘I’ll save the martial arts for now. Maybe I’ll be able to sell it somewhere else.’

Eventually, the time came for Liam to reveal his awakening.

He entered the underground guild and entered the armory.

Ava gave him a warm nod as usual.

Liam spared the pleasantries and cut to the point.

“I’d like the second Psionic Rune please. I’m sure I have enough merits for it.”

Ava stared at him for a few seconds in silence, before raising a brow.

“Why? You won’t need it for another two years at least.”

Liam nearly clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“I’ve already completed the first rune.”

Ava’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Before she could pressure him, he took out his Psionic Rune and pushed it against his forehead – expressing no discomfort or pain.

Ava was stunned. Liam stretched out his token, which she slowly grabbed – her shocked eyes still stuck on him.

She fumbled around with her desk momentarily, before taking out the second Rune.

The rock was hexagon-shaped, glowing faintly blue. It was slightly bigger than its predecessor, and on one of the sides, an ancient number rested – which Liam presumed as two.

Liam’s mental energy melted around it and couldn’t get close to the Rune all.

‘I wonder how long it’ll take me to reach Rank-2.’

Liam suppressed a smile.

He hastily grabbed the rock and token, then stored them. Read lat𝙚st chapters at nov(𝒆)lbin.com Only

His merits had gone back considerably, from 525 to 35, but it was worth it in his eyes.

As Liam left, Ava instantly took out a Jade and called David.

Chapter 45: Reaction

Two weeks passed since Liam revealed his status as a Magus.

Using the second Psionic Rune was basically the same as the first, only it caused major migraines.

Liam used all his mental energy restoration pills in one session, which helped him get an edge in starting the second rune.

The nobles’ reaction was far less severe than he expected.

David had met with him shortly, offering his congratulations and speaking a few words of praise. Other than that, he mentioned multiple noble families that would love to sponsor his growth.

Of course, that came with the condition of servitude. No matter how high a familial rank they gave him – or how strong he got – he would be bound to them, accepting orders from the top.

Which, to Liam, sounded worse than death.

As of now, it wasn’t mandatory for him to accept any of their invitations, but Liam knew stalling for too long would no doubt offend them.

‘The Royce family didn’t react, which means they don’t want to be associated with me – or maybe my father is the one trying to hide my achievements.’

‘Either way, they’re waiting for me to either accept another family’s invite, or offend one of them.’

The silver lining was that Liam got more time to organize his thoughts and his plan of action, silently growing his strength.

All his plans ended up with him escaping.

However, they weren’t solid.

He needed a proper opportunity – not to mention there was still his mother’s situation he needed to take care of – as well as a location to escape to.

For now, he needed to exercise patience. Which he had no problems doing so.

***

Six burly men – wearing huntsman clothing made from heat resistant magical beasts and wielding various inscribed weapons – stood at the entrance of a large, underground dungeon.

The surroundings were covered with ash, and puddles of magma – all of which lead to a giant volcanic geyser not too far away. In fact, the geyser was a source of heat for nearby water sources, mainly waterfalls and rivers.

This location was a danger zone, both because of the environment conditions, and the magical beasts that infested them.

Behind the men, rested more than a dozen Lava Lions corpses in the second rank.

Their furs were pure black, but their manes were a lustrous orange – resembling fire. They were merely Rank-2, yet were 2.8 meters in length.

“Get ready. This place has been infested for god knows how long, we can’t let them grow any further.”

The men shot each other a knowing look, before they pushed forward and entered the dark dungeon.

They were soldiers of the Royce family, sent to clear magical beast nests and infested areas. The Lava Lion den had been neglected for some time, but there was finally a team sent to exterminate them.

Countless glowing, orange eyes opened in pairs within the darkness, accompanied by loud growls.

ROAAAR!

The men didn’t sit still, and neither did the Rank-3 Lions.

An inscribed spear burst into flames, a pair of sabers whirred with wind, a hammer smashed against the earth and shattered the ground like glass.

The Lions’ manes burst into flames – a compelling indication of its superior strength as a magical beast – an aura of heat surrounding their bodies. The dungeon was lit in an instant, revealing at least thirty Rank-3 Lions in that underground space.

The Lions in the front pounced, while those behind opened their jaws, a growing light appearing in their throat – which slowly took the shape of boiling magma.

The cultivators came prepared.

Those at the back cast long-ranged offensive spells to stop the Lion’s in their tracks, and those wielding weapons stopped the pouncing Lions from attacking them.

Streaks of magma flew into the air from the Lion’s side, exchanged with similar fireballs and slashes of wind.

Booms, bangs and roars caused the underground to tremble, pieces of rubble falling from the dungeon roof.

The clash continued for multiple minutes, with the human side visibly triumphing – pushing forward towards the visible geyser not too far away.

The very last Lion prepared to gurgle and spew out magma, but a giant inscribed hammer smashed against its skull, killing it instantly.

The tired and sweaty hunters were about to sigh in relief, but the hair on their skins arose all at the same time.

Their eyes widened as they saw a chunk of the ground break apart, a giant figure with burning tufts of orange fur emerging from beneath it.

Some cursed and instantly shot for the exit, but a claw swiped against their bodies, severing them into three bloody sections.

The others stood still in fear as the giant figure towered over them – the heat radiating from it charring their flesh.

What emerged from the ground was a giant Lava Lion, 7 meters in height and 10 meters in length. Its giant mane burst with violent flames — dripping with magma — and its low growl sounded like a thundering chainsaw.

Its body was a mix of orange and black fur, which made the beast look like it was made from molten gold.

Its presence alone made the remaining men unable to move, their mouths agape and eyes filled with dread.

‘R-Rank-4!’

One brave fellow attempted to swing his hammer at the beast, but couldn’t get close enough to land a strike.

All it took was one roar, and the men fell limp on the ground – their mental spheres shattered and their internal organs destroyed.

The Rank-4 Lava Lion growled again, and behind it, hundreds of its pack exited the darkness – awaking from their slumber. They swarmed the corpses and devoured them in an instant.

The giant Lion left its den – followed by its underlings – and made its way towards the sunlight, reaching atop a hill. In the distance, a city caught its eye.

Chapter 46: Invasion

“There’s going to be a beast invasion soon.” Lloyd said severely, sitting across Liam in one of the underground restaurants.

Liam gulped a mouthful of food and raised his brows. “What kind of magical beast?”

“Lava Lions, hundreds. They’re monstrous beasts with the ability to conjure up magma and spew it everywhere, devastating the surroundings.”

“Why don’t the noble soldiers do anything?” Liam asked, a bit shocked at that number.

Lloyd sighed. He had no appetite to eat anymore.

“Invasions aren’t common. Usually, the Royce family sends strong cultivators to clear them out before it gets to that point.”

Lloyd scowled.

“They tried to do the same… but didn’t know a Rank-4 beast was among them.”

Liam stopped chewing.

“A Zenith ranked beast?”

Lloyd gave a firm nod.

“Regular Mortals can’t hope to hurt it — they need to have at least two centers of power at the third rank, or at least close to it… and there needs to be at least four or five of them. Only similar Zenith’s can fight it one on one.”

Liam raised his brows in awe.

‘To think that Zenith’s are so strong… and Celestials are even stronger.’

Lloyd rubbed his eyebrow.

“Thing is, the beasts are heading for the peasantry, not the wealthy side of Ucladd. Which means that we won’t get any support from them against defending it.”

Liam cursed loudly, catching the attention of the surrounding people.

“You can’t be serious. Why can’t they just send the peasants underground temporarily?”

Lloyd shook his head with a frown.

“These nobles are a lot more shallow than that. The underground serves as a hub for traders that come from other cities. If they hear anything about a beast invasion, they might grow fearful and avoid trading with them.”

“There’s good news to this, though. They’ve already started building a new base for strengthening their forces. They’ll provide nourishing pills and potions for free, too.

“Besides, the Rank-4 beast will be taken care of by a Zenith, but we’ll have to deal with its underlings until he arrives. There’s a good two weeks until the invasion, so prepare well.”

Liam pursed his lips and nodded.

***

Over the next two weeks, the new guild base was erected – a large rectangular building.

It contained various facilities that helped the weaker ranked cultivators of the guild, including areas with higher concentration of ‘Ora’, and areas that helped speed up the expansion of the mental sphere.

That method of training was quite ingenious. The small inscribed area consisted of nothing except for a drugged Rank-3 Oppressive Toad in the middle, a frog-type magical beast that was mental attack based.

The Toad was roughly the size of a large bean bag – having blue skin with white protruding bumps on its slimy body.

With each croak, it applied bursts of pressure on all the cultivators around it – whoever was the closest, had the most pressure on his mind.

Accompanied with the Psionic Rune, it could speed up the expansion by heaps.

Granted, it hurt like balls, and too much exposure had negative effects.

Needless to say, nobody expected a child to sit so close to the frog. Especially since most common cultivators were way at the back.

Liam had split his time between advancing his body and spending his time in that area, and he was close to the upper-stage.

When the news of the invasion reached the peasantry, shock spread like wildfire. Many begged to be allowed inside the nobles’ side, but were firmly denied. Beaten, even.

Eve for one wanted to leave the city with her son, but Liam had stopped her from making that decision.

“All carriage routes are blocked off.”

Eve opened her mouth but no words came out.

“Just be patient, ma. I already said I’ll protect you, didn’t I?”

Liam felt guilty seeing his mother look so worried, but it was for her own sake.

Other than that, Liam’s schedule continued until finally, there was just one day left until the beast tide arrived. Foll𝑜w current novℯls on nov𝒆lb((in).(com)

Liam was in Rogan’s forgery.

The businesses underground still functioned normally, since those present weren’t allowed to leave – but the nobles enticed them with wealth.

Rogan hadn’t planned to leave at all, but shamelessly accepted the payment anyway

The blacksmith had tired eyes and a natural scowl on his face, but in his hands, were a pair of blades.

“Rank-3 Shadow Lykos. I spent some time on its endurance – it should take at least a month before it shatters. Apply some ‘Ora’ into it, and it’ll become ethereal without losing its sharpness.”

Liam smiled and took the katana and wakizashi – the blades of which had a completely black sheen. The hilt was stitched with diamond patterns, and a wolf fang hung from a string at the bottom.

Swinging it a few times, his smile grew wider.

“Thanks, old man.”

Rogan scoffed.

“Don’t try to butter me up, rascal. I know you have some hidden agenda.”

Liam chuckled.

“I’ll be leaving, then. I’ll need to prepare.”

The blacksmith nodded in response.

“Next session, I’ll have you begin the Forging technique. You’re ready for it.”

Liam nodded as he left – immediately heading back to his cave underground and throwing the bone strengthening pill in his mouth.

The taste was horrible, but once the contents entered his stomach, its effects were immediate.

His bones grew warmer and warmer, before reaching a boiling point.

He closed his eyes and manipulated ‘Ora’ to enter his bones, a slight frown visible on his face.

As the ‘Ora’ gathered on his skeleton, the bones suddenly grew a layer thicker and sturdier.

The process continued until all his bones had reached that state.

Liam heaved a deep sigh with a slight smile on his face.

‘Should be the peak of Rank-2. Now, all I need is just a few wounds for me to advance to the third rank.’

Finally, the day of the invasion arrived.

Chapter 47: Battle

The sky was devoid of any clouds, allowing the sun to shine brightly. A light breeze carrying winds of hardship accompanied that air.

“I’ll be going then, ma.”

Liam concluded after sitting with his mother for half an hour.

Eve reluctantly stopped stroking his flowing hair. As she stared into her son’s steely eyes, she couldn’t help but feel proud.

…And simultaneously grieved. His image reminded her too much of his father – the person who wanted nothing to do with either of them.

Liam was merely eleven, yet had the aura of a confident and mature adult.

Sometimes, she would spot a cold look in his eyes, making her forget he was just a child.

“Please… be safe.”

Liam assured her with a smile.

“I will, don’t worry.”

***

All the guild members of the peasantry arrived at the new base – wearing heat resistant clothing made from magical beast leather.

Scouts, mercenaries, escorts and more. Their numbers surpassed hundreds, but not all of them were strong. In fact, most weren’t Magi.

Lines formed at the entrance, where two old men with long white beards and black robes took their weapons, inscribing them with various lines.

The aura they exuded was powerful, and their age didn’t match their demeanor.

Liam stood in line like normal, wearing his black clothing and tying his long blonde hair to a small man-bun.

When his turn came, he saw how the old man inscribed his blades.

He used an inscribed quill with a sharp tip. The feather itself looked to have magical properties – presumably a magical beast – and its surface was covered with small runes.

‘The methods of inscribing are practically endless. I’m sure there are others that use external tools to inscribe.’

Thinking of inscriptions, Liam was reminded of Revel.

The pale-faced maniac resided within the cavity of a mountain, thus had nothing to fear from the beast tide.

“I’m guessing the inscriptions make the blade more heat resistant?”

Liam asked, and the old man shot him a smiling nod. He didn’t bother to add anything else, though.

Thanking him, Liam made his way inside the new guild headquarters.

Servants at the entrance handed out revitalizing pills, although they weren’t as potent as Liam’s own.

A tense but rowdy air met him. Although not everyone was too strong, they were veterans who had more than a few brushes with death.

The beast tide made them write their wills, though. Undoubtedly, all of them expected to die with the exception of some.

Before long, David along with a few other white-robed men appeared on a small stage – an informative map behind them.

They gestured for silence, and David took a step forward.

“As you all know, a large group of Lava Lions are approaching quickly from the east, which will arrive in just a few hours. There are an estimated forty-six Rank-3 beasts in various stages, and at least one hundred Rank-2’s…”

“And one Rank-4.”

Almost everyone simultaneously grumbled in annoyance and anger, with an undisguised tint of fear. Their frustration was understandable.

All it would take was one noble clan patriarch to end the tide at once, but their circumstances – their status – didn’t allow that.

David straightened his back and spoke in a confident tone.

“Do not despair. We’ve requested help, and a gracious noble patriarch has accepted… only, we have to clear out the lower ranked beasts ourselves. Additionally, the more Lava Lion corpses you garner, the more merits you may achieve.”

David gestured to an empty scoreboard to his left. “Your group leaders will be in charge of the magical beast retrievals, and will divide it according to whoever has the most contributions.”

Although the guild members were still visibly angry, those emotions slightly softened.

“Other than that, we’ve already set down multiple formations that can strengthen and speed up our forces. Your inscribed weapons have heat resistance, so don’t be afraid of any magma the Lions might spew.

“You’ve already memorized most of the strategies, so I won’t brush up on that topic. The fight will take place on an empty glade, so there won’t be any civilian casualties.”

“We will assign the groups now.”

As he said that, a dozen figures entered the stage. Among them was Lloyd and Ophis.

Their auras were powerful, and they were no doubt the strongest within the guild.

Liam exchanged a quick nod with his teacher, before David began speaking.

“These men and women will be your group leaders. Strictly follow every one of their orders, or you will be held accountable for treason.”

Liam scoffed.

‘Death either way, eh?’

The next few minutes, the groups were quickly assigned.

Liam, of course, was assigned to his teacher’s team. Besides him, were two women and five men.

Lloyd’s group was the smallest, yet consisted of the most capable. nove(l)bi(n.)com

“I’m Emma. This is my younger sister, Yannis.”

A blonde-haired woman with bright blue eyes introduced with a warm smile.

Besides her, was a shorter woman with similar features, only she looked a lot less mature – an condescending expression on her face.

The rest briefly introduced themselves, giving Liam strange looks – to which he replied with a sharp glare of his own.

Of their group, Liam could sense the strongest was Lloyd and Emma.

‘I could probably kill the rest one on one – if I use everything and catch them by surprise – but I’m still too weak against these two.’

Lloyd spotted the expression on his face and chuckled.

“Right now, he’s thinking of ways he could beat you all.”

Simultaneously, all group members looked at him with a frown. Except for Emma, who laughed just like Lloyd.

‘Thanks for that. We’re off to a great start.’

Before the group could grow even further apart, David gestured for everyone to head for the glade.

As they reached there, Liam spotted intricate lines and diagrams on the ground – strengthening formations. He had no idea how formations worked, since it was also a completely different branch of cultivation.

There was a canyon gorge to their right, but a flimsy border protected anyone from falling inside.

Designated stations for each group covered the border. Everyone took out their weapons and tensed up – ready for battle.

Liam himself turned serious, a cold pressure in his eyes.

“Stick close, and don’t break apart.” Lloyd commanded.

Before long, a deep rumbling grew louder, accompanied by countless growls from the treeline ahead.

“THEY’RE COMING!”

Chapter 48: Tide

“THEY’RE COMING!”

On those words, everyone’s attention fell to the treeline.

Yellow arrays brightly lit the ground – enveloping those in their vicinity with a faint glow, accompanied with a surge of power.

The trees began to splinter as the Rank-2 Lava Lions stampeded through them, forming scorching imprints on the ground. Ripples of heat spread from their bodies.

With pitch black fur and blazing crimson mane, they were twice as large as the average lion. Steam visibly seeped from their bodies, and they ragingly ran towards the humans in their path.

Lloyd shouted a few commands and bolted forth, followed by Liam and the rest of the group members.

Emma wielded an inscribed spear, Yannis fought with two inscribed daggers. The rest didn’t wield weapons, since they only used spells.

Lloyd utilized a pair of blades, slashing at the air with incredible speed and forming arcs of lethal wind, killing multiple lions.

Emma’s spear tip grew sharp as it shot out and pierced the approaching Lions – maiming them for Yannis to finish off using her blades.

‘They’re all using their martial arts attuned to their elements,’ Liam thought, blinding a Lion that attempted to lurch at him, before piercing its skull with his wakizashi.

Blood started to drench the charred grass red, but the Lions didn’t stop their merciless offensive.

Furious roars of both humans and beasts bellowed through the air. Accompanied by thunderous booms, whooshing gusts of wind, rumbling spikes of earth, and swift bullets of water.

A Lava Lion got close enough to Liam, its eyes began to glow orange, while its thick mane brightened to a scarlet hue. Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m nov𝒆lb(i)n.c(o)m

Its jaws opened with a gurgling noise, but before it could complete its attack, an arc of moonlight shot at its neck, killing it.

Liam had been briefed on the Lions’ weakness. Ironically, its greatest weapon was also its greatest weak point – the neck. Slitting their throat incapacitated them long enough for another attack, but the first strike had to be lethal.

Liam didn’t hold back on his ‘Ora’ reserves, wildly shooting out first and second forms. His new blades’ quality was superb, capable of piercing through the Lions’ skin with ease.

It wasn’t long before human casualties started to rise.

One of the men in the other groups got caught out and left his team formation.

Before his teammates could pull him back, red-hot magma doused his figure, melting him alive.

Despite the blood curdling screams, the battle continued, with the Lava Lions gradually getting pushed back.

Like an open tap, the beasts didn’t stop arriving.

When his teammates weren’t looking, Liam took that chance to get hit with the lava attacks – positioning them to hit non vital spots.

His body was at the peak of the second rank. All it would take were just a few more wounds until he achieved a Rank-3 body.

Minute amounts of magma melted his clothes and the skin underneath, but didn’t get through the flesh – thanks to the infernal tempering method.

A group of Lava Lions rushed him – roaring violently and preparing to pounce.

Lloyd, Emma and Yannis were further up – fighting against a large horde of beasts, while the magi at the back were too busy supporting the other groups.

Liam focused, imbuing ‘Ora’ into his katana and wakizashi.

The black sheen on the blades disappeared, replaced by formless, ethereal weapons.

Three lions pounced at him at the same time, while two at the back vomited gobs of lava.

Liam unleashed a swift flurry of swings towards them, his hands and feet glowing.

The formless blades entered through the Lion’s mid air and exited from the other end countless times – leaving no visible mark or wound.

Simultaneously, Liam ducked underneath them, his body parallel to the ground as his blades flickered against the gurgling beasts.

Suddenly, the lions plopped to where Liam was, their bodies diced in countless bloodied pieces – the magma in their throats swallowed by the grass.

Liam took a second to inspect the state of his blades after using its special ability.

‘It got a bit worn down from just one usage… but it’s deadly nonetheless.’ He thought, before regrouping with Lloyd and the rest.

Finally, after an hour of constant battle, the tide of Rank-2 lions stopped – giving the cultivators a moment of respite.

The battlefield was covered with severed, charred and bloodied lion corpses, mixed with melted human parts. Even the air was several degrees higher than normal, causing everyone to sweat buckets.

Liam was the first to sit cross-legged and replenish his ‘Ora’ reserves – uncaring of his surroundings.

‘I’m close to breaking through. I can feel it! Just a little bit more.’

He looked slightly pale from using the spell, but his condition looked a lot better than his first time.

The others seeing him do so decided to replenish their own cores as well.

Both the men and women of his group saw Liam in a different light, respect visible in their eyes.

“Kid… to think you’re a magus at this age. I could even feel your pressure as we fought. No wonder…”

Emma praised, before strangely stopping – shaking her head and shifting her focus to cultivation.

Liam raised a brow, but the hair on his skin abruptly rose.

A deep rumbling grew louder, violent tremors shaking the ground.

“Get ready for the next tide! Don’t get caught out and stick together,” Lloyd commanded, readying his swords.

Liam forced out a long breath, tightening the grip on his blades while the pressure on his surroundings increased.

ROAR!

Thunderous roars bellowed within the glades, and the Rank-3 Lava Lions emerged.

Roughly 3.5 meters in length and 2 meters wide, the Lion’s burst from the treeline – donning various hues of orange and black fur that extended past their blazing manes.

Most paled at their sheer numbers, but their expressions turned serious as they readied their weapons – their hands slightly trembling.

Chapter 49: Regret

The sun was at its zenith, casting shadows that danced across the glades – displaying a vicious battle between man and beast.

Rank-3 Lion’s were disturbingly more ferocious than its predecessor. Its innate abilities grew substantially, able to manipulate its magma to shoot in short or large quantities – and even coat their bodies with it.

They charged.

Lloyd stood his ground – his group closely behind him, awaiting orders. He instantly sheathed his blades and tensed his hands.

Wind gathered on his palms, whirring violently before taking the form of a wind-made spear.

He exchanged a nod with one of the fire elementals in his group, before shifting his focus back to the rushing lions, roaring violently and swarming all around them.

Assuming a throwing form, he hurled the spears, just as his subordinate launched a burst of fire to coat those attacks.

The spears burst with flames, gaining a boost of speed. It continued until piercing one, two, three lions and eventually exploding. It would’ve continued for longer, but one of the lions vomited a wall of magma that blocked its trajectory.

Nonetheless, the lions were incapacitated, and Lloyd instantly shot forward with his team – sending whirring slashes of wind.

Liam had a split second to admire that move, but heaved a deep breath and worked on finishing off the maimed beasts with him.

Slowly, the tides of the battle favored the valiant cultivators. Although the spell casters in the back looked pale and tired, they constantly used elixirs and pills to replenish their mental energy… but it was slowly running out.

For the majority of the clash, the beasts were incapacitated long enough from the spells, for the weapon wielders to finish them off.

Although this tactic worked at the start of the fight, the Lava Lions were cunning. They all backed off simultaneously and used long ranged attacks – mainly streams of magma.

They needed to end the battle soon.

Meanwhile, the cultivators continued to chip away at the Rank-3’s – the horde was visibly getting pushed back, and the battle was seemingly becoming one sided.

The cultivators continued pushing them back further and further, with Lloyd’s group in the lead. Eventually, the peak Rank-3 Lion’s emerged, which required the group leaders to work together in taking them down.

Liam’s body was drenched with sweat and blood while he panted heavily, and the same went for Yannis. Lloyd and Emma were tired too, just a little less than the rest.

During the battle, Lloyd was forced to use his spells to cover for his group, showing off the destructive and precise capabilities of the wind element. Using the same spells multiple times made him pale, but he didn’t look weak.

‘I’m close to the breakthrough, I can feel it.’ Liam thought, his body feeling heavier by the second while his face was pale. His blades never stopped moving from the moment the clash started.

Roars, battle cries and metallic sounds vibrated through the air.

Finally, the Lava Lions slowly regressed back into the tree line, and smiles spread on everyone’s faces.

They were about to roar in triumphal victory, but their expressions turned grave just a second later.

Liam frowned, retracting his consciousness just before—

An explosive roar tore through the entire region, popping the ear drums of nearly all the cultivators within the forest.

Liam barely covered his ears right before the roar, but they still got maimed.

His insides shook uncontrollably due to the mighty sound waves vibrating through him — with his mental sphere feeling like it cracked due to the mountainous pressure.

The Rank-4 lion emerged from the horizon, taking slow, prideful steps as it did so.

Its molten pupils reflected pure pride and strength. Its presence alone was daunting, like a mountain. If the dragon from Liam’s childhood had the sky as it’s domain, the ground was certainly the lion’s.

Ripples of heat naturally exuded from its figure, causing the air to vibrate and shake. Not to mention soar in degrees.

It seemed as though time had slowed.

Liam couldn’t move a muscle. The previous roar had caused his body to spasm and quiver. Yet, there was an unexplainable dread that caused him to freeze.

Lloyd was a short distance away. He looked just a little better off than Liam, but veins bulged on his neck as he tried to stay conscious.

Behind him, Emma and Yannis were doing strangely well – as Emma had just conjured up a thick wall of rock for cover, but had a protective shield surrounding her and Yannis’ body.

Liam felt his life flash before his eyes. There was no fear in him, just solemn regret – of not accomplishing what he dreamt of. Of not touching the stars. Of not doing enough. Of being weak.

“Beast!”

Abruptly, a single syllable thundered from above – the voice of which was deep with a trace of excitement.

It came from a tanned, broad shouldered man, floating in the air and donning a blue robe – failing to hide his bulging muscles.

His blonde hair was styled to a military cut, while his menacing green eyes were fixed on the towering beast.

A disturbing grin formed on the tanned man’s face.

The man tensed his arms, causing it to sputter with a flicker of flame. The tiny wisp of flame steadily grew to the size of a small building, taking the shape of a blazing fist – flaring violently.

Liam’s strength returned to him, and so did his senses. He instantly activated the fleeting foot spell, every muscle in his body working at full strength to run away.

“Let’s see who’s fire burns greater!”

The two arms collided with the Rank-4 beast, who roared again in response.

BOOM!

Liam was sent flying. His entire body scorched, and his consciousness hanging on by a flimsy thread. At the same time, an awful pain suddenly assaulted his feet. Foll𝑜w current novℯls on nov𝒆lb((in).(com)

Liam creaked his neck to look at the source of pain, finding a rocky spear tip lodged between each of his tendons. Before his vision faded, he glanced at Emma, who held the spear the tip belonged to – a wry look on her face as she picked Yannis up and ran away.

Liam’s body tumbled down a dark but familiar canyon, the bottom of which looked like an endless abyss.

Chapter 50: Epiphany

Liam’s limp and charred body crashed onto the rocky surface of the canyon walls, hitting one rock after another.

Sharp stones protruding from the rocky surface slashed his skin and wounded it even more.

He tumbled deeper, and deeper, and deeper, until finally, there was a slightly flat surface that he bluntly landed on – leading to a small hole inside the wall which he rolled into.

Liam’s unconscious figure was a bloody pulp, his head was burnt entirely – making him bald, pieces of his hair mangled with his charred skin – his knees had broken during the fall too.

There was nothing covering his naked body, as the clothes had all caught fire during the earlier attack.

The only thing that indicated he wasn’t dead was his weak, beating heart.

Hours later, he awoke, eyes flickering open and close.

‘I’m alive.’

Was his first thought, amidst the excruciating, slow pain that washed over him.

He used the remaining strength in his arms to pull himself towards the cave wall, his body sore and heavy.

He painfully looked towards his hand, and his rings were fortunately still intact – though his fingers were bent in unnatural angles.

‘I can make it out alive.’

Was his second thought, but even thinking was painful.

There were plenty of provisions stored in his ring, and he had multiple Jades he could use to contact Lloyd or Revel – though he doubted his luck was that great.

He then inspected the state of his body, and found it to be slowly healing. He instantly took out the two revitalization-pills from his ring and swallowed them.

Strength grew in his body, and a few of his most serious wounds healed – including his ears – but not nearly enough for him to make a full recovery.

His knees were still broken, rendering him unable to venture out, thus, he simply sat inside the small but empty cave, absorbing minute amounts of ‘Ora’ to speed up his regeneration.

The density of world essence was a bit higher than the surface, but he wasn’t in a state to find out more.

He took a look into his mental sphere, and the translucent barrier’s state was poor to say the least – multiple small cracks on its surface.

Over time, his hearing returned completely – howls, chittering, and every other kind of noise entered his ears. Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m nov𝒆lb(i)n.c(o)m

‘If I fell anywhere else, I would’ve been dead by now.’

He thought as he continued to absorb ‘Ora’, and his mind drifted back to the fight he witnessed with the Rank-4 beast and the patriarch of a noble clan. The might of it, the scale of it.

That, and Emma’s betrayal. Liam knew there was something wrong with her – she looked too noble to be a fighter in the peasantry, not to mention he had never seen her, or her sister.

Violent thoughts bubbled in his mind. They both needed to die.

He sat there in dark silence, and an epiphany dawned on him.

…

“I’m nothing.”

He uttered under his breath, his expression covered by a cloak of darkness.

During the clash between the beast and the patriarch, Liam wasn’t even glanced at. He was simply an ant, trampled on by beings of a higher power.

He thought back to how fearful he truly became – how his entire body shook at the sight of that giant Lion. As momentary as it was, he still felt shame remembering it.

He realized how weak he truly was, both physically and mentally.

‘My will, my ambition, my desire… it’s not enough. I need more.’

His resolved green irises grew darker and his expression was strangely one of peace – like a weight had been taken off his shoulders.

A new layer of insatiable greed and bloodlust had formed within him. He felt as though there was nothing he wouldn’t do for his new goal.

‘I won’t die here, not until I’ve become the strongest.’ He hadn’t forgotten about the word celestial for a moment.

Unbeknownst to him, an entire week had passed as his mind drifted, while he subconsciously absorbed ‘Ora’ into his body and ate small amounts of food.

Suddenly, a pleasant change occurred.

Liam’s pores pushed out gobs of black, pus-like filth, and his broken knees and bones slowly started to reform and straighten. Any scars or wounds on his body had dissipated – turning into a healed scar – while his skin grew a smooth pearly shade.

The countless wounds he had accumulated slowly turned into nourishment during his seclusion, which pushed his body to the third rank.

Underneath his skin, the membrane seemed to thicken – which was the ability that stored pain and converted it to strength upon command.

Liam felt his strength blooming like a rose – but a sudden change to his lower body grabbed his panicked attention.

A small, marble-sized orb had formed right under his navel, and it naturally absorbed ‘Ora’ at an astounding speed!

The world essence pouring into his body was ten times denser than normal.

“Wait… is that my core?” He uttered under his breath, his eyes widening in shock.

‘Ora’ automatically entered it and nourished his entire body at the same time. That, coupled with his Rank-3 body gave him an indescribable feeling of vigor – making him forget most of the pain he felt a moment earlier.

‘What about my element?’

Liam attempted to take out a strand of ‘Ora’ from his core, but couldn’t do so.

‘As expected. I’ll need a cultivation technique from now on. I can’t wait to get back to Lloyd and tell him about it.’

Liam hoped his teacher was safe, but he knew Lloyd was strong enough to survive.

He spent another week repairing the cracks on his mental sphere using his mental energy and resting properly, before deciding it was time to explore.

He took one step outside the cave, and blood drained from his already pale face.

All around him, different types of darkness magical beasts flew around the canyon gorge.

Night Bats, Death Owls, Darkness Pythons, and even Plague Rats were some of the few beasts he was able to spot – and name, no less.

He looked up, and the crack was nowhere to be seen. The idea of climbing upwards was automatically thrown away, since there were no handholds to climb with – especially since there were hundreds of Rank-3 Night Bats flying above.

Trails of corrosive smoke followed their flight, and they had three, red beady eyes instead of two.

He creaked his neck to look below, finding an endless abyss of darkness not even his senses could penetrate through.

‘Welp.’

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