Chapter 71 Attack
Liam sighed, taking out his token and handing it to the shocked man.
Robert grabbed the token, then looked at Liam incredulously.
‘It’ll be a long week, it seems like…’ Liam let out an inward sigh.
“Sorry, it’s just… I never expected the escort to be so young,” Robert apologized, attempting to salvage their conversation before it died. “Please, come with me. I’ll need to explain our… circumstances.”
There were dozens of guards around the caravan, but they weren’t stronger than Liam.
‘The Reilos are a small-sized family, not to mention, this is a weak branch of it… no wonder they need an escort,’ Liam assessed.
Not to mention, Robert wasn’t a strong cultivator, but like Adrian, he had a good eye for business. In fact, that was the reason they needed to get to Erivol safely.
Robert led him inside one of the carriages, gesturing Liam to sit opposite him as he began to explain, bitterness and anger in his tone:
“Us Reilos have always been neutral with the political situation in Ucladd. We’ve never had any major issues, and we’ve avoided altercations with other families.”
Robert’s tone grew more bitter as he explained, sweat dripping down his double chin.
“The same can’t be said for all of them,” he sighed. “House Khrios had decided to ask for my daughter’s hand a while back.”
“She firmly refused… since their son looked like an inbred goblin, but the Khrios couldn’t take no for an answer. We’ve been under silent harassment ever since. Obviously, the cowards keep their identities hidden.”
Liam raised a brow. Before he could ask, Robert answered.
“The Khrios are a mid-sized family. We are powerless compared to them.”
Liam hummed in acknowledgement.
“That’s enough of my ramblings. I just thought you should know what you’re getting into,” said Robert, dragging himself out the carriage. “I’ll be in the carriage at the back. My family will be in your care.”
With that, the man left, and the stallions began pulling the carriages out of the city.
Liam decided to start cultivating, but found that his absorption rate was incredibly slow.
‘It’s still day time, so I’ll lightly expand my sea of consciousness,’ Liam planned, taking out the Psionic Rune and using it, cold sweat forming on his face.
Although he had trained rigorously for months on end with the rune – and his mental capabilities improved with each painful session – the second Rank felt an incredible distance away.
‘I should really use a beast’s will on the side, but I don’t think I’m in a good spot to start forging.’
///
Hours passed, and the blazing sun started to fall.
The scenery outside Liam’s window changed – from lush trees, to small hills, to giant mountains appearing in the distance.
Eventually, Liam got bored after an hour of training with the rune, and decided to perch atop his car – allowing the breeze to rustle his hair.
Liam paid astute attention to the routes they passed through, stretching his mental muscle now and again.
From the corner of his eye, an azure glint flickered amidst the treeline.
Suddenly, a javelin made from condensed water shot out like a jet towards his head, grazing his cheek as he tilted his head to the side.
“We’re under attack, stop the caravan!” Liam shouted, unsheathing his blades and spreading his senses full force.
Thirteen cultivators, all masked. Five to his right, emerging from the treeline. Seven to his left, appearing above a small hill – most wielded spears, bows and swords, which were even inscribed.
The rest were Magi, Liam presumed.
Reilos’ soldiers left their carriages and spread around the caravan, executing a defensive formation – although the soldiers weren’t too powerful, they had Rank 3 bodies and decent mental prowess.
Liam’s gaze fell on Robert’s carriage. ‘The mission depends entirely on whether or not he lives.’
Forcing a long breath, Liam’s eye shifted left and right, assessing his approaching enemies. His strong consciousness sped up his thinking speed.
‘Not all of them are Magi. I can kill the ones in front with ease, but those in the back could cause trouble,’ Liam assessed, a plan brewing within his racing mind.
Liam shifted his attention to the soldiers, shouting orders with a commanding tone:
“You all! Focus all your defenses on those above the hill!”
Although the soldiers were much older than Liam was, they all simultaneously complied with his orders.
More than a dozen men shifted towards the mountain, leaving the treeline side bare… except a young boy holding a pair of blades standing guard.
The approaching goons at the front looked confused. They felt no mental energy from Liam, and neither did those at the back.
“Don’t underestimate him… the boy looks dangerous!” one man shouted from the back. “Our objective is the girl, don’t forget that!”
Still, the burly goons couldn’t help but scoff, their auras and mental energies flaring with violence in Liam’s vision.
Before they could attack, Liam turned into a blur, reappearing next to the closest bandit.
Before the man could even lift his spear, Liam’s black katana and wakizashi – coated with Lethality Mantle and dark smoke – swiped against the man’s chest horizontally.
Viscera and blood gushed out of the wound – which festered with corroding darkness momentarily – and the man lost any feeling in his body.
Another javelin made of condensed liquid shot at Liam, but with him aware, a sidestep sufficed as an evasion.
The atmosphere changed.
Bloodlust – unadulterated and demonic – spread across the surroundings, and fear clouded the goons’ hearts.
In their eyes, Liam was no human, but a vicious magical beast whose territory they invaded upon.
“He’s a darkness user, don’t let him get close!” a voice masked with growing panic shouted.
Javelins of water, arrows blazing with fire, and even a small sized boulder converged on where Liam stood – few hit, but Liam allowed them to in order to push forward.
Using Cartilage Brace, he strengthened his defenses, since his opponents had similar Rank 3 bodies.
A sword wielder took advantage of a javelin piercing Liam’s shoulder, swinging at his neck, but found himself unable to move his arms.
Before he could process what happened, his consciousness faded to dark.
Chapter 72 Respect
As Liam pushed forward, a macabre trail of blood and severed body parts followed closely behind.
A brave archer shot a flurry of blazing fire arrows at him, but instead of hitting him, they pierced the dead body Liam used as a shield.
‘Three left,’ Liam thought with a cold eye, surveying the archer and two spellcasters further up – whose attacks looked much more frantic the more Liam grew close, and weaker the more they used spells.
Meanwhile, the Reilos soldiers were doing well holding up their front – with their advantage in numbers, they simply used their force as a collective.
Though, now and again, an invisible arc of wind would shoot out and spread apart their defenses… but seeing Liam holding up five men by himself gave them valor like no other.
The kid wasn’t even 12 years old!
They didn’t have time to admire his sight for too long, shifting their focus towards the fight at hand.
With another forceful breath, Liam threw away the charred corpse shield and weaved towards the archer – evading the azure javelin and the spike bursting from the ground.
Liam’s blades found their mark in the bow wielder’s neck, separating head from shoulders.
Forged blades, Lethality Mantle and Cartilage Brace cut a Rank 2 body like butter.
Long ranged cultivators didn’t put too much effort into advancing their bodies, which meant that the Magi were similar in that regard.
The pale-faced spellcasters looked incredibly tired, their mental energy expended nearly fully. Instantly, the pair popped a pill in their mouths, regaining a bit of their complexion.
Liam decided it was time for the battle to end. The membrane beneath his skin hummed, sending a jolt of strength through his veins.
At the same time, his mental waves turned dark, which he decided to use the brunt on the closest Magus to him – the same one who continuously hurled javelins at him.
‘Corroding touch!’
The magus recoiled in pain as the dark energy collided with his own, stumbling backwards.
Thrusting his katana into the man’s chest, Liam swiped upwards, cleaving his face in two.
Fear and the desire to live caused the remaining Magus to bolt, but not before erecting a thick barrier between him and the demonic child.
He ran away, looking over his shoulder… but the boy didn’t chase.
Relief creeped into his heart, and he desperately needed a short respite.
…The relief was short-lived. A cold wakizashi pierced his heart the second he caught his breath, which was the last breath he took.
‘I need to get back to the caravan,’ Liam thought, looting the space rings off the Magi and running back.
He felt a bit drowsy from using so many spells at once, but thanks to his efforts with the second rune, he was still in a condition to fight.
Thankfully, there was no need to. The Reilos soldiers had pushed away their side of attackers, taking advantage of their lack of support and dwindled numbers.
Liam made his way back to his carriage with a tattered, bloodied and charred robe – drenched in scarlet blood, head to toe.
Gazes of respect, shock and awe intersected at his direction. What the soldiers did as thirteen, Liam did alone.
Robert exited his carriage and ran out to Liam, his giant belly swaying left and right.
“Young man…” he stared at Liam’s wounds with worried eyes. “Are you… okay?”
“It’ll heal,” Liam waved a hand dismissively before heading to his carriage. “I’ll be in my carriage. Erivol is close by – we won’t need to stop. We can arrive safely by nightfall.”
Robert looked a bit stunned, both at Liam’s fighting and nonchalant demeanor – not to mention his rare element – but eventually, he nodded in understanding.
With no more enemies left to kill, Liam entered his car and began absorbing ‘Ora’ to heal his grievous wounds.
‘I’m satisfied with my current prowess, but I heavily depend on the King’s Eye.’ he mused, eyes closed in deep thought. ‘That first javelin would’ve killed me instantly if I didn’t have it.’
Depending largely on one aspect from his arsenal was not wise. Liam needed to improve in all fields… and fast.
In reality, he was being incredibly unfair to himself. Apparently, solo killing five cultivators more or less the same Rank as him didn’t satisfy his expectations.
As soon as Liam’s state steadily replenished – and the pain abided – he took out the rings plundered from the Magi.
Disappointingly, there wasn’t much to his satisfaction – some ‘Ora’ Stones, no spells or techniques.
Nonetheless, more storage was always a plus for Liam’s needs.
Soon, night fell. Countless stars flickered among the heavens.
Liam had already perched atop his carriage to stargaze and memorize his surroundings, cultivating while his retinas reflected the constellations.
Before long, Erivol’s gated borders grew visible in the distance, bright lights glowing behind the thick, inscribed wall.
The caravan pulled up to the entrance, and armored guards approached, their suit of metal golden in color.
Robert exited and briefly conversed with them, flashing them what looked like documents and a noble token, before the armored guards gave him a knowing nod.
Later, the caravan entered the city.
The streets of Erivol bustled with golden-robed nobles traversing its streets, lined with marbled dwellings and elegant accommodations. Tall buildings were randomly scattered around the region.
Compared to Ucladd, Erivol looked more expensive to live in, but was vastly smaller.
Suddenly, when the robed nobles saw Liam’s caravan, they began hurling anything they could find at them.
“Ugly Ucladdian! Get lost!” one individual shouted, throwing a thumb-sized ‘Ora’ Stone at Liam’s face, but the latter grabbed it mid-air and hurled it back.
“Urk!”
The stone smashed right in between the noble’s forehead, causing him to fall backwards.
Thankfully, the carriage passed the main road before any repercussions.
From inside the soldiers’ caravan, the men laughed in unison.
Liam grew curious – he jumped over his own car and over to the guards’, entering like a sly snake.
“Why are they so angry?”
The guards stopped laughing in respect to Liam’s question.
“Ucladd has won against Erivol in the Regional Tournament twice now… these people haven’t forgotten about it since.”
Liam pursed his lips in thought.
‘…Interesting.’
Chapter 73 Hate
The caravan arrived at its destination shortly after – parking beneath a large hotel-looking building.
Robert came out and addressed the soldiers, his daughter and wife – who looked vastly out of his league – standing behind him, giving Liam strange looks.
“We’ll settle here for the night,” said Robert, pointing to the hotel. “Good work, men.”
The group entered the building, a well-dressed servant guiding them to their respective rooms.
Liam entered his own, staring at the furnished and luxurious space for barely a moment, before creating space to practice his arts.
‘I didn’t get a chance to test out my blood draining spell… but that’s probably for the best. Revel kidnapped countless nobles and used it on them… he’s definitely first on the most-wanted list,’ Liam thought.
Since midnight fell, he began cultivating.
Two hours quickly passed. Liam felt his core expand ever so slightly, but just like his mental sphere, he didn’t feel close to the next stage, let alone a breakthrough.
///
Throughout the next day, Robert made multiple stops throughout the city, visiting various businesses and establishments.
Liam took it upon himself to explore the areas surrounding the city – most shops sold inscribed weapons and armors, but others offered techniques and spells.
During the nights where most soldiers were asleep – and those awake weren’t strong – Liam concealed his presence and decided to sneak out, changing into a different pair of clothes.
He decided to sell his unwanted martial arts and weak techniques – he kept the higher ranked ones, since they could garner unwanted suspicion.
As if his paranoia wasn’t enough, Liam made sure to sell in small quantities, and in different shops – adding a hefty sum of ‘Ora’ Stones into his already huge savings.
It turned out, Erivol citizens really, really hated Ucladdians. The grudge spanned over multiple decades, and not just because of the tournament.
From what Liam heard, even the ruling patriarchs hated each other, but the validity of that claim wasn’t verified.
Meanwhile, there wasn’t much to do from Liam’s side. The city was safe from any sort of threat, beast or human.
More than once, though, a vindictive group of nobles attempted to scare the group – shouting insults at anyone they could find.
Obviously, they didn’t try anything too courageous. Not with the soldiers there… and a strange kid that gave them a blank look, which strangely caused a shiver to run down their spines.
Pretty soon, the week ended, and it was time to head back home.
Robert had a joyous look on his face. He’d traveled between multiple cities to and fro, but never with so much security and peace.
The man gathered everyone up early in the morning and set out towards Ucladd.
“I have to be honest, I’d love to have you as my personal guard… although the Reilos family isn’t too well known, we could offer high pay,” said Robert, conversing with Liam inside his carriage.
“I’m already with the Royce,” Liam responded, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the noble in his space. “Plus, it’s not like I can even if I wanted to.”
Robert wasn’t discouraged. In fact, he decided to press a bit harder.
“Lad, I’ll cut to the point… what if I offer you my daughter’s hand in marriage?” asked Robert with a hopeful look.
“That way, you won’t have to be disloyal to the rulers, and still work for me. Think about it, young man. Her vermillion eyes and scarlet hair, how would your children look? She’s a bit older than you, but it isn’t a major issue by Echorian law.”
Liam felt uncomfortable listening to Robert’s description of his daughter… and how far the man peered into an imaginary future.
His face grew distant as he peered out the window.
Liam had a twisted idea of what love was.
What even was love, anyway? Was it what Eve held for Liam? But what kind of love was that? Was there a way to measure it? How did it increase? It was too complicated.
‘…I’m good, thanks,’ Liam thought, his face subconsciously turning cold.
‘What marriage? What children? What wealth? I couldn’t care less about your measly ambitions. I’d rather be someone that could splinter a mountain by flicking a finger.’
The atmosphere within the carriage gradually changed, causing beads of cold sweat to run down Robert’s face. He grew unnerved, an anxiousness churning within the depths of his soul.
He no longer felt safe inside that carriage.
“N-Nevermind, haha,” concluded Robert, shouting for the coachman to stop his carriage so he could exit. “I’ll be out of your hair, young man.”
Liam remained silent, his gaze fixed towards the window.
For the rest of the ride, no one bothered him.
///
The trip back went relatively safely after the initial attack.
There was a large group of Rank 3 Spit Lizards that would intersect with the caravan’s path, which Liam himself decided to take care of – he figured testing out his drain ability on magical beasts was much safer and easier to do.
He separated from his caravan and decided to attack the lizards before they arrived. It didn’t take long for Liam to eliminate all of them – Spit Lizards were ridiculously slow, requiring a full minute to charge a powerful stream of water.
Liam simply killed one, then used its body as a cover for any attacks shot his way, before rinsing and repeating.
Shortly after killing them, he caused his nails to grow black and sharp, piercing the lizards’ body with it.
He felt blood gulping through his fingers and into his bloodstream, which the spell automatically sorted to become nourishment.
‘This really is a masterpiece. Not only does it absorb blood, but it suits it for the human body,’ Liam thought.
After finishing what he needed to do, he dumped the lizards’ dry body into a waterbed for other beasts to devour.
Soon, the caravan arrived at Ucladd.
Liam exited his car and so did Robert, but the latter didn’t approach too close to him.
“Thank you for your excellent service, young man,” he thanked, handing Liam a jade slip, which was the sign of a completed mission.
Liam limited to a nod before returning to his quarters, intent on checking out how Eve was doing.
Before he could, though, his half siblings blocked his path, their personal guards looking uncomfortable standing behind them.
‘If I don’t slaughter you two in the most painful way imaginable, I won’t live with myself.’
Chapter 74 Chains
Time passed.
Liam spent most of his days diligently training, pushing his mind and body past any limit it might’ve had.
Of course, he couldn’t actually advance his body, but only perfect its capabilities by improving his mental prowess.
Liam spent more time completing missions than staying within the mansion.
…Truthfully, he did that to avoid his half-siblings and unwanted attention, but when Elsa and Ian began harassing his mother, he needed to stay behind.
‘They’re not smart enough to do that on their own… Adrian is giving them orders,’ Liam figured.
That inevitably slowed down his progress.
The twins realized Liam’s body had regenerative properties, allowing them to express much harsher torture upon him.
Quite honestly, Liam thought they were too green… despite being three years older than him.
Most of their torture didn’t faze him at all, just annoying him to no end and wasting his time.
On the side, Liam didn’t have much time to spare for his forging and Blood Weaving, but he didn’t think he could create a powerful spell or weapon any time soon.
Liam kept in touch with his teachers via the Rank 2 Jade, but hadn’t met with them for too long.
Other than that, the tournament was getting closer by the day.
Ripples of excitement spread across Ucladd and every other major city, which Liam had actually visited during his many missions.
Ucladd, Erivol, Crigate, Logras, Vence and Rizt were the six noble cities, each with their own specialities and characteristics.
Among them, only Erivol had major problems with Ucladdians.
Elsa, Ian and a few other of Liam’s half-siblings were going to participate within the Regional Tournament.
Of course, they didn’t really need the Rank 4 tempering method – being of the main branch gave them massive privileges, which was partly why they were so arrogant.
It was their failure of a dad’s acknowledgement they sought.
Meanwhile, Liam tried his best in finding a way to participate within the competition. Mainly, he spoke to Samuel about it, and the head guard promised to look into it.
///
Liam stood in the middle of his messy room – his body bare –? gripping his worn-down blades with a passive stance.
He had just taken a bath, washing out his piss-stained robe for the umpteenth time.
‘I’m gonna crush that monkey’s skull one day.’
Heaving a calming breath, Liam loosened his grasp and dropped his black katana and wakizashi.
…But right before the pair of weapons fell to the ground, a dark chain made of darkness wrapped around their hilt pulled them back to his hands.
Liam smiled in satisfaction.
‘Dark Chains… swallowed four months worth of merits, but it’s worth it.’
What Liam was referring to, was a Rank 2 spell that allowed the user to produce a darkness-made link from their palms, allowing for painful ensnarement, or convenient utility.
How long the user wanted them depended on how much ‘Ora’ the spell consumed, which was quite a bit for Liam at the moment.
More importantly, Liam solved his range problem – Purgatory Night didn’t have any projectile attacks, but with the chains… he could hurl his weapons without losing them, similar to a kusarigama.
Liam wrapped the chains tightly around his katana and wrists, before twirling them like a rope and sending the blade flying.
He was inexperienced with the movements at first, but after some practice, he was able to swing his blades with the chain – combining a deadly mixture of both close-range and mid-range attacks.
However, upon a closer look, the chains started to damage the hilts of his weapons.
‘…I can’t maintain this fighting style for long, but it’s good against those that like to keep a distance.’
Nodding in satisfaction, Liam sheathed his blades when a knock surfaced on his door.
Opening it, Liam found Samuel looking at him with a mixture of complicated emotions.
“Samuel, I wasn’t expecting you,” said Liam. Over time, he nurtured a friendship between the Royce family soldiers, hence the lack of respective terms exchanged.
It helped that he wasn’t a snobby brat like the rest of his siblings.
“I don’t mean to bother you during your practice, are you free now?” asked Samuel.
Liam nodded, attempting to invite the man into his room, but realized it reeked of sweat.
“No matter, I was finishing up anyway. Would you like to come inside?” he asked, hoping the man would say no.
Samuel raised his hand. “That’s fine, I just wanted to tell you about the upcoming tournament.”
A hint of a scowl grew on Liam’s face.
“…Yes?”
After a short, tense pause, Samuel spoke with a slight smile:
“You’ve been allowed to participate… but on one condition,” Samuel paused. “You enter as a peasant.”
Liam beamed, completely uncaring of Samuel’s second point.
‘Finally. Entering as a non-noble would probably garner some annoying attention, but a small price to pay.’
Seeing his reaction, the head guard heaved a sigh of relief. Truthfully, he liked Liam, which was why he personally delivered the news.
“I’ll be on my way, then. Good luck, lad.”
As soon as the head guard left, Liam visited his mother.
“I got permission,” Liam revealed, speaking to Eve in her living room. “I’ll be able to participate.”
Eve flashed a smile, but Liam could sense she was uncomfortable with that.
Most mothers were that way with fighting, but Eve had been used to it from a much younger age with her son.
Nonetheless, she put on a smiling face and congratulated him, before Liam had to go and prepare for his upcoming competition.
///
Throughout the next month, Liam had mastered the first and second forms for Purgatory Night, simultaneously honing his sea of consciousness to a sharp level.
‘Dark Rend’, the first form of his art, allowed the blade’s smoky coating to burst into dark flames. Liam could maintain that ferocious state for roughly five minutes before feeling depleted.
The second form, ‘Mordant Severer’, manipulated the coating of smoke to whir into a layer of sharpness, bolstering its lethality. Similarly to Lethality Mantle, it required a constant stream of ‘Ora’, but didn’t cost too much.
Although Liam tried, he couldn’t master the third form to his satisfaction. He did learn it, but its execution was a bit… difficult. For now, at least.
A month passed, and the day of the tournament arrived.
Chapter 75 Journey
Liam woke up well rested, without the usual scowl on his face – he barely expanded his mental sphere the previous night, paring moderate cultivation with a well needed rest – before taking a warm bath.
Briefly, Liam inspected his ring. Rogan had gone all out and made him four pairs of blades made from Rank 3 darkness beasts.
After Liam mentioned his participation in the tournament, the blacksmith looked elated to showcase his forging ability in front of an audience.
Liam nodded with a slight smile, before getting ready.
Outside his room, could already sense the commotion of excitement – servants and guards working together to prepare for the ceremony filled the air with a tense anticipation of sorts.
Liam got dressed – a tight elastic shirt that didn’t hide his defined muscles – paired with a robe that covered his lower-half. A scarlet sash wrapped around his waist held the clothing together.
His hair was cut shortly, styled to an undercut parted down the middle.
He tucked his scabbards under the ribbon, before leaving his dwelling and heading towards the mansion courtyards – where a large group of expensive carriages were parked.
Low-level guards, butlers and maids looked hectic as they made preparations for the two day journey towards the Regional Stadium.
At the head of the caravan, the highest ranking members of the Royce family comfortably resided – along with the strongest guards that accompanied them – followed by those below them and vice versa.
Apparently, Adrian hadn’t spoken to Eve since her arrival at the mansion, which allowed her to travel with the servant’s group.
Liam honestly didn’t want her to come and see the fights, but she insisted on coming herself.
Meanwhile, Samuel saw Liam approaching and waved at him.
“I’ll be traveling with the guards, I’m guessing?” asked Liam, nearing the head guard and remarking the wry look on his face.
‘Thought so,’ Liam guessed, but promptly said: “I’ll be on my way, then.”
Liam found the furthest group at the back and joined them. The soldiers were more than a little shocked to find him there, but were happy they had his company.
“Lad! We heard you were participating?” a burly, tall, bald guard said with a smile. “We’ll be rooting for ya, just so you know. Do your best not to get embarrassed, haha!”
Liam chuckled alongside the men… but with an icy tone and a side eye, he added:
“Whatever bets you all are making, I better be getting a cut.”
Those words caused the guards to tense momentarily, but laugh a moment later.
Soon, the preparations were clear and done – Samuel signaled the carriages to start moving, and the lightning fast Wind Stallions began trotting.
///
Each of the six cities were in a raging uproar.
Nearly all nobles, small-sized to large, paid to see the Regional Tournament. Even those from other regions traveled to witness the event. There were hardly enough seats for everyone, though.
The details of the tournament were simple.
Roughly 24 participants would compete, each representing a ruling family… with the exception of Liam, of course.
Since the geography of the six cities formed a ring of sorts, the stadium was erected upon an empty grassland – it resembled a roman-styled colosseum.
After a whole two days, the Royce family arrived at the arena’s location. Normally trips of that distance took an entire month, but the magical beasts hastened them greatly.
Soon enough, the stadium grew visible… and Liam underestimated how big the colosseum was – towering at 8 stories high and made with ancient limestone, the arena had an open top.
‘All this wealth for a tournament that won’t last longer than a week. Where do these nobles get off?’ Liam thought with a shake of his head.
Large entrances were erected at the foot of the establishment, receiving noble guests and contenders separately.
All the rulers had their own special gates, and the Royce family began entering through theirs.
From the long line of carriages, one specific car lagged behind and stopped.
“That’s as far as we can go, friend,” a skinny soldier said, handing Liam a pitch-black coin with the Royce family insignia on it. “Just show that to the lady behind the desk. Good luck.”
Liam grabbed the coin and nodded, before silently exiting the carriage and heading towards the line of youths near one of the gates.
As soon as he did, the men gave each other a knowing look… before starting a betting war.
Meanwhile, Liam silently assessed the competition – slightly older male and female nobles bearing different hairstyles and clothing.
‘They all have Rank 3 bodies, pretty much. They’ve awakened their cores, too,’ Liam assessed. That kind of progress wasn’t strange, considering the access the rich had to pills and elixirs.
‘…None of them have as strong a mind as mine. Not to mention I have the King’s Eye. It’s winnable.’
Now and again, some of the competitors would shoot Liam a strange, condescending look, to which he replied with indifference.
The line dwindled until it became Liam’s turn.
He handed the black coin to the deadpanned woman behind the counter.
“Name and age?” she asked, fidgeting with the coin in her hand.
“…William. Eleven and a half.” Liam responded.
“William. Eleven and a half. No family backing. Approved,” she concluded, gesturing for one of the arena workers – who wore a purely white servants garment – to guide Liam to his space.
Muffled cheering noises grew louder as Liam entered the colosseum, led to a small room that contained delicious looking food and drink. It looked like a wardrobe of sorts, with drawers and cabinets all around.
Straight ahead, a large, horizontal, rectangular mirror was plastered on the wall.
In the center of the room, Liam could see a circular diagram.
“What’s that?” he asked the servant.
“The teleportation matrix, sir. You’ll step on that when your bout begins. The event will start in roughly two hours, please let me know if you require anything.”
Liam’s eyes widened in shock for a minute, before smiling.
‘You can do that?’
He lingered for a moment, and inquired with a curious tone:
“…Do you have any masks?”
Chapter 76 First Bout
The servant nodded, bringing Liam to a specific cabinet.
“You will be the eighth bout, sir,” the man said before leaving with Liam’s permission.
Liam browsed through the many face coverings… eventually finding one that he saw suitable to wear.
Done with that task, Liam sat at the large table and began wolfing down his meals.
Soon enough, night fell.
Just then, an enthusiastic voice rang out in Liam’s room, followed by the mirror opposite him flickering with lights across its reflective surface… revealing the vast stadium from an above angle.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome… to the Regional Power Tournament!”
Thousands of seats were filled with cheering nobles, divided into six sections by their familial colors.
Liam’s eye widened in amazement as he astutely scanned the ‘TV’ screen.
Through the King’s Eye, he could spot meticulous writings behind the mirror, which ran through the walls and presumably converged to a ‘camera’ (or something similar) on the other side.
‘…I can use the King’s eye through the mirror too!’ Liam thought, capable of seeing countless aura’s and mental energies among the crowd. ‘It’s probably using the inscriptions to redirect what the mirrors reflect.’
An announcer stood on a floating platform way above the stadium – two women standing behind him.
The middle-aged man wore a pearl-colored suit, a monocle on his right eye. White, slicked-back hair gave him a posh appearance, not to mention the gray and white goatee on his chin.
Liam didn’t see a microphone in his hands, which meant the man used some sort of spell or technique to amplify his voice.
Dozens of dazzling, blinding lights of interchanging colors flashed across the stadium stalls and arena, illuminating the night sky above.
At the same time, around the perimeter of the large arena, a group of musicians started banging on massive war drums, following a catchy and rhythmic beat.
The music, crowd’s cheering, the announcer’s shouts created an exciting cacophony – which all sounded muffled from where Liam sat.
Eventually, all the lights turned white, converging on the announcer’s sparkling suit.
“I’ll be your favorite host, Whyte!” he smiled warmly, displaying his glimmering white teeth. “Please give a roaring welcome to the ruling families!”
Cheers grew louder, mixed with whistles and other unintelligible sounds.
Stationed above the crowds were special structures designed specifically for the rulers – a note of their superiority, no one could see through the one way mirrors.
Something to note was the lack of clan patriarchs around the stadium.
…After all, politics were a mortal construct.
Zenith ranked cultivators focused more on themselves than anyone around them, even if they were important figures with powerful authority.
Liam hadn’t seen patriarch Edwin since the first meeting, and was told for a Zenith to make time for a Mortal was quite remarkable – a clear indication of how rare a darkness element was.
“Without further delay, let us begin!” Whyte spread his arms and shouted. “Starting with the rules!”
“All fighters have been verified for their ages and strengths – everyone is roughly at the same level, but with minor differences. Techniques, spells and forged/inscribed weapons of any kind are allowed – it’s up to you to win!”
“Pills and elixirs are strictly banned! Failure to comply with this rule results in an instant disqualification!”
“To win, your opponent must be incapacitated or forfeit of their own will. If you need me to spell it for you – wounds are absolutely allowed.”
“Fear not! The famous Yin & Yang Sisters are on standby. Any injuries or wounds you accumulated will be healed by the end of your bout. Break a leg – they’ll fix it for you!”
The spotlight fell on the two women behind Whyte.
Their beautiful appearance was in stark contrast to one another – despite looking like twins, the color of their hair, eyelashes, eyes, and robe was milky white for one, and silky black for the other.
They nodded with a synchronized, dazzling smile.
With the spotlight returning back to Whyte, the man grinned ear-to-ear before shouting:
“Onto the first bout!”
The crowd burst with another frenzy of cheers, as the bright lights split to two, centering around a small circular formation on the opposite ends of the arena floor.
“Please welcome – from the great city of Crigate – the ‘Rain Fairy’, Jane Phelross!”
Bright light gradually took the form of a human figure in one of those formations – the light dissipated, revealing a tall, young lady wearing an inscribed crimson robe.
Shimmering blonde hair fell to her shoulders, and her crystal blue eyes were sharp.
She didn’t wield any weapon, but looked relaxed and confident.
“And from the opposite side, hailing from Erivol, please cheer for the ‘Phoenix’, Jacob Ovlar!”
The formation on the opposite side glowed with a white light – a short but lean young man appeared, donning a tight yellow robe.
His face was squared, eyes brown and condescending. Disturbingly, the young man’s face looked euphoric from the attention he was receiving.
Jacob held an inscribed spear, covered with intricate drawings and designs of a Phoenix.
Meanwhile, Liam hummed in understanding. ‘Ovlar… that’s Revel’s family.’
Liam remembered the inscription-master’s first request. ‘Kill any of my family members you can.’
…Obviously, he would never actually attempt something like that. At least, without any sort of planning or reason.
Nonetheless, he shifted his focus towards the ‘TV’.
An array caused the vast arena floor to glow brightly, before an invisible wall of force grew around it – protecting the stadium stalls from any dangerous attack.
The wall was only visible to Liam’s eye, though, judging by the confused looks from some of the crowd members.
Whyte’s thunderous voice rang in everyone’s ears:
“Begin!” nove(l)bi(n.)com
Jacob moved first, cocking his feet and shooting towards Jane like a bullet, stretching his spear forward.
Simultaneously, an azure whip made of tight, condensed water materialized in Jane’s hands, which she held passively for Jacob’s arrival.
Jacob saw the spell, but simply scoffed, refusing to shift his trajectory. His body pulsed, while his muscles grew thick with bulging veins, growing aggressively stronger.
At the same time, the noble’s inscribed spear burst with violent red flames.
Chapter 77 Mask
Jane smirked.
She waved her hand, a wall of condensed water gushed forth as a shield.
Jacob’s attack pierced through the wall as though it was paper, but just then, Jane pivoted her foot and dodged.
As soon as Jacob flew past, a crackling water-whip lashed across his jaw, cracking more than a few teeth and causing his eardrums to pop.
Inertia flung the noble towards the arena borders, which he spat out a mouthful of blood, cursing with any word he can find.
Jane didn’t dare let the noble rest, shooting at him with lithe but swift steps.
Before she could release a barrage of wild lashes, Jacob’s spear whizzed through the air – glowing brighter by the second – grazing her cheek as she attempted to dodge.
‘Shi—’
Boom!
A deafening explosion bellowed through the arena, smashing against the wall of force and creating a cloud of smog that dulled all sight.
The crowd held their breath, and the announcer’s calls abruptly stopped.
Meanwhile, the Yin & Yang Sisters shot at the stage, finding Jane’s charred and bloodied body.
They nodded in synchrony, each taking out a large cloth that corresponded to their white and black colors – the cloth clung to Jane’s body and entered her wounds, steadily healing them.
Charred flesh and grievous wounds started to regrow with renewed muscle tissue.
By then, the dust cloud settled, and the crowd erupted to a wild cheer, with the Crigate nobles visibly distraught.
Servants ran towards the stage with a stretcher, escorting Jane’s body back inside.
Jacob raised his hands in triumph, waving at the crowd with a toothless and maimed smile – which the Sisters quickly healed not long after.
“The first round… goes to Jacob Ovlar!”
///
Liam stared at the screen with a grimace.
Inscribed items were dangerous… and currently, Liam had none. Not to mention, his current fighting style consisted of getting up close and personal, with the exception of his Dark Chains.
Any explosive item could put him in a difficult spot.
‘She could’ve easily won that fight, too. All she had to do was keep her distance and use her spells,’ Liam thought, noticing multiple flaws in how the two nobles fought.
Although he was still young, he’d accumulated an amazing understanding of battle and martial arts.
Realizing something, Liam’s grimace grew deeper..
‘…They’re keeping their abilities hidden. They have to. The other contenders are studying their fighting styles and taking notes,’ Liam guessed. He was no exception, either.
‘I’ll have to limit my own usage too, but that means I’ll have to win with sheer prowess.’
///
Before long, the second bout began, Logras versus Vence, purple robe against green, Nick Lemross facing Sam Shero.
Nick was a handsome young man with well-styled blonde hair, wielding a needle-thin rapier.
On the other hand, Sam was skinny, but lean. He didn’t wield any weapons, but a dangerous aura covered him.
“Begin!”
Straight away, the clash started viciously.
Sam blurred, reappearing ahead of Nick with his feet bursting into roaring red flames, smashing against the latter’s rapier.
A series of wide flaming leg kicks followed, each strike creating a bang louder than the first. Sam’s fighting style bore similarities with capoeira, using his arms to maneuver his raging lower body.
The swings aimed for Nick’s lower body, mainly the knees and abdomen.
Nick blocked those attacks and created distance, attempting to counter with quick stabs. The blazing flames burned parts of his robe, burning his skin.
Nick was shoved to the edges of the arena, when his eyes turned severe – his rapier glowed white, a gust of wind enveloping his blade and body, creating a loud whirring noise.
Sam’s eyes widened as he attempted to fall back… but it was too late.
Nick’s rapier looked formless, creating gashes and holes all over Sam’s body.
The spell seemed to cause him pain judging by his strained expression, but the speedy and destructive nature of the technique pushed him forward.
In a panic, Sam tried to cause his body to burst into flames as defense, but the wind overpowered it.
Before long, it was over.
“The victor… Nick Lemross!”
///
The bouts continued one by one.
Liam watched intently with a slight scowl.
Almost every noble participating had some sort of forged or inscribed item… not to mention their massive arsenal of spells they kept hidden.
Even Elsa and Ian fought, winning by the skin of their teeth and only because of the aforementioned advantages.
Liam looked disgusted seeing how joyous they looked from attention.
‘Please tell me I get matched against one of them,’ Liam hoped.
Before long, a servant knocked on his door.
“Sir? It’s time for your bout.”
Liam fixed his hair and pulled it back, tucking it behind a small black hood he found in one of the cabinets.
The servant shuddered as Liam exited his room, pulling his fearful gaze away.
“P-Please step on the formation whenever you’re called, sir.”
Liam had chosen… an unusual mask.
It was resembled a red Japanese ‘Oni’ mask – a wrathful expression on it – that covered the entirety of his face. The slitted eye sockets allowed the King’s Eye to eerily glow golden within the shadowy interior.
“I-Is there any mantle you have, sir?” the worker asked with his gaze forward.
Liam pursed his lips behind the mask and lingered, before answering with a hidden grin:
“Blood Demon.”
Nodding, the worker whispered something to the black beaded bracelet on his right arm.
“Let the eighth bout begin!” Whyte screamed passionately from the top of his lungs. “Originating from the Royce family… dashingly handsome and equally charming, the one and only, Ivan Royce!”
A handsome young man bearing the Royce family features appeared. Unlike the previous contenders, Ivan wore an entire suit of inscribed golden armor – dual-wielding a set of expensive looking sabers.
“Ladies and gentlemen… as you all might’ve known, every year, we allow one person without a family backing to participate. Please welcome… William, the ‘Blood Demon’!”
Liam stepped on the formation with a soft sigh, and instantly, his surroundings changed.
Chapter 78 Fear
Instantly, Liam’s surroundings changed.
How it happened was quite anticlimactic if he was honest with himself – it occurred in the blink of an eye, and there were no special effects of the sort.
A spotlight focused on Liam’s figure – at the same time, the audience was basked in complete darkness, but that didn’t deter Liam’s sight.
Thousands and thousands of eyes scanned him thoroughly. Specifically, Liam could feel a plethora of venomous gazes coming from the Royce family booth… and for some reason, even Erivol’s.
He could even see through the one-way mirror and look at Adrian’s tense face, along with all his uncles and aunts staring at him with disgust.
There was one more gaze that Liam felt, but he didn’t need to look at who it belonged to – Eve was probably watching with worried eyes, scared dreadful for him.
The crowd began booing, with some people throwing food and drink on the stage. Particularly, those from Erivol looked visibly enraged.
‘…Why, though? Was it the nickname?’
Realization dawned on Liam, causing him to chuckle and shake his head behind the mask.
‘Revel, you old dog. Was this your name before you kicked the bucket?’
“Oi!” Ivan shouted, bringing Liam out of his entranced musings. “You dare ignore me, bastard?”
Liam didn’t respond, unsheathing his blades and holding them passively.
Ivan growled in anger.
Before long, the inscriptions on the arena floor started to glow, erecting a protective wall of force.
“And… begin!”
Ivan scoffed, shooting at Liam with his body low to the ground and sabers clenched tightly.
Through the King’s Eye, Liam saw how his aura grew much more powerful.
A stream of wind gathered beneath his heel, doubling his speed and pushing him forward with each swift step.
Liam tuned out the obnoxious crowd and the announcer’s annoying voice from his ears.
Ivan was Richard Royce’s youngest son, although older than him and his half-siblings. He was considered a ‘prodigy’ of sorts, since his father had trained him from a young age.
His features reminded Liam of Adrian.
A dark expression formed under the Oni mask. Liam didn’t move as Ivan grew closer, standing still with his blades lowered like a statue.
Ivan was only an arm’s length away from him when the grip on his katana and wakizashi tightened.
Cartilage Brace, Corroding Touch, and Lethality Mantle were activated at the same time.
Clang!
A loud metal bang echoed the air and rang, followed by gasps of shock sounding throughout the stadium.
The audience watched incredulously as Liam’s blades swung vertically against Ivan’s sabers and metal chest, piercing through it in one swift slash and splitting it down the waist.
The noble’s inscribed sabers and armor had shattered at the same time. Shards of metal paired with streaks of blood hung in the air as he scraped across the ground.
He laid unconscious, with his face kissing the floor, his bum sticking out like a camel’s hump.
A deafening silence ensued.
Even Whyte had nothing to say, and he spoke with every breath inhaled.
A devilish grin grew behind the mask as Liam’s eye scoured the audience, his gaze falling on the Royce’s accommodation.
Lisa Royce, Richard Royce, and Adrian Royce – the three highest ranked members of the family – all stared at Liam, stupefied.
Liam put his index finger on the mask’s lip in a shushing motion, causing them to seethe.
Ian and Elsa were watching the fight from their own rooms. They had looked up to Ivan like their own older brother, yet he was defeated with a single move.
A tiny spark of fear in their hearts gradually grew, steadily consuming them from within.
Meanwhile, the Yin & Yang Sisters descended from the floating platform and inspected Ivan’s state, covering him in a small black and white handkerchief cloth that healed his chest gash.
Their eyes fell on Liam to assess him for wounds, but the latter had already started to head off stage.
A delayed booing followed, with hysteric and demeaning chants.
“Cheating pig!”
“He’s using pills! The nerve of this peasant!”
“Someone unmask him so we can see how ugly he is!”
Yet to Liam, their utterings were meaningless.
Whyte jolted from his stupor and shook his head.
“The win goes to William, the Blood Demon!”
Liam went past the tunnel and entered his room, instantly inspecting the state of his blades.
The frail katana and wakizashi were both riddled with cracks, yet Liam was thankful to have such a thoughtful forge master – he still had eight blades remaining.
‘There’s still a long time until I get done with all of these. As long as I don’t use their special ability, that is.’
Using his spare time, he began cultivating and nourishing his mental energy.
Before long, the TV in Liam’s room flickered on, and Whyte regained his lost composure.
“Noble guests! The next series of bouts will begin after a short break! From 24 contenders, 12 remain!”
As midnight came to pass, the stadium walls started to rumble and shake. Stone grinded against stone, as a large see-through dome started to cover the colosseum’s top.
On the colosseum’s furthest wall, a larger and much bigger ‘TV’ screen revealed itself. It flickered with lights dancing on its surface, displaying the brackets with the remaining fighters.
Liam’s eye fell on his next opponent.
It was Jacob Ovlar.
Most of the remaining contenders were powerful enough for Liam to fight seriously.
‘I’m still above them mental wise. They just have more abilities.’
Like usual, the second half started.
The fights were much more difficult and dragged out for longer too, since the contenders were facing much stronger opponents.
At the same time, Liam had the chance to witness much more spells and techniques. Through the King’s Eye, he could even see mental attacks being used, letting him know who to be careful of.
Although Liam would’ve loved to go against him, Ian failed to advance to the next bracket… but Elsa managed to win, only by the skin of her teeth.
After a whole two hours, Liam’s turn to fight came.
Chapter 79 Overwhelming
“Do you think he has a chance?” Richard asked his sister, Lisa, with a stern scowl – his youngest son had lost to a peasant, bastard child. The man was seething inside.
Though, Richard had known his sister to be the shrewdest when it came to scheming.
She pursed her full lips and lightly bit down on them – her green irises staring out the window and at Liam.
With a severe tone, Lisa spoke:
“I hate to admit it, but he’s grown incredibly powerful over time. Even though my nephew and niece constantly harassed them… the boy barely sleeps.”
Adrian quietly listened from the side. His face was grave, sweat dripping over his brow.
“We’ll see,” Lisa said after a tense pause, before her face grew cold. “If it comes to it… we can do something.”
///
Liam stood opposite to Jacob, blades relaxed parallel to his sides.
Meanwhile, Jacob’s stance was tense, the shaft of his spear slick with sweat.
There wasn’t the usual arrogance on the noble’s face like before, but one of valiant resolve.
To the untrained eye, it might’ve seemed like Liam wasn’t going to take the battle seriously.
Jacob felt the opposite, his stiff gulp drowned by the cacophony of cheers, boos and war drums.
Blood Demon’s aura was overwhelming.
Jacob could feel his unwavering gaze scanning his body.
‘What kind of monster is this guy? I only get scared like that with master Henry!’ Jacob grimaced, thinking of the senior cultivator that taught him how to fight.
‘No… don’t falter. Remember your training. Don’t stain your name more than it already has.’
It didn’t help that the mask Blood Demon chose to wear was downright frightening.
Jacob heaved a calming breath, assuming a passive stance with his spear pointed towards the masked Oni.
Inscriptions lit the ground.
“Begin!”
Like a heron finding prey, Liam began with lithe steps growing in speed, turning into a blur and smashing both blades against Jacob’s spear.
Clang!
‘He’s strong!’ Jacob thought as more blade attacks arrived from rare angles, which he used his inscribed spear to block.
Each swing held a distinct weight, pushing him back as he blocked with his spear.
Having a Rank 3 body wasn’t the only factor in deciding a person’s strength. After all, it was only a tool. Its effectiveness was only determined with how it was utilized.
Cuts appeared on Jacob’s robe and arms, which slowly festered with hidden darkness and consumed his flesh from within. Still, he was too focused and tense to pay those wounds any heed.
Liam made sure not to make his darkness too visible. It helped that his blades were black, but there was no way for him to keep his element hidden for the entirety of the tournament.
Jacob began using his martial art forms.
The inscribed spear burst into thick flames, creating arcs of orange that collided and managed to push back Liam’s attacks.
Roles had reversed, with Liam now focused on defense.
Yet, as Jacob continued to lung, swing and stab, he only grew more worried.
Liam hadn’t used his martial art forms the entire fight, and only defended using his sheer physicality, evading the harder strikes, and absorbing the smaller attacks.
The flames didn’t faze him – after all, he had boiled his insides to get to the second rank and get the heat-resistance that came with it.
At the same time, Liam’s footsteps didn’t make a single noise. He’d denied any supporting auditory cues for Jacob to predict his movements.
Jacob paused his offense and jumped backwards to create distance, but Liam followed and contested any opportunity for reprieve.
‘I have to use it now!’ Jacob grimaced in pain, thick flames gushing forth and engulfing his body.
Liam witnessed his fiery aura growing in intensity. He attempted to sneak in a killing blow, but was instantly pushed back by a burst of fire.
A pair of fire-made wings unfurled behind Jacob’s back, his body covered in a suit of flaming armor, leaving only his face uncovered. Moreover, his spear had turned into a blazing trident, resembling a Phoenix’s claw.
Jacob’s feet were no longer touching the ground.
Liam’s eye narrowed with a frown.
The wings on Jacob’s back suddenly fluttered, sending him shooting towards Liam while leaving behind a trail of hot flames.
Jacob’s speed was almost double that of Ivan’s. Liam witnessed the trident aiming straight for his stomach.
The claw had slit Liam’s side as he dodged, cutting through his clothing and pale skin, charring it not a moment after.
Jacob hadn’t relented, instantly turning around and starting a barrage of flaming, piercing attacks.
‘Survive. He can’t hold that form for long,’ Liam’s mind raced as he continued to evade and dodge, suffering wounds and burns.
Liam’s clothes were tattered like a war flag, but the mask and hood hung on.
In the span of ten breaths, the flames on Jacob’s body started to flicker weakly, his speed and strength regressing.
The wings of fire no longer held him up, lowering him. At the same time, he looked utterly exhausted.
From then on, it was brutally one sided.
Jacob wheezed heavily with each movement, his bruised eyes drooping from enervation. He couldn’t block the lethal slashes that shredded his muscles from within.
It was when his spear shattered entirely that the fight was finally stopped.
“Blood Demon wins again!”
After a tense pause, the crowd roared.
Although some booed (particularly Erivol), nobles loved entertainment… and the Blood Demon was much more than they expected.
Meanwhile, Liam scowled behind his mask.
‘I can feel Eve’s gaze on me… is this why they allowed her to come?’ he clicked his tongue in annoyance. It wouldn’t bother him as much as it would his mother, but it was still an obnoxious move.
The Sisters descended and wrapped Jacob’s wounds with a cloth corresponding to their color, before shifting their unified gaze to Liam.
With a series of smooth and rehearsed movements, they did the same process on his body.
The black and white cloth squirmed inside Liam’s wounds and melted, which grew back the lost muscle tissue.
“You’re not gonna take off the mask?” the Sisters asked in unison.
Liam shook his head in silence, sheathing his blades.
Everyone stared at his lonesome figure with awed gazes as he made his way off the stage.
Chapter 80 Humiliation
Liam once again entered his temporary room and renewed his clothes, before healing his wounds and replenishing his ‘Ora’ reserves.
The Oni mask he wore was now completely charred – turning black and even more intimidating – but thankfully, the wooden material held on.
Before long, the giant ‘TV’ turned on, displaying the remaining brackets with the contenders hidden by a question mark.
From 12 players, only 6 remained.
Liam would need to fight twice more to seize victory… but he couldn’t hide his true prowess for much longer.
Among the participants he saw fight, there were a few that could really force him to go all out – mainly the ‘Ogre’, the ‘Ace’, and ‘Bullet’.
The rapidly changing brackets started to interchange with a sharp sound effect, gradually settling in one place.
After a dramatic, tense pause, the question marks were unveiled, revealing who would fight each other in the semi-finals.
Liam grinned ear-to-ear.
William [Blood Demon] vs Elsa Royce [Golden Empress].
///
“You can’t let her fight that… devil child!” Elsa’s mother, Nicky, desperately begged Adrian.
Adrian grimaced, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.
Even he knew the limits of his arrogance and pride. Elsa was not powerful… compared to Liam, that is.
His grimace grew deeper, mind throbbing for anything he could use.
Lisa and Richard shot him a piercing glare, like two lions intimidating a housecat.
The tournament was equally organized by the major cities – any decision that regarded it, big or small, had to be approved by a council consisting of a noble from the ruling clan.
That being said, the matchups were fully random – an inscribed item was used to shuffle and connect them. Asking the council to change it could cause the Royce family to lose face and look weak to the other rulers.
“Letting him participate was a mistake,” said Richard, rubbing his stern face.
“It’s all your fault,” Lisa narrowed her eyes at Adrian, causing him to shrivel and sweat coldly.
Unlike him, Lisa had a Rank 4 body and a powerful mental sphere.
“If you cleaned up the mess you made, we wouldn’t have to suffer this much humiliation. We can’t even kill the damn kid since he’s caught our father’s eye!”
An anxious silence followed, the atmosphere so tense, one could cut it with a knife.
“Perhaps… there’s a way to salvage this,” Lisa uttered under her breath, a dangerous gleam in her cold eyes. Those present shuddered. “…Let’s wait and see.”
///
Liam stilled any sadistic emotion from appearing on his face… even though his expression was obscured by the mask.
Elsa stood opposite to him, pale and sweaty. Although her robe covered her entirely, she felt naked under Liam’s sinister gaze.
‘Damn it, stop shaking! He’s just a bastard! A peasant! You’re better than him in every way,’ she thought, biting her lip in frustration.
The crowd’s chanting, cheering and booing slowed, stretched and grew deeper in her ears, accompanied by the muffled thumping of her heart – which she mistook for the war drums.
Her eyes were glued to Liam’s charred mask, but something desperately begged her to look away – the longer she looked, the more the surroundings darkened.
Somehow, in her trance, Elsa hadn’t realized that Whyte had already started the match… and that there was no cheering noise. Just darkness.
She watched with tense eyes as Liam took slow steps towards her, his blades casually lowered to his sides, his eye locked with her own.
Under her unbelieving gaze, the charred Oni mask contorted unnaturally, as though it came to life.
It continued to struggle, eventually taking on a new expression… a devilish, sadistic one – the mask’s lips started to curve upwards to form an end-to-end grin, sending a bone-chilling shiver down her spine.
Elsa’s heart sounded like a woodpecker’s rapid tapping against a tree. Her consciousness was on the brink of collapse, like a demolished temple awaiting a gentle wind to tip over.
Elsa always knew it was strange her half-blooded brother had a golden iris, which ominously turned radiant at times she tortured him.
Between the murky dark colors encompassing Elsa’s sight, Liam’s eye shone brighter, and brighter, and brighter… before turning crimson.
With the Oni’s grin growing wider, a guttural and demonic voice growled:
“Where’s your father?”
Elsa’s mind snapped.
A foul, warm liquid gathered under her feet, tears forming in her winced eyes as her face repeated a glitched, terrified.
Liam was taken aback. He hadn’t even raised his blades, yet the noble had already soiled herself from fear. nove(l)bi(n.)com
The Yin & Yang Sisters looked shocked as they assessed Elsa’s body. There were no damages to her mental sphere, nor body.
“Did you use any mental attacks?” they asked Liam with a synchronized frown, to which he responded with the shake of his head.
All the while, the crowd was dead silent. Not a single peep as Elsa was carried out in a stretcher, bowels emptying.
Ian watched in shock from the contender’s room, alongside everyone else who lost their bouts – thankful they didn’t suffer humiliation like that.
Whyte scratched the side of his head. In fairness, he’d never been in a situation so daunting… how can he make a joke to lighten the tension? He wasn’t touching it with a ten foot pole.
“The finals, folks!” were the words he finally said, his voice devoid of enthusiasm. “Stay tuned for the finals, starting in five hours.”
///
“So much for face! We’ll be a laughing stock for the next decade!” Lisa hissed, her otherwise beautiful face tainted by a venomous scowl.
Adrian looked aghast. His daughter pissed herself in front of hundreds of thousands. his mind drifted to disowning her, but she was directly from his blood.
Richard looked at Liam exiting the stage and narrowed his eyes.
“We need to do something. Fast.”
The surrounding servants and maids started to cower from the pressure released by the three.
Lisa slowly regained her composure, heaving a long sigh to calm herself.
Her eyes grew cold.
“The boy’s mother,” she uttered under her breath. “Where is she?”
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