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Born In Blood Chapter 81-100


Chapter 81 Chain

 

Eve watched from a spot beneath the stadium stalls, a small booth for the maids, butlers and other servants to rest momentarily.

At first, her heart was naturally strained with worry and fear for Liam.

Cultivators were utter madmen compared to everyday people, and their fights were a testament to that.

They were dangerous, scary, untrustworthy people. She feared them.

But not her son! He was her protector, her guardian. nove(l)bi(n.)com

Though when Liam teleported on that stage with that demonic mask and black blades grasped tightly, she looked… shocked.

There was no protective air around him, replaced with a hellish atmosphere that caused a chill to ravage her bones.

Not long after, he won the match with one attack, maiming and shattering a noble’s armor and pride.

Eve bit her tongue to suppress her fear, but when she saw how indifferent Liam was to his wounds and burns during the second bout, tears clouded her incredulous eyes.

Just what kind of life did her son live till now? Why was he so used to pain? Why was he so stubborn in attaining power?

‘…He wants to escape,’ she realized, holding her face to stop the flowing tears. ‘Why didn’t I see it? I’m the chain bounding him to this cursed family!’

Soon enough, a wry-faced maid came to whisper something in Eve’s ear – something that made her gasp.

She lowered her head, a dark and pensive light in her eyes.

‘I see. I can’t let that happen.’

///

Meanwhile, Liam sat in his room cross-legged with a tense grimace.

‘I don’t think they’ll punish me for that. Not now, at least.’

Before long, the giant stadium screen revealed his next and final opponent – the last before winning the tournament and receiving a Rank 4 tempering method.

It was Gerard Ursus, Erivol’s young prodigy – he was of the earth element and had particularly devastating spells.

Needless to say, Liam couldn’t help but smile, but feel uneasy at the same time.

He’d hidden all his martial art forms and most important spells… which almost guaranteed him a win.

‘After I win the tournament, I’ll focus on getting stronger under the Royce family… maybe even advancing all my centers of power. With that, I’ll find a way to escape with Kirk’s pill, perhaps after transporting Eve to another family. Robert might help in that regar—’

A single knock surfaced on his door, but it creaked open anyway.

It was his father, Adrian Royce – followed by four powerful guards that stood outside the room.

Liam suppressed a frown from appearing on his face.

He narrowed his eyes and remained silent as Adrian waltzed into his space, browsing the cabinets as though they were his own.

“I’ll keep this brief,” Adrian deadpanned, staring at his son as though he was a speck of dust.

“Lose the tournament, or your mother dies.”

Liam no longer held back the deathly scowl – the atmosphere in the room changed, bloodlust creeping in from the corners and tainting the air.

“There it is,” Adrian pointed at Liam’s face. He felt untouchable with his guards there. “You see? You could hide your hatred all you want, but I know who you are inside, boy.”

Liam forced down the urge to murder his father then and there.

“Dad will get slightly mad I killed your mother, yes… but then what? A slap on the wrist is all I’ll get,” Adrian scoffed. “He is reckless… but not enough to kill his own son over a peasant’s death.”

Rage churned in the depths of Liam’s soul, like a hot coal burning his insides.

His hands practically itched to grab his blades and sever Adrian’s neck from shoulder.

“This whole thing could’ve been avoided if you knew your place,” Adrian scoffed again, turning around to leave.

The pressure was getting too much for him to handle, but he didn’t show it.

“Lose the next fight. It’s an order.”

When Adrian and his guards left, Liam cursed with every vile word he knew.

He strained his mind to think of something. The waves of his sea of consciousness were raging, smashing against the golden walls for an idea.

‘I can’t quit this close to winning! Damn it! Think, Liam, think! Can they really kill her without suffering any backlash?’

Liam’s mind tuned out the drumming and crowd chants from his ears.

‘They can kill her here, while everyone’s attention is on the fight… but I still have a solid five hours before they can make any move.’

‘Do I escape with her? But what if she’s already taken hostage? If I get caught, I can’t defend myself properly with her there. Not to mention, guards cover every corner of this place.’

He looked at the clock on the wall, realizing an entire hour had passed.

Two knocks abruptly tapped on Liam’s door, bringing him out of his stupor.

Liam couldn’t sense who it was.

He opened the door to find Samuel staring at him with an apologetic look, avoiding his piercing glare.

“…Come with me, lad.”

A bad feeling rose in Liam’s chest.

Samuel led Liam down multiple hallways. The two walked in tense silence.

Somewhere up ahead, there was a commotion, servants and guards looked unnerved and fearful.

As they watched Liam approach, they didn’t meet his assessing gaze.

Samuel heaved a soft sigh and opened the door. The surrounding men and women promptly excused themselves.

Within the room, Eve lay limp on the carpet, cold and without any aura – a tight rope hung from the ceiling light – which explained the purple bruise around her neck.

Liam’s chest sank, his eyes widening with unbelieving shock.

“One of the maids… found her hanging from the light. By the time she was lowered… she had already passed,” Samuel explained with a lowered head. A frigid pressure grew from Liam’s body that only he could handle. “There was a letter in the room, but I made sure no one opened it.”

Samuel uttered under his breath, putting a letter in Liam’s loose hand.

“Leave me be,” Liam said icily, his expression unequivocally dark.

Samuel gave a respectful nod before leaving, shaking his head in pity.

Liam entered the room and shut the door behind him.

Chapter 82 Death

 

Liam walked over to Eve’s corpse and sat on his knees beside her, staring at her lifeless eyes fixed to the ceiling.

“I kept saying I’ll get you out, but that never really happened in the end, did it?”

The light in Liam’s eye dimmed, turning murky and dark. Regret could be deduced from his golden retina, but it was laced with a veil of anger and frustration.

He stared solemnly at Eve’s corpse.

‘Ego, self love, self loathing, ambition, pride, passion, willpower… everything gets tested on this path to power. But knowing that, you still walked upon it – you’ve forfeit every right to complain. No matter what happens.’

Those were Lloyd’s words when Liam began cultivating. In a sense, they were true.

Liam had taken countless lives. Young, old, guilty… innocent. He had no right nor ability to throw blame. Not with his own hands stained with so much blood.

Strangely, Revel’s words surfaced next:

‘Love and legacy are the sacrifices we make for power. Allowing your resolve to puff out is akin to letting your dream die.’

A long sigh escaped Liam’s lips – deafening silence ringing in his ears – a bitter, empty taste of loss on his tongue.

Liam opened the letter in his hand, starting with the first line.

‘I’m sorry, Liam.’

‘You’ve always been the one to protect me, but I’ve never did the same for you.’

‘I’m a selfish mother, even in death.’

‘I wanted to speak to you one last time before… this. Run my hand through your hair. But circumstances didn’t allow for it.’

‘With this, you are free.’

‘It’s not your fault. Forgive me.’

‘I love you.’

A small corner in the letter had been folded, which Liam opened.

‘May you wet your blades with their necks!’ This chapter is updat𝓮d by nov(e)(l)biin.com

Liam’s eye widened on the last line – taken aback by the sudden tone shift.

He abruptly chuckled, unable to hold in a wry laugh.

‘You were just as frustrated as me, weren’t you?’

Liam grabbed a large white cloth laying around the room, then gently covered Eve’s body – sneaking one last regretful glance at her face.

“I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say Liam caused her death.

Adrian explicitly said so.

Liam looked at his mother’s corpse with pity in his eye and darkness on his face.

“In the end, I chose power.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I hope you find your peace, Eve. You deserve it.”

“I’ll live. I’ll go on. I’ll suffer a bit, but that’s normal. You won’t be there to see.”

Though, as wrong as it felt, Liam felt… free.

No more lying, no more obligation, no more protecting.

From this point forth, he was a vagabond.

No longer bound by kinship or responsibility.

Outside, the cheers grew louder and louder – the final match was approaching.

Liam steeled his gaze, his eye turning violently radiant, regaining its lost vigor.

“I won’t let your sacrifice go to waste, mother.”

“I’ll show them.”

Liam’s face grew chillingly cold.

“I’ll show them all.”

His gaze lingered on Eve’s body for a moment, before he tore it away and left the room.

Outside, a few maids lowered their heads when Liam came out.

“Take care of her body,” he commanded coldly, and the two women nervously nodded. He would’ve taken care of her himself, but the match was to begin shortly.

At the same time, Liam started to brew a plan of his own.

‘My escape was a lot closer than I thought.’

///

Lisa, Adrian and Richard got the news that Liam’s mother had killed herself.

Their expressions twisted and turned.

Adrian looked slightly taken aback, before shaking his head.

“There goes our hostage,” said Richard with a grimace.

“Does the boy know?” Lisa asked with hope in her voice.

The guard delivering the news nodded hesitantly.

Lisa cursed, clicking her tongue in annoyance.

She looked conflicted momentarily, letting out a brief sigh. With a reluctant tone, she spoke:

“I didn’t want to do this, but we have to visit the other families. That kid is still capable of winning this tournament if we don’t. Come.”

Nodding, her half-siblings left the room and followed her.

///

Meanwhile, deafening cheers and hyper music mixed as one within the stadium.

A timer showcased the remaining time for the last fight, which was roughly ten minutes.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you have waited long enough! The dark horse, the [Blood Demon], versus the [Piercing Blade]!”

As soon as Liam arrived at the stage, he knew something was wrong when he assessed his opponents aura.

Gerard wielded an inscribed shortsword, roughly the same length as Liam’s katana but uncurved.

Gerard’s features were extremely feminine like – long eyelashes, thin but plump lips, and long silver hair that fell over his shoulders.

He wore an embroidered golden yukata, which looked to be inscribed.

At the same time, Gerard’s aura was suspicious.

Alongside the hazel color of the earth element, there were ethereal strands of crimson that swirled around his lower abdomen.

Moreover, his mental energy was much stronger compared to the previous fighters – on par with his own.

‘He’s cheating,’ Liam thought with a dark frown, the grip on his katana and wakizashi growing tighter.

He shifted his gaze towards the familial booths above, the nobles that sat behind the mirror looked much less worried compared to before.

Anger churned, but a calming sigh made him relax. That, and memorizing their smug faces.

“It’s not personal, just so you know,” Gerard said with a smirk and a shrug. “You and I could’ve been friends under different circumstances.”

Liam remained silent.

Whyte took his time reveling in the tense air, his lips curving to a smile.

“Begin!”

Liam instantly shot forth, bloodlust tainting the air around him as he kept his body parallel to the ground.

A black mist trailed Liam’s blades, causing the crowd’s eyes to widen in shock and awe.

Corroding Touch, Lethality Mantle, and Cartilage Brace were simultaneously activated.

The shadowy vapor covering Liam’s blades suddenly burst into dark flames as he executed the first form of his arts.

‘Dark Rend!’

Gerard’s eyes widened as he instantly jumped back, his instincts screaming danger at the black smoke’s sight.

The ground trembled as Liam closed the distance.

Through the King’s Eye, he could see dozens of spots on the ground rapidly gathering ‘Ora’, increasing in intensity by the second.

Liam’s skin vibrated, sending a shock of strength throughout his body, bolstering his speed and every physical attribute.

Razor sharp spikes burst out from the floor where Liam stood upon, barely missing him as his blades aimed for Gerard’s chest, but met with his glowing longsword.

Chapter 83 Sword

 

?

Clang!

The index, middle, and ring fingers of Gerard Ursus were instantly consumed by the smoke, leaving behind a trio of bloody nubs.

At the same time, the strength behind Liam’s swing was too much for Gerard, spraining his wrist and forcing him to retreat backwards – any smugness disappeared from his face.

Liam didn’t follow straight away, choosing to wait for any hidden reaction.

His expression turned sour as he witnessed the scene.

Gerard’s fingers instantly grew back, reforming with flesh and bone, even faster and potent than Liam’s own regeneration.

The noble’s pained look gradually softened, turning to anger.

Meanwhile, the crowd went wild at Liam’s showcase of abilities.

Cultivators with the darkness element were extremely few, and any noble family that birthed one was guaranteed a high status in one or two decades.

As long as you were pure blooded, of course.

At the same time, in Ucladd’s underground, Rogan and Lloyd watched the tournament with wide, tense and proud eyes.

All around them, fellow cultivators and rich business men watched as well, beer and drink in their hands, which they didn’t dare take sips from lest they miss the fight.

During the Region Power Tournament, such ‘TVs’ would be brought to special establishments where they could witness the fights for a price, but Lloyd had never cared enough to watch them, till now.

Despite only Rogan and Lloyd knowing of Liam’s identity, everyone in that room, and underground in general, rooted for the Blood Demon, a peasant, to win against a noble.

///

Gerard casually fixed his sprained wrist and stretched his arms, curling and bending his reformed fingers as he waved his blade.

On the other hand, Liam witnessed the red strands surrounding Gerard’s body dim just a tiny amount.

‘Whatever it is, it helps him regenerate and probably use more spells,’ he thought, before growing stern.

Now that he could use his Darkness freely, Liam no longer felt bonded.

Forcing another breath, he shot forth, blades burning.

Tremors echoed from below, erratic rocky tendrils cracked through the ground and reached for Liam’s feet, attempting to stop his advance.

Simultaneously, Liam caught sight of dozens of circular spots glowing around him, forcing him to evade and dodge backwards to avoid the lethal spikes.

Gerard knew not to let Liam close. He had watched his fights, and noticed how Liam didn’t have any long ranged spells or attacks.

His offense hadn’t stopped there.

As Liam continued to evade his spells, Gerard gathered a burst of energy around him, his muscles bulging and growing twice the size.

He bent his knees and squatted, slowly rising up his right foot, before stomping on the ground.

Boom!

Countless cracks spread across the ground, like a mirror shattering, causing Liam’s footing to shake and wobble.

A rocky tendril managed to grab tightly at his right foot, but he yanked backwards just in time before a spike tore through his thigh. Still, jagged pieces of rock caused cuts to appear on his body.

Boom!

Another stomp caused small chunks of the stage to jut out and rise in the air, remaining in a floating state by Gerard’s command.

This time, Liam wasn’t as fortunate.

Both his feet were wrapped tightly together, rendering him unable to move as spikes impaled his calves, thigh, and foot.

At the same time, the floating chunks of solid rock converged at his figure, bluntly smashing against his body.

Gritting his teeth, he activated Cartilage Braces for the second time and spun around himself, unshackling his feet.

As he did so, blunt arcs of stone shot at him from different angles, slashing at his shoulders, hips, and arms.

Liam coughed a mouthful of blood as he dashed backwards, creating a moment of reprieve for himself.

His pale body was covered with gruesome cuts and purple bruises, his tattered clothes doused in flowing warm blood.

A heavy drowsiness weighed against his mind, barely balancing the chaos happening within his body. His mental energy had been lowered to a scarce amount from using too many spells.

His bloodshot eye fell on Gerard’s figure.

The red strands had disappeared from his body entirely, leaving him bare.

But… Gerard was woundless, only expressing a slight tiredness on his arrogant face.

‘Will I lose?’ Liam wondered, mesmerized by the feelings of pain he was going through, like a child absorbed by the flickering of a flame. ‘Did I render her death in vain?’

Liam let out a soft breath, slowly closing his eye. A serene feeling started to wash over him, calming his mind.

Gerard smirked as he started to bolt towards Liam, his longsword clenched close to his hip.

Liam gathered all his focus and aimed it all towards his opponent. Like a statue, he stood unmoving, unwavering, unblinking.

Liam’s sea of consciousness had stilled.

His perception of time seemed to slow down. Liam felt his heart muscles contract and relax, its rhythmic beat echoing throughout his body.

His consciousness left his being and spread out to his surroundings.

…So much so, Liam was unaware of the streaks of drool flowing from the corners of his lips.

There were no feelings at all — not even thoughts. Only a blade intent on cutting through its victim.

Liam slowly bent his knees at a forward angle, his body falling diagonally as his blades were clenched tight.

The dark smoke around the edges of his katana and wakizashi started to whir violently, coating the blades in a sharp haze.

Gerard’s panicked eyes reflected that sight, catching him off guard for a split second as he tried to raise his sword, but excruciatingly tight chains – darkly linked with corrosive properties – had bonded his feet together.

Liam’s body blurred, reappearing behind the noble with his blades stretched forward and stained with blood.

Two gaping slashes had torn through Gerard’s chest, the inside of which brutally festered and consumed muscle and bone.

A silence stilled the air around the stadium, but the announcer’s voice awakened all from their stupor.

“Blood Demon wins!”

Chapter 84 Wraith

 

The crowd roared, men and women, old and young, shouting from the top of their lungs.

Within Ucladd’s underground, Lloyd and Rogan started to punch the air in joy, smashing mugs of beer on each other’s heads.

Entire regions did the same, yet the nobles ruling over them looked dreadful.

Liam’s eyes flickered as he snapped back to reality.

His body threatened to buckle at any moment – as his calves and thighs had see-through holes in them, but he didn’t allow himself to fall.

At the same time, Liam noticed something different about himself.

The state he was in didn’t change.

Liam still felt like all his senses were heightened, just lesser than a moment ago. It was like a mental fog had cleared in his head, removing the thin barrier between body and mind.

Liam shifted his gaze towards the night sky.

It was way past midnight, but the stars, cosmos and nebulae were perfectly visible.

A slight smile appeared on Liam’s solemn face, covered by the mask.

‘One more step closer to the stars.’

The Sisters descended and tended to Gerard’s wounds first. The noble looked anemically pale, a puddle of blood forming on the ground where he laid.

Meanwhile, in the Royce family booth, those present looked more dire than ever.

“They’re all failures, every single one of them!” Lisa hissed with a growl, shattering the glass of wine in her hands.

Adrian looked like his entire world was crashing down in flames, his blood pressure both rising and lowering at the same time.

“Just admit defeat. We were bested at every turn, both by the boy and the hands we were dealt.”

Richard seemed to react the most maturely, but even he couldn’t hide his anger.

Before long, the Sisters shifted their attention to Liam next, assessing the masked peasant’s wounds.

“How are you even standing?” they asked incredulously, staring at Liam’s broken and bruised body.

At least four bones had shattered during the fight (mainly his fingers and toes), with not a single handspan on his skin that didn’t have a scar or bloody gash.

The Sisters covered Liam’s body head to toe with their magical cloth, explaining a few things as they healed him.

“A servant will bring you to your new quarters. A celebration will take place in the grand hall, and you’ll need to meet with the ruling families as the guest of honor.”

Liam remained silent, but scowled at the last line. With his voice muffled behind the mask, he asked:

“When do I get my rewards?”

The Sisters flashed a dazzling smile, then clarified in unison:

“Your rewards will be brought to your room, along with your prize money. Before that, the rulers will decide what Rank 4 body tempering method they are to bestow upon you.”

‘If it’s up to them, they’ll give the most basic and trashy technique possible,’ Liam grimaced.

By the time they were done, Liam’s wounds had more or less recovered.

He’d used the King’s Eye on their cloth, realizing it was a puzzle piece of sorts – the black side connected with the white to produce that powerful regenerative effect.

Soon enough, a beautiful group of servants pulled him away, leading him inside the mansion and through its many lavish corridors.

Eventually, Liam faced two giant doors at the end of a hallway – it looked like a grand bedroom belonging to a king.

“Would you like any… ‘pleasantries’ to arrive at your quarters, sir? No request is too big,” a shrewd-looking maid asked, her cheeks blushed.

Liam ignored her and entered, closing the doors behind him.

The inside looked like it actually did belong to a king, filled with all kinds of adornments and expensive furnishings.

Liam made his way to the bed and sat cross-legged, exhausted beyond measure, both mentally and physically.

Although sleep was ideal, he didn’t feel like he could – instead choosing to meditate and nourish his body and mind.

Very soon, Liam had to make his move.

His element was exposed, the Royce family was offended beyond measure, and his mother was dead.

There was no reason for him to stay behind anymore.

Rogan had taught him everything about Primordial Forging – anything else depended on Liam himself.

The same exact thing with Lloyd, and his departed inscription master.

Like puzzle pieces clicking into place, Liam put together a blueprint.

///

Two hours passed.

The Yin & Yang Sisters knocked on Liam’s door and opened it, held in their hands was a small-sized chest, glimmering with a golden sheen.

“You have entertained the nobles thoroughly,” They began with a smile, showing their pearly teeth. “They’ve never been so lenient with peasants, but for you, they’ll be making an exception.”

They handed Liam the chest. There was no keyhole, but a small inscribed surface the size of a palm.

Liam imbued that spot with ‘Ora’, and the chest clicked open.

Inside was a black ring, resting on a red satin pillow – alongside a pearly white robe, with the Echorian characters of ‘victor’ on its back.

Liam instantly inspected the ring.

The space inside was 70 square meters, filled with ‘Ora’ Crystals all around it – more or less 10,000 in number. In the middle, rested a small scroll.

The storage alone made Liam’s smile widen.

“There’s a few things you need to know about a Zenith ranked technique. The ruling board – with the exception of the Royce family – has voted to give you a technique that’s attuned with your element. They expect gratitude.”

Liam raised his brows momentarily, before firmly nodding.

‘They really want me to become a slave to them, don’t they?’

“Secondly, when bringing a center of power into the Zenith ranks, there will be a tribulation – a test that will determine whether or not you advance,” The Sister’s revealed. “For the body… it’s Struggle.”

Liam paused. nove(l)bi(n.)com

“Struggle?”

The Sister’s smiled ominously, turning around to leave.

“You’ll see. Everyone will be waiting for you at the grand hall. You’ll have to take off the mask – they might be offended if you keep it on.”

Liam grimaced at the last line, almost clicking his tongue in annoyance.

Alone again, Liam took out the scroll to see the technique he was given.

‘Dark Wraith Body.’

‘Improves regeneration ability significantly. When completed, advances the user to a Rank 4 Body, with the ability to transform into a dark ethereal mist for a short period of time, bolstering the user’s speed. Limbs can freely turn ethereal, but require small amounts of mental energy and ‘Ora’.’

Liam grinned ear-to-ear. Not only was the method in line with his fighting style, it also enhanced his regeneration capabilities.

‘Upon activation, it pulverizes certain bones, then combines it with the darkness element to attune with cultivation. Requires immense focus.’

Liam snorted with a chuckle.

‘They haven’t seen my previous tempering methods.’

Chapter 85 Cruel

 

Liam stored the technique into his new ring, along with all his important items.

‘I won’t start it instantly. I don’t feel comfortable doing that anyway.’

For a moment, he lingered pensively, his face growing dark.

The plan he had thought of was solid.

It had a few kinks that needed ironing out… but if he could somehow pull it off, he could make a swift escape without looking back.

‘It’s the only choice I have.’

He took out the Face and Body imitation pill, his gaze turning cold as he took out his shortsword and cut open his palm.

The pill absorbed the droplets of blood, twisting, curling and changing its shape.

As it soaked in blood, the white surface gathered color, slowly taking the form of a face.

More precisely, Liam’s face – it copied his features down to the last detail, although stretched and caricatured.

Even the golden hue of his eye wasn’t left out, and his empty left socket too.

Meanwhile, the Oni mask was still on Liam’s face.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep it on.

Storing the mask in his ring, Liam put on his white victor’s robe – it looked tailored to his body perfectly, clinging to his arms and broad shoulders.

“Sir? The party is beginning shortly,” notified the servant standing behind Liam’s doors.

Liam exited, led by the maids and butlers.

Passing by the hallways and corridors, Liam memorized the layout of the arena with a glance.

Eventually, the servants led him to a vast hall – filled to the brim with nobles – adorned with every luxury possible.

Giant chandeliers made from what looked like diamonds hung from the ceiling, filling the space with sparkling light.

In the background, relaxing music played and spread equally throughout the air – another convenient use of inscriptions, Liam thought.

“Ladies and gentlemen, your 27?? Regional Power Tournament winner, the Blood Demon!” Whyte shouted, and all curious and amused gazes converged on Liam’s figure.

The nobles looked taken aback.

For a peasant (especially someone named Blood Demon), they expected a rugged kid with a barbaric demeanor… which was the opposite of how Liam looked and carried himself.

That plain silence lasted for a moment, before the sounds of clapping gathered volume.

“Cheers!” they all raised a glass of alcohol in the air, to which Liam responded with a humble and meek smile.

Thankfully, his time as an assassin paid off – nobody could sense the discomfort and unnaturality of Liam’s thin lips curving upward, except a few from the Royce family that knew him.

Venomous glares shot at him from the back of the hall – there were even some who lost their bouts hanging around the space.

Richard expressed shock (the boy’s mother just died moments earlier, how could he smile like that?), Lisa expressed hatred (for obvious reasons), and Adrian expressed bitter jealousy (at a half-blood receiving such honors).

Pretending not to notice them, Liam continued to smile, shaking the hands of the rulers that approached him.

Nearly all of them congratulated him on his victory, but simultaneously hinted at wanting to sponsor him one way or the other.

A darkness cultivator was too valuable not to try, but Liam humbly denied their requests.

Of course, that didn’t discourage them in the least – not with their beautiful daughters there giving Liam bashful looks.

Liam didn’t give a toss, but promised to think about it.

Through that, the rulers finally relented and gave him some space.

Meanwhile, Liam’s attention was on something else entirely.

Unbeknownst to the nobles, Liam had spread his mental waves throughout the space, jotting down the layout in his mind.

Six entrances connected the grand hall to other parts of the stadium.

Granted, guards and servants patrolled regularly all around them, not to mention the outside was riddled with heavy security.

Moreover, there was a problem at hand.

The imitation pill had Liam’s imprint on it, meaning who ever swallowed it would take Liam’s image.

However, they needed to be the same gender, height, and build.

Liam’s eye scoured the hall for anyone similar to himself.

‘Although the nobles have the most similarities with my build, they’re too risky to copy myself with. A missing son and daughter would raise more than a few alarms.’

Though it didn’t show on his face, Liam was tense.

As he continued to think, a short worker brought him a glass of wine.

He raised a dismissive hand, when he spotted the worker’s stature.

It was almost too similar to his own.

Liam’s eye turned dark, glancing at him from the side.

‘…You’ll do.’

An hour passed, and a feast was announced.

Liam sat in the seat of honor, suffering the distasteful jokes, answering the stupid questions, faking his laughs, all the while he subconsciously tracked the worker.

Time was ticking down.

The short-statured worker lingered around and diligently tended to the demanding guests, before heading towards one of the hallways.

“Honorable sirs, if you’ll excuse me for just a moment,” Liam called out with a slight smile. “I’ll need to head to the bathroom.”

After a short pause, those seated at the table gave Liam a dismissive hand before chatting with their own.

Liam didn’t make it look like he was rushing as he trailed behind the worker.

The hall he entered wasn’t as bright as any other, presumably since it was where the workers did their jobs. Though, there weren’t too many maids and butlers around, since most were accompanied with serving the grand hall.

Liam watched from a distance as the short man entered the pantry room, patiently waiting behind a corner for him to exit.

A few minutes later, the man left the kitchen carrying a large tray with drinks on it.

His expression shook when he heard clicking noises down the dark, empty corridor.

Liam had his back turned as he fiddled with a locked door.

“Sir?” the short worker called out, slowly approaching him tray in hand.

Liam remained silent as the man continued to call out.

Eve’s death taught Liam one thing.

The world was cruel, but he had to be crueler.

Liam used Cartilage Brace and chopped at the workers neck as he got close, instantly knocking him out.

Chapter 86 Instinct for Survival

 

Liam opened the door to the empty bathroom and slowly shut it. Inscriptions on the wall were designed to block any mental waves or sounds, entering or leaving the space.

Liam’s eye turned dark, his expression hidden by a veil of shadow.

First, he stripped the man bare.

Then, tensing his hand… Liam reached into the worker’s left eye socket and yanked out his eyeball!

The worker jolted awake to a gut wrenching pain, but an iron-tight grip over his mouth denied his desperate screams to be voiced.

A moment later, he was knocked unconscious again.

Liam took out a spare revitalization pill and forced it down the worker’s throat, slowly healing the wounds around his eye socket.

In a similar fashion, Liam forced the worker to swallow his imitation pill.

Disturbingly, the short man’s face started to emit steam and curl, his vibrating body sounding cracking noises all throughout.

Eventually, the worker no longer resembled himself, but a tired and broken ‘Liam’.

A second later, Liam straightened his palm, black nails growing inches longer.

Without hesitation, he shot his hand inside the worker’s abdomen!

Liam’s nails and strengthened palms sliced through the man’s flesh like a hot knife through butter – his black nails drew out the gushing blood and swallowed it, entering Liam’s veins as nourishment.

Meanwhile, the servant would’ve screamed if he had any energy left in his body – instead, he let out a lifeless moan of unimaginable pain.

He could only watch with a darkening consciousness as Liam drained him of nearly half the blood in his body, before yanking out his core.

With that, the man took in one last raspy breath before dying.

Liam watched with a cold, distant eye, feeling no guilt or remorse.

He simply didn’t have any to spare.

‘You were simply in my path. If I’m worried about crushing the ants below me, I won’t be able to walk.’

Shifting his gaze to the core, Liam inspected the organ briefly.

Unlike a magical beast’s core, it was much smaller. Its surface was completely smooth, which – under severe strain or overwork – would go soft.

Inside it, a faint azure gas was floating freely about.

Liam instantly stored the core in his ring.

He took off his victor’s robe and clothed ‘Liam’ with it, switching with the fully white worker’s attire.

The white garment had loose sleeves and came with an abby cap that hid his hair.

Overall, it had an insignificant presence.

Within the pants pocket was a small keycard, which was used to lock the hallway bathrooms and storage rooms.

‘All that’s left are two more bodies, and a ruckus loud enough for me to escape. Though, I need to make sure one body is from Ucladd and another is from Erivol.’

Liam stored the worker’s corpse within his ring, then exited the bathroom and pressed the keycard against the door handle.

The door clinked shut.

Liam pulled the cap lower to hide his face as he began traversing through the corridors, carefully avoiding the workers.

Abruptly, Liam’s senses picked up on something.

A small monkey was silently stealing food from below the kitchen counters, stuffing entire dishes in its mouth and shoving the rest in his pockets.

It had golden fur, and snickered mischievously as it ate the nobles’ food.

Liam almost grinned.

A moment later, the Light Monkey swung out of the cooking station and galloped down the opposite hallway.

Liam followed closely behind, tracing the monkey with his senses while hiding his own presence.

Some guards passed by him now and again, but Liam lowered his head as they walked by.

Eventually, the monkey stopped in front of a certain door, jumping on the door handle to creak it open.

Strangely, there were no guards around.

When the door opened momentarily, Liam could sense two people in that room – Ian and Elsa.

The latter laid on a bed with the same traumatized expression, drool dripping down her chin.

Ian looked grief-stricken and pained sitting beside his sister, holding her limp, unresponsive hand in his own.

Seeing the monkey, Ian’s gloomy eyes got a tiny bit better, but it couldn’t mask his wry face.

“Why do you always leave the door open, dummy?” he said, before getting up from his seat and attempting to close the door.

A worker’s boot plugged the door from closing.

Ian’s solemn emotion was instantly replaced by unfiltered anger.

His mouth opened as he yanked the door open, but a fist smashed against his neck, hurling him backwards as he clutched his throat.

Liam felt Ian’s windpipe break on his knuckles – he instantly entered the room and shut the door behind him.

Ian made disturbing choking noises as he lay on the ground, his face pained as he desperately attempted to breathe.

The Light Monkey cried out angrily when it saw what Liam did, lunging at him with its shining fangs and claws bared.

A Rank 1 magical beast was nothing in Liam’s eye – he stretched his hand forward and grabbed the monkey’s skull like a ball.

“Go ahead, piss on me if you can,” Liam growled, tightening his grip that pressed through the monkey’s fur, ignoring the claws that barely scratched his skin.

A moment later, he clenched.

Pieces of skull paired with brain tissue and blood exploded across the room.

Liam threw the monkey’s limp body to the side. That felt beyond satisfying, but he couldn’t revel in it for too long.

He shot a glance towards Elsa.

The girl looked the same as before, braindead, perhaps.

Liam shifted his attention to Ian, who lay choking on the ground, tears swelling in his eyes as he was denied the air he desperately wanted.

“You feel it, right?” Liam asked with stone cold eyes, walking over to the noble. “That instinct for survival?”

A second later, Liam shattered Ian’s kneecaps with a stomp.

A loud grunt of pain combined with the choking, creating a cacophony of morbid sounds that could make any veteran shudder.

Liam didn’t flinch.

It was music to his ears.

Ian coughed repeatedly – tears streaming down his face – unable to answer.

Liam grinned widely.

“I promised to kill you two in the most painful way possible,” Liam said icily. “But I don’t have time.”

Liam took out Revel’s odachi, which made Ian lose control of his bowels.

“What’s with you two? You just keep soiling yourselves.”

Chapter 87 Escape

 

Liam didn’t use any of his martial arts or spells.

Anything that had even the tiniest detail of his fighting style had to be avoided.

His plan was simple, but shrewd.

Using the feud between Erivol and Ucladd, he’d kill both ‘himself’ and two nobles from each city.

Of course, he’d use his dear inscription master’s methods of killing to achieve his goals.

No one knew Revel died but Liam himself, but the real Blood Demon’s fate was unknown to the masses.

With the odachi and vampiric nails, Liam could create a crime scene with Revel’s M.O.

The reasons for the attack could vary, but perhaps the Blood Demon saw an opportunity to strike when everyone wasn’t expecting it.

Or maybe his hatred had flared seeing someone else stealing his name.

It could even be jealousy from Liam’s element, which is why he had his core pulled out.

…Who could tell?

There was massive room for ambiguity, leaving anyone guessing as to how and why a fight had started.

With (fake) Liam’s core pulled out, no one could verify his death, but none could deny it.

…It didn’t end there.

Although it was a gamble, Liam needed to put the Ovlar family patriarch against Edwin Royce.

Having two Zenith’s duking it out while Liam had long escaped sounded too good to be true… but one could hope.

In the first place, the two cities absolutely despised one another. Even if the patriarchs had nothing against each other, all Liam needed to do was ignite the flame of anger and hatred.

Done with his musings, Liam watched with cold eyes as Ian struggled for air, asphyxiating, his skin turning purple.

Liam towered over Ian’s body and swung the odachi.

Chunks of Ian’s flesh along with his ears, chin, shoulders, scalp and thigh were severed at once.

Just like that, Ian Royce was no more.

Liam shifted his attention towards Elsa laying on the bed. Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m nov𝒆lb(i)n.c(o)m

Her face hadn’t changed all throughout the encounter, but Liam didn’t feel comfortable letting her live despite that.

In the first place, there were probably countless ways to heal mental illnesses and other defects. Liam wasn’t exposed to too many of those items, but the world of cultivation was vast.

He had barely experienced the tip of the iceberg.

“I’ve already broken you. Wasting time is pointless.”

With one swipe across her neck, Elsa’s head slid past the side of her neck and fell by the bedside.

A moment later, Liam tensed his hands, activating the vampiric nails.

He drained all the blood from Ian and Elsa’s body at once, turning them into mummified corpses, then absorbing their corpses into his ring.

‘Now, all I need is someone from Erivol. I need to be fast!’

Liam’s mind was already set to his next victim.

It was Jacob Ovlar.

///

Jacob continued partying, drinking away his sorrows.

The drinking age of cultivators was vastly different from normal humans, as their bodies handled alcohol much better than the norm.

His family was particularly strict, and his master was undoubtedly disappointed.

Jacob had already gulped down nine glasses of heavy wine, a flushed look on his broken face.

Despite being surrounded by beautiful girls his age, he felt alone.

“Jacob, that’s enough, isn’t it?”

A young girl with similar features to him called out with a worried expression – his sister, it seemed like.

Jacob scoffed and drank glass after glass, growing drowsy and dull.

Sure enough, his bladder required emptying.

Jacob stumbled as he left the hall and approached the corridor.

Emily, his sister, followed closely behind to make sure he was okay.

“Stop chasing me around! What are you, my maid?!”

Jacob shouted loudly, the surrounding nobles shifting their attention to the ruckus.

After an awkward pause, Emily shook her head as she walked away, prompting Jacob to scoff as he turned around and continued through the corridor.

The young man felt as though the colosseum halls had turned into a maze.

He turned corner after corner, but all the doors were strangely locked.

“Huh? Where am I?” Jacob wondered, supporting himself on the walls, finding himself in the middle of a dark T-shaped corridor.

The surrounding servants were simply too afraid to approach a drunken noble, a brash, powerful young man at that.

They simply avoided him.

“Over here!”

A faint, urging voice sounded from around the corner.

Jacob couldn’t tell who it was since his senses had been dulled considerably, but he naturally assumed it was a servant.

Peeking the corner, his brows raised in momentary surprise.

An abrupt fist smashed against Jacob’s jaw, knocking him out cold, along with a few teeth that flew out from his mouth with a trail of blood.

///

Liam made his way back to the victor’s chambers, laying down Jacob’s unconscious body on the floor.

On the way there, he had passed a few guards, but with his cap down and Jacob’s hand around his shoulder, he looked like a servant tending to his drunk master.

Then, he began setting the scene. One by one, he started shattering the expensive furniture and priceless paintings.

He placed Ian and Elsa’s body somewhere random on the floor, arranging their bodies a specific way.

Elsa was braindead, but it had to look like Ian carried her there.

Soon enough, Jacob’s eyes started flickering open.

His chest sank as he saw what Liam was doing with the nobles’ corpses.

Before he could take out his spear and stab him in the back, a metal glimmer reflected in his brown eyes.

Instantly, Jacob’s consciousness faded to dark.

From the side, Liam had hurled Revel’s odachi like a throwing knife at Jacob’s head, killing him instantly.

A moment later, he drained him of all the blood in his body.

From the above view, it looked as though Elsa, Ian and Jacob entered the room together and a fight broke out between them and Liam.

‘I have about a four or five minute window to get as far away as I can from here.’

With everything out the way, it was time for Liam to make his escape.

Chapter 88 Safer

 

Liam instantly took out his Rank 2 Jade that Samuel had given him, imbuing it with ‘Ora’.

///

It was well past midnight, and the night was soon to recede.

Clouds started to form and grow in the sky, churning up a thunderstorm.

“It’s time for the rain to start pouring again.”

Outside the colosseum, Samuel and a few other head guards sat across from each other, discussing the events of the tournament.

“I have to say, I never expected a peasant to win this year…” a burly, tall, stern man said – donning a violet robe associated with Rizt – taking a sip from his mug.

“I bet we’ll start seeing some changes around these regions.”

“One thing is for sure, peasants will no doubt grow ambitious and hungry for power.”

“We’ll see strengthened regulations for techniques now too. Damn rascal, made it difficult for us all.”

Samuel chuckled, but some bitterness could be seen in his eyes.

“That kid is just something else. The demon mask does well to represent him.”

Samuel himself was quite proud of Liam’s achievement, especially since he did it with a pair of blades and a few low ranked spells.

Cultivators had respect for power, no matter how brutal and scum-like they were.

‘He’ll have more than one target on his back, though,’ Samuel thought, taking a sip from his mug.

Abruptly, his Jade started to glow.

His eyes widening, Samuel instantly answered it.

“Help! Plea—” Liam’s weak and desperate voice rang out from the Jade, abruptly cutting off.

“Everyone inside, now!” Samuel bellowed, his thunderous voice echoing past the other families.

Condensed wind gathered behind the head-guard to form two streamlined wings, whirring as it fluttered him across the celebratory hall.

The Royce family soldiers followed closely behind – the remaining head-guards seeing that reaction turned stern, shooting towards the commotion.

Seeing their familial soldiers entering their space, the nobles grew confused and panicked.

Samuel was the first to arrive at the victor’s chambers, his senses stretching to their limits – his mental waves were dulled considerably by the privacy inscriptions, and he couldn’t properly assess the space.

Samuel punched once through the large doors, his eyes widening in shock.

The Royce guards arrived shortly after, their mouths opening incredulously, unable to hide the shock in their eyes and the hurling of their stomachs.

Ian was lying dead on the floor, his body desecrated beyond recognition. Elsa’s head was separated from her body, her neck spurting blood.

Jacob was lying limp with a see-through gap in his head.

“What… what is this?” uttered Samuel, mortified.

His eyes fell on the window.

The pane of glass was shattered, indicating a break-in.

“I want this place secure. Notify Miss Lisa, I’m heading towards the western forest!” Samuel commanded, before his wings fluttered, sending him shooting outside with incredible speed.

Unbeknownst to everyone there, a servant was heading in the opposite direction, slipping past the focused, marching guards and exiting the corridors.

There was no way Liam could leave through the main entrance, which is why he left through the back gate.

It was a small spot the servants used to discard their trash, and there was nothing but trees up ahead.

Liam picked up his speed, hiding his presence and turning into a streak.

‘Fleeting Foot!’

Before long, he was dashing through the tree line like a Shadow Panther, pushing his limits with the Fleeting Foot spell to get as far away as possible.

Liam felt multiple emotions welling up. Nearly twelve years in the same city, countless memories and losses. He hadn’t even said goodbye to Rogan and Lloyd.

By the end, Liam’s lips turned to a resolute smile.

‘I’m finally free!’

///

Within the grand hall, a churning anxiousness started to gain intensity.

Lisa Royce had a tense scowl on her face as she followed the trail of guards heading towards Liam’s room, her brothers following closely behind.

“Move!” she shouted, shoving away the apologetic soldiers blocking her view to the room.

Her eyes widened with disbelief as she stared at the scene before her.

Her niece decapitated, her nephew mutilated, her half-blooded nephew without a core in his abdomen – all were mummified, their rings looted.

Lisa covered her mouth in shock, a knot curled in her stomach as she felt like puking.

Adrian entered the room a moment later, his trembling brows furrowed before his stomach emptied its contents.

Richard was the first to enter the room, his eyes flickering with hard anger.

He wasn’t too disturbed by the mutilated bodies. As the eldest, Richard was subjected to harsh training by Edwin. He was even stronger than Samuel.

All eyes converged on Liam’s corpse.

Liam’s hands were wrapped tightly around a pair of black blades, bloodstained and riddled with cracks on its surface.

‘At least he won’t be a problem anymore,’ Richard thought, inspecting Liam’s body further.

There was no doubt about it… the peasant was dead.

A moment later, a pair of Ovlar family nobles – along with other ruling families – arrived at the scene, followed closely by hundreds of soldiers.

“The Blood Demon has returned!” Jacob’s mother shrieked, afraid to even approach her son’s desecrated corpse. “That cursed devil!”

Kevil Ovlar, Jacob’s father, shifted his incredulous gaze from the scene and looked towards Richard and his siblings.

Anger grew on his face, and his eyes narrowed.

“Our Patriarch will require answers,” his voice cracked, a poor attempt at hiding his grief and fear.

Richard coldly scoffed and spoke with a stern tone:

“You think ours won’t?”

Kevil gestured for the guards to leave, promptly turning around himself.

“This won’t end well for your city. Our feud was never one of vicious hostility,” Kevil stated, before turning around to leave. “Expect that to change.”

Richard scoffed and shook his head as Adrian approached Elsa’s and Ian’s body, kneeling and crying on their corpses.

‘I doubt father gives a damn about those two,’ Richard shifted his eyes to Liam’s. ‘It’s him he’ll get angry for.’

‘No use worrying about it now. There will be some political backlash, but we’re safer off with the boy dead.’

Chapter 89 Freedom

 

A week passed.

Liam hadn’t stopped running, not even slowing down his speed.

He rested in short intervals to recover his mental energy and strength, then resumed using Fleeting Foot to run as fast as possible.

He still felt exposed, since at any given moment, soldiers could appear on his flank and surround him.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of exhilarating, unbound freedom.

Currently, he was passing through an area called the Hemlock Forest, a lush region with giant, rainbow-colored trees covering the earth.

He had changed his clothes into his usual attire, tight black clothing that clung to his defined muscles.

Liam also made sure not to walk on the ground, avoiding any footprints. He used the tree branches instead.

At the same time, he was careful not to intrude upon magical beast territories, leaving a trail of animal corpses that could lead to him.

Though from time to time, he’d have to use the vampiric nails on a magical beast to get back his strength and energy.

The map he had taken from the assassination’s guild vaguely marked those areas with red, highlighting routes that led towards the different locations around the region.

‘I’ll have to keep a low profile from now on. I’ll be hunted like a dog the second they find out I’m alive.’

He had already prepared beforehand in case an escape presented itself, storing his ring with food and drink, as well as many pairs of covert black clothing.

In truth, Liam was itching to cultivate and train, but he held off those instincts until he was safe enough to do so.

His next destination was obvious – any city near ‘Roson’, Echoria’s capital.

Eventually, he’d have to ask around for cities that he could take the academy test in, but never so early. There was still four months until the academy tests were to begin.

‘Despite running for one week straight, I’m still nowhere near Roson or any other city for that matter.’

Although the Hemlock Forest stretched hundreds and hundreds of kilometers, there were towns and small-sized cities in between. Still, Roson wasn’t anywhere close.

Another week of non-stop running passed.

Finally, Liam decided it was time to rest.

It was still midnight when he found himself a large hollow tree, enough for him to fit in comfortably and cultivate.

He did his usual two hours of cultivation followed by some light mental sphere expansion, then took out Ian, Elsa and Jacobs’ rings, inspecting each one individually.

Besides the filthy amount of ‘Ora’ crystals in them – which Liam stored in a specific ring – he found nourishing pills and potions in them.

Not only that, but various inscribed weapons and powerful spells. There weren’t any that fit Liam’s needs or element, though.

The most valuable spell was the Phoenix Form spell, which was Rank 3 – the same technique that Jacob used during his fight with Liam.

There was also a Rank 3 earth spell and Rank 3 water spell in their rings.

‘I don’t think wealth will be a problem for the time being.’ He thought, before assessing the pills and potions.

Some elixirs had concentrated ‘Ora’, which allowed for high amounts of world essence to enter through the body and nourish it.

Other elixirs had a mix of different colored liquids. When inspecting it, Liam recognized a component similar to the mental energy restoration pill.

‘So it can refill my mental energy?’

Liam smiled.

‘Though, I should find a way to sell the inscribed items. They don’t have any weapons similar to mine… not that I’d use anything Rogan didn’t make.’

The anticipation to cultivate had never been stronger… but he had to temporarily suppress it.

Liam remembered his teachers back at Ucladd and cracked a slight smile.

‘I hope they are well.’

A moment later, Liam’s gaze turned resolute.

He took out his Zenith ranked technique and put it in front of him, memorizing it completely.

‘It’s time.’

Liam closed his eyes and heaved a focused breath, manipulating the ‘Ora’ around him to enter his body in the technique’s specific way.

Darkness started to seep through his skin, entering through the tips of his fingers and enveloping Liam’s bones.

Slowly, his bones started to corrode and shrink, sending pangs of agony throughout Liam’s body.

Liam scowled in pain but didn’t let his concentration waver, continuing the process.

By the end of it, all of Liam’s bones were pulverized!

With his back against the tree, Liam was completely limp.

He felt his lungs pushing against shrinked splinters of rib, but didn’t dare waver.

A moment later, the corrosive smoke within his body started to fill the gaps where his bones used to be.

An hour passed with Liam in that state, before the smoke started to liquidize then harden, replacing Liam’s regular skeletal system with pure darkness.

Despite being in a tortuous amount of pain a moment ago, Liam’s lips curved upwards to form a tired smile.

‘I can finally start advancing to the fourth rank,’ Liam thought, assessing his body’s new features.

With a thought, ‘Ora’ naturally entered through Liam’s pale skin, slowly entering his bones.

To cultivate the Dark Wraith body, it required you to absorb ‘Ora’ during the nighttime, and through each bone that it pulverized and replaced.

The bones acted as a sort of conduit for world essence, the insides of which could house ‘Ora’ in them.

To advance to the fourth Rank, it required Liam to fill all of them with enough nourishing ‘Ora’.

Liam spent two hours barely filling a bone in his finger with world essence.

‘It doesn’t look like I’m anywhere close to the fourth Rank.’

Soon enough, Liam left his tree cavity – removing all traces of his stay – and began running once again.

Liam would repeat the process, running from midnight to dusk, and cultivating his centers of power in between.

Another week passed, and Liam had ventured deeper into the Hemlock Forest.

The environment around him became much more mountainous in nature, and further along, a vast mountain chain was visible, almost touching the low clouds.

Chapter 90 Chaos

 

?

Liam shifted his attention to the map in his hands.

That mountain chain was called the Endless Peak. Past it, was a small city by the name of Velrich.

At the same time, Rank 3 beasts were prevalent in those areas, but nothing Liam couldn’t avoid or kill.

‘I’ll head there next and sell techniques and spells I don’t need.’

It took him some time to arrive at the mountain chain, especially since he took multiple detours and evaded the magical beast packs.

He climbed on the tallest peak of the mountains, a gust of wind brushing past his body and fluttering his wild hair.

In the spur of the moment, Liam spread his arms and shut his eye, basking in the warm rays of the setting sun.

Freedom!

That feeling… Liam would never let mere mortals like himself deny him of his liberty.

As the sky flowed with countless shades of vermillion, Liam’s eye scoured the distant city – Velrich.

It wasn’t as big as Ucladd or the major cities, but looked quite wealthy by itself, judging by the many carriages entering and leaving through its gates.

With that plan in mind, Liam found a small cave amidst the mountain to camp in for the remaining night.

Of course, there was a Rank 3 Mountain Bear living in that spot with its cubs, but Liam swiftly exterminated the pack and took over.

Meanwhile, as Liam cultivated in silence, his organ slowly but steadily expanded.

Abruptly, his core slightly trembled.

With a slight panic, Liam instantly inspected his lower abdomen fearing the worst, but his brows were raised a second later.

The gaseous ‘Ora’ within his core grew incredibly moist, flaring with dark world essence that swirled together.

A moment later, it condensed, forming beads of liquid ‘Ora’ on the walls of the core.

By the end of the process, there was no more gas within Liam’s core, but a tiny drop of liquid ‘Ora’ that accumulated on its bottom.

‘Did I just… advance to the liquid stage?’ Liam wondered incredulously, inspecting his core once more just to confirm.

Liam instantly started to absorb ‘Ora’ into his abdomen to test out his new capabilities.

His core contents were no longer gaseous, but pure liquid. Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m nov𝒆lb(i)n.c(o)m

After filling it up a considerable amount, Liam took out his blades and activated the first form of his Purgatory Night arts.

Liam’s katana and wakizashi burst into violent dark flames, and the black smoke was visibly more concentrated and deadlier.

Much, much more deadlier.

Liam took out the Rank 3 bear he had just killed from his ring and laid it before him.

Using Dark Rend, he swung once at the bear’s midsection.

Liam could only watch in surprise as the dark flames consumed the bear’s flesh and muscles, leaving a raw wound that revealed the skeletal interior.

For a second, the dark smoke still clung to the bear’s corroded fur before eventually puffing out.

‘Just one sub-advancement and I’ve already grown much stronger. I can even double the amount of martial art forms I can do.’

Liam grinned ear-to-ear.

Upon some further testing, Liam also realized his manipulation with world essence had improved exponentially.

‘…Maybe I can try using my second element?’

Testing his limits, Liam’s attention fixed to his second element within his core.

Although he tried many times already, he just couldn’t get the damn thing out.

Trying once more, the strain Liam felt when pulling out that crimson energy was considerably less.

He manipulated a strand of that unstable essence and made it exit through his finger, barely a nail-sized amount.

Liam watched in slow motion as the red element lingered in the air for a split second, chaotic and unstable, before it exploded in every direction.

A slight shockwave echoed over the cave walls as it did so, causing Liam’s ears to ring in the process.

‘Just what is this damn thing?’ Liam wondered, his gaze conflicted and confused. ‘Just with that amount it caused my ears to ring…’

Liam paused pensively for a moment. Calling his second element, ‘second element’ was not ideal.

Thinking of its destructive and violent nature, Liam instantly thought of a name.

‘Chaos.’

Although he wanted to test it out some more, it was time for him to head towards Velrich and sell his items before resuming his journey.

‘I’ll figure out what it is soon enough.’

Instantly, he covered his head with a covert hood.

Naturally, there were guards at every gate leading to the city, but Liam had no intention to show his face.

Like every monarchical location, there would be an entrance fee and a short inspection, but there were methods to avoid that.

…At least, methods Liam knew from his time as an assassin.

Liam perched on top of a tree located right about one of the carriage routes leading into the city.

Not long after, a small sized merchant’s carriage appeared in the distance and rapidly approached.

As soon as it passed below the tree, Liam jumped and landed on the carriage roof with a lithe step.

“What was that?”

A panicked voice rang out from inside the car interior, ordering the coachman to stop and assess what just happened.

The coachman did exactly that… but found nothing wrong after an extensive inspection.

Shortly after, the carriage started moving once more.

Liam clung to the carriage’s bottom like a spider, his hair an inch away from the muddy road.

Soon enough, the carriage approached the city gates, entering through after a brief inspection and talk.

As Liam assessed his surroundings from under the car, he couldn’t spot anything special about the city.

Like the peasantry, there were brothels, bars and taverns the common folk could indulge in, but some wealthier accommodations could be seen further along.

Right when the carriage passed by a dark alley, Liam leaped from the bottom and rolled out.

In a swift series of movements, he propelled himself over a building to get a better view of the city.

‘There it is.’

Chapter 91 Chase

 

Liam’s gaze was stuck to a well guarded shop in the distance.

It was the only establishment that looked vastly better and more polished than the surrounding buildings, and Liam knew it had something to do with the contents they sold.

Before he could delay himself any further, Liam approached the shop.

Instantly, the two guards spotted him and grew weary, their hands tightly gripping to inscribed spears.

“State your name and business,” one of the two demanded, his tone laced with predetermined battle intent.

“Nick. I just have a few items I want to sell,” Liam responded, flashing the many space rings on his fingers.

It didn’t help that the hood and unkempt appearance made him look more like a vagrant than a rich noble.

The two guards slowly eased up, making way for him to enter.

“Thank you.”

Liam entered the shop, noticing the countless inscribed weapons and pieces of armor displayed.

‘Rogan would kill me if he saw me entering one of these.’

As he inspected the katanas and blades, a woman’s voice rang out, soothing and warm:

“Can I help you?”

A black robed woman appeared behind the counter, smooth dark hair fell over her sharp shoulders, complimenting her amber eyes and full lips perfectly.

A warm air surrounded her, and her lips curved upwards to form a dazzling smile.

“I’m Sheila, the shop owner,” she introduced. “I take it you have some things to offer me… Nick?”

Liam nodded, approaching the counter and taking out various techniques and spells.

Obviously, he left out any items that could link him to the tournament.

Sheila took the various techniques and began inspecting them.

“Where’d you get such a large haul?” she asked, her gaze still on the spells.

“My late father’s inheritance,” Liam replied briefly, remarking Sheila’s nonchalant nod.

In truth, she couldn’t really care less where the boy got it from. She wasn’t obliged to report any criminal activity she saw, not that she would in the first place.

“Do you have any more? I can buy your spells in bulk, no questions asked,” Sheila offered, and Liam paused, assessing her.

A moment later, he took out a few more spells, but not all.

“Must be one rich father,” Sheila laughed, but didn’t add anything else. “All of this will amount to… 4,502 ‘Ora’ Stones.”

Liam nodded, and Sheila smiled.

She stored all the items in her ring, before transferring the sum of money for Liam to store.

“One more thing, lad… you wouldn’t be intending to take the academy test, would you?” Sheila asked with a slight worry in her tone.

Liam lingered, then nodded firmly.

“Anything I should know? Mainly, what cities can I take the test in?”

A long sigh escaped Sheila’s lips.

“Many things you should know. Firstly, avoid meeting with, or offending any nobles on the way there,” said Sheila, her gaze tense. “You don’t seem like a noble to me, so I’ll tell you now.”

“Countless young men and women without a family backing get lost around those cities. It’s obvious what happens to them, but no one can do anything against these people.”

Nobles.

“…As for which cities allow peasants to participate, it’s mainly Rosht, Borocot, and Talross, to name the nearest few.”

Liam lingered pensively for a moment.

He had his own methods of keeping a low profile, mainly hiding his presence with mental energy.

…Though, if someone with Samuel’s level of mental and physical strength were to target him, Liam would undeniably be killed.

‘I’ll have to be extra careful then.’

“Thank you.”

Sheila waved a dismissing hand.

“It’s nothing. Good luck, lad. You’ll need it.”

Once again, Liam began his journey, killing beasts, cultivating, taking short breaks in between before repeating the whole process.

He decided on taking the test in Talross. It was the furthest from the two cities Sheila mentioned, but the route there would be considerably safer.

‘I still have time. Three months worth. Not to mention, I haven’t used any of the pills or elixirs from those three rings.’

Liam was saving those items for one arduous session of cultivation, but only when he got to a safer location.

One month passed.

Liam had gone past the first city, Rosht. On the way, he had seen the ruins of multiple carriages, including a few old corpses here and there.

It was disturbing how young those dead men and women were, but such was the relentless world of cultivation.

Liam was currently in a tree cavity, bitterly enjoying the taste of raw, dried badger meat.

His hair had grown long past his shoulders, unkempt and filthy, just like the rest of his attire. He hadn’t stopped for a bath since his journey began.

The rain helped wash away the blood, but that was pretty much it.

‘I smell… horrible.’

Not to mention, Liam’s provisions had run out long ago, leaving him to use his vampiric nails and strong tolerance to raw meat for nourishment.

Another month passed, and Liam passed by the second city, Borocot, as well.

The amount of random corpses he’d seen had doubled, since the date of the entrance exam was steadily approaching.

‘I have to increase my speed! Spending the remaining month in Talross would be wise. I’ve done enough to cover my tracks.’

Just as Liam thought that, a faint rustling sounded behind him, followed by a glimmering throwing knife shooting at his back.

Liam unsheathed his blades with a grimace, deflecting the knife mid air before activating Fleeting Foot and dashing away.

Behind him, three hooded men chased, all wielding longswords. One was of the water element, another of fire, and the last of wind.

Their presences were hidden – even from Liam – meaning they were trained soldiers whose prowess could easily match Liam’s own.

‘Damn it! I underestimated them!’

His chasers weren’t slow by any means, which indicated powerful Rank 3 bodies.

Liam managed to get an edge on speed from his usage with Fleeting Foot, but he couldn’t maintain the spell for much longer.

Dashing through the endless tree line, Liam’s gaze turned hard.

Chapter 92 Pissed

 

‘Catching them off guard is the only option I have,’ Liam thought as his chasers steadily got closer. ‘I can’t afford to show my darkness either.’

For a split second, Liam was incredibly pissed from being chased so many times.

Bandits posing as soldiers, then Zenith ranked Crocodiles and Shadow Panthers, then soldiers posing as bandits again. He was sick of it!

Liam’s grimaced face started to turn slightly pale from overusing Fleeting Foot, but his powerful consciousness allowed him to push past his limits.

Throwing knives, slashes of condensed wind coated with fire, along with bullets of water shot at his back, which he had to deflect using the edge of his shortsword, or evade by sharply shifting his trajectory.

A frigid pressure spread throughout Liam’s surroundings, making the three behind slightly flinch. Thankfully, from what Liam saw, the three were weaker than him in terms of mental capability.

Rumbling sounds echoed from above. The thick clouds had been churning with thunder for the past hour or so, but rain chose to fall just then.

As raindrops pattered against his body, Liam’s scowl softened.

‘Perfect,’ he thought, taking sharp turns and spontaneously changing his direction.

Although he threw off his chasers, it still slowed him down… but that was planned for.

Talross was close, merely a few kilometers away.

In fact, towering buildings could be seen over the canopy of thick trees and shrubbery, which resembled a modern day city.

Still, Liam didn’t feel comfortable being tracked by powerful assassins and noble soldiers.

He had to lose them before making his way inside the city if he didn’t want his paranoia to flare.

Unrelentingly, the tense chase continued, and the rainfall gradually increased in intensity.

Liam managed to outrun two of the three men, but the wind elemental was the fastest among them.

Just as the hooded figure was in arm’s reach of Liam, the latter took one last turn, which the former mirrored.

The man’s eyes briefly reflected a marble-sized crimson ball – unstable and increasingly volatile.

Boom!

The ball exploded, sending a small shockwave that made him stumble as he clutched his face.

Behind, the two remaining figures could only watch as Liam’s back disappeared amidst the treeline, wrapped behind a veil of heavy rain and thick darkness.

Meanwhile, Liam’s condition looked dire. He no longer sensed or saw his pursuers, but he didn’t allow himself any respite.

‘Using chaos makes me extremely tired. I pushed myself to take out more than normal, too. I need rest.’

He continued to run while changing his route, before finally approaching Telross.

Countless caravans were making their way through the giant, well-lit gates of the large city.

Liam scoured the carriages with an assessing eye, looking for any noble family insignia that he was familiar with.

Thankfully, Liam was in an entire region away from any families that knew him.

In front were the main gates built specifically for nobles and the like.

To the sides, Liam spotted a line of penurious youths that didn’t look much better than him.

Fixing himself onto a new set of clothes, clean this time, Liam pulled back his wild unkempt hair and approached the line.

As he found his way at the back, he started to assess the strengths of the youths. Surprisingly, they weren’t weak.

Liam could guess that it had something to do with a difficult life or harsh circumstances of living, making them adapt to the world much faster than normal.

Still, there wasn’t anyone he couldn’t handle. Although the peasants were better physically and presumably battle prowess wise, Liam had glaring advantages.

Before long, his turn arrived.

A stern-faced armored guard gestured him to approach the square booth.

“Name, age, reason for arrival,” he recited in a dull tone. “Family backing if you have any.”

“Lawrence. Near twelve. Taking the academy test. No backing.”

The soldier gave Liam a momentary probing gaze, before taking out a black beaded bracelet.

“Imbue this with your ‘Ora’ and don’t lose it. It’ll confirm your centers of power and age, and you’ll need it for your admittance into the test.”

Handing him the bracelet, Liam imbued it with ‘Ora’, making it glimmer with a black sheen.

Along with that, the guard handed him a city token, with directions to a building he was to reside in until the test date.

With a curt nod, Liam made his way into the city.

It was still nighttime, but the bright lights of various colors made him think he was treading through a modern day civilization.

Bustling throughout the streets were crowds of nobles.

Here and there, towering buildings challenged skyscrapers in terms of height.

‘That’s where I’m headed.’

Liam kept a low profile as he approached the building, a tall and intimidating guard standing at its entrance.

Liam noticed how the man rivaled even Samuel’s level of strength.

“Bracelet and token,” was all the man said.

After flashing both items, Liam was allowed inside the vast lobby, which was surprisingly cold and well ventilated – the floor was a shiny marble, and chandeliers lit the space.

Groups of excited young youths were already gathered there, discussing the details of the test.

There were marble stairs leading up to the upper floors, which Liam had already begun climbing.

‘Floor 17, room 1715,’ Liam thought, finding his dwelling at the end of a long, red carpeted hallway, lined with cozy warm lights.

Some had already found their rooms and proceeded to enter, while others simply conversed with each other outside their accommodations.

When they saw Liam, though, they looked disgusted – at both his appearance and vagrant attire.

However, a piercing glare sufficed any daring noble from even saying anything.

Liam was too pissed and exhausted to get into pointless fights.

He took out his black token and imbued it with ‘Ora’, pressing it against a small compartment that replaced the door handle to his room.

With a ‘click’, the door opened, and Liam entered.

It was a standard looking hotel room, nothing less than posh and fit for a ruler.

Chapter 93 Royalty

 

Liam took a well needed shower first, then pushed away all the furniture taking the space inside his room.

He took out all the elixirs and pills from the three stacked rings, laying it out in front of him.

Just the sight of it made Liam smile.

‘I’ll use them all before the test starts. I shouldn’t overestimate myself.’

Like so, Liam spent nearly all his time inside his room, mastering his martial arts, expanding his sea of consciousness, and cultivating his body and core.

In his spare time (which was undoubtedly little), Liam eavesdropped on the surrounding nobles for any info about the test.

Doing so gave him some crucial knowledge about the layout of Echoria as a whole.

Echoria was ruled by the Royal Thyress family. No noble could even dream of getting close to their level of wealth and status, mainly due to their massive network and influence over the country.

The Echorian Academy was built specifically by them, either to expand their connections and military prowess – by nurturing young talents and connecting them to the Thyress name – or increasing the number of specialized experts in each individual field.

Both were rumors, and Liam couldn’t verify their validity.

Apparently, the Thyress family was the first to arrive on baren Echorian lands and cultivate it, for god knows how many millennia.

They were the ones who dictated the rulers which even the most powerful of nobles had to submit to and abide by.

Even the academy test administrator was going to be from that family, from what Liam heard.

‘Millennia… I wonder if cultivators from those times are still alive now.’

Cultivators exponentially extended their longevity through ‘Ora’ and getting into the higher ranks, but obviously, there were limits.

…At least, those that Liam were familiar with.

‘Zeniths and Celestials are probably in a different realm, though.’

As the test date approached, more and more people could be seen entering the city – larger, more luxurious caravans, followed by entire groups of soldiers and guards.

During that period, Liam had gone through almost all of his strengthening pills and potions.

He felt incredibly sharp and on edge – his senses had never been so precise and clear, and his body never so strong and reflexive..

Some of the pills also helped with expediting his core and body’s progress, albeit not an incredible amount.

There were also some elixirs and medicines that Liam had no clue as to their usage.

After daring to swallow a blue pill that looked flashy, it caused a certain body part of his to rage for hours on end, unable to relax.

‘Cursed nobles and their disgusting practices,’ he thought with a grimace, shifting uncomfortably cross-legged.

He decided to save the suspicious ones for another time.

Finally, the day of the test arrived.

The same guard at the entrance gathered all the participants outside – behind him, a band of intimidating looking soldiers gave everyone piercing looks.

Massive lines of people were being herded to different sections of the city, which were tailored specifically for the participants taking the test.

Liam, along with a large group of youths, was taken to a vast, stone platform that stretched across 20 kilometers.

The surface of the platform was covered with glowing arrays. From what Liam saw, it resembled a large scale teleportation matrix.

All around the platform, golden robed cultivators gave the participants probing gazes, a hint of worry on their faces.

‘Why are they worried?’

A silver light sputtered above the platform, slowly taking a human form. Simultaneously, everyone present did the Echorian gesture for utmost respect and honor, their gazes lowered.

“We pay respects to her Majesty!”

Meanwhile, Liam shifted his wary gaze above, instantly mirroring his peers’ movements.

The light dissipated, revealing a beautiful woman donning a shimmering silver robe, floating in the air with her gaze set below – her white eyelashes were long, lined with golden eyes that exuded regality.

Her long, smooth, silvery hair flowed naturally with the wind, giving her a regal aura that matched her superior beauty.

“I am Kalia Thyress,” she introduced, a smile on her plump lips as she scoured the vast hordes of eager young men and women. “I’ll be monitoring the test.”

Although she spoke in a low voice, everyone heard her loud and clear.

Liam took a brief minute to assess her with his King’s Eye, unlike the ogling young men who surrounded him who just stared at the Royal dumbfoundedly.

Strangely enough, all kinds of multi-colored energies swirled around her figure, enough to make it look rainbow-like.

Liam couldn’t even deduce her element.

‘Some kind of Royal thing no one knows about?’ he thought, before focusing.

“Your goal is simple,” she assured, flicking her wrist and taking out a gem-like rose – the sparkling petals of which looked like they were made from pure diamond. “This is called a Diamora Blossom, also known as the White Gem flower.”

“They are priceless treasures that allure hordes of powerful magical beasts and humans alike – rest assured, you don’t need to fight against your own kind for this mission… just beasts.”

“To extract them, you must be careful and diligent, lest they shatter instantly.”

“For the rules,” Kalia flicked her hand, and the flower had disappeared. “You have 72 hours as a deadline for the test.”

“Any foul play will result in an instant disqualification. Do not forget, you are not to use status or threats to coerce fellow participants in any way.”

“If you do… I’ll know.”

With how she delivered that line, some nobles got chills down their spines.

“However, no one can lay claim on a White Gem unless it is stored safely within your ring.”

“Your bracelets are safeguards. If you activate them, it’ll teleport you right back to this location.” Read lat𝙚st chapters at nov(𝒆)lbin.com Only

“Those with the most White Gems gathered will join the Royal Echorian Academy – only five students will earn that honor.”

The reason for that was quite simple – Talross wasn’t the only city the test was being taken in, and the instructors only needed the most powerful talents in each city.

“When you feel like you’ve done enough, head back to the spot you teleported upon.”

“Good luck.”

Kalia concluded her explanation, waving her hand dismissively.

Suddenly, the black bracelets on everyone’s hands started to glow brightly.

Chapter 94 Vagrant

 

Liam’s consciousness and body felt like it was strongly yanked, like a rollercoaster plunging down the highest point.

When he flickered open his eye, he was no longer standing on the platform, but on a circular elevation above some shrubbery.

Liam’s gaze scoured the surroundings, and his senses spread throughout the area.

The air was no longer dry, but a warm, moist humid, causing Liam’s clothes to stick to his skin.

He seemed to be in a lush jungle of sorts.

A vast canopy of giant leaves blocked out the blazing rays of sunlight, leaving only a few cracks for it to bleed through.

Insects chirped and buzzed here and there, with other various wildlife roaming all around him.

Vines and other plants hung from the branches of thick, towering trees, which almost stretched to the clouds.

Instantly, Liam noticed something strange – ‘Ora’ fluctuated and swirled all around the plant life.

Almost as if… they absorbed it—

Liam’s eye widened as the vines shot at his body!

Instantly, he unsheathed his blades and activated the first form of his martial art.

Black flames burst on Liam’s katana and wakizashi as he swung against the vines, causing them to recoil and wither.

A further inspection allowed one to see the entire jungle slightly slithering, coiling around insects and wildlife, like flies caught in a web.

Liam heaved a short sigh of relief.

‘They’re not as strong as I imagined… but they’ll target any living being. I better not get caught by them.’

With that, he began moving.

He hadn’t spotted any other participants besides himself, but his senses would pick up on a scream, tremor, or loud explosion now and again.

‘If we all spawned in different locations, some might’ve gotten lucky and already found some gems.’

The landscape surrounding the jungle was uneven and rough. There were small underground caves, large hills and flowing rivers.

As he ran, Liam’s eye picked up on a faint trail of ‘Ora’, hidden along the thick shrubbery.

‘Could it be?’ he wondered, tracing alongside the world essence.

It took him half an hour to reach the source of that trail… but a smile grew on his face when he did.

Underneath the tall ledge he was on, was a large pond, the surface of which was covered with countless lily pads. All around, lush shrubbery enclosed the space.

Right in the middle of that pond, was a White Gem – sparkling brightly with the faintest light – atop a crystal clear lily pad.

Besides that, there were dozens of Rank 3 Pond Worms wriggling beneath the water, each one 2 meters in length, with the thickness of an adult thigh.

Pond Worms were parasites.

If they managed to pierce through skin, they’d slowly devour the body from within, consuming flesh and bone with their circular maws – adorned with rows of spikey teeth.

That being said, they had no particular defense or attack skills, just incredible speed.

Liam grew pensive.

‘The Gem might break if I jump over and make a big enough splash,’ he clicked his tongue in annoyance. ‘Killing them one by one is doable, but that takes too long.’

Suddenly, Liam sensed two figures rapidly approaching from the tree line, emerging from the wall of plants.

They were a pair of young nobles, a girl and boy, just a few years older than Liam was – robes tattered and hair muddied, they looked awful.

Their skin was red and bumpy all over – some plants in the jungle were particularly poisonous, through touch, smell and consumption.

Noticing the crystal flower in the middle, their faces beamed.

“Look! We’ve found one!” the girl smiled joyously, the tears swelling in her blue eyes instantly dried.

Meanwhile, the young man looked conflicted. Some muscle could be seen under his robe, but a pensive look gave him a scholarly air.

“But, the snakes…” the young girl pouted, sneaking a glance at her boyfriend.

Watching silently from afar, Liam felt mildly irked with her calling Pond Worms ‘snakes’.

“Don’t worry, Jane. You already know I come from an alchemic family, don’t you?” he huffed his chest and smirked. “All you have to do to extract the gems is apply some light mental energy and ‘Ora’ to it – it’ll exit the stem by itself.”

Liam took the liberty of naming the girl ‘Curly’, due to her unkempt blonde curls, and the boy ‘Depraved’, due to his interactions.

“I’ll distract them. You go the other way and extract it then.”

Curly and Depraved exchanged a nod, before the latter started to wave his hands in the air.

Powerful gales of wind began to whir around the pond, but precisely avoided the crystal flower in the middle.

Screeches that sounded like nails scraping against a chalkboard gathered volume from beneath the pond – the worms slithered out of the water and lurched at Depraved with unreal speed.

One after the other, the young man used wind elemental spells that pushed back the worms, cutting them down and spraying the ground with blood.

Nearly all worms slithered out the pond and hissed angrily at the invading human, while Curly beamed with a devious grin.

Carefully, she produced water-made platforms to hop on towards the flower.

Before she could get two steps close, a figure fell from above, black chains wrapped around his feet – the ends of which were tied to a pair of blades stuck on the ledge he dropped from.

Liam positioned himself upright over the flower, extending his chains just the right amount in order not to hit the water.

Before Curly could utter a word, Liam’s precise mental waves and improved ‘Ora’ manipulation enveloped the Diamora Blossom.

The stem gracefully twisted around itself, before blooming into a glittering treasure.

Liam grabbed the flower with a delicate touch, putting it safely into his ring, before pulling himself back to the ledge.

“W-what?” Curly stuttered, watching incredulously, jaw dropping from shock.

Watching the vagrant thief reel himself back over the ledge, the two could only curse as they saw him running away.

Chapter 95 Thief

 

Once again, Liam began his search for more diamond flowers, indifferent to the insults and curses hurled behind his back.

It didn’t take long for him to find another faint trail of ‘Ora’, cleverly hidden behind lush trees.

Throughout the next hour or so, Liam had accumulated more than 6 White Gems.

Honestly, Liam had much more trouble with the magical beasts surrounding the flower than finding and extracting it.

Not all the flowers resided in such convenient locations – others were guarded underneath tight spaces, some behind the web and nest of Spear Spiders, others underneath a swamp of Devouring Crocodiles.

All the while, Liam had to constantly be on edge to avoid getting ensnared by the jungle vines.

…Thus, he concocted a smart but shrewd tactic.

For the flowers that were close to being discovered by any nobles, Liam simply waited until they did, and took care of any of the hard work.

Then, while they were busy fighting the magical beasts, he’d swoop in and steal the White Gems before their very eyes.

By then, Liam was used to being called every curse word imaginable – in response to which, he just laughed.

‘Unlike everyone here, I have a cheat code.’

Another 4 hours passed.

At that point, Liam had 17 gems in his ring, and enough enemies for multiple lifetimes.

By mistake, he’d actually shattered two of the crystal flowers, which occured due to his hastiness and excessive force.

Soon enough, a cold, rainy night was falling. The thick canopy of leaves amazingly started to reel in, withdrawing into the trees they grew from.

‘I’ll have to find a place to camp in. There’s still 48 hours left for the test’s deadline, and something tells me this place is much more dangerous at night.’

With that, Liam’s senses and exceptional sight scanned the surroundings for a good enough spot to camp in.

He settled for a large tree cavity, the inside of which contained enough icky bugs to make a man squirm.

Liam instantly filled the cavity with his darkness, vanquishing the countless bugs, before making his way through the tight entrance.

Rain began pattering over the wood Liam resided in, with the thunder rumbling violently in the air.

Liam’s stomach eventually growled, but he’d already stored some dried badger meat prior to his camp.

‘This is more than just a test for finding flowers. They want to test adaptability, strength, determination, intelligence and more. Maybe they had enough with nobles using their status haphazardly.’

The rest of the night concluded with smooth cultivation. All the while, the outside flooded with gushing tides of water.

Before long, the waters receded.

Liam instantly exited the tree cavity and resumed his search for the flowers.

Strangely, he noticed how the jungle vines and general plant life were much stronger and faster compared to the previous night.

Before, a single swing of his first form did the trick, but now, he needed to pair it with Lethality Mantle.

If that wasn’t enough, the air was now difficult to breathe in – Liam had to resort to strengthening his lungs with ‘Ora’.

Furthermore, the itch on his skin was just unbearable. Liam had to actively bite on his tongue in order not to scratch it and make the rashes worse.

‘Was it the rain?’ Liam wondered with a narrowed eye.

As usual, a bad feeling grew in his chest. ‘That means the next night, it’ll be even harder to gather the flowers.’

That was the catalyst for Liam to work much harder to find the gems, becoming even more daring with how he extracted the flowers.

‘I’m sure nobles have scouting techniques they could use. No sweat, I still have time!’

///

Meanwhile, scattered all over the jungle, nobles and peasants formed groups to find gems and equally divide it amongst themselves.

…However, they just couldn’t find any.

The first night, they had some initial luck with where they spawned, but even then, they only managed to gather two or three gems.

It was when that ‘vagrant thief scum’ stole from each individual group, that they started to realize what was happening.

That cursed peasant was too fast for them to do anything, but they couldn’t attack him even if they desperately wanted to.

When the first 24 hours passed, chaos ensued. Almost nobody knew what to do with so much downpour, not with nature as their enemy.

Ironically, grouping up actually worked against them – as a collective, the nobles constantly bickered as to who the leader should be… which ended with nobody leader at all.

Half of the participants had to take off their bracelets, teleporting back to base, leaving the rest to scramble desperately for shelter. The sourc𝗲 of this content nov(𝒆l)bi((n))

///

6 hours remained until the test deadline. Night was about to pass, a faint mist flowing in the air.

’73 flowers,’ Liam assessed the contents of his ring with a pensive gaze, perched atop one of the towering trees – the rain felt like thousands of tiny needles pricking his skin.

Below, an ocean of magical beasts were being swept by raging waters, creating a loud cacophony of gushing noises, wails and screeching.

At that altitude – and excruciating jungle atmosphere – breathing was arduous. One had to ration his air carefully.

‘Have I done enough?’

Liam’s clothes were tattered and covered with various shades of blood – his own, along with countless species of magical beast.

Underneath, his gory wounds started to squirm together to heal, while his grimaced face was paler than usual.

‘It’s probably a good amount, but there’s no way to tell. If only there was a leaderboard of sorts.’

Lingering pensively, he nodded to himself.

‘This should do it. I don’t want to overdo the test and get unwanted attention either.’

In the first place, he’d felt like it was enough, but his paranoia made him do more.

Finally, night passed.

Liam watched astutely as the ocean below started to absorb back into the wet earth.

Simultaneously, the jungle floor started to quake, causing Liam’s eye to narrow uneasily.

Chapter 96 Student

 

World essence started to gather around a large mass of thick vines, which twirled and twisted to conjoin with each other.

Liam watched with a tense gaze as the giant mass started to take a disturbing shape.

A giant pincer resembling a venus flytrap emerged at its front, adorned with razor-sharp spikes for teeth. Hook vines shot out of its rear, front and sides, clinging to the surrounding trees as it released a low, deep growl.

Liam didn’t need to watch the rest, activating Fleeting Foot and running away at full speed

‘What is that thing?!’ he cursed with a frown, looking over his shoulder to track the giant monstrosity. ‘Rank 4?’

It started to chase, its hooks clipping to trees to catapult itself forward – its giant pincer closed and shut repeatedly, splintering the thick, towering trees with ease.

Hooks shot at Liam’s body, but Lethality Mantle, the second and first form of his martial art, severed the chain-like vines and withered them.

‘It’s not! If it was, I wouldn’t be able to cut or dodge that,’ he thought with relief, but didn’t stop his speed.

Incoherent shouts, shrieks and screams of fear and anger gathered volume throughout the jungle.

At first, Liam thought the nobles spotted him and wanted to take revenge… then realized they were being chased by the same thing he was.

…All around, bright flashes lit up the shaded jungle.

One by one, the fear-struck participants decided they had enough, activating their bracelets and teleporting back home.

The giant monstrosities softened their growls as they saw the humans disappearing… all except one.

Instantly, their bloodthirsty focus shifted to him, their low growls sending vibrations through the air.

Just before the figure was to be converged on from all angles, his body began to glow, before disappearing in the nick of time.

Liam’s consciousness went through the same rollercoaster drag, but he’d never been happier to experience it.

His surroundings changed again, the inscribed platform filled with dread-faced youths that looked traumatized. Those aware, stared at Liam’s figure with shock in their eyes.

‘What’s with them?’ Liam’s gaze narrowed, a bad feeling stirring in his chest. The grip on his blades subconsciously tightened.

He shifted his gaze above – Kalia still stood in the air, shooting him a knowing grin, staring at him with a probing and amazed gaze.

‘What’s with her?’

Then he realized it.

Towards the once empty front of the platform, now rested a giant inscribed leaderboard that illuminated the names of the participants.

[1. Lawrence – 73 Gems.]

[2. Rin – 34 Gems.]

[3. Sveinn Horst – 18 Gems.]

Liam looked dumbfounded, a grimace growing on his face. He cursed himself for wishing there to be a leaderboard, especially when he overdid it to such an extent.

“How is this not foul play?!” a chubby young man shouted from among the crowd, his fat cheeks red from anger as he pointed at Liam. “He stole my flower right beneath my nose, then made the monkeys piss on me!”

Liam didn’t even glance at the noble, his uneasy gaze fixed on the leaderboard.

Before long, others started to protest as well.

“After two whole hours, I had finally found a flower… just for this vagrant to shatter it in front of my eyes!”

That… had been by mistake, but Liam didn’t care to explain. He would, if Kalia pressed him on it, but her attention wasn’t on him.

Kalia looked at the youths with a piercing glare, causing a lump to form in their throats.

“Silence.”

And silence followed.

“He didn’t cause any harm, nor did he steal it from your hands. So long as the flowers were on their base, they were free for the taking. Let this be a lesson. Your families will not grant you everything.”

Then, Kalia alternated her attention between five youths among the crowd.

“Well done, you all,” she waved her hand, a glow basking Liam’s body.

With an indifferent tone, she added:

“The rest can leave.”

Once again, the rollercoaster drag weighed against Liam’s mind, forcing him to squint under the pull – he just couldn’t get used to the sensation.

This time, it lasted nearly a whole minute before he could open his eye.

When he did, he found himself in a cold, well-ventilated but small rectangular room.

The floor and walls were made out of marble, and towards his left and right were a series of windows – the outside of which was a blurry streak of fast moving lines – lined with comfy seats.

Behind him were four youths, two male, two female – laying on the ground as they waited to pick up their senses.

A smooth, whirring sound played in the background, the source of which was vents that circulated cold air throughout the space.

Liam noticed how the entire place was stacked with inscriptions and precise, glowing writings.

Kalia stood in front, looking at Liam with an assessing gaze.

‘Is this… a train?’ he wondered incredulously, instantly picking himself off the cold floor to greet the Royal.

“I’ve never seen a non-noble with a golden eye before,” Kalia teased with a smile, assessing Liam’s figure top to bottom.

Non-noble… a pleasant way of saying peasant.

“I’ve never seen a royal with golden eyes either, your majesty,” Liam made his usual respectful gesture and responded. “It’s my mothers color.”

“So you’re not afraid to talk back? You’ll be an interesting one to follow. Your future already looks bright, by the way,” Kalia praised with a sly smile.

“And you can spare me the pleasantries, Kalia is fine – you’re all students of the Royal Academy now.”

By then, the students behind Liam awoke, giving him a chance to assess their auras and features.

One of them was a square faced youth, his black eyes looked valiant and sharp, dark red hair tied to a man-bun. From those present, he looked the oldest, donning a crimson robe.

The remaining male student looked like a delinquent. His vermillion eyes held a hostile gaze, while his smooth dark hair fell over his shoulders. A natural frown rested on his face, donning a black robe that didn’t look like it was from noble origin.

Beside him was a young girl, the youngest from the bunch.

She had a bashful demeanor and light blue hair that fell gracefully over her ears – azure eyes, blushed cheeks, donning a violet robe that highlighted her soft shoulders.

The last was a young girl with hooded violet eyes and tied, dark purple hair that flowed wildly. She had a quiet, solemn disposition compared to the others there, and wore a black one-piece that extended past her shins.

Chapter 97 Luck

 

Liam quickly assessed each of them with a keen gaze.

The square-faced young man was of the earth element, the red-eyed boy was of wind, the young girl of water, and the solemn-faced girl was of fire.

Strangely, the latter didn’t have any mental waves that emitted from her forehead.

Almost everyone Liam had come across emitted natural waves of energy from their heads besides her.

They were thoughts, Liam deduced, that flared depending on emotion.

It was too complicated and difficult to understand with his level of knowledge, but he promised himself to utilize it properly.

Unlike them, her mental waves were quiet and still, barely leaving her sea of consciousness.

“I want to give you all my congratulations,” Kalia said.

“You’ve all done splendidly on your entrance exam. Be at ease, you don’t have to pay respects every time you see me. Our family isn’t as iron-handed as one might think.”

Slowly, those present eased up, making her smile.

“We are on our way to the academy this very second,” she explained, approaching the train window.

“Our methods of transportation are quite remarkable, if you’d like to see.”

Liam was the first to make his way to the window, peering through with awe in his eye.

They were in a train after all… a bullet train, passing through an endless tunnel which no light pierced through.

Apparently, they were moving so fast, the underground looked like a streak of dark light.

The next instant, the train left the tunnel. The surroundings changed to a vast, uneven underground ocean floor.

Liam caught sight of enormous sharks, jellyfish, manta rays, and other marine life that looked like magical beasts swimming above the azure water.

Liam was beyond stupefied.

The train itself had a protective encasing – a iridescent bubble of sorts – enveloping it as it sped underwater, its surroundings lit by small blue lights.

“This is what modern-day inscriptions and engineering could do – powered by large ‘Ora’ crystals, it can get you from one end of Echoria to the other in less than a week.”

That feat was a lot more impressive when one knew just how vast Echoria really was.

“We’ll be there in roughly an hour or two. I’ll leave you guys to converse with each other and whatnot. You may become classmates soon, after all. A servant will bring food and drink.”

With that, Kalia disappeared, teleporting away.

Liam was the first to find a seat and settle in it comfortably, peering out the window with an absorbed gaze.

It was still daytime, thus, he couldn’t really cultivate even if he wanted to.

He was just fascinated by the beauty of the ocean, spotting giant sea creatures and various types of creatures.

The four others looked at him while he did so, before following suit.

The seats were facing each other, which gave way to some awkward silence.

The delinquent, blue haired girl, and square faced youth sat in front, while the solemn faced girl sat beside him. Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m nov𝒆lb(i)n.c(o)m

Although Liam wanted peace and privacy, there were simply no other seats.

Thus, Liam simply closed his eyes to avoid the awkward air and inquisitive gazes shot his way.

“I’m Sveinn,” the red-haired youth said, breaking the silence. “I reckon we should introduce ourselves to one another? I came third.”

Hearing his words, the young girl nodded.

“I-I’m Nessa Ulrich. I like alchemy and… things,” she trailed off with a blush, shifting uncomfortably with the attention on her. “…Fifth.”

“Nord,” the red-eyed boy introduced right after, his piercing eyes locked on Liam and the other girl’s figure. “Fourth.”

The three shifted their attention to Liam and the other girl, waiting for an introduction.

“Lawrence,” Liam eventually said in a deadpan voice.

In all honesty, he was too exhausted to care about making friends. Not that he would care even if he wasn’t.

Exchanging a curt nod, the three looked towards the remaining girl.

She looked at them silently for a few seconds, before slowly pointing to her ear with a nonchalant expression.

“…What?” Sveinn raised his red, saber-like brows, the others looked taken aback as well. “What’s that mean?”

Nord looked confused and angry, but Nessa looked at her with pity in her eyes.

“She’s deaf,” Nessa revealed with a low voice. A moment later, she began gesturing enthusiastically – sign language, it looked like.

“You came second… Rin, right? You can read my lips?”

The deaf girl looked surprised, before slowly gesturing back with a bit of newfound curiosity in her eyes.

Nessa seemed much more courageous when talking with her, but Sveinn shifted his attention to Liam.

“Lawrence, you came first, right? Just how did you get so many damn gems?” he leaned in, Nord reluctantly mirrored his movement.

Rin and Nessa sneaked a glance at him too.

Liam paused, lingered for a moment, before shrugging:

“Luck.”

Sveinn gave him an impatient gaze, before leaning back to his seat – he gave up any further probing.

Rin and Nessa lingered on his figure momentarily, before taking their gaze away.

Nord still had his eyes fixed on him, though.

“Well, I guess it’s understandable you’d keep it a secret. I wouldn’t tell anybody mine, either,” Sveinn stated, peering out the window.

“If I wasn’t an alchemist, I would’ve never passed,” Nessa heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank god it wasn’t a combat oriented test.”

Nord scoffed at her words.

“I wish it was.”

Funny enough, Liam said the same thing in his head.

Before long, a well-dressed servant – donning a complete black suit and tie – teleported within their compartment carrying a tray full of delicacies.

He greeted them respectfully, before waving his hand.

Liam watched as a table started to build itself bit by bit from between the seats.

When it finished, the servant placed the food on the table teleporting once more.

Liam was amazed momentarily with the self-building table, before gulping down entire plates of meat, uncaring of any manners or etiquette.

Sveinn looked dumbfounded that such a person could get first place, but he couldn’t deny that Liam looked unsettlingly threatening.

The five quickly ate their food in silence – except Nessa and Rin who gestured to each other now and again, while Nord’s eyes were glued to Liam’s figure.

It wasn’t long before the academy grew visible in the distance.

Chapter 98 Janice

 

As soon as the train climbed over the underwater slope, Liam’s eye widened with shock, his golden retina zooming in to get a better look.

As if the bullet train wasn’t enough, what caught his gaze almost made him gasp.

The giant academy looked like a giant underwater ‘dome’ – at least, that’s what the colossal, iridescent bubble surrounding it made it seem like.

Colossal albino whales floated freely around the cupola-like location, releasing sharp-pitched screams that shot through the water. Thankfully, the bubble seemed to protect those inside the train from that.

“Guys! Look!” Nessa noticed the academy and proclaimed. Everyone moved towards the window to peer through.

Inside the bubble, was what looked like a vast city, grander than the entirety of Ucladd.

Towering structures, blocky houses, luxurious mansions and circular domes were scattered all over it, shaped differently and made from varying materials.

The space was lit with bright white lights, making it look like some sort of ancient underground metropolis.

Here and there, some towers had large antennas on them, which Liam could spot emitting powerful ripples of some kind of mental energy.

‘Is that a scanner or something?’ he thought, feeling like a caveman in a modern society. ‘Just how much do I not know?’

Right in the center, was a huge pit, even bigger than the hole Liam fell down in within the Abyss.

Even from that distance, the waves of ‘Ora’ around them were beyond thicker than average. Considerably less than what Liam felt in the ‘Ora’ Mine, though.

‘It’s an ‘Ora’ well! It makes sense how they would make an academy right on top of one,’ Liam thought excitingly. ‘Our cultivation is bound to be sped up, right?’

The blocky houses were too much to count. Some were bigger than others, depending on how closer they were to the giant hole.

Upon a further inspection, there seemed to be an actual mansion over the hole, floating by its own accord – much bigger than any other house.

“Holy…” Sveinn’s voice trailed off, a wide smile on his lips. He let out a chuckle. “How is that even possible?”

The train went around the bubble, slowly descending, like a helicopter circling a city.

As they got closer, the structures grew more visible, enough to know there was a gate the train would go through at the bottom of the academy borders.

Kalia appeared then, grabbing everyone’s attention.

“We’ll be out shortly. Before that, I’ll need a few things from you all,” she said, taking out five individual tokens from her ring. “You’re all familiar with what a binding oath is, correct?”

Liam was the last to nod. Just to be on the safe side.

“Good, then we won’t waste any time on explaining. Imbue your ‘Ora’ into the token – it’s just a standard ‘don’t give out any important secrets’ oath.”

Kalia threw everyone a token, which they promptly imbued with world essence.

Strangely though, when Liam did the same to his own, there was no constriction around his core.

…It felt like there was, fleetingly, but a second later, it withered away and disappeared.

‘Binding Oaths don’t work on me. It has something to do with the Kitsune,’ Liam realized.

He didn’t know if that was good or bad. On one hand, he wasn’t restricted by any harsh laws.

If it came to it, he could trade crucial secrets to other organizations or maybe even countries.

…If he lived that long.

On the other hand, that strange oddity might get noticed, and the Royalty might not have a friendly reaction to it.

Thankfully, Kalia didn’t seem to know.

“You can keep the tokens. You’ll need them to get to your individual dorms,” she explained.

Outside, the view changed again.

They finally pierced through the bubble.

Instead of it popping, though, the train’s bubble merged with the academy’s.

The train started to slow down, lining up against a large terminal that edged the academy borders.

There were various figures waiting there, staring at the train as it eventually stopped with a quiet hiss.

Liam and the other four followed Kalia outside, witnessing just how grand the bubble above was.

Rays of sun barely penetrated through the dark depths of the ocean, but with Liam’s vision, he could see the countless magical beasts that swam across those waters.

Shadows of those waters were cast on the ground where Liam stood, flowing serenely with each wave and movement.

From the other sections of the train, groups of five youths led by a female Royal exited and greeted those waiting for them.

“Kalia!” a deep, feminine voice shouted in the distance. “You’re late!”

The voice belonged to a lady with wild emerald hair tied to a bun. She had a sturdy build, not enough to be burly, but just above an athlete.

She wore a pirate’s eye patch on one eye, and the other had a green iris that pierced through whatever it looked at.

Her tanned skin was slightly scarred, but her tight huntress’ clothing covered her fit body well. A quick-tempered air surrounded her.

‘She’s strong,’ Liam thought, staring at her azure aura. ‘Her aura resembles Samuel’s, but I feel like she’s much more dangerous compared to him.’

Kalia let out a short sigh when she saw the woman arrive.

“This woman here is Janice – she teaches advanced battle techniques and prowess,” she said, before whispering the next words:

“Although she’s a genius when it comes to fighting, she’s an idiot in everything else.”

“I heard that, princess,” Janice said with a narrowed eye, before shifting her attention to Liam and the rest. “Who came first in your group?”

Kalia paused, then glanced at Liam.

Janice beamed and smiled ear-to-ear.

“Oh, and he did it with one eye! Young… so young! And you did it with one eye? How about I get you an eye patch like mine? We’ll be best buddies!”

Liam remained silent, glancing at Kalia and remarking her repeated sighing.

“I’m good, thank you.”

Before Janice could enthusiastically convince him any further, Kalia spoke first.

“You still need to explain some things and show them their dorms. Don’t waste time.”

Janice pouted with a scoff.

“You’re all no fun…”

She turned around and began walking away, gesturing for the five to follow her.

“Let’s go, twerps. Princess over there is gonna seethe if we linger for too long.”

Kalia shook her head as she teleported away.

“Alright, first things first, let’s start with how things function ’round here.”

Chapter 99 Headmaster

 

Janice exited the packed train terminal followed by Liam and the others.

From where they walked through, it looked like the academy edges, the furthest away from the Hole.

Somehow, under all that water and depth, there were lush trees here and there, with pleasing landscapes and green plains.

It was basically a makeshift city, but everything was artificial.

Surrounding them were countless accommodations, square shaped and made from white stone. They fitted close to each other, but Liam could see them inscribed all throughout.

Still, strands of ‘Ora’ wafted all around, visible only to Liam’s eye.

In the distance, other students were led by various teachers, donning different types of clothing.

“First off, you’ll need to choose what classes and specializations you want to take. There are countless to pick from, but don’t bite off more than you can chew.”

“There’s no limit to how many you end up taking, but if your grades in that class are below average, you’ll be forced to leave it and choose another.”

Janice explained with a bored, monotone voice, as though she was reading off a script.

“You… you look like you enjoy a good battle, eh? How about it? Wanna join my class?” she asked Rin, eye sparkling with glittering lights.

Rin just stared blankly, blinking with confusion. Janice grew uncomfortable and looked away.

“She’s… deaf, ma’am,” Nessa said from the side, gesturing to Rin. “I’m actively translating your words to her.”

A look of realization fell on Janice’s face, shifting to a smile.

‘She looks strong despite that. The red-eyed kid doesn’t look too bad either. It’s him with the greatest potential, though,’ Janice thought, glancing at Liam who had his focus somewhere else.

‘Looks like this year won’t be boring either.’

Her eye lingered on the group for a moment. Cracking her knuckles, she continued.

“Anyway, your token will be the key to your dorm. You’ll find an arrow on its bottom – that’s pointing to where you’ll live for your duration here.”

Liam flipped his token. A glowing red arrow indeed pointed towards the north-east.

“We’re heading towards the main hall now. There won’t be any classes for a week, which is more than enough time for you to settle down and organize your things.”

“Oh, there’s also the Oracle you are required to visit – she’ll give special recommendations on what classes to choose. It’s your choice whether to accept her advice or not.”

“Oracle?” Liam questioned, confused. “What’s that?”

Before Janice could answer, Sveinn did.

“They’re special individuals that have a deep connection with the Opposition. I heard they could peer into souls… and could even receive whispers of what the Opposition says.”

Janice gave Sveinn a quick thumbs-up, but didn’t notice the grave look on Liam’s face.

‘What are they gonna see if they peer into my soul? Will they know I’ve come from Earth? How can the Opposition speak?’

As Liam was absorbed in his musings, they arrived at a large dome-like building.

The interior resembled a modern museum, the floors were made from shiny marble, with chandeliers lighting up the space. The ceiling was entirely glass, allowing one to see the ocean above.

To the right and left were large inscribed boards, containing a mumble jumble of information and various charts that moved on their own. In front, a plump lady sat behind a wooden counter.

Soon, all the cohorts led by other teachers converged within the hall, filling it slowly.

The air instantly turned rowdy, excited whispers passing from lip to ear.

“Ugh,” Janice grunted, annoyance growing on her face. “I hate it when the crowds get big.”

An old man suddenly teleported in the center of the hall.

He had a golden monocle on his right eye, his black irises somehow sharper than the well-trimmed goatee on his chin.

Although there were wrinkles on his face, his age didn’t reflect on his intimidating face.

He was dressed in a complete black suit, his shoulders square and broad – his short milk-white hair slicked backwards.

Liam saw how his aura was much stronger than Janice’s.

“I am Headmaster Reye Ornn,” His voice was deep, demanding, regal.

Like a king commanding his soldiers, his piercing gaze swept the crowd.

“I will now state this year’s highest ranker. If you recognize your name and number, step forward.”

“Lawrence. 73 Gems.”

Liam’s face turned dark. He suppressed a grimace from appearing, but let out a deep grunt inside. First the soul peering thing, and now this.

‘When are they gonna realize some people don’t beg for attention?’

Janice and the students made way for Liam to pass through, giving him a strong tap on the back along with a mischievous wink.

Countless gazes intersected on Liam’s figure – awe, jealousy, respect and disgust. He hated each one.

“Well done, young man. Due to your incredible accomplishment, you will be given close accommodation to the Hole. Use it well.”

‘At least that’s a plus.’

Liam nodded with a gesture of respect.

Reye took his token and applied some ‘Ora’ on it, then gestured for him to enter back inside the crowd.

“I will now explain the rules of this establishment. You are obliged to strictly follow. I have already expelled 84 students… nobles, mind you, for unruly behavior and disrespect. Do not add yourself to the list.”

A smirk almost appeared on Liam’s face. He liked the Headmaster already. Especially seeing the stiff look from the surrounding nobles.

“No fighting or bullying of any kind… self-defense, however, is perfectly okay.”

“Duels and wagers are allowed, but first-years are required to have a supervisor on standby.”

“Some classes are mandatory, and run on a strict schedule. The teachers have the last word, do not challenge them or ask for leniency.”

“For the first week, our facilities are free, before you are required to pay to use them.”

“We have a point system for those that wish to purchase techniques and spells, but you will need to complete missions in order to attain them.”

The Headmaster let the students absorb his words momentarily, before concluding his words.

“You may visit the Oracle before the end of this week, along with the many facilities we have before classes start.”

“Dismissed.”

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⌚Every ★Saturday / Wednesday ★

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Born In Blood

Born In Blood

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

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