Born in Blood



Liam had already killed six of the piss-takers. 

They were easy targets, after all. 

Now, he turned his attention to the drunkards who still lingered around the camp. Only the treasury was guarded by competent men who didn't leave their posts or indulge in drink.

Liam approached the small bonfire where the guards slept. 

In his changed attire, he blended in with them, especially with the leather hood obscuring his face. The sleeping men didn't even stir as Liam severed their heads with one swift slash of his blade.

The others were too drunk to know what was happening. 

Before they could even realize it, their vision went dark. 

Liam steadily cleaned out a small section of the base, leaving 16 dead in his wake.

He moved on to the dwellings where the men slept. 

Despite their professionalism and ability to overtake a Royal caravan, they were careless when it came to guarding themselves during sleep.

'They're underestimating the Royals,' Liam thought as he killed each sleeper with an instant slash to the head. 'If a single powerful guard was sent, this entire place would be wiped out instantly. But they chose to let me do it instead. Crazy bastards.'

A macabre trail of bodies followed in Liam's wake as he killed another 27 men, adding to the previous 16. 

In less than five hours, 43 men lay dead and Liam remained unscathed.

'I guess that's all the weaklings,' Liam thought. 'I'll work on the treasury next. That Randal guy is stored in one of those larger houses further up, but I'll save him for last.'

The hunters he'd killed had mentioned that Randal had a Rank 4 spell. 

Spells of that nature required strong centers of power to express their full potential. 

A Rank 1 Magus couldn't possibly execute a Rank 4 spell at its full potential – there needed to be a similar or at least close disparity between them.

That's why Liam wasn't too afraid.

He climbed onto the building opposite the treasury and watched as the three guards stood like statues, unblinking and ready for any threat. 

But Liam's presence was hidden from them, allowing him to circle around and climb onto the treasury roof right above them.

Dark chains grew from his hands and with a lithe jump, two Umbral Needles shot at the left and right guards while Liam fell atop the middle-man with his chains wrapped tightly around his neck.

The dark needles pierced through the necks of the two men, exploding into noxious gas that marred their faces and choked their breath. But they were experienced enough to resist the pain and crawl away.

The middle-man was not so lucky. Liam's chokehold on his neck grew tighter by the second, crushing his windpipe and sucking the life from him.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" one of the men with a needle in his neck shouted as he desperately crawled away.

'Dammit! It didn't pierce deep enough!'

Those choked words tore through the air and awoke the entire base, including the boss. They left their dwellings at once, just in time to see Liam send another two needles to finish off those on the ground.

Liam's gaze locked with that of an old man and a group behind him. The old man was aged but looked vigorous, and strong. His wrinkled face twisted in anger as he pointed at Liam and bellowed:

"Get him!" 

At once, a large horde of men charged at Liam with raging screams, wielding blades, spears, and other weapons. Those in back charged up spells of every element, including Randal himself who had the biggest aura of them all.

Liam took a deep breath and unsheathed his blades, wrapping his chains around them and twirling them in the air like kusarigamas.

'I guess this is a good time to test out my prowess,' he thought as seven spearmen attacked at once from all sides, attempting to thrust their weapons into his flesh. 

Liam's blades burst with dark flames, coated with Lethality Mantle and his second form. He blurred as he jumped above the spears and swung his chains in a wide, circular motion.

Seven heads flew into the air, trailing spurts of blood as shocked and pained expressions twisted their decapitated faces. Liam didn't have time to admire his handiwork, though. 

A javelin made of condensed fire blazed through the air and stabbed through his right shoulder, charring his flesh. 

At the same time, gusts of wind cut into his muscles and drew blood.

The men looked smug for barely a second before realizing that Liam was still running at them despite his deep wounds, his hands and feet glowing.

He continued to swing his dark-flaming chains, too fast, too deadly, and too terrifying for the remaining men to counter. 

They couldn't even land a single hit.

Liam's hands would turn to dark mist now and again, allowing their weapons to pass straight through without inflicting any damage. Fire javelins, spikes of earth, and zephyrs of wind did little to stop his charge.

Randal grimaced from a distance as he desperately hurried to charge his Rank 4 spell, the Earth Dome. 'Ora' gathered from beneath and increased in intensity until a ring started to form around the ground where Liam stood.

Liam didn't slow down. 

He continued to charge forward, his chains twirling and slicing through the air as he cut down one man after another. The men fell before him like wheat before a scythe, their screams echoing through the night.

Suddenly, the ground shook beneath Liam's feet as a solid rock-made encasing started to rise around him.

But Liam didn't falter. He chose that moment to activate the membrane under his skin, sending a powerful jolt of strength through his veins.

Before the encasing was complete, Liam used Cartilage Brace to further increase his physical strength, ramming straight through the solid rock wall.

Boom!

Randal looked mortified as he saw Liam shattering through the dome like a juggernaut. 

He stumbled and fell on the floor – pieces of jagged bone jotting from his shoulder – but Randal was deathly pale from using a Rank 4 spell to take advantage of it.

Liam smiled grimly as he got up and reeled in his chains, swinging once across the man's neck.