Born in Blood

"Ahem!"

Right ahead, a man with azure eyes and short black hair cleared his throat, standing on top of an elevation a few steps higher than the rest.

His belly was oval shaped and protruded through his dark green robe, while a wide grin rested on his face.

'There he is...'

Liam's gaze fixed on the man known as Vamar Belson, his target.

Vamar had secretly been supplying bandits and outlaws with strengthening pills and various weapons, and ordering them to attack rival families.

Behind him, were two burly figures, wearing dark black robes.

'Two out of seven.' Liam's gaze shifted to the robed figures, as he recalled the number of cultivators surrounding the premise.

Most of them were actually stronger than Liam, having a Rank-2 body and Rank-1 core. However, they weren't Magi, since they weren't allowed access to a Psionic Rune.

This didn't mean that they didn't have enhanced senses. There were other ways to expand the mental sphere, after all.

The nobles had to keep a tight leash on those who worked under them. Give them too much power, and they'll start to rattle and shake the chain of command.

This fact alone gave Liam the ability to assassinate Vamar, but he had to be cunning and swift in order to accomplish it.

He had no intention of fighting against the two bodyguards, but if it came to it, he had more than a few extra cards up his sleeve.

"Thank you all for attending." Vamar said proudly, his eyes sweeping the crowd while his voice had a clear charm to it.

"There's not a lot of chances that the Belson family gets to host a get together among the nobles here in Ucladd."

Vamar continued to address the crowd for a few more minutes, cracking jokes and singling out a few other noblemen to poke friendly fun at.

Laughter spread across the crowd, but Liam — playing his hot-headed and arrogant noble personality — kept a stoic and unimpressed face.

"I hope the drinks and food are to your liking, ladies and gentlemen. Please, enjoy."

The noblemen and women clapped as he left the stage, going towards the right hallway, followed by his personal bodyguards.

Liam's eyes followed Vamar from a distance, before his plan slowly started to flow into motion.

…

From what the blueprints stated, soon, Vamar would be in his office for at least half an hour.

His office was connected to a glass pane window from the outside, which was easy to climb through.

Still, without disabling the arrays, it was impossible for Liam to climb in and out without risking his identity and location being known.

'I need to get close to the control room. From the layout, it's just one cultivator and he's not that strong either. The array only covers the outside of the premise, so I should be fine as long as no one sees me.'

The array Liam was referring to, was a Location Monitoring Array. It allowed for the cultivator controlling it to see all living beings inside the mansion and out.

"You. Where's the bathroom?" Liam questioned a gentle-faced maid.

The maid made a respectful gesture, instantly leading him into one of the long hallways and showing him the bathroom door.

After Liam entered, the maid left and tended to the other nobles.

He made sure there wasn't anyone in the bathroom stalls, before quickly entering the bathroom stall and taking off his black robe.

A moment later, he took out a pitch-black clothing and put it on.

It was made from the leather of a Rank-2 Dusk Owl, and came with a hood and cloak that wrapped tightly around his body — covering his hair and face — leaving only his eyes open.

Before Liam exited the stalls, he masked himself with a coating of mental energy, completely hiding his presence from other cultivators and people.

This skill had been the most valuable one he'd learned from Ophis, giving him a sharp edge over unsuspecting opponents.

Liam looked left and right over the hallways — seeing that the coast was clear — he carefully made his way out and went deeper down the hallway.

There wasn't anyone in sight, and servants weren't stationed at this part of the mansion. It seemed like all the amenities for guests were on the center of the first floor.

Stairs leading up to the second floor appeared in his sight, and a patrolling guard slowly descended.

Liam quickly hid himself behind the corner of the wall, and the guard took a quick look around, before going up the stairs once again.

As Liam tailed the guard, his footsteps and even breathing made no noise. Another strong skill he had learned in the guild.

The music became slightly muffled as they got up, and the surroundings weren't as lit as the bottom floor, giving it a dark air.

Suddenly, the guard he was tailing brought out a flickering jade stone from his pocket, seemingly imbuing it with his 'Ora'.

A voice exited the stone, the words of which Liam couldn't discern.

'Walkie-Talkies? They have walkie-talkies?'

The revelation came to him as a shock, but nonetheless, he kept calm.

"Uh... no? Why do you ask?" The guard suddenly said, confused.

The voice coming from the jade stone seemed to be saying something, before the guard's body visibly tensed up.

Instantly, the guard jolted around, a clad iron blade materializing in his hand as he swung!

However, he saw nothing except a long, silent hallway looking back at him.