Born in Blood



The event that took place reminded Liam of Usan's first appearance. 

Within that Isolation Barrier, everything had dimmed and dimmed.

But that was because of the Isolation Barrier denying any light from poking through.

This time, there was no such thing.

Liam's gaze was above before it happened.

The sun was in clear view.

Everything was bright, warm and sunny.

In the blink of an eye, everything had gone pitch-black.

Shadows spread in every direction, erasing sunlight from the world.

Liam's sense of direction went haywire.

He couldn't tell left from right, up from down.

It was like he was drowning in a pool of black. He didn't know if he was breathing or not, since everything went numb.

He couldn't even see or hear anything.

There was only a chilling coldness invading Liam's being.

Liam tried to stay calm, but he couldn't.

He shouted out loud.

His words faded into a deafening silence.

He couldn't even hear himself!

WHOOM!

A giant pillar of light abruptly shot overhead, adding a light source to the dark world and illuminating where Liam was.

He was outside, sprawled over the ground, surrounded by thousands of acolytes who faced the same thing he did. 

They had it a lot worse, though. Some were flat unconscious while others were greedily gasping for air.

Liam's eyes widened with realization.

The beam of light originated from the Main Lands, thousands and thousands of kilometers away.

And the Temple was still on the secluded island they pillaged from the Ravenous Leashes.

Yet, the shadows went way beyond that.

If one had an aerial view of Ilali, they'd see one half of the country basked in darkness, while the other in light.

But the shadows were spread far more. Even reaching the borders of Echoria and touching a few smaller countries.

The scene was otherworldly.

This was the birth of a powerhouse.

Liam's eyes snapped towards the Temple, his heart pounding through his chest. There was thrill, fear and awe in every beat.

A figure slowly flew above. 

The dark world was still irreparably dark, but his silhouette was dimly lit by the ray of light.

Slowly, the shadows reeled back in.

At the same time, the beam of light had thinned out and slowly disappeared.

Only he remained.

Usan Moyong.

The Unforgiven Shadow.

A Rank 6 powerhouse.

There wasn't anything too different about his physical features. He still had short silver hair, a slim but lean build, and cold amber eyes.

But wherever he flew by, a mirage of inky shadows followed his trail, absorbing light, air and everything in between.

It oozed an ominous force and simultaneously looked volatile. 

Liam still felt like he was looking at a different person.

'That beam of light…'

There was only one explanation to who that belonged to.

Hand of Light, whose real name was Kuan.

Who, at the moment, was slowly nearing the island.

Liam's eyes widened again, but the pressure he felt suddenly forced him to squint and grunt.

Kuan had long golden hair, let loose like a lion's mane to his sides – clean shaven, silver eyes, broad shoulders, covered by a long light-made robe.

Surprisingly, he had a tall and muscular build, similar to Ryu. What was strange was how his hair was golden, not white like the rest of the Moyong.

Usan and Hand of Light were more than a thousand kilometers apart from each other, but their gazes met.

Strangely, a pitiful expression was on Kuan's severe face. Heaving a disappointed sigh, he spoke with a distant voice:

"Impatient as ever. You always rushed headfirst into things. Tunnel-visioned, too. That fruit could have been your chance to cure your sickness."

"All you did was make it worse."

Usan scoffed derisively, but didn't say anything. Instead, his cold eyes narrowed to slits, his shadows letting out harrowing shrieks.

It was obvious what he wanted to do.

Kuan laughed sonorously, but it switched off instantly, replaced with a death stare. 

"You're far too weak to think about that, boy. Know your place. Maybe you'd give me a wound or two."

"But you'd die and so would all your clansmen as a result."

Usan growled, his shadows growing more volatile and violent by the second. 

But the reunion between them came to a stop.

Two more figures appeared from different directions.

They weren't Sect leaders.

They weren't the Seven Clans.

They weren't even from Ilali.

…

They were powerhouses.

Meanwhile, Liam felt like an ant. Insignificant. 

He wasn't the only one feeling that way. Everyone was shocked still, unable to move a muscle.

From the Southeast, came a woman. 

Beautiful. Long silver hair. Golden irises. Tall. bulky, almost. She looked severe and cold, like a general. A lioness in human form.

On her head, was a tiny little golden crown. It lacked any colorful jewels or sparkling diamonds, but the woman made it look priceless.

Queen Thryress.

From the east came three different figures.

The one at the forefront had slicked back, bone-white hair that ended in a single, braided line. 

Olive-tanned skin.

A square, aged, nicely trimmed beard on his chin.

A vertical scar on his left eye, blinding it, while his right was a dull black.

In his right hand was a long silver cane without a handle.

He wore a silky black suit above a linen shirt, paired with a long black garb draped against his square shoulders. 

It didn't resemble the world's clothing at all. He almost looked professional in a sense. Radiating an oppressive aura.

He had a condescending smirk on his face.

To his sides were two fully suited soldiers, donning black from head to toe. 

They didn't wear armor, but military-style clothing with all kinds of compartments and weapons on their person.

Their faces were covered with matte-black gas masks, and both were in the peak of the fifth Rank.

The General and his Legion.

The other powerhouses apparently chose not to come to the event.

Both the Queen and the General were more than two thousand kilometers away. 

Yet Liam felt chills run up and down his spine at their mere sight. 

Silence.

Only a light wind and the overlapping of ocean waves were audible.

Surprisingly, the General was the first to break the quiet. With a cocky tone and a broad smirk, he spoke:

"So. You're the runt who wants my blood, eh?"