Born in Blood



'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.