Born in Blood



"Pack up. We're heading to the Citadel."

Liam's aloof and cold aura wasn't possible to hide. It gave off a threatening air, like he might attack at any given time. 

Frowns plastered the group's expressions.

Lawrence becoming a Rank 2 Magus crossed their minds for a brief moment, but they instantly denied that thought. It was shockingly unbelievable to think so. Impossible, even. 

After such a long period of seclusion, they just imagined that he focused most of his time with the Psionic Rune. A reasonable conclusion, all things considered.

Nessa looked at Liam with quiet, hidden disdain. She didn't approve of his cold and indifferent personality, but she respected him enough not to voice it.

Nord, on the other hand, only grew in respect. Just being around Liam helped increase his motivation to grow stronger.

Rin had a much more complicated look in her mauve eyes. It's like she had some words to say, but couldn't find or express them.

Meanwhile, Liam realized that he could see mental energy seeping through his group's minds with unbridled clarity. 

He didn't fail to notice how it contained layers of meanings that held different levels of complexity. Layers Liam obviously didn't understand. 

'I'll find out sometime soon.'

Liam noticed how everyone was still staring at him in silence. He scowled.

"Why are you all gawking at me? Get moving."

///

Liam climbed the top of the spire, just below the sharp tip where powerful lightning smashed against. 

His iris constricted, peering over the endless, foggy horizon. 

It no longer hindered Liam's sight. He could see the Citadel in all of its magnificence. 

The word 'Citadel' did well to represent it, since it looked like a gothic metropolis that almost tore through the clouds with spires and towering structures, built around an obsidian plateau where a special looking castle rested. 

Strangely enough, lightning didn't strike those lands, only those outside its huge borders that stretched across a huge plot of ground.

Around those very borders, Liam spotted giant bats that flew in and over the Citadel. 

Upon a closer inspection, there were people perched atop of those bats! Vampires, to be exact.

Niveh had explained what those were – the vampires' natural method of transportation. 

The Blood Bats weren't Rank 4 beasts. 

They were Rank 3, but their strengths lay in their size, flight and physical strength.

They were also tameable, and found within large mountain dungeons… which just happened to be the next goal for the group.

That was the only 'safe' method for them to get into the city. The borders were heavily swarming with powerful vampires, and Liam couldn't think of a way to pass through without violence involved.

However, if you flew in on a bat above ground, you'd be assumed to be a fellow bloodsucker. 

"Just so you know, you won't find those bats easily. They're extremely rare compared to earthen creatures, and it's not guaranteed they will let you ride them." 

Niveh's words contained a mix of fear and excitement. 

Liam and the rest swapped out their clothes with the garments of the vampires they killed, at least, those that were still in one piece. 

The sizes looked a bit off, but it would take a closer assessment to truly see the difference.

Liam wore black, Nord wore silk red, Rin wore mauve, Nessa wore yellow. Thankfully, the loose garments came with hoods they could throw on their head.

Once everybody was ready, they set out once again.

///

It took a week for the group to find a large dungeon with Blood Bats, taking cultivation and food breaks in between.

Niveh expected at least one month of searching, since bats of that caliber weren't easy to come by. 

Liam's eyesight and strengthened 'mental muscle' was no joke. He could push his senses up to 55 meters in total, giving him a crystal clear view of every nook and cranny nearby. 

He made sure to avoid the routes that were infested with corrupted beasts and wandering Rank 1 vampires. In truth, he had already sensed a Blood Bat dungeon, but made several 'mistakes' until Rin or Nord eventually found it. 

They stood at the entrance of a giant circular cave. Silent screeches rang out from within, along with faint rustling and faint wind flapping noises. From the roof, dozens of huge bats with crimson fur hung with their wings enshrouding their bodies. 

Even on the floor, there were bats that laid on top of each other for warmth. 

"I… I'm not a hundred percent sure about this, but to tame one, you have to feed it some of your blood. If it likes you, it will let you ride and fly on top of it."

Seven icy eyes pierced holes through Niveh's skull.

"You waited that long to tell us you didn't know?" Liam asked with a scowl. Everyone else was angry for the same reason.

Niveh shifted uncomfortably in place. "It's not my fault! I thought if I wasn't useful, you'd kill me off…"

Nessa let out a slight scoff. "Maybe he will," she shot a look at Liam.

Liam ignored her remark and heaved a sigh. 

"We'll have no choice then. Who wants to go first?"

Silence.

Surprisingly, it was Nord who answered first.

"I'll do it. It looks fun."

Nord stepped forward and cautiously stepped into the Blood Bat den. It took him a minute to reach the closest bat on the floor, which looked at him with an unnerved look. 

It hissed repeatedly as a warning, but the vermillion-eyed boy wasn't afraid.

Taking another step forward, Nord bit his finger, collecting the blood in the hollowness of his hand. With slow and careful movements, he stretched out his hand towards the bat.

It took a few minutes for the bat to stop hissing… but slowly, it reached for the blood!

Like a cat dipping its tongue into milk, the bat licked Nord's blood until it completely finished it.

With another hiss – which sounded way softer compared to the first – it picked Nord up with its giant maw and threw him on his back!