Born in Blood



The wounded Shifter that initially looked so mighty and powerful was launched in the air.

It smashed against the ceiling and rained shattered chunks of rock as it fell down semi-unconscious.

In truth, Liam didn't blow away the Shifter's body an incredible distance away. He had arrived in a section of the dungeon where the ceiling was much lower compared to the rest.

The underside of the beast's mangled flesh still had the firm imprint of six fists on it.

Liam couldn't tear into the Shifter's flesh, even with his full Ashura body.

Instead, his target was the beast's internal organs.

Fighting against Janice gave him insight on how to effectively damage a Rank 4 body.

The skin and muscle was too rigid and powerful.

The internal organs, however, were much softer compared to the rest of the body.

Spirit/magical beasts were the same.

Their muscles, scales, hides were much stronger than a human's, even if they were the same Rank.

However, the same problem applied to them.

As long as Liam sent a powerful enough shockwave that traveled through their figures, it would discombobulate and stun them.

Obviously, the beast in front of Liam wasn't killed, merely wounded.

"Oi! The path is cleared, come back before you get cru—" Krel's voice was overpowered by the cracking and crushing of stone.

Liam was too focused on the Shifter to pay attention to his words.

As the wolf fell down, the Shifter began to rapidly reform again!

Grimacing, Liam was afraid it was going to morph into another beast… but instead, it shrank down to a Rank 3 beast's size.

Just one or three meters bigger than the norm.

What was left of the Shifter was a large… sea creature?

It was a bloody octopus!

Roughly twenty large tentacles lined with sharp, black spikes protruded from its lower-half, and its egg-shaped head was covered with six eyes on each side. Its patterned black skin was bumpy, slimy, dripping with black ink.

It was liquid darkness, Liam realized… a different kind.

Unlike Liam's darkness that erased things, the Shifter's darkness had imitation properties, losing its ability to corrode.

No wonder it was so smart.

Octopuses had nine brains!

Though, Liam was sure that the Shifter was affected by whatever form it took. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easily fooled by Liam's Shadow Clone abilities.

His multi-colored eyes were filled with shock and amazement as he saw the creature falling down.

RUMBLE.

Meanwhile, the dungeon's entire structure was going to tumble down any second.

However, Liam would be a fool to let something so valuable slip from his grasp, especially since it was so weakened and easy to grab.

He was still in his Ashuran form, and Liam could grab it even with his human body. Still, he needed the speed and strength of the former when dealing with a Zenith.

Before he lost himself to his bestial instincts – which steadily grew and began to fill his mind with violent thoughts – Liam cocked his knees and shot upwards at the Shifter.

The ground below him shattered as it sent him flying.

Midair, Liam's six hands clamped firmly on each of the Shifter's countless tentacles, which were incredibly squishy and soft.

It almost slipped past his grip, but the sharp teeth on the surface of its tentacles helped hook into his hardened skin.

It was still alive, squirming as its mouth released wet, slimy sounds. Its six, jet-black, fish-like eyes converged on Liam's unamused face.

Four of its tentacles rose and shot towards Liam's body in an attempt to pierce it, but in the next second, a series of quick and powerful jabs landed on its oval head.

'It's so weak!' Liam thought with a smile as his punches landed on the Shifter's slimy skin, making it ripple and bounce like jelly.

With each strike, small amounts of blue blood spurted from its mouth.

Liam vaguely figured out the drawback to its insane abilities.

In its most basic form, the Shifter's defenses were incredibly weak against sharp weapons. Enough that even a Rank 2 weapon could cut and severely wound it. 

However, to weapons utilizing sheer force – like Liam's gauntlets – it absorbed most of the shockwaves his fists carried.

But if it consumed another beast – using its intellect to set a trap or take it by surprise – it would take their strengths, abilities, and possibly instincts, which was amazing in its own right.

He didn't deign thinking about the topic in his Ashuran state more than he already did, since his thoughts were becoming murkier by the second.

With one more punch to subdue the Shifter for good, he shot back towards the entrance he entered through.

Falling boulders and large pieces of rubble blocked his trajectory.

Liam's shoulder slammed into the pieces of rock that threatened to crush him while briskly avoiding the giant chunks of earth that continued to fall.

As he got close, Liam realized the Shadows had already left through a narrow opening made by Adrian and Ruth's mace and hammer.

Liam didn't blame them for leaving. 

With them gone, he didn't have to suppress his power.

Chaos gathered around Liam's legs.

He planted his two feet firmly on a boulder midair, then kicked as hard as he could.

CRKH! WHOOSH!

The boulder exploded, and Liam was sent flying at incredible speed towards the narrow passage.

A moment later, a rumbling louder than any other so far thundered from above.

The dungeon's ceiling was crashing down as a whole. 

As it slowly lowered itself to the floor, Liam turned into a streak that tried to reach the wall opposite him.

Just like it seemed that he would be crushed like an ant, Liam landed on the tunnel's entrance and kicked the ground again, beaming through the passage and reaching the other side.

Liam survived by the skin of his teeth. He undid his transformation mid-flight, bumping into wall after wall like a flaccid piece of flesh.

With his physique weakened, the limp tentacles flopped freely and curled around his body like a coil.

He felt the spikes dig into his bruised flesh and touch parts of his bone, his body rolling, tumbling and eventually crashing limp against another Shadow.