Born in Blood



As soon as the blanket-like darkness met the lion's charge, there wasn't any dramatic shockwave or boom.

Instead, the blanket just… anticlimactically 'devoured' the beast.

No one could tell what just happened!

Nobody!

…Except Liam, who watched with wide-open eyes.

That was basically a black hole!

At least, it was a variation of it.

Liam didn't think the world he lived in had studies regarding black holes.

Most people had other things to worry about in their lives.

Cultivation, survival, relationships, and more.

Why would they look at the sky, which they had seen countless times already? 

Perhaps a few powerful cultivators had taken an interest in that.

But what could they even search for? 

Granted, the possibilities capable with inscriptions and specialized forging gave way to incredible ways of research.

But researchers were stingy parsimonious people in this world. 

If there was a cultivator that found out the existence of a black hole, they certainly wouldn't mention it to anyone else.

This meant that the Unforgiven Shadow managed to invent a spell similar to a black hole, without actually knowing what a black hole was.

…Genius, indeed.

Meanwhile, Usan's mask fell apart to reveal the maniacal smile on his pale, weakened and bloodied face. 

It seemed that using that specific spell took everything from him.

And there was still Wild Fang to deal with.

…But the former was already weakened. 

The corrosive poison in his system had made his charge wobbly.

Unforgiven Shadow evaded to the side and proceeded to stab his chokuto blade into the man's neck, along with hundreds of different shadow-blades assaulting him simultaneously.

Amazingly, the blade cracked on impact, piercing barely an inch deep before it shattered into motes of glittering metal.

There was a vicious but brief exchange of attacks as the two got physical. 

The rate at which those punches were exchanged were too fast for normal eyes to see.

Usan suffered powerful blows at his stomach and face, making him cough mouthfuls of blood. 

Wild Fang's body was riddled with cuts from the shadow-swords.

Instead of defending himself from them, he disregarded any defense and made it his life's goal to kill Unforgiven Shadow.

The bestial look in his enraged eyes made the Berserker Hound pale in comparison.

He was pissed!

Battles were won with force!

With might!

With skill!

This emo prick just poisoned him!

…However, as the battle continued, Wild Fang grew slower and slower.

His eyes were bloodshot while his breathing was ragged and painful. Pieces of bone were jutting through his ripped skin.

Unforgiven Shadow wasn't in the best condition, either.

His shadow demon mask had long been shattered, leaving his bruised face in full view.

His right arm had been shattered into limp flesh, along with several of his ribs that weren't in their place.

The killing blow arrived nonetheless.

Usan ducked under Wild Fang's swing, then tensed his hand and pierced the man's side. 

The shadow-swords had focused on that spot specifically, softening enough for his hand to tear right through.

Wild Fang flinched and roared weakly, throwing sluggish attacks that missed Usan by several inches.

In theory, exhaustion didn't apply to a Rank 5 body.

But what Wild Fang was going through was not exhaustion. It was innervation. All of his energy was being ripped apart from within him.

And just like that, the Rank 5 cultivator began making his humble descent towards the earth, his rage dying like the last embers of a dwindling fire.

Before he fell, though, Usan seized him by the head.

Heaving a sigh, Usan raised his head to the sky.

He had done it.

He was the victor.

A single Rank 5 battle took two hours to end.

And what remained was pure desolation.

Not a single plant lived towards the center of the island and what followed. Even a nuke was kinder to the environment than they were.

Everyone watching was now at his mercy.

There was a tense silence as he did nothing, letting his wounds heal as a shadowy substance reformed them.

Slowly, Usan turned towards those watching in the distance.

The Acolytes were suppressing their joy.

The Disciples were grieving for their deceased patriarch and their grim future.

The Leash Elders looked ready to fight to the death, but they found themselves unable to move.

Their shadows had them locked in place.

Within the next instant, their shadows were forcing them to spread apart, and their bodies were slowly ripped in half like paper.

A moment later, Usan shifted his attention towards someone specific in the corner.

Liam.

Their gazes connected.

Liam took a deep breath as he felt naked under the Unforgiven's piercing gaze.

Why was he being singled out?

There was shock in his widened eyes. 

But with it, respect and awe. 

He meant it too. 

What he saw was a display of power that made his ambition and excitement roar uncontrollably.

What Usan did next was unexpected. 

As though he were a ragdoll, Usan hurled Wild Fang's body straight towards Liam!

Liam activated Cartilage Brace and Defensive Skin as he lept upwards and grabbed onto the dead man's wounded body before it fell to the floor.

The surrounding acolytes looked at the scene with incredulous expressions.

But Liam understood what this was.

It was a gift.

A Rank 5 gift that came in the form of a corpse. 

"Consume him and grow stronger," Usan said. 

"You and I will have a talk soon."

With that, Usan began to descend, and the Temple Elders shot towards his location.

Those around him gave Liam strange looks.

Consume?

At the same time, Elder Jane gave Liam an envious glance, but said nothing, joining the rest.

A Rank 5 body was valuable.

With unorthodox techniques in alchemy, forgery and inscriptions, the Elders could make powerful items with each organ in his body.

And Usan had given that gift to Liam alone. 

'Wise of him,' Liam thought, storing the man's corpse in a ring.

With this, Liam was indebted to Usan.

If he didn't say the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, it would just be disrespect and arrogance.

But Liam didn't intend to do any of that.

'I wonder how long it would take for me to digest a Rank 5 body.'

Liam smiled wickedly.