Born in Blood

Liam heaved a long sigh and emptied his lungs.

Then, he smiled.

Finally, the third Trial was over with.

But Liam wasn't angry it took so long to complete. 

Nearly 5 and a half months in total, in fact.

Liam barely managed to cultivate and train with anything else during such a period.

But he was still happy.

Why?

He'd never felt such a strong connection to something before. 

Apathy and indifference was a major part of his life.

All he ever cared about was himself and his dreams.

Even as Liam continued to grow in strength.

But now?

Liam cared for his sword, too. 

As Liam reveled in the newfound feelings, Eternal Sword's voice rang out.

"The sword reflects the heart. On its own, it has no purpose. But whoever holds it gives it one."

Liam memorized the words.

At the same time, a marble dais with a rune on top of it emerged from the ground, along with a gate to the fourth Trial.

Liam approached the rune with a smile he couldn't suppress.

There was no difference between this rune and the Sword Hardening one, but Liam imagined the reward would be greater.

He crushed it in his hand.

It exploded into motes of light that entered his mental sphere and melted into his mind.

Silence.

Liam took a deep breath, his eyes widened.

'How is that even possible?'

Liam activated the technique he just got.

Suddenly, Liam's odachi hummed.

By now, there were 2 layers of glamor on its surface anyways.

The first being the natural black metal. The second being Sword Hardening. And the third…

"Wow… this is… strange…"

Silence.

Who spoke just now?

…

The sword.

The sword spoke to Liam!

An inanimate object!

Liam frowned a bit.

The sword's words rang out in his mind.

The voice was feminine, too!

A professional voice of a middle-aged woman who works in an office.

…The description was strange, but that's what Liam imagined it as.

Liam had no clue how the sword spoke.

At the same time, Liam felt emotion from the sword!

Right now, it was expressing curiosity and awe. 

"Can you hear me?" Liam tried transmitting to the sword.

But the sword's voice was in his own mind. All he did was speak to himself.

"Yes, master."

Liam raised his brows in surprise. 

This was… strange.

Very strange.

Being called master by a sword was a strange sensation.

Especially when considering that Liam felt close to the sword.

"This is weird. You aren't an actual woman, are you?" Liam asked the sword.

Silence.

"No. I am not," the sword replied with what seemed like an ethereal smile.

The name of the technique was called Sword Connection.

In essence, all it did was connect the sword to its user.

What would come as a result?

Right now, it wasn't just that Liam felt the sword's emotion and words.

Right now, he 'felt' the sword as though it was his own flesh and blood. 

Like the metal had suddenly grown nerves and those nerves attached to his own body.

In other words, there was no difference between Liam and his sword now.

They were one entity.

"What's it like being a sword?" Liam asked the odachi. His curiosity got the best of him.

Silence.

Liam felt as though the sword smiled at him.

"I have an urge to cut things. But only once. I don't like to taste the same target twice."

Silence.

Liam instantly understood something.

The sword had a personality of its own based on how and why it was made!

Liam made the odachi for one thing.

Sharpness and cutting foes down instantaneously. 

And that's exactly what the odachi just told him.

Not only that, but Liam was sure that its voice was derived from the shape and style of the odachi. 

It was clean, sleek, without so much as a nick on its shimmering surface. Indifferent, cold, and quick to the task.

Sort of like a corporate lady.

As such, Liam had a different thought.

'What about the Dusk Blades?' 

Sword Connection wasn't limited to just one weapon.

As long as it was a sword, Liam could connect himself to it.

In fact, Liam could connect to several swords at the same time. He didn't even know if there was a limit.

"I'll put you in my ring, now," Liam told the sword.

The sword gave a nod. 

Obviously, it didn't have a neck and couldn't move.

But Liam felt whenever it did an action of any kind.

Liam put the sword in his ring and took out the Dusk Blades.

Then, he connected with them.

Rage.

Bloodlust.

Cruelty.

Liam felt a surge of these three emotions enter his mind the second he activated the technique.

"Are you our Forger?" two demonic voices asked at the same time.

They sounded like creatures of the abyss that sought only cruelty and nothing more.

"I am," Liam responded.

Silence.

The Dusk Blades lessened their rage around their master.

There was another emotion Liam felt when he answered their question.

Fear. 

"You are crueler than us," the Dusk Blades said. "We're the tools to carnage. You are the carnage itself."

Silence.

"Didn't think it was possible for blades to feel fear," Liam responded with a smirk. 

"We do not," they responded. "We fear not meeting your expectations."

Strangely enough, Liam felt at ease around the talking swords. 

He'd forged them with his own two hands, after all. 

They were Liam, and Liam was them.

Swords definitely appealed to him more now.

Liam stored the Dusk Blades in his ring.

His gaze fell on the fourth Trial gate.

'This was just the third Trial, and it was this hard. Whatever's past that gate will be way more difficult—'

Qrrrrrrrrr.

The abrupt noise startled Liam, but then he quickly realized what the source was.

His stomach.

He still hadn't eaten.

Liam felt weak all of a sudden. He quickly laid down a feast and began to wolf it down.

For the next 3 weeks, he slowly replenished his strength and practiced with his weapons.

Liam didn't name them something different.

Their names suited their individual personalities.

Black Blade preferred the name Black Blade.

And Dusk Blades preferred Dusk Blades.

The 3 weeks were over.

Liam heaved a quick sigh, while his gaze grew resolute.

Now, to the fourth Trial!