Born in Blood



Zvehm was roughly 2.1 meters in height. He wore a hairy red tunic made from bloodhound will that covered his lower body, while his pale muscular chest and massive arms were left bare.

Like his moniker suggested, a giant hammer made from hardened blood hung on his shoulder, which he haughtily walked around with.

His jaw was square, eyes crimson, while unkempt jet-black hair fell behind his back.

With large steps, he trodded down the mountain slope and headed straight towards the forest.

Silently, the group pursued.

With their presences hidden, it wasn't possible for Zvehm to know he was being trailed.

Three hours passed.

The Red Hammer found a group of corrupted hyenas, his pale lips cracking to a wicked smile.

One after the other, thunderous bangs and booms resounded through the small forested area.

Zvehm had shattered the hyena's skulls one after the other, brain matter and viscera splattering across the bloodied trees.

The man's guttural and thrilled laughter sounded like a murderer reveling in his kills.

Liam's eye flashed coldly.

Sliding his feet across the wooden branch he perched on, he erupted forward with his blades aiming straight for the Red Hammer's neck.

Zvehm yanked his neck to where the tree branch fell, only to see the wrong side of a katana and wakizashi.

His neck barely pulled back at the nick of time before getting severed but caustic black flames marred his face, making him grunt in pain and anger.

"Who dares?!"

Lifting his hammer to the sky, he attempted to strike the earth with all his might.

Before he did so, Liam's blades – activated with its forging ability – and chains blurred, severing off the man's hands and making him drop the giant hammer.

It didn't end there.

Everyone began to unleash their strongest spells on the man's figure.

Fire from Rin, wind by Nord, threads by Niveh, water by Nessa, and earth by Gerald.

Liam made sure to spam his needles as much as he could.

Eventually, Zvehm's body wasn't even visible due to the clouds of smoke, earth and other debris from their spells.

"Stop."

Liam's low voice sounded, and the spells ceased instantly.

Slowly, the dust cloud settled, revealing Zvehm's muscular body filled with every grievous wound imaginable.

His charred innards were seeping out from his body. His hands were severed. A chunk of his corroded face was missing. 

Still, he was standing valiantly. Thankfully, his main body was intact, slowly healing.

Liam approached cautiously. For safe measure, he cut off the vampire's muscle tendons, making him trip over with a thump.

'Easier than I thought,' Liam realized. He turned to Niveh and asked, "Does he know where the traps are?"

"He might," she responded with a bit of fear in her voice. "But I doubt he'll tell you."

Liam scoffed, binding Red Hammer with a tight rope.

Gripping the man by the hair, he made him sit upright under a blood tree, then crouched beside him as he healed.

Gerald had seen enough bodies and killing to barely stomach the gory sight, with Nessa doing the same.

For Liam, Rin and Nord, it was just another Tuesday.

Eventually, the Red Hammer had regained enough strength to speak.

"Sun-bathers? You fu—"

Liam stomped the giant in the face. Niveh flinched, feeling his pain, but she thrived on the schadenfreude. 

That only worked in enraging him further, but another kick struck. 

After another four kicks, the giant stopped shouting.

"Tell me where the traps are. You only get one chance to answer right. I have about nine others to get through in the span of a couple of days."

Usually, Liam would use his mental pressure to frighten his victims, but to vampires, that trick didn't really work. 

They didn't possess a sea of consciousness, unlike humans. 

For this reason, mental attacks didn't work on them. Only spells.

Zvehm, who's figure slowly started to heal, gave Liam a smug smile… then spat blood on his face.

Liam heaved a sigh, fixing his right hand into an eagle's claw. Without warning, he stabbed into the man's heart!

The giant vampire looked shocked, then let out a sharp gasp. His crimson eyes lingered on Liam's cold, uncaring face.

"I told you. One chance, retard," Liam said, pulling out his hand and taking out the man's Nexus with it.

Under the incredulous gaze of the others, Liam began inspecting it with the King's Eye. Slowly, the blood-red energies that surrounded the spherical heart started to dim down and die.

Liam made sure to collect every drop in a glass container, and stored the heart itself for later studying.

By then, the Red Hammer was no more.

"We can't waste time. We'll do the others next."

///

Vxich rested his cheek on his fist as he leaned back in his throne. Peering out through the spire windows, he heaved a satisfied sigh. 

This was the life. Comfortably living above everyone else with no worries other than a few to kill here and there, with a group of powerful people under him. 

…Though, there was a complication. 

Two of his people were missing. 

It wasn't unusual for those two to be gone for long periods of time. They were stationed towards the borders anyway. 

Yet nearly a month passed and there wasn't a peep from them.

"How many times will they make me pluck out their organs?" Vxich sighed. 

Things were just looking up as well. He was just about to get a promotion and move to the citadel to work with the higher class where he belonged, not among these low-leveled mongrels.

The lower ranked vampires lived boring lives, simply receiving orders from an endless list of superiors. The Blooder was not to be among them!

Vxich reluctantly left his throne room, fixing his long, blood-red garment as he made his way down the spire stairs. 

Now that he thought about it…

Where the heck was everyone? 

His heart pumped as he moved to the base of the spire. It only did that when it faced danger. 

"Wherever you are, you can come out now."