Born in Blood



Within the massive underground structure, there was a strange silence. 

North Star had heard the conversation and looked livid, pulling away Yar'wei and erecting a barrier of light around them to prevent any snooping from the two visitors.

[I know you already know this, but don't let them ask for proof of my second element,] Liam transmitted.

Usan nodded, his attention still on the barrier.

A few minutes passed.

Meanwhile, Liam noticed Twilight looking at him with a narrowed gaze.

To which he responded with a mock-filled grin.

'Mad?' 

Was what it translated to.

Twilight's cheeks turned red from a mix of anger and embarrassment.

Finally, the light barrier dissipated.

North Star still looked vexed.

But Yar'wei was calm.

It was clear who authority was given to.

Yar'wei approached Usan and gave him a single nod.

"Want to speak terms now, or later?" he asked.

Usan shook his head.

"Later."

There was a fruit he needed to digest first.

If Usan was to become a Rank 6, negotiations would get far easier, too.

"Fine. You have eight months."

***

Liam and Usan left after that.

There was nothing more to discuss there, and they were already flying back to the temple.

The millions below had already scattered in different directions.

"Who's the 'Eternal Sword'?" Liam asked. 

A soft wind brushed over them as they flew. 

Usan was taking it slow on purpose. His face distant with thought.

"I've only heard legends," he replied.

"There's a place outside Ilali. The very distant north. A clean swath of nothing runs across for more than 6,000 kilometers. It's called the World's Cut."

Usan paused.

"They say a single slash from the Eternal Sword's blade was what caused it."

Liam just let out a chuckle. 

It was ridiculous.

…But probably true.

Who knew the techniques that came with the inheritance of such a person.

"So where is he now? Dead?" Liam asked. 

The island grew visible in the distance.

"Nah. Alive. Probably. In another realm somewhere."

Liam's eyes widened slightly.

Come to think of it, he never did ask where everyone in the seventh Rank went.

Everything had been so hectic for so long. Escape, joining the temple, scheming against the Ravenous, fighting in the tournament. 

"Where exactly do the Rank 7's go?" Liam asked.

They were hovering over the giant temple now. The acolytes grew visible and pointed at them from afar.

Usan shrugged. 

"I don't know the gist of it. To my knowledge, a gateway opens to another realm. One to sustain the Celestial and their kind. Their status is too powerful here."

'So there is a Celestial Realm, after all. Professor Kivler Urwol was right. It's strange how there's no documentation of them leaving the world, though.'

Finally, the duo had landed, getting swarmed by thousands of acolytes paying their respects, along with Elders who bombarded them with questions.

To quell their curiosity and worry, Usan took out the fruit. It was as though a sun had spawned in the center of the island, momentarily blinding everyone.

A wave of gasps rang out from them, but Usan quickly threw the item back into his ring. 

***

After a few rounds of questions and answers, Usan and Liam quickly went underground to divide the Miracle Fruit into the appropriate size. 

The Elders were silently seated around them, watching intently.

"Half an inch, right?" Usan asked.

Liam nodded.

An inch was too much, Liam realized. 

What if he exploded because of his greed? He'd rather hold off for a bit.

Usan took out a blade. 

It was a regular kitchen knife.

One used to cook vegetables and meat.

"Are you seriously using a kitchen knife to cut into a Rank 6 fruit?" Liam asked him, aghast.

"What?" Usan shrugged, unrepentant. "It works fine."

Usan carefully cut into the fruit's edge.

Somehow, the light inside the Miracle Fruit was brighter. 

Gently picking the radiant morsel of fruit, Usan handed it to Liam. 

Liam took it, but didn't swallow it right away. 

"I'll enter seclusion for a few months. Until I digest the entire thing," Usan addressed the room. "It might take at least five to eight months."

They nodded in response.

Liam didn't need anything either.

He already had his Rank 4 cultivation technique. 

All he needed to do now was find a way to make the fruit easier to digest…

…and prepare to enter an inheritance. 

***

Liam didn't think too deeply of it. 

If a kitchen knife could cut into the Miracle Fruit, surely his Blood could affect it?

The only reason it was a Rank 6 item was because of its amazing nourishing abilities, so…

Liam just coated the radiant morsel with a gob of blood.

Then, he waited for a few minutes for it to take its effect.

Before long, the rays of light that the morsel emitted were now red, making it look like a red dwarf.

Liam heaved a long sigh…

…then threw it in his mouth.

The fruit itself tasted sweet and sour, like a mix between an apple, orange and a pineapple.

As it passed through his gullet, there was only one thought that ran through Liam's mind:

Energy!

Such potent energy!

Liam felt as though a dam of pure nourishment had been injected into his blood stream. 

It flooded him at once, in all organs… and it kept coming!

It was at this moment that he knew, he messed up. 

But he didn't panic.

Liam started to direct the energy on where to go.

Like redirecting a surging river, Liam connected the stream of energy to his arm. 

It was the only outlet for the energy to go. A void that needed filling.

Liam's eyes widened as he saw his stump of a shoulder rapidly gain layers of flesh. 

It was like watching a fast-forwarded video of an arm regrowing.

The black bone was first, coated by muscles then flesh and skin.

After a few minutes, Liam's arm was back!

…

But there was no hand.

Liam connected the remaining energy to his Chaos Pearl.