Born in Blood

Two weeks passed since Liam revealed his status as a Magus.

Using the second Psionic Rune was basically the same as the first, only it caused major migraines.

Liam used all his mental energy restoration pills in one session, which helped him get an edge in starting the second rune.

The nobles' reaction was far less severe than he expected.

David had met with him shortly, offering his congratulations and speaking a few words of praise. Other than that, he mentioned multiple noble families that would love to sponsor his growth.

Of course, that came with the condition of servitude. No matter how high a familial rank they gave him – or how strong he got – he would be bound to them, accepting orders from the top.

Which, to Liam, sounded worse than death.

As of now, it wasn't mandatory for him to accept any of their invitations, but Liam knew stalling for too long would no doubt offend them.

'The Royce family didn't react, which means they don't want to be associated with me – or maybe my father is the one trying to hide my achievements.'

'Either way, they're waiting for me to either accept another family's invite, or offend one of them.'

The silver lining was that Liam got more time to organize his thoughts and his plan of action, silently growing his strength.

All his plans ended up with him escaping.

However, they weren't solid.

He needed a proper opportunity – not to mention there was still his mother's situation he needed to take care of – as well as a location to escape to.

For now, he needed to exercise patience. Which he had no problems doing so.

***

Six burly men – wearing huntsman clothing made from heat resistant magical beasts and wielding various inscribed weapons – stood at the entrance of a large, underground dungeon.

The surroundings were covered with ash, and puddles of magma – all of which lead to a giant volcanic geyser not too far away. In fact, the geyser was a source of heat for nearby water sources, mainly waterfalls and rivers.

This location was a danger zone, both because of the environment conditions, and the magical beasts that infested them.

Behind the men, rested more than a dozen Lava Lions corpses in the second rank.

Their furs were pure black, but their manes were a lustrous orange – resembling fire. They were merely Rank-2, yet were 2.8 meters in length.

"Get ready. This place has been infested for god knows how long, we can't let them grow any further."

The men shot each other a knowing look, before they pushed forward and entered the dark dungeon.

They were soldiers of the Royce family, sent to clear magical beast nests and infested areas. The Lava Lion den had been neglected for some time, but there was finally a team sent to exterminate them.

Countless glowing, orange eyes opened in pairs within the darkness, accompanied by loud growls.

ROAAAR!

The men didn't sit still, and neither did the Rank-3 Lions.

An inscribed spear burst into flames, a pair of sabers whirred with wind, a hammer smashed against the earth and shattered the ground like glass.

The Lions' manes burst into flames - a compelling indication of its superior strength as a magical beast - an aura of heat surrounding their bodies. The dungeon was lit in an instant, revealing at least thirty Rank-3 Lions in that underground space.

The Lions in the front pounced, while those behind opened their jaws, a growing light appearing in their throat – which slowly took the shape of boiling magma.

The cultivators came prepared.

Those at the back cast long-ranged offensive spells to stop the Lion's in their tracks, and those wielding weapons stopped the pouncing Lions from attacking them.

Streaks of magma flew into the air from the Lion's side, exchanged with similar fireballs and slashes of wind.

Booms, bangs and roars caused the underground to tremble, pieces of rubble falling from the dungeon roof.

The clash continued for multiple minutes, with the human side visibly triumphing – pushing forward towards the visible geyser not too far away.

The very last Lion prepared to gurgle and spew out magma, but a giant inscribed hammer smashed against its skull, killing it instantly.

The tired and sweaty hunters were about to sigh in relief, but the hair on their skins arose all at the same time.

Their eyes widened as they saw a chunk of the ground break apart, a giant figure with burning tufts of orange fur emerging from beneath it.

Some cursed and instantly shot for the exit, but a claw swiped against their bodies, severing them into three bloody sections.

The others stood still in fear as the giant figure towered over them – the heat radiating from it charring their flesh.

What emerged from the ground was a giant Lava Lion, 7 meters in height and 10 meters in length. Its giant mane burst with violent flames — dripping with magma — and its low growl sounded like a thundering chainsaw.

Its body was a mix of orange and black fur, which made the beast look like it was made from molten gold.

Its presence alone made the remaining men unable to move, their mouths agape and eyes filled with dread.

'R-Rank-4!'

One brave fellow attempted to swing his hammer at the beast, but couldn't get close enough to land a strike.

All it took was one roar, and the men fell limp on the ground – their mental spheres shattered and their internal organs destroyed.

The Rank-4 Lava Lion growled again, and behind it, hundreds of its pack exited the darkness - awaking from their slumber. They swarmed the corpses and devoured them in an instant.

The giant Lion left its den - followed by its underlings - and made its way towards the sunlight, reaching atop a hill. In the distance, a city caught its eye.

Ucladd, to be precise.