Born in Blood



Liam didn't use any of his martial arts or spells. 

Anything that had even the tiniest detail of his fighting style had to be avoided.

His plan was simple, but shrewd. 

Using the feud between Erivol and Ucladd, he'd kill both 'himself' and two nobles from each city. 

Of course, he'd use his dear inscription master's methods of killing to achieve his goals. 

No one knew Revel died but Liam himself, but the real Blood Demon's fate was unknown to the masses.

With the odachi and vampiric nails, Liam could create a crime scene with Revel's M.O.

The reasons for the attack could vary, but perhaps the Blood Demon saw an opportunity to strike when everyone wasn't expecting it. 

Or maybe his hatred had flared seeing someone else stealing his name. 

It could even be jealousy from Liam's element, which is why he had his core pulled out.

…Who could tell?

There was massive room for ambiguity, leaving anyone guessing as to how and why a fight had started.

With (fake) Liam's core pulled out, no one could verify his death, but none could deny it.

…It didn't end there.

Although it was a gamble, Liam needed to put the Ovlar family patriarch against Edwin Royce.

Having two Zenith's duking it out while Liam had long escaped sounded too good to be true… but one could hope.

In the first place, the two cities absolutely despised one another. Even if the patriarchs had nothing against each other, all Liam needed to do was ignite the flame of anger and hatred.

Done with his musings, Liam watched with cold eyes as Ian struggled for air, asphyxiating, his skin turning purple.

Liam towered over Ian's body and swung the odachi.

Chunks of Ian's flesh along with his ears, chin, shoulders, scalp and thigh were severed at once.

Just like that, Ian Royce was no more.

Liam shifted his attention towards Elsa laying on the bed.

Her face hadn't changed all throughout the encounter, but Liam didn't feel comfortable letting her live despite that.

In the first place, there were probably countless ways to heal mental illnesses and other defects. Liam wasn't exposed to too many of those items, but the world of cultivation was vast.

He had barely experienced the tip of the iceberg.

"I've already broken you. Wasting time is pointless."

With one swipe across her neck, Elsa's head slid past the side of her neck and fell by the bedside.

A moment later, Liam tensed his hands, activating the vampiric nails.

He drained all the blood from Ian and Elsa's body at once, turning them into mummified corpses, then absorbing their corpses into his ring.

'Now, all I need is someone from Erivol. I need to be fast!'

Liam's mind was already set to his next victim.

It was Jacob Ovlar.

///

Jacob continued partying, drinking away his sorrows.

The drinking age of cultivators was vastly different from normal humans, as their bodies handled alcohol much better than the norm.

His family was particularly strict, and his master was undoubtedly disappointed.

Jacob had already gulped down nine glasses of heavy wine, a flushed look on his broken face.

Despite being surrounded by beautiful girls his age, he felt alone.

"Jacob, that's enough, isn't it?" 

A young girl with similar features to him called out with a worried expression – his sister, it seemed like.

Jacob scoffed and drank glass after glass, growing drowsy and dull.

Sure enough, his bladder required emptying.

Jacob stumbled as he left the hall and approached the corridor.

Emily, his sister, followed closely behind to make sure he was okay.

"Stop chasing me around! What are you, my maid?!" 

Jacob shouted loudly, the surrounding nobles shifting their attention to the ruckus.

After an awkward pause, Emily shook her head as she walked away, prompting Jacob to scoff as he turned around and continued through the corridor.

The young man felt as though the colosseum halls had turned into a maze.

He turned corner after corner, but all the doors were strangely locked.

"Huh? Where am I?" Jacob wondered, supporting himself on the walls, finding himself in the middle of a dark T-shaped corridor.

The surrounding servants were simply too afraid to approach a drunken noble, a brash, powerful young man at that.

They simply avoided him.

"Over here!"

A faint, urging voice sounded from around the corner.

Jacob couldn't tell who it was since his senses had been dulled considerably, but he naturally assumed it was a servant.

Peeking the corner, his brows raised in momentary surprise. 

An abrupt fist smashed against Jacob's jaw, knocking him out cold, along with a few teeth that flew out from his mouth with a trail of blood.

///

Liam made his way back to the victor's chambers, laying down Jacob's unconscious body on the floor.

On the way there, he had passed a few guards, but with his cap down and Jacob's hand around his shoulder, he looked like a servant tending to his drunk master.

Then, he began setting the scene. One by one, he started shattering the expensive furniture and priceless paintings.

He placed Ian and Elsa's body somewhere random on the floor, arranging their bodies a specific way.

Elsa was braindead, but it had to look like Ian carried her there.

Soon enough, Jacob's eyes started flickering open.

His chest sank as he saw what Liam was doing with the nobles' corpses. 

Before he could take out his spear and stab him in the back, a metal glimmer reflected in his brown eyes.

Instantly, Jacob's consciousness faded to dark.

From the side, Liam had hurled Revel's odachi like a throwing knife at Jacob's head, killing him instantly.

A moment later, he drained him of all the blood in his body.

From the above view, it looked as though Elsa, Ian and Jacob entered the room together and a fight broke out between them and Liam.

'I have about a four or five minute window to get as far away as I can from here.'

With everything out the way, it was time for Liam to make his escape.