Born in Blood

546  Ready

The prospect of a self-growing power in one's Path sounded straight out of a cultivator's wet dreams. What better gift could a man ask? It was worth more than a self-multiplying 'Ora' Mine.

Liam held down the thought. This was all theory, and none of it was truly proven. He'd have to wait patiently to see if there was any noticeable effect in consuming blood in both the short, and long term. For his Death Aspect, Liam had a genuine lack of guidance—but it was too soon to say anything definitive. Just like with his Blood, it required time to comprehend. Which was perfectly fine to him.

Liam slightly frowned. 'Everyday, something new gets dumped on my plate. I already have the Rank 5 body and the updated Primordial Forging to work on, I haven't inscribed anything in so long, and the majority of my spells are outdated…'

There was also another issue.

Liam's essence had a specific weakness. Two petal's worth of essence were required to imbue his sword with Resonance… which only meant that weapons with greater mass — like the Breaker — required even more. Liam sighed. Although he wasn't having trouble with fighting common opponents at the lower Zenith Ranks, the same could not be said for those at the upper and peak levels. What if someone like Silivar or Glob or Mantis fought against him? Updating his arsenal sounded like a good idea.

He could only blame himself for biting off more than he could chew. 'A period of seclusion will do me well. I can't progress so chaotically.'

It was decided.

When given the chance, Liam would dedicate a portion of time to seclusion… just to organize his affairs and get his priorities in order. Satisfied, he took one last look around before raising above the ground and—

Liam sensed something large — very large — shaking the water some distance away. Zooming with the King's Eye, his gaze narrowed sharply with Spirit Sight. A vague silhouette flickered bright in the distance, growing radiant as the seconds ticked past. With each moment that passed, Liam was torn between running away immediately, and stilling his fear to remain behind to lay eyes on whatever monster was strolling past. He chose the latter.

Even if he ran now, there was a high chance whatever came through the Quadrant could already see him. If not, making any sudden movements could alert the creature to focus him. It was logical, and likely safer, to stay still… and so he did, stifling even his heartbeat.

What came next made his eyes widen with shock and awe. He had never seen something so… beautiful and gentle to the eyes.

The vague silhouette was no longer shrouded with darkness. It had emerged with all its glory, magnificence and radiance—casting rays of sapphire light across the dull, plain seabed.

Before him was a colossal argonaut, its shell shimmering like a myriad of polished diamonds, fashioned to a hypnotizing spiral shape. The creature's body undulated gracefully, its translucent tentacles trailing like streams of liquid starlight, leaving a glittering path in the water. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Its eyes, deep and iridescent, reflected what seemed like the ocean itself—containing ancient wisdom and timeless knowledge. As it moved, the argonaut's shell pulsed with a soft, bioluminescent glow, painting the surrounding water in hues of azure and indigo. Each gentle wave of its streamlined body sent ripples of light outward, illuminating the seabed with a mesmerizing dance of shadows and colors.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still. The profound creature exuded a sense of serene power and ancient magic, as if it were an appointed guardian of the ocean's secrets. The sheer beauty and grace of the argonaut left Liam breathless. He was captivated.

This was a living embodiment of the ocean's wonders. This… this was one of the Great Tides!

The Argonaut herself!

Liam felt like an ant watching a dragon fly by. Like a little child watching a plane fly over. Unlike the Rank 6 Leviathan that Liam had seen during his underwater trip with Usan, this creature was far greater in magnanimity… albeit way less terrifying. Her aura washed over Liam, sending a strange warmth that relaxed his tense muscles and stiff frame. As a matter of fact, it felt as though he was incapable of summoning a violent thought. …Even though his mind was normally filled with them.

The Argonaut gracefully glided through the waters, slowly growing distant. It didn't take long for her radiant, starry form to merge with the ocean, leaving behind a trail of azure essence.

Liam took a deep breath, then exhaled. Then, his gaze soured, almost in disgust. That…'peaceful' feeling left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

For a second, Liam was stripped of his very identity. Of who he was. But he knew why. He was too weak for his identity to matter in front of these beings.

Their auras were so potent and dominant, it naturally influenced their surroundings and… lower lifeforms. His dark eyes lingered on where the Argonaut left from. One day, their auras would not rewrite his. He would overwhelm them with his own.

***

Before long, Liam made his way back to Bill McGill's Quadrant, pondering his Rank 5 technique on the way there. He had the base of the idea down. His blood needed to become his nourishment for future techniques. Something as complicated as that would require months of unblinking, torturous effort. But screw it. Liam hadn't inscribed anything for a while, and he had an urge to invent. Finally, Liam arrived at the teleportation platform that would send him back to the NOCL Headquarters. He stood on it, and a flash of light washed over him.

WHOOM!

And he was back in Bill's office. Bill, as usual, had a rolled up spliff of seaweed on his lips, fumes of sour smoke wafting from its tip. Seeing Liam's unannounced arrival, he threw away the blunt and stood up with a slightly startled look, before fixing himself a formal expression.

His tone was friendly, if not a little awkward. "Oh, there he is! How was Pandemoniumania, friendo? You didn't get hassled by Asta too much, did you?"

Liam looked at him casually, but refrained from giving any details.

He got to the point.

"It was good. I think I'm ready to get briefed on this mission of yours."