Born in Blood

Chapter 365 Guests

Inside the underground, the meeting was coming to an end.

"So you were a female after all, right?" Liam asked.

Silence.

The Kitsune's eyes suddenly widened with shock.

There was an uncomfortable pause.

"...Unlucky, I guess," Liam scratched the side of his head.

A moment later, the Kitsune burst with laughter.

"Indeed I am," said the Kitsune. Liam clicked his tongue in annoyance. "If you got that wrong, I would have ran off to Echoria no matter what you offered me."

Currently, Liam was leading the Kitsune outside.

Its tails were wagging violently in anticipation for a long run.

It couldn't be blamed.

Sickness and disabilities often forced certain people down dark and depressive paths.

But when it was cured, it was as though color had returned to their lives.

It was no wonder why the Kitsune accepted Liam's deal.

'I should give it a name while I'm at it,' Liam thought.

"What do you want to be called?" Liam asked as the two walked side-by-side through the large halls.

The Kitsune paused.

"Haven't thought of it. Don't really care," she said casually. "Our kind doesn't work on names."

"We just meow, bark or piss at each other if we want attention."

Liam pursed his lips.

His naming sense was never good.

And quite frankly, he was a bit lazy when it came to this thing.

Thus, Liam simply said the first thing that came to mind.

"Kitsu should be fine. Or maybe Tails. Ah, whatever. Doesn't matter."

"What are you gonna do now?" Liam asked from the side. "Freeloading is not an option. You'll be given work, too."

Kitsu grumbled in annoyance, but didn't protest.

Liam had saved her life and cured her condition.

What more could she ask for?

"Fine, as long as I'm not restricted or looked down upon by other humans," Kitsu said.

Eventually, the two were able to make it outside.

Without a word, Kitsu bolted forward like lightning.

WHOOSH!

She looked like an apex predator who just learned the thrill that came with hunting prey.

And before long, she disappeared into the distance, dashing through the temples and terrorising the acolytes she passed by.

"You sure it's working with us?" Elder Jane said, appearing at Liam's side with a wry look. "It's… an actual animal. Not to mention, foxes are known to be mischievous."

"It has a mind," Liam corrected as he turned to leave. "And it's smarter than most humans."

***

Liam returned home.

With that project finally done, Liam moved to a different task.

Finishing the Rank 5 bodies Usan had given him.

He was already halfway through eating one of them.

Liam's blood was still in the middle-tier, but it was close to advancing.

Once he arrived at the upper-tier, Liam's blood would progress at an incredibly slow rate.

'Once I finish these two bodies, I'll advance.'

'Then, I'll need roughly eleven Rank 5 bodies to advance.'

Liam pursed his lips.

Truth be told, that wasn't an easy amount to obtain.

'Maybe if Usan targets Oceaners instead of people living on land, it'll be far easier. But we've got more pressing matters now.'

'...And I still don't have a body tempering method for the fifth Rank.'

Unfortunately, Liam's body was still in the middle-tier!

For so long!

Granted, he was at the peak of the stage, and his physical prowess was already insanely powerful.

Paired with Chaos, which negated all 'Ora' connected techniques, and Corruption, which plagued the insides of someone's body, physical strength was just a side-plus.

But the only way Liam strengthened his body was through devouring other people.

There was only so much that could be done through that method.

Even if he ate Rank 5's for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For the next two weeks, Liam gulped down the Rank 5 bodies Usan gave him.

Then, as he swallowed the last piece of flesh and digested it, Liam's blood started to transform.

It seeped further into his bones, muscles and skin.

But the last time Liam advanced, he did not have the Triumvirate Body.

Now, the ichor flowing through his veins were like unfiltered water streams.

Every corner of his being was filled with blood.

Even his nails.

Two hours passed.

The process was over.

The differences between the middle-tier and upper-tier were not small.

The first thing Liam noticed was how his blood pumped at twice the speed!

What did this mean?

Besides the faster regeneration, it also meant Liam could maintain his Blood Bonds for longer periods of time, as well as last longer in a fight.

Liam tried sprouting an arm from his back.

SQUELCH.

It began as a tentacle, which slowly grew, then split into five different fingers.

Liam curled the third hand a few times.

Although it looked really weird for a hand, it was perfectly usable as one.

A moment later, black, fleshy tentacles sprouted from all over Liam's figure, shooting in every direction.

The further they went, the thinner they got.

Before, Liam had range issues with his tentacles.

They couldn't be extended too far, since there wasn't enough blood to be used for those transformations.

But now, Transfiguration used much less blood.

'But I still can't manipulate, double or significantly alter my organs,' Liam thought, retracting the tentacles.

'Expel and Admit have gotten stronger, too.'

'There's not enough time to explore more of it, though.'

'Although I want to make a spell or two for Corruption, there's not enough time.'

'I haven't even tested its limits.'

Liam sighed.

Things were going to get busy, soon.

Liam took out his Jade and called Usan.

After a few seconds, Usan picked up.

"The guests are on their way," Usan said. "They'll be here by tonight."

Although Liam couldn't see his face, he was pretty sure Usan was smirking.

"Alright," Liam said seriously. "I'll get ready."

Who were these 'guests'?

Well, the Royals of Echoria, of course!

Alucard needed proof.

And although Liam couldn't grant him Niveh, he could give proof of her working under the Royals.

Thus, Usan simply extended a friendly invitation to the Royals for talks of 'peace' and 'prosperity'.

The Royals accepted.

And now, they were on their way to Ilali.

Getting this 'admittance' was going to be difficult.

But Liam had a feeling it wouldn't be.