Born in Blood

Chapter 400 True Fear

Liam was now 22 years old, plus 7 months.

During the four months, he'd been incredibly busy.

Nothing changed feature wise.

He was still the same, four-armed, tentacle-back, claw-having creature as always.

But the first thing of note that happened was Liam's advancement to the solid-stage.

Quite frankly, the sheer number of bodies Liam had gulped down was disgusting.

Not taste wise, of course.

Taste wise, they were actually pretty delicious.

Literal wise, he was getting just a tad bored with the rinse and repeat pattern of eating, digesting and eating again.

Nevertheless, as soon as Liam became a solid stage cultivator, his core rumbled with power, then filled him with warm, euphoric energy.

The darkness inside was significantly purer, including the natural 'Ora' that now pulsed throughout his entire being.

With power like this, Liam wondered how it was that he ever won against a Zenith.

Or how he even killed one.

Or how he even killed three... at the same time, too.

But that was easily explainable.

The versatility that Liam could express was far beyond the norm of any man-made standard.

He literally had a tool for everything!

Thus, it was slightly more believable when considering just how great Liam's arsenal really was.

'With this, I'll be able to make Rank 4 inscribed items regularly,' Liam thought, smiling.

Truth be told, in favor of his other aspects of work, Liam had put off most of his Primordial Forging projects.

And his Blood Weaving, for that matter.

He hadn't made a new technique in a while due to time restraints and pressing matters.

What he needed urgently was actually a Rank 5 body technique, since his progress was far slower without one.

After all, he'd pretty much spent years in the same, middle-tier substage.

It was the only thing he had in the Zenith ranks!

Hence why the rest of his centers of power were holding him back.

They were too far behind, while Liam's body was too far ahead.

But since his Triumvirate Body was so different, Liam simply couldn't have Usan or anyone else make a Rank 5 method for him.

He had to do it himself.

But something told him that doesn't really apply to the Triumvirate Body.

It was no longer something that functioned like a normal human body.

Plus, having six arms was a major change, and it would obviously affect his future techniques.

'If I can just utilize my devour-and-digest method, it'll be much, much easier than making a Rank 5 body tempering technique.'

On the other hand, Liam had been wanting to make a new sword.

Just to strengthen his sword style, if anything.

Being too dependent on his Chaos, Corruption and Void wasn't wise, especially when considering how his reserves weren't too vast.

Nonetheless, Liam continued on the downward slope.

Soon enough it became like hiking down a steep mountain.

But finally, they laid their eyes on the Mega Colony.

Well, they were still thousands and thousands of kilometers away.

In fact, the only way Liam could see it was through the King's Eye, and the others could see it through vision enhancing techniques or inscribed items.

The Mega Colony was a grim metropolis.

It had no barrier.

Why would it?

It filled the horizon with morbid, imposing, menacing structures that dominated the skies.

Spires twisted towards the dark clouds like snakes, monolithic obelisks were studded to the ground, which gave off a suffocating aura to any who saw it, deformed, teeth-like buildings that spread in all directions.

Abominations were everywhere.

In the sky.

Perched on top of the buildings like gargoyles.

Slithering under the ground like snakes.

But in the center of it all…

Was one tower.

It was insanely tall, and got thinner and thinner towards its peak.

Even from the distance Liam was at, the thing stuck out like a needle from all the others.

By Earthly standards, it would be about… 213 stories tall!

And when Liam's gaze barely fell on the peak of the tower…

His vision swam.

The color drained from his sight, turning into swirly lines of black and white hues, like white mist blown in darkness.

A moment later, Liam began vomiting his guts out!

At the same exact time, everyone else who had the misfortune of gazing at the peak of the needle suffered the same fate.

They began puking until they no longer could, some even passing out unconscious with their bowels emptying.

Still coughing, Liam forced his body to relax and stabilize.

He used all the mental defenses he could, but the nauseating feeling was still there.

It was like his soul was pierced by… whatever that was.

Noticing his state, Jane tried to give him a pill, but he held up a hand, ushering himself into a small tent they'd erected a few minutes prior.

Closing himself off, he fell on the ground, clutching himself.

Slowly, whatever had affected him was starting to wear off.

'It's just a mental trick,' Liam thought, heaving for air. 'Just fear.'

'It's just fear…'

'Just fear!'

…Slowly, Liam realized that his legs were trembling uncontrollably.

And his hands.

And his entire body.

From fear.

It was then that Liam realized something else.

The Trapped Reality Tick worked depending on what that person considered their greatest fear.

But for someone who lived relatively peacefully, their nightmare would be far tamer compared to what a hardened veteran of war would experience.

And Liam wasn't afraid of almost everything.

Magical beasts, Rank 5 cultivators, Abominations.

He'd been faced with everything, and fear was like poison.

The more one was injected with, the more their immunity.

But now?

Now… he realized he was overestimating himself a little too much.

The Empress of Fear made him vomit his guts out from thousands of kilometers away, and was probably unaware of doing so.

Still…

A quiet laugh rose in Liam's chest, even as he shook and breathed heavily like he'd been stung by a viper.

Would Liam back out now?

...No!

When life gives you lemons, you squirt them in your eyes and relish the pain!

Besides, that wasn't his battle to fight.

It was Alucard and Usan's.

In fact, Liam was not entering the Mega Colony.

Not yet.

He was going around it and heading for the Line.

A few colonies were left.

Just a few more.

All Liam could do was do what he did best.

Killing things and getting stronger.