Born in Blood

Chapter 411 Arrival

Outside, the putrid, blood-tainted air was so tense, one could cut straight through it with a knife.

Liam could see it.

The desperation on the Couragists' faces as they left their huts in unison.

They didn't even smash their gauntlets against the ground as they did the first time.

Liam also saw the confidence on the Fearists' faces.

That wasn't good.

Overconfidence was idiotic and dangerous.

It made people think they were greater, smarter, better than they actually were.

Was Liam overconfident?

Of course not!

But he knew exactly what his capabilities were. And all his actions were based on that.

He was confident.

Not overconfident.

There was a big difference!

Nevertheless, that wasn't the point.

Ryu, Jane, Verium, Kitsu and the rest of the Elders gathered around Liam and hid him from view.

To everyone else, he was just another person in the crowd.

"Is it today? It's today, right?" Ryu said, rubbing his dark, tired eyes. "Please tell me it's today."

Turns out, Ryu's greatest fear wasn't waking up as a skinny person.

It was insects.

But the coward couldn't admit it, even though some acolytes said he screamed like a girl in front of a Nurse Cockroach.

Nevertheless, even the Berserker Hound, and a few others, had garnered a reputation in the war.

Elder Jane was known as the Black Witch, due to her alchemic abilities disguised as a toxic-type Abomination.

Elder Verium was known as the Old Demon, due to his aged appearance and vicious fighting style.

And Ryu?

Ryu was known as…

Angry Man.

That was it.

Liam took out the set of Couragist armor he had inscribed a moment earlier, then gifted it to Ryu.

Ryu had a dumbfounded look on his face as he looked up and down the suit of armor.

It fit his size perfectly!

The once glorious suit of armor now had accents of sinister black mixed with dark crimson.

Vampiric characters were etched onto its surface, which made it look like a forbidden treasure.

All Liam had to do to make the color transition was douse the thing in his blood.

His ichor had become incredibly potent, and even Rank 4 materials were easy to taint.

"For me?" Ryu said, his voice cracking with happiness. "I knew it. You do like me!"

"Don't be stupid."

Liam made an annoyed groaning noise and dodged Ryu's attempt to hug him.

A moment later, the group was forced to put their attention on the task at hand.

Dusk was approaching!

The timer was ticking down, starting from minute one.

Liam looked for a specific part in the ground where the vampires lived under.

There, the Minister of Defense poked his head through, exchanging a firm nod with him.

A second later, his head plopped back into the ground.

Liam's eyes snapped towards the center.

The Rank 5 Fearists were going all out for this battle.

Most of their Abominations were actually centered around defense.

After all, the only way to win this thing was if either side had enough time to accurately dispel the Rank 6 Force Bubble.

Either by charging a joint attack centered on it, or by slowly and steadily breaking it down.

Lives were being put on the line.

It wasn't just that the Couragists were desperate.

So were the Fearists.

No one wanted this war!

Except those two monsters living above their ivory towers.

But having an advantage made one lose their edge. The resolve on their faces was not as hardened as the former.

As the seconds ticked down, Liam inwardly rehearsed his own plan.

What was this plan?

Patiently waiting.

A few seconds later, the timer hit zero.

The final battle began instantly.

BOOM!

BOOOOM!

BOOOOOOM!

Three massive, back to back explosions echoed from the center of the battlefield, courtesy of the Couragists.

But as soon as they took place, they abruptly froze, as though time had stopped!

Then, they retracted into the ground.

A moment later, the Fearists deployed a 'wall of flesh' Abomination that built upon itself, turning into a gory barrier that spread outward like an unfurling curtain.

BOOOM!

In unison, ten Rank 5 cultivators of the fire element pushed the wall with flaming fists.

The wall exploded inward, dousing the entire Zone with gobs of blood.

But in that moment, the Fearists had created a 'nest' over the Force Bubble.

Now came the defensive part.

From thirty-eight Rank 5's, more than twenty-three of them worked on defense.

They positioned themselves in a circular formation around the Force Bubble.

The rest charged up a joint attack which consisted of one sole element.

Lightning.

KRKRKRKR!

The Abomination in question was a Storm Eagle, gathering black electricity within their beaks and claws.

As it continued charging, a chain link of electricity was created between each of the Storm Eagles.

KRRRRSHT!

It was getting stronger and stronger!

All 30 Couragists abruptly stopped engaging.

The Fearists felt their stomachs fall.

The attack was only getting stronger!

Why weren't they stopping them?!

All 30 of them grouped together as tight as they could, shoulder to shoulder, forming a diamond-shaped attack.

Then, they kicked their feet in unison.

BOOOOOOOOM!

Their shin armor exploded, giving them enough momentum to push past every defense and cut straight through four Storm Eagles in one go!

The Couragists no longer had shins.

From the knee down, they missed an entire body part.

But wicked smiles were on their faces.

This was an all or nothing move!

The chain of electricity was broken, but there were still twelve of them remaining!

All the arcs connected, then condensed into a single lightning bolt shooting straight towards the Force Bubble.

KRRRSH!

A terribly loud thunderclap resounded across the entire battlefield.

As soon as the black lightning made contact with the Force Bubble, a huge chunk of force was chipped away from its surface.

The beam of electricity lingered for several seconds, even after the initial bolt had dissipated.

And yet… and yet…

It wasn't enough to break the Force Bubble down.

Slowly, the Force Bubble was healing its gaping wound, and all progress would be turned to zero.

The despair in the air was palpable.

But just then…

A figure suddenly appeared on top of the Force Bubble, his cloak fluttering in the wind.

The Reaper had arrived!