Born in Blood

Liam made his way towards his house. The surroundings were slightly different than he was used to, but the townsfolk were still the same – they still looked at him with fear, caution and shock.

Heaving a sigh, Liam knocked on his door twice.

"Piss off!" A muffled voice shouted from within, grabbing the attention of those passing by.

Liam scratched the side of his head awkwardly. He knocked again.

"It's me, ma."

Rapid footsteps ran at the door and yanked it open. Eve looked tired. Exhausted, more like. Her brows furrowed and brown eyes welled with tears – pulling her boy in for a tight hug.

She stayed like that, not uttering a word and loudly sobbing on Liam's chest.

"Can we do this inside, please? People are watching."

Eve raised her head and held Liam's shoulders tightly.

"Your eye…" She cried.

Liam smiled wryly. 𝒷ℯ𝓭𝓷ℴ𝓋𝓮𝓵.𝒸ℴ𝓶

'This is gonna take some time.'

…

Liam spent the next thirty minutes briefly explaining where he'd been during the three months.

An altered version of it – obviously leaving out the grimy details, which were most of it – how he resorted to raw meat for food, how he sacrificed Kirk, and his deal with the Kitsune.

He didn't mention yanking out his own eyes, but that was for the best.

Eve's expression changed all throughout his explanation – sadness, regret, pity. Her tears didn't stop flowing, despite Liam reassuring her that he's fine.

At the same time, Liam noticed how even non-cultivators had an aura. He could see Eve's mental waves much clearer compared to cultivators, and she even possessed a water element.

By the end of the explanation, she looked solemn.

"Why did you have to become a cultivator in the first place?" Eve uttered under her breath. "Such a path riddled with death and blood… why?"

Liam let out a soft sigh. He felt slightly guilty… but that was pretty much it.

He lowered his head, pensive and solemn. "I can't change who I am or what I want… or why I want it."

Liam thought back to Darius King. The weak, frail boy who loved looking at the stars, but without goal or motive.

Given the opportunity to revel in the celestial bodies as Liam Royce, he was foolish not to.

"...But I know I can't change."

Eve sighed weakly. After a long pause, she spoke with a faint smile.

"I see. You've always been a stubborn child," She warmly caressed his cheek. "I bet you're already itching to leave and do something else, are you?"

Liam lowered his head and scratched the back of his head – read like a book.

Eve chuckled softly. "Go on, boy. I can tell you're no longer a child who I need to shelter… you never have been."

Liam smiled.

'I definitely need to take care of her needs soon.'

Eve let him leave, but not before feeding him a feast large enough for five people – that, and giving him a kiss on the forehead.

…

Liam instantly left towards the underground, entering Rogan's forge.

Rogan and Lloyd looked like best friends from what he saw – the two laughed and drank without a care in the world.

The blacksmith didn't look much different, his muscular hands and clothing covered with soot, while his spiked hair stubbornly stood erect.

"Nice to see you two getting along." Liam smiled.

Rogan's eyes widened as he saw his forgemaster apprentice.

"You were alive after all, boy!" He guffawed, squeezing Liam's shoulder. "I'll have you know, I never doubted that you were alive. Not even for a moment!"

Liam didn't know why, but he doubted that sentence. Nonetheless, he gave the slightly drunk blacksmith the benefit of the doubt.

Lloyd chuckled. "Not what he said earlier. 'I thought he died? I already forged a blade in his honor, though.' Haha!"

Rogan looked away as though that could change the topic.

'Thought so.'

Liam shook his head with a short chuckle. "Still, those blades you made me were a lifesaver. I would've died more than once if I didn't have them. Thank you."

Rogan waved his hand with a snort. "Don't mention it, kid. Now come, tell us an entertaining story."

Lloyd grabbed a nearby chair and allowed Liam to settle on it, before the boy started to recount the past events.

This time, he didn't leave any part out – save for Kirk's sacrifice. That detail wouldn't change anything, really.

Liam enjoyed seeing Rogan and Lloyd's expressions change so rapidly from one to another – from incredulousness to shock, from pity to awe.

Liam was a bit on edge about telling them about his deal with the Kitsune, but decided on revealing it anyway. He needed their advice.

"A magical beast with a mental sphere? You're sure of this?" Lloyd leaned in and questioned with a slight frown.

Liam nodded, exposing the mark on his abdomen. The Kitsune tattoo was ever so slightly moving.

"It's what gave me this eye… and took my other one."

Lloyd slumped in his chair and let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair.

"Wow."

Rogan nodded firmly. "Wow indeed, my friend. In a way, I saved your life, kid! What would you have done without my forging method? Not even Zeniths can underestimate this technique." He huffed in pride.

"That being said, what you're planning to do is something no forgemaster has ever done… in the history of Mortal forgery." Rogan scratched his beard.

"What do you mean?" Liam asked.

"Well… depending on whether or not that Kitsune subdued its 'will' for you, you'll need to fight against a Rank 4 magical beast within your mental sphere… which means that you need a Rank 4 sea of consciousness."

"Not to mention, you'll have to 'resuscitate' the beast with its sea of consciousness intact. No blacksmith who trained in the Primordial Forging method has ever reached the Zenith ranks, so there aren't any records of such a thing."

"...Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Liam frowned with a wry nod.

"You'll be utterly alone in your goal… I'll help with anything I can – but everything else, you'll need to figure out yourself." Rogan revealed.

Liam eventually sighed. "I see… I'll figure something out. I'll need to find out what my element is now, though. And also a cultivation technique."

Rogan and Lloyd's eyes widened, and Liam grinned at their reaction.