Chapter 37: Children of the Gods
The Mission Pavilion had become a powder keg, and Garuda's loud laughter was the spark that finally ignited it.
"Ha ha ha! Blind friend, such a situation to see you in!" Garuda's voice boomed with open pride and joy as he stepped fully into the light. His wild dark hair framed a face split by an evil, excited grin that showed far too many teeth.
Behind him, Bobaros followed like a silent shadow, his expression as unchanging as carved stone, but his eyes burned with cold, calculating intensity as they locked onto Liam pinned against the counter.
The two inner academy students kept Liam firmly pinned, one forcing his arms brutally behind his back, the other driving a knee hard into his spine with crushing force. The entire hall watched in stunned silence, the earlier whispers dying away completely as the twins made their presence known. The air grew thick with tension and the faint crackle of rising auras.
Liam slowly turned his head toward Garuda and Bobaros. Without warning, he pried out his left hand, shattering the wrist of the inner student holding him with a sickening crack that echoed through the silent pavilion. The student gasped in pain, grip loosening. Liam broke his arms free in one smooth, powerful motion and placed a single finger to his lips, making a clear silence gesture that commanded the room more effectively than any shout.
Garuda laughed in total madness, the sound wild and unhinged, echoing off the stone walls like thunder.
The disciples restraining Liam were greatly shocked by the sudden display of raw strength, but they forced him back down harder, refusing to let go, their faces twisted with anger and disbelief.
"Why do you allow them treat you in that way?" Bobaros sent a powerful voice wave directly into Liam's head, the words heavy and probing. "You who sits at the middle of life and death, why do you choose to be still?"
Liam's response came back through thought transmission, calm and deep, carrying an almost philosophical weight. "At the end, it's a balance. I who has tasted death upon my lips and watched life form before me… I understand that true power does not need to roar every moment. Sometimes stillness is the sharpest blade, and silence is the deadliest edge."
The words carried a profound weight that made both twins pause, their expressions flickering with something close to recognition.
Liam continued, his voice now audible in the hall as he explained directly to them, calm yet commanding. "At first I knew you two were different. But after encountering that tree… I can now sense the deep difference in your energy's . The ocean's endless depth in one, the first flame's consuming hunger in the other."
Liam smiled, a small, knowing curve of his lips that sent a chill through the air. "What then made you think that I, who could see the origin of life and death, wouldn't notice you?"
A visible shiver ran through both Garuda and Bobaros. The words struck them like a hidden dagger, revealing that Liam had already seen through their origins,the very bloodlines they carried as children of gods.
The revelation hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.
Liam could feel a strange, ancient connection of origin from the two of them, like threads of the same cosmic tapestry. Inside his mind, Anki spoke quietly, a hint of surprise in his tone. I can also feel it. These two are Omi's, one of the children of the gods. They are just like you.
Suddenly, like a tidal wave breaking into the pavilion, a majestic white wolf strode in through the entrance. Its body moved with regal grace, silver fur gleaming under the lanterns like moonlight on snow.
The moment it entered, its form began to transform, bones shifting smoothly, fur receding, until a tall, elegant woman stood in its place. She had long, flowing white hair, sharp, refined features, and an aura that commanded absolute respect and obedience.
Immediately, everyone in the hall bowed deeply, heads lowered in reverence. The two inner academy student quickly released Liam and stepped back in total serenity, their earlier aggression vanishing like smoke in the wind.
Garuda and Bobaros, however, stayed standing, respecting no one but themselves, their postures defiant even in the presence of such authority.
Liam rose to his feet slowly, a deep personality shift beginning to surface—one that embraced arrogance and raw power without apology. He stretched his hand out with deliberate arrogance, palm open in a gesture that bordered on insolent.
"Greetings, Madam White Myrtle."
She watched the three of them as if they were possessed by demons, her sharp eyes scanning them with mild curiosity, but she didn't pay deep attention to the tension.
Her voice was cool and authoritative, cutting through the silence like a blade. "Lord Dabara has called for you. And concerning the mission, your points will be allocated smoothly to you. No need for further verification or scouts."
Emily watched Liam in total silence and shock, her blade still half-raised. Her perspective on him was changing deeply, she no longer saw just a blind slave who had chosen Devil Blade, but something far more dangerous, enigmatic, and untouchable.
The boy who had once seemed like dead weight on their mission now stood with an aura that made even inner sect students hesitate.
Liam turned and began following behind White Myrtle without another word. As he passed Bobaros, he tapped him lightly on the shoulder. Bobaros' eyes widened slightly in surprise, though his stone-like expression didn't break. Garuda was different, cold sweat beaded on his forehead even as a deep, excited smile sat on his face. He leaned toward his brother and whispered, "Brother… can you feel it? Apochia is upon us."
The hall stayed in heavy silence long after Liam and White Myrtle left. Everyone now stared at the spot where the blind boy had stood, wondering about the connection he had with Lord Dabara himself. Whispers began to spread like wildfire through the pavilion.
"Who is that blind boy really?"
"Why did Madam White Myrtle come personally for him?"
"And those twins… they didn't bow either…"
Emily remained rooted in place for a moment longer, her blade finally sheathed with a soft click. Her mind raced with questions she didn't dare voice yet all she felt was her self falling into a deep spiral.