Chapter 49: Unstable
Liam gathered abyssal energy into his fist until it hummed with the wails of devoured souls. The massive gate before him was already fractured at every corner, covered in a web of black veins from his corrupted aura. He took a deep, deliberate breath, then slammed his palm forward with explosive force.
BOOOOM!
The gate shattered completely. However, the Tower's final defensive mechanism triggered, a powerful suction force immediately dragged the rubble back inward, attempting to seal the breach.
Liam walked forward without hesitation, a battle-hardened maniac smiling through the chaos.
His echo senses scanned the collapsing debris like radar. With a casual wave of his hand, he obliterated every incoming projectile into fine dust.
"Finally… fresh air."
He stepped out of the crumbling Tower of Babel like a demon king ascending from the underworld. His long white hair fluttered wildly in the wind as he released a crazed, eternal laugh that shook the surrounding grounds. Pure, unfiltered joy radiated from him, the joy of one who had been buried in darkness for far too long and had finally clawed his way back into the light.
"Honestly, I don't need Demon Blade Academy anymore." Liam scanned his own strength with deep satisfaction. "Here I stand at mid Silver Rank, yet carrying the knowledge and stolen techniques of someone far older than them all. Haha… shouldn't I be considered their ancestor at this point?"
Laughing maniacally, he moved like a wild beast set free, agile, unpredictable, and overflowing with destructive delight. Every leap, every rotation in the air allowed him to devour faint traces of life from the world around him, promising everything he touched eventual consumption by darkness.
White Mytril appeared in a flash of white light, grabbing his elbow with a firm grip. "Do not move another step," she intoned, her voice heavy with authority.
Liam slowly turned his head toward her. The moment his empty, scarred sockets met her eyes, a bone-chilling shiver ran down her spine. This was not the same person who had entered the Tower. Something ancient, unstable, and terrifyingly hungry now stared back at her.
"Ahh… little White Mytril. Don't be scared," he snickered, his voice carrying a playful yet unhinged tone.
"Now get out of my way before I break you."
"You bastard!" White Mytril snarled. She gathered energy in her palm and struck his chest with full force. The impact should have sent him flying.
Instead, Liam barely flinched.
"This one is dangerous… far more dangerous than before", she realized, eyes widening in shock. His aura was deeper, heavier, an unstable abyss that felt like it could swallow everything. His regeneration, his presence, even the casual way he moved… it was all wrong. "What the hell happened to him in that Tower?"
"Abyssal Jump."
Liam melted into the shadows beneath her strike, reappearing in another patch of darkness further down the passage. He leaped from shadow to shadow with increasing speed, his laughter echoing behind him.
White Mytril stood frozen for a moment, heart pounding. "What the hell was that…?" She quickly wove hand signs, summoning a pink flame mirror that showed Lord Dabara rushing through the inner grounds. "Why is he in such haste? Is the academy in trouble?" She shook her head. "No… I can't let this crazed maniac out of my sight!"
With a powerful howl, she transformed into a massive spirit wolf. Wind spiraled around her form like a storm greeting its master. She gave chase without hesitation.
Liam leaped smoothly out of the final passage. He spread his arms wide to the sky and came to a halt at the edge of a cliff, basking in the moment. The wind on his skin, the warmth of the sun on his face, the vibrant pulse of life all around him, it was intoxicating.
"Ahhh… I have never seen the world this clearly in my life," he whispered, voice full of genuine wonder and dark joy.
Then he jumped.
His body burned with deep demonic energy as he spun through the air, each rotation greedily pulling life force from the surroundings.
He moved with unrestrained freedom and destructive ecstasy, a predator finally unleashed.
From the cliff, White Mytril watched with wide eyes. "Is that one really silver rank…? Why is his demonic aura so deep and unstable?" A haunting, oppressive feeling washed over her. It was no longer the aura of a student. It was the aura of something that should not exist.
From afar, Liam landed atop a tall tree, his gaze locking onto the distant battlefield where a terrifying platinum-rank aura clashed with two familiar signatures. He pointed forward calmly.
"Such unique demonic aura," he murmured. "It flows like honey yet carries the stench of jimsonweed… the kind that only comes from one who has claimed the lives of millions."
A dark smile formed on his lips. "Haha… I see the end product. If I fight him now, I lose my life. Interesting."
He rocked the tree back and forth like a spring, then launched himself forward with explosive force.
"Demon Dive!"
Liam shot through the windy night like a human meteor, his body wreathed in black aura, descending with unstoppable momentum.
Lord Dabara raced toward the rising smoke, cursing under his breath. "Damn it! Where is my teleportation device when I need it?!" From the corner of his eye, he spotted another violent energy signature approaching the same location. It was weaker than the Envoy's… yet it carried a terrifying quality, the kind of presence that could slaughter emperors if left unchecked.
"Such familiar energy…" Dabara muttered, increasing his speed. "I wonder who that is."
CRAAAAASH!!!
Liam descended like a falling star, destroying everything within a five-meter radius upon impact. Dust and debris exploded outward as he rose slowly from the crater, white hair wild and eyes empty yet burning with abyssal hunger.
The Demon Envoy stood before him, holding the bloodied and battered twins, Garuda and Bobaros, in his grasp. Both were half-beaten to death, barely conscious. The Envoy casually flung them to the side like broken dolls.
"Ahh… I applaud you for such marvelous control of your strength," the Envoy said, turning toward Liam with a twisted grin. "Honestly, I was starting to get bored. But you… the moment I felt your presence from afar, it turned me on."
The Envoy released his full platinum-rank aura, causing the sky to darken and the ground to tremble.
Liam pointed at him casually, a mocking smile on his face. "Who left their child here unsupervised?" He tilted his head. "Hey, kid… are you lost or something?"
The Envoy's expression twisted with rage. "I see you're the jester type. Let's see if you can keep making jokes when I claim your life."
Darkness spread from Liam's entire being like ink spilled across reality. He stretched his arms wide as abyssal aura surged outward, cloaking him in a terrifying mantle of pure void. The air grew cold. The wind died. Even the Envoy's platinum-rank pressure seemed to hesitate for a split second.
Liam's crazed laughter rang out once more, louder, deeper, and filled with the promise of absolute consumption.