Legacy of Hatred

The blackness evaporated soon enough, revealing its effects. Liam hadn’t suffered anything, and the same went for his clothes since Qi of identical nature enveloped his figure, but things were quite different for the environment.

A large patch of the ground around Liam had disappeared. He found himself in front of a shallow but wide hole, only what his figure had shielded remaining untouched.

Moreover, the affected ground was no more. It had become a dark slime that leaked ominous fumes, bubbling and sizzling.

Liam had already seen similar effects in the trip to Kilrest, when he had first succeeded at the second layer of Qi mastery, almost hurting Grace in the process. His Hatred-fueled energy had consumed the wooden seats and floor, imprinting poisonous blemishes.

The current scene featured an almost identical scar, just broader and deeper. Part of it could be blamed on Liam’s power at eighty-one minor roots, but not all, and that was exactly what he focused on.

’It was far more immediate,’ Liam calculated, his eyes darting left and right. ’I wouldn’t call it an explosion, but the intensity definitely was explosive.’

Liam summoned his pipe and jade out of habit, smoking while recording the event and his considerations. It was very different from what the Demoness had done, but he saw potential nonetheless.

’It’s like improving my black Qi through density,’ Liam pondered. ’That’s a qualitative difference, not just more power. Is it comparable to the breakthrough? No, no, that’s just way superior. Or, is it?’

In a way, Liam had done the opposite of what the Demoness’ technique had involved. Her beam had been a raging release of raw energy, using immense quantity to compensate for and surpass what her Qi could achieve.

Instead, Liam’s approach had intensified his Qi down to its very texture. It was like making a concentrate out of an ingredient without losing raw quantity.

That was simply due to the different nature of Liam’s Qi. The basic theory was the same, but tailoring the approach specifically to his energy had demanded an opposite concoction.

’It’s a different superiority,’ Liam continued his reasoning. ’While still on a qualitative level, the breakthrough yields a transcendental transformation that goes beyond what I did.’

Liam still recalled Dominic. It was impossible to forget him. That branching expert’s very existence was like an immovable mountain, so heavy that the world itself froze at his influence.

In comparison, Liam had just pushed his current standing to the extreme. It was a poor imitation of what the breakthrough provided. Yet, it was power nonetheless.

’I could see it as a rank 3 spell,’ Liam concluded. ’This was even just a first test. I have no idea how far I can push it if I start practicing it. It’s even a good training drill for the third layer. The problem is using it in battle.’

The Sky-Splitting Bolt had limited battle applications due to its ritual-like gesture. That compression of black Qi was even worse in that regard, being lengthier and demanding greater concentration. However, the puzzle wasn’t impossible to solve.

Liam threw a glance at the greatsword he was lying against, continuing to note down considerations. He had ideas that alchemy already relied upon.

’The space my hands provide is a limit,’ Liam thought, ’But if I used a bigger cauldron... Redirecting it is also theoretically possible, as it is doing it mid-battle. Master did that continuously while also poisoning Elder Basil.’

Strangely enough, the greatest hurdle toward that new practice wasn’t its experimental nature. It lay with Liam’s skills, but he could fix that. He actually had to and had long since started to do that.

’This can work,’ Liam decided.

Meanwhile, the Demoness wasn’t sure whether to feel angry or impressed. She was a mighty leafing expert who had more than proved the threat she posed, but Liam seemed to have entirely forgotten about her.

Still, there were some universal currencies in the world, pictures that anyone could recognize despite differences in age, gender, skill, and language. Greatness was one of those, and it was reflected in the Demoness’ eyes.

Just like Liam didn’t need to ask, the Demoness had no use for thoughts to reach the same conclusion. He had succeeded. She had merely given him an idea, but he had instantly absorbed and rearranged it to suit himself.

That was nothing short of exceptional. Liam might have had the right skills to succeed, but his mind had been the bridge that led to that success. He had understood the core issue and devised a solution basically on the spot, something the Demoness hadn’t seen anyone do with such results.

The scene also made the Demoness give up on turning Liam into something he wasn’t. It was already too late. He had the mind of an alchemist. He was so deep into that rabbit hole that it had become part of his being.

Even if the Demoness removed alchemy from Liam, she couldn’t erase the alchemist from his mindset. He honestly was ahead of many other so-called masters in that regard, even if they surpassed his cultivation level.

Of course, that wasn’t a problem, far from it. The Demoness might have acted on a whim, angry that such an unusual physical prowess wasn’t being put to use, but her true goals lay elsewhere.

If anything, what Liam had shown had convinced the Demoness to get serious.

Eventually, Liam snapped out of his dissociative state, storing everything, only to find the Demoness grinning at him, somehow on her feet, her smile not reaching her eyes. Obviously, nothing had ever touched her or her surroundings. Nothing could pierce her existence, but she looked livid nonetheless.

"Boy, I’ve been called many things," The Demoness voiced as the ground began to shake, "But never forgettable."

Liam held back a gulp, his brain ringing every alarm it possessed while also noticing something else. Mere earthquakes were child’s play for the Demoness. He had seen her cause much more with less, meaning she was making an effort to hold back.

As for the reason why, it resounded soon enough.

"I’ll only ask this question once," The Demoness said, her hand going on the black handle past her shoulder. "What is your stance on the Dragon Kingdom?"

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