Legacy of Hatred

A tall, ever-expanding cloud of yellow smoke rose from a mountain’s slope, creating a temporary death zone.

Liam and Grace stared at the cloud from a distant, lower elevation, their figures only visible to each other because their arms were touching. Nothing else in the world was aware of their presence.

As much as Liam would have loved to joke around with Adrian for days on end, he just couldn’t. It was unclear when the Church’s reinforcements or other forces would arrive. He only knew that they would, and he couldn’t risk missing the window in which to enact the whole facade.

It had to look as if Liam had left Adrian next to the slaughter as a messenger for his declaration. Anyone seeing him return his friend to the area would have smelled foul play.

That was why the reunion had barely lasted a few hours. Afterward, Liam had returned Adrian to the mountain, gathered the mangled corpses into a pile, and thrown the rank 2 Master’s Pride at it.

Then, Liam and Grace had used the disposable rank 3 cloaking item from the inheritance to stand guard. While the plan was good, unforeseen circumstances could happen, and Adrian was just a foundation expert.

The elevation was distant enough to hide many details even from Liam, but Grace was handling that part. A small, fancy mirror rested in her hand, another rank 3 item from the inheritance with perception-oriented properties, allowing her to see any scene in a vast range as if she were there.

All that sounded overkill, especially since the rank 3 powder had limited uses and Liam only had another rank 2 Master’s Pride. Still, Adrian’s safety was priceless for Liam. He was ready to burn his entire accumulation to ensure that nothing happened to him.

And if something did happen, Liam would throw caution to the wind, intervene, and take Adrian with him. His trustworthy, lifelong companion would think of something else at that point.

’But if nothing happens,’ Liam thought, ’This is likely the last time.’

Adrian was a foundation expert, but his core would wither and turn him back into a mortal without nutrients. His lifespan would still be longer than average due to the impurities expelled during the dantian’s awakening, but Liam didn’t delude himself.

’What words did Senior Brother Maxwell use?’ Liam wondered, recalling a certain speech. ’Much becomes insignificant over the years, even years themselves.’

Liam’s new mindset had been evident when talking to Adrian. He belonged to a different world now. They could pretend that nothing had changed, but it definitely did, and both were aware of that.

Adrian had tried to hide it, but Liam had smelled his true feelings. Liam’s tale had shaken him to the core, featuring events he couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

Meanwhile, those events sounded so normal to Liam that he didn’t even question them. His brain was wired for that different reality, and there was no turning back, not that he wanted to.

There was no right or wrong there, just different choices, but such was life. It was bittersweet, but Liam could at least find reassuring points.

’He and Cyrus are fine,’ Liam concluded, smiling to himself. ’I’m glad I got to meet him one last time.’

Grace opened her eyes at that point, mirror still in hand. She had just bound the item, but it seemed she had gained enough mastery over it to divert her attention.

Honestly, the feat was quite amazing, but Grace had always been good with that kind of mental management.

’The Archbishop really thought about everything,’ Liam praised internally.

Generally speaking, perception left traces or carried presences others could feel. It was the same for the mirror. It was just a low-tier rank 3 item after all, but the white powder could affect it, rendering its effects untraceable.

To confirm that point, the last of the four rank 3 magical items Liam had obtained from the inheritance was a high-tier shield, seemingly meant to be paired with the fan. Of course, Liam had given it to Grace, too. His mind couldn’t endure another binding of that weight yet.

’We have almost completely absorbed the inheritance,’ Liam thought. ’That edge is pretty much gone.’

Claiming the Archbishop’s inheritance had truly been an immense boon that kept bearing fruit. With the set of rank 3 martial arts and two bound rank 3 magical items, Grace basically was the most assorted a branching expert could be upon the breakthrough.

Yet, it was over. There was no more accumulation to fall back upon. Liam and Grace weren’t exactly back to square one. A full set of rank 3 martial arts definitely was worth far more than that. However, they would eventually be if they didn’t use their current edge to build a new advantage.

"How is the branching stage?" Liam asked, knowing the white powder wouldn’t hide his voice from Grace due to their arms touching.

"I admit it’s hard to describe with words," Grace tried to explain, looking down at her free hand. "It’s as if a veil has been lifted, showing me the truth of things, only for it to feel obvious. How everything looked before sounds almost illogical now."

Words were one of Grace’s strong points, so the transformation truly had to be radical for her to fail to explain it, but Liam found it reasonable. Even his Master’s inheritance couldn’t quite describe how things changed in the branching stage.

That wasn’t something that could be passed down through words. One had to see it for himself to understand it.

"Though it did happen far earlier than I planned," Grace revealed. "I know I have a peculiar ... stance toward my nutrients, but I had my breakthrough scheduled for the next decade or two. My dear Master is truly taking good care of me."

As calmly as Grace spoke, she sounded slightly emotional, at least to Liam, making her feel very huggable. Comparing her current self to her plans while she was still alone and believing she was worthless hit harder than she let on, but the gears in Liam’s brain didn’t switch yet.

"Do you feel any hindrance from your talent?" Liam asked.

"Not quite," Grace responded. "Not yet. I do feel something, like a veiled warning, but that’s it."

Liam had checked Grace’s cultivation and meridians earlier, but there was little he could understand from the outside. However, that reply pretty much confirmed she would need external help progressing past the branching stage.

There was no exchange of words next, no particular gesture, either. The two simply stood on their elevation, watching the day turn into night, until someone else approached.

Liam sensed that arrival but relied on Grace for details. She could actually see the scene on the distant mountain through the small mirror, and her ability to read people despite not hearing voices was superb.

"It’s the Church," Grace described. "They don’t look hostile, and your friend is putting up a good performance."

Liam didn’t doubt Adrian’s acting abilities. He was the one convincing the foreign hunters that Krosstoen’s mountain was hunted while Liam was busy firing arrows.

Besides, Adrian had valuable information to share. Liam had opted for the same "No one touches Grace" he had given the Mercenary Guild, which perfectly matched the fact that she had been busy with the breakthrough.

Of course, Adrian hadn’t noticed that. Grace had been the one to reveal the information while concocting a story for him.

Adrian would also be able to talk about Liam’s greatsword and his poison, confirming his identity. All in all, he would have done a priceless service for a foundation expert, maybe even solving his debt on the spot.

As for the breakthrough part, it would have been better to say that Grace had been a branching expert for a while to make her scarier, but the alternative provided valuable leverage.

Disturbing cultivators during the breakthrough could lead to permanent injuries or death. It would justify Liam’s decision to attack. The Church might just consider its timing unlucky and pursue negotiations again instead of turning the couple into public enemies.

While Liam would have to fight the Church openly at some point, it was basically impossible to establish a lawful foothold without its approval. With that justification and the presence of a branching expert, the couple might negotiate a favorable leeway in the meantime.

"They are leaving," Grace eventually said, and Liam saw it, sort of, his tension receding. He had been ready to intervene, but everything had gone smoothly, leaving room for a sourer feeling.

"I see," Liam muttered, watching indistinct dots disappear somewhere beyond the mountain’s base, his last shackle to his previous life leaving with them.

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