Liam felt his body suddenly relax after his laughing fit. The adrenaline from using Gravity Force Push on himself and then trying to use the execute part of his Soul Harvest class ability had bleed away after receiving the notification. He didn’t realize how tense he was until now. He gripped onto his War Scythe and held on as best as he could as his knees buckled down.

He chuckled a bit more as he thought about every possible way that plan could have gone wrong. He could have completely missed and hit the building instead. The Toxo Brood Mother Queen could have swatted him like a fly. Or maybe something else could have happened. The possibilities were endless.

As he thought about these he started to feel the familiar anger from earlier start to bubble back up inside him. His thoughts started to turn to anger, but as he felt the familiar pattern Liam mentally pushed it back before it took control. He then looked at his health and noticed it had dropped to forty three.

“Shit,” Liam muttered.

“Liam, you crazy son of a bitch!” Roman shouted as he, Artem, and Blair made their way over to him.

Liam looked up and stared at them. Artem noticed the look on Liam’s face and realized what was going on as Liam was pulling out a Health Potion. “Don’t worry about taking that potion. I’ll use my ability to get rid of the Raging Rabies right now. You might want to get down though. Not sure if it will work while you’re up there.”

“Alright,” Liam stated as he pushed himself back onto his feet. His legs were a little wobbly, but after a couple of seconds and some focus he was able to stand straight. He went to pull his War Scythe out from the abdomen of the dead boss monster and suddenly tensed.

Liam’s Danger Sense flared up covering his entire back side. He tried to turn around and black whatever was heading for him, but knew he was too slow as he watched two swords flying right for his stomach.

“Look out!” a familiar voice shouted as two being suddenly appeared out of nowhere right in front of Liam.

Liam watched as the two swords plunged right into both figures. As the weapons pierced through the bodies and the blades poked out from their backs, Liam expect blood to follow and land on him. Instead chips of wood splattered across his chest.

The two figures dropped to the ground seconds after the attack landed. Confused, Liam got a better look at the two figures in front of him. They looked like would stand up to his stomach. The shape of their bodies made Liam think they were goblins at first, however, he noticed their flesh had a wooden look throughout their bodies. They looked entirely like badly made wooden dolls.

Artem’s, Blair’s, and Roman’s guards went up the moment the swords pierced the badly looking dolls. Blair pulled her Battle Axe out of her inventory and used it to hold herself up while scanning the area. Roman placed his hands up as he turned around. Artem readied himself with his mace and shield.

“Lobby and Goby no!” someone shouted from behind.

Liam felt like he recognized the voice as he turned around to see Gimmel running out from behind a massive piece of broken roofing from the side. His body had suddenly manifested as he ran towards them, almost like Illusion Magic was being deactivated.

Roman noticed the teenager, bent his knees a bit and sprinted for him. After Liam processed who it was he shouted, “Roman stop!”

Roman slid to a stop as Gimmel stopped as well. “Why? Is he a Demon-kin using Illusion Magic to hide their true appearance? I know I felt Illusion Magic being used.”

“He’s not a Demon-kin. I know him!” Liam replied.

“Should you really be focused on the boy?” Fazil suddenly stated bringing Liam’s attention back around. He looked for where he was and finally found both him and Calythtis standing on the second floor edge. They were staring down at them, scowls and glares on their faces.

Liam glared back. He got a good look at the two and notice the terrible condition they were in. Fazil had blood oozing from bite marks and cuts all over his body. Calythtis’ body had the same except she had more bite marks than cuts. As he studied them he noticed something flash in their eyes. Anger. Their eyes were full of hate and anger that looked to be filling them as their mouths twitched every other second showing their fanged teeth.

Liam understood what was going on. They were inflicted with the Raging Rabies as well. He couldn’t tell how low their health was, but from the look in their eyes and the scowls that were slowly turning into drooling snarls he could guess they had less than half of their health left.

The more he stared at them the more he felt his anger trying to take control. The Berserk State this venom inflicted was powerful. It took all he had to hold it down. However, he knew if he didn’t do something soon he would be sucked into it and lose himself before he died.

“You stupid fucking assholes!” Calythtis shouted in anger. Spit flew from her mouth. “Do you realize how long it took us to get things set up? How close we were to our goal?”

Liam didn’t respond.

“You don’t!” Calythtis continued, not caring no one answered her. “We lost so many people to your intervention. So many resources just gone…up in flames!”

Liam’s eyes narrowed. “Oh I’m sorry,” Liam started as irritation laced with sarcasm filled his voice. “You killed, kidnapped, and even hurt how many people thanks to your plan? And what? You’re mad because you lost people? Don’t give me that crap.” Liam spit a glob of bloody phlegm to the side. “There is an entire city in ruin because of your fucked up plan.”

Fazil snarled at Liam’s words. “What do you care about that city huh? You have no ties to the people of this city. You just arrived not that long ago. There were people willing to offer you up to die. Someone did actually try to kill you not just at one point might I add. Hell, you were even abandoned by a few people as well.”

Liam thought about the people he was talking about. That Weasel-folk was definitely someone who he didn’t care about. Cindy, Abby, and Farry did cut times with him for reasons he did understand, but they had apologized.

“No ties to this city?” Liam repeated. “That might be true. Hell, you’re right about someone trying to kill me a couple of times. However, there are people in this city that I do care about. Sure a family shunned me for what had happened, but they apologized. However, even if all that happened what type of person would I be if I had just ran away and let you sick fucks do what you want?”

Calythtis let out a maniacal laugh. “You are so naïve. The world isn’t so forgiving. People in this world would easily and gladly run away when things get tough, or even use you as a scapegoat or sacrifice, not caring about what happens to others. What do you think you’d gain from running head long into something you probably knew was dangerous? Huh?”

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Liam actually thought about what she said. The Berserk State warred within his mind as he tried to honestly think about his actions. He did run headlong into this. This was a dangerous situation he had put not just himself, but the others in. He didn’t have any ties to this city besides the friends that he once cherished and his cousin, who hopefully was still alive. Besides that he didn’t really know anyone else to really say he had a long time connection with.

He had come across those who looked down at him for being a half breed as they called it. However, the same could be said about those who didn’t really care about that. He was new not to just this city, but this world. If things like this happened all the time then was it really any different to how things went during the end times back on Earth?

That last thought made him think about how he was after things went to hell. People hated, killed, abused, or sold out others just because of who they were. At one point he had done a lot of things he wasn’t proud of back then. Things from abandoning those who couldn’t keep up with him, getting innocent people involved with his fights without thinking things through…He even…

Liam shook his head trying to push back all the thoughts and memories. Just thinking about how those people were and how he was just fed the anger that he was trying to hold back. He wanted to forget those things. He want to change. He wanted…A thought formed in his mind. He wasn’t sure if what he had thought was really what he was trying to do, but he wanted to believe it.

Liam looked back at Fazil and Calythtis. He resolved himself with the idea as he said, “I’m not sure if it is why I ran headlong into this, but I think I did it because I wanted to be a better version of who I used to be.”

Fazil and Calythtis stared at Liam confused by what he was talking about. Liam’s words even brought Artem’s, Blair’s, and Roman’s attention on him. They knew he had a past after their talk back in the Tutorial Area, but they didn’t know exactly what had happened. This sudden proclamation made their curiosity grow even more.

Fazil scoffed after a few seconds as Calythtis laughed.

“What the hell does that even mean?” Fazil stated.

“A better version of who you used to be? What are you some protagonist from a story?” Calythtis asked. “Oh man you really are an interesting person. It’s a shame you have to die here.”

Liam’s body tensed as he noticed the two get into an attack stance. They both bent their knees and looked like they were going to jump. However, they didn’t get a chance to leap at him. As their bodies started with the motion, a flock of raven black birds suddenly bolted onto them. The noises coming from the flock of birds sounded a lot like crows.

Liam, Artem, Blair, Gimmel, and Roman stared wide eyed as the two Demon-kins flailed their arms around trying to fight back against what Liam believed was a murder of crows. He wasn’t entirely sure if they were that though because their bodies weren’t exactly made of feathers and flesh.

Liam stared at the creatures. The power radiating from them felt and looked familiar as he recognized what it was that they were made of. Just like Lady Arachne, these birds were made of Shadow Mana. Their bodies, while taking on the form of birds, had shadowy wisps that rolled off them. As Fazil and Calythtis swung their arms trying to swat them away, their hands only rolled through them like smoke.

Fazil and Calythtis screamed out as they tried to break free from the shadowy birds clawing attacks. They both staggered around not paying any attention to where they placed their footing. They didn’t realize how close to the edge they were until one of their feet slipped right off the edge, bringing their bodies with them.

Liam watched as the shadowy birds didn’t follow them, but instead flew away towards the forest behind them. There, standing on the edge of the forest was a shadowy silhouette staring right at…him. The birds flew right into the figure’s chest, disappearing into the shadowy form.

Liam stared at the person. He could feel his heart start to quicken as he took in the figure’s shape. Even though the form was nothing but a shadow, he recognized some of the features it had. Thoughts started to form as he tried to rationalize if what he was seeing really was who he thought it was.

The figure made a familiar gesture as a smile formed on the dark face. A gesture he knew all too well. He grew up seeing that gesture. Many people mistook it as a peace sign, but he knew that it had a different meaning just by flipping it around. His heart dropped and he went to run towards the figure.

However, as he moved his foot two things happened. The first was the figure had dispersed into a cloud of smoke leaving not a trace of the figure that once stood there. The other was Eri telling him to do something.

“Liam!” Eri shouted. “Pay attention!”

“What!” Liam shouted as a mixture of feeling swirled within him. Happiness that some form of the man made him know he was alive. Sadness that he wasn’t really there. And Anger that he would just appear and then disappear like that.

“Devour those two before they die!” Eri snapped back, irritated that he had the gall to shout at her. Her connection to him was strong. She felt the feelings that whirled in him as the thoughts behind them were projected to her. She was confused at first why a man like that had appeared, but as his thoughts ran through his mind as he saw him she quickly understood the purpose of him attacking. However, she didn’t understand why he did it in the manner he did.

Before Liam turned to look at Fazil and Calythtis his eyes locked with Gimmel’s. Are you sure about that? There is someone here that…

“He’s already seen enough and probably heard enough to know what’s going on,” Eri stated. “At least a small part of what’s going.”

Liam’s thoughts warred inside his mind. “Shit…are you sure?” He accidentally said out loud.

“Yes. You’re just going to have to explain fully to him the stakes after all is said and done. You may end up needing to keep him with your group until you feel he is trustworthy enough…that or you can just kill him,” Eri stated nonchalantly.

Liam scowled at the last suggestion Eri made.

“You can decide later. You need to Devour those two before its too late,” Eri urged again.

“Fine,” Liam stated before turning his attention towards the two Demon-kins that were laying on the ground, bleeding profusely. He slid down the abdomen of the deceased Toxo Brood Mother Queen and limped over in the direction of the two fallen Demon-kins.

As he approached them he saw their eyes lock on him. They tried to say something, but instead of words a watery gurgle sound came out as blood drooled out their mouths.

When he reached the appropriate distance he placed two hands out in their direction before saying in as low of a volume that only they could hear besides Roman and Blair, “You said you didn’t understand why the Deities were hunting Geminis down right? I’ll sate that curiosity for you before you die. Its because a small handful of us have a power that they supposedly fear. A power you both will get to witness and be a part of right now.”

Fazil tried to move but failed as his body twitched. Calythtis, however, had an expression Liam wasn’t entirely sure he understood. She looked…happy? Excited? Liam wasn’t sure what it was, but during this short time he got to see her true nature he understood something. She had a thirst. She lusted for knowledge. He wasn’t sure he understood how one could lust for something that wasn’t sexual, but he came to understand that it was a thing.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Liam muttered the word to activate the ability he was getting used to. “Devour.”

Liam’s shadow quivered. A familiar cold sensation slowly ran up his legs. The feeling crept up his body as whispers started to tickle the edge of his mind. Fazil’s and Calythtis’ watched as the shadow underneath Liam circle around his legs and then his torso before making it towards his shoulders and down his arms.

Both of their eyes widened as they witnessed smoky raven black tendrils lift up. The tips suddenly split open as razor sharp fangs formed in the make shift mouths. Fazil’s eyes screamed in terror as he stared at the tendril that was starting to grow bigger and bigger as it hovered above him.

Calythtis’ eyes, however, had a completely different reason why they were widened. Her eyes widened because she now understood what was going on. That wide eyed expression then turned into one of pure ecstasy. Even though she knew she was about to die, she was happy to have one of the greatest mysteries revealed to her. She tried to laugh. At first it was just a gargled noise, but after some blood had shot out from her mouth she was able to make a proper sound. Her half crazed half elated laughter was the last thing she was able to do before the tendril shot forth and swallowed both beings wholes.

[Devour has been used on Fazil, Golden Dokkaebi Demon-kin. Follower of the Vice of Greed. Time to Process: 7 Days.]

[Devour has been used on Calythtis, Succubus Demon-kin. Follower of the Vice of Lust. Time to Process: 7 Days.]