[Devour Soul]
Liam stared at the skill book curiously. The book looked like an ancient scripture more than a normal skill book. It was different, weighed heavier with dull decayed type binding.
This was definitely not an ordinary skill book. After grinding for several hours to complete this quest, it seemed well worth the effort.
Liam let out a deep breath before opening the book. The item instantly became spots of light and disintegrated.
Not only that but for the entire next second, Liam's body also was covered with a golden glow. All the forged souls hanging around nearby turned to stare at him, gaping at him in awe.
Gu Donghai was livid. This guy was powering up even further?
Gorak leaned towards him and whispered, "You will get used to it."
Gu Donghai turned to him in shock. "You can talk?"
"You can hear me?"
The two looked as if they wanted to hug it out and cry but it only took Crawford one look to make the both of them freeze up. They silently stood and once again paid attention to Liam.
Coincidentally, Liam looked equally frozen up. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
[Skill: Devour Soul, Rank: S, Level: 1]
[On devouring a soul, there is a high chance to gain a skill inscribed on the soul]
An S rank skill! This was actually an S rank skill!
Liam did not even know that something like this existed and that it could be obtained by the players.
From what transpired in the tower, he got a first-hand glimpse of how powerful an S rank skill could be and now he had actually learned one of such skills!
"I have to figure out this skill." Liam came to this conclusion. From the description itself, he could see how powerful this skill was.
If used inside the game, this skill could give him an endless supply of skills, and if he used it outside the game... Just thinking about it made his pulse race.
This was indeed a truly powerful skill. He needed to master it quickly. Perhaps it could help him even break through further in his legacy.
Liam silently pondered for a moment. He then turned to look at the Gu family lackeys he had tamed.
"Now tell me. What do you know?"
The three of them looked at each other.
"I don't have too long to waste with you idiots. Tell me what do you know about me and who all knows about me?"
No Gu Donghai understood. He had somewhat calmed down now and come to grips with what happened to him. However, there was no way he was going to tell this idiot anything! Hmph!
But unfortunately for him… the next instant… his mouth opened on its own and he started spilling everything.
"I know your address and I know that you live with my goddess. I didn't tell anyone else about this to protect my goddess from the Gu family bastards."
"Goddess?" Liam chuckled while Gu Donghai begrudgingly stared back at him.
It looked like Shen Yue's hold was quite strong. This guy was still infatuated even after he became a soul pawn?
"Alright. Can you two idiots confirm what he said?" He then asked the two other Gu family lackey souls he had forged.
Everyone nodded together. Liam interrogated the bunch some more to find out more details. More importantly, he wanted to know how they managed to procure such a big force to attack him.
"I asked for the government's help."
"You did what?"
"I promised them that they could have the guild. I only need my goddess."
Liam did not know whether to laugh or cry. Shen Yue's effect was truly strong. "Do they know about my details?"
"No." Gu Donghai answered gritting his teeth. He didn't want to say any of these and yet, he ended up spilling all the beans. Damn it. He stamped his leg.
Liam ignored him and dismissed all the soul followers. He was very tired at the moment.
Constantly forging the souls was very tiring.
Unlike forging metals, he was not able to do this continuously. He was beginning to feel a little faint and a throbbing ache also spread through the back of his head.
Liam immediately logged out, after asking Asura, and Talon to head back to the guild residence. They took Luan with them.
At the other end, the game capsule door opened and Liam stepped out wobbling. He flopped onto the bed nearby and fell into a deep sleep.
However… that didn't last long… sweat started trickling down his forehead. He entered a familiar nightmare that he never wanted to face again.
…
…
…
In a barren land, devoid of any signs of vegetation, a huge humanoid rhinoceros was running loose. Waves of radiation energy emanated from its body that made all the land the beast touched worthless.
Buildings were crumbling and the land was dying. Everywhere the beast went death and destruction followed.
And in front of this beast, under one of the several wreckages, many people were huddled together, all of them shaking and shivering.
Among them were two youths who looked young but their eyes betrayed the pain and suffering they had seen which was far beyond their age.
"Liam, we cannot stay here. We need to leave." The first person said.
"Yes. We need to leave soon." The second person gritted his teeth and said, already looking around to see what were their options. This he was good at. They had to be.
In this world, if one did not know how to run and hide at the right time and at the right moment, they wouldn't survive. Not for a second.
Soon Liam found a slightly big pipe or rather broken air vent through which they could fit themselves. "We can use that and leave from here."
The other person nodded and the two of them slowly inched closer to the air vent. Liam went in first to scout the escape route.
The other person did not follow him immediately. He belonged to the hero category so he quickly allowed everyone else to enter first.
And about a second later…
Gahhhh! A loud grunt sounded. The beast's head was locked right onto the small debris. It then sent out a beam that completely obliterated everyone in sight.
Flesh and blood scattered everywhere and Liam panted staring at the spot where his recently acquired friend was resting as ashes.
He closed his eyes for a second and then continued moving. At this point, there were no more tears or empathy left inside him. He gritted his teeth and continued.
The rest of them somehow managed to escape the place but suddenly another figure materialized in front of them. This person… he was strange… he was a human?
Liam gaped at the man. He was lean, tall, and muscular. On his body, there were several runic marks that glowed bluish silver. His eyes also had the same color. His long white hair fluttered in the wind.
Perhaps someone had arrived to save them?
As if answering Liam's question, the person glanced in their direction.
However, just from that single glance, it was clear. He was not there to help. His eyes were more ferocious and damned than the humanoid beast that had obliterated everyone.
This person…
Before Liam could take another breath, the figure moved and materialized right in front of him. The next instant, all he could see was red.
Everyone around him popped like balloons, blood, and flesh splattering everywhere. Bluish white vapors lifted from these bodies and entered the figure, giving him more strength and power.
He was powerful! So powerful! Liam would give anything to be as powerful as him.
The blood-covered figure greedily sucked in everything and as for the carnage, he did not spare even a glance. He almost looked as if he had lost any and all rationality he possessed.
And when everyone else died, his gaze turned to look at the last person alive, Liam.
The two of them locked eyes when suddenly Liam noticed the obvious. This person standing in front of him was… him?
Liam felt his head splitting open as he snapped out of the damned nightmare and sat up straight. What was that? His entire body was drenched in sweat.
Suddenly he felt a cold feeling spread across his body. This cold was chilling. It was making him numb from the inside out.
Liam was frozen he couldn't move. His eyes widened in panic as he started to shake and resist but the cold was overpowering.
What the hell was happening? Was this another dream? He started shaking violently and banging on the wall.
The freeze was spreading so much that he wasn't even able to breathe now. It felt as if he was going to die. What the hell was happening?
"Liam!" Suddenly the door burst room. Shen Yue worriedly ran towards him. "What happened? Are you alright?"
