Born in Blood



Swinging, stabbing and cutting with Liam's Black Blade a couple of times, the old man heaved a long sigh. 

It was clear that he wasn't a swordsman. 

He didn't even seem like a fighter of any kind. 

"It's simple, really. You've added nothing to this weapon. Nothing at all! It has no individuality. It's just a sword that you swing left to right, up to bottom."

Liam pursed his lips, as though he was thinking deeply.

"Now, correct me if I'm wrong," Liam said, "but last I heard that's exactly what a sword is."

"Ha!" the old man laughed. "You lack creativity, son."

A moment later, the man's expression grew heavy and serious. 

"A sword is what you want it to be. You could be the sword itself! If your two hands can change one shape into another, what stops you from changing the idea itself?"

There was a moment of silence. 

Liam didn't even know the old man's name yet. 

And yet, there was something about his words that held weight. Importance and wisdom. 

In short, he was asking Liam to redefine what a sword really was. Not just confine himself to what the norms were. 

…Didn't Liam already do that with himself? He distanced himself entirely from humanity, and all its behaviors.

Beneath those sharp, golden eyes were nothing but vile disgust, cruel sadism, unending greed, bottomless hunger, merciless violence and pure bloodlust. 

Among other things, of course. 

What stopped him from doing the same for his swords? 

Sword Connection already altered their personalities, but their base functions were the same as normal.

That had to change. 

Liam would have to make them unique! 

However, Liam had already done that with the Breaker Blade.

Perhaps no other sword could do what the Breaker could.

It flowed through his shadows, which not too man

"What's your name," the old man said. "Mine's Kamjin, or the Iron Hammer, if you were gonna ask at all."

"I wasn't," Liam responded, causing the old man to laugh at his joke, only to realize that he was serious. "Liam Royce."

Liam didn't recognize the man's features. 

He was probably from a smaller, less known country that lacked a powerhouse.

"Oh…" Kamjin raised his brows in surprise. "I've heard about you. To think you were a forgemaster all this time."

The man didn't seem uncomfortable around Liam.

Nor did he have any scorn or admonishment in his eyes when knowing who Liam was, or what he did.

Kamjin started moving, and Liam followed.

'I'm still being followed,' Liam thought. 'They're a dedicated one.'

Both of them arrived at a controlled area with hundreds of wooden target dummies stationed apart from one another.

Liam instantly felt some of his powers returning to him.

For one, his physical strength and his sword techniques. 

Here and there, groups of people were testing their weapons on the dummies. 

And no matter how viciously they slashed them apart, they couldn't break the humanoid target dummies.

They were obviously inscribed. 

'They suck,' Liam thought as he assessed their sword techniques. 

Eventually, Liam and Kamjin arrived at a free target dummy.

Groups of people paid particular attention towards them.

"You go first," Kamjin said. "I want to embarrass you in front of the others."

Liam glared at him. "You know I'm not a Zenith right? Your weapon is Rank 5 item, isn't it?" 

"This place is special," Kamjin countered. "It puts all the weapons under one level. All that matters is how they're made and the techniques you use."

Silence.

Liam didn't know that.

But okay.

Why not?

"Fine," Liam answered, lightly gripping his odachi and bending his knees. 

SHING!

A black streak made a wide arc around the wooden dummy's head.

Liam reappeared behind it.

And slowly…

The head rolled off.

A few seconds later, the severed head wobbled, then an invisible force pulled it back to its head. 

There were a few gasps. 

And people started clapping. 

"Wow," Kamjid said, clapping his hands slowly. It was hard to tell if he was genuine. "I'll be honest, I didn't think you'd actually cut it."

Liam scoffed.

"My turn," Kamjin said, taking slow steps towards the dummy with the wooden sword in his hand. "Watch closely." 

Then, with no particular form or special technique, the blacksmith slammed the wooden sword across the inscribed dummy's chest.

BOOOOOOOM!

The dummy was disintegrated almost instantly, and not a trace of it remained.

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