As soon as Liam threw his ice staff, he immediately charged forward. He knew that striking first was crucial, and the brief exchange of words earlier was just a way to observe the enemy's positioning.
With a swift step, Liam was already upon them. In his mind, he was filled with the fantasies he had as a teenager—dreaming of what he would do if he ever encountered human traffickers.
Before the enemy could fully react, he was there, gripping the ice staff tightly again. With a horizontal swing, he struck another black-robed figure squarely on the head!
Liam hadn't learned any martial arts; this was pure brute force, but it was extremely effective. The moment the staff connected with the figure's head, the icy chill surged up, freezing the head into an ice ball that shattered with a crisp, explosive sound, like a watermelon bursting apart.
This was the first time Liam had ever killed someone.
His eyes were cold, his mind clear of all distractions, and his actions could only be described as ruthlessly decisive.
In truth, he didn't start out with such resolve. His current state of mind was something he owed, ironically, to these very servants of the gods in front of him.
When Liam first found this place, his mind was a mess, and he was at his weakest and most disoriented. It was at that moment that the enemy unleashed dozens of blood-red arrows at him, leaving him no chance to breathe and blocking all his escape routes.
In that instant, the voice of all things reached an extreme, as if the entire world was screaming in his ears: Be careful!
Then, it felt as though his subconscious took over, moving his body based on the world's warnings. By the time his brain caught up, the arrows had already exploded behind him.
Afterward, drenched in cold sweat, Liam suddenly calmed down, his mind becoming sharp and focused. He realized he had just brushed past death and understood that this battle was one of life and death.
This was different from his fight with Lyra. These people in front of him were true killers, people who wouldn't hesitate to take a life.
So he held nothing back. He wasn't concerned about breaking any laws; his own safety was paramount. Without hesitation, Liam, a rookie who had never fought in a life-or-death battle before, instantly took down two of the god's servants.
Of course, the enemy wasn't going to go down without a fight.
Once they recovered from the shock, the remaining dozen or so people quickly surrounded him, their bodies glowing with crimson energy as they prepared to attack Liam together.
The fear of death in such a situation is the greatest terror! It's also the most effective way to train someone.
As a freshman who hadn't even started his training, Liam had never undergone any simulation training. His first real combat experience was a fight for survival.
This extreme situation unlocked his potential and showcased his combat talent.
These are the kinds of experiences that are more valuable than spending a month in the academy's training grounds!
For instance, right now, without anyone instructing him, and with his brain barely processing anything, Liam instinctively made the most advantageous move for his situation.
He didn't care about the attacks coming his way. He enveloped himself in an icy blue aura, creating a crude but solid ice armor around his body, then thrust his staff directly at the tumor!
When you're at a disadvantage or surrounded, you attack what the enemy values most!
Although Liam didn't know who these people were, it looked like some sort of cult ritual, and they seemed to place a lot of importance on that tumor.
Sure enough, his move immediately broke the encirclement. All the enemies' attacks turned toward him, accompanied by a chorus of angry shouts.
"How dare you!"
"Peasant! This is blasphemy!"
"Protect the Holy Fetus!"
"Damn you!"
All the black-robed figures leaped out at once, with two even throwing themselves in front of the tumor to shield it.
Seeing their desperation, Liam doubted they would even protect their own father with such dedication.
With this simple strike, he broke their formation and achieved a result far beyond his expectations.
He quickly remembered his original purpose. Without hesitation, he scooped up the two children from the ground.
He had no time to be gentle, so he yanked hard, tearing the blood vessels connected to the ten fingers of the children, causing blood to splatter.
Though they were unconscious, the pain made the two children whimper in their sleep, their faces contorting in agony.
After a few quick flips, Liam put some distance between himself and the others, finally getting a proper look at the two kids.
Their faces were twisted in pain, deathly pale, clearly showing signs of severe blood loss. There were no other obvious wounds on their bodies, but all ten of their fingernails had been pried off!
The sight of such injuries was shocking and painful just to look at. Liam wasn't sure if they had passed out from blood loss or from the pain.
But at least, from the looks of it, they were still alive.
Using his power, Liam froze their fingers to stop the bleeding and temporarily set them aside.
Now that the two "blood donors" were gone, the blood-red tumor had dimmed significantly, and its heartbeat-like pulses had grown weaker.
"Bastard! How dare you! Bring back the offerings!"
One of the black-robed figures roared, conjuring a blood-red blade and charging at Liam.
Liam didn't move. He raised his left hand sharply, aiming at the charging black-robed figure.
In an instant, frost spread! A harsh whiteness covered the ground as the area before Liam transformed into a frozen wasteland!
Earlier, Liam had refrained from using his large-scale freezing ability out of concern for the children's safety. But now, there was no need to hold back.
The black-robed man's body froze mid-charge, as if slowed down in time, until he was completely encased in ice. The blood-red blade in his hand remained forever suspended, frozen in the ground.
"How is this possible! You call this having no psychic level? You call this an E-rank ability?!"
The white-robed man beside him cursed bitterly, then turned to face Liam.
"Kid, you're stronger than I thought, but do you know what you're desecrating?"
"Return the offerings! It's their honor! When they reach the Kingdom of Heaven, the Lord will bless their souls with eternal peace!"
"And who are you? You're not in my records. Perhaps we can talk."
Liam stood up straight, clearly feeling that this battle had significantly improved his abilities in every way!
Cold air surrounded him, the ice-blue, menacing battle armor protecting all his vital areas. His face was half-covered in blue and white frost patterns, and even his eyes had turned white.
Liam stood there like a war god from an ancient icebound relic.
"I'm stronger than you thought? But you guys are a bit weaker than I expected..."
"As for who I am? I'm your daddy!"
Liam's words immediately threw off the enemy's composure.
What... What kind of talk was that? Why did it sound so crude? The atmosphere, which was supposed to be tense and full of killing intent, suddenly felt much less serious.
But no matter how nonsensical Liam's attitude seemed, his strength was undeniable. Everyone had seen it with their own eyes. No one dared to underestimate him anymore. The ice sculptures and the two corpses lying on the ground were a stark reminder that the person standing before them was not someone to be trifled with.
The man in the white robe seemed to realize that Liam was not easy to deal with and began to soften his tone a bit.
"Young man, don't be too rash. If you are willing to turn back, the Lord will forgive all your sins. Your ignorance and foolishness come from not knowing the truth. If you knew the power of the Lord, you would regret what you've done today."
Liam had no intention of engaging with him. In his view, there was no point in talking to someone who had been brainwashed by a cult. Their way of thinking was completely different from that of normal people. This was something Liam found similar to the world he had been in before his transmigration.
His eyes slowly scanned each of the enemy's faces, counting their numbers.
One, two, three... a total of eleven black-robed figures and one white-robed figure.
Liam responded while breathing evenly, recovering the energy and strength he had used earlier.
"Faith, huh? Back where I come from, we have that kind of thing too. Many people worship various so-called 'Lords.'"
"Oh?" The white-robed man was stunned for a moment, then his voice filled with joy, as if he had found a kindred spirit. He quickly asked, "Really? Which great one do you serve? If you're like us, why are you causing trouble for us?"
Liam slowly raised his head, as if reminiscing about something, and after a long pause, he spoke again.
"Which one? Well, that's hard to say. There are so many of them, and they manage different areas."
"Some control the rain, some oversee exams, some help people find partners, and some ensure safe childbirth. There's a god for everything you can think of."
"In general, people worship and pray to them when the time comes, seeking their blessings and protection."
As Liam spoke, the white-robed man seemed to be in ecstasy, as if he had found paradise. He murmured to himself, "Yes, the Lord is all-powerful, the Lord is all-encompassing. We should serve with all our hearts..."
But then Liam's voice broke through his bizarre fantasy once more.
"But there's a difference where I come from."
"If someone prays for love and gets accepted by the goddess, they are grateful to the gods. But if they are rejected, they start cursing immediately."
"If someone prays for good exam results and passes, they go to the temple to pay their respects and donate money. But if they fail, they curse that god's ancestors."
"And those who pray for rain? One day, they set up an altar and worship the Dragon King, and the next day, if it doesn't rain, they might tear down the temple and toss the statue of the Dragon King into the river!"
"So, our faith is more about 'functionality' and 'equal exchange.' If you're useful, sure, we'll burn incense and pray to you. But if you're not, we'll find another god to worship!"
Liam's long-winded explanation left the white-robed man dumbfounded. For a moment, he felt his worldview crumbling. He stared at Liam with wide eyes, as if his eyeballs were about to pop out.
"You... you, how can you be so disrespectful?! You...!"
Cough... cough!
He was so enraged that he couldn't speak, his violent coughing echoing in the air. He even coughed up blood. It was as if Liam's words had nearly killed him out of sheer frustration.
"Kid, you won't get away with this today!"
The white-robed man spat out a few mouthfuls of blood and realized that Liam had been mocking him all along. His eyes turned blood-red, filled with murderous intent.
Liam, having rested enough, extended both hands forward, releasing a torrent of frigid energy from his body. The cold surged forward like a flowing glacier, rushing toward the enemy.
"Get away? In your dreams!" Liam roared, unleashing his full power without reservation.
...
Blades clashed, and a battle of blue-white and blood-red colors raged in the empty street.
The fight was intense, but it didn't last long.
Soon, everything returned to silence, so quiet it was as if nothing had happened there at all.
"Huff, huff, huff..."
Liam's heavy breathing echoed in the still night, like an old, broken fan. His frost armor was full of cracks, many parts shattered, and it glowed faintly with a corrosive red light. His body was marred with wounds, though they were all sealed with makeshift ice patches, preventing any blood from flowing.
His disheveled hair, mixed with traces of blood, clung to his forehead.
But at this moment, his right hand was gripping the throat of the white-robed man, holding him like a vice, rendering him immobile.
If one were to zoom out...
Around him, in this small square, stood eleven lifelike ice sculptures, each in a different posture.
And in the center was the most intricate one of all—a grotesque, frozen tumor.
Liam's first battle in this new world: 1 versus 12. It ended in a flawless victory after just six minutes.
Cough... cough...
The white-robed man, his throat in Liam's grasp, stared at the young man before him with bulging, fish-like eyes.
"How... how is this possible? The power of such an ability... You're so young! How can you possibly have the strength of the Fourth Realm?!"
"Ugh!" Liam spat out a mouthful of bloody spit, then lifted the white-robed man by the throat.
"Who are you people? And what is this tumor?"
"Tumor?!" The white-robed man's eyes bulged as he sputtered, "How dare you speak so disrespectfully of the Divine Fetus! You...!"
In the next second, ice encased his feet and began creeping up his legs.
"You'd better not waste my time. Answer my questions before you're completely frozen."
The white-robed man was shocked, exclaiming, "You... you don't even know who we are? Then why did you interfere with us?"
Liam ignored him and accelerated the spread of the ice.
As the cold seeped into his lower body, the white-robed man finally felt the looming threat of death and panicked.
"I'll talk, I'll talk! Just don't kill me!"
Over the next few minutes, Liam listened carefully to every word the white-robed man said, his brow furrowing deeper with each sentence.
These were things Liam had never heard of before, but from the way the white-robed man spoke, it seemed like Liam was supposed to know all this.
They were part of some kind of religious organization, calling themselves the "Servants of the Lord." They were servants of some "Lord."
As for the tumor, it was the "Divine Fetus," and the reason for the sacrifices was to enable a "Divine Descent."
The white-robed man spouted a lot of jargon, and Liam only grasped the gist of it.
"Any more questions? Please, don't kill me!" The white-robed man was now encased in ice up to his neck, still desperately pleading for his life, interrupting Liam's thoughts.
Liam glanced down at the man and said coldly, "I'll answer one question for you. Why did I interfere? Because I've always believed that human traffickers deserve to die, and I intend to uphold that belief."
"Yes, yes, I deserve to die!" The white-robed man sobbed, completely broken by the creeping frost.
"And one last question."
"Ask! Just ask already!" The white-robed man shrieked, the ice now reaching his face.
"If I had lost today, would you have spared me?"
Liam didn't wait for an answer.
The ice surged upward, and the white-robed man became the final ice sculpture.