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Liam shoved the cold water down to his throat.

"Haaa..."

He was tired and panting from fighting too much. It has already been three hours since the four of them entered the Beast Area.

After an hour, everyone was already used to fighting Grade 1 beast and was having it easy so Anton decided to just ignore the Grade 1 beasts and go for Grade 2 beasts instead. The first beast we fought is a Trickster Monkey.

The Trickster Monkey had a skill of making numerous clones. The clones' strength depend on the number of clones. For example, the monkey made one clone. That clone will receive 100% of the beast's stats. However. if there's two of them. The stats will be halved and divide to the two clones. The more clones the monkey make, the lesser their fighting abilities are.

The three of them had a hard time dealing with that bastard. Since the Trickster monkey had high intelligence, it was very good at fooling them. It's different from beast they fought before that only rely to their instinct. At the first half of the fight, they were completely trashed. It's so annoying and his pants were almost pulled numerous times.

They truly lived on to their name.

After that, he didn't know why but Grade 2 monsters kept flowing one after another for 2 hours straight. Liam had a feeling that it was Anton's doing but has no evidence so he kept his mouth shut. His body was so tired because of that.

"I don't want to do this anymore." Elisha complained as her body dropped to the ground.

He chuckled as he stared at Elisha's flushed face covered with sweat. Among the three of them, he was the one who's in a much better state due to the Mana Breathing Technique. He was able to master it to the point that he can perform it while in combat.

"Should we get going?" Anton look at his smartwatch. "It's only 10:00 AM. We still have an hour before lunch break."

Looking at Anton's smile and clean state, their mouths twitch. Liam felt very annoyed. The same with Elisha while Eliana is speechless and have complicated feelings.

'...'

'Fuck you.'

'I'm never doing this again.'

Anton calmly accepted their gaze full of hatred. He could clearly see their thoughts from their expressions. For a moment, he felt like a villain for bullying this kids. But unfortunately, he was a very shameless person. His smile widened even more as he asked a provocative question.

"What? Do you have any problem?" there was a sneer in his face.

Liam gritted his teeth before reluctantly standing up with a frowned. Eliana also stood up with a tired face. Seeing this. Elisha was also about to stood up when they heard a sudden roar that shook the forest.

"ROOOOAAAAARRRRRR!"

In an instant, a large wave of mana went passed them and hit their bodies like a tsunami. Liam's body hit the tree nearby, knocking it down in the process. He spat a mouthful of blood.

His gaze immediately became blurry and felt dizzy.

His body was full of bruises. Liam went numb and he couldn't move his body. His ribs were broken and his body were weak.

Eliana wasn't any better as she already has fallen unconscious. While Elisha was in the same state as Liam.

Anton was the only one who was able to react and use all his mana to atleast lessened the damage to his body. He wasn't able to do anything aside from that and he still suffer internal injuries. A blood dripped down from the side of his mouth.

He was about to took out a high-level healing potion when he heard some rumbling and frightened howls of the beasts. Then he felt a pressure coming from the deeper section of the forest.

Anton heart sank. The weaker beasts were scared and wanted to run away from the terrifying beast!

Gritting his teeth, he forefully drank the healing potion. He stood up and dashed towards Liam who was the nearest. He have no time to feed healing potion to his brother or drink mana potion to fill his reserve as the rumbling grew louder and some of the Grade 2 beast were already running to their direction. If he didn't move faster, the twins will be trampled to meat paste by them.

He could only carry Liam over his shoulder like sack of potatoes before running towards Elisha and Eliana. His movements weren't slow.

However, a giant toad leapt over. It will soon land on Elisha's body. With it's size, Elisha will surely die.

His eyes widen and before he knew it, there was a burst of power inside his body. His mana filled up in an instant. He ignore the system notification and coated mana to his legs.

There was only a gust of wind and Elisha's figure soon disappeared together with Eliana. Leaving only a pool of blood.

Right after, a large group of people and beast run together in a panic, stepping on the pools of blood without hesitation.

There was a smell of blood mixed in the air.

It was only the beginning.

***

Liam was feeling dizzy. There was darkness and he can't see anything.

What happened...?

Liam opened his eyes. He blinked his green eyes to refocused his vision.

The first thing he saw is the white ceiling. He close his eyes a little after meeting the bright light. After getting used to the light, Liam opened it once again. There was confusion visible in his face.

Where am I? He look around the surroundings and realized he's in the hospital.

Then, suddenly, memories of what happened earlier flahsed in his mind. He was dazed for a moment liek he's having a hard time comprehending what just happened.

Following that is a bitter laugh.

He almost died.

Liam thought that the things he experienced before was something worse than death. Before in his previous life, he always thought that maybe if he die, his life will get better.

But now, having experienced that one moment.

His heart was shaken. He can't maintain his calm. His heart was beating so fast with no sign of slowing down.

He felt... scared.

Liam let out another chuckle as he stare at his trembling hands.

Lying in the hospital bed, he closed his eyes with a sigh.

The feeling of despair and helplessness was eating him. His hand forming a fist.

Liam now realized why he had always follow that bastard's orders and willingly became a slave of that rotten organization.

He wanted to live.

Liam doesn't want to die. He wanted to survive.

That's why he didn't mind getting his hands dirty and accepted any kind of situation he is in.

Because no matter how hurt his body is.

No matter how deep the cuts in his body are.

No matter how many times his dignity were stepped on.

He never give up and accepted it all.

Liam just wanted to live.

After he realized this, he soon began to perform the Mana Breathing Technique.

His breathing became slow and follow a weird pattern. There are patterns between the inhale and exhale. Even the amount of air he breathe was calculated.

The air fused with mana entered his lungs before traveling to the other parts of his body. His stiff body started to loosened.

This continue for a few minutes. And when he opened his eyes again--

He was already in his peak condition.

Liam's body was filled with energy and his body seem to get tougher. He felt his mana capacity became larger with his mana becoming purer.

Mana Breathing Technique is such a cheat...

He opened his status window and felt satisfied when he saw it.

---

Name: Liam Austine Terron

Age: 16

[Status Window]

Rank: G+

Strength: F-

Agility: G+

Stamina: G+

Mana: F-

=Authority=

[Boulder Slasher]

Skills:

>Sword aura [A]

It gives you the ability to transform your mana to a sword aura that have the attribute of 'Slash'.

>Boulder Shell [B]

When activated, your skin will be as tough as a boulder, neutralizing attacks.

[Knowledge Extractor]

Skills:

>Record [S]

When activated, you'll be able to record anything that you see, hear, smell, taste or feel.

>River of Memories [SSS]

With the help of this skill, you'll be able to see someone's memories as long as you know their name and use a 'keyword' as a trigger.

>Gifted Eye [SSS]

It gives you the ability to look through someone else status window. Provide enhanced eyesight and x-ray vision.

---

Liam already retain his usual calmness without any sign of intense emotion that he was feeling before.

Feeling fear again brought a sense of nostalgia to him.

Well atleast with this he can say that he's still a human right? As a certified human being, feeling fear should be normal. In the future, such flexible mindset will make people envious but right now, Liam wasn't aware of this.

But he started to wonder who save him. It's probably his brothe right? Is he okay?

A single roar almost killed him, a G-rank awakened. If Anton fought that beast... he immediately became anxious.

The door suddenly opened wide and his gaze met a pair of hazel eyes.

It was his father.

Henry's eyes widen. There was a hint of shock, disbelief, and joy om his face. For a moment, the father and son was speechless. There was an awkward silence inside the room.

Liam remember that he didn't tall his father about his trip to the Beast area. He instantly became guilty.

"Umm, hi?" he have an awkward smile in his face.

***