## Liam''s Perspective


    The blinding orb of light in my hands had condensed to its limit. Julian Radford stood firm, his ck Gold Heaven Gate defense ready.


    "Last chance to surrender," Julian called out, though I detected a hint of uncertainty in his voice.


    I didn''t respond. Instead, I unleashed everything.


    "Nova Burst!"


    The condensed light exploded outward in a blinding sh. The clearing vanished in pure white radiance. Even I couldn''t see through the brilliance of my own attack.


    Julian roared something unintelligible as he faced the st head-on. The wave of energy crashed against his defensive technique like a tidal wave.


    Through squinted eyes, I saw his armor dent under the pressure. His boots dug furrows in the earth as he was pushed back several feet. But he held his ground.


    While the light still zed around us, I pivoted. My real target wasn''t Julian at all.


    I threw myself toward the edge of the spatial barrier, channeling the remaining energy into my fist. The barrier shimmered as my attack connected with its weakest point.


    A crack appeared. Then another. The barrier fractured like ss.


    Behind me, Julian''s voice bellowed through the fading light. "Stop him!"


    Toote.


    The barrier shattered. I burst through the opening, ignoring the searing pain as spatial energy tore at my skin. Blood dripped from dozens of cuts, but I was free.


    I hit the ground running. My muscles screamed in protest, but I pushed them harder. Each second of distance was precious.


    "After him!" Julian''s voice boomed from the clearing.


    I sprinted through the forest, leaping over fallen logs and weaving between trees. The four Martial Marquises would be in pursuit any moment.


    My mind raced as fast as my feet. Julian Radford was beyond anything I''d faced before. His body, forged with Holy Metal Stone, made him nearly invulnerable. His techniques were wless. His strength, overwhelming.


    I couldn''t beat him. Not yet.


    But I''d escaped. That was victory enough for now.


    I reached a small stream and sshed across, hoping the water might confuse any trackers. Then I cut sharply east, toward denser forest.


    Hours passed. I kept moving, pushing myself to the limit. When my legs threatened to give out, I found a hollow beneath a massive fallen tree and crawled inside.


    Only then did I allow myself to assess the damage.


    My ribs were definitely cracked. My right ankle swollen to twice its normal size. Blood had dried on my skin from countless cuts. My spiritual energy was nearly depleted.


    "Damn it," I whispered, leaning back against the rough wood.


    Julian Radford. The name burned in my mind. A martial artist whose power exceeded anything I''d imagined facing. The ck Gold Heaven Gate technique had negated my strongest attack like it was nothing.


    And he was just one agent of the Veridia City Martial Guild.


    What kind of monsters were they creating with Isabelle''s blood?


    I closed my eyes, forcing my breathing to steady. I needed to recover enough strength to continue my journey. Veridia City was still two days away, even pushing myself to the limit. <samp ss="in-imprint-a">Visit My Virtual Library Empire (*) for more.</samp>


    Mariana would be waiting. We had agreed to meet when I returned. She needed to know about Julian Radford.


    Sleep imed me despite my best efforts to stay alert.


    ---


    Two dayster, I limped into Veridia City through a rarely used eastern gate. My clothes were filthy, torn, and blood-stained. I''d wrapped my injured ankle in strips of fabric torn from my shirt, but it still throbbed with each step.


    I kept to the shadows, avoiding main streets. The Guild would have watchers at every major thoroughfare.


    Reaching the safehouse took another hour of careful navigation through back alleys. I knocked on the weathered wooden door using our prearranged pattern.


    The door opened immediately. Mariana Valerius stood there, her sharp eyes taking in my battered state.


    "Inside," she said curtly, pulling me through the doorway.


    The small room was sparsely furnished. A table, two chairs, and a narrow bed against one wall. Mariana locked the door behind us.


    "You look terrible," she said, gesturing for me to sit.


    I dropped into a chair, wincing as my ribs protested. "I ran into trouble."


    "Clearly." She poured water from a pitcher and handed me the cup. "What happened?"


    I drank deeply before answering. "Julian Radford happened."


    Mariana''s eyes widened slightly. She sat across from me, suddenly very still.


    "You encountered Julian Radford and you''re still alive?"


    "Barely escaped," I admitted. "He''s... unlike anyone I''ve faced before. His body is fortified with something called Holy Metal Stone."


    Mariana nodded grimly. "An ancient technique reserved for the Guild''s elite. It transforms the body at the cellr level, making it nearly impervious to damage."


    "His defense technique, ck Gold Heaven Gate—"


    "—is one of the Guild''s seven supreme defensive arts," Mariana finished. "Few outside the inner circle have even seen it."


    I leaned forward. "Who is he, exactly?"


    Mariana''s expression darkened. "One of their most dangerous agents. A hunter specifically trained to eliminate threats to the Guild. If they sent him after you..."


    She didn''t need to finish the thought. My status as a target had clearly been elevated.


    "Can he be beaten?" I asked.


    "Everyone has weaknesses," Mariana replied, though she didn''t sound convinced. "But Julian Radford has fewer than most."


    I rubbed my temples, fighting exhaustion. "I need to get stronger. Fast."


    "Yes," Mariana agreed. "But first, you need to rest and heal. And we have a meeting to attend tonight."


    That caught me by surprise. "A meeting? With whom?"


    Mariana stood, moving to a small cab. She retrieved a bundle of clean clothes and tossed them to me.


    "Major figures who might be persuaded to help our cause," she said carefully. "This meeting was difficult to arrange. We can''t miss it."


    I eyed the clothes. "You''re really nning to parade me around the city when the Guild is hunting me?"


    "We''ll be discreet," she assured me. "And sometimes, the safest ce is where they least expect you to be."


    I wasn''t convinced, but I trusted Mariana. Her guidance had kept me alive this far.


    "Fine," I conceded. "But I should warn you, I''m not at my best right now."


    Mariana''s eyes gleamed with something like amusement. "They don''t need to see you fight, Liam. They just need to see you alive."


    ---


    Hourster, freshly bathed and dressed in new clothes, I followed Mariana through a series of connected buildings. My injuries had been treated with healing salves, and while still painful, they no longer threatened to incapacitate me.


    "Remember," Mariana whispered as we approached a nondescript door, "speak only when addressed directly. These people value hierarchy and protocol."


    "Who exactly are we meeting?" I asked again.


    Mariana hesitated. "It''s better if you don''t have preconceptions. Just follow my lead."


    The door opened into a small, dimly lit anteroom. A servant bowed to Mariana and led us through another door into a richly appointed chamber.


    Five people sat around arge table, three men and two women. All were well-dressed, radiating authority and power. I could sense the spiritual energy emanating from each of them—all were cultivators of considerable skill.


    My eyes swept across their faces, preparing to make mental notes of these new potential allies.


    Then I froze.


    Seated at the far end of the table, watching me with a calcting smile, was a face I recognized instantly.


    Emerson Holmes.


    The man who had once been my wife''s lover. The man who had helped orchestrate my humiliation years ago.


    What the hell was he doing here?