That night, Liam didn't sleep. He remained seated with his eyes closed, listening to the sound of chaos. He was well aware of when the fighting started and when it ended.
He sat silently in the dark, waiting patiently for the victor while Zhao trembled like a child beside him.
It wasn't too surprising when Kong walked into his chambers in battle armor, a chest in hand carrying his brother's head. Liam didn't blink when offering support to the victor and abdicating the throne as promised.
By the time the physician arrived and treated Liam, it was too late. While the toxins were removed, the damage they had caused to the king's old body was irreversible, leaving him with little time to live.
Kong paid him little attention and focused on waging his war against the Kangol, so Liam's final three months in this old body were peaceful. He waited patiently for the trial to end within those three months, hoping that the time he bought for this body would be enough to win the trial.
To Liam's surprise, the trial didn't end until his dying day as Emperor Fei.
—
The world after death was silent and peaceful, but only for a moment. Liam suddenly felt the taste of something cold in his mouth. It was painfully cold, as if he'd swallowed a shard of winter itself. But seconds later, the chill turned to fire, and his body began to burn.
Huff!
Liam opened his eyes and found himself standing inside a vast hall of ruins—the kind that belonged to gods long forgotten. Pillars of bone stretched to the heavens while chains hung from above, thousands of them.
The air trembled with whispers.
"The world is a stage of lies. Rule the truth within."
Liam turned slowly. Behind him, a mirror floated midair. Its frame was made of twisted horns and gold, and in its reflection stood… himself.
Or rather, what was left of him.
The reflection smiled first—a cruel, knowing smile that made his skin crawl. Then it spoke in his voice, yet older, deeper.
"I am the truth behind your mask. You've spent your whole life pretending. Tell me—if deceit keeps you alive, is it still a sin?"
Liam stared, silent and confused. He had no answer.
The reflection raised a hand. Black fire spread through the hall, forming scenes that twisted around him:
A monarch crowned by shadows.
Cities burning, but their people smiling as if in bliss.
A fallen angel holding a scroll, whispering oaths in exchange for souls.
And finally, a dying god reaching out with trembling hands, whispering through a mouth leaking gold:
"Take my sin. Make it yours."
Before Liam could make sense of the vision, his body convulsed. He gasped for air, but his lungs refused to move. The mirror shattered, and he was yanked out of that world by a strong, invisible force.
—
Liam woke up on the floor, drenched in sweat. When he left his room for the tower, it was evening—but now, intense sunlight poured through the window.
Returning to this world after several months spent in a dying old man's body felt strange. To make things worse, everything he saw in the mirror was still a complete mystery.
It felt like there was something he was supposed to know but didn't.
Bam!
Suddenly, his door was kicked open as men in uniform armed with rifles charged in, only to stop and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Liam on the ground.
It looked like they had expected to confront a monster.
Among them was Miss Ruth, staring at him with a hint of disappointment in her eyes—the kind that wished a corrupted monster had come out of that door instead of Liam.
It took a minute or two to clear out the soldiers from the building, giving him the space and time he needed to process everything that had happened.
Seated on a couch with a towel draped over his shoulders and a cup of hot chocolate in hand, Liam stared at the bullhead-shaped tattoo on the back of his left hand.
"I don't know what it is. It's an entirely new curse," Madam Ruth complained over the call.
"I know… Alright."
While she spoke, Liam couldn't help but think back to the vision he'd had after the trial. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't make sense of the situation.
Imagine spending several months in a trial just to be given power without a manual. It was incredibly frustrating.
"Okay… I've been ordered to bring you in, but before that, there are a few questions I need to ask." Ruth slipped the phone into her pocket and approached.
She sat on the opposite side of the table, pulling out a pocket journal and a pen. Her arrival drew Liam's attention, but upon laying his eyes on her, he seemed to notice something different.
There were several handprints on her body, all of different sizes. On her neck were kiss marks and hickeys of various shapes and sizes.
Liam was confused, but his eyes instinctively went to Ruth's hand, which had an engagement ring on it—but it was smeared in dirt.
She was married or at least engaged.
Liam's eyes dilated in surprise as a single thought crossed his mind.
"Adultery," he muttered under his breath.
Without hesitation, he rubbed his eyes, and when he was done, all the kiss marks, hickeys, handprints, and stains were gone.
'What was that?' Liam gasped in shock.
His surprised expression seemed to draw Ruth's attention.
"What?" Ruth asked, almost rudely.
Liam hesitated, wondering whether to explain what he saw or play dumb. He had only a second to decide but ended up making a choice.
"I don't feel any different. Are all Ascendants this weak?" Liam lied, and Ruth chuckled.
When people talk about power, they expect to see explosions—large, loud proofs of strength. This same misconception is why people think Ascendants soar through the air and breathe fire until they see them in action.
"Ascendants are humans with a connection to the spirit realm. You must understand, spirit is not loud and obnoxious. It's subtle but dangerous," Ruth explained.
"So, no giant swords, summoning krakens, creating hurricanes, or unleashing a fire tornado?"
Ruth facepalmed, and Liam chuckled mischievously. He was clearly trying to annoy her. As someone who had watched the previous Armageddon Games numerous times, he knew the power of Ascendants wasn't as flashy as people believed—he was just teasing her.
However, his jokes only irritated Ruth further, deepening her frown.
"Now's not the time for games. Ji Wei is dead," Ruth said, realizing Liam was just playing with her.
Buzz!
Liam froze, though the mischievous smile remained on his face as he shot Ruth a glance.
"What?"
Ji Wei, their representative in the Armageddon Games, was dead. That meant the invasion of their world by creatures and angels would continue for another decade before the next game.