Liam snapped out of those troubling thoughts as soon as they arrived, even shaking his head to push away the auditory hallucinations, the hiss, and those too-distant plans he had no idea how to implement.
The heavy rain had cleaned Liam in the meantime, removing the goo, dirt, and blood from his body. The injuries on his hands had also closed, healing far earlier than usual.
That realization forced Liam to get on the move. He couldn't dwell there any longer, not with the corpse of his victim lying right behind him.
Actually, Liam even knew he couldn't linger in Krosstoen's village any longer. He was a bad liar. Adrian would uncover any secret he tried to hide, and he didn't want to involve him in those foul matters.
Also, Liam had no idea where to go. He had a few maps of the area, with the best ones done by his father, but chances were he would have to travel far beyond what they depicted to reach those mystical Sects.
Completing that journey alone was impossible. Liam had the skills to survive the wilderness, but the paths he knew wouldn't lead him where he planned to go.
Yet, there was something that could work currently in the village. The Recruiters Guild's caravan would eventually leave, if it hadn't already, and Liam could follow along secretly. The rain was a problem, but Liam was sure he would find tracks as long as he hurried.
As soon as the plan formed, Liam snapped into motion, checking himself before diving back inside the cavern. He ignored the corpse for now, focusing on retrieving his robe and weapons, but that sight eventually claimed his attention.
Truth be told, a big part of Liam believed that Crazy Uncle deserved to die, and he needed no human hisses for that. If the old man had any role in the tragedy that befell Liam's family, he belonged on his revenge list alongside the four butchers.
However, Liam didn't like how little control he had over himself during the event. He now knew what killing felt like, and it was nowhere satisfactory or good. Still, Liam could at least avoid adding regret to the equation.
"For what is worth," Liam muttered, his slow steps bringing him before the smashed head, right outside the pool of gore it had created. "I'm sorry for killing you like this, and thank you for what you have done and revealed."
That was all Liam could muster before leaving the cavern in a hurry, lingering in front of it to gather leaves and branches the rain had snapped to cover that narrow entrance.
The entrance was already hard to find, so Liam took no time to finish hiding it, throwing one last look at it before descending the mountain.
Time wasn't exactly in Liam's favor, especially since he didn't know how much he had before the caravan left and the rain removed its tracks. Luckily, he didn't have much to begin with, so planning a sudden departure wasn't an issue. He only had to make sure to visit one place first.
More of what Liam had begun to discover earlier grew clearer now. His steps were indeed lighter. He trod paths he had crossed hundreds of times with newfound confidence and speed, as if his body had gained years of training in a matter of minutes.
That was beyond what Liam could explain or conceive, but it did bring reassurance. As he had previously guessed, those were the realms of legendary beings above mortals. Cultivators didn't follow ordinary rules, and his change fell precisely in that category.
Still, before Liam could try to feel any better about that whole experience, his nape tingled. He abruptly halted his steps, his gaze snapping left and right. He felt observed, and his other senses filled the blanks.
The downpour obstructed Liam's vision and ears, but something ended up reaching his nostrils. He smelled a faint scent of blood, which brought his attention to his left.
Liam drew his bow and knocked an arrow into it while he turned toward the target. He couldn't see much, but his sharp eyes eventually spotted two head-shaped figures peeking from a relatively distant tree hidden by the curtain of falling water.
"Show yourselves!" Liam shouted, hoping that his voice could reach that location.
The head-shaped figures didn't move, but Liam trusted his nose before anything else. He didn't know how he had managed to smell blood among that downpour, but he released his arrow anyway, which flew precisely between those two suspicious objects.
Liam immediately drew another arrow, but movement happened in the meantime. The two heads transformed into two men who slowly stepped out of the tree, exposing themselves while showing their hands.
The rain hid a lot, but Liam knew those two weren't from the village. One of the men had also limped while leaving the trunk's cover. They were probably the hunters he had scared away earlier, meaning they needed a reminder.
"This mountain is mine!" Liam shouted, releasing the arrow, which crossed a spot right next to the limping man's ear. "Get out, or the next one goes through your head!"
Naturally, Liam had already drawn another arrow, knocking it into the bow and adjusting his aim. He had only meant to scare away those foreigners, but a hiss resounded in his ears, altering his intentions.
'Kill them,' The hiss whispered, not caring about the fact that the hunters had already turned and were in the process of getting away.
Liam adjusted his aim again, following the departing men and the ancient voice in his head. He knew he had the shot. He could even picture the arrow piercing one of the hunters' skulls. Most importantly, part of him wanted that to happen.
Yet, Liam gritted his teeth, which half-suppressed the cry rising through his throat, until he forced the bow to point down before his fingers inevitably released the arrow.
The arrow stabbed the muddy soil in front of Liam, snapping in two, before he fell to his knees, his breath ragged, the cold sweat on his forehead mixing with the rain.
'Was I about to kill them?' Liam gasped in his mind, incredulous about his own intentions. He could understand snapping at Crazy Uncle, but those two hunters were innocent, probably only driven by hunger or the necessity of feeding their families.
Liam let go of his bow, scared to wield it, immersing his hands in his messy, wet hair instead. The hiss had faded, but he believed it was still there, ready to come out and compel him to do terrible things.
'Crazy Uncle, what did you even awaken?' Liam asked in his mind, another terrible realization taking root. His body wasn't the only thing that had changed. He didn't just become a murderer, either.
A demon now resided in Liam's head, and its hatred knew no bounds.