Liam used Observation the instant he saw Vecna.
[Vecna / Henry Creel / 001]
Race: Human / Abyss Creature
Title: The Architect / The General of the Mind Flayer
[ABILITIES]
[TELEKINESIS]: Can move objects with his mind.
[MENTAL INVASION]: Can invade the minds of others and draw them into their memories, preventing them from awakening.
[MANIPULATION]: When he has innocent people with weak minds trapped within his memories, he can deceive them into believing everything he says. It can reach the point where they seem to worship him and doubt nothing, no matter what others tell them. They will only stop believing him if they see him in his Vecna form.
[CONTROL]: Can control the creatures of the Abyss connected to the hive mind.
[SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH]: Can break walls, floors, and cars with ease.
[SUPERNATURAL PHYSICAL RESISTANCE]: Damage from weapons such as pistols, rifles, and others is largely ineffective. Only fire and heavy weapons can truly harm him.
[SUPERNATURAL REGENERATION]: Can regenerate from gunshot wounds and reattach lost body parts.
[WEAKNESSES]
FIRE
…
Seeing this surprised Liam. His eyes narrowed slightly as he processed all the information. Vecna possessed many abilities—worthy of being the final boss of a story—although, judging by his title, it seemed he wasn't the true final boss after all.
Liam slowly glanced around, turning his head slightly as his senses expanded, searching for anyone or anything else hidden within that strange world. The wind, heavy with reddish energy, brushed against his face, but he saw nothing.
At that moment, he had to return his attention to Vecna, as the figure began to move and his presence became even more oppressive.
"I was surprised when I saw through the hive mind how you killed what we created to deal with Eleven. We thought she was the only obstacle to our plan. But look—out of nowhere, two appear who are stronger than Eleven. One with telekinesis at even higher levels than hers, capable of burning others from the inside… and another with the ability to grow stronger the more he kills," Vecna said, stopping about fifty meters away as he analyzed them carefully.
As he spoke, Vecna tilted his head slightly, his sunken eyes scanning every detail of Liam and Carrie, as if dissecting them mentally. His long fingers moved slowly, tensing and relaxing, as though containing power ready to be unleashed.
"Well, you know nothing about what exists in our world. In recent years, the outside world has become increasingly dangerous," Liam replied seriously. "You underestimate my world."
Liam took a step forward, his posture firm, shoulders straight, gaze unwavering. There was no fear in his voice—only a dangerous calm, the kind belonging to someone who knows he can survive whatever comes.
"Oh? So many things have happened since I was cast into this place," Vecna said with curiosity. "But that no longer matters. All that matters now is merging this world with Earth and bringing an end to weak, hypocritical, corrupt humanity."
Vecna slightly spread his arms as he spoke, as if already envisioning himself ruling both worlds. The dark energy around him vibrated with his words, causing some of the floating rocks in the distance to tremble.
"That's a dream you won't be able to achieve. Outside, there are literally monsters the size of buildings, demons, beings that can turn into your fears, and who knows what else," Carrie said mockingly. She herself had already encountered several of those beings, and her journey had barely begun.
Carrie crossed her arms with a crooked smile, clearly provoking him. Her gaze was calm—almost amused—as if Vecna were nothing more than another obstacle.
"Silence. I'm tired of your lies. You are a nuisance to my plans, and you will not leave here alive now that you've come," Vecna said angrily.
His tone grew harsh, his body leaning forward slightly. The ground beneath his feet subtly cracked, reacting to his contained fury.
"You overestimate yourself. You're not as strong as you think," Liam said calmly.
Liam clenched his fists slightly, his body radiating an invisible pressure. His eyes never left Vecna's, openly challenging him.
"You don't know me. You know nothing of my power. I don't understand why that thing ran away to hide the moment it sensed you entering this place," Vecna said, shaking his head in disappointment.
As he spoke, Vecna clicked his tongue in disdain, clearly irritated. His dark veins pulsed briefly, revealing the frustration he was trying to suppress.
This made Liam frown, his expression turning more serious. Then the Mind Flayer must have escaped somehow after sensing the danger. It's not stupid, he thought.
"It's a shame your master escaped, but I'll be satisfied if I kill you," Liam said.
He lifted his chin slightly, his voice firm and filled with killing intent. The atmosphere around him tightened, as if the world itself anticipated the inevitable clash.
"He is not my master. I chose to join forces with him. He never controlled me," Vecna said angrily.
Vecna clenched his teeth, black veins pulsing violently as his gaze burned with rage. His body leaned forward, making it clear those words had struck a nerve.
"I don't care. Enough talking. It's time for you to die," Liam said, preparing for combat.
He spread his legs slightly, lowering his center of gravity. His muscles tensed, his gaze turning cold and focused solely on Vecna, as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist.
"Carrie, I'll handle him. Only interfere if he defeats me. Either way, he won't be able to kill me with my immortality," Liam sent telepathically.
He didn't even turn his head as he transmitted the message. His confidence was absolute, his mind clear and focused.
"Alright. Be careful," Carrie replied telepathically, concern evident in her tone.
She watched Liam's back closely, ready to intervene at any moment. Though she trusted him, a slight tension showed on her face.
"Idiot," Vecna spat.
He clenched his fist with contempt, the energy around him beginning to agitate the environment.
With that, Liam sprinted toward Vecna at full speed. This time, his speed was more than double what it had been before—approximately 145 km/h. The world around him seemed to lose detail at the edges due to the velocity.
The ground cracked beneath his feet with each step, dust and stones blasting backward. The wind slammed into his face violently as his body adapted perfectly to the extreme speed.
A wide grin spread across his face as he felt his newfound strength. In just two seconds, he was already only meters away from Vecna, who looked visibly surprised.
Vecna's eyes widened slightly, his hardened expression showing clear surprise for the first time.
At that moment, Vecna raised his hand and used telekinesis to stop him—but he didn't use his full power. The next instant, he saw Liam force his way through it, breaking free.
Invisible pressure wrapped around Liam briefly, but his muscles tensed to the limit and, with sheer force, he shattered the restraint like an invisible wall.
With a final leap, Liam reached Vecna and swung his right arm toward Vecna's neck, ready to summon his dagger at the last moment. But Vecna recovered just in time and, without moving his hand, used telekinesis to stop Liam midair.
Liam's body halted abruptly, as if colliding with something solid, the sudden force shaking him violently.
Even so, Liam used all the strength in his legs, transferring it through his body and forcing himself to twist, generating momentum and managing to move. Vecna had already backed away slightly, and Liam's right hand—now with the dagger appearing—only managed to slice off Vecna's hand, which fell lifelessly to the ground.
The dagger glowed as it appeared, cutting cleanly through corrupted flesh. Vecna's severed hand hit the ground heavily, cracking it and throwing up dust.
"AAARGHH!" Vecna screamed in pain, yet he reacted instantly, blasting Liam away with telekinesis.
The scream echoed across the desert as energy exploded outward, striking Liam like an invisible wave.
Liam tried to resist, but he was still thrown dozens of meters back before landing on one hand and both feet, regaining his balance.
The impact raised a cloud of dust. A long trench marked the ground behind him as he came to a stop, breathing steadily.
Liam lifted his gaze toward Vecna. "I told you—you're not as strong as you think," he mocked.
A confident smile appeared as he straightened, clearly having taken no serious damage.
"Shut up. When I'm done with you, I'll torture you to death," Vecna snarled.
He clenched his remaining fist in rage, the air warping around him as his regeneration began to take effect.
"Unfortunately, you won't get that chance. Today, you'll only find your death here," Liam replied.
His voice was firm, unwavering—like a verdict already decided.
Vecna didn't respond. Instead, he used telekinesis to hurl debris from all around the area toward Liam at extreme speed.
Rocks, chunks of earth, and floating fragments shot forward like lethal projectiles, slicing through the air.
Liam sprinted toward Vecna again, dodging some debris, blocking others with his dagger, and allowing himself to be struck by a few so as not to lose momentum.
Each impact rang out loudly against his body, yet he barely slowed—his advance was relentless.
This time, Vecna grew smarter and focused his telekinesis not on Liam's entire body, but on his legs, causing him to crash violently due to his speed.
Liam's body slammed into the ground, rolling several times before stopping. He planted one hand into the earth, lifting his head slowly, ready to continue fighting.
His body was scraped in many places, flesh exposed. One of his hands was broken from absorbing the fall, but his regeneration was already visible. Flesh closed, bones cracked back into place, and blood slowly evaporated as his abilities did their work.
"Damn… that hurt," Liam muttered, frowning.
He spat out a bit of blood, jaw clenched as he tried to move his broken hand, ignoring the pain still coursing through him.
But Vecna didn't pause. The debris gathered around Liam, now circling him violently before accelerating toward him, sealing off every escape route.
Liam gritted his teeth. He focused on the incoming debris, searching for the weakest point—even if it meant taking damage—trusting his resistance to minimize the worst of it.
His breathing quickened as he calculated in fractions of a second.
Then he changed his mind.
He sprinted straight toward Vecna—where visibility was completely blocked by debris—covered his head with his arms, and smashed through that direction, avoiding all the other projectiles.
The impact was brutal. Rocks shattered against his body, the sound of bones breaking echoing as Liam tore through the storm like a human missile.
Enduring the pain, Liam ran toward the stunned Vecna, who watched in disbelief as Liam advanced as if he hadn't been injured—despite visible broken bones and holes torn through his body. Injuries that should have reduced a normal person to pieces.
The sight was unnatural. Blood dripped from his body as he continued forward, wounds closing before Vecna's eyes.
Vecna began flying upward, trying to use telekinesis again, but Liam instinctively moved with shocking agility, dodging the targeted area.
The air violently distorted where Vecna had attacked—but Liam was already elsewhere.
Liam then leapt with immense force, jumping ten meters—enough to reach Vecna midair. With his right hand, he punched Vecna in the face, stunning him. With his left, where the dagger already rested, he slashed powerfully, cutting from Vecna's chest down to his abdomen.
The punch twisted Vecna's face, and the slash opened his body, exposing blackened, steaming flesh.
"AAARGHH!" Vecna screamed in agony. But the pain triggered his reaction—he caught Liam with telekinesis.
Invisible pressure wrapped around Liam instantly, trapping him midair like a cage.
With no ground to push against, Liam struggled, straining with all his strength—but it wasn't easy. He could only watch as the wounded Vecna approached.
His muscles trembled with effort, but Vecna's grip held firm.
"This is your end," Vecna said. His fingers elongated unnaturally as he touched Liam's head, causing him to lose consciousness.
A sharp pain tore through Liam's mind—then everything went black.
Vecna released him moments later, letting Liam crash into the ground. He descended as well, ready to finish him—but upon landing, he lost his balance and fell to his knees, bracing himself with his hands.
His breathing was heavy, his body trembling as regeneration struggled to keep him standing.
He prepared to use telekinesis to snap Liam's neck.
Then he heard a female voice.
"I think you're forgetting about me."
Vecna lifted his head in terror, seeing Carrie smiling at him—a smile that sent chills through his entire body.
"No—"
That was all Vecna managed to say before his entire body heated up—and in an instant, burst into flames.
"AAAAAARGHHHHHH!"
The pain of being burned alive from the inside forced a scream from him that echoed throughout the Abyss.
The flames consumed him completely, his body writhing as it disintegrated into ash.
Seconds later, all that remained were ashes… and an unconscious Liam, his wounds still visibly healing.
Liam's breathing was weak but steady, his body recovering even without his awareness.
Carrie approached and placed his head on her lap, gently stroking his hair.
"Liam, you didn't need to make such a show of strength to prove that I don't have to do everything alone anymore. I don't care how strong you are—I'll always be with you."
She looked at him with love, carefully wiping the blood from his face as she stayed by his side in silence, protecting him.
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Autor Note: Chapter to reach the top 50, come on you can do it, we're just entering the top 50.
Now the goal is to reach the top 25; this goal will be available until the end of the week.
If we reach that goal, I'll see if we can make stone goals for more chapters.