LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

Lyerin's heart pounded in his chest as the courtroom-like chamber seemed to blur around him.

He had been standing there, trying to hold back the tidal wave of emotions that had been building inside him since he had been brought back into this world. But the sight of the woman who now stood before him nearly shattered his resolve.

His mother, Lina, was there, her eyes filled with a mixture of love and concern.

Lina's appearance was as he remembered, yet different in ways that made his stomach twist.

Her once-lustrous hair, the same deep black as his own, now fell in disheveled waves around her shoulders. Her face, though still beautiful, bore the faint lines of exhaustion and pain. Her eyes, so full of warmth, had a shadow in them that hadn't been there before. She wore a simple dress, its fabric worn and threadbare, as if she had been through countless hardships.

However, what drew Lyerin's attention most were the marks on her skin, glowing faintly with an ominous magic particles and light. Slave and torture marks.

"Lyerin," she said softly, her voice trembling with emotion. "My sweet boy, where have you been? Are you all right? What happened to you?" Her words tumbled out, a desperate rush of questions. "Where are you in the real world? Why are you here?

I've missed you so much… I've been so worried. How are you? Have you been safe? Are you hurt?"

Lyerin stared at her, his head felt like it was being dragged.

He couldn't move, couldn't speak.

This was the woman who had been the center of his world, the person he had loved more than anyone. And now, she was standing here in front of him, in the very heart of the Borgias Family's stronghold.

The very family that had destroyed everything he had cared about in his previous life.

The very reason he had sought them out again after being given a second chance.

As his mother's words washed over him, he found himself thinking, "Isn't she the reason I came to this damned place?" Yet, despite his inner turmoil, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. His heart ached with a mix of longing and rage.

How could they have done this to her?

As Lina continued to speak, Lyerin's gaze drifted to the magical marks on her skin.

They were unmistakable.

He knew exactly what they were.

These were no ordinary wounds or scars.

They were the marks of subjugation, of pain, of endless torment.

The marks of a slave.

Instantly, Lyerin's head felt like it was hit by a hammer, sending shockwaves through his body.

His mind began to think, imagining the horrors his mother must have endured.

The thought of her suffering at the hands of the Borgias Family, of her being reduced to nothing more than a tool for their twisted purposes, ignited a fury deep within him. He could feel the blood in his veins start to boil, the heat rising from his chest to his head. His heart pounded faster, each beat like a drum in his ears.

His face grew hot, his vision tinged with red as a killing intent unlike anything he had ever felt before thrust like a piercing spear was shot.

Then, Lyuzen spoke. His voice was cold and dismissive, cutting through the haze of Lyerin's anger like a knife. "Lina, control your voice," Lyuzen ordered, his tone laced with contempt. "You are in front of everyone. Remember your place." He sneered as he continued, speaking to Lina as if she were nothing more than an object, a breeding sow for the family.

"You should be grateful that we even allow you to speak. Keep your emotions in check, or I'll have to remind you of your position."

The way Lyuzen spoke to his mother, the way he treated her as if she were less than human, snapped something inside Lyerin.

All thoughts of restraint vanished in an instant, replaced by a very need to destroy the man who had dared to speak to his mother that way.

Without a second thought, Lyerin moved.

Swoosh!

His body blurred into a shadow, moving faster than anyone in the room could react.

In a heartbeat, he was in front of Lyuzen, his hand shooting up like a blade, aimed directly at the man's throat.

Swack!

The air crackled with the force of his intent, his fingers sharp as daggers, ready to pierce through flesh and bone.

But just as his hand was about to make contact, it stopped.

Craaaacck!!

Suspended in midair, inches from Lyuzen's neck.

A black vortex appeared around his hand, its swirling darkness absorbing the force of his strike.

Lyerin's eyes widened in shock, what is this?

Lyuzen didn't even flinch. He looked at Lyerin with a mixture of disappointment and contempt, his lips curling into a smug smile. "Pathetic," he whispered, his voice barely audible yet filled with venom. "You are truly disappointing, my life halfling offspring. To think that someone with your potential could be so easily controlled by their emotions. You're nothing but a child, lashing out in anger.

And that is why you will never be a true assassin."

Lyerin's breath came in short, ragged gasps, his hand still frozen in place by the dark magic. Suddenly, having not choice, he tried to dig deeper, trying to find a way out, to break free from the vortex that held his hand

Lyuzen's voice grew stronger, more condescending as he continued. "You think that by acting out of anger, you can achieve anything? Foolish boy. Emotions are a weakness, a chain that binds you, that makes you predictable and easy to manipulate. A true assassin must be cold, calculating, unfeeling. They must be able to kill without hesitation, without remorse.

You, halfling, are far too weak to understand that."

Lyerin's jaw clenched, his teeth grinding together as Lyuzen's words cut into him like a knife. He wanted to scream, to tear Lyuzen apart with his bare hands, but the vortex held him fast, draining him of his strength.

Lyuzen's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "You'll never complete the ten special missions. You'll never be accepted by the Borgias Family. Not as long as I am alive."

The words were like a slap to the face, stoking the fire of Lyerin's rage even further. But just as he was about to lose himself to that anger, something shifted inside him.

The fury that had been burning so hot began to cool, replaced by a cold, calculating resolve.

Lyerin's eyes narrowed, and a slow smile spread across his lips.

"I never truly intended to join this disgusting family. My only goal had been to get his mother back!" He said.

As he said this, Lyerin's hand, still trapped within the vortex, started to change.

The mana within him exploded, as if responding to his will, and shadows began to swirl around his fingers.

Kaash!

The darkness grew denser, more solid, as if it were alive.

It climbed up his arm like a serpent, its cold, creeping tendrils wrapping around his flesh.

Lyerin focused all of his energy, all of his anger, into that one hand.

The shadow mana solidified, forming a coating around his hand that glowed with a dark, ominous light. He could feel the power coursing through him, stronger than ever before.

With a sharp, decisive motion, Lyerin's hand pierced through the black vortex.

Creeaak!!

The magic that had held him in place shattered like glass, unable to withstand the force of his will.

Time seemed to slow as his hand continued forward, unstoppable, toward Lyuzen's throat.

There was a brief moment of silence, the world holding its breath. And then, with a sickening crunch, Lyerin's hand plunged into Lyuzen's neck, the shadows surrounding his fingers cutting through flesh and bone like a hot knife through butter.

Lyuzen's eyes widened in shock, his smug expression replaced by one of pure terror.

He gasped, blood spilling from his mouth as he tried to speak, but no words came out. His hands scrabbled at Lyerin's arm, trying to pull it away, but it was no use.

Lyerin's eyes were cold, unfeeling, as he watched the life drain from Lyuzen's body.

"As for ten special missions? I already shoved it right deep into your throat! I can see that you are receiving it well," He coldly said.

The man who had tormented his mother, who had belittled and enslaved her, was finally getting what he deserved. And Lyerin felt nothing but satisfaction.

With a final, violent twist, Lyerin withdrew his hand from Lyuzen's neck, letting the lifeless body crumple to the ground.

Thud!

The courtroom was deathly silent, everyone too stunned to react. Lyerin stood over Lyuzen's corpse, his expression calm, almost serene, as he turned his gaze to the rest of the Borgias Family.

His voice was low, but it carried a deadly edge as he spoke. "Anyone else want to question my abilities?"

The room remained silent. And in that moment, Lyerin knew what's coming next!