Saquin: Death To My Enemies

Saquin stood at the cave entrance, his gaze sweeping over the men scattered inside—those still standing and those who lay still. Excluding the prince, there were thirty men in total, with nineteen dead and eleven barely alive.

So, the green-haired prince managed to take down a level 7 werewolf with help from his entourage, Saquin noted.

[ Quite impressive, taking down a level 7 at level 6. ]

He's a higher human who had help, Saquin replied, unimpressed. Not exactly worthy of praise.

[ Give him some credit; it looks like they're not even geared up properly. ]

So he either snuck out like that princess... or they are from those smaller kingdoms or empire.

"Who are you!" one of the prince's men shouted, glaring at Saquin.

"Stay back. I'll handle this," the prince ordered. He turned to Saquin, addressing him with a measured tone, "I am Prince Richard, third prince of the Igroth Kingdom. May I ask what brings you here, my fellow higher?"

"'Fellow higher'? You small kingdom types are peculiar," Saquin replied, stepping forward.

Voom!

Seeing Saquin's movement, Richard moved to intercept him, but Saquin wasn't aiming for him—yet.

Crack! Slice! Thud.

In an instant, the sound of bones snapping, swords cutting through the air, and bodies hitting the ground filled the cave as Saquin cut down the remaining men effortlessly.

[+40 XP]

Two level 5s, one level 6… Saquin calculated as he stopped beside the massive werewolf's fallen body. Even killing the prince won't make up for what I've lost here.

Richard, left unharmed yet forced to watch his men fall in a blur of blood and steel, clenched his fists in frustration. Is he underestimating me? A fellow higher? Just because of his speed ability?

The insult ran deep, igniting a fury in him—a lifetime of being the concubine's son, overlooked, disrespected. Every grievance flashed through his mind, and something broke free inside him.

"Arghhhh!" Richard screamed, his whole body bursting into a green light that pulsed outward, filling the cave with an eerie illumination.

Saquin paused, glancing back at the prince, his attention now caught by the radiant glow that cast strange shadows over the stone walls.

Did he just—

[ Yeah, he just went Truestate. ]

Seriously? He used it over his men?

[ Doubtful. It's more likely he sees you as a threat he can't handle without it. ]

Hmm, makes sense, but it's a risky move. He's clearly not experienced enough to go Truestate instantly—leaves him wide open during the transformation. Saquin's gaze lingered on Richard, the prince vulnerable as the green light poured from him.

[ So are you going to take him out now? ]

No, not yet. I've actually been curious to see a Truestate since I read about it back in the village.

[ You too? ]

Haven't you seen it before? Saquin asked.

[ I have, but the higher humans in my time were far rarer. They had a different kind of Truestate; I'd like to see how much it's changed. ]

Fair enough. Let's see which type he's using.

[ Wait, types? There are different types now? ]

Guess that's a sign of the times. Truestate is about fusing all your SP in your body at once, right?

[ Yes, and then using it to launch your strongest attack. ]

Not anymore. Now, you either channel it into your body or your ability, elevating one to a new level.

[ That's an upgrade, but does the side effect still hold—losing all SP manipulation until your SP recovers completely? ]

Yeah, it's still there.

[ Still feels like a cheat. SP recovers at one per second; so, you just wait a few minutes or down a potion and get back into the action. And don't forget, you guys still have your superhuman bodies to lean on in the meantime. ]

Hey, we aren't called the greatest species for nothing, Saquin replied with a hint of pride.

[ Tch. ]

I mean, it's not much compared to immortality or the extended lifespans some species get.

Boom!

The internal dialogue was cut off as Richard had completed his Truestate transformation and had launched an attack immediately.

Saquin came flying out of the cave due to the force behind Richard punch.

Saquin crashed into a one of Rigar forest trees and broke through it, before coming to a stop by hitting another.

So, body huh. Saquin said as he kept his eyes on the cave entrance.

[ His ability is related to mind manipulation, I think he noticed it won't have much effect on you so he went with brute force. ]

Yea.

Richard, bathed in green light, walked out of the cave with leisurely steps, his eyes locked on Saquin.

I think he is mocking me.

[ He definitely is. Do you know how many seconds that state last? ]

Ten to twenty.

[ Are you going to wait it out or... ]

Nah, I would just kill him, gauged his strength already—boosted into level 7 superhuman body. Saquin sidestepped as Richard suddenly lunged at him, narrowly dodging the punch.

Bang!

Richard punch missed its target and connected to the tree Saquin was leaning on pulverizing that part. He was about to throw out another punch but felt a foot connect to his gut.

Boom!

Richard got thrown back towards the cave entrance by the gut kick.

Mid-air, he saw Saquin closing in fast, readying another punch. Reacting swiftly, Richard twisted his body to avoid the hit, catching Saquin's fist mid-swing. Using the momentum, he redirected Saquin's body in one fluid motion, hurling him toward the cave wall just outside the entrance.

Boom!

Saquin body broke through the wall a moment before Richard crashed into the ground at the cave entrance.

To seize the moment after Saquin's crash, Richard sprang to his feet, scanning for Saquin's body to land a finishing blow. He turned to his left, eyeing the hole created by Saquin's impact—only to find it empty.

Sensing a presence behind him, Richard whipped his head toward the cave entrance. There stood Saquin, ready to strike. But—

"Your SP sense is trash." He heard a voice at his back, towards the inner cave.

So, that wasn't him. Richard had sensed something was off with the first figure but hadn't realized until now. Reacting instinctively, he spun, positioning himself to intercept attacks from both directions, but—

Puchi!

A hand ripped into his neck, grabbed the spine and ripped it out. What the hell, was his last thought.

There, at his back, Saquin stood as the two clones he had used as diversion dispersed into SP mist.

Kneeling, Saquin tore a strip of fabric from Richard's uniform, then infused his voice with SP, calling out softly, "Lira."

Seconds later, Lira appeared beside him, her aura thrumming with level 7 power and her blood-spattered smile wide. Saquin gave her an approving pat on the head.

He gestured to the bodies scattered across the cave floor. "Take whatever SP you can from them. We've got a kingdom to visit." His last words dripped with venom as he clenched the cloth tightly in his hand.