Chapter 19 - North Saint Rank

Scanning the area using my [ Detection ] that acted like sonar was able to pinpoint where the mercenary were hiding and set camp. I was able to count at least 55 like they had told me and gauging their strength based on the flow of Touki from them was also accurate from what those three had told me. Their location was near the cave where inside it was presumably their leader. This had made things a lot easier and observed each and everyone were located. I am unsure if it was ideal to attack in broad daylight since they would see me coming but I can't return at night since my parents would worry about me. 

The best course of action is cause a commotion and conflict among them themselves but it would mean I won't have the opportunity to fight the Slaughter North Saint. However, the best course of action was to kill them as quickly as possible but I needed to take my timing into consideration. 

The reason for being the one of the assassins was namely my ability to plan first before taking action and seeing that this will be my first time killing people with intent to kill and there were a lot of them that I intend to capture alive for an experiment that only increased its difficulty.  

'Capture at least 10 while the rest should be killed.'

Nodding to myself with the number of people going to be left alive and shrouded myself with [ Stealth ] hiding my presence then used my movement technique to an unexpected victim finding someone around the corner pissing quickly killed him by slitting his throat that quickly draw blood and fall into the ground as I immediately created thin needle that shot towards the nearby enemy straight into their vital points that shut everything down. 

I took their body into my personal world and stored them inside. The thing I found intersting is I can't use my personal world to trap someone who I haven't knocked out which means I can't use it to trap an enemy that I can't defeat. Continuing my killing spree went inside their tents where few sleeping people were inside and there were even women that were broken by them chained up and her will to live was no more. 

She seemed to be begging for death which I gladly gave her by giving a painless death before killing the rest inside the tent by piercing their skulls with my deadly needle. I would have given a more painful death but seeing it was important for me to remain unnoticeable as quickly as possible didn't give me the privilege to do so. 

I left them in their bed since it would be far too suspicious if everyone suddenly disappeared out of nowhere and went out the other tent once I was finished. When there were no more people alive in their tent went to where people were gathered. I can see that they were all training and doing random things which were the remaining people. 

I counted at least 20 people who had remained alive and made things a lot easier. I went down then placed my plan into the ground spreading my Mana before a molding spike from below that pierced through 10 of the remaining mercenaries. 

Their reaction went from shocked to alert, drawing their sword immediately when they saw their comrade had died from magic. 

"We're under attack! Alert everyone!"

They shouted only too soon to realize that everyone in the tent were all dead and made them shaken from the news wondering what kind of person could easily pass through without them noticing that they were being slaughtered. I inwardly laughed at their predicament and decided to remove my [ stealth ] since I would be testing my sword style with them. 

I appeared in the middle of them, shocking the mercenary at the sudden appearance of a child. They couldn't comprehend that a mere child like me could be the cost of everything and gave them a friendly smile. 

"Do you all want to dance with me?"

As soon as these words were spoken, unsheath my sword and appeared in front one of them before using the flat side of my blade to send him flying into the nearby tree, knocking him out. I flipped down when a blade swung into my head then did a handstand to kick the jaw of my attack that also fling him backward while I quickly returned to my feet. They seemed to have taken caution fighting me since none had landed a single hit.  

I didn't waste any time taking a stance that held the hilt of my sword tightly where they prepared for my attack but was taken by surprise when I vanished before their eyes and appeared behind them. The sensation was slowly developing and growing into something new. Onces I resheathed my blade did they fall into the ground unarmed. This technique of my man takes a lot of precision and concentration along with energy expense but the results are guaranteed. 

"My my I didn't expect the commotion from a child. Though, I'm impressed that you managed to massacre my group." 

Glancing at the entrances of the cave found that presumably their leader base from the aura that he exudes. I can feel the pressure coming off from him was completely different from my father that only made me even more excited to fight. However, what caught my eyes was the blade on his side that emanated an interesting energy. 

The leader smirked at me noticing when I was glancing then instinct kicks in and quickly dodged what seem to be a throwing knifes that shot by my enemy that took the opportunity to crawling into four to boost his speed then took out his sword that I didn't try to block and used a Water God style to redirect his blade that was heading its way into my face downward then instantly distance myself to but to my surprised my cheek was cut by his sword.

I looked at his sword that was a curved shortsword with the Dragon tattoo emblem into its hilt and five holes along the middle of the sharp blade, and 5 half-moon holes along the other side of the blade. The blade is split into two different colors, the sharp part is silver and the opposite is a dark green moss. holes inside that was intriguing to see. The blade reminds me of a certain sword that belong to blond boy like myself.

"Oh you actually managed to escape my surprise attack? Interesting, interesting. As expected of the one who killed my people but too bad I have to end this." 

Before my eyes the leader turned into six individuals with each of their own weapons and their power was all the same! This sword is just a Lostvayne that doesn't reduce the power level of the person! My reaction brought him some entertainment, smiling creepily at me. 

"Shock? I was lucky enough to find this when I visited the demon continent and belong to a certain demon tribe that I graciously slaughtered! Oh their blood was the joyous day of my life!"

I've met people like him before who relish in senseless slaughter and soon dashes their way towards me taking a more sword god style stance that I manage to evade but their coordination was troubling and force to parry that started to chip away my iron blade. 

"This blade is one of the 48 cursed swords that were made by Yulian Jalisco. This beauty has the ability to multiple versions of myself with all of my senses shared giving me near perfect coordination!"

He maniacally smiled at me, uncaring about having his mercenary being killed, showing that his title was not for show and truly only seeking more blood. This just confirmed that they weren't sent by anyone. At this moment, he got the appearance and surrounded me in all directions using every means possible. 

I twisted my body kicking one of them in the head then sent it towards another clone then took a stance and did a downward slash to slice the two in half only to turn into something similar to clay. I leaned back dodging a knife then saw another one of the clowns from above that was swinging downward but I immediately flipped backward at the right movement that it barely touched my face and kicked him in the face. 

While midair I swung my sword to stop another knife from another clone and landed on my feets that I twisted as the other clone arrived closer to swing at me in a diagonal swing then countered as I spun by body slice through his body but unfortunately it was only a clone.  

"Woah! You actually managed to kill 3 of my clones!" 

I turned behind me and saw the other 3 remaining clones clapping at me as I remained calm and unfazed by everything. 

"You've taken many things from me kid but now I shall take everything from you! Your life! Your loved ones! Your friends! The blood shall soak the land when I'm down with you." 

He screamed out before dashing towards me that I carefully deflected each of his attacks with my sword but it was troublesome how coordinated they were and taking quite a lot of advantage from me. I was shallow slashes in different areas that started to bleed that my opponent licked as he stared at my stoic expression.

"Tch. You're a tough one, kid I give you that but eventually you will be crying for merc-!"

I didn't let him finish and appeared in front of him. It seemed to shock him, slashing his face with a horizontal slash that was shallow as he was able to back a bit before my strike then regain his composure and commanded his clone to attack me but I merely backed off as well. 

His eyes felt fear realizing that I managed to find which the original was since his clone was nothing more than clay like substance then I could easily find which was the real one. 

"Hahaha you are quite the sparring partner so I should be thankful that I was enlightened. However, we've already been fighting for too long and my parents would start to worry about me."

I said taking different stances preparing my sword them create another in my other hand taking a stances that started to make him back off since my arms move that seem to create two more pairs of arms finally found the perfect name for my sword style.

"I shall let you have a taste of my [ Sacred Style] ."

He tried to retaliate yet it was too late and I appeared behind him placing numerous slashes into his body while his clones were chopped into pieces. I felt tired trying the technique that uses sword god style straightforward attack and north god style unorthodox way of fighting resulting in my first art of Sacred Style. 

"H-How…."

I disintegrated the other blade while I sheathed the one that my father gifted me before my opponent could even fall lifelessly into the ground. However, it took quite a toll on my body and I fell to my knees trying to use my incomplete style. Still it showed that in sword style I'm qualified to be a Saint Rank but this isn't official and I doubt he could compare someone like a Water Saint and Sword Saint rank.

Sitting down a bit to let my body rest, healing the torn muscle after trying the speed that I did and even after reducing the friction along with its inertia still took a lot of me. Once I had gotten enough rest, I went to check my loot and place the remaining 10 unconscious prisoners into my personal world before taking a closer look at the sword that the guy had.