“That’s Dorun Village!” said Cain. He was still running when he saw a village up ahead.

The village was still empty. The evacuated civilians had not been allowed to go back.

Cain arrived at the village entrance. “Higa! Lexa!” he quickly searched for his friends.

“Maybe on that building!” Cain rushed towards the only damaged building in the area.

Bodies and blood were everywhere. When Cain saw Higa’s body, he rushed towards him.

“No, no, no! This can't be happening!” Cain checked Higa’s pulse. Higa’s face was pale because he lost too much blood.

”There is! Pulse! Higa! Wake up! He shook Higa’s body lightly.

“... Th- tha hur..t," Higa opened his eyes slowly.

“Higa!? Thank Goddess! Here, drink this!”

Cain took out a potion from his bag, and helped Higa drink it.

That yellow colored potion was made from Vemoren Herb, it quickly stimulated the white blood cell called the macrophage that helped fighting infection and disease. It also helped to heal wounds faster and stop the bleeding.

“What happened!?” asked Cain.

Higa told him what happened.

“Kingsmight did this!?”

“Ye-yeah… th-they... do things… behind their super… rior. Take my.. b-book.”

There's a book near Higa’s left leg.

“Your book?” Cain took the book and flipped it.

It was an empty book given by Igo before he left. Higa filled it with sketch of portrait, when he had nothing to do.

Cain stopped flipping the book when a portrait of man painted with blood came.

“This?”

“I drew… all of thei.. their faces… who did this… who took Lexa.”

“Alright! Alright! Let's get you out of here first!”

“I won't… survive…”

“The heck are you saying!? You are getting married next year! Here, I’ll pull all of these out of your body.”

Cain held the sword that pierced Higa’s shoulder.

“Ready?”

Higa nodded weakly.

Cain pulled the sword and quickly close the wound with a cloth.

“Arrrghhh!! Heck yeah!!! I'm getting married next year!!! Cough! Cough!”

“That's the spirit!, Come on! We’ve got more to pull!”

“Haah... haah… that’s really hurt…”

“Wait, I’ll find some clean clothes or bandages, then I'll pull the rest.”

Cain found few clean cloths and bandages. He managed to pull all of the sharps from Higa’s body. “(These are terrible wounds…)” thought Cain as he applied an ointment he brought to the wounds so the wounds would dry faster. But he only managed to cover Higa’s shoulder with the bandages, because there’s just not enough.

“Sorry, I'm not coming faster, I should’ve not held back when I come here," said Cain.

When Cain went to Dorun from Makkir, He just running with simple speed enhancing technique. Now with all this happened, He thought he should've used his full power to go faster. He regretted it deeply.

“That's fine… at least you ca.. came.”

“Let's get outta here," Cain carried Higa on his back.

Cain took a stance and jumped. He jumped forward very far. When he landed, he quickly jumped again. The ground where he landed and jumped became a mini crater.

“I'm tired…” said Higa.

“You can go to sleep, when you wake up, Lexa will be there beside you, waiting for you to open your eyes," Cain smiled wryly.

“Heheh… that’d be nice… listen… Cain… our bracelets... are actually magic items... it can track each other… use it… to find Lexa…”

“I will! Even if I have to turn Arozora upside down, I will find her," Cain laughed bitterly.

“Heheh… kick their asses for me…” Higa laughed weakly.

“And… Cain…”

“... What?”

“Take good care of her… for me…”

Silence took over for few minutes.

Cain landed and slowly walked then stopped. He just stood there. He clenched his fists.

Cain realized, he just lost his best friend, his brother, his family member.

Tears were flowing down on his cheek.

He put Higa’s body under a tree.

Higa was smiling on his death, his face looked relaxed.

Cain looked at his face.

“What are you smiling for!?” Cain shouted to his best friend's dead body.

Cain burst out with tears, he couldn't hold back his emotions. He fell into his knees.

“Please… please tell me…” he sobbed. “... Why are you smiling…”

Cain was silent for a few minutes. Gentle breeze swept his face.

He stood up, and wiped his eyes.

“I will Higa, I will…”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

He carried Higa on his back again.

He jumped, but now the crater was two times bigger than before, and he jumped farther.

…

Palvaran Orphanage.

Aunt Germi was reading a book while some kids were playing in front of her. Then, the building trembled a bit.

“Waah! it’s an earthquake!!” The kids cheerfully ran around the room.

When the front door opened, Cain entered the orphanage.

“Huh? Cain?” Aunt Germi seemed surprised, she closed her book.

“Wah! It’s brother Cain! Let's play!” said the children, swarming Cain in no time.

“Kids! Go back to your room, now!” said Aunt Germie, she realized something was wrong.

“Ehh, why? We want to play with brother Cain!”

“Quick! Now!” said Aunt Germi with serious face.

“Okay…” The kids lowered their heads and went to their rooms.

“Cain, what happened?? Is that Higa? Is he okay? Where’s Lexa?”

Cain said nothing, he was just looking at Aunt Germi with a sad face while holding his tears.

“Cain?”

“Is there an unused bed?” Cain finally opened his mouth.

“There is, come here.”

Aunt Germi led him to a room. Cain laid Higa’s body on the bed.

Aunt Germi looked at Higa’s body. “Cain? why Higa’s body is full of wounds? Wait… wait… Cain!? Why he isn't breathing!?” Aunt Germi checked Higa’s pulse.

“I'm sorry, Aunt Germi… Higa... is gone…”

“What!? No! No! This can’t be!” Aunt Germi almost fell, Cain caught her.

“Ooh Higa…” Aunt Germi was crying while rubbing Higa’s forehead, she sat beside Higa’s body.

Aunt Germi always treated all the kids from the orphanage as her own child. Higa’s death struck her deep.

“What happened, Cain?” Her eyes were wet with tears.

“I’ll tell you later… would you please clean him?”

“Yes… of course.”

“Thank you," Cain took the bracelet from Higa’s wrist, turned his back and about to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“Looking for Lexa.”

“Be careful, Cain. Please.”

Cain nodded without looking back.

...

The sun was about to set. Cain stopped walking, he was looking at the bracelet on his palm. Then looked up to a fortress like building, the Kingsmight West Pillar. The same place where he registered for the test.

The bracelet brought him here.

He put the bracelet into his pants pocket. Then, he walked towards the building gate. There were two Kingsmight members as gatekeepers at the gate.

“Excuse me, is there a girl who has been brought here?” Cain talked to one of the gatekeepers. He wanted to get in without making a ruckus.

“I don't think so, why?”

“I think my friend has been brought here, can I come in?”

“Sorry kid, you can't come in, unless you have an official business.”

Cain was not in the mood for an argument. And he realized he was just wasting time.

“You’re not in the list, but you’re in the way. Sorry about this!”

Cain hit the gatekeeper with his palm on the abdomen. The gate broke down because the gatekeeper flew through it.

“What!?” The other gatekeeper was perplexed after he saw that. The Kingsmight members inside the building were alerted by the sound.

Only a few civilians were around there, and they did not seem noticed the ruckus because they were a bit far.

“Hey! you okay!?” a Kingsmight member was checking the fallen gatekeeper.

“He is still alive," Cain spoke coldly.

“We have an intruder! Alert everyone!”

West Pillar Underground Dungeon.

One of three candles on the wall suddenly lit up by itself. It was a silent alarm feature in Kingsmight Base

“What now!? Intruder? After all I’ve done to bring her here unnoticed?” said a bald Kingsmight after he saw the burning candle.

It's the Kingsmight member that took Lexa. He entered a confined room.

In the room, Lexa was lying down on the floor, her hands handcuffed with Arcnomger, a special handcuffs. If she were to cast magic or any technique, it would cut her hands off instantly.

She stared at the man in front of him.

“There's no way someone would be stupid enough to invade this Kingsmight base, probably a false alarm or a drill. Now let me enjoy you, heheheh," said the bald Kingsmight. He licked his upper lip.

West Pillar Hall

“You actually dare to invade Kingsmight base? Kid! You have a death wish!”

Kingsmight members started to gather in the hall. Some Kingsmight also stood ready from the mezzanine.

Cain looked at every Kingsmight members who were ready to attack him.

“Found two," said Cain. His cold expression didn't change.

“What a weirdo! I’ll handle him!”

A big Kingsmight jumped down from the second floor and swung down a huge hammer to Cain.

Cain evaded the hammer that smashed the floor. He quickly countered with a kick. The Kingsmight let go his hammer and his put guard up against Cain’s kick.

He was pushed back about 5 meters.

“Did he just push me ba-!”

A hammer was flying to him, his hammer, thrown by Cain.

A flying spear hit the hammer, changed its trajectory. The hammer crashed into a pillar next to the big Kingsmight.

“Shit! That almost hit me!”

“Careful! He’s strong!”

The Kingsmight unsheathed their weapons and prepared their magic.

“(As expected of Kingsmight, this won't be easy,)” thought Cain.

4 wind lances flew towards Cain.

Cain evaded them by running towards to one of the Kingsmight, one of the targets.

“You!” said the Kingsmight.

The Kingsmight took a stance with his sword and started attacking Cain. Cain easily dodged his sword slash, then he grabbed the Kingsmight’s hand and seized the sword. Stabbed his right foot two times and cut his left forearm. Then kicked him.

“Uaaargghh!!! Ah! Aarrghh!” His scream echoed in the hall.

Blood gushed out from his hand.

All of the Kingsmight members in the hall were in shock.

“Did he just beat Kargea!? Rank 39th!?” one of the Kingsmight didn’t believe what he saw.

“Stop his bleeding if you don't want him to die," Cain coldly spoke to the Kingsmight in front of him. Then, he pointed the sword to one of the Kingsmight on the second floor.

“You’re next," said Cain.

Cain held the sword with two hands, He lowered his stance. With incredible speed, he swung the sword upward.

The ground was slashed with a straight line, the mezzanine on the second floor also got slashed onto the Kingsmight Cain targeted.

“Wha- My eye! Aaarghhh!”

He was slashed from his left leg up to his left eye, blood spurted from the wound. But it wasn't a fatal wound, Cain intentionally to cut not too deep.

“What the hell!? What was that technique!?”

“It's like Wind Slash! But Wind Slash has a visible wave! And what the heck is that range!?”

Cain used Wind Guillotine. A sword technique from the Book of Gomara. The key was not how much strength to do it, but the speed and a perfect arc shaped swing. Creating an invisible and ranged powerful slash with incredible speed.

Wind Slash was a common sword technique, while Wind Guillotine was just like its upgrade.

“This guy is dangerous! Get serious everyone!”

The sword Cain used was broken into pieces. It couldn't handle Cain’s power.

“What the hell is happening here!”

More Kingsmight members came out.

Cain looked to the Kingsmight members that just came. “Found the other three," he said. His gaze locked to them.

“We don't know who the fuck he is, but he just beat Kargea and Harl!” said the Kingsmight who witnessed it.

“What!?”

“Surround him and attack together!”

About 7 Kingsmight leaped to where Cain stood.

Cain also leaped and attacked one of the Kingsmight in mid air and snatched his weapon, a staff. Cain also stepped on him to jump mid air.

“What a fool! You let yourself in mid air too long!” a woman Kingsmight that already landed casted a fire creation magic, Flame Net. Shot up towards Cain.

Cain twisted his body as he held the staff, creating a horizontal twister. It’s called Cruel Spin. The Flame Net split into two when they collided in mid air.

Still twisting, he went down and attacked the woman Kingsmight. One of the target.

The woman Kingsmight’s right shoulder was hit by the staff as Cain landed on the floor with squatted position. All her bones on her right side were broken. The staff split in half

Cain threw the staff remains to a Kingsmight’s face. He deflected them with his mace, only found his face got grabbed by Cain. Cain rammed his head to a pillar behind him two times. Cain let his head go and spun, hit his stomach with his elbow. He puked blood and fell to the ground.