Sorgon's initial plan was to quickly seize the inheritance without amassing too much power. Maybe the first person to arrive would be given a special opportunity. Such things sometimes happen. He wanted to take advantage of this opportunity.
Unlike the other team leaders, Sorgon hadn't researched the area or considered recruiting someone who was knowledgeable or capable of conducting research. He had only brought along those who were strong and willing to listen to him. This would cost him dearly. During his nightly run, he suddenly awakened a Stage 7 Sage Beast. This was his first mistake.
He hadn't realized that he had entered the monster's lair. The monster couldn't leave, but they could. If only they hadn't been so proud. That was his second mistake.
Sorgon himself was at the fourth stage of the Sage Realm. Having reached this stage at the age of 25, he was certainly a genius. The power of his techniques wasn't weak simply because he was young. A long time had passed since he reached the Sage Realm.
Techniques are divided into four stages, each specific to a realm. When you reach the Sage Realm, your understanding of the Tao usually only allows you to learn basic-stage Sage techniques. Achieving Minor Success in a basic stage technique allows you to learn an intermediate stage technique. And so on.
Furthermore, Sorgon had a pair of daggers. This pair was considered a Sage weapon. Although it was a low-level sage weapon, it was still a sage weapon. Despite its low level, it increased his attack power by one level, allowing him to unleash attacks at the fifth stage of the Sage Realm.
With the power of his techniques and his helpers, he defeated the monster.
Unfortunately, all four of his helpers were dead.
He himself was wounded as well.
He had to admit that he had made a mistake. He couldn't simply dispose of the monster's corpse. He had to flee because the corpse would attract other monsters. During his desperate escape, he was forced to run while hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. But at that very moment, he saw a fat boar. The smell of the cooking meat in his hand made his body stir again.
"Give me that food now!" Sorgon shouted. There was a strange excitement in his eyes. A hint of madness. Maybe he had lost too much blood.
Kasuur trembled at that moment. How could he not have realized that he was facing a powerful sage? A savage, powerful aura emanated from Sorgon's body. Kasuur threw the meat forward, but it didn't quite land in front of Sorgon.
Sorgon frowned, growled in anger, and walked toward the meat. Though his gait was unsteady, this savage man could suddenly explode with the power of a hunter and slit their throats. John didn't even blink as he watched Sorgon intently. He motioned to his children with one hand behind Kasuur to stay back.
The winds of war could mean death for their children. They were too weak.
"I understand the pig's fear, but I can still throw the meat a little farther—"
As Sorgon voiced his complaints about the pig and reached for it, the pig suddenly pulled a sword from its cloak and struck the careless man in the neck.
WOOOO!!!
Kasuur was truly afraid at that moment, but not as much as he showed Sorgon. He was confident that he could fight this wounded man.
Under the glare of the sword, Sorgon's unconcerned expression suddenly changed. The blade suddenly appeared at the back of his neck.
WOOOO!
Sorgon fell to the ground, unsteady from the powerful blow, but his head remained intact. Kasuur hadn't managed to decapitate him. He tried with all his might to push the blades away, but to no avail.
Sorgon was still bleeding, though.
"How can you be so strong?" he whispered. Kasuur knew he couldn't stop at that moment, though. From the moment he saw this man emerge from the forest, he knew they were in for a fight to the death.
Kasuur kicked Sorgon in the face, but he only convulsed slightly. The blow had no serious effect. He hadn't moved from where he fell. Kasuur's expression grew uglier, but Sorgon had already brightened.
"You're not the strong one! Your sword is!"
It wasn't the old origin weapon, but the sword Kasuur was using now. He now held a stainless steel sword that shone in the light and emitted an aura he couldn't produce. The origin energy that Kasuur had added to the sword was coated in Tao.
At Stage 10, Kasuur had the attack power of a Sage.
Still, that wasn't enough.
Sorgon grabbed Kasuur's foot and pulled him in so quickly that he couldn't react. Kasuur fell to the ground, kicking up dust. Despite the obstacles obstructing his vision, Sorgon drew his dagger and aimed it precisely at Kasuur's throat. Kasuur's eyes widened in fear.
CHOO!!!
An old man, hidden a short distance away, pushed the powerful man away just in time. The dagger hit the ground next to Kasuur instead of his throat. The middle-aged man swung his sword at the wounded hunter, but the dagger intercepted it just in time. John turned around quickly. His gentlemanly expression had been replaced by a worried one.
"Boys! Run!"
The stunned twins weren't sure what to do as they watched their father battle the dangerous monster. They knew he had risked his life for theirs.
At that moment, Kasuur watched John grapple with Sorgon on the ground. It was two against a genius at the fourth stage of the Sage Realm. Kasuur looked at the two men standing there. They had both helped them get this far, but they were no match for a fight of this caliber.
Kasuur wanted them to stay and fight. These twins were over thirty years old. He was only twelve. Was this fair?
"Go!"
Kasuur shouted at them, trying to grab Sorgon's arm. He knew age wasn't important. Not right now, though. What mattered was strength. They had already helped him when age and experience mattered. Now, Kasuur had to fulfill his duty.
He raised his sword, trying to behead Sorgon. But the man kicked John off of him and threw himself back. Nothing was stopping him from getting to his feet.
At that moment, Kasuur wondered. Had Mais been trying to say this all along? Probably more than that. Mais had been talking too much. At least when he started giving Kasuur advice.
Sorgon stood. He raised his daggers and assumed a fighting stance. Blood was seeping from his abdomen. This blood was fresh. It was a fresh wound. The tear in his soil-covered clothes was stained a deep red. Somehow, John had stabbed him while he was on the ground.
Kasuur and his master, John, stood up, too. Kasuur stood quite tense. He raised his sword, appearing ready to fight, but the tip of the sword trembled slightly. Sorgon was no ordinary enemy. Even wounded, the chances of Kasuur and John surviving were uncertain. However, Sorgon and John were much calmer.
"Calm down, young man. When you fight, you must forget fear and devote yourself to your sword. Don't think about what happened during the battle. You'll understand what happened when it's over," the old man said.
The old man spoke to calm Kasuur. He also wielded a katana, a thin sword. But he also had a small knife at his waist. He had probably stabbed Sorgon with it.
Sorgon laughed when he saw the knife.
"Isn't this a Sage weapon? You're so poor that you can only afford a small knife."
Although the low-level Sage weapon had raised Master John's attack power to the Sage realm, the knife could only be used to injure Sorgon. Moreover, a first-tier Sage's attack power couldn't do much damage to Sorgon. John stabbed Sorgon because he was able to use too much force with the dagger, and Sorgon's previous injuries had severed many ligaments in his abdomen. A lucky blow.
Sorgon also possessed a low-level Sage weapon. He had no advantage in that regard. At this point, the old man could only rely on techniques honed by experience and Sorgon's injuries.
The three warriors stared at each other in the confined space. It wouldn't be long before a Sage-level battle unfolded. At that moment, the sun began to rise and its orange light slowly warmed their bodies. They gripped their weapons tighter and were about to make their move.
RAAAAAAAGGGG!!!
Sorgon's third mistake was not running far enough.