The Chronicles Of New Havens

The secret entrance leading underground was easy to find. Although the estate was massive, there were few places that remained guarded, even with the commotion happening. That meant that their importance was paramount! Benedict eyed the two guards warily. Simply from their aura, posture, and demeanor, he could tell that they were a step up from his previous three opponents! They were on the same level of opponents that Elizabeth faced. Different from her though, he lacked any ranged methods. He could not decisively eliminate one of them.

He became gloomy as he continued to wait for an opportunity. But there was none. As the minutes ticked by, the two guards were stiff as rocks. They would not budge, no matter what. Increasingly nervous, he racked his brain about how to distract them. If possible, he wanted to sneak by them… He smiled wryly. Was this not the actions of a common thief after all? He did not feel like a knight at all! Unfortunately, it was not like he could rush in, defeat them perfectly, and move on. He had to scheme! Therefore, Benedict drafted a simple plan and executed it.

On a nearby tree, hidden from sight, one man was leaning against the trunk, while another was standing up. Both had displayed astonishing levels of stealth, such that the branches did not move the slightest, even with the large weight bearing down on them. It was the leaders of the First Hand! The captain watched Benedict lazily while eating a snack. It looked like he was here for a show, rather than work. This made his vice-captain furious. At a time like this, when the fate of the Whispering Shadow hung in the balance, his captain ordered everyone else to work while he lounged around!

As expected, we can never rely on someone like this! the vice-captain viciously thought as a cold glint emerged in his eyes. Do you think you're the king of the world? If you dare betray us, then we'll show you the true meaning of power!

The captain munched on a few peanuts, while keeping a fraction of his senses locked onto his vice-captain. He chuckled in his head. They must still think that I'm still a Perception Realm Master. If they knew I reached the next realm… Alas, he did not care that much. In his mind, they were unworthy of his attention at all. From this, it could be shown that he had a very special relationship with the Whispering Shadow!

On the ground, Benedict executed his plan: divide and conquer! He needed to split up his enemies, isolate them, and somehow defeat them one by one. Throughout this process, he had to dominate the entire fight or kill instantly to prevent any outside intervention. What did that mean? He had to rely on the third stance of the Hawken Style again! Once a Hawken became proficient in the first three stances, then they could officially be called proficient! In his last fight, Benedict gained a new flash of inspiration and executed the third stance seamlessly from the second. That meant that his proficiency with both stances had reached a qualitative transformation! This allowed him to survive and break past his deadlock. Much like how Elizabeth began to grasp using both a sword and a spell at once, Benedict felt close to making a breakthrough with the third stance!

Since they were on the perimeter of the estate, there were plenty of trees, bushes, and flowers, owning to the vast garden. Benedict threw a large rock, rustling some leaves in the process. The guards noticed the commotion and exchanged a glance. One of them walked out to investigate with their hands on their sword. As soon as the guard walked a fair distance, Benedict stumbled out like he was terribly wounded. The guard was startled. Although Benedict had fully recovered, his clothes were still ripped and torn into shreds, bloodied from the intense fighting prior. To be honest, he looked horrifying! Practically all his blood was covering his body! The guard reacted quickly and caught the boy. All his suspicions were thoroughly dispelled. After all, with such grievous injuries, what threat could Benedict pose?

��What happened?" the man asked.

"It's the Alzar Kingdom. They've… broken through the main gate and they're headed here."

"What? But that's impossible! The captain and vice-captain…" the guard stopped.

Sorry for this! If you're innocent, then I'll ask for forgiveness. If you're guilty, then this can be considered a quick death! Benedict thought as he moved.

Without hesitation, he drew his sword. The third stance! The guard was shocked silly. From a limping sheep to a cunning wolf, everything changed in an instant! Benedict burst out with horrendous killing intent, thrusting his sword straight toward the man's chest! The blade pierced through his body! However, one had to admit that this guard's instincts were truly well-trained. Benedict could not completely hide his intentions. Even before he drew his sword, he revealed his killing intent. This gave the guard a mere fraction of a second more time to react! In that time, the guard swayed his body by a hair, directing the blade to his tempo. It became a non-fatal strike!

The guard spat out a mouthful of blood while his eyes spewed fire. He managed to divert the blade to avoid his heart, but he could not completely redirect it. Everything happened too fast. It pierced directly below his heart, right in between his rib bones. Benedict grimaced. His execution of the third stance was too poor still. Nevertheless, he yanked his sword out. If once was not enough, then twice! Again! His opponent could not draw his sword, much less move in time. Benedict's sword cut through the air, straight for the guard's heart!

However, the following events surprised him. He felt a strange resistance on his blade, as clinking noises sounded from it like the pattering of raindrops. It slowed down his momentum significantly! At the same time, the second guard charged out with a sword in hand. This guard realized how odd the situation was and left his post! The two sped across the battlefield and nearly intersected! Benedict saw the sword hacking toward him, so he had no choice but to pull back. Benedict failed to kill the first guard, and the second guard joined as well. It was the worst-case scenario!

Meanwhile, the captain of the First Hand was humming a light tune after retracting his hand. In fact, Benedict's blade slowed down precisely because of his interference. He managed to flick his peanut shells with such power and accuracy that every single one landed on Benedict's sword mid-strike! It was an unbelievable feat that was mirrored only by his casualness. He would put the best archers like Cardinal Hui to shame! This man had directed the current situation like a god from above! Furthermore, his actions were so quick and sharp that his vice-captain, standing next to him, noticed nothing. To deceive a Perception Realm at such close range revealed the massive strength disparity between them!