Saquin: Death To My Enemies

"'XP'?" Lira echoed, confused.

"Don't worry about that," Saquin replied dismissively. "Just tell me about these territories."

"Alright," Lira began. "First, I should mention that Brimar Forest is one of the four 'Hot Regions' of the Eastern Kingdom."

"Hot Regions?" Saquin tilted his head, interested.

"Exactly," Lira explained. "It refers to the strongest, most active Mythic regions in the Eastern Kingdom, excluding the main territory."

"Hmm. And the locations of the others?" Saquin inquired with a glint of curiosity.

"That's the problem," Lira sighed, deflated. "They're all right next to us. There's the county to the north, Rigar Forest to the northeast, Plateau Forest to the southeast, and the Burning Pleasure region to the northwest."

If I conquer those regions, would it expand my bonded territory?

[ Of course it would. In fact, it might even grant special territory-related powers due to the increased size. But be cautious—each area is likely governed by level 7s. ]

"So let me guess," Saquin speculated. "Brimar Forest, being in the center, not only bears the brunt of all their activities but also acts as a buffer, blocking their expansion. It's the perfect strategic target if one of them wanted to dominate the others. And since Dread has ruled here since long before I was around, I'd say there are only two possible reasons: either those regions agreed to leave him alone, or Dread's power is so far beyond theirs that even a joint attack would be laughable. Judging by the look on your face, I'd say it's the latter, and you're wondering if my defeat of Dread was only possible due to the red moon's power."

[...]

Lira paused, then nodded, a touch of admiration in her eyes. "I… I'm not sure if I'm more impressed or relieved to have such a sharp master."

"'Master'?" Saquin arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, master. After all, I'm your right hand and your first turn," she replied proudly.

Saquin shrugged. "Uh-huh."

"So," Lira continued, "how should we proceed? Should we pretend to ally with one faction to take down the others and then backstab them? Or perhaps we could instigate them against each other and attack when they're weak?"

"Why waste time on elaborate schemes to eliminate a bunch of weak level 7s?"

"But Saquin," Lira said cautiously, "they're over two levels above you. Even as a Lord-level 6, I couldn't take down a weakened level 7 alone."

Saquin chuckled, his tone assured, almost arrogant. "Lira, don't limit me with your understanding."

"Oh? So you're just going to fight them head-on?"

"That's an option," Saquin replied, a devilish grin spreading across his face. "But if I go that route, I'd lose my excuse to go on a killing spree through their forests."

"Killing spree?" Lira blinked, unsure if she heard correctly.

"Indeed. I need to thin the population, after all," he said lightly. "It's not practical to have unnecessary creatures to attend to, and I can't exactly clear them out if they're already under my rule. That would just weigh on my conscience."

[ ... ]

"Uh…"

Saquin ignored her reaction, turning back to the sky as he continued. "If I go in and take them down quickly, I'll miss out on the opportunity to clear out the lower creatures lurking in those areas. If I let them survive until after I'm in control, it'll only become a headache to maintain order. So, we'll move through the regions systematically, starting with the closest."

"So… we're just going to pick them off, one by one?" Lira asked, slowly understanding his strategy.

"Exactly," Saquin replied, his expression unreadable. "With each conquest, we'll gain the upper hand and grow in power. By the time I reach the final region, I'll have enough strength to eliminate any resistance easily."

Lira watched him for a moment, impressed. "So it's not just conquest for you—it's complete domination."

"Domination?" Saquin chuckled, a chilling smile spreading across his face. "No, it's just me having some fun, for the first time in a long, long time." He glanced away, his expression almost nostalgic. "I wonder what those little guys would think if they saw me now."

[...]

"Now," he said, turning back to her, "tell me about each region's leader and their strength."

"Alright," Lira said. "Rigar Forest is led by Nenji, an alpha werewolf leading a pack of eight, including six level 6s and one level 5."

"A werewolf?" Saquin murmured. "I hear they're old rivals of vampires."

"Yes, they are," Lira nodded, "but as a Primal Vampire, you don't have to worry about them."

"Good. Continue."

"Plateau Forest is ruled by a djin—a fire spirit—with six other level 6 Mythics and several mythic beasts as subordinates."

"A djin?"

"Yes. Djins are rare but powerful. They're spirits that inhabit natural elements or objects. Alongside demons, they're classified as 'separate existences'—beings that didn't originate from humans."

"Nice info. You're quite learned, aren't you?" Saquin commented, giving her an appraising look.

"Not really. It's just general mythic knowledge." Lira looked down, hiding a blush.

She's kind of cute.

[ Don't even think about it, Host. It would be practically incest—you're basically her father now, since she mutated from your blood. ]

What?!

[ Yes, she literally carries your blood now. ]

Well, that's…

He reached out, gently patting her head and rubbing her fluffy ears. A new kind of affection stirred in his eyes.

Guess I'm a dad now.

[ That's not quite what I meant... you know what? Never mind. ]

Lira's ears perked up, and she involuntarily let out a soft purr under his touch.

"Lira, if you ever need anything, just tell me," Saquin said, his voice surprisingly warm. "And I promise I'll do my best to protect you."

"Huh… okay," she murmured, slightly dazed, her blush deepening as his hand lingered.

"Good. Now, tell me about the last leader." He said, removing his hands from her head.

"Alright," Lira continued, recovering her composure. "The Burning Pleasure region is ruled by a succubus—a demoness. She commands six level 6 succubi underlings."

Saquin raised a brow. "Interesting. But I noticed the other regions each has a full six level 6 fighters. Why does this one have only three?"

"Because Dread apparently claimed he didn't need assistance to deal with them," Lira said. "He believed he could eliminate all the regional leaders and their forces on his own."

Saquin laughed. "Noted. We'll begin with Rigar Forest, then move to Plateau Forest, and save the Burning Pleasure region for last." He stood, stretching. "I've heard succubi are quite the delicacies. I might just take a taste before I 'burn out their pleasure,'" he added with a smirk.