Freedom...
That was what Saquin felt as he weaved through the horde.
There was a difference between gaining freedom: to not be in a state of imprisonment or confinement.
And being truly free: to act as one please, to make choices that are not controlled by an external force.
Saquin had gained his freedom earlier that day, but only then did he truly become free.
Boom!
Saquin cut straight up through the horde of Underbeasts.
Saquin shot up high into the sky before slowing down his flight speed.
Below.
Dead Grolly Birds fell from the sky like raindrops as the few still alive shot up after Saquin.
Slowly, Saquin's ascent slowed into a crawl as he shot out of the clouds.
Above the clouds, Saquin noticed something that he should have hours ago, there was no sun in the Underworld. He could not pinpoint the light source. There was just light.
At this height, Saquin's strength paid more into the flight than his Core. It was clear the Grolly Birds were not designed to fly this high, at least not the lower level ones.
This is clearly reflected in the fact that the Grolly Birds had not reached him yet, despite his slow speed.
These thoughts and various others ran through his constantly occupied mind. Gradually though, they cleared out.
His mind was running freely and more clearly than ever, which was what allowed him to take in the beautiful sight before him.
Above, Saquin could see a canopy of some sort. Like a barrier, a beautiful one. It was like an invisible wall holding back a myraid of colours that flowed and interwined together.
Saquin could not understand why, but at this moment he felt totally free. Even more than before when he slaughtered through hundreds of Underbeasts.
Was it the flying?
Was it ecstasy gained from killing?
Was it the scene?
He couldn't tell.
But one thing was for sure, excluding a one-finger number of times, he had never felt this good before.
A serene smile grew his face.
He stretched out his hands as he felt the opposing wind on his face.
"This is beautiful..."
His upwards flight reached a crescendo.
"This is serene..."
Saquin hovered at that point.
"This is freedom..."
His form painted a beautiful scene with the background.
A black clad young male hovered above the clouds. His large, pure white pristine wings were spread out. So was his hands, his left was clad in a white gauntlet made of feathers, while his right held on loosely to a pure white frosty sword with engraved feather patterns.
The young male's blue-black hair flowed gently in the air. His pitch black gaze on the verge of a discovery as a smile sat on his delicate but handsome face.
A trial of sparkling, tiny ice shards tailed him from below with his immediate surrounding being filled with them.
His whole form gave off a cold but unfettered aura.
He muttered something that drifted away with the wind.
"This is me..."
At that moment, all shackles in Saquin as a whole was broken and he seemed to be released.
His pitch black eyes seemed to give birth to another color. A barely perceptible blue light was now present in them.
At the same moment.
A tremor ran through the whole Trial Location.
A new screen, with a red frame, popped up in front of all the candidates.
[ Super Divine Trial overrode. ]
[ New Trial initiated as a special Event. ]
[ Event: The Abomination is awakening to its true self. Abominations are beings that should not be. Make it so... ]
[
Event Goal: Kill the Abomination.
Rewards:
-> Divine Level Talent -- Supreme Bloodline -- Special Constitution.
-> Supreme Ability.
-> Soul-Bound Item.
-> Affinity: Space.
-> Tattoo: True Slayer(Supreme)
-> Triple Advancement.
-> Upgradeable Skill.
-> A Full Core Set.
]
[ Note: Abomination will also be hunted by Underbeasts. Death of Abomination by either party means end of Trial. ]
Saquin read through the text silently.
"That is a lot of rewards for killing me."
[ Of course, child. It is the bare minimum granted to those who can kill existence like you. ]
"Miss Margaret." Saquin was surprised. He had never expected to hear from her again. "What does being an abomination mean anyways."
[ That is quite simple. You are an existence that should not exist. Not by the laws of Origin. ]
"That is all?" Saquin tilted his head.
[ Yep. Were you expecting more? ]
"Kinda." Saquin blinked. "I mean it just felt a bit... Anticlimatic."
[ Well, it is what it is. To put it in simple terms, you are an outlaw, and you now have a bounty on your head. ]
"Hmm, but aren't you the one who placed it?" Saquin asked carefully.
[ Yep. ]
Saquin pouted.
[ What? I am simply challenging you. ]
"I don't think this is a simple challenge. The whole Trial population is now after me. Even if I am individually stronger than each of them, I will easily get overwhelmed." Saquin retorted.
[ It isn't a challenge if you can easily pass through it. ]
"Ah." Saquin rolled his eyes.
[ I will leave you to it now child. Don't die. I won't resurrect you. ]
"Bye, miss Margaret."
The conversation ended.
Saquin took a look at the screen once, before looking down below.
"First goal, kill that lightning Grolly Bird. Second goal, get this Trial over with... even if it ends with my death."
"I am feeling free." Saquin rolled his shoulder, his wings folded, then.
Voom!
He dived down.
---
Far away from Saquin's location.
At the desert opposite the rainforest.
A serious battle was ongoing.
Two masses of Underbeasts kind collided.
On one side were reptilian humanoids, some with wings. One the other side were Underbeasts that Saquin would be familiar with, the Rhinard.
At the back of the Rhinard horde stood five silhouette.
Three were Underbeasts among them, while the other two were humans.
Amongst the Underbeasts, there was one who was clearly dignified amongst them. It was a two meter tall Rhinard whose body radiated so much strength, its muscles seemed like stretched out wires waiting to snap.
The two other Rhinards, a male and a female, stood gently behind it.
Both humans stood side by side with the main Rhinard.
One of them was a familiar figure, Xavier.
The other was a female decked out in a dress of black and white. She also had a black and white shoul covering her face, leaving only her beautiful blue lips for the world to see.
Both humans were currently in shock.
They had just read through the new Event's details and rewards.
"These rewards..." Xavier stuttered as drool almost dropped from his mouth.
"A Special Constitution..." The lady's sweet, but low voice came right after that. "That is all I am missing to become perfect."
"Yep." Xavier nodded. "It is also the most likely reason why this Saquin is individually stronger than us."
"Hmm." The lady nodded. "It should also be why he is termed as this Abomination thing."
"What is our next step then, Mia?" Xavier asked directly.
"First a cease fire..." Mia gently smiled.
She pulled at the mental tug of the Rhinard Boss beside her, ordering to make its army stop the assault.
"I doubt the Underbeast Boss wouldn't also want a crack at Saquin."