Kiran became alert and wanted to attack the shadow, but when he observed his surroundings, he noticed that there is nothing else except for this one shadow which is not really a threat no matter how he looked at it. It doesn't even have that energy in it and it is not really a combat-style beast even if it directly came much less a shadow undead.
"Who are you?" Kiran asked while still pointing his sword at Sam.
"I am the one who knows your current location and a person with means to follow until your next location."
"Well, it is good that you think so. After all, a man needs to have something to be confident about. But don't try. You might lose that confidence and drown in despair."
"That is funny. Do you think this is a fluke?"
"I know it is a fluke."
"It is great that you think so. After all people like you who think they are invincible and believed it wholeheartedly, need to have this kind of thinking, rejecting everything that might challenge your belief even though it stares right at your face and associates everything to your bad luck and other's good luck.
I have been there in that phase. Trust me, I was even more of a pain in the ass than you are. So, you are doing a great job."
A sword ray barely missed the shadow and slashed the surface behind it. But the shadow of the mouse didn't even flinch.
"Don't make empty threats, If you want to finish off the shadow, you better do it properly. But before that, you better know that there is no way you would be able to meet Saber monarch if you do that."
Kiran frowned and asked.
"You know saber Monarch?"
"He is my subordinate."
"Bullshit. Saber Monarch is a sole cultivator. He didn't work for any organization."
"Now he does. Why do you think he forfeited when he could sweep the stage with you in a few seconds. That defensive fight, that one strike that barely got some blood out of you. All of this was done based on my instructions."
"Why should I believe you?"
"You don't need to and neither do I want to force you to. But if you by any chance want to meet the Saber Monarch to clear this. Come to the mountain top on the eastside forest of the city.
You would be able to meet him there at dusk tomorrow.
Otherwise, you can go on your way and never get the chance of knowing whether you really won or lost the fight with Saber Monarch. The saber Monarch might even be the strongest opponent you ever faced.
Goodbye."
Sam let go of the shadow possession and let the shadow disappear into nothingness.
Kiran got out of the house and ran around to see if he would find Sam, but there was no clue and he is not exactly an expert in necromancy to figure out ways to search for a necromancer through a shadow undead.
It is even a difficult task for an experienced necromancer, much less for someone who doesn't know anything.
After he failed repeatedly at finding someone, he went back and waited for the next day.
At first he wanted to wait until dusk, but he couldn't and moved at afternoon and waited at the mountain top.
After a long wait, Sam and his teammates all arrived together.
Kiran looked at the group and asked.
"Who is the boss here?"
Sam just smiled and said.
"That would be me. Nice face by the way."
"How did you find me?"
"And why would I give that answer away that simply? Would you tell me how you managed to change your face if I ask you?"
"Then how about after I defeat the Saber Monarch?"
"So, what if you lose?"
"I will show you my real face."
"You really think that every person other than you is an Idiot, don't you? There are a few things you got wrong. First, Saber Monarch is my subordinate, so his time is my time and if you want to fight him, you would need my permission and you would need to offer something for that. As for the winning of the fight, if you do win I would tell you how I caught you, but if you lose you would have to give something equally important."
"I am not giving you my technique. Apart from that, everything is negotiable."
"Not a problem. I am not going to ask for any technique from you. But I don't need negotiations. I want something that you would do for sure"
"What is that?"
"I need you to work for me. For a decade."
"I am not doing that. At most I would do it for a year."
"You are way in over your head. You think you are worth that much?"
"I know I am worth that much."
"Okay, then the deal is off. Nobody and particularly you will never know who the true winner of that fight is and everyone knows that one who might have lost is not the Saber Monarch. You can take that to your grave.
Let's get out of here."
Kiran took out his sword and before he could even raise his aura, the whole team already focused their auras on him.
"Deal or no deal that's it. Don't think that you can force this upon yourself.
Anyway, you don't even trust yourself that you can win. So, why bother trying to fight?"
"I know I am going to win."
"Really? Then agree to the deal. What is the difference between one year and ten years if you are not going to lose?
It wouldn't matter even if it is a hundred years. Try and find me after you gain that confidence so that you can fight him."
"Saber Monarch? Is that it? Don't you have any pride to leave an opponent hanging?"
Saber Monarch halted in his tracks and took a dramatic turn, just when Kiran thought he would make a move, he replied.
"There is only one thing I care about at the moment. The salary my boss gives me. As for pride, I only pride myself on one thing. Not making a woman wait. So, there is nothing you can do that could make me fight you."
As they were about to leave, Kiran yelled.
"I agree."
The team stopped and took a step back while Saber Monarch stepped towards Kiran and the battle started.
After twenty minutes.
The whole mountain top was a mess and the whole area was completely thrashed with a lot of damage to the environment.
And in the middle of it all, Kiran was standing with the support of his sword and there are a lot of wounds all slashes bleeding out.
Saber Monarch stood in front of him with one proper slash on his chest. But there was no deep damage and he stood there with a serious look.
"You are good, But not as good as you think."
He left those words and turned back to stand behind Sam.
Sam walked forward and sized Kiran up.
"I think this is the first loss in a while. Digest it, take a rest for three days and then come and meet me in the inn.
You better come and meet me. I don't like someone who breaks a promise and I might kill you for that. And you better believe when I say it. I can find you even if you go to the ends of the earth."
After that, they left and went back to the inn.
"Boss, do you really think he would come?"
"I don't know."
"You are sure that he would come to the mountain top. So, why not now?"
"Because at that time, I knew what is going through the mind. But I don't know what is going through now."
"How is that possible?"
"He is a man that lives on the validation of others. He wants his name to be spread, he wants to prove that he is the strongest.
He wants to create a legend for himself by not revealing his face.
Just imagine, if you hear a story about a man who traveled across the realms defeating all his peers at every stage of his cultivation but no one ever managed to make him show his face.
No one knows what he truly looks like.
That would make quite a story, wouldn't it?
So, I made a plan. Saber Monarch who is famous himself and had a reputation, gives a chance to fight but withdraws from the fight in the middle. Kiran, who had a chance to add the title, the person who defeated the saber monarch under his best, lost the chance. It was robbed off of him in front of a whole crowd.
He became mad and frustrated, so he tried to get that back and came here in desperation. I played into the desperation and made a deal with him.
If he really leaves, it would be hard for me to hunt him down in this vast world, and if it was before defeat, he would have believed that too. But he also believed that he would never lose. So, now he wouldn't trust his own beliefs that much.
So, there is a great chance that he would definitely come for us. There is also a chance that my judgment might have lapsed and he might leave. That is why I am not sure."
