Although they were Sabretooth's clones, the five men standing at the end of the corridor looked noticeably younger than the original. If Sabretooth himself resembled a hardened predator in his late forties or early fifties, these copies appeared to be in their early thirties. Their features were sharper, their physiques leaner, and none of them carried the wild, unkempt beard of the original.
Their hair was cropped short. Their faces were clean-shaven. They wore identical black combat uniforms that fit tightly over muscular frames, giving them the cold, disciplined presence of elite special forces rather than feral hunters.
Richard glanced at them once and spoke without hesitation.
"You take one. The other four are mine."
"Okay," Sabretooth replied immediately.
He wasn't law-abiding by any measure, but he wasn't foolishly arrogant either. Even without fighting them yet, he understood the situation. These clones shared his abilities—regeneration, strength, feral instincts. His only real advantage lay in combat experience.
But when both sides healed rapidly, experience alone wasn't decisive. Unless he possessed a one-shot killing method they didn't, a single clone could drag him into a prolonged, exhausting battle.
Richard didn't waste another second.
He raised the authentic blade and executed Zanxin.
Six or seven crescent-shaped sword energies—purple along the outer edge, white at the core—shot forward in rapid succession toward the clones.
The five copies reacted instantly. They dropped to all fours like wild animals and sprinted, limbs pumping violently as they attempted to evade. One even ran along the wall to alter his trajectory.
In an open field, their agility might have saved them.
But this was a corridor.
Despite their desperate evasive maneuvers, the sword energies curved and adjusted subtly within the confined space. Four of the five were struck cleanly, the arcs passing straight through their bodies.
The one untouched clone wasn't spared due to superior skill.
Richard had deliberately left him.
These were Sabretooth's clones. Eliminating every single one would be unnecessary.
The crescent blades tore through flesh with brutal efficiency. Two clones were split cleanly in half from shoulder to hip. The other two lost arms and legs, severed at the joints in sprays of blood.
None died instantly, but all four were rendered combat ineffective.
Richard Flash-stepped forward before their regeneration could compensate.
His authentic blade moved without pause.
Chi—chi—chi—
Steel-like precision cut through muscle and bone. Heads fell one after another, separated cleanly from their bodies.
Wolverine once survived decapitation in certain storylines. Sabretooth was not Wolverine. His regeneration was formidable, but not on that level. There was a reason Stryker had chosen Wolverine for the adamantium bonding process—Sabretooth's healing factor couldn't endure it.
With the four heads removed, Richard activated Plunder.
[New abilities acquired: Bone Claws, Super Self-Healing, Beast Instinct!]
[Identical abilities detected. Initiating fusion.]
[Bone Claws, Super Self-Healing, Beast Instinct enhanced!]
[Super Self-Healing level increased. Current level: Alpha.]
[Plunder level increased. Current level: Alpha.]
Plunder upgraded as well?
Richard's lips curved slightly.
Super Self-Healing reaching Alpha didn't surprise him. It had already been strengthened multiple times before. Absorbing four Beta-level healing factors at once almost guaranteed a breakthrough.
But Plunder upgrading alongside it—that was unexpected.
Unexpected, and extremely useful.
It meant Benjamin's Alpha-level Steel Body was now within reach.
Across the corridor, Sabretooth watched in silence.
He knew Richard was stronger than him. But watching four clones—each possessing his own abilities—be dismantled in mere seconds forced a new thought into his mind.
Omega?
The term had circulated for years. Yet no confirmed Omega-level mutant had truly manifested in full control. Even Phoenix—widely regarded as Professor X's successor—was considered Alpha at best.
Professor X and Magneto both knew she carried unimaginable power, but she lacked full control. Without control, classification remained restrained.
Sabretooth's gaze lingered on Richard.
"Deal with the last one slowly," Richard said. "I'll handle the rest upstairs."
Before Sabretooth could reply, Richard vanished.
Flash.
He reappeared on the rooftop where Benjamin lay unconscious.
The city lights flickered in the distance. Wind tugged lightly at his coat.
Benjamin remained motionless, blood loss having left him pale and unstable.
Without ceremony, Richard raised the authentic blade and ended his life with a single, clean strike.
[New ability plundered: Steel Body!]
[Identical attribute category detected. Initiating fusion.]
[Super Strength and Super Physique enhanced.]
[Super Strength level increased. Current level: Alpha.]
[Super Physique level increased. Current level: Alpha.]
[X-Gene Ability Classification Updated.]
[Alpha: Plunder, Super Strength, Super Physique, Super Self-Healing]
[Beta: Flash, Rebound, Rock Body, Ion Shockwave, Mind Isolation, Mind Charm]
[Delta: Energy Absorption, Telekinesis, Super Five Senses, Beast Instinct, Bone Claws]
Richard studied the updated classification panel, a faint crease forming between his brows.
The fusion of Steel Body strengthening Strength and Physique made sense. That outcome was expected.
What caught his attention was the ranking adjustment.
Energy Absorption, Telekinesis, Super Five Senses, Beast Instinct, and Bone Claws—all classified as Delta.
He had previously assumed they were Beta. After all, the original owners weren't weak mutants. Energy Absorption and Telekinesis had come from trained agents. Beast Instinct and Bone Claws had been strengthened multiple times after plundering Sabretooth's clones.
Yet even after triple enhancement, Bone Claws and Beast Instinct remained Delta.
The system's evaluation criteria were harsher than he anticipated.
Richard exhaled slowly and made a mental note.
From now on, he couldn't plunder indiscriminately. Low-tier abilities were inefficient. Even if enhanced repeatedly, some would never break past Delta.
And if he accidentally absorbed something like "elongated tongue," "full-body thorns," or "acid saliva," even if he never used them, seeing such abilities listed would be irritating.
Efficiency mattered now.
Power needed quality, not clutter.
.....
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