Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: S3. Mirror of the Past -1
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"Isn't a Blood Cult led by an undead lich pretty good?"
"No."
"Death Knights rising up and chanting 'Blood Demon eternal, eternal eternal!' or something..."
"No."
Rejected.
Puk.
"Keurk..."
With someone's final death rattle, the metallic clamor pouring down like rain finally ceased. A thick stench of blood spread through the nameless forest. Sighs began to emerge one by one from the survivors, and the sharp killing intent softened.
The battle was over.
The blood-drenched noble youth wiped his blade on the hem of a corpse's clothing as he issued orders.
"Everyone, clean up. Cut off the Blood Cult bastards' heads and bundle them up. Gather any suspicious items separately on one side."
"What about the headless bodies?"
"Leave them for the wild beasts to feed on. They have no value for honor or burial. Let them wander as vengeful spirits."
"Yes!"
Those clad in blue martial robes sprang into bustling action. They severed the heads of the red-robed ones, rummaged through their pouches, and collected various items.
A talisman written in chicken blood, a stone statue carved with a twisted Buddha, prayer beads made of forty-four beads, and...
"......?"
A box lavishly adorned with gold chains and all sorts of jewels.
This didn't look ordinary. The Blood Cult thugs had the air of transporting something precious, and when ambushed, they'd tried to protect the item even more than their own lives.
The melee had been too chaotic, with total annihilation as the goal, so it was hard to confirm precisely. But by the circumstances, the odds were high that this box held what the Blood Cult had been guarding.
The low-ranking warrior opened the box to check its contents. Inside was a book emanating an eerie aura.
An ominous tome too sinister to touch lightly. The low-ranking warrior read the four characters on its cover: Demon Descent Divine Art.
The Blood Cult were fiends who wielded cruel and wicked sorcery. A book they kept so preciously must surely contain unorthodox secrets.
Some texts could bewitch a person just by looking at them, so the low-ranking warrior hurriedly closed the lid again. Like any man who'd set foot in the martial world, he too harbored a constant ambition for martial achievements.
But pursuing it by walking the evil path? No thank you. What value was there in power gained by slaughtering people?
The low-ranking warrior loaded the box onto a cart.
And the blue-robed warriors withdrew. Having struck down the vile Blood Cult that plunged the world into chaos, it was now time to return and spread word of their feats far and wide.
The leader would receive a grand reward, and the warriors some gold along with drinking snacks. "I was there when we crushed the Blood Cult remnants."
However, the world always had those who chased power over humanity. To jackals who could abandon everything for their goals, this Demon Descent Divine Art looked like a ton of gold.
A certain shadow quietly gazed down at the box from the darkness.
Click.
In the end, it opened the box and secretly pocketed the book.
It had been three years prior.
Chirp. Tweet.
The chirping of birds roused Enbus from his daze. Slowly opening his eyes, pleasant sunlight filtered through the dense leaves. It was a forest.
"......This place."
Was this the martial world?
"........."
Honestly, he couldn't say for sure. Enbus lacked the skill to infer the world's differences from the local ecology, and there wasn't a glimpse of human presence in the surrounding woods.
To verify if this was truly the land where his beggar master and the Heavenly Demon had roamed, he needed to meet people. A passing traveler or commoner would do—anyone.
Rustle.
Enbus brushed off the leaves covering his body and rose.
He intended to scout the surroundings. Hopefully, there'd be a village nearby.
Thud.
With light movements, Enbus kicked off a tree and climbed to the top. Spinning his body 360 degrees, he spotted a massive city in the far distance.
Buildings constructed in an architectural style he'd never seen before.
His heart raced. The beggar had said beggar-style beef from street stalls was so delicious. He had no money on him, but he could earn some quickly by finding work with his skills.
His body might still be that of a boy, but wasn't he an academy prodigy? The beggar had said his realm wasn't shallow.
Having reached the stage where he could freely infuse internal energy into his body and weapons, that made him a first-rate expert. A rare level even in the martial world, apparently.
When using the demonic art Bursting Shatter Bind—a technique that sounded villainous even upside down—he could even exchange blows with a peak expert.
"Merchant escorts are called 'escort warriors.' First, I'll become an escort warrior and earn money. Then find the Beggar Clan, return the staff technique, and ask if I can learn other arts."
They didn't teach martial arts to outsiders.
But with the Beggar Clan's lord's relayed message and the merit of returning a battle-tested art, couldn't he request a few techniques?
Enbus resolved himself. In this world, he would learn and master as much as possible, aiming for even higher realms.
Pursuit of Power: Reach Peak Expert
📍 Milestones: Harmony · Fullness · Tuning
The city was quite a distance away. Running full tilt would take at least two days. Since the journey was long anyway, better to walk leisurely while conserving energy.
Thanks to Luna's food bundle, he didn't need to scrounge for meals. And in a forest, water sources were plentiful.
If he couldn't find any, he could always wring moisture from nearby grass to quench his thirst.
Selvia's tools meant no need to tumble through the air to start a fire. Just gather some kindling, and he could make a campfire easily.
He felt secure. Thanks to his friends.
The boy set off down the forest path without a care.
Walk, make fire, eat, sleep.
That's how the past day had passed. Crossing the forest alone was fairly lonely, but practicing martial arts helped.
Enbus had learned various arts from the beggar: swordsmanship, palm strikes, staff techniques, saber arts. But he hadn't decided which to focus on. Each had its own strengths and weaknesses.
Unable to choose a path, he had no choice but to train broadly. Alternating practices meant his weapon proficiencies rose slowly.
This time, he was practicing swordsmanship with a tree branch.
Walking while gripping the branch, he'd swing at leaves carried by the wind. Cutting one clean in a single stroke counted as success—a mix of training and play.
His success rate so far was about ten percent. Eight or nine out of ten misses, with occasional hits. The cuts were more like bursts than slices, but...
Then, Enbus heard a commotion echoing from afar.
Rumble, clatter—the jolting of carriage wheels and the thud of hooves. A merchant passing through? Enbus grabbed a tree and climbed to the top to scout.
A carriage racing madly, kicking up clouds of dust, came into view. And black-clad pursuers chasing after it.
The coachman whipped wildly, as if the horses could drop dead once the ride ended. It didn't look like a peaceful situation.
Pursuers and fugitives.
He had no idea of the details, but the carriage looked quite luxurious.
Depending on the situation, helping one side might earn him aid. That could make settling into the Central Plains much easier.
The problem was their unknown strength.
Judging by the pursuers' speed, they weren't that strong. A Transcendent monster would've caught the carriage ages ago, and even an Awakened one (depending on abilities) would've ended it.
"......Scroll."
He had an item from Selvia.
● Scroll emitting black smoke
This should let him escape even in a pinch. At that point, why not dive into the danger?
Enbus slid down the tree and broke into a sprint.
Applying Bursting Shatter Bind.
Triggering explosions from his soles for propulsion allowed rapid forward movement. Weak blasts his body could handle.
Boom—!
Tree branches whipped past Enbus's body at high speed.
The control wasn't precise, limited to straight lines, but it could pass for lightfoot skill.
Leaving deep footprints in the ground, Enbus caught up to the carriage. As the distance closed, their voices drifted over sporadically.
"......Run! Faster!"
"Think you can escape? You won't leave this forest alive!"
"Y-You damned bastards! Aren't you afraid of the consequences? Targeting the Nangong Clan—you'll regret this big time!"
"Kuhahaha! The Nangong Clan? You think the Demonic Cult fears a name like that?!"
"......!!"
Enbus perked up his ears. The pursued were from the Nangong Clan, and the pursuers the Demonic Cult. The Demonic Cult served the Heavenly Demon and were the culprits behind the Central Plains bloodbath.
......Did the Demonic Cult call themselves that? He'd heard they had a proper name, and Demonic Cult was a slur.
Anyway, no time to ponder. Enbus pushed aside his suspicions.
Thud!
Enbus kicked off the ground powerfully and leaped, landing atop the speeding carriage's roof. The people inside went on high alert.
"One jumped on the roof!"
"Knock him off quick! If they wreck the wheels, we're done!"
"......Wait! Misunderstanding! I'm here to help you!"
"Lying fool won't trick us!"
Shwick!
Sharpened spear tips rose, tearing through the leather covering the carriage. Even on the wildly careening vehicle, Enbus somehow kept his balance, dodging the blades this way and that.
"Hup!"
Then he smashed through the roof and dropped inside. Trusting strangers mid-chase was tough, so he planned to go in, meet their eyes, and persuade them directly.
Upon landing, there were four inside the carriage. All wore blue martial robes, but of differing quality and patterns.
Two looked like guards, one the guard captain, and the last...... a small boy. About ten years old, judging by appearances.
"......Blue-eyed foreigner?!"
"The Demonic Cult even uses blue-eyed foreigners as lackeys?!"
"I said I'm here to help. Are those chasing your carriage Demonic Cultists?"
"Don't try to deceive us with your slippery tongue! I'll drag you out of this carriage right now......!!"
As the panicked guards drew their swords, the boy—who'd kept his composure—raised a hand to halt them. With a clear, bright voice, he faced Enbus and asked,
"Young hero, are you truly here to help us?"
"......Yes!"
"If you help, we'll reward you greatly. On the Nangong name!"
"Wise judgment. I'll tear the scroll—watch!"
"?"
What's a scroll?
As bewilderment flickered at the sudden foreign term, Enbus pulled the black smoke scroll from his bag and aimed it at the rear.
The black-clad masked swordsmen were closing in fiercely. Twelve of them—too many for a straight fight. This was the moment to use it.
Enbus tore the scroll.
Riiip!
Boom—!!
In an instant, thick black smoke billowed up, blacking out the view. The black-clad pursuers, confronted by the bizarre phenomenon, scattered in all directions in alarm.
If they gave chase again, he'd unleash the massive explosion scroll, forest fire be damned. As Enbus peered piercingly through the smoke, no sounds of movement came.
"......Looks like we scared them off."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Enbus turned back. The four from the Nangong Clan stood frozen, mouths agape. This foreign barbarian had torn a talisman, summoning a pitch-black cloud that engulfed an area of ten paces!
To wield such sorcery with a mere gesture meant he had to be a renowned Daoist. Or perhaps a vile sorcerer demon.
In the stunned silence, the boy exclaimed in admiration.
"Gr-Great hero, are you a renowned Daoist?"
"Daoist......?"
"Our Nangong Clan is hosting a birthday banquet for the patriarch soon, and we're inviting a very famous Daoist. Could you be......?"
"No, but."
Enbus had been mistaken for a mage.