Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Resolve
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A girl around the same age as Baek Hyun, who commanded one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts.
The shocking information brought a momentary silence.
"...Is that really true? There's a girl who has tamed one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts?"
"Yes, it's hard to believe, but it's true. It wasn't even borrowing a Ten Great Ferocious Beast that her ally had tamed. She was taming a new one. Both the girl and the beast are still young, so I could handle them easily enough, but it'll be quite tough later on. Well, we won't lose to those Starpoint bastards anyway."
Muk Jin roughly ruffled Baek Hyun's hair with a smile.
Even with the emergence of a genius beyond imagination from the enemy forces, they showed no signs of urgency.
They had a reliable successor they could entrust the future of Starpoint to.
"Looks like a good rival has appeared."
Muk Heon was merely impressed by the girl's abilities and didn't see her as that much of a threat.
No matter how exceptional her talent, she was just a promising prospect who couldn't yet influence the power balance of the factions.
And in a contest among promising prospects, his disciple wouldn't fall behind.
"Yes, I'll keep striving not to lag behind that child."
However, the person in question struggled to maintain a calm expression, inwardly shaken greatly.
A promising talent from the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, around the same age as him, who had tamed one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts...
That was too extravagant a setup for a mere NPC.
It wasn't certain yet, but the probability that the girl was a possessor like him was extremely high.
'Come to think of it, there was a famous ranker from the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.'
Unlike Starpoint Sect, which had extreme difficulty and was specialized in PvP, the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace was easy in terms of difficulty and specialized in PvE.
Unlike Starpoint, where a single control mistake could send you straight to the afterlife, the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace allowed stable auto-farming just by raising a spiritual beast well.
It was easier than any other build, so despite starting in the remote outer reaches known as the Southern Barbarians, it always ranked high among recommended beginner builds.
In exchange, it had the drawback of a lower ceiling compared to other factions...
The ranker 'Harmful Bird' had covered that weakness to some extent.
A renowned player who achieved high PvP rankings through exquisite teamwork with monstrous beings and brilliant strategies.
In this world, where content related to monstrous beings had been massively added, he stood to benefit the most.
'Tch, if it's really that person, it'll be troublesome.'
He had encountered 'Harmful Bird' a few times in PvP, but the player was famous for being taciturn, never chatting or even using emotes, so they hadn't built any rapport.
They were just awkwardly familiar with each other's faces.
It would be hard to cooperate as seamlessly as with Grandma Three Smooth.
'Well, since they're a fellow possessor, we could probably get along decently.'
If they really didn't mesh, he could just operate separately.
And it wasn't confirmed that the girl was a possessor yet, so there was no need to worry excessively this early.
"So, what will you do now, Senior Brother?"
"You've prepared everything, so why drag our feet? Once the camp is set up and the disciples are ready, we'll depart immediately. Baek Hyun, change into the battle uniform you've been issued."
"Yes, Master."
He shoved aside the useless worries and focused on the battlefield he was facing for the first time in his life.
About two hours after the Starpoint Sect's main force arrived at the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace's home base, the numerous fully prepared Starpoint disciples finally took position before the dense jungle.
Muk Heon, the Starpoint Sect Leader now fully armed, led them from the front.
Not his usual flowing Taoist robes that gave off a sage-like air, but a sleek black battle uniform that naturally followed the body's lines for ease of movement.
Plus four spare swords sheathed on his back.
It was thorough armament unbefitting a warrior who had reached the supreme realm.
'As expected, he's different from other top-ten masters.'
Normally, warriors at that level would head into major battlefields in their everyday attire, wielding just a single sword.
The higher one's martial attainment, the less armament mattered.
In that sense, Muk Heon's thorough preparation might seem pointless at first glance.
But what mattered wasn't the armament itself, but the mindset it reaffirmed.
His attire fully revealed his resolve to fight purely as a single warrior, not as a Taoist or sect leader.
'Come to think of it, he went through a lot during the Great Righteous-Demonic War.'
Decades ago, during the Demonic Cult's invasion, his master—then a Second-Generation Disciple—had been thrown into countless battlefields alongside fellow disciples under the Starpoint banner, earning great renown.
However, in the process, an immense number of senior brothers had fallen, and to this day, only four of Master Muk's generation remained.
That was probably why.
The reason his master's approach to battle was so unique.
"I'll take the Palace Lord with Muk Jin. If you encounter an opponent you can't handle, flee without hesitation and call for aid. We'll come running."
"Yes, Sect Leader!!!"
With those brief orders, Muk Heon and Muk Jin plunged into the jungle thick with murderous intent, followed by the horde of Starpoint disciples.
Of course, Baek Hyun was not among those disciples.
With the battle situation not overwhelmingly disadvantageous and manpower sufficient, it was only natural not to bring the next Sect Leader, the future of Starpoint.
His assigned mission was simply to experience the battlefield atmosphere firsthand from the ultra-safe rear and guard the supply camp.
'Even so, I dressed in battle gear for this. Isn't it too much to just hole up in the back? I thought they'd at least let me handle some minor skirmishes...'
Was there even a point in bringing me along then?
Baek Hyun fiddled with the battle uniform clinging to his body like flowing water, feeling inwardly dissatisfied.
The signature Starpoint battle attire: tough, sturdy white hood draped like a helmet over the mobility-focused black uniform.
It was excellent gear—unrestricting even after long wear, no hindrance to movement, and providing some armor functionality.
But it seemed unlikely to see actual combat.
Fighting the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace in real battle would raise the chances of locating the Wheel-Breaking Temple's executives and make contact with that suspected possessor girl easier...
"Dissatisfied? That your senior brother didn't bring you along."
At that moment, a soft, gentle voice incongruous with the fierce battlefield atmosphere wormed into Baek Hyun's ears.
One of the few who could call Muk Heon "senior brother," and Starpoint's second strongest—the one assigned to guard the camp alongside Baek Hyun.
Meteor Sword, Muk Yeon.
Baek Hyun hesitated briefly at his sudden, traceless appearance and sharp question before responding.
"Pavilion Master Yeon-mu, honestly... yes. I thought I could contribute even a little to my fellow disciples, but just waiting in the rear feels frustrating."
"Hm, you're still young, so it's natural to feel that way. Having faced malevolent spirits in real combat enough, your desire to fight isn't mere bravado."
But.
The battlefield is always more horrific and harder to endure than imagined.
Muk Yeon sat on a nearby log and continued.
"Even with your senior brother stepping up, it won't end quickly. The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace has considerable reserves, after all. They've avoided fights unusually until now, but if they pour everything into resistance, we won't emerge unscathed either. Casualties and injuries will pile up, and no small number of disciples will be carried back here in gruesome states."
"……..."
Baek Hyun had no reply to Muk Yeon's words.
He too was a battle-hardened veteran who had fought countless battles during the Great Righteous-Demonic War and lost much.
Daring to downplay the battlefield's horrors before such a man was impossible.
"That's why we must guard this place more steadfastly than anyone. So our fellow disciples fighting hard in foreign lands can rest easy anytime. You'll feel powerless, unable to act while others return injured. Remember that feeling well. It's probably the emotion your senior brother wants you to experience."
"Yes, thank you for the valuable advice."
"Then, draw your sword."
"...Pardon?"
-Sching
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Muk Yeon drew the sword at his waist and pointed it at Baek Hyun's throat.
Not particularly fast or slow.
Yet, for some reason.
Baek Hyun felt immense pressure from that single sword, devoid of any inner energy.
"The Shoot the Sun Sword Art you showed in the entrance trial wasn't bad. But it felt too devoted to the basics. For an ordinary Starpoint disciple, that would suffice..."
The next Starpoint Sect Leader could not stop there.
"...That said, I'm not blaming you. Your training direction is actually ideal. Mixing techniques into the Shoot the Sun Sword Art requires a solid foundation first. You knew that, so you methodically trained the basics, right?"
Baek Hyun could only nod at Muk Yeon's words, each piercing to the core.
Through one and a half years of secluded training, his martial foundation was sturdier than anyone's, but nothing substantial had been built atop it.
Of course, that alone would overwhelm peers his age.
"But basic sword arts won't cut it anymore. Beyond a certain level, mastering the subtleties of advanced techniques is essential. That's why you haven't reached the supreme realm yet."
No matter how vital the basics, they have limits on their own.
Now was the time to build the tower of martial arts higher, not just refine the foundation.
"Did you read the manual you recovered? The Vast Cold Moon Shadow Step."
"I did, but... the content is so arcane I haven't dared touch it yet."
"It's natural not to for self-study of such an art. That's why masters and senior instructors exist."
Muk Yeon rose from the log and took position opposite Baek Hyun.
"I'm not your master, but as the Pavilion Master of Yeon-mu Pavilion, inheriting Starpoint's martial legacy, I wish to impart some teachings to the next Sect Leader. My depth may not match your senior brother's, but my breadth surpasses even his. Before learning from him... care to devour me first?"
At Muk Yeon's provocative words, Baek Hyun drew his sword in response.
"Gladly, I'll digest you."
"...Ah, sorry, but I can't right now."
"Pardon? Weren't you about to teach me now?"
"Hm, that was the plan."
Intruders! Prepare for battle!
The moment those words rang out from Muk Yeon.
________!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A massive shockwave swept through the Starpoint Sect's camp.