Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Companion Party
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Traveling Companions
"Hey, you old geezers. Seems like you're having quite the interesting chat... What was that about the Crown Prince?"
Suddenly, a boy appeared and plunged a sword into his back.
In that unbelievable situation, one might expect panic.
-Whoosh!
But Mangsah's judgment was lightning-fast.
The venom bird's poison could affect him too at close range, so it was unusable.
His best option now was to respond with other means.
The moment he recognized the boy's identity, he swung his fist backward while mentally commanding the venomous creatures to attack him all at once.
Though lacking compared to Takmu, who had trained external arts to the extreme, he was still one of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace's warriors.
His fist, brimming with ferocious power, whipped toward the impudent intruder's head.
At the same time, the surrounding venomous creatures blocked the intruder's escape routes.
A perfect judgment born from seasoned combat experience, leaving no room for the opponent to resist.
-Craaaack!!
However, the sun always carved its own path.
Shoot the Sun Sword Art, 5th Form
Slanting Sun Radiance
The result was a fleeting gap that shouldn't have existed.
Baek Hyun swiftly threw himself through it, escaping the venom-infested danger zone in a flash.
Mangsah barely regained his senses and spotted him too late, trying to command the surrounding venomous creatures to pursue the fleeing Baek Hyun.
________!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In that instant, a massive shockwave engulfed Mangsah, the venomous creatures he controlled, and even the scholar beside him.
Baek Hyun, who had evaded the attack's range with incredible mobility, watched the aftermath from beside the girl who had ordered it.
"Whoa, even on a second look, that power's insane. What's that called?"
"'Lion's Roar.' It didn't have a set name, so I just gave it one."
"If your bow's a tiger, shouldn't 'Lion's Roar' be off-limits?"
"'Tiger Roar' sounds too tacky."
The two possessors chatted casually while intently watching the blast site with serious eyes.
They lacked the time and wisdom to devise intricate plans.
Thus, they opted for the most reliable and simple counter to Parunsa's actions.
Mangyeon and Baek Hyun acted naturally to lure Parunsa's executive into revealing himself.
They had agreed beforehand to rendezvous at the Demon Subjugation Hall if things turned suspicious.
They judged that the executive, as the mastermind behind it all, would likely come to the hall personally to scheme.
That judgment proved spot-on.
As a result, they thwarted Parunsa's scheme right under their noses and launched a highly successful ambush, starting the battle with the executive.
Baek Hyun's single thrust pierced Mangyeon's back, followed by their strongest, full-power strike slamming into the enemies head-on.
Unlike before, where they moderated power, this was Har's all-out Lion's Roar at full throttle.
Its might far surpassed ordinary siege weapons.
No Parunsa executive could emerge unscathed.
Still, it wouldn't end with just this one blow.
"Huff... huff... you... bastards...!!"
As expected, when the dust settled, the battered deputy palace lord Mangsah came into view, gasping raggedly.
Around him lay the shattered corpses of massive pythons, scorpions, and all sorts of venomous creatures used as shields.
The eerie scholar, who had maintained dignified poise moments ago, now pitifully wiped his bloodied, wounded face.
Yet despite severe injuries, the scholar gazed at Mangyeon and Baek Hyun with the same hollow expression and leisurely smile as before.
"So the Parunsa executive was your uncle... As expected, but also unexpected."
"That scholar-looking guy next to him is new. From the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace?"
"Nah, we don't have fancy scholars like that. Probably an outsider dispatched by Parunsa."
"Ah, that explains the Crown Prince talk. Must be someone sent from headquarters."
Baek Hyun cracked his neck side to side, flashing a sly grin.
The 'Crown Prince'-level executives that even Samsoon, who had tailed Parunsa for years with a proper intel network, couldn't uncover.
This was the golden chance to obtain info on them.
Capturing and interrogating that scholar, presumed to be the Crown Prince's direct subordinate, would surely yield clues to deduce his identity.
"We have to catch that guy no matter what. Otherwise, we might never even glimpse a Crown Prince shadow in our lifetime."
"True... Even Beggar Clan and Haomun said they're hard to track. Guess we gotta nab him."
As the two players analyzed their foes, Parunsa's side was sizing up the sudden intruders.
"Hahaha, even my emergency formation barely saved me from death. Looks like that boy and girl over there are targeting us... Do you know who they are?"
"...One's my niece and the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace heir. The other's unknown. But clearly no pushover."
Mangyeon clutched the hole in his gut, deep in thought.
He hadn't even sensed the attack until it hit.
Just like an ambush from Radiant Sword.
Was the boy's thrust as fast and profound as Radiant Sword's?
No, absolutely not.
The boy's stab was leagues below Radiant Sword's.
Even if ambushed, he could've countered easily.
So why hadn't he detected it at all?
'That kid timed it perfectly when my focus shifted elsewhere.'
The attack slipped in precisely when his mind was fully on the scholar's question.
No coincidence.
Succeeding with luck alone was as absurd as threading a needle from ship-lengths away.
Moreover, the skill in escaping his counterattack afterward wasn't that of a lucky novice.
A rejuvenated old monster?
But then why not finish him off?
His external arts were strong, but not beyond severing with qi.
Had the boy used qi when stabbing, he'd be dead for sure.
Too earnest for mere toying—those eyes showed full intent to kill.
No room for games.
Then... if the boy's age matched his appearance?
'Come to think of it, rumors said Radiant Sword's new disciple has the greatest talent in Starpoint Sect history...'
He'd ignored such hype with the great cause nearing.
But if the rumors held truth?
'Must kill him here. Absolutely.'
Mangsah felt a chill unlike any before.
The boy was an arrow loosed by a divine archer.
Even clad in thick armor and shields, it pierced the eye slit to claim life instantly.
To avoid death, snap the shaft before the arrowhead sharpens fully.
-Kieeeek!!
The venom bird, flung far by the prior attack, screeched in rage and flew back to kill them.
Had its arrowhead sharpened more, he couldn't match it.
But even phoenix chicks fall to wild dogs.
Now, he could surely break that terrifying arrow.
'The world's fate revolves around Your Highness.'
What did it mean for him to crush this sprout, sure to massively hinder His great plan?
Heaven itself desired His ascension.
"Hurry and dismantle the formation. Surely your injuries aren't hindering you?"
"No, a bit mangled, but limbs work fine. Dismantling's all knowledge anyway. Still about an hour..."
"Then dismantle it swiftly."
I'll kill those brats.
-Screeeeech-!!!
Mangsah's chilling killing intent spread as venomous creatures blanketed the area from the mountains.
Normally, even Mangsah couldn't handle this many.
But with the poison valley's horde unleashed across Starpoint Mountain, the numbers were immeasurable.
Equivalent to fully mobilizing even innate true qi, his current combat power could withstand a Top Ten Master.
And atop that.
-Kieeeek!!
One of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, the venom bird—practically a full-body instant-death cheat.
"Whoa... these dev devs are insane. Made this boss so ridiculously tough."
"It's tuned for thousands of hours sunk in, so not surprising... but damn, feels hopeless."
Even these veteran players paled at the overwhelming sight.
But what could they do?
"Sigh... Normally I'd trial-and-error dozens of times, but with one life now, no choice."
Charge straight through.
The two gamers' eyes blazed with fierce resolve.
"I'll take main tank, so cover me properly."
"Obviously. Only Har can punch through that."
-Grrrr...
Baek Hyun glanced at Har glaring tensely at the venom bird, quickly assessing.
Currently, only Har, another Ten Great Ferocious Beast, could counter its poison.
Plus, her firepower—practically a decisive weapon—was essential to break the endless venom horde.
No matter his own strength, he had to support her now.
"Guard properly. Like tending a pregnant wife—devotedly, or we're dead."
"So Har's our baby, honey?"
"...Yeah, so protect your wife right."
"Ahaha, head of household's got heavy shoulders~."
BEGIN!