Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Bestowing a Reward upon Sein Demorus
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Sein let out a sigh as he recalled Tezera's words.
"Hoo."
It had been too easy up until now.
Even with all the Sanctuary knowledge he possessed, that only applied when it was still a game.
Now that it had become reality, he had anticipated obstacles like this.
"Should I say it's nice to meet you?"
Tezera.
The current head of the Demorus family was no opponent to take lightly.
"You lot probably aren't thrilled to see me either."
Tezera's reward for Sein.
-Confer the Third Martial Force upon Sein Demorus.
It meant handing over the Third Martial Force, which had lost its leader Gail, to Sein.
The Third Martial Force was one of the elite units even within Demorus.
Every member was a master-class powerhouse.
One of them had stepped up to fill Gail's vacant captain position.
"What's your name?"
"Sienjin, sir."
To Sein's eyes, Sienjin seemed close to max level.
A force like this was something you'd only see in the old imperial knights.
The fact that it was just the Third Martial Force made it all the more astonishing.
"We've gathered because the new captain wished to greet us, but we have many duties to attend to. May we go?"
Their attitudes were shocking too.
Facing Sein, a successor candidate, they made no effort to hide their resentment in their expressions and tones.
Crack.
A vein bulged on Sein's forehead, but for some reason, he held back.
'Kill them all?'
Sein shook his head.
Unless they rebelled outright, the current Sein couldn't handle the entire Third Martial Force.
'Dismiss them?'
Tezera had granted him the Third Martial Force, not these twenty-odd members led by Sienjin.
If he kept the name but expelled them and recruited new ones...
"Hoo."
Fuck, hold it in.
That wouldn't be what Tezera wanted.
It would actually play right into the hands of all those retainers at the family head meeting that day.
If he couldn't even manage the martial force entrusted to him and weakened its strength, it was obvious he'd be pushed out of the successor race.
"Not easy."
Pushing through with brute force was no longer an option.
He could if he had greater power, but that wasn't possible right now.
Sein knew he was being judged by their very presence at this moment.
"I'll admit you all feel like shit right now."
Sein said to them.
"Your old captain, who was doing just fine, messed up once with his mouth and turned into a lump of meat, right?"
Whoa.
They didn't even bother hiding their expressions.
True to their name, the Fire Wolf Pack, they were utter beasts.
"But was that my fault?"
"Please don't insult our former captain."
"Hey."
Sein clutched his temple and spoke.
"I'm the captain, and I asked a question, but instead of answering, you're spouting nonsense."
Step.
Sein stood before Sienjin.
Sienjin appeared to carry rare Eastern bloodline from across the continent.
'Fucking strong, huh.'
Considering how Eastern natives received countless bloodline buffs in Sanctuary, Sienjin might even surpass the previous captain, Gail.
Moreover.
'It's a waste too.'
To Sein, Sienjin looked like prime talent.
"Let's do this, then."
Sein said.
"You can't accept me as your leader, right?"
"......"
These were the underworld's martial force.
They had loyalty to their captain, but above that, loyalty to the family came first.
For them to act so defiant meant they couldn't accept Sein himself.
"Let's have a match."
Sein pressed his forehead against Sienjin's as he spoke.
*
*
*
Taming wolves required several steps.
And Sein resolved to tame the Third Martial Force, known as the Fire Wolf Pack.
He was ruthless toward worthless things.
"I'm ready."
But toward things of value, Sein gave multiple chances.
Ultimately, the Third Martial Force's defiance toward Sein stemmed largely from their loyalty to their former captain, Gail Demorus.
If that loyalty turned to him, he'd gain subordinates who wouldn't bend easily even to his death.
"You ready?"
Sein said to someone.
He had intended to face Sienjin himself.
-Doesn't suit the situation.
But Sienjin refused.
He seemed to think it improper for a successor candidate to fight him directly.
Of course, dismissing the vast skill gap.
Thus, Sienjin proposed a proxy battle.
-Our youngest will step forward.
The youngest of the Third Martial Force.
Still master-class.
-Please send one of your subordinates, Lord Sein.
They wanted one of Sein's subordinates.
-A subordinate reflects the master's face. If we're to belong to you, Lord Sein, we want to see your subordinate.
Submission through strength.
That was step one in taming wolves.
But the one wielding that strength wouldn't be Sein—it would be his subordinate.
"I'm ready."
It was Roberta.
Derun wasn't ready for a fight like this yet, and Cecil was locked away in the Fortress of Sorrow for the time being.
The only combat-ready personnel at the main house were these two.
"Roberta."
Sein ultimately sent Roberta forward.
To make their submission genuine, it had to be on their terms.
Roberta had grown much stronger in the meantime.
She had diligently followed the regimen Sein prescribed and trained on her own in her spare time.
Normally, her injuries would have prevented greater gains, but Cecil had aided her recovery.
Even so, she who had grown stronger.
'She's not quite master-class yet.'
She fell short of master level.
"Any rules?"
Sein said to Sienjin.
"Show us whatever you wish."
"Yeah?"
Sein simply nodded quietly.
"Roberta."
"Yes."
"Do whatever the hell you want."
Roberta drew her long rapier.
But the moment Sein's words ended.
Drop.
She let the rapier fall from her hand.
"......"
Were they truly the battle-hardened Third Martial Force?
They harbored doubts about her actions but didn't lower their guard.
"I'll fight bare-handed too."
Perhaps giving her a handicap, the Third Martial Force member also set his weapon aside.
"Do as you like. No whining later."
It was leniency and arrogance, assuming her inexperience as a mere candidate.
Roberta, who yearned to reach the pinnacle of martial arts.
Her prowess with rapier and countless other weapons was top-notch.
But.
"Begin."
Boom!
Sein corrected her misconception.
An explosive roar erupted.
Roberta had charged in an instant, her fist clashing with the Third Martial Force member's.
-You.
Sein told Roberta.
-Don't use weapons.
Until now, Roberta had walked the wrong path.
Her magic power, her movements, her blessing.
It was.
Boom!
The aptitude of the Fist Sovereign.
Another explosion, and the Third Martial Force member slid back.
*
*
*
Fierce?
That word didn't suffice.
Desperate.
Yes, that fit better.
"Huff. Huff."
Roberta's beautiful, athletic form was covered in blood and flesh chunks, resembling a leper.
In contrast, the Third Martial Force member was merely drenched in sweat, with no major wounds.
Just a few scrapes on his cheek and forearm.
It was only natural.
'Masters.'
These were true masters, incomparable to Dante's fake ones.
Not the kind forged from innate bloodlines, bestowed blessings, elixirs, and drugs.
Humm.
They were the real deal, born from battles dancing on the edge of death and bone-grinding effort.
Every year, thousands entered Demorus hoping to join the martial forces.
Yet fewer than fifty survived, and fewer than ten made it into the forces.
And among those, only the ones who built skill and experience were chosen for.
-The elite martial forces.
The Third Martial Force.
Even their youngest would be too much for Roberta, freshly out of candidate status.
Even with Fist Sovereign aptitude, it hadn't awakened yet.
"We should stop here."
Sienjin said coolly.
Roberta's valiant effort was impressive, but she didn't meet their standards.
That alone earned Sein some recognition.
"Hey."
Then came Sein's even chillier voice.
"Shut it."
"...?"
"You strut around with that pathetic gaze? Better keep your mouth shut before I lose what little goodwill I have for you."
The brashness of a young successor candidate?
No.
Eyes filled with unshakable faith and trust.
That was Roberta.
No.
'How can a mere successor candidate have eyes like that?'
Faith in herself.
"The training I told her to do is simple."
Every day.
"Carve out her own flesh and bleed to her limits."
Roberta's martial arts had already reached a considerable height.
What she needed was the evolution of her blessing.
At that moment.
Whumm.
Roberta's aura shifted, and so did the Third Martial Force's gazes.
The wounds that had nearly killed her moments ago began to heal.
If that were all, they wouldn't be so shocked.
They'd seen countless blessing-based powers in the underworld.
Boom!
But what truly stunned them was the explosively amplifying magic power.
And the blood Roberta had shed rising up, enveloping her.
That was it.
"No rule against using blessings, right?"
Her Fist Sovereign aptitude.
It wasn't some mere fourth-rank Fist Sovereign's life.
Something greater.
-Third-rank.
A life even Sein hadn't experienced.
"Blood Sea Fist Demon."
From the fallen East, among the worst called Blood Demons.
The one said to turn the world into a sea of blood with a single fist.
Crack!
The Third Martial Force member's arm, blocking Roberta's fist, crumpled inward.