In the Land of Autumn Rain, lakes, mountains, and swampy forests are the most commonly found environmental landmarks. Most being Resource Points, these landmarks are gathering spots for certain types of lifeforms. For instance, the freshwater lake that Twin Helix and the rest Hunter teams are heading towards is considered as a rank 2 water-path Resource Point. This means there’s at least a group of rank 2 piscine beasts within its depth.

Since the official Hunters are rank 1s, then entering a rank 2 Resource Point would be more than dangerous. After all, rank 2 beings are on a completely different matter compared to rank 1s.

“Fortunately, the rank 2 beasts are deep inside the lake. They wouldn’t wander to the surface without good reasons, but that doesn’t mean you can wander too far.” Sakuya pats Mordred’s head. “There are still some hostile lesser races in the outskirts.”

“It’s fine, I have Desir.” He hinted towards the wyvern sleeping not too far from their location. “I’m probably the strongest apprentice around, you don’t have to act like my mother.”

The red-haired woman chuckled. “Don’t be conceited. Radiant Desolation have their own ace apprentice, and it’s not that caprine-beastman, and don’t forget about Scorch Talon and Wild Scales. Furthermore, the team we’re regrouping with is led by that horny bitch, Ookami Yuuna. I’m sure she has picked up some good seeds along the way.”

Mordred could sense the hidden anger laced within her tone. “Should I be worried?”

“No,” Sakuya shook her head, “I don’t think you should be worried. If she ever tried something to you, just use the captain’s name… wait, you still don’t know her name yet. Alright, just use Katyusha’s name to fend her off. She’ll be obedient, I’m sure.”

“So she’s dangerous…”

Sakuya sighed in defeat. “Well, yes, but I’d prefer if you saved your… virginity for me…” She uttered the last part while blushing, as if just realizing how shameful that sounded.

Mordred shrugged. “Alright, I promise to keep myself pure.” He’d probably change bodies before that time comes, so it wasn’t a big deal to keep Satoru's virginity to score some approval points.

…

The freshwater lake, resembling a precious blue jewel amidst the rocky brown terrain, served as a medium-sized resource point in Hartina Kingdom’s territory. Despite being called a lake, its actual size and grandeur is comparable to Holy Terra’s Pacific Ocean. To completely explore the vast and bountiful resource point would take a significant amount of manpower and resources, but the group is not here to explore.

At one of the most captivating locations, the sight of several dozen tents sprawled across the beach of the freshwater lake resembles a small tribal society. What heightened the picturesque landscape’s brilliance were the presence of towering forests of giant blue crystal formations, clawing at the sky like the dangerous talons of mythical beasts. These crystals were rich to the point of creating small islands near the beach. Since the lake is considered as a water-path Resource Point, then this ice-like crystal is a pure water-path resource, not ice-path.

Well, considering ice-path being a branch of water-path and its resources can be used in exchange for one another, it doesn’t matter much.

Typically used for construction of large-scale hardwater fortresses or catalyst for ritual-type spells, these rank 2 superheavy rare crystals carried a significant price tag, but they do not produce intense radiation comparable to resources of the same rank. This allows even mortals to touch it without exposing themselves to water-cancer. However, this extremely dense crystal also possessed high resistance to space-path methods, so unless one’s dimensional storage method is of high rank, transporting them is a costly endeavor.

Even if an elite rank 1 cultivator like Kenji could pick some pieces away, mining these crystals on a large scale is out of the question. The cost-benefit ratio is too small, it is better to hunt a ludicrous amount of beasts instead of carrying a palm-size crystal shard that weighs almost two hundred kilograms.

With his enhanced soul senses that is practically a synesthetic echolocation-radar, Mordred could sense the area’s magnetic field is affected by the blue crystals. Due to the sheer weight, the blue crystal is generating some sort of gravity field, so standing on top of it would make oneself weigh far more than usual. This artificial gravity amplification is determined by the size and therefore, the weight of the crystal. Some apprentices were using the gravity field to test or train themselves, but nobody dared to get too close or touch the big ones directly as it would crush them.

Yet, some Official Hunters were practicing cultivation methods on top of the largest crystals in this area as if they do not affect them. According to their soul signature, Mordred identifies them as Katyusha, with Kenji accompanying her some distance away.

‘This Hydrium Hardwater Crystal has been neglected, allowing it to accumulate over the course of millennia. Although the cost of transporting them is too expensive for individual or Hunter teams, my ‘death’ should trigger the age of Floating Fortresses. Considering its potent anti-teleportation property, this crystal should be extremely sought after by the Nine Master Clans, but what were they thinking by ignoring these rare resources lying around?’

Mordred shook his head. Even if the material is considered as too low-grade to refine a rank 6 Floating Fortress on the same level to Alistair, it can still be used in the refinement of rank 3 Satellite Fortresses- a lesser variant of the Floating Fortress. The current age’s undercurrents of every country in Morgen World should revolve around researching Floating Fortress designs and its lesser variants, so it is weird that the Hartina Kingdom is not following this trend.

While being distracted by his own thoughts, he could hear Kenji practicing his martial arts to break a piece of the hardwater crystal. Beside him, the hardwater crystal around Katyusha are being sublimated into vapor, she has been incessantly breathing in the misty substances without stopping. Her deep breath was bottomless, it doesn’t seem like she’ll stop anytime soon. As a result of inhaling the hardwater crystal in high quantity, her already unhealthy pale white skin grew even paler, becoming porcelain white hue. Rather than a human, she now bore a striking resemblance to an ethereal ice sculpture.

‘That should be a life-alteration surgery… but she’s casually doing it without receiving any repercussions. Wait…’ Mordred narrowed down his senses so that he could detect more in a smaller radius. ‘As expected, there are other hunters from all four teams watching over the area as if protecting Katyusha.’

Within his senses, there are more than ten people who set out a net of protection around her. They were concealed under potent stealth methods that even Mordred can only sense the existence of their souls, not who those souls belong to.

Under their guard, Katyusha’s cultivation base was soaring rapidly from the early-stage towards the mid-stage of rank 1, her body has been generating intense ice-path radiation that the two hundred meter circumference around her has slowly become colder. Hoarfrost has begun growing on the crystal, it even enveloped Kenji who’s playing near her.

Mordred pondered, “Hydrium Hardwater Crystal can be used to refine antimagic wall bricks for Satellite Fortresses. Considering Katyusha is an expert that uses frost golems… can it be that she wanted to refine some sort of golem physique?”

At first, Mordred denied his conjecture. A golem physique refers to a method that transforms one’s biology similar to a golem’s. There are various methods that allow one to temporarily gain a Golem Physique, while others could do for an extended period, or even last permanently. Depending on what type of golem physique that she wanted to acquire, it would exponentially increase one’s combat potential, however, doing so would make oneself unable to procreate with other humans, and that’s only one of the most common consequences.

Thanks to his own deep comprehension of ice-path, early calculations indicate if Katyusha is able to successfully refine whatever Golem Physique that she wanted to acquire, then she’ll be able to steamroll all other teams without much of an issue. After all, she’s a cultivator of the mage archetype. When she has a near-immortal body made out of Hydrium Hardwater Crystal, the weakness of a mage is eliminated.

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‘Can it be that… their goal of regrouping with another group in this location is just a side goal. Their primary objective is feeding this hardwater crystal towards that dangerous woman?’

Hydrium Hardwater Crystal is a rank 2 material, it’ll be impossible for rank 1 cultivators to even interact with it without using advanced secret methods. The fact that she could use it for a life-alteration surgery meant she’s not only elite, but the cream of the crop of Hunter officials.

If his conjecture is true, then the next step of the journey would be more dangerous than he had originally thought.

‘The reason why she needed to force herself to endure this forceful method is… I see. There’s a high possibility that the route they have chosen is currently being blocked by a dangerous threat, most likely a large-class rank 2 beast…’

As he reached his destination, he ceased his non-urgent pondering. After parting with Sakuya who should be busy with official works, Mordred went to the mission board in the center of the campsite, and it was jam-packed with apprentices who wanted to get some mission.

“You’re here!” A caprine-beastman patted his shoulder, pulling him away from the crowd. “I’ve been waiting for you. Look, these are the missions that I took for us, what do you think?”

Mordred received the papers handed over by Kaishin. While the mission center involves information-path artifacts, electronics, they are not provided with one since they are only apprentices. When apprentices take any available missions, they can book it while the details will be printed on these papers.

“Two easy, repeatable gathering missions and one murloc-hunting mission…” Mordred looked up towards her face, before patting her hair. “Excellent. Let’s depart for now.”

Kaishin giggled, then followed Mordred’s footsteps.

The two left the campsite after preparing some baskets for Desir to help with the gathering mission. After walking twenty minutes, they reached an open beach that lacked Hyridum Hardwater crystal. The environment here is not plagued with heavy gravity, allowing lesser life to thrive. In fact, the beach is filled with apprentices that have the same goal, which is to gather rank 0 resources.

“There are too many people here, all the good spots have been taken. Should we head elsewhere?” Kaishin asked as she picked up a wandering crab the size of a coconut. It was on the brink of evolution towards a lesser beast, but nobody has interest in the crab due to the presence of better resources.

This water-path resource point, at least the area around here, has been neglected by the Nine Master clans, therefore has not been developed or cultivated properly. However, it has been accumulating resources for a long period of time so it is easy for animals to evolve into beasts, which in turn feed the bigger fish in the lake. Every inch of the soil, every milligrams of water in the lake, and even every piece of vegetation in the area is more useful than the ones that can be found in Mira village. It was simply that rich and fertile.

Originally, a lot of wandering beasts made their hunting grounds here. However, it all changed when the official Hunters decided to make this location into their rendezvous point. The dangerous beasts have been cleaned up in advance, and Mordred could see the old traces of that battle, buried under a few days, probably weeks of neglect.

Currently, the area is teeming with more than seven apprentice groups, each containing at least five members. While the area itself is rather expansive, in the context of resource gathering, it isn’t exaggerated to say it was crowded.

“There should be less people further away.” Kaishin uttered once more after not receiving Mordred’s reply for some time. “Hey, ‘captain’, you’ve been absent minded a lot lately. Are you okay?”

“Hmm.” Mordred got distracted pretty easily due to his incomplete memory and the lack of murder to pacify his soul. “Yeah, let’s go.”

As they went further away, the threat of hostile lifeforms became more apparent. In this part of the beach, murloc sightings have become common occurrence, but thankfully, they are mortal-rank or in some rare cases, early-stage rank 0 murlocs.

These freshwater fish-humanoids lived in tribal society, but that does not imply the absence of scattered murloc settlements beyond of their main underwater villages. In contrast to a pristine resort beach, this freshwater shoreline exhibited a starkly different appearance. The sand was not pure white and devoid of rocks, rather, it was neglected and untouched for thousands of years, providing ample hiding and hunting grounds for murlocs and other creatures. The rocky terrain was replete with ambush spots, requiring caution while navigating through this environment.

“Will Desir be okay? It’s too hard to move this place with that huge body.” Kaishin wondered as she jumped from one rock to another.

“Stop where you are right now.” Mordred suddenly spoke before aiming his gun towards the spot underneath the rock where she was standing.

Bang! The loud sound of his gun shocked Kaishin, but she was quick to respond. She immediately leaped back towards where she came from, thus barely avoiding the three spear who almost turned her body into swiss cheese.

The ones who attacked her were murlocs. Their dark-scaled body and black eyes are definite proof that these murlocs are variant. Generations of living under the darkness behind rocks and ambushing prey to survive, the dark elemental particles in the shadows have seeped deeply into their flesh and blood. Their evolutionary path has diverged from the original murlocs, thus allowing them to possess some type of stealth bloodline abilities.

Unlike magic, bloodline abilities are ‘racial’ abilities, therefore require zero training to use. Naturally, using these bloodline methods is a completely different matter compared to mastering them, but using stealth ability against apprentices that do not possess investigative methods that pierced them means it would be highly effective. If not for Mordred establishing the fact that he has sharp senses long ago, he lacked the justification to see through the dark murloc’s stealth methods.

After all, with more Official Hunters present, their information gathering methods should be far more intricate and detailed than before. Mordred was sure that this distance wasn't enough to get out of the range of their investigative methods.

In any case, the one that Mordred shot was one of the fastest ones, its brain has been splintered around the rocky terrain. Undeterred by the loss of their skilled ambusher, they relied on their powerful bodies to close in on Kaishin, who was still within their reach.

Following Mordred’s lead, Kaishin threw a blade towards the rushing murlocs in panic.

“You dumb fuck!” Mordred cursed as he used his body to shield her even before she retaliated. Instead of a metal blade, she was hurling Mordred’s blastscale.

With a resounding boom, an explosion akin to a hand grenade engulfed the murlocs, and Mordred and Kaishin found themselves dangerously close to the blast radius. However, Desir, Mordred's soul slave inhabiting the powerful mortal shell of a brute wyvern, swiftly positioned itself to shield them from the blast.

Desir, and by extension, Mordred had expected the strategist to fucked up her first real battle. It is still within his control, but it doesn't mean he liked it. “I’ll deal with you later.” Mordred held back his desire to scold her while Desir swiped his leathery limbs to push away the dust cloud, restoring sight to the two apprentices. It was as Mordred had expected, the assaulting murloc had been scattered to a thousand pieces, the explosive power of his blastscale was too strong for a group of early-stage rank 0 murlocs to endure.

As if the failed ambush served as a signal, a wave of dark-scaled murlocs started emerging from their hidden positions, appearing from every direction.

Mordred came here fully knowing that the rocky terrain was actually a dark-path murloc’s hunting ground, but he didn’t bother telling Kaishin so as not to cause suspicions towards the official Hunters watching the area. Brandishing his revolver, he quickly shot three times before retreating back with Kaishin in hand, not daring to let the murlocs get too close or surround them.

Even without experience, Kaishin understood that the makeshift bone weapon on the murlocs’ hands is laced with poison. A single touch might not be able to kill them, but it should be enough for the poison to reduce their capabilities and in this situation, it’s no different than being killed.

“I counted twenty. Can you kill them all?” Kaishin asked, her hands ready with more blastscales.

Bang! Another murloc fell to Mordred’s precise shot. “Give me those. Your throwing range is too short and you have no sense of distance,” Mordred snatched the blastscales he had given her for protection

Not wasting time, he immediately hurled several blastscales onto the battlefield. The resulting explosions did not directly hit the murlocs, as they were well aware of the destructive nature of the blastscales. However, Mordred's intention wasn't to kill them with the explosions, as that would make collecting their corpses more difficult. Instead, he aimed to raise dust clouds, creating cover.

“ROAR!” Desir’s thunderous warcry echoed through the air, surpassing the usual ferocity of a Brute Wyevern’s roar. Unbeknownst to the others, Desir was employing a sound-path soul art, [Shocking Noise], which is particularly effective against lesser races. Even if official Hunters were to directly examine Desir’s soul, they wouldn’t be able to determine the truth. After all, Mordred can use Sumire’s wisdom-path life-alteration surgery as a shield against suspicions.

The sound wave put the ones in the affected area to have their telepathic thought generation to be disturbed, thus stunning them for a brief period. This area stun-method completely breaks their momentum while allowing Mordred to dispatch the murlocs one by one from a distance, while the Desir freely rampages across the battlefield with its muscular body.