Beastmaster King-Chapter 186 - A Villain is a Villain

“Got it!”

Everyone was stunned, including Lu Ran. This ascension realm turned out to be another highly unconventional one, involving the derivative profession of beastmasters: necromancers.

The Curse Witch was gone, but the power of necromancy was equally mysterious. However, unlike curse power, necromancy was a field that countries had studied to some extent. After all, the transnational criminal organization, The Other Shore, had risen to prominence precisely by mastering necromancy.

As a result, any beastmaster with basic knowledge was at least aware of what the Undead attribute and necromancers entailed. Of course, since the revival of spiritual energy, The Other Shore had rarely hunted beastmasters.

It seemed they had shifted their focus to hunting Transcendent species outside the realms, reducing their presence during the busiest periods of national operations.

“Does Limitless City inspect our storage?”

At this moment, Lu Ran didn’t immediately choose a faction. Instead, he pondered this question, recalling the Undead Resurrection skill book in his storage. He suspected that Limitless City might have scanned his belongings.

“Regardless, this ascension realm arrived just at the right time!”

Originally, Lu Ran had only hoped for a normal ascension realm. Though this one seemed far from ordinary, he found himself surprisingly accepting of it. He speculated that the source of necromancy was likely tied to the Death Dragon.

Entering this kind of ascension realm would make it easier for him to investigate information related to the Death Dragon. Moreover, Lu Ran had been considering nurturing an Undead familiar, but even in Xia, there was little experience to draw from.

Similar to how he had improved his culinary skills in a previous ascension realm, this one might provide him with valuable insights into the Undead attribute.

For now, the most pressing matter was the choice of faction identity. Would he become one of the independent beastmasters aiding in the crusade against Ming An City, or one of those tempted and corrupted by necromancy?

Lu Ran’s lips twitched.

For a normal beastmaster, the first option was clearly the way to go. After all, it sounded like the just side. Due to the presence of The Other Shore, the negative image of necromancers was deeply rooted in people’s minds.

Even in the Stellar Moon Continent, necromancers weren’t particularly welcome. This wasn’t because the Undead attribute was inherently discriminated against, but because the growth of necromancers was too unstable.

Prolonged absorption of spiritual energy caused them to lose their sanity, spiraling into madness and often leading to extreme actions. This was why the Beastmaster Empire regarded necromancers as an unstable element and forbade independent beastmasters from accessing such powers.

Now, imagine if a normal beastmaster encountered such an ascension realm. Who would willingly work alongside a group of individuals prone to sudden insanity?

On the other hand, the Empire Faction seemed like a reliable big tree to lean on. Perhaps joining the beastmaster corps would make clearing the realm easier. Initially, Lu Ran’s first thought was to side with the crusading faction.

But he hesitated because, in a faction confrontation mode, the other side couldn’t possibly be a complete pitfall. Would Limitless City really set up such a trap for trial participants?

Becoming a fallen beastmaster lured by necromancy—would choosing this faction grant him a special identity or some extra buffs?

Most people would definitely choose the righteous side. Perhaps every participant will opt for Faction 1.

If I choose Faction 2, not considering the NPC aspect, it would mean standing alone against all participants. If successful, would the score and rewards be more abundant?

Moreover, if the fallen aspect of Faction 2 stems from a tempting source of power in Ming An City, there’s a high chance it will be a unique side quest exclusive to Faction 2.

Perhaps choosing Faction 2 will lead to additional gains.

Gritting his teeth, Lu Ran decided to see what kind of identity Limitless City would assign him under Faction 2.

“I choose 2!”

At the same time, the nine other participants who entered the same ascension realm also made their choices.

“Faction 1!”

Once all choices were made, the voice of Limitless City rang out again.

[Faction selection complete.]

[Mission: Faction Victory!]

[Tip 1: Faction victory is determined by the control of Ming An City in 14 days.]

[Tip 2: This realm is a historical projection. Lifeforms within cannot be brought out or contracted.]

[Tip 3: ...]

Other than the absence of the Eye of Detection, the hints were largely the same as the first ascension realm they had entered. However, since this was PvP, involving participant confrontation, instead of PvE, there was an additional death immunity.

If a participant died, Limitless City would seal them, and they could return normally after 30 days. When the voice faded, everyone experienced a disorienting dizziness before arriving in a brand-new world.

“Where is this?”

After entering the ascension realm, the nine participants who chose Faction 1 opened their eyes to find themselves on a massive training ground.

Across from them, a middle-aged man in armor slowly approached and said, “Thank you all for extending your assistance to the beastmaster corps.

“Currently, the beastmaster corps is severely understaffed, but orders are orders. For the sake of maintaining the empire’s stability, the undead forces in Ming An City must be eradicated.

“Your task is simple. Assist the beastmaster corps in guarding the outskirts of Ming An City and preventing the internal necromantic energy from escaping. Within a month, reinforcements should arrive to help.”

“What?”

One of the participants, an Asian armored man, widened his eyes and exclaimed, “Are you saying the beastmaster corps won’t launch an attack on Ming An City for an entire month?”

Hearing this, the beastmasters who chose Faction 1 fell silent.

“Yes, that’s correct. We are merely remnants of the main force, lacking even a single level 3 beastmaster. According to our intelligence, the beastmaster strength in Ming An City is not weaker than ours.

“Furthermore, other regions are also engaged in combat, leaving manpower extremely stretched. It will take at least a month before reinforcements can reach us.”

R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freewebnovёl.ƈom Only.

The Faction 1 beastmasters collectively experienced stomachaches, feeling as if they had stepped into a massive pitfall.

Once the middle-aged beastmaster left, the nine participants from various countries exchanged glances. Among them, the Princess of Light from England, flanked by her Knights of Glory, immediately caught the attention of five other participants.

“You’re the Princess of the Golden Generation!” a participant from Japan exclaimed in astonishment as he recognized her.

The Princess of Light, pleased to see herself grouped with three of her companions, felt reassured. These three had specifically entered the realm to support her in clearing it. However, her brows furrowed slightly when she observed the remaining five participants.

“Greetings. Are you all fourth-generation beastmasters?”

“No, I’m a third-generation beastmaster and a healer,” the Japanese beastmaster replied.

“I haven’t paid much attention to leveling up recently and only decided to tackle a level 1 ascension realm now.”

“Same here,” a black woman chimed in.

“I’m a historian... Goodness, this era is fascinating. So lucky! This period is so vaguely recorded in history. There might be groundbreaking discoveries!”

“What’s so lucky about it?” a tall man in golden armor said.

“Didn’t you hear what the beastmaster corps said? They won’t launch an attack on Ming An City for 30 days. By then, it’ll be too late. Our mission will have already failed.”

Through their exchange, the Golden Generation from England grimly realized that the five additional participants were all third-generation beastmasters, not fourth-generation, and barely noteworthy among their generation. Their combined combat strength was minimal.

As for the mission, they seemed indifferent. Whether they succeeded or not didn’t matter as long as they could return safely. However, being grouped with the Golden Generation, they decided to fully follow the princess’ leadership. If there was a chance to win effortlessly, who would prefer failure?

“I knew it wouldn’t be so easy to rely on the beastmaster corps, but that’s fine,” the Princess of Light mused aloud.

“But it’s alright. Based on the description provided by that corps member, the undead forces in Ming An City aren’t overwhelmingly strong.

“The strongest necromancer is probably only at level 2, making this a typical difficulty in level-1 ascension realms. There’s no need to worry too much.

“As long as we can persuade the remnants of the beastmaster corps to cooperate in launching an attack, there’s a good chance we can take down Ming An City.”

The Knight of Glory was deep in thought.

“Their mission is to guard the outskirts of Ming An City and prevent necromantic energy from leaking out. Convincing them to attack proactively won’t be easy, even if we demonstrate strength beyond a level 1 beastmaster.

“The only way to force them to act would be if Ming An City’s necromantic energy began spreading. Then, to fulfill their orders, they would have no choice but to launch an attack ahead of schedule.

The Japanese beastmaster added, “That makes sense. Should we send someone undercover to infiltrate Ming An City, leak the Beastmaster Empire’s extermination plans, and provoke a conflict between the two sides? Then, we could assist the beastmaster corps in taking over Ming An City, completing the mission quickly.”

The Knight of Moonlight remarked, “Speaking of which, how many participants are in this realm? Are there only nine of us? Surely no one chose Faction 2, right? If they did, it might introduce unexpected variables into this faction confrontation.”

“Highly unlikely,” the black woman said.

“No reasonable person would choose Faction 2. Who would willingly take on that kind of headache?”

***

Inside Ming An City.

At this moment, Lu Ran, cloaked in a black robe of unknown origin, found himself in a rather frustrating situation.

Surrounding him were over a dozen other black-robed beastmasters, though he couldn’t tell whether they were natives of the realm or fellow participants.

Currently, Lu Ran was standing with these black-robed beastmasters, listening to the impassioned rhetoric of a lifeless-looking young man.

“You all have made the most righteous choice of your lives! Flesh is frail, but the soul is eternal! The path of necromancy leads to immortality. In these chaotic times, becoming a necromancer is the only hope for survival.

“I, Gao Li, will now teach you the techniques to awaken necromantic energy. If your talents are exceptional, you may even transcend the limitations of flesh and exist as a spiritual entity!

“A month from now, the divine emissary will arrive in Ming An City. The one who excels most in necromancy will have a chance to be taken to the Chosen Land and receive the blessings of the gods.”

Lu Ran, listening to this spiel, muttered inwardly.

What a classic villain setup! This is an undead cult!

“The soul, like the mind, is the fundamental power that every living being possesses. The decaying empire brands this magnificent power as evil merely because they fear its strength might take over their authority.

“However, practicing necromancy is indeed dangerous. Not every familiar is suited for harnessing soul energy. Without sufficient spiritual talent, recklessly learning necromancy poses immense dangers to the beastmaster as well.

“Before I teach you the secrets of necromancy, I will first evaluate the spiritual talent of your familiars. Those without the necessary talent will unfortunately not receive training for your own safety. Perhaps, when you find a more suitable familiar, you can proceed with further practice.”

“Huh?” Lu Ran was shocked.

What’s this? A necromancer cultist who actually cares about his followers’ safety? How unexpectedly considerate!

As Gao Li spoke, he retrieved a black stone.

“This is the Soul Calming Stone. It is capable of briefly displacing a soul from its vessel. If your familiar possesses strong spiritual talent, it will be able to remain outside its physical body longer, potentially even fighting in its spiritual body.

“This can be seen as an early taste of the undead form. However, if your familiar’s spiritual talent is weak, the soul will behave like a fish out of water and be forced to return to the body quickly. Now, I will use this artifact to evaluate the necromantic aptitude of your familiars.”

[Name: Soul Calming Stone]

[Grade: Rare]

[Description: A stone imbued with Unique energy, capable of briefly displacing a lifeform’s soul without harming the body or the soul itself.]

Using the Eye of Detection, Lu Ran verified the information about the Soul Calming Stone. True to Gao Li’s words, it wasn’t a scam.

This stone is amazing! Does The Other Shore have something like this? There’s no such resource in Xia, so I must find an opportunity to snag a few of these!