novelraw Chapter 92: You’re Still a Wild Monster
Chapter 92: You’re Still a Wild Monster
Mivana’s appearance was undoubtedly a godsend for Westheid.
’Was there any Combat Talent more straightforward and brutally effective than [Cursed Source Blood]? Westheid wracked his brain but came up with nothing.’
’This was the perfect Tier T0 Talent for a power gamer!’
’Kiting? Strategy? Mechanics?’
’You didn’t need any of that! Anything besides raw stats was an impurity!’
’If I could just share her [Cursed Source Blood], I’d do anything! I’d even agree to live in a mansion and drive a luxury car!’
Even if he couldn’t immediately share Mivana’s Tier T0 Talent, just getting her on his team would make her a priceless asset.
’Just think, if I could take a sip of Mivana’s essence blood before a fight, I’d unlock derivative traits like [Blood Fury], [Bloodthirst], and [Burning Blood]. I could just pick up a blade and go on a killing spree.’
All this was enough to strengthen Westheid’s resolve. He had to get Mivana on his team, even if she was the Heaven-Devouring Wave—a ticking time bomb who might go berserk and kill him at any moment.
’But compared to the power of [Cursed Source Blood], what did his own life matter?’
’Worth it!’
Suppressing his inner fervor, Westheid launched into an endless stream of fascinating tales and anecdotes about the Country of Yonglan.
It left Mivana, a native of Yonglan herself, completely stunned. She remarked with some emotion:
"Mr. Westheid, you know so much about the Country of Yonglan. There are many places you mentioned that even I have only ever heard of, never visited."
Westheid chuckled. "I’ve never actually been there myself. My knowledge of the Country of Yonglan comes from... other sources."
’At the very least, he had savored every bit of content available in *Poem of Destiny*. He probably knew more than the average citizen of Yonglan.’
Hoping to build more rapport with the Wolf-eared Maiden, Westheid asked:
"Where is your hometown, Mivana? I should be familiar with all the Knight Territories in the Country of Yonglan."
However, the moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere instantly grew cold.
The Wolf-eared Maiden, who had been smiling just a moment before, suddenly froze.
Westheid could tell at a glance that he’d stumbled upon some "dark secret," and he quickly added:
"My apologies. If you’d rather not answer, just pretend I never asked."
"...If you truly wish to know, I can tell you about it."
Mivana shook her head. Pursing her soft, cherry-pink lips, she began to speak slowly:
"My hometown isn’t under the jurisdiction of any Knight Territory. It’s a land that was opened up during the Fourteenth Expedition of the Knightly Path, and to this day... it remains a Pioneer Territory. Most of the inhabitants are... well, Beastmen who were left behind."
"Within the Country of Yonglan, it’s considered a rather barren, remote region. There’s no scenery there worth remembering, only the ceaseless... rain. So much rain. A rain that almost never stops."
The Wolf-eared Maiden’s recollection was tinged with a deep sadness. She tucked away a lock of her violet-black hair that had been obscuring one of her golden eyes and continued:
"It’s quiet, dreary, as if it’s been exiled from the rest of the world. The only thing special about it is that when the rain finally stops, a dim, starry sky appears. That tranquility, I suppose, is something to be admired."
Although Mivana’s words were cryptic and vague, Westheid’s extensive knowledge allowed him to piece together a general picture.
’The Fourteenth Expedition of the Knightly Path... wasn’t that the most disastrous one?’
According to the *Yonglan Annals*, the fourteenth expedition was a campaign against the lingering remnants of the Chaos Source God, who had once been driven out by the Riding God. It was by far the costliest of all expeditions in terms of losses.
The once-invincible Knight Army suffered unprecedented, devastating casualties during that campaign, nearly shattering the military might of the Country of Yonglan.
And the territory conquered during that expedition has yet to be fully assimilated by the Country of Yonglan, even now.
’To Foreigners, it might look like Yonglan’s land, but strictly speaking, that failed expedition never managed to inscribe the Law of the Yonglan Riding God upon it!’
’The so-called "Pioneer Territory" was just a euphemism. In the eyes of a Yonglan Knight, any land that hadn’t become a Knight Territory was still a wilderness teeming with Monsters—a wasteland waiting to be tamed by their Silver Swords.’
’And the inhabitants of that wilderness weren’t considered people at all. They were just mobs.’
’Mivana, you’re basically a mob!’
’Then again, Beastmen in the Country of Yonglan were basically treated like reserve mobs anyway. Their existence teetered between "being used by Yonglan Knights for grinding EXP" and "being tacitly allowed to scrape by," all depending on the whim of the local Knight Lord.’
’The real question was how Mivana, a Beastman, had managed to obtain a genuine Great Knight’s Silver Sword.’
Westheid’s gaze drifted unconsciously to Mivana’s waist, where a sheathed Knight’s Sword hung.
’He’d already tested it during the Secret Realm Trial. It was incredibly sharp—a genuine weapon blessed by the Yonglan Riding God.’
Such a Silver Sword was an insignia bestowed only upon a Grand Knight for distinguished service.
Each Silver Sword was uniquely tied to a single Grand Knight, with no duplicates ever made. If someone other than the original owner came to possess one, there was only one possibility.
They were the original owner’s chosen successor.
Aside from this, the Country of Yonglan forbade any and all trading, theft, or borrowing of these blades. Anyone discovered doing so would be hunted down relentlessly.
’How could the glory of vanquishing evil, bestowed by the Divine Ancestor, be sullied by the greed and sin of the Mortal World?!’
’Riding God above, we shall show no mercy to such evil!’
Everyone in the Mortal World knew what kind of war fanatics the Yonglan Knights were. Being targeted by them was a fate worse than a quick death.
It didn’t matter if you fled to the Celestial Vault Kingdom or hid in the Chaos Domain; the Legendary Grand Knights of Yonglan would come for you and cut you down.
This wasn’t an exaggeration. After a few disbelievers tested this theory and paid the price, no one ever again doubted the sheer tenacity of the Yonglan Knights.
’The fact that Mivana could carry this Silver Sword without issue meant she must have inherited it from a Grand Knight.’
’So, which Grand Knight was it?’
Westheid wracked his memory but couldn’t connect her to any of the well-known Grand Knights.
Seeing the man before her fall silent, Mivana assumed he was waiting for her to elaborate.
So, the Wolf-eared Maiden lowered her head and said:
"Mr. Westheid, my apologies, but that’s all I can say. I know it’s not entirely sincere to hide things from you, but when it comes to my home..."
"I wasn’t trying to pry, just making conversation," Westheid said, waving his hands. "I’m not interested in your past. If you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t."
This was a lie. He was dying of curiosity.
But Westheid also understood the importance of taking things one step at a time.
As a "walkthrough king" who had sat through hundreds, if not thousands, of unskippable cutscenes, Westheid had his own understanding of the questlines in *Poem of Destiny*.
And he knew how to adapt his approach to suit the situation.
When he was dealing with Reiya, the Withered and Flourishing Dragon Emperor had been at the lowest point in her life. She had no goals, no hope, and her heart was like dead embers.
She didn’t hope for a guiding light, but she would never refuse warmth.
Westheid hadn’t needed any special tactics; he just had to "A-move" in, express his affection in the most enthusiastic and positive way possible, and he could swiftly shatter the White-haired Dragon Lady’s emotional walls. It was an opportunistic shortcut that set the difficulty to "easy."
But winning over Mivana would offer no such shortcuts. One look into the Wolf-eared Knight’s eyes was enough to know: this one was absurdly strong.
She already had her own road, her own Path.