Clearly, the Silver Fox Squad's objective could only be achieved within the pirate faction.
If they let the other side continue, it might just wipe out their entire team.
While the two sides were at a standoff, Kiba, relying on his strong sensory abilities, eavesdropped on the conversation of several nearby reincarnators.
"That person from the NEST, named Olsen, is a super rookie being heavily trained by the main team. It's said he's already cleared three storyline worlds."
"And the other one?"
"This guy is Juyama. He's one of the more low-key members of the Silver Fox, but I know his sword skills are extremely sharp. His basic skill levels are probably very high."
Most people who rise to fame in just a few storyline worlds are super rookies with extraordinary talent.
Take the middle-aged man with the sword, for example. He comes from a family with a strong Kendo tradition and has spent years honing his craft.
As soon as he entered the space, he was granted Level 11 in basic swordsmanship, along with a unique talent related to Kendo.
The opponent was indeed a newcomer being groomed by NEST, but that didn't mean Juyama's strength was inferior.
The situation had escalated to the point where there was no turning back. As the strongest on the surface, the two sides had to demonstrate their power to win over the others.
A fight was inevitable.
As the reincarnators gradually retreated, the two super rookies on the coast took their battle stances.
To prevent others from taking advantage of the situation, neither side would deliver a killing blow; otherwise, it could trigger a massive conflict between the two teams, which would only harm both sides' interests.
If a fight had to happen, it would be during the faction war arranged by the space.
"Please." Juyama drew his long sword, and his entire aura suddenly became several times more intense, so much so that just looking at him made one's eyes sting.
The man held the sword in his left hand, the tip lightly touching the ground. As a breeze rustled the leaves, the blade cut through the air, leaving a dazzling streak of light.
Instinctively, the young man across from him raised his arm, but the next second, blood spurted from his arm.
Facing a powerful Kendo master, Olsen didn't seem to have any chance to counterattack.
With one successful strike, Juyama immediately swung his sword horizontally, and a silver crescent blade swept out around him.
Even though the young man had already retreated, his abdomen was still torn by the crescent blade, and blood began to gush out uncontrollably.
In just two exchanges, Juyama completely dominated. Every swing of his sword carried extreme focus, as if each movement had been practiced and refined countless times.
In contrast, the young man named Olsen was far too inferior. He couldn't even launch a counterattack and stood there like a large wooden stake.
"It's over!"
Juyama seemed to find a flaw in his opponent's defense and instantly accelerated, breaking through the opponent's guard with a nearly imperceptible move.
However, just as he was about to strike his enemy, the young man in front of him vanished into a blur.
The speed at that moment was beyond what a rookie should have, even with the support of movement skills.
"His agility must be at least 20 points." Juyama felt a chill in his heart, realizing he had underestimated his opponent.
He never imagined that in just three storyline worlds, the other side could boost an attribute to such a terrifying level.
"Is that all?" Olsen's voice came from behind.
Before Juyama could turn around, he felt an intense heat wave surging toward him, making even breathing slightly difficult.
The cold and composed young man had somehow donned a metal glove, from which scorching orange flames were spewing.
**MAX·Heat Drive!**
Olsen became a blur, and his right fist struck Juyama's chest with full force. The flames scorched, seemingly burning him to ashes in an instant.
Seeing this, Juyama's Silver Fox companions could no longer stay put.
"Stop!" The two remaining members immediately moved to intervene.
At the critical moment, Olsen forcibly restrained the flames and, using brute strength, sent his opponent flying far away.
Though seriously injured, at least he managed to keep his life.
With his hand in his pocket, Olsen surveyed the scene with a proud gaze, finally looking at the wary Silver Fox Squad. "Not leaving yet?"
Defeated and humiliated, the Silver Fox trio could only slink away.
With his show of force completed, Olsen coldly scanned the area, his domineering aura overwhelming the place. "How you decide is up to you."
With that, the squad started walking towards the opposite shore, where the naval base stood prominently, clearly pointing the way for any reincarnators who wished to join the naval faction.
The remaining people glanced at each other, hesitated for a moment, and nearly a third of the reincarnators headed towards the island.
Some sought survival, while others hoped to gain as many benefits as possible. Following the strong might ensure safety, but there was no guarantee they'd even get a taste of the rewards.
That was the deadliest issue.
"An interesting fight." Kiba turned around and headed towards the town.
Deciding which faction to join required further investigation. The first step was to find out the current timeline of the storyline.
When it came to gathering information, the best place to go was, of course, the town's tavern.
"Hey, brother, wait up."
Suddenly, a shout came from behind him. He quickly turned around and saw that the one chasing after him was the same reincarnator who had earlier been showing off his information.
"Hey, brother, wait up for Old Cat!" The man seemed overly familiar, completely unaware that he was talking to a potential enemy.
Perhaps it was intentional, using this casual approach to lower his guard. However, Kiba didn't really care what kind of person he was.
"What do you want?" His tone was somewhat unpleasant.
It seemed like he was really annoyed by someone deliberately trying to get close to him.
Seeing this, the reincarnator named Old Cat quickly waved his hand, but his eyes were fixed on the 3D maneuver gear at Kiba's waist. "I recognize that gear, brother. If you got your hands on it, you must have some serious skills."
"Go on."
"Heh heh." Seeing Kiba's attitude soften a bit, Old Cat couldn't help but smile smugly, as if he had everything under control. "To be honest, brother, I make a living by selling information, so I've got a lot of secrets that outsiders don't know, including how to get some good rewards in this storyline world."
Kiba didn't respond immediately because he couldn't figure out Old Cat's real intentions.
If he wanted help, why not go to the Silver Fox Squad? Or some other team? Why come to him, a seemingly insignificant loner?
Perhaps noticing his confusion, Old Cat smiled and explained, "Don't sell yourself short, brother. The 3D maneuver gear is incredibly useful, especially for sea battles."
That wasn't wrong. The 3D maneuver gear could ignore the sea's distance within a certain range, using gas jets to reach the enemy's ship. With the grappling hooks anchored to the mast, one could even launch an attack from mid-air without firing a shot—just dropping a few bombs could destroy an enemy ship.
With Kiba around, their naval battles would be at an absolute advantage, especially in the weaker Four Seas.
He knew his own value and how to best leverage his strengths. What he didn't expect was to attract attention because of it.
Seeing that Kiba was still hesitant, Old Cat gritted his teeth and finally revealed his true intentions: "Actually, I've received a hidden quest, and I need someone to help me complete it. The place is strange, and only your equipment can help us climb up there."
"How about I give you 30% of the treasure's value after it's done?"
In other words, he wanted to borrow Kiba's strength to complete the mission.
After a moment of thought, Kiba didn't refuse his request, but there was no way he would agree to a post-mission payment.
"Hand over 200 storyline points upfront. I won't trust a stranger's character too much, nor do I need to take risks to help you complete a mission."
Asking for storyline points upfront might seem a bit inappropriate, but as he said, he could completely disregard the so-called treasure. The 200 points weren't particularly important, so the mission was something he could take or leave.
The one who really needed something was Old Cat, so he had to bear the risk of the transaction.
"Alright." Old Cat gritted his teeth and directly transferred 200 points to Kiba through the spatial imprint.
**[ID 11675 has transferred 200 storyline points to you]**
With his first payment in hand, Kiba now had a total of 250 storyline points in his pocket.
Quite a pleasing number.
Having shared the information and paid the money, Old Cat's attitude became even more enthusiastic.
"What's your name, brother?"
"Jason."
"Oh, that's a great name."
It wasn't until they reached the town gate that Old Cat finally stopped talking.
Not that he had suddenly changed his personality, but because something interesting in front of them had caught their attention.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, and a pirate, fleeing in panic, fell to the ground, blood starting to flow from his chest.
The one who fired the shot was a navy soldier, who seemed to hold some rank.
However, the soldier's next actions were completely at odds with the motto of upholding justice.
After searching the pirate for a while, he found only a few hundred Beli. Frustrated, the young navy soldier began to unload his gun on the dying pirate.
He didn't stop until the pirate was a bloody mess, finally leaving with satisfaction. The entire process was done openly, without any attempt to hide it.
Both the townspeople and the two reincarnators at the gate had witnessed everything.
"Looks like the town's law and order is pretty bad."
If the town's law was poor, it meant either the navy didn't care, or the base commander was a complete pushover, incapable of handling the pirates.
Either way, this was good news for Kiba.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed Old Cat had sent him a string of data.
(End of Chapter)