Chapter 396 – Sheephead Shaman

“Old friend” and “so cool~”!

Upon hearing these two phrases, Punk almost immediately recalled a former “acquaintance.” In terms of time, it was indeed a very, very long time ago. To be precise, this “acquaintance” was someone Punk had met over five hundred years ago.

However, no matter how much time had passed, thanks to the memory capacity of a Master-Level powerhouse comparable to a supercomputer, Punk easily recalled the identity of this golden-armored figure before him.

“Kane Bisadas, someone like you actually managed to advance to Master-Level? Have powerhouses these days become so common?”

That’s right, this knight who had suddenly charged out and struck a flashy pose on the sand was the combatant Punk had encountered during his Apprentice Rank days—Kane Bisadas!

After briefly sensing Kane’s level, Punk came to a clear conclusion: this guy had reached Level 17. Judging by the overflowing Battle Aura, he specialized in light-element Battle Aura. However, his armor was nothing special—it looked dazzling and magnificent but was merely a decorative piece with a layer of Apprentice-Level enchantment.

Although he had encountered someone who could be considered an acquaintance, Punk felt no joy whatsoever. In fact, facing the charging Kane, Punk strongly desired to hurl a “Kinetic Blast” at him. The reason was simple: Kane’s loud, raspy greeting at this moment was clearly ill-intentioned.

After all, just a second ago, this golden knight had been engaged in combat with a formidable Master-Level Shaman. Now that he had reached Punk’s position, the enemy was naturally close behind. For Kane to suddenly greet Punk in such a familiar tone… his intentions were all too obvious.

“Blame Shifting? After hundreds of years apart, you’re still as infuriatingly unscrupulous as ever, Kane!”

Coldly staring at the smiling Kane, Punk’s gaze grew increasingly icy.

Being dragged into an inexplicable conflict while in the midst of pursuing Ovakain had already put Punk in a foul mood. Now, seeing Kane’s gloating expression, even the most composed person would feel the urge to throw a punch.

However, the thick-skinned Kane would never admit to any of this. Even sensing the killing intent in Punk’s eyes, the knight continued to laugh heartily:

“Ahaha… don’t put it so harshly. This is what we call fighting side by side, facing a common enemy? To encounter a dear old friend in this desolate, dead wasteland—tsk tsk tsk, what magnificent fate, what a memorable sentiment…”

Kane’s gestures remained as flashy and irritating as ever, and the exaggerated expressions on his face were as over-the-top as a third-rate theater actor. In short, no matter how sweetly Kane spun his nonsense, Punk could only read one thing from his theatrical performance: gloating!

Punk watched expressionlessly as Kane finished his drivel and struck his pose. Only then did he speak in a frosty tone:”Do you think I’d play bodyguard for you? Deal with the trouble you stirred up yourself. I don’t feel we’re particularly close at all.”

Having no desire to entangle with this lunatic acquaintance, Punk almost immediately decided to make a swift exit after uttering those words. Anyone who could leave Kane—a level seventeen grand knight—in such a wretched state was clearly no pushover. Punk had no interest in a fight that offered him no benefit.

But… as the saying goes, in this perilous and troublesome world, some annoyances are simply unavoidable.

Just as Punk was about to leave, Kane’s tone shifted, carrying a hint of seriousness and mystery. Raising his Long Spear to brace for combat, the golden-armored knight spoke in a low, measured voice:

“My old friend, in the name of our sacred bond, I must kindly remind you—I truly believe we need to fight side by side. To be honest, the one I’ve encountered this time is a complete madman. I doubt he’ll let you walk away unscathed. Anyway, that Shaman has already caught up. Just listen to his ravings, and you’ll understand my predicament.”

With that, Kane shrugged in a show of helplessness.

Almost as soon as Kane finished speaking, a shrill, cackling laughter—”Hee-hee-hee-hee!”—pierced the air, and an elderly Minotaur Shaman emerged through a gap in the fence.

Perhaps eccentric attire was truly in vogue these days. The old Minotaur Shaman’s outfit was even more visually striking than Kane’s. If Kane’s knightly armor evoked a strong medieval aesthetic, the Minotaur Shaman’s attire was a bizarre throwback to tribal-era grotesquerie.

The bare-chested elder wore only tattered hide trousers, his body adorned from head to toe with strange patterns drawn in magical beast blood and plant sap. Around his waist and neck hung multiple loops of animal skulls, while at least three or four Minotaur ghosts drifted ethereally around him.

Upon spotting Punk and Kane, the old Minotaur’s blood-red eyes lit up with an almost bulb-like intensity, radiating manic excitement. The increasingly unhinged Shaman began trembling all over, his wool shaking in sync with his vibrating eyeballs.

“Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee! Praise the blessings of the great Demon God! Glory to my master! Look what old Kulong has found? Look what I’ve found! By the Abyssal Flames, I’ve been granted two exquisite souls in succession! If I offer them to the Supreme Master, I shall receive unimaginable rewards!”

Without any intention of conversing with Punk, the deranged Shaman had already begun drooling and muttering to himself:

“…They’re mine, both souls are mine! I’ll offer you to my master! I’ll gain more blessings! I’ll let darkness devour everything! Hee-hee-hee-hee! Hee-hee-hee-hee!””You see? I knew it—nine out of ten shamans are mad, and the last one’s a sanctimonious trap! This saying holds true. I was just passing by this tribe’s entrance when this deranged Minotaur Shaman suddenly charged out, spouting nonsense about ‘master,’ ‘soul,’ and ‘rewards.’ Then he tried to attack without even asking for my opinion. What was I supposed to do? I’m helpless too.”

Seemingly indignant, Kane casually impaled a small snake on the ground with his Lance while shaking his head at Punk with an exaggerated innocent expression.

But Punk paid no attention to Kane at the moment. He was intently watching the Minotaur Shaman before him.

Admittedly, encountering such a lunatic was just bad luck. Although he found Kane’s claim of “just passing by” highly dubious, the Minotaur Shaman in front of them was undoubtedly an enemy.

From the shaman’s ravings, it was clear this was yet another brain-dead minotaur worshipping some evil god—only this one was crazier, as he actually intended to offer the souls of two Master-Level experts as sacrifices to some so-called “Demon God.” Who knew where he got the intel to make enemies so recklessly?

Though he desperately wanted to turn and leave, facing the Minotaur Shaman’s wild, frenzied gaze… Punk wasn’t naive enough to think he could just say “sorry to bother you” and walk away.

On this matter, Kane was right: when faced with a madman wielding such power, no one could stay uninvolved. Though “fighting alongside” Kane—who appeared righteous but loved stabbing people in the back—was highly unreliable… since they’d already encountered a formidable enemy, a battle was inevitable.

Watching Kane slowly tighten his grip on the Lance and the Minotaur Shaman’s unblinking stare fixed on him, Punk could only sigh inwardly:

“Alright, the situation is… dealing with a shaman while also guarding against this treacherous Kane’s backstabbing? It seems this fight is destined to be anything but easy.”

(End of Chapter)