***XXXTRA LONG CHAP***

——

“What!?” Tyr exclaimed, furrowing his eyebrows, “Every three months? You want me to simply forget my friends for three months straight!? Why didn’t you tell us this beforehand? It seems…” Tyr paused as Huevas and the other three members of the Ten High Peak Faction gazed at him with a striking intensity.

“It seems… deceitful. Understand that although I have accepted your proposal, Huevas, I expect full clarity in what option I am given. As long as I have free will, I can still refuse your offer until the very end.”

Everyone paused as Tyr said this. His words imposed a tense, almost awkward atmosphere amongst everyone present.

However, Huevas didn’t seem to be affected by it much.

“I completely understand. If you want to decline, you are completely free to do so, as you have from the beginning,” Huevas said, pausing for a moment.

Right as Tyr was about to speak, Huevas continued, “However,” his tone became a little deeper, “understand, Tyr, that our intention was to never deceive you or your group. No matter who joins our sect, they will be assessed through days by our elite members and be split up according to their strengths and weaknesses. This applies to your group the very same. Throughout our travels, we have observed each and every flaw, imperfection, strength, and characteristic of you all that we have seen. From that, we have decided to split you all into different groups. This is simply policy. However, I still apologize for the fact that I did not inform you of this earlier. If I had… you all could have potentially changed how you acted in order to get in within the same Peak. I hope you understand, and forgive me for taking this precaution…”

Tyr exhaled, “Well… we’ve already come this far. And what you said makes sense…” He turned to his team members.

“Guys… I guess it’s time for a bit of personal growth.” He said with a smile on his face.

“You betcha!” Malon grinned.

Hanzo chuckled, “Just make sure you don’t change too much. All of you.”

Noa seemed to sniffle as she teared up slightly, “I’ll miss you guys…” Her nose turned red as she attempted to control her tears.

She wiped her eyes, donning a braver look, “But I’m ready!”

Everyone smiled as they saw this.

“Thank you for understanding,” Huevas said with a kind smile and closed eyes. He continued:

“Now… Malon, let’s start with you.” As Huevas said this, Steel stepped forward.

“You, boy, will enter my branch. The Seven World Peak…” Steel grabbed Malon by the shoulder, “Say your goodbyes.”

Malon raised a brow, “W-what!? Right now?!” He paused for a second before turning to face his team members:

“Get strong, everyone! I promise to get even stronger as well, strong enough to shield all of you–” He was pulled into the air as Steel leaped into the sky–disappearing into the distance.

Reality began to kick in as Malon’s voice quickly faded into the distance.

All of the other members of Judgement looked at the large mush turn into a speck of dust in the distance with slight somberness in their eyes.

“Next!” Huevas exclaimed, “Noa!”

“Greetings!” The magician-like man stepped forward, “I am Captain Clover of the Million Seal Peak. Welcome to my branch.”

Noa turned to Hanzo and Tyr, her eyes moistening up as her face flushed with a redness, “I’ll miss you all… please take care.” She attempted to control her emotions.

Clover began to swirl his magic wand in the air as a white aura slowly surrounded both him and Noa.

“I love you all!!–” Noa’s voice abruptly stopped as she and Captain Clover disappeared into thin air.

Hanzo looked at where Noa had been just a second ago and sighed, ‘Damn… saying goodbye is harsh.’

“Next!” Huevas’s voice boomed, “Hanzo.”

Hanzo faced forward again, ‘Oh yeah… now it’s my turn,’ he thought to himself.

But then, he saw a pair of plump melons juggle over to him.

‘Wait a minute.’ His mind stopped as he realized what was going on, ‘Don’t tell me…’

“I am Captain Maxim of the Free Flowing Peak! What’s up, you pervy little brat!” The lady who addressed herself as ‘Maxim’ embraced Hanzo in a single arm clutch before rubbing the top of his hair with her knuckle. She laughed wholeheartedly as Hanzo’s face plunged right into heaven.

Hanzo turned as red as a tomato as he forced his head to turn toward Tyr.

Tyr looked like a monkey right now–his cheeks filled up to the brim with air as he was trying to stop himself from laughing.

However, he couldn’t hold it any more after seeing Hanzo’s distressed, amazed, embarrassed, and bewildered face.

“Pff–pahaha!” He broke out into a full-blown peal, laughing his ass off.

After panting, Hanzo attempted to speak–his heart nearly coming out of his mouth because it was beating so fast, “Tyr… I’ll see you in three months. Have fun…”

Tyr quickly responded as he laughed, “Oh, I know you will have fun…”

As he said this, Hanzo froze as his face turned even more red and steam came out of his ears.

Captain Maxim laughed loudly before pushing Hanzo into her yonkers and spinning him around before throwing him into the air.

She then dashed forward before leaping up and using her hair to attach herself to the clouds–swinging like a monkey on vines with Hanzo in her hands and quickly disappearing into the distance.

Tyr looked at Hanzo leave with a scoff, shaking his head from side to side, “Ungrateful, lucky bastard,” he said in slight disbelief.

Huevas sighed, “It may look like that, but Lady Maxim is no gift. If anything, she may just be the hardest Branch (Peak) Captain there is.” He paused, looking out into the clouds, “In my youth, she taught me that even I couldn’t last more than a couple rounds with her…”

There was a long pause, and then Huevas turned to see Tyr looking at him with largely widened eyes of intrigue, shock, respect, and amazement.

“You are a legend, sir,” Tyr saluted the man.

“W-wha–!? N-no! I didn’t mean it like tha–I meant in battle, you fool!” Huevas’ cheeks blushed with a slight redness as well as he knuckled Tyr across the dome.

…

After calming down, and giving Tyr a bump on the head, he harrumphed deeply before continuing, “Ahem! In any case… let’s get on to you next. The High Echelon inner branch is called the Immortal Branch. Most Peak Captains, all Vice-Grandmasters, and all Faction Sovereigns are from within the Immortal Branch. All those from the Immortal Branch are tasked with making sure this faction does not die out, and its roots continue to thrive for many future generations. I am the captain of this branch, but in reality, no one is the captain of this branch. It does what it wants, has its highs and lows, and becomes what it becomes. Of course, this isn’t to say there isn’t discipline. There is a lot of discipline… but with a lot of work comes a lot of play. I’m sure you can piece the puzzle I am giving you here. However, before you understand much about the faction branch in itself, you will need to get there.”

Tyr squinted his eyes on hearing this.

“You do not get the same treatment as others. As you are in the Highest Echelon of our Faction, you will need to go through even more hardship. As your first task, you will have to travel to the Ten High Peak faction from the city of Bruther Stone all by yourself.”

Tyr exhaled, “Tsk… I guess it is what it is.”

Huevas grinned, “You got the right attitude. Now… let’s see if you have the ability to walk the walk.”

Huevas disappeared.

Tyr’s gaze sharpened as the ship creaked to a halt, striking what felt like solid land beneath it.

He stepped forward, hopping down right to the edge of the dock, his eyes narrowing as he took in the harbor before him.

The bustling city of Bruther Stone lay stretched out across the shoreline, the air thick with the scent of saltwater and wood soaked by years of constant trade.

Before him, tall ships with massive sails rocked gently in the harbor, ropes swaying and creaking as sailors barked orders from the decks.

The sound of crates thudding against the docks filled the air, while men with sun-scarred faces hauled barrels and sacks of goods off the ships. Colonial-era buildings lined the waterfront—stone and timber structures weathered by time and the sea.

Wooden planks beneath his feet were slick with seawater, worn from countless footsteps, while a scattering of seaweed and debris clung to the edges of the pier.

He could hear the clamor of the bustling marketplace just beyond the harbor, merchants yelling about their wares—spices, rum, weapons, and exotic fruits.

.net

Taverns, their wooden signs creaking in the breeze, stood like landmarks, their doors wide open to offer sailors a brief escape from their journeys.

The sound of laughter and the occasional outburst of a drunken brawl spilled out onto the street, blending with the distant echo of a blacksmith hammering metal into shape.

People bustled about, dressed in colonial-era garb, though some were in flamboyant outfits resembling nobles from distant lands. Their laughter and chatter blended together, creating a lively atmosphere that felt foreign yet familiar.

‘Seems… lively.’

Tyr inhaled deeply before taking a large step forward…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep