Chapter 126 - Clash of Beast Tamers (1/2)

The flock of seagulls approached menacingly towards the artifact ship driven by Old Tohyon that accommodate Hei and the others on board. Watching these spirit beasts approaching at high speed, Ho Yeon-Hong could only get nervous.

”Hei, what's going on? Why are those creatures all coming here?” asked Ho Yeon-Hong with a trembling voice. She couldn't understand why those birds had changed so abruptly their targets.

”Don't worry about the reason; get ready to fight instead. Lian, for the time, being just to support us, alright?” Hei responded without giving a proper answer. There was no time to explain in detail; she just needed to do what he ordered.

”Yes, let it to me. Don't worry, Hei.” Lian answered while watching the upcoming seagulls. She trusted Hei and had learned just to follow his commands.

The flock of seagulls finally arrived where the artifact ship was. The first specimens swooped down against the humans who were on the deck. The beak on their heads was shining with a lethal glow. It was as if they had been trained to pierce the flesh of their victims.

'Gull meat, yum yum!' (Xing)

'Lil' Gull, come here so that I can take a big bite' (Ye)

Unlike Ho Yeon-Hong, Ye and Xing didn't seem worried at all about the flock that had descended on them. With clearly excited and amused tones, they launched themselves against the first downhill seagulls. They still had their minute dimensions used when they hid on Hei's body, but their strength wasn't at all hindered by it anyway. However, at the moment, they weren't using all their power, thus hiding the fact that they had reached the second level.

Slash! Crunch!

The seagulls who dared to challenge them were beheaded while they were still flying, and their bodies continued to fly for a few more meters as the blood came out of the clean wounds on their necks. Ho Yeon-Hong watched with horror as the blood shower descended from above onto the ship's deck along with the beheaded heads of the seagulls.

Meanwhile, Hei had also moved. Waving his spear, he imitated his little sisters and started slicing the seagulls. The flock immediately saw the danger and tried to surround him to peck him from several sides. However, Lian was protecting Hei with her ribbons, preventing the seagulls from approaching beyond a certain distance, allowing Hei to attack without worrying about his defense.

Ho Yeon-Hong eventually recovered. Although she was still flustered and agitated about her first big fight, she was still the sister of Pirate General Ho Ri-Na. Taking a deep breath, she drew her sword as she helped Hei chase the seagulls away.

The seagulls that made up the flock were all first-level spirit beasts. Their power ranged from specimens comparable to fourth stages to those with a seventh stage power. Still, none of the seagulls managed to inflict concrete harm to the humans on the deck.

The defense of her ribbons allowed Lian to delimit a perimeter in which Hei and Ho Yeon-Hong could attack without problems, not to mention Ye and Xing, who were overwhelming anything in their path. As second-level divine beasts, there was no way they could lose against first-level spirit beasts.

Watching the flock losing its momentum and being repelled, suffering huge losses, Pang Ja-Kyung finally started to get irritated. From his seated position, he rose to his feet and commanded the leader of the flock, the Great Black-backed Gull, to the artifact ship.

”Lian, get ready. It's almost time!” Hei quickly communicated as soon as he noticed Pang Ja-Kyung's movements.

”Okay, whenever you want,” Lian replied as she took on a more serious expression.

Both knew that there was no way Pang Ja-Kyung would have allowed them to slaughter the flock of seagulls undisturbed. So far, he had let them fight as it was only the beginning of the battle. It was a way to break the ice. But now that the ice had been broken. The moment of the main course had finally come, which was what Pang Ja-Kyung was waiting with fervor. After all, he still remembered the searing defeat he had endured because of Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing.

However, Hei was also waiting for that moment. Their job was to engage Pang Ja-Kyung and make sure he wouldn't head to the other battlefields. If the beast tamer wanted to settle accounts with him, it was okay for Hei. He already had a plan in mind to fight Pang Ja-Kyung and his second-level spirit beast. He wasn't afraid; after all, he had two second-level spirit beasts. And they weren't mere spirit beasts, but divine beasts that even had awakened their Concepts.

When Pang Ja-Kyung came close enough, Hei gave the signal to Lian, ”Now!”

At that point, the blue-haired young woman used one of her ribbons to wrap the neck of one of the larger seagulls. The bird tried to free itself but without success. Left without alternatives, it decided to go up to the sky, thinking that in this way, it would be able to get rid of that annoying human.

Lian smiled as she saw this and didn't try to counter the seagull, letting it drag her up into the sky. Before leaving the ship's deck, however, she threw back her second ribbon, which was quickly grabbed by Hei, who had Ye and Xing on his shoulders.

”Old Tohyon, activate the formation shield. Ho Yeon-Hong, in the meantime, you continue to engage the remaining seagulls.” Shouting orders as he was being dragged through the air, Hei then moved his gaze to the Great Black-backed Gull, which was a few meters away and was flying at full speed against them.

”You made a mistake to go up here, kid! You should have stayed on your ship. Great Black-backed Gull, kill him!” Pang Ja-Kyung cursed with words full of hatred and joy for the revenge so close to him.

With enthusiasm, he urged his spirit beast to go faster while the Great Black-backed Gull opened its beak ready to tear apart the human who was so hated by his master. However, a few moments before the contact, Lian maneuvered the ribbon that held Hei and his little sisters suspended, throwing the three of them high in the sky. Soon after, Lian loosened her grip on the seagull that had carried them in the air and launched herself towards the Great Black-backed Gull as she wrapped her ribbons on the creature's neck.

Keow! Keow! Keow!

The Great Black-backed Gull didn't seem happy at all about being tied up like that and began to shake its body vehemently as it tried to free itself. Pang Ja-Kyung looked with hatred at that scene and wanted to intervene. However, in front of him, Hei and his little sisters were blocking his way.

”Do you want to go somewhere?” Hei mocked as he smiled. He knew that Pang Ja-Kyung felt a strong grudge against him. As a result, he wouldn't have wasted the opportunity to make him more nervous. After all, those who ended up being clouded by anger ended up making mistakes during the fight.

And Pang Ja-Kyung was furious. He didn't dare believe that a boy like Hei was so arrogant towards him. Last time he had lost his precious whale, yet now he had become the target.

”Brat! Do you really think you can do something? Let me teach you the difference between a spirit soldier and a mere spirit apprentice.” Pang Ja-Kyung spat each word angrily as he drew his sword. Then with swift footwork, he lunged forward against Hei.

Hei raised his spirit power to the maximum and infused it into the spear. Then he used his weapon to ward off the sword that was coming against him.

Peng!

A loud metallic sound rang out while the blade of Pang Ja-Kyung's sword was blocked by Hei's spear shaft. No matter how much strength the spirit soldier tamer tried to exercise, Pang Ja-Kyung was unable to advance his sword further, getting stuck a few centimeters from Hei's face.