Mercenary Harem in Murim Novel

"Explosion?" Jack the sniper muttered in interest as he looked around, "Based on the sound, it seems to be several kilometers from here."

"Enemy? Oh, I hope we get to fight," Anya muttered excitedly, cracking her neck.

"Leader, we’re waiting for your order." Jessica and Shui looked at Leo expectantly, bowing their heads slightly as they waited for his order.

Leo sighed, thinking that this world would be quite troublesome. The Warp Gate was gone. And his base might... not be in this world. Without it, he wouldn’t be able to create weapons or energy for his sword and Jack’s bullet.

Fortunately, he still had the Main Cube with him, which he always brought in emergency.

’As long as I have this, I can reconstruct my base. What’s important right now is to figure out our situation and tell my subordinates about this world. Let’s set Murim as a keyword in the database right now so Jessica can find it easily.’

Surprisingly, he was still able to act calm and think rationally. He looked at the smoke rising in the distance. Trusting the message, he was at the start of the novel.

Based on his memories, this place should be located near the initial location of the protagonist’s faction, Heavenly Demon Palace.

There were many enemies lurking around this area and would attack the protagonist if he didn’t reach the location safely. And that explosion might be because of the attacks.

"Okay, everyone listen up!" He raised his voice and called everyone’s attention. "Our current situation is not normal. We’re in an unfamiliar place and we don’t know the exact details yet."

Leo’s serious tone and expression made everyone listen attentively. They looked at him without doubt and fear reflected in their eyes. Their absolute trust in him made him a little happy.

"That being said, I will share my speculation with you for now," he continued and paused for a moment before continuing, "We’re probably stranded due to a Warp Gate malfunction. Our first priority is to investigate our situation and figure out how to contact our base."

"Understood." The band responded at once.

"Our clue to an immediate answer is located over there." He pointed at the black smoke in the distance. "A battlefield might wait for us, but I hope you’re ready. We won’t join the battle unless a side is asking for our service. We’re mercenaries, not ruffians. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

Leo smiled and patted his chest. It seemed that their loyalty was as deep as ever. He could count on them. No one here was weak enough to fall against a martial artist from this world. They were all his prized NPCs.

"Jack, scout the area first and send communication to Jessica every 30 seconds. Anya, go and determine if there is a hostile individual around. I am counting on Shui and Chiaki to watch our backs. We will move with that formation until we know our situation."

"Scouting is easy since it’s my specialty." Jack grinned widely and caressed his sniper. "Let’s go, my babies!"

He ran to the side and vanished from their view. It was something that only a person with a specialized bodysuit like him could do.

"Got it, Leader. I will deal with any hostile enemies."

After saying that, Anya suddenly leaped high up with a single jump as if she was thrown by a catapult. She disappeared into the distance and left only her afterimage behind.

Shui and Chiaki didn’t say anything, but they walked toward the other side of the formation and began their patrolling. The latter fiddled with her metal toy all the time, poking its mouth playfully.

"Leader, just tell me if there’s something I should do." Jessica smiled brightly.

Seeing that, Leo nodded at her. He maintained his stern expression as he gave out another command.

"Let’s head toward the explosion."

***

Heavenly Demon Palace was where the Demon Sect lived and trained the next generation of disciples. It was an old and gloomy fortress located in the mountains of Yicheng region.

The place was hidden perfectly by the thick forest and treacherous landscape that prevented people from entering or finding it easily. After passing the test to join the sect, each disciple would receive a bracelet and a guide that would show them how to enter the main sect’s location.

Outcasts gathered in this remote area to live in seclusion and developed their art in peace. Or at least, that was how it was supposed to be. But this place was different now. The attack a few weeks ago shattered the peaceful tranquility of the sect and changed its fate forever.

A strange group of people suddenly appeared and attacked the sect without warning. These groups had no sect symbol or anything, but they were skilled and unafraid of death as they rampaged in the sect.

Many people lost their lives in that chaotic battle, leaving behind corpses that were littered on the ground.

After a few days of constant attack by unidentified martial artists, the sect was finally on the verge of destruction.

The remaining survivors tried to maintain their defenses against the relentless assault from the other side. But unfortunately, they didn’t have any means to heal those injured anymore and it seemed like it wouldn’t be long before they were defeated.

"Sect Leader! Please, at least escape by yourself. As long as you survive, you could rebuild the sect again!" A tall muscular man shouted desperately at an old man in front of him.

Standing behind him was a group of people who looked to be in their twenties. They were all disciples of Demon Sect and some of them were injured but still hanging on just so they could defend their home.

These people were the last line of defense that tried to protect the most important building in the sect, the Hall of Scripture which contained their important art and resources. Among them, a boy with long dark hair stood out. Tears dripped from his red eyes as he saw the Sect Leader’s old appearance.

"Sect Leader... You have used your Qi too much. You have to live for us!" The boy shouted desperately as he wiped away his tears.

The old man shook his head and chuckled bitterly.

"No, you should live. It was my mistake to think that I could leave this place because my enemy is dead," he said helplessly, "This is just punishment for my arrogance. I wish I could have lived longer so I could witness my students grow up. However, this is my end. Run away and rebuild the Demon Sect. Find my treasure...

Kim Min-Gu."

"No! You have to live!" Kim Min-gu shouted desperately. His throat hurt and his whole body trembled due to anger and sadness. He wanted to destroy everything in his sight, but he had no enemy to vent his rage upon.

However, the Sect Leader ignored him. He looked at the oldest man among the group.

"First Elder. The rest is up to you. Teach the students well," He said with a chuckle as he left the group and exited the Hall of Scripture, locking it with the seal only he knew. "I will try my best to delay them for as long as possible. So go right now."