Chapter Three: The Mission-Wilderness Survival Live Stream in Another World(The Black Tide 3)

“…Huh?!” Catherine was somewhat bewildered, did she hear that right? Did he just say he wanted to take her as a disciple? A disciple? That word felt so distant from the modern world. Ever since the old customs were abolished over forty years ago, that term had rarely been mentioned.

But she quickly recovered, replying firmly, “I am willing to become your apprentice!”

The beast-hide-clad stranger nodded approvingly. “Smart and decisive.”

“There’s no other option, really,” Catherine shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to learn, but if not learning means dying immediately here, anyone would know what to choose, right?”

“True, but not many could be as straightforward as you,” the beast-hide man mused, then continued, “Though I don’t much care if my disciple is completely willing, a bit more initiative is always preferable. Earlier, you told me your magical foundation was damaged. Does that mean you'll find it difficult to achieve anything in magic from now on?”

“Yes,” Catherine’s expression darkened as she spoke. Her hard-earned abilities as a senior mage had come at great cost; to lose them now was no small matter. “After my magical foundation was damaged, it’s basically impossible to regain my former power. At best, I’ll have about half my original mental strength, and that’s the limit.”

“That’s just as well. Your apprenticeship won’t be about magic at all, but about martial arts.”

“Mar… martial arts?” Catherine chewed over the unfamiliar term. Images of old con games from a century ago flashed through her mind, and she couldn’t help but look at the beast-hide man with a strange expression.

He laughed. “You think I’m some wandering charlatan, don’t you? Rest assured, my teachings are the real thing—far more profound than magic!”

Wandering? Why mention rivers and lakes now? Catherine struggled to keep up with his vocabulary, but managed to grasp his meaning. Still, she was skeptical. Magic was vast and deep—it had accompanied humanity since their earliest days over three thousand years ago, and transformed into modern magic three centuries ago. Since then, society had undergone three major magical revolutions, affecting countless disciplines and industries, profoundly changing everyone’s lives. Yet this odd man boasted that his martial arts were more profound than magic—he was truly overestimating himself.

Perhaps sensing Catherine’s doubts, the beast-hide man said no more. Instead, he drew a deep breath. As he inhaled, Catherine saw his muscles bulge across his body, veins coiled and prominent, making him look especially fierce and terrifying. Then he punched forward with force. Instantly, a gale erupted, sweeping up leaves, fallen branches, and soil from the rainforest floor, so violently Catherine could barely keep her eyes open. The roar was like a magic crystal cannon; the sound of snapping trees, collapsing trunks, and the cries of animals echoed through the jungle.

It felt like an eternity passed before the wind abated and Catherine cautiously opened her eyes. The sight before her made her gasp.

Directly ahead of the beast-hide man’s fist, a vacuum zone had been cleared; trees and everything else were gone, leaving a depression nearly a meter deep and three meters wide, stretching far into the distance—at least a hundred meters by her estimate!

Such power was terrifying! To achieve the same effect, a magister would have to cast a level five spell, “Vacuum Cannon,” which required over thirty seconds to prepare. Yet he had done it with nothing but a punch!

She immediately realized she might have encountered a true master. Now was the time to cling to him. Orphaned from birth, Catherine had long since mastered the art of adapting to circumstances. She quickly knelt, sweetly calling out, “Master!”

The beast-hide man was very satisfied with Catherine’s conduct. He crouched down and gently patted her head. “Very good. Wait here for a while—I need to gather some things to complete your apprenticeship ceremony. Stay put and don’t wander.” With that, he leapt away, vanishing into the depths of the forest after a few bounds.

Too shocked to speak, Catherine waited a good while, but he didn’t return. Her attention was drawn once more to the barrage of comments in her vision:

“Is this guy even human?!”

“Congrats to the streamer for finding a golden patron! Ten consecutive explosive fireballs sent!”

“Disaster survived, good fortune follows! Viewer ‘Skybreaking Tycoon’ sends a Meteor Shower!”

“What was that just now? How could it be so powerful?”

“Maybe it’s some new casting gesture? Swinging a fist with force does look pretty cool!”

“Pointless, as if he’s just showing off. Do you think this guy is as bored as you? I bet it’s pure physical strength.”

“Are you nuts? Last year’s world athletics champion, Howard, set the world record at just two and a half tons! You’re telling me this is just muscle?”

“Nuts +1.”

“Nuts +2.”

“Nuts +3.”

“Exactly! If this is pure strength, the guy must be a cyclops!”

“Has anyone ever heard of martial arts? Any experts around to explain to newbies?”

“I’m an expert but I don’t know.”

“You weaklings should learn to be self-reliant. Don’t ask the experts for everything—by the way, I don’t know either.”

“In the magic net era, not a single one of fifty thousand viewers knows?”

Then Catherine’s vision was flooded with a wall of responses, all saying they didn’t know. Seeing the cheerful viewers, Catherine felt her spirits lift a little. She spoke up: “Thank you, Skybreaking Tycoon, for the Meteor Shower gift. It’s the first time I’ve received one since I started streaming. Please join the viewer group.”

After the customary thanks, Catherine continued, “I was right there just now. Though my abilities have dropped, I can say with certainty I didn’t sense even the slightest ripple of mental energy! I don’t know what power he used, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t magic!”

Her words set off a wave of uproar in the stream; viewers were in disbelief. In modern society, was there really any power besides magic? Having grown up believing “magic is the only truth,” they struggled to accept it, and the discussion grew more heated. Then “Skybreaking Tycoon” sent another message in golden font:

“Need help, streamer? I know some people in the Amarin Principality military—they could probably get you out.”

“Wow! Not just a tycoon, but a real big shot!”

“Big shot, please take care of me!”

“Big shot, is there space for another accessory on your leg?”

“Big shot, can I tug your leg hair?”

“Streamer, what are you waiting for? Say yes! That guy looks cold-hearted, who knows if you can rely on him!”

Seeing the golden message and the concern of her viewers, Catherine felt a warm current in her heart. She was tempted, but still declined: “Thank you, but no need. The Amara Principality is still in turmoil; let’s not add to their troubles. Besides, I’ve already ventured deep into the Amast tropical rainforest, six days’ journey in, and I can feel the magical suppression here. That suppression must affect magic devices even more—it’s best not to send soldiers to die for me.”

The comments fell silent for a long time. Eventually, someone posted:

“Respect!”

“I thought this was another reckless streamer. Not anymore—I’m a fan now!”

“Viewer too poor, sending a small fireball to the streamer! Keep it up! Next week’s food money is yours!”

“Skybreaking Tycoon gifts another Meteor Shower! Come back alive! Streamer, I admire you!”

“…”

———————Dividing Line———————

Elsewhere, Ling Mo was in utter chaos, nearly losing his mind. After his fifth attempt to harvest Leaf Spirit Grass was judged inadequate, he finally snapped:

“System! Are you insane?! When I was establishing my foundation years ago, the Leaf Spirit Grass I used was way worse than the one I have now, yet I still succeeded! You’re nitpicking, do you get that?!”

“The Leaf Spirit Grass submitted by the host does not meet requirements. Please harvest again.”

Of course, the system didn’t respond to Ling Mo’s outburst; it mechanically repeated the task prompt. Ling Mo shook with frustration, but the reward at the end of the task—‘Ultra-Concentrated Energy Biscuits *3’—shone enticingly, so he swallowed his anger and ventured deeper into the rainforest.

Ling Mo had gotten this damned “Martial God System” years ago. Back then, a voice in his mind had said, “Host’s innate talent 90.01, meets hosting requirements. Will you practice martial arts and inherit the Martial God System?” He was overjoyed, thinking he’d activated the protagonist template, and, without a second thought, chose to accept. The result… This blasted Noahfa Continent didn’t even have martial arts!

In other words, he was the only one on the entire Noahfa Continent practicing this cursed martial art! While others summoned wind and rain, mages in their robes stood tall, dazzling in rainbow hues, unleashing lightning or fireballs to vanquish foes in an instant. As for him… it was hard to describe.

And the system was infuriatingly annoying, dumping a cultivation manual on him and then going silent as if it had crashed. Over several years of practice, he’d received no more than three tasks from the system. The benefits were few, but with every round of training, the system siphoned off twenty percent of his energy, which was a real pain. Earlier, he’d saved the female streamer on a whim, thinking to treat her wounds and move on. But as soon as he touched her, the normally unresponsive system suddenly beeped:

“Discovered martial arts seedling with innate talent 99!”

Afraid Ling Mo might miss it, the system’s alerts grew louder, finally issuing a task in bold, oversized font across the center of his vision:

“You have acquired the special quest: The Martial Genius Legacy. Please guide the target onto the path of martial arts and complete the foundation-building for ‘Catherine’!”

“Quest reward: Ultra-Concentrated Energy Biscuits *3, Grand Teleportation Gate *1”

“Quest failure penalty: None”