Chapter 100

Reincarnated as a Sword Emperor in the Sword Master's Family (100)

The only ones who showed their faces in the meeting room of the Aquamarine were those who hadn't collapsed on the deck. Only Marian, who had joined the battle a bit later and was less fatigued, returned with them to Francis. Though she had left her guard post to join the front lines on Francis's orders, now that the battle was over, it was time for her to resume her guard duties.

Francis, who saw the two people from behind Marian's shoulder, said with a look that couldn't hide her fatigue, "Well done, both of you."

The Aquamarine was not a ship that could function unmanned. Although Francis hadn't fought on the front lines, she had been continuously maneuvering the ship to counter the attacks of the demon squids.

If she had let go of the controls, the crew members struggling on the deck wouldn't have lasted half as long.

"Francis, you don't look well."

Leonard had guessed as much.

Even compared to the crew members, her stamina was already inferior. Although the battle was indirect, no seasoned adventurer who had seen countless battles would come out unscathed from a fight where they were pushed to the brink.

Francis smiled bitterly and acknowledged the observation.

"Ahaha, I guess I'm not even managing my expression well. It's been a long time since I've had to concentrate this much, so it's a bit tiring."

While most people misunderstand, mental strength ultimately comes from physical strength. Even someone with indomitable will can't keep moving without eating or drinking.

Perhaps if one could open the upper dantian and separate the body and mind, it might be different, but otherwise, it's hard to find an exception.

"Let's do a brief report on this 〈Rift〉 exploration. I'll give you the details after I recover."

"...Huh, I understand. If Leonard says my condition is that bad, it must be. Please keep it short."

Francis, who accepted the suggestion, tapped her cheeks.

If she didn't, her eyelids would droop, and her consciousness would sink deeper and deeper.

"Shortly after leaving the Aquamarine and entering the heart of the deep-sea city, we encountered the 〈Rift Guardian〉. It was a giant monster in the shape of an octopus, but it didn't have a physical form. We named it 'Mind Kraken' and immediately engaged in battle—."

Leonard's explanation was concise, but the content was so compelling that both Marian and Francis quickly became engrossed.

Mind Kraken.

To have battled a giant monster from another world, estimated to be of S-rank, and return with a victory report? It was a truly remarkable feat, even with the significant contribution of the Great Mage Jack Russell.

When Leonard mentioned flying on a sword, Marian's expression turned puzzled, and Leonard even demonstrated the sword flight using only aura.

"Is it not a magic sword, but something that can be done with aura alone?"

"Yes."

Marian, more shocked than Francis, was curious about the principle, but it was something that couldn't be done without reaching the upper dantian.

She looked very regretful but seemed even more motivated to practice, her eyes burning with determination as she repeatedly examined Leonard's form on the sword.

"Let's continue."

His story resumed.

Since it was essentially a battle report, it didn't take long. The battle with the Mind Kraken was intense, but without unnecessary embellishments, it could be written in a single page.

Neither Jack Russell's great magic nor Leonard's aura techniques could inflict a proper fatal wound.

Frustrated by the repeated attrition, the Mind Kraken used mental domination as its trump card.

Leonard turned this to his advantage, inflicting a fatal wound and destroying the medium hidden within the creature.

"Ah, I was quite curious about that too."

Russell, who had been listening quietly, interjected.

"Mind Kraken, it was undoubtedly a mental life form. You and I can handle willpower, so we weren't affected by its mental domination, but defense and offense are entirely different domains. How did you manage it?"

The Great Mage's explanation was not exaggerated.

Fighting in the mental realm against a being that had existed as a mental entity from birth was like trying to outswim a fish.

Defending against an invasion and turning it around to counterattack. The difficulty was literally on a level of heaven and earth.

Yet, Leonard succeeded without any apparent effort.

"Because the creature was complacent. I haven't reached the transcendent realm yet, but I can control my sword with my mind. I drew it into my mental image, reducing the power gap, and then struck its vital point. If it had noticed or guarded against my attempt, it would have failed."

"Drawn into your mental image...? Did you deliberately accept its mental domination to counterattack?"

Jack Russell's eyes rarely showed shock.

It was more than bold.

If the Mind Kraken had realized Leonard's intention and responded, he would have been taken over without resistance. He might have faced a fate worse than death.

"If I hadn't, it would have turned into a prolonged battle, so I took a calculated risk."

"...Since it succeeded, I won't say anything more, but it was reckless."

"Sometimes you have to take risks."

With that exchange, the battle report on the 〈Demon Squid Abyss〉 came to an end.

Even in a brief form, this was sufficient for a report to 〈Bermuda〉. Francis, who mechanically recorded Leonard's words, put down her quill and sighed deeply.

The fatigue was overwhelming, more than a few cups of coffee could handle.

"I think it's best not to enter the third 〈Rift〉. The crew is already quite fatigued, and we lack information. Relying on just the two of you is too risky."

This exploration had allowed the Aquamarine Adventure Guild to understand their limits. The number of members was small, and the difficulty of the exploration aimed at sealing was too high.

Thanks to Leonard's gamble, they managed to seal the rift without any casualties, but a slight misstep could have led to significant losses.

Moreover, unlike the 〈Demon Squid Abyss〉, which had been explored several times, the 〈Corrupted Elemental Legion〉 was a complete unknown, with no proper exploration reports. The lack of sufficient 'anti-magic' artifacts was also a problem.

"Let's stay in the vicinity for a while according to the sailing schedule and then return to Atlantis."

Francis's voice was firm.

No one objected to the decision, and the meeting in the conference room came to an end.

Exploration in the Fifth Sea was never easy.

This mission had once again made that clear.

* * *

Leonard, returning to his room, immediately entered meditation.

'I need to hurry before the memory fades any more.'

Despite being physically and mentally exhausted from sword flight, using more than half of his inner energy, and entering the mental realm, there was valuable experience he couldn't afford to miss.

There was nothing to gain from the Mind Kraken.

It was a monster, not a human, and its combat style, relying solely on power, was crude.

However, the method of crushing it in the mental realm was something he couldn't overlook.

'It's just a manifestation of Danmujin. It's impossible for it to use martial arts I haven't experienced or to replicate the true nature of the Heavenly Demon.'

Ultimately, the Heart Demon, born from the life-and-death duel where Lian Wuxie was defeated, had clear limitations.

127 seconds.

It could only use the martial arts and techniques the Heavenly Demon demonstrated in that fight.

'Although I used my inner energy without restraint, as a master of the Xianjing realm, I hardly used the powers or techniques of the Asura Tyrant Fist. It defeated me with less than 30% of its full strength.'

The supreme martial art, 〈Asura Tyrant Fist〉, which could only be entered after mastering the Heavenly Demon Technique.

Among the techniques he experienced, there were only four.

An unavoidable restraining technique, Six Sense Limiting Kill (六識際擅殺).

An indefensible destructive technique, Tyrant Breaking Immortal Kill (破皇殺仙).

An unbreakable counter technique, Other Transforming Free Heaven (他化自在天).

An unsurvivable fatal technique, Heavenly Lord Annihilation Kill (天主滅殺).

However, the techniques 'Six Sense Limiting Kill' and 'Tyrant Breaking Immortal Kill,' which he could now counter with the 〈Five-Colored Aura〉, were not major issues. The next technique, 'Other Transforming Free Heaven,' and the one that ended Lian Wuxie's life, 'Heavenly Lord Annihilation Kill,' were the true masterstrokes.

Leonard spent dozens of minutes reflecting on that moment.

The defense that the Mind Kraken, using dark tentacles, mental waves, telekinesis, and interdimensional magic, couldn't penetrate.

'...I couldn't see Heavenly Lord Annihilation Kill, but I saw Other Transforming Free Heaven. The pinnacle of a repelling aura that can even counter mental waves and interdimensional magic. If you can't destroy it before it's completed, you can't break through it with ten times the power.'

Other Transforming Free Heaven.

The sky where Mara Papiyas, the king of the Desire Realm, is said to reign. It is said that those born there can arbitrarily steal the pleasures of those born outside.

Perhaps inspired by this legend, 'Other Transforming Free Heaven' not only absorbs all enemy attacks but can also consume them or amplify their power and return them.

Even the 〈Five-Colored Aura〉 couldn't penetrate it and was absorbed, leading to a fatal wound.

'The Great Dharma of the Shaolin Temple, the Supreme Prajna Zen Technique, is said to be the pinnacle of repelling techniques, but this is clearly superior.'

The principle itself is simple.

Create a force field with aura, absorb and accumulate all the power moving within it. The Mind Kraken's ability to absorb everything suggests that it can handle phenomena, not just martial arts.

The user can convert the absorbed power into inner energy or add their own power to return it to the attacker.

'Really, an unbelievable martial art.'

It's a divine technique on par with the ancient legend, the Flower Transplanting and Jade Connecting Technique (移花接玉神功).

While Leonard marveled at its performance, he also pondered how to counter it.

'Once Other Transforming Free Heaven is deployed, you can't break its defense. If you attack, you'll receive several times the force in return, and if you do nothing, you'll be at a disadvantage. Truly a dilemma.'

Even with several ultimate techniques of the Five Great Schools, there was no hope of breaking through.

Sweat beaded on Leonard's forehead as he sat cross-legged in the center of the cabin. He had overcome countless crises with the power and experience of his past life, but this time, even using all of it, he couldn't confidently say he would succeed.

The Xianyuanjing (玄遠境).

The realm reached by the seven captains of Cardenas, the boundary where one begins to transcend the human form. Even with the 〈Five-Colored Aura〉, he could only be considered on par with them.

"...Huh, interesting."

Facing this insurmountable wall, Leonard smiled.

He couldn't help it.

The most terrifying thing for someone who is stuck in place is not a high and treacherous hill or wall, but an empty, desolate plain. The fact that there is something to overcome is enough to keep moving forward.

As he closed his eyes and dispelled all distractions, an indescribable tension began to fill the cabin.

An atmosphere that couldn't be detected outside the cabin.

The concentration that could rival or surpass seclusion training without actually secluding oneself was the foundation of the Sword Emperor Lian Wuxie.