Chapter 22

Reincarnated as a Sword Emperor in the Swordmaster Family (22)

A month and a half of training had brought Leonard considerable results.

It wasn't just the reestablishment of the Five Directions Sword Technique.

His mana cultivation had already broken through the 4th stage of the Body Tempering Realm and reached the 5th stage, which was the next level. He had already achieved the minimum capability required to survive in Galapagos.

And Leonard understood why Bradley had judged the 5th stage of the Body Tempering Realm as a survival requirement.

'As I expected. The 4th stage of the Body Tempering Realm strengthens the blood, while the 5th stage enhances the internal organs. Blood corresponds to water attributes, and the heart, which can be considered the center of the internal organs, corresponds to fire attributes.'

The enhancement of the blood was both simple and incredibly powerful.

The essence blood, which can be considered the source of vitality, increased dramatically, significantly boosting overall recovery and physical vigor.

It also added resistance to toxins and diseases entering through wounds. It could reduce a lethal dose of poison to a non-fatal level and alleviate a severe illness to a minor one.

'But the abilities gained at the 5th stage were even more significant.'

The moment Leonard broke through to the 5th stage, the part of his body that became the strongest was his heart.

The source of life, circulating blood throughout the body.

When a thunderous beat erupted from his heart, all his internal organs responded in unison, transforming in a way that still made his spine shiver.

Cardiovascular endurance, lung capacity, digestive ability, toxin resistance, heat storage capacity, self-regeneration ability, and more.

He gained dozens of abilities with just one breakthrough.

'If each of these abilities were considered minor individually, the overall effect would be different if they all reached superhuman levels.'

The basic survival abilities of a living being, which the 5th stage of the Body Tempering Realm guaranteed, allowed one to survive in any environment.

To adapt to the harsh ecology of Galapagos, one needed to reach at least the 5th stage.

That was the true meaning of Bradley's words.

"...I found it."

Leonard could reach his destination by walking for tens of minutes from his residence.

It was the place where the spatial gate, which the Cardenas family used to bring him here, was located. While he didn't know where Bradley was, he had a hunch about how to call him.

Sure enough, Leonard's eyes narrowed when he saw a bell hanging near the spatial gate.

'As expected.'

Galapagos was a region that did not easily allow access, both inside and out. Beyond the seemingly peaceful beach, approaching the horizon would reveal a hellish current that could silently swallow large ships.

Thus, the only stable means of exchanging goods from outside the island was this spatial gate, making it necessary to have a way to call the responsible person at any time.

Ding, ding.

The bell sound was ordinary.

Neither loud nor soft, it was doubtful if it could travel a hundred meters.

However, the result was certain.

"What is it?"

Bradley, who had appeared behind him, spoke with a slightly irritated voice.

"I've come to receive a real sword."

"Real sword? Have you already reached the 5th stage of the Body Tempering Realm?"

"No. I just broke through to the 3rd stage."

Leonard lied with a very calm expression.

After a month of training, he had a better understanding of the Body Tempering Realm and was confident that breaking through to the 5th stage could not be detected by others. Only a transcendent expert who could see through the upper dantian could do so, which Bradley was not.

It would be difficult to hide the explosive increase in mana quantity and output from the 6th stage onward, but not yet.

"Hmm, the 3rd stage?"

Bradley showed a suspicious expression and, without any preparation, threw a punch.

A fast, almost invisible strike. At Leonard's current level, he had no choice but to take it.

Understanding the intent of the punch, Leonard dodged.

Whoosh!

The punch, which narrowly grazed his nose, returned even faster.

Bradley nodded, confirming Leonard's movement.

"Indeed. Reaching the 3rd stage in less than two months in Pentacore, you must have trained diligently."

Bradley's tense face relaxed slightly, and his eyes showed a glimmer of interest.

He had wondered why Leonard looked like a vagrant, but if he had invested even the time to manage his appearance into training, it was commendable.

Bradley asked, "Why do you want a real sword?"

"I believe it's necessary to become more familiar with a real sword rather than a wooden one. It's difficult to respond to unknown dangers with just a wooden sword, even during training."

It was half true, half false.

Leonard had no need to become familiar with a real sword at this point. He was skilled enough to use anything as a sword if he sharpened it.

However, even with his abilities, using a real sword instead of a wooden one could triple his killing power. The sharpness of the weapon was crucial since he couldn't use sword qi yet.

"Hmm, fine. As long as you don't overdo it."

Accepting the logic, Bradley took a standard longsword for apprentice knights from his spatial pocket and handed it to Leonard, who attached it to his waist.

"If you lose it, you'll have to pay in spirit stones to get a replacement."

Bradley explained, and Leonard asked, "What if it's damaged?"

"You can pay half the price to have it repaired."

"That's... quite reasonable."

From the beginning, he knew that almost nothing was provided for free on this island.

The items given to Leonard were a bit more considerate because he was a first-year, but he thought there would be no difference in treatment from second-year apprentices.

Bradley, who had a slight smirk, answered, "Failing to properly maintain your weapon is also a lack of skill. Covering that mistake with spirit stones can be considered a merciful rule."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Next time, don't ring the bell. Move in that direction and find the watchtower. I usually stay at the top."

It seemed this bell was only used for emergencies or when visitors from outside needed to call him.

It made sense that Bradley had rushed over and was irritated when it rang unexpectedly. Not lashing out at Leonard showed considerable character.

Bradley leaped into the air and disappeared into the distance.

'An interesting light body technique. Can he use the wind as a stepping stone?'

The improved dynamic vision from breaking through the Body Tempering Realm easily revealed the principle behind the speed.

At a level below the Essence Realm, one couldn't control natural elements at will, so it was likely that Bradley's mana core was related to wind.

While the movement was limited and more energy-consuming compared to the Heavenly Step, the ability to use it at a transcendent level was an advantage.

It meant there would be no moment of vulnerability in the air.

Swoosh, swoosh.

Leonard casually drew the real sword and began to tidy his unkempt hair.

Trimming it to a non-irritating length and rounding his fingernails and toenails, his disheveled appearance improved slightly, though it wasn't particularly neat.

To improve further, he would need to wash his face or take a bath, but it wasn't time to return yet.

'According to this map, the monsters in the forest north of the beach and the spatial gate are worth facing.'

The area is called the "Scrap Forest."

It was a habitat for creatures that survived by scavenging the byproducts of the competition at the forest's center.

The danger level was one skull.

In small print, it read, "It is recommended that apprentice knights at the 8th stage of the Body Tempering Realm or higher act in groups of three," but to Leonard, it was just a good warm-up.

"The scale is a mess, so I can't tell the distance... I'll record it in detail this time."

Leonard put the dirty map in his pocket and headed towards the "Scrap Forest."

The sword was still in his right hand.

He didn't sheathe it, and the weight of the weapon felt different.

Perhaps it was because he hadn't held a real sword in a while.

As he took each step, a dense, metallic smell began to emanate from the young man's surroundings.

* * *

Galapagos.

An island isolated from the outside world for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. Due to the powerful currents, ships couldn't approach, and if they did, they couldn't leave.

If the superhumans of Cardenas hadn't deemed the island's ecology suitable for training, no one would have set foot or stayed there.

The abundant mana had caused even ordinary flora and fauna to deviate significantly from their original ecology.

A place where mutations, rare outside the island, were commonplace!

If even a hint of evil energy had seeped into the land, Galapagos would have been recorded as a demonic realm.

Gurgle! Gurgle!

A group of hobgoblins cautiously advanced through the forest.

Their skin, which blended with the foliage, and the horns on their foreheads were evidence of their evolution. As the next level up from goblins, the lowest-tier monsters, they became hobgoblins.

The principle was similar to the Body Tempering Realm, but the method of distinguishing levels differed due to species.

1st stage, Milk Demon Realm.

2nd stage, Mature Demon Realm.

3rd stage, True Demon Realm.

4th stage, Mixed Demon Realm.

5th stage, Divine Demon Realm.

Unlike human cultivation stages, there were no minor stages, and each major stage brought changes in appearance and species. A hobgoblin was a goblin that had broken through to the 2nd stage, the Mature Demon Realm.

Of course, a hobgoblin at the 1st stage, the Milk Demon Realm, couldn't defeat an ogre. The inherent strength difference could span one to two major stages.

Thus, the world categorized monsters by both their species and individual strength.

>Hobgoblin (Hobgoblin)>

Goblin's innate rank: E Rank

Achieved major stage: Mature Demon Realm

Comprehensive evaluation: E2

>Ogre (Ogre)>

Ogre's innate rank: A Rank

Achieved major stage: Milk Demon Realm

Comprehensive evaluation: A1

E2 was beyond the capabilities of an average adult and required a squad of trained soldiers or one or two apprentice knights.

However, a dozen or so E2-ranked hobgoblins, equipped with primitive weapons, were moving in a single-file line.

Gurgle!

The lead hobgoblin, signaling, the others quickly crouched and hid.

They were experienced in hiding.

Being small, they could hide quickly and easily.

Gurgle! Gok!

Following the leader's command, a hobgoblin climbed a tree to scout and identify the target.

Indeed, as intended.

Gurgle...!

A human with steel.

Seeing a smaller and younger-looking human, the hobgoblin's eyes glowed red. Though at the bottom of the food chain in Galapagos, they became exceptionally vicious when faced with a seemingly weaker creature.

The hobgoblin, unable to fully conceal its killing intent, descended the tree and reported to the leader.

And.

Plop!

Before the horrific scream ended, a clean cut severed the head, and a geyser of blood spurted from the neck.

Gurgle?!

The hobgoblin, suddenly covered in blood, panicked, and Leonard smiled coldly.

The sensation of hunting prey like a rabbit was different.

The feeling of slaying an enemy after a long time awakened him.

"I intended to wait until you approached, but I still lack training."

The hobgoblins were overwhelmed by incomprehensible fear.

Feeling a presence like the monsters inside, despite being neither larger nor stronger than them?

Fighting would mean death.

Running would mean death.

In this no-win situation, only the leader, who had regained his composure, roared fiercely.

Gurrrrr!

Kill.

The hobgoblins, obeying the command, charged with their crudely made spears and stone axes.

Leonard, pleased by their bravery, raised his sword.

"Brave. I will send you to the afterlife without much pain."

The moment they reached close range and made eye contact, the instincts of the monsters, who had survived for years in the "Scrap Forest," went wild.

This is wrong.

This is wrong.

Fighting this monster—.

Swish!

The hobgoblin's head, cut like rotten wood, flew through the air.

The one-sided slaughter began.