Chapter 23

Reincarnated as a Sword Emperor in the Sword Art World (23)

Despite the branches and bushes that would make movement awkward, the trajectory of the sword, which drew an ellipse, did not waver in the slightest.

With each step, he swung once and cut down one.

One step, one sword, one kill (一步一劍一殺).

Splat!

The blood of the decapitated hobgoblin seeped into Leonard's footprints, mingling to form a dark red mud.

In terms of the experience of killing, there were few who could surpass Leonard, both in his previous life and in this world.

Skin, flesh, muscle, bone, and organs.

The perfectly straight line of the fatal strike pierced through these resistances as if they were mere paper. So sharp and swift was the cut that not a single drop of blood clung to the blade as it entered the nape of the neck and exited the opposite side.

Just as veteran lumberjacks can easily split wood by its grain after decades of experience,

‘The composition of muscles, bones, and tendons is not much different from humans.’

Leonard could apply the same insights from the lumberjacks to humans and human-like creatures.

He was so at ease that he could even indulge in other thoughts.

‘Hobgoblins, truly bizarre and monstrous creatures.’

They walk on two legs like humans and use tools like humans.

Though he knew of their appearance and existence from the training camp, this was his first time seeing and interacting with them directly. They were not exceptional beings like yokai or spirits but ordinary creatures that grew and behaved like humans.

He understood why the people here despised monsters.

The sense of familiarity and intimacy was overshadowed by overwhelming disgust and hatred. Perhaps it was because they were born from the distortion of the world, making their very existence intolerable.

“Let’s examine this more closely.”

A flash of sword light, and the wrist of the hobgoblin who was about to strike Leonard with a stone axe was cleanly severed.

Splat!

After moving half a step to avoid the blood spewing from the hobgoblin's wrist, he cut from the elbow to the shoulder in precise one-inch increments.

By the feel of the blade, he gauged the creature’s anatomy.

As the hobgoblin foamed at the mouth, Leonard swiftly decapitated it to finish the job. There were still many alive, but he couldn’t learn much from the dying ones.

Gurgle…? Gurgle?!

Grrr…! Grrr?!

However, what Leonard did was so evil that even the inherently wicked hobgoblins were intimidated.

The survivors on Galápagos knew the harsh survival competition on this island.

Kill or be killed.

Eat or be eaten.

A land governed by the two absolute laws of survival of the fittest and respect for the strong. They all knew that no matter how desperately they lived, they would eventually die.

Grrr…!

Yet, they never imagined they would be dissected alive.

If Leonard had shown any signs of enjoyment, they might have thought he was merely exercising the rights of the strong. But he was calmly dissecting another hobgoblin with a blank expression.

As if teaching them that this was their fate.

Grrr! Grrr!

Grrr!

Panicked, the hobgoblins began to flee, ignoring their leader’s commands.

A leader’s charisma is only effective when they are stronger than the enemy. To overcome this, they needed loyalty, honor, and pride.

Such qualities did not exist in low-level monsters.

“Give up.”

As soon as the hobgoblins took a few steps back, several of them fell as headless corpses.

If Leonard had wanted to, they would all be dead already.

He let some live because he wanted to learn more about hobgoblins. The sword, clean and bloodless, was as sharp as the light extending from his grip.

The two surviving hobgoblins stood trembling in place.

‘To examine the internal organs, I need to cut open the abdomen. Two might not be enough to determine the most critical points… but I can always find more hobgoblins.’

Leonard made his decision.

The fate of the two hobgoblins was sealed.

A few minutes later.

‘Not much gained. This isn’t something I can understand in a day or two.’

After examining the remains of the hobgoblins, Leonard summarized his findings. Only physicians were more knowledgeable about anatomy than seasoned martial artists, so he had learned something.

‘…Similar to humans, but with subtle differences. The shape of the bones, the structure of the joints and tendons, and some internal organs are either missing or different. I should look for related books later.’

Knowledge is power, and ignorance is a threat.

In his previous life, Leonard, despite his nickname as the Sword Emperor, had learned various skills for this very reason.

The Yu Family Techniques of the Potala Palace, the Spirit Beast Cultivation Techniques of the Southern Wilderness Beast Palace, and so on.

Even if he didn’t use them as his main techniques, he knew they would come in handy someday. Information about monsters would be even more useful.

What Leonard realized in his first real combat was the nature of the alienation he had felt in this world.

‘Even those who could be considered skilled, their forms were not discernible.’

Whether it was martial arts or combat techniques, they left traces on the bodies of those who practiced them.

The bodies of those who used fast swords and heavy swords, or those who specialized in fist or palm techniques, showed several differences in minor areas.

But in this world, the martial artists lacked these ‘biases.’

“Is it the difference between martial arts designed for human opponents and those that must deal with non-human entities!”

Leonard marveled and understood.

Even hobgoblins, who walked on two legs and used tools, had a center of gravity and joint range of motion that differed significantly from humans. Treating them like human opponents would lead to disaster.

If bipedal monsters were this different, what about quadrupeds or even more specialized creatures?

‘Regardless of the type of weapon, its form must be flexible. A martial art that can be used against opponents of any size, height, or build should not be overly specialized. Before reaching a certain level, it might seem chaotic.’

Standardized techniques would be difficult to use in this world.

For example, a technique that involves a short leap followed by a horizontal slash aimed at the head would be useless against short creatures like goblins. Conversely, against tall creatures like ogres, it might not reach the head and leave the chest vulnerable to counterattacks.

The problem with techniques that require a specific stance or direction is that they don’t account for the unique characteristics of the opponent.

‘If a martial artist could adapt techniques to all situations, they could be even more powerful…’

But the standard to achieve this is extremely high.

According to Leonard, he was at least one of the top hundred martial artists in the world.

The conclusion was simple.

In human combat, the supreme techniques of the martial world are superior, but to deal with monsters, a different approach is needed. At the level of a Sword Emperor, who has reached the state of no technique surpassing technique, it might not matter much, but he was curious about the development of martial arts that diverged from the beginning.

“Hmm?”

At that moment.

Light emerged from the mangled bodies of the hobgoblins, crystallizing into a few transparent and small spirit stones.

Monsters, born from the distortion of the world, do not naturally decompose but instead release the mana within their bodies in the form of spirit stones.

Leonard, who knew this but had never seen it before, found it intriguing.

‘If I could extract and crystallize the energy while they are still alive, it might be possible to create an infinite number of spirit stones.’

While this was not as easy as it sounded, it was a concept worth considering.

But if it were successful, the value of spirit stones would plummet, so no one had succeeded.

Leonard swept the dozen or so spirit stones into his spatial bag and walked deeper into the Forest of Scraps. Ten hobgoblins were not enough to satisfy him.

“I wonder what will come next.”

The remains of the hobgoblins, left behind, foreshadowed an impending bloodbath.

* * *

The Forest of Scraps.

A place where those who failed or fled from the competition in the food chain preyed on each other to survive.

The level of the monsters that appeared here was low.

Even the strongest were only D-rank, and no species had individuals that had broken through the third stage. This was why the danger level was only one skull.

The low level of the monsters also meant that the spirit stones obtained from hunting them were fewer.

‘I heard that most apprentice knights are at least at the 9th stage of the Body Tempering Realm, so there’s no reason for them to hunt inefficiently in such a weak area. It’s also rare for them to wander alone.’

The uncertainty of where enemies might appear erodes one’s mental strength.

Continuously being on guard in all directions and having teammates to cover for one’s mistakes are essential. For anyone other than someone like Leonard, who had experienced everything, solo action would be reckless and foolish.

Because of this, areas with poor income have fewer visitors, as the number of spirit stones to be distributed among team members decreases.

‘From my perspective, it’s good that there are no eyes watching me.’

Leonard felt his bag, which had become fuller, or at least felt fuller, after a few massacres.

The nearly thousand spirit stones he had used to break through to the 5th stage of the Body Tempering Realm were now replenished by over a hundred in just one day. In ten days, he would have more than enough to cover his consumption.

Unfortunately, the monsters he encountered had become his unwilling sacrifices.

‘The monsters in this area are hobgoblins, slimes, kobolds, and finally, gnolls. I haven’t encountered the gnolls yet.’

Although they were D-rank, gnolls were powerful with strong physical abilities and intelligence, living in groups.

They were about two meters tall on average, larger than humans, with dog-like heads that gave them similar sensory functions, making their sense of smell and hearing extremely acute.

Especially their bite force was impressive, capable of crushing rocks with a single bite.

“Hmm.”

At that moment.

‘Not a headwind, but the scent of prey approaching from the downwind direction… They must be underestimating me.’

Leonard stopped and chuckled at the approaching presence of the monster.

Different from hobgoblins and kobolds, the scent was similar to that of a wolf but with a stronger stench.

This must be the gnoll.

“…Impressive, stronger than I thought.”

As the presence of the gnoll grew closer, Leonard’s body hair stood on end, signaling the strength of the opponent.

At the 5th stage of the Body Tempering Realm, he was no match.

A foe that could not be felled by the blade in his grip.

A warning to flee as quickly as possible.

‘What a ridiculous notion.’

Naturally, Leonard ignored the warning.

He relaxed his tensed body, forcing it to loosen.

“You’ve come.”

As his eyes narrowed, focusing on the bushes ahead.

Keeeee!

A grotesque howl announced the arrival of the creature.

In a single leap, it cleared several trees, landing with a rusted axe in both hands, its dog-like head bared.

Its height was closer to three meters than two.

The arms holding the axe and the entire upper body were grotesquely swollen with muscles, and its fur was a dirty yellow, making it look even more wretched.

An evolved form of a gnoll that had broken through the Body Tempering Realm, an Aardgnoll.

“Not an ordinary foe. The leader of this area, perhaps?”

Facing the creature, Leonard remained calm, merely observing it.

Heheh? Heh! Hehehehe!

The Aardgnoll, the strongest ruler of the Forest of Scraps, seemed amused and laughed mockingly.

Then.

Keeaaaaa—!

With a chilling roar, it swung its axe down.