Chapter 28

Reincarnated as a Sword Emperor in the Sword Master's Family (28)

>The Swamp of Bone Piles<.

If we only consider the outskirts, the danger level is marked as two skulls, a zone where a few apprentice knights who have broken through the External Force Boundary can move around safely.

However, compared to the difficulty rating, the number of people visiting >The Swamp of Bone Piles< is quite rare, and there is a reason for this.

"Because of the Cold Blooded Immunity, I want to break through the External Force Boundary."

Leonard wiped the sweat from his forehead as he spoke.

Since he was still at the 10th stage of the Body Tempering Boundary, he was not yet free from heat and cold. The swamp area had long been enveloped in a warm and humid air.

This place was a swamp where the heat and humidity generated in the forest could not escape and continued to accumulate.

The ground, covered with dark green plants, had deep, unknown pits scattered throughout, and the majority of the monsters that appeared were equipped with poison and stealth abilities.

'If I break through the Body Tempering Boundary, I can become almost immune to a hundred poisons, but it won't be perfect. The toxicity of the monsters will become even stronger once they surpass that boundary.'

It was like a battle between a spear and a shield.

If the shield is trusted and the spear penetrates it, it immediately becomes a life-threatening situation.

Stealth ability was even more troublesome.

Not only could they be ambushed at any time, but if the monsters understood their disadvantage and simply hid without coming out, the day's hunt would be in vain.

'There wouldn't be much of a problem if my detection ability was excellent...'

In an environment where one must be on guard in all directions, expending mental energy to find the enemy is another matter.

Compared to other areas, it was equally inefficient.

However, in terms of gaining practical experience, it would be rare to find a better area than this.

Leonard's steps slowed as he thought this far.

'From here on, it's the territory of the Lizardmen. If I take a single wrong step, they will immediately notice.'

Lizardman.

Their innate racial rank is C, and as a monster with human-like characteristics, they are intelligent and cunning.

Not only can they make and use tools, but they also set traps with nets and poison thorns, and patrol in groups.

Fortunately, due to living in dark places, their eyesight is poor, and they rely on their sense of smell and hearing.

——.

Leonard's feet, using the true essence technique, stepped on the leaves on the ground without crushing them.

The principle of Grass Walking (초상비) is the same, but it is rare to find someone who can do it while walking. It is a skill comparable to the art of crossing a river on a single reed (一葦渡江).

After advancing a few more minutes, bubbles began to rise from various spots in the swamp.

This meant that Lizardmen were hiding inside.

'Seven of them.'

Unlike the patrol groups, they were not moving and were only guarding their positions.

They were sentries.

'They haven't noticed me. Should I kill them and move on?'

With that thought, Leonard changed his steps and approached the swamp where the bubbles were rising.

And the Lizardman inside the swamp, dozing off.

Puuuk.

With a faint sword energy, he instantly killed it. The blade pierced the water without making a sound.

One stab to the crown of the head.

That was enough.

The Lizardman, whose brain was destroyed in one strike, died without even struggling.

Leonard dealt with four of them in the same manner.

"Ah."

Until he met the fifth Lizardman in the swamp, their eyes met.

The Lizardman was also surprised and froze.

It was purely bad luck.

The Lizardman reflexively thrust the spear in his hand, and Leonard's sword, which easily dodged it, split its head open. The Lizardman's skin was useless against the Five Elements Sword Energy.

Kyaah?!

Kyaah!

But it woke up the two remaining Lizardmen.

The Lizardmen that leaped out of the swamp had slightly discolored scales and twisted joints in their spear-holding arms.

They had broken through the second stage.

C2 rank.

Each one was stronger than the leader, Adnol Chieftain, of the area he had faced in >The Forest of Remains<. Their movements showed traces of martial arts, albeit crude.

'Their spear techniques are similar to the military's. They would be troublesome if they gathered in numbers.'

It felt like they were trained to take down opponents in a one-against-many or many-against-one situation.

There was no value in studying their techniques.

Feeling disheartened by this conclusion, Leonard relaxed his sword.

At that moment.

Squeeeak!

The two Lizardmen thrust their spears simultaneously.

Their formidable strength, far surpassing humans, and the speed generated from their deformed joints were truly terrifying.

In terms of speed alone, it could rival Hayden's thrust.

"It's obvious."

But only in terms of speed.

Leonard, stepping on the two spears, looked down at the Lizardmen's shocked eyes.

The killing intent that overflowed from his crimson eyes froze their bodies.

Kiiing.

As the sword drew a gentle arc, the upper parts of the Lizardmen's heads slid off diagonally.

Even though their skulls had hardened after breaking through the Body Tempering Boundary, Leonard's sword energy ignored their durability like paper.

The seven Lizardman sentries were thus completely eliminated.

The swamp, stained with blood and brain matter, turned even murkier.

Paaah!

Medium-grade spirit stones crystallized on the Lizardmen's corpses.

Three of them yielded two stones each, and four of them yielded one stone each.

A total of 10.

Leonard, who had easily obtained 10 medium-grade spirit stones, put them all in his pocket. The rate of acquisition was far different from the days when he could only gather about 100 low-grade spirit stones over several hours.

He estimated the contents of his dimensional pocket.

'I must have collected around 1,500 medium-grade spirit stones... If I use them all, can I break through a few stages of the External Force Boundary?'

Since there was no other way to use medium-grade spirit stones, he had to use them to advance his mana cultivation.

Leonard's rate of spirit stone acquisition, entering and leaving the island daily, had already far surpassed the average level of apprentice knights. Even though their cultivation levels might be higher, they couldn't slaughter monsters like Leonard did.

Reconnaissance and detection.

Infiltration and ambush.

Traps and detection.

The practical experience Leonard had accumulated through blood and death was not something that could be matched by mere output.

'Now that I know how to consume the spirit herbs, I should find a place to secretly break through the External Force Boundary next time I come.'

Leonard's eyes looked at the island shrouded in darkness.

10th stage of the Body Tempering Boundary.

Although he could handle up to three skulls with the ability to use Five Elements Sword Energy, a long-range attack method was essential if he encountered an enemy that he couldn't approach.

He had already gathered the resources to break through the External Force Boundary, so it was just a matter of not being discovered.

'I thought the peak of martial arts and the External Force Boundary were the same level, but I underestimated the uniqueness of the martial artists in this world.'

The two boundaries are not the same.

While they share similarities, they also have significant differences.

Leonard realized this during his interactions with the trio and understood that he couldn't remain at the 10th stage of the Body Tempering Boundary. If he encountered a non-standard monster, he wouldn't be able to escape in his current state.

Most importantly, there was nothing more to gain at the 10th stage of the Body Tempering Boundary. He had reached the limit of improving the Five Elements Flow and physical training.

'If the proof of a peak martial artist is breaking through one of the Ren and Du meridians, then the proof of the External Force Boundary is the penetration of all the body's qi points.'

Qi points are the organs that can emit and retract the qi within the body.

Some qi points, like the Laogong point in the center of the palm and the Yongquan point in the center of the sole, are already open without needing to be activated.

The External Force Boundary is the level where all the blocked qi points are penetrated, allowing the body to emit or retract qi as a whole.

'If I break through the External Force Boundary, I can defeat even Bradley.'

At least on this Galapagos Island, he wouldn't have to worry about anyone's suspicions. Even if he aroused unnecessary suspicion while using the Reverse Essence Technique, he could escape from the place.

Leonard stopped his optimistic thoughts.

'...The problem is that breaking through a major boundary is too noisy.'

Unlike the 1st stage of the Body Tempering Boundary, when breaking through a major boundary from the External Force Boundary, a phenomenon that can be noticed nearby occurs.

A large amount of accumulated qi opens the body, shooting a pillar of light into the sky. Even Leonard couldn't hide this.

Even if he broke through in the middle of the night, it would be clearly visible from the watchtowers. It wouldn't be strange for the Dragon Knight Corps to rush over to protect him upon seeing it.

'Should I find a cave with a ceiling? If the light penetrates the rock, it's over.'

If he could break through without being noticed, he could then use acupuncture to block the flow of qi and hide his cultivation level.

The problem was how to hide the moment of breakthrough.

"Hmm."

Leonard's thoughts didn't last long.

He was already close to his destination.

'There it is.'

During his previous visit to >The Forest of Bone Piles<, Leonard had accidentally found a cave that trolls entered and exited at regular intervals.

Curious about what they were hiding inside, he infiltrated when the guard was dozing off. If it was nothing, the naturally lazy trolls wouldn't have bothered to change shifts.

As expected, it was as he thought.

'Trolls cultivating spirit herbs and fruits in large quantities, a garden that would be more valuable than any treasure trove.'

In terms of elemental power, spirit herbs are more efficient than spirit stones.

Unlike equipment that can't be disposed of, he could just eat them, making them more practical for him.

'But the troll guarding the cave is a bit dangerous.'

Leonard's eyes narrowed.

The troll sitting in front of the cave was still alone, but it was much stronger than before.

Perhaps he had been discovered.

If so, it made sense that the security was tightened.

'—That guy is at the True Demon Boundary.'

A troll that has broken through the 3rd stage is a B3 rank.

A monster that even knights who have reached the 6th stage of the External Force Boundary find difficult to handle alone. Not only are their innate B-rank physical abilities enhanced, but they also awaken special abilities.

The troll's reddish skin and the tattoos on it exuded an overwhelming presence.

'I can kill it with my sword energy, but it's quite burdensome to fight without knowing anything about it.'

The experience of Sword Emperor Lian Wuxie was that of a martial artist.

If a superpower like those shown by the direct descendants of Cardenas suddenly appeared, he would be in trouble.

Moreover, the ability of a True Demon Boundary troll could shatter a 10th stage Body Tempering Boundary in one strike. At the very least, he needed to be able to defend himself.

'Hmm?'

Gururururu?!

Right at that moment.

Leonard and the troll almost simultaneously turned in one direction.

A menacing presence was approaching at ultra-high speed.

The troll's face, which seemed to find even breathing a bother, contorted, and its entire body turned red like iron in a furnace.

It was in a combat-ready state.

Kwaooooo—!!

A fiercely intense roar echoed.

A beast-type monster.

Hearing that roar, Leonard recognized the creature.

'A Lycanthrope!'

A monster that forms large groups even in the center of the island, ranking among the cases where an apprentice knight should not face it alone.

It was classified as B-rank due to its size, but in terms of potential, it was considered a step above trolls, comparable to ogres.

Still, the power contained in this roar is terrifying.

That red troll has also broken through the True Demon Boundary.

And.

Kwaang!

The body of the werewolf, leaping from a distant place, landed like a meteor, and the shockwave flipped the surrounding ground.

A blue wolf rose from the swirling dust.

It was clearly exuding wood-elemental energy.

'This isn't a territorial dispute... It seems this guy is also after this cave.'

The beast's eyes were scanning behind the red troll.

Gururururur—!!

The troll, sensing this, roared in anger, and the Lycanthrope's mouth split into a thin line, revealing long fangs.

Neither of them had any intention of backing down.

Then, there was only one thing that could happen.

Kyaoooo—!

Guraaaaa—!

The two True Demon Boundary monsters clashed, shaking the night.