Chapter 29

The Sword Emperor Reincarnated in the Sword Clan (29)

It all began with the attack of the blue wolf, Lycanslof.

Several orbs of lightning floated above the deep blue fur, crackling with sound.

The power was so great that Leonard's hair stood on end, even though he was quite far from the battlefield.

There was no doubt that even a mere graze would char everything black.

‘It’s just a concentration of lightning energy, but it’s one of the most powerful forces in heaven and earth. Most importantly—.’

Before Leonard's contemplation was even complete, Lycanslof's roar sent the lightning orbs flying.

Five streaks of lightning simultaneously charged forward in a blade-like formation.

Rumble—!

The speed at which they were launched and hit was instantaneous.

This extreme speed was the reason why lightning energy was considered the strongest.

A terrifying destructive force that almost guaranteed a hit!

…Rumble.

However, the troll that was struck by the lightning bolt seemed to suffer no significant damage, and its body turned even redder as it glared at its opponent.

It was unclear whether it was due to endurance or defense.

The blue wolf, too, seemed surprised by the troll's resilience, and it looked at the creature with a slightly flustered expression. Since the two monsters were of equal strength, while Lycanslof couldn't knock it out in one hit, it had expected the attack to be effective.

But it only fueled the troll's anger.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

As the red troll, with a furious face, stomped its feet, the ground beneath it began to tremble, and clumps of earth shot up.

It was the manipulation of earth energy.

Though primitive, the sheer magnitude of its power allowed several tons of earth to move freely. Lycanslof, with a stern expression, began to run to avoid the flying earth.

Lycanslof, capable of both bipedal and quadrupedal movement, was a race known more for its agility than its brute strength.

‘So fast!’

Even Leonard couldn't help but be amazed by its movements.

‘When the unique movements of a beast are combined with lightning energy, it reaches this level. In terms of speed, it surpasses even the top-tier experts.’

Even in the darkness of the night, the path of the blue wolf left a flickering afterglow.

The clumps of earth, which had split into several directions, tried to surround it, but it had long escaped before the encirclement was complete. In an instant, it closed the distance with the red troll and extended its claws.

Swoosh!

Seven blood marks appeared on the upper body of the troll, which had reflexively raised its arms, and blood spurted out belatedly.

The speed of the cut was so fast that even the bleeding couldn't catch up.

The only reason it didn't penetrate deeper was because the red troll's skin was too tough; if it had been a human, it would have been cut into several pieces.

‘…Unbelievable regenerative ability.’

However, Leonard noticed that the wounds on the red troll's body were already healing.

Trolls were already known for their regenerative abilities, but the body of this one, which had broken through the Demon Realm, was even more remarkable. It was almost as if its limbs would regrow if cut off.

It was impossible to reduce its combat ability through bleeding or wounds, and any vital points other than the brain and heart were meaningless.

Roar! Roar!

Lycanslof charged a few more times, but the troll, which protected its two vital points, suffered no significant damage.

Instead, the troll seemed to mock Lycanslof's futile attacks, showing off its robust body. For the wolf, which prided itself on one-hit kills, this was an even more unbearable insult.

With its eyes wide open, Lycanslof planted all four limbs on the ground and began to rotate the mana overflowing within its body to the maximum.

The thunder grew louder.

Rumble…! Rumble…!

The deep blue fur gradually brightened, and the wolf, which began to shimmer with a bluish-white light, bared its teeth.

A more definite weapon for a beast than its claws.

It intended to bite the red troll's head off.

Rumble…!

Sensing the danger, the red troll also summoned all the power it had not used until now.

A massive clump of earth shot up from the ground, and a flaming beast-like shape floated above its body. Earth and fire energy. The essence of the creature was a shaman capable of manipulating both types of mana.

Leonard found the life-and-death battle between the two Demon Realm beings both interesting and, at that moment, realized that the senses of the red troll and Lycanslof had moved away from the cave.

Now he could enter without being detected.

‘It would be good to wait for the outcome of their fight, but if either of them survives, there might not be another chance.’

For him, the best scenario would be a mutual defeat, but that would require a stroke of luck.

In Leonard's view, the battle between the red troll and Lycanslof was 60% in favor of the troll and 40% in favor of Lycanslof. If the troll won, its regenerative ability would heal its wounds in just a few minutes.

There was also the possibility that it would consume all the medicinal herbs inside the cave to heal its battle wounds.

‘I’m going in.’

As soon as he made the decision, Leonard moved, entering the cave while avoiding the senses of the two monsters.

The sounds of the battle faded with just a few steps.

It seemed that the medicinal herb cave had a natural soundproofing structure or some function that served that purpose.

The cave was quite deep.

After walking several hundred meters, Leonard could smell a fragrance that captivated his sense of smell. It wasn't just one or two types, but dozens of them. Normally, such a mix could create a foul odor, but this place was an exception.

“Wow, this is good.”

Leonard marveled at the sight of the medicinal herb cave.

‘The air is completely different from the last time.’

Back then, many of the flowers had not yet bloomed, and many of the fruits were unripe, but now they were almost all ripe.

The arrangement of flowers, herbs, and trees, which seemed to be well-maintained despite the troll's apparent lack of finesse, was also aesthetically pleasing.

The Fire Spirit Grass, which looked like it was actually burning, the Water Spirit Jade, which resembled large droplets of water, the Earth Spirit Block, which looked like a vine root but was full of spiritual energy, and many others.

Among them, the most eye-catching was the golden tree growing thickly in the center of the cultivation area.

It wasn't just golden on the outside; it was glowing on its own.

‘I have received teachings up to the level of middle-grade medicinal herbs, but I don't know this tree. It must be above the superior grade or so rare that it wasn't taught in Cardenas.’

If it were a superior-grade herb, it would be something that even late-stage External Force Realm experts would covet, something that couldn't be exchanged for a thousand middle-grade spirit stones.

Leonard, who could advance to that realm at any time, was no exception.

To enhance the elemental forces of the Five Elements, medicinal herbs were better than spirit stones.

‘The problem is that I don’t know how to harvest the medicinal herbs from this tree. It’s also too large to fit into a spatial bag. I’ll start by gathering what I can carry.’

Since it was unknown when the battle between the two monsters would end, it would be foolish to waste time.

With quick movements, Leonard picked the medicinal herbs, fruits, and roots scattered throughout the garden and stored them in his spatial bag.

As the pile of medicinal herbs, each worth at least several dozen middle-grade spirit stones, grew, his heart also felt more abundant. He didn't care about the trolls' tears of effort in cultivating them.

The medicinal herb cave was left in ruins within just a few minutes, with only the central tree remaining.

‘I need to investigate this tree further. It’s better to come back later and collect it rather than regretting it by touching it carelessly.’

As Leonard was about to leave the cave, he felt a strange sense of unease.

“…Now that I think about it, this is a bit strange.”

The very existence of the medicinal herb cave was peculiar.

Despite cultivating so many medicinal herbs, there was no trace of their energy outside.

Leonard's gaze carefully scanned the cave.

‘Indeed.’

He discovered the secret hidden within the cave.

From the cave walls to the ceiling, there was a component that prevented the flow of energy.

When he tried to shoot a burst of energy, it was deflected by the wall without even leaving a scratch, and Leonard nodded. It wasn't so much about the strength but rather a mineral that dispersed the pure concentration of energy.

The trolls must have cultivated the medicinal herbs here because they understood the special nature of this place.

‘Here… I can secretly break through the External Force Realm.’

The pillar of light that appears when breaking through the External Force Realm is ultimately just an overflow of energy, which this cave could block.

‘If I can divert the trolls' attention, it would be hard to find a better place than this.’

Even a single troll, which is only at the Demon Beast Realm, is formidable.

If he were to cut off its head with a sword, it would die, but if it blocked it with its arm, it could survive for a few seconds. If the battle dragged on and reinforcements like the red troll arrived, Leonard would be dead.

As long as the tree, the source of the medicinal herb cave, remained, the trolls' vigilance would only become stricter, not lax.

‘This is not easy.’

No matter what action he took, there was a risk, and the potential losses would be proportional to the gains.

For someone like him, who was accustomed to life-and-death battles, this was a difficult decision.

However, Leonard didn't need to make that choice.

Rumble…!

A troll had appeared behind him, emitting a fierce gaze.

The cave's characteristic of blocking sound and energy prevented him from sensing its approach.

Leonard scolded himself for his complacency while examining the troll's body, which had been reduced to rags from the earlier battle. It was unknown whether Lycanslof had died or given up and fled.

But.

“—It’s doable. The regenerative ability can’t keep up.”

The red troll's body, unlike before, was unable to regenerate wounds that exposed the bones.

The damage inflicted by Lycanslof was considerable, and it proved that the regenerative ability was not infinite. Leonard had discerned this through the concept of the Five Elements.

‘Lightning belongs to the Wood element, and the regenerative ability of the red troll's body is based on the Earth element. Wood draws nourishment from the earth (Wood overcomes Earth). If the damage only affected the surface, it might regenerate, but if the bones are exposed, it can’t regenerate easily.’

Not only in this world but also in the martial arts world, many people were unaware that lightning energy belonged to the Wood element.

The Azure Dragon, which represents the eastern direction in the Four Divine Beasts, is often mistaken for a Water element due to its blue color, but it is actually a Wood element.

It governs rain, clouds, wind, and lightning, and is also involved in weather and plant growth. Therefore, the energy of the Wood element had a significant connection with the Water element, allowing it to perform various tasks.

‘Even fire, which is the opposite element, cannot expel lightning energy.’

It can be blocked, but not expelled.

To expel the deeply penetrated lightning energy, it must be drawn out with the energy of Water or dispersed with the energy of Metal.

Both were impossible for the red troll.

Five Elements Sword Qi

Lightning Blade

A black sword qi momentarily appeared, then transformed into a more intense blue sword qi as it absorbed the black.

Wood requires Water to survive (Water nourishes Wood).

He increased the power of the sword qi using the principle of the Five Elements.

Crack!

A faint current of electricity sparked from the blade of the sword Leonard held.

The red troll's eyes widened at the appearance of a force similar to that of Lycanslof.

The wounds on its body seemed to throb, and for a moment, it hesitated in its steps.

Nonetheless, it overcame its hesitation and roared.

Roar—!!

A Demon Realm troll and a 10th-stage Body Tempering Realm apprentice knight.

It was the beginning of a battle whose outcome seemed obvious to anyone.