Chapter 34

Reincarnated as the Sword Emperor in the Sword Saint Family (34)

It was some time later.

As always, the moment the sun set, the entire island was shrouded in deep darkness. It seemed as if the land itself, devoid of human territory except for a few watchtowers where the Wyvern Knights were stationed, was baring its fangs.

Monsters that were unseen during the day began to crawl out of their lairs, and the natural environment that seemed harmless turned into an enemy.

Leonard, who had been observing this change, directed his gaze somewhere.

‘A large group is on the move. Are the apprentice knights and the Wyvern Knights heading out for night training?’

Even though they were kilometers apart, his qi perception had become several times sharper since he broke through to the External Force Realm.

While it would be difficult to track the movements of each individual even with intense focus, it was easy to notice when hundreds of people were moving in the same direction.

It was time for Leonard to move as well.

“...I shouldn’t use the Reverse Flow Technique today.”

If someone were to spot him while Hayden, Ian, and Gale were all out for night training, it would raise fatal suspicions.

Even with reduced attention, he couldn’t afford to be complacent.

So Leonard pulled out the wolf skin, now shaped into something resembling clothing, from his spatial pocket. If someone approached closely, he would be immediately recognized, but from a distance, it would be hard to tell if he was a human or a lycanthrope.

Moreover, it wasn’t just useful for camouflage.

Being the skin of a Demon Beast at the True Demon Realm level, its defensive capabilities were considerable, and it wouldn’t be scratched by ordinary attacks.

‘Well, now that I can use defensive techniques, I probably won’t have to rely on this skin much.’

With that thought, Leonard took a step forward.

His body, wrapped in the deep blue wolf skin, gradually blurred, becoming almost indistinguishable even up close.

This was a martial technique he had obtained by killing the assassins from the Yellow Springs Pavilion and destroying their base. It could deceive not only visual perception but also to some extent, olfactory and auditory senses.

‘The downside is the extreme consumption of internal energy.’

That was why Leonard, in his previous Body Transformation Realm, couldn’t use it.

Now, however, he could maintain it even while executing lightness techniques.

Whoosh!

With a single push off the ground, he leaped, stepped on a tree branch, and used the recoil from its bending to propel himself forward.

The technique, known as Bow Body Spring Shadow, used the tree branch rather than his own body to launch him.

Like a stone shot from a slingshot, Leonard’s body shot forward.

When his speed began to drop, he repeated the process, achieving acceleration with almost no internal energy consumption, covering distances similar to a full sprint.

Although he had gained 90 years of internal energy by breaking through to the External Force Realm, the island still harbored numerous hidden threats.

He needed to conserve his strength in case of unexpected situations.

‘Owl Plain, where nocturnal monsters swarm, I suppose.’

Leonard’s thoughts were correct.

Owl Plain.

A region where the danger level during the day was only two skulls, but at night, it increased to three and a half skulls, making it more dangerous than the deeper parts of the Bone Swamp.

This was because most of the monsters that occupied the upper levels of the food chain in this area were inactive during daylight hours.

The Duergar, a dwarf-like monster that lived underground like moles.

The Batling, a bat-human that hung upside down in dark caves.

The Shadow Hound, a wild dog that couldn’t maintain its form in sunlight.

However, there was only one species of monster that could be considered the strongest on Owl Plain.

‘Owlbear, I wonder what it looks like.’

A bear with an owl’s head?

A monster registered at B-rank, like the troll, it had characteristics of both a beast and a bird.

According to Cardenas, it was rated higher than a troll but lower than an ogre, perhaps close to an A-rank. Individuals that had reached the True Demon Realm, like the red troll, were not to be underestimated.

“Wow.”

After only a few dozen minutes, Leonard, upon seeing Owl Plain, couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

Unlike the forest or the swamp, the open plain glowed faintly under the moonlight, creating a scene that could be considered a scenic wonder.

However.

‘They’ve detected me. I’m still using the Inconstant Moon Technique, yet they’re looking directly at where I stand.’

Leonard, sensing the ability to see through concealment or heightened senses, dispelled the mist that enveloped his body.

Immediately, gazes from all over Owl Plain converged on him, scrutinizing him as if they were about to dissect him. This was evidence of the exceptional vision of most of the monsters living here.

Come whenever you want.

Leonard’s grip on his sword tightened, indicating that he was ready to draw it at any moment.

However, an unexpected situation arose.

“...They’re not coming?”

Leonard, with a look of disappointment, looked around.

They had been glaring at him from all sides, ready to attack at any moment, but suddenly, they hid and concealed their gazes.

It was a clear indication that they had no intention of fighting him.

This was one of the challenging aspects of Owl Plain.

Unlike monsters that lived in the open, those that roamed in the shadows were thorough in their cost-benefit calculations. If they perceived even a slight danger, they would retreat and hide until an opportunity arose. If no opportunity came? They simply wouldn’t engage.

‘Closer to the righteous sects than the evil sects, perhaps.’

Recalling his memories from the martial arts world, Leonard frowned.

Wielders of the Evil Path were typically weak against the strong and strong against the weak. They would bribe their superiors while exploiting their subordinates and vent their grudges against the strong on the weak.

However, unlike the thoroughly hierarchical and power-respecting Demon Path, the Evil Path operated from behind the scenes. They would poison the tea of their superiors, plant hidden weapons, and stab from behind.

They would bow to the strong when faced directly but reveal their despicable malice the moment the strong turned their backs.

However.

‘The righteous sects, and the miscellaneous sects, are even more alien.’

Veterans of the righteous sects thought only of their own lives and would betray allies and alliances to survive.

They had the nature of bats, switching sides at will, and lived like insects, pursuing survival without principles or beliefs.

Leonard, recalling these unpleasant memories, drew his sword.

“If you won’t come, I’ll have to go to you.”

The ability to see through concealment wasn’t exclusive to the monsters. His qi perception, several times broader and more detailed than in his Body Transformation Realm, became even more sensitive when he focused his mental energy.

If the monsters of Owl Plain intended to avoid him, he would find and slay them all.

At that moment,

“—Hm.”

The sharpness of his nerves, heightened by his past with the righteous sects, subsided, and his eyes, which had been glowing with killing intent, cleared.

This was due to the approaching presence.

It was large and powerful.

With a single leap, it covered dozens, perhaps even a hundred meters, approaching him. Even without extending his qi perception, he could feel the ground trembling from a distance.

‘Here it comes!’

Finally, in his field of vision, a bear-like figure glided over the plain.

The Owlbear.

The dominant species of Owl Plain had appeared.

Its luxurious fur was pure white from head to toe, and the two eyes in its owl-shaped head gleamed like those of a bird of prey.

Its body length was slightly less than three meters, but its weight appeared to be heavier than a troll.

‘But its movements are more agile and smooth. Is it due to its bird-like characteristics?’

While it might look cute at first glance, bears and owls were apex predators in their respective ecosystems. An Owlbear, combining the strengths of both, was a formidable opponent that shouldn’t be underestimated.

As if responding to his thoughts, the Owlbear, which had quickly approached, let out a loud roar.

Screeeech—!

It was an unexpected roar.

Perhaps because it was a mix of a bear’s and an owl’s cries, a strangely cute sound echoed across the plain.

Leonard was momentarily taken aback, delaying his reaction by a beat.

Boom!

The Owlbear’s front paw, swung with great force, gouged the ground, leaving a nasty crater.

“Huh, a fierce beast with such a cute cry.”

Using a lightness technique to leave several afterimages, Leonard retreated, maintaining a distance of five meters, and raised his sword.

He had confirmed the Owlbear’s strength.

It was at the True Demon Realm level, slightly stronger than a troll of the same rank, and ranked among the top in the B2 tier. It was a monster that could defeat an ogre of the Demon Beast Realm in a one-on-one fight.

To Leonard, it was nothing special.

“After all, it’s not easy to encounter a True Demon Realm monster right at the entrance.”

Even at night, such a presence would likely rate four skulls in danger level. For a B3-ranked monster, it was recommended that apprentice knights form groups to escape with their lives.

In the case of the red troll he had faced before, even Bradley would have found it difficult to avoid serious injury from its self-destruction.

Just the death of two trolls had caused a large-scale territorial dispute, indicating the significant presence of a monster that had reached the True Demon Realm.

Screeeech!

Realizing that Leonard was ignoring it, the Owlbear, with its white fur-covered chest puffed out, roared in anger.

Simultaneously, a gale of wind swirled around its body.

The power to control wind.

The grass beneath the Owlbear’s feet was cut away, and the fragments scattered.

‘As expected, it’s the Metal attribute. I should assume its fur and body’s defensive capabilities are also quite high.’

Although he had suspected this from the moment he saw the white fur, Leonard confirmed it again and tightened his grip on his sword.

The Five Elements attribute that countered Metal was Fire.

Five Elements Sword Qi

Flame Blade

The sword, as if dipped in a furnace, glowed red, and steam rose around it.

The air, which had cooled in the night, began to heat up.

Screech!?

Like wild and flying animals that fear fire, the Owlbear was startled by the heat and took a step back.

But Leonard had no intention of letting it go.

He moved a little deeper than the Owlbear’s retreat.

Five Elements Six Divine Techniques

Crimson Phoenix Sun

Step of Scorching Fire

A loud explosion echoed from Leonard’s heel.

A technique that could even evade a downpour of water, this was an ultimate technique that surpassed the storm of explosive bolts.

A shockwave occurred as his body momentarily broke the sound barrier, and his body, protected by a defensive technique, throbbed from the recoil. However, his grip on the sword remained unwavering.

A red sword light flashed.

Thwack!

The Owlbear’s massive arm was cleanly severed, spinning in the air and spraying blood.

The blackened cross-section revealed the intensity of the heat retained by the blade. The fire power that sealed the source of regeneration. If given a few minutes, the fire that had penetrated its body would burn and destroy the Owlbear’s internal organs.

Screech!? Screech!? Screeeech!

The pain from the severed arm and the burning inside its body.

The simultaneous arrival of cutting pain and burning pain caused the Owlbear to roll on the ground, forgetting its surroundings.

Its attempt to extinguish the fire that had adhered to its body was futile. Leonard’s Five Elements Qi was several times stronger and more abundant than the Owlbear’s mana.

Still, the Owlbear’s painful life didn’t last long.

Plop!

A thin red line appeared below its neck, and the Owlbear’s head, which had been wailing pitifully, flew off.

It was the futile death of a monster at the B2 rank.