Chapter 35

Reincarnated as a Sword Emperor in the Sword Saint Family (35)

'This is too easy.'

Leonard, having retrieved the medium-grade spirit stone that floated above the corpse of the Aulbear, sheathed his sword with that thought.

His body and inner strength had become too powerful after breaking through the External Force Realm, making it difficult to gain beneficial experience from monsters of this level. In the Soft Body Realm, the cutting winds would have torn his body in many places, causing him to bleed, and it would have been hard to sever an arm with a single strike.

Now, he could dispatch a B2-level monster without even getting a scratch.

'Even if I hunt down and kill the monsters that try to avoid and hide from me, it would probably just be a way to vent my frustration.'

Leonard, with a slightly colder head thanks to the Aulbear's sacrifice, pondered how he should act.

To gain practical combat experience using a sword, the level of danger represented by three skulls was insufficient. This meant he needed to venture deeper.

The problem began from there.

―Entry of apprentice knights without the accompaniment of the Dragon Knight Corps is prohibited in areas with a danger level of four skulls.

The family's judgment was that, no matter how talented one was, at that level, one would undoubtedly meet a miserable death.

This was not an incorrect statement.

Most apprentice knights receive their knighthood and advance to the rank of Squire (Junior Knight) when they reach the 3rd or 4th stage of the External Force Realm. Even in the case of exceptionally talented individuals, the 5th stage was the maximum.

And from four skulls onward, even Intermediate Knights who have reached the 6th or 7th stage of the External Force Realm do not enter these areas without forming a group.

If one were a skilled individual who could return safely alone, then there would only be one person on this island: Bradley.

"Hmm?"

At that moment,

Leonard sensed a moving presence at the edge of his senses.

'Aulbear? Where are you going?'

At first, he thought it might be coming to avenge the death of its kin, but then he realized the direction was completely different.

Aulbears were the dominant species of the >Owl Plain<.

Considering the hierarchical nature of the monsters here, it was rare for a lower-ranked monster to challenge a higher one. Therefore, it was also possible that it was moving to confront an uninvited guest from outside, just like Leonard himself.

'According to what Ian told me, intermediate knights of the Dragon Knight Corps sometimes gather spirit stones during their free time... but...'

Leonard's intuition negated this.

Would they abandon their duties and try to enrich themselves during a time when the number of knights was significantly reduced due to night training?

At least the knights he had seen in Cardenas so far were incomparable to the disciples of prestigious sects he had observed and experienced in his previous life.

"...If I check, everything will be resolved."

Having decided what to do, Leonard once again activated the Crescent Moon Eternal Technique.

A faint mist covered the wolf skin, obscuring the shape to the point where it could not be recognized even up close.

While it could penetrate the monsters of the >Owl Plain<, it worked well against humans. The martial arts of the Central Plains were fundamentally designed for human targets.

Snap!

Accelerating by pushing off the ground a few times, different from the forest, he rode the wind that blew from behind, entrusting his body to its flow.

Five Elements Six Spirits Technique (五行六神法)

Heavenly Steel (天剛金鐵)

Whirlwind (旋風) Step

The step technique of the White Tiger, a divine beast that controls the wind, created a small vortex by drawing in the surrounding air. While it could not be used in a windless area, it was useful for quickly covering long distances by utilizing natural wind currents.

After taking off, he did not leave footprints on the ground, making it good for evading trackers.

'With the First Heaven Technique, I can catch up.'

Leonard's eyes turned cold as he began to fly like a gale.

The Galapagos Island was a training facility for apprentice knights, accessible only by the Cardenas family.

If it were a transgression by the Dragon Knight Corps, it would only lead to disappointment in that person. But if someone had infiltrated this island without their knowledge—

"I wouldn't mind killing them."

He might have to cut down a human, not a monster.

The eyes of the swordsman, who had caught the scent of blood, narrowed into an oval.

* * * *

The Thirtieth Shadow of Crusis.

The shadow knight, who had discarded his name and entered the island to overthrow the evil empire, had a trembling expression.

It was inevitable.

"The demons of Cardenas...! What scheme are they preparing by secretly raising so many monsters? Are they finally planning to shed their human guise!"

To locate the evil ones, the thirty-two shadows scattered in different directions and entered the inner part of the island, where monsters swarmed.

They soon realized that to break through the core of this Galapagos, the Fifth Shadow and the rest would have to engage in a full-scale battle.

Even after entering just a few kilometers from the beach, several A-rank monsters, which were hard to find on the continent, roamed around. Trolls were a mere trifle. Creatures like griffins, wyverns, and ogres, if they broke through the second stage, would be on par with 6th-stage External Force Realm knights.

The average strength of the shadows participating in this operation was an astonishing 8th stage of the External Force Realm, but only the Fifth Shadow could cross the center of the island.

'The route has deviated significantly. My sense of direction is unclear, and I don't even know which direction to go. The only fortunate thing is that the level of the monsters is gradually decreasing.'

The Thirtieth Shadow let out a long sigh without realizing it.

After making a large detour upon encountering a Demon-grade griffin, he ultimately lost his way.

This journey, aimed at restoring the glory of Crusis and exposing the evil of Cardenas, seemed too humiliating. The shadow, who had momentarily closed his eyes at the sight of his own disheveled state, redirected his emotions.

'Cursed Cardenas! Raising high-rank monsters on an island out of sight, this fact alone, if made public, would not escape worldwide condemnation.'

From the beginning to the conclusion, not a single word of his speculation was correct, but in propaganda, the truth was entirely unimportant.

Especially for those who chose to believe it.

'Still, if I determine my position by the stars... I'm not far from my destination. Once I leave this plain, I'll need a short rest.'

He immediately absorbed the spirit stones that floated from the Aulbear corpses.

While the accumulated fatigue in his body was unavoidable, he could replenish his mana.

'They may be the seeds of evil, but they are just children, not my match.'

The Thirtieth Shadow did not know that someone had been watching him from behind.

'Hmm.'

Leonard immediately sensed the person's presence and recognized the extremely malicious intent.

The killing intent that overflowed from his body.

The black armor and sword from head to toe.

The 'bias' in his aura, which was directed towards cutting down people, and the fact that it was something the Cardenas knights did not possess.

In a way, it was a form of martial arts more familiar to Leonard.

'The existence of this island isn't that secret... It could be hostility or revenge against the Cardenas family, or perhaps an attack for technology or resources.'

The eyes of the old martial artist, who had experienced countless battles, pierced through the opponent.

'8th stage of the External Force Realm, the overall flow of qi is unstable, so he might have recently broken through or pushed himself too hard. I can sense an unknown power in his sword and armor; could it be a magical item? That would require extra caution.'

In a sword-to-sword duel, Leonard would not lose.

Especially when it came to human opponents, it was questionable whether anyone in this world could surpass him.

However, if magic, sorcery, or elemental powers were involved, caution was necessary. The old martial artist realized long ago that for the unknown, a more humble attitude was required.

'He couldn't have infiltrated the island alone, and it seems he's separated from his companions... but you never know.'

If he had a tool to summon his companions from a distance that Leonard's senses couldn't reach?

It could turn into a situation like poking a hornet's nest.

In just a few seconds, an enormous number of speculations and thoughts surfaced and sank in Leonard's mind. The practical experience accumulated through his martial journey and the intuition of Yan Wuhex, who had survived by continuously killing and forming alliances with various organizations, spoke.

—This is an opportunity.

It wasn't a hasty decision.

The >Owl Plain<, where Leonard and the other apprentice knights were, was not far from here.

The fact that he hadn't summoned his companions meant that the means of assembly was either too flashy to go unnoticed or couldn't be used from a distance.

Most importantly, the guy was exhausted.

Covered in wounds, he had only partially recovered his energy by absorbing the spirit stones. The difference between the 3rd and 8th stages of the External Force Realm could be bridged by martial prowess, but the variable of magical items and unexpected situations was fatal.

Just like in the one-sided battle where he nearly died from the red troll's self-destruction.

'...First, I'll seal his blood channels, then completely subdue and interrogate him.'

Leonard had heard that non-mages needed to chant incantations to use magical items.

Types that could be activated by just supplying power, like portals, were rare, and if they were portable enough to carry, most required incantations.

So, if I seal his mouth to prevent him from using the incantations?

'He'll become a worthless piece of trash.'

Having thought this far, Leonard closed and then opened his eyes.

It was time to act.

Snap!

A stone flew from behind the Thirtieth Shadow, grazing his ear and embedding itself in the ground.

A crude ambush technique, but it was enough to terrify him.

To be ambushed without sensing any presence.

For an 8th-stage External Force Realm expert, his senses were already at the level of extrasensory perception. The fear was in being caught off guard and losing the initiative without realizing it.

"Who, who is there!"

As the shadow knight quickly turned his body, a yellow sword aura erupted from his sword.

Leonard, who had already moved behind him, extended his hand.

Pierce.

The qi concentrated in his fingers penetrated the protective aura and injected a stream of inner strength into the Dumen point (啞門穴).

If he had intended to assassinate, this could have been the end.

The point to seal the mouth is located in the throat. If he had pushed deeper, it would have been fatal or a mortal wound.

However, Leonard wanted to interrogate him, so he removed his fingers and quickly stepped back.

"———! —. ——?!"

Suddenly rendered mute, the shadow knight turned to Leonard with a look of shock, but Leonard was disappointed.

As expected, the effectiveness of acupuncture points had greatly diminished.

Another martial arts convention had collapsed.

'If I had aimed for the Moxue (痲穴), Shuxue (睡穴), or Yuxue (暈穴), it would have failed. Unlike martial artists, his entire body's meridians are open, and the protective aura is too strong. Acupuncture points won't work unless the technique is properly applied, except for vital points like the Ahexue (阿穴) and Sixue (死穴).'

High-level experts at the Transformation Realm wouldn't be subdued by simple acupuncture for similar reasons. The flow of qi they unconsciously circulated would repel external qi.

It would only work if they accepted it willingly. Leonard had no intention of deeply practicing acupuncture techniques.

In the end, Leonard drew his sword.

"———!"

The shadow knight, reacting to this, raised his sword.

Not only had he lost the initiative and his voice, but his opponent was a young boy who hadn't even undergone the coming-of-age ceremony?

His panic was evident, but as the two swords faced each other, his blue eyes quickly turned calm.

He had rich combat experience and decent martial skills.

Leonard, who had assessed his capabilities, smiled.

"Not bad. Shall I give it a try?"