Chapter 86

### The Sword Emperor Reincarnated in the Sword Artisan's Family (86)

The first thing Leonard did to improve the combat styles of the three was to address Galano's position, the only one in the vanguard.

True to his nickname "Whale Hunter," his weapon was a large and heavy harpoon. Each attack was powerful, but when used outside of the <Maelstrom> technique, the frequency of his attacks dropped significantly. Although throwing the harpoon was a unique attack method, the problem was that he was unarmed until he could retrieve it.

Using a rope was a rather innovative method, but it didn't seem particularly useful without the element of surprise. It was only useful when aiming for the back of an enemy who thought they had dodged the thrown harpoon.

"Galano, you must first ensure that you never let go of your harpoon with both hands. Throwing it is strictly forbidden. I will only allow it in situations where you have no other choice."

Being criticized for his martial arts, which he had honed for decades, was not a pleasant feeling, but Galano listened attentively. This was the person who had shattered his eight-year plateau with just three thrusts and three sentences. There was no reason to reject his advice out of petty pride.

"Your spear technique, <Maelstrom>, is excellent. If you have time to throw the harpoon or use the rope, invest all of it in <Maelstrom>."

If one masters the inner and outer aspects of the Warrior's Realm, they can become a versatile attacker, capable of both close and long-range combat.

By compressing power through inner rotation, one can pierce enemies at a distance, and by releasing power through outer rotation, one can knock down enemies at close range. If one can perform both inner and outer rotations simultaneously, they can attempt to send out the vortex created around the spear or compress it into a spear force.

Galano nodded in agreement with this explanation.

He had thought his own harpoon-throwing technique was quite useful, but it seemed he had taken a roundabout way.

"And you have a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of a spearman. You're not on horseback, and you're not using a small, light spear. Why are you charging at the enemy? In a narrow path, a spearman can take down a hundred men alone. Draw the enemy into your range and don't let a single one escape behind you."

His role was to guard the gateway, protecting two people like a gatekeeper.

"Ninian, you need to develop a broader view of the battlefield, not just individual enemies. You must be able to see the forest and still hit the leaves accurately. You need to anticipate and deal with enemies targeting Galano's blind spots, those trying to flank, and those attempting to snipe Esther from a distance."

The martial arts he had passed down to Ninian, the Yan family archery, were not designed to make archers the main force.

The essence of an archer has always been a hunter, not a knight or general leading the charge. A single arrow, unnoticed like a mouse or a bird, can end the life of even a victorious warlord.

Piercing the flesh exposed through the gaps in armor and toppling the horse of a brave knight.

Exploiting weaknesses and neutralizing strengths.

That is what an archer should do on the battlefield.

"If you want to protect the vanguard, you need to understand their movements."

It was not easy to cover the fights of warriors like Leonard and Marian, who could move faster than arrows, or Galano.

A mistake could result in hitting an ally's back or head.

"If you can't predict where and how your comrade will move in the next second, turn your bow. An uncertain arrow is more dangerous to allies than to enemies."

Observing allies is just as important as observing enemies.

Ninian, who had been acting alone for too long, had a tendency to be out of sync. This would naturally resolve itself by observing her comrades' movements.

Finally, Esther's case was very simple.

"Using low-level magic for efficient attacks is good, but saving mana is not everything. You also need to be wary of mental fatigue."

"Are you saying I should end it quickly with area-of-effect or high-level magic?"

"Yes. If you use more than thirty [Lightning Bolts], the mana cost is similar to [Chain Lightning]. Conversely, the mental strain of each [Lightning Bolt] requires separate calculations, making it more taxing."

"But even if Ninian can handle it, won't Galano be caught in it? We don't know each other's movements well enough yet..."

Leonard replied.

"It doesn't matter. Unlike Ninian's arrows, Esther's magic can be prepared for."

"Huh? How?"

"You'll see when you follow the instructions."

Esther was puzzled by the lack of specific guidance, unlike what Galano and Ninian received. However, her confusion didn't last long.

After finishing the conversation and starting to move forward again, Leonard and his party encountered Ceoak patrol forces at intervals of 5 to 15 minutes.

Leonard, who had stepped back and put the three in the front, gave specific tactical instructions through telepathy.

—Galano, establish a line you must absolutely defend. Focus on holding that line rather than killing enemies.

Following his orders, Galano stepped forward and swung his harpoon, leaving a long, deep mark on the ground in front of him.

*Screech!*

*Screech!*

*Crack! Crack!*

The Ceoaks, undeterred, thrust their grappling hooks at him with all their might. Their strength, several times that of a well-trained human, and their claw-like feet, which gripped the ground firmly, made them formidable opponents.

Four grappling hooks shot out with a terrifying sound.

"Huff—..."

Taking a deep breath, Galano began a fierce rotation from his ankles.

From his ankles to his knees, from his knees to his waist, from his waist to his shoulders.

The spiral force that traveled up his body accelerated from his shoulders, passing through his elbows and wrists to reach his fingertips.

The true power of the family spear technique, <Maelstrom>, came from this rotational force. It amplified power in an instant, like a butterfly's wing causing a typhoon.

And then.

*Crash!*

With Galano's thrust, the vortex around the spear shaft surged forward.

The four grappling hooks bent and twisted, losing their targets, and the Ceoaks behind them were terrified.

Normally, he would have advanced to crush the heads or hearts of the retreating enemies, but not this time.

—Ninian, shoot.

Instead of moving, Galano remained in place while four arrows from behind silenced the targets.

Precisely, she shot half a beat before he thrust. From the Ceoaks' perspective, it was as if a hole appeared in their foreheads immediately after losing their weapons.

Still, the number of enemies exceeded thirty.

Despite losing four of their kind in one exchange, they continued to charge without hesitation.

—Esther, prepare [Chain Lightning]. Make it as powerful as possible.

This situation would inevitably involve Galano.

Esther, though surprised by the order, followed it.

*Crackle! Crackle!*

The magic symbols floating around her body emitted bright blue lightning, waiting for the right moment to unleash. A 5th-level lightning magic that could severely injure even the hardened warriors of the Outer Force Realm.

Meanwhile, Galano was under attack from thirty Ceoaks. Ninian's arrows continued to check the enemies flanking or approaching from behind, but a few had managed to break through the <Maelstrom> vortex and were trying to cross the line.

—Galano.

At that moment, Leonard said.

—Maximize your defensive aura and spread the amplified force from <Maelstrom> around your body like a shield.

It was a difficult command, but Galano managed to do it.

*Whirl!*

The Warrior's Realm itself was a combination of attack and defense. A rapidly rotating object performs both simultaneously. Instead of shooting the force out with the spear, Galano temporarily gained a defensive barrier like a storm around his body. It was a technique even his brother, Dentsu, had never shown.

At the same time, Leonard shouted to Esther.

—Now!

As soon as the command was given, the 5th-level magic [Chain Lightning], which had been gathering power in the air, surged over the area, including Galano.

The lightning, resembling chains or nets, electrocuted the enemies repeatedly, thoroughly burning them. The more enemies there were, the more deadly the area-of-effect magic became.

*Crackle!*

*Screech!*

*Crackle!*

In the center of the enemies, who were being charred black like charcoal, Galano realized his body was unscathed.

The defensive aura, swirling like a vortex, deflected the lightning that hit its surface, sparing even his collar and only burning the other Ceoaks.

While a concentrated [Lightning Spear] might have penetrated, the branched [Chain Lightning] could not break through the vortex.

"..."

"..."

"..."

When Esther's magic subsided, about forty charred Ceoak bodies were scattered on the ground.

The few still alive were easy to finish off.

The group battle ended in less than three minutes.

Leonard, who had forgotten to collect the spirit stones, looked at the dumbfounded party members.

"Understood? How inefficiently you were fighting?"

The three nodded involuntarily.

It couldn't be helped.

Galano was not even sweating, and his breathing, which had briefly become rough, had already returned to normal. Ninian had conserved her arrows and strength while achieving more results. As for Esther, there was nothing to say.

"Galano, continue using the technique I taught you to improve your proficiency. Start by wrapping your entire body and then grow to the point where you can wrap your weapon or limbs. This will allow you to deflect non-physical attacks."

"I never thought I could use it this way."

"Don't set limits for yourself. A warrior's growth stops from that moment."

Next was Ninian.

"When shooting arrows, don't aim for one-hit kills. Killing an enemy just leaves a gap for another to fill, but injuring them leaves them unable to fight effectively. Injured enemies are the heaviest chains if there's no one to heal them immediately."

From Galano's perspective at the front line, killing one enemy just brings in another fresh one. But if the enemy is left incapacitated, it actually clears the way in a surrounded situation. The direction from which they can no longer attack becomes less threatening and can disrupt coordinated attacks.

"Esther, research spells that can be used in coordination with the party, like using [Heat Shield] before [Firewave] or enhancing Galano's spear with wind magic or enchanting Ninian's arrows with elemental properties."

"...There's a lot to do, isn't there?"

"You'll need to work as a team in the future, so don't just focus on individual training. It's good to have signals and technique combinations that you can react to without my instructions."

In this battle, Leonard's timely telepathic commands ensured no one made mistakes.

However, he couldn't always keep an eye on the three, so they needed to learn to cooperate on their own. They also needed to learn how to deal with a single powerful enemy, not just multiple weaker ones.

'Encountering this many enemies continuously is quite good. Perhaps some <Fissures> are preserved for training purposes rather than for profit?'

While the threat of the Magic Realm cannot be ignored, regularly clearing the monsters inside significantly reduces the danger.

The logic of the Atlantis Maritime Union advocating for the preservation of the <Fissure> in the 5th Sea Region is the same.

However, Leonard did not think this would end well.

'No matter how well you clean and manage a wound, if it doesn't heal, it will eventually fester.'

According to the mages, a <Fissure> is a gap in the dimensional barrier that acts as a fence for this world. Whether it is contaminated by the laws of another dimension or not, its mere existence destabilizes the world.

The argument of the Fissure Preservationists, led by Councilor Pablo, would ultimately endanger the entire world.

'I need to close the <Ceoak Lair> quickly and think more about it.'

Leonard also needed to investigate the inexplicable hostility of the <Five Elements True Dragon Ring> within him.

He took a step in the direction indicated by its influence.

The four members of the Aquamarine Adventure Party began to advance toward the heart of the <Ceoak Lair> again.

* * *

Adventurers operating in the 5th Sea Region must carry a precise watch. Otherwise, they cannot expect help or a response from the outside if an emergency occurs inside the <Fissure>.

So, Leonard's party was measuring the time since they entered the <Ceoak Lair>.

Exactly 3 hours and 17 minutes later.

"——Stop."

Leonard's party reached a mysterious cave, believed to be the location of the <Ceoak Lair>'s medium.