The shadow knight, who had obediently answered Leonard's questions, collapsed to the ground without even revealing his name. His death was the side effect of forcibly opening the Baekhoe point.
The Baekhoe point was the wall that symbolized the Creation Realm, and forcefully opening the upper dantian, which was considered the beginning of unlocking the visualization level, would render the soul vulnerable when exposed.
This method was used only when immediate information was needed, as the recipient was sure to die from its use.
"So, he was part of the Kurdish Kingdom's Order of the Shadow."
The name was unfamiliar from start to finish. Though he vaguely recalled hearing it during history lessons, the details eluded him. He was not sure if it was his own fault for not paying attention or if it was not taught in the Cardenas family.
Nonetheless, he had uncovered the intruder's identity, affiliation, and the reason for coming to the Galapagos Island.
Thanks to the remote location of the Galapagos Island, it was possible to reduce the stationed forces, which ironically made it a target.
Despite the Arcadian Empire controlling over half the world, this island was remote and closer to foreign lands than to the empire itself.
The stationed force was merely one battalion of the Order of the Fledgling Dragon, owing to the monsters on the island and the currents, which made it nearly impossible to approach the Galapagos Island. Occupying the island itself was difficult, so even if it were captured, few factions could continuously benefit from it. So, there was no reason to worry about outsiders invading.
No one could have imagined that kidnapping the Cardenas' children was the objective.
Anyone familiar with the continent's current state of affairs would know that opposing Arcadia was sheer folly. Directly antagonizing the most powerful military force, the Cardenas family, was akin to a death wish and was pure lunacy.
The shadow knights of the Order of the Shadow were brainwashed since childhood and were distorted by loyalty, so the possibility of their coming here being a spontaneous act is slim. The involvement of Transcendence Tier knights, the Swordmasters, implies that there is a connection with the higher-ups.
Although the Cardenas family had dozens of Transcendents, Leonard had heard that Transcendents were difficult to find outside the empire. Each one was equivalent to at least a count in nobility and held considerable power in their respective countries. So, there was no way it would be an arbitrary action.
It's become a hassle.
If Leonard was just an ordinary knight, reporting this situation to Bradley would have sufficed. But how could he report defeating a shadow knight with his identity as an apprentice knight? He had even successfully interrogated him. Both reporting and concealing the situation posed significant problems.
If this intruder had come to the island alone, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But it was a different story when it involved a Transcendence Tier knight and thirty knights who were at least at the Eighth Degree External Force Tier.
If I bury this matter like this, not only the Order of the Fledgling Dragon but also the apprentice knights will suffer greatly. Although the shadow knights are only at the level of the Eighth Degree External Force Tier, if I consider the capabilities of this black sword and the magical items...
It was dangerous. Leonard was proficient in swordsmanship and had experienced many battles, so it was easy for him. Still, a knight possessing an Eighth Degree External Force Tier mana cultivation and sword skills meant for killing humans was more powerful than he thought.
The inexperienced apprentice knights and the Order of the Fledgling Dragon would suffer heavy casualties if they clashed with the shadow knights. Both ignoring and actively intervening posed significant challenges.
"Hmm."
As Leonard pondered, he turned his head toward the magic items laid out beside the shadow knight's corpse. He had not only learned about their identity and purpose through the interrogation but had also gathered substantial information about magic items, or "artifacts," which he had little knowledge of.
He studied the black sword that could change its shape and length at will.
Leonard recalled what the shadow knight had said.
"It synchronizes with the user's blood, changing its shape and length according to the user's will. The downside is that it slightly reduces the conductivity of the user's aura. Once a user has been designated, it can no longer be changed."
"If used for too long, one might fall into the path of evil. Perhaps that's why this fool's swordsmanship is so lacking," Leonard muttered briefly as he organized the details.
Simple in function yet incredibly potent. What if the sword's wielder was one of the Supreme Ten Venerables from his past life, such as the Cloud Sword Yeo Woon-Hak, known to be Zhongnan's First Sword? The Flowing Cloud Sword Art was considered the epitome of ever-changing sword techniques, and if it were combined with this black sword, which could freely change shape, even the Sword Emperor Yeon Mu-Hyuk would find the combination challenging to break through.
However, if one were to rely on the sword's power rather than wield it, the sword would stunt the wielder's growth. Changing the sword's length negated the need to close distance, and altering its shape eliminated the need for the wielder to improve and alter their techniques, leading to simplified swordsmanship.
Even though the shadow knight was at the Eighth Degree External Force Tier, his swordsmanship was still at the level of a First Class expert due to this big drawback.
"A suit of armor inscribed with shock-protection magic, a signaling device capable of responding to nearby allies, a ring and a belt that can activate magic spells when one says their incantations, and a few magic scrolls."
Leaving the practically useless black sword, Leonard examined the other items. The armor had been shredded in their battle and was beyond repair. It was impressive it hadn't disintegrated on the spot when it had withstood the numerous blows of the Five Elements Sword Qi and properly received a few hits from the Form Intention Fist Art.
Leonard picked up the ring and the belt.
A ring enchanted with the acceleration spell Haste, and a belt enchanted with the strength enhancement spell Strength.
With both artifacts equipped, Leonard muttered their activation words.
"Haste. Strength."
Both artifacts immediately emitted light.
Crack!
The gemstones containing the magic spells shattered.
"Huh?"
Leonard was momentarily perplexed by the unexpected situation. Soon realizing the reason, he smiled in disappointment. The problem lay with the power organ that had replaced his heart.
At this moment, even though he was rapidly circulating the Five Elements Qi, his abilities were in uncharted territory that even the Sword Emperor had not managed to reach. The level of power being released from the five-colored bead was not just resisting the artifacts' influence but also destroying their source of power.
Is it some kind of magic resistance or counter-magic ability? If it can hinder spells that I cast, it would be even more effective against spells cast by others.
This wasn't entirely negative. He had no intention of becoming a mage or relying on artifacts. Still, breaking the ring and the belt without using them felt wasteful; they could have been exchanged for mana stones.
"Fireball."
Fortunately, he could still use the magic scroll. Speaking the activation words and tearing the scroll unleashed the energy contained inside, conjuring a large and intense fireball.
The smell of blood from the Owlbears and the shadow knight had attracted several monsters. They were caught in the ensuing chaos and reduced to charred remains. The fireball wasn't particularly strong, but it still possessed significant power.
It's similar to the flame bird summoned by the red troll, but its composition is more complex and sturdier. If a magic with a higher level is used, it might be difficult to cut through it with the Five Elements Sword Qi.
Thinking about beings he had yet to encounter, such as mages, Leonard tucked the remaining magic scrolls into his pouch. He had a rough understanding of the capabilities of the Five Elements True Dragon Ring.
Magic that directly interfered with his body was repelled, while external magic was only mitigated or blocked. Spatial magic, like portals, seemed to function just fine, which was fortunate; otherwise, leaving the island would be problematic.
"Should I take the signaling device? If I put it in my subspace pouch, I shouldn't have to worry about my location being traced..."
The device could be useful in tracking the shadow knight's position, but there wasn't a separate function to identify who was responding to the device. Though it was less than a thirty percent chance, encountering a Transcendence Tier knight in his current state would leave Leonard with almost no chance of victory.
The Fifth Shadow was a Transcendence Tier knight. Whether it was the black sword or not, a master at the Creation Realm wouldn't have such an obvious weakness. To compete with a Swordmaster who could freely wield augmented qi, at the very least, Leonard needed to be able to counter the opponent's sword with equal force.
Five Elements Sword Qi
Augmented Energy Assimilation
Drawing his sword from his waist, Leonard closed his eyes and focused. Threads of aura unwound and wove intricately to form a sharp blade. This was proof of true mastery, and originally, only those who had reached the Apex Realm could achieve this.
In mere seconds, the augmented sword energy sliced through the darkness of the night.
Too slow.
Leonard was not pleased with the result. Having already reached this level once, he found that the formation of the augmented qi itself wasn't particularly difficult. The problem lay in the speed of formation and the insufficiency of the consumed internal energy.
While he had inherited Yeon Mu-Hyuk's soul and unlocked the upper dantian, the full extent of this body's potential had not been awakened. He would only be able to utilize his full power upon reaching the Transcendence Tier.
It took three seconds to form the augmented sword energy from scratch, and he couldn't maintain it for more than three minutes.
If an opponent doesn't let their guard down and charges in, I'd only last for ten moves. Even if I managed to use Augmented Sword Assimilation, I'd be defeated in a hundred moves.
The actual gap between the External Force Tier and the Body Refining Tier was minor when compared to the gap between the External Force Tier and the Transcendence Tier. It was something Leonard couldn't handle by himself.
My movements must not be discovered, and I need to find a way to inform the Order of the Fledgling Dragon and Bradley about the presence of the enemies invading the Galapagos Island...
"Uma Ambev para chamar de sua": a jornada da líder de bebidas focada no consumidorUm conteúdo Ambev & Brazil Journal
Also, he needed to accurately assess the threat level to avoid significant harm from misjudging the enemies. After pondering for several minutes, Leonard found his answer.
Shiiinggg!
Once again, an augmented sword energy surged from his blade, carving large wounds on the shadow knight's body. From this moment on, the Thirtieth Shadow would become a hero.
***
After returning from the Owl Plains, Leonard refrained from venturing deep into the island, opting instead to observe the situation from afar. A week passed without incident.
Have they not discovered it yet?
"Leonard!"
Someone suddenly called out to him. Leonard was wandering aimlessly along the beach when the familiar voices of the trio reached his ears. Turning in their direction, he saw bedraggled figures approaching, resembling beggars more than knights. It seemed they had just returned from night training.
Hayden, Ian, and Gale approached with ragged faces and initiated a conversation with him.
"How long has it been? How have you been?" Hayden exclaimed.
"For your information, we haven't been well at all. That hellish swamp is even worse at night," Ian grumbled.
"The ground was muddy, and bugs were buzzing everywhere. It's no place for humans to live or go!" Gale added.
It seemed they had a very insightful experience in the Forest of Bones. Despite their complaints, Leonard could sense that they had grown stronger. Regardless of the level of their mana cultivation, their swordsmanship had improved.
"You returned sooner than expected. I thought you'd be gone for a month," Leonard replied.
The three of them looked frightened at Leonard's words.
"No! Why are you saying such dreadful things?!" Hayden protested.
"Spending a month there would make anyone break their limbs to escape, and I'm not kidding," Gale remarked.
"I would do the same. The problem is, even with broken limbs, there's no guarantee you'd be able to leave," Ian remarked. Hayden and Gale were continuously nodding in agreement.
Leonard might not fully understand because he was still growing, but breaking a limb was no big deal for fully developed apprentice knights like them. A potion could mend the bone in no time, allowing them to continue training after a few minutes of rest.
Still, Leonard's words led to a topic he had been curious about.
"They said the training was scheduled to last for another two weeks, wasn't it?" Leonard asked.
"This is the first time that training has been shortened like this, so we're not sure either. Perhaps something happened?"
Leonard's eyes narrowed.
Seems they found it.
The gift that he had prepared meticulously for the Order of the Fledgling Dragon had been discovered.