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Chapter 40

While he didn’t have to worry about garnering the attention of the others within the confines of the island, venturing outside the base camp seemed to require extra caution.

Rustle.

Leonard spread out a map he had purchased from the trio with a few low-grade mana stones and tried to anticipate the Order of the Shadow’s travel route.

The map Bradley had given him on the first day was too crude, and the geographical terrain was outdated, so Leonard had discarded the map as soon as he had received a new one. As he traced the new map with his fingers, his narrowed eyes conveyed dissatisfaction.

The information from the Thirtieth Shadow isn’t of much help.

It wasn’t that the Order of the Shadow’s plan was too meticulous; it was quite the opposite. They had been negligent in their investigation of the Galapagos Island, the mission’s main stage, because they were distracted by their goal of kidnapping the Cardenas family’s children. Their careless mistake of traversing through the center of the island just to travel the shortest distance had cost them dearly.

If a Swordmaster had led the way, perhaps their objective could have been achieved.

But to avoid drawing attention from the enemy, they opted to split into groups and then regroup at the destination.

Ultimately, it was the worst move. In the central part of the island were Rank S monsters that only a Swordmaster could handle. Additionally, several nearby types of Rank A monsters dominated the surrounding habitats and would tear apart intruders.

Even for an Eighth Degree External Force Tier knight, surviving an encounter with a Rank A monster, especially one in the True Demon Tier, would be difficult. From Rank A3 onwards, they were comparable to knights at the Tenth Degree External Force Tier.

Even if I don’t intervene, more than half might end up dead.

Unlike the Cardenas’ knights, the Kurdish Kingdom’s shadow knights had a swordsmanship and a fighting style that were specialized for human combat. Against humanoid monsters, their skills were effective, but facing non-humanoid Rank A monsters made it difficult for them to showcase their true abilities.

With cold, calculating eyes, Leonard looked down at the map.

There are two possibilities.

The first was that the Fifth Shadow, the Swordmaster, had realized the underlying danger on the island and was searching for the shadow knights to salvage the remaining members. In such a scenario, though it would be difficult to eliminate them individually, Leonard would be able to sense the large group and avoid the approaching Swordmaster.

The second was that they were still scattered across the island.

In terms of reducing their forces, the latter is preferable, but in the worst-case scenario, I might encounter the Swordmaster, who is roaming alone.

The odds of victory were nonexistent, and the chance of surviving by escaping was less than twenty percent. A shiver ran down Leonard’s spine.

Hah, this should be fun.

A martial artist’s potential flourished most on the edge of a blade. Taking action to eliminate dozens of Apex Realm experts while avoiding the Creation Realm master was the most atrocious mission setting imaginable, but it filled Leonard with a burning determination.

Leonard took out the signaling device from his subspace pouch and hung it around his neck, tensing his body to be ready to react at any moment. The signaling device was both a tracking tool to trace his enemies and a device that allowed them to track him down.

I can ambush them if I find them, or act as bait if they find me.

Surely, no one from the Order of the Shadow would expect that even after a fellow shadow knight was overwhelmed by the enemy, the enemy would manage to figure out a use for the signaling device.

It might prove useful at least a few times. If the signal, which was supposed to belong to their comrades, turned out to be the enemies’ surprise attack, even the most well-trained knight would be a step slower than Leonard. Surrendering that one step meant losing an arm or a leg, even if they were at the Tenth Degree External Force Tier.

Leonard just had to be wary of one Swordmaster.

“Shall I get started?” Leonard said, as if to encourage himself. He walked not towards the door but deeper into the cave. This passage was unknown even to Bradley, who had assigned this accommodation to him.

“I didn’t expect to use this so soon.”

It was something he had done on a whim after breaking through to the External Force Tier. He had dug the underground passage as a precaution against unforeseen circumstances.

While Leonard wasn’t highly skilled in earth manipulation techniques, the combination of his physical abilities and earth elemental energy was excellent. With his hands, he could cut through rock layers that even pickaxes struggled with and fix areas where pillars needed to be erected.

The passage was dug to the inner part of the island, and thanks to the passage, it eliminated the hassle of having to evade the Order of the Fledgling Dragon.

Step by step, his footsteps echoed faintly beyond the darkness of the underground passage.

***

The Valley of Lions was an area classified with a danger level of over four skulls, and it could be considered the deepest part of the island. It was a key area closest to the Cardenas family’s base camp.

The air around Leonard changed as soon as he stepped into the Valley of Lions. The scent of blood permeated the air, making his nose wrinkle.

As soon as I left the forest, it felt as if I stepped into a desert. The natural environment of this island is beyond comprehension.

Leonard glanced around the cliff where a sandstorm raged fiercely. The blowing wind was reminiscent of when he’d traveled to the Potala Palace from the Taklamakan Desert. The wind in the Valley of Lions carried an animosity and bloodlust that felt exceedingly hostile to humans. If he encountered the monsters inhabiting the area, it seemed it would be a fight to the death.

And the only type of monster inhabiting the Valley of Lions is the manticore.

The four skulls drawn on the parchment were painted blood-red, indicating the valley’s danger.

The manticore was a monstrous creature notorious for its viciousness and strength. It had the body of a lion and the head of another creature. Its species classification was Rank A, and even Mature Demon Tier manticores were considered stronger than Sixth Degree External Force Tier knights.

Compared to an ogre, a representative Rank A monster, the manticore was slightly inferior in terms of physical ability, but it possessed venomous stingers on its tail tip, magical abilities, and bizarre special abilities.

According to the trio, most of the casualties that occur, albeit rarely, in the Order of the Fledgling Dragon come from the Valley of Lions.

The Valley of Lions was worthy of being considered one of the most dangerous among the Rank A monsters present on Galápagos Island.

The method to determine its special ability was also particularly unique; it depended on what type of creature’s head it had. If it had the head of a goblin or kobold, the manticore would be relatively weak, but if it had the head of an orc or a troll, it would be relatively strong. It was very rare, but if it had a human head, it was considered a special type of manticore.

“Hmm.”

Walking along the cliff, Leonard paused.

“Finally, I can see that hideous face.”

Different from trolls and Owlbears, the manticore exuded a disturbing presence as if it had crawled out of a nightmare. It made Leonard shudder involuntarily. It didn’t see other beings as prey or enemies but treated them like toys.

The manticore came into view. As it strode forward, it spewed red flames amidst the sandstorm. It was truly grotesque.

A troll’s head. Is it at the Mature Demon Tier?

It was Rank A2. As Leonard faced its presence, he carefully examined the factors that could influence its combat power.

There are more than one or two dangerous aspects.

Its dark, leathery skin and muscular body were large and heavy. The smoke emanating from the troll head’s lips was suspicious. Moreover, its long tail resembled a scorpion’s, and the tip was like a mace covered in densely packed spikes, resembling a hedgehog. It probably contained lethal venom.

With the manticore’s unknown special abilities, its entire body seemed like a tool for slaughter.

“Gurung? Guhurung,” the manticore’s roar was truly eerie.

When Leonard’s eyes flickered at the eerie sound, another roar erupted, sending out a formless shockwave.

“Guroakkkkkkkkkk!!”

“Huh!?”

Leonard froze for a moment at the sudden roar. Was it due to fear? It wasn’t.

Sound Art!

Similar to how a tiger’s roar could freeze someone in their tracks, the roar that had just reverberated could too, but the manticore’s version maximized the roar’s power.

Having experienced sound arts before, Leonard immediately reacted. The lightning energy emitted from the Five Elements True Dragon Ring rushed through him, awakening his paralyzed muscles and letting him regain control. Normally, he would recover in two or three seconds, but in a situation where he faced a Rank A monster, time was critical.

Five Elements Style

Black Tortoise Seventh Form: Ice Shell Barrier

A pitch-black and viscous sword energy poured from Leonard’s sword like ink, forming a wall. Among the Five Elements Sword Qi, the Black Tortoise Seventh Form was the technique with the most defensive power. The instantly formed barrier covered Leonard’s front like a turtle shell.

Immediately, crackling sounds filled the air. Venomous stingers shot out like rain, hitting the barrier and ricocheting. The stingers were embedded into the ground.

It was a terrifying force. In terms of speed, power, and sharpness, the manticore’s tail was on par with the hidden weapons of the Sichuan Tang Clan. However, the application method was crude. Rather than calling it a skill, the manticore was merely swinging its tail forcefully.

What a cunning beast.

Leonard had unknowingly distanced himself from the manticore by several meters. He smiled with a hint of bloodlust in his eyes. The manticore’s sudden roar and even its relentless barrage of stingers were all things he had experienced when the members of the Sichuan Tang Clan had fought and pursued him. The manticore was clever enough not to be considered just a monster, and it infuriated Leonard immensely.

“You won’t get a painless death.”

Leonard’s eyes gleamed with killing intent, and the manticore hesitated, feeling uneasy. Matching its retreat, Leonard surged forward.

Five Elements and Six Divinities Arts

Crimson Crow Sun

Burning Heat Stride

Leonard accelerated with a thunderous crash, shattering the cliff wall. Unlike before, he weaved left and right, leaving faint afterimages. The afterimages captivated the manticore’s eyes. Bewildered, the manticore fired a few stingers at the afterimages. Amidst its confusion, Leonard closed the distance and raised his sword.

Five Elements Style

White Tiger First Form: Mountain Crusher

The White Tiger’s strike was immaculate at smashing and pulverizing. The Vermillion Bird’s agility allowed Leonard to instantly transition from a stationary position with a burst of momentum possessing incredible destruction. This momentum was naturally transferred to his blade. It was a strike focused solely on enhancing destructive power.

Even the sound seemed to tear apart as Leonard’s Mountain Crusher severed one of the manticore’s legs. A gruesome sound echoed as blood gushed onto the ground and sizzled. The blood seemed venomous or acidic, the blood itself a tool for taking life. If the manticore was a creature engineered by someone, its designer had to have possessed a profoundly malicious nature.

Convinced of that, Leonard raised his sword once again.

“I was aiming to slice through to the bone and tear your lungs apart, but you managed to evade with only losing one leg. As expected, Rank A monsters are different,” Leonard remarked.

Even Rank B3 monsters, such as Rank B3 trolls and Owlbears, would have likely failed to respond to Leonard’s attack even though they had broken through to the True Demon Tier. Perhaps a lycanthrope could have succeeded, but even that was uncertain. With these thoughts in mind, Leonard infused his sword with internal energy.

Five Elements Sword Qi

Shattering Blade

The metal element of the Five Elements Sword Qi tinted the blade white. Then, Leonard pulled out another sword from his subspace pouch and readied his next move.

Five Elements Sword Qi

Nether Blade

The sword gleamed with a pitch-black blade.

This was Leonard’s first time dual-wielding swords in his current body. To reach the pinnacle of the One Origin Five Elements Sword Art, one needed to progress from one to two, to three, and so on, completing a set of five. It didn’t feel necessary or pleasant to use the One Origin Five Elements Sword Art to face an Owlbear, but the manticore was a different story.

“From now on, you’ll have to be my training dummy,” Leonard declared.

The road ahead was long. Therefore, Leonard decided to hasten his pace.