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Chapter 42

Among them, the monster before his eyes was the worst of all.

“A third-stage manticore! And a special variant, no less?! Are the Cardenas bastards training here completely out of their minds?”

The manticore had a human head, and it glared at him and his comrades, its eyes turning a deep crimson. This was a clear sign of an imminent magic attack, a sight he had witnessed many times. The five shadow knights were experienced with countless battles, and they swiftly assumed defensive positions.

Whoosh—!

A small-scale firestorm raged over the shadow knights, who had shielded themselves with their augmented sword energy. This was a monster that could cast a Class 4 spell without an incantation. A manticore that had broken through to the True Demon Tier was a monstrous creature, and a special variant had several times the intelligence and mana. An inexperienced mage could have their own spell reflected back, causing their internal Circle to explode.

“Happp!”

The Twelfth Shadow shivered at the heat and swung his sword to clear the surrounding air. Without doing that, the hot air would have burned his lungs. The other shadow knights did the same, but the heat that breached their defenses burned their skin, and some had parts of their faces charred. Even so, the Twelfth Shadow did not reprimand them.

Damn it, if only we hadn’t been caught off guard by the roar, things wouldn’t have gone so wrong!

Thinking back to the last-minute upset in their fight with the manticore, the Twelfth Shadow clenched his teeth. They had managed to block the special variant manticore’s ultimate skill, the Petrification Wave, with their armor, but they hadn’t anticipated it would follow up immediately with the Roar of Fear. This had left them immobilized and vulnerable to the monster’s magic.

It will take at least three more minutes for the paralysis in my legs to wear off. I can endure it, but the others might not.

The manticore, relishing its craftiness, continued casting spells from just outside the reach of their augmented sword energy. The knights at the Ninth Degree External Force Tier could somehow endure, but those at the Eighth Degree were already showing signs of reaching their limits, their faces pale. It was certain that they would soon be roasted by the firestorm. However, if the Twelfth Shadow tried to shield them from all the magic spells, they might be wiped out by the special variant manticore.

It was a desperate situation. Suddenly, the signaling device on his wrist blinked. A joyous smile spread across the Twelfth Shadow’s face. This news could lift the morale of his comrades.

“Reinforcements are coming! Hold on just a little longer!”

Seeing the signal, the knights brightened, and they gripped their swords more tightly. The balance between them and the manticore was precarious. A minor mistake or an external intervention could topple it instantly. Fortunately, luck seemed to be on their side.

The manticore sensed the change in their mood and twisted its elderly face in disgust. Having already used the Petrification Wave and expended its venomous stingers, it knew it couldn’t survive if reinforcements arrived.

At that moment, Leonard arrived.

One at the Tenth Degree External Force Tier, two at the Ninth Degree, and two at the Eighth Degree. They’ve held their ground with their limbs intact against a True Demon Tier manticore.

The shadow knights seemed to be fine even after facing the Petrification Wave. Their legs were rooted to the ground, so it was likely that they were paralyzed by the Roar of Fear. They had minor injuries all over them, and the energy shield protecting them had disappeared, as their mana consumption was huge.

After quickly assessing the condition of the five shadow knights, Leonard shifted his gaze.

The manticore has several deep wounds and is bleeding heavily. It seems like either its petrification ability can’t be used continuously or that it is not in the condition to use it. It also looks as if it can only fire one or two more rounds of venomous stingers. If the paralysis from its roar wears off, it will likely be killed.

In the delicate balance, the manticore was slightly disadvantaged. As he was aiming to reap some benefits, Leonard knew which side to assist. He drew two swords from his waist.

Five Elements Sword Qi

Twin Thunder Swords: Flight

The dual swords shot forward, glowing blue. It was the Flying Sword Technique, a skill that required telekinesis as its foundation and specialized in attacking distant enemies. However, the skill couldn’t compare to Sword Manipulation.

Enhanced by lightning qi, the flying swords moved so quickly that a person couldn’t react even if the swords were seen in front of them. Moreover, the shadow knights, focused solely on the manticore, weren’t paying attention to their backs.

Naturally, the result was devastating.

Two heads flew simultaneously, and blood spurted high into the air. Everyone on the battlefield froze. Not even the Twelfth Shadow had time to respond. If Leonard had targeted him instead, it was likely that the Twelfth Shadow would survive, but Leonard had chosen to eliminate the less skilled knights. The two shadow knights at the Eighth Degree External Force Tier collapsed to the ground, their necks severed.

The manticore seized the opportunity and attacked when the remaining three shadow knights were in shock.

“Argh!”

A shadow knight was engulfed in cursed fire, unable to stop it because the magic shield on his armor had been expended due to blocking the Petrification Wave. He writhed and died.

With three comrades lost in an instant, the remaining knight glared at Leonard and screamed, “You bastard! You vile, filthy, despicable fiend! Have you no pride or honor?”

At the Twelfth Shadow’s outburst, Leonard’s eyebrows shot up.

“Pride? Honor? Are you serious?”

It wasn’t even funny. Knowing their true intentions, Leonard curled his lips into a cynical smile.

He drew two more swords from his subspace pouch and openly mocked them. “You’re here to kidnap children. People like you have no right to speak of such virtues.”

“How... how did you find out?”

The shadow knight’s eyes widened in disbelief at Leonard’s words.

“Aren’t you curious how I was able to use the signaling device your people carry? One of your comrades told me everything.”

“You think I’ll fall for such a petty trick?!”

“The Kurdish Kingdom’s shadow knights, defeated by Cardenas, are clinging to their grandiose name. Unable to win in a fair fight, you stoop to targeting children. Where is the honor and pride in that? Is that common practice in your backward little country?”

Pride wounded and identity exposed, the shadow knight wiped all emotion from his face. No matter what it took, he had to kill the young man in front of him. That resolve consumed the Twelfth Shadow entirely.

“Pughh!”

He spat out blood. To break the manticore’s paralysis, he forced his internal mana to rotate, causing severe internal injuries. He took a step forward without looking back and gave an order.

“Twenty-First, hold on just a little longer.”

“Understood.”

It was essentially a death sentence, but the Twenty-First Shadow accepted it without protest. The special variant manticore, now facing him alone, smirked as if enjoying the situation.

A Tenth Degree External Force Tier knight, just a step away from the Transcendence Tier, was now burning his own life force to face Leonard.

“Us Shadows would never betray the Kurdish Kingdom. Surely, you must have used some wicked magic that twisted his mind.”

“Wicked magic?”

Leonard tilted his head with a slight smile at the comment.

Was the forceful opening of the Baekhoe point truly wicked magic? After a moment’s thought, he laughed. It didn’t matter.

Black and white light overflowed from his twin swords. It was the Black Tortoise Qi and the White Tiger Qi. The Dark Blade and the Shattering Blade resonated softly.

At the same time, a purple sword energy erupted from the Twelfth Shadow’s blade. It was an element not included in the Five Elements. Leonard, rarely impressed, murmured with interest.

“A power not of this world? Intriguing.”

The shadow knight did not reply, but the eerie trajectory of the purple blade extended toward Leonard.

Five Elements Style

Black Tortoise First Form: Soul-Deflecting Shell Mirror

Leonard drew a circle with his black blade. The purple and black energies clashed, carving away at each other before deflecting in opposite directions. Both men’s eyes narrowed sharply.

What an absurd defense! It’ll be hard to break through head-on.

An attack that should have been reflected merely bent off course. This is completely different from the typical nature of energy.

Without exchanging any more words, they focused entirely on their swords. As their blades tore apart the earth and wind in their vicinity, the sound of their blades tearing through the air echoed loudly. Both the Twelfth Shadow and Leonard swung their swords with near-meditative focus.

If the Thirtieth Shadow’s swordsmanship was akin to that of a worm, the Twelfth Shadow’s was like that of an Imoogi[1], though not quite a dragon.

The aura from Leonard’s black and white dual swords moved upward and grazed the shadow knight, leaving a line of blood on the knight’s cheek. The Twelfth Shadow’s movement was like a snake dancing freely in six directions.

Impressive.

Leonard’s lips twisted into a sinister smile. He was pleased to face such skill after a long time. The independent movements of the sword and the sword energy were different from the Central Plains’ swordsmanship, where form, internal energy, essence, and qi had to be in accordance. Though part of it was due to the unique nature of the purple energy, the Twelfth Shadow’s murderous swordsmanship was on a different level compared to those who relied on the black sword.

Leonard opened his mouth. “Hey.”

“What?” The shadow knight, deeply immersed in battle, looked at him with curiosity.

“Why don’t you use the abilities of your black sword? It seems it would be more dangerous if you did.”

“You even know that, huh... The reason is simple. The Shadow Sword’s effectiveness drops sharply when it holds aura above a certain level. It’s not a suitable weapon for a proper fight.”

“I see.” Leonard immediately understood.

Thinking about it, Leonard realized that everyone would use the dark sword if it didn’t have such a weakness. This could possibly explain why the Eighth Degree External Force Tier shadow knight was overwhelmed in their duel.

Leonard and the Twelfth Shadow resumed their stances. This time, they intended to fight to the death, the sword energy around their blades glowing more vividly. But then, Leonard frowned.

“Tsk.”

“?”

Puzzled by the opening move, the Twelfth Shadow moved his leg to step forward.

Crunch!

The manticore’s tail silently struck, splitting the knight’s skull open and splattering his brain. The Twelfth Shadow was killed instantly.

The manticore made sure he was dead with several more strikes.

Crunch! Thud! Squelch!

Even the energy shield of a Tenth Degree External Force Tier knight was meaningless against an ambush from a True Demon Tier monster. Being too engrossed in the fight with Leonard had decreased the knight’s awareness of his surroundings.

The manticore finally turned to face Leonard, having abruptly put an end to the duel between the two knights.

A monster and a swordsman. The dry wind blowing between them accentuated the life-and-death tension in the air.

“Ah.”

It was then that the manticore’s elderly human head opened its mouth.

“Hu...man.”

1. Imoogi are Korean lesser dragons. According to Korean folklore, all dragons start as imoogi which appear more like large serpents. ☜