Chapter 109

Chapter 109Though District 2 was famous for its streets being packed, it wasn’t teeming with people or open for business all day and night.

The clanging and the heat faded from most forges when the sun set because there was no more light. Most general stores, too, were closed in the dead of night, though there were some places that stayed open to sell potions and equipment at a higher price in case there was an urgent need. And of course, this was also true of the magic tool shops, which were run by the Magic Tower. There were even some places that closed as soon as the sun began to set, so whenever explorers went to District 2, they usually went to the magic tool shops first.

If District 2 opened when the sun rose and closed when the sun set, District 3 opened when the sun set and closed when the sun rose.

People are beginning to leave.

Leonard scanned the streets. He had wandered through every corner of District 2, and there were far fewer visitors than there were a few hours ago. At this rate, it would only be an hour or two until the crowds faded completely.

I can either go explore District 3 again, or I can go to District 4 and fight them there... I think.

After looking all over, he still couldn’t find a place in District 2 that was suitable for a proper fight. The alleyways in the outskirts and near forges were on the larger side, but if he went to one, his pursuers would realize he was trying to lure them in. He’d already tricked them into doing that and annihilated an entire force, so there was a high possibility that they would only use long-range attacks through archery or magic.

It was a very common tactic to force an opponent into a battle of endurance when one had an advantage in numbers in order to drain their strength.

There’s no way I can coerce them into a head-on fight.

As long as Pablo was taking this seriously, he wouldn’t deploy some half-wits who would fall for such shallow tricks. They were moving with purpose, so Leonard’s pursuers were likely Moby Dick’s elite forces. He knew for a fact that they wouldn’t make such a predictable ambush as the masks had done last time.

Besides, Leonard was already caught in their trap.

The only place on this whole island where I’ll be safe from Moby Dick is on board the Aquamarine. If Bermuda has approved a death warrant for me, not even the Magic Tower will be able to harbor me. The more time passes, the more advantageous it will become for Pablo, so they won’t be in any rush.

He paused and took a moment to reexamine his thoughts.

No, wait. Is that even true?

Not even Pablo had control over every part of the Alliance. In fact, there were even some big shots in the Council who opposed him, and naturally, neither the Magic Tower’s nor Bermuda’s explorers exactly had a favorable impression of him.

However, Leonard himself didn’t have the means or the leeway to take advantage of that.

But Frances certainly can.

That meant he wasn’t the only one racing against the clock. It would be worth it to test out his theory.

Beep. Beep beep. Beep.

Just then, the artifact in Leonard’s pocket let out a faint sound, beeping at regular intervals. Russell had given it to him before he left the Magic Tower.

“This is a prototype of a magical communication tool. Right now, it can only transmit information from one side, but it can send substantially long messages. I will use it to send you information about Moby Dick and about any developments in the situation.”

Leonard dug around his pocket in a natural-looking motion and wrapped his fingers around the artifact, which was letting out a small voice.

— _____________________.

—__________.

The events that arose at Bermuda.

Moby Dick’s secret plot.

Frances’s ludicrous plan and gamble.

“Ha!” Leonard couldn’t help but let out a sound of wonder. Her astuteness reminded him of the Heavenly Strategist, and he couldn’t hold back his admiration for her brilliance even as a martial artist who was currently playing with fire.

She was on a different level from even Leonard himself despite the fact that he’d inherited his power and experience from his past life. He couldn’t believe a girl who wasn’t even twenty was capable of such greatness.

She has far surpassed my expectations. That makes me want to show off more too.

Leonard barely managed to stop himself from grabbing the handle of his sword and headed to District 4. He had no more intention nor the need to keep dragging things out in District 3 to buy time. If Frances was already on the move, there was no way Pablo would miss it entirely. Even if the councilor couldn’t completely figure out her goal, he would be ready to play his hand.

I would still be helping if I hid in District 3 to buy time, but that would only be a temporary measure.

The reason Aquamarine was now taking a defensive stance was because they were guaranteed to lose in a head-on fight. Even if the Magic Tower’s Chief Elder helped, Aquamarine’s fighting prowess would still be far below Moby Dick’s. Sure, they had two Masters, but the supporting members did not have the strength or the skills to contribute much to the battle.

So, they had to close the gap.

“I’ll kill as many as I can.”

And there was no easier task than that for Leonard.

* * *

District 4 was connected to the quayside, where the explorers’ vessels were neatly anchored. The quality and location of their dock, as well as the services they could employ, depended on their Rank.

This area had once been covered with bulwarks and artillery units to defend against foreign invaders, but now, only their ruins remained.

The sun had already reached the west, making Leonard cast a shadow several times longer than before.

Is this where Rank D expedition teams dock?

He looked out toward the ocean.

It was a pitiful sight. The boats were bobbing peacefully on the water’s surface, all clustered together. There was so little space between them that he was concerned that they might crash into each other. The difference between these and the Rank A teams’ docks, which were large enough to place a villa and then some, was like night and day.

“It looks decent,” Leonard muttered. Of course, he wasn’t talking about the state of the docks but its potential as a battlefield.

The remains of the barricades and artillery units are scattered randomly just like in the ruins. And there will be more tactics available to me if I use the boats as obstacles and covers. And if I’m really in a pinch, I can jump into the ocean and use water arts.

Leonard was more used to being at a disadvantage than having the upper hand, and he had gone through more sneaky ambushes and dogfights than fair matches. His battle tactics and ability to utilize additional variables matched his experience.

According to the information Frances gave me, the leader of my pursuers is a powerful Transcendence Tier fighter. Nothing is known about him other than the fact that he uses four curved swords when he fights. Moby Dick’s second-in-command, Herman Melville.

After reaching the upper echelon of the External Force Tier, Leonard was now able to wield augmented energy with ease. Moby Dick was an extraordinarily powerful expedition team, but he could win in a fight against tens of members who weren’t Masters. The difference in their power was not something their numbers could compensate.

Sure, if they took some mysterious drug as Conrad had, the battle would become more difficult, but seeing as how Pablo was trying to get rid of him through official means, he didn’t think he would resort to such tactics. Leonard had revealed some of his true power at District 5, so Pablo had likely sent someone who was sure to defeat him.

Hm. I wish I could fight him one-on-one.

Leonard could wield five swords, while his opponent could wield four. It was a chance for his blades to clash with someone who had the strength and experience to wield multiple swords. He hoped that Herman Melville wouldn’t send his subordinates to wear him out or attack with them as one group.

Zing!

Leonard sensed an arrow flying toward him faster than the speed of sound. He cut through it with his sword. He could have dodged the arrow had he leaned about an inch back, but its spin was dangerous. The reason he’d snapped it instead was that it could change its trajectory.

As someone trained in the Yeon family archery, he found it to be a decent level of skill.

They’re about as strong as Ninian.

The archer was perhaps just below the point of being able to respond to a thousand attacks with one arrow.

After assessing his attacker’s level of skill, Leonard turned toward them, back facing the sunset as he drew another sword.

At this point, he was more used to wielding two swords than one. Leonard easily slipped into a battle stance. His eyes pierced through the shadows to find his hidden enemies.

“Aren’t you going to step out?” he goaded.

Perhaps it was because the sun hadn’t yet or because they’d watched him slaughter close to one hundred masks. Either way, they were very still and gave off cold hostility.

They seemed more like hunters than martial artists or explorers.

When he came to that conclusion, Leonard smiled icily. “Really, you’re planning to hunt me? With that level of skill?”

He hadn’t sensed a Transcendence Tier martial artist yet. They were mostly Ninth and Tenth Degree External Force Tier fighters, but that was far from enough to defeat Leonard, even if they had mages or spiritualists.

The sun sank below the horizon, and darkness settled over the docks.

Leonard lowered his swords and bent his knees.

Five Elements and Six Divinities Art

Heavenly Dragon King Art

Flash Lightning Stride

Lightning flashed within the darkness.

Even before the lightning finished fizzling out from Leonard’s feet after he took a powerful leap forward, he was already halfway to his target. Having reached the Tenth Degree External Force Tier, Leonard could now move at speeds that other External Force Tier martial artists couldn’t keep up with.

The rain of arrows and barrage of spells came down a moment too late; they pierced through his afterimage and only dug into the ground. It was a wasted attack. Even though Leonard wasn’t even trying to hide his path, they still couldn’t land an attack.

“How is he moving so fast?!”

“Lightning Spear! Shit, I couldn’t even hit him with lightning magic!”

“Attack from the side, not the front! We have to block his path first!”

Whoever said the last part was correct. If a person couldn’t keep up with their opponent’s speed, they simply needed to stay two steps forward and time their attack by predicting their opponent’s trajectory. That was all.

The amount of lightning blocking Leonard’s path swelled up enough to attack a whole army. If he didn’t use an augmented energy shield, he would be ripped to shreds.

Wind started to swirl around Leonard as he dashed forward and formed vortexes around his blades.

If his opponent was going to try to tear him apart with a storm, he would do the same.

Five Elements Style

White Tiger Eighteenth Form: Wind Hail Barrage

A tiger’s roar ripped through the air.

Roaaaaar—!

In a matter of seconds, the winds from his swords evolved. A breeze became a whirlwind. A whirlwind became a gale. A gale became a tempest.

It was a much more powerful attack than when he’d used it with one sword; it looked like a Class 6 wind spell.

He knocked aside dozens of trivial attacks from arrows and Class 4 and 5 spells with room to spare. As Leonard stood at the eye of the storm, he now had several meters of safe space around him.

They’re only two steps away now.

He met their shocked, fearful eyes.

Five Elements and Six Divinities Art

Heavenly Dragon King Art

Flash Lightning Stride

But his opponents still moved, trying to find any possible way to block his attack. Their effort to continue fighting was commendable—even though Leonard was about to cut their heads off to spare them pain. S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Swoosh!

Leonard took a step back, and a fierce jab of a spear came down where he’d just been, missing him by a wide margin.

The attacker was a step above Gallano in terms of spearplay. From their refined Aura to their well-trained movements with the spear, there was not a flaw to be found. If this skilled spearman was able to take it to the next level and infuse it with Intent, they could reach the Transcendence Tier.

“Ah.”

There wasn’t just one spearman. Three of them stood in front of him as if to block his path.

Leonard already knew about them. “You three are Trident, the triplet explorers, no?”

They all resembled each other, of course, but they also gave off a similar presence, which meant that they were uniform even in essence.

All of Moby Dick’s elite explorers had their own titles, but even among them, Trident was very famous. Their ability to move as one was known far and wide, and it was said that they could even take out a Rank S monster if they worked together.

Shing.

Three spears fell into a row, resembling a trident.

Their spearplay and formations were completely different from military styles, but their stance gave off an incredible force.

Interest piqued, Leonard went through another opening display.

It was time for a head-on fight.