Chapter 133

Chapter 133 A most shocking turn of events.

Gooooooo...

The clouds drifting leisurely across the sky of the Mindscape were torn apart, and the ground in the surrounding area was upturned, triggering a landslide. The transcendent being could cause natural disasters with just a roar.

Leonard, seeing a true dragon through Wade’s heart sword, swallowed dryly. The creature’s presence was overwhelming, as though it could turn everything in the heavens and earth to ashes.

Even the weight of the sword in his grip seemed to fade.

...Is it not going to attack?

The dragon merely glared at Leonard with its ferocious eyes, as if to test him. Of course, most people would freeze upon witnessing a dragon, but not Leonard, who had awakened the Dragon Heart.

“Phew.”

With a deep breath, Leonard composed himself and slowly raised his sword. His mental state, sharp and focused, began to dispel the overwhelming sense of fear that had engulfed the area.

No matter how powerful a Demigod’s heart sword was, it would be ridiculous for Leonard to be completely overpowered in his own Mindscape.

The fiery landscape, resembling a hellish scene, slowly returned to its original state. The scorching air, close to a vacuum, cooled down, and a refreshing breeze was now blowing.

Rumble—

The dragon, whose influence had been swiftly eradicated, growled indignantly, but Leonard did not even flinch. He was the ruler of his own Mindscape. Theoretically, he had complete control over everything except the dragon. If he exerted his will, he could summon thousands of lightning bolts to scorch the dragon into a cinder. Searᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

However...

Not only can I not call the wind or summon the rain, but I can’t even create a single dark cloud.

Leonard realized that he controlled barely over sixty percent of his Mindscape. Restoring the landscape to its normal state had already brought him close to his limit.

The dragon was a manifestation of Commander Wade’s heart sword. From the moment Leonard was struck by the heart sword, part of his Mindscape had practically been stolen. This was different from the heart devil. If Leonard was injured or killed by the dragon, the damage would proportionally translate to the loss of his territory. The only way to reclaim it was to inflict significant damage on the dragon or defeat it outright.

I have to either defeat it or at least deal a severe blow to reclaim my Mindscape.

Using a half-hearted technique against an opponent of this caliber wouldn’t even leave a scratch. Leonard had come to this painful realization while facing Heaven’s Annihilation, and again during his sparring with Demian.

To land an effective hit on a Demigod, Leonard had to respond with a technique of a higher caliber, even if it was incomplete. Fortunately, in his Mindscape, the recoil was minimal.

—How long do you expect me to wait?

Wade’s voice echoed from the dragon, which stood imposingly before Leonard.

In response, Leonard lifted his sword horizontally. “Here I come.

Coincidentally, the Red Dragon Commander was a warrior with an affinity for fire. Having trained with the water attribute to counteract Heaven’s Annihilation, Wade was a favorable opponent for Leonard.

The image of a giant emerged from Leonard’s body, as he had acquired several times more internal energy than during his battle with the heart devil.

The True Martial Emperor

Mighty God Statue Manifestation

Xuanwu, nearly a hundred feet tall, slowly stood up. One leg was a serpent, the other a tortoise, and the sword in its grasp gleamed with a constellation of seven stars. Larger and more defined than when it had gone up against Heaven’s Annihilation, Xuanwu looked up at the dragon.

Even the hundred-foot giant seemed small in comparison to the colossal dragon.

The Deep Frost Shroud clearly won't work.

Starting with a counterattack meant for later in the battle would be a grave mistake.

Although the Northern God Style had evolved from the purely defensive Black Tortoise Form, it had several offensive techniques like the Black Tortoise Nineteenth Form: Dragon Tail Slash that could be employed against the dragon.

One technique stood out as potentially effective against the dragon.

One Origin Five Elements Sword Art

Northern God Style

Universal Suppression Technique

Cold Snowfall of Winter

A fierce blizzard began to swirl from the Seven Star Sword held by Xuanwu. As the chill that could freeze one’s lungs after a single breath spread, the flames that had been raging on the dragon’s surface waned noticeably.

It was a wide-range suppression technique meant to freeze everything in its path. As winter deepens, snow falls; Xuanwu’s sword unleashed a fierce cold, driving the dragon back. Augmented sword energy of wind, akin to sleet and hail, poured down in thousands, millions of fragments.

Normally, this kind of technique would only last a few seconds, but Leonard, being in his Mindscape, could maintain it for longer. This came as a surprise both to him and Wade.

—... You brat, are you truly only at the Transcendence Tier?

The hundred-foot dragon, its size gradually diminishing under the onslaught of the Cold Snowfall of Winter, growled at Leonard.

Leonard had managed to reclaim the portion of the Mindscape previously overtaken by the dragon. His power also increased, solidifying the balance between him and his opponent. If he could keep this up, Wade’s heart sword would soon be expelled.

Unintentionally falling into a trance, Leonard prepared another attack.

Northern God Style

One Hit One Kill Ultimate Skill

Life and Death Sword

The Northern God Style’s concept of suspension was embodied in Xuanwu’s sword, akin to the scythe of the Grim Reaper. As the Seven Star Sword, intertwined with a blizzard aura, aimed for the dragon’s neck, even Wade, who had been watching calmly, felt a chill down his spine.

If struck by the Life and Death Sword while connected to the heart sword, the damage would be directly transmitted to his soul.

The reaction speed of a Demigod Tier warrior’s subconscious was incredible.

—Damn it!

And realizing his mistake, Wade reacted immediately.

As soon as a portion of Wade’s aura was reflexively transmitted, the dragon trapped within the Cold Snowfall of Winter suddenly expanded more than three times its size, shattering its constraints. Then, it immediately unleashed a Fire Breath at the Life and Death Sword aimed at its neck.

Kwoooooooosh—!!

Even with the advantage of the Mindscape, Leonard was not at the level where he could truly rival a Demigod. The Life and Death Sword seemed to hold on for a moment, but soon, the blade melted, and along with it, Xuanwu’s arm crumbled to ash. Had he been pushed any further, his real body would have sustained a fatal injury.

Unable to withstand the blow, Leonard coughed up blood.

“...Kugh!”

Almost simultaneously, Leonard returned to the real world and, just as in his Mindscape, spat out blood. Shocked by this, the other commanders turned to look at Wade. The most furious among them were Demian and Grace.

“Wade! You crazy old man!”

—Did you lash out at the kid because you feel alienated by your own son?! Have you lost your mind?!

Only Corbin, the Light Dragon Commander, remained calm and assessed the situation.

—He’s not seriously injured. Just some light internal damage.

“...Thank you.”

Leonard, having calmed himself after a few more coughs of blood, sat down. This level of internal injury would heal in a day or two.

I screwed up by letting myself get carried away.

Although it was true that he had been injured by Wade’s heart sword, the reason he coughed up blood was that he had overexerted himself. Even in the Mindscape, manifesting the status of a Demigod twice in a row and chasing after an opponent who intended to retreat, resulting in unnecessary counterattacks, was too much.

Trapping the enemy with the Cold Snowfall of Winter and attacking with the Life and Death Sword—the strategy itself was sound, but the problem was the skill gap between Wade and Leonard. Sheer power would oftentimes overturn strategic advantages.

“It was my mistake.”

Thus, Leonard approached Wade, who was being berated by the others, and explained, “I attempted a reckless attack and suffered the backlash. Commander Wade did not use too much power against me.”

“Even if you say that, it’s still a problem,” Demian said firmly. “It’s unbelievable that someone at the Demigod Tier can’t control their power against someone at the Transcendence Tier. Not to mention, using a heart sword for an unapproved test.”

—He’s right.

Wade calmly acknowledged his fault.

—I underestimated you. I thought I’d acknowledge you if you managed to at least get a scratch on me, but I didn’t expect you to go for the throat. I underestimated your skill and boldness. I apologize.

“It’s fine. I’ve learned a lot.”

—With my position and name on the line, I promise to make up for my actions today. Moreover, I have a proposal regarding your position and affiliation.

Ignoring the other commanders’ looks, Wade made his offer.

—Join the Order of the Red Dragon. Within six months, or at most a year, I’ll vacate the Head Squad Captain’s seat for you.

“What?”

As the three commanders froze at the bold proposal, Wade, revealing his clear intentions, continued.

—The main duty of the Order of the Red Dragon is to seal the Rifts that appear across the continent and eradicate the Outer Gods and their cult worshippers. Given your experience in defeating an apostle even before joining, your seniors would have no choice but to recognize you.

“I see. The Order of the Red Dragon is responsible for the Outer God cults and the Rifts.”

—Exactly. We also have the largest number of members, meaning we often assist other knight orders, providing diverse combat experience.

For Leonard, who yearned for fierce battles against strong enemies, this offer was quite tempting. Achieving a high-ranking position in one of the Seven Great Orders would grant him further access to the secrets of the Cardenas family and make it easier to interact with other Demigod Tier powerhouses.

However, two other commanders jumped in before he could respond.

“On whose permission are you taking him?! That’s a violation of the rules!”

—That’s right! The Order of the Blue Dragon can treat you better than that old man!

—...I’m not interested, so you three can fight amongst yourselves.

As Demian and Grace caused a commotion, Corbin stepped back and began to doze off. It seemed the Order of the Light Dragon wasn’t particularly eager to recruit new talent.

At this rate, they’ll keep at it for hours.

Seeing no conclusion after several minutes, Leonard couldn’t bear it any longer and intervened in the squabble.

“In that case, how about this?”

In a rare spectacle, three of the seven most powerful individuals in Cardenas stopped to listen attentively to a sixteen-year-old boy. After hearing his idea, their reactions were mostly similar.

—You’re hot-blooded.

Wade, the Red Dragon Commander, wore a wistful expression, quite peculiar for him. Perhaps he was recalling his younger days.

—You’re greedy, aren’t you? And here I thought you were acting too mature for your age.

Grace, the Blue Dragon Commander, chuckled as she finally saw Leonard act his age.

Lastly, Demian, the White Dragon Commander, smiled with satisfaction. “A trial membership, huh? That sounds like a reasonable approach.”

Leonard confessed that he wanted to experience various knight orders before committing to one. He suggested a trial period where he could face the enemies of each knight order and choose the one that suited him best.

Normally, there wouldn’t be a reason to grant such special treatment to a single candidate, but Leonard was an exceptional case.

—I agree. How will the order of the trial membership be decided?

—I agree too. How about drawing lots?

Contradicting the two of them, Demian said, “No, we need to check the schedules to see what missions he can join. Missions that are too dangerous or too trivial won’t help him understand his abilities.”

—...Demian, you’re unusually logical. What are you scheming?

“Ha, you caught on?”

Wade’s sharp question made Demian chuckle and reveal his true intentions.

“There’s a subjugation mission for a Void Deity in a few days. It’s moderately difficult, and its scope is limited enough to handle on my own. Given the circumstances, Leonard’s trial could start with the Order of the White Dragon.”

Though Grace and Wade grimaced at the predetermined conclusion, they had no grounds to dispute it. With Leonard accepting Demian’s proposal, his trial membership was decided to begin with the Order of the White Dragon.

His previously pale complexion, caused by the bleeding, was now flushed with anticipation.

The shell of a fallen god from the old era, a Void Deity, huh...

Leonard’s heart was already pounding with excitement at the thought of facing an entity he had never encountered in either murim or this world.