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Chapter 132

Leonard could hardly believe the scene before his eyes. Countless towering buildings pierced the sky, each like a blade thrust into the ground. The peaks of these structures fragmented the sunlight, scattering shards of light in every direction—a forest of swords indeed.

“This way,” Demian instructed.

As they entered the Forest of Swords, the presence of countless entities became apparent—they had been concealed until now, likely by some sort of formation or barrier. Without knowing where they were, one would be hopelessly surrounded and overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. Even Leonard instinctively took a step back.

Kugh... This is incredible.

His mana senses, being several times more sensitive and wide-ranging than those of his peers, made the pressure even more overwhelming.

Demian, noticing Leonard unease, turned and advised, “Reduce your sensory range. Otherwise, you’ll end up being a nuisance in the Forest of Swords.”

“...How many Transcendents are there in this place?” Leonard asked.

“Including those on missions, over a hundred. Around half are present at any given moment. We gain a few each year, but also lose some on missions, so the number stays relatively constant.”

The Cardenas family truly was an exceptional family.

Even during the Great Demonic War, it was rare for Creation Realm masters to die... The Cardenas family really defies common sense at every turn.

It was remarkable that they produced several Transcendents each year, but equally astonishing that several died each year. That showed just how deadly the enemies of the Seven Great Orders were. For someone who had gone through Dragon Blood Awakening to be killed, their enemy’s combat power had to be among the highest even within Rank S. The Cardenas likely fought enemies as formidable as Pablo, the apostle of an Outer God, whom Leonard had defeated in Atlantis.

“Greetings.”

“It’s good to see you again.”

Passing through corridors where knights who recognized Demian greeted him, they continued deeper into the Forest of Swords. Fabian, who wasn’t high-ranking here, received more casual greetings of mere waves from the knights.

At an especially grand tower within the Forest of Swords, Demian placed his hand on a large door.

Rumble—!

The massive stone door, which seemed like it would take a giant to move, slowly rose, revealing a passage inside—judging by the atmosphere, it wasn’t an ordinary one. The wind flowing from the tower tousled their hair.

“From here, I can’t accompany you,” Fabian said with a slightly bitter expression, stopping in his tracks.

Demian, without a word, gestured for Leonard to follow him inside.

This was the Hall of Dragons, accessible only to the core members of the Seven Great Orders. The hall was off-limits to those from the Order of the Fledgling Dragon, and Leonard himself never would have been summoned here without Demian’s escort.

The passage wasn’t long, but it led to an auditorium that could neither be called wide nor narrow. Leonard counted the seats inside.

Seven seats. The carvings on them resemble dragons...? It looks quite similar.

Before he could ponder the coincidence, Demian, seated in the chair of the White Dragon, reached out. His telekinetic energy touched the round table in the center, and from a groove in the middle, an ancient-looking sword emerged. With a sheen of special metal and cracks spreading like cobwebs on the blade, it exuded a sense of long history.

“This is the sword of our Ancestor,” Demian explained with a serious demeanor.

“It’s the original point where the Cardenas bloodline began. Because it’s a relic left by our Ancestor, its will can reach across great distances. Commanders can join meetings even from the other side of the continent.”

As Demian’s telekinetic energy made contact with the Ancestor’s sword, a few entities suddenly manifested in the other seats, causing Leonard to instinctively take a step back.

—Hmmm.

The semi-transparent figure of a middle-aged man appeared in the red chair, the one of the Order of the Red Dragon. He was looking over at Demian and Leonard, his eyes half-closed.

As expected from Wade, just his virtual image was incredibly intimidating. After all, the Red Dragon Commander was known for his fiery temper even among the Seven Great Orders.

—What’s this? Did Demian call us? This is unusual.

Next, from a seat adorned in blue, emerged the illusion of a beautiful woman. Grace, the Blue Dragon Commander, was a Demigod Tier powerhouse known for her myriad of variations based on a myriad of swords.

Looking at Demian with interest, then at Leonard, she blinked as if she had instantly gauged their capabilities.

—...Please hurry. I’m busy.

One last figure emerged in a gray seat, marked by dark circles under his eyes, attesting to his fatigue even in his semi-transparent state. As he appeared, the shadows in the room seemed to wriggle like living beings. He was Corbin, the Light Dragon Commander.

“Four of us, including myself, huh? The attendance rate isn’t bad,” Demian remarked, satisfied with the majority present.

Even though they could join from anywhere on the continent, the ability to participate depended on their current situations, as some could be in the middle of battle or within a different dimension or subspace.

—State your business.

—Who’s the kid? A new recruit? Can I take him to the Order of the Blue Dragon?

—Please proceed.

Pressed by the three commanders, Demian, with an uncomfortable expression, began to explain. Even if he could speak casually to Grace and Corbin, he had to be cautious with Wade.

“I’ll proceed to explain everything now, so please listen carefully to the end. This is what happened...”

Demian’s briefing included the story Leonard had told him and the events leading up to their arrival at the Hall of Dragons.

Some people knew about the apprentice knight who had gone missing on Galapagos Island, while others did not. To the Seven Great Orders, the whereabouts of an apprentice knight were not of significant importance. From the perspective of the Cardenas family, the infiltration operation by the Kurdish Kingdom was no more than a minor inconvenience.

—...Is that the kid who went missing on Galapagos Island? If I’m not mistaken about his trainee class, he should only be sixteen, right?

—Isn’t that unprecedented in the family? Impressive!

—I’m more interested in hearing about Atlantis than his personal details.

Unlike the Red Dragon Commander and the Blue Dragon Commander, who were intrigued by Leonard, the Light Dragon Commander, Corbin, showed more interest in the incident in the southern part of the continent. This was a topic that Demian, not being the person directly involved, found difficult to address.

“May I speak directly?” Leonard asked.

—Go ahead.

Stepping forward, Leonard began to recount his experiences and encounters in Atlantis in chronological order—meeting Frances, the tragic history of the Aquamarine Expedition Team, his experience subjugating and sealing a Rift, the clashes with the Moby Dick Expedition Team and Pablo, as well as the presence of the Outer God Worshippers operating behind the scenes. He even mentioned the name they had fervently chanted.

“Σκ?λλα... I think that was what they called it.”

Corbin and even Wade\'s expressions changed slightly at this. Unlike the Order of the Blue Dragon and the Order of the White Dragon, who rarely dealt with Outer Gods or Rifts, the Order of the Red Dragon and the Order of the Light Dragon often faced those worshippers. The information they had accumulated was substantial.

—Scylla, huh.

Corbin muttered to himself.

—A god that divides the outer seas with Charybdis. A six-headed serpent.

—It’s not a high-rank Outer God, but not a low-rank one either. Defeating an apostle of Scylla is quite an accomplishment. If this whole story is true, I mean.

Wade stroked his beard as he looked at Leonard. With his golden hair and eyes, Wade bore the colors symbolizing the direct bloodline, and a fiery energy radiated from him. Though there was no hostility or malice, the sheer intensity was explosive, creating the illusion of a fire dragon coiling before him.

Grace and Corbin couldn’t do anything about it, but Demian quickly stepped in front of Leonard and protested, “Commander Wade! What are you doing right now?”

—Outsiders should stay out of this.

The cold gaze of the Red Dragon Commander made it clear that no one here would be able to stop him alone.

—Hey kid, did you say your name’s Leonard?

“Yes,” Leonard answered, meeting his gaze without flinching.

—I’ve heard that name before. My son goes around saying his goal is to surpass a certain Leonard.

“...Your son? Do you perhaps mean William?”

Leonard recalled the boy who had been called No.1 at the training center, a genius with great skills and an arrogant attitude to match them.

Sure enough, Wade’s figure brightened with recognition.

—So, it’s you. I appreciate you breaking my son’s overconfidence.

“It was nothing.”

—While it’s true he would have realized it eventually, you saved some time. I should reward you for the time you saved him. As the Commander of the Order of the Red Dragon, I will test your worth. Do you accept it?

Demian shook his head, indicating there was no need, but Leonard had already made up his mind. Though he sensed some unreasonable intent, there was no hostility or intent to kill. If he could learn something valuable from a Demigod, he was willing to take on some risk.

“Tch, you’re just as stubborn as I am. Do as you please,” Demian grumbled as he backed several meters away, leaving Leonard to face Wade’s illusion.

The Red Dragon Commander’s presence was overwhelming, as if flames were rising to scorch Leonard. Wade’s gaze conveyed a mix of approval for a promising junior and irritation at an annoying brat

Perhaps sensing Leonard’s thoughts, Wade spoke up.

—Any father, even while pretending otherwise, waits for his child to catch up to him.

With a wry smile, Wade continued, his previously stern face now showing a hint of bitterness.

—...Consider this the whim of a father who feels that his role was taken away from him.

Simultaneously, Wade’s illusion flickered, and an immense will struck Leonard, crossing an incredible distance.

Flash—!

There was no intent to cause actual harm. Wade just wanted to gauge the potential of the man his son aimed to surpass. This intent and paternal love were unmistakable in the heart sword that invaded Leonard’s Mindscape.

Dragged into his Mindscape without any chance to defend himself, Leonard let out a helpless laugh.

If he had used the heart sword with the intention to kill me, I would have died instantly.

In this familiar, almost tiresome Mindscape, a terrifying intruder appeared. Leonard was forced to look up, much higher than when he had faced the Asura statue.

It was a dragon, over a hundred meters long, very different from the depictions of the Central Plains mythology, with short limbs and a flame-spewing maw.

“Hah...”

Leonard, momentarily speechless in astonishment, gazed at the dragon, enveloped entirely in flames.

ROOAARRR!