アプリをダウンロード
69.23% SWORDCRAFT: Reincarnation Of A Nameless Nobody / Chapter 36: The Northern Border [Pt 1]

章 36: The Northern Border [Pt 1]

Yui set out that very night, after obtaining the most accurate map Yisheng could give him and seeing his sleeping Master once more.

"T-thank you, Yisheng. And I'm sorry… for being rough with you." He managed to say, before finally leaving the Sword Saint Sect without anyone's notice.

He didn't bother taking any supplies, since those would only slow him down. He would make do by taking fruits from trees, or obtaining meat from any animal he hunted on the way. Streams weren't a rarity in the Eastern Continent, and the path he had to take in order to arrive at his destination was rife with enough springs to keep him sustained.

Without wasting even a fraction of a second looking back in hesitation, Liu stole away into the night with only one task pervading his thoughts.

'For Yui… I must get the Frost Mandrake!'

*

*

*

{Two Weeks, Three Days Later}

[The Northern Region, Eastern Continent]

Amid the snowy region that bordered the very edge of the Eastern Continent, there moved a group of silhouettes. The heavy snow and harsh weather did not deter these figures as they traversed the brutal landscape.

The air was thin and the wind was biting cold as what could only be described as a group of about thirty experts marched on.

They moved with precision and grace, their movements synchronized as they navigated through the rugged terrain. They were dressed in thick furs and heavy boots, their faces covered with masks to protect them from the biting cold.

The white uniform they donned, along with the golden threads that were woven to create intricate patterns of beauty, and finally the insignia stamped on the right side of their chest, showed they were from none other than the Heavens Foundations Sect.

Why would members of a Sect affiliated with the Sky Pillar, based in the Northern Continent, be on such a dangerous trek within the bounds of the Eastern Continent?

There was only one possible explanation…

"The Spirit Labyrinth of Eternal Glaciers… we're nearly there." Said the man who led the group.

He had a smooth brown beard hanging on his chin, and while he currently appeared shabby thanks to the averse effects of the weather, he had a polished demeanor to him.

His name was Zhongcheng, leader of the Fifth Squad.

Zhongcheng glanced behind him, watching his subordinates trail along the path of snow, following his lead with zero hesitation.

'That's right. We can't afford to turn back now. Not after coming this far!'

The treasure they needed to obtain was of that much relevance.

Their Squad was on a mission to retrieve the Frost Mandrake, a Deity Grade item that possessed immense healing properties.

It was extremely rare, and Deity Grade Items usually had one of their kind in a particular location.

Needless to say, they couldn't let go of this chance they had.

'We can't afford to fail... for the sake of the Young Lady!'

Their Sect Leader's daughter, Lady Su Yan, had recently fallen ill. If they didn't find a solution quickly, it would lead to an immense loss in her growth thus far—and in the worst case... her demise.

'We have many healing treasures, and even a few Deity Grade herbs. Unfortunately, her condition requires the Cold Attribute of the Frost Mandrake.

In the end, they had to trespass the territory of the Human Lord on this mission to retrieve their lady's only chance at salvation.

'Thankfully, the location is known only to a few. If not, I'd expect that our prize would have already been taken.'

The fact that they hadn't spotted any security measure in this remote part of the Eastern Continent proved this.

'According to the Priestess, we should be arriving there soon...'

>BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!<

The sudden eruption caused Zhongcheng and his elite subordinates to instantly halt in their tracks.

They felt the biting cold increase in tempo as what appeared to be a whirlwind took form a short distance from them.

'Is that it? The effect of the Array?!'

Labyrinths were known for their traps, and one as precious as this one was not going to be an exception.

The terrible explosion had created a terrible blizzard, and an increasing twister that seemed to be drawing nearer to the group as seconds passed.

"Looks like we have no choice but to make a scene..." Zhongcheng gritted his teeth and sharply glanced at his followers.

"Prepare to engage! For the sake of the Heavens Foundations Sect..."

Instantly, bright bursts of energy—Mana—surged from them.

It was pure yellow, almost golden. The energy peaked to the sky, dancing like flames.

They braved the incoming threat, unfettered by the rapid drop in temperature and the chaos that was about to ensue.

As Spiritualists, they knew what they had to do to succeed.

"... For Lady Su Yan!"

*

*

*

[A/N]

Sorry for the short length of chapters. I hope to do better as we progress.


章 37: The Northern Border [Pt 2]

Spiritualists were fundamentally different from Martial Artists.

While the latter required their bodies to fight, while also harnessing the supplementary strength of any weapon they wielded, Spiritualists did the opposite.

Their true strength did not lie in their individual strength… but rather, in how much 'Mana' they could command. And this Mana was then used to conjure the desired results. That was the very fundamental principle of Spirit Arts.

There were three major disciplines Spirit Arts; Spells, Talismans, and Arrays.

For the Heavens Foundations Sect, one of the major Sects that practiced Spirit Arts, they were most versed in one of these disciplines…

"[Grand Dispersal Array!]"

… The use of Arrays.

*

*

*

The Spiritualists took their respective positions, each standing in different areas as they burst open their Mana and stared at the incoming swirling storm.

Zhongcheng had told them the formation they were going with already—the [Grand Dispersal Array].

Arrays had to do with setting patterns, and are often-time used by more than one Spiritualist. However, with enough Spirit stones to serve as conduits, a single person could make an array. While it was indeed possible for only Zhongcheng to handle the incoming storm, he must have seen it fit not to onsume any Spirit Stones.

Perhaps because they could only bring a limited amount, and he was saving them for a much bigger emergency.

Regardless…

>WHOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!<

The imposing torrent of ice and wind grew closer, and just as it was about to near the group, a blinding light erupted from their center.

Magic Circles covered the group, creating an intricate design of layers of tiny Arrays in order to produce the kind they were aiming for. Usually, Arrays took time to established, but not for Zhongcheng and these masters from the Heavens Foundation Sect.

>WHUUUUUUUUUUMMMMM!!!<

In no time at all, the blinding light from their Magic Circle reacted to the incoming twister, sending a wave of dispersing energy towards it.

And then….

>SHUUUUUUUUUUUU…<

… The blizzard ceased.

In no time at all, everything seemed the same as before. Ah, there was a small difference, though.

"The snow has stopped. Well, I suppose that's a good thing." Zhongcheng smiled as he looked at his men.

They nodded with reliefs and smiles painted on their faces.

'Well job, everyone.' He was sure their Sect Leader would reward everyone for their active participation in this assignment even when they knew the risks.

'If we are caught, and we can't silence the witnesses, the Heavens Foundations Sect will cut off all affiliations with us. We'd be labeled renegades—rogues who abandoned the Sect.'

There were many reasons for this tactic, but it was simply the way for the Heavens Foundations Sect to avoid any omplicated backlash for their intrusion on the Eastern Continent.

That said, success meant the bestowment of more glory and power than they could have thought possible at their current stages.

'High risk, high return, I suppose…'

Zhongcheng didn't know about everyone else, but despite the alluring offer put on the table, he ddin't at all care for the rewards. There was only one reason he was doing what he was doing.

'The Young Lady's safety…' He muttered, remembering her innocent, pale face.

He had always looked after her since she was a child. It was the duty of the Fifth Squad to guard the Young Lady's life, and cater for her needs, after all.

Watching a flower like that grow so much, and now falling into illness… he could hardly bear it.

'No matter what, I will secure the Frost Mandrake!' Tightening his fist and keeping his gaze ahead, he turned to his subordinates and roared.

"Let's keep going forward!"

*******

'Who are these people?' Liu thought to himself as he hid his presence while observing the troop that marched forward.

He was covered in white snow, and his face could hardly be made out from the pure white landscape. Besides that, he also erased his presence, preventing any form of detection.

Since none of the men had detected his presence, he had to assume they weren't very adept at sensory arts.

'All thirty of the subordinates are at the Master Stage, though currently at Level 5. As for the leader, he is at Level 9. It seems he's reached a bottleneck in his growth. I can sense a lot of stale energy…'

The reason he was here, observing this group, and not busy searching for the Frost Mandrake, was because of their interference with his task.

'I already handled most of the traps and arrays around, which means the Spirit Labyrinth must be close. I would have gone further, but I suddenly sensed these Practitioners coming my way.'

Using the [Flying Blizzard Techniqe] his master taught him, he had sent a massive twister their way—just to test their level of skill.

'As expected, they're strong. Still, what are Spiritualists of this level doing in the Eastern Continent? I know we're far north, but…'

They had insignias on their outfit, but it wasn't like Liu had particularly studied Sects, so he couldn't tell where they were from.

Judging by the pace of their march, though, the group was in a hurry. They were bound to have caught up to him sooner or later, especially since he would be slowed down by the traps that existed all around.

'Rather than allowing that, maybe I should conserve my strength and allow them to handle the rest of the traps for me.'

However, as he thought this, a slight thought pricked his heart.

'Are they here for the Frost Mandrake too?

There could be other reasons, but that seemed like the most reasonable conclusion. If they sought the Labyrinth of Eternal Glaciers for the same prize he did, then Liu had to make a choice.

'There's no guarantee that the Frost Mandrake exists in pairs.' No, considering it was a Deity Grade Item, it was most definitely one that existed there.

The problem was that he also desired the same item.

'What should I do?'

*

*

*

[A/N]

Thanks for reading. I hope you're enjoying the book so far.

Join the Discord Server for character arts, interactions with the author, occasional giveaways, and many more.

Here's the link.

https://discord.gg/yMPNRURZJh


Load failed, please RETRY

ギフト

ギフト -- 贈り物 が届きました

    バッチアンロック

    目次

    表示オプション

    バックグラウンド

    フォント

    大きさ

    章のコメント

    レビューを書く 読み取りステータス: C36
    投稿に失敗します。もう一度やり直してください
    • テキストの品質
    • アップデートの安定性
    • ストーリー展開
    • キャラクターデザイン
    • 世界の背景

    合計スコア 0.0

    レビューが正常に投稿されました! レビューをもっと読む
    パワーストーンで投票する
    Rank 200+ パワーランキング
    Stone 3 推薦チケット
    不適切なコンテンツを報告する
    error ヒント

    不正使用を報告

    段落のコメント

    ログイン

    tip 段落コメント

    段落コメント機能がWebに登場!任意の段落の上にマウスを移動し、アイコンをクリックしてコメントを追加します。

    また、[設定]でいつでもオフ/オンにすることができます。

    手に入れました