Reincarnation Of The Legendary Sword Saint-Chapter 53: Hunt Begins

"We weren’t even sure it would work," the mage said. "We never planned to approach the house. Not the forest either. Because we were not sure if our plan to lure Aldwin and his wife out would work, that’s why we released the monsters in case it didn’t."

"A distraction," Rowan said quietly.

"Yes," the mage replied. "If the first plan failed, Aldwin would be busy slaughtering the monsters while we captured Elian and delivered her to Moonbeam."

The mage’s voice cracked.

"But something went wrong."

Rowan already knew.

They had never expected him.

Rowan’s eyes lowered slightly. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

So they cast a spell on Mom... from that far away.

The sorcerer responsible had to be powerful.

But the spell itself was weak, Rowan realized. So weak I didn’t even notice it.

His fingers curled slowly.

They only wanted her to feel pain.

And for that, Rowan raised his sword.

"You don’t deserve to live in this world," Rowan said coldly. "Anyone who chooses to kill should already be prepared to die. So this is your time."

He raised his sword and brought it down in a single, precise slash.

The mage’s head rolled across the ground as blood splashed onto Rowan’s face. He didn’t flinch. His eyes were empty, cold.

"It’s been a while since I felt like this," Rowan muttered.

"I’m really angry."

Without hesitation, he snapped his fingers, teleporting directly to Elian’s room.

"She’s been captured," he said.

He closed his eyes, placing two fingers on his forehead to sense her. His mind raced.

Damn... she’s moving. She’s been captured.

She was gone.

Rowan clenched his teeth and raised his hand, pressing two fingers to his temple as he focused, extending his senses outward.

"I can still sense her... but she’s far. Really far."

His expression darkened.

They planned this well.

They had lured Aldwin away. If his father had been here, no matter how strong they were, they would never have succeeded in capturing Elian.

They knew that.

That was why the plan worked.

Rowan’s hand slowly tightened into a fist.

The pain Mom was feeling... it should be gone by now.

He knew the spell they had used. It was weak, temporary, designed only to distract.

Still...

"They outsmarted us," Rowan said quietly.

And that made his blood boil.

Rowan closed his eyes once more.

I can sense her mana and the direction it’s moving, he thought. But it’s unstable.

He kept his fingers pressed to his temple, concentrating.

"I could teleport to her location," Rowan murmured, "but that’s risky. I don’t know who’s there, and the moment I appear, they might kill her."

His brows furrowed.

"Wait... what the hell?"

His eyes snapped open slightly.

"There’s something inside her mana. Something absorbed into it."

His expression darkened.

"That’s not human... could it be a demon?"

Rowan inhaled slowly.

"No... teleporting isn’t smart."

He clenched his jaw.

"I’ll follow their trail."

He paused.

If it really is a demon... I told myself I shouldn’t fight one in this body for now, even if I won’t lose. Not before I’m at least ten. But if I encounter it, I just have to kill it.

Rowan vanished from the floor and reappeared on the roof.

A blue aura wrapped around his body as mana surged outward, lifting him into the air. The moonlight reflected off his figure as he shot forward, flying beneath the dark sky.

Boom.

The wind slammed against his face as he accelerated.

Rowan closed his eyes again, fingers to his temple.

"I’m moving in the same direction they are," he muttered.

Then he felt it.

"They landed."

His eyes opened.

This isn’t a city, he realized. They never went anywhere near one.

That meant only one thing.

They moved fast. Too fast.

Rowan increased his speed.

Faster.

Faster.

Then he saw it.

A massive mountain rising from the darkness.

He followed the mana trail straight toward it, descending along a narrow path carved into the stone. As he circled the mountain, he spotted them.

Two human guards holding spears, standing watch at the entrance.

"Good," Rowan said quietly.

He descended silently, landing on solid rock.

"What the hell is a kid doing here?" one guard scoffed.

"That’s not the question," the other snapped. "How is a kid flying?"

Before they could react, one of them charged.

Rowan moved.

The guard’s head fell to the ground.

The second rushed forward.

Rowan drove his blade straight through the man’s stomach. He collapsed, gasping.

"Weak," Rowan said, stepping past him.

"I don’t have time."

He entered the mountain.

Torches burned along the inner path, illuminating a carved tunnel. Stone steps spiraled upward.

"They’re surprisingly organized," Rowan muttered. "Even stairs..."

He followed the mana trail deeper.

Up the steps.

Up.

Then two more guards spotted him.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

Rowan flashed past them.

They rushed toward him, swords raised.

Rowan spun.

In a single motion, his blade flashed. Both of their hands were severed and hit the ground with dull thuds.

"Aaaagh! My hand!"

They collapsed, screaming in pain.

Rowan didn’t kill them.

He walked past without looking back.

One of them screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Intruder! Intruder! Intruder! My hand!"

Rowan stopped.

I wanted to leave you alive, he thought coldly. But you deserve to die.

He turned back.

In an instant, he was in front of the screaming man. His sword rose, pressing into the man’s throat, forcing its way into his mouth.

The scream cut off.

The body fell.

Rowan turned to the other man, who was shaking violently.

"I won’t say anything! I won’t say anything!" the man cried.

Rowan stared at him for a moment, then turned away and continued upward.

The man lived.

That was when it happened.

Footsteps.

Many of them.

From above, bandits and guards began pouring down the staircase, swords drawn.

"This is going to be troublesome," Rowan muttered.

He broke into a sprint, racing upward.

The staircase was jam-packed. Blades slashed toward him from all directions.

Rowan jumped.

High.

He landed on one man’s head, driving his sword straight through the skull.