The Sword Emperor Transmigrates-Chapter 240

The waters of the Sixth Sea District, the Nameless Sea, seemed eerily unremarkable compared to its dark reputation, not unlike the Fifth Sea District in appearance. Unlike the Corroded Realm Nastrond, where every element felt hostile the moment they crossed the border, here, the waves, winds, and clouds moved just as they would on any normal day. The lack of disturbances felt almost surreal.

Nothing barred or impeded the two-ship fleet—Zaratan and Aquamarine—as they advanced toward the heart of the Sixth Sea District. Though long-range communication remained unreliable, it was safe to assume that the Golden Hind, too, encountered little resistance.

If forces of the Demigod Tier had indeed clashed, even the Corroded Realm’s influence would be disturbed enough for its effects to ripple out here. I suspect no battle has erupted just yet.

Leonard reconsidered his decision to split their forces. There was a simple reason for what could have been a risky move.

The Sixth Sea District has been shrouded as a forbidden area since ancient times. If the cult that triggered the Rift’s corrosion was responsible, then their schemes have spanned centuries, not mere decades. The havoc caused by Moby Dick and his crew was just the latest thread in a much larger web.

Above all, the mysterious alliance between Moby Dick’s captain, Pablo, and the cult of the Outer God Charybdis was suspicious, as Pablo was an apostle of Scylla, not Charybdis. According to imperial scholars, these two Outer Gods were natural adversaries, locked in territorial battles of their own.

However, that didn’t mean their enmity was absolute. If the need arose, they could join forces to seize a grander prize or exploit one another as bait.

The likely answer was that both coordinates detected by the Golden Hind were dangerous and a threat.

“Commander Leonard.”

Nicholas, having inspected Zaratan’s decks, said, “Did you deploy the Golden Hind—no, the Wild Hunt—on their own because you couldn’t entirely trust them?”

“That’s right.” Leonard nodded without hesitation. “It’s safer to keep them out of sight rather than risk getting backstabbed in the heat of battle. Besides, Commander Corbin is more than capable of protecting himself.”

Besides being the most skilled expert in stealth techniques in the Order of the Light Dragon, Corbin was also a master at evasion. He could slip away from even the most perilous situations, undeterred by the Corroded Realm’s powerful interference.

Leonard could perhaps defeat Corbin in a head-to-head fight, but he could never hope to catch him if he chose to flee. And if he hid aboard the ship, finding him would be a true challenge. His conceptual martial arts even allowed him to deceive the Dragon Eye.

In terms of survival skills, Corbin was unmatched in Cardenas.

Unlike Aquamarine, with their known reliability, or Zaratan, which I can subdue in seconds, Wild Hunt’s true strength is far more uncertain.

Whether Corbin could defeat the entire crew, including Drake, remained unclear. Empowered by the sea god and verging on the Demigod Tier, Drake alone was a formidable presence in the waters.

To keep Wild Hunt’s movements fully in check, two Demigod Tier knights would have been necessary on board—an inefficient allocation of forces that would also make their suspicions glaringly obvious.

Nicholas seemed to accept this explanation, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “I understand now. If they’re innocent, no harm done. And if they do turn on us, we lose none of our forces on this end.

Though this might seem like a downright ruthless strategy, Nicholas saw it as the insight of a seasoned commander. Leonard, not even twenty yet, shouldn’t even have had the time to properly hone his martial prowess, and yet he had reached the Demigod Tier and spoke with incredible depth.

Nicholas now understood well why the Archduke of Sword had appointed him as a commander of Cardenas.

Just then, a chill ran through Leonard all of a sudden. His hair prickled as his instincts rang out, warning him of the approaching threat that loomed over the expedition.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Though he couldn’t yet see the creature’s form, Leonard’s Dragon Heart pulsed deeply. Even here, under the Corroded Realm’s influence, the world’s laws blessed Leonard with a heightened awareness, his Dragon Eyes sharpening to near-clairvoyant clarity as he spotted the foe.

There, lurking in the depths of the ocean, more than five thousand meters below, was a shadow surging toward.

A serpent? A dragon? There were no words to describe the sight.

...One thing’s clear... It’s extremely dangerous.

Its aura surpassed that of Surtr’s imitation from the Spriggan Frontier. Unlike that mere dimensional anomaly from Yggdrasil’s desperate struggle, this monstrosity had been conjured through a true ritual sacrifice.

“Captain Samuel! Open the Zaratan’s upper deck and activate all defensive capabilities! All Golden Dragon knights, to the main deck! Assemble your formation! The enemy is coming! Establish defenses, now!”

Leonard’s orders resounded, mobilizing the Zaratan’s crew into swift, coordinated action. As the Masterpiece ship’s shell split open, the two halves sliding aside to expose the deck, it ceased to be a weak point as the thirty-six Golden Dragon knights swiftly took their positions.

The Eighteen Arhat Formation—with two of this supreme formation activated, Zaratan’s upper deck felt fortified to the point of seeming otherworldly. Nicholas, full of questions about the structure, swallowed his inquiries in light of the emergency.

Aquamarine... they’re responding. Commander Demian must have seen it too.

As a fellow Dragon Eye bearer, Demian’s reaction was swift. The Aquamarine’s sleek hull shimmered with readiness, several magic arrays glowing along its sides.

Then, it came.

Rumble...

A terrifying presence rose from the abyss, bearing down on both ships like a storm. Even the people with magic or aura resistance froze, overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of its power.

The Demigod Tier warriors stiffened for only a moment, and even the Transcendence Tier Golden Dragon Knights quickly regained control. Those like Samuel took a few seconds longer, but they, too, resumed moving.

The lower-ranked crew members, however, were another matter entirely. They had yet to reach the Transcendence Tier.

The Aquamarine should be fine. The creature’s bloodlust is focused on Zaratan, and with the Aquamarine’s autonomous movement, it can hold its position while Frances stabilizes herself.

However, the Zaratan, with its massive crew requirement, was at risk of operating with over half its functions compromised when it faced Charybdis’ monstrous beast head-on.

The crew needed time—just a little longer to regain their senses. Sensing this instinctively, Leonard leapt overboard, landing on the water’s surface.

This creature’s presence is extraordinary. The chances of crippling it in one blow or delivering significant damage are slim. I need to slow it down as much as possible and, ideally, draw its attention to me.

Drawing his jet-black sword, Leonard let his aura flow through it, energy swirling around the blade like threads caught in a storm. He applied the conceptual technique passed down from Ancestor Cardenas, who emphasized refining intent to pure force.

This situation required something stronger than Sky and Clouds Piercer. With the deep sea’s resistance and the creature’s unknown defenses, a solid, blunt-force strike—one that relied on sheer weight rather than sharpness—would prove far more effective.

Western God Style

Earth-Shattering Crush Technique

Moonlight Penetrating Wave

White Tiger Qi surged forth, amplifying Leonard’s momentum. If Sky and Clouds Piercer was a decisive, sharp cut, this was a heavy, crushing blow. It was similar to the Sky-breaking Demon Quell from the White Tiger Sixteenth Form, a technique that didn’t so much cleave as it smashed with the unstoppable force of a mace.

Leonard struck from a standing position, bringing the sword down in a vertical slash. The stance was similar to a mountain-breaking force, and, wielded with the full might of a Demigod Tier knight, his strike seemed capable of splitting the world in two.

Pure white augmented energy poured from his blade, diving into the depths below with unrelenting force. It was as if a star had fallen, parting the ocean and revealing its dark depths as Leonard’s blow met the creature’s upward ascent at speeds far beyond the speed of sound.

The Moonlight Penetrating Wave connected with the creature in a perfect counterstrike.

—————!!!

A shockwave erupted from the impact, sending water crashing upward.

“What...?!”

“Th-The ship... is airborne...?!”

After narrowly recovering control of their bodies, Zaratan’s crew was horrified as their colossal vessel floated several meters into the air before falling back to the surface.

The deep-sea beast had slowed down considerably, thrown off course by Leonard’s Moonlight Penetrating Wave. It seemed like it was aiming to swallow Zaratan whole, but its plan was thwarted by Leonard.

Immediately after that, the creature suddenly appeared nearby.

■■■■■■■■■—!!!

A horrific sound split the air, so intense it felt as though it was being etched directly into everyone’s minds. If not for the protective hull of the Masterpiece ship Zaratan, over half the crew might have gone mad from the sound alone.

Leonard noted the creature’s shattered scales, realizing that even his powerful strike had only inflicted minor damage. However, he had also noticed something critical.

It’s massive and lacks intelligence, unlike Surtr’s imitation. Its sheer size and power may even surpass Vulcanus, but its density is much lower, and it lacks combat skill. This creature relies on its overwhelming mass and force, which means it must be that kind that fights with pure power.

Leonard realized that this was different from Surtr and far better suited to his fighting style. Besides, their current forces were much greater than before.

“Don’t hog all the fun, Leonard!”

From Aquamarine, White Dragon Commander Demian launched forward, striking the creature’s head with the condensed force of a thousand swords. It was an overlapping attack capable of splitting mountains in two.

Parallel Infinite Fatal Strike

One of Thousand

The creature’s head recoiled, splashing into the sea with a thunderous impact. But despite the successful strike, both commanders wore grim expressions.

“It’s tough as hell. Even with the weakened scales, I couldn’t cut through its muscles, bones, or even its hide.”

“It could have a different vital point. If its defense is this tough, it won’t matter how long we attack. We won’t get anywhere even if we fight for days.”

“That’s most probably the case. Either way, we need bait or a distraction to buy us time to find those weak spots. Do we have no choice but to rely on Cruella and Nicholas to handle that?”

Leaping across the waves as they exchanged strategies, Leonard and Demian moved in unison, narrowly dodging the monster’s massive jaws.

As they possessed the rare Dragon Eye, they did not miss the fast-moving monster under the water. As it leaped from side to side, the creature’s jaws only managed to chomp the air.

This was a beast of overwhelming simplicity, attacking in the most straightforward manner. Leonard and Demian’s sharp senses allowed them to catch the warping of the surrounding space—and they saw that areas grazed by the creature’s teeth appeared shredded.

“Are you kidding me?! It can chew through space?!” Demian’s shout rang over the water.

Not even the Aquamarine or the Zaratan could withstand such an attack head-on. They might manage a collision with the creature’s body or tail, but its jaws had to be avoided at all costs.

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—Leonard! Commander Damian!

Then, from aboard the Aquamarine, Frances’s voice echoed over the towering waves stirred by the creature’s thrashing.

—That monster, it’s the Leviathan! The Sea Dragon King!