<h4>Chapter 147</h4>


    The very next day, Leonard woke up before dawn to prepare for the mission. Unlikest time, when Demian took care of everything, he had to ensure everything was in order himself.


    Fortunately, he didn’t have to go out of his way to gather supplies.


    “Supplies, huh.”


    Leonard examined the support supplies sent from the Order of the White Dragon’s storage, struck by their extravagance.


    Most people started neglecting armor after breaking through to the Transcendence Tier, as the bnce of offense and defense became disproportionate. At the Master-level, the attack power far surpassed the defensive capabilities, whether it was with a sword or magic.


    Blocking was a different concept altogether. Receiving the power of an augmented sword energy with another augmented sword energy would likely result in simr consumption, but trying to block it with an augmented energy shield would be inefficient, costing several times more energy. You had to either block, dodge, or counterattack; relying on sheer defense was not feasible.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    <i>It’s not much different for armor. Even if it’s made of special metals like mithril, adamantium, or orichalcum, it can’t fully block augmented energy.</i>


    Mithril and orichalcum, which amplified mana, could enhance augmented energy shields, but adamantium, which was purely focused on durability, was of little use.


    Even so, mere sword energy wouldn’t be able to pierce through adamantium, making it imprable at the External Force Tier.


    “...If it can do this much, then it’s a different story.”


    However, when Leonard equipped the breastte sent with the supplies, he tested it by channeling his energy. It passed through the inner adamantiumyer and reached the outer orichalcumyer of the armor, immediately forming an augmented energy shield.


    It was several times faster and more efficient than when he wasn’t wearing the armor.


    The principle was simplebining the inner adamantium and outer orichalcum to maximize both advantages. It was a straightforward solution, but there was a reason no one had managed to implement it before.


    <i>By normal standards, crafting adamantium this thin should be almost impossible. </i>


    Having retained his habits from Antis, Leonard had done quite a bit of reading, bing knowledgeable about special metals.


    Mithril was rtively easy to process. However, in the old days, only the dwarves, an artisan race, could handle metals like adamantium and orichalcum. Masterpieces like the Aquamarine and Moby Dick couldn’t be replicated because the methods for smelting these metals and inscribing magic circles had been lost.


    “Protect,” Leonard muttered. Then a magic circle flickered on the orichalcum breastte, creating a transparent protective shield.


    Just like that, the supposedly lost technology had casually been disyed to him. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so surprising if this were from the old era, but the breastte shone with a perfect gloss, showing it was clearly brand new.


    <i>It doesn’t seem to hinder movement... There’s no reason not to use it. </i>


    Although rare, some people in murim used to wear treasures like the Divine Silk Robe, but not Yeon Mu-Hyuk.


    Having fully armored himself, Leonard felt a sense of discord as he looked at his reflection. He had never worn armor during his life as a martial artist or after his rebirth.


    “Oh.”


    Leonard picked up the next item from the box, a one-handed sword. Perhaps because he had sent specific requests, there wasn’t just one, but ten swords instead. He stored nine in his subspace pouch and tested one, smiling with satisfaction.


    It was the pure smile of a swordsman, one that would leave onlookers speechless. The mithril sword was a fine weapon, but its value paled inparison to the armor.


    <i>Even the consumables are of astonishing quality. If this is the standard for missions, I’d worry that the Cardenas family might go bankrupt if I didn’t know better about their financial power.</i>


    After checking the equipment, Leonard inspected the other box, which contained potions and scrolls. Once he stored them in his subspace pouch, his room returned to how it looked before.


    By then, the light of dawn had started to fill the room.


    “It’s time to go.”


    It was time to go subjugate the Void Deity Castor.


    * * *


    As prearranged, Leonard met with the four White Dragon knights at the entrance of the Forest of Swords. Though they all wore simr full-body armor, Leonard appeared stifferpared to the others, who seemed ustomed to it.


    Noticing this, Grady chuckled and said, “That armor is ufortable, right? Everyone felt the same before joining one of the Seven Great Orders. Ordinary armor doesn’t help much, and situations requiring armor like ours are rare.”


    “Well, if armor is part of the standard supplies, that just shows how dangerous the missions of the Seven Great Orders can be,” Leonard replied.


    The four White Dragon knights smiled knowingly. Those who didn’t understand this or were too afraid couldn’t remain in the Seven Great Orders.


    <i>Fit for the task, or more urately, the right armor for the right task.</i>


    Though the armor made from adamantium and orichalcum was expensive, it wasn’t more valuable than a Transcendence Tier knight.


    The Cardenas family would spend astronomical sums to save even one of their members. They could always earn more money, so using it wisely within their ranks was the best strategy.


    Isaac exined, “For a Void Deity like Castor, whocks specialized attributes or unique abilities, we provide these kinds of supplies. But for Circe, it would be different. Anti-magic artifacts, scrolls, and anti-magic weapons would be issued.”


    “I see.”


    Leonard and the others nodded and started walking.


    “We should be near the rendezvous point with the space mage... Ah, there he is. Hey!”


    As they left the Forest of Swords, Isaac spotted the mage and waved. The mage, who had been drawing in the dirt with his staff, turned to them.


    Recognizing Leonard, the mage greeted him warmly, “Oh! It’s you. Remember me?”


    “...You’re the one who transported Commander Demian and me. I’m grateful for your help today as well,” Leonard responded.


    Coincidentally, it was the same Wickeline mage from the previous mission where he observed the subjugation of Tyr. The mage, with pointed ears peeking from his hood, extended his right hand to Leonard.


    “Call me Cntha.”


    “I’m Leonard.”


    After introducing themselves and shaking hands, the Archmage resumed drawing the magic circle on the ground. It seemed he hadn’t finished the preparations to transport all five of them.


    Even while preparing the ss 7 spell, Cntha, an Archmage from Wickeline, continued chatting with Leonard.


    “If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I don’t usually do this, but I’ll make an exception for you..”


    “That’s quite sudden. Hmm, in that case, I’ll ask one thing.”


    Leonard continued, “The Wickeline family seems to have a strong interest in the Divine Territory and the authorities of the Void Deities, so why don’t they work together with us in the subjugation missions? High-rank mages would certainly be very helpful.”


    “Ah, I can see why you’d think that. I understand where you’reing from. To put it simply, it’s a matter ofpatibility. To mages, thews of the world are their source of power, but the authority of the gods distorts those foundations. Just like the Corroded Realms, they are our natural enemy, although in a different sense.”


    “...So you leave it to the Cardenas because the knights, who have their own unique traits, are better suited to handle the Void Deities.”


    Cntha nodded in agreement and gestured that he was done with the preparations. Once all six of them stood on the magic circle, he struck its center with the tip of his staff and shouted, “Multi-Teleport!”


    Just like thest time, they were enveloped in a dazzling light.


    <i>aaash!</i>


    Leonard and the White Dragon Knights opened their eyes to find that they had already reached their mission area. Around them, the rustling of leaves echoed in the dense forest. They were only a few hundred meters from Gemini, Castor’s Divine Territory.


    Cntha, having fulfilled his task, casually found a stump to sit on, looking as though he were out for a leisurely stroll. His carefree demeanor was rather irritating.


    “Go on ahead. I’ll wait here for you.”


    The White Dragon Knights, appearing to have a formal but distant rtionship with him, exchanged a few words of farewell and gestured to Leonard.


    Leaving Cntha behind, they walked into the Gemini, where the environment took on the form of a forest. Unlike Tyr, Castor’s exact location within the forest was unknown, so they needed to search for him. Since he wouldn’t flee from intruders, they could try to draw his attention.


    “There’s some hair caught on the bushes and branches.”


    Hugo, moving quietly through the forest, grabbed a clump of hair and showed it to the others. It was too coarse and short to be human hair, resembling somethingmonly found in stables.


    Seeing it, Isaac nodded as if he had expected it. “Of course, a centaur.”


    A mythical creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse, said to have existed in ancient times. It was an intelligent being, its potential surpassing that of humans in certain aspects.


    Indeed, it wasn’t surprising that Castor, the God of Horsemanship and Cavalry, had centaurs as his servants.


    “There’s even a Void Deity among the centaurs.”


    “Chiron, right?” J replied.


    Isaac nodded in agreement and told Leonard, “He’s quite famous. A centaur who was the mentor of ancient heroes and gods, and a god of archery with the authority of Absolute uracy. I rmend you read up on him when we return. It’s quite fascinating.”


    “I will.”


    If this were a covert mission, they wouldn’t speak a word, but with five Transcendence Tier knights advancing together, there was no reason to keep silent the entire journey. Even if Castor appeared, they wouldn’t be at a disadvantage. If anything, luring him out with noise would save them the trouble of looking for him.


    At that moment, Isaac, leading the group, raised his hand and made a fist, signaling them to stop and crouch.


    He had spotted an enemy.


    “...Centaurs,” Leonard murmured as he spotted the mythical creatures running in the distance.


    They carried bows on their backs and long spears in their hands, the standard weapon for cavalries. Having the lower body of a horse, these creatures were naturally superior to humans in cavalry. If equal numbers shed, it would be a one-sided ughter.


    “I don’t sense Castor’s presence, and there don’t seem to be any special individuals among the centaurs,” Isaac analyzed, his eyes glinting.


    “Should we take them down?” whispered Grady.


    “Dealing with them before the battle with the Void Deity might be a good idea.”


    Upon their leader’s decision, the five Transcendence Tier knights immediately rose from their positions and dashed in the direction where the centaurs were trotting.


    No matter how fast the horse-bodied creatures ran, they couldn’tpare to Transcendence Tier knights, who had transcended mortal limits.


    The five knights closed the distance of several hundred meters in just a few seconds, and the centaurs, sensing their presence, turned abruptly. Human cavalry troops couldn’t possibly react like that, but it was more than feasible for these creatures.


    <i>Slow.</i>


    Despite this, they couldn’t respond to the ambush of the five knights. There were about thirty centaurs in total. As they turned, the five knights broke through their formation, slicing through several of them like rotten wood with bursts of sword energy.


    “εχθρ??!”


    “επ?θεση!”


    Despite the chaos, the centaursmunicated with each other in an unknownnguage andunched a counterattack.


    Even though half of them had instantly been cut down, their fighting spirit didn’t waver, instead unleashing a cold and calcted attack. Leonard admired the resolve of the centaurs, who were aiming their spears at his throat, heart, and forehead. As expected from a mythical race. Their mental fortitude was praiseworthy, not the least bit afraid of death.


    <i>It would’ve been better if they faced us with apetitive spirit rather than faith.</i>


    Sensing the emotions in their eyes, Leonard raised his sword, thinking it was a pity. Blue augmented sword energy spread from his de like tree roots.


    Five Elements Style


    Azure Dragon Eighteenth Form: Thunderp Return


    Thirty-six strands of augmented energy pierced through the centaurs, causing those charging forward to copse, kicking up dust.


    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>


    Some, unaware of their impending death, continued to kick with thest of their strength, their eyes wide open.


    Leonard’s Thunderp Return had struck them in the head, instantly destroying their brains. When the brain was pierced with precision, the body would twitch reflexively for a while, much like a decapitated insect.


    The fate of the remaining centaurs was no different.


    “Hmm...”


    Around Isaac, who calmly sheathed his sword, centaurs that had been neatly sliced in half continued to run with only their lower bodies before copsing. Those who were pierced through the heart or brain by Grady, or repeatedly chopped by J, met simr fates.


    Those who faced Hugo’s greatsword met the most gruesome end.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    With a ground-shaking roar, half a dozen centaurs had been turned into a bloody pulp. A death rattle announced the end of the brief ambush by the five knights.