Sword Saint's Reincarnation
Book 2 Chapter 11: Veria Woodlands (2)

Rylan ran through the forest, following Gerard closely.

The few sunrays that pierced through the canopies hit his body, granting it comforting warmth. The grass rustled underneath his feet, and the earth was soft. However, the atmosphere was heavy. Cries of pain and the roars of beasts were the only sounds that could be heard, and the smell of blood had become thicker.

Rylan ran his gaze over his surroundings.

What an interesting place.

The Woodlands had only become denser the further they went in. There was no longer any semblance of a path or anything to guide them other than Gerard’s memory. The trees were now over twelve meters tall and thick enough that not even a group of several adult men would be able to wrap around them. Far above, the canopies touched each other and mixed, creating an overwhelming net of wood and leaves that blocked the sunlight. The various elements of their surroundings joined together to create an environment that would hinder most combatants.

The reason for Rylan’s wonder was simple.

Why hasn’t Cantavega been forced to deal with constant monster waves?

After the first ogre, Rylan and Gerard came across a variety of different creatures on their way deeper into the forest. Most of them had been part of the Woodlands’ wildlife, according to Gerard. However, each would have been able to pose a real challenge even to a trained Mage. The only reason Cantavega was still standing was because the monsters seemed to be unwilling to leave the Woodlands.

Is something keeping them here?

Rylan’s ears twitched, dragging him out of his thoughts. His mana rushed throughout his body in a heartbeat, sharpening his senses.

“Northeast. It’s fast,” he immediately said, sinking his feet into the earth to slow down.

Without a word, Gerard stopped running and lifted his staff. Just like every other time, a Magic Shield took shape around him.

“What do you think it is?” Gerard asked with a heavy tone.

Rylan shrugged as he unsheathed his sword.

“We’ll see. It’s four-legged, judging by the sound.”

Gerard cursed out loud. Rylan grinned in understanding. At this point, there wasn’t a single four-legged enemy that didn’t mean trouble.

“I’ll step in if things look ugly,” Gerard said seriously.

Rylan nodded with a grin.

A few seconds passed.

Abruptly, Rylan’s eyes widened. Without wasting a single moment, he dashed toward Gerard and stepped in front of the man, his base perfectly stable. A second later, a large, yellowish-brown figure shot out of the gap between two enormous trees with a roar. Rylan grabbed the hilt of his sword with both hands and swung the weapon.

The blade forced the air to split as it cut through the atmosphere horizontally. The moment it was about to meet the incoming figure dead-on, the monster twisted its body and passed by above Rylan. The blade kept going, but Rylan only used the missed slash as a source of momentum to spin in place and keep up with the creature’s movement. The monster landed on the nearest tree trunk and stopped. Rylan analyzed his enemy.

The jaguar was both enormous and muscular, being over five meters long from head to tail. The muscles rippled under its skin, outlining a chiseled body. The large paws ended in long, blade-like curved claws that sunk into the tree bark to keep it fixed in place, and the fangs were almost the size of Rylan’s forearm. The beady yellow eyes were locked onto him.

Rylan smiled at the large enemy and grabbed the wand tied to his waist with his left hand.

“Come on, then.”

The beast had shown that it was capable of quick decision-making by giving up the attack toward Gerard to avoid being cut by Rylan’s blade. It made him feel some anticipation.

The jaguar leaped toward him, using the trunk as a springboard. Its speed made the power in its limbs obvious, but Rylan only chanted calmly, his senses focused on his surroundings. The sight of the enormous beast shooting toward him didn’t shake him in the least.

Focus.

His perception reached its peak as the jaguar was about to reach him. Suddenly, Rylan dashed to the side using Drifting and pointed his wand at the beast with a relaxed motion.

“Earth Spikes.”

The ground underneath his previous position rippled once the jaguar landed. However, before the Spikes could rise and pierce through the monster’s paws, it shot toward him with surprising agility. The distance between them was crossed in less than two seconds. Rylan readily discarded his spell and swung his sword, his mana roaring within him. The jaguar met the slash with a claw swipe.

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Once the claws met the blade, a loud clang resounded with a burst of sparks, and Rylan shook from head to toe. Half a second later, he was pushed back as his feet upturned the earth. Instead of trying to stay strong and remain in place, Rylan grinned and lightly jumped. Without the ground’s support, he was flung backward like a cannonball. As if unwilling to give him any breathing room, the jaguar ran toward him again before he had even landed.

Not bad.

Rylan finished his chant the moment he touched the ground and pointed the wand at the beast.

“Wind Blades.”

The atmosphere around them coalesced into sharp half-moons and shot toward the jaguar’s running figure. Rylan didn’t worry too much about how much mana was being put into them. To begin with, their purpose wasn’t to cause damage. He only needed them to limit the jaguar’s possible movement paths.

As expected, the monster slowed down and looked at the Blades. Two of them landed on each shoulder, slicing past the hide to reach the flesh. In the dim sunlight, the scarlet blood looked rather grim. The jaguar narrowed its eyes at the remaining Blades, yelping in pain, and leaped to the side. It was the opening Rylan needed. Without hesitation, he shot forward with Drifting and threw his wand upward.

Stormcaller Sword Style, First Movement: Thunderbolt.

His speed abruptly increased as his mana crackled like lightning. The distance between him and the jaguar was crossed in less than a second. Rylan thrust the blade forward at the exact right moment to give it the greatest piercing power, his movements like flowing water. The blade’s tip reached the monster’s right shoulder and dug into it with a burst of crimson, tearing through everything in its way to reach the bone.

With a pained roar, the jaguar swiped with its left claw. Unhesitatingly, Rylan used the leftover speed from the Sword Art to jump right over the attack and land on the nearest tree’s trunk. He let out a breath.

With an injured shoulder, the beast snarled at him, eyes glinting with bloodthirst, and crouched. Its muscles tensed up powerfully.

Half a second.

It was about how much time he had before the jaguar leaped at him. Still, it was plenty. His mana roared within him. The monster jumped at him.

Falling Snow Steps: Snowfall.

Rylan stepped on the air and went straight up. A moment later, the jaguar crashed against the large tree and started climbing it. Wooden splinters flew through the air as its claws sank into the bark and tore through it. Rylan raised an eyebrow and stepped on the air again, twisting his body and moving away from the tree. With a fluid movement, his left hand caught the wand he’d thrown upward.

Focus.

He strained his concentration. It was one thing to cast spells mid-battle; it was another entirely to do so while using the Falling Snow Steps, especially Snowfall, in such a fast-paced fight. This only became more pronounced when it came to Sword Arts. The only reason why he’d been able to use First Circle spells against Hayden was because he hadn’t pushed his mana circulation to its limits.

But that only means that this is just another wall I need to overcome.

Like Roland had, he would find a way to break down this limitation. Rylan pointed his wand at the jaguar, still in mid-air.

“Magic Missile.”

The arrow made of blue mana coalesced in an instant, then pierced through the air toward the jaguar’s large left eye. The beast immediately reacted by jerking its head to the side and snarling. Instead of falling, Rylan stepped on the air and stood up as if he were on solid ground, virtually floating in place. The Missile tore its way through the jaguar’s left ear, spinning and glowing. The monster roared and crouched.

Rylan immediately jumped back, still walking on a platform only he could use. He never stopped chanting and pointed his wand at the enemy’s head.

“Ray of Frost.”

The beam of blue light flowed out of the wand toward the jaguar, which jumped at him. Because it was in mid-air, the beast couldn’t dodge the attack, being forced to put its front right arm in the way of the spell, as Rylan had predicted. To win, he could rely on his Sword Arts to deal damage; his spells’ usefulness would be determined by how much they could hinder the enemy. Naturally, however, that didn’t mean the spells wouldn’t be used for damage as well.

With this in mind, Rylan pointed the wand at the enemy and shot downward.

“Firebolt.”

The bundle of fire flew toward the jaguar, which had just landed on the ground after passing by right below him. It landed squarely on the creature’s left shoulder, searing through hide and flesh to create a large burn wound. The beast shook its head from side to side with a roar, stumbling. Rylan touched the ground lightly.

Some spells can be more effective than they appear.

It was the case for Ray of Frost and Firebolt, both of which could cause intense pain alongside their ordinary effects. Still, it didn’t matter anymore. This battle was over. The moment Rylan was about to use Rainfall to end the fight, his eyes widened. A second set of footsteps reached his ears, faint at first, but rapidly approaching.

Without hesitation, he dashed toward the enemy in front of him. His mana coursed through him, empowering his body to allow him to use the Sword Art. However, as if it could read his thoughts, the jaguar immediately jumped backward to widen the distance between them. In response, Rylan only ran faster using Drifting. The creature jumped again, stumbling a bit because of its injured left shoulder. The second set of footsteps was now much closer.

“Father!” Rylan shouted, not looking away from the enemy in front of him. “Don’t interfere!”

“What are you talking about?” Gerard shouted back.

Instead of replying, Rylan ran faster. The jaguar stayed in place. The distance between them rapidly decreased. Suddenly, the jaguar dashed forward, swiping with its claws. At the same time, a loud cracking noise resounded to his left. He strained his sharpened hearing.

It’s heavier.

The newcomer was also a quadruped and, judging by how quickly it had arrived, about as fast as the jaguar in front of him. However, its footsteps were heavier, meaning it was likely larger. Instead of glancing to the side, Rylan only lowered his center of gravity.

Stormcaller Sword Style, Third Movement: Rainfall.

His sword flashed continuously as he used Snowfall for support. He spun, slashed, and stabbed, avoiding the jaguar’s claw swipe while landing attacks of his own. The blade landed on the jaguar’s hide, cutting through it and several muscles with ferocity. The jaguar faltered, revealing an opening. Instead of targeting it, however, Rylan suddenly jumped backward. A moment later, a large paw landed in his previous position, claws scraping the earth and shredding the grass.

Finally here.

Rylan looked at the second foe. It was a yellow-orange jaguar, much larger than the first one. He smiled.

“Now this is getting fun.”