Sword Saint's Reincarnation
Book 2 Chapter 15: Veria Woodlands (6)

Rylan pulled his sword out of the dead Spriggan’s chest and wiped the sweat off his brow. He glanced downward, taking in his injuries. His robe was ruined and his leather armor was torn in several places. Blood slowly dripped out of his wounds, dyeing his clothes. Still, he only grinned at the sight, then raised his gaze and looked around.

The first thing he saw was the enormous body of a collapsed Ogre. Its glassy eyes stared into eternity as blood continuously flowed out of the destroyed chest. Ribs and pieces of the sternum stuck out of the gaping wound that looked like a mountain had fallen on the creature’s chest.

Laying against it was the headless corpse of another Spriggan. Finally, the two bisected halves of a Hobgoblin Shaman added the finishing touch to the grim picture. Rylan smiled and flexed his free hand.

Now we’re talking.

During the past two days, he had focused solely on hunting and adapting to his body’s newfound abilities. Roland’s experience helped him quickly realize his new limits after the continuous Level-ups and how his Class’ perks affected his stats. He looked at his clenched fist. Because his Class directly increased the effectiveness of all his spells and Sword Arts, he was even stronger than his Level indicated.

However, that wasn’t what he had taken most note of.

It’s faster.

His development was quicker. His ability to integrate spells and swordsmanship, his ability to learn from every spell cast and learn more about them, the very knowledge he obtained whenever he did anything: all were considerably faster than before. Mentally, his growth had sped up significantly.

Dreams of Transcendence, huh?

His Class was focused on future potential and growth, the same way a dreamer continuously looked to the future and yearned for it. Both the Dreams of Transcendence Skill and his Class perks revolved around developing his learning speed and empowering his growth. All he needed to do was keep going and keep learning.

“Rylan,” Gerard’s voice resounded from the side, dragging Rylan out of his thoughts. “Are you okay?”

Rylan looked to the side and smiled at his father.

“Yeah. No worries. We can keep going.”

Gerard immediately frowned and looked at him up and down.

“…You’re tired. We should rest.”

Rylan shook his head, wiping the sweat off his brow again.

“No. This is exactly what I need. Don’t you remember? I need to keep pushing myself.”

“…There will be no point to it if you end up dead. I’m against it. We’re taking a break here.”

Rylan shook his head again.

“Please trust me, Father. I have no desire to end up dead in the middle of a random forest. I can keep fighting.”

Gerard’s frown deepened.

“You’re not Roland. You can’t—”

“If I want to be greater than him, this is the bare minimum,” Rylan interrupted with a grave expression. “This level of danger doesn’t even begin to compare to what he faced.”

"Nonsense," Gerard snapped. "I know you want to become even more powerful than Roland, both to prove your worth as his reincarnation and to protect us from anything, but this isn't some joke."

Rylan blinked.

"We're here because you want to improve yourself. To begin with, my decision to go into the Dungeon alone with you at first instead on relying on several powerful Mages was also based on this. But," Gerard continued. His gaze softened. "Do you think that makes me worry less?"

Rylan opened his mouth to reply, only to close it without saying anything. Gerard walked closer to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

"I know you're strong and that you want to become stronger. But please, slow down, son."

Rylan's gaze trembled.

...He's right.

He had been acting like Roland, pursuing strength as fast as possible through any means necessary. So what if he didn't clear the Open Dungeon on his own or Level up as much as he theoretically could? Hadn't he already acknowledged that the opportunities to become stronger were endless? This life had taught him what was truly precious. In a scenario like this, where he didn't truly need to throw himself into danger, his father's peace of mind was what mattered.

"...I'm sorry, Father," he said as he looked at the ground. "Yeah, we can rest."

Gerard smiled tenderly.

"We won't spend much time resting. I understand your desire to get stronger. I just want you to be safe. We're in hostile territory."

Rylan nodded with a complicated expression. They looked around until they found a good spot and leaned against the trees to catch their breath. Rylan breathed as usual, deeply and rhythmically, while Gerard kept his guard up on the lookout for enemy ambushes.

After a while, they started running through the Woodlands again. Rylan's breathing was calmer than before. In his mind, his objective had shifted slightly.

It's fine even if we don't clear the Dungeon.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

He should focus on his growth and, most importantly, on Gerard's safety.

They ran through the Woodlands until they came across new enemies. Gerard immediately took a step back and let Rylan fight freely. Once the battle was over, they kept going. In such a fashion, the number of fights and powerful foes quickly mounted. With every battle, Rylan felt himself getting just a bit closer to his goal. It wasn’t simply a matter of XP; every fight strained his muscles and mind a bit more, pushing him further. Fatigue quickly set in, but he didn’t let himself make even a single mistake.

Rylan smiled as he sunk his blade into a Treant’s neck, perfectly steady even though his muscles were screaming at him.

One step at a time.

Every slash, thrust, and dodge was a step on the journey to awaken Aura. He knew this so clearly that it was as if he could see his own progress, a tower being built up brick by brick. His body resonated with his will. Time after time, it responded to his determination.

"Rylan," Gerard called out from the side as the Treant fell to the ground.

Rylan smiled and nodded at his father.

"Yeah, I'm gonna rest for a bit."

After some time, they kept going. The battles passed by one at a time. Spriggans, Treants, Hobgoblin Shamans, Ogres, and a variety of wild beasts appeared as enemies seeking his blood. One after the other, they were defeated. In the meantime, the sun slowly got closer to sinking below the horizon.

“Let’s go back,” Gerard said from the side as Rylan finished off the last Hobgoblin Shaman.

Taking deep breaths, Rylan nodded. As usual, they ran back to the Flameheart estate. As soon as he entered Cantavega, Gerard used Whisper to notify the family of their safe return. Upon reaching the estate, they were received and cared for. Rylan spent as much time as possible with his family. In fact, he had made a point that they should have dinner together every night, but that it would have to include Sarah. His parents gladly accepted.

That night was peaceful.

***

The days passed by slowly, like grains of sand falling in an hourglass.

Over the course of the next few days, Rylan fought alone as much as possible, from dawn to sunset. Even when facing multiple Spriggans, he insisted that Gerard shouldn’t get involved. Naturally, this only made each battle much more dangerous. By being the sole focus of several enemies above his Level, the number of injuries per battle quickly accumulated. But with each fight, Rylan grew a bit more.

It was intoxicating.

His desire to grow stronger was tempered by Gerard's careful attitude. Because of their conversation, Rylan slowed down his pace while still managing to push himself.

Once the first week ended, he gathered with Gerard and the Academy professors to discuss the enemies they’d found and what this meant for expectations about inside the Dungeon. They created plans for possible courses of action, both before the three weeks were up, and also in the case Rylan and Gerard failed to clear the Open Dungeon in time.

The end of this discussion marked the start of the second week. For the first three days, Rylan did the same as in the week before, steadily fighting, Leveling up, and pushing himself further. After the three days were up, however, he started to fight alongside Gerard. Naturally, it was to improve their teamwork and coordination, as well as grasp each other’s abilities more clearly. By understanding each other better, their ability to fight together would only improve.

The end of the second week arrived quickly. Rylan made great strides in coordinating with his father and then held the same discussion with the Academy professors on the last day.

Now, it was the start of the third week.

Rylan hugged Elizabeth tightly with a helpless grin.

“Promise me you’ll come back if it gets too dangerous!” she exclaimed as she took a step back, looking like she’d had less sleep than usual. Her gaze moved to Gerard, who was standing beside Rylan. “Both of you! I can’t lose you.”

Gerard slowly ran his fingers through her hair with a warm smile.

“We’ll be fine, my love.”

She unhesitatingly jumped into his embrace. Rylan watched this scene for a few seconds with a stupid smile before turning to Aelfric and Sarah, who were both standing a meter behind Elizabeth with worried expressions.

“Rylan, Father,” Aelfric spoke up, crossing his hands over his chest. “Be careful.”

Rylan nodded at him, then stared at him for a few seconds. Even though Aelfric knew about his reincarnation, he couldn’t help but worry. It was only normal: Rylan wasn’t anywhere close to Roland’s power level.

Rylan stepped closer to Aelfric and Sarah and lay one hand on each of their heads.

“We'll be careful. We’ve already discussed what to do. I’ll try my best to make sure we succeed,” he said with a nod.

“My lord,” Sarah suddenly spoke up. “Don’t die.”

Rylan smiled at her.

“Of course.”

He looked at the Academy professors behind them. The four Fifth Circle Mages were strangely silent, their gazes going back and forth between him and Gerard, who was still hugging Elizabeth. Only Alice stared at Rylan fixedly. He raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t get it,” she abruptly said, making Gerard and Elizabeth part. Everyone looked at her. “I know we’ll go in if you don’t return in three days, but you shouldn’t be trying to go in alone in the first place.”

The silent Hugo and Rebecca nodded almost at the same time. Rylan shook his head.

“We’ve discussed this already,” he replied.

“Even if you’re worried about XP gains, are those more important than your life?” she snapped back as if she had expected this reply.

Rylan looked at her determined expression and tilted his head. Alice had never been in favor of this three-week period and had made it abundantly clear in their discussions. Still, he thought she would have accepted things by now.

...It's not like I don't get it.

From her perspective, his decision would sound like the pinnacle of stupiditiy. With four Fifth Circle Mages available, he was choosing to go in alone with Gerard. Even though such a decision had its benefits, as then he would be able to use his abilities freely and acquire more XP, it was undeniably dangerous.

"Alice," Rylan said in a serious voice as he looked at her. She stared right into his eyes. They were perfectly clear. "I won't be reckless. If we realize it's too dangerous, we'll retreat. You have my word."

She frowned.

"You're already being reckless. Two days. You have two days to come back before I enter the Dungeon with the others."

Rylan nodded. They had agreed upon three days, but it was clear that she'd changed her mind on the spot.

She let out a deep sigh after a second and crossed her arms. Rylan nodded at the other professors.

“We’re off.”

Gerard gave Elizabeth and Aelfric one last hug before following Rylan. Together, they left the estate and entered the Woodlands, beginning to run. Rylan circulated his mana as his eyes darted around, ready for any possible ambush. They avoided strong monsters, focusing on getting to their destination as quickly as possible.

Finally, they arrived.

Rylan looked at the giant, swirling circle of blue light in front of him.

It looks the same as in my past life.

The Dungeon’s Gate was a wondrous sight, but one that Roland had been used to.

Gerard stepped forward.

“Ready?” he asked with a grave expression.

Rylan nodded. They touched the Gate at the same time. The world around them twisted and turned, as if collapsing upon itself. When Rylan opened his eyes again, he was in a different environment.

It was also a forest, but the atmosphere was completely different. The smell of blood drifted in the air, while barely any sunlight pierced through the canopies. The trees were larger and thicker, and there was no semblance of a path that led deeper into the Dungeon. Only the forest around them existed, in its most natural state. Rylan ran his eyes over their immediate surroundings. It was suspiciously quiet.

That was when it happened.

The energy coming from the Gate behind him rippled. Rylan turned around with a confused expression as a System notification appeared in front of him.

[Welcome to Basilisk Wilds.]

[You will now be unable to leave the Dungeon until you defeat the Boss.]

Rylan blinked. Reflexively, he touched the Gate in front of him, but this time, there was no reaction.

“…Well, shit.”

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