Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor: Doodle

=================

< Chapter 171: Root (1) >

[You have entered the 3rd floor.]

[Humans are social animals. In relationships with others, they take on various roles, wearing different masks for each situation. These masks are what we call 'Personas.']

[Consciousness is an aggregate of countless such Personas. Remove all Personas and open the 'door.']

If the 2nd floor's Theo had been like a shadow embodying his opposite self...

Then, what awaited on the 3rd floor was Theo, but in numerous different forms.

One figure had an abnormally large face, while another stood a towering 5 meters tall like a giant. There was one holding a spear instead of a sword, one draped in a robe like a magician, and even one as small as a fairy.

"The one with the big face seems paralyzed with fear—perhaps it's afflicted with delusions of joy. The giant seems to represent my physical prowess. The spear might imply wielding a weapon other than a sword... It's fascinating that 'I' can take on such a variety of forms."

Beyond these, there were even more diverse versions.

There was Theo wearing the armor of Kriemhild.

Theo in the form of a half-human, half-dragon.

And Theo enveloped in a dark shadow resembling a Shadow Wyvern.

‘To be precise, it seems like the aspects categorized as in the status window have been materialized.’

In that case, it seemed likely that these versions were more specialized manifestations of Theo's innate abilities.

Perhaps they represented the pinnacle Theo could immediately achieve through those talents...

‘Not bad.’

Instead of being daunted, Theo smiled.

There was nothing more satisfying than glimpsing a path to grow stronger.

[■■■■■, a training fanatic, ■■■■■ ■ ■ ■■■ ■■■■■!]

[■■ ■■■■ ■■!]

[■■■■ is wildly welcoming ■■ ■■ ■ ■■ ■■■!]

[The Martial God lineage ■■■■ welcomes ■■■■ ■■ ■■■.]

"...?"

Theo tilted his head, confused by the abrupt and incomprehensible messages from the gods reacting oddly somewhere far off, but he quickly refocused on the situation at hand.

The Personas had started to move.

Fwoosh-

The first to rush in were the spearman and the Theo clad in Kriemhild’s armor.

Then, the fairy and the magicians chanted strange incantations while snapping their fingers at the air, and the half-dragon and giant swung their swords fiercely.

Rumble!

Crash!

Lightning rained down from the sky, and the ground was swept by the blade's aura.

Amidst the densely packed, web-like barrage of attacks...

Theo levitated the three swords—Moon-White Sword, Dragon Slayer Sword, and Spirit Mausoleum Blade—into the air while infusing his eyes with Spiritual Essence.

Whooosh-

[The chronograph begins to rewind.]

A faint clock face appeared beneath Theo's feet, with the minute hand slowly starting to move.

In that instant, the external world seemed to freeze, becoming eerily still. Even the lightning bolts that seemed about to strike him and the blade auras that could have cleaved his body in two came to a halt.

Of course, time hadn't completely stopped.

This was a result of the heightened acceleration in his consciousness.

Thanks to this, Theo could identify multiple gaps within the dense torrent of lightning and blade auras.

At that moment, the inspiration granted by the Sword Sphere surged, filling his mind with a blazing clarity.

The gaps he found connected as lines.

These lines intertwined, forming surfaces, and Theo stepped onto them without hesitation.

At that moment, the battlefield fell entirely into Theo's grasp.

Swish!

The three divine swords shot forward.

Flash-

With a flash that almost seemed like an illusion, the external flow of time resumed.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The lightning bolts and blade auras narrowly grazed Theo, harmlessly striking the ground and walls instead.

With just a single step, Theo had nullified all the attacks in an extraordinary display of skill.

And then—

Slash!

A faint cutting sound echoed as the Personas simultaneously clutched at their necks.

Splurt!

Blood sprayed outward.

The Personas, their bodies severed, collapsed onto the ground all at once.

Behind them, the three swords resonated in unison.

Voom, Vooom!

‘As expected, it works.’

Not only had Theo mastered the Sword Projection using divine swords, but combining it with the Chronograph and the Sword Sphere had yielded a far greater synergy than anticipated.

It was as though his existing talents had been completely reinvented.

Whoosh!

Theo ascended to the 4th floor once more.

[00:08:41]

[00:08:40]

Thirty-five seconds.

The time to clear each floor was becoming progressively shorter.

*         *         *-

Torkel deliberated.

‘What should I do?’

Julius’s overwhelming momentum had already dominated the area around the White Tower.

Although Torkel himself was being mentioned as a potential candidate to fill the void left by Soaring Dragon, the sheer presence of the Demon Dragon made his skin tingle in discomfort.

Still, retreating now would shatter the morale of the Black Iron Cavalry.

The secret alliance he had forged with the Red Sword Knights would also be rendered void, and the people of the North would begin whispering that the Black Iron Cavalry was inferior to the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.

And what next?

It was as clear as day.

Other contenders would pounce on him like vultures, seizing the opportunity to tear him apart.

‘That must never happen.’

Building something up was hard, but seeing it crumble took only a moment.

A contender who stumbled even once could no longer remain in the running.

Especially for Torkel, who took immense pride in his lifelong undefeated record, backing down here was simply not an option.

‘I hadn’t intended to reveal this… but!’

His hesitation lasted only a moment.

Torkel unleashed the dormant potential he had carefully hidden within the Aura Hall, as if to declare he wouldn’t be defeated.

BOOM!

A thunderous roar echoed.

The Black Iron Cavalry turned their gazes back toward him.

“Commander!”

“Commander! Don’t tell me you’ve made up your mind!”

“At last…! We will follow your will, Commander…!”

“No. ‘Not yet.’ However…”

From beneath the deeply pressed black helmet, a cold blue light glinted.

“I can at least show the Demon Dragon a fraction of my power.”

Torkel’s aura swelled, pushing back against Julius’s overwhelming presence.

At a glance, the two seemed evenly matched, their opposing forces colliding with tremendous intensity.

Rumble…

Crackling—BOOM!

Their auras clashed violently, sending tremors through the air and scattering sparks in all directions.

“Impressive. Seems you’ve been hiding quite a bit,” Julius remarked, tilting his head in mild surprise.

“There was an unforeseen connection.”

“A connection, you say. Sure, that can be interesting. But if you think you can challenge me with just this, I must say I’m a bit disappointed.”

Julius raised the sword he held, preparing to strike.

The dark energy gathered around it, ready to erupt in a scene so menacing it made one’s spine tingle.

Torkel lifted the spear in his hand high into the air.

The Black Iron Cavalry hurriedly gathered around him, bracing themselves.

Such was the fear instilled by the Demon Dragon’s Claws.

But then, it happened.

Fwoosh!

Suddenly, the second floor of the White Tower lit up.

The light was so bright it seemed intent on dispelling the dark midnight sky.

The second floor, following the first?

Both Julius and Torkel reflexively turned their gazes toward it.

But that wasn’t all.

Moments later, the third floor lit up, followed by the fourth.

“What in the world is happening…!”

Then the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh…

With each floor that illuminated, the expressions of the Black Iron Cavalry hardened.

Even their black armor seemed to gleam white under the sheer brilliance of the lights.

“Conquering the mysteries so quickly?”

Torkel actually understood the true nature of the White Tower.

It was a relic of the Primordial Dragon.

For anyone aiming to seize the throne of Ragnar, the White Tower was akin to a royal scepter they must obtain.

Unlocking its secrets was bound to be a formidable challenge, and attempting its trials would undoubtedly consume an immense amount of time. It was for this reason Torkel sought to claim the tower’s territory while excluding the native factions.

Even if it meant clashing with the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.

Even if it meant turning potential allies like the Black Dragon and the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace, who were aligned with Julius, into enemies.

However, if the relic inside the White Tower were to fall into Theo’s hands at this point?

It would be like cooking a meal only for someone else to eat it.

The most pressing issue, though, was the rapidly increasing speed at which the floors were being cleared and lit up.

If the 2nd floor had taken around 40 seconds and the 3rd floor about 30 seconds, the 4th and 5th floors seemed to take even less time.

Despite the likelihood that the higher floors had greater difficulty.

“Now!”

But Julius wasn’t about to give Torkel the luxury of time to strategize. He redirected the amassed Dark Energy away from Torkel and unleashed it toward another target.

The Red Sword Knights’ position.

‘Damn it!’

Torkel turned his head in alarm, but it was already too late. The Demon Dragon’s Claws had swept through the Red Sword Knights.

“Argh!”

“Guhhh!”

The elite guards of Winterer’s family pride were shattered in an instant, scattering in every direction.

Their formation wasn’t entirely destroyed, but it now had critical gaps.

This was the moment Amore and the 1st Squad, who had been waiting for an opening, surged forward.

“Alright, let’s move out, everyone!”

“Ahaha! I’ve been waiting for this order!”

“Time to smash those arrogant fools in the face!”

At that moment, a Wyvern spiraling in midair made a descent, and the squad naturally leaped onto its back, plunging into the disoriented Red Sword Knights.

“Secure her!”

Erika’s rescue took place at that precise moment.

Grabbing the hand of the 1st Squad’s vice-commander, Erika hastily climbed onto a White Dragon.

“Mission accomplished!”

“Alright, now let’s take off!”

The sight of the White Dragons, now freed of their mission, soaring into the sky in unison was a breathtaking spectacle.

Thanks to this, the Red Sword Knights were left gazing helplessly at the sky, their expressions as empty as dogs watching chickens fly away.

“We can’t fall behind either.”

“Let’s show them once and for all who truly stands as the strongest of Ragnar.”

The remaining 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Squads charged forward in unison.

The White Dragons descended, and they climbed aboard.

Their formation of low-altitude flight made them appear like a massive fortress rushing toward the enemy.

BOOM!

Neighhh!

“Rein in your dragons! Grab the reins!”

“Don’t let them break through!”

The Black Iron Cavalry tightened their formation inward, while the White Armored Dragon Cavalry split into squads, causing chaos and attempting breakthroughs along the outer edges.

It was as if their usual strategies had been flipped on their heads.

At first, the Black Iron Cavalry seemed to hold their ground, but when the 1st Squad executed a wide sweep and encircled their rear, the formation crumbled in an instant.

And then—

BOOM!

Julius and Torkel clashed at the center.

Flash!

At that precise moment, the 8th floor lit up.

Torkel’s heart pounded rapidly.

Thump-thump-thump—

‘I have to do something.’

Realizing that if he didn’t act soon, the relic would be taken, Torkel tried to push Julius back and turn his steed.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

But Julius had no intention of letting Torkel go. Relentlessly, he pressed forward with his blade.

At this point, Julius had decided to let Theo fully conquer the White Tower.

“Step aside.”

“I told you, it’s already too late for that.”

“Then the only thing left is war.”

“You seem to be under a grave misapprehension.”

Torkel gritted his teeth and charged Julius head-on. Julius, briefly surprised, smirked coldly.

“This isn’t war. It’s merely an uncle teaching his insolent nephew a lesson.”

BOOM!

Explosions echoed in every direction.

The White Armored Dragon Cavalry and the Black Iron Cavalry, Ragnar’s two most elite forces, clashed at full force.

With the Red Sword Knights joining in, the conflict quickly escalated into an all-out brawl.

Casualties were inevitable as the battle intensified to a breaking point.

Crack-crack-crash!

“What chaos has erupted in my absence—!”

“Cease this madness at once—!”

Two voices roared like lion’s growls, accompanied by the descent of two women from the sky.

The Lord of Plum Blossom Palace and the Lord of Water Lily Palace.

Each landed between the White Armored Dragon Cavalry and the Black Iron Cavalry, blocking their paths.

Bang!

At the same time, another figure intercepted Julius’s sword just as he was about to strike Torkel down.

“Magnus.”

“Demon Dragon. You better have a good explanation for this chaos. Otherwise, I’ll personally hang both you and Torkel’s heads in front of the barracks for inciting discord.”

It was Magnus Ragnar, the Illusory Dragon, one of Kyle’s most trusted lieutenants and the leader of the Blue Sword Guard.

And then—

“So, it’s the relic? That’s what Torkel was after. No way something like that should fall into the hands of a mere whelp who isn’t even a full-fledged adult.”

“You’re seriously going?”

“Of course. It would be stranger if I didn’t.”

“Fine. Do as you wish. But don’t expect me to get involved. This is entirely your responsibility.”

“Ha, don’t regret it later. I’m not sharing any of the spoils.”

“Suit yourself.”

One of the other Five Candidates, Kishar, slipped quietly into the White Tower, using his mastery of stealth techniques.