The Sword Emperor Transmigrates

Rumble, rumble, rumble—!!

After the brief thirty-minute break, the Mobile Fortress resumed its advance. Unlike before, the Aeroship fleet was no longer trailing behind, as there was the risk of Yggdrasil’s influence extending into the skies and seizing control of the entire fleet.

The ground was piled high with the corpses of Spriggans and treants, but the mighty Mobile Fortress crushed them with no effort. However, a closer look revealed that the fortress itself was battered and damaged in several places. That was the price for keeping the power core running nonstop to compensate for the damage sustained by the Barricade Train and to counter Yggdrasil’s authority.

The Blue Dragon Knights peered over the edge of the fortress and murmured softly to each other.

“It’s disturbingly huge. Come to think of it, each of these trees is basically a demonic monster, right?”

“Probably so. Or maybe that’s how they look like before they turn into treants.”

The trees, which had been gradually increasing in size as the Mobile Fortress advanced deeper in the forest, were now towering over fifty meters high.

“They didn’t just grow taller. They’re so densely packed that no one could pass through. If we’d deployed ground forces, they would’ve had to climb the trees to move around.”

Had they stayed in the Barricade Train form, they would have lost their height advantage, and with the densely packed trees serving as natural obstacles, advancing would have been impossible. The Mobile Fortress, on the other hand, was bringing them closer to Yggdrasil.

The knights’ morale, which had been previously boosted by the emergence of a new Demigod Tier warrior, began to wane after advancing several kilometers and spotting no enemies—no treants, no Spriggans. Aside from the rumbling of the Mobile Fortress, everything was eerily quiet.

What’s going on?

Even the Demigod Tier knights, including Leonard, couldn’t detect anything within their perceptual range. After all that relentless resistance to prevent even a meter of progress, Yggdrasil had yielded several kilometers without opposition. Something felt off.

Has she decided that it’s impossible to stop us with half-hearted measures and is planning to engage us in the heart of her domain instead?

That was the most logical assumption. Yggdrasil’s minions grew stronger the closer they were to her true body, with those in the heart of the forest being nearly ten times stronger than those at the outskirts. If she planned to maximize the strength of the remaining two Wraith Kings, this would indeed be the most efficient strategy.

However, regardless of how powerful the Spriggans or treants became, their overall status wouldn’t change significantly. After all, quality could only be enhanced by quantity up to a certain extent. Even in her ancient prime, Yggdrasil would have drained her sap attempting to elevate a high-ranking Spriggan to the rank of a Wraith King.

Frankly, even if the Mobile Fortress and the entire expedition team were wiped out, as long as the commanders survived, they could still pose a threat to Yggdrasil.

Rumble, rumble, rumble...!

The Mobile Fortress continued advancing unchecked, drawing closer until the towering World Tree came into full view, piercing the skies. The pressure seeping through the defense barrier was immense.

“It’s tremendous...!”

“Ugh, I can’t stop shaking… This is extremely unpleasant.”

“...I never thought I’d be afraid of a tree.”

Even the most seasoned knights felt a chill down their spines. Though this Yggdrasil was nowhere near her former glory, her fundamental status far surpassed that of the Demigod Tier. Without the defense barrier, even the flow of their auras might have been disrupted.

If an ordinary person came here, their mind would crumble, reducing them to an empty husk, a soulless being.

At the very least, only those who have reached the peak of the External Force Tier or surpassed it to reach the Transcendence Tier would be able to maintain their sanity.

Even then, it would merely prevent a complete mental breakdown, and they would need to be, at the very least, close to the Demigod Tier to maintain control over their energy.

Indeed, the sheer pressure exuded by an entity on par with the True Gods was overwhelming. It was status equivalent to Nidhogg, which had briefly manifested in the Corroded Realm of Nastrond. Yggdrasil had endured, even as her roots decayed with venom, causing her authority to distort, all while maintaining her domain and form.

“...It’s coming.”

The moment Wade muttered those words, a tremendous surge of power rippled from afar. Its scale was akin to a volcanic eruption, tectonic shifts, or a tidal wave, sending chills down the spines of those strong enough to sense its flow. The sheer force, capable of vaporizing everything within a ten-kilometer radius, could have easily destroyed the Mobile Fortress if it had been focused into a single shot.

However, the target lay elsewhere.

It was Vulcanus. The mutated Spirit King, capable of melting and blending anything, was now absorbing this power, ascending to the next tier.

“Do you think we can stop it before it’s completed?”

“Not a chance.”

After responding to Grace’s question, Uluka drew his sword and fired an Aura Blade at the ground. A beam of light shot forward, only to be abruptly severed. This was proof that something had interfered, cutting off its power.

With their heightened awareness, the Demigod Tier knights perceived the grotesque figure as it emerged. It was one of the Wraith Kings.

“Thetis? Is that really her?”

As the Wraith King of Poison, Thetis’ body bore a dark green hue, but aside from that, she maintained a beautiful, feminine form, as if to preserve the memories of being worshiped as a goddess.

However, the Wraith King that the Demigod Tier knights sensed to be Thetis now looked like a patchwork abomination, as if stitched together from thousands upon thousands of rags, forming a composite monstrosity. Even compared to the evolving Vulcanus, she was utterly grotesque. Her appearance resembled a sandworm, but her smooth, serpentine body made her even more repulsive.

“She’s lost her original form. This is worse than a chimera.”

“She’s far more dangerous than before.”

Agreeing with the assessment, Leonard infused energy into his Dragon Eye, now closer to its true nature as he had reached the Demigod Tier. With his evolved Dragon Eye, Leonard should be able to figure out why Thetis had undergone such a transformation.

Sure enough, he realized it.

“I think I know where all the Spriggans and treants went.”

“What? Wait, no way!” Grace exclaimed, her eyes wide.

“It’s exactly what you’re thinking.”

With his Dragon Eyes, Leonard could see that Thetis’ massive body was actually a collective entity, a fusion of countless spiritual beings. It meant that all the Spriggans had been forcibly merged into her, boosting her power and status.

Normally, this would have been an unnatural, if not outright impossible, phenomenon for a Spirit King. But with the corruption of an Outer God, the process succeeded. Nidhogg’s venom had created a faint connection to another dimension, twisting Thetis’ divine powers and allowing her to mimic an Outer God.

“...So that’s why her current form seemed familiar,” Wade spat out in disgust. “She’s mimicking Charybdis, the god who split the outer seas with Scylla. Though just a mere imitation, her status will inevitably rise. They must have sacrificed all those Spriggans and treants as offerings.”

Even for Yggdrasil, there was no turning back from this decision. Even if she annihilated the expedition team and survived, it would take her over a thousand years to restore the power she had just consumed for this move.

This was the kind of gamble where all reason was lost, overtaken by sheer madness instead. It was a decision made in the frenzy of war—to eliminate the enemy right in front of her rather than strategizing for the future.

And then—

―...■■■■■.

The transformation of Vulcanus, who had been absorbing an immense amount of power, finally came to an end.

However, Vulcanus hadn’t grown larger or transformed into a lava giant like before. Instead, he had become a flame giant, about ten meters tall, his form sleek and agile. The greatsword in his hand blazed white-hot, radiating an overwhelming heat. His power was so immense that even with Areadbhar, Wade couldn’t confidently predict the outcome of a direct confrontation.

Although no one realized, Vulcanus was imitating an Outer God, just like Thetis. In the ancient language, he would be called Surtr, the ruler of Muspelheim, the one who possessed the divinity to burn the world to ash.

“They’ve both reached the peak of what can be considered the Demigod Tier, standing right on the edge,” Wade remarked, his voice unusually tense.

Neither Thetis, who was imitating Charybdis, nor Vulcanus, imitating Surtr, was a foe a single commander could handle. Although the commanders had the numerical advantage of five against two, they didn’t dare claim superiority, as they understood it would take at least two of them just to buy time against either Wraith King.

“Grace, Uluka and I will take down Thetis,” said Wade. “Audrey and Leonard, you two buy time against Vulcanus.”

“Why?” Audrey asked.

“Compared to Vulcanus, whose density has overwhelmingly increased, Thetis’ composite form is incomplete and lacks refinement. Grace’s firepower will strip off the outer shell, I’ll carve a path, and Uluka will burn it to ashes.”

Audrey nodded in agreement before turning to Leonard. “It seems like we’re going to have a tough job. Are you okay with that?”

“Of course,” Leonard replied calmly. He was aware he needed to adapt to fighting as a Demigod Tier warrior.

“It’s decided, then.”

With Leonard’s firm acceptance, Wade smiled and ignited his blade, as though lighting a signal fire for the beginning of the battle.

Simultaneously, the five Demigod Tier knights leaped into the sky, and the two impostors who had trespassed into the realm of gods sharpened their gazes. They instantly recognized that the only threats to them were the five warriors.

Bayard

Behind Wade, a brilliant light surged, granting him super-speed.

Inferno Blade

Grace’s flaming sword shot forward at maximum power, piercing Thetis in multiple parts. The confrontation started as an all-out power struggle. Although Inferno Blade didn’t strip away Thetis’ divine scales in one blow, it delayed her movement by half a beat, just enough for Wade, charging forward with Bayard, to seize the opportunity.

Bang!!

Wade shattered the sound barrier multiple times as he flew forward with terrifying force, swinging his sword and striking Thetis’ snake-like head. What seemed like scales were actually tendrils intertwined from countless treants, and inside her writhing body, a multitude of Spriggans squirmed together in a liquid-like state.

The abomination, clearly heavier than an entire fortress, was sent flying by a single blow from Wade’s sword, making for a surreal scene.

“I’m going in. I wish you godspeed,” Uluka said before rushing forward after Grace and Wade.

Leonard and Audrey turned their attention back to Vulcanus, who, despite being much smaller than before, had become ten times more intimidating.

—■■■.

However, before they could even approach, Vulcanus moved first.

“W-What?!”

He moved with astonishing fluidity. His previously clumsy, flailing movements now resembled flawless swordsmanship, impressive enough to leave even the most skilled swordsmen in awe. It seemed that some of Surtr’s abilities could manifest even in his imitation.

Surtr was the Outer God who, in ancient times, had burned down dozens of gods during the God-Slaying War and had even slain Freyr, Aesir’s Goddess of Prosperity. It was not simply the flames that made Surtr formidable and on par with a Chief God; his swordsmanship was also at the level of a Martial God, and that terrifying power was being put on display now.

Vulcanus casually swung his massive sword, held in one hand, unleashing a flame storm that poured down from above.

Northern God Style

Instance Opening Counter Technique

Deep Frost Shroud

Leonard's sword, growing in size, transformed into the Seven Star Sword as he countered the vertical slash. He diverted the overwhelming power by angling it along the sword, sacrificing the strength of his counterattack to focus entirely on defense. Without this, even his jet-black sword would have shattered.

——————!!!

The forces from heaven and earth clashed, sending a massive shockwave that carved through the mountains beyond the horizon. Unknown to them, animals perished in a sudden landslide, but thanks to Leonard, Audrey had the time to prepare her next move.

Extermination

It was time for the offensive. Moving at blinding speed, Audrey’s glaive cleaved through the air, and an impenetrable darkness followed, swallowing everything in its path.

Even with his Dragon Eyes, Leonard could not see the end of the darkness. Even with his durability, Vulcanus made no attempt to defend against Audrey’s attack. Instead, the flame giant made the only choice he had, which was to retreat.

But that was exactly what Audrey had anticipated.

“Gotcha!”

Extermination was unleashed once more, erasing space itself and leaving a gaping hole in the upper body of the flame giant, as if a cannon had blown right through him. It was a one-hit, one-kill technique that bypassed all defenses, capable of piercing even Class 9 magic.

—■■!

Yet, despite the damage, Vulcanus quickly filled the hole, his killing intent growing even more intense as he glared at Leonard and Audrey. The direct hit to the heart seemed to have little effect, indicating that his vital point was somewhere else.

Audrey narrowed her eyes. “Not regeneration, but restoration? This will be a pain in the ass.”

“Perhaps, but I’m sure we’re far more troublesome for him,” Leonard replied, lowering his sword.

Northern God Style

Universal Suppression Technique

Cold Snowfall of Winter

A blizzard of black augmented energy swirled toward Vulcanus, but the flame giant swiped it aside with his greatsword, locking eyes with Leonard.

A chill ran down Leonard’s spine. The tension between life and death brought an involuntary smile to his face.

“Heh.”

Even though Leonard had reached a level he had longed for even in death, this was the best he could do. For a martial artist, comfort meant regression, and it was only by risking one’s life that one could grow stronger.

And so began the life-or-death battle against the imitation of the Outer God Surtr, the flame giant Vulcanus.