Supernatural Civilization

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The prayer lasted only half an hour. When the church bells rang, it meant the prayers were over, and the worshippers gradually began to leave.

Mei Xue, her face full of anxiety, grabbed Merlin and led him toward a small door inside the church. Before long, the two arrived at the church's rear courtyard, where Merlin saw more than twenty people of varying ages practicing swordsmanship under the guidance of a middle-aged man.

Mei Xue nervously stepped forward and said softly to the middle-aged man, "Lord Pero..."

The middle-aged man before them was Swordsman Pero. He was around thirty years old, dressed in silver light armor and holding a broadsword four fingers wide. His eyes were bright and sharp, giving him an imposing air.

Swordsman Pero glanced at Mei Xue and Merlin and said flatly, "Return to your places..."

Seeing that Swordsman Pero had not punished them, Mei Xue was overjoyed. She hurriedly grabbed Merlin and quickly blended into the crowd.

Merlin had just entered the group and was still somewhat lost, unsure where to stand, when he saw a red-haired boy near the back waving at him.

"Merlin, get over here."

The red-haired boy called out to Merlin, waggling his eyebrows.

Merlin hesitated for a moment. Some memories of the red-haired boy seemed to surface in his mind, so he strode over to the boy's side.

"Hey, Merlin, you were late again today. Look at Swordsman Pero's expression—it's awful. You're in for it later."

The red-haired boy grinned gleefully.

Merlin frowned. It was not that he cared about Swordsman Pero's punishment; he was desperately trying to recall memories of the red-haired boy. Fortunately, although part of his memories had been lost, his memories of the red-haired boy were clearly profound. As he racked his brain, they gradually returned.

The red-haired boy was called Anson. He was Merlin's best friend and also the son of a baron. Unlike Merlin, however, he was not the baron's heir. He had two older brothers above him.

Beside him, Anson kept chattering into Merlin's ear. Merlin was immersed in his memories and did not clearly hear what Anson was saying.

Just then, Swordsman Pero's gaze swept over them. Anson, who had been talking nonstop a moment ago, stiffened and immediately dared not make another sound.

Swordsman Pero then shifted his gaze and pointed toward the weapon rack nearby. It was piled with all kinds of weapons: broadswords, shields, daggers, sabers, battle axes, and more.

"Merlin, Anson, carry that iron shield to the center and set it down."

Swordsman Pero's voice rang out. Anson's expression instantly changed, and he said to Merlin with a bitter smile, "We're done for. You were late today, and I'm getting dragged down with you..."

Complaints aside, Anson quickly got up and went with Merlin to the weapon rack, preparing to move a black iron shield on the ground.

Though the shield was not large, it was extraordinarily heavy. Merlin and Anson had to use all their strength just to barely lift it. Merlin could not understand it. Who could possibly raise such a heavy shield? If no one could lift it, what use was it?

Merlin and Anson were panting from exhaustion by the time they finally carried the shield to the center and leaned it against a huge boulder. They then stood respectfully to one side, awaiting Swordsman Pero's instructions.

However, Swordsman Pero did not even glance at Merlin and Anson. Instead, he said to the others, "You have trained for quite some time now. Today, we will test your strength. Anyone who thinks they can break this shield with their bare hands may come up and try."

Merlin's expression changed slightly. He and Anson had just exhausted themselves moving the shield, which showed how solid the iron shield was. Trying to break it with bare flesh and blood—wasn't that simply asking for pain?

In his view, Swordsman Pero's purpose was perhaps merely to test these people's courage.

"Teacher, I'll try first."

A burly man soon stood up and spoke to Swordsman Pero.

Swordsman Pero nodded. "All right, Kadoron, you try first."

Seeing the burly man, Anson muttered under his breath, "Kadoron again. That guy is always acting so smug, throwing his weight around everywhere just because he's Swordsman Pero's disciple..."

Kadoron strode up to the shield, took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and began gathering his strength.

Bang.

Kadoron suddenly threw a punch at the iron shield. The punch was incredibly fast, and it was clear that he had used all his strength. Strangely, a faint white glow seemed to flicker around his fist.

The thunderous impact echoed for a long time. The iron shield did not break; it did not even bear a single mark. Swordsman Pero shook his head and said flatly, "Kadoron, do not rely solely on brute force. Remember, the power of the elements is the strongest. You must use your heart to guide the power of the elements. That is the greatest strength of an Elemental Swordsman!"

Kadoron appeared deeply dissatisfied. He bowed to Swordsman Pero, then returned to his seat.

"Heh, Kadoron may have decent talent, but becoming an Elemental Swordsman is not so easy."

Anson laughed with glee at Kadoron's failure, while Merlin appeared calm on the surface, though a raging storm had risen in his heart.

Even from far away, Merlin had been able to feel the fierce wind from Kadoron's punch. The force behind it was terrifyingly powerful. In Merlin's eyes, that was simply not strength an ordinary person could possess.

That was not even the most shocking part. What stunned Merlin most was that after Kadoron's immense force struck the solid shield, his hand was completely unharmed—not injured in the slightest. This had already surpassed Merlin's understanding.

"Who else wants to try?"

Swordsman Pero's gaze swept over the crowd once more.

"Lord Pero, I'll give it a try."

A familiar voice rang out. Merlin narrowed his eyes slightly. The one who had spoken was actually his younger sister, Mei Xue.

Swordsman Pero nodded. "Good. Mei Xue, you can try as well."

Mei Xue then walked up to the shield. She even winked playfully at Merlin before taking a deep breath. Her well-developed chest rose and fell spectacularly, leaving Anson staring straight at her.

Bang.

With a tremendous crash, Mei Xue unleashed force no weaker than Kadoron's. This time, Merlin watched very carefully. He saw an extremely faint flicker of fire on Mei Xue's hand.

The flames were faint, like tiny fireflies, flickering on and off as they enveloped Mei Xue's fist. Like Kadoron, the delicate-looking Mei Xue had not injured her hand at all. It was as though she had not punched a solid iron shield.

Yet Merlin, who had helped carry the shield earlier, knew perfectly well that such weight meant it had unquestionably been forged from genuine pig iron.

Why is there not even the slightest memory of this? Mei Xue actually has such strength—is she even human?

Merlin felt that some extremely important memories in his mind had likely been lost.

"Is there anyone else who wants to try?"

Swordsman Pero spoke again, but this time no one stepped forward. He slowly rose to his feet and walked before the shield, his voice suddenly becoming impassioned. "Watch carefully. The true essence of an Elemental Swordsman lies in the elements. The power of the elements is unparalleled. Only by guiding the elements with your heart can you unleash unparalleled strength!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Swordsman Pero clenched his right fist. In an instant, flames burst directly from his hand, and his entire arm seemed to be wrapped in fire.

Crack.

Swordsman Pero drove his fist down. The hard iron shield split into several pieces like a wooden board, scattering across the ground as scrap metal. Even the huge boulder behind the shield was shattered by the tremendous force, dense cracks spreading across its surface.

"This... this is supernatural power?"

Merlin stared in utter shock, his mind completely blank. Everything before him had surpassed his understanding. A human body could actually emit flames, and the power of Swordsman Pero's punch was comparable to a small bomb.

Merlin had originally believed that the world he had transmigrated into possessed an extremely backward civilization. But now, that clearly was not the case. Swordsman Pero's punch had plainly proven that this was a civilization of supernatural power!