Chapter 3: A Supernatural Civilization

The prayer session lasted only half an hour, and when the church bell rang, it signaled the end. The worshippers began to disperse gradually.

Merlin, however, was pulled along by an anxious May Snow toward a small side door in the church. Shortly, they arrived in the church's back courtyard, where Merlin saw about twenty people of varying ages practicing swordsmanship under the guidance of a middle-aged man.

May Snow nervously approached this man and spoke softly, "Sir Perot…"

This middle-aged man, the swordsman Sir Perot, appeared to be in his thirties, clad in silver armor and holding a broad sword about four fingers wide. His intense gaze and serious expression exuded authority.

Sir Perot glanced at May Snow and Merlin, saying plainly, "Join the group."

Relieved that they weren't being reprimanded, May Snow quickly grabbed Merlin, leading him into the crowd.

Merlin was still a bit bewildered as he stepped into the group, unsure of where to stand, when he noticed a red-haired boy waving at him from the back.

"Merlin, hurry over here!"

The red-haired boy beckoned with a grin and a wink.

Merlin hesitated but then recognized the boy as memories began to surface. He strode over to stand beside him.

"Hey, Merlin, you're late again. Look at Sir Perot's face; he doesn't look too happy. You're in for it," the redhead snickered with schadenfreude.

Merlin frowned slightly, not out of concern for punishment but trying to recall memories related to this red-haired boy. Although some of his memories were lost, he remembered this boy vividly. Bit by bit, he pieced things together.

The red-haired boy was named Anson, Merlin's close friend and the son of a baron. However, unlike Merlin, Anson wasn't his family's heir; he had two older brothers above him in line.

Anson continued to chatter in Merlin's ear, but Merlin, lost in thought, didn't catch much of what he was saying.

Just then, Sir Perot's gaze swept over them. Anson, who had been rambling, instantly fell silent, his face tense.

Sir Perot shifted his focus to the weapon rack nearby. The rack was piled with various weapons—great swords, shields, daggers, war knives, axes.

"Merlin, Anson, bring that iron shield to the center."

At his command, Anson's face fell, and he muttered to Merlin, "Great, now I'm getting dragged into trouble because you were late…"

Despite his grumbling, Anson quickly got up and joined Merlin at the weapon rack to lift a heavy black iron shield.

Though the shield wasn't particularly large, it was remarkably heavy. Merlin and Anson had to use all their strength just to lift it slightly. Merlin couldn't help but wonder—who could even wield such a heavy shield? And if it couldn't be lifted, what use was it?

After struggling and catching their breath, Merlin and Anson finally managed to place the shield against a large stone in the middle. They then stood respectfully aside, awaiting further instructions.

Sir Perot, however, didn't look at them. Instead, he addressed the group, "You've been training for some time now. Today, let's test your strength. Anyone who thinks they can break this shield with a single strike, step forward and give it a try."

Merlin's face shifted slightly. After just hauling that shield with Anson, he knew firsthand how solid it was. Breaking it with bare hands sounded impossible and outright painful. To him, Sir Perot's challenge seemed more about testing courage.

"Sir, I'll give it a try."

A burly young man stepped forward, addressing Sir Perot.

Sir Perot nodded, "Alright, Kadoron, you may go first."

Anson, seeing Kadoron, muttered under his breath, "Kadoron again, showing off as usual, strutting around because he's Sir Perot's disciple…"

Kadoron strode confidently to the shield, took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and prepared to strike.

*Thud.*

With a swift punch, Kadoron struck the iron shield with full force. Strangely, a faint white light shimmered around his fist.

The loud crash echoed, but the iron shield remained intact, not even a dent marring its surface. Sir Perot shook his head, saying, "Kadoron, brute strength alone won't cut it. Remember, the power of the elements is supreme. You must learn to channel elemental force; that is the key to an Elemental Swordsman's strength!"

Kadoron bowed respectfully to Sir Perot, though he seemed dissatisfied, and then returned to his place.

"Heh, Kadoron may have talent, but becoming an Elemental Swordsman isn't that simple," Anson snickered, taking pleasure in his failure. Merlin, while outwardly calm, was inwardly shaken.

That punch from Kadoron—Merlin had felt the force even from a distance. The power behind it was terrifying, far beyond any ordinary person's strength.

And more shocking still, Kadoron's fist, after hitting the shield with that immense power, remained unharmed. This was completely outside Merlin's understanding.

"Anyone else willing to try?" Sir Perot's gaze swept over the crowd.

"Sir, I'll give it a go."

To Merlin's surprise, it was his sister, May Snow, who spoke up.

Sir Perot nodded, "Alright, May Snow, you may try."

May Snow approached the shield, giving Merlin a playful wink. She took a deep breath, her chest rising impressively, which caught Anson's eye.

*Thud.*

With a loud impact, May Snow unleashed a punch that rivaled Kadoron's in force. Merlin watched closely this time, noticing a faint, flickering flame around her fist.

The flame was faint, like a tiny spark, pulsing in and out over her knuckles. Just like Kadoron, May Snow's small fist showed no signs of injury despite striking the iron shield as if it were just an ordinary object.

Merlin, having just moved the shield himself, knew how impossibly heavy it was; it had to be made of solid iron.

"I don't remember anything about this… May Snow has this kind of strength? Is she even human?"

Merlin began to realize that he was missing some crucial memories.

"Anyone else?"

When Sir Perot asked again, no one else volunteered. He slowly approached the shield himself, his voice rising, "Watch closely. The true secret of an Elemental Swordsman lies in the elements. Elemental power is unparalleled. Only by learning to channel it can you unleash unmatched strength!"

With that, Sir Perot clenched his right fist. Suddenly, a surge of flames burst forth, engulfing his entire arm.

*Crack.*

With one punch, he struck the iron shield, which shattered like fragile wood, scattering into pieces. Even the massive stone behind it was fractured, covered in a web of cracks from the force.

"This… is supernatural power?"

Merlin stood in stunned silence, his mind blank. What he had just witnessed defied everything he knew. A human body could produce flames, and the power of Sir Perot's punch was akin to a small explosion.

Merlin had thought he had entered a world of primitive civilization. But now he understood that this was no ordinary world—it was a supernatural civilization.