Chapter 491: The Peak Physique of an Earth Knight

Local time.

September.

Twelve hundred kilometers outside Surt’s Stereoscopic City, in an uninhabited desert region.

An ancient railway cut across the Gobi Desert. Gale-force winds kicked up sand, obscuring the sky and sun.

Six hundred years ago, the area around this railway, which transported ore to Surt, was dotted with numerous towns and boasted a prosperous economy.

But now, that former glory was a thing of the past. Only the rust-mottled tracks remained, a silent testament to days gone by.

Beneath the sky of yellow sand, a figure walked with heavy, labored steps down the center of the railway. With every footfall, the ancient wooden ties groaned and cracked, as if unable to bear the weight.

On his shoulders rested two thick barge hawsers, the other ends of which were tied to the front of an ancient train pulling twenty cars.

Even Matthias was witnessing Reinhardt’s Physique training for the first time.

Although Reinhardt had removed his Power Armor and was traveling light, the four Holy Fire Guards protecting him had no such luxury.

Even though their heavy Power Armor had ventilation and temperature regulation systems, under the blazing sun of the Gobi Desert, Matthias and the other three were no different from four tin cans thrown into a fire.

Metaron poured a bottle of water over his own head, his Full Coverage Helmet tucked under his arm. He turned to look at Reinhardt, from whose body heat radiated in visible waves, and felt a profound sense of shock.

“Dragging an abandoned train for a hundred kilometers on foot… What an incredible Physique.”

The usually gloomy and taciturn Morphis said in a low voice, “From my observations, Lord Reinhardt’s Physique should have already reached the limit for an Earth Knight. His promotion to the Six-star Earth Military Rank is only a matter of time. But to take another step beyond that… will be very difficult.”

A Five-star Earth Military Rank Knight is a Domain Level Powerhouse whose combat strength can crush 90% of all other Earth Knights.

A Six-star Earth Military Rank requires a new breakthrough in Domain Power and signifies that one already meets the conditions to be promoted to Sky Knight and awaken their ‘Core’.

As for the Seven-star Earth Military Rank, that is the stuff of legends. Even during the peak eras of the Empire’s various Legions, they could be counted on one hand.

Across the entire Ash Soil Star Zone, with its trillions of humans, the only one to have possessed such strength was Grand Governor Sedon before his promotion to Sky Knight. Besides him, even Cicero, who has already become a Sky Knight, only peaked at the Six-star Earth Military Rank back in his day.

Hearing Morphis speak of his own accord, Matthias turned to glance at him, his brow slightly furrowed.

There was nothing wrong with Morphis’s record of service in the Seventh Group Army Shadow Knight Order, and his combat abilities had been tested many times. But from the day they met, Matthias had a gut feeling that this man was definitely hiding something from him.

After a moment of contemplation, he cautiously probed, “The limit of an Earth Knight’s Physique? How can you tell?”

As Matthias asked his question, Metaron and Skolov also turned their heads to look at Morphis.

Skolov had once been an instructor for the Emperor Shield First Group. He knew a fair amount about matters above the Domain level, but this was the first time he’d ever heard the phrase ‘Physique reaching its limit’.

In any case, as a fellow Holy Fire Guard, he secretly disliked this taciturn colleague whose every word and action was shrouded in mystery.

Unlike the Knights of traditional Imperial Legions, who are integrated into their Legion’s traditions from the time they are recruits, the Vengeful Angels are different. Because most Vengeful Angels are transferred from other Battle Groups, cultural clashes between them are inevitable.

Reinhardt was well aware of this.

From his very first meeting with the two Commanders of Vengeful, the overt and covert struggles between Urus and Koller had never ceased. Although they hadn’t become outright enemies, they were far from united.

Even today, their secret struggles had not stopped.

Koller’s power was too great, and Urus refused to submit, so conflict was naturally born.

The Holy Fire Guard were the same. Aside from Honorary Guard Captain Matthias, the other two deliberately kept their distance from Morphis, whether consciously or not.

As Battle Brothers who needed to entrust their backs to one another, no one would like a guy who was so secretive in his words and deeds.

Morphis sensed the other two’s suspicious gazes, but he simply replied in a cold voice, “Lord Tivosk once told me that a Mortal’s physique has a capacity with an upper limit that the average Imperial Knight would struggle to reach in their entire lifetime. Lord Reinhardt’s training methods are very similar to my former commander’s. The only difference is that this one uses a train, whereas that one liked to move boulders—boulders as large as small mountains.”

“Is that so?”

Matthias affirmed it verbally, but inwardly he remained skeptical.

‘Unless an Imperial Knight’s strength was truly approaching its peak, it was absolutely impossible for the leader of a Battle Group to disclose such matters to a common subordinate—not even to core members. Even if they told subordinates of average strength, they wouldn’t be able to comprehend such things. There were no shortcuts on the path of a Knight. It was like mathematics: a beginner who had never encountered functions and calculus could not truly understand the meaning of a limit, even if he knew its superficial definition. Besides, another important reason was to prevent some overly ambitious subordinates, who lacked the necessary strength and talent, from eventually going astray.’

As a former instructor for the Emperor Shield First Group, Skolov knew very well what should and should not be taught to subordinates.

Even though Morphis’s explanation was flawless, it still raised doubts in his mind.

Then, the noise of the train moving slowly along the tracks disappeared.

The four men also stopped walking.

Reinhardt dropped the hawsers, his brow tightly furrowed. He had dragged the train for over a hundred kilometers, but the strength of his Physique hadn’t changed in the slightest.

‘Before, even the most minuscule increase in my Physique would not have escaped my perception. But now… the strength of my Physique is completely static. I can confirm, however, that my Knightly Physique has indeed reached the capacity limit of a Mortal body. Even if I were to train by lifting a mountain, there would be no growth. And I am only one step away from the Six-star Earth Military Rank.’

Seeing Reinhardt stop, Matthias and the other three quickly walked over.

“My lord.”

Reinhardt glanced at Morphis, who was standing at the very back. Although he had been focused on honing his Physique, the Holy Fire Guards’ conversation had not escaped his notice.

‘Even I only confirmed the matter of my Physique’s capacity limit with the help of a system prompt, followed by practical verification. How could a Three-star Earth Military Rank Knight—someone still in the stage of constructing and understanding the Earth Ring, who hasn’t even touched the threshold of Domain Power—possibly know about this?’

Sensing Reinhardt’s gaze, Morphis’s expression remained largely unchanged—still gloomy and cold.

Taking the water bottle from Matthias, Reinhardt tilted his head back and drained it in one go. Then, he spoke to Koller over the Spiritual Energy comms, “Notify Nelom. Tell him to come see me. I need a worthy opponent.”