[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-knight-who-eternally-regresses":3,"chapter-a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-164":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","A Knight Who Eternally Regresses",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},427789,689,"Chapter 163","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-164",164,"\u003Cp>Day one, while Encrid was engrossed in training, the village chief offered dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He brought various foods to the hut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person who brought the food was a red-haired woman, perhaps a couple of years younger than Encrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s not doing this with bad intentions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She defended the village chief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid replied indifferently, and the woman’s face brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My name is Shai.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief introduction, Shai blushed and left, and from behind, Krais muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See, it’s that charm again. I told you, we should open a salon together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I tell him that if his salon becomes a knightly order with a name like Swallow Knights or Host Knights, then we can think about it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid kept silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word ‘charm’ was best left unanswered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The table wasn’t lavish, but there was white bread, thin stew, roasted beans, and corn—enough to fill a meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be greedy to expect meat here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frog’s meal couldn’t be separate, so Luagarne ate raw vegetables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vegetables with bugs are good, you know, because there’s a special treat mixed in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said this while chewing on a dandelion leaf with holes in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She seemed to enjoy the bugs in the vegetables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid wasn’t bothered by it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s this much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finn and Krais were the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was a ranger, she thought that anything from the ground or that moves could be eaten, as a scout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais had also endured hardships that weren’t to be envied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s wrong with eating a few bugs?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would Encrid be any different?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing dinner, they trained again until it was time to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you ever get tired of it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais remarked as they trained again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no bathroom, so they had to wash at the well. The water was cool, but it felt refreshing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After washing, they inspected the equipment that had worn out during their journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since only the sword had been swung intensely, it only needed sharpening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He polished the blade with prepared animal fat oil, then rubbed it with leather, and finally finished with a clean cloth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a bit of a fishy smell left, but it was better than letting the blade deteriorate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He checked for any missing teeth, it was fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Excellent.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid admired the skill of the blacksmith from the Border Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just anyone could make such a sword, even with Valyrian steel and Noir Mountain wrought iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that a lot of those expensive metals were used.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, after another day had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As always, Encrid got up at dawn and continued with the Isolation Technique and training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finn, who had napped too much to sleep, went out to scout the area. The moon was still visible, but she said she was just going to look around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be a ranger’s habit—to memorize the surrounding terrain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Deutsche Pullman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During another round of green training, as dawn broke, a man with rough-looking short hair approached Encrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a one-eyed man holding a broad-bladed glaive in one hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eye patch and scar across his face made his appearance rather rough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re from Zaltembock, aren’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche stared blankly and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where was Zaltembock again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed to be in the central region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Platoon Leader of the Border Guard, Encrid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a brief introduction. Afterward, Encrid continued with his training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever the purpose of the visit was, he didn’t feel the need to stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche stared blankly at the other man and then spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard you came as the commander.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid’s response was curt, delivered while swinging his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche continued to watch him blankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was he doing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was swinging a wooden sword in the air—slowly and precisely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here once, there once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does that even help?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you busy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not particularly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is he mocking me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche frowned. Why was he responding like this to someone who came to talk?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had come to test if Encrid might be eyeing his position as the captain of the guard in this frontier village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his attitude…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche didn’t want to start an unnecessary argument or give Encrid any room for advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hold back.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, he had to hold back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The palisade here is coated with a lot of resin. It can easily hold off most monsters and beasts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We periodically organize strike teams to go out and deal with the beasts. So far, we’ve had no major issues.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve brought over thirty people, and we’ve expanded the militia through training.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I also manage the quarry, so most of my people handle that too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve built watchtowers, and my men guard them day and night, two at a time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this guy weird?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was natural to start thinking that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid had been sent as the commander, and Deutsche wanted to check if the Border Guard intended to exert any pressure on the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Encrid seemed completely uninterested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, shouldn’t he have some comments about the village’s defenses?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he dismissive because he thought the village militia was insignificant?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually, people would try to find flaws, point them out, and use them to solidify their command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche felt like all his plans discussed with the village chief were unraveling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This guy seems strange.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes didn’t seem normal, even from the beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He appeared to be staring blankly into space, with a vacant expression, even while swinging his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s going through his mind while he’s doing that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Playing around with Frog and wooden swords, was that really what he was doing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or what exactly was he here for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Complicated thoughts swirled in Deutsche’s head. Finally, he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you here to train or something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Half and half?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Encrid glanced over and replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he really here to train?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve already taken care of the monsters forming colonies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget it. This guy’s not normal. Deutsche realized that at least Encrid wasn’t here to take over his command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever his plans were, time would reveal them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain, there’s a monster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, a subordinate called out to him. The man was a recent recruit, quick and sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was an excellent subordinate, attentive to details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid continued with his training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche resumed his duties, keeping the village’s defenses strong and vigilant against the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster colony had been dealt with before Encrid’s group arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Just a pack of hyenas.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was the big deal about twenty hyenas?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number of monsters Encrid had slain on his way here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corpses of beasts littered along the path to the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or that an entire band of ‘Black Blade Bandits’ had been wiped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply put.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I expected the bandits to cause trouble.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche waited for the bandits, hearing daily reports.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually, when there’s a frontier village, bandits swarm in, drooling as if there’s treasure hidden. But there was no sign of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was quiet. Everything was progressing smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is luck on our side?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like the Goddess of luck had winked at them, and they hadn’t even noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the third day after the Border Guard’s arrival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang, bang, bang, bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bell rang, piercing the dawn mist with its alarm of an enemy attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is it bandits?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche leaped up and grabbed his weapon. He was ready to showcase his skills as ‘the One-Eyed Glaive’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He burst out of the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche couldn’t finish his sentence as he drew his weapon to block the attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Metal clashed with metal. The impact of an axe blade on his glaive reverberated through the walnut-wood shaft, shaking his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a shout, he struck the axe-wielding creature with the shaft of his glaive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The struck creature was thrown to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche was shocked. He hadn’t even put on his armor, and the place was swarming with monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grrraaaagh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fallen creature let out a strange cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a knoll, a monster with a long upper body and spotted patterns all over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If just one had broken in, it wouldn’t have been a big deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would have simply smashed the head of the one who rang the bell. After dealing with it and reporting, it would have been over. Why cause a fuss?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if about six knolls and some hyena beasts had broken in?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You could ring the bell, but you’d be angry if they showed up right in front of you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can’t handle this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An ex-mercenary group?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, what is happening?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Argh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fight! Don’t retreat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shoot, shoot,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just shoot them down!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Help! Help me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sounds of desperate cries for survival and the final gasps of the dying filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the chaos, Deutsche caught glimpses of his subordinates, but it was impossible to tell their condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many—hyena beasts and knolls were pouring in like a tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a guttural growl, the number of knolls in front of Deutsche grew to five.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knolls tend to work in groups. The growl was a call for more knolls to engage Deutsche.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche fought fiercely. He faced four knolls with hand axes and one with a spear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His glaive split the heads of two knolls when…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grrraaaagh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knolls howled again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number of enemies increased once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is insane.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this even possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deutsche felt, no, he was certain of his impending death. He was at the brink of an inescapable abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid had a long-standing habit of waking up at dawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Time is short.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While others with exceptional or average talent swung their swords once, Encrid had to swing his ten times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that wasn’t enough, he’d swing it a hundred times, if that wasn’t enough, a thousand times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though there was no guarantee of reward for such effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ah.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But through small, continuous realizations and the teachings of Luagarne, hints of consideration began to surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sought out and chewed on these insights, savoring the flavors of his understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sword moved, and for Encrid, every day was a new experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had always been this way, but recently, it was even more so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since he had experienced sudden insights even while practicing the Isolation Technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Coordination.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It refers to the body’s ability to respond the moment it perceives something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a difference in reaction speed. The Sense of Evasion technique is based on this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s difficult to internalize this skill through regular training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, what did he need?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Even if I die, I will do it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed a resolve, a determination to do something even at the risk of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Heart of the Beast provided not calmness but boldness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All it would take is a small trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he finished organizing his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grrraaaagh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment of ominous air spread, and as the blue light of dawn faded, screams echoed from the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang, bang, bang, bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emergency bell rang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An attack! Monsters! Monsters!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid had been focused solely on his training, while Krais spent the spare time exploring the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The palisade is pretty sturdy. If something happens, we could hold out for quite a while inside the village.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We don’t have siege weapons like trebuchets or mangonels, but the palisade is quite strong. It seems to have been built with endurance in mind. The conclusion is this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Krais’s answer to the question of whether the village could be in danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. If something happens, reinforcements from another city will arrive soon. If we hold out, we could last over a month here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was despite the presence of a colony of monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But that’s not right, Big Eyes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud, thud, thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grrraaaagh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of footsteps pounding the ground, the dust kicked up by the running monsters and beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a horde charging forward without even pausing for breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number of beasts and monsters was so vast it was pointless to count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grrraaaaagh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaawoooo!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exchanging howls, they ran along the paths made by humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An axe from a knoll crashed down onto a market stall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The splintered wood shattered and scattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A human scream layered over the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a horde of knolls and hyenas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dangers of the monster knolls flashed through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, they operate in groups. Even a single knoll leads packs of hyena beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, each individual is formidable and not to be underestimated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third, knolls often pair up with hyena beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thoughts were thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actions were actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid drew his sword and stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the hut where he stayed, there were villagers at work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The militia, or where Deutsche and his men were, was in the village center, so there were not many available fighters here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Uh-oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From behind Encrid, a quarry worker who had come out to relieve himself fell back in fright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lua!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his urgency, Encrid shouted half of Frog’s name as he swung his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[T\u002FL: Please support me AND read further chapters here: \u002Frevengerscans.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[T\u002FL: Subscribe for a membership on my Buy Me a Coffee page and receive 15 extra chapters upon joining, along with daily updates of one chapter: \u002Frevengerscans ]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Additional Info: If anyone is facing the issue of payment on Ko-Fi, please contact me on ]\u003C\u002Fp>",2253,"2026-05-30T08:27:55.274Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","82e86a7271c8cd36c1b94b8a36dbcb3d17b7a2dce0ba26979b38f6ab922e2b0e","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-165","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-163",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]