[{"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-294":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},428097,689,"Chapter 292","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-294",294,"\u003Cp>\"What the hell is up with that guy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lykanos had heard the name Enkrid and had a general grasp of his abilities. Or at least, he thought he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why he had pulled out his hidden trump card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was supposed to be an unwinnable fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, Enkrid survived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had only managed to disable one of his arms—didn’t even cut it off, just made it useless for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lykanos was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time he had drawn his blade and failed to accomplish his goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Ki Blade—one of only two in existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strike based purely on speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hidden blade inside a mace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this bastard, who wasn’t even a knight, had managed to dodge it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even that wasn’t the end of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after losing an eye, Lykanos had given a hand signal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just in case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second hidden blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His personally trained unit charged in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, they still failed to kill him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lost an eye, too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half his world was now in darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had crushed herbs and smeared them over his wound, but that did nothing for the pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hurt like hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless a high-ranking cleric miraculously appeared, becoming one-eyed was now a certainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that pissed him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Failure and injury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two misfortunes stacked on top of each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His irritation flared—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shit, what a fucking mess. Hah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—but with a single curse and a deep breath, Lykanos controlled his emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have they moved yet?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Came the immediate response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lykanos recalled the orders he had given.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no use getting worked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just because his hidden technique and elite unit had failed didn’t mean he was out of options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lykanos wasn’t a genius strategist. He was a survivor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But during his years of surviving, he had learned one simple truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every human has a weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one was without flaws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the greatest geniuses had gaps in their defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How do you find them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You poke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Try everything. Use any means necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keep prodding until something works.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because no matter how skilled someone was, a blade to the flesh would still cut them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even knights could bleed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single mistake, a moment of carelessness, and steel would pierce flesh, rip through muscle, and tear into their guts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Press him. Do whatever it takes—find out what makes him tick.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even before this battle, the Black Blade had been gathering intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thieves' guild embedded in the kingdom worked in the shadows, meticulously unearthing information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had eliminated Marcus, pulled Azpen into their ranks, aligned themselves with the cultists, and pried into every so-called elite warrior of Border Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That included Enkrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Being good with a sword isn’t everything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, they had tried to recruit him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Blade could offer anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Women, gold, power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A proper taming—just like they had done with so many others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he hadn’t even listened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even remotely interested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not working?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of freak was this guy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If bribery didn’t work, then fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would just eliminate him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the easiest method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, slipping a blade into his gut was hardly a challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that had also failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even that didn’t work?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assassination. Poison. Persuasion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything had failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did that mean he had no weaknesses?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader of the Black Blade personally took charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He analyzed Enkrid’s past, his current actions, his emotions, his oddities—everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he constructed a psychological profile and handed it to Lykanos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the fuck?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lykanos was baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This bastard was a romantic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A swordsman who raised his blade to protect people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An absolute lunatic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder he had earned the nickname Madman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Swiftblade’s final words confirmed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All it had taken was a few coins to get the right people talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The streets were full of eager mouths willing to sell their stories to a bard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, he surrendered just because they took some hostages?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it confidence in his own skill?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or had he actually done it to save them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all the digging, all the effort—this was the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, Lykanos had a simple thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Will this work?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just a guess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t think it was the perfect solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If his sword had done the job, or if his men had killed Enkrid, he never would have resorted to this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They infiltrated Border Guard, snatched a few children, wrapped their bodies in scrolls, and sent them back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scrolls contained explosive spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a strategy from a long-dead kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A devastating technique, but with a severe drawback—it only worked at close range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the caster was nearby, they would also be killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the mage who created it had called it a failure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A spell so flawed that if the user didn’t protect themselves properly before casting, they would die first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what if the caster’s life didn’t matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if the spell was written onto scrolls and wrapped around a hostage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if someone else triggered them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a labor-intensive strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Resource-intensive, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Highly inefficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the battlefield wasn’t always won by efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, a single elite group could change everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they couldn’t kill them, simply stalling them would be enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the purpose of this tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lykanos didn’t waste time wondering if it would work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply did it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, acting was more important than thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was one of those times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he revived a dead kingdom’s forbidden tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Will this really work?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of his men voiced his doubts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would a few random children really have an impact?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a world where people valued their own lives above all else—where most wouldn’t care even if their own mother was killed—why would this matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would Enkrid even recognize the kid?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were plenty of brats running around Border Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Should I wrap you in a scroll and send you instead?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lykanos bared his teeth, revealing green herbal residue dripping from his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an eerie sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man immediately shut up and moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fucking idiot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lykanos despised cowardly subordinates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Winning by any means necessary—that was what mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poke and prod until an opening appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was how the Black Blade operated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, a group of thieves infiltrated Border Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of them were caught—beaten to death or forced to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one of them managed to snatch a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lykanos heard that, he felt an ache in the back of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are these idiots really from the Black Blade?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, for the kidnapped child, this was a nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But would it actually shake the battlefield?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would it matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mother would grieve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But deep down, even she would accept that her child was never coming back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the world they lived in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shit. Will this really work?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even his subordinates doubted it as they wrapped the child in the scrolls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A robed mage muttered something ominous in the background, his eyes sunken and hollow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words were incomprehensible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a foul creature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Preparations are complete.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Send it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old magician, his nose covered in black warts, gave the command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child was shoved forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"P-please… s-spare me…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tears and snot ran down the child’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bandit pulled out a dagger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lightly traced it across the kid’s cheek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thin line of blood appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you don’t want to die, do exactly as we say.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child’s legs shook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without crying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without screaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Biting down hard, dragging their trembling legs forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viscount Tarhnin barely spared a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was one dead child?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it had been one of his own people, he wouldn’t have cared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Border Guard brat? A rebel spawn?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If sacrificing a few kids could win him this war—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And make him a Grand Lord—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he would gladly force that sacrifice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vague desire, an urge on the brink of becoming reality. His heart roiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why joining hands with a band of thieves was nothing to him. Whether they wrapped the child's body in scrolls or laced them with iron thorns, it wasn't his concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they were to place a crown of thorns upon the child’s head, it would have been the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thief urged. The child stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They walked past the range of arrows, heading straight into enemy territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trembling, yet pressing forward. Running, even.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Towards the land they once called home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No arrows struck the child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one blocked their path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, someone stepped forward. It didn’t matter who.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mage had tethered his spell world to the scroll wrapped around the child’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single mistake, and his spell world would suffer severe damage. That alone made it a dangerous act. Even in success, his spell world would be scarred. That made it reckless. But that was why it would work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of lunatic mage would attempt something like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one old and decrepit, one who had long abandoned the pursuit of magic in favor of greed, a man who had become nothing more than a tool for a band of thieves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Detonate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mage muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ferryman’s eyes came into view. He shook his violet lamp and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That voice still burrowed into his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you enjoying this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid hadn’t yet grasped what had happened. He had only realized that he had died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the dreamlike existence before him, he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s been a while.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His greeting was cordial, but the ferryman showed no emotion. His voice remained indifferent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You will not enjoy this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black river receded as his eyes opened, and once more, the day repeated itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are we seriously doing this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraiss’s voice reached him as he sat up and ate his morning meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ate well, ensuring his body was in the best possible condition. The injuries remained. He would have to endure another day in this state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled the final moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Blades had kidnapped the child. They had placed something in the child's hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, not just in their hands—they had wrapped it around them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had at least pinpointed the origin of the light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A scroll?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That had to be it. Nothing else made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right before the child's body exploded, an ominous premonition struck his mind like a hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light. Flickering. The searing pain of fire consuming his entire being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flesh splitting apart, shredded into pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had felt this dread before. A trap woven from magic, something he had encountered when he first awakened his sixth sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, however, he wouldn’t be able to avoid it. It was barreling toward him, inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ridiculous. And if he just dodged it? What about the child? What if they were shot down before reaching him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet someone had gone to the trouble of using a scroll for this—an expensive scroll at that. They had infiltrated the border guard, kidnapped a child?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of this had been easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is absurd.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm the one who's actually baffled here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraiss sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right. Sure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid ignored him, running the scenario through his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was absurd. And yet, Enkrid had no intention of turning away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a problem was placed before him, he would face it head-on. He would push through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he always had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid deliberately focused his thoughts in one direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How to endure the explosion, how to overcome it, how to surpass it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And, if possible, how to save the child as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he do it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was used to repeating the same day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thought that came to mind was Esther.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magic was the realization of the mystical. That scroll had to be a spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had Esther, half the problem would be solved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The issue was that she had to be in human form to use magic. She had said so herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid’s gaze dropped to his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lake panther lay curled up on the floor, resting peacefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed his hand on her back, stroking her lightly. She let out a pleased purr.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hasn’t it been about time for you to turn human?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Running his hand over Esther’s head and down her back, Enkrid spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Turn into a human. Poof.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was only half-serious. It wasn’t like he expected anything to happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But apparently, everyone else had heard him, because all eyes turned in his direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dunbakel approached and placed a hand on his forehead, muttering to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Is he running a fever?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraiss, who had been watching, quietly shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gods help me. I've lost my mind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then he sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Esther merely looked up at him, her eyes half-lidded in drowsy amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What are you doing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what she seemed to be asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Never mind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid pressed down on her head again. She lowered it, nestling back into her spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected much to begin with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Esther still spent more time as a panther than as a human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had once mentioned that she could barely stay in human form for even a single day in a week.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'If only she could turn into a person now.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a selfish thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even back when they had taken down the Black Blades’ illicit business in the village, she had beaten a lightning mage to a pulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether she could help or not was another matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since when had he relied on anyone else to survive the day?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is my job.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spent the entire day thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once that spell was activated, the kid would explode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled a chair over and sat, leaning forward with his chin on his hand, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Dunbakel murmured to Esther to turn into a human, only to have her hand bitten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ow!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teresa remained silent, as did Ragna and Audin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the brief stillness, Kraiss, his voice drained of energy, finally asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell are you thinking so hard about?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid knew how sharp Kraiss could be. Lifting his gaze, Enkrid opened his mouth and explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if someone wrapped a child in a scroll and sent them charging at you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What else? If you knew in advance, you’d dodge or shoot them down with an arrow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That won’t work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Never mind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell do you mean, ‘never mind’? No, seriously, what is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraiss was growing irritated, but Enkrid ignored him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold-blooded King Eyeball had been right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dodging would have been the easiest option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he couldn’t do that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had wielded a sword, swung it, cut, killed. He had slain monsters, felled beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had done so for duty and responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t deny that there was some pleasure in it. But if he had truly wanted to revel in mindless slaughter, he would never have aspired to be a knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I promised to protect my own.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why he swung his sword. That was why he fought. That was the foundation of his knighthood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the only option was to sacrifice the child—if he had no other choice—then he would do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if it meant abandoning the child just to claw his way past another day?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That, he could not accept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A knight’s vow began with conviction, and conviction stemmed from the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid could not chase his dream while trampling on his own heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dream he pursued, the knight he longed to be, was not built on such things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, there were some things he simply could not let go of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opponent’s scheme was absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A perfect, tailor-made trap.\u003C\u002Fp>",2623,"2026-05-30T08:27:55.568Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","cbae1f376487024eea4441519f37f5f9f2febf4a0f1c19493a73d5e485e9d56a","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-485","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-484",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]