[{"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-45":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},427770,689,"Chapter 45","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-45",45,"\u003Cp>“Bring it on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vengeance Platoon Leader shouted as he swung his sword down. The Mustached man held his sword horizontally to the ground, cutting through the middle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The swords of the Vengeance Platoon Leader and the Mustached man met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the swords clashed, the Mustached man stepped forward, putting his weight into pushing his opponent back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vengeance, who was focused solely on swinging his sword, was helplessly thrown backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Losing his balance, he not only stumbled but rolled backward entirely. Dust rose from the spot where he rolled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his head between his legs, Vengeance’s body came to a stop right next to Encrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brief silence hung between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold wind blew from somewhere, whistling through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vengeance’s face turned bright red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid carefully chose his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You said you came to save me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vengeance’s pupils trembled violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is that bastard so strong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid let out a hollow laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, you came to save me, so why are you knocked out with one hit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vengeance Platoon Leader, who rolled his body once more to stand up, grabbed the sword that had fallen to the ground and took his stance again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, this bastard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glared at his opponent and then shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shoot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half of Vengeance’s platoon were archers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shoot freely!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his command, arrows flew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Block it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Raise your shields!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few enemy soldiers, closely following the Mustached man, rushed forward and raised their shields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrows were blocked by the shields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was perfect timing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mustached man peeked over the shield, glaring at Encrid with fierce eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he snatched a shield from one of his subordinates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is insane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid gritted his teeth and stood up abruptly. A burning pain shot through his leg and back where quarrels had struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no time to groan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Growl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A panther bared its fangs next to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the meantime, the shield held by the Mustached man drew closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That crazy bastard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vengeance shouted in surprise. Encrid endured the pain and drew the shortsword from Vengeance’s belt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By then, the Mustached man was right in front of him. There was no chance to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vengeance slashed his sword, aiming to intersect the opponent’s blade. He intended to block the charge with force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mustached man pretended to clash swords but twisted his wrist, pulling his sword back and deflecting Vengeance’s blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vengeance’s sword sliced through the air. Behind him, the panther pounced with a thud. The Mustached man was different from ordinary soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his shield diagonally, blocking and deflecting the panther’s path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yelp!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The panther, letting out a cry, was thrown aside. All these actions occurred within mere seconds after the charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gripping the shortsword, Encrid focused intensely. Soon, it was just him and his opponent in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a Focus Point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The injury, the relief, the emotional shifts all heightened his concentration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, time seemed to slow down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid saw the bloodshot eyes of the Mustached man. At the same time, he saw his opponent’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mustached man gripped just above the pommel, extending his reach for a decisive strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drew an arc with his sword, from top to bottom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t even remember when he raised his sword, but it was coming down now. The blade was descending. It felt like the blade of a guillotine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mustached man’s blade seemed to say that today would repeat once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid hated that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swallowed his breath. There was no time to exhale. There was no time to whine about the pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had practiced heavy swordsmanship, but now he couldn’t rely on the basics he learned from Ragna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the dozens of sword techniques he had learned, practiced, observed, and imitated, which one could he use now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been struck countless times, studying and researching over and over again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He always maintained an attitude of watching and learning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body instinctively raised the sword. A shortsword was weak against impact. Blocking with force would shatter it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mustached man was confident of his victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed he could take the life of the annoying person in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish. Ting, chiiing. Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it simply, the Mustached man’s strike failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only managed to cut Encrid’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cut was deep, and blood gushed out, but he didn’t die. He wasn’t killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of attacking again, the Mustached man opened his eyes wide in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were filled with disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where did you learn that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mustached man shouted. Encrid answered honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I learned it while fighting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mitch Hurrier had shown Encrid countless times the technique of deflecting and redirecting blows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His deflecting technique was truly superb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a dangerous moment, it had unconsciously come out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Mustached man’s sword came down, Encrid deflected it to the side with his shortsword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He intercepted the middle of the blade, absorbing the force, and loosened his grip to redirect it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distribution of force and timing had to be perfect. If anything had been wrong, it wouldn’t have ended with just a shoulder cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid, who answered, was inwardly surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This actually works.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had studied and endured it countless times, but it was his first time actually using it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it was his first time using a technique successfully without rigorous training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a truly amazing thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Encrid, who lacked any remarkable talent, it was unbelievable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart raced at this first experience. The technique of deflecting a sword was something that couldn’t be imitated without considerable training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You bastard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the Mustached man, Vengeance, who had swung his sword in the air, turned around and shouted as he charged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mustached man turned, deflected Vengeance’s sword, and raised his shield to guard the front again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An arrow embedded itself in the shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A skilled archer had targeted him, but he blocked it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang! Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mustached man exchanged a few more blows with Vengeance in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glared at Encrid with fiery eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid was only looking at the shortsword in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was already too late to charge again and kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the contrary, if he got stuck here, they could all die. The Mustached man turned around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Retreat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shouted and withdrew. As he retreated, he finally spoke to Encrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You, I won’t forget you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid responded sincerely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can forget me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He meant it. What good would it do to remember him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vengeance’s platoon didn’t pursue further. Even though they had been at the forefront, they were now far ahead of their own troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they went any further, Vengeance’s platoon could be annihilated by a counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, your shoulder!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vengeance, having glared at the retreating Mustached man, turned to check on Encrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood was flowing steadily from his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had blocked and deflected the blow, but it wasn’t perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Encrid smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This actually works.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He repeated the same thought he had when the technique succeeded earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to recall how he had deflected the opponent’s sword, but he couldn’t remember clearly. His body had moved on its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A surge of exhilaration rose within him. It was his first time feeling this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, you crazy bastard, is this the time to smile?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vengeance came over and wrapped his shoulder with cloth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No bandages! Fall back immediately. Move behind the 3rd platoon!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vengeance ordered his platoon to retreat. The battle was already won. The company commander had instructed them to pursue the enemy’s rear but not to go too deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having been severely affected by the enemy’s magic before, they needed to regroup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re bleeding too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vengeance said as he supported Encrid. Encrid looked at Vengeance, who was holding him, and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We need to bring the panther, too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had saved each other’s lives. They couldn’t just leave it behind now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You crazy fool, worry about yourself first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as he said that, Vengeance took care of the fallen panther.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked to see where it was injured and noticed blood flowing from between its teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So that’s what was trickling down its back.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite bleeding from its gums, the panther hadn’t let go. Encrid held the panther in his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t feel heavy. How could such a body exert such strength?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whimper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The panther let out a soft groan in his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Vengeance supported Encrid and they left the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the midway point, Encrid was semi-conscious. He had lost too much blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ferryman of the black river appeared in the air and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, why go to such lengths?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was hallucinating from excessive blood loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared blankly, too weak to answer, and the ferryman continued talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can just start over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It repeats endlessly, countless times.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you go to such lengths?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not just live carelessly in a day that will repeat anyway?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Settle down, stop, refine yourself and face today again. If you die, you can start a more perfect ‘today’.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, is it the fear of death? No, you’ll get used to it if you keep at it. What’s the harm in letting go a bit, who cares? That today is entirely for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid had no strength to speak. He could barely walk, half-dragged along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he answered inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why should one settle?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it repeats, even if there’s another chance, why shouldn’t you give your best today?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, even if it repeats countless times, you’ll remain in the same place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Living like that, you’ll be trapped in today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then there will be no tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without tomorrow, there’s no dream. Without a dream, it’s all meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I don’t want to stop.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if each painful step was only a fraction of what others could take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to move forward. I wanted to live like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I couldn’t become a knight, I wanted to struggle to become one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no strength left to walk and stumbled over a rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vengeance muttered right next to his ear. His vision was blurry. He couldn’t see clearly ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At some point, the ferryman of the black river had disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid suddenly realized what kind of curse this was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I start over, I feel like I could do better?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Repeating today often brought such thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not Encrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He always wanted to walk towards tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instinctively knew that a failed tomorrow was better than a perfect today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Settling is the end.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why this wasn’t a blessing but a curse. If today is repeated countless times, one can never face the next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end of his thoughts, Encrid asked himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So was this the best I could do?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know. Only the gods knew what a perfect ‘today’ was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ‘today’ Encrid spent was partly due to luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no guarantee that this luck would come again in the new ‘today’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If so, then, as always, he would just keep walking towards tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt the warm body in his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking down through blurred eyes, he saw the black panther looking at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw eyes as blue as a lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then Encrid lost consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought he might die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then today would repeat again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t be disheartened by not reaching tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would repeat it, struggling to live once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darkness came and enveloped Encrid. He lost consciousness, becoming a wanderer invited to the world of darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did I make the wrong choice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ferryman of the black river appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid heard him mutter to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All he saw was the same, smooth, black, mirror-like surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s wait and see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his words, Encrid came to his senses. When he opened his eyes, he saw the ceiling of a tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, you survived? This time, I really thought you were going to die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He heard Rem’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shoulder, back, leg, and side hurt. There wasn’t a part of him that didn’t ache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His head was spinning too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The last cut on your shoulder was bad. I don’t know who did it, but they cut deep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem kept talking. Encrid, who was half-conscious, blinked several times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he soon realized he felt warmth at his side and reached down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp pain came from his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hand touched soft fur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grrr.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black panther made a pleased sound, enjoying the touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘We made it through today.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re getting into the habit of passing out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who wants to pass out? I’m thirsty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid saw Rem sitting with his arms crossed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing behind him was Big Eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Big Eyes brought him water. A few sips and his parched throat felt refreshed, like dry land absorbing rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow, our Squad Leader is tough. Look, he survived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Big Eyes commented, seeing him drink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You lost a lot of blood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaxon remarked casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the background, a squad member devoted to religion offered prayers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord, we thank you for hearing our prayers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragna watched over him quietly and then spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not fatal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he was alive, he could say that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he had made it through today and was facing tomorrow, he could say that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Encrid smiled modestly and then lay back down again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[T\u002FL: Please support me here: \u002Frevengerscans ]\u003C\u002Fp>",2241,"2026-05-30T08:27:55.567Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","fd05456a07c0562ba3ef790e720eee909c4bc92f4cd40b7d376afcc90ba27fea","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-46","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-44",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]