[{"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-523":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},428280,689,"Chapter 520: The Next Victim","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-523",523,"\u003Cp>Enkrid stood in the training field, gripping Acker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the outside, it looked like he was muttering to himself while awkwardly holding a sword in the corner of the training ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t something that would come across as normal behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t matter, since no one came to this place unless they were part of the Mad Squad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even if someone was watching, Enkrid would’ve acted exactly the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes burned like flames, just as they had before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speak. You didn’t stick around just to chat, did you? Show me what you’ve got. I’ll leave my review of what your predecessor left behind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid spoke a bit too fast. His excitement stirred his momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the thought struck him that he might gain something from this cursed sword Acker, he couldn’t hold back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he had to break it—he would learn what was inside this blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the kind of momentum that made everyone in the barracks turn their heads toward Enkrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the concern seemed ridiculous now—Enkrid was there, just like the first time they’d seen him, still filled with longing and resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why was I even worried about that guy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem said with a short scoff, sharpening his axe while sitting on a stump-chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did the guide’s luck finally kick in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragna, lying in the shade on the opposite side of Rem, raised his head sleepily and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The momentum was enough to snap someone awake, but Ragna just blinked, didn’t even wipe the sleep from his eyes, and went back to napping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaxon leaned against a building pillar, quietly watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d never say it out loud, but inside, he agreed with the barbarian’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worried that his longing had vanished? Whose?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That man was the same as ever. Unchanging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he was first assigned to the squad, when he taught Jaxon the sensory technique—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He hasn’t changed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man forged by heat and longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve returned, brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Audin said with a smile. He was studying scripture with Teresa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scripture said: For those who yearn, opportunity will come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teresa repeated that line several times in her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The yearning that doesn’t give up.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had seen and learned that from Enkrid. Back then and even now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But is simply not giving up enough?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To her, Enkrid looked more excited now than he did when he became a knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He enjoyed the process of becoming more than the act of achieving. He valued learning more than perfection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So then where does longing come from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From anticipation. From the expectation that something will bring joy, the thrill of being overcome by it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was how Enkrid was right now. Teresa had a small realization and began to pray silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My longing, my joy, my bliss—I offer it all to the Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a faint light flowed from her shoulders. So subtle it vanished unless one was standing right in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So no one saw it. Even Audin missed it because his eyes were fixed on Enkrid—but Audin, being divine, could sense the change in Teresa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes turned back to her. She was focused in prayer. He had witnessed a miracle right in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the woman who had once been a half-giant and a cultist, the Holy Spirit had left a mark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Lord is being generous today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Audin said. Teresa nodded. She couldn’t explain it, but she knew she had received something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever it was, she could take time to find out. There was no need to rush or demand answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had always been patient, but ever since she found true faith, her patience had deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve seen the light? Then run toward it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lua Gharne said, more focused on training than at any other time in her life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whip in her hand drooped to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had just stopped whipping it around because her body was sweating too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she turned and said it while looking at Enkrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was also something she was telling herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was on the older side for a Frokk. If compared to a human, she’d be past middle age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Frokk and humans were different species, so age didn’t match up the same way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, one thing was similar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Training at her age?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aging comes for everyone the same way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lua Gharne had reached that point in her life as a Frokk when aging caught up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t at the age to be training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could even say:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s the point of a Frokk training when the end is already in sight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frokk are born fighters. Their strength is immense, and their skin renders most weapons useless. Sloppy swordsmen wouldn’t even dare face them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most Frokk only repeated what they had already mastered through real combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was enough. And because they had the eyes to read talent, they knew their limits all too well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Limits can’t be surpassed. Frokk know this better than anyone. Their ability to judge talent applies even to themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if someone stood before you, constantly, again and again, breaking through what should’ve been the limit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lua Gharne had never felt this way in her entire life. It wasn’t the urge to teach—it was the desire to grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was also enjoying this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she couldn’t move forward from here, she’d still be satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had learned that from Enkrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her Frokk arm muscles trembled from overuse. Lua Gharne puffed her cheeks, savoring the shake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid usually listened well to others, but when it came to the sword, he shut out everything like a madman. He obsessed. He craved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way he used to drool while swinging his blade—it overlapped with how he looked now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which is why Enkrid didn’t listen to anyone this time either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether or not the others were watching, he was listening to Acker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vmmm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword trembled, and with will, it conveyed its intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You have fulfilled the fourth condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He appreciated the lack of excuses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Shall we speak face-to-face now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Enkrid could say anything, the sword continued transmitting its will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right after the first message, came the second. Enkrid didn’t blink, watching as green and white light streamed out from Acker’s blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light expanded outward and erased everything around them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pasutsssss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The breeze \u002FN_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t\u002F rustled the grass that reached up to their ankles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a field of grass. One that stretched endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time seemed to be around noon. Shadows slipped slightly to the right beneath his feet in a soft curve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the shadow wasn’t long, the sun must have been directly overhead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sunlight was just bright enough—not too hot or cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stung a little, but the wind blowing in brought the perfect amount of cool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the first time we’re meeting like this, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there, only five steps ahead of Enkrid, stood a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rested a sword, the same as Acker, diagonally on his shoulder without a scabbard. His appearance was ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light brown hair and brown eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But despite the common features, he didn’t look ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword resting on his shoulder looked ready to strike at any moment, and his feet were planted firmly on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No gaps in his stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Acker.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acker narrowed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why bother asking for a name here? As if you didn’t already know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what those eyes seemed to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid lowered his arms. The sword in his hand looked exactly like the one his opponent held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no other gear. No armor, no throwing knives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same was true for the ghostly figure claiming to be Acker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two swords and two people—or rather, one person and one ghost. That was it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve got that look like you just thought something rude.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably right. I’m inside your conscious world, and I’ll be sharing some of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost Acker, with light brown hair, raised his left hand and tapped at his temple with his finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn’t that kind of cheating?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry. I can only perceive a bit of your emotions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost Acker said as he narrowed one eye and brought his thumb and forefinger together in front of his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Worry about what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m saying this because you’re already preparing to fight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acker gave a small smile. A breeze blew. The grass swayed. The ghost sneezed with an “Achoo”—but his stance didn’t waver. Not a single gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if I strike right now? He’ll respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid briefly foresaw what would happen next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opponent would wipe his nose, dodge the thrust, and immediately raise his sword to strike back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would swing upward vertically, then twist, trying to predict Enkrid’s next move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I factor that in and close the distance while thrusting?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Enkrid couldn’t do that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he thrust, the opponent wouldn’t dodge—he’d swing to knock the weapon away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two futures appeared at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that wasn’t all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If their blades met instead of being deflected, he’d immediately seal the weapon and punch the flat of the blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wouldn’t break the sword, but it would shake Enkrid’s grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if his grip wavered, he’d lose his rhythm from the very start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid saw the opponent showing three responses at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a fourth. And a fifth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>New responses kept appearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opponent’s stance hadn’t changed, but his responses kept shifting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even when I said we should talk face-to-face, I figured you wouldn’t start with words. What do you think? Fun, isn’t it? Some scoff at grappling, but I used it well when I was alive. If you know how to use Will, this kind of thing is possible. It’s a way to jam future vision.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will was intent. A formless power forged by intent could generate momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, if you had the intent to strike the head of the man in front of you, your body would naturally prepare to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’d rotate your shoulders, get into a posture where your hands could move freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the opponent, unconsciously, would start preparing to guard their head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Future vision was insight—the ability to read movement and momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Acker’s thought-form had done was to mix Will in various ways, twist the flow of momentum, and show that to the opponent—disrupting their insight, their vision of the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Rem neutralized future vision through unconscious axe swings,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This one split conscious intent into dozens of threads, showed them all to the opponent, and disrupted their senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not easy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid muttered under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You really tried to gulp it all down at once? You’ve got no shame.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he mumbled, the ghost caught it and responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do I look like someone who explains things easily?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t tell me you won’t explain it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You just ask and expect me to? That’s not how it works.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re not going to tell me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is this bastard so shameless? And yet, in his eyes was nothing but pure longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were his eyes like that too when he threw himself off the cliff? No way to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might’ve felt awkward to Acker, but Enkrid would go even further if it meant learning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three conditions already had me pissed off. Has anyone ever passed the hidden fourth condition? Of course not. So you’re the first, and I’ve got a lot to say—but you skip the explanation and ask me to hand over the technique? Wow. No thanks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acker said with a deliberately fake smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid was fully ready to listen to him now. First, he had to confirm whether the blindfold he used to block Acker’s future vision actually worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no choice. He’d seen too many blazing eyes—more than one, four pairs in total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eyes of the giant merchant. The eyes of the artisan Eitri. The eyes of the Frokk who made accessories. The eyes of the little boy who wanted to be a healer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire in Enkrid’s heart had never really gone out—but this was like pouring oil on the remaining embers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to learn anything. Do anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was sparring or training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judge my skill now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watch my sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can learn anything—so teach me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid’s presence pressed down on his opponent, clearer and more defined than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a fresh kind of pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the kind that makes someone feel like they’ll die if they move, or that they’ll be sliced no matter where they go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the kind of pressure that screamed, I want to learn everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So instead of coercion, it felt more like an encouragement that stirred up a desire to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind of presence that made you want to spar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he thought Acker was hiding something, Enkrid pestering him was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For real.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So annoying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid hid his breath and raised both arms in a flash. The tip of his sword pointed toward the sky, then he stepped forward with his right foot using his left as a pivot, slashing diagonally downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a clean and weighty diagonal cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acker chose one of the movements from the futures he’d shown earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his sword and deflected the blow diagonally while shifting sideways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As their blades clashed—Thud!—a loud friction sound rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Acker still said what he wanted to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost Acker’s shadow stretched long to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid’s gaze followed Acker’s feet and blade. With his eyes tracking the motion, he stepped forward and thrust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blue eyes drew a line, leaving an afterimage behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a speed only a knight could perceive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An ordinary person would be stabbed and cut before even seeing the afterimage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, even in this mental realm, Acker wasn’t caught off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he was only a thought-form, in the world of consciousness, he was as good as a knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acker was a weapon imbued with such a spell to begin with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Future vision showed dozens of possibilities. Enkrid thought he would pick one again, but Acker broke expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed the sword grip with his right hand, and the base of the blade with his left hand, and used strength to block Enkrid’s sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two identical swords met, releasing a shockwave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grass bent in a perfect circle around them, then sprung back up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shshshshshshsh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rustling of the grass was deafening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a shift in weight, the hard downward strike was stopped by the defensive stance Acker had created.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Abandoning future vision for instinctive cleverness? Not bad, but who are you trying to copy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid had planned to mimic Rem’s technique after seeing Acker’s skill—but that got blocked. Acker continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is like a conscious world forged by the sword. If you want to leave, there’s only one way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acker expected Enkrid to ask what would happen if he couldn’t get out. After all, the instinct to preserve one’s life was universal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will I die if I can’t escape? Then what happens?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Enkrid asked that, Acker was fully ready to mock him with a smug, “What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since Acker had shattered Enkrid’s future vision, Enkrid’s reaction shattered Acker’s expectations as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He barely pretended to listen as he gave a half-hearted answer. His eyes were already drowning in madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, try opening your eyes properly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this bastard insane?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acker had finally come to the same conclusion everyone who’d ever met Enkrid had reached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the desert, Enkrid observed his surroundings like he was half-asleep—so this was Acker’s first time facing Enkrid’s madness firsthand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Rem had seen it, he would’ve snickered and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yup, next victim—step right up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2633,"2026-05-30T08:28:24.043Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","6171cee96a748c81c50cf04839b63c09f7c36b082c1fe78054e497040bfdbe69","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-524","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-522",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]