[{"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-540":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},428297,689,"Chapter 537: The Corrupted Ones","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-540",540,"\u003Cp>Shinar’s gaze swept past Ragna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t even take the fairy’s sharp senses to assess his condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s not dead.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragna, using his half-broken sword as a cane, was pressing it into the ground in place of his leg to prop himself up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were still open—still carrying that slightly vacant look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If someone approaches, he could probably swing his sword a few more times.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d block a couple of projectiles too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if an enemy soldier with a spear fixed their glare and threw their life into the attack, who knew what would happen—but that was only a concern if he lacked the confidence to stop them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had already been decided—silently—that one of the two would take the enemy commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy commander had gone after Ragna first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone had divided their roles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s alive. I should take him with me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Ragna had died, Shinar would’ve stepped in next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knights didn’t double their strength by combining—they weren’t that kind of force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So fighting this way was the right choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Ragna looked like he was on the brink of death, Shinar judged he was a man who could survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as for the enemies before her—they were no longer a threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the commander rolled his eyes and played his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There will be no surrender! We fight to the death! Let our names be etched into the Hall of Honor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azpen had built a grand hall in the capital’s heart—to have one’s name inscribed there was the highest honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the names of the dead were written—specifically, those who died for the nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Families of the fallen received yearly compensation. Some fought for posthumous glory. Others, for their ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ loved ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ironclad infantry all pulled out pouches hidden in their armor’s waistbands and poured them into their mouths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The powder scattered around their lips and fell to the ground—because they hadn’t even measured the dose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what was certain was that most of the powder entered their mouths, mixed with saliva, and went straight to their stomachs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under their helmets, veins bulged from their foreheads and temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That drug wouldn’t suddenly let them use Will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for a brief time, it would numb the pain, erase fear, and boost their strength almost twofold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a drug called Fury, found only on the black market—designed to incite rage and forcibly draw out latent potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For the homeland!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One soldier, especially patriotic, cried out. With the shout, the blood vessels in his eyes burst, and red tears streamed down his cheeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some bled from their noses from the side effects. Five collapsed, limbs trembling violently. Their bodies couldn’t handle the drug’s force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest stomped the ground and charged. Spitting and bleeding, eyes wide with bloodshot madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary people would’ve been paralyzed with fear. Even the bravest would’ve felt chills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knights weren’t emotionless—at the very least, they’d feel disgust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not Shinar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She calculated coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That one... can’t be saved.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thought so while watching the commander flee behind the drug-crazed soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uwoooooh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the frenzied soldiers charged with spit and blood flying. Shinar swung her leaf-blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even before the glowing edge made contact, his head was already gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shinar was at the level of a knight—but that didn’t mean her body weight had magically increased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, if she let those mindless charges close the distance, even she could be toppled or injured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that didn’t happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even metaphorically—she could literally fight with her eyes closed and still avoid it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She kicked off the ground and leapt like a butterfly. A butterfly’s flutter—that was the leaf-blade. And it ceaselessly slashed at necks and split skulls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She moved as needed, exactly how much was needed, cutting down only what needed to be cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all she did. And it was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fury-fueled soldiers charged at Ragna—but none made it close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could’ve left Ragna and caught the fleeing commander instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Should I have?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shinar didn’t feel the need. Nor could she leave her post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragna wouldn’t just quietly die if left alone—but he was in critical condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shoulder and knee were problems, yes. But if that cut above his eye wasn’t treated fast, he could end up a one-eyed swordsman who lost his way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this was more rational. More efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, Shinar slaughtered all the drugged soldiers. In that time, the commander escaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I'm going to die.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corwin’s insight had been like a supernatural power since he was young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And after a few clashes, that insight delivered its conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what—he would die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he stayed here—he would die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a predetermined result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fixed, immutable fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His own future looked like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like the name of his sword—Fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Driven by fear, he chose to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t some calculated decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against Rem, using foresight and tricks had no effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That terrified Corwin more than anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did it work on Barnas but not on him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple—Rem didn’t think at all before attacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just fought by instinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In every fleeting moment of decision, he always found the best path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was how he fought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whoosh of the sling ripping the air—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it the Marsh of Monter, or Monter’s morons—?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An assassin’s skull exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even that movement hadn’t triggered Corwin’s insight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Does this make any sense?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem hadn’t been aiming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was a rock or a metal ball, he just hurled whatever he saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no calculations in his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every action was impulsive judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choosing the best direction without hesitation or strategy—could a person really make the right choice every time in a desperate moment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impossible. Rem was no exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when the red aura swirled behind him and the misty red eyes appeared—Rem didn’t think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply tried to split Corwin’s skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corwin barely read Rem’s intent in that microsecond—managed to block with his sword—and the red eyes stabbed a curved dagger—a kris—toward Rem’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That curved blade was laced with a spell poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of results, Rem wasn’t stabbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ghostly, legless white wolf appeared and bit the kris.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never said I’d fight alone,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he couldn’t make the right choice, he had someone—or something—to fill the gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the red-eyed assassin saw the wolf, he twisted the kris’s hilt and let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade turned red and emitted light. He was condensing his spell power to detonate it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eat it, Cloud.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his words, the spirit wolf swallowed the glowing kris and dashed away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A distant explosion rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wolf dispersed—then reformed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a little smaller than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its legs weren’t really legs—they were like tufts of cloud, allowing it to move as if floating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sight of it swallowing a poison-drenched blade stole everyone's gaze—even Corwin and the red-eyed assassin briefly lost focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant—Rem whipped the sling in his left hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raised his right foot and stomped the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then brought the axe down in a vertical chop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sling pierced the skull of the assassin throwing a net from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His foot crushed the collarbone of a hidden attacker crawling beneath the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the axe—targeted the red-eyed one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you broke it down frame by frame, the axe was the slowest move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by the time the sling struck and the kick landed—the axe blade had already met the red-eyed assassin’s skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every movement happened in an instant—and every movement was fearless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Corwin—the bastard lurking behind Rem—had stabbed him in that moment, he likely would have landed a hit somewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was how completely Rem had shown him his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if the bastard had tried to stab him, Rem would’ve blocked it anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Cloud, the wolf, was far away, he could have retrieved his falling axe to intercept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he’d already been fighting like that—one enemy getting pressured, the other jumping in to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the kind of annoying fight where you couldn’t just focus on beating down one guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But instead of stabbing, the bastard behind him ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve got the front!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even had the nerve to pull a cheap trick on his way out. He pretended to charge—then bolted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His innate foresight allowed him to twist pressure into a form of psychological warfare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corwin used that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flared his aura and charged as if he really meant it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked completely real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All that rage from earlier—about the ghouls and everything—he seemed to have forgotten it in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Rem knew it was all bluster. The act Corwin had just pulled—he’d seen it a thousand times sparring with Enkrid. He was used to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Fake.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His judgment was instant. And his hand didn’t stop moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The axe fell straight toward the red-eyed assassin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Red Eyes had already drawn twin krises and raised them to block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curved daggers and the axe met midair in a power struggle—but the daggers were quickly forced down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang! Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem added force and dragged the axe downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tididik!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One dagger shattered, and the axe skewed diagonally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grahk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Red Eyes' ear was severed. He instantly began to phase into mist—but that trick was useless against a weapon like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The axe Rem wielded wasn’t just a heavy tool. It had absorbed magic and could suppress sorcery. It was sorcery, molded into form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throwing spells at it was a mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn... that’s the real deal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem tried to track the bastard’s aura as he vanished—but this time, there was no helping it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected him to run like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a waste of effort guarding against it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gone was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem turned back to Red Eyes and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if our affinities had matched better, the result would’ve been the same.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d grasped the nature of his opponent’s power—analyzed the spiritual imbalance and made his assessment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Red Eyes hadn’t comprehended any of the spiritual mechanics Rem referred to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had barely reached knight level by awakening and subduing a sealed ancient soul. That was his foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That bastard Corwin...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he saw Corwin fleeing and concluded that the situation had gone to shit. Just like a ghoul’s reproductive organ.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One moment of hesitation could be fatal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Leave it to me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came that voice again. The one that had tempted him before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whisper of the sealed ancient soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, he would’ve ignored it without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancient soul was a kind of vampire—driven by a single desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood. Blood. More blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A being deranged by hunger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now? Now, if he stayed still, he would die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He said never to do this...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barnas had forbidden it. But seeing no other choice, Red Eyes offered a fragment of his soul to the ancient vampire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the whole thing. He meant to bargain—to surrender only part, and retain control over the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was arrogant thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had dreamed of eventually subjugating this vampire soul, then seeking out other ancient spirits—becoming a soul-knight without precedent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is my body now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancient vampire's Will instantly seized control of the flesh. It only took a sliver of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the mortal world...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vampire spoke. Rem scratched his ear. He didn’t understand the language.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course not. The vampire came from an age long past—their tongue was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did it matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not really.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vampire’s eyes glowed red—hypnotic and sinister. He stared directly at Rem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kneel before me. So we may finally meet eye-to-eye...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack! Splorch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell are you saying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vampire realized his charm spell had failed. At the same time, he realized something worse—he hadn’t even seen the axe swing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was already embedded in his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His head split vertically—Veins and sinew tangled, trying to stitch the two halves back together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a nauseating sight. Blood and sinew knotting together in plain view as the head tried to regenerate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You bastard—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raged before his skull had even finished knitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many pieces can you be chopped into?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem muttered indifferently. And brought the axe down again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vampire only managed to raise his arm after the axe had passed. A delayed reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with all his powers, the ancient vampire had only just taken over the body. He didn’t have time to adjust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he had, it wouldn’t have mattered. The gap between them was too wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem’s axe danced. The vampire had no more words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next swing shattered his tongue and fangs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The body split into dozens of chunks. They twitched—then pfft, vanished in a puff of gray smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem flicked his axe through the air and muttered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Filth clung to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least the axe didn’t seem to hate it. That was a relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem turned his gaze toward the direction the bastard had fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them got away. But he’d done what he needed to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward. Whether to chase him down or to rejoin the commander—it was time to move.\u003C\u002Fp>",2190,"2026-05-30T08:28:24.043Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","fdb63178df6306ccec655060ceb5dd4318951d6329a46cc6d8cde53df4804823","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-541","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-539",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]