[{"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-632":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},428339,689,"Chapter 629: Slash With All Your Might","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-632",632,"\u003Cp>A tree smoking a cigarette—it was, of course, the first time Enkrid had ever seen such a thing. Before he could even say a word, the wooden giant spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, a human. Then I suppose this is your first time seeing one like me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its eyes, dark brown and seemingly carved from bark, were strikingly curious. They blinked, fixed on Enkrid. He’d heard tales of fairies made of wood before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Woodguard?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From half a step behind, Lua Gharne tilted her head and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right,” replied the white-haired fairy with a nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woodguard—one of the fairy clans created long ago by a forest god to protect and tend to the trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So not all fairies were like Shinar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fairy” was a broad term. It included Dryads, Woodguards, and Wing Fairies alike. Dryads were a race said to resemble pale green leaves, while Wing Fairies were tiny, winged beings, no larger than a palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, Enkrid had known all this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just hadn’t expected to see one so expertly smoking a cigarette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between lips made of bark and dry leaves, a tightly rolled brown-leaf cigarette glowed red, then faded again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke drifted upward in soft clouds that hovered in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And how was it even doing that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the mercenaries Enkrid had known who were practically fused with their cigarettes could only blow rings at best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That one merc, the one obsessed with smoke tricks—if he saw this, he’d be calling this thing \"Master\" and clinging to its leg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Want one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wooden giant offered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You're being rude to our guest, Bran,” chided another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rude? What are you on about? This isn't like what humans smoke—this stuff's good for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bran the Woodguard spoke as he turned and walked off to the side, his bark creaking with every step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t smoke,” Enkrid finally replied. He was, after all, still human. If there was ever a time to be surprised, this was it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was that thing? Why would a tree be playing with fire like that? Shouldn't it be avoiding flames?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet there he was, puffing away at his leafy cigarette and strolling along with obvious satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if he caught fire?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe Shinar wasn’t wrong to be so cautious about flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid found his mind wandering in all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Bran stepped aside, the view finally opened up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one around was paying any attention to the smoking tree giant. They were all too focused on Enkrid and his party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid instinctively swept his eyes around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether you fight or not, observation comes first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lua Gharne’s lesson. Enkrid followed it to the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a clearing at the entrance to the city, surrounded by towering trees. Sunlight streamed down through the open sky above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was peaceful. The city as a whole radiated a sense of calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could hear birds chirping, insects buzzing—but even those sounds felt more like ambient background music than noise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid sharpened his awareness and took in his surroundings. There was plenty to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fairy poked her head out of a hollowed tree like a squirrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More tree giants—others like Bran—stood beneath the ancient trunks. They all had deceptive sizes that toyed with depth perception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some were bigger than Audin. Others stood twice as tall as a man. One even looked to be three times that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The largest one had its eyes closed and mouth shut—if it didn’t move, it could easily be mistaken for an actual tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking in what he could see, Enkrid widened his perspective once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The layout was clear: a broad clearing at the center, surrounded by wooden structures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this wasn’t the entire city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did they use the forest itself as the foundation for the city's design?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A place where hundreds—no, easily over a thousand—fairies lived. It was too vast to take in all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even just walking around would take days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city was massive—larger than Border Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no paved roads, of course, but here and there between the trees, paths could be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After observing the details, Enkrid focused in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What caught his attention most was the floor beneath one of the wooden structures—presumably a house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked like a natural home a squirrel might build if it joined an architect’s guild. The roots burrowed into the ground, anchoring it. The whole thing retained the shape of a tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But something about it gnawed at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked himself the question twice, searching for the answer. His instincts whispered: this was no ordinary house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked like a tree with roots planted in the earth—but that was just a facade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If pushed, that thing could move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what his gut told him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way they were all arranged around the clearing in such an even, intentional pattern—it didn’t look natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the soil around the roots was a slightly different color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An exceptional observation. Perhaps it wasn’t just martial arts that Jaxon had taught him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He always stressed the importance of reading the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And understanding your environment before a fight? That was something Lua Gharne had beaten into him, literally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid had only done what he was taught. He might be a slow learner, but he never forgot a lesson once it stuck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What someone else might learn in a day, he’d wrestle with for a week. But once it settled, it never left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when he listened and gave his full effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what kept him from forgetting what he learned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do the houses move?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was his conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from that, all he saw were blank, emotionless, glassy eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid’s finely tuned senses picked up subtle confusion and curiosity in those eyes—but only barely. To the naked eye, they revealed nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s with those eyes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pell’s words echoed in his mind. Eyes that betrayed no emotion could instill a primal kind of fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that it was frightening, exactly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pell had said it like a joke, but his voice had stayed flat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe he’d seen enough already to take this in stride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or maybe it was just what happened when you spent enough time around someone like Enkrid. Pell had survived this long among lunatics—now, nothing really fazed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mental fortitude had grown stronger than anyone could have expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A human guest. What a rare sight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the beings approached and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was a Dryad—one of the forest tribes renowned for healing magic, where males were rare and femininity was dominant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Dryad, too, was female. Her hair was deep green, and her skin a soft leafy hue. Rather than human beauty, she carried the cool, refreshing aura of the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wore green fabric stitched with gold thread—material unknown, but it added to her mystique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes, the color of polished leaves, scanned the group before she spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not like those little sproutlings, are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calm and quiet, but the words hit like a blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the vibe she gave off. Enkrid, at this point, let his mind relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They say only an empty cup can be filled. If he let go of assumptions and prejudice, he could accept whatever came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just a moment, his whole mindset had shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-haired fairy caught the change with that typical fairy sensitivity—and was quietly impressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mind is straight and unshakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was impressed, but not overwhelmed. Accepting others as they are was enough. There was boldness in that kind of composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not the season for guests,” said the white-haired fairy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been a long time since a human came here,” added another Woodguard. His voice rustled like dry leaves underfoot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crackling, but strangely clear—every word carried effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bran’s voice, and the voices of the Woodguard in general, were extremely peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid, watching the wooden giants, decided there was no way he could tell them apart just by appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to them, even Frokk would be easier to distinguish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Frokk wasn’t easy, either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been a long, long time since a human came,” the Woodguard repeated with a leaf-crunching rustle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their vocal organs were clearly different. The pronunciation was odd—but still understandable. He’d been through enough surprises today. This was just another one to add to the list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They say the ability to accept is also a kind of strength. If so, Enkrid might be the best on the continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been the one to lead the Mad Squad, even when Rem and the others were absolute disasters. He could handle weird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how strange the Woodguard looked, they couldn’t be weirder than Rem’s personality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid faced the wooden giant blocking the clearing directly. Time for introductions. Just because this was a fairy city didn’t mean intelligent beings talked any differently. That much was clear from the atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enkrid of Border Guard,” he said, in his usual tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brief silence followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s the one they call the Demon Slayer,” explained the large fairy who’d accompanied the white-haired one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few fairies murmured at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Demon Slayer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Knight of Iron Walls?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enchanted Knight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heartbreaker?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their voices were flat, like they were reading lines from a book—but this was their version of surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their glassy eyes widened ever so slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of all those names, the last one caught Enkrid off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heartbreaker? He’d never heard that one before. Why was that name popping up here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was genuinely confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a subtle air of fondness followed the murmurs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll show you inside,” said the white-haired fairy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, Enkrid was led in, surrounded by unexplained warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they walked past the clearing, the fairies never took their eyes off him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It should’ve been uncomfortable—but Enkrid masked it with indifference. Still, those eyes watched him carefully, with something like reverence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a single whisper. Just endless, silent staring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fairies, Dryads, Woodguards—they were all the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If eyes were instruments and gazes were music, then this was a silent orchestra of observation and curiosity, with a delicate hint of goodwill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So quiet, you'd miss it if you weren’t listening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This way,” said the white-haired fairy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She led them into a home hollowed from within a large tree—the second tree on the left side of the clearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entrance was taller than expected. The interior, while not expansive, had a cozy, welcoming feel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The humidity and temperature were just right. They passed through a short corridor made of twisted roots that formed the walls. The room beyond had a table draped in a green cloth, radiating a sense of freshness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being inside a living tree, it was only natural that the scent of grass filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It smells like summer,” Pell murmured. “Even though it’s deep winter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t wrong. The fragrance was a perfect blend—fresh greenery, aged wood, and rich earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No need for perfume here. The scent reminded Enkrid of Shinar. Though truthfully, the fragrance that came from Shinar had been deeper, more refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pell and Lua Gharne, who followed Enkrid in, looked around, visibly impressed by the fairy structure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tree had been carved out in its entirety—furniture and walls alike—but everything had its own distinct style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chair in front of the table, for example, was hardly a chair at all—more like a chunk of wood that just happened to resemble a seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If left on the roadside, one might mistake it for firewood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was shaped like one of those naturally grown, twisted logs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said you came to find Shinar of House Kirhais?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-haired fairy asked from her seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Enkrid replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the entire purpose of his visit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chose to set aside his surprise and curiosity for now. They could be processed later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, he had assumed that finding her wouldn’t be difficult upon arrival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d heard she was fulfilling some kind of duty—something for the good of the city. So of course, he had assumed she was here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But clearly, she wasn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Shinar had been here, she would’ve come out to greet him with her usual tone: “Did you come because you missed me, fiancé?” Or maybe: “Have you finally decided to marry me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she hadn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Shinar wasn’t here. That much was clear—both from logic and instinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A truly unexpected guest,” said the white-haired fairy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke a few more words, a silver-haired fairy emerged from the corridor, carrying tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The teacups were like the chairs—more like carved wood with a hole in it than proper crockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the tea inside? Perfectly drinkable. No—more than that. It was excellent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had this been a proper tea ceremony, Enkrid would’ve had nothing but praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shinar isn't here, is she?” he asked, despite already knowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes you asked questions even when you knew the answer. No need to dance around it with euphemisms—he preferred directness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She is not,” the white-haired fairy nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is she dead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No. He already knew that too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But some questions had to be asked aloud. He needed to hear it from someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-haired fairy shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For the next few years, even if she wished to die, she could not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a weight in her words. Regret. Remorse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time Enkrid had sensed such a clear emotion from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Granted, for a fairy, it was subtle. Just a slight inflection of feeling behind her otherwise measured tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few thoughts passed through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know the details, but... was she trapped? Sealed away?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“May I hear the full story?” he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their treatment had been nothing but kind, and he had no reason to show hostility in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just the fairy in front of him—the one who had brought tea as well. Their warmth was genuine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have questions of my own,” the white-haired fairy said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A question in return. This time, emotion shone through more clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wrapped it in calmness, but the sincerity was unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid waited patiently. He understood—Shinar wasn’t dead, so he just needed to learn how to reach her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was she lying?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fairies find it hard to lie, Shinar had once told him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, some fairies might have been corrupted out in the world, twisted by the chaos of the continent. But among fairies who’d grown up in a society where lies were unnecessary—where truth could be felt instinctively—deceit had no place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t even a word for “lie” in the language of fairies, or so they said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silence, the white-haired fairy finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was steady, yet heavy with meaning. Calm on the surface, but laced with urgency beneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know how to kill a demon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid didn’t answer right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could sense how deeply she meant it. This wasn't a question to be answered lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took his time, lips parting, then closing again. Thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after collecting his thoughts did he nod, then speak—truthfully, sincerely, repaying her goodwill in kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slash with all your might.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one said a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a rustling sound from the room next door. It was so quiet that even that small noise carried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I’m ashamed,” Pell muttered, breaking the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lua Gharne hesitated, glancing at ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) the fairies, then added,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He doesn’t mean to mock you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid repeated his own words in his mind—and realized his mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was all because of that damn Rem. Ragna, Jaxon, Audin—they were all at fault too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d spent so long among them, exchanging nothing but blunt, direct battle philosophy, that he had lost the ability to speak in nuance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were too many things he couldn’t explain, even if he tried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That habit had just reared its head again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trying to recover, he added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slash with all your might... until they’re dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...We should sew your mouth shut,” Pell murmured again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It wasn’t this bad before,” Lua Gharne muttered, then looked at the fairies and said clearly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He truly doesn’t mean to mock you.”\u003C\u002Fp>",2657,"2026-05-30T08:28:31.475Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","c8335df232ae49e3a75532ad04058a12d00a6dd82fd4fda2fd7983a597575888","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-633","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-631",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]