[{"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-742":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},428449,689,"Chapter 739: The Smiling Demon","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-742",742,"\u003Cp>“Get in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid didn’t say much more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need to strike them one by one like he had done with Harkventyo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were other ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerry asked. He was a strong-willed man, but his voice now trembled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid looked far more dangerous than usual to his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you mess around, he’ll cut you down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meaning was clear, even without words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harkventyo glared at Enkrid, limping. But what flickered in his eyes was not anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was desperation—a feeble attempt to hide fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead of them was a deep pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A trap meant to catch any large beasts that might appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sharp stakes planted inside had been removed, but the depth was considerable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Jerry stepped on Harkventyo’s shoulder, it was unlikely he could reach the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been dug at a slant rather than perfectly vertical, but that didn’t mean someone could simply crawl out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone began glancing around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are we really supposed to go in there?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s wrong with that outsider all of a sudden?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t he supposed to be helping us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t we agree that Harkventyo would go plead with him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid shifted his posture without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could’ve asserted his dominance without even moving—but that would’ve been too forceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncontrolled pressure could make someone’s legs give out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was needed here wasn’t overwhelming terror, but the looming threat just close enough to feel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he opened his chest and twisted his waist, the handle of the Three Iron at Enkrid’s hip came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the moment everyone realized what Harkventyo had already understood:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The threat of the beasts was far away—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the sword before them was very, very close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there was no need to wonder which was more dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerry went down into the pit first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rope dropped from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing directly overhead, Enkrid said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ll climb out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if one used the territorial war between beasts and monsters to their advantage, surviving in a place like this demanded sheer tenacity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without training, one's body would naturally grow strong just from living here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn’t mean climbing up a rope inside a pit was easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hrgh! Hrgh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerry scrambled up with all his might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d strained himself so hard, even his palm muscles ached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Run. Over there. Quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid pointed lazily in a direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like he was saying, I’ll cut you down at any moment. And it means nothing to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerry panted as he ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here! Step here, then there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Children stood around, shouting instructions like signposts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Running in circles around a few trees, Jerry eventually returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky above him looked yellow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was one round. Next.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid’s voice rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next was a tough-built woman—stronger than Jerry, decent with a bow, rough in personality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she was just as scared. She didn’t ask why, didn’t argue, just went into the pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came a timid man who’d been part of the meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to be clever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was scared, but figured this wasn’t the kind of thing he’d get scolded for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After climbing out of the pit, he ran at a modest pace, pretending to be out of breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been good at running since childhood, so this was nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid kicked the man’s thigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A light low kick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man collapsed with a thud and began slamming his fists against the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, ugh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the sound of it, he really was in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you try to cut corners...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid didn’t even finish the sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone who could fight was made to climb out of the pit and run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They repeated this more than ten times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their legs shook, and their arms were too sore to lift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a beast attacked now, they’d be easy prey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll dig another pit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid said simply, then turned back to Brunhilt and the children who’d been watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As usual, he began teaching them how to handle a spear and throw an axe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This one’s better at it than I am, honestly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even made a remark like that while showing them how to throw an axe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is this? What does he want?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn’t even ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they did, it didn’t seem like he’d answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Harkventyo kept his mouth shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same thing continued for three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you a demon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The timid man asked with a half-choked voice, nearly in tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was too exhausted to care anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid smiled and replied,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Think whatever you want.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wore that same smile in the capital city of Naurill, especially in a place like a salon, it would make several ladies blush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if not, just at the city market in the Border Guard, many would turn their heads as he passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Leona Lockfried had seen it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That smile is way too easy to misinterpret. Stop smiling. I don’t want to die by a fairy’s blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She might have said that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to the man standing there, Enkrid looked like a demon—just without horns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who else could smile like that while pushing people to the brink of death?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ferryman narrowed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He watched Enkrid in the present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the man had done these past three days... it was truly astonishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, if Enkrid had desperately tried to save these people, the Ferryman would’ve asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you think they’ll listen to you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And maybe added,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you think training them will make a difference?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But none of that needed to be said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid had made sure of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With just a few words, he grasped the situation and acted several moves ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He already had excellent initiative—and now he was also calculating, intuitive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d anticipated what the Ferryman would’ve said and moved accordingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You bastard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, the Ferryman couldn’t do anything just yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he called Enkrid out at night, he had only one thing to say:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think it’ll go your way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t see the future, but the Ferryman had lived long enough and seen enough to draw conclusions from patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’ll work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just watching that man move brought a new term to mind:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A master of the present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid blinked and replied,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get lost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those two brief answers, he left the raft behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ferryman closed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t like how things were going—but he couldn’t help feeling a bit of anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will it really turn out the way he wants?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He heard another voice inside himself, but didn’t respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Success or failure, you only know by seeing it through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’ve gone soft enough to have thoughts like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To that, the Ferryman agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Repeating today over and over would become Enkrid’s anchor—that fact would not change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, he still saw hope in it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just another kind of amusement now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ferryman chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of his laughter drifted over the water, echoed back from the riverbank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prisoners are only given limited space, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His laughter would always be met with a wall to reflect it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— * * * —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you don’t do as you're told, you die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the midst of this madness, they’d already suffered three attacks from beasts—one of which was a wolf-type.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really don’t get it, do you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time, this merciless swordsman had slashed, shredded, and crushed the monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just with his sword—he used fists and feet too, like a demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You couldn’t even see him move before the beasts’ heads exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, the defense perimeter had shrunk now that everyone was gathered in one place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it was astonishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He alone had the strength to wipe out entire packs of beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone watching let out half a breath, half a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it awe?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—it was disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fight had ended too quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now he was using that blade to slay beasts, but once the battle ended, it would poke at the backs of the exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Enkrid, the demon, did exactly that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He prodded the backs of those too tired to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t wounded—but it still sent chills down their spines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d say things like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sharp poke at their backs and a single phrase—and somehow strength returned to their bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whuph!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just three days ago, when beasts attacked, everyone had gone pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As blood stench filled the village, Jerry finally mustered the courage to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We should clean up the area.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid simply nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant everyone got a brief rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if anyone tried to slack off, he’d notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he’d approach with that smile again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then rest was over—and hell resumed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with the stink of beast blood in the air, they had to keep working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then clean it all up again afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d been tough to begin with, but now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now they were downright sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, roles began to sort themselves out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And of course, Harkventyo stepped up in the middle to manage the coordination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three days of that, Enkrid finally gave a new order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone, grab a spear and gather up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now his words were law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either obey—or be ready to die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the toughest of them, Harkventyo, followed without protest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The timid man nodded beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Better to die than take another hit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oddly enough, he had real courage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After getting hit like that, he still tried to slack off while dragging away beast corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid kicked him a few more times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sobbed and writhed on the ground—but strangely, his legs didn’t break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, they didn’t break at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after a while, though bruised, he didn’t even limp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knows how to hit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The timid man realized this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that guy smiles when he hits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could do this hundreds of times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without killing anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People who’ve never been tortured don’t have resistance to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the timid man, Enkrid’s kicks felt like torture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t screw around. Do as you’re told.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He warned them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harkventyo, in truth, understood what Enkrid was doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were two main purposes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One: Erase the fear of the beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Start by overwhelming it with a bigger fear, then train them to stay calm even when seeing beast corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two: Make them move as one body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There weren’t even seventy who could fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And none of them had real combat training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harkventyo had natural strength, but had never been trained as a soldier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Responsibility alone doesn’t grant new abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he could observe, feel—maybe because he was in a leadership position in the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They started to read each other’s breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With just glances, they could sense one another’s condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Enkrid gather them with spears and begin teaching formations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They followed well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The training paid off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course it did—they’d spent three whole days being driven to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from pits and sprints, all they’d done was run in sync and shout together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone with knowledge would call this basic drill training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— * * * —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he worked them, Enkrid found a strange enjoyment in training new recruits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t easy, but in a way—it was fun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ferryman had guessed right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His experience in Zaun had broadened Enkrid’s vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he was thinking several moves ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the Ferryman couldn’t see the past, but could use the present to predict the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re exclusive—but they \u002FN_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t\u002F must be protected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endless waves of beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mountain range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brunhilt’s talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lack of combat training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So many variables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of it settled in his mind, pointing him toward the path he had to take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t need to wrangle with the Ferryman anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A month might be short—but if condensed, it could be enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ferryman may have hoped to stay here, entangled in their lives, repeating today forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that hope had been doomed from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After about two weeks, a spark appeared in everyone’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until then, Enkrid had ruled them with fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brunhilt, though just a child, was sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She showed her doubts with her eyes, but focused more on learning how to use a spear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d already been interested—but once training began for the villagers, she became obsessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could feel it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time Enkrid had prepared was coming to an end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she misunderstood, and assumed he was the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop bullying them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The genius’s spear pointed at Enkrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was nostalgic, in a way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he’d first left the village, that same girl—barely half his size—had beaten him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lot had changed since then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brunhilt thrust her spear for the sake of the villagers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid grabbed it and flicked his middle finger against her forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ow!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She clutched her forehead and rolled on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t get cocky.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much of a genius she was, there was still a gap she couldn’t overcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, her instincts weren’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The end was near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was time to begin training for actual combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bring out all the stored food.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Enkrid’s command, Harkventyo nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>",2201,"2026-05-30T08:28:34.162Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","ee8195b8db137b6b54fb5bd081017bbc2c670a12dc03605c8eb350a1e21d978f","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-743","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-741",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]