[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-player-beyond-dimensions":3,"chapter-a-player-beyond-dimensions-a-player-beyond-dimensions-chapter-7":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","A Player Beyond Dimensions",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2254973,4399,"Chapter 7: Chapter Six: Escape! Mounted Archery","a-player-beyond-dimensions-chapter-7",7,"\u003Cp>Light cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the divine perspective, Deng Ken saw the severely wounded guard captain, his back pierced by several arrows; fortunately, his armor had blocked most of the damage. Another guard had an arrow in his shoulder and could barely stay mounted—his horses couldn’t match the steppe ponies of the light cavalry, and the enemy was rapidly closing in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One dead, two wounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pursuing light cavalry drew their composite bows, nocking and loosing arrows with practiced ease from horseback; a volley of arrows arced through the air, one striking a horse’s leg. The animal reared in pain, throwing the guard clean off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falling from the saddle under these conditions meant the guard was essentially dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, the fallen guard struggled to his feet, but one light cavalryman had already raised a light lance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lancer charge!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy’s lance was made of hard wood, about two point two meters long, with a socketed head fixed by nails; to prevent it from getting stuck in a body, winged flanges were added behind the tip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood sprayed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard died instantly—the sheer momentum of the charging horse rendered his plated armor as flimsy as paper. The blue unit marker at the map’s edge vanished, leaving only one remaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Such formidable combat power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy’s mounted archers continued their pursuit; the guard captain now slumped over his horse, seemingly too wounded to hold himself upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had the border battles turned into?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did it feel like total defeat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken immediately seized the Northern War Bow, mounted his horse. The original owner knew nothing of horsemanship, and neither had Deng Ken in his past life; he’d chosen a nag—docile, rideable by any commoner, but useless in battle, too slow to be effective, a hybrid of nag and mule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other guards reacted quickly; seeing Deng Ken move, they immediately spurred their horses to follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several skirmishes on the road, they had already come to see him as the core of the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the wagon train, the witch had also stopped, her expression growing grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips moved slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, a jet-black crow perched on a roadside tree branch took flight, soaring directly toward the battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Deng Ken’s attention was fully on the battlefield—he didn’t notice the witch’s subtle gesture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rangers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Probably elite among the light cavalry—not ordinary mounted archers, but with strong close-combat capability.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several hundred meters away, the guard captain’s figure came into view, half his body leaning sideways, held upright only by his stirrups, as if he would topple off at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other guards immediately rode forward to assist, leaving Deng Ken far behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rode a scrawny nag that couldn’t run fast; he dared not spur it hard—without riding skill, he’d likely be thrown off and break himself in half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distance closed slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pursuing light cavalry spotted the enemy and began to slow their pace, waiting for reinforcements; one drew his bow and fired a long-range arc shot—but missed. Mounted archery accuracy was abysmal; only those raised on horseback from childhood could become elite riders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the divine perspective, Deng Ken’s aiming reticle shook violently, like an earthquake—his skill couldn’t compensate for the motion of galloping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he simply dismounted, drew his bow, and locked onto his target while standing still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An arrow pierced the air, striking the horse’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarian stragglers he had killed yesterday had improved his archery; on foot, his aiming reticle was now steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shoot the rider, first shoot the horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy’s horse screamed as it was struck, and the rider was thrown to the ground, trampled underfoot. He didn’t die instantly, but was clearly badly injured—when he struggled to rise, his right leg was already crippled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken calmly nocked another arrow; his second shot struck the enemy’s left shoulder. The man cried out in pain and collapsed, seemingly waiting for his comrades to rescue him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Deng Ken’s third arrow had already flown—under the divine perspective, it struck the enemy’s collarbone, piercing through his neck, leaving him in a dying state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you still fight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken’s expression tightened slightly. He abandoned his horse and slipped into the small woods beside the road. With his riding skill, any direct clash with cavalry would mean certain death—he couldn’t outrun them, couldn’t outshoot them, and with zero mounted archery foundation, he didn’t believe he could defeat even a small squad of light mounted archers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to hide in the woods and pick them off with ambush shots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the guards could keep them occupied, Deng Ken’s current archery skill might just turn the tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guards had now reached the wounded captain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One bearded guard pulled a short crossbow from his belt, quickly loaded a bolt, and aimed—but didn’t fire. The crossbow’s range was too short. The other guards raised their small round shields, which offered minimal coverage, protecting only vital areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their combat skills were comparable to those of the Empire’s light cavalry; the only difference was they could ride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy drew back and fired a volley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Classic light cavalry “kite-fighting” tactic—but their archery was highly refined, using a technique similar to “Parthian shot.” They could fire whether facing or turning away from the enemy, without losing control of their mounts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If this were a combat skill system like in Crusader Kings, these mounted archers would have at least 150 in horsemanship!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tough enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken entered the woods and began searching for openings. The Northern War Bow had shorter effective range than a longbow; he couldn’t guarantee a one-shot kill, so his first priority was always to shoot the horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the enemy fell, he could pick them off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the brief exchange, Deng Ken finally found his chance. He paid no attention to the guards’ battle—when a light cavalryman entered his range, he immediately aimed at the horse. Horses were larger targets; with his current skill, hitting them was effortless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cry of pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horse was struck and screamed—but didn’t fall. The rider sensed something wrong, wheeled his mount, and prepared to retreat, shouting in steppe dialect for nearby comrades to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken didn’t hesitate—he fired again, killing the horse outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his current archery skill, he could maintain a rate of about one and a half shots per second—but his stamina drained quickly, recovery lagged far behind consumption; he could fire at most twenty to thirty arrows before his stamina bar nearly emptied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy was dismounted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t hope to outrun Deng Ken on foot, and on open ground, he had no cover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken, from above, fired three arrows in quick succession, killing the target outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had to flee immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light cavalrymen engaged with the guards heard the cry for help and split off two riders—one with bow, one with lance—circling around the woods from both sides. Without the divine perspective, Deng Ken would have been ambushed front and back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huff!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken took a deep breath, his expression tense. He retreated deeper into the woods, drawing the Franse Flying Axe from his belt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aiming the flying axe was harder, but Deng Ken still struck the enemy’s head, knocking him clean off his horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bowstring trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other enemy had spotted Deng Ken—he drew and loosed an arrow in an instant, the shaft slicing through the air toward Deng Ken’s back. His padded leather jerkin wouldn’t stop the arrow outright, but he wouldn’t die instantly; he’d be badly wounded, for sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only in heavy armor could you survive being pierced by over a dozen arrows and keep fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A light breeze passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a cicada’s tremulous hum, the arrow veered slightly—striking the tree trunk beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the divine perspective, the witch’s marker had entered the woods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken didn’t hesitate—he nocked an arrow at sixty meters, aimed at the enemy’s head, and shot it clean through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Distant, strange shouts echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light cavalrymen engaged with the guards immediately withdrew. By the time Deng Ken stepped out of the woods, the enemy had already begun retreating from the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their will to fight was low—they broke off as soon as they took losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they’d truly fought to the death, the guards would have been wiped out, and Deng Ken himself would have been forced to flee alone, relying on dense forests to evade pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if the enemy dared follow him into the forest, he wouldn’t be worried at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The witch is gone!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Deng Ken re-scanned the battlefield, the witch’s marker had vanished. Minutes later, it reappeared at the edge of the divine perspective, then silently slipped back into the wagon train from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The retreating light cavalry regrouped, speaking in a dialect close to Persian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why retreat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We could’ve wiped them out!” one rider grumbled angrily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain’s face remained expressionless. “They’re just a group of merchant guards. What’s the point of wiping them out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t forget our mission.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, they’d encountered three riders and assumed they were imperial messengers—easy targets. Instead, they’d bitten into a hard bone and lost several men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they pressed on, they’d suffer heavy casualties themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a jet-black crow flew overhead. The captain’s horse reared in terror, neighing wildly. Before he could rein it in, the horse bolted toward the river. In just two or three breaths, it threw the rider off, dragging him by the stirrup over ten meters, leaving a trail of blood, then crushed his skull with a single hoof before plunging into the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden scene left the rangers staring at each other, all faces filled with shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the wagon train,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The witch paused, tilting her head slightly. Amid the crow’s hoarse cry, a faint, alluring smile curled at her lips—then she melted silently back into the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Break contact.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——“Horsemanship Acquired: You possess equestrian skill equal to that of steppe nomads—born with this innate talent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——“Mounted Archery Acquired: You have mastered mounted archery as proficiently as steppe horse archers, greatly increasing your accuracy while riding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——“Parthian Shot [Combat Skill]: You can skillfully perform a Parthian shot in battle, swiftly firing your bow whether facing or turning away from your enemy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——“Lance Charge [Combat Skill]: You are proficient in the combat technique of the lance charge; in battle, you can swiftly initiate a lance charge attack.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caravan guards suffered heavy casualties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost everyone bore wounds, and the guard captain was critically injured, unable to rise—no one knew if he would survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dump all the cargo. Take only essential supplies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone, travel light.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken led a steppe horse out from the small grove, his expression grim. He looked at the guard captain, who was pulling arrows from his wounds and healing himself, and said firmly: “We must move fast, or we won’t get away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard captain slowly opened his eyes, his voice hoarse: “You mean they’re…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Scouts!” Deng Ken said without hesitation: “In no more than a day, the enemy’s cavalry will be here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small force of elite light cavalry has penetrated deep behind enemy lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What else could they be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, large numbers of imperial troops may retreat here. The enemy cavalry plans to cut them off and wipe them out in one stroke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken could not judge the battlefield situation from limited information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from what he’d witnessed over the past two days, the imperial army had been defeated—crushingly so. Perhaps all border provinces had already fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The empire’s territory was vast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It encompassed nearly the continent’s most fertile lands; at its peak, its borders covered more than half the continental shelf. But such immense territory inevitably weakened imperial control over border provinces, especially after the empire’s decline—its administrative apparatus had grown bloated and rigid. By the time they mobilized troops to reclaim lost lands, it might be far too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This vast empire was slowly crumbling apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Savage rebels rose in revolt; wild tribes invaded. The empire’s legions had long since rotted away. The noble eagle banner had become mere decoration. The last semblance of battlefield dignity was propped up by mercenary barbarian troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This empire is finished!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken pondered a moment, then said firmly: “Dump all cargo. Everyone onto the wagons. We ride through the night—escape the border and head north to the cities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, he lowered his head and stared at the guard leader before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[121] He lowered his gaze to the guard captain before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the true decision-maker of the caravan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the man refused, Deng Ken would ride off alone—with perhaps a brief question to the mysterious witch whether she wished to join him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that would expose him; the witch would surely suspect something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet under such circumstances, he had no choice but to speak plainly—if things turned dire, they could part ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Ken owed them nothing. He had already gone as far as he could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In war, individual strength was insignificant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not wish to be drawn into this chaos now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard captain hesitated, then clenched his teeth: “Dump the cargo. Everyone rides through the night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His decision made Deng Ken regard him with new respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>War had come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it came, one must let go—so long as people lived, there would always be a chance to rise again. Die in the chaos, and everything was lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In these times, sacking towns and destroying strongholds was as common as eating meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the man had made this choice, Deng Ken would stay with them—for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now he rode alone. If trouble arose, he could flee at once. Until he grew strong enough, his priority was to lie low—at least before he could face a hundred foes, he could not afford recklessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his current rate of combat skill improvement, becoming a hundred-man fighter was no great challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could master supernatural power, that would be even better!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>………………\u003C\u002Fp>",2331,"2026-06-19T13:13:01.402Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","db617c871e7f0322b2d6ba2d369d7fedc34f8cbdb286bd4e54f3f3eff507637b","a-player-beyond-dimensions-chapter-8","a-player-beyond-dimensions-chapter-6",195,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-player-beyond-dimensions-cover.jpg"]