[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela":3,"chapter-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-25":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Exiled from the Start and Dominating the Wasteland with an Intelligence System",{"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},1688625,2155,"Chapter 25","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-25",25,"\u003Cp>Chapter 25. The Sword and the Rose\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning mist had not yet fully lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli had only just finished his daily round of Intelligence Acquisition when an alarming message came to him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Purple: A group of adult Scale-Armored Crocodiles, having lost a struggle over water sources in an upstream territory, will migrate downstream before noon today and pass through the lower stretch of the river below Black Territory.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scale-Armored Crocodiles—aquatic magical beasts covered in thick bony plates and violent by nature—were the nightmare of every settlement along a riverbank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli instantly thought of the fishermen working downstream, and the slaves assisting them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clark!” There was a rare urgency in Eli’s voice. “Come with me at once! There’s danger downstream!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shout pierced the temporary wooden hut next door where Clark had been lodged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From inside came a muffled complaint and the dull thud of something heavy hitting the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So noisy... Eli... it’s not even fully daylight yet...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no time for nonsense. Magical beasts are coming through the river downstream!” Eli seized him by the arm and started dragging him outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Magical beasts?!” The sleep-fogged haze in Clark’s golden eyes vanished in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where?! What kind of magical beasts?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait! My sword! Bring me my sword!” he shouted over his shoulder to the knight accompanying him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knight reacted with practiced speed, rushing back into the hut and reappearing a moment later with an elegant one-handed knight’s sword, its scabbard adorned with a thorned-rose motif.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Downstream from Obsidian Territory, at a backwater cove where the current ran relatively gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crude wooden raft floated on the surface. Six fishermen from the eastern coast were there with more than a dozen strong slaves, all hard at work in the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some were driving sharpened stakes deeper into the riverbed to secure the raft. Others were on the bank, weaving and repairing enormous fishing nets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they saw Eli hurrying over with his people, Estor, who was leading them, looked startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord? Why have you come?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone! Get ashore now! Quickly!” Eli did not waste time explaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fishermen and slaves had no idea what was happening, but at the sight of their lord’s grave expression, no one dared delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They immediately dropped what they were doing, scrambled onto the raft with both hands and feet, then jumped back to shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Estor instantly raised his voice to help. “Ashore! Everyone ashore!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clark, who had been staring fixedly at the river’s surface, suddenly had his golden pupils shrink to needlepoints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp warning burst from his mouth, and his body sprang forward like a leopard that had been coiled and waiting for the moment to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With blinding speed, he snatched the longsword from the waist of a nearby guard knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The movement flowed without the slightest hitch—draw, twist, and throw!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of snowy light screamed through the air like a bolt of lightning, shooting with flawless precision toward a shadow beneath the surface that had looked utterly still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword plunged into the water with a heavy splash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“ROOOAAARGH—!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A furious, pain-filled bellow exploded across the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The muddy water churned violently, as though a giant stone had been hurled into it. Three enormous and ferocious black shapes burst from the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were three adult Scale-Armored Crocodiles. Their backs, plated in thick bone armor, rose above the water as they roared with terrifying force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them, the largest of the three, had Clark’s thrown sword buried in its neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark red blood poured down the blade in streams, staining the surrounding water crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The agony drove it into a frenzy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people on shore instantly erupted into terrified screams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three enraged beasts locked their tiny scarlet eyes on the diminutive figure on the bank who had dared to injure one of their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clark did not retreat. Instead, he stepped forward to meet the charging monsters. His right hand closed around the hilt of his own thorn-and-rose one-handed sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SHING—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elegant, slender blade came flashing free of the scabbard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wounded giant crocodile reached him first, lunging in with its jaws wide open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clark bent backward in an almost impossible motion, supple as a willow branch swaying in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, his wrist flicked, and the slender sword became a sly streak of silver—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>like a venomous snake striking with its tongue, it thrust precisely into the spot beneath the crocodile’s comparatively vulnerable eyelid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a wet punch, the silver blade pierced straight into its brain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive beast’s body locked up at once. Its mad charge stopped dead, and it crashed into the shallows with a thunderous splash that sent muddy water flying everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other two crocodiles were already upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One opened its huge jaws and snapped at his waist. The other whipped its thick, spike-studded tail sideways at his legs like a battering ram.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli’s pupils contracted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the arrogant smile never left Clark’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the first beast snapped for his middle, Clark spun lightly in place, like a graceful dancer stepping through the most exquisite of patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He skimmed past those ghastly fangs by the narrowest margin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, he did not withdraw his sword. Borrowing the centrifugal force of the spin, he drew a silver arc of deadly beauty through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A huge gash, deep enough to expose bone, opened instantly across the second crocodile’s relatively soft throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood erupted from it like a fountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crocodile let out a howl of pain, and its attack collapsed at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the lethal tail sweeping in at him, Clark used the lingering momentum of his turn to leap upward with the nimble lightness of an ape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tips of his boots touched the massive tail, which cut through the air with a savage howl, only for the briefest instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He borrowed that force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a flash, his entire body shot higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only had he perfectly evaded the tail strike, he even seemed to hang in the air for a brief, dazzling moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clark’s gaze sharpened like an eagle’s. At the highest point of his leap, the silver sword in his hand burst with blinding golden radiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gripping the sword in both hands, he plunged downward like a meteor, carrying with him the crushing force of a falling mountain as he drove the blade viciously into the joint between the third crocodile’s neck and the armored plates of its back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Break for me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silver sword, infused with battle aura, erupted with horrifying penetrating power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavy bone plates shattered at the blow. The blade drove clean through the thick neck and pinned the giant crocodile fast into the mud of the riverbank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beast’s enormous body convulsed violently a few times, then went completely still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment he threw the first sword to the instant all three savage Scale-Armored Crocodiles lay dead, the entire battle had passed in the blink of an eye, so fast it was almost suffocating to watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clark landed lightly on the riverbank and flicked his silver sword through a beautiful flourish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaking the blood from the blade, he slid it back into the scabbard at his waist with effortless elegance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tossed back his wet golden hair, his face lit with the exhilarated smile of a man who had fought to his heart’s content.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he spread his arms wide and basked in the wild, tsunami-like cheers of the fishermen and slaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long live my lord!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A hero! A great hero!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord is invincible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Graham Family’s famed one-handed swordsmanship truly deserved its reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That swordplay, so gorgeous it bordered on pure showmanship, that effortless poise... Clark truly had the makings of a titled knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his golden-haired closest friend bathed in those cheers, Eli’s eyes flickered with a trace of complicated emotion. He could not help sinking into memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been at some lavish banquet held by a certain count in the royal capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young Clark had been dressed in exquisite formal wear and hemmed in at the center of a circle of haughty noble brats from the Royal Domain, like a little deer surrounded by hunting dogs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His golden head had hung low. Faced with their jeers and shoving, he had only clutched at his clothes and stood there in mute silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli, young at the time as well, had been hiding in a corner, gnawing on fruit in sheer boredom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he saw that scene, the spoiled little tyrant’s temper that his father—the captain of the royal capital guard—had indulged in him exploded on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey! You lot! You’re too damn noisy! Get lost!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Eli had swaggered straight into the crowd and, without a word more, swung his fist and planted it squarely into the face of the fat boy laughing the loudest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whole scene had descended into chaos at once. Like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep, little Eli had relied on the rough-and-ready tricks he had learned in the military camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had beaten those noble brats until they were crying for their fathers and mothers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, afterward, the Marquess had beaten little Eli until he was crying for his father and mother too—but that was a story for another time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the chaos finally settled, little Clark had stared blankly at little Eli.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, a tiny spark called admiration had lit in those golden eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From that day on, amid endless uproar and mischief, the two had forged a deep friendship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, Clark’s terrifying talent gradually revealed itself, and naturally the Graham Family was unwilling to let the future jewel of their house continue running around with Eli, that notorious wastrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no one could stop Clark’s heart from yearning for freedom. Climbing walls, crawling through dog holes, bribing servants...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Eli! Lord Eli!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The excited cries of the fishermen pulled Eli out of his memories and back into the present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gentle smile curved at the corner of Eli’s mouth. Shaking his head, he raised his voice and gave his orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Estor! Have some men deal with these crocodiles!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight, give our fisherman brothers, and everyone who worked by the river today, an extra portion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ohhh—!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Lord Eli!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Lord Clark!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cheering instantly surged another octave higher, the relief of surviving disaster intertwined with eager anticipation for a good meal, making the atmosphere more fervent than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli’s gaze shifted to Ella, who stood quietly beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A trace of shock from witnessing the fierce battle still lingered in her clear eyes, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, people needed to relax too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on.” Eli suddenly took her cool little hand and led her toward a bend farther upstream, where the water ran gently and the bank was carpeted with fine pebbles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eli?” Ella looked surprised. Her face reddened even more, but she did not pull away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water there was so clear that one could see straight to the bottom, its surface shimmering under the sunlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A breeze passed over them, carrying the fragrance of green grass and wildflowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli took off his boots, rolled up his trouser legs, and stepped first into the cool river water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned back and held out a hand to Ella, a relaxed smile on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, Ella. Want to try? The water’s nice and cool.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ella looked at the hand he had offered her, and a trace of shyness flickered through her eyes before melting into a bright, radiant smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imitating Eli, she carefully took off her shoes, revealing her fair, slender ankles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she placed her small hand lightly into his palm and let him guide her as she cautiously stepped into the cool water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tiny pebbles pressed against the soles of her feet, and the cool river washed over them. In an instant, a strange and wonderful sense of comfort spread through her whole body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ella could not help giving a soft little cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pure, delighted smile bloomed across her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing how happy she was, Eli smiled too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them stood there in the gentle shallows, stepping through cool water and over smooth pebbles like two playful children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a little while, they forgot the endless burdens of the territory and simply enjoyed this stolen moment of peace and coolness.\u003C\u002Fp>",2083,"2026-06-06T13:50:45.567Z",1,"novelbin.me","4165d718b43e27721528d73ea46c3c8a0f436b9ab1c1a41656cc886c79971fac","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-26","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-24",112,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fexiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-cover.jpg"]