[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty":3,"chapter-knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-197":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty",{"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},1847911,2453,"Chapter 197 - 185: Mind Shock","knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-197",197,"\u003Cp>A cold, slimy intent, thick with a malice like the sludge of the Deep Sea, washed over the walls of Roland’s soul like a tangible, silent tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Spiritual Power, a full eighteen points, blared a frantic warning. Every cell in his body shrieked of the danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The calculating, venomous gaze and the immense pressure radiating from the entity made Roland instantly understand the unbridgeable gulf between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’If I fought this thing...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’...it wouldn’t be a fight. It would be suicide.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, Roland didn’t hesitate for a second, nor did he entertain a single thought of probing the enemy’s strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant he laid eyes on the being within the Shadow, his body had already reacted on pure instinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Create an opening. Retreat immediately.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Retreat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sharp cry cracked like thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t to steel his own nerves, but to send the clearest, most urgent signal of retreat to all his partners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Roland’s left hand shot up like a bolt of lightning, his five fingers spread and aimed at the soul-freezing Shadow in the depths of the cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"VMMMM!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fire Element in the air instantly erupted, surging like a tide along the Keel on his left wrist and into his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Rune etched into his Consciousness Shallows flared to life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, a fireball materialized from thin air—condensed, scorching, its core shimmering with near-incandescent light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The space around the fireball warped from the intense heat, exuding an aura of Destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a low cry from Roland, the [Flaming Arrow]—a spell that consumed nearly all of his current Spiritual Power and was amplified to its absolute limit by his Fire Element Affinity—transformed into a blinding stream of crimson light. It tore through the air with a piercing shriek, shooting with unerring accuracy into the cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant the Flaming Arrow left his fingertips, Roland didn’t even wait to see the explosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spun around, unleashed a blast of Fighting Spirit, and shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, racing toward the stunned crew and his partners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All hands, retreat! Get on board! Now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His roar, filled with unmistakable finality, drowned out the shriek of the Flaming Arrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Roland cried out, Teresa and Galvis had already sprung into action reflexively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their trust in Roland was bone-deep, especially when he displayed such unprecedented gravity and urgency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teresa became a blur of silver light. Sheathing her foil, she instantly shoved several dazed crew members toward the ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The notes from Galvis’s Harp suddenly grew sharp and frantic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no longer a melody of attack, but a powerful spiritual goad, like an invisible whip lashing the crewmen to dispel the paralysis brought on by their Fear and shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"BOOM!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At almost the same instant Roland turned to sprint, an earth-shattering explosion erupted behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vastly empowered [Flaming Arrow] had detonated, instantly unleashing scorching heat and a violent shockwave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hard reef rock instantly cracked and melted under the extreme heat, triggering a chain reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"CRACK! BOOM!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huge chunks of reef, like a ceiling shattered by a giant hammer, came crashing down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mixture of dust, steam, and pulverized rock erupted from the cave’s depths like a tsunami.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire cave began to shake violently, as if it were about to collapse completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But amid the roiling dust and the rain of falling rubble, the tall, slender figure standing at the edge of the Shadow seemed to have only swayed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its \"eyes,\" steadily pulsing with an ominous purple light, pierced through the chaotic dust cloud and locked precisely onto Roland’s rapidly retreating back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no furious roar, no move to pursue—only an even colder, more profound intent that began to spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if the creature were silently recording and analyzing its prey—the one who dared to create chaos before it and attempt an escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sensation of being so thoroughly scrutinized made Roland’s scalp tingle as he ran, but he didn’t dare to pause for even a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The collapsing cave blocked any path of pursuit, buying them precious time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a guardian streak of light on the party’s flank, Teresa constantly batted away or deflected smaller stones shaken loose by the tremors, keeping their escape route relatively clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spurred on by their survival instincts and the residual warmth of Roland’s [Embers Echo], the crew scrambled toward the gangplank with surprising speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Roland threw the last crew member directly onto the deck, he and Teresa exchanged a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a word, they pushed off in perfect sync, preparing to leap after them onto the safety of the deck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as their feet left the ground, their power erupting as they launched themselves into the air...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"VMMMM!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no sound, or rather, it was not a sound that registered on the eardrums.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An indescribable, terrifying impact composed of pure Spiritual Power erupted from a central point, sweeping across the entire clearing like an invisible, viscous maelstrom from the Deep Sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force was cloying and cold, heavy as lead, and carried a pure malice meant to shatter the will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not a physical blow, it was more lethal than any corporeal attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stabbed deep into the soul, like a spiritual collapse detonated in the very core of one’s consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was both an immense weight grinding thought to dust and a set of invisible claws tearing consciousness to shreds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In mid-air, Teresa’s silver form suddenly went rigid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sharp eyes instantly lost focus, her pupils dilating as if she were witnessing her deepest nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that single moment, all her movement, all her power, all her awareness was utterly frozen and shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A choked, agonized gasp escaped her throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, like a kite with its string cut, her body went limp. Her upward momentum vanished, and she plummeted straight to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On deck, the color drained from the face of Galvis, who had just found his footing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Harp in his hands let out a piercing shriek as several of its strings snapped at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt an irresistible, icy hammer slam into his mind. All his thoughts, his sense of music, his very Spiritual Power were instantly churned into a boiling, chaotic slurry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grunted, clutching his head as he fell to his knees. His body convulsed violently as thin trickles of blood began to seep from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the crew members who had just scrambled onto the deck, still reeling from the shock, they collapsed in unison, like wheat before a scythe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some fainted outright. Others clutched their heads, letting out silent, agonized screams as they curled into balls on the deck, their eyes vacant, foaming at the mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire deck instantly fell into a deathly silent chaos, leaving only pained convulsions and the hollow gasps of those whose consciousness had been forcibly Stripped away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Roland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant that destructive Spiritual Shock touched his consciousness, an indestructible power deep within his soul suddenly awakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Will of Steel]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any force that sought to twist, control, or disintegrate his will shattered and dissipated the moment it touched that cold, pure, steel-like barrier of absolute self, like a wave crashing against a reef.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland only felt a sensation akin to a cold needle pricking his brain, followed by a fleeting, minor dizzy spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the spiritual Storm that was enough to make anyone else collapse instantly vanished before his rock-solid will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His movements didn’t even falter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of the corner of his eye, he even caught sight of the figure that had appeared behind him like a phantom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stood at the edge of the dust cloud, which had not yet fully dissipated, less than ten paces away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tall, slender creature, its \"eyes\" pulsing with purple light on its smooth, hairless head, was staring at him coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its tentacles swayed slightly, a silent declaration...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...that it was the one who had just unleashed that terrifying attack.\u003C\u002Fp>",1334,"2026-06-09T07:01:39.615Z",1,"novelbin.me","2f292dab8c980dc8d0912791dd66422c8ec9ab1d5d412f0ed1eb3b4b9a6313c0","knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-198","knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-196",216,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fknight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-cover.jpg"]