[{"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-55":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},1847969,2453,"Chapter 55 - 46: Migrating Demons","knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-55",55,"\u003Cp>In the dense forest northeast of Songmu Town, sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground covered in decaying foliage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the sharp snap of a dry twig, a squad of goblins, brandishing rust-spotted weapons, pushed aside the bushes blocking their path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They chattered away, their hoarse, grating voices filled with unconcealable excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for their hideous faces and the fresh bloodstains on their weapons, their cheerful demeanor might have made them look like a group of travelers on an outing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead goblin was gesticulating wildly, as if explaining something, when suddenly, a cold glint of light flashed from the bushes behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SWISH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The goblin’s ugly smile froze on its face as a thin red line appeared on its grayish-green neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second, its head thudded to the ground, and blood gushed like a fountain, spattering the surrounding fallen leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"GAK-GAK-GOO!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the other goblins could react, several more silver flashes streaked through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their terrified screams died before they could escape, turning into bloody gurgles in their throats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUD! THUD! THUD!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the bodies fell one after another, Roland flicked the blood from his Longsword and slowly furrowed his brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Just now, they seemed to be saying... something about... moving?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were different from the silent, frenzied goblins he had encountered while hunting with Dalko in the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This group of goblins had no strange red markings on their bodies, and their behavior seemed much more normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why, while lying in ambush, Roland had used his Animal Companion Trait to listen carefully to their conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the goblins’ intelligence was truly limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their conversation was not only jumbled but also frequently intermittent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It took Roland great effort to barely catch the keyword \"moving\" from their fragmented speech.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This reminded him of the Red Squirrel in the forest named Qiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since changing his class to Hunter and Awakening the Animal Companion Trait, that squirrel was the most intelligent non-human creature he had ever met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaking his head lightly, Roland put aside this memory, which was irrelevant to his current mission. He then deftly dragged the small, green-skinned monsters into the nearby bushes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming they had nothing of value on them, he drew the Dagger from his belt, cut off their ears one by one, and placed them in a pouch on his hip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’This is the fifth patrol already...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland scanned his surroundings warily. Once he confirmed it was safe, he let out a soft sigh and pulled a slightly crumpled commission request from his coat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mottled sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves, falling on the lines of scrawled handwriting on the parchment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Exterminate the goblin camp...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland’s brow gradually furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Such frequent patrols, such tight defenses... is this really just a camp?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After checking the coordinates on the parchment again and confirming he was indeed at the location specified in the request, Roland refolded the parchment and put it away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then lowered his body and continued to move cautiously through the dense woods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although with his current strength, he could easily handle dozens of goblins at once,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a lion uses its full strength even to hunt a rabbit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t let his guard down just because of the large gap in their strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he ventured deeper, he encountered two more goblin patrols.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the bonus from Adaptability Training, Roland’s Agility Attribute had risen to seven, almost on par with his Power Attribute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This allowed him to move through the dense jungle like a phantom, each strike precise and fatal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A glint of cold light flashed, and the goblins from both patrols were dead before they could even sound an alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Twenty-nine...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland counted silently in his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With goblin patrols organized in groups of three to five, he had already annihilated seven squads along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The progress for the quest to kill one hundred hostile creatures, required to change his class to Warrior, had quickly advanced from zero to twenty-nine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the effect of his Theory and Practice Trait, his Lion Swordsmanship Experience Points had also increased by nearly seventy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to his usual progress when training with the Preparation for War Trait, this rate of improvement was astonishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he continued forward, Roland suddenly caught the sound of a commotion up ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately crouched down and crept forward, lightening his steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soles of his boots made no sound as they pressed against the soft, decaying leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He finally stopped in front of a thick bush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His slender fingers gently parted the branches, and he looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him was a forest clearing that had been crudely developed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seventeen or eighteen hovels, slapped together with branches and mud, were crammed together crookedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the edge lay a pile of corpses, gnawed beyond recognition. Judging by their tattered clothes, they must have been passing merchants, Mercenaries, or Adventurers who had come to hunt them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of goblins scurried back and forth in the camp like ants moving house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some were roughly stuffing stolen utensils into baskets, the sound of shattering pottery rising and falling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others were fighting over a piece of moldy jerky, tearing at each other until their mouths were bloody.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viewed from above, the entire camp exuded a morbid vitality, like maggots writhing in rotten wood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the very center of the camp, a goblin wearing a Bone Necklace was screeching orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was similar in size to the others, but its murky yellow eyes glinted with cunning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever a goblin moved too slowly while carrying something, it would leap up and viciously whack the offender on the head with its Bone Staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’So they really are moving... but where are these goblins going? The Black Pine Forest?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Roland mused to himself, he narrowed his eyes and carefully counted their numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’One, two, three... thirty-one goblins...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He counted under his breath, his mind racing with calculations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Judging by this scale, if the number of Demons in the Dogman Lair is comparable to this goblin camp, then after completing these two commissions, I should have enough kills to change my class to Warrior...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this thought, Roland licked his lips in excitement and his right hand reached for the Short Bow at his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This bow was crafted under Hawke’s guidance before he set out, and it perfectly suited his handling preferences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deep-brown Zhe Wood Bow’s body had been meticulously polished. It bore no extra decorations, save for a few wraps of leather cord around the grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though its appearance was plain and unadorned, it felt far more natural to use than the Short Bows he had previously borrowed from John and Dalko.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing Roland regretted was that, perhaps due to a lack of practice time, he had never managed to Awaken any woodworking-related Skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland calmly nocked an Arrow, drawing the Bowstring back steadily until it formed a full moon in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TWANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the dull thrum of the released Bowstring, the Arrow shot through the air like a bolt of lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the aid of a Full Level Basic Archery, killing a stationary target was as easy as flipping his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, the goblin chief with the Bone Necklace around its neck let out a bloodcurdling shriek and staggered backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sharp Arrow had pierced its eye socket with precision, embedding itself deep in its skull. Blood gushed out immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The goblin chief, who just moments ago had been screeching orders, gave a few twitches and then fell silent forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the remaining goblins could recover from their shock, a continuous series of whooshing sounds filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One sharp Arrow after another flew toward them, almost without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst a chorus of screams, the goblins’ expressions shifted rapidly from confusion to terror, and finally to a complete breakdown as they began to scatter and flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that the little Green Skin monsters could no longer mount any effective resistance, Roland stopped hiding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swiftly drew the Iron Sword from his waist, his agile figure leaping from the bushes. He charged into the routed goblins like a fierce tiger, his Iron Sword tracing cold arcs of light in the sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within just a few minutes, all thirty-one goblins lay dead in pools of their own blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland flicked the blood from his sword, scanned the bodies littering the ground to ensure there were no survivors, and then slowly sheathed his weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Easier than I expected.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland crouched down and casually sifted through the loot scattered on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were crude wooden clubs with sharp stone fragments tied to them, a few rusty Short Knives, and several Long Spears sharpened from animal bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These shoddily made weapons weren’t even worth a single copper plate, which made him frown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I guess you can’t expect anything from these poor-ass Demons...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered under his breath and was about to stand up and leave when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a dilapidated wooden chest next to the goblin chief’s corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chest was half-buried in the dirt, its surface covered in scratches, looking as though it had been dragged about roughly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland pried open the lid with the tip of his sword, and a few Copper Coins immediately rolled out with a jingle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes lit up. He bent down to look and found a messy pile of a few Silver Coins, a small handful of copper plates, and...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’These guys...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t help but laugh out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The box was stuffed with all sorts of shiny but worthless junk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few brightly polished shells, some colored glass beads, and even half of a broken mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These \"treasures\" were carefully wrapped in rags and mixed in with the coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very bottom were even a few packets of iron nails rusted to the point of corrosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Classic goblin taste.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland shook his head and pocketed the Silver Coins and copper plates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Three Silver Coins and seventy-two copper plates. Add the reward for the goblin ears, and it’s a handsome sum.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’No wonder all those Mercenaries and Adventurers flock here, even knowing the danger.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming there was no more hidden money, Roland expertly cut off the left ear of each goblin and put them into a special leather pouch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then retrieved the Arrows he had fired, wiped them clean, and placed them back in the quiver on his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After carefully checking the battlefield to make sure nothing was missed, he immediately headed back quickly along the route he came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After tossing the bulging loot bag onto his horse’s back, Roland deftly mounted, pulled out a yellowed parchment map from his coat, and studied it carefully in the twilight of the setting sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he confirmed the precise location of the Dogman Lair, he gently spurred his horse and galloped toward his destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Two days passed in a flash.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In stark contrast to the goblin territory, Roland didn’t encounter a single Kobold patrol while traveling through this part of the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unexpected ease of his journey allowed him to quickly reach the location marked for the mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he cautiously parted the dense bushes before him and gazed at the dark cave, he couldn’t help but freeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clearing in front of the cave was a mess, littered with various daily utensils and items left behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the cave, there was no one, only jumbled footprints. A wisp of smoke still drifted from a campfire in the center, proving that creatures had been living here not long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland bent down and held his hand over the fire to test it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Heart of the Furnace Trait made his Perception of Flame temperature extremely acute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Still some warmth. It seems they left not long ago.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This discovery prompted him to immediately exit the cave and start investigating the surrounding area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a careful search, he finally found a series of messy Kobold tracks in the mud to the southeast, leading deeper into the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland slowly stood up, his brow furrowing involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’If I remember correctly, this direction...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed to perfectly match the area of unusual Demon activity mentioned in the Adventurer’s Guild’s latest commission.\u003C\u002Fp>",2041,"2026-06-09T07:01:39.614Z",1,"novelbin.me","7967e14d50375fd284aded5977e58105b4a4e647ae06153b962cb1da67593dff","knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-56","knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-54",216,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fknight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-cover.jpg"]