[{"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-56":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},1847970,2453,"Chapter 56 - 47: Mutation","knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-56",56,"\u003Cp>Roland stared at the messy footprints on the ground, his brow furrowed in deep thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he returned to turn in the commission now, he wouldn’t get the reward, but at least he wouldn’t have to pay a penalty for breach of contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’But for me, money is secondary...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this thought, his gaze involuntarily fell upon his Professional Panel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Requirements: 9 Power, 6 Agility, 4\u002F5 Five Full Level Combat Skills, 60\u002F100 enemy creatures killed]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Aside from the Attribute requirements, I’m just one Full Level combat skill and forty enemy kills away from advancing to the Warrior Profession.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Getting Lion Swordsmanship to Full Level isn’t the problem. Worst case, I can go back and grind it out slowly with the [Preparation for War] Trait. It’ll be less efficient without the bonus from the [Theory and Practice] Trait, but it’s just a matter of spending more time.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’As for Attributes, I can raise those slowly through training, but forty enemy creatures...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled the bulletin board in the Adventurer’s Guild, plastered with commissions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he remembered correctly, there were very few commissions related to Demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already taken two of the three, and the only one left was the mission to investigate the unusual Demon activity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this rate, it was unlikely another Demon-clearing commission would appear anytime soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Forget it...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After weighing his options for a moment, Roland finally made up his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Since this pack of Kobolds hasn’t been gone for long, I might as well follow them and see. If I can catch up, I’ll make it quick. If things go south, getting away shouldn’t be a problem with my 7 points in Agility, enhanced by [Adaptability Training].’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having made his decision, Roland moved quickly through the dense forest, following the Kobold tracks, his sharp eyes constantly scanning his surroundings for any movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment later, he came to a sudden halt at a fork in the path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the muddy ground before him, several different types of footprints had appeared alongside the previously uniform Kobold tracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland knelt on one knee, carefully examining the crisscrossing marks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides the familiar Kobold claw prints and human boot prints, there were also the characteristic three-toed footprints of Goblins, as well as a strange track he had never seen before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’This is more complicated than I thought...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland’s fingertips gently traced the imprints, his brow furrowing deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Not just Demons like Goblins and Kobolds, but humans too...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He straightened up and scanned the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tracks in the mud were a chaotic mess, converging from all directions only to spread out again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring at the intricate web of footprints on the ground, a theory began to form in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Could it be that besides the Kobolds and Goblins, other Demons are also migrating en masse?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze followed the direction of the unfamiliar tracks as his fingers unconsciously toyed with the hilt of his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’And the Mercenaries and Adventurers who took the extermination commissions followed these tracks all the way here?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this suspicion in mind, Roland continued to follow the tracks cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he went deeper, the footprints in the woods became more and more dense, until the once-narrow forest path had been trampled into a wide dirt road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, the sunlight filtering through the canopy suddenly grew brighter, indicating he was about to reach the edge of the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And a deafening clamor began to drift in from the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Human shouts, demonic howls, the clang of clashing metal—all sorts of sounds mingled together, heralding a fierce battle up ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland gently pushed aside the last bush, and the scene of a battlefield abruptly filled his vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hundreds of Mercenaries and Adventurers were locked in a life-or-death struggle with a Monster Legion in a forest clearing. The thick stench of blood was almost suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Is that...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze froze on the center of the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of human-sized Demons were mixed in among the Kobolds and Goblins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These creatures were covered in coarse fur, and their savage heads had the distinct features of a Hyena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland frowned unconsciously. This was the first time he had seen a Demon other than a Kobold or a Goblin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Gnolls?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slaughter on the battlefield didn’t pause for even a moment due to Roland’s surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharp metal weapons reflected a blinding glint in the sunlight, weaving together with splatters of dark red blood to stain the entire area a grotesque purplish-black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, even with Demons right in front of them, the Mercenaries and Adventurers who should have been united against a common enemy were now caught up in a frenzy of infighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Mercenary in Leather Armor had just cut down a Gnoll and immediately lunged greedily for its head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he pulled out a Dagger to claim his prize, a sharp shortsword suddenly stabbed at him from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an Adventurer with a sinister look in his eyes, staring intently at the kill in the Mercenary’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s my prize!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bullshit! My arrow hit that Gnoll in a vital spot!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similar ugly disputes were erupting all over the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few well-equipped adventuring parties even completely ignored the surrounding Goblins that were eyeing them hungrily, drawing their blades over the ownership of a few bags of Demon ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland observed with a cold gaze, noticing that at least a third of the Mercenaries and Adventurers were actually confronting other people, not the Demons before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Demons had clearly noticed this golden opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cunning Goblins hid behind trees to throw rocks, ferocious Gnolls formed assault squads, and even the relatively dim-witted Kobolds began to systematically surround and attack lone Adventurers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the disparity in equipment and Combat Skills, this mixed Monster Legion miraculously managed to hold its ground in a battle that should have been a one-sided slaughter, all thanks to the humans killing each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most ironic part was that in the most intense central area of the battlefield, several bulging bags of spoils lay scattered about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were filled with ears, claws, and teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But their owners were either already corpses or were busy fighting to the death over new prizes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’A bunch of fools, blinded by greed!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold smile flickered across Roland’s lips as his right hand reached back to feel the two Quivers on his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before setting out, he had prepared a full fifty Arrows, just in case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were perfect for this particular situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He narrowed his eyes and quickly scanned the battlefield, making a rough estimate in his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after the chaotic battle, there were still no fewer than a hundred Demons on the field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were to clear them out alone, it would likely take a great deal of effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this situation saved him a lot of trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rewards and bounties were just the icing on the cake for him. His real goal was the one hundred kills required to advance his Profession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, these Demons fighting with the Mercenaries were practically serving themselves up as mission targets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland quietly took a few steps back and melted into the shadows of the trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he deftly drew his bow, nocked an Arrow, and locked his aim on a Kobold entangled with a Mercenary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SWOOSH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the muffled thrum of the Bowstring, the Arrow precisely pierced the Kobold’s throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mercenary fighting it clearly froze for a second, but then ecstatically pulled out a Dagger and skillfully cut off the creature’s ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paid no mind to where this sudden assistance had come from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Requirements: 9 Power, 6 Agility, 4\u002F5 Five Full Level Combat Skills, 61\u002F100 enemy creatures killed]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the number on his Professional Panel increase, Roland unconsciously licked his dry lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drew another Arrow and nocked it on the string.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, refracting a cold light off the arrowhead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sharp whistle of Arrows cutting through the air was continuous, each one precisely taking the life of a Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the battle remained at a stalemate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mercenaries, red-faced from arguing over spoils, were still shoving and cursing at each other, even drawing their blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his Quiver was nearly empty, Roland let out a long breath, his fingertips touching the dozen or so remaining Arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Seven more to go...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I can’t believe I’m going to meet the Demon kill requirement for the Warrior Profession this easily...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that brief moment of relaxation, his peripheral vision suddenly caught a disturbance on the eastern side of the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A figure in a pitch-black robe was approaching the battlefield with an eerie gait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed to be strolling leisurely, yet his speed was astonishingly fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sunlight refracted a blinding, cold light off his drawn Foil, like a viper flicking its tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, the black-robed man swept into the battlefield like a phantom. Wherever the silver arc of his Foil passed, blood blossomed like a red lotus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was even more terrifying was that this sharp blade attacked indiscriminately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Human armor and the coarse hides of Demons were torn apart like thin paper before that Foil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The screams on the battlefield suddenly grew more frequent. The once chaotic slaughter began to take on a bizarre sense of Order under the massacre of this uninvited guest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every living thing was fleeing in panic, yet they fell one after another into pools of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dammit! It’s the ’Executioner’!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s that lunatic doing here?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst the rising and falling screams, a few unwilling Mercenaries and Adventurers tried to raise their swords to fight back, only to become cold corpses on the ground in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the already weak Demons were even more vulnerable, falling like stalks of wheat before the black-robed man’s precise Sword Techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’It’s him...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland loosed the Arrow in his hand, his eyes narrowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He finally remembered the identity of this black-robed man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same mysterious person he had brushed past at the Adventurer’s Guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’The Executioner...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the man’s fluid, graceful Swordsmanship, Roland’s brow furrowed ever deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he had undergone rigorous training as a Manor Guard, gained considerable practical experience, and his Lion Swordsmanship was about to reach Full Level...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...in terms of pure Swordsmanship, he was probably still no match for this god of slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these thoughts were quickly pushed to the back of his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crazed Executioner, the brawling Mercenaries and Adventurers, the Demons—none of it had anything to do with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing he cared about was completing his one-hundred-kill target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Thirty-seven!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As another Arrow flew through the air, a Goblin in the distance fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Just three more to go...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland excitedly nocked another Arrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as his fingertips touched the Bowstring, a deafening buzzing sound suddenly came from the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He whipped his head toward the sound, only to see a cloud of dust billow up from the silent, dense forest in the distance. A trail of dust was approaching the battlefield as fast as lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’What’s going on?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing something was wrong, Roland immediately drew his Bowstring taut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before the Arrow could leave the string, a dark shadow burst out of the dense woods and hovered above the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Is that...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland looked up, his pupils contracting abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun pierced through the dust, and the dark shadow’s true form gradually became clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its body, covered in blood-red Scales, was extremely similar to the Bloodscale Dogman he had encountered in the village. But its originally canine head had become long and sharp, more like a lizard poised to strike, its red tongue flicking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most horrifying part was the deformed, fleshy wing growing from the left side of the monster’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wing looked as tender as a newly hatched larva, completely disproportionate to its enormous body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it was this tiny, disproportionate wing that was now bizarrely holding it aloft as it circled at a low altitude, casting a suffocating Shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>",1997,"2026-06-09T07:01:39.614Z",1,"novelbin.me","035cbcfaa199db6e86da433d202135afbecd4ce85c8193630ecae142e4736630","knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-57","knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-55",216,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fknight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-cover.jpg"]