Chapter 49: Bow Knight

Robin bent down, swiftly pulling the three Feather Arrows from the three corpses; his movements were practiced and clean, the arrow shafts streaked with thin traces of blood, flashing a strange light in the dim moonlight.

Without lingering, he slipped the Feather Arrows into his quiver and raced full‑speed toward the Malizi Knight's home.

Turning the corner, he saw Tomson hurriedly leaving with the Malizi Knight's two wives and three children.

The children's faces still bore lingering terror, clinging tightly to their mothers; the Malizi wives, though forcing composure, could not hide the tremor in their hands that betrayed their inner unease.

"Robin, are you all right?" Tomson, seeing Robin return, couldn't help but let a flash of relief cross his eyes as he hurried forward to meet him.

Robin waved his hand, his expression urgent yet unmistakably resolute, and said, "Take your people south, leave the Black Forest, head for the kingdom's interior, and don't come back."

"What about you, Robin?" Tomson asked, his face full of worry, brows knit tightly, his gaze fixed on Robin.

"I'll stay behind as rear guard; there are matters I must verify myself." Robin patted Tomson's shoulder, the palm exuding a force that seemed to convey courage and determination.

As soon as the words fell, a rush of dense footsteps rose from afar, closing in like a tide.

The sound grew clearer, each thud striking the hearts of everyone present.

"Move quickly!" Robin urged again, his voice a notch higher, his eyes brimming with urgency.

Tomson clenched his teeth; though his heart was heavy with reluctance and worry, he knew this was no time for hesitation.

He grasped Robin's hand firmly, turned, and led the Malizi family southward into the night.

Their silhouettes vanished swiftly into the darkness, leaving only hurried footsteps fading away.

Robin inhaled deeply, ducked into a nearby shadow, gripped his Pulley Composite Bow tightly, nocked three Feather Arrows on the string, the arrowheads aimed toward the source of the footsteps.

His heartbeat was steady and strong, each thump seeming to gather strength for the impending battle.

Moonlight washed over his austere face, outlining a resolute contour.

Soon, a group of armed knights appeared within his view.

Leading them was Ma Ne Te, the deputy commander of the lord's guard and a veteran knight of the domain.

His gaze was cold, scanning the surroundings warily, the long Sword in his hand flashing a chilling light in the moon.

"Search me thoroughly; leave none untouched!" he ordered low, his voice bearing unquestionable authority.

Robin narrowed his eyes, locking onto Ma Ne Te, but at this moment, to buy more time for Tomson and the others to escape, he had no retreat.

As the knights drew nearer step by step, their silhouettes stretched long and skewed in the moonlight, resembling claw‑wielding monsters.

Robin concealed himself in the darkness, his fingers tightening slightly; the Pulley Composite Bow's string was drawn even farther, emitting a low hum like a beast about to roar.

The instant Ma Ne Te stepped into range, Robin sprang up, bellowed, and three Feather Arrows shot out like lightning, whistling through the air with fierce momentum, each aimed at Ma Ne Te and the two knights beside him.

Ma Ne Te, true to his battle‑hardened reputation, reacted instantly, sidestepping and narrowly evading the vital spot, yet the Feather Arrow grazed his arm like a Sharp Blade, instantly carving a crimson wound that bled profusely.

The other two knights were not so lucky; the Feather Arrows, with tremendous impact, pierced straight through their chest armor, producing a muffled thud.

Both let out a wretched scream, their bodies like puppets with cut strings, falling straight backward, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Ambush!" Ma Ne Te roared, his voice harsh against the silent night.

The other knights snapped to alert, quickly shielding him in the center, their weapons flashing coldly as they scanned the surroundings, eyes filled with terror and unease.

Robin gave them no respite; his practiced motions swiftly reloaded Feather Arrows, each action flowing in a single breath.

Immediately, he surged from the shadows like a wraith, the composite bow in his hands flashing repeatedly as several more arrows flew.

Amid the chaos, his figure darted agilely, constantly shifting positions, disappearing into darkness one moment and flashing in moonlight the next, rendering the enemies unable to grasp him.

The knights began to panic; they had assumed it was a simple pursuit, never expecting such tenacious resistance.

Ma Ne Te forced down his fury, veins bulging on his forehead, he strained to stay calm, loudly commanding the knights, "Don't panic, spread out, surround him!"

The knights, as if waking from a dream, gradually dispersed, forming a fan shape as they closed in on Robin.

Each time the chilling sound of a Feather Arrow slicing through the air rang out, a knight apprentice would instantly scream and collapse.

Ma Ne Te watched the scene, his heart in turmoil; from the initial three‑arrow volley to now, Robin's shots were virtually flawless.

The three knights they brought, along with twelve knight apprentices, have now been halved in number.

Recalling the corpses they'd seen on the way here, a chill ran down Ma Ne Te's spine.

"Bow Knight Robin!" Ma Ne Te spat the words through clenched teeth, as if that simple title carried endless fear and dread.

At this moment, Robin was like the Grim Reaper in the darkness; each Feather Arrow he loosed was a lethal death sigil.

'Bow Knight' was the name people used for Robin in the domain, a nickname given before he attained Formal Knight status.

"So the nickname wasn't given lightly," Ma Ne Te muttered through clenched teeth, privately regretting that what he thought would be an easy capture turned out to be such a formidable opponent.

Watching Robin's wraith‑like silhouette on the battlefield, he had to admit that Robin now truly possessed the strength of a Formal Knight, enabling such astonishing speed.

Robin's form flashed, slipping into a nearby shadow; immediately, a Feather Arrow whooshed out, striking precisely a knight apprentice attempting to flank.

The apprentice let out a harrowing scream, clutching the wound, collapsing and writhing in pain.

Ma Ne Te's gaze tracked Robin's figure intently, his mind full of questions, especially about that bow that had given him such trouble.

"What kind of bow is that, why is its power so great?" Ma Ne Te furrowed his brow, muttering to himself.

He had never seen such a formidable bow; ordinary composite bows could not compare.

The arrows it launched were not only astonishingly fast but also packed immense force, easily piercing their armor.

While Ma Ne Te pondered, Robin reappeared, his Pulley Composite Bow glinting with icy light in the moon.

Startled, Ma Ne Te quickly sidestepped; a Feather Arrow brushed his cheek, a gust of cold air causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

"We can't continue like this," Ma Ne Te thought, needing to devise a solution quickly to break Robin's arrow barrage, lest the forces they brought be completely annihilated.

(End of Chapter)