A Knight Who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 264

Chapter 264: CHAPTER 262
“The key to the Snake Step is expanding the range of motion in your joints.”

Encrid had learned the Snake Step from Audin, combined it with the Swift Blade’s swordsmanship, added the Fluid Sword Technique learned from Ragna, and mixed in everything he had seen, learned, practiced, and experienced until now.

The concept was simple.

‘Fluid Sword Technique deflects, diverts, and disperses.’

It prioritizes making the opponent exhaust themselves.

Leonesis Oniac, who first compiled the five sword techniques, defined it this way, and those who later mastered the Fluid Sword Technique adhered to the same principle.

‘Does it have to be that way?’

Encrid might not have been the first to think this, but he could have been the first to shape it into a sword technique by adding meaning to the form.

That was how he created it.

He combined the act of deflecting with striking simultaneously.

He deflected the opponent’s attack while pushing his sword forward.

The idea was simple, but to execute it required sharp senses, years of training, and experience.

Encrid had all of that.

However, if you deflect and swing your sword this way, you can’t fully put your strength into slashing or stabbing the opponent.

More accurately, it’s hard to even put half your strength into it.

But is that a problem? If strength is lacking, it can be compensated with something else.

A sharper weapon would do the trick.

It was enough to make it cut with just a graze.

Encrid sharpened his sword with a whetstone. The blade was honed.

The sword, which had transformed from a cursed blade into a famed blade, was sharp enough to make up for any lack of strength.

So he did just that. He utilized the weapon.

He deflected the opponent’s sword to the side, moved in, and gave it a quick tap before retreating.

And the result was this.

“You’re blind in one eye now.”

Encrid spoke calmly, standing still, as Maelrun blinked his remaining eye, covering the other with his palm.

He had fallen on his backside while trying to avoid the sword.

What kind of person is this?

What the hell is he?

And what was that just now?

A flood of complicated thoughts filled his mind.

Instead of thinking, Maelrun just sprang forward, pushing off the ground.

It looked like he was using his backside to push off, but in reality, he was using the momentum of his knees to propel himself forward from his fallen position.

The fact that he could only see out of one eye didn’t matter at all.

His years of accumulated combat experience guided his hand, allowing him to gauge his opponent’s position.

‘He deflected it.’

He could even tell what trick his opponent had pulled. In that case, he just needed to bring his sword down with a strike that couldn’t be deflected.

All it took was one step to charge, and in that time, Maelrun’s forearm seemed to double in size.

At the same time, his forearm appeared to bend unnaturally.

The thick loop sword in his hand also blurred like a mirage as it descended.

Encrid sensed the incoming sword. He opened his senses. His newly acquired sixth sense read the trajectory of the sword strike.

He placed his sword accordingly. It was a swift exchange, too fast for an ordinary person’s eyes, but to Encrid, it was a clear and graspable sword movement.

The power emanating from the loop sword was weaker than before.

It was a feint.

So that’s why he was making a show of bulking up his muscles.

As Encrid was about to deflect the blade with the flat of his sword, the loop sword’s trajectory shifted.

Encrid responded by twisting his waist around his ankle, applying a technique from the Valaf-Style Martial Arts to his sword.

It was a moment of quick thinking.

He used the rotation to strike with the flat of Frog’s sword.

Bang!

The clash of metal always brought noise.

A loud sound erupted. Along with the vibration, an intangible shock wave surged toward both of them, but neither was affected.

They withstood it with their trained bodies.

Maelrun wasn’t flustered. He didn’t underestimate his opponent.

He used the force of the rebound to spin his body halfway and swung his sword horizontally, while Encrid, as if dancing, drew a curve in the air with his sword and brought it up to meet his opponent’s blade once more.

Chiririririririririring!

Sparks flew between them with the sound of friction.

Pugak!

Following that, amidst the sound of friction, there was a tearing noise.

Encrid stepped back, shaking his sword downward to fling off the blood that stained the blade.

“…You.”

Frog, Maelrun, who was across from him, blinked his eyes.

What the hell is this?

Since his last fight with Encrid, Maelrun had trained harder than ever to improve his skills.

During that time, he had come close to death after slicing down a few cultists.

He had cut down monsters, beasts, and even wandered near the Demon Realm.

All of it was for today.

To crush the human who dared interfere with his business and fulfill his desires.

Frog’s desires were sometimes terrifyingly relentless.

Maelrun’s desires were simple and clear.

To savor the sense of accomplishment after defeating an opponent.

The man before him was the perfect adversary.

Weaker than him, but desperate.

However, the effort he’d put in to experience the most intense sense of accomplishment had not paid off.

Or rather, his effort had, but the opponent had changed.

‘This is ridiculous.’

Facing someone far stronger than himself was far from Maelrun’s desire, and that’s why he was here.

Given his talent for reading his opponent and his vast experience, losing shouldn’t have been an option.

Even now, his combat instincts were telling him so.

But then, what is this? What the hell is going on?

His current skill level had improved dramatically from before.

But the guy who had barely matched him previously just took his eye in one strike.

And now…

“Where’s my arm?”

Such an absurd statement slipped out involuntarily.

It was there, and now it’s not.

They had exchanged blows just twice—once, he lost an eye, the second time, he lost an arm.

In other words, his arm had been severed. The flesh below his elbow, holding the sword, lay discarded on one side.

He could see his hand, still gripping the loop sword, twitching and bleeding.

Frog’s regenerative abilities were impressive, with flesh already beginning to wriggle and regenerate at the severed end, but for now, he had lost both his weapon and arm.

Overwhelmed with absurdity and betrayed by his own desires, Frog lost his sanity.

His eyes spun wildly, and his gaping mouth let out a lolling, long tongue.

“You want more?”

Encrid checked on Krais, confirming that he was unharmed. He was already aware that Krais was crouched in a corner of the hall, not tied up.

This meant that Frog hadn’t killed anyone yet.

There were things he wanted to ask.

Who the hell had ordered the hit? Was it over now, or would others like him come again? Was this the doing of the Black Blade, or had the Count been meddling in the territory all along?

There were many suspicions.

The answer was simple. He just needed to ask Frog.

He watched with that in mind.

“Enki.”

The Fairy Company Commander called him by his nickname from behind. It seemed preferable to ‘fiancee’.

And he realized why she had called him when he looked at Frog.

The Frog named Maelrun reached inside his chest armor and pulled something out.

It was a small leather pouch. It was flat and the perfect shape to be stored inside chest armor.

He lifted it, turned it over above his mouth, and the drawstring loosened as a powdery substance fell into his mouth.

“Be careful.”

The Fairy warned, and soon Frog’s eyes turned bloodshot.

Consumed entirely by the desire for victory and a singular sense of accomplishment, Frog made a choice he would regret once he regained his senses.

He had taken the drug, and its effects soon manifested in his body.

“Grrrrrrraaaaaaah!”

Frog let out a terrifying scream and charged forward, much faster than before.

Encrid had already shifted his right foot back and assumed a defensive stance from the moment Frog started taking the powdered drug.

Watching Frog charge, Krais’s eyes widened as if they might tear apart. The Fairy Company Commander stepped back in response.

Gilpin, who had been waiting outside the door after guiding them, was so startled that he fell on his backside.

Encrid’s senses were sharper than ever, allowing him to perceive everything around him.

With Concentrate One, the Focus Point, activated, everything around him seemed to slow down.

It felt as if a heavy, solid air enveloped his body.

The powder Frog had inhaled scattered in the air, reflecting light.

Frog’s figure suddenly enlarged as he closed the distance, now right in front of Encrid.

Encrid held his sword at a diagonal angle.

As Frog narrowed the gap, he thrust his foot forward.

‘Even if I cut him…’

Frog’s body would soon crash down on him like a boulder.

It was a classic Frog tactic—sacrificing flesh to take the opponent’s bones.

Boom! Thud!

A loud crash echoed as one of the two was sent flying into the wall.

“Commander!”

Only then did Krais shout. He couldn’t see the fight’s progression, but even he noticed when Frog took the drug and went berserk.

The impact from their collision cracked the wooden floor of the mansion and kicked up dust, momentarily obscuring Krais’s view.

Beyond the dust, a vague silhouette waved its hand and spoke.

“Why are you calling me?”

‘Oh, damn. I thought he got hit.’

Krais let out a sigh of relief.

The Fairy Company Commander, too startled to remain silent, opened her mouth without realizing it. She was in an awkward, half-stepping stance, her hand resting on her sword.

“What was that just now?”

She replayed what she had seen in her mind.

Frog’s foot came flying at him. Encrid deflected it with the flat of his sword against Frog’s shin.

Frog’s skin was slick.

He had used that trait to deflect the attack. Of course, it was by no means an easy feat.

A slight misstep could have resulted in his head being shattered by the kick, or if it had hit his shoulder, it would have broken bones instantly.

So even deflecting it was a remarkable feat, but it didn’t end there.

Encrid then drew a short sword with his left hand and used the flat of the blade as a blunt weapon to strike Frog’s chest armor.

He accurately targeted the heart area, shattering the armor and delivering a shock to the heart inside.

Was this surprising? Absolutely. The reaction speed and the method of dealing with it were both astonishing.

“You’ve improved immensely.”

Sinar now judged that she couldn’t easily guarantee victory against Encrid.

Of course, if she were to fight with all her strength, the outcome might be different, but in a simple sparring match, she couldn’t easily claim to be the winner anymore.

‘He might be tougher than a barbarian.’

Seeing the surprised Fairy, Encrid just shrugged his shoulders.

“You seem to know something.”

He then asked. Encrid had heard the Commander’s shout when she saw the powdered drug. It sounded like she knew something about it.

“I recently came across it.”

“Let’s clean up the area first.”

Krais, having regained his composure, approached and spoke.

Encrid nodded in response.

He then turned his gaze toward Frog, who was wedged between the broken bricks of the mansion wall. His heart hadn’t burst, but the impact had knocked him out cold.

Regardless of the drug’s effects driving him into a frenzy, Frog’s weak point was his heart. Encrid had targeted it precisely.

The difference in skill was clear.

“But Commander, you’re really strong.”

Even though he knew it, it was still surprising. Krais remarked, and Gilpin, who had witnessed everything, stood with his mouth agape, unable to speak a word since earlier.

He hadn’t even gotten up from his position after falling on his backside.

These people were monsters, with no connection to him whatsoever.

He hadn’t even seen much of what happened, but would anyone believe him if he told this story?

‘Yeah, right. Like they’ll believe it.’

Does this even make sense?

Is that guy supposed to be some kind of Knight?

But no, he’s just a Company Commander, right?

Yet, he fights unbelievably well.

“We’re heading back.”

Encrid had captured Frog alive. If he didn’t die, he would regenerate, so capturing him alive was the right call.

He also intended to resolve a few questions and satisfy his curiosity.

Encrid slung Frog over his shoulder, with the Fairy Company Commander and Krais following beside him.

As they stepped outside the mansion, a cold wind brushed against their cheeks.

The battle hadn’t been very long, but it had made them sweat. The breeze on his face felt incredibly refreshing.

As sweat trickled down his temples, the Fairy Company Commander reached out to wipe it away.

As she did, she spoke.

“Are you an onion?”

Encrid was puzzled by the question.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You keep showing new sides of yourself, so I wondered if you’re like an onion, with new layers revealed every time you peel one away.”

Encrid was deeply curious.

What exactly is a joke in the world of Fairies?

Is this what a normal Fairy is like?

Or is the Fairy Company Commander an outcast even among Fairies, exiled here for making such jokes?

He glanced at Krais, wondering if he’d heard, but Krais didn’t seem to react.

“Oh, he’s got a lot of stuff.”

Krais was rummaging through the bag Frog had brought while they walked.

“Did you hear that?”

Encrid asked. Krais, who had been bent over the bag as if he was about to dive into it, lifted his head.

“Hear what?”

He didn’t hear it. Or perhaps he did but chose not to listen. Knowing this was a technique Krais often used, Encrid mimicked it as well.

“What is that powdered drug?”

He heard it, but chose not to acknowledge it. He changed the subject.

“There is something troublesome. Onion fiancé.”

The Fairy Company Commander, undeterred, gave Encrid a fresh nickname.

Should I curse at her?

Encrid considered this briefly, then kept his mouth shut.

He could have Krais look into the drug later.

“Onion fiancé, your eyes seem to be saying something right now. They look like they’re seeing an apple grown in a swamp.”

“…A swamp apple?”

“Apples grown in swamps are always rotten and diseased.”

He interpreted it as an insult.

Encrid noticed that the Fairy Company Commander seemed a bit giddy.

He didn’t ask why.

Instead, he just acted like Krais.

He heard it but didn’t acknowledge it.

“Hey, fiancé. I can tell you don’t want to answer me right now.”

“Esther has come to meet us.”

Encrid expressed his relief upon spotting a panther in front of the barracks.

As he said, it was as if Esther had come out to greet them, waiting up ahead.

Encrid’s steps felt light.

Previously, he had barely managed to hold his own against Frog Maelrun, but now, everything was different.

This had ended like a simple stroll.

He had changed that much. Encrid thought this as he looked at Esther.