A Knight Who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 268

Chapter 268: CHAPTER 266
The assassin, disguised as a middle-aged noblewoman, felt her mouth go dry.

Every time the blue eyes of the black-haired figure following her from behind turned in her direction, she felt a chill run down her spine.

‘Here.’

She planned to hide herself as soon as she entered the reed field.

It was her turn to shake them off and showcase her skills.

In that moment—

Bang!

A loud explosion echoed. What was that? She instinctively drew her dagger. It was a poisoned dagger, held in a forward-facing position.

And suddenly, a shadow loomed over her.

It happened just after she heard a sound like a leather drum bursting or lightning striking.

Her response to the explosion was commendable, but that was all.

“Is this the place?”

At the unknown question, the woman looked up.

Flash!

A lightning bolt struck above.

Her thoughts ended there.

A person with two heads cannot think.

Activating the Heart of Great Strength, he propelled himself off the ground, closing the distance, and vertically slashed the assassin’s head in two.

Simple, yet unexpected by any of the assassins.

Was this not the moment to catch his breath, stay alert for hidden assassins, and worry about the traps that had been set?

Instead, he rushed in and cleaved the head.

With a splattering sound, blood spread around, staining Encrid’s clothes red.

Encrid marveled once more at the sword held in his left hand.

‘Was this just an ordinary sword?’

He realized once again that the craftsmanship of the dwarf was exceptional.

It might not possess the aura of a legendary sword, but it was solid and sharp enough.

Moreover, the thickness of the blade was something he liked.

It could deflect almost anything with the flat of the blade.

More than just being satisfactory, it was highly practical.

It was good enough that he didn’t even need to carry a separate guard sword. This was, in other words, a sword that could be used in various situations.

Standing still in the reed field, Encrid admired his sword, then relaxed his grip, lowering the blade.

At the same time, he drew another sword with his right hand.

Shing!

A sword with a blue sheen was drawn.

It was a cursed sword, but now it was nothing more than a solid and sharp masterwork sword.

He held the Tutor in one hand, letting both arms hang loosely by his sides as he scanned the surroundings.

They were so well hidden that the figures concealed among the reeds were nowhere to be seen.

So, was that a problem?

No, it wasn’t.

He was simply curious.

What exactly were these people relying on to challenge him like this?

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three round objects flew over his head and exploded above him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As the dull gray powder fell onto the dry reeds below, they withered and scattered.

It was poison dust.

But Encrid had already moved from that spot.

The reason he had gone through the trouble of loudly charging and eliminating the middle-aged female assassin was for this.

In terms of personal tactics, Encrid was already top-tier.

Why wouldn’t he be?

The Valen Mercenary Sword Technique was, after all, a series of illusionary sword techniques based on individual tactics.

Combined with his newly developed physical abilities, perception, combat experience, and the lessons he had learned through repeated practice, Encrid was a force to be reckoned with.

Most of all,

‘They’re sloppier than Jaxon.’

Among Encrid’s sparring partners was Jaxon, a formidable figure in the world of assassins.

Jaxon’s sword was always swift and silent, striking without a trace.

The countless days Encrid had spent honing his senses to perceive it were not in vain.

Encrid’s keen senses encompassed everything around him.

At the very least, he instinctively detected any presence within his range of awareness.

If he sensed someone might be there, an enemy was indeed there.

If he felt something might be flying towards him from a certain direction, it was actually coming.

With that, he softly stepped forward and leapt into the air.

Various weapons rained down on the spot where he had just been, but it was all in vain.

Jack, the member of the Black Blade Bandits, had just taken two Whistling Daggers in his hands, and his mouth hung open in shock.

When did he get here?

Encrid thrust his sword.

Thud!

He pierced the assassin’s throat, withdrew the sword, and sheathed it for a moment.

Shing!

He grabbed his opponent by the collar and tossed him aside.

As the body flew through the air, a long arc of blood sprayed from his neck.

This happened well outside the range where the poison smoke had spread.

Encrid immediately darted to the side in a curve.

His body surged forward silently with terrifying speed.

Rustle!

The sound of reeds being flattened echoed loudly.

“Shit!”

One of the assassins cursed. It was natural, considering that assassins were supposed to carry out their missions silently, yet his mouth had opened on its own.

And why wouldn’t it?

This person was a complete monster.

No matter how skilled they were, even as elite assassins of the Black Blade Bandits, they were no match for him.

To kill such a monster, wouldn’t they need a master from the continent’s greatest assassination guild, Geor’s Dagger?

His question was short-lived.

A broad blade swiftly approached and sliced his neck.

Shing, thud!

The severed head floated in the air.

Amidst the reeds that obscured everything below the waist, the group of assassins felt a wave of terror.

Bang!

Yet their hands didn’t stop.

To survive, they had to kill him. That fact remained unchanged.

They detonated poison smoke bombs, threw poisoned darts, throwing knives, and axes.

Several pouches designed to release poison spikes under pressure also burst open.

Everything had been prepared to kill this one man.

Encrid parried what needed parrying and dodged what needed dodging.

His senses, surpassing those of a human, were so sharp that they informed him of what to do next.

‘Half a step back.’

In a flash, he spun his waist and struck with his elbow, shattering the skull of an assassin who had silently crept up behind him.

Bang!

The sound of impact echoed.

The assassin, who specialized in silently ambushing his targets from behind, had his head burst open.

His eyes, unable to withstand the pressure, popped out and rolled on the ground, while his skull split open, spilling brain matter and blood. Pinkish brain tissue shyly peeked out from within.

Encrid didn’t spare a glance at the assassin he had just elbowed.

He knew the blow alone was enough to kill the man.

After swinging his elbow, Encrid forcefully hurled his gladius forward.

The moment Encrid’s left hand traced a semicircle in the air, the sword, now like a spinning disc, thudded into another assassin’s head.

Seeing an opportunity, two assassins on either side coordinated their attack and threw a net.

Just as the net shot up to block the sky, Encrid was already pulling out the sword he had thrown.

It was the perfect harmony of the Heart of Great Strength and his advancing steps.

The move known as the ‘Lunge’ step in swordsmanship involves a forward-moving stride.

Encrid combined it with the ‘Slope’ step.

Originally, this step involved a large diagonal stride forward to evade an opponent’s attack.

He mixed these techniques without much thought.

Along with these, he also incorporated the ‘Passing Step’ and ‘Gathering Step’.

He didn’t particularly discriminate between them.

Then, he added overwhelming strength and the powerful thigh muscles that could endure it all.

As a result, the forward-moving stride turned into a charging thrust.

The sideways slash he performed created a long arc that cut through the entire reed field.

To put it simply, Encrid was using swordsmanship against the entire group of assassins.

He just expanded the range much further.

Unbeknownst to him, this was a strategy used by swordsmen at a Junior-Knight level when facing multiple opponents.

It was a method for carrying out massacres based on swordsmanship.

And the outcome was all too obvious.

Encrid had reached this point by mastering and honing these techniques.

Thus, he fought by moving based on the various sword techniques he had learned and observed from those around him.

He also incorporated the Fluid Sword Technique he had studied.

He compensated for any lack of strength with the superiority of his weapon.

Of course, strength is always relative.

“Argh!”

For the assassin who got caught by his smoothly advancing sword, it was nothing short of a death blow.

Even though the assassin wore armor enchanted with shock-absorbing spells on the chest, he felt at least two of his ribs crack.

The force broke through the spell. It was strength so overwhelming that it defied description.

Encrid’s power had increased day by day, and now he even had the Heart of Great Strength.

He didn’t envy Frog.

‘What kind of brute strength is this?’

What kind of power is this?

Encrid casually followed up with a second attack.

With the combination of his movement and the Heart of Great Strength, his body vanished from the assassin’s view in an instant.

A simple step to the side to flank his opponent became a ghost-like teleportation to the assassin.

After a brief flicker, a blue lightning strike descended on the assassin’s head.

With that, another assassin was dead.

Poisonous smoke spread in various places, but Encrid paid no attention.

In fact, he even held his breath and charged through the poison smoke in one go, using the Zimmer thrust to kill another assassin.

“Gah, this… this madman…”

Charging through poison smoke and doing something like this?

The assassin, who had been holding an antidote in his mouth to survive within the poisonous fumes, uttered “madman” as his last words before he met his end.

Encrid continued to move, with both swords hanging loosely at his sides.

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

The sound of reeds being cut filled the air as countless stalks were severed by his blade. It was a clear indication of his location.

But he didn’t care. In fact, he wanted them to see him and attack. It was easier to pinpoint their location if they threw something rather than just staying hidden.

The outcome of the battle was clear.

Of the more than fifteen assassins of the Black Blade Bandits, only two remained.

“You made a mistake.”

He said.

The top-tier assassin, who was also the leader of the group, finally spoke.

His name was Barcelo, a man who had come to the Black Blade Bandits from the Eastern Continent.

At one time, he was considered an assassin on par with those from the Geor’s Dagger guild.

He was the elite of the elite.

His specialty was using his claws to catch his opponent from behind and rip out the back of their head.

Yet even Barcelo couldn’t find a single opening in Encrid.

Every time he tried to move or change positions, Encrid’s gaze would subtly follow him.

‘Is he watching me?’

What kind of ridiculous senses are these?

How could he detect the presence of someone like Barcelo, a top-tier assassin? How?

Barcelo found himself paralyzed by this.

The other remaining assassin was already fleeing.

He was the one tasked with putting distance between them and reporting what had happened here.

As he fled, something suddenly caught his neck, and with a choking sound, his cervical vertebra snapped, killing him instantly.

The tool used to catch him was made by tanning leather, soaking it in oil, heating it, and applying a special chemical. Repeating this process several times resulted in a thin but strong tool.

The fleeing assassin’s neck got caught in it, his body lifted off the ground, and his neck snapped under his own weight. The one holding the leather cord twisted and pulled it, breaking the assassin’s neck completely.

The assassin’s body lifted off the ground momentarily before collapsing in a heap.

From the shadow of the fleeing assassin, a man emerged as if rising from the darkness.

It was Jaxon, with his reddish-brown hair.

“I’m a bit late.”

Jaxon said as he moved forward.

He headed toward where Encrid was wreaking havoc.

And there was also a Fairy who had arrived at this place just a step ahead of Jaxon.

“Am I late? Or is my love just too fast? Love always moves quickly, silently striking my heart as it passes. I don’t think I’m late.”

The Fairy Company Commander spoke, standing on one side of the reed field.

Encrid sensed the presence of the Fairy Company Commander but decided to focus on the last remaining opponent for the time being.

The leader stood there, still.

Encrid had recognized him from the beginning. This guy was different from the other assassins.

His movements, his ability to hide his presence—everything was different.

Finding him wasn’t difficult. Encrid’s intuition had already surpassed normal levels.

Even if he couldn’t hear breathing or sense a presence, he had a gut feeling that someone was there.

And indeed, there was. He could feel it even when the person was merely exuding killing intent towards him.

This was purely in the realm of intuition, a gift honed through skill and technique. From the opponent’s perspective, it seemed like an impossible cheat.

But what could they do? Jaxon, who had been at Encrid’s side, was not only naturally gifted in this regard but had also put in the effort to become an insane genius.

The things Encrid had learned from Jaxon through repeated encounters were now fully ripened within him.

“He’s mine.”

Encrid said to the Fairy. He had deliberately left this one for last.

It was like saving a special treat.

The opponent was no ordinary assassin, surely, he must possess exceptional skills.

The leader of the assassin group that had been nearly annihilated equipped his weapons.

With a series of clicks, the man who stepped forward now had claws on both hands.

“Promise me you’ll let me live if I kill you.”

Without even needing to catch his breath, Barcelo realized that there was no way he could survive this.

Yet, he still kept his final move hidden.

Would that man be able to block this as well?

Tap, tap, tap.

Barcelo began to run through the reed field.

To his left, the air was thick with poison smoke, and on the ground lay corpses and scattered metal.

His target had just sheathed one of his relatively short swords and now approached, holding only a long sword with both hands.

He wasn’t moving particularly fast.

The lightning-quick steps he had shown earlier were gone.

He was merely closing the distance, sword in hand.

Tap, tap, tap!

The sound of the reaper’s footsteps.

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

The sound of the reaper crushing the reeds beneath his feet created a duet.

Barcelo increased his speed, lowering his torso halfway.

The reeds around him whipped past as he moved.

In this lowered stance, with his claws extended forward, he aimed to end the fight from the very start.

The battle would be decided in a single strike!

He repeated this to himself and unleashed his secret move.

Whoosh! Crack!

A third hand sprouted from his chest, tearing through his clothes as it emerged. No wonder his chest had appeared thicker than others—it was to conceal this hand.

It was just as Encrid’s sword and Barcelo’s claws clashed.

This was his trump card.

The third hand, a mysterious implant, held a long piece of metal aimed at piercing Encrid’s chest.

‘What?’

Barcelo suddenly realized that his right hand, which bore the claws, wasn’t moving as he intended.

The moment it clashed with Encrid’s sword, his opponent’s strength pressed down on his claws, forcing his arm into an unnatural position.

As a result, the dagger in his third hand collided with his own claws.

Thud!

At the same time, his left claw grazed Encrid’s head, but Encrid had already ducked to avoid it.

Encrid, now in a lower stance than Barcelo, looked up.

Barcelo saw a blue light—two streaks of blue light, like falling meteors leaving long trails behind them.

A black mass, encasing those two blue streaks, brushed past him.

He tried to pull his arm back in resistance, but it was futile.

Slash!

Encrid’s sword, which had deflected the claws, swiftly severed all of Barcelo’s arms, including the third hand.

Then something hot, like a burning poker, pierced through his torso and rose upward.

“Argh!”

Barcelo screamed, but it was a scream that no one could hear.

His mind was screaming, but it was merely a thought.

Encrid was startled when he saw the third hand.

‘What is that?’

Thankfully, his body and instincts had moved on their own.

As soon as he saw the third weapon, he used the Fluid Sword Technique to divert the claws, blocking the dagger and ducking his head.

It seemed simple, but in the process, his eyes felt like they were burning, and his head heated up.

It was an overload as his brain processed all the incoming information in an instant.

Encrid then brought his sword upward from below, slashing through everything in its path.

The move was an extension of the first sword technique in the Fluid Sword Technique, which had been inspired by observing Snake Step and Swift Blade.

While the Fluid Sword Technique lacked overwhelming power, the sharpness of a masterwork blade compensated for it.

With this, Encrid sliced through the three arms and advanced, tapping the ground with his toes, spinning his body around, and driving his sword straight into his opponent.

Without hesitation, he thrust the sword through his opponent’s abdomen and then slashed upward, cutting through the body.

Though the movements were fluid and smooth, to his opponent, it must have seemed like the monstrous strike of a demon, severing arms and tearing through the body like a bolt of lightning.

After killing his final opponent, Encrid spoke.

“What is this?”

Jaxon, one of his soldiers, had approached.

“A blood wedding?”

The Fairy Company Commander, who was babbling nonsense, was also present.

“Phew.”

Encrid exhaled deeply, surveying the bodies of those he had slain.

“Guests.”

“Quite the warm reception for our guests.”

Jaxon muttered as he approached.

In his hand was a small leather pouch, which he used to quickly search the body of one of the dead.

From his hand, the familiar sight of two identical pouches emerged. As he untied the strings and let the contents slip out, glittering powder scattered in the air.

It was some kind of powdered drug.

“A familiar substance.”

Jaxon remarked.

At that moment, Encrid remembered the powdered drug he had found on the Black Blade messenger back in Martai.

He also recalled the drug that Frog had taken.

The two substances, as far as Encrid could recall, were nearly identical. Both had a peculiar smell and a strange feel.

This was something he had noticed due to his habit of never overlooking details.

And if he knew, then his Company member in front of him likely knew as well.

This was an astute individual who never took anything lightly.

“Have you interrogated Frog?”

Jaxon asked.

Everyone knew that Frog had been captured after being beaten down. Naturally, Jaxon was aware as well.

He also likely knew that Frog had gone berserk after taking the drug.

There was no way Krais, who loved to gossip, would have stayed silent about it.

And all of this seemed interconnected. It was just a feeling, but it was a hunch that bordered on certainty.

With that thought, Encrid shook his head.

Interrogation was something that still needed to be done.

“That’s a conversation I’d like to be part of. If you leave me out, I’ll sulk.”

The Fairy Company Commander interjected. Encrid nodded.

She had shown interest from the beginning. While her tone was light and tinged with humor, the intensity in her green eyes was anything but trivial.

It seemed like a sign that this was no ordinary matter.

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