A Knight Who Eternally Regresses Chapter 761

761. Black Lightning

The eroded ones, the residents of the demon realm, were terrified.

From the initial reaction of Zorislav, there seemed to be no such expression at all; perhaps that was because he expected Enkrid and his party to all die.

Whatever it may be, it wouldn’t have been easy to expect that the arrival of an outsider would change everything in their lives all of a sudden.

Most likely, all the residents had warmly welcomed wandering travelers or adventurers who passed through here.

There was no reason to treat them badly, nor did they have the strength or will to do so.

There was even less reason to act tough with blades pointed right in front of them.

They might swing a sword if they got even a bit agitated.

Moreover, they knew that if left alone, the cleaners would come and kill any visitors.

However, both the cleaners were dead, the symbols of the demon god were severed, and the bodies of the gathered demonic beasts and creatures were buried by these residents themselves.

In such a situation, it was not easy to hear in-depth stories from the villagers.

Even the children were turning pale with fear.

Originally, their faces were light purple, so it was a bit of a debate whether it had turned blue or black.

“Watch closely, at times like this it’s a good-natured person’s duty to step forward.”

Against such villagers, Rem showed confidence. It meant that a smile and some gentle words would suffice. This was somewhat close to arrogance.

Ting.

Upon hearing that, Ragna drew his sword by about a finger’s length. The words “good-natured impression” must have pricked at his heart. It did for Enkrid as well.

Ragna looked at Enkrid.

In his eyes was a question suggesting that it wouldn’t be a bother to slash someone who says such a thing.

“It’s not a bad attempt. Anyone can take on a challenge.”

Even if everyone here wouldn’t acknowledge it, Rem was indeed quite good-looking. His features were sharp, and he had a unique presence, but that didn’t necessarily mean he had a good-natured impression. Absolutely not.

“P-please, I have nothing to eat.”

A scrawny woman said, bowing her head, cradling her child in her arms.

Rem’s spirit cooled immediately. It was natural for his expression to grow grim. Instead of a smile, a malevolent spirit began to settle on his face.

“Cannibal? It was my duty to kill such creatures, and now you’re telling me to eat humans?

Rem was agitated, and Enkrid stopped him. Ragna shook his head, while Saxon let out a rare chuckle.

Seeing this, Rem went into another fit, but Enkrid roughly calmed him down and instead asked. Amusingly, they answered him obediently.

Amid this, some women’s faces turned red, and Enkrid was calmly asking questions, waiting for answers.

It was clear that they stole glances at Enkrid despite their terror.

Well, it wasn’t solely for that reason. Zorislav, presumed to be the village leader, was also soothing the people at the time.

To be precise, Enkrid was the one who had observed that.

In the midst of it all, the eyes looking at Enkrid were curious but held no ill feeling. Rather, they were filled with unreciprocated goodwill and admiration.

Whatever the case, they were now ready to speak.

“Discrimination?”

But Rem, already in a bad mood, muttered that upon seeing it.

“It’s just facial differences.”

Saxon corrected.

Bang!

Sparks flew between the two. Rem swung his axe at Saxon, who was standing three steps away, and Saxon pulled out his stiletto, deflecting it at an angle, creating the sparks.

Was it called the sword of coincidence? Saxon naturally unfolded the swordsmanship he learned from Enkrid.

To be honest, he had already learned the principle a long time ago and had trained countless times.

Being surrounded by top assassins and being told to stab randomly, training like that would have him react to all those movements.

And now, he had reached a state of mastery.

Rem glared at Saxon, who was dropping his axe.

“Do you really want to die?”

“There’s no way I would die to you.”

Saxon corrected Rem’s words again, and the two engaged in a bit more serious quarrel.

Bang! Ting! Bangbangbang!

Sparks lit up between them. If they got any closer, they would likely become a lump of minced meat. Pel and Rofod looked at the two and turned to the surrounding crowd.

“It’s normal. This is how it usually is.”

Rofod said nonchalantly to ease their worries, but it was entirely natural that some residents grew even more frightened upon seeing that.

Well, they still managed to answer Enkrid’s questions precisely.

At that, Lua glanced in admiration.

“Truly, the name of the demon’s nature doesn’t lack at all.”

Sinara followed up on that.

“Indeed. It’s a demon’s nature that even charms fairies.”

Merely teasing them.

Enkrid listened to their exchange with one ear, calmly gathering information even in this bizarre situation, and by that evening, he relayed it to everyone.

“If you get too close, there’s a lightning strike.”

“There’s a wizard who commands black lightning.”

“They say if you step in there wrong, you’ll be trapped in a crystal prison and forced into labor for your soul for all eternity. You can’t even part from it after death.”

These were the words the villagers conveyed.

It was a continuous series of bizarre and terrifying tales. To the residents, these were such stories.

Though to Enkrid, there were many parts that sounded clumsy.

Forced labor for a lifetime? For those fears, the life of this village people didn’t seem easy at all.

This was an independent village too, was it not? So wouldn’t that be the same? So for that part regarding forced labor. Their lives too were not maintained without labor.

They had to cultivate land where crops did not grow abundantly, and if any grass that bore magic grew up in the fields, it would drain the nutrients from the already scarce crops, meaning they had to uproot it all.

But did those weeds easily get pulled? If only a little care was lacking, flowers that suck human blood could bloom. This would need to be found out and killed in advance, which wouldn’t be an ordinary labor.

A few capable hunters might catch the occasional intact animals or magical beasts, but there wasn’t a regular trading partner.

So it was about self-sufficiency, and self-sufficiency demands greater labor than one might think.

You had to till the land, go hunting occasionally, repair and create things, build houses, preserve food, and such various forms of labor demand skills as well.

Without skills, you would have to make up for it with your body and time.

Being able to produce what is necessary means you must physically move your body yourself.

‘There must be developed techniques in the midst of that.’

From that perspective, one thing stood out. The leather these people bore was all well-kept, and the state of the maintenance was not average.

Whatever the processing method, they cleverly utilized various sizes and durable beast or demonic creature leathers.

While there were many who used monster skins in towns on the borders of the Border Guard or the demon realm, it was the first time seeing them dressed so neatly like clothing.

Some wore it like vests while others made wide skirts. Given how it fluttered in the wind, it looked thin yet appeared strong enough that even a clumsy blade wouldn’t leave a mark.

Enkrid, having worked as a merchant’s guard for years, recognized at least the condition of fabrics or leathers.

Let alone something so obviously excellent.

A remarkable product is visible even to the untrained eye.

‘They probably caught the beasts and peeled their skins to use them.’

Working with beast leathers wouldn’t have been easy. It’s assumed there was a long history of research and practice regarding tanning.

That would have greatly advanced their leather handling skills.

‘They must have occasionally sold some of that leather to those who lost their way or came here.’

Though there were no regular trading partners, they likely met some daring and adventurous merchants occasionally.

In any case, from this perspective, living here still meant a life of continuous labor.

There were many whose fingertips were blunt, yet their nails had thinned and sharpened, stained a pale blue. This was a sign of the fruits and herbs that grew in the demon realm.

Of course, Enkrid couldn’t fully know all about their lives. He was only speculating based on what visible information he could gather.

There was no need to voice that.

The last story from such residents was this.

“If you die in there, you must wear a thorn funeral robe.”

Basically, this was the entirety of the tale passed down through oral tradition. The rest were all derived stories from here.

“To summarize, it seems the black lightning and being trapped in a crystal prison, and finally, wearing a thorn funeral robe.”

Rofod summarized what Enkrid had rambled. Lua’s cheeks puffed up lightly before settling down again.

The mysteries called unknown always manage to make the heart race.

Of course, those wanting to explore the unknown while knowing they could die are nothing but fleas that cannot control their own desires.

Perhaps because he had mingled with Saxon during the day, a calmer Rem asked.

“So what is this?”

It was hard to glean anything just from this. Is there really a wizard? It could be or it might not be.

Rem thought what they conveyed was relatively stitched-together tales floating about.

If gaps appeared between stories, they would have used imagination to fill them.

What the residents of the demon realm certainly knew was that no one who entered there had ever returned.

“Do you know what it is?”

Pel asked, looking at Enkrid.

They were seated roughly in a suitably spacious area at the edge of the town. Even without lighting a bonfire, it was a bright night from the moonlight.

The light cast by the two moons created shadows on Enkrid’s face. Through that, his two blue eyes shone like they were revealing that color even in the night.

Pel believed he would show such a gaze because of that certainty.

Soon, everyone’s attention turned to Enkrid. Did they all share similar thoughts? Did the captain notice something?

Enkrid quietly lifted his gaze and looked towards the demon realm.

In that gaze, there would be something different from himself. Rofod shared a similar thought to Pel.

‘The captain is different.’

Hearing the words about entering the demon realm invited an immediate rejection, but watching Enkrid’s back made that rejection blur. And Enkrid responded.

“No.”

That was the answer to the question of whether he knew something. The moonlight carried a brief silence along with it.

“…You don’t know?”

Pel asked back. Had it been infected by Saxon, Pel even developed a habit of shortening his speech in surprise.

“Uh, I don’t know.”

Enkrid appeared calm.

What could one learn just from those kinds of tales?

Black lightning? If real lightning strikes, how could it be stopped? No, would it be possible to react?

Half would depend on intuition, perhaps.

‘Surely, it can block lightning, right?’

The question he tossed inwardly was directed at the Dawn’s forger. The sword didn’t respond. Naturally, it wasn’t a sentient sword. But the Dawn’s forger was also a weapon inscribed with Enkrid’s will. Following the master’s intent, the sword trembled lightly.

Boom—

That answer was affirmative.

It was a calm night.

Everyone heard the sword’s tremor. Along with the trembling. Enkrid looked at his party and smiled like a boy in love for the first time. More accurately, it should be said he smiled like a boy on his way to meet that first love.

Enkrid’s voice was filled with more anticipation than anyone present, including Lua.

“I know one thing. There will be several colonies inside.”

“And?”

That latter part was echoed by Ragna.

Just around here, how many wandering-type demonic beasts could easily devour a colony or two?

There would be even more inside.

“If we crush that, the demonic realm’s territory will shrink.”

Whatever is inside, they would fight. There was excitement over what might pop out during that fight. That was something clearly reflected in his tone and attitude.

It could be viewed as a manifestation of fighting spirit equal to ambition.

Even if it was a bit insane, there would be nothing more to say.

However, that was precisely the sword he drew to fight against such unknown opponents. Training was enjoyable, but pulling it out to use it was more enjoyable.

“Indeed.”

Pel then expressed admiration.

“The name of the Mad Knight Order is not disgraced.”

Teresa also nodded her head twice and added. In her blood flows the essence of a giant with red blood, meaning the instinct to fight is ingrained in her blood.

Must they bear that? Is merely enduring really sufficient?

“It sounds fun.”

Teresa nodded once more in agreement.

Among those present, there was no sane one. Even if there had been, they had now been colored by madness.

Everyone collectively nodded their heads to Teresa’s words.

Boom—

From afar, an owl hooted. It wasn’t an ordinary owl. The moment they heard the call, a sense of unwavering rejection arose instinctively within.

What if that unpleasant sensation were also enjoyable?

Enkrid said that with a smile.

Even Roman fell under that atmosphere. It was almost regrettable that he couldn’t blend in among them.

The next day, the entire party stepped into the demon realm.

* * *

Amid trees that appeared not of this world, a deep brown color, a path visible for three or so people to walk through.

That was the entrance to the demon realm.

To be more precise, it was the only entrance known to the residents of the demon realm.

The party woke up in the morning and, while watching the dawn break, walked inside.

“The air is thick. So thick.”

Sinara said. Everyone agreed, but that didn’t pose a problem.

While walking the moderately winding path of the demon realm, they couldn’t see behind them, and only the brown trees surrounded them on all sides.

No, upon closer inspection, those trees bore a subtle red hue. A red that appeared dark enough to seem brown.

Just how long had they walked?

Is there a boundary? There wasn’t.

There was nothing particularly blocking their way.

Yet from the start, it felt different from when they had entered the gray forest.

With each step Enkrid took towards the demon realm, something seemed to tug at his ankles.

Then, at the moment he stepped forward again, Enkrid realized he had crossed some boundary.

You could feel it without anyone telling you. The air until now could be described as merely warm but had become heavy and unfamiliar.

It was a sensation that made breathing uncomfortable as if someone had mixed metal shavings into the air.

For normal people, more precisely, those who had not reached the level of a knight, the moment they entered would feel as if they couldn’t breathe at all.

“This is really unpleasant.”

Sinara said. She showed much more displeasure than before.

Enkrid merely gazed ahead indifferently.

Then, at that moment, he saw a black dot ahead. The moment he registered that, his thoughts elongated.

Instinct and intuition warned him. If he didn’t dodge, he would die. A small black dot flew in, and sounds could be heard from afar.

Swoosh!

A separation formed between the incoming thing and the sound. It was a phenomenon created by the projectile moving too fast.

If compared to lightning, it was a small noise, yet sharp hearing would catch even the split sounds.

Then the point approached, elongated, and transformed into a black lightning that struck down.

‘Waving lightning.’

It oscillated, not in a straight line but in a wave-like pattern. Thoughts were split, and its form was captured in his eyes. It was a long arrow.

‘What’s the target?’

Precisely, it was aimed at his forehead.

In the moment that time was sliced, accelerated thoughts drew the fastest path and line. Enkrid moved according to that line. His body rotated around the waist. With a sudden movement, the dark green cloak wrapped around him as the Dawn soared towards the heavens.