Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

Chapter 326: Chapter 313: A Strange Body Refining Technique

The more practical reason was that killing them served no purpose in this chaotic, fog-shrouded mess.

And if Leonard could actually make it back to the Royal Capital safely...

A High Tier Knight like him, harboring a grudge and knowing part of the truth, would be tantamount to driving a wedge between Duke Anno and Prince Lucius.

Perhaps it could disrupt the enemy’s rhythm and buy his own group more time to escape.

His mind made up, he said no more.

Roland spun around, gathering Teresa, Galvis, and all the surviving students from the River Domain. They cleaned up the battlefield as quickly as possible, gathered the necessary supplies, and then, without hesitation, sped off toward the River Domain.

Their figures swiftly vanished into the wasteland’s twilight and lingering dust, like final shadows merging into the vast, grey expanse.

Only when Roland and his group had completely vanished over the horizon did Leonard manage to prop himself up, leaning painfully on the hilt of his broken sword.

He fought through the intense pain, his voice hoarse as he called together the remaining soldiers who could still move.

They supported one another, dazed from their narrow escape and filled with fear for the future, and began the slow, arduous trek toward the Royal Capital, Golden Ears City.

However, they had barely traveled for a moment when the clear, urgent sound of hooves thundered from the road ahead, like the beat of a war drum, rapidly drawing closer.

A chill ran through Leonard, and Roland’s warning instantly echoed in his mind.

He struggled to raise a hand, signaling his battered men to halt, while his other hand silently tightened its grip on his only remaining Fist Blade.

A contingent of riders appeared at the end of the road, approaching at speed.

The standards and armor were unmistakably those of the Golden Valley Kingdom’s army.

But when he saw that the man in the lead was Earl Erwin, alarm bells shrieked in his mind.

The appearance of this royal kinsman, renowned for his loyalty to the crown, was far too coincidental.

"Earl Erwin."

Leonard’s voice was weak from his injuries, yet it carried an unmistakable wariness.

He did not lower his weapon, his sharp gaze scrutinizing the Earl.

"What brings you to this place?"

Earl Erwin reined in his warhorse, his face still wearing its customary expression of concern.

"Knight Leonard! It’s wonderful to see you’ve survived. We received a report of trouble in this area and came to provide support. What happened?"

Leonard did not let his guard down despite the seemingly reasonable explanation.

He stared intently into Erwin’s eyes, noticing the hulking figure with a powerful aura standing behind him.

That was no ordinary soldier, but a Transcendent.

Roland’s warning thundered in his head.

"Lord Earl."

Leonard’s voice turned cold and hard.

"If you are truly here to provide support, then escort us back to the Royal Capital at once. I have urgent military intelligence that I must report to His Highness the Prince in person."

The amiable expression on Erwin’s face gradually faded.

He keenly sensed Leonard’s unusual wariness—it was hardly the demeanor of a man who had just escaped death.

After a brief silence, a cold smile played on his lips.

"It seems you aren’t a hopeless fool, after all..."

Erwin’s voice was no longer feigned, leaving only undisguised coldness.

"Then let’s not waste any more of each other’s time."

He didn’t even draw his sword, merely giving a slight wave of his hand to the man behind him.

"Dispose of them. Leave no one alive."

The Transcendent behind him moved on command.

A look of profound anguish flashed in Leonard’s eyes, but it was quickly overshadowed by a desperate resolve.

He roared.

"For the Golden Valley Kingdom! Fight to the last breath!"

His cry was both a rally for his remaining men and a farewell to his own life as a Knight.

Though heavily wounded, he charged the enemy like a cornered beast.

His Fist Blade traced a final arc in the sunlight, barely deflecting the first wave of magical attacks.

He held nothing back, every movement infused with his fury toward the traitors and his last shred of loyalty to the Kingdom.

However, the gulf in power and his grievous injuries were ultimately insurmountable.

One of the Transcendents blinked to his flank, a sharp blade coalescing from shadows and stabbing forth without a sound.

Leonard felt a bone-chilling cold pierce his back, followed by the debilitating sensation of his life rapidly draining away.

He staggered, using his Fist Blade to prop himself up, refusing to fall.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he held his head high, his gaze locked on Earl Erwin, who sat calmly upon his horse.

There was no pleading in his eyes, only endless fury and scorn, and the profound sorrow of a man whose faith had been betrayed.

"King...dom..."

He struggled to force out that last word. The light in his eyes finally faded, yet his body remained stubbornly upright, refusing to collapse completely.

Earl Erwin glanced coldly at Leonard’s still-standing corpse, a sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Such a loyal fool."

He waved his hand elegantly, signaling his men to clear the battlefield. Then, his voice suddenly rose, filled with grief and fury.

"You all saw it! The brutes from the River Domain not only cruelly murdered Earl Auston, but have now assassinated the loyal Knight Leonard! They used despicable plots to slaughter our countrymen and trample upon the honor of the Golden Valley Kingdom!"

He waved his arm sharply and commanded.

"Spread this news throughout the entire Kingdom immediately! In the name of Prince Lucius, issue a wanted order of the highest level! Apprehend these insolent murderers and make them pay for their crimes in blood!"

......

......

Roland was completely unaware of the tragic fate that had befallen Leonard.

He led the survivors onward at a rapid pace, without a moment’s pause.

To guard against a possible pursuit, he meticulously covered their tracks. He used dead branches and fallen leaves to hide their footprints and even cleverly diverted a stream to briefly wash away their scent, doing everything in his power to erase all traces of their passage.

When darkness fell, they finally found a hidden cave deep within the dense forest, concealed by thick vines and scattered boulders.

The entrance was narrow, but the interior was surprisingly dry and spacious—large enough to shelter the dozen or so survivors for the time being.

Roland quickly had Teresa and Galvis settle the exhausted and mostly wounded students. He distributed their limited water and rations and assigned the two least injured members to take turns standing guard just inside the cave entrance.

He then carefully inspected the area around the cave himself before climbing a nearby boulder. His sharp, hawk-like gaze swept over the dense forest they had come through and the wilderness that was slowly being swallowed by darkness.

The night wind howled. Other than the occasional cry of some unknown beast, there was no sign of any unusual activity.

After confirming there were no immediate signs of pursuit, the tension in his chest finally eased slightly, and he returned to the depths of the cave.

A crackling campfire cast flickering shadows on the cave walls, illuminating the students’ exhausted and still-terrified faces.

Roland sat leaning against a relatively dry section of the rock wall, finally allowing himself a moment’s respite.

Only then did he pull the ancient Sheepskin Scroll, tied with a dark leather strap, from within his clothes.

It was cool to the touch. The surface of the Scroll had a certain weight and texture that spoke of the long years it had endured.

He untied the leather thong and slowly unrolled the Scroll across his knees.

The flickering firelight illuminated the faintly yellowed parchment. It was not covered entirely in text, but rather in a great number of intricate and complex diagrams of the human form.

The images of figures in various poses were surrounded by dense annotations.

He focused, reading intently. His gaze swept quickly over the sections on Power Transfer, Joint Techniques, and how to deliver a fatal blow within an extremely confined space.

It was, just as he had suspected, a masterful and brutal form of unarmed Combat Skills.

However, the further he read, the more his brow began to furrow.

The contents recorded on the Scroll were far more... profound than he had anticipated.

Large portions of it were interspersed with a kind of...

...very strange Body Refining Technique.