Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

Chapter 346: Chapter 333: Trapped Beast

The Golden Valley Kingdom’s military camp had fallen into utter chaos.

Flames devoured the tents, and thick smoke spiraled upward, painting the night sky an ominous, dim red.

The soldiers panicked, scattering like a startled herd of beasts, unable to distinguish friend from foe in the obscuring smoke and fire.

The clash of metal, agonizing wails, and savage war cries wove together, composing a bloody nocturne.

And at the center of this chaos was the dueling ground of two Transcendents.

Their battle was a world of its own, like the eye of a storm, sealing off all other Professionals.

It was a fight on another level entirely, one no one else could interfere with.

Duke’s body steamed with a palpable, immense Blood Qi. That power was both violent and searing, granting him overwhelming, pure Power.

Every swing of the Giant Sword in his hand carried the force of a landslide, numbing Anno’s arms and forcing him to rely on deftness and nimble footwork just to barely deflect the blows.

In terms of pure Power, the Barbarian’s advantage was undeniable.

Just as the battle reached a stalemate, the Warriors under Duke’s command suddenly raised a banner high.

On a field of gold and red was embroidered a Fiery Sun breaking through the clouds—the symbol of Princess Gloria.

They roared in unison, their voices shaking the battlefield.

"By order of Princess Gloria, eradicate the treacherous Anno!"

The Princess’s name held great prestige among the common soldiers. This sudden declaration and the banner were like an invisible shockwave, causing many of Anno’s men to hesitate, their assault faltering.

Seeing this, Duke Anno appeared slightly disheveled.

His fine robes were torn, his hair matted with sweat and dust.

But there was not a trace of panic in his eyes.

A cold fury, a bone-deep hatred, burned quietly in their depths, yet it had not consumed his reason.

Seeing his own lines waver at the mention of the Princess’s name, and coupling that with Duke’s frenzied assault, Anno instantly understood who was pulling the strings.

"Gloria!"

He practically spat the name from between his clenched teeth.

He recalled how, preoccupied with political affairs, he had allowed the Fiery Sun Church to operate freely in his domain, winning the hearts of the people. A wave of regret and violent anger surged through him.

’That cunning woman!’

But the scene before him clearly did not permit much time for thought.

After dodging another mighty attack, Anno raised his eyes and thought calmly.

He knew the nature of the Barbarian Profession’s Power well.

While the boiling Blood Qi could grant terrifying explosive strength, it couldn’t be sustained. It also constantly eroded the user’s mind, making their attacks increasingly ferocious but lacking in variation.

Duke’s wide-open, straightforward offensive was a perfect testament to this fact.

"What’s wrong, Anno?"

Duke let out a booming laugh after a heavy chop that cracked the ground.

"Are those elegant little noble tricks of yours really so fragile?"

Anno gritted his teeth, using the momentum from his parry to retreat, and remained silent.

He suppressed all his venomous curses and boiling rage beneath a cold mask, focusing all his energy on Perception, parrying, and dodging.

Like a reef enduring the ceaseless assault of violent waves, he appeared passive but was in fact steadfast.

At the same time, he was calmly calculating, patiently waiting for the inevitable moment of decline after the tide of Blood Qi reached its peak.

That would be his only, and best, opportunity to counterattack.

Sure enough, everything was going as Anno had predicted.

As the fight wore on, the boiling Blood Qi around Duke grew even more frantic.

The power of his attacks was still climbing, but he had completely lost all form, like a beast driven purely by frenzied instinct, left with only the most primitive and direct slashes and smashes.

The earth cracked beneath their feet, torn into deep gullies by the stray Blood Qi and Fighting Spirit. The surrounding tents and supplies had long been obliterated into fragments by the rampaging Energy, leaving a scene of utter ruin.

Amidst this chaotic storm, Anno’s calm eyes finally caught a fleeting opening.

At the instant Duke put his all into a downward chop, his old strength spent and new strength yet to be gathered, he made his move.

He suddenly slid to the side, his Longsword precisely avoiding the edge of the Giant Sword. The tip of his blade, wreathed in condensed Fighting Spirit, struck like a viper’s tongue, lancing toward Duke’s wrist.

"SHLICK!"

With a soft sound, a bloody gash immediately appeared on Duke’s thick wrist.

For a Barbarian Transcendent with a formidable Constitution, it was, of course, nothing more than a superficial wound.

But the fact that he had successfully counterattacked sent a sudden surge of cold satisfaction through Anno’s heart.

’My judgment was correct. The scales of victory are tipping in my favor.’

He didn’t hesitate. His Fighting Spirit flared as he intended to press his advantage and turn this small opening into a decisive one.

However, just as his Sword Momentum was about to build, a scene in the distance caught his eye, causing his movements to freeze.

On the horizon, an army was charging toward them with great momentum. Their banners, faintly discernible in the firelight, belonged to the forces of the River Domain.

And at their head, charging with Longsword in hand, his hair and beard bristling, with the bearing of a furious lion, was their leader.

Who else could it be but Graham, the dean of the River Domain Knight Academy, who had been stubbornly resisting all this time and was quite formidable in his own right?

The moment he glimpsed Graham, Anno’s intention to press his attack instantly faltered.

Although Gloria’s banner had revealed the motive behind Duke’s frenzied assault, it also brought with it a deeper suspicion and a cold chill.

He couldn’t be sure if the Princess he had always looked down on had also won over these Fishermen.

If Duke and Graham had truly joined forces, he would have no escape today.

’Damn it...’

Anno cursed inwardly, a powerful sense of indignation and humiliation surging within him.

’If I had already fully mastered the Abyssal Power and completed my transformation, how could I be suppressed by the schemes of these two brutes and one woman?’

In a flash, he weighed the pros and cons, and a cold decision took hold.

’I must retreat.’

’As long as I can fall back to the eastern part of the Golden Valley Kingdom, back to my power base, I’ll have a chance to make a comeback.’

’As long as I’m alive, there’s always a future.’

Once the decision was made, Anno no longer hesitated.

He abruptly unleashed his Fighting Spirit, his Sword Techniques suddenly becoming vicious as he launched several wild attacks, heedless of the cost.

The sudden ferocity of his assault even forced the berserk Duke back half a step.

"Retreat!"

Using this opening, Anno roared at the remnants of his personal guard, who, though blood-soaked, were still fighting desperately to protect him.

"Break out to the west!"

With the order given, he abandoned the fight without a second thought. His figure flashed like lightning as he took the lead, dashing toward the west.

His loyal guards immediately formed up and followed close behind, using their bodies to shield him from sporadic attacks from the rear. With their last reserves of courage, they tore through the battle lines, escorting their Duke as he vanished into the night, a tapestry of thick smoke and Darkness.

But the shouts of killing from behind them were still incessant.

Arrows periodically streaked through the air. Guards fell from their horses one after another, struck down, yet no one slowed their pace.

Duke’s troops caught up to them several times, and Anno was forced to turn back and fight. He suffered new wounds in the exchange of blades, his Armor cracked, his cape soaked in blood. The once-majestic Duke was now a picture of misery.

Only after they galloped into a region of rolling hills did the pursuing shouts behind them finally begin to fade.

At last, he reined in his horse, stopping to rest in a hidden valley.

Fewer than a thousand of his personal guards remained, and every one of them was wounded, breathing heavily.

Anno himself was nearly exhausted. A deep sword wound ran from his shoulder down to his chest, still bleeding freely.

His hair was matted to his forehead with blood and dust, but his eyes still held a cold, icy glint.

Erwin, who had remained close by his side, rode up and asked in a low voice.

"My Lord Duke, what do we do now...?"

Anno was panting, his voice hoarse, but it still carried an unquestionable authority.

"Back to the East... As long as we get back to my territory..."

He gave a cold laugh, wiping a smear of blood from his lips.

"Duke... Gloria... They will pay for what they’ve done today."

"But Duke will likely not..."

"Just a brute from the frontier..."

He lifted his chin slightly. Despite his wretched state, his eyes were filled with nothing but disdain and arrogance.

"If he hadn’t been so careless in his actions, giving me a glimpse of a chance to survive... how could he possibly still be alive today? If I had been the one scheming in the shadows..."

Before he could finish his sentence, several sharp whooshes suddenly tore through the night sky.

The next moment, a thousand Arrows rained down like a torrential storm, instantly blanketing the entire valley.

Horses neighed in terror. Soldiers hurriedly raised their shields to block, but men still fell one after another.

Anno snapped his head up. On the low slopes on both sides, countless figures had appeared at some unknown time. Torches flared to life one by one, illuminating rows of drawn bows and cold faces.

A loud voice echoed from above, laced with unconcealed mockery and killing intent.

"Hey! Duke Anno! By order of Her Highness Princess Gloria, I, Sven, have been waiting here for you for quite some time!"

In the flickering torchlight, genuine panic finally appeared on Anno’s face, his pupils contracting sharply.

Like a cornered beast that had fallen completely into a trap.