Eternally Regressing Knight - Chapter 11: Frog
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“Shit.”
Rem spat on the ground and twirled his axe in his hand, almost like performing a trick.
He had just missed the guy nicknamed Hawk’s Claw or Hawk’s Eye.
It felt as uncomfortable as not wiping after taking a dump.
‘I can’t remember the last time I failed at a hunt.’
The archer was quick-witted and fast.
As soon as he sensed Rem’s presence, he bolted.
Even the arrow he shot while fleeing was sharp.
Rem touched the area on his left side where the arrow had grazed him.
No wound. Just failed to dodge it completely.
Missed or not, it still felt annoying.
He had charged diagonally into the enemy formation.
Rem began to retrace his steps back to his comrades.
“What the hell is this guy?”
“Kill him!”
There were almost no allies around.
He had gone too deep.
But it didn’t really bother him.
Instead of grumbling or cursing, Rem swung the axes in both hands.
The axe in his right hand was one he had picked up from an enemy, its balance was terrible.
But even that didn’t matter.
If it’s useless, just throw it away.
Whoosh, thud!
Rem slashed the jaw and neck of the enemy blocking his path with the axe in his left hand, and a fountain of blood spurted out.
He dodged the blood spray and then swung his right hand with all his might.
The axe cut through the air.
Even though it wasn’t a throwing axe, it flew fiercely and hit its target.
Crack!
The axe split the enemy’s head in half.
After shaking up the enemy ranks, Rem returned to his own formation.
‘I wonder if our squad leader is still alive.’
He wasn’t someone who would die easily.
Rem had never seen such a tenacious person in his life.
‘Not even among my tribe have I seen someone like him.’
He’s probably hanging on, carefully avoiding trouble.
He’s too valuable to die here.
Although the battlefield doesn’t really suit him.
‘If only he could fully master the Heart of the Beast, he’d be fine. But his lack of talent is frustrating.’
Rem had taught him part of the tribe’s secret techniques out of pity.
Not that he intended to be a teacher.
There are just some people you don’t want to see die right in front of you.
If they die out of your sight, that’s one thing.
Rem returned to his camp.
“All that rampaging, and you got nothing to show for it.”
It was Jaxson.
One of the defining characteristics of the 444 Squad was that, except for Encrid, none of the members got along well.
Seeing such a squad function suggests the squad leader must have some inexplicable charm.
“Huh? Are you looking to die? Want me to split your head with an axe?”
“The battlefield is a mess because you let the archer get away.”
This was definitely picking a fight.
You don’t need to see the entire battlefield to know that.
It wasn’t because of the archer, but because of the Frogs.
A Frog warrior had appeared and was causing havoc on the battlefield.
Whether by luck or misfortune, Rem hadn’t run into one.
“Shut up. If you don’t want to die, don’t talk to me.”
“You insane savage.”
They both turned away from each other.
It was just a chance encounter, with routine insults exchanged.
The 444 Squad didn’t really maintain any formation.
They fought on their own.
Even without a formation, and without gathering, they stood out.
‘Except for that big-eyed bastard.’
Rem himself had likely drawn some attention by tearing through the enemy lines.
Jaxson’s specialty was appearing silently out of nowhere.
In the distance, a few other squad members were visible.
They were all performing well on their own.
One swung his sword lazily.
Another was beating someone to death in a rigid manner.
None of them were ordinary.
Of course, the most notable one was the squad leader.
Living through sheer tenacity with subpar talent—who would call that ordinary?
‘Just in case.’
Rem decided to find and protect the squad leader.
He’d keep an eye on him without being noticed.
It felt like a waste to let him die.
‘He’s the first to learn my tribe’s secret techniques on this continent.’
Moving with various reasons in mind, Rem soon spotted Encrid.
‘Hmm?’
In the moment he glanced away, an enemy lunged at him.
Rem instinctively tripped the enemy and struck his jaw with the axe handle.
The struck enemy spat out broken teeth.
Rem then spun and drove his elbow into the enemy’s head.
Crack!
The sound was like thick wood breaking.
With one hit, the enemy’s neck broke.
Rem twirled his right arm while keeping his gaze fixed.
Even while dealing with attackers, he had been watching the squad leader.
‘Skilled?’
It was a side of him Rem hadn’t seen before.
That skillfulness made him watch rather than intervene.
It didn’t seem like he would lose. It was becoming a reality, almost like an instinct.
Encrid was fighting a formidable enemy.
There was a previously unseen calmness and boldness in him.
‘How?’
How could someone change so much overnight?
“I find it surprising too.”
Jaxson appeared beside him. Why did their paths keep crossing?
So, this guy was also here to watch over the squad leader?
“I’ve been watching all day. While you were messing around.”
“And?”
“I thought he must be living with the goddess of luck.”
“What?”
“He was lucky.”
Just luck? It didn’t seem like luck alone could explain his current state.
“His skills have also improved significantly.”
Jaxson got along well with other squads, but he had a bad relationship with Rem.
Well, that’s true for all the squad members.
The fact that this was the longest normal conversation they’d had since joining the squad shows how surprised he was.
Rem was as surprised as Jaxson.
And then Rem witnessed two more surprising things.
One was Encrid dodging a stab and countering with a near-perfect thrust.
“Excellent!”
Rem exclaimed involuntarily.
Jaxson also nodded slightly.
Unyielding effort.
Knowing how much blood and sweat the squad leader had shed, they couldn’t help but cheer for him.
Talent is a strange thing.
Sometimes it allows one to leap several steps at once.
Both Rem and Jaxson had experienced that, so they didn’t find the squad leader’s transformation jarring.
It seemed he had also leaped several steps in one go.
‘He won.’
The enemy wasn’t easy. If it were Rem, a few axe swings would suffice.
But for the squad leader, it was an enemy he had lost to ten out of ten times.
Yet he won. It didn’t look like an easy victory.
His body was covered in small wounds.
The shield in his left hand was shattered junk.
The leather guards on his hands and knees were torn and ragged.
Judging by his heavy breathing, he was exhausted.
‘Heart of the Beast.’
Rem assessed the squad leader’s condition at a glance.
The calmness and boldness were probably thanks to the secret technique he had taught him.
‘To this extent?’
It was remarkably well-mastered.
Rem decided to crack a joke.
“Frog!”
At that moment, someone shouted. It was another soldier near the squad leader.
What was his name again? Vel?
His name sounded similar to Rem’s, so it stuck in his mind.
Just as Vel had said, a Frog warrior appeared, running like a dark shadow.
A Frog, a humanoid with a frog-like face.
Their skin was also frog-like.
Their skin was so slick, weapons slid right off.
To kill them, you had to pierce their heart or burn them with magic or spells.
Which wasn’t easy.
Frogs were a naturally superior fighting race, with better strength and combat instincts than humans.
They could master any weapon within days.
The Frog ran parallel to the ground, kicked Encrid’s side, and sent him flying.
It didn’t seem like they planned to end it with that kick.
After seeing Encrid fly away, the Frog landed heavily and assumed a stance.
They reached back and grabbed a spear.
If left alone, Encrid would die. Definitely die.
As soon as Rem saw the dark shadow, he kicked off the ground.
Boom.
The ground exploded, dirt spraying like a small fountain.
In an instant, Rem reached the Frog’s side.
Whoosh!
No words needed. He swung his axe downward like a whip, from above to below.
But instead of throwing the spear, the Frog performed an incredible move.
In the throwing position, they sidestepped and swung the spear shaft upward like flicking a stick.
All in a split second.
Bam!
The axe and spear shaft collided.
A vibrating shock spread from their point of impact.
“Annoying human? Ugly human?”
“You bastard frog, that human is our squad leader.”
“…Is the squad leader supposed to be weaker than his men?”
The Frog instantly recognized Rem’s skill.
The dash, the axe swing, the judgment.
Frogs were a naturally superior fighting race.
Their perceptiveness was as exceptional as their combat skills.
Their protruding eyes could gauge an opponent’s skill at a glance.
Frogs were born with the talent of recognizing others’ talents.
The Frog rolled their eyes and stepped back.
“Alright. I’ve calmed down.”
“What the hell?”
“Ugly human, that human pierced what my student pierced. I got excited for a moment. But I taught him, so, well, it’s done. Not worth risking my life here.”
A Frog’s perception wasn’t limited to recognizing talent. Their combat sense let them grasp the situation instantly.
Rem didn’t think the opponent was necessarily disadvantaged.
But if they could avoid a fight, that was good.
Fighting a Frog for a pittance wasn’t worth it.
And he understood what the Frog meant.
As long as their heart wasn’t pierced, Frogs could regenerate limbs. That made them sensitive about the word “heart.”
They avoided the word and could lose their minds if they saw another’s heart get pierced.
A berserk Frog was terrifying.
Frogs not sufficiently trained wouldn’t even be on the battlefield.
Rem reflected on what he knew.
‘Damn, I must be really used to this place.’
The fact that he could recall this much about Frogs showed how accustomed he was to life on this continent.
The Frog tapped their chest armor.
A heart guard, solely for protecting the heart.
Known as Heart Armor.
Seeing it meant this Frog had followed proper procedures.
A Frog’s city would break untempered swords rather than let them out.
Heart Armor was like a Frog’s identification badge.
“See you around, ugly human.”
But why did they keep calling him ugly?
Frogs liked jewels and had unique aesthetic standards.
They preferred handsome humans.
“You do have a face that’s too good to kill.”
The Frog said, flicking their tongue out like catching a fly.
That was probably a smile.
He—or rather, she—glanced at the squad leader and slowly retreated.
Females liked handsome men.
Males liked beautiful women.
That was a Frog trait.
Unlike their view of humans, their mating criteria were different.
But for some reason, they liked pretty and handsome humans.
Not that Rem cared.
“Alive?”
Jaxson was holding the squad leader.
“His ribs are cracked from that kick. In such a short time…”
“Yeah, he blocked it with his arm.”
Impressive. Worth teaching him.
To keep his head and block the hit.
Thanks to the Heart of the Beast.
Rem felt oddly proud.
“The shock to his head made him dizzy. He won’t die, but he could if left here.”
“The battle’s cooling down. Carry him. Let’s go.”
“You carry him. I’ll clear the way.”
“…You’re really going to get your head split by my axe someday.”
“You should worry about a knife in your back.”
Rem huffed, but didn’t escalate it.
Well, the squad leader had performed well.
That was enough.
Rem hoisted Encrid onto his back.
Jaxson led the way with his sword and shield.
On the surface, he didn’t seem exceptionally skilled.
But if you looked closely, you’d see.
He was opening the path while showing less than a quarter of his real skill.
‘Sneaky stray cat bastard.’
Rem cursed Jaxson inwardly as he walked.
The squad leader on his back breathed heavily, as if asleep.
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