Chapter 57: The Doomsday Death Knight Returns

Chapter 57: Jacques Noire (3)

Damian's sword slashed through Jacques Noire's neck.

The severed head rolled on the ground. The headless body staggered for a moment before collapsing.

"A knight shouldn't be swayed by emotions."

Thanks to Jacques Noire's blinding rage, Damian was able to finish him off easily.

Otherwise, it might have been a bit troublesome at the end.

"What strange skills he has."

The technique Jacques Noire used at the end was not ordinary.

However, Damian had experienced many techniques that explosively unleashed latent power in his previous life.

During his Death Knight days, Damian was practically a disaster itself, and many knights had to resort to mutual destruction to stop the disaster.

However, none of the techniques Damian had seen back then showed such a sudden surge in power like Jacques Noire's.

Especially the final strike Jacques Noire made was terrifying, comparable to a high-class technique.

"I need to leave quickly."

The forest was completely devastated, and the ground was marked with giant sword scars.

It was impossible that no one noticed such a commotion.

Knights from nearby territories would certainly be sent to investigate.

If they encountered Damian and discovered that he had killed Jacques Noire, things would get complicated.

But leaving empty-handed didn't make sense. Damian quickly searched Jacques Noire's corpse.

There wasn't much of value. Only the sword Jacques Noire used and a pouch on his waist.

Damian examined Jacques Noire's sword. Unfortunately, it was just an ordinary iron sword.

But the pouch was different. Surprisingly, it was a spatial expansion enchanted pouch.

It looked like a small leather pouch, but the inside was quite spacious.

A spatial expansion enchanted item was a treasure that anyone would covet.

However, it couldn't compare to the subspace ring Damian had, which was far superior in terms of space and practicality.

Damian took out the items from the pouch one by one.

Emergency rations, healing potions, gold coins, and two books emerged.

*Wujin Poying Jian* and *Bulcheng Zhiguang Yao*.

Both were techniques Jacques Noire had used.

*Wujin Poying Jian* was mostly lost, but *Bulcheng Zhiguang Yao* was intact.

"Is there any mana cultivation method written in it?"

Currently, Damian was creating his own mana cultivation method. To achieve this, he needed as many reference materials as possible.

For martial techniques, Damian already had a vast amount of knowledge in his head. If he lacked something, he could learn from other knights.

But for mana cultivation methods, it was different.

Mana cultivation methods worked internally and were much more intricate and complex than martial techniques.

Even Damian couldn't completely steal a mana cultivation method.

That's why Damian desperately needed a book with a mana cultivation method.

Damian read *Wujin Poying Jian* with anticipation, but his face soon turned to disappointment.

"The part about the mana cultivation method is completely gone."

*Wujin Poying Jian* was mostly lost, and the section on the mana cultivation method was also missing.

Damian put aside his disappointment and opened *Bulcheng Zhiguang Yao*.

Unlike *Wujin Poying Jian*, *Bulcheng Zhiguang Yao* was intact. However, Damian couldn't achieve what he wanted this time either.

"Sacrifice your life, and you will gain power."

Upon seeing the words on the first page, Damian immediately realized that this was the mutual destruction technique Jacques Noire used at the end.

"I need a mana cultivation method, not a mutual destruction technique."

Damian clicked his tongue.

Still, *Bulcheng Zhiguang Yao* was an excellent technique.

Thinking there might be something useful, Damian started reading the subsequent pages.

"…Huh?"

As Damian read a few more pages, he felt a sense of unease.

The content was too complex and detailed for a mutual destruction technique.

Damian sat down and carefully read *Bulcheng Zhiguang Yao*.

"…It's a mana cultivation method."

Although it was cleverly hidden, Damian could tell.

For someone with only basic knowledge, it would appear as a mutual destruction technique.

The true nature of *Bulcheng Zhiguang Yao* was a mana cultivation method.

Moreover, it was of a very high level and had unique effects.

"A mana cultivation method that builds up mana through combat."

*Bulcheng Zhiguang Yao* was not a static method of absorbing mana while sitting. It was a dynamic method that built up mana through movement.

Unlike static mana cultivation methods, dynamic methods were very rare due to their high difficulty.

"…And it has the function of enhancing the body."

*Bulcheng Zhiguang Yao* stored mana in muscles, which then transformed the muscles in unique ways.

Faster, stronger.

*Bulcheng Zhiguang Yao* aimed to create a body optimized for combat.

"Recording such a great cultivation method as a mutual destruction technique…"

It was no wonder Jacques Noire didn't recognize its true value.

Whoever developed it must have been a very devious person.

"I've hit the jackpot."

Damian happily put *Bulcheng Zhiguang Yao* into his subspace.

* * *

Damian returned to where his companions were.

If he stayed, he would be discovered by others. Damian loaded his companions into the carriage.

"Let's go."

Damian used *Inma Ilche* on the horses pulling the carriage.

The horses, fueled by the mana Damian injected, galloped at an incredible speed.

The carriage shook violently, but the companions didn't wake up thanks to the black magic Damian cast.

"Should we stop here?"

Damian stopped the carriage in a newly appeared forest.

He had the companions get out and set up a campsite, making it look like the original forest.

By the time he finished, it was starting to get light. Damian lifted the black magic from the companions.

"Yawn."

Abel was the first to wake up.

He stretched and yawned.

"Huh? Brother, are you already awake?"

Abel saw Damian sitting by the campfire and asked. Damian, adding firewood to the campfire, replied.

"The night air was cold, so I woke up early. Ah, do you want a cup of tea?"

"I would be grateful if you do."

Damian filled an iron teapot with water and placed it on the campfire.

After a while, Damian poured the brewed tea into an iron cup and handed it to Abel.

"Here, drink it."

"Thank you."

Abel blew on the tea to cool it down. As he sipped it, he noticed something odd.

"Brother, did the forest always look like this?"

The scenery before he fell asleep and the scenery now were different.

Although he wasn't a hunter, he felt a sense of unease.

"Are you still half-asleep?"

Damian looked at Abel as if he was talking nonsense. Abel had a sheepish expression.

He knew it sounded strange.

However, Abel's suspicion grew stronger as the other two companions woke up.

"Ugh? Young master, the forest seems strange."

"What nonsense."

"The trees are shorter and thinner than before…"

"Trees are all the same."

"But…"

Victor, who had just woken up, kept nodding.

"Be quiet and start preparing breakfast. I'm hungry."

"Yes, I understand."

Victor quickly took out the ingredients and started making a simple stew.

"Good morning."

Olivia Copperhead woke up next. She stretched as she got out of the carriage.

"…Huh?"

Olivia looked around, tilting her head in confusion.

"Why does the forest… seem… different…?"

With Olivia's reaction, Abel became more confident.

"…Brother."

"Sure."

"What did you do this time?"

"I didn't do anything."

"Don't play dumb! Three people have already said the scenery is strange!"

Damian's eyebrow raised at Abel's words.

"What's strange about the scenery? Do you think I pruned the trees last night?"

As Damian pressed, Abel was at a loss for words.

"Or do you think I moved you to a different forest in the middle of the night? Why would I do that if I wasn't crazy?"

The more he listened, the more Damian's words made sense.

Why would Damian do such things?

"The forest feels different in the dark and in the light. You must have just imagined it."

"…Yes."

"Understood. Stop talking nonsense and go get the dishes. We need to eat."

Abel got up with a sheepish face.

As Abel left to get the dishes, Damian muttered to himself.

"Indeed, persistence pays off."

* * *

"…"

The Holy Knights who arrived at the scene were speechless.

The completely devastated forest and the clear sword marks on the ground were evidence of a terrifying battle that took place last night.

What shocked the Holy Knights even more was Jacques Noire's body lying on the ground.

"…He was beheaded."

Holy Knight Thomas, looking shocked, said.

According to reports, a nearby estate heard a loud noise and requested help from other nobles.

The Church, suspecting it might be Jacques Noire, immediately dispatched Holy Knights.

It took only a few hours to get here.

For Jacques Noire to lose his life in such a short time?

It was impossible unless the opponent was far superior to Jacques Noire.

"Sir Thomas, who do you think killed Jacques Noire?"

One of the Holy Knights asked Thomas. Thomas, after a moment of thought, said.

"Jacques Noire is a top-tier mid-class knight. The only one who could kill him so easily…"

Thomas had fought Jacques Noire just a few days ago.

Although they were both mid-class, the gap in skill was clear. Jacques Noire easily dealt with Thomas and then fled.

The only person who could kill such a person…

"Would be a high-class knight."

High-class.

A realm just below the Master, the true superhuman.

High-class knights were monsters in their own right, though not as powerful as Masters.

A high-class knight had the strength to kill Jacques Noire.

However, the Holy Knights couldn't easily accept Thomas's words.

"But Sir Thomas, if a high-class knight was in the area, we would have known."

Currently, there were only three high-class knights in the Apple Kingdom.

If any of them moved, rumors would spread throughout the kingdom.

"Perhaps it was an unknown high-class knight."

"An unknown… high-class knight?"

"The world is vast, and there are many talented individuals. Masters have been discovered in remote valleys, so it's not an unreasonable assumption."

Most importantly, Thomas had a reason to believe it was a high-class knight.

"Who else could have killed Jacques Noire so easily?"

The Holy Knights had to nod in agreement.

That day, a messenger bird flew to the Church, announcing Jacques Noire's death.