Future Knight

Chapter 25

* * *

In a dark cave, under a dim, dull light, a green-skinned woman and a black-skinned man were having a conversation.

Even with the small light, the black-skinned man squinted as if the light was glaringly bright.

Despite their different skin tones, their sculpted, beautiful faces made them look almost like siblings.

“It’s an honor to meet the renowned Lady Green in person, whose fame spreads across the continent.”

“I am equally honored to meet Lord Nemitz, who reigns supreme in the darkness, in person.”

“Haha, supreme in the darkness, you say. Anyone hearing that might think I’m some kind of demon king.”

“Is that so? Then shall I call you the greatest swordsman on the continent?”

“Haha, that was hundreds of years ago. Now, there are many swordsmen on the continent stronger than me.”

“I’ve traveled around, but I have yet to meet a swordsman as outstanding as you described.”

“Haha! That must be because Lady Green is too strong.”

“Not at all.”

As they chatted, Nemitz’s face gradually turned serious as he brought up the main topic.

“I heard you’re currently struggling?”

With nothing to hide from those with the best information network in the darkness, Green confessed the truth.

“While it’s not exactly struggling, it’s true that the tide has slowed a bit.”

“Just the addition of the Orcs caused a slowdown… If the Elves and Dwarves also join forces, the situation would become quite difficult for you.”

As Nemitz spoke as if looking at a distant mountain, Green sighed deeply and continued, struck by his words.

“Yes, you’re right. That’s why I came to find you, Lord Nemitz.”

“You mean you need our strength?”

“Yes, we lack the forces to attack the Elven Forest before the Elves join the allied forces, so I came to earnestly ask for your help.”

“Attacking the Elven Forest? That’s quite an appealing proposal.”

His dull eyes shone with murderous intent.

Despite seemingly having the will, Nemitz, who postponed his decision and sank into deep contemplation, made Green anxious.

For her, their help was desperately needed.

She had received intelligence that the Dwarves and Elves were working together to produce hundreds of formidable Gigantes, which could potentially be the greatest obstacle to conquering the continent. She couldn’t just leave them be.

However, fighting them in the Elven Forest meant being surrounded by enemies on all sides, which she knew well.

Their forest teemed with Guardians, the Ents.

Therefore, what she actually needed now wasn’t the Dark Elves but the Black Centipedes they secretly bred.

Nothing was better than the Black Centipedes for neutralizing the Guardians, the Ents, that protected the forest.

With a shell comparable to Dragon Bone and a powerful corrosive acid that could melt steel, these gigantic underground creatures were the top predators in the food chain, aside from Deep Dragons.

Green absolutely needed these terrifying monsters.

After a long time, Nemitz, who had made Green anxious, finally opened his mouth.

“I also have many scores to settle with them. With such a proposal, this pact is sealed. We will join you.”

Green, who had waited a long time, smiled brightly at Nemitz, who had so refreshingly chosen to form an alliance.

“Thank you very much. Then their fate is sealed. Their destiny of destruction… As promised, the Elven Forest will be yours forever.”

“The Elven Forest… I miss it dearly.”

“I miss it too. Though I don’t have a single good memory from there.”

In this important negotiation, Green, who wasn’t supposed to think about it, found her eyes slowly filling with anger as she finished speaking.

### Ferocity.

Great rage.

Nemitz, sensing her immense anger, hurriedly stood up.

There was no benefit to staying when the woman known for her madness across the continent was getting agitated.

“Well then! I will quickly prepare the forces.”

“Excuse me? Ah! I apologize for interrupting. I got distracted by other thoughts. Oh dear, I must be very excited; I can’t seem to contain myself.”

Seeing her licking her lips with a face full of anticipation, Nemitz once again felt her madness.

“I’m looking forward to it as well. Take care. The children will escort you to the surface.”

“Oh, yes. I’ll be on my way then. See you on the promised day.”

Bowing politely, Green left with her subordinates, heading towards the surface. Nemitz watched her leave with mixed feelings.

‘Is this how the revenge of two cursed, forsaken races begins? Sigh, it’s unfortunate, but even if this ends in ruin, it seems I am fated to be with you, Rakasa.’

As the dim light that lit the cave went out, he also vanished into the darkness.

* * *

It took a week for Kang Chan to finally come to his senses after the chaos caused by Urkanta. He was lying quietly on his bed.

Thanks to Arteon’s top-tier healing magic, Kang Chan, lying in bed, was completely healed without a single scar to be found.

However, he remained silent and didn’t seem to have any intention of opening his eyes.

Everyone thought that he was demoralized and discouraged by the overwhelming power of Urkanta.

However, the reason he kept his eyes closed was to ensure that the precious experiences he gained by risking his life were not wasted.

With his eyes closed, Kang Chan quietly replayed the battle with Urkanta stored in his biochip over and over, recalling the fight.

Normally, this would be called contemplation, but thanks to the biochip in his mind, he was engaging in a level of contemplation far beyond that of ordinary warriors.

The biochip had stored every detail of the battle with Urkanta that he experienced firsthand, and using these vivid images and various data, he was identifying his shortcomings and deducing what he could learn.

Kang Chan meticulously observed Urkanta’s every move in slow motion, closely examining how he manipulated mana and understanding the flow.

He watched the changes in force applied to his body and his breathing with each movement, comparing it to himself and identifying where he had previously gone wrong, storing all this knowledge in his mind.

Just as the saying goes, “If you know the enemy, you will win every battle,” there were certainly things to learn from the enemy.

The more he reviewed Urkanta, the more he found endless lessons to be learned, enough to evoke admiration.

The level of martial arts Urkanta had achieved was truly astounding.

‘What a remarkable master. I still tremble with rage.’

Just thinking about the gigantic and crude sword Urkanta wielded made Kang Chan shudder.

However, he hadn’t expected that the terrifying Urkanta would become a new breakthrough for him, who had seen no progress for a long time.

After his battle with Keremion, Kang Chan had spent a year in a waterfall, undergoing intense solo training, and had miraculously managed to manifest a mana sword within just a year.

But since then, he had hit a massive wall and saw no further progress.

Every day, Kang Chan racked his brain in frustration, and Jaina, worried about him, had urged him to go out with her for a change of pace.

When they went to the village, they coincidentally encountered Urkanta, and Kang Chan engaged in an unexpected life-and-death struggle with him, gaining considerable insights.

“Uncle, are you feeling better now?”

Jaina approached Kang Chan, who was quietly lost in thought, sitting on the edge of the bed.

The basket she brought was filled with his favorite fruits.

Kang Chan welcomed Jaina with his eyes still closed.

“Yes, I’m fine now.”

Seeing Kang Chan with his eyes closed, looking as if he were in a trance, Jaina burst into tears.

She had heard from Elradian that Kang Chan had faced the ferocious Urkanta and come close to death in order to protect her.

Feeling an indescribable sadness, Jaina thought that Kang Chan’s dazed state was her fault.

As she cried, Kang Chan slowly opened his eyes.

“Why are you crying?”

When Kang Chan opened his eyes and looked at her, Jaina pushed her face close to his and shouted.

“You idiot! Why did you do it? You should have just left me and run away! You almost died too!”

Jaina hit Kang Chan’s chest with her frail hands.

“Do you think I’d be happy if you died even if I lived?”

Holding onto his clothes, Jaina leaned against his chest and sobbed.

All the worry and anxiety she had felt while Kang Chan lay in a coma exploded at once.

Kang Chan, wanting to console her, fidgeted awkwardly.

Although he had comforted Jaina many times due to her tendency to cry easily, it was the first time she cried while clinging to his chest, and he felt somewhat embarrassed.

He slowly patted her back, but when she showed no sign of stopping, he had no choice but to embrace her tightly.

He was a bit surprised.

Jaina felt so small and fragile in his arms.

‘Was Jaina always this small? She’s really delicate.’

Jaina was indeed small and delicate enough to fit snugly in Kang Chan’s embrace.

As he held her for a while, her tears gradually subsided, and Kang Chan sighed in relief.

However, even after she stopped crying, Jaina didn’t let go of Kang Chan’s chest, and he felt awkward holding her.

While he didn’t dislike holding her, he felt embarrassed, thinking about how it might look to others.

Moreover, despite himself, he could feel the soft touch of Jaina’s chest pressed against him, making his face turn red as he stared blankly at the wall.

Jaina whispered softly to him.

“Your heartbeat sounds nice, Uncle.”

She seemed to find reassurance in his strong heartbeat, leaning quietly against his chest.

“If you had died, I probably…”

Her small body trembled as she clung more tightly to Kang Chan.

Feeling Jaina’s overwhelming affection, Kang Chan unconsciously held her tighter.

And then, words he hadn’t planned to say slipped out of his mouth.

“That’s why I couldn’t leave you behind and run away, Jaina. If something had happened to you then, I probably…”

As Kang Chan trailed off, Jaina looked up at him with a worried expression.

Despite her tear-swollen face, her elven beauty shone even brighter.

“I wouldn’t be able to go on living. Not without you, Jaina.”

Kang Chan didn’t even know what he was saying.

He was just speaking from his heart.

But Jaina’s expression transformed into a radiant smile as she slowly brought her lips to his.

Startled, Kang Chan hesitated, but as her soft, tender lips touched his, he felt dizzy and slowly surrendered to the kiss.

It was his first kiss, at the age of 23, during a summer that came far too late.