Infinite Regressing Knight

Those skilled in swordsmanship become knights, and those with a free spirit often become mercenaries.

Those with exceptional intellect walk the path of mages, while those without mana's blessing become politicians or military scholars.

It was an era of heroes and turmoil.

Those with talent had their purpose, and if their purpose was great enough, they could carve their names in history.

In that sense, the "Terra Defense Army" was a place where those whose purposes were unclear gathered.

They couldn't become great knights or exceptional mercenaries, but they were the ones who were the best at wielding a sword.

They came into the world with great dreams tied to their swords, only to find themselves settling into the Terra Kingdom with steady wages after a few scars on their blades.

But there are always exceptions.

Dominic, one of the 8 great commanders of the Search Army.

The Terra Defense Army' officially recognized first sword.

His skill was so extraordinary that he solved a problem that had stumped the royal knights for a year in just a week.

After several such occurrences, the commander classified Dominic's 8th Search Army as a special unit.

However, the deputy commander, Jarrot, knew that Dominic's fame wasn't due to his swordsmanship alone.

He didn't know what level the commander's swordsmanship was at, but it was likely that it was simply superior within the Defense Army, and not enough to rival the royal knights.

If he had been that strong, he would have become a knight, not a member of the Defense Army. Still, Dominic's legendary feats were…'Because he wants to die.' He didn't care for his life.

He threw himself into the most dangerous places and took on unbelievably risky tasks.

What kind of madman would willingly get captured by pirates without a weapon and assassinate the pirate king?

Not just any pirate, but their supreme leader.

This wasn't about skill.

It was about willingness.

That's why Jarrot was now in a state of confusion.

"Jarrot, order the troops to go into the highest alert status."

"What?"

"Did you not hear me?"

Dominic was highly tense.

They were in an ordinary slash-and-burn village.

***

Dominic scanned the surroundings with dry eyes.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary slash-and-burn village.

But there was a strange, unsettling feeling pressing down on him, and the tension in his body wouldn't release.

'What is it? What's here?'

However, nothing unusual was found.

When the tension of the soldiers began to ease slightly, someone spoke up.

"Commander, could we have taken the wrong path? Didn't the pathfinder hesitate at the fork at the entrance of the mountain range?"

"Hmm..."

"Considering this is the place where four search divisions went missing, there are no signs of battle. It's also quite cramped."

"There are no signs of people passing through."

Logically, this made sense. But Dominic couldn't bring himself to order the lowering of the alert status due to the constant ringing of alarms in his head.

Eventually, his decision was a compromise.

"Lower the alert level to level one, but widen the search range. I'll do a separate sweep myself."

"Yes, sir!"

With that, Dominic began scanning the village again. Perhaps there were secret passages or magic circles hidden somewhere. However, when he thought there might not be any magic circles or metal objects, something caught his eye.

"A ring?"

It was an expensive ring that didn't seem to belong in a slash-and-burn village.

An unfamiliar pattern was engraved on it.

Dominic flinched in surprise.

'Is this really a coincidence?'

He thought he had walked around the area, but upon retracing his steps, it became clear he had walked straight toward the ring. Moreover, a ring of this size should have been discovered in the earlier search.

Then, it happened.

The ring began to wriggle like a living creature and was sucked into his pinky finger.

"…!"

Surprised, Dominic tried to pull the ring off, but it wouldn't budge. However, there was no time to think about the situation.

Kaaaaaaah!

The screeching noise, which sounded like either a crow's cry or a woman's scream, echoed through the air.

"Monster!"

Despite the sudden situation, there was no hesitation.

Dominic quickly located the monster's position and assessed the terrain.

He kicked off a cut tree stump, climbed up the side of another slanted tree, and leaped into the air.

There was no delay between thought and action.

However, the search members tilted their heads in confusion.

'Why there?'

Dominic's sword was aimed at a spot slightly away from the monster.

Was it a mistake?

No.

Screeeeeech!

With a sharp cracking sound, the monster was split in half.

But it wasn't over.

Wriggle. From the cut surface of the monster, instead of blood, a thick darkness began to ooze out and consumed the space around it. And then, the moon rose.

"The… Black Moon!"

Recently, mysterious rifts had started appearing across the continent. People called it the Black Moon and feared it. It was due to the 'shadow monsters' that emerged from the rifts.

Boom!

At that moment, darkness exploded, and the entire world was submerged in pitch-blackness.

When the darkness cleared…It was a plain shaped like a basin.

In just a few seconds, the entire space had changed.

"Wh-what!"

As the soldiers fell into panic at the incomprehensible phenomenon…

"Full perimeter defense formation!"

Dominic's firm voice shook their ears.

Though their judgment was clouded by fear, their trained bodies obeyed.

Once the soldiers regained their composure, Dominic shouted.

"Information!"

"It seems the space has shifted. The magic compass is broken!"

"I'm feeling a slight dizziness… Oh, they're coming!"

Dominic's gaze shifted.

Shadow monsters, making strange noises, were pouring in from beyond the hill.

Kreeeek!

Puhhhoooo!

The battle began. And the result was devastating.

It took only 30 minutes for everyone except Dominic to perish.

Kaaaaah!

Yet, Dominic held out alone for much longer, cutting down quite a few monsters.

But now, it was reaching his limit.

'So this is my grave.'

It wasn't so bad.

19 years ago, Dominic's heart had already died.

He had lived with only darkness instead of a heart.

Wasn't it fitting for him to die at the hands of shadow monsters, those born from darkness?

Still, he could probably cut down a few more.

"Come at me!"

And then, it happened.

Kiek?

The shadow monsters attacking Dominic simultaneously froze in place.

It wasn't a natural pause; they stopped as if time itself had frozen.

Then, with a soft sound, the monsters vanished, and a woman appeared.

"Well, well."

The woman, draped in black accessories, with her silver hair flowing richly, tilted her head.

"So, the alert system really was activated?"

"…"

"Did you kill the Squirmersers and enter? But how are you still alive?"

"…"

"Are you one of the Seven Knights' subordinates? Or maybe from the Four Emperors? If you've figured it out already, this might be a bit troublesome for me?"

Despite Dominic's silence, the woman continued to speak casually.

In the meantime, Dominic regained his breath and gripped his sword.

Meaningful words escaped her lips, but that wasn't what was important.

What mattered was that the woman—no, the witch—had annihilated the 8th Search Army.

Swoosh!

Dominic's sword slashed through the air.

A full-powered strike.

But the result was nothing short of futile.

He thought he had struck, but when he regained his senses, the monster's remains lay uselessly on the ground.

"What's this? You don't even have the will to relay information? Who are you?"

"Kill me."

"Hey, don't be so harsh on our first meeting. Maybe you're upset because I didn't introduce myself?"

The witch twirled in the air, then exaggeratedly bowed with grace.

"I'm Velicaya from the Black Magic Research Tower."

But beneath the false elegance, all Dominic could feel was a sense of discomfort and unease.

"Aren't knights supposed to acknowledge a lady's greeting?"

"…I'm not a knight."

"Then? A mercenary?"

"I'm Dominic, the 8th Commander of the Terra Defense Army."

"Eh? You expect me to believe that lie?"

"…"

"Terra Defense Army? Just a slightly better version of a bunch of misfits. And you're not even the commander, just an 8th commander? Who'd believe that?"

"…Will you spare me if I tell you the truth?"

"Of course. You seem to be misunderstanding something, though. Are your men still not dead?"

"What?"

"Your subordinates. They're not dead yet."

At the woman's words, Dominic's gaze naturally shifted to his fallen comrades.

As both their gazes fixed on the same place, Dominic's sword moved beyond his consciousness and pierced the witch's neck.

"…!"

The witch, her vocal cords pierced, glared at him. Dominic, having retrieved his sword, aimed for her eyes.

Clink!

However, a sword that seemed to come from nowhere blocked his attack.

"You… you!"

With horror in her eyes, the witch grabbed her throat, but her previously pierced vocal cords had already healed.

An abnormal healing ability.

No, was it even healing at all?

"How did you do that?! My defense magic senses the intention to strike! You intended to stab me, right? If you did, my magic should have activated!"

"It's really the end now. Kill me."

"What are you saying? Why kill such a valuable test subject? Come here! Want to have some dinner? What's the menu…"

In that moment, Dominic's sword pierced his own heart.

Thud!

"No, don't!"

Even as Dominic's consciousness flickered, he found solace in the twisted face of the witch.

At least he hadn't given her what she wanted.

'…It was long.'

He had struggled with all his might, so there was no guilt.

In his fading consciousness, Dominic reflected on his life.

And when his final breath left him and his presence in the world was marked…

"Gasp!"

A new breath filled his lungs.

"Commander?"

"…What?"

"The pathfinder is hesitating at the fork in the road, what should we do? Should we just follow the path as he suggests?"

Three hours before meeting the witch, at the mountain's entrance.

It was the fork in the road.

***

"There's a slash-and-burn village ahead!"

At the report from his subordinates, Dominic's expression darkened.

They had moved in the opposite direction at the fork.

But their destination remained the same.

This meant that there was a high likelihood of spatial distortion magic being placed throughout the mountain range.

'It wasn't a dream after all.'

It seemed inevitable.

It was hard to believe, but the ring still sat on his pinky finger.

The one he had picked up in his past life.

What exactly was this thing that transcended time and space?

"Preparing to enter."

"Do not enter."

"What?"

"Stand by."

"Yes?"

"Return to base immediately."

Dominic said, planting the unit's flag at the village's entrance.

"We're moving at full speed. Return to base immediately."

"But the special mission…"

"Forget it."

Though an unexpected command was given, the 8th Search Army wasn't greatly disturbed.

Hadn't they survived time and again thanks to Dominic's incomprehensible orders?

It would be no different this time.

With that judgment, Deputy Commander Jarrot relayed the order.

"All units! Descend as quickly as possible!"

The descent began.

They had surely left the mountain.

But when they came to their senses, the slash-and-burn village was once again in front of them.

The village looked the same, but it was unmistakably the one they had passed through earlier.

The unit's flag was still planted there.

"What…"

As the seriousness of the situation dawned on the 8th Search Army, a heavy silence settled over them.