Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

"A... Chaos Demon from the Outer Plane?"

Hearing this, Roland frowned, searching his memory for any relevant knowledge, but came up empty.

In the end, he could only shake his head.

’It seems this Witch’s knowledge... is far more profound than Mr. Bronson’s.’

With this in mind, and out of his usual caution, Roland began to ask for detailed information about the Slime Toads.

This was a Demon he had never even heard of before.

In this perilous world, any Demon could possess some fatal ability beyond common sense, enough to easily take a life.

Unless absolutely necessary, Roland always avoided fighting unknown creatures.

Vanessa, however, seemed to have anticipated Roland’s questions and began to describe in detail what she knew about the Slime Toads.

"They are Demons that are accustomed to spreading chaos. As for their appearance..."

Vanessa tapped a finger to her lips.

"They look something like giant toads?"

"They are stratified by the color of their skin, much like humanoid creatures."

"Their primary means of attack is with their sharp claws, which they use to implant something called the ’Chaos Virus’ into humanoids. The victim dies in agony, and a new Slime Toad bursts from their body. However, I’ve also heard..."

Although the description of the Slime Toads was chilling, Vanessa’s expression didn’t change at all. There was even a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"High Tier Slime Toads can create a... ’Control Gemstone.’ After implanting it into a creature, that creature will gradually mutate into a Slime Toad, its consciousness completely replaced."

At this point, Vanessa’s purple eyes turned to the grim-faced Roland beside her, and she chuckled softly.

"Those things called ’Control Gemstones’ are exceptionally rare. If you’re lucky enough to get one, why not give it to me for research?"

"Trust me. Just like with that Spiritual Potion, I’ll bring you an unexpected surprise."

Despite her words, Vanessa’s eyes showed no sign of anticipation.

In fact...

The Purple-haired Witch’s gaze shifted to the chaos-infused region in the distance, and she raised a slight eyebrow.

She had previously captured countless Slime Toads to obtain a Control Gemstone, but alas, she had come up empty-handed.

Dispelling the memory, the Witch shifted her gaze back to the young man beside her, a playful look flashing in her eyes.

’I’d like to see... what’s so special about someone favored by the ’Lady of the Dark Night’...’

Though she thought this, her face remained impassive as she answered Roland’s questions one by one.

’Physical prowess comparable to a powerful Demon, and... that plague-like virus...’

As he summarized Vanessa’s information in his mind, Roland’s frown deepened.

This type of Demon, one that relied not just on brute force but also possessed bizarre abilities, was precisely the kind he least wanted to fight.

Therefore, after a brief moment of thought, Roland spoke up.

"Miss Vanessa, besides this route, are there any other paths to the west?"

"I’m sorry, Mr. Roland..."

The Purple-haired Witch shook her head gently.

"You might not be aware, but after the fog spread, the terrain in this area changed quite a bit."

"As far as I know, the swamp ahead, which is occupied by the Slime Toads, is the most direct way to the west and out of this region."

In this, Vanessa was not intentionally deceiving Roland.

In truth, her desire to follow Roland out of this region was real, as was her desire to test Roland’s strength.

The only difference was that if Roland were to truly die under the claws of a Slime Toad, she wouldn’t feel the slightest bit of pain or guilt. That was all.

"Oh, right..."

As if suddenly remembering something, Vanessa spoke softly.

"This swarm of Slime Toads seems to have quieted down recently. I suspect... it’s possible that a powerful being has emerged within their colony."

"After all, given the Slime Toads’ natural tendency to worship the strong, any individual capable of suppressing their restless instincts must be extraordinary."

Taking this warning to heart, Roland took a deep breath.

"Miss Vanessa, how is the Slime Toads’ eyesight?"

"Not great. They mainly rely on... their sense of smell? However, in a dense fog saturated with Magic Elements like this one..."

The Witch’s lips curled into a slight smile, as if she had recalled something interesting.

"Even with the keenest nose, I doubt they could pick up any scent..."

Hearing this, Roland glanced at the swirling fog around them, and a plan instantly formed in his mind.

He immediately arranged for Mason and Vanessa to stay put, while he, with Pikachu Tress perched on his shoulder, crept silently into the dense fog ahead.

When the silhouette of the Slime Toad-infested swamp finally appeared through the fog, Roland understood why Vanessa had called it the most direct path to the west.

What appeared before Roland’s eyes was not the vast, boundless wetland he had expected.

The dense fog had warped the land, shaping it into a treacherous passage.

Jagged black rock walls, like the ribs of a colossal beast, rose from the fog, squeezing the only viable path between them.

It was a death zone, reeking of decay and covered in dark green duckweed and murky mire.

It twisted and turned, wedged between the cold, hard rock like a wound forcibly torn open, oozing venom.

Roland scanned his surroundings.

Unlike the towering mountains of the Northern Domain, these rock walls stretching through the fog were not particularly high.

As a whole, they looked more like jagged piles of rock squeezed up from the depths of the earth.

But their steep slopes, shrouded in the thick fog, made the very thought of a normal person climbing them a fool’s hope.

But for Roland, this was not a problem.

In fact... it might even make the battle more advantageous for him.

At this thought, a glint flashed in Roland’s eyes. He then crouched down and began to creep cautiously forward.

As he neared the narrow swamp passage, he abruptly turned to carefully survey the nearby terrain.

After a brief stretch, he began to scale the protruding rock pile with astonishing Agility.

The thick fog severely limited his vision and made the rocks unusually slippery, so Roland took each step with extreme caution.

An unknown amount of time passed. Only when the dim moonlight had completely faded and the faint Dawn Light struggled to pierce the fog did he finally reach a sufficient height.

He found his footing on a relatively flat rock face and looked down, facing the brightening sky.

In the narrow swamp passage below, just as Vanessa had described, dwelled a swarm of giant toad-like monsters of various colors.

They walked upright on their stout hind legs, patrolling and wandering through the wetland.

A thick, corrupt stench rose with the fog, causing Roland’s stomach to churn.

"One, two, three... thirty-six? The number isn’t that shocking..."

After confirming the number of Slime Toads, Roland let out a soft sigh of relief.

Then, illuminated by the faint fluorescent glow emanating from Pikachu Tress, an orange-red fireball, pulsing with dangerous light, began to form at his fingertips.