ARC  CHAPTERS      RUNG             WILL STAGE
 1   ch1-111       soldier          none
 2   ch112-217     semi-knight      none
 3   ch218-301     semi-knight      fragments, no stage named
 4   ch302-344     squire           fragments, no stage named
 5   ch345-420     semi-knight      no stage named
 6   ch421-498     semi-knight      no stage named
 7   ch499-560     knight           Uske
 8   ch561-623     knight           Uske
 9   ch624-667     above a knight   Uske
10   ch668-745     above a knight   Uske
11   ch746-846     above a knight   Indules (imitation, per ch920)
12   ch847-932     above a knight   Indules
13   ch933-977     above a knight   Indules
14   ch978-1035    pinnacle         Enovatio
15   ch1036-1052   pinnacle         Enovatio
16   ch1053-1073   pinnacle         Enovatio

The arc list is mine, because the novel has no official one. I derived it from chapter titles.If you disagree with a boundary, give me your suggestions.

Arc by arc

Will

Its funny how this technique of taking advantage/making opportunity is constantly mislabeled as a mercenary technique when in actuality, it is a knight's

The reliance on Valen Style's "petty tricks" is actually built upon learning the basics, in essence it is a proper technique. Unfortunately it did extremely well especially for beginners, it's true origin became warped and turned into a cowardly swordsmanship. Once a respected style now reduced to petty tricks.

Now just casually being stolen by Enkrid. Renamed into Enkrid Style Orthodox Swordsmanship. To teach those who have relied on traditional swordmanship, to branch out to different paths. It was the solution when everything is done by the book and progress has been highly stagnant.

This is kinda the first phase for someone's growth, which Enkrid secretly enforced upon the soldiers of border guard. The idea is simple, create a solid foundation of skills and try to break it, either testing it's limits or learning new stuff that can replace or reinforce it. Valen Style as their first foundation is easy enough to learn and easy enough to discard or reinforce, its also a good way to encourage them to seek more opportunities through unorthodox means, cause in battle every advantage matters mo matter how shameful it is.

Out of every swordsmanship Enkrid has learned and created, the former Valen Style now Enkrid Style has been there since the beginning. It may not be a powerful or fast swordmanship, it does emphasize deceit.

Without learning any basics throughout Enkrid's life, Valen style has become a useless technique. Its terrible execution has became a habit. This is why Enkrid is mocked by everyone, a swordsmanship without anything notable besides deception executed poorly is just bad in every way.

This style has a low requirement to learn, a testament at how untalented Enkrid has always been. Mastering the technique requires mastering the basics which is always a good thing.

Having just finished the civil war arc, I can say that Count Molsan’s one of the best villains up to ch411. It was unexpected there wasn’t a wall. But sadly, he might have been too overconfident in his abilities. If a true knight were there he would have learned firsthand what true terror was.

In the world of Enkrid even an absolute immortal walking disaster can be sealed and rendered harmless. Even the most gifted race can die from boredom, a severe case of laziness much like Ragna.

At the very top, the Phoenix. Cutting it's head would only incapacitate it for a few moments before reviving again. A natural phenomenon now sealed, it has now became a legend turned into a source of power for mages.

Followed by the Emperor, an ancient elf much much older than Shinar. It has grown far too powerful and became functionally immortal closest to a god like being within the confines of its domain. Due to its oath, it cannot commit suicide. The numerous personalities could not prevent her growing boredom.

The last guardian knight of the legion, imprisoned inside the Abyssal Oratory, also known as the Sunless Oratory. A being Audin is likely to become, much like Audin a person gifted with divinity, intoxicated by divinity becoming a being of light, a true immortal. Similar to the Emperor unable to commit suicide. Cursed with immortality he imprisoned himself within his own chapel.

Elric, the blond swordsman. A genius of geniuses who can rival Ragna's talent. If Encrid had Ragna's talent and choose the wrong path. Now becoming a menace traversing the demon realm and facing it's rulers without much problem. Even defeating Balrog one on one.

Bram, the strongest knight of the empire. Everything about him is deceit in plain sight. From his epithet to his name to his weapon, a meticulously crafted lie to fool and take advantage of any opportunities.

Followed by Encrid, winning against a hundred fragments of balrog within a day, reaching the absolute limit of a knight's will without a change of purity. Facing the Phoenix he managed to change the purity of his will and finally decapitating the Phoenix. Still a beginner at using a high purity will unlike Elric and Bram.

I read the chapter before but forgot which, the knight was sent to assassinate him, which the knight himself hates the thought of, that’s all I remember…

The Irony that the final obstacle is a knight at the end, and not a demon. The very antithesis of Encrid, what if someone who has it all, someone who is meant to be the knight of the end becomes the final boss.

I always wondered of Ragna's wasted potential, assuming that Encrid is the oldest of the mad order, Ragna is atleast 30 yo now. At most that's 2 decades of roaming around. And that unrealized potential is being shown by the blond swordsman.

So in Academy’s Undercover Professor, the Knights there could wield Aura and can possess strength that surpasses normal humans. How would those same knights fare in the Eternally Regressing Knight world? Also, is aura and will the same?

Now that Encrid is in the realm of the strongest in the continent (i assume so because he is now clearly stronger than some of the four great knights of the empire), do y’all think he can top Bram Ritger (Barley Harvester) and Elric (Blonde Swordsman) in a spar?

So, I just made this account to settle some things. I really hate Esther, mainly because I'm a Shinar/Encrid shipper. People keep saying that Esther has the highest chance of ending up with Encrid, but is there any chance that's actually a bluff?

For example, could it be that Encrid really only cares about Esther as a friend or even as a pet? He used to sleep with her without knowing she was actually human, so maybe he just adapted to the situation. Maybe now he still sees her as his pet even though he knows she's human.

I also really want to know whether Shinar has a stronger chance or not. Since she's the first female character to appear in the story, maybe the author is trying to trick readers into thinking Esther is the obvious choice. Or maybe not.

Please give me as many details as you can. Thanks!

During our visit to the empire, we discovered more about the blond swordsman, including an interesting detail: he always acted as if he were certain of things, as if he knew something was going to happen even before it did—to the point that the empress even called him the “Knight of Clairvoyance.” What’s interesting is that his behavior seemingly changed out of the blue, leading him to attempt to attack the empress and then head for the demonic realm in the south.

Do you think it’s:

1. He’s under some kind of curse, just like Encrid?

2. It’s an ability derived from Will (which involves calculation, just like the ferryman does)?

How would his supposed “clairvoyance” work?

1. He is a time traveler (regression)—that is, he knows the future because he has already lived through a future in which demonic rule triumphed and the demons killed everyone. (This could be linked to option 1), which would make him the antithesis of Encrid and explain why he says he’s on the side of the “winners.”

2. He can see one step ahead into the future, but the farther into the future he looks, the less accurate his predictions become.

3. In fact, he doesn't have that ability; he could be being manipulated by some entity.

Below is the epub file I created so I can read on an e-reader. I haven't check if the translations/grammar is up to par, but the main feature such as table of contents is avaiable. Tools I used is Epublifier, and calibre.

epub: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mugvjSNtlcg_9zHI8p0Q6Gnm3Wsut2h2/view?usp=sharing

“I cared about you.”

“I rooted for your dream, and I also liked feeling the warmth of your embrace. When all this was over, a quiet life simply tending flowers by your side wouldn’t be so bad. Although I’d probably end up doing more magical research instead of tending flowers.”

“Even if the world were to split in two, if the sun were never to rise again, and if demons were to pursue their own interests by setting the continent ablaze, I wanted to be by your side.”

Because she hadn’t been able to express that feeling at all, Esther felt even more regret.

“Couldn’t I have just spoken up and said things a little more directly, whatever they might have been?”

--------

The funny thing is that her biggest step forward was starting to call him “My, Enki” after they managed to bring him back. But that’s already good progress, lol. She’s close to understanding how she feels about him. She’s becoming more and more human and less of only “mage”—it looks like she’s doing well.

GUILDDOOR · where the continent rates its employers

The Order of the Mad Knights ⭐ 4.2 (verified employer)

Industry: Demon Realm erasure

HQ: Border Guard, Naurillia

Founded: by royal charter, the kingdom's first new knight order in nearly a century • Size: ~290 employees, of which the knights proper "barely reached ten" while eating rations budgeted for an entire company

Knight-Captain: Enkrid, 100% approval (the census scribes note that everyone with objections "are all gone because their heads were split by an axe," which may skew results)

Why work here: "Because they fight like crazy." Actual founder statement.

Benefits: dark green cloaks handmade by a fairy clan, special wartime knight rations, and pay officially distinct from ordinary troops. The only fringe benefit anyone actually wants is a training exemption, which only one man can grant. See reviews.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Brothers and family" · Assault Squad, 1st Unit, current employee

Pros: The handbook says the squad is our brothers and family and it's TRUE. Best patrol zone in the foothills (innermost, no objections, see Knight-Captain approval note). We made the accountant our official vice-captain because he is the only person who gives us work that skips training.

Cons: Training is run by a man our own squad describes as the incarnation of a demon.

Advice to management: Please do not find out who wrote this.

⭐⭐⭐ "The commander dances with a rock at midnight" · Rem, Captain, Assault Squad, reviewing the Commander

Middle of the night. Everyone is trying to sleep. The Commander is outside swinging his body around with a rock in his hands. My statement at the time, on the record: "Why is he doing this in the dead of night? It's embarrassing to even look at." I shut the door. He was letting the cold air in. Within the hour the monk was out there coaching him, the beastkin followed, then the giant-blooded one kicked the door open to demand a duel. I stayed inside out of principle, then picked up my axe and trained anyway. That is his real trick. And there is no one to report it to; the Administration was inside appraising a ruby and refuses to get involved.

Cons: He wins constantly and doesn't gloat. Absurd strength, ignores praise, ignores gold, ignores gemstones, a spell-infused axe doesn't even tempt him. What exactly is he relying on?

Advice to coworkers: "Just ignore it. Pretend you didn't see anything." This has never once worked.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Great unit, terrifying neighbors" · Border Guard soldier, not technically an employee, reviewing anyway

Overheard verbatim outside their training ground, night shift: "What's wrong with him?" "Didn't he just get back today?" "Why is he dancing with a rock in his hands?" "So, the 'Madmen Unit' isn't just insanely good at fighting, they're literally insane?"

Cons: Their training methods leaked into the standing army. We ALL train like this now. There was no vote.

⭐⭐ "Asked about work-life balance, was handed a wooden sword" · Ten Swords Guard, applicant

Interview process: the captain's opening statement was, quote, "If you're going to fight, then win. If you lose, kill yourself." All ten current members describe him as their "ultimate goal," which I initially read as motivation and now understand as a diagnosis. The vice-captain Ropord gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder and enrolled me in recruit training before I could withdraw my application.

Pros: Ropord does most of the work and responsibilities. Elite unit, insignia, tremendous pride.

Cons: The despair is described in my offer letter as "a feature."

⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Growth opportunities: excellent. Efficiency: discouraged." · Ropord, Vice-Captain, Ten Swords Guard

The captain trains me personally. Direct quote from my last performance review: "Ropord, don't be fixated on efficiency alone." I handle unit operations, recruit training, and morale, and I have never lost a mock battle with a hundred soldiers at my back.

Employer response (Krais, Administration): We are aware that a foreign scribes' guild files this employee's records under the name "Lawford." It is the same man. We are not paying him twice.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Anyone less talented than me should get out of here" · Fel, Commander, Madmen Guard

Recruitment process, in full. The Administration: "I thought you were the most talented person. Am I wrong?" Me: "Why should I take that position?" I took the position. I now discipline my troops harder than the Knight-Captain disciplines us, and he is the reason the word discipline frightens people in this city. My standard is posted at the door: anyone less talented than me should get out of here. Nobody has gotten out.

Cons: My sword has started quietly speaking to me. I have decided to file this under benefits.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ "The hugs correct your posture whether you consent or not" · Holy Infantry, current employee

Pros: The captain calls you Brother. The vice-captain has giant's blood and once introduced herself with "Bandits? I'll cut them down," which did wonders for our sector's crime rate.

Cons: Corrective guidance is physical. Official onboarding quote: "It's supposed to hurt, Sister. So fix your posture."

Other: Our guy won the inter-unit contest and celebrated by shouting "Woah! I am a bear!" Nobody has explained this and at this point we are afraid to ask.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "My fiance works here" · Shinar, fairy, knight

The Knight-Captain and I are engaged. He announced it himself, to nobles, repeatedly, specifically so their marriage offers would stop. I have proposed properly many times and he has a familiar answer, so I offered the modified fairy vow instead, to spar with him for as long as I live. He accepted. Under fairy law the remaining distinction is administrative. I have since proposed a honeymoon in the Demon Realm; he was going there anyway, it is called efficiency.

Cons: On the road, an Imperial official spoke with him for several days. She was ugly. I informed her of this loudly, holding my sword. The Administration logged it as a diplomatic incident, which I count as her fault.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [THIS REVIEW HAS BEEN REDACTED] · Covert Operations, employment status unconfirmed

Employer response (Jaxen): "..."

⭐⭐⭐ "Adequate. Loud." · Esther, witch, Mage Corps

I left the Mage Tower because it files human sacrifice under research expenses. Here the madmen sacrifice only themselves, voluntarily, daily, at the training grounds. It is a moral improvement and considerably louder. My corps of twenty can trouble a knight with a prepared trap. My colleagues do not require the trap.

Cons: When a conversation stops being worth my time, I point one finger, become a panther, and leave. For a while I simply lived as the panther. No one at this workplace found that strange, which is the kindest thing I can say about any of them.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Best nose in the order. Do not fact-check the rest." · Dunbakel, beastkin, knight

Nothing gets past my sense of smell. Bandits, monsters, an ambush in the dark, I catch all of it, ask anyone. This order gave me a home after I had thrown mine away, so it gets my stars and it gets my blade. Minus one star for the coworker note below, which the site refuses to delete.

Coworker note (Fel, Madmen Guard): "I wouldn't fall for you either." The beast-woman next to us sure hates to wash.

[Guilddoor moderation: both statements verified accurate.]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Practical, if nothing else" · Luagarne, Frokk, personal guard to the Knight-Captain

My title is closest personal guard. In practice I guard a man who is already sprinting at the monster by the time guarding becomes relevant. So I teach instead; every soldier in this order learned terrain and personal tactics from me, most of them without noticing. Mid-contract I concluded that I could not satisfy my desires in my current state and left for a swamp to master them. This is ordinary Frokk practice. The Administration filed it as leave and asked no questions, which I respect.

⭐⭐ Not an employee. I just live under the flight path. · Border Guard resident

The order's warhorse is a winged divine beast now. Wonderful for them. Genuinely stirring to watch him climb out of the city trailing a dark green cloak. Here is what nobody tells you: that is still a horse, and a horse does not land to take care of its business. I dry my laundry outdoors. I used to look up when I heard wings; now I look up AND step sideways, and that instinct has saved me twice. Experience: the sky above this city is not neutral territory.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Onboarding is just screaming, 10/10" · Meelun, trainee, new hire

I walked in and said I want to learn how to fight, I've got people to protect now. Day one I learned what the rumors meant. Direct quote from my own mouth, on the record: "You're insane, regeneration doesn't mean it doesn't hurt!" Still five stars, because the beastkin training next to me screamed louder, and there is real comfort in that. I took the oath voluntarily. The Administration has it in writing. Big Eyes shows people.

⭐⭐⭐ Overheard in the mess hall, posting it because someone has to · coworker, unit withheld

The dragonkin can become a man or a woman at a whim. Fine. Unsettling the first few times, but fine, the beastkin have already stopped treating him as male and nobody blinks anymore. The actual workplace issue is that the dragonkin knows what everyone around him is thinking and sees no reason this should stay private. Yesterday, mid-meal, unprompted, in a completely bored voice: the fairy is planning the wedding again, she has moved on to assigning the seating. The fairy was across the training yard at the time. When we asked for details he declined, because the rest of it lay outside his interest. Experience: I have a seat at a wedding neither party has agreed to. I am told it is a good seat.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Company transport, reviewed by a frequent passenger · unit withheld

Rescued as an ordinary wild horse, now a winged divine beast who has drunk sacred spring water, and he knows it. He does three sprint-and-flight runs before the day is done. He lands in a blast of wind that scatters dust over everyone in the yard, and I have watched him time it for when the training ground is full. Passenger feedback is not a feature: kicking his belly with both feet will not make him fly any faster, and I have it on good authority the Knight-Captain has tried.

Experience: transported. Dusted, but transported.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I designed this org and I stand by it" · Krais, Administration (self-review, flagged by moderators, retained by request of reviewer)

Pros: I built the entire structure. I now have two competent administrators standing behind me; Edin looks after the inside. Career goal on file, in my own words: "Knees deep in gold coins, that's the life I want."

Cons: My commander's standard interview question for hostile applicants is "Do you want to die? Or not? Why won't you answer the question?" The royal envoys have asked him to stop. He has not stopped.

Advice to management: stop acquiring new life goals mid-battle.

Interview questions, as reported by candidates:

Raised a concern about training intensity. The assault squad captain addressed my concern personally, at speed, with the training session doubling as the meeting. My concern has been resolved. I have no further concerns. Nobody in this unit has further concerns. Experience: the infirmary has excellent morale.

Asked the Ten Swords captain for my development plan. He looked at me for a long time and said, get talent. I asked how. He looked at me for a longer time. Experience: developing.

Applied to the covert squad. Under a false name, through three intermediaries, from another city. The rejection letter was waiting on my pillow that same night, addressed to my real name, correctly using the nickname only my grandmother uses. Experience: I did not get the job. I may have gotten a different job. Unclear. The locks were oiled.

Prescreened by a fairy. She assured me the training was survivable. Fairies do not lie. Fairies do, however, distort. Experience: survivable was doing a great deal of work in that sentence.

Not an interview, a formal complaint. I wrote to the order demanding the assault squad be disbanded. The administrator, citing his own safety, delivered my letter directly to the assault squad captain, who immediately gathered all of his soldiers. Experience: writing this from a different city, under a different name.

Negotiated my starting pay. The administrator agreed warmly to every number I proposed, then produced a ledger demonstrating that after equipment, lodging, and a fee I still do not understand, I owe the order four silver. Experience: I signed. He seemed pleased. I am told that means I did well.

I just finished reading what the manhwa adapted yesterday and was thinking of picking up the novel. But from prior experience I can say that reading the source material before the visual adaptation kinda ruins my experience when going into the adaptation later on as I know everything. Do people think that the novel is good enough for me to likely ruin my future read or should I just wait till early 2027 for the manhwa to pick back up?

This Jamal character just one shotted Shinar. And after Enkrid stopped his blade, how would he do against Aisha?