Return of The Godly Spear Knight

The undefeated Spear Knight.

The shining star of the Duke’s house, who smashed tradition to become a Master Knight without wielding a sword.

The great hero who brought an end to the Avalon Empire’s long civil war.

The most powerful man in the vast continent of Igrant.

Joshua Sanders.

He was known as Kaiser’s strongest spear, but the way he dripped with blood would not make you think he was the 'strongest” at anything.

Tragically, this situation was caused by none other than his liege, Kaiser.

"Why—"

Blood spilled from his mouth when he tried to speak. He groaned and had to prop himself up with his arms. His beloved spear, Lugia, the reaper of the battlefield, also lay helplessly on the ground.

Four men and a woman surrounded the defenseless hero.

Among them, an old man in a long black robe that hid half of his face spoke:

“For a soldier like you, magic and divine power are fatal opposites.”

“…" Joshua couldn’t answer through the pain.

“The shock alone of their collision would have killed any ordinary person.”

“Keugh. Ugh… why?” Joshua’s gaze was heavy with disbelief.

He never had any desire to usurp the throne.

I wasn’t interested in anything like that. I just wanted to shake off the contempt people had for the spear.

He was proud to assist his master and only close friend in ending the Empire’s long civil war. For the rest of his life, he wanted to stand by the Emperor's side as the shield of the Empire.

However…

This time, a man in a white cloak stepped forward. His well-worn face bore a slight smile.

Joshua knew this man.

Master of the Magic Tower… Evergrant.

Joshua ground his teeth at the sight of his Master.

"Joshua, there are people in this world whose mere existence is a threat."

"…"

“The Emperor is free to exercise his grand ambitions. The entire continent? No… With the civil war over, nothing can stand in his way.”

“…”

“But you! You are the only thing the Emperor fears… Even warriors who have obsessed over mana techniques all their lives struggle to use mana on a small dagger. But you… you have that gigantic spear! How many men have you killed with that spear?”

“…”

“No, beyond that… I know you crossed another wall long ago.

"—Keugh.” Joshua spat dark red blood again, despite his endurance.

Evergrant’s palm cradled a gray ball which began to emit an intensifying light.

A medium that simultaneously channels both magic and divine power.

It must’ve been that ball… but it should be in the ruins of Amon. How did they—

A middle-aged knight took a step forward and faced Joshua. He wore golden armor adorned with a roaring dragon on the chest plate. It was the symbol of the Knights… Avalon’s Knights.

“I’m afraid of that spear too. Just looking at it made me feel like I was about to be attacked… It might drive me crazy.”

Joshua wanted to speak, but couldn’t even open his mouth.

The suppressed magic and divine power inside him began to collide, according to the will of the Master.

In such huge quantities, it was impossible to even try to control it. Joshua simultaneously spat blood and groaned in pain.

His consciousness flickered.

“Joshua, I would like to thank you; we owe the pride and success of the Empire to your help… I’m truly grateful.”

At this, Evergrant bowed deeply. It was a polite and humble expression of gratitude, befitting the most powerful person on the continent. Evergrant then straightened his bent back and whispered,

"Goodbye, old friend."

For a moment, Joshua and Evergrant's eyes met. His eyes were sad but the corner of his mouth stretched into what looked suspiciously like a smirk. Joshua, having guarded the Emperor's side with Evergrant for a long time, knew exactly what that strange expression meant:

Derision.

Evergrant was mocking Joshua.

Damn it…

Joshua snorted inwardly.

As this happened, the Emperor of the Avalon was watching silently from behind them.

Kaiser tilted his back and turned around.

"I can't watch, but, at the same time, I must see the end of a very close friend."

Kaiser's voice was quiet and cold. His face however, showed a hint of sincere sorrow.

Seeing the Emperor made Joshua suddenly nauseous. The charade was unbearable.

Kaiser von Britten… Joshua muttered inwardly and clenched his teeth.

At the same time, the magic circle on the ground brightened. Joshua knew this magic circle well: it was a type of explosive magic circle with the power to annihilate everything within a 50-meter radius.

The gradually intensifying light made his heart pound.

At this speed… Five minutes at most.

What nonsense.

The greatest knight of all time?

What a joke.

In the end, he was murdered by his friend in a random forest. The rage he felt right now defied words.

Kaiser, don’t think that it will end like this.

He stared at the five faces watching him die and committed them to memory.

In the middle of the endless pain, he swallowed and clenched his fists. He then went into deep concentration.

Magic and divine power.

He desperately tried to control the rampant beast inside him.

Cough

Dark red blood leaked from his closed mouth. It felt like a decade or two to Joshua, but only a mere three minutes had passed.

His will to live and thirst for revenge finally bent.

Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh...

Hearing the resonance in his ears, Joshua struggled to lift his heavy eyelids.

Lu… gia?

The dark red spear, Lugia, reaper of the battlefield, exuded a terrifying energy.

As if telling Joshua to never give up.

Lugia had rested quietly in the ancient ruins before Joshua found it and grew famous while wielding it.

I knew that it had a special power in it… but I never expected it would show that power at a time like this.

They had been together for decades but the power was never seen.

Joshua became more aware of his surroundings, as if his survival instincts were being awakened.

Like a possessed man, he desperately stretched his hands towards the spear. Joshua choked down the pain, telling himself that acting now would end the suffering.

He sighed triumphantly when his hands finally met the spear.

Whoosh

And then there was a bright flash accompanied by a thundering boom. The magic circle exploded with an earth-shattering Bang! With a violent roar, everything disappeared.

A meaningless ending unfit for the Unrivaled Spear Knight.

In the land of Knights, the Grand Duke of the Avalon Empire.

Joshua Sanders.

His memory was left untouched.

CH 2

Cough.

Joshua’s eyes snapped open when his excruciating headache peaked. He immediately scanned his surroundings, though blurry silhouettes were all that welcomed him.

He expected to see a gorgeous chandelier hanging above his head.

He expected luxurious carpets to gently cover the cold marble floor.

He expected various war trophies to adorn the maroon wall.

But when he opened his trembling eyes once again, his vision was cleared. Joshua was not at all where he expected to be.

There was no trace of luxury in this place.

The shabby wooden roof was bare, coarse straw and haystacks littered the ground beneath him, and only horse dung perfumed the air.

This was obviously not the Duke’s chambers, but it was familiar nonetheless. Even if he wanted to, he could not hide the fact that this was his humble origins.

He got up and examined his surroundings once more.

Hey, what is this?

Joshua’s throbbing headache was forgotten as he looked around.

It was undoubtedly the residence of Duke Agnus’s family. This is where he lived but not quite his home.

No way…

A sudden thought had him running like a madman towards the corner of the stable.

Here horses can quench their thirst and can receive enough sunlight for the day. The windows are open and sunlight is streamed freely into the stable.

It was also where he used to work out when he was a kid.

What’s happening? How am I here?

He slammed the stable doors open. And…

The sight left Joshua momentarily slack-jawed.

An enormous, beautiful garden was arrayed before him. The flowers’ sweet aroma permeates the air outside, overpowering the smell of dung and evoking the depths of the forest.

Blue roses scattered throughout the garden convinced him,

I’m really back.

The rare blue roses could only be found in the Agnus territory.

He spotted his reflection in a nearby puddle: a young boy with barely a wisp on his chin. And unlike his familiar head of bleached hair, his scalp was decorated with dark blue locks. His eyes were a deep blue which seemed to suck people in.

It’s obvious now that I’ve gone back in time.

Joshua felt a rush of both joy and sorrow. The raw emotions were enough to make him shiver and clench his fist. It was a strange expression indeed, and it made his face look rather creepy.

Kaiser Van Britten!

Joshua was in his early 50s before he returned. He didn’t know his exact current age but it was clear that he’d moved at least 40 years into the past.

Kaiser was probably the same age as him. He’d be the fourth Prince once again, with a long, arduous struggle for power and admiration—and the throne.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA…!

Joshua laughed maniacally. He was ecstatic because, for the first time, he can dream of getting revenge from Kaiser.

And then...

"Hey!"

Joshua turned his attention to the man's voice in his ears.

These guys…

Joshua frowned softly. It was faint, but he could remember them. Or at least what they did to him.

They were the Duke’s soldiers, who tormented him as a child. Knights of their status would not dare to harass a child of the Duke, but Joshua was different. His mother was the exclusive maid of the Agnus family, and he was the Duke’s lowly illegitimate child..

Joshua was conceived when the Duke forcefully bedded Joshua’s mother.

The Duke at least provided them a place to stay. Even if the Duke didn’t care for him like a father should, Joshua was satisfied with his situation.

In the Duke’s eyes, Joshua is just the byproduct of his larking; nothing more and nothing less. Knowing this, the soldiers abused Joshua his entire childhood. They derived a strange satisfaction from tormenting someone with noble blood.

Particularly the three in front of me…

The Duke’s centurions: Rols, Roid, and Gort. He promised to make them pay.

“What’re you doing out here? Didn’t they tell you to muck out the stables?”

“Did you forget? This bastard is a dumb mute… Of course you’re not going to get an answer!”

"Hah!”

“Remember the Duchess’s promise? Even if we rape that bitch Lucia and kill that asshole, the Duchess will take care of it.”

Rols and Roid began giggling as if they were really considering it.

“Ah, what a shame. I wish the Duke would give us a taste of that Lucia.”

“Same.”

“Crazy—!”

Something in Joshua snapped when the two men giggled and passed their vulgar jokes and plans back and forth.

Lucia.

She was Joshua's mother, the poor victim of their despicable desires.

I was going to take revenge slowly, without attracting attention.

But he could not ignore the people who insulted his dearest mother.

Will it work?

Joshua closed his eyes and quietly examined his body.

The mana technique Joshua learned was unique; he found it in ancient ruins along with Lugia. It was powerful enough to shake the heavens and earth, and he can achieve its optimal state in only a short amount of time.

Most importantly, Joshua’s mana technique operated completely differently.

Instead of accumulating and drawing mana into the mana hall, located just beneath the stomach, the existing mana is used as-is. It’s not limited to the contents of the man hall, either—instead it draws mana from throughout the body. And then he can concentrate the mana where it is needed and ignite it all at once..

As a result, Joshua could skip the process of creating his mana hall which everyone else went through.

“Enough chatting! Let’s go beat his ass. If I don't blow off some steam right now, I'll go crazy." Gort spoke up for the first time, shaking his head from side to side.

“Did you get rejected by your crush again?”

"Shut up! It’s not like that!” Gort growled at Rols and Roid, who burst into laughter, before turning to Joshua.

“I’m gonna let loose today. Got it?”

Despite the chilling threat in Gort’s voice, Joshua kept his eyes shut and didn’t respond.

“Did he pass out standing up? Are you that afraid?”

“Closing your eyes, huh? Is that how you want it?”

The three soldiers laughed but Joshua’s concentration never wavered. This was a very crucial moment for beginning his revenge.

Just a handful—I need to move just a handful of mana.

It takes an average of 5 years for a normal knight with a decent mana technique to construct their mana hall. Considering that, Joshua was twice as slow: before his return, it took him 10 years to move a handful of mana.

But when Joshua finally moved a little bit of mana, he steamrolled the other knights.

I know how to do it.

Joshua’s eyes snapped open and a blue light flashed through them.

The sight made Gort hesitate. Joshua, however, focused his gaze on his right fist and slowly manipulated the mana around him.

It’s more difficult to infuse mana directly on the body than on an object.

However…

Whoosh

A sound resonated from the stable and carried across the grounds.

“…”

Joshua's expression brightened; finally, a pale blue mana lingered on his fists.

I did it!

Joshua’s sneer made Gort burn with anger.

“You’re making fun of people, huh? Bastard!”

Gort’s club shot towards Joshua’s young head.

Return of The Godly Spear Knight

CH 3

If Joshua showed his mana technique right now, his plan for quiet revenge would go down the drain.

However, he also knew that there was no meaning in hiding his power, especially in critical situations.

I had no intention of being dragged around by anyone anymore.

Maybe it would be better to show a little bit of power here…

On average, a noble Knight takes about 5 years to form his mana hall, with constant training. And then it takes another three years to draw mana back out from the mana hall and use it in combat, earning them the title of “C-class Knight”.

Therefore, a Knight who can form a mana hall around the age of 15 and manipulate mana would be known as a genius, and was sure to leave their mark in the history of the kingdom. At that age they are sure to master their mana technique by the time they’re 20. It was a very long and tiring process.

However…

If you look at Joshua right now, he’s undoubtedly a 10 year old boy. He is at least half the age of the idiot centurions in front of him. Imagine the attention he’ll draw when everyone knows that at his young age, not only could he form his mana hall but he could also use it effectively in battle.

The Dukedom will be turned upside down.

No… the whole world will be turned upside down.

At his age and with his level of mastery, he would be the youngest and greatest genius not only in the Kingdom, but in the entire continent.

Last time, I started with nothing. Actually, it’s not a bad thing to gain recognition early.

If he was acknowledged as the best at a young age then Kaiser, the fox, would surely bow before him.

He would find Joshua because he was more focused on recruiting outstanding people more than anyone else. He was sure that Kaiser would be the same as before.

I was thinking about a lot of things, but only a moment has passed. A hundred thoughts in a fleeting breath.

Gort’s club was about to smash into his nose. However, Joshua’s quick reflexes let him dodge the fist with flawless posture and short, concise movements, causing the club to miss by a hair’s breadth. ⁽¹⁾

It was a simple action, but its speed and power were anything but.

Joshua took a single step to the side, avoiding the punch, and clenched his right fist.

Whump!

Gort’s body made a sound like ripping leather when Joshua’s fist struck home.

“Eu—!”

He couldn't even manage a groan and collapsed to the ground, eyes rolling back into his skull.

“What?”

Rols’s eyes went wide with bewilderment. Gort stood with his back facing little Joshua, obscuring what happened behind him.

After a moment, Gort’s unconscious body fell to the ground with a thud. The next moment, his silent whimper of defeat faded along with his consciousness.

“This bastard!”

Roid, who was more hot-tempered than Rols, drew his sword.

It made a resounding Chaang! as he unsheathed it. It was a common longsword that could easily be found on the street. Joshua noticed the rust speckling the sword here and there but it was plenty sharp.

This is dangerous.

Immediately after using the technique, Joshua felt something strange inside his body. He could feel something lumpy and unpleasant in the pit of his stomach which he wasn’t familiar with.

Just one more time.

His head was ringing, but he didn’t pay it any mind.

If I defeat Roid, the probability of Rols attacking me is very low… since he’s the most cautious of the three.

“Look here!”

Roid approached him and swung his longsword at Joshua’s neck.

The longsword swung right over Joshua’s face with a ripping metal sound. Joshua neatly avoided it by leaning back.

Right now, he had the body of an untrained child, but he knew that as he gets older his muscles will harden and his flexibility will be improved.

He bounced back up like a spring, and was greeted by Roid’s surprised bunny eyes.

“…!”

Whoosh!

It was definitely weaker than before, but clear mana appeared on Joshua's fist once again.

It was so close that Roid saw it too.

“No. Mana 一!” Roid muttered in astonishment.

Crack

It was not the sound of tearing leather like before, but a light thump sound.

“Finished.”

Dump.

Roid fell to the floor after being hit with a 100-point uppercut, shattering his jaw. Rols saw the situation unfold and gasped in surprise.

“You’re crazy!” Rols spat a cuss and backed away.

Am I seeing this for real? The mute idiot is speaking, and he pummeled my friends with his tiny fist!

It was too much to be a coincidence. Now, it’s safe to say that the peasant asshole had been hiding his skills for a long time now.

Well…

While Rols’s brain was in turmoil, Joshua staggered.

Obviously something was wrong.

Such pain from using only this much mana!

A cold sweat trickled down his temple. He knew he couldn’t afford to show his weakness now. He needed to cement his victory. And he was sure that he would be.

Rols was as quick-witted as he was cautious. He was a person who had risen to the rank of centurion using his eyes rather than his skills. However, in Joshua’s current state, even someone of Rols’s level was dangerous given his rapidly fading consciousness..

Joshua desperately straightened his unsteady body.

“I’ll tell you this.”

“…!” For a moment, Rols was stunned.

“You, you, you… ! Spoke... Did you always know how?” Rols’s looked wide enough to pop out of his skull at any moment.

“From this moment on, anyone – including you centurions – who insults my mother 一”

The more Joshua's youthful voice continued, the faster Rols retreated.

“一 I will never let go.”

Blue flame flashed between Joshua's two eyes as he finished speaking.

“Ah ah ah ah ah!” Startled, Rolls screamed and turned away. His many sins rattled his head as he ran.

Joshua was dangerous. The child was no longer the dumb asshole he knew: he was a predator.

The Battle of Kraden Plains was one of the worst battles I ever experienced. That kid felt like one of the first nine stars of the Empire I saw there.

“He’s a monster!”

Rols did his best to flee, kicking up a cloud of dust behind him.

Joshua stared at his silhouette until it disappeared.

Thump.

With a small noise, Joshua's small body collapsed.

Oh, shit.