Pact of the Demon Knight

Yu Tianlan had to admit it—his rebirth was nothing short of tragic, and worse still, he seemed to have been reborn into a very strange place.

Just one day ago, he had been nothing more than an ordinary high school student. He wore ordinary clothes, rode an ordinary bicycle, and attended an ordinary school. But on that rainy day, he had forgotten his raincoat, and lightning struck him down. The odds of being hit by lightning, after all, weren’t much different from winning the grand lottery.

From the mouths of those around him, he learned that this place was called the Noah Continent, currently in its Photon Era, with civilization and technology far surpassing that of Earth. He was now the second son of the prestigious Yu family in the East Dragon Empire.

Since childhood, Tianlan had been frail and sickly, but he had secretly trained in knightly combat arts against his father’s wishes. When his father eventually discovered it, he turned a blind eye.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye, and Tianlan had grown into a thirteen-year-old youth. According to Noah’s tradition, adulthood was recognized at sixteen, so he was nearly grown. More importantly, thirteen was the decisive year for every child—for it was then they could submit an application to the local Elders’ Council to choose their future profession. Knight, bard, fighter, priest, warrior, mage—each path promised great prospects.

In East Dragon City, the Elders’ Council was made up largely of the elder generation of the Yu family. Tianlan, believing his three years of hard work had finally earned him the right, submitted his application to become a knight. But to his shock, the Elders unanimously denied him.

Only after hearing his father Yu Batian’s explanation did he learn the cruel truth: by family tradition, the heir to the Yu clan must be a knight, but to prevent brothers from fighting over succession, only one son was ever permitted to follow that path.

Tianlan was furious. Three years of sweat and struggle—dismissed in an instant!

“Son, you can choose another path,” Yu Batian said helplessly. “Mage, fighter, warrior—your brother has already been named heir. You cannot become a knight.”

Tianlan locked himself in his study, tears slipping down his face. He smashed the objects on his desk in frustration, chest heaving, fingers clenched so tightly that his nails cut into his flesh. Blood welled, but he didn’t care. He had only ever wanted to live quietly in this new world. But three years ago, he had fallen in love with the path of the knight. For someone who had admired Daoist philosophy since his days on Earth, to find a goal worth three years of devotion was no small thing. And now, it had been stripped away.

Taking a deep breath, he made a decision: he would prove himself.

He packed his gear with a cold smile—his faithful sword and shield, honed through three years of use. Mounting his mana-powered bike, ignoring his family’s protests, he rode off toward the Shadow Forest of East Dragon City.

The Shadow Forest was a dangerous place, but one rich with resources. Knights, mages, and adventurers alike ventured there to seek their fortunes—if they could first survive its monsters.

Tianlan knew his elder brother had recently taken his party there on a mission: to slay a Flame Boar, a third-rank magical beast. Normally, only steel-ranked warriors of the third order could face such a creature. But Tianlan, still only first-rank black iron, had resolved to bring it down first.

At home, his mother voiced her fears. “Batian, will Tianlan be all right?”

Yu Batian sighed. “If he truly succeeds, then perhaps I can convince the Elders to break precedent. If he can kill a Flame Boar, it proves he is a genius—and no rule would keep such talent shackled. I’ll have men watching over him from the shadows. Don’t worry.”

After hours of travel, Tianlan arrived at the forest’s edge. True to its name, no sunlight pierced its depths. The woods exuded a dark, oppressive aura, but Tianlan pressed forward. He had only one goal: to kill the Flame Boar and prove his worth.

He was no fool. He knew he couldn’t defeat the creature head-on. So before leaving, he had prepared traps, inspired by a rare book he had found called The Trapmaster’s Codex. Though the ancient profession of trapmakers had long died out due to high costs and limited combat use, Tianlan’s noble heritage granted him access to rare resources. With skill and cunning, he crafted several deadly snares.

Following his map, he reached the boar’s usual haunts. From his storage ring, he drew a spool of razor-thin diamond silk, woven of diamond dust and celestial silkworm thread. Stronger and sharper than steel wire, it gleamed faintly in the dim light. Carefully, he strung it between trees, weaving a deadly web invisible in the gloom.

Next, he dug seven pits, sprinkling a different powder in each, and placed small magic bombs within. Though weak on their own, once ignited they would trigger the powders, creating a noxious haze.

Finally, he drew a peculiar flute, an artifact that could lure beasts when played correctly. With steady breath, he played the practiced notes. The low, haunting tones spread through the forest.

Soon, the ground trembled. From the shadows emerged a monstrous Flame Boar—its hide glowing red, tusks like spears, its body wreathed in fire.

The hidden Yu guards watching from afar exchanged uneasy looks. This was no ordinary hunt; Tianlan had turned the forest into a death trap.

The boar bellowed and charged. Tianlan stood his ground, shield raised, until the last moment. With a flick of his hand, he triggered his mechanism and was pulled swiftly into the trees. A massive spiked barricade dropped in front of the beast, blocking its escape.

The creature roared and stumbled backward—straight into the ring of seven pits. Tianlan detonated the bombs. Fire surged, igniting the powders. Seven colors of toxic mist rose, encircling the beast like a cage. Its hide began to corrode.

Panicked, the boar barreled away from the smoke—directly into the nearly invisible diamond silk.

With a sickening sound, the beast was sliced apart mid-charge, collapsing in pieces upon the blood-soaked ground.

It was Tianlan’s first kill. He staggered, retching.

But the hidden guards could only stare in awe. A boy of black iron rank had just slain a third-rank beast without taking a scratch. Through careful traps, cunning foresight, and precise calculation of the monster’s instincts, he had accomplished what even veterans might fail to do.

They could only nod in silent respect.

Dragging the carcass behind him, Yu Tianlan returned home—not knowing that his name, and his future, would never be the same again.

When the thirteen-year-old Yu Tianlan returned dragging the corpse of a Flame Boar behind him, the entire Yu household was shaken. If not for the hidden guards’ testimony, even Yu Batian himself would not have believed it. But hearing the detailed account of how his son had orchestrated the kill, Batian could only tremble with awe. To set such intricate traps at such a young age… what else could this be, if not genius?

The case was presented before the Elders’ Council. One by one, the gray-haired elders fell silent as they read the report.

“I say we make an exception,” one elder muttered. “This child is extraordinary. If we abandon him, who knows how many generations it will take before such a talent arises again?”

“Absurd,” another snapped. “The boy never used a single knight’s technique. How can that be called talent?”

“Nonsense!” a third retorted. “What is the essence of a knight? Leadership. A true knight is not one who charges headlong wi