<div> Chapter 70
 With a sly grin, the Chief Instructor gazed at Edmund, who was pointing an accusing finger at him. Edmund’s face turned a fiery red, trembling with unbearable humiliation and rage.
 “How amusing,” the Chief Instructor remarked, his comment sending a chill through the bustling central hall.
 “These grades are invalid, you say?” he asked, locking eyes with Edmund.
 Edmund’s seething anger cooled, his face growing pale as he realized the gravity of his actions.
 “Uh, well...”
 As the Chief Instructor flicked his index finger, an instructor behind him handed over a sheet of paper. The Chief Instructor began to read aloud.
 “Trainee number five, Edmund Denver. Second exam activities: impersonated a pirate fleet to eliminate second-rate mercenaries, and when encountering the mercenary group, used his family’s name to defuse the conflict. Total score: 53 out of 100.”
 Edmund hung his head in shame.
 “Do you know why someone like you got as much as 53 points? You’ve done nothing but eliminate a scoundrel who could only impersonate others.”
 Silence.
 “At least you didn’t hide behind other trainees and cut the lifeline yourself. That’s how you were scored.”
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 </div> “I understand,” Edmund replied weakly.
 But the Chief Instructor wasn’t finished.
 “However... what if I told you I’ve learned that your family hired those third-rate mercenaries to impersonate a pirate fleet? Should this be invalidated?”
 Edmund’s head shot up in alarm.
 “How could you possibly know that!”
 “Did you really think a mere count’s family from the frontier could meddle in a project sanctioned by His Imperial Majesty and no one would notice?”
 The Chief Instructor chuckled ominously.
 “Do you think the special task force is a joke?”
 In a flash, the Chief Instructor appeared before Edmund on the platform, seizing his throat and lifting him.
 “Choke... Save me...!”
 “What’s that? I can’t quite hear you,” the Chief Instructor teased, looking at Edmund playfully as his face turned a ghastly shade of purple.
 “Ugh... Ugh!”
 As the Chief Instructor’s grip tightened, fear filled Edmund’s eyes.
 And then, their eyes met—Edmund’s filled with dread, the Chief Instructor’s with mischief.
 Crack.
 “Oops, seems I’ve accidentally put too much strength into my grip.”
 Edmund’s neck twisted grotesquely.
 The trainees who had returned from the south turned pale, remembering their own criticisms of the instructors.
 The Chief Instructor waved his hand dismissively at them.
 “Don’t be scared. You may be fools, but at least you didn’t engage in such foolish acts.”
 The trainees sighed in relief.
 The Chief Instructor called over an instructor.
 “The Denver Count’s family has committed treason, have they? Best erase them quickly, right?”
 “Yes.”
 With a straightforward answer, the instructor left immediately.
 The noble-born trainees watched the Chief Instructor with fearful eyes, but he seemed pleased with their reaction, smiling contentedly.
 Then, with a satisfied look, he asked, “Anyone else have any objections?”
 No one spoke.
 The Chief Instructor smirked and continued, “The sanctuary will be opened once more.”
 At his words, the disheartened trainees perked up, their eyes shining with anticipation.
 Yan took their reaction for granted.
 ‘It’s to be expected.’
 After the first exam in the Blade Mountains, those who had ascended beyond the second floor experienced remarkable growth.
 And those who had stayed on the first floor due to poor performance had watched them closely.
 It would be strange not to have expectations.
 Lorena raised her hand.
 “What about the trainees who haven’t returned from the east? Is it alright to announce their grades and rewards so soon?”
 There could still be successful trainees from the east.
 Two weeks remained until the end of the second exam, and some might pass and return within that time.
 The Chief Instructor snorted in response.
 “Those who went east are all currently missing. Even if some return safely, their grades won’t change. How quickly they passed the exam is also a crucial evaluation criterion.”
 He looked over the trainees who had returned from the north, chuckling.
 “If they achieve ‘remarkable feats’ like the trainees who went north, perhaps.”
 But that was unlikely.
 The Chief Instructor swallowed his next words.
 The trainees’ gaze shifted towards those who had returned from the north.
 Lorena shook her head, Cruel glared threateningly around him, and Charl shielded Lia behind him.
 The Chief Instructor glanced at Lia briefly before turning away.
 “This time, the top thirty will be eligible to enter the first, second, and third floors.”
 It was more lenient compared to the first exam.
 With roughly a hundred successful candidates from the second exam, excluding the east, one only needed to be within the top third to enter the third floor of the sanctuary.
 “Any more questions?”
 When no further inquiries came, the Chief Instructor clapped his hands.
 Two instructors standing by the door walked to the front of the stage.
 “Those who wish to rest may do so comfortably. Those ready to enter the sanctuary now, follow these two instructors.”
 With that, the Chief Instructor descended from the platform and left the hall.
 Yet, not a single trainee chose to rest.
 All lined up, ready to follow the instructors’ lead.
 * * *
 The Imperial Sanctuary: Unchanged Through Time
 The Imperial Sanctuary stood unchanged, a testament to time itself.
 “Wow, this place is extraordinary,” Momon marveled at the sight of the sanctuary’s gates.
 ‘It was created by the Founder himself,’ he thought, then quickly shut his mouth.
 [Xpal.]
 He felt a twinge of shame for admiring the sanctuary built by his nemesis.
 Yan chuckled and stepped into the sanctuary, followed by an instructor who recited the familiar precautions.
 Nothing had changed.
 Enter only the floors you’re qualified for.
 Leave before 10 p.m.
 And do not damage anything inside; otherwise, you’re free to do as you please.
 As they entered, the scent of ancient paper assaulted their nostrils.
 The first floor was exactly as they remembered it.
 The same bookshelves in the same places.
 Yan was eager to ascend to the second floor.
 ‘There are pieces on the second and third floors too.’
 Momon might be knowledgeable about Mana Hearts, but the Founder’s insights would surely surpass his understanding.
 As Yan stepped toward the staircase, a firm hand clasped his shoulder.
 “You’ve achieved a remarkable feat in the North,” a deep voice boomed.
 Yan turned to see Roman.
 With a serious look, Roman asked, “What exactly did you do?”
 “Are you curious?” Yan replied with a smirk, sensing Roman’s true intentions.
 “Let me rephrase. How strong are you?”
 Roman changed his question.
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 </div> “No, how much stronger have you become?”
 Roman was visibly shaken by Yan’s return.
 When he had last seen Yan after an intense training period, his sharp aura was almost palpable.
 ‘Now, I feel nothing.’
 He wondered if Yan’s skills had regressed.
 But he had heard of Yan’s incredible achievements in the North.
 Edmund, was it?
 That guy had been bragging about killing pirates as soon as he returned.
 Yet, the Chief Instructor knew the whole truth behind that incident.
 He had personally praised Yan and three others for their deeds.
 Which meant...
 The special task force had confirmed there was no foul play in their remarkable achievements.
 It was all Yan and the other three.
 ‘There’s no way he’s regressed.’
 Yan observed Roman quietly.
 “How important is my strength to you?”
 Roman replied with a calm demeanor, “It’s important.”
 “Why?”
 “Because you’re my first target.”
 Yan couldn’t help but laugh at Roman’s response.
 Roman’s face contorted, thinking Yan was mocking him.
 “It’s not mockery. Relax. It’s just cute, that’s all.”
 “It sure sounds like mockery.”
 “No, really, it’s not.”
 Yan waved his hands, denying any intent to mock.
 He genuinely wasn’t laughing at Roman.
 It was just amusing that Roman, once hailed as the empire’s prodigy, now saw him as a target.
 So, Yan offered a hint.
 “Check out the technique called ‘Vajra’ on the second floor.”
 Vajra was the fundamental technique for Roman’s future role as ‘Gold Star’ among the Empire’s Seven Stars.
 If one could grasp its secret, they’d possess a body as indestructible as diamond.
 Since its inception, no one had mastered it to its full potential, leaving its power unverified and stuck on the second floor.
 By its merit alone, it wouldn’t be out of place even on the fourth floor.
 But it was a vision that didn’t suit Yan, so he had no intention of learning it.
 ‘Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have shared this...’
 But they had escaped together once, and a bond had formed.
 And perhaps there was a slight ulterior motive.
 ‘No one knows Roman’s potential as I do. The Chief Instructor and other instructors have only glimpsed his unexpectedness.’
 So, he was planting a debt.
 To ensure a grown Roman would feel indebted to him later on.
 Roman’s eyes sparkled at Yan’s words, and without another word, he passed by and ascended.
 “Ungrateful brat doesn’t even say thanks.”
 Yan grumbled once before heading to the second floor.
 The bookshelves were fewer compared to the first floor.
 Yan’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
 “Shall we go find a piece?”
 * * *
 Eight Hours Later: The Sanctuary’s Secret
 Yan sat in the third floor’s chair, his face weary from the search.
 “It can’t be,” he muttered.
 The books on the second and third floors combined were fewer than those on the first.
 It didn’t take long to peruse them all.
 Perhaps due to his heightened state, comprehension came swiftly, each book understood at a glance.
 But still...
 “Why is it not here?”
 No book seemed out of place, nor did any react to the breath of the divine dragon.
 He even tried smearing a drop of blood from a tiny cut on his finger, but no book revealed its secrets.
 ‘The Emperor assured me four pieces were hidden here.’
 Since the fourth floor held no reaction, he assumed the other floors would each contain one.
 Yet, even after scouring the books on the second and third floors, nothing.
 “Am I missing something?”
 Could it be a cipher in the titles, or a message strung together in the texts?
 Such tricks were common enough.
 Regardless...
 “It seems I can’t uncover more today.”
 Yan’s gaze drifted to the clock on the wall.
 It pointed to eight.
 Two hours remained.
 There was no urgency to find the Founder’s pieces within that time.
 There was always tomorrow, and the day after.
 ‘I told the Chief Instructor I’d depart in three days; I just need to find it by then.’
 Yan stood up, stretching his back, the entirety of the third floor’s armory coming into view.
 Walls and bookshelves of black ironwood.
 The ceiling’s etched ‘Light’ magic circle and the gentle white lights floating beneath.
 Statues of the Founder and their inscribed words.
 And the windows connecting to the outside world.
 “Nothing seems special.”
 With a sigh, Yan descended to the second floor.
 It was much like the third, save for more bookshelves.
 Shaking his head, he stepped towards the stairs to the first floor.
 But then, he paused.
 “...Wait.”
 Yan turned back to the second floor.
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 </div> A detail caught his eye.
 “There was another difference between the second and third floors.”
 His gaze settled on the statue of the Founder.
 “The posture and inscription are different.”
 The third floor’s statue depicted demons wailing at the Founder’s feet.
 Drawn as if by a spell, Yan approached the second floor’s statue of the Founder.
 There, the Founder stood, sword hanging, eyes fixed forward.
 Yan slowly lowered his gaze.
 With one sword, a thousand soldiers fell.
 Thump. Thump.
 The Mana Heart began to resonate with the words inscribed beneath the statue.
 “...I’ve found it.”</div>
 

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Chapter 70

Chapter 70 With a sly grin, the Chief Instructor gazed at Edmund, who was pointing an accusing finger at him. Edmund’s face turned a fiery red, trembling with unbearable humiliation and rage. “How amusing,” the Chief Instructor remarked, his comment sending a chill through the bustling central hall. “These grades are invalid, you say?” he asked, locking eyes with Edmund. Edmund’s seething anger cooled, his face growing pale as he realized the gravity of his actions. “Uh, well...” As the Chief...

Bloodhound's Regression Instinct

Chapter 70

Bloodhound's Regression Instinct - Chapter 70