Chapter 127
At the Dragon Project Training Grounds, a buzz of excitement was in the air. The trainees, once sullen at the news of their Chief Instructor being dragged away by the Royal Knights, were now unable to contain their thrill. Rumors had spread like wildfire: Yan, one of their own, had exposed the Task Force Commander’s crimes and had become the lord of a domain.
For those who had risked their lives in training, it meant their efforts hadn’t been in vain. This was especially true for those who had formed bonds with Yan. However, Cruel stood as the sole exception.
“Lorena, that girl… to have witnessed it all by herself,” Cruel grumbled, causing Kasa and Charl, standing beside him, to chuckle.
“Seems like you’re more jealous than annoyed that Lorena saw it firsthand,” teased Kasa.
“Exactly,” Charl added. “Why can’t you just be honest, Cruel?”
“What? What did you just say?!” Cruel snapped, his face turning a shade of red, clearly hitting a nerve.
Regardless, Kasa and Charl shrugged off Cruel’s irritation and continued their banter. “Anyway, it’s good that things worked out. Who would’ve thought the Special Task Force Commander would actually fall?”
Roman, who had been meditating nearby, let out a snicker. “Everyone here knew that guy was bound to stir up trouble.”
Cruel huffed in annoyance, “Hmph, if it’s someone comparable to me, it’s only natural.”
“Ha! Comparable, he says,” Charl laughed.
“You little—!”
As Charl interjected, Cruel raised his fist in frustration but then sighed deeply and turned away. “Enough. I’m going to train more. No point in idling around here.”
“Oh, Cruel. Finally growing up, are we?” teased another trainee.
“Hey, big guy. Let’s just fight and get it over with.”
While Cruel bickered with Roman, Charl turned away, muttering, “I wonder if Lady Lorena will ever return. She won’t just leave for her family’s estate forever, will she?”
It had been a week since Lorena answered the call of Duke Beowulf and left. Just then, a commotion erupted among the trainees near the main gate.
“He’s here!”
At that, Cruel and the others turned their heads.
“Yan!”
“The lucky bastard.”
“Doesn’t seem hurt.”
At that moment, Yan was puzzled by the crowd of trainees surrounding him. Their fervor was unlike anything he’d seen since the end of the second trial.
‘Why this sudden change?’
His question was soon answered.
“We heard about it! You pulled off a big one in the capital!”
“Can I… can I join under you?”
“With you, I feel like I could survive this place!”
The news of Yan and the Chief Instructor taking down the Special Task Force Commander had spread. It was inevitable, even for the reticent instructors, to buzz about such a significant event.
Yan pondered the trainees’ requests to join him, thinking of the upcoming ‘Recruitment Period.’ During this time, trainees would receive scout offers from noble families, knight orders, and institutions.
‘And now, as a noble myself, I can make offers during the recruitment period.’
The trainees flocking to him were mostly commoners or from other countries, less accomplished than those of noble birth. Yet, they were survivors of the Dragon Project, skilled and trained by the Task Force instructors.
“They’ll serve well in my domain,” Yan thought, smiling warmly. “And they’re still naive about the world, so no headaches there.”
“Wait a bit longer, and it’ll happen,” Yan assured them.
“Really?”
“Of course. I’ll get you out of this hellish place.”
Cheers erupted among the trainees at Yan’s confident words. As Yan walked past them, he noticed familiar faces.
“You guys are here too?”
Cruel, Kasa, Roman, Charl.
They each reacted differently upon seeing Yan return to the training grounds.
“You came back in one piece. Good. I learned a fancy new move just to crush you,” said one.
“Always so indirect. Glad you’re back safe, Yan.”
“Was the Special Task Force Commander strong?”
“And Lady Lorena?”
“She has some business left, and said she’d come later.”
“Thank you!”
“The Special Task Force Commander was insanely strong. I nearly died.”
“Seeing you alive, he must not have been that strong.”
“At least not weak,” Roman scoffed, heading back to his training.
“Still haven’t learned your lesson after all those beatings?”
Yan clicked his tongue, and Cruel, flustered, raised his fist.
“Let’s just fight now. I’ll smash that tongue of yours.”
Cruel trembled with rage, but Yan just smirked.
Seeing his comrades, Yan finally felt back at the training grounds. He playfully punched Cruel’s shoulder as he passed.
“Got some business now, we’ll fight later.”
“What business? Hey! Where are you going? Come here!”
* * *
Yan’s Ascent to the Royal Armory
After exchanging pleasantries with the trainees he hadn’t seen in a while, Yan made his way straight to the floor housing the Royal Armory.
“The sight is still as magnificent as ever.”
The entrance to the Royal Armory was always a grand sight to behold. The massive doors, crafted solely from expensive sandalwood, bore a plaque inscribed by the founding emperor himself. It was a spectacle that inspired awe in all who laid eyes upon it.
Swallowing hard with anticipation, Yan grasped the handle of the Royal Armory and stepped inside.
Creak.
As the door swung open, the interior space was revealed. It had been years since he last entered, yet everything remained as he remembered. A few trainees who had arrived earlier were browsing through books in front of the bookshelves.
Upon seeing Yan, their eyes widened, and they approached to greet him.
“Eh? Number 974! When did you arrive? Are you alright?”
“Ha, just got here. Thanks for your concern.”
Yan accepted their greetings with a smile. After all, these were the talents he planned to recruit during the ‘Enlistment Period.’
With brief pleasantries exchanged, Yan promptly headed upstairs.
He ascended to the second floor, then the third, and was about to proceed to the fourth when…
Pop!
Something caught Yan’s keen senses.
He looked up, glancing at the ceiling.
“I have brought the entry document for the fourth floor of the Royal Armory.”
No sooner had Yan finished speaking…
Thud!
A black shadow dropped swiftly from the ceiling.
The shadow morphed into the figure of a man, then materialized into a well-groomed middle-aged man.
“Entry document,” the man extended his hand.
“Here it is.”
Yan handed over the document he had kept in his pocket, his tongue flicking in slight amusement.
‘Is this man the guardian of the Royal Armory starting from the fourth floor?’
From the fourth floor upwards, the Royal Armory was filled with treasures that could bring about a storm of blood, hence the need for such a guardian.
In his past life, having served closely behind the emperor, Yan never had the chance to encounter them.
They were said to be more secretive than the Task Force’s officers, and the rumors weren’t wrong.
Had he not reached the fourth level of perception, he wouldn’t have sensed even the slightest presence.
The guardian scrutinized the document carefully, then folded it neatly and tucked it away.
“Verified. Remember, you can only take one treasure from the fourth floor.”
“Yes, understood.”
As Yan responded, the guardian once again became a shadow and disappeared into the ether.
‘I’m not sure about other things, but his stealth technique is incredible.’
Judging by the aura he sensed, Yan was confident he could win in a direct confrontation, but the guardian’s stealth skills were slightly superior.
It was an absurd situation.
Yan, who had mastered the Dark Dragon Technique, was lagging behind a mere gatekeeper in stealth.
Yan chuckled as he climbed the stairs, recalling the time he had tried to combine the first planet, the Moon, with stealth techniques but had left it unfinished.
He had completely forgotten about it due to the train terror incident and the encounter with Vila in the north.
‘Now that I have the time, I should resolve everything.’
With that determination, Yan reached the fourth floor.
* * *
The Treasure Trove of the Empire
The crisp scent of nature rushed into Yan’s nostrils.
“Ah, the fragrance of treasure.”
It was a stark contrast to the floors below, filled with the distinct aroma of aged paper.
But of course, it had to be.
This place was a veritable treasure trove, home to the precious artifacts and elixirs once wielded by the renowned figures of the ancient empire.
Yan stretched languidly, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
With such a wealth of treasures before him, even someone as stoic as Yan couldn’t help but feel elated.
After all, he was permitted to take any one item from this collection.
Yan strode forward, buoyed by his good spirits.
To his side lay the swords and shields of knights who had once dominated an era.
Occasionally, he spotted tomes penned by the previous Grand Artificer himself.
The old Yan might have been intrigued by these relics, but not now.
He already possessed the twin blades of the Dragon Sword Nailing, Ascalon, and had mastered the sword techniques said to be created by the founder of the empire.
But above all, his true aim had always been the elixirs.
Among them, the most prized was the Giant King’s Elixir!
A legendary potion known to fortify the body’s meridians and organs, making them more resilient than anything else, reducing internal injuries.
The Grand Artificer’s techniques and the heroes’ artifacts were indeed valuable, but…
‘Compared to the third stage of the Body Strengthening Technique, which is said to create talents from nothing, they fall slightly short.’
Of course, the Giant King’s Elixir alone wouldn’t suffice, but Yan was confident he would soon find the rest.
The locations of the undiscovered elixirs were etched clearly in his mind.
Yan ambled through the surroundings, taking in the sights, and soon arrived at the repository of elixirs.
Gulp.
Yan swallowed, slowly surveying the area as he walked forward.
“This place is always impressive.”
The mandragora that drastically increased one’s mana reserves.
The Essence of Earth that made skin and muscles as impenetrable as steel.
The Amaranth of Immortality that preserved one’s youthful appearance for a lifetime.
And the Ice Crystal from the coldest region of the continent, the Northern Sea, known to significantly enhance one’s affinity with cold.
Elixirs rare enough to appear once in a century were neatly arranged.
And at the very end of this place…
“I’ve found it.”
There it was, the Giant King’s Elixir, preserved in a glass container.
It was placed on a higher shelf than the other elixirs, signifying its superior value.
Resting on a plush cushion within layers of glass was a red orb, the very Elixir the last Giant King was said to have carried.
“This is indeed the best.”
Just as Yan’s hand was about to touch the Giant King’s Elixir, something else caught his eye.
Behind the Giant King’s Elixir, a small glass container.
Yan’s hand halted involuntarily.
“…What’s this?”
The Giant King’s Elixir?
If what he was seeing was correct, then such a thing would be no more significant than a common pebble.
“To think the Phoenix’s Heart would be on the fourth floor.”
One of the few transcendent species comparable to dragons, the divine beast that governed fire.
Yan’s face went blank as he beheld the Phoenix’s Heart.