Chapter 129
In the dim light of dawn, Yan, the hound of the battlefield, shivered as he felt a touch rouse him from unconsciousness.
Blinking his eyes open, he was greeted by the worried gaze of Lia, his comrade-in-arms from the golden city they had parted ways with.
“…Lia?” Yan’s voice was hoarse, her name on his lips was a balm to her anxious heart.
“You collapsed the moment we arrived. It gave me quite the scare,” Lia confessed, her eyes reflecting the morning sun.
“Did I now?” Yan rose swiftly, checking his limbs for injuries, his warrior’s instinct never faltering.
Lia watched him, her head tilting in curiosity. “Did you… dye your hair?”
“Huh?” Yan echoed, puzzled, following her pointing finger to his hair.
Turning to the mirror, his eyes widened in shock.
“…What? Why is my hair red?”
For Yan, who had always been known for his raven looks, this was a startling change. Though not a fiery red, but a subtle crimson hue danced within his strands.
Lia, ever the optimist, smiled reassuringly. “It suits you, though. If before you had the air of a desolate warrior, now there’s a certain vibrancy about you.”
Suppressing a chuckle, Yan playfully mussed her hair. “Is that so?”
“Truly!” she insisted.
“Well, then it must be,” Yan conceded, his initial shock giving way to acceptance. A change in hair color was trivial compared to the battles they had faced.
Arms crossed, he pondered the cause, and the answer came swiftly.
‘It must be the Phoenix’s Heart.’
The fiery essence of the Phoenix’s Heart he had absorbed must have tinged his hair with its power.
Just then…
A foul stench invaded his nostrils.
Yan’s eyes narrowed as he surveyed the dark liquid scattered around his meditation spot.
‘Ah!’ Recognition dawned on him.
This was the detritus of his transformation, the culmination of his rebirth.
Closing his eyes, Yan resumed his meditative pose, ignoring Lia’s startled expression.
He felt his bones strengthen, his muscles toughen, a testament to his completed metamorphosis.
‘With each ascent in realm, my mana heart grows stronger,’ he mused.
The power within his three mana hearts, orbiting his core like celestial bodies, had intensified.
If his previous strength was a five, now it was surely a seven.
Yan’s focus shifted to his lungs, where he felt an odd sensation since consuming the Phoenix’s Heart.
A bead-like object nestled within, radiating energy rivaling that of his mana hearts.
A smile tugged at his lips.
‘This will be the foundation of my transformation.’
With this, he could easily harness the purest mana from the atmosphere.
No longer would he need to gather energy; he would be immune to mana deficiency in battle.
This achievement might even surpass his recent ascension to the fourth rank.
Yan opened his eyes, taking a deep breath.
“Haah!”
Without uttering a single incantation, the oxygen filled his lungs, and with it, mana naturally flowed into his being.
Though he had only laid the groundwork for transformation, it was enough.
‘There’s no need to rush. This is sufficient.’
In time, the Phoenix’s Heart within his lungs would meld completely.
Rising to his feet, Yan turned to Lia, who had begun cleaning the floor.
“Your arrival means the Chief Instructor… No, the Special Task Force Leader is here too?”
“Yes, I heard they went straight to the office, busy as always.”
* * *
Yan stepped out of his quarters, his strides purposeful as he made his way to Damian’s office. The instructors, once prone to petty squabbles, now steered clear of him. His name had begun to carry weight, his deeds echoing through the halls, and with a title now to his name, even the most brash among them held their tongues.
As he walked the second-floor corridor, his gaze drifted to the first floor where trainees sparred and honed their skills. Among them, his former comrades Cruel, Roman, and Charl were diligently practicing.
Reaching Damian’s office, Yan knocked.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Enter,” came the permission from within.
Yan pushed the door open to find Damian buried under a mountain of paperwork, his eyes weary.
“You look exhausted,” Yan observed.
“Turning all my past decisions into official documents is no small feat. But what brings you here?”
“I’m thinking it’s time to leave.”
Damian chuckled, setting aside the papers. “Off to your domain?”
“Yes.”
“No more reason to stay?”
“Exactly.”
Damian nodded in silent agreement. He knew Yan’s ambitions weren’t just about rising through the ranks but finding his parents. The training center could offer him no more than he already had.
“Leaving now?”
“Yes, staying would be a waste of time.”
“You heartless fellow,” Damian jested, though his eyes betrayed trust and understanding. He too believed Yan would be better off searching for his father than lingering here.
Then Yan asked, “Can you tell me how I came to be here?”
“The training center?”
“Yes. Which instructor I met or how I arrived. It might help.”
“You should know that.”
Yan shook his head. “I have no memory before joining here.”
Damian frowned. “Don’t joke. Who do you think you are?”
Yan insisted, “I’m serious.”
Damian sighed, then suddenly clapped his hands as if recalling something.
Yan tilted his head, and Damian pulled a thick file from his desk.
“Here we are… Yan.”
Damian flipped through the file, pulling out a sheet with a young Yan’s face.
“Why did I forget this?”
He laid the paper on the table, and Yan leaned in to read.
Number: 974
Origin: Unknown
Potential: Lowest.
Unlike the detailed records of other trainees, Yan’s was starkly brief.
“Is this normal?” Yan asked.
“Could it be?”
Yan pressed his lips together, staring at the document. He knew the workings of the training center from his past life. The Special Task Force, unlike other institutions, operated solely for the empire’s well-being, demanding clear records of its members’ origins.
“Are you truly alone?”
“If I had someone, would I have struggled to get here?”
Damian stroked his chin, pondering. “To push someone of unknown origin into the ‘Dragon Soldier Project’ means a noble of at least marquis rank is involved…”
Damian sensed this wouldn’t be easily resolved. He picked up the file.
“I’ll look into this. You have your own matters to attend to, right?”
Yan smiled bitterly. Damian was ensuring he could focus solely on rescuing his father.
“Shouldn’t you leave soon for Armenia? Even by train, it’s half a day’s journey.”
“Yes. I trust you, Uncle Damian.”
Damian’s eyes widened at the sudden title.
Yan shrugged nonchalantly. “Calling you ‘Mr. Damian’ lacks warmth. Besides, you were close to my father.”
Damian stared, then laughed. “You have a way of surprising people.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”