Bloodhound’s Regression Instinct

Chapter 153

As soon as Cruel boarded the train, he fell into a deep sleep, snoring without a care in the world.

Yan, seated next to him, recalled what he had seen just before entering the train station.

Like thunder out of a clear sky, sparks flew through the air.

‘If I’m not mistaken, that was Electus’s Brainbird.’

From his past life’s experiences, he knew about the Brainbird.

Unlike communication orbs, Brainbirds carried no mana, making them undetectable to the uninformed.

But thanks to Electus’s request for support in a mana-blocked zone in his previous life, Yan was aware of them.

The Brainbird: a messenger used by Electus only in urgent matters.

‘And its appearance here means a swift command for Henry and Loen.’

Yan’s gaze turned icy.

‘Were they ordered to kill me?’

The likelihood was high.

Electus had been sending murderous intent his way. He wouldn’t forgive the killing of a disciple.

And considering the last look of malice from Henry, it was almost certain.

But something felt off.

According to Werner, it seemed he was expected to bring change to the current state of affairs.

‘Could it be… a discussion between the moderates and the radicals?’

And thus, he became expendable?

Yan’s expression hardened.

Bringing the Pirate Empress was a mission close to impossible.

To consider assassination within such a task was hopeless.

‘If only I could make the first move… but I can’t be sure there are no eyes on me.’

There might not be any followers on this train.

But there were techniques to enhance vision unnaturally, artifacts that could see great distances.

If they were in use… detecting them would be incredibly difficult.

Yan etched Henry and Loen into his mind.

Judging by their aura.

Loen was just at the threshold of Level 5.

And Henry was at the very edge of Level 5.

Meaning, neither had stepped into the realm of the superhuman.

In that case.

‘No matter what happens, I can handle it without anyone knowing.’

Yan closed his eyes and began to plan ahead.

* * *

“Ouch! My back feels like it’s breaking!”

“You, who sprawled in sleep without a care, dare to complain?”

Yan and Cruel disembarked the train onto a small fiefdom nestled along the southern coast.

Cruel clicked his tongue upon seeing the deserted surroundings of the train station.

“Even less crowded than the station by the training grounds.”

“Who would come to such a place? No one to disembark means no one to board.”

“Is that so? But why is it so unbearably hot here?”

Cruel grumbled as he wiped the sweat trickling down his forehead.

Yan chuckled and gestured towards the sparse crowd around the station.

While the Armenians wore thick fur in their territory, the locals here donned light fabric.

The sun blazed down, and a muggy breeze blew intermittently.

“It’s the location, after all.”

This place was situated in the hottest part of the warm southern region.

As Yan tossed his fur coat into a nearby trash can, Cruel questioned him.

“Why discard it?”

“Shall we advertise that we’re foreigners?”

“True, we were taught as much at the training center.”

Instructors had repeatedly advised them to discard their clothes and buy new ones when on infiltration missions.

Cruel followed Yan’s lead, shedding his thick fur coat into the trash, then looked at him.

“Heading to the location mentioned by the chief of staff?”

Werner had tasked them with gathering at a dock nearby.

Yan nodded.

“The revolutionaries have arranged a ship to the Caribbean islands; no need to bother with other means.”

Cruel shrugged nonchalantly, signaling Yan to proceed as he wished.

Thus, they promptly left the train station and acquired a map.

Combining Werner’s coordinates with the map revealed a location at least an hour’s walk away.

Cruel grimaced openly.

“I despise this heat.”

“Then use mana to ward off the heat. You can manage that much.”

“It’s not difficult, but maintaining it for long is the issue.”

Yan smirked and handed Cruel a synthetic elixir from his pocket.

“What’s this?”

“Take one. It might not be of much help at your level, but it should ease mana recovery.”

“Didn’t feel much when I tried it before.”

“You didn’t expend mana then.”

“Really?”

Cruel swallowed the elixir with a skeptical look.

He then circulated mana through his dantian and out through his skin.

The blotchy redness from the southern heat faded back to flesh color.

“Wow!”

Cruel’s eyes widened in amazement.

Just as Yan said, it was effective for mana recovery.

Previously, his mana would have drained rapidly, but now it was conserved significantly.

“If we’re ready, let’s go.”

And so, Yan and Cruel began their walk towards the designated dock.

* * *

Thud, thud.

Thirty minutes into their journey, Yan raised his hand with a frosty expression.

Cruel, following behind, lifted his head.

“What’s up?”

“Uninvited guests,” Yan stated flatly.

Cruel hastily expanded his senses, but detected nothing unusual nearby.

“I don’t feel anything?” Cruel frowned.

That’s when it happened.

Whoosh!

Yan, who had been vigilantly scanning the area, suddenly pushed Cruel aside.

“Hey, what are you—!”

Cruel began to protest, his face contorting in annoyance.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Two arrows whizzed past, narrowly missing where Cruel had just been standing.

Cruel’s face hardened as he saw the arrows’ landing spot blacken with poison.

Despite the sudden attack, they didn’t panic but readied themselves for battle.

“The arrows came from the northwest. At least a thousand paces out, since I couldn’t sense them,” Cruel quickly assessed.

Yan shook his head slightly, correcting him.

“Shot from precisely two thousand paces away.”

“Wow… you can sense that?”

Yan pulled out two black daggers and said,

“We’re not just going to stand here and take it, are we?”

Cruel grinned, drawing his blood-red sword from his waist.

“Of course not.”

He infused the sword with mana and turned towards the direction of the incoming arrows.

Cruel’s legs swelled for a moment.

“First one to catch them gets a wish granted!”

With incredible speed, he dashed toward the northwest.

Yan chuckled at the sight.

“A wish, huh…”

A mischievous smile played on his lips.

Simultaneously, a mirage-like black energy gathered around Yan’s legs.

“Not bad at all.”

Dark Dragon Technique – Ascending Dragon

He stomped the ground fiercely and shot off toward the northwest.

* * *

At that moment…

Loen, peering through a telescopic sight attached to his bow, urgently spoke up.

“Henry! They’re coming!”

Beside him, Henry, who was also aiming his bow, scoffed.

“They dodged the last one, but charging at us like that is akin to begging for death, isn’t it?”

He drew three arrows and nocked them to his bowstring.

As he pulled back, channeling mana, the arrowheads began to glow with a pure white light.

Henry kept the bowstring taut, observing Yan and Cruel through the scope.

They were approaching at an incredible speed, seemingly desperate.

A smirk appeared on Henry’s lips.

“Fools. Do they think anything will change by rushing in like headless chickens?”

His fingers released the bowstring.

Twang.

Swoosh!

The arrows he loosed split the air, speeding towards Yan and Cruel.

This time, the arrows were imbued with White Sword Energy (白劍氣), doubling their speed and power.

Even with Yan and Cruel’s cunning, dodging seemed impossible.

In an instant, the arrow aimed straight for Yan’s midsection.

Henry, confident of a hit, lowered his bow.

That’s when it happened.

“Damn it all!”

Unlike Henry, Loen, who had kept his aim, shouted out.

“Why?”

“They deflected the arrows!”

“What?!”

Henry’s eyes widened as he raised his bow to survey their movements.

True to Loen’s words, the arrows, even those charged with White Sword Energy, were now rolling powerlessly on the ground.

Grinding his teeth, Henry nocked more arrows to his bowstring—this time, five instead of three.

“Damn nuisance!”

Cursing, he summoned his mana again.

The light that had previously touched only the arrowheads now spread along the entire length of the arrows.

He pulled the bowstring, filled to the brim with White Sword Energy, and aimed at Yan and Cruel.

They were running in a zigzag pattern, perhaps mindful of the arrows.

‘I’ve filled them with White Sword Energy to the brim. These arrows of extreme speed cannot be dodged by mere humans.’

Ignoring the rising anxiety within, Henry released the bowstring.

And this time, he used the telescopic sight on his bow to watch them.

Boom! Boom!

Perhaps due to the White Sword Energy, the arrows exploded through the air towards them.

Henry’s lips curled slightly.

These were arrows shot with true intent, not sparing even the pinnacle of swift death known as White Sword Energy.

If they managed to deflect these…

Henry shook his head.

“Impossible.”

Even his master had asserted that no ordinary man could block or evade such arrows.

Whoosh!

Once again, the arrows surged towards Yan and Cruel.

At that moment, Yan raised his black dagger.

And at the unfolding scene, Henry’s mouth dropped open.

“This can’t be!”

The arrows, even those laden with White Sword Energy, split in two upon contact with the black dagger.

Normally, even if blocked, the force should have caused internal turmoil.

Yet somehow, Yan sliced through the arrows as if they were mere paper.

Not stopping there, he even deflected the arrows aimed at Cruel.

The movement was executed in the blink of an eye.

Loen shouted from the side.

“Henry, what now? Shoot again? Or do we retreat?”

“Retreat? We’ll just kill these bastards right now!”

Henry threw his bow to the ground in frustration.

He drew a slender rapier from his waist, and Loen, with a stern face, did the same.

And soon after…

Yan and Cruel reached them.

“Hey, I’ve saved you twice from death. You owe me a wish.”

“Nonsense. Even if you hadn’t blocked, I would have dodged.”

“How amusing.”

Henry and Loen, despite being right in front of them, hardened their expressions as the two bantered.

Especially Henry, whose pride seemed deeply wounded.

“Don’t ignore me, you filthy human!”

He charged at Yan with White Sword Energy coursing through his rapier.

His speed was so fast it left no afterimage.

And then…

Boom!

A massive collision sent sand and dust flying.

Loen, who was watching, gasped in shock.

“How… how is this possible?!”

Henry, caught in Yan’s grip, was face-planted powerlessly into the ground.

Yan had snatched the charging Henry and slammed him into the earth in an instant.

Yan looked down at Henry grinding his teeth in the dirt and snorted.

“Who’s the filthy one now?”