Bloodhound’s Regression Instinct

Chapter 201

In a certain tavern within a lord’s domain, a group of pleasure-seekers gathered, savoring the rumors swirling through the empire.

“Can it be… the recently esteemed Baron Yan, a turncoat?” one whispered.

“Hush, a top-secret morsel for you. Have you heard of the revolutionaries?”

“The very ones wreaking havoc with their terror! They even derailed a train not long ago!”

“If Baron Yan is indeed their puppet, would you believe it?”

The tavern’s patrons perked up their ears, especially the mercenaries sensitive to the currents of time, who even bought beer for the gossipers.

The pleasure-seekers, emboldened by the attention, began to embellish the rumors about Yan even more.

Soon, the entire tavern was united in their scorn for the traitorous Yan.

That’s when a beggar’s voice cut through, “Easy money, eh? While some scrape and bow for scraps!”

The beggar’s sarcasm drew the crowd’s gaze.

“Silence, beggar! Be gone!”

But the beggar’s next words shifted the mood, “Saw you taking coin in the alley for spreading these lies! Boiling my blood, it is!”

“Lies?”

The mercenaries who had offered beer now glared at the pleasure-seekers with suspicion.

“Could it be?”

The menacing mercenaries reached for their swords, and the tension was palpable.

A local shouted, “Hold on! You’re not from around here!”

“Did you really come to spread falsehoods for coin? Think us fools?”

“After all, Baron Yan was recently honored by His Majesty. Do you see the empire as a fool’s gathering?”

“It was Yan who prevented the train derailment. Your words are nonsense.”

The pleasure-seekers paled, realizing the tables had turned.

“I… I need the restroom,” one stammered, but the crowd was unforgiving.

“Pay up for the food!”

“And the beer!”

With the crowd’s anger rising, the pleasure-seekers had no choice but to flee.

And just like that, the beggar who had revealed the truth vanished too.

Meanwhile, in another domain, a different rumor spread.

In the southern reaches of the empire, a boy hawked chainmail vests outside a forge.

“Chainmail vests for sale! Protect yourself from undead bites!”

A patrolling soldier took interest.

“Undead? What nonsense, boy. This isn’t the east.”

The boy shook his head, “No lies, sir! I heard it from the mercenaries at the inn!”

“Mercenaries?”

The soldiers scoffed, but then one recalled, “Aren’t the current guests the Silvers Mercenary Band?”

The Silvers Mercenary Band, an elite group known across the continent, not just any rabble.

If they spoke of undead, the words carried weight.

The soldiers turned pale at the thought.

One hastily offered the boy some coins.

“Did they say anything else? If it’s valuable information…”

The boy, seeing the shiny silver, swallowed hard.

“Come here,” he beckoned, and the soldiers leaned in to listen.

The boy whispered, “A secret… I overheard the mercenaries planning to use necromancers for war. They’re preparing chainmail to ward off undead bites.”

The soldiers sprang up, “The forge has been selling chainmail like mad!”

“It was the Silvers who bought it all…”

“We must report this to the knights and the lord at once!”

They thanked the boy and rushed to the castle.

The boy chuckled, feeling the weight of the coins.

Then, a hand rested on his head.

“You’ve got quite the knack,” a voice said.

The boy looked up at a middle-aged man, a Silvers officer.

The officer laughed, “You’ve earned a tidy sum. Ever thought of joining us?”

“I avoid danger, sir. And…”

The boy held out his hand for the promised payment.

The officer shook his head but handed over a silver coin.

“Deal’s done,” he said.

“Next time, we might have more work for you.”

* * *

In the secret chamber of the revolutionary army, the leader gazed down with an icy countenance upon his subordinate.

“Wasn’t it a simple task to isolate this Yan fellow through propaganda?”

“…Yes? Oh, yes, that’s correct!”

“Then why does it seem our name has become more prominent?”

A deadly chill laced his reprimand.

Realizing the gravity, the subordinate trembled, kneeling and shouting in desperation.

“But, we had no choice! As I mentioned earlier, those spreading rumors far outnumber our informants!”

“No choice?”

The leader smirked, continuing his interrogation.

“Didn’t you assure me of certain success when I provided enough wealth to buy noble estates and thousands of informants?”

With each word, the subordinate’s face grew paler. The resources poured into this propaganda campaign were immense.

“I’m sorry. I will pay for this mistake with my life!”

Quickly admitting guilt was the only way to possibly save himself now.

But he missed something crucial.

“What are you waiting for? You said you’d pay with your life.”

The leader’s rage was at its peak, unlike any other time.

Though his tone and expression remained calm, his eyes blazed with fury.

The subordinate looked up, bewildered.

At that moment…

Crack!

His body crumpled as if crushed by an immense weight.

Brain matter and bone scattered across the floor, blood flowing freely, yet the leader’s anger showed no signs of abating.

“Dispose of it.”

At his command, hidden subordinates descended from the ceiling, swiftly erasing all traces of the corpse.

The leader then reclined in his chair, pulling a small jewel box from his pocket.

Click.

Infusing mana, the box opened, revealing its contents—a pearl, ghastly white and wrapped in expensive cloth.

With sunken eyes, the leader murmured to the pearl.

“Commander… if only you hadn’t taken the dragon’s soul, the empire would have been ours to change.”

He could have even crushed the face of that detestable man who treated him as a mere test subject for so long.

“All wrong.”

Rumors of necromancers rising meant not armies, but a few superhumans would take the stage.

This war, initiated by Commander Argon’s theft of the dragon’s soul, made it impossible to gather equivalent energy.

Yet, there was one way through this predicament.

“If I kill all the superhumans, the soldiers and mercenaries will have to step in. Absorbing their souls should fill the White Flame Jade.”

Twisting his lips, the leader rose.

As he stood, a tidal wave of presence swept the room.

His hidden limbs emerged, kneeling on one side, awaiting orders.

Looking at them, the leader spoke.

Whether I consume them all or fail miserably.

It’s time to end everything.

“Let the war begin.”