Bloodhound’s Regression Instinct

Chapter 205

Yan surveyed the expressions of the two before him. Their faces were the epitome of shock, the kind that comes from truly unforeseen events. It was odd that even Aisha was unaware, not just Electus.

“I did mention I would aid the Sun Duke,” Yan reminded them.

“To think that meant you’d lend a hand directly…!” Aisha exclaimed, her face a mask of utter disbelief.

It was only days ago that Yan had been told how formidable the Chief was, recounting the extraordinary feats he had accomplished. And now, they were to wage war against this Chief?

“Is your life so worthless to you?” she cried out.

The Chief, who had even defeated the awe-inspiring Sun Duke, was not to be underestimated.

“What plan do you have to possibly win against him?”

“Wouldn’t it be more plausible to aim for mutual destruction with the Sun Duke?” Aisha nearly screamed.

Yan watched her silently, then let out a wry laugh, shaking his head.

“Life is precious, of course. But if not now, death is certain, so I must step forward.”

“What…?”

At that moment, Yan felt a piercing gaze upon him. Turning, he saw Electus staring intently, as if trying to decipher Yan’s next words.

Yan met his gaze and allowed a sly smile to cross his lips.

“There’s a curious artifact known as the White Flame Jade.”

“The White Flame Jade?” Aisha echoed, hearing of it for the first time.

But Electus’s reaction was different. His eyes darkened, filled with questions about how Yan knew of it.

Yan observed Electus’s confusion and smiled enigmatically.

Electus frowned slightly, unable to fathom the reason behind Yan’s smile.

Regardless, Yan answered Aisha’s question.

“It’s a bead capable of sealing various energies. Originally, it contained a Fire Dragon that once wreaked havoc across the continent, hence the name White Flame Jade. But in truth, it possesses the ability to absorb all manner of things.”

“Absorb?”

“Yes. Human souls included.”

Aisha’s eyes widened as she grasped the implications of Yan’s words. Suddenly, she recalled a strange phenomenon she had witnessed.

On the blood-spattered battlefield, the Chief had ignored his dying subordinates, holding only a peculiar bead.

‘That strange bead…!’

She realized the true nature of the Chief’s bizarre actions. He had absorbed his own subordinates into the White Flame Jade.

The thought sent a chill through her.

“Then… the souls absorbed by this gem…” Aisha asked, her voice trembling.

“Yes, they can be converted into power,” Yan confirmed.

Aisha’s face set into a hard mask.

Understanding dawned on her, and she asked, “Now you see why I intend to help the Sun Duke?”

She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.

“Argon was too moderate, a problem in itself, but the Chief… he’s a madman…”

A wistful smile appeared on Aisha’s lips.

“It seems we’re out of options.”

Yan had no words of comfort for the disheartened Aisha. Any attempt at consolation might backfire.

Instead, he turned to Electus.

“What will you do, Lord Electus?”

“What do you mean?”

“Will you join us? Or will you stay here?”

Electus’s brow furrowed slightly, irritated by Yan’s words.

Yet, he suppressed his rising anger with superhuman patience and smirked.

“I will join. If the Chief has such intentions, the war will undoubtedly drag on, and the natural home of our elves will vanish.”

* * *

Yan, Aisha, Electus, and their band of revolutionary followers made their way towards the entrance of the village. Electus’s brow furrowed as he spotted something—or rather, someone.

“There he is…”

Theo Beowulf stood with his arms crossed, eyeing the approaching group. Recently exposed by Lorena, his demeanor was noticeably on edge.

As Yan approached, Theo clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Do we really need to bring them along? They don’t seem like they’ll be of any help.”

He then scrutinized Aisha, Electus, and the revolutionaries following them with a disdainful gaze.

“What did you say?”

“Shall we determine here and now who would be the most useful?” Theo challenged.

Aisha and Electus, too, seemed irked by Theo’s gaze, their expressions souring.

“Enough with the pointless posturing,” Yan interjected, stepping forward and breaking the standoff.

The villagers’ eyes widened with alarm as strangers emerged from the Monster Forest. With the knights away, the influx of outsiders felt threatening.

But their apprehension soon eased, especially upon seeing Yan, the lord of Armenia, leading the group.

Valdes, brimming with courage, approached. He had grown larger and more muscular amidst the chaos of recent events.

“Why?” Yan asked him.

“Lord, who are these people?”

“Oh, they’re my guests; no need to worry.”

“If you say so… Oh, and…”

Valdes looked squarely at Yan.

“Please take me with you, like the other knights.”

“What?”

“Sir Roman said I’ve passed the stage of training alone. It’s time to break through in real combat.”

Yan chuckled.

“Do you even know where I’m headed?”

“The battlefield, isn’t it?”

“You know well.”

“I won’t be a burden, I promise!”

Surprise flickered in Yan’s eyes. Valdes, once a mere child in his eyes, now bore the gaze of a grown man, filled with a fierce desire to improve.

Yan felt a sense of pride in Valdes’s ambition.

But still…

“No.”

“Why not…!”

“You’ll definitely be a hindrance. It’s one thing if it’s my own life, but if it endangers the other knights… Do you want to see others hurt because of you?”

Valdes, flustered, raised his voice.

“If that happens, I’d rather—”

“Rather what? Die? Don’t be ridiculous. And do you think the others would just stand by and watch?”

Chastened by Yan’s cold rebuke, Valdes fell silent.

He understood Yan’s point all too well. His own eagerness could indeed endanger the other knights.

“Yes.”

Valdes reluctantly conceded, not wanting his desires to cause harm to the noble knights.

Yan ruffled the disheartened Valdes’s hair.

“Don’t be hasty. When the time comes, I’ll definitely take you with me.”

At Yan’s words, Valdes’s face brightened.

“Yes!”

With that, Valdes saluted vigorously from a distance.

“Safe travels!”

“Always quick to mimic what you see.”

Yan chuckled at Valdes’s gesture and began walking towards the station.

As they walked, Aisha whispered to Yan.

“We need to talk.”

After ensuring Electus was engaged in conversation with other elves, she continued quickly.

“Don’t trust him. He’s not one to follow others so easily. He must have ulterior motives.”

Yan smirked at her warning.

“I’m well aware.”

He knew Electus better than anyone, having relentlessly pursued and killed him in a past life.

‘To think he’d bow his head to me, the one who killed his disciples? And he knows about the White Flame Jade?’

If Electus were as Yan knew him, he wouldn’t have come to Armenia at all. He should have stayed glued to the Chief, no matter how many of his subordinates died.

‘And when the opportunity arose, he would have shown his true colors and stolen the White Flame Jade.’

Electus claimed he would join the war because their natural habitat was disappearing.

‘Electus doesn’t care about such trivial matters. He only wants to be a ruler.’

If such a person bowed to Yan, it meant only one thing.

He had struck a deal with the Chief or some third party.

Yan grinned at Aisha.

“A flea can only jump so high. Oh, right.”

Aisha blinked in surprise.

Yan pulled out a densely written paper from his pocket and handed it to her.

“Aisha, Electus, and the revolutionaries will move in a different direction from me. The plan is written here; please follow it.”

Aisha tilted her head, scanning the contents of the paper.

Her eyes gradually widened in astonishment.

“Are we really supposed to do this?”

“Yes. I’ll see you later. I’m worried the ones waiting for me might grow impatient.”

With that, Yan dashed off towards the station, using a swift movement technique, with Theo following close behind.

Electus frowned at their departing figures, about to channel mana and leap away himself when…

Thud.

Aisha grabbed his arm.

“What are you doing?”

Electus scowled at her, and she shook her head, presenting the paper Yan had given her.

Electus scrutinized the paper with a furrowed brow.

It read:

Please take the train five hours after us.
The meaning was unclear.

Electus looked at Aisha.

“What is this?”

“I don’t know.”

“What?”

Aisha gazed at Yan’s retreating figure in the distance.

“He said to do as it says.”

* * *

The next stop is the territory of Caballian.

Yan, who had boarded the train to the Sun Duke’s domain with his knights, felt the journey’s end and slowly rose from his seat.

As he stood, Cruel and Roman Charles also got up, followed by the knights, their faces tense with anticipation.

Stepping off the train, they were met with an unexpected sight.

“It’s been a while.”

It was Merriott, the right hand of the Sun Duke.

Behind him stood a formation of knights.

Clad in red armor that seemed to embody blazing flames, with finely honed swords at their sides, they were the Southern Stronghold’s mightiest—the Sun Duke’s First Knight Order, the Knights of Scorching Heat.

Confronted with the legendary knights they had only heard of in rumors, a whirlwind of thoughts began to stir in the minds of the Armenian knights.

‘Yan’s influence is indeed as vast as Kasa said.’

‘For the Knights of Scorching Heat to personally greet us…’

But before their thoughts could settle, Merriott’s voice thundered like a bolt from the blue.

“I never expected the spawn of the revolutionaries to show their faces again.”

The Armenian knights and their commanders’ eyes widened in shock.

“Yan was part of the revolutionaries?!”