Chapter 13
Right after completing one exam, Feyr made his way to the empty Mana Cultivation Chamber at the far end.
There were too many problems he had to confront imdiately.
'An exam's an exam, but I've still got things to do.'
There were two problems Feyr faced at the mont.
The first was what to do about his Blood-Attribute Mana.
The second was to fully absorb the energy held within the Titanoboa's Inner Core.
'I need to fully absorb the Inner Core's energy before I can properly wield Serpent Sense.'
That was why Feyr had not imdiately taken the next exam.
If he rushed to finish the exam, he would end up short on ti again.
Of course, there had been a way to absorb the Inner Core's energy before teaching Beheli.
But in order to absorb the energy more completely, it was necessary to let it simr.
Only then would he be able to draw out greater utility from Serpent Sense.
So he had deliberately given himself ample ti.
'The mont has ripened now—no need to wait any longer.'
Feyr stepped into the Cultivation Chamber and imdiately sat down cross-legged.
The process of absorbing the Inner Core's energy was similar to when he had absorbed the Basilisk's blood, but one difference existed this ti.
'There's an abundance of high-quality Mana.'
Unlike when he had absorbed the Basilisk's blood before, this ti there was a rich store of Mana present.
Having an abundance of Mana made it far easier to control the energy.
Feyr cleared his mind and gently closed his eyes.
Then he began circulating Mana through his body.
Spreading Mana throughout the body like this made it easier to absorb the energy.
Ssss—
As Mana spread through Feyr's entire body, a crimson aura rose from his form like a shimring haze.
With all preparations complete, Feyr imdiately began stimulating the Inner Core's energy that lay dormant in his lower dantian.
As his Mana moved toward where the Titanoboa's energy resided, a single shape entered his closed eyes.
Ssssssk!
The energy of the Titanoboa, coiled as though lying in wait.
It was like a single serpent.
Soon, as Feyr's Mana stimulated the Titanoboa's energy, it began to thrash wildly.
In response, Feyr began suppressing the energy with the blood-red Mana wrapping his entire body.
The Inner Core's energy raged from the lower dantian upward to the middle dantian.
Normally, one would pass through this stage easily with the aid of another person, but Feyr had no one to help him.
So he endured the gut-wrenching pain and suppressed the energy on his own.
So short ti passed like that.
"Ptuh."
Feyr, having cald the Inner Core's energy, spat a mouthful of black blood onto the floor.
He had sustained so internal injuries from the fierce resistance of the Titanoboa's energy, but he had no intention of stopping.
'All that's left now is the absorption—then it's done.'
Was this not a chance to make Serpent Sense completely his own?
With that, Feyr imdiately began absorbing the energy.
A long while passed like that.
Feyr still sat alone inside the Cultivation Chamber.
Seated cross-legged with his eyes closed.
Without a single change, just as when he had first begun the absorption.
As only silence drifted through the Cultivation Chamber—
Swish—
Feyr swept a hand across the floor around him.
Then, sothing small and hard beneath his fingertips.
A tiny pebble fragnt.
He then spread his senses loosely outward for a mont.
Following the most minute vibrations in the air, Feyr's fingertips moved.
And then—
Crack!
A snap of the hand in an instant.
And at the sa mont, a burst of sound.
The pebble fragnt Feyr had launched embedded itself in the wall, leaving a mark as though carved by an awl, and that was the source of the sound.
But that was hardly what Feyr had been aiming for.
At last, Feyr opened his eyes and let out a small, satisfied hum.
"Hm."
And he looked down at sothing falling limply to the floor.
A flying insect—its head cleanly severed by the pebble fragnt.
Feyr nodded with an air of satisfaction at the sight.
'A success.'
He had fully mastered Serpent Sense.
Recognizing that fact, Feyr stepped out of the Cultivation Chamber with contentnt.
***
Erging from the Cultivation Chamber, Feyr looked up at the sky.
The sun was not setting—it was rising.
At that sight, Feyr's brow furrowed.
'What?'
That much ti has passed?
He was certain it had been broad midday when he entered the Cultivation Chamber.
Yet now it was early morning, dewdrops glistening on the blades of grass.
That ant he had spent an entire day and night absorbed in drawing in the energy.
At that realization, Feyr clicked his tongue and thought to himself.
'Did I fall into a state of selflessness?'
It seed he had slipped into a trance from sheer concentration.
In truth, this had happened occasionally in his past life as well.
So he didn't give it much more thought.
He simply wasn't pleased that it had taken longer than expected.
'I thought half a day would do it, like last ti.'
This ti it had taken quite a bit longer.
Still, the result was good, so it didn't much matter.
Just as Feyr was stepping away with modest satisfaction—
Thud, thud.
A single vibration approaching from this direction.
That vibration was a person's footsteps.
Judging from the size of the vibration, it seed to be a Trainee.
Turning his head toward the source of the vibration, Beheli ca into view.
Feyr morized Beheli's distinctive vibration and approached him.
"Beheli? What brings you here at this hour?"
"Ca to do it. Mana cultivation."
"Oh? By the way, how did your exam go?"
"Passed. Obviously."
Beheli answered with a grin at Feyr's question.
At that answer, Feyr nodded in satisfaction.
Of course he did.
Otherwise he'd be getting beaten like a dog again.
'But why does this bastard still talk like this even after learning to read and taking an exam?'
Just as that trivial thought was crossing his mind, Beheli looked at Feyr and asked.
"Yesterday. All day long. What on earth. Were you doing."
Clearing the rising thoughts, Feyr gave a vague reply.
"Just did so Mana cultivation."
"Is that so? Was there. Any progress."
"Enough."
Seemingly spurred on by Feyr's answer, Beheli clenched his fist and said.
"I'll grow too. Quickly."
"Yeah, work hard."
Feyr left Beheli behind and headed toward the Main Building.
Since things had co to this point anyway, he planned to take the exam right away.
As he made his way inside the Main Building, the instructor he had seen yesterday approached Feyr.
"You again?"
"I've co to take the Mana Cultivation exam."
"……In a single day?"
"Yes."
The instructor directed him just as he had yesterday.
"Go up to the Head Instructor's Office."
"Understood."
Unlike the language exam, the Mana Cultivation exam was simple.
All he had to do was show his Ring—so he was told to head directly to the Head Instructor's Office.
In front of the Head Instructor's Office.
Feyr knocked on the door, just as he always had.
Knock knock.
"Co in."
With Zak's permission, Feyr opened the door and entered the Head Instructor's Office.
When Feyr arrived, Zak narrowed his eyes and studied him.
"What is it?"
"I've co to take the Mana Cultivation exam."
"You want to take the exam in a single day?"
"Yes."
Absurd as it was, Zak concealed his true feelings.
He was curious just what unbelievable thing Feyr would show him this ti.
Zak then gestured to Feyr and said.
"Activate your Mana Ring."
At Zak's casual deanor, Feyr allowed a slight smile.
Because Feyr already knew what was about to happen.
"Yes."
Feyr began activating his Mana Ring as Zak had instructed.
Only one Ring, however.
'No need to reveal all three Rings.'
That would cause an uproar.
More than anything, there was no need to reveal the full extent of his current power.
'An ordinary person wouldn't be able to control a Mana Ring—'
But for Feyr, it was simple.
Activating only a portion of a Mana Ring requires a high level of proficiency in controlling Mana.
This was a feat even a Sword Expert would struggle with, but for Feyr, who had already reached the Master realm, it was child's play.
After activating his Mana Ring, Feyr looked at Zak and spoke.
"It's activated."
When Feyr said so, Zak silently closed his eyes.
Then, in an instant, they snapped open.
Zak's eyes, now open, shimred with a blue iridescence.
Eyes capable of detecting Mana.
What was commonly called Mana Eyes.
Zak then looked at Feyr through his Mana Eyes.
And the pupils of Zak's eyes gazing at Feyr slowly began to widen.
"Is there so problem?"
"Problem? Ha! If there is one, then there is. You—where on earth did you obtain that attribute."
"I've had it from the beginning."
Having pondered over this matter for a long while, Feyr simply chose to et it head-on.
He felt no particular need to conceal it.
'Blood-Attribute is mainly used by the family's direct bloodline, but—'
There were others across the continent who used it as well.
So simply wielding Blood-Attribute Mana alone was not enough to be questioned over it.
Feyr's brazen response drew a hollow laugh from Zak.
"Tell the truth. Where and how did you co to obtain that attribute."
Feyr shrugged at Zak's words and replied.
"And is that a problem?"
"……What?"
"The condition to pass the exam was to forge a Ring, was it not? Is the attribute a problem?"
Struck dumb by Feyr's words, Zak fell silent.
The condition to pass the exam.
That was right.
The condition to pass this exam was, in the end, to learn to read and to forge a Ring.
That was all.
'He's not……wrong.'
It was none of his business what attribute the kid had forged his Ring with.
All that mattered was the fact that he had forged a Ring.
Zak drew a deep breath at Feyr's words and said.
"Whether it's a problem or not……it presents no problem in terms of the exam."
Saying so, Zak's Mana Eyes flickered once more as he looked at Feyr's Mana Ring.
A powerfully dense Mana Ring, unbecoming of a beginner.
Feyr's Mana Ring was nothing like the feeble ones belonging to the Trainees who were treated as vermin.
That was what left Zak at a loss.
'I thought that since he supposedly made it in a single day, it would be barely shaped at best.'
But in reality, that kid's Ring was dense enough to be compared to the family's own knights, right then and there.
Only when he set the attribute aside did he finally see it clearly.
So Zak asked Feyr directly.
"……Just how did you do it?"
At Zak's question, Feyr replied as though it were obvious.
"I looked at the textbook you gave and followed along, and it worked."
He just did it and it worked.
That was what Feyr was saying.
At the absurdly bland answer, Zak let out a hollow laugh.
'Ha……I truly cannot believe it.'
Just as Zak was closing his eyes and thinking that, Feyr spoke up.
"May I expect a top-rank reward?"
Zak was taken aback by the deadpan way Feyr asked.
But Feyr had passed both exams with the top rank.
He had every right to bring up a reward.
Zak looked at Feyr and scoffed.
"Ha! Yes, you may."
At Zak's answer, Feyr smiled ever so faintly.
Because Feyr already knew.
That Beilhart was a place that gave rewards and punishnts in exact proportion to one's ability.
And so, a fitting reward would be paid to him.
'I wonder what will co as the reward.'
Given how boldly Zak had declared it, it was well worth anticipating.
Just as Feyr was swelling with anticipation, Zak delivered a one-sided notice.
"The reward will be paid at a later ti, so keep that in mind."
"Understood."
At that notice, Feyr simply replied calmly as always.
The two of them, as ever, showed not a shred of their true feelings.
A brief silence fell, and then Zak gestured and issued his dismissal.
"If there's no further business, you may leave."
"Yes."
Feyr gave a small nod before taking his leave from the Head Instructor's Office.
After Feyr's departure, Zak sat down and began writing a docunt.
The docunt Zak wrote was Feyr's evaluation report.
As was customary, Zak as head instructor was required to write reports on all Trainees, but Feyr's report he wrote earlier than any other Trainee's.
It was none other than to file a report to Azazel at once.
Having finished the report, Zak took it with him, left the Training Ground, and made his way toward the main castle.
***
The Lord's Chamber, situated at the very top of the family's main castle.
As was customary, Zak visited the Lord's Chamber to report what had occurred at the Training Ground.
"Head Instructor of the Lunar Eclipse Training Ground, Zak Beilhart. I present myself before the Family Head."
Entering the Lord's Chamber, Zak gave a small bow and offered his stock greeting.
Azazel looked at Zak with an air of boredom and asked.
"Well, what is it?"
"It concerns a report on the Trainee I ntioned previously."
"You an the Trainee who beat Kail senseless."
"Yes."
Zak answered as he produced the docunts he had brought.
Azazel snatched the docunts Zak had drawn out using Mana as dense as a solid.
"Wait while I read this briefly."
"Understood."
While Azazel skimd through the docunts, Zak turned over in his mind what Azazel had just demonstrated.
A refined application of Mana that required at least the Master level to use.
'To handle Mana—which is inherently gaseous in nature—at such a dense concentration like that.'
A level quite befitting the title of one of the Six Stars—the Yukgwangseong.
That was their Family Head.
Zak looked up at Azazel with awe and reverence.
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