After Shion Lan took what he needed, he thought to himself:
"If she hadn't pulled those cheap tricks earlier, I would've treated her better. But she's the kind who uses her body to gain a few benefits. She doesn't even realize I've already seen someone far more beautiful — someone whose mere presence makes my heart race. Even though she's not from this world, that girl could never be compared to the likes of her."
Shion sighed aloud, saying, "Ah… what's the point of beauty if it isn't meant for just one person? When it becomes something common that anyone can approach in exchange for a few favors, it loses all meaning."
Then something came to his mind:
"Right — when that spirit threatened me before, I thought it was bluffing. But it really was about to kill me. Because of that, my veins activated on their own. It's a good thing I had potions with me, or I would've passed out like last time. But thinking about it now… the vein that was activated was the fourth vein, which seems to influence the soul. The second vein affects blood, and the third must affect the body. But there's something else — when the fourth vein activated, even though I was drained, it released only a small amount of power… yet it completely destroyed the spirit. Does that mean Shi Yun Lan's level in that vein has already reached the Pillar or Noble stage — roughly equivalent to fifth or sixth level power? Looks like I still have a long way to go!"
When he reached the teleportation circle, he was transported to the Eastern Border, a vast desert where the army was stationed to defend against neighboring kingdoms and the packs of monsters that appeared during spring.
As Shion moved to enter, one of the soldiers stopped him:
"Who are you, kid? Don't you know this land is off-limits?"
"You must be new here," Shion replied coolly, pulling out a badge. "You think I could come here without this? Besides, I wouldn't come to a barren place like this for fun. Now, I'd like to meet your commanding officer."
The soldier, embarrassed after checking the authorization and recalling the orders, escorted Shion to the commander — a man in his late forties with silver hair and a deep scar across his face. The mark only made him look more formidable. The commander studied Shion in silence, as if analyzing him.
Shion sighed inwardly, "Will they ever stop doing that?"
The commander finally spoke:
"Honestly, I don't understand why the Second Princess personally ordered me to ensure your safety. You don't seem so helpless."
Shion was surprised by that, and the commander noticed his reaction.
"So you didn't know? Aren't you one of her followers from the academy?"
"I'm not," Shion replied calmly. "I just taught two of her followers. I suppose she believes that by keeping me safe, she won't lose them — and it also shows off her authority as the Second Princess."
"Then who are these followers of hers you trained?"
"Two commoners."
"Tell me their names and ranks."
Shion knew he couldn't avoid the question.
"Rank four: Baro Ferrer. Rank five: Fiore Tai."
The commander stared at him in disbelief.
"You mean you trained commoners who managed to secure two of the top five ranks?! That's incredible — especially for a student only a year older than them!"
Shion smiled slightly.
"Thank you, Commander. Your words encourage me to make a small request — one I hope you won't refuse."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Shion raised his head.
"I want to conduct my mission alone, so I can finish it quickly."
The commander didn't quite understand his reasoning but replied,
"I think I understand the Princess's message now — you're arrogant, Shion Lan."
He released his aura, the pressure of a seven-star commander — a third-tier warrior — compressing the air around them. He wanted to intimidate Shion a little, to make him reconsider his decision, since he technically wasn't part of the army yet, judging from the letter.
But Shion just stared at him calmly.
"I know you're trying to change my mind, but it won't work. To reassure you, I'll prove my strength."
He then released his stellar aura, and the atmosphere around them shifted dramatically.
"So, Commander… what do you think of my power?" he asked confidently.
The commander looked at him in shock.
"A single star… and one circle… can produce this much power?!"
"Exactly," Shion said. "That's why I'm here — to prove myself to the academy. I have enough potions to keep my energy stable, so I just need your permission to depart."
The commander thought to himself:
"This boy isn't normal at all. His raw power surpasses a level-three warrior — maybe even rivals level-four. And with just one star and one circle, the effects of potions will be incredibly strong and fast on him. Still, I'll stay cautious."
"Fine," the commander said at last. "You have permission, but don't stay out there for more than a week."
"Thank you," Shion replied with a smile, leaving to prepare.
When he emerged later, he was wearing light armor and carried a sharper sword than his old one.
"A week, huh? That's enough to complete all the requests. After that, I'll come back here and train. I've got plenty of time…"
"Hey, you there — the new guy!" someone called.
Shion turned to see a man who seemed to hold some authority.
"In the army, you don't move around as you please!"
"I'm not in the army," Shion replied calmly. "You can confirm that with the commander."
He turned to leave, but the man stopped him again.
"Shion Lan, right? Your name's on the list here. That means you follow our orders — no moving freely!"
Shion looked at him in surprise. The man sneered.
"Looks like someone sent him to interfere with my mission," Shion thought.
"Do you know what it means to be a student of Karath Academy?" he said coldly. "It means people like you don't even qualify to guide us. And now you're trying to command me? If you don't tell me who sent you, I'll smash your face — after all, you're not following the rules here."
"You little brat!" the man snarled, releasing his killing intent and aura. As a four-star swordsman, his presence shook the area, drawing nearby soldiers — his unit included. They watched their captain facing a younger boy.
Shion exhaled lightly and waved his hand dismissively.
"That's your killing intent? At this rate, you should retire before bringing shame to the army."
The man was stunned, then charged with his sword aura, but as he got close, he saw Shion's eyes turn starry — and an overwhelming force erupted from him, making the man feel utterly inferior. Before he could react, the tip of Shion's sword was already slicing through the air toward him.
"(Star Surge)!"
The man barely dodged, a line of blood forming on his forehead.
"Be grateful the commander intervened," Shion said coldly. "Otherwise, I wouldn't even be punished for killing scum like you."
He then walked off toward the desert.
The commander soon arrived and barked,
"Who gave you the order to do this?!"
"It was Shion Lan, sir! He's a runaway recruit — I was trying to discipline him, but he disobeyed orders and attacked me! Aren't you going to—"
The commander's slap cut him off — so powerful that the man's head was smashed into the ground.
"Who gave you the order to do this?!" he demanded again, voice deadly calm. "The academy's headmaster himself signed his mission papers, and he's under the Second Princess's protection. He's also a student of Karath Academy! Any one of those is reason enough to have your head cut off without question! I was assigned to ensure his safety, and you insulted him!"
He grabbed the man by the head and lifted him into the air.
"If you're so eager to die, do it far away from me!"
He threw him toward one of his officers.
"Punish him severely. I expect satisfying results — or don't bother returning alive."
The officers, having learned that the mission came directly from Headmaster Tim Ayr, immediately dragged the man away, deciding to make him wish for death.
Meanwhile, Shion was already speeding across the sands, scanning the horizon and reviewing his mission:
"Three black raven beaks, cactus bark found twenty miles from the base, and eighty wolf-spider legs from their nests… I honestly don't even want to know what they'll use this for. And there's still that annoying golden serpent request. I should be able to handle that in time."
He pulled out a map showing monster gathering points and headed for the black ravens, whose nests were built atop dead black trees. The area was known as the Black Forest, a lifeless corner of the desert. Traveling at full speed, it took him about a day and a half to reach it.
When he arrived, the branches were filled with golden-yellow nests, giving the eerie black trees a shimmering hue — as though they bore golden leaves. Each raven was the size of a man's arm, jet-black with blood-red eyes.
"Even though they're only level-two beasts, facing this many flying creatures in their own environment is suicide. Even level-fours would avoid provoking them."
He pulled out a snake carcass he'd hunted earlier and a sedative potion from his pocket.
"Seems the army's supplies aren't as simple as I thought. Now, by their nature, the ravens will fight over this drugged carcass — some will fall, and I can finish things from there."
He threw the body far toward the forest and waited. As expected, several ravens swooped down, fighting over it. The sedative began to take effect, and some started dropping.
But suddenly, another flock emerged — this one heading straight for Shion.
He held his head and muttered, "Right… I forgot these ravens are smart. Looks like I've got no choice."
He drew his sword.
"(Raindrops)!"
Using his improved mid-tier water techniques from the manuals he received from Shi Yun Lan, he enhanced the attack by combining it with (Water Bomb), making it far more lethal. Ravens fell one after another, dropping like autumn leaves.
But numbers soon overwhelmed him, and he was surrounded.
"(Water Vortex)!"
A swirling current of water formed around him, protecting him as he slowly advanced toward the sedated ravens. When he finally reached them, he realized the true reason behind their frenzy…